MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Knockoff

2010-12-05T23:55:02Z

76.179.187.192: /* Availability of knockoffs */

[[Image:Bootleg.jpg|right|273px|thumb|Super Combination Robot B/O 17-in-1. One just sold for $350 on Ebay. Feel free to throw up in your mouth a little.]]
A '''knockoff''' is a product similar or identical to a product of one company, but made by another without the authorization of the original maker. In the ''Transformers'' fandom, the term is commonly abbreviated '''KO'''. The term '''bootleg''' is also sometimes used as a synonym.

==What's a knockoff?==
Not all transforming robots from makers other than [[Hasbro]], [[TakaraTomy]], [[Bandai]], or other major toy makers are knockoffs, but those toys which wholly or partly duplicate pre-existing designs are well-qualified for the term. The term is also applied by fans, however, to some robots whose design was entirely original with the manufacturer, if said manufacturer is commonly associated with knockoffs, or if this maker's products are often sold in company with knockoffs.

Whether an original design, modified, or slavishly copied, knockoffs are often cheaper than the products of major toymakers. However, the quality of knockoffs is often poorer than that of the originals, including bad plastic quality, bad sticker application, and bad paint applications. Odd colors, excess chrome, resizings, and modifications are common. The world of knockoffs is a strange land of gigantic chromed swords, Gundam/[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]] card art, and wacky packaging translations.

==Legal analysis of knockoffs==
Despite myths to the contrary, most ''Transformers'' knockoffs are illegal. In HASBRO BRADLEY, INC. v. SPARKLE TOYS, INC., 780 F.2d 189 (2nd Cir. 1985), the Second Circuit granted an injunction on Sparkle Toys' Jumpstarter knockoffs, where Hasbro showed a likelihood of success for infringement of their copyright in the Jumpstarters toys.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/copyright/cases/780_F2d_189.htm http://www.law.cornell.edu/copyright/cases/780_F2d_189.htm]</ref> For those not law literate, this basically means that (A) Hasbro held a valid copyright in the Jumpstarters, and (B) Hasbro had a strong enough case that this would have gone to a jury, which would ultimately decide whether there was infringement.

Although Hasbro and Takara's design patents on ''Transformers'' toys expire after 14 years from issuance, their copyright in ''Transformers'' toys lasts for 95 years from publication, i.e., sale to the public. Thus, while the design patents on some ''Transformers'' toys have expired, the copyright protection on all ''Transformers'' toys is still in effect. For useful articles, such as a reconfigurable toy, copyright protects only those expressive elements that are separable from the function. While a transformation is probably not protectable because it is functional, the overall look of the robot or alternate mode is protectable. Thus, while a heavily remolded knockoff that only retains the transformation of the original toy may avoid infringement, a toy that is only resized or is only painted in different colors would infringe Hasbro and Takara's copyright regardless of the slight modification.

==Availability of knockoffs==
Knockoffs were a real problem in the mid-1980's. As the majority of the line came from [[Diaclone]] and [[Micro Change]] toys that had been released in Japan a year or two earlier, Hong Kong bootleggers had plenty of time to copy the molds. Because of this, there were bootlegs on the shelf at the same time as their legitimate Hasbro counterparts. Some bootlegs even preceded their Transformers counterparts like [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]. To combat this, the [[rubsign]] was developed, made with a patented technology that was difficult (at that time) to forge. There was also an accompanying TV ad campaign is which Optimus Prime and Megatron stress brand loyalty by stating, "We are the only ones that have the right to wear [ [[Autobot]] & [[Decepticon]] symbols ]."

Through most of the 1990s, knockoffs were relatively difficult to find in the West. Many fans had luck finding them at flea markets, hole-in-the-wall non-chain toy stores, or discount stores like [[wikipedia: Big! Lots|Big Lots]]. Some knockoff transforming robot toys did show up in chain toy stores, such as the Convert-A-Bots [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] and Tek Toys ''Voltron'' I—both widely available at Toys R Us—but they were few and far between.

In the 2000s, knockoffs became more accessible. The Kidi Toys gestalt knockoffs were widely available at Family Dollar and [[Kay Bee]] Toy Liquidator stores, and saturated [[eBay]]. Happy Well knockoffs took up shelf space next to Transformers Armada toys at [[Wal-Mart]]. And of course, the realistic counterfeit G1 toys also are widely available on eBay from any number of different sellers.

==Hasbro's intervention (or lack thereof)==
To date, Hasbro apparently has taken few actions against knockoff manufacturers. Only a couple of cases exist from the 1980s in which Hasbro shut down a ''Transformers'' knockoff operation, and no such cases exist from the 1990s onward. Hasbro's ''Transformers'' design director [[Aaron Archer]] was once quoted as making a comment at [[BotCon]] implying that Hasbro was unconcerned with knockoffs.{{fact}} Strangely, Hasbro recently contacted small online toy store AgesThreeAndUp and told them to take down their knockoff listings. At [[BotCon 2008]], [[Greg Lombardo]] read an official Hasbro policy discouraging fans from purchasing knockoffs--even in the main dealer room just a few yards away--and vaguely threatening future legal action against their producers. Recently, eBay began taking down auctions for knockoff Transformers, but it's unclear whether this was Hasbro's doing or not.

==Knockoff companies==
Certain knockoff companies have earned reputations via their rather distinctive ways of altering the original product:

* Four Star - Known during the 1980s for taking any number of ''[[Diaclone]]''-descendant [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] molds and making massive [[Retool|retools]] of them, usually changing 75% of the mold or more. They are especially known for "Mr. Hardhat", a [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] bootleg that is made up of six entirely changed [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] that combine in an entirely different way. The fully combined form uses [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s head.

* Tek Toys - A North American company that appeared in the early to mid-1990s and did business almost exclusively through Toys "R" Us. They pioneered the combination card/windowless box design used by many, many bootlegs to this day. Tek Toys also used a distinctively plain graphics style on their packaging, eschewing the usual random ''Gundam'' and ''Generation 1'' graphics for new airbrushed art or, surprising for a knockoff company, CGI models, almost always against a plain white background. Tek Toys also worked in extremes, either having recolored copies of existing figures or all new original figures that may or may not have been procured from smaller Asian companies (often times Leader Shine). In a bold move, Tek Toys had their office address printed on later boxes. Their new box graphics are still recycled by other knockoff companies to this day.

[[Image:JBootleg.jpg|right|180px|thumb|On your knees, Jumpstarters! Kneel before your living GOD!]]
* Leader Shine (AKA Champion Crown) - Known during the 1990s for bootlegging the living hell out of the [[Jumpstarter]] molds, producing clones, minor retools, major retools, and almost unrecognizable retools. They also produce "original" toys whose transformation schemes are derived from either ''Transformers'', the ''Brave'' series, or ''Power Rangers''. They still release new and varied Jumpstarters to this day. Leader Shine is also responsible for the very ''[[Godzilla]]''-themed knockoff of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] that reappears every few years. They also have an amusing habit of putting "Pat. P." (Patent Pending) on almost all of their packages in spite of whether their product is a direct copy or completely changed. It is not known how many, if any, patents Leader Shine actually holds.

* Happy Well - Currently the most well known knockoff company, Happy Well was bold enough to strike a contract with Wal*Mart, CVS Pharmacies, and Walgreen's, making them possibly the first company to have a knockoff "name brand", namely the "Galaxy Defender" series. Happy Well uses relatively high-quality materials, and most of their products are boxed. Some even come with sticker sheets and [[die-cast]] parts. Their "Roadbots" line is the only direct competitor to the ''[[Alternators]]'' line of licensed scale transforming cars.

* Zhong Jin, aka Playcenter<ref>Zhong Jin/Playcenter was first identified as the manufacturer of the knockoffs in September 2007, when fans noticed pictures of most of the current counterfeit G1 knockoffs on their [http://china.alibaba.com/company/detail/playcenter.html Alibaba supplier website], including then-upcoming counterfeits like Warpath. Apparently aware of this, Zhong Jin took down images of all their counterfeit Transformers from the website in October or November.</ref> - The first and primary manufacturer of the high-quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs. Zhong Jin has been making their counterfeit Transformers since 2005, starting with Beachcomber, but in 2007 began greatly increasing their range of counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs, which now includes [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], many [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]], several Decepticon cassette 2-packs, almost all the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]],several Autobot cars, Devastator, and [[Gnaw]]. They have also done many plastic/paint variants of their knockoffs, including many clear plastic versions.

* Kidi Toys<ref>[http://www.toysghost.cn Kidi Toys' web site]</ref> - Perhaps best known as the manufacturer of the many low-quality ''Generation 1'' gestalt gift sets. Following Zhong Jin's lead, they recently began producing realistic counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs. So far, they have created knockoffs of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], both of which come in a Metroplex box. They both can be distinguished from the originals because of slightly different plastic colors. Among their other notable knockoffs are [[Alternator]] figures with new or copied paint schemes of reasonable quality.

* Citi Toys - Based in Thailand, the same company that was producing toys for McDonald's Happy Meals was also producing knockoffs of transforming robots, albeit mostly ''Brave'' and ''Power Rangers''. After news leaked out that they used child labor, new knockoffs with their "CT" logo stopped appearing, which suggests that the child labor scandal caused them to shut down.

*Agglo is a Hong Kong based company that has produced numerous Transformers knockoffs over the years. Their products have ranged from knockoffs of ''Generation 1'' figures, to ''Beast Wars'' and Japanese Beast Wars characters and even ''Robot Masters'' and ''Generation 2'' Cyberjets. They are notable for giving their lines '''insane''' names, one of their Beast Wars KO lines has been dubbed "Space Warriors Transformable Beast Tech Fighter".

*G3 Toys

*iGear

==Countries that produce or once produced knockoffs==
Most knockoffs originate outside of North America and Europe. Although most knockoff-producing countries have joined the Berne Convention and have thus obligated themselves to protect the copyrights of other countries, lax enforcement has allowed manufacturers in many foreign countries, such as China, to continue to produce knockoffs. However, manufacturers in other countries like South Korea, which was once a huge source of knockoff ''Transformers'', have in the last decade made efforts to legitimize themselves by buying the rights to produce official Korean versions of the toys they had long been copying.

[[Image:SENDTHEBOOKS.jpg|right|180px|thumb|SEND THE BOOKS!]]
* [[China]] -- The main source of the world's Transformers knockoffs and notorious for their use of gigantic blister cards. Although they are typically low quality, such as the combiner gift sets produced by Kidi Toys, it is also the home of Playcenter, the high quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toy manufacturer. China has signed the Berne Convention obligating them to protect foreign copyrights, and has enacted legislation to do so, but their enforcement remains at a pitifully weak level.

* [[South Korea]] -- Was once a hotbed of Transformers knockoff activity. It was not uncommon in South Korea for there to even be [[Phoenix King|animated series]] that incorporated multiple knocked-off properties, such as [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] fighting a Gundam or any other number of famous characters. Hilariously, "Gundam" was so embedded in the South Korean public psyche as a synonym for "giant robot" via these different bootleg outlets that the ''Gundam'' property owner Sunrise's attempts to trademark the word were entirely rejected by the courts<ref>[http://www.comipress.com/article/2006/10/28/938 http://www.comipress.com/article/2006/10/28/938] Gundam and Giant Robots in South Korea</ref>. Some Korean knockoff manufacturers took great liberties with Transformers molds, such as significantly increasing their size[http://www.pleasesavemerobots.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/skorbydestrong.html], and/or retooling their alt modes to resemble completely different vehicles.[http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=17850203&uid=5138952] South Korea is known for such knockoffs as oversized Combaticons, Overlord with Starsaber's face, multiple Power Master Optimus cab knockoffs, and the white Oversized ''Generation 2'' Optimus Prime (the legitimacy of which has been debated). Since the mid-/late-1990s, South Korea has begun enforcing foreign copyrights and is no longer a major source of knockoff Transformers toys.

* Taiwan -- Known for knockoffs with a lot of English text on them and higher quality than Chinese knockoffs. Many Taiwanese knockoffs found their way into Italy in the 1980s and 1990s and can often be spotted on Italian eBay. Gig, the official ''Transformers'' licensee in Italy, even imported a Taiwanese knockoff [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Like South Korea, Taiwan is no longer a major source of knockoffs.

==Transitional companies==
[[Image:AlphaBaseRobot.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Oh, hi. I cost more than a [[Mint in sealed box|MISB]] ''G1'' Overlord. Want to touch me?]]
[[Image:TrendmastersMasterbotix.jpg|right|180px|thumb|AND I'LL FORM THE HE—oh, wait.]]
Although remarkably rare, some knockoff companies eventually venture into legitimate toy design territory. One such example is Trendmasters, which started out as a knockoff manufacturer before eventually legally securing the [[wikipedia:Voltron|''Voltron'']] license. It is possible that Happy Well might also follow this lead, given their success with the original Roadbots figures and subsequent shift away from their bootleg roots.

Another such company was Korean knockoff manufacturer Academy. Academy is known for releasing the Overlord knockoff with Star Saber's head as well as the huge, up-sized ''Gundam'' Cloth MK-II. In the world of plastic scale models, they were also known for producing low-quality knockoffs of Japanese manufacturer Tamiya's kits with copied box art. Academy has since gone legit, legally acquiring such licenses as ''Gundam'', ''Naruto'', ''Tom and Jerry'', and ''Zoids''.<ref>[http://www.academy.co.kr/character/index.html http://www.academy.co.kr/character/index.html]</ref>

==High quality ''Generation 1'' counterfeits==
Starting around 2005, high quality ''Generation 1'' knockoffs began to appear on eBay. Originating from a company called Zhong Jin in China, both the packaging and toy of the knockoffs look nearly identical to the original. Unlike normal knockoffs, these sell for remarkably high prices. Since 2005, many counterfeit ''Generation 1'' products have surfaced from Zhong Jin, including Optimus Prime, Minibots, Cassettes, Autobot cars, Devastator, Dinobots, and Gnaw. Zhong Jin also has produced many color and plastic variants of their knockoffs, such as translucent versions, which were never previously released (and some of which that were, like Jafcon Black Optimus Prime).

Recently a second knockoff company, Kidi Toys, has begun producing high quality ''Generation 1'' counterfeits as well, starting with Metroplex and Metrotitan. Fans of the knockoffs have complained that the box quality on these two releases is not as high as Zhong Jin's knockoffs and the color of the plastic is off. On the other hand, these knockoffs are much cheaper than the Zhong Jin counterfeits, and priced on par with Takaratomy reissues.

The counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys remain extremely controversial because they are virtually indistinguishable from the originals. This situation raises concerns about unscrupulous dealers selling bootlegs as genuine articles and scrupulous ones unknowingly doing the same.

Counterfeit ''Generation 1'' parts, stickers, and boxes have appeared from Zhong Jin as well, including many that have not had a corresponding whole knockoff released, including [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] boxes and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] sticker sheets.

The counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys are often confused with the legitimate [[Generation 1 (Chinese toyline)|Hasbro-made re-releases for the Chinese market produced from 1989 through 1995]]. (See below.)

==Myths about knockoffs==
Over the years, there have been a lot of widespread myths about knockoffs. Perhaps the most preposterous myth is that knockoffs are legal. See the Legal Analysis section above for why this theory is incorrect. Although few proponents of this theory exist, those that do claim vigorously that the presence of knockoffs on Family Dollar or Wal-Mart's shelves means that those products must be legitimate. The flaw in the reasoning here is that it assumes big chain stores would never do anything ignorantly or illegally, which is certainly [http://www.google.com/search?q=walmart+lawsuit not the case].

One long-held myth among fans (due to a general lack of information), is that the ''Generation 1'' ''Transformers'' with Chinese stickers in the corner are high-quality counterfeits. After all, they look just like the original ''Generation 1'' releases, but with some very small differences and oftentimes slightly inferior plastic quality. Recently, though, it's come out that these were, in fact, [[Generation 1 (Chinese toyline)|re-releases for the Chinese market produced from 1989 through 1995]], not unlike their Chinese ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' counterparts from around the same period. Ironically, high-quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys from China would eventually come out, but it wouldn't be until 2005, a decade later.

==Recent knockoffs and the movie effect==
Since the release of the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie]], a flood of bootlegged figures has entered the market, with some movie line figure knockoffs appearing within a month of the official product's debut. The figures range from high-quality clones to ''very'' low-quality copies and strange variations, such as random Generation 1 figures being redone in movie paint decos (usually [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s flame scheme or [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee's]] yellow with black stripes).

[[Image:TFA Prime KO.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Hey I'm not the KO, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|He]] is!]]

A knockoff company recently released a knockoff of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Transformers Animated]]'' Voyager Earth-mode [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], a couple weeks ''before'' the release of the original! The reason this occurred is that Hasbro shelved their already-manufactured ''Animated'' toys for several months in order to extend selling their popular movie line. Thus, finished ''Animated'' toys were able to leak out of factories and into hands of bootleggers long before they were to finally be released.

With the release of the 2009 [[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' movie line]] various knockoff toys have also emerged. These include oversized versions of the new Scout class molds, redecos of new Deluxe molds and molds from other lines redecoed to more closely resemble new characters (for instance the ''Animated'' Deluxe [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] mold repainted to look like [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]], complete with door detailing).

==External links==
*[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/17 HighEndTFs' ID Guide for high quality counterfeit Generation 1 Transformers]

*[http://www.actionfigurechecklist.com/Images/Album/index.php?v=list&i=0&p=Transformers_KnockOff_KO Action Figure Checklist's Transformer Knock-Off Photo Album]

*[http://www.reocities.com/TelevisionCity/3230/tfother.html All Things Transformers - Other Transforming Toys]

*[http://www.mykooltoyz.com/bootleg-tf.html BOOTLEG TRANSFORMERS]

*[http://cybertronphils.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=toyreview&action=print&thread=4183 Bootleg Center]

*[http://www22.pos.to/~butto/ttot.html Butto's Other Transforming Toys (Japanese)]

*[http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~m-akao/GALLERY/fakehp.html Fake Toy Gallery (Japanese)]

*[http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=5138952 Hatch's Bootleg Transformers]

*[http://www.reocities.com/kidk0rrupt/frames/bootlegs.htm Kid K0rrupt's Bootleg Gallery]

*[http://www.builtstlouis.net/tf/mmkos/index.html Rob's Pile of Transformers: Micromaster Knockoffs]

*[http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/bootlegs/ TFArchive.com's Bootleg Gallery]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/191817-knock-off-transformers-thread.html TFW2005 Ongoing Knock-Off Transformers Thread]

*[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Genertaion1KnockOffs.html Toyarchive.com's Gallery of Generation 1 Knockoffs]

*[http://zobovor.20megsfree.com/knockoffs_archive.html Zobovor's Knockoff Toys Archive (text)]

*[http://www.reocities.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/index.html SKORBIA-Crazysteve's South Korean Bootleg Information Archive]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/alternators-10/tfc-005-gear-of-war-2-new-images-168060/ TFW2005.com - TFC-005 Gear of War 2 New Images]

*[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/tfctoy-product-images-tfc-ex002-rollars-and-tfc-005-guns/16943/ Seibertron.com - TFCToy Product Images: TFC EX-002 Rollars and TFC 005 Guns]

*[http://www.transformersbay.com/forum/transformers-masterpiece/8236-battle-rollar.html Transformersbay Forums - Battle Rollar]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-toys--products-30/tfclub-tfc-005-gear-of-war-2-final-product-images-168751/ TFW2005.com - TFClub TFC-005 Gear of War 2 Final Product Images]

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdrN3RTbq_A TFClub TFC-004 Gear of War Accessory Set video review]

*[http://www.tfclub.com/ TFCLUB.com website]

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Toys]]

Knockoff

2010-12-05T23:54:30Z

76.179.187.192: /* Availability of knockoffs */

[[Image:Bootleg.jpg|right|273px|thumb|Super Combination Robot B/O 17-in-1. One just sold for $350 on Ebay. Feel free to throw up in your mouth a little.]]
A '''knockoff''' is a product similar or identical to a product of one company, but made by another without the authorization of the original maker. In the ''Transformers'' fandom, the term is commonly abbreviated '''KO'''. The term '''bootleg''' is also sometimes used as a synonym.

==What's a knockoff?==
Not all transforming robots from makers other than [[Hasbro]], [[TakaraTomy]], [[Bandai]], or other major toy makers are knockoffs, but those toys which wholly or partly duplicate pre-existing designs are well-qualified for the term. The term is also applied by fans, however, to some robots whose design was entirely original with the manufacturer, if said manufacturer is commonly associated with knockoffs, or if this maker's products are often sold in company with knockoffs.

Whether an original design, modified, or slavishly copied, knockoffs are often cheaper than the products of major toymakers. However, the quality of knockoffs is often poorer than that of the originals, including bad plastic quality, bad sticker application, and bad paint applications. Odd colors, excess chrome, resizings, and modifications are common. The world of knockoffs is a strange land of gigantic chromed swords, Gundam/[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]] card art, and wacky packaging translations.

==Legal analysis of knockoffs==
Despite myths to the contrary, most ''Transformers'' knockoffs are illegal. In HASBRO BRADLEY, INC. v. SPARKLE TOYS, INC., 780 F.2d 189 (2nd Cir. 1985), the Second Circuit granted an injunction on Sparkle Toys' Jumpstarter knockoffs, where Hasbro showed a likelihood of success for infringement of their copyright in the Jumpstarters toys.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/copyright/cases/780_F2d_189.htm http://www.law.cornell.edu/copyright/cases/780_F2d_189.htm]</ref> For those not law literate, this basically means that (A) Hasbro held a valid copyright in the Jumpstarters, and (B) Hasbro had a strong enough case that this would have gone to a jury, which would ultimately decide whether there was infringement.

Although Hasbro and Takara's design patents on ''Transformers'' toys expire after 14 years from issuance, their copyright in ''Transformers'' toys lasts for 95 years from publication, i.e., sale to the public. Thus, while the design patents on some ''Transformers'' toys have expired, the copyright protection on all ''Transformers'' toys is still in effect. For useful articles, such as a reconfigurable toy, copyright protects only those expressive elements that are separable from the function. While a transformation is probably not protectable because it is functional, the overall look of the robot or alternate mode is protectable. Thus, while a heavily remolded knockoff that only retains the transformation of the original toy may avoid infringement, a toy that is only resized or is only painted in different colors would infringe Hasbro and Takara's copyright regardless of the slight modification.

==Availability of knockoffs==
Knockoffs were a real problem in the mid-1980's. As the majority of the line came from [[Diaclone]] and [[Micro Change]] toys that had been released in Japan a year or two earlier, Hong Kong bootleggers had plenty of time to copy the molds. Because of this, there were bootlegs on the shelf at the same time as their legitimate Hasbro counterparts. Some bootlegs even preceded their Transformers counterparts like [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]. To combat this, the [[rubsign]] was developed, made with a patented technology that was difficult (at that time) to forge. There was also an accompanying TV ad campaign is which Optimus Prime and Megatron stress brand loyalty by stating, "We are the only ones that have the right to wear [[[Autobot]] & [[Decepticon]] symbols]."

Through most of the 1990s, knockoffs were relatively difficult to find in the West. Many fans had luck finding them at flea markets, hole-in-the-wall non-chain toy stores, or discount stores like [[wikipedia: Big! Lots|Big Lots]]. Some knockoff transforming robot toys did show up in chain toy stores, such as the Convert-A-Bots [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] and Tek Toys ''Voltron'' I—both widely available at Toys R Us—but they were few and far between.

In the 2000s, knockoffs became more accessible. The Kidi Toys gestalt knockoffs were widely available at Family Dollar and [[Kay Bee]] Toy Liquidator stores, and saturated [[eBay]]. Happy Well knockoffs took up shelf space next to Transformers Armada toys at [[Wal-Mart]]. And of course, the realistic counterfeit G1 toys also are widely available on eBay from any number of different sellers.

==Hasbro's intervention (or lack thereof)==
To date, Hasbro apparently has taken few actions against knockoff manufacturers. Only a couple of cases exist from the 1980s in which Hasbro shut down a ''Transformers'' knockoff operation, and no such cases exist from the 1990s onward. Hasbro's ''Transformers'' design director [[Aaron Archer]] was once quoted as making a comment at [[BotCon]] implying that Hasbro was unconcerned with knockoffs.{{fact}} Strangely, Hasbro recently contacted small online toy store AgesThreeAndUp and told them to take down their knockoff listings. At [[BotCon 2008]], [[Greg Lombardo]] read an official Hasbro policy discouraging fans from purchasing knockoffs--even in the main dealer room just a few yards away--and vaguely threatening future legal action against their producers. Recently, eBay began taking down auctions for knockoff Transformers, but it's unclear whether this was Hasbro's doing or not.

==Knockoff companies==
Certain knockoff companies have earned reputations via their rather distinctive ways of altering the original product:

* Four Star - Known during the 1980s for taking any number of ''[[Diaclone]]''-descendant [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] molds and making massive [[Retool|retools]] of them, usually changing 75% of the mold or more. They are especially known for "Mr. Hardhat", a [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] bootleg that is made up of six entirely changed [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] that combine in an entirely different way. The fully combined form uses [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s head.

* Tek Toys - A North American company that appeared in the early to mid-1990s and did business almost exclusively through Toys "R" Us. They pioneered the combination card/windowless box design used by many, many bootlegs to this day. Tek Toys also used a distinctively plain graphics style on their packaging, eschewing the usual random ''Gundam'' and ''Generation 1'' graphics for new airbrushed art or, surprising for a knockoff company, CGI models, almost always against a plain white background. Tek Toys also worked in extremes, either having recolored copies of existing figures or all new original figures that may or may not have been procured from smaller Asian companies (often times Leader Shine). In a bold move, Tek Toys had their office address printed on later boxes. Their new box graphics are still recycled by other knockoff companies to this day.

[[Image:JBootleg.jpg|right|180px|thumb|On your knees, Jumpstarters! Kneel before your living GOD!]]
* Leader Shine (AKA Champion Crown) - Known during the 1990s for bootlegging the living hell out of the [[Jumpstarter]] molds, producing clones, minor retools, major retools, and almost unrecognizable retools. They also produce "original" toys whose transformation schemes are derived from either ''Transformers'', the ''Brave'' series, or ''Power Rangers''. They still release new and varied Jumpstarters to this day. Leader Shine is also responsible for the very ''[[Godzilla]]''-themed knockoff of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] that reappears every few years. They also have an amusing habit of putting "Pat. P." (Patent Pending) on almost all of their packages in spite of whether their product is a direct copy or completely changed. It is not known how many, if any, patents Leader Shine actually holds.

* Happy Well - Currently the most well known knockoff company, Happy Well was bold enough to strike a contract with Wal*Mart, CVS Pharmacies, and Walgreen's, making them possibly the first company to have a knockoff "name brand", namely the "Galaxy Defender" series. Happy Well uses relatively high-quality materials, and most of their products are boxed. Some even come with sticker sheets and [[die-cast]] parts. Their "Roadbots" line is the only direct competitor to the ''[[Alternators]]'' line of licensed scale transforming cars.

* Zhong Jin, aka Playcenter<ref>Zhong Jin/Playcenter was first identified as the manufacturer of the knockoffs in September 2007, when fans noticed pictures of most of the current counterfeit G1 knockoffs on their [http://china.alibaba.com/company/detail/playcenter.html Alibaba supplier website], including then-upcoming counterfeits like Warpath. Apparently aware of this, Zhong Jin took down images of all their counterfeit Transformers from the website in October or November.</ref> - The first and primary manufacturer of the high-quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs. Zhong Jin has been making their counterfeit Transformers since 2005, starting with Beachcomber, but in 2007 began greatly increasing their range of counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs, which now includes [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], many [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]], several Decepticon cassette 2-packs, almost all the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]],several Autobot cars, Devastator, and [[Gnaw]]. They have also done many plastic/paint variants of their knockoffs, including many clear plastic versions.

* Kidi Toys<ref>[http://www.toysghost.cn Kidi Toys' web site]</ref> - Perhaps best known as the manufacturer of the many low-quality ''Generation 1'' gestalt gift sets. Following Zhong Jin's lead, they recently began producing realistic counterfeit ''Generation 1'' knockoffs. So far, they have created knockoffs of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], both of which come in a Metroplex box. They both can be distinguished from the originals because of slightly different plastic colors. Among their other notable knockoffs are [[Alternator]] figures with new or copied paint schemes of reasonable quality.

* Citi Toys - Based in Thailand, the same company that was producing toys for McDonald's Happy Meals was also producing knockoffs of transforming robots, albeit mostly ''Brave'' and ''Power Rangers''. After news leaked out that they used child labor, new knockoffs with their "CT" logo stopped appearing, which suggests that the child labor scandal caused them to shut down.

*Agglo is a Hong Kong based company that has produced numerous Transformers knockoffs over the years. Their products have ranged from knockoffs of ''Generation 1'' figures, to ''Beast Wars'' and Japanese Beast Wars characters and even ''Robot Masters'' and ''Generation 2'' Cyberjets. They are notable for giving their lines '''insane''' names, one of their Beast Wars KO lines has been dubbed "Space Warriors Transformable Beast Tech Fighter".

*G3 Toys

*iGear

==Countries that produce or once produced knockoffs==
Most knockoffs originate outside of North America and Europe. Although most knockoff-producing countries have joined the Berne Convention and have thus obligated themselves to protect the copyrights of other countries, lax enforcement has allowed manufacturers in many foreign countries, such as China, to continue to produce knockoffs. However, manufacturers in other countries like South Korea, which was once a huge source of knockoff ''Transformers'', have in the last decade made efforts to legitimize themselves by buying the rights to produce official Korean versions of the toys they had long been copying.

[[Image:SENDTHEBOOKS.jpg|right|180px|thumb|SEND THE BOOKS!]]
* [[China]] -- The main source of the world's Transformers knockoffs and notorious for their use of gigantic blister cards. Although they are typically low quality, such as the combiner gift sets produced by Kidi Toys, it is also the home of Playcenter, the high quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toy manufacturer. China has signed the Berne Convention obligating them to protect foreign copyrights, and has enacted legislation to do so, but their enforcement remains at a pitifully weak level.

* [[South Korea]] -- Was once a hotbed of Transformers knockoff activity. It was not uncommon in South Korea for there to even be [[Phoenix King|animated series]] that incorporated multiple knocked-off properties, such as [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] fighting a Gundam or any other number of famous characters. Hilariously, "Gundam" was so embedded in the South Korean public psyche as a synonym for "giant robot" via these different bootleg outlets that the ''Gundam'' property owner Sunrise's attempts to trademark the word were entirely rejected by the courts<ref>[http://www.comipress.com/article/2006/10/28/938 http://www.comipress.com/article/2006/10/28/938] Gundam and Giant Robots in South Korea</ref>. Some Korean knockoff manufacturers took great liberties with Transformers molds, such as significantly increasing their size[http://www.pleasesavemerobots.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/skorbydestrong.html], and/or retooling their alt modes to resemble completely different vehicles.[http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=17850203&uid=5138952] South Korea is known for such knockoffs as oversized Combaticons, Overlord with Starsaber's face, multiple Power Master Optimus cab knockoffs, and the white Oversized ''Generation 2'' Optimus Prime (the legitimacy of which has been debated). Since the mid-/late-1990s, South Korea has begun enforcing foreign copyrights and is no longer a major source of knockoff Transformers toys.

* Taiwan -- Known for knockoffs with a lot of English text on them and higher quality than Chinese knockoffs. Many Taiwanese knockoffs found their way into Italy in the 1980s and 1990s and can often be spotted on Italian eBay. Gig, the official ''Transformers'' licensee in Italy, even imported a Taiwanese knockoff [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Like South Korea, Taiwan is no longer a major source of knockoffs.

==Transitional companies==
[[Image:AlphaBaseRobot.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Oh, hi. I cost more than a [[Mint in sealed box|MISB]] ''G1'' Overlord. Want to touch me?]]
[[Image:TrendmastersMasterbotix.jpg|right|180px|thumb|AND I'LL FORM THE HE—oh, wait.]]
Although remarkably rare, some knockoff companies eventually venture into legitimate toy design territory. One such example is Trendmasters, which started out as a knockoff manufacturer before eventually legally securing the [[wikipedia:Voltron|''Voltron'']] license. It is possible that Happy Well might also follow this lead, given their success with the original Roadbots figures and subsequent shift away from their bootleg roots.

Another such company was Korean knockoff manufacturer Academy. Academy is known for releasing the Overlord knockoff with Star Saber's head as well as the huge, up-sized ''Gundam'' Cloth MK-II. In the world of plastic scale models, they were also known for producing low-quality knockoffs of Japanese manufacturer Tamiya's kits with copied box art. Academy has since gone legit, legally acquiring such licenses as ''Gundam'', ''Naruto'', ''Tom and Jerry'', and ''Zoids''.<ref>[http://www.academy.co.kr/character/index.html http://www.academy.co.kr/character/index.html]</ref>

==High quality ''Generation 1'' counterfeits==
Starting around 2005, high quality ''Generation 1'' knockoffs began to appear on eBay. Originating from a company called Zhong Jin in China, both the packaging and toy of the knockoffs look nearly identical to the original. Unlike normal knockoffs, these sell for remarkably high prices. Since 2005, many counterfeit ''Generation 1'' products have surfaced from Zhong Jin, including Optimus Prime, Minibots, Cassettes, Autobot cars, Devastator, Dinobots, and Gnaw. Zhong Jin also has produced many color and plastic variants of their knockoffs, such as translucent versions, which were never previously released (and some of which that were, like Jafcon Black Optimus Prime).

Recently a second knockoff company, Kidi Toys, has begun producing high quality ''Generation 1'' counterfeits as well, starting with Metroplex and Metrotitan. Fans of the knockoffs have complained that the box quality on these two releases is not as high as Zhong Jin's knockoffs and the color of the plastic is off. On the other hand, these knockoffs are much cheaper than the Zhong Jin counterfeits, and priced on par with Takaratomy reissues.

The counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys remain extremely controversial because they are virtually indistinguishable from the originals. This situation raises concerns about unscrupulous dealers selling bootlegs as genuine articles and scrupulous ones unknowingly doing the same.

Counterfeit ''Generation 1'' parts, stickers, and boxes have appeared from Zhong Jin as well, including many that have not had a corresponding whole knockoff released, including [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] boxes and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] sticker sheets.

The counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys are often confused with the legitimate [[Generation 1 (Chinese toyline)|Hasbro-made re-releases for the Chinese market produced from 1989 through 1995]]. (See below.)

==Myths about knockoffs==
Over the years, there have been a lot of widespread myths about knockoffs. Perhaps the most preposterous myth is that knockoffs are legal. See the Legal Analysis section above for why this theory is incorrect. Although few proponents of this theory exist, those that do claim vigorously that the presence of knockoffs on Family Dollar or Wal-Mart's shelves means that those products must be legitimate. The flaw in the reasoning here is that it assumes big chain stores would never do anything ignorantly or illegally, which is certainly [http://www.google.com/search?q=walmart+lawsuit not the case].

One long-held myth among fans (due to a general lack of information), is that the ''Generation 1'' ''Transformers'' with Chinese stickers in the corner are high-quality counterfeits. After all, they look just like the original ''Generation 1'' releases, but with some very small differences and oftentimes slightly inferior plastic quality. Recently, though, it's come out that these were, in fact, [[Generation 1 (Chinese toyline)|re-releases for the Chinese market produced from 1989 through 1995]], not unlike their Chinese ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' counterparts from around the same period. Ironically, high-quality counterfeit ''Generation 1'' toys from China would eventually come out, but it wouldn't be until 2005, a decade later.

==Recent knockoffs and the movie effect==
Since the release of the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie]], a flood of bootlegged figures has entered the market, with some movie line figure knockoffs appearing within a month of the official product's debut. The figures range from high-quality clones to ''very'' low-quality copies and strange variations, such as random Generation 1 figures being redone in movie paint decos (usually [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s flame scheme or [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee's]] yellow with black stripes).

[[Image:TFA Prime KO.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Hey I'm not the KO, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|He]] is!]]

A knockoff company recently released a knockoff of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Transformers Animated]]'' Voyager Earth-mode [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], a couple weeks ''before'' the release of the original! The reason this occurred is that Hasbro shelved their already-manufactured ''Animated'' toys for several months in order to extend selling their popular movie line. Thus, finished ''Animated'' toys were able to leak out of factories and into hands of bootleggers long before they were to finally be released.

With the release of the 2009 [[Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' movie line]] various knockoff toys have also emerged. These include oversized versions of the new Scout class molds, redecos of new Deluxe molds and molds from other lines redecoed to more closely resemble new characters (for instance the ''Animated'' Deluxe [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] mold repainted to look like [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]], complete with door detailing).

==External links==
*[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/17 HighEndTFs' ID Guide for high quality counterfeit Generation 1 Transformers]

*[http://www.actionfigurechecklist.com/Images/Album/index.php?v=list&i=0&p=Transformers_KnockOff_KO Action Figure Checklist's Transformer Knock-Off Photo Album]

*[http://www.reocities.com/TelevisionCity/3230/tfother.html All Things Transformers - Other Transforming Toys]

*[http://www.mykooltoyz.com/bootleg-tf.html BOOTLEG TRANSFORMERS]

*[http://cybertronphils.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=toyreview&action=print&thread=4183 Bootleg Center]

*[http://www22.pos.to/~butto/ttot.html Butto's Other Transforming Toys (Japanese)]

*[http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~m-akao/GALLERY/fakehp.html Fake Toy Gallery (Japanese)]

*[http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=6&uid=5138952 Hatch's Bootleg Transformers]

*[http://www.reocities.com/kidk0rrupt/frames/bootlegs.htm Kid K0rrupt's Bootleg Gallery]

*[http://www.builtstlouis.net/tf/mmkos/index.html Rob's Pile of Transformers: Micromaster Knockoffs]

*[http://www.tfarchive.com/toys/bootlegs/ TFArchive.com's Bootleg Gallery]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/191817-knock-off-transformers-thread.html TFW2005 Ongoing Knock-Off Transformers Thread]

*[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Genertaion1KnockOffs.html Toyarchive.com's Gallery of Generation 1 Knockoffs]

*[http://zobovor.20megsfree.com/knockoffs_archive.html Zobovor's Knockoff Toys Archive (text)]

*[http://www.reocities.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/index.html SKORBIA-Crazysteve's South Korean Bootleg Information Archive]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/alternators-10/tfc-005-gear-of-war-2-new-images-168060/ TFW2005.com - TFC-005 Gear of War 2 New Images]

*[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/tfctoy-product-images-tfc-ex002-rollars-and-tfc-005-guns/16943/ Seibertron.com - TFCToy Product Images: TFC EX-002 Rollars and TFC 005 Guns]

*[http://www.transformersbay.com/forum/transformers-masterpiece/8236-battle-rollar.html Transformersbay Forums - Battle Rollar]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-toys--products-30/tfclub-tfc-005-gear-of-war-2-final-product-images-168751/ TFW2005.com - TFClub TFC-005 Gear of War 2 Final Product Images]

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdrN3RTbq_A TFClub TFC-004 Gear of War Accessory Set video review]

*[http://www.tfclub.com/ TFCLUB.com website]

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Toys]]

Jazz (G1)/toys

2010-12-05T23:47:40Z

76.179.187.192: /* Generation 1 */

{{suite}}

{{Picsneeded|toys that don't yet have images}}
'''[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]''' has appeared as many toys. All of them cool.

==Generation 1==
[[Image:G1 Jazz toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|At least he doesn't like music as much as Blaster.]]
* '''Jazz''' (Autobot Car, USA 1984, Japan and Europe 1985, Europe and Australia 1990)
**''Japanese Name:'' '''Meister'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-06'''
**''Accessories:'' "[[Photon rifle]]", missile launcher, 3 missiles
:Originally a pre-''Transformers'' ''Diaclone'' Porsche 935 Turbo, Jazz was part of the original assortment of Autobots released in 1984. He transforms into a Martini Racing Porsche 935 Turbo. In robot mode, he is armed with a silver "[[photon rifle]]" and a shoulder-mounted, spring-loaded rocket launcher that can fire three silver missiles.

:A slight variation of this toy, with modified stickers on the car doors that omit the regular version's "Martinii" sponsor words on the decals (note the double "i") and entirely lacking the "Martinii Porsche" decals for the windshield and rear spoiler, was available as a mail-away [[exclusive]] offer from Cookie Crisp cereal. Hasbro later also reissued Jazz in Europe and Australia in 1990 as part of the ''[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]'' line. This version was identical to the 1984 version with the exception of the missing "Martinii" logos on the door decals, like on the Cookie Crisp version. Unlike the Cookie Crisp version, however, the "Classic Hero" version did include the "Martinii Porsche" decals for the windshield and the rear spoiler.

:This toy was later reissued by [[TakaraTomy|Takara/TakaraTomy]] as part of the ''[[Transformers Collection]]'' (2002) and ''[[Encore]]'' (2008) lines, and by Hasbro as part of the ''[[Commemorative Series]]'' line (2003). See entries below for more details.

:This mold was also used to make (the originally Japanese-exclusive) [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Stepper]], later renamed Ricochet for Hasbro's reissue.

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

{{-}}{{anchor|Pretender}}
[[Image:Pretender Jazz toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|In a just world, Jazz's Pretender shell would look like [[Richard Roundtree]].]]
* '''Jazz''' ([[Classic Pretender]], 1989)
**''Accessories:'' 2-piece [[Pretender]] shell, helmet, rifle, laser

: The first new toy since the original, Classic Pretender Jazz is a highly simplified version of his original toy, still transforming into a Porsche 935 Turbo. He is armed with a black gun (named only a "laser" in his instructions, but given the dramatic identifier of a "semi-automatic ion pulse gun" in his [[Tech Spec]]s), which can mount on his roof in vehicle mode.

:Jazz's two-piece Pretender shell resembles a human in a blue and white armored space suit with a removable helmet. The shell is armed with a large black rifle (a "photon rifle", to be precise, according to his Tech Specs), and when Jazz is stored inside, it can also hold the smaller robot's laser, thanks to the weapon's multi-width peg.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Autobot/Jazz/jazz.htm More information on Classic Pretender Jazz at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|G1Legend}}
* '''Jazz''' (Legend, 1989)
**''Accessories:'' Laser

:Available [[exclusive]]ly at American [[Kmart]] stores, the [[Legends (G1)|Legends]] version of Jazz is simply the inner robot of the Classic Pretender toy without the shell or its accessories, leaving him only a small handgun.... however, it happens to be ''[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee's]]'' gun. (Legends Bumblebee has Pretender Jazz's gun.)

{{-}}{{anchor|HeroSet}}
[[Image:G1toy japanese legends giftset.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Hero Set''' (Multi-pack, 1989)
**''Accessories:'' Laser

: In Japan, Legends Jazz was only available in a boxed "Hero Set" with the Legends versions of Bumblebee, [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]]. Jazz was identical to the Hasbro release.

: In Italy, [[GiG]] released their own version of the Hero Set, named "Set Commandos", instead of the Classic Pretender versions of the toys. Here, Jazz was named "Folgore", originally the Italian name of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. The "Set Commandos" toys were identical to the Japanese "Hero Set" versions.

{{-}}{{anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[Image:Actionmaster Jazz.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Now he can shred the streets on his board.]]
* '''Jazz w/ Turbo Board''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' "Electromagnetizer Gun", Turbo Board

: [[Action Master]] Jazz's sculpt was based upon his cartoon model, but with some of the toy details added in. As with most Action Master figures, he cannot transform, but his [[Turbo Board]] partner can transform from a skateboard into a large blaster weapon. Jazz was part of the first wave of individual Action Master figures.

: There are reportedly several minor variations of this figure, all regarding the color of his headlights. Some have them unpainted, while others are light blue or greenish-blue.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Jazz/jazz.htm More information on Action Master Jazz at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Generation 2==
[[Image:G2 Jazz.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Jazz''' (Autobot Car, 1993)
**''Accessories:'' "Photon Rifle", missile launcher, 2 missiles

:''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' Jazz is a slight [[retool]] and (literal) [[repaint]] of the original toy. The chrome feet have been narrowed, omitting two tabs. His face (apparently degraded from [[mold]] usage) now has a strange unintentional smirk. His roof has been retooled with a small hole to accommodate his new bright green, spring-loaded missile launcher. All of his "Martinii" stickers have been replaced with various new stickers depicting his name and the number "1" laid over a rainbow-colored musical note.

:This mold became the basis for future reissues of Jazz, complete with his smirk.

: The missile launcher was not created for the ''Generation 2'' line, but came from the [http://www.yojoe.com/action/91/snowserpent2.shtml Snow Serpent] from the ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' toyline. The same launcher was used in the ''Generation 2'' re-releases of [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Autobot/Jazz/jazz.htm More information on Generation 2 Jazz at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Laser Cycle}}
[[Image:LaserCycleJazz.jpg|thumb|300px|He's ready to [http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/tech-specs/Generation-2-Tech-Specs/1995-Transformers-Tech-Specs/Jazz__1995_.jpg.html smash Decepticons like he jams on his guitar!] Uh, assuming he has an Autobot guitar somewhere. They [[Rock Bot|didn't actually make those]].]]
*'''Jazz''' (Laser Cycle, 1995)

: A [[redeco]] of the [[Laser Cycle]] [[Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket]] was planned as Jazz, but like many other planned late-1995 ''Generation 2'' redecos, ultimately never saw release. Interestingly, many of these — including Jazz and fellow Laser Cycle redeco [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] — ''were'' solicited in various store catalogues, such as the Sears Wish Book. Some packaged samples of this toy do exist, but there are estimated to be less than a dozen in existence. Jazz would have transformed from a white, yellow and green Yamaha GTS1000 motorcycle, with an LED-lit arm-mounted buzzsaw that formed part of his rear wheel assembly in cycle mode.

: This mold was later [[Retool|retooled]] to make ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and ''[[Robot Masters]]'' Road Rocket.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

==Transformers Collection==
[[Image:G1toy_tfc_jazz.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
* '''Meister''' (Transformers Collection, Japan 2002)
**''ID number:'' '''1'''
**''Accessories:'' "[[Photon rifle]]", missile launcher, 3 missiles

: Jazz was the first entry in Takara's ''[[Transformers Collection]]'' series of reissues, featuring collectable "book-box" packaging. The figure uses the retooled version of the Jazz mold used in ''Generation 2'', with narrower feet, though the peg-hole in his roof has been removed. Continued degradation of the mold in the intervening years lead to further problems with the toy: in addition to the overall looseness of its joints, the toy's face is further deteriorated from the ''Generation 2'' use of the mold, now displaying a gape-mouthed smirk (see inset in picture), and its roof and rear windows no longer align perfectly.

: In addition to these unfortunate, unintentional changes from the original, some intentional changes were made to the figure's stickers. The original toy's "Martinii" sponsor decals on his hood and door are modified to instead display his Japanese name, "Meister", while the "Martinii Porsche" decal across the top of his windhsield now reads "Agent Meister".

: A second production run of this figure replaced the original toolings for the weapons with the modified versions that came with Hasbro's ''Commemorative Series'' reissue (see [[#Commemorative Series|below]]).

::*''[http://www.mykooltoyz.com/meister-06.html More information on Transformers Collection Meister at MyKoolToyz.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Gold}}
[[Image:Ehobby Meister.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Bling bling~!!!]]
* '''Meister Gold Version''' (e-Hobby exclusive, 2002)
**''Accessories:'' "Photon Rifle", missile launcher, 3 missiles

: An [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]], this version of Jazz is almost entirely constructed of vacuum-metalized gold plastic. Fingerprints and chipping, ahoy! It uses the degraded mold of the ''Transformers Collection'' figure, and was only available in a set with the "Anime Version" redeco of [[Bluestreak]]. Both figures came in the generic red Autobot packaging shared by nearly all eHobby figures.

: Though this redeco resembles Jazz's [[electrum]]-covered appearance in the episode "[[The Golden Lagoon]]", this appears to be an unintentional coincidence; it is actually a recreation of an old ''[[Diaclone]]'' campaign prize.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/Jazz/jazz.htm More information on Meister Gold Version at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Commemorative Series==
* '''Autobot Jazz''' (Commemorative Series III, 2003)
**''Accessories:'' "[[Photon rifle]]", missile launcher, 3 missiles

: Hasbro's own reissue of the 1984 Jazz as part of the ''[[Commemorative Series]]'', now named "Autobot Jazz" for [[trademark]] reasons, is based on Takara's ''Transformers Collection'' version, retaining the ugly smirk and the "Agent Meister" stickers. The alignment problem with the roof and the rear windows has been fixed.

: The weapons have been heavily [[retool|retooled]] [[for safety reasons]]: The chrome finish is missing, the missiles have been elongated and can only be inserted one way, the nub on the back of the launcher has also been elongated, the launcher barrel can come off the mount, and the trigger has been altered as well.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/AutobotJazz/jazz.htm More information on Commemorative Series Jazz at TFU.info]''

==Universe (2003)==
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (Spy Changer, 2004-2005)
**''Accessories:'' Gun

:[[Spy Changer]] Jazz is a redeco of ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' Spy Changer [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]. He transforms into a 1:64-scale [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Dodge Viper]] with Jazz's classic white Martini Racing colour scheme and livery. Like all [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]] molds, he features high-speed axles and can roll very well across smooth surfaces, but lacks the weight to propel him quickly. His small gun is stored between his legs, acting as a tailpipe in vehicle mode.

:This toy was originally exclusively available at [[KB Toys]] stores in 2004, in generic ''Transformers'' packaging with no additional sub-line header. The same toy was later re-released in ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' packaging in 2005, now availabe from discount chains such as Dollar General and Family Dollar.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/SpyJazz/jazz.htm More information on Universe Jazz at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Smallest Transforming Transformers==
[[Image:WSTF Meister.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Tiny Jazz]]

* '''Meister''' (2004)

:''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' Jazz is a tiny replica of the original Jazz toy. His wheels do not roll, and he has a simplified transformation scheme with considerably more restricted articulation.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/SmallestJazz/jazz.htm More information on Smallest Transforming Jazz at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Alternators/Binaltech==
[[Image:Alternators Meister.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Zoom zoom zoom!]]
*'''Meister''' Mazda RX-8 (Alternator, 2004/2006)
**''Alternators ID number:'' '''7'''
**''Binaltech ID number:'' '''BT-08'''
**''Accessories:'' Muffler-blaster

:''[[Alternators]]'' Meister transforms into a highly accurate 1:24 scale white Mazda RX-8. He features an opening hood with engine, opening "suicide" doors and trunk with a realistic interior. In robot mode, he is sculpted to resemble both the original G1 Jazz toy and the G1 cartoon model. He is armed with a rifle that transforms from his muffler.

: Other than being partially constructed of [[die-cast]] metal, the ''Binaltech'' version of this mold differs from the ''Alternators'' version by paint covering all the car body parts and having a magnet assembly for the shoulders joining the front wheel axle (instead of a plastic insertion point). Furthermore, the ''Binaltech'' version's steering wheel is placed on the right side of the dashboard, whereas it's located on the left side on the ''Alternators'' version.

: ''Binaltech'' Meister also had a color [[variant]], officially named ''Meister Velocity Red Mica Edition'', that replaced all the regular version's white parts, both plastic and metal, with red. The panels on the upper hips that are painted teal on the "white" version are painted silver on the "red" variant. Velocity Red Meister was repurposed as [[Zoom-Zoom]] by the official ''Binaltech'' fiction.

: This toy was also retooled into a Mazdaspeed RX-8 as [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockblast/Laserwave]], the [[Autorooper]] and later as Argent Meister.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/AltMeister/meister.htm More information on Alternators Jazz at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Mayuko}}
[[Image:BinaltechMayukoIwasaMeister.jpg|thumb|300px|More embarrassing: the color scheme, or the fact model Iwasa was 17 at the time she designed it?]]
*'''MEISTER feat. MAZDA RX-8 ~'''MAYUKO IWASA''' Edition~''' (Binaltech, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-08'''
**''Accessories:'' Muffler-blaster

:A one-of-a-kind pastel blue, pink, yellow and indigo redeco of the Binaltech Meister toy, ~MAYUKO IWASA Edition~ Meister was designed and autographed by Japanese "[[wikipedia:gravure idol|gravure idol]]" [[Mayuko Iwasa]]. Yahoo!Japan Auctions listed the figure at auction starting [[September 19]]th 2004, with the auction ending [[September 26]][http://web.archive.org/web/20040926033130/http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k7991073]. However, they relisted the figure on [[October 8]]th 2004 (seemingly due to to an issue arising between the original buyer and the charity, going by its [http://rating5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/show/rating?userID=npo_actas_charity&u=npo_actas_charity&filter=&extra=&role=&apg=2 feedback rating]), and it finally finished at auction [[October 15]], 2004.[http://web.archive.org/web/20041012014838/http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k8718622] The winner of the auction also received a signed photograph of Iwasa.

:All proceeds of the sale went to the Asian Children Orphaned by Traffic Accidents Support Association (ACTAS). [http://web.archive.org/web/20060626205644/www.binalternators.de/meister_english.html] In contrast to the placard in its public appearance at the "Binaltech BT-08 Meister / Mazda RX-8 Launch Event", the auction gave the designation of the toy as the "Original Coloring Transformer Binaltech BT-08 Meister feat. Mazda RX-8" (オリジナルカラーリングトランスフォーマー　バイナルテック　ＢＴ－０８　マイスターｆｅａｔ．マツダ　ＲＸ－８).

:To date, ~MAYUKO IWASA Edition~ Meister has never been seen in robot mode.

::*''[http://snakas.web.infoseek.co.jp/event/0409coredo.htm More images of ~MAYUKO IWASA~ Edition Meister at Autobase Aichi]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Argent}}
[[Image:Binaltech_ArgentMeister.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Argent Meister''' (Binaltech, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-20'''
**''Accessories:'' Muffler-blaster

: This version of Meister utilizes the "Mazdaspeed Version II" retooled RX-8 body introduced with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockblast/Laserwave]], but using the original Meister head and a traditional left arm. It is touted as a "Movie Version", somewhat resembling the look of the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]] [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]], due to its silver paint job. The name is a pun on his Japanese function, "Agent Meister", and the Latin-derived word "argent" for "silver".

{{-}}

==Encore==
* '''Meister''' (Encore, Japan 2008)
**''ID number:'' '''08'''
**''Accessories:'' "[[Photon rifle]]", missile launcher, 3 missiles

: Another Takara reissue of the original 1984/1985 Jazz/Meister toy, following the success of the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 Movie]].

: For the most part, the tooling is identical to the second production run of the 2002 ''Transformers Collection'' release, with the modified weapon from Hasbro's ''Commemorative Series'' release. The face uses the fixed mouth originally made for the ''Transformers Collection''/''Commemorative Series'' [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Stepper/Ricochet]] reissue from 2004. The feet are still the narrowed ''Generation 2'' version.

: Other changes unique to this version include the replacement of many stickers (such as the Autobot [[insignia]] on the hood/chest and the "Meister" decals on the doors) with tampographed versions, retooled shoulder mounted flame thrower aligned 90 degree from the axis and a [[show-accuracy|cartoon-accurate]] painted blue visor.

==Universe (2008)==
[[Image:Universe2008 LegendsG1Jazz.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Slightly less tiny Jazz.]]
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (Legends Class, 2008)

:Legends class ''Universe'' Jazz, like the Legends class ''Universe'' [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], emulates Jazz's original toy rather than a modern vehicle re-imagination. Due to the budgetry limitation of Legends class toys, he features an altered transformation sequence and a limited number of [[paint operation]]s, which leave several car windows unpainted.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/LegendsUniJazz/jazz.htm More information on Universe 2008 Jazz at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Transformers (2010)==
[[Image:TF2010_deluxe_SpecialOpsJazz.jpg|thumb|300px|A Solstice with the 1984 robot mode and the 1988 rifle? Just gimme some nunchucks and I am the OmegaJazz.]]
*'''Special Ops Jazz''' (Deluxe, 2010/2011)
**''Accessories:'' "Blaster," two speakers

: Part of the fifth wave of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] Deluxe class toys, Special Ops Jazz transforms from a "street rally" white sports car that [[Jazz (Movie)|looks a lot like a Pontiac Solstice]] into a robot. Jazz will have deployable speakers in both robot and vehicle mode, <ref>http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2010-hasbro-designers-panel-170066/</ref> and his rifle is an update of his [[Classic Pretender]] weapon. The speakers can also combine with his rifle via clips to form a super rifle, or they can be used on any other clip-compatible ''Transformers'' toy. As part of the first wave of the "[[Reveal the Shield]]" promotion, he sports a [[Rub Sign]].

{{-}}

==United==
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' Rifle

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{-}}{{anchor|Stamp Bot}}
*'''Jazz''' (Stamp Bot, 1984)

:Made by HG Toys, Stamp Bot Jazz is a small, non-poseable figurine of Jazz based on his toy with a rubber stamp on the base, and a cap with a felt "floor" that was soaked in ink. The stamp made an image of Jazz's sports car mode.

{{-}}{{anchor|Decoy}}
*'''Jazz''' (Decoy, 1986)

: Coming packaged at random on carded ''Transformers'' toys during 1986, [[Decoy]] Jazz is a red soft-rubber figure depicting his robot mode.

{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:HOC_Jazz.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
*'''Meister''' (Super Collection Figure. 2002)

:''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' Meister is a PVC figurine based on the cartoon rendition of Jazz. He was released as a regular coloured figure in Act 8 of the SCF line in August 2002,

===Heroes of Cybertron===
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (Heroes of Cybertron, 2003)

:The Hasbro version of the SCF Meister figure in the ''[[Super Collection Figure|Heroes of Cybertron]]'' was cast in blue plastic which was then almost completely painted, leaving the eyes and the back of the head unpainted to take advantage of a [[light-piping]] gimmick. Jazz was released in Wave 4 of the line, and came with the left leg needed to build [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]].

{{-}}

===Generation 1 Figure-Collection===

[[Image:Bottlecap_jazz.jpg|right|thumb|]]

*'''Meister''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-3'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

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

===Hard Hero===
[[Image:HardHero Jazz bust.JPG|right|thumb|Shares the same fate as his movie counterpart.]]
*'''Jazz''' (2004)

:Jazz is number 12 in [[Hard Hero]]'s series of cold-cast porcelain ''Transformers'' busts, measuring six inches in height and sculpted holding his photon rifle in his right hand. Jazz was limited to 2500 pieces worldwide, with an additional 100 being specially signed by sculptor [[Jason Ray]].

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium RM Jazz.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Won't you take me to Funkytown?]]
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (Robot Masters, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Muffler-blaster, Autobot display stand

:Titanium Jazz is a small, 3" non-transformable die-cast metal figurine based upon his ''Alternators'' design, but with a little bit of his "traditional" deco thrown into the mix. He has articulation in his waist, shoulders and head.

{{-}}
===Attacktix===
*'''Autobot Jazz'''

{{canceledtoy}}
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroesjazzthundercracker.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Do the Hustle!]]
*'''Autobot Jazz and Thundercracker''' (2007)

:''[[Robot Heroes]]'' Jazz is an adorable, [[super deformed]] figurine of Jazz, with limited articulation in his arms, but no head movement. He came packaged with [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]].

:This figurine was [[Redeco|redecoed]] into [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]].

{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
[[Image:Jazz statue.jpg|right|150px|thumb|One cold cast cat.]]
* '''Jazz''' (Diamond Select, 2008)

: Jazz was released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2008 and exclusive to online retailer Big Bad Toy Store. He was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. The bust features both his photon rifle and shoulder-mounted rocket launcher, which are attached magnetically and are optional for display.

{{-}}

===Mighty Muggs===
[[Image:MightyMuggs_Jazz.jpg|right|thumb|175px]]
*'''Jazz''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' Photon rifle, doors

: Part of the third wave of [[Mighty Muggs]], Jazz is a [[super deformed]], non-transformable PVC figure with articulated arms and head. He is made largely using the standard Mighty Muggs body mold, with the exception of the head, which uses the same "horn" mold as [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. Jazz comes with a super-deformed photon rifle and a pair of car doors that attach to his back.

: Jazz and his wavemate [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] were initially reported to be canceled, but were eventually released as exclusives at Diamond Distributors and [[Toys"R"Us]] stores.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
* The first toy planned for the [[Alternators]] line was Jazz as a Porsche 986. A prototype was made, but Porsche refused to grant Hasbro and Takara the license, stating that "Transformers are not worthy [of] carrying the Porsche trademark. They are war machines, and the toyline in no way represents the lifestyle and ideas which Porsche represents."<ref>[http://www.tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24622 Former Porsche employee Addl recounting an informal inquiry with Porsche's licensing department at TF Archive]</ref> As a consequence, the toy ultimately never went into production. Photos of the prototype were depicted in the Japanese book ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'', and Hasbro later also displayed the prototype during the [[BotCon 2007]] Hasbro Tour.
* The [[Alternators]] Mazda RX-8 (which ultimately ended up as Meister) was originally intended to be named "[[Camshaft (G1)|Camshaft]]", according to various early store listings and a premature reply from Hasbro's customer service. This would also fit with the early idea of making the Alternators toys "direct updates" of their characters' G1 predecessors. A prototype was leaked to the public in early 2004 sporting the same basic colors as the later Alternators "Autobot Camshaft" toy (the Acura RSX), although it's uncertain whether the prototype colors for the RX-8 were supposed to be indicative of the proposed colors for Camshaft (since the Acura redeco was originally intended as a G1 Bluestreak [[homage]] before being renamed into "Autobot Camshaft"). The reason why the RX-8 Alternator was ultimately not named "Camshaft" was apparently because the real-life Mazda RX-8 car doesn't ''have'' a camshaft. The irony is staggering, as Camshaft's original toy was an RX-7, which ALSO lacks a camshaft.
* There have been at least two different reasons stated why the Hasbro toy was named "Meister" rather than "Autobot Jazz": For once, Hasbro was still hoping that Porsche would have a change of mind and grant them the license after all, as Chevrolet had done; also, Aaron Archer has been quoted stating that he thought a third toy named "Autobot someone" following "[[Hound (G1)|Autobot Hound]]" and "[[Tracks (G1)|Autobot Tracks]]" would have been somewhat "redundant".
{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Kmart exclusives]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Spy Changers]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transformers 2010 toyline characters]]
[[Category:United]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]

Hot Rod (G1)

2010-12-05T17:04:32Z

76.179.187.192:

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

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

[[Image:DVDbox3d1.jpg|right|301px|thumb|And yet, even before the Matrix, he still is a big bitch.]]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[[Image:Ffod4_rodimus_in_matrix.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

During his journey through space in search of a replacement homeworld for the Autobots, Rodimus faced many dangers and hardships, but was supported by the wisdom of the Matrix and the energy of the Earth that now coursed within it. Learning a new admiration for the human race and the planet Earth, he returned to Earth in the wake of the defeat of Scorponok, and reunited with the Autobots. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8|The Headmasters issue 8}}
{{-}}

=====''The Battlestars''=====
It would be many years before Rodimus resurfaced. He eventually returned at the same time as Optimus Prime was resurrected as [[Optimus Prime (G1)#The Battlestars story pages and comic|Star Convoy]], and was shown to have reverted back into Hot Rod, and been converted into a [[Micromaster]]. As a Micromaster, Hot Rod took up residence in Star Convoy's chest, boosting his Supreme Commander's power.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[[Image:Ongoing 13 Rodimus drifting.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Why must you hurt the one you love, [[Nick Roche|Nick]]??]]
Since trying to talk and reason with people had only led to betrayal Rodimus decided that it was best to simply act on his own. He had a plan to regain the respect he had lost by taking back the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]], stolen by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] years earlier. Using the ship's advanced tracking equipment, Rodimus found the Decepticons' asteroid base and hid in one of Ultra Magnus's thickly armored weapons lockers. When the ship was shot down, he emerged from the wreckage unscathed, took out several Decepticon guards and even put [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] under his control by improvising with one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s. Rodimus first sent Razorclaw to attack Starscream, but after that failed, he confronted the self-appointed Decepticon leader himself.

Starscream himself was nigh-impervious to damage, but Rodimus improvised again and fired at the Matrix around his neck, having no idea what would happen. He was in luck, as the blast caused energy to burst from the Matrix and knock Starscream unconscious. Triumphant, Rodimus took the artifact and went looking for an escape craft... only to run straight into [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] himself. He panicked and waved the Matrix threateningly at the massive Decepticon while warning him to "stay back!", but Megatron was unphased and shot him at point blank range, blowing a huge hole in Rodimus's torso and sending him flying into space. With the Matrix still around his neck, Rodimus's lifeless body could only drift through the void... {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}}

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

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

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

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

Primus

2010-11-09T23:17:06Z

76.179.187.192: /* Transformers 2010 */

{{factions|autobot}}
[[Image:PrimusG1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''[[Hasbro|They]] call him Gee-Oh-Dee And he the [[Big Daddy (G1)|big daddy]] He look like [[Hot Rod (G1)|me]] But he more [[Facial hair|beardie]]'']]
'''Primus''' is the creator-god of the [[Transformer]]s. An ancient and ethereal being whose origins date back to the beginnings of the universe itself, Primus is a multiversal force for good, his life force existing across multiple realities and infinite alternate universes. In each one, he is the final defense against his fallen sibling, [[Unicron]] the Chaos-Bringer.

Primus eventually transformed himself into the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; from its surface, his creations have risen to defend and patrol the galaxy. Within the depths of Cybertron, the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] serves as his internal mainframe, and a gateway for select Transformers to access his power. A portion of his lifeforce resides within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which often determines the [[Prime (rank)|leader]] of the [[Autobot]]s. Prophecies of a war to come were written down in his [[Covenant of Primus|holy covenant]] as well. The [[spark]] of each Transformer is a small piece of Primus's essence, and together they form his lifeforce, the [[Allspark]].

Though wise and powerful beyond measure, Primus is neither infallible nor without weakness. At times he has [[Out of Time!|been deceived by mere mortals]], and has made [[The Sun|miscalculations]] which [[Balancing Act|jeopardized all of existence]], and has been betrayed by one of his [[The Fallen|earliest creations]]. Indeed, even the intended agents of his grand plan, the Transformers, have all too frequently become mired in endless civil war. Still, in [[Withered Hope|most realities]] he has [[Wreckers: Finale Part II|managed to hold the line]] against Unicron and other threats, either directly or through his innumerable children, the Transformers.

{{quote|Until all are one!|Primus to his children|"[[Trap]]"}}

==In the beginning==
[[Image:Primus original.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Hold the sword and say, "I am the Protector of the Universe!"]]
Before the dawn of time, Order and Chaos existed within an extradimensional entity known as [[The One]]. To explore the fledgling universe, he created the astral being known as [[Unicron]], and then subdivided him, creating his twin, Primus. Both brothers were [[Multiversal singularity|multiversal singularities]], unique in all realities, but whereas Unicron could only exist in one dimension at a time, moving between them at will, Primus existed simultaneously in all realities at once. It is suggested, in fact, that the two brothers embody the basic concepts of reality—good and evil, order and chaos—and that their continued existence is necessary for the stability of the multiverse.

[[Image:Primusoriginal.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"No, Rumble is blue!"]]
As Unicron and Primus went about their appointed task, venturing through the cosmos, it became apparent to Primus that Unicron was a corrupt being, and he took it upon himself to stop the threat posed to all of existence by his sibling. In combat, Primus was no match for Unicron. In cunning, however, he proved himself to his brother's superior when he shifted their battle to the astral plane, and then back to the physical world once more, only to have both their essences manifest within metallic planetoids, leaving them both trapped. It was with this act of sacrifice that Primus hoped to contain Unicron's evil forever. Unfortunately for him, over time, Unicron learned to psionically shape his prison into a giant metallic planet, and Primus followed suit, becoming the mechanical world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. When Unicron then learned to transform his planetary form even further, into a gigantic robot form, Primus adapted the idea to suit his own ends—rather than transforming his own body, he would create small beings that would be able to change their shape, like Unicron. After performing a "test run" on the moon of [[Protos]], where he successfully created [[Covenant|twelve transforming robotic beings]], {{storylink|Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox|Covenant}} he birthed from his own body a group of thirteen robots that possessed the ability to change shape, like Unicron. These were the [[thirteen original Transformers]], each one infused with a fragment of Primus's life essence known as a [[spark]].

The Thirteen were Primus's soldiers in his war with Unicron, which came to its seeming end during a climactic battle in which one of the Thirteen, who would forever afterwards be known as the [[The Fallen|Fallen]], betrayed Primus and became an acolyte of Unicron. The battle ended when the Fallen and Unicron were sucked into a black hole and disappeared from reality. With Unicron gone for now, Primus entered an eons-long slumber, his self-imposed sleep preventing Unicron from detecting him through the mental link the brothers shared. The Transformer race grew, and Primus fell into the realm of legend, with a portion of his power, the [[Matrix of Leadership]], handed down through the generations, serving as the Transformers' ever-present link to their creator.

===Evolution of the Primus/Unicron myth===
''The Primus/Unicron backstory has evolved and been rewritten a good number of times since it first originated in the [[Marvel Comics]] series. The version recounted above is the current iteration, which has slowly solidified across a wide swath of media (beginning around the time of [[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]). Before the Primus/Unicron mythos reached its present form it went through several distinct versions in the Marvel G1 comics and elsewhere.''

====Unicron's story====
''The first time we ever heard the Primus/Unicron backstory was in the UK comic continuity, from Unicron himself, in the story "[[The Legacy of Unicron!]]", when he recounted it to [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]]. Per Unicron's telling of events, he was a primal force of evil at the dawn of the universe, who led a legion of [[Dark Armies]] against his mortal foe, Primus, Lord of the [[Light Gods]] (note the plural). Events proceeded to play out basically as described above, though the role of the Light Gods and Dark Armies would diminish with each subsequent retelling of the story, until the current version, in which Primus and Unicron are alone, and have a unique origin. (Only one of the other gods was ever named—the [[Chronarchitect]]. How exactly he factors into the current iteration of the myth is unknown.)''

====The Keeper's story====
''The second time the story was told was in the US book by the [[Keeper (Transformer)|Keeper]], an ancient mechanoid who guarded Primus's head at the center of Cybertron. This telling is effectively the same as the previous UK story, but mentions that their battle was towards the end of the era of gods, that Primus and Unicron were the last of their respective pantheons, and Primus had to defeat Unicron before he could take his place with the other gods in the "[[Omniversal Matrix]]".''

====Primus's story====
''The third time the story was told was also in the US Marvel series, this time by Primus, when he gathered all his children together to prepare for Unicron's coming. It was with this telling that we learned that Unicron predated the [[universe (universe)|current universe]], and had destroyed the [[old realms|previous universe]] which existed before the current one. He had slept peacefully, alone in the [[void]] of uncreation that remained, until fragments of the old universe that he had overlooked reacted, causing the Big Bang and birthing the current universe. The "sentient core" of this new universe recognized the threat that Unicron posed, and so created Primus to counter his evil and be guardian of the new creation.''

====Fleer and DK====
[[Image:WarWithinPrimus.jpg|left|150px|thumb|I feel prickly...]]
''The first modern retelling of the origins of Primus and Unicron did not come from G1-oriented media, but from a set of ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' trading cards released by Fleer. It was the backstory printed on Unicron's card which introduced the concept of the two being brothers created to explore the new universe by an extradimensional entity, here named the "[[Allspark]]."''

''This was subsequently expanded on and combined with aspects of the various Marvel Comics stories in [[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]], published by Dorling Kindersley and written by [[Simon Furman]], who had written all three prior tellings in the first place. Here, the entity Fleer had called the "Allspark" was redubbed "[[The One]]," and the modern iteration of the myth detailed above was firmly established, and went on to form the backbone of subsequent fiction such as ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' and [[Fun Publications]]' ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' comics.''

''It was also at this point that it was established that Primus could transform from Cybertron into a robot mode like Unicron, but preferred not to, choosing to remain connected to the universe on a planetary level.''
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==Generation 1==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:Primalscream.jpg|right|250px|thumb|KHHHHHAAAAANNNNN!]]
Eventually, millions of years later, in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|one universe]] located in the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Primax cluster]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] found themselves transported to the center of Cybertron, where they discovered the sleeping form of Primus {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} and were told the tale of his and the Transformers' origins by the [[Keeper]]. Subsequently, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Pretender]]s attacked, and during the battle, a laser blast ricocheted off Grimlock and struck the essence of the sleeping Primus, causing a universe-shaking "Primal Scream" that alerted Unicron (who was located "outside the fringes of known space") to Primus's location. {{storylink|Primal Scream (issue)|Primal Scream}} Primus himself immediately slipped back into his sleep, but it was too late. Unicron was coming. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}}

{{note|Later, in "[[Vector Prime: In the Beginning]]," this event would be presented in a greater context, with the Primal Scream being heard multiversally, and awakening Unicron from his own slumber as well.}}

[[Image:OutofTime-wakePrimus.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Have you tried crashing cymbals together?]]

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] sent teams of Autobots to retrieve the lost [[Creation Matrix]], the container of Primus' essence that could destroy Unicron, he communed with the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s [[:Image:Arkaltar.jpg|Altar to Primus]]. Reaching out his mind to the Creation Matrix, the altar gave him a vision of a Matrix that had been tainted by evil. {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier}}

Unicron dispatched a group of [[Hook, Line, and Sinker|heralds]] to attack Cybertron and pave the way for his coming, including a [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] plucked from an [[Rhythms of Darkness!|alternate future]]. Galvatron, however, was not content to serve under Unicron, and instead captured Autobot leader [[Emirate Xaaron]], forcing him to fully awaken Primus, who possessed Xaaron's body and summoned Transformers from all across the universe back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Out of Time!}} Here, Primus spoke through Xaaron, telling the Transformers of his history with Unicron. Additionally, Primus chose Optimus Prime to lead both factions, united, against the Chaos Bringer. Primus knew this would draw out the [[Unicron cultist]]s among them, and Autobot and Decepticon were able to put aside their differences to defeat them. When Optimus Prime learned of Primus' ruse, his suspicions regarding his Creator's motives began to grow. Optimus wondered if the Transformers meant anything to Primus beyond being a means to an end. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

[[Image:OntheEdgeofExtinction-Primus.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Now you're like me.]]

Though their battle against the Unicron cultists did temporarily unite both factions, this facade shattered once the Planet-Eater arrived. Sheer terror prevented them from carrying out his desire, and the Transformers fled despite Primus' pleas. Primus instead made a stand himself, attempting to dupe Unicron into believing he still retained his full power, but Unicron saw through the deception, and destroyed Xaaron's body. Optimus Prime came to a realization, following Primus' destruction and his retrieval of the lost and contaminated Creation Matrix, that Primus did not mean only for the Transformers to fight his battles for him, but to carry on after he was gone. Flying into space with the Matrix, Prime unleashed the full measure of Primus's power, destroying Unicron. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

Though the Transformers were technically victorious, this victory came with a price. With Primus dead, and with the grievous wounds inflicted on Cybertron itself, the planet threatened to come apart. The Transformers made plans to flee it. {{storylink|Exodus!}} Ultimately, this was averted by the [[Last Autobot]], who put into motion the planet's recovery, allowing the Autobots, who had finally won the civil war, to return to their home. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

{{note|As originally written, it is quite clear that the story intends for Primus to have died after his battle with Unicron. As the current retcon makes it clear that this cannot possibly be, one must assume that Prime was wrong in his analysis that Primus had died. Notably, even in the original comics themselves, the Matrix—the life-force of Primus—is shown to still exist and is functioning fine in the G2 Marvel Comics series that follows his supposed death.}}
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====''Classics''====
The Last Autobot created a race of tiny beings, [[Mini-Con]]s, to rebuild and restore Cybertron so that it would be ready for the Autobots' return. Part of the Mini-Cons' job was to excise certain evolutionary throwbacks, remnants of Primus' earlier experiments, such as the [[Mutant (G1)|Mutant]]s, and this alarmed one Mini-Con. He suspected that one day that Primus would consider the Mini-Cons surplus to requirements as well, and he instigated an insurgency against their Creator and his followers. {{storylink|The New World}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
{{note|Primus did not exist in the American [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] as it was originally written, since it was produced long before the [[retcon]] which established him to be a multiversal singularity. Precisely how Primus should then fit into the framework of the cartoon has not been explicitly established, although the [[Universe (2003 comic)|''Universe'' comic'']]'' offered one attempt for its continuity (see "Beast Era", below). Primus was, however, explicitly and thoroughly retconned into being part of the expanded universe of the ''Japanese'' cartoon continuity by the [[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]] fiction of 2007, as part of a complicated process that folded various animated concepts—[[Oracle (G1)|Primacron's assistant]], [[Vector Sigma]] and the [[Oracle (G1)|Oracle]]—into the Primus myth.}}
[[Image:TGGPrimus.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Now you need to get this toy.]]

Formerly the assistant to the Primacron, the ancient genius who created the giant mechanoid Unicron, the robotic being known as the Oracle was badly damaged when Unicron rebelled against his creator. His essence fled to a dead world at the centre of the galaxy, which he used his powers to transform into a verdant, green planet. However, the Oracle could sense that in the future, Primacron would go on to create another universal danger in the form of Tornedron, and so summoned a group of [[Primitive]] Transformers back through time from the year 2010 to his planet, where he instructed them in how to destroy the threat. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}/{{storylink|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Kiss Players timeline}}

[[Image:TGGPrimus2.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Primus = Oracle = Vector Sigma = Primacron's Assistant = aaaargh.]]

Later in his life, the Oracle also reached through time when he discovered that the evil [[Sparkbot]]s were attempted to recreate Unicron following the planet-eater's destruction in the year 2005. By this stage calling himself "Primus", the Oracle attempted to stop the villains and their unwitting pawns, the human [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]], appearing as a giant golden hand to snatch away the fragments of Unicron's lifeforce each time the Kiss Players recovered them. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #45-46}} Unfortunately, this merely led the Kiss Players to pursue him through the timestream and resulted in them crashing into the "[[Wall of Time]]" and becoming scattered throughout the multiverse. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #47}} Knowing that the Kiss Players were innocent in this whole affair, having been duped by the Sparkbots, the benevolent Primus rescued them from the different regions of time and space they had wound up in, and properly introduced himself, explaining the Sparkbots' treachery. He then took them back in time to prehistoric Earth, arriving just in time to witness the Sparkbots' successful restoration of Unicron to life. Primus transformed once more and unleashed the power of his mobile cannon platform, destroying Unicron's energy and sealing it and the Sparkbots deep within the planet. To ensure that Unicron would never be freed again, he created a mighty guardian, [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], who would watch over it and the Earth. With the battle over, Shaoshao asked about the Kiss Players' future, but Primus did not reply. After sending the Kiss Players back to their home time, Primus transformed into the golden sphere of Vector Sigma and returned to his world to sleep. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48-51}}

Unfortunately for Primus, as he slumbered, his world was eventually discovered by the alien Quintessons, who shackled his powers and used them to both transform the planet into the metallic Cybertron, and to create the races of robots that would eventually become the Transformers. Additionally, the aliens acquired the shell that had held his essence, which became, through unknown means, the talisman that would be known to the Transformers as the Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Kiss Players timeline}}
{{note|For further information, see [[Vector Sigma]] and [[Oracle (G1)|Oracle]].}}

===Beast Era===
====''Tales From the Beast Wars''====
[[Image:Terminus-Primus.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Great, now he's going to become the Smoke Monster.]]

Before Primus became Cybertron, he plotted to create robotic life that would ultimately defeat Unicron, but first he needed to do a test run. He created twelve beings, the [[Covenant]], on a small moon named [[Protos]]. These twelve would watch the Transformers from afar and only intervene when necessary.

Their intervention would become necessary when [[Shokaract]] used Unicron's essence, the [[Decepticon Matrix of Conquest]], to conquer the future, threatening the end of all things at an important historical crossroads dubbed Point Omega. Though the Covenant's ranks were halved in the battle against Shokaract on prehistoric Earth during the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], they were ultimately able to discover a way to defeat Shokaract and his Unicron-fueled power. The remaining Covenant members returned to their original Primus-spawned energy forms and entered Shokaract's Matrix of Conquest. Reconstituting as an astral form of Primus, they severed Unicron's link with Shokaract, leaving him vulnerable to attack. {{storylink|Terminus}}
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====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
In addition to its occasional invocation in prayer or in righteous anger by the Beast Warriors {{storylink|Bad Spark}}, Primus's name was also lent to a set of prophetical datatrax, known as the [[Covenant of Primus]]. From this document, the [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] of this era took his name (as did, presumably, the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]), and the scriptures foretold the events which completed the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

====''Universe''====

{{Note|The [[3H Productions]] ''Wreckers'' comic was the first attempt by official fiction to detail how the Quintesson-born origin of the Generation 1 cartoon could be reconciled with the Primus creation myth from the comic books. Set concurrently with the ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' cartoon, it only ''strictly'' applies to the continuity of the Beast Era, which is not explicitly the same universe as the Generation 1 cartoon itself.}}

Dispatched to an ice world in the far reaches of the galaxy by the orders of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], [[Primal Prime]]'s [[Wrecker]]s encountered the exiled [[Quintesson]] known as [[Al-Badur]], who revealed to them the full extent of his race's connection to Cybertron and Primus. Al-Badur explained that, millions of years ago, the Quintessons sought to exploit the power of Primus for profit, and to that end, invaded Cybertron and set up numerous barriers to separate Primus from the Transformers. Their first attempt, the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], met with failure; next, the Quintessons targeted Vector Sigma itself, surrounding it with a shell program that acted as a barrier between the Transformers and the power and guidance of Primus. {{storylink|Disclosure}} Realizing that the Oracle itself was the Quintessons' shell program, Primal Prime began to fear that all that had come about as a result of its guidance—including [[Optimus Primal]]'s mission to restore a techno-organic balance to Cybertron—was all part of a Quintesson plot, but [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] assured him that Primus worked in mysterious ways.

The Wreckers soon returned to Cybertron, discovering that in their absence, Optimus Primal had achieved his goal of recreating the planet as a technorganic world. In the wake of this overwhelming transformation, the Quintessons had invaded the planet, but they were not the only threat to Cybertron's safety: The Wreckers were also faced with [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], who had used the legendary [[Divine Light]] to tap into the power of Primus and transform himself into a living god. During the course of the battle that ensued, Primal Prime and [[Apelinq]] were struck by a blast of Primus's power by Cryotek, which wound up merging them into [[Sentinel Maximus]]. At Al-Badur's direction, Sentinel Maximus steered the battle to an interdimensional portal chamber far below the planet's surface, where [[Matrix Templar]]s [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] began draining Primus's power out of Cryotek. To stop them, Cryotek shattered the Divine Light and absorbed Primus's energies directly into himself, where they could not drain it, but as he grappled with Sentinel Maximus, the fused Autobot forced them both through the portal, into a [[transwarp|shapeless interdimensional void]]. Although unable to drain Primus's power any further, Cryotek was sustained in the void by the power he had absorbed, and he was ready to carry on the battle until Primus himself—now unshackled thanks to the destruction of the Oracle in the final stages of Optimus Primal's quest—took an active hand, spiriting Sentinel Maximus away to partake in [[Balancing Act|another battle]] elsewhere in the multiverse.

While all of this was happening on Cybertron, elsewhere in the universe, on [[New Quintessa]], Primus briefly possessed the body of [[Icebird]] so that he could address the Quintesson leader [[Judge Heirodyus]]. Primus shocked the Quintesson by revealing that he had allowed all that had transpired to occur, and he "thanked" Heirodyus for his race's role in the scheme, promising to call upon them again if he ever needed an "evolutionary crisis" to drive his children forward. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:TFUPrimus.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Alpha, Rita's escaped! Recruit a team of teenagers with attitude!]]
In the wake of the repulsion of the Quintesson invasion, [[Unicron]] began gathering Transformers from across the multiverse, forcing them to fight and harvesting the [[spark]]s of the losers to restore his power. With each spark devoured, Primus was weakened, and so, communing with Alpha Trion, he chose to summon Optimus Primal back from the Allspark, restoring the Maximal commander to life. {{storylink|Abduction}} Primal was charged with re-securing the battling captives from the Pit of Unicron and leading a team of multiversal warriors to put a stop to this soul-stealing scheme before it could cause the Allspark to collapse. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

Primus allowed Optimus Primal to choose any Transformer who ever existed—living or dead—for his army. This required considerable amounts of Primus's power, so Primal was told to choose sparingly. Primal chose his departed former troops [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}} Ultimately, however, Unicron's defeat came not as a result of their efforts, but as a consequence of another battle, happening in another corner of the Transformers multiverse. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}
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===''Universe'' CD-ROM comic===
[[Image:UniverseCDROM-Primus.jpg|left|thumb|200px|In the future, Primals will travel on beams of light!]]

In a strange variant universe where [[Optimus Primal]] leads the [[Autobot]]s and [[Reptilion]] leads the [[Decepticon]]s, a ship arrives once a year, when the Transformers' civil war reaches a fever pitch. The ship abducts every Decepticon it can find and promptly leaves.

These Decepticons are brought to Unicron, who is preparing them for an eventual, ultimate battle for the universe. But unknown to even Unicron, Primus, the sentient core of Cybertron, is amassing an army of Autobots that rivals Unicron's army of Decepticons. Can Primus meet Unicron's challenge, or is the universe doomed? {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM}}
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==Unicron Trilogy==
{{cleanup|April 2009|Needs storylinks and general expansion.}}

===''Armada'' cartoon===
A "unique digital entity" came to exist eons ago. To search for other life in the universe, it sent out the Transformers as explorers. One of the first places the Transformers settled was on a planet that would eventually become known as Cybertron. {{storylink|First Encounter}}

===''Energon'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ron Halder]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese), [[Johan Hedenberg]] (Swedish)

[[Image:Primus eng.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Primus mistakes Kicker for a Japanese schoolgirl.]]
Primus was the living energy core of Cybertron, as well as the originator of the precious and ancient fuel, [[Energon (Energon)|energon]]. Transformers of this universe believed the stories of Unicron, Primus, and [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] to be only myth and legend until the existence of Unicron was revealed in "[[the Unicron Battles]]" of 2010. With Cybertron left in a disastrous state after the chaos-bringer's attack, large amounts of energon were required to repair the planet, and to search for and acquire the mineral, the united Autobot-Decepticon forces entered into an alliance with the [[Earth Federation]] government.

Primus entered into the equation when the project's head scientist, [[Brian Jones (Energon)|Dr. Brian Jones]], brought his son, [[Kicker Jones|Kicker]], to Cybertron. Terrified of the giant robots surrounding him, Kicker fled, only to find himself tumbling through tunnels into a hidden chamber deep beneath Cybertron's surface. Primus awoke and saved Kicker from what would have been a fatal fall, and for his own reasons, imbued the child with a special gift—the ability to detect energon throughout the [[universe (universe)|universe]]. [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] subsequently discovered Kicker in Primus's chamber, and the god chose to work with the Transformers quite directly, imbuing them with the [[Spark of Combination]], which would allow the Autobots to [[Powerlinx]] and increase their powers. Primus went on to advise Optimus Prime on his actions in order to prepare for the future, including the [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] invasion, the return of [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], and the next battle with Unicron; although vague at times, he would offer just enough information to allow his children to survive the threats they faced. Primus was often very weak due to the damage done to the planet's surface, and spent most of his time in a mode of stasis to preserve his energy and keep Cybertron's energy grid online.

When Megatron succeeded in reanimating Unicron, most of the Autobot army was critically wounded in the ensuing battle. This prompted the sleeping Primus to awaken and infuse their armor with his power, upgrading them into new forms, and allowing Optimus Prime and Omega Supreme to combine into a gigantic form and defeat Unicron. {{storylink|Unicron Perishes}} Unicron's spark survived, however, and Primus sought to contain it by trapping it at the heart of a new sun that he created from a reservoir of "super energon" hidden within Cybertron. {{storylink|The Sun}}

===''Cybertron'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michael Donovan]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Cyb ep31 cybertron breakup.jpg|right|thumb|200px|On Cybertron, continental drift is Serious Business.]]

{{bigquote|He who charted the universe when it was new! He who battled Unicron at the dawn of time! He whose spark formed the basis of all life on Cybertron, and Velocitron, and all the other Transformer colonized homeworlds! It can be no other! This... is... Primus!|[[Vector Prime]], religiously intoning Primus' achievements throughout the Multiverse|[[Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron]]}}

[[Image:Cyb ep32 balance.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This looks [[Emirate Xaaron|familiar]].]]

Primus's plan to contain Unicron's essence in the center of the sun failed when the star collapsed into a massive [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] which threatened not only Cybertron and the universe, but the entire multiverse itself. His energy drained to the point that he had once again been rendered dormant, Primus could now only be awakened and restored to full power by the four ancient [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, lost to the far reaches of the galaxy in a failed [[space bridge]] experiment eons ago. The magnitude of the threat posed to the multiverse was enough to summon [[Vector Prime]]—one of the original thirteen Transformers, who had been following Unicron through the multiverse and repairing the damage he had done—back to Cybertron to aid the Autobots in the quest for the keys.

After a while, the the Autobots were able to find the focusing device, the [[Omega Lock]], and the keys from [[Velocitron]] and [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]]. Bringing all three together caused the group to be drawn into the consciousness of Primus, who spoke through the three Mini-Cons and told his children to "maintain the balance". {{storylink|Trap}}

[[Image:Cyb ep48 starships.jpg|right|thumb|200px|I can see my house from here!]]

Eventually, despite continued attempts by both Megatron and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] to steal the power of the Cyber Planet Keys, the Autobots were able to gather the keys from [[Velocitron]], the [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] and [[Earth]], and brought them and their focusing device, the [[Omega Lock]], back to Cybertron. Coupling these three keys with the power of the Matrix, Optimus Prime was able to initiate Primus's transformation from planet mode to robot mode. Communicating with the Autobots through the [[Mini-Con]], [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], Primus explained that the destruction of Unicron, the embodiment of the force of evil, had unbalanced the universe, and that only he could seal the black hole and restore order—but to do that, the fourth Cyber Planet Key, from [[Gigantion]], the Giant Planet, was required to reconnect Primus's spark with his body and restore his full power. {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}}

[[Image:Cybertron Ark Homecoming.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Eat this, in remembrance of Me.]]

Attempting to retrieve the Omega Lock, [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] made a rather pointless attack on Primus, only to be smacked down hard. {{storylink|Balance}} Shortly thereafter, when Primus was in the process of channelling some of his power into holding back the ever-growing black hole, Starscream tried again, plunging into the energy beam and absorbing some of Primus's power into himself. Starscream expanded in size until he was as large as Primus himself, but Primus did not take this slight lightly, as he converted Cybertron's moons into a pair of mace weapons and relentlessly pounded Starscream into submission. {{storylink|Titans}}

[[Image:Cyb ep49 primus smiles.jpg|right|thumb|200px|He's pretty happy so long as you don't wake him up while he's napping.]]

Eventually, the Autobots were able to acquire the final key, as well as to reactivate the four ancient ships which had carried the keys to the respective worlds ages ago—the [[Atlantis]], the [[Lemuria (Cybertron)|Lemuria]], the [[Hyperborea]] and the [[Ogygia]]. Primus fused the four ships together to form the [[Ark (Cybertron)|Ark]], and with his powers subsequently restored by all four keys, he channelled all of his power through the Ark as a beam, straight into the heart of the black hole. With a massive blast, the black hole was finally sealed, and Primus transformed back into Cybertron—not Cybertron as it had been, but a new Cybertron, infused with the differing aspects of Velocitron, Jungle Planet, Earth and Gigantion, a true paradise for Transformers and humans alike. {{storylink|End}}
{{-}}

===''Cybertron'' comic===
[[Image:Revelations6-Primus.jpg|left|thumb|200px|pudding]]
While the Autobots were occupied with the quest for the Cyber Planet Keys, Unicron's heralds [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe 2003)|Nemesis Prime]] arrived on Cybertron, intent on unleashing the [[Dead Matrix]]—as the Matrix was the antithesis of Unicron, so too would the Dead Matrix ensure the destruction of Primus, thereby totally destabilizing the multiverse and reducing it to a sea of entropic chaos. For the first time, it would be possible for Unicron to strike at Primus in all realities simultaneously, ending their cosmic feud once and for all. Ramjet and Nemesis Prime were ultimately stopped by Vector Prime and allies [[Sentinel Maximus]] and [[Omega Prime]], plucked from the midst of the ''Universe'' conflict by the multiverse-warping energies of the black hole.

The Dead Matrix, however, was cast into the heart of the black hole by Unicron's servant [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], freeing Unicron's spark and allowing it to adopt a new, diminutive physical form. Unicron participated in the escalating Mini-Con civil war on Cybertron's moons, but when the planet transformed into Primus's robot mode, Unicron fled. His whereabouts are unknown. {{storylink|Balancing Act}}

{{note|The events in the second paragraph happen concurrently with Primus' transformation in the ''Cybertron'' cartoon, detailed in the section prior.}}

{{-}}

==Shattered Glass==
The idea of Primus, the benevolent Creator, was unknown to the heroic Decepticons until [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], a visitor from the Positive Polarity universes, told them about Him. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (issue)|Shattered Glass}} Before long, Cliffjumper's "beliefs" were a subject of derision, especially among the evil Autobots. {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

Cliffjumper was eventually vindicated, however, when the [[Nexus Prime]] gestalt members attempted to resurrect a recently-assassinated [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]]. As they applied their powers to the body, they were transported to Primus' presence. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 5}} There they chose for Primus to rebirth them as their original self, with Nexus returning to the battlefield and declaring himself to his enemies as being the "mighty fist of the Lord of Light". {{storylink|Reunification: Part 6}}

Megatron, meanwhile, received a vision from the other side of the Allspark of a healed Cybertron, before being reborn himself as Galvatron, with Nexus investing him with some of Primus's power by proxy. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 30|Galvatron's TFCC bio}}

==Robot Heroes==

Primus, considered to be the very first Transformer, created the Matrix of Leadership and personally gave it to Optimus! Wait WHAT?{{storylink|I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime}}

==Live-action film series==

===Titan Magazines ''Revenge of the Fallen'' comics===

Legend has it that the original seven Transformers are creations of Primus, though they themselves don't think this. It is not said who started the legend. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2.3|The Fallen Profile}}

===IDW ''Revenge of the Fallen'' comics===

The Primes ''do'' think they're "children of Primus". {{storylink|Tales of the Fallen issue 4}}

==Animated==

In [[universal stream|some parts of the multiverse]], Primus created organic worlds around himself, with the inhabitants eventually becoming robotic lifeforms: these worlds are [[Gobotron]] and [[Robotix|Skalorr]], with a known [[Vector Sigma]] node in the latter. The inhabitants seem unaware of the existence of Primus.

Unicron created [[Unicron#G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers|a body for himself]] in at least one of the Gobotron timelines. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II}}

==Prime continuity==
Primus is generally accepted to exist though his 13 children are considered a myth by [[Jazz (Prime)|some]]. Throughout Cybertron devices carry out his will: the [[AllSpark (Prime)|AllSpark]] creates the [[protoform]]s in the [[Well of All Sparks]]. The [[Sonic Canyons]] are believed to be his ears, feeding him knowledge of the universe via Vector Sigma, though that is actually beneath [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]]. And the [[Core]] produces his own physical emanation, [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]].

During the civil war, the AllSpark was ejected into space to keep it out of Decepticon hands, eventually floating into the [[Milky Way]], while the Core was corrupted by the [[Dark Energon]]-imbued [[Plasma energy]] Chamber. [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] removed the Chamber, but the damage was done, and the Core had to shut down and reboot to survive. But before leaving, Optimus was bestowed Primus' essence in the form of the Matrix. When the Autobots left Cybertron, the last original Prime [[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]] remained, stating Vector Sigma would keep him alive. {{storylink|Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron}}

Optimus also thanked Primus when he managed to defeat [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)}}

== Retconning the retcon? ==

It's no secret that, after the Unicron Trilogy, ''Universe'' and the Unicron-heavy [[Dreamwave Productions]] comic books, the [[fandom]] at large was generally quite sick of stories revolving around Unicron and Primus. It is likely no coincidence, then, that the major new universes created in western media between then and [[2010]]—those of the [[IDW Publishing]] comic books, the [[live-action film series|live-action movie]] and the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' cartoon—all eschewed use of the Primus creation myth. But what does this mean for the status of the retcon that states Primus exists in all universes?

The world of the live-action movie is a fairly cut-and-dried case. At first, the movie itself, and the comic books set in its continuity published by IDW, present the Transformers as creations of the enigmatic [[AllSpark (Movie)|All Spark]], with no explicit connection drawn between it and Primus. However, Takara's [[World of Transformers]] website even lists the All Spark as a [[sacred implement]] alongside other Primus-related talismans such as the Matrix and Vector Sigma. The UK's Furman-scripted ''[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Transformers]]'' magazine had introduced Unicron in [[Transformers Comic issue 18|its eighteenth issue]] and later [[Transformers Comic issue 20|had the Transformers voyage into Cybertron's depths]]. While Primus was never mentioned in the course of the story, it was shown Cybertron's bowels had what seemed like huge versions of their own interior workings—a clear reference to Cybertron being the transforming body of Primus. Where Furman was going with that is unknown, as it was never followed up. Titan then confused everyone by saying ''legend'' has it that Primus created the first Seven Transformers; and then finally Primus was referred to by name by [[The Fallen]] in IDW's ''Tales of the Fallen'', confirming he exists in at least the comic back-story variations of the movie continuity.

The IDW and ''Animated'' universes are not so clear on the matter. Writer [[Simon Furman]] has outright said that the IDW universe will have "no Primus. No Unicron". In accordance with this, the Furman-penned ''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'', rather than have Transformers swear by Primus, instead had them swear by [[Primacron]], but a monkeywrench was thrown into the works when Primus's name was heard being taken in vain in [[Eric Holmes]]'s [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]]. Furman attempted to justify this on his blog by claiming that this was not ''the'' Primus, but simply "something or someone" called Primus that had existed some point. [http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/all-this-and-devastation-4/]

Much like the movieverse, the world of ''Transformers Animated'' also depicts the source of Transformer life as a mysterious talisman known as the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]. The show's creative team have stated that they do not plan to give an in-story explanation for the origins of the AllSpark, for [[AllSpark (Animated)#Notes|various reasons]]. Series art director [[Derrick J. Wyatt]], meanwhile, has stated more than once his opinion that Primus does not exist in the ''Animated'' universe [http://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/status/1759990650] but then we're into the realm of [[authorial intent]].

Ultimately, there is ''very'' little to say that Primus does not exist in the IDW or ''Animated'' universe, besides the fact that creators involved with those universes do not want to include the character in their stories. After all, just because Primus doesn't ''appear'', or characters are unaware of him, it doesn't mean he doesn't ''exist''. It wouldn't be the only time this has happened: the occupants of the parallel ''[[Shattered Glass]]'' universe were largely ignorant of Primus until a [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper from another universe]] mentioned him. It seems quite safe to conclude that, as of this moment, the retcon has not yet itself been retconned... and we kinda hope it isn't, because then some poor sod is going to have rewrite this article from the ground up.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:GodPrimus2.jpg|250px|thumb|The rod god.]]
*'''God Primus''' (2004)
**''Accessories:'' Photon Eliminator, spoiler, 2 gun shields
[[Image:GodPrimus1.jpg|150px|left|thumb|Popemobile, meet Godebago.]]
:Unbeknownst to many Western fans, the first Primus figure was a "[[Lucky Draw figure]]" in Japan, a [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] gold chrome recolored [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Rodimus Prime]] that was given away as a contest prize from the collector book, ''[[Transformers Generations|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]''. Supposedly, only 100 pieces of these lucky draw figures were manufactured.

:As a [[redeco]] of a Rodimus (no doubt inspired by the resemblance of his astral form to Rodimus in the UK comics), Primus transforms into a futuristic truck resembling nothing so much as a Winnebago. Following the trend started by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|the original Optimus Prime toy]], his trailer splits down the middle to transform into a battle station with an extending double-barrelled cannon. The figure comes with a large, hand-held blaster, and two blast-shield accessories that plug into the sides of his battle station cannon.

{{-}}{{anchor|CybG1}}
*'''Primus''' (Supreme, 2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''00'''
**''Accessories:'' Omega Lock, special silver Cybertron planet-type Cyber Planet Key
[[Image:Cybertron Primus toy.jpg|350px|thumb|Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven imag— You know what, just forget it. It's not like we have rules for a reason.]]
:Primus was developed by Hasbro and Takara as a toy for their joint [[Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron/Galaxy Force'' toylines]], but was released in Japan in the ''Generation 1'' line a few months after ''Galaxy Force'' had ended its run. This release can be considered a pre-release of the ''Cybertron'' toy because it features Hasbro's [[Cyber Key Codes]] that the ''Galaxy Force'' line lacked.

:Primus is the first toy representation of the Transformers' creator as their home planet of Cybertron. In planet mode, he is considerably more detailed than [[Unicron]] from the [[Armada (toyline)|''Armada'' line]], with visible cities, including [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]], based upon its appearance in the [[DK Publishing]] book, ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'', and [[Kaon]] as seen in ''[[The War Within]]''. On the 'bottom' of the planet mode there are four hard rubber legs, molded to be shaped like towers, allowing Primus to be displayed in planet mode, yet not require a flat base as Unicron did.

:Primus's transformation is unusual, in many ways similar to a [[Powermaster]], in that he requires the owner to insert his accompanying Omega Lock accessory into several special ports around the planet, then manipulate it to unlock his parts and transform him. When the Omega Lock is inserted into his back and pushed, a transforming sound is heard. When it is inserted into his chest and pushed up to reveal his head, his eyes glow red and a laser-type sound effect is heard. The Lock itself lights up red when it is inserted into any of the ports.

:In robot mode, Primus resembles both the ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' Unicron prototype as well as [[Don Figueroa]]'s Primus concept, created for ''The War Within'' and used in ''The Ultimate Guide''. He is bristling with weaponry, including two shoulder-mounted cannons that can fire missiles, two forearm blasters that raise and extend when a Cyber Power Key is inserted, and several banks of Gatling guns, lasers and missile launchers in his shins and legs revealed by the Omega Lock.

:Primus also has what might charitably be called a third mode—an intergalactic world-ship, which is basically formed by transforming the figure halfway and leaving the head down and the legs backward. It features no dedicated parts or transformation steps, making it very obvious that it was created after the fact. It looks kinda like The Starship Enterprise...backwards.

:Primus comes with two accessories, the aforementioned battery-operated Omega Lock that lights up red when inserted into any of the four Omega Lock ports, and a special silver Cybertron-Planet Cyber Power Key with the key code '''sp8u''' [[tampograph]]ed onto the back. Any four Cyber Planet Keys can be inserted into the four key slots at the base of the Omega Lock, though doing this does not activate any feature. There are also nine inactive Mini-Con [[powerlinx]] ports on the Primus figure, including two on the claws on his legs.
{{-}}

===Cybertron===
*'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Omega Lock, special silver Cybertron planet-type Cyber Planet Key
[[Image:CybertronPrimusPackagingComparison.jpg|right|280px|thumb|This was an expensive time for completists.]]
:Cybertron Primus is the North American version of Primus, released a few months after the Japanese version. The toys are identical.

:In North America, limited early-run versions of Cybertron Primus came packaged with a very creepy "battle damaged" Unicron head based upon his Armada appearance.

:A later version, [[exclusive]] to [[Walmart]] as a [[Black Friday (event)|Black Friday]] 2006 special, included four Mini-Cons; [[Strongarm (Cybertron)|Strongarm]], [[Knockdown (Cybertron)|Knockdown]], [[Nightscream (Cybertron)|Nightscream]], and [[Offshoot (Cybertron)|Offshoot]].
{{-}}

===Transformers 2010===
[[Image:Primus_2010.jpg|250px|thumb|Oh. Your. God.]]
*'''Creator Primus''' (2010)
**''Accessories:''
:To celebrate the year [[Transformers 2010 (franchise)|2010]], Takara is [[redeco]]ing the previous Primus toy. It is primarily sliver and gold in planet mode, with blue robot parts. A blue [[Omega Lock]] is also included.
:Primus includes the retooled Cybertron style Cyber Key which was originally available with both [[:Image:Cybertron OptimusPrime deluxe toy.jpg|Cybertron Planet Deluxe Class Optimus Prime]] and [[:Image:Cybertron-toy Demolishor.JPG|Cybertron Planet Deluxe Class Demolisher]]. The Cyber Key features a "blank" central area (so any faction symbol could be tampographed on) and a Mini-Con-style Powerlinx socket on the back. The Cyber Key included with this figure is entirely unpainted, aside from the tampographed Autobot symbol.
{{-}}

==Notes==
* The original form of Primus in Marvel Comic continuity is similar to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime]]. Rather creepily, this is suggested to be down to deliberate action on Primus' part in [[Salvage!|#160's Grim Grams]].
* The myth of Primus and Unicron is similar to the duality concepts present in numerous real-world religions, such as [[wikipedia:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrianism]].
*The idea of Primus transforming bears some resemblance to an [[The Secret of Cybertron|early script]] for [[The Transformers: The Movie|the original movie]], in which [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] merges with [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and transforms into a super robot to defeat Unicron.
*The "unique digital entity" mentioned in "[[First Encounter]]" is confirmed to be Primus in a edition of [[Ask Vector Prime]] in ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II]]''.
*According to the same source, Gobotron, home planet of the [[Tonka GoBots]], is also an aspect of Primus, just from a very distant part of the [[Multiverse]].
*''Energon'' [http://web.archive.org/web/20041207164548/www.tfpulp.com/archive/energonprod/energonprod.html pre-production notes] detail early ideas the cartoon had for Primus's origin. Presumably non-canon, given that they are not particularly in-line with the "multiversal singularity" origin of the character, they present Primus as an entity consisting purely of energon. Energon, the notes state, is the product of the "genetic material" of the sun interacting with planetary bodies—this, then, appears to be a very literal interpretation of Primus's role as a "light god", presenting him as an actual product of the light of the sun.
*His ''Cybertron'' toy was designed by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], which is ironic, considering his dislike for the religious aspects of the ''Transformers'' mythos.

==See also==
*[[Allspark]]
*[[Vector Sigma]]

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2006/Primus/Primus/primus.htm Primus at TFU.info]

[[Category:Contest prizes]]
[[Category:Cybertron characters]]
[[Category:Energon characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Gods]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Primus| ]]
[[Category:Prime characters]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen characters]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass characters]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]

Grimlock (G1)/toys

2010-11-07T23:56:37Z

76.179.187.192: /* Transformers - Mini Bust */

{{suite}}[[Image:G1 Grimlock boxart.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Grimlock: Shaking his fists at uptight paleontologists since 1984.]]
Me [[Grimlock (G1)|'''Grimlock''']] have lots of toys and merchandise!
{{picsneeded|G2 toy, Henkei, Decoy, Myclone}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Grimlock toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And the debate goes on: "Me Grimlock am greatest warrior!" "No! Me Grimlock am greatest warrior!"]]
* '''Grimlock''' (Dinobot, 1985/1986/1991/1992)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''26'''
**''Accessories:'' 'Energo' sword, twin 'stunner' laser rifle, galaxial rocket launcher, 3 rockets,
: Grimlock's toy was originally part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' Dinosaur Robo series. When [[Hasbro]] imported the toy in 1985 for the ''Transformers'' line, its blue pelvis was changed to red and the Diaclone driver mini-figure was dropped.

:The original Grimlock changes from robot into a robotic T-Rex and comes with a red [[energo weapon|energo-sword]], a black double-barreled rifle, and a rocket launcher with three silver rockets.

: Grimlock was later reissued in the European/Australian-exclusive "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" series. In Japan, he and the other four Dinobots were offered as mail-away items during [[Operation Combination (toyline)|Operation Combination]]; Grimlock cost 2300 yen (his original retail price) and 2 [[Robot Point]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Generation 1 Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:Pretender Grimlock toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Me Grimlock have fleshy bits!]]
* '''Grimlock''' ([[Classic Pretender]], 1989)
**''Accessories:'' Pretender shell, rifle, helmet, tail/gun
: A simplified and slightly modified version of Grimlock, he transforms into a robotic T-Rex whose tail becomes a handgun. He came with a large human [[Pretender]] shell with a rather knight-like armor theme, with a helmet and large cannon.

: His human shell looks a lot like [[wikipedia:Ed Asner|Ed Asner]].

{{note|Pretender Classic Grimlock's function was "Lieutenant Commander" instead of "Dinobot Commander".}}

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Pretender Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:GrimlockLegends toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Me Grimlock say cut it out.]]
* '''Grimlock''' ([[Legends (G1)|Legends]], 1989)
**''Accessories:'' Tail/gun
: A K-Mart [[exclusive]] in its Hasbro release, this version of Grimlock is simply the inner robot of his Classic Pretender form without the shell or its accessories, leaving him only his tail/gun. In Japan, he was only available in a boxed "Hero Set" with the other three Legends toys, but with a silver face rather than the Hasbro version's orange.

{{-}}
[[Image:G1toy japanese legends giftset.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Hero Set''' (Multi-pack, 1989)
**''Accessories:'' Tail/gun

: In Japan, Legends Grimlock was available only in a boxed "Hero Set" with the Legends versions of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Jazz]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]. Grimlock was identical to the Hasbro release.

: In Italy, [[GiG]] released their own version of the Hero Set, named "Set Commandos", instead of the Classic Pretender versions of the toys. Grimlock, was renamed from "Tiran" to "Drago", originally the Italian name of [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]]. The "Set Commandos" toys were identical to the Japanese "Hero Set" versions.

{{-}}
[[Image:G1Grimlock ActionMaster.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Me Grimlock no longer able to transform, so me Grimlock over-compensate with really big gun.]]
* '''Grimlock''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' Anti-tank cannon partner, particle beam cannon
: Part of the initial assortment of non-transforming [[Action Master]] figures, Grimlock's design combines his cartoon model with extra toy-based detailing. He came with the [[Anti-tank cannon]] "partner" machine which could be ridden by Grimlock (or any other Action Master) or unfolded via spring-loaded [[gimmick]] to form a really ''big'' hand-held "long-range mortar launcher". He is compatible with any other Action Master vehicle or weapon.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Action Master Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
* '''Grimlock''' (Dinobot, 1993)
**''Accessories:'' 'Energo' sword, twin 'stunner' laser rifle,
: Grimlock's original toy was [[Redeco|redecoed]] for release in ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', this time lacking the missile launcher accessory. He was available in three different colors; the first—and rarest—in his original silver (the easiest way to spot if this is a ''Generation 2'' or original is by the "Autobot" [[tampograph]] on his leg), then in a medium turquoise-blue, and finally (and most commonly) in a dark blue.

{{note|Grimlock outranked Optimus Prime in the Generation 2 toyline! Prime had a rank of 9.}}

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlcok.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BWtoy-Grimlock.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Ben Yee]] think me Grimlock look like dalmatian... :(]]
* '''Grimlock''' (Deluxe, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' Spinning slasher sword, sword
: ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Grimlock is a [[redeco]] of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] in gray and gold with black spots, transforming into a "raptor" of some variety. His tail becomes a sword and a rotate-blade. He was slightly [[Retool|retooled]] to have ratcheting shoulders and space for an "energon chip" [[rubsign]]. Unfortunately, Grimlock suffers from [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]].

: This mold is also used by ''[[Dinobots (toyline)|Dinobots]]'' [[Grimlock (Dinobots)|Grimlock]], and was retooled to make [[Dinotron]], ''[[Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Hardhead (BWN)|Hardhead]], and [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrustor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Beast Wars'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternators===
[[Image:AlternatorsGrimlock toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Me Grimlock no can munch metal, but can burn rubber!]]
* '''Grimlock''' (2005)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''9'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-10'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, sword

: ''[[Alternators]]'' Grimlock transforms into a silver 1:24 scale Ford Mustang with opening doors, hood, and trunk. His engine transforms into a double-barreled gun, and he also carries an orange sword which can attach to the underside of his vehicle mode. The toy is one of the most-complained-about ''Alternators'' toys, due to its notoriously finicky transformation (with many small steps that must be performed in exactly the right order) and to several pieces which have a tendency to pop off with relatively small amounts of force. <s> And it's a Grimlock who doesn't transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. </s>

:This mold was retooled into ''Alternators'' [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/AltGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Alternators'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Classics===
[[Image:Grimlockclassicstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Me Grimlock want to try new appearance, how me look in thigh high boots and stiletto heels?]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Missile launcher, missile, removable tail

: ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' Grimlock, a gray and gold ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', is a re-imagined form of his original toy, and is notably designed to run rather than drag (theories on the T-Rex having changed from "caveman adversary" to "Carl Lewis in lizard skin" since the Generation 1 incarnation).

:His bayonet blaster can be deployed in either mode and fires a clear red projectile. Both weapons can be stored on his back when not used. As with most ''Classics'' toys, Grimlock features a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]], placed on the left side of the tyrannosaurus torso/his left leg.

:A common complaint about the figure is the size of the peg being too small in relation to the peg-hole, making it impossible to lock the arms into place. In addition, the bayonet blaster has a hair-trigger and for no apparent reason, his fist holes are a few fractions of a millimeter too small to accommodate standard 5mm peg accessories that most modern ''Transformers'' toys use.

:An unpainted ''Classics'' Grimlock was used at the [[BotCon 2007]] customization classes to create ''[[Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]. The mold was also [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make [[Grimlock (SG)|"Shattered Glass" Grimlock]] and [[Universe (2008 franchise)|2008's ''Universe'']] Overkill.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Classics'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''



*'''Jetfire''' and '''Grimlock''' (2-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Missile launcher, missile, removable tail

:''Classics'' Grimlock was available in Asian markets in a two-pack with [[Jetfire (G1)|''Classics'' Jetfire]]. Both toys are identical to their normal individual releases.

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumWarWithin_Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Me Grimlock turn into tank? Me mash brains with style!]]

*'''Grimlock''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, Energo-sword

:Based upon his appearance from ''[[The War Within]]'', this version of Grimlock transforms into a Cybertronic heavy tank. This transforming partly die-cast and plastic Grimlock was initially unreleased due to the cancellation of the ''Transformers'' series of ''Titanium'' toys at retail (the line would continue on for ''[[Star Wars]]'' at the three-inch scale). The toy was eventually released in the fall of 2008 as a Toys-R-Us exclusive, alongside the also-almost-unreleased War Within [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TitGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Cybertron Heroes Grimlock at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
*'''Grimlock''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-03'''
**''Accessories:'' Missile launcher, missile, removable tail

: ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Grimlock is an extensive redeco of ''Classics'' Grimlock, with generally more intricate paint detailing to make him more closely resemble the ''Generation 1'' toy. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, he lacks the heat sensitive rubsign seen on the ''Classics'' release, and instead features vacuum-metalized "chromed" plastic (in a similar [[gimmick]] to the ''Beast Wars'' [[Transmetal|Transmetals]] toys). The vac-metal is used on his beast mode feet, as well as the tyrannosaurus torso, which was, oddly enough, in Hasbro's original deco plan for ''Classics'' Grimlock.

{{-}}
===Masterpiece===
[[Image:Grimlock Masterpiece.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Me Grimlock be smaller than Prime, but me Grimlock more expensive!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-8'''
**''Accessories:'' Energo sword, twin 'stunner' lasers rifle, waiter apron, waiter bow tie, waiter tray, 7 unique waiter glasses, intelligence transfer helmet

: Released in March of 2009, ''[[Masterpiece]]'' Grimlock is based upon his original toy and cartoon model, transforming into an outdated view of the Tyrannosaurus rather than the more accurate depiction seen on ''Classics'' Grimlock. Of all the Masterpiece figures, Grimlock features both the least complex transformation, as well as the least deviation from his original toy's essential transformation scheme.

: ''Masterpiece'' Grimlock features the usage of [[die-cast]] metal for his dinosaur mode's toes and a LED mounted within his right fist which illuminates both his gun's barrels and his sword. As a result of said mechanism, the only articulated part of his right hand is the thumb. Similarly his left hand is modeled much like [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Masterpiece Starscream's]] hands with the thumb and index finger fully articulate with the remaining fingers joined together. Possibly as a show of good faith regarding the sacrificed articulation, [[TakaraTomy]] designed his alternate mode's arms to be highly poseable, featuring full articulation of the claws with the arms themselves attatched to the body with ball joints.

: He features many gimmicks, including the ability to change his eye color in either mode from red to blue with the flip of a switch found at the back of his head in robot mode, and by opening the top of his head in dino mode and switching the eyes around. This allows the owner the choice of representing the use of blue in the cartoon (and his IDW alternate mode) or the use of red in most other media, including his original toy. His tail is connected to his head, and by wiggling and moving it, the head rotates at the base of the neck. Pushing down on his torso in dinosaur mode makes his legs move up higher into his body, and as a result his head will look up. His alt-mode's head features jaws that snap shut at the press of a button hidden on his cheek; in addition, it also has a tiny sculpted flame thrower in its mouth, but for your safety, it does not actually breathe fire (boo). Besides his weapons, he also comes with a cloth apron and bow tie to go with a drinks serving tray he carried in "[[Madman's Paradise]]", as well as the device he used to transfer his super-intelligence into [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] in "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]".

{{-}}{{anchor|King}}
[[Image:Masterpiecetoy-GrimlockKing.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Best accessory ever! Me Grimlock know you know it.]]
*'''King Grimlock''' (2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-8X'''
**''Accessories:'' Energo sword, twin 'stunner' lasers rifle, crown

:King Grimlock is a redeco of the ''Masterpiece'' Grimlock with a color scheme based on his appearance in the comic book series ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' published by [[Marvel Comics]]. All of his previously flat gray surfaces are coated in silver paint, his gold chrome is more vibrant, and his previously black plastic is now a dark blue in reference to the limited color palette of the Marvel Comics issues. The colorless chrome used for his tail and arms is now a light blue chrome. He also features some different paint applications: on his dinosaur chest, inside the clear panel on his robot mode chest, and on his robot mode knees. His toes are now metallic yellow instead of metallic gray. He lacks the faceplate paint of the original Masterpiece Grimlock. His sword is also tinted orange rather than neutral clear, and the clear panel on his chest is clear dark green plastic instead of neutral clear. Curiously what were the red eyes in dinosaur mode on the original Masterpiece Grimlock are now the blue eyes on King Grimlock, and the blue eyes are now the red. The product also features the crown worn by Grimlock in the comics instead of the accessories from the cartoon, such as the waiter apron or the glasses. The [[package art]] is drawn in an homage to the early style of ''The Transformers'' published by Marvel Comics, as well as a bilingual [[Transformers_Universe_(Marvel_comic)|Transformers: Universe]] style [[bio]] on the back of the package.

:King Grimlock was only available via [[Toy Hobby Market]], the official shopping site of TakaraTomy. Pre-orders were open through [[July 31]]st through [[September 11]]th 2009, with the toy shipping out in December.

{{-}}
[[Image:MPGrimlock_Hasbro.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Beryllium baloney not included. Grimlock: 1. Slag: 0.]]
*'''Masterpiece Grimlock''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' [[Dinobot Crown of Leadership]], sword, twin 'stunner' laser rifle

:Grimlock is a redeco of the Japanese Masterpiece Grimlock with King Grimlock's accessories (also redecoed). He is a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]].
:Grimlock's gray is darker than the original TakaraTomy release. He features additional painted details on his thighs, biceps, and waist to mimic label stickers included on the original 1985 figure. The dark gray painted details on his robot mode toes for the TakaraTomy release are now gold. The dinosaur mode's toe nails are now coated in a thick gold paint rather than the polished golden look of the TakaraTomy version. The red paint used on the metal area on his crotch is a lighter shade of red than used on the TakaraTomy version, matching the adjacent red plastic less than on the import release.
:Grimlock's teeth and claws are slightly rounded for this release.

{{-}}

===Device Label===
*'''Device Grimlock''' (Device Label, 2009)
[[Image:Device Label Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Me Grimlock turn into computer-thingy ... something not right.]]
: Takara's ''[[Device Label]]'' Grimlock transforms from a working USB laser mouse into a mechanoid raptor. He shares this mold with ''Device Label'' [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]].

: According to early BigBadToyStore solicitations, the mice were originally supposed to depict Generation 1 [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] and ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Grimlock''' (Decoy, 1986)
**''Decoy ID number:''

: Coming packaged at random on carded ''Transformers toys'' during 1986, [[Decoy]] Grimlock is a red soft-rubber figure depicting him in his robot mode.

===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:HOC_Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
*'''Grimlock''' (March 2001)

:A three-inch-tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Grimlock's dinosaur mode was available in the second wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full-color figure and a clear plastic version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. A clear plastic stand was included with the figure, along with the [[Brainwave Transfer Device]]<ref>Unnamed here, but later called as such on Takara's [[Masterpiece]] Grimlock figure.</ref> seen in the cartoon episode "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]".

:The original Grimlock PVC was re-released in September 2001 in a solid metallic color for the fourth act of the "Super Collection Figure" series, available only as a rare chase figure.

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

:This release used the same mold as the Takara ''Super Collection Figure'', but was cast in translucent plastic instead of the opaque plastic used in the Takara version. It was sold on a blister card rather than blindpacked, and a collector card of the character was included instead of the stand.

{{-}}
===Hard Hero===
[[Image:HardHero Grimlock bust.JPG|right|140px|thumb|ME GRIMLOCK DEMAND TO KNOW WHERE ME GRIMLOCK'S LEGS ARE!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2003)

: [[Hard Hero]]'s Grimlock is a 6.5 inches tall cold-cast porcelain bust, sculpted after his cartoon appearance (complete with blue eyes) and holding a white energo-sword in his right hand. The bust was limited to 2500 pieces, with an additional 100 being specially signed by sculptor [[Jason Ray]]. Grimlock was number 9 in Hard Hero's main series of ''Transformers'' busts.

{{-}}

===MyClone===
*'''Grimlock''' (Takara, 2003)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''MTF015'''
** ''Accessories:'' Grey display stand

:Released in the second wave of the ''[[MyClone]]'' line of Transformers PVC figures, this [[super deformed]] Grimlock comes with a hexagonal grey display stand, which can link up with the identical stands included with other ''MyClone'' figures. His modular design allows his parts to be mixed and matched with those of any other ''MyClone'' figure, though he stands out as rather unique about the Transformers MyClones, as he's the only one in alternate mode.
{{-}}
===Generation 1 Figure-Collection===

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

*'''Grimlock''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-5'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

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

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium RM Grimlock.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Me Grimlock say boogie down!!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (3" Robot Masters, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, sword, Autobot stand

: ''[[Titanium Series]]'' Grimlock is a non-transforming, three inch die-cast metal figurine based on his toy and comic/cartoon model. He has very limited articulation, in his neck, waist and shoulders. Grimlock is posed squatting and/or dancing.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/TitGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Robot Masters Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Attacktix===
*'''Grimlock''' (Booster, 2007)

[[Image:Attacktix Grimlock.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Me Grimlock can't move. [[The Last Stand|Seem]] [[Blast from the Past|to]] [[Spotlight: Shockwave|happen]] [[Still Life!|a lot]].]]
:Attacktix Grimlock is depicted in his ''Tyrannosarus'' mode, and has a sculpt based heavily upon his original G1 toy. Pressing down on his back will cause his head to extend and presumably hit whatever he's facing.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
* '''Grimlock''' (Diamond Select, 2007)

[[Image:Grimlock Mini-bust.jpg|right|175px|thumb|When me Grimlock get legs back, you in BIG TROUBLE!]]
: A mini-bust of Grimlock based on his appearance in the cartoon was released by Diamond Select in 2007. The figure includes the upper body of Grimlock, wielding his energo-sword, acting as if rushing into the battlefield. There is the head of his beast mode sculpted into the base of the statue.

{{-}}

* '''War Within Grimlock''' (Diamond Select, 2007)

[[Image:Grimlock sdcc.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Me Grimlock say you fucking chris lee person are DEAD WHEN ME GET LEGS!!!]]
: War Within Grimlock was an Action Figure Xpress exclusive at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con. He was sculpted by Chris Lee of Art Asylum and limited to 600 pieces. The sculpt features Grimlock holding his flaming sword. The front of his vehicle mode is sculpted onto the base of the bust.

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
*'''Grimlock Vs Shockwave''' (Two Pack, 2007)

[[Image:G1 RobotHeroes ShockwaveVsGrimlock.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Me Gwimwock no cutie, me king!]]
: Packed with [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Shockwave]], ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' Grimlock is a detailed two-inch tall soft-plastic figurine with exaggerated, cartoonish proportions and an amusing "raised eyebrow" look on his face. He is sculpted holding his sword in his right hand. He has swivel joints at his shoulders and neck. He brings cuddly wuddly death.

{{-}}
===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:3DBattleCard Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2007)

: A 48-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Grimlock "transforms" into a gray vague approximation of a ''t. Rex''. He uses the same parts layout as [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and [[Cruellock]].

{{-}}
===Mighty Muggs===
[[Image:MightyMuggs_Grimlock.jpg|right|thumb|175px|Me, Grimlock wear red diaper]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' Energo-sword

: This [[super deformed]], non-transformable PVC figure uses the standard [[Mighty Muggs]] body template, with swivel joints in Grimlock's neck and arms. He comes with a similarly super-deformed version of his trademark energo-sword.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Grimlock Natural History Museum.JPG|right|150px|thumb|Me Grimlock BIG person, so they put Grimlock's statue in Natural History Museum.]]
* The original Diaclone commercial for the mold that became Grimlock showed him spewing fire from his mouth. Guess why ''that'' was removed, huh?

* There is a Grimlock toy placed in the showcase in the dinosaur section of the [[wikipedia:Natural_History_Museum|Natural History Museum]] in [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]; oddly, this doesn't make him the [[Slag (G1)|only one]].

* Grimlock's function is Lieutenant Commander instead of Dinobot Commander on his Pretender Classic and Alternator toys. Lieutenant Commander is [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]'s rank. Deal with it, egobot.

* A working name for the ''[[Alternators]]'' Ford Mustang mold which ultimately ended up as Grimlock was "[[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]]", according to various early store listings.

* [[T-Wrecks]] may have been intended to be a new form for Grimlock, based on the references in his tech spec bio to his ''Beast Wars'' "Attack Specialist" function and other hints. However, T-Wrecks' appearances in the [[3H Productions]] ''[[Universe (2003 comic)|Universe: The Wreckers]]'' comics suggests he is a new, unrelated character.

* The [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]] toy released in the [[Energon (toyline)|''Energon'' toyline]] was originally created by [[Hasbro]] for release as a special new-mold addition for the [[Universe (2003 toyline)|2003 ''Universe'' toyline]], and was intended to represent Generation 1 Grimlock. However, it wasn't and it didn't for the combination of budgetary concerns and keeping the combination gimmick (since he combines with the packed-in [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]] to form "[[Mega-Dinobot]]") only in the ''Energon'' toyline, which had combination as a central theme.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Dinobots]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Kmart exclusives]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Maximals]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]

Grimlock (G1)/toys

2010-11-07T23:55:30Z

76.179.187.192: /* Transformers - Mini Bust */

{{suite}}[[Image:G1 Grimlock boxart.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Grimlock: Shaking his fists at uptight paleontologists since 1984.]]
Me [[Grimlock (G1)|'''Grimlock''']] have lots of toys and merchandise!
{{picsneeded|G2 toy, Henkei, Decoy, Myclone}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Grimlock toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And the debate goes on: "Me Grimlock am greatest warrior!" "No! Me Grimlock am greatest warrior!"]]
* '''Grimlock''' (Dinobot, 1985/1986/1991/1992)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''26'''
**''Accessories:'' 'Energo' sword, twin 'stunner' laser rifle, galaxial rocket launcher, 3 rockets,
: Grimlock's toy was originally part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' Dinosaur Robo series. When [[Hasbro]] imported the toy in 1985 for the ''Transformers'' line, its blue pelvis was changed to red and the Diaclone driver mini-figure was dropped.

:The original Grimlock changes from robot into a robotic T-Rex and comes with a red [[energo weapon|energo-sword]], a black double-barreled rifle, and a rocket launcher with three silver rockets.

: Grimlock was later reissued in the European/Australian-exclusive "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" series. In Japan, he and the other four Dinobots were offered as mail-away items during [[Operation Combination (toyline)|Operation Combination]]; Grimlock cost 2300 yen (his original retail price) and 2 [[Robot Point]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Generation 1 Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:Pretender Grimlock toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Me Grimlock have fleshy bits!]]
* '''Grimlock''' ([[Classic Pretender]], 1989)
**''Accessories:'' Pretender shell, rifle, helmet, tail/gun
: A simplified and slightly modified version of Grimlock, he transforms into a robotic T-Rex whose tail becomes a handgun. He came with a large human [[Pretender]] shell with a rather knight-like armor theme, with a helmet and large cannon.

: His human shell looks a lot like [[wikipedia:Ed Asner|Ed Asner]].

{{note|Pretender Classic Grimlock's function was "Lieutenant Commander" instead of "Dinobot Commander".}}

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Pretender Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:GrimlockLegends toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Me Grimlock say cut it out.]]
* '''Grimlock''' ([[Legends (G1)|Legends]], 1989)
**''Accessories:'' Tail/gun
: A K-Mart [[exclusive]] in its Hasbro release, this version of Grimlock is simply the inner robot of his Classic Pretender form without the shell or its accessories, leaving him only his tail/gun. In Japan, he was only available in a boxed "Hero Set" with the other three Legends toys, but with a silver face rather than the Hasbro version's orange.

{{-}}
[[Image:G1toy japanese legends giftset.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Hero Set''' (Multi-pack, 1989)
**''Accessories:'' Tail/gun

: In Japan, Legends Grimlock was available only in a boxed "Hero Set" with the Legends versions of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Jazz]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]. Grimlock was identical to the Hasbro release.

: In Italy, [[GiG]] released their own version of the Hero Set, named "Set Commandos", instead of the Classic Pretender versions of the toys. Grimlock, was renamed from "Tiran" to "Drago", originally the Italian name of [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]]. The "Set Commandos" toys were identical to the Japanese "Hero Set" versions.

{{-}}
[[Image:G1Grimlock ActionMaster.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Me Grimlock no longer able to transform, so me Grimlock over-compensate with really big gun.]]
* '''Grimlock''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' Anti-tank cannon partner, particle beam cannon
: Part of the initial assortment of non-transforming [[Action Master]] figures, Grimlock's design combines his cartoon model with extra toy-based detailing. He came with the [[Anti-tank cannon]] "partner" machine which could be ridden by Grimlock (or any other Action Master) or unfolded via spring-loaded [[gimmick]] to form a really ''big'' hand-held "long-range mortar launcher". He is compatible with any other Action Master vehicle or weapon.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Action Master Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
* '''Grimlock''' (Dinobot, 1993)
**''Accessories:'' 'Energo' sword, twin 'stunner' laser rifle,
: Grimlock's original toy was [[Redeco|redecoed]] for release in ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', this time lacking the missile launcher accessory. He was available in three different colors; the first—and rarest—in his original silver (the easiest way to spot if this is a ''Generation 2'' or original is by the "Autobot" [[tampograph]] on his leg), then in a medium turquoise-blue, and finally (and most commonly) in a dark blue.

{{note|Grimlock outranked Optimus Prime in the Generation 2 toyline! Prime had a rank of 9.}}

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlcok.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BWtoy-Grimlock.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Ben Yee]] think me Grimlock look like dalmatian... :(]]
* '''Grimlock''' (Deluxe, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' Spinning slasher sword, sword
: ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Grimlock is a [[redeco]] of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] in gray and gold with black spots, transforming into a "raptor" of some variety. His tail becomes a sword and a rotate-blade. He was slightly [[Retool|retooled]] to have ratcheting shoulders and space for an "energon chip" [[rubsign]]. Unfortunately, Grimlock suffers from [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]].

: This mold is also used by ''[[Dinobots (toyline)|Dinobots]]'' [[Grimlock (Dinobots)|Grimlock]], and was retooled to make [[Dinotron]], ''[[Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Hardhead (BWN)|Hardhead]], and [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrustor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Beast Wars'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternators===
[[Image:AlternatorsGrimlock toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Me Grimlock no can munch metal, but can burn rubber!]]
* '''Grimlock''' (2005)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''9'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-10'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, sword

: ''[[Alternators]]'' Grimlock transforms into a silver 1:24 scale Ford Mustang with opening doors, hood, and trunk. His engine transforms into a double-barreled gun, and he also carries an orange sword which can attach to the underside of his vehicle mode. The toy is one of the most-complained-about ''Alternators'' toys, due to its notoriously finicky transformation (with many small steps that must be performed in exactly the right order) and to several pieces which have a tendency to pop off with relatively small amounts of force. <s> And it's a Grimlock who doesn't transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex. </s>

:This mold was retooled into ''Alternators'' [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/AltGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Alternators'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Classics===
[[Image:Grimlockclassicstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Me Grimlock want to try new appearance, how me look in thigh high boots and stiletto heels?]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Missile launcher, missile, removable tail

: ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' Grimlock, a gray and gold ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', is a re-imagined form of his original toy, and is notably designed to run rather than drag (theories on the T-Rex having changed from "caveman adversary" to "Carl Lewis in lizard skin" since the Generation 1 incarnation).

:His bayonet blaster can be deployed in either mode and fires a clear red projectile. Both weapons can be stored on his back when not used. As with most ''Classics'' toys, Grimlock features a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]], placed on the left side of the tyrannosaurus torso/his left leg.

:A common complaint about the figure is the size of the peg being too small in relation to the peg-hole, making it impossible to lock the arms into place. In addition, the bayonet blaster has a hair-trigger and for no apparent reason, his fist holes are a few fractions of a millimeter too small to accommodate standard 5mm peg accessories that most modern ''Transformers'' toys use.

:An unpainted ''Classics'' Grimlock was used at the [[BotCon 2007]] customization classes to create ''[[Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]. The mold was also [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make [[Grimlock (SG)|"Shattered Glass" Grimlock]] and [[Universe (2008 franchise)|2008's ''Universe'']] Overkill.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Classics'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''



*'''Jetfire''' and '''Grimlock''' (2-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Missile launcher, missile, removable tail

:''Classics'' Grimlock was available in Asian markets in a two-pack with [[Jetfire (G1)|''Classics'' Jetfire]]. Both toys are identical to their normal individual releases.

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumWarWithin_Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Me Grimlock turn into tank? Me mash brains with style!]]

*'''Grimlock''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, Energo-sword

:Based upon his appearance from ''[[The War Within]]'', this version of Grimlock transforms into a Cybertronic heavy tank. This transforming partly die-cast and plastic Grimlock was initially unreleased due to the cancellation of the ''Transformers'' series of ''Titanium'' toys at retail (the line would continue on for ''[[Star Wars]]'' at the three-inch scale). The toy was eventually released in the fall of 2008 as a Toys-R-Us exclusive, alongside the also-almost-unreleased War Within [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TitGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Cybertron Heroes Grimlock at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
*'''Grimlock''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-03'''
**''Accessories:'' Missile launcher, missile, removable tail

: ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Grimlock is an extensive redeco of ''Classics'' Grimlock, with generally more intricate paint detailing to make him more closely resemble the ''Generation 1'' toy. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, he lacks the heat sensitive rubsign seen on the ''Classics'' release, and instead features vacuum-metalized "chromed" plastic (in a similar [[gimmick]] to the ''Beast Wars'' [[Transmetal|Transmetals]] toys). The vac-metal is used on his beast mode feet, as well as the tyrannosaurus torso, which was, oddly enough, in Hasbro's original deco plan for ''Classics'' Grimlock.

{{-}}
===Masterpiece===
[[Image:Grimlock Masterpiece.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Me Grimlock be smaller than Prime, but me Grimlock more expensive!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-8'''
**''Accessories:'' Energo sword, twin 'stunner' lasers rifle, waiter apron, waiter bow tie, waiter tray, 7 unique waiter glasses, intelligence transfer helmet

: Released in March of 2009, ''[[Masterpiece]]'' Grimlock is based upon his original toy and cartoon model, transforming into an outdated view of the Tyrannosaurus rather than the more accurate depiction seen on ''Classics'' Grimlock. Of all the Masterpiece figures, Grimlock features both the least complex transformation, as well as the least deviation from his original toy's essential transformation scheme.

: ''Masterpiece'' Grimlock features the usage of [[die-cast]] metal for his dinosaur mode's toes and a LED mounted within his right fist which illuminates both his gun's barrels and his sword. As a result of said mechanism, the only articulated part of his right hand is the thumb. Similarly his left hand is modeled much like [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Masterpiece Starscream's]] hands with the thumb and index finger fully articulate with the remaining fingers joined together. Possibly as a show of good faith regarding the sacrificed articulation, [[TakaraTomy]] designed his alternate mode's arms to be highly poseable, featuring full articulation of the claws with the arms themselves attatched to the body with ball joints.

: He features many gimmicks, including the ability to change his eye color in either mode from red to blue with the flip of a switch found at the back of his head in robot mode, and by opening the top of his head in dino mode and switching the eyes around. This allows the owner the choice of representing the use of blue in the cartoon (and his IDW alternate mode) or the use of red in most other media, including his original toy. His tail is connected to his head, and by wiggling and moving it, the head rotates at the base of the neck. Pushing down on his torso in dinosaur mode makes his legs move up higher into his body, and as a result his head will look up. His alt-mode's head features jaws that snap shut at the press of a button hidden on his cheek; in addition, it also has a tiny sculpted flame thrower in its mouth, but for your safety, it does not actually breathe fire (boo). Besides his weapons, he also comes with a cloth apron and bow tie to go with a drinks serving tray he carried in "[[Madman's Paradise]]", as well as the device he used to transfer his super-intelligence into [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] in "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]".

{{-}}{{anchor|King}}
[[Image:Masterpiecetoy-GrimlockKing.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Best accessory ever! Me Grimlock know you know it.]]
*'''King Grimlock''' (2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-8X'''
**''Accessories:'' Energo sword, twin 'stunner' lasers rifle, crown

:King Grimlock is a redeco of the ''Masterpiece'' Grimlock with a color scheme based on his appearance in the comic book series ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' published by [[Marvel Comics]]. All of his previously flat gray surfaces are coated in silver paint, his gold chrome is more vibrant, and his previously black plastic is now a dark blue in reference to the limited color palette of the Marvel Comics issues. The colorless chrome used for his tail and arms is now a light blue chrome. He also features some different paint applications: on his dinosaur chest, inside the clear panel on his robot mode chest, and on his robot mode knees. His toes are now metallic yellow instead of metallic gray. He lacks the faceplate paint of the original Masterpiece Grimlock. His sword is also tinted orange rather than neutral clear, and the clear panel on his chest is clear dark green plastic instead of neutral clear. Curiously what were the red eyes in dinosaur mode on the original Masterpiece Grimlock are now the blue eyes on King Grimlock, and the blue eyes are now the red. The product also features the crown worn by Grimlock in the comics instead of the accessories from the cartoon, such as the waiter apron or the glasses. The [[package art]] is drawn in an homage to the early style of ''The Transformers'' published by Marvel Comics, as well as a bilingual [[Transformers_Universe_(Marvel_comic)|Transformers: Universe]] style [[bio]] on the back of the package.

:King Grimlock was only available via [[Toy Hobby Market]], the official shopping site of TakaraTomy. Pre-orders were open through [[July 31]]st through [[September 11]]th 2009, with the toy shipping out in December.

{{-}}
[[Image:MPGrimlock_Hasbro.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Beryllium baloney not included. Grimlock: 1. Slag: 0.]]
*'''Masterpiece Grimlock''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' [[Dinobot Crown of Leadership]], sword, twin 'stunner' laser rifle

:Grimlock is a redeco of the Japanese Masterpiece Grimlock with King Grimlock's accessories (also redecoed). He is a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]].
:Grimlock's gray is darker than the original TakaraTomy release. He features additional painted details on his thighs, biceps, and waist to mimic label stickers included on the original 1985 figure. The dark gray painted details on his robot mode toes for the TakaraTomy release are now gold. The dinosaur mode's toe nails are now coated in a thick gold paint rather than the polished golden look of the TakaraTomy version. The red paint used on the metal area on his crotch is a lighter shade of red than used on the TakaraTomy version, matching the adjacent red plastic less than on the import release.
:Grimlock's teeth and claws are slightly rounded for this release.

{{-}}

===Device Label===
*'''Device Grimlock''' (Device Label, 2009)
[[Image:Device Label Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Me Grimlock turn into computer-thingy ... something not right.]]
: Takara's ''[[Device Label]]'' Grimlock transforms from a working USB laser mouse into a mechanoid raptor. He shares this mold with ''Device Label'' [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]].

: According to early BigBadToyStore solicitations, the mice were originally supposed to depict Generation 1 [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] and ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Grimlock''' (Decoy, 1986)
**''Decoy ID number:''

: Coming packaged at random on carded ''Transformers toys'' during 1986, [[Decoy]] Grimlock is a red soft-rubber figure depicting him in his robot mode.

===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:HOC_Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
*'''Grimlock''' (March 2001)

:A three-inch-tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Grimlock's dinosaur mode was available in the second wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full-color figure and a clear plastic version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. A clear plastic stand was included with the figure, along with the [[Brainwave Transfer Device]]<ref>Unnamed here, but later called as such on Takara's [[Masterpiece]] Grimlock figure.</ref> seen in the cartoon episode "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]".

:The original Grimlock PVC was re-released in September 2001 in a solid metallic color for the fourth act of the "Super Collection Figure" series, available only as a rare chase figure.

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

:This release used the same mold as the Takara ''Super Collection Figure'', but was cast in translucent plastic instead of the opaque plastic used in the Takara version. It was sold on a blister card rather than blindpacked, and a collector card of the character was included instead of the stand.

{{-}}
===Hard Hero===
[[Image:HardHero Grimlock bust.JPG|right|140px|thumb|ME GRIMLOCK DEMAND TO KNOW WHERE ME GRIMLOCK'S LEGS ARE!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2003)

: [[Hard Hero]]'s Grimlock is a 6.5 inches tall cold-cast porcelain bust, sculpted after his cartoon appearance (complete with blue eyes) and holding a white energo-sword in his right hand. The bust was limited to 2500 pieces, with an additional 100 being specially signed by sculptor [[Jason Ray]]. Grimlock was number 9 in Hard Hero's main series of ''Transformers'' busts.

{{-}}

===MyClone===
*'''Grimlock''' (Takara, 2003)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''MTF015'''
** ''Accessories:'' Grey display stand

:Released in the second wave of the ''[[MyClone]]'' line of Transformers PVC figures, this [[super deformed]] Grimlock comes with a hexagonal grey display stand, which can link up with the identical stands included with other ''MyClone'' figures. His modular design allows his parts to be mixed and matched with those of any other ''MyClone'' figure, though he stands out as rather unique about the Transformers MyClones, as he's the only one in alternate mode.
{{-}}
===Generation 1 Figure-Collection===

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

*'''Grimlock''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-5'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

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

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium RM Grimlock.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Me Grimlock say boogie down!!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (3" Robot Masters, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, sword, Autobot stand

: ''[[Titanium Series]]'' Grimlock is a non-transforming, three inch die-cast metal figurine based on his toy and comic/cartoon model. He has very limited articulation, in his neck, waist and shoulders. Grimlock is posed squatting and/or dancing.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/TitGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Robot Masters Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Attacktix===
*'''Grimlock''' (Booster, 2007)

[[Image:Attacktix Grimlock.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Me Grimlock can't move. [[The Last Stand|Seem]] [[Blast from the Past|to]] [[Spotlight: Shockwave|happen]] [[Still Life!|a lot]].]]
:Attacktix Grimlock is depicted in his ''Tyrannosarus'' mode, and has a sculpt based heavily upon his original G1 toy. Pressing down on his back will cause his head to extend and presumably hit whatever he's facing.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
* '''Grimlock''' (Diamond Select, 2007)

[[Image:Grimlock Mini-bust.jpg|right|175px|thumb|When me Grimlock get legs back, you in BIG TROUBLE!]]
: A mini-bust of Grimlock based on his appearance in the cartoon was released by Diamond Select in 2007. The figure includes the upper body of Grimlock, wielding his energo-sword, acting as if rushing into the battlefield. There is the head of his beast mode sculpted into the base of the statue.

{{-}}

* '''War Within Grimlock''' (Diamond Select, 2007)

[[Image:Grimlock sdcc.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Me Grimlock say you fucking hasbro people are DEAD WHEN ME GET LEGS!!!]]
: War Within Grimlock was an Action Figure Xpress exclusive at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con. He was sculpted by Chris Lee of Art Asylum and limited to 600 pieces. The sculpt features Grimlock holding his flaming sword. The front of his vehicle mode is sculpted onto the base of the bust.

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
*'''Grimlock Vs Shockwave''' (Two Pack, 2007)

[[Image:G1 RobotHeroes ShockwaveVsGrimlock.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Me Gwimwock no cutie, me king!]]
: Packed with [[Shockwave (G1)/toys|Shockwave]], ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' Grimlock is a detailed two-inch tall soft-plastic figurine with exaggerated, cartoonish proportions and an amusing "raised eyebrow" look on his face. He is sculpted holding his sword in his right hand. He has swivel joints at his shoulders and neck. He brings cuddly wuddly death.

{{-}}
===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:3DBattleCard Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2007)

: A 48-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Grimlock "transforms" into a gray vague approximation of a ''t. Rex''. He uses the same parts layout as [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and [[Cruellock]].

{{-}}
===Mighty Muggs===
[[Image:MightyMuggs_Grimlock.jpg|right|thumb|175px|Me, Grimlock wear red diaper]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' Energo-sword

: This [[super deformed]], non-transformable PVC figure uses the standard [[Mighty Muggs]] body template, with swivel joints in Grimlock's neck and arms. He comes with a similarly super-deformed version of his trademark energo-sword.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Grimlock Natural History Museum.JPG|right|150px|thumb|Me Grimlock BIG person, so they put Grimlock's statue in Natural History Museum.]]
* The original Diaclone commercial for the mold that became Grimlock showed him spewing fire from his mouth. Guess why ''that'' was removed, huh?

* There is a Grimlock toy placed in the showcase in the dinosaur section of the [[wikipedia:Natural_History_Museum|Natural History Museum]] in [[London]], [[United Kingdom]]; oddly, this doesn't make him the [[Slag (G1)|only one]].

* Grimlock's function is Lieutenant Commander instead of Dinobot Commander on his Pretender Classic and Alternator toys. Lieutenant Commander is [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]'s rank. Deal with it, egobot.

* A working name for the ''[[Alternators]]'' Ford Mustang mold which ultimately ended up as Grimlock was "[[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]]", according to various early store listings.

* [[T-Wrecks]] may have been intended to be a new form for Grimlock, based on the references in his tech spec bio to his ''Beast Wars'' "Attack Specialist" function and other hints. However, T-Wrecks' appearances in the [[3H Productions]] ''[[Universe (2003 comic)|Universe: The Wreckers]]'' comics suggests he is a new, unrelated character.

* The [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]] toy released in the [[Energon (toyline)|''Energon'' toyline]] was originally created by [[Hasbro]] for release as a special new-mold addition for the [[Universe (2003 toyline)|2003 ''Universe'' toyline]], and was intended to represent Generation 1 Grimlock. However, it wasn't and it didn't for the combination of budgetary concerns and keeping the combination gimmick (since he combines with the packed-in [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]] to form "[[Mega-Dinobot]]") only in the ''Energon'' toyline, which had combination as a central theme.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Dinobots]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Kmart exclusives]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Maximals]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]

Alpha Trion/Generation 1

2010-10-26T23:52:58Z

76.179.187.192: /* The Transformers cartoon */

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

[[Image:Alphatrionkhanna.jpg|right|228px|thumb|If Alpha Trion were a Decepticon, you KNOW he would stroke his beard while contemplating conquest. You know it.]]
'''Alpha Trion''' is one of the oldest living Transformers, and with that age comes a nuanced understanding of his race and their place within the universe. In his youth, he went by the name '''A3''', and in this time, he helped lead the enslaved Cybertronians in their rebellion against their cruel masters, the [[Quintesson]]s. As a result, he was instrumental in first establishing [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as an independent planet.

In his older years, he has found a comfortable role in serving as advisor to other Transformers. Though not taking part in the battles of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], he is firmly on the side of the Autobots, serving as a mentor and guide, especially to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Elita One]]. He is an enigmatic old robot, though he is known to be the guardian of [[Vector Sigma]] and the custodian of its [[Key to Vector Sigma|circuit key]]. His sage-like manner paints him in almost a mystic tone, and possible connections between Alpha Trion, [[Primus]], and the history of Cybertron itself have boosted him into legendary status.

:''Japanese name:'' '''Alpha Trin''' (except for "The Rebirth")
:''Indonesian name:'' '''Alpa Trion'''
:''Mandarin name (Taiwan):'' '''Alpha Tellion''' (阿法特利昂 ''Ā Fǎ Tè Lì Áng'')
:''Mandarin name (China):'' '''Tai Shifu''' (鈦師傅, "Master Titanium")

{{note| In 2010 Hasbro introduced a [[retcon]] naming Alpha Trion as a member of the [[Thirteen original Transformers]], and thus a likely [[Multiversal singularity|multiversal singularity]] (meaning, basically, that all Alpha Trions in the [[multiverse]] would be the same individual). Due to the lengthy histories many of these incarnations (especially this one) had prior to the retcon we have opted to leave their pages as separate entities, and merely note the retcon on each individual page. For the Alpha Trion that is definitively one of the 13 see: [[Alpha Trion (Prime)]]}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
''Voice actors:'' [[John Stephenson]] (English), [[Corey Burton]] (English, "[[War Dawn]]"), [[Tony Pope]] (English, "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese), [[Hiroshi Naka]] (Japanese, ''The Rebirth'' only)

[[Image:YoungA3.jpg|left|thumb|Silverbolt never misses a chance to check out A3's rugged mustache.]]
11 million years ago, a mechanoid named A3 was part of the [[Autobot Rebellion|rebellion]] against the [[Quintesson]]s on a [[Cybertron (planet)|factory world]], creating a device called the [[Coda Remote]] that would stop their [[Dark Guardian]]s. Due to a timerift created by Quintessons from the future, he was briefly pulled from his position in the [[Empty Lands]] into the year 2006. Fortunately, his partner [[Beta (G1)|Beta]] managed to start the rebellion as scheduled, and A3 was soon returned by future [[Autobot]]s to fulfill his role in Cybertronian history. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

[[Image:Alphatrionagesbackwards.jpg|right|thumb|He grew a beard, picked up the Matrix, shaved his beard, and then built Optimus, apparently.]]
Years later, he would be given the [[Matrix of Leadership]] by the dying [[U-Haul Robot|Sentinel Prime]], but Alpha Trion himself did not become Autobot leader. It would sit in his possession, unused, until the coming of the next Autobot leader. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} In the meantime, Alpha Trion developed plans to rebuild Autobots to better combat the escalating [[Decepticon]] menace.

The next Autobot leader would actually come to ''him'' when a [[Aerialbot (G1)|group of time-travelers]] lugged a dying youth named Orion Pax to his repair center. Reluctant at first, Alpha Trion sensed a strong spirit in Orion Pax, and decided to rebuild him entirely... into [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. When Prime asked if Alpha Trion could rebuild his fallen girlfriend Ariel as well, Alpha Trion agreed, and mused that [[Elita One]] would be a good name for a female warrior. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

[[Image:AlphaTrion.jpg|left|thumb|"First I make, then I rape.."]]

Over the intervening millennia, Alpha Trion's two greatest creations, whether by design or coincidence, forgot their relationship to the ancient Autobot. Five million years after his creation, Optimus Prime was lost when his spacecraft crash-landed on prehistoric Earth, but Alpha Trion kept in contact with Elita One, acting as a sagely advisor to her team of [[Female Autobots]] as they spent the following four million years stealing [[energon (fuel)|energon]] from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Eventually, in the Earth year 1985, Shockwave caught the Female Autobots in the act and tracked them back to their headquarters, prompting Elita One to consult with Alpha Trion on a course of action. Trion suggested they move their headquarters, telling Elita to scout for a new location alone, but in the event that she encountered the Decepticons, warned her not to use her life-draining time-freezing power. Alas, Elita was captured, and used by the Decepticons to lure Optimus Prime into a trap. To save her beloved's life, Elita used her fatal power, and the Autobot leader was forced to track Alpha Trion to his secret base in hopes that he could save her. Alpha Trion repaired her to the best of his ability, but revealed to Optimus Prime that only Prime could save Elita by interfacing to her with his power filter. An astonished Optimus Prime stated that only his creator could know that! {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}

[[Image:Ktvs prime and trion.jpg|right|thumb]]

A short time later, while he was looking for a [[10.2 ultra-drill|misplaced tool]], Alpha Trion was attacked in his workshop by Megatron and his Decepticons, who demanded that he hand over the [[Key to Vector Sigma]]. Trion pled ignorance, but Megatron knew better, and the elderly Autobot was soon overpowered while the Decepticons made off with the key. Alpha Trion was rescued from the chunk of metal the Decepticons left him stuck in by Optimus Prime and the Autobots, and after his injuries were repaired by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], he journeyed with them into Cybertron's depths, leading the way to Vector Sigma's chamber. Their way, however, was barred by [[Centurion droid]]s that Megatron used the Key to command, and Alpha Trion helped reactivate some discarded worker robots to fight the droids off. The droids had done their job, however, and prevented the Autobots from reaching Megatron before he used Vector Sigma to bring his newest Decepticons, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to life. To combat these new land-based Decepticons, Optimus Prime hit on the idea of creating some new aerial Autobots, and Alpha Trion set to work reconstructing some Cybertronian aircraft. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} When the work was done, Alpha Trion professed that he had another key to Vector Sigma "on him," and he would use it to reactivate the computer so that it could bring the jets to life. His "key," however, was his own life force: as a first generation product of Vector Sigma, his computation matrix could interface with the computer and bring it back online, at the cost of his own continued existence. Optimus Prime tried to stop him, but Alpha Trion refused to listen, reminding Prime that he was his creator and insisting that the jets were more important that he was. Prime relented, and Alpha Trion merged with Vector Sigma, which activated and brought the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to life. Before Prime and the Autobots departed for Earth, Alpha Trion spoke to them through Vector Sigma, warning them of a fact merging with the computer had revealed to him: on Earth, the Key to Vector Sigma had even greater power. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Many years later, when the [[Hate Plague]] was raging throughout the universe in the year 2006, Optimus Prime entered the Matrix to consult the ancient Autobots within on a possible cure. Alpha Trion was the first Prime spoke to, but he had no information to give, save a warning that Prime should take care on his journey into the Matrix, lest he be unable to return. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

The following year, after the Decepticons stole the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]], Optimus Prime used the Matrix to reactivate Vector Sigma so that he could converse with Alpha Trion, hoping that the old sage knew something more about what was going on. Alpha Trion revealed to Prime that Vector Sigma had ''allowed'' [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] to become aware of the key's existence, as the chamber was key to the dawning of a new [[Golden Age]] for Cybertron... as was the merging of an [[Cerebros (G1)|Autobot]]'s life with that of a [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|human]]'s. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in the Japanese timeline as described above, except that the events of 2006 take place instead in 2010, and "The Rebirth" does not occur. Japanese continuity inserts many additional stories into the timeline, only one of which features Alpha Trion.}}
=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:AlphaTrionGhost.jpg|right|thumb|Alpha Trion's Spooooooky Ghost]]
In the year 2011, one year after Optimus Prime released the energy of the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague, Vector Sigma began to destabilize as a result. Optimus Prime voyaged into the planet's depths to try and bring the computer back under control, but the mission seemed doomed to failure, as he did not have the Matrix to help him. While the other Autobots searched Earth for the Matrix, which had been hidden away to recharge, the spectral form of Alpha Trion appeared to Optimus Prime to help lead him through the many dangers blocking the path to Vector Sigma's chamber. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} When they finally reached their goal, however, it turned out the Decepticons had beaten them there. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] was not far behind, with the recovered Matrix in his grasp, and when the young Autobot arrived, Alpha Trion instructed him to hold the talisman aloft. Trion's ethereal form flowed into the Matrix, completing its recharging process and transforming Hot Rod back into Rodimus Prime, who joined Optimus is thrashing the Decepticons. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}{{-}}

===''Universe: Featuring the Wreckers''===
[[Image:Alphatrionwreckers.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Alpha Trion was a lion for all of two seconds.]]
Alpha Trion was seemingly resurrected and/or reformatted as a lion by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] to guide [[Primal Prime]] and his [[Wrecker|Wreckers]] in much the same way as he aided many previous Autobot leaders. {{storylink|Departure}} It is unclear whether this new form ever existed physically; its only appearance was as a vision in Primal Prime's head. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

[[Image:Alphatrionuniverse.jpg|right|150px|thumb|You know, screw this lion thing.]]
However, he did not make an appearance after this enigmatic reintroduction until [[Unicron]] posed a new threat to the balance of the multiverse. Alpha Trion, though technically still merged with [[Primus]]/[[Vector Sigma]]/Whatever, was again in his original body (but now with a cape!). He/they pulled Cybertron's greatest hero, [[Optimus Primal]], back from the dead in order to rescue recently abducted Cybertronians from the center of the Chaos Bringer. {{storylink|Abduction}}

When Primal succeeded at this monumental task, {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}} he confronted the [[Maximal Elders]] with one of his overblown speeches and was thrown in jail. Alpha Trion sent [[Snarl (BM)|Snarl]] to stage a small rescue of his own, and Primal was returned to the center of Cybertron. Here, Alpha Trion presented Primal with a window into the past, present, and future of the [[Allspark]], from which he could pluck any warrior, whether they be living or dead. Primal chose [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depthcharge]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], the former of whom rejected Primal's calling. Alpha Trion quieted Primal's disappointment, letting Depthcharge go, expecting him to return of his own accord. To take his place, Alpha Trion pulled [[Omega Prime]] from the ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' universe. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:Alphatriondw.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Most people kill their prizes before hanging them on their wall. Shockwave is not most people.]]
Eons ago, Alpha Trion kept watch over the Transformers when Primus entered his eternal sleep to hide Cybertron from Unicron. However, a nomadic alien race eventually conquered Cybertron, and Alpha Trion was forced into hiding. Thousands of Transformers were slaughtered, and Alpha Trion was unable to act.<ref>[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]</ref> What exactly happened afterwards is unknown, but it is implied that Alpha Trion eventually drove the invaders off Cybertron.

Alpha Trion was last seen hanging on [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s wall. This was apparently meant to be very important to the huge, over-arching plot of the entire universe, but odds are we'll never learn why. {{storylink|War and Peace}}
{{-}}
===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Historyofcybertron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Trukk... and munky?]]
When [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] downloaded some of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s memories, he saw Alpha Trion and his role in the [[Cybertronian Civil Wars#G1 cartoon continuity|rebellion]] against the [[Quintesson]]s. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1}}
{{-}}

===IDW comics continuity===

[[Image:MO3 EOOPAT funeral.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
Alpha Trion attended the funerals of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], accompanied by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]], [[Elita One|Ariel]], and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

Several million [[units of time|meta-cycles]] later, Alpha Trion found himself the last Transformer on Cybertron, working to restore the planet after it had been rendered virtually uninhabitable by normal Transformers. The isolation evidently did not do the wise old Autobot any good, as he seemed to have more than a few screws loose and had become tremendously self-aggrandizing by the year 2010.
[[Image:Ironing Out the Details Alpha Trion.jpg|right|thumb|Metal beards are ridiculous! But ''cloth'' beards are super okay.]]
Operating out of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Trion spent "dozens of meta-cycles" processing the corrosive elements out of Cybertron's atmosphere, slowly making it habitable again, but was still faced with the problem of the monstrous [[Insecticon swarm]] that had overrun the planet. Requiring the toughest of the tough to obliterate the swarm, Alpha Trion selected [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] to do the job. That Ironhide was across the galaxy on Earth mattered little: Ironhide would eventually die some day, Trion rationalized, and so he built a duplicate body on Cybertron into which he could implant Ironhide's spark and memories once he passed on and returned to the "[[Allspark|core]]". With Vector Sigma having been essentially erased in the event that devastated Cybertron, this took Alpha Trion years and pushed his skills to their limit, but once Ironhide died on Earth in 2010, the ancient Autobot's grand work was complete, and Ironhide returned to life on Cybertron in the new body constructed for him. {{storylink|Any Old Iron}}

Ironhide awoke in confusion, his memories incomplete due to damage he had suffered millions of years beforehand that had disrupted his link to the core, and wandered Cybertron's wastes until Alpha Trion dispatched his [[Scamper|page]] to bring the befuddled warrior to the city-mode Metroplex. Alpha Trion took umbrage at the fact Ironhide had never heard of his ancient greatness, and revealed his incredible powers over his own electromagnetic aura by using it to control Ironhide's actions when the ornery Autobot started to get a little rough. Ironhide further tested Trion's patience when he ignored his cautions and ventured out to track down the near-dead [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (even if Sunstreaker ''had'' heard of him). Finally, Trion relented to Ironhide's constant questioning and explained the reason he had brought him back online: to exterminate the swarm. {{storylink|Ironing Out the Details}} While Ironhide took out of most of the swarm in a brutal battle, Trion busied himself repairing Sunstreaker. After Ironhide returned, Trion announced that he and Metroplex were leaving Cybertron for parts unknown while Ironhide mopped up the remaining Insecticons. Infuriated by the old 'bots condescending attitude, Ironhide slugged him one, but Alpha Trion let it slide, putting Ironhide in his place by telling him he was just a small playing piece in a very large game. Before departing, however, Alpha Trion softened, congratulating Ironhide on saving the entire planet. After all, the only other Autobot would could make that claim... was him. {{storylink|Any Old Iron}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Unreleased===
[[Image:Alphalion.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You'll never own me.]]
A redeco of [[Snarl (BM)|''Beast Machines'' Snarl]] was planned as Alpha Trion for the [[The Official Transformers Collectors Convention|OTFCC]] ''[[Universe (2003 comic)|Wreckers]]'' storyline, but this concept never made it past the paint mock-up stage.

A redecoed [[Lio Convoy]] was also considered by [[3H Productions|3H]] for Alpha Trion around the same time, and it was sort of this version that briefly appeared in the comic book (see above). Though the toy [[Prototype|mock-up]] used Snarl, 3H hoped they could finagle the use of the Lio Convoy mold. "Alpha Lion"'s wireframe appearance in [[Departure|''Wreckers'' #1]] used Lio Convoy's body, but Snarl's head, hopefully allowing 3H to fudge either way, should they come to a decision. They didn't!

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Super Collection Figure===
* '''Alpha Trion''' (2002)

: A three-inch-tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Alpha Trion was available in "Act 8" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full-color figure and a metallic-silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the pewter version of Alpha Trion came packaged with the left leg of the [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] collectible "build-a-figure".

: Alpha Trion was not among the ''Super Collection Figures'' brought over to the West for [[Hasbro]]'s ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line.

==Notes==
* Alpha Trion is one of the very few Cybertronians to show signs of aging and [[Facial hair|hair growth]].
* In the G1 cartoon, it's possible he lacked an alternate mode because he was created much before the Great Wars, and thus before the Autobots developed transformation in order to defeat the Decepticons.
* According to a note in Japan's ''[[Comic Bom Bom]]'' magazine, A3 was the first successful Cybertronian, A1 and A2 being failures. However, the presence of Cybertronians within the Matrix of Leadership older than Alpha Trion (as seen in "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2|The Return of Optimus Prime]]") makes the actual [[Canon|canonicity]] of this questionable.

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.redshirt.co.uk/random/alpha-trion-vs-emirate-xaaron/ Horribly biased comparison of Alpha Trion and Emirate Xaaron]

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category:Elderly Transformers]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]

The Ultimate Doom, Part 1

2010-10-19T22:42:14Z

76.179.187.192: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=11
|series2=SRLFtoon
|ep2=66
|prev2=The Autobot Run
|next2=The Ultimate Doom, Part 2
|series3=''[[Generation 2 (cartoon)|The Transformers: Generation 2]]''
|ep3=41
|prev3=Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
|next3=The Ultimate Doom, Part 2
|image=FHE-UltimateDoom.jpg
|caption="Now, pardon me as I try to outrun those tsunami behind me!"
|title="The Ultimate Doom, Part 1"
|production code=#700-08
|airdate=[[November 3]], 1984
|written by=[[Larry Strauss]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron brings Cybertron into Earth orbit to harvest the energy from the destruction caused by Cybertron's gravity.'''

:''Japanese title:'' 破滅の日 PART I (''Hametsu no Hi PART I'', "Day of Destruction PART I")
:''Latin American title:'' La Destrucción Máxima, Parte I
{{TOCclear}}
==Synopsis==
[[Image:Sparkplugkidnapped.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Kidnapping humans will be simplicity itself, thanks to my new, Transformers-sized crane game."]]

[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] attack a solar power station on [[India]]'s coast. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] arrive in time to intercept them. Watching this battle remotely are [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the evil human scientist [[Doctor Arkeville]]. Megatron orders [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] to begin phase two of Operation Guinea Pig, which involves setting [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] loose inside [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]]. With the [[Autobot]]s distracted by Rumble's rumbling, [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] flies in, nabs [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and flies out.

Back in India, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] suddenly take flight and retreat. Prime smells a rat, then Sunstreaker tells him of the attack on their headquarters.

[[Image:TFG1TUD1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"I love the Power Glove. It's so bad."]]

After bringing Sparkplug to [[Decepticon]] headquarters, Doctor Arkeville fits him with a mind-control device called a [[hypno-chip]] which brings him into the Decepticons' control. As a means of demonstrating the new technology, Sparkplug is made to attack a full-sized replica of Optimus Prime. Megatron intends to use this technology to create an army of human slaves. With the successful completion of the first part of his plan, Megatron communicates with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to confirm that the new [[space bridge]] is ready.

The Autobots attack the Decepticon undersea base to rescue Sparkplug. Optimus Prime leads a direct attack from above while [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] tunnel under the ocean floor. The mission is successful, and the Autobots return him to their base. After undergoing repairs, the Autobots and Spike notice that Sparkplug is acting oddly, but before they can learn why, the Decepticons launch a surprise attack. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] realises that Sparkplug has sabotaged the Autobots' weapons and [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], which let the Decepticons in undetected.

When Spike confronts his father, Sparkplug appeals to Spike to join the Decepticons. Spike refuses, and Sparkplug tells his son that when they next meet, they will be enemies. In a desperate effort to salvage the situation, Spike sets off the [[fire-retardant foam]]. This clogs the Decepticons' weapons, and Megatron orders a retreat. Sparkplug willingly goes with them.

[[Image:Spikesparkandark.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Snow Miser tunes in to his favorite show, ''The Witwickys''.]]

At the space bridge site, Megatron reveals that he intends to bring [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] into Earth orbit using the bridge. The gravity of Cybertron will cause natural disasters, and the Decepticons plan to harvest the energy and transport it to Cybertron. Arkeville isn't too keen on this idea, but Megatron says it's a new problem for the evil scientist to solve using his genius intellect.

Using the [[Sky Spy]], the Autobots see the giant space bridge and [[roll out]] to investigate. When they attack the bridge site, Megatron releases a group of human slaves to act as shields. The ploy works, and things get even more complicated when the humans attack the Autobots with sticks and stones.

Spike stops Sparkplug from attacking Bumblebee, and for a moment it appears that Sparkplug is back to normal. But Arkeville recomputes his signal, and Sparkplug is again under Decepticon control. He rushes to the first space bridge pylon and activates it. Thundercracker activates the second.

[[Image:Tud1_megatron_cybertron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"A ticker-tape parade using streams of volcanic ash. How ironic!"]]

Optimus Prime chases Megatron up to the third pylon and wrestles him away from the button. Megatron orders Prime to turn on the pylon himself, or else he will be responsible for catapulting Cybertron into oblivion. Unwilling to sacrifice his home planet, Optimus Prime activates the space bridge, bringing Cybertron into Earth's orbit, but wonders if he is dooming Earth in the process.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (6)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (7)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (8)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (13)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (14)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (15)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (17)
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (20)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (21)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (23)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (24)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (25)
*[[Bluestreak]] (26)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (27)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (28)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (29)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (3)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (4)
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (11)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (12)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (18)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (19)
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (22)

|c3=
*Indian Maharaja (1)
*[[Doctor Arkeville]] (10)
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (16)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (20)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Skywarp''': I say Megatron's plan was brilliant. 
'''Starscream''': And I say the diversionary attack on the solar plant was a waste of energy. 
'''Skywarp''': You waste more energy with your mouth!
:—More heart-warming Decepticon camaraderie.

"I've got the plan, if all of you've got the cast-iron [[manifold]]s for it!" 
"We have!"
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

"Into the ocean, let's be daring. The last one in is a rusty herring."
:—'''Jazz''', turning into [[Wheelie (G1)|a poet]]

'''Megatron''': [[Fire-retardant foam]]! Our circuitry's been shorted out. 
'''Thundercracker''': My weapon! 
'''Skywarp''': Can't we just bash 'em to pieces? 
'''Megatron''': If we stay, this foam will permanently damage our circuitry. The Autobots are through anyway. RETREAT!
:—The Decepticons become ever more farcical and ridiculous.

"As the Earthlings say: Fat chance, fat-head!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' has been spending too much time with Spike.

"Have I saved Cybertron...only to destroy the Earth?"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' angsts over his decision to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit.

==Notes==
===Technical or animation glitches===
* The Maharaja says that his solar panels are collecting three hundred energy units per second. Typical government inflation! The screen says it's ''thirty'' units per second.
* For an Indian, that Maharaja sure does look like a Caucasian.
* Skywarp has Thundercracker's colors as he blasts his way into the palace.
* Prime has a sloped windscreen as he and the other Autobots drive through the jungle.
* As the Autobots enter the water, Sunstreaker is colored red instead of yellow.
*Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] is drawn pretty badly repeatedly throughout this episode. The front barrel is often drawn at less than half the size it should be. (See the picture further up this page for an example). Apparently size isn't important after all.
* Improbable viewpoints:
** Megatron gets a stationary view of the Autobots charging into the Maharaja's palace. Did Starscream and company spend their time their setting up a camera for him?
** He also gets a view of Soundwave hanging around outside Autobot Headquarters. (Clearly, the Autobots have [[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|no security]] at this point.)
** As Sparkplug works to sabotage the Autobots, Dr. Arkeville gets footage from ''inside'' Autobot Headquarters! We can ''maybe'' let this one slide and say that Sparkplug set up a video feed or something.
** Then Arkeville gets a view that's clearly coming from Teletraan I itself! (Actually, that would explain both viewpoints.)
** The [[Sky Spy]] gets what is essentially a ground-level view of the Decepticon energy pylons.
** Megatron doesn't seem to be leaning over a console or anything as the Autobots arrive at the space bridge, but Arkeville still gets a full view of him from Decepticon Headquarters.
** Arkeville then gets a view from right next to Sparkplug as he talks with Spike during the battle.
* As Soundwave salutes, most of his body shifts around a bit, but his chestplate remains completely still.
* As Rumble transforms, Soundwave's open chest cavity is colored light blue, as if it were closed. His open chest panel is colored dark blue, as if it weren't there!
* Soundwave has a purple Autobot symbol as he ejects Laserbeak. Once his cassette door is open, its inside face is colored solid dark blue, instead of the light blue that it should be.
* Most of Laserbeak's caws and cries are not electronically modulated, though his usual electronic trill does show up a few times.
* Sideswipe's leg clips through Spike as he joins them in watching Rumble.
* Sideswipe's gun vanishes as he bashes Ravage aside.
* Laserbeak grabs Sparkplug from a metal-paneled interior space, yet immediately flies right out of the volcano's cone. As Spike looks up after Laserbeak, he's suddenly standing against a rock background.
*After the Autobots in India realize they have been duped, Sunstreaker says "We were set up!", but in Prowl's voice. A similar goof happened in "[[Roll for It]]".
* Starscream's face is light gray instead of medium gray as he and the other Seekers ride the elevator into Decepticon HQ.
* Either a line was cut, or [[Frank Welker]] misparsed one of Megatron's lines; he says "It had ''better'' function" in regards to the hypno-chip.... when nobody had previously been discussing the chips at all.
* The outer edges of Bumblebee's face are supposed to be white, but they're colored yellow as he consoles Spike.
* The animation of Shockwave talking to Megatron is recycled from "[[Transport to Oblivion]]", complete with its strange brightly-lit background and awkward shadow, and Shockwave's incomplete arms.
* Starscream's air intake is light gray instead of red as he and the other jets wait for Megatron.
* Prowl drives into the air at the cliff edge before transforming.
* Brawn's front grill just phases right through his giant vehicle-mode drill as it folds back up.
* Appearing/disappearing Autobots:
** Prime's strike team includes Prowl, Hound, Jazz, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, and Bumblebee. During the underwater battle, Gears appears for a single shot.
** As Bumblebee says his "biggest space bridge ever" line, the shot changes, and he's been replaced by a misshapen Hound.
* Whatever damage Cliffjumper did to the inside of Decepticon Headquarters has disappeared by the time Autobots take their exit.
* As he dives back out of Decepticon HQ, Cliffjumper is colored as Bumblebee.
*After Starscream, soaking wet with seawater, emerges from the hole made by Cliffjumper's glass gas, there is a moment where his animation freezes...as well as the dripping water.
* In a pan across the interior of Autobot Headquarters, there are two Prowls.
* One of them is drawn working on Jazz. Since when is Prowl a mechanic?
* In the same shot, Ratchet's mouth is missing as he works on Sunstreaker.
* A layering goof (or cheap shortcut) has Sparkplug's arms not actually reaching into the open panel on Wheeljack's back where he's supposed to be working.
* As Ratchet protests Sparkplug's attempt to work on Optimus, it's suddenly Prowl who he is repairing, rather than Sunstreaker (and despite Prowl being up and about a few shots ago).
* After Prime falls, suddenly it's Jazz laying on the table by Ratchet, with Bluestreak standing over him.
*Sparkplug's wrench looks different between shots, losing its round bolt wrench end in some shots.
*When the Decepticons are showered with foam at the Ark, the shot cuts from Thundercracker to Skywarp by simply changing the colors on the character.
*When Starscream flies to the space bridge, his alt-mode is noticeably misshapen. His transformation is amazingly off, as well.
*As Optimus takes aim at Megatron for the second time ("It's not over yet, Megatron!"), his faceplate disappears for a second or two.
* After Sparkplug has his moment of hesitation, Spike's mouth moves, but no words come out.
* When Dr. Arkeville mentions having to improve his hypno-chips, the background is Autobot orange instead of Decepticon purple.
* The third pylon's energy beam isn't quite aligned with the pylon itself.

===Continuity errors===
* Megatron's "diversion" only draws four Autobots away from their headquarters, with at least that many still present, yet he seems to regard it as a smashing success.
* In order to test the effectiveness of the hypno-chip, Megatron produces a model of Optimus Prime. Because Starscream is bone-headed enough to think Megatron just randomly let Prime into the base, Megatron directly says it's a model... in front of Sparkplug. No one considers that Sparkplug might have more common sense than Starscream, or even fake being mind-controlled because of what he's just been allowed to overhear.
*When skywarp says "Prepare to attack" he useses starscreams voice, then in the next shot, he is replaced ''with'' starscream.
* That must be one light Optimus Prime model; Sparkplug is able to grab it by the ankle and toss it across the room.
* The entire process of rescuing Sparkplug is fraught with improbabilities:
** Brawn's team should have been swept away by cascading torrents of water as soon as a big enough hole was opened in their tunnel.
** Decepticon Headquarters should also have been inundated as soon as the floor dropped out beneath Starscream. To hold the water at bay, the atmospheric pressure in the base would have to be equal to the water pressure at the bottom of the ocean -- a pressure that Sparkplug and Arkeville most assuredly could not survive.
** Whatever force keeps water from gushing up through the big hole in the floor doesn't stop water from gushing in when Brawn punches a big hole in the ''wall''.
** "Hold your breath, Sparkplug!" says Windcharger, as they prepare to swim out of Decepticon HQ. Yes, that will save you from the freezing temperatures and crushing pressures at the bottom of the ocean!
** The water gushing into the base is nowhere to be seen as Starscream re-enters the base.
* The Decepticons enter Autobot Headquarters through a huge hole in the wall, yet there has been no explosion or anything.
*The Decepticons can be apparently easily damaged by fire-retardant foam (Cybertronian fire-retardant foam at that!), yet the Autobots are fine.
*Spike trips over nothing as he flees the battle. The next shot make it seem like he was supposed to have tripped over his dad's wrench... but in order to have tripped Spike, the wrench must be either monumentally heavy or bolted to the floor; nonetheless, in the next frame Spike picks the wrench up with no sign of strain—just as you would expect anyone could.

===Continuity notes===
* This episode is one of several that gets a narrative opening from [[Victor Caroli]].
* Gadgets and powers:
** The Autobots make their first use of [[hydrofoil]]s in this episode, newly installed by Wheeljack. More than most, these gadgets would show up in [[Dinobot Island, Part 2|many]] [[Atlantis, Arise!|future]] [[City of Steel|episodes]].
** Ironhide retracts his hand and out comes a toilet plunger lookin' thing. He uses it to locate the center of Rumble's seismic disturbance, with the results displaying on his chest windows (not unlike his sonadar sensors.)
** Optimus Prime's chest windows light up, indicating an attack on Autobot Headquarters.
** Brawn has a vehicle mode tunneling drill. It'll show up again in "[[The Immobilizer]]".
** Cliffjumper has a depth gauge that emerges from his vehicle-mode hood.
** Cliffjumper fires his [[glass gas]] like a regular laser beam from his hand gun.
** Ratchet uses the same retractable wrist-welder he had in "[[Transport to Oblivion]]".
** This time, it's the blue button on Megatron's stomach that acts as his radio transmitter.
* Once again, evidence that Cybertron is actually outside the Milky Way galaxy: Optimus describes the apex of the space bridge as being "beyond this galaxy".
* For those who wonder how humans can breathe on Cybertron, this episode offers some relief: the final scenes clearly show Cybertron sucking up a chunk of Earth's atmosphere. Of course, this doesn't cover Chip Chase's earlier visit to the planet in "[[Divide and Conquer]]".

===Real-world references===
*The Seekers attack a solar power plant off [[Wikipedia:Malabar Coast|Malabar Coast]], which is located in southern [[Wikipedia:India|India]].
* As [[The Transformers: The Movie|always]] when there's a [[wikipedia:American Top Forty|countdown]] of any kind, it's given to [[Casey Kasem|Cliffjumper]].
* Is Windcharger's line "This must be the place!" a reference to [[wikipedia: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)|the Talking Heads song]] that came out just two years prior? Or would you have to be naive to think that?
* Brawn plays a reverse lifeguard: "Everybody into the pool!"
* ''[[Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
** The sound of an igniting lightsaber is repurposed for Cliffjumper's glass gas beam.
** As Spike flees the battle in Autobot Headquarters, the background laser effects include the sound of the Death Star's turbolasers firing at the Rebel fighters.
** The fritzed-out Autobots get the sound of Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi's lightsabers locking and sparking in their fight aboard the Death Star. The sound is recycled when Spike shorts out Teletraan I a second later.

===Trivia===
*This episode is subtitled "Brainwash" in scripts and other official materials.

*Like "[[More than Meets the Eye (episode)|More than Meets the Eye]]", the mid-80s [[Family Home Entertainment]] VHS release of "The Ultimate Doom" was granted the [[wikipedia:Film Advisory Board|Film Advisory Board]] Award of Excellence, proudly displayed on the video box cover. However, this particular "award" does not reflect the ''quality'' of any work submitted, but rather that the work is "family-friendly". Cheeky, once again!
*This was one of the six episodes featured on the ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' console game.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
[[Image:TransformersVillainsUltimateDoomParts1-3%281984%29.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"I'm such a villain, I even stole this DVD cover."]]
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1985 — ''The Transformers'' — Volume 2: "The Ultimate Doom" ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1996 — ''The Transformers'' — The Ultimate Doom ([[Malofilm]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 1996 — ''Transformers'' — L'Ultime Piège (Malofilm) — French audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2001 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Villains: The Ultimate Doom ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1995 — ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' — Megatron Set ([[TakaraTomy|Takara]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers'' — Decepticon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2001 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Villains: The Ultimate Doom ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Original Series: Volume One ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — First Season Collector's Edition (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2002 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume Three (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 1: Series 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Classic Transformers'' — Series One: Part Two (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Italy.png|20px|Italy]] 2008 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 02: Stagione Uno Parte Seconda ([[Medianetwork Communication]]) — English and Italian audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season One (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_ultimate_doom_part_1.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:Generation 2 episodes]]