The Pollinator

2024-10-18T02:42:30Z

DeltaVortex01: Just changing the “M” in Metal to a “P” making it Petal Gear Florid

{{factions|lawnleague}}
:''The Pollinator is a member of the [[Lawn League]] from [[Transformers: BotBots (franchise)|BotBots]].''
[[File:ThePollinator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Rake! What happened? Rake! Raaaaaaake!]]
'''The Pollinator''' knows how to treat a plant!

{{TOCclear}}

==Toys==
===''BotBots''===
[[File:BotBots-toy ThePollinator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Petal Gear Florid]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{bp-bblawn|'''Lawn League''' (8-pack, 2019)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': '''1.5'''
:*''Level'': '''??'''

:Part of the "Series 1.5" assortment of ''[[Transformers: BotBots (toyline)|BotBots]]'', The Pollinator changes from a pot of flowers into a goateed gardener-themed robot with molded-in pruning shears, hand fork, and gardening gloves on the apron. The toy features heat sensitive paint applications on the plume of flowers which causes them to change from yellow to orange when warmed up.

: They were ''only'' available in one of the "[[Lawn League]]"-themed ''BotBots'' 8-Packs, packed in with [[Mucker Von Diggs]], [[Flat Flour Face]], [[McMuzzsaw]], [[Bum Sprout]], [[Reci P. Cooker]], [[Luckaneer]], and a blind-packed [[Grass Guzzler]]

:The Series 1.5 packs were first released to [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusives in Canada and Taiwan, then months later released in the US through Amazon.com.

: This mold was also used to make [[Joke Sonyou]] and [[Snotty Stem]].

{{note|Naturally, this set is a "recommended minimum buy" for a complete set of "Series 1.5" BotBots.}}

==Notes==
* The Pollinator's robot mode looks to have several visual nods to [[Solid Snake]] from the ''{{w|Metal Gear}}'' video game series, particularly the slightly-older bearded versions of Snake.
* Currently, Series 1.5 has received no online bios, unlike the vast majority of ''BotBots''.
* The "Series 1.5" sets have "new" checklists with their new characters in two rows ''below'' the mall scene, so technically they're not on any level. Basement-dwellers maybe?

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollinator}}
[[Category:Amazon exclusives]]
[[Category:Lawn League]]
[[Category:Plants]]
[[Category:Toys"R"Us exclusives]]

Tow-Line (Energon)

2024-07-05T19:51:25Z

DeltaVortex01: /* Energon */

{{factions|autobot|{{factions/icons|custom=Energon Powerlinx Silver symbol.png|cLink=Powerlinx}}}}
{{disambig2|the ''Energon'' character|the ''Robots in Disguise'' character|Tow-Line (RID)}}
:''Tow-Line is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]] portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family]].''
[[File:Towline-energon-packageart.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|Because you're mine, I <s>walk</s> tow the line.]]

'''Tow-Line''' isn't the strongest Autobot, but what he lacks in muscle he makes up in cleverness. He can out-think and generally out-last most opponents, preferring to use his brains to prevent conflicts, skills that have made him one of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime's]] most trusted team members.

==Fiction==
===''Energon'' comic===
[[File:Multiplicity4 Cliffjumper TowLine dismembering Insecticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
When the [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] invasion struck Earth, Tow-Line stepped up to help defend the planet. He joined [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], fighting against a horde of [[Insecticon (Energon)|Insecticon]] drones. {{storylink|Multiplicity, Pt. 2}} Tow-Line was seen driving around the burning city as [[Rad White]] and [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] tried to get to safety. {{storylink|Multiplicity, Pt. 3}} The team soon began to run out of juice in the battle against the overwhelming numbers of Terrorcons, but thankfully Rad returned with the [[Energon Volant Accumulator|E.V.A.]] and charged them up with [[energon gas]]. With some unexpected help from [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], Tow-Line and the others then drove the Insecticons off-planet. {{storylink|Multiplicity, Pt. 4}}

===Energon pack-in comics===
[[File:Energonminicomic-Towline.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When the Decepticons [[Sharkticon (Energon)|Sharkticon]] and [[Slugslinger (Energon)|Slugslinger]] infiltrated an Autobot energon refinery plant, Tow-Line was waiting for them, along with his compatriots [[Bulkhead (Energon)|Bulkhead]] and the mighty [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]]! Together, they halted the Decepticons' nefarious ploy, Tow-Line contributing to the counter-assault by blasting Slugslinger's wing. {{storylink|Energon Volume 3}}

===''Timelines''===
After the evacuation of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] due to the [[Unicron Singularity]], Tow-Line served as a crew member on the ''[[Iron Hope (Cybertron)|Iron Hope]]''. He installed [[unspace|transwarp]] jump coordinates on the computers of the six scout ships searching for the lost Autobot colonies. {{storylink|Force of Habit}}

==Toys==
===''Energon''===
[[File:En-toy TowLine.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|Ready to broadcast, [[Rook (Universe)|Rook]]!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Tow-Line''' (Combat Class, 2004)}}</ul>
:*''Takara release date'': [[August 10]], 2004
:*''Accessories'': Fold out gun/radar energon weapon
{{toydesigner|[[Eric Siebenaler]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (Takara)}}

: Released in the fourth wave of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' Combat Class toys (basically "Deluxes"), Tow-Line transforms into a large television mobile broadcast van; in this mode, his [[Energon weapon]] becomes the telescoping microwave dish/mast used to beam signals back to a TV station. In [[robot mode]], his lower vehicle portion becomes a mobile battle/repair platform. He can fold his legs back and up over his shoulders (''hel-lo''!) and re-attach to this platform for a "battle mode". In this... ahem, position, Tow-Line can also form the top half of a two-robot "[[Powerlinx]] [[combiner]]" with any ''Energon'' Deluxe Autobot, and any of them can also use his platform for their own combination. He is unique amongst the ''Energon'' Deluxe Autobots, as he's the only one who can Powerlinx with himself.

: There is a discrepancy in the paint applications shown in the pre-final sample of ''Energon'' Tow-Line’s stock photography and the finalized deco implemented on the figure. The pre-final sample differs from the finalized deco in that it has grey feet (as opposed to the finalized figure’s cyan feet), a lack of beige paint applications on the waist, and has silver paint on the figure’s cyan shins instead of gold. Additionally, the pre-final sample shows the mobile battle/repair platform with silver paint applications to the drive sprockets, road wheels, and idler wheels of the tank treads and hubcaps as well as red paint applications to the rear and side windows of their alt mode (whereas the finalized deco lacks these additional paint applications).

: In Japan, Tow-Line was not released in the standard ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)#Takara Super Link toyline|Super Link]]'' toyline, but did get a limited release as a "[[USA Edition]]" [[exclusive]]ly through [[Toys"R"Us]]. Basically, the Hasbro toy was imported and new stickers with Japanese-language legal information was applied to the packaging.

: This mold was [[retool]]ed with new heads to make [[BotCon 2005]]'s versions of [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Timelines|Ironhide]] and [[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Timelines|Ratchet]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/Tow-Line/tow-line.htm More information on Tow-Line at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
* Tow-Line seems to be a medley of [[homage]]s. According to designer Aaron Archer, the concept was based on the original [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Ironhide]]/[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Ratchet]] mold, with its [[Onebox component|battle platform component]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=#Here is my little #homage #to the original #ironhide van bot|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CeTiZX2rFYm/|name=Aaron Archer|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=06|day=02}}</ref> Additionally, the toy's head resembles that of [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], with the van mode using Skids' red stripe pattern—when asked whether Tow-Line's deco was an intentional homage to Skids, Archer responded with "lets go with yes".<ref>["Is Tow-Line's deco based on G1 Skids?"] {{citesocial|quote=lets go with yes|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CeTiZX2rFYm/c/17849427488763644/r/17921627843393687/|name=Aaron Archer|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=06|day=02}}</ref> Take that as you will.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Tow-Line''' (トゥライン ''Tu Rain'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Cybertron Autobots]]
[[Category:Energon Autobots]]
[[Category:Energon combiners]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Toys"R"Us Japan exclusives]]

MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

The Pollinator

Tow-Line (Energon)