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Secret Weapon: D-5

2010-11-15T07:34:03Z

64.189.19.132:

{{episode|
|series=RiD
|ep=8
|title="Secret Weapon: D-5"
|japanese=謎の兵器! D5
|romaji=Nazo no Heiki! D5
|translation=Mysterious Weapon! D5
|image=Secret Weapon- D-5 Midnightexpressd5.jpg
|caption=Shouldn't there be a heart flashing on the screen?
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]], [[Studio Gallop]]
|written by=[[Kazuhiko Gōdo]] (Japanese) [[Marc Handler]] (English)
|director=[[Yoshiaki Tsutsui]]
|animation studio=Studio Gallop
|airdate=[[May 24]], [[2000]] (Japanese) [[September 17]], [[2001]] (English)
|continuity=
}}

'''Another train heist.''' 
'''Autobots to the rescue''' 
'''[[Bullet Train to the Rescue|Is this a rerun?]]'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] mug the absent-minded [[Doctor Yoshimoto|Dr. Yoshimoto]] to steal a disk that belongs to [[Doctor Kenneth Onishi|Dr. Onishi]]. His fellow scientist tries to fight off [[Dark Scream]] by tossing a fire extinguisher. A fire engine arrives, and the Predacons think it might be [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]]. So [[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] licks the disk up and the three retreat.

[[T-AI]] and Optimus wonder why the Predacons are so concerned with stealing a regular disk. [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] and [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] are contacted to be placed on alert.

[[Image:Secret Weapon- D-5 Train.jpg|left|200px|thumb|...[[Astrotrain_(G1)|Astrotrain]]?]]
Under the sea, the Predacons look at what's on the disk: Images of a steam locomotive branded "D-5". Knowing only that the train holds some importance to the doctor, [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] orders his goons to capture it. In the same room, Dr. Onishi mumbles something about Grampa.

Coincidentally, [[Koji Onishi|Koji]] happens to be attending a demonstration running of the D-512 Stanwich Steamer train ("[[Grandpa]]") with Dr. Yoshimoto. [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] and the [[Autobot Brothers]] also attend, waiting for the Predacons to attack. The train pulls into the station where Koji and the rest of the crowd of observers are waiting. They board the locomotive and start to enjoy their trip on the anachronism. The rest of [[Team Bullet Train]] arrive to make sure the train is protected as much as possible. Oh, and Side Burn and a cow ruin [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]]'s day—moo!

[[Image:Secret Weapon D5 Dark Scream coal.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"I've been working on the rail-" No, I'm NOT going to finish the song!]]
[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] begins the Predacons' attack on Grandpa, attempting to invade the train's interior by sneaking down the train's smokestack, but he's quickly knocked off course by a face full of smoke. Dark Scream tries to grab onto the top of the train, but receives a face full of smoke when the train goes into a tunnel. Not entirely giving up his fight, Dark Scream gets up, but is literally railroaded by [[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]]. Slapper gives his shot at invading the antique, but Midnight Express notices the amphibian attacking Grandpa and evicts the interloper. The two battle on a beach, and the Autobot clearly has the upper hand. The dastardly [[Gas Skunk]] waits ahead with a weapon, and when the train passes, he traps the two remaining train-bots in a pulse field that disturbed their fuses, but Grandpa, having no fuses, passes through.

[[Image:Secret Weapon- D-5 Autobots.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Whose bright idea was to put a cleaning station AT THE OCEAN?]]
Grandpa pulls into the station successfully, and the human passengers disembark, but as soon as they're off, the Predacons commandeer the vessel. The bullet trains chase after the hijacked machine, but Sky-Byte diverts the train away from its protectors. T-AI determines that the train's new track will lead it into the water, but Midnight Express refuses to let Grandpa fall into the ocean. The train derails, and Midnight Express jumps into the water after it. Underwater, Megatron tries to grab the falling choo-choo, but Midnight Express snatches the train before it literally falls into the enemy's waiting hands.

Afterwards, Koji and the Autobots understand how the endurance of the relic is a symbol of hope.
{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[T-AI]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] (7)
*[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] (8)
*[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] (9)
*[[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (13)
*[[X-Brawn]] (14)
*[[Railspike (RID)|Railspike]] (16)
*[[Rapid Run (RID)|Rapid Run]] (17)
*[[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]] (19)

|h2=[[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]]
|c2=
*[[Gas Skunk]] (1)
*[[Dark Scream]] (2)
*[[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] (3)
*[[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Doctor Yoshimoto]] (4)
*[[Doctor_Yoshimoto#Assistant|Doctor Yoshimoto's associate]] (5)
*[[Kenneth Onishi]] (12)
*[[Koji Onishi]] (15)
*[[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"I told you you can't use nitro glycerine instead of nitrous oxide; it doesn't work like that."
:—'''Doctor Yoshimoto's associate''' informs him he fails at science.

"They seem to be afraid of this fire engine. Must be some new kind of phobia. I'll look it up in my psycho guide book."
:—'''Doctor Yoshimoto''' analyzes the Predacons.

"This is a police operation. Your dates are not relevant." 
"They're relevant to me, bro! You shoulda seen that classy chassis!"
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Side Burn''' sum up their personality clash.

"That smoke's a menace! It's clogging up my air filters!" 
"He's blowing his stack because you made him mad. Steam engines are very sensitive."
:—'''Rapid Run''' and '''Midnight Express''' discuss "Grampa".

"I know what this is about. I've fallen under some ancient vehicle curse, right?"
:—'''Kelly''' bemoans the running joke that is her life.

"You messin' with me, pal?! What are you thinking?!" 
"I was thinking toads have big mouths and small brains."
:—'''Slapper''' gets burned by '''Midnight Express'''.

"Someone's in the kitchen with DAAARRRKK SCCREEAAAMM."
:—'''Dark Scream''' raises the question of who'd ''want'' to be in the kitchen with him...

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Car Robots''===
* In ''Car Robots'', T-AI explains to Optimus that the disk stolen by the Predacons contains information on Doctor Onishi's hobbies. ''Robots in Disguise'' prolongs the mystery of the disk by leaving this out and simply having her rattle off its technical specifications.
*The scene of Prime wondering what the disk might contain is extended for ''Robots in Disguise'' with some repeated footage.
*In ''Car Robots'', when T-AI starts calling up the Autobot Brothers, the scene switches to Doctor Onishi being scanned on the Megastar. ''Robots in Disguise'' inserts an extra scene between these two, made out of animation from "[[Spychangers to the Rescue]]", of Prowl and Side Burn responding to T-AI's summons, and Side Burn requesting (in vain) that he be excused for a date with a red sports car.
* Sky-Byte and Gas Skunk suggest that "D-5" might stand for "Dynamite-5" or "Diamond-5" in ''Car Robots'', while in ''Robots in Disguise'', they propose "Destructor-5" and "Dilithium-5". Dark Scream and Slapper's suggestions of "Destron-5" and "Danger-5" are the same in both versions.
* Koji knows the disk has been stolen by the Predacons in ''Robots in Disguise'', but has to be told about it by Yoshimoto in ''Car Robots''.
* In ''Robots in Disguise'', both Midnight Express and Doctor Onishi refer to the D-512 train with the nickname "Grandpa". In ''Car Robots'', Midnight Express calls it "Ancestor", while Doctor Onishi merely mumbles "popo" in his sleep, which is Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound of a train.
* In ''Car Robots'', the Autobots are guarding Professor Yoshimoto, rather than "Grandpa" itself, and the Autobots do not realize what the Predacons are after until they make off with the train towards the end of the episode.
*Team Bullet Train are ''not'' part of the guard duty in ''Car Robots''. In the scene with the Autobot Brothers stand guard, Prowl then gets snippy with Side Burn for (logically) suggesting Team Bullet Train take over, prompting Side Burn to irritatedly bump into him and point out that the brothers can't very well follow a train on tracks. In ''Robots in Disguise'', Prowl takes issue with Side Burn grousing about missing his date, and Side Burn's bump is reimagined as a good-natured "[[Eric Idle|nudge-nudge wink-wink]]" elbow as he describes the ''attributes'' of the car he's had to stand up.
*''Robots in Disguise'' shortens the scene of "Grandpa" leaving the station by just a teeny bit.
*Rather than threaten Sky-Byte as they do in ''Robots in Disguise'', ''Car Robots'' has Team Bullet Train bemoan the fact they cannot fight properly in train mode.
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', Rapid Run argues that "Grandpa" cannot understand them; in ''Car Robots'', he's pointing out how they're here to protect Professor Yoshimoto, rather than the train.
*When Dark Scream threatens "Grandpa" with "round 2" in ''Robots in Disguise'', he's shouting a warning to Slapper in ''Car Robots''.
*After Gas Skunk's pulse attack fails, ''Car Robots'' cuts to Megatron on the Megastar. ''Robots in Disguise'' cuts to a commercial break after the failed attack, and so once the show returns, an establishing shot of the Megastar floating beneath the ocean (taken from earlier in the episode) is added before the scene moves to Megatron.
*When Slapper and Gas Skunk try to pull the switch in different ways, ''Robots in Disguise'' has them fight about which way is right, while ''Car Robots'' has Slapper just goofing around deliberately.
*Where ''Car Robots'' cuts directly from the image of the tracks poking out over the cliff to Megatron in the water below, ''Robots in Disguise'' adds a dissolve between the two shots, shortening their total running time.
*Just before Doctor Onishi awakens, ''Robots in Disguise'' adds an establishing shot of the Megastar.
*Before he starts raging about the failure of their mission, ''Robots in Disguise'' adds a new composited scene of Megatron, seen from behind, watching footage of "Grandpa" on one of his screens.
*The message of the episode's final scene differs across the two shows. In ''Car Robots'', Koji believes that his father likes "Grandpa" because it harkens back to a simpler time before society relied so much on speed and high-tech equipment. Given that this is a bit of a silly metaphor in a show about super-advanced robots that regularly race at high speeds to save humans, ''Robots in Disguise'' goes for more of a "Little Engine That Could" metaphor, with Koji believing that his dad's love for the train was because of how it symbolized perseverance.

===Continuity errors===
* When "Grandpa" fell into the ocean with his coal-burning furnace still going, he should have exploded. But that would have just broken Midnight Express' heart... or circuits, or whatever.

===Transformers references===
* Dark Scream suggests that D-5 stands for "[[Destron (disambiguation)|Destron]]-5"

===Trivia===
* T-AI says the floppy disk is standard capacity, 1.44 Megabytes. But the correct size is 1.40 Megabytes, since the disks hold 1440 KB of data, but a Megabyte is actually 1024 KB (or (2^10) KB), not 1000 KB.
* Numerous characters from both factions—most notably Midnight Express—go through this episode either suspecting or flat-out ''insisting'' that the steam locomotive is actually alive and sentient. Yeah.
* And speaking of which, the Predacons actually get ''beaten'' by the locomotive. No wonder Megatron went looking for [[Decepticon|better help]].
* There's no real reason apparent why Optimus Prime is in battle mode and Team Bullet Train have formed [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]] in the last scene—they're just watching the train with Koji...
* Kelly's red sports car has the number plate J41-98.
* "Grandpa" is a [[Wikipedia:JNR Class D51|JNR Class D51]].

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Transformers: Car Robots'' — Vol. 2 ([[Pony Canyon]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Volume One ([[Maximum Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Three-Disc Box Set: Part 1 of 2 (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Battling the Predacons (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Season One (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Ultimate Collection (Maximum Entertainment)

==External links==
*[http://www.ridforever.info/transformers-transcripts/rid-episode-08-secrest-weapon-D-5.php Secret Weapon: D-5 on RiDForever.info]

[[Category:Robots in Disguise episodes]]

Nightmare Planet

2010-11-14T21:15:11Z

64.189.19.132:

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=79
|ep2=24
|prev2=Money is Everything
|next2=Grimlock's New Brain
|image=NightmarePlanet Quintessons watch Daniel.jpg
|caption="...And if you tell anyone, nobody will believe you."
|title="Nightmare Planet"
|production code=700-99
|airdate=[[October 31]], 1986
|written by=[[Beth Bornstein]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''A recurring nightmare of Daniel's turns out to be an experiment by the Quintessons.'''

:''Japanese title:'' 悪夢の惑星 (''Akumu no Wakusei'', "Nightmare Planet")
:''German title:'' "'''Der Alptraum Planet'''" ("The Nightmare Planet")

==Synopsis==
[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] has been having nightmares involving a giant [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Worried, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Carly]] ask [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] to come visit him. Rodimus manages to calm Daniel, but then has to leave. After he falls back asleep, a tentacle grabs Daniel...

[[Image:NightmarePlanet Dragon drop.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rule Two: No make-believe things like, oh, pink dragons and stuff.]]

Meanwhile, Rodimus, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] are driving through some thick fog when the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] attack the [[Autobot]]s. However, both factions of [[Transformer]]s are suddenly attacked by monsters on which their weapons have no effect. It turns out that the [[Quintesson]]s are using Daniel's nightmares to create chaotic monsters which will destroy the unpredictable Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s.

Springer and [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] are captured by a [[dragon]] and taken to a castle. While there, they meet a princess chained in a dungeon, whom Springer unbinds. She tells them of a magic lance that can kill the dragon and claims that her father will give them [[gold]] if they free her. Springer agrees to free the Princess and slay the dragon regardless of the reward, while Razorclaw acts like he's on the verge of coughing up a hairball.

[[Image:Nightmare Planet snake monster.JPG|right|200px|thumb|This scene would probably have played out much differently in ''Kiss Players''.]]

Back at the battle, Rodimus, Magnus, and the Predacons are being threatened by a witch and giant. They manage to dodge a blast from the witch that turns the giant into a toad and Magnus finds a bucket of water which destroys the witch. However, a giant snake monster appears from the ground and nearly swallows the Transformers before a plane, piloted by a familiar face, rescues them. The Quintessons realize that Daniel's subconscious mind is assisting the Autobots, so they increase the power to suppress his help. At the castle, Springer is trying to find way out, while Razorclaw has decided to wait until the guards come. Suddenly, Springer thinks of a plan, but requires Razorclaw's help.

[[Image:NightmarePlanetSteed.jpg|left|200px|thumb|For Narnia!!]]

Elsewhere, Rodimus, Magnus, and the Predacons find an abandoned amusement park. Heading into the fun house, [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] and [[Tantrum]] are attacked by the mirrors, while [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] falls down a large hole. Rodimus and [[Headstrong]] are attacked by a giant Galvatron, which is then defeated by a giant Rodimus Prime. Rodimus realizes that they are somehow in Daniel's dream. At the castle, Springer is fighting the dragon but needs help. Razorclaw refuses to help, but the Princess reminds Razorclaw that the dragon will kill him as well. Razorclaw serves as Springer's mount and he stabs the dragon, killing it. The castle also disappears and a yellow brick road appears.

[[Image:NightmarePlanet Rodimus Daniel in bed.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"You won't tell anyone I wet the bed, will you, Hot Rod?"]]

Meanwhile, Rodimus is calling out to Daniel. Shocked, the Quintessons set the machine on its highest level, which will kill Daniel. The dream world begins to deteriorate, but the Princess guides them through the storm. Daniel is able to draw the Quintessons in subconsciously and the Autobots rescue him. Razorclaw wants to scrap the Autobots, but Headstrong cannot [[Transformation|transform]], preventing them from becoming [[Predaking]]. Razorclaw orders the Predacons to retreat.

Back at home, Daniel wakes up, not remembering what happened, and tells Rodimus that he took control of the dream. Rodimus tells Daniel that he won't have any more nightmares involving Galvatron or snake monsters. Daniel, confused, asks how Rodimus knew about the snakes.
{{-}}

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (6)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (7)

|c2=
* [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (8)
* [[Tantrum]] (9)
* [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (10)
* [[Headstrong]] (11)
* [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (12)
* [[Predaking]] (13)

|c3=
* [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
* [[Carly|Carly Witwicky]] (5)

|c4=
* Dream giant [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (2)
* [[Quintesson]]s (14)
* Dream witch (15)
* Dream giant (16)
* Dream [[dragon]] (17)
* Dream damsel in distress (18)
* Dream giant [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (19)
}}

==Quotes==
"Well, I guess we're cell mates." 
"Just keep your distance."
:— '''Springer''' and '''Razorclaw'''

"I spent time talking TV with Wreck-Gar."
:—'''Rodimus''' reveals he's been warping his mind.

"Hold up, Headstrong! It's not the real thing! Look at how big he is!" 
"FOOL! Galvatron can be any size he wants!"
:— '''Rodimus Prime''' and '''"Galvatron"''' debate the [[mass-shifting]] issue.

"The fantasy's over, Rodimus Prime. Enough fun for one day." 
"If that's his idea of fun, what does he consider a bad time?"
:— '''Springer''' finds '''Razorclaw''''s thoughts quite...... fun.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
* Rodimus Prime's optics change from blue to red and back again several times.
* When Rodimus Prime remarks the giant Rodimus fighting the giant Galvatron is like in Daniel's nightmare, his voice is enhanced to sound like the giant Rodimus.
* There's evidence to suggest this episode had a troubled production, as the finished animation is missing in-between cels in several scenes (leaving the keyframes only). Additionally, the episode under-runs to such an extent that ''two'' [[Secret Files of Teletraan II|secret files]] are tagged onto the end rather than one.
* In one shot, a Quintesson's body is missing, leaving his face floating in air as he talks.

===Continuity errors===
* It's never explained exactly where everyone is during the episode. The opening scene at the Witwicky house implies that it's Earth, yet the ending scenes appear to be on Cybertron. It's never made clear, and it begs the question of how the Predacons are able to run around unhindered on the Autobot-controlled planet. Ditto for the Quintessons, who appear to be operating on the same planet.
* Likewise, just how the Quintessons' magical machine works is never given any explanation. If it can project a real-life version of anything at all, wouldn't it make more sense to just hook it up to one of the Quintessons and have them imagine a really big Transformer-eating Sharkticon?
* What happened to Springer's daring escape plan?

===Real-world references===
* The yellow brick road and the witch being defeated with a bucket of water are both references to ''[[wikipedia:The_Wizard_of_Oz|The Wizard of Oz]]''.

===Trivia===
* Apparently, the Witwicky residence can accommodate giant futuristic Winnebagos comfortably. Considering the fact that Spike's best friend is [[Bumblebee (G1)|a bug]], and that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|a truck]] was among the friends of the family, the house may have been built to allow the Autobots to be able to walk around inside it.
* Razorclaw appears to find gold valuable. Whether this means it has actual value among the Decepticons, or he just likes shiny things, is unknown.
* This episode is the first to use the new, more heavily synthesized Season 3 background music.
* It's a coincidence that this episode is horror themed and it aired on ''Halloween''. Then again, the [[G.I. Joe]] episode "Nightmare Assault" ''also'' aired on the same day...so maybe not.
* Springer acting as a knight may be a pun: the German word for knight is "Springer".

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Starscream's Ghost / The Nightmare Planet / The Ghost in the Machine ([[St. Michael Video Library]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Der Alptraum-Planet ([[Polyband]]) — German audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1990 — ''Transformers'' — Nightmare Planet ([[Tempo Video|Collins Video]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — The Nightmare Planet ([[Tempo Video|Tempo Kids Club]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 3 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/nightmare_planet.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicles]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

Talk:Gears (G1)

2010-11-04T06:18:38Z

64.189.19.132:

The character write-up should, in theory, be continuity-neutral. We push that from time to time, since some portrayals are much more prominent than others, so there is some gray area. However, as much as it personally pleases me, I don't think Gears' should mention Spider-man. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 20:41, 8 May 2006 (UTC)
:Indeed. This is why each profile has sections for the differing continuities below. Spidey goes down there....--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 20:48, 8 May 2006 (UTC)
:Fair enough. Go home to MJ, Spidey. [[User:Autobus Prime|Autobus Prime]] 20:50, 8 May 2006 (UTC)
In regards to Hearts of Steel Gears - it's been awhile since I read HoS, but I always thought that his alt mode was the coal cart that appears as part of the autobot train, rather than a boxcart.

Permission to add a flavor of l4d Francis to article? [[Special:Contributions/64.189.19.132|64.189.19.132]] 02:18, 4 November 2010 (EDT)

Nightmare Planet

2010-11-03T22:54:17Z

64.189.19.132: Undo revision 515584 by Detour (Talk)

Gears (G1)

2010-11-03T22:53:37Z

64.189.19.132: Undo revision 515585 by Detour (Talk)

{{factions|autobot}}
{{picsneeded|Fictional appearances}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Autobot|the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Autobot|Gears (ROTF)}}
:''Gears is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:Gearsg1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Gears, ironically, hates [[Neon|bright colors]].]]
'''Gears''' hates [[Earth]], a lush, green planet practically as unlike his cozy, gray, metallic [[Cybertron (planet)|homeworld]] as possible. He grumbles and complains about being shipwrecked on it—complains and grumbles to a ridiculous extent, until he becomes a source of amusement, rather than negativity. This is usually his intent—unlike his fellow [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], Gears has a desire to help his fellow Autobots see good in a bad situation. Still, he does get depressed from time to time.

Gears is strong and tough, not so much in lifting but in endurance, and carrying heavy loads with little effort, be they energon cubes, disabled Autobots, or potatoes for the farmers' market. He is fitted with infrared vision sensors.

In robot mode, Gears can release controlled bursts of compressed air from his feet, launching himself to altitudes over 100,000 feet, and floating back down. In doing so, he must be careful not to lose air pressure before coming close enough to the ground for a safe landing.

:''Nicknames:'' '''Ox''', '''Sourball'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]]</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Engrenagem'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Fuvaros''' (meaning Hauler)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Mecano'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Mulo'''
:''South American name:'' '''Pick-Up'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Rollo'''
:''Russian name'': '''Привод''' ("Drive")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Gearsg1firstappearance.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Wish we saw more of the design on the right. Yikes!]]
{{quote|The only thing '''Gears''' wants to learn about this planet is how to get off it. I hate this place already. I just know you're going to use me as a mobile transport unit again, once we have to set up. Nuts. Let's go home.|The worst words out of his mouth.}}

Gears was one of Cybertron's great warriors, and was chosen to join the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] mission to save Cybertron from an asteroid belt—a mission that saw him stranded on [[Earth]] for four million years. Once he woke up in 1984 and was rebuilt as an Earth truck, he immediately began complaining. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Spider-man.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Spider-Man's amazing friend.]]
Shortly after arriving on Earth, Gears teamed up with [[Spider-Man]], using his ability to launch himself upward using compressed air and fly alongside the superhero in an attempt to reach the mountaintop [[Decepticon]] fortress. When Gears ran low on power, he began to fall before Spidey caught him in webbing. Although Spider-Man's webbing is extremely strong, the Autobot's weight threatened to break it, and Spider-Man completed Gears' ascent using the webbing for assistance. After a fight with the Decepticons, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] caused Gears (and human [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]) to fall through a hole in the fortress. Although Spidey was able to rescue Sparkplug, and attempted to catch Gears as he had done before, the added momentum of the fall proved too much strain on the webbing, and Gears crashed to the ground. Gears was quickly patched up enough to tell the Autobots that Megatron had gotten what he wanted (a fuel conversion process) from Sparkplug. His complete restoration was seemingly interrupted when, following recriminations, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] needed to drive Sparkplug to the hospital to treat his sudden heart attack. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

[[Image:Buzzsawyikes2.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Ow ow ow.]]
When the Autobots overheard Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], in a nearby swamp, Gears was among the Autobots who traveled to the swamp with Prime's body. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] shot Gears right in the face! {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''Gears was eventually restored, however, and joined [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in searching for [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] during the Dinobot Hunt. Their mission was suddenly cut short by the arrival of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the Decepticons, who shot the Minibots in the back and took them prisoner. [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] soon rescued his disabled comrades from the Decepticon cruiser, but they were too badly injured and remained inactive for some time thereafter. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

[[Image:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Barely snuck into the margins during his own death scene.]]
Gears was repaired in time to witness a battle between [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] for Autobot leadership on [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. While Autobots around him cheered vehemently for either combatant, Gears seemingly didn't really care, choosing to watch in stoic silence. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Gears was among the Autobots who answered [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s distress call from just outside the Decepticons' [[Club Con|headquarters]] in the Arctic. Shortly thereafter, when an [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of [[New York City|New York]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Buenos Aires]]", Gears was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]] led a team of Autobots which included Gears, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of <strike>[[To sell toys|a market executive's]]</strike> Starscream's hand"! Oops. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

Gears's torso, head, and right arm were shown in the midst of attempted repairs while Optimus Prime explained the bleak condition of their fallen to [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]]. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese)
[[Image:Hufferg1animated.jpg|left|240px|thumb|A competition of who complains the most!]]

Gears was one of the original crew of Autobots on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] spaceship when it crash-landed on Earth millions of years ago. When he awoke in 1984, he was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] so that his alt-mode was an Earth-based pickup truck. Not a true combatant by nature, he didn't participate in many of the Autobots' more famous battles against the Decepticons, but he did his part despite his complaints. Gears first saw action on Earth at an off-shore oil rig, fighting one of the Seekers with his partner, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Gears' infrared sensors were useful in capturing [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] when the Decepticon was caught trespassing at the Autobot headquarters. By modifying his searchlight wavelength, Gears could illuminate Ravage's heat traces and neutralize the jaguar's ability to hide in shadows. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When Prime was injured in an explosion outside the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Gears discarded the complaining facade he often wore, in order to encourage Optimus to push himself into returning to robot mode. He later donned a lab coat to help sell [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s holographic rocket base idea, although it didn't do much good. In the final battle to stop the launch of the Decepticon space cruiser, Gears and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] were engaged in battling [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] until Megatron called for a retreat. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

Gears assembled for battle when the Decepticons returned to attack a solar power plant, and chastised [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] for missing roll call. At the plant, Gears and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] attempted to stop the Seekers from taking off with the energon cubes, but [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] knocked them aside with a concussion blast. Later, after Bumblebee led the Autobots to the supposed site of the new [[Space Bridge]], only to find a deserted cave, Gears offered to electrocute the 'Bee in order to juice up his memory circuits. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} When Optimus Prime was heavily damaged in battle, Gears returned from patrol with [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and Windcharger to check on his condition. None of them, however, was sharp-eyed enough to spot [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] swoop down and land on Brawn's shoulder as they entered the base. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:FireintheSky Gears crashes through ice.jpg|thumb|right|250px| I hate vans...]]
After it started snowing, in July, in the middle of the desert, Optimus Prime got suspicious and consulted Teletraan I for a weather report. Gears, who was performing reconnaissance scans on the now-frozen tropical region of the planet, concurred with Teletraan I's conclusions, that Megatron and the Decepticons must somehow be draining heat energy right out of the Earth's core. In the Arctic, as the Autobots prepared to enter the Decepticons' cavernous base of operations, Gears stalled outside the entrance on the sneaking suspicion the Autobots were falling into a trap. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy—by lingering too long on the ice, the combined weight of Gears, Hound, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] caused the tunnel to collapse beneath them. Gears and his buddies were briefly captured by the Decepticons, but escaped thanks to Hound's holograms. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Soundwave shoots Gears.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Hey! Being shot in the face plays havoc with my sinuses."]]
Gears attended the unveiling of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s latest science project, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, and managed to stay out of the way after they ran amok. He joined Optimus Prime and the other Autobots on a mission to the [[Great Falls]]. Being one of the few Autobots who can fly (usually), Gears took to the air to fight [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] face-to-face, but was quickly shot down by the more experienced Decepticon. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} On one mission, Gears travelled to Peru to help the Autobots remove the [[Crystal of Power]] from Megatron's control. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} He was also involved in the dino-design project that created [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a Decepticon attack on the Ark, Gears was briefly seen cleaning up the deadly fire extinguisher foam which drove them away. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} In the aftermath of Cybertron's orbit around Earth, Gears worked on the massive repairs necessary to rebuild human society. He also participated in the raid on [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s laboratory. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:ChangingGears Gears Bee acrobatics.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bumblebee and Gears - [[Powerlinx]]!!]]
During an Autobot Alert(!!!), the Ark's crew all leapt into action at high speed...well, except for Gears. The alarm interrupted his plan to "lube his cables", making the cranky Gears slow to respond to the call of duty. He might have trudged even slower if he knew the entire alert was a ruse by Megatron, designed solely for the purpose of capturing Gears. It seemed that Megatron's newest toy, the [[Solar Needle]], required a specific circuit board in order to be properly completed, and Gears contained just such a circuit board in his chest. A curious side effect of removing the circuit board was that it negated Gears' inclination towards squawking and complaining. He was now a compulsively good-natured people-pleaser, unable to refuse requests by anyone, even Megatron. With the solar needle activated, the Decepticons put Gears to work harvesting energon cubes, filled by the sun's mighty power.

Despite the alterations to his personality, Gears tried to remain true to himself. Even while helping Megatron's energy pilfering, he still managed to toss an insult or two at the Decepticon leader. In a good-natured way, of course. And, after the Autobots arrived to destroy the solar needle and drew the Decepticons' attention, Gears made a break for the control panel to retrieve his circuit board and restore his real personality. He was interrupted by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had been looking for an excuse to blast Gears all day, but Bumblebee knocked the Seeker aside before he could eliminate the tiny Autobot. Also, when Megatron hurled Prime out of control into the solar needle's incinerating energy grid, Gears used the holdout blaster in his sleeve to disrupt the grid and save Optimus. Still, once Megatron got the drop on the Autobots, he was able to exploit Gears' new personality glitch to make him repair the solar needle while the Decepticons held his teammates at gunpoint. Megatron gloated too much about the nature of Gears' problem, though, allowing Optimus Prime to circumvent his control over Gears. Tricking Megatron into agreeing to honor his last request "as a condemned mechanism", Prime turned the tables on Megatron by asking Gears for a favor of his own. Gears was all too happy to oblige...and destroy the solar needle for Optimus.

[[Image:ChangingGears got a bang out of that.jpg|thumb|left|280px| I hate the woods...]]
With the fight back on, Gears happily got in on the action and tossed Starscream for a loop. The Decepticons abandoned the field of battle, leaving the Autobots behind to clean up the mess caused by their solar needle. As the needle was being dismantled, Prime was ready to return Gears' circuit board to him when [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] stepped in. Seems the Autobots took a vote, and they would rather not restore Gears' talent for complaining, and whining, and hypochondria, and...well. After a quick joke, though, they did return the circuit board, and Gears showed his gratitude by going "whine, whine, whine" all the way home. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Gears was seen awaiting his turn at the [[recharging chamber]]s, but did not appear later on rampaging with the other Autobots afflicted by the [[personality destabilizer device]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He attended Wheeljack's demonstration of the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. When the Decepticons got their metal mitts on the device, Gears was trapped in mid-transformation by the device's rays. He was restored to normal after [[Carly]] fiddled with the controls to reverse its effects. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:AutobotRun Gears lifts ground.jpg|thumb|right|230px|I hate sewers!]]
Like most of the Autobots, Gears was temporarily trapped in vehicle mode after Megatron unleashed his [[Transfixatron]] on them during a car rally for charity. Wheeljack came up with an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] to reverse the process (even his cures explode!), but that only revived the Autobots in time to deal with Plan B: [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. While he isn't in Brawn or Prime's class, Gears is still one strong little Autobot, and demonstrated his strength by ripping out huge chunks of rock to hurl at the massive Decepticon. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Sometime later, Gears helped install [[detection plate]]s around the Ark as an early warning system against any intruders. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} He was also briefly seen gawking at the two Optimus Primes who showed up in the dirt. After a sharpshooting contest and car race failed to uncover the imposter, the Autobots rode into battle anyway with both Primes at their side. Gears didn't have much fun in the following melee: first he got sent face-first into the dirt by one of the opening salvos, and was later overmatched in single combat against [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. He was saved only by the continuation of Megatron and Starscream's cockeyed, overly-elaborate scheme of clones killing clones. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Gears was on patrol with the team when they suddenly came across an empty riverbed. After a quick mud massage from Jazz's spinning tires, Gears and the others decided to follow the river's trail to see where it had been diverted. What they found was trouble: [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s. The Autobots barely escaped battle with Devastator to report on Megatron's activities to Prime. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:MMP2 Seaspray and Gears shooting.jpg|thumb|left|250px| I hate [[Shawn_Berger|Lawyers]]...]]
Gears attended Wheeljack's demonstration of how he had taught Grimlock "finesse". The resulting chaos and destruction was predictable, but memorable. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Despite not being seen in the battle at all, Gears was injured fighting Megatron and the [[Heart of Cybertron]] in South America. All the repairs and none of the glory. Boy, he must have been ''craaaanky''...{{storylink|Microbots}}

Gears and many of his fellow Autobots showed up in [[Central City (G1)|Central City]] for the Autobot Day parade and celebration. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} The city soon turned on the Autobots, thanks to Megatron's machinations, but they returned to help drive the Decepticons away once the humans were temporarily enslaved. Gears was seen among the horde of Autobots that overwhelmed the Decepticon slave-drivers. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} He was also one of the Autobots cheering for the Dinobots when they returned from Cybertron with a fresh supply of [[cybertonium]]. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Gears was part of the third wave of Autobots to confront the invulnerable Decepticons, but fared no better than his predecessors against their [[electrum]] coating. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} Gears stood by as [[Chip Chase]] and Teletraan I tried to locate the Autobots lost aboard the Space Bridge. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} He was also seen applying [[Corrostop]] to the Statue of Liberty. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:BOT wet Gears.jpg|thumb|right|200px|I hate the water!]]
When Megatron and the Decepticons attacked the Ark looking for the [[Combaticon (G1)|renegade Decepticons]], Gears joined Optimus Prime in fending off their assault. Megatron soon retreated once he realized Prime had no slaggin' idea what he was talking about. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Gears, Ironhide and Bumblebee responded to an S.O.S. from [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]] and found themselves chasing [[B.O.T. (robot)|B.O.T.]] around the city. They were beaten to it by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who needed to get back [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]'s personality component, and Gears later found himself defending Autobot Headquarters from [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In 2005, Gears was stationed on [[Moonbase One]] under Optimus Prime's command. It is unknown whether he left for Earth with Prime and the Dinobots to repel Megatron's attack on [[Autobot City]], or if he remained behind. If he did, his chances aren't that good, as only [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were seen escaping from [[Unicron]]'s smelting pits. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====

Gears was amongst the Autobots who defended [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] in [[Arizona]] from a Decepticon attack. Although the Autobots won the day, the attack was actually just a distraction so that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] could go do evil in Japan or something unspecified. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

===Coloring books===
[[Image:G1 GearsPotatoes AutobotSmasher.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Steve Ditko is noted for his superb use of shading, his handling of facial expressions, and his ability to do cosmic vistas of mystery. Here he was asked to do a line drawing of a truck carrying potatoes.]]
Gears was hauling a load of potatoes, with plans to sell them for oil and gas money. (Really.) He was tricked by the Decepticons into taking a detour, which led him to their "[[Autobot Rest Stop]]"—a car crusher disguised with pillows and a set of curtains. Gears rolled into the Rest Stop and was enjoying himself when [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activated the machine, crushing Gears flat.

Gears was later restored by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], with no ill effects. {{storylink|The Autobot Smasher!}}

{{note|This coloring book was illustrated by [[Steve Ditko]], co-creator of none other than... the amazing [[Spider-Man]]! Coincidence? Probably.}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
When [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] vanished in a space bridge during the war on Cybertron, their respective factions were split into several smaller groups. Gears remained in the main Autobot faction, now under the command of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|Fragmentation}} He was part of a team who scouted out [[Nova Cronum]] in search of the Decepticons' new mobile command base. Unfortunately, it was a bit [[Trypticon (G1)|''too'' mobile]] for them to handle. {{storylink|Devastation (Dreamwave)|Devastation}} Even assistance from the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] helped against the giant Decepticon, but in the end, their target just left. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} Later, when [[The Fallen]] broke into [[Autobase]], Gears was eager to get out there and do something about it. Prowl opted for trying to contain the villain instead, but he turned out to be unstoppable anyway. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Gears was part of the Ark's original crew, crash-landing on Earth four million years ago and awakening in 1984. Like all the Transformers of Earth, he was believed dead for many years after the mid-air explosion of the ''[[Ark II]]''. In fact, Gears was one of many robots who were salvaged by the mercenary known as [[Lazarus]], who began the time-consuming process of installing remote control programming into his inert Cybertronian captives. Lazarus was doomed to failure, however, for Megatron regained control of his own body shortly after the human reactivated him. With the Decepticons back in action thanks to Megatron, Gears and the other Autobots held captive by Lazarus were left at their mercy. Although a small group of Autobots were free under Optimus Prime's command to combat the Decepticons, most of the 'bots recovered by Lazarus (including Gears) were too badly damaged to be reactivated for that first battle. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

Gears and the other deactivated Autobots were recovered, though, and were back to full functionality by the time [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived from Cybertron. {{storylink|New World Order}} As the Autobot forces split in two, Gears went with Optimus Prime and his contingent back to Cybertron aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Back on his home planet, Gears participated in the insurrection by Autobot dissidents against the rule of Shockwave. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Much to his dismay, Gears was soon put in the position of having to return to Earth. With Prime temporarily out of action due to injuries, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] had assumed command of the Ark's crew on Cybertron, and made the decision that a new base of operations needed to be constructed on Earth, to fortify Autobot interests there. Gears reluctantly left his beloved homeworld behind to return to Earth, and begin work on the construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF4_Gears_Brawn_FlightPods.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Gears was among the dormant Transformers found by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] and reprogrammed to be under the humans' control. In the process, he and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] were rebuilt to transform into Cobra [[Flight Pod]]s. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} The two may have participated in an attack on the [[SPS Research Facility]], or it may have just been two regular Flight Pods. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} When [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] hacked Cobra's computers and undid his comrades' reprogramming, Gears and Brawn hunted down [[Cobra Commander]] and blew up the ship he was going to escape from [[Cobra Island]] with. However, before the Autobots could capture the commander, they were taken out by [[Storm Shadow]]'s [[S.N.A.K.E.]] mech. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

Gears didn't give up so easily, however, as he joined several other Autobots and located Cobra Commander and his S.N.A.K.E. guards again. Storm Shadow fought back and killed [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], sending Gears and the others into a berserker rage as they ripped his S.N.A.K.E. apart. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

{{-}}

===IDW ''Generation 1'' comics continuity===
Millions of years ago, Gears was one of several mourners seen at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], after Megatron killed them. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

In the modern era, Gears was seen reacting to the return of [[Blaster (G1)|"The Voice"]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

At some point, Gears made it to Earth, where he was captured by [[Skywatch]], along with [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and later, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

===IDW ''Hearts of Steel'' continuity===
Gears and his fellow Autobots battled the Decepticons in Earth's distant past, until an ice age came around and forced them to go underground and wait it out. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} They eventually woke up in the mid-19th century, and learned that the Decepticons were up and going as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}} In order to pursue the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Gears took on the form of what appeared to be a boxcar and linked up with his friends to form an Autobot train. During the chase, much of the train was trapped when the Decepticons collapsed a tunnel on it, although Gears made it out safe and sound. He was hammered by Decepticon fire as he helped clear away rubble, but survived and went back to sleep underground after the Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Gears toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Grumble... I suppose they want me to supply my own penny..."]]
* '''Gears''' (Mini Vehicle, 1984/1985)

: Part of the first assortment of Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]], Gears transforms into a blue and red "penny racer"-proportioned pickup truck of indeterminable model. The Gears toy was originally from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, in the same basic coloration but with a darker blue, as the "Micro Robot 04 4WD Off-Road". This is the source of the "M" on his truck-mode hood.

: For reasons unknown, he was the only Mini Vehicle not made available as part of [[Takara]]'s original retail line in any capacity (while [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] were not available at normal retail, both were offered as mail-away toys).

: There were a few variations of Gears south of the border, where he was known as "Pick-Up". Initial releases had the same plastic colors but retained the sticker designs from his original Micro Change release, while later toys had the plastic colors changed to make him a red truck with orange robot parts (pre-Malignus). In Mexico, and subsequently also found in some European markets, a maroon and white version was released, possibly to bring the character of [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] over without the use of a new mold.

: This mold was used to make the [[Malignus]] [[Pick-Up (Malignus)|Pick-Up]], the Autobot [[Small Foot]] and was [[Retool|retooled]] to make Swerve.

*'''Minibots Team''' (Multi-pack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''TFC-12'''

: Gears was ''finally'' put out at Japanese retail in 2004, as part of the [[Transformers Collection]] "Minibot" set, containing Gears, a retooled [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], Cosmos, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and Warpath. This set was later [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make the [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]] [[G1 GoBots]] team.

==Notes==
* In his first Marvel Comics appearance, Gears sported a more humanoid [[character model]] that looked less like his toy than his final animation model. He would also use this model in the UK annual story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", while ''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]'' was inexplicably drawn with this model in the earlier UK story "[[The Enemy Within!]]".

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]

Nightmare Planet

2010-11-03T22:11:45Z

64.189.19.132: /* Synopsis */

Gears (G1)

2010-11-03T22:03:26Z

64.189.19.132: /* The Transformers cartoon */

Gears (G1)

2010-11-03T21:58:48Z

64.189.19.132: /* The Transformers cartoon */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{picsneeded|Fictional appearances}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Autobot|the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Autobot|Gears (ROTF)}}
:''Gears is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:Gearsg1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Gears, ironically, hates [[Neon|bright colors]].]]
'''Gears''' hates [[Earth]], a lush, green planet practically as unlike his cozy, gray, metallic [[Cybertron (planet)|homeworld]] as possible. He grumbles and complains about being shipwrecked on it—complains and grumbles to a ridiculous extent, until he becomes a source of amusement, rather than negativity. This is usually his intent—unlike his fellow [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], Gears has a desire to help his fellow Autobots see good in a bad situation. Still, he does get depressed from time to time.

Gears is strong and tough, not so much in lifting but in endurance, and carrying heavy loads with little effort, be they energon cubes, disabled Autobots, or potatoes for the farmers' market. He is fitted with infrared vision sensors.

In robot mode, Gears can release controlled bursts of compressed air from his feet, launching himself to altitudes over 100,000 feet, and floating back down. In doing so, he must be careful not to lose air pressure before coming close enough to the ground for a safe landing.

:''Nicknames:'' '''Ox''', '''Sourball'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]]</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Engrenagem'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Fuvaros''' (meaning Hauler)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Mecano'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Mulo'''
:''South American name:'' '''Pick-Up'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Rollo'''
:''Russian name'': '''Привод''' ("Drive")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Gearsg1firstappearance.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Wish we saw more of the design on the right. Yikes!]]
{{quote|The only thing '''Gears''' wants to learn about this planet is how to get off it. I hate this place already. I just know you're going to use me as a mobile transport unit again, once we have to set up. Nuts. Let's go home.|The worst words out of his mouth.}}

Gears was one of Cybertron's great warriors, and was chosen to join the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] mission to save Cybertron from an asteroid belt—a mission that saw him stranded on [[Earth]] for four million years. Once he woke up in 1984 and was rebuilt as an Earth truck, he immediately began complaining. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Spider-man.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Spider-Man's amazing friend.]]
Shortly after arriving on Earth, Gears teamed up with [[Spider-Man]], using his ability to launch himself upward using compressed air and fly alongside the superhero in an attempt to reach the mountaintop [[Decepticon]] fortress. When Gears ran low on power, he began to fall before Spidey caught him in webbing. Although Spider-Man's webbing is extremely strong, the Autobot's weight threatened to break it, and Spider-Man completed Gears' ascent using the webbing for assistance. After a fight with the Decepticons, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] caused Gears (and human [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]) to fall through a hole in the fortress. Although Spidey was able to rescue Sparkplug, and attempted to catch Gears as he had done before, the added momentum of the fall proved too much strain on the webbing, and Gears crashed to the ground. Gears was quickly patched up enough to tell the Autobots that Megatron had gotten what he wanted (a fuel conversion process) from Sparkplug. His complete restoration was seemingly interrupted when, following recriminations, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] needed to drive Sparkplug to the hospital to treat his sudden heart attack. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

[[Image:Buzzsawyikes2.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Ow ow ow.]]
When the Autobots overheard Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], in a nearby swamp, Gears was among the Autobots who traveled to the swamp with Prime's body. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] shot Gears right in the face! {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''Gears was eventually restored, however, and joined [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in searching for [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] during the Dinobot Hunt. Their mission was suddenly cut short by the arrival of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the Decepticons, who shot the Minibots in the back and took them prisoner. [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] soon rescued his disabled comrades from the Decepticon cruiser, but they were too badly injured and remained inactive for some time thereafter. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

[[Image:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Barely snuck into the margins during his own death scene.]]
Gears was repaired in time to witness a battle between [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] for Autobot leadership on [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. While Autobots around him cheered vehemently for either combatant, Gears seemingly didn't really care, choosing to watch in stoic silence. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Gears was among the Autobots who answered [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s distress call from just outside the Decepticons' [[Club Con|headquarters]] in the Arctic. Shortly thereafter, when an [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of [[New York City|New York]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Buenos Aires]]", Gears was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]] led a team of Autobots which included Gears, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of <strike>[[To sell toys|a market executive's]]</strike> Starscream's hand"! Oops. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

Gears's torso, head, and right arm were shown in the midst of attempted repairs while Optimus Prime explained the bleak condition of their fallen to [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]]. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese)
[[Image:Hufferg1animated.jpg|left|240px|thumb|A competition of who complains the most!]]

Gears was one of the original crew of Autobots on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] spaceship when it crash-landed on Earth millions of years ago. When he awoke in 1984, he was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] so that his alt-mode was an Earth-based pickup truck. Not a true combatant by nature, he didn't participate in many of the Autobots' more famous battles against the Decepticons, but he did his part despite his complaints. Gears first saw action on Earth at an off-shore oil rig, fighting one of the Seekers with his partner, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Gears' infrared sensors were useful in capturing [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] when the Decepticon was caught trespassing at the Autobot headquarters. By modifying his searchlight wavelength, Gears could illuminate Ravage's heat traces and neutralize the jaguar's ability to hide in shadows. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When Prime was injured in an explosion outside the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Gears discarded the complaining facade he often wore, in order to encourage Optimus to push himself into returning to robot mode. He later donned a lab coat to help sell [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s holographic rocket base idea, although it didn't do much good. In the final battle to stop the launch of the Decepticon space cruiser, Gears and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] were engaged in battling [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] until Megatron called for a retreat. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

Gears assembled for battle when the Decepticons returned to attack a solar power plant, and chastised [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] for missing roll call. At the plant, Gears and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] attempted to stop the Seekers from taking off with the energon cubes, but [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] knocked them aside with a concussion blast. Later, after Bumblebee led the Autobots to the supposed site of the new [[Space Bridge]], only to find a deserted cave, Gears offered to electrocute the 'Bee in order to juice up his memory circuits. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} When Optimus Prime was heavily damaged in battle, Gears returned from patrol with [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and Windcharger to check on his condition. None of them, however, was sharp-eyed enough to spot [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] swoop down and land on Brawn's shoulder as they entered the base. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:FireintheSky Gears crashes through ice.jpg|thumb|right|250px| I hate vans...]]
After it started snowing, in July, in the middle of the desert, Optimus Prime got suspicious and consulted Teletraan I for a weather report. Gears, who was performing reconnaissance scans on the now-frozen tropical region of the planet, concurred with Teletraan I's conclusions, that Megatron and the Decepticons must somehow be draining heat energy right out of the Earth's core. In the Arctic, as the Autobots prepared to enter the Decepticons' cavernous base of operations, Gears stalled outside the entrance on the sneaking suspicion the Autobots were falling into a trap. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy—by lingering too long on the ice, the combined weight of Gears, Hound, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] caused the tunnel to collapse beneath them. Gears and his buddies were briefly captured by the Decepticons, but escaped thanks to Hound's holograms. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Soundwave shoots Gears.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Hey! Being shot in the face plays havoc with my sinuses."]]
Gears attended the unveiling of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s latest science project, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, and managed to stay out of the way after they ran amok. He joined Optimus Prime and the other Autobots on a mission to the [[Great Falls]]. Being one of the few Autobots who can fly (usually), Gears took to the air to fight [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] face-to-face, but was quickly shot down by the more experienced Decepticon. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} On one mission, Gears travelled to Peru to help the Autobots remove the [[Crystal of Power]] from Megatron's control. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} He was also involved in the dino-design project that created [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a Decepticon attack on the Ark, Gears was briefly seen cleaning up the deadly fire extinguisher foam which drove them away. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} In the aftermath of Cybertron's orbit around Earth, Gears worked on the massive repairs necessary to rebuild human society. He also participated in the raid on [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s laboratory. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:ChangingGears Gears Bee acrobatics.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bumblebee and Gears - [[Powerlinx]]!!]]
During an Autobot Alert(!!!), the Ark's crew all leapt into action at high speed...well, except for Gears. The alarm interrupted his plan to "lube his cables", making the cranky Gears slow to respond to the call of duty. He might have trudged even slower if he knew the entire alert was a ruse by Megatron, designed solely for the purpose of capturing Gears. It seemed that Megatron's newest toy, the [[Solar Needle]], required a specific circuit board in order to be properly completed, and Gears contained just such a circuit board in his chest. A curious side effect of removing the circuit board was that it negated Gears' inclination towards squawking and complaining. He was now a compulsively good-natured people-pleaser, unable to refuse requests by anyone, even Megatron. With the solar needle activated, the Decepticons put Gears to work harvesting energon cubes, filled by the sun's mighty power.

Despite the alterations to his personality, Gears tried to remain true to himself. Even while helping Megatron's energy pilfering, he still managed to toss an insult or two at the Decepticon leader. In a good-natured way, of course. And, after the Autobots arrived to destroy the solar needle and drew the Decepticons' attention, Gears made a break for the control panel to retrieve his circuit board and restore his real personality. He was interrupted by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had been looking for an excuse to blast Gears all day, but Bumblebee knocked the Seeker aside before he could eliminate the tiny Autobot. Also, when Megatron hurled Prime out of control into the solar needle's incinerating energy grid, Gears used the holdout blaster in his sleeve to disrupt the grid and save Optimus. Still, once Megatron got the drop on the Autobots, he was able to exploit Gears' new personality glitch to make him repair the solar needle while the Decepticons held his teammates at gunpoint. Megatron gloated too much about the nature of Gears' problem, though, allowing Optimus Prime to circumvent his control over Gears. Tricking Megatron into agreeing to honor his last request "as a condemned mechanism", Prime turned the tables on Megatron by asking Gears for a favor of his own. Gears was all too happy to oblige...and destroy the solar needle for Optimus.

[[Image:ChangingGears got a bang out of that.jpg|thumb|left|280px| I hate the woods...]]
With the fight back on, Gears happily got in on the action and tossed Starscream for a loop. The Decepticons abandoned the field of battle, leaving the Autobots behind to clean up the mess caused by their solar needle. As the needle was being dismantled, Prime was ready to return Gears' circuit board to him when [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] stepped in. Seems the Autobots took a vote, and they would rather not restore Gears' talent for complaining, and whining, and hypochondria, and...well. After a quick joke, though, they did return the circuit board, and Gears showed his gratitude by going "whine, whine, whine" all the way home. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Gears was seen awaiting his turn at the [[recharging chamber]]s, but did not appear later on rampaging with the other Autobots afflicted by the [[personality destabilizer device]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He attended Wheeljack's demonstration of the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. When the Decepticons got their metal mitts on the device, Gears was trapped in mid-transformation by the device's rays. He was restored to normal after [[Carly]] fiddled with the controls to reverse its effects. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:AutobotRun Gears lifts ground.jpg|thumb|right|230px|I hate sewers!]]
Like most of the Autobots, Gears was temporarily trapped in vehicle mode after Megatron unleashed his [[Transfixatron]] on them during a car rally for charity. Wheeljack came up with an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] to reverse the process (even his cures explode!), but that only revived the Autobots in time to deal with Plan B: [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. While he isn't in Brawn or Prime's class, Gears is still one strong little Autobot, and demonstrated his strength by ripping out huge chunks of rock to hurl at the massive Decepticon. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Sometime later, Gears helped install [[detection plate]]s around the Ark as an early warning system against any intruders. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} He was also briefly seen gawking at the two Optimus Primes who showed up in the dirt. After a sharpshooting contest and car race failed to uncover the imposter, the Autobots rode into battle anyway with both Primes at their side. Gears didn't have much fun in the following melee: first he got sent face-first into the dirt by one of the opening salvos, and was later overmatched in single combat against [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. He was saved only by the continuation of Megatron and Starscream's cockeyed, overly-elaborate scheme of clones killing clones. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Gears was on patrol with the team when they suddenly came across an empty riverbed. After a quick mud massage from Jazz's spinning tires, Gears and the others decided to follow the river's trail to see where it had been diverted. What they found was trouble: [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s. The Autobots barely escaped battle with Devastator to report on Megatron's activities to Prime. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:MMP2 Seaspray and Gears shooting.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Gears attended Wheeljack's demonstration of how he had taught Grimlock "finesse". The resulting chaos and destruction was predictable, but memorable. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Despite not being seen in the battle at all, Gears was injured fighting Megatron and the [[Heart of Cybertron]] in South America. All the repairs and none of the glory. Boy, he must have been ''craaaanky''...{{storylink|Microbots}}

Gears and many of his fellow Autobots showed up in [[Central City (G1)|Central City]] for the Autobot Day parade and celebration. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} The city soon turned on the Autobots, thanks to Megatron's machinations, but they returned to help drive the Decepticons away once the humans were temporarily enslaved. Gears was seen among the horde of Autobots that overwhelmed the Decepticon slave-drivers. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} He was also one of the Autobots cheering for the Dinobots when they returned from Cybertron with a fresh supply of [[cybertonium]]. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Gears was part of the third wave of Autobots to confront the invulnerable Decepticons, but fared no better than his predecessors against their [[electrum]] coating. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} Gears stood by as [[Chip Chase]] and Teletraan I tried to locate the Autobots lost aboard the Space Bridge. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} He was also seen applying [[Corrostop]] to the Statue of Liberty. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:BOT wet Gears.jpg|thumb|right|200px|I hate the water!]]
When Megatron and the Decepticons attacked the Ark looking for the [[Combaticon (G1)|renegade Decepticons]], Gears joined Optimus Prime in fending off their assault. Megatron soon retreated once he realized Prime had no slaggin' idea what he was talking about. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Gears, Ironhide and Bumblebee responded to an S.O.S. from [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]] and found themselves chasing [[B.O.T. (robot)|B.O.T.]] around the city. They were beaten to it by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who needed to get back [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]'s personality component, and Gears later found himself defending Autobot Headquarters from [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In 2005, Gears was stationed on [[Moonbase One]] under Optimus Prime's command. It is unknown whether he left for Earth with Prime and the Dinobots to repel Megatron's attack on [[Autobot City]], or if he remained behind. If he did, his chances aren't that good, as only [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were seen escaping from [[Unicron]]'s smelting pits. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====

Gears was amongst the Autobots who defended [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] in [[Arizona]] from a Decepticon attack. Although the Autobots won the day, the attack was actually just a distraction so that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] could go do evil in Japan or something unspecified. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

===Coloring books===
[[Image:G1 GearsPotatoes AutobotSmasher.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Steve Ditko is noted for his superb use of shading, his handling of facial expressions, and his ability to do cosmic vistas of mystery. Here he was asked to do a line drawing of a truck carrying potatoes.]]
Gears was hauling a load of potatoes, with plans to sell them for oil and gas money. (Really.) He was tricked by the Decepticons into taking a detour, which led him to their "[[Autobot Rest Stop]]"—a car crusher disguised with pillows and a set of curtains. Gears rolled into the Rest Stop and was enjoying himself when [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activated the machine, crushing Gears flat.

Gears was later restored by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], with no ill effects. {{storylink|The Autobot Smasher!}}

{{note|This coloring book was illustrated by [[Steve Ditko]], co-creator of none other than... the amazing [[Spider-Man]]! Coincidence? Probably.}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
When [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] vanished in a space bridge during the war on Cybertron, their respective factions were split into several smaller groups. Gears remained in the main Autobot faction, now under the command of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|Fragmentation}} He was part of a team who scouted out [[Nova Cronum]] in search of the Decepticons' new mobile command base. Unfortunately, it was a bit [[Trypticon (G1)|''too'' mobile]] for them to handle. {{storylink|Devastation (Dreamwave)|Devastation}} Even assistance from the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] helped against the giant Decepticon, but in the end, their target just left. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} Later, when [[The Fallen]] broke into [[Autobase]], Gears was eager to get out there and do something about it. Prowl opted for trying to contain the villain instead, but he turned out to be unstoppable anyway. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Gears was part of the Ark's original crew, crash-landing on Earth four million years ago and awakening in 1984. Like all the Transformers of Earth, he was believed dead for many years after the mid-air explosion of the ''[[Ark II]]''. In fact, Gears was one of many robots who were salvaged by the mercenary known as [[Lazarus]], who began the time-consuming process of installing remote control programming into his inert Cybertronian captives. Lazarus was doomed to failure, however, for Megatron regained control of his own body shortly after the human reactivated him. With the Decepticons back in action thanks to Megatron, Gears and the other Autobots held captive by Lazarus were left at their mercy. Although a small group of Autobots were free under Optimus Prime's command to combat the Decepticons, most of the 'bots recovered by Lazarus (including Gears) were too badly damaged to be reactivated for that first battle. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

Gears and the other deactivated Autobots were recovered, though, and were back to full functionality by the time [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived from Cybertron. {{storylink|New World Order}} As the Autobot forces split in two, Gears went with Optimus Prime and his contingent back to Cybertron aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Back on his home planet, Gears participated in the insurrection by Autobot dissidents against the rule of Shockwave. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Much to his dismay, Gears was soon put in the position of having to return to Earth. With Prime temporarily out of action due to injuries, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] had assumed command of the Ark's crew on Cybertron, and made the decision that a new base of operations needed to be constructed on Earth, to fortify Autobot interests there. Gears reluctantly left his beloved homeworld behind to return to Earth, and begin work on the construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF4_Gears_Brawn_FlightPods.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Gears was among the dormant Transformers found by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] and reprogrammed to be under the humans' control. In the process, he and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] were rebuilt to transform into Cobra [[Flight Pod]]s. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} The two may have participated in an attack on the [[SPS Research Facility]], or it may have just been two regular Flight Pods. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} When [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] hacked Cobra's computers and undid his comrades' reprogramming, Gears and Brawn hunted down [[Cobra Commander]] and blew up the ship he was going to escape from [[Cobra Island]] with. However, before the Autobots could capture the commander, they were taken out by [[Storm Shadow]]'s [[S.N.A.K.E.]] mech. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

Gears didn't give up so easily, however, as he joined several other Autobots and located Cobra Commander and his S.N.A.K.E. guards again. Storm Shadow fought back and killed [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], sending Gears and the others into a berserker rage as they ripped his S.N.A.K.E. apart. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

{{-}}

===IDW ''Generation 1'' comics continuity===
Millions of years ago, Gears was one of several mourners seen at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], after Megatron killed them. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

In the modern era, Gears was seen reacting to the return of [[Blaster (G1)|"The Voice"]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

At some point, Gears made it to Earth, where he was captured by [[Skywatch]], along with [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and later, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

===IDW ''Hearts of Steel'' continuity===
Gears and his fellow Autobots battled the Decepticons in Earth's distant past, until an ice age came around and forced them to go underground and wait it out. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} They eventually woke up in the mid-19th century, and learned that the Decepticons were up and going as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}} In order to pursue the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Gears took on the form of what appeared to be a boxcar and linked up with his friends to form an Autobot train. During the chase, much of the train was trapped when the Decepticons collapsed a tunnel on it, although Gears made it out safe and sound. He was hammered by Decepticon fire as he helped clear away rubble, but survived and went back to sleep underground after the Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Gears toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Grumble... I suppose they want me to supply my own penny..."]]
* '''Gears''' (Mini Vehicle, 1984/1985)

: Part of the first assortment of Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]], Gears transforms into a blue and red "penny racer"-proportioned pickup truck of indeterminable model. The Gears toy was originally from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, in the same basic coloration but with a darker blue, as the "Micro Robot 04 4WD Off-Road". This is the source of the "M" on his truck-mode hood.

: For reasons unknown, he was the only Mini Vehicle not made available as part of [[Takara]]'s original retail line in any capacity (while [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] were not available at normal retail, both were offered as mail-away toys).

: There were a few variations of Gears south of the border, where he was known as "Pick-Up". Initial releases had the same plastic colors but retained the sticker designs from his original Micro Change release, while later toys had the plastic colors changed to make him a red truck with orange robot parts (pre-Malignus). In Mexico, and subsequently also found in some European markets, a maroon and white version was released, possibly to bring the character of [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] over without the use of a new mold.

: This mold was used to make the [[Malignus]] [[Pick-Up (Malignus)|Pick-Up]], the Autobot [[Small Foot]] and was [[Retool|retooled]] to make Swerve.

*'''Minibots Team''' (Multi-pack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''TFC-12'''

: Gears was ''finally'' put out at Japanese retail in 2004, as part of the [[Transformers Collection]] "Minibot" set, containing Gears, a retooled [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], Cosmos, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and Warpath. This set was later [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make the [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]] [[G1 GoBots]] team.

==Notes==
* In his first Marvel Comics appearance, Gears sported a more humanoid [[character model]] that looked less like his toy than his final animation model. He would also use this model in the UK annual story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", while ''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]'' was inexplicably drawn with this model in the earlier UK story "[[The Enemy Within!]]".

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]

Gears (G1)

2010-11-03T21:52:51Z

64.189.19.132:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{picsneeded|Fictional appearances}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Autobot|the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Autobot|Gears (ROTF)}}
:''Gears is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:Gearsg1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Gears, ironically, hates [[Neon|bright colors]].]]
'''Gears''' hates [[Earth]], a lush, green planet practically as unlike his cozy, gray, metallic [[Cybertron (planet)|homeworld]] as possible. He grumbles and complains about being shipwrecked on it—complains and grumbles to a ridiculous extent, until he becomes a source of amusement, rather than negativity. This is usually his intent—unlike his fellow [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], Gears has a desire to help his fellow Autobots see good in a bad situation. Still, he does get depressed from time to time.

Gears is strong and tough, not so much in lifting but in endurance, and carrying heavy loads with little effort, be they energon cubes, disabled Autobots, or potatoes for the farmers' market. He is fitted with infrared vision sensors.

In robot mode, Gears can release controlled bursts of compressed air from his feet, launching himself to altitudes over 100,000 feet, and floating back down. In doing so, he must be careful not to lose air pressure before coming close enough to the ground for a safe landing.

:''Nicknames:'' '''Ox''', '''Sourball'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]]</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Engrenagem'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Fuvaros''' (meaning Hauler)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Mecano'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Mulo'''
:''South American name:'' '''Pick-Up'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Rollo'''
:''Russian name'': '''Привод''' ("Drive")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Gearsg1firstappearance.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Wish we saw more of the design on the right. Yikes!]]
{{quote|The only thing '''Gears''' wants to learn about this planet is how to get off it. I hate this place already. I just know you're going to use me as a mobile transport unit again, once we have to set up. Nuts. Let's go home.|The worst words out of his mouth.}}

Gears was one of Cybertron's great warriors, and was chosen to join the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] mission to save Cybertron from an asteroid belt—a mission that saw him stranded on [[Earth]] for four million years. Once he woke up in 1984 and was rebuilt as an Earth truck, he immediately began complaining. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Spider-man.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Spider-Man's amazing friend.]]
Shortly after arriving on Earth, Gears teamed up with [[Spider-Man]], using his ability to launch himself upward using compressed air and fly alongside the superhero in an attempt to reach the mountaintop [[Decepticon]] fortress. When Gears ran low on power, he began to fall before Spidey caught him in webbing. Although Spider-Man's webbing is extremely strong, the Autobot's weight threatened to break it, and Spider-Man completed Gears' ascent using the webbing for assistance. After a fight with the Decepticons, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] caused Gears (and human [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]) to fall through a hole in the fortress. Although Spidey was able to rescue Sparkplug, and attempted to catch Gears as he had done before, the added momentum of the fall proved too much strain on the webbing, and Gears crashed to the ground. Gears was quickly patched up enough to tell the Autobots that Megatron had gotten what he wanted (a fuel conversion process) from Sparkplug. His complete restoration was seemingly interrupted when, following recriminations, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] needed to drive Sparkplug to the hospital to treat his sudden heart attack. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

[[Image:Buzzsawyikes2.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Ow ow ow.]]
When the Autobots overheard Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], in a nearby swamp, Gears was among the Autobots who traveled to the swamp with Prime's body. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] shot Gears right in the face! {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''Gears was eventually restored, however, and joined [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in searching for [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] during the Dinobot Hunt. Their mission was suddenly cut short by the arrival of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the Decepticons, who shot the Minibots in the back and took them prisoner. [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] soon rescued his disabled comrades from the Decepticon cruiser, but they were too badly injured and remained inactive for some time thereafter. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

[[Image:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Barely snuck into the margins during his own death scene.]]
Gears was repaired in time to witness a battle between [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] for Autobot leadership on [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. While Autobots around him cheered vehemently for either combatant, Gears seemingly didn't really care, choosing to watch in stoic silence. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Gears was among the Autobots who answered [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s distress call from just outside the Decepticons' [[Club Con|headquarters]] in the Arctic. Shortly thereafter, when an [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of [[New York City|New York]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Buenos Aires]]", Gears was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]] led a team of Autobots which included Gears, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of <strike>[[To sell toys|a market executive's]]</strike> Starscream's hand"! Oops. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

Gears's torso, head, and right arm were shown in the midst of attempted repairs while Optimus Prime explained the bleak condition of their fallen to [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]]. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese)
[[Image:Hufferg1animated.jpg|left|240px|thumb|A competition of who complains the most!]]

Gears was one of the original crew of Autobots on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] spaceship when it crash-landed on Earth millions of years ago. When he awoke in 1984, he was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] so that his alt-mode was an Earth-based pickup truck. Not a true combatant by nature, he didn't participate in many of the Autobots' more famous battles against the Decepticons, but he did his part despite his complaints. Gears first saw action on Earth at an off-shore oil rig, fighting one of the Seekers with his partner, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Gears' infrared sensors were useful in capturing [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] when the Decepticon was caught trespassing at the Autobot headquarters. By modifying his searchlight wavelength, Gears could illuminate Ravage's heat traces and neutralize the jaguar's ability to hide in shadows. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When Prime was injured in an explosion outside the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Gears discarded the complaining facade he often wore, in order to encourage Optimus to push himself into returning to robot mode. He later donned a lab coat to help sell [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s holographic rocket base idea, although it didn't do much good. In the final battle to stop the launch of the Decepticon space cruiser, Gears and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] were engaged in battling [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] until Megatron called for a retreat. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

Gears assembled for battle when the Decepticons returned to attack a solar power plant, and chastised [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] for missing roll call. At the plant, Gears and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] attempted to stop the Seekers from taking off with the energon cubes, but [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] knocked them aside with a concussion blast. Later, after Bumblebee led the Autobots to the supposed site of the new [[Space Bridge]], only to find a deserted cave, Gears offered to electrocute the 'Bee in order to juice up his memory circuits. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} When Optimus Prime was heavily damaged in battle, Gears returned from patrol with [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and Windcharger to check on his condition. None of them, however, was sharp-eyed enough to spot [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] swoop down and land on Brawn's shoulder as they entered the base. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:FireintheSky Gears crashes through ice.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
After it started snowing, in July, in the middle of the desert, Optimus Prime got suspicious and consulted Teletraan I for a weather report. Gears, who was performing reconnaissance scans on the now-frozen tropical region of the planet, concurred with Teletraan I's conclusions, that Megatron and the Decepticons must somehow be draining heat energy right out of the Earth's core. In the Arctic, as the Autobots prepared to enter the Decepticons' cavernous base of operations, Gears stalled outside the entrance on the sneaking suspicion the Autobots were falling into a trap. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy—by lingering too long on the ice, the combined weight of Gears, Hound, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] caused the tunnel to collapse beneath them. Gears and his buddies were briefly captured by the Decepticons, but escaped thanks to Hound's holograms. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Soundwave shoots Gears.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Hey! Being shot in the face plays havoc with my sinuses."]]
Gears attended the unveiling of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s latest science project, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, and managed to stay out of the way after they ran amok. He joined Optimus Prime and the other Autobots on a mission to the [[Great Falls]]. Being one of the few Autobots who can fly (usually), Gears took to the air to fight [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] face-to-face, but was quickly shot down by the more experienced Decepticon. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} On one mission, Gears travelled to Peru to help the Autobots remove the [[Crystal of Power]] from Megatron's control. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} He was also involved in the dino-design project that created [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a Decepticon attack on the Ark, Gears was briefly seen cleaning up the deadly fire extinguisher foam which drove them away. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} In the aftermath of Cybertron's orbit around Earth, Gears worked on the massive repairs necessary to rebuild human society. He also participated in the raid on [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s laboratory. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:ChangingGears Gears Bee acrobatics.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bumblebee and Gears - [[Powerlinx]]!!]]
During an Autobot Alert(!!!), the Ark's crew all leapt into action at high speed...well, except for Gears. The alarm interrupted his plan to "lube his cables", making the cranky Gears slow to respond to the call of duty. He might have trudged even slower if he knew the entire alert was a ruse by Megatron, designed solely for the purpose of capturing Gears. It seemed that Megatron's newest toy, the [[Solar Needle]], required a specific circuit board in order to be properly completed, and Gears contained just such a circuit board in his chest. A curious side effect of removing the circuit board was that it negated Gears' inclination towards squawking and complaining. He was now a compulsively good-natured people-pleaser, unable to refuse requests by anyone, even Megatron. With the solar needle activated, the Decepticons put Gears to work harvesting energon cubes, filled by the sun's mighty power.

Despite the alterations to his personality, Gears tried to remain true to himself. Even while helping Megatron's energy pilfering, he still managed to toss an insult or two at the Decepticon leader. In a good-natured way, of course. And, after the Autobots arrived to destroy the solar needle and drew the Decepticons' attention, Gears made a break for the control panel to retrieve his circuit board and restore his real personality. He was interrupted by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had been looking for an excuse to blast Gears all day, but Bumblebee knocked the Seeker aside before he could eliminate the tiny Autobot. Also, when Megatron hurled Prime out of control into the solar needle's incinerating energy grid, Gears used the holdout blaster in his sleeve to disrupt the grid and save Optimus. Still, once Megatron got the drop on the Autobots, he was able to exploit Gears' new personality glitch to make him repair the solar needle while the Decepticons held his teammates at gunpoint. Megatron gloated too much about the nature of Gears' problem, though, allowing Optimus Prime to circumvent his control over Gears. Tricking Megatron into agreeing to honor his last request "as a condemned mechanism", Prime turned the tables on Megatron by asking Gears for a favor of his own. Gears was all too happy to oblige...and destroy the solar needle for Optimus.

[[Image:ChangingGears got a bang out of that.jpg|thumb|left|280px| I hate the woods...]]
With the fight back on, Gears happily got in on the action and tossed Starscream for a loop. The Decepticons abandoned the field of battle, leaving the Autobots behind to clean up the mess caused by their solar needle. As the needle was being dismantled, Prime was ready to return Gears' circuit board to him when [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] stepped in. Seems the Autobots took a vote, and they would rather not restore Gears' talent for complaining, and whining, and hypochondria, and...well. After a quick joke, though, they did return the circuit board, and Gears showed his gratitude by going "whine, whine, whine" all the way home. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Gears was seen awaiting his turn at the [[recharging chamber]]s, but did not appear later on rampaging with the other Autobots afflicted by the [[personality destabilizer device]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He attended Wheeljack's demonstration of the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. When the Decepticons got their metal mitts on the device, Gears was trapped in mid-transformation by the device's rays. He was restored to normal after [[Carly]] fiddled with the controls to reverse its effects. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:AutobotRun Gears lifts ground.jpg|thumb|right|230px|I hate sewers!]]
Like most of the Autobots, Gears was temporarily trapped in vehicle mode after Megatron unleashed his [[Transfixatron]] on them during a car rally for charity. Wheeljack came up with an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] to reverse the process (even his cures explode!), but that only revived the Autobots in time to deal with Plan B: [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. While he isn't in Brawn or Prime's class, Gears is still one strong little Autobot, and demonstrated his strength by ripping out huge chunks of rock to hurl at the massive Decepticon. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Sometime later, Gears helped install [[detection plate]]s around the Ark as an early warning system against any intruders. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} He was also briefly seen gawking at the two Optimus Primes who showed up in the dirt. After a sharpshooting contest and car race failed to uncover the imposter, the Autobots rode into battle anyway with both Primes at their side. Gears didn't have much fun in the following melee: first he got sent face-first into the dirt by one of the opening salvos, and was later overmatched in single combat against [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. He was saved only by the continuation of Megatron and Starscream's cockeyed, overly-elaborate scheme of clones killing clones. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Gears was on patrol with the team when they suddenly came across an empty riverbed. After a quick mud massage from Jazz's spinning tires, Gears and the others decided to follow the river's trail to see where it had been diverted. What they found was trouble: [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s. The Autobots barely escaped battle with Devastator to report on Megatron's activities to Prime. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:MMP2 Seaspray and Gears shooting.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Gears attended Wheeljack's demonstration of how he had taught Grimlock "finesse". The resulting chaos and destruction was predictable, but memorable. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Despite not being seen in the battle at all, Gears was injured fighting Megatron and the [[Heart of Cybertron]] in South America. All the repairs and none of the glory. Boy, he must have been ''craaaanky''...{{storylink|Microbots}}

Gears and many of his fellow Autobots showed up in [[Central City (G1)|Central City]] for the Autobot Day parade and celebration. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} The city soon turned on the Autobots, thanks to Megatron's machinations, but they returned to help drive the Decepticons away once the humans were temporarily enslaved. Gears was seen among the horde of Autobots that overwhelmed the Decepticon slave-drivers. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} He was also one of the Autobots cheering for the Dinobots when they returned from Cybertron with a fresh supply of [[cybertonium]]. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Gears was part of the third wave of Autobots to confront the invulnerable Decepticons, but fared no better than his predecessors against their [[electrum]] coating. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} Gears stood by as [[Chip Chase]] and Teletraan I tried to locate the Autobots lost aboard the Space Bridge. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} He was also seen applying [[Corrostop]] to the Statue of Liberty. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:BOT wet Gears.jpg|thumb|right|200px|I hate the water!]]
When Megatron and the Decepticons attacked the Ark looking for the [[Combaticon (G1)|renegade Decepticons]], Gears joined Optimus Prime in fending off their assault. Megatron soon retreated once he realized Prime had no slaggin' idea what he was talking about. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Gears, Ironhide and Bumblebee responded to an S.O.S. from [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]] and found themselves chasing [[B.O.T. (robot)|B.O.T.]] around the city. They were beaten to it by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who needed to get back [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]'s personality component, and Gears later found himself defending Autobot Headquarters from [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In 2005, Gears was stationed on [[Moonbase One]] under Optimus Prime's command. It is unknown whether he left for Earth with Prime and the Dinobots to repel Megatron's attack on [[Autobot City]], or if he remained behind. If he did, his chances aren't that good, as only [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were seen escaping from [[Unicron]]'s smelting pits. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====

Gears was amongst the Autobots who defended [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] in [[Arizona]] from a Decepticon attack. Although the Autobots won the day, the attack was actually just a distraction so that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] could go do evil in Japan or something unspecified. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

===Coloring books===
[[Image:G1 GearsPotatoes AutobotSmasher.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Steve Ditko is noted for his superb use of shading, his handling of facial expressions, and his ability to do cosmic vistas of mystery. Here he was asked to do a line drawing of a truck carrying potatoes.]]
Gears was hauling a load of potatoes, with plans to sell them for oil and gas money. (Really.) He was tricked by the Decepticons into taking a detour, which led him to their "[[Autobot Rest Stop]]"—a car crusher disguised with pillows and a set of curtains. Gears rolled into the Rest Stop and was enjoying himself when [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activated the machine, crushing Gears flat.

Gears was later restored by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], with no ill effects. {{storylink|The Autobot Smasher!}}

{{note|This coloring book was illustrated by [[Steve Ditko]], co-creator of none other than... the amazing [[Spider-Man]]! Coincidence? Probably.}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
When [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] vanished in a space bridge during the war on Cybertron, their respective factions were split into several smaller groups. Gears remained in the main Autobot faction, now under the command of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|Fragmentation}} He was part of a team who scouted out [[Nova Cronum]] in search of the Decepticons' new mobile command base. Unfortunately, it was a bit [[Trypticon (G1)|''too'' mobile]] for them to handle. {{storylink|Devastation (Dreamwave)|Devastation}} Even assistance from the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] helped against the giant Decepticon, but in the end, their target just left. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} Later, when [[The Fallen]] broke into [[Autobase]], Gears was eager to get out there and do something about it. Prowl opted for trying to contain the villain instead, but he turned out to be unstoppable anyway. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Gears was part of the Ark's original crew, crash-landing on Earth four million years ago and awakening in 1984. Like all the Transformers of Earth, he was believed dead for many years after the mid-air explosion of the ''[[Ark II]]''. In fact, Gears was one of many robots who were salvaged by the mercenary known as [[Lazarus]], who began the time-consuming process of installing remote control programming into his inert Cybertronian captives. Lazarus was doomed to failure, however, for Megatron regained control of his own body shortly after the human reactivated him. With the Decepticons back in action thanks to Megatron, Gears and the other Autobots held captive by Lazarus were left at their mercy. Although a small group of Autobots were free under Optimus Prime's command to combat the Decepticons, most of the 'bots recovered by Lazarus (including Gears) were too badly damaged to be reactivated for that first battle. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

Gears and the other deactivated Autobots were recovered, though, and were back to full functionality by the time [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived from Cybertron. {{storylink|New World Order}} As the Autobot forces split in two, Gears went with Optimus Prime and his contingent back to Cybertron aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Back on his home planet, Gears participated in the insurrection by Autobot dissidents against the rule of Shockwave. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Much to his dismay, Gears was soon put in the position of having to return to Earth. With Prime temporarily out of action due to injuries, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] had assumed command of the Ark's crew on Cybertron, and made the decision that a new base of operations needed to be constructed on Earth, to fortify Autobot interests there. Gears reluctantly left his beloved homeworld behind to return to Earth, and begin work on the construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF4_Gears_Brawn_FlightPods.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Gears was among the dormant Transformers found by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] and reprogrammed to be under the humans' control. In the process, he and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] were rebuilt to transform into Cobra [[Flight Pod]]s. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} The two may have participated in an attack on the [[SPS Research Facility]], or it may have just been two regular Flight Pods. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} When [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] hacked Cobra's computers and undid his comrades' reprogramming, Gears and Brawn hunted down [[Cobra Commander]] and blew up the ship he was going to escape from [[Cobra Island]] with. However, before the Autobots could capture the commander, they were taken out by [[Storm Shadow]]'s [[S.N.A.K.E.]] mech. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

Gears didn't give up so easily, however, as he joined several other Autobots and located Cobra Commander and his S.N.A.K.E. guards again. Storm Shadow fought back and killed [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], sending Gears and the others into a berserker rage as they ripped his S.N.A.K.E. apart. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

{{-}}

===IDW ''Generation 1'' comics continuity===
Millions of years ago, Gears was one of several mourners seen at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], after Megatron killed them. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

In the modern era, Gears was seen reacting to the return of [[Blaster (G1)|"The Voice"]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

At some point, Gears made it to Earth, where he was captured by [[Skywatch]], along with [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and later, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

===IDW ''Hearts of Steel'' continuity===
Gears and his fellow Autobots battled the Decepticons in Earth's distant past, until an ice age came around and forced them to go underground and wait it out. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} They eventually woke up in the mid-19th century, and learned that the Decepticons were up and going as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}} In order to pursue the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Gears took on the form of what appeared to be a boxcar and linked up with his friends to form an Autobot train. During the chase, much of the train was trapped when the Decepticons collapsed a tunnel on it, although Gears made it out safe and sound. He was hammered by Decepticon fire as he helped clear away rubble, but survived and went back to sleep underground after the Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Gears toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Grumble... I suppose they want me to supply my own penny..."]]
* '''Gears''' (Mini Vehicle, 1984/1985)

: Part of the first assortment of Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]], Gears transforms into a blue and red "penny racer"-proportioned pickup truck of indeterminable model. The Gears toy was originally from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, in the same basic coloration but with a darker blue, as the "Micro Robot 04 4WD Off-Road". This is the source of the "M" on his truck-mode hood.

: For reasons unknown, he was the only Mini Vehicle not made available as part of [[Takara]]'s original retail line in any capacity (while [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] were not available at normal retail, both were offered as mail-away toys).

: There were a few variations of Gears south of the border, where he was known as "Pick-Up". Initial releases had the same plastic colors but retained the sticker designs from his original Micro Change release, while later toys had the plastic colors changed to make him a red truck with orange robot parts (pre-Malignus). In Mexico, and subsequently also found in some European markets, a maroon and white version was released, possibly to bring the character of [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] over without the use of a new mold.

: This mold was used to make the [[Malignus]] [[Pick-Up (Malignus)|Pick-Up]], the Autobot [[Small Foot]] and was [[Retool|retooled]] to make Swerve.

*'''Minibots Team''' (Multi-pack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''TFC-12'''

: Gears was ''finally'' put out at Japanese retail in 2004, as part of the [[Transformers Collection]] "Minibot" set, containing Gears, a retooled [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], Cosmos, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and Warpath. This set was later [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make the [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]] [[G1 GoBots]] team.

==Notes==
* In his first Marvel Comics appearance, Gears sported a more humanoid [[character model]] that looked less like his toy than his final animation model. He would also use this model in the UK annual story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", while ''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]'' was inexplicably drawn with this model in the earlier UK story "[[The Enemy Within!]]".

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]

Gears (G1)

2010-11-03T21:51:40Z

64.189.19.132:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{picsneeded|Fictional appearances}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Autobot|the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Autobot|Gears (ROTF)}}
:''Gears is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:Gearsg1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Gears, ironically, hates [[Neon|bright colors]].]]
'''Gears''' hates [[Earth]], a lush, green planet practically as unlike his cozy, gray, metallic [[Cybertron (planet)|homeworld]] as possible. He grumbles and complains about being shipwrecked on it—complains and grumbles to a ridiculous extent, until he becomes a source of amusement, rather than negativity. This is usually his intent—unlike his fellow [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], Gears has a desire to help his fellow Autobots see good in a bad situation. Still, he does get depressed from time to time.

Gears is strong and tough, not so much in lifting but in endurance, and carrying heavy loads with little effort, be they energon cubes, disabled Autobots, or potatoes for the farmers' market. He is fitted with infrared vision sensors.

In robot mode, Gears can release controlled bursts of compressed air from his feet, launching himself to altitudes over 100,000 feet, and floating back down. In doing so, he must be careful not to lose air pressure before coming close enough to the ground for a safe landing.

:''Nicknames:'' '''Ox''', '''Sourball'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]]</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Engrenagem'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Fuvaros''' (meaning Hauler)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Mecano'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Mulo'''
:''South American name:'' '''Pick-Up'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Rollo'''
:''Russian name'': '''Привод''' ("Drive")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Gearsg1firstappearance.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Wish we saw more of the design on the right. Yikes!]]
{{quote|The only thing '''Gears''' wants to learn about this planet is how to get off it. I hate this place already. I just know you're going to use me as a mobile transport unit again, once we have to set up. Nuts. Let's go home.|The worst words out of his mouth.}}

Gears was one of Cybertron's great warriors, and was chosen to join the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] mission to save Cybertron from an asteroid belt—a mission that saw him stranded on [[Earth]] for four million years. Once he woke up in 1984 and was rebuilt as an Earth truck, he immediately began complaining. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Spider-man.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Spider-Man's amazing friend.]]
Shortly after arriving on Earth, Gears teamed up with [[Spider-Man]], using his ability to launch himself upward using compressed air and fly alongside the superhero in an attempt to reach the mountaintop [[Decepticon]] fortress. When Gears ran low on power, he began to fall before Spidey caught him in webbing. Although Spider-Man's webbing is extremely strong, the Autobot's weight threatened to break it, and Spider-Man completed Gears' ascent using the webbing for assistance. After a fight with the Decepticons, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] caused Gears (and human [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]) to fall through a hole in the fortress. Although Spidey was able to rescue Sparkplug, and attempted to catch Gears as he had done before, the added momentum of the fall proved too much strain on the webbing, and Gears crashed to the ground. Gears was quickly patched up enough to tell the Autobots that Megatron had gotten what he wanted (a fuel conversion process) from Sparkplug. His complete restoration was seemingly interrupted when, following recriminations, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] needed to drive Sparkplug to the hospital to treat his sudden heart attack. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

[[Image:Buzzsawyikes2.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Ow ow ow.]]
When the Autobots overheard Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], in a nearby swamp, Gears was among the Autobots who traveled to the swamp with Prime's body. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] shot Gears right in the face! {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''Gears was eventually restored, however, and joined [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in searching for [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] during the Dinobot Hunt. Their mission was suddenly cut short by the arrival of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the Decepticons, who shot the Minibots in the back and took them prisoner. [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] soon rescued his disabled comrades from the Decepticon cruiser, but they were too badly injured and remained inactive for some time thereafter. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

[[Image:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Barely snuck into the margins during his own death scene.]]
Gears was repaired in time to witness a battle between [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] for Autobot leadership on [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. While Autobots around him cheered vehemently for either combatant, Gears seemingly didn't really care, choosing to watch in stoic silence. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Gears was among the Autobots who answered [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s distress call from just outside the Decepticons' [[Club Con|headquarters]] in the Arctic. Shortly thereafter, when an [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of [[New York City|New York]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Buenos Aires]]", Gears was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]] led a team of Autobots which included Gears, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of <strike>[[To sell toys|a market executive's]]</strike> Starscream's hand"! Oops. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

Gears's torso, head, and right arm were shown in the midst of attempted repairs while Optimus Prime explained the bleak condition of their fallen to [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]]. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese)
[[Image:Hufferg1animated.jpg|left|240px|thumb|A competition of who complains the most!]]

Gears was one of the original crew of Autobots on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] spaceship when it crash-landed on Earth millions of years ago. When he awoke in 1984, he was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] so that his alt-mode was an Earth-based pickup truck. Not a true combatant by nature, he didn't participate in many of the Autobots' more famous battles against the Decepticons, but he did his part despite his complaints. Gears first saw action on Earth at an off-shore oil rig, fighting one of the Seekers with his partner, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Gears' infrared sensors were useful in capturing [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] when the Decepticon was caught trespassing at the Autobot headquarters. By modifying his searchlight wavelength, Gears could illuminate Ravage's heat traces and neutralize the jaguar's ability to hide in shadows. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When Prime was injured in an explosion outside the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Gears discarded the complaining facade he often wore, in order to encourage Optimus to push himself into returning to robot mode. He later donned a lab coat to help sell [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s holographic rocket base idea, although it didn't do much good. In the final battle to stop the launch of the Decepticon space cruiser, Gears and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] were engaged in battling [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] until Megatron called for a retreat. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

Gears assembled for battle when the Decepticons returned to attack a solar power plant, and chastised [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] for missing roll call. At the plant, Gears and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] attempted to stop the Seekers from taking off with the energon cubes, but [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] knocked them aside with a concussion blast. Later, after Bumblebee led the Autobots to the supposed site of the new [[Space Bridge]], only to find a deserted cave, Gears offered to electrocute the 'Bee in order to juice up his memory circuits. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} When Optimus Prime was heavily damaged in battle, Gears returned from patrol with [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and Windcharger to check on his condition. None of them, however, was sharp-eyed enough to spot [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] swoop down and land on Brawn's shoulder as they entered the base. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:FireintheSky Gears crashes through ice.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
After it started snowing, in July, in the middle of the desert, Optimus Prime got suspicious and consulted Teletraan I for a weather report. Gears, who was performing reconnaissance scans on the now-frozen tropical region of the planet, concurred with Teletraan I's conclusions, that Megatron and the Decepticons must somehow be draining heat energy right out of the Earth's core. In the Arctic, as the Autobots prepared to enter the Decepticons' cavernous base of operations, Gears stalled outside the entrance on the sneaking suspicion the Autobots were falling into a trap. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy—by lingering too long on the ice, the combined weight of Gears, Hound, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] caused the tunnel to collapse beneath them. Gears and his buddies were briefly captured by the Decepticons, but escaped thanks to Hound's holograms. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Soundwave shoots Gears.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Hey! Being shot in the face plays havoc with my sinuses."]]
Gears attended the unveiling of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s latest science project, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, and managed to stay out of the way after they ran amok. He joined Optimus Prime and the other Autobots on a mission to the [[Great Falls]]. Being one of the few Autobots who can fly (usually), Gears took to the air to fight [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] face-to-face, but was quickly shot down by the more experienced Decepticon. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} On one mission, Gears travelled to Peru to help the Autobots remove the [[Crystal of Power]] from Megatron's control. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} He was also involved in the dino-design project that created [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a Decepticon attack on the Ark, Gears was briefly seen cleaning up the deadly fire extinguisher foam which drove them away. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} In the aftermath of Cybertron's orbit around Earth, Gears worked on the massive repairs necessary to rebuild human society. He also participated in the raid on [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s laboratory. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:ChangingGears Gears Bee acrobatics.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bumblebee and Gears - [[Powerlinx]]!!]]
During an Autobot Alert(!!!), the Ark's crew all leapt into action at high speed...well, except for Gears. The alarm interrupted his plan to "lube his cables", making the cranky Gears slow to respond to the call of duty. He might have trudged even slower if he knew the entire alert was a ruse by Megatron, designed solely for the purpose of capturing Gears. It seemed that Megatron's newest toy, the [[Solar Needle]], required a specific circuit board in order to be properly completed, and Gears contained just such a circuit board in his chest. A curious side effect of removing the circuit board was that it negated Gears' inclination towards squawking and complaining. He was now a compulsively good-natured people-pleaser, unable to refuse requests by anyone, even Megatron. With the solar needle activated, the Decepticons put Gears to work harvesting energon cubes, filled by the sun's mighty power.

Despite the alterations to his personality, Gears tried to remain true to himself. Even while helping Megatron's energy pilfering, he still managed to toss an insult or two at the Decepticon leader. In a good-natured way, of course. And, after the Autobots arrived to destroy the solar needle and drew the Decepticons' attention, Gears made a break for the control panel to retrieve his circuit board and restore his real personality. He was interrupted by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had been looking for an excuse to blast Gears all day, but Bumblebee knocked the Seeker aside before he could eliminate the tiny Autobot. Also, when Megatron hurled Prime out of control into the solar needle's incinerating energy grid, Gears used the holdout blaster in his sleeve to disrupt the grid and save Optimus. Still, once Megatron got the drop on the Autobots, he was able to exploit Gears' new personality glitch to make him repair the solar needle while the Decepticons held his teammates at gunpoint. Megatron gloated too much about the nature of Gears' problem, though, allowing Optimus Prime to circumvent his control over Gears. Tricking Megatron into agreeing to honor his last request "as a condemned mechanism", Prime turned the tables on Megatron by asking Gears for a favor of his own. Gears was all too happy to oblige...and destroy the solar needle for Optimus.

[[Image:ChangingGears got a bang out of that.jpg|thumb|left|280px| I hate the woods...]]
With the fight back on, Gears happily got in on the action and tossed Starscream for a loop. The Decepticons abandoned the field of battle, leaving the Autobots behind to clean up the mess caused by their solar needle. As the needle was being dismantled, Prime was ready to return Gears' circuit board to him when [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] stepped in. Seems the Autobots took a vote, and they would rather not restore Gears' talent for complaining, and whining, and hypochondria, and...well. After a quick joke, though, they did return the circuit board, and Gears showed his gratitude by going "whine, whine, whine" all the way home. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Gears was seen awaiting his turn at the [[recharging chamber]]s, but did not appear later on rampaging with the other Autobots afflicted by the [[personality destabilizer device]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He attended Wheeljack's demonstration of the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. When the Decepticons got their metal mitts on the device, Gears was trapped in mid-transformation by the device's rays. He was restored to normal after [[Carly]] fiddled with the controls to reverse its effects. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:AutobotRun Gears lifts ground.jpg|thumb|right|230px]]
Like most of the Autobots, Gears was temporarily trapped in vehicle mode after Megatron unleashed his [[Transfixatron]] on them during a car rally for charity. Wheeljack came up with an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] to reverse the process (even his cures explode!), but that only revived the Autobots in time to deal with Plan B: [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. While he isn't in Brawn or Prime's class, Gears is still one strong little Autobot, and demonstrated his strength by ripping out huge chunks of rock to hurl at the massive Decepticon. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Sometime later, Gears helped install [[detection plate]]s around the Ark as an early warning system against any intruders. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} He was also briefly seen gawking at the two Optimus Primes who showed up in the dirt. After a sharpshooting contest and car race failed to uncover the imposter, the Autobots rode into battle anyway with both Primes at their side. Gears didn't have much fun in the following melee: first he got sent face-first into the dirt by one of the opening salvos, and was later overmatched in single combat against [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. He was saved only by the continuation of Megatron and Starscream's cockeyed, overly-elaborate scheme of clones killing clones. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Gears was on patrol with the team when they suddenly came across an empty riverbed. After a quick mud massage from Jazz's spinning tires, Gears and the others decided to follow the river's trail to see where it had been diverted. What they found was trouble: [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s. The Autobots barely escaped battle with Devastator to report on Megatron's activities to Prime. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:MMP2 Seaspray and Gears shooting.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Gears attended Wheeljack's demonstration of how he had taught Grimlock "finesse". The resulting chaos and destruction was predictable, but memorable. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Despite not being seen in the battle at all, Gears was injured fighting Megatron and the [[Heart of Cybertron]] in South America. All the repairs and none of the glory. Boy, he must have been ''craaaanky''...{{storylink|Microbots}}

Gears and many of his fellow Autobots showed up in [[Central City (G1)|Central City]] for the Autobot Day parade and celebration. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} The city soon turned on the Autobots, thanks to Megatron's machinations, but they returned to help drive the Decepticons away once the humans were temporarily enslaved. Gears was seen among the horde of Autobots that overwhelmed the Decepticon slave-drivers. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} He was also one of the Autobots cheering for the Dinobots when they returned from Cybertron with a fresh supply of [[cybertonium]]. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Gears was part of the third wave of Autobots to confront the invulnerable Decepticons, but fared no better than his predecessors against their [[electrum]] coating. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} Gears stood by as [[Chip Chase]] and Teletraan I tried to locate the Autobots lost aboard the Space Bridge. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} He was also seen applying [[Corrostop]] to the Statue of Liberty. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:BOT wet Gears.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
When Megatron and the Decepticons attacked the Ark looking for the [[Combaticon (G1)|renegade Decepticons]], Gears joined Optimus Prime in fending off their assault. Megatron soon retreated once he realized Prime had no slaggin' idea what he was talking about. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Gears, Ironhide and Bumblebee responded to an S.O.S. from [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]] and found themselves chasing [[B.O.T. (robot)|B.O.T.]] around the city. They were beaten to it by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who needed to get back [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]'s personality component, and Gears later found himself defending Autobot Headquarters from [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In 2005, Gears was stationed on [[Moonbase One]] under Optimus Prime's command. It is unknown whether he left for Earth with Prime and the Dinobots to repel Megatron's attack on [[Autobot City]], or if he remained behind. If he did, his chances aren't that good, as only [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were seen escaping from [[Unicron]]'s smelting pits. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====

Gears was amongst the Autobots who defended [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] in [[Arizona]] from a Decepticon attack. Although the Autobots won the day, the attack was actually just a distraction so that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] could go do evil in Japan or something unspecified. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

===Coloring books===
[[Image:G1 GearsPotatoes AutobotSmasher.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Steve Ditko is noted for his superb use of shading, his handling of facial expressions, and his ability to do cosmic vistas of mystery. Here he was asked to do a line drawing of a truck carrying potatoes.]]
Gears was hauling a load of potatoes, with plans to sell them for oil and gas money. (Really.) He was tricked by the Decepticons into taking a detour, which led him to their "[[Autobot Rest Stop]]"—a car crusher disguised with pillows and a set of curtains. Gears rolled into the Rest Stop and was enjoying himself when [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activated the machine, crushing Gears flat.

Gears was later restored by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], with no ill effects. {{storylink|The Autobot Smasher!}}

{{note|This coloring book was illustrated by [[Steve Ditko]], co-creator of none other than... the amazing [[Spider-Man]]! Coincidence? Probably.}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
When [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] vanished in a space bridge during the war on Cybertron, their respective factions were split into several smaller groups. Gears remained in the main Autobot faction, now under the command of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|Fragmentation}} He was part of a team who scouted out [[Nova Cronum]] in search of the Decepticons' new mobile command base. Unfortunately, it was a bit [[Trypticon (G1)|''too'' mobile]] for them to handle. {{storylink|Devastation (Dreamwave)|Devastation}} Even assistance from the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] helped against the giant Decepticon, but in the end, their target just left. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} Later, when [[The Fallen]] broke into [[Autobase]], Gears was eager to get out there and do something about it. Prowl opted for trying to contain the villain instead, but he turned out to be unstoppable anyway. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Gears was part of the Ark's original crew, crash-landing on Earth four million years ago and awakening in 1984. Like all the Transformers of Earth, he was believed dead for many years after the mid-air explosion of the ''[[Ark II]]''. In fact, Gears was one of many robots who were salvaged by the mercenary known as [[Lazarus]], who began the time-consuming process of installing remote control programming into his inert Cybertronian captives. Lazarus was doomed to failure, however, for Megatron regained control of his own body shortly after the human reactivated him. With the Decepticons back in action thanks to Megatron, Gears and the other Autobots held captive by Lazarus were left at their mercy. Although a small group of Autobots were free under Optimus Prime's command to combat the Decepticons, most of the 'bots recovered by Lazarus (including Gears) were too badly damaged to be reactivated for that first battle. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

Gears and the other deactivated Autobots were recovered, though, and were back to full functionality by the time [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived from Cybertron. {{storylink|New World Order}} As the Autobot forces split in two, Gears went with Optimus Prime and his contingent back to Cybertron aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Back on his home planet, Gears participated in the insurrection by Autobot dissidents against the rule of Shockwave. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Much to his dismay, Gears was soon put in the position of having to return to Earth. With Prime temporarily out of action due to injuries, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] had assumed command of the Ark's crew on Cybertron, and made the decision that a new base of operations needed to be constructed on Earth, to fortify Autobot interests there. Gears reluctantly left his beloved homeworld behind to return to Earth, and begin work on the construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF4_Gears_Brawn_FlightPods.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Gears was among the dormant Transformers found by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] and reprogrammed to be under the humans' control. In the process, he and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] were rebuilt to transform into Cobra [[Flight Pod]]s. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} The two may have participated in an attack on the [[SPS Research Facility]], or it may have just been two regular Flight Pods. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} When [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] hacked Cobra's computers and undid his comrades' reprogramming, Gears and Brawn hunted down [[Cobra Commander]] and blew up the ship he was going to escape from [[Cobra Island]] with. However, before the Autobots could capture the commander, they were taken out by [[Storm Shadow]]'s [[S.N.A.K.E.]] mech. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

Gears didn't give up so easily, however, as he joined several other Autobots and located Cobra Commander and his S.N.A.K.E. guards again. Storm Shadow fought back and killed [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], sending Gears and the others into a berserker rage as they ripped his S.N.A.K.E. apart. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

{{-}}

===IDW ''Generation 1'' comics continuity===
Millions of years ago, Gears was one of several mourners seen at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], after Megatron killed them. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

In the modern era, Gears was seen reacting to the return of [[Blaster (G1)|"The Voice"]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

At some point, Gears made it to Earth, where he was captured by [[Skywatch]], along with [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and later, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

===IDW ''Hearts of Steel'' continuity===
Gears and his fellow Autobots battled the Decepticons in Earth's distant past, until an ice age came around and forced them to go underground and wait it out. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} They eventually woke up in the mid-19th century, and learned that the Decepticons were up and going as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}} In order to pursue the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Gears took on the form of what appeared to be a boxcar and linked up with his friends to form an Autobot train. During the chase, much of the train was trapped when the Decepticons collapsed a tunnel on it, although Gears made it out safe and sound. He was hammered by Decepticon fire as he helped clear away rubble, but survived and went back to sleep underground after the Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Gears toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Grumble... I suppose they want me to supply my own penny..."]]
* '''Gears''' (Mini Vehicle, 1984/1985)

: Part of the first assortment of Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]], Gears transforms into a blue and red "penny racer"-proportioned pickup truck of indeterminable model. The Gears toy was originally from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, in the same basic coloration but with a darker blue, as the "Micro Robot 04 4WD Off-Road". This is the source of the "M" on his truck-mode hood.

: For reasons unknown, he was the only Mini Vehicle not made available as part of [[Takara]]'s original retail line in any capacity (while [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] were not available at normal retail, both were offered as mail-away toys).

: There were a few variations of Gears south of the border, where he was known as "Pick-Up". Initial releases had the same plastic colors but retained the sticker designs from his original Micro Change release, while later toys had the plastic colors changed to make him a red truck with orange robot parts (pre-Malignus). In Mexico, and subsequently also found in some European markets, a maroon and white version was released, possibly to bring the character of [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] over without the use of a new mold.

: This mold was used to make the [[Malignus]] [[Pick-Up (Malignus)|Pick-Up]], the Autobot [[Small Foot]] and was [[Retool|retooled]] to make Swerve.

*'''Minibots Team''' (Multi-pack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''TFC-12'''

: Gears was ''finally'' put out at Japanese retail in 2004, as part of the [[Transformers Collection]] "Minibot" set, containing Gears, a retooled [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], Cosmos, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and Warpath. This set was later [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make the [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]] [[G1 GoBots]] team.

==Notes==
* In his first Marvel Comics appearance, Gears sported a more humanoid [[character model]] that looked less like his toy than his final animation model. He would also use this model in the UK annual story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", while ''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]'' was inexplicably drawn with this model in the earlier UK story "[[The Enemy Within!]]".

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]

Transformers (film)

2010-11-03T00:11:37Z

64.189.19.132: /* Notes */

{{disambig2|the 2007 movie|other uses of ''The Transformers''|Transformers (disambiguation)}}

{{nav-movie}}

:''Transformers is an [[Sector Seven (game)|elaborate cover up]] from the [[live-action film series|live-action film]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:Transformers2007teaserposter.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Beyond good. Beyond evil. Beyond your wildest imagination!]]
'''''Transformers''''' is a live-action movie released by [[DreamWorks]] in 2007, with Executive Producer [[Steven Spielberg]] and Director [[Michael Bay]]. The story follows the Transformers' arrival on modern-day Earth and their interactions with the human race, as they search for the life-giving [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]] and continue their ages-old civil war. The movie is a new imagining of the [[Transformers brand]], drawing on past Transformers fiction but also distinct in its own right.

''Transformers'' features [[Sam Witwicky]], a plucky teenager who just wants a cool car, but gets more than he bargained for. The beater he and his father take home is actually [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], an alien robot from the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], who plants Sam down in the middle of a civil war between Bumblebee's benevolent [[Autobot]] comrades and the evil [[Decepticon]]s who threaten the galaxy's peace. Both sides are after the [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]], a mysterious artifact that landed on Earth ten thousand years ago. The approaching robot-against-robot battle is a coming-of-age moment for Sam, who learns the meaning of his family's motto, "No sacrifice, no victory."

The principal cast members are [[Shia LaBeouf]], [[Jon Voight]], and [[Megan Fox]], with [[Peter Cullen]] and [[Hugo Weaving]] as the voices of the Transformers' iconic leaders. About 75 percent of the film's character designs and visual effects were created by [[Industrial Light and Magic]], the effects-wizards behind the ''[[Star Wars]]'' films. The remaining 25 percent were done by Michael Bay's company, [[Digital Domain]].

Originally slated to release in the summer of 2006, the film arrived in US theaters on [[July 3]], 2007, and hit UK theaters on [[July 27]] and French theaters on [[July 25]]. It premiered in Australia on [[June 12]], 2007, and was released there and in a number of Asian countries on [[June 28]], 2007. An extended cut of the film featuring footage not in the original was released to IMAX theatres on [[September 21]], 2007.

{{bigquote|Sam Witwicky, you hold the key to Earth's survival.|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] on the basic plot}}

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Allspark movie.jpg|left|200px|thumb|With this, I shall make you my slave!]]
The film begins with the history of Cybertron's destruction at the hands of [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], and his quest to obtain the All Spark. Megatron discovers the All Spark on [[Earth]], but crash-lands in the Arctic Circle, becoming frozen in the ice. Captain [[Archibald Witwicky]] and his crew of explorers stumble upon Megatron's body in the late 19th century. Megatron's navigational system is unintentionally activated, and [[Glasses#Movie|Archibald's eye glasses]] are imprinted with the coordinates to the All Spark's location. [[Sector Seven]], a secret organization of the United States government, discovers the All Spark and builds the [[Hoover Dam]] around it to mask its energy signal. The still-frozen Megatron is moved into this facility, and is reverse engineered to further advance [[human]] technology.

[[Image:Movie Blackout SOCCENT.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Let the slaughter begin!]]
In the present day, the rest of the Decepticons — [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]], [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]], [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]], [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]], [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], and [[Brawl (Movie)|Devastator]] — have already landed on Earth and assumed the disguise of Earth vehicles. Blackout and Scorponok attack the U. S. [[SOCCENT Forward Operations Base]] in [[Qatar]] in an effort to use the military database to discover the location of Megatron and the All Spark, but they do not succeed. A small group of survivors under Captain [[William Lennox]] wander through the desert and are followed by Scorponok. The Autonomous Robotic Organism (shortened to "Autobot") known as Bumblebee is also on Earth, disguised as a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro, and looking for Sam Witwicky, the descendant of Captain Archibald Witwicky. As soon as he locates Sam, the two quickly begin to bond as Bumblebee helps Sam try and woo his crush, [[Mikaela Banes]]. Sam is unaware of the fact that Bumblebee is an alien, until he witnesses Bumblebee transform and send out a homing signal for the rest of the Autobots.

[[Image:Movie Scorponok leapsout.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Run, Blaster! Save yourself!]]
At the [[Pentagon]], Defense Secretary [[John Keller]] oversees the investigation into the attack in Qatar. After Blackout's failure, Frenzy infiltrates Air Force One and attempts to download all information relating to "Project Iceman". However, [[Maggie Madsen]], one of the technicians studying the Decepticon infiltration signal, discovers Frenzy's actions and convinces the Pentagon to take down the Defense Network, halting Frenzy's download. When [[Air Force One]] makes an emergency landing, Frenzy slips into Barricade, and discusses his discovery of Archibald Witwicky, who has seen [[Cybertronian languages|their language]]. Using an internet search, they discover that Sam's glasses will lead the Decepticons to the All Spark. Frenzy and Barricade begin tracking Sam's location. Back in Qatar, the army rangers are attacked by Scorponok, and take refugee in a nearby village. Calling the Pentagon and getting air support, they discover that the Decepticons are vulnerable to high heat weaponry such as sabot rounds. Using this information, the soldiers inform the Pentagon that they now have a weapon.

[[Image:Movie Sam Mikaela meettheAutobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] say find friends today.]]
Barricade confronts Sam, demanding Archibald's glasses. Bumblebee, who is following Sam, transforms and battles Barricade. Mikaela, who is also following Sam, is caught in the crossfire, but Bumblebee is able to defeat Barricade, while Mikaela decapitates Frenzy, who is still functioning and hides in Mikaela's purse as her cellphone. Bumblebee takes Sam and Mikaela to rendezvous with the rest of the Autobots. The Autobots—[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]], [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]], and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]—land on Earth and take on the forms of several Earth vehicles. They all meet in a dark, secluded alley, transform in front of the two amazed humans, introduce themselves and tell of the reasons they had to come to Earth to Sam and Mikaela. Meanwhile, Maggie made a copy of the intrusion signal and shows it to her friend [[Glen Whitmann]], who discovers a message with the signal about Sector Seven, Captain Witwicky, and [[Project Iceman]]. However, the FBI arrest Glen and Maggie, who desperately tries to convince them not to go to war with the wrong country.

[[Image:Movie Autobots Sector Seven.JPG|left|200px|thumb|I'll use the universal greeting.]]
Sam, Mikaela, and the Autobots then return to Sam's home to retrieve the glasses. However, agents from [[Sector Seven]] arrive to take Sam and Mikaela into custody. [[Seymour Simmons]], the agency's director, reveals that Mikaela has a criminal record and threatens Sam with life imprisonment, at which point the Autobots disable the convoy and rescue the teens. During the retreat, Sam and Mikaela are recaptured, and Bumblebee is also apprehended, against the pleas of Sam who assures the agents—to no avail—that he means them no harm. Prime orders the Autobots to let them go, unwilling to use deadly force against the humans. At the Pentagon, a virus Frenzy uploaded during the Air Force One hack causes a global communications blackout, while Keller is finally informed of the Decepticons. After Bumblebee's capture, Optimus uses the glasses to locate the All Spark at Hoover Dam, and declares that if they cannot defeat the Decepticons, he will merge the Cube with his spark.

[[Image:Movie Optimus Megatron.JPG|right|200px|thumb|One shall stand. One shall fall.]]
Sam, Mikaela, Keller, Maggie, Glen, and Lennox's unit are brought to Hoover Dam, where they are shown the frozen Megatron and the All Spark, while Frenzy slips away. Locating the All Spark, he sends out an alert to Starscream, who mobilizes the rest of the Decepticons. Due to Starscream's attack and Frenzy's sabotage, Megatron begins to revive, and Sam convinces the Sector Seven agents to release Bumblebee so that he can get the All Spark to Optimus Prime. The Decepticons chase the Autobots, who now possess the All Spark, into [[Mission City]].

Glen, Maggie, Keller, and Simmons manage to contact the Air Force and direct F22s to Mission City. An ensuing battle results in casualties for both sides, including Jazz, who is killed by Megatron, while Bumblebee is crippled in an explosion. As Lennox orders Sam to take the All Spark to a building to be removed from the city, under escort from Ironhide and Ratchet, Megatron and Optimus Prime battle, while the soldiers remain to fight Devastator. Mikaela drags the injured Bumblebee away from the battle with a tow truck, but goes back, with Bumblebee's weapons killing Devastator. Ironhide and Ratchet are incapacitated by Starscream, and Megatron joins the pursuit.

[[Image:Megatron allspark merge.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Now, light our darkest hour!]]
Sam's helicopter is destroyed by Starscream, and Prime challenges Megatron. The battle is fierce and dominated by Megatron. Blackout attempts to assist Megatron, but is killed by Lennox and the Air Force before he can engage. Starscream hides among a raptor squadron, destroying three fighters. Despite this, the Air Force and Lennox's rangers manage to inflict serious damage on Megatron, but he is still functional, and heading toward the Cube. Finally, with both Prime and Megatron weakened, Prime beckons Sam to shove the All Spark into his chest, destroying them both, but Sam instead takes the riskier action of shoving the All Spark into Megatron's chest.

{{note|For an extensive synopsis of the battle, see separate article [[Mission City]].}}

[[Image:Movie Optimus ending.JPG|right|200px|thumb|[['Til all are one]]!]]
Optimus thanks Sam for his courage and for saving his life, while Bumblebee, who has regained his voice, asks permission to remain with Sam, which is granted. In an attempt to cover up the existence of the Transformers, Sector Seven is disbanded, while the remains of the Decepticons are cast into the [[Laurentian Abyss]]. And though Megatron is dead, the All Spark's destruction leaves the Autobots unable to restore Cybertron. With no other home to go to, the Autobots decide to stay on Earth, and Optimus sends out a signal across space in an effort to locate any surviving Autobots, while Sam and Mikaela begin a relationship. Starscream, one of the Decepticons that survived the battle, leaves Earth.
{{-}}

==Quotes==
"Before time began, there was the Cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life. That was how our race was born. For a time, we lived in harmony, but like all great power, some wanted it for good, others for evil. And so began the war - a war that ravaged our planet until it was consumed by death, and the Cube was lost to the far reaches of space. We scattered across the galaxy, hoping to find it and rebuild our home, searching every star, every world. And just when all hope seemed lost, message of a new discovery drew us to an unknown planet called...Earth. But we were already too late."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' opening narration

"Look, can you do me a favor—can you look out the window for a second? See my father? He's the guy in the green car? Let me tell you about a dream, a boy's dream, and a man's promise to that boy. He looked him in the eye and said "Son, I'm gonna buy you a car, but I want you to bring me two-thousand dollars and three A's." OK, I got the two thousand and two A's. OK, here's the dream. Your B minus? Pfff! Dream gone. Kaput. Sir, just ask yourself... what would [[Jesus]] do?"
:—'''Sam Witwicky''' negotiates a better mark for his Family Genealogy project

'''Bobby Bolivia:''' "What with the semi-classic nature of the vehicle, slick wheels and custom paint job—" 
'''Sam:''' "The paint's faded!" 
'''Bobby:''' "Y-yeah, but it's custom." 
'''Sam:''' "It's custom faded?" 
'''Bobby:''' "Well, it's your first car, I wouldn't expect you to understand." ''[turns to Ron]'' "Five grand." 
'''Ron:''' "No, not paying over four. Sorry." 
'''Bobby:''' ''[turns back to Sam]'' "Kid, c'mon, get out, get out of the car." 
'''Sam:''' "No, no, no, you said cars pick their drivers!" 
'''Bobby:''' "Well sometimes they pick a driver with a cheap-ass father—out of the car." 
:—Negotiations over [[Bumblebee (Movie)|the car]] at [[Bolivia's Finest Quality Used Cars and Petting Zoo]]

''[Sam's car leaves in a puff of black smoke]'' 
"Wow... you are so cheap." 
"It's his first car... supposed to be like that."
:—'''Judy Witwicky''' comments on the car's condition to '''Ron'''

'''Capt. Lennox:''' "I need a credit card! Epps, where's your wallet?" 
'''Sgt. Epps:''' "Pocket!" ''[fires gun]'' 
'''Lennox:''' "Which pocket?" 
'''Epps:''' "My ''back'' pocket!" ''[fires gun]'' 
'''Lennox:''' "You got ten back pockets!" 
'''Epps:''' "Left cheek! Left cheek! ''Left cheek!''" 
:—Calling the Pentagon from Qatar gets complicated.

"Ready, heat's coming!" 
"What, BRING IT!" 
:—'''Lennox''' and '''Epps''' giving the green light for Strike Package Bravo to attack

'''Jazz''': "What about Bumblebee? What can't just leave him to die! And become some human experiment!" 
'''Optimus Prime''': He'll die in vain if we don't accomplish our mission. Bumblebee is a brave soldier. This is what he would want. 
'''Ironhide:''' "Why are we fighting to save the humans? They're a primitive and violent race." 
'''Optimus Prime:''' "Were we so different? They are a young species. They have much to learn... but I've seen goodness in them. [[Make Prime Speak|Freedom is the right of all sentient beings]]... You all know there is only one way to end this war: We must destroy the Cube. If all else fails, I will unite it with the spark in my chest." 
'''Ratchet:''' "That's suicide! The Cube is raw power—it could destroy you both." 
'''Optimus Prime:''' "A necessary sacrifice to bring peace to this planet... We cannot let the humans pay for our mistakes. It's been an honor serving with you all. Autobots, roll out!" 
'''Jazz''': "We rollin'!" 
:—The Autobots discuss their next move.

"Humans don't deserve to live." 
"They deserve to choose for themselves!" 
"Then you will die with them! Join them in extinction!"
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' have some mid-battle banter, Transformers style

"Give me the All Spark, and you may live to be my ''pet''." 
"I'm never giving you this All Spark!" 
"Oh, ''so'' unwise..."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Sam Witwicky''' have a tense moment on a Mission City rooftop.

"With the All Spark gone, we cannot return life to our planet. And fate has yielded its reward: a new world to call... home. We live among its people now, hiding in plain sight... but watching over them in secret... waiting... protecting. I have witnessed their capacity for courage, and though we are worlds apart, like us, there's more to them than meets the eye. I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving Autobots taking refuge among the stars: We are here... we are waiting."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration

==Main cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] ([[Mark Ryan]])
*[[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] ([[Jess Harnell]])
*[[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] ([[Darius McCrary]])
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] ([[Robert Foxworth]])
|c2=
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] ([[Jess Harnell]])
*[[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]
*[[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] ([[Jimmie Wood]])
*[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]'''*''' / Devastator
*[[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] ([[Reno Wilson]])
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] ([[Hugo Weaving]])
*[[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]]
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] ([[Charles Adler]])
|c3=
*[[Tom Banachek]] ([[Michael O'Neill]])
*[[Mikaela Banes]] ([[Megan Fox]])
*[[Bobby Bolivia]] ([[Bernie Mac]])
*[[Robert Epps]] ([[Tyrese Gibson]])
*[[John Keller]] ([[Jon Voight]])
*[[William Lennox]] ([[Josh Duhamel]])
*[[Maggie Madsen]] ([[Rachael Taylor]])
*[[Seymour Simmons]] ([[John Turturro]])
*[[Glen Whitmann]] ([[Anthony Anderson]])
*[[Judy Witwicky]] ([[Julie White]])
*[[Ron Witwicky]] ([[Kevin Dunn]])
*[[Sam Witwicky]] ([[Shia LaBeouf]])
|c4=[[Allspark Mutation]]s
*[[Nokia-bot]]
*[[Dispensor]]
*[[Steering wheel robot|Steering wheel]]
*[[Xbox 360 robot|Xbox 360]]
|c5=Others|c5=
*[[Mojo]] ([[Chester The Dog]])
|nonumbering=true
}}
'''<nowiki>*</nowiki>''' - Brawl is named "Devastator" in the film itself, but "Brawl" in the toyline and most of the supporting media. Plot summaries and such will reflect whichever name is relevant to that being described.

==Errors==
* Sunset occurs roughly every fifteen minutes. Possibly indicative of time passage, but a little too much to not warrant mention in the actual movie.
* The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) used by the US Air Force to investigate Scorponok's attack on Captain Lennox is modeled after the [[wikipedia:MQ-9_Reaper|MQ-9 Reaper]], but is identified as the [[wikipedia:MQ-1_Predator|MQ-1 Predator]]. Also, neither of these UAVs use jet engines.
* After Maggie copies the signal to take to Glen, she hails a black and white cab, but she's dropped off at Glen's house by an all-white cab. (The "cab hailing" footage originally came from a deleted scene near the beginning of the movie when Maggie was late for work.)
* When Sam's car breaks down and Mikaela gets out to look at the engine, she leaves the passenger door open. When the car restarts and Sam leaves to close the hood, the passenger side door is now shut. But hey, maybe that was Bumblebee.
* Mikaela identifies Bumblebee's engine as having a "high-rise, double-pump carburetor" but the engine shown has no such carburetor.
* After Bumblebee backs into a corner of the power plant to evade Barricade, there is a close up shot of him spinning his wheels to make his getaway. However, the shot of the wheels spinning is at a different location: the empty warehouse that Bumblebee and Barricade had raced through moments earlier.
* Possibly an error, or possibly just a confusing shot setup, but when Bumblebee makes his escape, Barricade appears to change positions multiple times as camera angles change. Bumblebee guns his engines as Barricade is just starting to cross in front of him, but as Bumblebee speeds backwards, Barricade has backtracked well out of the way.
* After scanning his new Concept Camaro alt-form, Bumblebee's robot body displays either battle-worn parts or brand new parts at random times for the duration of the film.
* During the scene where Optimus Prime scans a truck for his new body, the passing truck has what appears to be an Autobot sigil on its grill, but the actual truck that Prime turns into at the end of the scene has a much wider, flatter symbol on the grill, quite possibly a Peterbilt logo.
* When Simmons replays Sam's "last words" recorded onto his cell phone, it doesn't match what he said in the scene where he actually recorded them.
* When the Autobots arrive to rescue Sam and Mikaela from Agent Simmons, Ironhide is the first Autobot to reach the damaged SUV and the other Sector Seven agents. Behind him, Ratchet is making his way towards the SUV, while Jazz and Bumblebee have their respective weapons drawn. However, in the very next shot, Ratchet's gun is suddenly in front of Ironhide, who is now making two short steps towards the SUV, while Jazz's gun has been replaced by his hand (which he uses to pull Sector Seven's guns away magnetically). In the shot after that, Jazz is just standing around sans Sector Seven guns, while Bumblebee wanders up and draws his gun...again.

[[Image:Movie2007 Keller OBVIOUSVISUALAID.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Yer days're numbered now, Decepti-creeps.]]
* When Banachek shows Keller photographs of the Decepticon that destroyed the [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] [[Beagle 2 Rover]], and supposedly a photo of Blackout taken by Epps during the attack on SOCCENT Qatar, "Blackout's photo" is clearly taken during the day, complete with the sun behind the Decepticon as a major light source, whereas the attack on SOCCENT took place in the evening. This was either a continuity error or a ham-handed attempt to make the audience realise the attackers in both photos are one and the same by making the photos look similar.
** Not to mention that the actual Beagle 2 was a '''''European''''' Space Agency '''''lander''''', not a NASA Rover.
* During the montage where Bumblebee's frozen body is being transported inside Hoover Dam via a moving platform whilst the Autobots discuss his fate, in one of the shots the physical Bumblebee prop is missing its distinctive car doors.
* During the first half of the movie, Maggie is wearing a slim checked skirt, but she is suddenly dressed in 3/4 jeans in the scene when they arrive at Hoover Dam.
* When Ironhide transforms and performs a somersault to dodge Brawl's missiles, he is seen rising first, then falling. At that moment, he is already almost at the ground, low enough to touch the ground if he stretched his arms. However on the next scene, he has gone much higher up, high enough to fire both the cannons on his arms then perform a midair somersault.
* When Lennox arrives as Sam and Mikaela are supposedly strapping Bumblebee with the tow truck's chains, Bumblebee is not actually there. When the shot changes angles to the other side of the truck, Bumblebee is sitting right beside the truck while Sam directs Mikaela to wrap Bumblebee in the chains. When Lennox tells Sam to evacuate the Cube, subsequent camera angles from this side of the truck are actually where Bumblebee was moments earlier, but he's not there again (it is unlikely the angle was meant to be from Bumblebee's perspective). When Sam starts to run off and Mikaela calls him back, Bumblebee is once again clearly not sitting beside the truck. In fact, the space he once occupied has the beige van he crawled out of, earlier in the battle. What makes this all the more bizarre is that the physical Bumblebee prop was actually used for some of the scenes that depict Bumblebee strapped to the tow truck.
* After Optimus Prime and Megatron land in the city streets after flying through the office tower, Megatron throws the Autobot leader a short distance away, causing him to land on a parked car. After Megatron forms his fusion cannon, Optimus Prime has suddenly moved further down the street and the car he crushed, along with the other abandoned cars, have vanished. Also, in this shot, Optimus' feet don't make craters or any visible mark on the concrete. Yet, when Optimus is running from the Sector Seven Agents, he's making huge craters while he is side-stepping cars. (This comes with weighing over four tons and running 40 miles an hour.) Additionally, Optimus stops at the intersection just in front of Megatron to pull out his Ion blaster in this shot, but when it cuts to a shot to the left-front of Optimus, he is only mid-way up the street, and there is a parked yellow cab at the curb which was empty seconds earlier. Funnily enough, this curb was where the crushed car was parked.
* During the fight towards the end of the film between Megatron and Optimus, it is shown that Optimus is about the same size as Megatron in robot mode. Yet, in vehicle mode, Megatron is a great deal larger then Optimus is. Similarly, Starscream seems to be smaller than Megatron in robot form, leading to the logical conclusion that he is smaller than Optimus as well. Yet in vehicle mode, he is nearly four to five times larger, seeing as an F-22 Raptor is a great deal larger than a Peterbilt 379 tractor cab. And they say they don't have [[scale]] problems.
* ''See also: [[Mission City]].''
*This may not be an error, but Barricade seems to disappear after the highway scene, as he is never shown again in the movie or the [[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|sequel]]. [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]] later pulls the same trick in said sequel.

* In the battle at Mission City, Brawl very clearly fires 3 missiles out of his shoulder-mounted missile launcher, but before he dies, all 4 missiles are in his missile launcher

===Explicable discrepancies===
* Sam and Mikaela, as well as Maggie and Glen arrive at Hoover Dam on the same helicopter despite being from opposite ends of the country. Occasionally cited as an error, it is actually a narrative oversight, as it is likely that Sam and Mikaela were held in custody at a U.S. Air Base while waiting for Maggie and Glen to arrive with Secretary Keller's party by plane, then they all left for Hoover Dam together on the helicopters.

* There are some problems with Simmon's statement about various techologies being reverse-engineered from Megatron. Cars came about in one shape or form at about the turn of the century, and spaceflight technology was pioneered by German and Soviet scientists. (This is possibly what [[Sector Seven|they]] ''want'' you to think.) Then again, [[Seymour Simmons|Simmons]] also thinks that Nokia is a Japanese company...

* Most people mistakenly confuse the date of Megatron's discovery with the date the Hoover Dam was built. Based on the various dates given by Banachek, it's clear that Megatron was ''left in the Arctic'' for many years before being moved to Hoover Dam, making his discovery easily pre-date cars.

==Transformer References==
The movie contains a number of nods and winks to previous iterations of ''Transformers'', primarily from [[Generation 1]]. Some of these were included in direct response to urgings of the fans; others originated with the production crew.

* The basic story set-up is similar to many iterations of the ''Generation 1'' story — two warring factions, the noble Autobots and the power-hungry Decepticons, arrive on Earth, having left their devastated home planet, the war-torn mechanical world of Cybertron.
* Many of the featured Transformers are re-imagined versions of characters from ''Generation 1''. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] in particular are similar in physical form and characterization to their movie incarnations. The Movie versions of [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] differ in appearance but fulfill story roles similar to their original versions.
* Though the characters are new, "[[Frenzy (disambiguation)|Frenzy]]", "[[Scorponok (disambiguation)|Scorponok]]", "[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]/[[Devastator (disambiguation)|Devastator]]", "[[Blackout (disambiguation)|Blackout]]", "[[Barricade (disambiguation)|Barricade]]", and "[[Bonecrusher (disambiguation)|Bonecrusher]]" are all names that have been used on Transformer characters before.
* Blackout's symbiotic relationship with Scorponok originated as an interpretation of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his cassette troops. Frenzy's transformation into a portable stereo is likewise an homage to Soundwave's cassette deck alternate form.
* Sam shares his last name with the [[Witwicky#Generation 1 continuity family|main human allies]] of the Autobots in the original ''[[Generation 1 (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]''. Like Spike before him, he's closest to Bumblebee.
* The Autobot faction symbol seen on Bumblebee and others is basically unchanged from its ''Generation 1'' appearance.
* The All Spark takes its name from [[Allspark|a concept]] originally introduced in ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''.
* The original G1 [[transformation]] sound pops up several times during the course of the film, such as Blackout's first conversion sequence (though truth be told it sounds more like it's being broadcast from a loudspeaker.)
[[Image:Movie BoliviasFinestQualityUsedCars 2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Your bargaining posture is highly dubious.]]
* In his first appearance, Bumblebee parks next to a yellow Volkswagen Beetle — the alternate form of [[Bumblebee (G1)|G1 Bumblebee]].
* When instructing the Autobots to escape Sector Seven and when they later head for Hoover Dam, Optimus Prime delivers his catchphrase from the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|''Generation 1'' cartoon]], ordering them to [[Roll out|"Roll out!"]]
* Prime references "the spark within my chest". [[Spark]]s — the life-force that makes Transformers alive — have been an integral part of Transformers fiction since ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.
* Although the Transformers' primary energy supply, [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]], does not make a physical appearance in the film, its name appears on the license plate of an SUV thrown through the air during Megatron's rampage in [[Mission City]].
* Optimus Prime's line "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings" is the quote from his [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|original 1984 toy's]] [[bio]]. At least one of the reasons for the inclusion of this line was because it won in an online contest conducted by [[Paramount]] in late 2006, named "[[Make Prime Speak]]".
* Prime's line "...one shall stand; one shall fall" comes from the 1986 animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* The scene in which Jazz yanks aside Devastator's tank barrel is a direct homage to a similar sequence from TF:TM involving [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]].
* Ironhide's complaint that [[Mojo]] "leaked lubricant" on his foot references a [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|favorite]] [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3|exclamation]] [[Power Play!|of his]] ''[[Generation 1]]'' [[Ironhide (G1)|counterpart]], "Leakin' lubricant!" The phrase originated with his [[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|original character outline]], stating that "he [refers to] excessive talking as 'leaking lubricant.'"
* Sam telling Mikaela that there's "more than meets the eye... with you" quotes the slogan used in the toy line, also included in the G1 series [[theme song]].

==Other editions==
The 2007 Transformers film has more than one "cut."

* The worldwide theatrical release was essentially identical all around the world with a few minor exceptions.
* The film board of Malaysia{{fact}} required [[Judy Witwicky]]'s masturbation reference be removed. However, no such change has been made and her lines were not omitted from the film.
* The [[wikipedia:IMAX|IMAX]] edition of the movie features two minutes of additional footage in the form of slightly extended scenes and very brief new scenes. Added material includes the following:
**Before heading to the lake party, Sam is shown picking Miles up at his house. Miles derides Sam's choice of car colors.
**After Sam is questioned by the sheriff at the police station, he is given an anti-drug bumper sticker and shown the "[[wikipedia:This is Your Brain on Drugs|This is Your Brain on Drugs]]" [[Public service announcement|PSA]] starring [[wikipedia:Rachel Leigh Cook|Rachel Leigh Cook]].
**After abducting Sam and Mikaela, Agent Simmons uses a device to monitor Sam's pupil dilation while interrogating him in the truck. He also remarks that he has "been there" when it comes to women with criminal records.
**Upon arriving at Hoover Dam, Simmons remarks colorfully that it is "Area 50". A few minutes later, he lists the nicknames of all the U.S. Presidents to have toured the facility.
**In Mission City, Lennox acquires short-range radios from a gun-toting, but easily-flattered, pawn shop owner.

==Prequel material==
* ''[[Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday]]''
: A novel about the truth behind humankind's first venture into space and how that event is related to the Transformers' presence on Earth, both past and present.

* ''[[Movie Prequel (2007)|Transformers Official Movie Prequel]]''
: A four issue limited series comic book from [[IDW]] Publishing, released before the movie's debut. It chronicles the events which bring the Transformers to [[Earth]].

* "[[Interlude]]" (also originally published as ''Transformers Movie Prequel'')
: A short comic book by IDW, produced in cooperation with [[Target]], available (online) from Target's website and (in printed form) at BotCon and in theaters, following Bumblebee's early search for clues on Earth.

* "[[Planetfall (Movie)|Planetfall]]" (also originally published as ''Transformers Movie Prequel'')
: A mini-comic by IDW, produced in cooperation with Target, available (online) from Target's website and (in printed form) as a Target exclusive bonus pack-in with the Movie DVD, showing the Decepticons' arrival on Earth.

* The ''[[Movie Prequel Special]]''
: A mass retail release that contains reprints of both "Planetfall" and "Interlude" (now with individual story titles) in collected form.

* ''[[Transformers: Beginnings]]''
: A not-really-animated animatic version of IDW's Prime Directive prequel comics, voiced by some of the actors from the movie, the game and a bunch of other people. Included on a [[Walmart]] exclusive bonus DVD available with the Movie DVD.

* ''[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Transformers]]''
: A monthly comic published in the UK by [[Titan Books]], featuring new adventures set before the movie in its initial six issues (in addition to reprints of stories originally published by IDW). They were reprinted by IDW in the ''[[Saga of the Allspark]]'' mini-series.

Some dialog in the film contradicts the prequel material, specifically pertaining to the years in which the frozen Megatron was moved from the Arctic to Hoover Dam, and exactly when the Decepticons arrived on Earth. Some of the prequel material contradicts the ''other'' prequel material...

==Adaptations==
* A novelization of the film by [[Alan Dean Foster]] was published under the title ''[[Transformers (novel)|Transformers]]''.
* IDW Publishing released a comic adaptation of the film under the title ''[[Movie Adaptation]]''.

==Sequels==
{{main|Revenge of the Fallen (film)}}

A sequel to this film has been produced and has been released worldwide.

[[IDW Publishing]] also released the comic sequel to the film, titled ''[[The Reign of Starscream]]''.

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Transformers: The Album}}

==Score==
{{main|Transformers: The Score}}

==Home video releases==
[[Image:2007Movie 2-disc DVD.jpg|thumb|200px|]]
{{main|Transformers (2007)/home video}}
* '''US:''' [http://tformers.com/US-To-Get-Transformers-DVD-HD-DVD-October-16th/8350/news.html October 16th, 2007] (DVD, HD-DVD), [http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/1175/transformers2007.html September 2nd, 2008] (Blu-ray)
* '''Australia:''' November 1st, 2007 (DVD)
* '''United Kingdom:''' December 3rd, 2007 (DVD, HD-DVD), September 8th, 2008 (Blu-ray)

There are nearly a dozen store [[exclusive]] [http://tformers.com/Transformers-DVD-Exclusives-Who-Gets-What/8534/news.html versions and sales premiums of the DVD.] They include:

* [[Target]] and HMV UK: transforming Optimus Prime display case.
* Best Buy: [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] [[Cliffjumper (Movie)|Cliffjumper]] and battle-damaged Optimus Prime.
* [[Walmart]]: [[Transformers: Beginnings]] "animated" prequel material.
* Borders: "Making Of" book.
* Circuit City: password unlocking 15 minutes of exclusive online behind-the-scenes featurettes, covering the voice recording sessions, prop construction, stunt work, and early CG tests and animatics.
{{-}}

==Theatrical posters==
{{picsneeded|Any other official posters not depicted here}}
<center><gallery perrow="4">
Image:Transformers2007teaserposter.jpg|Teaser poster
Image:Movie2007 Autobot promo poster.jpg|Autobot promo poster
Image:Movie2007 Decepticon promo poster.jpg|Decepticon promo poster
Image:Prime-Sam-Mikaela-poster.jpg|Promotional poster
Image:Movie2007 Megatron onesheet.jpg|Megatron one sheet
Image:Movie2007 Prime onesheet.jpg|Optimus Prime one sheet
Image:Movie2007_final_standee.jpg|Standee, also used as a poster
Image:Movie2007 humans internationalposter.jpg|International "Humans" poster/US theatrical poster
Image:Movie2007 Sphere internationalposter.jpg|International "Sphere" poster
Image:Movie2007 Bumblebee internationalposter.jpg|International Bumblebee poster
Image:Movie2007 Prime internationalposter.jpg|International Optimus Prime poster
Image:Movie2007 Megatron internationalposter.jpg|International Megatron poster
Image:Movie2007_Korean_poster.jpg|South Korean theatrical release poster
Image:Movie2007 Japanese Aprilpromo poster.jpg|Japanese April 2007 promotional poster
Image:Movie2007_Japanese_release_poster.jpg|Japanese theatrical release poster
Image:Movie2007_IMAX_poster.jpg|IMAX promotioal poster
Image:Movie2007_IMAX_releaseposter.jpg|IMAX release poster
Image:Movie2007 handsmashy ver7 poster.jpg|Used as a prominent skyscraper advert
</gallery></center>

==Reception==
The movie set multiple records when it opened, including biggest opening week gross for a non-sequel ($155.4 million), biggest Tuesday release gross ($27.4 million), biggest July 4th gross ($29 million), and the biggest film opening in mainland China ($3 million) [http://www.china.org.cn/english/entertainment/217368.htm].

The movie closed domestically on [[November 8]], [[2007]], during which time it took in $319,246,193. (Domestic gross accounted for $310,578,372 before the IMAX version's release.) It has earned a ''worldwide'' gross of $708,272,592. It currently sits at spot #20 in the "most domestic gross" list of movies, though this listing is ''not'' adjusted for inflation. When taking inflation into account, ''Transformers'' currently sits at #102. [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers06.htm 2]

{{quote|I didn't sleep through it the way I Novocained my way through the awful ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'', but by the time it ended, I thought I might have vertigo or whiplash, or both, and I certainly lost more than a few of my remaining I.Q. points|[http://www.observer.com/2007/bay-bombs-again Rex Reed]}}

{{quote|It's goofy fun with a lot of stuff that blows up real good, and it has the grace not only to realize how preposterous it is, but to make that into an asset.|Roger Ebert}}

{{quote|But it's tough to really care about questions like, "Why did that happen?" or even "What's going on?" when you’re constantly interrupted by "Oh my goodness! Giant robots! Weeee!"|Peter Suderman|[http://tinyurl.com/373rps The National Review]}}

Critical reception was hit-and-miss, [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_the_movie/ more positive than negative but not by a lot], though it's sometimes hard to tell how many negative reviewers were more interested in criticizing [[Michael Bay]] in general over the movie itself. Otherwise, the most common negatives involved it being a generally think-free "spectacle"-style movie; even those who rated the movie positively noted it was a pure "popcorn" movie meant to wow its audience with [[CGI]] and explosions rather than make them think (Richard Roper noted in his "thumbs up" review "it has no nutritional value"). Whether one considers that a good or bad thing for a movie and if the movie was enough fun to overcome that is, of course, highly debatable. The other main culprit, again noted by many of the positive reviews, was its long running time, particularly the overly-chaotic, often hard-to-follow final big-bang extended ending action sequence. ([http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070705/REVIEWS/70620006/1023 Roger Ebert] noted that this sequence was what made him give the movie three out of four stars rather than the full four.)

Transformers was nominated for three Oscars, in the fields of Achievement in Sound Editing, Achievement in Sound Mixing, and Achievement in Visual Effects. The sound awards went to ''The Bourne Ultimatum'', and the visual effects award went to ''The Golden Compass''.

Currently, two sequels are planned, with [[Shia LaBeouf]] and [[Peter Cullen]] signed for both. Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, and the two screenwriters have also returned. Filming for ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' began in June 2008, and was ultimately released worldwide on June 24 2009.

==Technical details==
'''Length:''' 144 min (original theatrical)<ref>The movie had some content cuts to meet the standards of some <strike>oppressive regimes</strike> quaint "developing world" rating boards.</ref> 
'''Aspect Ratio:''' 2.35:1 
'''Audio:''' Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDS 
'''Content Rating:'''
{{collist|4|
* PG-13 (USA/MPAA)
* ? (Japan)
* 12A (United Kingdom)
* PG (Canada; British Columbia)<ref>''Transformers'' received a "14A" rating in British Columbia, but an appeal by the studio successfully reduced it to PG.</ref>
* G (Canada; Quebec)
* PG (Canada; Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario)
* PG (Taiwan)
* IIA (China; Hong Kong)
* PG (Singapore)
* G (Philippines/MTRCB)
* U (France)
* U (Malaysia)
* M (Australia)
* M (New Zealand)
* TE (Chile)
* 10 (Brazil)
* 10M (South Africa)
* 11 (Denmark)
* K-11 (Finland)
* 11 (Norway)
* 11 (Sweden)
* 12 (Germany)
* 12A (Ireland)
* 12 (Netherlands)
* M/12 (Portugal)
* 12 (South Korea)
* 12 (Switzerland)
* 13 (Argentina)
* 14 (Peru)
* 12 (Poland)
* B (Mexico)}}

==Production staff==
[[Image:Movie Castandcrew2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Megatron? Is that you?!]]
* Executive Producer: [[Steven Spielberg]]
* Executive Producer: [[Brian Goldner]]
* Director: [[Michael Bay]]
* Producers: [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]], [[Ian Bryce]], [[Tom DeSanto]], [[Don Murphy]]
* Story by: [[Alex Kurtzman]] & [[Roberto Orci]] and [[John Rogers]],
* Screenwriters: [[Alex Kurtzman]] & [[Roberto Orci]]
* Music by: [[Steve Jablonsky]]

====Visual Effects====
* Visual Effects by: [[Industrial Light and Magic]], [[Digital Domain]]
* Production Designer: [[Jeff Mann]]
* Lead Robot Illustrator: [[Ben Procter]]
* Illustrators: [[James Clyne]], [[Tim Flattery]]
* ILM Visual Effects Supervisior: [[Scott Farrar]]
* Art Director: [[Alex Jaeger]]
* Animation Supervisors: [[Scott Benza]], [[Dan Taylor (ILM)|Dan Taylor]]
* Animators: [[Charles Alleneck]], [[C. Michael Easton]], [[Keiji Yamaguchi]]

====Locations Department====
(winners of the California On Location Award[http://www.californiaonlocationawards.com/] for "Production Company / Location Team of the Year for Feature Films")

* Supervising Location Manager: '''Ilt Jones'''
* Location Managers: '''Michael J. Burmeister''', '''Fermín Dávalos''', and '''Emre Sonmez'''
* Key Assistant Location Managers: '''Michael Wesley Aycock''', '''Leann Emmert''', '''Perri Fichtner''', '''Ronald M. Haynes''', '''Jonathan Hook''', '''Kathy McCurdy''', '''Manny Padilla''', '''Lisa Patton''', '''Rob Swenson''', '''Marta Tomkiw''', and '''Scott Trimble'''
* Additional Key Assistant Location Managers: '''Brooks Bonstin''', '''Alexandre Chen''', '''Michael Chickey''', '''Martin J. Cummins'''
* Assistant Location Managers: '''Ces Hardy''' and '''Amanda Harrington'''
* Location Scouts: '''Stuart Raven Barter''', '''Richard Klotz''', '''James Lin''', and '''Keith Nakata'''
{{-}}
==Development details==
===Cast and crew signing on===
Originally, producer [[Don Murphy]] had intended to produce a movie based on another [[Hasbro]] property, [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. However, following the US invasion of Iraq in March of 2003, a movie entitled "G.I. Joe" was no longer considered viable, so Carol Monroe, who was in charge of Hasbro's movie department at that time, suggested doing a ''Transformers'' movie instead.<ref name="murphylatino">[http://www.latinoreview.com/news/on-set-interview-producer-don-murphy-on-transformers-1502 Latino Review interview with producer Don Murphy.]</ref> [[Tom DeSanto]] joined the project as a second producer and wrote a treatment that he and Murphy tried to shop around for a while. (The treatment would eventually remain entirely unused, but DeSanto would try to get a writing credit regardless, even though none of the screenwriters had ever actually ''seen'' his treatment.<ref name="bayspat">[http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/the-hollywood-deal/2007/07/05/michael-bays-spat-with-his-transformer-producers Rant by Michael Bay, deleted from his own blog, still mirrored on other sites]</ref>) The movie was officially announced for the first time in June of 2003.<ref name="comingsoon">[http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=238 Coming Soon announcing he movie.]</ref>

[[Steven Spielberg]] signed up as executive producer in 2004, while [[John Rogers]] was confirmed as screenwriter in November of the same year.<ref>[http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/563/563081p1.html IGN confirming Rogers as screenwriter.]</ref> In February of 2005, Rogers was replaced by by [[Alex Kurtzman]] and [[Roberto Orci]]<ref name="ignkurtzorc">[http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/588/588884p1.html IGN confirming Kurtzman and Orci as new screenwriters.]</ref>, who drastically reworked Rogers' original script.<ref name="rogerscred">[http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2007/07/proper-credits-for-transformers.html John Rogers confirming that Kurtzman and Orci drastically rewrote his script]</ref> Spielberg tried to convince [[Michael Bay]] to direct the movie in late July of 2005, but Bay initially declined, having no interest in a "toy movie". He later changed his mind after attending "Transformers school" at Hasbro, but decided to make the movie "realistic" and accessible for adult viewers.<ref name="audio">Michael Bay's audio commentary on the ''Transformers'' DVD.</ref>

A few days after a list of names of the human cast had been leaked on the internet, [[Shia LaBeouf]] was confirmed as the first cast member.<ref name="ignshia">[http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/698/698735p1.html IGN confirming Shia LaBeouf.]</ref> Producer Don Murphy<ref name="murphytfcon">[http://www.transformerscon.com/videos.php Don Murphy at the Canadian TransformersCon.]</ref>, Hasbro<ref name="tfwtour">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=139273 BotCon 2007 Hasbro tour report.]</ref> and the screenwriters<ref name="mtv">[http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1554426/20070312/story.jhtml MTV.com interview with Kurtzman and Orci.]</ref> all favored [[Peter Cullen]] and [[Frank Welker]] as voice actors for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]. Bay had both audition, but only hired Cullen, while preferring [[Hugo Weaving]] as Megatron.<ref name="cgirobot">[http://web.archive.org/web/20070810172643/http://www.wizarduniverse.com/movies/transformersmovie/004974570.cfm Wizard Universe article about the production of the movie.]</ref> However, Welker still got to voice Megatron (alongside Cullen as Prime) in the video game adaption of the movie, ''[[Transformers The Game]]'', as well as in ''[[Transformers: Beginnings]]'', an animated (sort of) version of [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] [[Movie Prequel (2007)|prequel comic mini-series]] that was available on a Wal*Mart exclusive bonus disc included with the movie DVD.

===Sponsors and partners===
====Hasbro====
In addition to acting as a licensor, Hasbro also actively participated in the development of the movie, starting with an introduction into the world of the Transformers, called the "Transformers School", for everyone involved, including [[Michael Bay]].<ref name="paramountbotcon">[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=8001 "Hasbro and Paramount Partnership Panel" at BotCon 2007.]</ref> Hasbro also had a say in the depiction of the Transformers in the movie, the selection of the voice actors<ref name="tfwtour" />, naming the characters, working on the robot designs<ref name="lorenzoiesb">[http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2724&Itemid=99 IESB interview with Ian Bryce and Lorenzo di Bonaventura.]</ref> and the inclusion of "easter eggs", but no veto rights.<ref name="paramountbotcon" /> According to screenwriter [[Roberto Orci]], Hasbro was more interested in an adequate adaption of the ''Transformers'' concept rather than ''only'' marketing the toyline.<ref name="orcihasbro">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showpost.php?p=2200611&postcount=239 Roberto Orci discussing Hasbro's involvement.]</ref> Nevertheless, Hasbro urged [[Michael Bay]] very early on to decide upon the Transformers characters to be used in the movie and their vehicle forms because of the long production run of the toys, even though the script wasn't completed yet by that point.<ref name="bayew">[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20044598_3,00.html Entertainment Weekly interview with Michael Bay.]</ref> Hasbro and [[Takara]] then created the [[Movie (toyline)|toys]] based on the designs developed by [[Industrial Light and Magic]]. Aside from this, Takara wasn't involved in the creation of the movie at all.<ref name="murphytformers">[http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=3945 TFormers interview with Don Murphy.]</ref>

Unlike other ''Transformers'' toylines (except for ''[[Alternators (toyline)|Alternators]]''), Hasbro and Takara don't share the full rights to the movie toys: Paramount and ILM hold the rights to the robot designs, while the vehicle modes were licensed by companies such as General Motors ([[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]], [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]]), Saleen ([[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]]), Force Protection Industries ([[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]]), the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation ([[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]]) and the Lockheed Martin Corporation ([[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]). Only [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] didn't require a license, since his vehicle mode in the movie was heavily genericized, and all manufacturer logos were removed.<ref name="edmundsveh">[http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=121424 Edmunds.com article on the vehicles featured in the movie.]</ref> TakaraTomy even identifies the Leader Class toy as a Kenworth W900 instead of a Peterbilt 379.<ref name="takaraprime">[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/movie/ma-01.html TakaraTomy product page for Leader Class Optimus Prime.]</ref>

Even though Hasbro didn't directly profit from the box office revenue, owning the ''Transformers'' brand allowed them to profit more from the toys than from licensed brands such as [[Spider-Man]] or [[Star Wars]]. In addition, Hasbro was able to give out over 240 licenses to third party companies.<ref name="hasbrofall">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6912693.stm BBC reporting on Hasbro quarterly earnings for July 2007.]</ref> In the USA alone, Hasbro had sold more than three million toys from the movie line as early as July 2007<ref name="cnnmoney">[http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/23/news/companies/hasbro/index.htm?section=money_topstories CNN Money story on Hasbro sales.]</ref>, while Wal-Mart had earned more than five million $USD with the movie Transformers at the same time.<ref name="walmartmillion">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=143983 Wal-Mart employee Steevy Maximus reporting on sales figures for movie toys.]</ref> A lot of the movie toys were frequently sold out at many stores ("drought") due to a mix of popularity, stores underestimating said popularity (and thus not ordering enough toys), shipping problems in China and [[Toy scalping|scalpers]].

====US Military====
The [[United States Military]] supported the movie by providing vehicles and soldiers. The vehicles included an MH-53 Pave Low helicopter ([[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout)]], several F-22 Raptors (one of them serving as [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s alternate mode), two A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jets, an E-3 Sentry AWACS plane, an AC-130 Spectre gunship and two V-22 Ospreys. Therefore, ''Transformers'' is the first movie to feature real, non-CG F-22s.<ref name="afmil">[http://www.afspc.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123061917 Air Force Space Command article on the movie.]</ref> Real soldiers trained with the actors who played military personnel<ref name="tyreselatino">[http://www.latinoreview.com/news.php?id=2260 Latino Review interview with Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel.]</ref> and were also featured as extras in the movie. Michael Bay even allowed them to improvise lines to make their military dialogue sound as "realistic" as possible.<ref name="nabbtfw">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=115126 First Lieutenant Micheal McNabb reporting his experience of working on the movie.]</ref> In return for their cooperation, Bay gave the military a say in their own depiction in the movie.<ref name="wired">[http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/15-07/trans_movie?currentPage=all Wired.com article on the movie.]</ref> The military, in turn, views the movie as a new form of recruitment.<ref name="aflink">[http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123021491 Air Force Link article about the movie.]</ref>

====Product Placement====
Aside from advertising the ''Transformers'' toyline, the movie also features product placement for other companies, such as Apple, Yahoo, Burger King, Nokia, Panasonic, eBay and Hewlett-Packard. The machines given life by the Allspark include an Xbox 360 (including the original startup sound) and a [[Dispensor|Mountain Dew soda vending machine]]. In addition, the movie also features other Hasbro brands, such as ''My Little Pony'' and ''Furby'' (the latter being a property of Hasbro's subsidiary Tiger Electronics). Furthermore, all Autobots, with the exception of Optimus Prime, have vehicles provided by subsidiaries of General Motors as their [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]], which saved Michael Bay $3 million of his budget.<ref name="bayew" />

Many of these cooperations were mutual: Burger King offered the obligatory Kids Meal toys based on the movie characters for the movie's theatrical launch, and General Motors and Mountain Dew ran TV ads under the titles "Transform Your Ride" and "Transform Your Summer", respectively. According to producers Ian Bryce and Lorenzo di Bonaventura, however, some of these brands, such as [[eBay]], were not originally included as part of a sponsoring deal, but had been part of the script from the beginning for story purposes on the writers' behalf.<ref name="lorenzoiesb" /> For the DVD release of the movie, meanwhile, ''additional'' "Cisco" logos were added into the movie that had not been there yet in the theatrical version.<ref name="dvdprod">[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38792 Allspark thread featuring comparison stills of the theatrical and DVD versions of the movie.]</ref>

===Special effects===
* Three quarters of the CG effects were done by [[Industrial Light & Magic]]. The other quarter was done by [[Digital Domain]], a company [[Michael Bay]] bought shortly before signing up to the ''Transformers'' movie.
* As seen in the bonus material for the Movie DVD, at least some of the ILM designers are actually Transformers fans. One of the animators, [[Charles Alleneck]], has his entire office decorated in more ''Transformers'' toys than a lot of "regular" fans might own.
* Physical props and set pieces were built for several of the Transformers' robot modes. Full body props for [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] (the 2009 Camaro body) and [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] were used for scenes that involved direct interaction with the human cast. The Bumblebee prop (with detached legs) was also used for the scene where he was strapped to a [[Longarm (Movie)|tow truck]]. A set featuring the frozen lower half of [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron's]] body was also built. The rest is assorted bits and pieces, such as [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok's]] head and tail, a part of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s leg (including a wheel) and an unpainted, entirely blue version of his head plus a small part of the upper chest, and various semi-random chunks meant to represent the remains of the destroyed Decepticons dumped into the ocean (some of the parts meant to represent pieces of [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] even feature markings found on a real-life MH-53 Pave Low helicopter).

===Changes before, during and after production===
A lot of details about the movie changed during the pre-production phase (and even still during production and post-production):

* The script was originally supposed to center around the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], but because the studio wanted to avoid association with the ''Matrix'' movie trilogy, it had to be renamed. For the longest time, the working name was "[[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] Cube", which neither the fans nor producer [[Don Murphy]] were really happy with.<ref name="murphytfcon" /> Ultimately, it was renamed into the [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]] for the final movie; however, the name "Energon Cube" is still used in [[Alan Dean Foster]]'s [[Transformers (novel)|novelization]] of the movie, and was also used by [[Shia LaBeouf]] in a CBS interview immediately before the movie's official theatrical launch.<ref name="shiacbs">[http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3004937n?source=search_video CBS interview with Shia LaBeouf.]</ref>
* One of the Autobot characters in the early Kurtzman/Orci drafts was [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], who would have turned into a motorcycle. Even though Hasbro developed a toy based on the designs for the character, Arcee was dropped from the script and replaced with [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]]: Kurtzman and Orci didn't want to spend time explaining the purpose of "female" Autobots<ref name="orciign">[http://movies.ign.com/articles/801/801098p3.html IGN interview with Roberto Orci.]</ref>, and Michael Bay considered her too small as compared to the rest of the Autobots.<ref name="orciwizard">[http://web.archive.org/web/20070714214451/http://www.wizarduniverse.com/movies/transformersmovie/005082421.cfm?page=1 Wizard interview with Kurtzman and Orci]</ref> Despite what fans commonly assume, however, the scene during the final battle in [[Mission City]] where [[William Lennox|Lennox]] uses an abandoned motorcycle for his assault on [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] wasn't added to the script until ''after'' Arcee had already been dropped from the script; however, had she ''not'' been dropped, she ''would'' have probably been that motorcycle.<ref name="arceelennox">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/2288318-post539.html Orci once again clearing up the story between Arcee and the motorcycle Lennox uses during the final battle]</ref>
* Other Autobot characters considered by Orci and Kurtzman were [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]].<ref name="orcichara">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=388609&postcount=280 Roberto Orci confirming various characters originally intended for the movie.]</ref> The last was eventually dropped because Orci and Kurtzman preferred the idea of "a Decepticon in disguise as a police vehicle".<ref name="orciprowl">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=365508&postcount=4411 Orci explaining why Prowl is not in the movie]</ref>
* Kurtzman and Orci tried ''twice'' to include [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] in the movie. The first attempt was supposed to turn into a helicopter<ref name="orciswave">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=351304&postcount=4161 Roberto Orci confirming that Blackout was originally intended to be Soundwave.]</ref>, but Hasbro rejected that notion and insisted that Soundwave's [[alternate mode]] should have something to do with music.<ref name="murphyswave">[http://www.donmurphy.net/board/showpost.php?p=97507&postcount=23 Post by Don Murphy at his message board.]</ref> The "helicopter" character was then renamed multiple times, among those names being "Grimlock"<ref name="early">Details from an early script draft [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showpost.php?p=2213120&postcount=297 summed up here], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showpost.php?p=2214148&postcount=303 confirmed as authentic by Roberto Orci here].</ref>, "Vortex"<ref name="orcisample">[http://www.donmurphy.net/board/showpost.php?p=1120447&postcount=2360 Unformatted script sample from first draft posted by Roberto Orci on Don Murphy's message board]</ref>, "Devastator"<ref name="procterdevas">[http://www.benprocter.com/SITEv2/HTML/ZOOM_Trans/ZOOM_32.html "Devastator" concept art at Ben Procter's online portfolio.]</ref> and "Incinerator"<ref name="procterinc">[http://www.benprocter.com/SITEv2/HTML/ZOOM_Trans/ZOOM_34.html "Incinerator" pre-production render at Ben Procter's online portfolio.]</ref>. The character eventually ended up as [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]].
* The second attempt would have infiltrated the CIA headquarters in the form of a "portable stereo" and then transformed (and size-shifted) into a Humvee for his escape and tracked down [[Sam Witwicky|Sam]].<ref name="early" /> The "vehicle" part was later turned into a separate character, who was then given a different alternate mode (as a police cruiser) and eventually ended up as [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]]. Meanwhile, the "portable stereo" character also went through several changes, because Kurtzman and Orci eventually decided that the character didn't really do Soundwave justice, so they decided to change his name and save Soundwave for the [[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|sequel]].<ref name="webcast">[http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808716430/video/2701721/20070418/2048/2701721-300-wmv-s.35907855-,2701721-300-flash-s.35907881-,2701721-100-wmv-s.35907849-,2701721-100-flash-s.35907874-,2701721-1000-wmv-s.35907866-,2701721-1000-flash-s.35907894-,2701721-700-flash-s.35907887-,2701721-700-wmv-s.35907861- Yahoo webcast with Kurtzman and Orci, revealing the final names of the movie characters.]</ref> The character went through some other working names such as "Boombot"<ref name="procterboom">[http://www.benprocter.com/SITEv2/HTML/ZOOM_Trans/ZOOM_45.html "Boombot" concept art at Ben Procter's online portfolio.]</ref> and "Soundbyte"<ref name="proctersbyte">[http://www.benprocter.com/SITEv2/HTML/ZOOM_Trans/ZOOM_54.html "Soundbyte" head study at Ben Procter's online portfolio.]</ref> and eventually ended up as [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]].
* Other Decepticon characters considered by Orci and Kurtzman, aside from Soundwave, were [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]<ref name="orcichara" />. The latter was originally supposed to be a minion of helicopter Soundwave, who would have chased [[William Lennox|Lennox]] and his crew through the jungle after the attack on their base. However, when the scene was changed from the jungle to the desert (and Soundwave was no longer Soundwave), Ravage was replaced by [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]].<ref name="orciravage">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=234188&postcount=2008 Roberto Orci confirming that Scorponok replaced Ravage].</ref>
* Because of the long production run of the toys, Hasbro urged [[Michael Bay]] very early on to decide upon the Transformers characters to be used in the movie and their vehicle forms, even though the script wasn't completed yet by that point.<ref name="bayew" /> As a result, many of the Decepticon characters in particular were chosen somewhat hastily, and aren't really based on established Transformers characters aside from their names. The tank used for [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] (aka "Devastator") was a recycled prop originally built for the movie ''xXx: State of the Union'', while the mine protected vehicle used for [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] caught the filmmakers' attention because of a giant photoshopped fork depicted on the manufacturer's website.<ref name="enewsi">[http://enewsi.com/news.php?catid=190&itemid=11213 Entertainment News International article on the making of the movie.]</ref>
* Other Decepticon characters featured in an early draft, aside from "Grimlock" (helicopter) and "Soundwave" (portable stereo/Humvee), were Brawl as a Jeep, Frenzy as a Piranha III mortar artillery vehicle, Onslaught as a mobile missile launcher, Octane as a tanker truck, and three jets named Blitzwing, Starscream and Devastator (a cargo plane, a 747 jet and F-16 fighter; the script doesn't say which is which). Instead of having been hiding on Earth for a while, they would have arrived there during the movie after having been summoned by Soundwave.<ref name="early" /> It's possible that the Piranha III later evolved into Stryker/[[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]].
* The "evil police car Decepticon" that replaced Prowl took over the "vehicle" portion of the second character originally conceived as Soundwave (which eventually became [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]]). His vehicle form was originally supposed to be a Ford Crown Victoria, while his working name was "Brawl".<ref name="policebrawl">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/events/Botcon-2007/Hasbro-Tour/PICT5108.JPG.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1 Early design for Barricade with working name "Brawl" shown during the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour].</ref> Eventually the character ended up as [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]], with the vehicle mode being changed into a Saleen S281 "Extreme" Mustang, because Ford didn't want one of their cars used as a "villain". Therefore, Barricade sports no "Ford" logos in the movie.<ref name="edmundsveh" />
* Another Decepticon character intended to be in the movie had the working name "Stryker", named after his vehicle mode, a M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle.<ref name="stryker">[http://www.seibertron.com/events/fullsize.php?event_id=70&size=2&image=262 Unused design for "Stryker", revealed at the BotCon 2007 Hasbro tour.]</ref> It's possible that he had evolved from a character named "Frenzy" featured in an early script draft, who would have turned into a Piranha III. The character ultimately never made it into the movie, but Hasbro later turned the design into a toy regardless, named [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]].<ref name="tfwtour" />
* Michael Bay also considered having a Transformers character turn into an aircraft carrier, but eventually scrapped that idea for cost reasons.<ref name="ignround">[http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/796/796057p2.html IGN roundtable with Michael Bay from the Australian press conference.]</ref> Orci and Kurtzman included the character in one of their drafts of the script<ref name="orciaircraft">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=387736&postcount=210 Roberto Orci confirming that the aircraft carrier was in one of the drafts.]</ref>, and artist Tim Flattery created concept art.<ref name="flattery">Tim Flattery's concept art for the unused aircraft carrier Transformer: [http://timflattery.com/transformers/4.html Image 1], [http://timflattery.com/transformers/5.html image 2].</ref>
* Working names for the tank Decepticon were "Demolisher"<ref name="hasbrodemolisher">[http://www.hasbro.com/objects/content/wallpaper.cfm?img=wp_transformers651_1280.jpg&brand_id=496&lang_id=1 Wallpaper at Hasbro's website calling Brawl/Devastator "Demolisher".]</ref> and "Devastator", the latter of which had also been a working name for [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] at one point. Even though [[Michael Bay]] confirmed in May of 2006 that this was not the final name<ref name="baysecret">[http://michaelbay.com/newsblog/files/586e45dbd5e89a45846b0ec668a70e03-12.html Michael Bay claiming that the Transformers' names circulating were "aliases".]</ref>, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman confirmed the final name to be "[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]]" in April 2006<ref name="webcast" />, and Hasbro used that name for all their toys based on the movie character, he identifies himself as "Devastator" in a subtitle in the movie itself. According to a fan who attended the Australian press conference, Bay had decided to use that name regardless<ref name="griffin">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showpost.php?p=1360922&postcount=122 Australian fan griffin-of-oz reporting from the Australian press conference].</ref>, while Hasbro considered the name in the movie a "continuity error"<ref name="hasbrofuture">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=139268 Hasbro Transformers Future Product Unveiling panel at BotCon 2007.]</ref>, and Orci even claimed that he and Kurtzman had pointed out said "error" in the editing room twice.<ref name="orcidevastator">[http://boards.transformersmovie.com/showpost.php?p=368555&postcount=4479 Orci confirming the name "Devastator" to be an "error".]</ref>
* Michael Bay decided to have [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] not turn into a Volkswagen Beetle because he wanted to avoid similarities with Disney's ''Herbie, the Love Bug''.<ref name="bayew" /> Production Designer Jeff Mann originally suggested using a Dodge Super Bee as Bumblebee's alternate mode<ref name="edmunds1976">[http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=121138 Edmunds.com article on the classic Bumblebee Camaro.]</ref>, but eventually Bay signed a deal with General Motors that saved him $3 million of his budget, which is why Bumblebee turns into a Chevrolet Camaro in the movie.<ref name="bayew" />
* [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] was originally intended to transform into a fire truck rather than a Search & Rescue Hummer. After being changed into a Hummer, he initially still retained a red and white deco, which later served as the inspiration for Hasbro's "Rescue Ratchet" redecos of the movie toys.<ref name="ratchettour">[http://www.seibertron.com/events/fullsize.php?event_id=70&size=2&image=285 Early designs for Ratchet shown at the BotCon 2007 Hasbro tour.]</ref>
* After designs of [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] had leaked on the internet, his head design was slightly revised following massive fan complaints.<ref name="murphysunday">[http://www.donmurphy.net/board/showpost.php?p=764141&postcount=1 Don Murphy confirming that Megatron's head design was changed due to fan complaints.]</ref>
* The studio had originally preferred the Transformers not to talk ''at all'' throughout the movie, a notion Hasbro heavily contested.<ref name="tfwtour" /> Bumblebee still ended up being mute throughout most of the movie, which, according to Orci and Kurtzman, was inspired by Spielberg's ''E.T.'' and is supposed to signify that his friendship with Sam transcends words.<ref name="mtv" />
* Most drafts of the script started the movie with [[Archibald Witwicky]]'s discovery of [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]. In the actual movie, this scene was moved to a later point, shown as a flashback (actually at two points, split into two parts). [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] [[Movie Adaptation Issue Number One|comic adaptation]] of the movie still has this as the opening scene.
* Also in one of the early drafts, the original reason for Mikaela's falling out with [[Trent DeMarco|Trent]] was not because he wouldn't let his "little bunny" drive his car, but because she refused to let him drive after having drunk beer. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Anvilicious Anvilicious] much?
* In an early draft, [[William Lennox|Lennox]] and his crew would have defeated [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]] with a simple grenade, which would have "dissolved him at a molecular level". The air strike would have never happened, and Lennox wouldn't have established contact with the Pentagon until around the time when [[Sam Witwicky|Sam]] and [[Mikaela Banes|Mikaela]] were apprehended by [[Sector Seven]].<ref name="early" />
* In the same draft, Sam had left his grandfather's glasses at school. The Autobots would have distracted a security guard while Sam and Mikaela would have broken into their school. It would have been there that Sam would have learned about Mikaela's criminal past, and the scene would have ended with their arrest by Sector Seven.<ref name="early" />
* In some earlier drafts of the script, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] was supposed to kill [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] too after he had finished off [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]]. That scene never made it into the final movie, and Barricade simply disappears with no explanation after Bonecrusher transforms; however, the scene still made it into Alan Dean Foster's [[Transformers (novel)|novelization]] of the movie and IDW's [[Movie Adaptation issue 4|comic adaptation]].
* Also in earlier drafts of the script, [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] was supposed to kill [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] by consuming his [[Spark]]. Again, this is only explicitly confirmed in the novelization and IDW's comic adaptation of the movie, but not in the movie itself.

==Notes==
* The Autobot computer generated models consisted of 35,592 total pieces, 7,435,478 polygons, 95,247 rig nodes, and 20,258 texture maps. If laid end to end, the pieces would stretch 3.11 miles.
* For all the robots combined, there are 60,217 pieces of geometry, 123,509,502 polygons, 144,341 rigging nodes, and 34,215 texture maps.<ref>Robertson, Barbara (2007). Heavy Metal. ''Computer Graphics, 30''(7), 12-17.</ref>
* The events of the movie span 4-5 days.
* Within the movie, neither the Autobots nor the Decepticons are referred to as "Transformers".
* As confirmed in the audio commentary on the movie DVD, director [[Michael Bay]] has a brief cameo as an innocent bystander getting flicked against a taxi cab by [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]].
* The "<tt>[322] days without a safety breach</tt>" sign behind Agent Simmons before they bring the [[Nokia-bot|cell phone]] to life relates to a piece of backstory that was cut from the final film. A researcher named [[James Farr]] was killed when a [[AX9-8946-09SU-1|robot they brought to life]] ran amok, causing the damage Glen comments on. The [[Sector Seven (game)|viral marketing campaign]] gives a date for Farr's death; [[March 16]], [[2006]]. This would chronologically place the primary events of the film as occurring over a 3 day period, [[January 30]] - [[February 1]], [[2007]].
* In an interesting showing of unified marketing, the Japanese dub of the movie uses the English-market character and factions names (e.g., Autobot, Decepticon, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee) rather than the terms previously established in Japanese Transformers continuity (e.g., Cybertron, Destron, Convoy, Bumble). This has subsequently influenced Takara's subsequent dub of ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'', where (for the most part) they retain the english-market names and factions.
* In a bit of a shocker, [[Simon Furman]] has said he personally isn't a fan of the film, though he believes they're great for the intended audience of young kids. <ref> [http://mindlessones.com/2009/07/20/transformers-terminators-and-the-rest11-questions-with-simon-furman/ Interview at Mindless Ones blog]</ref>
* In an unexpected celebrity-related moment, famed multi award-winning british actress Helen Mirren, a Dame Commander of the British Empire, was one of the guests at the June 27, 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival premiere of ''Transformers''. One wonders what she thought of it. <ref>[http://movies.about.com/od/transformers/ig/Transformers-Premiere-Photos/transformersprem34.htm Helen Mirren at the June 27, 2007 Los Angeles premiere of ''Transformers'';Rebecca Murray, Movies.About.com Guide]</ref>
* ''Transformers'' (ahem) "inspired" a [[Knockoff|direct-to-video movie]] called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmorphers ''Transmorphers'']. (Transmorphers, Movies in Disguise!)

==External links==
* [http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=68329&p=irol-newsArticlePR&ID=421174 June 11, 2003 Press Release announcing the movie.]
* [http://www.transformersmovie.com/ Transformersmovie.com]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418279/ ''Transformers'' at IMDB.com]
* [http://www.transformersalbum.com/ ''Transformers The Album'']
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transformers_%28film%29 ''Transformers'' 2007 film on Wikipedia]
* Designer portfolios: [http://www.benprocter.com/SITEv2/HTML/PROJPAGE_Trans_01.html Ben Procter], [http://www.jamesclyne.com/projects.php?gallery_id=297 James Clyne], [http://timflattery.com/main.html Tim Flattery], [http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=4150 Alex Jaeger] (at CG Society), [http://2d2cg.com/# James Cook]
* [http://www.capalert.com/capreports/transformers.htm ''Transformers'' CAPalert.com review]

==References==
{{reflist|3}}

[[Category:DreamWorks]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Retrax

2010-11-02T22:57:32Z

64.189.19.132:

{{factions|predacon}}
{{picsneeded|Toy}}
:''Retrax is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Retrax-packageart1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He loves you THIIIIIIS much!]]
'''Retrax''' is a decent warrior, using his pill bug mode to overpower his enemies. He specializes in desert demolitions and lives in tunnels under the desert, which keep him cool. His companions are the remains of his enemies. He is a coward at heart, however, and at the slightest hint of being overwhelmed will bounce to safety in his "bug ball" along one of his many pre-determined escape routes.

:''Italian name:'' '''Tenax'''<ref>This name may have only been used on the cross-sell for the English/Spanish/Italian "video-pack" release of [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]]. However, a carded example of trilingual European English/Spanish/Italian Retrax has not been found at this time, so this is uncertain.</ref>

==Fiction==
===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
[[Image:IDW Retrax.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Okay, so what the hell kind of pillbug is green and yellow and has spikes, anyways?]]
Retrax was one of the [[Protoform|protoforms]] jettisoned by the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' on prehistoric [[Earth]]. He was activated and put in [[chronal phase]] by [[Razorbeast]] at [[Magmatron]]'s request. The newly born Predacon quickly joined Magmatron. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1}} He was sent to hunt down the Maximals that Razorbeast had also awakened. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 2}}

While investigating a swampy area with [[Transquito]], [[Powerpinch]], [[Scourge (BW)|Scourge]], and [[Insecticon (BW)|Insecticon]], Retrax was attacked by [[Poison Bite]]. Several other Predacons were taken down by the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]], who declared that no Maximal or Predacon was welcome in their home. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 3}}

Retrax survived the stinkin' muties' attack and later joined [[Manterror]] and [[Snapper]] in creating a distraction so Ravage's main Predacon force could attack the Maximals. He annoyed the hell out of Manterror with his grousing that he'd rather be with a platoon than in a vulnerable group, and was accused of being a wuss. When faced with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], Retrax chose to curl up into a ball and bounce away to safety, rather than engage the Maximal raptor directly. (Manterror was right!) Under desperate orders from Manterror, Retrax remembered to blow up the mines he'd planted around the Maximal base. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1}}

When the [[Blendtron]]s turned up, Retrax agreed that the Maximals and Predacons should stand together against them... though not ''too'' close to [[Stinkbomb]]. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
*'''Retrax''' (Deluxe, 1997)

: Retrax transforms into a dark translucent green (dark enough that it appears black to a casual observer), yellow, and white organic pill bug. His transformation process is simple, considering all of his robot mode components are jammed underneath one plate of armor. Per his alt mode, the toy can be rolled around like a ball. The spring-activated gimmick that curls up his insect mode can also be used to make his arms snap together in robot mode, grasping his target in a <s>bear</s>bug hug—or just clapping.

: This mold was also [[Redeco|redecoed]] into [[Powerhug (BWII)|Powerhug]].

::*[http://tfu.info/1997/Predacon/Retrax/retrax.htm ''More information on Retrax at TFU.info'']
{{-}}

==Notes==
* Retrax is one of the only Transformers to have a [[Tech Spec]] stat at "1" (Speed). He ''also'' is one of the only Transformers to have a Tech Spec stat at "2".(Firepower)
==References==
<references />

[[Category:Beast Wars characters]]
[[Category:Demolitions specialists]]
[[Category:Predacons]]

Destructive Power

2010-11-02T22:22:05Z

64.189.19.132:

{{episode|
|series=Energon
|series2=Superlink
|ep=49
|prev=Galvatron Terror
|next=Spark (episode)
|title=Destructive Power
|japanese=空前絶後! 超破壊大帝
|romaji=Kūzenzetsugo! Chō Hakai Taitei
|translation=Terrifyingly Unprecedented! Super Emperor of Destruction
|image=E49 titlecard.jpg
|caption= To boldly Bwaaah like no tron has Bwaaahd before!!
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Akira Okeya]]
|director=[[Naoki Ōhira]]
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.|Actas]], [[Studio A-CAT]] (3D)
|airdate=[[December 10|10 December]] [[2004]] (Japanese) [[March 11]], [[2005]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}
'''Grown to titanic proportions, Galvatron tows Cybertron behind him, while Ironhide faces off with Scorponok.'''

==Synopsis==
As [[Alpha Quintesson|Alpha Q]] observes in panic, [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] is growing huge, and trying to become [[Unicron]]. The titan rises to the planet's surface as his enthralled and nervous troops watch.

The [[Autobot]]s watch nervously from the control room. [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] takes a team to help [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] and [[Rodimus (Energon)|Rodimus]], who are still on the surface, while [[Bulkhead (Energon)|Bulkhead]] stays behind with [[Brian Jones (Energon)|Dr. Jones]].

[[Kicker Jones|Kicker]], [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] and a squad of [[Omnicon]]s are headed for the [[Super Energon Temple|Super Energon chamber]], intending to cut off the source of Galvatron's power, but [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] gets in their way. Ironhide transforms and faces off with him, and the two exchange words over Scorponok's continued (and, to Ironhide, inexplicable) loyalty to Galvatron. As the two grapple, Ironhide counters that he thought Scorponok was smart enough to think for himself. The [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcons]] close in on Kicker and [[Arcee (Energon)|Arcee]].

[[Image:Energon-Battlestorm-Laser.jpg‎|230px|thumb|left|Look mom, no [[Sparkplug (Armada)| Mini-Con]]!]] On the surface, the [[Decepticon]]s harry the retreating Landmine and Rodimus, until [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus]] arrives via space bridge with a crew of Autobots. He sends [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] with Omnicons to [[Primus]], and orders [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] to [[Powerlinx|powerlink]]. Omega doesn't think that's such a good idea, since Primus is still in sleep mode—

—remember the Unicron orb? Still there—

—but Prime says he'll rely on the power of Unicron within him. Omega agrees, and they combine. The tiny titan challenges the enormous Galvatron, who's not even irritated and bashes the pair away, knocking over an energon tower in the process, then steps on them. Starscream prevents Hot Shot from interfering in the fight, but Prime is still standing, pushing Galvatron's foot off of him and knocking him over. Galvatron unleashes a power burst and grows further; everyone flees.

Kicker and Arcee flee from the Terrorcons, leaving them behind by ramping over a crevasse. Scorponok tells his "beloved pets" to stand aside; Ironhide promises to hold off Scorponok, and the two face off again. Kicker and Arcee approach the Super Energon chamber.

Rodimus and Optimus meet up, some distance from the enormous Galvatron. Rodimus notes that he's become Unicron; Optimus wants to let him escape into space.

[[Image:Energon-Galvatron-Tows-Cybertron.jpg‎|230px|thumb|right|We could say this isn't what it loooks like, or it's exactly what it looks like. Either way it's questionable.]] Unicron orb? Still there.

Galvatron launches from the planet's surface, shaking the entire planet, still connected to a beam of Super Energon.

Kicker's team arrives at the huge column of Super Energon; Kicker moves in to start hacking through it with the [[Energon Saber]] while the Omnicons hold off a horde of Terrorcon beetles.

Galvatron flies into space, towing Cybertron with him—

Unicron orb? Still there!

—while Dr. Jones tries to contact Kicker, telling him to cut the energon strands... which Kicker and the Omnicons are already doing. Dr. Jones suspects that Galvatron is towing the planet toward Alpha Q. The Autobots move to attack. Jetfire arrives in the control room with his control room.

[[Image:Energon-Ironhound-Vs-Scorponok.jpg|230px|thumb|left|Rumble was ''blue'', slaggit!]] Ironhide tells Scorponok that he's got [[Team Ironhide]] backing him up, Scorponok isn't impressed. They taunt one another; Ironhide says that Galvatron doesn't care a lick for his troops. Scoronok counters that he shouldn't. Ironhide gives up and attacks... but continues to try and get through to Scorponok that Galvatron is becoming Unicron, and that the old Galvatron won't exist anymore once that happens. Ironhide continues to toss insults and firepower with equal prowess, blasting him to the floor. Suddenly, the Terrorcons come crawling up to their wounded master; Ironhide is so affected by the sight that he refuses to fight anymore, telling Scorponok that this is what ''true'' loyalty means -- that unlike Galvatron, Scorponok respects his men in return. Scorponok seems to have a moment of understanding... and stalks away.

Kicker's team hacks through more and more of the Super Energon lines... and are finally finished. The Super Energon's color changes back to its original color, and the tether to the planet fades away.

In space, the Decepticons fall back from a battle with the Autobots as Galvatron prepares to grow even more. Galvatron transforms. The Decepticons follow. The Autobots follow. Alpha Q frets. Misha calculates that Galvatron... ''isn't'' headed for Alpha Q.

Unicron orb? Still there.

Where could Galvatron be headed?!?

Also, remember the Unicron orb? That thing? Remember it? It's still there!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (7)
*[[Rodimus (Energon)|Rodimus]] (8)
*[[Prowl (Energon)|Prowl]] (9) (powerlinked to Rodimus)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (10)
*[[Superion Maximus]] (11)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (13)
*[[Bulkhead (Energon)|Bulkhead]] (14)
*[[Cliffjumper (Energon)|Cliffjumper]] (15)
*[[Downshift (Energon)|Downshift]] (16)
*[[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] (17)
*[[Arcee (Energon)|Arcee]] (18)
*[[Strongarm (Energon)|Strongarm]] (20)
*[[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] (21)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (29)
*[[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] (30)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (31)
*[[Signal Flare (Energon)|Signal Flare]] (32)
*[[Inferno (Energon)|Roadblock]] (34)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] (2)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (3)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Snow Cat]] (4)
*[[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] (5)
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] (6)
*[[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] (25)
*[[Insecticon (Energon)|Insecticon]] drones (26)
*[[Constructicon Maximus]] (27)
*[[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] (28)

|c3=
*[[Brian Jones (Energon)|Brian Jones]] (12)
*[[Kicker Jones]] (19)
*[[Misha Miramond]] (33)

|c4=
*[[Alpha Quintesson|Alpha Q]] (1) (voice only)
'''[[Mini-Con]]s'''
*[[Scattor (Energon)|Scattor]] (22)
*[[Skyboom (Energon)|Skyboom]] (23)
*[[Wreckage (Energon)|Wreckage]] (24)
}}

==Quotes==
"HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HUH. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. AH. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA. HA."
:—Super-sized '''Galvatron''' channels Phantom of Krankor

"Your mindless antics are beginning to ''annoy'' me. And I ''hate being annoyed!!''"
:—'''Galvatron''', taking on Optimus and Omega Supreme.

'''Strongarm:''' "Kicker. How should we cut off the Super Energon?" 
'''Kicker:''' "I guess our best bet's to cut right through it." 
'''Arcee:''' "Okay, but are you sure?" 
'''Kicker:''' "I think so, Arcee. I don't see any other way. Just cross your fingers and hope this idea works."
:—The confidence is overwhelming.

"I'm tired of talking. And the only way to prove to you that you're a complete ''idiot'' is with my fists!"
:—'''Ironhide''' gets rowdy with Scorponok

"Here's a thought, Scorponok -- you might want to look at your own soldiers to find out what loyalty really means. If that's possible. Just like you call Galvatron your leader, these little guys look up to you in the same way. But what makes you different from Galvatron is ''you'' respect your men."
:—'''Ironhide''' finally gets through to Scorponok

==Other Notes==
===Lost in Translation===
* As Galvatron grows, the animation shows Demolishor doing delighted back flips, and Mirage dropping to his knees and clutching his hands in affection. The dub then has them saying things like "Oh no!" and "I don't like this!" Needless to say, it's a dub flub.
* The general air of mirth over Galvatron's transformation is likewise missing as they zig-zag their way into battle a moment later.
* Continuing its ''absolute refusal to acknowledge anyone's death'', the dub states that Galvatron is heading towards Alpha Q. He's actually headed toward Alpha Q's ''planets''.
* Likewise, Ironhide and Scorponok speak of [[Team Ironhide]] in the present, as if they hadn't died.
* And yet again—the dub omits Ironhide reminding Scorponok of Six Shot's death at Galvatron's <s>hands</s> feet, which has the bonus effect of making the flashback to the scene rather random.
* The dub omits a somewhat amusing line from Starscream, in which he comments on how many times he's had to say some variant of "You won't stop Galvatron!"
* Kicker's instructions to the Omnicons (quoted above) are a lot less wishy-washy in ''Super Link'', amounting to "Well, guess we gotta cut it." "Cut it?" "Yep."
* Ironhide and Scorponok's running dialogue has a more coherent flow to it in ''Super Link'', though the content is largely the same. Scorponok's pivotal final line, "I think I understand now", is a dub addition.

===Pain Count===
* "Uh?": 6
* Stock footage: 3
* It's time to: 1
* Alright, men: 2
* Let's do it: 1

''Super Link:''

* You're fighting me: 2

===Continuity errors===
* Why are the Omnicons ''running'' alongside Ironhide and Arcee? Don't they remember that they can transform into cars and planes?
* Why do Rodimus, Prowl and Landmine ''run'' away from the growing Galvatron? Don't they remember that they can transform into cars and snow plows?

===Trivia===
* Galvatron tows Cybertron via a glowing strand that's attached to his butt. Disturbingly, this is [[Spider's Game|not the first time this sort of thing has happened]] in Transformers.
* WHERE COULD GALVATRON POSSIBLY BE GOING?!?
* Unicron orb? Still there.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Transformer: Super Link'' — Volume 013 ([[Interchannel]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Energon'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]])

[[Category:Energon episodes]]

Nightmare Planet

2010-10-29T03:46:37Z

64.189.19.132: /* Quotes */

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=79
|ep2=24
|prev2=Money is Everything
|next2=Grimlock's New Brain
|image=NightmarePlanet Quintessons watch Daniel.jpg
|caption="...And if you tell anyone, nobody will believe you."
|title="Nightmare Planet"
|production code=700-99
|airdate=[[October 31]], 1986
|written by=[[Beth Bornstein]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''A recurring nightmare of Daniel's turns out to be an experiment by the Quintessons.'''

:''Japanese title:'' 悪夢の惑星 (''Akumu no Wakusei'', "Nightmare Planet")
:''German title:'' "'''Der Alptraum Planet'''" ("The Nightmare Planet")

==Synopsis==
[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] has been having nightmares involving a giant [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Worried, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Carly]] ask [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] to come visit him. Rodimus manages to calm Daniel, but then has to leave. After he falls back asleep, a tentacle grabs Daniel...

[[Image:NightmarePlanet Dragon drop.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rule Two: No make-believe things like, oh, pink dragons and stuff.]]

Meanwhile, Rodimus, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] are driving through some thick fog when the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] attack the [[Autobot]]s. However, both factions of [[Transformer]]s are suddenly attacked by monsters on which their weapons have no effect. It turns out that the [[Quintesson]]s are using Daniel's nightmares to create chaotic monsters which will destroy the unpredictable Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s.

Springer and [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] are captured by a [[dragon]] and taken to a castle. While there, they meet a princess chained in a dungeon, whom Springer unbinds. She tells them of a magic lance that can kill the dragon and claims that her father will give them [[gold]] if they free her. Springer agrees to free the Princess and slay the dragon regardless of the reward, while Razorclaw acts like he's on the verge of coughing up a hairball.

[[Image:Nightmare Planet snake monster.JPG|right|200px|thumb|This scene would probably have played out much differently in ''Kiss Players''.]]

Back at the battle, Rodimus, Magnus, and the Predacons are being threatened by a witch and giant. They manage to dodge a blast from the witch that turns the giant into a toad and Magnus finds a bucket of water which destroys the witch. However, a giant snake monster appears from the ground and nearly swallows the Transformers before a plane, piloted by a familiar face, rescues them. The Quintessons realize that Daniel's subconscious mind is assisting the Autobots, so they increase the power to suppress his help. At the castle, Springer is trying to find way out, while Razorclaw has decided to wait until the guards come. Suddenly, Springer thinks of a plan, but requires Razorclaw's help.

[[Image:NightmarePlanetSteed.jpg|left|200px|thumb|For Narnia!!]]

Elsewhere, Rodimus, Magnus, and the Predacons find an abandoned amusement park. Heading into the fun house, [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] and [[Tantrum]] are attacked by the mirrors, while [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] falls down a large hole. Rodimus and [[Headstrong]] are attacked by a giant Galvatron, which is then defeated by a giant Rodimus Prime. Rodimus realizes that they are somehow in Daniel's dream. At the castle, Springer is fighting the dragon but needs help. Razorclaw refuses to help, but the Princess reminds Razorclaw that the dragon will kill him as well. Razorclaw serves as Springer's mount and he stabs the dragon, killing it. The castle also disappears and a yellow brick road appears.

[[Image:NightmarePlanet Rodimus Daniel in bed.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"You won't tell anyone I wet the bed, will you, Hot Rod?"]]

Meanwhile, Rodimus is calling out to Daniel. Shocked, the Quintessons set the machine on its highest level, which will kill Daniel. The dream world begins to deteriorate, but the Princess guides them through the storm. Daniel is able to draw the Quintessons in subconsciously and the Autobots rescue him. Razorclaw wants to scrap the Autobots, but Headstrong cannot [[Transformation|transform]], preventing them from becoming [[Predaking]]. Razorclaw orders the Predacons to retreat.

Back at home, Daniel wakes up, not remembering what happened, and tells Rodimus that he took control of the dream. Rodimus tells Daniel that he won't have any more nightmares involving Galvatron or snake monsters. Daniel, confused, asks how Rodimus knew about the snakes.
{{-}}

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (6)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (7)

|c2=
* [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (8)
* [[Tantrum]] (9)
* [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (10)
* [[Headstrong]] (11)
* [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (12)
* [[Predaking]] (13)

|c3=
* [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
* [[Carly|Carly Witwicky]] (5)

|c4=
* Dream giant [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (2)
* [[Quintesson]]s (14)
* Dream witch (15)
* Dream giant (16)
* Dream [[dragon]] (17)
* Dream damsel in distress (18)
* Dream giant [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (19)
}}

==Quotes==
"Well, I guess we're cell mates." 
"Just keep your distance."
:— '''Springer''' and '''Razorclaw'''

"I spent time talking TV with Wreck-Gar."
:—'''Rodimus''' reveals he's been warping his mind.

"Hold up, Headstrong! It's not the real thing! Look at how big he is!" 
"FOOL! Galvatron can be any size he wants!"
:— '''Rodimus Prime''' and '''"Galvatron"''' debate the [[mass-shifting]] issue.

(Mocking) "Be careful, Springer".
:- '''Razorclaw''', mocking the same line the Princess just gave his rider (and not him)

"The fantasy's over, Rodimus Prime. Enough fun for one day." 
"If that's his idea of fun, what does he consider a bad time?"
:— '''Springer''' finds '''Razorclaw''''s thoughts quite...... fun.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
* Rodimus Prime's optics change from blue to red and back again several times.
* When Rodimus Prime remarks the giant Rodimus fighting the giant Galvatron is like in Daniel's nightmare, his voice is enhanced to sound like the giant Rodimus.
* There's evidence to suggest this episode had a troubled production, as the finished animation is missing in-between cels in several scenes (leaving the keyframes only). Additionally, the episode under-runs to such an extent that ''two'' [[Secret Files of Teletraan II|secret files]] are tagged onto the end rather than one.
* In one shot, a Quintesson's body is missing, leaving his face floating in air as he talks.

===Continuity errors===
* It's never explained exactly where everyone is during the episode. The opening scene at the Witwicky house implies that it's Earth, yet the ending scenes appear to be on Cybertron. It's never made clear, and it begs the question of how the Predacons are able to run around unhindered on the Autobot-controlled planet. Ditto for the Quintessons, who appear to be operating on the same planet.
* Likewise, just how the Quintessons' magical machine works is never given any explanation. If it can project a real-life version of anything at all, wouldn't it make more sense to just hook it up to one of the Quintessons and have them imagine a really big Transformer-eating Sharkticon?
* What happened to Springer's daring escape plan?

===Real-world references===
* The yellow brick road and the witch being defeated with a bucket of water are both references to ''[[wikipedia:The_Wizard_of_Oz|The Wizard of Oz]]''.

===Trivia===
* Apparently, the Witwicky residence can accommodate giant futuristic Winnebagos comfortably. Considering the fact that Spike's best friend is [[Bumblebee (G1)|a bug]], and that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|a truck]] was among the friends of the family, the house may have been built to allow the Autobots to be able to walk around inside it.
* Razorclaw appears to find gold valuable. Whether this means it has actual value among the Decepticons, or he just likes shiny things, is unknown.
* This episode is the first to use the new, more heavily synthesized Season 3 background music.
* It's a coincidence that this episode is horror themed and it aired on ''Halloween''. Then again, the [[G.I. Joe]] episode "Nightmare Assault" ''also'' aired on the same day...so maybe not.
* Springer acting as a knight may be a pun: the German word for knight is "Springer".

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Starscream's Ghost / The Nightmare Planet / The Ghost in the Machine ([[St. Michael Video Library]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Der Alptraum-Planet ([[Polyband]]) — German audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1990 — ''Transformers'' — Nightmare Planet ([[Tempo Video|Collins Video]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — The Nightmare Planet ([[Tempo Video|Tempo Kids Club]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 3 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/nightmare_planet.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicles]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

Nightmare Planet

2010-10-29T03:37:59Z

64.189.19.132: /* Synopsis */

Galvatron (G1)/toys

2010-10-29T03:33:25Z

64.189.19.132: /* Generation 1 */

{{suite}}

'''[[Nightmare Planet|FOOL! Galvatron can have any toys he wants!]]'''

See also [[Megatron (G1)/toys]] and [[Galvatron II#Toys]].

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1 Galvatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Fools! Galvatron can be any <s>size</s> color he wants!!]]
* '''Galvatron''' (Decepticon, 1986/1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-62'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Rifle, Particle Cannon, Particle Cannon connector

: Galvatron transforms into a Cybertronic treaded field artillery unit with an alternate hand-held gun mode. Using a 9-volt battery, he has a light-up barrel in cannon or gun mode, light-up eyes in robot mode, and three different electronic warbly noises in all of his modes. Galvatron is notable as one of the most well-articulated toys in the ''Generation 1'' line, with ratcheting shoulders and hips, as well as swivel waist, elbows, mid-biceps, knees, and ankle joints. He was also armed with a small, black laser rifle.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Galvatron/galvatron.htm More information on Galvatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:G1 Reissue Galvatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|WHO CHANGED MY COLORS?! NGAAAAA!!!!]]
* '''Galvatron''' (Decepticon, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-62-S'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Rifle, Particle Cannon, Particle Cannon connector, Mini Matrix necklace.

: The original Galvatron toy was much later [[Redeco|redecoed]] and re-released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] into a sort-of more show-like appearance, being primarily purple instead of gray. His face mold was also slightly [[Retool|retooled]], and he was given new sound effects, including speech clips (in Japanese, naturally). He also came with a Matrix on a chain to be worn around his neck, as in the movie. It also used two AA batteries, rather than the previous 9-volt.

: This version of the mold was later redecoed into the original toy's colors for the [[e-Hobby]]-exclusive [[Galvatron II]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/Galvatron/galvatron.htm More information on Reissue Galvatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
[[Image:Galvatronuniversetoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And there... on the shoulder... was a HOOK!]]
*'''Galvatron''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Missile

:Galvatron transforms into a tank reminiscent of the [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/merkava.htm Israel Weapons Industries Merkava] main battle tank. The tank shows very little purple on its hull, presumably to keep it a reasonably realistic representation of a real-life tank. The tank likewise has a giant translucent orange laser cannon that can fire a translucent orange missile, also keeping in the spirit of realistic alt-modes. Upon transforming to robot mode, it looks much more like the violently insane Decepticon leader we all know and love, and shows larger areas of metallic purple. On the tank turret is the slogan "GALV-25", in reference to the [[franchise]]'s 25th anniversary.

:This toy has many undocumented features in the form of small moving parts that play no role in transformation or either mode; most conspicuous are two articulated feet for the tank mode. In one of the [[Hasbro Q&A]] sessions, it was confirmed that these are remnants of an early design version of Galvatron, which would have been at a larger size class and [http://www.toymania.com/news/messages/10873.shtml featured a third mode as a "walking tank."] It is still possible to manipulate his parts into a mode greatly resembling the original concept design.

:There were several odd paint choices used on this figure. The left arm is molded in purple plastic to properly match the rest of the robot mode... but is then painted over in tank-mode grey paint, even though the arm is not visible in tank mode at all. The vehicle mode's wheels are molded in the same translucent orange as the cannon, and then painted over with ''a slightly different shade of orange''. [[Hasbro]] lead designer [[Bill Rawley]] commented at [[BotCon 2010]] that these must have simply been paint-assignment errors.

:Galvatron's transformation is almost insanely complex for a deluxe figure. Expect this version's arms and legs to pop off regularly during transformation; the arm with the cannon on it is known to pop off rather easily, but is mind-numbingly hard to get back on. The ''Henkei'' version (see below) is noticeably sturdier.

:Hasbro's print advertisement for this figure (featuring Galvatron in combat with [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]) depicts it with the right arm held away from the body and pointing upwards... which is a pose the toy cannot actually assume, short of digital manipulation and/or breaking and creatively gluing the arm.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/TFUGalvatron/galvatron.htm ''More information on ''Universe'' Galvatron at TFU.info'']

{{-}}
[[Image:Universe2008toy-ChallengeatCybertronGalvatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Now in strait-jacket white.]]

*'''Challenge at Cybertron''' (Deluxe Class figure 3-pack, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' Missile

: A redeco of ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Galvatron was released in the "[[Challenge at Cybertron]]" multi-pack along with redecoes of [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]. This version of Galvatron, like the ''Henkei!'' figure, is intended to be accurate to the cartoon's colors, though it attempts the idea much differently.

: So far the set has only been released in Southeast Asian markets by Hasbro Malaysia, and there are currently no details about a release elsewhere.

{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Galvatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|About ten years too late to be the No Limit Records logo.]]
*'''Galvatron''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Missile

:''Henkei! Henkei!'' Galvatron is a redeco of ''Universe'' Galvatron. As with all ''Henkei'' releases, TakaraTomy have attempted to make the toy better resemble his cartoon counterpart, so most of the bright orange plastic from the ''Universe'' toy is now black. The shade of purple used on ''Henkei'' Galvatron is the lighter, lavender shade commonly seen on Takara's Galvatron toys, rather than the deeper purple seen on Hasbro's Galvatron toys. The left arm now retains the "correct" robot-mode plastic color, instead of being painted over in tank colors as the Hasbro version was. The gray is also lighter and a cooler shade of gray than the warm shade used on the Hasbro version.

:Galvatron features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] plastic, though in Galvatron's case it is the most random and illogical usage of the gimmick yet in the ''Henkei'' toyline. Galvatron's entire tank turret and the equipment on the vehicle side skirts are vacuum-metallized silver, making him one hell of a blingin' tank. His six-pack... errr, four-pack abs are likewise covered in reddish chrome, a design choice that had also been used on the 2005 "anime-colored" G1 Galvatron reissue and on ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Energon|Galvatron]].

:Also of note, the box art on the back of the packaging shows the mythical third "turret" mode, but has no instructions on how to convert the toy into it.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Generation 1===
*'''Galvatron''' (Watch, 1986, 1993)[[Image:G2merch-Galvatronwatch.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Not only do I tell time, I defy it as well.]]
:A Galvatron watch was released in the 1980s in Japan. It was subsequently re-released in the 1990s by Takara as merchandise for the [[Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' line]] in the USA. The watch featured Galvatron's torso with a clock in his chest. It included a mechanism whereby when a lever was pushed, the tiny Galvatron torso "transformed" into a full tiny Galvatron figure complete with legs, standing up on the watch band. The figure cannot be removed from the watch, but the arms do rotate.
{{-}}

===Transformers Choco===
[[Image:Tfchoco_galvatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Galvatron''' (1986)

:Released in the fourth ''[[Transformers 2010 (franchise)|Transformers 2010]]''-centric wave of [[Kabaya]]'s line of ''[[Transformers Choco]]'' [[candy toy]]s, this version of Galvatron is a small, transformable model kit made of one solid color plastic, available in various colors including blue, red and green. As with all the ''Transformers Choco'' figures, he came with "Chocolate Dots", small candies similar to M&Ms.
{{-}}

===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum galvatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

*'''Galvatron''' (1986)
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle, particle cannon, particle cannon connector

:Galvatron also had a presence in Kabaya's line of larger ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' model kits. Released as part of the line's fifth wave, Galvatron is molded in red, silver and black plastic, lacking in paint applications but featuring stickers for detail. Like most ''Transformers Gum'' model kits, Galvatron is essentially a downsized version of the regular toy, featuring all its accessories. As the name suggests, rather than chocolate, Galvatron came with a stick of gum.
{{-}}

===Decoy===
[[Image:Decoy galvatron.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Galvatron''' (1986)

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

*'''Galvatron''' (1987)

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

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:Tfjr_magnus_galvatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

*'''Rodimus Convoy vs Galvatron''' (multi-pack, 1986)

:An unarticulated vinyl figurine of Galvatron, in a primarily-grey toy-based color scheme, was sold in a two-pack with a similar figure of Rodimus Prime.

*'''Ultra Magnus vs Galvatron''' (multi-pack, 1987)

:The Galvatron figurine was also later made available in a two-pack with the ''Transform Jr'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] figure, along with a die-cast figurine of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]].
{{-}}

===Talkformers===
[[Image:Talkformers_galvatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px| I never had these shoulder pads! I was never that thin! Was Cyclonus trying to make me a clone of himself while I was asleep?! AND WHERE IS MY [[Particle cannon| PARTICLE CANNON]]?!?!?!?!?!]]
*'''Galvatron''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''T-02'''
:This vinyl figurine of Galvatron was one of two entries in the ''[[Talkformers]]'' line. Featuring only two points of articulation in the shoulders, it spoke four pullstring-activated Japanese phrases, spoken by Galvatron's Japanese voice actor, [[Seizō Katō]]. These four phrases were later recycled for the 2006 reissue of the original Galvatron toy.
{{-}}

===Super Hybrid Model===
[[Image:SHBMGalv1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I can't transform? This is YOUR fault, Cyclonus!]]

* '''Galvatron''' (1987, 1997)

:Galvatron was one of three non-transforming ''[[Super Hybrid Model]]'' vinyl figurines created in 1987 by Japanese collectables company [[MC Axis (company)|MC Axis]]. Standing at about eight inches tall and featuring articulation in the head and neck, Galvatron and his fellows ([[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]) were based on their [[Studio OX]] character models, featuring much more anime-styled proportions and detailing.

: While the mass-market release of the ''Super Hybrid Model'' line was cancelled, Galvatron eventually saw the light of day as the exclusive toy for [[BotCon Japan 1997]]. The figure was initially available in two versions: "standard" purple and a translucent orange "lava bath" version limited to 100 pieces. In subsequent years, at least two more versions of this figure would be released for online sale: one that replaced the orange paint on the cannon barrel with an orange molded plastic piece, and another that replaced the entire purple body coloration with royal blue.

{{-}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_galvatron.jpg|right|thumb|]]
*'''Galvatron''' (1990)
:A small solid blue, non-transforming super deformed model kit of Rodimus Prime was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The fifth figure of the fourth wave (the nineteenth figure overall), he came with a "[[Transformers PD Type]]" comic about himself, "Two In One! Lord Galvatron", and Chocolate Dots.
{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:PVCGalvyMetalChase.jpg|right|300px|thumb|PVC in this case means Probably Very Crazy.]]
* '''Galvatron''' (2001)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Galvatron was available in the second wave of Takara's ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the "act", it was available as both a standard full color figure and a colorless translucent version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures.

* '''Galvatron''' (2002)

:The Galvatron PVC was redecoed in a metallic paint scheme for the sixth wave of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, where it was available as a rare [[chase figure]] included in only one case out of every twelve.

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

:''Super Collection Figure'' Galvatron was later released as part of Hasbro's ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' series, cast entirely in clear-red plastic then painted over (giving it a lightpipe-like glowing eye effect). Available in the third wave of the line, he was sold in blister packaging rather than blindpacking, and included a character card.

{{-}}

===MyClone===
[[Image:MycloneGalv.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He will kill you with adorability.]]
* '''Galvatron''' (2003)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''MTF015'''
** ''Accessories:'' Purple display stand

:Released in the second wave of the ''[[MyClone]]'' line of Transformers PVC figures, this [[super deformed]] Galvatron comes with a hexagonal purple 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.

:Purchasers of ''MyClone'' Galvatron also ran the chance of finding within the box not the standard cartoon-colours figure, but a translucent orange "lava" chase figure, paying homage to Galvatron's plasma bath from "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]".
{{-}}

===Generation 1 Figure-Collection===

[[Image:BottlecapGalvatron.jpg|right|thumb|How dare [[Pepsi Convoy]]?!]]

*'''Galvatron''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-5'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

:At only one inch in height, this Galvatron "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 Bottlecap Collection at Autobase Aichi]''
{{--}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumGalvatron.jpg|right|thumb|"This pose is too crazy, even for ME!!!"]]
*'''Galvatron''' (3-inch Robot Masters, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Display base

: ''Titanium'' Galvatron is a 3-inch-tall, non-transforming, die-cast metal figurine. He is based heavily on his cartoon model and has articulation in his neck, waist, shoulders, and wrists. His orange cannon and right arm from the elbow down are also removable.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/TitGalvatron/galvatron.htm ''More information on ''Titanium'' Galvatron at TFU.info'']

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:RobotHeroes Galvatron Sunstreaker.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Hi, I'm better than you." "Yeah, but I'm crazier than you."]]
* '''Sunstreaker vs. Galvatron''' (2-pack, 2008)

:''Robot Heroes'' Galvatron is an adorably insane super-deformed figurine with articulation at the neck and shoulders. Glitch-tastically, he has a [[:Image:Decepticon_Shattered_Glass.png|red]] [[Transformers (2007)|movie]]-style Decepticon symbol.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/RHGalvatron/galvatron.htm More information on Robot Heroes Galvatron on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
[[Image:DiamondGalvBust.jpeg|right|thumb|What Zarak meant by "we shall see..."]]
* '''Galvatron''' (Diamond Select, 2008)
: The first large Galvatron merchandise item to see release in U.S. markets was this bust, sculpted by [[Art Asylum]] and released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2008. It is a static depiction of Galvatron's head and collar region, limited to 1,000 pieces.

{{-}}

[[Image:DST09_Galvatron_bust.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Hadooken!]]
* '''Galvatron''' (Diamond Select, 2009)
: Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Galvatron was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of Art Asylum and limited to 1,000 pieces. He has his particle cannon posed forward either at an Autobot or perhaps one of his own underlings. His base is the planet devouring [[Unicron]] who originally created him from the dying [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron.]]

[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Watches]]

File:Explosive Situation Angry Megatron.jpg

2010-10-29T02:31:37Z

64.189.19.132:

{{RIDcap|[[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] is extremely angry! "U HAV FAEILED MEEEEE!!"|An Explosive Situation|1}}

Sunstreaker (G1)

2010-10-27T20:04:31Z

64.189.19.132:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Sunstreaker}}
:''Sunstreaker is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Autobots secret weapon sunstreaker wax.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hi. I'm better than you.]]
'''Sunstreaker''' knows to the core of his [[spark]] that he is better than any other Autobot, and he makes sure everyone else knows it, too. His sociopathic tendencies, combined with his incredible vanity and arrogance, usually result in tension between himself and the other Autobots. He is generally unwilling to help those who are having trouble keeping up, and is quite audible when it comes to complaining about the shortcomings of everyone else. The only Autobot he truly gets along with is his twin [[Relatives|brother]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], and even that can seem strained at times.

The main reason [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] keeps him around is most likely Sunstreaker's effectiveness in the battlefield. Ruthless and skilled in all forms of combat, there is not much Sunstreaker cannot handle. As a front-line warrior, Sunstreaker is a great asset for the [[Autobot]] army. If a rather scary one.

:''Preliminary name:'' '''Spinout'''
:''French name (Canada):'' '''Solo'''
:''Italian name'': '''Lince''' ("Lynx")
:''Mandarin name (Taiwan):'' '''Tài-yáng wén''' (太陽紋, "Sun Streak")
:''Mandarin name (China):'' '''Fei Mao Tui''' (飛毛腿, "Scud")
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Napcsillantó''' / '''Napvillantó''' ("Sun-flasher")
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Raiado''' ("Crease")
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Raio Solar''' ("Sun Beam")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====

{{Noteukonly}}
[[Image:SunstreakerBlastsSkywarp.jpg|left|200px|thumb|When Sunstreaker "puts his shoulder into it"... people get slagged.]]
''Prior to the outbreak of Cybertron's planet-wide civil war, Sunstreaker was a gladiator in the games held between the city-states. He was once brutally beaten by Megatron in combat, and would have been killed if Optimus Prime had not stepped in.'' {{storylink|State Games}}

''Early into the Autobot-Decepticon war, Sunstreaker was a member of the [[Magnificent Six]]. While they were on a mission to the Stanix region of Cybertron, he made a remarkably [[Yuss|callous joke]] that convinced their allies to turn them over to the Decepticons. The entire unit was tortured for a week, and [[Stampede]] was killed. Nice.'' {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

Sunstreaker was among the crew of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] that crashed on [[Earth]] four million years ago and woke up in 1984. ''In the first few days on Earth, Sunstreaker abandoned [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and diverted an attack by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] towards a human military camp so as to keep himself from harm.'' {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}} He engaged the Decepticons in battle at the Witwicky garage alongside his brother, Sideswipe, but ultimately failed to keep them from kidnapping [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Sunstreaker was relatively low on fuel after this, and so gave up his remaining power in the transference chambers to power up Prime, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Bluestreak]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] for combat against the Decepticons.... but then joined them for the battle anyway. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[Image:SunstreakerScrapped.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Poor Sunstreaker was too sociopathic for even the comic.]]
When [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] took control over the Decepticons and possession of the Ark, he destroyed Sunstreaker's body as a demonstration and warning to the deposed [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|The New Order}} Because of this, Sunstreaker's body was in disrepair for a very long time; at one point, when [[G.B. Blackrock]] asked about him in the med bay, Jazz told him that [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] wasn't even sure if Sunstreaker would ever be operational again. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

However, Sunstreaker was fully repaired in time to view the duel between [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}} He was badly damaged again, and he wound up in stasis aboard the Ark again, to be revived by [[Nucleon]] in 1990, when he and the other newly revived Autobots joined the attack on [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} Surprisingly, he survived ''that'' battle as he was able to attend the first meeting of the shaky Autobot-Decepticon alliance. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[Image:Sunstreakerg1uk.jpg|left|180px|thumb|I'm YELLOW, dammit!]]
''An injured Sunstreaker, along with several other Autobots, was awakened not by Nucleon, but by [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]]'s [[mind bug]]. Galvatron had studied their dreams in the aim of finding dissenting members of the Autobots that he hoped to put into his own employ, but after a short skirmish, Galvatron's device was placed on himself. Amusingly enough, Sunstreaker had been off-line so much while on Earth, he needed the others to explain who Galvatron was to him.'' {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}}

''Sunstreaker and the others would go on to join the Earthforce unit, under [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s command.'' {{storylink|Break-Away!}} ''After [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] foolishly broadcast [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s location over an open channel, [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Sunstreaker had to race to beat the Decepticons to the site. Prowl had just disabled an atmosphere-destroying bomb of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s before it reached apex, but the poison on board was still a viable threat. They didn't beat the Decepticons to the landing site, but before they could jump into the fray, Prowl pulled Jazz and Sunstreaker aside. He had already cleared out the poison, so the two Decepticon factions were fighting over nothing!'' {{storylink|Life in the Slow Lane}} ''Later, Sunstreaker helped Jazz, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] ruin the Decepticon [[Enclave]] and any chance of peace between Megatron and Shockwave.'' {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}}

''When [[Motormaster]] kidnapped the Autobots' ally, [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]], Sunstreaker joined the other Autobot cars for an impromptu chase scene. He negotiated his way through the various [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] attacks and delaying tactics, but finally hit the wall (literally) when Motormaster detached his cab segment and left his trailer jackknifed across the highway. 'Streaker hit it head-on, and wound up with a legitimate complaint about his bodywork.'' {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

''Much later, Sunstreaker was sent on a new mission to the Stanix region of Cybertron with [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. While there, he overcame the ghosts of the past and helped defeat the mad Decepticon [[Megadeath (G1)|Megadeath]]. Of course, he was the only member of the team that didn't seem particularly haunted by those events in the first place, but the ''others'' overcame them, and wasn't that nice for them?'' {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

=====''Another Time and Place''=====
Sunstreaker stormed the [[Hydrus Four]] facility with his fellow Autobots to rescue Grimlock and the Dinobots. He almost took a shot in the back from a Decepticon, but Prime took out his attacker. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}

{{note|The Decepticon planning to shoot Sunstreaker was described as "[[Battletrap]] in tank mode". Battletrap doesn't HAVE a tank mode. This was probably meant to be [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], who was also described as present in the battle.}}

====''Classics''====

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe joined Optimus Prime's crew on Earth after Megatron resurfaced. They braved the Ark's defenses in order to break inside and recover their lost comrade, Ratchet. As an expression of his concern, Sunstreaker made no mention of the chips and tarnish of his paint job when they freed Ratchet, and together the twins carried their medic friend away to safety. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice Actor:'' [[Corey Burton]] (US), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japan)

{{bigquote|I knew the humans would turn on us some day. They're such undependable creatures. Inferior lifeforms.|Sunstreaker on humans|[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]}}

[[Image:MoreThanMeetstheEye Part3 Sunstreaker veh.jpg|right|220px|thumb|The "Super Tuning" custom job is more impressive than you might think at first glance.]]
Sunstreaker was part of the original crew of Autobots aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] that crashed on [[Earth]] four million years ago. When reawakened in 1984, he and his brother Sideswipe were reformatted into Lamborghini sports cars. They were both deployed during the Autobot counter-attack on a human oil rig, but didn't really do very much. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} After the Autobots' defeat at [[Sherman Dam]], Sunstreaker and Sideswipe came to the rescue of [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and their new human allies, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and his father [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] when they were attacked by [[Seeker (body-type)|Decepticon jets]]. One of the Decepticons managed to graze Sunstreaker and damage his new paint job, infuriating the vainer of the two Autobot brothers. After he forced the Decepticons to break off for repairs, Sunstreaker was still grousing about his scuffed paint, to which his brother suggested that nobody would notice if he just made left turns. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} The Autobot brothers were among those that volunteered to attack and totally fail to stop the [[Victory (G1)|Decepticon space cruiser]]. Sunstreaker celebrated the apparent demise of the Decepticons when their ship crashed and cheered [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s role in its sabotage. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:RollForIt Sunstreaker Chip.jpg|left|250px|thumb|A more kid-friendly sociopath.]]
When [[Chip Chase]] was kidnapped by the Decepticons and brought to the recently conquered [[antimatter]] laboratory of [[Doctor Alcazar|Dr. Alcazar]], the Autobots successfully staged a rescue operation to get him back. Sunstreaker then led a second team of Autobots into the lab, declaring that they had to get the antimatter cubes before it was too late, smashing a Sunstreaker-shaped hole in the wall. Unfortunately, he and the other Autobots were damaged when Megatron threw an antimatter cube at them. After returning to the Ark, Sunstreaker was heard to complain about a 'very sensitive junction' in his elbow, but was soon repaired quickly enough to arm wrestle with Sideswipe. When the antimatter-fueled Decepticons attacked the Ark, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker took to the air to battle with the incoming Seeker jets, in a rambunctious — if ultimately ineffective — display of "[[jet judo]]." After the Decepticons were defeated, Sunstreaker congratulated Chip, declaring him a hero and gave him a ride on his shoulder. {{storylink|Roll for It}}
{{-}}
{{bigquote|Hey, not the ''face'', okay? I just had it chromed!|Sunstreaker|[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]}}

When the munitions factory was attacked by the Decepticon jets, Sunstreaker transformed to roll out with the Autobots in Autobot Headquarters, but never actually bothered showing up. Later, while watching [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] attempt to repair the severely damaged [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], Sunstreaker and the remaining Autobots were rallied into repulsing a Decepticon attack by Spike. Sunstreaker was shot by [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] before recovering, only to be buried in a landslide by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} Sunstreaker complained about Trailbreaker's force field deflecting [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]'s flame breaths into his face when the newly-constructed [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] went haywire. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Sunstreaker nottheface.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Insert flaming joke.]]
Later, when responding to a Decepticon diversionary attack on [[India]]'s coast, Sunstreaker complained about the fact his newly installed water skis clashed with his base coat, but Optimus Prime told him to redecorate himself later, as they had Decepticons to worry about. When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and the Decepticons escaped without taking any energy, Sunstreaker realized they had been set up. Soon after, the Autobots attacked the Decepticon undersea headquarters to rescue the captive Sparkplug, during which Sunstreaker was concerned that the salt water would damage his body enamel. After returning to base for repairs, Sunstreaker fidgeted as Ratchet attempted to repair him, worried that the medic would scorch his selenium shin guards. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} When [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was brought into Earth's orbit as part of Megatron's latest scheme, Sunstreaker retreated with the other Autobots due to audio disruptor waves generated by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}}

Sunstreaker was part of an Autobot unit sent to investigate reports of [[Insecticon (G1)|giant insect monsters]] attacking Bali, Indonesia. When the road to the coordinates of the attack was blocked by a local village celebration, Sunstreaker questioned his brother's knowledge of the local area, a criticism warranted when Sideswipe led them into a dead end canyon. Sunstreaker continued to criticize Sideswipe's sense of direction as Sideswipe very slowly tunneled underneath the villagers. As the Autobots made their way to a nearby [[oil]] refinery under attack from the Decepticons, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] used his override waves on both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, taking control of their driving mechanisms and forcing them to drive headfirst into the other Autobots. Sunstreaker implored the other Autobots to shoot our their tires, but fortunately, Trailbreaker was able to interrupt the override waves. During the ensuing battle at the oil refinery, Sunstreaker was more concerned about his enamel being damaged by Wheeljack during a counterattack than enemy fire. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:ChangingGears jungleclearing.jpg|left|230px|thumb|Hey, Jazz, let's get rid of ALL the trees, so we can build a highway.]]
After Spike was critically injured in a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, his consciousness was transferred into the body of [[Autobot X]]. However, this process proved too stressful for his mind to take, and so he lashed out in blind anger. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe attempted to restrain him, only to be tossed aside by "Autobot Spike's" enormous strength. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} During a Decepticon attack on a mining camp as part of an plot to capture [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], Sunstreaker was among the Autobots who rolled out to confront them. He was hit by a boulder "energized" by Megatron (instead of just being shot, or something a logical enemy would do). When it was discovered Megatron was tapping into the [[Sun]] with his [[Solar Needle]], the Autobots ''drove'' to the "geographical center of Africa", only to be hindered by the dense jungle, which Optimus Prime ordered Jazz and Sunstreaker to blast their way through. Jerks. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} Sunstreaker got to use his jet skis again when the Autobots were sent to investigate the disappearance of the Empire State Building in [[New York City]]. Sadly, the skis still clashed with his base coat. He was rather pessimistic about their chances against the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons']] remote-controlled taxi cabs. Wimp. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

{{bigquote|When they built me, they broke the mold!|Sunstreaker on how fantastic he is, not on how his toy will never be reissued|[[The Autobot Run]]}}

In the aftermath of Ironhide firing randomly at a hologram of [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] during a demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]], Sunstreaker had to help Bluestreak vacuum up the rubble. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} When the Autobots agreed to a charity race/stunt show, Sunstreaker was sure that a large audience would appreciate his performance. During the race, Sunstreaker arrogantly shoved his way past the slower Autobots, but despite all of his bluster, he was slower than Jazz and Mirage. He didn't seem to mind too much, as he was the star of a car jump stunt over the other Autobots...until he failed to finish that, as well. However, during the race, the Autobots had unwittingly been locked into their [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]], which freaked out Sunstreaker, as he couldn't transform back into his handsome robot form. After Chip Chase and the unaffected Autobots reversed the effects via a special ''grenade'', Sunstreaker was the first to regain the ability to transform and was very pleased to see his true beauty. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} When the Decepticons allied themselves with the underwater kingdom of [[Sub-Atlantica]], Sunstreaker was present during the battle in [[Washington, D.C.]] and on the sub-sea city itself, but didn't actually do anything. Jerk. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

[[Image:TheCore Sunstreaker planting dominator disc.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Sunstreaker was present when the Autobots were confronted with the dilemma of two Optimus Primes. Though he didn't put forward any helpful suggestions, he observed the inconclusive results of the tests that the Autobots ran on the two Primes and later rolled out to investigate energy readings coming from a crevasse filled with [[korlonium crystal]]s. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} Sunstreaker got his chance to command a team of Autobots investigating a missing river, when they stumbled on a Decepticon operation to drill into the Earth. Unfortunately, they were spotted and attacked by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], though they were able to defeat the giant through teamwork. Sunstreaker was part of a subsequent mission to plant [[dominator disc]]s on the Constructicons, and he managed to attach one to [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] by hiding in a hole. During the next battle, the Autobots were able to use the discs to take control of Devastator. They used the giant to attack the Decepticon drilling operation in the caves, and during this fight, Sunstreaker had to rescue Chip Chase when the boy was caught in a cave-in. Megatron eventually regained control of Devastator, and the combiner turned on Sunstreaker and Ironhide. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:DinobotIsland2 Sunstreaker carrying mammoth.jpg|thumb|left|220px]]
When the Dinobots again ran wild at Autobot Headquarters, Sunstreaker was on hand, and at least this time didn't get his paint job scorched. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} He and Sideswipe were part of the response team when a time warp opened near the city library, and they had to cope with barbarians on woolly mammoths. Though the unwashed primitives almost damaged his finish, they were soon contained, and he used his gun to hold the warp open long enough to return the barbarians to their own time. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}} Sunstreaker took part in the [[Autobot Day]] parade in [[Central City (G1)|Central City]], reflecting that he never knew that humans had "such exquisite taste". Unfortunately, things soon turned sour, as a video was played incriminating the Autobots in energy theft, and the humans turned against their former allies. Sunstreaker commented that he always knew that humans would turn on the Autobots and declared them an inferior lifeform...right as Chip, Spike, and Sparkplug Witwicky were in the control room. They probably shouldn't have been too insulted, as Sunstreaker considers everyone else an inferior lifeform.

[[Image:MMP1 Sunstreaker rails.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Can't touch this!!]]
The Autobots were put on trial and, to their dismay, found guilty and ordered to leave the planet on a spaceship supplied by [[Shawn Berger]]. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} The ship was locked on a course into the Sun by Megatron, leaving the Autobots in dire peril. Utilizing Trailbreaker's force fields and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], not to mention some unwitting help from [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], they were able to escape before the heat crazed Sunstreaker's body work, and they returned to Earth to depose the Decepticons from their position of power. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} Like the rest of the Autobots, Sunstreaker suffered from [[Cybertonium]] depletion, preventing him from functioning until Spike, [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] and the Dinobots were able to obtain some more. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

Sunstreaker transformed to roll out and investigate the Decepticon theft of the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], but disappeared at some point before the response team reached the observatory. He later rolled out again to help humans who were experiencing difficulty as a result of Megatron jamming the world's radio signals. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} When the first group of Autobots to face the [[electrum]]-coated Decepticons reported failure, Sunstreaker told them to let a pro handle it. Unfortunately, his weapon proved just as ineffective, and it wasn't until the Autobots found the golden lagoon and coated themselves in electrum that the Decepticons were overcome. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:HoistGoesHollywood Sunstreaker Tracks masks.jpg|thumb|230px|left|Yet to be realised as a toy.]]
Sunstreaker was one of several Autobots who glommed onto [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]'s job as a Hollywood extra in the hopes of becoming a movie star. After he, [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] crashed the filming, the [[Director]] employed them all as stunt vehicles, which involved Sunstreaker doing some literal crashing—into a burning building. The movie was soon reworked into ''[[Attack of the Alien Robots]]'', leading to Sunstreaker having to wear a ridiculous [[alien]] mask and spout out stilted, wooden dialog—and goose-step, for some reason. During one of the shoots, an out-of-control explosion almost wiped out the four Autobots, and they discovered that the Decepticons were working behind the scenes to cover up an operation. After everything was resolved, Sunstreaker and the others decided to stay out of the movie business. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

[[Image:TFTM Sunstreaker hereandthere.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Honestly, we're surprised Ichikawa didn't try to explain this one in the Binaltech storyline.]]
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe took part in the [[Europa 2000]] in order to keep an eye on [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s high-tech automobile. After Sideswipe forced the pair to take a detour in [[Italy]], they were ambushed by the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s, who boxed them in so that [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] could shoot them. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}} They and most of the rest of the Autobots rolled out to rescue [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] from a Decepticon trap and were subsequently infected by [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. Luckily, Perceptor was able to work out a way to create more [[corrostop]] and cure them all. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} After the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s used the space bridge to move Earth towards the Sun, Sunstreaker was part of a combined Autobot/Decepticon team who traveled to Cybertron to prevent Earth's destruction. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Before the [[Battle of Autobot City|Decepticon attack]] on [[Autobot City]] in the year 2005, Sunstreaker was helping [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] move a roadblock. He was knocked over when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] drove through it.

Meanwhile, he was '''also''' on Moon Base One and helped pilot the shuttle that flew Optimus Prime and the Dinobots to Autobot City.

Seriously. He's ''THAT'' good. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Following the destruction of the Decepticons' [[Omega Whip]] weapon, Sunstreaker and several other Autobot cars raced after Megatron and his troops to keep them from escaping. They caught up with the Decepticons and kept them busy until Autobot reinforcements could arrive. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''The Stargate Battles''=====
When the Decepticons made their second play for control of the human-built "[[Warp Gate|Trigger]]" interstellar teleportation system in the late 1990s, Sunstreaker was among the Autobot forces who stood against them. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] subsequently took control of the Trigger, forcing Megatron and Optimus Prime to combine their power to destroy the Trigger. Sunstreaker and all the other Transformers were caught backwash from the incredible cosmic explosion and plummeted back to Earth, not to be heard from again for several months. {{storylink|The Stargate Battles (issue)|The Stargate Battles}}
=====''Story of Binaltech''=====

In 2003, Sunstreaker was one of numerous Autobots who were rendered helpless when they were infected with [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] by the Decepticon, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. Working with the [[Earth Defense Command]] and several Earth automotive companies, the Autobots developed "Binaltech" technology, creating new bodies into which their [[spark]]s were place so they could carry on the fight. It was intended for Sunstreaker to gain a new Dodge Viper body like his brother Sideswipe, but the Decepticons infiltrated the operation and hijacked the body for use by the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] instead. {{storylink|Arise! Evil Binaltechs}}

As the Binaltech conflict raged on, the timeline was eventually altered by [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].

{{Note|At this point, the original timeline was retroactively restored and the events of the ''Story of Binaltech'' diverged into a parallel universe. Skip to the next section below to continue reading about the original timeline; exactly how many (if any) of the events related in this section, even prior to the divergence, occurred in the original unaltered timeline are unknown.}}

In this alternate timeline, Sunstreaker was present at the [[Earth Defense Command]] Antarctic base, shortly after the appearance of the [[Optimus Primal|Protector]]. {{storylink|Binal Time}}

=====''Binaltech Asterisk''=====
[[Image:SunstreakerBTA.jpg|right|120px|thumb|Dig me!]]

{{note|It's not clear if the events of ''Binaltech Asterisk'' occur in the parallel "BT World" timeline, or the mainstream universe.}}

Sunstreaker was a member of the Autobot Race Team, which may or may not have had any other [[Transformer]]s on it. He was sort of a mascot for them, and the team didn't actually use him in races. He resented that people paid more attention to him as a promotional image than as a race car.

After being drafted into the [[Interplanetary Personnel Exchange Program]] by Officer [[Clamp Down]], Sunstreaker was partnered with the human "race queen" model [[Junko Shiragami]] and acted as her car. Once, Sunstreaker got into a race with a human-driven sports car, much to Junko's dismay. He used his transformation ability to take a particularly sharp curve, destroying a road sign in the process, for which Junko chewed him out.

It was said that Sunstreaker drove faster when he smelled Junko's marigold-scented hair. Make of that what you will. {{storylink|Binaltech Asterisk (online comic)|Sunstreaker Meets Junko}}
{{--}}

=====''Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:JHeadmasters01RedAlertEtc.jpg|thumb|200px]]
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Sunstreaker engaged the Decepticons with his comrades. Later, on Earth, Sunstreaker was present for a suspiciously similar battle with the Decepticons that resulted in the death of Optimus Prime. In 2011, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] recalled the Cybertronian skirmish that Sunstreaker took part in—or another one very much like it. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

[[Image:FourWarriors SunstreakerBlitzwing.jpg|200px|thumb|A five-second cameo, and all I do is avoid Blitzwing? Slag it!!]]

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

When the Decepticons launched a major attack on Cybertron in 2011, Sunstreaker appeared briefly in vehicle mode evading jet-mode [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'s attacks. Sunstreaker escaped into a tunnel, and Blitzwing bounced off its exterior and crashed. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{-}}
===3H ''Universe'' comics===
[[Image:Sunstreaker.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"I'm exclusive!"]]

After the [[Pax Cybertronia]], Sunstreaker left Cybertron with four other survivors of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] ([[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]], [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]], and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]). One year after Cybertron was reformatted into a technorganic planet, they returned. They were greeted by many of the [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] inhabitants and with vast media coverage.

However, what appeared to be celebratory fireworks struck the five Autobots and also the Maximals [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. They were transported to a fiery cauldron deep within [[Unicron]], where all but Trailbreaker were rebuilt painfully into new bodies.

Seeing an arena up ahead, the seven moved towards it, only to be attacked by a swarm of shape-shifting, lava-like creatures. Sunstreaker and the others were overwhelmed and taken into the arena (or, the [[Cauldron]]), where they were caged along with a multitude of Transformers kidnapped from across the multiverse. {{storylink|Abduction|Abduction}}

The Unicron-influenced ambience of the place was slowly driving the more violent of the group mad. This, of course, included Sunstreaker. He and Sideswipe were forced into combat in the arena (each wielding spiffy [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] weapons), but were rescued by a reborn [[Optimus Primal]]. The group, sans a corrupted Blackarachnia and Shadow Striker, fled back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"Why, you arrogant—yow! I should rewire that smug mug of yours right here—blaw!—right now!" 
"Don't kid yourself—this face is worth more than ''you'' are."|[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and Sunstreaker|"[[Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation]]"|noquote=true}}

[[Image:DWPrimeDirective2 SunstreakerSideswipe.jpg|left|300px|thumb|A family that pelvic thrusts together, stays together.]]
Before joining the Autobot army, Sunstreaker was a successful mural artist. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}} He was aboard the Ark when it crashed on Earth millions of years ago. He and the other Autobots awoke in 1984 to restart their war with the Decepticons. He was part of [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human-Autobot effort to defeat the Earth-bound Decepticons. At the end it was a success, and the captured Decepticons, along with the Autobots and a human crew, departed Earth en route to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]''. The ship, however, was sabotaged and exploded upon liftoff.

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

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

Sunstreaker accepted the new task at hand and fought alongside his brother when the Autobots faced the Decepticons at Lazarus' ruined base, before Hallo betrayed the Autobots by attempting to destroy both factions with a nuclear weapon. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3}} The Autobots survived when Megatron's technovirus absorbed the blast, and Sunstreaker helped his comrades recover the captive Autobots imprisoned inside the base. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4}}

[[Image:DWPrimeDirective5 SideswipeSunstreaker Devastator.jpg|right|250px|thumb|DULL HEROIC RUNNING!]]
As Jazz's unit worked on Megatron's virus, Sunstreaker followed Optimus Prime to [[San Francisco]] for the last battle against Megatron and his Decepticons. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] was taken down, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe heroically (though foolishly) charged at [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] rather than, say, shoot him; they were surprisingly beaten up. After Optimus Prime destroyed Devastator's head, Sunstreaker was restrained by the surviving Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5}} However, through human intervention, Optimus Prime freed his Autobots and the battle was rejoined. Sunstreaker tag-teamed with his brother to pummel Soundwave, though the Decepticons eventually escaped when Superion sacrificed his life to save the city from General Hallo's unauthorized nuclear missile launch. After Optimus Prime came back online, Sunstreaker and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] discovered the traitorous [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] buried under rubble. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6}}

''During the conflict with the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]], Sunstreaker was one of the Autobots chosen by Optimus Prime to join the strike on occupied Las Vegas. Sunstreaker was edgy about having to work with Megatron and the Decepticons, and was ready to draw his rifle at a moment's notice during the groups' meeting. Still, he remained sensitive enough to [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]'s feelings to comfort his human friend when he was feeling useless, letting Spike know he always did his very best. (WHAT?!) In Las Vegas, Sunstreaker and the other Autobots lent their energies to Optimus Prime for his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-inspired Finishing Move against the Keepers. {{storylink|Annihilation}} Later, Sunstreaker and the Autobots battled alongside the Decepticons again, against the treacherous forces of the American military. Sunstreaker and several other Autobots fell before the processor-eating power of the President's new toy, the [[Deconstructionite|deconstructionites]].'' {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}

When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived on Earth to enforce [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s edict that the Earth-bound Autobots surrender themselves to the Cybertronian alliance, Optimus Prime ordered a portion of his troops into hiding in [[Portland]], [[Oregon]]. This group, led by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], included Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} However, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], and his cassettes soon escaped to Earth with [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Attacking the Ark, they defeated all of Jazz's group minus Ratchet and Brawn. Sunstreaker and the others were left in a swamp, deactivated. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}}

[[Image:DW Extermination Sunstreaker kills Kickback.jpg|left|400px|thumb|I'm not only better than you, I'm also gay.]]
[[Orion (ship)|A ship]] crewed by [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] (led by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]) arrived on Earth with supplies, and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] pulled the deactivated from their would-be swampy grave. They were promptly arrested by Commander [[Marissa Faireborn]] of the [[Earth Defense Command]] and her armored troops. The damaged Autobots were repaired, and Commander Faireborn came to Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Jazz with a mission. The American city of [[San Desto]] was under attack by [[Insecticon (G1)|Cybertronian creatures]]. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}} Sunstreaker spent the entire mission either putting down [[EDC Night Force Unit|the humans]], Bumper or, when he wasn't around, Sideswipe. He didn't think any of them would make it out alive, but nevertheless tore through the Insecticon clones like they were paper! After they were captured by the real Insecticons, Sunstreaker was not too happy to be rescued by Bumper. When Bombshell activated the [[Cerebro-shell|cerebro-shelled]] human population of San Desto to attack the Autobots, Sunstreaker was also all-too-ready to kill the lot of them, until Bumper saved them all again. {{storylink|Extermination}} The ''Orion'' picked up Sunstreaker and the other Autobots from the EDC's Nevada base shortly after saving San Desto. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}

{{note|In August 2006, [[Matt Moylan]] [http://tinyurl.com/2ugos3 revealed] that Sunstreaker was gay in Dreamwave continuity. This was never dealt with head-on (or meant to be) but it provided a basis for his characterization.}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
Sunstreaker was among the Transformers found and reprogrammed by the human terrorist organization [[Cobra]], and along with Sideswipe and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], he was reformatted into a Cobra [[Stinger (G.I. Joe)|Stinger]]. He, his brother and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] were sent to attack the [[SPS Research Facility]], but the two siblings were rammed by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] while charging at the main entrance, and Cobra eventually retreated. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3}} When Wheeljack freed the Autobots from Cobra's control, Sunstreaker helped Sideswipe and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] fight against the similarly freed Decepticons [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
{{quote|"Sunstreaker—''speed limit''." 
"Oh, ''c'mon''! Bad enough I gotta share my ''upholstery'' with a species that sheds skin on a regular basis, but now I gotta super-size the experience?"|Ironhide and Sunstreaker|[[Escalation issue 1|''Escalation'' #1]]|noquote=true}}

[[Image:MegsOrigin3 Sunstreaker neverlose.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Sunstreaker shows off his humbler side.]]
Long ago, before the [[Great War (G1)|war]], Sunstreaker was a patron of illegal underground death matches in the [[Forge]], where he cheered on Megatron in his first victory there. He returned several times more, including to watch Megatron's 54th battle in the arena, this time apparently alongside Sideswipe. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}}

When Megatron, rising in power and influence, put on a recruitment call to all-comers, Sunstreaker happily answered his call. Sideswipe tried to talk him out of joining the fights, to no avail. Sunstreaker apparently thought the call was for participation in the illegal gladiatorial games, but it was actually the first recruitment call for the Decepticon army. How they took Megatron's announcement, the apparent murder of a Senator, and how they fared when Autobot security forces raided the meeting is unknown. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Neither he, nor any of the other Autobots-to-be that were present at the "rally", were seen again in prison or upon the Decepticons' escape and ravaging of [[Kaon]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

[[Image:Infiltration6 Sunstreaker humansout.jpg|left|150px|thumb|What, does he keep them in a kennel or something?]]

At some point during the war that followed Megatron's Decepticon rebellion, Sunstreaker was one of many Autobots trained by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}} He himself was Sideswipe's P-3 Training Officer and strike partner, and spent the whole time looking down on him as a subpar rookie. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Sunstreaker would later lead a unit in a battle against [[Drift (G1)|Deadlock]] in which he was forced to order a retreat. {{storylink|Drift issue 1|Drift #1}}

In the modern era, Sunstreaker was a unit commander who helped drive the Decepticons from an unidentified planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}} Immediately afterward, he was assigned to a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on [[Earth]] for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Being stationed on Earth did little to alter Sunstreaker's arrogance, with him dismissing [[Verity Carlo|the]] [[Hunter O'Nion|three]] [[Jimmy Pink|humans]] which [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] saved as "noisy creatures". {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}} Later, Sunstreaker and the other Autobots observed Megatron's brutal disciplining of the treacherous Starscream. Despite 'Streaker's high opinion of himself and his own skills, he was visibly relieved when Prowl decided to leave the Decepticons alone. After returning to the ''[[Ark-19]]'', he complained about the humans running around loose in their headquarters. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

[[Image:Escalation1 Sunstreaker videogame.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He doesn't rate the Battlechargers very highly, apparently.]]

To keep the noisy creatures occupied, he created a video game starring himself. Soon afterward, Sunstreaker, along with [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], were assigned the task of escorting the humans back to the big wild world, [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]. On a road in the vicinity of [[Lebanon, Missouri]], Sunstreaker and company were ambushed by the [[Machination]]. He and Hunter became separated from Ironhide and were seemingly destroyed. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} However, it was soon revealed that it was not the case; the debris recovered by Optimus Prime was revealed by Ratchet to be an elaborate fake. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}}
Sunstreaker was painfully dismantled and treated barbarically by the employees. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}} After re-awakening in a [[Machination]] stronghold, Hunter was horrified to find an unidentified being, possibly Cybertronian, had been creating a series of [[Sunstreaker clone|Sunstreaker clones]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

[[Image:Devastation3 Sunstreakerhead yuh.jpg|left|150px|thumb|You still better than us now, Sunstreaker?]]

Having been able to dupe the Machination into believing that he was catatonic, Hunter went exploring in their headquarters. Eventually, he discovered Sunstreaker's own decapitated head, which was still functioning. Tortured, Sunstreaker begged the human to kill him. Meanwhile, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] ran afoul of the Sunstreaker clones... piloted by [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] — humans who could transform into the robots' heads. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} It turned out all of the Headmasters were mentally connected to the original Sunstreaker and leeched knowledge from him, a process that was extremely painful. However, this had its disadvantage — Sunstreaker doesn't read Autobot memos so the Machination had less inside knowledge than they thought; Hot Rod and Wheeljack escaped by using a weapon that Sunstreaker didn't know about. Hunter, rather than kill the Autobot, asked for his help to become a Headmaster himself so he could pilot one of the Machination's spare clones. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} After downloading the necessary information from Sunstreaker, Hunter headed to the body shop, where more clone bodies were being stored. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} Just as a freshly-restored [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], head of the Machination, broke through a wall to kill him, Hunter was able to transform into Sunstreaker's head and linked to the real Sunstreaker's mind. Speaking as Sunstreaker, Hunter attached himself to a clone body, but commented that everything felt slow (as a result of Machination scientists cutting all connections to the real Sunstreaker, with devastating effects for the Headmasters). Hunter transformed to vehicle mode, blasted a hole in the wall and escaped. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[Image:Sunstreaker Head-On.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I'd lose my head if it wasn't screwed on.]]

After that, the new Sunstreaker began raiding Machination front organizations across America, looking for his original head. He wanted Hunter out of his head and gone forever so he didn't have to talk to the human—not that he meant ''any'' offense by that, oh no. On one raid, he became aware that the Machination had plans involving the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] and sped off to Dallas to get involved {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 1|Maximum Dinobots #1}} The Dynobots were actually sent to ''Fallon'' but Sunstreaker carried on to Dallas anyway, reasoning that getting his old head back would offline all the Headmasters—and that whatever the Dynobots were up to was merely collateral damage. (Nice chap...) {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 2|Maximum Dinobots #2}} When they arrived in Dallas, seeing that the facility was far bigger than anything they had come across before, Hunter realized they needed a plan and forced Sunstreaker to sit it out while they watched and waited, citing that he was the more level-headed of the pair and that it was nice to just be Hunter O'Nion every now and then. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 3|Maximum Dinobots #3}} When the time came, Sunstreaker reconnected with Hunter and barged into the Machination, having a short talk with Hot Rod as he blasted two of his clones. He found his original head, but Scorponok was waiting and shot a hole through his chest. Hunter escaped and, reluctantly and remorsefully, deactivated Sunstreaker's original head. This succeeded in shutting down all of the clones, at the cost of doing the same to Sunstreaker. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4|Maximum Dinobots #4}}

[[Image:Sunstreaker recovers.jpg|left|100px|thumb|New unexplained altmode — just add water.]]

Hunter, however, stayed conscious and survived the rest of the battle. He accompanied Sunstreaker aboard the ''[[Ark-32]]'', where the comatose Autobot was put into a [[CR chamber]] for heavy repairs. Sunstreaker's original head was reattached, and his battered body was rebuilt into a [[#Universe (2008)|slightly different form]]. Ratchet claimed that "though physically separated, Sunstreaker's spark sustained him." Ratchet was able to minimize the mental link between Sunstreaker and Hunter, but he was afraid to try removing Hunter's implants, and the human was left feeling like half of himself was missing. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

Eventually Ratchet did successfully sever their link, but the Headmaster experience had left deep wounds on Sunstreaker's psyche. He turned his back on Hunter and never wanted to speak of the incident again. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} His pain turned into a hatred for Earth and its inhabitants; he wanted nothing more than to leave the planet forever. Starscream took advantage of this, meeting in secret with Sunstreaker to strike a deal. Starscream wanted Sunstreaker's help to both kill Megatron and ensure the Autobots' departure from Earth. Starscream claimed that after taking control of the Decepticons, he would be satisfied to confine his own empire to the one planet, so really Sunstreaker would get what he wanted on both counts. Sunstreaker agreed "on one condition": That Starscream would use his dominion to kill every single human being. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

Starscream and Sunstreaker arranged false intelligence that led the Autobots into an ambush. But, whether due to Starscream's treachery or to a simple failure in the plan, only half of their goals were accomplished: The Autobots were beaten and exiled to Cybertron via the newly-created [[space bridge]], but Megatron survived the battle happily. Optimus Prime attacked and destroyed the space bridge as he went through it, but doing so left him in a critical state of shutdown. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

[[Image:Sunstreaker on bridge AHM8.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Sunstreaker in [[All Hail Megatron issue 10 #Errors|''A Bridge Too Few'']].]]

If Sunstreaker had been brooding and sullen already, this outcome only intensified his angst. The other Autobots knew that they must have been betrayed, but they had no idea by whom. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], as the scout who had delivered the bad intelligence, was a natural suspect, and Ironhide became his chief accuser. Sunstreaker gravitated to Ironhide, encouraging the finger pointed away from himself. When Sideswipe confronted Sunstreaker about the dissension he was fostering in the ranks, Sunstreaker tried to get him to leave him alone. Sideswipe attempted sympathy, telling his brother that he could only imagine what the Headmaster experience had been like, but even that turned into an accusation for abandoning Hunter. Sunstreaker yelled back that that was in the past and was completely irrelevant, and everyone knew he never wanted to talk about it again. He stormed off, but doing so caught Ironhide's attention. When Sunstreaker told Ironhide that Sideswipe thought they were taking their accusations against Mirage too far, Ironhide decided they hadn't taken things far ''enough,'' so he promptly dragged Mirage into a corner and beat him half to death. Sunstreaker's only protest was that others might see. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

[[Image:Sunstreaker sacrifice_AHM.jpg|left|150px|thumb|At least he didn't have to suffer the indignity of [[Ironhide (G1)| being]] [[Perceptor (G1)|rescued]] [[Wrecker|by]] Drift.]]

But his guilt gnawed away at him until one day he found a chance for the redemption of martyrdom. The Autobots had decided to move to a different headquarters to defend themselves from the [[Insecticon swarm]]. The new base's strength was its inaccessibility: It could only be accessed by a single bridge, and the Autobots had planted explosives on it to take it down after everyone had made it across. The Autobots did outrun the swarm, but in the process [[Perceptor (G1)|their sharpshooter]] was incapacitated, and the bombs needed to be detonated via weapons-fire. While the others debated who would be capable of the task, Sunstreaker slipped away onto the bridge to do it himself. Ironhide went out after him and tried to talk him back, but Sunstreaker spilled his guts about the entire betrayal. Ironhide was dumbfounded, and just as Sunstreaker began to apologize, the swarm attacked. [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] raced in and pulled Ironhide out of the crush, and as they sped away, Sunstreaker fired at the bomb. The bridge was destroyed in a massive fireball, and Sunstreaker appearently went with it. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

Later, Bombshell taunted Sideswipe in battle, claiming to have toyed with Sunstreaker's mind and played with his fears using information gleaned from dissecting Hunter. After the battle, Sideswipe found Hunter's tortured form strung up in Bombshell's lab, horrifically intertwined with all sorts of machinery. Sideswipe turned the life-support system off, letting Hunter — and any potential surviving piece of Sunstreaker — expire. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

However, Sunstreaker had survived, and the events of the past few years (though badly skewed to a certain perspective) seemed to be repeating in his badly damaged head, amongst the bodies of the swarm. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}}

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

Over the next three years, Sunstreaker lay where he fell, his brain stuck in a recursive loop of the horrors the Machination inflicted upon him and his regret over betraying his friends. The mysterious [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] had long known of Sunstreaker's survival, but didn't attempt to rescue him, as the Autobot was not part of his plans for Cybertron's rebirth. This changed when the resurrected Ironhide went down to the ravine to rescue his fallen comrade. Sunstreaker attempted to apologise for what he did and admitted his cowardice for not speaking up when Ironhide falsely accused [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] of betraying the Autobots. However, as Ironhide had no memory of the past four million years, he didn't know what Sunstreaker was talking about. Safely inside Alpha Trion's [[Metroplex (G1)|base]], Sunstreaker freaked out when he saw the legendary Autobot, fearing that his Judgement had finally come for betraying the Autobots and selling out humanity. Trion mercifully used his powers to take Sunstreaker temporarily offline when he begged for his "dreams" to stop. {{storylink|Ironing Out the Details}}

Alpha Trion was able to bring Sunstreaker's sanity back and repair most of his body except for his legs, temporarily leaving him in a hoverchair. Interested in his "unique experiences" with the humans, Trion intended to take Sunstreaker with him on his journey, but he refused. Dead set on trying to make up for his past crimes, Sunstreaker instead chose to stay on Cybertron with Ironhide to help eliminate the swarm. Alpha Trion accepted this and left the two Autobots on the abandoned planet, where Sunstreaker would have a lot of time to fill Ironhide in on what happened in the past few million years. {{storylink|Any Old Iron}}

====Hail and Farewell====
{{Note|Due to the abrupt cancellation of several related stories and the emergence of ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'', the following events cannot occur in the mainstream timeline, if they are [[canon]] at all.}}

Two years after meeting the Autobots and becoming a Headmaster, Hunter went back to his house with Sunstreaker. As Hunter gathered a few effects, he reminisced on how much had changed and how much had happened. He had been to other planets, even another dimension. He'd fought Scorponok, allied with the Dinobots, and faced a planetary Decepticon invasion. And now he wasn't just Hunter; he had become one with Sunstreaker in both mind and body. As he converted back to Sunstreaker's head, he mused that it was true what they said about never being able to go home again. {{storylink|Hail and Farewell}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 5|Henkei! Henkei! #5}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1-toy Sunstreaker.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yellow, I love me, let me jump in your game.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Autobot, 1984/1986/1990)
**''Accessories'': Left & right fists, 2 "rocket boosters", 3 rockets

: Sunstreaker was released as part of the first year of the Transformers line in the US. He transforms into a "Super Tuning" customized Lamborghini Countach LP500S with an exposed rear-mounted engine. Each robot-mode arm has a spring-launching mechanism to fire his fists, his chrome missiles, or his "rocket boosters" (once the boosters' main body was pushed forward to lengthen the connection peg), but the springs were severely neutered or removed outright in the US [[for safety reasons]]. The boosters fit very ''very'' loosely in the holes in his rear bumper/robot shoulders, making them pretty dubious additions to either mode.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in several different promotions, among them a "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]" flier packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point|robot points]].

:In 1990 he was re-released in Europe as part of the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line of reissues.

: Sunstreaker is generally considered to be one of the harder early [[The Transformers (toyline)|generation toys]] to find complete and unbroken. There also appears to be little chance of a [[Generation 1 reissue|reissue]] of the toy, as this mold has been stated by [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] representatives to be one of several whose original molding is either lost or in a state of disrepair too extensive to justify the cost of re-casting.

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

{{-}}
*'''VSZ Set''' (Multi-pack, 1985)
**''Accessories'': Left & right fists, 2 "rocket boosters", 3 rockets

: Sunstreaker's only release in Japan was in the [[VSZ]] set, along with [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]]. This sounds unfair, but then one must remember [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw is an unstoppable killing machine]].

{{-}}

*'''Transform Block'''

: Only available in Japan, this small, monochrome representation of Sunstreaker transformed by disassembling and reassembling his component parts. Hence, the name "Transform Block". The toy was first released as part of the Diaclone line alongside another toy representing the Diaclone version of Skids. The toy was simply put in new packaging for its Transformers release, which resembles that of [[Transform Jr]] toys.

===Universe (2003)===
[[Image:UniverseSunstreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Sideswipe in yellow? Dear Primus, I've become Tigertrack!]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Deluxe, 2003)
**''Accessories'': Left & right rocket boosters, 2 flame-missiles

: A [[retool]] of the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] mold, Sunstreaker transforms into a Lamborghini Diablo. Unusually for non-vintage transformers at the time, he has rubber tires. In either mode, he is armed with two pressure-launch missile launchers with two flame-shaped projectiles. These launchers are mounted upon his right arm in robot mode. In vehicle mode, they can be mounted on two pegs located on his spoiler as "rocket boosters". It is notable that the part that connects the toy's windshield to the main body uses a yellow decal rather than paint, as that part is made out of [[unpaintable plastic]]. The police lights from the original mold were removed, leaving this area bare.

: Sunstreaker was the "hotel [[exclusive]]" toy from [[OTFCC 2003]], available only to those who booked their room at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare at the convention rate, the official hotel for the convention.

: This mold is also used by [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/Sunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on BotCon Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternators/Binaltech Asterisk===

[[Image:Btasunstreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Lemony fresh new-car scent.]]
*'''Sunstreaker meets Junko''' (Autobot, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BTA-02'''
**''Accessories'': "Junko" driver/figurine, engine-block rifle

: In 2005, Takara and Hasbro released near-simultaneous and similar, but significantly different takes on Sunstreaker. The first to the market was the ''[[Alternators#Binaltech Asterisk|Binaltech Asterisk]]'' version of the toy, including with a PVC driver figurine, a girl named [[Junko Shiragami|Junko]]. A [[redeco]] of the [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] Alternator (itself a [[retool]] of Alternator Sideswipe), Sunstreaker transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed "street performance" Dodge Viper with opening doors and hood, and an open passengers' compartment. His engine block becomes a rifle for his robot mode. Like the rest of the ''Binaltech Asterisk'' line, he was packaged in robot mode instead of vehicle.

{{-}}
[[Image:AlternatorsSunstreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|When girls disappear, their cars gain racing stripes. This is SCIENTIFIC FACT.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Autobot, 2005)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''18'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-block rifle

: A few months later, the Hasbro ''[[Alternators]]'' version was released as part of the standard ''Alternators'' line, in the redesigned "bubble" packaging (the third version of ''Alternators'' packaging). Though both are yellow redecos of the mold, the detailing between the two is very different, with the Hasbro version being a direct color-swap of the paint mask previously used for Dead End, adding red to the robot-mode parts as well as a pair of black racing stripes in car mode. Drastically put, the only two details virtually identical on both versions at first sight are the [[paint operation|paint mask]] for the head and the [[tampograph]]ed license plate. (This is particularly remarkable since a stolen [[prototype|pre-production sample]] of Hasbro Sunstreaker actually sported a license plate tampograph more in style with previous ''Alternators'' license plates, whereas the final version is dead on identical to the ''Binaltech Asterisk'' toy's tampo.)

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/AltSunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on Alternators/Binaltech Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
[[Image:Sunstreakeruniverse2008toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He's got Mirage's legs, and he knows how to use 'em better than Mirage does.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' "Electron Pulse Blaster", engine supercharger intakes

: Part of the first wave of [[Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] Deluxes, Sunstreaker transforms into a modified [[wikipedia:Lamborghini_Gallardo|Lamborghini Gallardo]]. Though the car is mostly based upon the Gallardo, to avoid legal problems, it also features modified headlights and elements taken from other cars—most of them are taken from other Lamborghini models, such as a front bumper that appears to be based on a 2004 [[wikipedia:Lamborghini Murciélago|Murciélago]] R-GT and a rear end that is basically a cross between a Murciélago and a [[wikipedia:Lamborghini_Diablo|Diablo]]; however, the split side windows and the ridges on the door vents are based on a [[wikipedia:McLaren F1|McLaren F1]]. Like the original Sunstreaker's Lamborghini Countach form, the 2008 ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' vehicle mode features a customized engine supercharger intakes mounted just behind the roof of the car. Sunstreaker's license plate is [[Tampograph|tampographed]] "WE R 84", referring to the year the ''Transformers'' franchise was launched.

: Like many other new-mold ''Universe'' toys, Sunstreaker has a "dramatic head reveal" when transforming him to robot mode: when his chest is rotated into place, his head rises into position and his ears to spring out. In robot mode, his engine intakes attach onto his back, though in an undocumented feature, they can also fold down over the widest part of the "electron blaster" and click in place. The gun can also be attached to the holes in Sunstreaker's shoulders, though his "ears" get in the way.

: Sunstreaker shares most of his design with ''Universe'' Sideswipe, differing in headsculpt and an altered transformation sequence. Sunstreaker is considered the original toy, as Sideswipe did not appear until a later wave of the toyline.

: Though not specifically a quality control issue, the yellow paint used for Sunstreaker's roof does not precisely match the bright yellow plastic used for his car body panel parts. The dark tinted windows causes the yellow paint to take on a greenish tinge.

: The Sunstreaker/Sideswipe mold was also retooled into ''[[Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] and [[BotCon 2010]] [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUSunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on Universe Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Sunstreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Unlike others in this line, the chrome surprisingly makes him more G1-accurate.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-07'''
**''Accessories:'' "Electron Pulse Blaster", engine supercharger intakes

: TakaraTomy's ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' version of ''Universe'' Sunstreaker is a redeco of Hasbro's release, featuring a deeper shade of yellow with a much greater consistency between the painted yellow roof and the yellow plastic than seen on ''Universe'' Sunstreaker. He also replaces some of the Universe figure's gray paint with black. The orange paint is replaced with red, and the maroon Autobot symbol is now the more standard red. As with all of the ''Henkei'' toys, he has [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] silver on his Electron Pulse Blaster, his supercharger and his spoiler.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==

* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

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


*'''Sunstreaker''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''11'''

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

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Sunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on Decoy Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium-toy RMSunstreaker.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Too good to be released, apparently.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Robot Master, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Engine-blaster, display stand

:A planned redeco of ''[[Titanium Series]]'' Side Swipe, which was based on Sideswipe's ''Alternators'' toy. Sunstreaker would have been partially constructed of die cast metal with limited articulation located in his shoulders and neck. His accessories would have been a removable engine blaster and an Autobot symbol display stand.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:RobotHeroes Galvatron Sunstreaker.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hi, I'm cuter than you.]]
* '''Sunstreaker vs. Galvatron''' (2-pack, 2008)

:Part of the first wave of ''Universe'' [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] toys, Sunstreaker is an adorably sociopathic non-transforming figure articulated at the neck and shoulders. He was available only in a two-pack with [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]], making this the most mentally-unbalanced Robot Heroes set ''ever''.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/RHSunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on Robot Heros Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
==Notes==
[[Image:Sunstreaker-diaclone.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Before he was a Transformer.]]
* According to Hasbro the pre-''Transformers'' ''Diaclone'' version of Sunstreaker was the first transforming car-to-robot toy ever designed.

* The pre-''Transformers'' ''Diaclone'' version of Sunstreaker is the Lamborghini Countach LP500S "Super Tuning" toy. The ''Diaclone'' version was originally painted only in red or police deco. This is one of several items that have led to the fan speculation that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's coloration and [[bio]] text were swapped around before their final release (another being that, in his bio, Sunstreaker feels that Sideswipe's car-mode lines are ruined by his rear-mounted engine, when in fact Sunstreaker is the one with said engine.) The [[Tech Spec|statistics]], however, are correct. This change would also explain Sunstreaker's otherwise inexplicable red shoulders/car panel decals, which were originally used to cover up the black plastic on the red Diaclone version.
** Unlike the red and police versions of Diaclone Sunstreaker, there is little evidence of yellow Sunstreakers packaged as Transformers wearing the factory decals representing his park lights (assumed to be headlights by most).

* The red ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of Sunstreaker was sold by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] in North America as the ''[[Diakron]]'' "DK-1" Car/Robot in 1983, seemingly just a few months before he would be rebranded as a Transformer.

* In the Transformers series [[Production bible|bible]] entry for his brother [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], Sunstreaker is referred to by a different name, '''Spinout''' <ref>http://transformers.winterchill.com/bible/biblepage17.html</ref>. "Nearly the equal of his twin brother, Spinout, in combat, but less cold-blooded." The same name (spelled "Spin-Out") is also used in a Marvel Age article<ref>[http://www.electric-escape.net/node/590 Article from Marvel Age #17.]</ref> from 1984 that announced the Marvel comic series.

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

* ''Alternators'' Sunstreaker was originally planned as the ''first'' [[retool]] of the [[Sideswipe (G1)|Side Swipe]] Dodge Viper toy. Early prototypes that were leaked to the public sported a sculpted Autobot logo, and development concept art and color maps detailed in ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' show a black-decoed figure. A store listing from March 2004 stated the figure's name as "'''Blackstreaker'''"<ref name="alternatorstfa">[http://www.tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?t=22083 TFArchive news thread about Alternators store listing from March 2004.]</ref>, suggesting that he was still intended to be Sunstreaker despite sporting different colors, possibly at the request of the car manufacturer. For reasons unknown, however, the toy was ultimately released as the [[Decepticon]] [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] instead, possibly to satisfy fan demands for Decepticons in the line, but this is mere supposition. It took a couple of years until Sunstreaker would see shelves as originally intended.

[[Image:SunstreakerSideswipeSDCC2007.jpg|thumb|250px|right|One of the cases where the end result turned out even ''better'' than the original idea. Well, except maybe for the weapon.]]
* Hasbro's early plans for ''Universe'' Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had the two as straight [[redeco]]s of each other, only differing in their head sculpts besides their colors—namely, Sunstreaker would have just been Sideswipe in yellow with a different head. It was [[TakaraTomy]] designer [[Hisashi Yuki]] who suggested an alternate transformation by turning the upper body by 180 degrees, thus providing more individual robot mode looks for the two characters that resemble their respective ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' designs more.<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009|'#Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref> In addition, Hasbro originally intended the [[alternate mode]]'s supercharger to split into two halves which would then become the handgun and and a spring-loaded shoulder launcher for the robot mode.

* Hilariously, early Hasbro prototypes of ''Universe'' Sunstreaker had the license plate say "WE R 8'''2'''", rather than "WE R 8'''4'''". This is seen in the [[stock photography|stock photo]] on the back of the packaging and an issue of ''Dengeki Hobby Magazine'' that compared ''Henkei'' Sunstreaker to his ''Universe'' counterpart.<ref name="wer82">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/185434-classics-henkei-sunstreaker-prowl-comparison-pictures.html Images from ''Dengeki Hobby Magazine'' at TFW2005, August 2008.</ref>

* Simon Furman's reason for making Sunstreaker a Headmaster at IDW? Because he's the one character who'd ''least'' want to ''be'' a Headmaster.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Moonbase Two interview with Nick Roche, 27:58 in]</ref>
{{--}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Sunstreaker Sunstreaker's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://transformers.winterchill.com/bible/biblepage18.html Sunstreaker's entry in the Transformers series bible.]

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Artists]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Binaltech Asterisk]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Sunstreaker (G1)

2010-10-27T20:02:06Z

64.189.19.132: /* The Transformers cartoon */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Sunstreaker}}
:''Sunstreaker is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Autobots secret weapon sunstreaker wax.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hi. I'm better than you.]]
'''Sunstreaker''' knows to the core of his [[spark]] that he is better than any other Autobot, and he makes sure everyone else knows it, too. His sociopathic tendencies, combined with his incredible vanity and arrogance, usually result in tension between himself and the other Autobots. He is generally unwilling to help those who are having trouble keeping up, and is quite audible when it comes to complaining about the shortcomings of everyone else. The only Autobot he truly gets along with is his twin [[Relatives|brother]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], and even that can seem strained at times.

The main reason [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] keeps him around is most likely Sunstreaker's effectiveness in the battlefield. Ruthless and skilled in all forms of combat, there is not much Sunstreaker cannot handle. As a front-line warrior, Sunstreaker is a great asset for the [[Autobot]] army. If a rather scary one.

:''Preliminary name:'' '''Spinout'''
:''French name (Canada):'' '''Solo'''
:''Italian name'': '''Lince''' ("Lynx")
:''Mandarin name (Taiwan):'' '''Tài-yáng wén''' (太陽紋, "Sun Streak")
:''Mandarin name (China):'' '''Fei Mao Tui''' (飛毛腿, "Scud")
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Napcsillantó''' / '''Napvillantó''' ("Sun-flasher")
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Raiado''' ("Crease")
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Raio Solar''' ("Sun Beam")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====

{{Noteukonly}}
[[Image:SunstreakerBlastsSkywarp.jpg|left|200px|thumb|When Sunstreaker "puts his shoulder into it"... people get slagged.]]
''Prior to the outbreak of Cybertron's planet-wide civil war, Sunstreaker was a gladiator in the games held between the city-states. He was once brutally beaten by Megatron in combat, and would have been killed if Optimus Prime had not stepped in.'' {{storylink|State Games}}

''Early into the Autobot-Decepticon war, Sunstreaker was a member of the [[Magnificent Six]]. While they were on a mission to the Stanix region of Cybertron, he made a remarkably [[Yuss|callous joke]] that convinced their allies to turn them over to the Decepticons. The entire unit was tortured for a week, and [[Stampede]] was killed. Nice.'' {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

Sunstreaker was among the crew of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] that crashed on [[Earth]] four million years ago and woke up in 1984. ''In the first few days on Earth, Sunstreaker abandoned [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and diverted an attack by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] towards a human military camp so as to keep himself from harm.'' {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}} He engaged the Decepticons in battle at the Witwicky garage alongside his brother, Sideswipe, but ultimately failed to keep them from kidnapping [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Sunstreaker was relatively low on fuel after this, and so gave up his remaining power in the transference chambers to power up Prime, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Bluestreak]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] for combat against the Decepticons.... but then joined them for the battle anyway. {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

[[Image:SunstreakerScrapped.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Poor Sunstreaker was too sociopathic for even the comic.]]
When [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] took control over the Decepticons and possession of the Ark, he destroyed Sunstreaker's body as a demonstration and warning to the deposed [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|The New Order}} Because of this, Sunstreaker's body was in disrepair for a very long time; at one point, when [[G.B. Blackrock]] asked about him in the med bay, Jazz told him that [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] wasn't even sure if Sunstreaker would ever be operational again. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

However, Sunstreaker was fully repaired in time to view the duel between [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}} He was badly damaged again, and he wound up in stasis aboard the Ark again, to be revived by [[Nucleon]] in 1990, when he and the other newly revived Autobots joined the attack on [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} Surprisingly, he survived ''that'' battle as he was able to attend the first meeting of the shaky Autobot-Decepticon alliance. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[Image:Sunstreakerg1uk.jpg|left|180px|thumb|I'm YELLOW, dammit!]]
''An injured Sunstreaker, along with several other Autobots, was awakened not by Nucleon, but by [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]]'s [[mind bug]]. Galvatron had studied their dreams in the aim of finding dissenting members of the Autobots that he hoped to put into his own employ, but after a short skirmish, Galvatron's device was placed on himself. Amusingly enough, Sunstreaker had been off-line so much while on Earth, he needed the others to explain who Galvatron was to him.'' {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}}

''Sunstreaker and the others would go on to join the Earthforce unit, under [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s command.'' {{storylink|Break-Away!}} ''After [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] foolishly broadcast [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s location over an open channel, [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Sunstreaker had to race to beat the Decepticons to the site. Prowl had just disabled an atmosphere-destroying bomb of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s before it reached apex, but the poison on board was still a viable threat. They didn't beat the Decepticons to the landing site, but before they could jump into the fray, Prowl pulled Jazz and Sunstreaker aside. He had already cleared out the poison, so the two Decepticon factions were fighting over nothing!'' {{storylink|Life in the Slow Lane}} ''Later, Sunstreaker helped Jazz, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] ruin the Decepticon [[Enclave]] and any chance of peace between Megatron and Shockwave.'' {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}}

''When [[Motormaster]] kidnapped the Autobots' ally, [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]], Sunstreaker joined the other Autobot cars for an impromptu chase scene. He negotiated his way through the various [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] attacks and delaying tactics, but finally hit the wall (literally) when Motormaster detached his cab segment and left his trailer jackknifed across the highway. 'Streaker hit it head-on, and wound up with a legitimate complaint about his bodywork.'' {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

''Much later, Sunstreaker was sent on a new mission to the Stanix region of Cybertron with [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. While there, he overcame the ghosts of the past and helped defeat the mad Decepticon [[Megadeath (G1)|Megadeath]]. Of course, he was the only member of the team that didn't seem particularly haunted by those events in the first place, but the ''others'' overcame them, and wasn't that nice for them?'' {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

=====''Another Time and Place''=====
Sunstreaker stormed the [[Hydrus Four]] facility with his fellow Autobots to rescue Grimlock and the Dinobots. He almost took a shot in the back from a Decepticon, but Prime took out his attacker. {{storylink|Another Time and Place}}

{{note|The Decepticon planning to shoot Sunstreaker was described as "[[Battletrap]] in tank mode". Battletrap doesn't HAVE a tank mode. This was probably meant to be [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], who was also described as present in the battle.}}

====''Classics''====

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe joined Optimus Prime's crew on Earth after Megatron resurfaced. They braved the Ark's defenses in order to break inside and recover their lost comrade, Ratchet. As an expression of his concern, Sunstreaker made no mention of the chips and tarnish of his paint job when they freed Ratchet, and together the twins carried their medic friend away to safety. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice Actor:'' [[Corey Burton]] (US), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japan)

{{bigquote|I knew the humans would turn on us some day. They're such undependable creatures. Inferior lifeforms.|Sunstreaker on humans|[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]}}

[[Image:MoreThanMeetstheEye Part3 Sunstreaker veh.jpg|right|220px|thumb|The "Super Tuning" custom job is more impressive than you might think at first glance.]]
Sunstreaker was part of the original crew of Autobots aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] that crashed on [[Earth]] four million years ago. When reawakened in 1984, he and his brother Sideswipe were reformatted into Lamborghini sports cars. They were both deployed during the Autobot counter-attack on a human oil rig, but didn't really do very much. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} After the Autobots' defeat at [[Sherman Dam]], Sunstreaker and Sideswipe came to the rescue of [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and their new human allies, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and his father [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] when they were attacked by [[Seeker (body-type)|Decepticon jets]]. One of the Decepticons managed to graze Sunstreaker and damage his new paint job, infuriating the vainer of the two Autobot brothers. After he forced the Decepticons to break off for repairs, Sunstreaker was still grousing about his scuffed paint, to which his brother suggested that nobody would notice if he just made left turns. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} The Autobot brothers were among those that volunteered to attack and totally fail to stop the [[Victory (G1)|Decepticon space cruiser]]. Sunstreaker celebrated the apparent demise of the Decepticons when their ship crashed and cheered [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s role in its sabotage. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:RollForIt Sunstreaker Chip.jpg|left|250px|thumb|A more kid-friendly sociopath.]]
When [[Chip Chase]] was kidnapped by the Decepticons and brought to the recently conquered [[antimatter]] laboratory of [[Doctor Alcazar|Dr. Alcazar]], the Autobots successfully staged a rescue operation to get him back. Sunstreaker then led a second team of Autobots into the lab, declaring that they had to get the antimatter cubes before it was too late, smashing a Sunstreaker-shaped hole in the wall. Unfortunately, he and the other Autobots were damaged when Megatron threw an antimatter cube at them. After returning to the Ark, Sunstreaker was heard to complain about a 'very sensitive junction' in his elbow, but was soon repaired quickly enough to arm wrestle with Sideswipe. When the antimatter-fueled Decepticons attacked the Ark, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker took to the air to battle with the incoming Seeker jets, in a rambunctious — if ultimately ineffective — display of "[[jet judo]]." After the Decepticons were defeated, Sunstreaker congratulated Chip, declaring him a hero and gave him a ride on his shoulder. {{storylink|Roll for It}}
{{-}}
{{bigquote|Hey, not the ''face'', okay? I just had it chromed!|Sunstreaker|[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]}}

When the munitions factory was attacked by the Decepticon jets, Sunstreaker transformed to roll out with the Autobots in Autobot Headquarters, but never actually bothered showing up. Later, while watching [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] attempt to repair the severely damaged [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], Sunstreaker and the remaining Autobots were rallied into repulsing a Decepticon attack by Spike. Sunstreaker was shot by [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] before recovering, only to be buried in a landslide by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} Sunstreaker complained about Trailbreaker's force field deflecting [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]'s flame breaths into his face when the newly-constructed [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] went haywire. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Sunstreaker nottheface.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Insert flaming joke.]]
Later, when responding to a Decepticon diversionary attack on [[India]]'s coast, Sunstreaker complained about the fact his newly installed water skis clashed with his base coat, but Optimus Prime told him to redecorate himself later, as they had Decepticons to worry about. When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and the Decepticons escaped without taking any energy, Sunstreaker realized they had been set up. Soon after, the Autobots attacked the Decepticon undersea headquarters to rescue the captive Sparkplug, during which Sunstreaker was concerned that the salt water would damage his body enamel. After returning to base for repairs, Sunstreaker fidgeted as Ratchet attempted to repair him, worried that the medic would scorch his selenium shin guards. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} When [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] was brought into Earth's orbit as part of Megatron's latest scheme, Sunstreaker retreated with the other Autobots due to audio disruptor waves generated by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}}

Sunstreaker was part of an Autobot unit sent to investigate reports of [[Insecticon (G1)|giant insect monsters]] attacking Bali, Indonesia. When the road to the coordinates of the attack was blocked by a local village celebration, Sunstreaker questioned his brother's knowledge of the local area, a criticism warranted when Sideswipe led them into a dead end canyon. Sunstreaker continued to criticize Sideswipe's sense of direction as Sideswipe very slowly tunneled underneath the villagers. As the Autobots made their way to a nearby [[oil]] refinery under attack from the Decepticons, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] used his override waves on both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, taking control of their driving mechanisms and forcing them to drive headfirst into the other Autobots. Sunstreaker implored the other Autobots to shoot our their tires, but fortunately, Trailbreaker was able to interrupt the override waves. During the ensuing battle at the oil refinery, Sunstreaker was more concerned about his enamel being damaged by Wheeljack during a counterattack than enemy fire. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:ChangingGears jungleclearing.jpg|left|230px|thumb|Hey, Jazz, let's get rid of ALL the trees, so we can build a highway.]]
After Spike was critically injured in a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, his consciousness was transferred into the body of [[Autobot X]]. However, this process proved too stressful for his mind to take, and so he lashed out in blind anger. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe attempted to restrain him, only to be tossed aside by "Autobot Spike's" enormous strength. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} During a Decepticon attack on a mining camp as part of an plot to capture [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], Sunstreaker was among the Autobots who rolled out to confront them. He was hit by a boulder "energized" by Megatron (instead of just being shot, or something a logical enemy would do). When it was discovered Megatron was tapping into the [[Sun]] with his [[Solar Needle]], the Autobots ''drove'' to the "geographical center of Africa", only to be hindered by the dense jungle, which Optimus Prime ordered Jazz and Sunstreaker to blast their way through. Jerks. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} Sunstreaker got to use his jet skis again when the Autobots were sent to investigate the disappearance of the Empire State Building in [[New York City]]. Sadly, the skis still clashed with his base coat. He was rather pessimistic about their chances against the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons']] remote-controlled taxi cabs. Wimp. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

{{bigquote|When they built me, they broke the mold!|Sunstreaker on how fantastic he is, not on how his toy will never be reissued|[[The Autobot Run]]}}

In the aftermath of Ironhide firing randomly at a hologram of [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] during a demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]], Sunstreaker had to help Bluestreak vacuum up the rubble. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} When the Autobots agreed to a charity race/stunt show, Sunstreaker was sure that a large audience would appreciate his performance. During the race, Sunstreaker arrogantly shoved his way past the slower Autobots, but despite all of his bluster, he was slower than Jazz and Mirage. He didn't seem to mind too much, as he was the star of a car jump stunt over the other Autobots...until he failed to finish that, as well. However, during the race, the Autobots had unwittingly been locked into their [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]], which freaked out Sunstreaker, as he couldn't transform back into his handsome robot form. After Chip Chase and the unaffected Autobots reversed the effects via a special ''grenade'', Sunstreaker was the first to regain the ability to transform and was very pleased to see his true beauty. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} When the Decepticons allied themselves with the underwater kingdom of [[Sub-Atlantica]], Sunstreaker was present during the battle in [[Washington, D.C.]] and on the sub-sea city itself, but didn't actually do anything. Jerk. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

[[Image:TheCore Sunstreaker planting dominator disc.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Sunstreaker was present when the Autobots were confronted with the dilemma of two Optimus Primes. Though he didn't put forward any helpful suggestions, he observed the inconclusive results of the tests that the Autobots ran on the two Primes and later rolled out to investigate energy readings coming from a crevasse filled with [[korlonium crystal]]s. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} Sunstreaker got his chance to command a team of Autobots investigating a missing river, when they stumbled on a Decepticon operation to drill into the Earth. Unfortunately, they were spotted and attacked by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], though they were able to defeat the giant through teamwork. Sunstreaker was part of a subsequent mission to plant [[dominator disc]]s on the Constructicons, and he managed to attach one to [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] by hiding in a hole. During the next battle, the Autobots were able to use the discs to take control of Devastator. They used the giant to attack the Decepticon drilling operation in the caves, and during this fight, Sunstreaker had to rescue Chip Chase when the boy was caught in a cave-in. Megatron eventually regained control of Devastator, and the combiner turned on Sunstreaker and Ironhide. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:DinobotIsland2 Sunstreaker carrying mammoth.jpg|thumb|left|220px]]
When the Dinobots again ran wild at Autobot Headquarters, Sunstreaker was on hand, and at least this time didn't get his paint job scorched. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} He and Sideswipe were part of the response team when a time warp opened near the city library, and they had to cope with barbarians on woolly mammoths. Though the unwashed primitives almost damaged his finish, they were soon contained, and he used his gun to hold the warp open long enough to return the barbarians to their own time. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}} Sunstreaker took part in the [[Autobot Day]] parade in [[Central City (G1)|Central City]], reflecting that he never knew that humans had "such exquisite taste". Unfortunately, things soon turned sour, as a video was played incriminating the Autobots in energy theft, and the humans turned against their former allies. Sunstreaker commented that he always knew that humans would turn on the Autobots and declared them an inferior lifeform...right as Chip, Spike, and Sparkplug Witwicky were in the control room. They probably shouldn't have been too insulted, as Sunstreaker considers everyone else an inferior lifeform.

[[Image:MMP1 Sunstreaker rails.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Stop...Hammer Time!]]
The Autobots were put on trial and, to their dismay, found guilty and ordered to leave the planet on a spaceship supplied by [[Shawn Berger]]. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} The ship was locked on a course into the Sun by Megatron, leaving the Autobots in dire peril. Utilizing Trailbreaker's force fields and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], not to mention some unwitting help from [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], they were able to escape before the heat crazed Sunstreaker's body work, and they returned to Earth to depose the Decepticons from their position of power. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} Like the rest of the Autobots, Sunstreaker suffered from [[Cybertonium]] depletion, preventing him from functioning until Spike, [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] and the Dinobots were able to obtain some more. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

Sunstreaker transformed to roll out and investigate the Decepticon theft of the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], but disappeared at some point before the response team reached the observatory. He later rolled out again to help humans who were experiencing difficulty as a result of Megatron jamming the world's radio signals. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} When the first group of Autobots to face the [[electrum]]-coated Decepticons reported failure, Sunstreaker told them to let a pro handle it. Unfortunately, his weapon proved just as ineffective, and it wasn't until the Autobots found the golden lagoon and coated themselves in electrum that the Decepticons were overcome. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:HoistGoesHollywood Sunstreaker Tracks masks.jpg|thumb|230px|left|Yet to be realised as a toy.]]
Sunstreaker was one of several Autobots who glommed onto [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]'s job as a Hollywood extra in the hopes of becoming a movie star. After he, [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] crashed the filming, the [[Director]] employed them all as stunt vehicles, which involved Sunstreaker doing some literal crashing—into a burning building. The movie was soon reworked into ''[[Attack of the Alien Robots]]'', leading to Sunstreaker having to wear a ridiculous [[alien]] mask and spout out stilted, wooden dialog—and goose-step, for some reason. During one of the shoots, an out-of-control explosion almost wiped out the four Autobots, and they discovered that the Decepticons were working behind the scenes to cover up an operation. After everything was resolved, Sunstreaker and the others decided to stay out of the movie business. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

[[Image:TFTM Sunstreaker hereandthere.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Honestly, we're surprised Ichikawa didn't try to explain this one in the Binaltech storyline.]]
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe took part in the [[Europa 2000]] in order to keep an eye on [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s high-tech automobile. After Sideswipe forced the pair to take a detour in [[Italy]], they were ambushed by the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s, who boxed them in so that [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] could shoot them. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}} They and most of the rest of the Autobots rolled out to rescue [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] from a Decepticon trap and were subsequently infected by [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. Luckily, Perceptor was able to work out a way to create more [[corrostop]] and cure them all. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} After the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s used the space bridge to move Earth towards the Sun, Sunstreaker was part of a combined Autobot/Decepticon team who traveled to Cybertron to prevent Earth's destruction. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Before the [[Battle of Autobot City|Decepticon attack]] on [[Autobot City]] in the year 2005, Sunstreaker was helping [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] move a roadblock. He was knocked over when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] drove through it.

Meanwhile, he was '''also''' on Moon Base One and helped pilot the shuttle that flew Optimus Prime and the Dinobots to Autobot City.

Seriously. He's ''THAT'' good. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Following the destruction of the Decepticons' [[Omega Whip]] weapon, Sunstreaker and several other Autobot cars raced after Megatron and his troops to keep them from escaping. They caught up with the Decepticons and kept them busy until Autobot reinforcements could arrive. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''The Stargate Battles''=====
When the Decepticons made their second play for control of the human-built "[[Warp Gate|Trigger]]" interstellar teleportation system in the late 1990s, Sunstreaker was among the Autobot forces who stood against them. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] subsequently took control of the Trigger, forcing Megatron and Optimus Prime to combine their power to destroy the Trigger. Sunstreaker and all the other Transformers were caught backwash from the incredible cosmic explosion and plummeted back to Earth, not to be heard from again for several months. {{storylink|The Stargate Battles (issue)|The Stargate Battles}}
=====''Story of Binaltech''=====

In 2003, Sunstreaker was one of numerous Autobots who were rendered helpless when they were infected with [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] by the Decepticon, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. Working with the [[Earth Defense Command]] and several Earth automotive companies, the Autobots developed "Binaltech" technology, creating new bodies into which their [[spark]]s were place so they could carry on the fight. It was intended for Sunstreaker to gain a new Dodge Viper body like his brother Sideswipe, but the Decepticons infiltrated the operation and hijacked the body for use by the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] instead. {{storylink|Arise! Evil Binaltechs}}

As the Binaltech conflict raged on, the timeline was eventually altered by [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]].

{{Note|At this point, the original timeline was retroactively restored and the events of the ''Story of Binaltech'' diverged into a parallel universe. Skip to the next section below to continue reading about the original timeline; exactly how many (if any) of the events related in this section, even prior to the divergence, occurred in the original unaltered timeline are unknown.}}

In this alternate timeline, Sunstreaker was present at the [[Earth Defense Command]] Antarctic base, shortly after the appearance of the [[Optimus Primal|Protector]]. {{storylink|Binal Time}}

=====''Binaltech Asterisk''=====
[[Image:SunstreakerBTA.jpg|right|120px|thumb|Dig me!]]

{{note|It's not clear if the events of ''Binaltech Asterisk'' occur in the parallel "BT World" timeline, or the mainstream universe.}}

Sunstreaker was a member of the Autobot Race Team, which may or may not have had any other [[Transformer]]s on it. He was sort of a mascot for them, and the team didn't actually use him in races. He resented that people paid more attention to him as a promotional image than as a race car.

After being drafted into the [[Interplanetary Personnel Exchange Program]] by Officer [[Clamp Down]], Sunstreaker was partnered with the human "race queen" model [[Junko Shiragami]] and acted as her car. Once, Sunstreaker got into a race with a human-driven sports car, much to Junko's dismay. He used his transformation ability to take a particularly sharp curve, destroying a road sign in the process, for which Junko chewed him out.

It was said that Sunstreaker drove faster when he smelled Junko's marigold-scented hair. Make of that what you will. {{storylink|Binaltech Asterisk (online comic)|Sunstreaker Meets Junko}}
{{--}}

=====''Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:JHeadmasters01RedAlertEtc.jpg|thumb|200px]]
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Sunstreaker engaged the Decepticons with his comrades. Later, on Earth, Sunstreaker was present for a suspiciously similar battle with the Decepticons that resulted in the death of Optimus Prime. In 2011, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] recalled the Cybertronian skirmish that Sunstreaker took part in—or another one very much like it. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

[[Image:FourWarriors SunstreakerBlitzwing.jpg|200px|thumb|A five-second cameo, and all I do is avoid Blitzwing? Slag it!!]]

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

When the Decepticons launched a major attack on Cybertron in 2011, Sunstreaker appeared briefly in vehicle mode evading jet-mode [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'s attacks. Sunstreaker escaped into a tunnel, and Blitzwing bounced off its exterior and crashed. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{-}}
===3H ''Universe'' comics===
[[Image:Sunstreaker.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"I'm exclusive!"]]

After the [[Pax Cybertronia]], Sunstreaker left Cybertron with four other survivors of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] ([[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]], [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]], and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]). One year after Cybertron was reformatted into a technorganic planet, they returned. They were greeted by many of the [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] inhabitants and with vast media coverage.

However, what appeared to be celebratory fireworks struck the five Autobots and also the Maximals [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. They were transported to a fiery cauldron deep within [[Unicron]], where all but Trailbreaker were rebuilt painfully into new bodies.

Seeing an arena up ahead, the seven moved towards it, only to be attacked by a swarm of shape-shifting, lava-like creatures. Sunstreaker and the others were overwhelmed and taken into the arena (or, the [[Cauldron]]), where they were caged along with a multitude of Transformers kidnapped from across the multiverse. {{storylink|Abduction|Abduction}}

The Unicron-influenced ambience of the place was slowly driving the more violent of the group mad. This, of course, included Sunstreaker. He and Sideswipe were forced into combat in the arena (each wielding spiffy [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] weapons), but were rescued by a reborn [[Optimus Primal]]. The group, sans a corrupted Blackarachnia and Shadow Striker, fled back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"Why, you arrogant—yow! I should rewire that smug mug of yours right here—blaw!—right now!" 
"Don't kid yourself—this face is worth more than ''you'' are."|[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and Sunstreaker|"[[Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation]]"|noquote=true}}

[[Image:DWPrimeDirective2 SunstreakerSideswipe.jpg|left|300px|thumb|A family that pelvic thrusts together, stays together.]]
Before joining the Autobot army, Sunstreaker was a successful mural artist. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}} He was aboard the Ark when it crashed on Earth millions of years ago. He and the other Autobots awoke in 1984 to restart their war with the Decepticons. He was part of [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human-Autobot effort to defeat the Earth-bound Decepticons. At the end it was a success, and the captured Decepticons, along with the Autobots and a human crew, departed Earth en route to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]''. The ship, however, was sabotaged and exploded upon liftoff.

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

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

Sunstreaker accepted the new task at hand and fought alongside his brother when the Autobots faced the Decepticons at Lazarus' ruined base, before Hallo betrayed the Autobots by attempting to destroy both factions with a nuclear weapon. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3}} The Autobots survived when Megatron's technovirus absorbed the blast, and Sunstreaker helped his comrades recover the captive Autobots imprisoned inside the base. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4}}

[[Image:DWPrimeDirective5 SideswipeSunstreaker Devastator.jpg|right|250px|thumb|DULL HEROIC RUNNING!]]
As Jazz's unit worked on Megatron's virus, Sunstreaker followed Optimus Prime to [[San Francisco]] for the last battle against Megatron and his Decepticons. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] was taken down, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe heroically (though foolishly) charged at [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] rather than, say, shoot him; they were surprisingly beaten up. After Optimus Prime destroyed Devastator's head, Sunstreaker was restrained by the surviving Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5}} However, through human intervention, Optimus Prime freed his Autobots and the battle was rejoined. Sunstreaker tag-teamed with his brother to pummel Soundwave, though the Decepticons eventually escaped when Superion sacrificed his life to save the city from General Hallo's unauthorized nuclear missile launch. After Optimus Prime came back online, Sunstreaker and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] discovered the traitorous [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] buried under rubble. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6}}

''During the conflict with the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]], Sunstreaker was one of the Autobots chosen by Optimus Prime to join the strike on occupied Las Vegas. Sunstreaker was edgy about having to work with Megatron and the Decepticons, and was ready to draw his rifle at a moment's notice during the groups' meeting. Still, he remained sensitive enough to [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]'s feelings to comfort his human friend when he was feeling useless, letting Spike know he always did his very best. (WHAT?!) In Las Vegas, Sunstreaker and the other Autobots lent their energies to Optimus Prime for his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-inspired Finishing Move against the Keepers. {{storylink|Annihilation}} Later, Sunstreaker and the Autobots battled alongside the Decepticons again, against the treacherous forces of the American military. Sunstreaker and several other Autobots fell before the processor-eating power of the President's new toy, the [[Deconstructionite|deconstructionites]].'' {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}

When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived on Earth to enforce [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s edict that the Earth-bound Autobots surrender themselves to the Cybertronian alliance, Optimus Prime ordered a portion of his troops into hiding in [[Portland]], [[Oregon]]. This group, led by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], included Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} However, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], and his cassettes soon escaped to Earth with [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Attacking the Ark, they defeated all of Jazz's group minus Ratchet and Brawn. Sunstreaker and the others were left in a swamp, deactivated. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}}

[[Image:DW Extermination Sunstreaker kills Kickback.jpg|left|400px|thumb|I'm not only better than you, I'm also gay.]]
[[Orion (ship)|A ship]] crewed by [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] (led by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]) arrived on Earth with supplies, and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] pulled the deactivated from their would-be swampy grave. They were promptly arrested by Commander [[Marissa Faireborn]] of the [[Earth Defense Command]] and her armored troops. The damaged Autobots were repaired, and Commander Faireborn came to Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Jazz with a mission. The American city of [[San Desto]] was under attack by [[Insecticon (G1)|Cybertronian creatures]]. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}} Sunstreaker spent the entire mission either putting down [[EDC Night Force Unit|the humans]], Bumper or, when he wasn't around, Sideswipe. He didn't think any of them would make it out alive, but nevertheless tore through the Insecticon clones like they were paper! After they were captured by the real Insecticons, Sunstreaker was not too happy to be rescued by Bumper. When Bombshell activated the [[Cerebro-shell|cerebro-shelled]] human population of San Desto to attack the Autobots, Sunstreaker was also all-too-ready to kill the lot of them, until Bumper saved them all again. {{storylink|Extermination}} The ''Orion'' picked up Sunstreaker and the other Autobots from the EDC's Nevada base shortly after saving San Desto. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}

{{note|In August 2006, [[Matt Moylan]] [http://tinyurl.com/2ugos3 revealed] that Sunstreaker was gay in Dreamwave continuity. This was never dealt with head-on (or meant to be) but it provided a basis for his characterization.}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
Sunstreaker was among the Transformers found and reprogrammed by the human terrorist organization [[Cobra]], and along with Sideswipe and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], he was reformatted into a Cobra [[Stinger (G.I. Joe)|Stinger]]. He, his brother and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] were sent to attack the [[SPS Research Facility]], but the two siblings were rammed by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] while charging at the main entrance, and Cobra eventually retreated. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3}} When Wheeljack freed the Autobots from Cobra's control, Sunstreaker helped Sideswipe and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] fight against the similarly freed Decepticons [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
{{quote|"Sunstreaker—''speed limit''." 
"Oh, ''c'mon''! Bad enough I gotta share my ''upholstery'' with a species that sheds skin on a regular basis, but now I gotta super-size the experience?"|Ironhide and Sunstreaker|[[Escalation issue 1|''Escalation'' #1]]|noquote=true}}

[[Image:MegsOrigin3 Sunstreaker neverlose.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Sunstreaker shows off his humbler side.]]
Long ago, before the [[Great War (G1)|war]], Sunstreaker was a patron of illegal underground death matches in the [[Forge]], where he cheered on Megatron in his first victory there. He returned several times more, including to watch Megatron's 54th battle in the arena, this time apparently alongside Sideswipe. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}}

When Megatron, rising in power and influence, put on a recruitment call to all-comers, Sunstreaker happily answered his call. Sideswipe tried to talk him out of joining the fights, to no avail. Sunstreaker apparently thought the call was for participation in the illegal gladiatorial games, but it was actually the first recruitment call for the Decepticon army. How they took Megatron's announcement, the apparent murder of a Senator, and how they fared when Autobot security forces raided the meeting is unknown. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Neither he, nor any of the other Autobots-to-be that were present at the "rally", were seen again in prison or upon the Decepticons' escape and ravaging of [[Kaon]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

[[Image:Infiltration6 Sunstreaker humansout.jpg|left|150px|thumb|What, does he keep them in a kennel or something?]]

At some point during the war that followed Megatron's Decepticon rebellion, Sunstreaker was one of many Autobots trained by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}} He himself was Sideswipe's P-3 Training Officer and strike partner, and spent the whole time looking down on him as a subpar rookie. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Sunstreaker would later lead a unit in a battle against [[Drift (G1)|Deadlock]] in which he was forced to order a retreat. {{storylink|Drift issue 1|Drift #1}}

In the modern era, Sunstreaker was a unit commander who helped drive the Decepticons from an unidentified planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}} Immediately afterward, he was assigned to a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on [[Earth]] for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Being stationed on Earth did little to alter Sunstreaker's arrogance, with him dismissing [[Verity Carlo|the]] [[Hunter O'Nion|three]] [[Jimmy Pink|humans]] which [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] saved as "noisy creatures". {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}} Later, Sunstreaker and the other Autobots observed Megatron's brutal disciplining of the treacherous Starscream. Despite 'Streaker's high opinion of himself and his own skills, he was visibly relieved when Prowl decided to leave the Decepticons alone. After returning to the ''[[Ark-19]]'', he complained about the humans running around loose in their headquarters. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

[[Image:Escalation1 Sunstreaker videogame.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He doesn't rate the Battlechargers very highly, apparently.]]

To keep the noisy creatures occupied, he created a video game starring himself. Soon afterward, Sunstreaker, along with [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], were assigned the task of escorting the humans back to the big wild world, [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]. On a road in the vicinity of [[Lebanon, Missouri]], Sunstreaker and company were ambushed by the [[Machination]]. He and Hunter became separated from Ironhide and were seemingly destroyed. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} However, it was soon revealed that it was not the case; the debris recovered by Optimus Prime was revealed by Ratchet to be an elaborate fake. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}}
Sunstreaker was painfully dismantled and treated barbarically by the employees. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}} After re-awakening in a [[Machination]] stronghold, Hunter was horrified to find an unidentified being, possibly Cybertronian, had been creating a series of [[Sunstreaker clone|Sunstreaker clones]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

[[Image:Devastation3 Sunstreakerhead yuh.jpg|left|150px|thumb|You still better than us now, Sunstreaker?]]

Having been able to dupe the Machination into believing that he was catatonic, Hunter went exploring in their headquarters. Eventually, he discovered Sunstreaker's own decapitated head, which was still functioning. Tortured, Sunstreaker begged the human to kill him. Meanwhile, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] ran afoul of the Sunstreaker clones... piloted by [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] — humans who could transform into the robots' heads. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} It turned out all of the Headmasters were mentally connected to the original Sunstreaker and leeched knowledge from him, a process that was extremely painful. However, this had its disadvantage — Sunstreaker doesn't read Autobot memos so the Machination had less inside knowledge than they thought; Hot Rod and Wheeljack escaped by using a weapon that Sunstreaker didn't know about. Hunter, rather than kill the Autobot, asked for his help to become a Headmaster himself so he could pilot one of the Machination's spare clones. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} After downloading the necessary information from Sunstreaker, Hunter headed to the body shop, where more clone bodies were being stored. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} Just as a freshly-restored [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], head of the Machination, broke through a wall to kill him, Hunter was able to transform into Sunstreaker's head and linked to the real Sunstreaker's mind. Speaking as Sunstreaker, Hunter attached himself to a clone body, but commented that everything felt slow (as a result of Machination scientists cutting all connections to the real Sunstreaker, with devastating effects for the Headmasters). Hunter transformed to vehicle mode, blasted a hole in the wall and escaped. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[Image:Sunstreaker Head-On.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I'd lose my head if it wasn't screwed on.]]

After that, the new Sunstreaker began raiding Machination front organizations across America, looking for his original head. He wanted Hunter out of his head and gone forever so he didn't have to talk to the human—not that he meant ''any'' offense by that, oh no. On one raid, he became aware that the Machination had plans involving the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] and sped off to Dallas to get involved {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 1|Maximum Dinobots #1}} The Dynobots were actually sent to ''Fallon'' but Sunstreaker carried on to Dallas anyway, reasoning that getting his old head back would offline all the Headmasters—and that whatever the Dynobots were up to was merely collateral damage. (Nice chap...) {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 2|Maximum Dinobots #2}} When they arrived in Dallas, seeing that the facility was far bigger than anything they had come across before, Hunter realized they needed a plan and forced Sunstreaker to sit it out while they watched and waited, citing that he was the more level-headed of the pair and that it was nice to just be Hunter O'Nion every now and then. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 3|Maximum Dinobots #3}} When the time came, Sunstreaker reconnected with Hunter and barged into the Machination, having a short talk with Hot Rod as he blasted two of his clones. He found his original head, but Scorponok was waiting and shot a hole through his chest. Hunter escaped and, reluctantly and remorsefully, deactivated Sunstreaker's original head. This succeeded in shutting down all of the clones, at the cost of doing the same to Sunstreaker. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4|Maximum Dinobots #4}}

[[Image:Sunstreaker recovers.jpg|left|100px|thumb|New unexplained altmode — just add water.]]

Hunter, however, stayed conscious and survived the rest of the battle. He accompanied Sunstreaker aboard the ''[[Ark-32]]'', where the comatose Autobot was put into a [[CR chamber]] for heavy repairs. Sunstreaker's original head was reattached, and his battered body was rebuilt into a [[#Universe (2008)|slightly different form]]. Ratchet claimed that "though physically separated, Sunstreaker's spark sustained him." Ratchet was able to minimize the mental link between Sunstreaker and Hunter, but he was afraid to try removing Hunter's implants, and the human was left feeling like half of himself was missing. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

Eventually Ratchet did successfully sever their link, but the Headmaster experience had left deep wounds on Sunstreaker's psyche. He turned his back on Hunter and never wanted to speak of the incident again. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} His pain turned into a hatred for Earth and its inhabitants; he wanted nothing more than to leave the planet forever. Starscream took advantage of this, meeting in secret with Sunstreaker to strike a deal. Starscream wanted Sunstreaker's help to both kill Megatron and ensure the Autobots' departure from Earth. Starscream claimed that after taking control of the Decepticons, he would be satisfied to confine his own empire to the one planet, so really Sunstreaker would get what he wanted on both counts. Sunstreaker agreed "on one condition": That Starscream would use his dominion to kill every single human being. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

Starscream and Sunstreaker arranged false intelligence that led the Autobots into an ambush. But, whether due to Starscream's treachery or to a simple failure in the plan, only half of their goals were accomplished: The Autobots were beaten and exiled to Cybertron via the newly-created [[space bridge]], but Megatron survived the battle happily. Optimus Prime attacked and destroyed the space bridge as he went through it, but doing so left him in a critical state of shutdown. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

[[Image:Sunstreaker on bridge AHM8.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Sunstreaker in [[All Hail Megatron issue 10 #Errors|''A Bridge Too Few'']].]]

If Sunstreaker had been brooding and sullen already, this outcome only intensified his angst. The other Autobots knew that they must have been betrayed, but they had no idea by whom. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], as the scout who had delivered the bad intelligence, was a natural suspect, and Ironhide became his chief accuser. Sunstreaker gravitated to Ironhide, encouraging the finger pointed away from himself. When Sideswipe confronted Sunstreaker about the dissension he was fostering in the ranks, Sunstreaker tried to get him to leave him alone. Sideswipe attempted sympathy, telling his brother that he could only imagine what the Headmaster experience had been like, but even that turned into an accusation for abandoning Hunter. Sunstreaker yelled back that that was in the past and was completely irrelevant, and everyone knew he never wanted to talk about it again. He stormed off, but doing so caught Ironhide's attention. When Sunstreaker told Ironhide that Sideswipe thought they were taking their accusations against Mirage too far, Ironhide decided they hadn't taken things far ''enough,'' so he promptly dragged Mirage into a corner and beat him half to death. Sunstreaker's only protest was that others might see. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

[[Image:Sunstreaker sacrifice_AHM.jpg|left|150px|thumb|At least he didn't have to suffer the indignity of [[Ironhide (G1)| being]] [[Perceptor (G1)|rescued]] [[Wrecker|by]] Drift.]]

But his guilt gnawed away at him until one day he found a chance for the redemption of martyrdom. The Autobots had decided to move to a different headquarters to defend themselves from the [[Insecticon swarm]]. The new base's strength was its inaccessibility: It could only be accessed by a single bridge, and the Autobots had planted explosives on it to take it down after everyone had made it across. The Autobots did outrun the swarm, but in the process [[Perceptor (G1)|their sharpshooter]] was incapacitated, and the bombs needed to be detonated via weapons-fire. While the others debated who would be capable of the task, Sunstreaker slipped away onto the bridge to do it himself. Ironhide went out after him and tried to talk him back, but Sunstreaker spilled his guts about the entire betrayal. Ironhide was dumbfounded, and just as Sunstreaker began to apologize, the swarm attacked. [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] raced in and pulled Ironhide out of the crush, and as they sped away, Sunstreaker fired at the bomb. The bridge was destroyed in a massive fireball, and Sunstreaker appearently went with it. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

Later, Bombshell taunted Sideswipe in battle, claiming to have toyed with Sunstreaker's mind and played with his fears using information gleaned from dissecting Hunter. After the battle, Sideswipe found Hunter's tortured form strung up in Bombshell's lab, horrifically intertwined with all sorts of machinery. Sideswipe turned the life-support system off, letting Hunter — and any potential surviving piece of Sunstreaker — expire. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

However, Sunstreaker had survived, and the events of the past few years (though badly skewed to a certain perspective) seemed to be repeating in his badly damaged head, amongst the bodies of the swarm. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}}

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

Over the next three years, Sunstreaker lay where he fell, his brain stuck in a recursive loop of the horrors the Machination inflicted upon him and his regret over betraying his friends. The mysterious [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] had long known of Sunstreaker's survival, but didn't attempt to rescue him, as the Autobot was not part of his plans for Cybertron's rebirth. This changed when the resurrected Ironhide went down to the ravine to rescue his fallen comrade. Sunstreaker attempted to apologise for what he did and admitted his cowardice for not speaking up when Ironhide falsely accused [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] of betraying the Autobots. However, as Ironhide had no memory of the past four million years, he didn't know what Sunstreaker was talking about. Safely inside Alpha Trion's [[Metroplex (G1)|base]], Sunstreaker freaked out when he saw the legendary Autobot, fearing that his Judgement had finally come for betraying the Autobots and selling out humanity. Trion mercifully used his powers to take Sunstreaker temporarily offline when he begged for his "dreams" to stop. {{storylink|Ironing Out the Details}}

Alpha Trion was able to bring Sunstreaker's sanity back and repair most of his body except for his legs, temporarily leaving him in a hoverchair. Interested in his "unique experiences" with the humans, Trion intended to take Sunstreaker with him on his journey, but he refused. Dead set on trying to make up for his past crimes, Sunstreaker instead chose to stay on Cybertron with Ironhide to help eliminate the swarm. Alpha Trion accepted this and left the two Autobots on the abandoned planet, where Sunstreaker would have a lot of time to fill Ironhide in on what happened in the past few million years. {{storylink|Any Old Iron}}

====Hail and Farewell====
{{Note|Due to the abrupt cancellation of several related stories and the emergence of ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'', the following events cannot occur in the mainstream timeline, if they are [[canon]] at all.}}

Two years after meeting the Autobots and becoming a Headmaster, Hunter went back to his house with Sunstreaker. As Hunter gathered a few effects, he reminisced on how much had changed and how much had happened. He had been to other planets, even another dimension. He'd fought Scorponok, allied with the Dinobots, and faced a planetary Decepticon invasion. And now he wasn't just Hunter; he had become one with Sunstreaker in both mind and body. As he converted back to Sunstreaker's head, he mused that it was true what they said about never being able to go home again. {{storylink|Hail and Farewell}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 5|Henkei! Henkei! #5}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1-toy Sunstreaker.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yellow, I love me, let me jump in your game.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Autobot, 1984/1986/1990)
**''Accessories'': Left & right fists, 2 "rocket boosters", 3 rockets

: Sunstreaker was released as part of the first year of the Transformers line in the US. He transforms into a "Super Tuning" customized Lamborghini Countach LP500S with an exposed rear-mounted engine. Each robot-mode arm has a spring-launching mechanism to fire his fists, his chrome missiles, or his "rocket boosters" (once the boosters' main body was pushed forward to lengthen the connection peg), but the springs were severely neutered or removed outright in the US [[for safety reasons]]. The boosters fit very ''very'' loosely in the holes in his rear bumper/robot shoulders, making them pretty dubious additions to either mode.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in several different promotions, among them a "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]" flier packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point|robot points]].

:In 1990 he was re-released in Europe as part of the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line of reissues.

: Sunstreaker is generally considered to be one of the harder early [[The Transformers (toyline)|generation toys]] to find complete and unbroken. There also appears to be little chance of a [[Generation 1 reissue|reissue]] of the toy, as this mold has been stated by [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] representatives to be one of several whose original molding is either lost or in a state of disrepair too extensive to justify the cost of re-casting.

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

{{-}}
*'''VSZ Set''' (Multi-pack, 1985)
**''Accessories'': Left & right fists, 2 "rocket boosters", 3 rockets

: Sunstreaker's only release in Japan was in the [[VSZ]] set, along with [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]]. This sounds unfair, but then one must remember [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw is an unstoppable killing machine]].

{{-}}

*'''Transform Block'''

: Only available in Japan, this small, monochrome representation of Sunstreaker transformed by disassembling and reassembling his component parts. Hence, the name "Transform Block". The toy was first released as part of the Diaclone line alongside another toy representing the Diaclone version of Skids. The toy was simply put in new packaging for its Transformers release, which resembles that of [[Transform Jr]] toys.

===Universe (2003)===
[[Image:UniverseSunstreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Sideswipe in yellow? Dear Primus, I've become Tigertrack!]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Deluxe, 2003)
**''Accessories'': Left & right rocket boosters, 2 flame-missiles

: A [[retool]] of the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] mold, Sunstreaker transforms into a Lamborghini Diablo. Unusually for non-vintage transformers at the time, he has rubber tires. In either mode, he is armed with two pressure-launch missile launchers with two flame-shaped projectiles. These launchers are mounted upon his right arm in robot mode. In vehicle mode, they can be mounted on two pegs located on his spoiler as "rocket boosters". It is notable that the part that connects the toy's windshield to the main body uses a yellow decal rather than paint, as that part is made out of [[unpaintable plastic]]. The police lights from the original mold were removed, leaving this area bare.

: Sunstreaker was the "hotel [[exclusive]]" toy from [[OTFCC 2003]], available only to those who booked their room at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare at the convention rate, the official hotel for the convention.

: This mold is also used by [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/Sunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on BotCon Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternators/Binaltech Asterisk===

[[Image:Btasunstreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Lemony fresh new-car scent.]]
*'''Sunstreaker meets Junko''' (Autobot, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BTA-02'''
**''Accessories'': "Junko" driver/figurine, engine-block rifle

: In 2005, Takara and Hasbro released near-simultaneous and similar, but significantly different takes on Sunstreaker. The first to the market was the ''[[Alternators#Binaltech Asterisk|Binaltech Asterisk]]'' version of the toy, including with a PVC driver figurine, a girl named [[Junko Shiragami|Junko]]. A [[redeco]] of the [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] Alternator (itself a [[retool]] of Alternator Sideswipe), Sunstreaker transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed "street performance" Dodge Viper with opening doors and hood, and an open passengers' compartment. His engine block becomes a rifle for his robot mode. Like the rest of the ''Binaltech Asterisk'' line, he was packaged in robot mode instead of vehicle.

{{-}}
[[Image:AlternatorsSunstreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|When girls disappear, their cars gain racing stripes. This is SCIENTIFIC FACT.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Autobot, 2005)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''18'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-block rifle

: A few months later, the Hasbro ''[[Alternators]]'' version was released as part of the standard ''Alternators'' line, in the redesigned "bubble" packaging (the third version of ''Alternators'' packaging). Though both are yellow redecos of the mold, the detailing between the two is very different, with the Hasbro version being a direct color-swap of the paint mask previously used for Dead End, adding red to the robot-mode parts as well as a pair of black racing stripes in car mode. Drastically put, the only two details virtually identical on both versions at first sight are the [[paint operation|paint mask]] for the head and the [[tampograph]]ed license plate. (This is particularly remarkable since a stolen [[prototype|pre-production sample]] of Hasbro Sunstreaker actually sported a license plate tampograph more in style with previous ''Alternators'' license plates, whereas the final version is dead on identical to the ''Binaltech Asterisk'' toy's tampo.)

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/AltSunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on Alternators/Binaltech Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
[[Image:Sunstreakeruniverse2008toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He's got Mirage's legs, and he knows how to use 'em better than Mirage does.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' "Electron Pulse Blaster", engine supercharger intakes

: Part of the first wave of [[Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] Deluxes, Sunstreaker transforms into a modified [[wikipedia:Lamborghini_Gallardo|Lamborghini Gallardo]]. Though the car is mostly based upon the Gallardo, to avoid legal problems, it also features modified headlights and elements taken from other cars—most of them are taken from other Lamborghini models, such as a front bumper that appears to be based on a 2004 [[wikipedia:Lamborghini Murciélago|Murciélago]] R-GT and a rear end that is basically a cross between a Murciélago and a [[wikipedia:Lamborghini_Diablo|Diablo]]; however, the split side windows and the ridges on the door vents are based on a [[wikipedia:McLaren F1|McLaren F1]]. Like the original Sunstreaker's Lamborghini Countach form, the 2008 ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' vehicle mode features a customized engine supercharger intakes mounted just behind the roof of the car. Sunstreaker's license plate is [[Tampograph|tampographed]] "WE R 84", referring to the year the ''Transformers'' franchise was launched.

: Like many other new-mold ''Universe'' toys, Sunstreaker has a "dramatic head reveal" when transforming him to robot mode: when his chest is rotated into place, his head rises into position and his ears to spring out. In robot mode, his engine intakes attach onto his back, though in an undocumented feature, they can also fold down over the widest part of the "electron blaster" and click in place. The gun can also be attached to the holes in Sunstreaker's shoulders, though his "ears" get in the way.

: Sunstreaker shares most of his design with ''Universe'' Sideswipe, differing in headsculpt and an altered transformation sequence. Sunstreaker is considered the original toy, as Sideswipe did not appear until a later wave of the toyline.

: Though not specifically a quality control issue, the yellow paint used for Sunstreaker's roof does not precisely match the bright yellow plastic used for his car body panel parts. The dark tinted windows causes the yellow paint to take on a greenish tinge.

: The Sunstreaker/Sideswipe mold was also retooled into ''[[Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] and [[BotCon 2010]] [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUSunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on Universe Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Sunstreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Unlike others in this line, the chrome surprisingly makes him more G1-accurate.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-07'''
**''Accessories:'' "Electron Pulse Blaster", engine supercharger intakes

: TakaraTomy's ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' version of ''Universe'' Sunstreaker is a redeco of Hasbro's release, featuring a deeper shade of yellow with a much greater consistency between the painted yellow roof and the yellow plastic than seen on ''Universe'' Sunstreaker. He also replaces some of the Universe figure's gray paint with black. The orange paint is replaced with red, and the maroon Autobot symbol is now the more standard red. As with all of the ''Henkei'' toys, he has [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] silver on his Electron Pulse Blaster, his supercharger and his spoiler.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==

* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

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


*'''Sunstreaker''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''11'''

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

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Sunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on Decoy Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium-toy RMSunstreaker.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Too good to be released, apparently.]]
*'''Sunstreaker''' (Robot Master, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Engine-blaster, display stand

:A planned redeco of ''[[Titanium Series]]'' Side Swipe, which was based on Sideswipe's ''Alternators'' toy. Sunstreaker would have been partially constructed of die cast metal with limited articulation located in his shoulders and neck. His accessories would have been a removable engine blaster and an Autobot symbol display stand.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:RobotHeroes Galvatron Sunstreaker.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Hi, I'm cuter than you.]]
* '''Sunstreaker vs. Galvatron''' (2-pack, 2008)

:Part of the first wave of ''Universe'' [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] toys, Sunstreaker is an adorably sociopathic non-transforming figure articulated at the neck and shoulders. He was available only in a two-pack with [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]], making this the most mentally-unbalanced Robot Heroes set ''ever''.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/RHSunstreaker/sunstreaker.htm More information on Robot Heros Sunstreaker at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
==Notes==
[[Image:Sunstreaker-diaclone.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Before he was a Transformer.]]
* According to Hasbro the pre-''Transformers'' ''Diaclone'' version of Sunstreaker was the first transforming car-to-robot toy ever designed.

* The pre-''Transformers'' ''Diaclone'' version of Sunstreaker is the Lamborghini Countach LP500S "Super Tuning" toy. The ''Diaclone'' version was originally painted only in red or police deco. This is one of several items that have led to the fan speculation that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's coloration and [[bio]] text were swapped around before their final release (another being that, in his bio, Sunstreaker feels that Sideswipe's car-mode lines are ruined by his rear-mounted engine, when in fact Sunstreaker is the one with said engine.) The [[Tech Spec|statistics]], however, are correct. This change would also explain Sunstreaker's otherwise inexplicable red shoulders/car panel decals, which were originally used to cover up the black plastic on the red Diaclone version.
** Unlike the red and police versions of Diaclone Sunstreaker, there is little evidence of yellow Sunstreakers packaged as Transformers wearing the factory decals representing his park lights (assumed to be headlights by most).

* The red ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of Sunstreaker was sold by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] in North America as the ''[[Diakron]]'' "DK-1" Car/Robot in 1983, seemingly just a few months before he would be rebranded as a Transformer.

* In the Transformers series [[Production bible|bible]] entry for his brother [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], Sunstreaker is referred to by a different name, '''Spinout''' <ref>http://transformers.winterchill.com/bible/biblepage17.html</ref>. "Nearly the equal of his twin brother, Spinout, in combat, but less cold-blooded." The same name (spelled "Spin-Out") is also used in a Marvel Age article<ref>[http://www.electric-escape.net/node/590 Article from Marvel Age #17.]</ref> from 1984 that announced the Marvel comic series.

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

* ''Alternators'' Sunstreaker was originally planned as the ''first'' [[retool]] of the [[Sideswipe (G1)|Side Swipe]] Dodge Viper toy. Early prototypes that were leaked to the public sported a sculpted Autobot logo, and development concept art and color maps detailed in ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' show a black-decoed figure. A store listing from March 2004 stated the figure's name as "'''Blackstreaker'''"<ref name="alternatorstfa">[http://www.tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?t=22083 TFArchive news thread about Alternators store listing from March 2004.]</ref>, suggesting that he was still intended to be Sunstreaker despite sporting different colors, possibly at the request of the car manufacturer. For reasons unknown, however, the toy was ultimately released as the [[Decepticon]] [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] instead, possibly to satisfy fan demands for Decepticons in the line, but this is mere supposition. It took a couple of years until Sunstreaker would see shelves as originally intended.

[[Image:SunstreakerSideswipeSDCC2007.jpg|thumb|250px|right|One of the cases where the end result turned out even ''better'' than the original idea. Well, except maybe for the weapon.]]
* Hasbro's early plans for ''Universe'' Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had the two as straight [[redeco]]s of each other, only differing in their head sculpts besides their colors—namely, Sunstreaker would have just been Sideswipe in yellow with a different head. It was [[TakaraTomy]] designer [[Hisashi Yuki]] who suggested an alternate transformation by turning the upper body by 180 degrees, thus providing more individual robot mode looks for the two characters that resemble their respective ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' designs more.<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009|'#Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref> In addition, Hasbro originally intended the [[alternate mode]]'s supercharger to split into two halves which would then become the handgun and and a spring-loaded shoulder launcher for the robot mode.

* Hilariously, early Hasbro prototypes of ''Universe'' Sunstreaker had the license plate say "WE R 8'''2'''", rather than "WE R 8'''4'''". This is seen in the [[stock photography|stock photo]] on the back of the packaging and an issue of ''Dengeki Hobby Magazine'' that compared ''Henkei'' Sunstreaker to his ''Universe'' counterpart.<ref name="wer82">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/185434-classics-henkei-sunstreaker-prowl-comparison-pictures.html Images from ''Dengeki Hobby Magazine'' at TFW2005, August 2008.</ref>

* Simon Furman's reason for making Sunstreaker a Headmaster at IDW? Because he's the one character who'd ''least'' want to ''be'' a Headmaster.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Moonbase Two interview with Nick Roche, 27:58 in]</ref>
{{--}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Sunstreaker Sunstreaker's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
*[http://transformers.winterchill.com/bible/biblepage18.html Sunstreaker's entry in the Transformers series bible.]

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Artists]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Binaltech Asterisk]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Autobot Spike

2010-10-27T01:53:27Z

64.189.19.132: /* Quotes */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=17
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=11
|prev2=Heavy Metal War
|next2=Changing Gears
|series3=''[[Generation 2 (cartoon)|The Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=37
|prev3=The Search for Alpha Trion
|next3=The Girl Who Loved Powerglide
|image=AutobotSpike Autobotx concealed weapon.jpg
|caption=That kid's gonna need a lot of therapy.
|title="Autobot Spike"
|production code=#700-16
|airdate=[[September 23]], 1985
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''A wounded Spike is turned into an Autobot Frankenstein's monster to save his life.'''

:''Japanese title:'' フランケンシュタイン・スパイク (''Frankenstein Spike'')

==Synopsis==
[[Image:AutobotSpike-AutobotXTabled.jpg|left|200px|thumb|In the future, Autobot X will be revived to systematically battle groups of eight [[Predacons (G1)|animal-themed robots]].]]

The Autobots gather around [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s worktable in [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] for a demonstration. Using spare parts and human ingenuity, Sparkplug has cobbled together a large robot he has dubbed [[Autobot X]], and with a flip of a switch sets him loose. He immediately runs amok—groaning, growling and smashing everything in sight. It takes [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] to bring him down. Sparkplug apologizes to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] for the mess and recommends Autobot X be put in storage.

Before this can be done, the party is interrupted by an alarm. Decepticons are attacking the new Air Force rocket base. The Autobots roll out to the base and engage the Decepticons. During the battle, the rockets and their fuel are inadvertently destroyed, and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] orders a retreat.

To cover their escape, Megatron creates a diversion for the Autobots; he blasts [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] while [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] is riding in him. The attack leaves Bumblebee damaged and Spike comatose. Spike is taken to Metro Hospital, where the doctors suggest that if Spike's mind could be transferred somewhere else, they would be able to operate on his fragile body.

[[Image:BotX.JPG|right|200px|thumb|This happens whenever you see [[Kiss Players|certain things]].]]

[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and Sparkplug transfer Spike's mind into Autobot X's body. However, as a side effect of the transferral process, Spike's mind is in an extremely unstable state. Angry and confused about his new body, Autobot Spike rampages, destroying several computers and machines in Wheeljack's shop.

Optimus Prime is able to subdue Autobot Spike without damaging his mind. To keep Spike calm, Wheeljack tunes [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to a television station, where cruel Fate just happens to have scheduled an airing of a movie featuring [[Dr. Frankenstein]]'s unholy attempt to create life. Spike is roused to anger, convinced that he, like [[Frankenstein's monster|the Doctor's creation]], is a "monster." He again rampages throughout the Ark, then escapes.

[[Image:AutobotSpike-Moping.jpg|left|200px|thumb|At least he's not a Headmaster.]]

Alone in the wilderness, Spike suffers from the conflict between his own mind and what there is of Autobot X. Will he use his new body and powers to help the world like Optimus Prime, or conquer all Humanity?

[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] informs Megatron of Spike's new Autobot body and unstable mind, and Megatron forms a plan to trick Autobot Spike into destroying the Autobots. Megatron soon finds Spike with [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]'s help. Autobot Spike attacks, but Megatron has other plans. Spike's unstable mind makes it hard for him to think, and he is easily twisted by Megatron to side with him against the Autobots.

Bumblebee brings the Autobots to Spike's location, but they are unable to fight against the vengeful being for fear of destroying Spike's mind. Only after Autobot Spike shoots his father off the edge of a cliff does he realize what he has done. At once, he saves his father and turns on the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]].

Finally, Spike's mind is returned to his [[human]] body after the surgical operation is successfully completed.

Spike will never be placed in a robot's body again. [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Never?]]

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (7)
*[[Autobot X]] (8)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (10)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (11)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (12)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (20)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (21)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (25)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (26)
*[[Bluestreak]] (27)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (14)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (15)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (16)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (17)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (18)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (22)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (23)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (24)

|c3=
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (2)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
*Air Force General (13)
*Spike's doctor (19)

|c4=
'''On TV'''
*[[Doctor Frankenstein]]
*[[Igor]]
*[[Frankenstein's monster]]
}}

==Quotes==
"Another Autobot? Even if it works, who needs it?"
:—'''Ratchet''' is a [[GEEWUN|1984 purist]].

"It's not supposed to do that!"
:—'''Sparkplug''' referring to Autobot X destroying Autobot headquarters

"So you Decepticreeps like to fly, eh? Well, take off!"
:—'''Brawn''' after kicking Soundwave

"Hmmm...if only there were a way of separating Spike's mind from his body while we work..."
:—'''Spike's doctor''' clumsily moves the narrative along within earshot of Autobot X's creator.

"He wants a battle—let's give him one!"
:—'''Starscream''', referring to the now-mechanized Spike

"I must say, you've improved your appearance since our last encounter, Spike!"
:—'''Megatron''', upon meeting Spike in Autobot form

'''General''': Aren't they a gorgeous sight? 
'''Optimus Prime''': Impressive. ''[To Ironhide]'' For primitive rocket technology.
:—Only Optimus Prime could both praise and diss humanity at the same time.

"*Crazed laughter* "Man, I've got powers I haven't even discovered yet!"
:—A mentally-deteriorated '''Spike''' as he fires on the Autobots.

"Hmmm, I wonder—I wonder what it would be like for a robot mind to be transferred to a human?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', being [[Only Human|eerily prophetic]]

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
All in all, remarkably few errors:

* The beginning of Sparkplug's line "It's not working" is cut off, as if the sound dropped out for a split second.

* ''Technically'' it's not an error, but Ratchet maintains his "who needs it?" arm gesture for a ''very'' long time after he finishes speaking.

* Bumblebee can be seen rolling out from Autobot Headquarters along with Prime's team, even though he wasn't called out by Prime to be part of the attack force. He ''does'' arrive at the rocket base after the battle is over, so... maybe he just fell behind?

* Skywarp has an all-yellow chest as the Decepticons prepare to retreat from the rocket base. Only his cockpit canopy should be yellow.

* Spike's hospital room is hilarious. Not only is it completely devoid of any medical equipment whatsoever (not even so much as an IV drip), but Spike's ancient-looking dormitory-style bed is placed ''directly in the middle of the room''. Despite this, the ticking of a heart monitor can be heard.

* Sideswipe's voice is off as he and Sunstreaker rush to contain Autobot X. The delivery's a bit off, too: he sounds like he's discussing the weather, not rushing into battle.

* The docking tower for [[Decepticon Headquarters]] is right off of a rocky coast. Usually it's in open water.

* Spike's second round of fire on the Decepticons hits ''[[generic|three]]'' Thundercrackers.

* Okay, it's a cartoon and all, but... when Spike blasts him off the cliff, Sparkplug falls for an ''incredibly'' long time.

* As he flies out of Spike's hand, Megatron's gun-mode handle is colored gray instead of black.

* Just before Megatron orders a retreat, Soundwave has Skywarp's colors, and Skywarp is firing a laser beam that somehow passes in front of Starscream's air intake, even though Starscream is in the foreground.

===Continuity errors===
* Throughout the episode, Spike struggles with unpredictable destructive urges and freaks out at the slightest provocation. Sparkplug and the rest repeatedly assume that this is a side-effect of the mental transfer process, rather than the fault of the body they put it in. Did they forget that the body itself goes on similar rampages even ''without'' Spike's mind in it? Spike even says himself that it feels like "something" is telling him to do "bad things."

===Continuity notes===
* The three Reflector components, while speaking in unison, refer to themselves as "I".

* It's also the last time Reflector has a speaking part in an episode. The rest of his appearances are silent cameos.

* Autobot X/Spike demonstrates a few abilities that his component parts have never shown. None of the 1984 Autobots shoot lasers from their fingertips; Trailbreaker's gun arm has never been shown to be an extendable grappling hook; Bluestreak has never fired lasers from the headlights on his chest.

* When Optimus Prime tries to subdue Autobot X/Spike, he fires his ion blaster from his shoulder, like an RPG launcher.

* [[Furmanism|Furmanism]] alert: The phrase "What's that?" is said not once ... not twice ... but ''three times'' in this episode alone - First by the rocket general, then by Bumblebee hanging from cliff, and then by Ironhide at the rocket base.

===Real-world references===
* When talking about Autobot-X, Spike correctly makes the reference to "Frankenstein's Monster", who is usually mistakenly called "Frankenstein".
* Autobot Spike watches the movie ''[[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein]]''. Nice going Wheeljack...have an unstable guy who's a patchwork of parts watch a movie about a monster who is a patchwork of parts. That won't cause problems.(To Wheeljack's credit, he probably wasn't familiar with Earth literature)
* The scene he watches doesn't correspond to any film adaptation of Frankenstein. The writers scripted the scene from whole cloth.

===Trivia===
[[Image:AutobotSpike Prime firing from shoulder height.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I'm shooting him gently!]]
* While this episode originally aired in the United States on [[September 23]], 1985, it aired in Japan on [[September 14]], 1985, making it the only episode of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]] to be aired in Japan ''before'' the United States.

* The episode begins with a narrative voice-over from [[Victor Caroli]]. Most such narratives recap events from previous episodes; however, this one is solely to introduce the episode's opening events. After a couple more tries ("[[Day of the Machines]]", "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"), this convention would be dropped entirely.

* Ratchet is standing behind Wheeljack when Wheeljack "volunteers" him to help improve Autobot X. Ratchet has a comical surprised reaction to the news. Wheeljack later looks visibly depressed that his mind transfer device has burned itself out.

* This episode features a curiously large amount of extreme close ups with the camera constantly going straight into characters' faces for no reason.

* The episode finally addresses that it's incredibly unsafe to bring a teenager to a battle between two factions of giant robot killing machines. Except that Spike continues to tag along in the future...

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 1 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Bumper Collection Special (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 03: Stagione Due Parte Prima ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/autobot_spike.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Autobot Spike

2010-10-27T01:36:21Z

64.189.19.132: /* Real-world references */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=17
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=11
|prev2=Heavy Metal War
|next2=Changing Gears
|series3=''[[Generation 2 (cartoon)|The Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=37
|prev3=The Search for Alpha Trion
|next3=The Girl Who Loved Powerglide
|image=AutobotSpike Autobotx concealed weapon.jpg
|caption=That kid's gonna need a lot of therapy.
|title="Autobot Spike"
|production code=#700-16
|airdate=[[September 23]], 1985
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''A wounded Spike is turned into an Autobot Frankenstein's monster to save his life.'''

:''Japanese title:'' フランケンシュタイン・スパイク (''Frankenstein Spike'')

==Synopsis==
[[Image:AutobotSpike-AutobotXTabled.jpg|left|200px|thumb|In the future, Autobot X will be revived to systematically battle groups of eight [[Predacons (G1)|animal-themed robots]].]]

The Autobots gather around [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s worktable in [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] for a demonstration. Using spare parts and human ingenuity, Sparkplug has cobbled together a large robot he has dubbed [[Autobot X]], and with a flip of a switch sets him loose. He immediately runs amok—groaning, growling and smashing everything in sight. It takes [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] to bring him down. Sparkplug apologizes to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] for the mess and recommends Autobot X be put in storage.

Before this can be done, the party is interrupted by an alarm. Decepticons are attacking the new Air Force rocket base. The Autobots roll out to the base and engage the Decepticons. During the battle, the rockets and their fuel are inadvertently destroyed, and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] orders a retreat.

To cover their escape, Megatron creates a diversion for the Autobots; he blasts [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] while [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] is riding in him. The attack leaves Bumblebee damaged and Spike comatose. Spike is taken to Metro Hospital, where the doctors suggest that if Spike's mind could be transferred somewhere else, they would be able to operate on his fragile body.

[[Image:BotX.JPG|right|200px|thumb|This happens whenever you see [[Kiss Players|certain things]].]]

[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and Sparkplug transfer Spike's mind into Autobot X's body. However, as a side effect of the transferral process, Spike's mind is in an extremely unstable state. Angry and confused about his new body, Autobot Spike rampages, destroying several computers and machines in Wheeljack's shop.

Optimus Prime is able to subdue Autobot Spike without damaging his mind. To keep Spike calm, Wheeljack tunes [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to a television station, where cruel Fate just happens to have scheduled an airing of a movie featuring [[Dr. Frankenstein]]'s unholy attempt to create life. Spike is roused to anger, convinced that he, like [[Frankenstein's monster|the Doctor's creation]], is a "monster." He again rampages throughout the Ark, then escapes.

[[Image:AutobotSpike-Moping.jpg|left|200px|thumb|At least he's not a Headmaster.]]

Alone in the wilderness, Spike suffers from the conflict between his own mind and what there is of Autobot X. Will he use his new body and powers to help the world like Optimus Prime, or conquer all Humanity?

[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] informs Megatron of Spike's new Autobot body and unstable mind, and Megatron forms a plan to trick Autobot Spike into destroying the Autobots. Megatron soon finds Spike with [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]'s help. Autobot Spike attacks, but Megatron has other plans. Spike's unstable mind makes it hard for him to think, and he is easily twisted by Megatron to side with him against the Autobots.

Bumblebee brings the Autobots to Spike's location, but they are unable to fight against the vengeful being for fear of destroying Spike's mind. Only after Autobot Spike shoots his father off the edge of a cliff does he realize what he has done. At once, he saves his father and turns on the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]].

Finally, Spike's mind is returned to his [[human]] body after the surgical operation is successfully completed.

Spike will never be placed in a robot's body again. [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Never?]]

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (7)
*[[Autobot X]] (8)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (10)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (11)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (12)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (20)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (21)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (25)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (26)
*[[Bluestreak]] (27)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (14)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (15)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (16)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (17)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (18)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (22)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (23)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (24)

|c3=
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (2)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
*Air Force General (13)
*Spike's doctor (19)

|c4=
'''On TV'''
*[[Doctor Frankenstein]]
*[[Igor]]
*[[Frankenstein's monster]]
}}

==Quotes==
"Another Autobot? Even if it works, who needs it?"
:—'''Ratchet''' is a [[GEEWUN|1984 purist]].

"It's not supposed to do that!"
:—'''Sparkplug''' referring to Autobot X destroying Autobot headquarters

"So you Decepticreeps like to fly, eh? Well, take off!"
:—'''Brawn''' after kicking Soundwave

"Hmmm...if only there were a way of separating Spike's mind from his body while we work..."
:—'''Spike's doctor''' clumsily moves the narrative along within earshot of Autobot X's creator.

"He wants a battle—let's give him one!"
:—'''Starscream''', referring to the now-mechanized Spike

"I must say, you've improved your appearance since our last encounter, Spike!"
:—'''Megatron''', upon meeting Spike in Autobot form

'''General''': Aren't they a gorgeous sight? 
'''Optimus Prime''': Impressive. ''[To Ironhide]'' For primitive rocket technology.
:—Only Optimus Prime could both praise and diss humanity at the same time.

"Hmmm, I wonder—I wonder what it would be like for a robot mind to be transferred to a human?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', being [[Only Human|eerily prophetic]]

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
All in all, remarkably few errors:

* The beginning of Sparkplug's line "It's not working" is cut off, as if the sound dropped out for a split second.

* ''Technically'' it's not an error, but Ratchet maintains his "who needs it?" arm gesture for a ''very'' long time after he finishes speaking.

* Bumblebee can be seen rolling out from Autobot Headquarters along with Prime's team, even though he wasn't called out by Prime to be part of the attack force. He ''does'' arrive at the rocket base after the battle is over, so... maybe he just fell behind?

* Skywarp has an all-yellow chest as the Decepticons prepare to retreat from the rocket base. Only his cockpit canopy should be yellow.

* Spike's hospital room is hilarious. Not only is it completely devoid of any medical equipment whatsoever (not even so much as an IV drip), but Spike's ancient-looking dormitory-style bed is placed ''directly in the middle of the room''. Despite this, the ticking of a heart monitor can be heard.

* Sideswipe's voice is off as he and Sunstreaker rush to contain Autobot X. The delivery's a bit off, too: he sounds like he's discussing the weather, not rushing into battle.

* The docking tower for [[Decepticon Headquarters]] is right off of a rocky coast. Usually it's in open water.

* Spike's second round of fire on the Decepticons hits ''[[generic|three]]'' Thundercrackers.

* Okay, it's a cartoon and all, but... when Spike blasts him off the cliff, Sparkplug falls for an ''incredibly'' long time.

* As he flies out of Spike's hand, Megatron's gun-mode handle is colored gray instead of black.

* Just before Megatron orders a retreat, Soundwave has Skywarp's colors, and Skywarp is firing a laser beam that somehow passes in front of Starscream's air intake, even though Starscream is in the foreground.

===Continuity errors===
* Throughout the episode, Spike struggles with unpredictable destructive urges and freaks out at the slightest provocation. Sparkplug and the rest repeatedly assume that this is a side-effect of the mental transfer process, rather than the fault of the body they put it in. Did they forget that the body itself goes on similar rampages even ''without'' Spike's mind in it? Spike even says himself that it feels like "something" is telling him to do "bad things."

===Continuity notes===
* The three Reflector components, while speaking in unison, refer to themselves as "I".

* It's also the last time Reflector has a speaking part in an episode. The rest of his appearances are silent cameos.

* Autobot X/Spike demonstrates a few abilities that his component parts have never shown. None of the 1984 Autobots shoot lasers from their fingertips; Trailbreaker's gun arm has never been shown to be an extendable grappling hook; Bluestreak has never fired lasers from the headlights on his chest.

* When Optimus Prime tries to subdue Autobot X/Spike, he fires his ion blaster from his shoulder, like an RPG launcher.

* [[Furmanism|Furmanism]] alert: The phrase "What's that?" is said not once ... not twice ... but ''three times'' in this episode alone - First by the rocket general, then by Bumblebee hanging from cliff, and then by Ironhide at the rocket base.

===Real-world references===
* When talking about Autobot-X, Spike correctly makes the reference to "Frankenstein's Monster", who is usually mistakenly called "Frankenstein".
* Autobot Spike watches the movie ''[[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein]]''. Nice going Wheeljack...have an unstable guy who's a patchwork of parts watch a movie about a monster who is a patchwork of parts. That won't cause problems.(To Wheeljack's credit, he probably wasn't familiar with Earth literature)
* The scene he watches doesn't correspond to any film adaptation of Frankenstein. The writers scripted the scene from whole cloth.

===Trivia===
[[Image:AutobotSpike Prime firing from shoulder height.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I'm shooting him gently!]]
* While this episode originally aired in the United States on [[September 23]], 1985, it aired in Japan on [[September 14]], 1985, making it the only episode of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]] to be aired in Japan ''before'' the United States.

* The episode begins with a narrative voice-over from [[Victor Caroli]]. Most such narratives recap events from previous episodes; however, this one is solely to introduce the episode's opening events. After a couple more tries ("[[Day of the Machines]]", "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"), this convention would be dropped entirely.

* Ratchet is standing behind Wheeljack when Wheeljack "volunteers" him to help improve Autobot X. Ratchet has a comical surprised reaction to the news. Wheeljack later looks visibly depressed that his mind transfer device has burned itself out.

* This episode features a curiously large amount of extreme close ups with the camera constantly going straight into characters' faces for no reason.

* The episode finally addresses that it's incredibly unsafe to bring a teenager to a battle between two factions of giant robot killing machines. Except that Spike continues to tag along in the future...

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 1 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Bumper Collection Special (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 03: Stagione Due Parte Prima ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/autobot_spike.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2010-10-25T04:48:03Z

64.189.19.132: /* Generation 1 */

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

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

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

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

:''Japanese name:'' '''Cerebros''', '''Fortress''' (see below)
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Forteresse Maximus'''
:''[[Omni Productions]] dub name:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (starship mode only)
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Ford''' (福特 ''Fú Tè'')
:''Chinese name (Taiwan version of RTM dub):'' '''Furmon''' (福蒙 ''Fú Méng'') / '''Fortry''' (福催 ''Fú Tsūei'')

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

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

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

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

[[Image:Ringofhate-pangalactic.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====

[[Image:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented Transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|15 Go! Go!|15 Go! Go! Sparkbot Chapter 3}}

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

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

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

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

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

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}
{{-}}
====TV Magazine ''Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new Transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/730/37/ Master File #1]</ref>

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

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

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

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

====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====

[[Image:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
A somewhat less pacifistic Fortress Maximus (Seriously, he repeatedly threatened to kill his prisoners or otherwise "strip them down to their spark cores") was the warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor|prisoner]].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{note|Though thickly built, Fortress Maximus is a normal-sized Transformer in [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]], about the same size as Jetfire.}}
{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category:Masterforce characters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Starships]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]

Autobot Spike

2010-10-23T03:36:29Z

64.189.19.132: /* Real-world references */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=17
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=11
|prev2=Heavy Metal War
|next2=Changing Gears
|series3=''[[Generation 2 (cartoon)|The Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=37
|prev3=The Search for Alpha Trion
|next3=The Girl Who Loved Powerglide
|image=AutobotSpike Autobotx concealed weapon.jpg
|caption=That kid's gonna need a lot of therapy.
|title="Autobot Spike"
|production code=#700-16
|airdate=[[September 23]], 1985
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''A wounded Spike is turned into an Autobot Frankenstein's monster to save his life.'''

:''Japanese title:'' フランケンシュタイン・スパイク (''Frankenstein Spike'')

==Synopsis==
[[Image:AutobotSpike-AutobotXTabled.jpg|left|200px|thumb|In the future, Autobot X will be revived to systematically battle groups of eight [[Predacons (G1)|animal-themed robots]].]]

The Autobots gather around [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s worktable in [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] for a demonstration. Using spare parts and human ingenuity, Sparkplug has cobbled together a large robot he has dubbed [[Autobot X]], and with a flip of a switch sets him loose. He immediately runs amok—groaning, growling and smashing everything in sight. It takes [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] to bring him down. Sparkplug apologizes to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] for the mess and recommends Autobot X be put in storage.

Before this can be done, the party is interrupted by an alarm. Decepticons are attacking the new Air Force rocket base. The Autobots roll out to the base and engage the Decepticons. During the battle, the rockets and their fuel are inadvertently destroyed, and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] orders a retreat.

To cover their escape, Megatron creates a diversion for the Autobots; he blasts [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] while [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] is riding in him. The attack leaves Bumblebee damaged and Spike comatose. Spike is taken to Metro Hospital, where the doctors suggest that if Spike's mind could be transferred somewhere else, they would be able to operate on his fragile body.

[[Image:BotX.JPG|right|200px|thumb|This happens whenever you see [[Kiss Players|certain things]].]]

[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and Sparkplug transfer Spike's mind into Autobot X's body. However, as a side effect of the transferral process, Spike's mind is in an extremely unstable state. Angry and confused about his new body, Autobot Spike rampages, destroying several computers and machines in Wheeljack's shop.

Optimus Prime is able to subdue Autobot Spike without damaging his mind. To keep Spike calm, Wheeljack tunes [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to a television station, where cruel Fate just happens to have scheduled an airing of a movie featuring [[Dr. Frankenstein]]'s unholy attempt to create life. Spike is roused to anger, convinced that he, like [[Frankenstein's monster|the Doctor's creation]], is a "monster." He again rampages throughout the Ark, then escapes.

[[Image:AutobotSpike-Moping.jpg|left|200px|thumb|At least he's not a Headmaster.]]

Alone in the wilderness, Spike suffers from the conflict between his own mind and what there is of Autobot X. Will he use his new body and powers to help the world like Optimus Prime, or conquer all Humanity?

[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] informs Megatron of Spike's new Autobot body and unstable mind, and Megatron forms a plan to trick Autobot Spike into destroying the Autobots. Megatron soon finds Spike with [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]'s help. Autobot Spike attacks, but Megatron has other plans. Spike's unstable mind makes it hard for him to think, and he is easily twisted by Megatron to side with him against the Autobots.

Bumblebee brings the Autobots to Spike's location, but they are unable to fight against the vengeful being for fear of destroying Spike's mind. Only after Autobot Spike shoots his father off the edge of a cliff does he realize what he has done. At once, he saves his father and turns on the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]].

Finally, Spike's mind is returned to his [[human]] body after the surgical operation is successfully completed.

Spike will never be placed in a robot's body again. [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Never?]]

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (7)
*[[Autobot X]] (8)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (10)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (11)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (12)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (20)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (21)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (25)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (26)
*[[Bluestreak]] (27)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (14)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (15)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (16)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (17)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (18)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (22)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (23)
*[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (24)

|c3=
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (2)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
*Air Force General (13)
*Spike's doctor (19)

|c4=
'''On TV'''
*[[Doctor Frankenstein]]
*[[Igor]]
*[[Frankenstein's monster]]
}}

==Quotes==
"Another Autobot? Even if it works, who needs it?"
:—'''Ratchet''' is a [[GEEWUN|1984 purist]].

"It's not supposed to do that!"
:—'''Sparkplug''' referring to Autobot X destroying Autobot headquarters

"So you Decepticreeps like to fly, eh? Well, take off!"
:—'''Brawn''' after kicking Soundwave

"Hmmm...if only there were a way of separating Spike's mind from his body while we work..."
:—'''Spike's doctor''' clumsily moves the narrative along within earshot of Autobot X's creator.

"He wants a battle—let's give him one!"
:—'''Starscream''', referring to the now-mechanized Spike

"I must say, you've improved your appearance since our last encounter, Spike!"
:—'''Megatron''', upon meeting Spike in Autobot form

'''General''': Aren't they a gorgeous sight? 
'''Optimus Prime''': Impressive. ''[To Ironhide]'' For primitive rocket technology.
:—Only Optimus Prime could both praise and diss humanity at the same time.

"Hmmm, I wonder—I wonder what it would be like for a robot mind to be transferred to a human?"
:—'''Bumblebee''', being [[Only Human|eerily prophetic]]

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
All in all, remarkably few errors:

* The beginning of Sparkplug's line "It's not working" is cut off, as if the sound dropped out for a split second.

* ''Technically'' it's not an error, but Ratchet maintains his "who needs it?" arm gesture for a ''very'' long time after he finishes speaking.

* Bumblebee can be seen rolling out from Autobot Headquarters along with Prime's team, even though he wasn't called out by Prime to be part of the attack force. He ''does'' arrive at the rocket base after the battle is over, so... maybe he just fell behind?

* Skywarp has an all-yellow chest as the Decepticons prepare to retreat from the rocket base. Only his cockpit canopy should be yellow.

* Spike's hospital room is hilarious. Not only is it completely devoid of any medical equipment whatsoever (not even so much as an IV drip), but Spike's ancient-looking dormitory-style bed is placed ''directly in the middle of the room''. Despite this, the ticking of a heart monitor can be heard.

* Sideswipe's voice is off as he and Sunstreaker rush to contain Autobot X. The delivery's a bit off, too: he sounds like he's discussing the weather, not rushing into battle.

* The docking tower for [[Decepticon Headquarters]] is right off of a rocky coast. Usually it's in open water.

* Spike's second round of fire on the Decepticons hits ''[[generic|three]]'' Thundercrackers.

* Okay, it's a cartoon and all, but... when Spike blasts him off the cliff, Sparkplug falls for an ''incredibly'' long time.

* As he flies out of Spike's hand, Megatron's gun-mode handle is colored gray instead of black.

* Just before Megatron orders a retreat, Soundwave has Skywarp's colors, and Skywarp is firing a laser beam that somehow passes in front of Starscream's air intake, even though Starscream is in the foreground.

===Continuity errors===
* Throughout the episode, Spike struggles with unpredictable destructive urges and freaks out at the slightest provocation. Sparkplug and the rest repeatedly assume that this is a side-effect of the mental transfer process, rather than the fault of the body they put it in. Did they forget that the body itself goes on similar rampages even ''without'' Spike's mind in it? Spike even says himself that it feels like "something" is telling him to do "bad things."

===Continuity notes===
* The three Reflector components, while speaking in unison, refer to themselves as "I".

* It's also the last time Reflector has a speaking part in an episode. The rest of his appearances are silent cameos.

* Autobot X/Spike demonstrates a few abilities that his component parts have never shown. None of the 1984 Autobots shoot lasers from their fingertips; Trailbreaker's gun arm has never been shown to be an extendable grappling hook; Bluestreak has never fired lasers from the headlights on his chest.

* When Optimus Prime tries to subdue Autobot X/Spike, he fires his ion blaster from his shoulder, like an RPG launcher.

* [[Furmanism|Furmanism]] alert: The phrase "What's that?" is said not once ... not twice ... but ''three times'' in this episode alone - First by the rocket general, then by Bumblebee hanging from cliff, and then by Ironhide at the rocket base.

===Real-world references===
* When talking about Autobot-X, Spike correctly makes the reference to "Frankenstein's Monster", who is usually mistakenly called "Frankenstein".
* Autobot Spike watches the movie ''[[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein]]''. Nice going Wheeljack...have an unstable guy who's a patchwork of parts watch a movie about a monster who is a patchwork of parts. That won't cause problems.
* The scene he watches doesn't correspond to any film adaptation of Frankenstein. The writers scripted the scene from whole cloth.

===Trivia===
[[Image:AutobotSpike Prime firing from shoulder height.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I'm shooting him gently!]]
* While this episode originally aired in the United States on [[September 23]], 1985, it aired in Japan on [[September 14]], 1985, making it the only episode of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]] to be aired in Japan ''before'' the United States.

* The episode begins with a narrative voice-over from [[Victor Caroli]]. Most such narratives recap events from previous episodes; however, this one is solely to introduce the episode's opening events. After a couple more tries ("[[Day of the Machines]]", "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"), this convention would be dropped entirely.

* Ratchet is standing behind Wheeljack when Wheeljack "volunteers" him to help improve Autobot X. Ratchet has a comical surprised reaction to the news. Wheeljack later looks visibly depressed that his mind transfer device has burned itself out.

* This episode features a curiously large amount of extreme close ups with the camera constantly going straight into characters' faces for no reason.

* The episode finally addresses that it's incredibly unsafe to bring a teenager to a battle between two factions of giant robot killing machines. Except that Spike continues to tag along in the future...

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 1 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Bumper Collection Special (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 03: Stagione Due Parte Prima ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/autobot_spike.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Gears (G1)

2010-10-23T02:42:12Z

64.189.19.132:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{picsneeded|Fictional appearances}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Autobot|the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Autobot|Gears (ROTF)}}
:''Gears is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[Image:Gearsg1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Gears, ironically, hates [[Neon|bright colors]].]]
'''Gears''' hates [[Earth]], a lush, green planet practically as unlike his cozy, gray, metallic [[Cybertron (planet)|homeworld]] as possible. He grumbles and complains about being shipwrecked on it—complains and grumbles to a ridiculous extent, until he becomes a source of amusement, rather than negativity. This is usually his intent—unlike his fellow [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], Gears has a desire to help his fellow Autobots see good in a bad situation. Still, he does get depressed from time to time.

Gears is strong and tough, not so much in lifting but in endurance, and carrying heavy loads with little effort, be they energon cubes, disabled Autobots, or potatoes for the farmers' market. He is fitted with infrared vision sensors.

In robot mode, Gears can release controlled bursts of compressed air from his feet, launching himself to altitudes over 100,000 feet, and floating back down. In doing so, he must be careful not to lose air pressure before coming close enough to the ground for a safe landing.

:''Nicknames:'' '''Ox''', '''Sourball'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]]</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Engrenagem'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Fuvaros''' (meaning Hauler)
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Mecano'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Mulo'''
:''South American name:'' '''Pick-Up'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Rollo'''
:''Russian name'': '''Привод''' ("Drive")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Gearsg1firstappearance.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Wish we saw more of the design on the right. Yikes!]]
{{quote|The only thing '''Gears''' wants to learn about this planet is how to get off it. I hate this place already. I just know you're going to use me as a mobile transport unit again, once we have to set up. Nuts. Let's go home.|The worst words out of his mouth.}}

Gears was one of Cybertron's great warriors, and was chosen to join the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] mission to save Cybertron from an asteroid belt—a mission that saw him stranded on [[Earth]] for four million years. Once he woke up in 1984 and was rebuilt as an Earth truck, he immediately began complaining. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Spider-man.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Spider-Man's amazing friend.]]
Shortly after arriving on Earth, Gears teamed up with [[Spider-Man]], using his ability to launch himself upward using compressed air and fly alongside the superhero in an attempt to reach the mountaintop [[Decepticon]] fortress. When Gears ran low on power, he began to fall before Spidey caught him in webbing. Although Spider-Man's webbing is extremely strong, the Autobot's weight threatened to break it, and Spider-Man completed Gears' ascent using the webbing for assistance. After a fight with the Decepticons, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] caused Gears (and human [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]) to fall through a hole in the fortress. Although Spidey was able to rescue Sparkplug, and attempted to catch Gears as he had done before, the added momentum of the fall proved too much strain on the webbing, and Gears crashed to the ground. Gears was quickly patched up enough to tell the Autobots that Megatron had gotten what he wanted (a fuel conversion process) from Sparkplug. His complete restoration was seemingly interrupted when, following recriminations, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] needed to drive Sparkplug to the hospital to treat his sudden heart attack. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

[[Image:Buzzsawyikes2.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Ow ow ow.]]
When the Autobots overheard Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], in a nearby swamp, Gears was among the Autobots who traveled to the swamp with Prime's body. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] shot Gears right in the face! {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''Gears was eventually restored, however, and joined [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in searching for [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] during the Dinobot Hunt. Their mission was suddenly cut short by the arrival of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the Decepticons, who shot the Minibots in the back and took them prisoner. [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] soon rescued his disabled comrades from the Decepticon cruiser, but they were too badly injured and remained inactive for some time thereafter. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

[[Image:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Barely snuck into the margins during his own death scene.]]
Gears was repaired in time to witness a battle between [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] for Autobot leadership on [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. While Autobots around him cheered vehemently for either combatant, Gears seemingly didn't really care, choosing to watch in stoic silence. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Gears was among the Autobots who answered [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s distress call from just outside the Decepticons' [[Club Con|headquarters]] in the Arctic. Shortly thereafter, when an [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of [[New York City|New York]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Buenos Aires]]", Gears was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]] led a team of Autobots which included Gears, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of <strike>[[To sell toys|a market executive's]]</strike> Starscream's hand"! Oops. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

Gears's torso, head, and right arm were shown in the midst of attempted repairs while Optimus Prime explained the bleak condition of their fallen to [[Cloudburst]] and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]]. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese)
[[Image:Hufferg1animated.jpg|left|240px|thumb|A competition of who complains the most!]]

Gears was one of the original crew of Autobots on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] spaceship when it crash-landed on Earth millions of years ago. When he awoke in 1984, he was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] so that his alt-mode was an Earth-based pickup truck. Not a true combatant by nature, he didn't participate in many of the Autobots' more famous battles against the Decepticons, but he did his part despite his complaints. Gears first saw action on Earth at an off-shore oil rig, fighting one of the Seekers with his partner, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Gears' infrared sensors were useful in capturing [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] when the Decepticon was caught trespassing at the Autobot headquarters. By modifying his searchlight wavelength, Gears could illuminate Ravage's heat traces and neutralize the jaguar's ability to hide in shadows. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When Prime was injured in an explosion outside the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Gears discarded the complaining facade he often wore, in order to encourage Optimus to push himself into returning to robot mode. He later donned a lab coat to help sell [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s holographic rocket base idea, although it didn't do much good. In the final battle to stop the launch of the Decepticon space cruiser, Gears and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] were engaged in battling [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] until Megatron called for a retreat. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

Gears assembled for battle when the Decepticons returned to attack a solar power plant, and chastised [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] for missing roll call. At the plant, Gears and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] attempted to stop the Seekers from taking off with the energon cubes, but [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] knocked them aside with a concussion blast. Later, after Bumblebee led the Autobots to the supposed site of the new [[Space Bridge]], only to find a deserted cave, Gears offered to electrocute the 'Bee in order to juice up his memory circuits. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} When Optimus Prime was heavily damaged in battle, Gears returned from patrol with [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and Windcharger to check on his condition. None of them, however, was sharp-eyed enough to spot [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] swoop down and land on Brawn's shoulder as they entered the base. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:FireintheSky Gears crashes through ice.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
After it started snowing, in July, in the middle of the desert, Optimus Prime got suspicious and consulted Teletraan I for a weather report. Gears, who was performing reconnaissance scans on the now-frozen tropical region of the planet, concurred with Teletraan I's conclusions, that Megatron and the Decepticons must somehow be draining heat energy right out of the Earth's core. In the Arctic, as the Autobots prepared to enter the Decepticons' cavernous base of operations, Gears stalled outside the entrance on the sneaking suspicion the Autobots were falling into a trap. Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy—by lingering too long on the ice, the combined weight of Gears, Hound, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] caused the tunnel to collapse beneath them. Gears and his buddies were briefly captured by the Decepticons, but escaped thanks to Hound's holograms. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Soundwave shoots Gears.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Hey! Being shot in the face plays havoc with my sinuses."]]
Gears attended the unveiling of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s latest science project, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, and managed to stay out of the way after they ran amok. He joined Optimus Prime and the other Autobots on a mission to the [[Great Falls]]. Being one of the few Autobots who can fly (usually), Gears took to the air to fight [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] face-to-face, but was quickly shot down by the more experienced Decepticon. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} On one mission, Gears travelled to Peru to help the Autobots remove the [[Crystal of Power]] from Megatron's control. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} He was also involved in the dino-design project that created [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a Decepticon attack on the Ark, Gears was briefly seen cleaning up the deadly fire extinguisher foam which drove them away. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} In the aftermath of Cybertron's orbit around Earth, Gears worked on the massive repairs necessary to rebuild human society. He also participated in the raid on [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s laboratory. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:ChangingGears Gears Bee acrobatics.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Bumblebee and Gears - [[Powerlinx]]!!]]
During an Autobot Alert(!!!), the Ark's crew all leapt into action at high speed...well, except for Gears. The alarm interrupted his plan to "lube his cables", making the cranky Gears slow to respond to the call of duty. He might have trudged even slower if he knew the entire alert was a ruse by Megatron, designed solely for the purpose of capturing Gears. It seemed that Megatron's newest toy, the [[Solar Needle]], required a specific circuit board in order to be properly completed, and Gears contained just such a circuit board in his chest. A curious side effect of removing the circuit board was that it negated Gears' inclination towards squawking and complaining. He was now a compulsively good-natured people-pleaser, unable to refuse requests by anyone, even Megatron. With the solar needle activated, the Decepticons put Gears to work harvesting energon cubes, filled by the sun's mighty power.

Despite the alterations to his personality, Gears tried to remain true to himself. Even while helping Megatron's energy pilfering, he still managed to toss an insult or two at the Decepticon leader. In a good-natured way, of course. And, after the Autobots arrived to destroy the solar needle and drew the Decepticons' attention, Gears made a break for the control panel to retrieve his circuit board and restore his real personality. He was interrupted by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had been looking for an excuse to blast Gears all day, but Bumblebee knocked the Seeker aside before he could eliminate the tiny Autobot. Also, when Megatron hurled Prime out of control into the solar needle's incinerating energy grid, Gears used the holdout blaster in his sleeve to disrupt the grid and save Optimus. Still, once Megatron got the drop on the Autobots, he was able to exploit Gears' new personality glitch to make him repair the solar needle while the Decepticons held his teammates at gunpoint. Megatron gloated too much about the nature of Gears' problem, though, allowing Optimus Prime to circumvent his control over Gears. Tricking Megatron into agreeing to honor his last request "as a condemned mechanism", Prime turned the tables on Megatron by asking Gears for a favor of his own. Gears was all too happy to oblige...and destroy the solar needle for Optimus.

[[Image:ChangingGears got a bang out of that.jpg|thumb|left|280px|"You know what really grinds my Gears? Nature."]]
With the fight back on, Gears happily got in on the action and tossed Starscream for a loop. The Decepticons abandoned the field of battle, leaving the Autobots behind to clean up the mess caused by their solar needle. As the needle was being dismantled, Prime was ready to return Gears' circuit board to him when [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] stepped in. Seems the Autobots took a vote, and they would rather not restore Gears' talent for complaining, and whining, and hypochondria, and...well. After a quick joke, though, they did return the circuit board, and Gears showed his gratitude by going "whine, whine, whine" all the way home. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Gears was seen awaiting his turn at the [[recharging chamber]]s, but did not appear later on rampaging with the other Autobots afflicted by the [[personality destabilizer device]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He attended Wheeljack's demonstration of the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. When the Decepticons got their metal mitts on the device, Gears was trapped in mid-transformation by the device's rays. He was restored to normal after [[Carly]] fiddled with the controls to reverse its effects. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:AutobotRun Gears lifts ground.jpg|thumb|right|230px]]
Like most of the Autobots, Gears was temporarily trapped in vehicle mode after Megatron unleashed his [[Transfixatron]] on them during a car rally for charity. Wheeljack came up with an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] to reverse the process (even his cures explode!), but that only revived the Autobots in time to deal with Plan B: [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. While he isn't in Brawn or Prime's class, Gears is still one strong little Autobot, and demonstrated his strength by ripping out huge chunks of rock to hurl at the massive Decepticon. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Sometime later, Gears helped install [[detection plate]]s around the Ark as an early warning system against any intruders. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} He was also briefly seen gawking at the two Optimus Primes who showed up in the dirt. After a sharpshooting contest and car race failed to uncover the imposter, the Autobots rode into battle anyway with both Primes at their side. Gears didn't have much fun in the following melee: first he got sent face-first into the dirt by one of the opening salvos, and was later overmatched in single combat against [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. He was saved only by the continuation of Megatron and Starscream's cockeyed, overly-elaborate scheme of clones killing clones. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Gears was on patrol with the team when they suddenly came across an empty riverbed. After a quick mud massage from Jazz's spinning tires, Gears and the others decided to follow the river's trail to see where it had been diverted. What they found was trouble: [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s. The Autobots barely escaped battle with Devastator to report on Megatron's activities to Prime. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:MMP2 Seaspray and Gears shooting.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Gears attended Wheeljack's demonstration of how he had taught Grimlock "finesse". The resulting chaos and destruction was predictable, but memorable. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Despite not being seen in the battle at all, Gears was injured fighting Megatron and the [[Heart of Cybertron]] in South America. All the repairs and none of the glory. Boy, he must have been ''craaaanky''...{{storylink|Microbots}}

Gears and many of his fellow Autobots showed up in [[Central City (G1)|Central City]] for the Autobot Day parade and celebration. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} The city soon turned on the Autobots, thanks to Megatron's machinations, but they returned to help drive the Decepticons away once the humans were temporarily enslaved. Gears was seen among the horde of Autobots that overwhelmed the Decepticon slave-drivers. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} He was also one of the Autobots cheering for the Dinobots when they returned from Cybertron with a fresh supply of [[cybertonium]]. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Gears was part of the third wave of Autobots to confront the invulnerable Decepticons, but fared no better than his predecessors against their [[electrum]] coating. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} Gears stood by as [[Chip Chase]] and Teletraan I tried to locate the Autobots lost aboard the Space Bridge. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} He was also seen applying [[Corrostop]] to the Statue of Liberty. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:BOT wet Gears.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
When Megatron and the Decepticons attacked the Ark looking for the [[Combaticon (G1)|renegade Decepticons]], Gears joined Optimus Prime in fending off their assault. Megatron soon retreated once he realized Prime had no slaggin' idea what he was talking about. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Gears, Ironhide and Bumblebee responded to an S.O.S. from [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]] and found themselves chasing [[B.O.T. (robot)|B.O.T.]] around the city. They were beaten to it by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who needed to get back [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]'s personality component, and Gears later found himself defending Autobot Headquarters from [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In 2005, Gears was stationed on [[Moonbase One]] under Optimus Prime's command. It is unknown whether he left for Earth with Prime and the Dinobots to repel Megatron's attack on [[Autobot City]], or if he remained behind. If he did, his chances aren't that good, as only [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were seen escaping from [[Unicron]]'s smelting pits. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====

Gears was amongst the Autobots who defended [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] in [[Arizona]] from a Decepticon attack. Although the Autobots won the day, the attack was actually just a distraction so that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] could go do evil in Japan or something unspecified. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

===Coloring books===
[[Image:G1 GearsPotatoes AutobotSmasher.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Steve Ditko is noted for his superb use of shading, his handling of facial expressions, and his ability to do cosmic vistas of mystery. Here he was asked to do a line drawing of a truck carrying potatoes.]]
Gears was hauling a load of potatoes, with plans to sell them for oil and gas money. (Really.) He was tricked by the Decepticons into taking a detour, which led him to their "[[Autobot Rest Stop]]"—a car crusher disguised with pillows and a set of curtains. Gears rolled into the Rest Stop and was enjoying himself when [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activated the machine, crushing Gears flat.

Gears was later restored by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], with no ill effects. {{storylink|The Autobot Smasher!}}

{{note|This coloring book was illustrated by [[Steve Ditko]], co-creator of none other than... the amazing [[Spider-Man]]! Coincidence? Probably.}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
Gears was part of the Ark's original crew, crash-landing on Earth four million years ago and awakening in 1984. Like all the Transformers of Earth, he was believed dead for many years after the mid-air explosion of the ''[[Ark II]]''. In fact, Gears was one of many robots who were salvaged by the mercenary known as [[Lazarus]], who began the time-consuming process of installing remote control programming into his inert Cybertronian captives. Lazarus was doomed to failure, however, for [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] regained control of his own body shortly after the human reactivated him. With the Decepticons back in action thanks to Megatron, Gears and the other Autobots held captive by Lazarus were left at their mercy. Although a small group of Autobots were free under Optimus Prime's command to combat the Decepticons, most of the 'bots recovered by Lazarus (including Gears) were too badly damaged to be reactivated for that first battle. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

Gears and the other deactivated Autobots were recovered, though, and were back to full functionality by the time [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived from Cybertron. {{storylink|New World Order}} As the Autobot forces split in two, Gears went with Optimus Prime and his contingent back to Cybertron aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Back on his home planet, Gears participated in the insurrection by Autobot dissidents against the rule of Shockwave. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Much to his dismay, Gears was soon put in the position of having to return to Earth. With Prime temporarily out of action due to injuries, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] had assumed command of the Ark's crew on Cybertron, and made the decision that a new base of operations needed to be constructed on Earth, to fortify Autobot interests there. Gears reluctantly left his beloved homeworld behind to return to Earth, and begin work on the construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF4_Gears_Brawn_FlightPods.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Gears was among the dormant Transformers found by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] and reprogrammed to be under the humans' control. In the process, he and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] were rebuilt to transform into Cobra [[Flight Pod]]s. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} The two may have participated in an attack on the [[SPS Research Facility]], or it may have just been two regular Flight Pods. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} When [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] hacked Cobra's computers and undid his comrades' reprogramming, Gears and Brawn hunted down [[Cobra Commander]] and blew up the ship he was going to escape from [[Cobra Island]] with. However, before the Autobots could capture the commander, they were taken out by [[Storm Shadow]]'s [[S.N.A.K.E.]] mech. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

Gears didn't give up so easily, however, as he joined several other Autobots and located Cobra Commander and his S.N.A.K.E. guards again. Storm Shadow fought back and killed [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], sending Gears and the others into a berserker rage as they ripped his S.N.A.K.E. apart. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

{{-}}

===IDW ''Generation 1'' comics continuity===
Millions of years ago, Gears was one of several mourners seen at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], after Megatron killed them. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

In the modern era, Gears was seen reacting to the return of [[Blaster (G1)|"The Voice"]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

At some point, Gears made it to Earth, where he was captured by [[Skywatch]], along with [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and later, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

===IDW ''Hearts of Steel'' continuity===
Gears and his fellow Autobots battled the Decepticons in Earth's distant past, until an ice age came around and forced them to go underground and wait it out. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} They eventually woke up in the mid-19th century, and learned that the Decepticons were up and going as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}} In order to pursue the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Gears took on the form of what appeared to be a boxcar and linked up with his friends to form an Autobot train. During the chase, much of the train was trapped when the Decepticons collapsed a tunnel on it, although Gears made it out safe and sound. He was hammered by Decepticon fire as he helped clear away rubble, but survived and went back to sleep underground after the Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Gears toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Grumble... I suppose they want me to supply my own penny..."]]
* '''Gears''' (Mini Vehicle, 1984/1985)

: Part of the first assortment of Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]], Gears transforms into a blue and red "penny racer"-proportioned pickup truck of indeterminable model. The Gears toy was originally from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' line, in the same basic coloration but with a darker blue, as the "Micro Robot 04 4WD Off-Road". This is the source of the "M" on his truck-mode hood.

: For reasons unknown, he was the only Mini Vehicle not made available as part of [[Takara]]'s original retail line in any capacity (while [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] were not available at normal retail, both were offered as mail-away toys).

: There were a few variations of Gears south of the border, where he was known as "Pick-Up". Initial releases had the same plastic colors but retained the sticker designs from his original Micro Change release, while later toys had the plastic colors changed to make him a red truck with orange robot parts (pre-Malignus). In Mexico, and subsequently also found in some European markets, a maroon and white version was released, possibly to bring the character of [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] over without the use of a new mold.

: This mold was used to make the [[Malignus]] [[Pick-Up (Malignus)|Pick-Up]], the Autobot [[Small Foot]] and was [[Retool|retooled]] to make Swerve.

*'''Minibots Team''' (Multi-pack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''TFC-12'''

: Gears was ''finally'' put out at Japanese retail in 2004, as part of the [[Transformers Collection]] "Minibot" set, containing Gears, a retooled [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], Cosmos, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and Warpath. This set was later [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make the [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]] [[G1 GoBots]] team.

==Notes==
* In his first Marvel Comics appearance, Gears sported a more humanoid [[character model]] that looked less like his toy than his final animation model. He would also use this model in the UK annual story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", while ''[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]'' was inexplicably drawn with this model in the earlier UK story "[[The Enemy Within!]]".

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]

Skyburst (PCC)

2010-10-20T02:54:12Z

64.189.19.132: /* Power Core Combiners */

{{faction|autobot}}
:''Skyburst is an [[Autobot]] [[Commander (PCC)|Commander]] from ''[[Power Core Combiners]]''.''

[[Image:PCCskyburstpackageart.jpg|right|thumb|350px]]

'''Skyburst''' isn't sure he deserves being equipped with the [[Aerialbot (PCC)|Aerialbot]] drones. To be one of the first given control over Power Core [[drone]]s is an amazing honor bestowed upon only the best of the best, but Skyburst is just a search and rescue expert. Surely the drones should go to the 'Bots on the front lines. Skyburst doesn't understand that his dedication to helping the helpless is more than deserving of recognition.
{{-}}
==Toys==
===''Power Core Combiners''===
[[Image:PCCtoy-SkyburstAerialbots.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Bursting through the sky comes a fearful cry!]]
*'''Skyburst with Aerialbots''' (Commander Class, 2010)
: Part of the first wave of ''Power Core Combiners'' 5 Packs, Skyburst is a Scout-size jet, based on the fictional [[wikipedia:Fictional military aircraft#Mikoyan MiG-31 (fictional)|Firefox MiG-31]], who transforms into a robot. A somewhat taller robot form somewhat based on his combiner mode can be discovered with some creativity. His drones, the Aerialbots, can automatically transform from vehicle to limb using [[Automorph Technology]] when clipped onto Skyburst. When detached, they transform back to vehicle mode. His fighter jet drone appears to homage G1 Skydive.

:Unfortunately, Skyburst and his drones have several design flaws and quality control issues. Skyburst suffers from the problem of the spring-loaded, automorphing drones being unable to provide solid, stable feet to balance the combined mode, and the general shape of some of the drones make it hard to connect most of them to the torso, this essentially is the reverse problem of [[Bombshock (PCC) |Bombshock]]. The F-15 Eagle drone also apears to have the intention to have the wings automotph, but there appears to be a tab missing to transform it that way and stay like that.

: This mold was used to make [[Darkstream]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Autobot/Skyburst/skyburst.htm More information on Skyburst at TFU.info]''

[[Category: Aerialbots]]
[[Category: Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category: Power Core Combiners characters]]
[[Category: Toy-only characters]]

Astoria Carlton-Ritz

2010-10-19T00:26:37Z

64.189.19.132: /* Notes */

:''Astoria Carlton-Ritz is a [[human]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:G1 Astoria Carlton-Ritz.JPG|right|250px|thumb|"Didn't I say I never hang out with the Hilton sisters?"]]
After the death of her father, '''Astoria Carlton-Ritz''' inherited his vast fortune as well as his company, [[Hybrid Technologies]]. Spoiled rotten, Astoria is mostly a figurehead with little control over the company's goings-on. Instead, she spends most of her time throwing herself lavish parties and wondering why nobody wants to be her friend. She has the bizarre ability to jinx any mechanical device just by coming into contact with it, which is just one more reason why she keeps away from her father's company and its equipment. Her father gave her a necklace with a top secret formula and requested she never take the necklace off. Astoria also has a thing for [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]].

She probably spends her time with the Hilton sisters.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon===
:''Voice actress'': [[Linda Gary]] (English), [[Run Sasaki]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Astoria kisses Powerglide.jpg|left|150px|thumb|The original Kiss Player.]]

While Astoria was throwing herself a birthday party (being attended by the board of her late father's company), the [[Conehead]]s came trying to kidnap her, as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] believed that she had her father's energy formula. Powerglide, who was passing by, rescued her and took her to the [[Autobot]]s' [[New York City]] base. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], believing that the [[Decepticon]]s wanted access to the company's industrial capabilities, ordered Powerglide to escort her back home. However, the Coneheads again attacked, this time succeeding in capturing Astoria and leaving Powerglide damaged.

Astoria was taken to the [[Sky Platform]], the Decepticons' new power-gathering facility, where [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] attempted to interrogate her about her father's formula with the [[psycho-probe]], but got nowhere. Megatron then tried his own hand at interrogating her. What he experienced was frustration beyond anything [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] could hope to cause. Finally, Powerglide arrived and managed to rescue her. While no one was looking, Astoria destroyed the gem in her necklace, which contained the formula Megatron sought. She was then sent home, while Powerglide seemed to experience some sort of strange reaction in his circuits. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Astoria strength.JPG|right|150px|thumb|She is probably stronger than [[:Image:RollForIt FloppyDisk destruction.jpg|Chip Chase]].]]
* The name "Astoria Carlton-Ritz" is a play on two famous hotels, the [[wikipedia:The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel|Waldorf-Astoria]] and [[wikipedia:Ritz-Carlton|Ritz-Carlton]].

* When her mind was being probed, the psycho-probe said that Astoria's mind was "completely empty". Let's not speculate what this means. Let's also not dwell on the fact that sending 90,000 volts through her brain simply made her laugh.

* She was slammed by Powerglide a few times without getting hurt. (Not that way.) Not to mention, practically thrown out of the room for "jinxing" the controls and pushed off when the Sky Platform was falling.

* She can tear a metal cover with her bare hands.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carlton-Ritz, Astoria}}
[[Category:Cartoon-only characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Humans]]

Enter the Nightbird

2010-10-13T20:04:27Z

64.189.19.132: /* Synopsis */

{{disambig2|the Generation 1 episode|the fictional film|Enter the Nightbird (film)}}
{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=26
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=17
|prev2=Atlantis, Arise!
|next2=Dinobot Island, Part 1
|series3=''[[Generation 2 (cartoon)|The Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=30
|prev3=Day of the Machines
|next3=A Prime Problem
|image=EnterTheNightbird Nightbird starscream.jpg
|caption="All right, now hit Starscream in the groin-plate."
|title="Enter the Nightbird"
|production code=#700-25
|airdate=[[September 30]], 1985
|written by=[[Sylvia Wilson]] [[Richard Milton]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Decepticons capture Nightbird, a deadly ninja-bot, and turn her loose on the Autobots.'''

:''Japanese title:'' ナイトバードの影 (''Nightbird no Kage'', "The Shadow of Nightbird")
:''Brazilian title:'' '''A Ninja''' ("Ninja")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Nightbirdandfujiyama.jpg|left|175px|thumb|"No threat... not a threat at all."]]
The [[Autobot]]s are busily constructing [[detection plate]]s, a new invention of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s which will make the [[Ark (G1)|base]] more secure by detecting intruders. They're interrupted in their work by a call from [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]], requesting their help in guarding his latest invention during its unveiling to the world. His curiosity aroused, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus]] agrees when the doctor informs him that the invention is a sophisticated new robot. The Autobots attend the event, though Wheeljack and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] are more interested in mocking the invention. Finally Dr. Fujiyama unveils [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], a "female ninja robot". Predictably, the [[Decepticon]]s attack and immediately have the upper hand because the Autobots won’t fight in a hall crowded with humans. As soon as the humans are cleared out, Optimus orders a counter-attack, personally grappling with [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. The Autobots are soon fully occupied, allowing [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] to tear the roof off the building, so that [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] can lasso Nightbird and carry the robot away. Their prize obtained, the rest of the Decepticons retreat.

They retire to Megatron's temporary base, a [[Giant Decepticon insignia|masterfully disguised fortress]], where [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] sets to work reprogramming Nightbird and tripling her power. Her first action on being reactivated is to immediately attack Starscream, which gains Megatron's approval. [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] gives her her new orders — infiltrate Autobot headquarters and steal the [[World Energy Chip]] from [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]].

Meanwhile, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus]] is apologetic for their abject failure to protect the robot, and promises to return it back to Dr. Fujiyama quickly and unharmed. The Autobots return to base, Ratchet carrying the injured [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]. Nightbird soon arrives at Autobot HQ as well, avoiding a security camera by accessing the base through the top of the [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]], eavesdropping on [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s puzzled conversation over the Decepticons' latest plan. She neatly avoids Wheeljack's detection plates by magnetizing her feet and walking along the roof. Reaching Teletraan I, she removes the World Energy Chip, plunging the base into darkness and alerting the Autobots to the intruder.

[[Image:Nightbirdspotlight.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Nightbird wants her own [[Spotlight (comics)|spotlight comic]].]]
In her attempt to escape, she first encounters [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and bashes her way past the startled Autobot. A group of Autobots corners her, but are hampered by the promise they made not to harm her, and she is able to use her ninja abilities to blind them and effect a proper escape. The Autobots pursue her outside, where Optimus spots her on a clifftop and drops her with a stun ray. As [[Bluestreak]] approaches her, she suddenly jumps up and decks him before throwing more spinning blades at his comrades. Optimus stops [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] from firing on her, reminding him again of their promise to Dr. Fujiyama, then attempts to reason with Nightbird. The robot responds by attacking him with her energy sword and stealing his rifle, though she leaves her sword behind.

Watching remotely, Megatron and Bombshell are impressed with Nightbird's work. Starscream less so when Megatron suggests she would make a good replacement for the air commander.

Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] discover the absence of the World Energy Chip and notify Prime. Using [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s sensors, the Autobots quickly relocate Nightbird, and Optimus attempts to lure her closer with her sword. She merely takes the weapon and knocks him down. The Autobots continue their attempts, unsuccessfully, to try to bring the ninja 'bot down.

[[Image:Nightbirdprime.jpg|left|175px|thumb|Prime, taking advantage of the fact [[Elita One|Elita]]'s on [[Cybertron (planet)|another planet]].]]
Meanwhile, Starscream has had enough of Megatron's insinuations about replacing him, and decks his leader. He's swiftly restrained by the other Decepticons and trapped in a cage. Megatron turns back to his spying and, seeing that Nightbird has finally been caught by the Autobots in an energy web, orders the Decepticons out on a mission to rescue her and the World Energy Chip. Optimus is able to retrieve the Chip from Nightbird, but it's dropped in the subsequent Decepticon ambush. After a brief spell in Bombshell's possession, Optimus regains the chip, but Megatron responds by freeing Nightbird from her cage and unleashing her on the Autobots.

[[Image:Nightbirdangry.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Hell hath no fury like a Nightbird scorned.]]
Starscream uses a small missile to free himself from the cage in the Decepticon base, and swiftly reaches the battle in time to watch Nightbird overwhelming Optimus with her combat skills. Seeking revenge, the Decepticon uses his [[null-ray]] on Nightbird, disabling her. Megatron is enraged and calls off the attack so everyone can pursue Starscream.

The Autobots make good on their promise by returning Nightbird unharmed to Fujiyama, who decides to put her in storage. Despite being neutralized, Nightbird casts a final, angered glare out at the cold, cold, world.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (1)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (2)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (3)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (5)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (6)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (7)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (10)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (11)
* [[Bluestreak]] (15)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (16)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (21)

|c2=
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (8)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (9)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (12)
* [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (13)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (14)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (17)
* [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (18)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (19)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (20)

|c3=
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]
* [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]]

|c4=
*[[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]
}}

==Quotes==
"Imagine, Autobots playing nursemaid to an Earth robot. It's probably just a glorified wind-up toy."
:—Look who's talking, '''Wheeljack'''.

'''Ratchet''': Dr. Fujiyama's doohickey's under that drape! 
'''Wheeljack''': If it walks, it probably needs a long extension cord. 
'''Ratchet''': Heh heh heh. I wonder if batteries are included? Heh heh heh. 
'''Wheeljack''': When they turn it on, it'll probably blow the lights! 
'''Optimus''': We're here to guard the robot, not make jokes at its expense.
:—Wheeljack and Ratchet, masters of diplomacy

"Ah, why build a robot ninja, doctor? Isn't that rather dangerous?"
:—The '''guy with the white mustache''' asks what we're all thinking.

"I bring you greetings, Optimus Prime...lethal greetings!"
:—'''Megatron'''. His writers don't get paid enough.

"I love warping minds for you, Megatron...love it!"
:—'''Bombshell''', the spokesman for ''Grand Theft Auto''.

"I'm open to suggestions...and you don't need to raise your hands before you speak."
:—Shouldn't '''Optimus Prime''' have said something like "raise your finger components" instead?

"She's not so hot!" 
"She's hot enough to replace you whenever I choose!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Megatron''' utter the words that launch a thousand [[fanfic]]s.

"Yes, you're definitely on my replacement list, Starscream.... Hahaha, she's everything I've always wanted!"
:—'''Megatron'''. Aw, all he wanted was some love.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
* Throughout the entire episode, the volume of the background music is a notch or two lower than normal, making it sound rather unemphatic.
* The top of Ironhide's torso is colored red instead of gray as Wheeljack says his "nursemaid" line. In the same scene, the bottom of Wheeljack's "ears" aren't flashing along with the rest of them.
* The ''round'' auditorium building somehow contains a ''rectangular'' auditorium. Later shots show the auditorium as having a domed ceiling, which is consistent with the exterior shot but doesn't make a lick of sense spatially. As Optimus apologizes to Dr. Fujiyama later in the episode, the ruined auditorium is suddenly round. Also, the opening pan across the auditorium also shows it to be of ''incredibly '' huge scale.
* As he and Ratchet crack jokes about the robot, the top segment of the side of Wheeljack's chest is colored windshield blue instead of metal armor white.
* For the most part, the episode is ''amazingly'' consistent about where the Autobots are during the unveiling of Nightbird, but as the robot is revealed, Prowl and Mirage are shown right next to each other, when they were a hundred feet apart a second before.
* When Rumble and Frenzy break into the show room, Rumble's pile drivers are rectangular prisms instead of the usual cylinders.
* One gun, many lasers:
** Frenzy's lasers pass right through the fleeing humans without affecting them. He's also somehow firing like 5 or 6 lasers at once from his two guns.
* When Optimus Prime gets shot in the back by Megatron, he grunts and oophs in Mirage's voice.
* The "triple power booster" that Bombshell places in Nightbird's torso couldn't possible fit in the space that's shown.
* Ratchet has no red detailing in ambulance mode as he offers a lift to Brawn.
* Ratchet has a side hatch instead of his usual rear hatch as Mirage loads Brawn into him. Brawn is loaded in sideways, meaning Ratchet is wider than Brawn is tall.
* Mirage shines a light on Nightbird from an area of his chest that clearly is not a light of any kind.
* The first commercial break totally cuts off the background music in mid-phrase.
* Cliffjumper's brow is missing its details and color as he aims at Nightbird.
* When Nightbird's lightsaber is shot and deactivated, the sound effects continue for about two more seconds before they stop.
* Jazz's mouth disappears for a second as he goes to help Prime to his feet.
* Missing Seeker emblems:
** Skywarp has no wing insignia as he watches the video screen in the [[Giant Decepticon insignia|Decepticon base]].
** Starscream has only one insignia as he punches Megatron. Skywarp has none a second later as he holds Starscream, and again as he backs away from the energy cage.
** Starscream has no insignia as he lands at the battle site.
** Thundercracker and Skywarp have no insignia as the Decepticons fly off after Starscream. In fact, Skywarp doesn't seem to have his insignia at any point during the episode. Seriously, is there a single episode where they didn't screw this up?
* Miscolored Seeker nosecones:
** Starscream's top and bottom cockpit segments are yellow instead of gray as Bombshell challenges him.
** Skywarp and Thundercracker both have all-yellow nosecones as they transform to leave the base.
** Skywarp's nosecone is gray as he and everybody else transforms and launches during the start of the battle.
** Starscream's nosecone goes from all-yellow to all-gray as he leaves the base and transforms.
** Starscream's bottom nosecone segment is yellow instead of gray as he laughs at Megatron. As he transforms and flies off, his nosecone is entirely yellow. Seriously, is there a single episode where they didn't screw ''this'' up?
* Why does Hound's infrared ''beep''? Is it a radar?
* As usual, Mirage only leaves footprints when he's invisible.
* "She jammed it!" Cliffjumper says, when Nightbird throws Bluestreak's missile into his glass gas nozzle. Couldn't he just... pull the missile out?
* The animators missed a note about what Starscream was supposed to do inside the energy cage. He's all like "You can't keep me in here, Megatron! AHHHHHHH!", as if he rushed the cage and got zapped by it or something, but the animation shows him just standing there, which makes it seem like he expects to shout the system down. Sure enough, the original script contains the following direction:
:ANGLE ON MEGATRON as he moves closer to the cage.
:MEGATRON: Well, I don't see why not...!
:Starscream tries to punch at Megatron, but when his fist hits the power grid, it creates ELECTRICAL SPARKS. Starscream draws his hand back, holding it in pain.
:STARSCREAM: (SCREAMS!)<ref name="serpentslair">[http://www.theplumedserpent.com/SerpentsEye/ETN.html "Enter The Nightbird" episode review at The Serpent's Lair]</ref>
* Hound is missing all his chest details as Optimus reacts to Megatron's arrival. It suddenly appears as the Autobots attack.
* What on earth is that weird energy ripple sound effect as Starscream drops out of the sky? As Starscream lands, his eyes are blue instead of red.
* As Starscream knocks out Nightbird, the [[null ray]] gets a truncated Autobot laser sound effect instead of the Decepticon sound.
* A dialog or script editing flub results in Starscream bizarrely gloating "Say good night to your ''Megatron''!" after blasting Nightbird. Per the original script, the line was meant to go "Say good night to your <something>, Megatron!", but whatever the original noun was, it was crossed out in black and the word "Robotessa" was hand-written in its place. <ref name="serpentslair" /> The baffling question of what the heck a "Robotessa" is aside, this hand-written re-write was apparently overlooked when the dialogue script for the recording of the episode was written up, as the spoken line shows no signs of being edited or cut-and-pasted back together, indicating that Chris Latta genuinely spoke it aloud in recording as it appears in the show. It ''would'' make sense if Starscream was addressing it towards Nightbird, but he's not.
* The glow of Nightbird's eyes starts a second before the accompanying sound effect.

===Continuity errors===
* Wheeljack's detection panels don't make any sense. They're just glorified metal detectors, that react to metal, the very thing that the Autobots and Autobot Headquarters are made of. The Autobots put them all over the ''floor'', to detect their flight-capable enemies. So does that mean the Autobots can no longer use that particular corridor?
* The scientists' reactions to Nightbird seem a bit overwrought considering that the robot has yet to do anything besides stand there.
* Dr. Fujiyama assures us that Nightbird is "not meant for battles or assassinations" as we pan over the robot. So... just what ''are'' those short knives and nunchucks and throwing stars meant for? Is Nightbird supposed to ''stab'' her way into "the horizons of robotic research"?
* The Autobots didn't think to post anybody ''outside'' the building? Since that's, y'know, where the Decepticons would come from?
* Why do the Decepticons need a whole new base just for the Nightbird project? What possible advantage does it serve?
* When Prime apologizes for losing Nightbird to the Decepticons, Doctor Fujiyama's response is that no one could have predicted it happening. Except... that's why he called the Autobots in the first place! Being a rather stereotypical Japanese guy, maybe he's just too polite to tell Prime that he botched it.
* This is the only time that Autobot Headquarters is shown to have an elevator going up into the volcano's cone. [[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2|Earlier]] and [[Dinobot Island, Part 2|later]] episodes contradict this notion. And just what are Prowl and Spike doing up there, anyway?
* How come the detection panels don't go off when Nightbird waves her hand next to them?
* Why is Prime helping repair Brawn? Repairs aren't usually his gig.
* Improbable viewpoints:
** Why/how does Ratchet get a third-person view of Optimus and the others when he calls them up via Teletraan I?
** How is Megatron watching the whole battle from his base? Is Laserbeak there keeping tabs or something? Or is this another instance of him putting [[The Master Builders|cameras inside every random rock]]?
* At the end of the second act, Nightbird gets the drop on Prime and raises her sword as if to slice him in half. At the opening of the third act, however, she's just standing there in front of him, idly spinning the sword around, then turns and runs away for no real reason.
* Nightbird's "magnetic feet" reappear later in the episode, when she's climbing... a rock face.
* "Watch how my anti-matter blaster eats up energy!" Megatron says. We feel this amazing breach of science needs no further elaboration. (The intended idea ''may'' have been that the blaster is highly energy-consumptive and could absorb the energy net as a power supply or something; however, what's shown instead is that ''firing'' the gun ''at'' the energy net somehow dissipates it.)
* "I'm so glad you have returned Nightbird... and not a scratch on her chassis!" What about that big hole in her back from just the previous scene?
* "Safely locked up... ''forever''!" Why not just take her to pieces, then?

===Continuity notes===
* Gadgets and powers:
** Nightbird's gadgets: [[Wikipedia:Nunchaku|nunchaku]] (unused), a pair of [[Wikipedia:Sai (weapon)|''sai'' daggers]] (also unused), a wrist-mounted grappling hook, magnetic feet (they also work on rocks!), fist-replacing sawblades, [[Wikipedia:Metsubushi|some kind of spin/make bright light/disappear gimmick]], an endless supply of hip-stored energized [[Wikipedia:Shuriken|shuriken]], a lightsaber, another unused weapon which hilt is visible on her "backpack", a glowing magnetic tractor beam, and stereo speaker-nullifying metal donuts. Additionally, she vanishes after jumping over a cliff edge, leading Mirage to wonder if she has the power of invisibility.
** Cliffjumper's [[glass gas]] is a fiery glue-like substance in this episode, which he fires from a retractable wrist nozzle.
** Starscream can fire a tiny little missile from an elevating launcher on his wrist.
* In [[3H Productions|3H]]'s [[Universe (2003 comic)|''Universe'' comics]], Nightbird returned as a savage horde, which forced [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] to kill himself and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] to destroy them...which goes to show that they ''are'' good for something.
* [[Attack of the Autobots|<<]] '''Brawn vs. Soundwave''' Round 3 goes to Soundwave. Score: Brawn 2, Soundwave 1 [[Child's Play (episode)|>>]]

===Real-world references===
* The title could be a reference to the film ''[[wikipedia:Enter_the_Dragon|Enter the Dragon]]''. This would not be the last time the film is referenced in a Transformers series.
* ''Star Wars'' sound effects:
** Nightbird's lightsaber ignites with the standard Star Wars lightsaber effect, and gets the usual lightsaber-waving sound effects repeatedly when it's used.
** The seeker ball that Luke trains with aboard the ''Millennium Falcon'' can be heard darting about as Nightbird waves her sword at the approaching Optimus Prime.

===Trivia===
* The first ''female'' ninja robot? So are there already a lot of ''male'' ninja robots running around out there?

* Dr. Fujiyama's assertion that "the technical components are irreplaceable, and are needed for research" is... curious. If he built the thing himself, why would it be so impossible to manufacture new parts?

* When the Autobots are chasing Nightbird up a cliff, Cliffjumper can't jump the cliff. This has been the source of much fandom snickering over the years. Congratulations, fandom; you get the joke. Good job.

* Back in the late 1990s, this episode was at the center of a huge and long-running [[fandom]] flap on [[alt.toys.transformers]], initiated by [[Raksha|certain Decepticon fans]] who interpreted Nightbird's scowl as a clear sign that she was a sapient life form, rather than a mindless automaton. In conjunction with certain lines of dialog from Megatron, some fans further concluded that Nightbird could be seen as a romantic foil for Megatron. These arguments and the opposing viewpoints led to much agony for everyone involved.

* The [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave comic]] "[[Infestation]]" featured Nightbird in her own movie, aptly named ''[[Aztec Theatres|Enter the Nightbird]]''.

* Doctor Fujiyama the ''Famous'' Scientist!

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1994 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''The Transformers'' — Autobot Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1: Vol. 2 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Season 2 Part 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Bumper Collection Special (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 2: Series 2.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 03: Stagione Due Parte Prima ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season Two: Part One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Season Two, Volume One: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/enter_the_nightbird.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]

Talk:An Explosive Situation

2010-10-13T06:55:36Z

64.189.19.132:

Just to clarify... was this episode ever reran in the United States after 9/11? I don't remember it being, for obvious reasons, but it could've been thrown back into one of the last rerun cycles which I didn't follow.--[[User:Speedbreaker|Speedbreaker]] 01:40, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

I want to say it got new dubbing to make it superfuel not a bomb or something... Zobovor probably knows.
(I'm setting up shells of the first 7 episodes of the series, or one disk of the DVD.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 01:47, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure I saw a redub at some point. It was only once, though, and so long ago. Sorry I can't give more details. -[[User:Animus|Animus]] 00:06, 03 December 2007

While on the note of tastelessness, anyone else notice that this episode is about '''nuclear bombs exploding over major cities in Japan'''? [[Special:Contributions/64.189.19.132|64.189.19.132]] 18:15, 12 October 2010 (EDT)
:Well it was initially written by Japanese for a Japanese audience so if they didn't mind, I don't see why we should get our boxer shorts in a knot. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 18:31, 12 October 2010 (EDT)

:Is the bomb specified as nuclear in ''Car Robots''? --[[User:Abates|abates]] 18:48, 12 October 2010 (EDT)
::A very powerful bomb that could do major damage to Tokyo, IIRC. --[[User:Lonegamer78|Lonegamer78]] 18:53, 12 October 2010 (EDT)
:::Well if the nuclear thing is a dub addition... it still doesn't matter, seeing how the dub takes place in the fictional, quite likely American town of "Metro City". --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 19:57, 12 October 2010 (EDT)
::::It's not referred to as nuclear in RID. S'why I was wondering where the anon got "nuclear" from. I guess if it's powerful enough to cause major damage to the city, it's likely nuclear. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 20:02, 12 October 2010 (EDT)
:::::I'm wondering the "nuke" came from as well. I've read of explosions exceeding the ones used during WW2 in terms of sheer explosive force, even if they weren't bombs. --[[User:Lonegamer78|Lonegamer78]] 20:11, 12 October 2010 (EDT)
:::::: Aforementioned anon here. Do you think a conventional bomb would make an explosion that big? I mean, bright enough to LIGHT UP THE SKY FROM THE STRATOSPHERE?! Only nukes have that kind of explosive power. [[Special:Contributions/64.189.19.132|64.189.19.132]] 02:55, 13 October 2010 (EDT)

Also, we need a picture of X-brawn swinging from the buildings with the subtext "Spider-Brawn, Spider-Brawn..." [[Special:Contributions/64.189.19.132|64.189.19.132]] 02:55, 13 October 2010 (EDT)

Talk:An Explosive Situation

2010-10-12T22:15:58Z

64.189.19.132:

Talk:An Explosive Situation

2010-10-12T22:15:45Z

64.189.19.132:

An Explosive Situation

2010-10-12T22:10:44Z

64.189.19.132: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=RiD
|ep=2
|title="An Explosive Situation"
|japanese=高速バトル! ゲルシャーク
|romaji=Kōsoku Battle! Gelshark
|translation=High Speed Battle! Gelshark
|image=Explosive Situation Skybyte bomb.jpg
|caption=Nom nom nom
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]], [[Studio Gallop]]
|written by=[[Junki Takegami]] (Japanese) [[Tom Wyner]] (English)
|director=[[Yoshiaki Tsutsui]], [[Akira Katō]]
|animation studio=Studio Gallop
|airdate=[[April 12]], [[2000]] (Japanese) [[September 10]], [[2001]] (English)
|continuity=
}}
'''Predacons need fuel.''' 
'''So they steal it from a car.''' 
'''[[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|Sound familiar?]]'''

==Synopsis==
A nighttime delivery of a power cell is ruined by [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], who devours the truck and steals away the cargo. But the energy he consumes doesn't satiate the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]]'s hunger.

[[Image:Explosive Situation Kojitai.jpg|left|200px|thumb|No Koji, this doesn't count as sex.]]
[[Koji Onishi]] receives a message from [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and rushes outside to be retrieved by the [[Autobot]] leader, who brings Koji to the Autobots' secret underground headquarters. Prime introduces Koji to the "proactive cybernetic interface program" called [[T-AI]], the Tactical Artificial Intelligence. The two become quick friends, despite T-AI's lack of a solid body. Optimus explains that the Predacons have been responsible for various battery thefts. The three [[Autobot Brothers|Autobot brothers]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], and [[X-Brawn]], patrol around in hopes of discovering a crime in progress (although Side Burn is easily distracted by his need to "rev up his engine").

[[Image:Explosive Situation Predaconbatteries.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They had to visit five Wal-Marts to collect this many.]]
Underwater, in his own hidden base, [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] mulls over his energy concerns. The Predacon trio arrives with a proposed solution: flashlight batteries. Megatron is unimpressed at how small his henchmen have been thinking. Sky-Byte uncloaks and presents his own, much better idea for powering the Predacons' base: They simply need to recover an energy bomb that some terrorists have hidden in a red sports car in [[Metro City]].

[[Image:Explosive Situation Kellyprowl.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Have you considered buying a hybrid?]]
At the docks, [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] is taking delivery of the last red sports car, which naturally contains the bomb. She takes it for a test drive, and before long is located by Sky-Byte. Unsurprisingly, Side Burn quickly arrives to hit on the car, prompting Sky-Byte to begin his attack. Prowl and Side Burn block the fish, but he swims/flies away and meets with the Predacon trio, who are trying to take the credit for recovering the bomb for themselves. Sky-Byte bites into the car to take it from [[Dark Scream]], shattering the car's structure. Trying to save the automobile, Side Burn unintentionally saves Kelly from certain death. Prowl apologizes to Kelly for letting the Predacons ruin her day.

With the explosive device in his teeth, Sky-Byte gradually floats back towards the Predacon command center, but X-Brawn steals the bomb right out of Sky-Byte's mouth. The rough handling causes the device to arm, and Sky-Byte warns X-Brawn of the impending explosion. Koji suggests taking the bomb somewhere high up, and X-Brawn uses his grappling hook to swing from building to building to the radio tower where he begins his ascent.

[[Image:Explosive Situation Skybyteinspace.jpg|right|200px|thumb|His bosses didn't like him so they shot him into space!]]
Realizing that the blast radius would be larger than the tower is tall, Optimus Prime rushes out of the base. In the city, X-Brawn tosses the bomb from the top of the tower as far upwards as he can. Using his "Power Stream" attack, Prime fires a blast of water at the bomb, carrying the explosive (and Sky-Byte) out of the Earth's atmosphere. Miles above the Earth, Sky-Byte triggers the explosive. The explosion fills the city's sky with a yellow glow, but no buildings are destroyed.

Once he's recovered, Sky-Byte begins a study of human culture but is frustrated by the combined power of the works of [[wikipedia:Charles_Dickens|Charles Dickens]] and [[wikipedia:William_Shakespeare|William Shakespeare]].

{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[T-AI]] (6)
*[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] (7)
*[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[X-Brawn]] (10)

|h2=[[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]]
|c2=
*[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (3)
*[[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] (11)
*[[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] (12)
*[[Dark Scream]] (13)
*[[Gas Skunk]] (14)

|c3=
*Truck Driver (1)
*Truck Passenger (2)
*[[Koji Onishi]] (4)
*[[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] (8)
*[[Dorie Dutton]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==

'''Megatron''': How is this energy being stored and how long will it take to convert? 
'''Dark Scream''': It's stored in little round canisters. 
'''Gas Skunk''': They're used in something called "flashlights" and we've got thousands of 'em! Ahahahahahahahahahaha! 
''(Prolonged evil laughter from Dark Scream, Gas Skunk, and Slapper)'' 
'''Slapper''': Great score, huh? Of course, we'll have to convert it to energon, and that'll take a while. 
'''Dark Scream''': I don't think it'll take more than a week or two. 
'''Gas Skunk''': Welllll... three at the most. 
'''Megatron''': SILENCE! We... need.... ''massive-quantities-of-energy-not-little-batteries!! 
'''Slapper''': Sorry, this is all we could find! 
'''Gas Skunk''': Anywhere! 
'''Megatron''': .........'''YOU HAVE FAILED ME!''' BEAST MODE! DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT THE ENERGY IN THESE PUNY BATTERIES WOULD BE ENOUGH TO RUN THIS BASE?! 
'''Slapper''': ....well.... yeah. Sorta. 
'''Megatron''': FOOLS! I SHOULD ADD ''YOUR'' ENERGY CORES TO THE CONVERSION VATS! 
'''Sky-Byte''': You've wasted your time, Megatron. One of those flashlights is brighter than the three of them combined. 
:-The '''Predacon Trio''' at about the height of their competence

"Here's a tip for you: Never ignore a warning from a shark!"
:—'''Sky-Byte'''

"Sorry, ma'am. I do apologize for the inconvenience. Are you all right?" 
"For someone who's been attacked by a giant flying squirrel and a huge toad, a maniacal shark and a monstrous skunk...sure, I'm just fine."
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Kelly'''

"What sort of nonsense is this? 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'? Best or worst, make up your mind!"
:—The subtleties of human literature are lost on '''Sky-Byte'''.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Car Robots''===
*As Koji comes running out of his house at the start of the episode, ''Car Robots'' has him calling Optimus Prime on his communicator, while ''Robots in Disguise'' flips the scene, and has Koji responding to a summons from Prime.
*''Car Robots'' is set in [[Tokyo]], while ''Robots in Disguise'' is set in the fictional [[Metro City]]. As such, ''Robots in Disguise'' has to refrain from naming the tower X-Brawn scales, which is quite plainly the famous [[wikipedia:Tokyo Tower|Tokyo Tower]]. Later in the episode, T-AI gives the tower's height as 500 feet; Tokyo Tower is actually 1093 feet tall (333 meters).
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', X-Brawn merely scales the tower to get a better vantage point, and grumbles about his shocks as he takes the stairs in vehicle mode. In ''Car Robots'', on the other hand, he is actually just goofing around, and ''enjoys'' the "rough terrain" of the stairs. This is just how X-Brawn is in ''Car Robots'', as shown as early as last episode.
*''Car Robots'' explicitly identifies the nationality of the terrorists. They're Korean.
*In ''Car Robots'', Slapper, Gas Skunk and Darkscream are worried about human police. In ''Robots in Disguise'', they're more concerned with the bomb going off prematurely.
[[Image:Rid_ep2_cutscene.jpg|right|thumb|200px|G-G-G-G-Ghost shark!]]
*''Robots in Disguise'' cuts out two shots of Sky-Byte pursuing Kelly, probably because they involve the slightly confusing use of a "ghostly" image of Sky-Byte, to show the audience that he is underneath the bridge. A few moments later, though, the show extends the chase scene by repeating footage of him chomping at Kelly's car's tail.
*In ''Car Robots'', Sky-Byte doesn't realize Prowl and Side Burn are Autobots until they transform. In ''Robots in Disguise'', he recognizes them on sight.
*In ''Car Robots'', Side Burn extends his arm to catch Kelly and her sportscar ''before'' they fall. ''Robots in Disguise'' reorders the scene to place this shot after the she starts plummeting.
*''Robots in Disguise'' combines some pieces of footage to create a new scene of Prowl telling X-Brawn to take the bomb to the top of the tower; in ''Car Robots'', X-Brawn comes up with this plan on his own initiative.
*''Car Robots'' has X-Brawn turn his head and spot Optimus Prime just after Prime rolls up. ''Robots in Disguise'' moves the scene to just before the audience sees Prime arrive.
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', the Predacons make fun of Sky-Byte for reading human books and not understanding them. In ''Car Robots'', however, they're actually quietly impressed at his ability to survive the explosion, but they then giggle when Darkscream points out he's still a show-off (the implication being that Sky-Byte reading books is nothing new, and the failure to comprehend them being a creation of the dub). ''Robots in Disguise'' also extends the scene by repeating the shot of Sky-Byte leaning over his book and grumbling in the middle of the Predacons' whispered exchange.
*Scenes lengthened in ''Robots in Disguise'' by looped and repeated footage include:
**Koji's introduction to T-AI, allowing the show to make its well-known "daughter of [[Teletraan I (RID)|Teletraan I]]" reference
**Sky-Byte's explanation before he plays Dorrie Dutton's news report
**Slapper and company's worries about the bomb
**Sky-Byte's warning to Prowl
**Kelly and Prowl's exchange after he catches her
**X-Brawn and Sky-Byte's argument over the bomb

===Animation or technical errors===
* Megatron pronounces the Transformers' preferred [[energon (fuel)|fuel source]] as "ener-gone."
* The colors of most of Prowl's Autobot [[insignia]] are inverted when he catches Kelly, and full-on miscolored yellow-orange when tries to think what to do about the bomb.

===Real-world references===
*As Sky-Byte approaches the rear of the truck and begins to take bites out of it, the soundtrack starts playing ''Jaws'' music.
* The book Sky-Byte reads from is ''A Tale of Two Cities'' by Charles Dickens. It's also ''Hamlet'' by William Shakespeare. Even the book can't make up its mind!

===Transformers references===
* T-AI introduces herself as the daughter of the [[Teletraan I (RID)|Teletraan I]] program. She mispronounces it "Teletron" in typical [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'']] style.
* The Predacon base is powered by [[Transwarp]] cells.
* Megatron requests that the batteries be converted into [[Energon cube|Energon cubes]].

===Trivia===
* This episode about terrorist bombs in cities first aired the day before 9/11. It SO never aired again.
* Also, referencing a nuclear bomb exploding in a major city in Japan is equally tasteless...
* Sky-Byte's dramatic entrance inside the Predacon base suggests a power of invisibility or teleportation, or both. Whatever it was, he never used it again.
* The truck delivering the fuel cell has a license plate G39-20.
* Kelly's car which is destroyed at the beginning of the episode has a license plate J38-57.
* Kelly's custom XZ-12 sports-car, which she seems surprisingly willing to drive considering it's "the only one left that hasn't been searched" for a bomb, has a plate number J-68-85 (and sometimes J68-85).
* Side Burn is able to extend his arm while in vehicle mode.
* Optimus Prime's "[[Super Mode|battle mode]]" debuts in this episode, though he announces "Optimus Prime, Optimize!". For future episodes it's standardized to "Battle mode!"
*The highway damaged by Sky-Byte's entrance mysteriously disappears.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Transformers: Car Robots'' — Vol. 1 ([[Pony Canyon]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Volume One ([[Maximum Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Three-Disc Box Set: Part 1 of 2 (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Battle Protocol (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise / RoboCop: The Animated Series / M.A.S.K.'' (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Season One (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Ultimate Collection (Maximum Entertainment)

==External links==
*[http://www.ridforever.info/transformers-transcripts/rid-episode-02-an-explosive-situation.php "An Explosive Situation" transcript on RiDForever.info]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Explosive Situation}}
[[Category:Robots in Disguise episodes]]

An Explosive Situation

2010-10-12T22:09:01Z

64.189.19.132: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=RiD
|ep=2
|title="An Explosive Situation"
|japanese=高速バトル! ゲルシャーク
|romaji=Kōsoku Battle! Gelshark
|translation=High Speed Battle! Gelshark
|image=Explosive Situation Skybyte bomb.jpg
|caption=Nom nom nom
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]], [[Studio Gallop]]
|written by=[[Junki Takegami]] (Japanese) [[Tom Wyner]] (English)
|director=[[Yoshiaki Tsutsui]], [[Akira Katō]]
|animation studio=Studio Gallop
|airdate=[[April 12]], [[2000]] (Japanese) [[September 10]], [[2001]] (English)
|continuity=
}}
'''Predacons need fuel.''' 
'''So they steal it from a car.''' 
'''[[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|Sound familiar?]]'''

==Synopsis==
A nighttime delivery of a power cell is ruined by [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], who devours the truck and steals away the cargo. But the energy he consumes doesn't satiate the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]]'s hunger.

[[Image:Explosive Situation Kojitai.jpg|left|200px|thumb|No Koji, this doesn't count as sex.]]
[[Koji Onishi]] receives a message from [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and rushes outside to be retrieved by the [[Autobot]] leader, who brings Koji to the Autobots' secret underground headquarters. Prime introduces Koji to the "proactive cybernetic interface program" called [[T-AI]], the Tactical Artificial Intelligence. The two become quick friends, despite T-AI's lack of a solid body. Optimus explains that the Predacons have been responsible for various battery thefts. The three [[Autobot Brothers|Autobot brothers]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], and [[X-Brawn]], patrol around in hopes of discovering a crime in progress (although Side Burn is easily distracted by his need to "rev up his engine").

[[Image:Explosive Situation Predaconbatteries.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They had to visit five Wal-Marts to collect this many.]]
Underwater, in his own hidden base, [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] mulls over his energy concerns. The Predacon trio arrives with a proposed solution: flashlight batteries. Megatron is unimpressed at how small his henchmen have been thinking. Sky-Byte uncloaks and presents his own, much better idea for powering the Predacons' base: They simply need to recover an energy bomb that some terrorists have hidden in a red sports car in [[Metro City]].

[[Image:Explosive Situation Kellyprowl.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Have you considered buying a hybrid?]]
At the docks, [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] is taking delivery of the last red sports car, which naturally contains the bomb. She takes it for a test drive, and before long is located by Sky-Byte. Unsurprisingly, Side Burn quickly arrives to hit on the car, prompting Sky-Byte to begin his attack. Prowl and Side Burn block the fish, but he swims/flies away and meets with the Predacon trio, who are trying to take the credit for recovering the bomb for themselves. Sky-Byte bites into the car to take it from [[Dark Scream]], shattering the car's structure. Trying to save the automobile, Side Burn unintentionally saves Kelly from certain death. Prowl apologizes to Kelly for letting the Predacons ruin her day.

With the explosive device in his teeth, Sky-Byte gradually floats back towards the Predacon command center, but X-Brawn steals the bomb right out of Sky-Byte's mouth. The rough handling causes the device to arm, and Sky-Byte warns X-Brawn of the impending explosion. Koji suggests taking the bomb somewhere high up, and X-Brawn uses his grappling hook to swing from building to building to the radio tower where he begins his ascent.

[[Image:Explosive Situation Skybyteinspace.jpg|right|200px|thumb|His bosses didn't like him so they shot him into space!]]
Realizing that the blast radius would be larger than the tower is tall, Optimus Prime rushes out of the base. In the city, X-Brawn tosses the bomb from the top of the tower as far upwards as he can. Using his "Power Stream" attack, Prime fires a blast of water at the bomb, carrying the explosive (and Sky-Byte) out of the Earth's atmosphere. Miles above the Earth, Sky-Byte triggers the explosive. The explosion fills the city's sky with a yellow glow, but no buildings are destroyed.

Once he's recovered, Sky-Byte begins a study of human culture but is frustrated by the combined power of the works of [[wikipedia:Charles_Dickens|Charles Dickens]] and [[wikipedia:William_Shakespeare|William Shakespeare]].

{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[T-AI]] (6)
*[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] (7)
*[[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[X-Brawn]] (10)

|h2=[[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]]
|c2=
*[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (3)
*[[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] (11)
*[[Slapper (RID)|Slapper]] (12)
*[[Dark Scream]] (13)
*[[Gas Skunk]] (14)

|c3=
*Truck Driver (1)
*Truck Passenger (2)
*[[Koji Onishi]] (4)
*[[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] (8)
*[[Dorie Dutton]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==

'''Megatron''': How is this energy being stored and how long will it take to convert? 
'''Dark Scream''': It's stored in little round canisters. 
'''Gas Skunk''': They're used in something called "flashlights" and we've got thousands of 'em! Ahahahahahahahahahaha! 
''(Prolonged evil laughter from Dark Scream, Gas Skunk, and Slapper)'' 
'''Slapper''': Great score, huh? Of course, we'll have to convert it to energon, and that'll take a while. 
'''Dark Scream''': I don't think it'll take more than a week or two. 
'''Gas Skunk''': Welllll... three at the most. 
'''Megatron''': SILENCE! We... need.... ''massive-quantities-of-energy-not-little-batteries!! 
'''Slapper''': Sorry, this is all we could find! 
'''Gas Skunk''': Anywhere! 
'''Megatron''': .........'''YOU HAVE FAILED ME!''' BEAST MODE! DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT THE ENERGY IN THESE PUNY BATTERIES WOULD BE ENOUGH TO RUN THIS BASE?! 
'''Slapper''': ....well.... yeah. Sorta. 
'''Megatron''': FOOLS! I SHOULD ADD ''YOUR'' ENERGY CORES TO THE CONVERSION VATS! 
'''Sky-Byte''': You've wasted your time, Megatron. One of those flashlights is brighter than the three of them combined. 
:-The '''Predacon Trio''' at about the height of their competence

"Here's a tip for you: Never ignore a warning from a shark!"
:—'''Sky-Byte'''

"Sorry, ma'am. I do apologize for the inconvenience. Are you all right?" 
"For someone who's been attacked by a giant flying squirrel and a huge toad, a maniacal shark and a monstrous skunk...sure, I'm just fine."
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Kelly'''

"What sort of nonsense is this? 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times'? Best or worst, make up your mind!"
:—The subtleties of human literature are lost on '''Sky-Byte'''.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Car Robots''===
*As Koji comes running out of his house at the start of the episode, ''Car Robots'' has him calling Optimus Prime on his communicator, while ''Robots in Disguise'' flips the scene, and has Koji responding to a summons from Prime.
*''Car Robots'' is set in [[Tokyo]], while ''Robots in Disguise'' is set in the fictional [[Metro City]]. As such, ''Robots in Disguise'' has to refrain from naming the tower X-Brawn scales, which is quite plainly the famous [[wikipedia:Tokyo Tower|Tokyo Tower]]. Later in the episode, T-AI gives the tower's height as 500 feet; Tokyo Tower is actually 1093 feet tall (333 meters).
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', X-Brawn merely scales the tower to get a better vantage point, and grumbles about his shocks as he takes the stairs in vehicle mode. In ''Car Robots'', on the other hand, he is actually just goofing around, and ''enjoys'' the "rough terrain" of the stairs. This is just how X-Brawn is in ''Car Robots'', as shown as early as last episode.
*''Car Robots'' explicitly identifies the nationality of the terrorists. They're Korean.
*In ''Car Robots'', Slapper, Gas Skunk and Darkscream are worried about human police. In ''Robots in Disguise'', they're more concerned with the bomb going off prematurely.
[[Image:Rid_ep2_cutscene.jpg|right|thumb|200px|G-G-G-G-Ghost shark!]]
*''Robots in Disguise'' cuts out two shots of Sky-Byte pursuing Kelly, probably because they involve the slightly confusing use of a "ghostly" image of Sky-Byte, to show the audience that he is underneath the bridge. A few moments later, though, the show extends the chase scene by repeating footage of him chomping at Kelly's car's tail.
*In ''Car Robots'', Sky-Byte doesn't realize Prowl and Side Burn are Autobots until they transform. In ''Robots in Disguise'', he recognizes them on sight.
*In ''Car Robots'', Side Burn extends his arm to catch Kelly and her sportscar ''before'' they fall. ''Robots in Disguise'' reorders the scene to place this shot after the she starts plummeting.
*''Robots in Disguise'' combines some pieces of footage to create a new scene of Prowl telling X-Brawn to take the bomb to the top of the tower; in ''Car Robots'', X-Brawn comes up with this plan on his own initiative.
*''Car Robots'' has X-Brawn turn his head and spot Optimus Prime just after Prime rolls up. ''Robots in Disguise'' moves the scene to just before the audience sees Prime arrive.
*In ''Robots in Disguise'', the Predacons make fun of Sky-Byte for reading human books and not understanding them. In ''Car Robots'', however, they're actually quietly impressed at his ability to survive the explosion, but they then giggle when Darkscream points out he's still a show-off (the implication being that Sky-Byte reading books is nothing new, and the failure to comprehend them being a creation of the dub). ''Robots in Disguise'' also extends the scene by repeating the shot of Sky-Byte leaning over his book and grumbling in the middle of the Predacons' whispered exchange.
*Scenes lengthened in ''Robots in Disguise'' by looped and repeated footage include:
**Koji's introduction to T-AI, allowing the show to make its well-known "daughter of [[Teletraan I (RID)|Teletraan I]]" reference
**Sky-Byte's explanation before he plays Dorrie Dutton's news report
**Slapper and company's worries about the bomb
**Sky-Byte's warning to Prowl
**Kelly and Prowl's exchange after he catches her
**X-Brawn and Sky-Byte's argument over the bomb

===Animation or technical errors===
* Megatron pronounces the Transformers' preferred [[energon (fuel)|fuel source]] as "ener-gone."
* The colors of most of Prowl's Autobot [[insignia]] are inverted when he catches Kelly, and full-on miscolored yellow-orange when tries to think what to do about the bomb.

===Real-world references===
*As Sky-Byte approaches the rear of the truck and begins to take bites out of it, the soundtrack starts playing ''Jaws'' music.
* The book Sky-Byte reads from is ''A Tale of Two Cities'' by Charles Dickens. It's also ''Hamlet'' by William Shakespeare. Even the book can't make up its mind!

===Transformers references===
* T-AI introduces herself as the daughter of the [[Teletraan I (RID)|Teletraan I]] program. She mispronounces it "Teletron" in typical [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'']] style.
* The Predacon base is powered by [[Transwarp]] cells.
* Megatron requests that the batteries be converted into [[Energon cube|Energon cubes]].

===Trivia===
* This episode about terrorist bombs in cities first aired the day before 9/11. It SO never aired again.
* Also, referencing a bomb exploding in a major city in Japan is equally tasteless...
* Sky-Byte's dramatic entrance inside the Predacon base suggests a power of invisibility or teleportation, or both. Whatever it was, he never used it again.
* The truck delivering the fuel cell has a license plate G39-20.
* Kelly's car which is destroyed at the beginning of the episode has a license plate J38-57.
* Kelly's custom XZ-12 sports-car, which she seems surprisingly willing to drive considering it's "the only one left that hasn't been searched" for a bomb, has a plate number J-68-85 (and sometimes J68-85).
* Side Burn is able to extend his arm while in vehicle mode.
* Optimus Prime's "[[Super Mode|battle mode]]" debuts in this episode, though he announces "Optimus Prime, Optimize!". For future episodes it's standardized to "Battle mode!"
*The highway damaged by Sky-Byte's entrance mysteriously disappears.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Transformers: Car Robots'' — Vol. 1 ([[Pony Canyon]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Volume One ([[Maximum Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Three-Disc Box Set: Part 1 of 2 (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Battle Protocol (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise / RoboCop: The Animated Series / M.A.S.K.'' (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Season One (Maximum Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' — Ultimate Collection (Maximum Entertainment)

==External links==
*[http://www.ridforever.info/transformers-transcripts/rid-episode-02-an-explosive-situation.php "An Explosive Situation" transcript on RiDForever.info]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Explosive Situation}}
[[Category:Robots in Disguise episodes]]

Grimlock's New Brain

2010-10-11T09:36:26Z

64.189.19.132: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|image=Grimlock's New Brain Grimlock Technobots.JPG
|caption=Me Grimlock make geeks!
|ep=89
|prev2=Nightmare Planet
|next2=Call of the Primitives
|title="Grimlock's New Brain"
|Japanese=
|production code=700-110
|airdate=[[November 14]], 1986
|written by=[[Paul Davids]]
|series2=2010
|ep2=25
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Grimlock gains tremendous intelligence and creates the Technobots.'''

:''Japanese title:'' '''グリムロックの新しい頭脳''' (''Grimlock no Atarashii Zunō'', "Grimlock's New Brain")
:''German title:'' '''Grimlocks neues Gehirn''' ("Grimlock's New Brain")
:''Brasilian title:'' '''O Novo Cérebro de Grimlock''' ("Grimlock's New Brain")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Grimlock's New Brain Skuxxoid Slizardo.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Purple stuff? Bah! I wanted Sunny D!]]

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Autobot|Autobots]] are unveiling a new generator that will better supply them with power. As [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] signals [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to activate the machine, Grimlock causes a few missteps before Rodimus, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] manage to switch the generator on. Grimlock points out that he is "smartest Dinobot of all," but Perceptor points out that the Dinobots have limited brains. Grimlock, mildly insulted, threatens to bash Perceptor's brain. Elsewhere, a [[Skuxxoid]] and [[Slizardo]] are sneaking into the generator to place [[anti-electron]]s inside the device, as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] has paid them to deliver the anti-electrons to the generator, which would eventually kill the Autobots.

[[Image:Grimlock's New Brain Grimlock generator off.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Me Grimlock hate Windows Vista.]]

In space, [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] are flying back to Cybertron, when their [[auto gyro]]s suddenly begin to malfunction, crashing into the planet. [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] tries to air lift Sky Lynx to safety, but also begins to malfunction. Perceptor concludes that the problem is originating in the generator and Rodimus, Magnus, Grimlock, and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] head down to investigate. However, Grimlock breaks the [[Electro map|device]] that Perceptor gave them to navigate the tunnels, so they split up. Grimlock and Kup reach the generator's controls, and Kup begins to suffer memory malfunctions. Grimlock deactivates the generator with the ever-appropriate tactic of biting it, but immediately begins to act differently. He speaks in a proper manner, with an extended vocabulary, and appears to have lost his taste for combat. However, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] has been observing them and reports back to Galvatron. Galvatron threatens to kill the Skuxxoid and Slizardo for ruining his plan, as the anti-electrons have already vaporized and were hard to find, but Slizardo reveals that there is another source of anti-electrons...in [[Unicron]]'s brain.

[[Image:Grimlock's New Brain Dinobots fishing.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"Rodimus, isn't that a public pond?" "Quiet, Magnus, this is the only way we can get them to bathe."]]

Back on Cybertron, Grimlock and the Autobots pass the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] fishing in a local pond. [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] invites Grimlock to join, but Grimlock declines, saying he has more important matters to attend to. The Dinobots are concerned, as they always fish together. Elsewhere, Grimlock concludes that anti-electrons were the source of the problem. As Galvatron's ship approaches Unicron's head, he cautions his soldiers, saying that Unicron may be quite powerful. On Cybertron, the Dinobots seek out Grimlock, who is building a new spaceship, and he asks for their help. [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] does not like Grimlock's change in attitude, and [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] declares that "Grimlock no fun". With their leader not acting like one of them, the Dinobots decide to go hunting without him. Later, Grimlock has taken Rodimus, Perceptor, and Kup to Unicron's head, having concluded that Unicron's body was the original source. However, Galvatron fires anti-electrons at the shuttle, causing it to crash and the Autobots to malfunction. Galvatron then unleashes the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] on the Autobots while Grimlock runs off. Grimlock then uses components of Unicron to build [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and asks him to drill a hole into Unicron's brain.

[[Image:Grimlock's New Brain Computron Abominus.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Computron teaches Abominus to slow dance.]]

Elsewhere, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] are retrieving the anti-electrons when they reactivate Unicron. The Chaos Bringer's internal defenses activate, but [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]], another robot built by Grimlock, destroys the defenses. Finally, Grimlock builds three more robots: [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]], [[Lightspeed (Technobot)|Lightspeed]], and [[Scattershot]], the last of whom he appoints as leader of the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s. He sends the Technobots to fight the Terrorcons, and they manage to destroy the anti-electrons as well, but the Terrorcons merge into [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. Retreating, the Technobots ask Grimlock for advice, and Grimlock reveals that they are also [[Combiner|Combiners]], commanding them to merge into [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. The computational capacity held by the gestalt is massive, yet he claims that he lacks the intelligence to feed it. Grimlock connects a device to Computron's head which transfers his super-intelligence to Computron. Now armed with incredible intelligence, Computron is able to defeat Abominus and send the [[Decepticon]]s running.

On Cybertron, Rodimus is holding a celebration for the newly functioning generator, the creation of the Technobots, and Grimlock's efforts. However, Sludge reveals that Grimlock is fishing with the Dinobots. Grimlock says that being a genius all the time is no fun, and he'd rather be a regular Dinobot. The Autobots cheer his statement, apparently preferring their one-bot engines of destruction to be simple-minded.

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (1)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (2)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (4)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (5)
* [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (6)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (7)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (8)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (9)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (10)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (11)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (12)
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (15)
* [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (16)
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (17)
* [[Teletraan II]] (18)
* [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] (30)
* [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] (31)
* [[Lightspeed (Technobot)|Lightspeed]] (32)
* [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] (33)
* [[Scattershot]] (34)
* [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] (36)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (37)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (38)
|c2=
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (19)
* [[Sweeps]] (20)
* [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (21)
* [[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]] (22)
* [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] (23)
* [[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (24)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (25)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (26)
* [[Hun-Gurrr]] (28)
* [[Cutthroat (G1)|Cutthroat]] (29)
* [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (35)
|c4=
* [[Skuxxoid]] (13)
* [[Slizardo]] (14)
* [[Unicron]] (27)
}}

==Quotes==
"Can't be that one, must be one of these. Eenie Menie miny moe. This switch real rad, gonna pull!" 
"Grimlock, no!!!!! It's this one over here!" 
"Uhhh, that Grimlock's next choice."
:—'''Grimlock''' showing '''Rodimus''' why he should not have been given such an important task.

"Why you think Grimlock stupid? Me no stupid. Grimlock is smartest Dinobot of all." 
"Unfortunately, that's probably true. I just wish the Dinobots had more sophisticated brains." 
"Brains?! Grimlock know how to bash brains. Maybe bash yours."
:—'''Grimlock''' threatening to beat up '''Perceptor'''.

'''Grimlock''': What go wrong? 
'''Perceptor''': Something incapacitated their aerial capabilities. 
'''Grimlock''': Huh? 
'''Rodimus Prime''': He means they couldn't fly, so they crashed. 
'''Grimlock''': Me knew that!
:—Simplifying things for a Dinobot isn't that simple.

"Hey, how did you shut down that baby?" 
"I, Grimlock...used my rear molars." 
"Uh that makes good sense, good going. You what?!" 
"Is your hearing impaired, Kup? Ohh, with some Autobots, you have to explain everything."
:—'''Kup''' and '''Grimlock''' the latter of whom has just received a great deal of intelligence

"Antielectrons, of course! They attack our electrocircuits! Now why didn't I think of that?" 
"Perhaps because your mental abilities are so limited."
:—Oh snap! '''Perceptor''' just got dissed!

"That one mine! Give me!" 
"Rrr, me want that Autobot!"
:—'''Sinnertwin''' arguing with...himself.

"Are...are you my father?"
:—A newly awakened '''Nosecone''', the first Technobot created by Grimlock

'''Strafe''': Yahoo! It feels great to be a Technobot! My name is Strafe! 
'''Afterburner''': Far out! Fantastic! I'm Afterburner! I'm raring to burn neutrons and see some heavy action! 
'''Lightspeed''': Mellow out, Afterburner. 
'''Afterburner''': Says who? 
'''Lightspeed''': They call me Lightspeed, faster than a speeding photon. 
'''Grimlock''': And you, Scattershot, will be the leader of the Technobots.
:—The newly created '''Technobots''' and '''Grimlock''' engage in a brief [[introdump]].

"Come on, Technobots! Let's show them the stuff Grimlock made us of!"
:—'''Afterburner''' as he attacks the Decepticons with his comrades

"Name: Computron. Primary goal: obliterate Decepticons."
:—'''Computron''' gives Galvatron a reason to run away.

"Me Grimlock say no fun to be genius all the time. Much more fun to be good old Dinobot Grimlock."
:—'''Grimlock''' on his recent bout with intelligence.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
* When the Autobots activate the power generator, Springer is twice as tall as Kup and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]].
* As Perceptor, Grimlock, and Rodimus walk forward to see Blaster's predicament, they seem to appear out of thin air.
* Sludge's neck repeatedly flashes between yellow and grey for a few frames when Grimlock gives him orders.
* During [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]'s combination sequence, [[Hun-Gurrr]] transforms into [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] and [[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] before combining with himself.
* The Decepticons appear to be far too big when they leave Unicron's head.
* Thanks to Roger C. Carmel's inconsistency with his voices, Unicron sounds similar to John Colicos' Apocalypse from the 1992 X-Men TV Series (although it also sounds drunk).

===Continuity errors===
* If Grimlock has proven himself so incompetent, why does Rodimus bring him along to find the power generator? There are plenty of other Autobots that can provide muscle (Springer, for one).
* Also, why does Rodimus have Grimlock of all 'bots activate the generator at the beginning? Why not someone like Perceptor, who's even conveniently nearby when they decide to pull the switch?
* When the Autobots near the power generator, why are Kup and Rodimus affected, but Ultra Magnus and Grimlock aren't? It's possible that Grimlock may not be affected due to his creation on Earth causing him to be made differently than the other Autobots (like in "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1]]"), however this doesn't explain Magnus. Maybe Magnus could just deal with it at the moment.
* This isn't an error necessarily, but this episode marks the only time present-day Cybertron has any sort of standing water (in this case, the pool the Dinobots are "fishing" in).
* Why isn't Swoop with the other Dinobots? The writers even bother to have Grimlock point out that Omega Supreme is away on a mission, and yet one of the Dinobots gets left out?
* Blurr can be seen numerous times fighting alongside the Autobots, despite him not being present on the shuttle ride over.
* The origin of the Technobots seems to conflict with the events of "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1|The Key to Vector Sigma]]" — in those episodes, it is established that [[Vector Sigma]] is required to give personalities to Transformers, but here, the Technobots get personalities independently of it. Unlike other continuities, however, the cartoon eschews the use of "magic" objects and explanations to give Transformers life; Vector Sigma is simply treated as an advanced computer, and with this in mind, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that the super-smart Grimlock simply has the skill needed to program full, authentic cybernetic personalities into the Technbots on his own. With the introduction of the concept of [[spark]]s in much later fiction and the reclassification of Vector Sigma's capabilities, however, the events of this episode are called into question again. Of course, the Dinobots themselves are exceptions as well, so make of that what you will.

===Continuity notes===
* This episode marks the first appearance of both the Technobots and the Terrorcons.
* Unicron's head is shown to no longer orbit Cybertron, after the events of "[[Ghost in the Machine]]" saw it blasted off into space. It's also looking substantially worse for wear than it was the last time we saw it, presumably a consequence of the explosives that were set off in its immediate vicinity in that episode.
* The second time Rodimus Prime's transformation systems malfunction, he reverts into Hot Rod. Most visibly, he transforms into his junior self's vehicle mode. Additionally, his coloring changes to Hot Rod's traditional magenta, and actor [[Dick Gautier]] raises his voice in pitch to his normal Hot Rod voice.

===Trivia===
[[Image:GrimlockManga.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Meet Prof. Grimlock. Cheaters and plagiarists will not be expelled, merely eaten.]]
* While the episode is centered around Grimlock, he never once transforms out of his dinosaur mode. Then again, seeing a ''T. rex'' talk with such an extensive vocabulary is kinda funny.

* Artwork for the episode featured in ''[[TV Magazine]]'' showed Grimlock wearing a mortarboard and lecturing on something complicated.

*The device Grimlock invents to transfer his intelligence into Computron was later rendered in plastic and included with the [[Super Collection Figure]] PVC version of Grimlock. It would subsequently be recreated in plastic ''again'' for the [[Masterpiece]] version of Grimlock, which dubbed the contraption the "[[Brainwave Transfer Device]]".

* Grimlock voice actor [[Gregg Berger]] has stated that while this was the most difficult episode for him to do (in that it required figuring how an intelligent Grimlock should sound), it was also the episode he enjoyed working on the most as it shows him using his Skyfire's voice for Grimlock's intelligent voice.

* Final appearance of Cosmos.

* While Grimlock is supposedly simple-minded, on most of his tech specs his ''normal'' intelligence is rated at a seven out of ten. How this is justified outside of this episode is anybody's guess.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening / Grimlock's New Brain ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1990 — ''Transformers'' — Dark Awakening / Grimlock's New Brain ([[Tempo Video|Abbey Home Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 9: Grimlock the Hero ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/grimlock's_new_brain.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

Megatron (BW)

2010-10-09T03:03:33Z

64.189.19.132: /* Notes */

{{factions|predacon|vehicon|decepticon}}

{{disambig3|Megatron}}{{suite}}
:''Megatron is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], a [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]], and a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. He's also briefly known as [[Noble|Savage and Noble]] and, um, "[[Bee in the City|Joe]]". He's a busy villain, yesss.''

[[Image:MegatronBWsourcebook.jpg|right|300px|thumb|That's the problem with heroes, really. Their only purpose in life is to thwart others. They make no plans, develop no strategies. They react instead of act. Without villains, heroes would stagnate. Without heroes, villains would be running the world. Heroes have morals. Villains have work ethic.]]
'''Megatron''' began with one goal: restoring glory and power to the Predacon race, with himself at the helm. What distinguishes Megatron from the countless others who share this goal is his chutzpah. This is a guy who [[Megatron (myth)|named himself after his faith's equivalent ''of the Antichrist'']]. He is willing to risk ''everything''—time, space, himself—if need be. He's willing to commit omnicide if it will further his goals. And there were times he would have won were it not for [[Optimus Primal]].

Megatron is skillful at orchestrating vast schemes by manipulating others into doing them for him—an idle suggestion here, a conspicuously-planted object of interest there. He knows his enemies, and these include [[Tarantulas|some]] [[Blackarachnia (BW)|minions]], inside and out and exactly how to provoke them. He has no friends, only pawns, or occasionally, [[Inferno (BW)|pawns that are too reliable to risk losing]]. Because of this attitude, this superiority complex, he despises working with the very troops he needs to carry out his plans. His hubris does not make him very popular, and so he must rely on power and fear to rule them. In fact, he prefers [[Vehicon (BM)|mindless drones]].

Megatron is a gambler and can sometimes be a ham. (His manner of saying "Yesss..." is practically vaudevillian.) He has a twisted sense of humor and an over-developed sense of drama which rule everything he conceives, both long and short term. When he destroys you, he wants you to know that it was he who did this, and just how badly you were had. This is his greatest weakness. Like a Bond villain, he'll gladly boast to the hero at length about how smart and clever he was, giving his victim time to formulate a counterattack (he admits the Predacons sometimes gloat too much). He often sabotages himself by neglecting the quick and easy solutions for the bigger, meaner, and more complex.

Prior to the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], Megatron was a field commander in the Predacon army, where he learned much about strategy and tactics. Upon ratification of peace with the [[Maximal Imperium]] most Predacons laid down their arms. Megatron refused and went rogue.

{{quote|The universe cowered once at the name of Megatron and it shall do so again!|—Megatron, "[[Optimal Situation]]"}}

:''Japanese name:'' '''Megaligator''' (alligator)<ref>This particular [[romanization]] was used on a Japanese ''Beast Wars'' [http://www18.tok2.com/home/jackhama/transformers/bwtcard_1/img/024.jpg trading card]. As the card otherwise spelled "alligator" correctly in English, it is assumed the single "L" in "Megaligator" was intentional.</ref>
:''European-market name:'' '''Metal T-Rex''' (Transmetal), '''Dragone''' (Transmetal 2)
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Kǔng-lúng Wáng''' (恐龍王, "King Dinosaur")
:''Chinese name (China):'' '''Bawang Lung''' (霸王龍, "Tyrannosaur")

==Fiction==
{{note|There are many ''Beast Wars'' continuities, but most use the ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' cartoons as a basis.}}

===Toy bios===
[[Image:PrimavsMegs_toycomic.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Look out Batman, it's Killer Croc!]]

Megatron believes that the Predacon way of life is to prosper or perish, and that the Maximals must be wiped out if the Predacons are to prosper. As for Optimus Primal, he plans to ''eat'' him! {{storylink|Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Megatron bio (basic alligator mold)}}
The Maximal's "[[bio-genetic morphing process]]" allowed them to fuse organic musculature and Transformers technology... so Megatron and his Predacons did the same thing, with the DNA of Earth's most vicious predators! When the Maximals tried to destroy the Predacons' lab, Megatron was waiting in his ferocious alligator form. Mistaken for a harmless Earth creature, he was able to get to the drop on Optimus Primal and summoned in his soldiers [[Tarantulas]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]].

[[Image:Optimusprimalvsmegatronmegandlab.jpg|left|thumb| [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Hn0yM00Fo I drive a Chevrolet movie theatre.] ]]
The battle was still lost, leading to Megatron destroying the lab so his enemies couldn't get its secrets. He then fled, vowing to return with new forms and new plans when the Maximals least expected it. {{storylink|Optimus Primal vs Megatron!}}

Megatron eventually succeeded in obtaining Tyrannosaurus Rex DNA, stolen from human research labs, and subsequently used it to re-engineer his body into a powerful new form. Amongst his artillery he boasts "poisonous paralyzer fluids blasts" that eminates from his beast mode's mouth, while his tail is configured into a "powerful pincher claw" capable of slicing an enemy in half. {{storylink|Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Megatron bio (ultra T-rex mold)}}

{{note|This comic, along with the on-package [[bio]]s of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}

===Cartoon Continuity===
====''Beast Wars II'' catalog====
{{note|This fiction takes place before "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]".}}

[[Image:MegatronGalvatronBW1.jpg|200px|thumb|Pwned.]]
On planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron once disagreed with [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] over opinions on galactic conquest, and engaged him in battle over it. At the time, Megatron momentarily let his guard down, and was defeated. Galvatron declared "Your era is over, Megatron!"

Later, Megatron noted that while Galvatron was ambitious, he cared for his underlings—and although he was loathe to admit it, he acknowledged that Galvatron probably had all the regal bearing of a new [[Emperor of Destruction]]. {{storylink|Catalog#Beast Wars II|The next stage of battle advances to the Second War... ...Beast Wars, Transform!}}
{{-}}

====Timelines====
=====Theft of the Golden Disk=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[David Kaye]] (English)

{{note|This fiction takes place before "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]".}}

[[Image:Megatronbwtheft.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Megatron steals sacred Maximal cup coaster.]]

Megatron was the star pupil of the crimelord [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], and successfully carried out his plan to steal the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]]. Cryotek loved him like a son—which didn't stop him setting up Megatron to take the fall for the crime, knowing he'd betray him some day anyway. Unfortunately for Cryotek, "some day" was today—Megatron had everyone on the mission who wasn't loyal to him killed, had the data for the location of the Disk secretly decoded by [[Tarantulas]], and then kept it for himself while directing the Maximals to his tutor. This was the first known time that Megatron would co-opt the plan of someone who thought they were the ones being manipulative and backstabbing, but [[Other Voices, Part 2|wouldn't]] [[The Agenda (Part 2)|be]] [[The Agenda (Part III)|the]] [[Nemesis Part 1|last]]. {{storylink|Theft of the Golden Disk}}
{{-}}

=====Dawn of Future's Past=====
{{note|This fiction takes place before "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]".}}

[[Image:Megatronbwsuit.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Megatron's technicolor dreamcoat.]]

On Cybertron, Megatron wore removable transformable armor, which transformed into a missile-launching armored platform, over his basic bodyframe (which transformed into a hovertank). This quickly-discarded outer shell was possibly used to comply with the ratification of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], which required Predacons to lay down their arms. A Predacon field commander before the peace, Megatron refused to comply with these new regulations and struck out on his own to destroy the [[Maximal Imperium]].

With some [[Cryotek (RID)|help]] from [[Divebomb (G1)|various sources]], he assembled a crew of ragtag criminals and miscreants for the purpose of stealing the Golden Disk and using it to find [[Earth]]. Succeeding in stealing the disk, he, [[Dinobot (BW)|his lieutenant]], and [[Scorponok (BW)|another accomplice]] fought their way out of the [[Archives]], eliminating [[Unit 1|one guard]] and dodging [[Tigatron|another]]. They were swiftly picked up by the ''[[Darksyde]]'', a ship stolen by the rest of their crew.

Megatron instructed [[Tarantulas]] to study the disk for the coordinates of Earth while the ''Darksyde'' battled its several pursuers. Although they were followed by the Maximal ships [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']] and the ''[[Chromia 10]]'', the ''Darksyde'''s mission was also aided by a third ship crewed by the Predacon agents [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. Though the ''Chromia 10'' and the Predacon ship were destroyed, the ''Darksyde'' was still followed by the ''Axalon''. Megatron removed his transformable armor and patched a video feed through to the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s captain, [[Optimus Primal]]. Declaring himself the leader of the Predacons, Megatron opened a [[transwarp]] portal through which both ships travelled. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}
{{-}}

====Dreamwave Generation 1====
{{note|This fiction takes place before "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]".}}

[[Image:Dw theft.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"This artistic error shall grant me control over time and space itself!"]]

After stealing the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], Megatron broke into [[Vector Sigma]] along with [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] and reviewed historical files on many of the Autobots and Decepticons from the era of the Great War. He told Dinobot to refer to him henceforth as Megatron. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #8}}

{{note|The Golden Disk was wrongly drawn as the [[Golden Disk (Vok)|Alien Disk]]. This two-page story is contradicted by many other versions of the story—specifically Megatron's spontaneous renaming of himself—possibly placing it in a version of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] that occurs only in Dreamwave's Generation 1 continuity. Of course, Dreamwave chose that time to [[Pat Lee|fold]] before this could be explained.}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[David Kaye]] (English), [[Shigeru Chiba]] (Japanese), [[Antônio Moreno]] (Portuguese), [[Hans Sievers]] (German) [[Tony Fuochi]] (Italian)

[[Image:BWPart1 preformatting Megatron.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Priority one: finding out where the light switch is.]]

After stealing the Maximal relic, the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], and [[Darksyde|a ship]], Megatron and his crew were followed through a [[transwarp]] portal by the [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']]. After crashing on a planet that was supposed to be [[Earth]], yet seemingly wasn't, both the [[Maximal]]s and the Predacons took organic beast forms to protect themselves against the massive amount of energon radiation. Megatron now transformed into a purple ''Tyrannosaurus rex''.

[[Image:Megatronbwtrex.jpg|right|230px|thumb|Today is a beautiful day to be stomping on things!]]
[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] chastised Megatron, accusing him of leading the Predacons to the wrong planet and challenged Megatron for leadership of the Predacons. Megatron simply ignored the challenge and had [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] dispose of him. A short time later, [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] tangled with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], allowing Megatron to deliver his first speech to the Maximals, though it was cut short by a "sneaky, underhanded" attack by Cheetor, which impressed Megatron greatly. Though the Predacons appeared to have the Maximals on the run, they began to suffer from energon build up, and were forced to return to their beast modes. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} They followed the Maximals, catching up with them as Dinobot was dueling with [[Optimus Primal]] for leadership. Megatron took the opportunity for a sneak attack of his own, and during the destruction, some Predacon missiles uncovered a large quantity of energon located on a nearby mountain. Both teams reached the mountaintop at around the same time, but the ambient energon radiation forced them to fight in their beast modes. Despite biting a chunk out of Primal's leg, Megatron found himself on the losing end of the engagement, and out of desperation transformed to robot mode to fire a missile. The missile was deflected from its path by Dinobot, causing the energon to explode and hurling Megatron from the mountain. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

Megatron and [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] cornered Cheetor when the Maximal was transported into their base by a freak sequence of events, but were forced to cooperate with him when the other Maximals sent a bomb through. After the bomb was successfully disposed of, Megatron attempted to do the same to Cheetor, but only succeeded in destroying the teleport effect between the two bases. {{storylink|Equal Measures}} After the discovery of a cache of energon in the [[Standing Stones]], Megatron led his men in an attempt to gain it, but was furious when Terrorsaur intentionally blasted the energon mid-battle, destroying it. The Standing Stones triggered the arrival of an [[Vok probe|alien probe]], but when Megatron and Waspinator attempted to claim it, it zapped them and absorbed Optimus Primal. Believing Primal to be dead, Megatron mounted an attack on the Maximal base, but after a lengthy fight with Dinobot, Megatron was forced to call a retreat. The Predacons pursued the Maximals to the stone circle, but retreated once more when Primal was freed from the probe. {{storylink|Chain of Command}}

[[Image:Power Surge Megatron down.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...Waspinator! I've got a role to delegate!"]]
While Megatron was demonstrating the Predacons' new defense systems, Terrorsaur discovered a [[flying mountain]] topped with a cache of super-energon. The power this afforded Terrorsaur allowed him to challenge Megatron and blast the Predacon leader clear off a cliff, leaving him in several pieces. Scorponok and Waspinator set about repairing Megatron behind Terrorsaur's back, and by the time the usurper returned, defeated, an outraged Megatron was waiting for him. {{storylink|Power Surge}}

When the first of the Maximal [[stasis pod]]s crashed to the ground, Megatron had Waspinator and Terrorsaur ambush Optimus with only limited success. Though annoyed at their failure, he dispatched them to reach the pod while he and Scorponok headed for the Maximal base. There, he was able to distract Dinobot long enough for Scorponok to administer a slagging, before the autoguns drove them off. Megatron proceeded to the pod and held the Maximals at bay by threatening a couple of nearby white tigers, only to discover that the stasis pod was already empty. As it turned out, one of white tigers was the new Maximal, [[Tigatron]], who transformed and fought the Predacons off. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

The Predacons finally managed a victory in stealing a stasis pod and creating [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. However, again Terrorsaur tried to usurp Megatron, this time using an apparently-turned [[Rattrap]], who used a device to paralyze Megatron. The Predacons argued over who would be leader, but agreed to put Rattrap and Megatron away for the time being. Megatron was able to easily escape using his secret voice commands, leaving Rattrap to his fate. Revealing himself to have escaped, Megatron allowed Terrorsaur to lead the Predacons in battle with the Maximals. Terrorsaur failed miserably, showing his ineptitude to the Predacons, which was Megatron's plan all along. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

[[Image:GorillaWarfare Megatron's bomb problem.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb.]]
Megatron sent Blackarachnia, Waspinator and Terrorsaur on a plan to blow a hole in the bottom of the ''Axalon''. They failed. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}} On another occasion, Scorponok used a [[Cyberbee]] to infect Optimus Primal with a venom to turn the Maximal leader into a coward. The first Megatron knew of its failure was when Cheetor radioed the Predacon base to warn them that an enraged Optimus was on his way. Confronted by Primal, Megatron offered to give him the cure if he submitted to Predacon rule. Optimus responded by ripping the Cyberbee from his own chest and sticking it on Megatron's beast mode back. Unable to reach the device, Megatron managed to have Scorponok remove it, but it promptly exploded in their faces. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

When a Maximal [[temporal probe]] neared the planet, Megatron and his Predacons successfully destroyed a communications tower which the Maximals were setting up to try to signal it. {{storylink|The Probe}} Formulating a new plan to get off the planet, Megatron had the other Predacons act dissatisfied with his leadership, causing a battle that apparently destroyed the Predacons, using a Maximal spy camera that he was aware of to play out the trick. Then, the Maximals scavenged the ''Darksyde'' for parts to repair the ''Axalon'''s stardrive. At the eleventh hour, Dinobot discovered the deception and rushed to warn the leaving Maximals. In the scuffle, Megatron snuck aboard. In the ''Axalon'', he managed to knock out every Maximal on the ship but Rattrap, who he started crushing to death. An angered [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] woke up and threw Megatron off the ''Axalon''. However, Megatron's tail weapon was stuck in the console, causing the ''Axalon'' to crash. Again. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

Following a Predacon defeat attributed mostly to [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], Megatron had [[Tarantulas]] capture the Maximal and used his latest invention, the [[Transmuter]], to turn Rhinox into a Predacon. Unbeknownst to Megatron, evil Rhinox was a schemer and disrupted the other Predacons. Megatron eventually found out the truth, which was the signal for the Maximals to mount an attack to rescue their friend. Megatron fought at length with Optimus, losing an arm. Ultimately Rhinox was returned to normal, and an errant shot from Waspinator destroyed the Transmuter, so that was the end of that. {{storylink|Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs}} Yet another plan had Megatron create a [[Clone One|clone of Dinobot]] which he sent to infiltrate the Maximal base. It backfired when the real Dinobot first defeated the clone, then masqueraded as it and used the bases defenses on Megatron. Megs was at least happy that it turned out his clone hadn't betrayed him, as the real Dinobot had. The other Maximals turned up to chase Megatron off. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

[[Image:Megatronbwspidersgame.jpg|left|300px|thumb|I thought I told you NO MORE BARNEY JOKES.]]
Detecting another stasis pod crash, Megatron sent Scorponok and Blackarachnia to capture it. They failed. {{storylink|The Spark}} After a skirmish with Tigatron, Terrorsaur and Waspinator reported back to Megatron that they'd found a [[Brigadoon|flying island]], and Megatron sent Blackarachnia and Scorponok to claim it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} Tarantulas used a [[magna pulse]] to knock out power in both the Maximal and Predacon bases to allow him to recover a stasis pod himself. By the time Megatron caught up, a new Predacon was online — [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]. Megatron was impressed with Inferno's fighting spirit, helping him to attack Tigatron, until Primal arrived and ruined things again. Megatron ordered Scorponok to salvage Inferno. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

The next cunning plan Megatron would come up with involved stealing the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> [[rectifier coil]], forcing the Maximals to stay in their beast modes at all time. Once the Maximals had succumbed to their beast instincts and wandered into the jungle, Megatron assembled a hunting party, complete with drums. Despite shooting at some of the Maximals, they were unable to make any kills before Tigatron helped the Maximals integrate their beast instincts with their programming. The Maximals subsequently easily fought back, Optimus even lifting Megatron over his head. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}} After Scorponok and Waspinator reported destroying four of the Maximals, Tarantulas reported that he'd detected walking energon. Megatron concluded that the Maximals had survived the energon explosion and were contaminated, and sent Terrorsaur out to deal with them. Terrorsaur failed. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}}

During a violent storm, Waspinator was possessed by the immortal [[spark]] of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and ingratiated himself into Megatron's good books. With Starscream's help, Megatron led the Predacons to victory and captured the ''Axalon''. Megatron left Starscream in charge, returning to the ''Darksyde'' with Waspinator, Terrorsaur and Tarantulas, only for Starscream to later use the Maximals to attack the Predacon base in a double cross. In the aftermath of Starscream's defeat, Megatron put Waspinator back together and was only mildly convinced by Blackarachnia's explanation for her betrayal. {{storylink|Possession}} Yet another plan backfired badly. After Tarantulas infected Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], Megatron attempted to use the counter virus as a bargaining chip, only for a massive fart from Rhinox to blow all of the Predacons away and leave them dangling from a tree. {{storylink|The Low Road}}

{{quote|This is certainly the most humiliating defeat of my entire career. Yess...|Megatron|"The Low Road"}}

[[Image:Before the Storm Megatron disc.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Yeessss...]]
Later, Megatron detected a strange energy pulse and sent Inferno to investigate. The result was the discovery of a second [[Golden Disk (Vok)|Golden Disk]], resulting in Megatron calling a ceasefire between the two factions, realizing he had more important things to worry about. Tigatron broke into the ''Darksyde'', learning about the new Golden Disk, and escaped, however this was merely part of Megatron's plan, which required the Maximals to learn about the approach of the [[Vok]]. {{storylink|Before the Storm}} After the arrival of an alien artifact — an organic dome — Megatron allowed Optimus to go in first, later listening to the sounds of the Maximal being tortured and wishing he had a recording of it to lull him to sleep at night. The beginning of an ignition sequence provided the distraction the other Maximals needed to fight Megatron and his goons off. As one of the planet's moons opened into the [[Planet Buster]], Megatron mused to himself that there was still another hand to be played. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} Retiring to the Predacon base, he monitored events within the ''Axalon'' via the scanners, learning that Optimus intended to use a stasis pod turned into a spaceship by Tarantulas to destroy the Planet Buster. Megatron was able to override some of the pod's systems, preventing Primal from ejecting before the pod and the Planet Buster exploded. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

[[Image:Megs transmetal.JPG|left|270px|thumb|Gimme fuel Gimme fire Gimme that which I desire BOOM!]]

The [[quantum surge]] from the Planet Buster's destruction bathed Megatron in quantum energies, upgrading him into a [[Transmetal]] and giving him the ability to fly. Megatron quickly rallied his forces and attempted an all-out attack on the leader-less Maximals. He unfortunately had to retreat once he realized most of his troops were incapacitated. {{storylink|Aftermath}} The discovery of two more downed stasis pods provided Megatron with two new men, the [[Fuzor]]s [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. Megatron immediately led them into combat against Cheetor, and they headed for the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} Battling their way to the Maximal ship, the Predacons were confronted by a resurrected and upgraded Optimus Primal, who drove them all off. Later, Megatron discovered that the two golden disks had been stolen by Dinobot, and the data on them destroyed. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

Megatron sent Tarantulas, Blackarachnia and Quickstrike to secure a cave full of energon. They later reported back that it had been [[Tarantulas's lair|destroyed in a fight]] with the Maximals. Megatron was not pleased. {{storylink|Tangled Web}} Captured by the Predacons, Dinobot opted to defect back to their side. Megatron forced him to prove himself by staging a fight between him and Quickstrike, and the original [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] was soon back in Megatron's hands. Unfortunately, Dinobot ultimately opted to remain a Maximal. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}}

[[Image:Beast Wars Metalhunter Face.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Castle GrapeSkull.]]
The discovery of another alien site gave Megatron the opportunity to take a shot at retrieving the alien Golden Disk. He distracted Rhinox long enough for Inferno and Blackarachnia to incapacitate the Maximal, and managed to take the disk back into his possession. Returning to base, Megatron encountered Tarantulas, who declared himself no longer under Megatron's command, but was willing to cooperate. As the Predacons put their new plan into effect at the alien site, the Maximals arrived, only for a [[Metal Hunter|domed spaceship]] to appear. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} After using a force field to prevent the Maximals getting in, Megatron ventured into the spacecraft and was able to use the alien Golden Disk to take control of it. His first act was to bring aboard the other Predacons (bar Tarantulas, with whom the alliance was terminated) and Optimus Primal, the latter as a prisoner. Installing [[Transwarp]] cells into the ship, Megatron intended to take it back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and conquer the world. Tarantulas arranged for a Maximal attack, infiltrating the ship and causing it to self destruct. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Megatron GoldenDisk.jpg|left|210px|thumb|History is mine, yessss.]]
After another stasis pod was found, Megatron bugged Blackarachnia and sent her and Waspinator out to find it. He soon learned that the pod contained Protoform X, a powerful [[Transformer]] with an indestructible spark, made during a Maximal experiment. With this information, he used an energon blade to cut out a piece of the creature's spark using it to control the beast, which he renamed [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} Using the Golden Disk, Megatron discovered the location of a valley full of [[Protohuman|early humans]], who would someday evolve into the humans who helped the [[Autobot]]s defeat the [[Decepticon]]s in the great war. Determining by empirical experimentation that the future could be altered, Megatron mounted an attack on the valley. The Predacons were prevented from razing it entirely by the interference of Dinobot. After defeating all of the Predacon troops singlehandedly, Dinobot knocked the disk from Megatron's hand, and destroyed it. Megatron ordered a retreat as the rest of the Maximals arrived. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} Though fascinated at the discovery of a [[Transmutate (character)|badly-mutated Transformer]], Megatron wasn't impressed when it failed to transform, and ordered it destroyed, but Rampage successfully convinced him to let Transmutate prove itself. It didn't go so well. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

[[Image:Agenda 1 Megatron bound.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]
Calculating that the [[Transwarp wavefront]] would soon reach Cybertron, alerting the [[Maximal High Council]] and resulting in a rescue ship being sent, Megatron realised he would have to implement a potentially final gambit. The Predacons attacked the Maximal base, but were fought off when help arrived in the form of Predacon covert agent [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], sent by the Predacon [[Tripredacus Council]] to apprehend Megatron. Returning to the Predacon base, Megatron sent Waspinator on a secret mission, while the other Predacons attempted to increase the fortifications. The impending attack went off without a hitch, however, and Megatron was captured. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Megatron was placed in a cell, and was informed by Ravage that Tarantulas was a member of the [[Predacon Secret Police]]. Megatron didn't seem too surprised by the news, and still had a hand to play — using a fragment of the Golden Disk which Dinobot had destroyed, he played back a recording on it left by the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], convincing Ravage to side with him. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Agenda3 MegatronOptimusPrime.jpg|left|250px|thumb|A little off the top, sir?]]
Megatron and Ravage subsequently led an assault on the ''Axalon'', which only failed through some extremely daring work by Rattrap.
Megatron fled, not back to the Predacon base, but the [[Mount St. Hilary|a volcano]] housing the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], the massive ship containing the stasis-locked Autobots and Decepticons, waiting to be awoken in 1984 when they would continue the Great War. Using the access codes which Blackarachnia had taken from the Golden Disk, Megatron was able to enter the ship and attempt to alter the course of history by assassinating [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], as the Autobot leader sat unconscious in the command chair. This done, he confronted the Maximals outside, taking the opportunity to gloat that with Optimus Prime gone, history would change, and they would no longer be a part of it. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

After Megatron was forced out of the Ark by Blackarachnia, the Maximals were able to use [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to repair Optimus Prime, while Primal took the Autobot's spark into his own structure, transforming his body into a more powerful form. Confronted by the new "Optimal Optimus", Megatron beat a retreat, but not before shooting Blackarachnia. Heading for the ''Axalon'', he, Inferno and Waspinator were attacked and downed by Primal and Cheetor, however Megatron radio'd ahead to Rampage, who was able to destroy the Maximal ship. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

Rampage disappeared while supposedly on a mission to attack the Ark with Inferno, and Megatron's scanners were unable to locate him. {{storylink|Deep Metal}} Monitoring the Maximal attempt to salvage [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], Megatron sent his men out to retrieve the device. The mission was surprisingly a success, and Megatron later installed Sentinel in the Predacon ship. {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}} Megatron had also developed [[Cyber raptor]]s, which were sent out occasionally to harass the early humans. When he spotted Blackarachnia and Cheetor accompanying two of the humans, he sent Waspinator and Tarantulas out with three of the raptors to attack them. It didn't go too well for the Predacons, but Megatron was brewing a new plan. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}}

[[Image:FeralScream1 Megatron greets clone.jpg|230px|thumb|right|Ah, there's always time for a speech.]]
Having obtained a [[Transmetal driver]] through unknown means, he embarked upon an experiment, the fruition of which was the creation of a [[Transmetal 2]] [[Dinobot II|clone of Dinobot]]. However, thanks to the interference of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] and Cheetor during the experiment, the Transmetal driver was lost, and the Predacons captured Depth Charge in order to interrogate him. Before they could extract the information, they were attacked by a strange feral beast, which eliminated them one by one. Megatron accidentally slagged Waspinator before being attacked by the creature himself, and sent flying off a cliff. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} Returning back to base, Megatron detected the beast roaming in the night, and realised that Cheetor had been exposed to the Transmetal driver's energies and upgraded into a new form. He dispatched Dinobot and Waspinator to capture Cheetor, but unsurprisingly they failed. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

Megatron had his men build a new weapon — a [[disruptor cannon]] constructed in a cave on a mountain top. Unfortunately due to the bi-polar energon source that the weapon used, the Predacons were unable to get close enough to install the shielding. Megatron sent Waspinator and Inferno out to capture one of the early humans, and they came back with [[Una]]. With great difficulty, Megatron instructed her on installing the shielding and installing the stabilizer crystal. After the Maximals had rescued her, the Predacons fired the cannon, only to discover too late that Una hadn't installed the stabilizer after all. The cannon exploded in their faces. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}} Alerted by Taratulas that the Maximals were attempting to remove Blackarachnia's Predacon [[shell program]], Megatron assigned Inferno, Rampage and Quickstrike to help Tarantulas disrupt the Ark's power, and hopefully terminate Blackarachnia. It even mostly worked, except for the part about Blackarachnia dying instead of ending up with a new Transmetal 2 body. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[Image:Megatrontm2render.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Two Megatrons for the price of one.]]
On a later occasion, Megatron had Waspinator attack the Ark as part of a diversion. Tarantulas was able to place Optimus Primal under Quickstrike's control, enabling the Predacons to defeat the Maximals easily, and allowing Megatron to enter the Ark once more. There, he deliberately took the spark of the original Megatron and placed it in his body. Before he could do anything more, Quickstrike used Primal's body to dump in him the nearest pit of lava — a double-cross engineered by Tarantulas. Megatron did not die, but was upgraded into a new form, with a dragon as his alternate mode. After slagging Tarantulas, Megatron fought at length with Primal, only being fought off when Blackarachnia freed the other Maximals. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

[[Image:Megs tm2.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Red dragon, without Hannibal Lecter.]]
His attempt to put Quickstrike on trial for treachery was interrupted by the news that something was incoming. [[Tigerhawk]], emissary of the Vok, obliterated the Predacon base before defeating Megatron in battle. Tigerhawk prepared to deliver the killing blow, but was interrupted, first by Optimus Primal, and then by Tarantulas. By the time Megatron recovered, Tigerhawk had been captured by Tarantulas, and Megatron flew off. Tarantulas was eventually destroyed by his quest for power, and Megatron could only watch as the Maximals welcomed Tigerhawk into their ranks. {{storylink|Other Victories}}

Desperate once again, Megatron dispatched Inferno, Waspinator and Quickstrike to find a new base, while he took the competent Predacons to search the remains of Tarantulas's lair. There, Dinobot found a hatch leading to an undersea tunnel and Megatron realised the enormity of what Tarantulas had discovered. The Predacons followed the tunnel to the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the Decepticon flagship which had crashed at the same time as the Ark. Megatron and Dinobot entered the ancient ship, successfully powering it up and raising it out of the ocean, intending to take back to Cybertron so that Megatron might conquer the planet. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

[[Image:Nemesis2 Megatron on shuttle.jpg|left|200px|thumb|How To Restrain Your Dragon.]]
First, however, he planned to annihilate the ''entire'' Ark rather than simply Optimus Prime: drunk on power and reciting religious scripture that he believed concerned ''him'', he was declaring himself "alpha and omega" and that time itself was now his bitch.

Heading for the Ark, Megatron stopped the ship momentarily to fire on a Protohuman settlement, despite Dinobot's objections, inadvertently killing Inferno and Quickstrike in the process. Of course, this meant that when the ''Nemesis'' arrived at its target, the fusion cannon was still recharging. Megatron instead turned a tractor beam on the Autobot ship. Primal infiltrated the ''Nemesis'' and began fighting Megatron. Though Optimus was no match for the Predacon leader, he bought the Maximals enough time to find an Autobot shuttle, which Rhinox piloted into the bridge of the ''Nemesis'', taking Megatron out. The ''Nemesis'' crashed a second time and thus preserved history. After returning the original Megatron's spark to its proper body, the Maximals headed back to Cybertron with the incarcerated Megatron shackled to the outside of their ship. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{--}}

====''Tales of the Beast Wars''====
{{note|This fiction takes place during the first season of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.}}

[[Fractyl]] briefly daydreamed about impressing Megatron with his new discovery, the energon armor producing [[furmanite]]. When he failed even in his dreams, however, Fractyl reconsidered alerting Megatron just yet.

In reality, Megatron was summoned by Blackarachnia when the Maximal [[Packrat]] stole some of Fractyl's furmanite. He arrived on the scene in time to see Fractyl bravely chasing off the Maximal pack, after recovering the dangerous furmanite. Well done, Fractyl! (Oh, if only he knew...) {{storylink|Ground Zero}}

{{note|This fiction takes place during the second season of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''. The Shokaract events ended with them being paradoxed out of existence.}}
[[Image:Antagony megatron.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Kinky.]]
[[Antagony]], future-born [[Herald Maximo]] of [[Shokaract]], arrived on prehistoric Earth to protect the Dark Essence of [[Unicron]]. She attempted to terminate Megatron, who quickly conned her into fighting Optimus and then took her captive when she went into stasis lock. {{storylink|Visitations}}

He began patiently (and happily) torturing her for information on the future she came from, and when that failed he hacked into her mind using a [[mind-drill]] "borrowed" from [[Tarantulas]]. That triggered a safety-against-betrayal device that erased her mind before he could gain any information; Megatron was left with no information, beyond that her master would surely try again. {{storylink|Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox|Herald}}

{{note|This fiction takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]".}}

[[Image:TM2_Megatron_shoots_Unicronessence.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
Almost immediately after his transformation into dragon form, Megatron detected a temporal breach. Having his troops ambush the Maximals (who had also detected), he attempted to reach the time-traveller ([[Windrazor (BW)|Windrazor]]) and gain access to the future, not caring what would happen if he took the original Megatron's spark with him. In the process, he encountered the Dark Essence and almost became a willing vessel for it, until it realised Windrazor would be easier to control. When the Fuzor fought the influence off, Shokaract himself emerged. {{storylink|Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox|Paradox}}

Megatron's reaction to a horrifically powerful spark-devouring demigod, and time and space being shattered into a chaotic maelstrom... was to stride through the reality soup and blackmail said demigod by opening fire on the Dark Essence of the Chaos-Bringer, demanding knowledge of the future or he'd cause the erasure of Shokaract's entire timeline. Megatron is ''hardcore''. He failed, but this was a crucial distraction that helped bring about Shokaract's defeat. {{storylink|Terminus}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Diorama Story''====
[[Image:BWDiorama Megatrons.jpg|thumb|left|]]
Some time after Starscream fled from prehistorical Earth, Megatron and a group of Predacons, including [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], a time-displaced [[Archadis]], and [[Wolfang (Predacon)|Wolfang]], battled a contingent of [[Maximal]]s comprised of [[Optimus Primal]], [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Cohrada]], and [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] in a forest. After all the Transformers transformed into robot mode, Megatron attacked Optimus Primal with the jaws of his T-rex head-hand. Primal blocked the attack with his dual Cyber Blades and then fought Megatron off with his Mega Blasters. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Convoy Chapter}} Though Primal blocked his "Tyranno Fang" attack, Megatron was able to counter by shooting a "Laser Buster" from the mouth of his T-rex head-hand. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Megatron Chapter}}

Some time into the battle, a warp opened, bringing with it [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]], [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]], [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]], who were [[Decepticon]]s and [[Autobot]]s from another [[Movie (franchise)|universe]]. [[Tigatron]] and [[Gimlet]] also joined the battle, and, after being defeated by the Maximals, Starscream joined the Predacons. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Tigatron Chapter}} [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] later appeared and joined the Predacons, as well. As the battled raged, the [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] from the other universe came in through the warp. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Gimlet Chapter}}

The Decepticon Megatron brought along [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]], and the two Megatrons combined their troops into a fearsome force against the Autobots and Maximals. The Predacon Megatron battled Optimus Primal in the ensuing skirmish. The Maximals' savior came in the form of [[Motorarm (BWII)|Motorarm]], who then went on to battle [[Tarantulas]]. Megatron battled Primal again, and the two factions then took formation against each other with the intention of combining their energies to attack the opposing side. The Predacon Megatron led the combined Predacon/Decepticon force. With Motorarm leading the charge, the Maximals and the Autobots attacked first. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story|Motorarm Chapter}}

====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon====
{{note|This fiction takes place during the first season of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.}}
[[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] tried to summon a Megatron to [[Gaea]] using a time machine. [[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!|Maybe this one. Maybe not.]]

When his brother [[Megastorm|Gigastorm]] screwed up the wavelength calculations and instead summoned the titanic [[Majin Zarak]], Galvatron was pleased and declared, "We obtained a weapon far superior to Megatron". {{storylink|Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!}}
{{-}}

====Transformers Legends====
{{Note|This takes place after "[[Other Voices, Part 2]]"}}
Two time-displaced versions of Megatron were waiting in [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], when the equally time-displaced versions of Optimus Primal emerged from a meeting with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Prime Spark}}
{{Note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Having taken the spark of the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] into his body, Megatron found himself talking to his Decepticon counterpart, who goaded him into attempting a new plan. Quickstrike kept the Maximals busy while Megatron burned his way into the Ark. There, he implanted a fragment of the original Megatron's spark into the stasis locked body of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], allowing the two Megatrons to control the Seeker's body. He realised too late that the original Megatron's plan was to return the Decepticon leader's spark to his original body using Starscream. A battle of will ensued, which the beast Megatron ultimately won, subduing the older Megatron before himself being forced to flee the Ark by the Maximals. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}
{{note|This fiction takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]".}}
When Megatron was defeated by Nightscream, the spark of Rhinox attempted to act as a spirit guide and redeem the tyrant. Megatron proved to be a lost cause. While briefly tempted to move on, his inherent hypocrisy manifested and—despite fervently advocating the eradication of individuality—refused to relinquish his own identity. Rhinox’s attempts at enlightenment were misconstrued, and his efforts only strengthened Megatron’s desire for apotheosis. Repeated returns to Cybertron convinced him that godhood was still within his reach and as he charged his particles with “purity of purpose”, erased Rhinox's spark from existence. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
{{-}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
Upon his arrival on prehistoric Earth, the Darksyde's computer suggested that Megatron take on a crocodilian alt mode. Unimpressed, Megatron chose instead to reformat himself with the genetic material of a Tyrannosaur Rex. {{Storylink|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

{{note|This fiction takes place after "[[Changing of the Guard]]".}}
[[Image:IDW Megatron Magmatron.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Go back to anime, Magmatron!]]
In Lio Convoy's opinion, Megatron was a simple wild card, no real threat when compared with [[Magmatron]]. This drives home the fact that Cybertron had no idea of the damage Megatron had and would inflict, or the lengths he would go to becoming arguably the most powerful Transformer since the Great War.

After dispatching [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] to oversee the installation of [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] into the [[Darksyde]], Megatron was attacked by Magmatron, who had been assigned to arrest him by the [[Tripredacus Council]]. Although Megatron proved more than a match for the experienced Predacon general individually, he was ambushed and paralyzed by [[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] and [[Drill Bit (BW)|Drill Bit]]. Magmatron intended to use a [[transwarp shunt]] to transport his prisoner back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 3|The Gathering #3}} Thanks to the intervention of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Optimus Minor]], and [[Razorbeast]], Magmatron was sent home empty-handed. Razorbeast was tempted to dispatch the prone Megatron, but released him instead, due to his desire to avoid interfering with the timeline. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 4|The Gathering #4}}

{{note|This fiction takes place during and after "[[Nemesis Part 2]]".}}
[[Image:MegatronAscending4.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Oh, we are so dead]]
Ravage attempted to free Megatron after his capture, but didn't progress very far in his plans. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1|The Ascending #1}} Despite this, Megatron arrived to a battle-damaged Cybertron, having finally completed his transwarp journey, and having arrived long before the Maximals responsible for his defeat, thanks to Shokaract's suicide, with little else to stand in his way. Yessssss... {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4|The Ascending #4}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[David Kaye]] (English), [[Shigeru Chiba]] (Japanese), [[Francisco José]] (Portuguese), [[Jan Spitzer]] (German) [[Giorgio Locuratolo]] (Italian)

[[Image:Megatron for life.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"If you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to fear. If you've something to hide, you shouldn't even be here..."]]
Breaking free from his constraints on the Autobot shuttle while it traveled through transwarp space, Megatron arrived back home on Cybertron well before the Maximals did. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} He used the window of opportunity for maximum effect, releasing a [[Transformation virus|virus]] across the planet that quickly incapacitated the population. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} He then began extracting the victims' [[spark]]s and storing them in a citadel, planning to one day absorb them into his own spark. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}} Meanwhile, he used factories to rebuild the bodies into mindless [[drone]]s he called "[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]." {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}} Eventually, he had almost every spark on Cybertron in his possession.

When the Maximals arrived in their shuttle, they found the planet empty, aside from Vehicons who immediately attacked them with canisters of a gas that infected them with the virus. The fully-Transmetal among them "devolved" into their original beast modes but were able to keep moving and escape. The remaining two, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (who never received any form of upgrade on Earth), were instead paralyzed and quickly overtaken. Their sparks soon joined Megatron's collection. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}}

[[Image:MasteroftheHouse Optimus grabs Megatron's head.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Time for a noogie!" "NOOOOOO!!!"]]
The escaped Maximals would have succumbed to the virus eventually if not for the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] [[reformatting]] them. Megatron observed their first battle against the Vehicon drones, vowing to destroy the impurity in his technological paradise. {{storylink|The Reformatting}} He would not have to wait long before a confrontation with [[Optimus Primal]], gloating to the Maximal leader that Cybertron now belonged to the technological. The strain of controlling the Vehicon drones while attacking three targets was telling, and Primal was able to goad him into losing control, causing an overwhelming urge to transform and revealing Megatron's dragon form, now in a ragged patchwork state as a result of failed attempts to excise his organic mode. Megatron was able to quickly recover, pointing out Primal's own failure had led to the downfall of Cybertron, before reconnecting to his [[control harness]] and taking control of the drones once again. Defiant, Primal had to be dragged from the [[Council Citadel]] by the other Maximals. {{storylink|Master of the House}}

[[Image:FiresofthePast Megatron closeup.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Sorry, but we've reserved pretty much the rest of our Hannible Lector jokes for [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]].]]
Though the [[Diagnostic Drone]] insisted that Megatron's organic side had been purged, another failed battle between the Vehicon drones caused him to revert in rage to his dragon mode yet again. In order to make his drones more flexible in capturing the Maximals, he imbued three Vehicons with captured sparks so they could think on their feet in battle. The original personalities of these "[[Vehicon general|generals]]" were deeply buried under shell programs, which allowed Megatron to use sparks of the Maximals' former allies. Thus, if the Maximals discovered who they really were, they would be reluctant to destroy them. The recently-captured Silverbolt and Rhinox were made into [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] and [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], respectively. The third general, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]], was created from the Predacon [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] for reasons that remain unclear. During the generals' first engagement with [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Rattrap]], Megatron became aware that Blackarachnia was trying to access the computer of the Autobot shuttle they'd arrived in, and he made an attempt to access her memory while she did so. Rattrap was warned of this via a transmission made to Jetstorm, and was able to cut the link before Megatron could learn the location of the Maximal base. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

[[Image:MercenaryPursuits Megatron medium shot.jpg|thumb|right|250px|My stomach is rumbling. Diagnostic Drone, bring out the Energon Brownies.]]
After raging at the three generals for their failure, Megatron sent them out, promising great rewards for whoever captured the Maximals. This paid off when Tankor returned with all four of the Maximals. Unfortunately while Megatron was getting ready to give Tankor his reward of oblivion, the Maximals escaped, and Primal was able to speak directly to Tankor's spark, turning him against Megatron. Once they'd escaped, Megatron was able to restore his control harness and remotely erase Tankor's memory of the last 20 cycles, turning him against the Maximals once more. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}} The Diagnostic Drone continued to attempt to formulate ways to excise Megatron's organic side, suggesting they wait until after the Maximal problem was dealt with, however Megatron was determined to put a swift end to the matter in question. During a battle between the drones and Maximals in a Vehicon factory, Megatron retook control of the drones out of frustration over his generals' failure, only for feedback from a computer to overload his systems.

While in this weakened state, he was approached by Rattrap, who offered to defend Megatron for the night in return for weaponry. Though the other Maximals turned up, Rattrap fought them back. Megatron encouraged him to use the weapons to terminate the Maximals, but Rattrap refused, pointing out that the sun was coming up and their agreement was at an end. In return, Megatron let him go free. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

[[Image:Survivor Megatron dragon.jpg|left|270px|thumb|Just don't call him "Patches" or he'll scorch your ass.]]
The attempts to remove Megatron's organic form continued, with little success, and he turned down the Diagnostic Drone's suggestion to simply build a new body for himself, as it would require leaving his spark unprotected for a short period of time. Instead they implemented a new plan: attempt to capture [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] and work out how to reverse the process the young Maximal used to acquire an organic mode. During the mission, the Diagnostic Drone was reprogrammed by Tankor, whose Rhinox personality had resurfaced, and was now actively working in competition with Megatron to create a technological utopia. When the next attempt to purge Megatron's dragon mode failed (as Tankor instructed), the Diagnostic Drone suggested that the failure was caused by Megatron himself. {{storylink|Survivor}}

After Tankor's apparent destruction, Megatron demanded the Diagnostic Drone find out what happened. The Maximals, meanwhile, attempted to attack a Vehicon factory, with the intent of stealing a [[Vehicon Mole|mole drone]], and Megatron demonstrated his power over Cybertron by moving the very buildings themselves around in an attempt to crush the Maximals, and elevating the factory in an attempt to tip them out. {{storylink|The Key}} Megatron questioned Thrust and Jetstorm over Tankor's whereabouts prior to his demise. Unknown to any of them, the "death" had been a trick on Tankor's part, and the real Tankor had the Diagnostic Drone take the opportunity to reveal the discovery of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], capable of transforming organic matter into [[technomatter]], to Megatron. Though Megatron was encouraged by the idea it could purge Cybertron of organic life, he was suspicious of the Drone's inadvertent slip of the tongue regarding what the Key would do to him, and ordered the Key be loaded on to select drones only. Tankor's plan to force Megatron's hand by providing the Maximals with a catalyst to make their vines grow faster eventually paid off, and Megatron ordered the key loaded onto all of the [[Tank drone]]s. {{storylink|The Catalyst}}

[[Image:EndoftheLine Megatron swirlingenergies.jpg|thumb|right|220px| No! The hurricane is separating me from my action figures! Curse you, Mother Nature!!!]]
Of course, Megatron also made sure the Tank drones were under his sole control first. Tankor then provided Primal with the whereabouts of the [[plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], capable of purging all technology from Cybertron, in an attempt to force Megatron to use the keys. Megatron did not believe that Primal would actually go through with opening the chamber, and, distrustful of the Diagnostic Drone's motives, destroyed it. During the Maximal's last push for victory, Megatron found himself confronted by Optimus Primal once more, and crowed over his opponent as the other Maximals were transformed into technomatter. However Primal was able to provoke another appearance by Megatron's beast mode, and attempted to reformat him. The attempt was interrupted by Tankor, who prepared to zap Megatron with a Key, but was promptly restrained. Megatron announced that having a free agent was part of his plan, and had handed him the key to victory. Optimus, finally determined to win at any cost, opened the Plasma Energy Chamber, and Megatron responded by triggering the key weapon, causing a maelstrom of clashing energies. {{storylink|End of the Line}}

[[Image:SavageNoble Noble with wings.jpg|left|230px|thumb| This is what Bella and Jacob's son would look like if Bella was bitten by Edward beforehand. Eeugh.]]
When the Maximals entered the Council Citadel, all they found of Megatron was his body, which disintegrated. Despite this the evidence of Megatron's influence remained — following Optimus Primal's resurrection, the Maximals found themselves face-to-face with a giant ship, resembling a stylised version of Megatron's own head, which rose above the city. {{storylink|Fallout}} The ship did not contain Megatron's [[spark]] though; The combined energies had actually succeeded in separating his organic half from his body—unfortunately, his spark went with it and become trapped in a purely organic Transformer. He took the identity of "innocent" Maximal [[Noble]] and, preying on [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream's]] survivor guilt and Optimus's inherent goodness, attained the confidence of the Maximals. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} With their help, he was able to gain entry back into the Council Citadel, and attempted to access the control harness, only to discover it would not interface with his organic form. Using a [[spark extractor]], he ripped his own spark out and flew into the giant floating head, possessing it and reactivating Cybertron. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

[[Image:InDarkestKnight Grand Mal.jpg|thumb|right|250px| Tremble before the might of MODOK!]]
Intent on gaining access to the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], Megatron seized Primal and Cheetor, bringing them aboard the ship in preparation to tear the information from them. He was able to communicate with them by appearing as a hologram of moving [[Cybertronix]], announcing that the procedure would be terminal. Before it could be completed, Silverbolt, who had been reformatted from Jetstorm by Blackarachnia, arrived and freed the two Maximals. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}} Unwilling to admit defeat, Megatron deployed his own variation of the [[Hate Plague]], infecting all of the Maximals but Primal. Optimus instead was scooped up by a tentacle and taken aboard the floating head for a frank discussion about free will versus universal harmony. As it turned out, Optimus was able to help the Maximals overcome their anger and reformat their neural pathways, though Megatron was amused by Primal's afterthought that not all of their issues came from the virus. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}} Following [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]]'s arrival, Megatron used the giant head's spaceship mode to destroy the rampantly-growing plant life she'd brought with her.

[[Image:Megatron Sparkwar Search.JPG|left|250px|thumb|"We've been expecting you, Mr. Anderson."]]
With the Maximals numbering seven, and Thrust increasingly incapable of keeping up, Megatron used the sparks of famous generals [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] to replace them. Though they subsequently failed to destroy the Maximals, Megatron thanked them for keeping his enemy busy while he finalised his plans for the collection of sparks. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} He gave his generals orders to find the Maximals and take Optimus alive. Primal had ventured down into the lost city of [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] with Nightscream, giving Megatron the opportunity to strike. Tricking the Maximal leader with a huge hologram of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Megatron was able to extract the codes to access the Oracle. On the other hand, Primal was able to use the link to determine the location of the lost sparks without Megatron knowing. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}}

[[Image:Giant megatron spark.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It feels weird, being a ball of energy just eating up ''other'' balls of energy.]]
Megatron began preparing for his "grand ascension", separating his spark from the giant head and starting to consume the many sparks he had captured. The Maximals managed to get a team onto the ship, but were immediately seized by metal tentacles and forced to watch as Megatron continued to devour the sparks, intending to unite every spark on the planet into one perfect being — himself. Rising out of the head, Megatron began to draw the Maximals' sparks from their bodies. He was forced to pause to destroy his organic half, Noble, which had continued to roam Cybertron after his spark had left it. Anguished at the loss of his friend, Nightscream used his sonic attack on Megatron's spark, apparently dispelling it. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

Depolarized, Megatron's spark drifted through the streets of [[Cybertropolis]], attempting to possess bodies but unable to stay in them for any period of time, and only able to operate them in the barest, zombie-like fashion. After attacking the Maximals in a seemingly-random pattern, his spark was captured by Rattrap in a spark extractor and repolarized. The net result — Megatron was able to possess a new body, however he soon realized that he was trapped in the shell of a Diagnostic Drone. This didn't hinder him from capturing the Maximals and attempting to reformat Primal's spark, and, though Botanica swiftly came to the rescue, Megatron still escaped thanks to the loyalty of his three generals. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

[[Image:BMEndgame2 Optimal megatron.jpg|left|230px|thumb|They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.]]
While working on a new plan, Megatron had his generals attack the Maximals, who had holed up in the giant head. He was able to use a frequency from a device inadvertently provided by Rattrap, to help the Vehicons successfully bring down the ship. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} Though the Maximals fought back, eliminating the Vehicon generals, Megatron had constructed a new body for himself — a copy of Primal's old "Optimal Optimus" form, though without its beast mode. Seizing control of the Cycle drones, he was able to rip the Maximals' sparks from their bodies, leaving himself and Primal as the last two functional mechanisms on the planet. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}}

[[Image:BMEndgame3 Megatron dies.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dude, I'm stroking out over here!]]
There followed an all-out battle between the two mortal enemies, which raged across the city. Primal was seemingly beaten when he found the remains of the [[technorganic orchard]], devastated by Megatron's drones, and Megatron took him back to the surface. There, Megatron claimed his giant throne, and absorbed the rest of the sparks, growing in size. Preparing to use the Key to Vector Sigma to reformat Cybertron's organic core, Megatron severed Primal's connection to the Oracle. However Primal received encouragement from the spirits of his Maximal comrades, and by reformatting Megatron's throne, was able to dislodge him. They plummited together into Cybertron's core, where Primal was able to trigger the reformatting of the entire planet, destroying himself and Megatron completely, but freeing all the lost sparks to repopulate their newly-redecorated Cybertron. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}

{{--}}

====''Universe''====

{{note|This fiction takes place after "[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]".}}
[[Image:MegatronBW-BWXart.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Guess who traveled with Primal to the [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]]?]]

When [[Optimus Primal|Optimus Primal's]] spark was revived from the within the Matrix to protect the [[multiverse]], this action freed Megatron's spark as well. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}} Megatron did not visibly resurface, however, until a dark chapter in the [[Universe war]], amidst "the [[Culling]]," when the [[Maximal High Council]] and a great portion of Cybertron's population itself was snuffed out by the [[Minions of Unicron]]. It is not known exactly how, but when the chaos of this genocide settled, Megatron had taken a powerful position within the remaining Predacon military. At first, Megatron began antagonizing Primal as he had before, but Megatron quickly learned that he and Primal would do better to first team up against Unicron. He and Primal traveled to several universes, preparing them for the coming battle and winning new allies. But now with Unicron disappeared into the [[Unicron Singularity]], Primal fully expects Megatron's insane ambition to resurface. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 9|BWX Optimus Primal's profile}}

Prior to the Universe Conflict an alternate dimension's Megatron was killed by a [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Tigerhawk]] who was corrupted by the Vok. Yet another dimension's Megatron was killed by its reality's [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. All three Megatron-murderers were eventually promoted to the rank of [[Unicron's General]]. It seems that killing Megatron may be part of Unicron's criteria for choosing a General.
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Reborn''====
{{note|This fiction takes place after "[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]".}}
[[Image:BeastWarsRebornMegatronArtwork1.jpg|right|233px|thumb|Reborn on the wagon of a travelin' show, Primal used ta dance fer the money they'd throw! Megatron would do whatever he coooouuuld!]]
Both Megatron and Optimus Primal awoke inside a bizarre temple-like spaceship which was hurtling through space. Neither had any memory of who they were or how they got there, only their own names and a feeling of discomfort between one another. The pair went about investigating the ship in search of answers. While Megatron's memory was lost, his personality remained mostly intact: he was more concerned with seizing control of the ship before Primal did in order to gain the upper hand.

They eventually found a data log and discovered that their sparks had been taken and they were reborn into new bodies (unbeknownst to them, bodies identical to their original Earth forms). However, their memories were intentionally not uploaded into their new bodies. While searching the log they discovered that the ship's main power source was a [[Golden Disk]] lodged within a giant pillar. Megatron immediately raced to obtain the Disk and Primal followed him. The closer they got to the disk the more the ship attempted to thwart their advance by manipulating its atmosphere conditions.

Once they reached the chamber the ship's environment suddenly morphed to that of a decaying planet littered with the corpses of robots. The corpses came to life and began shambling toward them, intent on eating their sparks. They made short work of the zombies, leaving Megatron to obtain the Golden Disk and Primal with a feeling that he shouldn't entirely trust Megatron.

From another dimension beyond time and space, [[Primus]] recognized that something was amiss and sent one of his messengers to meet Primal and Megatron within the spaceship. {{storylink|The Mysterious Temple in Space}} {{storylink|Master of the Game}}
{{-}}
====Bee in the City====
{{note|This takes place after ''Beast Wars'', but its placing beyond that is unknown}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[David Kaye]] (English)

Somehow ending up at the multiversal hub of [[Axiom Nexus]], Megatron hid out under the alias "Joe". When he ran into [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] and learned of the [[AllSpark Key]], he pretended to be a heroic character and helped rescue Bumblebee's friends, only to steal the Key. Using his experience with MacGuffins, he swiftly learned how to power himself and create an army. Unfortunately, his army turned on him after learning of bureaucracy and the amount of forms they'd have to fill in now that they were alive. However, before being carried away by his former minions, Megatron promised that he would be back, and that he would get his extremely overwrought and melodramatic revenge. {{storylink|Bee in the City}}

===''Robot Masters''===
====Pack-in comic====
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The New Battle Begins!}}

====Cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Toshitsugu Takashina]] (Japanese)

{{note|This fiction takes place after ''[[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!]]''.}}
Taking advantage of the [[Blasty Zone]] as a means of time travel (and apparently size-enhancer), Megatron journeyed to a point in history where the original Megatron had gone missing, leaving the [[Decepticon]]s without a leader. "Beast Megatron" took command of the Decepticons, leading them on a quest to collect a powerful element, [[solitarium]], from within the Earth. Beast Megatron's plans were quickly thwarted by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and a troop of time-displaced Autobots and Maximals, including [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]], [[Victory Leo]], [[Lio Convoy]] and Beast Megatron's arch nemesis, [[Optimus Primal]]. {{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}

Beast Megatron later discovered a large deposit of solitarium beneath [[New York City]], and along with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Smokesniper]], [[Gigant Bomb]] and [[Wingstun]], laid waste to the Big Apple. The Autobots, accompanied by [[Reverse Convoy]], arrived and dealt with Beast Megatron's forces quickly. However, Reverse Convoy revealed himself to be the original Megatron in disguise and betrayed them. Now going by the name [[Megatron (G1)|Rebirth Megatron]], he teamed up with Beast Megatron and the pair made trouble for the Autobot commanders. However, the Autobots were able to defeat the two Megatrons, sending the villains into retreat. {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}

====Online comic====
{{charstubfiction}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
{{note|This fiction takes place after an altered version of the first season of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.}}
After killing Optimus Primal in a Transwarp explosion, Megatron was mutated by the resulting Quantum Surge into a Transmetal, as was every other Transformer on [[Earth|Energoa]]. With their leader dead and their forces scattered, Megatron wasted no time in plotting an immediate counter-attack on the Maximals. Quickstrike and his drone forces were sent to attack the Maximal base while, with Tarantulas's help, Megatron recovered and resurrected Primal's body as a mindless killing machine.

Through a strange voodoo ritual, Megatron attempted to use his mutated blood to put Primal's body under his everlasting control. However, with the intervention of Rhinox, Primal's spark was retrieved from Transwarp Space and returned to his body. Primal swiftly defeated Megatron in battle. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

===Fire in the Dark===
The Predacons crashlanded in [[Mexico]] around 1,000 BC. A time into their war with the Maximals, Megatron found the village in which the [[Natiltec]] tribe dwelt. After the Predacons had asserted their dominance, Megatron ordered Tarantulas and Waspinator to enslave the male villagers and use them to mine energon. {{storylink|Fire in the Dark}}

==Games==
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place during the first season of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''.}}
{{Note|Megatron is a playable character in the Predacon mode of this game for normal gameplay.}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{Note|Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only lists said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Megatron can accomplish throughout gameplay in Predacon Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Optimus Primal|several]] [[Cheetor (BW)|Maximals]] [[Rattrap|included]] [[Dinobot (BW)|as]] [[Rhinox (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Megatron fills the role of the nameless Predacon. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}
====''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
[[Image:N64Megatrons.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Jhiaxus (G2)|Tyrannosaurus Jhiax]] and ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]], apparently.]]
:''Voice Actor:'' [[David Kaye]] (English), ??? (Japanese)

Megatron has been captured by the Maximals. Unknown to his captors, however, Megatron sends a message back in time through transwarp in a last-ditch effort to change the outcome of the Beast Wars; back in the past, Megatron participates in a one-on-one beatdown involving nearly all of the other active beast warriors. At the end, he confronted his mysterious doppelganger, [[Megatron X]].

[[Image:N64_Megatron.jpg|frame|left|Megatron in the N64 Game]]Knowing fully that the planet where their war was taking place was in actuality prehistoric Earth, Megatron decided to make the ultimate gamble after gaining the upper hand in a grueling battle against the Maximals. Breaking into the Ark, Megatron murders Optimus Prime while he slumbers, securing victory for both Decepticons and Predacons. However, in the year 2005, the Decepticons, having conquered both Earth and Cybertron, face Unicron. As the Matrix died eons ago, along with Optimus Prime, how can the Decepticons defeat the devourer of worlds?
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the Nintendo 64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Megatron's fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

===''Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle'' video game===
Megatron battled several other Maximals and Predacons in an attempt to obtain a super-powerful [[Energon crystal]] recently discovered on [[Earth]]. He was capable of summoning his lackeys, Waspinator, Terrorsaur, Tarantulas, Inferno and Scorponok in order to aid him in this task.

Megatron could also partake in various other tasks, such as a mission to break a boulder to reveal an energon crystal hidden within before sundown, using a block in a mission to defend himself against various incoming projectiles, and missions to run across a pit-riddled field, sometimes involving hideously large bacteria he had to fend off.

The series of one-on-one battles that ensued ended in a strange duel, when Megatron had to battle his double as a final opponent. Once he defeated himself, he gained possession of the crystal, setting out to defeat his eternal nemesis, [[Optimus Primal]]. {{storylink|Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Warriors' Strongest Decisive Battle}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Megatron's fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}
===3D Battle-Card Game===
Megatron, in his original Tyrannosaurus Rex body, leads a ragtag group of Decepticon warriors from various backgrounds (and/or universes) against Optimus Primal and his Autobot allies. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
:''Main article: [[Megatron (BW)/toys]]''

==Merchandise==
:''Main article: [[Megatron (BW)/toys#Merchandise|Merchandise]]''

==Notes==
[[Image:Dinobot Clone.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A picture can tell lots without words.]]
* Hasbro originally intended [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] to be the new body for Megatron. According to [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/b334d45514e26ab4/bc8e54e9165e0823?hl=en&lnk=st&q=bob+forward+interview+inferno+megatron&rnum=1#bc8e54e9165e0823 a 1997 interview conducted by fan HooksX], [[Bob Forward]] stated: "For a while there Hasbro was planning to make the Inferno toy the new Megatron. We were going to kill Megatron and bring him back as Inferno."
* Megatron's pre-beast body, seen almost entirely during "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]", is actually the body of the Giant Robot from Mainframe's ReBoot series, with Megatron's head attached and some purple colors. Sadly, no Disrupto-Matic was to be seen.
* Throughout the series, Megatron seems to have a mild obsession with creating [[Cloning|clones]] of Dinobot, as seen with the [[Clone One|purely biological clone]], the [[Cyber raptor|Cyber raptors]], [[Dinobot II]], and [[Dinobot (Transmetal)|that one prototype that was scrapped]]. Some people never know when to let a relationship go.
[[Image:BWRConcept35.jpg|right|200px|thumb|TM2 Megatron's control art. Look! Spark figure! Painful amounts of detail!]]
*The Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'' chose to interject humor at every available opportunity. Due to this, Megatron's personality and character were taken on a complete U-turn. Instead of being a smooth and charismatic leader, he was a screaming maniac and a bumbling oaf. His most notable character-trait in Japan was that whenever he was fired-upon or startled he would let out a high-pitched shriek like a [[Scorponok (BW)|little girl]].
* During the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon, Megatron said "yesss..." 166 times, and "no..." 54 times. Someone was clearly bored, yesss.
* He was once seen [[Humanization|brushing]] his Rex head/hand's teeth.
* Several times in the series, while he is in Beast Mode, Megatron is seen touching his hands, as many megalomaniacs would. However, this would be physically impossible for a real T. rex.
* Compared to the specs of G1 [[Megatron]], this Megatron has one more point of Courage and Skill, but one less point of Intelligence, yesss...
{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hJkvwoddxY All of Megatron's Yeeeessss's and No's in Beast Wars on YouTube]

[[Category:Beast Machines characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars characters]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Predacons]]
[[Category:Predacon leaders]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Robot Masters characters]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Vehicons]]

Zombie

2010-10-08T21:15:43Z

64.189.19.132: /* Honorable mentions */

{{featured}}
[[Image:Zombies.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I can't possibly deal with all of you at once!]]
{{bigquote|'''Don't you know?!''' The dead—the dead walk the streets of [[Kalis]]! And their victims... their victims become like them—'''the living dead!'''|[[Flywheels]]|"[[City of Fear!]]"}}

Although Transformers are often rebuilt or otherwise brought back from apparent death, there are also many examples of them being partially reanimated as '''zombies''', either self-aware or under the control of another.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{quote|And some lingering remnants of his memory and personality [...] But without our circuit implants, he would be utterly mindless, an ordinary machine. [...] A robotic zombie.|The [[Quintesson|Quintessons]]|"[[Dark Awakening]]"}}

[[Image:Optimusg1zombie.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Sadly, we are cheated a "Brawn of the Dead" pun-reference.]]

While fleeing from [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s [[Decepticon|Decepticons]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and his [[Autobot|Autobots]] found refuge inside an [[Autobot Mausoleum|Autobot funeral barge]], where [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] stumbled upon the reanimated form of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Though most of the Autobots did not believe Daniel's story, Rodimus was obsessed with Optimus's memory, and tracked him down. After finding Optimus seemingly still alive, Rodimus happily handed over the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. However, things were not as they appeared, and Optimus immediately turned on them, left them to die in the funeral barge and escaped in a ship he had built.

Upon Optimus' return to Cybertron, he claimed that Rodimus and his crew had died due to a cruel Quintesson trick, and commanded every single Autobot to help him strike back. This was just what the Quintessons had orchestrated from the beginning, having reanimated the Autobots' former leader solely for the purpose of leading the entire faction into a deadly trap. Now without the Matrix, Hot Rod and his crew had managed to escape, and Hot Rod battled Optimus one-on-one in an attempt to reclaim the Matrix and get to the bottom of this deception. The real Optimus eventually resurfaced, returned the Matrix to Rodimus, once again gave him his blessing, and the Autobots retreated. Optimus's final act would be to pilot their ship into the trap, detonating it, and leaving a nova behind... {{storylink|Dark Awakening}} if he hadn't [[The Return of Optimus Prime|come back again later anyway]].

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[Image:Zombiesmasterforce.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Paaanties...paaaantieeees...]]
After stealing dead bodies from medical universities, [[Dauros]] and [[Gilmer]] infused them with evil energy from [[Devil Z]]. These [[human]] zombies (in matching Decepticon jumpsuits) had begun to lay siege to a local city when [[Lander]], who was nearby, changed into his [[Pretender]] form and battled them. However, the zombies began to disappear in a flash of light after they had run out of energy.

The Decepticons realized that they needed to infuse life energy from living humans into the zombies to avoid this problem. After kidnapping several human boys, the Autobot Pretenders came to the rescue and befriended one of the boys, [[Cab]], who joined their team. {{storylink|Terror! The Decepticons' Manhunt}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{quote|So, bereft of its ''[[brain module]]'', a Transformer body is just so much circuitry, operable by a powerful ''computer signal!''|Ultra Magnus|"[[City of Fear!]]"}}
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Zombieskalis.jpg|left|200px|thumb|We take Pete's car, we drive over to mum's, we go in, take care of Phillip, then we grab mum, we go over to Liz's place, hole up, have a cup of tea and wait for all this to blow over. How's that for a slice of fried gold?]]
''In a desperate bid to stop [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] from exploding the walking bomb [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] radio-controlled the body of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] ([[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] had the head), to grab Grimlock's arm. Without a brain module to control its functions Prime's hand could not let go of Grimlock's arm. This resulted in Grimlock's hand being ripped off when he was knocked away from Prime by the Guardian robot.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}

''Several years later [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Sparkabot|Sparkler Mini-Bots]] encountered similar technology used on a much broader scale. Traveling via prototype [[space bridge]] to the new home of [[Emirate Xaaron]]'s resistance movement in [[Kalis]], they arrived to find the place vacant and ransacked by beings unknown. After capturing the Decepticon [[Flywheels]] in [[Tyrest (city-state)|Tyrest]] and bringing him back into Kalis, their captive shook with fear. The dead walk in Kalis, he warned, as the fists of the unliving punched up through the ground beneath them.''

''Though Ultra Magnus refused to return Flywheels's gun to him, the Decepticon helped Magnus and the Sparklers beat back the undead hordes. Their attempts, however, seemed futile—no matter how hard their attackers were damaged, they still functioned! Finally, Flywheels and the Sparklers reverted to vehicle mode, where they could use their weapons to destroy the zombies more effectively. But alas, Magnus was stunned to realize that the beings they put down were formerly Autobots. Realizing that the zombies were being animated by remote using a radio signal, they travelled to the [[Baird Beaming Transmitter]]. The signal was indeed shut down, and Magnus discovered that the signal was coming from deep within [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]...'' {{storylink|City of Fear!}}

[[Image:Impactorzombie.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Wreckers never die, they just go to Hell and regroup!]]
''The zombies were actually activated by the mad Autobot scientist [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] and sent to stalk the area surrounding Kalis to scare off intruders, while he set into motion his doomed plan to transform Cybertron into a spacefaring battlestation. Though he captured his rival [[Emirate Xaaron]] and other inhabitants of [[Autobase]], he would have been easily thwarted—if not for his zombification of the late [[Wrecker|Wreckers]] leader, [[Impactor]]. {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} The current Wreckers leader, [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], was shocked into inaction at the sight of his former leader, and if it weren't for Impactor's mind reasserting itself, the planet would have been lost. Impactor once again sacrificed his life to save the others, staying behind to deactivate Flame's mechanism as it annihilated him.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[Image:ZombieScream1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Leeeadership... Leaaadershiiip...]]
''Later, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing]] were sent by Megatron to reclaim [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s charred corpse on [[Earth]]. Starscream's remains were possessed by the essence of the [[Underbase]] and went on an insane rampage, nearly killing [[Dr. Susan Hoffman]] and her [[Dr. Susan Hoffman|assistants]]. After Starscream was diverted away from the [[human]]s by [[Backstreet]], [[Dogfight]], and [[Override (G1)|Override]], the trio of [[Triggerbot]]s tried in vain to stop the rampaging zombie. Eventually, the Underbase realized it was acting insane and regained control, but as soon as it did, Dreadwind and Darkwing siphoned all the power out of it, and Starscream's corpse returned to being an inanimate pile of scrap, which the pair quickly collected.'' {{storylink|Race with the Devil}}

[[Image:Zombiesbackfromthedead.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Goddamn, Goldbug's creepy. Guess this explains why Ratchet prefers him as Bumblebee.]]
Meanwhile, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] had been working long hours to repair the Autobots' massive number of casualties from the [[Underbase Saga]]—so long, that he began to hallucinate, seeing his patients rise up from their repair beds and blame him for their condition. [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], to whom the corpse of Starscream was being delivered, required Ratchet to repair him, so the former Decepticon leader sent the [[Micromaster]] [[Sports Car Patrol]] to trick Ratchet into returning with them to Cybertron. To do this, [[Blackjack]] and his fellow Micromasters made Ratchet's hallucination real, animating Ratchet's patients. However, this began to backfire when Ratchet decided to give himself up to his accusers. The Sports Car Patrol decided this wasn't the best course of action and tried to lure him with a different plan. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

''While looking for clues to the identity of [[Playback]]'s killer, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] suddenly found himself, [[Siren]], and [[Hosehead]] under attack by the prime suspect—[[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]! Ultimately, Nightbeat was able to save their lives by having his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster partner]], [[Muzzle]], become the head of Playback's corpse, momentarily distracting Thunderwing with its scary zombieness. As soon as Muzzle jumped clear, the trio of Autobots fired at the corpse's fuel supply, causing a huge explosion which forced Thunderwing into retreat.'' {{storylink|The Big Shutdown!}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 comics===
[[Image:Zombiesspotlightkup.jpg|left|200px|thumb|One of these guys was probably Skids.]]
[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] had been marooned on a distant planet for quite some time when They started coming for him. They only came at night, when the suns would stop filtering through the planet's beautiful, indigenous crystals, creating such beautiful music... Kup could not allow Them to take the music away from him, and even though his buddy [[Outback]], the only other survivor of Kup's crew, refused to help him, Kup was able to beat back every single last one of Them every single night when they'd come for him.

What Kup didn't know is that They were not zombies, but [[Autobot]]s sent in to rescue him. The [[antique anti-rad armor]] they wore to protect themselves from the extreme radiation caused by the crystals also disguised their identities to Kup, who was suffering hallucinations at the hand of the radiation. Oops. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[Image:DevilGorilla-sk.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He really shouldn't have taken that Aztec gold.]]
As [[Optimus Primal]]'s corpse floated in [[Earth]]'s orbit following his sacrifice at the hands of the [[Vok|aliens]]' [[Planet Buster]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] realized true strength was not only in numbers (fashioning himself an army of drones), but also in retrieving Primal's remains, reassembling it, and reanimating it as a zombie. Upon initial activation, the zombie asserted its dominance over Megatron's new army of drones.

Thankfully, before Megatron and [[Tarantulas]] could make the process permanent, the [[Maximal|Maximals]] showed up and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] injected Primal's [[Spark]] (which he had retrieved from [[Transwarp]] space) into his old body. Thus ended the short career of Zombie Convoy. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon====
[[Unicron]] possessed the dead body of [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]]. Much fun was had.

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
[[Image:Zombiessparkofdarkness.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Yeessss... Yeeesssss....]]
After the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and the [[Maximal]]s' takeover of the [[Grand Mal]], [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] were investigating the fields of [[spark]]less Transformer bodies when they were attacked by a zombie-like creature. A seemingly-invincible corpse battled them. Blackarachnia attempted to use her energo-web attacks, but it merely absorbed them. until finally, after Blackarachnia threw another corpse's [[power core]] at it, the zombie collapsed. A mysterious energy ball lifted from the zombie, and it disappeared through a grate in the ground.

The energy ball appeared next in the [[technorganic orchard]] that [[Rattrap]] and [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] were tending, bringing life to a deactivated [[Motorcycle Drone]]. Botanica attempted to use her energy weapon powers against it, but like Blackarachnia's energo-webs, it merely absorbed her attack. After being expelled too from this body, it fled to the surface into a deactivated [[Aero Drone]], where it attacked [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]. Nightscream tried a different approach of "draining" the creature of its power, but it drained Nightscream's own power from him. The Maximals began to see a pattern in the zombies' attacks, and regrouped inside the Grand Mal, which seemed to be its target. Finally, Rattrap had an epiphany, realized what was going on, and captured the energy ball inside a [[Diagnostic Drone]]. The energy ball was actually the polarized spark of Megatron. Surprise! {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}
{{-}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[Image:Zombiedarkscorponok.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Kiiiickerrr...Kiiiicker... our Plaaanetts...]]
{{quote|The afflicted is driven by an insatiable desire to feed on the life energy of others. Nearly mindless, he will stop at nothing to feed. He ignores injury, knowing only hunger and pain. And the best part is that anyone off whom he feeds becomes just the same.|[[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] tells [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] a heartwarming story|[[Balancing Act, Part 3]]"}}

Despite [[Unicron]]'s apparent death inside the [[Unicron Singularity]], his essence's will was still strong enough to use the reality-altering black hole to bring the [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Now ''Dark'' Scorponok, this undead creature stalked the evacuated planet surface, screaming in hunger and pain, crying out for [[Spark|Sparks]] upon which to feast. At first Dark Scorponok assaulted [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]], {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 2}} who survived due to his powerful forcefield ability, but the monster was drawn away by [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]]'s evil [[Mini-Con]] minions, towards the [[Kalis Primary Energon Reserves Control]], where [[Vector Prime]] and [[Sentinel Maximus]] were located. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 3}} After a prolonged fight, Sentinel Maximus was able to defeat Dark Scorponok, after which he and Vector Prime realized this was just a diversion. Leaving what was left of Dark Scorponok, unable to solve his affliction, their attentions were needed elsewhere, below the planet's surface. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 4}}

===Titan Magazines movie comic===
[[Image:ZombieConsTitan.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Mission City--28 Minutes Later...]]
Immediately after [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron's]] death, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] appointed himself the commander of the Decepticons... who were all dead. Noticing the [[Allspark Mutation|mechanical devices]] that the [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]] had animated, Starscream tore the solidified All Spark energy from them and used it to turn the Decepticon corpses into undead soldiers. Without any mental functions whatsoever, they simply walked forward and attempted to kill, and very nearly tore apart the weakened Autobots before [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] worked out how to stop them. {{storylink|Starscream's Militia}}

{{-}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[Image:Prowlspacebarnacles.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I'll swallow your SPARK!]]
[[Space barnacles]] are parasitic life-forms that can be considered "zombie-inducing" in their quest for energy. Some of them attached themselves to the dead body of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] and managed to reanimate it, evolving themselves into semi-awareness and later absorbing other machines. In this state, they shared with zombies the property to "infect" other robots by simple contact, turning them also into mindless drones, ready to spread the infection. ("Normal" space barnacles simply drain energy, but presumably do not take over Transformer minds.) [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] were finally cured from their contact with the creature when [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] blasted the space barnacles off with hot [[water]]. {{storylink|Nature Calls}}
{{-}}

==Honorable mentions==
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], while he was an animated unliving Transformer controlled by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and later [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]], was not strictly a zombie. He was not given life until after he was used as a mindless puppet by diabolical masters.
* [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] is not a reanimated [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] as was [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|commonly believed]] for some time.
* [[Dinobot II]], though he looked like an undead [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot I]], was more of a [[Frankenstein's monster]] than a zombie.
* [[Primeval Dawn]]'s "Zombie [[Tarantulas]]," as referred to by some fans, did inhabit the reconfigured remains of his previous body. This seemed to be a full return to life, despite his new black and gray color scheme, rather than being undead.
* [[Energon (franchise)|''Energon'']] [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], though brought back from the dead, was more ghosty than zombie-y. Even [[Aaron Archer]] referred to him as an "[[Energon (Energon)|Energon]] ghost."
* [[Transformers Animated|''Animated'']] [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] was kept alive by a fragment of the All-Spark, despite his spark having been extinguished, making him a Zombie of sorts.
* [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Dark Crumplezone]], though he was also brought back from the dead, likewise wasn't very zombie-y; indeed, he even came back smarter (according to his on-package [[bio]]) and with his personality intact.
* [[Dead End (ROTF)|Dead End]] was a decomposing, beastial creature that cannibalised other Transformers, but was doing that to ''stave off'' death.

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Masterforce]]
[[Category:Zombies| ]]

Action Master partner

2010-10-06T21:44:31Z

64.189.19.132:

:''Action Master partners are mechanoids from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Rollout's Action Master partner Glitch from MtMtE.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[Glitch]], an Action Master partner.]]

Transformers who underwent the [[Action Master]] process became harder, better, faster, stronger, and more alive, but this came at a price. In order to make up for the lack of flexibility due to their lack of [[transformation]], Action Masters "converted their weapons and [[:Category:Action Master vehicles|vehicles]] into changeable partners."

Action Master partners are fully independent transformable mechanoids in their own right. They display personalities of their own and are sometimes very highly skilled. However, their origin is largely unknown, as is their exact level of sentience.

A [[Unicron Trilogy]] equivalent is the [[Minicon]]

==Dreamwave continuity==
Those Action Master partners that are able to Transform into weapons were identified as also being [[Targetmaster]]s. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye}}

==Action Master partners==
===Autobots===
*[[Basher]], the covert weapons platform partnered with [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]].
*[[Glitch]], sometimes a battle drone, sometimes a master spy partnered with [[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]].
*[[Lionizer]], the barely containable fighting lion partnered with [[Rad (G1)|Rad]].
*[[Push-Button]], the warrior-bot who likes combat partnered with [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]].
*[[Road Rocket (G1)|Road Rocket]], the supersonic land-based (you heard that right) weapons platform partnered with [[Powerflash]].
*[[Sights]], the bird that is on the lookout for anything to help his partner [[Jackpot]].
*[[Top-Heavy]], the rhinoceros nag partnered with [[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]].
*[[Turbo Board]],<ref>Although called a "partner" and "sidekick" on Jazz's bio card, Turbo Board is a skateboard which seems to fit better with the Action Master vehicles.</ref> the rocket-powered skateboard patnered with [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]].
*[[Tyrannitron]], the temperamental dinosaur partnered with [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]].
*[[Vanguard]], the double barreled tank that provides cover for his partner [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]].

===Decepticons===
*[[Catgut]], the ferocious feline warrior partnered with [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]].
*[[Fire Beast]], the creature with one horn partnered with [[Charger]].
*[[Fistfight]], the sadistic robot partnered with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]].
*[[Gatoraider]], the alligator with powerful jaws partnered with [[Krok (G1)|Krok]].
*[[Needler]], the flamethrowing bug partnered with [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]].
*[[Razor-Sharp]], the metal shearing crab partnered with [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]].
*[[Scorpulator]], the unreasoning scorpion of destruction partnered with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]].
*[[Screech (Action Master)|Screech]], the eagle scout partnered with [[Take-Off]].
*[[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]], the loyal and lethal bat partnered with [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Gimmicks]]
[[Category:Species]]
[[Category:Action Master partners| ]]

United (episode)

2010-10-04T00:58:40Z

64.189.19.132:

{{disambig2|the episode of Transformers: Cybertron|the Japanese toyline|United (toyline)}}

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=30
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=31
|title="United"
|japanese=高速機動合体ソニックコンボイ
|romaji=Kōsoku Kidō Gattai Sonic Convoy
|translation=High Speed Fusion—Sonic Convoy
|image=Cyb_ep30_sonic_wing_mode.jpg
|caption=
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[we've|We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Gyō Yamatoya]]
|director=[[Megumi Sakai]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[August 6]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[April 1]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Memories of the past push Wing Saber and Optimus Prime to try a dangerous technique in hopes of defeating the super-powered Starscream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Cyb_ep30_king_of_the_hill.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

Struck by the mighty fist of the gargantuan [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] are hit so hard they split apart. Thinking of the [[Cybertron Defense Team]]'s struggle against the [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] swarm on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Optimus appoints Leobreaker, [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] and [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] to go to their aid, taking the [[Omega Lock]] with them, while the other Autobots remain on [[Earth]] to deal with the [[Decepticon]]s. Unfortunately, as the trio depart on the [[space bridge]], [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] alerts [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] to their actions, and the Decepticon leader decides to abandon the fight against Starscream so that he can follow them and steal the Lock with comparative ease. Starscream attempts to stop the Decepticons from giving chase through the space bridge, but his attentions are drawn away by a barrage of Autobot firepower, so he instead delegates [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] to pursue them in his place.

[[Image:Cyb_ep30_clang.jpg|right|thumb|220px| Fusion Dance: Ur doin' it WRONG!]]

[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] attacks Starscream solo, and unsurprisingly, gets blasted out of the sky. As the other Autobots fire in concert at the giant Decepticon, Wing Saber swallow his pride and asks Optimus Prime if he remembers a past incident in the [[Chaar asteroid belt]]. Whatever this past incident entailed, Prime believes it will not work here, but Wing Saber is undeterred, and runs head-long at Optimus in an attempt to replicate its effects. Deeply amused at the sight of two Autobots repeatedly running into each other, Starscream uses his incredible new powers to rip up the ground surrounding him, filling the air with a deadly field of rocks and debris. Prime and Wing Saber take to the air, but are brought down to Earth with a bump by the flying rocks. Wing Saber is ready to throw in the towel, but a pep talk from Optimus soon brings him around.

Out in space, Leobreaker, Override and Evac continue their race along the space bridge to Cybertron, with Decepticon fire blazing all around them. Megatron is in no great hurry to catch up to the three Autobots, though: after all, he knows exactly where they're going. As such, he is able to turn his attention from them for a moment when Thunderblast emerges through the space bridge behind them, and immediately offers Megatron her services, claiming that she has no desire to keep working for Starscream. Megatron agrees and accepts her into his fold, sending her on ahead after the Autobots, before commenting to Scourge that he doesn't trust her, but will happily sacrifice a willing pawn.

[[Image:Cyb_ep30_back_to_back.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

Back on Earth, Wing Saber and Optimus Prime recall some of the specifics of the Chaar asteroid belt incident, which involved them flying back-to-back to navigate a massive field of asteroids and save the life of a stranded spacefarer, and Wing Saber very nearly meeting a messy end when he lost control. With the other Autobots covering them as best they can, the pair repeat the strategy and dive into the heart of Starscream's makeshift barrier. Weaving and dodging, the pair are nearly through the field when Optimus is struck by a rock and sent careening. Wing Saber swoops to his aid, repaying the favor from long ago, and together, the pair burst free of the rock field and reveal the hidden power they experienced in the original Chaar incident—the power of combination!

[[Image:Cyb_ep30_who_has_won.jpg|right|thumb|220px]]

As the amazed Autobots watch from below, Optimus Prime and Wing Saber merge into "Sonic Wing Mode", and face off against Starscream with their incredible speed and strength. Stunned by their power, far in excess of merely the sum of the two Autobots' own, Starscream demands to know where their strength is coming from, and Prime tells him that their true power comes from their team and working to save the universe, not just fighting for themselves. Starscream denies this, declaring that power is all that matters, but Prime soon proves him wrong as he weaves between his laser blasts and brings him to his knees with a slash of his new swords.

As the Autobot celebrate, [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] sneaks onto the scene and teleports the fallen Starscream away. Not noticing this strange development, Prime address his Autobots, and informs them that they are all heading to Cybertron right now. The Autobots have been fighting against the odds for too long... now it's time to take charge!
{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (4)
*[[Vector Prime]] (5)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (6)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (13)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (14)
*[[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (15)
*[[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (18)
*[[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (19)
*[[Six-Speed]] (20)
*[[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (21)
*[[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (22)
*[[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (23)
*[[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (24)
*[[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (25)
*[[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (26)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] (7)
*[[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (8)
*[[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (9)
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (10)
*[[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] (12)
*[[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (27)

|c3=
*[[Coby Hansen]] (3)
*[[Bud Hansen]] (16)
*[[Lori]] (17)

|c4=
*[[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] (28)
*[[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]]

}}

==Quotes==
"Megatron, I'm a friend! I want to crash your party." 
"Crash my party...?" 
"I've been working for that lame-o Starscream, but this girl needs someone with shoulders broad enough to hold the universe — shoulders like yours." 
"Ha! So you say you wish to turn against Starscream to ally with me?" 
"What do you say? Can I join your team?" 
"You can join us, but I will make you work hard. No breaks because you're... cute."
:—'''Thunderblast''' and '''Megatron'''.

"You can't glue two guppies together to make a shark!"
:—'''Starscream''' on Sonic Wing Mode. Oh, how wrong he is!

'''Optimus Prime:''' I'm! Too! Fast! For! You! 
'''Lori:''' Amazing! Optimus Prime and Wing Saber just linked together, and now it looks like they're twice as fast! 
'''Starscream:''' Too fast? Lasers move at the speed of light! 
''[Prime avoids Starscream's lasers with ease]'' 
'''Starscream:''' That ''is'' fast! 
:—Take ''that'', laws of physics!

'''Starscream:''' What is this, they link up and become super-powerful? 
'''Optimus Prime:''' You're too self-centered to get it. We didn't just "link up." Our power comes from being part of a team, and working with others for the good of the universe, ''not'' just for ourselves! ''THAT'' is the Autobot way! 
'''Starscream:''' Eh, give it a rest. What matters is power, and I'm still the most powerful here! 
'''Optimus Prime:''' Not for long!
:—Optimus Prime being Optimus Prime, and Starscream being arrogant.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
[[Image:C30 charr.jpg|right|thumb]]
*In ''Galaxy Force'', Wing Saber and Optimus Prime have never combined before, and Wing Saber only gets the idea after having seen Prime and Leobreaker combined in the previous episode. He is then reminded of the Chaar asteroid belt incident after Starscream fills the air with rocks. ''Cybertron'' combines the two threads into one, with Prime and Wing Saber having previously combined to navigate the Chaar belt.
*The Chaar asteroid belt fracas is described in ''Galaxy Force'' as an incident on the planet Astorea. Presumably, this was changed because careless animation causes the so-called "planet" to be ''ridiculously'' tiny. Neither version mentions where the spacefarer the pair save is from, but in ''Galaxy Force'', one might presume he was an Astorean.

===Animation or Technical Glitches===
*There are some shots that show Sonic Wing Mode Optimus Prime holding the swords formed from the wing flaps...but also show the flaps and handles still in place. Other shots lack this error.

===Continuity errors===
*Internal to the ''Cybertron'' series alone, this episode ''really'' puts the lie into Optimus Prime's claim back in "[[Sand]]" that he had never heard of two Autobots combining before. Of course, ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' and ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' had already done that, but still, you know what we mean.

===Transformers references===
*The Chaar asteroid belt is named for the [[Chaar|planet of the same name]] from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].

===Real-world references===
*Of the Scrapmetal, Scattorshot says: "Destroy 'em all an' let Primus sort 'em out!", a reference to a popular English translation of a saying by Abbot [[:wikipedia:Arnaud Amalric|Arnold Amaury]], before the massacre of Béziers during the Albigensian Crusade: "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out."
* "Scrapmetals to the left of me, Decepticons to the right, and here we are, stuck in the middle with the Omega Lock!" complains Leobreaker, paraphrasing the lyrics of Stealers Wheel's "[[wikipedia:Stuck_in_the_Middle|Stuck in the Middle]]".
* The quote regarding speed and lasers pokes fun at how most so-called laser weapons in science fiction do not actually behave like real lasers. These ''are'' closer than some, being useless underwater as shown in "[[Deep]]".

===Trivia===
*When Mudflap draws a bead on Thunderblast as she emerges from the space bridge, he's using one of the hand-held guns he was seen with back in "[[Ice]]". In that episode, they were demanded by the plot; in this one, we'd just like to know why he doesn't just use the ''gun mounted in his arm''.
*Starscream unveils his new Cyber Key powers in this episode, and reveals that his left arm-sword has been replaced with a cannon. It's not mentioned explicitly in dialogue in either version of the episode, but this cannon actually takes the place of the sword which Leobreaker broke off back in "[[Retreat]]".
*Assuming Wing Saber is not being hyperbolic, Starscream is now roughly twenty stories tall.
*This episode would later be combined with "[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]", "[[Balance]]" and "[[Darkness (episode)|Darkness]]" to create the TV "movie" special, "[[Primus Unleashed (TV special)|Primus Unleashed]]".

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 08 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Fire on the Mountain (episode)

2010-10-03T22:31:29Z

64.189.19.132: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=9
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=63
|prev2=Fire in the Sky
|next2=A Plague of Insecticons
|image=Fire on the mountain.jpg
|caption="I don't understand it, baby. This has never happened to me before, honest."
|title="Fire on the Mountain"
|production code=#700-06
|airdate=[[December 22]], 1984
|written by=[[Douglas Booth]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Decepticons uncover the Crystal of Power in Peru, and the Autobots resurrect Skyfire to stop them.'''

:''Japanese title:'' インカの秘宝 (''Inka no Hihō'', "Incaic Jewel")
:''Brazilian title:'' '''Fogo na Montanha''' (Fire on the Mountain)
:''Russian title:'' '''Схватка на вершине''' (''Skhvatka na vershine'', "The Engagement at the Very Top")
==Synopsis==
While patrolling a refinery, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] spot [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] stealing steel. The [[Decepticon]]s get away with the loot by collapsing the refinery behind them. The Autobots report back to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], who is puzzled about the Decepticons' motives. The [[Autobot]]s launch a [[Sky Spy]] to home in on any Decepticon activity, and the satellite picks up strange energy readings in the [[Peru]]vian [[Andes Mountains|Andes]].

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

There, the Decepticons have followed an [[Inca]]n legend to an ancient temple that rests on a shaft leading deep into the [[Earth's core]], capped by the [[Crystal of Power]]. With the metal acquired by Starscream, the Decepticons have fashioned a weapon frame to accommodate the crystal. [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] spots the Sky Spy, and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] tests the weapon by blowing the satellite out of the sky. The metal, however, proves inadequate and melts with exposure to the raw energy unleashed from the Earth’s core. Starscream tries to shift blame to Thundercracker for the faulty metal, but Megatron blames them both and has them stay behind at the temple while he soars to a nearby mining town to find replacement metal.

The nearby Peruvian mining town is abuzz with the sudden show of power from the ancient temple. A reactionary elder proclaims that long-forgotten gods have come back to punish them, but her more level-headed granddaughter, [[Luisa]], realizes that someone must have uncovered the fabled Crystal of Power.

[[Image:G1 FireontheMountain Sideswipe piledriving.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Freud would have had a field day with this episode.]]

In the [[Arctic]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] are jackhammering through the ice to resurrect the fallen warrior [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]]. The massive jet emerges from the ice and transforms into robot mode. Wheeljack immediately assigns him to fly back to Autobot headquarters to pick up Brawn and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] before heading down to the Andes mountains.

In short order, Skyfire is in the Andes, closing in on the Decepticons. Windcharger and Brawn skydive from the jet, tangling with [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] while Skyfire goes to investigate the strange energy readings from the Incan temple. While the smaller Autobots are able to hold their own against Megatron’s lieutenants, the Decepticon leader proves too powerful for them and they scatter. Windcharger desperately calls for Skyfire to return while Brawn bites off more than he can chew in the form of an angered Megatron.

[[Image:FireontheMountain SoundwaveMegsgun.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Freud would have had...oh wait, I just said that.]]

Skyfire zooms in to the rescue and gracefully airlifts Brawn and Windcharger from the thick of Decepticon danger. Skyfire quickly returns to the Ark to pick up some reinforcements and streaks back to Peru. He deposits the Autobots near the mining town to take care of Megatron while he goes to investigate the Incan temple.

The Autobots stop Megatron, Reflector and Soundwave mid-raid, with Brawn having the ball-bearings enough to swipe Megatron's [[Fusion cannon|arm cannon]] and blast the Decepticon leader with his own weapon! Laserbeak steals back the weapon and Megatron swears vengeance. He has gathered a metal strong enough for the Crystal, and requests that [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] come to retrieve it, adding further insult to Thundercracker and Starscream who are left guarding the temple.

[[Image:Brawnfusioncannon.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Good grief, it's a running gag.]]

A stray blast during the battle nearly drops an electrical tower on top of Luisa, but she is saved by Spike and Bumblebee. Luisa quickly explains that these "evil creatures" have stolen the Crystal of Power. She leads Bumblebee and Spike to a secret entrance in the temple. Soundwave detects their presence, and dispatches Ravage to follow them.

Meanwhile, Thundercracker spots Skyfire skulking about the temple. The Decepticon warrior is torn; if he blasts Skyfire, Starscream is likely to take all the credit. Conversely, if he lets Skyfire destroy the Crystal-based weapon, perhaps Starscream can take the blame. Starscream overhears Thundercracker plotting, and blasts Skyfire. He then blackmails Thundercracker to do his bidding, lest Starscream reveal to their leader just how uncertain Thundercracker's loyalties can be.

The Decepticons load up their stolen steel with Skywarp's help and depart. To cover their exit, Megatron blasts a nearby mountain, creating a deadly rockfall that threatens the mining town.

The Autobots use their firepower to reduce the falling boulders to pebbles, saving the village. Meanwhile, Megatron returns to the temple, where he successfully tests a new weapon frame that can handle the power of the crystal. Bumblebee, Spike and Luisa surreptitiously arrive in the temple, spotting the inert form of Skyfire. Spike starts repairing the fallen warrior, just as Ravage pounces. Bumblebee tries holding off the Decepticon jaguar while Spike works as fast as he can.

[[Image:G1 FireontheMountain Spike Luisa BB.jpg|left|200px|thumb|There are [[Bumblebee (Movie)|some]] out there who understand what Bumblebee's about to go through.]]

The rest of the Autobots arrive at the temple, but Megatron pins them down with devastating firepower from his weapon frame cannon. The Autobots are able to outflank Megatron, and the tide of battle is turned by Skyfire, freshly repaired by Spike. Skyfire strafes the weapons frame, destroying it and unleashing the power of the mountain. The Decepticons retreat, and Thundercracker takes fleeting pleasure in seeing Megatron and Starscream fail.

That night, Wheeljack caps the fire stream with a new invention that can contain the power that the crystal formerly held in check. The Autobots celebrate their victory while Bumblebee and Spike drive Luisa back to the mining town, where she promises to introduce Bumblebee to her brother’s convertible, Juanita.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (3)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (7)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (12)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (16)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (17)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (18)
* [[Bluestreak]] (19)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (20)
* [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (21)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (22)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (24)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (25)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (27)

|c2=
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (1)
* [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (2)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (8)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (9)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (10)
* [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (11)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (13)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (23)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (26)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (6)
*[[Luisa]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Looks more like stealing to me… and I'm talking steel!"
:—'''Brawn''' confronts the Decepticons with fists and horrible puns.

"Awww, hexagonal nuts!"
:—'''Trailbreaker''', after he and Brawn totally fail to stop the Decepticons.

'''Starscream:''' "Don't blame me. Thundercracker swiped defective steel, not I. It was ''his'' fault." 
'''Thundercracker:''' "You lie, Starscream." 
'''Megatron:''' "SILENCE YOU FOOL!" (Punches Thundercracker right off the top of the pyramid)
:—Starscream shows that ol' Seeker camaraderie once again. Remarkably, Megs doesn't even doubt Starscream's word. Is he really that stupid?

"It's cold enough to freeze the ailerons off a [[titanium moosebot]]!"
:—'''Sideswipe'''

'''Soundwave:''' "The Autobot jet is afraid to fight!" 
'''Brawn:''' "Wrong again, you dipstick tapedeck!" 
'''Windcharger:''' "We just didn't want him to spoil ''our'' fun!"

"Ouch! That's murder on the audio receptors!" 
"You're celebrating too soon, Brawn!" 
:-'''Brawn''' compares being shot to being murdered, and '''Megatron''''s retort is "I haven't murdered you yet." This is a kid's show?

"Have fun playing crystal nurse, Screamer! Byyyye!"
:—'''Skywarp''', being a jerk.

"Fate, schmate. It isn’t over yet, Megabum!"
:—'''Trailbreaker''', after Megatron prematurely gloats of imminent victory.

"Optimus ol' buddy, this is what separates the Autobots from the robot chickens!" 
"Ain’t no one calling me a robot chicken!"
:—'''Ironhide''' and '''Brawn''' don't know what Adult Swim has planned for their kind in 20 years.

"What’s the matter, fearless leader? You and Starscream look real geeky!"
:—'''Thundercracker''', being a jerk.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
* Only one of Starscream's "boobs" is colored its proper gray as he reminds Thundercracker of who is in charge.
* The back of Brawn's backpack is yellow after he transforms to robot mode.
* As Brawn confronts Starscream and Thundercracker, the Decepticons switch places between shots.
* The blue color of Trailbreaker's eyeband kind of drips down onto his face while the steel plant is collapsing around him.
* Brawn's helmet is light gray as he watches Teletraan's screen.
* Soundwave has a white leg as he follows Megatron down the pyramid's staircase.
* Starscream's eyes are blue as he drags the weapon frame over to Megatron.
* Starscream has extra yellow bits above and below his canopy as Megatron helps him to his feet.
* As Wheeljack encourages Sideswipe, the glow of his right ear isn't quite aligned with the ear itself.
* As he first bursts to the surface encased in ice, Skyfire's (vaguely drawn) profile looks a lot more like his toy than his animation model, with separate booster jets and a rounded cockpit.
* The parts of Skyfire's tail end that light up as he activates his jets don't actually correspond to his jet thrusters.

[[Image:FireOnTheMountain Windcharger vehiclemode.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The legs on the animator's Windcharger toy would never stay folded up. Your wiki editors can sympathize.]]
* Someone must have been drawing Windcharger's car mode straight off his toy. As he flees from Laserbeak, his rear hood, which is his folded-up feet, is not aligned with the rest of his car body... a problem very commonly found on his toy.
* Soundwave fires on Brawn with his own gun, but with Megatron's cannon sound effect.
* The lower "cheeks" of Megatron's Decepticon symbol aren't colored in just before he transforms to fire on Brawn.
* Megatron's gun mode is entirely white as Soundwave grasps him two-handed, right before the first commercial break.
* Skyfire's engines don't glow throughout the whole sequence of him rescuing Brawn and Windcharger.
* Ironhide is colored gray in the aerial shot of the Autobots approaching the steel mill.
* Ironhide and Ratchet have crazy huge side windows as they drive alongside Prime. The same error (and animation?) pops up again in "[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]".
* Flying Autobots:
** Bluestreak and Windcharger get an engine-burst noise as they leap out from beneath the collapsing transmission tower.
** Brawn gets a flight sound as he leaps the final distance between him and Starscream.
** Ironhide gets the same treatment as he leaps to attack Megatron.
** And then Prime also gets the same sound effect as he tackles Megatron.
* Bluestreak's mouth isn't moving as he delivers his "watch the birdie" line.
* Soundwave's eject button is on the wrong side (his right shoulder) as he ejects Ravage.
* Thundercracker's weapon barrel has almost no interior as he threatens Skyfire.
* As Starscream rebukes Thundercracker, his air intake is the same dark gray as his helmet, instead of red.
* Rumble's eyeband isn't colored in as the Decepticons fly out of the <s>steel mill</s> mining town.
* When Megatron follows Starscream and Thundercracker out of the pyramid, his Decepticon emblem disappears for a moment.
* As Trailbreaker says his "isn't over yet" line, his leg is red instead of black. Then Wheeljack pops out of the rubble from the spot where Sunstreaker was buried a moment ago.
* One gun, many lasers:
** No fewer than five laser beams are shown flying at Windcharger when Laserbeak isn't on-screen. Even if you count his eye beams, Laserbeak only has four guns.
** As the battle gets fully underway, four laser beams are shown coming from Megatron's crystal weapon.
** Starscream only has two guns to fire at Brawn, but three lasers are shown streaking past him as he runs up the stairs.
* Bumblebee's nose is yellow as he tells Spike he can't hold Ravage off much longer.
* After Skyfire revives, he doesn't have the exterior damage to his chest. Spike was barely able to get Skyfire's interior damage fixed before Ravage batted Bumblebee away and tried to attack the humans.
* When Starscream lands on the temple and starts firing at Brawn and Windcharger, his lasers are Autobot orange instead of Decepticon pink. The next shot shows the usual pink lasers hitting Windcharger.
* In the shot where Megatron's cannon shots are going wild, Starscream's leg is colored Brawn-green.
* As Reflector and Soundwave fire from the cover of the ruins, Reflector is using a tiny gun-mode Shockwave as his weapon!
* In the wide shot a second later, ''all'' the lasers are colored Decepticon pink, even though some are supposed to be Autobot shots.
*When Skyfire swoops over Soundwave and Reflector and destroys their stone bunkers, both the lasers hitting their targets and the explosions are missing, so it appears the walls just fall apart.
* In the wide shot of the temple top, Ironhide's head is gray instead of red; the colorists might have gotten him mixed up with Windcharger.
* The crystal cannon's barrel isn't hollow as Megatrom aims it at Prime and Ironhide.
* Megatron's fusion cannon is light gray instead of black as Prime hoists and throws him.
* The Autobots get a ridiculously loud sound effect for the act of turning on their headlights.
* Bumblebee has no interior when he opens his door to offer Spike and Luisa a lift.

===Continuity errors===
* The Incans apparently built temples with steps large enough for Transformers to use, staircases that lead to blank walls, passages long enough to drive down, and stone doors that automatically open when someone approaches.
* Megatron can pick off the Sky Spy (in low Earth orbit) but can't shoot Optimus Prime when he's 30 feet in front of him. The scope of the Sky Spy's explosion indicates a level of power that the crystal weapon never shows again.
* Skyfire's resurrection is one of the cartoon's most infamously problematic bits of continutity:
** Skyfire was left for dead and mourned as such in his previous, debut appearance in "[[Fire in the Sky]]". Now, suddenly, it just takes Sideswipe's pistons to dig him up out of the ice, and Wheeljack isn't the slightest bit surprised to find him alive and well. Why didn't they just dig him up right after he crashed? They only dug him up when they needed a ride?
** Wheeljack and Sideswipe apparently ''drive to the North Pole'' in order to dig up Skyfire, so he can then fly two other Autobots to South America. Why not just have Brawn and Windcharger drive to South America in the first place? (Of note, Wheeljack and Sideswipe are both capable of flight, though there's nothing to explicitly indicate that they flew to the North Pole.)
** Presumably as a result of some kind of miscommunication in production, Sideswipe is seen using an actual hand-held jackhammer to unearth Skyfire, rather than his customary built-in arm-mounted jackhammers.
** How does Skyfire know Wheeljack's name? Wheeljack wasn't part of the Autobot group that went to the Arctic Circle in "[[Fire in the Sky]]". It's possible they knew each other on Cybertron millions of years ago, but this, of course, isn't indicated.
* The Decepticons leave the temple to attack the mining town. En route, they're attacked by Brawn and Windcharger and drive them off. Skyfire then flies all the way back to Autobot Headquarters, picks up the rest of the Autobots, flies all the way back to Peru... and the Decepticons have apparently just reached the mining town like five minutes earlier.
* Soundwave was last seen at the <s>steel mill</s> mining town battle, but suddenly pops up outside the temple to send Ravage after Bumblebee and the humans.
* "It's not that we had any doubts, Wheeljack, but..." "You don't suppose we could..." "Get a fast ride back into town?" If no lines were cut from between the first and second sentence, then it's just some bizarrely awkward dialog.
* Bumblebee gets a bizarre but clearly intentional bit of humanizing in the episode's final shot, with his whole body frame bending like rubber to show embarrassment.


===Rhino DVD release===
[[Image:Fitm dvd broadcast.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You call this restoration?]]
The Rhino DVD version of this episode uses a number of erroneous takes as the basis of its remastered animation. As a result, the DVD introduces several coloring errors that were not present in the broadcast version:
* Trailbreaker is colored a solid red in his introductory shot.
* When Skywarp mocks Starscream for having to guard the Crystal, he is colored like Thundercracker.
* When Starscream and Thundercracker carry Skyfire's inert form, the Autobot jet has Skywarp’s colors.
* "Skyfire is an excellent catch!" In the first shot, Megatron steps up to stand next to Thundercracker (who has a white-instead-of-blue wingtip); in the second shot, Thundercracker has been replaced by Starscream. This is one of a handful of Rhino errors not corrected by the later [[Shout! Factory]] DVD release.
* When Skyfire is about to destroy the cannon, it already appears to be melted to slag.
* When Skyfire strafes the crystal-powered weapon, he momentarily has Skywarp's colors.

The chapter stops for this episode on the Rhino DVD include: Opening / Stolen Steel / It's Skyfire / To The Mining Town / Visiting Decepticon / Invention Works

===Continuity notes===
[[Image:G1 FireontheMountain SS chestmissiles.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Starscream's dreaded boob bombs. Measured size "D" for "Destruction".]]
* This episode references "[[Fire in the Sky]]", the previous (and first) episode that Skyfire appeared in.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Starscream has a dozen rockets in hidden chest compartments. This ability will appear again in "[[Full Throttle Scramble Power!]]". The feature was later immortalized in toy form for Starscream's ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' incarnation through clip-on accessories, and again as part of his ''[[Masterpiece]]'' figure, this time actually incorporated into the figure.
** Soundwave conceals a tricorder-like scanning device in his left wrist.
** The latest device to come out of Laserbeak's head is the microphone-like thing. It's not clear what purpose it serves, as Laserbeak then broadcasts his findings to Megatron via pulsewaves that come out of his ''eyes'', of all things.
** Brawn has a retractable claw that can extend in his car mode.

[[Image:Megatron&crystalofpower.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Seriously, in the cartoon world, crystals are the [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2|most]] [[The God Gambit|powerful]] [[A Prime Problem|things]] [[Fire in the Sky|ever]].]]
* While the concept makes no sense in real-world terms, this is the second time in almost as many episodes that a greenish crystal has been linked to the Earth's core.

* Skywarp refers to Starscream by the nickname "Screamer" in this episode, a nickname used again by Streetwise in the late Season 2 episode "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]".

* Fans have long cited this episode when discussing the improbability of Brawn's death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', observing that Brawn had previously survived direct hits from Megatron's gun mode in this episode... but it simply ain't so. Brawn ''dodges'' every shot that comes from Megatron. It's actually ''Soundwave'', using his own standard weapon, who shoots Brawn in the head to no effect. Not that we're questioning the indestructibility of the all-powerful Brawn, of course.

* This is the only episode to play on Thundercracker's uncertain loyalties, a trait called out in his original [[bio]]. However, the official [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] synopsis for the episode indicates that it was originally going to take the idea even further:

::"The Autobots arrive to stop [the Decepticons], and Jetfire tries to convince a beleaguered Thundercracker to switch loyalties and join the Autobots. He is caught and wounded by Starscream. Spike, with the help of a local native girl, goes to his rescue, and Jetfire--with a little assist from Thundercracker--turns away the Decepticons and destroys the "Crystal of Power."<ref>http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#069</ref>

[[Image:Fireonthemountain soundwave vs brawn round1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Better get use to this, Soundwave.]]

*This is also one of the few episodes in which Thundercracker displays his sonic powers, and even then, only when Starscream whines about the "awful thunder noise" he's making as they fly away. His sonic powers are also mentioned in "[[Heavy Metal War]]", where Megatron uses them after gathering all the Decepticons' powers.

* This episode begins a mini-tradition of Bluestreak [[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2|shooting]] [[Brainstorm!|down]] Laserbeak.

* '''Brawn vs. Soundwave''', Round 1: Brawn 1, Soundwave 0 [[Attack of the Autobots|>>]]

===Real-world references===
* The title of this episode may be a reference to the Grateful Dead song of the same name.
* The Transformers visit Peru, an ancient Incan temple, and a <s>steel manufacturing</s> mining village where everyone speaks heavily accented English.
* ''[[Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
** Laserbeak pursues Windcharger with a TIE fighter engine roar, and fires on him with the sound of the Death Star super laser firing. After the commercial break, he gets more TIE sounds along with some ''Millennium Falcon'' engines, during several different shots.
** Megatron launches to attack Brawn with another ''Falcon'' engine burst. The roar continues into the next shot as the sound of Skyfire's jets.
** ''Falcon'' engine whine as Laserbeak dives to retrieve Megatron's fusion cannon from Brawn, and again as Bluestreak and Windcharger jump out of the way, and again as Laserbeak starts chasing Bumblebee.
** More TIE engine as Laserbeak continues harassing Bumblebee, along with Death Star superlaser/Alderaan exploding.
** ''Falcon'' engine burst as Skywarp leaves the temple, and ''Falcon'' engine whine as he arrives at the battle site.
** ''Falcon'' whine as Laserbeak perches on Megatron's shoulder.

===Japanese version===
*The Japanese ordering of this episode places it toward the end of the series. This was done as it featured Skyfire prominantly and with his toy being of [[Bandai]] design (and not sold in Japan as a Transformer), that caused some legal concerns amongst Takara (many of Skyfire's smaller scenes in other episodes were cut entirely). Though the episodes featuring him as a main characters were eventually shown, the scripts were not reworked to adjust to the new chronological placement, simply being more or less direct translations of the original English versions.

*'''Cut:''' After Brawn declares, "It's fightin' time", the following overhead shot of Starscream and Skywarp fleeing the room is cut. The sequence resumes at the close-up of Starscream saying "Correction, Autobot...".

*'''Cut:''' After Starscream and Thundercracker take-off with the materials, the following scene of Brawn and Trailbreaker crawling out of the rubble, lamenting that they lost the steel and rolling out for headquarters have been cut.

*Additional narration describing the Sky Spy hovering over Peru as been added.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Spike's head and his line, "Uh oh, it's picking up a weird energy reading from those ruins", and the monitor shot displaying the ruins, have been cut. The sequence picks up at Laserbeak flying through the air.

*'''Cut:''' When Megatron and the Decepticons take off for the mining town in Peru, the following scene of them flying through the air and Megatron's line, "Any who stand in our way will be demolished", have been cut.

*Additional narration has been added to the scene of all the Autobots loading into Skyfire, informing the audience that the scene is taking place at Autobot Base.

*'''Cut:''' After Skyfire tells everyone to buckle-up and blasts off for Peru, the following scene of him flyig over the Peruvian mountains has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scene panning over the mountain road leading to the metal forging facility has been cut.

*Additional narration has been added to the overhead pan of the metal forging fcility, informing the audience that Megatron is inside (immediately before the animation shows us that Megatron is inside).

*'''Cut:''' During the attack on the Decepticons at the metal forging facility, the scene of Megatron slowly marching forward as laser beams bounce off him has been cut. The sequence resumes at his lines, "Skywarp, I have created a steel alloy...".

*'''Cut:''' The scene of Starscream and Thundercracker carrying Skyfire's unconscious body has been cut. The sequence resumes at the close-up of Skyfire's head as he's being dropped.

===Trivia===
* Luisa's name is never spoken in the episode.
* A hissing sound effect (like the sound of air escaping from a canister) is heavily used in this episode, especially when a character is jumping or taking off into the air. It's never used in such a manner again. {{fact}}
*This was one of the six episodes featured on the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' console game.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1985 — ''The Transformers'' — Volume 8: "Fire on the Mountain" ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1997 — ''The Transformers'' — War of the Dinobots ([[Malofilm]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Original Series: Volume One ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — First Season Collector's Edition ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume Two (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 1: Series 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Classic Transformers'' — Series One: Part Two (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 02: Stagione Uno Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/fire_on_the_mountain.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Fire on the Mountain (episode)

2010-10-03T22:21:38Z

64.189.19.132: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=9
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=63
|prev2=Fire in the Sky
|next2=A Plague of Insecticons
|image=Fire on the mountain.jpg
|caption="I don't understand it, baby. This has never happened to me before, honest."
|title="Fire on the Mountain"
|production code=#700-06
|airdate=[[December 22]], 1984
|written by=[[Douglas Booth]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Decepticons uncover the Crystal of Power in Peru, and the Autobots resurrect Skyfire to stop them.'''

:''Japanese title:'' インカの秘宝 (''Inka no Hihō'', "Incaic Jewel")
:''Brazilian title:'' '''Fogo na Montanha''' (Fire on the Mountain)
:''Russian title:'' '''Схватка на вершине''' (''Skhvatka na vershine'', "The Engagement at the Very Top")
==Synopsis==
While patrolling a refinery, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] spot [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] stealing steel. The [[Decepticon]]s get away with the loot by collapsing the refinery behind them. The Autobots report back to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], who is puzzled about the Decepticons' motives. The [[Autobot]]s launch a [[Sky Spy]] to home in on any Decepticon activity, and the satellite picks up strange energy readings in the [[Peru]]vian [[Andes Mountains|Andes]].

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

There, the Decepticons have followed an [[Inca]]n legend to an ancient temple that rests on a shaft leading deep into the [[Earth's core]], capped by the [[Crystal of Power]]. With the metal acquired by Starscream, the Decepticons have fashioned a weapon frame to accommodate the crystal. [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] spots the Sky Spy, and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] tests the weapon by blowing the satellite out of the sky. The metal, however, proves inadequate and melts with exposure to the raw energy unleashed from the Earth’s core. Starscream tries to shift blame to Thundercracker for the faulty metal, but Megatron blames them both and has them stay behind at the temple while he soars to a nearby mining town to find replacement metal.

The nearby Peruvian mining town is abuzz with the sudden show of power from the ancient temple. A reactionary elder proclaims that long-forgotten gods have come back to punish them, but her more level-headed granddaughter, [[Luisa]], realizes that someone must have uncovered the fabled Crystal of Power.

[[Image:G1 FireontheMountain Sideswipe piledriving.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Freud would have had a field day with this episode.]]

In the [[Arctic]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] are jackhammering through the ice to resurrect the fallen warrior [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]]. The massive jet emerges from the ice and transforms into robot mode. Wheeljack immediately assigns him to fly back to Autobot headquarters to pick up Brawn and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] before heading down to the Andes mountains.

In short order, Skyfire is in the Andes, closing in on the Decepticons. Windcharger and Brawn skydive from the jet, tangling with [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] while Skyfire goes to investigate the strange energy readings from the Incan temple. While the smaller Autobots are able to hold their own against Megatron’s lieutenants, the Decepticon leader proves too powerful for them and they scatter. Windcharger desperately calls for Skyfire to return while Brawn bites off more than he can chew in the form of an angered Megatron.

[[Image:FireontheMountain SoundwaveMegsgun.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Freud would have had...oh wait, I just said that.]]

Skyfire zooms in to the rescue and gracefully airlifts Brawn and Windcharger from the thick of Decepticon danger. Skyfire quickly returns to the Ark to pick up some reinforcements and streaks back to Peru. He deposits the Autobots near the mining town to take care of Megatron while he goes to investigate the Incan temple.

The Autobots stop Megatron, Reflector and Soundwave mid-raid, with Brawn having the ball-bearings enough to swipe Megatron's [[Fusion cannon|arm cannon]] and blast the Decepticon leader with his own weapon! Laserbeak steals back the weapon and Megatron swears vengeance. He has gathered a metal strong enough for the Crystal, and requests that [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] come to retrieve it, adding further insult to Thundercracker and Starscream who are left guarding the temple.

[[Image:Brawnfusioncannon.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Good grief, it's a running gag.]]

A stray blast during the battle nearly drops an electrical tower on top of Luisa, but she is saved by Spike and Bumblebee. Luisa quickly explains that these "evil creatures" have stolen the Crystal of Power. She leads Bumblebee and Spike to a secret entrance in the temple. Soundwave detects their presence, and dispatches Ravage to follow them.

Meanwhile, Thundercracker spots Skyfire skulking about the temple. The Decepticon warrior is torn; if he blasts Skyfire, Starscream is likely to take all the credit. Conversely, if he lets Skyfire destroy the Crystal-based weapon, perhaps Starscream can take the blame. Starscream overhears Thundercracker plotting, and blasts Skyfire. He then blackmails Thundercracker to do his bidding, lest Starscream reveal to their leader just how uncertain Thundercracker's loyalties can be.

The Decepticons load up their stolen steel with Skywarp's help and depart. To cover their exit, Megatron blasts a nearby mountain, creating a deadly rockfall that threatens the mining town.

The Autobots use their firepower to reduce the falling boulders to pebbles, saving the village. Meanwhile, Megatron returns to the temple, where he successfully tests a new weapon frame that can handle the power of the crystal. Bumblebee, Spike and Luisa surreptitiously arrive in the temple, spotting the inert form of Skyfire. Spike starts repairing the fallen warrior, just as Ravage pounces. Bumblebee tries holding off the Decepticon jaguar while Spike works as fast as he can.

[[Image:G1 FireontheMountain Spike Luisa BB.jpg|left|200px|thumb|There are [[Bumblebee (Movie)|some]] out there who understand what Bumblebee's about to go through.]]

The rest of the Autobots arrive at the temple, but Megatron pins them down with devastating firepower from his weapon frame cannon. The Autobots are able to outflank Megatron, and the tide of battle is turned by Skyfire, freshly repaired by Spike. Skyfire strafes the weapons frame, destroying it and unleashing the power of the mountain. The Decepticons retreat, and Thundercracker takes fleeting pleasure in seeing Megatron and Starscream fail.

That night, Wheeljack caps the fire stream with a new invention that can contain the power that the crystal formerly held in check. The Autobots celebrate their victory while Bumblebee and Spike drive Luisa back to the mining town, where she promises to introduce Bumblebee to her brother’s convertible, Juanita.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (3)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (7)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (12)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (16)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] (17)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (18)
* [[Bluestreak]] (19)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (20)
* [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (21)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (22)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (24)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (25)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (27)

|c2=
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (1)
* [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (2)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (8)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (9)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (10)
* [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (11)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (13)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (23)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (26)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (6)
*[[Luisa]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Looks more like stealing to me… and I'm talking steel!"
:—'''Brawn''' confronts the Decepticons with fists and horrible puns.

"Awww, hexagonal nuts!"
:—'''Trailbreaker''', after he and Brawn totally fail to stop the Decepticons.

'''Starscream:''' "Don't blame me. Thundercracker swiped defective steel, not I. It was ''his'' fault." 
'''Thundercracker:''' "You lie, Starscream." 
'''Megatron:''' "SILENCE YOU FOOL!" (Punches Thundercracker right off the top of the pyramid)
:—Starscream shows that ol' Seeker camaraderie once again. Remarkably, Megs doesn't even doubt Starscream's word. Is he really that stupid?

"It's cold enough to freeze the ailerons off a [[titanium moosebot]]!"
:—'''Sideswipe'''

'''Soundwave:''' "The Autobot jet is afraid to fight!" 
'''Brawn:''' "Wrong again, you dipstick tapedeck!" 
'''Windcharger:''' "We just didn't want him to spoil ''our'' fun!"

"Ouch! That's murder on the audio receptors!" 
"You're celebrating too soon, Brawn!" 
:-'''Brawn''' compares being shot to being murdered, and '''Megatron''''s retort is "I haven't murdered you yet." This is a kid's show?

"Have fun playing crystal nurse, Screamer! Byyyye!"
:—'''Skywarp''', being a jerk.

"Fate, schmate. It isn’t over yet, Megabum!"
:—'''Trailbreaker''', after Megatron prematurely gloats of imminent victory.

"Optimus ol' buddy, this is what separates the Autobots from the robot chickens!" 
"Ain’t no one calling me a robot chicken!"
:—'''Ironhide''' and '''Brawn''' don't know what Adult Swim has planned for their kind in 20 years.

"What’s the matter, fearless leader? You and Starscream look real geeky!"
:—'''Thundercracker''', being a jerk.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
* Only one of Starscream's "boobs" is colored its proper gray as he reminds Thundercracker of who is in charge.
* The back of Brawn's backpack is yellow after he transforms to robot mode.
* As Brawn confronts Starscream and Thundercracker, the Decepticons switch places between shots.
* The blue color of Trailbreaker's eyeband kind of drips down onto his face while the steel plant is collapsing around him.
* Brawn's helmet is light gray as he watches Teletraan's screen.
* Soundwave has a white leg as he follows Megatron down the pyramid's staircase.
* Starscream's eyes are blue as he drags the weapon frame over to Megatron.
* Starscream has extra yellow bits above and below his canopy as Megatron helps him to his feet.
* As Wheeljack encourages Sideswipe, the glow of his right ear isn't quite aligned with the ear itself.
* As he first bursts to the surface encased in ice, Skyfire's (vaguely drawn) profile looks a lot more like his toy than his animation model, with separate booster jets and a rounded cockpit.
* The parts of Skyfire's tail end that light up as he activates his jets don't actually correspond to his jet thrusters.

[[Image:FireOnTheMountain Windcharger vehiclemode.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The legs on the animator's Windcharger toy would never stay folded up. Your wiki editors can sympathize.]]
* Someone must have been drawing Windcharger's car mode straight off his toy. As he flees from Laserbeak, his rear hood, which is his folded-up feet, is not aligned with the rest of his car body... a problem very commonly found on his toy.
* Soundwave fires on Brawn with his own gun, but with Megatron's cannon sound effect.
* The lower "cheeks" of Megatron's Decepticon symbol aren't colored in just before he transforms to fire on Brawn.
* Megatron's gun mode is entirely white as Soundwave grasps him two-handed, right before the first commercial break.
* Skyfire's engines don't glow throughout the whole sequence of him rescuing Brawn and Windcharger.
* Ironhide is colored gray in the aerial shot of the Autobots approaching the steel mill.
* Ironhide and Ratchet have crazy huge side windows as they drive alongside Prime. The same error (and animation?) pops up again in "[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]".
* Flying Autobots:
** Bluestreak and Windcharger get an engine-burst noise as they leap out from beneath the collapsing transmission tower.
** Brawn gets a flight sound as he leaps the final distance between him and Starscream.
** Ironhide gets the same treatment as he leaps to attack Megatron.
** And then Prime also gets the same sound effect as he tackles Megatron.
* Bluestreak's mouth isn't moving as he delivers his "watch the birdie" line.
* Soundwave's eject button is on the wrong side (his right shoulder) as he ejects Ravage.
* Thundercracker's weapon barrel has almost no interior as he threatens Skyfire.
* As Starscream rebukes Thundercracker, his air intake is the same dark gray as his helmet, instead of red.
* Rumble's eyeband isn't colored in as the Decepticons fly out of the <s>steel mill</s> mining town.
* When Megatron follows Starscream and Thundercracker out of the pyramid, his Decepticon emblem disappears for a moment.
* As Trailbreaker says his "isn't over yet" line, his leg is red instead of black. Then Wheeljack pops out of the rubble from the spot where Sunstreaker was buried a moment ago.
* One gun, many lasers:
** No fewer than five laser beams are shown flying at Windcharger when Laserbeak isn't on-screen. Even if you count his eye beams, Laserbeak only has four guns.
** As the battle gets fully underway, four laser beams are shown coming from Megatron's crystal weapon.
** Starscream only has two guns to fire at Brawn, but three lasers are shown streaking past him as he runs up the stairs.
* Bumblebee's nose is yellow as he tells Spike he can't hold Ravage off much longer.
* After Skyfire revives, he doesn't have the exterior damage to his chest. Spike was barely able to get Skyfire's interior damage fixed before Ravage batted Bumblebee away and tried to attack the humans.
* When Starscream lands on the temple and starts firing at Brawn and Windcharger, his lasers are Autobot orange instead of Decepticon pink. The next shot shows the usual pink lasers hitting Windcharger.
* In the shot where Megatron's cannon shots are going wild, Starscream's leg is colored Brawn-green.
* As Reflector and Soundwave fire from the cover of the ruins, Reflector is using a tiny gun-mode Shockwave as his weapon!
* In the wide shot a second later, ''all'' the lasers are colored Decepticon pink, even though some are supposed to be Autobot shots.
*When Skyfire swoops over Soundwave and Reflector and destroys their stone bunkers, both the lasers hitting their targets and the explosions are missing, so it appears the walls just fall apart.
* In the wide shot of the temple top, Ironhide's head is gray instead of red; the colorists might have gotten him mixed up with Windcharger.
* The crystal cannon's barrel isn't hollow as Megatrom aims it at Prime and Ironhide.
* Megatron's fusion cannon is light gray instead of black as Prime hoists and throws him.
* The Autobots get a ridiculously loud sound effect for the act of turning on their headlights.
* Bumblebee has no interior when he opens his door to offer Spike and Luisa a lift.

===Continuity errors===
* The Incans apparently built temples with steps large enough for Transformers to use, staircases that lead to blank walls, passages long enough to drive down, and stone doors that automatically open when someone approaches.
* Megatron can pick off the Sky Spy (in low Earth orbit) but can't shoot Optimus Prime when he's 30 feet in front of him. The scope of the Sky Spy's explosion indicates a level of power that the crystal weapon never shows again.
* Skyfire's resurrection is one of the cartoon's most infamously problematic bits of continutity:
** Skyfire was left for dead and mourned as such in his previous, debut appearance in "[[Fire in the Sky]]". Now, suddenly, it just takes Sideswipe's pistons to dig him up out of the ice, and Wheeljack isn't the slightest bit surprised to find him alive and well. Why didn't they just dig him up right after he crashed? They only dug him up when they needed a ride?
** Wheeljack and Sideswipe apparently ''drive to the North Pole'' in order to dig up Skyfire, so he can then fly two other Autobots to South America. Why not just have Brawn and Windcharger drive to South America in the first place? (Of note, Wheeljack and Sideswipe are both capable of flight, though there's nothing to explicitly indicate that they flew to the North Pole.)
** Presumably as a result of some kind of miscommunication in production, Sideswipe is seen using an actual hand-held jackhammer to unearth Skyfire, rather than his customary built-in arm-mounted jackhammers.
** How does Skyfire know Wheeljack's name? Wheeljack wasn't part of the Autobot group that went to the Arctic Circle in "[[Fire in the Sky]]". It's possible they knew each other on Cybertron millions of years ago, but this, of course, isn't indicated.
* The Decepticons leave the temple to attack the mining town. En route, they're attacked by Brawn and Windcharger and drive them off. Skyfire then flies all the way back to Autobot Headquarters, picks up the rest of the Autobots, flies all the way back to Peru... and the Decepticons have apparently just reached the mining town like five minutes earlier.
* Soundwave was last seen at the <s>steel mill</s> mining town battle, but suddenly pops up outside the temple to send Ravage after Bumblebee and the humans.
* "It's not that we had any doubts, Wheeljack, but..." "You don't suppose we could..." "Get a fast ride back into town?" If no lines were cut from between the first and second sentence, then it's just some bizarrely awkward dialog.
* Bumblebee gets a bizarre but clearly intentional bit of humanizing in the episode's final shot, with his whole body frame bending like rubber to show embarrassment.


===Rhino DVD release===
[[Image:Fitm dvd broadcast.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You call this restoration?]]
The Rhino DVD version of this episode uses a number of erroneous takes as the basis of its remastered animation. As a result, the DVD introduces several coloring errors that were not present in the broadcast version:
* Trailbreaker is colored a solid red in his introductory shot.
* When Skywarp mocks Starscream for having to guard the Crystal, he is colored like Thundercracker.
* When Starscream and Thundercracker carry Skyfire's inert form, the Autobot jet has Skywarp’s colors.
* "Skyfire is an excellent catch!" In the first shot, Megatron steps up to stand next to Thundercracker (who has a white-instead-of-blue wingtip); in the second shot, Thundercracker has been replaced by Starscream. This is one of a handful of Rhino errors not corrected by the later [[Shout! Factory]] DVD release.
* When Skyfire is about to destroy the cannon, it already appears to be melted to slag.
* When Skyfire strafes the crystal-powered weapon, he momentarily has Skywarp's colors.

The chapter stops for this episode on the Rhino DVD include: Opening / Stolen Steel / It's Skyfire / To The Mining Town / Visiting Decepticon / Invention Works

===Continuity notes===
[[Image:G1 FireontheMountain SS chestmissiles.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Starscream's dreaded boob bombs.]]
* This episode references "[[Fire in the Sky]]", the previous (and first) episode that Skyfire appeared in.
* Gadgets and powers:
** Starscream has a dozen rockets in hidden chest compartments. This ability will appear again in "[[Full Throttle Scramble Power!]]". The feature was later immortalized in toy form for Starscream's ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' incarnation through clip-on accessories, and again as part of his ''[[Masterpiece]]'' figure, this time actually incorporated into the figure.
** Soundwave conceals a tricorder-like scanning device in his left wrist.
** The latest device to come out of Laserbeak's head is the microphone-like thing. It's not clear what purpose it serves, as Laserbeak then broadcasts his findings to Megatron via pulsewaves that come out of his ''eyes'', of all things.
** Brawn has a retractable claw that can extend in his car mode.

[[Image:Megatron&crystalofpower.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Seriously, in the cartoon world, crystals are the [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2|most]] [[The God Gambit|powerful]] [[A Prime Problem|things]] [[Fire in the Sky|ever]].]]
* While the concept makes no sense in real-world terms, this is the second time in almost as many episodes that a greenish crystal has been linked to the Earth's core.

* Skywarp refers to Starscream by the nickname "Screamer" in this episode, a nickname used again by Streetwise in the late Season 2 episode "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]".

* Fans have long cited this episode when discussing the improbability of Brawn's death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', observing that Brawn had previously survived direct hits from Megatron's gun mode in this episode... but it simply ain't so. Brawn ''dodges'' every shot that comes from Megatron. It's actually ''Soundwave'', using his own standard weapon, who shoots Brawn in the head to no effect. Not that we're questioning the indestructibility of the all-powerful Brawn, of course.

* This is the only episode to play on Thundercracker's uncertain loyalties, a trait called out in his original [[bio]]. However, the official [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] synopsis for the episode indicates that it was originally going to take the idea even further:

::"The Autobots arrive to stop [the Decepticons], and Jetfire tries to convince a beleaguered Thundercracker to switch loyalties and join the Autobots. He is caught and wounded by Starscream. Spike, with the help of a local native girl, goes to his rescue, and Jetfire--with a little assist from Thundercracker--turns away the Decepticons and destroys the "Crystal of Power."<ref>http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#069</ref>

[[Image:Fireonthemountain soundwave vs brawn round1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Better get use to this, Soundwave.]]

*This is also one of the few episodes in which Thundercracker displays his sonic powers, and even then, only when Starscream whines about the "awful thunder noise" he's making as they fly away. His sonic powers are also mentioned in "[[Heavy Metal War]]", where Megatron uses them after gathering all the Decepticons' powers.

* This episode begins a mini-tradition of Bluestreak [[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2|shooting]] [[Brainstorm!|down]] Laserbeak.

* '''Brawn vs. Soundwave''', Round 1: Brawn 1, Soundwave 0 [[Attack of the Autobots|>>]]

===Real-world references===
* The title of this episode may be a reference to the Grateful Dead song of the same name.
* The Transformers visit Peru, an ancient Incan temple, and a <s>steel manufacturing</s> mining village where everyone speaks heavily accented English.
* ''[[Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
** Laserbeak pursues Windcharger with a TIE fighter engine roar, and fires on him with the sound of the Death Star super laser firing. After the commercial break, he gets more TIE sounds along with some ''Millennium Falcon'' engines, during several different shots.
** Megatron launches to attack Brawn with another ''Falcon'' engine burst. The roar continues into the next shot as the sound of Skyfire's jets.
** ''Falcon'' engine whine as Laserbeak dives to retrieve Megatron's fusion cannon from Brawn, and again as Bluestreak and Windcharger jump out of the way, and again as Laserbeak starts chasing Bumblebee.
** More TIE engine as Laserbeak continues harassing Bumblebee, along with Death Star superlaser/Alderaan exploding.
** ''Falcon'' engine burst as Skywarp leaves the temple, and ''Falcon'' engine whine as he arrives at the battle site.
** ''Falcon'' whine as Laserbeak perches on Megatron's shoulder.

===Japanese version===
*The Japanese ordering of this episode places it toward the end of the series. This was done as it featured Skyfire prominantly and with his toy being of [[Bandai]] design (and not sold in Japan as a Transformer), that caused some legal concerns amongst Takara (many of Skyfire's smaller scenes in other episodes were cut entirely). Though the episodes featuring him as a main characters were eventually shown, the scripts were not reworked to adjust to the new chronological placement, simply being more or less direct translations of the original English versions.

*'''Cut:''' After Brawn declares, "It's fightin' time", the following overhead shot of Starscream and Skywarp fleeing the room is cut. The sequence resumes at the close-up of Starscream saying "Correction, Autobot...".

*'''Cut:''' After Starscream and Thundercracker take-off with the materials, the following scene of Brawn and Trailbreaker crawling out of the rubble, lamenting that they lost the steel and rolling out for headquarters have been cut.

*Additional narration describing the Sky Spy hovering over Peru as been added.

*'''Cut:''' The close-up of Spike's head and his line, "Uh oh, it's picking up a weird energy reading from those ruins", and the monitor shot displaying the ruins, have been cut. The sequence picks up at Laserbeak flying through the air.

*'''Cut:''' When Megatron and the Decepticons take off for the mining town in Peru, the following scene of them flying through the air and Megatron's line, "Any who stand in our way will be demolished", have been cut.

*Additional narration has been added to the scene of all the Autobots loading into Skyfire, informing the audience that the scene is taking place at Autobot Base.

*'''Cut:''' After Skyfire tells everyone to buckle-up and blasts off for Peru, the following scene of him flyig over the Peruvian mountains has been cut.

*'''Cut:''' The scene panning over the mountain road leading to the metal forging facility has been cut.

*Additional narration has been added to the overhead pan of the metal forging fcility, informing the audience that Megatron is inside (immediately before the animation shows us that Megatron is inside).

*'''Cut:''' During the attack on the Decepticons at the metal forging facility, the scene of Megatron slowly marching forward as laser beams bounce off him has been cut. The sequence resumes at his lines, "Skywarp, I have created a steel alloy...".

*'''Cut:''' The scene of Starscream and Thundercracker carrying Skyfire's unconscious body has been cut. The sequence resumes at the close-up of Skyfire's head as he's being dropped.

===Trivia===
* Luisa's name is never spoken in the episode.
* A hissing sound effect (like the sound of air escaping from a canister) is heavily used in this episode, especially when a character is jumping or taking off into the air. It's never used in such a manner again. {{fact}}
*This was one of the six episodes featured on the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' console game.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1985 — ''The Transformers'' — Volume 8: "Fire on the Mountain" ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1997 — ''The Transformers'' — War of the Dinobots ([[Malofilm]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Original Series: Volume One ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — First Season Collector's Edition ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume Two (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 1: Series 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Classic Transformers'' — Series One: Part Two (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 02: Stagione Uno Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/fire_on_the_mountain.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Unicron

2010-10-03T08:00:14Z

64.189.19.132: /* Armada cartoon */

{{factions|unicron|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Unicron}}
{{featured}}

[[Image:Unicron-UltimateGuide.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Not Galactus, we swear.]]
{{bigquote|Unicron is frightening. Unicron will destroy... will destroy ''space''.|[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]]|"[[Uprising]]"}}

'''Unicron''' is the eternal arch-enemy of his twin brother [[Primus]]. Also known as the Dark God, the Chaos Bringer, and the Planet Eater, he is dedicated to consuming the [[multiverse]]. His massive form is powered by the consumption of planets, moons, stars, and even the very fabric of existence. Unicron will not be sated until his ultimate goal is attained: to bring an end to the annoying creation boasting independence around him, and find peace by becoming the living center of a [[Void|swirling, infinite torrent of nothingness]] at the end of all things.

To undertake this seemingly overwhelming task, Unicron is able to travel across realities at will, a meandering plague upon existence itself.<ref>Titanium Series 3" Unicron profile</ref><ref>Universe Armada Series Unicron bio</ref> Integrated into his systems are incomprehensible quantum computers which calculate probabilities forward and backwards in time, in perpetuity, giving his processors an ever changing, evolving map of the multiverse.<ref>Profile, [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 10]]</ref> With these abilities at his disposal, Unicron has thus far devoured approximately 22.56% of known universes. <ref>According to the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s' records in "[[Withered Hope]]."</ref>

The only thing that he fears is Primus' essence, contained inside the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. To a being of chaos and uncreation, this font of life is a poison.

Frequently, Unicron will make deals with [[Herald of Unicron|lesser beings]], promising them vast new powers in exchange for their servitude. These minions are [[Thunderwing (G1)|sometimes]] stripped entirely of their free will, but [[Sideways|others]] follow him willingly. Service to Unicron, however, is a double-edged sword, for it causes insanity and loss of self. And in the end, Unicron's plans ultimately call for their consumption as well.

:''Hungarian name'': '''Unikron''' or '''Unikornisz''' (Unicorn)<ref>Unikornisz, which is Hungarian for 'Unicorn' is used in only one dub of the 1986 movie.</ref>
:''Chinese name(Mainland)'': '''宇宙大帝YǔZhòu-DàDì''' (The Universe's Great Emperor){{fact}}

==In the beginning==
[[Image:UK150Unicron.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Saay, that shield looks [[Decepticon|familiar]].]]
Before the dawn of time, Order and Chaos existed within an extra-dimensional entity known as [[The One]]. To explore the fledgling universe, he created the astral being known as Unicron, and then subdivided him, creating his twin, Primus. Both brothers were [[Multiversal singularity|multiversal singularities]], unique in all realities, but whereas Unicron could only exist in one universe at a time, moving between them at will, Primus existed simultaneously in all realities at once. It is suggested, in fact, that the two brothers embody the basic concepts of reality—good and evil, order and chaos—and that their continued existence is necessary for the stability of the multiverse.

[[Image:Primusoriginal.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"No, [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] is ''[[RIBFIR|red]]!''"]]
As Unicron and Primus went about their appointed task, venturing through the cosmos, it became apparent to Primus that Unicron was a corrupt being, and he took it upon himself to stop the threat posed to all of existence by his sibling. In combat, Primus was no match for Unicron. In cunning, however, he proved himself to be his brother's superior when he shifted their battle to the astral plane, and then back to the physical world once more, only to have both their essences manifest within metallic planetoids, leaving them both trapped. It was with this act of sacrifice that Primus hoped to contain Unicron's evil forever. Unfortunately for him, over time, Unicron learned to psionically shape his prison into a giant metallic planet, and Primus followed suit, becoming the mechanical world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. When Unicron then learned to transform his planetary form even further, into a gigantic robot form, Primus adapted the idea to suit his own ends, creating a group of [[Thirteen original Transformers|thirteen robots]] that possessed the ability to change shape, like Unicron.

The war between Unicron and Primus came to its seeming end during a climactic battle in which one of the Thirteen, who would forever afterwards be known as [[The Fallen]], betrayed Primus and became an acolyte of Unicron. The battle ended when the Fallen and Unicron were sucked into a black hole and disappeared from reality. With Unicron gone for now, Primus entered an eons-long slumber, his self-imposed sleep preventing Unicron from detecting him through the mental link the brothers shared.

===Evolution of the Primus/Unicron myth===
''The Primus/Unicron backstory has evolved and been rewritten a good number of times since it first originated in the [[Marvel Comics]] series. The version recounted above is the current iteration, which has slowly solidified across a wide swath of media (beginning around the time of [[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]). Before the Primus/Unicron mythos reached its present form it went through several distinct versions in the Marvel G1 comics and elsewhere.''

====Unicron's story====
''The first time the Primus/Unicron backstory appeared was in the UK comic continuity, from Unicron himself, in the story "[[The Legacy of Unicron!]]", when he recounted it to [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]]. Per Unicron's telling of events, he was a primal force of evil at the dawn of the universe, who led a legion of [[Dark Armies]] against his mortal foe, Primus, Lord of the [[Light Gods]] (note the plural). Events proceeded to play out basically as described above, though the role of the Light Gods and Dark Armies would diminish with each subsequent retelling of the story, until the current version, in which Primus and Unicron are alone, and have a unique origin.''

====The Keeper's story====
''The second time the story was told was in the US book by the [[Keeper (Transformer)|Keeper]], an ancient mechanoid who guarded Primus' head at the center of Cybertron. This telling is effectively the same as the previous UK story, but mentions that their battle was towards the end of the era of gods, that Primus and Unicron were the last of their respective pantheons, and Primus had to defeat Unicron before he could take his place with the other gods in the "[[Omniversal Matrix]]".''

====Primus's story====
''The third time the story was told was also in the US Marvel series, this time by Primus, when he gathered all his children together to prepare for Unicron's coming. It was with this telling that we learned that Unicron predated the [[universe (universe)|current universe]], and had destroyed the [[old realms|previous universe]] which existed before the current one. He had slept peacefully, alone in the [[void]] of un-creation that remained, until fragments of the old universe that he had overlooked reacted, causing the Big Bang and birthing the current universe. The "sentient core" of this new universe recognized the threat that Unicron posed, and so created Primus to counter his evil and be guardian of the new creation.''

====Fleer and DK====
''The first modern retelling of the origins of Primus and Unicron did not come from G1-oriented media, but from a set of ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' trading cards released by Fleer. It was the backstory printed on Unicron's card which introduced the concept of the two being brothers created to explore the new universe by an extra-dimensional entity, here named the "[[Allspark]]".''

''This was subsequently expanded on and combined with aspects of the various Marvel Comics stories in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'', published by Dorling Kindersley and written by [[Simon Furman]], who had written all three prior tellings in the first place. Here, the entity Fleer had called the "Allspark" was redubbed "[[The One]]", and the modern iteration of the myth detailed above was firmly established, and went on to form the backbone of subsequent fiction such as ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' and [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' comics.''

==Generation 1 continuity family==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:PrimalScream-Unicron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Unicron is furious that he's been miscolored again.]]

Eventually, millions of years later, circa the Earth year 1990, a group of Transformers discovered the sleeping form of Primus at Cybertron's core. When a battle erupted, a stray laser blast struck Primus, briefly jolting the god awake and causing him to emit a multiverse-shaking "Primal Scream" that alerted Unicron to Primus' location. Primus himself immediately slipped back into his sleep, but it was too late. {{storylink|Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream}}

[[Image:EyeoftheStorm-possiblefutureUnicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Um, [[multiversal singularity|forget this]], please.]]

While devouring the planet [[Ghennix]], Unicron took note of three criminals who were attempting to escape their fate. Unicron destroyed their vessel and recreated the three as [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]]. As the distance to Cybertron was vast and he was too large to teleport, he ordered them to retrieve a [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] from a [[Rhythms of Darkness!|possible future]] to serve as his herald. {{storylink|All Fall Down (issue)|All Fall Down}} Though this Galvatron was angry at being plucked from his victorious timeline, Unicron tortured him until he agreed to be his herald. Still, this Galvatron secretly plotted his eventual treachery. Unicron sent all four of them to attack Cybertron and pave the way for his coming. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}}

{{note|Unicron declares himself to not be the same entity that this future-Galvatron remembers. The "main timeline" Unicron being a different individual from "alternate future" Unicron is also asserted by Hook, Line, and Sinker. In subsequent years, the retcon establishment of Unicron as a multiversal singularity means that these claims can only be interpreted as lies. Either that, or, uhhh, just ignore them altogether.}}

So close to Cybertron he could ''taste it'', Unicron decided to forgo consumption of the planet [[Jhi]] and hasten on his way to the ultimate confrontation. His herald Galvatron, however, captured Autobot leader [[Emirate Xaaron]], forcing him to fully awaken Primus. Suspecting treachery on Galvatron's part, Unicron sent Hook, Line and Sinker to retrieve him from the subterranean tunnels of Cybertron, but Galvatron destroyed them, and Primus was woken from his slumber. Unicron's arch-foe possessed Xaaron's body and summoned Transformers from all across the universe back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Out of Time!}}

Unicron shut down his higher mental functions and drifted for the remainder of the journey to hide himself from detection by Primus. At this point, a mental command that Unicron had placed in some of Primus's creations was activated, resulting in the formation of a cult of Unicron-worshipers, who gathered to destroy the leader of the united Autobots and Decepticons. These [[Unicron cultist]]s were drawn out when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was named commander of Primus's army. The cultists tried to assassinate the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]; they failed, but distracted the Cybertronians long enough for Unicron to sneak up on the planet. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[Image:Edgeofextinction-someonefight.jpg|right|150px|thumb|''He's got the whooooole world, in his feet...'']]

After Unicron dug his fist into the planet and ate the flesh of his mortal enemy, he noted that this was the finest meal he had ever tasted. However, he was somewhat disappointed to find that the gathered Transformers were simply so terrified of him that there was no resistance to his attack. As he devoured [[Brainstorm]] from the tip of his finger, he admitted that despite their lack of showmanship, they were at least delicious.

Unicron's unchecked rampage was soon ensnared by Primus himself, speaking through Emirate Xaaron's body. For a short moment, Unicron was restrained, but when he deduced that this ruse was a big show put on by an insignificant portion of Primus' power, he broke free and destroyed the avatar of Primus, killing both Xaaron and his creator.

Galvatron, who was worried his treachery was going to waste, attacked Unicron, hoping his bravery would stir the Transformers into action. Galvatron was smacked down, but his gambit paid off as the Transformers snapped out of their collective stupor and began a counter-attack against the Chaos-Bringer. Countless Transformers died in this assault, including the Decepticon leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. But Transformers weren't the only ones attacking him. Briefly fazed by the illusion-casting powers of the [[human]] [[Neo-Knights|Neo-Knight]] [[Rapture]], Unicron's systems were attacked by the electrical powers of [[Circuit Breaker]].

[[Image:OntheEdgeofExtinction-toomuch.jpg|left|thumb|300px|For soon you will have life. ''Sweet'' life.]]

After being clocked by the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], Unicron received another surprise: the thought-lost Creation Matrix had returned, along with its vessel, [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. Unicron was at first confused, as he'd sensed the Matrix's destruction, but quickly realized that the Matrix had not been destroyed, but had merely been masked by its seduction by evil. And in the realm of evil, Unicron had no equal! Thunderwing was destroyed, but the Matrix fell to the planet's surface.

Fighting the evil within the Matrix, Optimus Prime grabbed the artifact and launched into Unicron's maw, where the Creation Matrix was opened. While being pummeled by the flood of life unleashed by the Matrix, Unicron's body could not maintain structural integrity and exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[Image:JudgmentDay-mist.jpg|right|thumb|150px|So, seriously, what was up with this stuff?]]

In an alternate 2005, Unicron's consumption of the planet [[Lithone]] was heralded first by strange pink mists<ref>The original script called this an "electronic mist." It sets you on fire and melts you.</ref> that leaked from his planet mode's maw. On route to Cybertron, he encountered an injured Megatron and the bodies of his troops. He offered them new bodies in exchange for hunting down the Matrix. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}} As Galvatron was sent forward, Unicron devoured [[Moonbase One]] and [[Moonbase Two]]. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}} Galvatron returned to Unicron with the Matrix, but he intended to use it to make Unicron his slave. In retaliation, Unicron attacked Cybertron in earnest, as the planet was helpless against his assault. Ultimately, during a battle that took place inside Unicron, Rodimus Prime claimed the Matrix of Leadership from Galvatron and the Planet-Eater was destroyed from within. Only his head survived, and it remained in orbit over Cybertron. {{storylink|The Final Battle!}} {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

{{note|In the UK version of the story, the events of "The Big Broadcast of 2006" were a fabrication invented by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]. Also, the UK printing of the animated film adaptation altered the date from 2005 to 2006 to match ''[[Target: 2006]]''.}}

In an another alternate 2005, a dying Megatron was found by Unicron. Unicron refashioned Galvatron into his herald, {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} and through their combined efforts, Unicron succeeded in devouring Cybertron. In the aftermath, he allowed Galvatron and his Decepticons to rule Earth. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}
{{-}}

====Earthforce====
{{earthforcefiction}}
After Grimlock accused Optimus Prime of being too focused on Unicron's imminent arrival, to the detriment of [[Earth]]'s troubles, the Dinobot Commander was allowed to create an [[Earthforce]].'' {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

''However, Prime had his work cut out for him. With an attempted Decepticon alliance ruined beyond all recovery and the Matrix still lost, Optimus had to turn to the original site of the Underbase—as the Underbase was linked to the centre of Cybertron, the Autobots could tap into that centre (and thus Primus himself) as a substitute Matrix.'' {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}
{{-}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
[[Image:FallenAngel-Unicron.jpg|left|250px|thumb|And then Rodimus drove up through his entire body to escape through Unicron's other eye.]]
In the parallel timeline of [[Earth-120185]], Unicron did not arrive at Cybertron until the year 2006, consuming the small planet [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]] on his way. As he drew closer to Cybertron, Unicron came upon the damaged bodies of Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and several of his Decepticon followers, who had been jettisoned into space following a major battle at [[Autobot City]] on Earth. Unicron extended Megatron a bargain, offering to rebuild him and his troops into new beings to serve him, and tortured the recalcitrant Decepticon leader into accepting. {{storylink|The Planet Eater!}} Now reborn as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Megatron immediately began scheming to destroy his "master", using a [[time-jump mechanism]] to travel back in time to 1986, where he constructed a solar cannon that was powerful enough to destroy Unicron's physical form. Fully aware of his pawn's actions, Unicron took control of the minds of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and had them follow Galvatron back in time to foil his plan. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

After Galvatron returned to 2006, he fought [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] within Unicron, where he was defeated and thrown out into space. He still had remote to the [[time-jump mechanism]] and used it to travel back to 1986 again, where he planned to take over the Decepticons so he'd be ready for Unicron when he arrived 20 years later. {{storylink|Fallen Angel}}

[[Image:LegacyofUnicron-Unicron.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Silly Junkions, you can buy loose Unicrons on eBay for just $20!]]

Only Unicron's head survived the explosion of his body, and it floated off through space to eventually crash-land on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. There, the still-conscious Unicron used mind control to force the native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] to build him a new body out of the planet. At the beginning of 2008, he pulled [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] into his thrall and used them to re-ignite the stalemated Cybertronian war in order to keep the Autobots distracted from his activities. Amused by Death's Head's repeated attempts at defiance, he told him about his origin, only to find himself now under attack by Rodimus Prime and an Autobot strike-team.

This ''almost'' went wrong, as Rodimus (at Death's Head's suggestion) tried to use the power of the Matrix on the astral plane. Here, however, the Matrix ''strengthened'' Unicron and the monster intended to merge with it for greater power. Ultimately, however, he was defeated by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], who had planted explosives under the head's building site while the Chaos-Bringer was distracted. His head was destroyed, and his mind was sealed within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

[[Image:WhiteFire-mine.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Rodimus rejects Unicron's endorsement of the coal industry.]]

On New Year's Day 2009, Unicron attempted to turn the Matrix towards evil and merge with it again, the only way he could bear being trapped within it. {{storylink|White Fire}} He reached out from within it and took control of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s body, {{storylink|Edge of Impact}} only to be stopped when Kup ripped the talisman out of his chest. Unfortunately, this meant they lost their chance to purify the Matrix and that Unicron would be ready for them next time. {{storylink|White Fire}} In 2010, he repeated the trick and transformed Rodimus's body into a copy of his own before being forced back. In the far future of 2356, Unicron's essence still resides within the Matrix, steadily withering the struggling body of Rodimus. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Orson Welles]] (English, Movie), [[Roger C. Carmel]] (English, TV series), [[Mizuho Suzuki]] (Japanese, Movie), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese, TV series), [[Jean-Claude Michel]] (French, Movie)

[[Image:Unicroncall.jpg|right|thumb|200px|So anyway, in this one continuity I'm built by a monkey. Sorry.]]

Unicron was constructed by the ancient genius known as [[Primacron]] at the dawn of the universe. Primacron had hoped that Unicron would scour the galaxy clean of life, leaving a blank slate for him to experiment upon, but naturally, Unicron had no desire to be the servant of another, and turned on Primacron, badly wounding him and his [[Oracle (G1)|assistant]], and setting out into the depths of space. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

{{note|The cartoon's account of Unicron's origin is very much at odds with the current understanding of him as a multiveral singularity. This, of course, is because the cartoons were written long before the Marvel Comic storyline that created the Primus/Unicron myth, and ''much'' longer before the retcon that applied the story to all Transformer continuities. Consequently, the animated universe is easily the one piece of Transformer fiction that is least compatible with this retcon and there has as been no attempt in official fiction to re-write Unicron's animated origin to tie in with it.}}

[[Image:TFTM_Unicron_Lithone.jpg|left|250px|thumb|I see you down there!]]

In the year 2005, Unicron made his most famous attack upon Cybertron. While heading towards the planet, he consumed the small world of [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]], making it perfectly clear how great of a threat he was to the entire universe. As he continued on his way, Unicron's powers allowed him to become aware of the death of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], who handed the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] just before dying, which angered him tremendously. He then came upon the bodies of several wounded and dying Decepticons, who had been dumped into space following a [[Battle of Autobot City|recent battle]] on Earth. He extended a proposition to the Decepticons' leader, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], offering to rebuild his body and those of his troops in exchange for their destruction of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Tortured into accepting, Megatron was transformed into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and his followers became [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and the [[Sweep]]s.

[[Image:TFTM_Unicron_smashes_cybertron.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Unicron smash!]]

While Galvatron set about reclaiming leadership of the Decepticons, Unicron arrived at Cybertron, and proceeded to consume the planet's two moons. Outraged that Unicron would do this to a planet that he viewed as his, Galvatron found himself the victim of mental torture by his creator, and ordered to Earth to complete the task given him. The ensuing chase finally climaxed in a showdown on the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]], where Galvatron seized the Matrix and returned to Unicron, only to reveal that he intended to use the talisman to make Unicron his slave. Amused by his pawn's arrogance, Unicron transformed into his [[Scale|gigantic]] robot mode and ate Galvatron. Unicron then tore into Cybertron, as [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and the rest of the Decepticons on the planet fought back, to little effect. Unicron swallowed many spaceships, and one, which contained the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and his comrades, crashed through Unicron's eye. Hot Rod and Galvatron battled deep inside Unicron, and ultimately, Hot Rod was able to retake the Matrix from the Decepticon. Transformed by its power into [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], he defeated Galvatron and opened the Matrix inside Unicron, destroying his body from within.

Unicron's head was blown clear during his death throes, and became caught in Cybertron's gravity, turning it into a new moon for the planet — a grisly testament to the satellites he had destroyed. {{Storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Image:Unicron head orbit.jpg|180px|left|thumb|Incoming message from the [[Grand Mal|Big, Giant Head]]!]]

In the year 2006, Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps visited Unicron's head, seeking to locate Galvatron, who had been hurled into space at the conclusion of his battle with Rodimus Prime. After accessing the remaining databanks and replaying footage of the final battle, Cyclonus extrapolated Galvatron's trajectory and current location. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

[[Image:GhostMachine Unicron starscream jumpers.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Unicron's glad he got that Triple-A membership.]]

On the planet home to the monster known as [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] proclaimed that Galvatron would be "more famous in history than Unicron" once Galvatron destroyed Cybertron with his newly-built death crystal cannon. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

Later, the ghost of the deceased Decepticon [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] reactivated Unicron's head in order to make a bargain with him; in exchange for Unicron restoring his body, Starscream would recreate Unicron's. Stealing new optic circuits and a transformation cog for Unicron from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Starscream was then directed to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron, so that the planet could become his new body. Starscream initially attempted to do this by using Trypticon's body, but Trypticon was deactivated by the Decepticons. Unicron restored Starscream's body so that he could finish the task, but Starscream (somewhat predictably, being Starscream) double-crossed Unicron and refused to complete the necessary connections. Just then, explosives set by the Autobots were detonated, hurling Unicron's head off the planet, beyond its gravity, and out into space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

Seeking a supply of the dangerous particles known as [[anti-electron]]s, Galvatron and the Decepticons traveled to Unicron's head, only to come under attack from the defenses of the barely-aware giant. Also present was the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who used components from Unicron's head to create the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] to fight Galvatron's forces. The Technobot [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] disconnected enough of Unicron's internal mechanisms to deactivate his systems. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Kiss Players''/''Teletraan Go! Go!''=====
[[Image:TGGUni1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha]]
Following his destruction in 2005, Unicron's [[Angolmois|lifeforce]] was scattered across time and space, fragmented and parasitized into Autobot and [[Maximal]] leaders throughout history. In 2007, three of his servants, the [[Sparkbot]]s, sought to recreate their master, and tricked the human singing group, the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]]—[[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Atari Hitotonari]] and [[Shaoshao Li]]—into helping them in their task by telling them that they were gathering the fragments of the so-called "Allspark".

[[Image:TGGUni2.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Oh god ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha]]
[[Primus]] was forced to take action to stop their mission, appearing as a giant golden hand to steal away the energy fragments before the Sparkbots could collect them, but eventually, the evil trio collected enough to accomplish their dire task. Fleeing back in time to [[Earth]]'s prehistoric past, they unleashed the energy and Unicron began to form around them. Following the Sparkbots back to the past, Primus unleashed the full firepower of his mobile battle platform's cannon, sealing Unicron's energy and the Sparkbots deep within the planet. He then created the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]] to serve as a guardian and ensure that the evil being was never again reborn. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #51}}

Unfortunately for everyone except Unicron, Brave Maximus would go onto leave the Earth in 2007, leaving the chaos-bringer's life-force unguarded. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #39}}
{{-}}
=====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon=====
At some point in the far future, human beings discovered Unicron's lifeforce within the Earth, and attempted to harness it for their own means. This resulted in the devastation of the planet Earth, reducing it to a ruin, but the fame of this "mysterious energy" that had been called "[[Angolmois]]" was far-reaching, and eventually, tens of thousands of years after the end of the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons, the Predacon leader [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] attempted to harvest it for himself. {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!}} Using his artificial planet, [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], he sucked all the Angolmois energy out of the planet and into the craft. However, after the interference of [[Lio Convoy]] and [[Lio Junior]], all the Angolmois energy was sealed into capsules and ejected from Nemesis as it self-destructed. {{storylink|Farewell, Lio Convoy!}}

=====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tetsuo Komura]] (Japanese)

[[Image:BWNeo Unicron.JPG|left|180px|thumb|Unicron didn't take kindly to being part of the Macy's Parade.]]
Teams of Maximals and Predacons, led by [[Big Convoy]] and [[Magmatron]] respectively, then raced to collect the Angolmois capsules, as their energy effects were wreaking havoc on planets all over the galaxy. {{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}} They eventually collected all the capsules only to find themselves attacked by the mysterious and freakish [[Blendtron]]s. The Blendtrons, in truth servants of Unicron seeking to engineer his rebirth, proved nearly invincible, and stole the capsules from each team. {{storylink|Mysterious Beast Warriors!?}} They released the Angolmois energy and allowed it to possess Galvatron's dead body, restoring Unicron to life in a new form. Unicron proceeded to absorb the last remaining ounce of stray Angolmois energy—the Blendtrons themselves—and left to settle his score with Cybertron. [[Great Convoy]], attempted to hold Unicron off with the entire Maximal armada, but Unicron's fiery serpent mode proved too much and he effortlessly destroyed the armada and Great Convoy along with it. Unicron then possessed [[Vector Sigma]], the mother computer of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], effectively possessing the planet, and morphed Cybertron into his new body. {{storylink|Unicron's Ambition}}

Unicron then briefly exited Vector Sigma to deal with the last remaining Cybertronian resistance. {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWN)|The Final Battle}} Big Convoy, his Maximal new recruits, Lio Convoy and Magmatron all fought side-by-side against Unicron, but all they managed to do was stall him. Big Convoy then powered up his Big Cannon with his own [[Energon Matrix|Matrix]], transforming it into the Matrix Buster. Big Convoy shot Unicron with the weapon, the powerful blast seemingly destroying the Chaos Bringer. Unicron's spirit was then evicted from Vector Sigma, returning Cybertron to normal. {{storylink|Graduation Ceremony!!}}
{{-}}

====Japanese ''Beast Wars'' comic continuity====

=====''Beast Wars II'' comic=====
After his destruction in 2005, Unicron's displaced lifeforce became trapped within the planet Earth, where it was eventually discovered and manipulated by humankind (who were unaware of its origins). This resulted in the devastation of the planet, but the fame of this "mysterious energy" that had been called "[[Angolmois]]" was far-reaching, and eventually, tens of thousands of years after the end of the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons, the Predacon leader [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] travelled to the deserted Earth (now known as [[Gaea]]) and attempted to harvest it for himself.

While [[Lio Convoy]]'s Maximals battled Galvatron's Predacons on Gaea over the Angolomois, a Maximal research team travelled to the remains of Unicron, but reported back that they found no signs of life (unaware that Unicron's lifeforce had escaped as Angolmois centuries ago).{{storylink|Beast Wars II Mission-001}}

Galvatron eventually succeeded in sucking-up all the Angolomois energy on Gaea into his artificial planet ''[[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]''.{{storylink|Beast Wars II Mission-007}} The Maximals journeyed to Nemesis to stop him, only for Lio Convoy to become corrupted by the Angolmois energy, turning into [[Black Lio Convoy]], a Predacon. Lio Convoy was able to channel the true spiritual energy of Gaea through his [[Energon Matrix]], however, and disspell the taint, restoring himself. He then used that same power to destroy the ''Nemesis'', the Angolmois, Galvatron and the Predacons. {{storylink|Beast Wars II Mission-008}}

=====''Beast Wars Neo'' comic=====
On the planet Gaea, a group of Predacons somehow came into possession of a mysterious spheroid object known as the '''Black Ball'''. The strange artifact was of some importance to the Predacons; it may in fact have told Magmatron that he could rule the galaxy once he had the seven [[Angolmois]] capsules.

When Big Convoy came to rescue [[Longrack (BWN)|five]] [[Break|Maximal]] [[Cohrada|rookies]] [[Stampy|who]] [[Heinrad|were trapped]] in the Predacon base on Gaea, the Maximals found the Black Ball and retrieved it. {{storylink|The Five Rookies}}

After the Maximal returned to the ''[[Gung Ho]]'', they attempted to analyze the Black Ball. However, the Black Ball activated the ship's warp engine. During the warp, the Black Ball began to speak, telling the Maximals about the Angolmois capsules, which originated from the final conflict between [[Lio Convoy]] and [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on the [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]. It also told them that there were seven Angolmois energy capsules scattered across the galaxy in total. The Maximals were warned that they must retrieve all the capsules to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands, or the galaxy would be in extreme danger. The ''Gung Ho'' subsequently arrived at the planet [[Sandron (planet)|Sandron]], where one of the capsules was located. {{storylink|There Are Seven Capsules}}

The Black Ball guided Big Convoy's team to various other places where capsules were located.

When Magmatron, who was in the healing room due to wounds caused by Big Convoy, learned that he [[Guiledart|lost]] [[Saberback|his]] [[Sling|main]] [[Dead End (BWN)|troops]] in the battle on [[Jörmungandr]], the Black Ball suddenly showed up from nowhere. The Black Ball told Magmatron that it could see he was short-handed. The Black Ball offered Magmatron some "helpers"—the [[Blendtron]]s, who emerged from within the Black Ball. {{storylink|A Battle Fought Alone}}

The Black Ball told both Big Convoy and Magmatron of the planet where the last capsule was located. Magmatron faced off with Big Convoy there, and ordered the Blendtrons to attack the Maximals. One of the Blendtrons, however, chose to attack Magmatron instead. The action of the Blendtrons baffled both Big Convoy and Magmatron alike. The Black Ball then arrived on the planet's surface.

It was revealed that the Black Ball was actually Unicron himself, or more specifically, his essence, while the Angolmois energy was his life force. Unicron absorbed the six capsules and reformed his head out of the Black Ball. He then revealed that the last capsule was actually Big Convoy and Magmatron, who were evolved by the power of the Angolmois capsule on their home planet.

Big Convoy teamed up with Magmatron to fight against Unicron, but failed. Big Convoy was saved by [[Heinrad]], while Magmatron was chewed up and spat out by Unicron. After dealing with the Transformers, Unicron headed to the planet Cybertron. He latched onto the planet like a parasite and turned it into his new body. {{storylink|Double Cross}}

Unicron desired to consume Big Convoy, the last half of the capsule, in order to make his right eye fully functional once more. His physical body was destroyed by Big Convoy after a harsh battle with Big Convoy's crew. However, Unicron's essence emerged from his physical remains and plastered itself onto Big Convoy's body, trying to possess him. Big Convoy removed the [[Energon Matrix|Matrix]] from his chest and unleashed its power, sacrificing himself and successfully destroying Unicron once and for all. {{storylink|Return to Zero}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics===
[[Image:GenerationOne0-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Say, do you remember that time Leonardo Leonardo tried to open that convenience store across the street?"]]
Unicron hovered in the background in this universe, an unseen and unknown presence. His servant, [[The Fallen]], tried to bring about his second coming by breaking the [[Seal of Primus]], but failed. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages}} Unicron sent a wave of drones and heralds into the universe, with the Alpha Drone, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], arriving on Cybertron 3000 years ago, amidst the [[Great Shutdown]], which he ended when he reactivated Shockwave for research purposes. {{storylink|Generation One issue 0|Generation One #0}} Shockwave happily shot him and experimented on him, and through these experiments became interesting in uncovering the secrets to Cybertron's history. This curiosity led him to steal the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and activate [[Vector Sigma]], which sent a beam across space that roused Unicron from his slumber. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Now awake, but not at full power or consciousness, Unicron set out on a course towards [[Earth]](!). The planets he consumed along his way, including the planet [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]], accelerated his rejuvenation quicker than [[Quintesson]] spectators had calculated. Using the raw materials Unicron harvested from Lithone, he created a new batch of drones based on a second body template. Subsequently, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] burst free from his birthing pod. {{storylink|Generation One issue 0|Generation One #0}}

{{note|Unicron was to be part of a plotline in 2005, starting from [[Unreleased Dreamwave issues#issue 13|#13]], but even his might was helpless against [[Pat Lee]]'s business skills. The reason for the Quintessons' interest in Unicron was never revealed.}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:BlackHorizon2-Unicron.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Unicron, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], what's the diff?]]
Here, Unicron enslaved the population of the worlds he ate to maintain his inner works; one race included the [[Battle Beasts]]. He is known about in Transformer legend, and is said to have been banished from his homeworld.

Thousands of years ago, when humanity was at a primitive stage, Unicron turned up to devour the Earth. The ancestors of [[Cobra-La]], however, had developed a [[metal-eating spore]] that could potentially kill Unicron. They came to an agreement—they would go into exile, while Unicron would merely eat human civilisation once it had developed to a useful point. Eventually they did, and Unicron began broadcasting announcements of "I Return" as he headed towards Earth. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}}

[[Image:Unicron's DDP Brain.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Who needs all those TV monitors, anyway?]]

Unicron reached Earth and transformed so as to consume civilization in robot form. [[Japan]] was devastated and humanity collectively wet itself. But the world was saved by [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]], who flew into the Chaos-Bringer and doused his organic looking brain with Cobra-La's metal-eating spores. Unicron was killed, the world was saved, and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] went on to explore the dead monster's innards. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}

{{note|Despite being written after the retcon that established Unicron as a multiversal singularity, this story pays little heed to that concept, refraining from touching upon the Primus/Unicron mythology and instead claiming Unicron was banished at the hands of his own race. Of course, this is only what the Cobra-Lavians ''believe'' about Unicron, so there's wiggle room. His strange organic brain, meanwhile, was explained in [[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2|The AllSpark Almananc Vol. 2]], which revealed that this particular body of Unicron's came from the universe of the [[Tonka GoBots]], who share that feature. His uncharacteristic willingness to only eat parts of worlds and leave their populations alive to serve him, and his death-by-fungus, however, are harder to explain away.}}
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===Beast Era cartoon continuity===
{{note|From most stories of Unicron told in this continuity, it is apparent that he staged an attack upon Cybertron in 2005 as he did in several other timelines, and that his head orbited Cybertron following his destruction as it did in the Generation 1 cartoon.}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Image:Possession-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|250px|This model must have taken them, what, three minutes?]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] appeared on prehistoric [[Earth]] and was questioned by the stranded [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] about how he came to be this way, Starscream "explained" that his body was destroyed by Unicron while serving his master, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. This was, of course, a misrepresentation, and it was revealed later that it was actually Galvatron himself who killed Starscream. {{storylink|Possession}}

When the [[Vok]] spoke with [[Optimus Primal]] in Earth's pre-history, they took the form of Unicron's head, claiming that they scanned his mind and chose Unicron as an "authority figure". {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}}

[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] would later invoke the name of Unicron by referring to [[Tarantulas]] as "Unicron's spawn" in a derogatory manner. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
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====''Tales from the Beast Wars'' and ''Primeval Dawn''====
[[Image:Unicrons dark essence.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Even Unicron's crap is evil.]]
In yet ''another'' timeline that followed his destruction in 2005, Unicron's essence was again sent spiraling through time and space, to crash on prehistoric Earth, prior to the conflict known as the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] which would occur on the planet. It is unclear if this was a deliberate attempt by Unicron to preserve his power or not, but this "dark essence" seemed to lack any real sentience, suggesting that it was merely Unicron's "power", while his spark remained in his intact head in the future.

[[Image:Terminus-Unicron.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Unicron makes his own light saber noises.]]

The dark essence was discovered by a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] known as the Hunter, who recognized the dark god's power, and fashioned from the essence the [[Matrix of Conquest]], a twisted version of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership which he used to conquer and rule over an apocalyptic 32nd Century future, under the name "[[Shokaract]]". Resistance against Shokaract resulted in an attempt by his opponents to travel back and time and destroy the dark essence on prehistoric Earth, thereby erasing Shokaract from history, but the villain travelled back in time to stop this effort. A massive battle between him and Transformers from throughout the multiverse ensued, but eventually, thanks to the efforts of the [[Covenant]], history was altered so that Unicron's essence never arrived on prehistoric Earth, erasing this timeline—and Shokaract—from existence. {{storylink|Terminus}}

[[Image:PrimevalDawn2-Unicron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Predicting that Unicron will eventually show up is a pretty safe bet, really.]]

Just after the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] ended on prehistoric Earth, the [[Vok]] assembled a team from the remains of that war to counter [[Tarantulas]], Unicron's spawn. [[Primal Prime]], the leader of the Vok's team, had visions of a future apocalypse, involving Unicron, that encompassed every timeline in the [[multiverse]]. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 2}} After Tarantulas ripped the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from Primal Prime's torso, he oversaw the construction of a [[transwarp]] portal that would allow him to bring his prize as an offering to Unicron. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 3}}

{{note|Though [[3H]] folded before this story could be completed, Tarantulas would of course not be successful, and the Matrix would be returned to its rightful place. (Because, you know, the ''[[Universe (2003)|Universe]]'' stories took place chronologically after it.)}}
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====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:Ascending4-Shokaractsfuture.jpg|left|thumb|300px|FOOLISH, DOOMED CREATURE.]]

Sometime after a series of events similar to those of [[Lio Convoy]] and [[Big Convoy]]'s [[Beast Wars II (franchise)|experiences]] [[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|on]] [[Gaea]] in another universe, Unicron's heralds, the [[Blendtron]]s, were instructed by the Chaos Bringer's essence to gather the [[Angolmois]] capsules scattered across the galaxy, which contained Unicron's energy. The taint of Angolmois would cause unrest and violence across Cybertron as the planet tore itself apart in renewed savage mindless conflict. At the same time, Unicron's chosen yet unwitting vessel, Shokaract, was fed Angolmois by the Blendtrons, having been convinced that it would grant him the power to be reborn as a god. In one potential timeline, this did indeed happen as Unicron was reborn from Shokaract's corrupted form, and the Chaos Bringer proceeded to consume Cybertron itself. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1|The Ascending #1}}

However, this was averted before it came to pass—thanks to the actions of the in-temporal-limbo [[Magmatron]], who alerted [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] and by extension Lio Convoy to Unicron's plan and enlightened Shokaract when the tyrant was temporarily shunted into Magmatron's personal purgatory. Realizing what his ascension actually entailed, Shokaract tore the [[Matrix of Conquest|Anti-Matrix]] from his chest, sacrificing himself and ending Unicron's plan at re-ascension. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4|The Ascending #4}}
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====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
During Megatron's rule of Cybertron, [[Rattrap]] once compared the Predacon's [[Grand Mal|big floating head]] as a "monument to Unicron", implying that the Chaos Bringer's head orbited Cybertron after his defeat. By the time of Megatron's rule, however, it had apparently left the planet's orbit, as it was never seen. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

====3H ''Universe'' comics====
According to the [[Quintesson]] scientist [[Al-Badur]], after the dawn of time Unicron recruited the Quintessons to seek out the location of his nemesis, Primus. But when the Quintessons discovered Primus, now having taken the form of the planet Cybertron, they decided to delay reporting their findings so they could first exploit Primus to their own ends. After finding the "[[Vector Sigma|singular threat]]" to Unicron and discovering how to subvert it, they used it to create a [[Transformer|race of robotic beings]] which they could sell to other worlds for a price. {{storylink|Disclosure}}

Millions of years later, one week after the [[Great Reformatting]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] gangster [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]] succeeded in acquiring the [[Divine Light]], one of the Quintessons' discarded attempts to subvert the will of Primus. As Cryotek used it steal Primus' power for himself, [[Sentinel Maximus]] warned him that flaunting Primus' power would catch the attention of Unicron and doom them all. Cryotek laughed at this, since Unicron had been dead since three centuries earlier, and the idea of his resurrection was a fairytale believed only by the naive. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:UnicronDeathstarII.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Guys. GUYS. Get that ring in the right place, or he'll never be able to eat.]]
Cryotek was defeated, and one year later Unicron struck once more. His body ruined and trapped between universes, he sought to revitalize himself by abducting Transformers from across the multiverse and pitting them against each other within the [[Cauldron]], a dark dimension contained within his own body, absorbing their [[energon radiation]] and eventually consuming their sparks. He chose to kidnap several Autobots and Maximals from the technorganic Cybertron, but that was also the staging ground from which Primus chose to launch a counterattack. Primus gathered an army from many different universes and put the resurrected [[Optimus Primal]] at its head. {{storylink|Abduction}}

These "[[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]]" raided Unicron to free his captives from their prison cities, battling Unicron's own legion of "[[Minion of Unicron|Minions]]" all the while. [[Universe war|These conflicts]] escalated for months or perhaps longer, their intensity rivaling the [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|Great Wars]].<ref>Optimus Primal's bio in the [[Revelations Part 3|Transformers Collectors' Club comic #9]]</ref> This all came to an abrupt end during the final battle, when Unicron simply vanished due somehow to the [[Unicron Singularity]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}
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===''Universe'' CD-ROM comic===
[[Image:Unicron tfu cdrom.jpg|left|thumb|200px|I'm gonna steal every single Decepticon every single year. Nobody investigate, mmmkay?]]
In a strange variant universe where [[Optimus Primal]] leads the [[Autobot]]s and [[Reptilion]] leads the [[Decepticon]]s, a ship arrives once a year, single year when the Transformers' civil war reaches a fever pitch. The ship abducts every Decepticon it can find and promptly leaves.

These Decepticons are brought to Unicron, who is preparing them for an eventual, ultimate battle for the universe. But unknown to even Unicron, Primus, the sentient core of Cybertron, is amassing an army of Autobots that rivals Unicron's army of Decepticons. Can Primus meet Unicron's challenge, or is the universe doomed?
{{-}}

{{-}}
==Unicron Trilogy==
===Mini-comics continuity===
[[Image:Armadaminicomic4-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Check out my tiny buildings!]]
The Transformers were unaware of Unicron's gradual approach during the climax of their civil war. [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] was defeated and imprisoned, and just when he had escaped, the Planet-Eater suddenly appeared over their planet. Only time will tell if the Transformers can possibly defeat him! {{storylink|Armada (mini-comic)}}

Apparently they could, and years later Galvatron was reborn as Megatron deep inside the [[Unicron's core|core]] of the defeated Unicron. {{storylink|Energon (mini-comic)}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
[[Image:TheEnd-Unicron.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The southern hemisphere is known as the "footsmell" region.]]

The nearly-dead body of [[Optimus Prime (Worlds Collide)|a dying Cybertron's Optimus Prime]] was sent ahead by Unicron to his next target universe, as a "calling card". Additionally, Unicron sent a group of heralds—incarnations of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]—to this second universe to find the Mini-Con Matrix and kill that universe's Optimus Prime and Megatron. The heralds did not realize that their target Optimus Prime had been accidentally transported to the initial, dying Cybertron. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}}

Optimus Prime found one lone survivor, [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]], and begged him to tell him what was going on. Spinister told him that the "heart of darkness, the root of all evil" had ravaged their world. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4}} When Unicron loomed over them, Spinister surrendered himself to his fate. Spinister soon returned as an avatar for Unicron, who found this Optimus Prime's presence to be an "anomaly". Soon [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] managed to trace Optimus Prime to this dying universe and travel there to rescue him. Using the power of the Mini-Con Matrix, Prime and Jetfire were able to combine into Jet Optimus and fire a powerful shot into the heart of Unicron. Though they were too late to save this Cybertron, they could return home and prepare for Unicron's coming there. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4}}

Optimus Prime called for an alliance with the Decepticons and the Mini-Cons, hoping to unite their forces against the coming Dark God. After warping to Cybertron's surface, Unicron himself arrived, and announced that they would all soon be consumed. During the following battle, Unicron was curious about the Transformers [[Airazor (Armada)|Airazor]], [[Cheetor (Armada)|Cheetor]], [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]] and [[Terrorsaur (Armada)|Terrorsaur]], and abducted them for future purposes. Unicron was ultimately defeated by the Mini-Con Matrix, boosted from the additional power of two universes' Mini-Cons. This universe's [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], having made a bid for Unicron's power, was standing on the surface of the planet-eater when he was destroyed, and his body was also lost, his spark trapped within Unicron's remains. {{storylink|The End}}

====''Energon'' comic====
[[Image:ThisEvilReborn-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|You never see him transform to robot mode.]]

Ten years later, his broken body was still left floating in space after his defeat. Despite his damaged form, his [[Unicron's core|core]] presented huge potentials for power, and so [[Alpha Quintesson]] gathered together a group of Decepticon dissidents under the leadership of [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] and transformed them into "[[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcons]]". He promised these Terrorcons this power in exchange for their services. Meanwhile, Megatron's consciousness was trapped within this core, and it called out to Optimus Prime to help free him. Alpha Quintesson was secretly working for Unicron himself, and he sent the corrupted forms of Airazor, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Terrorsaur, his "[[Unicron's Four Horsemen|Four Horsemen]]", to Cybertron to distract the Autobots from Unicron's revival. {{storylink|This Evil Reborn}}

Optimus Prime, who received Megatron's message, turned to the [[Autobot High Council]] for permission to dedicate an army towards Unicron's return and his intent to consume alleged huge amounts of [[Energon (Energon)|Energon]] on Earth, but the Council dismissed these concerns as paranoia. While they did not grant Prime his army, they did permit him to travel to Earth alone. Before Prime could get out of the building, Unicron's Horsemen struck. Prime and the Council realized this was an act of war perpetrated by Unicron, and so Prime's original pleas were finally heard.

As drones continued to repair Unicron, Megatron managed to assert his will on these drones, who fashioned him a new body. {{storylink|What Lies Beneath}}

[[Image:WhatLiesBeneath3-Unicroninterior.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Unicron has a big [[negative universe]] [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] collection.]]

After defeating Scorponok and his Terrorcons on Earth, Optimus Prime stepped through a portal back to Cybertron to assemble a team of reinforcments... but instead on the other end of the portal he found himself within Unicron himself, summoned by Megatron's consciousness. {{storylink|Omni-Potent}} Optimus Prime argued with Megatron, denying that he would ever help his thought-dead foe inhabit his new body. Megatron countered with images of a massive-scale Terrorcon attack on Earth. Alpha Quintesson had used Unicron's power to reconfigure [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] into Mirage, and [[Moscow]], [[Toronto]], and [[Los Angeles]] were under heavy siege. Still, Optimus Prime resisted helping Megatron, even with the promise of teaming up to destroy the remnants of Unicron, as he feared releasing Megatron in his new body would be unleashing an equal evil.

Finally, after images of carnage on Earth overwhelmed him, Optimus Prime caved to Megatron's demands, and Prime began travelling through Unicron under Megatron's direction. After falling in some goo, Prime located the sensor array that was keeping Megatron's consciousness from entering his new body. It worked, and Megatron was free... though Optimus Prime was subsequently located by Unicron's internal defenses. He is last seen having defeated these antibodies, with a bandolier and his hand-held cannon, telling Unicron he was coming for him. {{storylink|Multiplicity}}

{{note|Due to the sudden demise of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]], the conclusion of this story remains unknown.}}

===Cartoon continuity===
Unicron was evidently very active in this universe at various points in time, although the precise chronological order of his activities is unclear.

At some undetermined point in the past of this universe, Unicron was approached by the survivors of [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]], a world that had been destroyed in a war with the inhabitants of the Giant Planet, [[Gigantion]]. In return for the chance to gain revenge on Gigantion, the survivors swore loyalty to Unicron, and "Planet X" became something of a code-phrase that identified those in the service of the planet-eater.

{{note|Liner notes included with the DVD release of ''Galaxy Force'' in [[Japan]] claim that Planet X is actually the body of Unicron from a parallel universe. This would not appear to be compatible with the Western storyline, nor, indeed, with the date later given to the planet's destruction on the [[TakaraTomy]] "[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/bible/index.html World of the Transformers]" website.}}
Additionally, Cybertronian legend refers to an attack by Unicron on the planet that was ultimately thwarted by the mighty Autobot warrior, [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Omega Supreme (episode)|Omega Supreme}}

====''Armada'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Mark Acheson]] (English), [[Katsumi Chō]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Alliance-Unicronmoon.jpg|right|thumb|200px|That's no moon!]]

Unicron's first attack on Cybertron in the present day was an indirect one, over a million years in the making, begun when he opted to disguise his dormant body as Cybertron's moon. From this secret vantage point, he implanted his own cells within the planet, where they germinated and grew into the small race of robots known as the [[Mini-Con]]s. Unicron hoped to use the Mini-Cons to increase the ferocity of the Autobot/Decepticon war, and feed off of the energies released in the conflict, but an encounter with a group of [[Rad White| time-displaced]] [[Carlos Lopez| human]] [[Alexis| children]] planted the seed of sentience and free will within the Mini-Cons, who ultimately rebelled against their creator and fled Cybertron, crash-landing on the planet Earth. {{storylink|Origin}}
[[Image:Union-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Dyslexic Minicons sell their souls to Unicorn.]]

When the Mini-Cons were reawakened a million years later in 2010, they were detected by the Autobots and Decepticons, who followed their signal to Earth. {{storylink|First Encounter}} Unicron also picked up the signal, and dispatched his minion [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]], an inhabitant of Planet X who would occasionally serve as an avatar for Unicron's spark, to carry on his work. {{storylink|Gale}} Sideways escalated the conflict by manipulating control of the three Mini-Con weapons, the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], the [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom]] shield and the [[Requiem Blaster]], but eventually arranged for all three to be returned to Cybertron, where he stole them and used them to reawaken Unicron.

[[Image:ArmadaUnicron02.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Power Cosmic gives you wrinkles.]]
Shedding his moon disguise and transforming to robot mode, Unicron turned on Cybertron, only to be met with resistance in the form of the united armada of Autobots and Decepticons {{storylink|Alliance (episode)|Alliance}}, and his own Mini-Cons, who had linked together and formed a giant duplicate of his body. {{storylink|Union}} Now at full power, however, it was child's play for Unicron to exert control over his creations, and bring the Mini-Cons under his thumb once more. Again, it was thanks to the Autobots' human allies—the same children who had been sent back in time and given the Mini-Cons free will in the first place—that the Mini-Cons struggled free of Unicron's control, including the three Mini-Con weapons, who broke free and left Unicron's body deactivated. Believing the threat over, [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] then challenged Optimus Prime to their final battle, only for the hatred and ferocity of their fight to awaken Unicron once more. To end the circle of hate that gave Unicron life, Galvatron allowed himself to be consumed by the monster, and in a brilliant flash of light, Unicron apparently ceased to exist. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}}
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====''Energon'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[David Kaye]], [[Mark Acheson]] (English), [[Nobutoshi Canna]] (Japanese), [[Fredrik Beckmann]] (Swedish)

[[Image:MegatronRaid Unicronhead.jpg|left|thumb|200px|If I need to steal [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s eyes again, I quit.]]

In truth, however, Unicron had survived, and for the next ten years, continued to consume planets in other regions of space. One such planet was the world known as [[Planet Q]], whose inhabitants fought back by detonating the planet's core in Unicron's face. Badly damaged by the explosion, Unicron fell into a state of dormancy, but the life essence of the planet's ruler—the being who would come to be known as [[Alpha Quintesson|Alpha Q]]—continued to exist within him, and began a not-entirely-sane plan to use Unicron's powers to recreate everything the Chaos-Bringer had ever destroyed. {{storylink|Alpha Q: Identity}} Recreating the armies of Planet Q as "Terrorcons", Alpha Q had them attack Autobot facilities on Earth and throughout the [[solar system]] to gather the [[Energon (Energon)|Energon]] that would be necessary for his plan to work. {{storylink|Cybertron City (episode)|Cybertron City}}

[[Image:Energon Unicron.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Unicron sported [[Neon|awesome]] [[Black repaint|colors]] during ''Energon''.]]

Unbeknownst to Alpha Q, Megatron's corpse and spark remained within Unicron, and he slowly siphoned off some of the gathered Energon, allowing him to be reborn in his own new body. To escape Megatron's fury, Alpha Q jettisoned Unicron's head and escaped in it, while Megatron took over Unicron's body, and continued to gather Energon in order to rebuild Unicron to use as his ultimate weapon. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}} As the climax of this plan neared, a joint attack by Alpha Q, the Autobots and their human allies saw all of Earth's Energon channeled into Unicron's head, which Alpha Q then rammed into Unicron's body. {{storylink|Unicron Unleashed}} The positively-charged Energon of Earth reacted with the negatively-charged Energon running through Unicron, tearing open a fissure in reality leading to a new area of space where planets Unicron consumed were recreated, and sustained through the Energon radiated from Unicron's head, which had now become a glowing red sun. {{storylink|Open Fire!}} {{storylink|Ripped Up Space}}

[[Image:Unicron eats blizzard.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Unicron should stop eating so many Blizzards.]]
Unicron's body, damaged once more, lay in the dark reaches near the fissure, and the Decepticons began to raid Alpha Q's new planets for the Energon necessary to revive Unicron again. {{storylink|A Heroic Battle}} This time, they succeeded, and Megatron directed Unicron's body to retrieve his head, extinguishing the Energon Sun and killing Alpha Q in the process. But the power of Unicron proved too much for Megatron to control, as Unicron began to take over Megatron's body. {{storylink|The Power}} The Autobots made a valiant but futile attempt to stop him, but Unicron decimated them. Just as things seemed hopeless, a surge of power came that allowed Optimus-Supreme to grow to Unicron's size and powered up the other Autobots, {{storylink|Optimus Supreme}} and after a long and hard battle Optimus destroyed Unicron's body. {{storylink|Unicron Perishes}}

[[Image:Energon-Unicrons-Arms.jpg|right|thumb|200px|"Geodude geeeeoooo geodude."]]

None of the Transformers were aware, however, that Unicron lived on in two forms: his miniscule Spark, floating in space, and his consciousness, which lay buried in Megatron's mind. With quiet, subconscious nudging, Unicron led Megatron to a massive reservoir of "[[Super Energon]]" beneath Cybertron's surface, {{storylink|Ambition}} which transformed him into Galvatron upon his first exposure. {{storylink|Wishes}} After a series of failed battles, Galvatron proceeded to expose himself to the Super Energon once again, and this time grew to a gigantic height. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}} Unicron seized control of his body again for a new vessel and set out to rejoin with his Spark, but a Primus-empowered Optimus Supreme engaged him in battle once more, and drew all of Unicron's consciousness out of Galvatron and sealed it within his own Spark. {{storylink|Destructive Power}}

[[Image:EnergonUnicronOrbTheSun.jpg|left|thumb|180px|"How could this puny thing be Unicron?" 
—[[Kicker Jones]]]]
Enraged, Galvatron prepared to destroy Unicron's Spark, but it merged with him, enlarging him again, leading to another battle with Optimus Supreme, this time bolstered by the combined energy of all his troops' Sparks. {{storylink|Spark (episode)|Spark}} Meanwhile, Primus merged with the Super Energon, creating a foundling sun which arrived at the site of the battle. Taking control of his body for a brief moment, Galvatron made the decision to plunge himself into the infant sun to rid himself of Unicron's possession. The super energon mass, having now received Unicron's spark, ignited into a powerful red sun which gave new life to Alpha Q's worlds. {{storylink|The Sun}}
{{-}}

====''Cybertron'' cartoon====
[[Image:Cyb ep20 unicron chunks.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Ssssh, don't tell ''[[Galaxy Force]]'' that I'm here!]]

The bitter [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] was a loner, but his attitude changed when, in deep space, he was trapped underneath some debris near the remains of Unicron and saved by [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Honor}}

[[Image:Unicronsingularity.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The cause of—and solution to—all of our continuity problems.]]

Primus's plan to trap Unicron in the heart of a new sun failed when the star collapsed into a massive [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] (sometimes known as the "Unicron Singularity") that threatened the entire multiverse. The collapse of the sun also allowed [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] to escape, [[Armor of Unicron|but not before integrating what remained of Unicron's body into himself]], increasing his power to nightmarish new heights. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

In addition to strengthening the Decepticon leader, the Armor of Unicron apparently gave Megatron access to a few of the Chaos Bringer's reality-warping powers, including the ability to unleash a devastating Energon aura {{storylink|Starscream (episode)|Starscream}}{{storylink|Showdown (episode)|Showdown}}, create new Transformer bodies, upgrade and repair fallen Transformers {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}}, and tap into the power of the [[Cyber Planet Keys]]. {{storylink|Revelation (episode)|Revelation}}{{storylink|Fury|Fury}} The Decepticon leader's newest plan also held hints of the dark god's old agenda, as he intended to use the Keys to accelerate the black hole's growth and destroy the entire universe (albeit with the intent to remake it in his image afterwards).

Unfortunately for Unicron and Megatron (who again upgraded into Galvatron), the black hole would be sealed away by Primus himself after the Autobots restored his full power.{{storylink|End}} The Armor of Unicron would be overwhelmed and destroyed along with its wearer in a final battle with Optimus Prime, wiping away the last traces of Unicron from the universe. {{storylink|Unfinished}}

{{-}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[Image:Unicroncybertron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|The Planet-Eater's back, and you're gonna be in trouble.]]
Unicron's heralds [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe 2003)|Nemesis Prime]] arrived on Cybertron, intent on unleashing the [[Dead Matrix]] on Primus's vulnerable essence—as the Matrix was the antithesis of Unicron, so too would the Dead Matrix ensure the destruction of Primus, thereby totally destabilizing the multiverse and reducing it to a sea of entropic chaos. For the first time, it would be possible for Unicron to strike at Primus in all realities simultaneously, ending their cosmic feud once and for all. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 2}}

Ramjet and Nemesis Prime were ultimately stopped by Vector Prime and allies [[Sentinel Maximus]] and [[Omega Prime]], plucked from the midst of the ''Universe'' conflict by the multiverse-warping energies of the black hole. {{storylink|Revelations Part 1}} The Dead Matrix, however, was taken by Unicron's servant [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]] and cast into the heart of the black hole, freeing Unicron's spark, which entered the planet [[Yst]] and immediately began to sow chaos and disorder. Re-energized by the hatred and violence than ran rampant on Yst, Unicron formed a new, diminutive body for himself, born into the universe when Yst exploded. {{storylink|Revelations Part 3}}

[[Image:Sentinelmaximusunicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Sorry, did that previous image indicate that Unicron was still huge?]]

During the time that followed, from behind the scenes Unicron orchestrated a civil war between the Mini-Cons stationed on Cybertron's moons. {{storylink|Revelations Part 4}} When Sentinel Maximus led a team of Autobots to stamp out the escalating conflict, Unicron's involvement was revealed, and he joined the battle himself alongside Soundwave. With no further use for the Mini-Cons, he murdered several of them and tried to capture [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], whom he had plans for. {{storylink|Revelations Part 5}} However, before Unicron could achieve victory, Primus was reawakened, and the Dark God fled as Cybertron transformed into its robot mode. {{storylink|Revelations Part 6}}
{{-}}

==Live-action ''Transformers'' movie series==
===Titan Magazines===
{{quote|I'm certain I can speak for all those pledged to the Decepticon cause when I say Unicron spells one thing, and that's trouble with a capital 'running and screaming'.|Barricade|[[Transformers Comic issue 2.6|#6 (Vol.2)]]}}

While the Transformer race appears ignorant of Unicron, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] has knowledge of him and encountered him {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 12|#12's Star Screams}} in an event where Unicron attempted to devour Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 19|#19's Star Screams}} We don't know how Starscream witnessed this (did he hop universes?) but it has left him terrified. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 17|#17's Star Screams}}

In 2009, both [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] would also be aware of Unicron's existence. His sheer might scared him. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|#6's Law and Disorder}} They know that [[fandom|you]] want to see Unicron in the third film and it ''sickens'' them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.13|#13's Law and Disorder}}

{{notetitantlg}}
[[Image:Unicron Titan19.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"The psoriasis is barely slowing him down!"]]
[[Stockade (Movie)|Stockade]] and his Decepticon chums attempted to rebirth Cybertron by sending out a summons that would attract any entity related to the lost [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]], and then drawing that entity into Cybertron once it arrived.

As that entity announced itself to be '''"Unicron the Anti-Life!"''', they felt like a right bunch of plonkers. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 18|Return to Cybertron: Part 2}}

Unicron moved swiftly, transforming Cybertron into a scarier looking physical form and causing the planet's surface to becoming hostile to the Transformers on it. Stockade's attempts at communication were met with contempt and a strange attack. The new Unicron then warped into the Sol system, shot down an Autobot shuttle, and went "OM NOM NOM" at the sight of Earth. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 19|Return to Cybertron: Part 3}}

The downed Autobots regrouped with Stockade's Decepticons and worked to take away the [[Nucleon]] that was powering Unicron's physical form. They succeeded in this by causing it to blow up and catch fire, which caused Unicron to draw on more Nucleon to recover, which fueled the fire and so on until the source ran out. Unicron disappeared, though whether he was dead or just gone is ambigious. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 20|Return to Cybertron: Part 4}}

Either way, the changes Unicron had made to Cybertron remained. The teleportation equipment he'd created was used by the Autobots to finally end the war. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 25|Revolution Part Three}}
{{-}}

==''Transformers: Prime''==
===''Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron''===
Unicron was defeated in his attempt to destroy Cybertron very early in its history, but emanations of his presence remained and were gathered and stored on [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon]] Station. This substance was a violently addictive poison that could pass on to another bot once its user died, and was dubbed the Sparks of Unicron or [[Dark Energon]]. Ultimately [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] achieved what Unicron did not by contaminating the [[core]] with Dark Energon, forcing the planet to shut down and reboot. {{storylink|Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron}}

==Video games==
===''Transformers'' game===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Matthew King]] (English)

[[Image:Armadavideogame-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Unicron takes a shot in the mouth.]]

After the Autobots defeated the Decepticons on [[Earth]] and had secured the majority of the Mini-Cons there, Unicron made his appearance above Cybertron, intent on destroying the planet. Optimus Prime's team of Autobots and the Mini-Cons returned home via a warp gate to see the Chaos Bringer unleash a wave of destruction upon the great cities of their planet. The Mini-Cons joined together to form the [[Matrix Cannon]], the [[Vanguard Booster]] and the [[Nemesis Shield]] for the Autobots to use against Unicron. The Autobots flew into Unicron's maw and blasted their way into his energy core, damaging it enough to send Unicron spiralling out of control and destroying him. {{storylink|Transformers (PS2)|Transformers}}

{{-}}
==Toys==
{{main|Unicron/toys}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Model-TheEntity.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Flamboyantcron]]

{{bigquote|Since Unicron is a villain and because I was fooling around at that time, I decided to make him look demonic with goatee, horns, bat-like wings and eagle talons for feet. I got the idea of Unicron from the planet Saturn and Satur. Actually, the original name was "Ingestor," but the writer changed it to Unicron when he saw the design, probably because of the "horns."|character designer [[Floro Dery]], [http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/floro-derys-transformers-exhibit-and.html Floro Dery's TransFormers Exhibit And Interview]}}

* Before the Transformers brand even existed, Takara designer [[Hiroyuki Hataike]] drew up a "Planet-Robot" toy for the ''[[Micro Change]]'' line, a design that would eventually inspire Unicron.

* In early preproduction for ''The Transformers: The Movie'', Unicron was referred to as the '''Entity'''. A model sheet from later in the movie's preproduction revealed that, at one point, the ''planet'' Unicron would turn into the ''robot'' '''Ingestor'''.

* Character designer [[Floro Dery]] claims his designs for Unicron were very large and complicated. For example, there were three drawings of Unicron's internal organs that were 2'x7' each. Dery also explains that Unicron television monitor-covered [[Unicron's core|core]] is "like security monitors in a building," and that he must watch these screens manually to know what is going on, rather than the information being diverted directly into him from the screens' source. And finally, the orbiting moon that is seen in the discarded ''Generation 1'' prototype by Takara (see [[Unicron/toys]]) was intended to be "a kind of mini-Unicron, like Mini-Me of Dr. Evil." Floro Dery's kind of eccentric. <ref>Zobovor's [http://web.archive.org/web/20060625115408/http://members.aol.com/tfencyc/interview_dery.html Interview with Floro Dery]</ref>

[[Image:TFTM-Unicronalternatehead.jpg|right|thumb|150px|He shaved!]]

* An earlier/discarded version of Unicron's head showed up during Unicron's transformation scene in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. Originally animated for [[The Transformers: The Movie promo]], This version has no [[facial hair]] and has extra greebles all over his face. It also colored the helmet entirely gray, save an orange mohawk. In [[Transformers: The Animated Movie|IDW's comic book adaptation of the animated film]], [[Don Figueroa]] drew a hybrid between the two designs, combining the facial hair and the orange mohawk.

*The [[Unicron Trilogy]], the series of Transformers franchises that includes ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'', was so named by Hasbro designer [[Aaron Archer]] because of Unicron's importance in each story.

* Within the Marvel Comics continuity, the appearance and subsequent destruction of Unicron and the destruction of Primus' [[Emirate Xaaron|avatar]] ("[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]"), as well as the tainting of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] caused by [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], created a great many [[splinter timeline]]s from the main the Marvel Comics continuity. These events, as well as an earlier, undefined event related to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], resulted in the creation of yet another splinter timeline, the [[Classics (2006)|Classics]] universe. This universe began overwriting the [[Tonka GoBots]] universe. That's right. Unicron killed the GoBots. {{storylink|Withered Hope}}

*[[Roberto Orci]] was interested in having Unicron in ''[[Transformers 3]]''.[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/ask-roberto-orci-roundup-january-14---mythology-money-shots-jolt-military-and-bringing-chaos-166603/]

* Unicron has the ability to create [[tainted world]]s, but none have yet been discovered.

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm Unicron on TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Unicron Unicron's Universe profile at NFTA.net]
*[http://www.transformersontheshelf.com/UnicronPage Unicron (toy) History]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/pages/transformers-reviews/gallery/766/micron+legend/Green+Unicron+%28Lucky+Draw%29.html Photo gallery and review of Green Lucky Draw Unicron]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/merchandise/25/merchandise/Unicron+Japanese+Store+Display.html Inflatable Unicron store display gallery]

==References and footnotes==
<references />

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[[Category:Beast Wars Neo characters]]
[[Category:Cybertron characters]]
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Unicron

2010-10-03T07:59:23Z

64.189.19.132: /* Armada cartoon */

{{factions|unicron|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Unicron}}
{{featured}}

[[Image:Unicron-UltimateGuide.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Not Galactus, we swear.]]
{{bigquote|Unicron is frightening. Unicron will destroy... will destroy ''space''.|[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]]|"[[Uprising]]"}}

'''Unicron''' is the eternal arch-enemy of his twin brother [[Primus]]. Also known as the Dark God, the Chaos Bringer, and the Planet Eater, he is dedicated to consuming the [[multiverse]]. His massive form is powered by the consumption of planets, moons, stars, and even the very fabric of existence. Unicron will not be sated until his ultimate goal is attained: to bring an end to the annoying creation boasting independence around him, and find peace by becoming the living center of a [[Void|swirling, infinite torrent of nothingness]] at the end of all things.

To undertake this seemingly overwhelming task, Unicron is able to travel across realities at will, a meandering plague upon existence itself.<ref>Titanium Series 3" Unicron profile</ref><ref>Universe Armada Series Unicron bio</ref> Integrated into his systems are incomprehensible quantum computers which calculate probabilities forward and backwards in time, in perpetuity, giving his processors an ever changing, evolving map of the multiverse.<ref>Profile, [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 10]]</ref> With these abilities at his disposal, Unicron has thus far devoured approximately 22.56% of known universes. <ref>According to the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s' records in "[[Withered Hope]]."</ref>

The only thing that he fears is Primus' essence, contained inside the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. To a being of chaos and uncreation, this font of life is a poison.

Frequently, Unicron will make deals with [[Herald of Unicron|lesser beings]], promising them vast new powers in exchange for their servitude. These minions are [[Thunderwing (G1)|sometimes]] stripped entirely of their free will, but [[Sideways|others]] follow him willingly. Service to Unicron, however, is a double-edged sword, for it causes insanity and loss of self. And in the end, Unicron's plans ultimately call for their consumption as well.

:''Hungarian name'': '''Unikron''' or '''Unikornisz''' (Unicorn)<ref>Unikornisz, which is Hungarian for 'Unicorn' is used in only one dub of the 1986 movie.</ref>
:''Chinese name(Mainland)'': '''宇宙大帝YǔZhòu-DàDì''' (The Universe's Great Emperor){{fact}}

==In the beginning==
[[Image:UK150Unicron.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Saay, that shield looks [[Decepticon|familiar]].]]
Before the dawn of time, Order and Chaos existed within an extra-dimensional entity known as [[The One]]. To explore the fledgling universe, he created the astral being known as Unicron, and then subdivided him, creating his twin, Primus. Both brothers were [[Multiversal singularity|multiversal singularities]], unique in all realities, but whereas Unicron could only exist in one universe at a time, moving between them at will, Primus existed simultaneously in all realities at once. It is suggested, in fact, that the two brothers embody the basic concepts of reality—good and evil, order and chaos—and that their continued existence is necessary for the stability of the multiverse.

[[Image:Primusoriginal.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"No, [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] is ''[[RIBFIR|red]]!''"]]
As Unicron and Primus went about their appointed task, venturing through the cosmos, it became apparent to Primus that Unicron was a corrupt being, and he took it upon himself to stop the threat posed to all of existence by his sibling. In combat, Primus was no match for Unicron. In cunning, however, he proved himself to be his brother's superior when he shifted their battle to the astral plane, and then back to the physical world once more, only to have both their essences manifest within metallic planetoids, leaving them both trapped. It was with this act of sacrifice that Primus hoped to contain Unicron's evil forever. Unfortunately for him, over time, Unicron learned to psionically shape his prison into a giant metallic planet, and Primus followed suit, becoming the mechanical world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. When Unicron then learned to transform his planetary form even further, into a gigantic robot form, Primus adapted the idea to suit his own ends, creating a group of [[Thirteen original Transformers|thirteen robots]] that possessed the ability to change shape, like Unicron.

The war between Unicron and Primus came to its seeming end during a climactic battle in which one of the Thirteen, who would forever afterwards be known as [[The Fallen]], betrayed Primus and became an acolyte of Unicron. The battle ended when the Fallen and Unicron were sucked into a black hole and disappeared from reality. With Unicron gone for now, Primus entered an eons-long slumber, his self-imposed sleep preventing Unicron from detecting him through the mental link the brothers shared.

===Evolution of the Primus/Unicron myth===
''The Primus/Unicron backstory has evolved and been rewritten a good number of times since it first originated in the [[Marvel Comics]] series. The version recounted above is the current iteration, which has slowly solidified across a wide swath of media (beginning around the time of [[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]). Before the Primus/Unicron mythos reached its present form it went through several distinct versions in the Marvel G1 comics and elsewhere.''

====Unicron's story====
''The first time the Primus/Unicron backstory appeared was in the UK comic continuity, from Unicron himself, in the story "[[The Legacy of Unicron!]]", when he recounted it to [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]]. Per Unicron's telling of events, he was a primal force of evil at the dawn of the universe, who led a legion of [[Dark Armies]] against his mortal foe, Primus, Lord of the [[Light Gods]] (note the plural). Events proceeded to play out basically as described above, though the role of the Light Gods and Dark Armies would diminish with each subsequent retelling of the story, until the current version, in which Primus and Unicron are alone, and have a unique origin.''

====The Keeper's story====
''The second time the story was told was in the US book by the [[Keeper (Transformer)|Keeper]], an ancient mechanoid who guarded Primus' head at the center of Cybertron. This telling is effectively the same as the previous UK story, but mentions that their battle was towards the end of the era of gods, that Primus and Unicron were the last of their respective pantheons, and Primus had to defeat Unicron before he could take his place with the other gods in the "[[Omniversal Matrix]]".''

====Primus's story====
''The third time the story was told was also in the US Marvel series, this time by Primus, when he gathered all his children together to prepare for Unicron's coming. It was with this telling that we learned that Unicron predated the [[universe (universe)|current universe]], and had destroyed the [[old realms|previous universe]] which existed before the current one. He had slept peacefully, alone in the [[void]] of un-creation that remained, until fragments of the old universe that he had overlooked reacted, causing the Big Bang and birthing the current universe. The "sentient core" of this new universe recognized the threat that Unicron posed, and so created Primus to counter his evil and be guardian of the new creation.''

====Fleer and DK====
''The first modern retelling of the origins of Primus and Unicron did not come from G1-oriented media, but from a set of ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' trading cards released by Fleer. It was the backstory printed on Unicron's card which introduced the concept of the two being brothers created to explore the new universe by an extra-dimensional entity, here named the "[[Allspark]]".''

''This was subsequently expanded on and combined with aspects of the various Marvel Comics stories in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'', published by Dorling Kindersley and written by [[Simon Furman]], who had written all three prior tellings in the first place. Here, the entity Fleer had called the "Allspark" was redubbed "[[The One]]", and the modern iteration of the myth detailed above was firmly established, and went on to form the backbone of subsequent fiction such as ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' and [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' comics.''

==Generation 1 continuity family==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:PrimalScream-Unicron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Unicron is furious that he's been miscolored again.]]

Eventually, millions of years later, circa the Earth year 1990, a group of Transformers discovered the sleeping form of Primus at Cybertron's core. When a battle erupted, a stray laser blast struck Primus, briefly jolting the god awake and causing him to emit a multiverse-shaking "Primal Scream" that alerted Unicron to Primus' location. Primus himself immediately slipped back into his sleep, but it was too late. {{storylink|Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream}}

[[Image:EyeoftheStorm-possiblefutureUnicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Um, [[multiversal singularity|forget this]], please.]]

While devouring the planet [[Ghennix]], Unicron took note of three criminals who were attempting to escape their fate. Unicron destroyed their vessel and recreated the three as [[Hook, Line, and Sinker]]. As the distance to Cybertron was vast and he was too large to teleport, he ordered them to retrieve a [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] from a [[Rhythms of Darkness!|possible future]] to serve as his herald. {{storylink|All Fall Down (issue)|All Fall Down}} Though this Galvatron was angry at being plucked from his victorious timeline, Unicron tortured him until he agreed to be his herald. Still, this Galvatron secretly plotted his eventual treachery. Unicron sent all four of them to attack Cybertron and pave the way for his coming. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}}

{{note|Unicron declares himself to not be the same entity that this future-Galvatron remembers. The "main timeline" Unicron being a different individual from "alternate future" Unicron is also asserted by Hook, Line, and Sinker. In subsequent years, the retcon establishment of Unicron as a multiversal singularity means that these claims can only be interpreted as lies. Either that, or, uhhh, just ignore them altogether.}}

So close to Cybertron he could ''taste it'', Unicron decided to forgo consumption of the planet [[Jhi]] and hasten on his way to the ultimate confrontation. His herald Galvatron, however, captured Autobot leader [[Emirate Xaaron]], forcing him to fully awaken Primus. Suspecting treachery on Galvatron's part, Unicron sent Hook, Line and Sinker to retrieve him from the subterranean tunnels of Cybertron, but Galvatron destroyed them, and Primus was woken from his slumber. Unicron's arch-foe possessed Xaaron's body and summoned Transformers from all across the universe back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Out of Time!}}

Unicron shut down his higher mental functions and drifted for the remainder of the journey to hide himself from detection by Primus. At this point, a mental command that Unicron had placed in some of Primus's creations was activated, resulting in the formation of a cult of Unicron-worshipers, who gathered to destroy the leader of the united Autobots and Decepticons. These [[Unicron cultist]]s were drawn out when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was named commander of Primus's army. The cultists tried to assassinate the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]; they failed, but distracted the Cybertronians long enough for Unicron to sneak up on the planet. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[Image:Edgeofextinction-someonefight.jpg|right|150px|thumb|''He's got the whooooole world, in his feet...'']]

After Unicron dug his fist into the planet and ate the flesh of his mortal enemy, he noted that this was the finest meal he had ever tasted. However, he was somewhat disappointed to find that the gathered Transformers were simply so terrified of him that there was no resistance to his attack. As he devoured [[Brainstorm]] from the tip of his finger, he admitted that despite their lack of showmanship, they were at least delicious.

Unicron's unchecked rampage was soon ensnared by Primus himself, speaking through Emirate Xaaron's body. For a short moment, Unicron was restrained, but when he deduced that this ruse was a big show put on by an insignificant portion of Primus' power, he broke free and destroyed the avatar of Primus, killing both Xaaron and his creator.

Galvatron, who was worried his treachery was going to waste, attacked Unicron, hoping his bravery would stir the Transformers into action. Galvatron was smacked down, but his gambit paid off as the Transformers snapped out of their collective stupor and began a counter-attack against the Chaos-Bringer. Countless Transformers died in this assault, including the Decepticon leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. But Transformers weren't the only ones attacking him. Briefly fazed by the illusion-casting powers of the [[human]] [[Neo-Knights|Neo-Knight]] [[Rapture]], Unicron's systems were attacked by the electrical powers of [[Circuit Breaker]].

[[Image:OntheEdgeofExtinction-toomuch.jpg|left|thumb|300px|For soon you will have life. ''Sweet'' life.]]

After being clocked by the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], Unicron received another surprise: the thought-lost Creation Matrix had returned, along with its vessel, [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. Unicron was at first confused, as he'd sensed the Matrix's destruction, but quickly realized that the Matrix had not been destroyed, but had merely been masked by its seduction by evil. And in the realm of evil, Unicron had no equal! Thunderwing was destroyed, but the Matrix fell to the planet's surface.

Fighting the evil within the Matrix, Optimus Prime grabbed the artifact and launched into Unicron's maw, where the Creation Matrix was opened. While being pummeled by the flood of life unleashed by the Matrix, Unicron's body could not maintain structural integrity and exploded. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[Image:JudgmentDay-mist.jpg|right|thumb|150px|So, seriously, what was up with this stuff?]]

In an alternate 2005, Unicron's consumption of the planet [[Lithone]] was heralded first by strange pink mists<ref>The original script called this an "electronic mist." It sets you on fire and melts you.</ref> that leaked from his planet mode's maw. On route to Cybertron, he encountered an injured Megatron and the bodies of his troops. He offered them new bodies in exchange for hunting down the Matrix. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}} As Galvatron was sent forward, Unicron devoured [[Moonbase One]] and [[Moonbase Two]]. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}} Galvatron returned to Unicron with the Matrix, but he intended to use it to make Unicron his slave. In retaliation, Unicron attacked Cybertron in earnest, as the planet was helpless against his assault. Ultimately, during a battle that took place inside Unicron, Rodimus Prime claimed the Matrix of Leadership from Galvatron and the Planet-Eater was destroyed from within. Only his head survived, and it remained in orbit over Cybertron. {{storylink|The Final Battle!}} {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

{{note|In the UK version of the story, the events of "The Big Broadcast of 2006" were a fabrication invented by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]. Also, the UK printing of the animated film adaptation altered the date from 2005 to 2006 to match ''[[Target: 2006]]''.}}

In an another alternate 2005, a dying Megatron was found by Unicron. Unicron refashioned Galvatron into his herald, {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} and through their combined efforts, Unicron succeeded in devouring Cybertron. In the aftermath, he allowed Galvatron and his Decepticons to rule Earth. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}
{{-}}

====Earthforce====
{{earthforcefiction}}
After Grimlock accused Optimus Prime of being too focused on Unicron's imminent arrival, to the detriment of [[Earth]]'s troubles, the Dinobot Commander was allowed to create an [[Earthforce]].'' {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

''However, Prime had his work cut out for him. With an attempted Decepticon alliance ruined beyond all recovery and the Matrix still lost, Optimus had to turn to the original site of the Underbase—as the Underbase was linked to the centre of Cybertron, the Autobots could tap into that centre (and thus Primus himself) as a substitute Matrix.'' {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}
{{-}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
[[Image:FallenAngel-Unicron.jpg|left|250px|thumb|And then Rodimus drove up through his entire body to escape through Unicron's other eye.]]
In the parallel timeline of [[Earth-120185]], Unicron did not arrive at Cybertron until the year 2006, consuming the small planet [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]] on his way. As he drew closer to Cybertron, Unicron came upon the damaged bodies of Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and several of his Decepticon followers, who had been jettisoned into space following a major battle at [[Autobot City]] on Earth. Unicron extended Megatron a bargain, offering to rebuild him and his troops into new beings to serve him, and tortured the recalcitrant Decepticon leader into accepting. {{storylink|The Planet Eater!}} Now reborn as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Megatron immediately began scheming to destroy his "master", using a [[time-jump mechanism]] to travel back in time to 1986, where he constructed a solar cannon that was powerful enough to destroy Unicron's physical form. Fully aware of his pawn's actions, Unicron took control of the minds of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and had them follow Galvatron back in time to foil his plan. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

After Galvatron returned to 2006, he fought [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] within Unicron, where he was defeated and thrown out into space. He still had remote to the [[time-jump mechanism]] and used it to travel back to 1986 again, where he planned to take over the Decepticons so he'd be ready for Unicron when he arrived 20 years later. {{storylink|Fallen Angel}}

[[Image:LegacyofUnicron-Unicron.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Silly Junkions, you can buy loose Unicrons on eBay for just $20!]]

Only Unicron's head survived the explosion of his body, and it floated off through space to eventually crash-land on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. There, the still-conscious Unicron used mind control to force the native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] to build him a new body out of the planet. At the beginning of 2008, he pulled [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] into his thrall and used them to re-ignite the stalemated Cybertronian war in order to keep the Autobots distracted from his activities. Amused by Death's Head's repeated attempts at defiance, he told him about his origin, only to find himself now under attack by Rodimus Prime and an Autobot strike-team.

This ''almost'' went wrong, as Rodimus (at Death's Head's suggestion) tried to use the power of the Matrix on the astral plane. Here, however, the Matrix ''strengthened'' Unicron and the monster intended to merge with it for greater power. Ultimately, however, he was defeated by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], who had planted explosives under the head's building site while the Chaos-Bringer was distracted. His head was destroyed, and his mind was sealed within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

[[Image:WhiteFire-mine.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Rodimus rejects Unicron's endorsement of the coal industry.]]

On New Year's Day 2009, Unicron attempted to turn the Matrix towards evil and merge with it again, the only way he could bear being trapped within it. {{storylink|White Fire}} He reached out from within it and took control of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s body, {{storylink|Edge of Impact}} only to be stopped when Kup ripped the talisman out of his chest. Unfortunately, this meant they lost their chance to purify the Matrix and that Unicron would be ready for them next time. {{storylink|White Fire}} In 2010, he repeated the trick and transformed Rodimus's body into a copy of his own before being forced back. In the far future of 2356, Unicron's essence still resides within the Matrix, steadily withering the struggling body of Rodimus. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Orson Welles]] (English, Movie), [[Roger C. Carmel]] (English, TV series), [[Mizuho Suzuki]] (Japanese, Movie), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese, TV series), [[Jean-Claude Michel]] (French, Movie)

[[Image:Unicroncall.jpg|right|thumb|200px|So anyway, in this one continuity I'm built by a monkey. Sorry.]]

Unicron was constructed by the ancient genius known as [[Primacron]] at the dawn of the universe. Primacron had hoped that Unicron would scour the galaxy clean of life, leaving a blank slate for him to experiment upon, but naturally, Unicron had no desire to be the servant of another, and turned on Primacron, badly wounding him and his [[Oracle (G1)|assistant]], and setting out into the depths of space. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

{{note|The cartoon's account of Unicron's origin is very much at odds with the current understanding of him as a multiveral singularity. This, of course, is because the cartoons were written long before the Marvel Comic storyline that created the Primus/Unicron myth, and ''much'' longer before the retcon that applied the story to all Transformer continuities. Consequently, the animated universe is easily the one piece of Transformer fiction that is least compatible with this retcon and there has as been no attempt in official fiction to re-write Unicron's animated origin to tie in with it.}}

[[Image:TFTM_Unicron_Lithone.jpg|left|250px|thumb|I see you down there!]]

In the year 2005, Unicron made his most famous attack upon Cybertron. While heading towards the planet, he consumed the small world of [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]], making it perfectly clear how great of a threat he was to the entire universe. As he continued on his way, Unicron's powers allowed him to become aware of the death of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], who handed the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] just before dying, which angered him tremendously. He then came upon the bodies of several wounded and dying Decepticons, who had been dumped into space following a [[Battle of Autobot City|recent battle]] on Earth. He extended a proposition to the Decepticons' leader, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], offering to rebuild his body and those of his troops in exchange for their destruction of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Tortured into accepting, Megatron was transformed into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and his followers became [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and the [[Sweep]]s.

[[Image:TFTM_Unicron_smashes_cybertron.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Unicron smash!]]

While Galvatron set about reclaiming leadership of the Decepticons, Unicron arrived at Cybertron, and proceeded to consume the planet's two moons. Outraged that Unicron would do this to a planet that he viewed as his, Galvatron found himself the victim of mental torture by his creator, and ordered to Earth to complete the task given him. The ensuing chase finally climaxed in a showdown on the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]], where Galvatron seized the Matrix and returned to Unicron, only to reveal that he intended to use the talisman to make Unicron his slave. Amused by his pawn's arrogance, Unicron transformed into his [[Scale|gigantic]] robot mode and ate Galvatron. Unicron then tore into Cybertron, as [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and the rest of the Decepticons on the planet fought back, to little effect. Unicron swallowed many spaceships, and one, which contained the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and his comrades, crashed through Unicron's eye. Hot Rod and Galvatron battled deep inside Unicron, and ultimately, Hot Rod was able to retake the Matrix from the Decepticon. Transformed by its power into [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], he defeated Galvatron and opened the Matrix inside Unicron, destroying his body from within.

Unicron's head was blown clear during his death throes, and became caught in Cybertron's gravity, turning it into a new moon for the planet — a grisly testament to the satellites he had destroyed. {{Storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Image:Unicron head orbit.jpg|180px|left|thumb|Incoming message from the [[Grand Mal|Big, Giant Head]]!]]

In the year 2006, Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps visited Unicron's head, seeking to locate Galvatron, who had been hurled into space at the conclusion of his battle with Rodimus Prime. After accessing the remaining databanks and replaying footage of the final battle, Cyclonus extrapolated Galvatron's trajectory and current location. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

[[Image:GhostMachine Unicron starscream jumpers.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Unicron's glad he got that Triple-A membership.]]

On the planet home to the monster known as [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] proclaimed that Galvatron would be "more famous in history than Unicron" once Galvatron destroyed Cybertron with his newly-built death crystal cannon. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

Later, the ghost of the deceased Decepticon [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] reactivated Unicron's head in order to make a bargain with him; in exchange for Unicron restoring his body, Starscream would recreate Unicron's. Stealing new optic circuits and a transformation cog for Unicron from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Starscream was then directed to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron, so that the planet could become his new body. Starscream initially attempted to do this by using Trypticon's body, but Trypticon was deactivated by the Decepticons. Unicron restored Starscream's body so that he could finish the task, but Starscream (somewhat predictably, being Starscream) double-crossed Unicron and refused to complete the necessary connections. Just then, explosives set by the Autobots were detonated, hurling Unicron's head off the planet, beyond its gravity, and out into space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

Seeking a supply of the dangerous particles known as [[anti-electron]]s, Galvatron and the Decepticons traveled to Unicron's head, only to come under attack from the defenses of the barely-aware giant. Also present was the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who used components from Unicron's head to create the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] to fight Galvatron's forces. The Technobot [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] disconnected enough of Unicron's internal mechanisms to deactivate his systems. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Kiss Players''/''Teletraan Go! Go!''=====
[[Image:TGGUni1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha]]
Following his destruction in 2005, Unicron's [[Angolmois|lifeforce]] was scattered across time and space, fragmented and parasitized into Autobot and [[Maximal]] leaders throughout history. In 2007, three of his servants, the [[Sparkbot]]s, sought to recreate their master, and tricked the human singing group, the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]]—[[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Atari Hitotonari]] and [[Shaoshao Li]]—into helping them in their task by telling them that they were gathering the fragments of the so-called "Allspark".

[[Image:TGGUni2.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Oh god ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha]]
[[Primus]] was forced to take action to stop their mission, appearing as a giant golden hand to steal away the energy fragments before the Sparkbots could collect them, but eventually, the evil trio collected enough to accomplish their dire task. Fleeing back in time to [[Earth]]'s prehistoric past, they unleashed the energy and Unicron began to form around them. Following the Sparkbots back to the past, Primus unleashed the full firepower of his mobile battle platform's cannon, sealing Unicron's energy and the Sparkbots deep within the planet. He then created the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]] to serve as a guardian and ensure that the evil being was never again reborn. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #51}}

Unfortunately for everyone except Unicron, Brave Maximus would go onto leave the Earth in 2007, leaving the chaos-bringer's life-force unguarded. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #39}}
{{-}}
=====''Beast Wars II'' cartoon=====
At some point in the far future, human beings discovered Unicron's lifeforce within the Earth, and attempted to harness it for their own means. This resulted in the devastation of the planet Earth, reducing it to a ruin, but the fame of this "mysterious energy" that had been called "[[Angolmois]]" was far-reaching, and eventually, tens of thousands of years after the end of the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons, the Predacon leader [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] attempted to harvest it for himself. {{storylink|The New Forces Arrive!}} Using his artificial planet, [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]], he sucked all the Angolmois energy out of the planet and into the craft. However, after the interference of [[Lio Convoy]] and [[Lio Junior]], all the Angolmois energy was sealed into capsules and ejected from Nemesis as it self-destructed. {{storylink|Farewell, Lio Convoy!}}

=====''Beast Wars Neo'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tetsuo Komura]] (Japanese)

[[Image:BWNeo Unicron.JPG|left|180px|thumb|Unicron didn't take kindly to being part of the Macy's Parade.]]
Teams of Maximals and Predacons, led by [[Big Convoy]] and [[Magmatron]] respectively, then raced to collect the Angolmois capsules, as their energy effects were wreaking havoc on planets all over the galaxy. {{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}} They eventually collected all the capsules only to find themselves attacked by the mysterious and freakish [[Blendtron]]s. The Blendtrons, in truth servants of Unicron seeking to engineer his rebirth, proved nearly invincible, and stole the capsules from each team. {{storylink|Mysterious Beast Warriors!?}} They released the Angolmois energy and allowed it to possess Galvatron's dead body, restoring Unicron to life in a new form. Unicron proceeded to absorb the last remaining ounce of stray Angolmois energy—the Blendtrons themselves—and left to settle his score with Cybertron. [[Great Convoy]], attempted to hold Unicron off with the entire Maximal armada, but Unicron's fiery serpent mode proved too much and he effortlessly destroyed the armada and Great Convoy along with it. Unicron then possessed [[Vector Sigma]], the mother computer of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], effectively possessing the planet, and morphed Cybertron into his new body. {{storylink|Unicron's Ambition}}

Unicron then briefly exited Vector Sigma to deal with the last remaining Cybertronian resistance. {{storylink|The Final Battle (BWN)|The Final Battle}} Big Convoy, his Maximal new recruits, Lio Convoy and Magmatron all fought side-by-side against Unicron, but all they managed to do was stall him. Big Convoy then powered up his Big Cannon with his own [[Energon Matrix|Matrix]], transforming it into the Matrix Buster. Big Convoy shot Unicron with the weapon, the powerful blast seemingly destroying the Chaos Bringer. Unicron's spirit was then evicted from Vector Sigma, returning Cybertron to normal. {{storylink|Graduation Ceremony!!}}
{{-}}

====Japanese ''Beast Wars'' comic continuity====

=====''Beast Wars II'' comic=====
After his destruction in 2005, Unicron's displaced lifeforce became trapped within the planet Earth, where it was eventually discovered and manipulated by humankind (who were unaware of its origins). This resulted in the devastation of the planet, but the fame of this "mysterious energy" that had been called "[[Angolmois]]" was far-reaching, and eventually, tens of thousands of years after the end of the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons, the Predacon leader [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] travelled to the deserted Earth (now known as [[Gaea]]) and attempted to harvest it for himself.

While [[Lio Convoy]]'s Maximals battled Galvatron's Predacons on Gaea over the Angolomois, a Maximal research team travelled to the remains of Unicron, but reported back that they found no signs of life (unaware that Unicron's lifeforce had escaped as Angolmois centuries ago).{{storylink|Beast Wars II Mission-001}}

Galvatron eventually succeeded in sucking-up all the Angolomois energy on Gaea into his artificial planet ''[[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]''.{{storylink|Beast Wars II Mission-007}} The Maximals journeyed to Nemesis to stop him, only for Lio Convoy to become corrupted by the Angolmois energy, turning into [[Black Lio Convoy]], a Predacon. Lio Convoy was able to channel the true spiritual energy of Gaea through his [[Energon Matrix]], however, and disspell the taint, restoring himself. He then used that same power to destroy the ''Nemesis'', the Angolmois, Galvatron and the Predacons. {{storylink|Beast Wars II Mission-008}}

=====''Beast Wars Neo'' comic=====
On the planet Gaea, a group of Predacons somehow came into possession of a mysterious spheroid object known as the '''Black Ball'''. The strange artifact was of some importance to the Predacons; it may in fact have told Magmatron that he could rule the galaxy once he had the seven [[Angolmois]] capsules.

When Big Convoy came to rescue [[Longrack (BWN)|five]] [[Break|Maximal]] [[Cohrada|rookies]] [[Stampy|who]] [[Heinrad|were trapped]] in the Predacon base on Gaea, the Maximals found the Black Ball and retrieved it. {{storylink|The Five Rookies}}

After the Maximal returned to the ''[[Gung Ho]]'', they attempted to analyze the Black Ball. However, the Black Ball activated the ship's warp engine. During the warp, the Black Ball began to speak, telling the Maximals about the Angolmois capsules, which originated from the final conflict between [[Lio Convoy]] and [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] on the [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]. It also told them that there were seven Angolmois energy capsules scattered across the galaxy in total. The Maximals were warned that they must retrieve all the capsules to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands, or the galaxy would be in extreme danger. The ''Gung Ho'' subsequently arrived at the planet [[Sandron (planet)|Sandron]], where one of the capsules was located. {{storylink|There Are Seven Capsules}}

The Black Ball guided Big Convoy's team to various other places where capsules were located.

When Magmatron, who was in the healing room due to wounds caused by Big Convoy, learned that he [[Guiledart|lost]] [[Saberback|his]] [[Sling|main]] [[Dead End (BWN)|troops]] in the battle on [[Jörmungandr]], the Black Ball suddenly showed up from nowhere. The Black Ball told Magmatron that it could see he was short-handed. The Black Ball offered Magmatron some "helpers"—the [[Blendtron]]s, who emerged from within the Black Ball. {{storylink|A Battle Fought Alone}}

The Black Ball told both Big Convoy and Magmatron of the planet where the last capsule was located. Magmatron faced off with Big Convoy there, and ordered the Blendtrons to attack the Maximals. One of the Blendtrons, however, chose to attack Magmatron instead. The action of the Blendtrons baffled both Big Convoy and Magmatron alike. The Black Ball then arrived on the planet's surface.

It was revealed that the Black Ball was actually Unicron himself, or more specifically, his essence, while the Angolmois energy was his life force. Unicron absorbed the six capsules and reformed his head out of the Black Ball. He then revealed that the last capsule was actually Big Convoy and Magmatron, who were evolved by the power of the Angolmois capsule on their home planet.

Big Convoy teamed up with Magmatron to fight against Unicron, but failed. Big Convoy was saved by [[Heinrad]], while Magmatron was chewed up and spat out by Unicron. After dealing with the Transformers, Unicron headed to the planet Cybertron. He latched onto the planet like a parasite and turned it into his new body. {{storylink|Double Cross}}

Unicron desired to consume Big Convoy, the last half of the capsule, in order to make his right eye fully functional once more. His physical body was destroyed by Big Convoy after a harsh battle with Big Convoy's crew. However, Unicron's essence emerged from his physical remains and plastered itself onto Big Convoy's body, trying to possess him. Big Convoy removed the [[Energon Matrix|Matrix]] from his chest and unleashed its power, sacrificing himself and successfully destroying Unicron once and for all. {{storylink|Return to Zero}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics===
[[Image:GenerationOne0-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Say, do you remember that time Leonardo Leonardo tried to open that convenience store across the street?"]]
Unicron hovered in the background in this universe, an unseen and unknown presence. His servant, [[The Fallen]], tried to bring about his second coming by breaking the [[Seal of Primus]], but failed. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages}} Unicron sent a wave of drones and heralds into the universe, with the Alpha Drone, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], arriving on Cybertron 3000 years ago, amidst the [[Great Shutdown]], which he ended when he reactivated Shockwave for research purposes. {{storylink|Generation One issue 0|Generation One #0}} Shockwave happily shot him and experimented on him, and through these experiments became interesting in uncovering the secrets to Cybertron's history. This curiosity led him to steal the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and activate [[Vector Sigma]], which sent a beam across space that roused Unicron from his slumber. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Now awake, but not at full power or consciousness, Unicron set out on a course towards [[Earth]](!). The planets he consumed along his way, including the planet [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]], accelerated his rejuvenation quicker than [[Quintesson]] spectators had calculated. Using the raw materials Unicron harvested from Lithone, he created a new batch of drones based on a second body template. Subsequently, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] burst free from his birthing pod. {{storylink|Generation One issue 0|Generation One #0}}

{{note|Unicron was to be part of a plotline in 2005, starting from [[Unreleased Dreamwave issues#issue 13|#13]], but even his might was helpless against [[Pat Lee]]'s business skills. The reason for the Quintessons' interest in Unicron was never revealed.}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:BlackHorizon2-Unicron.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Unicron, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]], what's the diff?]]
Here, Unicron enslaved the population of the worlds he ate to maintain his inner works; one race included the [[Battle Beasts]]. He is known about in Transformer legend, and is said to have been banished from his homeworld.

Thousands of years ago, when humanity was at a primitive stage, Unicron turned up to devour the Earth. The ancestors of [[Cobra-La]], however, had developed a [[metal-eating spore]] that could potentially kill Unicron. They came to an agreement—they would go into exile, while Unicron would merely eat human civilisation once it had developed to a useful point. Eventually they did, and Unicron began broadcasting announcements of "I Return" as he headed towards Earth. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}}

[[Image:Unicron's DDP Brain.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Who needs all those TV monitors, anyway?]]

Unicron reached Earth and transformed so as to consume civilization in robot form. [[Japan]] was devastated and humanity collectively wet itself. But the world was saved by [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]], who flew into the Chaos-Bringer and doused his organic looking brain with Cobra-La's metal-eating spores. Unicron was killed, the world was saved, and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] went on to explore the dead monster's innards. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}

{{note|Despite being written after the retcon that established Unicron as a multiversal singularity, this story pays little heed to that concept, refraining from touching upon the Primus/Unicron mythology and instead claiming Unicron was banished at the hands of his own race. Of course, this is only what the Cobra-Lavians ''believe'' about Unicron, so there's wiggle room. His strange organic brain, meanwhile, was explained in [[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2|The AllSpark Almananc Vol. 2]], which revealed that this particular body of Unicron's came from the universe of the [[Tonka GoBots]], who share that feature. His uncharacteristic willingness to only eat parts of worlds and leave their populations alive to serve him, and his death-by-fungus, however, are harder to explain away.}}
{{-}}

===Beast Era cartoon continuity===
{{note|From most stories of Unicron told in this continuity, it is apparent that he staged an attack upon Cybertron in 2005 as he did in several other timelines, and that his head orbited Cybertron following his destruction as it did in the Generation 1 cartoon.}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Image:Possession-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|250px|This model must have taken them, what, three minutes?]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] appeared on prehistoric [[Earth]] and was questioned by the stranded [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] about how he came to be this way, Starscream "explained" that his body was destroyed by Unicron while serving his master, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. This was, of course, a misrepresentation, and it was revealed later that it was actually Galvatron himself who killed Starscream. {{storylink|Possession}}

When the [[Vok]] spoke with [[Optimus Primal]] in Earth's pre-history, they took the form of Unicron's head, claiming that they scanned his mind and chose Unicron as an "authority figure". {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}}

[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] would later invoke the name of Unicron by referring to [[Tarantulas]] as "Unicron's spawn" in a derogatory manner. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}
{{-}}

====''Tales from the Beast Wars'' and ''Primeval Dawn''====
[[Image:Unicrons dark essence.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Even Unicron's crap is evil.]]
In yet ''another'' timeline that followed his destruction in 2005, Unicron's essence was again sent spiraling through time and space, to crash on prehistoric Earth, prior to the conflict known as the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] which would occur on the planet. It is unclear if this was a deliberate attempt by Unicron to preserve his power or not, but this "dark essence" seemed to lack any real sentience, suggesting that it was merely Unicron's "power", while his spark remained in his intact head in the future.

[[Image:Terminus-Unicron.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Unicron makes his own light saber noises.]]

The dark essence was discovered by a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] known as the Hunter, who recognized the dark god's power, and fashioned from the essence the [[Matrix of Conquest]], a twisted version of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership which he used to conquer and rule over an apocalyptic 32nd Century future, under the name "[[Shokaract]]". Resistance against Shokaract resulted in an attempt by his opponents to travel back and time and destroy the dark essence on prehistoric Earth, thereby erasing Shokaract from history, but the villain travelled back in time to stop this effort. A massive battle between him and Transformers from throughout the multiverse ensued, but eventually, thanks to the efforts of the [[Covenant]], history was altered so that Unicron's essence never arrived on prehistoric Earth, erasing this timeline—and Shokaract—from existence. {{storylink|Terminus}}

[[Image:PrimevalDawn2-Unicron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Predicting that Unicron will eventually show up is a pretty safe bet, really.]]

Just after the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] ended on prehistoric Earth, the [[Vok]] assembled a team from the remains of that war to counter [[Tarantulas]], Unicron's spawn. [[Primal Prime]], the leader of the Vok's team, had visions of a future apocalypse, involving Unicron, that encompassed every timeline in the [[multiverse]]. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 2}} After Tarantulas ripped the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from Primal Prime's torso, he oversaw the construction of a [[transwarp]] portal that would allow him to bring his prize as an offering to Unicron. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 3}}

{{note|Though [[3H]] folded before this story could be completed, Tarantulas would of course not be successful, and the Matrix would be returned to its rightful place. (Because, you know, the ''[[Universe (2003)|Universe]]'' stories took place chronologically after it.)}}
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====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:Ascending4-Shokaractsfuture.jpg|left|thumb|300px|FOOLISH, DOOMED CREATURE.]]

Sometime after a series of events similar to those of [[Lio Convoy]] and [[Big Convoy]]'s [[Beast Wars II (franchise)|experiences]] [[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|on]] [[Gaea]] in another universe, Unicron's heralds, the [[Blendtron]]s, were instructed by the Chaos Bringer's essence to gather the [[Angolmois]] capsules scattered across the galaxy, which contained Unicron's energy. The taint of Angolmois would cause unrest and violence across Cybertron as the planet tore itself apart in renewed savage mindless conflict. At the same time, Unicron's chosen yet unwitting vessel, Shokaract, was fed Angolmois by the Blendtrons, having been convinced that it would grant him the power to be reborn as a god. In one potential timeline, this did indeed happen as Unicron was reborn from Shokaract's corrupted form, and the Chaos Bringer proceeded to consume Cybertron itself. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1|The Ascending #1}}

However, this was averted before it came to pass—thanks to the actions of the in-temporal-limbo [[Magmatron]], who alerted [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] and by extension Lio Convoy to Unicron's plan and enlightened Shokaract when the tyrant was temporarily shunted into Magmatron's personal purgatory. Realizing what his ascension actually entailed, Shokaract tore the [[Matrix of Conquest|Anti-Matrix]] from his chest, sacrificing himself and ending Unicron's plan at re-ascension. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4|The Ascending #4}}
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====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
During Megatron's rule of Cybertron, [[Rattrap]] once compared the Predacon's [[Grand Mal|big floating head]] as a "monument to Unicron", implying that the Chaos Bringer's head orbited Cybertron after his defeat. By the time of Megatron's rule, however, it had apparently left the planet's orbit, as it was never seen. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

====3H ''Universe'' comics====
According to the [[Quintesson]] scientist [[Al-Badur]], after the dawn of time Unicron recruited the Quintessons to seek out the location of his nemesis, Primus. But when the Quintessons discovered Primus, now having taken the form of the planet Cybertron, they decided to delay reporting their findings so they could first exploit Primus to their own ends. After finding the "[[Vector Sigma|singular threat]]" to Unicron and discovering how to subvert it, they used it to create a [[Transformer|race of robotic beings]] which they could sell to other worlds for a price. {{storylink|Disclosure}}

Millions of years later, one week after the [[Great Reformatting]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] gangster [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]] succeeded in acquiring the [[Divine Light]], one of the Quintessons' discarded attempts to subvert the will of Primus. As Cryotek used it steal Primus' power for himself, [[Sentinel Maximus]] warned him that flaunting Primus' power would catch the attention of Unicron and doom them all. Cryotek laughed at this, since Unicron had been dead since three centuries earlier, and the idea of his resurrection was a fairytale believed only by the naive. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:UnicronDeathstarII.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Guys. GUYS. Get that ring in the right place, or he'll never be able to eat.]]
Cryotek was defeated, and one year later Unicron struck once more. His body ruined and trapped between universes, he sought to revitalize himself by abducting Transformers from across the multiverse and pitting them against each other within the [[Cauldron]], a dark dimension contained within his own body, absorbing their [[energon radiation]] and eventually consuming their sparks. He chose to kidnap several Autobots and Maximals from the technorganic Cybertron, but that was also the staging ground from which Primus chose to launch a counterattack. Primus gathered an army from many different universes and put the resurrected [[Optimus Primal]] at its head. {{storylink|Abduction}}

These "[[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]]" raided Unicron to free his captives from their prison cities, battling Unicron's own legion of "[[Minion of Unicron|Minions]]" all the while. [[Universe war|These conflicts]] escalated for months or perhaps longer, their intensity rivaling the [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|Great Wars]].<ref>Optimus Primal's bio in the [[Revelations Part 3|Transformers Collectors' Club comic #9]]</ref> This all came to an abrupt end during the final battle, when Unicron simply vanished due somehow to the [[Unicron Singularity]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}
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===''Universe'' CD-ROM comic===
[[Image:Unicron tfu cdrom.jpg|left|thumb|200px|I'm gonna steal every single Decepticon every single year. Nobody investigate, mmmkay?]]
In a strange variant universe where [[Optimus Primal]] leads the [[Autobot]]s and [[Reptilion]] leads the [[Decepticon]]s, a ship arrives once a year, single year when the Transformers' civil war reaches a fever pitch. The ship abducts every Decepticon it can find and promptly leaves.

These Decepticons are brought to Unicron, who is preparing them for an eventual, ultimate battle for the universe. But unknown to even Unicron, Primus, the sentient core of Cybertron, is amassing an army of Autobots that rivals Unicron's army of Decepticons. Can Primus meet Unicron's challenge, or is the universe doomed?
{{-}}

{{-}}
==Unicron Trilogy==
===Mini-comics continuity===
[[Image:Armadaminicomic4-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Check out my tiny buildings!]]
The Transformers were unaware of Unicron's gradual approach during the climax of their civil war. [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] was defeated and imprisoned, and just when he had escaped, the Planet-Eater suddenly appeared over their planet. Only time will tell if the Transformers can possibly defeat him! {{storylink|Armada (mini-comic)}}

Apparently they could, and years later Galvatron was reborn as Megatron deep inside the [[Unicron's core|core]] of the defeated Unicron. {{storylink|Energon (mini-comic)}}
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===Dreamwave comics continuity===
====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
[[Image:TheEnd-Unicron.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The southern hemisphere is known as the "footsmell" region.]]

The nearly-dead body of [[Optimus Prime (Worlds Collide)|a dying Cybertron's Optimus Prime]] was sent ahead by Unicron to his next target universe, as a "calling card". Additionally, Unicron sent a group of heralds—incarnations of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]—to this second universe to find the Mini-Con Matrix and kill that universe's Optimus Prime and Megatron. The heralds did not realize that their target Optimus Prime had been accidentally transported to the initial, dying Cybertron. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}}

Optimus Prime found one lone survivor, [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]], and begged him to tell him what was going on. Spinister told him that the "heart of darkness, the root of all evil" had ravaged their world. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4}} When Unicron loomed over them, Spinister surrendered himself to his fate. Spinister soon returned as an avatar for Unicron, who found this Optimus Prime's presence to be an "anomaly". Soon [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] managed to trace Optimus Prime to this dying universe and travel there to rescue him. Using the power of the Mini-Con Matrix, Prime and Jetfire were able to combine into Jet Optimus and fire a powerful shot into the heart of Unicron. Though they were too late to save this Cybertron, they could return home and prepare for Unicron's coming there. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4}}

Optimus Prime called for an alliance with the Decepticons and the Mini-Cons, hoping to unite their forces against the coming Dark God. After warping to Cybertron's surface, Unicron himself arrived, and announced that they would all soon be consumed. During the following battle, Unicron was curious about the Transformers [[Airazor (Armada)|Airazor]], [[Cheetor (Armada)|Cheetor]], [[Rhinox (Armada)|Rhinox]] and [[Terrorsaur (Armada)|Terrorsaur]], and abducted them for future purposes. Unicron was ultimately defeated by the Mini-Con Matrix, boosted from the additional power of two universes' Mini-Cons. This universe's [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], having made a bid for Unicron's power, was standing on the surface of the planet-eater when he was destroyed, and his body was also lost, his spark trapped within Unicron's remains. {{storylink|The End}}

====''Energon'' comic====
[[Image:ThisEvilReborn-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|You never see him transform to robot mode.]]

Ten years later, his broken body was still left floating in space after his defeat. Despite his damaged form, his [[Unicron's core|core]] presented huge potentials for power, and so [[Alpha Quintesson]] gathered together a group of Decepticon dissidents under the leadership of [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] and transformed them into "[[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcons]]". He promised these Terrorcons this power in exchange for their services. Meanwhile, Megatron's consciousness was trapped within this core, and it called out to Optimus Prime to help free him. Alpha Quintesson was secretly working for Unicron himself, and he sent the corrupted forms of Airazor, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Terrorsaur, his "[[Unicron's Four Horsemen|Four Horsemen]]", to Cybertron to distract the Autobots from Unicron's revival. {{storylink|This Evil Reborn}}

Optimus Prime, who received Megatron's message, turned to the [[Autobot High Council]] for permission to dedicate an army towards Unicron's return and his intent to consume alleged huge amounts of [[Energon (Energon)|Energon]] on Earth, but the Council dismissed these concerns as paranoia. While they did not grant Prime his army, they did permit him to travel to Earth alone. Before Prime could get out of the building, Unicron's Horsemen struck. Prime and the Council realized this was an act of war perpetrated by Unicron, and so Prime's original pleas were finally heard.

As drones continued to repair Unicron, Megatron managed to assert his will on these drones, who fashioned him a new body. {{storylink|What Lies Beneath}}

[[Image:WhatLiesBeneath3-Unicroninterior.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Unicron has a big [[negative universe]] [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] collection.]]

After defeating Scorponok and his Terrorcons on Earth, Optimus Prime stepped through a portal back to Cybertron to assemble a team of reinforcments... but instead on the other end of the portal he found himself within Unicron himself, summoned by Megatron's consciousness. {{storylink|Omni-Potent}} Optimus Prime argued with Megatron, denying that he would ever help his thought-dead foe inhabit his new body. Megatron countered with images of a massive-scale Terrorcon attack on Earth. Alpha Quintesson had used Unicron's power to reconfigure [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] into Mirage, and [[Moscow]], [[Toronto]], and [[Los Angeles]] were under heavy siege. Still, Optimus Prime resisted helping Megatron, even with the promise of teaming up to destroy the remnants of Unicron, as he feared releasing Megatron in his new body would be unleashing an equal evil.

Finally, after images of carnage on Earth overwhelmed him, Optimus Prime caved to Megatron's demands, and Prime began travelling through Unicron under Megatron's direction. After falling in some goo, Prime located the sensor array that was keeping Megatron's consciousness from entering his new body. It worked, and Megatron was free... though Optimus Prime was subsequently located by Unicron's internal defenses. He is last seen having defeated these antibodies, with a bandolier and his hand-held cannon, telling Unicron he was coming for him. {{storylink|Multiplicity}}

{{note|Due to the sudden demise of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]], the conclusion of this story remains unknown.}}

===Cartoon continuity===
Unicron was evidently very active in this universe at various points in time, although the precise chronological order of his activities is unclear.

At some undetermined point in the past of this universe, Unicron was approached by the survivors of [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]], a world that had been destroyed in a war with the inhabitants of the Giant Planet, [[Gigantion]]. In return for the chance to gain revenge on Gigantion, the survivors swore loyalty to Unicron, and "Planet X" became something of a code-phrase that identified those in the service of the planet-eater.

{{note|Liner notes included with the DVD release of ''Galaxy Force'' in [[Japan]] claim that Planet X is actually the body of Unicron from a parallel universe. This would not appear to be compatible with the Western storyline, nor, indeed, with the date later given to the planet's destruction on the [[TakaraTomy]] "[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/bible/index.html World of the Transformers]" website.}}
Additionally, Cybertronian legend refers to an attack by Unicron on the planet that was ultimately thwarted by the mighty Autobot warrior, [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Omega Supreme (episode)|Omega Supreme}}

====''Armada'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Mark Acheson]] (English), [[Katsumi Chō]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Alliance-Unicronmoon.jpg|right|thumb|200px|That's no moon!]]

Unicron's first attack on Cybertron in the present day was an indirect one, over a million years in the making, begun when he opted to disguise his dormant body as Cybertron's moon. From this secret vantage point, he implanted his own cells within the planet, where they germinated and grew into the small race of robots known as the [[Mini-Con]]s. Unicron hoped to use the Mini-Cons to increase the ferocity of the Autobot/Decepticon war, and feed off of the energies released in the conflict, but an encounter with a group of [[Rad White| time-displaced]] [[Carlos Lopez| human]] [[Alexis| children]] planted the seed of sentience and free will within the Mini-Cons, who ultimately rebelled against their creator and fled Cybertron, crash-landing on the planet Earth. {{storylink|Origin}}
[[Image:Union-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Dyslexic Miniconc sell their souls to Unicorn.]]

When the Mini-Cons were reawakened a million years later in 2010, they were detected by the Autobots and Decepticons, who followed their signal to Earth. {{storylink|First Encounter}} Unicron also picked up the signal, and dispatched his minion [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]], an inhabitant of Planet X who would occasionally serve as an avatar for Unicron's spark, to carry on his work. {{storylink|Gale}} Sideways escalated the conflict by manipulating control of the three Mini-Con weapons, the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], the [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom]] shield and the [[Requiem Blaster]], but eventually arranged for all three to be returned to Cybertron, where he stole them and used them to reawaken Unicron.

[[Image:ArmadaUnicron02.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Power Cosmic gives you wrinkles.]]
Shedding his moon disguise and transforming to robot mode, Unicron turned on Cybertron, only to be met with resistance in the form of the united armada of Autobots and Decepticons {{storylink|Alliance (episode)|Alliance}}, and his own Mini-Cons, who had linked together and formed a giant duplicate of his body. {{storylink|Union}} Now at full power, however, it was child's play for Unicron to exert control over his creations, and bring the Mini-Cons under his thumb once more. Again, it was thanks to the Autobots' human allies—the same children who had been sent back in time and given the Mini-Cons free will in the first place—that the Mini-Cons struggled free of Unicron's control, including the three Mini-Con weapons, who broke free and left Unicron's body deactivated. Believing the threat over, [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] then challenged Optimus Prime to their final battle, only for the hatred and ferocity of their fight to awaken Unicron once more. To end the circle of hate that gave Unicron life, Galvatron allowed himself to be consumed by the monster, and in a brilliant flash of light, Unicron apparently ceased to exist. {{storylink|Mortal Combat}}
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====''Energon'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[David Kaye]], [[Mark Acheson]] (English), [[Nobutoshi Canna]] (Japanese), [[Fredrik Beckmann]] (Swedish)

[[Image:MegatronRaid Unicronhead.jpg|left|thumb|200px|If I need to steal [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s eyes again, I quit.]]

In truth, however, Unicron had survived, and for the next ten years, continued to consume planets in other regions of space. One such planet was the world known as [[Planet Q]], whose inhabitants fought back by detonating the planet's core in Unicron's face. Badly damaged by the explosion, Unicron fell into a state of dormancy, but the life essence of the planet's ruler—the being who would come to be known as [[Alpha Quintesson|Alpha Q]]—continued to exist within him, and began a not-entirely-sane plan to use Unicron's powers to recreate everything the Chaos-Bringer had ever destroyed. {{storylink|Alpha Q: Identity}} Recreating the armies of Planet Q as "Terrorcons", Alpha Q had them attack Autobot facilities on Earth and throughout the [[solar system]] to gather the [[Energon (Energon)|Energon]] that would be necessary for his plan to work. {{storylink|Cybertron City (episode)|Cybertron City}}

[[Image:Energon Unicron.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Unicron sported [[Neon|awesome]] [[Black repaint|colors]] during ''Energon''.]]

Unbeknownst to Alpha Q, Megatron's corpse and spark remained within Unicron, and he slowly siphoned off some of the gathered Energon, allowing him to be reborn in his own new body. To escape Megatron's fury, Alpha Q jettisoned Unicron's head and escaped in it, while Megatron took over Unicron's body, and continued to gather Energon in order to rebuild Unicron to use as his ultimate weapon. {{storylink|Megatron Resurrected}} As the climax of this plan neared, a joint attack by Alpha Q, the Autobots and their human allies saw all of Earth's Energon channeled into Unicron's head, which Alpha Q then rammed into Unicron's body. {{storylink|Unicron Unleashed}} The positively-charged Energon of Earth reacted with the negatively-charged Energon running through Unicron, tearing open a fissure in reality leading to a new area of space where planets Unicron consumed were recreated, and sustained through the Energon radiated from Unicron's head, which had now become a glowing red sun. {{storylink|Open Fire!}} {{storylink|Ripped Up Space}}

[[Image:Unicron eats blizzard.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Unicron should stop eating so many Blizzards.]]
Unicron's body, damaged once more, lay in the dark reaches near the fissure, and the Decepticons began to raid Alpha Q's new planets for the Energon necessary to revive Unicron again. {{storylink|A Heroic Battle}} This time, they succeeded, and Megatron directed Unicron's body to retrieve his head, extinguishing the Energon Sun and killing Alpha Q in the process. But the power of Unicron proved too much for Megatron to control, as Unicron began to take over Megatron's body. {{storylink|The Power}} The Autobots made a valiant but futile attempt to stop him, but Unicron decimated them. Just as things seemed hopeless, a surge of power came that allowed Optimus-Supreme to grow to Unicron's size and powered up the other Autobots, {{storylink|Optimus Supreme}} and after a long and hard battle Optimus destroyed Unicron's body. {{storylink|Unicron Perishes}}

[[Image:Energon-Unicrons-Arms.jpg|right|thumb|200px|"Geodude geeeeoooo geodude."]]

None of the Transformers were aware, however, that Unicron lived on in two forms: his miniscule Spark, floating in space, and his consciousness, which lay buried in Megatron's mind. With quiet, subconscious nudging, Unicron led Megatron to a massive reservoir of "[[Super Energon]]" beneath Cybertron's surface, {{storylink|Ambition}} which transformed him into Galvatron upon his first exposure. {{storylink|Wishes}} After a series of failed battles, Galvatron proceeded to expose himself to the Super Energon once again, and this time grew to a gigantic height. {{storylink|Galvatron Terror}} Unicron seized control of his body again for a new vessel and set out to rejoin with his Spark, but a Primus-empowered Optimus Supreme engaged him in battle once more, and drew all of Unicron's consciousness out of Galvatron and sealed it within his own Spark. {{storylink|Destructive Power}}

[[Image:EnergonUnicronOrbTheSun.jpg|left|thumb|180px|"How could this puny thing be Unicron?" 
—[[Kicker Jones]]]]
Enraged, Galvatron prepared to destroy Unicron's Spark, but it merged with him, enlarging him again, leading to another battle with Optimus Supreme, this time bolstered by the combined energy of all his troops' Sparks. {{storylink|Spark (episode)|Spark}} Meanwhile, Primus merged with the Super Energon, creating a foundling sun which arrived at the site of the battle. Taking control of his body for a brief moment, Galvatron made the decision to plunge himself into the infant sun to rid himself of Unicron's possession. The super energon mass, having now received Unicron's spark, ignited into a powerful red sun which gave new life to Alpha Q's worlds. {{storylink|The Sun}}
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====''Cybertron'' cartoon====
[[Image:Cyb ep20 unicron chunks.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Ssssh, don't tell ''[[Galaxy Force]]'' that I'm here!]]

The bitter [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] was a loner, but his attitude changed when, in deep space, he was trapped underneath some debris near the remains of Unicron and saved by [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Honor}}

[[Image:Unicronsingularity.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The cause of—and solution to—all of our continuity problems.]]

Primus's plan to trap Unicron in the heart of a new sun failed when the star collapsed into a massive [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] (sometimes known as the "Unicron Singularity") that threatened the entire multiverse. The collapse of the sun also allowed [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] to escape, [[Armor of Unicron|but not before integrating what remained of Unicron's body into himself]], increasing his power to nightmarish new heights. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

In addition to strengthening the Decepticon leader, the Armor of Unicron apparently gave Megatron access to a few of the Chaos Bringer's reality-warping powers, including the ability to unleash a devastating Energon aura {{storylink|Starscream (episode)|Starscream}}{{storylink|Showdown (episode)|Showdown}}, create new Transformer bodies, upgrade and repair fallen Transformers {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}}, and tap into the power of the [[Cyber Planet Keys]]. {{storylink|Revelation (episode)|Revelation}}{{storylink|Fury|Fury}} The Decepticon leader's newest plan also held hints of the dark god's old agenda, as he intended to use the Keys to accelerate the black hole's growth and destroy the entire universe (albeit with the intent to remake it in his image afterwards).

Unfortunately for Unicron and Megatron (who again upgraded into Galvatron), the black hole would be sealed away by Primus himself after the Autobots restored his full power.{{storylink|End}} The Armor of Unicron would be overwhelmed and destroyed along with its wearer in a final battle with Optimus Prime, wiping away the last traces of Unicron from the universe. {{storylink|Unfinished}}

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====''Cybertron'' comic====
[[Image:Unicroncybertron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|The Planet-Eater's back, and you're gonna be in trouble.]]
Unicron's heralds [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe 2003)|Nemesis Prime]] arrived on Cybertron, intent on unleashing the [[Dead Matrix]] on Primus's vulnerable essence—as the Matrix was the antithesis of Unicron, so too would the Dead Matrix ensure the destruction of Primus, thereby totally destabilizing the multiverse and reducing it to a sea of entropic chaos. For the first time, it would be possible for Unicron to strike at Primus in all realities simultaneously, ending their cosmic feud once and for all. {{storylink|Balancing Act, Part 2}}

Ramjet and Nemesis Prime were ultimately stopped by Vector Prime and allies [[Sentinel Maximus]] and [[Omega Prime]], plucked from the midst of the ''Universe'' conflict by the multiverse-warping energies of the black hole. {{storylink|Revelations Part 1}} The Dead Matrix, however, was taken by Unicron's servant [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]] and cast into the heart of the black hole, freeing Unicron's spark, which entered the planet [[Yst]] and immediately began to sow chaos and disorder. Re-energized by the hatred and violence than ran rampant on Yst, Unicron formed a new, diminutive body for himself, born into the universe when Yst exploded. {{storylink|Revelations Part 3}}

[[Image:Sentinelmaximusunicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Sorry, did that previous image indicate that Unicron was still huge?]]

During the time that followed, from behind the scenes Unicron orchestrated a civil war between the Mini-Cons stationed on Cybertron's moons. {{storylink|Revelations Part 4}} When Sentinel Maximus led a team of Autobots to stamp out the escalating conflict, Unicron's involvement was revealed, and he joined the battle himself alongside Soundwave. With no further use for the Mini-Cons, he murdered several of them and tried to capture [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]] and [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], whom he had plans for. {{storylink|Revelations Part 5}} However, before Unicron could achieve victory, Primus was reawakened, and the Dark God fled as Cybertron transformed into its robot mode. {{storylink|Revelations Part 6}}
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==Live-action ''Transformers'' movie series==
===Titan Magazines===
{{quote|I'm certain I can speak for all those pledged to the Decepticon cause when I say Unicron spells one thing, and that's trouble with a capital 'running and screaming'.|Barricade|[[Transformers Comic issue 2.6|#6 (Vol.2)]]}}

While the Transformer race appears ignorant of Unicron, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] has knowledge of him and encountered him {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 12|#12's Star Screams}} in an event where Unicron attempted to devour Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 19|#19's Star Screams}} We don't know how Starscream witnessed this (did he hop universes?) but it has left him terrified. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 17|#17's Star Screams}}

In 2009, both [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] would also be aware of Unicron's existence. His sheer might scared him. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.6|#6's Law and Disorder}} They know that [[fandom|you]] want to see Unicron in the third film and it ''sickens'' them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.13|#13's Law and Disorder}}

{{notetitantlg}}
[[Image:Unicron Titan19.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"The psoriasis is barely slowing him down!"]]
[[Stockade (Movie)|Stockade]] and his Decepticon chums attempted to rebirth Cybertron by sending out a summons that would attract any entity related to the lost [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]], and then drawing that entity into Cybertron once it arrived.

As that entity announced itself to be '''"Unicron the Anti-Life!"''', they felt like a right bunch of plonkers. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 18|Return to Cybertron: Part 2}}

Unicron moved swiftly, transforming Cybertron into a scarier looking physical form and causing the planet's surface to becoming hostile to the Transformers on it. Stockade's attempts at communication were met with contempt and a strange attack. The new Unicron then warped into the Sol system, shot down an Autobot shuttle, and went "OM NOM NOM" at the sight of Earth. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 19|Return to Cybertron: Part 3}}

The downed Autobots regrouped with Stockade's Decepticons and worked to take away the [[Nucleon]] that was powering Unicron's physical form. They succeeded in this by causing it to blow up and catch fire, which caused Unicron to draw on more Nucleon to recover, which fueled the fire and so on until the source ran out. Unicron disappeared, though whether he was dead or just gone is ambigious. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 20|Return to Cybertron: Part 4}}

Either way, the changes Unicron had made to Cybertron remained. The teleportation equipment he'd created was used by the Autobots to finally end the war. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 25|Revolution Part Three}}
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==''Transformers: Prime''==
===''Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron''===
Unicron was defeated in his attempt to destroy Cybertron very early in its history, but emanations of his presence remained and were gathered and stored on [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon]] Station. This substance was a violently addictive poison that could pass on to another bot once its user died, and was dubbed the Sparks of Unicron or [[Dark Energon]]. Ultimately [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] achieved what Unicron did not by contaminating the [[core]] with Dark Energon, forcing the planet to shut down and reboot. {{storylink|Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron}}

==Video games==
===''Transformers'' game===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Matthew King]] (English)

[[Image:Armadavideogame-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Unicron takes a shot in the mouth.]]

After the Autobots defeated the Decepticons on [[Earth]] and had secured the majority of the Mini-Cons there, Unicron made his appearance above Cybertron, intent on destroying the planet. Optimus Prime's team of Autobots and the Mini-Cons returned home via a warp gate to see the Chaos Bringer unleash a wave of destruction upon the great cities of their planet. The Mini-Cons joined together to form the [[Matrix Cannon]], the [[Vanguard Booster]] and the [[Nemesis Shield]] for the Autobots to use against Unicron. The Autobots flew into Unicron's maw and blasted their way into his energy core, damaging it enough to send Unicron spiralling out of control and destroying him. {{storylink|Transformers (PS2)|Transformers}}

{{-}}
==Toys==
{{main|Unicron/toys}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Model-TheEntity.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Flamboyantcron]]

{{bigquote|Since Unicron is a villain and because I was fooling around at that time, I decided to make him look demonic with goatee, horns, bat-like wings and eagle talons for feet. I got the idea of Unicron from the planet Saturn and Satur. Actually, the original name was "Ingestor," but the writer changed it to Unicron when he saw the design, probably because of the "horns."|character designer [[Floro Dery]], [http://transformersph.blogspot.com/2007/06/floro-derys-transformers-exhibit-and.html Floro Dery's TransFormers Exhibit And Interview]}}

* Before the Transformers brand even existed, Takara designer [[Hiroyuki Hataike]] drew up a "Planet-Robot" toy for the ''[[Micro Change]]'' line, a design that would eventually inspire Unicron.

* In early preproduction for ''The Transformers: The Movie'', Unicron was referred to as the '''Entity'''. A model sheet from later in the movie's preproduction revealed that, at one point, the ''planet'' Unicron would turn into the ''robot'' '''Ingestor'''.

* Character designer [[Floro Dery]] claims his designs for Unicron were very large and complicated. For example, there were three drawings of Unicron's internal organs that were 2'x7' each. Dery also explains that Unicron television monitor-covered [[Unicron's core|core]] is "like security monitors in a building," and that he must watch these screens manually to know what is going on, rather than the information being diverted directly into him from the screens' source. And finally, the orbiting moon that is seen in the discarded ''Generation 1'' prototype by Takara (see [[Unicron/toys]]) was intended to be "a kind of mini-Unicron, like Mini-Me of Dr. Evil." Floro Dery's kind of eccentric. <ref>Zobovor's [http://web.archive.org/web/20060625115408/http://members.aol.com/tfencyc/interview_dery.html Interview with Floro Dery]</ref>

[[Image:TFTM-Unicronalternatehead.jpg|right|thumb|150px|He shaved!]]

* An earlier/discarded version of Unicron's head showed up during Unicron's transformation scene in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. Originally animated for [[The Transformers: The Movie promo]], This version has no [[facial hair]] and has extra greebles all over his face. It also colored the helmet entirely gray, save an orange mohawk. In [[Transformers: The Animated Movie|IDW's comic book adaptation of the animated film]], [[Don Figueroa]] drew a hybrid between the two designs, combining the facial hair and the orange mohawk.

*The [[Unicron Trilogy]], the series of Transformers franchises that includes ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'', was so named by Hasbro designer [[Aaron Archer]] because of Unicron's importance in each story.

* Within the Marvel Comics continuity, the appearance and subsequent destruction of Unicron and the destruction of Primus' [[Emirate Xaaron|avatar]] ("[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]"), as well as the tainting of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] caused by [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], created a great many [[splinter timeline]]s from the main the Marvel Comics continuity. These events, as well as an earlier, undefined event related to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], resulted in the creation of yet another splinter timeline, the [[Classics (2006)|Classics]] universe. This universe began overwriting the [[Tonka GoBots]] universe. That's right. Unicron killed the GoBots. {{storylink|Withered Hope}}

*[[Roberto Orci]] was interested in having Unicron in ''[[Transformers 3]]''.[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-just-movie-31/ask-roberto-orci-roundup-january-14---mythology-money-shots-jolt-military-and-bringing-chaos-166603/]

* Unicron has the ability to create [[tainted world]]s, but none have yet been discovered.

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Unicron/Unicron/unicron.htm Unicron on TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Unicron Unicron's Universe profile at NFTA.net]
*[http://www.transformersontheshelf.com/UnicronPage Unicron (toy) History]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/pages/transformers-reviews/gallery/766/micron+legend/Green+Unicron+%28Lucky+Draw%29.html Photo gallery and review of Green Lucky Draw Unicron]
*[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/merchandise/25/merchandise/Unicron+Japanese+Store+Display.html Inflatable Unicron store display gallery]

==References and footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Armada characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo characters]]
[[Category:Cybertron characters]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Energon characters]]
[[Category:Energon planets]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 planets]]
[[Category:Gods]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Moons]]
[[Category:Planet X]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Prime characters]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Unicron| ]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]

Wreck-Gar (Animated)

2010-09-29T07:04:53Z

64.189.19.132: /* Animated cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|decepticon}}
{{disambig2|the garbage truck from ''Transformers Animated''|the Junkion from Generation 1|Wreck-Gar (G1)}}
:''Wreck-Gar is a very confused individual from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Wreck-garanimatedpoint.jpg|right|360px|thumb|Put down that chainsaw and listen to me!]]
Recently brought to life by the power of the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], '''Wreck-Gar''' is simple-minded and highly suggestible. As he attempts to learn more about his identity, he never loses his sense of humor. His trash bin is an impressive bag of tricks, able to stash and deploy many useful (and even more useless) items at a moment's notice, or make them seemingly disappear forever. This ability is a bit of a mixed blessing, as Wreck-Gar will frequently confuse your request with something that sounds vaguely similar.

Wreck-Gar's primary goal in life is to acquire an identity. Additionally, he is eager to help people and be liked. He will automatically take on whatever role is suggested to him. This makes him rather unpredictable and prone to making the wrong move at the wrong time. However, if he can learn to think for himself instead of relying on others, there's potential in this friendly mix-and-match bot.

{{bigquote|I am Wreck-Gar! I am only good for one thing... '''GARBAGE!'''|Wreck-Gar cheerily takes [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] at his word|"[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]"}}

:''Italian dub name'': '''Pattumiera''' ("Trash can")

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [["Weird Al" Yankovic|"Weird Al" Yankovic]] (English), [[Joachim Kaps]] (German), [[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian), [[Mitsuo Iwata]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Wreck-garisgoodforonlyonething.jpg|left|180px|thumb|OKAY I CAN HEAR YOU NOW!]]

Wreck-Gar emerged from a garbage scow, activated by a shard of [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] energy that was close to [[Sari Sumdac]]'s [[AllSpark Key]], self-aware but with no sense of history or identity. He tried to figure out what he was by studying objects in his environment and was briefly tricked by a food label into thinking he was high-fructose corn syrup. Spying a blimp proclaiming the [[Detroit]] Metro Police Department was "here to help", Wreck-Gar went off in search of the police for help. Once ashore, Wreck-Gar's clumsy curiosity prevented police officers from apprehending the [[Angry Archer]], and the villain quickly conscripted Wreck-Gar as a sidekick, even giving the confused mechanoid his new, shorter name (as "worthless-''wreck''-walking-pile-of-''gar''bage" was a bit overlong). Wreck-Gar helped the Archer disable an armored car("I Am Wreck-Gar, I knock things over!"), allowing him to steal a canister of unknown content right in front of the [[Autobot]]s [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]].

Upon seeing the Autobots and overhearing that they protected life and caught bad guys, Wreck-Gar decided he wanted to do that, slapped an [[Insignia|Autobrand]] on his chest, and chased the escaping Archer. Throwing the Archer high into the air in order to "catch" him, Wreck-Gar only got the canister, as the Archer used a grappling arrow to escape. After being harshly told by Ratchet he was only good for one thing, ''GARBAGE!'', Wreck-Gar proudly declared he was good for only one thing—''GARBAGE!''—and set about trying to deliver the stinky stuff to the entire citizenry of Detroit. (Detroit just happened to be in the middle of a garbage strike as well. Hooray!) The Autobots gave chase, having discovered the canister Wreck-Gar held contained experimental [[Sumdac Systems]] garbage-eating microbots, which Ratchet worried would be dangerously mutated by Wreck-Gar's AllSpark energy.

[[Image:Wreck-garanimatedvehicle.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Buy some sensible shoes and a Chevrolet!]]

This mission became much more dangerous when he was approached by [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]], who was out to retrieve the AllSpark shard from Wreck-Gar's body. Thanks to Wreck-Gar's habit of repeating everything said to him (specifically, Ratchet's proclamation that "you're not an Autobot, and you never ''will be'' an Autobot!"), Lugnut believed the newcomer was just as much a loyal [[Decepticon]] as himself. When Ratchet accosted Wreck-Gar, Lugnut prepared his [[Punch of Kill Everything]], which Wreck-Gar took to mean the [[universal greeting]], so he gave Lugnut a high-five that left a colossal impact crater. As the Autobots ran for it, Wreck-Gar hopped on the pursuing Lugnut, pulling out the now-cracked microbot canister he'd gotten. A small amount spilled on Lugnut and began eating through his tail section. Wreck-Gar helpfully disassembled the tail, sending Lugnut plummeting somewhere in Detroit, with himself and the tail landing in a full garbage scow, which the nanobots quickly began to consume. From the shore, a group of bystanders began cheering as they saw the scow's load diminish. Now supplied with a fresh load of garbage and mistaking the cheers as intended for his delivery of said garbage, Wreck-Gar pushed the scow full steam ahead.

Wreck-Gar's attempt to deliver it was impeded by Ratchet, who first screamed at the junk-bot that the nanobots would destroy the entire city should they reach shore, but Wreck-Gar was adamant. Ratchet then did the hardest thing he'd ever had to do: ''apologize'' for his insults and bad attitude. Ratchet told the now-even-more-confused robot that he could be whatever he wanted and to not let others decide for him who he was. Wreck-Gar decided he truly wanted to be a hero, and slapping the Autobot symbol on his chest once again, began vacuuming up the nanobots. The nanobots began to overload within his backpack, however, and as Wreck-Gar tumbled off of what was left of the scow, he cried out his thank-you to Ratchet. An explosion of AllSpark energy burst from the water, and all Ratchet's magnetic power could retrieve was random junk...

And, at the bottom of the lake, Wreck-Gar smiled to himself, a hero. Despite being buried up to his shoulders, he assured the fish passing by he was there to help...but first...could somebody give him a hand or a fin? {{storylink|Garbage In, Garbage Out}}

[[Image:Wreck Gar Polka Party.jpg|thumb|180px|left|You better squeeze all the Charmin you can, when Mr. Whipple's not around!]]

Eventually roused from his lakebed slumber by the crude raft of Sari Sumdac's [[Scrapper (Animated)|ragtag]] [[Snarl (Animated)|crew]], he joined the [[Substitute Autobot]]s to help liberate Detroit from the grip of [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]]. A bit less befuddled than in previous encounters, he proved (mostly) effective in aiding Sari in battle, only being defeated once Soundwave was able to focus his attentions solely on controlling [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]]. Afterward, he enthusiastically pitched in on the cleanup efforts, collecting the scraps of hundreds of [[Porter C. Powell]]'s damaged Soundwave toys.

[[Image:TFAni_Human_Error_Part2_Wreck-Gar_Merry_Trashmas.jpg|thumb|right|180px|The sleigh bells are ringing and the carolers are singing while the air raid sirens blare!]]

He even got into the [[Christmas|holiday]] spirit a bit, playing Santa and handing out garbage to all the good little girls and boys. {{storylink|Human Error, Part II}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Wreckgaranimatedvoyager.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ya gotta buy one if you wanna get one free!]]
*'''Wreck-Gar''' (Voyager, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-32'''
**''Accessories'': 2 scissor-blade weapons

: Wreck-Gar transforms into a garbage truck with articulated lifting-forks. Pushing a small spring-loaded lever on the back of either of the lifting forks will extend the fork forward. The sliding lever on the top of the truck exposes both of his weapons from slots in the rear. These blade- or scissor-like weapons can attach to his forearms, or combine into a single bladed weapon which can also attach to either of his forearms. (Don't run with them!) His [[Shellformer|transformation]] involves pulling nearly his entire robot mode out from under the truck mode, meaning he wears his vehicle mode like a backpack. However, you don't care because Wreck-Gar is awesome (and it's show-accurate).

:According to the back of his box, he collects things others throw out, watches more TV than even Bumblebee, and believes everything he reads on the internet. How he did these at ''the bottom of a lake'' is unknown.

:Rather annoyingly, a number of Wreck-Gars have a problem with their right shoulders that causes the pin to move out of its position when the shoulder is moved during transformation. It is currently unknown if this would eventually cause the pin to pop out completely.

:He does have a waist joint, but it can only move slightly because of the backpack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/Wreck-Gar/wreck-gar.htm More information on Wreck-Gar at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
* Originally, the creators wanted [[Eric Idle]] to play Wreck-Gar, as he was the original voice for his [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]]. As Idle was busy with the production of ''Spamalot'', Weird Al was selected instead.

* Wreck-Gar's head is an old-fashioned portable TV set, complete with channel selection dials, aerial and a handle for transport. As art director/character designer [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] has admitted to being heavily influenced by [[wikipedia:Gainax|Gainax]] shows, this may well be a visual cue to [[wikipedia:FLCL|FLCL]], along with the resemblance to the original Wreck-Gar's head and his "TV talk" persona. Plus, in the music video for Dare To Be Stupid, Weird Al 's head turns into a tv at one point.

* Wreck-Gar's line "I ''dare'' to be stupid!" is something of a double-callout, as the Weird Al song "[[Dare to Be Stupid]]" was featured in the original [[The Transformers: The Movie|''Transformers'' movie]] during the battle against the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], and Wreck-Gar himself is voiced by Al.

* Then, of course, there's the accordion in one of the above images. Al himself has been an accordion player since the age of 7.

* ''Transformers Animated'' story editor [[Marty Isenberg]] stated in an interview that the idea of a garbage bin that Wreck-Gar can pull anything out of was inspired by Harpo Marx.<ref>[http://www.cvcomics.com/artandstory/?p=242 CVComics.com's Art & Story 68 audio interview with Marty Isenberg.]</ref>

* Among the things that Wreck-Gar throws at Ratchet and Bumblebee when they meet is a motorcycle resembling the alt mode of the original Wreck-Gar.

* Weird Al stated in a Q&A at [[BotCon 2009]] that Wreck-Gar ended up working with Detroit's sanitation committee. Sounds like he's living the American dream!

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]

Rattrap (BW)

2010-09-28T18:03:48Z

64.189.19.132:

{{faction|maximal}}
{{disambig2|the Maximal energon miner/warrior|the Autobot informant|Rattletrap}}
:''Rattrap is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Rattrap-S1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I'm not a rat. If I'm any rodent, it's the loyal capybara, king of the rats...no, wait.]]
It's not so much that '''Rattrap''' is a coward... he just doesn't want to die. He's seen enough battles to know the score, so he's not afraid to tell his commanding officer to shove it if he's not fond of the odds. He prefers to sneak around unseen, in gutters or trenches or trash barges or what have you—whatever keeps him out of harm's way. He shouldn't be so worried. When he does encounter conflict, he deals with it masterfully with the arsenal of guns and bombs he keeps on himself at all times. He feels naked without them.

It's hard to like Rattrap, especially if you're his commanding officer. He's sarcastic, irreverent, and rude. Plus he smells (''why'' he smells is a mystery). He's also not the most trusting or forgiving sort, so he's not the best choice to take on a diplomatic run. He'd sooner shoot a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] or [[Decepticon]] than talk to them. Despite his tough-as-nails attitude, he has a [[Transformer romance|strong affection]] for his fellow Maximal [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]].

{{quote|We're all gonna die.|—Rattrap, Every episode, ever.}}

:''Japanese name:'' '''Rattle''' (ラットル ''Rattoru'')
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Rattrape''', '''Rattrap''' (Transmetal)
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Dà Hūi Shǔ''' (大灰鼠, "Big Grey Rat"... yep, really [[:Image:RattrapLOVEScheetor.jpg|big]].)
:''Italian name:'' '''Rattilus''' (original toy), '''Metal Rattilus''' (Transmetal)
:''Polish name:'' '''Szczurotron''' (loosely translates as "Rattron")
:''Spanish name:'' '''Ratatrampa'''

==Fiction==
===Toy Bio===
Rattrap is a highly respected, top-notch soldier who is used mostly for reconnaissance, continually prowling the city streets for any Predacon activities. In order to keep up his strength, he's always eating "grunge and grime and any wretched refuse he may encounter along the way." Eeeeewwww....{{storylink|Rattrap#Toys|Rattrap bio}}
{{note|The on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}
===Cartoon continuity===
He was the best miner in the Vespa system. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}}

====Dawn of Future's Past====
[[Image:Timelines-rattrap.jpg|left|175px|thumb|Remember kids, always wear your helmet when you transform into a bicycle.]]

While preparing for an exploration mission on board the [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']], the Maximal who would later be called Rattrap and [[Cheetor (BW)|his young companion]] were stuck aboard a space station for weeks, running various errands before their mission could officially begin. After acquiring additional [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] for their trip, they returned to the ''Axalon'' where their captain, [[Optimus Primal]], notified his crew they had to travel first to the [[Alpha Quadrant]] to rid themselves of [[Rampage (BW)|some mysterious cargo]].

In the middle of Rattrap's objections, the ''Axalon'' was contacted by the [[High Council]]. The [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], a historic Maximal artifact, had been stolen by a rogue group of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] led by a Predacon criminal who had dubbed himself [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. As the ''Axalon'' was the closest ship with the capabilities to take down the [[Darksyde|Predacons' stolen ship]], Rattrap and his team were ordered to pursue.

However, before long, their ship was attacked by a mysterious ship (piloted by secret Predacon operatives [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], though unknown to them). After taking some damage, Rattrap was elated to see the ''[[Chromia 10]]'', a second ship, arrive and help deter their unknown attackers. However, the ''Chromia 10'' and its pilots were severely damaged in the scuffle before Rattrap was able to destroy the unknown Predacon ship with the ''Axalon'''s forward guns.

The battle over momentarily, Rattrap's ship was hailed by Megatron's, and the Predacon criminal introduced himself quickly to them before his ship opened fire on the Maximals. The ''Darksyde'' disappeared through a [[transwarp]] portal, and Rattrap and the Maximals followed. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Kappei Yamaguchi]] (Japanese), [[Orlando Viggiani]] (Portuguese), [[Paulo Porto]] (Portuguese, in some episodes), [[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian), [[Robert Missler]] (German), [[Pierre Laurent]] (French)

[[Image:BWPart1 coverfire.jpg|right|230px|thumb|That's what friends are for!]]
After following the Predacons through a transwarp portal and appearing above a mysterious planet, both ships were damaged in the ensuing space battle, and before both ships crashed into the planet's surface below, the [[stasis pod]]s carrying the rest of Rattrap's crew were ejected into orbit.

The planet was rich with [[Energon (fuel)|energon]]—so much so that prolonged exposure would short out their bodies. The Maximals and Predacons were forced to take organic forms from the local creatures; Rattrap took the form of a (very oversized) rat, and was dismayed to find that they were going to have to use the disguises to avoid the energon radiation. Forced into battle, he refused [[Optimus Primal]]'s order to rescue [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] on the grounds he'd get shot up. When Optimus went to do the job himself, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] had to hold up Rattrap to get the rat to provide covering fire. Afterwards, Rattrap was unrepentant, pointing out that they'd all come out of it alive.

[[Image:BeastWars2 Dinobot Rattrap glaring.jpg|left|220px|thumb|How's the weather up there?]]
On the way back to base, the Maximals ran into the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] who challenged Primal to a fight over leadership. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} Rattrap objected to Primal's decision to subsequently let Dinobot join their group, accusing Dinobot of trying to kill Rhinox when the Predacon accidentally caused a rock fall. Primal had some harsh words with him. During a battle atop a mountain laced with energon, Rattrap found himself having a beast mode fight against [[Tarantulas]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

After Cheetor got himself blasted by Scorponok and got Rhinox's new comlink trashed, Rattrap didn't hesitate to mock the cat for his mistakes. When Cheetor ran off to fix it, though, Rattrap found himself going after him to stop him from doing anything stupid - which failed miserably, as Cheetor was captured by Tarantulas long before Rattrap reached him. The rat and the spider engaged in a heated duel in Tarantulas' underground lair, with Rattrap gaining the upper hand by using a heat box to fool the spider's thermal scanner. After rescuing Cheetor, Rattrap gave an alibi to Optimus about their whereabouts, but then chewed out the cat for almost getting them both scrapped. He left to munch some garbage, but earned a new friend when Cheetor thanked him for saving his life. {{storylink|The Web}}

During an energon storm, Rattrap tried fruitlessly to raise Optimus, only for their leader to arrive and scrub the mission Cheetor was due to go out on. At least this time it was Dinobot who goaded Cheetor into going out, but all of the Maximals were later thanking the cat for saving their lives later on. {{storylink|Equal Measures}} When Optimus went semi-missing in action, swallowed by a [[Vok probe|alien probe]], Rattrap objected strenuously to Dinobot nominating himself as new leader. A vote was left stalemated until Optimus managed to get a signal to the base and named Rattrap group commander in his absense. After a moment of initial indecision, Rattrap commanded capably in Primal's absence (even earning Dinobot's grudging respect). When Primal returned, he offered his compliments as well. Rattrap's response: "Eh, command's a pain in the tail, especially with this pack of hyenas. You can keep it!" {{storylink|Chain of Command}}

Over time, Rattrap grew to respect his commander grudgingly, with the earliest glimmers showing through when Primal and Rattrap infiltrated a flying mountain that was loaded with supercharged Energon. Primal bravely distracted a super-powered Terrorsaur while Rattrap planted explosives to destroy the mountain (and had a brief tussle with Tarantulas). Optimus then got them both off of the exploding mountain with a fearless beast-mode leap off the edge, which ended with them dangling in the treetops far below. Rattrap commented that Primal "did pretty good up there—but don't tell anyone I said so." {{storylink|Power Surge}} Rattrap was a member of the party sent out to attempt to capture a stasis pod after Optimus Primal was taken out as soon as he left the base. The group was cut off from the pod when [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and Terrorsaur took out a snow bridge, and Rattrap radio'd base to break the bad news. Fortunately Dinobot and Primal were able to set up a transmitter, and by the time Rattrap and the others got to the pod, the [[protoform]] inside had already been reformatted into [[Tigatron]], who was able to help them fight the Predacons off. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

[[Image:TerrorsaurcagedRT.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Despite all of Terrorsaur's rage, Rattrap is still just a rat in a cage. -Wheelie]]
Suspicious of why the Predacons had managed to ambush three straight Maximal operations, Optimus sent Rattrap on an undercover mission into the ''[[Darksyde]]'', under the guise of not trusting Rattrap and him defecting to the Predacons. Captured by Terrorsaur as part of the mission, Rattrap pleaded his loyalty to him and was taken to the base, where he knocked out [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] with a transformation-disabling device, allowing Terrorsaur to seize power. After he was locked in the lower chambers and Megatron made his escape, Rattrap broke out and continued his mission, discovering that the Predacons had acquired a Maximal decoder chip which allowed them to hack the Maximals' communications. He was almost caught by Tarantulas but disabled him and signaled Optimus, who attacked the Predacon base with the other Maximals. In the firefight, Rattrap was forced to fire on Optimus, blasting him from the sky and seemingly confirming his traitorous ways. Dinobot almost destroyed him, but two timely breaks allowed Rattrap and the Maximals to escape. Back on the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', Optimus congratulated Rattrap on a job well done, adding that he didn't need to make his "defection" that believable (as he rubbed where Rattrap had shot him). Rattrap's response was "Eh, what can I say? I was trying to miss." {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

[[Image:Coc getshorty.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Frenzy is red!" "Maximal lies!"]]
Rattrap distrusted Dinobot and insulted him at every turn. Dinobot wantonly returned in kind, constantly bickering with the "vermin". Dinobot and Rattrap's arguments ranged from being a minor irritation at times to causing serious chaos in the Maximal ranks at others. Rattrap's taunts caused a berserk Dinobot to damage the control module of the newly activated Sentinel defense system, which promptly drove the Maximals out of their own base. Under the circumstances, Rattrap's rarely seen sense of nobility and fair play came to the fore; recognizing the predicament as his own fault, he immediately volunteered to stay inside the base and deactivate Sentinel. His considerable skills at infiltration and demolition allowed him to reach the central computer core and order Sentinel to stand down, though very nearly at the cost of his own life. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}}

When Primal was hit by one of [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s [[Cyberbee]]s, injecting a virus and turning Primal into a berserker, Rattrap unexpectedly became the voice of reason, telling Cheetor and Dinobot to settle down. He objected to Dinobot's idea to set their enraged leader on the Predacons, but it became academic when Primal escaped and headed for the ''Darksyde'' anyway. Rattrap and the other Maximals provided cover fire for Cheetor, as the young Maximal mounted a rescue. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}} During an attempt by the Maximals to build a communications tower to contact a [[temporal probe]], which the [[Maximal High Council]] had sent to search for the ''Axalon'', Rattrap managed to save Dinobot's life by blasting [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] over a cliff. Unfortunately he was promptly hit by the same [[transformation lock lens]] which had disabled Dinobot's robot mode. Ultimately the tower was destroyed by Megatron. {{storylink|The Probe}}

[[Image:Victory Megatron crushes Rattrap.jpg|right|thumb|270px|[[Rubber Ducky]] isn't his ''only'' squeaky toy.]]
Rattrap planted a spy cam in the ''Darksyde'', and the Maximals were surprised to watch the Predacons apparently manage to blow themselves up. He proceeded to try to push as many of Dinobot's buttons as possible, but without getting a rise. The Maximals managed to salvage enough to get their own ship working. As Rattrap was telling Tigatron about a "sweet little hole-in-the-wall", it was revealed that the Predacons weren't slagged after all. Megatron managed to get on board and blasted everyone but Rattrap, attempting to crush the Maximal with his bare hands (or at least his beast-mode jaws). Fortunately Rhinox came around in time to come to Rattrap's rescue, though the ship still crashed. Afterwards, Rattrap and Dinobot resumed their usual bickering. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

After Rhinox was captured by the Predacons, Rattrap managed to tap into his friend's comlink, and the Maximals listened in horror as Rhinox was converted into a Predacon by Megatron's [[Transmuter]]. Though Rattrap was determined that they should go in there immediately, Primal held them back, allowing the evil-ized Rhinox to wreak havoc in the Predacon base. {{storylink|Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs}} Tricked by a [[Clone One|clone of Dinobot]], Primal sent Rattrap with the clone to investigate a possible Predacon base. Instead, while Rattrap was crossing a log over a lava flow, the clone kicked the log out from under him. Rattrap survived, landing on a rock and using a grenade to get himself out of the chasm. He swiftly warned Primal and Cheetor, but by the time they reached base, Dinobot had already... dealt with the clone. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

[[Image:The Trigger Rattrap optimus.jpg|left|230px|thumb|You call it "hi-jacking". I call it "forced donation".]]
Rattrap and the other Maximals later welcomed [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] to the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. {{storylink|The Spark}} During a contact with Tigatron, Rattrap was alarmed to hear his comrade was under Predacon attack. After news came in by Cyberbee that Tigatron had discovered an alien-built [[Brigadoon|flying island]], the Maximals were alarmed to hear that Blackarachnia and Scorponok were trying to take control of it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} Rattrap and Primal headed for the island, tangling with Terrorsaur and Waspinator on the way, Rattrap commandeering Terrorsaur as his new ride. After they reached the island, Blackarachnia took control of it. Rattrap's leg became trapped, and he told Tigatron to go on, dealing with the problem himself by using the island's own defense system. This also provided a crucial distraction, allowing Tigatron to destroy the island's power source. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

Megatron's latest gambit involved the Predacons stealing the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki> [[rectifier coil]], forcing the Maximals to remain in their beast modes at all time. The Maximals soon succumbed to their base animal insincts, wandering out into the jungle, but were aided by Tigatron, who helped them to delete the block between their instincts and Maximal programming. Rhinox and Rattrap improvised a ratball special during the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Rattrap was part of the group of Maximals who were searching for energon when Scorponok triggered an explosion, blinding them all. Lead by Rhinox, they attempted to make their way back to the ''Axalon'', but were attacked by a snake. Though Rattrap failed to rescue Cheetor, he did manage to save his companion in a way, by proving a more attractive meal. Luckily for him, Rhinox got rid of the snake. They continued on, managing to nearly reach the Maximal base when they came under attack by Terrorsaur and Waspinator. Rhinox was able to guide the other Maximals in fighting the Predacons off while blinded. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}} After a violent storm damaged the Maximal base, making it vulnerable, the Predacons mounted an attack with the help of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had possessed Waspinator's body. The Predacons triumphed, expelling the Maximals into the wilderness, however the Predacon occupation didn't last long, as internal conflict in their ranks allowed the Maximals to retake their base. {{storylink|Possession}}

[[Image:Low Road Rattrap Dinobot fight.jpg|thumb|right|230px|YOU THERE! STFU!]]
Another costly incident resulted when Rattrap and Dinobot were ordered to clear rampant wild bean vines growing outside the Maximal base. A prank by Rattrap quickly turned into a brawl between the two. Their struggle continued even when the Predacons launched a sneak attack, requiring Rhinox to exit the base to provide covering fire for them. Tarantulas used the distraction to inject Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], which eventually wore down his systems to the point of near-deactivation. Primal ordered Rattrap and Dinobot to find Tarantulas's lair and retrieve an antidote, commenting: "They'll either learn to work together or they'll destroy each other...right now, I don't care which." Despite continuing their argument the whole time, Rattrap and Dinobot managed to find [[Tarantulas's lair]], and retrieve the counter-virus. {{storylink|The Low Road}}

After Megatron called for a truce, Rattrap was sent with Airazor to infiltrate the ''Darksyde'' to find out what was going on. They were immediately detected and asked to leave, but they'd provided the necessary distraction for Tigatron to get into the Predacon base. Rattrap later took part in a (non-violent) operation to aid Tigatron's escape, and Tigatron reported that Megatron had discovered that the aliens were coming. {{storylink|Before the Storm}} Rattrap and Airazor were first to reach the alien landing site, but Rattrap was blasted, while Airazor became trapped in the "nutty alien bungalow" which sprouted up. After dealing with Waspinator in a not at all non-violent manner, Rattrap attempted to cut into the structure using a laser, but was unsuccessful. fortunately Scorponok's sting allowed him to enter the construct with Optimus, and he was able to pull Airazor out, only to find the truce was over and he was at Predacon gunpoint.

[[Image:OtherVoices1 Rattrap beast mode.jpg|thumb|left|RataTOING!!!]]
Rattrap and Airazor were subsequently able to overpower the Predacons and make a retreat when Optimus's escape from the bungalow provided a distraction. High above, one of the moons opened up, revealing what Rattrap would later dub the "[[Planet Buster]]". {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} Returning to base, the Maximals discovered it had been compromised, and Rattrap and Airazor found Blackarachnia in the hold with a spacecraft Tarantulas had constructed from a stasis pod. Optimus would later pilot the stasis pod, using it to destroy the Planet Buster and save the Maximals, though at the cost of his own life. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

The destruction of the Planet Buster caused a [[quantum surge]], mutating Cheetor and Rattrap into new [[Transmetal]] forms. Rattrap gained a new wheeled mode which afforded him more speed. Almost immediately, Megatron, who had also received an upgrade, attacked, and the two Maximals found their new forms being tested in battle. Rattrap was able to use his wiles to trip Megatron, but ended up being crashed into by Cheetor. {{storylink|Aftermath}} After finding a stasis pod containing a [[blank]], Rhinox put himself into some sort of trance-like state. With everyone else out in the field, Rattrap was left alone in the base, and Cheetor naturally soon radio'd to warn him that the Predacons were on their way. Naturally any use of the base defenses would interfere with what Rhinox was doing, so, joined by Dinobot, Rattrap set out to defend the base with Cheetor. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

[[Image:Coming of the Fuzors 2 Dinobot Rattrap.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
Outnumbered two to one, the trio fought on, capturing [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], one of the two [[Fuzor]]s who had revived and been co-opted into the Predacon forces by Megatron. Though Dinobot favored termination, Rattrap and Cheetor had Silverbolt put in a [[CR chamber]]. The Maximals continued to defend the base, and were on the verge of defeat, until Optimal Primal appeared, reborn in a Transmetal body, and fought the Predacons off. Resuming command, Optimus asked Rattrap to remove his junk from the commander's quarters. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

With Silverbolt now a Maximal, he and Rattrap were out patrolling when they were sent to investigate a Predacon signal and tangled with Blackarachnia, Tarantulas and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. To Rattrap's chagrin, his comrade refused to strike Blackarachnia because of her gender. When the cave the Predacons were protecting exploded, Rattrap congratulated Silverbolt on his shot, but Silverbolt denied doing anything. {{storylink|Tangled Web}}

Rattrap's relationship with Dinobot was sorely tested when when Dinobot temporarily returned to the Predacon side. For one long moment, as Dinobot was faced with a test of Predacon loyalty at Megatron's behest, Rattrap truly believed that Dinobot was about to slag him. But Dinobot proved unable to kill his erstwhile teammate; he instead turned on Megatron. Optimus left the final decision over whether Dinobot could stay a Maximal to Rattrap, who reluctantly agreed. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}}

[[Image:OtherVisits2 Rattrap with gun.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Rattrap and Dinobot were assigned to knock out a Predacon jamming tower. They eventually managed it, but by then Tigatron and Airazor had been shot into space by an alien device. After rendezvousing back at base, the Maximals headed out to the site, where the alien device sprouted into a huge [[Metal Hunter|construct]] and blasted everyone with an energy wave. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} The Transmetals and Fuzors recovered quickly, and Primal and Rattrap worked to drop the [[refractive web]] which Tarantulas had placed over the machine. Unfortunately they were too late to prevent Megatron taking control of ship, and Primal was taken prisoner. Rattrap was able to take Tarantulas captive, returning the Predacon to the ''Axalon'', where they formulated a plan of attack. While the other Maximals provided a distraction, Tarantulas and Rattrap got on board the ship, and Rattrap was able to rescue Optimus. The craft itself was destroyed when Tarantulas sabotaged the transwarp drive, but luckily Primal and Rattrap got clear in time. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:CodeofHero Rattrap salutes.jpg|thumb|right|260px]]
Rattrap still give Dinobot grief about his recent betrayal—not the usual flippant insults, either, but genuine barbs that cut Dinobot to the quick. Rattrap's words helped motivate Dinobot into what would ultimately be his heroic final sacrifice to save the future of the human race. Rattrap arrived at the battlefield along with the other Maximals to find Dinobot damaged beyond recovery. His reaction was perhaps the strongest of any of the team. The two shared final words of both insult and reconciliation, Rattrap gingerly holding Dinobot's hand as he died. As Dinobot's spark left his body, Rattrap was the first to stand and, with utter sincerity, salute the fallen hero. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

While searching for a jamming tower, Rattrap, Cheetor and Silverbolt discovered a crashed stasis pod containing a [[Transmutate (character)|strangely mutated Transformer]]. As they fought the Predacons over, it, it let out a sonic cry which shorted out the Maximals. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

[[Image:Rattrap-slimpickins5.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rattrap fights to prevent Predacon infiltration, subversion, and pollution of the Maximals' precious bodily fluids.]]
When Rhinox's calculations suggested that the [[transwarp wavefront]] from the Planet Buster explosion would soon be detected by [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the Maximals celebrated their impending rescue. Instead they got Predacon secret agent [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who Rattrap trusted only slightly less than he initially did Dinobot. Despite his misgivings, Rattrap took part in the assault on the ''Darksyde'', and was present for Megatron's apprehension. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Rattrap raised the alarm when Cheetor was knocked out by Silverbolt, who wanted to go capture Blackarachnia himself. A while later, Rattrap's distrust of Ravage proved well founded — Ravage was turned against them by Megatron, and Rattrap had to radio a warning to Primal. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

As Ravage's Transwarp cruiser attacked the ''Axalon'', Rattrap used his wheeled beast mode to launch himself out of the base and onto Ravage's ship. Tearing his way through its hull, he tossed a pair of magnetic bombs right into the hands of the startled Tarantulas, who could do nothing but scream as they blew him to bits and destroyed the cruiser's engines. Rattrap bailed out as the Transwarp cruiser crashed its destructive way to earth, having pretty much single-handedly saved the Maximals and their base from destruction.

The next day, as the Maximals tried to infiltrate the Autobot vessel the Ark, Rattrap fired the shot that brought down the Ark's shields and—almost—gave the Maximals a chance to stop Megatron's last-ditch scheme to alter history. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

Though Blackarachnia turned against Megatron and assisted the Maximals in starting to repair the damage Megatron had done to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Rattrap was not particularly sympathetic, threatening to shoot her, even on pain of injury by Silverbolt. When Optimus hesitated in shooting Megatron, Rattrap volunteered to do it himself, and Primal batted him aside. Later still, Rattrap spared no sarcasm in mocking Silverbolt, after the other Maximal gave a long melodramatic speech over Blackarachnia, offering the services of his invisible violin. The Maximals were forced to move in to the cavern housing the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] after [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] destroyed the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

[[Image:Rattrap-subaquatic2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Beast Noirs]]
Rattrap wasn't impressed with new arrival [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], declaring him rude and joking the Predacons would make fish sticks out of him. {{storylink|Deep Metal}} Rattrap was picked for a mission to enter the submerged remains of the ''Axalon'' and retrieve Sentinel, mostly because he was the only one small enough to fit in the [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] which Blackarachnia had built. Attacked by Rampage, he was glad to see Depth Charge coming to the rescue, though Depth Charge was more interested in fighting Rampage than helping with the mission. Extracting the Sentinel module, Rattrap returned to the surface where Silverbolt was waiting, however the pair quickly ran into a group of Predacons whole stole Sentinel. Though Rattrap and Silverbolt got it back, they collided with Depth Charge, resulting in Sentinel falling into [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]'s hands. Rattrap later had some uncomplimentary things to say about Depth Charge, but was forced to admit the other Maximal ''had'' saved his life. {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

Rattrap's suspicions of Blackarachnia continued when he spotted her lurking around restricted areas. When later telling Rhinox about it, Rattrap made it clear he still didn't trust the ex-Predacon. He and Rhinox found themselves defending the base alone against a Predacon incursion, when the others were all out battling a group of [[Cyber raptor]]s. Just as it seemed the Predacons would triuph, Depth Charge arrived to lend a hand, and saved Rattrap's bacon. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}} Rattrap monitored Cheetor, after the latter had turned up, having been missing presumed killed. He was startled by noises coming from Cheetor's quarters, and was even more shocked when a strange feral beast burst through the door, apparently spiriting away Cheetor. A while later, Cheetor once again returned, but it was clear all wasn't right, and Rattrap was surprised to discover that the young bot had been mutated by the strange properties of the [[transmetal driver]]. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

Blackarachnia didn't appreciate Rattrap's insinuations about her loyalty when the Maximals were investigating the possibility of removing her Predacon shell program. His suspicions were seemingly confirmed a while later, when Silverbolt's scan detected Blackarachnia heading for Predacon territory. Although Rattrap's first instinct was to tell Optimus, Silverbolt managed to talk him out of it by bringing up Rattrap's friendship with Dinobot. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

[[Image:Go with the Flow Rattrap Una.jpg|thumb|250px|left]]
Rattrap was amused by Cheetor's attempts to educate [[Chak]] and [[Una]], two young [[Protohuman]]s. When Una was kidnapped by the Preds in order to complete Megatron's [[disruptor cannon]], Rattrap was teamed up with Depth Charge to go rescue the kid. During the flight, they were shot down by Megatron's cannon, disabling Depth Charge and leaving Rattrap to go on alone. Though outnumbered by the Predacons, Rattrap was aided by Una herself, and the pair made their escape, using Depth Charge as a raft. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}} When Blackarachnia's shell program began to degrade, and she downloaded the Ark's access codes into Optimus, Rattrap commented "You couldn't pay me to let that spider inside my processor," which prompted Cheetor and Silverbolt to tell him to keep his opinions to himself. He still defended the base to try and prevent the operation to save Blackarachnia from failing, even if it did fail in the end (she got better). {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}} Megatron's next plan saw Quickstrike taking control of Optimus Primal, disabling the other Maximals and locking them in a cage. Blackarachnia released them all in time to fight off a newly-upgraded Megatron. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

When the Predacon base was destroyed by the arrival of [[Tigerhawk]], Rattrap was the first, and only Maximal prepared to celebrate, but was puzzled when anyone failed to return his high-five. {{storylink|Other Victories}} He was skeptical that Tigerhawk's arrival had anything to do with the [[Covenant of Primus]], and was later dismayed to learn that Megatron had pulled an ace out out of his sleeve, in the form of the ancient [[Decepticon]] warship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', and they were going to have to defend the Ark against the oncoming attack. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

With the ''Nemesis'' airborne, the Maximals were forced to try to implement [[Operation Eternity]]. Rattrap found himself having to pack up his collection of Predacon parts, which has particularly full of Waspinator bits, as Rhinox explained that they might need to move the Ark. The Maximals struggled to get the ship working, and Blackarachnia found that Rattrap's sword-tail made a perfect power conduit... once she snipped off the tip. OW. Of course, it quickly melted when they tried and failed to fire up the engines.

As the victorious Maximals left Earth in a refitted Autobot shuttle, Rattrap was more than surprised to learn that [[Dinobot II|old chopper face's clone]] was responsible for saving them, but very happy—they were going home, and they wouldn't have to see Megatron until after they got there, as he was strapped to the roof of their shuttle. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

Rattrap should have known that nothing was ever that easy for them.
{{-}}

====Dreamwave Summer Special====
[[Image:AintNoRat Rattrap target.jpg|thumb|250px|right]]
As Rattrap piloted the Autobot shuttle back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he observed his companions sleeping in back, and drifted off himself, beginning to dream...
:''Out testing an experimental vehicle built by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], Rattrap ran into [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]], who yanked him out of the small craft. Rattrap's appeals to the Predacon's honor appeared to have an effect, and Dinobot halted his blow for a few moments, before appearing to resume his attack. They were interrupted when a [[Bonecrusher (BW)|bison]] knocked them both from a cliff, and Rattrap was saved from falling to his death by a [[Optimus Minor|monkey]]. Bonecrusher, Optimus Minor and [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] introduced themselves to a startled Rattrap, but Optimus Minor asked him not to tell Primal, as the three Maximals did not wish to fight in the Beast Wars.''
Rattrap was woken up by Primal, but wouldn't elaborate on what he had been dreaming. {{storylink|Ain't No Rat}}
{{--}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
{{Note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Not long after Megatron combined his spark with that of the original Megatron, he had Quickstrike plant a device in the Maximal base. The device magnified the Maximals' aggression. For Rattrap, this simply meant that his complaining became even more incessant until Cheetor started chasing him around. Eventually Optimus Primal was able to help them overcome the device's effects, and they fought off Megatron instead. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

{{Note|This takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]"}}
While [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] and Rattrap were bickering in the [[technorganic orchard]], Megatron's spark animated a [[Motorcycle Drone|Cycle drone]] and attacked them. After a brief scuffle, the thing exploded, sending the pair diving for cover. Rattrap later worked out that Megatron's spark had become depolarised and attempted to repolarise it. Unfortunately his attempts clued Megatron in to what had happened, and before Rattrap ultimately succeeded, Megatron used the knowledge to destroy Rhinox. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor'': [[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Kappei Yamaguchi]] (Japanese), [[Alexandre Moreno]] (Portuguese)

[[Image:MasteroftheHouse Rattrap.jpg|thumb|270px|left]]
After the Beast Wars ended, the Maximals finally made it back to Cybertron, only to be shot down, hunted and attacked by legions of [[Vehicon (BM)|mindless tank drone Transformers]]. The drones unleashed a virus on the Maximals, devolving them back into their organic beast forms and erasing any prior memory of the event. Rattrap was hiding in a [[Monorail transport|monorail car]] when [[Optimus Primal|Primal]] stumbled upon him. Primal's newfound intuition soon reunited the pair with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. Primal then led them to the ancient [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] computer, which reformatted them into new, techno-organic bodies, curing the virus.

In his new form, Rattrap became a large green rat with a "toolkit" on his back, containing such things as flashlights and computer ports. When they first faced a platoon of [[Motorcycle Drone|Cycle drone]]s, the Maximals discovered that they were unable to transform. Rattrap asked if maybe they could return the upgrade, but Optimus soon stumbled on the fact that they needed to focus their inner selves in order to transform. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

Optimus set about teaching the other Maximals how to transform, but Rattrap had an immense amount of trouble, unable to get anything to happen. Their base discovered, the Maximals split up to find a new one, Rattrap accompanying Optimus on his search. When they later tried to gain entry to the [[Council Citadel]], Rattrap found his inability to transform caused him to be pretty much useless in battle. He was only saved from some Tank drones by Optimus interrupting [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s concentration. {{storylink|Master of the House}}

The other Maximals kept the Vehicons busy while Rattrap broke into the [[Cybertron Archives]], only to find the ancient library had been wiped clean. After a disorderly retreat, Rattrap followed Blackarachnia to the spaceport, where they encountered three new [[Vehicon general]]s. They managed to evade the trio and accessed the spaceport records of their arrival, discovering that there had been six of them on the shuttle. Blackarachnia headed for the shuttle's location, and Rattrap overheard a communication from Megatron indicating that he was going to access her mind when she accessed the shuttle computer. Rattrap dashed to the shuttle and cut the connection in time, and the pair were subsequently rescued from the three generals by Optimus and Cheetor. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

[[Image:Mercenary Pursuits Rattrap 2heads.jpg|right|230px|thumb]]
The discovery of information about [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] reawakened memories of them in the Maximals, who set out to find the missing pair. During the search, Rattrap found a transformation enhancer in a laboratory and, frustrated at his inability to transform, used it. Unfortunately it caused unpredictable effects, resulting in the four Maximals being captured by [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. Taken to Megatron, the Maximals were in danger of having their sparks extracted, however Rattrap's spontaneous random transformations broke him free of the energon bonds, and he was able to free everyone. With the help of Tankor, who Optimus temporarily convinced to help them, the Maximals escaped. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}}

Rattrap's failure to master transforming continued to frustrate him, causing him to snap at Primal and bluntly suggest the Maximal leader save his concern for Rhinox and Silverbolt. The Maximals subsequently encountered another Maximal, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who had survived Megatron's purge. After a brief battle with [[Sonic Attack Jet|Aero drones]], during which Rattrap was forced to hide, Nightscream took the Maximals to the tree he had been living off. Rattrap, Blackarachnia and Optimus ate fruit from the tree, causing their beast instincts to overcome them, until Cheetor blasted the tree. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}

[[Image:Rattrap bm robotmode.jpg|left|280px|thumb|They see me rollin', they hatin'.]]
With Optimus Primal weakened after reformatting Nightscream, Cheetor was left in charge, and he, Rattrap and Blackarachnia went on a mission to a Vehicon factory in search of information. While under orders to access the computer, Rattrap saw Nightscream in what looked like deadly peril... and finally found that his concern for others allowed him to transform. Though he realised straight away that his new robot mode lacked weapons, he attempted to save Nightscream anyway, only to discover he'd bungled an ambush his friends were planning. While trying to stop the factory operating, he managed to send a massive surge through the computer system, destroying the factory.

Back at base, he was chewed out by Cheetor, and compounded the problem by transforming to robot mode within the base, potentially allowing the Vehicons to track their position. Though he suddenly realised that the power surge he'd caused had made Megatron weak, the other Maximals refused to follow his suggestion that pressing to the attack might be a good idea, and he would later overhear them discussing what to do about him. Upset, he left the base and went to Megatron, offering to protect the Vehicon leader overnight in return for "noisemakers", and was provided with a massive armored suit. This almost brought him to blows with the other Maximals, until Primal arrived and talked him down, telling the other Maximals that Rattrap was stronger than they knew. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

The Maximals found a factory full of empty Transformer bodies, which Rattrap examined and discovered that the sparks had been ripped out. After another skirmish with the Vehicons, Blackarachnia revealed she'd discovered that the three generals held the sparks of their missing friends. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}} While Nightscream and Blackarachnia kept the other Vehicon generals busy, Rattrap and Cheetor went on a special mission. Rattrap hacked into Tankor's processor, unlocking memories about what had happened when they reached Cybertron. It didn't take long before he realised that Tankor was actually Rhinox. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} Though Cheetor was skeptical, they revived Tankor, only to find themselves being chased across the city by the enraged Vehicon. Eventually, Primal was able to reawaken Rhinox's personality, only for the Maximals to discover their friend had turned against him. Though Rattrap was about to reprogram Tankor, he was prevented by Optimus, and could only watch as their friend left. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[Image:Survivor Rattrap takes cover.jpg|thumb|220px|right]]
While Rattrap was trying to extract memories from Nightscream, the young Maximal's snide comments about the fact they had lost the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] angered him. The Maximals attempted to find the chamber containing the fruit tree again, leading to a fight with the Vehicons during which everyone was knocked out, and Nightscream abducted. The Maximals managed to find him, leading them to battle more Vehicons, and the discovery of a [[fossil cave]] which they would use for their base. {{storylink|Survivor}} With Optimus and Cheetor now constantly coming to blows over leadership decisions, Rattrap would often find himself in the middle of their arguments. The latest such argument was cut short when the Maximals discovered a quantity of [[organic goo]], which was followed by the appearance of Tankor, who used the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] to turn Nightscream into [[technomatter]] before himself overloading. As they'd discovered that the organic goo would cure the technomatter sickness, Rattrap accompanied Primal and Cheetor in trying to obtain a [[Vehicon Mole|mole drone]] in order to drill for more goo. Having commandeered one and cured the technomatter, Rattrap found himself in the middle of another argument, and this time left them to it, forcing them to talk about their disagreement. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[Image:Catalyst Rattrap vine uhoh.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Searching the computers for more locations to find the organic goo, Rattrap stumbled on a catalyst planted there by Tankor. He used to to superaccelerate the plant growth, only to find himself literally carried away by the vines, and having to be rescued by the other Maximals. They would later use the fast-growing vines to rescue Blackarachnia, against Optimus's wishes, an act that almost spelled doom for the orchard. {{storylink|The Catalyst}} Nonetheless, Rattrap used the catalyst to create plant-bombs that ensnared Vehicons in instant-growth vines. When Optimus discovered the location of the [[plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], which would end all technological life on Cybertron, the other Maximals persuaded him not to use it. Instead, they had Rattrap attempt to hack into the computers to found a way to disable the Keys. Unfortunately Tankor had other plans, and disabled Rattrap by zapping him into technomatter. {{storylink|End of the Line}}

Restored to technorganic health when the conflicting energies of the Keys and the Plasma Energy Chamber cancelled each other out, the Maximals visited the Council Citadel, where they discovered the remains of Optimus, Megatron and Tankor. Rattrap checked out the city's central core and reported it was flat-lining. Though he was greatly discouraged, Cheetor announced they had to find the lost sparks. After an altercation with the two remaining Vehicon generals, the Maximals went to the Oracle chamber, where they found Primal floating with in the Oracle. Though he asked for them to forgive him, Rattrap told him there was nothing to forgive. With some encouragement from the Maximals and an encounter with the Matrix, Optimus chose life, returning to them.

[[Image:PrometheusUnbound Rattrap harness.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]
Returning to the surface, the Maximals were startled when a giant [[Grand Mal|likeness of Megatron]] floated into view. {{storylink|Fallout}} While Optimus tried to contact Megatron's spark, the other Maximals went to look for the Vehicon generals, and found [[Noble]], a completely organic [[Transformer]] who had seemingly no control over his transformations into a huge beast dubbed Savage. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} Noble made Rattrap extremely uneasy and he had little sympathy for Nightscream's friendship with the beast. The Maximals broke into the Council Citadel, eventually reaching the throne room, where Rattrap tapped into Megatron's [[control harness]] and attempted to access the encrypted data. He was pulled from the harness by Noble, who it turned out was Megatron himself, trapped in his own organic half. Megatron used [[spark extractor]]s to remove his spark, and soon took up residence in the giant floating head, reactivating the Vehicon drones. After the Maximals retreated to a safe place, Rattrap expressed his sorrow to Nightscream that Noble had turned out to be a con job. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

Rattrap developed a new device, combining a spark extractor with a [[DNA scanner]], which he hoped to use to reformat the Vehicon generals back into their friends. While searching for Nightscream, he spotted the young Maximal being dragged away by Savage, who was by then sparkless and operating completely on instinct. Believing the worst, Rattrap attempted to quietly rescue Nightscream, but accidentally alerted Savage. The pair fled, and managed to lose Savage by diverting his attention to [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]. They found that Blackarachnia had used Rattrap's device to turn [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] back into [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and Rattrap was overjoyed to have at least one of their friends back. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}} A [[Hate Plague]] virus created by Megatron infected the Maximal ranks, causing the Maximals to fight among themselves. With Optimus's help, they realised what was happening and managed to work together to overcome the virus. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}}

A spaceship crash led the Maximals to discover [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a Maximal formatted as a plant-based life form, who was able to lend a hand with the failing technorganic crops. {{storylink|Home Soil}} Though the Maximals were finding they had an easier time dealing with just Thrust, Megatron soon introduced two new Vehicon generals — [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] — who almost got the better of the Maximals until a vision prompted Botanica to lend a hand. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}}

[[Image:Sparkwar2 Rattrap generators.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Searching for a way to evade the Vehicons, Rattrap developed [[scrambled field generator]]s, which hid their life signs. Rattrap and Botanica were paired up to search for the lost sparks, but spent most of their search bickering, only to encounter Strika. Fleeing, they hid in a handy building which turned out to contain a holographic entertainment unit, much to Rattrap's delight. While he was immersed in the illusion, Strika attacked. Botanica yanked him out of the holographic world, and he subsequently used the device to keep Strika occupied. Though he was inordinately pleased with himself, Botanica dragged him from the building, saying the hologram wouldn't hold Strika for long. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}}

As the Maximals intended to infiltrate the floating head in search of the missing sparks, Rattrap provided upgraded versions of his scrambled field generators. They were used to great effect, as Rattrap, Primal, Blackarachnia and Botanica snuck aboard the flying head, only to discover that Megatron had begun to devour the missing sparks as part of his ascension. After Megatron made the mistake of killing Noble, Nightscream used his sonic attack to blast and apparently dissipate Megatron's spark. With the floating head plummeting, Rattrap managed to activate the manual controls so that Optimus could take control of it. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

After the Maximals had celebrated their foe's demise, Optimus assigned Botanica and Rattrap to tend to the [[technorganic orchard]], much to Rattrap's dismay. He continued to complain, even as he worked on the orchard, and got into an intense argument with Botanica, which abruptly ended when they accidentally [[Kiss|locked lips]]. Startled and embarrassed, they both decided to delete their memories of the incident. As it turned out, Megatron wasn't gone after all, and his spark possessed a Cycle drone, which wreaked havoc in the orchard until Botanica destroyed it. Rattrap swiftly found a way to track the spark, and managed to repolarize it, allowing it to finally possess a body for good — that of a [[Diagnostic Drone]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

[[Image:BMEndgame1 Rattrap Botanica dying.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
Soon the Maximals found themselves sieged aboard the giant head. The ship's shields cut Botanica from Cybertron's organic core, slowly starving her. Desperate to save her, Rattrap loaded her into a lifepod and used a device to eject her through the shields. Unfortunately this also allowed Megatron to learn the shield harmonics, enabling the Vehicons to bypass the shields as well. Rattrap defended his actions, but the ship was doomed. He erected a stasis field around the spark containment unit as the ship plunged to the ground. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} With the ship completely depowered, Botanica showed up with a power cable, and Rattrap was extremely happy to see her, though he clumsily hid it. As they prepared to defend the ship, Botanica thanked Rattrap for saving her life. Optimus was able to get the Oracle to provide them with spark powerups.

[[Image:Rattrap bm treehugger.jpg|left|250px|thumb|A little man and a big plant.]]
During the battle against the Vehicon drones, Botanica sensed Mole drones attacking the orchard, and took Rattrap and Nightscream down to fight them off. The Mole drones moved in on Botanica, but Rattrap used his spark power to whisk her out of danger. Megatron was able to use his access to the Oracle to cut off the Maximals' spark power, and, overcome by the Mole drones, Rattrap and Botanica had their sparks ripped out by Cycle drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}}

Though no longer able to physically help, the Maximals were able to offer brief words of encouragement to Primal during his final battle with Megatron. When Primal's sacrifice triggered the reformatting of Cybertron, their sparks were freed and quickly returned to their bodies. As they witnessed the newly greened Cybertron and the restored population, Rattrap leapt joyfully into Botanica's arms. So he's a tree hugger. Deal with it. His and Botanica's romantic moment was interrupted by [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (now regular wasp size and with his [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] head) complaining about how he never gets what he wants, Rattrap just swatted him away. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}

{{--}}

====''Universe''====
{{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

{{charstubfiction}}

[[Image:Rattrap legs.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Legs! Precious, beautiful legs!]]

Rattrap was among the Maximals gathered at Memorial Spaceport to greet the wayward [[Autobot]]s [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] back to Cybertron approximately one year after the reformatting of Cybertron. He welcomed Trailbreaker back in his own unique fashion (involving intoxicants, naturally). Seconds later, Rattrap bore witness as the five travelers were abducted by Unicron. {{storylink|Abduction}}

[[Image:Escape-extraRattrap.jpg|right|thumb|150px|THERE. ARE. TWO. RATTRAPS.]]

A technorganic Rattrap from another universe was among those who were abducted by Unicron. He was freed along with the others and presumably returned to his home universe.

When Optimus Primal was restored to life and returned to Cybertron with the abductees, Rattrap was there to witness their arrival. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}} Despite Primal's miraculous return, some of the Maximals voiced concerns that he might not be the same 'bot they once knew, but Rattrap vowed that this time, he was with Primal all the way.

Not long after, needing to blow off steam, Rattrap headed down to the [[Undercity]]. While firing off a blaster at nothing in particular, he was attacked on Cybertron by Blackarachnia, who had been abducted and corrupted by the Chaos Bringer. Rattrap noted that he'd never trusted Blackarachnia, and she replied that he was right not to do so. She was seconds away from delivering a killing strike, but Rattrap was saved by the recently resurrected [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]. After the spider was driven off, Depth Charge started to leave. Rattrap pleaded with him that there was obviously something big afoot, but Depth Charge would not be swayed, taking his leave as the injured Rattrap passed out. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[Image:11rattrap.GIF|right|142px|thumb|This is why Japan shouldn't touch the fiction. No seriously guys, we [[Dickbot the blender guy|got this]].]]

Following the [[Quantum surge]], [[Optimus Primal]] was dead and the [[Maximal]]s were left scattered all over [[Earth|Energoa]]. Now a [[Transmetal]], Rattrap proceeded to freak out all over the Maximal base as [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] attacked in force with his army of [[Cobra Soldier]]s and [[Scorpion Soldier]]s. With [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]]'s defenses gradually depleting, Rattrap remarked that they were all going to die.

Suddenly, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] appeared above the base, only to be attacked by Sentinel. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] moved to shut Sentinel down and let her in, but Rattrap stopped him, saying that if he shut it down, they'd die for sure. Rhinox angrily reminded him that Maximals don't turn their backs on one another and shut Sentinel down. Feeling a bit guilty, Rattrap proceeded to use himself to cushion Airazor's crash-landing.

With the defenses down, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] was able to sneak in and attack. Ripping off Rattrap's arm, Blackarachnia was only spurred to leave after seeing what she thought was Rhinox committing suicide. As the base collapsed, Rattrap, Airazor and Rhinox were kept safe by a small force field, protecting a machine Rhinox hoped would return Optimus Primal to his old body. As Rhinox brought Primal's spark out of [[Transwarp space]], Rattrap blasted it from a laser cannon toward a dish positioned by Airazor, allowing Primal to return to his new Transmetal body. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game===
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the first season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
{{Note|Rattrap is a playable character in the Maximal mode of this game for normal gameplay.}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{Note|Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only list said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Rattrap can accomplish throughout gameplay in Maximal Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Megatron (BW)|several]] [[Scorponok (BW)|Predacons]] [[Tarantulas|included]] [[Blackarachnia (BW)|as]] [[Inferno (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Rattrap fills the role of the nameless Maximal. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game===
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}[[Image:N64_Rattrap.jpg|frame|right|Rattrap in the N64 Game]]
''Voice Actor:'' [[Scott McNeil]] (English), ??? (Japanese)

Rattrap displays an otherwise unseen ability to quickly burrow underground in his beast mode, and subsequently errupt from the earth in order to surprise his opponent.

The Beast Wars were ultimately won thanks to a spy mission successfully completed by Rattrap. The resulting sneak attack meant the end of Megatron, who perished in the battle's explosive finale. The remaining Predacon troops were subsequently taken prisoner. The Beast warriors then boarded the ancient Autobot shuttle, and returned to Cybertron. Back on his home planet, Rattrap can finally enjoy peace and tranquility, as he relaxes at restaurants, taverns and bars, proclaiming: "Ahh... Ya know, we're all gonna di... dine!" {{storylink|Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Rattrap's fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Rattrapbeastwarsbasic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Less cute than advertised.]]
*'''Rattrap''' (Basic, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-5'''
**''Accessories'': 2-part pistol

: Part of the first wave of ''Beast Wars'' product, Rattrap transforms from a large rat to robot mode with a spring-action, [[Autotransformation|one-step transformation]]. His beast mode "shell" halves each hide a part of his handgun.

: In Japan, the initial releases of Rattrap were identical to the [[Hasbro]] version. At the very end of the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' line (early 1997), several toys were given altered decos to make them more show-like. For Rattrap, this mainly meant his robot-mode head got a humongous glob of shiny copper paint (that didn't really match his copper plastic in tone). This copper was also used on his hands. His eyes were changed to red and dark gray paint added to his beast mode nose.

: This mold was also used to make [[Packrat]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BasicJ2pack}}
*'''Rattle Vs Terrorsaurer''' (Vs pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-5'''
**''Accessories'': 2-part pistol

: In Japan, Rattrap was available both separately and in a two-pack with the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]. This set contained the pre-[[redeco]]ed versions, identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|Transmetal1}}
[[Image:BWRattrapTM.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Find one without a chrome shedding problem, win a prize!]]
*'''Rattrap''' (Deluxe Transmetal, 1998/1999)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-43'''
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: Part of the second wave of Deluxe [[Transmetal]]s, Rattrap transforms from semi-organic robot to a robotic rat. He has a third "beast-vehicle" form, folding his hind feet up into the extending rear wheels, flipping up his front legs, and pulling out a pair of [[Exhaust port|exhaust pipes]]. (Eyuw, the smell!) His beast-mode tail becomes a whip for robot mode. Despite the show's portrayal, his hubcaps are not removable, nor does he have a handgun. Transmetal Rattrap is one of several toys notable for being subject to severe chrome-flaking over time.

: There is a minor variant to this toy: about midway through the production run, a small "catch" was added to the neck's swivel joint to lock his robot head in place in robot mode. This [[retool]]ed version was then used for all subsequent releases of the toy.

: For the Japanese ''Beast Wars Metals'' release of Transmetal Rattrap, the chrome was given a much more maroon tone and the tan changed into gray. Also, the "RATTRAP" [[tampograph]] on his beast-mode back was changed to "CYBERTRON" with the [[Maximal]] [[Insignia|faction symbol]]. The orange used was also darker and more subdued.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Transmetal Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|MetalsVs}}
[[Image:BW-toy RattrapVsTerrorMetals.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Flash Showdown: Metals Rattle VS Metals Terrorsaurer'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-43'''
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: In Japan, Transmetal Rattrap was available both as an individual and in a "VS" pack with Terrorsaur. Both toys are identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|WalMart}}
[[Image:Walmartrattrappackrat.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yoink!]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Deluxe Transmetal, 1999)
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: The first store-[[exclusive]] Transformer in the ''Beast Wars'' line, Transmetal Rattrap was given a deep blue color scheme. He was only available as a [[Walmart]] exclusive, even having the Walmart logo emblazoned on the bubble as part of the design.

: This toy was later [[Repurposing|repurposed]] as a Transmetal form for [[Packrat]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/WalmartRattrap/walrat.htm More information on Walmart Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Puzzle}}
[[Image:BW-toy RattrapPuzzle.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Rattrap Cheesepants]]
* '''Metals Rattle Special Version''' (Pack-in Deluxe, 1999)
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: The Deluxe Transmetal Rattrap toy was given a white and orange deco and packed in with a 500-piece ''Beast Wars Metals'' jigsaw puzzle from Central Hobby.

:Oddly, this toy uses the Hasbro "RATTRAP" tampograph on the rat-mode back rather than the Takara "CYBERTRON" and symbol mark. This is likely due to the fact it was released long before Metals was released in Japan.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Cybertron/PuzzleRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on puzzle Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|FK}}
[[Image:Rattrap transmetal2000.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not actually a black repaint.]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Deluxe Transmetal, 2000)
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: As part of the second "[[Fox Kids]]" Transmetals series, this version of Rattrap was one of the last releases in the original retail ''Beast Wars'' line. The toy got a more primary red color scheme, with bright gray robot bits and deep blue chrome.

: This toy was released in Japan as part of a [[JafCon]] convention exclusive set (without changes) along with the "Fox Kids" Transmetals versions of [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] and [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/FKTMRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Fox Kids Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:BMtoy-RattrapMcD.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Is that whiteface?]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Happy Meal, 2000)

: Part of the ''Beast Machines'' McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, Rattrap transforms into a technorganic rat modeled more after the cartoon model than the toy. As such, his robot mode does not have normal legs, only extendable wheels. His toy also features light piping that in theory illuminates the Maximal [[spark]] on his stomach. Being made of softer plastic and having no removable parts, he is very suitable for the younger set.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Beast Machines Rattrap (Mcdonald's) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:BMtoy-RattrapRedRooster.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ever want to know what the children would look like?]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Little Red Rooster meal, 2000)

: The McDonald's Happy Meal Rattrap was also released in Australia through the Red Rooster restaurant rai—uh, chain. Like the other three pieces used, it came in four color schemes: the original colors (with opaques replacing the transparents), a reversed red-with-green, a deep blue with very light blue, and a light blue with deep blue.

:These versions of the mould were retooled from the original, removing almost all arm articulation (and a step in the transformation), plugging up the light piping, and reducing the number of parts and plastic colours used by the toy. Oddly, even though Little Red Rooster Meal Rattrap no longer has light piping he has a red paint ap (on all 4 versions) on his back to simulate the red circle of transluscent plastic on the original's back.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Beast Machines Rattraps (Red Rooster's) at TFU.info (scroll down)]''
{{-}}

[[Image:Rattrapbeastmachinesmega.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Nobody's truly disabled so long as they have <strike>courage</strike> a third mode!]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Mega, 2001/2005)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BR-03'''
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: Rattrap was the last release in the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' toyline before the change to the "Battle for the Spark" packaging, not appearing on shelves until long after the rest of his Season 1 compatriots. Reportedly, Rattrap was delayed for redesign purposes.

:Rattrap transforms into a large [[technorganic]] rat. In beast mode, turning his tail moves his head and ears. In robot mode, he has a flip-down visor and moving jaw. His robot legs can also fold up so he can use his wheels, which also have flip-out blades. His beast tail becomes a hand-held whip. He possesses an orange spark crystal, concealed within his body, making it visible only in mid-transformation.

: This toy was later released as part of the [[Takara]]-exclusive [[Beast Machines (toyline)|''Beast Wars Returns'' line]], made available only at Japanese Toys "R" Us stores. So far, it appears that there are no notable differences between the Hasbro and Takara versions aside from packaging.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Beast Machines Rattrap (Mega) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:BW10th-Rattrap.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not phallic at all.]]
* '''Rattrap''' (10th Anniversary, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: Part of the second wave of ''Beast Wars'' 10th Anniversary product, the original [[#TM1|Transmetal Rattrap toy]] was given a slight deco modification, mainly a brighter, more neutral gray plus a Maximal sigil on his chest. He came with the right arm to the "build-a-bot" [[Transmutate (character)|Trans-Mutate]], plus a DVD of the episode "[[A Better Mousetrap]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on 10th Anniversary Rattrap at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-RattrapDoFP.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Mmmm, cheese wheel.]]
* '''Dawn of Future's Past''' (Multi-pack, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Blaster, "Golden Disc Key"

: "Axalon Rattrap" is a redeco of ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], transforming into a Cybertronic motorcycle. Plugging a [[Cyber Planet Key]]—or in this set's case, a [[Golden Disc Key]]—into the rear portion of his bike mode flips out a pair of non-firing guns. This assembly detaches to form a hand-held blaster in robot mode. This is thus far the only version of the ''Cybertron'' Ransack mold to have the "correct" rear wheel assembly position.

: Rattrap came in a boxed 5-pack with "Axalon" versions of [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]], [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]], [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and "[[Darksyde]]" [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]. This set was also made available as a bagged set in more limited numbers.

: This mold was also the basis for non-toy characters [[Quickslinger]] and [[Rattletrap]], and the "[[Theft of the Golden Disk]]" video incarnation of [[Tarantulas]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/BCRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Axalon Rattrap at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==

*'''Beast Wars Movie Coin''' (1997)
:Released only in Japan, Rattrap was one of three characters from Beast Wars to receive a movie coin, the other two being Rhinox and Scorponok.
::*''[http://www.tfmuseum.com/tf-02112.html Rattrap Movie Coin at TFMuseum.com]''

* '''Beast Wars magnet set''' (1997)

: The original cast of ten from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon was rendered in adorable [[super-deformed]] style for a set of magnets. Awwwww.
* '''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Rattrap was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].

===Kabaya candy toys===
*'''Rattle''' (candy toy kit, 1997)

: Part of a set of four [[Kabaya]] [[candy toy]]s, this version of Rattrap, based on [[#Basic1|the original toy]], is an unpainted and unassembled plastic kit that transforms (and partially re-assembles) from rat to robot mode, though much smaller (and cheaper) than the original toy. It is cast entirely in grayish-tan and pale yellow plastics, as are the other three toys in the set: [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]], and [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]].

*'''Rattle''' (candy toy, 1997)

: A tiny plastic Rattrap figurine molded onto an irregularly-shaped stand was released by Kabaya. Labeled toy 5 of 6, the other characters in his wave were Dinobot, Cheetor, Megatron, Optimus Primal, and Rhinox. As always, terrible candy is included.

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroesmegatronrattrap.jpg|right|300px|thumb|More creepy than cute.]]
* '''Rattrap vs. Megatron''' (2008)

: Part of the "Beast Wars Series", Rattrap comes packaged with [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Megatron]]. Like most of the ''Robot Heroes'' line, his design is a mix between the toy and cartoon depictions, notably having a grayish rather than copper-colored head. He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Robot Heroes Rattrap at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Concept-Rattrap.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Handi-capable!]]

* In an extremely strange precursor of things to come in ''Beast Machines'', Mainframe's original concept for Rattrap during ''Beast Wars'' was to capitalize on the exposed "brain" of the toy and make Rattrap a deeply flawed character. Originally, Rattrap's scanning and transformation technology was to fail, leaving him basically half-formed, with an exposed brain, wiring, "veins", an asymetrical body, arms of uneven lengths, and malformed organic sections in robot mode. On top of all that, he was hooked up to a "colostomy bag-like heating cable" to stress his need for life support. Rattrap's overall story arc would have been, of course, about him accepting and overcoming his near-fatal flaws. This approach was entirely nixed by the limits of CGI in rendering convincing organic innards at the time...and the fact that his model would have been massively far off from the actual toy probably also factored into it. However, the idea of a defective Transformer ''was'' later revisited in season 2 with the introduction of [[Transmutate (character)|Transmutate]]. The idea of Rattrap dealing with the limitations of an "inferior" body seems to surface in Beast Machines as well.

* On Transmetal Wal-Mart Rattrap/Packrat: According to [[3H Productions|3H]], they were on the phone discussing exclusives with their at-the-time Hasbro contact, when he (the Hasbro guy) realized that the not-yet-released blue Wal-Mart Rattrap could have been named Packrat. However, it was a few days too late to make the change without a massive production delay. Had he simply been looking at the right wall of his office a few days earlier, which had the Packrat/[[Fractyl]] box-set on it...{{fact}}

* At one point in the series, Rattrap says, "What in the name of my great-aunt [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] is going on!?" This is an in-joke referring to [[Susan Blu]], who was not only voice director on ''Beast Wars'', but the voice of Arcee in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon series]] and Transmutate in the ''Beast Wars'' episode [[Transmutate (episode)|of the same name]]. He was originally going to say the line again when he saw Transmetal 2 [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (and she was to reply, "Not your great-aunt Arcee!") in the early script of "[[Crossing the Rubicon]]", but the lines were cancelled.<ref>Page 96, "Beast Wars Glossary" in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

* In the jovial Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', one of Rattrap's most notable "shticks" was that he would constantly break the fourth wall by "smelling" what the audience was eating. For instance, he would randomly announce "Smells like the Suzuki's are having curry". The Japanese found this very amusing. The rest of the world; ''not so much''.

* To piggyback on the popularity of the ''[[Pokeformers|Pokémon]]'' phenomenon of the late '90s, or perhaps just to parody it, Rattrap's beast mode in the ''[[Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Beast Wars Metals]]'' manga was redesigned to resemble ''Pikachu'' heavily. While many characters received "humorous" redesigns for the manga, Rattrap's remains the most reviled.

* Rattrap makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo appearance in "Nor Iron Bars a Cage", an episode of Mainframe's ''Shadow Raiders''. He's standing next to Emperor Sternum in a long shot, but sneakily turns into a different animation model entirely for the close-up. The scamp!

* By splicing together footage for their promo, [[Toonami]] allowed Rattrap the distinct pleasure of shooting Jonny Quest and sending him plummeting to a gruesome demise.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Machines characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Surveillance specialists]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]

Ambush (episode)

2010-09-27T06:47:44Z

64.189.19.132: /* Synopsis */

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=42
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=43
|image=Scourge-Pansy.jpg
|caption=SAY MY NAME.
|title="Ambush"
|japanese=対決! ローリ VS クロミア
|romaji=Taiketsu! Lori tai Chromia
|translation=Showdown! Lori VS Chromia
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[we've|We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Gyō Yamatoya]]
|director=[[Atsushi Nakayama]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[October 29]], 2005 (Japanese) [[September 18]], 2006 (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''The Autobots split up to search the lower levels of Gigantion for its Cyber Planet Key, while the Decepticons do the same. Lori and Thunderblast get acquainted.'''

==Synopsis==

[[Image:Cyb_ep42_feeling_run_down.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]
Deep in the lower levels of [[Gigantion|Gigantion]], the four [[Autobot]] teams are making fast progress in their search for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]. [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]], [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] and [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] have enjoyed an uneventful journey, and soon discover a large chasm that they decide to leap into to continue their mission. Elsewhere, [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]'s team (the [[Recon Mini-Con Team|Recon Mini-Con Team]], [[Vector Prime]] and [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]]) are having only a ''slightly'' more eventful time of it, as they find their way barred by [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]]...only to run straight over them. The two [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] bemoan their fate, then encourage themselves to try even harder in spite of all their past failures... then kinda deflate again as reality sets in. Poor dumb schmucks.

Elsewhere again, the team of [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]], [[Wing Saber]] and [[Lori]] take an elevator to a lower level. When they hit the bottom, Override advises caution entering the new area, and Wing Saber glibly notes the perfect getting-ambushed opportunities there. [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] takes this as her cue to enter, backed up by [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]. Lori, however, immediately begins verbally browbeating Scourge for his cowardly tactics and continued association with the Decepticons, and Scourge flinches. A lot. Thunderblast eventually gets sick of it and insults the both of them, calling Lori a "mouse". Lori, her temper already frayed, challenges Thunderblast to a fight, and the [[Autobot|Autobots]] take fighting positions.

[[Image:Cyb_ep42_wild_take.jpg|right|thumb|220px| WRRRYYYYYYY!!]]

Back with Jetfire's team, the trio finally land at the bottom of the pit, where they're attacked by [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]]. Jetfire tackles the Decepticon himself, ordering the other two to go ahead without him. They hestitate for a moment, but then move to depart, realizing that, after all, "it's only Thundercracker." Furious at this disrespect, Thundercracker throws Jetfire aside and draws a bead on the retreating Autobots, but Jetfire recovers quickly and opens fire on the Decepticon, allowing his comrades to get away. Grinning wickedly, Thundercracker announces that it's time to reveal his new "forbidden attack", much to Jetfire's befuddlement.

On all three fronts, battle is the order of the day, as Optimus Prime blasts the interfering Ransack and Crumplezone far off into the distance once again.

[[Image:Tcracker-SELTCP.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Dragon Ball T]]

Thunderblast distracts Lori with a rather puerile ruse, and beats cheeks out of there. [[:Image:LoriPissed.jpg|Lori's last nerve snapped]], she glowers at Wing Saber until he submits to bringing her along to chase Thunderblast down. The pair fly off on Thunderblast tail, leaving (a rather relieved) Scourge to battle Override, though Wing Saber soon realizes that she's clearly leading them into a trap. Lori is adamant, though, and they soon find out where they're being led to: a harbor area with a ''lot'' of open water.

Elsewhere, Thundercracker is charging up his "Super Electric Lightning Thundercrackin' Punch" with much pomp and grandeur. Jetfire is incredulous when the Decepticon finishes crying the attack's name and he finds out it's only a punch, but to Thundercracker's credit, his fist connects and knocks Jetfire for six. Jetfire is actually impressed, complimenting Thundercracker on finally landing a legitimately good attack, and Thundercracker grins happily.

[[Image:Thundercranes.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Wow, they weren't even using the right bait for floozies.]]

While Scourge and Override's battle continues, with plenty of trash talk, Thunderblast launches her own attack, shooting missiles at Wing Saber from underwater. Wing Saber has a rare moment of clarity and suggests a retreat, knowing he can't tackle Thunderblast like this, but Lori insists they have to outsmart her. Wing Saber drops Lori off on dry land, and she enters a control console for a ring of eight cranes in the middle of the harbor water. Wing Saber allows himself to get "shot down" and dives underwater in robot mode. Thunderblast follows and corners him... and then realizes that she herself has just been led into a trap. Lori drops the crane-claws all around Thunderblast, surrounding her, and then one final one right on top of her head. Thunderblast demands to be released, and Wing Saber obliges, courtesy of pretty much every missile he's packing. The explosion sends Thunderblast flying away uncontrollably, wailing in defiance.

[[Image:MasswaysMasses.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Buy us at only $60 a pop!]]

Elsewhere, Jetfire and Thundercracker have beaten each other silly, and both collapse, exhausted. The back-up team of [[Coby Hansen|Coby]], [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]], [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|Quickmix]] and [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] arrive, and Coby tends to Jetfire while Quickmix keeps the gibbering Thundercracker quiet by dumping a lot of quick-drying concrete on top of him.

Scourge and Override's fight blasts a hole in the floor of a level above them, and their fight moves into this new room. Scourge hurls his axe, which misses and slams into the wall... right above the doorway that Lori then comes running through. Wing Saber dives in and saves Lori before she's crushed by the falling debris, and Scourge uses the opportunity to run for an elevator. Lori, quickly over her near-death experience, berates Scourge again, who sheepishly says he's not ''running away'' so much as making a ''strategic withdrawal''. The doors close, and Override and Lori both express their frustration by hitting the wall. But Lori finds that she has inadvertantly kicked a hidden button in the wall, which causes the lights in the room to turn off, and a large device to rise out of the middle of the floor. As the device powers up, the trio realize they are looking at a planetarium-like hologram device, which begins to project images of Gigantion in ancient times. The video images show a [[Planet X (Cybertron)|huge dark sphere]] appearing above the planet, and hundreds of robots emerging from it and filling the skies of Gigantion... robots of the same design as [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]]....
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (1)
* [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] (2)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (3)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Six-Speed|Six-Speed]] (5)
* [[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (6)
* [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (7)
* [[Vector Prime|Vector Prime]] (8)
* [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (9)
* [[Wing Saber|Wing Saber]] (12)
* [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (13)
* [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|Quickmix]] (20)
* [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (21)
* [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (22)

|c2=
* [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (10)
* [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (11)
* [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (15)
* [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (16)
* [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (17)

|c3=
* [[Lori|Lori]] (14)
* [[Bud Hansen|Bud Hansen]] (18)
* [[Coby Hansen|Coby Hansen]] (19)

|c4=
* [[Noisemaze Mass-Production Version|Noisemaze Mass-Production Versions]] (23)
* [[Laserbeak drone|Laserbeak drones]] (24)
}}

==Quotes==
"When he sees our real strength and ''feels'' our vengeance, he'll regret beating us over and over and over..."
:—'''Crumplezone'''

"What could be dangerous? It's dark with only one exit! Looks like a ''great'' place to get ambushed!"
:—'''Wing Saber'''

"What in the world are you ''thinking''?! Back on [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]], you were all about honor and rule of law, but ''now'' look at you! Skulking around in the shadows with a Decepticon floozy—" 
"HEY!" 
"—plotting ambushes and, and sneak attacks?! What's the ''matter'' with you?! Have you completely lost your honor or ''what''?!"
:—'''Lori''' browbeats Scourge (with objection by '''Thunderblast''')

"Little sister, you better check yo'self!"
:—'''Thunderblast''' (to Lori)

[[Image:JetCracker-punch.jpg|right|thumb|220px]]
"Man... I'm impressed! Good punch, mate! Fair dinkum! 'Bout time you brought some muscle to the tussle!"
:—'''Jetfire'''

"Don't worry about a thing. I aced a B+ in computers class." 
"Why not an A?" 
"Well...." 
"Just don't tell me you crashed the computer."
:—'''Lori''' and '''Wing Saber'''

"Bring me a 'get well' card..."
:—'''Thundercracker'''

==Other Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment summarizing the events of "[[City]]".
*Immediately after the "previously" segment, before the title card appears, ''Galaxy Force'' also includes a brief original scene of Override, Wing Saber and Lori making their way down a corridor, taking about being first to their objective. In removing the "previously" segment, ''Cybertron'' also removes this short scene (perhaps unintentionally?).
*In ''Cybertron'', at the end of the episode, Lori berates Scourge for retreating. In ''Galaxy Force'', she is angry because she suspects he may have thrown his axe and collapsed the wall with the deliberate intention of killing her.

===Continuity errors===
* So, did Scourge get his tail-axe back or what?

===Real-world references===
* As she and Wing Saber jet off after Thunderblast, Lori cries "Hi-yo Saber!", a reference to the command western hero [[Wikipedia:Lone Ranger|the Lone Ranger]] gave his horse, Silver, to begin running.
* "She can lead an Autobot to water..." Wing Saber says of Thunderblast's plan, with Lori adding, "...but can she make us drink?", paraphrasing that old saying about horses.
* While she's chasing Wing Saber underwater, Thunderblast starts singing the [[wikipedia:Jaws_(film)#Music|theme from ''Jaws'']].

===Trivia===
[[Image:Override-Teeth.jpg|right|thumb|Override uses Crest Whitening strips.]]
* There's a noticeably greater amount of facial emoting from the CGI cast in this episode than normal. Where previously, the height of faction animation has literally been limited to the changing shape of the mouth, this episode features several characters getting "normal" [[Teeth|teeth]] for certain expressions which are not present in most other sequences, more fluid lip-motions, and even eyes that change shape. It's a nice change of pace.
* On that note, the scene in which Lori is almost crushed by falling debris has one of the few instances of "precise" lip-synching in the series: a close-up of Override's face as she yells "LORI!!!" The shot of her afterwards saying her name again in a relieved tone is also synched, but no teethies. A close-up of Thunderblast just before she's crushed also has precise lip-synch, but it's synched to Japanese words, not English. Oh well.
* During his indecision on whether or not to follow Thunderblast, Wing Saber displays the comical, large [[wikipedia:Sweat_drop|anime sweat drop]] on the side of his head. This means that Lori is so scary that she makes robots sweat.
* As Thunderblast runs across the rooftops while luring Wing Saber and Lori along, her breasts actually... ''jiggle''. Seriously, Gonzo, we despair of you.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 11 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]