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User:Aether

2020-04-05T09:38:11Z

Aether: Blanked the page

User:Aether

2019-06-25T03:18:19Z

Aether: Created page with "i am user on tfwiki.net. I frequently browse for transformer knowledge i am running out of things i dont know. i have a collection of like 30-40 idk i grew up kinda with ani..."

i am user on tfwiki.net.

I frequently browse for transformer knowledge
i am running out of things i dont know.

i have a collection of like 30-40 idk
i grew up kinda with animated (didnt watch tv, im more around prime era but i never saw that on air)

Drift (G1)

2019-05-30T03:40:38Z

Aether:

{{factions|decepticon|autobot}}
{{disambigm|Drift (disambiguation)|Deadlock (disambiguation)}}
{{featured}}
:''Drift is an [[Autobot]] and former [[Decepticon]] from the [[2005 IDW continuity|2005 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:AHM 06 CoverA.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|While you were out partying, I studied THE BLADE.]]
'''Drift''' was not always an Autobot. In fact, he slaughtered quite a few when he was known as the Decepticon '''Deadlock'''. But Deadlock's eyes were opened to what the Transformers' war had become when he stumbled across a lost faction of neutral Transformers long since forgotten. He discarded his ruthless ways, abandoned his guns for swords, and changed his name and appearance.

When Drift returned to the Transformer war to make right what he put wrong, he was a bot of few words and disciplined action. He since went on to be an enthusiastic spiritualist and a self-punishing crusader, all in an attempt to get away from the nasty parts of his personality that are still lurking within him. It doesn't matter what his personality is because with his Decepticon past, Drift isn't well-liked or trusted by [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|a few]] of the Autobots and [[Hellbat (Victory)|some of]] the Decepticons think he's just ''lying'' about having changed. This hits Drift more than you might think because at the end of the day, despite his loner attitude, Drift ''really'' just wants to be part of something.

In addition to the two swords kept in his hip scabbards, Drift carries a legendary [[Great Sword]]. An ancient weapon that predates modern civilization, the Great Sword draws upon the [[spark]] energy of its bearer, and as such must only be used in the most dire of circumstances.

{{quote|We're going about this the wrong way, '''all''' of us! After countless centuries of fighting ... the Autobots are a '''step''' away from what we were when all this '''started.''' And us—the Decepticons have become something '''worse''' than any of us could have '''imagined'''.|Drift explains his new perception of the war to his [[Turmoil|former commander]]|"[[Spotlight: Drift]]"}}

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[All Hail Megatron issue 5|''All Hail Megatron'' #5]]; [[Drift issue 1|''Drift'' #1]] (as Deadlock)}}

[[File:Drift2-renamed.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"Eh....Inferno, tell to Death Blade that if he calling me that again, his name will become DEATH BOT!"]]
Drift was originally a homeless Cybertronian, living on the streets and stealing energon to survive. The hopeless 'bot was befriended by [[Gasket]] {{storylink|Drift issue 2|Drift #2}} but otherwise had no one. During one [[circuit booster|drug trip]] in the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]], he was assaulted by [[Sonic (G1)|Sonic]] and [[Boom]], who were abducting homeless people for money. Drift was rescued by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]], who brought him to [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]'s secret clinic in [[Rodion]]. Ratchet saved Drift's life, and told the young robot that he could achieve great things in his life if he tried— he could just ''tell'' Drift was destined for something special. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}}

Drift would soon learn what that was, after Gasket was killed by Autobot law enforcement after trying to stop them from executing a thief. Drift exploded with rage, grabbed the nearest gun and killed them all. His knack for violence attracted the attention of the Cybertronian underground, who trained Drift as a killer. Amongst this group, Drift realized the level of corruption in the [[Senate]], and a recruitment rally held by [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] drew Drift in with his talk of equality. Megatron singled Drift out of the crowd, claiming to have heard great things of him, and asked him to join the Decepticons to fight for a better Cybertron. Drift agreed and, after being was hailed by the crowd, was renamed Deadlock by Megatron. {{storylink|Drift issue 2|Drift #2}} Drift rose to become the second-in-command of [[Turmoil]], garnering a reputation as a vicious and merciless fighter. {{storylink|Drift issue 1|Drift #1}}

During their time with [[Megatron (RID)|Gigatron]], Turmoil and Deadlock crashed on a desert world and investigated a nearby stone fortress to find a way out. The two of them would go on to massacre the inhabitants before leaving, though not before Deadlock recorded the presence of a Stone Army on the planet. {{storylink|Drift - Empire of Stone issue 2|Empire of Stone #2}} {{storylink|Drift - Empire of Stone issue 3|Empire of Stone #3}}

[[File:Drift1-Deadlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Deadlock prefers to pose so his legs don't block any of the action.]]
Much later, on the planet [[Dabola]], Deadlock led a battalion against an Autobot squadron. The [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Autobots' leader]] called a retreat, and Deadlock's team celebrated. This was spoiled when [[Not Carnivac|one of the soldiers]] pointed out that Deadlock had been ordered to merely observe, and once again had disobeyed orders. When the soldier threatened to inform Turmoil of Deadlock's disobedience, Deadlock killed him. Claiming Turmoil was too cautious and that it was time for new leadership, he called for the other soldiers to follow him, but they summarily captured him and brought him to Turmoil. Turmoil used a stasis lock to trap him in [[robot mode]] and attempted to execute him. Deadlock managed to escape, and after initiating an emergency protocol to cover his escape, stole an escape pod and departed the ship.

Deadlock crashed on an unknown planet. After scaling some, he found a massive structure, but before he could explore, a mysterious cloaked figure appeared, named [[Wing (G1)|Wing]]. Wing offered a deal: help him free the slaves, and he would find Deadlock a ship. Deadlock, introducing himself as "Drift," agreed, but first Drift said he needed guns. Together, they jumped some guards and stole their weapons, however a stray blast stripped Wing of his cloak, revealing him to be Cybertronian. Once they jumped into the complex, Drift automatically fled for the ship, abandoning Wing. Despite this betrayal, when Drift was attacked and nearly killed by one the slavers, Wing brought Drift back with him to a new [[Crystal City]], where he was repaired. {{storylink|Drift issue 1|Drift #1}}

[[File:Drift1-rebuilt.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"We were okay with your old legs. Rest had to go."]]
Wing explained that they were the [[Circle of Light]], a group of Cybertronian scholars and scientists who abandoned the planet during the early days of the war in order to find peace and preserve Cybertron's culture. Wing and Drift were taken to a meeting with Crystal City's leader, [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]. While Drift waited outside, Wing was admonished for bringing a corrupting influence to the city. He was ordered to keep Drift with him at all times. Afterward, Wing brought Drift to an empty room, discarded his swords and asked him what the Decepticon symbol stood for. Drift replied it meant strength, power and conviction, and the belief in the survival of the strongest. Wing offered Drift a chance to earn his freedom by defeating him without guns in combat, but Drift never succeeded. Drift grumbled that he'd never learned to fight without projectile weaponry.

Weeks later, Wing was still dominating Drift. Over time, Drift admitted that Crystal City held everything Drift had ever wanted, while the Decepticons had lost sight of this goal some time ago. Their sparring was interrupted by a summons from Dai Atlas. When they arrived in the control room, he informed them that they had received a coded signal and he thought Drift might be able to translate. Though Drift claimed he could not understand it, that night he snuck out of the city and drove far into the desert. There he met with the slavers, who had used a Decepticon code to offer Drift a deal. The code had been obtained from [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]], a Decepticon sent by Megatron. The deal was simple: hand over the location of the Circle of Light or die. {{storylink|Drift issue 2|Drift #2}}

[[File:Drift4-notdoneyet.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Man, I bet those dumb G2 guys wish they had this kind of endurance.]]
Lockdown reminded "Deadlock" of his high-standing in the Decepticon army. Megatron held Deadlock in high esteem, and by guarding these Transformers Drift stood to lose that. Meanwhile, the head slaver, [[Braid]], required Cybertronian bodies to experiment on, and were willing to take captives from the neutral camp in lieu of Deadlock, in payment for the property he'd damaged earlier. After agreeing to lead the neutral Transformers into an ambush, Drift stumbled back to Crystal City, where he informed the Circle of Light about the pact he'd made with Lockdown and the slavers. Drift argued that they should fight their attackers to preserve their freedom and their way of life, but Dai Atlas sharply disagreed. He would have no fighting at all, even to preserve his own life, and blamed Drift for ruining their civilization. The others did not agree, and supported Drift. A small number of them offered to help fight the slavers while keeping the true number of their population unknown. As they reached the surface with a hastily constructed craft to make it appear as if the Circle of Light had recently crashed there, Drift revealed himself to have been rebuilt head-to-toe to match his new colleagues. With a sword mounted on each hip, Drift announced he was ready. {{storylink|Drift issue 3|Drift #3}}

Soon, Lockdown and the slavers were upon them. After slaying a few of the slavers, Drift realized that he was past the point of no return. Lockdown realized this as well, and asked the former Decepticon why he'd given it all away so easily. "What I've always wanted... the promise of a better Cybertron." But their sparring was interrupted by the death of Wing. Enraged, Drift jumped Braid, Wing's murderer, but he did not accomplish much. He was not as agile a fighter as his late friend, and Braid easily defeated him.

Before the killing blow could be delivered, Crystal City in its entirety rose from the ground, as Wing's death had spurred Dai Atlas into action. With the entirety of the population now fighting the slavers, the tide was quickly turned. Despite his injuries, Drift slew Braid with his Great Sword, while Lockdown, startled at Drift's transformation, cut his losses and left. Though the Circle of Light asked Drift to stay with them, Drift reminded them that he'd promised Wing to return the freed slaves to their homes. Drift was given Wing's Great Sword and given their blessing. {{storylink|Drift issue 4|Drift #4}}

[[File:SpotlightDrift Deadlockisdead.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He's your horrible fancharacter.]]
Some time after leaving Crystal City and returning the slaves, Drift set off to make a difference in the Autobot/Decepticon Civil War. First, he attempted to free a group of Autobots held captive on the ship he'd previously served aboard. Upon entering Turmoil's ship, his attempt at stealth was successful until the [[Wrecker]]s arrived and blasted their way aboard. Jumping into the battle to assist them, he piqued the interest of a few Autobots. [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] was injured as Turmoil entered the battle and, recognizing Drift's voice as that of his former lieutenant, attempted to destroy him. However, his attack only resulted in knocking Drift and [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] to another room. The two quickly worked together to program the ship to overload. In his final confrontation with Turmoil, Drift stated his intention was to help, not kill, and left to rescue Perceptor before the ship blew up.

After his arrival on the Autobot ship, Kup invited Drift to join his new unit as an Autobot. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

[[File:SpotlightDrift-car.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He thinks he's turning Japanese, he thinks he's turning Japanese, he really thinks so.]]
Now a crew member of the spacecraft ''[[Trion]]'', Drift got to know his new teammate [[Blurr (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] over many friendly games of [[Go (game)|Go]]. Perceptor felt he owed a debt to Drift for saving his life, and so devoted much of his time to upgrading himself for more combat-oriented tasks. While Kup discouraged this, Drift stoically accepted Perceptor's new ambitions. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15#"Lost & Found"|Lost & Found}}

They were soon baited into a Decepticon ambush over [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The ''Trion'''s command codes were hacked due to their being sold to the Decepticons by an Autobot traitor, and, left defenseless, it was forced to crash-land on the desolate landscape of the planet. Eventually, the crew were found by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s unit, who unfortunately proved to be ''also'' stranded. When [[Mirage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Mirage]] was revealed by [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] to have been standing invisibly among them, Drift was the only one who didn't appear surprised. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

[[File:Allhailmegatron6-omgdriftomg.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Seriously, you made this guy up when you were eight.]]
When an advance scout of the [[Insecticon swarm]] discovered the Autobots' base camp, Drift was dispatched to take care of it. Drift stood stock-still as the creature walked up to him, greeting it with a simple, smirking "hello" as the monstrous beast snarled in his face. Finally, he beheaded the scout with a single wave of his sword. A second creature tried to attack Drift from behind, but the smirking Autobot merely tilted his head slightly, allowing Perceptor to kill the beast with some precision sniping. [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] thought the incident was the coolest thing ever. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

After Sunstreaker revealed to [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] that he was the traitor, an army of the Swarm came after them. Drift saved Ironhide while Sunstreaker blew up a bridge, killing himself and the Swarm army. Later, Drift visited Ironhide and claimed that the Decepticons had access to the Autobots' systems in a way that Sunstreaker couldn't possibly have. Ironhide asked if this meant there was a second traitor, but Drift replied that there was simply more to the situation than they knew. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

When Mirage was showing some doubt in the Autobot cause, it was Drift who said that, now more than ever, the Autobots should continue being who they are. [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] insinuated that Drift had no right to say something like that, which started an argument that was only stopped by the return of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}}

[[File:Thundercracker Drift.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Another of your ill-timed jokes, Drift??" {{-}}
"... You and I are enemies now."]]
Drift took part in the battle against the Swarm and joined the others in escaping Cybertron in Omega Supreme. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}. On Earth, he battled the Decepticons, and when [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] volunteered to divert the humans' nuclear bomb, Drift attempted to congratulate his former comrade on seeing the light. Thundercracker called him a traitor, slapping Drift's hand away and claiming he was merely following the Decepticons' ''true'' ideal. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

[[File:Drift Drift4drifting.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|The Fast and the Furious: ''Tokyo Me'']]
Two years later, Drift was still with the Autobots, hiding on Earth. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} After Optimus Prime left the Autobots, Drift decided to stay with the larger group, rather than leave with [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] and his fellow defectors. Drift celebrated Bumblebee's election with numerous other Autobots. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

At some point Drift traveled to [[Japan]] and did some drift racing all by himself. {{storylink|Drift issue 4|Drift #4}}

Drift was among the Autobots who confronted [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] and his troops when they crashed their ship in [[Las Vegas]], bringing with them a [[zombie]] invasion. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|Infestation #1}} The Autobots and Decepticons worked together to banish the zombies to the [[Dead Universe]], though Drift himself really just stood silently in the background the whole time. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|Infestation #2}}

Drift listened to [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] tell tales of, presumably, his time in space and accompanied Optimus Prime and many others to Cybertron aboard [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme's]] rocket form. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} Along the way, he and many others tried to listen in on a conversation between Optimus Prime and a captive Megatron. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} Later, Drift accompanied Optimus, Hot Rod, Ironhide, Sunstreaker, and Cliffjumper to Cybertron to confront Galvatron and his army. After a brief skirmish with Galvatron's forces, the landing party returned to the Autobot landing zone. As Drift pointed out that maybe Galvatron was telling the truth and he had been assembling his army for a reason, the Autobots were bathed in a red light... {{storylink| Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}} which turned out to be a blast from the orbiting space station [[Kimia Facility|Kimia]], recently commandeered by Galvatron's forces. Optimus Prime handed out orders to combat this new threat, telling Drift and Sunstreaker to establish a base of operations. After the threat of Kimia had ended, Omega Supreme's rocket landed at this base-camp and Rodimus and Drift set out after Optimus Prime and Ironhide, who had left to locate Galvatron. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}}

[[File:Drift Chaos Part3 Kings.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Thanks to the magical power of [[The Sound of Breaking Glass#Continuity notes|retcon]]... that is the wrong sword.]]
At the crater that Kimia's main weapon had blown into the surface of the planet, Drift accompanied Optimus and the others underground. The Autobots finally intercepted Galvatron and [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and Optimus Prime demanded their surrender. Galvatron claimed that the core of Cybertron had to be destroyed to save the universe, revealing the glowing [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]] within his chest. At this, Drift began spouting gibberish and attacking his comrades in a maddened state, allowing for Galvatron and Jhiaxus to escape. The others attempted to restrain him, but Drift summoned what free will he had left and impaled himself on one of his own blades, much to Ironhide's horror. {{storylink| Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} While Drift survived this, Ironhide told Prime that they'd have to evacuate him immediately for medical attention. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

[[File:TDOOP-Drift.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|There's no 'Cons in Cyberutopia, and the streets are made of Pocky.]]
After recovering, Drift's near-death experience had reawakened his spiritual side. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} Optimus Prime's return to Autobot camp three weeks later brought the discovery of a map inscribed inside the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Drift was consumed with the idea that the map gave directions to [[Cyberutopia]], the home of the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. Despite [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'s insistence that the Knights of Cybertron never existed, Drift maintained that he had heard all about the Knights of Cybertron from Dai Atlas, and that the stories were true. Drift's passion for this discovery inspired Rodimus to assemble a team to leave the planet and find the Knights of Cybertron. {{Storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

At some point, Drift shed his Earth mode and took a more sleek, Cybertronian form for himself. Rodimus tasked himself with recruiting as many Autobots as he could to take off-planet and find the Knights of Cybertron. He was very good at working a crowd, though admittedly Drift wrote all of his speeches. The guy became the nominal third-in-command because, or so Ratchet said, he told Rodimus what he wanted to hear. Ratchet, older and grumpier than the pre-war days, was on the same ship as Drift and ''really'' had it in for him for everything the 'bot he'd saved had done with the life he'd given him. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

Drift himself found a ship for the quest, purchasing the [[Lost Light|U1]] with the help of [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] and [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] for ''one billion'' [[Shanix]] from a group of [[Mortilus]]-worshipping NAILs during the [[Festival of Lost Light]], from which the ship got it's new name, the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}

Before departing, Rodimus and Drift met with Prowl in his office. Prowl asked Rodimus to bring the captive and near-comatose [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] along on the journey, as part of a plan to create [[Phase Sixer]]s for the Autobots. While Drift strongly advised against this course of action, Rodimus was pressured into it by Prowl. Aside from [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] and the [[Duobot]]s, Overlord's presence on board was kept secret from the rest of the crew. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

After boarding their new craft, the ''[[Lost Light]]'', Drift had counted 208 total Autobots on board. (He also complimented Rodimus's latest speech.) Drift asked why [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] appeared displeased (more than usual) with the crew, and Ultra Magnus revealed that he felt most of them were practically criminals. (Drift himself was under high suspicion, though Ultra Magnus didn't say this out loud.) As launch was underway, Drift continued to act as Rodimus's right-hand man, and moments before takeoff, Drift brought to his attention the "[[Whirl (G1)|weapon of mass destruction]]" [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] had apparently brought on board. Something went wrong during takeoff, and the ship [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]]ed before it was ready, placing the ship somewhere random in space, just over a planet. A tear in the hull was expelling Autobots into space, and as the ship stabilized, Drift named off the Autobots they'd lost. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[File:Drift MTMTE2 positiveenergy.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.90|"Before I begin, I should clarify that I am not actually Japa-nese! I am from Daytona Beachiryu!"]]
As recovery efforts were undertaken, Drift radioed Ratchet a status update and also to tell the medical officer to make sure the medibay was "buzzing with positive energy" so those injured were "guaranteed a speedy recovery!". After he had signed off, Ratchet and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] shared their annoyance with Drift's new attitude and...''interesting'' theories about the Knights of Cybertron. Later, when Rodimus was deciding how to address the crew about their current situation, Drift cheerfully suggested he focus on the positive. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

After a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] had thought to have been let loose aboard the ''Lost Light'', Drift accompanied Rodimus' hand-picked team to investigate. As they examined the creature's [[Shock (G1)|first victim]], [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] confirmed that it was indeed a Sparkeater and Drift opined that this was a dark omen and that they were being "punished" for the horrific things that must have happened on the ship before it came into their possession, much to Ratchet's skepticism.

While the others searched for the creature, Rodimus and Drift tried to figure out how the previous owners of the ''Lost Light'' kept the Sparkeater contained. They figured out that the Sparkeater had been trapped in the engine rooms and fed [[turbofox]]es to keep it docile. After the Sparkeater made its way back to the engine rooms, chasing [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], Drift helped Rodimus put his plan to kill the creature into action. Utilizing a second quantum jump, Rodimus managed to stuff the Sparkeater into the ship's engine block, where it died after being fused into the mechanism. Drift was awed by Rodimus' quick-thinking and ingenuity. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

At the "Grand Secret Opening" of [[Swerve's]], Drift shared a drink with Pipes. When the smaller 'bot let on that he was looking for a relationship, Drift offered to introduce him to the similarly diminutive [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]... unaware that Tailgate's future self was invisibly listening in via a 'magic window' in time. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

[[File:Drift killsDent LifeAfterBigBang.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|The purpose of Drift is to flip out and kill sick people.]]
Drift accompanied Ratchet and Pipes on an investigation of the remote medical facility [[Delphi]]. Drift was subjected to repeated verbal barbs from Ratchet along the way, despite his efforts to get along with the medic. Once they had finally reached Delphi, Pipes impulsively rammed through a door that had the universal "plague" symbol on it. They found themselves in a morgue full of Transformers that had died from a mysterious "[[Red Rust]]" virus. When Drift noticed a [[Dent|shambling, disease-ridden Transformer]] approaching Pipes from behind, he sprung into action and dismembered the poor soul, much to Ratchet's outrage.

[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] showed up and explained the situation to them, how five days ago, a mysterious explosion had heralded the outbreak of this rust plague. [[Ambulon]] brought them to [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], who had been accidentally locked in a quarantine room when the explosion went off. Suddenly, Pipes began showcasing the symptoms of the virus and staggered toward them, disoriented and terrified. Pipes began vomiting and leaking from his optics, cornering Drift. Ratchet freed Pharma from the quarantine while telling Drift to non-fatally disable Pipes. Drift managed to slip behind his diseased comrade and knock him out with a blow to the head. Ratchet brought Pipes to the emergency ward, seeking to tend to him. By that time, Drift began to exhibit the symptoms as well, assuming he'd been infected by Pipes. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}

[[File:Drift Sparkles Post Hoc.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.6|I sparkle because I'm too beautiful for everything.]]
While being tended to by Ratchet, Drift recalled the [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|time in Rodion before the war]] when the Autobot medic had also been trying to save his life. Drift asked Ratchet to put him out of his misery in the event that the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] showed up, despite having earlier claimed that he wasn't afraid of them. When Pharma was revealed as a traitor, Ratchet had a confrontation with his former friend on Delphi's roof. The stricken Drift made his way up there and managed to save Ratchet from being shot in the back by chopping off Pharma's hands. With Ratchet having obtained a vaccine for the Red Rust virus from Pharma, Drift and the other victims were soon cured. Drift returned to the ''Lost Light'' along with the survivors. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

After the ''Lost Light'' was impacted by a discarded thumb from Metroplex, and was subsequently repaired, Drift attended an award ceremony honoring Brainstorm, Chromedome, and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] for their part in saving the ship. He chatted with Rodimus during the celebration, until Whirl and Trailbreaker drew Rodimus's attention. Later, Drift along with nearly everyone on board of the ''Lost Light'' were frozen in place due to one of Brainstorm's experimental weapons accidentally going off. After he recovered, he was awarded a Rodimus Star "for exceptional endurance in the face of adversity." {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

Drift reported to Rodimus and Ultra Magnus that [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] had locked himself in Rung's office. He was the first to notice both when Rung stared at the camera, and when he tapped on his model of the Ark. After the hostage situation had been resolved, Drift complimented Rodimus on the eulogy he gave for the gravely-injured Rung, even though he hadn't written that particular speech. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:Drift Theophany MTMTEAnnual.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|A fabulous secret [[Titan (group)|Titan]] was revealed to Drift the day he held aloft his magic sword and said...]]
En route to [[Theophany]], Drift helped Rodimus prepare for Tailgate's [[Act of Affiliation]] ceremony, and politely pointed out his overuse of the phrase "[['Til all are one]]". When Ultra Magnus interrupted and expressed concern over a lack of radio contact with the Circle Of Light, Drift argued that they knew how to take care of themselves. Later at the ceremony, Rodimus inscribed a message in [[Cybertronian language|Old Cybertronian]] on Tailgate's chest instead of branding him with the Autobot sigil. Drift supposed that it was caused by some sort of possession, which was quickly dismissed by Ratchet as "complete and utter guff".

The ceremony was further interrupted by the arrival of the [[Galactic Council]]'s ship, ''[[The Benign Intervention]]''. Its [[K'gard|captain]] informed them that Theophany was deserted, much to Drift's disbelief. After some red-tape wrangling from Ultra Magnus, Drift and a group of others were allowed to teleport to the planet's surface, where they found Crystal City ruined and abandoned. Confused and agitated, a despairing Drift snapped at [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] and decked Whirl after the latter mocked him. He attempted to call out to any of the denizens of Crystal City, but when there was no response, Drift drove one of his swords into the ground in frustration. The ground gave way and sent the Autobots plunging underground, where they found [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], a slumbering [[Titan (group)|Titan]]. This discovery led [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] to share his [[Guiding Hand|myth of creation]], which triggered a theological debate between Drift and Ratchet, culminating in Drift pulling his sword on Ratchet. Rodimus took Drift for a walk to cool him down, where Drift reaffirmed his faith in Rodimus.

After Chromedome's mnemosurgery reawakened the Titan and made it fire its eye-beams at the ''Benign Intervention'', Drift was among those dispatched to fight off the Galactic Council's troops. The Titan eventually teleported Drift and the others back onto the ''Lost Light'', which then quantum-jumped to safety. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

A few days later, Drift and other crew members aided Rewind in helping heal Rung's dormant mind by telling his part in a story of past events. Drift elaborated on the time in Rodion when he was rescued by Orion Pax and treated by Ratchet, being sure to antagonize Ratchet by claiming he had uttered religious praises during that time. All the while, he was being pestered by calls from Rodimus, who finally ordered Drift to meet him in the oil reservoir. Drift arrived there just in time to see [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] recover Red Alert's headless body from the reservoir. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}}

[[File:Ultra Magnus-Cyclonus-Rodimus and Drift.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.95|Of ''course'' Drift wants to get at the ''{{w|oni}}''-looking guy...]]
After the suspected assailant Cyclonus was sent to their makeshift interrogation room, Drift conducted a very hostile interrogation, pointing his sword at Cyclonus in a threatening manner. (Ultra Magnus later suggested Drift's overly enthusiastic interrogation was an unfortunate attempt to impress Rodimus.) The attempt didn't work, as Cyclonus quickly swatted the sword away and smashed Drift into a table. Rodimus and Ultra Magnus were forced to intervene and break the two of them up. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} First Aid soon discerned that Red Alert's "accident" was actually a suicide attempt, and Ultra Magnus suggested that the troubled security chief should be left in stasis until they could revive him in a less stressful environment. Rodimus railed against this, but when Drift agreed with Magnus, he sadly acquiesced. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

The crew of the ''Lost Light'' intervened on [[Temptoria]], where a group of Decepticons had invaded and subjugated the local populace. A fierce battle erupted on the planet's surface, in which Drift cut down [[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]] and [[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]. He also interrupted Rodimus' battle with [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snap Trap]], shoving a sword through the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]]'s face. Rodimus chided him for butting in, but Drift protested that "the ones with swords" were his to fight. {{storylink|Before & After}} In the aftermath of the fight, Drift and Brainstorm revealed to Chromedome that Overlord was aboard, hidden in a specially-constructed room beneath the ship, and the [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] agreed to interface with the dormant Phase-Sixer to learn the secret of his power. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}}

[[File:Aquafend swerve drift cybertronian homesick blues.jpg|thumb|left|]]
Drift was teaching Rodimus how to use a sword, forging a deeper friendship with his captain, when a possible security situation interrupted. However, it merely turned out to be Cyclonus singing loudly to Tailgate. Swerve asked Drift if he wanted to be ''his'' roommate but Drift, claiming to prefer solitude, declined. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} Drift was among those interviewed by Rewind for his documentary on life aboard the ''Lost Light''. When [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] arrived on the ship seeking aid, Rodimus trotted Drift out as an accomplishment of his, claiming he had "rehabilitated" the ex-Decepticon. Drift was puzzled by Rodimus' claims, but impressed by Thunderclash, who greeted him respectfully and in accordance with his religious beliefs. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

[[File:Drift Overlord UnderColdBlueStars.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|left|This can only end well!]]
During a mnemosurgery session, Chromedome was outsmarted by Overlord, who obtained from the Autobot's memory the security codes to his cell that Drift provided. Drift was one of the first Autobots to fight the escaped Overlord outside of the medibay, urging Ratchet to lock himself in. But Ratchet chose to stand with his "friend" and sealed them outside the room. By the time reinforcements arrived, Overlord had severed both of Drift's legs and badly beaten Ratchet. Drift radioed the ship's brig to release Fortress Maximus, but not before his Great Sword was used by Overlord to mortally-wound Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}}

After Overlord had been jettisoned from the ''Lost Light'', Rodimus announced an inquiry to be held, knowing full well who was responsible for the Phase Sixer's presence on the ship. Drift offered to take full blame for the incident, protecting the identities of the other conspirators. He explained to Rodimus that he had a vision back on Cybertron, after he had impaled himself outside of Vector Sigma's chamber. Drift felt sure that Rodimus was essential to finding the Knights of Cybertron and couldn't let him out himself as having knowledge of the Overlord conspiracy. A hesitant and sorrowful Rodimus agreed and "furiously" stripped Drift of his Autobot symbol, exiling him from the ship. As he walked towards [[Drift's shuttle|the shuttle]] prepared for him, Drift was knocked down by a piece of debris hurled by an angry crew member. Ratchet helped him up, and Drift departed the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

[[File:mtmte39 tarn sees drift.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Oi oi OI! Are you looking at me bird?!]]

Eighteen months from the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s launch, the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]] had listed Drift as deceased. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}} The deceased Drift was actually part of a quantum duplicated ''Lost Light'' created by the initial accident at launch. When the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] arrived there to kill Overlord, the presence of Drift—another one on their List—caused them to go on a massive kill spree. Drift died first, killed along with Ratchet and Hound by [[Helex (DJD)|Helex]]. When Megatron later found their corpses an inspection of Drift allowed him to determine who had attacked the ship. {{storylink|The Permanent Revolution}} {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

[[File:Empire of Stone 2 Drift Ratchet where is this coming from.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|"You look terrible." "Thank you." "So you agree? You think you look terrible?"]]

Meanwhile, the original Drift was defending planets across the outer rim from rogue Decepticons. He'd been left battered by all the fighting, fights made harder as he'd promised to never kill again, but was neglecting to get himself repaired. While handing [[Grit (G1)|Grit]] over to the [[Galactic Council]], he ran into Ratchet: all of the truth of Drift's departure had come out now and the medic had come to take him home. Drift refused. Ratchet stubbornly stuck with him while he tracked down the main Decepticon army—right to the desert planet he'd discovered centuries ago. Both Autobots and Grit were shot down by the army and Drift found himself defending Grit from being killed for suspected treason.

The leader of the army turned out to be Drift's old boss Gigatron {{storylink|Drift - Empire of Stone issue 1|Empire of Stone #1}} who was ignoring the war had ended and was trying to find the Stone Army "Deadlock" had mentioned before. Drift, who knew the army wasn't hidden in the first place, refused until Ratchet's life was threatened and the three bots ended up in the cells. Ratchet's plan to get out was for Drift to pretend to be injured so the guard would open the cell—it was a ''very'' lame attempt but luckily the guard was a friend of Grit. As the robots escaped, Drift tried and failed to get Grit not to kill [[Hellbat (Victory)|Hellbat]] for slighting him: the Decepticon said he was sure in himself and his path in life, and didn't want the man projecting his own issues onto him. The Autobots carried on and found Gigatron hadn't found the army because Hellbat was hiding it from him {{storylink|Drift - Empire of Stone issue 2|Empire of Stone #2}} so he could use them himself to ''kill everything'', having decided to embrace the only thing he believed the Transformers were any good at. When Drift protested that he'd vowed never to kill again, Hellbat sneered and pointed to all the dead monks "Deadlock" had killed years ago.

[[File:Empire of Stone 4 Drift Gigatron FASTBALL SPECIAL.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|SUPERMAN WHEEEEE]]
A battle broke out and Drift found himself fought to a standstill by [[Vanquish (G1)|Vanquish]] before Hellbat activated the Stone Army. Rather than alert Cybertron, Drift felt they had to stop the army here and now and he turned to Gigatron for aid. {{storylink|Drift - Empire of Stone issue 3|Empire of Stone #3}} Together, the Autobots and Decepticons tore through the golems. Drift took the fight to Hellbat (after Gigatron used "maneuver seven", ''throwing'' Drift at Hellbat) and was goaded into killing him. Instead, the Autobot ripped the Stone Army's control device from him... at which point Gigatron went for him and no amount of reasoning could get Gigatron to stand down. Forced to defend himself, Drift dropped the device and Hellbat retrieved it.

Gigatron and Hellbat would kill each other, taking the Stone Army with them, while Drift and Ratchet escaped. When the medic again tried to get Drift back to the ''Lost Light'', the swordsman said he'd spent his whole life struggling to belong to ''something'' but only ever joined as a killer, and the Hellbat affair just reiterated that he didn't want to live a life where all he could offer was death. Ratchet rephrased the offer: instead of coming back as an Autobot, he should come back as his ''friend''. {{storylink|Drift - Empire of Stone issue 4|Empire of Stone #4}}

[[File:YourFierceTears-RatchetDrift.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Oh Drift-chan, you smell awesome, and not at all like feet!"]]
The two Autobots upgraded their bodies over the course of their adventures and Drift began sporting a facial tattoo in honour of the deceased Dai Atlas.<ref>[https://twitter.com/markerguru/status/716702702416355328 Alex Milne (@markerguru) on Twitter, clarifying the visual, 3 April 2016]</ref> They eventually ran back into the ''Lost Light'' crew, or some of them, after a mutiny had stranded Megatron, Rodimus, and their assumed loyalists on [[Necroworld|the Necrobot's planet]] and [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] had put out a call for help. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|Your Fierce Tears}} In a blaze of action, they saved the robot [[Ten]] from a Decepticon mauling! {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|The Sun in Flight}} They very quickly found the Decepticons were a bigger deal than most of their foes and were nearly overrun until Drift spotted how [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] of the D.J.D. was ''really'' protective of "the Pet", a '[[domestication|domesticated]]' beast-mode Transformer. Drift swiftly took "the Pet" hostage, giving them a chance to escape to the Autobot's fortress.

There, Rodimus and Drift had a long overdue discussion. Drift wanted to know ''why'' Rodimus hadn't come looking for him after revealing the truth to the crew, and Rodimus admitted it was out of fear he would hate him. Drift accepted Rodimus's sincere apology—Rodimus pleaded that he ignore his words and focus on his aura, eye colour, or any means Drift had claimed he could 'see', which Drift just smiled at—but doubted his belief that they can all make it out of their present situation alive. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|Your Fierce Tears}} Indeed, Drift even arranged it with Rewind that everyone could record their last wishes and how they wanted their bodies disposed of, to broadcast into space as an act of catharsis and closure. He witnessed very little catharsis when Chromedome almost died trying [[mnemosurgery]] on "the Pet" in front of him and, when the "Pet" was revealed by Rewind to be ''the lost [[Dominus Ambus]]'', he had his sword stolen by Rewind to kill Ambus before Chromedome could die.

When sunrise came, the Decepticons attacked. Rodimus embraced Drift and the others and thanked them for travelling with him, before the group charged into battle. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} Drift and the crew survived for some time in fight with the hundreds of Decepticons thanks to the temporary [[Outlier (group)|outlier]] powers they cooked up, but soon they began to tire. When Megatron finally took to the field of battle, the others retreated back to the fortress. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} Drift was present as the DJD were brought down and the Disappeared released from stasis under the Necrobot's citadel. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}

Drift had succeeded in getting Rodimus to convert to [[Spectralism]], but he was concerned about the ramifications of Rodimus's new paint job, signifying the severity of his intentions towards Getaway. Also, Drift experienced a curious vision when he touched one of the newly-awakened Disappeared named [[Anode]]. He saw [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]], [[Worldsweeper]]s of the [[Phantom Fleet]], and crystals that rained from the sky as [[Sparkeater (creature)|sparkeaters]] emerged from threadbare space, all surrounded by the words "Prepare. Confront. Repel." over and over again.

...so anyway, Brainstorm constructed a teleportation "den" to send some of the group back to Cybertron to find transport for the rest of them. When they arrived, however, Cybertron was undeniably changed. Rewind soon recognized it as the [[Functionist Universe]], the alternate history that overlapped on his database when Brainstorm used his time case. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|Some Other Cybertron}} [[Twelve-of-Twelve]] captured Drift and the others as suspected members of the revolutionary [[Anti-Vocationist League]]. The real AVL arrived and caused a distraction for the crew to escape. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|Anomie}} Drift and his friends were matter transported to "Cyberutopia", the sanctuary city of [[Kalis|Adaptica]] ruled by the rogue Functionist [[Nine-of-Twelve]]. They learned that in this reality Rung was hailed by the AVL as the "Useless One" for his alt mode that apparently stood in defiance of Primus and Functionism. Unfortunately, the Functionist Council chose that day to reveal they had discovered Rung's true use as a mining tank, allowing them to access [[Vector Sigma]] which had been sealed off by the Senate millennia ago. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 3: A World Misplaced|A World Misplaced}}

Drift and the others traveled to Vector Sigma to confront the Council and rescue Rung. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|Bad Moon Rising}} They succeeded and stole the Council's flying base, the Cog, to make their way back to Cyberutopia. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|Modes of Production}} With the help of teleport technology in a weaponized Luna-2 and wand-tech Brainstorm recovered from [[Killmaster]] on Necroworld, they transported the entire world back from the Functionist Universe to their original one. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

The crew prepared to continue their quest for the real Cyberutopia, and for revenge on Getaway and the mutineers. A Decepticon corpse named [[Skip]] was modified and mass-displaced to form a passable space craft, and so Drift and the others pressed on. {{storylink|After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|After Megatron}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[File:IAmOptimusPrime-Drift.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|He makes it so hard to like him and then he does this. So confused!]]
Drift was [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s friend and always let his actions speak louder than words. When the Autobots arrived on Earth, he hid himself in a lake. Upon Optimus's order, he transformed into his car mode to roll out. Later, when the Decepticons attacked, he pushed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] over a tripwire held by some of the Autobots' [[human|human allies]]. {{storylink|I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
A [[nano-virus]] infected the population of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] bar the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s and [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s. The former Decepticon Drift was able to force off, or at least hold off, the effects of the nano-virus, so he was charged with guarding the city unaided while the other immune Autobots left to retrieve a cure from [[Nebulos]]. When [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] returned with the anti-virus, Drift was in attendance when Optimus Prime praised the Targetmaster. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}
{{--}}

===IDW ''Angry Birds'' Transformers comic===
[[File:ABTF1 Drift.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|"Wait, this ''is'' a movie universe story, right?"]]
Drift was aboard Optimus Prime's ship transporting the [[AllSpark]] when it came under Decepticon attack. He and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] tried to stop [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] as the Air Commander chased [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], but Starscream slipped straight past them. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}}
{{--}}

===Wars manga===
[[File:TrainWars Drift.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|G1 body, movie colors!]]
When [[The Fallen]] attacked [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the hopes of merging with [[Vector Sigma]], [[Overdrive]] sought additional help using the power of his [[Quantum Dial]]. Further empowering the dial with the help of the Oracle, Overdrive reached across space and time to recruit a black-colored Drift and other inter-dimensional warriors. {{storylink|Train Wars}} The Fallen assumed a combination form, however, and managed to impale Drift and the reinforcements using energy spikes. [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], the [[Trainbot]]s, the [[Sixtrain|Train Team]], and the [[Sixliner|Liner Team]] soon arrived to turn the tide, and the Fallen was ultimately defeated. In the aftermath, Drift was returned home by the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. {{storylink|Train Wars 2}}
{{-}}

===''Cloud''===
[[File:Cloud Deadlock Fury.jpg|thumb|]]
The Deadlock of [[Cloud World]] was recruited to the Decepticons by [[Megatron (G1)#Cloud|Megatron]] himself, and quickly came to revel in his own blood-thirst on the battlefield. But after one of his missions, [[Lockdown (G1)#Cloud|Lockdown]] informed him that he had botched their objective by slaughtering ''too many'' Autobots, and beat him down to discipline him. Deadlock swore to kill Lockdown himself for this indignity. {{storylink|Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Awakening (Cloud)|Awakening}} {{storylink|Eagerness}} {{storylink|Lightwave}} {{storylink|Metamorphosis (Cloud)|Metamorphosis}} {{storylink|Overwhelm}} {{storylink|Concealment}} {{storylink|Struggle}} {{storylink|Fury (Cloud)|Fury}} {{storylink|Transcendence}} }}

[[File:Lockdown and Deadlock.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''Baka deshi!'']]
Deadlock took part in a mission to the 15-[[OGSS World|OGSS]] Spacetime. He and his comrades attacked the human/Autobot facility [[Space Bridge T.R.2]], but the Autobots of Cloud World arrived on the scene in response. After [[Shockwave (G1)#Cloud|Shockwave]] had gathered the data he needed, the Cloud World Decepticons retreated. {{storylink|Transformers Cloud (issue)|Transformers Cloud}}

Some time later, after having fought many battles across many dimensions, Deadlock wound up alone in a barren wasteland, having been separated from his unit by a spatiotemporal storm. Wandering about, he came upon [[Go Prime]] kneeling in defeat before [[Grand Scourge]]... and Lockdown's carcass strewn on the ground nearby. Enraged, Deadlock charged Grand Scourge, but found himself to be thoroughly outclassed. Deadlock only managed to avoid being cut down by grabbing hold of a nearby blade to block his opponent's retaliatory attack. Grand Scourge then lost interest and walked off to find his real target, and Deadlock made a new vow, to track down his new opponent and kill ''him'' instead. {{storylink|Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock}}

[[File:Grand Scourge versus Deadlock.jpg|thumb|right|250px|I'm no longer Deadlock, I'm Drift<br>
*tips fedora*<br>
I'm not affiliated with either faction<br>
*draws katanas*<br> ]]
Getting his hands on [[SARA]], Deadlock used her powers to flee to the [[Legends Universe]], where he was surprised that the local [[Waspinator (BW)#Transformers Legends comic|Waspinator]] knew of him. Realizing that all dimensions existed as fictional stories in this dimension, he took to gathering information by consuming their media, and was surprised to find that Transformers throughout the multiverse were extremely similar to their Cloud World counterparts. The [[Zamojin (species)|Zamojin]], creators of the Legends world, then possessed SARA and told Deadlock that he and his compatriots were not the original Transformers, but copies based on beings from other universes. Deadlock was outraged by this concept as it suggested that he was fated to become an Autobot like the "original" Deadlock, and defiantly proclaimed that his fate was his to decide. On the recommendation of [[Skids (G1)#Quantum Operative|Skids]], another interdimensional visitor, he then ended the Zamojin control of SARA by unleashing her powers and opening a gate back to Cloud World, where he lost her to the Autobots. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Deadlock)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

Bound for some unknown reason, Deadlock was one of many Transformers from across the multiverse observed by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]. {{storylink|Cybertron Magna Convoy}}

{{-}}

===''Q-Transformers'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Tomoaki Maeno]] (Japanese)}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Road to Winning a New Fanbase}}}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Legends''===
After falling out with his commanding officer, the Decepticon Deadlock found himself on an unfamiliar planet. He encountered the [[Circle of Light]], who helped him defeat [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]] and some local miscreants, and as a result Deadlock changed his name to Drift and joined up with the Circle in their journey to find a peaceful home. {{storylink|Circle of Light (Legends)|Circle of Light}}

At some point Drift joined the Autobot army. Catching wind of a [[Quintesson]] plot to disrupt the [[Galactic Olympics|Galactic Games]], Drift teamed up with [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] to enter the games as a team, and succeeded in uncovering and stopping [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]]. {{storylink|The Galactic Games}}

Drift and his team had to speed a vital component to a power station to prevent it from exploding, and they made it, despite interference from [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]]. {{storylink|Rushdown Road}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsDrift.jpg|thumb|400px|left]]
Drift participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Rare character that could be recruited by collecting 90 units of Cybermetal, 45 units of Transmetal, and 25 support cores. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[file:TransformersEarthWarsDrift.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|Ryūjin no ken o Kurae.... wait. Wrong game. Whoops.]]

{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Out of Control}}
Optimus told Drift to just observe and not engage.
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Double-Crossed}}

Drift came in response when Optimus and Megatron's truce at the movies went _____ and freaked out the cinemagoers. [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] came in tow and started taunting him. Drift retorted he would prefer to play his director's cut. He then taunted if Barricade was ready for his closeup with all the cellphone cameras around. Drift then said to catch him if he can. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Direct the Dialogue 2}}

When Optimus learned that the Decepticons were trawling alternate realities for reinforcements, he decided he needed someone with stealth and total commitment to the mission, and commanded Hot Rod to summon drift, in spite of his mistrust. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Event Horizon}} Drift was _____ that the Autobots still mistrust him behind the mask of acceptance. Just then Grimlock told him Optimus wanted him for a secret mission, and Hot Rod explained that this was his shot to prove his allegiance.

Optimus informed him on the Decepticon's' multi-universal recruitment drive. Drift asked why they sent one asset instead of an army, and Perceptor explained because of the massive energy expenditure needed to penetrate the Multiversal Membrane, solo is the only option. Drift followed Barricade to an alternate universe with endless fighting. Barricade taunted him before fighting him head-on. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Outlaws}}

Drift tried to prevent Barricade from tagging an Autobot when they were suddenly bombarded with missiles. He remarked [[Live-action film series|nothing makes sense and he's losing the plot]]. Barricade tagged his cross-dimensional beacon on the universe's Lockdown, but nothing happened. As if a [[Shroud|god-like force]] was making the alternate universe untouchable. Just then Hun-Gurrr rammed into Barricade, much to Drift's surprise, and the two 'cons teleported to another universe. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Critcial Mass}}

Drift arrived in [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|a garish universe]] too late to stop Barricade and Hun-Gurrr from departing, but [[Optimus Prime (G1)|the local Optimus Prime]] appeared and commanded him to identify himself. Drift subsequently asked Laser Optimus for help against the 'Cons, to which the heroic [[Laser Rod]] agreed. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Worlds Collide}}

*'''Class''': Warrior
*'''Lowest Star Rating''' 2 star
*'''Weapons:''' Drift leaps on a target and then attacks with his swords.
*'''Ability: Essence Theft:''' Drift rushes at a target for a draining strike, and heals him for double the amount of damage inflicted.
**'''Cost:''' 4 ability points +2 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:drift| Drift at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{charstubgame|Fill in the Blanks}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[File:Generations Drift toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Forgive me master, i have to go all out.... just this once...]]
*'''Autobot Drift''' (Deluxe Class, 2010)
**''Accessories'': Left & right "dual swords", greatsword

:''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Drift transforms into a cross between a {{w|Nissan Silvia#S15|Nissan Silvia S15}} and a {{w|Mitsubishi FTO}}. In [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], Drift's two shorter "dual swords" store inside his doors (which double as his hip sheaths during [[robot mode]]), while the larger sword stores in a set of grooves on the underside of his vehicle (also used in robot mode). It can also be stored (in robot mode) in the doors where the windows fold up. Behind his windshield kibble is his pre-Earth chest design, in a nod to the form Drift had been seen in almost exclusively at the time of the toy's unveiling. Due to his ball jointed wrists, Drift is one of the few Transformers figures that can hold a sword with a two-handed grip. Left unmentioned in the instructions is that the clip that holds his large sword is on a small concealed arm that allows the sword to move away from his back and out of the way of his legs and shoulders. Drift's swords are made from a kid-friendly flexible material, and therefore care must be taken to avoid warping. His hand holes are slightly larger than 5 mm, but taper toward the bottom.

:While Drift's Earth mode designs showed him sporting the katakana ドリフト (''Dorifuto'') on his car doors, the toy instead sports the kanji 侍 (''samurai''). The large sword sports the kanji 天下無双 (''tenka musō'', "peerless under heaven", or just "peerless" if you're not feeling idiomatic. It can also mean "armed under providence").

:Drift's mold was [[retool]]ed into ''Generations'' [[Blurr (G1)/toys#Generations|Blurr]] and was [[redeco]]ed, with Blurr's pistols also being included, into [[Drift (SG)#Toys|''Shattered Glass'' Drift]].

:When his eyes are lit up, he has two visible pupils that follow you when you turn him. Freaky.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Autobot/Drift/drift.htm More information on Autobot Drift at TFU.info]''
{{GenerationsDriftMold}}

===United===
[[File:United AutobotDrift toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I am the white void, I am the cold steel, I am the just sword, with blade in hand I shall reap the sins of this world and cleanse it in the fires of destruction! I am Drift, the end has come!]]
*'''Autobot Drift''' ([[December 25]], 2010)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''UN-08'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right "dual swords", greatsword

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers United]]'' toys, the [[TakaraTomy]] release of "Autobot Drift" is cast in a brighter white plastic, a cooler gray, and features more paint applications in vehicle mode, and on his head, arms and chest to make him more accurate to his comic book appearances. The light red of the Hasbro version is now more crimson in color and the sword's gray is slightly altered from the Hasbro release.
{{GenerationsDriftMold}}
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===Age of Extinction===
[[File:AOEGenerationstoy-DeluxeDrift.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Sensei!"]]
*'''Autobot Drift''' (Deluxe Class, 2014)
**''Accessories:'' Two daggers, two swords
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''AD23'''
{{note|''Age of Extinction'' [[Drift (AOE)#Age of Extinction|Drift]] was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as Generation 1 Drift in the IDW Angry Birds comic.}}

:Part of the second wave of ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' Deluxe Class toys, this figure of Drift features a more complex transformation and a much more [[Articulation|articulated]] and proportionate robot mode. He comes with two daggers and two swords, all of which he can wield via [[5 mm post]]. All four of his weapons can store on his roof/back in various ways in robot mode, while in vehicle mode his daggers store beneath the roof and his swords store on the underside of the car.

:A variant of Drift that apparently shipped with [[wave]] 2.5 (which also included [[Lockdown (ROTF)#Generations|Lockdown]]) adds black [[paint operation]]s to the front vents. The two versions can be distinguished by the manufacturing date codes stamped into their cardbacks.<ref name="delvariant">[http://www.allspark.com/content/2014/09/age-of-extinction-drift-variant/ Age of Extinction Drift Variant] at The Allspark.</ref>

{{-}}

===Q-Transformers===
[[File:QTransformers Drift.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Are you sure this is the guy who's supposed to flip out and kill sick people?]]
*'''Drift''' ([[June 27]], [[2015]])
**''ID number:'' '''QT-22'''

:''[[Q-Transformers]]'' Drift is a redeco and retool of [[Sunstreaker (G1)#Q-Transformers|QT-12 Sunstreaker]], transforming into a [[super deformed]] Mazda RX-7 FD3S (though as a Sunstreaker redeco, his feet are sculpted to resemble the hood of a Lamborghini Countach). His head features some inspiration from [[Drift (AOE)|''Age of Extinction'' Drift]]'s design, namely the golden crest and samurai helmet neckguard.
{{-}}

===Kre-O===
{{anchor|KreonTripleChanger}}
*'''Autobot Drift''' (Kreon Triple Changer, <s>2015</s>)
**''Accessories'': 2 swords, Slipstream & Jetstorm Kreons

:Kreon Triple Changer Autobot Drift mooshes all the incarnations of Drift into one form! This built-up Kreon transforms from robot to sportscar to helicopter, ''without'' needing to be disassmebled. His general appearance is based on Generation 1 Drift, his altmodes come from [[Drift (AOE)|''Age of Extinction'' Drift]], and of course his micro-Kreon Mini-Con partners [[Slipstream (RID)#Kre-O|Slipstream]] and [[Jetstorm (RID)#Kre-O|Jetstorm]] hail from [[Drift (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Drift]].

:Drift (along with [[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#KreonTripleChanger|Blitzwing]]) was shown at [[Toy Fair 2015]], but no accounts of it seeing release in any market have ever surfaced.
{{canceledtoy}}

{{-}}

===Legends===
[[File:E-Hobby-Transformers-Legends-Deadlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Bot-tousai the Mechslayer.]]
*'''Deadlock''' (March 2016)
**''ID number:'' '''LG EX'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right pistols, rifle, greatsword

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Deadlock is a redeco of ''Generations'' Deluxe Class Drift in his black, red, purple, and gold Deadlock color scheme as seen in the ''[[The Transformers: Drift|Drift]]'' miniseries and ''[[Transformers Cloud|Cloud]]'' comics / text stories. He comes with his greatsword in black and replaces the two smaller swords with the two pistols and rifle from the Blurr version of the mold, which can combine into a sniper rifle with a bipod (or a triple-barreled rifle). He features Blurr's minor retooling of his inner doors in order to accommodate the pistols in robot mode. Deadlock is an [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive and comes with two comics, "[[Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock]]" and a [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Deadlock)|volume EX]] of the ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends: Bonus Edition]]'' comic.
{{GenerationsDriftMold}}

==Merchandise==
===Flame Toys===
====Kuro Kara Kuri====
[[File:FlameToysDrift.jpg|thumb|]]
*'''Drift''' (December 2017)
**''Accessories'': Great Sword, Great Sword scabbard, 2 small swords, 2 small scabbards, 2 cape parts, 3 faces, 14 hands, helmet armor (exclusive)

:Produced by [[Flame Toys]] as part of their ''Kuro Kara Kuri'' line, Drift is a detailed non-transforming action figure featuring [[die-cast]] parts and LEDs in his head, chest, shoulders and legs. He comes with a selection of alternate hands, three faces with different expressions (stoic, snarling and shouting), his Great Sword, two smaller swords, and a tattered cape based on the one worn by [[Wing (G1)|Wing]] in [[Drift issue 1|''Drift'' #1]]. The Great Sword features a gimmick where pushing in the handle transforms the hilt, causing it to splay out into a crossguard and changing the gem's color from white to blue. If purchased via D4toys.com, SEN-TI-DEN Hong Kong, or events attended by Flame Toys, Drift also includes additional samurai-inspired helmet armor that can be displayed with or without a visor.

{{-}}

====Furai Model====
*'''Drift''' (20??)

:To be part of the ''Furai Model'' line, this Drift will be a non-transforming model kit, vastly less expensive than the above Kuro Kara Kuri figure.
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Notes==
*Commenting on what inspired him to create Drift, writer/creator [[Shane McCarthy]] said that "I wanted a character in AHM that had a particular element to him that I didn't see readily available elsewhere and secondly because, frankly, I thought it would be a great idea for Hasbro to have an Autobot Drift racer."<ref>[http://www.smactalk.com.au/?p=101 Shane McCarthy blogs about Spotlight: Drift.]</ref> He later said he wanted to show what'd happen [[:Category:Turncoats|if a former Decepticon became an Autobot]].<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=11723 Podcast interview with Shane McCarthy]</ref> Drift's Japanese overtones are meant to be a tip of the hat "to the country that gave birth to [''Transformers'']."<ref>[http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18585 Comic Book Resources October 27th, 2008 interview with Shane McCarthy]</ref>
*Drift's name is derived from the Japanese driving technique of "{{w|Drifting (motorsport)|drifting}}," rendered in Japanese as ドリフト走行 (''dorifuto sōkō''). This is also the source of the {{w|katakana}} in Chris Ryall's announcement;<ref>[http://ryalltime.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-post.html "ドリフト走行*" entry in Chris Ryall's blog]</ref> it is a transliteration of his English name and is not from Japanese fiction.
*Discarded [http://guidoarts.deviantart.com/art/DRIFT-early-sketches-93573360 body designs] and [http://guidoarts.deviantart.com/art/DRIFT-early-head-sketches-93574266 head designs] for Drift can be found on [http://guidoarts.deviantart.com Guido Guidi's DeviantArt page.]
*[[IDW Publishing]] initially claimed that Drift had been solicited by [[Hasbro]] to receive a toy in the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' line. This may have been premature, as it was followed several months later with a denial, albeit from Hasbro's Australian offices.<ref>[http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=3438 Ozformers Q&A with Hasbro Australia]</ref> This was rebutted by IDW editor [[Chris Ryall]] at [[New York Comic Con]] 2009, denied again in the March 2009 Hasbro Q&A for Seibertron.com,<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/hasbro-answers-seibertrons-questions/15360 Hasbro March 2009 Q&A on Seibertron.com]</ref> and finally acknowledged by Hasbro at [[BotCon 2009]] when early design sketches were unveiled for Drift's toy. The toy itself was first shown at [[Toy Fair 2010]].
*As may be surmised from this page's captions, the large amount of hype surrounding Drift's initial introduction—along with perceptions that he was little more than a stereotypical badass fan-created character with Japanese samurai/ninja stereotypes added in for maximum awesomeness—led to a considerable backlash against the character when he was first announced. The hype included not only his own ''Spotlight'' issue, followed later by a four-issue mini-series, but also an appearance in "[[I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime]]", a book intended to advertise the ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' toys... whose ranks don't actually include a Drift figure. The character's actual appearances in fiction, however, have not spawned nearly as much vitriol, and the later (re)interpretation by author [[James Roberts]] actually resulted in many a fan changing their opinion of the character.
[[File:TFGenerations2014 Rejected Black Drift.jpg|thumb]]
*A mock-up of a black redeco of ''Generations'' Drift based on his [[Drift (AOE)|''Age of Extinction'' counterpart]]'s colors appeared in ''[[Transformers Generations 2014]]'' Vol. 1 as one of ten potential exclusives for Vol. 2. This "Autobot Drift Black Ver." didn't win the poll to determine which of the ten would be produced, however, ending up in fourth place with 12.7% of the votes.<ref>[http://millionhero.sblo.jp/article/101898683.html Poll results at Hero-X]</ref>
*Roberts has said "there's different facets" to Drift and his environment has an impact on how he presents himself.<ref>[http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2015/02/26/james-roberts-on-idws-transformers-more-that-meets-the-eye/ Women Write About Comics: "James Roberts on IDW’s Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye" 34:40 - 35:02]</ref> Drift himself says in [[Drift - Empire of Stone issue 3|''Empire of Stone'' #3]] that he dives into new personas, both his brooding loner and his hippie ones, to cover up the parts of himself that he doesn't like.
*James Roberts stated that IDW Drift is forged and from [[Rodion]].<ref>[https://jrtweetsindex.tumblr.com/post/164978514244/twitter-convo-between-rodimus-primadonnabot-and Twitter conversation with James Roberts on 19 July 2017]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Drift''' (ドリフト ''Dorifuto''), '''Deadlock''' (デッドロック ''Deddorokku'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Piuji''' (飄移, "Drift")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Piāoyí''' (China, 漂移, "Drift")

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Cloud Decepticons]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Q-Transformers characters]]
[[Category:Repurposed toys]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Flywheels

2019-03-22T03:50:52Z

Aether:

{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Flywheels is a [[Decepticon]] [[Duocon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Flywheelsboxart.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Howitzer'd!]]

'''Flywheels''' (aka '''Skytread'''<ref name="skytread">"Skytread" is a substitute name used by Hasbro for new toys representing the ''Generation 1'' Flywheels character, ''presumably'' because the name "Flywheels" is currently not available as a [[trademark]], first used for a [[Titan Master]] figure from the [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'' line]] released in 2016 and subsequently also for a Deluxe Class figure from the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege (toyline)|War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' line released in 2018. Furthermore, it was also used in ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'', where [[Skytread]] was a [[Nebulan|Nebulon]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] that was binary bonded to Flywheels.</ref>) tries to keep it together and stay upbeat, he really does, but it's hard when your mind (and often your body) is literally divided in two. A split personality would be trouble enough, but to add injury to illness, Flywheels' two halves are very jealous of each other and basically hate each other's guts. They spend more time fighting one another than the Autobots. It doesn't matter whether they're unified in robot form or not, Flywheels' two halves go right on arguing, which can be disconcerting to others around him, to say the least.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Sixshotg1marvel.jpg|upright=0.6|thumb|"Hi. We're off to do other things now... elsewhere. Without you. Bye!"]]
Flywheels was a part of [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]'s army of Decepticons on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Upon learning the co-ordinates of the planet [[Nebulos]] from [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], requesting the Decepticons help in ridding the [[Autobot]]s from his world, Scorponok ordered his army to lay siege to the alien planet. Flywheels was seen in jet mode as part of a battalion carrying Decepticons from their spacecraft to the surface of Nebulos, where he remained out of sight, away from the main events. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} Later, every Decepticon on the planet left Nebulos in pursuit of the Autobots to planet Earth. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Zombieskalis.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9]]
''Back on Cybertron, Flywheels appeared in a brief battle against [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Sparkabot]]s. He was knocked out of the air by Ultra Magnus and was captured by the [[Autobot]]s. As a prisoner, he was soon forced to fight with his captors against a horde of [[zombie]] Transformers in [[Kalis]]. Though the Autobots had taken away his blaster, Flywheels was still able to pull his own weight in destroying the encroaching horde by using his tank mode. After he realized that they were slaughtering former Autobots, Ultra Magnus ordered a cease-fire, hoping they might instead come up with the means to revert the zombies to a fully-living state. Flywheels disobeyed Ultra Magnus' order, but soon stood down when his captors threatened to blast him next. The group retreated to a nearby building, where they puzzled out that they were indeed fighting the dead, but the zombots hadn't been risen through supernatural means; rather, a powerful radio-signal was controlling the motor functions of Cybertronian corpses. With this information in mind, Flywheels led Ultra Magnus to the [[Baird Beaming Transmitter]] so they could jam the signal. Reluctantly, Ultra Magnus returned Flywheels his weapons, so that the Decepticon could watch his back while he worked on shutting down the zombies. This proved fortuitous for Magnus, as Flywheels saved his life from a zombie who had managed to sneak up on him, just as he was finishing up his task.'' {{storylink|City of Fear!}} ''Ultra Magnus then allowed Flywheels to go and get reinforcements, though he had little expectation of the Duocon's return.'' {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} ''Surprisingly, Flywheels did come back with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] to give the remaining zombots a good stomping, and force his way into the inner sanctum of the crazed scientist, [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], responsible for the entire Kalis incident.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:Catilla flywheels retreat time wars.jpg|upright=1.7|thumb]]
''He later joined the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] and took part in their joint attack with the [[Wrecker]]s on [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. He was one of only three Mayhems to escape alive from the gruesome twosome's base, but was killed by Galvatron after the retreat to the Decepticons' [[Decepticon heavy transport|heavy transport]].''<ref>Although Flywheels's death is not shown, Galvatron [[:File:Galvatron flywheels.jpg|grabs him by the right arm]] during his and Megatron's assault on the Mayhems' ship, and his corpse (with the right arm torn off at the shoulder) [[:File:Time wars casualties.png|can be seen on the ground]] just before Rodimus Prime and the other Autobots intervene to save the remaining Wreckers and Mayhems. It's pretty clear what happened off-panel.</ref> {{storylink|Time Wars}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
Flywheels took part in [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s attack on the [[Baird Beaming Transmitter]] in [[Kalis]], where he berated [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] for making too much noise. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Yūki Satō]] (Japanese)|[[John Culkin]] (English, Omni Productions dub)}}
[[File:DuelAsteroid Flywheels.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|What is this ominous light that threatens to engulf us?]]
Flywheels, alongside [[Battletrap]], worked under [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], who first sent them into battle when the Autobots and Decepticons were fighting over a [[Floppy disk|disk]] containing data on the [[Master Sword]]. The Duocons' double amount of vehicle modes was enough to overwhelm the Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]], and the Decepticons quickly grabbed the disk and retreated. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} Flywheels soon appeared again to defend Scorponok as he used the disk's data to manufacture the [[Zarak Shield]]. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

The Duocons' next mission was to hide a time bomb on the asteroid [[Juno]], so that Scorponok could blow up [[Sixshot]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] when the two arrived for their duel. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}} Flywheels later participated in the climactic battle against the Autobots at the [[Arctic|North Pole]] and retreated into space when Scorponok put his plan to destroy the [[Earth]] into motion. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{-}}

====''Legends'' comic====
[[File:LegendsManga Vol40 Flywheel.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
In 2021, Flywheels was among Scorponok's Decepticons who battled [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]]'s Autobots near a [[black hole]], where he got his butt handed to him by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]. Scorponok's detonation of the black hole caused the combatants to lose their bodies, and they were forced to convert their heads into small [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] forms and travel to the [[Legends World]] in search of new ones. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} Flywheels joined up with the [[Astrotrain Transport Company]] for a free body, only to be enslaved by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] until he and the other Headmasters were able to escape. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}} Now unemployed, Flywheels used his speed to pick pockets until he met [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]], an alternate version of Scorponok from another dimension. Tempted by his offer of a new body, he figured any Scorponok was worth being loyal to and agreed to recruit additional soldiers to his cause, convincing [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] and Brawn to join him at his "new workplace". When Zarak moved to conquer the world, however, Flywheels was punched out by an angry Grimlock, then swatted into the distance by Zarak for daring to suggest he could help by forming Scorponok's head. {{storylink|LGEX Headmaster Set Chapter}}

Flywheels was unfortunate enough to be hanging around in [[Akihabara]] when [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] landed on top of it. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} When Scorponok arrived in the Legends World, he had Flywheels sneak into the local [[Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department|police station]], steal the keys to the jail and break out [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]], [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. After stealing [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'s [[transtector]], he also broke [[Katsu Don]] out to aid in Scorponok's plan. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One}} Flywheels was on board Scorponok's [[Majin Zarak]] during the final battle for the Legends World. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Flywheels and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] volunteered for [[Sixshot]]'s mission to make [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s weekend more interesting. Whether they succeeded was never recorded. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Duocons from MtMtE -8.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"It is only logical that there will be no side-effects from this whatsoever."]]
[[Battletrap]] and Flywheels were created by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as early prototypes for his [[Triple Changer]] fascination. Instead of achieving three alternating modes, however, they gained the ability to separate into two different alternate modes at once. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye#Issue #8|More Than Meets The Eye #8}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{first|[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|''More Than Meets The Eye'' #7]]}}

[[File:Flywheels tesarus whos afraid of the djd.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Flywheels about to feel the agony of "de feet."]]

Flywheels was a "twitchy [[Neoprimalism|neoprimalist]] with big feet" who suffered from a possibly made-up form of psychosomatic hyperflexia that caused him to change form when he lied. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} During the war, he was stationed at [[Grindcore (prison)|Grindcore]], where he outfitted new prisoners such as [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] with nasty transformation-hindering [[inhibitor spike]]s. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

At some point he was captured by the Autobots and imprisoned in [[Garrus-9]]. After [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]'s sacking of the prison, Flywheels was allowed to leave as part of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s crew. Not far out of the [[Elba System]], their ship was intercepted by the [[Decepticon Justice Division]]. Flywheels and [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] used the ship's comm system to eavesdrop on the communication between Shockwave and [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], discovering that their liberator was willing to sell them all out to save himself, as pretty much everyone on the ship was on "[[The List]]" of transgressors to the Decepticon cause. When Tarn rejected the offer and began to use his weaponized voice, they cut the eavesdropping and, along with [[Scorponok (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Scorponok]], abandoned ship, figuring that ejecting themselves without direction in space presented better odds of survival. {{storylink|The Ties That Bind}} Floating aimlessly in the direction of the [[Dark Nebula]], Flywheels began praying for salvation, which came in the form of [[Krok (G1)#IDW Generation 1 continuity|Krok]] and [[Spinister (G1)#IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spinister]], and their [[Weak Anthropic Principle|hijacked prisoner escort ship]]. He joined the hodge-podge crew, though he wasn't taken with their name for themselves. {{storylink|Kill All 'Cons}}

Flywheels became part of Krok's ragtag Decepticon crew along with [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]], Spinister, and [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]]. Searching for [[energon]] and supplies on the planet [[Clemency]], Flywheels mistook the still-living body of [[Fulcrum]] firstly for a miracle and then for a [[zombie]] and an affront to [[Primus]]. Once that misunderstanding had been sorted out the group then chanced upon a P-6 [[Worldsweeper]], a type of [[Starship|ship]] that Flywheels noted was famous only for "crashing". What they found on board the ship, such as aborted [[protoform]]s, disconnected [[brain module]]s and a robot apparently made out of wood was disturbing enough, but then they were contacted by the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] through Flywheels' [[communicube]] and given an ultimatum to surrender one of their number so that the other six could watch him die. As there were only six of them the group reasoned that the D.J.D. must have miscounted, until Krok discovered that the ship also contained [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] in a [[stasis pod]]. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

After agreeing on the seemingly-suicidal plan to fight their way out, the Scavengers spiked Grimlock's stasis pod with [[circuit speeder]]s and left him out for the D.J.D. to find. While [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] battled the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] leader, the rest of the Decepticons tried to slip away but were ambushed in turn by the rest of the D.J.D. When Flywheels's feet proved too big for [[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]] to do his usual "grind them up feet first to make the death last longer" bit, he simply stuffed the praying Flywheels into his grinder head-first, leaving only his lower half intact. After the D.J.D. abandoned the fight for a new priority target (believing their primary target, Fulcrum, was dead) the surviving scavengers looted Flywheels's remains for spare parts and [[energon]]. Eighteen months later, what little of him was left was examined by the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}
{{-}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
An ancient [[Titan Master]], Skytread could team up with other bots to grant them the ability to create a clone decoy of themselves. {{storylink|#Generations|''Titans Return'' Skytread online bio}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
When the Decepticon-[[Hive (G1)|Hive]] alliance developed the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] process, [[Skytread]] and Flywheels became one of the first Headmasters, escalating the conflict on Nebulos with their power. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:FlywheelsCommercialAndSeason4Intro.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Flywheels's appearance on the battlefield caught the Autobots by surprise when they first thought that a jet was about to crash into a tank, only for the two vehicles to transform into one robot! The element of surprise quickly wore off, however, and Flywheels had to contend with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] pouncing on him. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Duocons and Throttlebots|Duocons and Throttlebots commercial}}
{{note|Animation from this commercial was recycled for the [[title sequence]] of [[The Rebirth|season 4]] of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 animated series]], even though Flywheels himself didn't appear in the show.}}
{{--}}

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

===''Transformers Legends''===
Flywheels and [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]] encountered the D.J.D. on Clemency. They both died. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (Legends)|Rules of Disengagement}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1-toy Flywheels.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Hey, you know what they say about guys with big feet, right?"]]
*'''Flywheels''' (Duocon, [[1987]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-97'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser cannon" pistol
:Flywheels' [[robot mode]] is made from the combination of two separate vehicles that make up his [[alternate mode]]: a maroon [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#F-4 Phantom|F-4 Phantom II fighter jet]] and a brown self-propelled howitzer of vague origin. Pressing the jet onto the tank's turret via friction-hold tabs triggers a spring-loaded [[autotransformation]] into the combined robot mode. Splitting the robot into the two vehicles is an entirely manual affair, however.

:His only robot-mode articulation is the sideways-swinging movement of his arms at the shoulder, but thankfully his rifle has a [[5 mm post|5mm post]] on the back end so it can at least point forward in robot mode, even if he has to hold it like a sword to do so. The rifle can also be mounted on the tank's front end or on the underside of the jet nosecone.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Decepticon/Flywheels/flywheels.htm More information on Flywheels at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
====Titans Return====
[[File:TF-Titans-Return-Skytread.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Oh sure, Battletrap gets a cool exclusive Voyager class and a new Legends Class toy! I lose my name! I lose my body! What do I get? A little more articulation and a little vehicle to ride around in. Huh.]]
*'''Skytread''' (Titan Master, [[2016]])
**''Accessories:'' Tank accessory
:A [[retool]] of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Horri-Bull#Generations|Terri-Bull]], Skytread (presumably renamed for [[trademark]] reasons) is a small robot who can transform into a Flywheels head that is compatible with any Deluxe-or-larger ''Titans Return'' figure. He is packaged with a small vehicle accessory redecoed from Terri-Bull's, which can form a tank for Skytread to ride in robot mode, a [[5mm post|5mm]] gun for larger figures to wield, or combine with Skytread to form a jet. Due to the sculpt of the head mode face, it can be difficult to get Skytread himself in and out of the jet configuration.

:The gun barrels connect to the tank turret via 3mm [[C joint]]s. This allows them to pivot up and down, as well as clip onto other compatible figures.

:As with Terri-Bull, the upper portion of Skytread's legs has been installed backwards. Due to this, his legs have a problem folding down in head mode if not fixed. This appears to have been fixed in the Australian release.

:This toy also doubles as the separate ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' character [[Skytread]]. It was re-issued along with Nightbeat for the fourth wave of Titan Masters alongside [[Shuffler#Generations|Shuffler]] and [[Repugnus (G1)#Generations|Repugnus]], which unfortunately became prominent shelfwarmers.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Decepticon/TRSkytread/skytread.htm More information on ''Titans Return'' Skytread at TFU.info]''
{{TRTerri-BullMold}}
{{-}}

====War for Cybertron: Siege====
[[File:WFCS-Deluxe-Skytread.jpg|thumb|300px|All right! All that's left is my name...]]
*'''Skytread''' (Deluxe Class, [[2018]])
**''ID number:'' '''WFC-S10'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''SG-11'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[March 30]], [[2019]]'''
**''Accessories:'' "HV Electron Breacher," EM24 IR Laser Launcher" (combine to form "LRRF Suspension-Ray Super-Launcher")

:Part of the first wave of ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege (toyline)|Siege]]'' Deluxe Class figures, Skytread consists of a jet and Cybertronian tank which can transform and combine to form his [[robot mode]]. He includes the "EM24 IR Laser Launcher" and the "HV Electron Breacher," two guns compatible with the [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]], which can combine to form the "LRRF Suspension-Ray Super-Launcher," form his tank barrels in vehicle mode or be added to the jet mode. Unlike his fellow [[Duocon]] ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Battletrap#Generations|Battletrap]], Skytread's components do not have their own robot modes, although this results in a noticeably more stable figure. Skytread does however use the same connection port and plug system as Battletrap, allowing for mixing and matching between the four components. Skytread features far fewer battle damage paint applications than the rest of the toyline, they are all on the tank mode/lower legs. He features multiple hardpoints all over himself and his weapons to accommodate "Fire Blasts" from the [[Battle Master]]s assortment, which can be used to simulate blaster fire or explosions.

: Many Skytreads have an issue where the tank mode turret will not tab together properly, and there is not enough clearance to securely mount the tank barrel in position. This is due to a set of raised ridges on the inside of the legs, just above the ankle joints, that are a bit too tall and push the robot waist in tank mode up ''just'' enough to prevent proper connections. Carving these ridges down a bit will fix the issue.

::*''[http://www.transformers-universe.com/i.php?ID=7463&Sprache=0 More information on Skytread at Transformers-Universe.com]''
{{-}}

===Legends===
{{anchor|HeadmasterSet}}
[[File:TF-Legends-LG-EX-Headmaster-Set-Flywheels.jpg|thumb|"OK Takara, now you fixed my legs; where's my larger body?"]]
*'''Headmaster Set''' ([[2017]]-[[February 19|02-19]])
**''ID number'': '''LG-EX'''

:Released as a Wonder Festival 2017 exclusive, this Headmaster version of "Flywheel" is a repaint of the ''Titans Return'' mold above, without the vehicle accessory, and features extensive paint apps. Unlike the Hasbro release, this Flywheel features correctly assembled legs.

:Flywheel was released along with [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Legends|Grimlock]], [[Chromedome (G1)#HeadmasterSet|Chromedome]], [[Duros#HeadmasterSet|Hardhead]], [[Brawn (G1)/toys#Legends|Gong]], and [[Arcana#HeadmasterSet|Brainstorm]].

{{TRTerri-BullMold}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
*It's often speculated that Battletrap and Flywheels' names were mistakenly swapped during production, as the rollers of tank treads are not generally thought of as wheels. Their names are even swapped in the ''Headmasters'' episode "[[The Master Sword Is in Danger!!]]".
*In IDW's G1 continuity, Flywheels is a [[Triple Changer]] as opposed to a Duocon, changing between a jet and a tank similarly to Blitzwing. In a possible coincidence, his robot mode design in this continuity resembles [[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Generations|Blitzwing's ''Thrilling 30'' toy design]].
*For the Australian Release of the Titans Return release, The legs appear to put on correctly. This is not confirmed if this is exclusive to the toy I own toy, or if it's not just Australia.
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Flywheel''' (フライホイール ''Furaihoīru''), '''Skytread''' (スカイトレッド ''Sukaitoreddo'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Fēilún''' (China, 飞轮, "Flywheel")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Mayhem Attack Squad]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titan Masters]]
[[Category:Titans Return]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege]]

Flywheels

2019-03-20T06:34:33Z

Aether: This may have been fixed in the australian release. I can release proof, because the lower parts of the legs are still intact and i didnt know it had this issue until today. also can provide photos.

{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Flywheels is a [[Decepticon]] [[Duocon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Flywheelsboxart.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Howitzer'd!]]

'''Flywheels''' (aka '''Skytread'''<ref name="skytread">"Skytread" is a substitute name used by Hasbro for new toys representing the ''Generation 1'' Flywheels character, ''presumably'' because the name "Flywheels" is currently not available as a [[trademark]], first used for a [[Titan Master]] figure from the [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'' line]] released in 2016 and subsequently also for a Deluxe Class figure from the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege (toyline)|War for Cybertron: Siege]]'' line released in 2018. Furthermore, it was also used in ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'', where [[Skytread]] was a [[Nebulan|Nebulon]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] that was binary bonded to Flywheels.</ref>) tries to keep it together and stay upbeat, he really does, but it's hard when your mind (and often your body) is literally divided in two. A split personality would be trouble enough, but to add injury to illness, Flywheels' two halves are very jealous of each other and basically hate each other's guts. They spend more time fighting one another than the Autobots. It doesn't matter whether they're unified in robot form or not, Flywheels' two halves go right on arguing, which can be disconcerting to others around him, to say the least.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Sixshotg1marvel.jpg|upright=0.6|thumb|"Hi. We're off to do other things now... elsewhere. Without you. Bye!"]]
Flywheels was a part of [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]'s army of Decepticons on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Upon learning the co-ordinates of the planet [[Nebulos]] from [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]], requesting the Decepticons help in ridding the [[Autobot]]s from his world, Scorponok ordered his army to lay siege to the alien planet. Flywheels was seen in jet mode as part of a battalion carrying Decepticons from their spacecraft to the surface of Nebulos, where he remained out of sight, away from the main events. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} Later, every Decepticon on the planet left Nebulos in pursuit of the Autobots to planet Earth. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Zombieskalis.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9]]
''Back on Cybertron, Flywheels appeared in a brief battle against [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Sparkabot]]s. He was knocked out of the air by Ultra Magnus and was captured by the [[Autobot]]s. As a prisoner, he was soon forced to fight with his captors against a horde of [[zombie]] Transformers in [[Kalis]]. Though the Autobots had taken away his blaster, Flywheels was still able to pull his own weight in destroying the encroaching horde by using his tank mode. After he realized that they were slaughtering former Autobots, Ultra Magnus ordered a cease-fire, hoping they might instead come up with the means to revert the zombies to a fully-living state. Flywheels disobeyed Ultra Magnus' order, but soon stood down when his captors threatened to blast him next. The group retreated to a nearby building, where they puzzled out that they were indeed fighting the dead, but the zombots hadn't been risen through supernatural means; rather, a powerful radio-signal was controlling the motor functions of Cybertronian corpses. With this information in mind, Flywheels led Ultra Magnus to the [[Baird Beaming Transmitter]] so they could jam the signal. Reluctantly, Ultra Magnus returned Flywheels his weapons, so that the Decepticon could watch his back while he worked on shutting down the zombies. This proved fortuitous for Magnus, as Flywheels saved his life from a zombie who had managed to sneak up on him, just as he was finishing up his task.'' {{storylink|City of Fear!}} ''Ultra Magnus then allowed Flywheels to go and get reinforcements, though he had little expectation of the Duocon's return.'' {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} ''Surprisingly, Flywheels did come back with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] to give the remaining zombots a good stomping, and force his way into the inner sanctum of the crazed scientist, [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], responsible for the entire Kalis incident.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:Catilla flywheels retreat time wars.jpg|upright=1.7|thumb]]
''He later joined the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] and took part in their joint attack with the [[Wrecker]]s on [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. He was one of only three Mayhems to escape alive from the gruesome twosome's base, but was killed by Galvatron after the retreat to the Decepticons' [[Decepticon heavy transport|heavy transport]].''<ref>Although Flywheels's death is not shown, Galvatron [[:File:Galvatron flywheels.jpg|grabs him by the right arm]] during his and Megatron's assault on the Mayhems' ship, and his corpse (with the right arm torn off at the shoulder) [[:File:Time wars casualties.png|can be seen on the ground]] just before Rodimus Prime and the other Autobots intervene to save the remaining Wreckers and Mayhems. It's pretty clear what happened off-panel.</ref> {{storylink|Time Wars}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
Flywheels took part in [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s attack on the [[Baird Beaming Transmitter]] in [[Kalis]], where he berated [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] for making too much noise. {{storylink|Counterpoint}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Yūki Satō]] (Japanese)|[[John Culkin]] (English, Omni Productions dub)}}
[[File:DuelAsteroid Flywheels.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|What is this ominous light that threatens to engulf us?]]
Flywheels, alongside [[Battletrap]], worked under [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], who first sent them into battle when the Autobots and Decepticons were fighting over a [[Floppy disk|disk]] containing data on the [[Master Sword]]. The Duocons' double amount of vehicle modes was enough to overwhelm the Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]], and the Decepticons quickly grabbed the disk and retreated. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} Flywheels soon appeared again to defend Scorponok as he used the disk's data to manufacture the [[Zarak Shield]]. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

The Duocons' next mission was to hide a time bomb on the asteroid [[Juno]], so that Scorponok could blow up [[Sixshot]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] when the two arrived for their duel. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}} Flywheels later participated in the climactic battle against the Autobots at the [[Arctic|North Pole]] and retreated into space when Scorponok put his plan to destroy the [[Earth]] into motion. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{-}}

====''Legends'' comic====
[[File:LegendsManga Vol40 Flywheel.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
In 2021, Flywheels was among Scorponok's Decepticons who battled [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]]'s Autobots near a [[black hole]], where he got his butt handed to him by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]. Scorponok's detonation of the black hole caused the combatants to lose their bodies, and they were forced to convert their heads into small [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] forms and travel to the [[Legends World]] in search of new ones. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} Flywheels joined up with the [[Astrotrain Transport Company]] for a free body, only to be enslaved by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] until he and the other Headmasters were able to escape. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}} Now unemployed, Flywheels used his speed to pick pockets until he met [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]], an alternate version of Scorponok from another dimension. Tempted by his offer of a new body, he figured any Scorponok was worth being loyal to and agreed to recruit additional soldiers to his cause, convincing [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] and Brawn to join him at his "new workplace". When Zarak moved to conquer the world, however, Flywheels was punched out by an angry Grimlock, then swatted into the distance by Zarak for daring to suggest he could help by forming Scorponok's head. {{storylink|LGEX Headmaster Set Chapter}}

Flywheels was unfortunate enough to be hanging around in [[Akihabara]] when [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] landed on top of it. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} When Scorponok arrived in the Legends World, he had Flywheels sneak into the local [[Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department|police station]], steal the keys to the jail and break out [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]], [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. After stealing [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'s [[transtector]], he also broke [[Katsu Don]] out to aid in Scorponok's plan. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One}} Flywheels was on board Scorponok's [[Majin Zarak]] during the final battle for the Legends World. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Flywheels and the Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]] volunteered for [[Sixshot]]'s mission to make [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s weekend more interesting. Whether they succeeded was never recorded. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Duocons from MtMtE -8.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"It is only logical that there will be no side-effects from this whatsoever."]]
[[Battletrap]] and Flywheels were created by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as early prototypes for his [[Triple Changer]] fascination. Instead of achieving three alternating modes, however, they gained the ability to separate into two different alternate modes at once. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye#Issue #8|More Than Meets The Eye #8}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{first|[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|''More Than Meets The Eye'' #7]]}}

[[File:Flywheels tesarus whos afraid of the djd.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Flywheels about to feel the agony of "de feet."]]

Flywheels was a "twitchy [[Neoprimalism|neoprimalist]] with big feet" who suffered from a possibly made-up form of psychosomatic hyperflexia that caused him to change form when he lied. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} During the war, he was stationed at [[Grindcore (prison)|Grindcore]], where he outfitted new prisoners such as [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] with nasty transformation-hindering [[inhibitor spike]]s. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

At some point he was captured by the Autobots and imprisoned in [[Garrus-9]]. After [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]'s sacking of the prison, Flywheels was allowed to leave as part of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s crew. Not far out of the [[Elba System]], their ship was intercepted by the [[Decepticon Justice Division]]. Flywheels and [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] used the ship's comm system to eavesdrop on the communication between Shockwave and [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], discovering that their liberator was willing to sell them all out to save himself, as pretty much everyone on the ship was on "[[The List]]" of transgressors to the Decepticon cause. When Tarn rejected the offer and began to use his weaponized voice, they cut the eavesdropping and, along with [[Scorponok (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Scorponok]], abandoned ship, figuring that ejecting themselves without direction in space presented better odds of survival. {{storylink|The Ties That Bind}} Floating aimlessly in the direction of the [[Dark Nebula]], Flywheels began praying for salvation, which came in the form of [[Krok (G1)#IDW Generation 1 continuity|Krok]] and [[Spinister (G1)#IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spinister]], and their [[Weak Anthropic Principle|hijacked prisoner escort ship]]. He joined the hodge-podge crew, though he wasn't taken with their name for themselves. {{storylink|Kill All 'Cons}}

Flywheels became part of Krok's ragtag Decepticon crew along with [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]], Spinister, and [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]]. Searching for [[energon]] and supplies on the planet [[Clemency]], Flywheels mistook the still-living body of [[Fulcrum]] firstly for a miracle and then for a [[zombie]] and an affront to [[Primus]]. Once that misunderstanding had been sorted out the group then chanced upon a P-6 [[Worldsweeper]], a type of [[Starship|ship]] that Flywheels noted was famous only for "crashing". What they found on board the ship, such as aborted [[protoform]]s, disconnected [[brain module]]s and a robot apparently made out of wood was disturbing enough, but then they were contacted by the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] through Flywheels' [[communicube]] and given an ultimatum to surrender one of their number so that the other six could watch him die. As there were only six of them the group reasoned that the D.J.D. must have miscounted, until Krok discovered that the ship also contained [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] in a [[stasis pod]]. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

After agreeing on the seemingly-suicidal plan to fight their way out, the Scavengers spiked Grimlock's stasis pod with [[circuit speeder]]s and left him out for the D.J.D. to find. While [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] battled the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] leader, the rest of the Decepticons tried to slip away but were ambushed in turn by the rest of the D.J.D. When Flywheels's feet proved too big for [[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]] to do his usual "grind them up feet first to make the death last longer" bit, he simply stuffed the praying Flywheels into his grinder head-first, leaving only his lower half intact. After the D.J.D. abandoned the fight for a new priority target (believing their primary target, Fulcrum, was dead) the surviving scavengers looted Flywheels's remains for spare parts and [[energon]]. Eighteen months later, what little of him was left was examined by the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}
{{-}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
An ancient [[Titan Master]], Skytread could team up with other bots to grant them the ability to create a clone decoy of themselves. {{storylink|#Generations|''Titans Return'' Skytread online bio}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
When the Decepticon-[[Hive (G1)|Hive]] alliance developed the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] process, [[Skytread]] and Flywheels became one of the first Headmasters, escalating the conflict on Nebulos with their power. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:FlywheelsCommercialAndSeason4Intro.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Flywheels's appearance on the battlefield caught the Autobots by surprise when they first thought that a jet was about to crash into a tank, only for the two vehicles to transform into one robot! The element of surprise quickly wore off, however, and Flywheels had to contend with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] pouncing on him. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Duocons and Throttlebots|Duocons and Throttlebots commercial}}
{{note|Animation from this commercial was recycled for the [[title sequence]] of [[The Rebirth|season 4]] of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 animated series]], even though Flywheels himself didn't appear in the show.}}
{{--}}

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

===''Transformers Legends''===
Flywheels and [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]] encountered the D.J.D. on Clemency. They both died. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (Legends)|Rules of Disengagement}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1-toy Flywheels.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Hey, you know what they say about guys with big feet, right?"]]
*'''Flywheels''' (Duocon, [[1987]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-97'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser cannon" pistol
:Flywheels' [[robot mode]] is made from the combination of two separate vehicles that make up his [[alternate mode]]: a maroon [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#F-4 Phantom|F-4 Phantom II fighter jet]] and a brown self-propelled howitzer of vague origin. Pressing the jet onto the tank's turret via friction-hold tabs triggers a spring-loaded [[autotransformation]] into the combined robot mode. Splitting the robot into the two vehicles is an entirely manual affair, however.

:His only robot-mode articulation is the sideways-swinging movement of his arms at the shoulder, but thankfully his rifle has a [[5 mm post|5mm post]] on the back end so it can at least point forward in robot mode, even if he has to hold it like a sword to do so. The rifle can also be mounted on the tank's front end or on the underside of the jet nosecone.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Decepticon/Flywheels/flywheels.htm More information on Flywheels at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
====Titans Return====
[[File:TF-Titans-Return-Skytread.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Oh sure, Battletrap gets a cool exclusive Voyager class and a new Legends Class toy! I lose my name! I lose my body! What do I get? A little more articulation and a little vehicle to ride around in. Huh.]]
*'''Skytread''' (Titan Master, [[2016]])
**''Accessories:'' Tank accessory
:A [[retool]] of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Horri-Bull#Generations|Terri-Bull]], Skytread (presumably renamed for [[trademark]] reasons) is a small robot who can transform into a Flywheels head that is compatible with any Deluxe-or-larger ''Titans Return'' figure. He is packaged with a small vehicle accessory redecoed from Terri-Bull's, which can form a tank for Skytread to ride in robot mode, a [[5mm post|5mm]] gun for larger figures to wield, or combine with Skytread to form a jet. Due to the sculpt of the head mode face, it can be difficult to get Skytread himself in and out of the jet configuration.

:The gun barrels connect to the tank turret via 3mm [[C joint]]s. This allows them to pivot up and down, as well as clip onto other compatible figures.

:As with Terri-Bull, the upper portion of Skytread's legs has been installed backwards. Due to this, his legs have a problem folding down in head mode if not fixed. This Appears to have been fixed in the Australian release.

:This toy also doubles as the separate ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' character [[Skytread]]. It was re-issued along with Nightbeat for the fourth wave of Titan Masters alongside [[Shuffler#Generations|Shuffler]] and [[Repugnus (G1)#Generations|Repugnus]], which unfortunately became prominent shelfwarmers.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Decepticon/TRSkytread/skytread.htm More information on ''Titans Return'' Skytread at TFU.info]''
{{TRTerri-BullMold}}
{{-}}

====War for Cybertron: Siege====
[[File:WFCS-Deluxe-Skytread.jpg|thumb|300px|All right! All that's left is my name...]]
*'''Skytread''' (Deluxe Class, [[2018]])
**''ID number:'' '''WFC-S10'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''SG-11'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[March 30]], [[2019]]'''
**''Accessories:'' "HV Electron Breacher," EM24 IR Laser Launcher" (combine to form "LRRF Suspension-Ray Super-Launcher")

:Part of the first wave of ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege (toyline)|Siege]]'' Deluxe Class figures, Skytread consists of a jet and Cybertronian tank which can transform and combine to form his [[robot mode]]. He includes the "EM24 IR Laser Launcher" and the "HV Electron Breacher," two guns compatible with the [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]], which can combine to form the "LRRF Suspension-Ray Super-Launcher," form his tank barrels in vehicle mode or be added to the jet mode. Unlike his fellow [[Duocon]] ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[Battletrap#Generations|Battletrap]], Skytread's components do not have their own robot modes, although this results in a noticeably more stable figure. Skytread does however use the same connection port and plug system as Battletrap, allowing for mixing and matching between the four components. Skytread features far fewer battle damage paint applications than the rest of the toyline, they are all on the tank mode/lower legs. He features multiple hardpoints all over himself and his weapons to accommodate "Fire Blasts" from the [[Battle Master]]s assortment, which can be used to simulate blaster fire or explosions.

: Many Skytreads have an issue where the tank mode turret will not tab together properly, and there is not enough clearance to securely mount the tank barrel in position. This is due to a set of raised ridges on the inside of the legs, just above the ankle joints, that are a bit too tall and push the robot waist in tank mode up ''just'' enough to prevent proper connections. Carving these ridges down a bit will fix the issue.

::*''[http://www.transformers-universe.com/i.php?ID=7463&Sprache=0 More information on Skytread at Transformers-Universe.com]''
{{-}}

===Legends===
{{anchor|HeadmasterSet}}
[[File:TF-Legends-LG-EX-Headmaster-Set-Flywheels.jpg|thumb|"OK Takara, now you fixed my legs; where's my larger body?"]]
*'''Headmaster Set''' ([[2017]]-[[February 19|02-19]])
**''ID number'': '''LG-EX'''

:Released as a Wonder Festival 2017 exclusive, this Headmaster version of "Flywheel" is a repaint of the ''Titans Return'' mold above, without the vehicle accessory, and features extensive paint apps. Unlike the Hasbro release, this Flywheel features correctly assembled legs.

:Flywheel was released along with [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Legends|Grimlock]], [[Chromedome (G1)#HeadmasterSet|Chromedome]], [[Duros#HeadmasterSet|Hardhead]], [[Brawn (G1)/toys#Legends|Gong]], and [[Arcana#HeadmasterSet|Brainstorm]].

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==Notes==
*It's often speculated that Battletrap and Flywheels' names were mistakenly swapped during production, as the rollers of tank treads are not generally thought of as wheels. Their names are even swapped in the ''Headmasters'' episode "[[The Master Sword Is in Danger!!]]".
*In IDW's G1 continuity, Flywheels is a [[Triple Changer]] as opposed to a Duocon, changing between a jet and a tank similarly to Blitzwing. In a possible coincidence, his robot mode design in this continuity resembles [[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Generations|Blitzwing's ''Thrilling 30'' toy design]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Flywheel''' (フライホイール ''Furaihoīru''), '''Skytread''' (スカイトレッド ''Sukaitoreddo'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Fēilún''' (China, 飞轮, "Flywheel")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Mayhem Attack Squad]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titan Masters]]
[[Category:Titans Return]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege]]