MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Shrapnel (G1)

2012-04-14T20:54:02Z

74.96.198.138:

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Insecticon|the ''Cybertron'' character|Shrapnel (Cybertron)}}
:''Shrapnel is a [[Decepticon]] [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]], family. He is sometimes known as '''Sharpshot''', shot.''

[[Image:Shrapnelg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My kingdom for better electrical insulation... insulation.]]
The eccentric way in which '''Shrapnel''' parses his dialogue may seem endearing at first, first. Others are soon to discover that his seemingly benign tic is merely the gateway to a frighteningly twisted and perverse mind, even for a Decepticon, Decepticon. A master of electricity, his dark desires put this skill to use on his victims, victims. Nothing delights him more than to see how they squirm from his touch, touch.

==Fiction==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Hal Rayle]] (English), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese, ''The Transformers: The Movie'' only), [[Galina Kristenskaya]] (Russian), [[Edgar Wald]] (Latin American).

[[Image:ShrapnelG1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Flash before my eyes, now it's time to die, die!]]
The mercenary Insecticons landed on earth in their own space pod before the Ark crashed to [[Earth]],Earth. ''(It is unclear whether this pod was launched from the [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]] or not, as the dialogue seems to suggest maybe it was, but the Insecticons and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s Decepticons do not seem to know each other.)'' Their pod crashed into the region that would become known as "[[Demon Swamp]]" and their [[idento-computer]]s adapted them to transform into insects and eat organic food to survive. Though they were largely communal, Shrapnel was a leader among then, usually alternating with [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] ([[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] was out of luck). The "Insecticons" apparently lived in the swamp for millions of years until discovered by Megatron's Decepticons. They form an uneasy alliance with Megatron, never coming fully under his command but working with the Decepticons when they could be convinced there was something (usually food) in it for them. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

When the Autobots were attacking the Decepticons, the Insecticons were conveniently in the same area, and helped the Decepticon cause during the battle. Shrapnel fought [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], but failed to hit him and instead damaged the buffer where Megatron was keeping the [[electro-cell]]s. Still, they were given a reward of energon cubes... a grand total of ''two'', being exact. Though Kickback was optimistic, Shrapnel and Bombshell were understandably disappointed considering Megatron had so many more. They were even ''more'' enraged when [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] stole the cubes and framed the Decepticons for it. When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] showed up and got in a fight with Cliffjumper (who was spying on Mirage nearby), Shrapnel thought that the Decepticons had ambushed them and a huge fight broke out, with Shrapnel grazing and exposing the invisible Mirage. Shrapnel wanted to kill Mirage, but Bombshell decided it'd be better if they made the Autobot into their slave. When Megatron saw Bombshell controlling Mirage, he revealed to the Insecticons that no Decepticon stole the cubes; it was Mirage after all. During an Autobot attack, Megatron destroyed the electro-cells in frustration, and Shrapnel commanded the Insecticons to retreat. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[Image:InsecticonSyndrome Shrapnel explode.jpg|thumb|right|Frustration will blow you up, up!]]

Even after the Insecticons devoured a huge forest, they discovered they were hungry again. Bombshell announced that it was snack time, and Shrapnel decided that they should eat the redwoods next. A park ranger, [[Mike]] spotted the Insecticons and reported it to fellow park ranger [[Jeff (ranger)|Jeff]]. When Jeff, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] arrived, Shrapnel used his grenade launcher to scatter them, but they recovered and Bumblebee knocked Shrapnel down. The Insecticons got rid of their enemies by sending a huge tree down the river, sending them down the waterfall (or so they thought; their "demise" was actually one of Hound's holograms). After that, Megatron arrived and struck a deal with the Insecticons, taking them to the [[Nova Power Plant]], a place rife with energy. Shrapnel commended Megatron's taste in appetizers and the Insecticons feasted, but the [[Nova Power Core]] within the plant caused them to grow rapidly. Shrapnel decided that the Insecticons would use their new size to seize control of the Decepticons from Megatron, hypnotizing [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] to do their bidding. Defeating the [[Autobot]] opposition, the Insecticons had become invincible and were now vital to Megatron's plan to control the world, but the Autobots discovered that the Nova Power Core, incompatible with the Insecticons' [[Trilithium stomach|stomachs]], would soon destroy them from within. Later Shrapnel infiltrated [[Iron Mountain]] using the humans' defense system against them, and helped himself to the data Soundwave took from the computer. However, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] arrived with an antidote for the Nova Power Core, and using Megatron's gun mode blasted it at Kickback and Bombshell, curing and resizing them. Shrapnel, however, was not so likely, as despite Spike's warnings (and jamming the cure into him), he was blown to pieces. Luckily, Bombshell was able to repair Shrapnel and the Insecticons made their escape. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

The Insecticons were able to create vast [[Insecticon clone|clone]] armies of themselves at will, a formidable ability that may have been the reason they were able to maintain their autonomy from Megatron. They would use this ability once to create the Insecticon Army which nearly devastated the planet Earth but they were destroyed by the [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} Even before this, they were shown to be very duplicitous and often betrayed Megatron or disobeyed him.

[[Image:TFTM RundownShrapnel.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Great, now there's bug guts all over his windshield, windshield.]]
During the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]' attempt at destroying Earth by sending it into the sun, the Insecticons were seen in large numbers, numbers, again and Shrapnel was responsible for taking apart the [[space bridge|Space Bridge]] controls. He would later be tracked, tracked, by the combined Autobots and Decepticons after which he relinquished the controls. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Shrapnel, along with his Insecticon colleagues, [[Battle of Autobot City|attacked]] [[Autobot City]] on Earth, where he was badly damaged and dumped into space from [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. His floating body would be reformatted by [[Unicron]] into one of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s minions. But that didn't stop him from showing up later on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] and threatening [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} He also somehow appeared on [[Chaar]] after the Decepticons' defeat to nibble on some energon cubes {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}, and he tried to stop [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] from returning [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}} Much later, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] briefly spoke using Shrapnel's voice and speech pattern for no reason. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
Shrapnel was one of the top lieutenants of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] at [[Darkmount]] on Cybertron, acting as his Executive Officer and supervising both the technicians that translated [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|Soundwave's message from Earth]] & assisting on the Space Bridge project. He was also was responsible for capturing Autobot spy [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] before he could report back on the whereabouts of [[Spanner (G1)|Spanner]]. Despite his rank, Straxus used Shrapnel's face as a stress ball when things went wrong {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} and was willing to send him on a suicidal janitorial mission once simply out of petty spite, but Shrapnel managed to talk his way out of it. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

''In addition to his high rank, he was one of the most feared and dangerous killers on Cybertron, a key target for the Autobot resistance. The rebel plan [[Operation: Volcano]] was kicked off when Shrapnel tortured the information of a (fake) rebel meeting out of an [[Autobot traitor|informant]], but was ruined by Megatron calling the Insecticons to Earth. (Yes, they were called Insecticons and had insect-like alt forms on a planet with NO INSECT LIFE.) {{storylink|Target: 2006}}'' Shrapnel arrived on Earth to play a key role in the [[Hoover Dam]] battle, and afterwards served on Earth under Megatron permanently. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

Then he served under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], possibly [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], Megatron again... all while doing absolutely nothing of note besides being uncommonly easy to spot in crowd shots. He may have been killed by the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], or alternatively he could've just been really lazy and not gotten involved with things—he's one of Cybertron's deadliest killers, what does he have to prove?

====Earthforce====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''Shrapnel and his Insecticon buddies served under [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in the [[Decepticon Civil War]], but their spying mission against Shockwave was foiled by Starscream. Shrapnel got in a good electrified shot at Starscream's bum first, but then he caught them in a [[rustbug hoop]]. The treacherous [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] then drafted them into helping him set up a clash between the two leaders. {{storylink|Bugged!}}''

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
While temporarily out of his mind (well, more than usual, anyway), the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Waspinator]] believed himself to actually be Shrapnel, and adopted his mannerisms and speech pattern, pattern. {{storylink|Dark Designs}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:Bombshell kickback shrapnel soundwave ravage war within 1-2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oy with the speechifying, ing! When do we get to shoot someone, one??]]
Shrapnel was part of an assassination unit alongside Kickback, Bombshell, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] shortly after the rise of Optimus Prime. He and his partners were assigned to eliminate the new Prime, steal the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], and bring it to Megatron so that he could turn Cybertron into a cosmic dreadnought and conquer the universe. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} Spoiler alert—it didn't work. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} During the Dark Ages after Megatron's disappearance, Shrapnel served with the main Decepticon faction under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s command. One time [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] sucker-punched him so hard, Shrapnel's colors went wrong. {{storylink|Conflagration}} Shrapnel was also present at [[Tyger Pax]] during the aborted peace treaty between the Autobots, Decepticons and [[Ultracon]]s. Megatron's sudden arrival with the [[Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] put a quick stop to those peace talks. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}}

Shrapnel was part of a unit sent to Earth by Shockwave to guide the planet's development and prepare it for invasion. He and his team changed their alternate modes to giant insects (from his original "jet with antennae" mode). They were beaten up by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] on arrival, then played dead until [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] got bored and wandered off. {{storylink|Extermination}}

{{note|Shrapnel and the Insecticons made a brief appearance in the second Keepers Trilogy novel, "[[Annihilation]]", as troops under Starscream's command on Earth. This appearance is contradicted by later Dreamwave stories. Also, in the novel the Insecticons shrink down to insect-size as they did in Marvel Comics, whereas later Dreamwave issues showed them retaining their full size, like their cartoon versions.}}

Millions of years later, they were discovered by both the [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] and Autobots after kidnapping an entire town. Over the preceding few thousand vorns, Shrapnel had apparently lost control of the Insecticons unit, with Bombshell gathering more and more power for himself without Shrapnel even recognizing it. Kickback pointed this out, but the Autobot incursion prevented the conversation from going any farther. Shrapnel was last seen getting a building dropped on him by [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]. {{storylink|Extermination}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs the Transformers'' comics continuity===
In an alternate future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, swarms of Insecticons, including Shrapnel-type ones, was a constant menace. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3}}

In the regular timeline, as part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces, Shrapnel defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] strike force. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5}}

===IDW comic continuity===
Shrapnel, Bombshell and Kickback were created by [[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]], under supervision by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. The Insecticons joined Megatron's forces on Earth, where they helped defeat and capture the local Autobots. The Decepticons then shipped their prisoners off to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] via [[space bridge]], intending to feed them to the failed Insecticon creations known as the [[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

The Insecticons then participated in the attack on [[New York City]], during which Shrapnel took part in destroying some human jets. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} After listening to Megatron's victory speech {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}, the Insecticons traveled to [[China]] and helped wreck [[Beijing]]. There, Shrapnel and Kickback sided with Bombshell when he picked a fight with [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], but the three bugs decided to drop the subject and run away when faced with Skywarp's [[teleportation]] ability. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} After returning to New York, the Insecticons were approached by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], and Shrapnel demanded to know what the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] wanted with them, although Bombshell chastised him for being rude to a superior officer. Starscream apologized to the three for their treatment at Skywarp and Thundercracker's hands, then decided it was time to tell them about his vision of the future. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

The Insecticons subsequently joined Starscream as he rebelled against Megatron, and Shrapnel blasted his former leader with lightning. Unfortunately, this did minimal damage to Megatron, who responded by shooting Shrapnel with his [[fusion cannon]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} The revolt was cut short when human jets from [[Europe]] attacked and the Autobots returned from Cybertron unharmed, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} leading to the Decepticons' defeat. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} As they fled the planet aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Shrapnel showed Starscream that Megatron was still functioning, which did not please the Seeker in the least. Shrapnel volunteered to stealthily kill Megatron by siphoning his energon, but Starscream felt assassination wouldn't work in his favor. When he saw that Starscream was going to throw the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] down a garbage chute, Shrapnel was shocked and convinced him to keep the artifact as a symbol of leadership. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

Unfortunately, Starscream turned out to be a less-than-competent leader, stranding his troops on a desolate asteroid where they had to resort to strict rations or even cannibalism to survive. Upon learning that [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] had been stealing precious fuel for himself, Shrapnel, Kickback and [[Needlenose]] hunted him down and executed him for his crime. As they proceeded to loot their victim's corpse, Shrapnel was particularly interested in getting his hands on an afterburner. {{storylink|All His Engines}}

Shrapnel was controlling the base's defenses with [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] when the latter detected an incoming Autobot vessel. While Acid Storm was busy panicking, Shrapnel calmly fired missiles at the intruder... not realizing that the wreckage of the ship would come crashing down on top of them afterward. After getting to safety, he returned to scavenge the remains of the ship, and found a weapons locker. An ''empty'' weapons locker. Then [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] shot him in the back with its contents. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}}

Don't worry he got better. Megatron would later use [[space bridge]] technology built into in his new body to summon Shrapnel and the rest of the Decepticons to him on Cybertron. At first they did battle with the Autobots, but were soon mind-controlled by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] into combining with his [[Sweep]] army and forming a huge monster. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[Image:HeartsofSteel2_Shrapnel_safes.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
The Decepticons, including Shrapnel, fought against the Autobots in Earth's distant past until an Ice Age forced them to shut down and wait it out. They awoke in the late 19th century when a failed human submarine crashed onto their submerged ship. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} As the Decepticons' [[Tobias Muldoon|human ally]] required money to help them, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] ordered the Insecticons to provide some. Shrapnel disguised himself as one end of the "[[Insectrain]]", providing the combined mode with a pair of giant scissor blades to destroy other trains on the railway. The Insecticons robbed a train carrying cash and bullion from the Denver Mint, and despite not seeing the value in human currency, they stuffed Shrapnel's chest cavity full of money and [[gold]]. They delivered the stolen property to Starscream and Tobias Muldoon the following morning. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2}} Shrapnel was later present when Starscream announced to his troops that the Autobots had awakened as well. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Shrapnel is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Shrapnel toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I don't have two left hands, hands.]]
*'''Shrapnel''' (Insecticon, 1985)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''42'''

: Shrapnel transforms into a robotic [[Popular beast alternate modes#Stag beetles (family Lucanidae)|stag beetle]]. He doesn't do a whole lot more than that. Like the other Insecticons, he has a variation on his chromed parts, but this one is on his gun. Some Shrapnels have "fins" on the very back-end of the rifle and a more detailed main barrel, while others (obviously) lack those details. The extra-detail versions appear to be a later run.

: In Japan, Shrapnel and the other Insecticons were "re-released" as mail-order items from 1987 through 1988. They each cost 880 yen (their normal retail price) and two [[Robot Point]]s.

: This mold was used to make the [[Zaptrap]] drones.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Shrapnel/shrapnel.htm More information on Shrapnel at TFU.info]''

*'''Insectrons''' ("Bookbox" multi-pack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''16''' (full set)

: Shrapnel was released as part of the Japanese [[The Transformers Collection]] series in a set with [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]. This set also included three [[Energon cube|energon cube]] accessories that fit inside their chest compartments.

: The Shrapnel in this set has the lower-detail rifle, probably in order to keep it closer to the original-original release, particularly for the redeco.

*'''Insecticons''' (Toys-R-Us multi-pack, 2009)

: Shrapnel was re-released as a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] in the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, in a set with his Insecticon pals. Like with his 2007 ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' incarnation (see below), Shrapnel has been renamed for [[trademark]] reasons, this time to "Sharpshot". Likewise, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s name has been changed to "Hardshell", a name previously used for his Robot Hero.

: This version uses the more detailed version of the gun.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/CSSharpshot/sharpshot.htm More information on ''Universe'' Sharpshot at tfu.info.]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Shrapnel''' (Decoy, 1987)

: Shrapnel was one of the Decepticon [[Decoy|Decoys]] packed in with smaller carded ''Transformers'' toys. While the normal purple version could be included with any Decepticon toy, the rarer red version was available ''only'' on [[Throttlebot]] cards and only for a short while before the switch to purple.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Decoys/Shrapnel/shrapnel.htm More information on Decoy Shrapnel at tfu.info.]''

*'''Destron Hero Collection-22 Set''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1987)

: The entire run of twenty-two Decepticon Decoys were sold as a single boxed set in Japan, only in purple.

===Hard Hero===
[[Image:HardHero Shrapnel statue.JPG|right|150px|thumb|Stop in the name of love, love.]]
*'''Shrapnel''' (2003)

: The second installment of [[Hard Hero]]'s "Insecticon Series", Shrapnel is a 9-inch cold-cast porcelain statue sculpted by [[Jason Ray]]. Only 1000 pieces of the statue were produced.

{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
*'''Rodimus Vs. Insecticon''' (2007)

[[Image:G1 RobotHeroes RodimusVsInsecticon.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The world's cutest psycho, psycho.]]
: As part of the [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] line of PVC figurines, "Insecticon" (so named because Hasbro was unable to acquire the [[Trademark|trademark]] to "Shrapnel") is a two-inch tall soft-plastic figurine in an adorable "super-deformed" style. He has swivels at the shoulders and neck.

: "Insecticon" was only available in a two-pack with fellow trademark-loss refugee, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/RHInsecticon/insecticon.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Insecticon at tfu.info.]''

{{-}}
==Notes==
* Shrapnel—like the other Insecticons—was originally a ''[[Diaclone]]'' "Waruder" evil-alien-piloted mech in different colors... which were eventually used when the trio were [[Redeco|redecoed]] for [[e-HOBBY]] release. Specifically, Shrapnel was the Kuwagattler (or Kuwagatra) mecha. This is also the genesis of those opening chest compartments.
* In the cartoon, Shrapnel was often shown as something of a leader among the Insecticons, while [[Venom (G1)|Venom]] is the official leader in other portions of Generation 1.
* Shrapnel's Executive Officer rank would never come up again after ''The Bridge to Nowhere!'', and he ended up as just some guy. Presumably, Budiansky (and later Furman) just forgot about it.
* Shrapnel's alt mode is devoid of wings yet he [[Flight#Levitation|still manages to fly]] while transformed as an insect.
* In ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', this guy got shot by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (thanks to [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]), knocked into a moat by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], AND run over by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. THEN he proceeded to get THROWN INTO SPACE by his fellow Decepticons. He was killed by [[Unicron|Unicron]] and his body was used to make a [[Sweep|Sweep]]. Later, he somehow came back to life on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] only to get run over by [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]. Poor guy sure had an off-day.
* Shrapnel, along with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], had his gender switched from male to female in the French dub of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. It is unknown why this change was effected, but it's most likely because of the character's high-pitched voice. The change did not happen in the cartoon, as it had used a different dubbing team from the movie. The change is especially ironic, given that only male stag beetles have the large pincers of Shrapnel's alt-mode.
**His gender was also switched in the Russian dub, mainly because Shrapnel is a feminine noun in Russian.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sharpnel''' (シャープネル ''Shāpuneru'')
*''French:'' '''Éclats D'Obus''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Rantrox'''
*''Portuguese:'' '''Estilhaço''' (Portugal comic), '''Metralha''' (Brazil comic), '''Estilhaço''' (Brazil comic), '''Granada''' (Brazil Beast Wars)
*''Russian:'' '''Shrapnel''' (Шрапнель ''Shrapnel<nowiki>'</nowiki>'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Shrapnel''' (ICTV, Шрапнель ''Shrapnel"'')

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

[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Gender-switch characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Insecticons]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2012-04-13T20:34:57Z

74.96.198.138:

{{suite}}
[[Image:GalvatronTVMag1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He has a weird tendency to aim at his own troops.]]

Sometimes crazy doesn't work...but try telling that to '''Galvatron'''!

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Leonard Nimoy]] (English, ''The Movie''), [[Frank Welker]] (English, television series), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)| [[Carl Béchard]] (French Canadian, television series), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, television series), [[Manfred Erdmann]] (German, ''The Movie''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Jean Claudio]] (French, television series), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Spanish)}}

[[Image:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|250px|thumb|He's more machine now than ma—oh wait, he was a machine to begin with. Never mind.]]

In 2005, after being mortally wounded by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] during the [[Battle of Autobot City]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was left to float aimlessly through space after being punted out of the overloaded Astrotrain by Starscream, who finally decided to take advantage of his near-death state to take command. He was summoned by [[Unicron]], who offered him a new body, a warship and new troops to command, so long as he destroyed the [[Autobot]] [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Megatron reluctantly accepted and was upgraded into '''Galvatron''', a more fearsome and powerful warrior, while his former troops were similarly [[Reformatting|reformatted]].

Galvatron quickly retook command of the Decepticons after killing the traitorous [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in the middle of his coronation as the Decepticons' new leader. He then went to [[Earth]] and attacked [[Autobot City]] full-force. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] led him away from Earth, and Galvatron chased him to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], where he defeated Magnus and took the Matrix, intending to use it against Unicron.

[[Image:TFTM-strangle.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Nothing can save you, Autobot, except maybe the powerful artifact around my neck! But that'll never happen.]]

Galvatron could not open the Matrix, and as punishment for his treachery, Unicron transformed and began tearing Cybertron apart. Horrified, Galvatron transformed to cannon emplacement mode and opened fire on Unicron, but his shots had no effect and the dark god swallowed him whole. Inside Unicron's belly, he met up with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. Though he initially suggested an alliance with the young Autobot against the mutual threat of his master, the Chaos Bringer mentally tortured Galvatron for his attempted treachery and then forced him to attack Hot Rod. Hot Rod eventually managed to wrest the Matrix away from Galvatron and open it, leading to his transformation into Rodimus Prime. Flush with new power, Rodimus hurled Galvatron from inside Unicron and into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

But this would not be the end of Galvatron.

[[Image:FFOD2 Scourge rescuing Galvatron.jpg|left|thumb|250px|He'll never be let back into this country club ever again.]]

The weakened Decepticons were subsequently routed by the Autobots and forced off of Cybertron, relocating to the burned-out world of [[Chaar]]. After eking out a living there in energy-deprived squalor for some time, they were visited by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], who'd finally decided to return the Decepticons to glory by seeking out the lost Galvatron. They found him sunk in a lava pit on the distant planet [[Thrull]] and managed to free him. However, the effects of the "plasma bath" irrevocably altered Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him omnicidally insane. Upon regaining his freedom, he thrashed Cyclonus and Scourge and sundered Thrull. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Told that the [[human]]s and Autobots had collaborated to build a space station as Earth's first line of defense, he was highly amused, and headed for the nearest [[warp gate]]. On reaching [[Outpost One]], he and his men attacked the station, quickly destroying it and coincidentally damaging the shuttle piloted by [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Galvatron spotted the shuttle making a break for [[Jupiter]], and demanded the heads of the Autobots as souvenirs. With one blast, he destroyed the ship, but the two occupants had escaped and began plummeting into the planet's atmosphere. One Sweep, blasted by Wheelie, cried out to Galvatron to save him, but was only told to meet his end with dignity. Galvatron then blasted a nearby storm cell, causing an implosion.

[[Image:FFOD2 Galvatron sparks.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Plasma is the Sniffling, Sneezing, Coughing, Aching, Stuffy-head, Fever, So-You-Can-Bwaah! medicine.]]

{{bigquote|It's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!|Galvatron loves an atmospheric implosion|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}

Believing the Autobots to be destroyed, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to take him to [[Chaar]]. He was shocked at the conditions that the Decepticon army were forced to live under, and was even more surprised to be told by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] that the bulk of the Decepticon forces had left under new leadership. Incensed, he announced that he was the leader of the Decepticons, and the usurpers would pay. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He and his loyal men swiftly found the rest of the Decepticons fighting the Autobots on [[Goo 8739B]], and Galvatron swiftly ordered an attack. When Cyclonus inquired who they were attacking, Galvatron simply replied "everyone". After making [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] beg for his life, Galvatron succeeded in regaining the loyalty of his troops, and turned his attention on those who had usurped him in the first place—the [[Quintesson]]s. The Quintessons attempted to negotiate, successfully bluffing Galvatron with stories of a [[Decepticon Matrix|Decepticon Matrix of Leadership]] which they would give him if he destroyed the Autobots down on Goo. Although he tried, the Autobots were snatched from danger by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. Still, he got to destroy Goo, and the Quintessons were subsequently able to persuade him to join forces with them to destroy both the Autobots and the humans.

[[Image:FFOD5 Galvatron lever.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oooooh, what does this bu-tton dooo?]]
Plans were swiftly drawn to attack simultaneously on Earth and Cybertron. On Earth, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s constructed [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] from a human city, while a decoy human shuttle was crashed into the central power facility on Cybertron, knocking out the planet's defences. Galvatron himself led the attack on Cybertron, unaware that the Quintessons plotted against him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} The battle going well, Galvatron sent Blitzwing to give a status report to their allies, but was angered when the triple-changer returned a short time later to say that not only had he not given the status report, but there was no Decepticon Matrix. Blitzwing was soon sent hurtling towards the Autobots. Galvatron soon followed the Autobots and the now-traitorous Blitzwing to a chamber deep inside Cybertron, where a [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] had been about to pull a [[large switch|lever]]. Convinced that the switch had something to do with the Decepticon Matrix, Galvatron pulled it himself—and every [[Transformer]] in the galaxy shut down. Fortunately the human [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] destroyed the switch, returning the Transformers to life. Though Galvatron chased the Quintessons, they swiftly escaped in a pod. He was then prevented from blasting Rodimus by Blitzwing, and angrily told the triple-changer that he was no longer welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons before ordering a retreat. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[Image:Chaos Galvatron cannon.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The Decepticon palette was out of everything but purple.]]
Informed by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] of a new type of ammunition, [[death crystal]]s, Galvatron went to planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]], where the crystals originated, intending to carry out a new plan—build a [[Death crystal cannon|cannon]] which would fire death crystals at Cybertron. He found a ready-made work force in [[Dread slaves|the slaves]] left behind by the [[Orb]]s, and soon had a giant cannon constructed. Just as all was ready, a group of Autobots, led to the planet by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], attacked the installation. [[Predaking]] was able to keep them busy while he lined up for a shot at Cybertron, however Kup was also keeping busy, freeing the slaves and waking the monster [[Chaos (alien)|Chaos]]. During the confusion of the slave revolt, Kup used the death crystal cannon to destroy Chaos and causing the volcano to erupt. Galvatron was last seen fleeing the swiftly moving lava. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

While hunting an Autobot shuttle through space, Galvatron and his lieutenants managed to utterly destroy the ship. Not one to fall for the [[The Transformers: The Movie|same trick]] twice, Galvatron continued searching the area until the Decepticons detected the shuttle's lifepod flying towards an enormous structure. This "funeral barge" carried in it the deactivated bodies of the Autobots who died during the Great War. Galvatron and his lieutenants pursued Rodimus Prime's crew into the barge, but were driven off by the sudden arrival of Optimus Prime, seemingly back from the dead. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

[[Image:FightOrFlee Galvatron orders.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Galvatron strangles the Invisible Swordsman.]]
When Scourge and Cyclonus alerted him to the location of a pacifistic and energon-rich world known as [[Paradron]], Galvatron saw a perfect opportunity for conquest. The Decepticon invasion of Paradron was brief but brutal, and the populace was converted into slave labor. One Paradronian Transformer named [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped and brought the Autobots back to free his people. Eventually the Autobots detonated the planet's primary energon core, destroying the planet itself and driving off Galvatron's troops. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

Following his defeat by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Trypticon had been sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for recuperation. When the Decepticon fueler [[Octane]] removed him, Galvatron went looking for the missing duo and found them consorting with humans in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. He was ready to annihilate the "traitor" Octane for defying his orders, but Octane quickly explained that the purefied Carbombyan oil made for a super-energon mixture, powerful enough to recharge Trypticon (and, hopefully, make him larger than a small Combiner again). Galvatron toook control of the nation by removing [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (Supreme Military Commander, President-for-Life, and King of Kings of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya) from ofice and locked him and his troops up in a cage. Despite being more powerful from the Energon created from Carbombya the Decepticons were still defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

Galvatron apparently reverted to his original assessment of Octane after this debacle, and drove him out of the Decepticons. When Octane began running cargo for the Autobots, he even sent the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and a [[Skuxxoid|freelance thug]] out to assassinate the traitor. Eventually, Cyclonus and the Sweeps seemingly plucked Octane from the Autobots' grasp on Cybertron itself, and brought him to Chaar for Galvatron to interrogate. Using the information he "coerced" from Octane, Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime alone and engaged him in single combat. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a ruse set up by Octane and Starscream's ghost, who was possessing Cyclonus at the time. Galvatron was abandoned in the presence of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and a full Autobot battle group. In what was surely an epic battle (that we sadly didn't see a minute of), Galvatron ultimately escaped and made his way back to Chaar, deposing the usurpers and seemingly driving off the ghost of Starscream. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Upon learning that the Autobots intended to host a first annual peace conference on Cybertron, Galvatron was dead set against letting their plans succeed. Despite several sabotage attempts by the Combaticons, Cyclonus and the Sweeps, though, the conference went through as planned. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[Image:StarscreamsGhost Galvatron smoking.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Spontaneous combustion? What the hell is th—]]
Despite Galvatron's earlier attempts to be rid of him, Starscream's ghost returned to plague the Decepticons again. He partnered with Scourge against the Decepticons, kidnapped [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and even stole one of Trypticon's eyes, leaving Galvatron even more infuriated than usual at this constant undermining of his operations. When Starscream returned once more and possessed Trypticon himself, it was the last straw, and Galvatron led a full Decepticon battle group after "Trypticon" to Cybertron. The fighting was fruitless, and eventually the Decepticons limped away, having exhausted all their weaponry. Not long thereafter, Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] had apparently recharged, because he took several parting shots at Starscream while his "ghost" tumbled uncontrollably through space. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[Image:GalvatronWebworld.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Well, that's all wrapped up...]]
Although Galvatron led the Decepticons on many wacky adventures against the Autobots throughout 2006, his insanity would usually lead to each mission ending in failure. (He loved shooting his own troops, for instance.) At one point, his derangement became so severe, the Decepticon "union officials" [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], Motormaster and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] threatened to strike. The perpetually loyal Cyclonus was left little choice but to dupe Galvatron into taking therapy sessions (albeit by force) on [[Torkulon]], the therapy planet. After nearly murdering an attendant during a word-association session and somehow building a gun in an arts and crafts class, Galvatron was deemed incurable by conventional methods. The doctors attempted to use living extensions of the planet to give him a lobotomy (much to Cyclonus's disapproval), but Galvatron broke free and murdered the sentient organic core of Torkulon. While the planet's core was connected to Galvatron's mind the planet began to go mad, with several of the organic planets functions going out of control. After that, he razed the entire planet's civilization, leaving them so broken it would take centuries to rebuild. After his connection to the planet he appeared to have regained some of his sanity. {{storylink|Webworld}}

A new plan saw the Constructicons building engines into the side of a comet, with the intention to crash it into Metroplex on Earth. Unsurprisingly the engines were destroyed by the Autobots before they could even be fired up, however the comet was set on course to a nearby world. The comet was shortly obliterated by [[Harmony|sound waves]] emanating from the planet, also causing the Transformers present to plummet to its surface. Galvatron took [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], intending to find the source of the sonic weapon and use it against the Autobots. Although the Autobots reached the city first, meeting with the leader of [[Eurythma]], the two Decepticons eavesdropped and were able to establish that they needed to talk to [[Allegra]]. After dropping a bridge on the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave were able to talk Allegra into giving them her part of the harmony, and then obtained the other two parts of the harmony in quick succession. The Decepticons headed for Earth to attack Metroplex. Unfortunately Soundwave's attempt to use the destructive harmony were thwarted by the Eurythmans' use of [[anti-sound]]. The Decepticons retreated, though Galvatron raged that he hadn't ordered it. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

[[Image:BigBroadcast Galvatron with static.jpg|right|200px|thumb||I'm sure this can only be a good thing.]]
Galvatron was in one of his more obstinate moods when Astrotrain came to Chaar reporting on how the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] had apparently turned against the Autobots. Even when Cyclonus began advocating for intervention on the matter, Galvatron still couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually the hypnotic television signals being beamed to the Junkions to alter their behavior made their way to Galvatron, along with the rest of the galaxy. He was subliminally drawn into a massive conflict in the skies over [[Junkion (planet)|the planet of Junk]], all part of a Quintesson ploy to create a massive diversion and recover one of their lost journals from Junk. Only after [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] jammed the signal did the television stop "bewitching" Galvatron. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} When [[Predaking]] later happened across that same Quintesson journal, Galvatron joined Cyclonus and the Sweeps in an effort to steal the journal away from both the Autobots and the Quintessons. It played like a game of hot potato for a while, but ultimately the Autobots got the journal and the Decepticons just gave up. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

One day, Galvatron was in the middle of a morale speech for his troops (re: right about to blast the closest Sweeps into stray particles for sheer pique), when he was interrupted by Quintesson visitors. After his last few dealings with the creatures, Galvatron was ready to blast these Quintessons all the same, but they gave him a gentle lecture about the unfairness of stereotyping which somehow convinced Galvatron to listen to the tentacled freaks. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and the five Sweeps with him to Cybertron, following the Quintessons' directions to the Autobots' new [[power core]] beneath the planet's surface. Searching for the power core, the Decepticons inadvertently let loose the monstrous [[Trans-Organic|Trans-Organics]] and the massive energy-draining [[Dweller]]. The Dweller began leeching the life from Galvatron's troops one by one as they tried to flee from the creature. Galvatron showed his heart-felt respect for Cyclonus by throwing all the Sweeps into the creature's path ''first''. He even paused for a moment to look back when the Dweller finally caught Cyclonus as well. Galvatron didn't actually try to ''help'' or anything, but I'm sure Cyclonus would have appreciated the thought alone. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[Image:G1 UltimateWeapon UltimateWeapon!.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Decepticons, I have found the remote control!]]
Thanks to his plasma damage, Galvatron's sanity really had its ups and down. He was arguably on an upswing during a series of assaults on human and Autobot positions in Europe. Using the attacks as a diversion, Galvatron sent Swindle to infiltrate Metroplex and steal his transforming cog, leaving the city-bot helpless for a rematch with Trypticon. In addition, he began taunting the insecure leader Rodimus Prime with his so-called "[[Ultimate Weapon]]", a doomsday device just waiting to be unleashed. As well thought-out and cunning as this scheme may have been, it ultimately fell apart. The Autobots stole Galvatron's idea by taking Trypticon's transforming cog just as Swindle had stolen Metroplex's. Rodimus Prime eventually wised up about the "Ultimate weapon" as well: he called Galvatron's bluff and forced the Decepticon leader to admit he was holding nothing more than a 7-2 off-suit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

Deep in space, Galvatron was attempting to surpass a Quintesson [[quadrant lock]] when the Quintessons and several Autobots interrupted his efforts. In one of his more manic phases at the time, Galvatron chose to stake his claim by hurling Cyclonus face-first through the lock once the Quintessons began to open it. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

Galvatron once attempted to destroy the Autobots by feeding [[Anti-electron|anti-electrons]] into their new power generator. The initial attempt failed, so the Decepticons tried to raid Unicron's head for a new source of anti-electrons inside the planet-eater's brain. The Autobots arrived shortly after Galvatron's team, so he sent his new [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] beasts to occupy the heroes. Galvatron was undone by his own scheming, as the anti-electrons had temporarily turned the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] into a super-intelligent genius. Grimlock built a new team of Autobot warriors called [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] from scratch, right inside Unicron's head. The Technobots were skilled enough to destroy Galvatron's new source of anti-electrons, and drive off the Terrorcons' combined form of [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. {{storylink| Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[Image:CallPrimitives Galvatron and Cyclonus in space.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Okay, how the hell did I fit in you?!"<br />"I don't know mighty Galvatron, but I wish you'd try more often."]]
In a major fight with the Autobots, a large number of Galvatron's troops began staring off into space in the middle of the battle. He lost some of his best soldiers to this effect, like Trypticon, the Predacons, the Terrorcons, Soundwave's Mini-Cassettes...okay, maybe not the Cassettes, but the rest were important. Galvatron ended the fight to go chasing after the deserters, only to be caught by the power of [[Tornedron]] and drained of all his energy. It was only thanks to the fleeing [[Primitive|Primitives]] that Tornedron's effect was eventually reversed. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[Image:Matrix burden 1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Who are YOU gonna call?]]
Galvatron was very pleased when [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] returned from a scouting mission on Earth, having beaten Rodimus Prime and claimed the Matrix of Leadership itself. Galvatron tried to load the Matrix into his particle cannon as a power source, but instead of energy blasts, it summoned the [[Ancient Autobots|ghosts of departed Autobot leaders]]. They spooked Galvatron into getting rid of the Matrix, but his underling Scourge claimed the Matrix for himself and managed to magnify his powers a thousandfold. Scourge used his newfound might to overthrow Galvatron and the loyal Cyclonus, temporarily claiming control of the Decepticons. Galvatron and Cyclonus eventually recovered and came to Earth just after Scourge lost the Matrix back to Rodimus Prime. After a few quick particle blasts for emphasis, though, Galvatron soon accepted Scourge back into the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Just like the good old times, isn't it Prime?"<br>"There were no good times, ya creep."]]
Galvatron and the Decepticons had arrived early to reserve their seats at a football stadium, when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] flew in with news that Optimus Prime's body had been preserved at a nearby laboratory. Unfortunately, the Decepticons arrived just in time to be infected by the outbreak of the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron fled when his warriors turned crazed. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Half-mad to begin with at the best of times, Galvatron soon learned that even the one-eyed man cannot always rule the kingdom of the blind, and found himself on the run from half the galaxy. However, despite his insanity, he teamed up with the resurrected Optimus Prime to stop the [[Hate Plague]]. Galvatron wound up becoming infected by the plague and attempted to kill an unconscious Optimus Prime with an axe. Optimus woke up in the nick of time and opened the Matrix directly in Galvatron's face. The wisdom of the Matrix not only cured the universe of the Hate Plague, it cured Galvatron's madness as well. Well, kinda. Grateful, Galvatron sanely declared, "There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect," and called a brief truce. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

In 2007, Galvatron called off the truce and led an assault on Autobot City, searching for the Key to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. They succeed and headed to Cybertron. Scourge was ordered to activate the chamber but the Autobots took the key but as side affect of the chamber they were sent hurling through space. Galvatron was willing to kill Scourge but [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] and Cyclonus convinced Galvatron not to. After learning what had occurred, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to lead a team of Decepticons to find to key. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

Although seemingly lucid during this period, he formulated what was perhaps his most genocidal and unbalanced scheme ever: Having converted Cybertron into a galactic dreadnought, Galvatron manoeuvred it into Earth's orbit, planning to release the Plasma Energy Chamber's payload into Earth's sun, Sol. The resulting supernova would wipe both Earth and Cybertron off the face of the galaxy, presumably leaving Galvatron to gain mastery over everything left. Grudgingly teamed with the Transformer-[[Nebulan]] hybrid [[Scorponok (G1)|Lord Zarak]], Galvatron was eventually defeated and sent tumbling through space, ushering Cybertron into a new Golden Age. After regaining control, Galvatron vowed to collect energy from disparate corners of the galaxy and return to Cybertron: "We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry! We will build a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron, and I will rule the galaxy!" Zarak made it clear he intended it to be a "we" leadership. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this timeline as above, except that the events following ''The Transformers: The Movie'' are pushed back to 2010 (creating a five-year gap between Galvatron's creation and his return), and the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. The Japanese animated continuity subsequently adds several new adventures into the timeline, both during the Generation 1 cartoon and after it, as detailed below.}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
{{Main|Galvatron (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Kiss Players''===
After being hurled out of [[Unicron]] and into space by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], Galvatron's flight path was disrupted by the [[Sparkbot]]s, a trio of Unicron's servants who were already working to resurrect their master. {{Storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #51}} The Decepticon leader crash-landed on the planet [[Earth]], obliterating the city of [[Tokyo]]. This catastrophic loss of life destroyed [[Human]]-[[Transformer]] relations and led to the formation of the [[Earth Defense Command]], a governmental organization which drove Transformers from the face of the planet. Appropriating Galvatron's remains, the EDC reverse-engineered a fleet of human-operated "[[Autorooper]]" Transformers to perform this task.

As 2006 settled in, Galvatron's impact was revealed to have had an even greater effect than anyone had expected: The blast caused by his impact had scattered his Unicron-empowered cells throughout the planet's atmosphere. When his cells came into contact with other objects and animals, they fused with them, creating an army of monstrous creatures referred to as "[[Legion]]". This disastrous event also created the means to defend the world against Legion, however: When Galvatron's cells came into contact with human beings, these humans gained the ability to fuse with other entities containing his cells. With their Autoroopers being the perfect candidates for this "[[ParasiTech]]" fusion process, the EDC began recruiting and training these "[[Kiss Player]]s" as combat squads to battle the Legion.

Seeking to uncover the ulterior motives of EDC Commander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]], Kiss Players [[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Shaoshao Li]] and [[Atari Hitotonari]] discovered the remains of Galvatron beneath the EDC headquarters. Amaō's plan to use the Legions to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact, was foiled when all the Legions and Autoroopers fused with Galvatron's corpse, restoring his cells and reconstituting his body. Galvatron's body was shot back into space, where it went on to crash on Thrull. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|You, I and the Spinning Earth}}

===''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''===
Galvatron had plenty of devious schemes up his sleeve throughout 2010, opening with the nutty idea of a spaceship that ate other spaceships, which Rodimus Prime promptly blew up. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

Galvatron went back to his roots for his next scheme, creating a clone army of Megatrons that he dubbed the "[[Megatron Corps]]". Galvatron disguised himself as one of the Megatrons and controlled them remotely, making them an effective fighting force that the Autobots had trouble dealing with, until his disguise was penetrated and his control over the robots broken. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}

He later attacked Autobot City with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but was forced to retreat when [[Six-Gun]] destroyed Trypticon's controls with a blast from [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3}}

On one notable occasion, Galvatron challenged Rodimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in order to lure him into a trap set up in partnership with the Quintessons. In the middle of the fight, the Quintessons' newest creation, an Optimus Prime/Megatron hybrid robot known as [[Guiltaur]], arrived to attack Rodimus, but Galvatron was shocked when Guiltaur turned on him as well. Rodimus and Galvatron called a truce long enough for them to team up and destroy Guiltaur, who, it was revealed, had been possessed by Starscream's ghost. With that threat dealt with, they called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #4}}

Next, Galvatron attempted to steal the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of the planet [[Feminia]] with an all-out assault. The Autobots defended the tower, but were overwhelmed by Galvatron's unit of [[Combiner]]s; the scales tilted in his favor thanks to the presence of [[Predaking]]. Galvatron's victory was assued until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] arrived and toppled the Combiners. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

===''Macrocosmic Seekers''===
[[Image:United Expanded Story 8.jpg|thumb|]]

Galvatron and the Decepticons intercepted a transmission about the Autobots picking up a rare treasure on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]]. Unaware that the "treasure" was merely a lost piece of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s armor, and held only sentimental value, Galvatron launched an attack to retrieve it. {{storylink|Unending Battle}}

As the battle raged, an exiled [[Quintesson]] known as the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]] arrived on Junk, and captured Galvatron and the other Transformers for his private collection. They were teleported aboard a massive transparent treasure ship for storage and viewing. {{Storylink|A Treasure Lost}} The Seeker wished to study the unique reformatting process undergone by Galvatron and his minions. They were placed inside stasis chamber and time itself rewound around them to the very moment that [[Unicron]] transformed them into what they had become. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}}

A Junkion named [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] freed the captives, and Galvatron discovered his body transformed by the Seeker's manipulations, giving a new tank mode and dramatically increased power. The Transformers began their escape before their "host" could place them back in stasis. {{Storylink|Time to Move}} The Seeker himself had evolved into a state of pure information, and their more of his treasure ship was destroyed, the more information that made up his being was lost. Eventually, the Seeker winked out of existence as his ship sustained more damage than it could hold. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}}

As the Autobots and Decepticons prepared to return to their respective armies, the last of the Seeker's extra energy faded from Galvatron and the others. Although the two groups had worked side-by-side during the crisis, the old arguments quickly rose anew and the factions parted with only a momentary truce. {{Storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}

===''The Great Transformer War''===
Later in 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]], a brilliant scientist from the planet [[Eran]], but Dalton refused to work with the Decepticons and lent his aid to the Autobots instead, upgrading the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] so they could defeat the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

One of the Terrorcons' upgrades included a sticky goo that forced the Technobots into working for the Decepticons. Through the intervention of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] the Technobots were freed and the Terrorcons defeated. Galvatron cursed the human for interfering, but declared that his next evil scheme would be one the Autobots would never forget. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 2|The Great Transformer War #2}}

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the curing of the Hate Plague, Galvatron hastily broke his vow that there would be no war, and he, Cyclonus and Scourge battled Prime, Hot Rod and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] in space, only to be defeated. Galvatron immediately returned to [[Chaar]] and dispatched [[Sixshot]] to retrieve the Decepticon Headmasters, as he had need of them for his assault on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Rik Thomas]] (English, Omni Productions dub)}}

[[Image:FourWarriors Galvatron abuses Skullcruncher.jpg|thumb|right|200px|BEG FOR MERCY!]]
In 2011, a side effect of releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague was revealed when the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] began to destabilize. Seeking to exploit this imbalance, Galvatron attacked Cybertron, his forces now bolstered by the addition of new [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors from the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. When encountering the Dinobots, Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypno powers to put them to sleep. However Skullcruncher got in the way and fell asleep. Galvatron was peeved at Skullcruncher and abused him. Galvatron engaged Optimus Prime and Jazz in battle but was forced to run. Soon after Galvatron ordered Mindwipe to use his hypnotic powers to stop the Dinobots (again) and the Throttlebots but a [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|giant spaceship]] appeared and four Autobot Headmaster warriors came from the ship and stopped them from going any further. They introduced themselves as the Autobots Headmaster warriors [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Brainstorm]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

While the arrival of the team of Autobot Headmasters repelled the invasion, Galvatron attempted to stop Fortress Maximus after he beat four of the best Decepticon combiners but was beaten and forced to temporarily retreat. It was then revealed that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging, and the race began to acquire it and use it to gain control over Vector Sigma. Soon after the race began, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] fought and killed each other. Galvatron was not happy. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Galvatron later visited the Decepticon base on Earth to find out what Hot Rod was after. [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] asked Galvatron if [[Sixshot]] was suitable to lead to troops at the base, leading Galvatron to suspect Cyclonus had a treacherous plan until Cyclonus reaffirmed his loyalty. After finding out that Hot Rod was after the Matrix, Galvatron, the Decepticon Headmasters and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] went to stop him. Galvatron got the Matrix but Chromedome knocked it out of his hand a second later. Galvatron was also attacked by [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. Hot Rod ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Matrix and becoming Rodimus Prime again, and he and Optimus Prime joined forces to defeat Galvatron. Though beaten in battle, Galvatron did at least take solace in the fact that Optimus Prime once again met his end. Only the Autobots that were there seemed to care that he was dead. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Later Galvatron decided to have another crack at taking control of Vector Sigma by creating the [[Madmachine]]. To aid him in this plan he revived Soundwave as Soundblaster using [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Transector technology. Galvatron then ordered Sixshot to test the Madmachine on Metroplex. Following the test's successful completion, he ordered Sixshot to retreat. Galvatron had the Madmachine and the Decepticon Headmasters sent to Cybertron to take control of Vector Sigma. He gave control of it to Soundblaster, however Galvatron's base on Charr was invaded by Blaster who had been revived as Twincast. The Autobot destroyed the Control in Soundblaster’s chest. This allowed the Autobot Headmasters to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}.

Galvatron occupied planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] and took most of the civilians (known as [[Beastformer]]s) prisoner, except for those who would follow him. Galvatron was informed by [[Alligatron]] of Fortress Maximus’s arrival on Beast. Galvatron ordered the Beastformers and Decepticons to destroy the Autobots. When Rodimus arrived Galvatron showed up and battled Rodimus. Cyclonus and Scourge tried to help but damaged Galvatron instead. Galvatron continued to fight Rodimus but was forced into retreat after Fortress Maximus came and attacked him. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}.

After the failure of losing Beast, Galvatron created a meteorite nicknamed [[Metamorphose]], intended to destroy Athenia. No Transformer could approach it, as it knocked them out with electrical overload. Its first victims were the Aerialbots, who were temporarily deactivated when they approached it. Then the Throttlebots became victims. However, the Autobots had [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], a human who was not affected by it. While Fortress and the other Autobot Headmasters distracted the Decepticons, Daniel sneaked into Metamorphose and disabled it, saving Athenia and once again foiling Galvatron's plans. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

Galvatron was getting unhappy about his troops' failures and was starting to lose his composure. Cyclonus tried to calm his leader down by reaffirming his loyalty how the mighty Galvatron never fails. However, this did not calm Galvatron down. When Scourge informed Galvatron that Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived, Galvatron started blaming the Decepticon Headmasters for his failures as well. Then, from the shadows, Scorponok explained that he had a plan to stop the Autobot Headmasters. Galvatron approved, but only after blaming him for the loss of Planet Beast. When the plan failed, Galvatron himself arrived. He and the Decepticon Headmasters almost defeated the Autobots, but Rodimus Prime, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Trainbot]]s arrived and outnumbered them, forcing Galvatron to retreat. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Later a [[Sixshot|shadowy figure]] appeared on TV and demanded Earth's energy. Cyclonus and Scourge suggested that when the shadowy figure would get the energy, they should take it from him. After an argument between them Galvatron approved the plan. Galvatron later found out that their plan failed and that they stole Trypticon, who had been damaged in a fight with the Autobot Headmasters and [[Raiden]]. He was far from happy. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[Image:Cybertonuronsword.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Excalibur, BE MY STRENGTH!]]
After many failed attempts to control Cybertron, Galvatron set his sights on [[Cybertonuron]], a powerful new alloy being developed by Vector Sigma. The Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, advocated the destruction of the alloy to prevent the Autobots from obtaining it, but when Galvatron refused to consider the notion, Scorponok took matters into his own hands and had powerful bombs planted in Vector Sigma's chamber. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Scorponok told Galvatron what he had done, and the enraged Decepticon leader ran into the chamber to try and stop the explosion, only to be caught in the blast. Cybertron was reduced to a burnt-out husk, and Galvatron was left missing in action. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Galvatron was thought dead for some time, and during his absence, Scorponok proclaimed himself the new Decepticon leader, only for Galvatron to turn up alive and well during his coronation. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

[[Image:Sosfromsandra magnus pwns galvy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|]]
Cyclonus and Scourge reported a destress call from plant Sandra and reported it to Galvatron. Scorponok suggested that it was a minor matter that was of no concern. Galvatron partly agreed but ordered Ratbat to check up on the Autobot's in case they picked up on the SOS. Ratbat later returned and informed Galvatron the Autobots will be gathering a lot of energy to help Sandra. Galvatron saw this as an opportunity to take it and headed to Earth with the Terrorcons, Constructicons and Sixshot. Just as Ultra Magnus learned of Galvatrons arrivel, Galvatron himself arrived. They cons attacked the Trainbots who were trying to transport the energy but got ocupied with the Protectobot's and Technobots. Galvatron battled Ultra Magnus but was quickly defeated. The Autobots soon stopped trying to transport the energy to Sandra from Earth and said the energy will be taken from Athenia to Sandra instead. Galvatron was confused but had Scorponok on stand by in case anything happened. After Scorponok failed to stop Fortress Maximus from help Galvatron himself apperead. He attempted to find the energy from Fortress Maximus but was overpowered by the Autobot Headmasters and forced to retreat. {{Storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

Sixshot came up with a idea to set [[Grand Galvatron|Galvatron's plan]] into action: wipe out the Autobots. Galvatron approved and had the Combaticons, the Terrorcons, the Stunticons and the Horrorcons sent with him to Earth. This plan resulted in the death of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

[[Image:Grandgalvatron.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"Galvatron! Have you been going to McDonald's again?" "Yes, mother".]]
After returning to Earth with a massive stockpile of [[energon]], Galvatron confided to his most trusted warrior, [[Sixshot]], that he intended to use the energon as part of a process that would transform Earth into a new, all-powerful, Unicron-like body for him, dubbed "Grand Galvatron". Additionally, he explained that this process would require only the best components from his most powerful warriors, making it quite clear that he intended to sacrifice Sixshot and the other Decepticons for this insane ambition. Aghast, Sixshot betrayed Galvatron to Scorponok as quickly as possible, leaving the Decepticon leader alone to battle the Autobot Headmasters in Alaska. Thankfully for the Autobots, their double-agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] had eavesdropped on Galvatron and Sixshot's conversation, during which Galvatron had revealed that his head was his weakest point. With this information to aid them, the Headmasters entered [[Head Formation]] and laid Galvatron low, collapsing an iceberg on top of him and entombing him in ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

After this, Scorponok took control of the Decepticons again. In a meeting with the other Decepticons, he vowed to defeat the Autobots and control Earth in Galvatron's memory. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}
{{-}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
On planet [[Chaar]], Galvatron ordered the [[Headmasters of Evil]] to head for planet [[Athenia]] and show the Autobots their "true power". Their "true power" involved trying to blow up the Battleship Maximus with a goofy explosive and failing. Galvatron was displeased. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Later, while [[White Leo]] was abset from [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Galvatron made a second attempt to conquer it with the united forces of his Decepticons and the Decepticon [[Beastformer]]s. With the aid of [[Kane]], the Autobots and the Autobot Beastformers were able to hold the Decepticons off long enough for White Leo to return and send them into a retreat. Galvatron callously left [[Alligatron]] and the Decepticon Beastformers behind to face justice as he and his troops escaped into space. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

===''Super-God Masterforce'' comic===
Galvatron, believed to be buried alive in an iceberg, would return to menace the [[Headmaster Junior]]s with an army of legendary Decepticon warriors. "Galvatron" and all his troops were eventually revealed to be nothing more than holograms created by the Decepticon [[Godmaster]]s to fool the Autobots. {{storylink|Burn, Super Soul! The New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

===''15 Go! Go!''===
[[Image:TGGGalvatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Crazy AND toy-accurate.]]
At some point after 2025, when Optimus Prime had been restored to life once more as Star Convoy, the mobile computer [[Teletraan 15]] traveled forward in time from 2005 to this era as part of a mission gather data to rebuild [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks. During her visit, as Star Convoy and Hot Rod prepared to battle Ultra Megatron, a [[transwarp]] wormhole suddenly opened above the combatants, and a massive blast shot emerged from it and struck Hot Rod. Badly damaged, Hot Rod could barely warn his commander as Galvatron, appearing from some unknown spot in space and time, descended through the portal. Tearing Teletraan 15's arm off, {{storylink|Galvatron Volume}} Galvatron gripped the limb in his [[teeth]] as he maniacally throttled Hot Rod. Teletraan 15 passed out {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 2}} and woke up some time later with the outcome of the battle unknown, though she remained haunted by images of the crazed Decepticon clutching her limp and helpless friend. {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 3}}

===''The Battlestars''===
Galvatron would remain buried in the ice for over fifteen years, until he was resurrected by [[Dark Nova]] as the new and improved [[Megatron (G1)|Super Megatron]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 6}}

[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Emperors]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]

Trailbreaker (G1)

2012-04-13T20:29:18Z

74.96.198.138:

{{picsneeded|appearances in fiction}}
{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Trailbreaker}}

:''Trailbreaker is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Trailbreakerg1.jpg|right|240px|thumb|I may not be fast... but I'm effective and provide soothing relief.]]
It's hard not to like '''Trailbreaker'''. He's a good-humored cheerleader, always ready with a joke or comment to lighten the mood when things get dark. Sadly, Trailbreaker's joking is often a cover for his low self-esteem. His form is the most fuel-consumptive of the ''Ark'' crew, and his vehicle mode is very slow. As such, he feels like a useless drain on their limited resources. The Autobots know better, of course. Trailbreaker's good humor, bravery, and impenetrable [[force field]] are all of great use, but convincing him of that is hard, especially when he begins to mope about his handicaps.

He is sometimes known as '''Trailcutter''' or '''Trailblazer'''.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
Trailbreaker was part of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s original crew, crashing to Earth four million years ago aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''.

Trailbreaker joined a detachment of Autobots investigating robot sightings in [[United Kingdom|Merry Ol' England]]. After making contact with a young boy named [[Sammy Harker|Sammy]], the Autobots were caught by surprise when the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] fire-bombed them from the sky. Trailbreaker was blasted before he could activate his force field. Like a freakin' drama queen, he went offline whimpering, "It's no good. Everything's gone... just plain ruined..." {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}}

Like many Autobots, Trailbreaker was too low on fuel to join Optimus and the others in what would've been their climactic battle with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s forces, and was taken prisoner without a fight when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] assumed command of the Decepticons and the ''Ark''. He was revived after [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] reclaimed the ''Ark'', however. When the Autobots went to recover Optimus Prime's head and restore their leader to functionality, Trailbreaker was one of many Autobots caught off-guard by the false Prime created by Shockwave and was shot down before he could raise his force field. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''On another occasion, the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] was under the control of a human scientist and attacking the Autobots. Trailbreaker jumped in his path and tried to wrestle the pteranodon to the ground. Instead, he was lifted up and slammed into the cliffside...'cause he never turned on that force field. {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} During the Dinobot Hunt, Trailbreaker joined [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in hunting [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] among the sands of the [[Black Rock Desert]]. They managed to collect him virtually without a fight once Snarl wandered into a secret military base and unleashed a molecular disintegrator bomb that ended his rampage. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

''When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and his future Decepticons arrived in the present, the Autobot chain of command was crippled as Optimus Prime, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and Ratchet vanished and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] was taken prisoner. [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] attempted to rise to command, accepting support from [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], but the Autobots were simply outclassed. Trailbreaker was part of a group of more than a half-dozen Autobots who collectively failed to bring down even one of Galvatron's lieutenants. In desperation, the Autobots turned to Megatron himself (who had quickly been disposed of by Galvatron when he first arrived) as a temporary ally and battlefield advisor. Under the Decepticon's direction, the Autobots staged a trap for the lone future Decepticon [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] in order to weaken Galvatron's power base. Unfortunately, Scourge's enhanced sensors detected the trap almost immediately, and his acid ray nailed Trailbreaker THROUGH a wall before the battle even began. (Too early to have activated that force field, huh?) Scourge was ultimately brought down, but Trailbreaker was left inactive for days until Ratchet was restored to the present and able to repair him. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}''

''Well, he was up and about soon enough, and accompanied Prowl and Jetfire on a mission to stop the Decepticons from accessing a [[NASA]] space transmission facility, only to get knocked around helplessly by [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], and beaten to the ground long enough for the Decepticons to escape... all because he didn't turn on that slaggin' force field to protect himself. Remember, Trailbreaker? The force field? You're not built for speed or energy efficiency; you were built for power, specifically that one power that makes you ''special'' and ''unique''. Or is it "just plain ruined" these days? {{storylink|The Gift}}''

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''In 2008, Trailbreaker was one of the Autobots taken down and strung up by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] when they invaded [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian)

[[Image:Mtmte2 witwickys and trailbreaker.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
Trailbreaker was part of the bridge crew of the ''Ark'' spaceship when it blasted off from Cybertron to search for new sources of energy four million years in the past. When he was awakened in 1984, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] reformatted him so that his alt-mode was a terrestrial Toyota 4WD camper truck. Trailbreaker accompanied his fellow Autobots on their first mission to stop the Decepticons on Earth, a mission that took him to an off-shore oil rig. The Decepticons plundered the rig for energon and destroyed it, leaving it a flaming wreck that endangered its human crew. Trailbreaker used his force field to contain the fire, while [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] used his built-in fire-suppression systems to douse the flames. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

Later, Trailbreaker served as a spy despite his stated function as defensive strategist. ([[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] was apparently busy that day.) He, along with the humans [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], camped out near the Decepticons' headquarters and eavesdropped on their plans to raid the ruby mines of Burma. Their surveillance did not go totally unnoticed, however, as a set of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] spotted the Autobot making his getaway. Trailbreaker summoned the brothers [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] to fend off his pursuer and got the information safely back to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prime]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

[[Image:MTMTE3 Trailbreaker jogging.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Trailbreaker took up jogging after Sunstreaker made a crack about his weight.]]
Trailbreaker watched [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] fish [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] out of a lake during the mission in [[Burma]]. He volunteered along with all of the rest of the Autobots to attempt to prevent the Decepticons from leaving Earth with the Energon they'd gathered. He fired on the Decepticons as they boarded the [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] they'd built. Though the ship still launched despite their efforts, [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] brought it crashing back to Earth. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} Trailbreaker was part of a group of Autobots who were lured into a cave by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and ambushed by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} He also took part in the assault on an antimatter laboratory when the Decepticons got their hands on an antimatter formula, and was damaged when the lab exploded during the Decepticon withdrawal. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Trailbreaker in force field.jpg|thumb|left|230px|"I'm trapped in a Fabergé egg! Help!"]]
A team of Autobots, including Trailbreaker, rolled out to give Optimus backup at an ammunition plant, but arrived too late, and found Prime badly damaged. When Prime needed a new [[Cosmitron]], Trailbreaker volunteered for a mission to Cybertron to retrieve a replacement from [[Wheeljack's workshop]]. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] had his forces on that planet use [[acid rain]] on the group, but after a pep talk from [[Chip Chase]], Trailbreaker remembered he could use his force fields to protect them. They subsequently returned to Earth and, while the replacement Cosmitron was being installed, helped defend Headquarters against a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s ran amok during their unveiling, Trailbreaker protected himself from [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]'s [[fire-breath]] with a force field. Of course, this merely deflected the fire onto Sunstreaker. Some time later, Trailbreaker and most of the rest of the Autobots went to the [[Great Falls]] to try and stop the Decepticons from raiding it, and were all captured. They would have been terminated, had Wheeljack not come to the rescue with the upgraded Dinobots. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Trailbreaker and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] were going for a drive one day, only to find two [[Thundercracker (G1)|suspicious-looking]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|jets]]. The jets revealed themselves as Decepticons who had come to a nearby refinery to make off with its steel to build a weapon. Brawn and Trailbreaker interrupted them, but Starscream blasted missiles at them, destroying the refinery, and made his getaway. The Autobots reported the incident back to Optimus Prime. Toward the end of the ensuing battle in [[Peru]], Trailbreaker pitched in to fire at the new weapon. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom3 Trailbreaker firing.jpg|thumb|right|220px|"I've always thought red is my favorite color!"]]
When the Autobots began studying a meteorite that had fallen to Earth, Wheeljack discovered the sample fragment was highly unstable and summoned Optimus and Trailbreaker to his laboratory. On command, Trailbreaker unleashed his force field around the meteorite to contain the explosive blast. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}} In the aftermath of a Decepticon attack on Headquarters, Trailbreaker took part in cleanup efforts. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Following Cybertron's arrival in Earth orbit, he and Jazz mocked [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] when the Seeker's was blasted by his own fire, whipped back by the strong winds. Trailbreaker volunteered for a mission to Cybertron to rescue Sparkplug, intending to use his jammer beam to mask their approach. Unfortunately he left it too late, but [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] was able to dodge the incoming missiles. The team arrived on Cybertron, but became separated, with Skyfire, Trailbreaker and Wheeljack left on the surface. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}}

The trio made their way down and arrived in time to rescue Spike and the smaller 'bots from the Decepticons. After a swift retreat, they reached the relative safety of Wheeljack's workshop, where the scientist worked to construct a counter for the Decepticon [[hypno-chip]]s. That done, they rescued Sparkplug, and headed back to Earth in time to liberate the enslaved humans and prevent Megatron from getting away with a shuttle full of Energon. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} Trailbreaker was at headquarters when they discovered that Megatron was still operational and leading the Decepticons. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:PlagueOfInsecticons Trailbreaker projecting forcefield.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"Yes, Prime. This is my new ring gun!"]]
With the emergence of the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] in [[Bali]], Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who went to investigate. They arrived in time to reinforced the smaller team who'd already found the Insecticons, and the foe, now teamed up with the Decepticons, took off. During the pursuit, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] used his control beam on Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, compelling the pair to try and ram their fellows, but Trailbreaker used a force field to sever the beam. They eventually reached an oil refinery, but during the battle, Shrapnel harnessed lightning from a storm that had moved in, and zapped Trailbreaker and Wheeljack. Both survived, and Trailbreaker was later able to use his force field to disable the Insecticon clones, rescuing Bumblebee and Spike. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, Trailbreaker and the rest of the Autobots turned out to cheer their leader on. To their horror, Optimus lost, meaning they'd have to leave Earth forever, but once they returned to headquarters, they used Teletraan I to establish that Megatron had cheated, rendering the result void. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

During Sparkplug's demonstration of his latest invention, [[Autobot X]], the creation went wild. Trailbreaker, Ironhide and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] tried to charge it, only to be blasted on their cans. Trailbreaker's force field provided his companions with cover so they could take down the beast. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} He was on the ill-fated mission to come to the aid of some gold miners, during which [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] was captured by the Decepticons. He subsequently joined the effort to rescue Gears and disable Megatron's [[Solar Needle]]. When they found that Megatron had temporarily reprogrammed Gears to be a happy-go-lucky kind of Autobot, Trailbreaker was the one who voiced what everyone was thinking and said maybe they should just leave him that way. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} He was also on the mission to [[New York City]] when the Decepticons started replacing buildings in an attempt to create a new Cybertron, {{storylink|City of Steel}} and was turned evil by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

[[Image:TheImmobilizer Trailbreaker force field.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"And the only side effect is Ratchet's mouth disappears!"]]
Trailbreaker witnessed the demonstration of the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer]], and protected his comrades with a force field when the Decepticons attacked. Though they managed to steal the Immobilizer, the Decepticons fell into a river and Trailbreaker lightened the situation with a healthy joke. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} He took part in a charity race, though he wasn't the fastest of Autobots, and still managed to outrun Ironhide. When the old timer complained about a weird jolt in his circuitry, Trailbreaker suggested he was making an excuse, but it was actually the effects of Megatron's [[Transfixatron]]. Locked in their vehicle modes, the Autobots were taken to an old ghost town, and it looked like they were going to be destroyed, until the Autobots who'd remained at base turned up to rescue them. Ironhide and Trailbreaker took great delight in smashing the Transfixatron to bits. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Trailbreaker took part in the defense of [[Washington, D.C.]] when the Decepticons teamed up with the residents of [[Sub-Atlantica]]. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

[[Image:EnterNightbird flying Trailbreaker.jpg|thumb|left|260px|In an early example of [[Slogism]], here's Trailbreaker stuck to the roof of a building with a wad of cotton candy.]]
Trailbreaker was also a guard when [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]] revealed his [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], though when Decepticons inevitably attacked, they blasted through the door Trailbreaker was standing in front of, sending him across the room. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} After an apparently successful attack on the Decepticons at a crevasse, the Autobots found that they somehow had two Optimus Primes—the real one referring to Trailbreaker as "'''Trailblazer'''". Trailbreaker was one of the proponents of using a series of trials to work out which was the real thing. When that was unsuccessful, the Autobots ended up going on another mission to the crevasse to investigate strange readings, and once again encountered the Decepticons. After [[Optimus Prime clone|one of the Primes]] apparently destroyed [[Starscream clone (G1)|Starscream]], Trailbreaker announced that he must be the real thing, because he offed the Decepticons' "number two varmint". As it turned out, that Prime was a phony, trying to lure them into a ravine filled with dangerous [[korlonium crystal]]s, as they discovered moments later when he disregarded a threat to Spike's life. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

[[Image:DinobotIsland1 Trailbreaker projects force field.jpg|thumb|right|230px|"WAAA! Mommy, my gun exploded!]]
When the Dinobots attempted to demonstrate their newfound "finesse" to the other Autobots, [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] accidentally set fire to the Ark, threatening Teletraan I. Thinking quickly, Trailbreaker projected his force field over the Autobot supercomputer, allowing [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] time to extinguish the blaze. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} The Decepticon's pillaging of [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] began causing time warps to appear across the world, and Trailbreaker flew to the island by [[jet pack]] to investigate with the rest of the Autobots. After a prolonged battle, the Autobots and Dinobots succeeded in chasing the Decepticons from the island. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

On another occasion, the Autobots were forced to abandon Earth by Megatron aboard a spacecraft set on a course into the sun. After the Autobots discovered they couldn't alter their course, their ship exploded. Trailbreaker cast a massive force field large enough to contain the entire Autobot force safely; from within the field, [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] towed the group back to Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} Trailbreaker was incapacitated by [[Cybertonium]] depletion, as were the rest of the Autobots. They were only saved when Spike, [[Carly]] and the Dinobots brought more back from Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[Image:Trailbreakerdance.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Do a little dance...make a little love... get down tonight... I said get down tonight!]]
Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who arrived too late to prevent the theft of the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. When Megatron used the device to knock out radio transmissions during a blizzard, Trailbreaker's force fields proved to be a valuable asset, protecting humans and Autobots alike from snowfall. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He took part in an attempt to defend an [[Electrum]] pool from the Decepticons, {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} and a baseball stadium incident during which Optimus and a number of other Autobots were lost through the Decepticon [[space bridge]]. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}}

After that, a Decepticon coup by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] resulted in a city being flooded. Trailbreaker used his force field to protect himself and a small group of Autobots from a large tidal wave. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}} He rolled out with the majority of the Autobot forces to rescue [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] from the Decepticons, though it resulted in them all being infected with [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} He was also hanging around Headquarters when the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were captured, and a group of Autobots disguised as them in an attempt to find out what Megatron was up to. {{storylink|Masquerade}}
{{-}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] sent [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] to raid [[Tokyo]] for energy, Trailbreaker accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and a unit of Autobot vehicles to defend the city. Trailbreaker didn't perform very well, cowering in fright beneath Menasor's size and taking the [[combiner]]'s humongous fist to the face. Luckily, his pummelling made the perfect distraction for Optimus Prime, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], who drove up a ramp and slammed Menasor and the Seekers directly in their faces, sending them into retreat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

As a member of the [[4-Wheel-Drive Brigade]], Trailbreaker accompanied [[Kenji]] and the rest of the team to a crater in Kyushu where Decepticon activity had been discovered. Entering the crater, however, Trailbreaker and the Brigade were caught off-guard by numerous landmines that had been planted by the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. As they sunk toward as steaming pit of magma, the other four members of the Brigade managed to defeat the Decepticons by forming a human pyramid and using their "4-Wheel-Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. Trailbreaker, unfortunately (or perhaps ''fortunately''), had to sit that one out because he was escorting Kenji within himself and couldn't transform to robot mode. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

====''Story of Binaltech''====
Trailbreaker was one of many Autobots who suffered from an outbreak of the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] virus after the Decepticons unleashed it on Earth. He was supposed to receive a new body thanks to the [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] Institute of Technology, but the Decepticons managed to infiltrate the Binaltech Project. Through the use of [[hypno-chip]]-controlled spies and pawns, Trailbreaker's new body was hijacked and used to upgrade the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] known as [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] instead. {{storylink|Expose All of Evil's Designs!}}

===Marvel Colouring Books===
[[Image:Bumblebeetdr-trailbreaker.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yikes!]]
Trailbreaker, who looks... ''odd'', was captured by the Decepticons under unknown circumstances and put in their special Autobot prison. He and the other prisoners were eventually freed by Bumblebee, after which they struck back against the Decepticons. Trailbreaker projected his force field around some of the villains in order to trap them, and after the battle was won, he and the other Autobots cheered for Bumblebee. Hip hip hooray! {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
Trailbreaker was present under the command of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] at the battle of [[Altihex]] when the Decepticons destroyed a building full of neutral Cybertonians. Unable to save the city, the Autobots helped evacuate civilians before retreating. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} When Decepticon Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] led a force of Decepticons against the Autobot capital of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who defended the city-state. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

When Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] disappeared in an accident with a [[space bridge]], the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Trailbreaker stayed with the Autobots under the leadership of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. He and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak ]] filled in [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] on what was happening after Jetfire returned from a survey. {{storylink|Devastation}} Trailbreaker was later part of the group of reinforcements that helped battle the giant [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} They returned to [[Autobase]] for repairs, only for [[The Fallen]] to break in to rescue [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who followed Optimus Prime on his mission on board the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. They were attacked by Megatron's ship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. After being boarded, the ''Ark'' crash-landed on [[Earth]], where all on board were preserved in emergency stasis. In 1984, a volcanic eruption awakened the ''Ark'''s computer, Teletraan I, and it repaired all on board.

Eventually, the combined forces of the Autobots on Earth and their human allies were able to capture the Decepticons. In 1999, a ship called the ''[[Ark II]]'' was built to take the Cybertonians back to Cybertron, along with some human companions, but the ship exploded shortly after takeoff. The human allies were killed, but the Cybertonians were lost in the ocean, again in stasis lock. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} Three years later, Spike Witwicky assisted the US "Defense Ministry" in reactivating Optimus Prime by placing a piece of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] into his chest. Optimus traveled to the remote Arctic shoreline where he'd been found after the crash and used the Matrix to revive Jazz, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], Trailbreaker and Wheeljack from where they lay under the waves. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Shortly afterwards, the Autobots assisted the US military in rescuing the survivors of the Smitco Oil Refinery attack. When Optimus Prime learned the attackers were Autobots and Decepticons under the control of terrorist arms dealer [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], he asked his Autobots to accompany him to fight for '''Great JUSTICE.''' Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who agreed to come along, stating that Prime only needed to point him in the right direction. Trailbreaker participated in the battle at Rook's destroyed base when [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]] double-crossed them and attempted to destroy all the Transformers with a low-yield nuclear weapon. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}

[[Image:DW Trailbreaker Devastatorstomp.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Devastator crush puny Autobot... and make scale joke while crushing. Har har har!]]
After the Autobots extricated themselves from the nuke-absorbing hardened virus shell, Trailbreaker helped rescue the captive Autobots Megatron was using to fuel his technovirus. After Ironhide informed the other Autobots of Megatron's imminent attack on [[San Francisco]], they flew there and engaged the Decepticons. Trailbreaker smashed Grimlock in the face with a steel girder and informed the former Dinobot commander that he'd made the wrong choice in leaving the Autobots and was now going to pay. Unfortunately, Superion was taken down by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], prompting Trailbreaker to join Optimus Prime, Sideswipe and Megatron in a moment of [[dull surprise]], gaping at Devastator as if they had never seen him before. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}}

As Jazz and the Autobots in [[Canada]] were preparing to deal with the technovirus, Trailbreaker frantically radioed them for backup, reporting that Superion was down. As he was distracted, Devastator attempted to stomp on the Autobot. Trailbreaker caught the foot in time, but was crushed into the pavement. He was later retrieved and placed into restraint by the Decepticons as Megatron attempted to convince Optimus Prime to join his cause to wipe out the humans and rule the universe. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} Once Prime managed to free the Autobots with assistance from human firefighters, Trailbreaker resumed his assault on Grimlock by sending him flying with a punch. After Superion sacrificed himself to save San Francisco from General Hallo's unauthorized nuclear strike, Trailbreaker called Optimus over when he and Sideswipe discovered the abandoned Grimlock under rubble. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''While the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] were invading Earth, the Transformers also had to deal with an over-reaching American President who wanted to destroy all the Cybertronians. He offered the Autobots his help in setting up an ambush for the Decepticons, but Prime and his advisors quickly realized the President planned to eliminate all of them. Taking what seemed to be the lesser of two evils at the moment, the Autobots forged an alliance with the Decepticons before travelling to the ambush site. Trailbreaker was among the Autobot soldiers Optimus chose for the battle. He fought against the military forces and apparently survived the attack of the [[deconstructionite]]s relatively unharmed. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

Months later, the united Cybertronian army arrived on Earth, demanding the surrender of all combatant Autobots and Decepticons. Trailbreaker suffered serious injuries battling [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and the Seekers and had to be placed in a [[CR chamber]] for repairs on the flight back to Cybertron. He fought alongside the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew and the various insurgency groups on Cybertron to reclaim Iacon for the Autobots and force Shockwave out of power. {{storylink|War and Peace}} Afterwards, he joined Prowl and the rest of the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s old crew in returning to Earth to work on the construction of a new Autobot City.

===3H comics===
[[Image:Rattrap legs.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Gah! Someone call an exterminator!]]
Hundreds of years later, Trailbreaker and fellow Autobots [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] arrived on the newly technorganic Cybertron roughly one year after the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)|this era's Megatron]]. They were welcomed by the surviving members of [[Optimus Primal]]'s band of [[Maximal]]s, including [[Rattrap]], who offered to share a vintage keg of [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's Old Oil]] with the Autobot veteran. Unfortunately, Trailbreaker did not have an opportunity to take Rattrap up on his offer, because immediately afterwards, he and his associates were abducted by [[Unicron]] and teleported to the [[Cauldron]]. There, they were rebuilt against their will into new bodies... except Trailbreaker, because why mess with success? {{storylink|Abduction}}

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|left|150px|thumb|You've got me? Who's got you?!]]
{{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}}
[[Optimus Primal]] led the [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]], which included Trailbreaker, into a final fight with the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]] on the surface of Unicron himself. However, as their victory was imminent, Unicron began to dissolve beneath their very feet, and [[King Atlas]] had to carry Trailbreaker and Roulette to safety, through a transwarp portal back to their native Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}
===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF5_Autobots.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Trailbreaker was among the Transformers discovered on Earth by [[Cobra]], and reworked into a piloted death mechanism known as a [[Stinger (Cobra)|Stinger]]. The Transformers were eventually freed, and the Autobots fought both their Decepticon enemies and their Cobra oppressors. During the battle, Trailbreaker and several other Autobots located [[Cobra Commander]] and tried to capture him, but he was protected by Cobra troops in robotic [[S.N.A.K.E.]] suits. Unfortunately, the Autobots underestimated their human opponents, and Trailbreaker was decapitated by [[Storm Shadow]] during the battle. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

This was apparently not as fatal as it seemed, however, as Trailbreaker was up and fighting again shortly afterwards. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:MegsOrigin4 Trailbreaker.jpg|left|150px|thumb|I STILL SUPPORT THE RAILING SYSTEMMMMmmmmm!]]
Trailbreaker (along with nearly every other Autobot, apparently) served in the Autobot Security Forces under the command of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. He participated in the battle of [[Kaon]] where the criminal known as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] began a rampage with his army of convicts. Trailbreaker grabbed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] as the criminal was flying away, only to be kicked off for his trouble, falling to his apparent demise... {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

[[Image:SpotlightKup Trailbreaker.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Mommy told me never to open the door to strangers.]]
Except he survived. Many years later, Trailbreaker was a specialist called in by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] to extract a deranged [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] safely from the planet where he had crash-landed. The planet possessed a radiation which was dangerous to Transformers without special protective covering, causing Kup, in his delusions, to believe his rescuers were monsters trying to attack him. Trailbreaker's force fields allowed him to walk on the planet without any protective gear, and his appearance shocked Kup for long enough that he could save the old bot's spark core from meltdown. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

Later, he was one of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s old friends who took time off duty to greet the return of "The Voice". {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

A year later, Trailbreaker had joined [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s team of Autobots on [[Earth]]. They made a plan to drive the Decepticons off the planet once and for all, but fell into a trap and were defeated by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Trailbreaker and the rest were subsequently dumped on the ruined [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to be finished off by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} His primary role appeared to be playing bodyguard to [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], making sure nobody lynched the guy for being a suspected traitor. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} After the Autobot starship ''[[Trion]]'' crashlanded on the planet, Trailbreaker and the others listened to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s story about what happened. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} They proceeded to mingle with the rest of ''Trion''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> crew. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} Trailbreaker later oversaw the process of putting a giant cannon in place on the Autobots' temporary base. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}}

After the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], Trailbreaker briefly left Earth to serve on the [[Ethics Committee]] meetings at the [[Kimia Facility]], alongside [[Xaaron]] and [[Animus]]. He sat in consideration of [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s new invention, [[cerebro-sensitive bullet]]s that used onboard computers to ensure a killshot to the head with every pull of the trigger. Unlike his fellow committee members, Trailbreaker openly expressed his horror at such a weapon, and his disapproval of its creator. Ultimately, the bullets were banned by the committee under Protocol III of the [[Non-Conventional Weapons Act]], and use of them in future would be deemed a war crime under the [[Tyrest Accord]]. {{storylink|Bullets}}

Two years after the fall of Megatron, Trailbreaker was present when Hot Rod announced his plans to abandon Earth and what was left of the war. He chose not to join the Autobot cavalier or his followers. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}}

Along with all the other Autobots, Trailbreaker volunteered to return to Cybertron and fight [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}} During the trip, he spent a lot of time staring at Megatron, now in Autobot captivity. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

Upon arriving at Cybertron, the Autobots were faced with Kimia Facility, which had been captured by Galvatron, transformed into a giant laser cannon and used to fire on the planet. Rodimus (formerly Hot Rod) grabbed Trailbreaker and had him project a force field around the cannon's muzzle, but it proved too weak to stop the next blast. The shock of having his force field ripped apart knocked him unconscious, and he had to be repaired by [[Garnak]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}}

After the battle was won and peace was restored to Cybertron, Trailbreaker joined Rodimus's crew on the ''[[Lost Light]]''. They left Cybertron to search for the [[Knights of Cybertron]] and were promptly lost in space. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}
{{--}}

===''Wings Universe''===
Trailbreaker was among the Autobots chosen to be part of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s new military. He agreed with [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] that dealing with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] would be a piece of [[oil cake]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} A week later, he was part of the Autobot forces at [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s city walls as the Decepticons broke through with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} The battle was won, but not without casualties. In search for energy to replenish the Transformers, an Autobot crew including Trailbreaker left the planet in the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Trailblazer was one of Autobots active in [[1888]], and transformed into a locomotive. He formed a train with [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] in order to bring [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Tobias Muldoon]] and [[Nikola Tesla]] to the glacier where [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] lay dormant. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} He then helped launch the [[Tesla tower|device]] Tesla made to generate the electricity needed to reactivate Prime, and along with the other Autobots, gave up his his own power reserves for it to work. Once Prime was back, he revived his troops and led them to [[Port Cenotaph]] to fight the minions of an [[Elder God]]. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

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

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Trailbreaker was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Trailbreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If your vehicle mode looks like this, you might be a redneck! You also happen to be indestructible]]
* '''Trailbreaker''' (1984, 2001, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''25'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Twin Blasters", 2 missiles, radar scanner, 2 fists (left & right)

: Trailbreaker transforms in a Toyota 4WD Hi-Lux camper truck. In robot mode, both of his lower arms are projectile launchers, able to load and fire either his fists or his projectiles, which consist of two [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metallized]] silver missiles and two silver "twin blasters". The [[Hasbro]] version of the toy severely weakened the springs [[for safety reasons]].

: This mold was later [[retool]]ed to make [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]].

: In 2001, Trailbreaker was given a short-run reissue (limited to only 1,000 pieces) by Takara as a convention-exclusive item, bundled together with Hoist. Since this toy was never reissued by Hasbro, it remained one of the more elusive reissues by Takara, until his 2008 ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' reissue. While the original had a red visor, the Encore reissue was notable for having a blue visor and a [[tampograph|tampographed]] Autobot symbol on his hood/chest.

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

{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[Image:TF2010-toy Trailcutter.jpg|thumb|300px|Cutting a trail to a closeout shelf near you!]]
*'''Trailcutter''' (Legends class, 2011)

:Part of the second wave of "[[Reveal the Shield]]" [[Legends Class]] toys, Trailbreaker is now renamed "Trailcutter" due to [[Trademark]] reasons. He converts into a camper truck again, but with a front section similar to that of a Cadillac Escalade. His head sculpt is essentially the Generation 1 toy's head, including the visor, with the more humanoid face of the [[character model|cartoon model]]. The same "hybrid" design had been previously used by [[Dan Khanna]] for [[3H Productions|3H's]] [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|''Universe'' comics]] and by Hasbro for ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' [[Swindle (G1)#Alternators|Swindle]] (originally intended as Trailbreaker) and his [[redeco]] [[Rollbar (G1)#Alternators|Rollbar]]. As with all "Reveal the Shield" toys, he has a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

: The "Reveal the Shield" Legends toys were largely released in discount and closeout chains in the US, most predominantly at Five Below stores.
{{-}}

===Other attempts===
There are quite a few Transformers toys that were at one point in their development supposed to be a new form for (or tribute to) Trailbreaker, but before the Universe Legends toy, all of these became other characters with other names, most likely due to [[Hasbro]]'s inability to secure the [[trademark]].

Trailbreaker's appearance in the [[3H Productions|3H]] [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe comics]] stems from early plans to release a Trailbreaker redeco of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]] [[X-Brawn]] mold as a convention exclusive in 2003. Reportedly, Hasbro themselves also had the same idea for the mass retail Universe Deluxe assortment, but due to the aforementioned reasons, the toy was ultimately given a different deco and released as [[Ratchet (Universe)|Autobot Ratchet]] instead.

Later, a [[redeco]] of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]] [[Spy Changer]] [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]] was released as a Wal*Mart exclusive under the [[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]] banner, a black pickup truck with the distinctive red and yellow stripes from Trailbreaker's original toy. Ultimately, this toy would be released as [[Ironhide (Universe)|Ironhide]] instead.

The next attempt was in the ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' line, the toy that would eventually become [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and later [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]]. A [[retool]] of the [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] Jeep Wrangler toy, its head is a cross between the original Trailbreaker toy's helmet and the cartoon model's face, surprisingly similar to [[Dan Khanna]]'s rendition of the character in 3H's Universe comics. A black and white version of a proposed color guide for the unreleased Trailbreaker version of the sculpt was depicted in the Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' book.

Finally, the [[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]] Autobot [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] was originally going to be called "Trailbreaker", and the head sculpt was to have more elements from the Generation 1 character's design. These plans were again scrapped, but the character's upgraded form, '''Leobreaker''', retains the "breaker" portion of the name, since "Leohaul" sounds really silly. (The name "Overcast" was temporarily considered, but quickly dropped again.)

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 9''' (multi-pack, 1986)
**''ID number:'' '''Collection No. 3'''
: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Trailbreaker was available in part of a [[Decoy|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.

*'''Trailbreaker''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''10'''

: The figurine was later brought over to [[Hasbro]] markets as part of the [[Decoy]] promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]].

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

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:MovieTrailbreaker3DCard.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Admit it. That head peeking up from the truck mode is hilarious.]]
*'''Trailbreaker''' (2007)

: A 26-point "common" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game|3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Trailbreaker "transforms" into a black pickup truck with a camper shell. He uses the same parts layout as [[Payload (Movie)|Payload]] and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]].

:The Battle-Card may or may not actually represent [[Trailbreaker (Movie)|the live-action movie version of Trailbreaker]], as the design is clearly in the live-action movie aesthetic (and a version of the Trailbreaker character exists in the "movie" universe anyway). The card's listed abilities — an Invisible Force Field and a Radio Jammer — line up with Trailbreaker's G1 abilities, however, so who knows.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:DiacloneTrailbreaker.jpg|thumb|250px]]
* Trailbreaker's mold was originally a ''[[Diaclone]]'' "4WD Hi-Lux", available in three different colors: black, blue or yellow. The blue version was sold by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] in North America as the ''[[Diakron]]'' "DK-3" Car/Robot in [[1983]], seemingly just a few months before the toy would be rebranded as a Transformer. There is an easy way to tell the black ''Diaclone'' 4WD Hi-Lux apart from a ''Transformers'' Trailbreaker, though - the ''Diaclone'' toy's vehicle-mode stickers have a yellow background.

*Trailbreaker had the preliminary name of '''Guzzle'''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071230210811/http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41003]</ref>

*Like many of the early ''Generation 1'' Transformers, Trailbreaker's toy and [[character model|animation model]] differ a lot, especially as far as the head design is concerned. In recent years, both comic book artists and Hasbro and Takara typically aim for an amalgamation of both designs, usually with the toy's helmet and the animation model's face. However, no-one can seem to agree whether his force field projector is supposed to be directly attached to the back of the head (as it was on the toy) or attached to the back of the robot. The [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics originally had it attached to a massive "[[kibble]]"-like backpack before switching to a design more akin to the original animation model with ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''. Meanwhile, had the ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' Jeep Wrangler mold been released as Trailbreaker like originally intended, he would have lacked his characteristic force field projector entirely.

* In storyboards for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Trailbreaker's dead body is seen at the end of the Autobot City battle. However, this didn't make it into the final film. In an early draft script, Trailbreaker survives the two initial attacks on Autobot City and is part of a guerrilla unit led by Blaster on Earth.

* Originally, ''[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]'' was going to be used in ''Spotlight: Kup'', but Roche put Trailbreaker in after re-looking at the guy's tech spec and thought his power and cheery personality would work better. "It's nice to use a character who gets no love."<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Trailbreaker''' (トレイルブレイカー ''Toreirubureikā'')
*''French:'' '''Glouton''' (Canada, "Glutton")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Ösvényvágó'''
*''Italian:'' '''Tuono''' ("Thunder")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Kāi-lù Hsīen-fēng''' (Taiwan, 開路先鋒, "Trailbreaker")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Pica-Trilhos''' (Portugal comic), '''Abre-alas''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Sledopyt''' (Следопыт, "Tracker")

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Defense specialists]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Strategists]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Trailbreaker (G1)

2012-04-13T20:25:29Z

74.96.198.138:

{{picsneeded|appearances in fiction}}
{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Trailbreaker}}

:''Trailbreaker is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Trailbreakerg1.jpg|right|240px|thumb|I may not be fast... but I'm effective and provide soothing relief.]]
It's hard not to like '''Trailbreaker'''. He's a good-humored cheerleader, always ready with a joke or comment to lighten the mood when things get dark. Sadly, Trailbreaker's joking is often a cover for his low self-esteem. His form is the most fuel-consumptive of the ''Ark'' crew, and his vehicle mode is very slow. As such, he feels like a useless drain on their limited resources. The Autobots know better, of course. Trailbreaker's good humor, bravery, and impenetrable [[force field]] are all of great use, but convincing him of that is hard, especially when he begins to mope about his handicaps.

He is sometimes known as '''Trailcutter''' or '''Trailblazer'''.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
Trailbreaker was part of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s original crew, crashing to Earth four million years ago aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''.

Trailbreaker joined a detachment of Autobots investigating robot sightings in [[United Kingdom|Merry Ol' England]]. After making contact with a young boy named [[Sammy Harker|Sammy]], the Autobots were caught by surprise when the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] fire-bombed them from the sky. Trailbreaker was blasted before he could activate his force field. Like a freakin' drama queen, he went offline whimpering, "It's no good. Everything's gone... just plain ruined..." {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}}

Like many Autobots, Trailbreaker was too low on fuel to join Optimus and the others in what would've been their climactic battle with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s forces, and was taken prisoner without a fight when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] assumed command of the Decepticons and the ''Ark''. He was revived after [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] reclaimed the ''Ark'', however. When the Autobots went to recover Optimus Prime's head and restore their leader to functionality, Trailbreaker was one of many Autobots caught off-guard by the false Prime created by Shockwave and was shot down before he could raise his force field. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''On another occasion, the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] was under the control of a human scientist and attacking the Autobots. Trailbreaker jumped in his path and tried to wrestle the pteranodon to the ground. Instead, he was lifted up and slammed into the cliffside...'cause he never turned on that force field. {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} During the Dinobot Hunt, Trailbreaker joined [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in hunting [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] among the sands of the [[Black Rock Desert]]. They managed to collect him virtually without a fight once Snarl wandered into a secret military base and unleashed a molecular disintegrator bomb that ended his rampage. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

''When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and his future Decepticons arrived in the present, the Autobot chain of command was crippled as Optimus Prime, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and Ratchet vanished and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] was taken prisoner. [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] attempted to rise to command, accepting support from [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], but the Autobots were simply outclassed. Trailbreaker was part of a group of more than a half-dozen Autobots who collectively failed to bring down even one of Galvatron's lieutenants. In desperation, the Autobots turned to Megatron himself (who had quickly been disposed of by Galvatron when he first arrived) as a temporary ally and battlefield advisor. Under the Decepticon's direction, the Autobots staged a trap for the lone future Decepticon [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] in order to weaken Galvatron's power base. Unfortunately, Scourge's enhanced sensors detected the trap almost immediately, and his acid ray nailed Trailbreaker THROUGH a wall before the battle even began. (Too early to have activated that force field, huh?) Scourge was ultimately brought down, but Trailbreaker was left inactive for days until Ratchet was restored to the present and able to repair him. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}''

''Well, he was up and about soon enough, and accompanied Prowl and Jetfire on a mission to stop the Decepticons from accessing a [[NASA]] space transmission facility, only to get knocked around helplessly by [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], and beaten to the ground long enough for the Decepticons to escape... all because he didn't turn on that slaggin' force field to protect himself. Remember, Trailbreaker? The force field? You're not built for speed or energy efficiency; you were built for power, specifically that one power that makes you ''special'' and ''unique''. Or is it "just plain ruined" these days? {{storylink|The Gift}}''

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''In 2008, Trailbreaker was one of the Autobots taken down and strung up by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] when they invaded [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian)

[[Image:Mtmte2 witwickys and trailbreaker.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
Trailbreaker was part of the bridge crew of the ''Ark'' spaceship when it blasted off from Cybertron to search for new sources of energy four million years in the past. When he was awakened in 1984, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] reformatted him so that his alt-mode was a terrestrial Toyota 4WD camper truck. Trailbreaker accompanied his fellow Autobots on their first mission to stop the Decepticons on Earth, a mission that took him to an off-shore oil rig. The Decepticons plundered the rig for energon and destroyed it, leaving it a flaming wreck that endangered its human crew. Trailbreaker used his force field to contain the fire, while [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] used his built-in fire-suppression systems to douse the flames. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

Later, Trailbreaker served as a spy despite his stated function as defensive strategist. ([[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] was apparently busy that day.) He, along with the humans [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], camped out near the Decepticons' headquarters and eavesdropped on their plans to raid the ruby mines of Burma. Their surveillance did not go totally unnoticed, however, as a set of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] spotted the Autobot making his getaway. Trailbreaker summoned the brothers [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] to fend off his pursuer and got the information safely back to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prime]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

[[Image:MTMTE3 Trailbreaker jogging.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Trailbreaker took up jogging after Sunstreaker made a crack about his weight.]]
Trailbreaker watched [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] fish [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] out of a lake during the mission in [[Burma]]. He volunteered along with all of the rest of the Autobots to attempt to prevent the Decepticons from leaving Earth with the Energon they'd gathered. He fired on the Decepticons as they boarded the [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] they'd built. Though the ship still launched despite their efforts, [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] brought it crashing back to Earth. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} Trailbreaker was part of a group of Autobots who were lured into a cave by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and ambushed by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} He also took part in the assault on an antimatter laboratory when the Decepticons got their hands on an antimatter formula, and was damaged when the lab exploded during the Decepticon withdrawal. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Trailbreaker in force field.jpg|thumb|left|230px|"I'm trapped in a Fabergé egg! Help!"]]
A team of Autobots, including Trailbreaker, rolled out to give Optimus backup at an ammunition plant, but arrived too late, and found Prime badly damaged. When Prime needed a new [[Cosmitron]], Trailbreaker volunteered for a mission to Cybertron to retrieve a replacement from [[Wheeljack's workshop]]. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] had his forces on that planet use [[acid rain]] on the group, but after a pep talk from [[Chip Chase]], Trailbreaker remembered he could use his force fields to protect them. They subsequently returned to Earth and, while the replacement Cosmitron was being installed, helped defend Headquarters against a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s ran amok during their unveiling, Trailbreaker protected himself from [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]'s [[fire-breath]] with a force field. Of course, this merely deflected the fire onto Sunstreaker. Some time later, Trailbreaker and most of the rest of the Autobots went to the [[Great Falls]] to try and stop the Decepticons from raiding it, and were all captured. They would have been terminated, had Wheeljack not come to the rescue with the upgraded Dinobots. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Trailbreaker and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] were going for a drive one day, only to find two [[Thundercracker (G1)|suspicious-looking]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|jets]]. The jets revealed themselves as Decepticons who had come to a nearby refinery to make off with its steel to build a weapon. Brawn and Trailbreaker interrupted them, but Starscream blasted missiles at them, destroying the refinery, and made his getaway. The Autobots reported the incident back to Optimus Prime. Toward the end of the ensuing battle in [[Peru]], Trailbreaker pitched in to fire at the new weapon. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom3 Trailbreaker firing.jpg|thumb|right|220px|I've always thought red is my favorite color!]]
When the Autobots began studying a meteorite that had fallen to Earth, Wheeljack discovered the sample fragment was highly unstable and summoned Optimus and Trailbreaker to his laboratory. On command, Trailbreaker unleashed his force field around the meteorite to contain the explosive blast. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}} In the aftermath of a Decepticon attack on Headquarters, Trailbreaker took part in cleanup efforts. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Following Cybertron's arrival in Earth orbit, he and Jazz mocked [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] when the Seeker's was blasted by his own fire, whipped back by the strong winds. Trailbreaker volunteered for a mission to Cybertron to rescue Sparkplug, intending to use his jammer beam to mask their approach. Unfortunately he left it too late, but [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] was able to dodge the incoming missiles. The team arrived on Cybertron, but became separated, with Skyfire, Trailbreaker and Wheeljack left on the surface. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}}

The trio made their way down and arrived in time to rescue Spike and the smaller 'bots from the Decepticons. After a swift retreat, they reached the relative safety of Wheeljack's workshop, where the scientist worked to construct a counter for the Decepticon [[hypno-chip]]s. That done, they rescued Sparkplug, and headed back to Earth in time to liberate the enslaved humans and prevent Megatron from getting away with a shuttle full of Energon. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} Trailbreaker was at headquarters when they discovered that Megatron was still operational and leading the Decepticons. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:PlagueOfInsecticons Trailbreaker projecting forcefield.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Yes, Prime. This is my new ring gun!]]
With the emergence of the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] in [[Bali]], Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who went to investigate. They arrived in time to reinforced the smaller team who'd already found the Insecticons, and the foe, now teamed up with the Decepticons, took off. During the pursuit, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] used his control beam on Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, compelling the pair to try and ram their fellows, but Trailbreaker used a force field to sever the beam. They eventually reached an oil refinery, but during the battle, Shrapnel harnessed lightning from a storm that had moved in, and zapped Trailbreaker and Wheeljack. Both survived, and Trailbreaker was later able to use his force field to disable the Insecticon clones, rescuing Bumblebee and Spike. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, Trailbreaker and the rest of the Autobots turned out to cheer their leader on. To their horror, Optimus lost, meaning they'd have to leave Earth forever, but once they returned to headquarters, they used Teletraan I to establish that Megatron had cheated, rendering the result void. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

During Sparkplug's demonstration of his latest invention, [[Autobot X]], the creation went wild. Trailbreaker, Ironhide and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] tried to charge it, only to be blasted on their cans. Trailbreaker's force field provided his companions with cover so they could take down the beast. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} He was on the ill-fated mission to come to the aid of some gold miners, during which [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] was captured by the Decepticons. He subsequently joined the effort to rescue Gears and disable Megatron's [[Solar Needle]]. When they found that Megatron had temporarily reprogrammed Gears to be a happy-go-lucky kind of Autobot, Trailbreaker was the one who voiced what everyone was thinking and said maybe they should just leave him that way. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} He was also on the mission to [[New York City]] when the Decepticons started replacing buildings in an attempt to create a new Cybertron, {{storylink|City of Steel}} and was turned evil by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

[[Image:TheImmobilizer Trailbreaker force field.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"And the only side effect is Ratchet's mouth disappears!"]]
Trailbreaker witnessed the demonstration of the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer]], and protected his comrades with a force field when the Decepticons attacked. Though they managed to steal the Immobilizer, the Decepticons fell into a river and Trailbreaker lightened the situation with a healthy joke. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} He took part in a charity race, though he wasn't the fastest of Autobots, and still managed to outrun Ironhide. When the old timer complained about a weird jolt in his circuitry, Trailbreaker suggested he was making an excuse, but it was actually the effects of Megatron's [[Transfixatron]]. Locked in their vehicle modes, the Autobots were taken to an old ghost town, and it looked like they were going to be destroyed, until the Autobots who'd remained at base turned up to rescue them. Ironhide and Trailbreaker took great delight in smashing the Transfixatron to bits. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Trailbreaker took part in the defense of [[Washington, D.C.]] when the Decepticons teamed up with the residents of [[Sub-Atlantica]]. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

[[Image:EnterNightbird flying Trailbreaker.jpg|thumb|left|260px|In an early example of [[Slogism]], here's Trailbreaker stuck to the roof of a building with a wad of cotton candy.]]
Trailbreaker was also a guard when [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]] revealed his [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], though when Decepticons inevitably attacked, they blasted through the door Trailbreaker was standing in front of, sending him across the room. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} After an apparently successful attack on the Decepticons at a crevasse, the Autobots found that they somehow had two Optimus Primes—the real one referring to Trailbreaker as "'''Trailblazer'''". Trailbreaker was one of the proponents of using a series of trials to work out which was the real thing. When that was unsuccessful, the Autobots ended up going on another mission to the crevasse to investigate strange readings, and once again encountered the Decepticons. After [[Optimus Prime clone|one of the Primes]] apparently destroyed [[Starscream clone (G1)|Starscream]], Trailbreaker announced that he must be the real thing, because he offed the Decepticons' "number two varmint". As it turned out, that Prime was a phony, trying to lure them into a ravine filled with dangerous [[korlonium crystal]]s, as they discovered moments later when he disregarded a threat to Spike's life. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

[[Image:DinobotIsland1 Trailbreaker projects force field.jpg|thumb|right|230px]]
When the Dinobots attempted to demonstrate their newfound "finesse" to the other Autobots, [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] accidentally set fire to the Ark, threatening Teletraan I. Thinking quickly, Trailbreaker projected his force field over the Autobot supercomputer, allowing [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] time to extinguish the blaze. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} The Decepticon's pillaging of [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] began causing time warps to appear across the world, and Trailbreaker flew to the island by [[jet pack]] to investigate with the rest of the Autobots. After a prolonged battle, the Autobots and Dinobots succeeded in chasing the Decepticons from the island. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

On another occasion, the Autobots were forced to abandon Earth by Megatron aboard a spacecraft set on a course into the sun. After the Autobots discovered they couldn't alter their course, their ship exploded. Trailbreaker cast a massive force field large enough to contain the entire Autobot force safely; from within the field, [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] towed the group back to Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} Trailbreaker was incapacitated by [[Cybertonium]] depletion, as were the rest of the Autobots. They were only saved when Spike, [[Carly]] and the Dinobots brought more back from Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[Image:Trailbreakerdance.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Do a little dance...make a little love... get down tonight... I said get down tonight!]]
Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who arrived too late to prevent the theft of the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. When Megatron used the device to knock out radio transmissions during a blizzard, Trailbreaker's force fields proved to be a valuable asset, protecting humans and Autobots alike from snowfall. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He took part in an attempt to defend an [[Electrum]] pool from the Decepticons, {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} and a baseball stadium incident during which Optimus and a number of other Autobots were lost through the Decepticon [[space bridge]]. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}}

After that, a Decepticon coup by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] resulted in a city being flooded. Trailbreaker used his force field to protect himself and a small group of Autobots from a large tidal wave. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}} He rolled out with the majority of the Autobot forces to rescue [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] from the Decepticons, though it resulted in them all being infected with [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} He was also hanging around Headquarters when the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were captured, and a group of Autobots disguised as them in an attempt to find out what Megatron was up to. {{storylink|Masquerade}}
{{-}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] sent [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] to raid [[Tokyo]] for energy, Trailbreaker accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and a unit of Autobot vehicles to defend the city. Trailbreaker didn't perform very well, cowering in fright beneath Menasor's size and taking the [[combiner]]'s humongous fist to the face. Luckily, his pummelling made the perfect distraction for Optimus Prime, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], who drove up a ramp and slammed Menasor and the Seekers directly in their faces, sending them into retreat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

As a member of the [[4-Wheel-Drive Brigade]], Trailbreaker accompanied [[Kenji]] and the rest of the team to a crater in Kyushu where Decepticon activity had been discovered. Entering the crater, however, Trailbreaker and the Brigade were caught off-guard by numerous landmines that had been planted by the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. As they sunk toward as steaming pit of magma, the other four members of the Brigade managed to defeat the Decepticons by forming a human pyramid and using their "4-Wheel-Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. Trailbreaker, unfortunately (or perhaps ''fortunately''), had to sit that one out because he was escorting Kenji within himself and couldn't transform to robot mode. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

====''Story of Binaltech''====
Trailbreaker was one of many Autobots who suffered from an outbreak of the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] virus after the Decepticons unleashed it on Earth. He was supposed to receive a new body thanks to the [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] Institute of Technology, but the Decepticons managed to infiltrate the Binaltech Project. Through the use of [[hypno-chip]]-controlled spies and pawns, Trailbreaker's new body was hijacked and used to upgrade the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] known as [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] instead. {{storylink|Expose All of Evil's Designs!}}

===Marvel Colouring Books===
[[Image:Bumblebeetdr-trailbreaker.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yikes!]]
Trailbreaker, who looks... ''odd'', was captured by the Decepticons under unknown circumstances and put in their special Autobot prison. He and the other prisoners were eventually freed by Bumblebee, after which they struck back against the Decepticons. Trailbreaker projected his force field around some of the villains in order to trap them, and after the battle was won, he and the other Autobots cheered for Bumblebee. Hip hip hooray! {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
Trailbreaker was present under the command of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] at the battle of [[Altihex]] when the Decepticons destroyed a building full of neutral Cybertonians. Unable to save the city, the Autobots helped evacuate civilians before retreating. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} When Decepticon Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] led a force of Decepticons against the Autobot capital of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who defended the city-state. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

When Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] disappeared in an accident with a [[space bridge]], the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Trailbreaker stayed with the Autobots under the leadership of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. He and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak ]] filled in [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] on what was happening after Jetfire returned from a survey. {{storylink|Devastation}} Trailbreaker was later part of the group of reinforcements that helped battle the giant [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} They returned to [[Autobase]] for repairs, only for [[The Fallen]] to break in to rescue [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who followed Optimus Prime on his mission on board the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. They were attacked by Megatron's ship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. After being boarded, the ''Ark'' crash-landed on [[Earth]], where all on board were preserved in emergency stasis. In 1984, a volcanic eruption awakened the ''Ark'''s computer, Teletraan I, and it repaired all on board.

Eventually, the combined forces of the Autobots on Earth and their human allies were able to capture the Decepticons. In 1999, a ship called the ''[[Ark II]]'' was built to take the Cybertonians back to Cybertron, along with some human companions, but the ship exploded shortly after takeoff. The human allies were killed, but the Cybertonians were lost in the ocean, again in stasis lock. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} Three years later, Spike Witwicky assisted the US "Defense Ministry" in reactivating Optimus Prime by placing a piece of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] into his chest. Optimus traveled to the remote Arctic shoreline where he'd been found after the crash and used the Matrix to revive Jazz, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], Trailbreaker and Wheeljack from where they lay under the waves. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Shortly afterwards, the Autobots assisted the US military in rescuing the survivors of the Smitco Oil Refinery attack. When Optimus Prime learned the attackers were Autobots and Decepticons under the control of terrorist arms dealer [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], he asked his Autobots to accompany him to fight for '''Great JUSTICE.''' Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who agreed to come along, stating that Prime only needed to point him in the right direction. Trailbreaker participated in the battle at Rook's destroyed base when [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]] double-crossed them and attempted to destroy all the Transformers with a low-yield nuclear weapon. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}

[[Image:DW Trailbreaker Devastatorstomp.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Devastator crush puny Autobot... and make scale joke while crushing. Har har har!]]
After the Autobots extricated themselves from the nuke-absorbing hardened virus shell, Trailbreaker helped rescue the captive Autobots Megatron was using to fuel his technovirus. After Ironhide informed the other Autobots of Megatron's imminent attack on [[San Francisco]], they flew there and engaged the Decepticons. Trailbreaker smashed Grimlock in the face with a steel girder and informed the former Dinobot commander that he'd made the wrong choice in leaving the Autobots and was now going to pay. Unfortunately, Superion was taken down by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], prompting Trailbreaker to join Optimus Prime, Sideswipe and Megatron in a moment of [[dull surprise]], gaping at Devastator as if they had never seen him before. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}}

As Jazz and the Autobots in [[Canada]] were preparing to deal with the technovirus, Trailbreaker frantically radioed them for backup, reporting that Superion was down. As he was distracted, Devastator attempted to stomp on the Autobot. Trailbreaker caught the foot in time, but was crushed into the pavement. He was later retrieved and placed into restraint by the Decepticons as Megatron attempted to convince Optimus Prime to join his cause to wipe out the humans and rule the universe. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} Once Prime managed to free the Autobots with assistance from human firefighters, Trailbreaker resumed his assault on Grimlock by sending him flying with a punch. After Superion sacrificed himself to save San Francisco from General Hallo's unauthorized nuclear strike, Trailbreaker called Optimus over when he and Sideswipe discovered the abandoned Grimlock under rubble. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''While the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] were invading Earth, the Transformers also had to deal with an over-reaching American President who wanted to destroy all the Cybertronians. He offered the Autobots his help in setting up an ambush for the Decepticons, but Prime and his advisors quickly realized the President planned to eliminate all of them. Taking what seemed to be the lesser of two evils at the moment, the Autobots forged an alliance with the Decepticons before travelling to the ambush site. Trailbreaker was among the Autobot soldiers Optimus chose for the battle. He fought against the military forces and apparently survived the attack of the [[deconstructionite]]s relatively unharmed. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

Months later, the united Cybertronian army arrived on Earth, demanding the surrender of all combatant Autobots and Decepticons. Trailbreaker suffered serious injuries battling [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and the Seekers and had to be placed in a [[CR chamber]] for repairs on the flight back to Cybertron. He fought alongside the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew and the various insurgency groups on Cybertron to reclaim Iacon for the Autobots and force Shockwave out of power. {{storylink|War and Peace}} Afterwards, he joined Prowl and the rest of the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s old crew in returning to Earth to work on the construction of a new Autobot City.

===3H comics===
[[Image:Rattrap legs.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Gah! Someone call an exterminator!]]
Hundreds of years later, Trailbreaker and fellow Autobots [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] arrived on the newly technorganic Cybertron roughly one year after the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)|this era's Megatron]]. They were welcomed by the surviving members of [[Optimus Primal]]'s band of [[Maximal]]s, including [[Rattrap]], who offered to share a vintage keg of [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's Old Oil]] with the Autobot veteran. Unfortunately, Trailbreaker did not have an opportunity to take Rattrap up on his offer, because immediately afterwards, he and his associates were abducted by [[Unicron]] and teleported to the [[Cauldron]]. There, they were rebuilt against their will into new bodies... except Trailbreaker, because why mess with success? {{storylink|Abduction}}

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|left|150px|thumb|You've got me? Who's got you?!]]
{{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}}
[[Optimus Primal]] led the [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]], which included Trailbreaker, into a final fight with the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]] on the surface of Unicron himself. However, as their victory was imminent, Unicron began to dissolve beneath their very feet, and [[King Atlas]] had to carry Trailbreaker and Roulette to safety, through a transwarp portal back to their native Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}
===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF5_Autobots.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Trailbreaker was among the Transformers discovered on Earth by [[Cobra]], and reworked into a piloted death mechanism known as a [[Stinger (Cobra)|Stinger]]. The Transformers were eventually freed, and the Autobots fought both their Decepticon enemies and their Cobra oppressors. During the battle, Trailbreaker and several other Autobots located [[Cobra Commander]] and tried to capture him, but he was protected by Cobra troops in robotic [[S.N.A.K.E.]] suits. Unfortunately, the Autobots underestimated their human opponents, and Trailbreaker was decapitated by [[Storm Shadow]] during the battle. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

This was apparently not as fatal as it seemed, however, as Trailbreaker was up and fighting again shortly afterwards. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:MegsOrigin4 Trailbreaker.jpg|left|150px|thumb|I STILL SUPPORT THE RAILING SYSTEMMMMmmmmm!]]
Trailbreaker (along with nearly every other Autobot, apparently) served in the Autobot Security Forces under the command of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. He participated in the battle of [[Kaon]] where the criminal known as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] began a rampage with his army of convicts. Trailbreaker grabbed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] as the criminal was flying away, only to be kicked off for his trouble, falling to his apparent demise... {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

[[Image:SpotlightKup Trailbreaker.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Mommy told me never to open the door to strangers.]]
Except he survived. Many years later, Trailbreaker was a specialist called in by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] to extract a deranged [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] safely from the planet where he had crash-landed. The planet possessed a radiation which was dangerous to Transformers without special protective covering, causing Kup, in his delusions, to believe his rescuers were monsters trying to attack him. Trailbreaker's force fields allowed him to walk on the planet without any protective gear, and his appearance shocked Kup for long enough that he could save the old bot's spark core from meltdown. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

Later, he was one of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s old friends who took time off duty to greet the return of "The Voice". {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

A year later, Trailbreaker had joined [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s team of Autobots on [[Earth]]. They made a plan to drive the Decepticons off the planet once and for all, but fell into a trap and were defeated by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Trailbreaker and the rest were subsequently dumped on the ruined [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to be finished off by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} His primary role appeared to be playing bodyguard to [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], making sure nobody lynched the guy for being a suspected traitor. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} After the Autobot starship ''[[Trion]]'' crashlanded on the planet, Trailbreaker and the others listened to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s story about what happened. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} They proceeded to mingle with the rest of ''Trion''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> crew. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} Trailbreaker later oversaw the process of putting a giant cannon in place on the Autobots' temporary base. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}}

After the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], Trailbreaker briefly left Earth to serve on the [[Ethics Committee]] meetings at the [[Kimia Facility]], alongside [[Xaaron]] and [[Animus]]. He sat in consideration of [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s new invention, [[cerebro-sensitive bullet]]s that used onboard computers to ensure a killshot to the head with every pull of the trigger. Unlike his fellow committee members, Trailbreaker openly expressed his horror at such a weapon, and his disapproval of its creator. Ultimately, the bullets were banned by the committee under Protocol III of the [[Non-Conventional Weapons Act]], and use of them in future would be deemed a war crime under the [[Tyrest Accord]]. {{storylink|Bullets}}

Two years after the fall of Megatron, Trailbreaker was present when Hot Rod announced his plans to abandon Earth and what was left of the war. He chose not to join the Autobot cavalier or his followers. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}}

Along with all the other Autobots, Trailbreaker volunteered to return to Cybertron and fight [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}} During the trip, he spent a lot of time staring at Megatron, now in Autobot captivity. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

Upon arriving at Cybertron, the Autobots were faced with Kimia Facility, which had been captured by Galvatron, transformed into a giant laser cannon and used to fire on the planet. Rodimus (formerly Hot Rod) grabbed Trailbreaker and had him project a force field around the cannon's muzzle, but it proved too weak to stop the next blast. The shock of having his force field ripped apart knocked him unconscious, and he had to be repaired by [[Garnak]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}}

After the battle was won and peace was restored to Cybertron, Trailbreaker joined Rodimus's crew on the ''[[Lost Light]]''. They left Cybertron to search for the [[Knights of Cybertron]] and were promptly lost in space. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}
{{--}}

===''Wings Universe''===
Trailbreaker was among the Autobots chosen to be part of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s new military. He agreed with [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] that dealing with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] would be a piece of [[oil cake]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} A week later, he was part of the Autobot forces at [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s city walls as the Decepticons broke through with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} The battle was won, but not without casualties. In search for energy to replenish the Transformers, an Autobot crew including Trailbreaker left the planet in the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Trailblazer was one of Autobots active in [[1888]], and transformed into a locomotive. He formed a train with [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] in order to bring [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Tobias Muldoon]] and [[Nikola Tesla]] to the glacier where [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] lay dormant. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} He then helped launch the [[Tesla tower|device]] Tesla made to generate the electricity needed to reactivate Prime, and along with the other Autobots, gave up his his own power reserves for it to work. Once Prime was back, he revived his troops and led them to [[Port Cenotaph]] to fight the minions of an [[Elder God]]. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

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

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Trailbreaker was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Trailbreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If your vehicle mode looks like this, you might be a redneck! You also happen to be indestructible]]
* '''Trailbreaker''' (1984, 2001, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''25'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Twin Blasters", 2 missiles, radar scanner, 2 fists (left & right)

: Trailbreaker transforms in a Toyota 4WD Hi-Lux camper truck. In robot mode, both of his lower arms are projectile launchers, able to load and fire either his fists or his projectiles, which consist of two [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metallized]] silver missiles and two silver "twin blasters". The [[Hasbro]] version of the toy severely weakened the springs [[for safety reasons]].

: This mold was later [[retool]]ed to make [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]].

: In 2001, Trailbreaker was given a short-run reissue (limited to only 1,000 pieces) by Takara as a convention-exclusive item, bundled together with Hoist. Since this toy was never reissued by Hasbro, it remained one of the more elusive reissues by Takara, until his 2008 ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' reissue. While the original had a red visor, the Encore reissue was notable for having a blue visor and a [[tampograph|tampographed]] Autobot symbol on his hood/chest.

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

{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[Image:TF2010-toy Trailcutter.jpg|thumb|300px|Cutting a trail to a closeout shelf near you!]]
*'''Trailcutter''' (Legends class, 2011)

:Part of the second wave of "[[Reveal the Shield]]" [[Legends Class]] toys, Trailbreaker is now renamed "Trailcutter" due to [[Trademark]] reasons. He converts into a camper truck again, but with a front section similar to that of a Cadillac Escalade. His head sculpt is essentially the Generation 1 toy's head, including the visor, with the more humanoid face of the [[character model|cartoon model]]. The same "hybrid" design had been previously used by [[Dan Khanna]] for [[3H Productions|3H's]] [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|''Universe'' comics]] and by Hasbro for ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' [[Swindle (G1)#Alternators|Swindle]] (originally intended as Trailbreaker) and his [[redeco]] [[Rollbar (G1)#Alternators|Rollbar]]. As with all "Reveal the Shield" toys, he has a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

: The "Reveal the Shield" Legends toys were largely released in discount and closeout chains in the US, most predominantly at Five Below stores.
{{-}}

===Other attempts===
There are quite a few Transformers toys that were at one point in their development supposed to be a new form for (or tribute to) Trailbreaker, but before the Universe Legends toy, all of these became other characters with other names, most likely due to [[Hasbro]]'s inability to secure the [[trademark]].

Trailbreaker's appearance in the [[3H Productions|3H]] [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe comics]] stems from early plans to release a Trailbreaker redeco of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]] [[X-Brawn]] mold as a convention exclusive in 2003. Reportedly, Hasbro themselves also had the same idea for the mass retail Universe Deluxe assortment, but due to the aforementioned reasons, the toy was ultimately given a different deco and released as [[Ratchet (Universe)|Autobot Ratchet]] instead.

Later, a [[redeco]] of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]] [[Spy Changer]] [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]] was released as a Wal*Mart exclusive under the [[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]] banner, a black pickup truck with the distinctive red and yellow stripes from Trailbreaker's original toy. Ultimately, this toy would be released as [[Ironhide (Universe)|Ironhide]] instead.

The next attempt was in the ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' line, the toy that would eventually become [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and later [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]]. A [[retool]] of the [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] Jeep Wrangler toy, its head is a cross between the original Trailbreaker toy's helmet and the cartoon model's face, surprisingly similar to [[Dan Khanna]]'s rendition of the character in 3H's Universe comics. A black and white version of a proposed color guide for the unreleased Trailbreaker version of the sculpt was depicted in the Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' book.

Finally, the [[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]] Autobot [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] was originally going to be called "Trailbreaker", and the head sculpt was to have more elements from the Generation 1 character's design. These plans were again scrapped, but the character's upgraded form, '''Leobreaker''', retains the "breaker" portion of the name, since "Leohaul" sounds really silly. (The name "Overcast" was temporarily considered, but quickly dropped again.)

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 9''' (multi-pack, 1986)
**''ID number:'' '''Collection No. 3'''
: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Trailbreaker was available in part of a [[Decoy|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.

*'''Trailbreaker''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''10'''

: The figurine was later brought over to [[Hasbro]] markets as part of the [[Decoy]] promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]].

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

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:MovieTrailbreaker3DCard.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Admit it. That head peeking up from the truck mode is hilarious.]]
*'''Trailbreaker''' (2007)

: A 26-point "common" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game|3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Trailbreaker "transforms" into a black pickup truck with a camper shell. He uses the same parts layout as [[Payload (Movie)|Payload]] and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]].

:The Battle-Card may or may not actually represent [[Trailbreaker (Movie)|the live-action movie version of Trailbreaker]], as the design is clearly in the live-action movie aesthetic (and a version of the Trailbreaker character exists in the "movie" universe anyway). The card's listed abilities — an Invisible Force Field and a Radio Jammer — line up with Trailbreaker's G1 abilities, however, so who knows.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:DiacloneTrailbreaker.jpg|thumb|250px]]
* Trailbreaker's mold was originally a ''[[Diaclone]]'' "4WD Hi-Lux", available in three different colors: black, blue or yellow. The blue version was sold by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] in North America as the ''[[Diakron]]'' "DK-3" Car/Robot in [[1983]], seemingly just a few months before the toy would be rebranded as a Transformer. There is an easy way to tell the black ''Diaclone'' 4WD Hi-Lux apart from a ''Transformers'' Trailbreaker, though - the ''Diaclone'' toy's vehicle-mode stickers have a yellow background.

*Trailbreaker had the preliminary name of '''Guzzle'''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071230210811/http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41003]</ref>

*Like many of the early ''Generation 1'' Transformers, Trailbreaker's toy and [[character model|animation model]] differ a lot, especially as far as the head design is concerned. In recent years, both comic book artists and Hasbro and Takara typically aim for an amalgamation of both designs, usually with the toy's helmet and the animation model's face. However, no-one can seem to agree whether his force field projector is supposed to be directly attached to the back of the head (as it was on the toy) or attached to the back of the robot. The [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics originally had it attached to a massive "[[kibble]]"-like backpack before switching to a design more akin to the original animation model with ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''. Meanwhile, had the ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' Jeep Wrangler mold been released as Trailbreaker like originally intended, he would have lacked his characteristic force field projector entirely.

* In storyboards for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Trailbreaker's dead body is seen at the end of the Autobot City battle. However, this didn't make it into the final film. In an early draft script, Trailbreaker survives the two initial attacks on Autobot City and is part of a guerrilla unit led by Blaster on Earth.

* Originally, ''[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]'' was going to be used in ''Spotlight: Kup'', but Roche put Trailbreaker in after re-looking at the guy's tech spec and thought his power and cheery personality would work better. "It's nice to use a character who gets no love."<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Trailbreaker''' (トレイルブレイカー ''Toreirubureikā'')
*''French:'' '''Glouton''' (Canada, "Glutton")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Ösvényvágó'''
*''Italian:'' '''Tuono''' ("Thunder")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Kāi-lù Hsīen-fēng''' (Taiwan, 開路先鋒, "Trailbreaker")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Pica-Trilhos''' (Portugal comic), '''Abre-alas''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Sledopyt''' (Следопыт, "Tracker")

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Defense specialists]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Strategists]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Trailbreaker (G1)

2012-04-13T20:23:22Z

74.96.198.138:

{{picsneeded|appearances in fiction}}
{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Trailbreaker}}

:''Trailbreaker is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Trailbreakerg1.jpg|right|240px|thumb|I may not be fast... but I'm effective and provide soothing relief.]]
It's hard not to like '''Trailbreaker'''. He's a good-humored cheerleader, always ready with a joke or comment to lighten the mood when things get dark. Sadly, Trailbreaker's joking is often a cover for his low self-esteem. His form is the most fuel-consumptive of the ''Ark'' crew, and his vehicle mode is very slow. As such, he feels like a useless drain on their limited resources. The Autobots know better, of course. Trailbreaker's good humor, bravery, and impenetrable [[force field]] are all of great use, but convincing him of that is hard, especially when he begins to mope about his handicaps.

He is sometimes known as '''Trailcutter''' or '''Trailblazer'''.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
Trailbreaker was part of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s original crew, crashing to Earth four million years ago aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''.

Trailbreaker joined a detachment of Autobots investigating robot sightings in [[United Kingdom|Merry Ol' England]]. After making contact with a young boy named [[Sammy Harker|Sammy]], the Autobots were caught by surprise when the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] fire-bombed them from the sky. Trailbreaker was blasted before he could activate his force field. Like a freakin' drama queen, he went offline whimpering, "It's no good. Everything's gone... just plain ruined..." {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}}

Like many Autobots, Trailbreaker was too low on fuel to join Optimus and the others in what would've been their climactic battle with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s forces, and was taken prisoner without a fight when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] assumed command of the Decepticons and the ''Ark''. He was revived after [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] reclaimed the ''Ark'', however. When the Autobots went to recover Optimus Prime's head and restore their leader to functionality, Trailbreaker was one of many Autobots caught off-guard by the false Prime created by Shockwave and was shot down before he could raise his force field. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''On another occasion, the Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] was under the control of a human scientist and attacking the Autobots. Trailbreaker jumped in his path and tried to wrestle the pteranodon to the ground. Instead, he was lifted up and slammed into the cliffside...'cause he never turned on that force field. {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} During the Dinobot Hunt, Trailbreaker joined [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in hunting [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] among the sands of the [[Black Rock Desert]]. They managed to collect him virtually without a fight once Snarl wandered into a secret military base and unleashed a molecular disintegrator bomb that ended his rampage. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

''When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and his future Decepticons arrived in the present, the Autobot chain of command was crippled as Optimus Prime, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and Ratchet vanished and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] was taken prisoner. [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] attempted to rise to command, accepting support from [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], but the Autobots were simply outclassed. Trailbreaker was part of a group of more than a half-dozen Autobots who collectively failed to bring down even one of Galvatron's lieutenants. In desperation, the Autobots turned to Megatron himself (who had quickly been disposed of by Galvatron when he first arrived) as a temporary ally and battlefield advisor. Under the Decepticon's direction, the Autobots staged a trap for the lone future Decepticon [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] in order to weaken Galvatron's power base. Unfortunately, Scourge's enhanced sensors detected the trap almost immediately, and his acid ray nailed Trailbreaker THROUGH a wall before the battle even began. (Too early to have activated that force field, huh?) Scourge was ultimately brought down, but Trailbreaker was left inactive for days until Ratchet was restored to the present and able to repair him. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}''

''Well, he was up and about soon enough, and accompanied Prowl and Jetfire on a mission to stop the Decepticons from accessing a [[NASA]] space transmission facility, only to get knocked around helplessly by [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], and beaten to the ground long enough for the Decepticons to escape... all because he didn't turn on that slaggin' force field to protect himself. Remember, Trailbreaker? The force field? You're not built for speed or energy efficiency; you were built for power, specifically that one power that makes you ''special'' and ''unique''. Or is it "just plain ruined" these days? {{storylink|The Gift}}''

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''In 2008, Trailbreaker was one of the Autobots taken down and strung up by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] when they invaded [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian)

[[Image:Mtmte2 witwickys and trailbreaker.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
Trailbreaker was part of the bridge crew of the ''Ark'' spaceship when it blasted off from Cybertron to search for new sources of energy four million years in the past. When he was awakened in 1984, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] reformatted him so that his alt-mode was a terrestrial Toyota 4WD camper truck. Trailbreaker accompanied his fellow Autobots on their first mission to stop the Decepticons on Earth, a mission that took him to an off-shore oil rig. The Decepticons plundered the rig for energon and destroyed it, leaving it a flaming wreck that endangered its human crew. Trailbreaker used his force field to contain the fire, while [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] used his built-in fire-suppression systems to douse the flames. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

Later, Trailbreaker served as a spy despite his stated function as defensive strategist. ([[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] was apparently busy that day.) He, along with the humans [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], camped out near the Decepticons' headquarters and eavesdropped on their plans to raid the ruby mines of Burma. Their surveillance did not go totally unnoticed, however, as a set of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] spotted the Autobot making his getaway. Trailbreaker summoned the brothers [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] to fend off his pursuer and got the information safely back to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Prime]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

[[Image:MTMTE3 Trailbreaker jogging.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Trailbreaker took up jogging after Sunstreaker made a crack about his weight.]]
Trailbreaker watched [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] fish [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] out of a lake during the mission in [[Burma]]. He volunteered along with all of the rest of the Autobots to attempt to prevent the Decepticons from leaving Earth with the Energon they'd gathered. He fired on the Decepticons as they boarded the [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] they'd built. Though the ship still launched despite their efforts, [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] brought it crashing back to Earth. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} Trailbreaker was part of a group of Autobots who were lured into a cave by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and ambushed by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} He also took part in the assault on an antimatter laboratory when the Decepticons got their hands on an antimatter formula, and was damaged when the lab exploded during the Decepticon withdrawal. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots Trailbreaker in force field.jpg|thumb|left|230px|"I'm trapped in a Fabergé egg! Help!"]]
A team of Autobots, including Trailbreaker, rolled out to give Optimus backup at an ammunition plant, but arrived too late, and found Prime badly damaged. When Prime needed a new [[Cosmitron]], Trailbreaker volunteered for a mission to Cybertron to retrieve a replacement from [[Wheeljack's workshop]]. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] had his forces on that planet use [[acid rain]] on the group, but after a pep talk from [[Chip Chase]], Trailbreaker remembered he could use his force fields to protect them. They subsequently returned to Earth and, while the replacement Cosmitron was being installed, helped defend Headquarters against a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s ran amok during their unveiling, Trailbreaker protected himself from [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]'s [[fire-breath]] with a force field. Of course, this merely deflected the fire onto Sunstreaker. Some time later, Trailbreaker and most of the rest of the Autobots went to the [[Great Falls]] to try and stop the Decepticons from raiding it, and were all captured. They would have been terminated, had Wheeljack not come to the rescue with the upgraded Dinobots. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Trailbreaker and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] were going for a drive one day, only to find two [[Thundercracker (G1)|suspicious-looking]] [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|jets]]. The jets revealed themselves as Decepticons who had come to a nearby refinery to make off with its steel to build a weapon. Brawn and Trailbreaker interrupted them, but Starscream blasted missiles at them, destroying the refinery, and made his getaway. The Autobots reported the incident back to Optimus Prime. Toward the end of the ensuing battle in [[Peru]], Trailbreaker pitched in to fire at the new weapon. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom3 Trailbreaker firing.jpg|thumb|right|220px|I've always thought red is my favorite color!]]
When the Autobots began studying a meteorite that had fallen to Earth, Wheeljack discovered the sample fragment was highly unstable and summoned Optimus and Trailbreaker to his laboratory. On command, Trailbreaker unleashed his force field around the meteorite to contain the explosive blast. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}} In the aftermath of a Decepticon attack on Headquarters, Trailbreaker took part in cleanup efforts. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Following Cybertron's arrival in Earth orbit, he and Jazz mocked [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] when the Seeker's was blasted by his own fire, whipped back by the strong winds. Trailbreaker volunteered for a mission to Cybertron to rescue Sparkplug, intending to use his jammer beam to mask their approach. Unfortunately he left it too late, but [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] was able to dodge the incoming missiles. The team arrived on Cybertron, but became separated, with Skyfire, Trailbreaker and Wheeljack left on the surface. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}}

The trio made their way down and arrived in time to rescue Spike and the smaller 'bots from the Decepticons. After a swift retreat, they reached the relative safety of Wheeljack's workshop, where the scientist worked to construct a counter for the Decepticon [[hypno-chip]]s. That done, they rescued Sparkplug, and headed back to Earth in time to liberate the enslaved humans and prevent Megatron from getting away with a shuttle full of Energon. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} Trailbreaker was at headquarters when they discovered that Megatron was still operational and leading the Decepticons. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:PlagueOfInsecticons Trailbreaker projecting forcefield.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
With the emergence of the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] in [[Bali]], Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who went to investigate. They arrived in time to reinforced the smaller team who'd already found the Insecticons, and the foe, now teamed up with the Decepticons, took off. During the pursuit, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] used his control beam on Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, compelling the pair to try and ram their fellows, but Trailbreaker used a force field to sever the beam. They eventually reached an oil refinery, but during the battle, Shrapnel harnessed lightning from a storm that had moved in, and zapped Trailbreaker and Wheeljack. Both survived, and Trailbreaker was later able to use his force field to disable the Insecticon clones, rescuing Bumblebee and Spike. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, Trailbreaker and the rest of the Autobots turned out to cheer their leader on. To their horror, Optimus lost, meaning they'd have to leave Earth forever, but once they returned to headquarters, they used Teletraan I to establish that Megatron had cheated, rendering the result void. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

During Sparkplug's demonstration of his latest invention, [[Autobot X]], the creation went wild. Trailbreaker, Ironhide and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] tried to charge it, only to be blasted on their cans. Trailbreaker's force field provided his companions with cover so they could take down the beast. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} He was on the ill-fated mission to come to the aid of some gold miners, during which [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] was captured by the Decepticons. He subsequently joined the effort to rescue Gears and disable Megatron's [[Solar Needle]]. When they found that Megatron had temporarily reprogrammed Gears to be a happy-go-lucky kind of Autobot, Trailbreaker was the one who voiced what everyone was thinking and said maybe they should just leave him that way. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} He was also on the mission to [[New York City]] when the Decepticons started replacing buildings in an attempt to create a new Cybertron, {{storylink|City of Steel}} and was turned evil by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

[[Image:TheImmobilizer Trailbreaker force field.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"And the only side effect is Ratchet's mouth disappears!"]]
Trailbreaker witnessed the demonstration of the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer]], and protected his comrades with a force field when the Decepticons attacked. Though they managed to steal the Immobilizer, the Decepticons fell into a river and Trailbreaker lightened the situation with a healthy joke. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} He took part in a charity race, though he wasn't the fastest of Autobots, and still managed to outrun Ironhide. When the old timer complained about a weird jolt in his circuitry, Trailbreaker suggested he was making an excuse, but it was actually the effects of Megatron's [[Transfixatron]]. Locked in their vehicle modes, the Autobots were taken to an old ghost town, and it looked like they were going to be destroyed, until the Autobots who'd remained at base turned up to rescue them. Ironhide and Trailbreaker took great delight in smashing the Transfixatron to bits. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} Trailbreaker took part in the defense of [[Washington, D.C.]] when the Decepticons teamed up with the residents of [[Sub-Atlantica]]. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

[[Image:EnterNightbird flying Trailbreaker.jpg|thumb|left|260px|In an early example of [[Slogism]], here's Trailbreaker stuck to the roof of a building with a wad of cotton candy.]]
Trailbreaker was also a guard when [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]] revealed his [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], though when Decepticons inevitably attacked, they blasted through the door Trailbreaker was standing in front of, sending him across the room. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} After an apparently successful attack on the Decepticons at a crevasse, the Autobots found that they somehow had two Optimus Primes—the real one referring to Trailbreaker as "'''Trailblazer'''". Trailbreaker was one of the proponents of using a series of trials to work out which was the real thing. When that was unsuccessful, the Autobots ended up going on another mission to the crevasse to investigate strange readings, and once again encountered the Decepticons. After [[Optimus Prime clone|one of the Primes]] apparently destroyed [[Starscream clone (G1)|Starscream]], Trailbreaker announced that he must be the real thing, because he offed the Decepticons' "number two varmint". As it turned out, that Prime was a phony, trying to lure them into a ravine filled with dangerous [[korlonium crystal]]s, as they discovered moments later when he disregarded a threat to Spike's life. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

[[Image:DinobotIsland1 Trailbreaker projects force field.jpg|thumb|right|230px]]
When the Dinobots attempted to demonstrate their newfound "finesse" to the other Autobots, [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] accidentally set fire to the Ark, threatening Teletraan I. Thinking quickly, Trailbreaker projected his force field over the Autobot supercomputer, allowing [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] time to extinguish the blaze. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} The Decepticon's pillaging of [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] began causing time warps to appear across the world, and Trailbreaker flew to the island by [[jet pack]] to investigate with the rest of the Autobots. After a prolonged battle, the Autobots and Dinobots succeeded in chasing the Decepticons from the island. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

On another occasion, the Autobots were forced to abandon Earth by Megatron aboard a spacecraft set on a course into the sun. After the Autobots discovered they couldn't alter their course, their ship exploded. Trailbreaker cast a massive force field large enough to contain the entire Autobot force safely; from within the field, [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] towed the group back to Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} Trailbreaker was incapacitated by [[Cybertonium]] depletion, as were the rest of the Autobots. They were only saved when Spike, [[Carly]] and the Dinobots brought more back from Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[Image:Trailbreakerdance.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Do a little dance...make a little love... get down tonight... I said get down tonight!]]
Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who arrived too late to prevent the theft of the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. When Megatron used the device to knock out radio transmissions during a blizzard, Trailbreaker's force fields proved to be a valuable asset, protecting humans and Autobots alike from snowfall. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He took part in an attempt to defend an [[Electrum]] pool from the Decepticons, {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} and a baseball stadium incident during which Optimus and a number of other Autobots were lost through the Decepticon [[space bridge]]. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}}

After that, a Decepticon coup by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] resulted in a city being flooded. Trailbreaker used his force field to protect himself and a small group of Autobots from a large tidal wave. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}} He rolled out with the majority of the Autobot forces to rescue [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] from the Decepticons, though it resulted in them all being infected with [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} He was also hanging around Headquarters when the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were captured, and a group of Autobots disguised as them in an attempt to find out what Megatron was up to. {{storylink|Masquerade}}
{{-}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] sent [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] to raid [[Tokyo]] for energy, Trailbreaker accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and a unit of Autobot vehicles to defend the city. Trailbreaker didn't perform very well, cowering in fright beneath Menasor's size and taking the [[combiner]]'s humongous fist to the face. Luckily, his pummelling made the perfect distraction for Optimus Prime, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], who drove up a ramp and slammed Menasor and the Seekers directly in their faces, sending them into retreat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

As a member of the [[4-Wheel-Drive Brigade]], Trailbreaker accompanied [[Kenji]] and the rest of the team to a crater in Kyushu where Decepticon activity had been discovered. Entering the crater, however, Trailbreaker and the Brigade were caught off-guard by numerous landmines that had been planted by the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. As they sunk toward as steaming pit of magma, the other four members of the Brigade managed to defeat the Decepticons by forming a human pyramid and using their "4-Wheel-Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack. Trailbreaker, unfortunately (or perhaps ''fortunately''), had to sit that one out because he was escorting Kenji within himself and couldn't transform to robot mode. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

====''Story of Binaltech''====
Trailbreaker was one of many Autobots who suffered from an outbreak of the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] virus after the Decepticons unleashed it on Earth. He was supposed to receive a new body thanks to the [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] Institute of Technology, but the Decepticons managed to infiltrate the Binaltech Project. Through the use of [[hypno-chip]]-controlled spies and pawns, Trailbreaker's new body was hijacked and used to upgrade the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] known as [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] instead. {{storylink|Expose All of Evil's Designs!}}

===Marvel Colouring Books===
[[Image:Bumblebeetdr-trailbreaker.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Yikes!]]
Trailbreaker, who looks... ''odd'', was captured by the Decepticons under unknown circumstances and put in their special Autobot prison. He and the other prisoners were eventually freed by Bumblebee, after which they struck back against the Decepticons. Trailbreaker projected his force field around some of the villains in order to trap them, and after the battle was won, he and the other Autobots cheered for Bumblebee. Hip hip hooray! {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
Trailbreaker was present under the command of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] at the battle of [[Altihex]] when the Decepticons destroyed a building full of neutral Cybertonians. Unable to save the city, the Autobots helped evacuate civilians before retreating. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} When Decepticon Military Operations Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] led a force of Decepticons against the Autobot capital of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who defended the city-state. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

When Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] disappeared in an accident with a [[space bridge]], the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Trailbreaker stayed with the Autobots under the leadership of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. He and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak ]] filled in [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] on what was happening after Jetfire returned from a survey. {{storylink|Devastation}} Trailbreaker was later part of the group of reinforcements that helped battle the giant [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} They returned to [[Autobase]] for repairs, only for [[The Fallen]] to break in to rescue [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who followed Optimus Prime on his mission on board the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. They were attacked by Megatron's ship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. After being boarded, the ''Ark'' crash-landed on [[Earth]], where all on board were preserved in emergency stasis. In 1984, a volcanic eruption awakened the ''Ark'''s computer, Teletraan I, and it repaired all on board.

Eventually, the combined forces of the Autobots on Earth and their human allies were able to capture the Decepticons. In 1999, a ship called the ''[[Ark II]]'' was built to take the Cybertonians back to Cybertron, along with some human companions, but the ship exploded shortly after takeoff. The human allies were killed, but the Cybertonians were lost in the ocean, again in stasis lock. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} Three years later, Spike Witwicky assisted the US "Defense Ministry" in reactivating Optimus Prime by placing a piece of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] into his chest. Optimus traveled to the remote Arctic shoreline where he'd been found after the crash and used the Matrix to revive Jazz, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], Trailbreaker and Wheeljack from where they lay under the waves. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Shortly afterwards, the Autobots assisted the US military in rescuing the survivors of the Smitco Oil Refinery attack. When Optimus Prime learned the attackers were Autobots and Decepticons under the control of terrorist arms dealer [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], he asked his Autobots to accompany him to fight for '''Great JUSTICE.''' Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who agreed to come along, stating that Prime only needed to point him in the right direction. Trailbreaker participated in the battle at Rook's destroyed base when [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]] double-crossed them and attempted to destroy all the Transformers with a low-yield nuclear weapon. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}

[[Image:DW Trailbreaker Devastatorstomp.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Devastator crush puny Autobot... and make scale joke while crushing. Har har har!]]
After the Autobots extricated themselves from the nuke-absorbing hardened virus shell, Trailbreaker helped rescue the captive Autobots Megatron was using to fuel his technovirus. After Ironhide informed the other Autobots of Megatron's imminent attack on [[San Francisco]], they flew there and engaged the Decepticons. Trailbreaker smashed Grimlock in the face with a steel girder and informed the former Dinobot commander that he'd made the wrong choice in leaving the Autobots and was now going to pay. Unfortunately, Superion was taken down by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], prompting Trailbreaker to join Optimus Prime, Sideswipe and Megatron in a moment of [[dull surprise]], gaping at Devastator as if they had never seen him before. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}}

As Jazz and the Autobots in [[Canada]] were preparing to deal with the technovirus, Trailbreaker frantically radioed them for backup, reporting that Superion was down. As he was distracted, Devastator attempted to stomp on the Autobot. Trailbreaker caught the foot in time, but was crushed into the pavement. He was later retrieved and placed into restraint by the Decepticons as Megatron attempted to convince Optimus Prime to join his cause to wipe out the humans and rule the universe. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} Once Prime managed to free the Autobots with assistance from human firefighters, Trailbreaker resumed his assault on Grimlock by sending him flying with a punch. After Superion sacrificed himself to save San Francisco from General Hallo's unauthorized nuclear strike, Trailbreaker called Optimus over when he and Sideswipe discovered the abandoned Grimlock under rubble. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''While the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] were invading Earth, the Transformers also had to deal with an over-reaching American President who wanted to destroy all the Cybertronians. He offered the Autobots his help in setting up an ambush for the Decepticons, but Prime and his advisors quickly realized the President planned to eliminate all of them. Taking what seemed to be the lesser of two evils at the moment, the Autobots forged an alliance with the Decepticons before travelling to the ambush site. Trailbreaker was among the Autobot soldiers Optimus chose for the battle. He fought against the military forces and apparently survived the attack of the [[deconstructionite]]s relatively unharmed. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

Months later, the united Cybertronian army arrived on Earth, demanding the surrender of all combatant Autobots and Decepticons. Trailbreaker suffered serious injuries battling [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and the Seekers and had to be placed in a [[CR chamber]] for repairs on the flight back to Cybertron. He fought alongside the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew and the various insurgency groups on Cybertron to reclaim Iacon for the Autobots and force Shockwave out of power. {{storylink|War and Peace}} Afterwards, he joined Prowl and the rest of the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s old crew in returning to Earth to work on the construction of a new Autobot City.

===3H comics===
[[Image:Rattrap legs.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Gah! Someone call an exterminator!]]
Hundreds of years later, Trailbreaker and fellow Autobots [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] arrived on the newly technorganic Cybertron roughly one year after the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)|this era's Megatron]]. They were welcomed by the surviving members of [[Optimus Primal]]'s band of [[Maximal]]s, including [[Rattrap]], who offered to share a vintage keg of [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's Old Oil]] with the Autobot veteran. Unfortunately, Trailbreaker did not have an opportunity to take Rattrap up on his offer, because immediately afterwards, he and his associates were abducted by [[Unicron]] and teleported to the [[Cauldron]]. There, they were rebuilt against their will into new bodies... except Trailbreaker, because why mess with success? {{storylink|Abduction}}

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|left|150px|thumb|You've got me? Who's got you?!]]
{{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}}
[[Optimus Primal]] led the [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]], which included Trailbreaker, into a final fight with the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]] on the surface of Unicron himself. However, as their victory was imminent, Unicron began to dissolve beneath their very feet, and [[King Atlas]] had to carry Trailbreaker and Roulette to safety, through a transwarp portal back to their native Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}
===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF5_Autobots.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Trailbreaker was among the Transformers discovered on Earth by [[Cobra]], and reworked into a piloted death mechanism known as a [[Stinger (Cobra)|Stinger]]. The Transformers were eventually freed, and the Autobots fought both their Decepticon enemies and their Cobra oppressors. During the battle, Trailbreaker and several other Autobots located [[Cobra Commander]] and tried to capture him, but he was protected by Cobra troops in robotic [[S.N.A.K.E.]] suits. Unfortunately, the Autobots underestimated their human opponents, and Trailbreaker was decapitated by [[Storm Shadow]] during the battle. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

This was apparently not as fatal as it seemed, however, as Trailbreaker was up and fighting again shortly afterwards. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:MegsOrigin4 Trailbreaker.jpg|left|150px|thumb|I STILL SUPPORT THE RAILING SYSTEMMMMmmmmm!]]
Trailbreaker (along with nearly every other Autobot, apparently) served in the Autobot Security Forces under the command of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. He participated in the battle of [[Kaon]] where the criminal known as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] began a rampage with his army of convicts. Trailbreaker grabbed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] as the criminal was flying away, only to be kicked off for his trouble, falling to his apparent demise... {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

[[Image:SpotlightKup Trailbreaker.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Mommy told me never to open the door to strangers.]]
Except he survived. Many years later, Trailbreaker was a specialist called in by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] to extract a deranged [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] safely from the planet where he had crash-landed. The planet possessed a radiation which was dangerous to Transformers without special protective covering, causing Kup, in his delusions, to believe his rescuers were monsters trying to attack him. Trailbreaker's force fields allowed him to walk on the planet without any protective gear, and his appearance shocked Kup for long enough that he could save the old bot's spark core from meltdown. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

Later, he was one of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s old friends who took time off duty to greet the return of "The Voice". {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

A year later, Trailbreaker had joined [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s team of Autobots on [[Earth]]. They made a plan to drive the Decepticons off the planet once and for all, but fell into a trap and were defeated by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Trailbreaker and the rest were subsequently dumped on the ruined [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to be finished off by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} His primary role appeared to be playing bodyguard to [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], making sure nobody lynched the guy for being a suspected traitor. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} After the Autobot starship ''[[Trion]]'' crashlanded on the planet, Trailbreaker and the others listened to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s story about what happened. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} They proceeded to mingle with the rest of ''Trion''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> crew. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} Trailbreaker later oversaw the process of putting a giant cannon in place on the Autobots' temporary base. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}}

After the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], Trailbreaker briefly left Earth to serve on the [[Ethics Committee]] meetings at the [[Kimia Facility]], alongside [[Xaaron]] and [[Animus]]. He sat in consideration of [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s new invention, [[cerebro-sensitive bullet]]s that used onboard computers to ensure a killshot to the head with every pull of the trigger. Unlike his fellow committee members, Trailbreaker openly expressed his horror at such a weapon, and his disapproval of its creator. Ultimately, the bullets were banned by the committee under Protocol III of the [[Non-Conventional Weapons Act]], and use of them in future would be deemed a war crime under the [[Tyrest Accord]]. {{storylink|Bullets}}

Two years after the fall of Megatron, Trailbreaker was present when Hot Rod announced his plans to abandon Earth and what was left of the war. He chose not to join the Autobot cavalier or his followers. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}}

Along with all the other Autobots, Trailbreaker volunteered to return to Cybertron and fight [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}} During the trip, he spent a lot of time staring at Megatron, now in Autobot captivity. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

Upon arriving at Cybertron, the Autobots were faced with Kimia Facility, which had been captured by Galvatron, transformed into a giant laser cannon and used to fire on the planet. Rodimus (formerly Hot Rod) grabbed Trailbreaker and had him project a force field around the cannon's muzzle, but it proved too weak to stop the next blast. The shock of having his force field ripped apart knocked him unconscious, and he had to be repaired by [[Garnak]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}}

After the battle was won and peace was restored to Cybertron, Trailbreaker joined Rodimus's crew on the ''[[Lost Light]]''. They left Cybertron to search for the [[Knights of Cybertron]] and were promptly lost in space. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}
{{--}}

===''Wings Universe''===
Trailbreaker was among the Autobots chosen to be part of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s new military. He agreed with [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] that dealing with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] would be a piece of [[oil cake]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} A week later, he was part of the Autobot forces at [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s city walls as the Decepticons broke through with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} The battle was won, but not without casualties. In search for energy to replenish the Transformers, an Autobot crew including Trailbreaker left the planet in the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Trailblazer was one of Autobots active in [[1888]], and transformed into a locomotive. He formed a train with [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] in order to bring [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Tobias Muldoon]] and [[Nikola Tesla]] to the glacier where [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] lay dormant. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} He then helped launch the [[Tesla tower|device]] Tesla made to generate the electricity needed to reactivate Prime, and along with the other Autobots, gave up his his own power reserves for it to work. Once Prime was back, he revived his troops and led them to [[Port Cenotaph]] to fight the minions of an [[Elder God]]. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

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

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Trailbreaker was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Trailbreaker toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If your vehicle mode looks like this, you might be a redneck! You also happen to be indestructible]]
* '''Trailbreaker''' (1984, 2001, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''25'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Twin Blasters", 2 missiles, radar scanner, 2 fists (left & right)

: Trailbreaker transforms in a Toyota 4WD Hi-Lux camper truck. In robot mode, both of his lower arms are projectile launchers, able to load and fire either his fists or his projectiles, which consist of two [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metallized]] silver missiles and two silver "twin blasters". The [[Hasbro]] version of the toy severely weakened the springs [[for safety reasons]].

: This mold was later [[retool]]ed to make [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]].

: In 2001, Trailbreaker was given a short-run reissue (limited to only 1,000 pieces) by Takara as a convention-exclusive item, bundled together with Hoist. Since this toy was never reissued by Hasbro, it remained one of the more elusive reissues by Takara, until his 2008 ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' reissue. While the original had a red visor, the Encore reissue was notable for having a blue visor and a [[tampograph|tampographed]] Autobot symbol on his hood/chest.

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

{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[Image:TF2010-toy Trailcutter.jpg|thumb|300px|Cutting a trail to a closeout shelf near you!]]
*'''Trailcutter''' (Legends class, 2011)

:Part of the second wave of "[[Reveal the Shield]]" [[Legends Class]] toys, Trailbreaker is now renamed "Trailcutter" due to [[Trademark]] reasons. He converts into a camper truck again, but with a front section similar to that of a Cadillac Escalade. His head sculpt is essentially the Generation 1 toy's head, including the visor, with the more humanoid face of the [[character model|cartoon model]]. The same "hybrid" design had been previously used by [[Dan Khanna]] for [[3H Productions|3H's]] [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|''Universe'' comics]] and by Hasbro for ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' [[Swindle (G1)#Alternators|Swindle]] (originally intended as Trailbreaker) and his [[redeco]] [[Rollbar (G1)#Alternators|Rollbar]]. As with all "Reveal the Shield" toys, he has a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

: The "Reveal the Shield" Legends toys were largely released in discount and closeout chains in the US, most predominantly at Five Below stores.
{{-}}

===Other attempts===
There are quite a few Transformers toys that were at one point in their development supposed to be a new form for (or tribute to) Trailbreaker, but before the Universe Legends toy, all of these became other characters with other names, most likely due to [[Hasbro]]'s inability to secure the [[trademark]].

Trailbreaker's appearance in the [[3H Productions|3H]] [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe comics]] stems from early plans to release a Trailbreaker redeco of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]] [[X-Brawn]] mold as a convention exclusive in 2003. Reportedly, Hasbro themselves also had the same idea for the mass retail Universe Deluxe assortment, but due to the aforementioned reasons, the toy was ultimately given a different deco and released as [[Ratchet (Universe)|Autobot Ratchet]] instead.

Later, a [[redeco]] of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]] [[Spy Changer]] [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]] was released as a Wal*Mart exclusive under the [[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]] banner, a black pickup truck with the distinctive red and yellow stripes from Trailbreaker's original toy. Ultimately, this toy would be released as [[Ironhide (Universe)|Ironhide]] instead.

The next attempt was in the ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' line, the toy that would eventually become [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and later [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]]. A [[retool]] of the [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] Jeep Wrangler toy, its head is a cross between the original Trailbreaker toy's helmet and the cartoon model's face, surprisingly similar to [[Dan Khanna]]'s rendition of the character in 3H's Universe comics. A black and white version of a proposed color guide for the unreleased Trailbreaker version of the sculpt was depicted in the Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' book.

Finally, the [[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]] Autobot [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] was originally going to be called "Trailbreaker", and the head sculpt was to have more elements from the Generation 1 character's design. These plans were again scrapped, but the character's upgraded form, '''Leobreaker''', retains the "breaker" portion of the name, since "Leohaul" sounds really silly. (The name "Overcast" was temporarily considered, but quickly dropped again.)

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 9''' (multi-pack, 1986)
**''ID number:'' '''Collection No. 3'''
: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Trailbreaker was available in part of a [[Decoy|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.

*'''Trailbreaker''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''10'''

: The figurine was later brought over to [[Hasbro]] markets as part of the [[Decoy]] promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]].

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

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:MovieTrailbreaker3DCard.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Admit it. That head peeking up from the truck mode is hilarious.]]
*'''Trailbreaker''' (2007)

: A 26-point "common" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game|3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Trailbreaker "transforms" into a black pickup truck with a camper shell. He uses the same parts layout as [[Payload (Movie)|Payload]] and [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]].

:The Battle-Card may or may not actually represent [[Trailbreaker (Movie)|the live-action movie version of Trailbreaker]], as the design is clearly in the live-action movie aesthetic (and a version of the Trailbreaker character exists in the "movie" universe anyway). The card's listed abilities — an Invisible Force Field and a Radio Jammer — line up with Trailbreaker's G1 abilities, however, so who knows.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:DiacloneTrailbreaker.jpg|thumb|250px]]
* Trailbreaker's mold was originally a ''[[Diaclone]]'' "4WD Hi-Lux", available in three different colors: black, blue or yellow. The blue version was sold by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] in North America as the ''[[Diakron]]'' "DK-3" Car/Robot in [[1983]], seemingly just a few months before the toy would be rebranded as a Transformer. There is an easy way to tell the black ''Diaclone'' 4WD Hi-Lux apart from a ''Transformers'' Trailbreaker, though - the ''Diaclone'' toy's vehicle-mode stickers have a yellow background.

*Trailbreaker had the preliminary name of '''Guzzle'''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071230210811/http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41003]</ref>

*Like many of the early ''Generation 1'' Transformers, Trailbreaker's toy and [[character model|animation model]] differ a lot, especially as far as the head design is concerned. In recent years, both comic book artists and Hasbro and Takara typically aim for an amalgamation of both designs, usually with the toy's helmet and the animation model's face. However, no-one can seem to agree whether his force field projector is supposed to be directly attached to the back of the head (as it was on the toy) or attached to the back of the robot. The [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics originally had it attached to a massive "[[kibble]]"-like backpack before switching to a design more akin to the original animation model with ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''. Meanwhile, had the ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' Jeep Wrangler mold been released as Trailbreaker like originally intended, he would have lacked his characteristic force field projector entirely.

* In storyboards for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Trailbreaker's dead body is seen at the end of the Autobot City battle. However, this didn't make it into the final film. In an early draft script, Trailbreaker survives the two initial attacks on Autobot City and is part of a guerrilla unit led by Blaster on Earth.

* Originally, ''[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]'' was going to be used in ''Spotlight: Kup'', but Roche put Trailbreaker in after re-looking at the guy's tech spec and thought his power and cheery personality would work better. "It's nice to use a character who gets no love."<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Trailbreaker''' (トレイルブレイカー ''Toreirubureikā'')
*''French:'' '''Glouton''' (Canada, "Glutton")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Ösvényvágó'''
*''Italian:'' '''Tuono''' ("Thunder")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Kāi-lù Hsīen-fēng''' (Taiwan, 開路先鋒, "Trailbreaker")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Pica-Trilhos''' (Portugal comic), '''Abre-alas''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Sledopyt''' (Следопыт, "Tracker")

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Defense specialists]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Strategists]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]