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Springer (G1)

2013-07-12T02:29:26Z

Autocon: /* Regeneration One */

{{factions|autobot|wreckers|autobotg2}}

{{disambig3|Springer}}
:''Springer is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Springer-decipherthedecepticon.jpg|400px|thumb|You're all clear kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!]]
'''Springer''' is the archetypical action hero: great in a fight, unselfconsciously brave, confident, and always ready with a dead-pan sarcastic quip to lighten the moment. Someone you can depend on to ride in, save the day and be smug about it.

Though his easy self-confidence is one of his most notable features, actually being responsible for others weighs heavily upon his otherwise jocular personality. Nonetheless, Springer ascended to lead the [[Wrecker]]s. He has twice been named as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s successor to take the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and lead the Autobots, though neither one actually came to pass.

Springer combines the thrusting power of his legs with his retro thrusters to move rapidly through the battlefield, leaping tall structures in a single bound. Although he is quite speedy, he is not faster than [[Superman|a speeding bullet]].

{{quote|I've got better things to do tonight than die.|Springer in the defense of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Neil Ross]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese)|[[Willi Röbke]] (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1–4" and "Nightmare Planet"), [[Peter Musäus]] (German), [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]] (German, "Webworld"), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, "Fight or Flee" and "Ghost in the Machine"), [[Frank Muth]] (German, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[Pierre Hatet]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Spanish)}}

[[File:Springerarceecmonwoman.jpg|left|200px|thumb|C'mon, woman!]]
Springer was among the first Autobots to leap into the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005. He helped [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] transform the city into its heavily-armed, armored fortress configuration, and later used an oversized piece of artillery to bombard [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]].

When [[Unicron]] made his existence known to the Autobots by destroying two of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s moons, Springer was among those who left Earth aboard a shuttle to stop the Chaos-Bringer somehow. The ship Springer was aboard crashlanded on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], where a battle erupted between the Autobots and the native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], during which Springer dueled with the Junkion chieftain, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]].

After arriving at Cybertron, Springer and the other Autobots wound up inside Unicron himself, where they desperately fought off Unicron's internal defenses. Luckily, just as one of the defensive claws was about to crush him, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] opened the Matrix of Leadership, destroying Unicron and becoming Rodimus Prime. Springer and the rest escaped the monster by driving out through its eye and into space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[File:Springerfivefacescopter.jpg|250px|thumb|The physics of this makes no sense.]]
A year later, Springer attended the first [[Galactic Olympics]] alongside his fellow Autobots. Unfortunately, the festivities were interrupted by an [[Skuxxoid|alien mercenary]] who turned the Olympic torch into a giant flash/smoke grenade, and then a battalion of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] attacked. Springer was able to douse the torch from the air, but by then, the attackers had already fled, having captured [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]. Springer immediately volunteered to track the escaped alien saboteur, and was joined by Arcee. They followed their quarry to his strange base ship, an asteroid-like spacecraft referred to as a "[[Rockeroid]]". The mercenary fled after misleading his pursuers into believing that the Decepticons were behind the attack, and Springer was fortunately able to pilot his ship (barely). {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

Springer flew the Rockeroid to the distant planet [[Chaar]], where he arrived just in time to save Rodimus Prime and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] from being beaten to scrap by a mob of Decepticons. Later, a badly-damaged Rodimus prepared to pass the Matrix on to Springer in anticipation of his imminent demise. Fortunately, the Autobot leader did not die, but rather experienced the Cybertronian equivalent of a near-death experience, wherein his [[Spark|"life force"]] left his body to embark on a very trippy (and poorly animated) journey into the Matrix itself. Immediately afterwards, Springer participated in a daring rescue mission to save Ultra Magnus and the others from the [[Quintesson]]s, only for the group's ship to get caught in the explosion of [[Quintessa]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}

Before long, they all wound up on [[Goo 8739B]], where Springer was disassembled by the planet's mobile garbage disposal unit. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Fortunately, he was rebuilt and restored to life by the Junkions. As Rodimus contemplated the mysteries of the Quintessons, Springer advised the others to leave him alone, give him some room to think, and trust him not to do anything rash. When he found that Rodimus had scrambled his own circuitry to enter the Matrix, Springer expressed his disapproval to his commanding officer in a calm and respectful manner. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

{{quote|Are you CRAZY?! Why'd you short-circuit yourself?! Get up, you... you moron!|Springer}}

Springer and the others returned to Cybertron in time to defend against a major Decepticon offensive. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:DarkAwakening-Springer.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a blaster by your-''WHERE'S MY BLASTER?!'']]
Sometime later, Springer, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], Grimlock and [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] were on-hand when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] miraculously returned from the dead, telling tales of how Rodimus, Arcee and an Autobot shuttle crew gave their lives against the Quintessons so that he could escape, and return to Cybertron. Springer eagerly jumped on the bandwagon to follow Optimus and the entire Autobot fleet to hunt down the Quintessons and avenge Arcee and his friends. ''Especially'' Arcee. He was on board the flagship when Rodimus and the others, alive and well, intercepted the fleet and stopped the Quintesson trap from being sprung. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

When a strange unidentified ship entered Cybertronian air space, Rodimus Prime sent [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and Springer out to rescue the occupant before he crash-landed. Inside, they found the long-lost Autobot Triple Changer known as [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], who now lived on a peaceful planet called [[Paradron]] which had just been invaded by the Decepticons. As the Autobots returned to Paradron to overthrow the Decepticon oppressors, Springer teamed up with Rodimus and Sandstorm to free the captive Paradronians. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

[[File:NightmarePlanetSteed.jpg|200px|thumb|For Narnia!]]
Springer and Ultra Magnus picked up an electromagnetic disturbance in a remote region of Cybertron, and drove out with Rodimus Prime to investigate. They were ambushed by a [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] assassination squad, but ''all'' the Transformers were ambushed again by the Quintessons' latest toy: a device which turned the nightmarish dreams of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] into physical reality. Springer and the Predacon commander [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] were kidnapped by a massive [[dragon]] and flown off to an isolated castle. Tossed into the dungeon, Springer and Razorclaw met a [[Fairy-tale princess|princess]] being held captive by the dragon. Going with the flow, Springer took up her quest to defeat the dragon and return the princess to her father. Knight Springer and his faithful steed Razorclaw, whom the princess had promised [[gold]] as reward, escaped the dungeon and took up the search for the "magic lance" necessary to kill the dragon. Riding into battle atop the Predacon's back, Springer plunged the lance into the dragon's chest and then followed the yellow brick road back to his friends. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

While on monitor duty on Cybertron, Springer and Blurr caught sight of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] on what appeared to be an attack vector. After the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] shot him down, the Autobots learned his "assault" was just the latest in a series of recent events involving [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's ghost]], who had stolen the eyes of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] for Unicron. Springer joined Ultra Magnus and the Protectobots on a spy mission to Unicron's head in order to investigate further, but they were violently repulsed by the Planet-Eater's internal defenses. Things got even more complicated once Scourge turned on his "partners" and reported to the Autobots that Unicron planned to use Trypticon's transforming cog to connect himself to Cybertron, and convert the entire planet into his new body. Luckily, Springer and the others were able to <s>casually chuck</s> plant energon explosives at the base of Unicron's head as he touched down, blasting him back out into space before he could connect with the planet. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

On a geological survey to uncover [[isidrite]] for their weaponry, Springer and the Autobots were attacked by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s forces, seeking the mineral for their own purposes. Luckily, Galvatron beat up most of his own troops for them, giving the Autobots a chance to depart. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:VampireDepth.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Coooookiiiieeees.]]
When Perceptor finished construction of a new experimental power core for Cybertron, Springer used his helicopter mode to lower the core into place. Naturally, the Decepticons attempted to acquire the power core for themselves, but were led astray by their Quintesson "allies" who instead directed them towards the [[Hibernation Chamber]] of the [[Trans-Organic]]s. Springer and the other Autobots caught up with the 'Cons just in time to find them in pitched battle with the unleashed Trans-Organics, including the massive and monstrous power-sapping [[Dweller]]. The Dweller drained the energy from its victims on contact, then placed them inside incubation tubes on its back. [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and three [[Sweep]]s were among its first victims. Springer valiantly scaled the creature and tore open its rear casing to free his friend and renew his series for another season. No good deed goes unpunished, though, for the creature had transformed Wreck-Gar into a [[Energy vampire|vampiric]] extension of itself, an undead robot who drained energy from others to feed it back into the Dweller itself. Springer became a victim of the very robot he tried to save. Luckily, Perceptor was able to concoct a method of correcting their power imbalance, restoring Springer, Wreck-Gar and the other victims to normal. The Dweller was launched into space once it latched onto the power core, thanks to Perceptor's bizarre security measures which allowed him to jettison the entire unit with the pull of a lever. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:SpringerOnlyHuman.jpg|200px|thumb|Surprise, he's the green one!]]
Somewhere on Earth (it doesn't really matter where) a crime spree was raging, and the Autobots were called in to help. Springer lent his helicopter mode to rescue civilians trapped in burning buildings during a series of bombings. Springer, Arcee, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime were called in by an anonymous tip that would be their "big break in the case". Springer laughed off the police chief when he suggested it might be a dangerous trap, but he stopped laughing when [[Victor Drath]] and "[[Cobra Commander|Old Snake]]" captured the Autobots inside of a minute. Not one to waste resources, Drath eliminated his enemies and developed powerful new weapons at the same time by converting the four Autobots' mental essence into synthetic organic forms. He ordered the organic material destroyed but, surprisingly, it seemed to form itself into four genuinely human bodies for the Autobots. Springer and the "Autobots" escaped Drath's thugs in the scrapyard where they were being disposed of, and sought cover in a nearby shed. In the sort of plot contrivance not revived until ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers'' years later, the Autobots found four matching jumpsuits inside, each perfectly replicating their individual color schemes. As a human, Springer faced some tough lessons, like shaving and dealing with sidewalk preachers.

After finding Drath's men test-driving the Autobots' now-inanimate bodies in the city, Springer ingratiated himself with the gang due to his ability to "pilot" the Autobot like a pro. The gang was set to infiltrate Autobot City inside their robot drones and then detonate Metroplex from the inside-out. After learning the plan, Springer carjacked himself (rescuing the captured Ultra Magnus in the process) and then flew to intercept the other Autobots before they reached Autobot City. Desperate to keep the Autobots from innocently letting their "friends" inside, Springer opened fire on Autobot City himself in order to force the Autobots to raise their defenses before the explosive-laden vehicles got too close. He succeeded in getting himself shot out of the sky, but at least Metroplex was put on alert and the bombing of Autobot City was stopped. Perceptor whipped up a reversal-transference doodad, and Springer and the others were returned to their rightful bodies. {{storylink|Only Human}}

After Galvatron's goons sabotaged the master power generator on Cybertron with [[anti-electron]]s, the Autobots began experiencing system irregularities. In Springer's case, he was attempted to fly [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to the repair bay when he transformed in mid-air and crashed instead. The problem was eventually corrected, but surely Springer missed out on a good opportunity to tease Sky Lynx about tarnishing his "oh so perfect" flight record. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CotP-BlasterEject.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Blaster, please, this isn't the time for this!]]
On a barren planetoid, Springer was fighting alongside Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] against the Decepticons. They were pinned down in the trenches, waiting for "[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Commander Modesty]]" to arrive and lend some air support. Once he arrived, though, Sky Lynx and the other "[[primitive]]s" on both sides were called into space by a signal only they could hear. Before either side could fully comprehend what had happened, a massive energy creature known as [[Tornedron]] arrived, draining them dry of their energy. Luckily, Grimlock and the primitives eventually managed to save the universe and undo the power loss suffered by Springer and the others. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

During a skirmish in [[Japan]], Springer was present when Rodimus temporarily reverted to Hot Rod. He and the other Autobots held off an attack by the Decepticons when Scourge briefly took control of them and the Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}
{{-}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
Alongside [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Springer was sent from [[Athenia]] to Cybertron in order to defend against a major Decepticon assault. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} The Triple Changers then travelled to Earth, where they helped [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] sneak into [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] by keeping their Decepticon counterparts busy with a dogfight. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel UK Generation 1 comics====
[[File:Triplechangerstarget2006.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This trinity's going to war!]]
Springer was a member of the Wreckers commando squad, originally meant (with the other Triple Changers) to substitute for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] in [[Operation: Volcano]] to fend off the [[Decepticon]] reinforcements while the other Wreckers dealt with Cybertron's deadliest. and could 'spring' forwards really far. [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] decided to the best way to convince [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] that Springer, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] were up to replace Magnus was by having them pretend to be Decepticons and beating the [[Slag (slang)|slag]] out of him. So that's more or less what they did. Except they had to gang up against him. While he was unarmed. And with an [[inhibitor claw]] on his back. Nonetheless they did impress the Wreckers leader, and quickly begun training in [[Debris]]. But even as Volcano began, there were still worries that the three newcomers might not be enough to replace Magnus. Ultimately, Volcano did not take place, instead being replaced by Impactor having half his head blown off by a [[Macabre|nobody Decepticon]]. After blowing Macabre away, Springer and the Wreckers watched Impactor's life pass away. Evidently particularly impressed by Springer, Impactor chose him as his replacement to lead his motley crew.

He felt unworthy of the role and suffered from worries that he couldn't handle it, worries made worse when [[Kalis]] was overrun by the undead, the Wreckers were captured, and Springer had to face Impactor's [[zombie]]! Unable to blast his old comrade, Springer instead succeeded in getting Impactor's mind to resurface, allowing him to carry on to meet up with Ultra Magnus' team. {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} Alongside a host of allies, Springer helped end the zombie threat. {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:Uk203 cover detail.jpg|200px|thumb|"See Springer, that's the difference between you and I. Organization. Careful thinking. Forward planning. And that is why I sleep in the arms of a beautiful woman and you spend your evenings alone in your bedsit. With ''cheap porn''."]]
That done, it was time for the main mission: Take the Wreckers to Earth to face [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Unfortunately, by accident they found themselves sent by the [[space bridge]] to a human city, and the fight against Galvatron began causing major destruction and endangerment of human life. Springer quickly decided to take the fight out of the city, pretending he'd captured Galvatron's time-jump device and leading Scourge and Cyclonus away from the humans. Springer led the Wreckers back to Cybertron with the intent of returning for Galvatron later. {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}} Unfortunately, that "later" was the Time Wars. Even with the support of the Decepticon [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], the Wreckers were massacred, with Springer's order to retreat and fight a running battle doing nothing to stop the slaughter. However, Springer's heroism impressed Mayhem leader [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] so much he disobeyed his orders to kill the surviving Autobots; the two also saved each other's life during the battle. {{storylink|Time Wars}}

Left stranded on Earth, Springer and the other Time Wars survivors decided to band together as the eponymous [[Survivors]] after a proposal from Carnivac. Springer was originally reluctant but soon became the leader of that group too. {{storylink|Survivors!}} Carnivac eventually chafed under his leadership, whacked Springer one, and then left—right when the new Mayhems were arriving to kill him! {{storylink|Way of the Warrior}} Springer was convinced by the others to go to Carnivac's aid, but while Carnivac was saved, [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]] was killed. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Wolf in the Fold Springer.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Grrrrr. >:(]]
Springer wanted to wait for the Mayhem Attack Squad to make the first mistake before seeking vengeance for Catilla, but Carnivac couldn't wait. He set off on his own to enact his revenge. Without time to formulate a decent plan, Springer realized the Survivors would need raw numbers to defeat the Mayhems, and that meant dealing with [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Earthforce]]. Asking for help to save a Decepticon... Springer ruminated that Grimlock was likely to declare them all traitors on the spot. {{storylink|Wolf in the Fold!}} Still, they went to Earthforce, pledging the Survivors' allegiance in return for them helping rescue Carnivac. They were successful, and half the Mayhems were captured while the other half died at Carnivac's hands. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} Soon thereafter, Springer led his men against [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], protecting a human oil tanker in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}} Springer's final act as a member of Earthforce was standing around with Grimlock and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] as they coerced [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]] into removing the cerebro shell from [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'s brain. {{storylink|Inside Story!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Peace Rodimus Springer.jpg|200px|thumb|Springimus Prime?]]
In [[2008]], Springer was briefly seen among a massive melee between the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

In one future, set in the year [[2510]], the war with the Decepticons finally came to a conclusion. Springer led his Wreckers into battle in Cybertron's northern hemisphere, wiping out the last of the remaining Decepticon warriors. When [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] officially declared the war over, he decided to nominate Springer to carry on the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] for him. Tragically, however, things wouldn't be that simple. A deep-cover Decepticon named [[Triton]] stirred up trouble at the meeting by declaring Ultra Magnus a better choice for the new Autobot leader. His antics led to a brawl between Springer's Wreckers and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], who favored Ultra Magnus. Although Triton was killed in the fight, it was too late: the war began again, this time with Autobot vs. Autobot. {{storylink|Peace}}

====="Another Time & Place"=====
[[File:Another Time Place Fangry.jpg|left|200px|thumb|]]
When Grimlock and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] rushed off half-cocked searching for a cure for [[Nucleon]] on [[Hydrus Four]], it was up to the Autobots to bail them out of trouble when they were caught by the Decepticons. Working with a small group (including [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]), Springer caught the Decepticon [[Fangry]] alone and pulled him into the sea. Before he could fight back, Springer used a thermal knife to amputate both of his arms, leaving the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] helpless against his Autobot attackers.

Cold, Springer. Awesome, but cold. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}
{{-}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Springerg2.jpg|200px|thumb|Hey, Marvel US, it's me!]]
When the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] ambushed the [[Autobot]]s on the planet [[Ethos]], Springer was in charge of a squad consisting of former [[Wrecker]]s buddies [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Inferno's buddy [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]. Although Springer warned his squad to stay close together, Smokescreen broke formation, resulting in his death and the injuring of Ironhide. Smokescreen's death caused Inferno to lose his temper, and he subsequently also died despite Springer's warnings. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

Springer later helped lay [[Sky Sniper]] mines on Earth, in preparation for a final stand against the coming of the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classics Ultramagnus Springer Grimlock comic.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Springer's the one who doesn't know how binoculars work. Well, one of them, anyway.]]
Springer seems to be much more of a loner, never having been part of the Wreckers, and having mainly worked alone against the Decepticons until after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s defeat on [[Klo]]. Fearing the end of the conflict that was so important to him, he was eager to sign on with Grimlock's crew.

Fifteen years after the Autobot/Decepticon war ended on Klo, Springer was head of security under Substitute Commander Ultra Magnus aboard the ''[[Graviton (Classics)|Graviton]]'' as it tracked [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] to Earth. Springer was looking forward to seeing Grimlock again. Once on Earth, Springer and Ultra Magnus were spying on a meeting between the Decepticons that had followed Bludgeon and those that had thrown their lot in with Starscream. After observing Mirage get captured and Bug Bite using modified [[cerebro-shell]]s to control some of the assembled Decepticons, they withdrew. Later using modified cerebro-shell jammers, Springer was part of the Autobot force that disrupted Bug Bite's meeting with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. The disrupted meeting led to Decepticon firing on Decepticon and in the chaos that followed, Springer disabled the Decepticon computers, allowing the raiding party to withdraw with a rescued Mirage. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

[[File:AtFightsEnd-OverkillDragstripAcidStorm.jpg|thumb|250px|And then there was a fight. We guess.]]
Later, [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]], [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] were waiting on a dusty planet when Springer's rogue team of Autobots attempted to hunt them down. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[Image:Wreckers loose ends.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Alright you lazy bums, its time to make 'em sorry for leaving us outta the first eighty issues!]]
Springer interrupted [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s [[solid light simulation|holographic training session]] (just before Kup would have been defeated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]) to tell him that the [[Skyscorcher]]s were holed up in the [[Pax Cybertronia Decommissioning Depot]], where they feared they would detonate [[Warbird|cobalt-60 warheads]]. Though disapproved by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Springer and the [[Wrecker]]s invaded the facility and captured the Deluxe [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s, saving countless lives. The Wreckers joined Kup in his quest to help the other planets affected by the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], and travelled to [[Earth]], hitching a ride aboard the [[Cosmic Carnival]]. Unfortunately they learned the entire planet had been devastated, and were summarily blown out of the sky by nuclear missiles, launched by Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1|Loose Ends #1}}

Using escape pods, they crash-landed on Earth. To send a message of their findings to Cybertron, Springer and the Wreckers targeted the [[Deep Space Network]]. While [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] drew off most of the pursuing zombie-cons, Kup, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and Springer made for the dish. When more pursuers appeared, Kup peeled off to deal with them, urging Springer and Whirl to get the message through. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2|Loose Ends #2}} After [[Rack'n'Ruin]] discovered and was attacked by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]], Springer and the other Wreckers quickly surrounded the super-human until a truce was reached. Circuit Smasher, a.k.a. Spike Witwicky took the Wreckers to [[Argus Base]] where they met with [[G.B. Blackrock]]. As they all discussed the fate of Earth and of Spike, they received a broadcast from Megatron holding Kup hostage—an obvious trap, but one that gave Springer an idea. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3|Loose Ends #3}}

Springer took fellow helicopters Sandstorm and Whirl to engage Megatron's forces—knowing it was likely a suicide mission—to give the other Wreckers and Spike's team a chance to storm the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. After Springer was brought down by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], Megatron told him that though killing has lost his appeal, he occasionally must use it to teach a lesson. Before Megatron could follow through, Optimus Prime and his team arrived. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4|Loose Ends #4}}

Prime commanded Megatron to let Springer go, but the Decepticon leader coldly executed him, sending Prime into a furious attack. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5|Loose Ends #5}} When Prime later tried to apologize to Kup for not taking action sooner, saying he forgot that [[Furmanisms|it never ends]], Kup angrily replied that it ''had'' ended for Springer. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part 1|Natural Selection #1}}
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===Sticker Adventures===
[[File:Springer botjp.jpg|left|150px|thumb|In the Special Edition, Wreck-Gar shoots first.]]
Springer was one of four Autobots working on mapping the universe when their shuttle is hit by a meteor. Forced into an emergency landing on the [[Junkion (planet)|Junk Planet]], they were attacked by [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] until Hot Rod & Kup arrived to save their skidplates. {{storylink|Battle on the Junk Planet}}
{{-}}

===3H comics===
Not long after the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], the Wrecker Springer attempted (fruitlessly) to cheer up [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who had become severely depressed following the death of her surrogate son and Headmaster companion [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. Afterward, he and Hot Rod, now called simply "Rodimus", both checked out and later underwent the [[Great Upgrade|Maximal Upgrade]]. {{storylink|Departure}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics===
[[File:TWW Escalation Springer.jpg|thumb|200px|Spring-heeled jerk.]]
After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] disappeared along with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in a test of the [[space bridge]], {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}} Springer broke off from the Autobot army and formed the Wreckers. Springer was leading the Wreckers into an investigation of the [[Tagan Heights]] Industrial Quadrant East, but they were discoved by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who unleashed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] upon them. Springer, alongside his fellow Wreckers, attacked the Ultracon Combiner but ended up tangled in cabling. This gave Ratbat the chance to gloat at Springer. Once news of Devastator aligning with the [[Ultracon]]s reached [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], they moved in to aid the Wreckers, combining into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and battling Devastator. {{storylink|Escalation}}

Freed in the confusion, Springer leapt at Ratbat, screaming at the Ultracon leader for violating the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]]. The Combiner teams were downgraded from combat status and monitored for a reason. Ratbat mocked Springers newfound concern for treaties. Springer stated that there's enough destructive potential in the Tagan Heights to knock Cybertron out of orbit, and an accident in the Combiner throwdown would light the fuse. A stray blast from Defensor in fact, did just that. Springer chastised the Protectobots for taking such a huge risk. The Protectobots vacated the area leaving Springer alone against the Ultracon Combiner. Fortunately, the individual Protectobots managed to overload and defeat Devastator, saving Springer. {{storylink|Devastation}}

[[File:DW Countdown to Extinction Springer.jpg|thumb|left|200px|]]
Millions of years later, after the [[Great Shutdown]], Springer, together with Hot Rod and Blurr, spotted a Decepticon shuttle emerging from [[transwarp]] over the [[Wastelands]] of Cybertron. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Springer reported to Optimus Prime that the situation in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] had become worse and that the [[Guardian robot]]s had been reactivated. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} Whilst fighting the Guardian robots outside of Shockwave's fortress, Springer saw the matrix fire a beam of light towards an [[Unicron|unknown entity]]. {{storylink|countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

Later still, whilst Hot Rod and Kup were training, Springer took the opportunity to hang out with Arcee on Landing Platform A as they observed Prowl and his group of Autobots heading back to Earth.{{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar3 Sandstorm Springer.jpg|200px|thumb|Get to the Choppah!]]
Springer accompanied [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] in searching for a missing team of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]]. However, their radars were jammed by [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], so their search was fruitless. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:Autocracy10-Springer.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
During the rule of [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], Springer was a member of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s security force. Once they learned that Zeta was draining civilians of their [[energon]], they turned on him and helped [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] and the [[Decepticon]]s overthrow him. {{storylink|Overthrown}} The Decepticons then betrayed the Autobots and imprisoned them, but Springer managed to get his hands on a gun, break out together with his cellmates, and join some other escapees in the search for Orion Pax. Once they found him, they were shocked to learn that he had acquired the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and become Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Rise}} Alongside many other Autobots, Springer rallied behind the new Prime and helped chase the Decepticons out of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Endgame}}

Some time later, Springer participated in a battle that the Autobots couldn't win. [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] suggested they counter-attack from the west, but the young Autobot leader realised that it was a trap,and advocated falling back to [[Polyhex]]. Optimus was proven right when Springer, acting as aerial support, spotted [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] arriving to the west. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}

Early in the war, Springer had a simple view of the war: the Autobots were the good guys, the Decepticons were the bad guys, and the [[Autobot Code]] was a way of life. Years of fighting changed him, however, as he stopped seeing everything in black and white and realized being a decent 'bot was only holding him back. After witnessing [[Wrecker]] leader [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] single-handedly bring down a Decepticon shuttle, he was inspired to sign up as a Wrecker reservist. Later, as he was working with the [[Heliobot]]s in the [[Toxic Sludge Swamps]], Impactor approached him in the midst of battle to recruit him. {{storylink|Zero Point}} {{storylink|Dead Men's Boots}}

A member of the Wreckers' 17th lineup, Springer became Impactor's first officer and began seeing him as an older brother. However, as the war grew more violent and dirty, so did the Wreckers, and they began breaking more and more rules of war. Springer convinced himself that it wasn't his problem if he wasn't doing it, but as time went on he was became desensitized and began intervening less and less. Unlike the others, Springer's moral compass required him to have an ''excuse'' for killing Decepticons, so before the final showdown with the Wreckers' Decepticons counterparts [[Squadron X]], he had to pump himself up by telling stories of all the crimes they had committed. The other Wreckers thought this only served to make Impactor even more unstable than he already was. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5 Springer arrives too late.jpg|left|250px|thumb|You monster! THEY WERE FANWANK!!!]]
The Wreckers' rivalry with Squadron X came to an end on the planet [[Pova]], where they found themselves in a bad way after Springer was trapped under some collapsed rubble. Despite Springer's pleas, Impactor used his own body as a shield against Squadron X's advancing troops, firing through it. This helped turn the tide, and the Wreckers rounded up all of Squadron X for transport offworld. Unfortunately, Impactor snapped when [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] told him that Pova was neutral territory, and that he was ordered to set them free or else the Autobots would face diplomatic repercussions. Impactor locked himself in their ship, and as Springer tried to break through the door, personally executed every member of Squadron X while they were restrained. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Horrified by Impactor's actions, Springer reported him to [[Autobot High Command]] as soon as he got the chance. Before the trial took place, Springer was visited by the other Wreckers, each believing they were alone in approaching him. They all pleaded with him that they hadn't seen Impactor's murders coming and were worried that High Command might shut down the Wreckers because of them. Springer promised to testify that they had nothing to do with it and to become their new leader once everything was over. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

Springer testified against Impactor through [[Aequitas]], and the disgraced Wreckers leader was sentenced to be imprisoned on [[Garrus-9]]. A cover story for what happened on Pova was released which involved Springer suggesting Impactor fire through his torso and Squadron X later escaping their restraints, necessitating their execution. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} As Impactor was dragged to his cell, Springer told his former commander something he didn't want to hear, something he would dwell upon for the length of his incarceration: Squadron X deserved to die for their crimes, but Impactor didn't have the right to kill them. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

[[File:Stormbringer2 Springer.jpg|350px|thumb|The Wreckers don't half go on about that, do they?]]
Years later on the planet [[Varas Centralus]], Springer, now commander of the Wreckers, was coordinating the counter-offensive against a [[infiltration protocol|Phase Six Decepticon siege bunker]] when he got the call from Optimus Prime that [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] might be active again on Cybertron. Pulling the Wreckers out of Varas Centralus, Springer was of the opinion that if Thunderwing was still alive, they should nuke Cybertron and take the monster with it. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} After [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] were rescued, the Wreckers prepared to breach [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s cultist lair at [[Thunderhead Pass]]. Springer tried to persuade Optimus Prime from joining the battle, but the Autobot leader was not to be deterred. After routing the cultists, a new problem arose: Thunderwing, sent off to wreck havoc on [[Nebulos]], was returning. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} The Wreckers gave it their all against Thunderwing, but were seriously outmatched, with Springer's rotors being destroyed by the monstrous titan. As Thunderwing bore down on him, unexpected help came from the Decepticon battleship ''[[Thanatos]]'', and the combined efforts managed to stagger the giant, forcing it to draw more [[Ultra-Energon]] from the environment, whose side effects eventually forced it to shut down. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

[[File:SpotlightKup Springersholograph.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Ebeneezer Kup!]]
Not long thereafter, Springer excused himself from actively leading the Wreckers when he heard his old mentor Kup had finally been found, after being MIA for some time. Rescue conditions were hardly ideal, however: [[Tsiehshi|the planet]] the old warhorse was stuck on was permeated with [[Ore-8|highly unstable energy crystals]] which produced massive amounts of debilitating radiation and a single spark might set off an explosive chain reaction that would destroy the planet. Kup, meanwhile, had somehow survived exposure to this environment, yet had gone over the brink of madness, attacking the Autobot teams that beamed down to retrieve him because their thick radiation armors made them appear monstrous to his eyes. Despite these complications, Springer insisted rescue efforts continue, even after many Autobots were destroyed in the attempt. Finally, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] arrived as a defensive specialist, and used his force field to block the radiation and get Kup to recognize him. Kup was brought in for repairs, and Springer returned to the Wreckers. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

Later, Springer, along with Autobots across the galaxy, watched an Autobot news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

When the denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] stepped up their plans to merge the living and unliving universes together, Springer and the Wreckers were called in once again to battle Thunderwing when he was found guarding a cave on planet [[Corata-Vaz]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} They didn't have much luck. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} However, once [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] managed to take control of Thunderwing, Springer and the Wreckers snuck past it and into the cave to retrieve one of the [[Nega-Core]]s, which were crucial to the Dead Universe plans. Unfortunately, as they were doing so, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] regained control of Thunderwing, and the Wreckers were forced to hold the line until the Nega-Core could be removed and deposited back into the Dead Universe via a portable [[space bridge]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[File:AHM15 SpringerpunchesProwl.jpg|thumb|200px|Why should [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] get [[All Hail Megatron issue 4|all the fun?]]]]
Springer was making regular trips to the ''[[Ark-17]]'' to check up on Kup, but one day found that the old warrior had been transferred to the [[Kimia Facility]] without his knowledge. Filled with rage, Springer traveled to the facility and delivered an uppercut to [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s chin, only to learn that Kup had been fully repaired using [[Pretender]] technology. While he was skeptic at first, Springer's spirits were soon lifted when he got to meet the rejuvenated Kup. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Everything in Its Right Place}}

Led by Kup, Springer later helped rescue a number of Wreckers who had been captured by the Decepticon [[Turmoil]]. Following this mission, Springer and his fellow Wrecker [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] joined Kup's personal strike force on board the starship ''[[Trion]]''. He argued against letting [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] into the team, but Kup felt that everyone deserves a second chance. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}} Shortly afterwards, the team caught a distress call from [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], who was being chased by Decepticons. Kup's team went to his aid, but unfortunately their opponent was the abominable [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], who melted Springer's rotor blades with acid. Eventually, the giant was toppled by [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s new sniping skills. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Lost & Found}}

While chasing the Decepticon cruiser ''[[Torment]]'', the ''Trion'' was lured into a trap and shot down above the planet Cybertron. The crew was "bonded" with the ship at the time, and Springer refused to disconnect from the doomed vessel as he attempted to steer it into a crash landing. He succeeded, and later met with another Autobot unit that had also ended up on the abandoned planet. Kup's team decided to show the others how badass they were, a showcase which ended with Springer being wrestled to the floor by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and his weapon being used to hold Kup at gunpoint. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}} After this little show of force, the two groups teamed up to fight off the [[Insecticon swarm]] that was inhabiting the planet along with them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1 Springer introduction.jpg|left|250px|thumb|''Lookin' back on the track, for a little green bag...'']]
When the Autobots relocated to another base, Springer participated in the caravan in his ground vehicle mode. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} At the new base, Springer helped set up a large defensive cannon to use against the incoming swarm. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Despite Springer's best use of fisticuffs, the Autobots were overrun by the thousands of Insecticons, and only saved by the intervention of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} Omega took everyone to [[New York City]] on [[Earth]], where Megatron and his forces were located. During the great battle, Springer shoved his knee hard in [[Viewfinder]]'s abdomen. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}}

Springer had medics at key facilities look out for messages from [[Agent 113]], a spy in the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] with a unique way of sending reports. One of these medics was [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]], who contacted him when Agent 113 reported the Decepticon occupation of Garrus-9. {{storylink|Bullets}} After Megatron's defeat on Earth and the general collapse of the Decepticon war effort, Prowl formulated a desperate plan to use the Wreckers to retake Garrus-9 from the Decepticons and retrieve the potentially damaging war criminal trial data from supercomputer Aequitas. Springer began recruiting new members into the Wreckers, noting with irony that he had now assumed Impactor's role, though the main difference was Springer offered the potential recruits a choice, and sometimes they said no. {{storylink|Dead Men's Boots}}

On Ultra Magnus's ship Springer introduced himself to the new team members: [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]], [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]], and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]]. He told them that their first mission was to clean up [[Garrus-9]] and warned them that their first day as a Wrecker could be their last. When Ironfist fainted, Springer felt he needed to keep an eye on him. Afterward he spoke with [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and shared thoughts about Impactor until Ultra Magnus called for him to return to the bridge. He arrived just in time to see a Decepticon starship explode, revealing the former Wrecker. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers2 SpringerImpactorReunion.jpg|300px|thumb|Reunited and it feeeels so bad!]]
Once Impactor was aboard, Springer asked him how he got out of Garrus-9. After hearing Impactor's tale of escape and the revelation that infamous [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] was now the death camp warden, Springer felt that the mission was finally getting interesting. He then shared words with Impactor about the incident on [[Pova]]. Impactor stormed out, but Springer still felt it would be a good idea to use him on the team. Ultra Magnus then relayed something that Prowl wanted done, but only revealed the name: Aequitas.

While nearing Garrus-9 orbit, Springer assisted Ultra Magnus with the mission briefing. He outlined the mission, dividing them into two teams to penetrate the [[lattice forcefield]] via [[drop pod]]s. He took control of one of the pods before relaying control over to Rotorstorm for a simultaneous hit against the forcefield. Once through the pod came under instant attack, but Springer managed a crash landing. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|Last Stand of the Wreckers #2}}

Upon planetfall, Springer's team ran from an oncoming horde of Decepticons. He took a look at [[Twin Twist]]'s wounds while Guzzle, Kup, and Impactor held off the Decepticons. Springer ordered Guzzle into tank mode to bring down the ceiling, granting them an moment's reprieve. He then sent Kup and Guzzle to get backup while Twin Twist drilled through the floor. He drilled into an open area, but was saved by Springer, who jumped through and quickly transformed into helicopter mode. On the ground they found the demolished remains of [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]], but Twin Twist warned them that they had just set off a defense mechanism. Springer attempted to escape but was zapped unconscious, ending up in [[Stalker (G1)|Stalker]]'s Spark Extinction Chamber. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4 faceshot.jpg|thumb|left|200px||Right in the kissah!]]
Springer came to after a torturing round from Stalker and began arguing with Impactor about the events that led to the former Wreckers command to be imprisoned on Garrus-9. Springer expressed the desire to forgive Impactor and himself for what happened on Pova, but this couldn't happen until Impactor admitted that what he did was wrong. They were interrupted by the return of Stalker, who had retrieved his latest instrument of torture, the [[endoscopic claw]]. After Twin Twist died as a result of [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]'s sacrifice to activate Aequitas, Stalker was about to move onto the others when help arrived in the form of Guzzle, Kup and [[Snare]]. Kup sprang Springer, who brought a quick end to Stalker with the torturer's own endoscopic claw. This respite didn't last long, as [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] blasted through the wall having been radioed by Stalker. The large Decepticon simply asked if the Wreckers were ready, with Springer replying affirmative. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers SpringerOverlordFaceoff.jpg|thumb|200px|Give me your- [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Oh, you know.]]]]
The battle with Overlord took the combatants to Garrus-9's roof, but it soon became apparent that Springer's team were fighting a losing battle. After Impactor was seemingly defeated, Ironfist, Perceptor and Verity arrived with a large rotary cannon for Springer to use that would supposedly turn the tide. The Wreckers commander emptied the massive weapon into Overlord, who at merely seemed annoyed at the attack, knocked the weapon away and tore Springer's face off. As he advanced on Ironfist, the diminutive Autobot detonated the payload of [[deterrence chip]]s that the Springer had fired into Overlord, and Verity broke his will by revealing that Megatron had since died, robbing the insane Overlord of his obsessive desire to face the Decepticon leader in combat. After Impactor disabled Overlord, he refused to kill him, stating that it was not what Springer wanted. With G-9's liberation, Ultra Magnus took the survivors back to [[Earth]], where Springer was still alive but on life-support, with Kup by his bedside. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Though his body was repaired, Springer was left in a coma due to a [[zero point]], an affliction that kept his [[spark]] from moving through his body. After the liberation of Garrus-9, the comatose Springer was transferred to [[Debris]], where he was left under the care of Roadbuster and Whirl. {{storylink|Zero Point}} Convinced their leader would never wake up, Whirl attempted to euthanize him using Roadbuster's [[Sparkeater (weapon)|Sparkeater weapon]], but was caught in the act by Roadbuster and punished. {{storylink|Interiors}} At [[Rung]]'s suggestion, Roadbuster began reading the ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'' datalogs to Springer in hopes that an emotional response might cause his subconscious to bypass the zero point. When he came to the complete lie of a datalog detailing Pova, Roadbuster gave up and chose to tell Springer the truth: the Wreckers had been ''glad'' to see Impactor kill Squadron X, and they had only asked Springer to lead them because they didn't want to be thrown in prison alongside him. Just as he went on to admit that Springer had still proven to be their greatest leader, Springer began showing signs of life again. {{storylink|Zero Point}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Springer featured in his own 1986 [[commercial]] alongside [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]. In an animation sequence narrated by Optimus Prime and loosely based on the events of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Springer's shuttle is shot down over the planet of Junk, where he does battle with an aggressive Wreck-Gar (introduced by Megatron). Prime describes him as "the toughest of the Autobot [[Triple Changer]]s".

==Games==
===The Transformers (PS2)===
When [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] threatened the universe using [[Zel Quartz]] in 2010, Springer was one of the Autobots warriors who travelled back in time to 2003 to prevent Zel Quartz from ever being cultivated for use by Cybertronians. Separated from the rest of his team in the crash, he rejoined the present and future Autobots in their campaign after the first false lead for the quartz on [[Zel Samine]]. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:SpringerG1Toy.JPG|175px|thumb|Three totally different modes]]
*'''Springer''' (1986/1991)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-84'''
**''Accessories'': "Light saber" rotor blade, "laser" rifle

:Springer was one of three Autobot Triple Changers. He transforms from a robot to a futuristic armored car to a helicopter that doesn't look terribly different from the car. In robot mode, his articulation is limited entirely to his arms. His copter rotor blades snap together to form a sword.

:Very early releases of Springer had a [[die-cast]] metal chestplate which was then changed to plastic in subsequent releases. When he was released in the European [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line in 1991, he retained the plastic chest.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Springer/springer.htm More information on Springer at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[File:Springerbotcontoy.jpg|400px|thumb|Suffers from vestigial JaAm cravings.]]
*'''Springer''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Sword, silver-bordered green [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]-style Autobot [[Cyber Key]]

:Sold together in a bag with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and their instructions, keys and bio cards, ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' Springer is a ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''-themed [[BotCon 2007]] attendee exclusive. A paint-heavy green and grey [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#CyCDF|Cybertron Defense Hot Shot]], Springer transforms into a modified [[Wikipedia:M1117 Armored Security Vehicle|M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle]]. When Springer's Cyber Key is inserted into the back of the turret, the two gun barrels open up into dual (non-firing) missile launchers. Compartments on his shoulders and his thighs can also open up to reveal additional missile launchers. He also comes with a dagger that stows between his legs and sort-of acts as an exhaust pipe in vehicle mode; when he's in robot mode, the dagger can be hand-held via [[5mm post]], pegged into the front of his fist, or stored in a sheath on his leg. The same sheath can be used to store his Cyber Key in vehicle mode.

:Springer is assembled differently from the other uses of this mold. The panels covering the missile racks on each shoulder are swapped, finally following the assembly shown in the [[instructions]].

:The mold was later used as ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Roadbuster (G1)#Universe (2008)|Roadbuster]] in the [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] Autobot Ambush Comic 2-Pack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/BCSpringer/springer.htm More information on ''Timelines'' Springer at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008 Springer comicpack toy.jpg|300px|thumb|Whatever happened to the whole Triple Changer angle? And no, [[attack mode]]s don't count.]]
*'''Standoff Beneath the Streets''' (Voyager-Deluxe Comic two-pack, 2008)
**''Series'': '''War Within Series'''
**''Accessories'': Two "plasma rockets", "spinning [[energon]] blades"/rotor blades, Autobot [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]-style [[Cyber Key]]

:A Target-exclusive redeco of ''Cybertron'' [[Evac (Cybertron)#Cybertron|Evac]], ''Universe'' Springer transforms into a [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Eurocopter Dauphin|Eurocopter Dauphin rescue helicopter]]. His "energon blades"/rotor blades spin using a geared push-button, and become a spinning-blade weapon mounted on his robot mode's left arm. He has an [[Retractable string gimmick|adjustable winch]], which retracts with the push of a button: this gimmick ends up on his right robot-mode arm. Inserting a Cyber Key into his back end (backpack in robot mode) swings around a pair of spring-loaded "plasma rocket launchers"/[[missile]] launchers. His (conveniently color-coded) red Cyber Key is unpainted, save for its silver Autobot symbol. He was available only with [[Ratbat (G1)#Universe (2008)|Ratbat]].

:His [[packaging]] [[stock photography]] has both of his modes flipped.

:Packaging Springer with Ratbat is an [[homage]] to their rivalry in ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|The Dark Ages]]''. Likewise, Springer's deco is directly inspired by his color layout in ''The Dark Ages'', down to the blue "cockpit" painted on his chest, and that he does not have three modes (yet). This connection is further enhanced by having Ratbat possess a humanoid robot mode and jet-like altmode. See [[#Dreamwave comics continuity|above]].

:In its first release in Canada, the set did not include a comic (in spite of the ''INCLUDES COMIC!'' marking on the package), and in the US, the set included the ''wrong'' comic. Instead of a reprint of "[[Target: 2006]]" parts [[Target: 2006#Wreck and Rule!|5]] and [[Target: 2006#The Devil You Know...|6]], which was meant for the "Autobot Ambush" Deluxe-Voyager two-pack of [[Roadbuster (G1)#Universe (2008)|Roadbuster]] and [[Dirge (G1)#Universe (2008)|Dirge]], the right comic was to be ''The Dark Ages'' issue "[[Escalation]]", which was similarly and erroneously included with the "Autobot Ambush" two-pack.

:This mold was also used to make ''Universe'' [[Blades (G1)#Universe (2008)|Blades]] and ''Timelines/[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (toyline)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Megatron (SG)#Toys|Galvatron]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUSpringer/springer.htm More information on ''Universe'' Springer at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy Springer.jpg|300px|thumb|And now we need a Voyager Class ground-mode Springer to keep things even.]]
*'''Autobot Springer''' (Deluxe, 2012)
**''Accessories'': Left & right missile launchers, two missiles, sword

:An Asian market exclusive, ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Springer is a redeco and [[retool]] of ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' [[Hunt for the Decepticons]] [[Tomahawk (TF 2010)|Tomahawk]], with a new head and sword. He transforms into a slightly futuristic strike helicopter with a rotating camera array under its cockpit, sporting an amalgamation of features from both the [[wikipedia:Eurocopter Tiger|Eurocopter Tiger]] and the ADH-02 Hellhound attack helicopter from ''[[wikipedia:Patlabor|Patlabor]]''. He comes with spring-loaded missile launchers that mount under his wings. In robot mode, he is armed with "snapping pincers" on his right forearm, while his missile launchers end up over his shoulders. They can also be detached and held in his hands via 5mm post, or clipped onto the mini-guns on his wings or onto his forearms using the [[C joint]] system. The new sword can be held at the handle, or be held via the two [[Mini-Con]]-compatible posts on its hilt. The sword has no dedicated spot to store in either mode, and has to use the one of the mounting points on the wings where the launchers usually store, meaning one of these launchers has to mount via C joint instead.

:Springer was originally only to be released as part of a big block of toys developed [[exclusive]]ly for release in China and other Hasbro Asia markets. However, [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]] picked up Springer as part of a ''massive'' group of ''Transformers'' exclusives for US market release, just in time for the 2012 holiday shopping season.

:The original version of this mold was [[retool]]ed into ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Vortex (ROTF)#Dark of the Moon|Vortex]], and redecoed (but with Vortex's head) into ''Timelines'' [[Spinister (G1)#Timelines|Spinister]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/GDOSpringer/springer.htm More information on ''Generations'' Springer at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|Voyager}}
[[File:Generationstoy-VoyagerSpringer.jpg|thumb|300px|And all the other toys on this page were thrown away.]]
*'''Autobot Springer''' (Voyager, 2013)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / 001'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG21'''
**''Accessories'': Dual missile launcher, two missiles, rotor blades/sword

: Part of the third wave of [[2012]]-[[2013]] ''Generations'' Voyager Class toys, '[[Thrilling 30]]' "Autobot Springer" is based on [[Nick Roche]]'s design of the character from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', and is a Triple Changer, transforming into both an armored car and a helicopter. Yup.

:His helicopter rotors detach to transform into a sword that is held by his hands via 5mm post, and can store underneath his car mode. He also comes with a dual missile launcher that fires its two missiles in succession via a two-step pressure launch. The launcher features a jointed 5mm handle to allow it to pivot, and can mount underneath the helicopter cockpit. He has two 5mm ports on his back, the sword hilt has an additional post, and the launcher has additional ports at the top and bottom.

:This mold was extensively [[retool]]ed into 'Thrilling 30' [[Sandstorm (G1)#Voyager|Sandstorm]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/GenSpringer/springer.htm More information on "Thrilling 30" Springer at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
*The Hasbro design team chose the ''Cybertron'' Evac mold for ''Universe'' Springer because the BotCon 2007 version already had the ground vehicle [[alternate mode]] of the original covered, and they wanted to give some attention to the original's helicopter mode.
*Fun Publications' [[Jesse Wittenrich]] used an unwanted ''Universe'' Springer to come up with ''Shattered Glass'' Galvatron.
*Springer's name comes from his ability to jump good. Jump real good. As you'd expect from someone who has a flying [[Alternate mode|altmode]], it's not an ability he uses much.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sprang''' or '''Sprung''' (スプラング ''Supurangu'')
*''French:'' '''Ricochet''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Szökkenő''' ("Springer")
*''Italian:'' '''Bora'''
*''Russian:'' '''Sprinter''' (Спринтер)

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

[[Category:Beast Machines Autobots]]
[[Category:Defense specialists]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Security officers]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Superion (G1)

2013-07-12T02:21:18Z

Autocon: /* The Transformers cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Superion}}
:''Superion is an [[Autobot]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Superion studioox.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I MUST SUCCEED!]]

As the first of the [[Autobot]] [[combiner]]s, '''Superion''' is an imperfect warrior at best. In other gestalt Transformers, the mental aspect of combination has famously resulted in instability and insanity, as disparate personalities have been meshed into one mismatched whole. Superion aims to overcome this not by achieving a more thorough melding of the minds, but rather, by ''shutting out'' all the different, conflicting personalities of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] who compose him. He suppresses absolutely everything save for his dedication to the destruction of the [[Decepticon]]s, and his rival [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] in particular—something that he is especially good at, despite the fact that his castrated thought processes leave him struggling to innovate or adapt to new tactics in battle. Other Autobots mistakenly interpret this single-mindedness and inability to engage on a social level as aloofness, as if Superion considered himself to be above his teammates, but he is truly physically and mentally incapable of giving any more of himself.

Superion is made up of the five Aerialbots:

*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (torso)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (left leg)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (right arm)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (right leg)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (left arm)

In at least one universe, [[Airazor (Universe)|Airazor]] replaces Slingshot on the team.

{{quote|You lack the '''killer instinct!'''|quote2=You're '''wrong''', Menasor! For you I have '''nothing else!'''|'''Menasor''' and '''Superion'''|"[[Heavy Traffic!]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English, "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2" only), [[Ed Gilbert]] (English), [[Tomomichi Nishimura]] (Japanese)|[[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American)}}

[[File:KTVS2 superion vs menasor.jpg|left|thumb|250px]] When the five Aerialbots were created on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and brought to life by [[Vector Sigma]]—reactivated through the sacrifice of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]—[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] slyly alluded to Superion's existence by noting that ''six'' Autobots had been born that day. The other Autobots soon learned the true meaning of their leader's words when, during a battle back on [[Earth]], the Aerialbots merged to become Superion for the first time to counter the threat posed by Menasor. At first, Superion was able to match Menasor, but the Decepticon combiner's sheer aggression soon turned the tide. Struck by a building and trapped by a landslide, Superion was nearly run through by a factory smokestack until, at the last moment, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] appeared to intercept Menasor's attack. Helped free by Omega, Superion joined him in defeating Menasor, sending the Decepticons into retreat. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[File:Wardawn superion.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Weeks later, back on Cybertron, Superion engaged a damaged [[guardian robot]] in battle, and found himself tossed around like a rag doll by the giant's immense strength. Summoning up all his power, Superion delivered a punch so explosive that the guardian was hurled up into the air, out of the building they were fighting it, and then shattered into pieces when it crashed back down. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

During a battle in the Middle East against [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and the Decepticons' [[Giant Purple Griffin|new flying fortress]], the Aerialbots were at a disadvantage, unable to combine into Superion thanks to the unexplained absence of Fireflight. Fortunately, their missing member soon turned up, and they formed Superion and promptly kicked the fortress out of the air. Turning his attention to Bruticus, Superion found himself flung to the ground, but as Bruticus lunged towards him, he quickly separated into his component parts to get out of the way, sending the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] combiner sprawling. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} Soon after, Superion got another crack at defeating Menasor while helping in the Autobot effort to defend the [[Statue of Liberty]]. This battle went a lot better for him than their last, as he singlehandedly defeated Menasor and destroyed Megatron's [[Lightning Bug]] weapon. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}
[[File:ForeverLongTime superion fires.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
In the year 2006, Superion accompanied [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] in investigating reports of [[Quintesson]] activity on an asteroid. Superion brought his prodigious power to bear against the aliens' starships and forced them into retreat, but this meant the aliens were unable to close the [[Time Window]] they had constructed on the asteroid. A robot named [[Alpha Trion (G1)|A-3]] emerged through the window, who was then hurled into space by an explosion caused by the attack of the returning Quintesson force. Superion managed to follow and grab him, but was then pinned down by Quintesson fire, and believe that he was doomed. As time began to unravel thanks to chronal energy leaking from the unclosed time window, A-3 transformed in Superion's very hands into his future self, revealing that he was actually Alpha Trion, whose life Superion ''had'' to save, so that his ''own'' could come to pass. The effect of the chronal energy then struck Superion himself, causing him to exist in two places at once, giving him double the firepower to repel the Quintessons once again. The duplicate Superion then faded away, and the Autobots soon returned A-3 to his proper place in time and closed the window. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

[[File:BurdenHardest superion in flight.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Hounding [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] through an asteroid field, the Aerialbots formed Superion to really bring the pain. The two Decepticons rushed the getalt at the moment of his combination and were able to knock him aside long enough to escape through a nearby vortex. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}} Later, Superion was part of a team led by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] that prevented the Decepticons from using a comet to destroy [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. After the group was shot down over [[Eurythma]], Superion continued to fight the Decepticons until [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] incapacitated all of the Autobots using a [[Harmony|harmonic weapon]] he'd obtained from the [[Eurythman|natives]]. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

The Aerialbots were sent to investigate strange activities by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], and formed Superion after coming under fire from both the Junkions and the Quintessons. Superion shrugged off the Quintesson fire, rammed their ship with his fists and shot through the ship's protective shield, hurting himself in the resulting explosion. [[File:ROOP1 superion hateplague.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Any coolness in this scene is taken away when you realize that, with all those planes, he should be twice as big.]] The giant Autobot managed to send a distress call to Cybertron and was carried back to the planet with help from [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. Just before passing out, Superion warned [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] of the Quintesson interference. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} Some time later, Superion joined in the Autobot effort to defend [[Japan]] against Decepticon attack, separating into his component Aerialbots to blast [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] before he collided with a speeding passenger train. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

When attempting to recover [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s body, the Aerialbots were infected with the [[Hate Plague]]. While infected, they combined into Superion, who smashed a hole through the roof of the lab they had entered. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] led a team of Autobots to attempt to subdue Superion, but they were shot down by the raging gestalt. Later, Defensor was helping evacuate a bridge when Superion attacked. Defensor was able to knock Superion away, but he bounced off the bridge cables, making contact with Defensor and spreading the infection further. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
{{-}}

====IDW ''Transformers: The Animated Movie'' adaptation====

During the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005, Superion was unable to come to the aid of the stricken city, as he was defending [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] alongside Omega Supreme and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] against [[:File:TAM TPB Gestalt Fight.jpg|an attack]] by Menasor and Bruticus. {{storylink|Transformers: The Animated Movie|The Animated Movie trade paperback}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
[[File:FSRLFstorypage7 superion vs triplechangers.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
Around the time the Autobots initiated their "[[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]" initiative to construct a mobile battle fortress, Superion battled Astrotrain and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], easily overpowering the two [[Triple Changer]]s with his massive hands. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 7|Story page #7}} The combiner did not fare so well in his next battle, against Menasor, but managed to achieve victory by dividing into the Aerialbots and binding the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] gestalt, allowing him to be bombarded by Scramble City's arsenal. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 8|Story page #8}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
[[File:FSRLF5 superion and communicator.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]
When the Stunticons and Combaticons began tearing up a baseball stadium, [[Kenji]], the Autobots' young human ally, used his Superion [[wrist-communicator]] to call for help from the airborne combiner himself, as well as the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]. The Protectobots were first on the scene, but Superion soon came swooping in to back them up, only for Bruticus to join the fight as well. On Kenji's advisement, Superion blew the leg combination joints out from under the Decepticon combiners with his rifle, allowing the Protectobots to forcibly link up with them as new legs, flying the evil gestalts off and dropping them in the ocean. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Issue #5}}

The Aerialbots' powers of flight made them the ideal choice to speed to the aid a group of Autobots in need of reinforcement on an island the Decepticons were using as a staging base for the launch of their counter to Scramble City, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Charged predominantly with protecting the local wildlife, the Aerialbots were joined in the mission by Protectobot medic [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (replacing a miffed Slingshot), who took up position as Superion's left leg to fly to the island. The combiner was nearly crushed by Trypticon, but the saurian city was distracted by the sudden appearance of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], Scramble CIty's robot form. Superion detached Air Raid, who buzzed Trypticon and taunted him into attacking Metroplex... who turned out to be a giant hologram courtesy of [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], through which Trypticon fell into the ocean. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Issue #6}}

=====Scramble City: Mobilization=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tomomichi Nishimura]] (Japanese)
[[File:ScrambleCity superions wrong trousers.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]
As the Autobots' Scramble City project was nearing completion, the location of the secret cavern in which they were finishing the battle station's construction was discovered by the Decepticons. The Aerialbots repelled the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] with an aerial barrage, but when the Stunticons came rolling onto the scene, they merged into Superion to deal with their old foes. A single kick from Superion tore up the ground beneath them and briefly buried the Stunticons, but they soon extricated themselves and formed Menasor to fight back. Tackled to the ground by the Stunticon combiner, Superion deftly separated into his component 'bots to avoid being stomped, then re-combined in an alternate configuration for more power. Menasor seized Superion out of the air as he attempted a flying kick and hurled him aside, so the Aerialbots tried switching configurations again, only for Fireflight to forget which limb he was supposed to be forming and fall off. Menasor exploited the opportunity to have [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] forcibly combine with Superion as the Autobot's missing leg, crippling him with great pain. A timely blast from Optimus Prime removed the Stunticon, allowing Fireflight to rejoin Superion, but the arrival of the Combaticons proceeded to tip the battle in the Decepticons' favor. Restrained by Menasor and pummelled by Bruticus, Superion had to eventually give up and split back into the Aerialbots to escape, but thankfully, Defensor and Metroplex soon showed up to win the day. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
[[File:FullThrottle superion vs menasor.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]
The Aerialbots formed Superion to stop Menasor from stealing energy from a power plant, but the Decepticons had an extra trick up their sleeves: their new [[Omega Whip]] cannon, which threatened to shut down the Autobot combiner's whole body with its deadly electromagnetic beams. Though by all rights the two direct hits he took from the weapon should have knocked him offline, Superion's components redistributed their power to keep on fighting, hitting Menasor with a full-power blow. Unfortunately, the damage done by the Omega Whip had weakened Superion enough that Menasor was able to withstand his attack, and worse still, he was unable to change his limb configuration to counter Menasor's follow-up attack. Fortunately, Metroplex and the other Autobots soon arrived, and the sight of the giant city-bot left Menasor momentarily stunned, allowing Superion to get the upper hand. Disengaging Slingshot, Superion had him knock Wildrider loose from Menasor and take his place, immobilizing the Decepticon combiner so that Superion could stomp him into defeat. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''Transformers 2010'' story pages=====
[[File:GreatWar superion torn apart.jpg|right|thumb]]
Superion and Defensor did not fare well against the Decepticons' newest combiner, [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)#Part 2|Story page #2}} They probably would have preferred to enact a hypothetical scenario that proposed what would happen if the Autobot combiners could make peace with the Decepticons; in this "imaginary tale", Superion sported [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] for a right arm, [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] as his left arm, Wildrider as his right leg, and [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] for his left leg. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)#Part 5|Story page #5}}

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' comic=====

Superion joined Defensor and Omega Supreme in battling Menasor, Bruticus and Devastator on the planet [[Feminia]], but were powerless before the Decepticons' trump card, Predaking. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|Issue #5}}

=====''The Great Transformer War'' comic=====

The Aerialbots were deployed to rescue the alien scientist [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] from captivity within Trypticon, forming Superion on approach. Unfortunately for them, the battle-station modes that [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] had adopted to hook up to Trypticon's city mode allowed them to launch the Stunticons and Combaticons into battle so rapidly that Superion was torn limb from limb mere moments after his combination. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|Issue #1}}
{{--}}
=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ken Yamaguchi]] (Japanese)
[[File:HMep1 superion vs abominus.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
During the Decepticon invasion of Cybertron in the year 2011, the Aerialbots assembled as Superion to defend the planet against Galvatron's forces. Superion fought fiercely against [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], and was almost shot in the back by the underhanded [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], but luckily, Optimus Prime was watching out for the giant warrior and Abominus wound up on the receiving end of the shot instead. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} As the battle continued, Superion, Defensor and [[Raiden]] came under heavy fire from the Decepticon combiners until the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]] dropped from the skies to rain down terror and artillery fire on the Decepticons. The battle proceeded to spread to Earth as the Decepticons endeavored to stop Hot Rod from recovering the missing [[Matrix of Leadership]]; Superion engaged Menasor in the Arctic to keep him from interfering with the young Autobot's quest. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Sometime later, Superion fought with Bruticus outside Trypticon, staging a distraction so that [[Blaster (G1)|Twincast]] could break into the Decepticon base and retrieve vital information. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}[[File:HM16 autobot combiners.jpg|right|thumb|250px]] He was formed again, on Cybertron, during the Decepticon raid for the new super-metal [[cybertonuron]], this time scattering the Stunticons like tenpins. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} During the fight, he again clashed with Abominus (again) until Devastator accidentally shot his comrade (again). {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

When [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] attempted to usurp command of the Decepticons following the disappearance of Galvatron, the Aerialbots were among the Autobot forces who attacked his leadership rally on [[Moon (moon)|Earth's moon]]. They formed Superion to enter the fight, but the tide turned when Galvatron made an unexpected return and galvanized his troops to strike back, resulting in Superion getting zapped hard and fleeing with the other Autobots. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

Superion joined the entire Autobot army in journeying to the North Pole for a climactic battle with Scorponok. He fought against the evil combiners as the battle raged. Along with all the other Autobots present, Superion lent his energies to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]] to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Superion drawing devastation derby.jpg|thumb|right|I feel so sketchy.]]
''Superion was first depicted in a series of visions experienced by [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], the Autobots' human friend who had once contained the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] itself within his brain. After a particularly serious nightmare, Buster subconsciously drew the image of a five-jet combiner robot, a design far more sophisticated than what had been achieved by Cybertronian science up 'til that point.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''Another series of surreal dream images from Buster's mind saw the jet combiner in action, first destroying the Decepticon commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] who had recently bedeviled Buster, and then fighting against a new car-robot combiner. Realizing these dreams were in fact unfocused visions from the Creation Matrix itself, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] decided to mind-link with Buster during his next bout of REM sleep, guiding the visions into a more coherent stream of information. The link was successful, and Prime and Buster observed Superion fighting alongside his fellow combiner [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] against their Decepticon opposite numbers, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] at the [[Pullen Power Plant]]. Relating this information to [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Optimus and his chief engineer began planning on how to make these dreams into reality.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}/{{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}}

[[Image:Superion aerialbots over america.jpg|thumb|300px|left]]
Using information recorded on the combination sequence of the Decepticons' Devastator, Wheeljack reverse-engineered and refined the process to create the Aerialbots. Unfortunately, the team was called into action at Hoover Dam before and of its members, save Silverbolt, had their personality programming completed. When the Aerialbots were forced to combine in order to destroy a massive energy drill sent over by the [[space bridge]], Superion was confronted with a human pawn named [[Ricky Vasquez]] carrying [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in gun mode, infused with a [[cerebro-shell]] that forced him to obey the Decepticons' will. Still, Vasquez had begun to fight the Decepticons' control over him, and he tried to resist Megatron's order to shoot Superion. Seeing the human as a danger to his mission, Superion attempted to crush Vasquez and end the threat, but Silverbolt loudly cried out against that course of action inside his head. Strangely, Vasquez and Superion ended up not fighting each other, but themselves, frozen in mid-action as they fought against their own inner drives. Ultimately, Silverbolt forcibly disengaged Superion rather than risk harming an innocent life. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

[[Image:Menasor superion heavy traffic.jpg|thumb|right|250px|I'm fading, I'm fading!]]
Following the near fatality at Hoover Dam, the Autobots erased the Aerialbots' programming and memories, reconstructing their minds from scratch and giving them an infusion of Matrix energy to start over again. Superion next saw action against the Decepticon combiner known as Menasor, fighting to protect his comrade [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and their human ally, [[Donny Finkleberg]]. Their fight was cut short, however, when the monomaniacal [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] agent named [[Circuit Breaker]] used her powers to overload Superion's circuitry, leaving him open to a blast from Menasor's [[cyclone rifle]]. The RAAT agents managed to dismantle the combiner into his separate Aerialbot bodies and took them all captive along with several other Autobots. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} The Autobots were only released after Circuit Breaker was forced to make a deal with them in order to end the threat of the rampaging [[Battlecharger]]s. {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}}

[[Image:Menasor superion perchance to dream.jpg|thumb|250px|left]]
''Later, the Aerialbots confronted Menasor again, only this time their fusion into Superion let slip Silverbolt's secret shame: the mental merging allowed the other Aerialbots to learn of their leader's fear of heights. Horrified at being found out, Silverbolt caused Superion to lash out at Menasor with such savagery that they very nearly harmed the very humans they had come to save.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}}

''Still doubting the Aerialbots because of their Superion issues, Optimus placed [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] in temporary command of the unit and had him test them. When Jetfire was gunned down by Decepticons, they formed Superion: once again, he was left crippled by the combination of personality flaws and could only concentrate on combat, tearing into the enemy in a crowded, urban area. When [[Danny Phillips|a bystander]] screamed at him to realise what he was doing, the giant proved incapable. However, because Jetfire had been offline at the time, he remained unaware of the issues with Superion.'' {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}}

[[Image:Superion blood on the tracks.jpg|thumb|right|We are here to attack other Hasbro properties.]]
When Optimus Prime determined that a new human construction named [[Power Station Alpha]] might tempt the Decepticons into action, he sent Bumblebee to attend the unveiling as a precautionary surveillance measure. Sure enough, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] made an appearance, and so Optimus sent Silverbolt and the Aerialbots as back-up. They arrived just in time to see Bumblebee being blown away by the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] team guarding Power Station Alpha. Assuming their Superion form, the Aerialbots attempted to threaten the humans into allowing them to retrieve Bumblebee's body. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} An intense but one-sided conflict raged between Superion and the Joes until he received a signal from [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], conveying the horrific news that Optimus Prime had died in battle while the Aerialbots were on their mission. Superion immediately disengaged and returned to the Ark. {{storylink|Power Struggle}}

A short time later, the Autobots joined forces with both G.I. Joe and [[Cobra]] against the Decepticons, who planned to use Power Station Alpha to destroy the world. The Aerialbots entered the battle and became Superion to pit their strength against the mighty Devastator. Superion eventually scored the winning shot when his [[stress fracture cannon]] caused a malfunction in Devastator's coupling links, forcing him back into his individual Constructicon modes. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

====Earthforce====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[Image:Superion inside story.jpg|thumb|left]]
At one point after the Aerialbots joined Earthforce, Superion was struck with a [[cerebro-shell]], courtesy of the Insecticon named Bombshell, and he began to run amok, crashing through sparsely populated areas on a beeline towards major human population centers. The Autobots were unable to stop him through sheer force, so they enlisted the help of a human reporter named [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]], giving him instructions on how to infiltrate Superion's exo-structure and manually pull the cerebro-shell out of his circuitry. Spoon succeeded in the nick of time, freeing Superion's thought processes right as he reached a local township. {{storylink|Inside Story!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:PrimeDirective4 superion bombed.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]
The Aerialbots were among the Transformers on the [[Ark II]] when it crashed in 1999 thanks to the machinations of [[Robert Hallo]] and [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], but were not among those unfortunates that Rook subsequently rounded up and reprogrammed. Having apparently merged into Superion prior to the craft's impact, they and a handful of other Autobots lay deactivated at the bottom of the ocean until 2002, when they were reawakened by Optimus Prime, emerging from the waters in their combined form. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Superion assured Prime he would be part of the coming battle. Soon after, while Superion and the other Autobots engaged the Decepticons in battle in the frozen wilderness of Canada, the US government dropped a bomb on both factions. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} Ironically enough, it was a metallic [[cyber-virus]] unleashed by Megatron's virus that saved them, solidifying around the dome of the explosion; [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] was concerned about the amount of effort it would take to extricate Superion from the metal dome, but the combiner put his worries to rest by punching his way out with sheer force.

Superion proceeded to fly the Autobots to [[San Francisco]] on his back, for a final showdown with Megatron's forces. Superion took on Devastator during the city-shaking battle, but was forced back into his component robots by an airstrike courtesy of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and their unstoppable [[triangle formation]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} [[Image:DWPrimeDirective6 Superion nuke.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"They couldn't hit [[Big Convoy|an elephant]] from this dist—"]] The conflict came to an end when Hallo launched a nuclear missile at the city in an attempt to destroy all the Transformers; seeing no other recourse, the Aerialbots assembled into Superion and sacrificed their lives by flying straight into the missile, detonating it over the Pacific Ocean. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''Superion's faceplate was recovered from the ocean depths and incorporated into [[Hugo Fortuna]]'s private collection of Cybertronian and Cybertronian-derived technology. Fortuna's collection was uncovered by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Franklin Townsend]] while they were investigating the mysterious disappearance of several Transformers. {{storylink|Hardwired}}'' Like Devastator, Superion's remains were later [[:File:Superion dreamwave.jpg|taken in]] by the [[Earth Defense Command]] for study. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[Image:Superion DW GIJoe 5.jpg|right|thumb|Superion in WWII-era guise]]

After the Aerialbots awoke in [[1939]], they formed Superion during the battle against [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons on the [[Fera Islands]]. The giant saved [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] from falling off a cliff to their doom, before being sent onwards to the front lines. {{storylink|Wolves}} Superion waded towards the [[Terrordrome]], but was ordered to halt when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] noticed that Cobra were using their slaves as a human shield. Cobra used this opportunity to open fire on Superion with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s massive cannon mode. {{storylink|Trenches}} However, Superion stood strong, shielding his allies against enemy fire for as long as he could. He was eventually destroyed, but his sacrifice gave [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] a chance to rescue the slaves and get into the Terrordrome. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:IDW RID9 the superion.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]
Dissatisfied with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s governance of the rebuilt [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] following the reformatting of Cybertron, the Aerialbots ceded from his ranks and left the city, venturing out into the untamed wilderness the rest of the planet had become. {{storylink|Stick Together}} There, they were found by [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]], who elected to use them as test subjects, exposing them to the mysterious energies that had previously been responsible for creating the "[[Deceptigod]]" combiner. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} The Aerialbots first succumbed to rage and madness, but then, the four smaller 'bots began to unify in purpose, hunting down Silverbolt, who resisted the process for longer. {{storylink|Night and the City}} To cope, the Aerialbots' minds and bodies—like those who combined into the Deceptigod before them—spontaneously reconfigured of their own accord, fusing the five Autobots together into "The Superion". {{storylink|Second Exodus}} Dismissing the newborn combiner as insane, Megatron left Superion in the wilderness, using the data he had gained from the experiment to perfect the combination process and create a new version of Devastator. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

[[File:PlanForEverything-ThisIssueSuperionDies.jpg|thumb|]]
When [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] came looking for the missing Aerialbots, the prehistoric Autobots soon succumbed to the energy's effects as well. Ironhide fled, following a recording message from Silverbolt that led him to Superion, who rescued him from his pursuers. {{storylink|Night and the City}} With a sufficiently large number of Transformers now in one place, the energies Megatron was broadcasting became too diluted to have any effect, restoring everyone to their right minds, {{storylink|Second Exodus}} and Ironhide then led them all back to Iacon to help save the city from Megatron. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Superion grappled with the new Devastator and was able to bring him down after the death of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who was controlling him from afar, caused his mind to shut down. However, as Superion turned his attention elsewhere, the Decepticon combiner rose again under the control of ''himself'' and attacked the Aerialbot combiner from behind, tearing him in half. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}}

After Megatron's defeat, Starscream seized control of Iacon and exiled those who would not renounce their factions from the city. The injured Superion was allowed to remain in the city until he was repaired enough to make a decision for himself. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G2superion commercial.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]
The Aerialbots formed Superion to engage Menasor in battle on a rocky landscape, exchanging a ferocious volley of laser blasts before closing for hand-to-hand combat. Menasor flipped Superion, but as he moved in to finish him off, the Aerialbot combiner quickly countered with a blow that sent the Decepticon crashing backward into a cliff-face. As Menasor was buried beneath the rocks, Superion roared in triumph. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1|Aerialbots and Stunticons commercial}}
===Generation 2===
{{voiceactor|[[Garry Chalk]] (English)}}
Attacked by Bruticus in a suburban area, the Aerialbots merged into Superion and opened fire on the enemy combiner, downing him only long enough to give himself time to move the unnamed human cheering him on back to safety. As Bruticus launched back into action, Superion shoved him away, and the pair exchanged some explosive punches. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 2|Aerialbots and Combaticons commercial}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Superion toy.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Guaranteed to break within 10 minutes of play.]]
*'''Superion''' (1986-87, 1990, 1991)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-55'''
**''Accessories:'' Head, left & right fists, left & right feet, "blast shield" chest plate, "blast deflector" waist plate, Silverbolt's "electrostatic discharger rifle", ramp, small Aerialbots' individual guns
:Superion is formed out of all five Aerialbot toys, with Silverbolt serving as the central body component, and the four smaller team members as limbs, using additional attachments for Superion's hands and feet. A helmet covers Silverbolt's head and a red waist plate attaches onto his chest piece. He carries Silverbolt's [[electrostatic discharger rifle]], though his own [[bio]] describes his weapon as a "[[stress fracture cannon]]". As a "Scramble City"-style combiner, Superion's limbs are fully interchangeable; any of his limb-components, or any members of the other compatible combiner teams, are able to form either an arm or leg for the giant.

:Due to Silverbolt forming his torso, his design weaknesses are carried over to Superion. Additionally, as Silverbolt has rather thin legs, this leads to Superion having very thin thighs. His height coupled with the weight of his limbs can make Superion lean back, putting stress upon Silverbolt's weak and flimsy waist hinges.

:Along with Metroplex, Menasor, Bruticus and Defensor, Superion was designed for an aborted ''[[Diaclone]]'' line that would have been called ''Jizai Gattai'' ("[[Free-Combination|Free Combination]]"), which was shelved to make way for the Transformers line. Based on the extent to which the combination process detailed in Superion's patent design<ref>[http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=O1Y8AAAAEBAJ&dq Patent #JP61-115590]</ref> differs from the finished toy (to say nothing of the fact that Silverbolt appears as a fighter jet like the other Aerialbots, rather than a passenger plane), it is fair to assume that he was the first "Scramble City"-style combiner to be designed.

:In his original release year of 1986, Superion's five Aerialbot components could be purchased either individually, or in a giftset. The individual Aerialbots were later reissued in [[Europe]] as part of the ''[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]'' series in 1990, and were offered as mail-in promotional figures in [[Japan]] during 1991's ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]'' line.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Superion/superion.htm More information on G1 Superion at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[File:G1toy actionmaster superion art.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Superion''' (Action Master, unproduced)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, jetpack
:Artwork for an unmade Superion [[Action Master]] was featured in ''[[Transformers Generations]]''. As with all Action Masters, this non-transforming figurine of Superion was based on a combination of his animation model and his toy, and would have been armed with a gun and a winged jetpack. Superion would have been included with a motorcycle based on [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s [[Turbo Cycle (G1)|Turbo Cycle]] that combined with Superion's accessories to form a gun emplacement he could have manned.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2superion toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Guaranteed to break within 10 seconds of play... DAMN YOU SLINGSHOT!]]
*'''Superion''' (1994)
**''Accessories:'' Head, left & right fists, left & right feet, "blast shield" chest plate, "deflector shield" waist plate, Silverbolt's "electrostatic discharger rifle", 2 missile launchers, 3 missiles, ramp, small Aerialbots' individual guns

:As part of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', Superion was [[redeco]]ed in colours deemed popular in products of the time, or something like that. Silverbolt's white is replaced by light blue, Slingshot is gold, Fireflight a much darker red, Sky Dive silver and Air Raid blue. In addition to still wielding Silverbolt's handgun, Superion was now armed with two spring-loaded missile launchers that came with Silverbolt, which he could either carry in his fists, or could mount jauntily on his hips by plugging into ports on Silverbolt's wings.

:Because Slingshot is so notorious for [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]] you might be better off not merging this guy at all. Or throw [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] in there as a limb. That might work better, yeah.

:Unlike his original release, ''Generation 2'' Superion was only available by purchasing all five Aerialbots separately.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/Superion/superion.htm More information on G2 Superion at TFUinfo]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Universe2008 Superion.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Four [[energon star]]s, four [[energon weapon]]s

: ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Superion is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Superion Maximus]], formed from his components in the classic "Scramble City" manner, with individual multi-configuration energon weapons forming a hand or foot for each of his limbs. Although most of the original Aerialbot [[character]]s return in this set, [[Airazor (Universe)|Airazor]] replaces [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]]; while the brief character description on the back of the box fits Slingshot, Hasbro [[Hasbro Q&A/October 2009: Answers|stated in a Q&A session]] that Airazor is a new character designed "in memorium" {{sic}}. Superion's components suffer some mostly [[for safety reasons|safety-related]] [[mold]] changes, including the severe blunting of Air Raid and Airazor's nosecones.

:Like the simultaneously released [[Bruticus (G1)#Universe (2008)|Bruticus Maximus]], Superion was initially intended as a ''Universe'' [[Target]] [[exclusive]], but these plans were cancelled in favor of releasing the toy in the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toyline instead, now representing the separate character of [[Superion (ROTF)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' Superion]]. A few non-American markets such as Australia and Singapore did receive the toy in ''Universe'' packaging, however, so it manages to make it onto this article.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/Superion/superion.htm More information on Universe Superion at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Watch===
[[File:Superion watch.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Superion''' (1986, 1993)
:Superion was one of three Transformers characters who lent their likenesses to digital watches released in Japan by Takara in 1986 to tie in with their [[Scramble City (toyline)|''Scramble City'' toyline]] (the others being [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]] & [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]]). Cross-promoted in ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|TV Magazine''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s manga]] as a [[wrist-communicator]] ([[#Fight!_Super_Robot_Lifeform_Transformers_comic|see above]]), the watch featured Superion's torso with a clock in his chest, which with the push of a lever "transformed" into a full tiny figure complete with legs, standing up on the watch band. The figure cannot be removed from the watch, but the arms do rotate.

:Superion and the other watches were later re-released in 1993 as part of an expanded line of Transformers watches that was sold directly in North America by Takara as ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' merchandise.
{{--}}
===''Transformers Ramune''===
*'''Superion''' (1986)
**''ID number:'' '''1'''
:An unpainted figurine of Superion was available as part of the second range of [[Kabaya]]'s line of ''[[Transformers Ramune]]'' [[candy toy]]s, tying in with the ''Scramble City'' toyline. Like all figures in the series, Superion was sold in a [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] box with fizzy "ramune" candy, and featured a main body was made of hard red plastic, with soft grey PVC limbs articulated at the hips and shoulders.

[[File:Superion keshigomu.jpg|right|thumb|300px|''Ramune'' figure on the left, ''Forms Robo'' on the right.]]
*'''Superion''' (1986)
:Later in 1986, in the third ''Ramune'' wave, Superion was among the characters immortalized as a soft rubber figurine, known as a ''keshigomu'' in Japan. He was available in either red, blue or yellow colors, and as before, came blindpacked with ramune candy. While similar to the separate range of ''keshigomu'' figures released by Takara that would later be imported by Hasbro as part of their [[Decoy]] promotion, Superion and his wave-mates saw no American release.

===''Forms Robo''===

*'''Superion''' (1986)
:Superion was also part of the small ''[[Forms Robo]]'' collection of larger ''keshigomu'', with this chunkier version of the character standing at around twice the height of his ''Ramune'' figure. Like the other figures in this series, Superion was packaged in an individual baggie and was available in red, blue, green and yellow.
{{--}}

===Collegeville Costumes===
[[File:Collegville superion costumes.jpg|right|thumb]]
* '''Superion Halloween costume''' (1986)

:However odd his selection to receive the honor may seem, Superion was one of a small number of ''Transformers'' characters upon whom [[Collegeville Costumes]] based a [[Halloween]] costume. This two-piece affair adhered to the crappy time-worn tradition of consisting of a sculpted thin plastic mask held over the wearer's face with elastic, and a smock with a picture of Superion and his name on it.

* '''Superion mask''' (1986)

: Collegeville also immortalized Superion in their line of ''Transformers'' masks. Made from flat styrofoam, the mask featured a hinge that allowed the wearer to lift it up and down, transforming from kid to robot in the blink of an eye!

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:WarDawn superion combination.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'Superion' is a partial Latinization of [[wikipedia:Hyperion (mythology)|Hyperion]], the name of a Titan in Greek mythology associated with the sun. The fully Latinized form would be 'Superio'. If following classical pronunciation, the last syllable of 'Superion' should be pronounced 'own', not 'on'.
*Being made up of very similar-looking planes did not help Superion when it came to firmly establishing which member of the team formed which of his limbs. Unlike the other combiner teams, with their unique modes and shapes, when simplified down for Superion's character model, the Aerialbots limb forms are essentially identical, differentiated only by color, which in turn made errors very easy to make as well (as you can see from our sampling of Marvel Comics images). Broadly speaking, most depictions of Superion—the Generation 1 cartoon paramount among them—replicate his appearance as seen in his box art, which is the arrangement we have listed for the members at the top of this article. In an odd quirk, however, the team's combination sequence in the cartoon would often show the individual members moving into position in accordance with the toy's ''instructions''—Fireflight and Slingshot as the legs, and Air Raid and Skydive as the arms—only for them to change colors to match the "box art" layout at the moment of linking up, as shown in the sequence from "[[War Dawn]]" illustrated at right.
**Japanese media was a little more thorough on this, with ''[[Scramble City: Mobilization|Scramble City]]'' animating the combination in much more detail that clearly showed the correct Aerialbots moving into place, and a diagram in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|issue #5]] of the ''[[TV Magazine]]'' manga labeling the limbs as such. However, that did not stop [[Studio OX]] from creating a mix-and-match Superion model that made Slingshot and Air Raid the arms, and Fireflight and Skydive the legs which they used through their works, and which you see at the head of this article.
*Marvel UK is notable in how it ''really'' ran with Superion's tech spec, and its description of him having limited, "kill the enemy" mentality and being a "fierce and frightful machine". Of the four times he appeared in UK strips, ''three'' times have him turning out to be an uncontrollable threat (and the other time was a dream sequence!).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Superion''' (スペリオン)
*''Italian:'' '''Pentajet''' (toy line and season 3)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Superion''' (Taiwan, 速伯利昂 ''Sù Bó Lì Áng''), '''Dà WúWèi''' (China, 大无畏, "Great Dreadnought")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Superior''' (Brazil comic)

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

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Aerialbots]]
[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Watches]]

Leadfoot (G2)

2013-07-12T01:39:25Z

Autocon: /* Regeneration One */

{{factions|autobotg2|decepticong2|autobot|wreckers}}
{{disambig3|Leadfoot}}
:''Leadfoot is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:LeadfootG2commercial.jpg|284px|thumb|Without this, there could have been no ''Cars''.]]

'''Leadfoot''' is a speed machine who always manages to keep his cool no matter how fast he's going. Despite his function as a "defense specialist", he's most notable for using his incredible speed and sensor-deflecting armor for ''infiltrating'' enemy bases, then ripping them apart with his "[[Rotor Force|rotoprop]]" weapon.

Well, maybe the best defense is a good offense. You know who said that? Mel, the cook on ''Alice''.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Newdawn-volt-leadfoot.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"That car really motors!" "'Cause I'm a transformin' rotor!!" Erm, sure, Leadfoot.]]
Like the rest of the [[Rotor Force]], Leadfoot was originally one of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s next generation of [[Decepticon]]s, animated by the stolen power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. He first saw combat on [[Tykos]], when the Decepticons raided a [[rheanimum]] gas mine. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

Allying with the Autobots against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] swiftly changed Leadfoot. He and [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] first partnered with [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] to ambush Cybertronian flyers, earning the Autobot's praise. {{storylink|Total War!}} More critically, Leadfoot saved his friend's life when [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] decided Manta Ray was insufficiently loyal, decapitating the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] before he could kill Manta Ray. Leadfoot thought nothing of saving his partner, as Autobots have to stick together. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{ongoing}}
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Leadfoot rg1 loose ends 3.jpg|thumb|150px|Guys? What does it mean when Springer says he "doesn't have anything better to do tonight?"]]
Leadfoot was a member of the [[Wrecker]]s and along with the rest of the team went against [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s orders by intervening in a siege with Neo-Decepticon insurgents in in the [[Pax Cybertronia Decommissioning Depot]] in [[Kalis]]. After bring the stalemate to an end by trapping [[Venom (G1)|Venom]], [[Chop Shop]] and [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] inside a [[detention-sphere]], Leadfoot agreed to go on [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s journey to all the planets the Transformer war had ravaged. They started at [[Earth]] and Leadfoot controlled the surveillance drones; he was horrified at the site of the devastated Earth, asking what had happened. What happened was Megatron! {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1|Loose Ends #1}}

Having made it to Earth in the escape pods before Megatron destroyed their ship, the Wreckers decided to try to get a warning back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] via the [[Deep Space Network]] in [[Goldstone]]. Upon discovering that they were being pursued by Megatron's [[zombie]] army, Leadfoot, [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] were dispatched to draw them away from the main group. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2|Loose Ends #2}} Leadfoot reconvened with the other Wreckers (bar Kup, who had been captured by Megatron's forces) and met up with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]]'s resistance cell at [[Argus Base]] where the humans enlightened the [[Autobot]]s about what had transpired in their absence. Leadfoot speculated that Megatron must have had some kind of help since he had neither the skills nor the resources to have accomplished so much alone and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] surmised that the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] was most likely the source of his power. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3|Loose Ends #3}}

As Springer, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and Sandstorm made their way to rescue Kup, the other Wreckers Leadfoot, [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]], Roadbuster, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Rack'n'Ruin|Rack 'n' Ruin]] launched an assault on the Ark, accompanied by Circuit Smasher and four humans wearing [[battlesuit]]s. Leadfoot was the first casualty of the battle, hit by [[autogun]] fire and flipped upside down with his wheels in the air. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4|Loose Ends #4}}

After the battle was won, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] put him on the critical list in his report to Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part 1|Natural Selection #1}} When the ship carrying Leadfoot and the others arrived in Cybertron's orbit, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] ordered his troops to use Cybertron's defenses to blow the ship out of the air. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part 4}} The Autobots on Cybertron managed to disarm the missiles before they destroyed the ship. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:SpotlightGalvatron Leadfoot.jpg|left|250px|thumb|How do you think LEADFOOT feels, jerk?]]
Leadfoot was one of the Autobots guarding [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s remains at [[Thunderhead Pass]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. While on post, he tried to stop [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] from requesting a transfer to [[Earth]], then went back to duty while [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] sorted Sideswipe out. Unfortunately for Leadfoot, as he was on patrol, [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|a mysterious being]] arrived to take Thunderwing. Leadfoot was taken by surprise as the powerful transformer grabbed him by the throat, and seconds later he was dead. Sideswipe, who was to relieve Leadfoot as punishment, arrived to find his comrade's lifeless body and swore revenge. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

On their way to [[Garrus-9]], Hound's team sent telemetry on Leadfoot's death to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. After examining the data, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] observed that it was as though a [[Necrotic virus|virus of "unlife"]] had attacked and destroyed every living [[cyber-cell]] in Leadfoot simultaneously in a fraction of a [[Units of time|nano-klik]]. More importantly, Nightbeat found this [[Spotlight: Nightbeat|somehow familiar...]] {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:Leadfoot manta ray g2 redux.jpg|thumb|100px|]]
Leadfoot was one of many new Transformers created on Earth after [[2006]], when the war with the Decepticons had left the solar system for the further reaches of space. At the [[Cyberfactory]], a new generation was born out of human, [[Nebulan]], and Cybertronian technologies. Leadfoot and others like him were created as "citizens of Earth", but it was only a matter of time before conflict broke out. Leadfoot joined a legion of new Autobots under [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]'s leadership against [[Clench (G1)|Clench]] and his criminal Decepticon Syndicate.

In [[2010]], Leadfoot was one of the first responders to the [[Large Hadron Collider]] in Switzerland, which had been taken over by the Syndicate. They were driven off by the Decepticons and their [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] hordes, however, and Pyro was captured in the process. In a second strike, Leadfoot and the majority of the team kept [[Double Punch]] and the other Decepticon guards busy out front, while their emergency commander [[Rapido]] slipped in the rear to rescue Pyro. Leadfoot's team was placed in dire peril once the Decepticons began upgrading themselves with [[forestonite]], but luckily the [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]]s and a large squad from [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] arrived as reinforcements. [[Aquafend]] then sent him and [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] to the roof to fight through [[Ransack (G2)|Ransack]] and [[Powerdive]] and shut down the complex's wind turbines. The foursome were presumably still there when the forestonite gas raced through the planet's ventilation systems, giving super-powered upgrades to all Transformers present. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
:''Voice actor:'' [[Garry Chalk]]

Leadfoot was speeding around a race track when it was attacked by the [[Laser Rod]], [[Sizzle (G2)|Sizzle]]. He transformed to robot mode in order to fight back and defend the speedway enthusiasts. Leadfoot also considers himself a "transforming rotor". How this belief relates to the secular notion of "[[Atechnogenesis|naturally-occurring gears, levers, and pulleys]]" is unknown.

==Toys==
===Generation 2===
[[File:G2-toy Leadfoot.jpg|300px|thumb|It's actually less counter-intuitive than it looks.]]
*'''Leadfoot''' (Rotor Force, 1994)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/launcher, 2 rotor discs

:Among the first of the totally-new molds designed for ''Generation 2'', Leadfoot transforms into a Lola T93 Indy car... with a giant rotor on top. Hmm. His "[[Rotor Force]]" engine block is a manually-wound spinner that launches his flying disc into the air. He graciously came with two in case you lost one. This assembly becomes a hand-held weapon for robot mode.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/Leadfoot/leadfoot.htm More information on Leadfoot at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Leadfoot is unique among the Rotor Force in that his [[alternate mode]] is ''not'' one that would normally have a large rotor or propeller.
*Maybe "defense specialist" means he's really good at getting ''through'' them?
*In the Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic, Decepticon speech bubbles were marked by triangles, while Autobots were marked by rectangles. Leadfoot and Manta Ray began with Decepticon bubbles, but were clearly Autobots in the last issue, once they switched sides.
*A crossword in ''[[The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual]]'' indicates that "[[Manta Ray (G2)|Piranha]]" and "Hotfoot" are brothers.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Leadfoot''' (リードフット ''Rīdofutto'')
*''UK:'' '''Hot Foot'''

[[Category:Defense specialists]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Leadfoot (G2)

2013-07-12T01:38:47Z

Autocon: /* Regeneration One */

{{factions|autobotg2|decepticong2|autobot|wreckers}}
{{disambig3|Leadfoot}}
:''Leadfoot is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:LeadfootG2commercial.jpg|284px|thumb|Without this, there could have been no ''Cars''.]]

'''Leadfoot''' is a speed machine who always manages to keep his cool no matter how fast he's going. Despite his function as a "defense specialist", he's most notable for using his incredible speed and sensor-deflecting armor for ''infiltrating'' enemy bases, then ripping them apart with his "[[Rotor Force|rotoprop]]" weapon.

Well, maybe the best defense is a good offense. You know who said that? Mel, the cook on ''Alice''.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Newdawn-volt-leadfoot.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"That car really motors!" "'Cause I'm a transformin' rotor!!" Erm, sure, Leadfoot.]]
Like the rest of the [[Rotor Force]], Leadfoot was originally one of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s next generation of [[Decepticon]]s, animated by the stolen power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. He first saw combat on [[Tykos]], when the Decepticons raided a [[rheanimum]] gas mine. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

Allying with the Autobots against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] swiftly changed Leadfoot. He and [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] first partnered with [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] to ambush Cybertronian flyers, earning the Autobot's praise. {{storylink|Total War!}} More critically, Leadfoot saved his friend's life when [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] decided Manta Ray was insufficiently loyal, decapitating the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] before he could kill Manta Ray. Leadfoot thought nothing of saving his partner, as Autobots have to stick together. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{ongoing}}
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Leadfoot rg1 loose ends 3.jpg|thumb|150px|Guys? What does it mean when Springer says he "doesn't have anything better to tonight?"]]
Leadfoot was a member of the [[Wrecker]]s and along with the rest of the team went against [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s orders by intervening in a siege with Neo-Decepticon insurgents in in the [[Pax Cybertronia Decommissioning Depot]] in [[Kalis]]. After bring the stalemate to an end by trapping [[Venom (G1)|Venom]], [[Chop Shop]] and [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] inside a [[detention-sphere]], Leadfoot agreed to go on [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s journey to all the planets the Transformer war had ravaged. They started at [[Earth]] and Leadfoot controlled the surveillance drones; he was horrified at the site of the devastated Earth, asking what had happened. What happened was Megatron! {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1|Loose Ends #1}}

Having made it to Earth in the escape pods before Megatron destroyed their ship, the Wreckers decided to try to get a warning back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] via the [[Deep Space Network]] in [[Goldstone]]. Upon discovering that they were being pursued by Megatron's [[zombie]] army, Leadfoot, [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] were dispatched to draw them away from the main group. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2|Loose Ends #2}} Leadfoot reconvened with the other Wreckers (bar Kup, who had been captured by Megatron's forces) and met up with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]]'s resistance cell at [[Argus Base]] where the humans enlightened the [[Autobot]]s about what had transpired in their absence. Leadfoot speculated that Megatron must have had some kind of help since he had neither the skills nor the resources to have accomplished so much alone and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] surmised that the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] was most likely the source of his power. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3|Loose Ends #3}}

As Springer, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and Sandstorm made their way to rescue Kup, the other Wreckers Leadfoot, [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]], Roadbuster, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Rack'n'Ruin|Rack 'n' Ruin]] launched an assault on the Ark, accompanied by Circuit Smasher and four humans wearing [[battlesuit]]s. Leadfoot was the first casualty of the battle, hit by [[autogun]] fire and flipped upside down with his wheels in the air. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4|Loose Ends #4}}

After the battle was won, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] put him on the critical list in his report to Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part 1|Natural Selection #1}} When the ship carrying Leadfoot and the others arrived in Cybertron's orbit, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] ordered his troops to use Cybertron's defenses to blow the ship out of the air. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part 4}} The Autobots on Cybertron managed to disarm the missiles before they destroyed the ship. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:SpotlightGalvatron Leadfoot.jpg|left|250px|thumb|How do you think LEADFOOT feels, jerk?]]
Leadfoot was one of the Autobots guarding [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s remains at [[Thunderhead Pass]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. While on post, he tried to stop [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] from requesting a transfer to [[Earth]], then went back to duty while [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] sorted Sideswipe out. Unfortunately for Leadfoot, as he was on patrol, [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|a mysterious being]] arrived to take Thunderwing. Leadfoot was taken by surprise as the powerful transformer grabbed him by the throat, and seconds later he was dead. Sideswipe, who was to relieve Leadfoot as punishment, arrived to find his comrade's lifeless body and swore revenge. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

On their way to [[Garrus-9]], Hound's team sent telemetry on Leadfoot's death to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. After examining the data, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] observed that it was as though a [[Necrotic virus|virus of "unlife"]] had attacked and destroyed every living [[cyber-cell]] in Leadfoot simultaneously in a fraction of a [[Units of time|nano-klik]]. More importantly, Nightbeat found this [[Spotlight: Nightbeat|somehow familiar...]] {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:Leadfoot manta ray g2 redux.jpg|thumb|100px|]]
Leadfoot was one of many new Transformers created on Earth after [[2006]], when the war with the Decepticons had left the solar system for the further reaches of space. At the [[Cyberfactory]], a new generation was born out of human, [[Nebulan]], and Cybertronian technologies. Leadfoot and others like him were created as "citizens of Earth", but it was only a matter of time before conflict broke out. Leadfoot joined a legion of new Autobots under [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]'s leadership against [[Clench (G1)|Clench]] and his criminal Decepticon Syndicate.

In [[2010]], Leadfoot was one of the first responders to the [[Large Hadron Collider]] in Switzerland, which had been taken over by the Syndicate. They were driven off by the Decepticons and their [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] hordes, however, and Pyro was captured in the process. In a second strike, Leadfoot and the majority of the team kept [[Double Punch]] and the other Decepticon guards busy out front, while their emergency commander [[Rapido]] slipped in the rear to rescue Pyro. Leadfoot's team was placed in dire peril once the Decepticons began upgrading themselves with [[forestonite]], but luckily the [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]]s and a large squad from [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] arrived as reinforcements. [[Aquafend]] then sent him and [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] to the roof to fight through [[Ransack (G2)|Ransack]] and [[Powerdive]] and shut down the complex's wind turbines. The foursome were presumably still there when the forestonite gas raced through the planet's ventilation systems, giving super-powered upgrades to all Transformers present. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
:''Voice actor:'' [[Garry Chalk]]

Leadfoot was speeding around a race track when it was attacked by the [[Laser Rod]], [[Sizzle (G2)|Sizzle]]. He transformed to robot mode in order to fight back and defend the speedway enthusiasts. Leadfoot also considers himself a "transforming rotor". How this belief relates to the secular notion of "[[Atechnogenesis|naturally-occurring gears, levers, and pulleys]]" is unknown.

==Toys==
===Generation 2===
[[File:G2-toy Leadfoot.jpg|300px|thumb|It's actually less counter-intuitive than it looks.]]
*'''Leadfoot''' (Rotor Force, 1994)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/launcher, 2 rotor discs

:Among the first of the totally-new molds designed for ''Generation 2'', Leadfoot transforms into a Lola T93 Indy car... with a giant rotor on top. Hmm. His "[[Rotor Force]]" engine block is a manually-wound spinner that launches his flying disc into the air. He graciously came with two in case you lost one. This assembly becomes a hand-held weapon for robot mode.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/Leadfoot/leadfoot.htm More information on Leadfoot at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Leadfoot is unique among the Rotor Force in that his [[alternate mode]] is ''not'' one that would normally have a large rotor or propeller.
*Maybe "defense specialist" means he's really good at getting ''through'' them?
*In the Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic, Decepticon speech bubbles were marked by triangles, while Autobots were marked by rectangles. Leadfoot and Manta Ray began with Decepticon bubbles, but were clearly Autobots in the last issue, once they switched sides.
*A crossword in ''[[The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual]]'' indicates that "[[Manta Ray (G2)|Piranha]]" and "Hotfoot" are brothers.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Leadfoot''' (リードフット ''Rīdofutto'')
*''UK:'' '''Hot Foot'''

[[Category:Defense specialists]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

User:Autocon

2013-07-11T18:52:09Z

Autocon: /* Favorite Autobots */

I was introduced to this franchise by the movies. I've seen every episode of the G1 cartoon, read most of the marvel comics, and most of the IDW reboot comics. I've seen every episode of Beast Wars and Beast Machines. I've seen all the episodes of Transformers Animated, and I've seen every Transformers Prime episode to date, and I have a large collection of Transformers video games. I'm basically just an all around Transformers geek.

== Favorite Autobots ==
Optimus Prime 
Ratchet 
Skids 
Whirl 
Springer 
Ultra Magnus 
Fortress Maximus 
Nightbeat 
Blaster 

== Favorite Decepticons ==
Megatron 
Soundwave 
Thundercracker 
Dirge 
Shockwave

Starscream clone (Prime)

2013-07-11T18:24:14Z

Autocon: /* Fiction */

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Starscream clone}}

:''The Starscream clones are [[Decepticon]]s from the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]] portion of the [[Aligned continuity family]].''

[[Image:Armada-clonessurroundMegatron.jpg|thumb|350px|As if one wasn't bad enough]]

A '''Starscream clone''' is one of an armada of physically [[cloning|identical copies]] of [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. They have all of his abilities (current and [[Transformation|former]]) with the added bonus of being extremely disposable. They also have all aspects of his personality, including his cunning and ambition. To make matters worse, any damage they sustain is felt by the original Starscream.

==Fiction==
===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Steve Blum]] (x5) (English)}}

Searching for [[energon]] in the ''[[Harbinger]]'', Starscream stumbled on a laboratory containing five [[protoform]]s and the necessary equipment for him to clone himself. Before long, he had turned the protoforms into five exact copies of himself, albeit with working [[transformation cog|T-cog]]s, thanks to his genetic code. Starscream sent the five clones to eliminate [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], and the quintet followed the ''Harbinger''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> tracking information to the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' where they split up.

One of the clones ran into [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], who was merely after a way off the ship but ended up terminating the clone. The other four managed to lure Megatron to the bridge, where they surrounded him. He attempted to interest them in killing Starscream instead, in exchange for becoming [[second-in-command]], but the clones were unable to be swayed from their mission. It wasn't until an attack by [[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticons]] caused a diversion that Megatron turned the tables, eliminating three of the clones. The fifth got away, escaping the ship and returning to the ''Harbinger'' with the intent of eliminating the original Starscream, only for his progenitor to blast him instead. {{storylink|Armada (episode)|Armada}}

Starscream took the T-cog of the clone, and began preparations to install it into himself. Starscream declared the procedure postponed when the ''Harbinger'''s computers detected the [[GroundBridge]] deployment of four different Decepticon detachments on four different continents at once and he decided to investigate. {{storylink|Triangulation}} He kept the corpse of the clone on the ''Harbinger'' and later utilized it as a decoy to allow him to steal the [[Omega Key]]s. {{storylink|Inside Job}}

==Notes==
*Their protoform bodies resemble [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]].

[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]

Whirl (G1)

2013-07-11T17:14:31Z

Autocon: /* Regeneration One */

{{factions|autobot|wreckers}}
{{disambig3|Whirl}}
:''Whirl is an [[Autobot]] [[Deluxe Vehicle]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:G1Whirl boxart.jpg|300px|thumb|Whirl enjoys making hand puppets in his own image.]]

[[Units of time|Vorns]] before [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] coined the phrase "Sometimes crazy works", '''Whirl''' was living it in action. Whirl believes that, logically speaking, insanity makes an extremely effective weapon. Enemies flee in terror before the absolutely insane maneuvers he pulls on the battlefield. His extreme maneuverability in helicopter mode lets him spin, bob, weave, dive, and bank like someone totally out of control. Or totally out of his mind. Needless to say, Whirl is a rather reckless fighter and can take damage because of it. He's okay with that, because he absolutely LOVES his job. Sometimes, a little TOO much...

Whirl is (or was) a member of the elite [[Wrecker]]s unit.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
Whirl was a member of the elite Wreckers unit under the command of [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]. Alongside [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], he accompanied his commander as Impactor argued with [[Xaaron]] over [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]' trip to [[Earth]] to investigate the disappearance of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]].

[[File:Whirl copter Target 2006.jpg|left|250px|thumb|This is one choppah you cannot get to.]]
Later, the Wreckers continued preparing for [[Operation: Volcano]], an attempt to eliminate some of the [[Decepticon|Decepticons']] deadliest killers. During the simulation, Whirl demonstrated his trademark aerial combat style to draw fire away from his teammates. As the simulation concluded, Impactor decided that without Ultra Magnus' support, the operation would basically become a suicide mission for the Wreckers. Whirl and the others agreed with him and Impactor left to tell Xaaron that the Wreckers were bowing out of Volcano. Taking some downtime, Whirl, Roadbuster, and [[Twin Twist]] went to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] to unwind. While Roadbuster and Twin Twist were having uneasy feelings about the decision to ditch Volcano, Whirl seemed fine with it, pointing out that it was only logical and no one would say that they were in the wrong. Their discussion was interrupted when they noticed [[Fang]], a Decepticon who began bullying a [[Piano Transformer guy|smaller Transformer]] in the place. Twin Twist violently intervened, realizing that as Autobots, it was their duty to always do their best to stop the Decepticons. His sudden revelation seemed to energize Whirl and Roadbuster, and after Impactor was convinced by Xaaron to go through with Operation: Volcano, the rest of the Wreckers eagerly volunteered.

[[File:Target 2006 Whirl Roadbuster Do It.jpg|250px|thumb|My face is down here, Roadbuster...I think.]]
Unfortunately, Operation: Volcano failed when most of the targeted Decepticons were unknowingly ordered clear of the ambush by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Only [[Macabre]] went ahead and attempted to assassinate Xaaron, shooting and mortally-wounding Impactor instead. Whirl and the rest of the Wreckers immediately gunned Macabre down in retaliation. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

Later, Whirl was seen alongside Ultra Magnus and his fellow Wreckers on a hunt for a Decepticon spy posing as Optimus Prime. This was revealed, thanks to the efforts of [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], to be a product of Decepticon misinformation and Prime was welcomed back into the fold. {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Whirl Triton Peace.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Hands, glorious hands!]]
In an alternate version of [[2510]], Whirl and the Wreckers led the final Autobot offensive against Decepticon held territory, bringing the war to a close. At the ceremony where he officially announced the end of the war, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] chose to make [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], leader of the Wreckers, his successor as Autobot leader and carrier of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. One Autobot named [[Triton]] objected to the idea, though: he said Springer was a fighter, not a tactician, and Ultra Magnus would be a better leader for a world at peace. Whirl took offense to Triton putting down his commanding officer, and shoved the little guy in the back, asking where was his "precious Ultra Magnus" when the Wreckers were winning the war? Triton struck back, and the situation turned from bad to worse as the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] sided with Ultra Magnus against the Wreckers. Shots were fired, battle lines were drawn, and a new war picked up where the old one left off. Tragically, it seems no one took the time to examine Triton's fallen body, and the hidden Decepticon insignia on his chest. The last act of the last Decepticon was to see that there would never truly be peace on Cybertron. {{storylink|Peace}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Whirl LooseEnds2.jpg|150px|thumb|''Kill all zombies''!]]
Along with the other [[Wrecker]]s Whirl voted to follow [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s plan to leave Cybertron to visit the other planets touched by the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and so they hitched a ride with [[Berko]]'s [[Cosmic Carnival]] to Earth. Whirl looked on in horror as their surveillance drones showed a devastated planet, and worse still—Megatron! Before any of the Wreckers could react, the Decepticon promptly launched nuclear warheads at their shuttle, apparently destroying it. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1|Loose Ends #1}}

The Wreckers managed to make it to Earth's surface in escape pods, and Whirl was sent to survey the ruined planet. He spied an incoming horde of [[Zombie|reanimated Decepticons]] sent by Megatron and reported back to the others. The Wreckers' priority then became to get a message back to Cybertron about the situation on Earth. They eventually found the [[Deep Space Network]] located in [[Goldstone]], and put a plan into action to utilize its radio transmitter to send a distress call. Whirl joined Kup and Springer in making a break for the facility while the other Wreckers distracted Megatron's forces. They succeeded in sending their message to Cybertron, but Kup was captured in the process. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2|Loose Ends #2}}

The Wreckers soon encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]]—formerly Spike Witwicky, one of the last vestiges of resistance on Megatron's conquered Earth. Despite some initial hostility on his part, the Wreckers were soon invited to [[Argus Base]], the human resistance's headquarters. On the way there, Whirl asked Spike how things had gotten so bad on Earth. Spike filled them in on the tale of Megatron's rise and humanity's fall. After arriving at Argus Base and convening with the leader of the resistance, [[G.B. Blackrock]], the Wreckers agreed to aid them in destroying Megatron's chief power base—the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3|Loose Ends #3}}

Whirl embarked on a rescue mission with Springer and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] to retrieve Kup and also to divert Megatron's forces from the assault on the Ark. While Sandstorm considered the plan to be "reckless suicide", Whirl cheerfully voiced his approval of it. They soon encountered Megatron's air defenders, and experienced trouble fighting them, as the undead Decepticons apparently no longer felt any pain. While Whirl managed to fly circles around [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] for a bit, he was eventually shot down. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4|Loose Ends #4}}
{{-}}

===Milton Bradley mini-comic===
Whirl was among the Autobots under [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s command who launched in the [[Ark (G1)|ark]] to clear a path through an asteroid belt. When the Decepticons attacked the ship, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] sent it crashing into [[Earth]], knocking everyone aboard offline. Four million years later, they were repaired when the ship's systems were reactivated by a volcanic eruption. {{storylink|In the Transformers}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics===
[[File:War and Peace 4 RoadbusterWhirl.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"RAGH, WHIRL NOT IN [[The Transformers (cartoon)|CARTOON]]!! MENASOR REMOVE FROM STORY!"]]
When the Autobots split into multiple factions after the disappearance of their leaders, Whirl joined Springer's group, known as the Wreckers. During the Dark Ages of Cybertron, he participated in an attack against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

Much later, during [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s rule of Cybertron, Whirl continued with the Wreckers, now a small unit of Autobots dedicated to keeping the peace wherever (and however) necessary. When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] released the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] from their imprisonment in Cybertron's [[Detention Banks]], the Wreckers were sent in to deal with the escapees. Unfortunately, both Whirl and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] were crushed before [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] brought down the Stunticons' combined form, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|War and Peace}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}

[[File:Interiors WhirlPreEmpurataFlashback.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
{{quote|Twice voted "Autobot most likely to defect".|{{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|''Meet The Crew''}}}}

In the pre-war era, under the reign of [[Nominus Prime]], Whirl was a member of the [[Aerial Corps]]. Dissatisfied with his lot, Whirl managed to accomplish what was thought impossible, defying the function he was created with and actually changing professions to become a watchmaker. And Whirl was ''good'' at what he did—so good, unfortunately, that local criminal elements demanded a cut of his profits. When he refused, their enforcers the [[Heavies]] were sent to destroy his business, leaving Whirl destitute and roaming the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]], where he hung out with a bad crowd and started getting into fights. His combat prowess caught the attention of the [[Senate]]'s agents, who press-ganged a reluctant Whirl into their service. Whirl was made to do despicable things in the Senate's employ. {{storylink|Interiors}} When he tried to resist, he was put through the barbaric [[empurata]] ritual, costing him his original hands and effectively neutering his watchmaking skills. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

[[File:Ongoing22 WhirlbeatsMegatron.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''I'M THE HERO I CAN DO WHAT I WANT!'']]
Whirl was eventually granted a position in the [[Rodion]] police force. When a rabble-rousing miner named [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] was brought in for brawling with other law enforcement officers, the Senate ordered Whirl to kill him, presumably to silence his increasingly loud voice of dissension. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} {{storylink|Interiors}} Failing to finish the job, Whirl was arrested by his captain [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]], so the Senate sent more men to free him, fearing his actions would be exposed. Their men attacked the Rodion police station and freed Whirl, but Orion Pax wouldn't stand for it and defeated them, shooting Whirl's leg off in the process. Whirl warned his captain that the Senate would not be happy if any further harm came to him, but Orion merely picked him up, went to the [[Grand Imperium]] in person and confronted the entire Senate with his actions. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

[[File:Whirl Orion Patternism.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
Due to Orion Pax's public display of Whirl's crime, the Senate had no choice but to send him to [[Garrus-1]]. After Whirl's mistreatment of Megatron in Rodion was exposed, he found himself suffering constant attacks and beatings in prison by Decepticon sympathizers. Whirl saved his one [[communicube]] call for an appropriate occasion, and found it when his former handler [[Kroma]] briefly became his cellmate. Whirl was told of an impending Senate plot involving assassination and a city-destroying bomb. He consequently used his one call to bring Orion Pax to Garrus-1, where he informed his former captain of all he had heard. While Orion initially assumed Whirl was acting out of compassion, Whirl immediately corrected him, explaining that he just wanted revenge against the Senate for mutilating, using, and abandoning him. After Orion left, Whirl was introduced to his new cellmate- [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], who promptly beat him into critical condition. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

Whirl eventually wound up in the [[Kaon]] Security Service, where he witnessed the full extent of what his actions had wrought, as Megatron, now convinced that violence was the only way forward, assaulted the city and slew [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], beginning the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2}} Orion Pax—now Optimus Prime—personally invited Whirl to join the Autobots before the Decepticons reached him: "forgiveness as a weapon of war", as Whirl put it. After "bouncing around a bit", he changed his name to "Jetstream" and became a flight instructor at the [[Iaconian Aerial Academy]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

One of his most promising cadets at the academy was [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]], but he insisted on berating him in private, his verbal abuse eventually evolving into regular unprovoked beatings. After one particularly savage beating, "Jetstream" shoved Rotorstorm into the academy's newly-installed [[CR chamber]], and by the time Rotorstorm recovered, his instructor had moved to a training facility in another province. Whirl later returned to using his original name, and attended the ceremony when Rotorstorm received the [[Novic Medal for Outstanding Valor]], applauding and cheering from the front row. {{storylink|Bullets}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4-triumphoverevil.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Category: Things That Do Not Exist.]]
Whirl eventually joined the Autobot special operations taskforce, the Wreckers. He was with the team when they triumphed in final battle over their longtime rivals [[Squadron X]] on the planet [[Pova]], only to discover they had no jurisdiction on the planet and would be required to let the Squadron go. Refusing to accept this, Wrecker leader Impactor murdered the entire squadron while Whirl looked away in apparent shame, but took no action. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}} The incident was covered up by Autobot high command, and to avoid being implicated in the crime alongside their leader, Whirl and the other Wreckers lied and told Springer that they had no idea what Impactor was planning on doing. Springer believed them and defended their inaction at Impactor's trial, also agreeing to become the new leader of the Wreckers at Whirl and the others' request. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

At some point during the war, Whirl established a rivalry with the wand-wielding Decepticon known as [[Killmaster]]. The rivalry ended when Whirl broke into a medical center where Killmaster was recharging, crushed the Decepticon's brain as he slept, and shoved his wand up his- ''AHEM!'' {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

[[File:Whirl copter Stormbringer4.jpg|thumb|250px|Is [[Obsidian (BM)|"Obsidianesque"]] a word?]]
Years later, Whirl was deployed with the other Wreckers to [[Varas Centralus]] to help [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]'s counter-insurgency team deal with the Decepticon [[infiltration protocol|infiltration team]] there, which had just activated Siege Mode. Partway into the battle, they were forced to pull out and return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] when news came through of the possible resurgence of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} Arriving at their homeworld, the team saved the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] from a patrol of [[Centurion droid]]s, then joined Optimus Prime in attacking [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s secret base. Whirl and Roadbuster helped Jetfire from his imprisonment, but they were too late: Bludgeon had indeed recalled Thunderwing home. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} Whirl joined Springer and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] in attacking the mindless [[Pretender]], but their weapons were disabled when he ionized the air around them, forcing them to back off. Fortunately, a team of Decepticons led by [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] arrived to supplement the Autobot forces and the day was soon won. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

The Wreckers got a rematch with Thunderwing some time later when the denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] took control of him and stationed him on [[Corata-Vaz]] to guard one of the [[Nega-Core]]s required for their [[Expansion]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} Whirl fought hard alongside his teammates {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} and eventually the Wreckers were able to disable the Nega-Core when [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] lost control of Thunderwing. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

During the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], when the Decepticons launched a devastating simultaneous attack against the Autobots across the galaxy—Whirl and several other Wreckers were captured by Decepticons under the command of [[Turmoil]]. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] led an extraction team to rescue the Autobots from a Decepticon cruiser, and they were ultimately saved thanks to the efforts the former Decepticon [[Drift (G1)|Drift]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

[[File:Whirl Sparkeaterweapon Interiors.jpg|220px|thumb|left|"What, ''this''? It's uhm...just his new [[Action Master partner]]! Yeah, that's it."]]
Around three years later, when putting together a squad to liberate [[Garrus-9]] from the clutches of the deranged Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], Springer ruled Whirl out of the mission on account of his recently becoming something of a liability. {{storylink|Bullets}} The mission to Garrus-9 left Springer in a comatose state, and Whirl and Roadbuster were assigned the task of watching over him and tending to his needs until he awoke. Convinced that this was never going to happen, Whirl attempted to euthanize his leader with Roadbuster's [[Sparkeater (weapon)|Sparkeater weapon]], but was caught in the act by Roadbuster and ejected from the Wreckers by the power of "the veto"—the ability of a Wrecker to have another member of the unit removed at any time. {{storylink|Interiors}} He wound up in prison for his actions, but was released and given a "final warning" by Ultra Magnus to stay out of trouble. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

After the war was ended and Cybertron was returned to a primordial state, Whirl and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] were tasked with policing a mob of [[NAIL|neutral Transformers]] that had recently returned to Cybertron. They came upon Optimus Prime being harassed by [[Tappet|one of the mob]], and promptly began bullying the smaller neutral. Optimus Prime had to pointedly lower Whirl's gun and asked to be filled in on current events. Later, the mob revolted and dragged Whirl to the ground during the ensuing riot. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

[[File:Whirl Sweeps Liars.jpg|thumb|250px|Dear God...they're no longer mint in box!]]
Frustrated with the NAILs and having been kicked out of the Wreckers, Whirl acquired a disturbing method of stress relief: gathering up several leftover [[Sweep]] carcasses, pinning them to a wall inside a shabby structure out in Cybertron's wastelands, and apparently mutilating them. Eventually deciding that he'd had his fun, Whirl doused the ruins with fuel and bid a very creepy thank you and farewell to the remains, planning to burn it all—quite possibly, himself included. Interrupted by [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]], who had misidentified the Sweeps' energy readings as those of [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], Whirl immediately attacked him and set the place ablaze to cover his tracks. Their battle carried them to the [[Mitteous Plateau]], where they were discovered by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], prompting Whirl to try and pin all the blame on Cyclonus before killing him so he couldn't contradict his story. Before he could, however, a huge subterranean explosion triggered by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] erupted beneath Whirl, heavily damaging him and knocking him offline. Figuring that Whirl was too dangerous to leave lying around, Ratchet had him brought along with Tailgate aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as it left Cybertron. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[File:HangersOn Whirl Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|left|110px|Expressions, glorious expressions!]]
Whirl awoke in the medibay of the ''Lost Light'', his first instinct being to reach out and throttle the nearest person to him, which turned out to be [[Rung]]. Brought to his senses with the warning that he'd go back to prison if he didn't behave, Whirl left to skulk around the hallways, where he was found by Ultra Magnus and brought him into a meeting between [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and Cyclonus. Advised to make his peace with Cyclonus, Whirl continued to dodge all responsibility for starting the fight but nonetheless offered him a hand of "forgiveness", only to have Cyclonus respond by drawing him into a ''hug''... followed by a whispered threat that he would kill him at some point and the Autobot would never see it coming.

Later, Rodimus addressed the crew to update them on the situation. When he asked if there were any important questions, Whirl made a point to speak up and state that he was embarrassed to be among this group and that they at least needed a decent name. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

When a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] was reported to be loose on board the ''Lost Light'', the crew were ordered to pair off and lock themselves into habitation suites until the creature was dealt with. Being a jerk, Whirl locked himself in without waiting for his temporary roommate [[Animus]] and ignored the other Autobot's pleas to enter, resulting in his being killed by the Sparkeater. Whirl attacked the creature, but his missiles were intercepted by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s [[force field]] to prevent the catastrophic detonation of the sparks the monster was digesting inside it. Whirl was nonplussed. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

During a therapy session with Rung, [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s extra-sensitive ears overheard Whirl having a "blazing row" with...himself. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Whirl later attempted to cheer up and advise a despondent Trailbreaker on changing his image. His advice consisted of telling Trailbreaker to change his name, always talk big of himself, and then suggested he get [[Brainstorm]] to build him a new weapon. After one of Brainstorm's inventions malfunctioned the entire crew of the ''Lost Light'', save the newly-rechristened Trail''cutter'', were temporarily frozen in place when a group of Decepticons inconveniently boarded the ship. Whirl was in the middle of watching a furious Rodimus chew Rewind out on the bridge when he was frozen, and Trailcutter was forced to use his inert body as a shield against gunfire, stealing the guns mounted on Whirl's chest to return fire. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

[[File:Whirl Interiors yes.jpg|thumb|150px|Whirl: '''1'''. {{-}} Hostage situation: '''-2'''.]]
Not long thereafter, Whirl was having a session with Rung when recent crew addition [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] had an acute psychotic episode and went on a rampage through the ship, holing up in Rung's office and immobilizing Whirl by stabbing him to the floor with a pipe. Unfazed, Whirl taunted Maximus, trying to bait him into killing him, but Maximus only grew more curious about Whirl's mental state and reputation, and threatened Rung in order to force Whirl into telling his life story. The story provided [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] enough time to position themselves outside Rung's office and distract Maximus with a projection of his tormentor, Overlord. Whirl used the distraction to tear the pipe out of his gut, unpinning himself from the floor. When a shot intended to take Maximus out went wild and hit Rung in the head instead, Whirl took the opportunity to stab the distraught Max with the pipe, ending the hostage situation after three-plus hours. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:Whirl graffiti MTMTEAnnual2012.jpg|thumb|210px|left|"Yeah well, I'll build my own spaceship! With blackjack! And hookers! In fact, forget the spaceship!"]]
Whirl joined Rodimus, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] in being shrunk down and sent to deal with a swarm of [[Nanocon]]s that had been revived within Ultra Magnus' body, where he showed some difficulty with his "no guns" orders. After Magnus smiled them to death, Whirl managed to leave some graffiti inside Ultra Magnus, a fact that he would proudly inform First Aid of during Tailgate's [[Act of Affiliation]] ceremony.

Later, Whirl was among the Autobots that were teleported to the surface of [[Theophany]] by representatives of the [[Galactic Council]]. After the group found [[Crystal City]] in ruins, Whirl openly mocked Drift's despair at seeing the desolation and was decked by the former Decepticon for his irreverence. The group ventured into the ruins and soon discovered an inert [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]], which had once been used to power the city. An abortive attempt by Chromedome to hack into the giant's [[brain module]] accidentally woke the Metrotitan, causing it to fire an eye-blast that hit the Council's ship, ''[[The Benign Intervention]]''. Whirl was ordered to take a team to hold off the troops sent to take revenge on the Cybertronians, with Rodimus stressing to the trigger-happy bot that there should be ''no fatalities''. Whirl and the others successfully fended off their attackers until the Autobots were all teleported back to the ''Lost Light'' by the freed Metrotitan, before the ship quantum-jumped to safety. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

[[File:BeforeAndAfter-WhirlLocksCyclonusIn.jpg|thumb|upright]]
Whirl declined to attend Rewind's movie night when he learned the [[Proteus|subject matter]] of the film. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?}} He did, however, agree to aid in Rewind's attempt to expedite Rung's mental recovery. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} Rewind brought together a group who each took turns telling their parts in a story of past events from before the war. When Whirl's turn began, he became quite agitated when Ratchet brought up the tender subject of Whirl's encounter with Megatron in Rodion. He settled down and told the others of Orion Pax's visit to Garrus-1 and what they had discussed. When Whirl mentioned that Impactor was his cellmate for awhile, Rewind became excited and posited that Impactor had earmarked Whirl then and there for the Wreckers. Whirl shot down that suggestion and admitted that he just got badly beaten-up and he and Impactor met again years later under different circumstances. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} Everyone took a break from storytelling, giving Swerve an opportunity to leave and bring back some booze. Whirl wouldn't let him back into the room without uttering the password- ''"Whirl is a million billion times tougher than Cyclonus"''. He later had fun positioning Rung's eyebrows to make the still-unresponsive psychiatrist look cross. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

When Rodimus led a mission to [[Temptoria]] to fight Decepticons, Whirl was only to happy to volunteer. Aboard the ''[[Leading Light]]'', he had Rewind record him limbering up, and joined in with some impromptu battle chants with the other Autobots. As they fought Decepticons, his attempt to bond with Cyclonus was rebuffed rather bluntly. He subsequently faked a door malfunction, trapping Cyclonus and Rewind with an exploding bomb. He apparently at least had the courtesy to take Rewind back to the ''Leading Light'', and when it turned out he had a compatible [[spark]], allowed First Aid to use him to jumpstart Rewind, earning him Chromedome's gratitude. {{storylink|Before & After}}

[[File:Whirl holoavatar CybertronHomesickBlues.jpg|left|thumb|250|]]
Whirl tagged along with Swerve's group when the crew of the ''Lost Light'' was granted leave on the planet [[Hedonia]]. He was granted a new human-based [[holomatter]] avatar, which he seemed to approve of based solely on the fact that it carried weapons. When the group found a Transformer-friendly bar, Whirl got Ultra Magnus black-out drunk after slipping him a drink containing weapons-grade [[Nucleon]], much to everyone's chagrin. While waiting for Magnus to regain consciousness, the group played "the nemesis game", each sharing their own personal arch-enemies. Whirl named the deceased Killmaster as his, and proceeded to describe the graphic nature of how he ended their rivalry before being cut off by Rung. When Magnus began to stir, the group left Swerve to deal with him and took a trip to a nearby gift shop. Whirl opted to remain outside and continually bang his head against a display case- something he felt relieved pressure on his brain. When they returned to the bar, Magnus was still out, so Whirl hatched a plan to get him back in time for pick-up. He ferried the others to the shuttle, then they projected their holomatter avatars back to the bar to drive Magnus' vehicle mode through an organics-only section. While forcing Magnus into vehicle mode proved difficult, they eventually managed it and drove him home. Whirl admitted to the others that, difficulties aside, he had a fun time. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] allowed Whirl to vent some frustration and blow up a few asteroids in the ''Lost Light'''s path. They were interrupted by [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], who wanted to record a message to send back to Cybertron whenever Blaster managed to repair the subspace communications channel. Whirl and Blaster would be the last Autobots to see Pipes alive, as the hapless [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot]] was murdered by [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] minutes later. Having escaped from his cell underneath the ''Lost Light'', Overlord was quickly discovered and dozens of Autobots threw themselves into battle with him. For Whirl's part, he only managed to be used as a club and smashed into [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] during the fight. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} In the aftermath, Whirl attended the funeral of those who lost their lives fighting Overlord and engaged in some speculation with Swerve and Skids over what was in Brainstorm's ever-present briefcase. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

When a search for the abducted Ultra Magnus led the ''Lost Light'' to discover the long-missing [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], Rodimus asked Whirl to be part of an advance landing party. Finding the "miracle moon" to be a hot spot seething with newborn [[Spark|sparks]], Tailgate asked the others to define for him the difference between being "forged" and being "constructed cold". When Chromedome identified himself as someone who had been constructed cold, Whirl couldn't help but point out that he himself had been forged and "perfected" in a hot spot just like the one they were standing in. Shortly thereafter, the group was attacked by [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]]'s [[Titan Hunters]], forcing Whirl and the others to flee from superior numbers. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

{{spoiler|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|July 19}}

Retreating didn't sit well with Whirl, and he invited Cyclonus to join him in a counterattack on their pursuers. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}

{{-}}

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

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Whirl toy.jpg|250px|thumb|Shockwave's younger brother? Only in the wild world of [[Fan fiction|fanfic]]s.]]
*'''Whirl''' (Deluxe Vehicle, 1985)
**''Accessories'': "Null-Ray Module", "[[Paralyzo box]]", "Photon Beam Rifle", "Shell Cannon"

:Whirl transforms into a light blue Cybertronian attack helicopter, similar to a Bell [[Wikipedia:AH-1 Cobra|AH-1 Cobra]]. In this mode, he has two wing-mounted weapons installed: a Gatling-like "Shell Cannon" and a four-tube "Photon Beam Rifle".

:In robot mode, Whirl is unusual in that he appears quite different from the other Transformers in the line at the time. He has no humanoid hands; instead, his arms end in a pair of mechanical pincers. A "[[Null-ray|Null-Ray]] Module" cannon can be fitted over either pincer, while his "Paralyzo-Box" weapon slides onto the fin on his right leg.

:There is a variation in the construction of his canopy; while most are smooth and featureless, some have raised "cage" outlines on the edges.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Whirl/whirl.htm More information on Whirl at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Classics===
[[File:ClassicsWhirl toy.jpg|250px|thumb|Am I blue? Am I blue? Ain't these tears in my eye tellin' you?]]
*'''Autobot Whirl''' (Legends, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Rotor blade

:A [[redeco]] of ''[[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]]'' [[Evac (Cybertron)#Cybertron|Evac]], Whirl transforms into a blue Eurocopter Dauphin rescue helicopter. A ''heavily'' simplified version of the Voyager-class Evac toy, his vehicle mode has a back mounted (non-firing) twin missile launcher which is carried onto his robot mode, and he is also armed with a rotor blade on his left arm which can rotate, but does not spin freely.

:In terms of articulation, he has ball-jointed hips and knees and can rotate his arms, although the arms can otherwise barely move beyond pointing straight down due to his ball-jointed shoulders being blocked by plastic.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Blades (G1)#LOC|Blades]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/ClassicsWhirl/whirl.htm More information on Classics Whirl at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
*'''Autobot Whirl''' (Voyager, 2014)

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[File:3DBattleCard Whirl.jpg|thumb|300px| Soi soi soi soi]]
*'''Whirl''' (2007)

:A 30-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Whirl "transforms" into a blue helicopter. He uses the same parts layout as [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]], [[Evac (Movie)|Evac]], and [[Vortex (Energon Wars)|Vortex]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Both [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s were licensed from [[Takatoku Toys]] by [[Hasbro]] for inclusion in the 1985 line, and hence were not included in the Japanese line, the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]], or the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|US Marvel comics]]. Whirl was originally the "Oberon Gazette" from the ''Armored Trooper Dorvack'' toyline, although the toy's dark and light blues were inverted for the ''Transformers'' release.
*In recent years, toys sporting the name "Whirl" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Whirl'''".
*Poor Whirl never got a printed ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' bio. One was written though, and finally revealed to the fans on [http://boltax.blogspot.com/2011/01/extended-bio-whirl.html ''Disciples of Boltax''] in 2011.
*Whirl is possibly the most influential character in the entire [[IDW timeline|IDW Generation 1 continuity]], as Megatron explicitly points to him as the one who "taught" him how to hate and use violence instead of peaceful means; without that, no [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Thanks, buddy.

===Foreign names===
*''French:'' '''Tourbillon''' (Canada, "Whirlwind")

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

User:Autocon

2013-07-11T16:59:57Z

Autocon: /* Favorite Autobots */

I was introduced to this franchise by the movies. I've seen every episode of the G1 cartoon, read most of the marvel comics, and most of the IDW reboot comics. I've seen every episode of Beast Wars and Beast Machines. I've seen all the episodes of Transformers Animated, and I've seen every Transformers Prime episode to date, and I have a large collection of Transformers video games. I'm basically just an all around Transformers geek.

== Favorite Autobots ==
Optimus Prime 
Ratchet 
Skids 
Whirl 
Ultra Magnus 
Fortress Maximus 
Nightbeat 
Blaster 

== Favorite Decepticons ==
Megatron 
Soundwave 
Thundercracker 
Dirge 
Shockwave

Transformers: Prime (cartoon)

2013-07-11T16:56:12Z

Autocon: /* Cast */

{{Nav-Prime}}

[[Image:TransformersPrimePremierePoster.jpg|thumb|300px|We finally have toys... we think.]]
[[Image:Beasthunters-logo1.png|300px|right]]
'''''Transformers: Prime''''' is a multiple Daytime Emmy Award-winning [[computer-generated imagery|computer-animated]] television series that premiered on [[The Hub]] on [[November 26]], [[2010]] with a five-part mini-series, which was followed by a season of another 21 episodes beginning on [[February 11]], [[2011]]. Season 2 began screening [[February 18]], [[2012]], and a third season of thirteen episodes with the subtitle ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' began screening on [[March 22]], [[2013]]. ''[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]'', a TV movie, will conclude the show in late 2013.

The Canadian broadcast of the series has been undertaken by Corus Entertainment, and the show is currently airing on Teletoon.<ref>[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/biz/hasbro-studios-and-corus-entertainments-kids-networks-reach-broad-animation-and-live-action-programming-agreement.html Hasbro Studios and Corus Entertainment’s Kids Networks Reach Broad Animation and Live-Action Programming Agreement]</ref>

The series premiered in the UK on [[September 5]], 2011 on [[Cartoon Network]]'s "[[Action Heroes]]" block. It began airing in Japan on [[April 7]], 2012 on [[TV Aichi]].

==Story==

[[Team Prime]] lives on [[Earth]] as a pre-emptive measure against the return of the [[Decepticon]]s. [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot Central Command]] is located in a converted [[missile]] silo in [[Nevada]] which was provided by the [[United States of America|United States]] government, with whom the Autobots have formed an alliance. However, the presence of [[Transformer]]s on Earth is not generally known among the civilian population. The Autobots have taken [[Jack Darby|three]] [[Miko Nakadai|human]] [[Raf Esquivel|teens]] under their protection after their association with the Autobots put them in danger from the Decepticons.

[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] returns having discovered [[Dark Energon]], which grants him rule of life itself, but is injured, with [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] taking command in his absence. In addition to the Decepticons, the Autobots also contend with the human terrorist organization, [[MECH]].

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;Main Cast
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] ([[Sumalee Montano]])
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] ([[Jeffrey Combs]])
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] ([[Frank Welker]]<ref>''Frank Welker records actual words written for Bumblebee which are later replaced with sound effects.'' -- Revealed in "The Autobits Edition" of [[Darkmount, NV|episode 53]].</ref>)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] ([[James Horan]])
* [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] ([[Nolan North]])
* [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Michael Ironside]])

;Others
* [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] ([[George Takei]])
* [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Dwayne Johnson]]/[[Billy Brown]])
* [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Autobot plague victims]]
* [[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]]
* [[Impactor (Prime)|Impactor]]
* [[Roadbuster (Prime)|Roadbuster]]
* [[Rotorstorm (Prime)|Rotorstorm]]
* [[Pyro (Prime)|Pyro]]
* [[Perceptor (Prime)|Perceptor]]

|c2=
;Main Cast
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] ([[Daran Norris]])
*[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] ([[Adam Baldwin]])
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] ([[Gina Torres]])
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] ([[Tony Todd]])

;Others
*[[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] ([[Richard Green]])
*[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])

;Troopers
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]]
*[[Decepticon Miner]]s
*[[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticons]]
**[[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]] ([[David Kaye]])
**[[Bombshock (Prime)|Bombshock]] ([[Steve Blum]])

|c3=
;Main Cast
* [[Jack Darby]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Miko Nakadai]] ([[Tania Gunadi]])
* [[Raf Esquivel]] ([[Andy Pessoa]])
* [[William Fowler]] ([[Ernie Hudson]])

;Others
* [[Silas]] ([[Clancy Brown]])
* [[June Darby]] ([[Markie Post]])
* [[Sierra]] ([[Alexandra Krosney]])
* [[Vince]] ([[Brad Raider]])
* [[Bryce|General Bryce]] ([[Robert Forster]])
* [[Vogel]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[John Noble]])
* [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]]/[[Clancy Brown]])
* [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]]
* [[Starscream clone (Prime)|Starscream clones]] ([[Steve Blum]])
* [[Scraplet]]s

|h5=[[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]|c5=
*[[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] ([[Peter Mensah]])
|nonumbering=true}}

==Episodes==
{{see|List of Prime episodes}}
===Season 1===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]
#[[Masters & Students]]
#[[Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap]]
#[[Con Job]]
#[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]
#[[Deus ex Machina]]
#[[Speed Metal]]
#[[Predatory]]
#[[Sick Mind]]
#[[Out of His Head]]
#[[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]]
#[[Operation: Breakdown]]
#[[Crisscross]]
#[[Metal Attraction]]
#[[Rock Bottom]]
#[[Partners]]
#[[T.M.I.]]
#[[Stronger, Faster]]
#[[One Shall Fall]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 2]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]
}}

===Season 2===
{{collist|3|
#[[Orion Pax, Part 1]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 2]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]
#[[Loose Cannons]]
#[[Crossfire]]
#[[Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime]]
#[[Grill]]
#[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]
#[[Flying Mind]]
#[[Tunnel Vision]]
#[[Triangulation]]
#[[Triage]]
#[[Toxicity]]
#[[Hurt]]
#[[Out of the Past]]
#[[New Recruit]]
#[[The Human Factor]]
#[[Legacy]]
#[[Alpha/Omega]]
#[[Hard Knocks]]
#[[Inside Job]]
#[[Patch (episode)|Patch]]
#[[Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration]]
#[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]
}}
===Season 3: Beast Hunters===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkmount, NV]]
#[[Scattered]]
#[[Prey (episode)|Prey]]
#[[Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion]]
#[[Project Predacon]]
#[[Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command]]
#[[Plus One]]
#[[Thirst]]
#[[Evolution]]
#[[Minus One]]
#[[Persuasion]]
#[[Synthesis]]
#[[Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock]]
}}
===TV movie===
*[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]

==Production==
[[Image:TFP montage poster.jpg|thumb|GET OFF MY FACE!!!]]
After the [[live-action film series]], screenwriters [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]] signed to become show runners with [[Jeff Kline]] and [[Duane Capizzi]] of The Hub's ''Transformers'' cartoon, explaining the TV show would not have the constraints of a two-hour film in delving into the mythology.<ref name="botcon2011">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2011-transformers-prime-panel-172315/ TFW coverage of Hasbro Studios panel at BotCon 2011]</ref> (Orci's employees [[Steven Puri]] and [[Mandy Safavi]] were also credited as producers.)<ref name="castcrewlist">[http://tformers.com/transformers-exclusive-transformers-prime-voice-cast-revealed-which-includes-the-rock/14278/news.html TFormers cast and crew announcement] including Dwayne Johnson exclusive.</ref> The show runners were given the "[[Binder of Revelation]]", a near 400-page [[production bible]] that [[Hasbro]] had been working on since the movies, that combined elements of the most popular [[continuity|continuities]].<ref>[http://collider.com/roberto-orci-jeff-kline-interview-transformers-prime/75039/ Collider transcript]</ref> The show's title was based on the desire to create a master continuity and a literal [[Wikipedia:Earth Prime|Prime continuity]].<ref name="botcon2011"/> Whereas the movies were about a [[Sam Witwicky|boy]] and his [[Bumblebee (Movie)|car]], the dynamic between the kids and the robots on the show was meant to be more like ''[[Wikipedia:The Iron Giant|The Iron Giant]]''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Pb3MeUDdY Roundtable interview with ''Prime'' staff at BotCon 2011]</ref>

The writing staff was headed by Capizzi, with [[Marsha Griffin]] as the story editor. The staff consists of [[Nicole Dubuc]], [[Joseph Kuhr]] and [[Steven Melching]]. Kline said they wanted the show to be very cinematic, with tension, suspense and danger (as marked by Cliffjumper's death in the pilot) as children are more media savvy than they were in the past. Regardless, they had to be considerate as the show still had a broad audience.<ref>[http://parrygamepreserve.com/newsDetail.php?jID=1642 PGP January 2011 Q&A]</ref> As part of the [[aligned continuity family]] with ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)| War for Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'', the producers strove to maintain many of the common elements (eg. Optimus and Megatron's past friendship, Dark Energon's origins as [[Unicron]]'s blood, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] sharing his film counterpart's backstory), but were allowed contradictions if it served the storytelling. By using the mammoth story bible, the writers could plan events years in advance. The large number of episodes per season meant they could pace and establish characters during season 1 slowly, while saving the more momentous, less stand alone episodes that delved into the backstory for season 2. Some of the plot ideas (namely the [[Terrorcon (Prime)|zombie robots]]) were based on stories they came up with when playing with the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toys]] as kids.<ref name="botcon2011"/> [[Bob Skir]] has written some episodes.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/9248/20/ Allspark.com coverage of Shout and Hasbro's "Evolution of Transformers Animation" panel at 2011's Comic-Con.]</ref>

Designers include [[Christophe Vacher]] (colors), [[Vince Toyama]] and [[Jevon Bue]] (backgrounds) and [[Jose Lopez]] (lead character designer). Vacher wanted to do something different from traditional animation and saw something edgy about ''Prime''.<ref name="botcon2011"/> According to [[Ken Christiansen]], the show's characters were formed by [[Hasbro Studios]] hiring freelance conceptual artists like himself. The submitted artwork was given Lopez's staff to be examined, and they incorporated the ideas they liked best.<ref>[http://badflipblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/me-and-transformers-prime.html August 2010 blog post by Ken Christiansen]</ref> Other concept artists include [[Augusto Barranco]] and [[Walter Gatus]].

Supervising director [[Dave Hartman]] headed a team including [[Todd Waterman]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Vinton Heuck]] and [[Kirk Van Wormer]]. [[Polygon Pictures]] provided the [[computer-generated imagery|CG animation]], for which [[Digitalscape]] performed a recruitment drive for before the show began production.<ref>[http://www.dsp.co.jp/pr/contents/000178.html Announcement on Digitalscape, also asking for job applicants.]</ref> Lopez said the animation would be a "groundbreaking mix of 2D animation and CGI".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/san-diego-comic-con-33/jose-lopez-breaks-the-silence-talks-about-transformers-prime-at-san-diego-comic-con-2010-170217/ Jose Lopez speaks about Prime's animation style]</ref> Each character has three CG models: the robot mode, their alternate mode, and one for the transformation.<ref>[http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?t=29224 Cybertron.ca January 2011 Q&A]</ref> Lopez said the designs were personality driven, and that the 3D animation allowed them to go "crazy" with the transformation schemes. In contrast, the characters were given realistic textures,<ref>[http://www.asmzine.com/geekly-rewind/2011/02/07/hasbro-transformers-qa-bonus-round-answer/ ASM Geekly Rewind January 2011 Q&A]</ref> and are subject to battle damage during episodes.<ref name="botcon">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/botcon-2010-transformers-prime-panel-coverage-170054/ Botcon 2010 Transformers Prime Panel Coverage]</ref> A show on the level of ''Prime'' would take two years to produce, but the animators only had ten months. Five episodes are animated at a time (hence the monthly gaps during the first season).<ref name="botcon2011"/>

The staff had three years of story planned, but while writing it became clear that the escalating storylines made it impossible to maintain self-contained episodes and they burned through those planned three years within the second season. The idea of incorporating Beasts into the third season was a late idea.<ref>[http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/25/transformers-prime-producer-talks-beasts-mythology-michael-bay/ ‘Transformers: Prime’ producer talks Beasts, mythology, Michael Bay]</ref>

[[Susan Blu]] was the casting director, but was replaced as voice director by [[Jamie Simone]] following a death in her family.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-sdcc-2010-the-hub-transformers-panel-1st-looks-at-prime-designs/13975/news.html Tformers.com's coverage of the SDCC Transformers Prime panel, July 22, 2010.]</ref> [[Brian Tyler]] composed the show's [[theme song]] and background music. [[Matthew Margeson]] served as music arranger.

==Awards and nominations==
===2011 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program - [[Peter Cullen]] as [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]
*Outstanding Directing In An Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], Supervising Director; [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]; [[Todd Waterman]]; [[Vinton Heuck]]; [[Susan Blu]], Voice Director
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Vince Toyama]], Background Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]], Colour Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction And Composition - [[Brian Tyler]]
*Outstanding Writing In Animation - [[Duane Capizzi]], Writer/Producer; [[Steven Melching]]; [[Nicole Dubuc]]; [[Joseph Kuhr]]; [[Marsha Griffin]]

===2012 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing (Animation) - Robbi Smith, Dialogue Editor, Robert Poole II, Sound Effects Editor, Roy Braverman, Foley Editor
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing (Animation) - Ray Leonard, Re-Recording Mixer, Mike Bieriger, Re-Recording Mixer
*Outstanding Special Class Animated Program - [[Roberto Orci]], [[Stephen J. Davis|Stephen Davis]], [[Shuzo Shiota]], [[Alex Kurtzman]], [[Jeff Kline]], [[Duane Capizzi]], [[Mandy Safavi]], [[Rafael Ruthchild]], [[Shinji Santoh]], [[Meiko Sato]], [[Therese Trujillo]] '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], [[Vinton Heuck]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Todd Waterman]], [[Jamie Simone]]
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]] '''(WINNER)'''<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-prime-wins-one-daytime-emmy-award-also-nominated-in-four-other-categories/24811/ Hub Press Release for 2012 Daytime Emmy Nominations] </ref>

===2013 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Jason Park]], background design for "Orion Pax, Part 3". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Arato Kato]], character animation for "Hard Knocks". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Kirk Van Wormer]], storyboard art for "Nemesis Prime". '''(WINNER)'''

==Japanese release==
[[Image:JapPrimeCartoonLogo01.jpg|thumb|center|300px|]]

'''''Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Prime''''' (超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマープライム ''Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Prime'') began airing in Japan on [[TV Tokyo]] affiliate [[TV Aichi]], beginning [[April 7]], 2012, with an 8am Saturday morning timeslot (the same channel and timeslot as the previous two ''Transformers'' cartoons to air in Japan). It ended its 52 episode run on [[March 30]], 2013.

To reflect Takara's unique marketing strategy for the toyline—the prominent gimmick of the non-show [[Arms Micron]]s—the series included CGI-animated cartoon shorts starring those little robots, called "[[Arms Micron Theater]]", at the end of every episode. The shorts centered around the Arms Microns maintaining an undercover presence amongst the Autobots, who are not even aware that their weapons are alive.

Another additional segment titled "[[From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division]]", hosted by the popular J-pop idol group, [[Tokyo Girls' Style]], was also tacked onto each episode. These segments featured the idol girls interacting with [[Vector Sigma]] in order to relay important facts about the ''Transformers'' franchise to the audience.

Due to the longer [[title sequence]] and end credits, as well as the two additional bonus segments, each episode had approximately three minutes of content removed for time constraints. Many of these edits were to reduce environment pans or establishing shots. However, as the show was reworked to appeal to a younger audience (as all Western ''Transformers'' cartoons are when localized for Japan), the violence during the fight sequences was edited for content.

Like all Japanese dubs of Western ''Transformers'' cartoons, transformation commands were added, such as shouting "Transform!" Additionally, whenever a character popped their weapon out of their hands/arms, they screamed "Arms Up!" Text was overlayed on the screen whenever a character first appeared in each episode, providing their name and function. In addition, promotional text for various ''Transformers''-specific campaigns from TakaraTomy scrolled by over the episode as things were happening, which could be kind of... distracting.

Like the dubs of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Beast Wars Metals'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'', the localization of ''Prime'' was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]]. As is his way, Yoshikazu had the humor ratcheted up considerably. Self-aware, Fourth Wall-breaking jokes were added. An example occurs as early as the end of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]", when the manipulator arm turns into a spider-like creature and starts crawling around. In the dub, Ratchet thinks he hears the audience telling him to watch his back, but brushes their concerns off as unimportant.

Characters were also fundamentally altered to be more humorously quirky. [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], for example, was changed into something of a female Pepe Le Pew; boy-crazy and insanely amorous in her pursuit of [[Jack Darby|Jack]]. As with Yoshikazu's previous efforts, adlibbing was utilized extensively to soften tension and suspense; the characters talk ''a lot''.

On [[August 12]], 2012, TV Tokyo aired a two-hour ''Prime'' television special hosted by [[Chisato Mori]], [[Nozomi Furuki]] and [[Yūki Tai]]. The special featured a recap of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]" thru "[[Rock Bottom]]", a brand new "From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division" segment featuring Tokyo Girls' Style, various cast interviews and commentary, and a special comparison between the original English language version of "[[Predatory]]" and the radically different Japanese language version with commentary from director Yoshikazu Iwanami. <ref>http://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/toy/event/2012/tv-tokyo/ official TakaraTomy ad site for the TV special</ref>

The Japanese version of ''Prime'' only ran for 52 episodes (the first two seasons of the original English language version). "[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]" was edited and reworked to function as a series finale. This mainly involved rescripting the ending and cutting the cliffhanger so as to give the show a more positive, "happy" send off. The ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' era of the ''Prime'' franchise was rebranded by TakaraTomy as a new franchise, '''''[[Triple Combination Transformers: Go! (franchise)|Triple Combination Transformers: Go!]]'''''. While the ''Beast Hunters'' toys are being marketed and sold in Japan, it is currently unknown how the remaining 13 episodes of the cartoon will be released in their country.

The [[theme song]]s are:
*OP 1: "[[FEELING]]" by [[BIGBANG]]
*ED 1: "[[I Believe in All]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 2: "[[TRANSFORMERZ]]" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 2: "[[A Little Bit]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 3: "TRANSFORMERZ (version 2.0)" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 3: "[[Discord (song)|Discord]]" by [[Tokyo Girls' Style]]

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Prime (cartoon)/home video}}
;United States
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Darkness Rising (2011)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Darkness-Rising/15916 Press release: Transformers Prime - 'Darkness Rising', the Newest Program's Original 5-Part Mini-Series, Announced!]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Includes 3 episodes (2011)<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/special-transformers-prime-dvd-released-at-walmart-173588/ Transformers Prime DVD released at Walmart]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season One (2012)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Season-1-Press-Release/16300]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - One Shall Stand (2012)<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Prime-One-Shall-Stand/dp/B007RMQ4H2</ref>

;Germany
*''Transformers: Prime'' #1 - Die dunkle Macht erhebt sich (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #2 - Meister und Schüler (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #3 - Nur dieses eine Mal (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #4 - Die vierte Dimension (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #5 - Metallische Anziehung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #6 - Die Prophezeiung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' Staffel 1 (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #7 - Orion Pax (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #8 - Der falsche Prime (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #9 - Angriff auf Megatron (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #10 - Bulkheads Mission (2013)

;Australia
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 1: Darkness Rising (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 2: Unfamiliar Enemies (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 3: Alien Threat (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 4: Strength in Numbers (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 5: One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season 2, Volume 1: Orion Pax (2013) <ref>http://www.madman.com.au/series/home/17523</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Transformers Prime: Music from the Animated Series}}

==Notes==
*Unlike most ''Transformers'' shows, episodes do not have an episode title card. Episode titles are from [[The Hub]] website.
*The series has also been advertised as '''''Transformers: Prime - The Animated Series'''''.
*The show was said to be "rightfully huge" at the [[BotCon 2010]] panel.<ref name="tformersbotcon10">[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13779 BotCon 2010 - Hasbro Studios Panel - Bucket Head is Back!]</ref> Later, at the Hasbro designers' panel, the [[Thirteen|Thirteen original Transformers]] were described as being "rightfully huge".<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13797 BotCon 2010 Hasbro designers' panel.]</ref>
*Executive Producer [[Jeff Kline]] confirmed they have talked about producing a theatrical ''Prime'' film.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-botcon-2011-transformers-prime-interview-with-executive-producer-jeff-kline/15863/news.html TFormers BotCon 2011 interview with Kline]</ref>
*With 65 episodes, Transformers: Prime is the second-longest run of any Transformers series after the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]] from the 1980s, which ran for 98 episodes.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/transformers-prime-cancelled-canceled-series-ending-with-season-3]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/prime Hub World page]
**[http://hubforteachers.discoveryeducation.com/hub-spotlight/transformers.cfm Hub for Teachers page]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3iKDbKQwKI&feature=related Behind the scenes video]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime (cartoon)}}
[[Category: Prime media]]
[[Category: Television series]]

Transformers: Prime (cartoon)

2013-07-11T01:54:31Z

Autocon: /* Cast */

{{Nav-Prime}}

[[Image:TransformersPrimePremierePoster.jpg|thumb|300px|We finally have toys... we think.]]
[[Image:Beasthunters-logo1.png|300px|right]]
'''''Transformers: Prime''''' is a multiple Daytime Emmy Award-winning [[computer-generated imagery|computer-animated]] television series that premiered on [[The Hub]] on [[November 26]], [[2010]] with a five-part mini-series, which was followed by a season of another 21 episodes beginning on [[February 11]], [[2011]]. Season 2 began screening [[February 18]], [[2012]], and a third season of thirteen episodes with the subtitle ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' began screening on [[March 22]], [[2013]]. ''[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]'', a TV movie, will conclude the show in late 2013.

The Canadian broadcast of the series has been undertaken by Corus Entertainment, and the show is currently airing on Teletoon.<ref>[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/biz/hasbro-studios-and-corus-entertainments-kids-networks-reach-broad-animation-and-live-action-programming-agreement.html Hasbro Studios and Corus Entertainment’s Kids Networks Reach Broad Animation and Live-Action Programming Agreement]</ref>

The series premiered in the UK on [[September 5]], 2011 on [[Cartoon Network]]'s "[[Action Heroes]]" block. It began airing in Japan on [[April 7]], 2012 on [[TV Aichi]].

==Story==

[[Team Prime]] lives on [[Earth]] as a pre-emptive measure against the return of the [[Decepticon]]s. [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot Central Command]] is located in a converted [[missile]] silo in [[Nevada]] which was provided by the [[United States of America|United States]] government, with whom the Autobots have formed an alliance. However, the presence of [[Transformer]]s on Earth is not generally known among the civilian population. The Autobots have taken [[Jack Darby|three]] [[Miko Nakadai|human]] [[Raf Esquivel|teens]] under their protection after their association with the Autobots put them in danger from the Decepticons.

[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] returns having discovered [[Dark Energon]], which grants him rule of life itself, but is injured, with [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] taking command in his absence. In addition to the Decepticons, the Autobots also contend with the human terrorist organization, [[MECH]].

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;Main Cast
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] ([[Sumalee Montano]])
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] ([[Jeffrey Combs]])
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] ([[Frank Welker]]<ref>''Frank Welker records actual words written for Bumblebee which are later replaced with sound effects.'' -- Revealed in "The Autobits Edition" of [[Darkmount, NV|episode 53]].</ref>)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] ([[James Horan]])
* [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] ([[Nolan North]])
* [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Michael Ironside]])

;Others
* [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] ([[George Takei]])
* [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Dwayne Johnson]]/[[Billy Brown]])
* [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]]
* [[Impactor (Prime)|Impactor]]
* [[Roadbuster (Prime)|Roadbuster]]
* [[Rotorstorm (Prime)|Rotorstorm]]
* [[Pyro (Prime)|Pyro]]
* [[Perceptor (Prime)|Perceptor]]

|c2=
;Main Cast
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] ([[Daran Norris]])
*[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] ([[Adam Baldwin]])
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] ([[Gina Torres]])
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] ([[Tony Todd]])

;Others
*[[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] ([[Richard Green]])
*[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])

;Troopers
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]]
*[[Decepticon Miner]]s
*[[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticons]]
**[[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]] ([[David Kaye]])
**[[Bombshock (Prime)|Bombshock]] ([[Steve Blum]])

|c3=
;Main Cast
* [[Jack Darby]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Miko Nakadai]] ([[Tania Gunadi]])
* [[Raf Esquivel]] ([[Andy Pessoa]])
* [[William Fowler]] ([[Ernie Hudson]])

;Others
* [[Silas]] ([[Clancy Brown]])
* [[June Darby]] ([[Markie Post]])
* [[Sierra]] ([[Alexandra Krosney]])
* [[Vince]] ([[Brad Raider]])
* [[Bryce|General Bryce]] ([[Robert Forster]])
* [[Vogel]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[John Noble]])
* [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]]/[[Clancy Brown]])
* [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]]
* [[Starscream clone (Prime)|Starscream clones]] ([[Steve Blum]])
* [[Scraplet]]s

|h5=[[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]|c5=
*[[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] ([[Peter Mensah]])
|nonumbering=true}}

==Episodes==
{{see|List of Prime episodes}}
===Season 1===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]
#[[Masters & Students]]
#[[Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap]]
#[[Con Job]]
#[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]
#[[Deus ex Machina]]
#[[Speed Metal]]
#[[Predatory]]
#[[Sick Mind]]
#[[Out of His Head]]
#[[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]]
#[[Operation: Breakdown]]
#[[Crisscross]]
#[[Metal Attraction]]
#[[Rock Bottom]]
#[[Partners]]
#[[T.M.I.]]
#[[Stronger, Faster]]
#[[One Shall Fall]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 2]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]
}}

===Season 2===
{{collist|3|
#[[Orion Pax, Part 1]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 2]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]
#[[Loose Cannons]]
#[[Crossfire]]
#[[Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime]]
#[[Grill]]
#[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]
#[[Flying Mind]]
#[[Tunnel Vision]]
#[[Triangulation]]
#[[Triage]]
#[[Toxicity]]
#[[Hurt]]
#[[Out of the Past]]
#[[New Recruit]]
#[[The Human Factor]]
#[[Legacy]]
#[[Alpha/Omega]]
#[[Hard Knocks]]
#[[Inside Job]]
#[[Patch (episode)|Patch]]
#[[Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration]]
#[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]
}}
===Season 3: Beast Hunters===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkmount, NV]]
#[[Scattered]]
#[[Prey (episode)|Prey]]
#[[Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion]]
#[[Project Predacon]]
#[[Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command]]
#[[Plus One]]
#[[Thirst]]
#[[Evolution]]
#[[Minus One]]
#[[Persuasion]]
#[[Synthesis]]
#[[Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock]]
}}
===TV movie===
*[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]

==Production==
[[Image:TFP montage poster.jpg|thumb|GET OFF MY FACE!!!]]
After the [[live-action film series]], screenwriters [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]] signed to become show runners with [[Jeff Kline]] and [[Duane Capizzi]] of The Hub's ''Transformers'' cartoon, explaining the TV show would not have the constraints of a two-hour film in delving into the mythology.<ref name="botcon2011">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2011-transformers-prime-panel-172315/ TFW coverage of Hasbro Studios panel at BotCon 2011]</ref> (Orci's employees [[Steven Puri]] and [[Mandy Safavi]] were also credited as producers.)<ref name="castcrewlist">[http://tformers.com/transformers-exclusive-transformers-prime-voice-cast-revealed-which-includes-the-rock/14278/news.html TFormers cast and crew announcement] including Dwayne Johnson exclusive.</ref> The show runners were given the "[[Binder of Revelation]]", a near 400-page [[production bible]] that [[Hasbro]] had been working on since the movies, that combined elements of the most popular [[continuity|continuities]].<ref>[http://collider.com/roberto-orci-jeff-kline-interview-transformers-prime/75039/ Collider transcript]</ref> The show's title was based on the desire to create a master continuity and a literal [[Wikipedia:Earth Prime|Prime continuity]].<ref name="botcon2011"/> Whereas the movies were about a [[Sam Witwicky|boy]] and his [[Bumblebee (Movie)|car]], the dynamic between the kids and the robots on the show was meant to be more like ''[[Wikipedia:The Iron Giant|The Iron Giant]]''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Pb3MeUDdY Roundtable interview with ''Prime'' staff at BotCon 2011]</ref>

The writing staff was headed by Capizzi, with [[Marsha Griffin]] as the story editor. The staff consists of [[Nicole Dubuc]], [[Joseph Kuhr]] and [[Steven Melching]]. Kline said they wanted the show to be very cinematic, with tension, suspense and danger (as marked by Cliffjumper's death in the pilot) as children are more media savvy than they were in the past. Regardless, they had to be considerate as the show still had a broad audience.<ref>[http://parrygamepreserve.com/newsDetail.php?jID=1642 PGP January 2011 Q&A]</ref> As part of the [[aligned continuity family]] with ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)| War for Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'', the producers strove to maintain many of the common elements (eg. Optimus and Megatron's past friendship, Dark Energon's origins as [[Unicron]]'s blood, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] sharing his film counterpart's backstory), but were allowed contradictions if it served the storytelling. By using the mammoth story bible, the writers could plan events years in advance. The large number of episodes per season meant they could pace and establish characters during season 1 slowly, while saving the more momentous, less stand alone episodes that delved into the backstory for season 2. Some of the plot ideas (namely the [[Terrorcon (Prime)|zombie robots]]) were based on stories they came up with when playing with the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toys]] as kids.<ref name="botcon2011"/> [[Bob Skir]] has written some episodes.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/9248/20/ Allspark.com coverage of Shout and Hasbro's "Evolution of Transformers Animation" panel at 2011's Comic-Con.]</ref>

Designers include [[Christophe Vacher]] (colors), [[Vince Toyama]] and [[Jevon Bue]] (backgrounds) and [[Jose Lopez]] (lead character designer). Vacher wanted to do something different from traditional animation and saw something edgy about ''Prime''.<ref name="botcon2011"/> According to [[Ken Christiansen]], the show's characters were formed by [[Hasbro Studios]] hiring freelance conceptual artists like himself. The submitted artwork was given Lopez's staff to be examined, and they incorporated the ideas they liked best.<ref>[http://badflipblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/me-and-transformers-prime.html August 2010 blog post by Ken Christiansen]</ref> Other concept artists include [[Augusto Barranco]] and [[Walter Gatus]].

Supervising director [[Dave Hartman]] headed a team including [[Todd Waterman]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Vinton Heuck]] and [[Kirk Van Wormer]]. [[Polygon Pictures]] provided the [[computer-generated imagery|CG animation]], for which [[Digitalscape]] performed a recruitment drive for before the show began production.<ref>[http://www.dsp.co.jp/pr/contents/000178.html Announcement on Digitalscape, also asking for job applicants.]</ref> Lopez said the animation would be a "groundbreaking mix of 2D animation and CGI".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/san-diego-comic-con-33/jose-lopez-breaks-the-silence-talks-about-transformers-prime-at-san-diego-comic-con-2010-170217/ Jose Lopez speaks about Prime's animation style]</ref> Each character has three CG models: the robot mode, their alternate mode, and one for the transformation.<ref>[http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?t=29224 Cybertron.ca January 2011 Q&A]</ref> Lopez said the designs were personality driven, and that the 3D animation allowed them to go "crazy" with the transformation schemes. In contrast, the characters were given realistic textures,<ref>[http://www.asmzine.com/geekly-rewind/2011/02/07/hasbro-transformers-qa-bonus-round-answer/ ASM Geekly Rewind January 2011 Q&A]</ref> and are subject to battle damage during episodes.<ref name="botcon">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/botcon-2010-transformers-prime-panel-coverage-170054/ Botcon 2010 Transformers Prime Panel Coverage]</ref> A show on the level of ''Prime'' would take two years to produce, but the animators only had ten months. Five episodes are animated at a time (hence the monthly gaps during the first season).<ref name="botcon2011"/>

The staff had three years of story planned, but while writing it became clear that the escalating storylines made it impossible to maintain self-contained episodes and they burned through those planned three years within the second season. The idea of incorporating Beasts into the third season was a late idea.<ref>[http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/25/transformers-prime-producer-talks-beasts-mythology-michael-bay/ ‘Transformers: Prime’ producer talks Beasts, mythology, Michael Bay]</ref>

[[Susan Blu]] was the casting director, but was replaced as voice director by [[Jamie Simone]] following a death in her family.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-sdcc-2010-the-hub-transformers-panel-1st-looks-at-prime-designs/13975/news.html Tformers.com's coverage of the SDCC Transformers Prime panel, July 22, 2010.]</ref> [[Brian Tyler]] composed the show's [[theme song]] and background music. [[Matthew Margeson]] served as music arranger.

==Awards and nominations==
===2011 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program - [[Peter Cullen]] as [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]
*Outstanding Directing In An Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], Supervising Director; [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]; [[Todd Waterman]]; [[Vinton Heuck]]; [[Susan Blu]], Voice Director
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Vince Toyama]], Background Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]], Colour Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction And Composition - [[Brian Tyler]]
*Outstanding Writing In Animation - [[Duane Capizzi]], Writer/Producer; [[Steven Melching]]; [[Nicole Dubuc]]; [[Joseph Kuhr]]; [[Marsha Griffin]]

===2012 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing (Animation) - Robbi Smith, Dialogue Editor, Robert Poole II, Sound Effects Editor, Roy Braverman, Foley Editor
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing (Animation) - Ray Leonard, Re-Recording Mixer, Mike Bieriger, Re-Recording Mixer
*Outstanding Special Class Animated Program - [[Roberto Orci]], [[Stephen J. Davis|Stephen Davis]], [[Shuzo Shiota]], [[Alex Kurtzman]], [[Jeff Kline]], [[Duane Capizzi]], [[Mandy Safavi]], [[Rafael Ruthchild]], [[Shinji Santoh]], [[Meiko Sato]], [[Therese Trujillo]] '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], [[Vinton Heuck]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Todd Waterman]], [[Jamie Simone]]
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]] '''(WINNER)'''<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-prime-wins-one-daytime-emmy-award-also-nominated-in-four-other-categories/24811/ Hub Press Release for 2012 Daytime Emmy Nominations] </ref>

===2013 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Jason Park]], background design for "Orion Pax, Part 3". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Arato Kato]], character animation for "Hard Knocks". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Kirk Van Wormer]], storyboard art for "Nemesis Prime". '''(WINNER)'''

==Japanese release==
[[Image:JapPrimeCartoonLogo01.jpg|thumb|center|300px|]]

'''''Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Prime''''' (超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマープライム ''Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Prime'') began airing in Japan on [[TV Tokyo]] affiliate [[TV Aichi]], beginning [[April 7]], 2012, with an 8am Saturday morning timeslot (the same channel and timeslot as the previous two ''Transformers'' cartoons to air in Japan). It ended its 52 episode run on [[March 30]], 2013.

To reflect Takara's unique marketing strategy for the toyline—the prominent gimmick of the non-show [[Arms Micron]]s—the series included CGI-animated cartoon shorts starring those little robots, called "[[Arms Micron Theater]]", at the end of every episode. The shorts centered around the Arms Microns maintaining an undercover presence amongst the Autobots, who are not even aware that their weapons are alive.

Another additional segment titled "[[From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division]]", hosted by the popular J-pop idol group, [[Tokyo Girls' Style]], was also tacked onto each episode. These segments featured the idol girls interacting with [[Vector Sigma]] in order to relay important facts about the ''Transformers'' franchise to the audience.

Due to the longer [[title sequence]] and end credits, as well as the two additional bonus segments, each episode had approximately three minutes of content removed for time constraints. Many of these edits were to reduce environment pans or establishing shots. However, as the show was reworked to appeal to a younger audience (as all Western ''Transformers'' cartoons are when localized for Japan), the violence during the fight sequences was edited for content.

Like all Japanese dubs of Western ''Transformers'' cartoons, transformation commands were added, such as shouting "Transform!" Additionally, whenever a character popped their weapon out of their hands/arms, they screamed "Arms Up!" Text was overlayed on the screen whenever a character first appeared in each episode, providing their name and function. In addition, promotional text for various ''Transformers''-specific campaigns from TakaraTomy scrolled by over the episode as things were happening, which could be kind of... distracting.

Like the dubs of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Beast Wars Metals'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'', the localization of ''Prime'' was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]]. As is his way, Yoshikazu had the humor ratcheted up considerably. Self-aware, Fourth Wall-breaking jokes were added. An example occurs as early as the end of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]", when the manipulator arm turns into a spider-like creature and starts crawling around. In the dub, Ratchet thinks he hears the audience telling him to watch his back, but brushes their concerns off as unimportant.

Characters were also fundamentally altered to be more humorously quirky. [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], for example, was changed into something of a female Pepe Le Pew; boy-crazy and insanely amorous in her pursuit of [[Jack Darby|Jack]]. As with Yoshikazu's previous efforts, adlibbing was utilized extensively to soften tension and suspense; the characters talk ''a lot''.

On [[August 12]], 2012, TV Tokyo aired a two-hour ''Prime'' television special hosted by [[Chisato Mori]], [[Nozomi Furuki]] and [[Yūki Tai]]. The special featured a recap of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]" thru "[[Rock Bottom]]", a brand new "From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division" segment featuring Tokyo Girls' Style, various cast interviews and commentary, and a special comparison between the original English language version of "[[Predatory]]" and the radically different Japanese language version with commentary from director Yoshikazu Iwanami. <ref>http://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/toy/event/2012/tv-tokyo/ official TakaraTomy ad site for the TV special</ref>

The Japanese version of ''Prime'' only ran for 52 episodes (the first two seasons of the original English language version). "[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]" was edited and reworked to function as a series finale. This mainly involved rescripting the ending and cutting the cliffhanger so as to give the show a more positive, "happy" send off. The ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' era of the ''Prime'' franchise was rebranded by TakaraTomy as a new franchise, '''''[[Cubed Combination: Transformers Go! (franchise)|Cubed Combination: Transformers Go!]]'''''. While the ''Beast Hunters'' toys are being marketed and sold in Japan, it is currently unknown how the remaining 13 episodes of the cartoon will be released in their country.

The [[theme song]]s are:
*OP 1: "[[FEELING]]" by [[BIGBANG]]
*ED 1: "[[I Believe in All]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 2: "[[TRANSFORMERZ]]" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 2: "[[A Little Bit]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 3: "TRANSFORMERZ (version 2.0)" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 3: "[[Discord (song)|Discord]]" by [[Tokyo Girls' Style]]

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Prime (cartoon)/home video}}
;United States
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Darkness Rising (2011)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Darkness-Rising/15916 Press release: Transformers Prime - 'Darkness Rising', the Newest Program's Original 5-Part Mini-Series, Announced!]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Includes 3 episodes (2011)<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/special-transformers-prime-dvd-released-at-walmart-173588/ Transformers Prime DVD released at Walmart]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season One (2012)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Season-1-Press-Release/16300]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - One Shall Stand (2012)<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Prime-One-Shall-Stand/dp/B007RMQ4H2</ref>

;Germany
*''Transformers: Prime'' #1 - Die dunkle Macht erhebt sich (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #2 - Meister und Schüler (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #3 - Nur dieses eine Mal (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #4 - Die vierte Dimension (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #5 - Metallische Anziehung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #6 - Die Prophezeiung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' Staffel 1 (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #7 - Orion Pax (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #8 - Der falsche Prime (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #9 - Angriff auf Megatron (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #10 - Bulkheads Mission (2013)

;Australia
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 1: Darkness Rising (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 2: Unfamiliar Enemies (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 3: Alien Threat (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 4: Strength in Numbers (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 5: One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season 2, Volume 1: Orion Pax (2013) <ref>http://www.madman.com.au/series/home/17523</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Transformers Prime: Music from the Animated Series}}

==Notes==
*Unlike most ''Transformers'' shows, episodes do not have an episode title card. Episode titles are from [[The Hub]] website.
*The series has also been advertised as '''''Transformers: Prime - The Animated Series'''''.
*The show was said to be "rightfully huge" at the [[BotCon 2010]] panel.<ref name="tformersbotcon10">[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13779 BotCon 2010 - Hasbro Studios Panel - Bucket Head is Back!]</ref> Later, at the Hasbro designers' panel, the [[Thirteen|Thirteen original Transformers]] were described as being "rightfully huge".<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13797 BotCon 2010 Hasbro designers' panel.]</ref>
*Executive Producer [[Jeff Kline]] confirmed they have talked about producing a theatrical ''Prime'' film.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-botcon-2011-transformers-prime-interview-with-executive-producer-jeff-kline/15863/news.html TFormers BotCon 2011 interview with Kline]</ref>
*With 65 episodes, Transformers: Prime is the second-longest run of any Transformers series after the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]] from the 1980s, which ran for 98 episodes.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/transformers-prime-cancelled-canceled-series-ending-with-season-3]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/prime Hub World page]
**[http://hubforteachers.discoveryeducation.com/hub-spotlight/transformers.cfm Hub for Teachers page]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3iKDbKQwKI&feature=related Behind the scenes video]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime (cartoon)}}
[[Category: Prime media]]
[[Category: Television series]]

User:Autocon

2013-07-11T00:17:19Z

Autocon: Created page with "I was introduced to this franchise by the movies. I've seen every episode of the G1 cartoon, read most of the marvel comics, and most of the IDW reboot comics. I've seen every ep…"

I was introduced to this franchise by the movies. I've seen every episode of the G1 cartoon, read most of the marvel comics, and most of the IDW reboot comics. I've seen every episode of Beast Wars and Beast Machines. I've seen all the episodes of Transformers Animated, and I've seen every Transformers Prime episode to date, and I have a large collection of Transformers video games. I'm basically just an all around Transformers geek.

== Favorite Autobots ==
Optimus Prime 
Ratchet 
Skids 
Whirl 
Fortress Maximus 
Nightbeat 
Blaster 

== Favorite Decepticons ==
Megatron 
Soundwave 
Thundercracker 
Dirge 
Shockwave

Skids (G1)

2013-07-11T00:01:20Z

Autocon: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

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

[[Image:Skidsg1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Gee, that REALLY looks like his Alternators head, what are the odds?]]
'''Skids''' is a theoretician. This is appropriate, as some would say his existence is merely theoretical; everyone forgets who he is or that he was there. But if they got to know him, they'd learn that he likes to daydream, get built into furniture, and pick up cowboy chicks.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor'': [[Michael Chain]] (English, "[[Quest for Survival]]"), [[Dan Gilvezan]] (English, "[[Triple Takeover]]"), [[Keiichi Nanba]] (Japanese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American)

[[Image:Skidsanimated.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Hoist, Prime, and Skids ogle Bumblebee's animation model.]]
Like many of the Autobots who first appeared in 1985, the exact circumstances behind Skids joining the original group of Earth-based Autobots remain unknown. Skids first appeared as part of a strike force that was sent to stop the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] from ravaging a human farm, only to meet with failure. Apparently injured in the battle, Skids underwent some repairs by [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] upon return to Autobot Headquarters, where he responded incredulously to [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]]'s report that he had retrieved [[robotic insecticide]] from the planet [[Floron III]] to deal with the Insecticon threat. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

[[Image:TripleTakeover Skids.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Racing into obscurity.]]
Later, Skids was part of a team sent to investigate bombs that were raining down on a city from a football stadium (the work of the [[Triple Changer]] [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]). Blitzwing, however, had the stadium surrounded by a massive "Zone Defense" maze built by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], and while attempting to traverse it, Skids crashed into [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and was driven over by tank-mode Blitzwing. Skids and the other Autobots' remains were then gathered by [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]], who built a throne for himself out of them. These Autobots were soon rescued and quickly rebuilt, and participated in the crises that ensued as Blitzwing, [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] vied for Decepticon leadership. Following that skirmish, Prowl opined that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was the greatest leader in the universe, which prompted himself, Skids, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] to form themselves into a throne for Prime; Prime refused to sit, saying that thrones were for Decepticons—he'd rather roll. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[Image:Binaltech_skids_cardart.jpg|left|220px|thumb|After using up all of his vacation and sick days, Skids returned to work to find that the Transformers cartoon had been cancelled.]]
Skids was the first of the Binaltech Autobots created simply with the intent of upgrading an existing, healthy Transformer, rather than in the name of repairing one that had been injured. Outfitted with self-repairing nanomechanical antibodies, Skids's body can, barring heavy damage in battle, theoretically function for thousands of years without maintenance. In both his original and new body, Skids dedicated time to studying the chronal warp on [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], which gave rise to the Autobot strategy known as "[[Operation: Distant Thunder]]", a last-ditch scheme should the Decepticons tamper with the fabric of space-time. That horror occurred in [[2004]] when Ravage used the [[Kronosphere]] to alter the timeline, and Skids prepared to initiate the plan and send [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s memory data back in time to avert the catastrophe. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (prose)|Darkest Hour}}

The data probe was launched, but as the timeline was righting itself a [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] arrived, and manipulated the temporal wave to preserve the Binaltech timeline separate from the original continuity. Possessed by the Spark of the [[Optimus Primal|Protector]], hailing from some future point in time, Nemesis Prime informed Skids and the others that their timeline was destined to produce great warriors capable of safeguarding the entire multiverse, and therefore must continue on its new course. {{storylink|Binal Time}}
{{-}}

=====''Henkei! Henkei!''=====
[[Image:Skids_and_screech.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]
When Skids successfully proved the existence of particles able to cross over between dimensions, he put his discovery to work for the forces of good, coating his armor in these "Dimension Slide" particles and endowing himself with the power to move between realities, as well as a snazzy new green paintjob. In this quest to examine anomalies within the multiverse, Skids found he could summon other versions of himself from different dimensions to aid him, but for unknown reasons, one of these alternate versions wound up trapped in Skids's home dimension, unable to return to his own world. Named "[[Screech (Generations)|Screech]]" (presumably to save all the Autobots a headache), this alternate Skids teamed up with his counterpart, and together, the pair worked as "Quantum Operatives" policing the multiverse while searching for a way to get Screech home. {{storylink|#Toys|Skids's toy bio}} {{storylink|Screech (Generations)|Screech's toy bio}}

Hot on the trail of one such multiversal anomaly, Skids and Screech pursued [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s ghost across the multiverse to a [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (franchise)|parallel dimension]] where he was causing trouble. While the two dimension-hoppers kept the ghost busy with wordplay and pop culture references, the [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] of that world used his illusion casting powers to scare Starscream into fleeing the dimension by projecting an illusion of his greatest fear: [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]! {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Skidsnatives.jpg|right|100px|thumb|We bet you can't.]]
In the event that the [[Ark (G1)|Ark's]] mission would require more manpower, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had several Autobots encode copies of their personalities as light patterns within crystals, including Skids. When a large number of Prime's troops were then injured during the opening volleys of the war on [[Earth]], Prime arranged for the construction of new bodies, which the personalities were then programmed into, bringing Skids and the others to life "for a second time." Now in a new body that transformed into a blue van, Skids' first mission was to aid in preventing [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] from stealing sonic energy from a [[Brick Springhorn]] concert, and he immediately took a liking to the music of Earth and the possibilities of what could be learned from interacting with mankind. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

When [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] ran out of fuel in the middle of the [[Powder River Basin]] in [[Wyoming]], Optimus Prime took Skids and a few other Autobots to prevent harm to the humans who had discovered him. Unfortunately, these humans (and their military) forced the Autobots into a retreat. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}}

[[Image:Charleneskids.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Proving once and for all that chicks dig giant robots.]]
On the way to raid the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon base]], Skids accidentally clipped the car of hot-tempered [[Jake Dalrymple]], who pursued the Autobots on their mission and distracted Skids just enough for [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] to blast him off a cliff. Although Optimus Prime mourned the loss of Skids, neither the Autobot leader nor any other Autobot thought to recover the believed deactivated body of Skids later after their mission had been completed. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} Lying crippled and unable to transform, Skids was shortly discovered by register girl [[Charlene (cowgirl)|Charlene]], who, thinking he was an ordinary van, had him fixed up with the intent of keeping him for herself. Skids was open to the idea at first, preferring a peaceful life to that of a warrior, but after another bout of road rage with Dalrymple, the unearthly stunts he performed left him no option but to reveal his true nature of Charlene.

A somewhat unusual [[Transformer romance|relationship]] ensued between the two, but more trouble soon came Skids's way in the form of [[Donny Finkleberg]], who was being hunted down by Ravage. Fleeing from the Decepticon with Charlene and Donny, Skids hid out at an abandoned mining town, but yet again, the raging Dalrymple tracked him down and shattered his windshield, knocking him unconscious and into a dream where he died through his refusal to attack Megatron and save Charlene. Reawakening, he engaged Ravage in battle again, finally finding the strength to act, and causing his foe to tumble down a mineshaft. Skids then parted ways with Charlene, having come to the realisation that their two roles in life were too different for their relationship to work out. {{storylink|Showdown!}}

[[Image:Skidslimbo.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Oh, hey, remember Skids?]]
Skids returned to the Ark with Finkleberg, and later embarked on a mission with him to track down a group of missing Autobots who had been captured by the [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team]]. Unfortunately, money still governed Finkleberg's actions, and he promptly sold out Skids to RAAT's leader [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]] when Skids was deactivated for the night. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} Skids was disassembled for study, but when the Decepticons [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] appeared on Earth and began defacing landmarks, RAAT operative [[Circuit Breaker]] was forced to enter into a deal with the Autobots to stop them. Skids and the other Autobots' components were combined to form a jury-rigged robot that Circuit Breaker used to stop the [[Battlecharger]]s, but in return for their co-operation, Skids and the Autobots were allowed to go free. {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}}

''On the return trip to the Ark, however, Skids was abruptly torn from reality when the future Decepticon [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] traveled back in time from [[2006]], shunting Skids into [[limbo]] to maintain temporal balance.'' {{storylink|Fallen Angel}} ''Skids remained in limbo for two years while Galvatron ran amok on Earth, his mind steadily succumbing to the dream-illusions created by the [[Limbo parasite|parasites]] native to the realm.''

{{note|While Skids was lost to limbo in the UK comics, no such fate befell him in the American stories. Luckily enough for continuity's sake, he never did anything important in the US comics again, only showing up in crowd scenes: He attended Optimus Prime's funeral {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}, witnessed the arrival of the Spacehikers {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} and watched [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] fight for Autobot leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]. He was presumably either offlined during the subsequent Decepticon ambush, {{storylink|Totaled!}} or during [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream's]] [[Underbase]] powered rampage. {{storylink|Dark Star}} To maintain consistency, the UK printings of these stories either redrew Skids into a different, [[generic]] robot, or erased him from the art entirely.}}

[[Image:Skidssurvivors.jpg|left|200px|thumb|And then he stole [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]]'s head.]]
''With Galvatron's eventual destruction during the [[Time Wars]], Skids was finally returned to Earth, but he had spent too long in Limbo—the limbo-creatures had succeeded in shaping a reality from his dreams, and the nightmarish monsters that he had imagined materialised on Earth with him. Fleeing from the beasts, who desired to merge with Skids so that they might become more powerful, Skids lured them into a nuclear power plant which he had planned to detonate, wiping out the monsters and himself, but the remnants of the Autobot [[Wrecker]]s—joined by [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]] and [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] of the Decepticon [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]—arrived to aid him, defeating the monsters. Skids joined with this group of Transformers, forming the [[Survivors]].'' {{storylink|Survivors!}}

[[Image:Grimlockwasthatwise.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hey, who here remembers when I was damaged and shoved into the medbay? No? Well, that makes all of us.]]
Grimlock traveled to [[Hydrus Four]] to use [[Nucleon]] to revive the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Returning to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], he also pumped Nucleon into the med bays, reviving Skids and several others, and headed towards [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Grimlock used the Ark as a blunt instrument across [[Unicron]]'s head, forcing Skids and the others to evacuate and join the battle against the Chaos Bringer. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
When Carnivac ran off on his own to avenge Catilla's death, Skids and the other Survivors insisted Springer contact Grimlock and the Earthforce for back-up. Hooked up with these Autobot reinforcements, they stormed the Mayhem Attack Squad's tropical island base to save their friend. Skids personally confronted [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] in single combat, holding his own against the murderous Pretender. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}}

On a later mission for Earthforce, Skids and the Survivors protected an [[oil tanker]] from [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], while the rest of the Decepticons were trying to distract the Autobots with an all-out assault on their base. Undeterred by the sleight-of-hand, the Survivors caught up with Starscream in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. Skids used a flying leap by Carnivac as a distraction to catch Starscream with his liquid nitrogen cannon, and then [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] knocked the Decepticon commander into the drink. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
In [[2012]], when Optimus Prime discovered Megatron was still active on Earth, he took a detachment of Autobots, including Skids, to put an end to the tyrant's menace once and for all. Battling Megatron's reanimated Decepticon [[zombie]]s as the two leaders clashed, Skids called dibs on taking out [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5|Loose Ends #5}}

After the battle, Skids and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] attended to [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] as he recovered from a [[Scraplet]] infection. He then departed Earth with the other Autobots. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part 1|Natural Selection #1}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===

{{note|In the first book in this series, Skids transforms into a red compact, matching the description of his toy's Honda City Turbo [[alt-mode]] in one of its [[Diaclone]] color schemes. He is apparently even smaller than Bumblebee}}
Although Skids had reported the strange electromagnetic readings he'd been getting from [[Dolphin's Bay]] even before [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] sent [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] to [[Bandit's Bluff]] to remove the [[cerebro-shell]]s from the rampaging [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], it took [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock's]] report that evening to prompt Optimus to have Skids investigate it for possible Decepticon activity. Prime chose [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to accompany him in [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack's]] [[Star mini-submarine|new mini-submarine]], but wasn't sure whether to assign [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] to the mission as well, since Skids clearly didn't want him along.

If Prime left Sludge out, Skids celebrated by absentmindedly crashing into [[Mount Lomas]], crumpling his hood and causing Bumblebee to notice a suspicious trail in the woods. If the pair followed it instead of continuing to the bay, they walked into a trap set by [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] and [[Gravedigger]], who disassembled Bumblebee and Skids to serve as the first components of the [[Autobot Memorial Power Plant]].

If they continued to Dolphin's Bay and the sub, Skids traced electromagnetic waves back to some [[black coral]], then hacked into a Decepticon computer and learned of a plot to convert the coral into superfuel. Bumblebee then exited the hatch to break a piece off, triggering an explosion which trapped him in a canyon beneath broken columns of crimson coral. Without underwater gear, Skids had only two options: If he went back to the channel for help, Seaspray used his laser to free Bumblebee, then tried to sail back to the Ark, only to have Starscream blow all three of them up with a cluster bomb. If Skids tried translating some nearby dolphins' language, he succeeded in five minutes, talking the three largest dolphins into moving the broken coral. Skids and Bumblebee brought the black coral and his report back to Optimus Prime, ensuring an Autobot victory.

If Prime ''did'' include Sludge, Skids and Bumblebee made it to the bay first, then used the sub to track the readings to an underwater cave. Bumblebee entered it, radioed Skids about Operation Black Coral, then failed to reemerge. If Skids chose to return to the Ark for help, two possible endings saw an Autobot assault save Bumblebee and destroy the Decepticons' base. If Skids tried to radio Bumblebee, the sub was promptly hit by a sonic attack from Frenzy, making it go haywire and tear through the bay. Whether Skids tried to stop it by activating the backup systems or shorting the controls out with his electron blaster, he was saved by Sludge, ensuring an Autobot victory in two more endings. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

===3H comics===
[[Image:Skidswreckers2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|In the context of science, "theory" does not mean "guess" or "hunch", Rodimus. You should probably pay attention.]]
Skids was among the senior scientists (including [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]], and [[Rad]]) who questioned [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s plan to send out the best of the remaining Autobot science and research members to establish deep-space reconnaissance posts. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics===
8.2 million years ago, Skids was in the [[Chamber of the Ancients]], observing the ceremony in which [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optronix]] was given the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and transformed into [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Immediately, three Decepticon assassins attacked, and though Skids acted to protect the new Prime, his arm was cut off by [[Umbra]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}}

Skids was repaired and he returned to his post at the [[Decagon]]. While Prime was absent, Skids picked up radar of incoming Decepticon invaders and a transmission from the force's field commander, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} Skids manned auto-defenses from inside the Decagon until they and their [[Omega Sentinel (G1)|Omega Sentinel]] units were destroyed. Picking up their personal weaponry, Skids and the other Autobots were all that was left to defend [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], but defend it they did and Shockwave's forces were driven back. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}}

During the Dark Ages, Skids served with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s faction of Autobots. {{storylink|Devastation}} The team got involved in a skirmish with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and the giant Decepticon jumped onto a building in which Skids was trying to hide, crushing him. He survived though. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}}

Skids was not among the Autobots who traveled to Earth aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], remaining behind on Cybertron as the planet slipped into the deactivated state known as the [[Great Shutdown]]. When Shockwave began reactivating the planet and successfully unified the Autobot and Decepticon factions, Skids was a member of the council of Autobots who served to represent their faction in the alliance. Few of the council members were actually suited for leadership, however, and slowly found themselves giving more and more control to Shockwave. Eventually, the example shown by the Ark's returning crew and several homegrown Autobot insurgency cells tore the blinders from the council's optics, and Skids gathered his fellow councilmen in taking to the streets and ousting the Decepticons from power. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers''===
During an Autobot peace ceremony on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Skids reported to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] that [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] had yet to find the Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]] that had gone missing while chasing [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] Their conversation was then interrupted due to a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}

Skids was later stationed on the ''[[Arc II]]'' on Earth, where he helped his comrades in the field by warning them about incoming G.I. Joe [[S.H.A.R.C.]]s. When the ship came under attack by the [[Pretender Monster]]s, Skids was knocked out by [[Icepick (G1)|Icepick]] while alerting the others on board. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}} He was sent to [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|the Pit]] for repairs and was expected to quickly recover from his injuries. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}

===''TransTech''===
In an Offworld Zone of [[Axiom Nexus]], a Skids was yet another victim of [[Bulletbike (TransTech)|Bulletbike]], murdered for a cred-key. {{storylink|I, Lowtech}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[Image:Skidsbacksoff.jpg|left|thumb|300px|-gulp-]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|war]], Skids trained as a theoretician at the [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Senator Shockwave]]'s [[Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology|Academy of Advanced Technology]], {{storylink| Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} secretly recruited to the school because of his status as an "[[outlier]]" with special powers—in Skids's case, a "super-learning" ability that allowed him to master many skills. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}} He was present at the academy on the day that [[Roller (G1)| Roller]] and [[Ratchet (G1)| Ratchet]] arrived to take Shockwave into protective custody, and his attempt to stop them was quickly quashed when the towering Roller intimidated him into silence. {{storylink| Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} It was not long, however, before Skids's teacher returned and recruited him and classmates "[[Glitch (IDW)|Glitch]]" and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] for a plan formulated by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] to steal a bomb disguised as the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] from [[Nominus Prime]]'s body as it lay in the [[Primal Basilica]]. Skids was somewhat disappointed that his sole contribution to the plan was not one of his many skills, but merely the fact he had a grappling hook in his arm that they could use to lower Pax into the Basilica, but despite a minor snag when the technology-disrupting Glitch accidentally jammed his hook's winch, the mission was a success. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

After graduating to full-fledged theoretician status, Skids went on to join the [[Diplomatic Corps]], to work to persuade other races to support the Autobot cause. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}} At some point, he disappeared under currently unknown circumstances and was believed dead, {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} though the first clue that he yet lived came in the form of a mysterious message from the future that was sent—albeit too late to be heeded—to the Autobots departing to find the lost [[Knights of Cybertron]], which warned: "Don't let them take Skids". {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[Image:LiarsAtoD2-Skids.jpg|right|thumb|300px|How do you like me now?]]
Skids exploded back to the land of the living when he arrived on the planet where the ''[[Lost Light]]'' had crashed, piloting a strange [[mode lock]]ed spaceship. Amnesiac, wearing an [[inhibitor claw]], clutching a strange gun, and with an unknown piece of music constantly running through his mind, Skids was unable to recall how he had wound up on the ship. Abruptly, the mode lock deactivated and the ship began transforming, so Skids made an impulsive decision: he reactivated the lock, sent the ship crashing into the surface, and bailed out. Making it to the ground safely, Skids found that the ship had been composed of a trio of [[Legislator|mysterious warrior robots]], one of whom was killed in the crash... while the other two were coming after him with giant swords and fire breath. Skids came upon the deceased bodies of two Autobots who had failed to survive the ''Lost Light'' crash—[[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]] and [[Polaris]]—and used their weapons and abilities to eliminate another of the pursuing robots. Running from the lone survivor, Skids came upon a small party of Autobots from the ''Lost Light'', who deactivated the inhibitor claw for him, allowing him to access his weapons and destroy the robot. Skids was invited to join the crew of the ''Lost Light'', though he was less than enthusiastic about [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]'s proposition that the pair of them should team up. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

[[Image:LiarsAtoD3-RungSkids.jpg|thumb|300px|left|MEANWHILE IN A 20 MILE RADIUS OF THIS EVENT]]
When a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] got loose aboard the ''Lost Light'', requiring the crew to be sealed in their quarters, Skids, having decided to exploit his missing memories to entirely reinvent himself and deciding he disliked confinement, left through the ventilation system. Drawn by [[Rung]]'s cries, he saved the psychiatrist from a close call with the Sparkeater, and at [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]'s request, led the creature through the vents to the engine room where Rodimus disposed of it. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} As a celebration of the death of the Sparkeater, Swerve opened a [[Swerve's bar|bar]] where Skids got drunk together with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. He failed to notice that Chromedome stole his gun while he was messing around with his grappling hook and a server-robot. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement}} After attending a ceremony to commend Chromedome, [[Brainstorm]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] on recent heroics, {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} Skids was next spotted still hanging out at the bar with some other Autobots as [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] put Chromedome's ability to identify an Autobot based on their transformation sound to the test. {{storylink|Interiors}} He later tried to comfort Swerve following his accidental shooting of Rung. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement}}

When a swarm of [[Nanocon]]s that had lain dormant inside [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s body were mysteriously reactivated, Skids and a few others were shrunk by Brainstorm's mass-displacement gun and sent inside Magnus to eliminate them. Once that was dealt with, Skids attended [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]'s Autobot Initiation Ceremony, during which he relayed Swerve's report from the engine room that dead crewmember [[Ore]] had come back to life. The chaos only continued when Skids and a team of Autobots were abruptly teleported by [[Galactic Council]] to the planet [[Theophany]], there to investigate the razing of [[Crystal City]]. Beneath the city, they found a slumbering [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]], leading to discussions on the Transformers' creation myths and the meaning of life; Skids and Chromedome shared a belief that life was shaped not by destiny or gods, but by interactions with others. Skids theorized that both the Nanocons and Ore had come back to life thanks to the psychic emanations of the Metrotitan, then helped [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] fend off the Galactic Council's forces until the Autobots could free the Metrotitan, which teleported them all back to the ''Lost Light'' and quantum-jumped the ship to safety. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} [[File:MtMtE13 - DrSkids holomatter.jpg|thumb|150px|"Legs: Yes. Bow-tie: Cool...I can buy a fez."]] Inspired by their talk, Skids requested that Chromedome use his [[mnemosurgery]] to unlock his lost memories; Chromedome discovered that only Skids's last year of memories had been erased, while the others had been repressed by a trauma so horrific he did not dare restore them. Chromedome was, however, able to identify the music in his head as the "[[The Empyrean Suite]]", and hoped he would never learn its significance. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

Skids was among the group of Autobots gathered by [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] in Swerve's bar to help tell a story to aid in Rung's mental recovery. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} When his old altercation with Roller came up, Whirl called him a wuss, and he countered that his skills as a theoretician wouldn't have been useful in a fight. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} At the culmination of the story Rung still showed no signs of recovery...until Skids deliberately mispronounced his name a couple of times, prompting the psychiatrist to speak and correct him. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}} The storytelling session was brought to an end by the sounding of alarm to ready the crew for a battle with Decepticons on the planet [[Temptoria]]; during the fight, Skids, Chromedome and [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] battled [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]. {{storylink|Before & After}} Later, to unwind, Skids joined the crew of the ''Lost Light'' on some "shore leave" on the planet [[Hedonia]], where he tried out his new personality-generated [[holomatter]] avatar, only to find his amnesia kept it from creating a fake identity for him. As the group played the "Nemesis Game", Skids identified [[Misfire]] as his worst enemy, and then wound up getting into a drunken brawl with [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} Skids bought Rodimus a [[Galactic Council]] captain's hat as a souvenir of the trip. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

When the mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] ran wild on the ship, Skids joined in the futile effort to hold back his rampage. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} Overlord was ejected from the ship thanks to the sacrifice of Rewind, and Skids tried to console Chromedome over the loss of his lover, only to find that the mnemosurgeon was eerily calm about the whole thing. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} When the ''Lost Light'' encountered the long lost satellite [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], Skids got Chromedome to accompany the band of Autobots heading to the surface to see if the satellite had a way to return Chromedome's memories. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} He then proceeded to the ship's oil well for some alone time, where he was attacked by a number of [[Legislator]]s. While he managed to hold them off long enough for Swerve to arrive to help, a [[Star Saber (Victory)|mysterious and enigmatic robot]] appeared behind him, and impaled him with a large sword. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}
{{-}}

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

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
{{anchor|G1v1}}
[[Image:G1 Skids toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Introducing the new Nikahimi Deathtrap. With its poly-cotton body shell, it's the fastest car in the world... to open with the jaws of life. The Nikahimi Deathtrap—the last car you'll ever drive.]]
*'''Skids''' (Autobot Car, 1984/1985)
**''Accessories'': "Liquid nitrogen rifle", "twin electron blaster", "rocket pod" launcher, 3 rockets
:Skids began life as part of [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' toyline, where he was known simply by the name of his alternate mode, the [[wikipedia:Honda_City_Turbo|Honda City Turbo]], and was available in blue, red or black color schemes (see [[#Notes|Notes]], below). The blue version of the figure was used by [[Hasbro]] as part of the ''Transformers'' toyline, sans a small scooter accessory that the ''Diaclone'' figure had come with which stored inside his trunk. Despite sharing this common point of origin with many of his fellow Autobot cars, he features a few unusual touches: his rear wheels fold into his feet for added robot-mode stability, and his weapons attach by clipping over his forearms, rather than plugging into his fists. Among his armament is a "rocket pod", the spring-loaded missile-firing mechanism of which was neutered for Hasbro's release of the figure.

:Because Skids was not one of the original eleven [[Autobot Cars]] released at the line's inception, he is commonly grouped in with the later 1985 Autobot Cars both fictionally and in the minds of [[fandom|fans]]. However, Skids was actually added to the 1984 assortment some time before the 1985 wave was released (December 1984 is the current earliest confirmed availability of the figure), during which time he came in 1984 packaging including a "TM" mark by the "Transformers" logo, rather than a "(R)" mark. Like the other 1984 cars, at least some of these early Skids releases lacked the [[rubsign]] on the roof that would later be added to all Transformers toys in 1985. He was also one of the ''rarest'' mass-release G1 figures, with just one Skids included per every ''two'' [[Case|shipping cases]].

:Skids has been reissued several times; this article lists each reissue separately where appropriate. This mold itself is a [[retool]] of an earlier ''Diaclone'' toy, the Honda City R; this earlier tooling was used to make [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] and the ''[[Transformers Generations 2009]]'' exclusive [[Screech (Generations)|Screech]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Skids/skids.htm More information on Skids at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|VSZ}}
[[File:G1toy vsz set.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Skids & Sunstreaker vs Buzzsaw''' (multi-pack, 1985)
**''ID number'': '''VSZ'''
**''Accessories'': "Liquid nitrogen rifle", "twin electron blaster", "rocket pod" launcher, 3 rockets
: Skids was not released on his own in the Japanese Generation 1 toyline, and was instead available only in a multi-pack with [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], which was also the only way to get the other two on the Japanese market at the time. This box set remains a considerable rarity on the secondary market.
{{-}}

===The Transformers Collection===
[[File:TF Collection 3 Skids.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Skids''' (reissue, [[September 27|9-27]]-[[2002]])
**''ID number'': '''3'''
**''Accessories'': "Liquid nitrogen rifle", "twin electron blaster", "rocket pod" launcher, 3 rockets

:Skids received his first reissue in 2002, when [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] made him available as part of their "book-box" ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' series, surprising many with the inclusion of such an overlooked character so early in the line. He features no significant differences from the original (save for a working missile launcher, as with the original Japanese release), though the figure suffered from a common, if not universal, problem: an excess of plastic on the underside of Skids's right foot means that his rear wheel can not fold down flat beneath it, resulting in a slightly unstable robot mode. Since the original Japanese figure was released only in a giftset, Skids did not get a [[List of Japanese ID numbers|Japanese ID number]] at the time, a situation this reissue rectifies by retroactively giving him the ID number '''96''' on the included [[Tech Spec]] and [[bio]] card.

:The aforementioned Crosscut was released exclusively through [[e-HOBBY]] in conjunction with this reissue.

::*''[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/reissue/Skids_template.html More information on Transformers Collection Skids at TF-1.com]
{{-}}

===Commemorative Series===
[[File:G1toy commemorative skids.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Skids''' (reissue, 2004)
**''Accessories'': "Liquid nitrogen rifle", "twin electron blaster", "rocket pod" launcher, 3 rockets

:Skids got his first Hasbro reissue as part of the eighth wave of their ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' line, [[exclusive]] to [[Toys"R"Us]] stores. He features no notable differences from the earlier Takara ''Transformers Collection'' release, except for the fact that his launcher's spring has been removed.
{{-}}

===Alternators===
[[Image:Alt Skids toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Heavily clearanced so fanboys could customize him into Ironhide.]]
{{anchor|Alt}}
*'''Autobot Skids''' (2005)
**''Alternator ID number'': '''17'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BT-16'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-rifle

:Skids transforms into a 1:24-scale blue Toyota Scion xB. All four doors open, revealing a fully-detailed realistic interior with seats for a driver and passengers, plus his hood pops open to reveal his engine. His robot mode is very reminiscent of his original toy, with his head sculpt based off his animation model with toy details. His engine pops out and unfolds to become his hand-held pistol.

:The Hasbro ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' release (part of the first wave of new "bubble packaging" toys) differs from the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''Binaltech'' release in that it has a much darker shade of blue, tinted windows, and various Scion-type tampographed flame decals. The Japanese release naturally has die cast metal parts, is painted a lighter shade of blue, and has different paint decos. It also includes a sheet of stickers, including flames resembling the ones printed on the ''Alternators'' version, as well as some Generation-1-style red stripes, and most humorously, a Japanese "New Driver" badge.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech Asterisk|Binaltech Asterisk]]'' [[Blaster (G1)#Binaltech Asterisk|Broadblast]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/AltSkids/skids.htm More information on ''Alternators'' Skids at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
[[File:G1toy encore skids.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Skids''' (reissue, 2009)
*''ID number:'' '''18'''
**''Accessories'': "Liquid nitrogen rifle", "twin electron blaster", "rocket pod" launcher, 3 rockets

:TakaraTomy reissued Skids again in October 2009 as part of their ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' series. This version of the figure shifted its colors a little, changing him from tomato-red and blue to cherry-red and blueish-purple, as well as noticeably lightening the translucent blue plastic used for his windows. His Autobot symbol and tail light stickers were replaced with [[tampograph]]s, while some of his other stickers were updated slightly, including his factory-applied front grill sticker. Like past reissues, this figure too suffered with an unstable robot mode, and ''both'' feet had wheels that would not fold away flat.
{{-}}

[[File:G1toy_quantum_operative_skids.jpg|right|thumb|300px|You sure you can call this an homage?]]
*'''Skids & Screech Quantum Operative Ver.''' (exclusive multi-pack, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' "Material acceleration pistol", dual-barreled gun, "quantum shield" launcher, 3 rockets, scooter

:"Quantum Operative" Skids is a green redeco of the original Generation 1 toy, available in conjunction with his ''Encore'' release, and including for the first time the scooter accessory that was eliminated from the ''Diaclone'' toy for his original Transformers release. He was sold in a set with [[Screech (Generations)|Screech]] that was a mail-away [[exclusive]] available only with volume 3 of [[Million Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers Generations 2009]]''. While Skids's colors are an homage to ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]], Screech is likewise a match for Skids's twin [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]].

:Amusingly, the color scheme for this exclusive was accidentally revealed early by TakaraTomy when they [[:Image:Encore_Skids_Tokyo_Toy_Show_2009.jpg|mistakenly included its missile launcher]], denoted by its bright green launching tab, with the normal ''Encore'' version that was on display at Tokyo Toy Show 2009.<ref name="internat">[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/5790/20/ TakaraTomy Accidentally Gives Clue to TF Generations Vol. 3 Mail Away Figure?!]</ref>
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Cybertron/Skids/skids.htm More information on Quantum Operative Skids at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[Image:Generations Skids.jpg|right|300px|thumb|....'''THANK YOU, HASBRO!!!''']]
*'''Autobot Skids''' (Deluxe, 2014)
**''Accessories:'' two guns

:Skids transforms into a futuristic (Cybertronian?) hatchback and comes with two guns. His design is largely based on [[Alex Milne|Alex Milne's]] design for ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|MTMTE]]'', much like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker's]] new toy.
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
[[File:Decoy skids.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (multi-pack, 1986)

:Skids was among the many characters rendered by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] as part of their series of 1.5" soft rubber ''keshigomu'' figurines. Like all the figures in the series, Skids featured a number sculpted into his back that was the sum total of his [[Tech Spec]]s, for use in the various games that could be played with the figurines. He was available in red as part of a 22-piece box set of Autobot figures, in peach as part of various other randomly-packed box sets released by Takara subsidiary [[Seven]], and in a wide variety of different colors in "gachapon" capsule machines.

*'''Skids''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''12'''

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

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

{{-}}

'''3d Battle-Card Game'''

{{anchor|3DBC}}[[Image:EnergonWarsSkids.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Are, uh, you sure you're a G1 character?]]
*'''Skids''' (3D Battle-Card, 2007)
:A 26-point "common" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Skids "transforms" into a grey pickup truck of indeterminate make. He uses the same parts layout as [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and [[Dropkick]].

:He is equipped with a LN2 Cryo Rifle, an Electron Blaster, and a Rocket Launcher, which are similar to his G1 weapons — but due to the interdimensional nature of the Energon Wars subset, the Battle-Card may or may not also represent the [[Skids (Movie)|live-action movie Skids]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:DiacloneSkids.jpg|right|180px|thumb|A rainbow of theoretical flavors.]]
[[Image:Skidsdiacloneconceptart.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Suck it, Ironhide! This head was mine first!]]
*The ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of Skids was additionally available in black or red. Neither of these color schemes has been used within the ''Transformers'' toyline as yet, but with [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], you never know.
*Skids' animation model head appears to be based on early ''Diaclone'' promotional concept art. The toy's head would be different... and ultimately different from the [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] head shown in his instructions, which also popped up a few times in the UK comics.
*Though Skids' toy turned into a Honda City Turbo, his car mode was often misinterpreted in Transformers fiction as one of the then-new minivans, despite the fact that a Honda City Turbo is a subcompact car, and as such, could theoretically be stowed in the back seat of an actual minivan. This is likely because most Americans in 1985 wouldn't know what a subcompact car is.
*As Skids was released in the interim between the original 1984 launch and the big push of new 1985 figures, the character consequently fell by the wayside in the Generation 1 fiction of the 1980s. He was not included in the commercial promoting the new 1985 range of Autobot Cars, as he wasn't technically part of it. Similarly, he was also left out of the list of new 1985 product in the Generation 1 cartoon's [[production bible]] intended for inclusion in the show's second season, and as such, only managed to appear in little more than cameo roles in just two episodes, speaking one line in each and voiced by a different actor each time. He fared a little better in the Marvel comics, debuting alongside (an incomplete roster of) the other 1985 cars, but after getting an issue dedicated to himself, he all but completely vanished from the book and was banished to [[limbo]] by the UK comic for upwards of 100 issues, abandoned and forgotten.
*In the "[[Survivors!]]" story, Skids was suddenly drawn with [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]]'s head. "Survivors!"' artist, [[Dan Reed]], previously drew him with his real head, so it'd be interesting to learn why and how this change happened. (He would later mysteriously regain his own face.)
*In more recent years, toys sporting the name "Skids" have required an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Skids'''".

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Skids''' (スキッズ ''Sukizzu'')
*''French:'' '''Platon''' ("Plato")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Szán'''
*''Italian:'' '''Furetto''' ("Ferret")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Patins''' (Brazil comic, "Skate"), '''Pe-de-cabra''' (Portugal comic, "Crowbar")
*''Russian:'' '''Tormoz''' (Тормоз, "Brake")

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

==References==
<references />

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Scientists]]

Transformers: Prime (cartoon)

2013-07-10T23:49:59Z

Autocon: /* Cast */

{{Nav-Prime}}

[[Image:TransformersPrimePremierePoster.jpg|thumb|300px|We finally have toys... we think.]]
[[Image:Beasthunters-logo1.png|300px|right]]
'''''Transformers: Prime''''' is a multiple Daytime Emmy Award-winning [[computer-generated imagery|computer-animated]] television series that premiered on [[The Hub]] on [[November 26]], [[2010]] with a five-part mini-series, which was followed by a season of another 21 episodes beginning on [[February 11]], [[2011]]. Season 2 began screening [[February 18]], [[2012]], and a third season of thirteen episodes with the subtitle ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' began screening on [[March 22]], [[2013]]. ''[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]'', a TV movie, will conclude the show in late 2013.

The Canadian broadcast of the series has been undertaken by Corus Entertainment, and the show is currently airing on Teletoon.<ref>[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/biz/hasbro-studios-and-corus-entertainments-kids-networks-reach-broad-animation-and-live-action-programming-agreement.html Hasbro Studios and Corus Entertainment’s Kids Networks Reach Broad Animation and Live-Action Programming Agreement]</ref>

The series premiered in the UK on [[September 5]], 2011 on [[Cartoon Network]]'s "[[Action Heroes]]" block. It began airing in Japan on [[April 7]], 2012 on [[TV Aichi]].

==Story==

[[Team Prime]] lives on [[Earth]] as a pre-emptive measure against the return of the [[Decepticon]]s. [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot Central Command]] is located in a converted [[missile]] silo in [[Nevada]] which was provided by the [[United States of America|United States]] government, with whom the Autobots have formed an alliance. However, the presence of [[Transformer]]s on Earth is not generally known among the civilian population. The Autobots have taken [[Jack Darby|three]] [[Miko Nakadai|human]] [[Raf Esquivel|teens]] under their protection after their association with the Autobots put them in danger from the Decepticons.

[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] returns having discovered [[Dark Energon]], which grants him rule of life itself, but is injured, with [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] taking command in his absence. In addition to the Decepticons, the Autobots also contend with the human terrorist organization, [[MECH]].

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;Main Cast
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] ([[Sumalee Montano]])
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] ([[Jeffrey Combs]])
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] ([[Frank Welker]]<ref>''Frank Welker records actual words written for Bumblebee which are later replaced with sound effects.'' -- Revealed in "The Autobits Edition" of [[Darkmount, NV|episode 53]].</ref>)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] ([[James Horan]])
* [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] ([[Nolan North]])
* [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Michael Ironside]])

;Others
* [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] ([[George Takei]])
* [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Dwayne Johnson]]/[[Billy Brown]])
* [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]]
* [[Impactor (Prime)|Impactor]]
* [[Roadbuster (Prime)|Roadbuster]]
* [[Rotorstorm (Prime)|Rotorstorm]]
* [[Pyro (Prime)|Pyro]]

|c2=
;Main Cast
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] ([[Daran Norris]])
*[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] ([[Adam Baldwin]])
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] ([[Gina Torres]])
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] ([[Tony Todd]])

;Others
*[[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] ([[Richard Green]])
*[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])

;Troopers
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]]
*[[Decepticon Miner]]s
*[[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticons]]
**[[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]] ([[David Kaye]])
**[[Bombshock (Prime)|Bombshock]] ([[Steve Blum]])

|c3=
;Main Cast
* [[Jack Darby]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Miko Nakadai]] ([[Tania Gunadi]])
* [[Raf Esquivel]] ([[Andy Pessoa]])
* [[William Fowler]] ([[Ernie Hudson]])

;Others
* [[Silas]] ([[Clancy Brown]])
* [[June Darby]] ([[Markie Post]])
* [[Sierra]] ([[Alexandra Krosney]])
* [[Vince]] ([[Brad Raider]])
* [[Bryce|General Bryce]] ([[Robert Forster]])
* [[Vogel]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[John Noble]])
* [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]]/[[Clancy Brown]])
* [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]]
* [[Starscream clone (Prime)|Starscream clones]] ([[Steve Blum]])
* [[Scraplet]]s

|h5=[[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]|c5=
*[[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] ([[Peter Mensah]])
|nonumbering=true}}

==Episodes==
{{see|List of Prime episodes}}
===Season 1===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]
#[[Masters & Students]]
#[[Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap]]
#[[Con Job]]
#[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]
#[[Deus ex Machina]]
#[[Speed Metal]]
#[[Predatory]]
#[[Sick Mind]]
#[[Out of His Head]]
#[[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]]
#[[Operation: Breakdown]]
#[[Crisscross]]
#[[Metal Attraction]]
#[[Rock Bottom]]
#[[Partners]]
#[[T.M.I.]]
#[[Stronger, Faster]]
#[[One Shall Fall]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 2]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]
}}

===Season 2===
{{collist|3|
#[[Orion Pax, Part 1]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 2]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]
#[[Loose Cannons]]
#[[Crossfire]]
#[[Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime]]
#[[Grill]]
#[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]
#[[Flying Mind]]
#[[Tunnel Vision]]
#[[Triangulation]]
#[[Triage]]
#[[Toxicity]]
#[[Hurt]]
#[[Out of the Past]]
#[[New Recruit]]
#[[The Human Factor]]
#[[Legacy]]
#[[Alpha/Omega]]
#[[Hard Knocks]]
#[[Inside Job]]
#[[Patch (episode)|Patch]]
#[[Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration]]
#[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]
}}
===Season 3: Beast Hunters===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkmount, NV]]
#[[Scattered]]
#[[Prey (episode)|Prey]]
#[[Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion]]
#[[Project Predacon]]
#[[Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command]]
#[[Plus One]]
#[[Thirst]]
#[[Evolution]]
#[[Minus One]]
#[[Persuasion]]
#[[Synthesis]]
#[[Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock]]
}}
===TV movie===
*[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]

==Production==
[[Image:TFP montage poster.jpg|thumb|GET OFF MY FACE!!!]]
After the [[live-action film series]], screenwriters [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]] signed to become show runners with [[Jeff Kline]] and [[Duane Capizzi]] of The Hub's ''Transformers'' cartoon, explaining the TV show would not have the constraints of a two-hour film in delving into the mythology.<ref name="botcon2011">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2011-transformers-prime-panel-172315/ TFW coverage of Hasbro Studios panel at BotCon 2011]</ref> (Orci's employees [[Steven Puri]] and [[Mandy Safavi]] were also credited as producers.)<ref name="castcrewlist">[http://tformers.com/transformers-exclusive-transformers-prime-voice-cast-revealed-which-includes-the-rock/14278/news.html TFormers cast and crew announcement] including Dwayne Johnson exclusive.</ref> The show runners were given the "[[Binder of Revelation]]", a near 400-page [[production bible]] that [[Hasbro]] had been working on since the movies, that combined elements of the most popular [[continuity|continuities]].<ref>[http://collider.com/roberto-orci-jeff-kline-interview-transformers-prime/75039/ Collider transcript]</ref> The show's title was based on the desire to create a master continuity and a literal [[Wikipedia:Earth Prime|Prime continuity]].<ref name="botcon2011"/> Whereas the movies were about a [[Sam Witwicky|boy]] and his [[Bumblebee (Movie)|car]], the dynamic between the kids and the robots on the show was meant to be more like ''[[Wikipedia:The Iron Giant|The Iron Giant]]''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Pb3MeUDdY Roundtable interview with ''Prime'' staff at BotCon 2011]</ref>

The writing staff was headed by Capizzi, with [[Marsha Griffin]] as the story editor. The staff consists of [[Nicole Dubuc]], [[Joseph Kuhr]] and [[Steven Melching]]. Kline said they wanted the show to be very cinematic, with tension, suspense and danger (as marked by Cliffjumper's death in the pilot) as children are more media savvy than they were in the past. Regardless, they had to be considerate as the show still had a broad audience.<ref>[http://parrygamepreserve.com/newsDetail.php?jID=1642 PGP January 2011 Q&A]</ref> As part of the [[aligned continuity family]] with ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)| War for Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'', the producers strove to maintain many of the common elements (eg. Optimus and Megatron's past friendship, Dark Energon's origins as [[Unicron]]'s blood, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] sharing his film counterpart's backstory), but were allowed contradictions if it served the storytelling. By using the mammoth story bible, the writers could plan events years in advance. The large number of episodes per season meant they could pace and establish characters during season 1 slowly, while saving the more momentous, less stand alone episodes that delved into the backstory for season 2. Some of the plot ideas (namely the [[Terrorcon (Prime)|zombie robots]]) were based on stories they came up with when playing with the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toys]] as kids.<ref name="botcon2011"/> [[Bob Skir]] has written some episodes.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/9248/20/ Allspark.com coverage of Shout and Hasbro's "Evolution of Transformers Animation" panel at 2011's Comic-Con.]</ref>

Designers include [[Christophe Vacher]] (colors), [[Vince Toyama]] and [[Jevon Bue]] (backgrounds) and [[Jose Lopez]] (lead character designer). Vacher wanted to do something different from traditional animation and saw something edgy about ''Prime''.<ref name="botcon2011"/> According to [[Ken Christiansen]], the show's characters were formed by [[Hasbro Studios]] hiring freelance conceptual artists like himself. The submitted artwork was given Lopez's staff to be examined, and they incorporated the ideas they liked best.<ref>[http://badflipblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/me-and-transformers-prime.html August 2010 blog post by Ken Christiansen]</ref> Other concept artists include [[Augusto Barranco]] and [[Walter Gatus]].

Supervising director [[Dave Hartman]] headed a team including [[Todd Waterman]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Vinton Heuck]] and [[Kirk Van Wormer]]. [[Polygon Pictures]] provided the [[computer-generated imagery|CG animation]], for which [[Digitalscape]] performed a recruitment drive for before the show began production.<ref>[http://www.dsp.co.jp/pr/contents/000178.html Announcement on Digitalscape, also asking for job applicants.]</ref> Lopez said the animation would be a "groundbreaking mix of 2D animation and CGI".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/san-diego-comic-con-33/jose-lopez-breaks-the-silence-talks-about-transformers-prime-at-san-diego-comic-con-2010-170217/ Jose Lopez speaks about Prime's animation style]</ref> Each character has three CG models: the robot mode, their alternate mode, and one for the transformation.<ref>[http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?t=29224 Cybertron.ca January 2011 Q&A]</ref> Lopez said the designs were personality driven, and that the 3D animation allowed them to go "crazy" with the transformation schemes. In contrast, the characters were given realistic textures,<ref>[http://www.asmzine.com/geekly-rewind/2011/02/07/hasbro-transformers-qa-bonus-round-answer/ ASM Geekly Rewind January 2011 Q&A]</ref> and are subject to battle damage during episodes.<ref name="botcon">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/botcon-2010-transformers-prime-panel-coverage-170054/ Botcon 2010 Transformers Prime Panel Coverage]</ref> A show on the level of ''Prime'' would take two years to produce, but the animators only had ten months. Five episodes are animated at a time (hence the monthly gaps during the first season).<ref name="botcon2011"/>

The staff had three years of story planned, but while writing it became clear that the escalating storylines made it impossible to maintain self-contained episodes and they burned through those planned three years within the second season. The idea of incorporating Beasts into the third season was a late idea.<ref>[http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/25/transformers-prime-producer-talks-beasts-mythology-michael-bay/ ‘Transformers: Prime’ producer talks Beasts, mythology, Michael Bay]</ref>

[[Susan Blu]] was the casting director, but was replaced as voice director by [[Jamie Simone]] following a death in her family.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-sdcc-2010-the-hub-transformers-panel-1st-looks-at-prime-designs/13975/news.html Tformers.com's coverage of the SDCC Transformers Prime panel, July 22, 2010.]</ref> [[Brian Tyler]] composed the show's [[theme song]] and background music. [[Matthew Margeson]] served as music arranger.

==Awards and nominations==
===2011 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program - [[Peter Cullen]] as [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]
*Outstanding Directing In An Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], Supervising Director; [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]; [[Todd Waterman]]; [[Vinton Heuck]]; [[Susan Blu]], Voice Director
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Vince Toyama]], Background Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]], Colour Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction And Composition - [[Brian Tyler]]
*Outstanding Writing In Animation - [[Duane Capizzi]], Writer/Producer; [[Steven Melching]]; [[Nicole Dubuc]]; [[Joseph Kuhr]]; [[Marsha Griffin]]

===2012 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing (Animation) - Robbi Smith, Dialogue Editor, Robert Poole II, Sound Effects Editor, Roy Braverman, Foley Editor
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing (Animation) - Ray Leonard, Re-Recording Mixer, Mike Bieriger, Re-Recording Mixer
*Outstanding Special Class Animated Program - [[Roberto Orci]], [[Stephen J. Davis|Stephen Davis]], [[Shuzo Shiota]], [[Alex Kurtzman]], [[Jeff Kline]], [[Duane Capizzi]], [[Mandy Safavi]], [[Rafael Ruthchild]], [[Shinji Santoh]], [[Meiko Sato]], [[Therese Trujillo]] '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], [[Vinton Heuck]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Todd Waterman]], [[Jamie Simone]]
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]] '''(WINNER)'''<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-prime-wins-one-daytime-emmy-award-also-nominated-in-four-other-categories/24811/ Hub Press Release for 2012 Daytime Emmy Nominations] </ref>

===2013 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Jason Park]], background design for "Orion Pax, Part 3". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Arato Kato]], character animation for "Hard Knocks". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Kirk Van Wormer]], storyboard art for "Nemesis Prime". '''(WINNER)'''

==Japanese release==
[[Image:JapPrimeCartoonLogo01.jpg|thumb|center|300px|]]

'''''Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Prime''''' (超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマープライム ''Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Prime'') began airing in Japan on [[TV Tokyo]] affiliate [[TV Aichi]], beginning [[April 7]], 2012, with an 8am Saturday morning timeslot (the same channel and timeslot as the previous two ''Transformers'' cartoons to air in Japan). It ended its 52 episode run on [[March 30]], 2013.

To reflect Takara's unique marketing strategy for the toyline—the prominent gimmick of the non-show [[Arms Micron]]s—the series included CGI-animated cartoon shorts starring those little robots, called "[[Arms Micron Theater]]", at the end of every episode. The shorts centered around the Arms Microns maintaining an undercover presence amongst the Autobots, who are not even aware that their weapons are alive.

Another additional segment titled "[[From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division]]", hosted by the popular J-pop idol group, [[Tokyo Girls' Style]], was also tacked onto each episode. These segments featured the idol girls interacting with [[Vector Sigma]] in order to relay important facts about the ''Transformers'' franchise to the audience.

Due to the longer [[title sequence]] and end credits, as well as the two additional bonus segments, each episode had approximately three minutes of content removed for time constraints. Many of these edits were to reduce environment pans or establishing shots. However, as the show was reworked to appeal to a younger audience (as all Western ''Transformers'' cartoons are when localized for Japan), the violence during the fight sequences was edited for content.

Like all Japanese dubs of Western ''Transformers'' cartoons, transformation commands were added, such as shouting "Transform!" Additionally, whenever a character popped their weapon out of their hands/arms, they screamed "Arms Up!" Text was overlayed on the screen whenever a character first appeared in each episode, providing their name and function. In addition, promotional text for various ''Transformers''-specific campaigns from TakaraTomy scrolled by over the episode as things were happening, which could be kind of... distracting.

Like the dubs of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Beast Wars Metals'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'', the localization of ''Prime'' was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]]. As is his way, Yoshikazu had the humor ratcheted up considerably. Self-aware, Fourth Wall-breaking jokes were added. An example occurs as early as the end of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]", when the manipulator arm turns into a spider-like creature and starts crawling around. In the dub, Ratchet thinks he hears the audience telling him to watch his back, but brushes their concerns off as unimportant.

Characters were also fundamentally altered to be more humorously quirky. [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], for example, was changed into something of a female Pepe Le Pew; boy-crazy and insanely amorous in her pursuit of [[Jack Darby|Jack]]. As with Yoshikazu's previous efforts, adlibbing was utilized extensively to soften tension and suspense; the characters talk ''a lot''.

On [[August 12]], 2012, TV Tokyo aired a two-hour ''Prime'' television special hosted by [[Chisato Mori]], [[Nozomi Furuki]] and [[Yūki Tai]]. The special featured a recap of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]" thru "[[Rock Bottom]]", a brand new "From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division" segment featuring Tokyo Girls' Style, various cast interviews and commentary, and a special comparison between the original English language version of "[[Predatory]]" and the radically different Japanese language version with commentary from director Yoshikazu Iwanami. <ref>http://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/toy/event/2012/tv-tokyo/ official TakaraTomy ad site for the TV special</ref>

The Japanese version of ''Prime'' only ran for 52 episodes (the first two seasons of the original English language version). "[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]" was edited and reworked to function as a series finale. This mainly involved rescripting the ending and cutting the cliffhanger so as to give the show a more positive, "happy" send off. The ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' era of the ''Prime'' franchise was rebranded by TakaraTomy as a new franchise, '''''[[Cubed Combination: Transformers Go! (franchise)|Cubed Combination: Transformers Go!]]'''''. While the ''Beast Hunters'' toys are being marketed and sold in Japan, it is currently unknown how the remaining 13 episodes of the cartoon will be released in their country.

The [[theme song]]s are:
*OP 1: "[[FEELING]]" by [[BIGBANG]]
*ED 1: "[[I Believe in All]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 2: "[[TRANSFORMERZ]]" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 2: "[[A Little Bit]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 3: "TRANSFORMERZ (version 2.0)" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 3: "[[Discord (song)|Discord]]" by [[Tokyo Girls' Style]]

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Prime (cartoon)/home video}}
;United States
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Darkness Rising (2011)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Darkness-Rising/15916 Press release: Transformers Prime - 'Darkness Rising', the Newest Program's Original 5-Part Mini-Series, Announced!]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Includes 3 episodes (2011)<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/special-transformers-prime-dvd-released-at-walmart-173588/ Transformers Prime DVD released at Walmart]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season One (2012)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Season-1-Press-Release/16300]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - One Shall Stand (2012)<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Prime-One-Shall-Stand/dp/B007RMQ4H2</ref>

;Germany
*''Transformers: Prime'' #1 - Die dunkle Macht erhebt sich (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #2 - Meister und Schüler (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #3 - Nur dieses eine Mal (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #4 - Die vierte Dimension (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #5 - Metallische Anziehung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #6 - Die Prophezeiung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' Staffel 1 (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #7 - Orion Pax (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #8 - Der falsche Prime (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #9 - Angriff auf Megatron (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #10 - Bulkheads Mission (2013)

;Australia
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 1: Darkness Rising (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 2: Unfamiliar Enemies (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 3: Alien Threat (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 4: Strength in Numbers (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 5: One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season 2, Volume 1: Orion Pax (2013) <ref>http://www.madman.com.au/series/home/17523</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Transformers Prime: Music from the Animated Series}}

==Notes==
*Unlike most ''Transformers'' shows, episodes do not have an episode title card. Episode titles are from [[The Hub]] website.
*The series has also been advertised as '''''Transformers: Prime - The Animated Series'''''.
*The show was said to be "rightfully huge" at the [[BotCon 2010]] panel.<ref name="tformersbotcon10">[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13779 BotCon 2010 - Hasbro Studios Panel - Bucket Head is Back!]</ref> Later, at the Hasbro designers' panel, the [[Thirteen|Thirteen original Transformers]] were described as being "rightfully huge".<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13797 BotCon 2010 Hasbro designers' panel.]</ref>
*Executive Producer [[Jeff Kline]] confirmed they have talked about producing a theatrical ''Prime'' film.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-botcon-2011-transformers-prime-interview-with-executive-producer-jeff-kline/15863/news.html TFormers BotCon 2011 interview with Kline]</ref>
*With 65 episodes, Transformers: Prime is the second-longest run of any Transformers series after the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]] from the 1980s, which ran for 98 episodes.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/transformers-prime-cancelled-canceled-series-ending-with-season-3]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/prime Hub World page]
**[http://hubforteachers.discoveryeducation.com/hub-spotlight/transformers.cfm Hub for Teachers page]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3iKDbKQwKI&feature=related Behind the scenes video]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime (cartoon)}}
[[Category: Prime media]]
[[Category: Television series]]

Whirl (G1)

2013-07-10T23:42:15Z

Autocon: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

{{factions|autobot|wreckers}}
{{disambig3|Whirl}}
:''Whirl is an [[Autobot]] [[Deluxe Vehicle]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:G1Whirl boxart.jpg|300px|thumb|Whirl enjoys making hand puppets in his own image.]]

[[Units of time|Vorns]] before [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] coined the phrase "Sometimes crazy works", '''Whirl''' was living it in action. Whirl believes that, logically speaking, insanity makes an extremely effective weapon. Enemies flee in terror before the absolutely insane maneuvers he pulls on the battlefield. His extreme maneuverability in helicopter mode lets him spin, bob, weave, dive, and bank like someone totally out of control. Or totally out of his mind. Needless to say, Whirl is a rather reckless fighter and can take damage because of it. He's okay with that, because he absolutely LOVES his job. Sometimes, a little TOO much...

Whirl is (or was) a member of the elite [[Wrecker]]s unit.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
Whirl was a member of the elite Wreckers unit under the command of [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]. Alongside [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], he accompanied his commander as Impactor argued with [[Xaaron]] over [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]' trip to [[Earth]] to investigate the disappearance of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]].

[[File:Whirl copter Target 2006.jpg|left|250px|thumb|This is one choppah you cannot get to.]]
Later, the Wreckers continued preparing for [[Operation: Volcano]], an attempt to eliminate some of the [[Decepticon|Decepticons']] deadliest killers. During the simulation, Whirl demonstrated his trademark aerial combat style to draw fire away from his teammates. As the simulation concluded, Impactor decided that without Ultra Magnus' support, the operation would basically become a suicide mission for the Wreckers. Whirl and the others agreed with him and Impactor left to tell Xaaron that the Wreckers were bowing out of Volcano. Taking some downtime, Whirl, Roadbuster, and [[Twin Twist]] went to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] to unwind. While Roadbuster and Twin Twist were having uneasy feelings about the decision to ditch Volcano, Whirl seemed fine with it, pointing out that it was only logical and no one would say that they were in the wrong. Their discussion was interrupted when they noticed [[Fang]], a Decepticon who began bullying a [[Piano Transformer guy|smaller Transformer]] in the place. Twin Twist violently intervened, realizing that as Autobots, it was their duty to always do their best to stop the Decepticons. His sudden revelation seemed to energize Whirl and Roadbuster, and after Impactor was convinced by Xaaron to go through with Operation: Volcano, the rest of the Wreckers eagerly volunteered.

[[File:Target 2006 Whirl Roadbuster Do It.jpg|250px|thumb|My face is down here, Roadbuster...I think.]]
Unfortunately, Operation: Volcano failed when most of the targeted Decepticons were unknowingly ordered clear of the ambush by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Only [[Macabre]] went ahead and attempted to assassinate Xaaron, shooting and mortally-wounding Impactor instead. Whirl and the rest of the Wreckers immediately gunned Macabre down in retaliation. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

Later, Whirl was seen alongside Ultra Magnus and his fellow Wreckers on a hunt for a Decepticon spy posing as Optimus Prime. This was revealed, thanks to the efforts of [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], to be a product of Decepticon misinformation and Prime was welcomed back into the fold. {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Whirl Triton Peace.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Hands, glorious hands!]]
In an alternate version of [[2510]], Whirl and the Wreckers led the final Autobot offensive against Decepticon held territory, bringing the war to a close. At the ceremony where he officially announced the end of the war, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] chose to make [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], leader of the Wreckers, his successor as Autobot leader and carrier of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. One Autobot named [[Triton]] objected to the idea, though: he said Springer was a fighter, not a tactician, and Ultra Magnus would be a better leader for a world at peace. Whirl took offense to Triton putting down his commanding officer, and shoved the little guy in the back, asking where was his "precious Ultra Magnus" when the Wreckers were winning the war? Triton struck back, and the situation turned from bad to worse as the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] sided with Ultra Magnus against the Wreckers. Shots were fired, battle lines were drawn, and a new war picked up where the old one left off. Tragically, it seems no one took the time to examine Triton's fallen body, and the hidden Decepticon insignia on his chest. The last act of the last Decepticon was to see that there would never truly be peace on Cybertron. {{storylink|Peace}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Whirl LooseEnds2.jpg|150px|thumb|]]
Along with the other [[Wrecker]]s Whirl voted to follow [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s plan to leave Cybertron to visit the other planets touched by the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and so they hitched a ride with [[Berko]]'s [[Cosmic Carnival]] to Earth. Whirl looked on in horror as their surveillance drones showed a devastated planet, and worse still—Megatron! Before any of the Wreckers could react, the Decepticon promptly launched nuclear warheads at their shuttle, apparently destroying it. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1|Loose Ends #1}}

The Wreckers managed to make it to Earth's surface in escape pods, and Whirl was sent to survey the ruined planet. He spied an incoming horde of [[Zombie|reanimated Decepticons]] sent by Megatron and reported back to the others. The Wreckers' priority then became to get a message back to Cybertron about the situation on Earth. They eventually found the [[Deep Space Network]] located in [[Goldstone]], and put a plan into action to utilize its radio transmitter to send a distress call. Whirl joined Kup and Springer in making a break for the facility while the other Wreckers distracted Megatron's forces. They succeeded in sending their message to Cybertron, but Kup was captured in the process. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2|Loose Ends #2}}

The Wreckers soon encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]]—formerly Spike Witwicky, one of the last vestiges of resistance on Megatron's conquered Earth. Despite some initial hostility on his part, the Wreckers were soon invited to [[Argus Base]], the human resistance's headquarters. On the way there, Whirl asked Spike how things had gotten so bad on Earth. Spike filled them in on the tale of Megatron's rise and humanity's fall. After arriving at Argus Base and convening with the leader of the resistance, [[G.B. Blackrock]], the Wreckers agreed to aid them in destroying Megatron's chief power base—the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3|Loose Ends #3}}

Whirl embarked on a rescue mission with Springer and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] to retrieve Kup and also to divert Megatron's forces from the assault on the Ark. While Sandstorm considered the plan to be "reckless suicide", Whirl cheerfully voiced his approval of it. They soon encountered Megatron's air defenders, and experienced trouble fighting them, as the undead Decepticons apparently no longer felt any pain. While Whirl managed to fly circles around [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] for a bit, he was eventually shot down. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4|Loose Ends #4}}
{{-}}

===Milton Bradley mini-comic===
Whirl was among the Autobots under [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s command who launched in the [[Ark (G1)|ark]] to clear a path through an asteroid belt. When the Decepticons attacked the ship, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] sent it crashing into [[Earth]], knocking everyone aboard offline. Four million years later, they were repaired when the ship's systems were reactivated by a volcanic eruption. {{storylink|In the Transformers}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics===
[[File:War and Peace 4 RoadbusterWhirl.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"RAGH, WHIRL NOT IN [[The Transformers (cartoon)|CARTOON]]!! MENASOR REMOVE FROM STORY!"]]
When the Autobots split into multiple factions after the disappearance of their leaders, Whirl joined Springer's group, known as the Wreckers. During the Dark Ages of Cybertron, he participated in an attack against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

Much later, during [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s rule of Cybertron, Whirl continued with the Wreckers, now a small unit of Autobots dedicated to keeping the peace wherever (and however) necessary. When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] released the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] from their imprisonment in Cybertron's [[Detention Banks]], the Wreckers were sent in to deal with the escapees. Unfortunately, both Whirl and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] were crushed before [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] brought down the Stunticons' combined form, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|War and Peace}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}

[[File:Interiors WhirlPreEmpurataFlashback.jpg|thumb|250px|]]
{{quote|Twice voted "Autobot most likely to defect".|{{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|''Meet The Crew''}}}}

In the pre-war era, under the reign of [[Nominus Prime]], Whirl was a member of the [[Aerial Corps]]. Dissatisfied with his lot, Whirl managed to accomplish what was thought impossible, defying the function he was created with and actually changing professions to become a watchmaker. And Whirl was ''good'' at what he did—so good, unfortunately, that local criminal elements demanded a cut of his profits. When he refused, their enforcers the [[Heavies]] were sent to destroy his business, leaving Whirl destitute and roaming the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]], where he hung out with a bad crowd and started getting into fights. His combat prowess caught the attention of the [[Senate]]'s agents, who press-ganged a reluctant Whirl into their service. Whirl was made to do despicable things in the Senate's employ. {{storylink|Interiors}} When he tried to resist, he was put through the barbaric [[empurata]] ritual, costing him his original hands and effectively neutering his watchmaking skills. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

[[File:Ongoing22 WhirlbeatsMegatron.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''I'M THE HERO I CAN DO WHAT I WANT!'']]
Whirl was eventually granted a position in the [[Rodion]] police force. When a rabble-rousing miner named [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] was brought in for brawling with other law enforcement officers, the Senate ordered Whirl to kill him, presumably to silence his increasingly loud voice of dissension. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} {{storylink|Interiors}} Failing to finish the job, Whirl was arrested by his captain [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]], so the Senate sent more men to free him, fearing his actions would be exposed. Their men attacked the Rodion police station and freed Whirl, but Orion Pax wouldn't stand for it and defeated them, shooting Whirl's leg off in the process. Whirl warned his captain that the Senate would not be happy if any further harm came to him, but Orion merely picked him up, went to the [[Grand Imperium]] in person and confronted the entire Senate with his actions. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

[[File:Whirl Orion Patternism.jpg|thumb|250px|'''Pax''': Whirl, you look terrible! '''Whirl''': Oh, I'm sorry, they don't have stylists here in '''prison'''!]]
Due to Orion Pax's public display of Whirl's crime, the Senate had no choice but to send him to [[Garrus-1]]. After Whirl's mistreatment of Megatron in Rodion was exposed, he found himself suffering constant attacks and beatings in prison by Decepticon sympathizers. Whirl saved his one [[communicube]] call for an appropriate occasion, and found it when his former handler [[Kroma]] briefly became his cellmate. Whirl was told of an impending Senate plot involving assassination and a city-destroying bomb. He consequently used his one call to bring Orion Pax to Garrus-1, where he informed his former captain of all he had heard. While Orion initially assumed Whirl was acting out of compassion, Whirl immediately corrected him, explaining that he just wanted revenge against the Senate for mutilating, using, and abandoning him. After Orion left, Whirl was introduced to his new cellmate- [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], who promptly beat him into critical condition. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

Whirl eventually wound up in the [[Kaon]] Security Service, where he witnessed the full extent of what his actions had wrought, as Megatron, now convinced that violence was the only way forward, assaulted the city and slew [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], beginning the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2}} Orion Pax—now Optimus Prime—personally invited Whirl to join the Autobots before the Decepticons reached him: "forgiveness as a weapon of war", as Whirl put it. After "bouncing around a bit", he changed his name to "Jetstream" and became a flight instructor at the [[Iaconian Aerial Academy]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

One of his most promising cadets at the academy was [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]], but he insisted on berating him in private, his verbal abuse eventually evolving into regular unprovoked beatings. After one particularly savage beating, "Jetstream" shoved Rotorstorm into the academy's newly-installed [[CR chamber]], and by the time Rotorstorm recovered, his instructor had moved to a training facility in another province. Whirl later returned to using his original name, and attended the ceremony when Rotorstorm received the [[Novic Medal for Outstanding Valor]], applauding and cheering from the front row. {{storylink|Bullets}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4-triumphoverevil.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Category: Things That Do Not Exist.]]
Whirl eventually joined the Autobot special operations taskforce, the Wreckers. He was with the team when they triumphed in final battle over their longtime rivals [[Squadron X]] on the planet [[Pova]], only to discover they had no jurisdiction on the planet and would be required to let the Squadron go. Refusing to accept this, Wrecker leader Impactor murdered the entire squadron while Whirl looked away in apparent shame, but took no action. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}} The incident was covered up by Autobot high command, and to avoid being implicated in the crime alongside their leader, Whirl and the other Wreckers lied and told Springer that they had no idea what Impactor was planning on doing. Springer believed them and defended their inaction at Impactor's trial, also agreeing to become the new leader of the Wreckers at Whirl and the others' request. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

At some point during the war, Whirl established a rivalry with the wand-wielding Decepticon known as [[Killmaster]]. The rivalry ended when Whirl broke into a medical center where Killmaster was recharging, crushed the Decepticon's brain as he slept, and shoved his wand up his- ''AHEM!'' {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

[[File:Whirl copter Stormbringer4.jpg|thumb|250px|Is [[Obsidian (BM)|"Obsidianesque"]] a word?]]
Years later, Whirl was deployed with the other Wreckers to [[Varas Centralus]] to help [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]'s counter-insurgency team deal with the Decepticon [[infiltration protocol|infiltration team]] there, which had just activated Siege Mode. Partway into the battle, they were forced to pull out and return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] when news came through of the possible resurgence of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} Arriving at their homeworld, the team saved the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] from a patrol of [[Centurion droid]]s, then joined Optimus Prime in attacking [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s secret base. Whirl and Roadbuster helped Jetfire from his imprisonment, but they were too late: Bludgeon had indeed recalled Thunderwing home. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} Whirl joined Springer and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] in attacking the mindless [[Pretender]], but their weapons were disabled when he ionized the air around them, forcing them to back off. Fortunately, a team of Decepticons led by [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] arrived to supplement the Autobot forces and the day was soon won. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

The Wreckers got a rematch with Thunderwing some time later when the denizens of the [[Dead Universe]] took control of him and stationed him on [[Corata-Vaz]] to guard one of the [[Nega-Core]]s required for their [[Expansion]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} Whirl fought hard alongside his teammates {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} and eventually the Wreckers were able to disable the Nega-Core when [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] lost control of Thunderwing. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

During the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], when the Decepticons launched a devastating simultaneous attack against the Autobots across the galaxy—Whirl and several other Wreckers were captured by Decepticons under the command of [[Turmoil]]. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] led an extraction team to rescue the Autobots from a Decepticon cruiser, and they were ultimately saved thanks to the efforts the former Decepticon [[Drift (G1)|Drift]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

[[File:Whirl Sparkeaterweapon Interiors.jpg|220px|thumb|left|"What, ''this''? It's uhm...just his new [[Action Master partner]]! Yeah, that's it."]]
Around three years later, when putting together a squad to liberate [[Garrus-9]] from the clutches of the deranged Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], Springer ruled Whirl out of the mission on account of his recently becoming something of a liability. {{storylink|Bullets}} The mission to Garrus-9 left Springer in a comatose state, and Whirl and Roadbuster were assigned the task of watching over him and tending to his needs until he awoke. Convinced that this was never going to happen, Whirl attempted to euthanize his leader with Roadbuster's [[Sparkeater (weapon)|Sparkeater weapon]], but was caught in the act by Roadbuster and ejected from the Wreckers by the power of "the veto"—the ability of a Wrecker to have another member of the unit removed at any time. {{storylink|Interiors}} He wound up in prison for his actions, but was released and given a "final warning" by Ultra Magnus to stay out of trouble. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

After the war was ended and Cybertron was returned to a primordial state, Whirl and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] were tasked with policing a mob of [[NAIL|neutral Transformers]] that had recently returned to Cybertron. They came upon Optimus Prime being harassed by [[Tappet|one of the mob]], and promptly began bullying the smaller neutral. Optimus Prime had to pointedly lower Whirl's gun and asked to be filled in on current events. Later, the mob revolted and dragged Whirl to the ground during the ensuing riot. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

[[File:Whirl Sweeps Liars.jpg|thumb|250px|Dear God...they're no longer mint in box!]]
Frustrated with the NAILs and having been kicked out of the Wreckers, Whirl acquired a disturbing method of stress relief: gathering up several leftover [[Sweep]] carcasses, pinning them to a wall inside a shabby structure out in Cybertron's wastelands, and apparently mutilating them. Eventually deciding that he'd had his fun, Whirl doused the ruins with fuel and bid a very creepy thank you and farewell to the remains, planning to burn it all—quite possibly, himself included. Interrupted by [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]], who had misidentified the Sweeps' energy readings as those of [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], Whirl immediately attacked him and set the place ablaze to cover his tracks. Their battle carried them to the [[Mitteous Plateau]], where they were discovered by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], prompting Whirl to try and pin all the blame on Cyclonus before killing him so he couldn't contradict his story. Before he could, however, a huge subterranean explosion triggered by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] erupted beneath Whirl, heavily damaging him and knocking him offline. Figuring that Whirl was too dangerous to leave lying around, Ratchet had him brought along with Tailgate aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as it left Cybertron. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[File:HangersOn Whirl Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|left|110px|Expressions, glorious expressions!]]
Whirl awoke in the medibay of the ''Lost Light'', his first instinct being to reach out and throttle the nearest person to him, which turned out to be [[Rung]]. Brought to his senses with the warning that he'd go back to prison if he didn't behave, Whirl left to skulk around the hallways, where he was found by Ultra Magnus and brought him into a meeting between [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and Cyclonus. Advised to make his peace with Cyclonus, Whirl continued to dodge all responsibility for starting the fight but nonetheless offered him a hand of "forgiveness", only to have Cyclonus respond by drawing him into a ''hug''... followed by a whispered threat that he would kill him at some point and the Autobot would never see it coming.

Later, Rodimus addressed the crew to update them on the situation. When he asked if there were any important questions, Whirl made a point to speak up and state that he was embarrassed to be among this group and that they at least needed a decent name. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

When a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] was reported to be loose on board the ''Lost Light'', the crew were ordered to pair off and lock themselves into habitation suites until the creature was dealt with. Being a jerk, Whirl locked himself in without waiting for his temporary roommate [[Animus]] and ignored the other Autobot's pleas to enter, resulting in his being killed by the Sparkeater. Whirl attacked the creature, but his missiles were intercepted by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s [[force field]] to prevent the catastrophic detonation of the sparks the monster was digesting inside it. Whirl was nonplussed. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

During a therapy session with Rung, [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s extra-sensitive ears overheard Whirl having a "blazing row" with...himself. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Whirl later attempted to cheer up and advise a despondent Trailbreaker on changing his image. His advice consisted of telling Trailbreaker to change his name, always talk big of himself, and then suggested he get [[Brainstorm]] to build him a new weapon. After one of Brainstorm's inventions malfunctioned the entire crew of the ''Lost Light'', save the newly-rechristened Trail''cutter'', were temporarily frozen in place when a group of Decepticons inconveniently boarded the ship. Whirl was in the middle of watching a furious Rodimus chew Rewind out on the bridge when he was frozen, and Trailcutter was forced to use his inert body as a shield against gunfire, stealing the guns mounted on Whirl's chest to return fire. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

[[File:Whirl Interiors yes.jpg|thumb|150px|Whirl: '''1'''. {{-}} Hostage situation: '''-2'''.]]
Not long thereafter, Whirl was having a session with Rung when recent crew addition [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] had an acute psychotic episode and went on a rampage through the ship, holing up in Rung's office and immobilizing Whirl by stabbing him to the floor with a pipe. Unfazed, Whirl taunted Maximus, trying to bait him into killing him, but Maximus only grew more curious about Whirl's mental state and reputation, and threatened Rung in order to force Whirl into telling his life story. The story provided [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] enough time to position themselves outside Rung's office and distract Maximus with a projection of his tormentor, Overlord. Whirl used the distraction to tear the pipe out of his gut, unpinning himself from the floor. When a shot intended to take Maximus out went wild and hit Rung in the head instead, Whirl took the opportunity to stab the distraught Max with the pipe, ending the hostage situation after three-plus hours. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:Whirl graffiti MTMTEAnnual2012.jpg|thumb|210px|left|"Yeah well, I'll build my own spaceship! With blackjack! And hookers! In fact, forget the spaceship!"]]
Whirl joined Rodimus, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] in being shrunk down and sent to deal with a swarm of [[Nanocon]]s that had been revived within Ultra Magnus' body, where he showed some difficulty with his "no guns" orders. After Magnus smiled them to death, Whirl managed to leave some graffiti inside Ultra Magnus, a fact that he would proudly inform First Aid of during Tailgate's [[Act of Affiliation]] ceremony.

Later, Whirl was among the Autobots that were teleported to the surface of [[Theophany]] by representatives of the [[Galactic Council]]. After the group found [[Crystal City]] in ruins, Whirl openly mocked Drift's despair at seeing the desolation and was decked by the former Decepticon for his irreverence. The group ventured into the ruins and soon discovered an inert [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]], which had once been used to power the city. An abortive attempt by Chromedome to hack into the giant's [[brain module]] accidentally woke the Metrotitan, causing it to fire an eye-blast that hit the Council's ship, ''[[The Benign Intervention]]''. Whirl was ordered to take a team to hold off the troops sent to take revenge on the Cybertronians, with Rodimus stressing to the trigger-happy bot that there should be ''no fatalities''. Whirl and the others successfully fended off their attackers until the Autobots were all teleported back to the ''Lost Light'' by the freed Metrotitan, before the ship quantum-jumped to safety. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

[[File:BeforeAndAfter-WhirlLocksCyclonusIn.jpg|thumb|upright]]
Whirl declined to attend Rewind's movie night when he learned the [[Proteus|subject matter]] of the film. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?}} He did, however, agree to aid in Rewind's attempt to expedite Rung's mental recovery. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} Rewind brought together a group who each took turns telling their parts in a story of past events from before the war. When Whirl's turn began, he became quite agitated when Ratchet brought up the tender subject of Whirl's encounter with Megatron in Rodion. He settled down and told the others of Orion Pax's visit to Garrus-1 and what they had discussed. When Whirl mentioned that Impactor was his cellmate for awhile, Rewind became excited and posited that Impactor had earmarked Whirl then and there for the Wreckers. Whirl shot down that suggestion and admitted that he just got badly beaten-up and he and Impactor met again years later under different circumstances. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} Everyone took a break from storytelling, giving Swerve an opportunity to leave and bring back some booze. Whirl wouldn't let him back into the room without uttering the password- ''"Whirl is a million billion times tougher than Cyclonus"''. He later had fun positioning Rung's eyebrows to make the still-unresponsive psychiatrist look cross. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

When Rodimus led a mission to [[Temptoria]] to fight Decepticons, Whirl was only to happy to volunteer. Aboard the ''[[Leading Light]]'', he had Rewind record him limbering up, and joined in with some impromptu battle chants with the other Autobots. As they fought Decepticons, his attempt to bond with Cyclonus was rebuffed rather bluntly. He subsequently faked a door malfunction, trapping Cyclonus and Rewind with an exploding bomb. He apparently at least had the courtesy to take Rewind back to the ''Leading Light'', and when it turned out he had a compatible [[spark]], allowed First Aid to use him to jumpstart Rewind, earning him Chromedome's gratitude. {{storylink|Before & After}}

[[File:Whirl holoavatar CybertronHomesickBlues.jpg|left|thumb|250|]]
Whirl tagged along with Swerve's group when the crew of the ''Lost Light'' was granted leave on the planet [[Hedonia]]. He was granted a new human-based [[holomatter]] avatar, which he seemed to approve of based solely on the fact that it carried weapons. When the group found a Transformer-friendly bar, Whirl got Ultra Magnus black-out drunk after slipping him a drink containing weapons-grade [[Nucleon]], much to everyone's chagrin. While waiting for Magnus to regain consciousness, the group played "the nemesis game", each sharing their own personal arch-enemies. Whirl named the deceased Killmaster as his, and proceeded to describe the graphic nature of how he ended their rivalry before being cut off by Rung. When Magnus began to stir, the group left Swerve to deal with him and took a trip to a nearby gift shop. Whirl opted to remain outside and continually bang his head against a display case- something he felt relieved pressure on his brain. When they returned to the bar, Magnus was still out, so Whirl hatched a plan to get him back in time for pick-up. He ferried the others to the shuttle, then they projected their holomatter avatars back to the bar to drive Magnus' vehicle mode through an organics-only section. While forcing Magnus into vehicle mode proved difficult, they eventually managed it and drove him home. Whirl admitted to the others that, difficulties aside, he had a fun time. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] allowed Whirl to vent some frustration and blow up a few asteroids in the ''Lost Light'''s path. They were interrupted by [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], who wanted to record a message to send back to Cybertron whenever Blaster managed to repair the subspace communications channel. Whirl and Blaster would be the last Autobots to see Pipes alive, as the hapless [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot]] was murdered by [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] minutes later. Having escaped from his cell underneath the ''Lost Light'', Overlord was quickly discovered and dozens of Autobots threw themselves into battle with him. For Whirl's part, he only managed to be used as a club and smashed into [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] during the fight. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} In the aftermath, Whirl attended the funeral of those who lost their lives fighting Overlord and engaged in some speculation with Swerve and Skids over what was in Brainstorm's ever-present briefcase. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

When a search for the abducted Ultra Magnus led the ''Lost Light'' to discover the long-missing [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], Rodimus asked Whirl to be part of an advance landing party. Finding the "miracle moon" to be a hot spot seething with newborn [[Spark|sparks]], Tailgate asked the others to define for him the difference between being "forged" and being "constructed cold". When Chromedome identified himself as someone who had been constructed cold, Whirl couldn't help but point out that he himself had been forged and "perfected" in a hot spot just like the one they were standing in. Shortly thereafter, the group was attacked by [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]]'s [[Titan Hunters]], forcing Whirl and the others to flee from superior numbers. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

{{spoiler|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|July 19}}

Retreating didn't sit well with Whirl, and he invited Cyclonus to join him in a counterattack on their pursuers. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}

{{-}}

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

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Whirl toy.jpg|250px|thumb|Shockwave's younger brother? Only in the wild world of [[Fan fiction|fanfic]]s.]]
*'''Whirl''' (Deluxe Vehicle, 1985)
**''Accessories'': "Null-Ray Module", "[[Paralyzo box]]", "Photon Beam Rifle", "Shell Cannon"

:Whirl transforms into a light blue Cybertronian attack helicopter, similar to a Bell [[Wikipedia:AH-1 Cobra|AH-1 Cobra]]. In this mode, he has two wing-mounted weapons installed: a Gatling-like "Shell Cannon" and a four-tube "Photon Beam Rifle".

:In robot mode, Whirl is unusual in that he appears quite different from the other Transformers in the line at the time. He has no humanoid hands; instead, his arms end in a pair of mechanical pincers. A "[[Null-ray|Null-Ray]] Module" cannon can be fitted over either pincer, while his "Paralyzo-Box" weapon slides onto the fin on his right leg.

:There is a variation in the construction of his canopy; while most are smooth and featureless, some have raised "cage" outlines on the edges.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Whirl/whirl.htm More information on Whirl at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Classics===
[[File:ClassicsWhirl toy.jpg|250px|thumb|Am I blue? Am I blue? Ain't these tears in my eye tellin' you?]]
*'''Autobot Whirl''' (Legends, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Rotor blade

:A [[redeco]] of ''[[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]]'' [[Evac (Cybertron)#Cybertron|Evac]], Whirl transforms into a blue Eurocopter Dauphin rescue helicopter. A ''heavily'' simplified version of the Voyager-class Evac toy, his vehicle mode has a back mounted (non-firing) twin missile launcher which is carried onto his robot mode, and he is also armed with a rotor blade on his left arm which can rotate, but does not spin freely.

:In terms of articulation, he has ball-jointed hips and knees and can rotate his arms, although the arms can otherwise barely move beyond pointing straight down due to his ball-jointed shoulders being blocked by plastic.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Blades (G1)#LOC|Blades]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/ClassicsWhirl/whirl.htm More information on Classics Whirl at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
*'''Autobot Whirl''' (Voyager, 2014)

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[File:3DBattleCard Whirl.jpg|thumb|300px| Soi soi soi soi]]
*'''Whirl''' (2007)

:A 30-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Whirl "transforms" into a blue helicopter. He uses the same parts layout as [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]], [[Evac (Movie)|Evac]], and [[Vortex (Energon Wars)|Vortex]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Both [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s were licensed from [[Takatoku Toys]] by [[Hasbro]] for inclusion in the 1985 line, and hence were not included in the Japanese line, the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]], or the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|US Marvel comics]]. Whirl was originally the "Oberon Gazette" from the ''Armored Trooper Dorvack'' toyline, although the toy's dark and light blues were inverted for the ''Transformers'' release.
*In recent years, toys sporting the name "Whirl" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Whirl'''".
*Poor Whirl never got a printed ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' bio. One was written though, and finally revealed to the fans on [http://boltax.blogspot.com/2011/01/extended-bio-whirl.html ''Disciples of Boltax''] in 2011.
*Whirl is possibly the most influential character in the entire [[IDW timeline|IDW Generation 1 continuity]], as Megatron explicitly points to him as the one who "taught" him how to hate and use violence instead of peaceful means; without that, no [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Thanks, buddy.

===Foreign names===
*''French:'' '''Tourbillon''' (Canada, "Whirlwind")

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Rollbar (G1)

2013-07-10T23:37:36Z

Autocon:

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

[[Image:Rollbar g1 boxart.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Do you know how hard it is for me to find shoes that fit?!]]
'''Rollbar''' always gives 110%. He's neither very strong nor very fast, but he's got heart, and a vast arsenal of corny, macho cliches to pepper his speech. Though the other [[Throttlebot]]s are inclined to roll their optical sensors when he starts laying the Cybertronian bullslag on too thickly, his gung-ho attitude has earned the respect of them all, and when the higher-ranking veteran [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]] is not around, Rollbar is the acting leader of his very democratic team.

Rollbar makes good use of his low power in vehicle mode. He is a rubber-tired acrobat, able to jump like a cybergoat and run like a turbodeer. This is fortunate; he has little or no firepower, and if caught out has little choice but to run away. He does have radiation and chemical sensors to assist his tracking missions, and audio-video equipment to record his findings, or perhaps the big game.

Rollbar may not have what it takes to make the big plays, but he's still an opponent to be reckoned with. You have to give him that much credit.

[[Forrest Forsythe|Some]] refer to him by the name "A *@#!! Toy."

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:Rollbar-rarechemical.jpg|left|180px|thumb|No matter the continuity, these guys never ever catch a break.]]
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Rollbar was the leader of the Throttlebots, a group of five Autobots who stole fuel from the Decepticons. On one such mission, they were ambushed by an entire squadron of Decepticons, including a massive [[Titanium-class Destruction Drone]]. When the drone offered to spare their lives if they surrendered, Rollbar figured that was the best offer he was likely to get.

The captive Autobots were brought before [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who ordered them to travel to Earth and end a [[Scraplet]]s infection there—not, as Rollbar guessed, by delivering a cure, but rather by destroying all the infected Transformers with canisters of acid. If they failed, Ratbat threatened to destroy all life on [[Earth]] (just ''how'' he was going to do this remains unknown).

[[Image:Goldbugthecure.jpg|right|180px|thumb|]]
The Throttlebots quickly found their primary target, a crashed Decepticon freighter and its occupants, the Decepticon [[Triple Changer]]s and their prisoner [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. However, tire tracks heading away from the wreck made them realize that at least one other infected Transformer could be at large. Delaying their attack, Rollbar took [[Wide Load]] to track down the wayward Transformer.

At a gas station, they caught up with their quarry: the Autobot [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], who was by that time massively infested with Scraplets. Reluctantly, Rollbar and Wideload attempted to destroy Goldbug, but he eluded them long enough for his human friend, [[Charlie Fong]], to demonstrate the Scraplets cure he'd just discovered: [[water]]. Relieved, Rollbar and Wideload apologized and explained their urgent mission.

The three Autobots soon returned to the wreckage site, along with two tanker trucks full of water. Before they got the chance to use them, however, the Scraplets in the crash site merged into a single massive creature. Water proved ineffective against it, and the weaponless Throttlebots were unable to fight it effectively until Goldbug sprayed the Decepticons with the water, allowing them to bring their firepower to bear against the creature, disabling it long enough for Blaster to destroy it. {{storylink|The Cure!}}

[[Image:Rollbar-damagedbyraat.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Seriously. They get shot at...]]
Rollbar and his crew joined Goldbug and Blaster in their independent war against the Decepticons, but the incident at the crashed spaceship had gained them unwanted attention. Low on fuel, they were shadowed cross-country by both [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|R.A.A.T.]] and the Decepticons. When [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] attacked the Autobots on the highway, Blaster utilized Rollbar and [[Chase (G1)|Chase]] as mobile footstands while he returned fire on the airborne Decepticon. Unfortunately, Rollbar's attention wasn't focused on his driving, and he drifted into the path of oncoming traffic. Swerving to get out of the way, he caused Blaster to lose his footing and nearly tumble off a bridge, and left himself and the others stuck in a tie-up from the near-accident. Blaster, however, managed to hit Vortex with an [[electro-scrambler]] blast and send him tumbling out of control.

Attempting to refuel at a [[Blackrock Enterprises|Blackrock]] gas station, the team found themselves under attack by R.A.A.T. An aerial attack module blasted Rollbar's rear canopy, leaving him with a ragged hole in the back end. The Autobots escaped, but were still low on fuel. [[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] expressed concern that Rollbar couldn't make it much further, but Rollbar dismissed this with customary bravado.

[[Image:Throttlebots-crushed.jpg|right|200px|thumb|...crushed...]]
Eventually, they took shelter in an auto sales lot, negotiating with the owner, [[Big Steve Ludwig (G1)|Big Steve]], to ensure that he didn't have the damaged Rollbar towed away. The Autobots requested simply to be refueled and left alone till nightfall. But Big Steve betrayed the team to R.A.A.T., filling their tanks with soda and allowing R.A.A.T. to haul the Throttlebots away under the cover of a fight between the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. {{storylink|Used Autobots}}

[[Image:Throttlebots-toycars.jpg|left|200px|thumb|...humiliated...]]
[[Intelligence and Information Institute|Triple-I]] held the Throttlebots prisoner for some time, partially disassembling and examining them, as well as interrogating them. Eventually, the six prisoners were "executed" on national television—though in fact they survived, as [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]] removed their brain modules and placed them inside toy cars. Rollbar and his companions would end up zipping through a mall, eluding the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], before being recovered by Barnett. {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}}

[[Image:DarkStar Throttlebots die.JPG|right|200px|thumb|...blasted to bits...]]
Later, when the US Navy was monitoring [[Club Con|a mysterious desert island]], an [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport|Autobot shuttle]] arrived to attack the island and rescue [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Rollbar, still in the toy car body, spoke up to identify the shuttle as an Autobot ship and keep the Navy from attacking it. A naval officer was disgruntled at taking orders from a $@%##%! toy, but Barnett reminded the officer that Rollbar was in fact a veteran Autobot warrior. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

Eventually winding up with Optimus Prime's Autobots aboard the Ark, the Throttlebots were re-built into new bodies... and promptly destroyed again by the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Dan Gilvezan]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

While the other Throttlebots first saw combat [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|during the Hate Plague crisis]], Rollbar had to wait (and missed all the fun with the [[Hate Plague]]) until the brief truce between the Autobots and Decepticons expired. Rollbar participated in the defense of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] from a massive Decepticon raid, {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} and then fought alongside his fellow Throttlebots on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[Image:CassetteOperation Throttlebot fight.JPG|left|200px|thumb|...hypnotically controlled...]]
Rollbar and his friends helped defend [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] from a major Decepticon assault, but fell before the might of the Decepticon [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} They did better later on, when the Headmasters returned to Cybertron with their new [[Madmachine]]. Although Rollbar and Wide Load were initially hypnotized into fighting each other by [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], Goldbug got them to snap out of it and the Throttlebots managed to hold the Decepticons at bay until the Autobot Headmasters managed to destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Some time later, the Throttlebots heard about the Decepticon meteorite [[Metamorphose]] heading towards Earth, and decided that they could handle it by themselves. Rollbar and the others snuck off in an [[Autobot frigate]], but immediately fell victim to Metamorpho's ability to twist the shape of nearby metal. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} The Throttlebots were un-twisted by the time [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] unveiled his master plan, which involved using [[Death Tower]]s to destroy Earth. Rollbar and his team were dispatched to wreck one of the towers, but found that it was guarded by [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], who easily defeated all of them. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Rollbar was stationed on the [[Orvus Base]] orbiting [[Salvvatan VI]] as a courier for the lab's work. When [[Sixshot]] destroyed the station, he and the other Throttlebots fled to nearby [[Salvvatan VIII]] before being shot down by the Decepticon. Upon arrival on the planet, the Throttlebots attempted to hide from Sixshot, but he was a step ahead of them. They fled again until three of their number was incapacitated. Rollbar confronted Sixshot with [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] and [[Goldbug (IDW)|Goldbug]]. He made the first move, transforming and driving into the Decepticon, tripping him. Sixshot hung on, however, and was then dragged until Rollbar crashed through the side of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], awakening him. Rollbar was out for a bit, but recovered in time to meet the giant Autobot before his departure. He then went off to find the other Throttlebots before leaving the planet. {{storylink|Spotlight: Metroplex}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Rollbar toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|...and rendered without arms or feet.]]
*'''Rollbar''' (Throttlebot, 1987/1992)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-95'''
:Like all Throttlebots, Rollbar's gimmick is the "pull back-and-go" motor, which is usable in both vehicle and robot modes. Rollbar transforms into an olive green Jeep CJ-7. Perhaps unique among Transformers toys, Rollbar's windows are "reflecting" an arid landscape rather than being plain colors. The 1992 European "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" release also had the [[rubsign]] indent removed, the rubsign decal itself replaced with the Autobot insignia.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/Rollbar/rollbar.htm More information on Rollbar at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternators===
[[Image:Alternators Rollbar toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He wants to be... a macho macho man.]]
*'''Rollbar''' (Alternator, 2006)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''19'''
**''Accessories:'' Pistol

:Rollbar is a [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (himself a [[retool]] of ''Alternators'' [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]), transforming into a 1:24-scale licensed Jeep Wrangler TJ custom with oversized off-road tires and a new bumper with bullbar. In vehicle mode, his doors open to reveal a realistic interior, his hood opens to reveal a fake (and inaccurate) engine bay, and an opening tailgate. As with Hound and Swindle, he lacks the steering feature common in other ''Alternators'', but has spring-loaded suspension. His license plate indicates he's a registered driver in [[Colorado]].

:In robot mode, Rollbar is armed with a small laser pistol stored in his spare tire. He is otherwise mostly identical to Swindle except for the changed parts and colour.

:This version of him makes his name fit.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/AltRollbar/rollbar.htm More information on ''Alternators'' Rollbar at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Rollbar''' (ロールバー ''Rōrubā'')
*''French:'' '''Cabriole''' (Canada, "Caper")
*''Italian:'' '''Trollbot'''

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

[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Throttlebots]]
[[Category:Trackers]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2013-07-10T21:46:38Z

Autocon: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:FortMax1.jpg|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[smelting pool]]s. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[File:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[File:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One====
{{noteRG1}}
After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least 2 years. At some point [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] wanted to live his life and intruders were able to get aboard the crashed ship and re-awaken [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Circa 1994, Fort Max battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike's body was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|thumb|300px|- Why are you so pale? - It is the winter camouflage, dude!]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Drang nach Master!]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|thumb|250px]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|thumb|225px]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[File:Hm6 fortmax funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:Hm17 maximus vs scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px|That's how the scorpions breed!]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:Hm26 weak spot.jpg|thumb|250px|From USSR with "love"!]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|thumb|225px|Insert 80's computer joke here.]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[File:KPBraveMax.jpg|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====

Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[File:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax manga.jpg|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream]]s, he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[combiner|gestalt]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

[[File:FortMax Jetfire SpotlightCyclonus.jpg|thumb|]]

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Not long afterwards, he attended a medal ceremony held by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] to honor the heroes of a recent hull breach emergency. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}
[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|left|200px|thumb|]]
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted 'Hot Rod' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit Rung, much to Maximus' anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:IDWMtMtE15-FortMaxOverlordThwok.jpg|250px|thumb|]]
Weeks later, a recovered Rung paid him a visit in the brig and accepted an unabashedly-sincere apology from Maximus. When Overlord broke free from the [[slow cell]] hidden in the ''Lost Light'''s basement, Fortress Maximus was released from confinement to combat the rampaging Phase-Sixer after he was temporarily incapacitated by Chromedome's use of Trepan's Trigger. He pummeled Overlord mercilessly and forced him back into the slow cell, which was then jettisoned from the ''Lost Light'' into space and destroyed by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} Later, when Rodimus led a band of Autobots to the lost satellite [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], he left Fort Max in command of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy produced in the original G1 line, and for over 25 years, was the largest Transformers toy produced at all. In robot mode, he stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than his rival [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. The original retail price was nearly $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it was highly doubtful any other Transformer even close to this size would ever be made again, until his 2013 release in the Encore line was announced, ''(see below)'', shortly followed by the reveal of the 24" tall ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]] at [[Toy Fair 2013]].

: The toy has two alternate mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode and a "battle station" mode as described in the US instructions. The Japanese instructions rebrand the latter as a "starship" mode and it is the default mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Fortress Maximus has a wide array of (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. A prison cell is concealed in the left leg, as well a dual cannon/helipad. The right leg has a stepped storage compartment. His torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small figures up to be fired down the central ramp by another switch activated launcher. The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode. The back of either arm carries a long ramp with a sliding launcher.

: Fortress Maximus' head is formed by Cerebros and Spike, although Spike is optional. The Gasket and Grommet vehicles can combine together to form [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]. Furthermore, Gasket and Grommet can each be ridden by any large Headmaster [[Nebulan]] figure.

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress (Cerebros), a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]] or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy, although the lack of alternate mode integration of such a large accessory (unlike the also very large handguns) points to the latter.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (sans spider legs) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories:'' Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword, Cerebros's sword.
: The first re-release of Fortress Maximus is in the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This release features paint apps for Fortress Maximus' eyes, although the original eye stickers are also included. Due to an unknown QC issue, initial product was opened, manually checked, and retaped. Other changes include packaging addition of the Encore logo, and omission of Hasbro on copyright stamp.

{{-}}
===GT===
*'''GT Maximus''' (2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GT-04'''
**''Accessories:'' Car jack/"Master Jack Sword", race queen figure

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Tfgum fortmax.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|thumb|200px|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}

===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[File:Fortmax scf hoc.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/HoCFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[File:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px|Once you rip it off, it can never stay on again.]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown, though it may be related to the [http://www.allspark.com/images/Transformers_Generations/2011/Vol2/07.jpg tan with red accents hard copy Takara possessed].

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsuēi'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

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

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:GT characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Trypticon (WFC)

2013-07-10T21:37:56Z

Autocon: /* Notes */

{{disambig3|Trypticon}}
{{disambig3|Nemesis}}
:''Trypticon is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:WFC One Shall Stand Trailer.jpg|thumb|400px|Yes, there was a grammatically incorrect caption regarding my discharge of energy weaponry. Why do you ask?]]
A titan of a Decepticon, '''Trypticon''' casts a vast shadow across the battlefield whenever he appears. Though he once turned into Trypticon Station, a neutral scientific outpost, Trypticon's intelligence is only just enough to make him an effective warrior, even if it hardly seems needed with his vast array of weapons. He is equally formidable in his current alternate form of the Decepticons' fortress of a warship, the '''''Nemesis''''', even after a [[space bridge]] accident sent his personality into [[stasis lock|stasis]]. Carrying [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] and the remnants of his Decepticon uprising, the ''Nemesis'' is still a force to be reckoned with.

{{quote|You cannot stop me, Autobots. I am... Trypticon. I am... your death.|Trypticon, before he goes [[Godzilla]] on everyone|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Prior to the war, Trypticon Station was used for research that could not be conducted planetside, including the first forays into sequestering the [[Dark Energon]] that had resulted from [[Unicron]]'s attack on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Its security was seen to by the [[Seeker (body-type)#Aligned continuity|Seeker]] caste. There were records that indicated that at the time Dark Energon was placed aboard by an ancient High Council, the station underwent a major overhaul: [[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]] confirmed that it was given a spark and made a living being at that point. [[Air Commander]] [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] was one of the few with knowledge of its secrets. As a result, he ordered his forces to occupy it after the capture of [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]], as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Megatron and his growing Decepticon army. Megatron decided he tired of negotiations and took Trypticon Station by force. Upon Starscream's return to the station, Megatron pressed the Seeker and ultimately gained access to the facility's research on Dark Energon. Megatron noted to [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] that there was potential for a spark within Trypticon, though Shockwave pointed out the [[Well of All Sparks|Well]] no longer produced sparks. Megatron suggested he use the sparks of the scientists killed and maimed in the seize of Trypticon to give life to the station.

The supplies of Dark Energon from the initial harvest were slender, so Megatron required the means to transfer large quantities of [[energon]] to the station so that they could be converted into the rarer resource. As Trypticon Station was configured to receive fuel from the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] in [[Crystal City]], the Decepticons were able to transfer an initial supply, but not nearly enough for the ravenous rate at which they were consuming Dark Energon. This was eventually remedied by Megatron's capture of the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]], which provided a nearly unlimited source of fuel directly from Cybertron's core.

After a team led by [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] ventured into the planet's core to cut off the transfer, Megatron decided to switch tactics. He allowed Shockwave to apply the experimental knowledge he had gleaned over the course of the war, and Trypticon was granted true life, including the ability to shape its corridors into a dizzying array of defense drones and [[Mini-Con|Minicon]]s. Ultimately, a team of Autobots aboard the ''[[Eight Track (WFC)|Eight Track]]'' found a gap in the station's external defenses and managed to venture within and knock the behemoth from orbit.

Victory was brief, however, as Trypticon revealed a robot form and crawled from the wreckage planetside. Though initially the [[Wrecker]]s and [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]] were tasked with keeping the gargantuan Decepticon away from the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'' launch, this proved to be in vain, as Megatron boarded Trypticon along with a hand-picked crew of the Decepticon elite. Transforming into a ''Nemesis''-class battleship, Trypticon pursued the ''Ark'' to, and subsequently through, the last remaining functional [[space bridge]] in Cybertronian orbit. As the ''Ark'' emerged in unknown space, the ''Nemesis'' was nowhere within sensor range. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

The ''Nemesis'' was heavily damaged due to its traveling through the last remaining, yet faulty, space bridge, and thus Trypticon's sentient functionality and transformation abilities were lost, perhaps forever. Megatron didn't care too much. The ''Nemesis'' was still a functioning, fearsome battleship, and that's all he required. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}
{{charstubfiction}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Kevin Michael Richardson]] (English)}}
[[Image:Nemesis-Primepainting.jpg|right|thumb|400px|This doesn't look like [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]] at all!]]

Long after Cybertron had been rendered uninhabitable, the ''Nemesis'' was in orbit of planet when [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream's]] [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] forces captured the Autobots [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]], the latter of whom had received a coded Autobot transmission. Starscream attempted to gain this information by torturing and then imprisoning Cliffjumper alongside Arcee on board the ''Nemesis'', but failed to get any satisfaction. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

The ''Nemesis'' served as the Decepticons' primary base of operations during their time on [[Earth]]. Constantly moving through the skies of the planet and cloaked against detection by either Autobot or human systems, it provided the villains with a mobile headquarters that allowed them to often remain one step ahead of their adversaries.

Sometime after arriving on Earth, Cliffjumper got a taste of the power of the ''Nemesis'' first-hand when he found it hovering over an [[Energon]]-filled crater, and it opened fire on him. Captured by Vehicon and brought aboard, Cliffjumper was slain on the ship's bridge by his old adversary Starscream, his body unable to be reclaimed by his fellow Autobots due to the ship's perpetual cloaking field hiding its location. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}} Soon after, Starscream relinquished command of the ''Nemesis'' to Megatron when he returned from his three-year sojourn in deep space, {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}} but when he left to explore the properties of [[Dark Energon]], control of the craft returned to Starscream, who had the Autobots' human ally [[William Fowler]] captured and brought to the ship's brig for interrogation. The Autobots subsequently invaded the ship on a rescue mission, during which [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] damaged the ship's interstellar navigation array, {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} leaving it unable to triangulate co-ordinates for the Decepticons' new orbital space bridge. [[Image:Masters&Students-Nemesisbridgescreen.jpg|left|thumb|300px|The ''Nemesis'' bridge must be great for watching the Super Bowl.]] Using a human installation as a substitute, the Decepticons moved the ''Nemesis'' into space so Megatron could send Dark Energon through the bridge to Cybertron, but when the Autobots sabotaged the bridge and caused it to explode, Starscream betrayed Megatron, moving the ''Nemesis'' out of range and leaving the Decepticon leader to be consumed in the blast. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}}


Although Starscream was re-instated as commander of the ''Nemesis'' with Megatron's seeming death, the crew responded unenthusiastically to his dramatic first address. Soon after, when it was discovered that Megatron had actually survived the explosion thanks to Dark Energon, his stasis-locked body became a fixture of the ship's medical bay. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} The ship later gained another new resident in the Autobot [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]], who was captured and locked up in the brig while the evil [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] took his place among the Autobots before escaping. {{storylink|Con Job}}

[[Image:OutHead-Arcticbeam.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Romulans!]]

When the ''Nemesis''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s electromagnetic shielding broke while orbiting above [[China]], the Autobots were able to locate the ship and infiltrate it in hopes of locating a cure for the [[Cybonic plague]] Optimus Prime had recently become infected with. Although successful, their actions set in motion the reawakening of Megatron, {{storylink|Sick Mind}} who returned to life and retook command in the middle of Starscream's newest plan, which involved equipping the ''Nemesis'' with a powerful heat ray. {{Storylink|Out of His Head}} With Megatron back in charge, the ''Nemesis'' continued its stoic, continuous motion around the Earth, at one point moving out of Earth's atmosphere and into orbit. {{storylink|T.M.I.}}

As the Decepticons began looking for components for their new space bridge, the ''Nemesis'' returned to Earth's atmosphere and headed for a human military installation so Megatron could personally steal the new power source it contained. Optimus Prime and Bulkhead made it aboard the ''Nemesis'' and stole the power source back, but Optimus proceeded to go on a rampage through the ship's corridors until Megatron had him [[GroundBridge]]d out. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}} Megatron subsequently left the ''Nemesis'' under [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]]'s command while he prostrated himself before [[Unicron]], {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}} who took the ship back to orbit. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}} When Airachnid attempted to incite rebellion among the crew, [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] smacked her down and took charge of the ''Nemesis'' until Megatron returned with an amnesiac Optimus Prime. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

Though the Decepticons tried their best to keep "Orion Pax" in the dark, they had a security lapse when Arcee managed to get on board to hunt for the lost Autobot leader. Soundwave was able to get her back off the ship through deft use of the GroundBridge. It happened again sometime later when Starscream sneaked on board to steal [[energon cube]]s and stumbled on Orion. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} Starscream fled the ship, but his visit raised Orion's suspicions and he accessed the Decepticon database to find out the truth. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}} The Decepticons had a full log of his activities and he was left under Vehicon guard to continue his work, but soon broke free and left the ship to help the Autobots. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}

In control of a vast swarm of [[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticons]], Airachnid launched an attack on the ''Nemesis'' in an attempt to kill Megatron. Meanwhile, Starscream was ''also'' gunning for Megatron after creating several clones of himself, which he dispatched to the ''Nemesis''. In the middle of these attempted coups was a very confused Bulkhead who was inadvertently beamed up to the ''Nemesis'' whilst investigating an energon signal. Seeking an avenue of escape, he crippled the ship's power core, causing it to crash land and allowing Bulkhead to escape in vehicle mode. {{storylink|Armada (episode)|Armada}}

Megatron infused the ship's core with Dark Energon, bringing it back online, but also awakening the ship's mind. It immediately began its mission, decoding the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] database and heading towards the first of the coordinates in [[New York City]]. When the Decepticons resisted, the warship put them all into stasis. Fowler and the three kids GroundBridged aboard, and the ship at first failed to detect them as it wasn't scanning for organic life, which gave them the opportunity to try to reverse the ship's energon supply. Though the warship tried to stop them, they succeeded, and the warship returned to its mindless state. {{storylink|Flying Mind}}

During the hunt for the relics, [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] was infected with a virus by Ratchet so when Soundwave returned to the ship, the Iacon database was transmitted to the Autobot mainframe. {{storylink|Triage}}

Tensions rose between [[Hardshell]], Knock Out, the Insecticons and the rank and file Vehicons on the ''Nemesis'', leading to an all-out brawl. {{storylink|Hurt}}

MECH leader [[Silas]] - integrated into the corpse of [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] - approached the Decepticons in an attempt to join their ranks, offering [[Project Damocles]], a space-based particle cannon, as a token of friendship. The Decepticons launched an operation to retrieve the satellite weapon's interface codes from human military servers while the ''Nemesis'' deployed Damocles into space. Though the weapon worked as intended, the Autobots and their human allies ultimately destroyed Damocles, and for his failure Silas was dragged away to Knock Out's dissection table on the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|The Human Factor}}

The ''Nemesis'' was deployed to a set of coordinates from the Iacon database that indicated the resting place of an ancient relic. There, Megatron discovered that the relic was the legendary [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]], a weapon of immense power, and one that must not fall into the hands of Optimus Prime. After failing to retrieve the weapon or otherwise blast it out himself, he ordered the Decepticons to carve out the massive boulder in which the sword was embedded so the ''Nemesis'' could carry it away. As it was in the process of doing so, the Autobots suddenly attacked, with Optimus Prime charging in after the Star Saber. Despite Megatron's best efforts, Optimus managed to pull the sword from the boulder and then cleaved the rock in twain when Megatron had the ''Nemesis'' drop it on the Autobot leader out of spite. As Megatron watched on helplessly, Optimus followed this up by unleashing a wave of energy at the ''Nemesis'' which destroyed part of its engine array, causing it to narrowly miss crashing into a mountainside and forcing the ship to limp away. {{Storylink|Legacy}}

[[Image:DarkestHour-Basedestroyed.JPG‎ |right|thumb|300px|The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe has been answered.]]

The ''Nemesis'' flew Megatron and Dreadwing to the Decepticons' space bridge orbiting the dark side of the Earth's [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] when they returned to Cybertron to find a way to counter the Star Saber's power. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}} When [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] was determined to be an [[Omega Key]], he was captured and brought aboard the ship. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} After being interrogated via cortical psychic patch, the Autobot stole the Keys stored aboard the ''Nemesis'', and escaped by literally jumping ship. Starscream later returned to the ship with all four Keys in an effort to return to the Decepticons, {{storylink|Inside Job}} and is allowed to once he is deemed fit to return by Megatron after a cortical psychic patch. {{storylink|Patch (episode)|Patch}} An enraged and disillusioned Dreadwing steals the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] and gives it to the Autobots, and is killed in the ship's medical bay by Megatron when he tried to kill Starscream. The ship later flew Megatron and an army of flying Vehicons to the space bridge when the time came for a battle on Cybertron over the [[Omega Lock]]. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}} When Megatron created a [[Darkmount (Earth)|new fortress]] on Earth with the Omega Lock's power, the ''Nemesis'' arrived in [[Jasper]], and was the launch point for the assault on the newly discovered [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]]. As the battle between the Autobots' [[Wheeljack (Prime)|other]] [[William Fowler|allies]] and the Decepticons' flyers raged, the ''Nemesis'' positioned itself over the base. When the battle had ended (with Wheeljack being shot down and Fowler forced to retreat), the ''Nemesis'' fired a colossal cannon on the base, destroying the mountain. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}}

The ''Nemesis'' was docked at Darkmount with the Decepticons now using the fortress as their main base of operations. However, the ship was still used for coordinating attacks {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}} storage of the Forge, the stasis-locked Airachnid, the Apex Armor, and the Star Saber. Smokescreen retrieved the Forge from the ship when prompted to save a dying Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Prey (episode)|Prey}} The ''Nemesis'' was finally deployed once again when an Autobot assault destroyed Darkmount, the Decepticons regrouping onboard the ship. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}}

The ship's communication dish was damaged by the [[Predaking (Prime)|Predacon]], blacking out Decepticon communications, and Starscream unsuccessfully tried to have it repaired before Megatron found out. {{storylink|Plus One}}

==Games==
===''War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
{{voiceactor|[[Fred Tatasciore]] (English)}}

{{quote|Ha! Ha! Ha! You haven't defeated me, Autobots. You have only untethered your own destroyer!|Trypticon decides to freak out the Aerialbots|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''}}

[[Image:WFC-Trypticontrackingdescent.jpg|left|thumb|250px|'CUZ I'M FREE! FREE FALLIN'!]]

After Optimus Prime learned of the coming corruption of the [[Core]], he ordered an evacuation of all Autobots. When Megatron started using his space station to blow up the ships, Optimus Prime sent Jetfire, Air Raid, and Silverbolt to destroy the station. Flooding it with coolant while under heavy fire, the jets were about to blow it up...until they discovered that the station itself was alive. At this point, the Trypticon orbital weapon gun began first targeting locations on Cybertron such as [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Zeta Prime]]'s [[Vaults]], the [[Hall of Ancients]], the [[Stellar Galleries]] and the [[Code Archives]] before finally acquiring the coordinates for Optimus Prime. The fliers hoped that they could prevent Iacon's destruction by destroying Trypticon's [[Transformation cog|conversion cog]], reverting him to his robot mode.

[[Image:WFC-Trypticonyoulost.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Well hello it's me, the giant.]]

Unfortunately for the aerial Autobots, his robot mode was a gigantic, metal dinosaur. Jetfire destroyed his jetpack, and Trypticon plummeted to the planet below. Optimus, Ironhide, and Bumblebee went to investigate the crash and battled the titan, destroying his shoulder-mounted weapons systems by overloading them with energon batteries. The Autobots proceeded to shoot his exposed heat vents and to destroy a set of three power cores along his shoulders and back. Defeated, Trypticon made a last-ditch effort to attack, but lost his balance and fell into an energon lake below when Optimus Prime hit him with his axe. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===''Cybertron Adventures''===
After his weapons were restored, Trypticon made a stand for the Decepticons and started destroying Autobots. Optimus, convincing the Autobots to keep the fight going, made a stand with Bumblebee and Ironhide. The bad news was that Trypticon's only weak spot was in his mouth, but the good news was the Autobots didn't give up.

After half of his health depleted, Trypticon made one more stand, and used his true power. Even though the blasts were powerful, Optimus and the Autobots fired one huge blast, making the monster fall to his demise. {{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures|Cybertron Adventures}}

===''War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
[[Image:WFC-TrypticonDS.jpg|left|thumb|250px|]]
Megatron conquered Trypticon Space Station to manufacture Dark Energon to aid in his planet-wide conquest. However, Megatron found he needed to access the Core of Cybertron to continue to power their Dark Energon supply. Upon defeating Autobot leader Zeta Prime, and later Omega Supreme, Megatron succeeded in his quest.

However, not too long afterwards, newly ascended Autobot leader Optimus Prime freed the Core from the Dark Energon, and ordered a planet-wide evacuation of the population from Cybertron. Megatron began using Trypticon Space Station to fire upon the evacuating Autobot masses, prompting a strike from Optimus' team. The Autobots were able to make Trypticon Space Station crash to Cybertron... only for it to transform into a city-sized Decepticon dinosaur. Luckily, Optimus and his men finally defeated the titan, and ended the threat of Dark Energon for good. {{Storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|War for Cybertron}}
{{--}}

===''Fall of Cybertron''===
{{quote|Nemesis superior, Trypticon inferior}}

After his defeat at the hands of Optimus Prime, Trypticon's body was salvaged from the Energon pool, and dismantled, kept in (still very large) pieces.

Sometime later, [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] informed Megatron of a [[Earth|planet]] rich with resources that they could reach by space bridge, and all they needed was a vessel to take them there. While the scientist worked on the space bridge, the leader led an assault on the labs where Trypticon's body parts were being held. Piece by piece, the Decepticons were able to retake the monster's body. Eventually, after some tinkering, Soundwave was able to reassemble Trypticon despite his gargantuan size. Soundwave stated that there was massive damage to the reptilian Decepticon, and it would likely take some time to repair.

Megatron had other plans and informed Trypticon that as he'd failed in his task of destroying the Autobots, he would be rebuilt into a new warship form. Though Soundwave informed Megatron that due to the damage, Trypticon would be stuck as a warship, Megatron ordered him to begin the procedure. Once Soundwave's work was complete, the ''Nemesis'', as it was now referred to, pursued the Ark as it departed Cybertron, and engaged it in a fierce ship-to-ship battle in front of the wormhole of a space bridge. As Optimus and Megatron dueled, the space bridge began tearing both ships apart, and ultimately sucked both ships through to parts unknown. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

=== ''Transformers: Prime - The Game ===
[[Image:Transformers prime the game trypticon.jpg|thumb|left|150px]]

{{storylink|Transformers: Prime - The Game}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
* Trypticon's head is available as a Fire Breather-type component for [[Infiltrator (FOC)|Infiltrator]]-class characters in ''Fall of Cybertron'' multiplayer.
* Trypticon has two seemingly conflicting origins in ''Exodus''. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Orion Pax]] researches the station and discovers that in "ancient times" it was secretly "recreated" from a simple space station and was raised to sentience, given a living [[spark]] (pg. 82) when [[Dark Energon]] was hidden aboard by an "ancient" iteration of the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]] headed by Sentinel Prime. Alpha Trion confirms this to be true. Beforehand, however [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] refers to the station as being "semi-sentient" and afterwards as a sparkless drone before Shockwave makes it into a Transformer with ''many'' sparks.
*When asked whether Trypticon was alive after that first sparking or not until Shockwave, Alex Irvine passed on commenting on the grounds that to do so would give something important away...
* In the end credits for ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]'', Trypticon is briefly seen grappling with [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]]. Now if we had only seen ''that'' in gameplay.
*Trypticon seems to suffer from mass-displacement. Considering the scale of his space station mode, he should be much bigger in robot form.

===Foreign names===
====''Nemesis''====
*''Japanese:'' '''''Nemesis''''' (ネメシス ''Nemeshisu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Bàoyìng Hào''''' (报应号, "''Retribution''")
*''Russian: '''Nemesis''' (Немезида ''Nemezida'')

[[Category:Decepticon bases]]
[[Category:Decepticon starships]]
[[Category:Fiction-only Transformers]]
[[Category:Prime characters]]
[[Category:Prime starships]]
[[Category:Space stations]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

Soundwave (WFC)

2013-07-10T21:33:21Z

Autocon: /* Notes */

{{faction|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Soundwave}}
:''Soundwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:Soundwave Prime.jpg|thumb|300px|<center>"..."</center>]]
'''Soundwave''' is the spy master of the Decepticons. One of [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s earliest followers, and, many believe, instrumental to his rise, he uses his tentacles and a veritable army of [[Mini-Con|Minicon]] [[Deployer (Prime)|Deployer]]s to learn everything there is to know about his allies and his enemies. He was never very chatty, but these days, on Earth, he's become near silent, communicating by playing back recordings of other people's conversations. He just sneaks about, patiently looking for Autobot transmissions and creeping [[Starscream (WFC)|you]] out. Since the incapacitation of Megatron, Soundwave acts as a restraint on [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], reining in his rather volatile emotions, and ensuring that Starscream's less than subtle ambitions are held in check.

Soundwave has the ability to receive transmissions from anywhere on the planet, bar the shielded Autobot Base. This allows him to spy on every being on the planet in the hopes of picking up Autobot-related communications.

After being rebuilt by his minions using arcane science, he took on the name '''Soundblaster'''.

{{quote|Watch out for the quiet ones.|[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]|"[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Soundwave was a gladiator from [[Kaon]] who almost bested [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] in combat, an act that created mutual respect between the two. Soundwave saw in Megatron a desire to return to the swashbuckling spirit of the [[Golden Age]] of Cybertron, when Cybertronians emerged from the [[Well of All Sparks]] having to escape from the [[Underworld]]'s monsters rather than being put into a [[caste system|caste]]. He was appointed Megatron's lieutenant with [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]. Though Megatron despised Minicons, Soundwave insisted on having them around to spy on their gladiators, including the time when Megatron's librarian friend [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Orion Pax]] came to visit. He was suspicious of Orion and even asked permission from Megatron to tail him as he returned to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]].

After [[Decepticon]]s bombed Cybertron in Megatron's name, Soundwave sent [[Frenzy (WFC)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (WFC)|Rumble]] to search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in [[Crystal City]] (a place which design he always found self indulgent). Soundwave was not sure whether he should have bothered, as he was not superstitious and wondered what use a piece of a [[Star Saber (Prima)|broken sword]] could be. Instead he got chilling indications Crystal City's scientists were planning to revive [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]].

[[Image:WFCcomicDecepticons.jpg|thumb|250px|"Yeah, this look is cool now, but I don't think I'll have it ''forever'': I mean, who'd like to [[GEEWUN|see things looking the same for over twenty five years]], right guys? ...guys?"]]

Soundwave attended Orion and Megatron's hearing before the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. During this meeting, Soundwave helped to sow discord and tension by loudly shouting his complaints over security breaches that, in truth, he himself had caused. The Council noted that they were aware someone had tried to find the Matrix, and they appointed Orion [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] and requested he find it. This tore Orion and Megatron's movement in two.

During the final days of the war, Soundwave and his minions' research changed the fate of Cybertron. It was they who found the areas of the [[DataNet]] that [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] had overlooked and not deleted, revealing the existence of [[Dark Energon]] on [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station. It was he who remembered the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] below Crystal City that allowed for the mass transportation of Dark Energon between Cybertron and Trypticon. And it was the evidence he got from Rumble and Frenzy when they infiltrated Crystal City that revealed the existence of the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] and its two [[Code Key]]s, which enabled Megatron to poison the [[Core]] of Cybertron.

When Optimus removed the Chamber from the Core, beginning the planet's slow healing process, Soundwave boarded the ''Nemesis'' with Megatron, [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] and [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] to pursue the Autobot ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'' into the unknown reaches of space. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

Soundwave regained consciousness onboard the ''Nemesis'' after emerging from the energy field created by the Space Bridge explosion over Cybertron. While Megatron demanded a status report, Soundwave was already deep at work in a console attempting to determine the answer. Along with Starscream and Megatron, Soundwave examined the tracking reports and confirmed Starscream's assumption that the ''Ark'' was likely not too far away. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English)}}
{{quote|Soundwave superior, Autobots inferior.|It turns out Soundwave can talk|''[[Minus One]]''}}
When a gladiator calling himself Megatronus vowed to challenge Cybertron's leadership, Soundwave was his first follower and chief amongst them. Soundwave remained at Megatronus' side, now Megatron, as the conflict escalated into a war. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} Following the [[Great Exodus]], when the Decepticons were trying to decrypt an encoded Autobot transmission, Soundwave suggested they should let [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] have a shot at interrogating [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] and [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

The Decepticons later arrived on [[Earth]]. During a Decepticon attack on Cliffjumper, Soundwave intercepted Arcee's comms talk. He later played it back to Starscream, prompting the Decepticon leader to send the drones after her. He later detected transmissions coming from deep space, that prompted the Decepticons to fire up the [[space bridge]], allowing Megatron to return. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}}

[[Image:DarknessRising5-Soundwaveturn.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Voice actor: ''[[Snake-Eyes]]'' (English).]]
Shortly after Megatron left the ship on a mission, Starscream wondered aloud if Megatron had a touch of space madness, and Soundwave reminded him that their absent leader was still in charge. Starscream told him to step up global surveillance. Soundwave subsequently intercepted a transmission from [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] and, on Starscream's order, dispatched [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] to capture the agent to learn the location of the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} When the Autobots attacked the ''Nemesis'' to retrieve Fowler, slaughtering dozens of their soldiers, Soundwave hid. He simply watched when Megatron returned and took his fury out on Starscream on the bridge for not waiting on his command. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}

Starscream sent Soundwave to the [[Giant Sized Array]] radio telescope in [[Texas]] as they needed to use the array to target the space bridge at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Soundwave hacked into the computer network at the site, but after he had lined up the dishes, someone realigned them. In response to Starscream's demands as to what was happening, he tapped into the base's security system and discovered that the Autobots' three human friends were in a nearby room, similarly accessing the computer. He extended a tentacle into the room they were in and attacked them. When [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] tried to chop the tentacle with an ax, Soundwave took it from her and used it to sever the computer system's hardline, locking the dishes on Cybertron. The three kids entered the room in time to see him leaving, and Miko and Soundwave snapped photos of each other.

[[Image:MastersStudents-Soundwavesradar.jpg|thumb|left|200px|See how much more convincing I am as a [[:Image:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|communications tower]] with this look?]]

Because of Soundwave's success, the Autobots resorted to sabotaging the space bridge, blowing it up and taking Megatron with it. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}} At Starscream's order, Soundwave activated the comm system so Starscream could give a speech to the troops, declaring himself leader. Failing to impress the Vehicons, Starscream pressed Soundwave's sensors into locating [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], a Decepticon secreted in a pod in the desert. Starscream and Soundwave reactivated Skyquake, only to find he wasn't receptive to Starscream's leadership, and instead set about fighting [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]. Soundwave detected a Decepticon signal from the site where the space bridge exploded, and when Starscream went to investigate, Soundwave sent Laserbeak to keep Starscream honest while he himself filmed the battle between Skyquake and Optimus and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]. Though the outcome of the fight was not favorable to the Decepticon cause, Soundwave was able to ensure that Starscream returned Megatron's barely-functioning body to the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

Soundwave intercepted a transmission from [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] who was heading for Earth. At Starscream's order, he downloaded the necessary information to [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]], who took on Wheeljack's form and infiltrated the Autobot base. As Starscream and Soundwave paid a visit to the captive Wheeljack, Soundwave prevented his leader from terminating their prisoner, as he might be of use later. The two 'Cons retired to the ship's top deck to wait for Makeshift to activate the [[GroundBridge]], however Wheeljack broke free and started trashing the Vehicons. When Wheeljack escaped through the ground bridge and sent back Makeshift with his grenade activated, Soundwave and Starscream made sure to get well clear before he exploded. {{storylink|Con Job}} During another Autobot operation, Soundwave listened in on their comm chatter, prompting Starscream to send some Vehicons to attack. {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

[[Image:Deusex-Soundwavecrouching.jpg|thumb|250px|And that's why there's no [[Ratbat (WFC)|Ratbat]].]]

When [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] mentioned seeing an [[Energon Harvester]] in a fresco in [[Greece]], Soundwave was able to track the device's location to a museum. Breakdown and [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] kept the Autobots busy in front of the museum while Soundwave sneaked in the back. He ran into [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Jack Darby|Jack]], who were already in the process of stealing the Harvester, and grabbed it from them before making a getaway in his vehicle mode. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}}

[[Image:SickMind-Soundwaveobjects.jpg|thumb|250px|left|"Let me see some tenderness connected with a death, or that dark chamber, Spirit, which we left just now, will be forever present to me."]]

Starscream and Knock Out made a concerted attempt to convince Soundwave that Megatron was beyond saving, and that the only option left to them was euthanasia. Soundwave remained skeptical, and pointed out the patch cable that Arcee and Bumblebee was using to access Megatron's brain. Megatron's life support was damaged during the ensuing confusion, and though it seemed Starscream and Knock Out were content to leave Megatron flat-lining, Soundwave pressured them into reconnecting the cable sustaining their master. {{storylink|Sick Mind}}

After Megatron's resurrection, Soundwave kept him informed regarding Starscream's activities, including his attempt to resurrect Skyquake with the Dark Energon shard ripped from Megatron's chest, and the loss of his arm. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} Soundwave watched as Breakdown was captured by [[MECH]], and reported back to Starscream. He was on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' when Starscream passed the news on to Megatron, who was less than impressed that Breakdown had been taken by a bunch of humans. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}} He detected the magnetic anomaly caused by the [[polarity gauntlet]], causing Megatron to send Breakdown to go look for it. {{storylink|Metal Attraction}}

Megatron and Starscream headed to a stripped Energon Mine to discover mining drills still there. Starscream attempted to blame this on Soundwave. Megatron told Starscream that Soundwave had been filling him in on the second-in-command's activities. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}} Soundwave listened to Starscream's confessions after Megatron nearly terminated the second-in-command. {{storylink|Partners}}

When the new Decepticon space bridge was nearing completion, Soundwave supplied a diagram of the last component they needed. After they obtained said component, Megatron left the ship on a mission of his own. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] began searching the ship for the Decepticon leader and Megatron instructed Soundwave to send Prime to him. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}}

[[Image:SoundwavePlayingSparkbeat..jpg‎|thumb|200px|He's playing Dubstep.]]

Soundwave translated tremors coming from the Earth's core into sound, revealing it to be a heartbeat. Megatron did not appreciate this, as it was making his head hurt. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

After Megatron left the ship to talk to [[Unicron]], Soundwave monitored the comms channels for his master's return. When [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] suggested considering a future without Megatron, Soundwave ominously looked at her. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}}

[[Image:Soundwavelayingdownthelaw.jpg‎|thumb|200px|left|YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!]]
Soundwave continued to try to find some sign of Megatron. When Airachnid announced Megatron wasn't coming back and ordered the ship to [[Regulon Four]], Soundwave decided it was time to lay down the law. He defied Airachnid, who angrily attacked him, but the Decepticon spy master quickly proceeded to defeat Airachnid. Upon Unicron's defeat, Soundwave detected Megatron's signal and activated the GroundBridge, bowing in respect with the other Decepticons as Megatron entered the bridge of the ship. He had to hold Breakdown back when they saw that Megatron was accompanied by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

With Optimus amnesiac and believing himself to be archivist Orion Pax, Soundwave made sure the ship's [[data core]] was clear of any incriminating evidence so Orion could be put to work decrypting information they'd stolen from the Iacon archives. When Arcee managed to get on board the ship to look for the lost Autobot leader, Soundwave made deft use of the GroundBridge to get her back off before Orion could see her. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} When Orion eventually learned the truth, Soundwave relayed the news to Megatron. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}} He also notified Megatron when activity was detected on Cybertron, indicating that the Autobots had gone there in an attempt to help Optimus. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}

When Megatron was angry after having had the [[spark extractor|latest find]] snatched from his hands, Soundwave reminded him there were still two more sets of coordinates to investigate. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} Soundwave was present when Megatron unsuccessfully tested the [[Forge of Solus Prime]]. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}} He played back footage of Skyquake's demise for [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]]. {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}

Soundwave continued to try to decode more data from the Iacon archives, in a continuation of Orion Pax's work. When Airachnid requested Megatron's approval to take point in the hunt for the relics, Megatron requested that Soundwave remind him of her previous words when she planned to abandon him. Later, after Dreadwing and Breakdown's failure to execute her, Soundwave began tracing Airachnid's location during her communication to the ''Nemesis'' for Megatron. {{storylink|Crossfire}}

After the ''Nemesis'' crashed, Soundwave reviewed security footage and discovered that Bulkhead had been the one to cause it. Megatron brought it back online using Dark Energon, though the ship's guiding intelligence proved uncontrollable by the Decepticons. Soundwave plugged himself into the flight console in an attempt to regain control, but was zapped into stasis. {{storylink|Flying Mind}}

[[Image:Triage Soundwave visor reflection.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
He was on the ''Nemesis'' bridge when Knock Out left to find the first of the four relics decoded by the ship. {{storylink|Tunnel Vision}} Dispatched to find the third relic, Soundwave encountered the ''[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]]'' and used Laserbeak as a distraction. He soon uncovered the [[Resonance Blaster]], only to be attacked by [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]]. Though the Autobot managed to crack his visor, Soundwave triumphed, and was only stopped from dispatching Wheeljack by an SOS from Laserbeak. He picked up Laserbeak and returned to the ''Nemesis'', where Knock Out discovered a grenade implanted in the deployer. Once the offending item was removed, Soundwave returned to his work decrypting the Iacon database, unaware that the Autobots had also implanted a virus in Laserbeak, which passed into the computer and began transmitting the database to the Autobots' mainframe. {{storylink|Triage}} He returned to the bridge to listen to Megatron complain about how ineffective everyone else was, and watched [[Hardshell]] and Knock Out argue. {{storylink|Hurt}}

When [[Silas|Cylas]] came to the Decepticons with the offer of a [[Project Damocles]] satellite, Soundwave was sent to a military base in [[Colorado]] to get the codes so they could control the satellite from the ''Nemesis''. He hacked into the computer, giving him the ability to use the satellite even as he was downloading the codes for it, but failed to stop Raf from knocking the satellite out of orbit. He retreated as the Autobots reached his position. {{storylink|The Human Factor}}

With new information about where the Autobots' human friends lived, Soundwave had Laserbeak patrol the area around [[Jasper]]. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} Soundwave succeeded in decoding another set of coordinates, and Megatron sent him with a decoy Iacon relic to draw the Autobots off. While he managed to keep Optimus Prime's team occupied for a lengthy period of time, it was not long enough, and by the time he returned to the ''Nemesis'', Optimus had gotten hold of the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Legacy}} Continuing his work, Soundwave decoded more coordinates and reported them to Megatron while the latter forged the [[Dark Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}}

When Megatron returned from victory, he told Soundwave, in great detail, how he had destroyed the Star Saber with his own blade. He soon had two more sets of coordinates downloaded, resulting in Knock Out securing an [[Omega Key]]. When the final set decoded into an image of [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]], Soundwave joined Laserbeak in the field to capture the Autobot rookie. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} He was on hand to show the image he'd decoded to Smokescreen. {{storylink|Inside Job}}

After firing up the space bridge so Megatron could go to Cybertron, Soundwave told Starscream about what he'd discovered regarding the location of the Autobots' human allies. He later helped Starscream kidnap the three kids and transport them to Cybertron for use as hostages. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}} After handing over Raf in exchange for an [[Omega Key]], Soundwave took part in the activation of the [[Omega Lock]]. He survived the lock's destruction at the hands of Optimus Prime, and returned to Earth with the others. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}}

During the hunt for the scattered Autobots, Soundwave dispatched Laserbeak to monitor an attempt to off Jack Darby. The attack resulted in an explosion that took out Laserbeak, and though Soundwave worked, he was unable to retrieve any further surveillance data from the salvaged, charred Deployer. He opened a space bridge to Cybertron, through which Knock Out returned from a mission accompanied by the long-missing [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}} Soundwave was present when Starscream proudly showed off the dancing monkey picture he'd found and later when Shockwave brought [[Predaking (Prime)|a Predacon]] to Earth. {{storylink|Scattered}} As Starscream dispatched troops to deal with a number of Autobot signals, Soundwave tried to point out that their army was being spread thinly. He suggested that the Autobots were likely to be using the ''[[Harbinger]]'' as a base, but [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]] came under attack before the Decepticons had a chance to act on the information. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}}

He was forced to repair the ''Nemesis'' communication dish after the Predacon damaged it. {{storylink|Plus One}} Soundwave GroundBridged to Shockwave's aid in [[Texas]], when the other Decepticon came under attack from Autobots. With the help of Laserbeak, Soundwave managed to take down Optimus Prime and deftly GroundBridged a fragment of Predacon remains back to the ''Nemesis'' before the Autobots could get their hands on it. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

When a plague inadvertently engineered by Knock Out and Starscream began spreading through the Vehicon population, Soundwave oversaw cleanup efforts. His group of Vehicons and Insecticons moved through the ship, destroying the infected, until the Insecticons suddenly broke off from the operation. He followed them, and on discovering that Airachnid was out of stasis and controlling them once more, used the space bridge to transport both her and the Insecticons to one of Cybertron's moons. {{Storylink|Thirst}} Soundwave hung around during a Decepticon meeting to determine what to do about the potential threat of the Predacons. {{storylink|Evolution}}

{{spoilers|Minus One|July 12, 2013}}
[[File:Soundwave Mocks.jpg|thumb|left|:)|250px]]
As the Decepticons gathered resources to rebuild the Omega Lock, Soundwave monitored some Vehicons stealing materials. He activated the GroundBridge for them when the Autobots turned up, but he himself was shot down by Optimus Prime and crashed into power lines, disabling himself. The Autobots took him back to their shielded base and attempted to interrogate him to find out what Megatron's plans were, but Soundwave merely erased his data and crashed his own hard drives before breaking his vow of silence to tell them he was superior. He remained offline until Laserbeak arrived and reactivated him with new orders—capture Ratchet. {{storylink|Minus One}}

{{--}}

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
[[Image:Titan4.2 Soundwave listen.jpg|thumb|right|200px| You look different, Soundwave. Did you do something different with your entire face?]]
During the war, Soundwave took part in a mission led by Megatron to invade [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and destroy the [[Iacon Energon Refinery]]. The team had barely made it in before Soundwave detected that they'd been spotted and the five Decepticons had to take cover. Following a failed gambit which expended the other three team members, Megatron gave Soundwave a bomb. While his leader caused a distraction, Soundwave ran to plant the bomb, only to be struck by blasts from [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|one of the defenders]]. Megatron picked up his wounded second-in-command and helped him to safety, along with the other three Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

Megatron and Soundwave somehow slipped some code into ''[[Invasionauts II]]'' to hypnotise Raf into opening the GroundBridge so they could send Vehicons through. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.4|Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!}} When Soundwave's plan to ambush the Autobots in [[The Wave]] went badly, he fired his remote-controlled hand at [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]. The hand lodged in the scout's chest and later emerged when Bumblebee and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] were asleep. Despite trying its best to kill Bumblebee, Soundwave's hand was strapped to a firework and shot high into the air. Starscream and Soundwave later scoured the desert for the missing hand and managed to find at least one finger. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.12|The Evil Shred}}

Megatron had Soundwave broadcast his intent to wreck the [[Statue of Liberty]] to the world's media. Unfortunately the US military intercepted all the transmissions before they could be received, leaving Megatron very unhappy with his communications officer. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.13|Protecting the Lady}}
{{--}}

===Toy bios===
When Soundwave was severely damaged, his loyal Deployers set to work repairing him. Utilizing the ancient, mysterious science of an alien world, they succeeded, and Soundwave was revived. To reflect the fact that he was no longer content with just being the Decepticons' communications specialist, he renamed himself "Soundblaster", and took on a more combative role. {{storylink|#GenerationsSoundblaster|Voyager Class Soundblaster}}

===''Tales of the Beast Hunters''===
Soundwave intercepted a message between [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] indicating that the pair were heading for a derelict starship in the [[asteroid belt]]. As [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] and [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] headed out to tail the two Autobots, Soundwave monitored events on [[Earth]] to make sure no one else was following. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 2}} When Predaking came back alone with the news Megatron had apparently perished in an explosion, Soundwave and the other Decepticons immediately suspected [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] was responsible. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 7}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)|[[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian)}}
[[Image:Soundwave WfC GameInformer Concept Art.jpg|300px|So Soundwave, you ever going to use that giant missile pod on your shoulder?
"Well there was that [[Spotlight: Soundwave|one time." ]]|thumb|right]]
Soundwave took control of the orbital station [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] was posted at, helping [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] to reach the [[Dark Energon]] by establishing a forward base within the station. He then directed Megatron to a Data Matrix Center in order to find a route to the Dark Energon that had not been blocked by Starscream.

Later, Soundwave notified Megatron that access to the core was impossible, as it was guarded by the Omega Gate. He and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] accompanied Megatron as they led the assault on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], through which they would find and take the [[Omega Key]], opening the Omega Gate and allowing the core to be infused with Dark Energon. On their way to the [[Stellar Galleries]], Soundwave reported [[sniper (WFC)|sniper]]s, and after taking them down, Megatron infused the entrance with Dark Energon and took his team into the security station. Soundwave noticed that the batteries fed the security grid, and the trio infused each of them with Dark Energon, deactivating the security measures. Soundwave then detected the Omega Key behind their next door, and after opening it, the Decepticons arrived at the Stellar Galleries. They opened the container, finding not the key, but a message from [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Zeta Prime]], who announced that he had taken the Omega Key, anticipating Megatron's plan. Zeta sent Autobot attack forces against them, but they were swiftly taken down. Megatron ordered Soundwave to trace Zeta Prime's broadcast, and Soundwave found it came from 12.7 cycles ahead. He then noted a weak wall, and the Decepticons broke it down and entered the cities' subsystems, providing a direct route to Zeta, and the Omega Key.

The group descended down a shaft and went through a tunnel, avoiding trains on the way, and after breaking down a door in a ventilation area, they were ambushed by Autobot cloakers. Soundwave dispatched them and infused Dark Energon into the batteries. Megatron congratulated him, and then ordered him to unlock the exit. Soundwave obliged, and the trio found themselves in another tunnel. Breakdown challenged Soundwave to a race, to which the Decepticon responded, in his trademark monotone, "Negative." Tough crowd. Rushing through the tunnel, this time full of moving trains, the group came to a station where they infiltrated Iacon's lower levels. Soundwave detected the Omega Key at last, and suggested proceeding through the logistics station. Roughing it through the Autobot attackers, Soundwave finally determined that the key was beyond the train tunnels.

Soundwave and his teammates arrived at Iacon's main streets, where they met up with [[Brawl (WFC)|Brawl]] outside of Zeta Prime's vaults, which were impervious to the small amount of Dark Energon Megatron was capable of channeling. After Megatron's squad helped Brawl clear the area, Brawl called in the Dark Energon bombers, but they were spectacularly shot down by the planetary guns. Brawl suggested disabling them, and Soundwave assisted in carrying out the plan. Autobots advanced all around, but Soundwave and the others managed to hold them off until the next wave of bombers arrived, clearing the street and destroying the Vault doors. Soundwave joined the others on their way to the entrance, but the squad was intercepted by a [[Destroyer (WFC)|Destroyer]]. Soundwave and Breakdown split from Megatron to flank him, and eventually they rendered him non-functional. Inside the vault, they avoided Zeta's traps and finally reached the Omega Key—but it too was a trap. Zeta then attacked them, using a giant hologram and controlling the chamber to his advantage, dropping the ceiling and sending holographic brutes to attack for him while safe within an impenetrable energy shield. (Even during the battle, Soundwave was impressed by the creation of endless energon clones, to which Breakdown responded, roughly, "NERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!") Soundwave's dorkiness proved useful in discerning the weakness of Zeta's machines—that the core rapidly overheated after prolonged use, and needed to open up in order to cool, rendering it vulnerable to attack. After the battle, Megatron plucked from Zeta's hand the "key"...which started to blink its lights and chirp. Zeta Prime informed them that the "key" he was actually a device that activated the real key: [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]].

As the three Decepticons flew away to track Omega, Soundwave noticed that the "key" was coming for them. Omega Supreme attacked, and thrust the Decepticons' star cruiser into a wall. Crash-landing, Megatron had a change of plans; force Omega Supreme to open the Omega Gate. Soundwave noticed a Decepticon [[Dropship (WFC)|Dropship]] across the bridge, but when the squad went to investigate, Omega Supreme intercepted them. Soundwave reported that his weapons were ineffective; Megatron told his soldiers to destroy the bridge supports, causing Omega Supreme's vast bulk to collapse it. But he transformed to his ship mode, flew back up, and forced the Decepticons to retreat inside. In a frenzy, Breakdown noted that the next door was locked, and Soundwave proposed that Dark Energon could open the door, which it did. Inside, Soundwave picked up a transmission from Starscream, who announced that he would be replacing the "deceased" Megatron as Decepticon leader. Enraged, Megatron threatened Starscream, but Soundwave informed his leader that communication to the surface had been cut off, so Starscream could not hear him.

The trio arrived at the lift, but found it to be locked down. Breaking the locks got the lift back to working condition, but on their way up, Omega Supreme returned and blasted it, forcing the Decepticons down the shaft at breakneck speed. Omega was still out there, so the emergency brakes' destruction was the Decepticons' only hope. At the bottom, they continued their journey to find a way to fight Omega Supreme—Soundwave noted that at the top of the tower were several heavy weapons emplacements which could at least theoretically damage Omega—but Omega Supreme didn't know the meaning of the word quit. (He really doesn't; not much in the processor department.) He grabbed the Decepticons, but Soundwave helped out in shooting Omega Supreme's hand, forcing him relinquishing the three from his grasp. They retreated inside a fortified Autobot position, and in order to prevent detection, Soundwave jammed their signals. Slaying the Autobots inside who dared attempt to counterattack, Soundwave unlocked the exit, which only let in more Autobots. They too, met their demise, but as Soundwave and his comrades escaped, he noticed that the Autobots' security was countering the effects of Dark Energon. Destroying the sentries turned to be a worthwhile solution, but then the Decepticons had to deal with Omega Supreme mining road. Soundwave's sensors indicated the presence of a bridge nearby, and though Breakdown was unsure, Megatron was willing to follow Soundwave's advice. Once again, Omega Supreme continued to stalk them, but Soundwave led his group to an alternate route...a dead end, to be precise, which Megatron was irritated with. Soundwave revealed that breaking a structurally-weak sealed doorway nearby took them to Iacon maintenance tunnels leading straight to the bridge terminal. When they arrived through the power conduits, Soundwave and the others fought through more Autobots and finally activated the bridge.

Racing across the bridge, they barely avoided Omega Supreme's pursuit, and Soundwave located another cargo lift that would transport them straight to the heavy ion turrets. On the lift he picked up several Autobot/Decepticon signals, a sign they were approaching the battle on the surface. Soundwave participated in the slugfest, and his analysis proved that the turrets nearby had enough firepower to legitimately damage Omega Supreme. Then, he showed no mercy using the turrets to breach Omega's armour and finally topple him to the ground below.

Soundwave, Breakdown, and Megatron followed Omega, and at the bottom, they were surprised to see him survive and transform into his mighty robot mode. Soundwave noted that energon batteries produced from within Cybertron were the source of Omega's limitless endurance, and further advised the team on battling Omega; avoiding his tractor beams would allow them to live, and his turrets were vulnerable, making them the prime target. When the turrets were blown, Soundwave saw that the batteries were being used to repair them, and so it became an objective to corrupt them with Dark Energon. When Omega Supreme used the batteries to heal himself, he was instead weakened, allowing the Decepticons to critically injure him. Omega Supreme was still alive even after all of that, but much weaker. Soundwave observed that his chest plating had been damaged, and Megatron ordered Soundwave and Breakdown to blast it, and Omega Supreme fell at last. Soundwave advised Megatron that now would be a good time to corrupt Omega with Dark Energon, but Megatron told Captain Obvious to shut up and did as he would have done even if Soundwave hadn't brought it up, laughing all the way.

After Cybertron's Core had been infected with Dark Energon, Soundwave was reassigned as head of [[Kaon]]'s prison, and watched over (i.e., tortured) Zeta Prime in his spare time. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]], [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]] and [[Air Raid (WFC)|Air Raid]] led an Autobot breakout and battled Soundwave's minions [[Frenzy (WFC)|Frenzy]], [[Rumble (WFC)|Rumble]] and [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]]. Soundwave himself sustained heavy damage leaving the safety of his position to revive and retrieve each Minicon, showing uncharaceristic concern for other living beings. Eventually, defeated and critically damaged, Soundwave desperately attempted to restore himself by absorbing life force from Zeta's very own spark. His attempt to fully heal was halted by Optimus, who even took a shot from the Decepticon intended to finish off Prime. Although Soundwave and his minions fled, the damage had already been done and Zeta Prime expired moments later. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)
Soundwave hacked into the Autobot mainframe and, while Megatron and some other Decepticons kept the Autobots distracted, downloaded intel indicating the location of the Trypticon space station. As they approached the station in Megatron's ship, Soundwave reported that the inhabitants were taking up defensive positions and docking would not be possible. Though Megatron was confident they could ram the station, Soundwave turned out to be right, and they could only get close enough to drop a small team off on the debris surrounding the station. When the station was conquered and Dark Energon in Megatron's hands, Soundwave suggested it might be a good idea to test the stuff prior to use. It turned out to be unstable, and he warned it could result in destruction of its host. The Decepticons set up Kaon Prison as a testing ground and, after eleven failures, established that the Dark Energon could be used. When Barricade asked what happened to the failures, Soundwave would only say that their remains laid in the prison and creepily ask Barricade to get in the chair so he too could be infused with Dark Energon.

Trypticon station required more power, so the Decepticons sent a team to Cybertron's core to reactivate the Energon Bridge. Soundwave did not anticipate the activation of latent defense systems, triggered by the Decepticon presence, because he hadn't studied the same ancient files as Starscream. Megatron ordered Soundwave to give Starscream whatever he needed, and they succeeded in activating the bridge. Soundwave reported that they were only at 37% power — the Autobots had severed the bridge's link to the core using the Omega Key. Lazerbeak intercepted an Autobot transmission indicating that Zeta Prime was hiding the Omega Key, and Megatron ordered Soundwave to assemble a strike force to obtain it. They managed to find and defeat the Autobot leader, but the Omega Key he had was only the key to awaken the real key — Omega Supreme. Once the Decepticons fought their way through the Autobot defenses, Soundwave reported they had reached Omega Supreme himself. The Decepticons defeated the giant, reestablished the link to the core and infused it with Dark Energon. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)|[[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian)}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)}}
Soundwave was present when Optimus was brought to Megatron by Starscream and [[Onslaught (WFC)|Onslaught]]. He watched as [[Metroplex (FOC)|Metroplex]]''' pulverised''' Megatron. He was the only one who hesitated in following Starscream. He secretly salvaged and with the help of Laserbeak, Rumble and an [[E.D.K. TechVolt]], rebuilt his glorious leader, improving on his original design. He infused Megatron with Dark Energon, and pointed his leader in the direction of Starscream. He took part in the assault on the factory the Autobots had built in the crater where Trypticon crashed, and once Megatron had rebuilt the giant Decepticon, came to power up Trypticon's power core. On Megatron's orders, Soundwave rebuilt Trypticon into the ''Nemesis'', a ship strong enough to make it towards [[Earth|the planet]] [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] had chosen. When the Autobots launched the Ark, the ''Nemesis'' soon caught up, and Soundwave spearheaded the assault on the other ship. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron}}

===''Terrorcon Defense''===
[[Image:SoundwaveTerrorconDefense.jpg|300px|thumb|As awesome as he looks here, he's probably waltzing off after Bumblebee blasted him ''again''.]]
Soundwave attempted to retrieve Dark Energon from a mining area but despite his army of Vehicons and Terrorcons, Bumblebee managed to stop him. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Terrorcon Defense}}
{{-}}

=== ''Transformers: Prime - The Game ===
[[Image:TransformersPrimeTheGame Soundwave.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Wait, I thought Daft Punk had two guys in it.]]
{{storylink|Transformers: Prime - The Game}}
After [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] saves Miko, and Raf- he has to shut down the reactors in which Soundwave set up to keep Raf from hacking into the Decepticon Database. Ratchet has to shut down each reactor as Soundwave deploys vehicons, and blocks them with forcefields. Eventually towards the end the two end up battling; ending with Ratchet defeating Soundwave.

==Commercial appearances==

===Transformers: War For Cybertron===
[[Image:WFC Gamestop Commercial.jpg|left|150px|thumb|The toy can do this if you try hard enough.]]
[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] arrived to a location where [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], and Soundwave were battling Autobots. Megatron left, leaving Shockwave in charge. Shockwave ordered Soundwave to [[Transformation|Transform]]. Soundwave changed into Cybertronian boombox mode and played [[The Touch]]. {{storylink|Commercial#War for Cybertron|GameSpot's commercial for their Shockwave multiplayer exclusive}}
{{--}}

===Transformers: Prime===
Soundwave knows that out of all the radio transmissions in the universe, Megatron's favorite song is the ''[[My Little Pony]]: Friendship is Magic'' theme. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|Megatron's Favorite Song (26 Hour Takeover marathon promo)}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[Image:Generationstoy-CybertronianSoundwave.jpg|thumb|300px|No [[Soundwave (Animated)|giant guitar]] this time!]]
*'''Cybertronian Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' two "weapons"

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class toys, ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)#Toys|War for Cybertron]]'' Soundwave transforms into an SUV-style "communications truck", as seen in [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|the video game]]. He comes with his classic shoulder launcher and rifle, both of which can be mounted on his hands, right shoulder, and rear vehicle sides via [[5mm post]]s, and store inside his opening chest (approximating the visual of cassette spools). Soundwave's head features a [[light-piping]] gimmick, but the effect is largely neutered by his painted visor.

: This mold was [[repaint]]ed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#United|Soundwave Cybertron Mode]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Decepticon/GenerationsSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Cybertronian Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|GenerationsVoyager}}
[[Image:Generations-SoundwaveVoyager.jpg|thumb|300px|With all the downsizing, Soundwave's surprised he's gotten so big.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 001'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG13'''
**''Accessories:'' Laserbeak/Data disc, shoulder cannon

: Part of the first wave of [[2012]] Voyager Class ''Generations [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' toys, Soundwave is a larger mold, and comes with a shoulder cannon which can peg (via 5mm post) into his hands, right shoulder, and roof/back.

: He also comes with [[Legends Class]] [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Generations|Laserbeak]], who utilizes Soundwave's main [[gimmick]], storing and launching Laserbeak and other "[[data disc]]" minions. A button to the left of his head can be pressed to open his spring-loaded chest compartment, allowing up to three data discs to be stored inside. With discs stored, his back panel/roof now acts as a plunger, which can be moved forward in either mode to launch minions out. Launched minions should land on buttons on their undersides, thus triggering their [[Flipchanger|spring-loaded transformation mechanisms]] and springing them into action! ...Hopefully.

: As an undocumented feature, the seat on his vehicle roof holds [[Diaclone]] drivers. Additionally, Soundwave's trigger finger is molded into his left hand, presumably so he can push his own eject button.

: For some reason, his [[stock photography]] and [[instructions]] depict him with the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]] toy's [[Ion blaster]] accessory, which isn't included with the final product.

: The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Soundwave features different colors, using a more purple-ish metallic shade of blue and replacing almost all of his gray parts (the exceptions being his face and "grill") with a much darker metallic shade. It also features none of the red and yellow [[paint operation|paint details]] on his arms and legs and renders the seat on his roof black.

: Soundwave was [[redeco]]ed and [[retool]]ed into [[Blaster (FOC)|Autobot Blaster]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/FOCSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Fall of Cybertron'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|GenerationsSoundblaster}}
[[Image:Generationstoy-FOCSoundblaster.jpg|thumb|300px|"Am I New Soundwave, or [[#Beast Hunters|Old]] [[#Deluxe|Old]] New Soundwave?"]]
*'''Soundblaster''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 002'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG14'''
**''Accessories:'' Buzzsaw/Data disc, shoulder cannon

: Also available in the first wave of [[2012]] Voyager Class ''Generations Fall of Cybertron'' toys, Soundblaster is a charcoal gray, red, gold, and yellow [[redeco]] of Voyager Class Soundwave, as is the trend with [[Soundblaster (disambiguation)|Soundblasters]]. In fact, he uses the exact same [[paint operation|paint mask]] as Soundwave, simply changing some of the colors. He now comes with [[Buzzsaw (FOC)|Buzzsaw]], a redeco of Laserbeak.

: His stock photography and instructions still depict him with the ion blaster accessory which he still doesn't have.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/FOCSoundblaster/soundblaster.htm More information on Soundblaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|Deluxe}}
[[Image:Primetoy-SoundwaveDeluxe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Toy doesn't talk, just like in the tv show!]]
[[Image:TakaraTomyPrimetoy-AMSoundwave.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Ooh, does this mean I'm [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] now?]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2012)
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[April 28]], 2012'''
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 004'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''AM-09'''
**''Accessories'': [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Prime|Laserbeak]], [[Zori#Prime|Zori]] Arms Micron (TakaraTomy only)

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Robots in Disguise (2012)|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' toys, Soundwave transforms from a UAV not unlike the [[Wikipedia:General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper|Predator B drone]] into an angular batlike robot mode. His transformation includes a spring-loaded head that deploys automatically when his tail and thrust bottle are folded up. His vehicle mode has a [[5mm post|5mm port]] on the top of its fuselage; the robot also has 5mm sockets passing entirely through his palms. Any of these holes can mount the included Laserbeak, or he can store inside Soundwave's chest in either mode.

: In wave six of the ''Prime'' toyline, Soundwave was put into new packaging, which came with a DVD featuring the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)| Prime]]'' episode "[[Loose Cannons]]".

: The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Soundwave has considerable differences from the [[Hasbro]] version. He comes with his own [[Arms Micron]], Zori, and cannons with 5mm ports and posts have been added to his wings (on his shoulders in robot mode) in order to accommodate said gimmick. Many of the Hasbro [[paint operation]]s have also been removed and replaced with numerous, small, customer-applied [[sticker]]s, including ones for his tiny sculpted kneecaps, which are practically guaranteed to peel off at the sides. In addition, the [[instructions]] for applying the stickers unfortunately contain an error, with the placement of stickers 14 and 15 being swapped around.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Hasbro Soundwave at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-1501.html Arms Micron Soundwave gallery at Alfes's blog]''

{{-}}

===Beast Hunters===
[[Image:PrimeBHtoy-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Yeah, being lost in the wilderness for a couple of months will do that to you.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''2/002'''
**''Accessories'': [[Ravage (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Ravage]], [[Talon Grapple Cannon]]
: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Beast Hunters]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Soundwave is a redeco and extensive [[retool]] of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Soundwave mold, and transforms into a spiky aerial drone with a massive wingspan and three tail-fins. Aside from the usual peg-holes on his fuselage and palms, his wings have been retooled with two new peg-holes, with one on each wing. Instead of Laserbeak, Soundwave features a new partner in the form of Ravage, who is a robotic jaguar that transforms into a thing that fits into Soundwave's chest.

:Soundwave also comes with the Talon Grapple Cannon, a spring-loaded launcher that fires a [[missile]] with an opening "claw" at the end, with the missile and launcher being tied together with a length of string. The launcher itself features an additional peg on each side, and its main peg is sculpted to be able to fit in the specially-shaped socket on his chest, allowing the cannon to mount on his vehicle-mode underside when Ravage is removed.

:His instructions include the [[Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 2|second chapter]] of the ''[[Tales of the Beast Hunters]]'' series.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Beast Hunters'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[Image:BHtoy Cyberverse Soundwave.jpg|thumb|300px|Now let's see [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Laserbeak]] pop out of ''this'' guy's chest.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Cyberverse Legion, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''3/005'''
**''Accessories'': Sonic Saw

: Part of the second wave of ''Prime: Beast Hunters'' [[Cyberverse#Series 3|Series 3 Cyberverse]] Legion Class toys, Soundwave is a smaller-scale toy. He comes with a "Sonic Saw" rifle with a chainsaw bayonet, and the weapon features four [[C joint|3mm posts]] and two ports, allowing it to peg onto any of the ports on Soundwave's hands, forearms/wings, and back/fuselage. This weapon, in varying colors, was also used by [[Hun-Gurrr (Prime)|Hun-Gurrr]], [[Smokescreen (Prime)#Cyberverse|Smokescreen]], and the [[Vehicon (Prime)#CyberverseAir|Air Vehicon]].

{{-}}

===Go!===
*'''Hunter Soundwave''' ([[April 27|04–27]]–13)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''G18'''
**''Accessories'': [[Ravage (WFC)#Go!|Ravage]], "Capture Anchor" weapon
:Hunter Soundwave is a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Hunters'' Deluxe Soundwave toy, released in [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Cubed Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Transformers Go!]]'' toyline and using a different blue, white and black color scheme with a red faceplate. The back of the packaging erroneously depicts the ''Beast Hunters'' version of the toy.

==Notes==
[[Image:TfprimeSoundwavePredator.jpg|thumb|But can he replay footage of "[[Operation: Firestorm]]"?]]
[[Image:VectorSigmaBotBuilderSoundwave.jpg|thumb|Deep Desert Soundwave.]]
* Soundwave transforms into a Cybertronian car during gameplay of ''War for Cybertron'', and his toy does the same, having only one alternate mode. However, in a ''War for Cybertron'' cutscene, the Gamestop commercial for Shockwave, and the end credits for ''War for Cybertron'', he is additionally shown to transform into a Cybertronian boombox, which the toy can technically do with some fiddling.
* Despite his toy and concept art appearance, Soundwave has a [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|yellow]] visor in the War for Cybertron game. This was changed to red for the Fall of Cybertron sequel (perhaps displaying, in-universe, his furthered dedication to the Decepticon cause?).
* According to the [[Transformers Hall of Fame]] biography, Soundwave [[Perceptor (Animated)|deleted his emotions to process information more quickly]], and is susceptible to [[Cyber Missions 1|too many sonic booms]].
* [[Duane Capizzi]] said Soundwave can speak, but just chooses not to. The decision was to contrast Soundwave with the overly talkative Starscream,<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/bonus-q--a-with-transformers-prime-creators---answered-171430/ TFW2005 Q&A January 2011]</ref> and at [[BotCon 2011]], the staff compared Soundwave to [[Boba Fett]]. Instead, he records what he overhears and replays it with a mechanical echo that is very similar to the echo of his G1 counterpart. <s>Sorry, [[Frank Welker|Frank]], only [[Megatron (WFC)|one character]] for now...</s> But when he ''does'' talk, he sounds a lot like Frank Welker.
* Soundwave's prehensile tentacles are reminiscent of [[Soundwave (ROTF)|another Soundwave]], although they are significantly less naughty.
* Soundwave's body parts are available to use in the Hub website's [[Vector Sigma Bot Builder]] online game. Normally, you cannot configure a generic 'bot using all Soundwave parts, but you can see what one would look like at right through the magic of Photoshop.

===Arms Up Modes===
In the Japanese ''Prime'' toyline, Soundwave has named powered-up modes when given various [[Arms Micron]]s in certain configurations:

*'''Night Attack Mode''' (ナイトアタックモード ''Naito Atakku Mōdo'')
**''Arms Microns'': Balo, Jida, Zori
: In this mode, shown on his box-back photo, Soundwave uses the two-Micron weapon [[Spike Hammer Rod]], while [[Jida]] in "Defense Shield" mode hangs on his left shoulder. What exactly makes all this ideal for nighttime attacks is anyone's guess.

*'''Jet Mode''' (ジェットモード ''Jetto Mōdo'')
**''Arms Microns'': Gora (x2), Zori
: Meant simply for flying in fast and blowing crap up, this heavily modified version of Soundwave requires some real work. Because of all the recycled non-''Transformers'' parts in this mode, TakaraTomy designer [[Takashi Nakase]] has nicknamed this version "Recycle Mode". Two jet thruster/fuel tanks are created using bottles from a Japanese "common yogurt drink" and a pair of [[Gora]]s painted up silver, with snipped Arms Micron sprues added on for detail. Soundwave also carries a large weapon made from Zori, a plastic fork, and more sprues. Yes, a plastic fork. You read that correctly.
: There is also a vehicle mode configuration for this Arms Up Mode, with the massive turbines on the end of Soundwave's wings and the weapon on top of the main body. The whole shebang can be seen [http://youtu.be/QJUMhgggH-Q in this TakaraTomy developer video on YouTube].

===Foreign names===
*''Russian:'' '''Barkhan''' (Бархан, "Dune")

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Surveillance specialists]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

Soundwave (WFC)

2013-07-10T21:29:35Z

Autocon: /* Prime cartoon */

{{faction|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Soundwave}}
:''Soundwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:Soundwave Prime.jpg|thumb|300px|<center>"..."</center>]]
'''Soundwave''' is the spy master of the Decepticons. One of [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s earliest followers, and, many believe, instrumental to his rise, he uses his tentacles and a veritable army of [[Mini-Con|Minicon]] [[Deployer (Prime)|Deployer]]s to learn everything there is to know about his allies and his enemies. He was never very chatty, but these days, on Earth, he's become near silent, communicating by playing back recordings of other people's conversations. He just sneaks about, patiently looking for Autobot transmissions and creeping [[Starscream (WFC)|you]] out. Since the incapacitation of Megatron, Soundwave acts as a restraint on [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], reining in his rather volatile emotions, and ensuring that Starscream's less than subtle ambitions are held in check.

Soundwave has the ability to receive transmissions from anywhere on the planet, bar the shielded Autobot Base. This allows him to spy on every being on the planet in the hopes of picking up Autobot-related communications.

After being rebuilt by his minions using arcane science, he took on the name '''Soundblaster'''.

{{quote|Watch out for the quiet ones.|[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]|"[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Soundwave was a gladiator from [[Kaon]] who almost bested [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] in combat, an act that created mutual respect between the two. Soundwave saw in Megatron a desire to return to the swashbuckling spirit of the [[Golden Age]] of Cybertron, when Cybertronians emerged from the [[Well of All Sparks]] having to escape from the [[Underworld]]'s monsters rather than being put into a [[caste system|caste]]. He was appointed Megatron's lieutenant with [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]. Though Megatron despised Minicons, Soundwave insisted on having them around to spy on their gladiators, including the time when Megatron's librarian friend [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Orion Pax]] came to visit. He was suspicious of Orion and even asked permission from Megatron to tail him as he returned to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]].

After [[Decepticon]]s bombed Cybertron in Megatron's name, Soundwave sent [[Frenzy (WFC)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (WFC)|Rumble]] to search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in [[Crystal City]] (a place which design he always found self indulgent). Soundwave was not sure whether he should have bothered, as he was not superstitious and wondered what use a piece of a [[Star Saber (Prima)|broken sword]] could be. Instead he got chilling indications Crystal City's scientists were planning to revive [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]].

[[Image:WFCcomicDecepticons.jpg|thumb|250px|"Yeah, this look is cool now, but I don't think I'll have it ''forever'': I mean, who'd like to [[GEEWUN|see things looking the same for over twenty five years]], right guys? ...guys?"]]

Soundwave attended Orion and Megatron's hearing before the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. During this meeting, Soundwave helped to sow discord and tension by loudly shouting his complaints over security breaches that, in truth, he himself had caused. The Council noted that they were aware someone had tried to find the Matrix, and they appointed Orion [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] and requested he find it. This tore Orion and Megatron's movement in two.

During the final days of the war, Soundwave and his minions' research changed the fate of Cybertron. It was they who found the areas of the [[DataNet]] that [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] had overlooked and not deleted, revealing the existence of [[Dark Energon]] on [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station. It was he who remembered the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] below Crystal City that allowed for the mass transportation of Dark Energon between Cybertron and Trypticon. And it was the evidence he got from Rumble and Frenzy when they infiltrated Crystal City that revealed the existence of the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] and its two [[Code Key]]s, which enabled Megatron to poison the [[Core]] of Cybertron.

When Optimus removed the Chamber from the Core, beginning the planet's slow healing process, Soundwave boarded the ''Nemesis'' with Megatron, [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] and [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] to pursue the Autobot ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'' into the unknown reaches of space. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

Soundwave regained consciousness onboard the ''Nemesis'' after emerging from the energy field created by the Space Bridge explosion over Cybertron. While Megatron demanded a status report, Soundwave was already deep at work in a console attempting to determine the answer. Along with Starscream and Megatron, Soundwave examined the tracking reports and confirmed Starscream's assumption that the ''Ark'' was likely not too far away. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English)}}
{{quote|Soundwave superior, Autobots inferior.|It turns out Soundwave can talk|''[[Minus One]]''}}
When a gladiator calling himself Megatronus vowed to challenge Cybertron's leadership, Soundwave was his first follower and chief amongst them. Soundwave remained at Megatronus' side, now Megatron, as the conflict escalated into a war. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} Following the [[Great Exodus]], when the Decepticons were trying to decrypt an encoded Autobot transmission, Soundwave suggested they should let [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] have a shot at interrogating [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] and [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

The Decepticons later arrived on [[Earth]]. During a Decepticon attack on Cliffjumper, Soundwave intercepted Arcee's comms talk. He later played it back to Starscream, prompting the Decepticon leader to send the drones after her. He later detected transmissions coming from deep space, that prompted the Decepticons to fire up the [[space bridge]], allowing Megatron to return. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}}

[[Image:DarknessRising5-Soundwaveturn.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Voice actor: ''[[Snake-Eyes]]'' (English).]]
Shortly after Megatron left the ship on a mission, Starscream wondered aloud if Megatron had a touch of space madness, and Soundwave reminded him that their absent leader was still in charge. Starscream told him to step up global surveillance. Soundwave subsequently intercepted a transmission from [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] and, on Starscream's order, dispatched [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] to capture the agent to learn the location of the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} When the Autobots attacked the ''Nemesis'' to retrieve Fowler, slaughtering dozens of their soldiers, Soundwave hid. He simply watched when Megatron returned and took his fury out on Starscream on the bridge for not waiting on his command. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}

Starscream sent Soundwave to the [[Giant Sized Array]] radio telescope in [[Texas]] as they needed to use the array to target the space bridge at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Soundwave hacked into the computer network at the site, but after he had lined up the dishes, someone realigned them. In response to Starscream's demands as to what was happening, he tapped into the base's security system and discovered that the Autobots' three human friends were in a nearby room, similarly accessing the computer. He extended a tentacle into the room they were in and attacked them. When [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] tried to chop the tentacle with an ax, Soundwave took it from her and used it to sever the computer system's hardline, locking the dishes on Cybertron. The three kids entered the room in time to see him leaving, and Miko and Soundwave snapped photos of each other.

[[Image:MastersStudents-Soundwavesradar.jpg|thumb|left|200px|See how much more convincing I am as a [[:Image:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|communications tower]] with this look?]]

Because of Soundwave's success, the Autobots resorted to sabotaging the space bridge, blowing it up and taking Megatron with it. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}} At Starscream's order, Soundwave activated the comm system so Starscream could give a speech to the troops, declaring himself leader. Failing to impress the Vehicons, Starscream pressed Soundwave's sensors into locating [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], a Decepticon secreted in a pod in the desert. Starscream and Soundwave reactivated Skyquake, only to find he wasn't receptive to Starscream's leadership, and instead set about fighting [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]. Soundwave detected a Decepticon signal from the site where the space bridge exploded, and when Starscream went to investigate, Soundwave sent Laserbeak to keep Starscream honest while he himself filmed the battle between Skyquake and Optimus and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]. Though the outcome of the fight was not favorable to the Decepticon cause, Soundwave was able to ensure that Starscream returned Megatron's barely-functioning body to the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

Soundwave intercepted a transmission from [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] who was heading for Earth. At Starscream's order, he downloaded the necessary information to [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]], who took on Wheeljack's form and infiltrated the Autobot base. As Starscream and Soundwave paid a visit to the captive Wheeljack, Soundwave prevented his leader from terminating their prisoner, as he might be of use later. The two 'Cons retired to the ship's top deck to wait for Makeshift to activate the [[GroundBridge]], however Wheeljack broke free and started trashing the Vehicons. When Wheeljack escaped through the ground bridge and sent back Makeshift with his grenade activated, Soundwave and Starscream made sure to get well clear before he exploded. {{storylink|Con Job}} During another Autobot operation, Soundwave listened in on their comm chatter, prompting Starscream to send some Vehicons to attack. {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

[[Image:Deusex-Soundwavecrouching.jpg|thumb|250px|And that's why there's no [[Ratbat (WFC)|Ratbat]].]]

When [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] mentioned seeing an [[Energon Harvester]] in a fresco in [[Greece]], Soundwave was able to track the device's location to a museum. Breakdown and [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] kept the Autobots busy in front of the museum while Soundwave sneaked in the back. He ran into [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Jack Darby|Jack]], who were already in the process of stealing the Harvester, and grabbed it from them before making a getaway in his vehicle mode. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}}

[[Image:SickMind-Soundwaveobjects.jpg|thumb|250px|left|"Let me see some tenderness connected with a death, or that dark chamber, Spirit, which we left just now, will be forever present to me."]]

Starscream and Knock Out made a concerted attempt to convince Soundwave that Megatron was beyond saving, and that the only option left to them was euthanasia. Soundwave remained skeptical, and pointed out the patch cable that Arcee and Bumblebee was using to access Megatron's brain. Megatron's life support was damaged during the ensuing confusion, and though it seemed Starscream and Knock Out were content to leave Megatron flat-lining, Soundwave pressured them into reconnecting the cable sustaining their master. {{storylink|Sick Mind}}

After Megatron's resurrection, Soundwave kept him informed regarding Starscream's activities, including his attempt to resurrect Skyquake with the Dark Energon shard ripped from Megatron's chest, and the loss of his arm. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} Soundwave watched as Breakdown was captured by [[MECH]], and reported back to Starscream. He was on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' when Starscream passed the news on to Megatron, who was less than impressed that Breakdown had been taken by a bunch of humans. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}} He detected the magnetic anomaly caused by the [[polarity gauntlet]], causing Megatron to send Breakdown to go look for it. {{storylink|Metal Attraction}}

Megatron and Starscream headed to a stripped Energon Mine to discover mining drills still there. Starscream attempted to blame this on Soundwave. Megatron told Starscream that Soundwave had been filling him in on the second-in-command's activities. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}} Soundwave listened to Starscream's confessions after Megatron nearly terminated the second-in-command. {{storylink|Partners}}

When the new Decepticon space bridge was nearing completion, Soundwave supplied a diagram of the last component they needed. After they obtained said component, Megatron left the ship on a mission of his own. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] began searching the ship for the Decepticon leader and Megatron instructed Soundwave to send Prime to him. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}}

[[Image:SoundwavePlayingSparkbeat..jpg‎|thumb|200px|He's playing Dubstep.]]

Soundwave translated tremors coming from the Earth's core into sound, revealing it to be a heartbeat. Megatron did not appreciate this, as it was making his head hurt. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

After Megatron left the ship to talk to [[Unicron]], Soundwave monitored the comms channels for his master's return. When [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] suggested considering a future without Megatron, Soundwave ominously looked at her. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}}

[[Image:Soundwavelayingdownthelaw.jpg‎|thumb|200px|left|YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!]]
Soundwave continued to try to find some sign of Megatron. When Airachnid announced Megatron wasn't coming back and ordered the ship to [[Regulon Four]], Soundwave decided it was time to lay down the law. He defied Airachnid, who angrily attacked him, but the Decepticon spy master quickly proceeded to defeat Airachnid. Upon Unicron's defeat, Soundwave detected Megatron's signal and activated the GroundBridge, bowing in respect with the other Decepticons as Megatron entered the bridge of the ship. He had to hold Breakdown back when they saw that Megatron was accompanied by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

With Optimus amnesiac and believing himself to be archivist Orion Pax, Soundwave made sure the ship's [[data core]] was clear of any incriminating evidence so Orion could be put to work decrypting information they'd stolen from the Iacon archives. When Arcee managed to get on board the ship to look for the lost Autobot leader, Soundwave made deft use of the GroundBridge to get her back off before Orion could see her. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} When Orion eventually learned the truth, Soundwave relayed the news to Megatron. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}} He also notified Megatron when activity was detected on Cybertron, indicating that the Autobots had gone there in an attempt to help Optimus. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}

When Megatron was angry after having had the [[spark extractor|latest find]] snatched from his hands, Soundwave reminded him there were still two more sets of coordinates to investigate. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} Soundwave was present when Megatron unsuccessfully tested the [[Forge of Solus Prime]]. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}} He played back footage of Skyquake's demise for [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]]. {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}

Soundwave continued to try to decode more data from the Iacon archives, in a continuation of Orion Pax's work. When Airachnid requested Megatron's approval to take point in the hunt for the relics, Megatron requested that Soundwave remind him of her previous words when she planned to abandon him. Later, after Dreadwing and Breakdown's failure to execute her, Soundwave began tracing Airachnid's location during her communication to the ''Nemesis'' for Megatron. {{storylink|Crossfire}}

After the ''Nemesis'' crashed, Soundwave reviewed security footage and discovered that Bulkhead had been the one to cause it. Megatron brought it back online using Dark Energon, though the ship's guiding intelligence proved uncontrollable by the Decepticons. Soundwave plugged himself into the flight console in an attempt to regain control, but was zapped into stasis. {{storylink|Flying Mind}}

[[Image:Triage Soundwave visor reflection.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
He was on the ''Nemesis'' bridge when Knock Out left to find the first of the four relics decoded by the ship. {{storylink|Tunnel Vision}} Dispatched to find the third relic, Soundwave encountered the ''[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]]'' and used Laserbeak as a distraction. He soon uncovered the [[Resonance Blaster]], only to be attacked by [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]]. Though the Autobot managed to crack his visor, Soundwave triumphed, and was only stopped from dispatching Wheeljack by an SOS from Laserbeak. He picked up Laserbeak and returned to the ''Nemesis'', where Knock Out discovered a grenade implanted in the deployer. Once the offending item was removed, Soundwave returned to his work decrypting the Iacon database, unaware that the Autobots had also implanted a virus in Laserbeak, which passed into the computer and began transmitting the database to the Autobots' mainframe. {{storylink|Triage}} He returned to the bridge to listen to Megatron complain about how ineffective everyone else was, and watched [[Hardshell]] and Knock Out argue. {{storylink|Hurt}}

When [[Silas|Cylas]] came to the Decepticons with the offer of a [[Project Damocles]] satellite, Soundwave was sent to a military base in [[Colorado]] to get the codes so they could control the satellite from the ''Nemesis''. He hacked into the computer, giving him the ability to use the satellite even as he was downloading the codes for it, but failed to stop Raf from knocking the satellite out of orbit. He retreated as the Autobots reached his position. {{storylink|The Human Factor}}

With new information about where the Autobots' human friends lived, Soundwave had Laserbeak patrol the area around [[Jasper]]. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} Soundwave succeeded in decoding another set of coordinates, and Megatron sent him with a decoy Iacon relic to draw the Autobots off. While he managed to keep Optimus Prime's team occupied for a lengthy period of time, it was not long enough, and by the time he returned to the ''Nemesis'', Optimus had gotten hold of the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Legacy}} Continuing his work, Soundwave decoded more coordinates and reported them to Megatron while the latter forged the [[Dark Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}}

When Megatron returned from victory, he told Soundwave, in great detail, how he had destroyed the Star Saber with his own blade. He soon had two more sets of coordinates downloaded, resulting in Knock Out securing an [[Omega Key]]. When the final set decoded into an image of [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]], Soundwave joined Laserbeak in the field to capture the Autobot rookie. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} He was on hand to show the image he'd decoded to Smokescreen. {{storylink|Inside Job}}

After firing up the space bridge so Megatron could go to Cybertron, Soundwave told Starscream about what he'd discovered regarding the location of the Autobots' human allies. He later helped Starscream kidnap the three kids and transport them to Cybertron for use as hostages. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}} After handing over Raf in exchange for an [[Omega Key]], Soundwave took part in the activation of the [[Omega Lock]]. He survived the lock's destruction at the hands of Optimus Prime, and returned to Earth with the others. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}}

During the hunt for the scattered Autobots, Soundwave dispatched Laserbeak to monitor an attempt to off Jack Darby. The attack resulted in an explosion that took out Laserbeak, and though Soundwave worked, he was unable to retrieve any further surveillance data from the salvaged, charred Deployer. He opened a space bridge to Cybertron, through which Knock Out returned from a mission accompanied by the long-missing [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}} Soundwave was present when Starscream proudly showed off the dancing monkey picture he'd found and later when Shockwave brought [[Predaking (Prime)|a Predacon]] to Earth. {{storylink|Scattered}} As Starscream dispatched troops to deal with a number of Autobot signals, Soundwave tried to point out that their army was being spread thinly. He suggested that the Autobots were likely to be using the ''[[Harbinger]]'' as a base, but [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]] came under attack before the Decepticons had a chance to act on the information. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}}

He was forced to repair the ''Nemesis'' communication dish after the Predacon damaged it. {{storylink|Plus One}} Soundwave GroundBridged to Shockwave's aid in [[Texas]], when the other Decepticon came under attack from Autobots. With the help of Laserbeak, Soundwave managed to take down Optimus Prime and deftly GroundBridged a fragment of Predacon remains back to the ''Nemesis'' before the Autobots could get their hands on it. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

When a plague inadvertently engineered by Knock Out and Starscream began spreading through the Vehicon population, Soundwave oversaw cleanup efforts. His group of Vehicons and Insecticons moved through the ship, destroying the infected, until the Insecticons suddenly broke off from the operation. He followed them, and on discovering that Airachnid was out of stasis and controlling them once more, used the space bridge to transport both her and the Insecticons to one of Cybertron's moons. {{Storylink|Thirst}} Soundwave hung around during a Decepticon meeting to determine what to do about the potential threat of the Predacons. {{storylink|Evolution}}

{{spoilers|Minus One|July 12, 2013}}
[[File:Soundwave Mocks.jpg|thumb|left|:)|250px]]
As the Decepticons gathered resources to rebuild the Omega Lock, Soundwave monitored some Vehicons stealing materials. He activated the GroundBridge for them when the Autobots turned up, but he himself was shot down by Optimus Prime and crashed into power lines, disabling himself. The Autobots took him back to their shielded base and attempted to interrogate him to find out what Megatron's plans were, but Soundwave merely erased his data and crashed his own hard drives before breaking his vow of silence to tell them he was superior. He remained offline until Laserbeak arrived and reactivated him with new orders—capture Ratchet. {{storylink|Minus One}}

{{--}}

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
[[Image:Titan4.2 Soundwave listen.jpg|thumb|right|200px| You look different, Soundwave. Did you do something different with your entire face?]]
During the war, Soundwave took part in a mission led by Megatron to invade [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and destroy the [[Iacon Energon Refinery]]. The team had barely made it in before Soundwave detected that they'd been spotted and the five Decepticons had to take cover. Following a failed gambit which expended the other three team members, Megatron gave Soundwave a bomb. While his leader caused a distraction, Soundwave ran to plant the bomb, only to be struck by blasts from [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|one of the defenders]]. Megatron picked up his wounded second-in-command and helped him to safety, along with the other three Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

Megatron and Soundwave somehow slipped some code into ''[[Invasionauts II]]'' to hypnotise Raf into opening the GroundBridge so they could send Vehicons through. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.4|Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!}} When Soundwave's plan to ambush the Autobots in [[The Wave]] went badly, he fired his remote-controlled hand at [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]. The hand lodged in the scout's chest and later emerged when Bumblebee and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] were asleep. Despite trying its best to kill Bumblebee, Soundwave's hand was strapped to a firework and shot high into the air. Starscream and Soundwave later scoured the desert for the missing hand and managed to find at least one finger. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.12|The Evil Shred}}

Megatron had Soundwave broadcast his intent to wreck the [[Statue of Liberty]] to the world's media. Unfortunately the US military intercepted all the transmissions before they could be received, leaving Megatron very unhappy with his communications officer. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.13|Protecting the Lady}}
{{--}}

===Toy bios===
When Soundwave was severely damaged, his loyal Deployers set to work repairing him. Utilizing the ancient, mysterious science of an alien world, they succeeded, and Soundwave was revived. To reflect the fact that he was no longer content with just being the Decepticons' communications specialist, he renamed himself "Soundblaster", and took on a more combative role. {{storylink|#GenerationsSoundblaster|Voyager Class Soundblaster}}

===''Tales of the Beast Hunters''===
Soundwave intercepted a message between [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] indicating that the pair were heading for a derelict starship in the [[asteroid belt]]. As [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] and [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] headed out to tail the two Autobots, Soundwave monitored events on [[Earth]] to make sure no one else was following. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 2}} When Predaking came back alone with the news Megatron had apparently perished in an explosion, Soundwave and the other Decepticons immediately suspected [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] was responsible. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 7}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)|[[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian)}}
[[Image:Soundwave WfC GameInformer Concept Art.jpg|300px|So Soundwave, you ever going to use that giant missile pod on your shoulder?
"Well there was that [[Spotlight: Soundwave|one time." ]]|thumb|right]]
Soundwave took control of the orbital station [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] was posted at, helping [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] to reach the [[Dark Energon]] by establishing a forward base within the station. He then directed Megatron to a Data Matrix Center in order to find a route to the Dark Energon that had not been blocked by Starscream.

Later, Soundwave notified Megatron that access to the core was impossible, as it was guarded by the Omega Gate. He and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] accompanied Megatron as they led the assault on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], through which they would find and take the [[Omega Key]], opening the Omega Gate and allowing the core to be infused with Dark Energon. On their way to the [[Stellar Galleries]], Soundwave reported [[sniper (WFC)|sniper]]s, and after taking them down, Megatron infused the entrance with Dark Energon and took his team into the security station. Soundwave noticed that the batteries fed the security grid, and the trio infused each of them with Dark Energon, deactivating the security measures. Soundwave then detected the Omega Key behind their next door, and after opening it, the Decepticons arrived at the Stellar Galleries. They opened the container, finding not the key, but a message from [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Zeta Prime]], who announced that he had taken the Omega Key, anticipating Megatron's plan. Zeta sent Autobot attack forces against them, but they were swiftly taken down. Megatron ordered Soundwave to trace Zeta Prime's broadcast, and Soundwave found it came from 12.7 cycles ahead. He then noted a weak wall, and the Decepticons broke it down and entered the cities' subsystems, providing a direct route to Zeta, and the Omega Key.

The group descended down a shaft and went through a tunnel, avoiding trains on the way, and after breaking down a door in a ventilation area, they were ambushed by Autobot cloakers. Soundwave dispatched them and infused Dark Energon into the batteries. Megatron congratulated him, and then ordered him to unlock the exit. Soundwave obliged, and the trio found themselves in another tunnel. Breakdown challenged Soundwave to a race, to which the Decepticon responded, in his trademark monotone, "Negative." Tough crowd. Rushing through the tunnel, this time full of moving trains, the group came to a station where they infiltrated Iacon's lower levels. Soundwave detected the Omega Key at last, and suggested proceeding through the logistics station. Roughing it through the Autobot attackers, Soundwave finally determined that the key was beyond the train tunnels.

Soundwave and his teammates arrived at Iacon's main streets, where they met up with [[Brawl (WFC)|Brawl]] outside of Zeta Prime's vaults, which were impervious to the small amount of Dark Energon Megatron was capable of channeling. After Megatron's squad helped Brawl clear the area, Brawl called in the Dark Energon bombers, but they were spectacularly shot down by the planetary guns. Brawl suggested disabling them, and Soundwave assisted in carrying out the plan. Autobots advanced all around, but Soundwave and the others managed to hold them off until the next wave of bombers arrived, clearing the street and destroying the Vault doors. Soundwave joined the others on their way to the entrance, but the squad was intercepted by a [[Destroyer (WFC)|Destroyer]]. Soundwave and Breakdown split from Megatron to flank him, and eventually they rendered him non-functional. Inside the vault, they avoided Zeta's traps and finally reached the Omega Key—but it too was a trap. Zeta then attacked them, using a giant hologram and controlling the chamber to his advantage, dropping the ceiling and sending holographic brutes to attack for him while safe within an impenetrable energy shield. (Even during the battle, Soundwave was impressed by the creation of endless energon clones, to which Breakdown responded, roughly, "NERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!") Soundwave's dorkiness proved useful in discerning the weakness of Zeta's machines—that the core rapidly overheated after prolonged use, and needed to open up in order to cool, rendering it vulnerable to attack. After the battle, Megatron plucked from Zeta's hand the "key"...which started to blink its lights and chirp. Zeta Prime informed them that the "key" he was actually a device that activated the real key: [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]].

As the three Decepticons flew away to track Omega, Soundwave noticed that the "key" was coming for them. Omega Supreme attacked, and thrust the Decepticons' star cruiser into a wall. Crash-landing, Megatron had a change of plans; force Omega Supreme to open the Omega Gate. Soundwave noticed a Decepticon [[Dropship (WFC)|Dropship]] across the bridge, but when the squad went to investigate, Omega Supreme intercepted them. Soundwave reported that his weapons were ineffective; Megatron told his soldiers to destroy the bridge supports, causing Omega Supreme's vast bulk to collapse it. But he transformed to his ship mode, flew back up, and forced the Decepticons to retreat inside. In a frenzy, Breakdown noted that the next door was locked, and Soundwave proposed that Dark Energon could open the door, which it did. Inside, Soundwave picked up a transmission from Starscream, who announced that he would be replacing the "deceased" Megatron as Decepticon leader. Enraged, Megatron threatened Starscream, but Soundwave informed his leader that communication to the surface had been cut off, so Starscream could not hear him.

The trio arrived at the lift, but found it to be locked down. Breaking the locks got the lift back to working condition, but on their way up, Omega Supreme returned and blasted it, forcing the Decepticons down the shaft at breakneck speed. Omega was still out there, so the emergency brakes' destruction was the Decepticons' only hope. At the bottom, they continued their journey to find a way to fight Omega Supreme—Soundwave noted that at the top of the tower were several heavy weapons emplacements which could at least theoretically damage Omega—but Omega Supreme didn't know the meaning of the word quit. (He really doesn't; not much in the processor department.) He grabbed the Decepticons, but Soundwave helped out in shooting Omega Supreme's hand, forcing him relinquishing the three from his grasp. They retreated inside a fortified Autobot position, and in order to prevent detection, Soundwave jammed their signals. Slaying the Autobots inside who dared attempt to counterattack, Soundwave unlocked the exit, which only let in more Autobots. They too, met their demise, but as Soundwave and his comrades escaped, he noticed that the Autobots' security was countering the effects of Dark Energon. Destroying the sentries turned to be a worthwhile solution, but then the Decepticons had to deal with Omega Supreme mining road. Soundwave's sensors indicated the presence of a bridge nearby, and though Breakdown was unsure, Megatron was willing to follow Soundwave's advice. Once again, Omega Supreme continued to stalk them, but Soundwave led his group to an alternate route...a dead end, to be precise, which Megatron was irritated with. Soundwave revealed that breaking a structurally-weak sealed doorway nearby took them to Iacon maintenance tunnels leading straight to the bridge terminal. When they arrived through the power conduits, Soundwave and the others fought through more Autobots and finally activated the bridge.

Racing across the bridge, they barely avoided Omega Supreme's pursuit, and Soundwave located another cargo lift that would transport them straight to the heavy ion turrets. On the lift he picked up several Autobot/Decepticon signals, a sign they were approaching the battle on the surface. Soundwave participated in the slugfest, and his analysis proved that the turrets nearby had enough firepower to legitimately damage Omega Supreme. Then, he showed no mercy using the turrets to breach Omega's armour and finally topple him to the ground below.

Soundwave, Breakdown, and Megatron followed Omega, and at the bottom, they were surprised to see him survive and transform into his mighty robot mode. Soundwave noted that energon batteries produced from within Cybertron were the source of Omega's limitless endurance, and further advised the team on battling Omega; avoiding his tractor beams would allow them to live, and his turrets were vulnerable, making them the prime target. When the turrets were blown, Soundwave saw that the batteries were being used to repair them, and so it became an objective to corrupt them with Dark Energon. When Omega Supreme used the batteries to heal himself, he was instead weakened, allowing the Decepticons to critically injure him. Omega Supreme was still alive even after all of that, but much weaker. Soundwave observed that his chest plating had been damaged, and Megatron ordered Soundwave and Breakdown to blast it, and Omega Supreme fell at last. Soundwave advised Megatron that now would be a good time to corrupt Omega with Dark Energon, but Megatron told Captain Obvious to shut up and did as he would have done even if Soundwave hadn't brought it up, laughing all the way.

After Cybertron's Core had been infected with Dark Energon, Soundwave was reassigned as head of [[Kaon]]'s prison, and watched over (i.e., tortured) Zeta Prime in his spare time. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]], [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]] and [[Air Raid (WFC)|Air Raid]] led an Autobot breakout and battled Soundwave's minions [[Frenzy (WFC)|Frenzy]], [[Rumble (WFC)|Rumble]] and [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]]. Soundwave himself sustained heavy damage leaving the safety of his position to revive and retrieve each Minicon, showing uncharaceristic concern for other living beings. Eventually, defeated and critically damaged, Soundwave desperately attempted to restore himself by absorbing life force from Zeta's very own spark. His attempt to fully heal was halted by Optimus, who even took a shot from the Decepticon intended to finish off Prime. Although Soundwave and his minions fled, the damage had already been done and Zeta Prime expired moments later. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)
Soundwave hacked into the Autobot mainframe and, while Megatron and some other Decepticons kept the Autobots distracted, downloaded intel indicating the location of the Trypticon space station. As they approached the station in Megatron's ship, Soundwave reported that the inhabitants were taking up defensive positions and docking would not be possible. Though Megatron was confident they could ram the station, Soundwave turned out to be right, and they could only get close enough to drop a small team off on the debris surrounding the station. When the station was conquered and Dark Energon in Megatron's hands, Soundwave suggested it might be a good idea to test the stuff prior to use. It turned out to be unstable, and he warned it could result in destruction of its host. The Decepticons set up Kaon Prison as a testing ground and, after eleven failures, established that the Dark Energon could be used. When Barricade asked what happened to the failures, Soundwave would only say that their remains laid in the prison and creepily ask Barricade to get in the chair so he too could be infused with Dark Energon.

Trypticon station required more power, so the Decepticons sent a team to Cybertron's core to reactivate the Energon Bridge. Soundwave did not anticipate the activation of latent defense systems, triggered by the Decepticon presence, because he hadn't studied the same ancient files as Starscream. Megatron ordered Soundwave to give Starscream whatever he needed, and they succeeded in activating the bridge. Soundwave reported that they were only at 37% power — the Autobots had severed the bridge's link to the core using the Omega Key. Lazerbeak intercepted an Autobot transmission indicating that Zeta Prime was hiding the Omega Key, and Megatron ordered Soundwave to assemble a strike force to obtain it. They managed to find and defeat the Autobot leader, but the Omega Key he had was only the key to awaken the real key — Omega Supreme. Once the Decepticons fought their way through the Autobot defenses, Soundwave reported they had reached Omega Supreme himself. The Decepticons defeated the giant, reestablished the link to the core and infused it with Dark Energon. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)|[[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian)}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)}}
Soundwave was present when Optimus was brought to Megatron by Starscream and [[Onslaught (WFC)|Onslaught]]. He watched as [[Metroplex (FOC)|Metroplex]]''' pulverised''' Megatron. He was the only one who hesitated in following Starscream. He secretly salvaged and with the help of Laserbeak, Rumble and an [[E.D.K. TechVolt]], rebuilt his glorious leader, improving on his original design. He infused Megatron with Dark Energon, and pointed his leader in the direction of Starscream. He took part in the assault on the factory the Autobots had built in the crater where Trypticon crashed, and once Megatron had rebuilt the giant Decepticon, came to power up Trypticon's power core. On Megatron's orders, Soundwave rebuilt Trypticon into the ''Nemesis'', a ship strong enough to make it towards [[Earth|the planet]] [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] had chosen. When the Autobots launched the Ark, the ''Nemesis'' soon caught up, and Soundwave spearheaded the assault on the other ship. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron}}

===''Terrorcon Defense''===
[[Image:SoundwaveTerrorconDefense.jpg|300px|thumb|As awesome as he looks here, he's probably waltzing off after Bumblebee blasted him ''again''.]]
Soundwave attempted to retrieve Dark Energon from a mining area but despite his army of Vehicons and Terrorcons, Bumblebee managed to stop him. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Terrorcon Defense}}
{{-}}

=== ''Transformers: Prime - The Game ===
[[Image:TransformersPrimeTheGame Soundwave.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Wait, I thought Daft Punk had two guys in it.]]
{{storylink|Transformers: Prime - The Game}}
After [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] saves Miko, and Raf- he has to shut down the reactors in which Soundwave set up to keep Raf from hacking into the Decepticon Database. Ratchet has to shut down each reactor as Soundwave deploys vehicons, and blocks them with forcefields. Eventually towards the end the two end up battling; ending with Ratchet defeating Soundwave.

==Commercial appearances==

===Transformers: War For Cybertron===
[[Image:WFC Gamestop Commercial.jpg|left|150px|thumb|The toy can do this if you try hard enough.]]
[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] arrived to a location where [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], and Soundwave were battling Autobots. Megatron left, leaving Shockwave in charge. Shockwave ordered Soundwave to [[Transformation|Transform]]. Soundwave changed into Cybertronian boombox mode and played [[The Touch]]. {{storylink|Commercial#War for Cybertron|GameSpot's commercial for their Shockwave multiplayer exclusive}}
{{--}}

===Transformers: Prime===
Soundwave knows that out of all the radio transmissions in the universe, Megatron's favorite song is the ''[[My Little Pony]]: Friendship is Magic'' theme. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|Megatron's Favorite Song (26 Hour Takeover marathon promo)}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[Image:Generationstoy-CybertronianSoundwave.jpg|thumb|300px|No [[Soundwave (Animated)|giant guitar]] this time!]]
*'''Cybertronian Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' two "weapons"

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class toys, ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)#Toys|War for Cybertron]]'' Soundwave transforms into an SUV-style "communications truck", as seen in [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|the video game]]. He comes with his classic shoulder launcher and rifle, both of which can be mounted on his hands, right shoulder, and rear vehicle sides via [[5mm post]]s, and store inside his opening chest (approximating the visual of cassette spools). Soundwave's head features a [[light-piping]] gimmick, but the effect is largely neutered by his painted visor.

: This mold was [[repaint]]ed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#United|Soundwave Cybertron Mode]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Decepticon/GenerationsSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Cybertronian Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|GenerationsVoyager}}
[[Image:Generations-SoundwaveVoyager.jpg|thumb|300px|With all the downsizing, Soundwave's surprised he's gotten so big.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 001'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG13'''
**''Accessories:'' Laserbeak/Data disc, shoulder cannon

: Part of the first wave of [[2012]] Voyager Class ''Generations [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' toys, Soundwave is a larger mold, and comes with a shoulder cannon which can peg (via 5mm post) into his hands, right shoulder, and roof/back.

: He also comes with [[Legends Class]] [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Generations|Laserbeak]], who utilizes Soundwave's main [[gimmick]], storing and launching Laserbeak and other "[[data disc]]" minions. A button to the left of his head can be pressed to open his spring-loaded chest compartment, allowing up to three data discs to be stored inside. With discs stored, his back panel/roof now acts as a plunger, which can be moved forward in either mode to launch minions out. Launched minions should land on buttons on their undersides, thus triggering their [[Flipchanger|spring-loaded transformation mechanisms]] and springing them into action! ...Hopefully.

: As an undocumented feature, the seat on his vehicle roof holds [[Diaclone]] drivers. Additionally, Soundwave's trigger finger is molded into his left hand, presumably so he can push his own eject button.

: For some reason, his [[stock photography]] and [[instructions]] depict him with the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]] toy's [[Ion blaster]] accessory, which isn't included with the final product.

: The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Soundwave features different colors, using a more purple-ish metallic shade of blue and replacing almost all of his gray parts (the exceptions being his face and "grill") with a much darker metallic shade. It also features none of the red and yellow [[paint operation|paint details]] on his arms and legs and renders the seat on his roof black.

: Soundwave was [[redeco]]ed and [[retool]]ed into [[Blaster (FOC)|Autobot Blaster]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/FOCSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Fall of Cybertron'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|GenerationsSoundblaster}}
[[Image:Generationstoy-FOCSoundblaster.jpg|thumb|300px|"Am I New Soundwave, or [[#Beast Hunters|Old]] [[#Deluxe|Old]] New Soundwave?"]]
*'''Soundblaster''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 002'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG14'''
**''Accessories:'' Buzzsaw/Data disc, shoulder cannon

: Also available in the first wave of [[2012]] Voyager Class ''Generations Fall of Cybertron'' toys, Soundblaster is a charcoal gray, red, gold, and yellow [[redeco]] of Voyager Class Soundwave, as is the trend with [[Soundblaster (disambiguation)|Soundblasters]]. In fact, he uses the exact same [[paint operation|paint mask]] as Soundwave, simply changing some of the colors. He now comes with [[Buzzsaw (FOC)|Buzzsaw]], a redeco of Laserbeak.

: His stock photography and instructions still depict him with the ion blaster accessory which he still doesn't have.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/FOCSoundblaster/soundblaster.htm More information on Soundblaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|Deluxe}}
[[Image:Primetoy-SoundwaveDeluxe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Toy doesn't talk, just like in the tv show!]]
[[Image:TakaraTomyPrimetoy-AMSoundwave.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Ooh, does this mean I'm [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] now?]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2012)
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[April 28]], 2012'''
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 004'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''AM-09'''
**''Accessories'': [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Prime|Laserbeak]], [[Zori#Prime|Zori]] Arms Micron (TakaraTomy only)

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Robots in Disguise (2012)|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' toys, Soundwave transforms from a UAV not unlike the [[Wikipedia:General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper|Predator B drone]] into an angular batlike robot mode. His transformation includes a spring-loaded head that deploys automatically when his tail and thrust bottle are folded up. His vehicle mode has a [[5mm post|5mm port]] on the top of its fuselage; the robot also has 5mm sockets passing entirely through his palms. Any of these holes can mount the included Laserbeak, or he can store inside Soundwave's chest in either mode.

: In wave six of the ''Prime'' toyline, Soundwave was put into new packaging, which came with a DVD featuring the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)| Prime]]'' episode "[[Loose Cannons]]".

: The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Soundwave has considerable differences from the [[Hasbro]] version. He comes with his own [[Arms Micron]], Zori, and cannons with 5mm ports and posts have been added to his wings (on his shoulders in robot mode) in order to accommodate said gimmick. Many of the Hasbro [[paint operation]]s have also been removed and replaced with numerous, small, customer-applied [[sticker]]s, including ones for his tiny sculpted kneecaps, which are practically guaranteed to peel off at the sides. In addition, the [[instructions]] for applying the stickers unfortunately contain an error, with the placement of stickers 14 and 15 being swapped around.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Hasbro Soundwave at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-1501.html Arms Micron Soundwave gallery at Alfes's blog]''

{{-}}

===Beast Hunters===
[[Image:PrimeBHtoy-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Yeah, being lost in the wilderness for a couple of months will do that to you.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''2/002'''
**''Accessories'': [[Ravage (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Ravage]], [[Talon Grapple Cannon]]
: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Beast Hunters]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Soundwave is a redeco and extensive [[retool]] of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Soundwave mold, and transforms into a spiky aerial drone with a massive wingspan and three tail-fins. Aside from the usual peg-holes on his fuselage and palms, his wings have been retooled with two new peg-holes, with one on each wing. Instead of Laserbeak, Soundwave features a new partner in the form of Ravage, who is a robotic jaguar that transforms into a thing that fits into Soundwave's chest.

:Soundwave also comes with the Talon Grapple Cannon, a spring-loaded launcher that fires a [[missile]] with an opening "claw" at the end, with the missile and launcher being tied together with a length of string. The launcher itself features an additional peg on each side, and its main peg is sculpted to be able to fit in the specially-shaped socket on his chest, allowing the cannon to mount on his vehicle-mode underside when Ravage is removed.

:His instructions include the [[Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 2|second chapter]] of the ''[[Tales of the Beast Hunters]]'' series.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Beast Hunters'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[Image:BHtoy Cyberverse Soundwave.jpg|thumb|300px|Now let's see [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Laserbeak]] pop out of ''this'' guy's chest.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Cyberverse Legion, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''3/005'''
**''Accessories'': Sonic Saw

: Part of the second wave of ''Prime: Beast Hunters'' [[Cyberverse#Series 3|Series 3 Cyberverse]] Legion Class toys, Soundwave is a smaller-scale toy. He comes with a "Sonic Saw" rifle with a chainsaw bayonet, and the weapon features four [[C joint|3mm posts]] and two ports, allowing it to peg onto any of the ports on Soundwave's hands, forearms/wings, and back/fuselage. This weapon, in varying colors, was also used by [[Hun-Gurrr (Prime)|Hun-Gurrr]], [[Smokescreen (Prime)#Cyberverse|Smokescreen]], and the [[Vehicon (Prime)#CyberverseAir|Air Vehicon]].

{{-}}

===Go!===
*'''Hunter Soundwave''' ([[April 27|04–27]]–13)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''G18'''
**''Accessories'': [[Ravage (WFC)#Go!|Ravage]], "Capture Anchor" weapon
:Hunter Soundwave is a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Hunters'' Deluxe Soundwave toy, released in [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Cubed Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Transformers Go!]]'' toyline and using a different blue, white and black color scheme with a red faceplate. The back of the packaging erroneously depicts the ''Beast Hunters'' version of the toy.

==Notes==
[[Image:TfprimeSoundwavePredator.jpg|thumb|But can he replay footage of "[[Operation: Firestorm]]"?]]
[[Image:VectorSigmaBotBuilderSoundwave.jpg|thumb|Deep Desert Soundwave.]]
* Soundwave transforms into a Cybertronian car during gameplay of ''War for Cybertron'', and his toy does the same, having only one alternate mode. However, in a ''War for Cybertron'' cutscene, the Gamestop commercial for Shockwave, and the end credits for ''War for Cybertron'', he is additionally shown to transform into a Cybertronian boombox, which the toy can technically do with some fiddling.
* Despite his toy and concept art appearance, Soundwave has a [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|yellow]] visor in the War for Cybertron game. This was changed to red for the Fall of Cybertron sequel (perhaps displaying, in-universe, his furthered dedication to the Decepticon cause?).
* According to the [[Transformers Hall of Fame]] biography, Soundwave [[Perceptor (Animated)|deleted his emotions to process information more quickly]], and is susceptible to [[Cyber Missions 1|too many sonic booms]].
* [[Duane Capizzi]] said Soundwave can speak, but just chooses not to. The decision was to contrast Soundwave with the overly talkative Starscream,<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/bonus-q--a-with-transformers-prime-creators---answered-171430/ TFW2005 Q&A January 2011]</ref> and at [[BotCon 2011]], the staff compared Soundwave to [[Boba Fett]]. Instead, he records what he overhears and replays it with a mechanical echo that is very similar to the echo of his G1 counterpart. Sorry, [[Frank Welker|Frank]], only [[Megatron (WFC)|one character]] for now...
* Soundwave's prehensile tentacles are reminiscent of [[Soundwave (ROTF)|another Soundwave]], although they are significantly less naughty.
* Soundwave's body parts are available to use in the Hub website's [[Vector Sigma Bot Builder]] online game. Normally, you cannot configure a generic 'bot using all Soundwave parts, but you can see what one would look like at right through the magic of Photoshop.

===Arms Up Modes===
In the Japanese ''Prime'' toyline, Soundwave has named powered-up modes when given various [[Arms Micron]]s in certain configurations:

*'''Night Attack Mode''' (ナイトアタックモード ''Naito Atakku Mōdo'')
**''Arms Microns'': Balo, Jida, Zori
: In this mode, shown on his box-back photo, Soundwave uses the two-Micron weapon [[Spike Hammer Rod]], while [[Jida]] in "Defense Shield" mode hangs on his left shoulder. What exactly makes all this ideal for nighttime attacks is anyone's guess.

*'''Jet Mode''' (ジェットモード ''Jetto Mōdo'')
**''Arms Microns'': Gora (x2), Zori
: Meant simply for flying in fast and blowing crap up, this heavily modified version of Soundwave requires some real work. Because of all the recycled non-''Transformers'' parts in this mode, TakaraTomy designer [[Takashi Nakase]] has nicknamed this version "Recycle Mode". Two jet thruster/fuel tanks are created using bottles from a Japanese "common yogurt drink" and a pair of [[Gora]]s painted up silver, with snipped Arms Micron sprues added on for detail. Soundwave also carries a large weapon made from Zori, a plastic fork, and more sprues. Yes, a plastic fork. You read that correctly.
: There is also a vehicle mode configuration for this Arms Up Mode, with the massive turbines on the end of Soundwave's wings and the weapon on top of the main body. The whole shebang can be seen [http://youtu.be/QJUMhgggH-Q in this TakaraTomy developer video on YouTube].

===Foreign names===
*''Russian:'' '''Barkhan''' (Бархан, "Dune")

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Surveillance specialists]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

Soundwave (WFC)

2013-07-10T21:28:46Z

Autocon: /* Prime cartoon */

{{faction|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Soundwave}}
:''Soundwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:Soundwave Prime.jpg|thumb|300px|<center>"..."</center>]]
'''Soundwave''' is the spy master of the Decepticons. One of [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s earliest followers, and, many believe, instrumental to his rise, he uses his tentacles and a veritable army of [[Mini-Con|Minicon]] [[Deployer (Prime)|Deployer]]s to learn everything there is to know about his allies and his enemies. He was never very chatty, but these days, on Earth, he's become near silent, communicating by playing back recordings of other people's conversations. He just sneaks about, patiently looking for Autobot transmissions and creeping [[Starscream (WFC)|you]] out. Since the incapacitation of Megatron, Soundwave acts as a restraint on [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], reining in his rather volatile emotions, and ensuring that Starscream's less than subtle ambitions are held in check.

Soundwave has the ability to receive transmissions from anywhere on the planet, bar the shielded Autobot Base. This allows him to spy on every being on the planet in the hopes of picking up Autobot-related communications.

After being rebuilt by his minions using arcane science, he took on the name '''Soundblaster'''.

{{quote|Watch out for the quiet ones.|[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]|"[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Soundwave was a gladiator from [[Kaon]] who almost bested [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] in combat, an act that created mutual respect between the two. Soundwave saw in Megatron a desire to return to the swashbuckling spirit of the [[Golden Age]] of Cybertron, when Cybertronians emerged from the [[Well of All Sparks]] having to escape from the [[Underworld]]'s monsters rather than being put into a [[caste system|caste]]. He was appointed Megatron's lieutenant with [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]. Though Megatron despised Minicons, Soundwave insisted on having them around to spy on their gladiators, including the time when Megatron's librarian friend [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Orion Pax]] came to visit. He was suspicious of Orion and even asked permission from Megatron to tail him as he returned to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]].

After [[Decepticon]]s bombed Cybertron in Megatron's name, Soundwave sent [[Frenzy (WFC)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (WFC)|Rumble]] to search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in [[Crystal City]] (a place which design he always found self indulgent). Soundwave was not sure whether he should have bothered, as he was not superstitious and wondered what use a piece of a [[Star Saber (Prima)|broken sword]] could be. Instead he got chilling indications Crystal City's scientists were planning to revive [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]].

[[Image:WFCcomicDecepticons.jpg|thumb|250px|"Yeah, this look is cool now, but I don't think I'll have it ''forever'': I mean, who'd like to [[GEEWUN|see things looking the same for over twenty five years]], right guys? ...guys?"]]

Soundwave attended Orion and Megatron's hearing before the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. During this meeting, Soundwave helped to sow discord and tension by loudly shouting his complaints over security breaches that, in truth, he himself had caused. The Council noted that they were aware someone had tried to find the Matrix, and they appointed Orion [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] and requested he find it. This tore Orion and Megatron's movement in two.

During the final days of the war, Soundwave and his minions' research changed the fate of Cybertron. It was they who found the areas of the [[DataNet]] that [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] had overlooked and not deleted, revealing the existence of [[Dark Energon]] on [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station. It was he who remembered the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] below Crystal City that allowed for the mass transportation of Dark Energon between Cybertron and Trypticon. And it was the evidence he got from Rumble and Frenzy when they infiltrated Crystal City that revealed the existence of the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] and its two [[Code Key]]s, which enabled Megatron to poison the [[Core]] of Cybertron.

When Optimus removed the Chamber from the Core, beginning the planet's slow healing process, Soundwave boarded the ''Nemesis'' with Megatron, [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] and [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] to pursue the Autobot ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'' into the unknown reaches of space. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

Soundwave regained consciousness onboard the ''Nemesis'' after emerging from the energy field created by the Space Bridge explosion over Cybertron. While Megatron demanded a status report, Soundwave was already deep at work in a console attempting to determine the answer. Along with Starscream and Megatron, Soundwave examined the tracking reports and confirmed Starscream's assumption that the ''Ark'' was likely not too far away. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English)}}
{{quote|Soundwave superior, Autobots inferior.|It turns out Soundwave ''can'' talk|''[[Minus One]]''}}
When a gladiator calling himself Megatronus vowed to challenge Cybertron's leadership, Soundwave was his first follower and chief amongst them. Soundwave remained at Megatronus' side, now Megatron, as the conflict escalated into a war. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} Following the [[Great Exodus]], when the Decepticons were trying to decrypt an encoded Autobot transmission, Soundwave suggested they should let [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] have a shot at interrogating [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] and [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

The Decepticons later arrived on [[Earth]]. During a Decepticon attack on Cliffjumper, Soundwave intercepted Arcee's comms talk. He later played it back to Starscream, prompting the Decepticon leader to send the drones after her. He later detected transmissions coming from deep space, that prompted the Decepticons to fire up the [[space bridge]], allowing Megatron to return. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}}

[[Image:DarknessRising5-Soundwaveturn.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Voice actor: ''[[Snake-Eyes]]'' (English).]]
Shortly after Megatron left the ship on a mission, Starscream wondered aloud if Megatron had a touch of space madness, and Soundwave reminded him that their absent leader was still in charge. Starscream told him to step up global surveillance. Soundwave subsequently intercepted a transmission from [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] and, on Starscream's order, dispatched [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] to capture the agent to learn the location of the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]]. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} When the Autobots attacked the ''Nemesis'' to retrieve Fowler, slaughtering dozens of their soldiers, Soundwave hid. He simply watched when Megatron returned and took his fury out on Starscream on the bridge for not waiting on his command. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}

Starscream sent Soundwave to the [[Giant Sized Array]] radio telescope in [[Texas]] as they needed to use the array to target the space bridge at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Soundwave hacked into the computer network at the site, but after he had lined up the dishes, someone realigned them. In response to Starscream's demands as to what was happening, he tapped into the base's security system and discovered that the Autobots' three human friends were in a nearby room, similarly accessing the computer. He extended a tentacle into the room they were in and attacked them. When [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] tried to chop the tentacle with an ax, Soundwave took it from her and used it to sever the computer system's hardline, locking the dishes on Cybertron. The three kids entered the room in time to see him leaving, and Miko and Soundwave snapped photos of each other.

[[Image:MastersStudents-Soundwavesradar.jpg|thumb|left|200px|See how much more convincing I am as a [[:Image:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|communications tower]] with this look?]]

Because of Soundwave's success, the Autobots resorted to sabotaging the space bridge, blowing it up and taking Megatron with it. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}} At Starscream's order, Soundwave activated the comm system so Starscream could give a speech to the troops, declaring himself leader. Failing to impress the Vehicons, Starscream pressed Soundwave's sensors into locating [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], a Decepticon secreted in a pod in the desert. Starscream and Soundwave reactivated Skyquake, only to find he wasn't receptive to Starscream's leadership, and instead set about fighting [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]. Soundwave detected a Decepticon signal from the site where the space bridge exploded, and when Starscream went to investigate, Soundwave sent Laserbeak to keep Starscream honest while he himself filmed the battle between Skyquake and Optimus and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]. Though the outcome of the fight was not favorable to the Decepticon cause, Soundwave was able to ensure that Starscream returned Megatron's barely-functioning body to the ''Nemesis''. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

Soundwave intercepted a transmission from [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] who was heading for Earth. At Starscream's order, he downloaded the necessary information to [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]], who took on Wheeljack's form and infiltrated the Autobot base. As Starscream and Soundwave paid a visit to the captive Wheeljack, Soundwave prevented his leader from terminating their prisoner, as he might be of use later. The two 'Cons retired to the ship's top deck to wait for Makeshift to activate the [[GroundBridge]], however Wheeljack broke free and started trashing the Vehicons. When Wheeljack escaped through the ground bridge and sent back Makeshift with his grenade activated, Soundwave and Starscream made sure to get well clear before he exploded. {{storylink|Con Job}} During another Autobot operation, Soundwave listened in on their comm chatter, prompting Starscream to send some Vehicons to attack. {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

[[Image:Deusex-Soundwavecrouching.jpg|thumb|250px|And that's why there's no [[Ratbat (WFC)|Ratbat]].]]

When [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] mentioned seeing an [[Energon Harvester]] in a fresco in [[Greece]], Soundwave was able to track the device's location to a museum. Breakdown and [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] kept the Autobots busy in front of the museum while Soundwave sneaked in the back. He ran into [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Jack Darby|Jack]], who were already in the process of stealing the Harvester, and grabbed it from them before making a getaway in his vehicle mode. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}}

[[Image:SickMind-Soundwaveobjects.jpg|thumb|250px|left|"Let me see some tenderness connected with a death, or that dark chamber, Spirit, which we left just now, will be forever present to me."]]

Starscream and Knock Out made a concerted attempt to convince Soundwave that Megatron was beyond saving, and that the only option left to them was euthanasia. Soundwave remained skeptical, and pointed out the patch cable that Arcee and Bumblebee was using to access Megatron's brain. Megatron's life support was damaged during the ensuing confusion, and though it seemed Starscream and Knock Out were content to leave Megatron flat-lining, Soundwave pressured them into reconnecting the cable sustaining their master. {{storylink|Sick Mind}}

After Megatron's resurrection, Soundwave kept him informed regarding Starscream's activities, including his attempt to resurrect Skyquake with the Dark Energon shard ripped from Megatron's chest, and the loss of his arm. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}} Soundwave watched as Breakdown was captured by [[MECH]], and reported back to Starscream. He was on the bridge of the ''Nemesis'' when Starscream passed the news on to Megatron, who was less than impressed that Breakdown had been taken by a bunch of humans. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}} He detected the magnetic anomaly caused by the [[polarity gauntlet]], causing Megatron to send Breakdown to go look for it. {{storylink|Metal Attraction}}

Megatron and Starscream headed to a stripped Energon Mine to discover mining drills still there. Starscream attempted to blame this on Soundwave. Megatron told Starscream that Soundwave had been filling him in on the second-in-command's activities. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}} Soundwave listened to Starscream's confessions after Megatron nearly terminated the second-in-command. {{storylink|Partners}}

When the new Decepticon space bridge was nearing completion, Soundwave supplied a diagram of the last component they needed. After they obtained said component, Megatron left the ship on a mission of his own. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] began searching the ship for the Decepticon leader and Megatron instructed Soundwave to send Prime to him. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}}

[[Image:SoundwavePlayingSparkbeat..jpg‎|thumb|200px|He's playing Dubstep.]]

Soundwave translated tremors coming from the Earth's core into sound, revealing it to be a heartbeat. Megatron did not appreciate this, as it was making his head hurt. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

After Megatron left the ship to talk to [[Unicron]], Soundwave monitored the comms channels for his master's return. When [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] suggested considering a future without Megatron, Soundwave ominously looked at her. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}}

[[Image:Soundwavelayingdownthelaw.jpg‎|thumb|200px|left|YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!]]
Soundwave continued to try to find some sign of Megatron. When Airachnid announced Megatron wasn't coming back and ordered the ship to [[Regulon Four]], Soundwave decided it was time to lay down the law. He defied Airachnid, who angrily attacked him, but the Decepticon spy master quickly proceeded to defeat Airachnid. Upon Unicron's defeat, Soundwave detected Megatron's signal and activated the GroundBridge, bowing in respect with the other Decepticons as Megatron entered the bridge of the ship. He had to hold Breakdown back when they saw that Megatron was accompanied by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

With Optimus amnesiac and believing himself to be archivist Orion Pax, Soundwave made sure the ship's [[data core]] was clear of any incriminating evidence so Orion could be put to work decrypting information they'd stolen from the Iacon archives. When Arcee managed to get on board the ship to look for the lost Autobot leader, Soundwave made deft use of the GroundBridge to get her back off before Orion could see her. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} When Orion eventually learned the truth, Soundwave relayed the news to Megatron. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}} He also notified Megatron when activity was detected on Cybertron, indicating that the Autobots had gone there in an attempt to help Optimus. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}

When Megatron was angry after having had the [[spark extractor|latest find]] snatched from his hands, Soundwave reminded him there were still two more sets of coordinates to investigate. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} Soundwave was present when Megatron unsuccessfully tested the [[Forge of Solus Prime]]. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}} He played back footage of Skyquake's demise for [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]]. {{storylink|Loose Cannons}}

Soundwave continued to try to decode more data from the Iacon archives, in a continuation of Orion Pax's work. When Airachnid requested Megatron's approval to take point in the hunt for the relics, Megatron requested that Soundwave remind him of her previous words when she planned to abandon him. Later, after Dreadwing and Breakdown's failure to execute her, Soundwave began tracing Airachnid's location during her communication to the ''Nemesis'' for Megatron. {{storylink|Crossfire}}

After the ''Nemesis'' crashed, Soundwave reviewed security footage and discovered that Bulkhead had been the one to cause it. Megatron brought it back online using Dark Energon, though the ship's guiding intelligence proved uncontrollable by the Decepticons. Soundwave plugged himself into the flight console in an attempt to regain control, but was zapped into stasis. {{storylink|Flying Mind}}

[[Image:Triage Soundwave visor reflection.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
He was on the ''Nemesis'' bridge when Knock Out left to find the first of the four relics decoded by the ship. {{storylink|Tunnel Vision}} Dispatched to find the third relic, Soundwave encountered the ''[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Jackhammer]]'' and used Laserbeak as a distraction. He soon uncovered the [[Resonance Blaster]], only to be attacked by [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]]. Though the Autobot managed to crack his visor, Soundwave triumphed, and was only stopped from dispatching Wheeljack by an SOS from Laserbeak. He picked up Laserbeak and returned to the ''Nemesis'', where Knock Out discovered a grenade implanted in the deployer. Once the offending item was removed, Soundwave returned to his work decrypting the Iacon database, unaware that the Autobots had also implanted a virus in Laserbeak, which passed into the computer and began transmitting the database to the Autobots' mainframe. {{storylink|Triage}} He returned to the bridge to listen to Megatron complain about how ineffective everyone else was, and watched [[Hardshell]] and Knock Out argue. {{storylink|Hurt}}

When [[Silas|Cylas]] came to the Decepticons with the offer of a [[Project Damocles]] satellite, Soundwave was sent to a military base in [[Colorado]] to get the codes so they could control the satellite from the ''Nemesis''. He hacked into the computer, giving him the ability to use the satellite even as he was downloading the codes for it, but failed to stop Raf from knocking the satellite out of orbit. He retreated as the Autobots reached his position. {{storylink|The Human Factor}}

With new information about where the Autobots' human friends lived, Soundwave had Laserbeak patrol the area around [[Jasper]]. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} Soundwave succeeded in decoding another set of coordinates, and Megatron sent him with a decoy Iacon relic to draw the Autobots off. While he managed to keep Optimus Prime's team occupied for a lengthy period of time, it was not long enough, and by the time he returned to the ''Nemesis'', Optimus had gotten hold of the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Legacy}} Continuing his work, Soundwave decoded more coordinates and reported them to Megatron while the latter forged the [[Dark Star Saber]]. {{storylink|Alpha/Omega}}

When Megatron returned from victory, he told Soundwave, in great detail, how he had destroyed the Star Saber with his own blade. He soon had two more sets of coordinates downloaded, resulting in Knock Out securing an [[Omega Key]]. When the final set decoded into an image of [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]], Soundwave joined Laserbeak in the field to capture the Autobot rookie. {{storylink|Hard Knocks}} He was on hand to show the image he'd decoded to Smokescreen. {{storylink|Inside Job}}

After firing up the space bridge so Megatron could go to Cybertron, Soundwave told Starscream about what he'd discovered regarding the location of the Autobots' human allies. He later helped Starscream kidnap the three kids and transport them to Cybertron for use as hostages. {{storylink|Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration}} After handing over Raf in exchange for an [[Omega Key]], Soundwave took part in the activation of the [[Omega Lock]]. He survived the lock's destruction at the hands of Optimus Prime, and returned to Earth with the others. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}}

During the hunt for the scattered Autobots, Soundwave dispatched Laserbeak to monitor an attempt to off Jack Darby. The attack resulted in an explosion that took out Laserbeak, and though Soundwave worked, he was unable to retrieve any further surveillance data from the salvaged, charred Deployer. He opened a space bridge to Cybertron, through which Knock Out returned from a mission accompanied by the long-missing [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}} Soundwave was present when Starscream proudly showed off the dancing monkey picture he'd found and later when Shockwave brought [[Predaking (Prime)|a Predacon]] to Earth. {{storylink|Scattered}} As Starscream dispatched troops to deal with a number of Autobot signals, Soundwave tried to point out that their army was being spread thinly. He suggested that the Autobots were likely to be using the ''[[Harbinger]]'' as a base, but [[Darkmount (Earth)|Darkmount]] came under attack before the Decepticons had a chance to act on the information. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}}

He was forced to repair the ''Nemesis'' communication dish after the Predacon damaged it. {{storylink|Plus One}} Soundwave GroundBridged to Shockwave's aid in [[Texas]], when the other Decepticon came under attack from Autobots. With the help of Laserbeak, Soundwave managed to take down Optimus Prime and deftly GroundBridged a fragment of Predacon remains back to the ''Nemesis'' before the Autobots could get their hands on it. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

When a plague inadvertently engineered by Knock Out and Starscream began spreading through the Vehicon population, Soundwave oversaw cleanup efforts. His group of Vehicons and Insecticons moved through the ship, destroying the infected, until the Insecticons suddenly broke off from the operation. He followed them, and on discovering that Airachnid was out of stasis and controlling them once more, used the space bridge to transport both her and the Insecticons to one of Cybertron's moons. {{Storylink|Thirst}} Soundwave hung around during a Decepticon meeting to determine what to do about the potential threat of the Predacons. {{storylink|Evolution}}

{{spoilers|Minus One|July 12, 2013}}
[[File:Soundwave Mocks.jpg|thumb|left|:)|250px]]
As the Decepticons gathered resources to rebuild the Omega Lock, Soundwave monitored some Vehicons stealing materials. He activated the GroundBridge for them when the Autobots turned up, but he himself was shot down by Optimus Prime and crashed into power lines, disabling himself. The Autobots took him back to their shielded base and attempted to interrogate him to find out what Megatron's plans were, but Soundwave merely erased his data and crashed his own hard drives before breaking his vow of silence to tell them he was superior. He remained offline until Laserbeak arrived and reactivated him with new orders—capture Ratchet. {{storylink|Minus One}}

{{--}}

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
[[Image:Titan4.2 Soundwave listen.jpg|thumb|right|200px| You look different, Soundwave. Did you do something different with your entire face?]]
During the war, Soundwave took part in a mission led by Megatron to invade [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and destroy the [[Iacon Energon Refinery]]. The team had barely made it in before Soundwave detected that they'd been spotted and the five Decepticons had to take cover. Following a failed gambit which expended the other three team members, Megatron gave Soundwave a bomb. While his leader caused a distraction, Soundwave ran to plant the bomb, only to be struck by blasts from [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|one of the defenders]]. Megatron picked up his wounded second-in-command and helped him to safety, along with the other three Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

Megatron and Soundwave somehow slipped some code into ''[[Invasionauts II]]'' to hypnotise Raf into opening the GroundBridge so they could send Vehicons through. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.4|Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!}} When Soundwave's plan to ambush the Autobots in [[The Wave]] went badly, he fired his remote-controlled hand at [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]. The hand lodged in the scout's chest and later emerged when Bumblebee and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] were asleep. Despite trying its best to kill Bumblebee, Soundwave's hand was strapped to a firework and shot high into the air. Starscream and Soundwave later scoured the desert for the missing hand and managed to find at least one finger. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.12|The Evil Shred}}

Megatron had Soundwave broadcast his intent to wreck the [[Statue of Liberty]] to the world's media. Unfortunately the US military intercepted all the transmissions before they could be received, leaving Megatron very unhappy with his communications officer. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.13|Protecting the Lady}}
{{--}}

===Toy bios===
When Soundwave was severely damaged, his loyal Deployers set to work repairing him. Utilizing the ancient, mysterious science of an alien world, they succeeded, and Soundwave was revived. To reflect the fact that he was no longer content with just being the Decepticons' communications specialist, he renamed himself "Soundblaster", and took on a more combative role. {{storylink|#GenerationsSoundblaster|Voyager Class Soundblaster}}

===''Tales of the Beast Hunters''===
Soundwave intercepted a message between [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] indicating that the pair were heading for a derelict starship in the [[asteroid belt]]. As [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] and [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] headed out to tail the two Autobots, Soundwave monitored events on [[Earth]] to make sure no one else was following. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 2}} When Predaking came back alone with the news Megatron had apparently perished in an explosion, Soundwave and the other Decepticons immediately suspected [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] was responsible. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 7}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)|[[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian)}}
[[Image:Soundwave WfC GameInformer Concept Art.jpg|300px|So Soundwave, you ever going to use that giant missile pod on your shoulder?
"Well there was that [[Spotlight: Soundwave|one time." ]]|thumb|right]]
Soundwave took control of the orbital station [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] was posted at, helping [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] to reach the [[Dark Energon]] by establishing a forward base within the station. He then directed Megatron to a Data Matrix Center in order to find a route to the Dark Energon that had not been blocked by Starscream.

Later, Soundwave notified Megatron that access to the core was impossible, as it was guarded by the Omega Gate. He and [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] accompanied Megatron as they led the assault on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], through which they would find and take the [[Omega Key]], opening the Omega Gate and allowing the core to be infused with Dark Energon. On their way to the [[Stellar Galleries]], Soundwave reported [[sniper (WFC)|sniper]]s, and after taking them down, Megatron infused the entrance with Dark Energon and took his team into the security station. Soundwave noticed that the batteries fed the security grid, and the trio infused each of them with Dark Energon, deactivating the security measures. Soundwave then detected the Omega Key behind their next door, and after opening it, the Decepticons arrived at the Stellar Galleries. They opened the container, finding not the key, but a message from [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Zeta Prime]], who announced that he had taken the Omega Key, anticipating Megatron's plan. Zeta sent Autobot attack forces against them, but they were swiftly taken down. Megatron ordered Soundwave to trace Zeta Prime's broadcast, and Soundwave found it came from 12.7 cycles ahead. He then noted a weak wall, and the Decepticons broke it down and entered the cities' subsystems, providing a direct route to Zeta, and the Omega Key.

The group descended down a shaft and went through a tunnel, avoiding trains on the way, and after breaking down a door in a ventilation area, they were ambushed by Autobot cloakers. Soundwave dispatched them and infused Dark Energon into the batteries. Megatron congratulated him, and then ordered him to unlock the exit. Soundwave obliged, and the trio found themselves in another tunnel. Breakdown challenged Soundwave to a race, to which the Decepticon responded, in his trademark monotone, "Negative." Tough crowd. Rushing through the tunnel, this time full of moving trains, the group came to a station where they infiltrated Iacon's lower levels. Soundwave detected the Omega Key at last, and suggested proceeding through the logistics station. Roughing it through the Autobot attackers, Soundwave finally determined that the key was beyond the train tunnels.

Soundwave and his teammates arrived at Iacon's main streets, where they met up with [[Brawl (WFC)|Brawl]] outside of Zeta Prime's vaults, which were impervious to the small amount of Dark Energon Megatron was capable of channeling. After Megatron's squad helped Brawl clear the area, Brawl called in the Dark Energon bombers, but they were spectacularly shot down by the planetary guns. Brawl suggested disabling them, and Soundwave assisted in carrying out the plan. Autobots advanced all around, but Soundwave and the others managed to hold them off until the next wave of bombers arrived, clearing the street and destroying the Vault doors. Soundwave joined the others on their way to the entrance, but the squad was intercepted by a [[Destroyer (WFC)|Destroyer]]. Soundwave and Breakdown split from Megatron to flank him, and eventually they rendered him non-functional. Inside the vault, they avoided Zeta's traps and finally reached the Omega Key—but it too was a trap. Zeta then attacked them, using a giant hologram and controlling the chamber to his advantage, dropping the ceiling and sending holographic brutes to attack for him while safe within an impenetrable energy shield. (Even during the battle, Soundwave was impressed by the creation of endless energon clones, to which Breakdown responded, roughly, "NERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!") Soundwave's dorkiness proved useful in discerning the weakness of Zeta's machines—that the core rapidly overheated after prolonged use, and needed to open up in order to cool, rendering it vulnerable to attack. After the battle, Megatron plucked from Zeta's hand the "key"...which started to blink its lights and chirp. Zeta Prime informed them that the "key" he was actually a device that activated the real key: [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]].

As the three Decepticons flew away to track Omega, Soundwave noticed that the "key" was coming for them. Omega Supreme attacked, and thrust the Decepticons' star cruiser into a wall. Crash-landing, Megatron had a change of plans; force Omega Supreme to open the Omega Gate. Soundwave noticed a Decepticon [[Dropship (WFC)|Dropship]] across the bridge, but when the squad went to investigate, Omega Supreme intercepted them. Soundwave reported that his weapons were ineffective; Megatron told his soldiers to destroy the bridge supports, causing Omega Supreme's vast bulk to collapse it. But he transformed to his ship mode, flew back up, and forced the Decepticons to retreat inside. In a frenzy, Breakdown noted that the next door was locked, and Soundwave proposed that Dark Energon could open the door, which it did. Inside, Soundwave picked up a transmission from Starscream, who announced that he would be replacing the "deceased" Megatron as Decepticon leader. Enraged, Megatron threatened Starscream, but Soundwave informed his leader that communication to the surface had been cut off, so Starscream could not hear him.

The trio arrived at the lift, but found it to be locked down. Breaking the locks got the lift back to working condition, but on their way up, Omega Supreme returned and blasted it, forcing the Decepticons down the shaft at breakneck speed. Omega was still out there, so the emergency brakes' destruction was the Decepticons' only hope. At the bottom, they continued their journey to find a way to fight Omega Supreme—Soundwave noted that at the top of the tower were several heavy weapons emplacements which could at least theoretically damage Omega—but Omega Supreme didn't know the meaning of the word quit. (He really doesn't; not much in the processor department.) He grabbed the Decepticons, but Soundwave helped out in shooting Omega Supreme's hand, forcing him relinquishing the three from his grasp. They retreated inside a fortified Autobot position, and in order to prevent detection, Soundwave jammed their signals. Slaying the Autobots inside who dared attempt to counterattack, Soundwave unlocked the exit, which only let in more Autobots. They too, met their demise, but as Soundwave and his comrades escaped, he noticed that the Autobots' security was countering the effects of Dark Energon. Destroying the sentries turned to be a worthwhile solution, but then the Decepticons had to deal with Omega Supreme mining road. Soundwave's sensors indicated the presence of a bridge nearby, and though Breakdown was unsure, Megatron was willing to follow Soundwave's advice. Once again, Omega Supreme continued to stalk them, but Soundwave led his group to an alternate route...a dead end, to be precise, which Megatron was irritated with. Soundwave revealed that breaking a structurally-weak sealed doorway nearby took them to Iacon maintenance tunnels leading straight to the bridge terminal. When they arrived through the power conduits, Soundwave and the others fought through more Autobots and finally activated the bridge.

Racing across the bridge, they barely avoided Omega Supreme's pursuit, and Soundwave located another cargo lift that would transport them straight to the heavy ion turrets. On the lift he picked up several Autobot/Decepticon signals, a sign they were approaching the battle on the surface. Soundwave participated in the slugfest, and his analysis proved that the turrets nearby had enough firepower to legitimately damage Omega Supreme. Then, he showed no mercy using the turrets to breach Omega's armour and finally topple him to the ground below.

Soundwave, Breakdown, and Megatron followed Omega, and at the bottom, they were surprised to see him survive and transform into his mighty robot mode. Soundwave noted that energon batteries produced from within Cybertron were the source of Omega's limitless endurance, and further advised the team on battling Omega; avoiding his tractor beams would allow them to live, and his turrets were vulnerable, making them the prime target. When the turrets were blown, Soundwave saw that the batteries were being used to repair them, and so it became an objective to corrupt them with Dark Energon. When Omega Supreme used the batteries to heal himself, he was instead weakened, allowing the Decepticons to critically injure him. Omega Supreme was still alive even after all of that, but much weaker. Soundwave observed that his chest plating had been damaged, and Megatron ordered Soundwave and Breakdown to blast it, and Omega Supreme fell at last. Soundwave advised Megatron that now would be a good time to corrupt Omega with Dark Energon, but Megatron told Captain Obvious to shut up and did as he would have done even if Soundwave hadn't brought it up, laughing all the way.

After Cybertron's Core had been infected with Dark Energon, Soundwave was reassigned as head of [[Kaon]]'s prison, and watched over (i.e., tortured) Zeta Prime in his spare time. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]], [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], [[Sideswipe (WFC)|Sideswipe]] and [[Air Raid (WFC)|Air Raid]] led an Autobot breakout and battled Soundwave's minions [[Frenzy (WFC)|Frenzy]], [[Rumble (WFC)|Rumble]] and [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]]. Soundwave himself sustained heavy damage leaving the safety of his position to revive and retrieve each Minicon, showing uncharaceristic concern for other living beings. Eventually, defeated and critically damaged, Soundwave desperately attempted to restore himself by absorbing life force from Zeta's very own spark. His attempt to fully heal was halted by Optimus, who even took a shot from the Decepticon intended to finish off Prime. Although Soundwave and his minions fled, the damage had already been done and Zeta Prime expired moments later. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)
Soundwave hacked into the Autobot mainframe and, while Megatron and some other Decepticons kept the Autobots distracted, downloaded intel indicating the location of the Trypticon space station. As they approached the station in Megatron's ship, Soundwave reported that the inhabitants were taking up defensive positions and docking would not be possible. Though Megatron was confident they could ram the station, Soundwave turned out to be right, and they could only get close enough to drop a small team off on the debris surrounding the station. When the station was conquered and Dark Energon in Megatron's hands, Soundwave suggested it might be a good idea to test the stuff prior to use. It turned out to be unstable, and he warned it could result in destruction of its host. The Decepticons set up Kaon Prison as a testing ground and, after eleven failures, established that the Dark Energon could be used. When Barricade asked what happened to the failures, Soundwave would only say that their remains laid in the prison and creepily ask Barricade to get in the chair so he too could be infused with Dark Energon.

Trypticon station required more power, so the Decepticons sent a team to Cybertron's core to reactivate the Energon Bridge. Soundwave did not anticipate the activation of latent defense systems, triggered by the Decepticon presence, because he hadn't studied the same ancient files as Starscream. Megatron ordered Soundwave to give Starscream whatever he needed, and they succeeded in activating the bridge. Soundwave reported that they were only at 37% power — the Autobots had severed the bridge's link to the core using the Omega Key. Lazerbeak intercepted an Autobot transmission indicating that Zeta Prime was hiding the Omega Key, and Megatron ordered Soundwave to assemble a strike force to obtain it. They managed to find and defeat the Autobot leader, but the Omega Key he had was only the key to awaken the real key — Omega Supreme. Once the Decepticons fought their way through the Autobot defenses, Soundwave reported they had reached Omega Supreme himself. The Decepticons defeated the giant, reestablished the link to the core and infused it with Dark Energon. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)|[[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian)}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
{{voiceactor|[[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] (English)}}
Soundwave was present when Optimus was brought to Megatron by Starscream and [[Onslaught (WFC)|Onslaught]]. He watched as [[Metroplex (FOC)|Metroplex]]''' pulverised''' Megatron. He was the only one who hesitated in following Starscream. He secretly salvaged and with the help of Laserbeak, Rumble and an [[E.D.K. TechVolt]], rebuilt his glorious leader, improving on his original design. He infused Megatron with Dark Energon, and pointed his leader in the direction of Starscream. He took part in the assault on the factory the Autobots had built in the crater where Trypticon crashed, and once Megatron had rebuilt the giant Decepticon, came to power up Trypticon's power core. On Megatron's orders, Soundwave rebuilt Trypticon into the ''Nemesis'', a ship strong enough to make it towards [[Earth|the planet]] [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] had chosen. When the Autobots launched the Ark, the ''Nemesis'' soon caught up, and Soundwave spearheaded the assault on the other ship. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron}}

===''Terrorcon Defense''===
[[Image:SoundwaveTerrorconDefense.jpg|300px|thumb|As awesome as he looks here, he's probably waltzing off after Bumblebee blasted him ''again''.]]
Soundwave attempted to retrieve Dark Energon from a mining area but despite his army of Vehicons and Terrorcons, Bumblebee managed to stop him. {{storylink|Transformers Prime: Terrorcon Defense}}
{{-}}

=== ''Transformers: Prime - The Game ===
[[Image:TransformersPrimeTheGame Soundwave.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Wait, I thought Daft Punk had two guys in it.]]
{{storylink|Transformers: Prime - The Game}}
After [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] saves Miko, and Raf- he has to shut down the reactors in which Soundwave set up to keep Raf from hacking into the Decepticon Database. Ratchet has to shut down each reactor as Soundwave deploys vehicons, and blocks them with forcefields. Eventually towards the end the two end up battling; ending with Ratchet defeating Soundwave.

==Commercial appearances==

===Transformers: War For Cybertron===
[[Image:WFC Gamestop Commercial.jpg|left|150px|thumb|The toy can do this if you try hard enough.]]
[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] arrived to a location where [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], and Soundwave were battling Autobots. Megatron left, leaving Shockwave in charge. Shockwave ordered Soundwave to [[Transformation|Transform]]. Soundwave changed into Cybertronian boombox mode and played [[The Touch]]. {{storylink|Commercial#War for Cybertron|GameSpot's commercial for their Shockwave multiplayer exclusive}}
{{--}}

===Transformers: Prime===
Soundwave knows that out of all the radio transmissions in the universe, Megatron's favorite song is the ''[[My Little Pony]]: Friendship is Magic'' theme. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|Megatron's Favorite Song (26 Hour Takeover marathon promo)}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[Image:Generationstoy-CybertronianSoundwave.jpg|thumb|300px|No [[Soundwave (Animated)|giant guitar]] this time!]]
*'''Cybertronian Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' two "weapons"

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class toys, ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)#Toys|War for Cybertron]]'' Soundwave transforms into an SUV-style "communications truck", as seen in [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|the video game]]. He comes with his classic shoulder launcher and rifle, both of which can be mounted on his hands, right shoulder, and rear vehicle sides via [[5mm post]]s, and store inside his opening chest (approximating the visual of cassette spools). Soundwave's head features a [[light-piping]] gimmick, but the effect is largely neutered by his painted visor.

: This mold was [[repaint]]ed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#United|Soundwave Cybertron Mode]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Decepticon/GenerationsSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Cybertronian Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|GenerationsVoyager}}
[[Image:Generations-SoundwaveVoyager.jpg|thumb|300px|With all the downsizing, Soundwave's surprised he's gotten so big.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 001'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG13'''
**''Accessories:'' Laserbeak/Data disc, shoulder cannon

: Part of the first wave of [[2012]] Voyager Class ''Generations [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' toys, Soundwave is a larger mold, and comes with a shoulder cannon which can peg (via 5mm post) into his hands, right shoulder, and roof/back.

: He also comes with [[Legends Class]] [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Generations|Laserbeak]], who utilizes Soundwave's main [[gimmick]], storing and launching Laserbeak and other "[[data disc]]" minions. A button to the left of his head can be pressed to open his spring-loaded chest compartment, allowing up to three data discs to be stored inside. With discs stored, his back panel/roof now acts as a plunger, which can be moved forward in either mode to launch minions out. Launched minions should land on buttons on their undersides, thus triggering their [[Flipchanger|spring-loaded transformation mechanisms]] and springing them into action! ...Hopefully.

: As an undocumented feature, the seat on his vehicle roof holds [[Diaclone]] drivers. Additionally, Soundwave's trigger finger is molded into his left hand, presumably so he can push his own eject button.

: For some reason, his [[stock photography]] and [[instructions]] depict him with the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]] toy's [[Ion blaster]] accessory, which isn't included with the final product.

: The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Soundwave features different colors, using a more purple-ish metallic shade of blue and replacing almost all of his gray parts (the exceptions being his face and "grill") with a much darker metallic shade. It also features none of the red and yellow [[paint operation|paint details]] on his arms and legs and renders the seat on his roof black.

: Soundwave was [[redeco]]ed and [[retool]]ed into [[Blaster (FOC)|Autobot Blaster]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/FOCSoundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Fall of Cybertron'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|GenerationsSoundblaster}}
[[Image:Generationstoy-FOCSoundblaster.jpg|thumb|300px|"Am I New Soundwave, or [[#Beast Hunters|Old]] [[#Deluxe|Old]] New Soundwave?"]]
*'''Soundblaster''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 002'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG14'''
**''Accessories:'' Buzzsaw/Data disc, shoulder cannon

: Also available in the first wave of [[2012]] Voyager Class ''Generations Fall of Cybertron'' toys, Soundblaster is a charcoal gray, red, gold, and yellow [[redeco]] of Voyager Class Soundwave, as is the trend with [[Soundblaster (disambiguation)|Soundblasters]]. In fact, he uses the exact same [[paint operation|paint mask]] as Soundwave, simply changing some of the colors. He now comes with [[Buzzsaw (FOC)|Buzzsaw]], a redeco of Laserbeak.

: His stock photography and instructions still depict him with the ion blaster accessory which he still doesn't have.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/FOCSoundblaster/soundblaster.htm More information on Soundblaster at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|Deluxe}}
[[Image:Primetoy-SoundwaveDeluxe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Toy doesn't talk, just like in the tv show!]]
[[Image:TakaraTomyPrimetoy-AMSoundwave.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Ooh, does this mean I'm [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] now?]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2012)
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[April 28]], 2012'''
**''Series / number'': '''1 / 004'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''AM-09'''
**''Accessories'': [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Prime|Laserbeak]], [[Zori#Prime|Zori]] Arms Micron (TakaraTomy only)

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Robots in Disguise (2012)|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' toys, Soundwave transforms from a UAV not unlike the [[Wikipedia:General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper|Predator B drone]] into an angular batlike robot mode. His transformation includes a spring-loaded head that deploys automatically when his tail and thrust bottle are folded up. His vehicle mode has a [[5mm post|5mm port]] on the top of its fuselage; the robot also has 5mm sockets passing entirely through his palms. Any of these holes can mount the included Laserbeak, or he can store inside Soundwave's chest in either mode.

: In wave six of the ''Prime'' toyline, Soundwave was put into new packaging, which came with a DVD featuring the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)| Prime]]'' episode "[[Loose Cannons]]".

: The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Soundwave has considerable differences from the [[Hasbro]] version. He comes with his own [[Arms Micron]], Zori, and cannons with 5mm ports and posts have been added to his wings (on his shoulders in robot mode) in order to accommodate said gimmick. Many of the Hasbro [[paint operation]]s have also been removed and replaced with numerous, small, customer-applied [[sticker]]s, including ones for his tiny sculpted kneecaps, which are practically guaranteed to peel off at the sides. In addition, the [[instructions]] for applying the stickers unfortunately contain an error, with the placement of stickers 14 and 15 being swapped around.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on Hasbro Soundwave at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-1501.html Arms Micron Soundwave gallery at Alfes's blog]''

{{-}}

===Beast Hunters===
[[Image:PrimeBHtoy-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Yeah, being lost in the wilderness for a couple of months will do that to you.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Deluxe, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''2/002'''
**''Accessories'': [[Ravage (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Ravage]], [[Talon Grapple Cannon]]
: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Beast Hunters]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Soundwave is a redeco and extensive [[retool]] of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Soundwave mold, and transforms into a spiky aerial drone with a massive wingspan and three tail-fins. Aside from the usual peg-holes on his fuselage and palms, his wings have been retooled with two new peg-holes, with one on each wing. Instead of Laserbeak, Soundwave features a new partner in the form of Ravage, who is a robotic jaguar that transforms into a thing that fits into Soundwave's chest.

:Soundwave also comes with the Talon Grapple Cannon, a spring-loaded launcher that fires a [[missile]] with an opening "claw" at the end, with the missile and launcher being tied together with a length of string. The launcher itself features an additional peg on each side, and its main peg is sculpted to be able to fit in the specially-shaped socket on his chest, allowing the cannon to mount on his vehicle-mode underside when Ravage is removed.

:His instructions include the [[Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 2|second chapter]] of the ''[[Tales of the Beast Hunters]]'' series.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Soundwave/soundwave.htm More information on ''Beast Hunters'' Soundwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[Image:BHtoy Cyberverse Soundwave.jpg|thumb|300px|Now let's see [[Laserbeak (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Laserbeak]] pop out of ''this'' guy's chest.]]
*'''Soundwave''' (Cyberverse Legion, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''3/005'''
**''Accessories'': Sonic Saw

: Part of the second wave of ''Prime: Beast Hunters'' [[Cyberverse#Series 3|Series 3 Cyberverse]] Legion Class toys, Soundwave is a smaller-scale toy. He comes with a "Sonic Saw" rifle with a chainsaw bayonet, and the weapon features four [[C joint|3mm posts]] and two ports, allowing it to peg onto any of the ports on Soundwave's hands, forearms/wings, and back/fuselage. This weapon, in varying colors, was also used by [[Hun-Gurrr (Prime)|Hun-Gurrr]], [[Smokescreen (Prime)#Cyberverse|Smokescreen]], and the [[Vehicon (Prime)#CyberverseAir|Air Vehicon]].

{{-}}

===Go!===
*'''Hunter Soundwave''' ([[April 27|04–27]]–13)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''G18'''
**''Accessories'': [[Ravage (WFC)#Go!|Ravage]], "Capture Anchor" weapon
:Hunter Soundwave is a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Hunters'' Deluxe Soundwave toy, released in [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Cubed Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Transformers Go!]]'' toyline and using a different blue, white and black color scheme with a red faceplate. The back of the packaging erroneously depicts the ''Beast Hunters'' version of the toy.

==Notes==
[[Image:TfprimeSoundwavePredator.jpg|thumb|But can he replay footage of "[[Operation: Firestorm]]"?]]
[[Image:VectorSigmaBotBuilderSoundwave.jpg|thumb|Deep Desert Soundwave.]]
* Soundwave transforms into a Cybertronian car during gameplay of ''War for Cybertron'', and his toy does the same, having only one alternate mode. However, in a ''War for Cybertron'' cutscene, the Gamestop commercial for Shockwave, and the end credits for ''War for Cybertron'', he is additionally shown to transform into a Cybertronian boombox, which the toy can technically do with some fiddling.
* Despite his toy and concept art appearance, Soundwave has a [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|yellow]] visor in the War for Cybertron game. This was changed to red for the Fall of Cybertron sequel (perhaps displaying, in-universe, his furthered dedication to the Decepticon cause?).
* According to the [[Transformers Hall of Fame]] biography, Soundwave [[Perceptor (Animated)|deleted his emotions to process information more quickly]], and is susceptible to [[Cyber Missions 1|too many sonic booms]].
* [[Duane Capizzi]] said Soundwave can speak, but just chooses not to. The decision was to contrast Soundwave with the overly talkative Starscream,<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/bonus-q--a-with-transformers-prime-creators---answered-171430/ TFW2005 Q&A January 2011]</ref> and at [[BotCon 2011]], the staff compared Soundwave to [[Boba Fett]]. Instead, he records what he overhears and replays it with a mechanical echo that is very similar to the echo of his G1 counterpart. Sorry, [[Frank Welker|Frank]], only [[Megatron (WFC)|one character]] for now...
* Soundwave's prehensile tentacles are reminiscent of [[Soundwave (ROTF)|another Soundwave]], although they are significantly less naughty.
* Soundwave's body parts are available to use in the Hub website's [[Vector Sigma Bot Builder]] online game. Normally, you cannot configure a generic 'bot using all Soundwave parts, but you can see what one would look like at right through the magic of Photoshop.

===Arms Up Modes===
In the Japanese ''Prime'' toyline, Soundwave has named powered-up modes when given various [[Arms Micron]]s in certain configurations:

*'''Night Attack Mode''' (ナイトアタックモード ''Naito Atakku Mōdo'')
**''Arms Microns'': Balo, Jida, Zori
: In this mode, shown on his box-back photo, Soundwave uses the two-Micron weapon [[Spike Hammer Rod]], while [[Jida]] in "Defense Shield" mode hangs on his left shoulder. What exactly makes all this ideal for nighttime attacks is anyone's guess.

*'''Jet Mode''' (ジェットモード ''Jetto Mōdo'')
**''Arms Microns'': Gora (x2), Zori
: Meant simply for flying in fast and blowing crap up, this heavily modified version of Soundwave requires some real work. Because of all the recycled non-''Transformers'' parts in this mode, TakaraTomy designer [[Takashi Nakase]] has nicknamed this version "Recycle Mode". Two jet thruster/fuel tanks are created using bottles from a Japanese "common yogurt drink" and a pair of [[Gora]]s painted up silver, with snipped Arms Micron sprues added on for detail. Soundwave also carries a large weapon made from Zori, a plastic fork, and more sprues. Yes, a plastic fork. You read that correctly.
: There is also a vehicle mode configuration for this Arms Up Mode, with the massive turbines on the end of Soundwave's wings and the weapon on top of the main body. The whole shebang can be seen [http://youtu.be/QJUMhgggH-Q in this TakaraTomy developer video on YouTube].

===Foreign names===
*''Russian:'' '''Barkhan''' (Бархан, "Dune")

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Surveillance specialists]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

Talk:Vehicon (Prime)

2013-07-10T21:23:07Z

Autocon: /* Jet/Air Vehicons */

== Drones? ==

What makes these guys drones? So far in the cartoon they seem to be generic Decepticons. Who don't talk much. Also, where is their name from? - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 18:16, 27 November 2010 (EST)
:They were named in the comic, if I recall correctly. If they're ''not'' drones, the Autobots sure don't seem to have too many qualms about killing them.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 18:18, 27 November 2010 (EST)
:Starscream refers to them as drones in the second episode. Not sure if he's just referring to the miners or not though. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 18:35, 27 November 2010 (EST)
::"The drones have been mining in you absence." The drones pictured mining were far away, but didn't seem to have the same silhouette as the Eradicons. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 18:44, 27 November 2010 (EST)
[[Deus ex Machina]] muddies the issue somewhat further with Starscream's comment that "The crew took a vote", which would seem to be beyond the capability of drones. Although then he does go and randomly murder one. Of course, I suppose the crew he was referring to could have been named Decepticons aboard the Nemesis that haven't been shown yet, the same way there's nothing to suggest Makeshift wasn't aboard during Darkness Rising. [[Special:Contributions/82.15.246.28|82.15.246.28]] 16:31, 14 March 2011 (EDT)
:Yeah, that would be my guess. I can't imagine non-living drones taking a vote would be something Screamer would care about, so we have to assume there are other Cons on the ship...--[[Special:Contributions/76.28.76.206|76.28.76.206]] 16:55, 14 March 2011 (EDT)
::They call them drones so they can show their robotic guts getting ripped out in a cartoon. Otherwise they can vote and disagree with Starscream and stuff as much as they want. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 17:13, 14 March 2011 (EDT)
:::They seem to follow the same 'rules' as Star Wars' Stormtroopers or GI Joe's Cobra Vipers. They may be intelligent, but they're just disposable troop fodder. A drone doesn't have to be mindless, after all, and it's pretty clear that the Vehicons have some degree of intelligence. So they're not the same as the drones from Beast Machines. As for the Autobots pounding on them, that's been explicitly answered - it's because they're part of the Decepticon's warrior caste. The Autobots are far more merciful to the worker caste Decepticons... typically. - [[User:Vanguard|Vanguard]] 18:28, 16 January 2012 (EST)
Is it possible that they lack a spark in the traditional sense? This would explain their being somewhat sentient, but not being "alive", and thus being disposable

== Heads? ==

May be just me, but do the combat and mining variants have different helmets?
The combat ones have helmets like in War For Cybertron, shaped like a T, and the miners have Dead Space-ish stripes.
Anyone else noticed?

-ThiAthEhn

== Names? ==

These guys were recently called "Terrorcons" in the new "Terrorcon Defence" Game on Hubworld.com Maybe add a note about that? --[[User:Kaymac192|Kaymac192]] 17:25, 4 February 2011 (EST)
:No, they were called Vehicons. [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]] are the Dark Energon zombies. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 17:29, 4 February 2011 (EST)
:But yes, you can add a note about them being called Vehicons in that game. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 17:32, 4 February 2011 (EST)

== Jets ==

Should we have a seperate page for jet vehicons and car type vehicons? Seeing as they are fairly different, We do have individual pages for each type of BM Vehicon. Thoughts? [[User:Grimlock140|Grimlock140]] 18:04, 6 May 2012 (EDT)

== Hasbro DVD packaging variant ==

A packaging variation appears to exist, which includes a DVD of "Loose Cannons" [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/652476-rid-vehicon-w-dvd-spotted.html][http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251148067123][http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261095281174][http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330790747588]

== Other names for Vehicons ==

Seeing as how the jet vehicons are called Flyers in the recent episode, shouldn't that be added to the beginning of the page? And since they are called flyers, why not call the other vehicons Drivers?{{unsigned|96.246.103.170|20:30, 15 October 2012}}
:"Flyers" isn't necessarily a proper name so much as... y'know, ''what they do''. Also, we're not going to gin up a term for land-based Vehicons that ''nobody in the show has used''.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 21:22, 15 October 2012 (EDT)

== Drones? Part 2 ==
Considering the latest episode showed that they were affected by the spark extractor, I'm starting to wonder if all of the drone information on this page is unnecessary. Starscream could have referred to them as drones as a pejorative, or referring to them with a different meaning than them being lesser than standard Cybertronians. [[User:Antimatter|Antimatter]] 01:24, 27 October 2012 (EDT)
:Yeah, I think by now we can be certain that they're not drones. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 01:33, 27 October 2012 (EDT)

== Jet/Air Vehicons ==
Were they ever given a unique name in the cartoon? Shouldn't they have their own page? [[User:Mimi|Mimi]] 00:21, 20 May 2013 (EDT)
: I've been mulling over breaking this up between types, just haven't had the chance to put together the best way of doing so. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 01:18, 20 May 2013 (EDT)

== Seekers ==
We separated the vehicons and decepticon miners, I think we also separate the vehicons and the seekers (silver jets). --[[User:Autocon|Autocon]] 16:22, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

Transformers: Prime (cartoon)

2013-07-10T21:17:08Z

Autocon: /* Cast */

{{Nav-Prime}}

[[Image:TransformersPrimePremierePoster.jpg|thumb|300px|We finally have toys... we think.]]
[[Image:Beasthunters-logo1.png|300px|right]]
'''''Transformers: Prime''''' is a multiple Daytime Emmy Award-winning [[computer-generated imagery|computer-animated]] television series that premiered on [[The Hub]] on [[November 26]], [[2010]] with a five-part mini-series, which was followed by a season of another 21 episodes beginning on [[February 11]], [[2011]]. Season 2 began screening [[February 18]], [[2012]], and a third season of thirteen episodes with the subtitle ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' began screening on [[March 22]], [[2013]]. ''[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]'', a TV movie, will conclude the show in late 2013.

The Canadian broadcast of the series has been undertaken by Corus Entertainment, and the show is currently airing on Teletoon.<ref>[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/biz/hasbro-studios-and-corus-entertainments-kids-networks-reach-broad-animation-and-live-action-programming-agreement.html Hasbro Studios and Corus Entertainment’s Kids Networks Reach Broad Animation and Live-Action Programming Agreement]</ref>

The series premiered in the UK on [[September 5]], 2011 on [[Cartoon Network]]'s "[[Action Heroes]]" block. It began airing in Japan on [[April 7]], 2012 on [[TV Aichi]].

==Story==

[[Team Prime]] lives on [[Earth]] as a pre-emptive measure against the return of the [[Decepticon]]s. [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot Central Command]] is located in a converted [[missile]] silo in [[Nevada]] which was provided by the [[United States of America|United States]] government, with whom the Autobots have formed an alliance. However, the presence of [[Transformer]]s on Earth is not generally known among the civilian population. The Autobots have taken [[Jack Darby|three]] [[Miko Nakadai|human]] [[Raf Esquivel|teens]] under their protection after their association with the Autobots put them in danger from the Decepticons.

[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] returns having discovered [[Dark Energon]], which grants him rule of life itself, but is injured, with [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] taking command in his absence. In addition to the Decepticons, the Autobots also contend with the human terrorist organization, [[MECH]].

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;Main Cast
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] ([[Sumalee Montano]])
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] ([[Jeffrey Combs]])
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] ([[Frank Welker]]<ref>''Frank Welker records actual words written for Bumblebee which are later replaced with sound effects.'' -- Revealed in "The Autobits Edition" of [[Darkmount, NV|episode 53]].</ref>)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] ([[James Horan]])
* [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] ([[Nolan North]])
* [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Michael Ironside]])

;Others
* [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] ([[George Takei]])
* [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Dwayne Johnson]]/[[Billy Brown]])
* [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]]

|c2=
;Main Cast
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] ([[Daran Norris]])
*[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] ([[Adam Baldwin]])
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] ([[Gina Torres]])
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] ([[Tony Todd]])

;Others
*[[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] ([[Richard Green]])
*[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])

;Troopers
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]]
*[[Decepticon Miner]]s
*[[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticons]]
**[[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]] ([[David Kaye]])
**[[Bombshock (Prime)|Bombshock]] ([[Steve Blum]])

|c3=
;Main Cast
* [[Jack Darby]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Miko Nakadai]] ([[Tania Gunadi]])
* [[Raf Esquivel]] ([[Andy Pessoa]])
* [[William Fowler]] ([[Ernie Hudson]])

;Others
* [[Silas]] ([[Clancy Brown]])
* [[June Darby]] ([[Markie Post]])
* [[Sierra]] ([[Alexandra Krosney]])
* [[Vince]] ([[Brad Raider]])
* [[Bryce|General Bryce]] ([[Robert Forster]])
* [[Vogel]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[John Noble]])
* [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]]/[[Clancy Brown]])
* [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]]
* [[Starscream clone (Prime)|Starscream clones]] ([[Steve Blum]])
* [[Scraplet]]s

|h5=[[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]|c5=
*[[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] ([[Peter Mensah]])
|nonumbering=true}}

==Episodes==
{{see|List of Prime episodes}}
===Season 1===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]
#[[Masters & Students]]
#[[Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap]]
#[[Con Job]]
#[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]
#[[Deus ex Machina]]
#[[Speed Metal]]
#[[Predatory]]
#[[Sick Mind]]
#[[Out of His Head]]
#[[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]]
#[[Operation: Breakdown]]
#[[Crisscross]]
#[[Metal Attraction]]
#[[Rock Bottom]]
#[[Partners]]
#[[T.M.I.]]
#[[Stronger, Faster]]
#[[One Shall Fall]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 2]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]
}}

===Season 2===
{{collist|3|
#[[Orion Pax, Part 1]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 2]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]
#[[Loose Cannons]]
#[[Crossfire]]
#[[Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime]]
#[[Grill]]
#[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]
#[[Flying Mind]]
#[[Tunnel Vision]]
#[[Triangulation]]
#[[Triage]]
#[[Toxicity]]
#[[Hurt]]
#[[Out of the Past]]
#[[New Recruit]]
#[[The Human Factor]]
#[[Legacy]]
#[[Alpha/Omega]]
#[[Hard Knocks]]
#[[Inside Job]]
#[[Patch (episode)|Patch]]
#[[Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration]]
#[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]
}}
===Season 3: Beast Hunters===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkmount, NV]]
#[[Scattered]]
#[[Prey (episode)|Prey]]
#[[Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion]]
#[[Project Predacon]]
#[[Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command]]
#[[Plus One]]
#[[Thirst]]
#[[Evolution]]
#[[Minus One]]
#[[Persuasion]]
#[[Synthesis]]
#[[Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock]]
}}
===TV movie===
*[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]

==Production==
[[Image:TFP montage poster.jpg|thumb|GET OFF MY FACE!!!]]
After the [[live-action film series]], screenwriters [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]] signed to become show runners with [[Jeff Kline]] and [[Duane Capizzi]] of The Hub's ''Transformers'' cartoon, explaining the TV show would not have the constraints of a two-hour film in delving into the mythology.<ref name="botcon2011">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2011-transformers-prime-panel-172315/ TFW coverage of Hasbro Studios panel at BotCon 2011]</ref> (Orci's employees [[Steven Puri]] and [[Mandy Safavi]] were also credited as producers.)<ref name="castcrewlist">[http://tformers.com/transformers-exclusive-transformers-prime-voice-cast-revealed-which-includes-the-rock/14278/news.html TFormers cast and crew announcement] including Dwayne Johnson exclusive.</ref> The show runners were given the "[[Binder of Revelation]]", a near 400-page [[production bible]] that [[Hasbro]] had been working on since the movies, that combined elements of the most popular [[continuity|continuities]].<ref>[http://collider.com/roberto-orci-jeff-kline-interview-transformers-prime/75039/ Collider transcript]</ref> The show's title was based on the desire to create a master continuity and a literal [[Wikipedia:Earth Prime|Prime continuity]].<ref name="botcon2011"/> Whereas the movies were about a [[Sam Witwicky|boy]] and his [[Bumblebee (Movie)|car]], the dynamic between the kids and the robots on the show was meant to be more like ''[[Wikipedia:The Iron Giant|The Iron Giant]]''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Pb3MeUDdY Roundtable interview with ''Prime'' staff at BotCon 2011]</ref>

The writing staff was headed by Capizzi, with [[Marsha Griffin]] as the story editor. The staff consists of [[Nicole Dubuc]], [[Joseph Kuhr]] and [[Steven Melching]]. Kline said they wanted the show to be very cinematic, with tension, suspense and danger (as marked by Cliffjumper's death in the pilot) as children are more media savvy than they were in the past. Regardless, they had to be considerate as the show still had a broad audience.<ref>[http://parrygamepreserve.com/newsDetail.php?jID=1642 PGP January 2011 Q&A]</ref> As part of the [[aligned continuity family]] with ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)| War for Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'', the producers strove to maintain many of the common elements (eg. Optimus and Megatron's past friendship, Dark Energon's origins as [[Unicron]]'s blood, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] sharing his film counterpart's backstory), but were allowed contradictions if it served the storytelling. By using the mammoth story bible, the writers could plan events years in advance. The large number of episodes per season meant they could pace and establish characters during season 1 slowly, while saving the more momentous, less stand alone episodes that delved into the backstory for season 2. Some of the plot ideas (namely the [[Terrorcon (Prime)|zombie robots]]) were based on stories they came up with when playing with the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toys]] as kids.<ref name="botcon2011"/> [[Bob Skir]] has written some episodes.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/9248/20/ Allspark.com coverage of Shout and Hasbro's "Evolution of Transformers Animation" panel at 2011's Comic-Con.]</ref>

Designers include [[Christophe Vacher]] (colors), [[Vince Toyama]] and [[Jevon Bue]] (backgrounds) and [[Jose Lopez]] (lead character designer). Vacher wanted to do something different from traditional animation and saw something edgy about ''Prime''.<ref name="botcon2011"/> According to [[Ken Christiansen]], the show's characters were formed by [[Hasbro Studios]] hiring freelance conceptual artists like himself. The submitted artwork was given Lopez's staff to be examined, and they incorporated the ideas they liked best.<ref>[http://badflipblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/me-and-transformers-prime.html August 2010 blog post by Ken Christiansen]</ref> Other concept artists include [[Augusto Barranco]] and [[Walter Gatus]].

Supervising director [[Dave Hartman]] headed a team including [[Todd Waterman]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Vinton Heuck]] and [[Kirk Van Wormer]]. [[Polygon Pictures]] provided the [[computer-generated imagery|CG animation]], for which [[Digitalscape]] performed a recruitment drive for before the show began production.<ref>[http://www.dsp.co.jp/pr/contents/000178.html Announcement on Digitalscape, also asking for job applicants.]</ref> Lopez said the animation would be a "groundbreaking mix of 2D animation and CGI".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/san-diego-comic-con-33/jose-lopez-breaks-the-silence-talks-about-transformers-prime-at-san-diego-comic-con-2010-170217/ Jose Lopez speaks about Prime's animation style]</ref> Each character has three CG models: the robot mode, their alternate mode, and one for the transformation.<ref>[http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?t=29224 Cybertron.ca January 2011 Q&A]</ref> Lopez said the designs were personality driven, and that the 3D animation allowed them to go "crazy" with the transformation schemes. In contrast, the characters were given realistic textures,<ref>[http://www.asmzine.com/geekly-rewind/2011/02/07/hasbro-transformers-qa-bonus-round-answer/ ASM Geekly Rewind January 2011 Q&A]</ref> and are subject to battle damage during episodes.<ref name="botcon">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/botcon-2010-transformers-prime-panel-coverage-170054/ Botcon 2010 Transformers Prime Panel Coverage]</ref> A show on the level of ''Prime'' would take two years to produce, but the animators only had ten months. Five episodes are animated at a time (hence the monthly gaps during the first season).<ref name="botcon2011"/>

The staff had three years of story planned, but while writing it became clear that the escalating storylines made it impossible to maintain self-contained episodes and they burned through those planned three years within the second season. The idea of incorporating Beasts into the third season was a late idea.<ref>[http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/25/transformers-prime-producer-talks-beasts-mythology-michael-bay/ ‘Transformers: Prime’ producer talks Beasts, mythology, Michael Bay]</ref>

[[Susan Blu]] was the casting director, but was replaced as voice director by [[Jamie Simone]] following a death in her family.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-sdcc-2010-the-hub-transformers-panel-1st-looks-at-prime-designs/13975/news.html Tformers.com's coverage of the SDCC Transformers Prime panel, July 22, 2010.]</ref> [[Brian Tyler]] composed the show's [[theme song]] and background music. [[Matthew Margeson]] served as music arranger.

==Awards and nominations==
===2011 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program - [[Peter Cullen]] as [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]
*Outstanding Directing In An Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], Supervising Director; [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]; [[Todd Waterman]]; [[Vinton Heuck]]; [[Susan Blu]], Voice Director
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Vince Toyama]], Background Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]], Colour Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction And Composition - [[Brian Tyler]]
*Outstanding Writing In Animation - [[Duane Capizzi]], Writer/Producer; [[Steven Melching]]; [[Nicole Dubuc]]; [[Joseph Kuhr]]; [[Marsha Griffin]]

===2012 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing (Animation) - Robbi Smith, Dialogue Editor, Robert Poole II, Sound Effects Editor, Roy Braverman, Foley Editor
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing (Animation) - Ray Leonard, Re-Recording Mixer, Mike Bieriger, Re-Recording Mixer
*Outstanding Special Class Animated Program - [[Roberto Orci]], [[Stephen J. Davis|Stephen Davis]], [[Shuzo Shiota]], [[Alex Kurtzman]], [[Jeff Kline]], [[Duane Capizzi]], [[Mandy Safavi]], [[Rafael Ruthchild]], [[Shinji Santoh]], [[Meiko Sato]], [[Therese Trujillo]] '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], [[Vinton Heuck]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Todd Waterman]], [[Jamie Simone]]
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]] '''(WINNER)'''<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-prime-wins-one-daytime-emmy-award-also-nominated-in-four-other-categories/24811/ Hub Press Release for 2012 Daytime Emmy Nominations] </ref>

===2013 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Jason Park]], background design for "Orion Pax, Part 3". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Arato Kato]], character animation for "Hard Knocks". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Kirk Van Wormer]], storyboard art for "Nemesis Prime". '''(WINNER)'''

==Japanese release==
[[Image:JapPrimeCartoonLogo01.jpg|thumb|center|300px|]]

'''''Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Prime''''' (超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマープライム ''Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Prime'') began airing in Japan on [[TV Tokyo]] affiliate [[TV Aichi]], beginning [[April 7]], 2012, with an 8am Saturday morning timeslot (the same channel and timeslot as the previous two ''Transformers'' cartoons to air in Japan). It ended its 52 episode run on [[March 30]], 2013.

To reflect Takara's unique marketing strategy for the toyline—the prominent gimmick of the non-show [[Arms Micron]]s—the series included CGI-animated cartoon shorts starring those little robots, called "[[Arms Micron Theater]]", at the end of every episode. The shorts centered around the Arms Microns maintaining an undercover presence amongst the Autobots, who are not even aware that their weapons are alive.

Another additional segment titled "[[From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division]]", hosted by the popular J-pop idol group, [[Tokyo Girls' Style]], was also tacked onto each episode. These segments featured the idol girls interacting with [[Vector Sigma]] in order to relay important facts about the ''Transformers'' franchise to the audience.

Due to the longer [[title sequence]] and end credits, as well as the two additional bonus segments, each episode had approximately three minutes of content removed for time constraints. Many of these edits were to reduce environment pans or establishing shots. However, as the show was reworked to appeal to a younger audience (as all Western ''Transformers'' cartoons are when localized for Japan), the violence during the fight sequences was edited for content.

Like all Japanese dubs of Western ''Transformers'' cartoons, transformation commands were added, such as shouting "Transform!" Additionally, whenever a character popped their weapon out of their hands/arms, they screamed "Arms Up!" Text was overlayed on the screen whenever a character first appeared in each episode, providing their name and function. In addition, promotional text for various ''Transformers''-specific campaigns from TakaraTomy scrolled by over the episode as things were happening, which could be kind of... distracting.

Like the dubs of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Beast Wars Metals'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'', the localization of ''Prime'' was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]]. As is his way, Yoshikazu had the humor ratcheted up considerably. Self-aware, Fourth Wall-breaking jokes were added. An example occurs as early as the end of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]", when the manipulator arm turns into a spider-like creature and starts crawling around. In the dub, Ratchet thinks he hears the audience telling him to watch his back, but brushes their concerns off as unimportant.

Characters were also fundamentally altered to be more humorously quirky. [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], for example, was changed into something of a female Pepe Le Pew; boy-crazy and insanely amorous in her pursuit of [[Jack Darby|Jack]]. As with Yoshikazu's previous efforts, adlibbing was utilized extensively to soften tension and suspense; the characters talk ''a lot''.

On [[August 12]], 2012, TV Tokyo aired a two-hour ''Prime'' television special hosted by [[Chisato Mori]], [[Nozomi Furuki]] and [[Yūki Tai]]. The special featured a recap of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]" thru "[[Rock Bottom]]", a brand new "From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division" segment featuring Tokyo Girls' Style, various cast interviews and commentary, and a special comparison between the original English language version of "[[Predatory]]" and the radically different Japanese language version with commentary from director Yoshikazu Iwanami. <ref>http://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/toy/event/2012/tv-tokyo/ official TakaraTomy ad site for the TV special</ref>

The Japanese version of ''Prime'' only ran for 52 episodes (the first two seasons of the original English language version). "[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]" was edited and reworked to function as a series finale. This mainly involved rescripting the ending and cutting the cliffhanger so as to give the show a more positive, "happy" send off. The ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' era of the ''Prime'' franchise was rebranded by TakaraTomy as a new franchise, '''''[[Cubed Combination: Transformers Go! (franchise)|Cubed Combination: Transformers Go!]]'''''. While the ''Beast Hunters'' toys are being marketed and sold in Japan, it is currently unknown how the remaining 13 episodes of the cartoon will be released in their country.

The [[theme song]]s are:
*OP 1: "[[FEELING]]" by [[BIGBANG]]
*ED 1: "[[I Believe in All]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 2: "[[TRANSFORMERZ]]" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 2: "[[A Little Bit]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 3: "TRANSFORMERZ (version 2.0)" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 3: "[[Discord (song)|Discord]]" by [[Tokyo Girls' Style]]

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Prime (cartoon)/home video}}
;United States
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Darkness Rising (2011)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Darkness-Rising/15916 Press release: Transformers Prime - 'Darkness Rising', the Newest Program's Original 5-Part Mini-Series, Announced!]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Includes 3 episodes (2011)<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/special-transformers-prime-dvd-released-at-walmart-173588/ Transformers Prime DVD released at Walmart]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season One (2012)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Season-1-Press-Release/16300]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - One Shall Stand (2012)<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Prime-One-Shall-Stand/dp/B007RMQ4H2</ref>

;Germany
*''Transformers: Prime'' #1 - Die dunkle Macht erhebt sich (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #2 - Meister und Schüler (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #3 - Nur dieses eine Mal (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #4 - Die vierte Dimension (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #5 - Metallische Anziehung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #6 - Die Prophezeiung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' Staffel 1 (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #7 - Orion Pax (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #8 - Der falsche Prime (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #9 - Angriff auf Megatron (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #10 - Bulkheads Mission (2013)

;Australia
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 1: Darkness Rising (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 2: Unfamiliar Enemies (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 3: Alien Threat (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 4: Strength in Numbers (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 5: One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season 2, Volume 1: Orion Pax (2013) <ref>http://www.madman.com.au/series/home/17523</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Transformers Prime: Music from the Animated Series}}

==Notes==
*Unlike most ''Transformers'' shows, episodes do not have an episode title card. Episode titles are from [[The Hub]] website.
*The series has also been advertised as '''''Transformers: Prime - The Animated Series'''''.
*The show was said to be "rightfully huge" at the [[BotCon 2010]] panel.<ref name="tformersbotcon10">[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13779 BotCon 2010 - Hasbro Studios Panel - Bucket Head is Back!]</ref> Later, at the Hasbro designers' panel, the [[Thirteen|Thirteen original Transformers]] were described as being "rightfully huge".<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13797 BotCon 2010 Hasbro designers' panel.]</ref>
*Executive Producer [[Jeff Kline]] confirmed they have talked about producing a theatrical ''Prime'' film.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-botcon-2011-transformers-prime-interview-with-executive-producer-jeff-kline/15863/news.html TFormers BotCon 2011 interview with Kline]</ref>
*With 65 episodes, Transformers: Prime is the second-longest run of any Transformers series after the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]] from the 1980s, which ran for 98 episodes.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/transformers-prime-cancelled-canceled-series-ending-with-season-3]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/prime Hub World page]
**[http://hubforteachers.discoveryeducation.com/hub-spotlight/transformers.cfm Hub for Teachers page]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3iKDbKQwKI&feature=related Behind the scenes video]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime (cartoon)}}
[[Category: Prime media]]
[[Category: Television series]]

Persuasion

2013-07-10T21:13:31Z

Autocon:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 63
|prev=Minus One
|next=Synthesis
|image=
|caption=
|title="Persuasion"
|airdate=[[July 12]], [[2013]]
|written by=
|directed by=
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Megatron appeals to Ratchet; Optimus takes on the Predacon; Starscream blows up the Autobots' base.'''

==Synopsis==
{{comingsoon|when=18:00 July 12}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
|c2=
|c3=

}}

==Quotes==

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity notes===
===Transformers references===
===Real-world references===
===Trivia===
{{epstub}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Transformers: Prime (cartoon)

2013-07-10T21:12:24Z

Autocon: /* Cast */

{{Nav-Prime}}

[[Image:TransformersPrimePremierePoster.jpg|thumb|300px|We finally have toys... we think.]]
[[Image:Beasthunters-logo1.png|300px|right]]
'''''Transformers: Prime''''' is a multiple Daytime Emmy Award-winning [[computer-generated imagery|computer-animated]] television series that premiered on [[The Hub]] on [[November 26]], [[2010]] with a five-part mini-series, which was followed by a season of another 21 episodes beginning on [[February 11]], [[2011]]. Season 2 began screening [[February 18]], [[2012]], and a third season of thirteen episodes with the subtitle ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' began screening on [[March 22]], [[2013]]. ''[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]'', a TV movie, will conclude the show in late 2013.

The Canadian broadcast of the series has been undertaken by Corus Entertainment, and the show is currently airing on Teletoon.<ref>[http://www.cartoonbrew.com/biz/hasbro-studios-and-corus-entertainments-kids-networks-reach-broad-animation-and-live-action-programming-agreement.html Hasbro Studios and Corus Entertainment’s Kids Networks Reach Broad Animation and Live-Action Programming Agreement]</ref>

The series premiered in the UK on [[September 5]], 2011 on [[Cartoon Network]]'s "[[Action Heroes]]" block. It began airing in Japan on [[April 7]], 2012 on [[TV Aichi]].

==Story==

[[Team Prime]] lives on [[Earth]] as a pre-emptive measure against the return of the [[Decepticon]]s. [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot Central Command]] is located in a converted [[missile]] silo in [[Nevada]] which was provided by the [[United States of America|United States]] government, with whom the Autobots have formed an alliance. However, the presence of [[Transformer]]s on Earth is not generally known among the civilian population. The Autobots have taken [[Jack Darby|three]] [[Miko Nakadai|human]] [[Raf Esquivel|teens]] under their protection after their association with the Autobots put them in danger from the Decepticons.

[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] returns having discovered [[Dark Energon]], which grants him rule of life itself, but is injured, with [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] taking command in his absence. In addition to the Decepticons, the Autobots also contend with the human terrorist organization, [[MECH]].

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;Main Cast
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] ([[Sumalee Montano]])
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] ([[Jeffrey Combs]])
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] ([[Frank Welker]]<ref>''Frank Welker records actual words written for Bumblebee which are later replaced with sound effects.'' -- Revealed in "The Autobits Edition" of [[Darkmount, NV|episode 53]].</ref>)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] ([[James Horan]])
* [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] ([[Nolan North]])
* [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Michael Ironside]])

;Others
* [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] ([[George Takei]])
* [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Dwayne Johnson]]/[[Billy Brown]])
* [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]]

|c2=
;Main Cast
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Blum]])
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] ([[Daran Norris]])
*[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] ([[Adam Baldwin]])
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] ([[Gina Torres]])
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] ([[Tony Todd]])

;Others
*[[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] ([[Richard Green]])
*[[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])

;Troopers
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]]
*[[Decepticon Miner]]s
*[[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticons]]
**[[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]] ([[David Kaye]])
**[[Bombshock (Prime)|Bombshock]] ([[Steve Blum]])

|c3=
;Main Cast
* [[Jack Darby]] ([[Josh Keaton]])
* [[Miko Nakadai]] ([[Tania Gunadi]])
* [[Raf Esquivel]] ([[Andy Pessoa]])
* [[William Fowler]] ([[Ernie Hudson]])

;Others
* [[Silas]] ([[Clancy Brown]])
* [[June Darby]] ([[Markie Post]])
* [[Sierra]] ([[Alexandra Krosney]])
* [[Vince]] ([[Brad Raider]])
* [[Bryce|General Bryce]] ([[Robert Forster]])
* [[Vogel]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[John Noble]])
* [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]]/[[Clancy Brown]])
* [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]])
* [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]]
* [[Starscream clone (Prime)|Starscream clones]] ([[Steve Blum]])

|h5=[[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]|c5=
*[[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] ([[Peter Mensah]])
|nonumbering=true}}

==Episodes==
{{see|List of Prime episodes}}
===Season 1===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]
#[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]
#[[Masters & Students]]
#[[Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap]]
#[[Con Job]]
#[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]
#[[Deus ex Machina]]
#[[Speed Metal]]
#[[Predatory]]
#[[Sick Mind]]
#[[Out of His Head]]
#[[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]]
#[[Operation: Breakdown]]
#[[Crisscross]]
#[[Metal Attraction]]
#[[Rock Bottom]]
#[[Partners]]
#[[T.M.I.]]
#[[Stronger, Faster]]
#[[One Shall Fall]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 2]]
#[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]
}}

===Season 2===
{{collist|3|
#[[Orion Pax, Part 1]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 2]]
#[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]
#[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]
#[[Loose Cannons]]
#[[Crossfire]]
#[[Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime]]
#[[Grill]]
#[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]
#[[Flying Mind]]
#[[Tunnel Vision]]
#[[Triangulation]]
#[[Triage]]
#[[Toxicity]]
#[[Hurt]]
#[[Out of the Past]]
#[[New Recruit]]
#[[The Human Factor]]
#[[Legacy]]
#[[Alpha/Omega]]
#[[Hard Knocks]]
#[[Inside Job]]
#[[Patch (episode)|Patch]]
#[[Regeneration (Prime)|Regeneration]]
#[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]
}}
===Season 3: Beast Hunters===
{{collist|3|
#[[Darkmount, NV]]
#[[Scattered]]
#[[Prey (episode)|Prey]]
#[[Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion]]
#[[Project Predacon]]
#[[Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command]]
#[[Plus One]]
#[[Thirst]]
#[[Evolution]]
#[[Minus One]]
#[[Persuasion]]
#[[Synthesis]]
#[[Deadlock (episode)|Deadlock]]
}}
===TV movie===
*[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]

==Production==
[[Image:TFP montage poster.jpg|thumb|GET OFF MY FACE!!!]]
After the [[live-action film series]], screenwriters [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]] signed to become show runners with [[Jeff Kline]] and [[Duane Capizzi]] of The Hub's ''Transformers'' cartoon, explaining the TV show would not have the constraints of a two-hour film in delving into the mythology.<ref name="botcon2011">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2011-transformers-prime-panel-172315/ TFW coverage of Hasbro Studios panel at BotCon 2011]</ref> (Orci's employees [[Steven Puri]] and [[Mandy Safavi]] were also credited as producers.)<ref name="castcrewlist">[http://tformers.com/transformers-exclusive-transformers-prime-voice-cast-revealed-which-includes-the-rock/14278/news.html TFormers cast and crew announcement] including Dwayne Johnson exclusive.</ref> The show runners were given the "[[Binder of Revelation]]", a near 400-page [[production bible]] that [[Hasbro]] had been working on since the movies, that combined elements of the most popular [[continuity|continuities]].<ref>[http://collider.com/roberto-orci-jeff-kline-interview-transformers-prime/75039/ Collider transcript]</ref> The show's title was based on the desire to create a master continuity and a literal [[Wikipedia:Earth Prime|Prime continuity]].<ref name="botcon2011"/> Whereas the movies were about a [[Sam Witwicky|boy]] and his [[Bumblebee (Movie)|car]], the dynamic between the kids and the robots on the show was meant to be more like ''[[Wikipedia:The Iron Giant|The Iron Giant]]''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Pb3MeUDdY Roundtable interview with ''Prime'' staff at BotCon 2011]</ref>

The writing staff was headed by Capizzi, with [[Marsha Griffin]] as the story editor. The staff consists of [[Nicole Dubuc]], [[Joseph Kuhr]] and [[Steven Melching]]. Kline said they wanted the show to be very cinematic, with tension, suspense and danger (as marked by Cliffjumper's death in the pilot) as children are more media savvy than they were in the past. Regardless, they had to be considerate as the show still had a broad audience.<ref>[http://parrygamepreserve.com/newsDetail.php?jID=1642 PGP January 2011 Q&A]</ref> As part of the [[aligned continuity family]] with ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)| War for Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'', the producers strove to maintain many of the common elements (eg. Optimus and Megatron's past friendship, Dark Energon's origins as [[Unicron]]'s blood, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] sharing his film counterpart's backstory), but were allowed contradictions if it served the storytelling. By using the mammoth story bible, the writers could plan events years in advance. The large number of episodes per season meant they could pace and establish characters during season 1 slowly, while saving the more momentous, less stand alone episodes that delved into the backstory for season 2. Some of the plot ideas (namely the [[Terrorcon (Prime)|zombie robots]]) were based on stories they came up with when playing with the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toys]] as kids.<ref name="botcon2011"/> [[Bob Skir]] has written some episodes.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/9248/20/ Allspark.com coverage of Shout and Hasbro's "Evolution of Transformers Animation" panel at 2011's Comic-Con.]</ref>

Designers include [[Christophe Vacher]] (colors), [[Vince Toyama]] and [[Jevon Bue]] (backgrounds) and [[Jose Lopez]] (lead character designer). Vacher wanted to do something different from traditional animation and saw something edgy about ''Prime''.<ref name="botcon2011"/> According to [[Ken Christiansen]], the show's characters were formed by [[Hasbro Studios]] hiring freelance conceptual artists like himself. The submitted artwork was given Lopez's staff to be examined, and they incorporated the ideas they liked best.<ref>[http://badflipblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/me-and-transformers-prime.html August 2010 blog post by Ken Christiansen]</ref> Other concept artists include [[Augusto Barranco]] and [[Walter Gatus]].

Supervising director [[Dave Hartman]] headed a team including [[Todd Waterman]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Vinton Heuck]] and [[Kirk Van Wormer]]. [[Polygon Pictures]] provided the [[computer-generated imagery|CG animation]], for which [[Digitalscape]] performed a recruitment drive for before the show began production.<ref>[http://www.dsp.co.jp/pr/contents/000178.html Announcement on Digitalscape, also asking for job applicants.]</ref> Lopez said the animation would be a "groundbreaking mix of 2D animation and CGI".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/san-diego-comic-con-33/jose-lopez-breaks-the-silence-talks-about-transformers-prime-at-san-diego-comic-con-2010-170217/ Jose Lopez speaks about Prime's animation style]</ref> Each character has three CG models: the robot mode, their alternate mode, and one for the transformation.<ref>[http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?t=29224 Cybertron.ca January 2011 Q&A]</ref> Lopez said the designs were personality driven, and that the 3D animation allowed them to go "crazy" with the transformation schemes. In contrast, the characters were given realistic textures,<ref>[http://www.asmzine.com/geekly-rewind/2011/02/07/hasbro-transformers-qa-bonus-round-answer/ ASM Geekly Rewind January 2011 Q&A]</ref> and are subject to battle damage during episodes.<ref name="botcon">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/botcon-2010-transformers-prime-panel-coverage-170054/ Botcon 2010 Transformers Prime Panel Coverage]</ref> A show on the level of ''Prime'' would take two years to produce, but the animators only had ten months. Five episodes are animated at a time (hence the monthly gaps during the first season).<ref name="botcon2011"/>

The staff had three years of story planned, but while writing it became clear that the escalating storylines made it impossible to maintain self-contained episodes and they burned through those planned three years within the second season. The idea of incorporating Beasts into the third season was a late idea.<ref>[http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/10/25/transformers-prime-producer-talks-beasts-mythology-michael-bay/ ‘Transformers: Prime’ producer talks Beasts, mythology, Michael Bay]</ref>

[[Susan Blu]] was the casting director, but was replaced as voice director by [[Jamie Simone]] following a death in her family.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-sdcc-2010-the-hub-transformers-panel-1st-looks-at-prime-designs/13975/news.html Tformers.com's coverage of the SDCC Transformers Prime panel, July 22, 2010.]</ref> [[Brian Tyler]] composed the show's [[theme song]] and background music. [[Matthew Margeson]] served as music arranger.

==Awards and nominations==
===2011 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Performer In An Animated Program - [[Peter Cullen]] as [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]
*Outstanding Directing In An Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], Supervising Director; [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]; [[Todd Waterman]]; [[Vinton Heuck]]; [[Susan Blu]], Voice Director
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Vince Toyama]], Background Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]], Colour Designer '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction And Composition - [[Brian Tyler]]
*Outstanding Writing In Animation - [[Duane Capizzi]], Writer/Producer; [[Steven Melching]]; [[Nicole Dubuc]]; [[Joseph Kuhr]]; [[Marsha Griffin]]

===2012 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing (Animation) - Robbi Smith, Dialogue Editor, Robert Poole II, Sound Effects Editor, Roy Braverman, Foley Editor
*Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing (Animation) - Ray Leonard, Re-Recording Mixer, Mike Bieriger, Re-Recording Mixer
*Outstanding Special Class Animated Program - [[Roberto Orci]], [[Stephen J. Davis|Stephen Davis]], [[Shuzo Shiota]], [[Alex Kurtzman]], [[Jeff Kline]], [[Duane Capizzi]], [[Mandy Safavi]], [[Rafael Ruthchild]], [[Shinji Santoh]], [[Meiko Sato]], [[Therese Trujillo]] '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program - [[Dave Hartman|David Hartman]], [[Vinton Heuck]], [[Shaunt Nigoghossian]], [[Todd Waterman]], [[Jamie Simone]]
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Christophe Vacher]] '''(WINNER)'''<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-prime-wins-one-daytime-emmy-award-also-nominated-in-four-other-categories/24811/ Hub Press Release for 2012 Daytime Emmy Nominations] </ref>

===2013 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Jason Park]], background design for "Orion Pax, Part 3". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Arato Kato]], character animation for "Hard Knocks". '''(WINNER)'''
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation - [[Kirk Van Wormer]], storyboard art for "Nemesis Prime". '''(WINNER)'''

==Japanese release==
[[Image:JapPrimeCartoonLogo01.jpg|thumb|center|300px|]]

'''''Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Prime''''' (超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマープライム ''Chō Robot Seimeitai Transformers Prime'') began airing in Japan on [[TV Tokyo]] affiliate [[TV Aichi]], beginning [[April 7]], 2012, with an 8am Saturday morning timeslot (the same channel and timeslot as the previous two ''Transformers'' cartoons to air in Japan). It ended its 52 episode run on [[March 30]], 2013.

To reflect Takara's unique marketing strategy for the toyline—the prominent gimmick of the non-show [[Arms Micron]]s—the series included CGI-animated cartoon shorts starring those little robots, called "[[Arms Micron Theater]]", at the end of every episode. The shorts centered around the Arms Microns maintaining an undercover presence amongst the Autobots, who are not even aware that their weapons are alive.

Another additional segment titled "[[From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division]]", hosted by the popular J-pop idol group, [[Tokyo Girls' Style]], was also tacked onto each episode. These segments featured the idol girls interacting with [[Vector Sigma]] in order to relay important facts about the ''Transformers'' franchise to the audience.

Due to the longer [[title sequence]] and end credits, as well as the two additional bonus segments, each episode had approximately three minutes of content removed for time constraints. Many of these edits were to reduce environment pans or establishing shots. However, as the show was reworked to appeal to a younger audience (as all Western ''Transformers'' cartoons are when localized for Japan), the violence during the fight sequences was edited for content.

Like all Japanese dubs of Western ''Transformers'' cartoons, transformation commands were added, such as shouting "Transform!" Additionally, whenever a character popped their weapon out of their hands/arms, they screamed "Arms Up!" Text was overlayed on the screen whenever a character first appeared in each episode, providing their name and function. In addition, promotional text for various ''Transformers''-specific campaigns from TakaraTomy scrolled by over the episode as things were happening, which could be kind of... distracting.

Like the dubs of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Beast Wars Metals'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'', the localization of ''Prime'' was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]]. As is his way, Yoshikazu had the humor ratcheted up considerably. Self-aware, Fourth Wall-breaking jokes were added. An example occurs as early as the end of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]", when the manipulator arm turns into a spider-like creature and starts crawling around. In the dub, Ratchet thinks he hears the audience telling him to watch his back, but brushes their concerns off as unimportant.

Characters were also fundamentally altered to be more humorously quirky. [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]], for example, was changed into something of a female Pepe Le Pew; boy-crazy and insanely amorous in her pursuit of [[Jack Darby|Jack]]. As with Yoshikazu's previous efforts, adlibbing was utilized extensively to soften tension and suspense; the characters talk ''a lot''.

On [[August 12]], 2012, TV Tokyo aired a two-hour ''Prime'' television special hosted by [[Chisato Mori]], [[Nozomi Furuki]] and [[Yūki Tai]]. The special featured a recap of "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]" thru "[[Rock Bottom]]", a brand new "From the Cybertron Satellite, Transformers Division" segment featuring Tokyo Girls' Style, various cast interviews and commentary, and a special comparison between the original English language version of "[[Predatory]]" and the radically different Japanese language version with commentary from director Yoshikazu Iwanami. <ref>http://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/toy/event/2012/tv-tokyo/ official TakaraTomy ad site for the TV special</ref>

The Japanese version of ''Prime'' only ran for 52 episodes (the first two seasons of the original English language version). "[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]" was edited and reworked to function as a series finale. This mainly involved rescripting the ending and cutting the cliffhanger so as to give the show a more positive, "happy" send off. The ''[[Beast Hunters]]'' era of the ''Prime'' franchise was rebranded by TakaraTomy as a new franchise, '''''[[Cubed Combination: Transformers Go! (franchise)|Cubed Combination: Transformers Go!]]'''''. While the ''Beast Hunters'' toys are being marketed and sold in Japan, it is currently unknown how the remaining 13 episodes of the cartoon will be released in their country.

The [[theme song]]s are:
*OP 1: "[[FEELING]]" by [[BIGBANG]]
*ED 1: "[[I Believe in All]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 2: "[[TRANSFORMERZ]]" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 2: "[[A Little Bit]]" by [[CLUTCHO]]
*OP 3: "TRANSFORMERZ (version 2.0)" by [[m-flo]]
*ED 3: "[[Discord (song)|Discord]]" by [[Tokyo Girls' Style]]

==Home video releases==
{{main|Transformers: Prime (cartoon)/home video}}
;United States
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Darkness Rising (2011)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Darkness-Rising/15916 Press release: Transformers Prime - 'Darkness Rising', the Newest Program's Original 5-Part Mini-Series, Announced!]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Includes 3 episodes (2011)<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/special-transformers-prime-dvd-released-at-walmart-173588/ Transformers Prime DVD released at Walmart]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season One (2012)<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Prime-Season-1-Press-Release/16300]</ref>
*''Transformers: Prime'' - One Shall Stand (2012)<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Prime-One-Shall-Stand/dp/B007RMQ4H2</ref>

;Germany
*''Transformers: Prime'' #1 - Die dunkle Macht erhebt sich (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #2 - Meister und Schüler (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #3 - Nur dieses eine Mal (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #4 - Die vierte Dimension (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #5 - Metallische Anziehung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #6 - Die Prophezeiung (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' Staffel 1 (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #7 - Orion Pax (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #8 - Der falsche Prime (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #9 - Angriff auf Megatron (2013)
*''Transformers: Prime'' #10 - Bulkheads Mission (2013)

;Australia
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 1: Darkness Rising (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 2: Unfamiliar Enemies (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 3: Alien Threat (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 4: Strength in Numbers (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Volume 5: One Shall Fall, One Shall Rise (2012)
*''Transformers: Prime'' - Season 2, Volume 1: Orion Pax (2013) <ref>http://www.madman.com.au/series/home/17523</ref>

==Soundtrack==
{{main|Transformers Prime: Music from the Animated Series}}

==Notes==
*Unlike most ''Transformers'' shows, episodes do not have an episode title card. Episode titles are from [[The Hub]] website.
*The series has also been advertised as '''''Transformers: Prime - The Animated Series'''''.
*The show was said to be "rightfully huge" at the [[BotCon 2010]] panel.<ref name="tformersbotcon10">[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13779 BotCon 2010 - Hasbro Studios Panel - Bucket Head is Back!]</ref> Later, at the Hasbro designers' panel, the [[Thirteen|Thirteen original Transformers]] were described as being "rightfully huge".<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=13797 BotCon 2010 Hasbro designers' panel.]</ref>
*Executive Producer [[Jeff Kline]] confirmed they have talked about producing a theatrical ''Prime'' film.<ref>[http://tformers.com/transformers-botcon-2011-transformers-prime-interview-with-executive-producer-jeff-kline/15863/news.html TFormers BotCon 2011 interview with Kline]</ref>
*With 65 episodes, Transformers: Prime is the second-longest run of any Transformers series after the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original series]] from the 1980s, which ran for 98 episodes.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/transformers-prime-cancelled-canceled-series-ending-with-season-3]</ref>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/prime Hub World page]
**[http://hubforteachers.discoveryeducation.com/hub-spotlight/transformers.cfm Hub for Teachers page]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3iKDbKQwKI&feature=related Behind the scenes video]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prime (cartoon)}}
[[Category: Prime media]]
[[Category: Television series]]