Roulette (Universe)

2020-10-08T22:02:34Z

Cake27:

{{factions|autobot|velocitron}}
{{disambig2|the female Autobot from ''Universe''|the male Autobot from the IDW comics|Roulette (G1)}}
:''Roulette is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Roulette.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|She'll shoot yer eye out, kid.]]
At an early age, '''Roulette''' and her [[Relatives|sister]] [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] watched as [[Roulette and Shadow Striker's sister|their sister]] was destroyed at the hands of [[Maraudicon|nomadic invaders]]. Though this traumatic event drove her sister to crime, it gave Roulette her passion for law enforcement, in the hopes that she could prevent such tragedies from happening to others.

She placed second in the [[IntraFormers Sharpshooting Competition]] behind [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]], but she was forgotten amongst the cheers for the winner. She later enrolled in the [[Academy of Cybertronian Law Enforcement]], rising through the ranks quicker than any previous recruit. Her incredible marksmanship remains dismissed even by her fellow Autobots though, mostly because the more pigheaded of them could never believe a fembot could out-shoot them. She doesn't mind; she knows they're jealous.

Her shoulder-mounted deflecto-shield can absorb and redirect the energy of her enemy's attacks. However, not much can deflect the distrust her colleagues give her due to the criminal actions of her sister.

==Fiction==
===3H comics===
[[File:Roulettepreuniverse.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Unicron would soon rebuild her to be more kibbly.]]

Roulette, her sister, and fellow Autobots [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] returned to Cybertron after a long absence. The planet's [[Maximal]]s welcomed them home, but the celebration was interrupted by [[Unicron]], who abducted all five Autobots, as well as the Maximals [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. {{storylink|Abduction}} After she and many other prisoners were freed by [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]], Roulette was turned on by Shadow Striker, who had become corrupted by the influence of Unicron. She was forced to leave her sister behind when Primal led the escapees back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}}

[[File:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh, carry me back to the lone prairie...]]

The end of the conflict was told by an [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]], who described the defeat of [[Unicron]] and his [[Minion of Unicron (Universe)|Minions]]. As Unicron folded in on himself, Optimus Primal led the survivors through a portal presumably leading back to their native technorganic Cybertron. Roulette was carried away to safety by [[King Atlas]], though her downcast expression may hint at her turncoat sister's fate. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}
{{-}}

===''TransTech''===
Roulette was a croupier at [[The Blue Deployer]], [[Cryotek (TransTech)|Cryotek]]'s bar of ill repute in the trans-dimension hub city of [[Axiom Nexus]]. [[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] attempted to hit on her and apparently failed to impress.<ref>Roulette is not explicitly named in this story, but Jackpot's description of the croupier is a dead match... plus she's running the roulette table.</ref> {{storylink|Gone Too Far}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:HtF-RouletteandMeanstreak.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|left]]
Roulette was hanging out at the [[Galadria Space Bridge Outpost]] in the [[Delta Prysmos Sector]] when a [[Tidal Wave (G1)|pirate ship]] appeared overhead and dropped a bomb on her and several other passersby. {{storylink|Hoist the Flag}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:ToWalkAmongTheChosen-Roulette.jpg|thumb|right|250px|She's already got the "stand around and point" part of mimicking Optimus Prime down pat.]]
Roulette was a young [[Velocitron]]ian born from the [[hot spot]] in the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Navitas]]. In the wake of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s annexation of [[Earth]] and the defeat of [[Baron Karza]], Roulette was one of several [[Colonist Soldiers|zealous recruits]] who travelled to Earth to meet the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} Roulette chose to join the Autobots after learning the story of how Optimus had once been a normal 'bot before ascending to Primehood, {{storylink|Primeless, Part 2}} and relished the idea of helping Earth, supposedly a lost Transformer colony, come out of its "dark ages." Befitting a Velocitronian, she also admired Optimus' speed in spite of his cumbersome [[alternate mode]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}}

On one of their first missions after arriving on Earth, Roulette and the other colonists would join [[Aileron]] in [[Mexico City]] in the hopes of recovering a cache of stolen Cybertronian weaponry. They discovered that an anti-Transformer protest had degenerated into a riot, and in the chaos, a human protester managed to nail [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] with a black market [[Earth Defense Command]] weapon. The unexpected resistance prompted Optimus to deploy reinforcements, and while [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], and [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] saved the day the new recruits watched in awe.

Back aboard [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], the assembled colonists continued to laud the myriad deeds of Optimus; their combined hero-worship managed to annoy even Aileron. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}}

Following the arrival of the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s on Earth, Roulette and the colonists watched Prime return to [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], and bombarded him with questions about the aliens. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}} She and the other colonists knelt as Optimus Prime returned to Earth from Cybertron, and later watched on as [[Pyra Magna]] and Optimus Prime had a heated argument about the use of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to manipulate the faith of the devout. Roulette was present when Optimus Prime organized a summit with several [[human]] governments, which was interrupted when the Junkions sicced a horde of [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]]s on the event. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|Dance Among the Shadows}} At Prime's urging, she took part in the ensuing battle on the deck of Metrotitan. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}

[[File:TheNextDayAndTheNext-OilersGrave.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

Spurred on by a crisis of conscience, Optimus abruptly changed tack mid-battle and decided to lay down arms in the hopes of negotiating a permanent peace with the Junkions. The Autobots subsequently relocated to the abandoned [[Marshall Islands|Bikini Atoll]], where Roulette and the others helped the Junkions build "[[Little Cybertron]]," a permanent Earth settlement. {{storylink|New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|Feel Safe Without Regrets}} The new Autobots attended [[Oiler]]'s funeral, where Roulette and the other colonists tried to comfort his sister [[Slide]]. Roulette wasn't comfortable with the idea of burying the deceased, noting that on her homeworld Velocitronians [[Transformer funerary practices|disposed of their dead]] via [[smelting pool]]. {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}}

A few days later, the colonists were still stationed on the island and were starting to grow bored with the endless construction and the erratic behavior of the Junkions. After a hard day's work, Roulette went off with the other colonists to feed the Sharkticons... leaving [[Slide]], who could no longer transform, behind in the dust. {{storylink|What It's Really Like}}

[[File:PrimelessPart1-ColonistsRollOut.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

When the time came for Earth to formally join the [[Council of Worlds]], Roulette and her friends gathered in Metrotitan's [[space bridge]] to watch the proceedings... but were unprepared for [[Joe Colton|Baron Ironblood]]'s attack on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] that cut off the space bridge connecting the two planets. With Optimus indisposed, [[Aileron]] took command of the remaining Earthbound Autobots; needing to keep the colonists occupied, she brought them along on a mission to [[Oaxaca]] to track down [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]], {{storylink|Primeless, Part 1}} who had gone missing following a disastrous interview. {{storylink|What It's Really Like}}

While searching the city, the team were ambushed by more human militants wielding salvaged Cybertronian weaponry, forcing Aileron to order a retreat to the city outskirts. This move sparked a prolonged argument between Aileron and Slide, and, as their mission continued, Slide's frustration with Optimus began rubbing off on some of her teammates, prompting Roulette to wonder why they were chasing Jazz instead of quelling the flow of guns. The mounting tension was quickly thrown into overdrive after the team discovered Jazz pinned down by more human militiamen. {{storylink|Primeless, Part 1}}

Aileron ordered the colonists to take down the humans; the Autobots were able to intimidate most of the humans into leaving save [[Mateo Chavez]], who opted to take them back to meet with his suppliers—the Decepticons [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], who had used their [[holomatter]] avatars to start a lucrative arms trade in the hopes of making a quick buck. Roulette pointed out that any punitive Autobot-Decepticon interactions would only inflame a delicate political situation, which made Aileron realize that she would have to cover up the situation entirely. Roulette, Aileron and the colonists returned to Autobot City with the Decepticons in tow, none of the other Autobots any the wiser about what had transpired. {{storylink|Primeless, Part 2}}

The defeat of the [[Iron Ring]] allowed Iacon to reestablish contact with Autobot City, and shortly afterwards Roulette and the other colonists went to Cybertron to attend [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]]'s funeral. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}}

While Optimus presided over the opening of an Ore-13 mine in [[Kentucky]] some days later, the colonists were on board Metrotitan, arguing with Slide about the Prime's motives. To defuse the tension, Pyra Magna suggested that the colonists visit the mine in person to better understand Optimus's goals; {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|Surfeit of Primes}} this left the team stranded after Metrotitan—alerted to a burgeoning crisis on Cybertron precipitated by the arrival of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]]—teleported away. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}} With nowhere else to go, the colonists retreated back to [[Little Cybertron]] to await further instructions. Eventually, however, news broadcasts from Cybertron began to trickle in, reporting that Cybertron had abruptly lost contact with Roulette's homeworld. Though Roulette remained optimistic that Optimus would put things right, more reports that [[Unicron/Generation 1|something]] had ''destroyed'' Velocitron, [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]] and [[Eukaris]], with Prime planning to sacrifice [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], galvanized Slide into action. {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}}

To show that they hadn't abandoned their comrades the way Prime seemingly had, the colonists recruited [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] for a trip to [[Mount Rushmore]], intent on storming the G.I. Joe outpost and liberating Jazz from human captivity, unaware that the Autobot had deliberately turned himself in. The battle was quickly compounded by the presence of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, with the war-hardened Autobots easily overpowering the rookies. The battle quickly spilled out of control, with [[Gimlet]] inadvertently killing [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] in a fit of anger and subsequently being sliced in half by [[Slag (G1)|Slug]], a problem compounded by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] materializing over Earth, after having destroyed Cybertron. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}} Not long after Soundwave's scream of anguish disrupted communications across the planet, [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and the crew of the ''[[Peaceful Revolution]]'' landed. Agreeing with Prowl's sentiments that they needed to put their differences aside if they stood any chance of defeating Unicron, the colonists and Dinobots boarded the ship and flew to [[Victoria Falls]] to regroup with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and the other Cybertronian refugees. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}} {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}}

The next morning, the Cybertronians began their counterattack in earnest; after Metroplex space bridged away from Victoria Falls to escape an oncoming horde of [[Maximal]]s, Roulette was one of the many Transformers who took part in the battle to face the planet-eater head on; a gambit designed to buy enough time for Prime and a small team to slip through Unicron's defenses and kill him from within using the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]]. As the battle against [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] spilledover into Earth's atmosphere, Roulette joined up with the Dinobots to take down the mad scientist, and watched from the sidelines as Slide combined into [[Victorion]] to take down the monster. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

Following Unicron's demise, thanks to Prime's sacrifice, Roulette joined Aileron, [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]], and the other colonists on a deep-space exploration mission. {{storylink|Post}}

==Toys==
===Universe (2003)===
[[File:TFU03-toy Roulette.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Roulette & Shadow Striker''' (Multi-pack, 2003)
**''Accessories'': Spring-loaded missile launcher/bumper, tailpipe/missile, blaster.

: Roulette is a [[retool]] of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] Deluxe [[Side Burn (RID)#Toys|Side Burn]] toy with a new head, transforming into a Dodge Viper with exposed engine block. Her rear bumper becomes a spring-loaded missile launcher.

: She was available only in an [[OTFCC 2003]] [[exclusive]] two-pack with her sister [[Shadow Striker (Universe)#Universe (2003)|Shadow Striker]]. The two are cast in the same plastic colors, but have different [[paint operation]]s to give them very different decos. This makes them one of the few examples of true [[repaint]]s in the entire history of ''Transformers''.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/Roulette/roulette.htm More information on Roulette at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/684/Extended+Universe/Roulette.html Roulette toy gallery at Transformertoys.co.uk]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
* Convention organizer [[Glen Hallit]] said that Roulette's color scheme was based on the ''{{w|Digimon}}'' character [https://digimon.fandom.com/wiki/Sakuyamon Sakuyamon], as he was also a big ''Digimon'' fan.

* Roulette and Shadow Striker are the first convention-exclusive toys to have parts made from entirely new tooling. Previously, the only one to have any alterations to their [[mold]] was [[BotCon 2001]]'s [[Arcee (G1)#BC2001|Arcee]], which removed some peg-holes in her chest. [[Marcelo Matere]] designed the head.

* Roulette is one of the few non-''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'', non-[[Movie (franchise)|live-action-movie]] ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' toys to be an officially-licensed vehicle. Each iteration of the Side Burn toy since the [[Hasbro]] U.S. "super" version has had Dodge's "Viper" logo on the hood and trademark information on the packaging.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Convention-original characters]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Velocitron]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

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Roulette (Universe)