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Variant

2025-10-05T20:57:47Z

Kcchia80: campaign was spelled "campain"

[[File:G1 Bumblebee Cliffjumper Red Yellow.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|Wait till you see what crazy colors [[Generation 1 toylines in Latin America|other countries]] got.]]
A '''variant''' is a product, usually a toy (in recent years, also often a comic), that is available in more than one version, but is technically considered the "same" product from a manufacturing standpoint. Each version differs from the other(s) in one or more ways. The exact definition of a variant is not cut-and-dry and varies from person to person. Though a variant is generally different from a [[redeco]] or re-release, even that line is blurry in some cases.

The distinction between an error and a variant is equally unclear: A variant is something that someone might want; an error is something people usually don't want. However, if the error becomes widespread, some people might start considering it a genuine variant. Generally, a variant does require some quantity of each version: Isolated one-of-a-kind freak incidents are not variants.

There are several possible causes for variants: In some instances, the manufacturer creates variants on purpose with the intention to sell more product to [[completist]]s; in other cases, a variation is the result of an effort to improve the product by altering it in some way in the middle of its production run, with some quantities of the unaltered version having been produced (and possibly already distributed) before the alteration was implemented. This is also referred to as a "'''running change'''". In some drastic cases, errors have been found during [[quality control]] which then have to be corrected. Sometimes these changes aren't even a conscious decision, but the by-product of subtle changes in the manufacturing process, minor differences in the materials used for different batches of the production run, etc. In the case of toys, variants aren't just limited to the toys themselves, but can also occur with their packaging or the paperwork included.

Many collectors enjoy finding variants. It can be fun to discover some difference in two supposedly-identical toys, and some differences are quite major. Some collectors make a hobby of collecting all variants of a particular toy, which can lead to impecunious insanity if this toy is one like [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Generation 1 Ultra Magnus]].

==Collector-incentive variants==
[[File:Binaltech Smokescreen Toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Buy me twice!]]
Companies want to sell their products. Sometimes they try to sell multiples of the same product to the same buyer. One way to achieve this is by offering variants:
*''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1 2|Cliffjumper]] were both available in yellow and red versions well into the 1985 assortments. According to former [[Hasbro]] R&D Vice President [[George Dunsay]], this was a conscious decision to "make the line look bigger".<ref name="dunsay">[http://www.tfarchive.com/fandom/interviews/george_dunsay/george_dunsay_interview.php Interview with George Dunsay at TFArchive.com]</ref> Less clear is the case of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]], an entirely different sculpt who was also sold in "Cliffjumper" packaging.
*[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] has offered quite a few simultaneously released variants of ''Transformers'' toys, usually marketed as such. Sometimes they are just color swaps using the same [[paint operation|paint mask]]s and [[tampograph]]s, while occasionally, they are outright simultaneously released [[redeco]]s:
**''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' [[Smokescreen (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Smokescreen]] and his retool "Smokescreen GT" were both available in two slightly different decos, with two different driver-specific sets of decals each, based on the real-life rally cars the toys were based on. Similarly, ''Binaltech'' [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators|Meister]] was available in both white and red versions, and [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators|Prowl]] was even available with [[mold]] differences, as a black and white police car including a lightbar and as a blue civilian vehicle with a different rear spoiler. [[Tracks (G1)#Alternators|Tracks]] was also available in yellow and blue versions, but the blue version was released months after the yellow one and shipped all by itself, unlike the other ''Binaltech'' variants, each of which shipped in mixed [[case]]s.[[File:G1 Vol.1 Issue1 all covers.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Buy me six times!]]
**Similarly, ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Galaxy Force]]'' [[Scrapmetal (race)|Rumble]] was simultaneously available in red, blue and yellow versions.
**Also, let's not forget the [[chase figure]]s from various [[blindpacking|blind-packed]] assortments like ''[[The Transformers: Micromaster|Micromaster]]'' or the [[JUSCO]] [[exclusive]] [[Spychanger]]s.
*Sometimes stores also get [[exclusive]] variants of toys that include bonus non-toy accessories, such as DVDs (e.g. ''Cybertron'' Deluxes at [[Walmart]]), posters (e.g. ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' Deluxe "preview figures" at Walmart) or comic books (e.g. ''Movie'' [[Transformers (2007 toyline)#Collector items|Unleashed]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/merchandise#Unleashed|Bumblebee]] at [[Kmart]]). Occasionally the exclusive version is released in redesigned packaging (arguably making it a different product, see below), but not always.
*While '''variant covers''' have been a common staple in the comic book industry since the early 1990s, usually reserved for the first issue of a new series or special occasions (issue numbers like 500, 333 etc., major story-based events), former ''Transformers'' comic publishers [[Dreamwave Productions]] and [[IDW Publishing]] took the concept to the max, with nearly ''every single'' ''Transformers'' comic published to date having been released with more than one cover.
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==Market-specific variants==
[[File:SunstreakerComparison.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Buy my superior deco!]]
Sometimes a toy is available in different versions in different markets. This mostly affects the toys' packaging, but differences between the toys themselves can also happen:
*The most common difference is between [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] versions of a toy. These can range from minor differences in the plastic colors to different plastic color layouts, different [[paint operation|paint masks]], different [[tampograph]]s and fully-blown different decos.
*Material differences can also occur, such as the [[die-cast]] metal parts used for Takara's ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' toys versus Hasbro's mostly-plastic ''Alternators'' versions, ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' [[Landmine (Movie)|Landmine]]'s Japanese version sporting [[rubber tires]] instead of the Hasbro version's plastic wheels, or the soft, flexible plastic used for [[for safety reasons|pointy parts]] on Hasbro's toys in the place of the harder plastic used on Takara's versions. (See also [[unpaintable plastic]].)
*In some cases there are even [[mold]] differences, such as some ''Binaltech'' toys having their steering wheels on the right side of their dashboards, whereas Hasbro's ''Alternators'' usually had the steering wheel on the left side. In addition, Hasbro's [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]] lacked the long gun barrel his ''Binaltech'' counterpart [[Overdrive#Binaltech|Overdrive]] came with, and [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators|Prowl]] sported several changes with his car shell reflecting the differences between the real-life Acura RSX (''Alternators'' Prowl) and the Honda Integra Type R (''Binaltech'' Prowl).
[[File:UniRedAlertThreeVersions.jpg|upright=1.55|thumb|Buy me in different countries!]]
*Packaging differences can range from "Hasbro-derived packaging with additional stickers for the Japanese market" ([[USA Edition]]s, ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toys) to entirely different Japanese packaging for the Takara versions. Likewise, Japanese toys traditionally come with their own (oftentimes superior) [[instructions]].
*Hasbro themselves also have packaging differences between different markets: Whereas the United States market (as well as Australia, New Zealand and some other English-speaking countries) typically gets toys in English-only packaging, Canada and Latin America used to be stuck with English/French/Spanish [[Multilingual packaging|trilingual packaging]] and instructions and recently moved on to quadrilingual packaging including Portuguese, and [[Europe]] has to deal with an increasing number of languages on their packaging (currently thirteen), and even ''more'' in the accompanying instructions.
*The European versions also replaced the US versions' [[package art]] with [[stock photography|stock photos]] of the toys themselves for undisclosed reasons between the tail end of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' and the launch of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' and the second ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' line.
[[File:UltimateBattleUSEuro.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|Buy me in another country with more economic packaging!]]
*Packaging shapes and sizes can also differ between markets, such as the smaller European version of the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' "Ultimate Battle" two-pack without excessive space for the [[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle|DVD]] case or the smaller ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Human Alliance]] packaging Australia got.
*Toys may even be distributed in packaging attributed to different [[franchises]] in different Hasbro markets: For example, the original ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line's [[Micromaster]] [[combiner]] waves (originally [[KB Toys]] [[exclusive]]s in the USA) were released in ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' ([[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]) and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' ([[Railbot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]) packaging in European markets, but retained the same product code numbers. More complicated are the [[Superion (G1)#Universe (2008)|Superion]] and [[Bruticus (G1)#Universe (2008)|Bruticus Maximus]] combiner giftsets that were originally intended for the second ''Universe'' line and were released in some markets (Australia, Singapore) in intended-for-the-US-market ''Universe'' packaging, but were released in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' packaging in the USA. Since the ''Revenge'' versions sported different product codes than their ''Universe'' counterparts, this raises the question whether they are to be considered "packaging variants" or different products (see below).
*Name variants mostly exist between Hasbro and Takara versions of toys; however, in the 1980s and 1990s, [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European]] releases could even have different names on the toys' packaging for different markets (such as the [[Turbomaster]]s aka "Cannonmasters" and the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]]s). This practice has been abandoned with the introduction of uniform multilingual European packaging. The occasional name change of a [[gimmick]] still exists, though: ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ''[[Beast Hunters (toyline)|Beast Hunters]]'' Battlemaster Class "[[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#Talking|Talking Bumblebee]]" was renamed into "SFX Bumblebee" for European markets, with the sound chip changed from containing voice clips to generic sound effects, and ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' "[[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Mega1Step|Mega 1-Step Bumblebee]]" was renamed into "Mega Flip Bumblebee" for European markets.
*A particularly odd case: In 2012, Hasbro's Asian division released several redecos and retools of older toys in ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' packaging in markets such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, with all the various texts on the packaging being kept in English. Several months later, Hasbro's US division released those toys in the United States and Canada as [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusives, with the toys now sporting [[:File:GenerationsAsianDeluxes.jpg|bilingual English/Chinese texts on their packaging]]. In addition, the Deluxe Class toys were now packaged in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] rather than in [[robot mode]].
*Color differences between different Hasbro markets are rare, but not completely unheard of. The "[[Thrust (Armada)#PowerlinxBrown|Powerlinx]]" redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' Super-Con Thrust figure was originally intended to be colored as an homage to his [[Thrust (G1)|''Generation 1'' namesake]], but Hasbro decided to change his colors at the eleventh hour, with the figure released in North America instead sporting a color scheme inspired by ''Generation 1'' [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]. However, the figure ''was'' released in its originally intended colors in Europe, where the North American color scheme was never available. (Both versions were released by Takara as "[[USA Edition]]s", exclusively available via different venues.)
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==Running changes==
[[File:G1toy optimus prime variants and running changes.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Collect them all! (The red-footed version was a running change in European markets only.)]]
When companies come up with a way to slightly tweak and improve their product, they sometimes do so in the middle of the production run. This creates "running change" variants, but as far as the company is concerned, the later version is usually considered the "superior" product that is supposed to "replace" the earlier, "inferior" version. This can be an [[retool|improved tooling]] of a toy, allowing for more stability of joints or pegs or higher plastic tolerances improving the toy's [[articulation]]; it can be minor changes to the coloration or deco, occasionally in an attempt to make the toy more [[show-accuracy|show-accurate]]; or it can be limited to the packaging and/or paperwork included with the toy. Whether these changes are to be considered fixes to a perceived flaw or "error", cosmetic improvements or equally valid "alternate versions" with neither version being superior to the other one depends from case to case, and sometimes also from person to person (see "[[#Errors|errors]]" below for more).

Sometimes, the changes of a toy's colors are very noticeable, suggesting other intentions than cosmetic improvements.
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===Tooling===
[[File:G2OptimusPrimeFuelTanksComp.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Variants not only drive completists insane, they also make it a lot more difficult to use toys [[for parts]].]]
[[File:DOTMLegionSoundwave.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|The benefits of having a [[licensed vehicle alternate modes|licensed vehicle alternate mode]].]]
[[File:BH CV Hun-Gurrr Claws comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Clawfingers.]]
*Many ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' toys were available both with and without [[rubsign]] indents.
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] had [[retool]]ed fist [[Peg|holes]] so that he could better hold his [[ion blaster]]. Furthermore, the weapon was also available with a larger barrel than the standard version.
*[[Transmetal]] [[Rattrap (BW)#Transmetal1|Rattrap]]'s neck-hinge was retooled to include a "catch" that keeps his head upright better in [[robot mode]].
*The first [[wave]] containing ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators|Silverstreak]] had the toy sport its steering wheel on the right side of the dashboard, a carry-over from the Japanese ''Binaltech'' release of the toy. Subsequent shipments replaced the interior with the tooling from its (earlier released) [[retool]] [[Smokescreen (G1)#Alternators|Smokescreen]], with the steering wheel on the left side.<ref name="streakright">[http://toynewsi.com/index.php?itemid=3482 Toy News International gallery of Alternators Silverstreak] depicting the first version with the steering wheel on the right side of the dashboard.</ref><ref name="streakleft">[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/resources/review/alternator/silverstreak/1132 Transformers @ The Moon gallery of Alternators Silverstreak] depicting the later version with the steering wheel on the left side of the dashboard.</ref>
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Classics|Bumblebee]]'s air scoop on the roof of his car mode was made a touch bigger after the first half of his run when it was found that the [[rubsign]] did not fit on top of the scoop itself. Later redecos would continue to use this version of the mold.
*''Movie'' [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys|Deluxe Class Classic Camaro Bumblebee]] saw two changes to his mold during its production run: The initial version had even tabs on its [[Automorph Technology|Automorph]] gimmick; the first modification saw that changed to an uneven tab, which frequently caused the gimmick to break, which in turn resulted in the toy refusing to stay in its [[Alternate mode|vehicle mode]]; the second modification, which was only available with the UK [[exclusive]] "Towed to Safety" two-pack with [[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]] and with the more widely available "Evolution of a Hero" two-pack with Concept Camaro Bumblebee, saw the addition of another small tab which fixed the gimmick's fragility.<ref name="moviebbtab">[http://web.archive.org/web/20071016124950/http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38149 Comparison photos for all three tab variants of Movie Bumblebee's Automorph gimmick.]</ref> All three versions are, by definition, "variants", since they were intentional changes on behalf of the factory; but since the intermediate version worsened the toy, not all fans interested in collecting variants would want it.
*Later versions of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Legion Class [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#Cyberverse|Soundwave]] figures featured sculpted "grill" details on the front, sides, and hood of the vehicle, whereas the initial production run had left those areas smooth.<ref name="dotmcvswave">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/dark-of-the-moon/soundwave/2513/ Both versions of ''Dark of the Moon'' Cyberverse Soundwave] (the MOSC one is the later variant, whereas the photos featuring a loose one depict the earlier version).</ref>
*The ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)#Series 2|Cyberverse]] Legion Class [[Vehicon (Prime)#Cyberverse|Vehicon]] figure had a molding variation with his included weapon: In the initial run of figures, the "shield" piece on the side was thicker. Later waves thinned the shield a bit, tapered the ends and added a few more sculpted details.
*In 2012, Hasbro released minor redecos of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] "[[Reveal the Shield]]" [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Starscream]] (sporting the same decos as TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers Chronicle|Chronicle]]'' EZ Collection releases of those sculpts) in generic 2010 ''Transformers'' packaging as "Dollar store" exclusives. Later shipments saw Optimus and Starscream sporting retooled hands, holes compatible with [[C joint|3mm ports]] and additional weapon accessories, all of which originated with the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Motormaster (G1)#Generations|Motorbreath]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Generations|Thundercracker]] retools of those sculpts, respectively.
*Initial shipments of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Beast Hunters (toyline)|Beast Hunters]]'' ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Legion Class [[Hun-Gurrr (Prime)|Hun-Gurrr]] were unable to fold the claws over all the way in both directions due to problems with the plastic tolerances. This was amended by a running change, which also affected international releases of the figure. (All subsequent releases and redecos of the sculpt came with the same problem-free claws as the running change version.)
*Initial releases of ''[[Kre-O]] Custom Kreon'' [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)#CustomRID2015|Optimus Prime]] had an unsculpted helmet (either opaque or transparent, depending on the various samples) on his right side, while his left side is sculpted. However, this problem was solved by giving two perfect helmets via a running change in later releases.
*Later releases of Combiner Wars [[Swindle (G1)#Generations|Swindle]] featured two sets of nubs on his gun that could clip over either of his shoulders (meant for his retool, [[Hound (G1)#Generations|Hound)]], whereas initial releases lacked the aforementioned nubs.
*''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Trypticon (G1)#Titans Return|Trypticon]] originally featured symmetrical towers; the right tower was later redesigned to mimic the original asymmetrical towers on the original toy.
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===Materials===
*The "gray [[Roller (G1)|Roller]]" version of ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]] (see below) had metal plates on the insides of his trailer/[[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]] instead of stickers.
*Generation 1 [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ultra Magnus]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#G1RodimusPrime|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Metroplex (G1)#Generation 1|Metroplex]] were all originally available with rubber tires, while later shipments saw them replaced with plastic wheels. In addition, the first version of Rodimus Prime had toes made of [[die-cast]] metal, which were also replaced with plastic toes on the later version, and the second version of Metroplex replaced the [[vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] legs with flat white plastic legs.
*Some Generation 1 [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style [[combiner]] components were alternatively available with metal parts or in all-plastic versions.

===Colors and deco===
[[File:Prowl tm2 fktoy.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Buy both of us for the sake of completeness!]]
*''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]] was available with a gray [[Roller (G1)#Generation 1 2|Roller]] and gray missiles for his [[Combat Deck (G1)#Generation 1 2|Combat Deck]], and with a blue Roller and black missiles. Furthermore, the second version also had an ''additional'' variant with a lighter shade of blue for both Roller and the Combat Deck components.
*The initial Japanese release of Generation 1 [[Astrotrain (G1)#Generation 1 2|Astrotrain]] sported different colors than his Hasbro counterpart, resulting in a black steam locomotive mode and a mostly white Space Shuttle mode complete with [[NASA]] decals. The following year, Takara re-released Astrotrain, now sporting the same colors as the Hasbro version.
*The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Dinobot (G1)#Generation 2|Dinobots]], [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Grimlock]], [[Snarl (G1)#Generation 2 2|Snarl]], and [[Slag (G1)#Generation 2 2|Slag]], were all available in three different color variants, each released in sequence.
*Some toys with [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] parts were available in slightly different shades, such as ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Seaspray (G1)#Generation 2|Seaspray]] or ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Optimal Optimus]] (both with either "blue" or "purple" parts).
*The ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Transmetal 2]] toys [[Dinobot II#Beast Wars|Dinobot]] and [[Prowl (TM2)#Beast Wars|Prowl]] were some of Hasbro's early attempts at same-[[character]] [[redeco]]s: The first few [[wave]]s featured Dinobot in a bone-tan and purple coloration, whereas Prowl was white, turquoise, and red; several waves in, Dinobot's colors were changed to bright white with blue, and Prowl was now black, blue, and red. Neither toy's packaging made mention of the change, and both toys' packaging retained the same individual SKU rather than having them as completely new releases, as later lines would do with redecos.
*''Beast Wars'' [[Transmetal]] [[Rampage (BW)#toys|Rampage]] had an extremely limited variant release that had silver paint apps on the chest and head. It is still unclear whether it came before or after the far more common version with orange paint on the chest and head.
[[File:Movie legends ratchet colorvariants.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Ignore the left one! Buy the right one!]]
*Early shipments of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Unicron/toys#Energon|Unicron]] also had the toy still sporting the same colors as the original ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' release, eventually being replaced by an all-new [[redeco]].
*''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#Legends Class toys|Autobot Ratchet]] was originally released in a very saturated green color, but later shipments had his color changed to a lime-ish tone closer to the character's larger [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#Voyager Class toys|Voyager Class toy]].
[[File:PCC-toy Huffer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|You'd think this gets spotted sooner.]]
*Similarly, ''[[Power Core Combiners]]'' [[Huffer (PCC)|Huffer]] originally had his truck mode hood painted in a notably different shade of orange than the orange plastic used for the rest of the truck body. Later shipments changed the [[paint operation]] to a different shade that matched the plastic much better.
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Breakaway (ROTF)#Revenge of the Fallen|Breakaway]],<ref name="breakway">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers-toys/gallery/revenge-of-the-fallen/breakaway/1883/1/ Side-by-side comparison of both variants of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Deluxe Class Breakaway.]</ref> [[Sideways (ROTF)#Deluxe Class toys|Sideways]],<ref name="rotfsideways">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/revenge-of-the-fallen/sideways/1848/ Side-by-side comparison of both variants of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Deluxe Class Sideways.]</ref> and [[Scattorshot (ROTF)#Revenge of the Fallen|Scattorshot]]<ref name="rotfscattorshot">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-toys-products-30/revenge-of-the-fallen-scout-scattorshot-variant-169202/ Both versions of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Scout Class Scattorshot side by side.]</ref> all had their colors changed to slightly darker tones in later shipments. It's possible that this change wasn't actually intentional, but just the result of slightly differently mixed colors for the batch.
*''Revenge of the Fallen'' Deluxe Class Mudflap initially came with a license plate that referenced his car model, "Trax."<ref name="traxplate">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers-toys/view/revenge-of-the-fallen/mudflap/1817/1/21/ ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Deluxe Class Mudflap with "TRAX" license plate.]</ref> A later variant enlarged the license plate and changed it to "Mudflap".<ref name="mudflapplate">[http://desmondyoongcollection.blogspot.com/2009/07/hasbro-mudflap-rotf.html ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Deluxe Class Mudflap with "MUDFLAP" license plate.]</ref>
*The initial production run of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Cannon|Cannon Bumblebee]] featured nearly opaque blue windows. Later cases then featured translucent blue windows instead.<ref name="cannonbee">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/revenge-of-the-fallen/cannon-bumblebee/1855/2/92/ Comparison between both versions of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Cannon Bumblebee.]</ref>
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Human Alliance]] [[Roadbuster (DOTM)#Human Alliance|Roadbuster]] initially sported his tampographed "88" driver numbers in a generic font, "NASCAR" decals behind the headlights and a missile made out of clear yellow plastic. A later variant saw the "88" numbers changed to resemble the font used for the real-life {{w|Dale Earnhardt, Jr.}} {{w|Chevrolet Impala#NASCAR Sprint Cup|Sprint Cup Chevy Impala}} (including black and white outlines) and replaced the "NASCAR" decals with Sprint Cup Series logos and the clear yellow missile with an opaque yellow one.<ref name="haroadbuster">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers-toys/gallery/dark-of-the-moon/roadbuster/2516/1/ Comparison of both versions of Human Alliance Roadbuster.]</ref>
*Some variants even omit deco present on previous production runs. The second, [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] run of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#First Edition (2011)|Prime: First Edition]]'' Voyager Class [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#FirstEdition|Optimus Prime]] omitted the red paint on, beside, and below the truck side windows, revealing the patch of brown plastic underneath.
*''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Beast Hunters (2013)|Transformers: Prime/Beast Hunters]]'' ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Legion Class [[Soundwave (WFC)#Cyberverse|Soundwave]] originally had his head including the [[mouthplate]] as well as the "collar" around the head all painted in flat black. Coupled with the purple paint operations on each side of the mouthplate, this made it look as if Soundwave had a huge black head with two purple eyes. This was later amended to some degree by a running change that gave the face a slightly darker, more glossy paint job.
*''Transformers: Prime''/''Beast Hunters'' Deluxe Class [[Windrazor (Prime)#Beast Hunters|Windrazor]] was originally released in colors that were very close to those of his [[wave]]-mate [[Twinstrike (Prime)#Beast Hunters|Twinstrike]]. A later running change replaced nearly ''all'' plastic and paint colors, most notably splitting up the formerly bright yellow plastic parts into gray and gold. This was effectively the most significant color variant officially marketed and sold as the same product since the ''Beast Wars'' Transmetal 2 Dinobot and Prowl variants.<ref name="windrazor">[http://ofensau.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/beast-hunters-deluxe-class-vs-cyberverse-legion-class-windrazor-twinstrike/ Comparison between both variants of Deluxe Class Windrazor] (and also Deluxe Class Twinstrike and Legion Class Windrazor and Twinstrike).</ref>
*One of the most infamous cases: The original production run of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Deluxe Class [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Autobot Jazz]] became the center of a minor controversy when it was discovered that the figure's deco featured a tampograph with the letters "MAGA" in tiny [[Cybertronix]] text underneath Jazz's Autobot insignia (with "MAGA" being the acronym for the 2016 [[President of the United States|presidential campaign]] of {{w|Donald Trump|a very controversial person}}). When reached for questioning, Hasbro responded that they had not sanctioned the political message and would address the issue with the "vendor" (corporate language for "freelance artist") responsible.<ref>[https://io9.gizmodo.com/uh-is-this-transformers-toy-a-trump-supporter-1820555691 Uh, Is This Transformers Toy a Trump Supporter?]</ref> A few months later, Jazz was re-released as part of wave 3 of the ''Power of the Primes'' Deluxe Class assortment. Hasbro took this as an opportunity to remove the "MAGA" text, leaving only a conspicuously large blank black space underneath the Autobot insignia.
{{-}}

===Packaging and paperwork===
[[File:EnergonPerceptorPackagingVariant.jpg|upright=1.45|thumb|''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' is dead! Long live ''The Powerlinx Battles''!]][[File:ThunderwingInstructionsChange.jpg|upright=1.05|thumb|Not so fast, bucko.]]
*Early versions of carded ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Basic and Deluxe figures when sold in the United States featured a craggy, rock-like plastic bubble, but later versions instead came packaged in a more traditional, rounded ("smooth") bubble. Toys from the first few [[wave]]s that still shipped after the change had been implemented were thus available in a running change packaging variant with the new bubble style.
*Meanwhile, over in Europe, early releases in [[multilingual packaging|trilingual]] English/Spanish/Italian packaging simply featured the ''Beast Wars'' branding and the standard English names for the individual toys, but a running change saw that changed to a double ''Beast Wars/Biocombat'' branding, and additional names for each individual toy for the Italian market underneath the English name.
*The ''Beast Wars'' [[Transmetal 2|Transmetals 2]] originally used a Roman numeral, "Transmetal '''II'''", but later changed it to an Arabic number, "Transmetal '''2'''".
*The [[Walmart]] [[exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: Dinobots|Dinobots]]'' line had the name "Swoop" changed to "[[Terranotron (Dinobots)|Terranotron]]" on the toy's character card after initial shipments.
*Similarly, early versions of [[Red Alert (Armada)#CybCD|Cybertron Defense Red Alert]] were also available with the "Cybertron Defense" prefix missing on the packaging.
*''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#BoltBumblebee|"Bolt" Bumblebee]] was released under the simple name "Bumblebee" in the United States. The [[multilingual packaging|European packaging]] initially also simply used the name "Bumblebee" everywhere on the packaging, but replaced it with a variant in later shipments that identified the toy as "Bolt Bumblebee". Conversely, ''Dark of the Moon'' Cyberverse [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#LegionStealth|Stealth Bumblebee]] was consistently named "Stealth Bumblebee" on the European packaging, whereas the United States version was once again initially named "Bumblebee", only to be followed by a variant that now also sported the name "Stealth Bumblebee".<ref name="dotmstealthbb">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-toys-products-30/dark-of-the-moon-stealth-bumblebee-packaging-variant-173523/ ''Dark of the Moon'' Cyberverse Stealth Bumblebee packaging variant]</ref>
*Lines that run longer than a year often see the introduction of a [[subline imprint]] such as the ''Unicron Battles'' for ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'', ''The Powerlinx Battles'' for ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'', ''[[Primus Unleashed]]'' for ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' or ''[[AllSpark Power]]'' for the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie line]]. This often coincides with a slight change of the packaging design. Sometimes, toys originally released before the packaging design change will also be available in the new design.
*The packaging ''size'' can also change. For example, some ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Mini-Con]] two-packs were also available in slightly smaller packaging at [[Walmart]] stores. Likewise, ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Human Alliance]] packaging was severely shrunk down for the Australian market following [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Human Alliance|Bumblebee]]'s initial release, with a running change for Bumblebee himself.
*Some toys were available alternatively packaged in robot or [[alternate mode]]. Examples include the 1984 ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]] for the 1985 lineup, or assorted ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' and ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Deluxe and Voyager Class toys. In the latter case, the packaging's orientation was also flipped sideways to keep the same dimensions. However, most of those alternate versions have only been released in Asia, so they might rather fall under "market-specific variants".
*''Dark of the Moon'' Deluxe Class [[Laserbeak (DOTM)#Dark of the Moon|Laserbeak]] was initially packaged with the toy pointing diagonally to the left (like all ''Dark of the Moon'' Deluxe Class toys), with his guns placed to the right, pointing in the same direction as Laserbeak. A later variant saw Laserbeak pointing diagonally to the ''right'', with the guns placed to the left, pointing straight up.<ref name="dotmlaserbeak">''Dark of the Moon'' Deluxe Class Laserbeak packaging variant [http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/dark-of-the-moon-laserbeak-packaging-variant/21891/ comparison 1] and [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/430237-dotm-deluxe-laserbeak-packaging-variant.html comparison 2].</ref>
*Various ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toys came with [[instructions]] that depicted different heads and other sculpt differences compared to the actual toys, hinting at planned [[retool]]s for those toys. The line art for ''Generations'' [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s instructions, for example, depicted the head and chest that would later be used for [[Black Shadow (G1)#Generations|Sky Shadow]]. However, a running change version of the instructions changed the head (but not the chest) to Thunderwing's.
*''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' Voyager Class [[Megatron (WFC)/toys#Prime|Megatron]]'s packaging initially featured a larger Decepticon [[insignia]] cutting into the box window, whereas a later variant not only featured a smaller insignia, but also an additional "Glowing fusion cannon!" call-out.<ref name="primemegs">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/transformers-prime-voyager-megatron-packaging-variant-174672/ Comparison between both packaging variants Voyager Class Megatron.]</ref>
*The ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Beast Hunters (2013)|Beast Hunters]]'' redeco/retool of ''Prime'' Voyager Class [[Megatron (WFC)/toys#Beast Hunters|Megatron]] was originally identified as simply "Megatron" by his packaging, and his weapon was referred to as the "Tartarex Warp Sword", whereas the instructions call the toy "Sharkticon Megatron" and his weapon the "Sharktooth Spear". Later shipments had the packaging changed to match the instructions in both instances.<ref name="sharkticon">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/sharkticon-megatron-packaging-variant-and-shoulder-fix-video/28150/ Side-by-side comparison of both versions of Sharkticon Megatron] at Seibertron.</ref>
*The single pack version of the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Mini-Con]] [[Back]] was named "Decepticon Forth" on his packaging when available from US-based online retailers but "Decepticon Back" when released in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Eventually, both versions were even found side by side in the same store at US retail.
*2023's ''[[Transformers: Legacy]]'' Deluxe Class [[Breakdown (G1)#Legacy|Breakdown]] was deliberately released in the original 2022 ''Legacy'' packaging design in order to maintain a cohesive look for the entire [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] team, even though he was released in a [[wave]] with figures that otherwise featured the updated packaging design of the 2023 ''Evolution'' [[subline imprint]]. His ''instructions'', however, came in both flavors, alternatively featuring the "vanilla" ''Legacy'' branding and a purple color scheme or the ''Legacy: Evolution'' branding and a green color scheme.
{{-}}

===Planned but unfulfilled running changes===
Sometimes Hasbro states plans for a running change in an official capacity that ultimately never come to pass:
* At [[OTFCC 2003]], Hasbro noted they had vague plans to release a running change variant of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Wheeljack (Armada)#Armada|Wheeljack]] using the deco of his Takara counterpart, ''Legends of the Microns'' Rampage. This never materialized, however.
*In their then-weekly Hasbro.com website Q&A, Hasbro contemplated releasing the #7 ''Binaltech'' variant of [[Smokescreen (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Smokescreen]] (see above) as part of their ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' line "in late 2004 or early 2005". This idea was likely dropped due to the original #8 version of Smokescreen ending up as a major [[shelfwarmer]].
*Following [[fandom|fan]] complaints about ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxe Class [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Ironhide]]'s face being painted ''blue'', Hasbro promised that a running change would see the face color changed to silver,<ref name="hasuni">"Hasbro Responds RE: Universe Cyclonus & Ironhide", originally posted at theIDW boards, mirrored at [https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/hasbro-responds-re-universe-cyclonus-ironhide/14201/ Seibertron].</ref> which never happened.
*When Hasbro originally revealed ''[[Transformers: Generations#Combiner Wars|Generations Combiner Wars]]'' Voyager Class [[Onslaught (G1)#CombinerWars|Onslaught]] at [[BotCon 2015]], he was advertised as having a tan Bruticus chestplate for a ''Generation 1'' Onslaught-accurate color scheme as the first release and a silver chestplate for a ''Generation 1'' Bruticus-accurate color scheme as a running change. Instead, only the version with a silver chest plate ever made it to retail, while the version with a tan chestplate has never surfaced at all.
Chances are that when Hasbro actually announces a running change in advance, it will most likely never happen, as all the running changes listed above that ''did'' happen were never announced at all.

==Variants from gang-molding==
[[File:G2-toy Motormouth.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
In some rare cases, toys that were [[gang-molding|gang-molded]] with other toys were available in unintentional variants when the toys they were gang-molded with were [[redeco]]ed for a subsequent [[wave]]:
*The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]] [[Gearhead]] and [[Motormouth]] were both available with either clear or solid plastic parts. The clear plastic parts corresponded with the clear car shells of their wave-mates [[Firecracker]] and [[Blowout]], the solid plastic parts with the car shells of Go-Bot [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Megatron]] (redecos of Firecracker and Blowout, respectively).

==Borderline cases==
===Variant or different product?===
[[File:CybertronPrimusPackagingComparison.jpg|upright=1.55|thumb|Buy two of us for exclusive accessories, and the third one for the toy itself!]]
Following ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Transmetal 2]] [[Dinobot II]] and [[Prowl II|Prowl]], [[Hasbro]] decided to become more straightforward about same-character [[redeco]]s, which have been treated as separate products since then:
*The "new style" redecos of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] and [[X-Brawn]] sported different product code numbers, as did the red and yellow versions of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]]. Still, all of them were released under the same names as the originals, without a prefix or suffix like most same-character redecos have.
*Likewise, the limited edition version of ''Cybertron'' [[Primus]] with the [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] head accessory also had different product code and assortment numbers than the regular, bonus-free release.
*The same applies to store exclusive versions of toys containing "Bonus" figures such as [[Mini-Con]]s or [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] toys. Officially, they are separate products; but some collectors might consider them "variants".
[[File:SteamhammerEnergonUniverse.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|Buy me again for less money!]]
*Furthermore, various ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' toys were re-released in [[rebranding|rebranded]] ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' packaging as "Dollar store" exclusives, again sporting different product code numbers than their initial releases.
*The [[Target]]-exclusive ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Superion (ROTF)|Superion]] and [[Bruticus Maximus (ROTF)|Bruticus Maximus]] [[combiner]] giftsets sported different product code numbers than their ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' counterparts released in Australia and Singapore, though the Target versions ''were'' originally intended to be released in ''Universe'' packaging as well. (One might argue that the different-franchise packaging makes them different [[character]]s, though chances are the marketing department didn't put nearly as much thought into this as fans do.)
*On the other hand, there are things like the re-release of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Unicron/toys|Unicron]] in ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' packaging ([[exclusive]] to [[Toys"R"Us]]) five years after his ''Armada'' release, but sporting the same product code number (the fact that he sports minor color differences compared to the ''Armada'' version doesn't help either).
*''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' are particularly complicated: On the one hand, when [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Prowl]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Meister]] and [[Tracks (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Autobot Tracks]] were re-released as part of a "rebooted" assortment for the North American market in the new "bubble" style packaging, they all sported different product code and assortment numbers than their initial releases. On the other hand, [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Silverstreak]] and [[Swindle (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Swindle]] were also re-released in the new "bubble" style packaging for the European market only, where both of them had previously been available in one of the older packaging styles... and retained the same product code numbers as those earlier releases. On top of that, Europe also saw a release of [[Dead End (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Dead End]], [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Shockblast]] and [[Decepticharge#Alternators|Decepticharge]] in the new "bubble" style packaging, none of whom had previously been available in [[multilingual packaging|multilingual]] packaging in Europe. (Shockblast and Dead End ''had'' been available as [[parallel import|gray import]]s in American packaging via Argos stores in the United Kingdom and via [[Toys"R"Us]] stores in Denmark and Sweden, respectively.) All of them sported the same product code numbers as their initial American releases in one of the older packaging styles. Needless to say, the line between "variant" and "different product" gets very blurry here.
*Another example of European market release with no ''direct'' American counterparts operating under different rules were redecos of ''Movie'' Legends Class [[Jazz (Movie)#Legends Class|Autobot Jazz]] and [[Barricade (Movie)/toys#Legends Class|Barricade]] (a minor, yet distinct redeco in Jazz's case). In the United States, these two were released in "Allspark Battles" two-packs (possibly part of the ''[[AllSpark Power]]'' [[subline imprint]], based on the similar packaging design) with a new Legends Class sculpt of [[Bonecrusher (Movie)#Legends Class|Bonecrusher]] and Legends [[Bumblebee (Movie)/toys#Legends Class|Bumblebee]]'s redeco [[Cliffjumper (Movie)#Legends Class|Cliffjumper]], respectively. While the two-packs are clearly different products to most collectors, the Jazz and Barricade redecos (as well as Bonecrusher and Cliffjumper) were released as single packs in Europe, with both of them sporting the same product codes as their original releases... even though Barricade not only sported an entirely different deco, but also a modified name, "Recon Barricade".
*Confusingly, all three ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Mini-Con#Robots in Disguise (2015)|Mini-Con]] 4-Packs were not only released under the same product code number, but even retained the same UPC barcode in non-European markets (as well as retaining the same EAN barcode in Europe, which is less unusual)... despite each of them containing an almost entirely different lineup of figures! In fact, [[Undertone]] is the only sculpt actually shared between two of the sets.
*The [[Transformers (2014 toyline)|2014 ''Transformers'' line]]'s Legion Class [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Optimus Prime]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Starscream]] figures were re-released in different packaging in 2015. All three sported different Hasbro product code numbers and UPC barcodes than their 2014 counterparts, despite being released under the same assortment number. In 2017, they were released ''again'' in minor variants of their 2014 packaging, this time again with the original Hasbro product code numbers and UPC barcodes.

===Errors===
[[File:Cybertron OptimusPrime deluxe toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Buy me and fix me!]]
[[File:GrappleGripMudflapUSvsEuro.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|Make mistake?]]
Sometimes running changes do not simply tweak the toys slightly, but are actually intended to fix errors that were caught during [[quality control]], but not until some quantities of the flawed version had already shipped. In some cases the difference between outright "errors" and genuine "variants" is blurry (see the examples for ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] [[Ratchet (Movie)/toys#Legends Class|Autobot Ratchet]] or [[Power Core Combiners]] [[Huffer (PCC)|Huffer]] above), but even in instances where something is objectively a defect, some collectors still consider the earlier, faulty versions as "variants":
*Considerable quantities of the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Jumpstarter]]s were available with each other's [[Package art|character artwork]] depicted in the [[Tech Spec]]/[[bio]] strips.
*Generation 1 [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Hot Rod]]'s packaging contained the erroneous blurb "[[Firebolt (G1)|Firebolt]] transforms into ''[[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]]'s'' weapon!"<ref name="tmhotrod">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/ToysTMHotRodMISB.html Targetmaster Hot Rod MISB] at Super Toy Archive.</ref> Targetmaster [[Scourge (G1)#Targetmaster|Scourge]]'s box contains the same error, only replacing Firebolt's name with "[[Fracas]]" but still incorrectly mentioning Misfire.<ref name="tmscourge">[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/ToysTMScourgeMISB.html Targetmaster Scourge MISB] at Super Toy Archive.</ref> For Hot Rod, this was fixed in two steps: first Misfire's name was covered with a sticker that contained the correct name "Hot Rod" and later shipments came in boxes that had the correct name printed on them.<ref name="hartman">[http://tfsource.com/blog/collector-interview-30-karl-hartman/ "Collector Interview 30 – Karl Hartman"] at the TFSource blog.</ref> A fixed version for Scourge's box supposedly also exists, but is said to be much rarer than the fixed Hot Rod box.
*Early shipments of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#CybDx|Deluxe Class Optimus Prime]] (a redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' Super-Con Optimus Prime toy) had [[misassembly|incorrectly assembled]] and therefore less poseable arms, just like the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Battle in a Box]] [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Universe|Ultra Magnus]] release of the sculpt before it. In Prime's case, some people consider the incorrectly assembled version an "error" because it was done unintentionally; others, however, consider it a "variant", because it has been released in considerable quantities, and the later, corrected version was an intentional change.
*The European version of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' Scout Class [[Dead End (ROTF)#Revenge of the Fallen|Dead End]] was initially released with the name "Detour", an early working name of the toy, on the cardboard insert inside the packaging's blister bubble<ref name="detour1">[http://www.tfw2005.com/resources/rotf-decepticons-384/dead-end-scout-2113/ Official Hasbro stock photos of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Scout Class Dead End], including European "Detour" version in packaging</ref> (though the back of the card and the instructions correctly identified him as "Dead End"). Later shipments replaced the cardboard insert with a corrected "Dead End" version.<ref name="eurodeadend">[http://www.flickr.com/photos/62713543@N00/3625412256/sizes/l/in/datetaken/ Scout Class Dead End in European packaging], named "Dead End".</ref> In at least one case, the European "Detour" name insert was accidentally even included with a US Dead End packaging.<ref name="rotfdetour2">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/234588-package-variant-rotf-dead-end.html Standard US ''Revenge of the Fallen'' Dead End side by side with error version with misapplied ''European'' "Detour" name insert.]</ref>
*Initial batches of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Dirge (G1)#Generations|Dirge]] lacked the white center of the head crest for all three [[tampograph]]ed Decepticon [[insignia|faction symbols]], which was later fixed by a running change.<ref name="dirge">[http://www.seibertron.com/toys/gallery.php?id=2160&size=0&start=176 Comparison between both versions of ''Generations'' Dirge.]</ref>
*A particularly odd case: ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Fast Action Battlers]] [[Mudflap (ROTF)#Fast Action Battlers|Grapple Grip Mudflap]] had his name spelled as "Grapp'''el''' Grip Mudflap" all over his [[multilingual packaging|European packaging]], whereas the North American version had it corrected into "Grapple". However, considering that the spelling was ''also'' used on [[Hasbro]]'s public website,<ref name="fabhasbro">Hasbro website entry for FAB "Grappel Grip" Mudflap, [http://web.archive.org/web/20090612230515/http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/shop/details.cfm?guid=B237456C-7A23-1014-B596-FBA5EE4D560D&product_id=24286&src=endeca archived version]</ref> and is repeated with [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] "[[Grapple (G1)|Solar Storm Grapp'''el''']]", this raises the question ''which'' version is officially to be considered the "incorrect" one, and whether the "Grappel" (mis)spelling is in fact intentionally used for [[trademark]] reasons...
*While less common, running changes can also occur in comics: The original printing run of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Movie Prequel|Movie Prequel]]'' [[Movie Prequel issue 1|issue 1]] featured a printing error, with the text captions from page 2 repeated on page 5. The shipment was recalled by IDW, and a second printing run with the error corrected was shipped to retailers. Some fans kept the flawed version of the comic instead of exchanging it for the fixed version, considering it a "variant".

==Not variants==
===An isolated incident does not a variant make===
[[File:BTAltProwlMisassemblies.jpg|thumb|right|One variant? ''Hundreds''!]]While the errors listed above are considered genuine variants by some collectors, there are lots of other cases where the common consensus is that these are ''not'' variants: Every collector has probably encountered at least one one-of-a-kind freak error over the years (''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] assembled without a head, a toy lacking some of its [[paint operation]]s, a toy with a cardboard insert featuring the wrong name inside the packaging etc.). Unless this error affected considerable quantities of the production run, and is found on all specimens of the same toy packed in multiple [[case]]s, this isn't considered a "variant" by the vast majority of the [[fandom]].

Likewise, if a single specimen contains an entirely different toy (or at least an entirely different deco of the toy) than depicted on the packaging, this was most likely done by somebody who didn't want to pay for the toy and thus returned the packaging to the store with another toy inside. This is a case of [[toy swapping]] (simply put, a variety of store theft), and no more a "variant" than a fan-made [[Customizing|custom]]. A genuine ''variant'' requires something to occur at the factory stage.

Another bizarre variety are toys designed with an alternate head sculpt that is [[gang-molding|gang-molded]] with the original head, intended for a potential future [[redeco]]/[[retool]]. Sometimes, a small number (possibly even a single specimen) is accidentally assembled with the wrong head sculpt and makes it to retail. These occurrences often end up being isolated incidents, and can thus be assumed to be unusual manufacturing errors that result in a unique toy, rather than a genuine defect. Some notable examples:
* ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]] [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Commander Class [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Cyberverse|Optimus Prime]] had an alternate head sculpt that was based on the [[mouthplate]]-less face as seen on the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|show]]. Said alternate sculpt was eventually used for the [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Nightwatch|Nightwatch Optimus Prime]], but before that was even announced, a specimen sporting the mouthplate-less head was found at retail and immediately reported as a "variant".<ref name="opcvvari">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/cyberverse-optimus-prime-unmasked-variant-174184/ TFW2005 reporting] on the head sculpt "variant" for Cyberverse Commander Class Optimus Prime.</ref>
*In 2017, multiple specimens of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Deluxe Class [[Chromedome (G1)#Titans Return|Chromedome]] were found at US retail that included the TakaraTomy ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' counterpart's "Headmaster" figure rather than the Hasbro version's normal [[Titan Master]] [[Stylor#Generations|Stylor]] figure, complete with the different [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] Chromedome face sculpt, additional paint operations for the Titan Master figure itself and a black screw otherwise unique to the TakaraTomy versions. In total, less than a dozen specimens were confirmed between two or three different stores.<ref name="chromedome">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/03/03/titans-return-chromedome-variant-features-takara-titan-master-334923 "TFW2005 Titans Return Chromedome Variant Features Takara Titan Master"]</ref>
*Also in 2017, a single specimen of ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' Warrior Class [[Soundwave (WFC)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2015)|Soundwave]] was found with an alternate head sculpt that featured a mouthplate. This alternate head has thus far never actually been officially used.<ref name="ridsoundwave">[https://news.tfw2005.com/2017/05/14/possible-variant-robots-disguise-soundwave-338936 "Possible Variant for Robots in Disguise Soundwave"] at TFW2005.</ref>
*A single specimen of ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' [[Micromaster]] [[Blackjack (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Blackjack]] was found at US retail with the chest and head of the previously released [[Swindler#War for Cybertron: Siege|Swindler]]. Despite the tireless efforts of the original finder to have this reported as a "variant", no other specimens were found, and the consensus was reached that this was simply a one-off factory error.<ref name="blackjack">[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/possible-siege-wfc-blackjack-variant-found.1176815/ "Possible Siege WFC Blackjack variant found"] at TFW2005.</ref>
*''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' Leader Class [[Megatron (BW)/toys#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Megatron (Beast)]] had an alternate head sculpt with grinning teeth rather than closed lips, which was intended for [[T-Wrecks#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|T-Wrecks]], who ultimately feaured the original Megatron head instead due to a widespread manufacturing error. However, a single specimen of Megatron was found with the intended T-Wrecks head sculpt.<ref name="t-wrecks">[https://news.tfw2005.com/2021/01/23/transformers-kingdom-megatron-head-variant-found-427767 TFW2005 news story] about ''Kingdom'' megatron's alternate head sculpt, 2001.</ref>
{{-}}

===Pre-release items===
[[File:Universe2008 G1Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|You can't get it in the market NOW! Woh!!!]]
Pre-release items such as [[prototype]]s, test shots and packaged samples that differ from the final products in sculpt, plastic color, paint, deco or packaging details do not count as "variants" either. True variants only exist between different specimens of officially released and distributed products. So unless the pre-release version has been officially released in some quantities before a running change replaced it with the more common version, it's not a variant. Stolen prototypes do not count.
Some examples of samples that differ from the final product include:
*''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Alternators|Sunstreaker]] features a rear license plate sporting an Autobot insignia followed by his full name, "'''[[File:Symbol autobot reg.png|15px]] SUNSTREAKER'''", but an earlier sample only featured an abbreviated form of the name in a different font, with an Autobot insignia in the middle, "'''SUN [[File:Symbol autobot reg.png|15px]] STRK'''".
*At one stage shortly before mass production, [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' (2008)]] Deluxe Class [[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Cyclonus]] (depicted at the right) had his alternate mode's nosecone as well as the included [[Nightstick (G1)#Universe (2008)|Nighstick]] [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] figure cast in beige plastic. Because [[Hasbro]]'s [[stock photography|promotional photos]] that depict both a pre-release sample and a packaged sample featured these colors, it created some [[fandom]] [[Ruined FOREVER|angst]] in its wake. The plastic color was fixed to purple before the figure went into mass production, and thus far only one packaged sample sporting the beige plastic color has surfaced.<ref name="beige">[http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showpost.php?p=370804&postcount=6208 Sample of ''Universe'' Cyclonus with "error" color] at the Ozformers forums.</ref>
*The mass-produced version of the 2013 ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Fall of Cybertron (2012–2013)|Transformers: Generations/Fall of Cybertron]]'' Deluxe Class [[Impactor (Prime)#Generations|Impactor]] figure features a tampographed light blue version of the "[[Wreckers]]" [[insignia]], while [[Topspin (FOC)#Generations|Topspin]] from the same wave, a retool of [[Blast Off (FOC)#Generations|Blast Off]], features a retooling for the hinged section that covers his head in vehicle mode to sport an additional [[5 mm post|5 mm peg]] hole for his new weapon accessory. However, at least one person in Taiwan got his hands on a specimen of Impactor that features a light blue regular Autobot insignia instead,<ref name="taiwan">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/929782-generations-foc-wreckers-ruination-pics.html TFW2005 thread] with a Taiwan-based fan's photos of the Wreckers, depicting Impactor with a light blue regular Autobot insignia</ref> thus matching the sample on display at [[Toy Fair 2013]] <ref name="toyfair2013">[http://www.tfu.info/HasbroFanMediaEvent/2013/Generations/index.htm Hasbro Fan Media Event 2013] at TFU.info.</ref>, as well as a specimen of Topspin that features am unchanged tooling for the hinged section that covers his head (including different paint operations as well),<ref name="taiwan">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/929782-generations-foc-wreckers-ruination-pics.html TFW2005 thread] with a Taiwan-based fan's photos of the Wreckers, depicting Topspin with a non-retooled section lacking the 5mm peg hole.</ref> which matches Hasbro's stock photos for the figure.
{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://fredsworkshop.com/framesvars.html Fred's Complete Variants Page]—Very thorough online variant resource.

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Snow Job

2025-09-18T18:11:50Z

Kcchia80: added his real name

{{faction|gijoe}}
:''Snow Job is a [[human]] member of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Black Horizon 2 Snow Job.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Alright, give 'im the stick... DON'T give 'im the stick! OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH]]
'''Snow Job''', real name '''Harlan W. Moore''', is a member of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. If there's a task in cold weather conditions to be done, he's the first one that gets called up.

==Fiction==
===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
Snow Job was selected for a mission in [[Tibet]] to help in the fight against the forces of [[Cobra-La]]. He and the others were attacked by the [[Pretender Monster]]s' [[Combiner|combined form]] [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]]. The [[Laser Squad]] destroyed the creature, allowing Snow Job and the other survivors to continue and arrive at Cobra-La's base just in time to help round up Cobra-La's soldiers. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}

===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
[[File:CarnivalFaceOff Snow Job.jpg|thumb|left|100px|This sounds like a go job for Snow Job!]]
Snow Job was among a group of Joes who went to a carnival. They tried their luck unsuccessfully at a "ring the bell" strongman contest, only to watch open-mouthed as the Terrorcons combined into [[Abominus (Prime)|Abominus]] and smashed it so hard it broke. {{storylink|Carnival Face Off}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Snow Job was part of a Joe strike force. Their mission: to raid the town of [[Springfield (G.I. Joe)|Springfield]], secretly a Cobra hide-out. After rounding-up the Cobra agents in the town, Snow Job and the Joes received their next assignment; to travel to and infiltrate the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], its inhabitants having proved themselves hostile. {{storylink|I Saw Three Ships}}

The Joes began their attack on Cybertron by sending down "green bombs" from the air. But when they targeted the mobile city of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], they found it protected by a forcefield. Their attempt to bomb it provoked a counter-attack from the Decepticons. Snow Job escaped the ''[[Defiant (G.I. Joe)|Defiant]]'''s destruction, and made it back to Green Zone 0-8-6, the Joes' temporary base on the alien world. Later that night, he and Scarlett found the badly-injured Wild Bill stumbling into the camp. The wounded Joe was closely followed by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who triggered a perimeter trap, and became the Joes' first P.O.W. in the inter-planetary war. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}}

Snow Job then assisted his fellow Joes in vivisecting the Cybertronian, believing the giant to be little more than an unfeeling machine. The operation was tabled just in time for Wheeljack's friends to burst in on the scene and launch an offensive against the Joes. The humans returned fire, until blasts from both sides rendered all combatants unconscious. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}}

Both teams eventually awakened and readied to take up arms once more when [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] showed up, accompanied by [[Breaker (G.I. Joe)|Breaker]], [[Jinx]], [[Cover Girl]] and [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]]. Grimlock declared a truce between the Joes and the Autobots had been reached, and both factions partied together to cement their alliance. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} The Joes moved into [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], the Autobots' mobile city, but had little time to settle down before the Decepticons launched an attack against them. Snow Job rode atop of [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] alongside [[Rock 'n Roll]] to help repel both the evil robots and their Cobra allies. They eventually succeeded in forcing them into a tactical retreat. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}}

Following the apparent destruction of Earth in a collision with Cybertron, Snow Job and the rest set up shop in a new [[T.H.E. P.I.T.|Pit]] on the alien world. {{storylink|Earth: R.I.P.}} When the Decepticons next set their eyes on destroying the [[sun]], the Joes and Autobots rolled out together to put an end to their plan. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}} Manning a [[VAMP]] together with [[Lady Jaye]], Snow Job helped take down [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] before he could do away with the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

===Energon Universe===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Scarlett issue 1}}}}

==Notes==
*Snow Job has been voiced by Transformers alumni [[Rob Paulsen]] in ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and by [[Nolan North]] in ''G.I. Joe: Renegades''.

==External links==
*[http://www.yojoe.com/action/83/snowjob.shtml Snow Job at YoJoe.com]
*[http://www.myuselessknowledge.com/joe/characters/snowjob.html Snow Job at G. I. Joe Comics Homepage]

[[Category:Energon Universe humans]]
[[Category:Generation 1 humans]]
[[Category:G.I. Joe members]]
[[Category:Kre-O humans]]

The Transformers (cartoon)

2024-11-30T17:25:31Z

Kcchia80: replaced "which" with "that" as "The Transformers" is a restrictive clause

{{disambig2|the cartoon series|other uses of ''The Transformers''|Transformers (disambiguation)}}

{{nav-G1|logo=TheTransformers_Logo.jpg}}

[[File:TransformersLogoSlantedOrange.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Red is the color of [[Autobot|GOOD]]...]]
[[File:TransformersLogoSlantedPurple.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|...while purple is the color of [[Decepticon|EVIL]]!!]]
[[File:G1Season1Logo.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|In [[Space (the place)|space]], no one can hear your trumpets go [[Media:G1-Scene-Transition-Effect.ogg|Dah-NUN NUN NUN NAHHHHHH]]!]]

More than any other of the many media which [[Transformer]]s have invaded in the past {{#expr: {{CURRENTYEAR}}-1984}} years, it is '''''The Transformers''''', the original cartoon that ran from 1984 to 1987, that captured the imagination of children and the young-at-heart worldwide.

{{bigquote|...we feel '''action''' should be emphasized over''' plot'''—especially avoiding any complicated story lines—to ensure the success of this series with its intended viewers.|[[Bryce Malek]] and [[Dick Robbins]], ''Transformer''s story editors, [[Marvel Productions]] internal correspondence [http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#154]}}

==Overview==
[[File:Cybertronplanet.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Depleted of energy... aside from the power source that lights up the entire core of the planet.]]
The cartoon (along with the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]]) set up the basic story of Transformers that most other incarnations were to follow: two warring factions of robots on the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] leave in search of resources. The factions crash-land on [[Earth]] and, millions of years later, begin their battle anew in Reagan-era [[United States of America|America]] and across the globe.

Once established, the cartoon rarely took any steps to upset its status quo. Plots generally centered on a [[Decepticon]] plot or invention of the week, which would be used to gather energy or Defeat The [[Autobot]]s FOREVER!!, and the Autobots' efforts to stop the plan. Most of the time the Decepticons were forced into retreat, and the Autobots drove off victorious. At most, a new character or team was added to one side or the other. Plots became a bit less formulaic during Season 3, though character death and true plot upheaval remained a rarity.

Through its 98-episode run, this series took viewers around the globe and to many strange places and times: across the alien Cybertron, the Earth's prehistoric past, the Earth's then-future of 2005, the ''Metropolis''-like society of [[Nebulos]], and more. It is not the best animated series ever to air, but it stimulated viewers with its concept at the time, and continued to do so in the years to come.

Being the first series of ''Transformers'' ever, some episodes tended to be [[Prime Target (episode)|very]], [[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|very]], [[B.O.T. (episode)|weird]] and [[Auto-Bop|80s]]ish compared with later shows. The show also featured [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast|an enormous cast of characters]] in comparison to the more limited cast of future shows, likely due to the cost of developing CGI models as opposed to hand-drawn animation.
{{-}}

==Production==
[[File:DivideAndConquer-UnderseaBase.jpg|center|upright=2.5|thumb|The Decepticon undersea base. Note that it is neither [[Tom Kenny|pineapple]], [[Bill Fagerbakke|rock]], nor tiki head.]]

Writing and distribution for ''The Transformers'' were handled as a joint effort by [[Marvel Productions]] and [[Sunbow Productions]]. The show's premise is based on the original story treatment developed by [[Marvel Comics]] editor-in-chief [[Jim Shooter]], though Marvel productions briefly proposed [[Car and Cable|their own pitch for the show]] separate from Shooter's before being shot down by [[Hasbro]]. Animation was produced overseas by a number of major studios: [[Toei Animation|Toei]] (68 episodes), [[AKOM]] (22 episodes), [[Sei Young Animation Co. Ltd.]] (at least 1 episode), and [[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|an unknown studio]] (7 episodes). Additional contract services (such as additional animation production, photography, effects and finalization) were sub-contracted to numerous other studios, including: [[Dai Won Animation Co.]], [[Sam Young Studio]], [[Ashi Productions]], [[Trans Arts Co.]], [[Anime R]], [[Nakamura Production]], [[Studio Look]], [[Studio No. 1]] and [[T. Nishimura]].

[[File:CrashedArk1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Nobody on Earth noticed this for millions of years.]]
The original 30 or so characters were heavily modified from their toy designs for aesthetics and ease of animation. Among the artists involved in the original designs are [[Shōhei Kohara]] and [[Floro Dery]]. Other known production artists include [[Dell Barras]], who worked on second season backgrounds.

Story editors for the series included [[Dick Robbins]], [[Bryce Malek]], [[Flint Dille]], [[Marv Wolfman]], and [[Steve Gerber]]. Episode scripts were written by a large array of freelance writers. Writers notable for writing numerous episodes include [[Donald F. Glut]] and [[David Wise]].

The series was animated on an enormously rushed schedule, with many episodes going from script to screen in as little as four months, due to the need to get episodes on the air in sync with the toys appearing on shelves. That, combined with the vast number of characters and the difficulties involved with the overseas animation process, resulted in a cartoon that is notoriously riddled with [[animation error]]s and other mistakes. The producers were often aware of these mistakes, but tight deadlines left no time to correct them.

Another byproduct of the rushed production is that the show tends not to be very self-referential. Continuity between episodes is minimal, with most acting as self-contained, standalone stories, though a few Season Two and Season Three stories did build on previous episodes. Within each season, the addition of new characters is the only common change to the status quo.

[[File:ShockwaveDesertionOfTheDinobots1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|My toy's so great, I bought one myself!]]
Mistakes or not, the show is fondly remembered by many fans for the high quality of its voice acting. Indeed, many characters, lacking any significant plot developments or screen time, were brought to life solely by their unique voices and inflection styles. Voice direction for the series was provided by [[Wally Burr]], notorious for driving his performers to the limit. One of the performers in his stable, [[Susan Blu]], would later go on to work as voice director for ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' and briefly ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]''.

The ''sinister'' voice of [[Victor Caroli]] provided narration for the entire series, most commonly heard on the [[commercial bumper]]s: "The Transformers will return after these messages!" Caroli's voice also provided occasional introductory narration, recap segments for multi-part episodes, and the ''[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]'' segments which ran before the credits of Season 3.

[[File:RollForIt Spacebridge recieves.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Looks safer than flying United.]]
In addition to the show's iconic [[theme song]], ''Transformers'' featured a great variety of background music, composed by [[Robert J. Walsh]]. Walsh had previously worked on the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' cartoon, and many of those pieces were reused for ''Transformers''. New pieces were composed as well, many incorporating the melody of the show's theme song. Walsh composed new music for 2nd and 3rd seasons, each in a different style, further distinguishing the three main seasons from one another.

The show also originated the concept of the iconic "[[Scene transition|symbol flip]]" serving as a transition between scenes, a tradition carried on by some of the later series.

===Credits===

{{see|The Transformers (cartoon)/credits}}
{{--}}

==Episodes==

{{see|List of The Transformers episodes}}

These episodes are listed in "production order", the order in which the episodes were actually approved and written, rather than the order in which they aired on television. In a few instances, this means that episodes are not in the correct chronological story order, the specifics of which are noted in their own articles. Arranging the episodes in airdate order would not solve this problem, and so, as fans have done for as long as there have been ''Transformers'' episode guides on the internet, {{SITENAME SHORT}} adheres to production order, in preference to simply making up a chronological order of our own (any attempt at which would be arguable at best).

The different DVD companies which have released the series down the years have at times presented the episodes of each season in a different order that adheres to neither production nor airdate, sometimes to improve any chronology errors evident in the production order, and other times for no apparent reason. No two English-language DVD releases of the series by different companies have placed all 98 episodes in the same order. [[Metrodome]] stuck closest to production order, only making changes for chronology reasons (and sometimes not even then), while other licensees have strayed from this order to varying degrees. Season 1 has consistently avoided reorganization (as production order is actually the correct story order), but Season 3 is a victim of continuous restructuring that sees its episodes presented in a wildly different order with each release.

Please note that Wikipedia claims that the production order is the correct chronological order for all seasons. However, they have listed the episodes in broadcast order, with a number next to each entry to indicate its story order.

===Season 1===
[[File:Autobot roll call-panning shot stitched-MTMTE1.jpg|centre|thumb|upright=2.5|"Uh Jazz, I think we're missing a few members."]]
{{note|For a list of characters for Season 1, See: ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 1|The Transformers (cartoon)/cast]]''.}}

[[File:DinobotsG1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Remember those [[Dinobot (G1)|dinosaur guys]]? Man, they were awesome.]]
The first season is primarily set on [[Earth]], with a few excursions to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. It started with the 1984 toys as its characters (with [[Reflector (G1)|some]] [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|exceptions]]), and introduced the early wave of 1985 toys as it progressed—the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], and [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]].

The first 3 episodes were promoted as a miniseries, airing across three consecutive weekdays. A proper 13-episode season then began broadcasting on a weekly basis, usually on Saturday mornings, the following month. While the 3-episode miniseries and the 13-episode season one are typically combined as a single 16-episode season, production companies such as [[Toei Animation|Toei]] catalog the two separately.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20030106084320/http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/oldies/collabo.html Archive of Toei's outsourced productions during the '80s, listing the miniseries and season 1 separately</ref>
{{--}}
{{collist|3|
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"
# "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]"
# "[[Roll for It]]"
# "[[Divide and Conquer]]"
# "[[Fire in the Sky]]"
# "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]"
# "[[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain]]"
# "[[War of the Dinobots]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]"
# "[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]"
# "[[A Plague of Insecticons]]"
# "[[Heavy Metal War]]"
}}

===Season 2===
[[File:CosmicRust-BigGroup.jpg|center|upright=2.5|thumb|I liked the one with the guy.]]
{{note|For a list of characters for Season 2, See: ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 2|The Transformers (cartoon)/cast]]''.}}

[[File:Master builders prime basketball.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Didn't they make Optimus Prime play soccer or something once? Man, that was dumb.]]
At 49 episodes, the second season of ''The Transformers'' was rather substantial in length. The seemingly random number of 49 was not quite so random, though, as 65 episodes are the minimum requirement for a cartoon series to qualify for syndication status. (And 16 + 49 = 65)<ref>[[tvtropes:Main/SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon|65-Episode Cartoon on TVTropes]]</ref> In addition to these 49 episodes, a series of 5 [[public service announcement]]s were animated, presumably to accompany the episodes. For whatever reason, these PSAs were never broadcast and the episodes aired without the burden of trying to teach you anything.

The second season greatly expanded the cartoon's scope and cast. This season tends to feature more character-driven episodes than the first, with many characters getting their own "spotlight" episode. It also features a recurring theme of the Autobots assimilating Earth culture, such as playing basketball and football and even watching a soap opera. Excursions to alien civilizations popped up occasionally as well (not to mention time travel, miniaturization, and battles against undersea creatures). The second season also saw the introduction of concepts and characters that would spread out to other segments of the franchise, including the mystic [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], the ancient [[Vector Sigma]] supercomputer and its [[Key to Vector Sigma|circuit key]], not to mention the first appearance of [[Female Transformer]]s within official fiction.

This season also marked a move from weekly airings (usually on Saturday mornings) to syndicated weekday broadcasts, airing Monday through Friday, either in the morning or afternoon. Some markets also scheduled it in conjunction with daily episodes of ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' (like WPIX in New York).

Season Two breaks down very roughly into three segments:

*The first thirteen episodes feature (primarily) the Season One cast.
*A large second batch of episodes brings in the remainder of the 1985 toys.
*The final ten episodes introduce the four [[combiner]] teams that formed the early entries in the 1986 line.
{{--}}
{{collist|3|
# "[[Autobot Spike]]"
# "[[Changing Gears]]"
# "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]"
# "[[Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots]]"
# "[[Traitor (episode)|Traitor]]"
# "[[The Immobilizer]]"
# "[[The Autobot Run]]"
# "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"
# "[[Day of the Machines]]"
# "[[Enter the Nightbird]]"
# "[[A Prime Problem]]"
# "[[The Core]]"
# "[[The Insecticon Syndrome]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders]]"
# "[[Auto Berserk]]"
# "[[Microbots]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]"
# "[[Blaster Blues]]"
# "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]"
# "[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]"
# "[[The God Gambit]]"
# "[[Make Tracks]]"
# "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]"
# "[[Quest for Survival]]"
# "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme]]"
# "[[The Gambler]]"
# "[[Kremzeek!]]"
# "[[Sea Change]]"
# "[[Triple Takeover]]"
# "[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]"
# "[[Auto-Bop]]"
# "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]"
# "[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]"
# "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]"
# "[[Aerial Assault]]"
# "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]"
# "[[Trans-Europe Express]]"
# "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]"
# "[[Starscream's Brigade]]"
# "[[The Revenge of Bruticus]]"
# "[[Masquerade]]"
# "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]"
}}

===Intermediate===
[[File:Tftm1986b.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Then they like, killed him in the movie. Man, that was awesome.]]
''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' is in continuity with the cartoon series, occurring 20 years after the end of Season 2 (in the then-futuristic year of 2005). It was the single biggest turning point for the series, and remains controversial. The movie saw the introductions of [[Unicron]], the [[Quintesson]]s, and the [[Matrix of Leadership]], all of which would play important roles in Season 3. It made radical changes to the show's cast, killing off many characters and introducing new ones—a shock to young viewers who were used to their heroes driving off into the sunset at the end of every adventure.

Despite its unconventional place in the cartoon canon, it remains the best-known representation of the cartoon series among fans.

{{--}}

===Season 3===
{{note|For a list of characters for Season 3, See: ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#The Transformers: The Movie and Season 3|The Transformers (cartoon)/cast]]''.}}
[[File:Intro3 4 with error.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|They didn't make any more cartoons after the movie. Yeah, the movie totally killed Transformers.]]
Season 3 ''transformed'' the whole premise of the show. Gone were the two teams stranded on Earth, along with many of the characters that composed those teams. In their place was a galaxy-spanning tale of battles on alien worlds. With the Autobots in firm control of Cybertron, the Decepticons, though still a threat, were somewhat reduced as villains; new enemies in the form of the [[Quintesson]]s were introduced. Plots often centered on the ultra-powerful [[Titan (group)|city-bot]]s, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]].

Season 3 has a mixed reputation. It contains some of the most mistake-laden episodes of the entire franchise ("Five Faces of Darkness", "Carnage in C Minor", the [[title sequence]] at right) most of which can be laid at the feet of [[AKOM]]. But some of its episodes are among the best as well, both in animation and scripting; "Dark Awakening", "Chaos", "Webworld", and "Dweller in the Depths" are all heavy fan favorites.

Late in Season 3, as in Season 2, the forerunners of the 1987 toy line were introduced: the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s, and [[Throttlebot]]s, and (very briefly) the cassettes [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]. The season concluded with the resurrection of Optimus Prime, spurred on by a massive campaign on the part of fans, who were displeased by his death and subsequent "evil" resurrection.
{{--}}
{{collist|3|
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]"
# "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]"
# "[[Chaos (episode)|Chaos]]"
# "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"
# "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"
# "[[Starscream's Ghost]]"
# "[[Thief in the Night]]"
# "[[Surprise Party]]"
# "[[Madman's Paradise]]"
# "[[Nightmare Planet]]"
# "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]"
# "[[Webworld]]"
# "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]"
# "[[The Quintesson Journal]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Weapon]]"
# "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]"
# "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]"
# "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]"
# "[[Only Human]]"
# "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]"
# "[[Money Is Everything (episode)|Money Is Everything]]"
# "[[Call of the Primitives]]"
# "[[The Face of the Nijika]]"
# "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"
}}

{{--}}

===Season 4===
{{note|For a list of characters for Season 4, See: ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 4|The Transformers (cartoon)/cast]]''.}}
[[File:Bumblebee and Goldbug.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|They kept making the toys? But weren't those like, [[Action Master|the ones that couldn't transform]] or something?]]
According to [[David Wise]], he was contacted by [[Sunbow Productions]] to write a ''five''-part series finale which would introduce a deluge of new characters while simultaneously tying up the series. Shortly after Wise completed the five-episode outline, however, a budget cutback reduced it to a ''three''-parter. This created a massive headache for the writer, who did the math and claimed that they'd be introducing a new character just about every 28 or 90 seconds.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVRk-sOMZ6Y Interview from Rhino Season 3/4 DVD set]</ref> [[Dan Gilvezan]] also expressed his confusion at the truncated season, as 98 episodes didn't fit into a syndicated weekday broadcast schedule (which needed to be divisible by 5).<ref>''Bumblebee and Me: Life as a G1 Transformer'', by Dan Gilvezan</ref>

In the end, 25 brand new Transformers and 21 [[Nebulan]]s, that's 46 new characters in all, were introduced across these final three episodes. Well, that's assuming you count [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] as separate characters from [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] and [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]]... and [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] and [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] as one guy.

While the previous three seasons each featured fully original [[title sequence]]s, season 4's title sequence was more economically cobbled together. By combining animation taken from toy commercials (produced by [[Toei Animation|Toei]]) and animation from the season 3 title sequence (produced by [[AKOM]]), they crafted a "new" title sequence (which used the season 3 rendition of the theme song). A clever ploy, though the difference in animation quality and art style between segments produced by Toei and AKOM leads to the footage blending rather poorly.

# "[[The Rebirth, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]"

{{--}}

===Season 5===
[[File:Puppetpmprime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Man, I wish they'd made a fifth season. It would've been awesome.]]

Season 5 did not feature any new episodes, but rather consisted of 15 episodes from the previous seasons and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' broken up into five episodes, for a total of 20 episodes. A music video for "[[The Touch]]" was also used to fill time.

In addition to a new [[title sequence]] and new [[commercial bumper]]s, new bookending segments were added to each episode. These segments featured an animatronic/stop-motion puppet of [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] meeting regularly with a live-action human named [[Tommy Kennedy]] to tell him old Transformers stories. While the stories were old, the bookending segments took place in a contemporary time with Optimus regularly name dropping characters who never appeared in the older episodes, but were currently available on store shelves.

Production of the segments fell under [[Tim Speidel]], a producer for [[Griffin Bacal]] (the New York-based advertising company which co-developed ''The Transformers'').<ref>http://digestmybrain.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/my-conversation-with-tim-speidel/</ref> The Optimus Prime puppet was operated by [[Marty Robinson]], a famous puppeteer best known for his work on ''Sesame Street'' providing the mouthplate movement and on-set voice, with an assistant performing the head turns. Filming of these segments was completed in one week during June, 1988, at Silver Cup Studios in Queens, New York. Powermaster Optimus Prime was made of wood and very fragile in certain areas, requiring actor [[Jason Jansen]] to watch his step while filming. Apparently, at one point a camera rig fell over onto the wooden Optimus Prime hand right where Jansen would have been sitting if he hadn't been eating a bagel at the craft services table. A crane operator who was strapped to the camera wasn't so fortunate and "rode" the falling equipment down for 40 feet.<ref>http://digestmybrain.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/tommy-kennedy-found-an-interview-with-jason-jansen/</ref>

{{collist|3|
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1#Season 5|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2#Season 5|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3#Season 5|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day One|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day One)]]
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day Two|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day Two)]]
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day Three|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day Three)]]
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day Four|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day Four)]]
# [[The Transformers: The Movie#Day Five|''The Transformers: The Movie'' (Day Five)]]
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5#Season 5|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]"
# "[[Surprise Party#Season 5|Surprise Party]]"
# "[[Dark Awakening (episode)#Season 5|Dark Awakening]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1#Season 5|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2#Season 5|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 1#Season 5|The Rebirth, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 2#Season 5|The Rebirth, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Rebirth, Part 3#Season 5|The Rebirth, Part 3]]"
}}

{{--}}

===The Sci-Fi Channel===

[[File:CartoonQuestTitleCard.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|They totally never showed the old episodes on TV again after G1.]]

From 1992 to 1997, the Sci-Fi Channel rotated reruns of ''The Transformers'' in and out of their early morning cartoon programming blocks, [[Cartoon Quest]] and [[Animation Station]]. These broadcasts used a unique version of the [[title sequence]], which featured the season 2 animation set to the season 3 rendition of the [[theme song]].

Unfortunately, due to longer commercial slots, the decision was made to edit the cartoon down. Sometimes this was done in a comparatively harmless fashion, but other times the flow of scenes and even the plot suffered. In one of the most notorious edits, two lines from [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] in "[[Masquerade]]" ended up smooshed into a single nonsensical jumble: "Time to add fire torobably hate myself in the morning, but—"

Unusually, the Sci-Fi Channel network run '''overlapped''' with the ''Generation 2'' syndication run; at one point the Sci-Fi Channel even ran a contest where kids could submit postcards to win ''G2'' toys.

{{--}}

===Generation 2===

[[File:G2CartoonLogo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The reason G2 sucked is they didn't even have a show. There was like, nothing on.]]

Between 1993 and 1995, a total of 52 select episodes of ''The Transformers'' were repackaged as a new program: ''The Transformers: Generation 2''. The episodes featured new transitioning segments via the [[Cybernet Space Cube]] as well as a new [[title sequence]].
{{See|Transformers: Generation 2 (cartoon)|Transformers: Generation 2}}

{{--}}

===The Hub Network/Discovery Family===

[[File:Hub-CobraPaloozaMegatronAThon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Nope. ''Definitely'' never showed the old episodes again.]]

Beginning in October 2010, ''The Transformers'' made its return to American television via [[Hub Network|The Hub Network]], a cable network jointly owned by [[Hasbro]]. ''The Transformers'' episodes were aired uncut and unaltered for the first time since their original broadcast (though the on-demand version of "[[Heavy Metal War]]" inexplicably used the infamous [[Kid Rhino]] version with unfinished animation). However, for scheduling and advertising purposes, the series was rebranded ''The Transformers: Generation 1''. This kept it from potentially getting confused with the [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|many]] [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|other]] ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' cartoons which were airing simultaneously on the network. Despite this, nothing was done to alter the opening credits, which still say ''The Transformers''.

Incidentally, it ''also'' means that exactly the same episodes of ''The Transformers'' have been rebranded as "Generation 1" ''and'' "Generation 2"... and in reverse order, at that.

''The Transformers'' aired on the [[Huboom!]] programming block in all its various forms (changing hosts, time slots and theme every couple of years). New [[Commercial/Generation 1#2011|commercial segments]] frequently reworked animation from old episodes of ''The Transformers'', combining them with new voice overs (often from the original cast) to create humorous situations. Lo and behold, we now have [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] bickering with [[Cobra Commander]].

In October 2014, The Hub Network was replaced with [[Discovery Family]] and reruns were moved to the early-morning slot, as Discovery Communications began programming evenings on the channel.

At the beginning of 2017, however, the series was removed from the lineup entirely, only to return without warning around mid 2020, airing on weekdays at 3 AM, where the ''Transformers'' and ''G.I. Joe'' series have mainly been banished to due to Discovery Family's main demographic skewing female (hence why ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' were aired on [[Cartoon Network]]).

{{--}}

==International Releases==
===Japanese release===
In Japan, ''The Transformers'' was broken apart into 2 separately branded shows:

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''====

{{nav-fsrltf}}

'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''''' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー, ''Tatakae! Chō Robotto Seimeitai Transformers'') began airing in 1985, consisting of the North American season 1 and 2 episodes. Although 2 episodes out of the original 65 were cut ("[[Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots]]" and "[[Day of the Machines]]"), an additional 9 [[clip show]]s were created, composed entirely of re-used footage taken from various episodes, bringing the total number of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' episodes to 72. The 2 missing episodes were later dubbed in 1990 and released straight-to-video, then retroactively added to the series episode list, boosting its official count to 74 episodes.

{{collist|4|
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"
# "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"
# "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]"
# "[[Roll for It]]"
# "[[Divide and Conquer]]"
# "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]"
# "[[War of the Dinobots]]"
# "[[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction]]"
# "[[Heavy Metal War]]"
# "[[Autobot Spike]]"
# "[[Changing Gears]]"
# "[[Traitor (episode)|Traitor]]"
# "[[Birth of the Transformers!]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[The Immobilizer]]"
# "[[Atlantis, Arise!]]"
# "[[Enter the Nightbird]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1]]"
# "[[Dinobot Island, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders]]"
# "[[The Insecticon Syndrome]]"
# "[[A Prime Problem]]"
# "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]"
# "[[Auto Berserk]]"
# "[[Microbots]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]"
# "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1]]"
# "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2]]"
# "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]"
# "[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]"
# "[[The God Gambit]]"
# "[[Make Tracks]]"
# "[[Quest for Survival]]"
# "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme]]"
# "[[The Gambler]]"
# "[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]"
# "[[Kremzeek!]]"
# "[[Triple Takeover]]"
# "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]"
# "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]"
# "[[Sea Change]]"
# "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood]]"
# "[[Aerial Assault]]"
# "[[Trans-Europe Express]]"
# "[[Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust]]"
# "[[The Core]]"
# "[[Blaster Blues]]"
# "[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]"
# "[[Auto-Bop]]"
# "[[Starscream's Brigade]]"
# "[[The Revenge of Bruticus]]"
# "[[War Without End (episode)|War Without End]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Desperate Battle on Dinobot Island]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Devastator, the Giant Warrior]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Neverending Struggle]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]"
# "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]"
# "[[Masquerade]]"
# "[[Fire in the Sky]]"
# "[[Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain]]"
# "[[A Plague of Insecticons]]"
# "[[The Autobot Run]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]"
# "[[Earth's Greatest Crisis]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Seek the Cybertonium]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Stunticons vs Aerialbots]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Mutiny of the Combaticons]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots]]"{{dag|black}}
# "[[Day of the Machines]]"{{dag|black}}
}}
{{dag|red}} ''Added [[clip show]]'' 
{{dag|black}} ''{{w|Direct-to-video}}''

The broadcast order of the series was significantly reworked, with most of the episodes featuring [[Jetfire (G1)#Why "Skyfire"?|Skyfire]] being pushed to the end of the run (presumably owing the character's shaky status as a Bandai toy in Japan). Contrary to what would be sensible, this did ''not'' involve correcting any of the chronological errors present in the original order; in fact, it even created some new ones. The pack-in booklet included with the {{w|LaserDisc}} and DVD sets from [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer]] includes the original production order with liner notes explaining some of the continuity issues and choices behind the Japanese airing order.

Perhaps most notoriously, the episodes were edited before their broadcast in Japan. These edits were made not for content, but for length so that the show could accommodate longer opening and ending [[Title sequence|sequence]]s. The combined length of the U.S. opening and ending sequences was about 1 minute and 10 seconds. The combined length of the Japanese opening and ending sequences, however, was about 2 minutes and 20 seconds. This resulted in roughly 1 minute and 10 seconds of content being cut from every single episode.

The translation in terms of script and story was faithful in regards to the original English version (the same cannot be said of the translations of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Japan|Beast Wars]]'' and onward). However, the dub was at times rushed and had its own unique errors, primarily in terms of matching the right voices and names to the characters on screen. Some examples of character identification mistakes include "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]", in which it is '' [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]]'' who requests permission to teleport and attack [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], and "[[Divide and Conquer]]", where ''[[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'' voices the teleporting [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] rather than [[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (as a result, to Japanese viewers, it appears as though teleportation is a trait inherent in all Seekers and not just Skywarp). One of the worst examples would come in "[[The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders]]", as Megatron orders Blitzwing into battle, though the jet is clearly Ramjet (Ramjet is even dubbed with Blitzwing's voice).

It is entirely possible that the translation for the series was done using preliminary scripts rather than the finished versions, resulting in the additional errors. The Japanese dub began airing 8 months after the American broadcast of the series and very quickly caught up with the United States. As a matter of fact, the episodes "[[Autobot Spike]]" and "[[Changing Gears]]" premiered in Japan several weeks ''before'' they aired in the US! Other evidence indicating translation was made from draft scripts can be seen in "[[Trans-Europe Express]]", where the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]] is referred to as the "Pearl of Jehuddin", the name it carried in preliminary scripts but changed for the final version.

Although primary characters such as Megatron, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, etc., had consistent actors, the dub was ''extremely'' loose in terms of casting its secondary characters. Bluestreak, for example, had no less than ''seven'' different actors portray him over the course of the series (though [[Kōki Kataoka]] is typically credited as his "standard" voice actor). By the looks of things, if a secondary character only received one or two lines in a given episode, then whatever actor was on hand in the studio would be called in to play them, consistency be damned.

Additionally, the Japanese dub of ''Transformers'' was geared toward a younger audience than the original English version. While the dialogue and stories remained faithful in localization, the episodes received '''extensive''' [[Narrator|narration]] from [[Issei Masamune]]. The additional narration was relentless to the point of becoming play-by-play commentary. The narrator would constantly describe what was happening on screen, summarize scenes and dialogue immediately after they were seen or spoken, and generally just provide needless asides such as "And then!" "Suddenly!" and "Meanwhile!" This was done to help the younger Japanese viewers follow along with the story, though later domestically produced Japanese ''Transformers'' animation would not include such excessive narration.

''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' aired on various local [[Nihon TV]] affiliates and as a result, some episodes were preempted in some areas ("[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]", for example, only aired in the Kansai region, while "[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]" aired in every region ''but'' the Kansai region). The opening theme was "[[Transformer (song)|TRANSFORMER]]" by [[Satoko Shimonari]] and the ending theme was "[[Peace Again]]" also by Shimonari. The Japanese dubs sound direction was provided by [[Shōzō Tajima]].

====''Scramble City''====

[[File:Scramble city logo.jpg|center|250x200px]]

An additional {{w|Original Video Animation|OVA special}} was produced as a spin-off of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''. The special was released to home video in [[April]] [[1986]], placing it somewhere between the Japanese broadcast of "[[Kremzeek!]]" and "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]." Primarily concerned with introducing the toys in its [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1986 (Scramble City and 2010)|accompanying subline]], the special included the Japanese screen debuts of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|four]] [[Stunticon (G1)|1986]] [[Protectobot (G1)|combiner]] [[Combaticon (G1)|teams]] (the titular [[Scramble Power|Scrambles]]), [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (the titular cities), and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], here dubbed "[[City Commander]]s."
{{See|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010''====

{{nav-2010}}

'''''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010''''' (戦え! 超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー 2010 ''Tatakae! Chō Robotto Seimeitai Transformers Ni-Zero-Ichi-Zero'') began airing in 1986, consisting of the North American season 3 episodes. All 30 episodes were dubbed for ''Transformers 2010'' and 2 additional clip episodes were produced, bringing the total to 32 episodes.

{{collist|3|
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]"
# "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]"
# "[[Thief in the Night]]"
# "[[Starscream's Ghost]]"
# "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]"
# "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"
# "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]"
# "[[Chaos (episode)|Chaos]]"
# "[[Madman's Paradise]]"
# "[[Surprise Party]]"
# "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]"
# "[[Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee]]"
# "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]"
# "[[Webworld]]"
# "[[The Dweller in the Depths]]"
# "[[The Quintesson Journal]]"
# "[[The Ultimate Weapon]]"
# "[[The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006]]"
# "[[Only Human]]"
# "[[Money Is Everything (episode)|Money Is Everything]]"
# "[[Nightmare Planet]]"
# "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]"
# "[[Call of the Primitives]]"
# "[[The Face of the Nijika]]"
# "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]"
# "[[Daniel's Adventure]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[The Desperate Struggle of Justice]]"{{dag|red}}
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]"
# "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]"
}}
{{dag|red}} ''Added [[clip show]]''

As with ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', ''Transformers 2010'' considerably reordered the sequence of episodes. However, rather than restore the narrative order (as the North American broadcast had jumbled up the story arcs), the Japanese broadcast actually made things ''worse''. And as with ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', Pioneer's LaserDisc and DVD sets for ''Transformers 2010'' include a "narrative viewing order" list in the pack-in booklet.

''Transformers 2010'' received the same editing treatment as its predecessor, losing scenes to make room for the longer title and credits sequences. Likewise, it received all the excessive narration and was prone to the same rotating cast members and character identification hiccups. In regards to the latter, it could become especially problematic when the ''narrator'' was the one misidentifying the characters (in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]", the narrator mistakenly identifies Wildrider and Dead End as Runabout and Runamuck).

Again, as with ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', there is evidence the ''Transformers 2010'' translation was done using draft scripts and not the finished versions. This often bled into promotional material, such as a rather [[:File:TVMagazineStarscreamsGhost1.jpg|infamous advertisement]] for "[[Starscream's Ghost]]" which featured [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] as the main character rather than [[Octane]] (as it was written in early drafts of the episode, but changed by the final version).

In addition to the extensive narration to hold the viewer's hand, ''Transformers 2010'' also received brand new text captions which had not been often utilized in ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''. These captions would appear on screen to designate locations (be they planets, countries or cities) and to identify new characters whenever they first appeared (including both names and functions). The [[Secret Files of Teletraan II]] segments were also reworked; some were dubbed, some were dropped and some brand new ones exclusive to ''Transformers 2010'' were created.

The release of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie/dubs#Japan|The Transformers: The Movie]]'' was delayed in Japan and was not available between ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' and ''Transformers 2010''. To help viewers acclimate to the new status quo, explanatory material was published in the pages of ''[[TV Magazine]]'', describing the events of ''The Movie'' as the "[[Unicron War]]" and summarizing vital events from the film (such as Optimus Prime's death, Rodimus Prime's ascension and Megatron's upgrade into Galvatron). ''The Movie'' would eventually be released straight-to-video in 1989.

Like ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', ''Transformers 2010'' was broadcast on various local Nihon TV affiliates, resulting in preemptions in certain areas ("[[The Face of the Nijika]]" for example). The opening theme was "[[Transformer 2010]]" by [[Shō Hirose]] and the ending theme was "[[What's You]]" also by Hirose.

====''Transformers: The Rebirth''====

[[File:RebirthYoshiokaLaserDiscArt.jpg|center|300x200px]]

The season 4 episodes of ''The Transformers'' were not originally broadcast in Japan, with [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] instead electing to produce a brand new series to continue the story of their animated continuity: ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''. However, all 3 episodes were eventually released straight-to-video in 1996 as '''''Transformers: The Rebirth''''' (トランスフォーマーザ・リバース). The episodes received their much-belated Japanese television broadcast in 2007 on [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Japan]].

To differentiate "The Rebirth" from the Japanese continuity of ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'', the episodes were released under the American ''The Transformers'' branding. This included using the American [[title sequence]] and [[commercial bumper]]s (undubbed). To further this distinction, the dub used English-language names and terminology for the most part ("Hot Rod" was not changed to "Hot Rodimus" and "Kup" was not changed to "Cher", for example) while maintaining the Japanese-exclusive names for the more high-profile characters ("Convoy" was not changed to "Optimus Prime", for example).

Inconsistencies in translation choices aside, there were some bizarre errors in the dub; names attributed to characters or groups that existed in neither the English or Japanese versions. Scorponok is referred to as "Scorpion", the Throttlebots are referred to as the "Slot Robots", and in the Japanese subtitles of the English version, the Technobots are referred to as the "Tech Robots". The fact booklet (written by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]]) included with the ''Transformers 2010'' DVD set specifically cites these instances as translation errors and not deliberate changes.

Only three actors from ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' and ''Transformers 2010'' returned to voice their respective characters: [[Tesshō Genda]] (Optimus Prime), [[Seizō Katō]] (Galvatron) and [[Issei Masamune]] (narrator). Every other cast member was replaced with a soundalike, to varying degrees of success. The voice direction for these episodes was conducted by [[Shōzō Tajima]].

===Brazilian release===
In [[Brazil]], most of the show was dubbed at the Herbert Richers studio in Rio de Janeiro, the most prominent Brazilian dubbing studio of the 20th century, and began airing in 1986 on Rede Globo in a weekly Sunday schedule, being later moved to weekdays with broadcasts from Monday through Friday. Due to how centralized the dubbing scene was at the time, most of the voice actors in ''The Transformers'' were the same people who dubbed basically every single movie and television series of the 1980s. Just like in the Japanese dub, however, only some of the main characters featured consistent voice actors for most of their episodes, with even Optimus himself getting his voice replaced halfway through the series, while everyone else got dubbed by whatever actors were available at the studio at any given time.

Regardless of that, the 80s dub is beloved by most fans who grew up with it and is considered one of the best cartoon dubs of its era. Most of the time, the characters were given very suiting voices that were even modulated to sound "robotic" just like in the American version, though they didn't had the means to recreate Soundwave's highly stylized voice pattern. As for localization, different from the comics which changed the name of almost every character to a Portuguese word, the cartoon kept most names intact with just a few exceptions; most famously, the Stunticons are referred to as the "Acrobaticons", and Optimus Prime is ''always'' called "Leader Optimus" or simply "Leader" whenever someone calls him "Prime" in the original. So yes, even Megatron calls him "Leader" all the time!

For unclear reasons, this dub (and subsequently the broadcast) of the show skipped the "More than Meets the Eye" miniseries and began with "Transport to Oblivion"; years later, the miniseries would be dubbed by ETC Filmes, a small studio located in São Paulo, and released on DVD by NBO Entertainment. They also released their own dub of "The Autobot Run", an episode inexplicably skipped by Herbert Richers. Unfortunately, this dub did a very poor job at casting its voice actors, giving most characters very unfitting voices that were left completely unmodulated; in a particularly egregious case, Optimus and Megatron are made to sound just like two regular thirty-something guys trying their best to overact each and every line of dialogue given to them.

Despite having been handled by two different studios over the years, the show was still left incomplete as far as anyone in the fandom could tell; specifically, the episodes "Kremzeek!", "Aerial Assault", "Starscream's Ghost" and everything between "Call of the Primitives" and "The Rebirth, Part 3" are not known to have ever been released in the country. Whether they were in fact never dubbed, were dubbed but never got to air, or did actually get aired but ended up being lost to time is still a mystery, though the first alternative seems to be the most plausible. Due to how haphazard dubs were made back then, it's possible that Herbert Richers skipped those episodes by pure accident and then never got to finish the rest of the show simply due to a lack of incentive. Similarly, it's possible ETC Filmes was planning on dubbing the remaining episodes just like they did with "The Autobot Run", but had their DVD releases cancelled before they could get to them. Because of this, the Brazilian release of the show is believed to have ended with the episode "Money is Everything".

As is also the case with [[The Transformers: The Movie/dubs#Brazil|the 1986 movie]], official home releases of the Brazilian dubs are extremely hard to find, with most episodes from season 2 onwards having never been released in home media to begin with. In fact, it's very likely that those episodes have only survived to this day thanks to TV recordings done by fans back when the show was still on air. As a result of this carelessness on the part of the distributors, the unknown state of preservation of the original recordings and the potential rights issues that may very well entangle them, it's effectively impossible for them to be reused in any way, meaning that an entirely new dub would necessarily have to be created from the ground up before the show could ever see another release for Brazilian audiences again.

===Latin America===
The shows aired in at least Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Colombia. The dub was recorded at [[Magnum Estudios]] in Los Angeles California, using Spanish speaking expatriates (including a number of up-and-coming Mexican voice actors).

==Home video releases==
{{main|The Transformers (cartoon)/home video}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1 cartoon titles.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The Transformers will return once they have found their definite article.]]
[[File:WorldOfHectorRamirez.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|No universe is safe from being Hectored.]]
*Both the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toyline]] and the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] used a definite article for their title, thus making the franchise's official name "''The'' Transformers" during its early years. At first sight, the cartoon appears to be the odd one out: The opening credits for all four seasons simply render the show's name as "Transformers", without "The"... except for the end of the season 2 opening credits. In addition, the [[commercial bumper]]s ''do'' use the definite article consistently. We have therefore chosen to use the version that matches both the toy line and the comic for the sake of consistency.
*While answering a letter from a fan in the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] to [[The Legacy of Unicron!|Issue #146]], the [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|UK Marvel Comics]] revealed that he totally knows all about ''The Transformers'' cartoon series. He claims the Marvel Comics depict the events as they actually happened and the cartoon is fictional.
*Looking at the production codes of the series reveals some choice tidbits:
**The series pilot, "More than Meets the Eye", was produced under a set of different production codes, as it was created before ''Transformers'' was expanded to become an ongoing series. After the pilot, the episode production numbers begin afresh with "700-01" ("Transport to Oblivion"), and proceeded in order until the end of the first season, with "700-13" ("Heavy Metal War"). At the beginning of the second season, it seems the production codes were adjusted to account for the three parts of "More than Meets the Eye", but someone's math was off by a digit: the first episode of the season, "Autobot Spike," was "700-16," instead of "700-17." This out-by-one numbering continued through the entire second season, ending with the 65th episode, "B.O.T.", as "700-64."
**The original intention of season 3 was to correct this numbering error and begin with "700-66," but after several episodes had moved into production, the decision was made to amend the numbering of the season and start with "700-86"—internal Sunbow documentation available on the Metrodome DVD release of the series shows each episode of "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" numbered 700-66 through -70, crossed out and renamed 700-86 through -90 by hand, and a model sheet for [[Beta (G1)|Beta]] identified "Forever Is a Long Time Coming" as episode "700-74," when its finalized production number was "700-94". Presumably, this was done in reference to the year, 1986, to mark a new "era" for the series now that new writers and story editors were in charge of production.
**There is no episode with production code 700–109. "Only Human" was 700–108, while "Grimlock's New Brain" was 700–110; many online sources list "Money Is Everything" as episode 700-109 and instead omit 700–111, but Sunbow documentation consistently proves this incorrect. A piece of internal correspondence from Marvel Productions<ref>[https://twitter.com/MSipher/status/1107399668361650176 Marvel Productions internal correspondance, posted by MSipher on Twitter]</ref> reveals that this is because "[[The Face of the Nijika]]" was originally episode 109, but it was "put on hold" by Hasbro for unknown reasons, and when revised, was given the new number of 700–113.
*Twelve episodes were released as audio adventures by the [[Germany|German]] company [[Karussell|Karussell Musik und Video]] (featuring dialogue from the German dub of the cartoon by Polyband with new background music from Karussell's own library), a common practice at the time.
*Cartoon writers are a sneaky lot, and quietly put references to ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'', another show they were working on at the same time, into ''The Transformers''. [[Daina]] of the Soviet Oktober Guard ("[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]"), [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] as [[Marissa Faireborn]]'s dad ("[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]"), and an elderly [[Cobra Commander]] ("[[Only Human]]") all appear. We also see journalist [[Hector Ramirez]] ("[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]"), who appeared in almost ''everything'' Hasbro and Sunbow were doing at the time.
{{--}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvMHCfwLXJRYGTnvIQX9Hmwq_Q35qnaD8 Complete ''The Transformers'' playlist on YouTube]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/net.comics/browse_thread/thread/eab15c298a61cdfb/fce7a2ddb7e35a81 1985 net.comics review]
*[http://www.reocities.com/Area51/Comet/5606/tfepgd.html Aaron Marsh's Transformers Episode Guide] — Including variants and repackagings
*[http://www.facebook.com/pages/Transformers/9160392217 Transformers on Facebook] - Includes information on Matrix of Leadership Box Set
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-700-transformers-part-1-1984-1985.html Scripts and storyboards for Season 1 and 2 at the Sunbow and Marvel archive]
*[https://sunbowmarvelarchive.blogspot.com/p/mp-700-transformers-part-2-1986-1987.html Scripts and other material from Season 3 at the Sunbow and Marvel archive]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers (cartoon), The}}
[[Category:Continuities]]
[[Category:Generation 1 media]]
[[Category:The Transformers episodes| ]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Wheeljack (G1)/toys

2024-07-06T14:37:02Z

Kcchia80: /* War for Cybertron Trilogy */ verb-noun agreement

{{suite}}

[[File:G1 packagingart Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]

'''[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s toys blow up in his labs, but hopefully these won't!

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|Generation 1}}
[[File:G1Wheeljack toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Do your arms hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Wheeljack''' (Autobot Car, 1984 / 1985)}}</ul>
:*''Takara ID number'': '''03'''
:*''Accessories'': 2 shoulder cannons, 4 rockets, left & right wings, left & right spoiler halves
{{toydesigner|[[Hiroyuki Obara]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the first year of ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'', Wheeljack transforms into a Lancia Stratos Turbo. The deco is based on a specific racing version, the "Group 5" Stratos,<ref name="group5">[http://www.geocities.ws/simontmallett/stratos.html Information about the real-life Group 5 Stratos]</ref> with sponsor decals by Italian airline {{w|Alitalia}}, which were changed to "Alital'''l'''a" for the toy (presumably to avoid licensing problems... yeah, apparently you could get away with that back in the day). He comes with two shoulder-mounted rocket launchers that can (theoretically) fire his included projectiles; the [[Hasbro]] release of the toy has severely weakened the springs [[for safety reasons]], while the later [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] release keeps them fully-functional. The bar his launchers clip to is a 3mm bar, coincidentally making them compatible with the far later "[[C joint]]" system.

: He was re-released in the Hasbro line in 1985, with a [[rubsign]] added to his right-side spoiler piece (this was the version released in the 1985 Takara line). While his toy was discontinued at retail in 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item in multiple offers, including the "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction (G1)|Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]" fliers packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point]]s.

: This mold was originally released in Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]: Car Robots'' line with only some small sticker differences, which is why his canopy can flip open to reveal a small compartment to hold a Dialcone pilot the ''Transformers'' toy did not come with. A ''Diaclone''-series [[retool]]ed and [[redeco]]ed version of the toy was the basis for the [[Decepticon]] [[Exhaust]].

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-autobot-cars-wheeljack/248/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Wheeljack at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Wheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on Wheeljack at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[File:AMWheeljack.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|At least I come with the {{w|Ferrari Testarossa|''Miami Vice'' car}}.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Turbo Racer with Action Master Wheeljack''' (Action Master, 1990)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 2 missiles

: Released in the final year of the original US line, [[Action Master]] Wheeljack is a non-transforming 3¾-inch action figure, with a sculpt based on his cartoon appearance. He has swivel joints at the neck, shoulders and knees, and steel ball-joints at the hips. His hands have standard 3 mm holes which allow him to hold any other accessory in the Action Master line, plus his feet have holes in the bottom to secure him to larger vehicles. On top of that, the hole in his back is compatible with [[5 mm post]]s.

: He comes with the [[Turbo Racer]], a large red sports car based upon the Ferrari Testarossa that can seat two Action Master figures. The Turbo Racer has an "attack mode" where it transforms into something vaguely resembling an aircraft made from car parts. The two missiles have small pegs that allow Wheeljack to hold them like big awkward guns.

: The Wheeljack figure was later redecoed to make [[Slicer (G1)#Toys|Slicer]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Wheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on Action Master Wheeljack at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Classics}}
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Wheeljack''' (Classic Hero, 1990)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 2 shoulder cannons, 4 rockets, left & right wings, left & right spoiler halves

: The original Wheeljack toy was rereleased in 1990 as part of the European-market gold-boxed ''[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]'' reissue line. The only notable change is to the toy's production stamping: the Takara manufacturing information has been "blocked out", leaving only the Hasbro stamping.

: The [[mold]] was seemingly either lost or damaged after this release, as it has not been reproduced since.

::*''[https://tfsource.com/blog/2012/02/09/oldies-but-goldies-classic-transformers/ More information on European Classics Wheeljack at TFSource]''
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2003)===
[[File:TFU03-toy Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Where's your head at?]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Wheeljack''' (Spy Changer, 2004)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Rifle

: ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)| Universe]]'' Wheeljack is a redeco of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Spychanger]] [[Daytonus#Toys|Daytonus]] toy, transforming into a Porsche 962 Le Mans racing car: specifically, a Kremer 962CK6. He is cast in white plastic with mostly black paint. The toy has several [[sticker]]s to represent Wheeljack's earlier Lancia Stratos colours, including his racing number 539. He comes with a small black rifle that can be stored between his legs in vehicle mode, forming his tailpipe.

: The original release of this [[Spychanger|Spy Changer]] toy (and the others in the assortment), [[exclusive]] to [[KB Toys]] stores, came on cards that lacked a sub-line designation. Later releases that were also available through chains like Dollar General were put on ''Universe'' cards.

: The [[:File:G2Go-BotGTPRacer.jpg|original unreleased ''Generation 2'' deco]] of this mold was also utilized as the character [[Crash Test (G2)|Crash Test]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/SpyWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on Spy Changer Wheeljack at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Alternators''===
{{anchor|Alternators/Binaltech}}
[[File:BTWheeljack toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Mustang Wheeljack! You better slow your Mustang down!]]
* '''Wheeljack''' ([[2005]])
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''13'''
**''Binaltech ID number:'' '''BT-14'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/"Laser-strafer rifle", "[[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Cryo-Sword]]"
{{toydesigner|[[Mark McCall]] (Hasbro)|[[Marcelo Matere]] (packaging artist)}}

: ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' Wheeljack is a retool of ''Alternators'' [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]]. He transforms into a 2005 (S197 chassis) model Ford Mustang GT, painted white with blue stripes. In vehicle mode, he features highly realistic styling, opening doors, hood and trunk, as well as a detailed car interior. In robot mode his removable engine becomes a double-barreled laser; he is also equipped with a "Cryo-Sword" made of clear plastic with blue paint apps.

:The Japanese ''Binaltech'' release of the figure has a slightly retooled head (see image inset), different paint applications, and is partially constructed of die-cast metal.

::*[[Source:Transformers Binaltech bios#14|Archive of ''Binaltech'' Wheeljack's bio and tech specs]]
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/AltWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on ''Alternators'' Wheeljack at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Generations''===
[[File:Generationstoy-Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=2|You don't want to drop ''these'' wrenches.]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Deluxe Class, 2011)
**''Accessories:'' 2 wrenches, 1 shoulder launcher
{{toydesigner|[[Joe Kyde]] (Hasbro), [[Hisashi Yuki]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Wheeljack is a retool of ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' [[Tracks (G1)/toys#Transformers (2010)|Turbo Tracks]], featuring a new head, wings, clip-on wrenches (that replace the missile launchers), new vehicle mode front fenders and rear spoiler, and a modified transformation sequence (with new legs) so as to present a robot mode reminiscent of the original Wheeljack toy. The rear rotatable flip-out panel and the joint it's mounted on are still there, although the spoiler prevents it from being rotated, while the panel itself now lacks the mounting tabs that were previously there.
: He has a flight mode similar to Tracks's, though with the clip-on weapons attached over the wings instead of on the rear of the vehicle. He also retains Tracks' gun, which in reality was Wheeljack's own rocket launcher, and as such, nominally clips onto his shoulder. The gun was slightly redecoed, with the ''entire'' jointed rocket piece being painted over this time, and the C joint clip being a darker shade of gray due to [[gang-molding]] with other parts. With the new retool of his legs, the black inner parts under the car mode hood feature [[C joint|3mm bars]] where you can store Wheeljack's wrenches when not being held, as the clamps of the wrenches are actually C joint clips. Additionally, the wrenches ''themselves'' also have 3mm bars on them, in case Wheeljack should try to make some sort of new gadget. [[Ratchet (G1)/toys|Ratchet]] sold separately.

: Though Wheeljack's toy is heavily retooled, his instructions do not reflect this. They depict Wheeljack with his proper head, but most of the rest of the art depicts Tracks' parts, including Tracks' leg transformation. Do not attempt to extend Wheeljack's legs as far as the instruction art shows, because that's some excessive force that's not meant to be applied, in addition to the fact Wheeljack's new shin construction makes him ultimately shorter than Tracks. The instructions also show the wrenches mounting on the shoulders as weapons, with the shoulder launcher as a hand-held weapon.

: This version of the mold was retooled into ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Runamuck (G1)#Timelines|Runamuck]] and ''Timelines'' [[Runabout (G1)#Timelines|Over-Run]], while the original version was redecoed into ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Tracks (SG)#Toys|Turbo Tracks]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Autobot/Wheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on ''Generations'' Wheeljack at TFU.info]''
{{2010TracksMold}}
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:Unitedtoy wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|You laugh, but few sights have Cons (and Bots) flee in more desperate terror than Wheeljack brandishing tools.]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Deluxe Class, [[2011]]-[[March 26|03-26]])
**''ID number:'' '''UN-19'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 wrenches, 1 shoulder launcher

:Part of the ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' toyline, TakaraTomy's version of Wheeljack features some subtle differences from the ''Generations'' version. He now sports silver painted ears, metallic green paint and medium red paint for his stripes, which follow a different pattern, and continue down the back of the car. He no longer has a painted rear window (instead leaving it white with the stripe detailing), features different tail light applications, a silver outlined Autobot symbol (rather than one without a border), painted clear blue eyes, and a more blue-green plastic instead of the slightly brighter green of the Hasbro version.

:''United'' Wheeljack was released before ''Generations'' Wheeljack was released to retail stores, but not to online retailers. Wheeljack's United instructions show the proper transformation. His instructions also leave out the flying car mode, likely due to it being intended originally for Tracks and not Wheeljack.
{{2010TracksMold}}
{{--}}

===''Construct-Bots''===
[[File:ConstructBots_EliteWheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
* '''Wheeljack''' (Elite, 2013)
**''Pieces: '''55'''

: Part of Wave 1 of ''[[Construct-Bots]]'' Elites, Wheeljack can transform into a car.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/CBWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on ''Construct-Bots'' Wheeljack at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[File:ConstructBots_ArsenalPackWheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Just when Wheeljack thought it was safe to go back in the water...]]
*'''Arsenal Pack Wheeljack''' (Elite, <s>2014</s>)
**''Pieces:'''67'''

: Arsenal Pack Wheeljack is a slight redeco of the previous release, changing some pieces from black to gray. He includes new accessories, such as two swords and two odd shark-like pieces.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreOtoy Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I ''never'' joke about my work, 007.]]
*'''Street Showdown''' (2012)
**''Set number'': '''38771'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''2013-[[March 20|03-20]]'''
**''Pieces'': '''273'''
**''Kreons'': Knock Out, Wheeljack, Driver x2
**''Accessories'': Missile, handgun (10203), knife (10205), clawed staff, pistol (10087), traffic cone x2

: The "[[Street Showdown]]" set comes with a large Wheeljack build that can be built into a robot or a car. In car build, he can seat a single [[Kreon]] figure, mainly the green-suited [[human]] "Driver".

: The accompanying Wheeljack Kreon figure comes with a clear-blue pistol and an alternate clear-blue torso piece. His helmet, which debuted in this set, is also used by [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Sunstreaker]].

: The stickers on his hood pieces are based on the hood design of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Robots in Disguise (2012)|''Prime'']]'' [[Wheeljack (Prime)#Deluxe|Wheeljack]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/Kre-OWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on Wheeljack at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2014}}
[[File:SDCC2014_KreonClassof1984_Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*'''Kreon Class of 1984''' (Kreon figure set, 2014)
**''Set number'': '''B0090'''
**''Voted'': Most Likely to Blow Himself Up
**''Accessories'': Clip-on rifle

: This version of Wheeljack has much more toy-based [[tampograph]]s than his prior version, including a distinct lack of eyes, just the vent-thing.

: He was only available in a [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2014 [[exclusive]] pack of 30 Kreons dubbed the "[[Kreon Class of 1984]]". Remaining stock was to be sold at [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online, only there ''was'' no remaining stock after the show.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/SDCCKre-OWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on Class of 1984 Wheeljack at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Masterpiece''===
[[File:MP-20 Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Hey, Optimus! I've built a machine to calculate the chances of getting a Marlboro redeco out of this! [[Exhaust|Hey whaddya know, it worked!]]]]
*'''Wheeljack''' ([[2014]]-[[September 20|09-20]])
**''ID number:'' '''MP-20'''
**''Accessories:'' Shoulder Cannon, missile, Laser Gun, Hypno-chip Disruptor ([[Amazon (website)|Amazon.co.jp]] exclusive)
{{toydesigner|[[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Wheeljack transforms into an officially-licensed Lancia Stratos with proper (licensed?) "Alital'''i'''a" markings. As with other figures in the ''Masterpiece'' line, he is intended to be an accurate representation of his [[Character model|cartoon model]]. Roughly as tall as a [[Size class|Voyager Class]] figure, he is also in [[scale]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#MP10|MP-10 Optimus Prime]], and can fit inside [[Combat Deck (G1)#MP10|Prime's trailer]] in vehicle mode. In contrast to larger entries in this line, Wheeljack lacks [[die-cast]] parts, and his tires are cast in hard, non-rubberized plastic. Additionally, his side mirrors come detached out of the box, and can be found separately packaged inside the instruction bag. An extra pair of mirrors is included in case of loss or breakage.

:For accessories, he comes with shoulder launcher, including a removable non-firing missile, and the generic laser pistol he wielded in "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]". In vehicle mode, the shoulder launcher mounts on the roof like the weapons of the other ''Masterpiece'' cars, while the gun stores underneath as the car's exhaust pipe.

:As a curious Easter egg, dismantling his head reveals a mustache hidden under his faceplate, similar to the one [[Wheeljack (Animated)|his ''Animated'' counterpart]] sports.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-masterpiece-47/masterpiece-mp-20-wheeljack-hidden-face-reveal-181175/ "Masterpiece MP-20 Wheeljack - Hidden Face Reveal?" at TFW2005]</ref>

:If purchased in Japan through [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]], one additionally gets a toolbox based on the hypno-chip disabling device he used in "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]". If purchased in other Asian markets outside of Japan, a [[collector coin]] is included instead of or in addition to the toolbox. The coin package is shaped and colored like his hood deco, and identifies him as "Weeljack" {{sic}}.

:This mold has some very convincing knockoffs, down to the copyright stamping and branding reading "TONY" instead of "TOMY"

:This mold was redecoed and retooled into [[Exhaust#Masterpiece|MP-23 Exhaust]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/MPWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on Masterpiece Wheeljack on TFU.net]''
{{MPLanciaStratosMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|MP20Plus}}
[[File:Masterpiece-MP-20+Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Get out those repro labels.]]
*'''Wheeljack''' ([[February 23]], 2019)
**''ID number:'' '''MP-20+'''
**''Accessories:'' Shoulder Cannon, missile, Laser Gun, Immobilizer

:A more animation-accurate redeco of the figure above, this Wheeljack comes with the immobilizer accessory from the Exhaust version of the mold.

{{-}}{{anchor|MP57}}
[[File:Transformers-Masterpiece-MP-57-Skyfire.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Shrinking ray problems! Even when I'm this small!]]
*'''Skyfire''' ([[2023]])
**''ID number'': '''MP-57'''
{{toydesigner|[[Kōjin Ōno]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Yuki Ohshima]] (concept artist)}}

:Included with the massive [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|''Masterpiece'' Skyfire]] is an articulated, [[show-accuracy|cartoon-accurate]] figurine of Wheeljack, made to scale with Skyfire's jet mode and carrying a teeny little Hypno-chip disruptor.
{{--}}

===''Q-Transformers''===
[[File:QTransformers Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Hey, Optimus! I've built a Machine that shrinks people and make them cute, and it worked! I call it, the Cutesinator™!]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (2015-[[January 24|01-24]])
**''ID number:'' '''QT-10'''

:''[[Q-Transformers]]'' Wheeljack transforms from a cute [[super deformed]] Lancia Stratos to a just as cute robot. He comes with a code for unlocking Wheeljack as a playable character in the ''[[Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (mobile game)|Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns]]'' game.
{{--}}

===''Combiner Wars''===
[[File:CWDlxWheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|From wrenches to bowie knives.]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Deluxe Class, 2016)
**'''1 OF 5: [[Sky Reign]]'''
**''Accessories:'' Knife-sword, double-barreled gun/fist/foot

:Part of wave 6 of ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Wheeljack is an extensive retool of ''Combiner Wars'' [[Breakdown (G1)#Generations|Breakdown]] sporting a newly shelled alternate mode to more closely resemble a Lancia Stratos, plus a new head, chest, lower legs, and feet. Being a ''Combiner Wars'' figure, Wheeljack can combine to form [[Sky Reign#Generations|Sky Reign]] as either an arm or a leg. His smaller weapon can be held as either a rifle or a sword, and a ridge on its hilt can fit into a corresponding slot on the side of the vehicle mode. Like the other versions of the tooling before it, the larger weapon can peg onto his back. Wheeljack can also form into one of [[Godbomber#Legends|''Legends'' Godbomber]]'s legs.

:This mold was also retooled as [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations|Sunstreaker]], [[Jumpstream#Generations|Jumpstream]], and [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ravage]]. The mold was also repainted with a new head as [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Unite Warriors 2|Unite Warriors Lightspeed]], and again with a different head as the [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]] [[exclusive]] [[Punch (G1)#Generations|Wrecker Counterpunch]].

:Wheeljack comes with a copy of ''Transformers Windblade'' vol. 2 #2 (''Combiner Wars'' Part 3), "[[Mistakes and Mayhem]]". In Canada, Latin America, and Europe, he was available in different types of [[multilingual packaging]] including a character card featuring his comic book cover/[[package art]] instead. He and the last three waves of Combiner Wars Deluxe and Voyager figures later showed up at TJ Maxx in the U.S. at reduced prices with the collector card.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Autobot/CWWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on ''Combiner Wars'' Wheeljack at TFU.info]''
{{CWBreakdownMold}}
{{--}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
[[File:TF-Unite-Warriors-UW-EX-Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Lynxmaster''' (giftset, [[October 29]], [[2016]])
**''ID number:'' '''UW-EX'''
**''Accessories:'' Knife-sword, double-barreled gun/fist/foot

:''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' Wheeljack is a redeco of his ''Combiner Wars'' toy with new and different paint details to make him better resemble his animation model. He was only available in a [[TakaraTomy Mall]]-exclusive [[Sky Reign#Unite Warriors 2|Lynxmaster]] multi-pack.
{{CWBreakdownMold}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron: Earthrise''===
[[File:TF-WFC-E-Deluxe-Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Tell Hasbro that I've forgiven them for not making a toy of me during ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]''.]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Deluxe Class, [[2020]])
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''WFC-E6'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''ER-03'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': [[May 30]], 2020
**''Accessories'': "Magnetic Inducer Launcher"<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/earthrise ''Earthrise'' website]</ref>
{{toydesigner|[[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)| [[Michael DiTullo]] (vehicle mode concept)<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Squad goals. Some of my latest work for the Transformers War For Cybertron line. I'm so excited this will be an animated series on Netflix! Can't wait to see these guys in action. #cardesign #toydesign #conceptart #conceptdesign|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331175244/https://twitter.com/Michael_DiTullo/status/1245034203583934464|name=Michael DiTullo|site=Twitter|year=2020|month=03|day=31}}</ref>}}

: Released in the first wave of ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' Deluxes, Wheeljack transforms into an Earth-based car resembling a Lancia Stratos with some portions of the vehicle's design being similar to the {{w|Lancia Rally}}, while his robot mode features proportions and colors more accurate to his depiction in the G1 cartoon. The only accessory included with Wheeljack is his shoulder launcher, based on his original 1984 toy's, which can plug into any [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]] 5mm port or onto either shoulder using a slot and painted tab. His spoiler/"wing" halves are also attached via 5mm posts, so they can be easily removed and placed elsewhere if you want to do that. We won't stop you. In fact, the instructions for [[Slammer|''Kingdom'' Slammer]] instruct you to do so when using it to weaponize Wheeljack.

: His side doors and spoiler are tampographed with the Japanese text サイバトロン ("Cybertron"), Takara's classic name for the Autobots, as well as several ''Transformers'' references appearing as "sponsor logos". These include the places: "''[[Velocitron]] Racing [[1984]]''", "[[Praxus|PRAXUS]]", "[[protihex]]", and "[[Iacon (polity)|IACON]]"; and characters: "[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]", "[[Override (Cybertron)|OVERRIDE]]", "[[Ricochet (G1)|ricochet ricochet]]", "[[Wheeljack (G1)|"WHEELJACK" INVENZIONE]]" (Italian for invention, likely to Lancia being an Italian company), "[[Tracks (G1)|''AUTOBOTtracks'']]", and "''[[Aerobolt]]''". Other tampos include "[[A.I.R. Lock System|modulator]]", "[[Cybertron Con|CYBER TRON CON]]", the different racing number "638", "W MOTORS", "Lucky!", "rallyX" (likely due to the car mode being based off a Lancia Rally), a stylized "A" symbol, and an Autobot sigil. These tampos can be easily scratched, so care must be taken to avoid paint scuffs. Although renders show the figure cast in a crisp white plastic, the actual figure is a slightly green-tinted white.

: Similar to [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Studio Series|''Studio Series'' {{'}}86 Jazz]], the off-white paint used on the translucent roof/windshield part and the backs of the black plastic hands discolors to a much yellower tinge. This yellowing paint phenomenon is something that had not been observed on ''Transformers'' toys prior to the ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (franchise)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]''-era of toys, suggesting a different manner of paint mix has been used.

: Like all ''Earthrise'' toys, the inside of the back of Wheeljack's package includes an exclusive clip-and-save piece of a larger star map. Also in the box is a thin red piece of transparent plastic with which to read the star map. Wheeljack's piece of the map contains the labeled location of the planet "[[Antilla|ANTILLA]]"

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' [[Exhaust#Generations Selects|Decepticon Exhaust]] and ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Shattered Glass Collection|Shattered Glass Collection]]'' [[Wheeljack (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|Decepticon Slicer]].
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
[[File:WFCNetflixtoy-Autobot Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|My sponsors dropped me after that last explosion...]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Deluxe Class, [[2020]])
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''WFC-12'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': [[February 20]], [[2021]]
**''Accessories'': "Magnetic Inducer Launcher"

:This version of Wheeljack is a slathered redeco of the figure above, with screen accurate paint applications meant to make him resemble his appearance on the [[Netflix]] ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' cartoon. This unfortunately means he loses all of the in-universe sponsorship tampographs.

:This contained a portion of a cardstock background of [[Teletraan I]]. Wheeljack's part has tab H, and slots L, M, and O.

:Wheeljack was released as a part of the Walmart-exclusive ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' subline, promoting the ''Earthrise'' season of the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon.
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron: Kingdom''===
[[File:WFC-K24 Wheeljack Packaging Stock.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Deluxe Class, [[2021]])
**''ID number'': '''WFC-K24'''
**''Accessories:'' "Magnetic Inducer Launcher"

:Part of the third wave of ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' Deluxes, Wheeljack is a [[package refresh]] of the ''Earthrise'' figure, now in all-new packaging.

:This release of Wheeljack also comes with a [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] card that "[[Source:Golden Disk destinies|reveals a possible destiny of a key character]]", with each character having three possible destiny variants.
{{--}}

===''Authentics''===
[[File:Authentics-Alpha-Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Honey, I blew up the kids!]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Alpha, [[2022]])
**''Accessories'': Gun

:Released in the fifth wave of ''[[Transformers Authentics|Authentics]]'' Alpha figures, Wheeljack is a roughly Voyager-sized toy with a conversion based on his ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' Deluxe, but with fewer steps. He includes a small gun that can be mounted on either shoulder or held in either fist which mounts on top of his vehicle mode. This isn't compatible with most other figures unfortunately, utilizing a peg connection smaller than 5mm. However, his wings ''are'' attached via 5mm connections just like his ''Earthrise'' toy.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-Authentics-Bravo-2024-Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Titan Changers, [[2024]])
**''Accessories'': Gun

:Released in the new line of ''Authentics'' figures in 2024, Titan Changers Wheeljack converts from sports car to robot in just eight steps. Unlike other versions of Wheeljack, the figure lacks any red striping in both modes. The figure comes with a gun that can be held in either his hands, his left shoulder, or his vehicle mode roof.

:This figure was first listed by the [https://hasbrostore.cl/product/transformers/9537-figura-de-accion-transformers-authentics-titan-wheeljack-195166249346.html Chilean Hasbro store] website without prior announcements.

{{--}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:TF-Legacy-United-Origins-Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I blew up the original molds for this design, so I had to rebuild it from scratch.]]
*'''Origin Wheeljack''' (Voyager, [[2024]])
**''Accessories'': Gun, 2 fans/dominator disks, 3-piece blast shield
{{toydesigner|[[Mark Maher]] (Hasbro), [[Yūya Ōnishi]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/C1_DSeoMllg/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D Design notes on Origin Wheeljack] from [[Hasbro]] designer [[Mark Maher]] on Instagram.</ref>

: Revealed at [[Cybertron Fest|Cybertron Fest 2023]], Origin Wheeljack transforms from cartoon-accurate robot to his Cybertronian mode of a boxy hovercraft thing as seen in the opening scenes of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]." To recreate the sequence where he got through [[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]]'s flamethrower attack, he comes with removable fans that plug into his bumper, and a blast shield that wraps around the front of his vehicle mode. The fans are not especially show-accurate in appearance, having been designed by Mark Maher to double as [[dominator disc]]s from "[[The Core]]"; as in that episode, the discs are also able to plug into the tip of Wheeljack's shoulder-gun. The blast shield, meanwhile, can peg onto Wheeljack's back to form glider wings for his robot mode, and can be diassembled and re-built into a portion of Cybertronian "road," complete with the rectangular markings of the roadway seen in the cartoon's first episode.

:Thematically, he makes a complete set with the MTMTE-specific [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Buzzworthy Bumblebee|Origin Autobot Jazz]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#BuzzworthyOrigin|Origin Bumblebee]]. Speaking of Origin Bumblebee, Wheeljack's hovercraft mode has an opening trunk that can house Bumblebee in flying saucer mode, again just like the cartoon, and the hovercraft also has sculpted storage racks for Bumblebee's [[Conductor|conductor rods]].

:Like the other two Origin figures, he is [[exclusive]] to [[Target]]. Unlike the others, he's packaged in a regular ''United'' box as opposed to a ''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' one.
::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/C1_DSeoMllg/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D Designer commentary on Origin Wheeljack from Mark Maher on Instagram]''
{{-}}

===''Generations Selects''===
[[File:TF_Gen_Selects_Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''Good news, Prime! I've managed to turn myself into a pickle! It's the funniest slag you'll ever see!'']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Autobots Stand United''' (Multi-pack, 2024)}}</ul>
:*''Series'': ''[[Transformers: Legacy#Legacy: United|Legacy United]]''
:*''Accessories'': "Magnetic inducer launcher", gun
{{toydesigner|[[Matthew Cohen]] (photography)<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Here's my photos of the Transformers Generations Selects Legacy United Autobots Stand United 5-Pack. Up for pre order right not on Hasbro Pulse! I've been getting my hands on more and more transformers now. Hoping to keep it going and b|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/C33FPq-Ol91/|site=Instagram|name=Matthew Cohen|year=2024|month=2|day=27}}</ref>}}

: Released as part of the ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' "Autobots Stand United" five-pack, Wheeljack is a redeco of his ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' toy, now geared towards even more cartoon accuracy. His black plastics and paint are now charcoal-gray, and his racing deco is ''severely'' scaled back from other versions of the toy to just the cartoon-like green hood stripes and red on his roof/chest. However, his side-panels keep the "638" racing number from the ''Earthrise'' toy (but in a way, way smaller and thinner font), rather than the cartoon's "539" (based on the original toy). His roof and windscreen pieces are now opaque white plastic, with cartoony light-blue paint on the "glass". He also comes with an extra accessory, a light-gray version of ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' [[Elita One (G1)#Legacy|Elita-1's]] rifle. Despite otherwise being a straight redeco of the original ''Earthrise'' release, the hinge connecting Wheeljack's hood to his waist has been retooled, which due to obstruction against his pelvis leaves the hood unable sit flush against the car body in vehicle mode.

: This set also includes similarly-more-cartoon-based versions of [[Hound (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|Hound]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|Sunstreaker]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|Trailbreaker]], and [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generations Selects|Jazz]].

: Listings for the "Autobots Stand United 5-pack" began leaking in January 2024. It was officially revealed on [[February 27]], and went up for pre-order the same day for a July 2024 release, which turned out to mean March.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Stamp Bot===
[[File:Wheeljack stampbot.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
*'''Wheeljack''' ( 1984)

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

===Zipper Clip===
[[File:Zipperclipwheeljack.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"Now you might be wondering how I got this clip in my hea- What makes you think it was an explosion?"]]
*'''Wheeljack''' ( 1985)

:Also made by HG Toys, Zipper Clip Wheeljack is a scaled-down version of Stamp Bot Wheeljack, minus the rubber stamp base. Molded onto his head was a small hole, through which a metal clip was looped, allowing the figurine to attach to the end of a zipper.
{{--}}

===Decoy===
[[File:Decoy wheeljack.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: This small red rubber figurine of Wheeljack was released in Japan as part of a large multi-pack of similar figures, which were used as playing pieces for ''Transformers'' board games. The figure features a number etched into its back which is the sum total of Wheeljack's [[Tech Spec]] ratings, which served some function in the gameplay the figures were used for.

*'''Wheeljack''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''22'''

: The Wheeljack 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 (22, in Wheeljack's case). 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)|Technobot]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Wheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on Decoy Wheeljack at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Super Collection Figure''===
[[File:SCF Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Optimus! I built a machine that prevents me from turning my head to the right!]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (2002)
**''Act'': '''7'''
**Accessories'': Stand

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Wheeljack was available in the seventh ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Victory]]''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Sadly, his shoulder-mounted launcher interferes with his ability to look straight ahead, plus it's on an extremely short peg that needs to be shaved down slightly to fit into the extremely shallow hole on his shoulder. Like all the figures in the wave, Wheeljack 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.

: The pewter version of the figure has a potential problem with connector peg breakage, due to said pegs often getting a layer of pewter paint before being forced into a socket, leading to sticking and tearing. Care should be used when moving or removing the arms; shaving down the socket interior with a thin hobby knife is usually sufficient to fix the issue.

: The pewter version of Wheeljack came packaged with the right "boot" piece needed to transform the wave's [[Star Saber (G1)#Super Collection Figure|Star Saber]] figure into Victory Saber.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/HoCWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Wheeljack at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/PewterWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on pewter Wheeljack at TFU.info]''

===''Heroes of Cybertron''===
[[File:HOC Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (2003)

: Wheeljack's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Wheeljack was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. His shoulder-gun still has staying-in-place and head-clearance issues.

: Unlike the Japanese version, he was sold separate on a blister card and came packaged with the right arm of the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Heroes of Cybertron|Fortress Maximus]] "build-a-figure", as well as a character bio card.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/HoCWheeljack/wheeljack.htm More information on ''Heroes of Cybertron'' Wheeljack at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===Hard Hero===
[[File:Wheeljackbust.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|Optimus Prime! I built a machine that removes legs and replaces them with small pedestals! Come see!]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Hard Hero, 2003)

:[[Hard Hero]] released a polystone bust of Wheeljack, based upon his appearance in the Generation 1 television series. The tenth bust in their main ''Transformers'' series, Wheeljack is some six inches tall and was limited to 2500 normal copies and an additional 100 exclusively signed by the sculptor.
{{--}}

===Palisades===
[[File:Wheeljackstatue.jpg|upright=0.9|thumb|Small, expensive, and puffy.]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Palisades, 2005)

:[[Palisades Toys|Palisades]] released a 6-inch polystone statue of Wheeljack, based upon [[Pat Lee]]'s rendition of him in the [[Dreamwave Productions]] comics.
{{--}}

===''The Loyal Subjects''===
[[File:Tlswheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (2014)
:[[The Loyal Subjects]] Wheeljack is a Wave 3 figure with standard articulation. He has several accessories and a mixed design that takes elements from the animation model and original toy. This figure also has a special gimmick: LED "ears". For every 16 figures, there are 2 Wheeljacks.

:Like most of his wave, his bio card plagiarizes this wiki article's opening paragraphs, with his motto taken from the "Fire on the Mountain" quote directly below it.

{{-}}{{anchor|The Loyal Subjects Loyal}}
*'''Wheeljack "Loyal" Ed.''' (2014)
{{charstubtoys}}

===''Tiny Titans''===
[[File:TinyTitans Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Good news Prime! I invented a machine that lets us twist again like we did last summer!]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Tiny Titans, 2015)
**''Series'': '''3'''
**''Number'': '''9/12'''

: Part of the third assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'' [[blindpacking|blindpacks]], this version of Wheeljack is a very small, soft-plastic figure of him in robot mode, albeit posed in a very awkward running stance, with his wings plastered to the backs of his arms.

: He includes a collectible card that renders him in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'']] styling. The card includes a scan-badge for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.
{{-}}

===''Transformers Figure Collection''===
[[File:TF-Transformers-Figure-Collection-Wheeljack-Decoy.jpg|thumb|upright=.66]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (01-2016)

: Standing 42mm tall, ''Transformers Figure Collection'' Wheeljack is a non-poseable soft-rubber figure greatly based on a [[Decoy]] figure.
{{-}}

===Kidrobot===
[[File:Kidrobot GIJoe Enamel Pin Series.jpg|thumb|250px]]
====Enamel Pin Series====
*'''Wheeljack''' ([[November 3]], [[2017]])
:*''Rarity:'' 1 in 40
:Released by [[Kidrobot]] in their Enamel Pin Series, this is a flat, enamel pin badge of Wheeljack inspired by the art of [[Tom Scioli]]'s ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'', albeit with [[Super deformed|cutesy proportions]]. The pin series was [[Blindpacking|blindboxed]], with some pins being rarer than others; Wheeljack in particular was slightly more uncommon.
{{--}}

====Vinyl Mini Series====
[[File:Kidrobot GI Joe Wheeljack mini.jpg|thumb|upright=1]]
*'''Wheeljack''' ([[November 14]], [[2017]])
:*''Rarity:'' 2 in 24
:The same character design was reused for the Vinyl Mini Series, with Wheeljack receiving a three-inch tall, blindboxed figurine retaining the vibrant colours and exaggerated proportions. Wheeljack featured articulation in each shoulder, and also deviated from the standard body design for this series by including his cannon on his left shoulder.
{{--}}

===''Transformers Trading Card Game''===
[[File:W1Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Wheeljack, Weapons Inventor''' (2018)
**'''Wave 1'''
**''Rarity: '''''UT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T40/T40'''
**''Stars: ''9

:Wheeljack, Weapons Inventor is one of forty double-sided character cards available in Wave 1 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]].

:The card's artwork is reused from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game.

{{-}}
[[File:W2CaptainWheeljack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Captain Wheeljack, Engineering-Scientist''' (2019)
**'''Wave 3: War for Cybertron: Siege I'''
**''Rarity: '''''UT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T05/T48'''
**''Stars: ''9

:Captain Wheeljack, Engineering-Scientist is one of forty-eight double-sided character cards available in Wave 3 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], War for Cybertron: Siege I.

:The card uses reused line-art from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game, with new colors to match the aesthetic of the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' toyline's packaging art. The original Bot Mode line-art was drawn by [[Dan Khanna]].
{{-}}

===''Keshi Surprise''===
*'''Autobots''' (2018)

:The ''[[Keshi Surprise]]'' series by [[Super7]] consisted of 1.75" soft rubber figures in a style deliberately resembling the 1980s [[Decoy]]s. These [[blind-packed]] figures were sold individually or in cases depicting only their faction. Wheeljack was available in red, orange, blue, and purple and included a foil trading sticker.
{{-}}

===Figural Bag Clip===
[[File:FiguralBagClip Wheeljack.jpg|upright=1.22|thumb]]
*'''Wheeljack''' (Figural Bag Clip, 2020)
:Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi Wheeljack.

:It was available only as part of a [[Blindpacking|mystery blind bag]] collection.
{{-}}

===Eaglemoss===
* '''Transformers Gen-1 Chess Set''' (<s>2021</s>)
:In the planned [[Chess#Eaglemoss|Transformers Chess Set]] by [[Eaglemoss]], a relatively large and very well detailed statue of Wheeljack was slated to be one of the Pawn pieces on the Autobot side.

:A Kickstarter campaign to raise the necessary funds for this project was launched, but failed to meet its goal by September 24, 2021 and the whole thing was canceled.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Jada Toys===
[[File:JadaNanoMetalfigsG1-18pack.jpg|upright=1.44|thumb]]
*'''Transformers Series 1 18-pack''' (4cm Die Cast Figure Multipack, 2022)
:Released by [[Jada Toys]], ''Nano Metalfigs'' Wheeljack is an incredibly small die-cast figurine molded doing an action pose. He has a little base attached to his feet for balancing reasons.

:He comes in an impressive multipack with [[Jada Toys#Nano Metalfigs|seventeen other figurines]].

{{-}}{{anchor|NanoMetalfigs2}}
[[File:JadaNanoMetalfigsSeries2G1BW-18pack.jpg|upright=1.44|thumb]]
*'''Transformers Series 2 18-pack''' (4cm Die Cast Figure Multipack, 2022)
:''Nano Metalfigs'' Wheeljack was re-released with no noticeable changes in ''another'' impressive multipack with [[Jada Toys#Nano Metalfigs|seventeen other figurines]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:DiacloneWheeljackConcept.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|If only...]]
*An early concept artwork of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' Lancia Stratos toy (aka the toy that would later become ''Generation 1'' Wheeljack) was depicted on the back of several ''Diaclone Car Robo'' figures' [[instructions|instruction sheets]] (and again in an Italian ''[[Trasformer]]'' advert by [[GiG]]), depicting a considerably better proportioned robot mode with longer legs. A very early concept sketch of this design was posted by TFRaw on Twitter (now X) in 2022.
* Wheeljack was given an homage in the form of ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Downshift (Energon)|Downshift]]. Downshift has Wheeljack's colors, face, and even feet modeled after the Lancia grill. The character was even called Wheeljack in Japan's ''Super Link'' series, something Hasbro could not do because the name had already been used on [[Wheeljack (Armada)|a character]] from the [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|previous series]]. Downshift was later [[redeco]]ed as the [[BotCon 2010]] [[exclusive]] ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Slicer (G1)|Slicer/"Decepticon Slice"]], representing the same character as the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European-only Generation 1]] [[Action Master]] Slicer, a redeco of Wheeljack's Action Master toy (while simultaneously representing [[Wheeljack (SG)|another Wheeljack]]).
* ''Energon'' Downshift also received a new-sculpt toy in the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' line, which looked considerably less like Generation 1 Wheeljack save for the head sculpt... and the ''feet'', which are sculpted after Wheeljack's distinct Lancia Stratos grill feet. Now ''that's'' a weird homage.
* The retool of ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Alternators|Grimlock]] was originally planned to be [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (presumably in red), but ultimately ended up as Wheeljack instead, with a new head sculpt. Meanwhile, the head sculpt originally intended for Ford-Windcharger ended up being used for the retool of ''Alternators'' "Windcharger" (the Honda S2000 mold, designed as [[Overdrive]] and released under that name by Takara) instead, and now named "[[Decepticharge]]".
* ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Wheeljack was the original version of the sculpt, with [[Tracks (G1)/toys|Tracks]] (whose toy ended up in ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)#Hasbro Reveal the Shield subline|Reveal the Shield]]'') intended as the retool, but the two were ultimately released in reverse order (and different toy lines).<ref name="generations11">TakaraTomy staff interview in ''[[Transformers Generations 2011 Volume 1]]'', [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/428825-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-united.html translation at TFW2005].</ref>
* A mock-up of a new [[Downshift (G1)|Downshift]] toy in the form of a ''Generations'' Wheeljack redeco was shown in ''[[Transformers Generations 2014 Volume 1]]'' as one of ten potential exclusives for Vol. 2. The mock-up promised that if produced, the final product would make use of some [[Tracks (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Turbo Tracks]] tooling. During the fan poll held to determine which of the ten would be produced, however, Downshift placed dead last, having claimed only 1% of the votes. The indignity!<ref>[http://millionhero.sblo.jp/article/101898683.html Poll results at Hero-X]</ref>
{{--}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Construct-Bots Autobots]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Legacy Autobots]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:Q-Transformers characters]]
[[Category:Spychangers]]
[[Category:TakaraTomy Mall exclusives]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Autobots]]

Scourge (G1)

2024-06-15T13:32:08Z

Kcchia80: /* Notes */ added a comma before "probably because it looked extremely dorky"

{{factions|decepticon|unicron|convoy}}
{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{suite}}
:''Scourge is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:DreamwaveMTMTE5-ScourgeFracas.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Looks just like daddy.]]
'''Scourge''' is [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s implacable tracker and leader of his own cadre of huntsmen, the deadly [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. He was created by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] from the remains of a dead [[Decepticon]]. Immensely powerful like all the Unicronian Decepticons, arrogance is his only true weakness. Despite being quite powerful in his own right, Scourge generally acts as a near subordinate to [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and, despite his leadership of the Sweeps, is generally content to take orders from others. Scourge tends to grumble and complain a bit (a habit sometimes shared by his Sweeps).

But then again, you'd also complain if your boss spent so much time beating you up, wouldn't you?

{{bigquote|What kind of Decepticon are you, ugly?}}
{{bigquote|The ''ultimate'' kind!|[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and Scourge|"[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Stan Jones]] (English), [[Yū Shimaka|Yutaka Shimaka]] (Japanese), [[Masashi Hirose]] (Japanese, "The Rebirth")|[[Lin Dongfu]] (Chinese), [[Zhang Lin]] (Chinese, "The Rebirth"),[[Víctor Mares]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, "Dark Awakening", "Surprise Party", "The Rebirth"), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, "Starscream's Ghost", "Ghost in the Machine"), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, "Webworld", "The Quintesson Journal"), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, "The Movie" TV dub), [[Peter Zilles]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Serge Bourrier]] (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "Dark Awakening" & "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"), [[Francis Lax]] (European French, "Starscream's Ghost"), [[François Leccia]] (European French, "Surprise Party" & "Webworld"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths"), [[Michel Barbey]] (European French, "The Rebirth" episodes), [[Magalhães Graça]] (Portuguese, "The Movie" VHS dub), [[Ayrton Cardoso]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Lauro Fabiano]] (Portuguese, "Ghost in the Machine")}}

[[File:TFTM Decepticonshipbridge.jpg|thumb]]
Following the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005, Scourge was created from [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]]'s corpse by [[Unicron]]. Scourge was designated commander of his legion of huntsmen, the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s, and traveled with his new leader, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Galvatron, Scourge and [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] then returned to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] and sent the remaining Autobots fleeing into outer space.

After blasting their ship, the Decepticons believed the Autobots dead. Unicron sent a painful message to Galvatron, informing him he was wrong. Galvatron argued the point until Scourge reminded his leader "we belong to him". The Decepticons then tracked the Autobots to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]] where Scourge and the Sweeps dismembered [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and stole the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Unicron learned of Galvatron's intended rebellion and attacked Cybertron. Whether Scourge, who was vocally loyal to Unicron, fought to protect Cybertron is unknown. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Scourge’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'', the storybook "[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]" and the "Special Edition The Transformers: The Movie extra page" of "[[Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe]]".}}

[[File:FFOD1-Scourgeface.jpg|left|thumb|Van-Dyck of destruction.]]

After the Decepticons were sent packing to [[Chaar]], Cyclonus and Scourge went on an expedition to track down their lost leader, Galvatron, who hadn't been seen since Unicron went kablooey. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} They found Galvatron soaking in a lava pit on [[Thrull]], and much to their disappointment, discovered their leader had gone totally nuts. Galvatron was set to plow his way through his minions before Scourge took to bended knee and appealed to Galvatron's ego to stop. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Scourge and Cyclonus took their leader back to Chaar to command the Decepticon army, only to find the planet all but deserted. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} It turned out that the other Decepticons had allied with the [[Quintesson]]s, which after some negotiation led to a Decepticon-Quintesson joint attack on Cybertron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} Scourge participated in this attack, but the Decepticons were eventually driven away. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

Scourge and his Sweeps were working with Galvatron and Cyclonus to hunt Rodimus Prime, when they came across the [[Autobot Mausoleum]] in deep space. Infiltrating the space barge, they continued their attack on the Autobots until [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] himself rose from the grave to fight back. Scourge and his huntsmen fled before the former Autobot leader, forcing Galvatron and Cyclonus to withdraw as well. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:Fightorflee Cyclonus Scourge Superion.jpg|thumb|Scouurrge iiiin spaaaaace.]]

Scourge and Cyclonus were hunting the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] called [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] for sport, but were caught in an ambush when the other Aerialbots jumped them in an asteroid field. The two Decepticons fled through a nearby vortex and crashed on the peaceful planet known as [[Paradron]]. Finding the world rich with energon resources, Scourge and Cyclonus immediately alerted Galvatron to their find and began to plunder the world of energy. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

When [[Octane]] took [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] to [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]] without permission, Scourge came with Galvatron and the other Decepticons to chastise the fueler for disobedience. His discovery of super-energon made from Carbombyan oil temporarily assuaged Galvatron's anger, but once the Decepticons were forced out of Carbombya by the Autobots, Galvatron expelled Octane as a traitor to the cause. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}} Sometime later, Scourge was hunting Octane on Cybertron with Cyclonus and the Sweeps, when their prey fled underground into the [[Decepticon Crypt]]. Scourge would prove to be a very poor leader, with his followers, the Sweeps, refusing his order to follow Octane below (though they were scared to death of Cyclonus). {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Scourge stood with Cyclonus and Galvatron as they eavesdropped on the Autobots, who were preparing for a galactic Peace Conference. Foolish Autobots, thinking there can be peace! Galvatron ordered Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Sweeps to intercept a shuttle commandeered by [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[File:GhostintheMachine-Scourgealt.jpg|thumb|left|Y'know how dogs like to stick their heads out the window of moving cars?]]

He was later possessed by the disembodied [[Spark|ghost]] of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], though this eventually became a mutual partnership. Starscream intended to help Unicron turn Cybertron into his new body in exchange for a new body of his own. Scourge began to have second thoughts about this until Unicron reminded him that "what I have given you, I can also take away". Scourge eventually left Unicron and rejoined the Decepticons. Why Galvatron accepted his return instead of, oh...reducing him to composite particles is unknown. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

After [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] detected a Quintesson transmission, Scourge joined a Decepticon party in attempting to retrieve the secrets of the Quintessons' journal, but ultimately lost out to the Autobots. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:VampireDepth.jpg|thumb|I'm not a monster, Tom. Well, technically I am.]]

While searching for a new source of [[anti-electron]]s, the Decepticons attempted to raid Unicron's brain. Galvatron and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] occupied the Autobots while Scourge and Cyclonus went after the prize. They found a flask of anti-electrons just waiting to be drained, but upset Unicron in the process and were blasted by his internal defenses. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:Matrix burden 2.jpg|thumb|left|If that's "the touch", you don't want to get it!]]
At one point, Autobot commander [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] was separated from the Matrix of Leadership by Galvatron. Galvatron, who was haunted by the spirits within it, instructed Scourge to dispose of the Matrix. Scourge decided to use the power of the Matrix to his advantage and installed it within his chest. ''Very'' bad idea. The Matrix proved incompatible with Scourge's programming (perhaps as a result of his [[Unicron|origin]]), causing him to morph into a hideous freak with the power driving him mad. Scourge attempted to seize control of the Decepticons until Hot Rod took back the Matrix. Scourge was left at the mercy of a very unhappy Galvatron, but somehow beat the reaper yet again. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[File:Rebirth 1 Plasma energy Scourge.JPG|thumb]]

In 2007, the Decepticons stole the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber|key]] to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] on Cybertron, and Scourge was set with infiltrating the chamber whilst the other Decepticons performed a full-scale assault on the planet as a diversion. He succeeded, but inserting the key into the chamber led to a plasma energy burst that very nearly killed him. He was saved by an [[Energon infuser|energon infusion]] from Cyclonus, and was subsequently sent to find the Autobots who had taken the key back while Scourge was unconscious. Together with Cyclonus, [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]], [[Triggerhappy (G1)|Triggerhappy]], and [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]], Scourge tracked the Autobots to [[Nebulos|Nebulon]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

After clashing with the brand new Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and losing badly, Scourge and the others were kidnapped by the Nebulon group known as the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], who offered to [[Binary bonding|binary-bond]] with the Decepticons and increase their power. Scourge chose to become a [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]], getting the loud Nebulan [[Fracas]] as his partner, and the Decepticon Headmasters and Targetmasters subsequently attacked and defeated the Autobots. Scourge got the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber back and voiced his desire to destroy the Autobots completely before moving on, only for Fracas to threaten to shoot him unless the Decepticons went back to the Hive as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the Autobots copied their Targetmaster technology and went back into battle, and [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] managed to knock Scourge down and steal the key back. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}} {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Webworld}} {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}} {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}} {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Macrocosmic Seekers''=====
When the Decepticons intercepted an Autobot transmission detailing the acquisition of a "great treasure," Galvatron led Cyclonus and Scourge on a raid to intercept Rodimus Prime's ship. The Autobot vessel was brought down, and under heavy weapons-fire, Kup, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] fled the battleground. Cyclonus and Scourge pursued them, but were unable to hault the Junkions' progress as they would swap places as vehicle and rider every time they took a hit. {{storylink|Unending Battle}} The battle was interrupted by the appearance of the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]], who abducted all of the combatants into his crystalline spaceship. Scourge, alongside Cyclonus, Galvatron and Rodimus, were put into suspended animation by the Seeker. {{storylink|A Treasure Lost}} These four transformers intrigued the Seeker, as they had undergone "miraculous" reformattings; Rodimus due to the Matrix of Leadership, and the three Decepticons due to the power of Unicron. Using his advanced technology, the Seeker turned back his captives' internal clocks, and held them in time at the very moment of their reformatting, intending to perpetually keep them in this state as items in his collection. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}} Rodimus was rescued by Junkheap, and in the conflict that followed, stray shots freed Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge from their stasis as well. However, all three were caught in between their former and current identities, leaving them quite confused. Despite his transitional state, Galvatron managed to put a halt to the Seeker's attacks. The group then mobilized to make their escape. {{storylink|Time to Move}} Though the Seeker resumed his assault in short order, Scourge found out that he and the others trapped in a transitional state benefited from increased strength and firepower. Additionally, the supersonic powers he had as Thundercracker were restored. He put them to good use fighting back against their captor alongside the Autobots. With their combined might, the robots were able to bring the Seeker offline. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}} With the energy of the Seeker's experiment depleted, Scourge reverted to his normal state. Upon discovering that the Autobots' treasure was an old piece of armor of Optimus Prime, purely sentimental in value, Galvatron sounded a retreat. The Decepticons left without provoking further conflict. {{storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic'' (1)=====
Scourge was present when the [[Quintesson]]s first lent the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s to the Decepticon cause. {{storylink|Abominus comic 1}}

In [[2011]], Scourge was involved in the battle against the reforming Unicron before he was banished to the [[Triple Z Point]]. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Masaharu Satō]] (Japanese), [[Simon Broad]] (English)}}

[[File:MysteryofPlanetMaster-ScourgeCyclonus.jpg|left|thumb|"Hey, Cyclonus, wouldn't it be great if our weapons could turn into little men?"]]

Scourge assisted Galvatron in the attack on Cybertron to seize control over [[Vector Sigma]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} As part of their attack, Scourge and Cyclonus met Optimus Prime in the chamber of Vector Sigma. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Scourge participated in the Decepticon operations on Planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], but was largely ineffective in Galvatron's fight with Rodimus Prime. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} Scourge later called the Sweeps to help occupy the Autobots until Galvatron's gravity-warping meteorite could reach [[Athenia]]. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} He later informed Galvatron that [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived for a meeting. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Scourge and Cyclonus attempted to prove their worth by stealing [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and using him to hunt down a mysterious Six Changer. However, that plan failed miserably when that Six Changer turned out to be their own ally, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. Both Scourge and Cyclonus ditched Trypticon in battle, leading to the Decepticon city's destruction (though he was eventually repaired). {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}} After Galvatron vanished during Cybertron's destruction, and the unfamiliar [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] took over as Emperor of Destruction, Scourge and Cyclonus felt even less secure in their positions. When [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] proudly sucked up to Scorponok, reporting on a new energy-absorbing satellite named [[Sol 1]] set for launch, Scourge vowed to steal the satellite in order to gain favor in Scorponok's eyes. Joined by Cyclonus and [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], he attacked the launch pad, but was repelled by [[Raiden]] and the Headmasters. [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] did some aerial dogfighting with Scourge, and the Decepticons were forced to leave empty-handed. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}}

Scourge and Cyclonus were concerned that Scorponok's latest series of attacks on Earth were more likely to destroy the planet than allow the Decepticons to gather energy. Scorponok told to them that the awe-inspiring [[plasma energy]] was released from Cybertron in its destruction. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} In his next scheme, Scorponok explained to the duo that he planned to detonate a series of bombs to destroy the planet [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], and harvest the plasma energy its destruction would surely generate. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

[[File:ReturnoftheImmortalEmperor-CyclonusScourge.jpg|thumb|When did we become Bebop and Rocksteady?]]

Later, Scourge and Cyclonus made arrangements for Scorponok's official debut as leader of the Decepticons. The Autobots attacked during the proceedings on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], but all combatants were interrupted by the triumphant return of Galvatron. Scourge was quick to redirect his boot-licking towards his old commander, as Scorponok's leadership was immediately overruled. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Scourge and Cyclonus would later field an SOS call from the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], and reported their findings to Galvatron. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

After Galvatron returned from an energy-plundering journey in space, Galvatron heaped praise on Sixshot, telling Scourge and Cyclonus that they could learn a thing or two from the Ninja Commander. Grumbling to themselves, the duo noticed [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] acting shifty, but were too caught up in their own problems to think too much about it. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

Much later, Scourge attended to Scorponok in [[Lemuria (myth)|Lemuria]]. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
In [[2021]], Scourge participated in a battle with the Autobots that ended with both sides being infected with [[black ball]]s, forcing him and the Sweeps to abandon their bodies and become [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} The Decepticons then traveled to the [[Legends World]] and joined forces with [[Tera-Kura Co.]] to get them [[transtector]]s, and Scourge was reunited with a version of Galvatron. During a lineup of the Sweeps, Scourge explained to Galvatron that [[Sweep No. 4]] was long dead. {{storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}} While he and the Sweeps were working at janitors at Tera-Kura, they were approached by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]], who offered them new bodies and a place at his side in exchange for kidnapping [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] and used his Matrix powers to take over the company. Scourge had other ideas and turned on Terrorsaur as soon as he acquired the Matrix, claiming sole leadership of Tera-Kura. Unfortunately for him, the Sweeps wanted a piece of the action and crowded over him, combining with his body and causing it to explode from an overload of Matrix energy. He returned being a janitor, but already had his eyes on another energy source: the [[Zodiac]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 26|Bonus Edition Vol. 26}}

Somehow acquiring the Zodiac, Scourge was transformed by its power into a giant two-headed monster and went on a rampage through [[Tokyo]] until [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] took the energy source from him and defeated him with a barrage from his new base mode. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 27|Bonus Edition Vol. 27}} Scourge's body was later briefly stolen by a Legends native transformed into a Headmaster through mass-produced [[Master-Brace]]s. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 28|Bonus Edition Vol. 28}} During a rampage by [[Devil Z]], the new boss of Tera-Kura Co., Scourge hid behind Megatron. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|Bonus Edition Vol. 36}} He later handed [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] some [[energon cube]]s to carry, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}} and was present when the other Scorponok loyalists were finishing their [[Godbomber]] {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 42|Bonus Edition Vol. 42}} and when the [[Dimensional Patrol]] confiscated everyone's transtectors. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Black Convoy 2)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} Scourge was probably with the Sweeps when they attacked Metroplex for his transformation cog and fought with [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] clones. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}}

While having his Sweeps search for another Zodiac, Scourge instead discovered the lost [[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]]. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} Finding that the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] had the ability to clone Transformers, the Sweeps tried to create an army of loyal [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] until Hot Rod and [[Shaoshao Li]] put an end to their plan. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 44|Bonus Edition Vol. 44}} Scourge evaded capture, used Blowpipe to create two-headed monster clones of himself and attacked Tokyo until Hot Rod came after him again. He turned the Targetmaster on Hot Rod and created evil clones of him, only to be defeated by a blast from Shaoshao's own Targetmaster mode. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 45|Bonus Edition Vol. 45}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic'' (2)=====
Under undisclosed circumstances, Scourge had reverted to being Thundercracker by the [[Selector]] revolt of [[2050]]. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}}

=====''TV Magazine'' comic continuity=====
=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
Scourge took part in one of Galvatron's schemes alongside Cyclonus and [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]]. The Autobots intervened when their mechanized space monster captured a human vessel. The Decepticons almost managed to snare Rodimus Prime, but he tricked Galvatron into blasting him an exit, leaving behind an explosive device that ended the Decepticon threat. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}} Later on, Scourge and his Sweeps joined the assault on the [[Prime Energy Tower]] on [[Feminia]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

=====''The Great Transformer War''=====
After the resurrection of Optimus Prime, Scourge battled [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and the other Autobots in deep space. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
Among the many momentous events witnessed by [[Vector Prime]] across the [[multiverse]] was the moment Optimus Prime unleashed the wisdom of the Matrix on a Hate Plague-infected Galvatron, Scourge, and Cyclonus. {{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}

====Rodimus vs. Cyclonus====
After Galvatron had blasted apart Ultra Magnus on the Planet of Junk, Scourge pledged his loyalty to him rather than to Unicron, seeing as Galvatron now possessed that which their dark master feared most. Galvatron sent out both Scourge and Cyclonus to terminate as many Autobots as they could, promising whichever one came back with the higher head-count a position as his second-in-command. This competition brought Scourge to the [[Rayzor Nebula]], where he picked up an Autobot emergency signal emanating from within. In truth, this was a false trail created by Cyclonus. While Scourge and his Sweeps searched through the gaseous mass for enemy units to destroy, Cyclonus happened upon a Quintesson ship carrying Hot Rod and his allies. Kup, also aboard the Quintesson ship, made contact with another nearby Autobot vessel, and had them draw Scourge's attention before coming about to meet them. Scourge took the bait and, upon seeing Cyclonus, attacked his comrade to ensure his own victory in their contest. This wound up undermining ''both'' of the Decepticons' efforts in racking up kills, and all of the Autobots escaped from them safely. {{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}
{{-}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:WingsofHonor-CyclonusScourge.jpg|thumb|My weird pink flower thing will destroy you!]]

In [[2007]], after the [[The Rebirth|Rebirth]], Galvatron and Lord Zarak led Cyclonus, Scourge, and the rest of the Decepticons to further the war on Nebulos and other civilized worlds. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

[[File:RapidoandScourgeshake-ACommonFoe.jpg|thumb|left]]
In [[2010]], Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps surrounded an [[Autobot shuttle]] during a surprise attack. They lost track of the shuttle when it disappeared into a nebula. Eventually they found it and attacked its crew, which consisted of Rodimus, Kup, and the Dinobots. Scourge was defeated when Kup threw his blaster, which he'd set to overload, at Scourge. At first Scourge laughed at what seemed to be a pathetic tactic by the elder Autobot, but then suddenly stopped when his torso was blown open. {{storylink|Wings of Honor}}

Scourge was present at the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]]. He planned to have Cyclonus inform Galvatron about the peace treaty when he came out of stasis lock. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

====''TransTech''====
In [[Primax 1086.01 Alpha]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s corpse was vaporized when he sacrificed himself to stop a [[Quintesson]] plot. Possibly because Optimus's essence was more firmly incorporated into the Matrix, Scourge was thus able to defeat [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and retain possession of the Matrix, thereafter becoming undisputed leader of the Decepticons. Over the centuries, the influence of the Matrix inspired him to broker a peace deal between Autobot and Decepticon, and the two factions united when [[Unicron]] returned. In the ensuing battle, the Chaos-Bringer tried to blast Scourge, but the Matrix shielded him, allowing him to survive by being shunted into [[unspace|transwarp space]]. [[Rhinox (TransTech)|Rhinox]] plucked him out of unspace into [[Axiom Nexus]], where he became a member of the [[Convoy (group)|Convoy]]. {{storylink|Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist|Rook - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/02/07}}

Scourge's name was among the classified data stolen by [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]]'s Renegades and publicly released by [[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] and [[Cop-Tur (GoBots)|Cop-Tur]] in a hacked broadcast of [[Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2016/01/16}} [[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]] tracked him down but was too intimidated to ask him for a quote. {{storylink|Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist|Rook - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/02/07}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In one particularly weird version of the [[Unicron War]] engineered by [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], [[Deadlift]] replaced Scourge as Galvatron's lead hunter created by Unicron. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
After the Decepticons were beaten back into a retreat, following a failed attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], they boarded [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and headed back towards [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. But Astrotrain didn't have the energy necessary to make the trip with all the Decepticons inside him, so the injured were jettisoned into the vacuum of space. These soldiers were drawn to Unicron, who reforged the lot into new, powerful soldiers to do his bidding. Among these creations was Scourge, who was given an army of Sweeps to aid him in his hunting. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

Scourge, Cyclonus, and Galvatron then went forth, stopping by Cybertron first so that Galvatron could eliminate [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and secure his position as Decepticon leader. After this deed was done, Unicron began devouring Cybertron's moons, enraging Galvatron. Galvatron claimed that Cybertron and all its moons belonged to him, though Scourge retorted that they, in turn, belonged to Unicron. The Decepticons then made their way to [[Earth]], and attacked the Autobots as they were readying to make their way off the planet. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}}

[[File:Scourge marvel uk 83.jpg|thumb|"I CAN'T GET OUT OF THIS CONFOUNDED MAZE!!"]]
''Afterwards, Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge [[Time travel|traveled back in time]] from [[2006]] to [[1986]] as part of a plan to free themselves from Unicron's control by constructing a massive cannon that would destroy him upon their return to the future. The three Unicronian Decepticons proved themselves almost invincible in the face of the Autobots' attacks, though a lucky shot destroyed Scourge's [[acid ray]] after he had incapacitated [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], and Scourge was relatively weaponless (most of his weapons could only be used in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]). Though he also took down [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] managed [[Anti-grav manacles|to down]] Scourge and use him as a bargaining chip. The future Decepticons were finally defeated when Galvatron was duped into believing he was trapped in a temporal paradox, and returned to his own time to live out the remaining events of 2006.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:Cyclonuspullsthebeardy.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Yeouch!! That's my secret weakness you're pulling at, Cyclonus!"]]
''Following the destruction of Unicron at the hands of [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], Galvatron transported himself back in time to [[1987]], leaving Cyclonus and Scourge in the future, under [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]’s command. The duo were attacked by the freelance peace-keeping agent, [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who was seeking the bounty on Galvatron’s head, and Cyclonus revealed Galvatron’s whereabouts to him.'' {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}} ''Later, Shockwave hired Death’s Head to kill Rodimus Prime, but Cyclonus and Scourge interfered with the job as they sought to kill Rodimus first, in order to reclaim their lost standing amongst the Decepticons.'' {{storylink|Headhunt}} ''This did not please Death’s Head, and consequently, he willingly accepted a contract from Rodimus to hunt down Cyclonus and Scourge, eventually tracking them down to the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]] as [[2008]] dawned. Before he could finish the job, however, all three of them fell under the mind-controlling influence of Unicron, whose disembodied head had survived the destruction of his body and had landed on the planet, where he was having the native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] construct a new body for him.''

''Under Unicron's control, Cyclonus and Scourge killed Shockwave and became Decepticon leaders, reigniting the stalemated Cybertronian war to a furious degree to cover Unicron's actions. Death's Head, however, was able to fight the mind control and work with the Autobots long enough to stop the chaos-bringer's plan. As explosions destroyed Unicron, Death's Head tackled Cyclonus and Scourge, pushing them through a [[time portal]] Unicron had built, promising to kill them another time. The two Decepticons were hurled into the past of Cybertron by the portal, where they came under the command of [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]].'' {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

[[File:Scourge scorponok cyclonus marvel uk 151.jpg|thumb|"I just don't get why we never do anything but attack Qatari villages, that's all." "SHUT UP AND KEEP FIRING!"]]
Cyclonus and Scourge traveled with Scorponok and several other Decepticons to the peaceful planet [[Nebulos]] in pursuit of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]]'s Autobots. After Scorponok and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] were defeated by the new Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]], the Nebulan [[Vorath]] attempted to duplicate the technology on the Decepticons. Scourge was partnered with [[Fracas]], a Nebulan recruit who had been bio-mechanically engineered to be able to transform into his weapon. Scourge was soon presented with an opportunity to test his new Targetmaster abilities when some Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] prisoners escaped. The fury of the battle destroyed the city of [[Koraja]], culminating in Fortress Maximus knocking down Scourge and the other Decepticon Targetmasters with part of a beloved fountain. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''At some point afterwards, Scourge and the other Decepticon Targetmasters lay in ambush for the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] at the [[Fortress of Despair]] where they had the Autobot Targetmasters held captive. However, once Scorponok had abducted [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] to study the Headmaster process further, the remaining Headmasters were able to free their Targetmaster comrades and turn the tables on the Decepticons. During the fight, Scourge attempted to sneak up on [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], only for [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] to warn his teammate of the Decepticon's approach. Scourge was blasted away by his intended victim, and the Autobots emerged victorious.'' {{storylink|Worlds Apart!}}

Ultimately, Scourge and Scorponok's Decepticons followed the Autobots off Nebulos to [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Once there, Scourge and Cyclonus sought out Galvatron, and arranged a meeting with their former leader. En route to the meeting grounds, Scourge and Cyclonus were accosted by a squad of human-piloted jet fighters. Though the pair enjoyed using the crafts as target practice initially, Cyclonus was lured into crashing into a rock peak and they were forced to retreat from the skirmish. Scourge noted that being defeated by organics bode ill for upcoming events; no longer willing to serve Galvatron, Scourge and Cyclonus were planning to instead force him to hand over his [[Time-jump trigger device|time travel device]]. With it in hand, they would return to the future and their position as Decepticon leaders. Though Scourge and Cyclonus were able to take Galvatron by surprise thanks to their Targetmaster partners, the confrontation was disrupted by the sudden appearance of the Autobot commando squad, the [[Wreckers]]. Scourge took on both [[Twin Twist]] and [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] until he realized that the whole thing had become counter-productive to his own goals. He sent Fracas to go and fetch Cyclonus so they could both retreat. Springer, putting into motion his own plan to draw the battle away from the human settlement, professed to have stolen Galvatron's time jump mechanism, when in reality, the Decepticon no longer even had it for him to take. Scourge and Cyclonus went after him, and learned of Springer's bluff just in time for the rest of the Autobots to catch up to him. Unwilling to take them all on at once, Scourge and Cyclonus flew off.'' {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}}

''Having met with failure again, Cyclonus and Scourge decided to cut their losses and team up with Shockwave's present-day Earth-based Decepticon forces.''

[[File:Cyclonus scourge marvel uk 189.jpg|left|thumb|"Cyclonus, remember that thing that we absolutely, positively, definitely shouldn't say to Shockwave?" "Yep." "You're sure?" "Yep." "You're not going to mention it at all, are you?" "Nope."]]
''Unfortunately, Cyclonus accidentally let slip that they would kill Shockwave in the future. Naturally wanting to ensure his continued existence, Shockwave unleashed a brainwashed [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron clone]] upon the two. As Megatron killed [[Nightstick (G1)|Nightstick]] and grappled with Cyclonus, Scourge took aim at the clone... but stopped. He realized that killing Megatron in [[1988]] would likely prevent Galvatron's creation in 2006, and possibly his own as well. Unwilling to take the chance, he abandoned his comrade and fled.'' {{storylink|Dry Run!}}

[[File:Shockwavetimewars.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Oh no!! I've told Shockwave about me and Cyclonus killing him. Should I kill him? I... can't... resist..."]]
''Scourge ended up falling back in with Galvatron for unspecified reasons, even as Galvatron brought Megatron in as an unexpected ally. What none of them realised until too late was that Cyclonus and Scourge's displacement into the past had circumvented the normal [[Mass substitution|mass-replacement method]] used by time travel, and had hence unbalanced the space-time continuum, causing a [[Time rift|rift]] to appear in the fabric of space and time. Cyclonus's death, eighteen years before he was even created, proved to be the final straw, accelerating the rift, which soon threatened to consume Earth and Cybertron.

''[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] used this fact to distract Scourge during a Wreckers/[[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]] raid and while Scourge survived, he knew realized that the only way to stop the rift was to return them and Cyclonus to their original time. He thus attempted to recover Cyclonus’ body from Shockwave but was attacked by the deranged Decepticon, who had lost his mind due to the illogical nature of the situation, and had strung Cyclonus' remains up like a twisted trophy. Scourge staggered back to the time rift and allowed it to take him, hoping that that would have some effect on the situation. It didn't. [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], however, succeeded where Scourge had failed, and was able to bring Shockwave back to sanity enough for him to deposit Cyclonus's remains after Galvatron and Scourge, and then seal it with an x-ray blast.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

''After the war, time-traveller [[Dicet Alpha-zero]] peeked on nine key events in the Transformers' war for a history project. After stepping on the proverbial butterfly at [[Mount Verona]], Dicet saw a Time Wars where Optimus threw the remains of a beaten Scourge into the rift.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}}

====The Big Broadcast of 2006====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
In an alternate future of 2006, Scourge participated in a battle on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] where he was tossed around by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and misidentified as "Sweeps" by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. He later agreed with [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], who said Junkion should be off-limits to Decepticons. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

====Rhythms of Darkness!====
[[File:Cyclonus scourge marvel 67.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|The deadliest bathtub in the skies.]]
A version of Scourge inhabited [[Primax 490.0 Gamma|an alternate timeline]] where he helped hunt down and destroy a group of Autobots led by Rodimus Prime on the planet Junkion. As Rodimus Prime was briefly distracted, Scourge and Cyclonus were able to shoot the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] away from Rodimus, giving [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] the opening to finish off the last of the Primes.

Unknown to any of these Decepticons, though, they were observed by a Hot Rod originating from [[Primax 512.5 Gamma|another time and place]]. They were probably unaware that this Hot Rod had been the one who inadvertently distracted their Rodimus, and chances are they didn't notice that the Matrix had landed at this Hot Rod's feet before they both disappeared. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

By [[2009]], Cybertron had been destroyed, along nearly all resistance in the Americas. With only seven Autobots left alive, the governments of the remaining free nations planned to launch nuclear weapons towards the United States in a bid to eliminate the Decepticons themselves. Anticipating this move, Galvatron equipped a fortress with the necessary machinery to convert the fallout into energon. Scourge and Cyclonus were posted to guard the [[Decepticon Powerbase]], and the pair passed the time gripping over how conquering the Earth wasn't as fun without any Autobot opposition. They were suddenly ambushed by [[Getaway]], [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]], and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]], who distracted them while the rest of their team made a last desperate raid on the Powerbase. Scourge was killed by the combined might of these warriors. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

====''Transformers '84''====
An aerial warrior under [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]'s command, Scourge was part of a bombing run against [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]]'s troops after the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] had been lost. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}}
{{-}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
[[File:Scourgeinoil-ASO.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.5|"It's your eyebrows! He's jealous of your capacity for self-expression!"]]
Scourge was part of a flight of Decepticons that interrupted an Autobot salvage expedition. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}}

On Nebulos, the Decepticons learned that the majority of cosmic energy for the planet came from pulsar strikes at the north pole, and planned to build an energy interceptor there to capture limitless power. When the first interceptor was sabotaged by the Autobots, Cyclonus appointed Scourge head of security for the next project. Scourge suggested they move the entire Decepticon base, Scorponok, to the pole as a deterrent against Autobot aggression. Unfortunately, the Autobots then used Scorponok's vast bulk against the Decepticons by melting the ice out from under him, leaving them thrashing in the slush. {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole}}

When the Autobots planned a pipeline to tap into a Nebulan oil reservoir, the Decepticons turned the tables and sabotaged them. Scourge was standing by with a team of hunters to eliminate any Autobots that came to fix the pipeline, but the Autobots doubled back on him and let Scourge's team thrashing in the oil released in their own sabotage efforts. {{storylink|Autobots Strike Oil}}

===Marvel coloring books===
{{charstubfiction| {{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}

When the Decepticons learned that the Autobots had long ago lost a large shipment of Energon cubes at the Ark's original crash site, Galvatron ordered them to head to Mt. St. Hillary to uncover it. There, Scourge fought the Autobots over possession of it. The brawl ended when Starscream scarfed down all of the Energon, and proceeded to pick a fight with Galvatron. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Hot Rod's Escape}}}}
{{-}}

===Toy pack-in material===
The Decepticons having successfully stolen the Creation Matrix from the Autobots, Scourge was one of the soldiers posted to prevent their enemies from retrieving it. He was fooled by an army of Autobot [[decoy]]s, and the Autobots retook possession of the relic. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}}
{{-}}

===Autobot Alert!===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:AutobotAlertBumblebeedisguise.jpg|left|thumb]]
Scourge is a Decepticon scanner, capable of detecting Autobots even when they are in disguise. He was tasked with patrolling the space-bound Astrotrain as the Decepticon shuttle was making a munitions delivery to the Decepticons’ ship out in orbit.

In one possible scenario, Scourge happened upon Bumblebee and Hot Rod who had infiltrated Astrotrain by disguising themselves in Decepticon space gear. Not fooled by the Autobots’ disguise, he confronted the pair as they were about to commandeer Astrotrain's military controls. Though he was unable to stop the Autobots from firing Astrotrain weapons towards Cyclonus, Scourge quickly overpowered the pair and flung them out into the blackness of space. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[File:TheTest-Scourge.jpg|thumb|''You're'' the leader in the Marvel Comics stuff?]]
Scourge was part of a Decepticon mission to track down the source of an [[Energon]] reading on an asteroid. As [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] returned to [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], Scourge warned him that Galvatron was in a particularly foul mood. As it turned out, the [[little informant|creature]] Cyclonus had brought back was the source of the Energon, however the situation escalated when they detected they were being spied on by [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]]. Scourge and Cyclonus gave chase, only to find themselves running into [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], who were chasing [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] in the other direction. The usual chaos ensued. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

Scourge and several Sweeps took part in an assault on [[Tau-Ursa]], when Galvatron acquired a component for his latest weapon. Galvatron ordered them to destroy everything, but to let the Tau-Ursans live. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}
{{--}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:ColdWar-Scourge.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Pssst, Scourge, "then you crack the nuts inside."]]
Millions of years ago, as [[Unicron]] entered a stage of hibernation, the first wave of his herald drone fleet was launched to scour the galaxy, looking for Cybertron. The Alpha drone designated Scourge managed to find Cybertron during the [[Great Shutdown]], an enforced shutdown of all Transformers on the planet, and managed to reactivate [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] for the purpose of observing the Decepticon from afar. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}} However, Shockwave was soon attacked by the [[Quintesson]] [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] extermination units left behind on this world. Forced to intervene, Scourge easily destroyed a number of Sharkticons and drove off the rest, saving Shockwave's life. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} As a way a saying thank you, Shockwave shot Scourge in the back, took him prisoner, dissected him and studied the Unicronian Transformer, gaining great knowledge of Cybertron's origin and its inhabitants. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}

[[File:OriginalSin-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Later I look like my toy!]]
Scourge escaped to Earth and attacked [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s shuttle just as it arrived on its mission to search for the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Tricking the drone into pursuing an escape pod, Jetfire managed to shutdown the advanced Transformer's systems and was dragging him back to their crashed ship when they were both buried in an avalanche. {{storylink|Original Sin}}

Thousands of years later, the Autobots were drawn to the [[Alaska]]n shore, right into a trap set by the Decepticons. The Autobots fought desperately to keep the Autobot escape pod out of Megatron's hands, and during the fighting, it was inadvertently activated. Just as the Autobots gained the upper hand, Scourge ordered the combatants to stand down, informing them that the war was over, the factionalism that had divided their race had ended, and Cybertron was now unified under a new leader. Before he could speak further, Shockwave shot him in the back, declaring both Autobots and Decepticons to be war criminals. {{storylink|New World Order}}

Evidently Shockwave never bothered to recover Scourge's body, as he was retrieved by the [[Earth Defense Command]] and taken to their secret base for reverse-engineering. Unfortunately for the humans, Scourge was such an advanced Cybertronian that they were having serious problems figuring out his systems. {{Storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] were still working on Scourge when [[Marissa Faireborn]] enlisted the aid of the Autobots under [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s command in investigating the mystery of [[San Desto]]. {{Storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}}

{{Unreleased DW G1 comic}}
Scourge was rescued from the EDC facility by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Issue 13|Generation 1 #13}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' continuity===
[[File:WorldsCollide2-Scourge.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"How do you feel, mighty not-Megatron?" ''*kick*'']]

====Ask Vector Prime====
A version of Scourge, created alongside [[Galvatron (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Galvatron]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)#Ask Vector Prime|Cyclonus]], served as one of [[Unicron]]'s dimension-hopping [[Herald of Unicron|heralds]]. Cyclonus was eventually decapitated by a version of Megatron seeking in vain to protect his home reality. Cyclonus was eventually replaced with versions of [[Thunderwing (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Thunderwing]], [[Bludgeon (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Bludgeon]], and [[Dirge (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Dirge]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/19}}

====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
Unicron sent his heralds ahead of him to prepare [[Aurex 402.24 Gamma|this particular reality]]'s Cybertron for his imminent arrival. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}} After effortlessly conquering [[Decepticon Command Headquarters]] on Cybertron and taking control of its [[space bridge nexus]], they found that the local [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] was nowhere to be found, and moved on to search for him on [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4}} At [[Silver Ridge]], Scourge detected [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] in the vicinity, and the Heralds chose to interrogate him in regards to Megatron's whereabouts. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4}} Thrust ended up being useless to them, but the Heralds suddenly learned of something else to worry about—the space bridge nexus was under attack. They immediately returned to Cybertron, where [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and his team had already placed bombs throughout the Decepticon base. Upon arrival, Scourge ordered the others to kill Jetfire... and was promptly killed when the whole building was blown to kingdom come. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
Whlist serving under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] on Cybertron, Scourge and Cyclonus were shocked when one of their Decepticon comrades was suddenly teleported across space and time by [[Teletran 3]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} Shortly afterwards, he and many other flying Decepticons gathered around the computer and waited for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s force field to go down. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

In a dystopian future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, Scourge and his Sweeps patrolled the ruins of [[New York City]]. They attacked a team of [[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]] and [[Cobra]]s who arrived from the past, but were chased off by the [[Dreadnok]]s. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}

While this future was eventually averted, Scourge and the Sweeps existed in the present, as part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces on Cybertron. They fought back against a major Autobot/G.I. Joe assault on Serpent O.R.'s headquarters. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

====''TransTech''====
In [[Primax 806.30 Gamma]], Scourge and his comrades came to ally with the [[Kalistan]]ian terrorist organization [[S.K.A.R.]] As part of this alliance, Scourge was binary-bonded to the S.K.A.R. member [[Red Scream]], using technology derived from the old [[I.R.O.N. Army]]. A globe-spanning conflict ensued between the Decepticons and S.K.A.R. against the Autobots and their [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] allies. Ultimately, the Decepticons and their human allies were defeated by [[Sgt. Savage]]'s [[Screaming Eagle]]s and the Autobots. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:Hearts of Steel Scourge.JPG|thumb|Red Zeppelin]]
While traveling in the Astrotrain convoy, Scourge transformed into a blimp (with a familiar-shaped gondola) and dropped bombs on the Autobot freight. [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (or possibly [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]) popped his airbag, causing him to crash, then explode. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{IDW HOS}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Rebirth|''All Hail Megatron'' #14]]}}

While accusing [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] of having no plan or goal beyond the conquest of Earth, Starscream wondered aloud who might be the Decepticon to take action, and suggested Scourge as a possibility.<ref>[[Shane McCarthy]] originally envisioned Scourge as being the Decepticon equivalent of Kup. Hasbro vetoed this idea, but this reference remained.</ref> {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

[[File:AHM14Rebirth-Scourge.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"How have I gone so long without a manicure?"]]
Scourge, a Cybertronian who lived during the era of [[Nova Prime]], first met [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] in a basement bar on Cybertron. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} The two would later become part of the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which was lost in the [[Benzuli Expanse]] and ended up in the [[Dead Universe]].

After the failure of the [[Expansion]], Cyclonus gathered the remains of his comrades on [[Gorlam Prime]] and prepared to melt them down as a warrior's burial. Scourge was barely alive, and Cyclonus sadly said this was the last thing he could do for him. However, [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] emerged from the [[solar pool]] and blasted Scourge and the others. Though Cyclonus thought him crazy, Galvatron explained the [[Darkness (G1)|Darkness]] would not let Scourge die. Scourge recovered, and Galvatron again flung him into the slag, from which he emerged in pain but fully restored. Soon, the other warriors were transformed into clones of Scourge (though Galvatron complained they should have been made in ''his'' image). The clones, known as the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], were bonded to Scourge, who was to keep them in line. Scourge asked Cyclonus what they should do, and Cyclonus responded that as [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s, they should follow Galvatron's bidding. {{storylink|Rebirth}}

[[File:Scourge asks a question Heart of Darkness 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right]]
At Galvatron's command, the Seekers searched all over Gorlam Prime for signs of life, as the planet's entire population had apparently vanished at some point while they had been wasting away. Scourge and his Sweeps found nothing, so Galvatron opted to track down their ally [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and the portal to the Dead Universe. They found him as a crushed and dismembered wreck, but Galvatron easily undid his injuries using the Darkness. Jhiaxus took them to the portal, which was different from before, but upon arrival they were attacked by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 1|Heart of Darkness #1}} Scourge and Cyclonus took on Hardhead, but even the two of them together were overpowered by the much larger and stronger Autobot. They were saved by Galvatron's mighty firepower, and were sent by him to chase after Arcee as she tried to flee. After sending her tumbling into an abyss, they returned to Galvatron's side and watched him enter the Dead Universe, where he met the malevolent entity known as "the [[D-Void]]". He emerged rather panicky, telling his troops that they needed to raise an army to stand against this threat. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}}

Scourge and his Sweeps accompanied Galvatron as he traveled to a wide variety of planets, reviving and recruiting robotic lifeforms to stand with him against the D-Void. At one point they visited [[Spindrift]], where they added [[Thinkbox]] and the corpses that inhabited the [[Realm of Wrecks]] to their cause. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 3|Heart of Darkness #3}} Scourge was also part of a scout party sent to [[Dykayra]], where Galvatron was attacked by [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]], revived by the D-Void. He and the others defended their leader, but failed to harm Nemesis, who was then possessed by the D-Void and transformed by its power into a huge beast. Several of Scourge's Sweeps were destroyed by the monster, but it was eventually defeated with the arrival of Galvatron's army. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}}

[[File:Scourge and Cyclonus The Transformers Infestation 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
Seeking to add [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s Autobots to his army, Galvatron travelled towards [[Earth]]. On the way, his ship encountered a space-time anomaly containing a frozen block of corpses, both organic and robotic. The crew brought in on board to investigate it, only to be faced with a [[zombie]] outbreak once the ice was thawed. Scourge and the others battled the undead, including several of his infected Sweeps, until their ship was sabotaged and crashed in [[Las Vegas]], Earth. There, they attempted to team up with the local Autobots to contain the outbreak. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} After some initial distrust between the two factions, they managed to stop bickering long enough to defeat the zombie mastermind, [[Britt]]. The Autobots still wouldn't join Galvatron, though, so Scourge and the others left Earth via a portal. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Galvatron then took his entire army with him to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], declaring the planet their first line of defense against the D-Void. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}} Scourge (or a chatty Sweep, it's hard to tell) was in charge of [[Kimia Facility]] once Galvatron conquered it, and on his orders transformed it into its cannon mode. {{storylink|Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}}

Scourge was killed at an unknown point during the Chaos Event.<ref>"Poor Scourge. He's been dead in the other IDW comics as long as I've been writing them."—[[John Barber]] in [[Targetmasters (issue)|''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe'' #2]] story commentary</ref> Cyclonus, however, believed that he had detected Scourge's life sign while flying around on a reformatted Cybertron—this turned out to just be some mutilated Sweep corpses. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:FierceFightingOnPlanetNebulos-StraxusDecepticons.jpg|thumb|Peekaboo.]]
At some undetermined point in time, Scourge stood in close proximity to [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Lugnut (TF 2010)|Lugnut]]. {{storylink|A New Battle!}}

A [[nano-virus]] that afflicted most Autobots save the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s and the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] required [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] to lead a team to [[Nebulos]] for an anti-virus. However, the nano-virus was merely a ploy by the Decepticons to draw out the Targetmasters and Headmasters to abduct their [[Nebulan]] partners, so when the Autobots arrived on Nebulos, Scourge and several other Decepticons were waiting for them! Once Scourge noticed their leader, [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], had been defeated, he and the others quickly fell into disarray. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

===''Generations'' toy bio===
Little was known about the powerful hunter Scourge's origins, and he himself preferred not to speak of them. {{storylink|Scourge (G1)/toys#Generations|''Generations'' Scourge toy bio}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
[[File:ScourgeAligned-UltimatePopUpUniverse.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left]]
Scourge was one of the many Decepticons who pursued the [[AllSpark]] to Earth. He participated in an enormous battle against the Autobots in a human settlement. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}

===''Kre-O'' comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-13-CyclonusScourge.jpg|right|thumb]]
Scourge was among the Decepticons terrified by the newly created [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s violent rampage. {{storylink|Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Scourge was among the Decepticons unleashed upon [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'s ''[[Defiant (G.I. Joe)|Defiant]]'' in response to its attack on [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but instead of capturing any of the aliens they returned to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] with two captured Autobots, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]. Megatron was unconcerned about Autobots, however, and shot Scourge through the chest for wasting his time. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} Despite the seemingly fatal injury, he was later repaired and standing ready to fight the Autobot/G.I. Joe alliance beneath [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s forcefield. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
Scourge and [[Squeezeplay (G1)|Crashbash]] tracked [[Haywire (Targetmaster)|Hyperfire]] to [[Velocitron]], and attempted to abduct Blurr's [[Titan Master]] on the final lap of the planet's biggest race. They didn't get far before having to fight [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Hardhead, and Optimus. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
Scourge was one of Galvatron's chief lieutenants during the Great War. On [[Nebulos]], he was instrumental in bringing Targetmaster technology to the Decepticons when Fracas and Nightstick of the Autobot / [[World Watcher]] alliance defected to the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]] / Decepticon alliance, becoming binary-bonded with Scourge and Cyclonus.

After the [[Scouring of Nebulos]] and the [[Armistice]], the Decepticons moved on to the colony world of [[Master (planet)|Rebirth]]. Galvatron allied with the [[Malignus (G1)|Malignus]] revolutionaries of the [[Cyberdroid]] population to recreate Master technology with non-organics. As Galvatron became a [[Triple-Threat Master]], Scourge also adopted a Cyberdroid Headmaster partner named [[Krunix (G1)|Krunix]] to work with him and Fracas. Rebirth was conquered for the Decepticons and renamed [[Master (planet)|Master]]. Even [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] was unable to reclaim Master from the Decepticons, despite his "victory" on Nebulos.

Galvatron and Scourge next moved on to the [[Great Push]], attempting to break the Armistice and attack the [[Human Confederacy]] using a scheme known as the [[Grendel Gambit]]. They failed, apparently due to heroic actions by Cyclonus that betrayed their cause. Despite [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'s legal maneuvering, Galvatron and Scourge were found guilty and sentenced to die by a [[Quintesson]] court. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}}

Krunix never got over Scourge's death. Centuries later, the Cyberdroid was running a bar called [[The Scourge of Athenia]] in his name, with a hologram eulogizing Fracas on display in the bar as well. {{storylink|Identity Politics}}

The Predacon [[Scourge (BW)|Skurge]] liked to spell his name à la the infamous Decepticon Scourge, though some bots like his superior Queen [[Rage (BW)|Rage]] refused to indulge his affectation. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} {{storylink|Derailment}}

==Commercial appearances==
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and Scourge faced off against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] until Autobot reinforcements showed up in the form of [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. With the appearance of these new arrivals, Scourge declared that no one would escape his Sweeps. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, Rodimus Prime|Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus Prime commercial}}
*Scourge aided Galvatron, Cyclonus battle the Autobots until [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] showed up, and begun taking care of the opposing team all on his own. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sixshot|Sixshot commercial}}
*Scourge, [[Octane]], and Cyclonus launched an attack on the Autobots' base, only to be met with the [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s, who gave them a good trouncing. Scourge was chased off through the skies by [[Grotusque]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Monsterbots|Monsterbots commercial}}
*Scourge and one of his [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] could be seen following Galvatron into combat while the war on Cybertron raged on, and Transformers of both factions left the planet to expand the war to the planet [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TF PS2 Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{voiceactor|[[Barry Gjerde]] (English)}}
Right before the Autobots found the giant jewel of the Atalstan mine, Scourge ambushed them. Announcing that the "Autofools" had reached the end of the road, he transformed to [[robot mode]]. Saying that the noise caused by the Autobots engines was going to destroy his transducers, Scourge declared that he was going to shut them up forever. After a fight, Scourge admitted defeat and begged the Autobots to spare his life. Before his enemies could do anything, he transformed back to his hovercraft form and flew away.

Scourge later challenged the Autobots to a rematch on their way to ELTA, and was later joined by Cyclonus, but the Sweep leader was defeated again. When Cyclonus fled in his fighter craft form, Scourge called out for Cyclonus to wait for him before also fleeing in his hovercraft form. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

[[File:TFLegendsApp-Scourge.jpg|thumb|left]]

===''Transformers: Legends''===
[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] was reformatted into Scourge at some point. He and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] served under [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}} Cyclonus and Scourge were tasked with leading raids on an Autobot supply convoy and managed to deal the Autobots a heavy blow. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}} Following Megatron's demise, the pair opposed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s bid for leadership. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}} They later aided [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] after his rebirth in [[Unicron]]'s maw, but their might was insufficient and they were defeated by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]'s forces. {{storylink|All Hail Galvatron}} Scourge was among a handful of Decepticons who ventured inside Unicron to search for [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. After encountering [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]], then falling foul of Unicron's internal defenses, the Decepticons resumed their search. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (Legends)|Belly of the Beast}}

Cyclonus and Scourge both fell under Starscream's control as the Air Commander attempted to supply Unicron with a new body in the form of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. They were intercepted by Autobots and defeated, forcing Starscream to relinquish control, however the pair had no memory of the events, and returned bewildered to base. {{storylink|Unicron Returns}}

Either Scourge, or one of his Sweeps, fell victim to a bear-like Trans-Organic when Galvatron was tricked into attacking the resting grounds of the Dweller. {{storylink|Dweller in the Depths (Legends)|Dweller in the Depths}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsScourgeG1.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|You could use level 1-17 Scourges as Sweeps.]]
Scourge participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character who could be recruited after collecting 60 units of Cybermetal, 25 units of Transmetal, and 15 scout cores. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:ScourgeEarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=2|So do I get my Sweeps back? Not at the same time I'm around apparently.]]

Scourge was accidentally brought to Earth because of a Space Bridge miscalibration and a space-time continuum error. Starscream complained that another air bot would get in his way, and Scourge threatened to turn him into a 100-piece puzzle for Hook to assemble if he didn't watch his mouth. He then searched for a raiding party.

He bemoaned that they had lost the future, but Cyclonus pointed out he has the chance to hunt down the Autobots he had deleted again. But Scourge said the worst part is that they're expected to serve Megatron instead of Galvatron. He began to change his mind when Megatron gave him the task to lure any Autobot into an ambush.

Sometime later he encountered [[Swoop (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Strafe]] and was about to duel, but a transmission came from Galvatron and he ordered him to cease and desist, for they have evolved. Scourge started to agree with Divebomb that Galvatron is a total killjoy.

But Scourge wouldn't, so Galvatron declared that he would stand alone without his help. While he and Ultra Magnus pursue their vendetta, Scourge called his Sweeps to hunt for prey. Strafe retorted that he would be more impressed if hadn't been built from bits of old Insecticons, which Scourge would never live down.

*'''Class:''' Aerial
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Weapons:''' Scourge uses his double-barreled blaster to fire at the target.
*'''Ability:''' '''Fire Mission:''' Sets out to damage targets in an area, striking them up to 18 times.
**'''Cost:''' 5 ability points +5 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:scourge Scourge at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{--}}

==Toys==
{{main|Scourge (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Scourge (G1)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Notes==
[[File:ScourgeG1-charactermodels.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Hooked On Steroids worked for me!]]
*Like most of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 animated film]] characters, Scourge has two [[character model]]s. The first one was designer [[Floro Dery]]'s original, which inspired the action figure and was used prominently in the Marvel Comics stories. The second was revised from Dery's to have more standard, "heroic" proportions and was used in the original cartoon, though not 100% consistently. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of Dery's Scourge was the revealed head in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]. This was removed entirely for the revised version, probably because it looked extremely dorky.
*When asked why Scourge and the Sweeps stick their heads out while they're in vehicle mode, Floro Dery replied: ''"The heads stick out because the idea is like a regular fighter plane. You can see just the head of the fighter pilot. If you have seen my [http://archive.is/kR3lr "Egg" design] on my web site, I based Scourge on it."''<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060625115408/http://members.aol.com/tfencyc/interview_dery.html Zobovor's Interview with Floro Dery]</ref>
*Early drafts of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' script also portray Scourge as propping his head out in vehicle mode to serve as sort of the "eyes" of the expedition. More interestingly, his alt mode was originally land based with Cyclonus and his armada being the only jets. There's a remnant of this in his ''[[The Transformers Universe]]'' profile where it states that Scourge has a "marauding automotive mode which handles any terrain", a technically true but still very odd description of a flying alt-mode.
*A close examination of Scourge's character model (both final and early versions) reveals that his animation model transforms somewhat ''backwards'' from the way his toy representations do. Whereas the toys have the upward-facing torso concealed fully within the wings, the animation model actually has nearly ''all'' of the chest and body front details visible on the ''underside'' of the vehicle mode. This further implies that the robot head twists 180 degrees and folds backwards to complete formation of the vehicle mode rather than just staring at his own chest.
*It's not known how much (if any) communication there was between Marvel's US office and the UK offices where Simon Furman was churning out his behind-the-scenes stories, but regardless, Cyclonus and Scourge completely disappeared from the US book after ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]''—leaving Furman free to send them off to find Galvatron in "[[Wrecking Havoc]]".
*For some reason, Scourge's head-mounted cannon was implied to not be a cannon in the comics, as the loss of a handgun in "[[Target: 2006]]" apparently left Scourge completely weaponless in [[robot mode]], making transformation a complete necessity.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')
*''Czech:'' '''Bič''' ("Whip")
*''French:'' '''Fléo''' (Canada, altered spelling of ''fléau'', which means "scourge")
*''Italian:'' '''Sheriff'''
*''Hungarian:'' '''Ostor''' ("Whip"), '''Korbács''' (first ''The Movie'' dub, "Scourge")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tiānqiǎn''' (Taiwan, 天譴, "Scourge"), '''Wēnyì''' (China, 瘟疫, "Plague")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Aperto'''
*''Russian:'' '''Knut''' (Кнут, "Whip")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Kara''' (ICTV, Кара, "Punishment")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Armada Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Dead Universe]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformers]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Trackers]]
[[Category:TransTech Decepticons]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1

2020-09-26T16:56:02Z

Kcchia80: First attempt at adding a caption in who knows how many years, I hope it's OK?

{{Comicstory
|series=joevstf2|issueno=1
|prev=G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II preview
|next=G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2
|image=devilsdue-joetf2-cover1b.jpg
|caption="I'm grabbing your ''what?!''"
|publisher=[[Devil's Due Press]]
|date=[[September 15]], 2004
|coverdate=
|writer=[[Dan Jolley]]
|pencilers=[[E.J. Su]], [[Tim Seeley]]
|inker=[[Andrew Pepoy]]
|colorist=[[Jeremy Roberts]]
|letterer=[[Dreamer Design]]
|graphic design=[[Mike Norton]]
|editor=[[Mark Powers]]
|continuity=[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity]]
}}

'''Cobra Commander's plan to capture a Cybertronian supercomputer goes just about as wrong as wrong can get.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Cobra]] has slowly begun to reform itself, trading [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]ian arms on the black market. [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] has begun integrating such technology into its own arsenal, and has tracked a weapons dealing ring back to the Dreadnoks.

In a [[Boston]] warehouse, a team of shadowy operatives bursts in on a weapons deal meeting, prompting the Dreadnoks to unveil their new cybernetic limbs. Even with their enhancements, however, Beachhead, Scarlett and Stalker make short work of them. Spirit singlehandedly stops an escaping truck, but its cargo, an armored car, bursts out. Spirit's backup team immobilizes it, prompting the driver to pop up its primary cannon. The driver has about five seconds to exult before his gun is crushed by a [[G.I. Joe battle mech|Snake Eyes-piloted mech suit]]. The Joes have rolled up the entire case: buyers, hardware, and Dreadnoks.

The next morning, Cobra Commander pays a visit to the country estate of Destro, now hiding out in Portugal. Destro is still sore at CC, so the Commander gets right to the point. He's learned of a wormhole that has been opened by researchers in Boston, connecting [[Earth]] and Cybertron. The wormhole depends on [[Teletran 3]], a Cybertronian supercomputer. The computer connects a network of wormholes on Cybertron, allowing instantaneous transport across the planet. Using his ace in the hole, the subservient Starscream, Cobra Commander intends to capture the computer and use it to open his own wormhole network on Earth. Destro agrees to fund the venture, but insists that he's coming along, bringing his own people, and that CC will be there too. Destro orders his butler to close down the house as he and Cobra Commander begin to talk logistics.

The butler, however, walks out and dives off a cliff into the ocean. Chuckles pulls off his disguise and calls in his report to the other Joes.

On Cybertron, the [[Decepticon]]s have nearly conquered the planet under Shockwave's leadership; Prime and company have returned home to become resistance fighters. Prime, Ironhide and Jazz have a narrow escape as they steal a load of [[energon]]. Shockwave, leading troops against them, is unconcerned; he's got bigger fish to fry.

The following night in Boston, the Joes storm the research center where the wormhole has been opened. Cobra Commander panics and orders his troops to fire; the Joes fire back—and the computer, damaged, teleports everyone present to Cybertron. Before Cobra Commander can even try to secure Teletran 3, the computer's malfunction continues, and tendrils of energy zap various Cybertronians away.

[[Image:Shockwave-ddp2-2b1.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Open fire / on my speech balloon / I've never been lucky at love.]]
Shockwave arrives with Decepticon troops, and is about to kill the humans, when Ultra Magnus and Perceptor drop in. Magnus activates a force field to protect the humans, the computer, and the [[Autobot]]s. Perceptor [[Energon chains|secures]] Starscream, and the group tries to make sense out of what just happened.

The two Autobots were drawn here by a temporal/spatial disturbance. A massive malfunction has sent a random number of Cybertronians to Earth, and "cracked the timestream" as well. If they are not retrieved, temporal feedback will wash the Earth with fire, stripping it of all life. To make matters worse, Magnus's field can only hold the Decepticons at bay for about twelve hours. With Magnus and Perceptor occupied, the humans are the only ones who can save Earth by retrieving the missing Transformers. The Joes call a truce with Cobra (via Destro).

Four teams are sent after four groups of Cybertronians. The Transformers have been filtered through a camouflage protocol, meaning they've scanned local forms and become locked into those modes. Perceptor has fashioned tracking devices that will lead the humans to them, as well as disruption units to reboot their operating systems. Once all the Transformers are rebooted, they will be able to return to the present. ''Then'' they'll worry about the army of Decepticons surrounding their position.

[[File:Bumblebee and Zartan GIJoevsTFsII1.jpg|thumb|It would have been entirely period-appropriate to make him into a VW Beetle, but Devil's Due decided to humiliate Bumblebee just a little bit more.|upright=1.7]]
The first team—Lady Jaye, Zartan, Storm Shadow, and Snake Eyes—warps away and finds themselves in the early-to-mid-1970s. After disguising themselves to "fit in", they find their first target, a white Caddy with a [['70s pimp|total pimp]] hanging out next to it. The team applies a disruption unit, and Jazz transforms. After some explanations, Jazz provides transportation to their next target, a car in a junkyard that turns out to be Bumblebee. Lady Jaye shoots down Zartan's suggestion to just snipe the owners of the third target; instead, Jaye challenges him to a race in Jazz, leading him to a warehouse where the fourth target awaits. A group of cops awaits as well, in the middle of a bust. The team activates both their remaining targets—Hot Rod and Blitzwing, the latter of who tries to attack, only to get zapped away as Lady Jaye returns them to the present with the press of a button.

The second team—Roadblock, Beach Head, the Baroness and a Cobra trooper—materialize on a dingy street, and are nearly run down by a pair of cars, whose occupants are firing tommy guns at each other...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (19)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (20)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (21)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (39)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (40)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (42)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (46)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (47)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (16)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (22)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (23)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (24)
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (25)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (37)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (38)

|h3=[[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]]|c3=
*[[Beachhead]] (1)
*[[Scarlett]] (2)
*[[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (3)
*[[Spirit]] (7)
*[[Jinx]] (8)
*[[Gung-Ho]] (9)
*[[Bazooka (G.I. Joe)|Bazooka]] (10)
*[[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] (11)
*[[Chuckles]] (17)
*[[Dial-Tone]] (18)
*[[Snake-Eyes]] (26)
*[[Barbecue]] (27)
*[[Lady Jaye]] (28)
*[[Cover Girl]] (29)
*[[Dusty]] (35)
*[[Shipwreck]] (36)
*[[Sci-Fi]] (41)

|h4=[[Cobra]]s|c4=
*[[Dreadnok|Torch]] (4)
*[[Dreadnok|Buzzer]] (5)
*[[Dreadnok|Ripper]] (6)
*[[Cobra Viper]] (12)
*[[Cobra Commander]] (13)
*[[Iron Grenadier]] (14)
*[[Destro]] (15)
*[[Storm Shadow]] (30)
*[[Doctor Mindbender|Dr. Mindbender]] (31)
*[[Baroness]] (32)
*[[Tomax and Xamot|Tomax]] (33)
*[[Tomax and Xamot|Xamot]] (34)
*[[Zartan]] (43)
*[[Percy]] (49)

|h5=Others|c5=
*[['70s pimp]] (44)
*Car thief (48)
}}

==Quotes==
"You in the tank. Cease fire immediately. If you do not cease fire, we will be forced to--" 
''KRRENCH!'' 
"--Hey! You didn't let me finish! I swear, Snake, you're having ''way'' too much fun with that thing.'' 
:—anonymous Joe in a mech suit, vs. a very exposed Cobra gunner.

"''Ecchh.'' 
"What? What's the problem?" 
"Listen, you three are young enough, you weren't really involved... but I had to deal with leisure suits and pet rocks for a whole decade."
:—'''Zartan''' and '''Lady Jaye''', the former reacting to being back in the 1970s.

"Um... could someone please explain exactly what the ''hell'' just happened to me?" 
"It's a long story, and we truly don't have time to stand here while I explain it to you. In fact, if I think about it too much, I get the urge to go into fits of insane giggles."
:—'''Jazz''' and '''Lady Jaye'''

"Right. Any more questions?" 
"Yeah. Why does everyone get to transform into big, fancy cars but ''me''? This ''sucks.''"
:—'''Jazz''' and '''Bumblebee''', the latter reformatted into a... something.

'''Zartan:''' "Grand. ''She'' gets to pretend she's in a Steve McQueen movie. Naturally ''we're'' stuck in the soapbox derby car." 
'''Bumblebee:''' "HEY!" 
'''Storm Shadow:''' "Who's Steve McQueen?" 
'''Zartan:''' "''Arrg.''"

==Notes==
* Cobra Commander has somehow gone from a grudging partnership with Starscream at the end of the last series, to total dominance over him. ''How'' isn't made clear.
* Chuckles wears his ridiculous Hawaiian shirt underneath his butler tuxedo. WTF.
* Prime and the others have been reconfigured, no longer transforming into Cobra vehicles. Prime's design bears a slight resemblance to his ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' form (though the cylindrical structures at his shoulders do not appear to be wheels). Ironhide is closer to his [[The Transformers (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] appearance.
* Even unmasked, Snake Eyes wears a brimmed hat that magically keeps his face in shadow at all times.
* Period alternate modes shown in this issue include:
** Jazz = white Lincoln coupe (or ''possibly'' a Cadillac, based on the headlights)
** Bumblebee = yellow Ford Pinto (or similar)
** Hot Rod = red Ford Mustang muscle car
** Blitzwing = private commuter jet, probably a Lear
* Pretty much everything about this entire issue is ''awesome''.
* At some point, CardsOne, a company that deals in vintage comics, trading cards, and collectibles, acquired a large stock of unsold copies of this issue (cover variant "B"). These copies were sold via Dollar Tree stores during the Summer of 2014.

===Errors===
* Wheeljack's distinctive profile is shown among the Transformers getting zapped off the planet. But he's not among any of the groups recovered by the humans in this or other issues; in fact, apart from a red herring appearance on the cover of the following issue, he's never seen in the Devil's Due continuity again.

===Covers===
{{picsneeded|alt cover}}
* '''Cover A:''' Features Duke, Optimus Prime, and Snake-Eyes' mech, by Su, Seeley, Pepoy & Smith.
* '''Cover B:''' Features Cobra Commander, Starscream, and Storm Shadow's mech, by Su, Seeley, Pepoy & Smith.
* '''Cover C:''' Wrap-around by [[Michael Ryan]], [[Cory Hamscher]], & Smith. Incentive available to retailers for every ten copies ordered of the regular issues.
* '''Cover D:''' Features Jazz, Sunstreaker, Duke, and Scarlett versus Thundercracker, Misfire, Kickback, and Rumble on Cybertron, by [[Nick Bradshaw]]. Dynamic Forces store exclusive limited to 1200 copies, comes with certificate of authenticity. Also available with silver or blue foil logo.
* '''Cover E:''' Features Stalker, Jazz, and Baroness, by [[Mike Norton]] & Jeremy Roberts. Graham Cracker Comics store exclusive. Also available with black foil logo.
<gallery>
Image:Joetfii 01a.jpg
Image:Devilsdue-joetf2-cover1b.jpg
Image:Joetfii 01c.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''G.I. Joe: Valor vs Venom'' DVD set
* Dreamer Design
* ''Hack/Slash: Girls Gone Dead''
* ''Voltron'' #10
* ''G.I. Joe: Reloaded'' #8
* ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #35
* ''Defex''
* ''Breakdown''
* [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II'' #2]]

===Reprints===
Other than [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II#Collections|collections of the full series]]
*N/A

Call of the Primitives

2018-07-24T17:41:57Z

Kcchia80: /* Quotes */ dash instead of hyphen

{{disambig2|the cartoon episode|the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Legends]]'' event|Call of the Primitives (Legends)}}
{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=91
|series2=2010
|ep2=26
|prev2=Grimlock's New Brain
|next2=The Face of the Nijika
|image=PrimitiveCall.jpg
|caption=Prim and Proper
|title="Call of the Primitives"
|production code=700-112
|airdate=[[November 18]], 1986
|written by=[[Donald F. Glut]]
|directed by=[[Eiji Suganuma]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Unknown Generation 1 animation studios|Unknown]] (See [[Call of the Primitives#Trivia|''Notes'']])
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''All Transformers with animal modes are summoned to battle a being called Tornedron, the little brother of Unicron.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:AutobotsCall.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|They're not dead! Dead is gray. This is white.]]
In an ancient-looking laboratory, a sinister voice describes the process of creation as he brings an energy creature into being: first feeding off flame, then an [[energon cube]], growing in size and power. "[[Tornedron]]" is more than his creator could have hoped; he flies forth into the universe, as his creator gloats that he will succeed where "the other" failed. Touching a comet, Tornedron leaves it dark and bereft of energy. Soon, it attacks [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. The [[Autobot]]s attack it, but it simply drains their energy from them. The creature's creator is pleased with him, saying he's done better than his predecessor, [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]].

[[File:Ejectcall.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Ravage, why are you running away?]]
On [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] is leading a rather badly outnumbered group of Autobots against the [[Decepticon]]s. However, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], and the animal-form [[Mini-Cassette]]s are all summoned by a mysterious voice. They stop fighting and board Trypticon, who—with Sky Lynx alongside him—rockets off into space, leaving behind a puzzled Rodimus and an infuriated [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. As the Decepticons take off in pursuit, Tornedron arrives and drains the energy from the Moon - and the remaining Autobots along with it. Galvatron's Decepticons in space are next, followed by the entire planet Earth.

Aboard Trypticon, it doesn't take long for tempers to flare after [[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]] picks a fight with the Dinobots by insulting [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]. [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] suggests they stomp him. The Preds stick with their teammate and fight the Dinobots, and the Terrorcons decide to fight everyone. At Sky Lynx's suggestion, Trypticon shakes his passengers up a bit to put an end to the squabbling. The group arrives on [[Methuselah|an ancient planet]] near the center of the galaxy. After touching down, Sky Lynx assumes command of the group, despite the objections of [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] and [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]]. Finding a cave, they encounter [[Oracle (G1)|a strange entity]]. He explains that he summoned the [[Primitive]]s, all animal-based Transformers, to come to fight [[Tornedron]], the energy being who was created by [[Primacron]]. The entity, who was once Primacron's assistant, explains how Primacron created Unicron but was nearly destroyed by his creation. After Unicron's defeat, Primacron created Tornedron as a replacement. Primacron's assistant hopes that the Primitives' simple instincts will allow them to defeat Primacon's complex plans.

[[File:Terrorconcall.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|How bright are all these guys? Well, the freaking ''Terrorcons'' were the first and only ones to figure out that shooting the energy creature doesn't work and try something else. So, not real bright.]]
Suddenly, Tornedron arrives and drains Trypticon of his energy. Trypticon crashes, and Grimlock is believed destroyed. Sky Lynx attacks, only to have his energy drained as well. [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] leads the Dinobots in retreat, while the other Primitives split up, believing that Tornedron can't catch up to all of them if they go separate ways. Unfortunately, they prove to be wrong, as Tornedron separates into four parts to track them all down. He easily dispatches the Mini-Cassettes, chewing on [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] in the process. Headstrong declares that it would be better to [[Furmanism|fight and die]], and the Predacons form [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], only to have their energy sucked away as well. The Terrorcons try to fight back, but are also drained. The Dinobots ambush Tornedron, but they too are dispatched. Declaring victory against the Primitives, Primacron orders Tornedron to return [[Protos|home back to his lab]]. Unknown to Tornedron and Primacron, however, Grimlock has survived his impact from Trypticon, and he secretly follows them.

[[File:Tornedroncall.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Two scoops of raisins]]
At his base, Primacron is having trouble controlling Tornedron, ordering him to stop. Tornedron refuses to take any more orders and declares that he intends to feed on Primacron, and that all of Primacron's failsafes have failed, realizing that Tornedron is rebelling against him. Grimlock breaks into Primacron's lab to find that Primacron is a tiny little monkey-like alien...thing. Grimlock grabs Primacron and orders him to reverse his damage, but Primacron declares that he's tried everything. Grimlock fixes things easily: He throws the reverse switch, which reverses Tornedron's energy polarity, destroying Tornedron and restoring the life energy to the drained Transformers and planets of the galaxy. In celebration, Grimlock destroys Primacron's lab, declaring it the "smartest" thing he's ever done.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (15)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (16)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (17)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (19)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (20)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (21)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (22)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (23)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (25)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (26)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (27)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (28)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (29)
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (30)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (31)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (32)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (36)
*[[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] (42)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (43)
}}
|c2=
{{collist|2|
*[[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] (3)
*[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (4)
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (5)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (6)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (7)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (8)
*[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]] (9)
*[[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]] (10)
*[[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (11)
*[[Blot (G1)|Blot]] (12)
*[[Cutthroat (G1)|Cutthroat]] (13)
*[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (14)
*[[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] (18)
*[[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]] (24)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (33)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (34)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (35)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (37)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]] (38)
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (39)
*[[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] (40)
*[[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] (41)
}}
|c4=
*[[Primacron]] (1)
*[[Tornedron]] (2)
*[[Oracle (G1)|The Oracle]] (44)
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] (45)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:CotP-BlasterEject.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Whoops, my barn door's open.]]
"What's with the Dinobots?" 
"I'd say they're losing their minds... ''if'' they had any to lose!"
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' and '''Springer'''

'''Sky Lynx:''' "I'm tracking the waves to the center of the galaxy. Even my advanced technology can't pinpoint the exact destination." 
'''Grimlock:''' "Me Grimlock not know where ''I'' go!" 
'''Headstrong:''' "That's not surprisin'. Grimlock don't know nothin'!"
:— With this crew, it doesn't take much to get a brawl going.

"Now remember, before you do anything, think, 'Is this what Sky Lynx would do in my position?', and you will not go far wrong."
:—'''Sky Lynx's''' sensible instructions to the rest of the Primitives.

[[File:CallofthePrimitives SkyLynx ruetheday.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|So how's that whole 'rue the day' thing workin' out for ya there, Sky Lynx?]]
"Suffer my rage, monster! I will show you no mercy! You will rue the day you crossed Sky—aaahhh!"
:—'''Sky Lynx'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s righteous fury at the deaths of Trypticon and Grimlock.

'''Ramhorn''': Sky Lynx is destroyed! Who will lead us now? 
'''Slag''': I, Slag, lead Dinobots away, till I get better idea. 
'''Hun-Gurrr''': Best idea yet! We run too!
:—Strategy is not their strong suit.

[[File:Predaking primatives.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|He is power. He is fear. He is awe-inspiring might. He is... dead in about 5 seconds.]]
'''Headstrong''': I detest fleeing! I would rather die fighting! 
'''Razorclaw''': He is right! Predacons, unite! 
''[The Predacons combine.]'' 
'''Predaking''': Tornedron... face Predaking! ''To the end!''
:—The Predacons decide that [[Furmanism|it is better to fight and die than live with the knowledge that they ran]].

'''The Oracle''': Only you can save the world now, Grimlock. 
'''Grimlock''': Mm. Me Grimlock feel important.
:—Grimlock discovers it's good to feel needed.

"Grimlock here to save universe!"
:—'''Grimlock''' has an elegantly simple mission statement

"''[chuckles]'' "''You'' are creator?" 
"Unfortunately....yes." 
"Grimlock laugh at little wimp who cause big trouble!"
:—'''Grimlock''', about to give '''Primacron''' a wedgie.

[[File:CallofthePrimitives Grimlock Primacron.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Give me Grimlock your lunch money.]]
'''Grimlock''': Grimlock saved universe! Oh, Grimlock hero!! [Grimlock stomps in victory, causing the place to begin to collapse] 
'''Primacron''': Stop it! You stupid—! 
'''Grimlock''': Why you call Grimlock stupid? 
'''Primacron''': You've ruined my lab! 
'''Grimlock''': Me Grimlock think that is smartest thing I ever done!
:—You know, that probably ''is'' the smartest thing he's ever done.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Primacron.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Grimlock laugh at little wimp who cause big trouble! Unfortunately, so did the audience.]]
[[File:Firecall.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Me Grimlock like 'cons Cajun style!]]
*We get our first official origin story for Unicron, painting him as the creation of an obsessive scientist guy. It's... a bit lackluster, especially considering the demi-god nature of the character depicted in the contemporaneous Marvel UK comics. That god-style origin would carry over into the Marvel US comics in 1989, and later media would use it almost exclusively, quietly ignoring poor Primacron.
*[[Oracle (G1)|Primacron's assistant]] is an enigma. What is supposed to be his essence leaving his body is rather inexplicably portrayed looking just like the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. (This ''might'' be explained as the artist recognizing and replicating the object that killed Unicron at the end of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]], but not knowing it had any deeper connection to the Autobots.)
*"Sweeps 6 and 7" identify themselves at the start of the moon battle, the only time any Sweeps had any sort of individual designation. Fun Publications would later produce toys of these characters.
*The rollcall of known Primitives isn't quite complete, omitting [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. Instead, Soundwave unleashes two new cassette Decepticons: [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]...who are then never seen again. Gee.
*When Grimlock uses his [[flame breath]] on the Predacons and Terrorcons, they start to ''[[Humanization#Coughing|cough]]''...cause that's what you do when you're being hit with fire reaching several hundred degrees.
*This is the first and only time in the cartoon Swoop fires his wing blasters.
*This episode seems to resolidify the Dinobots' position as freakishly powerful (which took a beating in Season 3), as Grimlock alone seems to be a match for three Terrorcons and two Predacons, and the only Autobot sent flying is Swoop, who takes a blast to the chest early on.
*Gadgets and powers:
**Grimlock can fly in T.Rex mode! All his past flying has been done in robot mode, apart from some falling-with-style back in ''Transformers: The Movie''.
**Trypticon fires a laser from his head-mounted gun at Tornedron that takes the form of a series of energy rings. This MIGHT be a visual reference to the "hypno-beam" his [[bio]] traditionally claims he wields, however if it is meant to hypnotize Tornedron, it fails miserably.
*This episode marks the last appearance of the Dinobots, Trypticon, Ravage, [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (he is seen running by in the background during the red alert on Cybertron), and [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] in the western cartoon...bummer.
*Neither the Moon nor Earth are mentioned by name. Nor do we see anything to suggest what happens when the entire planet - and every human being on it - is drained of energy; we may surmise that it's non-fatal.

===Real-world references===
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as Trypticon launches into the moon battle, then again as Sky Lynx takes off to answer the call.
**[[Death Star]] superlaser as Galvatron & co. take off after Trypticon.
**[[Lightsaber]] ignition as Tornedron takes off from Earth.
**Seeker ball bolts as Tornedron starts his attack on Trypticon.
**[[TIE Fighter]] roar from Swoop as the Dinobots flee.
**Lightsabers slashing equipment and sparking as Tornedron takes down the cassette crew, and as he approaches the Terrorcons and Dinobots.

===Animation and technical errors===
"Call of the Primitives" is reknowned for its highly stylized and often very detailed artwork. Many fans regard it as head and shoulders above every other episode in the series (admittedly not a terribly high bar). More objectively, it is one of the least error-prone episodes of the entire show:
*Rodimus's gun doesn't have the usual Prime rifle sound effect.
*In the second overhead shot of the Autobots during the opening battle, Rodimus is missing his (freakin' huge) spoiler.
*When we first see him, Wheelie is missing his Autobot logo.
*When Blades, Slingshot and Wheelie open fire on Tornedron, the first shots are fired before they even raise their weapons.
*As Tornedron in the form of a giant bug steps over the bodies of Blades, Slingshot and Wheelie, its glowing aura is on a lower cel than their bodies, making it appear to pass under them, despite the fact they're lying on the ground.
[[File:Windcharger-COTP01.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|"Look alive, people! Uh, no offense, Windcharger."]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] is seen running around on Cybertron, despite having been killed in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. But hey, that [[Carnage in C-Minor|happens]] [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|all]] [[Prowl (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|the]] [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|time]].
*When the Dinobots are being summoned, [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] is referred to as [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]. In the script, Sweep #6 is given dialogue indicating he hears the call, too: Sweep #6: Someone from -- "up there"! It is unknown whether Donald F. Glut assumed that Sweep(s) would hear the call because they're "Primitives" due to being mostly recycled Insecticons, or because they're creations of Unicron (and thus by extension, creations of Primacron). The animation paired with this line focuses on Swoop and when Galvatron later pursues the "deserters" only Cyclonus and Soundwave are with him. No word on why the Oracle (as it's called in the script), or the writer for that matter, forgot to mention Sludge specifically.
*Galvatron's sporting a red Decepticon [[insignia]] when he calls in Trypticon.
*When Ravage and the other animal Mini-Cassettes eject from Soundwave, Cyclonus is shown several heads taller than Galvatron and Soundwave. While some scale guides ''do'' show him as larger than the average Transformer (reflecting his original role as Galvatron's transport), the cartoon generally shows him about the same height as Galvatron.
*Grimlock's whole neck is supposed to be gold, but the back of it is gray in several shots.
*As Sky Lynx tracks the signal, we see waves of energy expanding out towards him. In the next shot, they're flowing out'' from'' him.
*As the Predacons start firing on the Dinobots while inside Trypticon, one of the glowing effects doesn't quite match up with Headstrong's horn as it should (he moves his horn to the right position a moment later).
[[File:Calloftheprimitives trypticon vs tornedron.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Pictured: wrong sound effect.]]
*Some of the Decepticon Primitives' lasers have the sound effect of Galvatron's cannon. So does Trypticon's laser later on.
*When the Primitives rush to peer over the cliff that Grimlock falls off of, they slide statically into the frame.
*When Sky Lynx tells the Dinobots to find the "alien" a star can be seen on his leg.
*When Tornedron drains Predaking's power and fall over, the Predacons transform back to [[robot mode]]... but the image of Predaking is still there, layered beneath them.
*When Grimlock gets out from under Trypticon, his forearms are huge and his chest looks more boxy than usual.
*Restoring the energy to the Moon also appears to rearrange all the craters.
*When Rodimus' team is restored, Rodimus is lying face up (he was face down), Ultra Magnus' shins are blue instead of white, and Blaster's chest is missing its detailing, switches and Autobot logo.

===Continuity errors===
*Sky Lynx asks Grimlock if he's all right ''as he's falling down a cliff.''

===Trivia===
[[File:Unicroncall.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Where am I from?]]
*The art style in this episode is very different from all others in the Generation 1 series, with highly stylized "anime-like" [[character model]]s and proportions. Although popularly claimed to be, the models are most assuredly ''not'' those designed by [[Studio OX]]; they're simply more stylized versions of the standard animation models, lacking the additional toyetic touches and copious mecha-greeblies found in the OX designs. Since the 1990s, it has widely been believed that this lone episode was animated by [[Tokyo Movie Shinsha]], though no evidence has ever been found to actually confirm this. [[Masami Ōbari]] was popularly cited as the animation director.<ref>{{w|lang=ja|大張正己|Masami Ōbari's Japanese Wikipedia article}}</ref> However, Ōbari was asked on Twitter regarding the episode and he himself did not know! This led to animator [[Eiji Suganuma]] chiming in<ref>https://twitter.com/LandSoda/status/487278887332638721</ref> to say that in fact he was the animation director for the episode and to explain that the money shot of the combined Predaking was animated by [[Shin Matsuo]], who ''was'' a member of Studio OX, and brought much of their artistic aesthetic to the standard animation models, accounting for the widespread assumption that the actual Studio OX character models were used in this episode.

===Foreign localization===
[[File:TVMagazineOverkill.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|"Eject—operation: Understudy."]]

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das geheimnisvolle Orakel'''" ("The Mysterious Oracle")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tornedron'''" (First dub), "'''La chiamata dei primitivi'''" (Second dub, "Call of the Primitives")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' 原始の呼び声 (''Genshi no Yobigoe'', "Primeval Call")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 5]], [[1987]]
:*Episode preview art published in [[TV Magazine]] inexplicably displays [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] as if they were the stars of the episode.
:*In Japanese continuity, the scene where the Primitives encounter the [[Oracle (G1)|Oracle]] is set in the past; apparently, the Primitives arrived there via time travel. This is done to accommodate the idea that the Oracle later evolved into [[Vector Sigma]] and later [[Primus]].
:*A "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment unique to Japan was attached to the end of this episode. The segment focuses on the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. It replaces the original "Secret Files" segment focusing on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s used in the Western broadcast. That segment was never used in the Japanese broadcast of the series.

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zhìzūn Tàijūn'''" (至尊太君, "Supreme Great Lord")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''Transformers'' — Call of the Primitives / The Girl Who Loved Powerglide ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — Fight or Flee / Call of the Primitives (Tempo Video) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — Super Video (Tempo Video)
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — The Best of ''The Transformers'' (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Episodes (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2011 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2014 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/season-3/synopses/700-112.html Episode Dossier at The Cybertron Chronicle]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]

Kevin Pollak

2018-06-25T13:27:30Z

Kcchia80: first TFWiki edit in years is to add a caption from "The Usual Suspects" ... Kevin Pollak page seemed naked without one

[[File:KevinPollak.jpg|right|thumb|300px|What do you got, a team of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|monkeys]] working around the clock on this?]]

'''Kevin Pollak''' (born [[October 30]], [[1957]]) is an American actor. Starting his career as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in the 80's, he has a long, long string of guest roles under his belt.

He's perhaps best known for playing doomed criminal Todd Hockney in ''The Usual Suspects''... or the brownie Rool in ''Willow''. He probably prefers to be known for that first one. He also performed as the voice of Mr. Bell, Drew Carey's almost-wholly-unseen boss in the first season of ''The Drew Carey Show''.

Currently, he hosts and produces ''Kevin Pollak's Chat Show'', a weekly live interview podcast on UStream that's been running since 2009.

==Voice roles==
===Robots in Disguise (2015)===
* [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]]
* [[Tour boat captain]]

==External links==
* [http://www.kevinpollak.tv/ Kevin Pollak's official website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001629/ Kevin Pollak on the IMDB]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Pollak, Kevin}}
[[Category:English voice actors]]
[[Category:Hasbro Studios]]

Skywarp (G1)/toys

2016-01-03T18:33:41Z

Kcchia80: /* Generation 1 */ typo ("Skywarp's began life")

{{suite}}
[[File:G1Skywarp package art.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] has always looked and will always look a lot like [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. There are many [[Starscream (G1)/toys|toys of Starscream]] and where there is a Starscream toy, a Skywarp toy soon follows.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1toy skywarp.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2.2]]
* '''Skywarp''' (Decepticon Jet, 1984/1985)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''23'''
**''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, 2 "Machine Guns", left & right wings, left & right rudders, left & right tail fins, landing gear

: Skywarp began life as a ''[[Diaclone]]'' "Jet Robo", but unlike team-mates [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]], which whom he shares his mold, his distinctive black-and-purple deco did ''not'' originate in that line. Skywarp transforms into an [[wikipedia:F-15 Eagle|F-15 Eagle]] fighter jet, by a process which essentially involves removing and reattaching most of his plane parts. Though it is possible to do so without removing all of them, this rather piecemeal design and the fact that neither mode uses all his parts means it can be quite difficult to find an intact original Skywarp on the secondary market.

:Skywarp is armed with a pair of missile launchers that mount on his arms in robot mode, and under his wings in jet mode, with a pair of specialized projectiles for each. In jet mode, two short rockets are fitted into the launchers to make them resemble the drop tanks a real F-15 carries, while in robot mode, they are replaced with the long barrels of Skywarp's machine guns. The original ''Diaclone'' version of the mold featured spring-loaded firing mechanisms in these launchers; while this feature was removed for the [[Hasbro]] release of the toy, it was left intact for the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] version, and all subsequent reissues.
[[File:Redeco.jpg|left|thumb]]
:While the earliest releases of Skywarp were basically identical to the ''Diaclone'' mold, some small modifications were soon made to the figure which became the standard for all subsequent reissues of the mold. These included the hollowing out of the inner edges of his wings and the tips of his tail-wings, the lengthening of the pegs on his wings, and the addition of extra clips on the inner sides of his fist-gauntlets, allowing them to grip his arms better but creating a visible slit on them. Like all his 1984 brethren, Skywarp gained a factory-applied [[rubsign]] in 1985, which was added to the left side of his fuselage.

:For some reason, the stats on Skywarp's, Starscream's and Thundercracker's [[Tech Spec]]s were switched around. Skywarp's box was given Starscream's numbers, giving him a high intelligence and rank that stood in contrast to the bio printed next to them.

:Early Hasbro stock photos of Skywarp (left) show him with a plastic purple nosecone. This was changed to a soft, black rubber nosecone when the toy was actually released. However, a [http://tfarchive.com/toys/articles/toypics/mex_skywarp.jpg Mexican variant] retained the purple plastic nosecone. The same stock photos also show him with purple launchers with black triggers and muzzle rings, black feet, black shins, black outer arm panels, purple horizontal stabilizers, and both sets of purple missiles. These stock photos were also later used to promote Takara's 2001 reissue (see below).

:This mold was [[redeco]]ed into [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] and retooled to make [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]].

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-decepticon-jets-skywarp/339/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Skywarp at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Skywarp/skywarp.htm More information on Generation 1 Skywarp at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Machine Wars===
[[File:MWSkywarp.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|After his near-fatal encounter with the Invert Colors function.]]
* '''Skywarp''' (Basic, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' 2 rifle halves
: Sharing a mold once again with [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]], Skywarp transforms into a white [[wikipedia:Rafale|Dassault Rafale]] fighter jet with spring-loaded one-step transformation from jet to robot. The two halves of his rifle store in his lower legs. Like all ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' toys, Skywarp was an [[exclusive]] to Kay-Bee stores and related stores like Toy Liquidators.

: This mold is also used by ''[[Beast Wars II (toyline)|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirge]], [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Skyfire (RID)|Skyfire]], ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' [[Wingstun]] and ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]. The toy was repurposed as the [[Skywarp drone]]s.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Decepticon/Skywarp/skywarp.htm ''More information on ''Machine Wars'' Skywarp at TFU.info'']

{{-}}

===Collector's Edition===
{{anchor|collectorsedition}}[[File:G1toy reissue skywarp.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
* '''Skywarp''' (reissue, 2001)
**''ID number:'' '''Set C'''
**''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, 2 "Machine Guns", left & right wings, left & right rudders, left & right tail fins, landing gear
:The original Skywarp toy was reissued for the first time in 2001 as part of Takara's small "[[Collector's Edition]]" series, which made several Generation 1 toys available as convention [[exclusive]]s. Sold in new open-faced packaging with no notable changes from the original figure, Skywarp was an exclusive at the Japanese science fiction convention "Super Festival 21", available only in a set with Thundercracker and limited to 1000 pieces. The pair are often mistakenly identified as [[e-HOBBY]] exclusives.

::*''[http://shmax.com/part_details/3487 More information on Collector's Edition Skywarp at Shmax.com]''
{{-}}

===Commemorative Series===
[[File:G1-toy SkywarpCommSeries.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|The Commemorative Series retooled Skywarp. Robot mode... that's okay. Jet? Not so much.]]
* '''Skywarp''' (reissue, 2003)
**''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, 2 "Machine Guns", left & right wings, left & right rudders, left & right tail fins, landing gear

:The original Skywarp toy was made available again as part of Hasbro's line of [[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]] reissues. Released in the fourth wave of the series, it featured functional missile launchers for the first time on a Hasbro version of the toy, but because the launchers now worked, both sets of missiles had to be lengthened [[for safety reasons]]. His machine guns didn't turn out ''too'' bad; the missiles didn't fare so well. Rather than correct the erroneous Tech Spec numbers from Skywarp's original release, this reissue retained them and instead features a slightly re-written bio to remove the contradictions.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Decepticon/CSSkywarp/skywarp.htm More information on Commemorative Series Skywarp TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Universe (2003)===
[[File:TFU03-toy Skywarp.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Like [[Mirage (BM)|Mirage]], except he can fly.]]
* '''Skywarp''' (Deluxe, 2003)
**''Accessories:'' 2 missiles

:''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Skywarp is a redeco of ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] in his Generation 1 colors. He transforms into a Cybertronic fighter jet, armed with two spring-loaded projectile launchers that can fire orange "energon" bolts. These launchers end up in his arms in robot mode. He has a third robot mode that collapses the legs around the cockpit (oh hush), with flip-out panels revealing an extra pair of thrusters. His [[spark]] crystal, revealed by flipping the purple hatch on his back, has a Decepticon [[insignia]] [[tampograph]]ed on top of it.

:Although most previous versions of the mold have the wingtips swept forward in vehicle mode, Skywarp was packaged and depicted in his instructions with the wingtips swept back. His fictional appearances, however, use the conventional arrangement shown here.

:Skywarp was also used to make ''Beast Machines'' [[Aero Drone|Sonic Attack Jet]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Storm Jet (RID)|Storm Jet]], and ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Jhiaxus (RID)|Jhiaxus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Decepticon/Skywarp/skywarp.htm More information on Universe Skywarp at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[File:Smallest transforming skywarp.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
* '''Skywarp''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GTF X-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, 2 missile launchers, left & right wings, left & right tailfins, landing gear

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' product, Skywarp is, of course, a redeco of this line's Starscream. Like all toys in the series, he is a tiny, simplified version of the original Generation 1 toy, transforming into an F-15 fighter jet, with most of the accessories from the original toy faithfully translated save for his machine guns. As with all previous waves of ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'', these figures were sold [[blindpacking|blindpacked]], with Skywarp as one of the wave's two rare [[chase figure]]s

: This mold was redecoed into ''Smallest Transforming'' Thundercracker, and retooled to make Thrust.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Destron/SmallestSkywarp/skywarp.htm ''More information on Smallest Transforming Transformers Skywarp at TFU.info'']

===Robotmasters===
[[File:RMSkywarp toy.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Now with the proper articulation for down-stair-pushing.]]
* '''Skywarp & Thundercracker''' (Multi-pack, 2005)
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Machine Guns"

: ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' Skywarp is a redeco of [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] from the same series, a smaller yet more advanced version of the original toy, adding more articulation and reducing the amount of [[Partformer|part-forming]] required. He was available only in a two-pack with [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]], which also came with a Decepticon sigil pin and chromed missile pods. This set was the very last product released in the ''Robotmasters'' line and wasn't even strictly sold in a box from that series; instead, it used an [[e-HOBBY]] Generation 1 reissue box, with a small ''Robotmasters'' sticker in the corner tab noting its origin from the front.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/Skywarp/skywarp.htm ''More information on Robotmasters Skywarp at TFU.info'']

{{-}}
===Classics (2006)===
[[File:Class06-toy Skywarp.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Ultra Magnus isn't pictured because he was just pushed-well, you know.]]
* '''Ultra Magnus vs Skywarp: Battle For Autobot City''' (Multi-pack, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Left & right missile launchers, 2 missiles

: ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Skywarp is a Target-[[exclusive]] redeco and slight retool of ''Classics'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Classics (2006)|Starscream]], transforming into an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-15 Eagle fighter jet]], though with a canopy like that of an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-14 Tomcat]]. He comes with a pair of spring-loaded missile launchers that can be mounted on his biceps or used as hand-held weapons in robot mode and can attach under his wings in vehicle mode. As with most ''Classics'' toys, he also features a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

: Skywarp was slightly [[retool]]ed from the earlier Starscream figures. The retool is present in the jet intake area. The slope of his shoulders was decreased from Starscream's, and a fifth rectangle was added to the vertical area. This retooled version was used for all subsequent releases of the mold, and was also used as a [[Variant#Running change|running change]] on Starscream.

: He was only available as part of a two-pack with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Classics|Ultra Magnus]]. The set's price was $19.99, despite including both a Voyager Class and Deluxe Class mold in it, which would be approximately $30 worth of toys if they had been sold separately. He was also available in Woolworth stores throughout the United Kingdom.

: [[Stock photography]] of ''Classics'' Skywarp showed [[:File:Classics Skywarp toy.jpg|a more detailed color scheme]] than the actual released figure. Much like ''Classics'' Ultra Magnus, the changes were most likely due to an overabundance of [[paint operation]]s. This more detailed version was shown at [[BotCon 2006]], and at least one sample found its way to a collector's hands. The sample also used the original Starscream mold, and not the retooled version mentioned above.
{{ClassicsSeekerMold}}
::*[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/ClassicsSkywarp/skywarp.htm ''More information on Classics Skywarp at TFU.info'']
{{-}}

===Masterpiece===
{{MPSeekerMold}}

[[File:MP-6 Skywarp.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Takara finally remembered what colors the Seekers are supposed to be.]]
* '''Skywarp''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-6'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Machine Guns", 2 AIM missile racks, Doctor Arkeville pilot, Megatron Gun clasp, display stand

: ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Skywarp was released in Japan in September of 2007. He is a redeco of the ''Masterpiece'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Starscream]] mold in black, gray, silver, and purple, though the purple and silver are more minimal than usual. Skywarp is able to switch between a minimally retooled stoic face and a new snarly face, retooled from Starscream's previous smirk. The tiny [[Doctor Arkeville]] pilot figurine (this time molded black) is also included, as well as a clasp for jet mode Skywarp to hold the gun mode Megatron that came with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Masterpiece Convoy/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime]].

[[File:MPSkywarp stickers.jpg|upright=1.1|left|thumb|Sadly, no stair-pusher sticker.]]
: The sticker sheet includes Skywarp-esque stripes, as well as several whimsical squadron markings.

:The second pressing of ''Masterpiece'' Skywarp (released in October 2008) features an assembly error: his left and right pectorals are flipped. This misassembly does not affect transformation at all, and is really only noticeable when compared to prior ''Masterpiece'' Seekers. The September 2007 pressing of ''Masterpiece'' Skywarp is assembled correctly. ''Masterpiece'' Thundercracker is misassembled as well.

:It is a common misconception that the stoic face on Takara's ''Masterpiece'' Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker are the same, when all of them are in fact different sculpts.

:This mold was later used for the ''Masterpiece'' version of [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Thundercracker]]. It was also redecoed and retooled to create the eleventh ''Masterpiece'' figure, [[Starscream (G1)/toys#MP11|Starscream]].

{{-}}{{anchor|Masterpiece11SW}}
[[File:MP-11SW Skywarp.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Just to fool you into thinking that there isn't a third Masterpiece Seeker mold being developed.]]
* '''Skywarp''' ([[January 5|01-05-]]2015)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-11SW'''
***''Accessories:'' [[Megatron (G1)/toys#MP11SW|Megatron Gun]], Doctor Arkeville pilot

:A redeco of the newer ''Masterpiece'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#MP11|MP-11 Starscream]] mold, Skywarp features some extensive retooling to wind the ''Masterpiece'' Seeker design back into the more Generation 1-accurate look, with most of the robot mode being newly tooled parts, including chunkier legs that now incorporate his tail-fins, [[retool]]ed shoulders and wingtips that no longer curve into one another, a new head (with collapsible head fins), new heel spurs that flip out for added support in robot mode, and re-engineered Machine Guns attached to extending armatures that mean they no longer have to be [[Partformer|removed]] for transformation.

:The figure features flip-up missile racks built into his pectorals. He comes with the original version of the Megatron gun that first came with ''Masterpiece'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]]. He also comes with a Doctor Arkeville pilot figure identical to the previous MP-6 release.

:Skywarp's deco is heavily based on his cartoon appearance and features the rarely reproduced in toy form entirely purple shoulders and arm cannons. Despite the focus on cartoon accuracy in his deco, he carries over the striping on his forearms, shoulders, and pectorals similar to his original MP-6 Masterpiece release.

:Skywarp was only released in China via Hasbro Asia under the TakaraTomy label; marking the second time an original TakaraTomy Masterpiece toy wasn't released for the Japanese market ([[Megatron (G1)/toys#MasterpieceGoldMegs|Masterpiece Megatron Gold Version]] was the first).

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[File:Titanium-toy WWSkywarp.JPG|right|upright=1.67|thumb]]
*'''War Within Skywarp''' ([[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2008 exclusive)

: [[Titanium Series]] ''[[War Within (toyline)|War Within]]'' Skywarp is a redeco of [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Thundercracker]], transforming into a Cybertronian "tetrajet" as reimagined by [[Don Figueroa]]. As with all 6-inch Titanium Cybertron Heroes, he is constructed mostly of fully painted die-cast metal. He was available only at [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] after the Titanium line had already been cancelled, and also Hasbro Toy Shop's booth at [[wikipedia:San Diego Comic-Con|San Diego Comic-Con]] 2008.

: This mold was also used to make ''War Within'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Starscream]], [[Sunstorm (G1)#Titanium Series|Sunstorm]], and [[Thrust (G1)#Titanium Series|Thrust]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/SDCCSkywarp/skywarp.htm ''More information on Titanium Skywarp at TFU.info'']
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[File:Henkei Skywarp.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Good Luck finding me.]]
*'''Skywarp''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' 2 missile launchers (left and right), 2 missiles

: ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Skywarp is a [[Toy Hobby Market]] exclusive redeco of ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]. Skywarp and his fellow [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]] were opened for pre-order on [[May 22]]nd through [[June 20]], and mailed out in September 2008.

:Soon after release, there were numerous complaints from both Japanese and Western collectors about the poor quality control for both Thundercracker and Skywarp. Skywarp's most common fault was missing paint for one of his shoulders. Some reported both toys suffering misassembly issues such as having two left or two right thighs.

:Several minor changes were made to this mold for this release. The holes for his missile launchers in his arms were widened, as were the launcher's insertion pegs. The wing's missile launcher insertion points were lengthened and are now curved at the end. The last rectangle on his air intakes, was further modified from the [[Transformers: Classics|Classics]] version this time the bottom most rectangle goes completely across the air intake's surface rather than just the center. ''Henkei! Henkei!'' Thundercracker and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Starscream also saw most of these changes.

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008-toy MasterpieceSkywarp.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67]]
*'''Masterpiece Skywarp''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Machine Guns", 2 missile racks, Doctor Arkeville pilot figurine, gun clip, two-piece display stand
: A [[Walmart]] exclusive redeco of the original ''Masterpiece'' Starscream mold. Just like Starscream, Skywarp is able to switch between two different faces. This release uses the Starscream's stoic and smirking alternate faces rather than the Takara ''Masterpiece'' Skywarp's newly-tooled stoic and snarling faces. Hasbro designer [[Joe Kyde]] felt the alternate snarling face did not fit Skywarp's prankster personality, so he went with the Starscream smirk face instead when designing the deco for Hasbro's release. As a result of gang molding, Skywarp also uses Starscream's stoic face, the decision being the difference between Skywarp and Starscream's stoic face was negligible enough not to make a significant difference. The toy also features a more G1 toy styled deco rather than cartoon-based, particularly in the yellow eye color and wing stripes. His purple more closely matches that of the original toy than the purple used on the Takara version, and features a lighter flat black, like the original toy, instead of Takara's darker glossy black. The Hasbro version replaces some of the dark gray of the Takara version with a dark silver, removes the arm and chest striping, but adds additional red detailing, while removing some as well. Much like Hasbro's Starscream, he does not feature any of the warning or slogan tampographs, but features tampographed striping, Decepticon symbols, and some additional paint details not present on the Takara version. The nosecone features black paint over purple plastic, allowing for easy customization of "Mexican Masterpiece Skywarp".
: The tiny Doctor Arkeville pilot figurine (molded in black with no paint applications) is also included, as well as a clasp for jet mode Skywarp to hold the gun mode Megatron that came with ''Masterpiece'' Convoy/20th Anniversary Optimus Prime and a stand (featuring Skywarp's name) with a support beam for jet or robot mode.
: Masterpiece Skywarp was also available as an Argos exclusive in the [[United Kingdom]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/MPSkywarp/skywarp.htm ''More information on Masterpiece Skywarp at TFU.info'']
{{-}}
===Encore===
{{anchor|encore}}
[[File:G1toy encore skywarp thundercracker.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Skywarp & Thundercracker''' (reissue multi-pack, 2008)
**''ID number'' '''11'''
**''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, 2 "Machine Guns", left & right wings, left & right rudders, left & right tail fins, landing gear

:Skywarp's original toy was reissued again as part of TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' series, this time in a two-pack with his erstwhile partner, Thundercracker. This release of the figure replaced his Decepticon symbol stickers with [[tampograph]]s, and changed his purple stickers to a much bluer shade. Curiously, although Thundercracker's wing stripes were replaced with tampographs, Skywarp's remained factory-applied stickers.

{{-}}
===Alternity===
[[File:Alternity skywarp toy.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Mortal minds cannot even comprehend the four-dimensional hyperstairs he can push you down.]]
*'''Skywarp Witch Purple Pearl''' ([[May 29|5/29]]/2010)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''A-04'''

:Skywarp is a [[retool]] of the simultaneously released ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Alternity|Starscream]] with a new head, transforming into a licensed 1:32 scale [[wikipedia:Mitsuoka Orochi|Mitsuoka Orochi]]. Like the other toys in the line, he features [[die-cast]] metal parts and rubber tires, as well as an opening hood, trunk and doors. This is also currently the only ''Alternity'' mold to feature [[Kibble#"Faux-parts"|a fake kibble chest]].

:In car mode, small wings are ''supposed to'' be able to flip out from under Skywarp's rear wheels, giving him the appearance of a flying car. Unfortunately, this [[gimmick]] suffers from a rather nasty [[design flaw]]: there is simply not enough clearance under the car for the wheels to be able to pass and hinge through, and attempting to do so will result in the plastic reinforcement struts underneath ''deforming the rims and chipping the tires''. His door panels also tend to detach from their [[ball joint]]s ''very easily''.

:This mold, with Skywarp's head, was also used to make [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Alternity|Thundercracker]] and [[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Alternity|Banzai-Tron]].

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2010/Destron/Skywarp/skywarp.htm ''More information on Alternity Skywarp at TFU.info'']
{{-}}

===Chronicle===
[[File:EZCollectionSkywarpToy.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Teleports right out of your pocket.]]
*'''Skywarp''' (EZ Collection, 2011)
:''[[Transformers Chronicle|Chronicle]]'' Skywarp is a redeco of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|''Transformers'' (2010)]] ''[[Reveal the Shield]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Transformers .282010.29|Starscream]]. He transforms into an F-15 with many fuselage details borrowed from the Masterpiece version. This is also the first Seeker mold in many years to attempt an entirely new transformation, with the arms now forming the rear of the jet and the legs folding under the wings. Skywarp was available only in Japan, and like many Japanese "EZ Collection" toys, was [[blindpacking|blindpacked]].

:This mold was also used to make ''Chronicle'' Thundercracker.

{{-}}

===Bot Shots===
[[Image:Bot Shots Skywarp.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]
*'''Skywarp''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''B016'''
***''Fist strength'': '''620'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''160'''
***''Sword strength'': '''830'''

: Part of the fifth wave of ''[[Bot Shots (toyline)|Bot Shots]]'' Series 1 single-packs, Skywarp is a [[redeco]]/[[retool]] of the [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Bot Shots|Starscream]] mold, being cast in black and purple in [[homage]] to Generation 1 [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and featuring a new chest and scowling head. He transforms into a tiny [[super deformed]] jet fighter resembling [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#F-22 Raptor|F-22 Raptor]], and [[Autotransformation|autotransforms]] into robot mode when his nosecone is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/BSSkywarp/skywarp.htm More information on Bot Shots Skywarp at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SuperBot}}
[[Image:BStoy-SuperBotSkywarp.jpg|thumb|right|300px|And he's still scowling.]]
*'''Skywarp''' (2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': ''' Super Bot 003'''
***''Fist strength'': '''510'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''180'''
***''Sword strength'': '''925'''

: Part of the third wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2 single-packs, Super Bot Skywarp is a new mold, transforming into a futuristic forward-swept wing fighter jet with two blasters at the front. As a Flip Shot, an impact to the front of his vehicle mode causes him to flip up when autotransforming. As a Super Bot, he has more lopsided stats, and is cast in translucent purplish-black plastic.

:He was later redecoed into [[Starscream (G1)/toys#FlipShotLauncher|Flip Shot Launcher Starscream]]. Yup, Skywarp came first.

===United===
[[File:United Skywarp toy.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Close but no cigar.]]
* '''Seekers: Aces''' ([[December 21]], 2012)
**''Accessories:'' Left & right launchers, 2 missiles
:''[[Transformers United|United]]'' Skywarp is a third redeco of the ''Classics'' Starscream mold, and the first time he is offered with both of his wing mates [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]].
: This version of Skywarp is heavily based on his cartoon appearance. He features a glossy black, a medium warm purple, shiny metallic purple paint on most of his purple plastic, and an amber cockpit. Paint operations found on the Henkei! Henkei! release were shuffled around for the sake of cartoon accuracy, up to and including purple shoulders.
: Original photos of Skywarp showed him with show-accurate all purple arm cannons, but due to gang molding (and lack of additional paint operations) only the upper most portion of his arm cannons ended up purple.
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-Thrilling30Skywarp.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Skywarp''' (Deluxe, 2014)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #012'''
**''Accessories'': Two assault cannons, tail-fin

:Part of the eighth wave of [[2012]]-onwards ''Generations'' Deluxe Class toys, ''Thrilling 30'' Skywarp is a redeco of ''Generations: [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' [[Starscream (WFC)#Generations|Starscream]], and transforms into a Cybertronian jet fighter. He comes with two spinning, triple-barreled cannons which can combine to form a larger hand-held weapon that is geared to spin its two triple-barrels together, and resembles the [[Neutron assault rifle]] from ''Fall of Cybertron''. Each of the weapon halves features two [[5mm post]]s, as well as a peg-hole on their hollow sides, while the combined form features another peg-hole at the top, but makes the peg-holes on the hollow sides inaccessible. Skywarp features numerous 5mm peg-holes, such as his hands, forearms, lower legs, and wing undersides.
:Skywarp's tail-fin is attached via a 5mm post on its underside, and can be detached to reveal three additional peg-holes, with two of these peg-holes being just the right distance to accommodate the combined assault cannons/rifle, with the tail-fin pegging on the rifle's top peg-hole. This allows the weapon to mount on top of the vehicle mode, and store on his back in robot mode.

:Skywarp is minimally mis-transformed in-package: his jet mode nosecone is extended, rather than folded in as it should be in robot mode. He comes packaged with a copy of [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s [[Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|''Robots in Disguise'' #23]].

:Despite using a mold matching [[Skywarp (WFC)|Skywarp]]'s appearance in ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]'', this toy ''technically'' represents G1 Skywarp, thanks to his [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] pack-in fiction. Consequently, the toy is listed in the former's page as a [[repurposing]]. This toy was used as ''[[Transformers Cloud|Cloud]]'' Skywarp's initial appearance and was redecoed into TakaraTomy ''Fall of Cybertron'' Skywarp and ''Generations Thrilling 30'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Thrilling30|Thundercracker]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Decepticon/GenSkywarp/skywarp.htm More information on ''Generations'' Skywarp at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|CWLegends}}
[[File:CombinerWarsLegendsSkywarp.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Skywarp''' (Legends, 2015)
**''Accessories:'' 2 cannons

:A redeco of ''Thrilling 30'' Legends Class [[Starscream (G1)/toys#GenLegends|Starscream]], ''[[Combiner Wars]]'' Skywarp is roughly the same size as a ''[[Cyberverse]]'' Commander Class toy. Based on a [[Guido Guidi]] [[Seeker (body-type)|seeker]] concept for the [[The Transformers (IDW)|first IDW ongoing series]], he transforms from a hybrid F-15/F-22 style jet. He features a fold out front landing gear, [[5mm post|5mm-compatible]] hands, and back/wings, and has [[C joint|3mm-compatible]] upper arm ports. He comes with two removable cannons that have [[5mm post#Multiple posts and double posting|both 5mm and 3mm pegs]].

: This figure was also used to make ''Thrilling 30'' [[Acid Storm (G1)#Generations|Acid Storm]] and ''Combiner Wars'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#CWLegends|Thundercracker]].

{{-}}

{{anchor|CWLeader}}
[[File:CWLeaderSkywarp.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2.2|And Warper Makes Three.]]
*'''Skywarp''' (Leader, 2016)
**''Accessories:'' Missile launcher, missile, 2 arm cannons, 2 leg cannons, 2 "Seeker guns"

:Skywarp is a redeco of ''Generations Combiner Wars'' Leader [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. He transforms from a robot into a jet fighter, and includes a missile launcher and four limb-mounted weapons, plus two guns based on the traditional Seeker arm rifles. He also features a faux cockpit.

:Skywarp does not include the original Jetfire mold's "Turbo Thruster" booster pack accessory, but is still compatible with it.

This mold was also used to make ''Combiner Wars'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]. The original version of this mold was used to make ''Generations'' [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]].
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{--}}

===Hero Mashers===
* '''Megatron''' (Battle Upgrade, 2014)
**''Pieces: '''14'''
: Part of the first wave of battle upgrade Hero Mashers toys, [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Hero Mashers|Megatron]] is a non-transforming robot who is chock full of weaponry. He includes an Energon flail, a ''massive'' projectile launching fusion cannon, and a backpack with removable missile packs. His parts can be removed and swapped out with any other Hero Mashers toy.

:He also includes Skywarp's arm which is a repaint of [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Hero Mashers|Starscream]]'s.

===Transformers (2014)===
{{anchor|2014legion}}
[[File:Transformers-2014-legion-skywarp.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Skywarp''' (Legion Class, 2015)
:Legion Class Skywarp is yet another redeco of ''Reveal the Shield'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] Starscream, which features the retooled wings and hands originally created for [[Transformers: Generations#Asian market exclusives ("GDO")|''Generations'' GDO]] Legends Class [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Legends|Thundercracker]]. Aside from that, the figure's deco is mostly identical to [[#Chronicle|the ''Chronicle EZ Collection'' figure]] listed above, although the purple [[paint operation]]s sport a more blue hue, the purple paint operations on his shins are omitted entirely, and the [[tampograph]]ed Decepticon insignias on the wings are purple with silver outlines rather than completely silver.<ref name="2014legion">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-feedback/1040836-classic-legion-skywarp.html Review of 2014 Legion Class Skywarp] at TFW2005, including a comparison with ''EZ Collection'' Skywarp.</ref>

:Skywarp comes in packaging that is based on the packaging design for the concurrently released ''Combiner Wars''-era ''Generations'' figures, but replaces the name ''Generations'' with "Authentic Transformers". Since Skywarp and his [[wave]]-mates ship with three figures previously released under what we consider a generic [[Transformers (2014 toyline)|''Transformers'' (2014) toy line]], all of them now in the new packaging style, we consider Skywarp to be part of that line as well. The wave that contains Skywarp has thus far been found at Fred's, Gordmans, Dollar General and Family Dollar stores in the United States, but was available at general retail in Hong Kong and from Australian Target stores.

===Cloud===
*'''Hellwarp''' ([[March 21|3-21]]-2015)
**''ID number:'' '''TFC-D04'''
**''Accessories:'' 1 missile

: Hellwarp is a black, purple and grey [[redeco]] of [[Transformers: Generations|''Generations'']] Voyager-class [[Sky-Byte (RID)#Generations|Sky-Byte]] as a both roundabout and direct homage to [[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|''Beast Wars II'']] [[Starscream (BWII)|Hellscream]]. He transforms into a bio-mechanical great white shark and is armed with a gear-activated spinning claw weapon that can fire a missile. His [[beast mode]] articulation consists of an opening mouth and a tail that moves up and down. There is a hexagonal peghole underneath him which is compatible with some collector display stands. As with the rest of the ''Cloud'' Decepticons, Hellwarp is an [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive, and he comes with the "[[TFC-D04]]" comic.

===Q-Transformers===
[[File:QTransformers Skywarp.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|]]
*'''Skywarp''' ([[September 19|9-19]]-2015)
**''ID number:'' '''QT-30'''

:A redeco and minor retool of ''[[Q-Transformers]]'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|Starscream]], Skywarp transforms from a [[super deformed]] F-15 to a cute chubby little robot. His facial expression has been changed from Starscream's smirk into a crazy grin.

:This mold was also retooled into ''Q-Transformers'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|Thundercracker]] and [[Jetfire (G1)#Q-Transformers|Jetfire]].

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
[[File:Decoy skywarp.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Mini-wave in celebration of me! WooOOoo!]]
*'''Destron Hero Collection 22''' (multi-pack, 1986)

:Skywarp was among the many characters rendered by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] as part of their series of 1.5" ''keshigomu'' figurines. Like all the Decepticons in the series, Skywarp was molded in soft purple rubber, and 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 is, surprisingly enough, ''not'' identical to either Starscream or Thundercracker: the stance of his legs and the position of his Decepticon symbols differ, but he is, of course, most prominently distinguished by his raised arms.

:Skywarp was available as part of a 22-piece box set of Decepticon figures, in a peach coloration randomly packed in several box sets and with other products produced by Takara subsidiary [[Seven]], and in a wide variety of colours in "gachapon" capsule machines.

*'''Skywarp''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''33'''

: The Skywarp 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 (33, in Skywarp's case). Like all Decepticon Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], and was, very early on in the promotion, available in an alternate red coloration that was only packed in with the Throttlebots. Unsurprisingly, this red figurine is much rarer.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Decoys/Skywarp/skywarp.htm More information on Decoy Skywarp at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Super Collection Figure===
[[File:SCF skywarp.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]
* '''Skywarp''' (Lucky Draw figure, 2001)

: ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' Skywarp is a non-transforming three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine, [[redeco]]ed from ''SCF'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]]. Limited to 200 pieces, he was only available as the second place prize in a [[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]] contest held in conjunction with the first edition of ''[[Transformers Generations]]'' (with the "[[Starscream (G1)/toys#SecretStarscream|Secret Starscream]]" toy as the first place prize). Due to the bankruptcy of the ''Transformers: Generations'' publisher, [[Keibunsha]], it is unknown whether the Japanese version of Skywarp was ever actually sent out or not.

: This mold was also used to make ''Super Collection Figure'' [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys|Thundercracker]] and ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' (see below) Starscream, Thundercracker, [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] and the [[Air Warrior]]s.

{{-}}

===Heroes of Cybertron===
[[File:HOC skywarp.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]
* '''Skywarp''' (2002)
: When the ''Super Collection Figure'' line was brought to the US as ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'', Skywarp was widely released as part of the first wave. As was the standard for the line, Skywarp was made from translucent red plastic that was mostly painted over, giving him [[light-piping|light-piped]] eyes. In addition, he is distinguished from his ''Super Collection Figure'' counterpart by grey knee-vents and black foot-panels, versus the respetive purple and grey applications on the original (though several samples of the figure were missing the foot-panel paint, including the one shown at the TFU link below).
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Decepticon/HoCSkywarp/skywarp.htm More information on Heroes of Cybertron Skywarp at TFU.info]''

* '''Skywarp''' (2003)
: ''Heroes of Cybertron'' Skywarp was re-released in a six-pack of figures available exclusively at [[OTFCC 2003]]. He came packaged with the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' versions of Starscream and Thundercracker, and three exclusive [[Air Warrior]]s, all six mounted in their own individual bubbles on one large card.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Decepticon/OTFCCSkywarp/skywarp.htm More information on 3H's Heroes of Cybertron Skywarp at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Legends of Cybertron===
* '''Skywarp''' (2004, unreleased)

[[File:OTFCCSkywarp.jpg|thumb|Doesn't so much teleport as not exist in the first place.]]

: A redeco of ''Mega Super Figure Collection'' G1 Starscream (minus the extra coronation accessories), Skywarp was to be among the first of the fan club exclusives offered by [[BotCon#BotCon history|OTFCC]] as well as the first in their ''Legends of Cybertron'' line. The figure was delayed and never saw a full release due to [[3H Productions|3H Enterprises]] losing the license to run the official Transformers fan club. At least a couple of sample versions were produced, of those most (but not all) had the open-palm hands and the hand wielding Megatron in gun mode painted blue rather than the correct purple.

{{canceledtoy}}

{{-}}

===Palisades===
[[File:PalisadesSkywarp.jpg|thumb|Decepticon on a stick! Get yer Decepticon on a stick!]]
* '''Skywarp''' (Palisades, 2005)

:A ''SmallBluePlanet''-exclusive redeco of the Starscream statue, Skywarp is a six inch tall polystone statue with articulated head and arms. He can stand normally or use a stand to take on a "hovering" pose. Skywarp was limited to 300 pieces, and sculpted by [[3L Creation Group]] from a design by [[George Tremarco]].

: This mold was also used to make Thundercracker and the Ghost of Starscream.

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
[[File:G1Skywarp-atx.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
*'''Skywarp''' (Booster, <s>2007</s>)

: Skywarp was among the planned ''Transformers [[Attacktix]]'' game pieces that were showed at some conventions, but went unreleased as the line was canceled. He was to be a [[retool]] of sorts of the similarly unreleased ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], using the same weapon and base but a brand new jet mold. Skywarp would've been able to detach from his base and fly on a string, enabling him to get better shots at opposing pieces. Any other details about his role in the game are unknown.

{{canceledattacktix}}

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[File:Robot Hero Skywarp.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Clearly just after shoving Starscream down a flight of stairs.]]
* '''Decepticon Sneak Attack''' (2007)

: Skywarp is one of the five exclusive figures in Wal-Mart's "Decepticon Sneak Attack" set, alongside [[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys|Cliffjumper]], [[Mirage (G1)|holographic Mirage]] and "Supermetal Finish" versions of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]]. He's a black and purple redeco of Starscream, yes. His left hand's for pushing you down stairs, his right fist's for pumping the air in victory. Sweet, sweet stair-based victory.

: This mold was also used to make Thundercracker.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/RHWMSkywarp/skywarp.htm More information on Robot Heroes Skywarp at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[File:3DBattleCard Skywarp.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]
*'''Skywarp''' (2007)

: A 25-point "uncommon" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Skywarp "transforms" into a black and purple jet. He uses the same parts layout as [[Transformers (film)|Movie]] [[Starscream (Movie)/toys|Starscream]], [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]], [[Thundercracker (Movie)|Thundercracker]] and [[Jetfire (Movie)|Jetfire]], along with [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Classic Starscream]] and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. In addition to his standard abilities such as teleportation, one of Skywarp's weapons is the obscure [[bouncer bomb]], which he used only once in the cartoon episode "[[The Immobilizer]]".
{{--}}
===Transformers Mini-Busts===

[[File:DST08 SkywarpBust.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
*'''Skywarp''' (San Diego Comic-Con exclusive, 2008)
:Retooled and redecoed from [[Art Asylum]]'s Starscream mini-bust, this statue depicts Skywarp in mid-teleport via translucent purple extremities. He was offered exclusively by [[Diamond Select Toys]] through the Action Figure Xpress booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2008, limited to 400 pieces.
{{--}}
===The Loyal Subjects===
[[File:TLS skywarp.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]
*'''Skywarp''' (2014)
**''Accessories:'' Gun
:Skywarp was one of the chase figures in the second wave of 3-inch tall [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] vinyl figurines produced by [[The Loyal Subjects]]. Featuring eight ball-jointed points of articulation. Unlike the other [[1984]] style Seekers, a Skywarp is not a redeco of the Starscream and Thundercracker figurine from the first wave (who were later redecoed to create the [[Rainmaker]] trio and [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]), but an all new mold with different construction and parts than his predecessors. He is slightly larger than the other '84 Seekers and features more moving parts. He does share some parts with the simultaneously released [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], and fellow chase figure [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]. For every 96 figures from wave 2 of The Loyal Subjects, there is 1 Skywarp.
::*''[https://www.theloyalsubjects.com/store/transformers-series-2-bundle-8 More information on Skywarp and the rest of wave 2 at TheLoyalSubjects.com]
{{-}}

===D-Style===
[[File:SkywarpDstyle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Skywarp''' (09-2015)
**''ID number:'' 48
**''Accessories:'' Scowling face, smirking face, shouting face, open hand, closed hands, mini F15 jet

:A super deformed Skywarp model kit produced by [[Kotobukiya]] as part of their franchise-spanning ''[[D-Style]]'' line. Like [[Megatron (G1)/merchandise#D-Style|Megatron]] he comes with three different faces and in line with the rest of the line, comes with a mini alt mode figure, in this case an F15 jet. He also contains a replaceable open hand. His chest contains flip-up panels in his chest that reveal missile racks based on the weapons seen in the Generation 1 episode "Fire on the Mountain". The null rays can be removed and wielded as guns, and he can also hold Megatron's gun.

:In order to get the figure looking like the promotional photos, required paint applications include coloring the screaming mouth, chest fans and panel lines, missile rack surrounds, null ray panel lines, and knee vents all in black. Eyes and cockpit come in translucent colored plastic and can also be painted to improve their look. Finally, the mini F15 jet comes as a single black piece and is missing all coloring.

:He comes in a two pack along with [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#D-Style|Thundercracker]].

:This mold was also used to make ''D-Style'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys#D-Style|Starscream]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Skywarpatron.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb]]
* In a possible fit of madness, a triple changer was proposed that would switch between Skywarp (possibly mistaken for Starscream), [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]], and Skywarp's jet mode.

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Bot Shots Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Cloud Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Hero Mashers Decepticons]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:Q-Transformers characters]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]

Bob Budiansky

2015-05-10T20:23:18Z

Kcchia80: three typos: "Budiansky," "penciled" and "realize"

{{disambig3|Bob}}
{{factions|hofgold}}

{{bigquote|... when [fans have] contacted me for one reason or another, like for an interview for instance, they don’t understand how I’m not as passionate about the Transformers as they are now, even though I worked on them for so long. All I could basically say is, "Well, I enjoyed working on them while I did it, but it was a job, and then after I finished that job I moved onto the next job".|Bob Budiansky|[http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2007/09/looking-back-with-bob-budiansky.html "Looking Back With Bob Budiansky"] interview}}

[[File:Bobbudiansky.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Not actually Kirk Cameron. You can tell because he writes about Earth being millions of years old.]]
'''Bob Budiansky''' (born [[March 15]], 1954) was the writer of most of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel US ''Transformers'' comic book]] series and the creator of much of the mythos, characters, and names behind the first several years of the franchise.

In late 1983, [[Hasbro]] approached [[Marvel Comics]] to create a storyline around a series of transforming toy robots they had licensed from Takara. Editors [[Denny O'Neil]] and [[Jim Shooter]] created some of the early background for ''Transformers'', including several names, but much of the material for the first 28 characters was rejected by Hasbro. Revision duties were passed to editor/writer Bob Budiansky, who renamed most of the characters and revised the personalities... with a week's deadline ''during Thanksgiving''.<ref name="moonbase2">[http://traffic.libsyn.com/moonbase2/BobBinterview.mp3 Bob Budiansky interview at Moonbase 2]</ref> Though [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was named by O'Neil, Bob Budiansky is responsible for the names of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and countless others.

Due to its success, ''The Transformers'' four-issue miniseries became an ongoing. None of the three writers had been able to 'get' the Transformers mythos during the miniseries, and Bob Budiansky spent a lot of time directing the story as its editor -- and even ''he'' thinks it was a total mess because nobody could keep track.<ref name="Interview at Rusting Carcass">[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954/t/Bob-Budiansky.html Interview at Rusting Carcass]</ref> Because of this, after he was replaced as editor (due to Marvel internal rules) he was made the writer from #5 on: he was the only one who knew enough about the mythos! It was in these years that he developed popular characters [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] into the roles they're famous for today; the only characters at this time he ''didn't'' create were the [[The Transformers: The Movie|movie ones]], who were specifically created for the film by [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. He did, however, create the concept of the Autobot [[Creation Matrix|Matrix]]. Budiansky continued to write [[bio]]s and name characters until the end of the original series, working off pictures of the toys and what they could do, with names based on whatever the hell he'd just read or seen or heard about that week. When new concepts like [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s or [[Pretender]]s were created by Hasbro, Budiansky would be given the job of working out story treatments for them and adding them to the Transformers mythos.<ref name="moonbase2"/>

[[File:BobBudianskyDVD.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Bob today.]]

During his run, Bob was constantly kept up to date on Hasbro's plans: information about new toys and their model sheets were sent to him, he attended meetings at their Rhode Island HQ, he visited their annual toy exhibitions. Outside of pimping their wares, Hasbro left him alone. It was up to him whether or not he wanted to follow the cartoon's lead, he wasn't told to keep the target audience in mind (he made the decision himself), and he was even allowed to not use the future-set movie cast.<ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Metal Machine interview]</ref>

Towards the end of his time on the comic book series, Budiansky started to feel fatigue. It was complicated and frustrating, from a story-crafting point of view, [[To sell toys|to introduce so many new characters in so few issues]]. At Budiansky's recommendation, the writer of the Marvel UK ''Transformers'' comic, [[Simon Furman]], took over Budiansky's duties on the US comic.

An artist as well, Budiansky also drew several covers for ''Transformers'' and penciled the first half of his final issue.

As the quote notes, Transformers was a job he enjoyed at the time but is still just a job he did twenty years ago. Not that he isn't pleased to have a 25 year old franchise as his legacy! Until he got onto the [[Internet]] and searched his own name in the 90s, he didn't realize it was still such a big deal with fans and was both amused ''and'' bemused to learn the truth. In the early 2000s, he started to give interviews to fans and websites. This led to him coming back briefly to adapt ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' for [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] and he was given an option to pitch to them again, but decided not to as he was far removed from the current Transformers status quo.

Outside of ''Transformers'' Budiansky is perhaps best known for drawing ''[[Ghost Rider]]'', creating ''Sleepwalker'' and writing the entire series, and serving as group editor-in-chief of the ''[[Spider-Man]]'' titles between 1994 & 1995. In addition, at one point he was assigned to Marvel's "Special Projects" section; this followed his promotion to "executive editor".<ref>Marvel Comics Bullpen Bulletin for December 1991, as printed in ''Excalibur'' #47, cover date February 1992</ref>

==''Transformers'' comics credits==
{{bigquote|If there are older Transformers fans who feel my stories were too geared to children—hey, good insight! That was the audience I was playing to.|Bob tells it like it is, at [http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Metal Machine.net]}}

Marvel ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel U.S.|The Transformers]]'' (US):

:Editor - [[The Transformers Four-Issue Limited Series|Issues 1–4]]
:Writer - Issues 5–15, 17–32, 35–42, 44–55
:Penciller - [[The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!|Issue 55]]
:Cover Artist - Issues [[Rock and Roll-Out!|14]], [[Crater Critters|29]], [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|31]], [[Monstercon from Mars!|45]], [[Club Con!|47]]

Marvel ''[[The Transformers Universe]]''

:Writer/Consulting Editor - Issues 1–4

Marvel ''[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|Transformers: The Movie]]'' comic adaptation

:Editor - Issues 1–3

Marvel ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' mini-series

:Writer - Issues 1–4
:Cover Artist - [[Ring of Hate!|Issue 1]]

IDW ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' comic adaptation

:Writer - Issues 1–4

==Convention appearances==

{{bigquote|"I discovered there were all of these websites, these discussion boards... [people] were passionate about [Transformers], emotional about it. I was despised! People hated me! *laughs* ... still carrying grudges about the fact I wrote '[[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom]]' or something!"|Bob on 90s Internet fandom, [http://traffic.libsyn.com/moonbase2/BobBinterview.mp3 at Moonbase 2], 31.10-31.51}}

*[[OTFCC 2004]]
*[[Unofficial conventions|Iacon One]]
*[[BotCon 2010]]

==Budianskyisms==
Though not as prominent or well-remembered as the so-called "[[Furmanism]]s" that successor writer Simon Furman would popularize, Bob Budiansky also had a few turns of phrase that he repeatedly fell back on:

[[File:Thetorquerifle.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Enjoy a nice serving of Brown Betty, with DEATH!! But mostly, eat death.]]
* "Have some (X), courtesy of my (Y)!"

:where
:"X" = some form of damage, dismemberment or death
:"Y" = the special weapon of the character in question

:Examples:
: "Have some metal-eating slime, courtesy of my [[Corrosive slime-shooter|slime gun]], Autobots!"—Blot {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}
: "Have a mechanical malfunction, courtesy of my [[concussion weapon|concussion cannon]]!"—[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}
: "Just a case of bad balance, courtesy of my [[electro-scrambler]]."—Blaster {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}
: "Energy feedback, courtesy of my electro-scrambler, tinhead."—Blaster {{storylink|Totaled!|Totaled!}}
: "You're going on a one-way trip, [[Monzo]], courtesy of my [[anti-gravity gun]]!"—Skullcruncher {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

* "I hope you (A) as well as you (B)!"

:where
:"A" = perform some action, typically shooting
:"B" = boast, brag, or some other meaningless non-action

:Examples:
: "You ''boast'' better than you ''shoot'', [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]]!"—[[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]] {{storylink|People Power!}}
: "Grrr—I hope you ''shoot'' straighter than you ''think'', Weirdwolf!"—Skullcruncher {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}
: "Only if you ''aim'' as well as you ''brag'', Brawl!"—First Aid {{storylink|Used Autobots}}

* "This wasn't in (Z)!"

:where
:"Z" = amusingly bureaucratic item with no bearing on the situation at hand.

:Examples:
:"This...this wasn't in my job description!"—anonymous railway worker {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}
:"This wasn't on the trail guide!"—anonymous skier {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}
:"None of this was in the rehearsal!"—Sky Lynx {{storylink|The Cosmic Carnival}}

==Trivia==

* As Bob's quotes above show, for a while in organised fandom he was [[the Fallen]] of the writing world, his stories dismissed or ripped into as being juvenile and silly. His reputation in fandom has gone up since the start of the 21st century, something he attributes to doing interviews.

* Bob's stories almost always have a human guest star involved and the Transformers getting involved in human affairs and finding them odd. He's stated this was because he thought the most interesting part was seeing these two vastly different races and worlds colliding with each other - or, more bluntly, "The Transformers were on Earth!".<ref>[http://www.oneshallstand.com/articles/bob_budiansky.html Budiansky interview archived at One Shall Stand]</ref>

* He's a fan of the first [[Transformers (film)|Bay movie]] and thinks that the Transformer/human interaction is similar to his own stories.<ref name="Interview at Rusting Carcass"/>

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?R=3D17280F-19B9-F369-1080-6B4D52898CFD:en_US Hall of Fame video]
*[http://www.oneshallstand.com/reviews/articles/bob_budiansky.html First known interview with Bob Budiansky]
*[http://www.alteredstatesmag.com/features/qanda/bbudiansky_1.php A Little Q&A with Bob Budiansky]
*[http://www.bwtf.com/interviews/bb204/ Bob Budiansky Interview at BWTF.com]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/32bc08f5d9b4678b? Transcript of Budiansky/Furman panel from OTFCC 2004]
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/80a6fffaad63aa8d? Transcript of Budiansky/Figueroa panel from Iacon One]
*[http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2007/09/looking-back-with-bob-budiansky.html Looking Back with Bob Budiansky]
*[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Metal Machine interview with Bob]
* [http://traffic.libsyn.com/moonbase2/BobBinterview.mp3 Bob Budiansky interview at Moonbase 2]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Budiansky, Bob}}
[[Category:Convention guests]]
[[Category:Editors]]
[[Category:IDW Publishing]]
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame creators]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Deadlock (episode)

2014-01-20T18:50:38Z

Kcchia80: added link for Arcee

{{disambig2|the ''Prime'' episode|the Generation 1 Decepticon known as "Deadlock"|Drift (G1)}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 65
|prev=Synthesis
|next=Predacons Rising (Prime)
|image=Tfp deadlock omega lock.jpg
|caption=Take that to the secondary cargo hold. We need to make room for the Stargate.
|title="Deadlock"
|airdate=[[July 26]], [[2013]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''The Autobots face the Decepticons for a final showdown.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Megatron TFPS313 standing.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Samurai are awesome, but he's not...]]
The [[Autobot]]s storm the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' via the outer hull, while [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] lets them know he's heading for the [[Omega Lock]]'s control station. As he approaches the ship, [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]] orders the [[Stealth Team]] to join Ratchet while [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Wrecker]]s take the bridge. [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] asks if they should destroy the lock, but Optimus does not intend to pass up a second chance to restore [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] has to be prompted to follow the others when he's momentarily distracted by the sight of [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] arriving on the upper deck with the [[Dark Star Saber]]. The Decepticon leader uses the sword to damage Optimus's jet pack. Optimus manages to land on one of the lower spires and starts climbing up.

Telling them he has something he needs to do, Smokescreen leaves Arcee and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], much to Arcee's annoyance. Meanwhile, Ratchet reaches the control station and begins facing off, rather badly, against [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]. Arcee and Bumblebee approach the control station as well, but they're cut off by [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] and a bunch of Seekers who open fire on them. Elsewhere, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] packs for a journey he might have to make. Smokescreen arrives at the warship's storage chamber and retrieves the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]].

Ultra Magnus and his team storm the bridge; however, their attempt is cut short by [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]], who [[GroundBridge]]s them to the brig, where they're quickly surrounded. Ultra Magnus notifies everyone that his team has been delayed, which gives [[Jack Darby (Prime)|Jack]] an idea. He asks [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] to bridge him onto the ''Nemesis'' bridge as he's come up with a plan.

On the warship, Shockwave finishes pummeling Ratchet and is about to finish the Autobot off, but is interrupted by the Omega Lock signaling that it's ready to fire. As he opens the huge portal to ready the firing sequence, he spots Optimus hanging onto the Omega Lock's structure and is forced to take cover as Optimus opens fire. Megatron soon arrives to engage Optimus directly and orders Shockwave to begin the firing sequence.

Knock Out, wandering the corridors, finds himself cut off by the fighting. The bridge, meanwhile, is invaded by Jack and an [[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Armor]]-clad [[Miko Nakadai (Prime)|Miko]]. She quickly finishes off the Vehicons onsite, but Soundwave advances on her with an open GroundBridge. Jack tells Raf to open a GroundBridge right behind Soundwave, and the conflicting bridge energies promptly transwarp Soundwave into the [[shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]]. As Jack and Miko head to the controls, the Omega Lock begins powering up. On its rim, Optimus and Megatron continue to battle, with Optimus knocking the Dark Star Saber from Megatron's grip and decking him. Megatron orders Shockwave to prepare to fire, but is interrupted by the ship lurching while under Jack's control.

[[File:Tfp bee down.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Cue the tears of children worldwide.]]

Down below, Smokescreen passes Arcee and Bumblebee, carrying the Star Saber into the Omega Lock control room. He attempts to throw the sword down to Optimus, only to be blasted by Shockwave. Arcee, Bumblebee, Starscream and Shockwave all run for the weapon. Arcee is forced to take out Starscream, and Bumblebee reaches the Star Saber first. He throws it up in the air, decking Shockwave and cracking his optic before grabbing the sword midair. Ratchet warns Optimus that he must use the Star Saber to destroy the Omega Lock; however, as Bumblebee jumps to pass the weapon to Optimus, he's blasted repeatedly by Megatron. As other Autobots and Decepticons watch in horror and glee, respectively, Bumblebee's optics flicker out, and he dies. He plunges lifelessly into the Omega Lock's energy field.

[[File:Tfp megatron impaled.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Isn't Optimus supposed to do this?]]

Outraged, Optimus smashes Megatron backward in a series of powerful blows, only to be knocked off the Omega Lock when Megatron recovers the Dark Star Saber and uses its wave attack to blast Optimus. As Prime clings to the side, Megatron prepares to finish the Autobot off, only to turn around in response to someone calling his name. Bumblebee runs him through with the Star Saber, and as everyone looks on in shock, Megatron dies and his body falls from the Omega Lock and plunges Earthward, burning as it enters the atmosphere. Bumblebee helps Optimus climb up as the remaining [[Decepticon]]s scramble to escape. As the Autobots reunite, they marvel at the fact that Bumblebee has his voice back, and Optimus passes on the news to Magnus's team and [[Hangar E]] that Megatron has perished. With the ship now under Autobot control, Optimus orders Magnus to set course for Cybertron. Bumblebee radios Raf to let him know to come up so he can be there for the restoration of Cybertron.

[[File:Tfp cybertron restored.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Peace.]]

As the ship passes through the [[space bridge]], Starscream and Shockwave reach the escape pods to find there's only one left. They cram into it and eject, though Starscream complains about the cramped conditions. Ratchet explains that he does not have the complete formula to synthesize cyber-matter (never having learned Shockwave's portion of it) and the current amount was intended to cyberform Earth, not the much larger Cybertron. Optimus directs the ship to the [[Well of All Sparks]], so they can revitalize Cybertron's core. The beam of energy strikes Cybertron's core, and the planet is soon restored and glowing a healthy blue. On the bridge, Knock Out admires the planet's new luster, and claims to be "joining the winning team", only to be decked by Miko. [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]], still clinging to the hull, looks out over Cybertron before transforming and flying off.

Back on Earth, Optimus gives a speech about how they're going to miss [[Earth]]. Fowler says the three kids will be members of [[Unit:E]], June modifying it by mentioning that they'll be in a consulting capacity only until they're of age, and Ratchet takes the opportunity to announce he's staying on Earth. Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee give a tearful farewell to their respective partners, while Fowler, Magnus, Wheeljack and Smokescreen share a mutual salute. As the Autobots head through the space bridge, Optimus gives Ratchet a last goodbye, and with a final lingering look at his human companions, strides through after his team.

{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
*[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] (4)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (6)
*[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (9)

|c2=
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (1)
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (14)
*[[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] (15)
*[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] (16)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (17)
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (18)

|c3=
*[[William Fowler]] (10)
*[[Miko Nakadai (Prime)|Miko Nakadai]] (11)
*[[Jack Darby (Prime)|Jack Darby]] (12)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (13)
*[[June Darby]] (20)

|h4=[[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]]|c4=
*[[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] (19)
}}

==Quotes==
"Pack light. Pack light! [''Finds his rotary buffer''] Oh! Pack ''smart''!"
:—'''Knock Out''', not needing to be told that [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|cowards survive]].

"Prepare to join your scout... in the Allspark!"
:—'''Megatron's''' final words.

"You took my voice. You will never rob anyone, of ''anything'', ever again."
:—'''Bumblebee''', getting payback at last.

"I will avenge you, Master!" 
[''Shockwave grabs him''] 
"Starscream, do not be a fool!" 
[''They flee as Starscream resists''] 
"Curse you and your logic!"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Shockwave''' debate the merits of revenge, with the former displaying an uncharacteristic level of grief over Megatron's demise.

"Bumblebee..." 
"Your voice..." 
"My voice? What're you g-...My voice!" 
[''grabs '''Ratchet''' in a great big hug''] 
"Ratchet! I have my pipes back!" 
"Errhmm, y-yes! Yes we noticed!"
:—'''Ratchet''', '''Arcee''', and '''Bumblebee''' in a crazy-happy moment. Admit it, you smiled too.

"Rrrgh, your elbow articulator is digging into my lateral flexor!" 
"Do you intend to whine for the duration of the voyage?" 
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Shockwave''' get used to being in each other's personal space. This is going to be a long trip.

"Ah, such luster." 
''[Autobots stare in disbelief]'' 
"What? I'm joining the winning team."
:—'''Knock Out''' proves once again just how self-important he really is, right before Miko shuts him up.

"Raf..." 
"I know Bee. You don't have to say anything." 
"I never did."
:—'''Raf''' and '''Bumblebee''' share their last exchange...for now.

"Until we meet again, old friend..."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''' also share their last exchange, and in a way, to us.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* Ultra Magnus goes into the battle using his built-in blasters, but in the next scene is lugging around the same handheld cannon he used in "[[Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion]]".
* Even though the ship is orbiting Earth, Transformers and objects fall at a rate consistent with Earth-normal gravity outside of the ship.
* When Jack arrives on the ''Nemesis'', Laserbeak (on Soundwave's chest) is missing its left wing.
* When Smokescreen takes a hit from Shockwave before he is able to pass the Star Saber to his leader, he falls backward onto one of the tanks while the Star Saber flies to his left side at a slight angle. After the scene cuts to the him against the tanks, the sword has somehow moved a considerable distance further, enough that Smokescreen would have had to purposefully throw it in that direction to get it that far.
* As Bumblebee is blasted by Megatron, the Star Saber falls with him at the same angle, apparently towards the cybermatter pool. Yet when Bumblebee falls in, the Saber clangs to the surface of the Omega Lock rather than in the pool, as its trajectory would suggest.
* Though it makes sense that Megatron and Optimus failed to notice Bumblebee's revival, certainly the assembled Autobots and Decepticons should have, considering Bumblebee would have had to climb out of the cybermatter pool, grab the sword, then walk over to Megatron to stab him with it.
* Knock Out more or less appears out of nowhere when he comments on a restored Cybertron's beauty. He certainly wasn't on the bridge when the Wreckers finally secured it, and they should have noticed if he entered the room.
*Wheeljack picks up the lobbing ball before he enters the GroundBridge, but it disappears after he salutes Agent Fowler and walks through the portal.

===Continuity notes===
* Ultra Magnus refers to Soundwave's combat GroundBridging as a "relocation trick", which he had used on Arcee in "[[Orion Pax, Part 1]]", a Predacon bone fragment in "[[Project Predacon]]", and [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] and her [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] in "[[Thirst]]".
* Miko previously used the Apex Armor in "[[Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command]]".
* Jack, Miko, and Raf experienced the effects of crossed GroundBridges firsthand in "[[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]]".
* The [[Immobilizer]] is seen in a stasis field in the vault, thus accounting for all the weapons left on Cybertron last season.
* The Star Saber was previously seen in the Decepticon vault in "[[Prey (episode)|Prey]]". Despite not making a note of it then, that fact did not escape Smokescreen's notice.
* Bumblebee's formerly-destroyed voicebox was the result of a run-in with Megatron at [[Tyger Pax]], as explained in "[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]" and the novel, ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]''.
* The Autobots fire the Omega Lock into the Well of All Sparks, last seen in flashback in "[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]".
* This is the second time Knock Out [[Orion Pax, Part 1|has mentioned being on the "winning team"]].
* Wheeljack takes the [[Cybertronian sport#Lobbing|lobbing]] ball with him to Cybertron. It was last seen in "Project Predacon".
* Bumblebee managed to crack Shockwave's eye, making it the second time it has been damaged.

===Real-world references===
* Raf refers to opening conflicting Space Bridge portals as 'crossing the streams', a term from ''Ghostbusters'' for literally touching the energy streams created by the series' signature energy backpacks. Coincidentally, this was ''also'' a technique of last resort with potentially devastating consequences. The same term was used the first time this happened.

===Trivia===
* Between solicitations for upcoming issues of the [[Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters (comic)|''Beast Hunters'' comic]] (which revealed that Cybertron would be restored), the press release for the ''[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]'' movie (which revealed that Megatron was going to die) and a clip shown at the ''Prime'' panel at the San Diego Comic Con and later released online (which revealed that Bumblebee would regain his voice), a well-informed Transfan had pretty much ''every'' surprise of this episode spoiled ''by official sources'' well in advance of its airing. Boo.
* Just before Megatron retrieves the Dark Star Saber from the Omega Lock to use its wave attack to push Optimus off the side, it emits a sound very similar to the [[Star Saber (Armada)|original Star Saber sword]] whenever it was activated.
* Ratchet kept saying that he wanted to go back to Cybertron, and that he wouldn't forgive Optimus for leaving him on a planet with humans. Evidently, he has grown used to them, and stays behind anyway, claiming that he's needed in Unit:E.
* While the limited cybermatter created to cyberform Earth was enough to restore Cybertron's core, the surface is still in ruins. Ratchet predicted this much would happen in the previous season, even though he was technically wrong at the time. The original Omega Lock could have restored both the surface and the core.
* Bumblebee was wearing a battle mask over his mouth for the whole series, which is revealed when he retracts it upon discovering he can speak again.
* Despite being exposed to space at various points along the hull, certain areas of the ''Nemesis'' appear to be airtight, specifically the bridge.
* The Omega Lock's [[cyber-matter]] was able to fully heal Bumblebee's wounds and restore his voice box. Perhaps Ultra Magnus should have dipped his hand in before they used it to restore Cybertron.
* Predaking must have been holding onto the Warship for this entire episode. What was he doing to pass the time?

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Stillstand'''" ("Deadlock")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 16|16 October]] [[2013]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Végjáték'''" ("Endgame")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 18|18 September]] [[2013]]

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Thirst

2014-01-20T08:12:49Z

Kcchia80: /* Trivia */ added link to Predaking

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 60
|prev=Plus One
|next=Evolution
|image=ThristEpisodeConZombie.jpg
|caption=There were demons in the base. He didn't see them, but had expected them now for years. His warnings to Cernel Joson were not listenend to and now it was too late. Far too late for now, anyway.
|title="Thirst"
|airdate=[[June 7]], [[2013]]
|written by=[[Marsha Griffin]]
|directed by=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Knock Out and Starscream's experiment with synthetic energon threatens to take over the Decepticon ship and unleash an old enemy.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Thirst1.jpg|left|thumb|300px|When he was young he watched the spaceships and he said to dad "I want to be on the ships daddy." 
Dad said "No! You will BE KILL BY DEMONS"]]

In [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]'s lab, [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] bemoans his current situation, having to compete with [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] for [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s favor. His whining is interrupted by moans from [[Silas|Cylas]], who is strapped to a table and begging to be freed. Knock Out injects him with a derivative of the [[Synthetic Energon|synthetic energon]] he recovered from the [[Autobot]]s. The compound drives Cylas into a rage, which Knock Out notes is one of its erratic side effects. Starscream sees in Cylas' fury the makings of a super-soldier for Megatron.

Starscream attempts to inform Megatron of this discovery, but the [[Decepticon]] leader is only interested in discussing the status of the [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] [[protoform]]s with Shockwave, who is reporting in from his off-site lab. Brushed off by his leader as unimportant, Starscream sulks on his way back to Knock Out's lab.

Cylas becomes more enraged with each new injection of Synth En. Knock Out discovers that the more the compound is administered, the faster Cylas burns through his own natural [[energon]] reserves. Starscream cannot see the use of having [[Predaking (Prime)|another]] unruly beast that can't be controlled, but then has an idea: [[Dark Energon]]. Knock Out objects, noting that the "Blood of [[Unicron]]" once [[Flying Mind|turned their own ship against them]], and that he would need approval from Shockwave in any case. Starscream assures the doctor that a controlled, minimal injection will merely place Cylas under Megatron's command, via their leader's symbiotic link with the substance, then asserts that "super-soldiers" are a military concern and thus fall under ''his'' jurisdiction.

Under orders and under protest, Knock Out injects Cylas with the Dark Energon-enhanced formula. Cylas temporarily powers down before rebooting in a rage and breaking free from his bonds. But after only a few steps, he crumbles to his knees, desperately low on energon. Then with a fierce roar, his lower jaw splits into monstrous mandibles and a long, bladed tongue emerges, which he attempts to use on Starscream to drain him of energon. Unable to subdue him, Starscream and Knock Out flee down the halls of the ship.

Once a safe distance away, Knock Out suggests sounding the alarm. Starscream disagrees, not wanting Megatron to learn of their actions. He claims that once Cylas attempts to feed upon the ship's highly-trained [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] troopers, they will take care of the threat.

Elsewhere, one of the Vehicons stumbles upon Cylas, who grabs the highly-trained trooper and begins draining his energon.

Starscream and Knock Out plan the disposal of Cylas' corpse when they find the Vehicon's corpse instead. While the two argue about who's to blame for their predicament, the dead Vehicon is reanimated by the Dark Energon in its system as a [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcon]] and reveals the same segmented jaw and bladed tongue that Cylas had. Starscream's blaster fire only staggers it, and Knock Out suggests destroying the Terrorcon's head, inspired by Human horror movies. Though Starscream's missile is successful in decapitating the creature, it doesn't stop it in the least, as the body lumbers forward with the tongue sticking out of the hole where the head used to be. A concentrated volley of blasts to the Vehicon's chest destroys the monster's revitalized spark, severing its link to the Dark Energon.

Knock Out posits that Cylas could infect the entire crew in the same manner, a theory that's borne out when they find themselves pursued by multiple energy-draining Terrorcons. Starscream and Knock Out lock themselves in a comm room to get a breather and assess the situation. Accepting that this may be the end, the two Decepticons exchange some awkward final pleasantries and step back into the hall…

…Right into Megatron, who demands to know why the Dark Energon in his spark has been acting strangely as of late. Starscream provides a slanted explanation, but Megatron doesn't believe it until he's forced to destroy an attacking Terrorcon.

After a more extensive debrief of the situation, Megatron puts the ship on high alert and orders Starscream and Knock Out to seek and destroy Cylas. Around the ship, Vehicons and [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] battle the infected Terrorcons.

Cylas wanders into the ship's vault. Sensing energon within a [[stasis pod]], he breaks it open, freeing and reviving [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]]. Cylas attempts to drain her energon, though she ''barely'' ducks out of the way of his tongue, and a short battle ensues, but Airachnid is able to immobilize him with webbing long enough to deliver a fatal wound; ripping "[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]]" open in order to destroy his spark and make ''sure'' he's dead this time, Airachnid instead finds the mutilated real body of Cylas, who survives just long enough to thank her for freeing him from his tortured existence before dying. She immediately re-establishes her telepathic control over the Insecticons and commands them to return to her. Their sudden departure is noticed by [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]].

Starscream and Knock Out discover Cylas' corpse. Starscream is elated until Knock Out points out Airachnid's destroyed prison, followed by Megatron demanding a status update.

[[File:Thirst-Airachnidzombie.jpg|thumb|right|300px|And then John was a zombie.]]

Airachnid leads the Insecticons through the halls of the ship, ordering them to wipe out every Decepticon aboard. At the end of the hall, Soundwave calmly steps forward to face them. The bug-bots attack, and Soundwave opens a [[space bridge]] directly in front of him at the last second. Before they can react, Airachnid and the Insecticons are teleported away. As the bridge closes behind her, Airachnid realizes that they have been sent to a moon orbiting the abandoned [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and screams in rage.

Aboard the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'', Megatron contacts Shockwave again to inform him they're implementing his containment protocol to prevent further outbreak. He also tells Shockwave to speed up the Predacon cloning project, as they have now lost more than half their military forces. Knock Out is sternly reminded that he is the ship's ''medic'' under Shockwave's command, and is forced to turn over all of his experimental projects to the scientist. Megatron then turns to Starscream, intent on teaching him a lesson the only way that seems to get through to him...

Back on the moon, an '''infected''' Airachnid drains the energon from one of her minions as the rest of the Insecticons line up obediently to await their turn.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
|c2=
*[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (2)
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (4)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s (5)
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (6)
*[[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] (7)
|c3=
|c4=
*[[Silas|Cylas]] (3)
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==

'''Megatron''': ''[Talking to Shockwave over comm]'' Tell me of the Predacon protoforms. What is the status of their incubation? Mm-hm. Uh-huh. 
'''Starscream''': Master, if I do say so myself, I have made the most intriguing discovery. It appears that-- 
'''Megatron''': Not now! ''[Back to Shockwave]'' Please continue, Shockwave. No, no one important.
:—Megatron doesn't like to be interrupted when he's on the phone.

'''Starscream''': Megatron will undoubtedly hold us responsible. 
'''Knock Out''': But...WE ARE! 
'''Starscream''': Well, you are, mostly.
:—Starscream blames someone else, news at 11.

"Aim for the head!" 
"What? How do you know?" 
"I've seen human horror films." ''[Starscream looks at him curiously]'' "At drive-in theaters!"
:—'''Knock Out''' schools '''Starscream''' on how to survive a zombie apocalypse.

"I find it rather ironic that after battling Autobots all these years, getting smacked down, shot at, blown up, ''this'' is how our lights go out?" 
"Drained of our precious fluids. If this is indeed the end, if we are to become Terrorcon-chow, it has been an honor serving Lord Megatron with you." 
"You're no Breakdown. Though I must confess, I have always admired your lustrous finish." 
''[Awkward pause]'' 
"''*mm-hmm*'' Well, then." 
"Should be going."
:—'''Knock Out''' and '''Starscream''' begin a beautiful friendship… and remind us of [[Arcee (WFC)|some]][[Optimus Prime (WFC)|one's]] words on [[Scrapheap (episode)|another day]].

'''Megatron''': Would either of you like to tell me what exactly is going on? 
'''Starscream''': Yes, absolutely nothing, my liege. 
'''Knock Out''': All is quiet, too quiet. One could even say dull! 
'''Megatron''': Funny, because the Dark Energon within my spark has been pulsing. 
'''Starscream''': (To Knock Out) Allow me to handle this. (To Megatron) IT'S KNOCK OUT'S FAULT! 
'''Knock Out''': Precisely my-WHAT?!
:—Knock Out somehow manages to be surprised by Starscream yet again passing the buck.

"Silas? Whatever have they done to you? But more importantly, thank you for freeing me." 
"No. Thank…you… ''[Dies]'' 
"Whatever."
:—'''Airachnid''' is unmoved by '''Cylas'''' final words.

"Soundwave! I vow that on this day, the world will hear the sound of your screams."
:—'''Airachnid's''' mouth writes a check that her abdomen can't cash.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* Airachnid lost one of her spider legs to the closing pod door when she was put in stasis, but all six are intact in this episode.
* Starscream's missile cleanly beheads a Vehicon, leaving no burn marks or exposed circuitry of any kind. For that matter, the headless Vehicon reveals that there is no "joint" on the model for the head to attach to, just a completely flat surface with a hole for the tongue. You normally don't see it because the neck just goes straight into the base of the collar, as if the collar form-fits around the neck.

===Continuity errors===
* Knock Out discusses the events of "[[Stronger, Faster]]" and "[[Flying Mind]]" with Starscream, even though Starscream wasn't part of the Decepticon ranks when either took place. While it is conceivable that Starscream learned of the events of both episodes through the ship's logs or another source, Knock Out speaks as if they were both witness to them.

===Continuity notes===
* ''Yowza'', this would be a tough episode to start watching the series.
* Airachnid was frozen in stasis in "[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]" and was retrieved from the Autobot base by the Decepticons in "[[Darkmount, NV]]".
* The [[polarity gauntlet]] can be seen in the vault, in the first of the five containment fields. It was left on Cybertron by [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] in "[[Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour]]", and can be assumed to have been recovered by Knock Out's salvage team offscreen in "Darkmount, NV". This leaves only the [[Immobilizer]] unaccounted for. There is also the [[Resonance Blaster]] but everyone seems to have forgotten about that by now.
* [[Silas]], the formerly 100% human commander of [[MECH]], was surgically combined with Breakdown's corpse in "[[The Human Factor]]". He changed his name to Cylas (Cybernetic Life Augmented by Symbiosis) and became a reluctant guest of the Decepticons in the same episode.
* Cylas (then Silas) entered into a partnership of convenience with Starscream in "[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]" and conveniently stole his [[transformation cog|T-cog]] in "[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]".
* Cylas (then Silas) once had Breakdown pinned to his operating table in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]".
* Knock Out recovered some of [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]]'s synthetic energon in "[[Stronger, Faster]]".
* Shockwave has been working from an off-site laboratory since "[[Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command]]".
* Megatron previously used Dark Energon to reanimate and control the dead in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]".
* Dark Energon awakened a dangerous, self-serving intelligence within the Decepticon warship in "[[Flying Mind]]".
* Cylas' eyes turn green, then purple, when he is injected with synthetic energon and Dark Energon, respectively. This is consistent with previous applications of the substances. ("[[Stronger, Faster]]", "[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]")
* Airachnid killed Breakdown and discovered her telepathic control of the Insecticons in "[[Crossfire]]".
* Airachnid knows Cylas (then Silas) from their brief partnership in "[[Crisscross]]".
* Airachnid's desire to have Soundwave scream likely stems from the very one-sided beatdown she received from him in "[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]".
* Starscream refers to the Decepticon soldiers as "Vehicons" confirming it as their real designation. [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] previously used that term in to describe them in "[[Plus One]]"
* Megatron alludes to the beatings he bestowed on Starscream in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]" and in-between the episodes "[[Out of His Head]]" and "[[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]]" when he prepares to punish Starscream "the only way he understands".
* Starscream took a fragment of Dark Energon and used it to raise [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] from the dead as his first "re-animated warrior" in [[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]], all of which Megatron revealed he knew about through surveillance provided by Soundwave in [[Rock Bottom]].

===Transformers references===
* Protoforms are the first stage of Transformer life in many continuities.
* Megatron again refers to his upcoming Predacon army as [[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Machine]] super-soldiers.

===Real-world references===
* Knock Out's proclamation of "It's alive" echoes the famous words spoken in ''[[Frankenstein]]''.
* In addition to the segmented jaw and barbed tongue, the Terrorcons' [[teeth]] also transform into vampiric fangs.
* As Knock Out indicated, destroying the head is the traditional way to kill zombies in many horror movies. But only human ones.
* This episode heavily pays homage to the 1985 zombie film ''The Return of the Living Dead'' where two humans (Frank and Freddie) cause a gas to spread across a cemetery that revives dead corpses into zombies and then plays comedy with the two trying to control the situation while blaming each other for the zombie apocalypse, much like Starscream and Knock Out in this episode. The zombies in ''The Return of the Living Dead'' couldn't be killed by headshots, either.
* There is also some homage to the film ''Blade II'', specifically in the physiological effects of the virus. The Reapers, genetically-engineered vampire mutants, possessed the same type of unfolding jaw and feeding tendril, as well as a greatly increased blood appetite due to a heightened metabolism.
* Starscream and Knock Out's conversation while hiding from the zombies is reminiscent of a scene in ''[[wikipedia:Dr. Strangelove|Dr. Strangelove]]'' wherein General Ripper and Group Captain Mandrake are hunkered down as a firefight rages around their base, and Ripper explains his fear that communists are out for his "precious bodily fluids".
* Knock Out places his fingers on the neck of the first Vehicon that fell victim to Cylas to check for life signs. This is often done to test a seriously injured person for a [[wikipedia:pulse|pulse]] in their [[wikipedia:carotid artery|carotid artery]].

===Trivia===
* This is the first episode which doesn't feature the [[Autobot]]s in any capacity. Previously, "[[Patch (episode)|Patch]]", the last Decepticon-centric episode, had flashbacks which contained Autobots even though none appeared in person. [[Peter Cullen]], however, gets to voice the zombified Vehicon trooper Megatron puts down.
* Starscream says that the ship is crawling with "highly-trained Vehicon troopers". Kinda makes you wonder what a poorly-trained one is like, huh?
* On-the-move teleportation seems as if it's becoming Soundwave's signature move, having used it to dispatch [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] in "[[Orion Pax, Part 1]]" and to claim the Predacon fossil in "[[Project Predacon]]".
* [[Steve Blum]] is credited as "Insecticon #1" instead of [[Bombshock (Prime)|Bombshock]] this time.
* The last thing Silas/Cylas did to Starscream was knock him out and steal his T-Cog, so it's no surprise Starscream has no desire to help him at the beginning of the episode.
* Starscream alludes to having collected "dozens of Predacon bones", and Shockwave has already grown a batch of protoforms. This implies a significant timeskip between this episode and the last, since Shockwave had only just just established an off-site laboratory in "[[Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command]]" and "[[Plus One]]" takes place immediately after that episode. Furthermore, the amount of bones collected, assuming it's not hyperbole on Starscream's part, suggests a rather bad run of luck for the Autobots.
* While there have been several offscreen and implied deaths of humans in ''Transformers Prime'', this is the first full "watch the light die from his eye" death, not only in ''Prime'' but in western Transformers animation.
* Where exactly was [[Predaking (Prime)|the Predacon]] kept while all this was going down?

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Durst'''" ("Thirst")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 9|9 October]] [[2013]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Szomjúság'''" ("Thirst")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 11|11 September]] [[2013]]

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Sede'''" ("Thirst")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 22|22 November]] [[2013]]

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Triangulation

2013-08-09T07:29:59Z

Kcchia80: /* Synopsis */ adds link to Skyquake

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 39
|prev=Tunnel Vision
|next=Triage
|image=Triangulation Starscream Apex armor.jpg
|caption= "I've never really had a taste for this sort of thing, but I must admit... I'm deeply enjoying the suit!"
|title="Triangulation"
|airdate=[[May 12]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[David McDermott]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

{{picsneeded}}
'''Optimus Prime hunts for relics in Antarctica and finds himself caught between shifting alliances.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] notes that the second relic is in [[Antarctica]], and [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] volunteers to head there. In the ''[[Harbinger]]'', [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] is about to operate on himself to install the [[transformation cog|T-cog]] of his traitorous [[Starscream clone (Prime)|clone]]. He is clearly nervous to have to perform the procedure alone, when the ship's computer picks up the fact that the [[Decepticon]]s are dispatching teams to four continents. Starscream postpones the operation to investigate.

At the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]], [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] departs through the [[GroundBridge]]. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] announces he's heading for the Antarctic, and announces that [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] will need backup on his mission—[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]].

Starscream uses a GroundBridge remote control to head to the Antarctic on a [[hoverscooter]]. He's quickly spotted by Dreadwing and some [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] who knock him off his hoverscooter. Starscream at first mistakes Dreadwing for [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], and soon has some cuffs slapped on him. The group trudges through the snow to where the relic is located, to find it has already been dug out of the ice and is gone. The Vehicons start searching and find vehicle tracks. They're approached by Optimus, who demands the return of the relic, and the standoff quickly turns into a firefight. After Prime takes out two of the Vehicons and scores a hit on Dreadwing, the Decepticon starts breaking out heavier weapons, and proves to be formidable with a sword. They take a dive off a cliff, following which Optimus brings the ice crashing down, burying Dreadwing. With Starscream's help, Optimus takes care of the remaining two Vehicons, and demands Starscream lead him to the relic.

Optimus and Starscream take a long walk through the ice and snow until they finally reach a human base. Starscream is puzzled as to why they must be so careful around humans when retrieving the relic, but Optimus radios home and gets [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] to evacuate the human base so he can safely retrieve the relic. Meanwhile, Dreadwing breaks free of the ice and heads out to find Prime. With the base clear, Optimus and Starscream venture inside to find the relic still frozen in a chunk of ice. They're interrupted by Dreadwing. While Optimus and Dreadwing fight, Starscream sets about liberating the relic from the ice, which turns out to be the [[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Armor]]. Outside, Dreadwing has Optimus on the ropes and is about to strike when Starscream, now wearing the armor, crashes out of the building.

Both Dreadwing and Optimus attack the rogue Decepticon, but he swats them aside, repeatedly. Optimus suggests to Dreadwing that they will need to cooperate to defeat Starscream. While Dreadwing flies around, Optimus slaps a bomb onto Starscream, but the Apex Armor proves invulnerable even to that. Optimus realizes that Starscream still has a vulnerability—his lack of flight. While Optimus keeps Starscream's attention once more, Dreadwing plants explosives on the ground, and just as Starscream works out that the pair are up to something, the bombs detonate. Starscream disappears into a hole blasted in the ice. With no relic left to claim, Dreadwing and Optimus go their separate ways, though Dreadwing swears to terminate Optimus next time.

At the bottom of the ocean below, Starscream walks along, still protected by the invincible Apex Armor.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (5)
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (8)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (2)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (3)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (10)

|c3=
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (7)
* [[William Fowler]] (9)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] (4)
|}}

==Quotes==
"Ener-stat. Cross-clamp. Laser scalpel. [[Durabyllium]] drill. And, one slightly damaged but operational T-Cog, courtesy of my traitorous clone. Everything I require to make myself whole. A simple, painless procedure... Nothing to it, really... Provided one possesses the nerve..."
:—'''Starscream''' about to perform self-surgery.

"Faster, you pathetic excuse for transportation!"
:—That's not gonna work, '''Starscream'''.

"What a team we make! I am so glad that you prevailed, Optimus Prime! That wretch Dreadwing was going to terminate me! Now, if you could just remove my bonds, I can lead you straight to the relic." 
''*Optimus cocks his blaster*'' 
"You will lead me there regardless." 
"Hmph! You're welcome!"
:—'''Starscream''' is excited on one of those rare days '''Optimus Prime''' doesn't give a damn.

"A perfect fit!"
:—'''Starscream''' decked out in the Apex Armor

"I haven't had this much fun since I punched that hole in [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]!"
:—'''Starscream''' really doesn't know [[Armada (episode)|when to]] [[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2|shut up]] [[Partners|about]] [[Darkness Rising, Part 1|that]].

"And you, Optimus Prime. I will beat the living spark out of you, just so I never again have to endure your pontificating!"
:—'''Starscream''' says what he thinks of Optimus Prime's speech pattern.

"*''Evil laugh''* That tickled! *''Evil laugh''* Fools! Not only am I intelligent, I am INVINCIBLE!" 
"Yet, you cannot fly!" 
"Nobody's ''perfect''." 
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime''', the former enjoying the suit a little ''too'' much.

"Cowards! You will not escape my might! ''*beat*'' Wait... ''*beat*'' You two are up to something."
:—'''Starscream''' being genre savvy.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When Dreadwing is volunteering to go the Antarctic, Megatron's eyes are out of place when he looks back at him. One is correctly in the corner of his eye but the other isn't, placed as if he were looking slightly left.
* Starscream is missing his manacles during Optimus and Dreadwing's first battle.
* In a couple of shots, the parts hanging out of the Apex Armor's shoulders seem go through its upper torso.
* Dreadwing picks up both his sword and his complete gun after he recovers from the avalanche, despite the sword forming the handle of the gun.

===Continuity errors===
* The Apex Armor was established in ''[[Transformers: Exiles| Exiles]]'' as a relic of [[Solus Prime]]; however, Starscream calls it armor of "Decepticon origin".
* in the "previously on..." segment for this episode, Megatron is shown to be telling Knock Out that "dispatching multiple squadrons will allow us to pursue all four relics simultaneously". This conversation was from the previous episode "[[Tunnel Vision |Tunnel Vision]]", but Megatron had this conversation with Soundwave, not Knock Out.

===Continuity notes===
* This episode happens concurrently with the previous episode and with the following two.
* Starscream is preparing to install a new [[Transformation cog|T-cog]] into himself at the beginning of the episode, which he scavenged from his traitorous [[Starscream clone (Prime)|clone]] after killing him in "[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]".
* Starscream refers to [[Orion Pax, Part 2 | helping Orion Pax regain his memory]], [[Crossfire|saving Arcee's life]] and [[Crossfire|giving information]] to the Autobots.
* Starscream mistakes Dreadwing for [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], who died in "[[Masters & Students]]", and attempted to revive in "[[Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone]]".
* Starscream enjoyed [[Darkness Rising, Part 1|killing Cliffjumper]] and claims he will reunite Dreadwing with his "beloved twin".
* Dreadwing is still mad at Optimus for Skyquake's demise.
* Optimus refers to how he offered Skyquake a chance of redemption, as well as expressing remorse for the Decepticon's demise from "Masters & Students".
* This is the second time that Starscream finds himself in [[Partners|manacles]].

===Transformers references===
* The Apex Armor is a reference to the [[Apex Armor (G1)|item of the same name]] from Generation 1, first introduced with the [[Heroes of Cybertron]] PVC of what in Japan had been [[God Ginrai]], and released as a ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' reissue of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#ApexArmorPrime|Powermaster Optimus Prime]] toy a year later. Still later, the Apex Armor has appeared in the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics.
* This isn't the first time a [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] has [[Transformers (PS2)|visited a research base in the Antarctic, and been at the center of it exploding.]]
* Among the tools Starscream tries to operate on himself with are a [[durabyllium]] drill and a [[laser scalpel]].

===Real-world references===
* People actually do put flags around archaeological sites in desolate wastelands, in order to find them again.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Allianzen in der Antarktis'''" ("Alliances in the Antarctic")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 13|13 November]] [[2012]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hyōketsu Henkei! Muteki no Body wo Te ni Irero!'''" (氷結変形!無敵のボディを手に入れろ!, "Freezing Transformation! Obtain the Invincible Body!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 29|29 December]] [[2012]]

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Triangulação'''" ("Triangulation")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 19|19 June]] [[2013]]

===Trivia===
* Optimus still hasn't gotten Raf that snowball he promised to give him [[Scrapheap (episode)|the other day.]] Though, since Raf did get to [[Out of His Head|visit the Arctic anyway]], he's probably forgotten about that.
* Unless one counts the recap at the beginning, this is the first episode in which [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] does not make an appearance.
* Dreadwing reveals that he has a sword. While his gun has a bayonet that is very similar to his various toys' swords, this is the first time in-series he has ever used an independent sword.
* Currently, Dreadwing is the only main character whose gun and blade are both handheld.
* For an unknown reason, Dreadwing seems to want to kill Optimus to avenge his twin, but technically, it was Bumblebee who killed him. He even saw it on Soundwave's monitor. What, does Megatron think killing a scout isn't really impressive?

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Flying Mind

2013-08-09T07:17:47Z

Kcchia80: /* Continuity errors */ Ratchet typo

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 37
|prev=Armada (episode)
|next=Tunnel Vision
|image=FlyingMind-DecepticonsOnDeck.jpg
|caption=Alright, forget the bigger ship! Can we get a smaller ship instead?
|title="Flying Mind"
|airdate=[[April 28]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Bob Skir|Robert N. Skir]]
|directed by=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Megatron's attempt to repair the ''Nemesis'' has an unexpected side effect, forcing Raf, Jack, and Miko to put themselves in harm's way.'''

==Synopsis==
With the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' down, [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] discovers that [[Bulkhead (Prime)|an Autobot]] was responsible for the crash. Despite [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]'s protests, Megatron infuses [[Dark Energon]] into the ship's power core, hoping its regenerative effects will cut down on the lengthy time it would take to get the ship airworthy. Meanwhile, the [[Autobot]]s feel this might well be the time to strike. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] reluctantly decides to use the [[spark extractor|Spark Extractor]] to terminate the Decepticons for good.

The Dark Energon infusion of the ''Nemesis'' works perfectly, bringing the ship to full operational status in minutes. The energy is detected by the Autobots, who immediately set out with [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]]. They arrive to find the 'Con warship already airborne, and it begins firing on them. The Autobots attempt to get close enough to use the Spark Extractor, but the ship hits them one by one with a [[Stasis Beam|stasis beam]], which a surprised Knock Out notes the ship was not previously equipped with, sending them into [[stasis lock]]. [[Image:Optimus Flying Mind.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Optimus is the ''best'' at freeze tag.]] Megatron is pleased at being able to get the Spark Extractor back, but when he orders the ship to move closer, it abruptly changes course, and it is quickly discovered that the ''Nemesis'' is ignoring its pilots and flying ''itself''. When Megatron demands the ship's computer be overridden, the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] at the helm is electrocuted. The ship suddenly speaks up with its own voice, announcing it is in charge and on a mission. Knock Out notes its decoding the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] database. Furious, Megatron demands they retake control, but when [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] attempts to do so, the ship retaliates and he's sent into stasis lock. When Megatron orders the Decepticons to sever all connections to the ship's mainframe, beams of energy sweep through the ship, disabling almost every last one of the 'Cons.

Back at base, Fowler notes that the ''Nemesis'' is heading towards North America, with its cloaking field down, no less, and the decision is made to try and contact Megatron to see what's up. On the warship, Knock Out is put into stasis lock while checking on the Iacon data, and Megatron attempts to disable the ship's power core, only to be put in stasis lock as well. When Ratchet contacts the ''Nemesis'', the ship responds and helpfully lets them know its mission is to find the missing Iacon artifacts of Decepticon origin. [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] and the humans believe it's the opportune moment to download a copy of the Iacon database, so Fowler and the kids [[GroundBridge]] on board the ship, determining that the ship cannot detect humans, as it left Fowler unmolested while leaving the battle earlier. They find the [[Project Iacon]] console, and clambering up Knock Out, plug in the [[transfer drive]] Ratchet gave them. [[Jack Darby|Jack]] notices the ship is heading for [[New York City|Manhattan]], the location of the first artifact, and if they don't stop it somehow, the ''Nemesis'' will destroy whatever part of the city lies atop the long-buried relic. While trying to change the ship's course, Fowler is electrically shocked into unconsciousness, but the ship, still scanning for Cybertronian-based life forms, is unable to detect the kids.
[[Image:Megatron flying mind.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Bob Dole doesn't need this...]]

Though Ratchet wants to bridge the kids back, Jack realizes they have to do something now, and head to the ship's power core, hoping to de-activate the ''Nemesis''' intelligence by dumping the dark energon out of the fuel supply. There they find the frozen Megatron, and Jack discovers that the manually-operated fuel injection valve is locked in place by Megatron's frozen hand. While he's still trying, the ship finally detects [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]], assuming them to be vermin that are infesting it. As a manipulator arm starts chasing them, they hide among the [[energon cube]]s, but the arm moves the containers aside, eventually exposing them. Jack manages to attract its attention and trick it into hitting Megatron. The Decepticon leader topples over, dragging the lever down and reversing the [[energon]] flow. [[Image:Lower Manhattan Flying Mind.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Man, why can't the aliens attack Jersey for a change?]] Though the ship tries to use the manipulator arm to move the lever back, it's not fast enough to do so before its intelligence is lost. As the ship "shifts into neutral", the stasis locked Transformers inexplicably begin recovering, and the kids make all haste back through the corridors. While Miko and Raf help a still-loopy Fowler through the Ground Bridge, Jack goes after the transfer drive, but he's still struggling with it as Knock Out comes back online. Jack's saved from an untimely end when Ratchet appears through the GroundBridge and clobbers Knock Out, taking Jack and the transfer drive with him, just in time to miss the arrival of Megatron, who is rather unhappy with Knock Out.

Ratchet gives the now-recovered Optimus the good news about the data they retrieved, but they realize they must act quickly, as Megatron has no more scruples than his ship about harming human life, and the ''Nemesis'' is even now bearing down on Manhattan...

[[Tunnel Vision|To be continued]]...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (4)
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (11)
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (12)
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (13)
* [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (14)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (3)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (5)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (6)
*[[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticons]] (15)

|c3=
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
* [[Jack Darby]] (8)
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (9)
* [[William Fowler]] (10)

|c4=
* "[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]"
|}}

==Quotes==
"Doc Knock is ''knocked out!''"
:—'''Miko''' makes the joke we've all been waiting to hear.

"On your feet, soldier!" 
"...and beavers and ducks and walnuts and Grandma..."
:—'''Miko''' helping a debilitated '''Fowler'''.

"Say ''ahhh!''"
:—'''Knock Out's''' dentistry leaves something to be desired.

"I'm here to offer a second opinion!"
:—'''Ratchet''' gives Knock Out the hint that he might want to consider going back to medical school.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*When Jack realizes that the ''Nemesis'' will have to tear down Manhattan to get to the first Iacon relic, the camera zooms out to show all four, including Fowler and Rafael on the control panel. However Knock Out, who should be frozen right behind the two on the control panel, is nowhere to be seen.

===Continuity errors===
* In the previous episode, Bulkhead drove from the ''Nemesis'' crash site back to base rather than use the GroundBridge, suggesting the crash occurred not far away, or at the very least, on the same continent. In this episode, Fowler says the ''Nemesis'' is crossing the Atlantic Ocean and heading for North America.
* How does Jack on the ''Nemesis'' talk to Ratchet back at base without a cell phone? He appears to be using an earpiece, but there's no indication that he received one. Agent Fowler appears to do the same, earlier on.
* When stasis-locked Megatron gets knocked over, his hand, still clutching the release lever, opens to allow him to fall all the way down. The rest of him stays completely stiff even upon hitting the ground.
* In the base, Ratchet is seen looking at one of the monitors. It appears he is looking at the vitals of each human. How is this possible, unless they all decided to become Cybertronian in the episode.

===Continuity notes===
* The Insecticons joining the Decepticons, Bulkhead's damage to the ''Nemesis'' power core and the ship's crash all took place in the [[Armada (episode)|previous episode]].
* Megatron makes note of Optimus's increasing ruthlessness and how he would no longer waste a chance to strike, likely referring to his near-termination by Optimus in "[[Crossfire]]".
* The Decepticons found their Dark Energon supply back in "[[One Shall Rise, Part 1]]", but it hasn't seen much use since the [[Unicron#Prime cartoon|Unicron]] revelation.
* Soundwave has been trying to decrypt the Iacon database since Optimus Prime recovered his memory in "[[Orion Pax, Part 3]]", and has apparently made very little progress.
* Though the ''Nemesis'' is established in ''[[Transformers: Exiles]]'' to be a stasis-locked [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]], its identity is left unstated here, as it does not refer to itself by name.
* The Autobots attempt to use the [[spark extractor]], which they acquired in "[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 1]]".
* This is the first time Knock Out has used his drill weapon since [[Deus ex Machina|his premiere episode]].

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
* The Nemesis's stasis beam uses the same sound effect of the Zat'ni'katel or Zat Gun from ''Stargate SG-1''.
* Miko's "On your feet, soldier" is a reference to the 1984 film, ''The Terminator''.
* Miko refers to Knock Out as "Doc Knock," most likely in reference to "Doc Ock," a common nickname of [[Spider-Man]] villain Doctor Octopus.
* The ship gaining sentience, turning on the crew, and its defeat all bear similarities to HAL 9000 from the film, ''2001: A Space Odyssey''.
* The grid design that immobilises Dreadwing and the Vehicons is similar to the laser hallways from ''Resident Evil''.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das fliegende Gehirn'''" ("The flying Brain")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 8|8 November]] [[2012]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jinrai Henkei! Senkan Nemesis no Hanran'''" (神雷変形!戦艦ネメシスの反乱, "Thunder God Transformation! Rebellion of the Battleship Nemesis")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15|15 December]] [[2012]]

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mente Voadora'''" ("Flying Mind")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 17|17 June]] [[2013]]

===Trivia===
* The ''Nemesis''' voice is listed only as "Warship" in this episode's credits.
* It seems the amount of power required to stasis lock a Transformer isn't enough to kill a human, as the ship was unaware carbon-based life forms were aboard when Fowler was electrocuted, and was presumably trying the same trick it used on Soundwave.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Haven

2012-09-02T15:55:00Z

Kcchia80: /* Transformers references */ missing period

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=2
|series2=Transformers: Galaxy Force
|ep2=3
|prev2=Inferno (episode)
|title="Haven"
|japanese=秘密基地を守れ!
|romaji=Himitsu Kichi wo Mamore!
|translation=Protect the Secret Base!
|image=Cyb ep3 base hologram.jpg
|caption=
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[we've|We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Gyō Yamatoya]]
|director=[[Masashi Nagao]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[January 22]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 20]], 2005 (English)
|continuity=
}}
'''Can the Autobots finish protecting their base before the Decepticons discover it?'''

==Synopsis==

[[Image:Cyb ep3 construction.jpg|left|thumb|''[[Wikipedia:Home Improvement (TV series)|Home Improvement]]'' has NOTHING on these guys.]]

With the [[Autobot]]s needing to establish a base on [[Earth]], Lori offers up a chunk of canyon that her father was going to use for a housing development, but is currently going unused. [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] gives the site a technical appraising and [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] approves the location. The Autobots begin going over the blueprints for the base, but [[Lori]] is loudly unimpressed by the cold, inefficient layout, and quickly redesigns the whole shebang. The Autobots don't really see the difference, but they all agree with her, rather than bring on her infamous wrath. As the Autobots begin blasting out the canyon wall to begin construction, Vector Prime returns his attention to the [[Atlantis Pattern]] and the search for the [[Omega Lock]], prompting the three kids to clutch their ears and demand he knock off the racket. Vector Prime realizes that they are hearing the trans-sonic signal given off by the Omega Lock, while the Transformers are unable to detect, and that the three humans are going to be even more important than he realized.

In the [[fire dimension]], [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] urges [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] to forget the Autobots and initiate the search for the [[Cyber Planet Key|Cyber Planet Keys]]. Megatron, however, is concerned that the Autobots are up to something on Earth, and is determined to find out what.

[[Image:Cyb ep3 overhaul stealthbeam.jpg|right|225px|thumb|That's mine... that's mine... oh, that's mine...]]

Back on Earth, the Autobots have hollowed out the canyon walls and initiated building work. [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] is drafted in to help set up the computer systems when he impresses [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] with his intuitive knowledge of machines, while [[Bud Hansen|Bud]] proposes the installation of a catapult to launch the flying Autobots into action at high speeds. While the boys are busy being hands-on, Lori ropes [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] into helping her feng shui the base, and everyone's combined efforts gets the base successfully finished before sundown. Unfortunately, as soon as the base systems are brought online, alarms begin blaring as the approach of Megatron and Starscream through Earth's atmosphere is detected. With the [[stealth beam coating]] that will protect the base from external detection incomplete, Optimus Prime, Hot Shot, [[Vector Prime]] and [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] head out to hold the two Decepticons off while the other Autobots finish the coating to keep their base hidden from the villlains.

After deploying from the base in prolonged dramatic fashion, the flying Autobots engage the Decepticons in the upper atmosphere, where Vector Prime attemps to reclaim his map from Megatron, only to be blasted out of the sky. The fight moves down closer to the planet's surface, but the Autobots' weapons have little effect on the Decepticons, and Starscream soon realizes that the Autobots have formed a defensive line to keep them away from something. The nefarious duo break through the Autobots' line.

[[Image:Cyb ep3 tachyon shield.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"I want my key lime energon goodies, fraggit!" "I told you, they're not ready yet!"]]

At the base, Overhaul races over to D Block to finish the stealth coating alone as Megatron gets closer and closer. Moments before Megatron reaches the base perimeter, Vector Prime suddenly teleports in front of him. With a mighty roar, Vector Prime glows with shimmering blue light that extends in a column from his body into the skies above. With a cry of "CYBER KEY POWER!", Vector Prime summons a [[Cyber Key]], activating his "Tachyon Shield" power and generating a force shield that stops Megatron cold. Optimus uses this opportunity to switch to [[Super Mode]], and blasts Megatron, wounding the Decepticon leader and forcing him and Starscream to retreat through a [[Warp Gate|warp gate]]. Seconds later, Overhaul announces that the stealth coating is complete.

As the sun sets, the Autobots thank Vector Prime for stopping Megatron, and ask him what the heck a Cyber Key actually is. Bemused that the Autobots are unaware of the existence of the Keys, he explains that they are a small part of the power of [[Primus]]. With a wave of his [[Rhisling|sword]], Vector Prime grants all the Autobots Keys of their own, telling them they have earned their powers this day.
{{-}}

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (5)
* [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (6)
* [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] (7)
* [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (8)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (9)
* [[Vector Prime]] (11)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] (12)
* [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] (13)

|c3=
* [[Coby Hansen]] (1)
* [[Bud Hansen]] (3)
* [[Lori]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
[''The kids and the Autobots are examining the proposed blueprints.''] 
'''Scattorshot:''' "Looks like we got everything." 
'''Lori:''' "What? Are you serious? I just think you could use a more efficient design, that's all." 
'''Scattorshot:''' "So, what's wrong?" 
'''Lori:''' "Are you kidding? There's no workflow, no ventilation, and if you haven't noticed, there aren't even any bathrooms! You gotta work smarter, not harder. That's my dad's first rule of business. Catch my drift? You should organize everything around a central hub, with easy access to all the other work areas." 

'''Coby:''' "Hey, ahh, Hot Shot? How come you use a crystal oscillator?" 
'''Hot Shot:''' "That's, uh, kinda technical..." 
'''Coby:''' "'Cause, I just thought that a phase-locked loop would be, ah, much more stable." 
'''Hot Shot:''' "Hmm. [''Pause.''] Hey, uh, how would you like to help me set up the transmitter?" 
'''Coby:''' "You got it!"

'''Bud:''' "You need to shoot out of here at top speed, just like a catapult!" 
'''Jetfire:''' "A catapult?" 
'''Jolt:''' "Humans use them to launch planes off ships." 
'''Bud:''' "All you have to do is step on the platform, and then—blam! You're in the stratosphere!" 
'''Jetfire:''' "Look kid, I don't know what the heck..." 
'''Scattorshot:''' "No, Jetfire, I think the kid's got the right idea." 
'''Jetfire:''' "''What'' idea?!" 
'''Scattorshot:''' "The catapult thing! You could reach maximum velocity ''before'' you leave the base! With''out'' using extra energon." 
'''Jetfire:''' "Really? Well, why didn't you say that in the first place?" 
'''Bud and Jolt:''' "We did!"

"Hey, good job, you guys! This totally looks like a ''real'' secret headquarters!" 
"Gee, maybe 'cause it ''is'' one!"
:—'''Bud''' and '''Hot Shot'''

'''Scattorshot:''' "Okay, nobody panic, it's probably just a glitch." 
'''All:''' "Huh?!" 
'''Scattorshot:''' "Just let me tie this down here... gimme a second... adjusting frequency..." 
[''Two blips are approaching Earth.''] 
'''Coby:''' "What is that?" 
'''Scattorshot:''' "Hang on! Let me see if I can boost the resolution. They're still pretty far away." 
[''The screen reveals the blips are Megatron and Starscream.''] 
'''Scattorshot:''' "Oh no." 
'''Hot Shot:''' "Hmm?!" 
'''Scattorshot:''' "''Now'' you can panic!"

"VILLAIN, RETURN MY MAP!"
:—'''Vector Prime''' holds grudges

"Okay, stealth-beam coating is completed on A Block, B Block, and C Block. And now it's all up to Overhaul... We are so doomed!"
:—'''Scattorshot's''' faith in his teammate warms the heart, doesn't it?

"We made it!" 
"Yeah, I knew we would."
:—'''Lori''' and '''Scattershot''', who's a big ol' fibber.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===

In addition to simple re-writing and addition of dialogue, notable changes from the ''Galaxy Force'' version of this episode include:

*Among the additions Lori insists the Autobots make to their base is a kitchen. This is why the plans that she is seen holding during the construction montage are clearly those of an ordinary human kitchen.
*This episode introduces the concept of the [[Omega Frequency]], a "trans-sonic signal" emitted by the Omega Lock that only the human kids can hear. This signal does not exist in ''Galaxy Force'', and is a rather clever addition by the ''Cybertron'' dub in order to justify the continued presence of Coby, Bud and Lori, after their usefulness in helping the Autobots hide on Earth effectively comes to an end in a few episodes' time. References to the Omega Frequency are consistently added to ''Cybertron'' episodes where pertinent for the rest of the series.
*''Cybertron'' amps up Coby's technical know-how in his scene with Hot Shot during the construction of the base; while in ''Galaxy Force'', Hot Shot is simply impressed that he is able to identify the hunk of machinery he is lugging around, in ''Cybertron'', Coby offers opinions on ways to make it better.
*Optimus Prime and Vector Prime's brief exchange before heading out to battle the Decepticons is flip-flopped: in ''Galaxy Force'', Vector Prime tells Optimus that he will join the fight even if Optimus orders him not to, while in ''Cybertron'', he ''asks'' Optimus if ''he'' is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
*In ''Galaxy Force'', the minimum safe distance from the Autobot base is 150 kilometers; in ''Cybertron'', is it 150 ''miles''.
*In ''Cybertron'', Vector Prime unlocks the ability of the Autobots to summon Cyber Keys. In ''Galaxy Force'' he merely tests to see whether they have the slots for them.

===Pain count===
*"Cyber key power!": One, but it's early days yet. We also get one "super mode", and a half-dozen special dirtmoving attacks.

===Continuity errors===
* On the display graphics on Scattorshot's screens, the progress of the blips representing the Decepticons resets itself backward at least once.
* Scattorshot says Meg's sensor range will be "240 kilometres max", then Optimus says "150 miles". Why does Optimus change the measurement? Does he just hate the metric system?
* Why is Overhaul the only one who can work in D Block?
** And why didn't he do the previous block so quickly?
* Scattorshot announces that they have "less than 50 seconds" left at 16:40 or so, and tells Overhaul "there's still almost a minute" after spending twenty seconds talking. Megatron isn't stopped until about 18:18, over 90 seconds later.

===Transformers references===

* Optimus Prime swears "by the [[Allspark]] of Cybertron!"
* Bud bets Optimus he can't hit a boulder up on the ridge. Sounds like someone's been watching [[A Prime Problem|the original series]].
* Hot Shot calls Optimus [[Cheetor (BW)|Big Bot]].

===Trivia===
*This episode was, for unknown reasons, initially skipped over when the series began airing in America, along with the [[Fallen (episode)|first episode]], and did not air until a few months after the series was underway. The first episode was also skipped in international markets such as the [[United Kingdom]], but this episode was ''not'', making it the first broadcast in those regions.
*After declaring the mountains as being the perfect location for a secret base for its hard and thick rock and ability to jam magnetic fields, the Autobots shoot and kick the rock as to be able to build the base—basically this means the base is vulnerable to any form of attack, barring reinforcement by the base components. And it's certainly hidden from humans.
*The Autobots can build a gigantic secret base in one day?
*Three normal Earth kids apparently know better than the Autobots how to construct a high-tech secret headquarters. While frankly quite ridiculous, this ability for design and detail ''does'' foreshadow some story developments with the [[Mini-Con]]s that come much later in the series. And, admittedly, they ''would'' know more about human-required amenities than Autobots. (In addition, the Autobots may have not had to build their base on Cybertron.)
*So to make the base invisible to the radar they have to spray "stealth paint" on the ''inside'' of the base? (Given, that is where all the metal and equipment is.)
*Overhaul. Is. Spraying. Liquid. From. His. ''Groin''.
*They give the minimum safe distance as 240 kilometers, then as 150 miles. Pleasantly, this conversion is correct. (Jetfire also gives it as "a lightyear", but he's being hyperbolic.)
*This episode introduces the Autobots' over-dramatic (and over-''long'') "roll out" sequence, as they launch from their base through a series of extensive mechanisms. This footage will be [[stock footage|recycled]] many, ''many'' times before the series is out. This episode plays it fairly straight, with Scattorshot simply making technical announcements over a loudspeaker as everyone gets into position, but starting with "[[Time (episode)|Time]]" and running for pretty much the rest of the series, the writers start to have fun with the sequence, inserting lots of additional comedic dialogue to liven up the proceedings.
*Most of the sequence of Vector Prime summoning his Cyber Key is ''not'' stock footage, as it specifically shows the canyon he's in. Apparently the [[Thirteen|Firstforged]] get special treatment.
*[[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] is briefly mentioned in this episode, but is not seen...

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2005 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount)
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 01 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2005 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection (Paramount)

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Changing of the Guard

2012-08-10T17:02:23Z

Kcchia80: /* Synopsis */ changed "Maximal's home" to "Maximals' home," even though both technically work

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=42
|series2=Metals
|ep2=16
|next2=Feral Scream Part 1
|image=Changing of the Guard title shot.JPG
|caption=Some days you just wish you hadn't gotten out of bed.
|title="Changing of the Guard"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 8]], 1998
|written by=[[Evan Somers]]
|directed by=[[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''While trying to salvage the Sentinel module from the ruins of the Axalon, Rattrap finds himself caught between Depth Charge and Rampage.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] is in the process of engineering a way to use [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s forcefield to protect the base. But mixing [[Autobot]] and [[Maximal]] tech is difficult, and the machinery fails. With that trick failed, [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] puts together a plan to salvage the Maximals' old force field module, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], from the wreckage of the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] refuses to respond to any contacts. So instead the Maximals will use a [[subaquatic stealth vessel]]—a single-occupant submarine developed by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. [[Rattrap]] is assigned to pilot the submersible, over his usual handful of whines and complaints.

[[Image:Rattrap-subaquatic2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rattrap makes a cameo in ''[[wikipedia:Atlantis: The Lost Empire|Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''.]]
[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] delivers the submarine to the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s resting site. Under the lake, Rattrap is surprised to find himself having a good time exploring the water and passing by schools of fish to the sound of a jolly tune. The tune changes as Rattrap finds the fallen corpse of what used to be the Maximals' home. He slowly enters, looking through the darkened hallways. He finds Sentinel, and carefully begins to extract it—and is suddenly frightened by an eel who was hiding in the machinery. As he calms down, his radar detects something else approaching, and he realizes it's time to panic for real. Rattrap frantically tries to escape the ''Axalon'', but a massive claw emerges from the darkness and seizes the submarine—[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] has found him.

Rampage squeezes the entire ship, threatening to crush it completely. Luckily, Depth Charge, still hunting Protoform X, shows up and blasts him away, freeing Rattrap. Depth Charge agrees to keep Rampage busy while Rattrap continues his mission. He escapes the ''Axalon'' just as shockwaves from the battle cause the ship to fall over a ledge and plunge deeper into the lake. Rattrap surfaces and finds a worried Silverbolt, who starts to carry the submarine home. But [[Waspinator]] arrives, causing doggybot to drop his passenger and cargo.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rampage Depthcharge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's crab rutting season again.]]
While Rampage and Depth Charge continue their match underwater, on the beach, [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] sends Waspinator to take Sentinel back to the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]] while the [[Fuzor]] takes care of the two Maximals. But Quickstrike ends up crushed by Rampage, tossed out of the water by Depth Charge. Silverbolt tries to convince Depth Charge to help recover Sentinel, but as usual, Depth Charge has no interest, wanting only to execute Protoform X, who has snuck away during the few seconds of conversation.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rattrap fleeing.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Burn rubber!]]
Together, using some incredible aerial acrobatics, Rattrap and Silverbolt steal back Sentinel from Waspinator. But [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] pushes a tree into Silverbolt's path. Silverbolt passes Sentinel to Rattrap, who races away with it. Depth Charge hears explosions in the distance and decides to go help.

Unrelenting, Inferno blows up a bridge in Rattrap's path, causing the rat to plunge—back into Silverbolt's arms. But the two Maximals crash into the incoming Depth Charge, and drop Sentinel into Inferno's hands. Thanks to Depth Charge's ill-timed arrival, the Maximals have lost.

[[Image:Changing Guard Megatron Sentinel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Why won't the red button work?]]
At the Maximal base, Rattrap and Optimus Primal chew out Depth Charge for getting in their way and handing another major strategic advantage to the Predacons—but he did save Rattrap's life (which Rattrap initially left out, and was ''very'' begrudging to admit). Primal offers Depth Charge a place with the Maximals so mistakes like this can be avoided in the future, and Depth Charge agrees to consider it.

Meanwhile, in the Predacon base, [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] activates Sentinel, encasing his base in a protective force field.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Rattrap]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (8)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (11)
*[[Waspinator]] (12)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
[[Image:Changing Guard Cheetor cattoy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He's a pinball wizard...]]
"What are you grinnin' about, litter-butt?" 
"I was just thinking; with you inside, this'd make a swell cat toy."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Cheetor''', who will always remain a <strike>cat</strike> kid at heart.

"We're approaching the target area. How you faring in there, Rattrap?" 
"I'm hot, I'm cramped, I'm airsick. Eh, the next time that big ape asks me to do something for him, man I am gonna shove my blaster so far up his—" 
"Target dead ahead! Prepare for drop."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Rattrap'''

"Looks like that Pred friend of yours finally did something right!" 
"Yes, my beloved has... many skills."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Silverbolt''', who isn't about to let us know what those "other" skills might be.

"How droll. Rat in a can." 
:—'''Rampage''' finds himself a new toy.

"Waspinator having good day! Not get shot once." 
''*BLAM!*''
:—'''Waspinator''', not having such a good day after all

'''Depth Charge:''' I knew saving your hide was a mistake. 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Rattrap? 
'''Rattrap:''' Oh, well, yeah, technically, he did ''kinda'' do that... um eh, thanks.
:—Rattrap gives credit where credit is due, but only because he has to.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*The writer is mistakenly credited as "Evan Sommers".
*When Rampage falls backward after yanking Depth Charge's tail out from under the wreckage, he inexplicably has Depth Charge's legs.
*When Silverbolt circles in on Rattrap, who has just surfaced, we can see Rattrap's water-reflection inside the vessel, as if it was halfway filled with water.
*Watch Waspinator getting shot in slow-motion. It reveals his insect head isn't connected to his neck. There is a small gap between the two.
*In the scene where Inferno pushes a tree in Silverbolt and Rattrap's way, Rattrap's comm system is on the wrong side of his chest, possibly due to an overall "flopped" shot.
*While Inferno tries to grab Sentinel, just before Rattrap snatches it away from him with his tail, the insect leg on his right lower leg is tilted backwards, clipping through the rest of his leg, and through his thorax-propeller too.

===Continuity errors===
*The submersible is supposed to have no energy signature. But if that's the case, where does it get the power to have a computerized heads-up-display for radar and damage assessment?

===Continuity notes===
*Since its last appearance in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]", Sentinel has gained a handle, presumably to make it easier for the characters to grab and hang onto it in this episode.

===Real-world references===
*When Megatron contacts his henchmen, Inferno can been seen spending his free time playing cards with Waspinator and Quickstrike.
* Jaunty music begins to play when Rattrap gets the hang of the submarine. At first, the audience is led to believe that this is just the score for the scene, until Silverbolt is seen hearing the music over his walkie talkie (with a raised eyebrow, to boot), demonstrating that the sound is actually diegetic.
* The jaunty sea shanty heard in this episode has a very similar tempo and chordal arrangement as the popular Beatles song ''[[wikipedia:We All Live in a Yellow Submarine|Yellow Submarine]].''
*This is the only episode in which Rampage uses his [[activation code]]. ("Rampage, terrorize!")
* The "Changing of the Guard" traditionally refers to a formal ceremony in Merry Ol' [[United Kingdom|England]] wherein the sentries providing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate and precisely choreographed.
* Rattrap's submarine bounces like a pinball after being dropped by Silverbolt (complete with pinball sound effects); after it comes to a halt, the word "TILT" flashes in each of Rattrap's eyes.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Protection'''" (Canada)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uniti si vince'''" ("United We Win")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bukubuku!'''" (ぶくぶくっ!, "Loose-Fitting!")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Troca da Guarda'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" (America, "Changing of the Guard")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Rrray! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Homecoming (episode)

2012-08-09T14:03:09Z

Kcchia80: /* Featured characters */ typo in Crumplezone

{{disambig2|the ''Cybertron'' episode|the ''Universe'' comic|Homecoming (issue)}}
{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=48
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=49
|title="Homecoming"
|japanese=サイバトロン大集結
|romaji=Cybertron Daishūketsu
|translation=Great Cybertron Gathering
|image=Cyb_ep48_starships.jpg
|caption=
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Kazuhiko Sōma]]
|director=[[Hiroaki Kudō]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[December 10]], [[2005]] (Japanese) [[September 26]], [[2006]] (English)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy cartoon timeline|Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''With the black hole causing chaos across the universe, it is time for the children of Primus to unite or be destroyed!'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Cyb ep48 jungle planet dragged.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

Having returned to their home universe, the [[Autobot]]s divide their forces to deal with the threats plaguing the universe. While the crews aboard the ''[[Atlantis]]'' and ''[[Lemuria (Cybertron)|Lemuria]]'' head off to search for [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] and his forces, [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]'s team board the ''[[Ogygia (Cybertron)|Ogygia]]'' head to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to review the situation. And the situation is not good at all: [[Primus]] is running low on power thanks to his periodic attempts to keep the [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] in check, and the dark energies of the singularity are running amok across the universe, causing chaos on [[Earth]], [[Velocitron]] and especially [[Animatron|Jungle Planet]]. [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] and [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] head for Earth while [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] returns to her homeworld, but as they Autobots survey the chaos on Jungle Planet, they are shocked to see tendrils of dark energy reach out of the black hole and drag the very planet through the [[space bridge]] that has so long lain open above it. In a flash, the Jungle Planet is next to Cybertron, at the mercy of the black hole...for little do the Autobots realize that the object of their search, Galvatron himself, is now within the black hole, using the power of the [[Omega Lock]] to control its evil energy.

[[Image:Cyb_ep48_planet_leaders.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, can no longer stand the terrible destruction plaguing our planet! She sends five special rings to five special young people!]]

Acting quickly, the Autobots connect a space bridge to Jungle Planet and begin evacuating the natives to the relative safety of Primus's body. [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], however, refuses to leave his homeworld, intending to "go down with the ship," as it were. [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] accuses him of giving up on his people, and the two old friends begin to fight as Snarl tries to knock some sense into Scourge, even as the space bridge starts to malfunction. His own doubts plaguing him, Scourge loses the fight, and as he looks around at his followers, realizes the truth of his comrade's words. Addressing the Jungle Planet natives, Scourge tells them that while their planet may die, together, they can make sure its ideals live on: never give up without a fight! As the assembled Transformers cheer, [[Backstop (Cybertron)|Backstop]] congratulates Scourge for finally learning the lesson he has so long tried to teach him. Now truly the leader his planet deserves, Scourge suddenly finds himself enveloped with Primus's light, as do the other four planet leaders at their different locations in the galaxy. Seconds later, [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] arrives with the ''Ogygia'' to help the evacuation, but the space bridge shuts down before Scourge, Snarl and Backstop can escape across it. Beneath their feet, the mountain atop which Scourge's temple rests begins to crumble, and they believe their world is coming to an end...but in truth, it is the fourth great starship, the ''[[Hyperborea]]'', revealing itself!

[[Image:Cyb_ep48_galvatron_on_the_move.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

On Earth, Jetfire and Evac, co-ordinated by [[Mike Franklin|Colonel Franklin]] and [[Lucy Suzuki]], are doing a fairly good job of evacuating humans and minimizing damage, but it's an uphill battle, and they soon have to rope the civilian Autobots into action as well. As they work, however, they also observe the plight of Jungle Planet, which is soon drawn into the black hole itself. With this, Colonel Franklin decides that the threat must be taken out at the source, and Jetfire agrees, intending to return to Cybertron to retrieve the Omega Lock from Galvatron. Before joining him, Evac and [[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] head for the North Pole, to once again liberate the [[Ancient Decepticon]]s of Earth so they can lend a hand in the battle.

[[Image:Cybertron Ark Homecoming.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Why, this image is not suggestive at all!]]

On Cybertron, the Autobots are alerted to the approach of Galvatron and the Decepticons, who have come to strike at Primus while he is at his weakest. While [[Cybertron Defense Team]] hold off the other Decepticons, Optimus Prime and [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] combine into Sonic Wing Mode, but even they are no match for an Omega Lock-powered Galvatron. Thankfully, just as Prime is staring down the barrel of Galvatron's cannon, the Autobots arrive—and we mean all of them! Through space bridges, aboard starships...Autobots from Earth, from Velocitron, from the Jungle Planet, from Gigantion, from all across the universe...all converge on Cybertron, leaving the Decepticons no option but retreat. The light of Primus shines down upon Optimus Prime, and the god announces that the time has come for all to be as one. In a burst of holy energy, Primus fuses the four starships into the magnificent ''[[Ark (Cybertron)|Ark]]'', and the united Autobots assemble upon the mighty craft's bow, vowing to defeat Galvatron and save the universe.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Vector Prime]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (5)
* [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (6)
* [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (7)
* [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (8)
* [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (9)
* [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]](10)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (11)
* [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]] (12)
* [[Quickmix (Cybertron)|Quickmix]] (13)
* [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]] (14)
* [[Backstop (Cybertron)|Backstop]] (27)
* [[Snarl (Cybertron)|Snarl]] (32)
* [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]] (33)
* [[Crosswise (Cybertron)|Crosswise]] (34)
* [[Brakedown (Cybertron)|Brakedown]] (36)
* [[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]] (37)

'''[[Mini-Con|Mini-Cons]]'''
* [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (3)
* [[Recon Mini-Con Team]]
** [[Six-Speed]] (21)
** [[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]] (22)
** [[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (23)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Armada)|Galvatron]] (16)
* [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] (24)
* [[Undermine (Cybertron)|Undermine]] (25)
* [[Brimstone (Cybertron)|Brimstone]] (26)
* [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (28)
* [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (29)
* [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (30)
* [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (31)
* [[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)|Dirt Boss]] (35)
* [[Lugnutz]] (38)

|c3=
* [[Bud Hansen]] (1)
* [[Mike Franklin]] (17)
* [[Lucy Suzuki|Dr. Lucy Suzuki]] (18)
* [[Lori]] (19)
* [[Coby Hansen]] (20)

|c4=
* [[Primus]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==
"The peace of one planet will become the peace over the universe. And the peace of the universe will become the peace over all universes. [['Til all are one]]."
:—'''Primus''' after Scourge has his epiphany

"Get hip to this, daddy-o. This universe doesn't belong to you. Stay cool, man. My friends and I may have done some things you consider bad, but we're here to help this time. See, we don't like anyone, Decepticons ''or'' Autobots, trying to take away our freedom. We cool? Can you dig it?" 
"I know, I can barely understand him myself, but he's agreed to help." 
"And it's a gas!"
:—'''Lugnutz''' joins the party, and with '''Evac''' providing translation

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
*''Galaxy Force'' includes a "previously on" segment that summarizes the events of "[[Guardian (episode)|Guardian]]".
*Snarl's speech to Scourge is much heavier on the "tough love" in ''Cybertron'', as he accuses the planet leader of not ''just'' giving up on his people, but being a coward who would rather give up than fight. Without this extra insult, Scourge's rallying speech is also a little different, as he also vows ''not'' to give up in ''Cybertron'', whereas in ''Galaxy Force'', he basically just talks about how the ideals of Jungle Planet must live on.

===Transformers references===
*The newsreader seen reporting on the chaos on Earth is the same one who was seen covering Starscream's invasion back in "[[Invasion (episode)|Invasion]]" and "[[Retreat]]".
*It was only touched upon briefly at the time, but Crosswise re-sealed all the Ancient Decepticons in "[[Assault]]". Evidently, in the meantime, he has put them back in the large holding chamber in the North Pole previously seen in "[[Trap]]".
*As Megatron aims his gun at the fallen Prime, he declares: "I would have waited an eternity for this." While he previously stole this ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' quote from [[Megatron (G1)|Generation 1 Megatron]] back in "[[Trust (Cybertron)|Trust]]", this time around, it's even used in an identical scenario to the original.
*The Ark is, of course, named after the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot starship from Generation 1]].

===Real-world references===
*As with the other starships, the ''Hyperborea'' is named after a "real" [[Wikipedia:Hyperborea|mythical lost land]].
*In ''Galaxy Force'', the Ark is named ''Noah'', in an obvious [[Wikipedia:Noah|Biblical reference]].

===Trivia===
*Scattorshot's long blue rifle makes one of its exceedingly rare appearances in this episode.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 13 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]])

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Megatron (BW)/toys

2012-05-08T16:59:54Z

Kcchia80: wrong verb tense

{{suite}}

[[Image:BWMegatronSticker.jpg|thumb|275px|A smile that launched a thousand schemes.]]

The '''[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]''' from ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' has many toys, yeeess.

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BWtoy-MegatronBasic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It appears to be a harmless Earth creature!]]
* '''Optimus Primal VS Megatron''' (Basic 2-pack, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

: The initial version of ''Beast Wars'' Megatron transformed into a green alligator. The toy is a [[retool]] of [[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] with new alligator and robot heads, and no frill. The screw hole for the frill bracket remains. Both toys were released at roughly the same time.

:Whether this toy can be considered the ''Beast Wars'' Megatron character as seen in the primary fiction is a matter of debate. Released before the animated series began, which established Megatron as a separate entity from [[Megatron (G1)|Generation 1 Megatron]], the accompanying profiles and mini-comic seem to assume that the Beast Wars are a progression of the same characters from the Autobot/Decepticon war. Whether the animated series's [[retcon]] affected this set of toys is probably a matter of personal preference. It can be interpreted as representing one of the more interesting [[micro-continuities]].

:More recently, the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' has asserted that, in [[Beast Wars timeline (IDW)|IDW's version of ''Beast Wars'' continuity]], Megatron's alligator body was suggested by the ''Darksyde'''s computer as a potential alternate mode, but he rejected it in favor of the more powerful T-Rex, without ever actually reformatting into it. Thus, this [[micro-continuity]] posits alligator-mode Megatron as an essentially theoretical alternate form that never actually came to be. ''Suuure.''

:This mold was additionally used to make the purple-recolored Megaligator (who may or may not be a separate character to either Megatron or [[Megatron (G1)|Generation 1 Megatron]]). It was also proposed for [[Albitron]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/MegatronGator/megatron.htm More information on Megatron (alligator) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWultra}}
[[Image:Bwmegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't call him Barney.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Ultra, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

: This Megatron transformed into a purple organic ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. He has limited articulation in beast mode, but his dinosaur head can [[Water-squirting gimmick|shoot water]]. In robot mode, he has no hands, as his right arm ends with his dinosaur head, and his tail, folded into a pincer, forms his left arm. The outer shells of his dinosaur thighs conceal spring-loaded missile launchers that fire anchor-shaped projectiles.

: His robot head features two bat-like wing adornments that fold to become a [[mutant head]].

: This mold was also used to make the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobot]] [[T-Wrecks]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Megatron (T-Rex) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|GatorJ}}
* '''Megaligator''' (Basic, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

: In Japan, the gator Megatron toy was also sold as an individual toy, as well as in a VS pack with Optimus. The individual release is identical to the two-pack version, which is in turn identical to the Hasbro version.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Destron/MegagatorJapan/megatron.htm More information on Megaligator at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|CDgator}}
[[Image:CDMegaligator.jpg|thumb|300px|Purple people eater.]]
*'''Amazon Showdown''' (Basic 2-pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-S1'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

:This figure is a purple [[redeco]] of Megatron's alligator form, and was sold with a red and blue redeco of Bat Primal. This may or may not be intended to be the same character as Megatron or Generation 1 Megatron.

{{-}}{{anchor|Microverse}}
*'''Arachnid''' ([[MicroVerse]], 1997)

: A small, non-transforming micro-figure of Megatron in his alligator body came with the [[MicroVerse]] [[Arachnid]] playset.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Predacon/Arachnid/arachnid.htm More information on Arachnid (including Megatron figure) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|GoldUltra}}
* '''Megatron''' (Ultra, 199?)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''?'''
**''Accessories:'' Two misslies, water squirter

:A gold chrome redeco of Ultra-class Tyrannosaurus Megatron. It was a Japanese exclusive [[Lucky Draw]] figure, and at least ten were made.

{{-}}{{anchor|MegaTransmetal}}
[[Image:BWtoy-MegatronTM.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ducky not included. Bummer.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Transmetal Mega, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-40'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/whip

: The third ''Beast Wars'' Megatron toy transformed from a mechanical ''Tyrannosaurus'' to an organic robot mode. As with all Transmetal toys, he has a 'third' vehicle mode; roller skates fold out of his feet and his turbines flip open. These modifications can also be deployed in robot mode. In robot mode, his tail becomes a flexible, segmented cutlass weapon. He can either hold it or it can be stored at his side on the connector piece it was attached to when in beast mode.

:The Hasbro release of this figure was in gold, dark brown, and silver. The Hasbro release is known for being remarkably fragile — the deep brown plastic used for Megatron's waist and torso is prone to eventual breakage due to stress fractures. This has often been mistaken for a form of [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]], but is really more of a design flaw coupled with weak plastics. The Takara version, which used a different plastic, does not have this problem. The Hasbro version had three different variants all based on the shade used for the transmetal parts, some were pink, some purple and others a darker blue purple.

[[Image:BWtoy-MegatronMetals.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I'm the one that doesn't crumble in your hands.]]
: The Japanese version of Transmetal Megatron is slightly different. The Japanese version uses black instead of the brown of the Hasbro version, a light gray for the beast-mode hands, tail, and skates instead of the metallic silver of the Hasbro release, and the copper has a darker, more reddish tint as well.

:This mold was retooled used to make ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Predacon (Armada)|Predacon]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Transmetal Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|MetalsVs}}
*'''Metals Convoy VS Metals Megatron''' (VS pack, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-40'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/whip

: In Japan, Transmetal Megatron was available both individually and in a two-pack with [[Optimus Primal|Mega Transmetal Optimus Primal]]. Both toys are identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|TM2}}
[[Image:BWdragonmegs toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't call him Puff, either.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Transmetal 2 Ultra, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-47'''
**''Accessories:'' Three missiles

: The final version of ''Beast Wars'' Megatron transformed into a mostly mechanical dragon, with articulation in his legs, little dragon arms and his flexible, rubber neck with vacuum metallized overlapping plates attached on top. The neck was flexible able to be controlled and locked into position by a small lever located at its base. Two projectiles stored in his wings can be fired from a spring-loaded launcher inside his dragon's mouth.

:In robot mode, Megatron resembles a winged demon, appropriate given his characterization. His chest is dominated by a small cockpit with a control chair inside (see Notes). Megatron's dragon neck and head replaces his left arm, with an additional missile launcher above his helmet. Transmetal 2 Megatron has a [[:Image:TM2 Ultras Commercial.jpg|third 'vehicle' mode]], which appears to be an afterthought, as it basically involves the dragon sitting very low to the ground so the wheels mounted on the legs and body can make contact and roll. His spark crystal, colored purple, is located on his dragon mode's right pectoral.

:If one follows the [[instructions]] and package photos, the dragon mode has Megatron's robot head sticking plainly out on his lower back. In addition to looking strange, this also forces the dragon tail to sit parallel "above" the spine instead of joining it at the bottom. It is possible to configure the tail so that it joins properly with the spine and conceals the robot head, but this forces all the sculpted detail (scale ridges, etc.) to be upside-down.

:This mold was also used to make [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Transmetal 2 Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:BMtoy-MegatronMega.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He's a flasher! Mangle!]]
* '''Megatron''' (Mega, 2000)

: Part of the second wave of ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' Mega-class toys, the first ''Beast Machines'' incarnation of Megatron was based on his Transmetal 2 dragon form, but with cues from his ''Beast Machines'' design added, specifically the gilded control helmet and the wrapping cape. A compartment on his chest can be lifted to reveal a [[spark]] chamber with a Vehicon spark crystal, similar to other Beast Machines toys. Other than a robot and dragon mode, a third mode, one that wraps and closes the dragon wings around the robot, mimics the shrouded appearance seen on the television show.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Vehicon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Beast Machines Megatron (Mega) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:BMtoy-MegatronMcD.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Looks good enough to drink.]]
* '''Megatron''' (McDonald's Happy Meal, 2000)

: Transforms from cloaked robot mode to a very weak dragon mode. Much of the toy is made of translucent plastic, and he uses light piping to light up the spark crystal on his dragon mode's tummy. He doesn't do it very well, though—you sorta have to hold him up sideways to the light and hope it's working.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Vehicon/McMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Beast Machines Megatron (Mcdonald's) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
* '''Megatron''' (Little Red Rooster Meal, 2000)

: The McDonald's Happy Meal Megatron was also released in Australia through the Red Rooster restaurant chain. Like the other three toys, it came in four color schemes. He was also retooled to remove the light piping on the original. Strangely enough, the toy was labeled as "Nightscream" on the plastic baggy it came in.

{{-}}
[[Image:BM-toy BeastChanger.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
* '''Beast Changer''' (Deluxe, 2001)
**''Accessories'': Wings (left & right)

: The Beast Changer (so called due to [[Hasbro]]'s inability to secure the [[Trademark]] on "[[Noble|Savage Noble]]") transforms from wolf-creature to dragon-creature (the packaging announces a conversion from "savage beast to noble wolf," a reference to the name Hasbro wasn't able to trademark). A spring-loaded tab on the dragon's head opens his jaws. The toy's [[spark crystal]] has its own unique symbol, a merger of the ''Beast Machines'' Maximal and Vehicon logos. Its spark-action [[gimmick]] is a wind-up spinning claw attack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Maximal/BeastChanger/beastchanger.htm More information on "Beast Changer" at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
*'''Megatron''' (Jollibee Kids Meal, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Con Pencil Point Vise, wing unit

: Megatron was available as one of three figures in a Jollibee promotion. The toy is a greatly simplified version of his ''Beast Machines'' Mega toy. The dragon mode is him wearing his wings as a silly hat.

===Robot Masters===
[[Image:RMtoy-Megatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Utahraptor, maybe in an alternate timeline I'm being less of a jerk right now, but that's just rampant speculation, okay?"]]
* '''Beast Megatron''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Claw/tail, missile launcher, missile

: Beast Megatron is a simplified version of the 1996 Ultra ''Beast Wars'' Megatron. Much smaller, it had a very similar transformation and had a sculpt resembling the television series CGI model, but a paint scheme similar to the original toy. The tail/claw weapon was now removeable, revealing a robot fist which the tail/claw weapon could clamp around. He also came with a small laser rifle.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Destron/BeastMegatron/beastmegatron.htm More information on Beast Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
* '''Beast Megatron Limited Black Version''' (2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Claw/tail, missile launcher, missile, Sacred-Cut Sword "Armorkiller" blade

: Available only via mail-order through ''Hyper Hobby'' magazine, the "Limited Black Version" of Beast Megatron is just that: a straight [[black repaint]] of the Beast Megatron toy. He comes with all his original accessories, appropriately redecoed, as well as a gold-chromed version of the "Sacred-Cut Sword 'Armorkiller'" [[Solitarium]] weapon that came with [[Air Hunter]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/HHBeastMegatron/beastmegatron.htm More information on Beast Megatron Limited Black Version at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Returns===
* '''Megatron''' (Mega, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-05'''

:This release is the same as the American ''Beast Machines'' Mega toy.

* '''Noble Savage''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-11'''

: A toy version of [[Noble|Savage/Noble]] and a redeco of Beast Changer, he transforms from a wolf-creature to a dragon creature, with no robot mode. The difference lies in that select red plastic parts were changed to a blue color.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Maximal/BeastChanger/beastchanger.htm More information on Noble/Savage at TFU.info (scroll down)]''

{{anchor|MegaheadMegatron}}[[Image:Megaheadtoy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You will have to pay a lot for this, yessss...]]
* '''Megahead Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-12'''
**''Accessories:'' Missile

: This is a Japanese-[[exclusive]] redeco of ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Megatron (RID)|Megabolt Megatron]] and transforms into a head-shaped spider tank, based on the [[Grand Mal]] design. A gear-wheel mechanism moves the legs up and down as the tank mode is pushed along. Pressing the [[spark crystal]] on the tank's top opens its jaw and fires a spring-loaded missile. In robot mode, this swings the entire cannon assembly up over the robot's head, along with a "battle mask".

: If one removes the toy's spider-legs in head mode, it fits into the head socket to the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] main body. Though this is likely unintended, it is pointed out here as an extra play feature.

: This mold was also used to make [[Megabolt]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Decepticon/MegaboltMegatron/megaboltmegatron.htm More information on Megahead Megatron at TFU.info (scroll down)]''

===Timelines===
* '''Darksyde Megatron''' (Ultra-class, 2006)

[[Image:Timelinestoy-MegatronDoFP.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My face defies all photographic lighting!]]
:''Accessories'': Claw attachment, hammer attachment, spring-loaded shield, [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]] key

:Representing Megatron before his crash on [[Earth]], ''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' Megatron is a [[retool]] and [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''-series [[Cybertron Defense Team|Cybertron Defense]] [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] toy. Megatron transforms into a large, purple military vehicle similar to a cross between a Russian [[wikipedia:R-400_Oka|R-400 Oka mobile ballistic missile launcher]] and a [[wikipedia:BTR-90|BTR-90 armoured personnel carrier]]. The left side of his vehicle mode has a flip-up non-firing double-blaster, which can also be "used" in robot mode. Inserting the Golden Disk key into the rear of the missile pops it in half and exposes the inner spring-loaded missile launcher "laser cannon". Megatron comes with a shield that, when a Key is inserted, flips out a multi-tool arm that can be equipped with several tools stored in his shins (a spring-loaded hammer-head or a gripping claw). This shield can be mounted on either arm. He has two (nonfunctional) [[Mini-Con]] [[Powerlinx]] hardpoints in vehicle mode, and two ''different'' hardpoints in robot mode. He comes with a Golden Disk key marked with the [[insignia|Predacon symbol]]. All samples of this toy have the space for the robot-mode head manually (and sometimes messily) carved open wider at the top in order to allow the new head to move freely between modes.

: Megatron was an at-show souvenir for [[BotCon 2006]], coming in a two-pack with [[Waspinator]].

: This mold was also used to make [[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe (2008)]] [[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/BCMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Darksyde Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:BW 10th Megatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Grape-faces don't give up, they conquer!"]]
* '''Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail, missile, Jungle Planet Key

: For the 10th Anniversary of ''Beast Wars'', [[Hasbro]] created an all-new Deluxe-size tooling based mostly upon his original 1996 Tyrannosaurus form, but with technorganic detailing. When a [[Cyber Planet Key]] is inserted into his <s>ass</s> tail, it opens up to reveal a missile launcher.

: He is also packaged with a mini-comic-sized reprinting of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' #1, a small ''[[Darksyde]]'' ship figurine, and a [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] style Cyber Planet Key ''without'' a [[Cyber Key Code]] stamped on it. On its packaging, "Predacon" is misspelled as "Preadcon", but a sticker was placed over it with the proper spelling. The sculpts for both leader toys were intentionally designed to blend in with the Jungle Planet aesthetic, "in case" they didn't get a Beast Wars Anniversary release (according to [[Aaron Archer]]'s statements at [[BotCon 2005]]).

: This mold was [[Redeco|redecoed]] and released as [[Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[BotCon 2010]] [[Cindersaur]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on 10th Anniversary Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars Reborn===
[[Image:BW Megatron BWReborn.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Is it me, or does his tail-weapon-thing have teeth?]]
* '''Convoy vs Megatron''' (2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BWR-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

: For the 10th Anniversary of ''Beast Wars'', [[Takara]] retooled the original 1996 Ultra-sized Megatron toy, giving him a new head sculpt and a new paint scheme based upon the appearance of the CGI model used in the ''Beast Wars'' television series.

: The 1996 Ultra-sized Optimus Primal was also retooled and redecoed in the same manner.

{{-}}
* '''Optimus Primal vs. Megatron''' (multipack, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

: The same figures as the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' two-pack released in the United States as a Toys "R" Us exclusive and packaged with "[[Possession]]". (Oddly, the box art is a re-use from that of the previous 10th Anniversary new-mold deluxe, an entirely different body design.)
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/TRUMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Megatron (Toys "R" Us Exclusive) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
*'''Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Claw/tail

: A redeco of ''Robot Masters'' Megatron, with extensive paint details based upon the larger Ultra class ''Beast Wars Reborn'' reissue. He came packed with a DVD of the Japanese dub version of "[[Equal Measures]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Destron/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Telemocha Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:BWTelemochaMegatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Running out of caption ideas for same boring things rehashed over and over!]]
*'''DX Megatron''' (Ultra, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-SP'''
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

:An extensive show-accurate redeco of the original Ultra-class Megatron mold, even more so than the ''Reborn'' toy—''without'' the recently remolded show-accurate head. He came with a DVD containing the Japanese dub version of the two-part episode "[[The Trigger, Part 1|The Trigger]]".

{{-}}

===United===
*'''Beast Megatron''' (Deluxe, February 2012)
**''ID number:'' '''UN-31'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail, missile, Jungle Planet Key

{{charstubtoys}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:Megatronmutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
* '''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Megatron was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}

===Kabaya candy toys===
*'''Megatron''' (candy toy kit, 1997)

: A tiny plastic Megatron figurine molded onto an irregularly-shaped stand was released by Kabaya. Labeled toy 2 of 6, the other characters in his wave were Dinobot, Cheetor, Rattrap, Optimus Primal, and Rhinox. As always, terrible candy is included.

===Metal Monument===
* '''Metal Monument Megatron''' (TAKARA, 1999)

: As the name suggests, the product is a [[die-cast]] statue of Megatron. The head is convertible/removable in order to change the normal one with the battle mask/mutant head. The [[box art]] and the design of the product are both done by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]].

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium RM BWMegatron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I have two heads: My robot mode one, and my dino, who looks really hungry.]]
* '''Beast Wars Megatron''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Stand

: For the ''Titanium Series'', the initial 3" Megatron toy was based off his 1996 Ultra version. He's kind of squat.

:The toy features five points of articulation, including shoulders and head articulation. His dino-arm even features a 'wrist' and an articulated jaw. Despite his waist being a connection point it does not swivel.

:Megatron features an enormous amount of paint for such a small toy, including cute little red eyes, and paint washes on most of his dinosaur features.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/TITMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Titanium Series Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:Megatron Predacon Battle Card.jpg|right|80px|thumb|"I dare you not to make fun of me."]]
*'''Predacon Megatron''' (2007)

: A 52-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Megatron "transforms" into a purple approximation of a ''T. rex''. He uses the same parts layout as [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Cruellock]], although his robot mode is assembled differently. Megatron is nominally the leader of the Decepticons in the set.

{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
* '''Rattrap vs. Megatron''' (2008)

[[Image:Robotheroesmegatronrattrap.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Such a cute megalomaniac.]]
:Part of the "Beast Wars Series," Megatron comes packaged with [[Rattrap]]. He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Robot Heroes Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
* '''Silverbolt vs. Transmetal Megatron''' (2008)

[[Image:Robotheroessilverboltmegatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He has the Golden Disk, he has the power to change the future, and the only obstacle in the way of his path to unimaginable glory... is being two inches tall.]]
:Part of the "Beast Wars Series," Megatron comes packaged with [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. Megatron holds the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] in a special tail attachment seen in the episode "[[Code of Hero]]". He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Predacon/RHMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Robot Heroes Transmetal Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWRConcept35.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Transmetal 2 Megatron's control art. Look! Spark figure! Painful amounts of detail!]]

[[Image:OTFCC05-Megatronunused.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Everyone wishes this happened.]]

* Primal's gorilla mode, paired against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s ''T. rex'' mode, was inspired by the showdown in ''[[wikipedia:King Kong|King Kong]]''.

*The concept art for the original Ultra class figure was largely the same, except in one minor difference: The left arm would have housed an open three clawed hand. The idea of that wouldn't be revisited until the 10th anniversary Deluxe Megatron.

* In a bit of little known trivia, Hasbro originally intended Inferno to be the new body for Megatron. According to [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/b334d45514e26ab4/bc8e54e9165e0823?hl=en&lnk=st&q=bob+forward+interview+inferno+megatron&rnum=1#bc8e54e9165e0823 a 1997 interview conducted by fan HooksX], Bob Forward stated: "For a while there Hasbro was planning to make the Inferno toy the new Megatron. We were going to kill Megatron and bring him back as Inferno."

*Originally, Transmetal 2 Megatron, along with [[Optimus Primal|Optimal Optimus]] and [[Tigerhawk]] were to have small driver-like figures sitting on control chairs located in cockpits on their bodies. These drivers were meant to represent their sparks. But [[Hasbro]] then later realized that kids might confuse these spark representations as drivers controlling the robots, so they were abandoned, but the cockpits remain. The spark pilot was eventually used in the Japanese release of [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]].

* A retool of ''[[Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] as a post-''Beast Machines'' Megatron was proposed by [[3H]] for OTFCC 2005, but this idea was lost when 3H forfeited the license to [[Fun Publications]]. It would have had a [[Rubber Ducky]] accessory. No, seriously. It would have been that awesome.

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category: Robot Masters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:United characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Vehicons]]

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4

2012-01-31T19:44:45Z

Kcchia80: /* Quotes */ link to "scale" article in Lady Jaye quote

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]] #4
|prev=G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3
|next=The Art of War issue 1
|image=devilsdue-joetf2-cover4b.jpg
|caption=My only friend.
|publisher=[[Devil's Due Press]]
|date=[[December 1]], 2004
|coverdate=
|writer=[[Dan Jolley]]
|pencilers=[[Tim Seeley]], [[E. J. Su]]
|inkers=[[Andrew Pepoy]]
|colorist=[[Val Staples]]
|letterer=[[Robin Spehar]] of [[Dreamer Design]]
|graphic design=
|editor=[[Mark Powers]]
|continuity=[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity]]
}}

'''Jurassic Park comes to Cybertron.'''

==Synopsis==
Below [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s surface, a group of [[Cobra]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] survivors takes stock of their situation. Storm Shadow reports that he saw the sequence Shockwave used to lock down [[Teletran 3]]'s teleportation sequence, meaning they can try to reverse it. Beachhead proposes sending someone up the via the conduit shaft that brought them down here, but to avoid detection they can't have any metal in or on them. Lady Jaye and Roadblock meet that requirement, and volunteer. Stripped to their skivvies, they start rappelling up the shaft.

Above, Cyclonus and Shockwave discuss the [[human]]s' ingenuity in regard to implementing the teleporter. Shockwave intends to vivisect the survivors for research purposes.

Lady Jaye uses a quick physics lesson to save Roadblock from a pulse coming down his cable. Soon they arrive at the control chamber, where Shockwave is amusing himself by taunting Perceptor about his plans to strip Earth bare. Their conversation is interrupted when Roadblock makes his move, grabbing a pistol loose from one of Shockwave's troops. He manhandles the gun into firing position and manages to score a couple of hits, providing enough distraction for Lady Jaye to reach Teletran 3. Despite Starscream's shouted warning, she enters the sequence, and in a flash of light, Team 4 returns. Right behind them: the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]!

Newly reformatted into massive and powerful forms, the Dinobots cut a destructive swath through the Decepticons, driving them to retreat.

The next day, the grip of Shockwave's rule has been broken. Optimus Prime thanks the humans for their help. Prime and Lady Jaye agree to make sure that all the teleportation technology is destroyed on both [[Earth]] and Cybertron, as Cobra Commander and Destro nearly come to blows. As the humans prepare to go home, the Baroness notes that Cobra Commander isn't too upset over losing Starscream; CC replies that "they can keep him."

At that moment, on the other side of the planet, Shockwave is undergoing repairs in his headquarters. Starscream is brought before him, and manages to talk his way out of being seen as a traitor. But at that moment, a voice begins speaking: Cobra Commander! Via a recording, he explains that Starscream's been nothing but trouble... and that his hull is lined with explosives. The top of Shockwave's command tower disappears in fire.

Three months later, at the [[McMath Maximum Security Correctional Facility]] in [[Spokane]], Washington, Dr. Mindbender receives some visitors from the National Security Agency. They fly him off to a secret compound, and order him to take an elevator below or be killed. Mindbender realizes they're not NSA, but he has no choice. Below ground, he finds himself facing a group of beings not of his world: Pythona, Nemesis Enforcer, and the servants of [[Cobra-La]]. They intend to open a dimensional gateway, heralding the coming of [[Unicron]]!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (11)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (22)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (23)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (24)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (25)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (26)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (30)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (31)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (32)
|c2=
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (10)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (12)
* [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (miscolored) (13)
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (14)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (miscolored) (15)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (16)
* [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] (17)
* [[Venom (G1)|Venom]] (27)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (28)
|h3=[[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]]|c3=
* [[Beachhead]] (1)
* [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (2)
* [[Cover Girl]] (5)
* [[Snake-Eyes]] (6)
* [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] (7)
* [[Lady Jaye]] (8)
* [[Gung-Ho]] (miscolored) (18)
* [[Dusty]] (19)
* [[Shipwreck]] (21)
* [[Spirit]] (33)
* [[Barbecue]] (34)
|h4=[[Cobra|Cobras]]|c4=
* [[Tomax and Xamot|Xamot]] (3)
* [[Destro]] (4)
* [[Storm Shadow]] (9)
* [[Cobra Viper]] (20)
* [[Cobra Commander]] (29)
* [[Baroness]] (35)
* [[Doctor Mindbender|Dr. Mindbender]] (38)
|h5=Others|c5=
* Kendall and Dupree (36), (37)
* [[Cobra-La]] [[Royal Guard]]s (38)
* [[Nemesis Enforcer]] (39)
* [[Pythona]] (40)
}}

==Quotes==
"You know, I always thought I'd die in Scotland." 
"Maybe I can help you with that, once we get back to Earth." 
"American humor..."
:—'''Destro''' and '''Stalker'''

"Oh my sweet lord. Saved by physics."
:—'''Roadblock''' avoids electrocution

"They don't see us yet." 
"Saved by [[scale]]."
:—'''Lady Jaye''' and '''Roadblock'''

"Man oh man... you will not ''believe'' where we've been."
:—'''Dusty''' heralds the coming of the Dinobots

"If you're hearing this recording, Starscream, you've somehow managed to escape from me. I imagine you've gone off to rejoin your Cybertronian compatriots at this point, yes? If that's the case, then allow me to address your superior. Starscream has been an ''unending'' thorn in my side. He is insolent, lazy, would have killed me if he'd had half the chance, and at this point has become next to worthless. ...But it's nothing the forty-five pounds of plastic explosive I lined his housing with won't fix."
:—'''Cobra Commander''', as Starscream goes boom

==Notes==
* There's a LOT of random Decepticon extras running around in this issue.
* The Unicron/Cobra-La plot thread wouldn't re-appear in the third series, but would drive the fourth one.
* Meets or exceeds previous installments' levels of awesome.

===Errors===
* Xamot was among the humans captured by Cyclonus and Shockwave at the end of last issue. How'd he get down below with the others?
* Dirge and Ramjet were among Shockwave's troops in the Teletran 3 control room. One of them is still shown, but he's colored as a random generic.
* Where'd Ultra Magnus go?
* The start of Cyclonus' statement to Shockwave ("I have to say...") is misdirected to another Decepticon.
* Starscream briefly reverts to his G1 colors before going back to the correct Cobra hues.
* That must be the slowest-moving electrical pulse in the entire universe.
* Perceptor gets a Decepticon-purple speech balloon for his "Optimus Prime is still alive" line.
* Pythona's speech doesn't quite match up with the details of Unicron's coming as revealed in the ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon|Black Horizon]]'' miniseries.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Lady Jaye and Grimlock by [[E. J. Su]] and [[Jeremy Roberts]].
* '''Cover B:''' Roadblock, Lady Jaye and Snake Eyes hide from Shockwave by [[Clement Sauve]], [[Serge LaPointe]], and [[John Rauch]].

<gallery>
Image:Joetfii 04a.jpg|Me Grimlock not ride, me king! Get off, Lady Jaye!
Image:Devilsdue-joetf2-cover4b.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Dreamer Design
* ''Voltron'' #11
* ''Street Fighter'' #13
* ''Misplaced@17''
* ''Breakdown'' #3
* ''The Blade of Kumori'' #2
* ''Defex'' #3
* ''Infantry''
* ''G.I Joe: Master & Apprentice 2''
* ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #38
* ''G.I. Joe: Reloaded''

===Reprints===
*2005 — ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]]''
*2008 — ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers Omnibus]]''

[[Category:Devil's Due issues]]

Corey Burton

2010-07-29T19:26:02Z

Kcchia80: /* Notes */

[[Image:CoreyBurton1.jpg|right|188px|thumb|Too friendly-looking to be Shockwave, yet too cool to be Spike.]]
'''Corey Burton''' (born '''Corey Gregg Weinberg''' on [[August 3]], 1955) is an American voice actor. Some of his most recognized roles over the years have been [[Tomax]] from ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'', Dale from ''Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers'', Brainiac from ''Superman: The Animated Series'', Professor Owl and Professor Ludwig von Drake from various Disney productions and all the furry little monsters in ''Critters''.

==Voice roles==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:SpikeshockwaveUD3.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Why did you get to be in more episodes than me?"]]
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] ([[War Dawn|Young version]])
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]
*[[Dion]]
*[[NUL-A]]
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Vector Sigma]]
*[[Wideload (G1)|Wideload]]
*[[Brooding Robot]] (Ep 69 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4)

===Transformers Animated===
* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
* [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
* [[Colossus Rhodes]]
* [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]/Longarm Prime
* [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]]
* [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]]

====Incidentals====
*Narrator ("[[Transform and Roll Out]]")
*Dispatcher ("Transform and Roll Out")
*Pilot ("Transform and Roll Out")
*Man ("[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]")
*Man ("[[Sound and Fury]]")
*Computer Voice ("[[Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster]]")

==Notes==
* Corey Burton confirmed via his messageboard on CoreyBurton.com that he based his vocal characterization for G1 Shockwave on his impression of actor David Warner who played the villain in a number of films and TV shows (''Titanic'', ''Tron'', ''Time Bandits'', ''Batman: The Animated Series'', ''Freakazoid''). Burton performed the voice of Sark, the evil computer program portrayed by Warner in ''Tron'', in the video game ''Kingdom Hearts II''.
*Corey Burton stated in an interview that [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was by far his favorite character to perform in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original show]]. He does however think ''Animated'' Shockwave could take Generation 1 Shockwave in a fight.
*You should thank him as it was his wish to do more of Shockwave that [[Transformers Animated]] even got one in the first place.

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123553/ Corey Burton at the Internet Movie Database]
*[http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=41857&p=742393#p742393 seibertron.com Interview with Cory Burton]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, Corey}}
[[Category:English voice actors]]

Corey Burton

2010-07-29T19:25:07Z

Kcchia80: /* Notes */ adding the fact that Burton voiced Warner's character Sark in Kingdom Hearts II (source: IMDB)

[[Image:CoreyBurton1.jpg|right|188px|thumb|Too friendly-looking to be Shockwave, yet too cool to be Spike.]]
'''Corey Burton''' (born '''Corey Gregg Weinberg''' on [[August 3]], 1955) is an American voice actor. Some of his most recognized roles over the years have been [[Tomax]] from ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'', Dale from ''Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers'', Brainiac from ''Superman: The Animated Series'', Professor Owl and Professor Ludwig von Drake from various Disney productions and all the furry little monsters in ''Critters''.

==Voice roles==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:SpikeshockwaveUD3.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Why did you get to be in more episodes than me?"]]
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] ([[War Dawn|Young version]])
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]
*[[Dion]]
*[[NUL-A]]
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Vector Sigma]]
*[[Wideload (G1)|Wideload]]
*[[Brooding Robot]] (Ep 69 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4)

===Transformers Animated===
* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
* [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
* [[Colossus Rhodes]]
* [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]]/Longarm Prime
* [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]]
* [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]]

====Incidentals====
*Narrator ("[[Transform and Roll Out]]")
*Dispatcher ("Transform and Roll Out")
*Pilot ("Transform and Roll Out")
*Man ("[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]")
*Man ("[[Sound and Fury]]")
*Computer Voice ("[[Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster]]")

==Notes==
* Corey Burton confirmed via his messageboard on CoreyBurton.com that he based his vocal characterization for G1 Shockwave on his impression of actor David Warner who played the villain in a number of films and TV shows (''Titanic'', ''Tron'', ''Time Bandits'', ''Batman: The Animated Series'', ''Freakazoid''). Burton performed the voice of Sark, the evil computer program portrayed by Warner in Tron, in the video game ''Kingdom Hearts II''.
*Corey Burton stated in an interview that [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was by far his favorite character to perform in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original show]]. He does however think ''Animated'' Shockwave could take Generation 1 Shockwave in a fight.
*You should thank him as it was his wish to do more of Shockwave that [[Transformers Animated]] even got one in the first place.

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123553/ Corey Burton at the Internet Movie Database]
*[http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=41857&p=742393#p742393 seibertron.com Interview with Cory Burton]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, Corey}}
[[Category:English voice actors]]

Landmine (episode)

2010-07-19T20:57:15Z

Kcchia80: /* Synopsis */ added two captions and fixed a typo

{{disambig3|Landmine}}

{{episode
|series=Cybertron
|ep=4
|series2=Galaxy Force
|ep2=5
|title="Landmine"
|japanese=チップスクエアを探せ!
|romaji=Chip Square wo Sagase!
|translation=Find the Chip Square!
|image=Cyb ep4 optimus and landmine.jpg
|caption=
|production code=
|production company=[[TV Aichi]], [[we've|We've]], [[Tōkyū Agency]]
|writer=[[Genki Yoshimura]]
|director=[[Kunitoshi Okajima]]
|animation studio=[[GONZO]]
|airdate=[[February 5]], 2005 (Japanese) [[July 9]], 2005 (English)
|continuity=
}}
'''The Autobots investigate their first clue to the Omega Lock, and Landmine reveals there's more to him than meets the eye.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Cyb ep4 megatron in pursuit.jpg|left|thumb|225px|You two seem useless and inept enough. Welcome to the club.]]
On [[Velocitron]], native racers [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] and [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] are driving along, minding their own business, when they suddenly find [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] standing in their paths. The Decepticon leader attacks the pair, and they opt for flight over fight, but Megatron has no intentions of letting them escape. The pair transform to robot mode to try and give a decent account of themselves, but Megatron slaps them around with ease and informs them they now work for him. The defeated duo can do little but obey.

Meanwhile, on [[Earth]], [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] is feeling useless due to the fact that he is still recovering from his injuries at the hands of [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]]. [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] reassures him he'll be back up to fighting strength again soon. Soon, [[Coby Hansen|Coby]], [[Bud Hansen|Bud]] and [[Lori]] arrive to cheer Landmine up, and Optimus leaves them alone, departing for a meeting with the other Autobots to discuss a plan of action for finding the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s. They agree that more info on the [[Atlantis Pattern]] and the [[Omega Lock]] is needed, so [[Vector Prime]] begins analyzing the pattern while the others head out to gather intel. Lori and Bud go too, with [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], respectively. Optimus, meanwhile, goes looking for [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]], and finds him goofing off at a local race track. Optimus reprimands him for being reckless when discretion is needed, and the apologetic Hot Shot swears it won't happen again.

[[Image:Cyb ep4 landmine altmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px|With the kibble he exposes in robot mode, it's hard to imagine what Landmine transformed into before he chose this.]]

Back at the base, Coby is giving Landmine a checkup. He tells him he's not completely healed yet, but Landmine is eager to help look for info, so Coby agrees to let him go out, so long as he picks an Earth vehicle mode, first. They head out to a construction site, where Landmine chooses a front loader as his [[alternate mode]], then he and Coby start their search.

Elsewhere, Bud has been surfing the net from within Jolt, and has discovered a report of an archaeological artifact bearing the Atlantis Pattern at a museum in [[Mexico]]. Jolt passes the news to Optimus, who orders the whole team to the museum. Unfortunately, Starscream and [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] spot them en route, and follow them to Mexico.

[[Image:Cyb ep4 landmine vs starscream.jpg|left|thumb|225px|]]

The Autobots arrive at the museum first, under cover of night, but it isn't long before the two Decepticons show up. Thundercracker shows off his new [[Cyber Key]], blasting Jetfire, and the two airborne nemeses take off to duel in the skies. The [[Recon Mini-Con Team]] and the kids clear the battlefield, and Vector Prime heads inside to check out the pattern, covered by Hot Shot and [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] while Optimus Prime faces down Starscream. The treacherous Decepticon unveils his own Cyber Key Power, but before a fight can begin between the two, Landmine comes charging in, determined to get a piece of the Decepticon. Prime orders him to stand back, as he's not ready for combat, but Landmine hesitates, and Starscream takes the opportunity to shoot at him. Optimus takes the shot for Landmine, and Landmine charges at Starscream with righteous fury, but the Decepticon knocks him down, and flies toward the museum to take out Vector Prime. Scattorshot and Hot Shot hold him off, but as they battle, Jetfire and Thundercracker appear overhead, still dogfighting. One of Thundercracker's shots goes wide, heading for the kids and Mini-Cons, and Landmine leaps to defend them. Summoning his Cyber Key for the first time, Landmine activates his "Cyber Tempest" attack to detonate the incoming fire, proving that he's ready for action again.

[[Image:Cyb ep4 velocitron landscape.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

At this point, Vector Prime emerges and declares that the object inside is not the Omega Lock, but rather an imitation. With the object of their search proven a fake, and with [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] arriving to reinforce the Autobots, Starscream calls for a retreat.

Back at base, Landmine and Coby share a moment, as Landmine tells him that their friendship has made saving Earth just as important to him as saving Cybertron. As the Autobots lament that they appear to be back to square one, Vector Prime reveals that while the object at the base was an imitation, it did contain a star map giving the location of Velocitron, where one of the Cyber Planet Keys is located. Optimus dispatches Hot Shot and Red Alert to Velocitron, with orders to be discreet and make no contact with the locals. Vector Prime combines the power of his [[Rhisling|sword]] with Optimus's [[Matrix of Leadership]] to open a dimension gate to Velocitron, and the pair waste no time in heading through. Hot Shot is agog at the endless speedways of the planet...and aghast when he is suddenly passed by the speeding form of a [[Override (Cybertron)|female Velocitronian]], who seems to be even faster than him.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Vector Prime]] (9)
* [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]] (10)
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (11)
* [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Overhaul]] (12)
* [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (13)
* Generic sports cars (14, 15)
* [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (16)
* [[Six-Speed]] (20)
* [[Reverb (Cybertron)|Reverb]] (21)
* [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (21)
* [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (22)

|c2=
* [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] (1)
* [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]] (2)
* [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] (3)
* [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] (17)
* [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] (18)

|c3=
* [[Coby Hansen]] (6)
* [[Bud Hansen]] (7)
* [[Lori]] (8)
* Museum guard (19)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hey, there's [[Megatron (Armada)|some big guy]] parked up on the road! So, you think he's friendly?" 
"Ah . . ." [''Megatron fires on them''] "No, ''not'' friendly! Make tracks buddy!" [''They scarper.''] "What's with him?" 
"I don't know, maybe he's related to that cute scooter you dumped. You should have been ''nicer'' to her." 
:—'''Crumplezone''' and '''Ransack'''

"Jolt! Jetfire and Lori just burned us! Can't you fly any faster?" 
"If you wanted to fly fast, you picked the wrong Mini-Con."
:—'''Bud''' and '''Jolt'''

"Man, wha'cha reckon this Omega Lock thing looks like? Where exactly ''are'' we headed? Gotta picture of it?" 
"Oh, quit ''whining'' and keep searching." 
"Aww, whining?! I'm ''thinking!'' Out ''loud!'' [''Starscream accelerates away.''] Hey, I was talking to you!"
:—'''Thundercracker''' and '''Starscream''' keep up the Decepticon army's record of jovial camaraderie.

"So, Atlantis is in Mexico?" 
"Can't say that for sure, but I do love tacos!"
:—'''Jolt''' and '''Bud'''

"I don't wanna work!" 
"Ah, it's an offer we can't refuse, Crumplezone." 
"But this guy is mean! He kinda scares the oil out of me." 
"Eh, go with the flow."
:—'''Crumplezone''' and '''Ransack''' having been recruited into the Decepticon army.

"Got it. Keepin' it on the [[wikipedia:Down-low_(MSM)|down-low]]. The D.L." 
"Oh, be still my beating heart. A secret mission with Hot Shot? I'm dizzy..."
:—'''Hot Shot''' + '''Red Alert''' OTP!

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Galaxy Force''===
[[Image:Cyb ep4 deleted scene.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]
*Rather inexplicably, ''Cybertron'' cuts off the short sequence which precedes the title card of the ''Galaxy Force'' version of the episode, in which Crumplezone and Ransack are racing along, discussing the weather. They run a white car off the road, then drive into the mouth of a tunnel, which is where we rejoin them after the title card, and where the ''Cybertron'' episode begins.
*Crumplezone and Ransack's reaction to Megatron's proclamation that they work for him is reversed; in ''Galaxy Force'', Crumplezone immediately agrees to work for him, prompting an irritated Ransack to ask why he's speaking for him, while in ''Cybertron'', it is Crumplezone who turns Megatron down, with Ransack claiming it's an offer they can't refuse.
*During Landmine's talk with Coby at episode's end, ''Galaxy Force'' has Landmine refer to Cybertron being swallowed up by the black hole, a plot point consistently excised from the ''Cybertron'' dub. In its place, Landmine talks about how he was not initially interested in saving Earth, but that his new friendship with Coby has convinced him otherwise.

===Pain count===
*"Cyber Key Power!": 4
*"Super mode!": 1

===Animation or technical errors===
* When Starscream and Thundercracker arrive at the museum, they both announce their own names...but the cry of "Transform!" that should follow is absent.
* When Thundercracker says, "I just love parties, don't you, Starscream?" his mouth is not moving.

===Transformers references===
* Landmine is still recovering from injuries he took back in "[[Fallen (episode)|Fallen]]".
* The generic sports car Autobots based on [[Blurr (Cybertron)|Blurr]]'s bodyform appear again in this episode, having previously been seen in "[[Hidden]]". The white Velocitronian sports car cut from the ''Cybertron'' version of this episode is also a Blurr-type.

===Trivia===
*Landmine takes an Earth [[Alternate mode|altmode]] in this episode. However, he pretty clearly had a lot of [[kibble]] from this altmode before he acquired it (as the animators didn't have the budget to design a pre-Earth body... but couldn't they at least have removed the shovels before then?).
*Thundercracker and Starscream can how summon Cyber Keys, despite the fact that back in "[[Haven]]", the Autobots could not do so before Vector Prime awoke the ability within them. It is never explained how these two Decepticons (as well as Megatron, who will soon get in on the act) obtained the ability. On the colony worlds the Transformers will go on to visit through the series, however, Cyber Key Powers are common knowledge, and all the Transformers there have always had them.
*Landmine's transformation to robot mode is awfully ''balletic'' for a rough, tough, front loader.
*Landmine can use his shovel halves as shields, capable of blocking Starscream's Null Cannons, hence his ''Galaxy Force'' name 'Guardshell'.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning ([[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount) 
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Transformers: Galaxy Force'' — Vol. 02 ([[Victor Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2005 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — A New Beginning (Paramount) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Cybertron'' — The Ultimate Collection (Paramount)

[[Category:Cybertron episodes]]

Lori JimÃ©nez

2010-07-19T20:25:31Z

Kcchia80: /* Cybertron cartoon */ it is Coby in "Hidden" that makes fun of the Signal Lancer; Lori was making fun of Bud's submarines

:''Lori is a [[Human]] from the [[Cybertron (franchise)|''Cybertron'']] portion of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] [[Continuity family]].''

[[Image:Lori.jpg|right|300px|thumb|A [[T-AI|cranky]] [[Alexis|female]] annoyed by her [[Side Burn (RID)|immature]] [[Rad White|male]] [[Carlos Lopez|companions]]. I discern a trend.]]
'''Lori''' is an adolescent female [[human]] who assists the [[Autobots]] during the search for the [[Cyber Planet Key|Cyber Planet Keys]]. Raised in the city, her family recently moved to rural [[Colorado]], a place she hates. While she certainly outshines her friends [[Bud Hansen|Bud]] and [[Coby Hansen|Coby]] in the social arena, she is not perfect, and more often than not, she can be reduced to immature shouting matches with Coby. She has a very intense... rivalry with Coby.

During the battle to save [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] from the [[Unicron Singularity]], Lori befriended [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] (Override being "Big Sister" and Lori "Little Sister") and [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], leaders of [[Velocitron]] and the [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]]. She also quickly developed a deep and abiding hatred of the female [[Decepticon]] "floozy" [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]].

Lori is a particular influence on the powerful Scourge; a constant and disquieting reminder to the dictator of his onetime desire to protect the weak that lay at the root of his quest for power... and that strength is more than merely physical.

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====Cybertron cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Sarah Edmondson]] (English), [[Chiara Zanni]] (English, "[[Retreat]]", "[[Revelation (episode)|Revelation]]" and "[[Inferno (episode)|Inferno]]" only), [[Rika Morinaga]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Cyb_ep1_lori_vs_coby.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]

Lori was not happy when her [[Ernesto|father]] moved her entire family from the big city to the sleepy rural town of [[Rockville]], [[Colorado]]. Having grown up in the city, Lori was used to its hustle and bustle and found she couldn't stand boring country life, so she took out her frustrations on local boy [[Coby Hansen]], developing quite an antagonistic relationship with him.

One ordinary, boring day, Lori was trying to complain to a friend of hers back in the city over the phone, when the roar of the Hansens' dirtbikes denied her even that little bitter luxury. She promptly stomped over to the picnicking grounds where most of the town was enjoying themselves to chastize Coby, but Coby's brother [[Bud Hansen|Bud]] temporarily defused the argument by offering Lori a cup of orange soda. Suitably calmed, Lori went walking with the two boys, but it wasn't long before she and Coby started arguing again about the most petty of things: ice-cream flavors. They were stunned into silence, however, when the heavens lit up, and a large object came falling to the ground nearby. Investigating, the shocked kids discovered the body of the [[Autobot]] [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]]. {{storylink|Fallen (episode)|Fallen}}

[[Image:Cyb_ep1_cleaning_landmine.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

While Coby and Bud made arrangements to haul the damaged robot from his impact crater, Lori quickly ran home to change clothes so that she could help clean and repair him. As the kids worked, Landmine explained that he and his fellow Autobots had come to [[Earth]] to escape the threat of a [[Unicron Singularity|colossal black hole]] that was threatening their home planet of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Unfortunately, the Autobots' enemies, the [[Decepticon]]s had followed them, and one of their number, [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]], soon appeared to attack Landmine and the kids. Fortunately, his attack drew the attention of the other Autobots, who saw Thundercracker off and introduced themselves to the kids. The [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] squeaked in shock when he saw the symbol on the shirt Lori had borrowed from her brother; what Lori had thought was merely an image from an album cover, [[Vector Prime]] explained, was in fact the symbol of the [[Omega Lock]], the control device for the legendary [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, whose power was needed to stop the black hole. {{storylink|Inferno (episode)|Inferno}}

[[Image:Cyb ep3 you go less.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]

The Autobots' first order of business on Earth was setting up a secret headquarters, and Lori presented them with a plot of land that he father had originally intended for a housing development, until the market went bad. During the blasting that preceding construction, Vector Prime discovered that Lori and the boys were able to hear the [[Omega Frequency]], the trans-sonic signal given off by the Omega Lock that was inaudible to the Autobots, which would make them invaluable in the search. Lori subsequently designed their base when [[Scattorshot (Cybertron)|Scattorshot]]'s layout proved far too cold for her tastes, and helped apply its [[stealth beam coating]] just in time to protect it against detection by Decepticon leader [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Haven}} The next order of business was helping the civilian Autobot refugees integrate themselves into human society; in addition to teaching the Autobots traffic laws, Lori was responsible for choosing [[Signal Lancer]]'s unconventional lamp-post alternate mode, and got a ribbing from Coby for the decision. {{storylink|Hidden}} With these essentials taken care of, the Autobots returned to the mystery of Lori's shirt, and began searching the planet for more example of the strange symbol, which was known as the "[[Atlantis Pattern]]". Lori and the boys accompanied the Autobots to [[Mexico]] in pursuit of a lead, and were protected from a Decepticon attack by Landmine, who had come to consider Earth just as important as Cybertron, thanks to his friendship with the kids. {{storylink|Landmine (episode)|Landmine}}

[[Image:Cyb_ep8_sad_story.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

With the location of the first Cyber Planet Key determined to be the planet [[Velocitron]], Lori and the boys were left with little to do on Earth, save worrying. {{storylink|Space}} {{storylink|Rush}} After going to a horror movie, the three kids suggested that Jolt would be able to join them next time by passing himself off as a cosplaying fanboy. That night, while staring at the stars with her father, Lori tried to tactfully broach the subject of the Autobots, but was prevented by the sudden appearance of the Atlantis Pattern in the sky. She informed the Autobots of the strange phenomenon, but when they investigated, it turned out to be just a Decepticon trick. {{storylink|Speed}} Bored over their lack of recent activity, the kids decided to take the Mini-Cons to their homes for a "play date" of sorts. Lori took [[Six-Speed]] to her house, where the Mini-Con got emotional reading "The Little Match Girl". That night, the kids and Mini-Cons helped the Autobots save the town when an earthquake threatened to cause the nearby [[Mount McDermott]] to collapse. {{storylink|Collapse}}

[[Image:Cyb_ep9_searching_for_atlantis.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]

Returning to the search for the Omega Lock once again, Lori went with Coby, Bud, the Mini-Cons and Vector Prime to follow a lead on a tropical island, where Lori contentedly sunned herself while the boys frolicked in the surf. When the search turned up nothing, they moved on to the next location in the Sahara desert, where a brief battle with the Decepticons erupted over what turned out to be nothing more than a duplicate of the Lock. {{storylink|Time (episode)|Time}} A solid lead was finally uncovered when the civilian Autobots were brought in to help search, {{storylink|Search}} and Lori went with the Autobots to the [[Bermuda Triangle]] to investigate the Atlantis Pattern found there. At the bottom of the ocean, they discovered the ancient Cybertronian starship ''[[Atlantis]]'', and in order to keep it out of the Decepticons' hands, Vector Prime activated the craft and teleported it away with only himself, the kids and Mini-Cons aboard. {{storylink|Deep}} With the ''Atlantis'' safely hidden in the shadow of the moon, Lori joined the others in searching through its labyrinthine corridors, and eventually discovered the Omega Lock in the bowels of the ship. {{storylink|Ship}}

[[Image:Cyb ep14 kids meet suzuki.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

With Coby helping [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] on Velocitron, {{storylink|Race}} Lori and Bud were assigned a special mission by Vector Prime: searching out and examining strange archaeological artifacts that appeared to be of Cybertronian origin. Lori was thrilled when their search for one of these objects took them back to the city, but there was no time to take in the sights, as their quest took them to a university. Evading a security guard, the pair encountered ditzy scientist [[Lucy Suzuki]], and managed to fool her into thinking they were doing research for a school paper. The object the kids were searching for, it turned out, was in Suzuki's own collection of strange artifacts, which the doctor herself believed to be of alien origin. After examining it and learning all they could, Lori and Bud quickly departed and head off in pursuit of the next object on Vector Prime's list. {{storylink|Race}}

[[Image:Cyb_ep19_hotspring.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]

Lori spent much of the time that followed watched transmissions from Velocitron, as Hot Shot raced for possession of the world's Cyber Planet Key. {{storylink|Detour (episode)|Detour}} {{storylink|Savage (episode)|Savage}} When he successfully won the key, Lori watched as it was added to the Omega Lock, causing the release of an energy wave that pointed the way to something hidden in the Arctic Circle. {{storylink|Champion}} Lori joined the Autobots in traveling to the Arctic to search, but along the way, realized they would be needing some heavy winter clothes. Grudgingly permitting the boys to use her emergency credit card to buy some parkas, Lori had them stop at a store, only to find that it wouldn't take credit. As luck and grand cosmic coincidence would have it, Lucy Suzuki was also in the store, picking up supplies for a government scientific survey she was helping to conduct. She bought the kids the parkas they required, and was convinced to let them accompany her on her survey as "assistants". Lori came to trust Lucy, and ignoring Coby's warnings, ultimately told her all about the Autobots. {{storylink|Ice}}

[[Image:Cyb ep21 scourge meets lori.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

While this aspect of the trip went over well, the Autobots failed to uncover the object of their search, and returned to base, where Lori petitioned [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] to allow her to go to [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]], home of the second Cyber Planet Key. [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] agreed to take Lori with her, beginning a strong friendship between the pair. {{storylink|Honor}} With Coby's dirtbike helmet for a good luck charm, Lori proved her bravery on Jungle Planet by stepping forward to challenge the "might makes right" credo of the planet's ruler [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]]. Subsequently defeated in battle by [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], Scourge relinquished ownership of the Cyber Planet Key, and departed to ruminate on Lori's words. {{storylink|Primal}} When the Decepticons attacked soon after, attempting to steal the key, Lori tried to convince Scourge to help the Autobots, but he only heeded her pleas when the battle endangered his temple. {{storylink|Trust (Cybertron)|Trust}}

[[Image:Cyb_ep25_lori_cries.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]

The addition of the second Cyber Planet Key to the Omega Lock once again pointed the way to something in the Arctic, which was at last discovered to be a subterranean chamber holding an army of [[Ancient Decepticon]]s. {{storylink|Trap}} Freed by the rebel Decepticon [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], these ancient warriors swarmed the globe in search of the third Cyber Planet Key, and Lori, Coby, Bud and the Mini-Cons attempted to help the Autobots in battle as best they could. However, no sooner had they departed the Autobots' base than they were accosted by [[Colonel Franklin]] and taken into custody along with their parents. {{storylink|Invasion}} Franklin attempted to pry information on the Transformers from the kids, but they played dumb, while Lucy Suzuki freed the Mini-Cons, then joined them in rescuing the kids and escaping. They returned to the Autobots' base, where Optimus Prime informed them that the Autobots were going to leave Earth with the third key in order to draw the Decepticons away. Lori sadly accepted this decision, but before the Autobots could leave, Starscream attacked. Unable to defeat Prime in battle, Starscream opened fire on Lori and the other humans, forcing Prime to throw himself in the path of the blast, and allowing Starscream to escape with the Omega Lock and all the Cyber Planet Keys. {{storylink|Retreat}}

[[Image:Cyb_ep27_lori_tells_off_redalert.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

Both the Autobots and Megatron's Decepticons proceeded to go after Starscream to regain the key, but during a battle at [[Niagara Falls]], Hot Shot, Scattorshot and [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] were grievously wounded. {{storylink|Revelation (episode)|Revelation}} Colonel Franklin (who turned out to be on the Autobots' side) had the injured Autobots brought to a military base for repairs, and Lori, Coby and Bud all pitched in. Red Alert was resigned to his inevitable demise, but Lori refused to take any of his guff, and accusing him to giving up in the face of a challenge. Galvanized by Lori's words, the three Autobots tapped into the power of the Omega Lock, and were reformatted into powerful new bodies as the [[Cybertron Defense Team]]. {{storylink|Critical}} Lori, Coby and Bud then returned to the Autobots' base, and both helped co-ordinate their attack on Starscream's island base, {{storylink|Assault}} and charted a space bridge course back to Cybertron for the Cybertron Defense Team. {{storylink|Starscream (episode)|Starscream}} After Optimus Prime finally defeated Starscream {{storylink|United}} and apparently destroyed Megatron, Lori, Coby and Bud were all brought to Cybertron, where the power of the Lock and Keys was used to transform the planet into the body of Transformers' god, [[Primus]] himself. {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}}

[[Image:Cyb ep34 communicator.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]

When Megatron reappeared in a mysterious ghostly form, the side-switching [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] exploited the distraction to capture the Mini-Cons, intending to pry the location of [[Gigantion]], home of the final Cyber Planet Key, from Jolt's memory. {{storylink|Balance}} Lori and the boys leapt through Sideways's warp field as he teleported away, finding themselves back in the ruined hulk of the ''Atlantis'', which Starscream and Sideways were using as a hideout. {{storylink|Darkness (episode)|Darkness}} Braving the dangers of the ship's maintenance shafts, the kids were able to get one over on Sideways and free their Mini-Cons friends {{storylink|Memory}} and then made contact with the other Autobots to arrange a rescue. Unfortunately, while Lori, Coby and Six-Speed made it out, Bud's escape pod did not make it out of range before the ''Atlantis'' warped off into the depths of space. {{storylink|Escape (episode)|Escape}}

[[Image:Cyb ep36 parents dont believe.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

With Bud in danger, Lori and Coby realized that it was finally time to tell their parents about the Transformers. Unsurprisingly, however, the parents didn't believe a word of their story, until the Autobots themselves descended out of the sky and proved the truth of the children's words. With Prime's promise to protect the children, the parents allowed Lori and Coby to go into space with the Autobots, and Lori's mother did her part by providing a bag of food and a change of clothes. {{storylink|Family}} After helping to make preparations, {{storylink|Titans}} Lori joined the Autobots in traveling through the rift in time and space that led to the parallel universe where Gigantion rested. {{storylink|Warp}} Once on the so-called "Giant Planet," Lori and Coby instigated the Autobots' first meeting with the towering locals, albeit by running into the middle of a construction site and having to be saved from a falling i-beam by the planet leader, [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Giant}} Lori and Coby almost met their end at the hands of Megatron, who had been powered up by the Gigantion Cyber Planet Key into Galvatron, but were saved at the last minute by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Fury}}

[[Image:LoriPissed.jpg|left|thumb|Coby sure is a lucky man.]]

After rescuing Bud from the ''Atlantis'', {{storylink|City}} the Autobots split into four teams to explore below the planet's surface for the Gigantion key; Lori was partnered with Override and [[Wing Saber]]. In the middle of their search, the trio were ambushed by Scourge and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], and Lori immediately started railing against Scourge for continuing to hang around with the Decepticons after everything she had tried to teach him. When Thunderblast then butted into the argument, Lori went over the edge, and challenged the Decepticon to fight. With Wing Saber's help, Lori lured Thunderblast into a trap at a nearby harbor, and crushed her under a number of cranes. Override and Scourge had begun battling in Lori's absence, but when the girl returned, she was inadvertently nearly crushed by debris knocked loose by Scourge. Ashamed, Scourge made a "tactical withdrawal", and Lori kicked the wall in anger, only to wind up accidentally hitting a hidden button that activated a holographic replay of Gigantion's history, including its war with [[Planet X (Cybertron)|Planet X]]. {{storylink|Ambush}}

[[Image:Cyb ep44 secret passage.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

After meeting up with Optimus Prime's team and relaying what she had learned, {{storylink|Challenge}} Lori accidentally found ''another'' hidden button when she leant on a wall, opening up a secret passage that sent Bud and the Mini-Cons tumbling into a hidden Mini-Con city. While enjoying himself in this little city, Bud ran into Scourge, and managed to do what Lori could not by finally convincing him that fighting was not always the way. Lori then watched as the enlightened Scourge allowed himself to be defeated in battle by the Autobots, and hoped that someday, he could join their ranks himself. {{storylink|Scourge (episode)|Scourge}}

Although the Autobots were able to obtain the Gigantion key, {{storylink|Optimus (episode)|Optimus}} it was subsequently stolen by Galvatron, and the Autobots were left trapped on Gigantion. {{storylink|Showdown (episode)|Showdown}} Vector Prime resolved to use his powers over time to reopen the space-time tunnel that would allow the Autobots to return to their home universe, but it was revealed that the exertion would kill him. Bud could not properly comprehend this, so Lori tearfully explained that they would not be able to see him again, but that he would always be watching over them. This explanation seemed enough for Bud, and everyone then watched with heavy hearts as Vector Prime sacrificed himself to give them the chance they needed. {{storylink|Guardian (episode)|Guardian}}

[[Image:Cyb_ep49_lori_gives_orders.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

Back in their universe, the Autobots returned to Cybertron and assembled for the ultimate battle with Galvatron. {{storylink|Homecoming (episode)|Homecoming}} Lori, Coby, Bud and the Mini-Cons accompanied the five planet leaders into the heart of the black hole, and watched as the heroes took Galvatron down. Defeated, Galvatron hurled the Omega Lock and Keys at the core of the black hole, but Lori and the others were able to help the planet leaders track their trajectories, allowing them to reclaim them. With all five divine objects back in Autobot hands, Primus's power was finally restored, and he sealed the black hole, then transformed back into Cybertron. {{storylink|End}}

After briefly returning to Earth for a reunion with the parents, Lori, Bud and Coby were brought to the new Cybertron, which now incorporated aspects of all the four colony worlds. Lori could tell that Optimus Prime was still worried by Galvatron's continued threat, and before long, his concerns proved genuine: just as the Autobots were moving Jungle Planet back to its rightful place in space, Galvatron attacked. He and Optimus battled on Cybertron's moon, while Lori and the boys helped all the other Transformers repair the damage Galvatron had done to the planetary engines being used to move Jungle Planet, safely returning Jungle Planet home. They then headed to the moon, and watched as Optimus finally destroyed Galvatron once and for all. {{storylink|Unfinished}}

[[Image:Cyb ep51 aaawwww.jpg|left|thumb|200px]]

In the wake of Galvatron's destruction, a peace conference between the five worlds was called, and it was decided that a new space bridge program would be initiated to colonize more planets in the depths of space. Many preparations for the voyage then had to be made, which included the appointing of a new leader for Jungle Planet, if Scourge was to go on the mission. Lori cheered for her friend as he took on all comers to decide who would take his place, but ultimately, no-one could beat him, so he stayed on as leader and designated Leobreaker to go in his place.

[[Image:CobyLoriWedding.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Everyone smile and say...OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT BEHIND YOU?!]]

A little later, on Earth, Lori was with Coby when he resolved to build a spaceship and join the Autobots in the stars, and she hoped aloud that there would be room for two aboard. Realizing what she had said, Lori immediately tried to backpedal, but with this admission, a long-blooming relationship finally began between the two young people. The following day, Lori and all the Autobots' other human allies gathered to watch as their alien friends departed for the stars, and new adventures.

In the years that followed, Lori and Coby's relationship continued, and they eventually became engaged. Coby accomplished his dream of building a spaceship, and Lori her dream of joining him in space, and while in space together, they watched a television broadcast of Bud winning an Oscar. Eventually, the young lovers were married, in a ceremony attended by their families, their Mini-Con friends, and Optimus Prime himself. {{storylink|Beginning}}
{{-}}

====Fun Publications Cybertron comics====
Early in the search for the Cyber Planet Keys, when Vector Prime was returned to Earth following his battle on Cybertron with [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]], [[Over-Run (Armada)|Over-Run]] showed an image of the venerable Autobot examining some ruins bearing the Atlantis Pattern with Lori, Bud and Coby. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

Several months later after their adventures ended, Lori, Bud and Coby traveled to Cybertron with Optimus Prime and his crew. There they met up with several Autobots who had been dealing with other problems, such as the revival of [[Unicron]], and Lori shook hands with [[Anti-Blaze]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part 6}}

===''Galaxy Force'' manga===

[[image:GalaxyForceMangaStupidLori01.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Japan: Always no less than 30 years behind in women's lib.]]

Driving cross-country on an unsupervised roadtrip with Coby and Bud, Lori showed signs of anger when Coby's car broke down and gently kicked the vehicle in the tire. Coby responded by yelling at her, as he felt she was "hurting" his car. Lori sighed and reminded Coby that "there's no such thing as Transformers" and that his car most certainly ''wasn't'' one. As the argument progressed, an ''actual'' Transformer ([[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]]) just happened to fall out of the sky and crash into a smoking crater in the nearby forest.

As Coby made an effort to "heal" the injured robot, he cast Lori in the role of his "nurse". Unfortunately for Lori, she was a girl, so she didn't understand manly words like "wrench" (as a matter of fact, she was so unfamiliar with Coby's sophisticated technical jargon that it all sounded like incomprehensible gibberish to her ears). Bud helped her out, though.

Landmine was eventually repaired when [[Vector Prime]] showed up, but Lori and her friends soon came under fire when Megatron showed up, too. Luckily, Optimus Prime wasn't far behind and punched the Hell out of Megatron until he retreated. Along with her friends, Lori thanked Prime for his bravery.{{storylink|Touchdown! Optimus Prime}}

{{storylink|The Devil's Dogfight! Coby's Courage}} {{storylink|Intense Race Planet! Velocitron}} {{storylink|Deep Sea Discovery! Vector Prime}} {{storylink|The Temple of Hell! Overhaul}} {{storylink|Galaxy Force Mission.7}} {{storylink|Galaxy Force Mission.9}}

==Trivia==
[[Image:Early galaxy force flyer 1.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]
* According to TV Aichi's ''Galaxy Force'' webpage, Lori is 13 years old at the start of the cartoon series.

* Early ''Galaxy Force'' promotional materials depicted a Lori with short, blonde hair. Her outfit was similar to the final Lori, only without the vest.

[[Category:Cybertron characters]]
[[Category:Humans]]

User:Kcchia80

2010-07-19T15:31:52Z

Kcchia80: Wheelie, seriously, is the worst toy ever

I'm an American who sort of had the benefit of living from August 1985 to August 1987 in the UK. I say sort of because I got exposed to the [[The_Transformers_(Marvel_comic)#Marvel_UK|UK comics]] and their "fill-in" stories ... but also got denied the ability to purchase, what, a good 30 percent of the toys available in the U.S.? (I mean no [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], for real? Why do you have to give us four [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] but not the fifth?)

That computer drawing of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in robot and gun mode on the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|"Soundwaves"]] page in [[Robot_Buster!|Transformers UK #59]]? That was mine, done on a PC Jr., of all things, brought over from the U.S. ... I ended up getting [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] from [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] after sending the picture again with my name and address on it but never got my name in the comic book and 24 years later I'm demanding credit!!! (You don't know how much I sobbed when they published the picture without my name.) Also, Wheelie? Worst toy ever.

User:Kcchia80

2010-07-19T15:30:21Z

Kcchia80: New page: I'm an American who sort of had the benefit of living from August 1985 to August 1987 in the UK. I say sort of because I got exposed to the [[The_Transformers_(Marvel_comic)#Marvel_UK|UK c...

User talk:Kcchia80

2010-07-17T10:13:19Z

Kcchia80:

{{preview}}
Dude, you do not need to make FIVE SEPARATE EDITS just to add captions. -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 05:16, 17 July 2010 (EDT)
:Apologies. I was going to add only the two ... then I got "inspired" to add another ... and another. Hey, they say they want captions for the blank ones, right?
::(Copied from your post on my user talk)Yes we do, but generally you should try to add something more significant to the wiki before adding in lots of captions. Also, sign your talk post with four tildes, or hit the signature button at the top of the edit window (second from the right)... and as I'm adding this I see you've started adding your signature. Good! BTW, we usually prefer to keep the discussion on one page so people don't have to keep switching between two or more pages to keep up with a conversation. -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 05:29, 17 July 2010 (EDT)
:The difficulty with adding something "significant" for me is, well, to be quite frank, most of the articles I am qualified to contribute anything to are already pretty thorough. Most of what I've done is either typo fixing or adding the odd bit here and there -- but the captions are something that, if nothing else, I feel like I can write a semi-amusing sentence or two at a space that is otherwise blank. The other thing is, the one time I tried adding something a little more substantial to an article -- I think I was adding extra quotes from a G1 episode -- they got yanked, with the argument being that the article "had enough quotes already." I found this a little off-putting, to say the least, since I thought I had a valid addition but it was deemed not worthy of being added. -- [[User:Kcchia80|Kcchia80]] 05:55, 17 July 2010 (EDT)
::That's the thing, it WASN'T a valid addition. We don't need a huge list of every line from every episode. -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 06:03, 17 July 2010 (EDT)
:Fair enough. I personally don't see the harm in having more lines for episodes that merit them, but I respect the decisions of the keepers of the wiki, which I find to be outstanding in terms of both information and humor. I simply wish to contribute however I can to it. [[User:Kcchia80|Kcchia80]] 06:13, 17 July 2010 (EDT)

User talk:Kcchia80

2010-07-17T09:55:17Z

Kcchia80:

User talk:Semysane

2010-07-17T09:26:18Z

Kcchia80: /* kcchia80 */ again, sorry ...

===Inferno Bonanza caption===
Thanks. I laughed for a good minute after reading that for some reason. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 08:45, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

No problem! Cracking wise is about the only skill I have. [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 00:28, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

==Micromaster Mainpics==
Aww man, you stole my work! Shame on you!... No wait, '''Thank you''' was what I meant! --[[User:2A6|2A6]] 20:52, 11 April 2008 (UTC)
:Haha, no problem! I can really get down and do some work when I'm trying to put off studying. - [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 04:07, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

== Pics from Botch's ==

You should edit the pictures to remove white space if there's too much of it (as is the case with [[Shouki]]), and if the art is missing parts of the art due to some unfortunate circumstance, then you should carefully edit the art so the missing parts aren't ''too'' obvious. You might also want to resave images and resize them, or lower the jpeg quality so the filesize stays around the 100kb mark or lower if the picture is average sized, unless this seriously affects the quality of the image (such as the need for text in the image to be clearly legible).

Thanks. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 06:32, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
:Sure, when I have time I'll go back and fix some. - [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 06:37, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
::Thanks, and no worries. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 06:56, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

== Raksha ==

Just dropping by to ask if you would upload that Raksha picture you had found. I'd do it myself, but I can't seem to find the part of Encyclopedia Dramatica that might give some sort of credits for it. If you know of/can find any credits it would be better if they were listed. [[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 15:19, 7 February 2010 (EST)
:I thought we had come to a consensus to just leave well enough alone? -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 19:34, 10 February 2010 (EST)
::I know some people in the conversation were leery about putting too much info (mainly to avoid it degenerating into personal attacks), but DrSpengler agreed that this picture was fine. I don't think there's too much chance of offending anyone. [[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 12:29, 11 February 2010 (EST)
:::Well... I think it's better left alone. If you want to use the picture, you'll have to find it on your own. Sorry. -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 15:23, 11 February 2010 (EST)
::::Speaking personally, I'd rather use a screencap from the BotCon DVD footage as mentioned on the talk page anyway. If we're going to have a picture there at all. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 15:37, 11 February 2010 (EST)

== LRR IRC ==

Hey man, Asellus and RonnyGunz on the LRR IRC are wondering if you're still alive or have you been captured by cultists or ninjas, and are also wondering if you need to be avenged or something. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 13:44, 5 May 2010 (EDT)
:Ah, ha ha. I'll go on and let them know I was snared by deadly school ninjas, but that I've managed to free myself until the fall. -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 17:36, 5 May 2010 (EDT)

{{previewbutton}}
Dammit, Semysane! -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 05:05, 19 June 2010 (EDT)

== Ratchet (G1) ==

Apologies. I was going to add only the two ... then I got "inspired" to add another ... and another. Hey, they say they want captions for the blank ones, right? Hell, now I'm even editing this a second time to make its style consistent. -- [[User:kcchia80|kcchia80]] 04:25, 17 July 2010 (CDT)

User talk:Semysane

2010-07-17T09:24:03Z

Kcchia80: /* kcchia80 */ new section

===Inferno Bonanza caption===
Thanks. I laughed for a good minute after reading that for some reason. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 08:45, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

No problem! Cracking wise is about the only skill I have. [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 00:28, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

==Micromaster Mainpics==
Aww man, you stole my work! Shame on you!... No wait, '''Thank you''' was what I meant! --[[User:2A6|2A6]] 20:52, 11 April 2008 (UTC)
:Haha, no problem! I can really get down and do some work when I'm trying to put off studying. - [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 04:07, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

== Pics from Botch's ==

You should edit the pictures to remove white space if there's too much of it (as is the case with [[Shouki]]), and if the art is missing parts of the art due to some unfortunate circumstance, then you should carefully edit the art so the missing parts aren't ''too'' obvious. You might also want to resave images and resize them, or lower the jpeg quality so the filesize stays around the 100kb mark or lower if the picture is average sized, unless this seriously affects the quality of the image (such as the need for text in the image to be clearly legible).

Thanks. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 06:32, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
:Sure, when I have time I'll go back and fix some. - [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 06:37, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
::Thanks, and no worries. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 06:56, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

== Raksha ==

Just dropping by to ask if you would upload that Raksha picture you had found. I'd do it myself, but I can't seem to find the part of Encyclopedia Dramatica that might give some sort of credits for it. If you know of/can find any credits it would be better if they were listed. [[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 15:19, 7 February 2010 (EST)
:I thought we had come to a consensus to just leave well enough alone? -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 19:34, 10 February 2010 (EST)
::I know some people in the conversation were leery about putting too much info (mainly to avoid it degenerating into personal attacks), but DrSpengler agreed that this picture was fine. I don't think there's too much chance of offending anyone. [[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 12:29, 11 February 2010 (EST)
:::Well... I think it's better left alone. If you want to use the picture, you'll have to find it on your own. Sorry. -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 15:23, 11 February 2010 (EST)
::::Speaking personally, I'd rather use a screencap from the BotCon DVD footage as mentioned on the talk page anyway. If we're going to have a picture there at all. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 15:37, 11 February 2010 (EST)

== LRR IRC ==

Hey man, Asellus and RonnyGunz on the LRR IRC are wondering if you're still alive or have you been captured by cultists or ninjas, and are also wondering if you need to be avenged or something. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 13:44, 5 May 2010 (EDT)
:Ah, ha ha. I'll go on and let them know I was snared by deadly school ninjas, but that I've managed to free myself until the fall. -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 17:36, 5 May 2010 (EDT)

{{previewbutton}}
Dammit, Semysane! -- [[User:Semysane|Semysane]] 05:05, 19 June 2010 (EDT)

== kcchia80 ==

Apologies. I was going to add only the two ... then I got "inspired" to add another ... and another. Hey, they say they want captions for the blank ones, right?

Ratchet (G1)

2010-07-17T09:13:12Z

Kcchia80: /* The Transformers cartoon */ yet another caption ... this one noting his cartoon alt mode model really doesn't look much like the toy

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}{{disambig3|Ratchet}}
{{featured}}
:''Ratchet is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ratchetg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|All aboard the party ambulance!]]
'''Ratchet''' is the Autobots' Chief Medical Officer. If something's broke, he can fix it. Ratchet is known for his irreverent bedside manner; he loves having a good time, and his party-loving nature has given him a dry wit. He is not a particularly mighty warrior, which sometimes leads him to believe that he is expendable. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has trouble convincing Ratchet that this is far from the truth.

Although he's a healer, Ratchet often finds himself on the front lines of combat and, on occasion, the last hope the Autobots have. These pressures are sometimes too much for him to handle, but Ratchet ultimately never gives up.

His vehicle mode sometimes splits into his robot and a [[Onebox component|separate component]].

:''Nicknames'': '''Cool Hand Lube''', '''Greasefinger'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]].</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Alavanca'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Doc'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Mécano'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Racsni'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Trinco''' ("Lock")
:''Czech name:'' '''Zdravotník'''
:''Russian name (TV):'' '''Храповик /Chrapovick''' ("Ratchet")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ratchetg1first.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This look didn't last long.]]
Ratchet was one of the select Autobots chosen by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to travel aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of [[Mount St. Hilary]] with the rest of the crew. Once the volcano exploded and the Transformers reactivated, Ratchet was rebuilt to transform into an ambulance. He responded to [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]'s complaining by telling him that at least he didn't have to fix everyone all the time! Ratchet would rather be partying. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Ratchetgetstofixgears.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What a comfortable-looking repair sled they're dragging Gears into.]]

As their war against the Decepticons continued on Earth, Ratchet joined the Autobots' debate about how to deal with their dwindling fuel resources. Thankfully, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] had located a human, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who could help them convert fuel to a form usable by them, so the Ark was left in Ratchet's hands as the others left to meet with Bumblebee and his new human friends. Ratchet noted sadly that without fuel, even his considerable skills were useless. {{storylink|Power Play!}} While they were gone, Ratchet attended to the Ark. During his attempts at repairs, he uncovered something interesting in its memory databanks, but Optimus Prime cut him off before he could explain. Gears was badly damaged in the battle that followed, and his body was brought back to Ratchet for repairs. After working on him for a short period of time, Ratchet was amazed that he could already speak. Unfortunately, Gears had bad news; Sparkplug Witwicky had converted fuel for the Decepticons while he had been their prisoner! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

The Autobots were outraged at this, which upset Sparkplug so much that he suffered a heart attack. Ratchet volunteered to drive Sparkplug and his son [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] to the hospital. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} While Buster stayed at the hospital with his ailing father, Ratchet held fast to his oath to preserve life, an oath which made no distinction between organical or mechanical life, and spent long hours helping to ferry injured humans to and from the hospital. His human drivers were alarmed to find this out after the fact. Ratchet was happy to learn that Sparkplug, now able to speak, had told Buster that he'd poisoned the Decepticons' fuel. While this conversation was taking place, his drivers were poking around his ambulance mode, trying to discover how he was talking. After an angry, annoyed outburst, the humans fled.

[[Image:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Staring also works.]]

Despite Buster's good news, Ratchet felt he should return to the Ark as swiftly as possible; no one there was responding to his communications. Buster accompanied him, and en route tried to explain to Ratchet that the traffic signals were nonsentient and would not respond to his pleas. When a red light turned green, eventually, after Ratchet's attempts at persuasion, the Autobot admonished the child for his lack of communication skills. But when Ratchet and Buster arrived at the Ark, they were horrified to discover [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] standing sentry outside. Buster, who was small enough to slip in unnoticed, snuck inside to investigate. {{storylink|The New Order}} Buster later returned to Ratchet, looking like a fright, and told the Autobot that the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, and that their bodies were hung like meat from the ceiling! Even crazier still was when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was seen carrying the defeated body of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] back into the Ark. Ratchet began to worry that he was the last Autobot alive. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

Ratchet soon discovered, to his horror, that he was the last Autobot still functional on Earth, up against the entire Decepticon army. Covertly invading the ''Ark'', he learned that even the mighty [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had fallen. However, Prime's head, though detached, still functioned, and the Autobot Commander told Ratchet that he must rise up to meet this challenge. Ratchet did not believe he could; he was a doctor, not a warrior (damnit, Jim). {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[Image:Ratchetwarriorschool.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The more you know!™]]

Ratchet was no warrior, and he doubted what he could do to topple this new status quo, but still, Ratchet tried. In his weakened state, Megatron could not hope to defeat Shockwave and reclaim his leadership, but Ratchet approached him with a possible solution. Ratchet knew how Shockwave had fallen 4 million years ago (having discovered this earlier within the Ark's memory databanks), and struck a deal, sealed by the [[Rite of Oneness]]: If Ratchet could defeat Shockwave, Megatron would relinquish Decepticon control of the ''Ark'' and its wrecked Autobot inhabitants.

Ratchet journeyed to the [[Savage Land]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had fought Shockwave to a stalemate, leaving all dormant in a tar pit prison. He dug up the Dinobots and repaired them. Soon after, he met with Megatron on a snowy ski slope and announced that he had fulfilled his half of the bargain; Shockwave was defeated. Megatron, of course, went back on his part of the deal and threatened to kill Ratchet. Ratchet declared that he knew all along Megatron would not hold up his end of the bargain and admitted that he had not, in fact, defeated Shockwave. The Dinobots sprung up out of the snow surrounding Megatron and fought him, but did not succeed. Megatron now stood alone, triumphant, mocking Ratchet and his lack of a warrior's edge. With nothing to lose, Ratchet charged Megatron, but he was ineffectual. However, the charge had loosened the ground on which Megatron stood, and the Decepticon leader fell off the cliff side and disappeared. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

''On their return trip to the ''Ark'', Ratchet helped educate the Dinobots about human/Autobot relations by telling them the story of a recent battle with the Decepticons at a hydroelectric dam. {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} When they arrived, Ratchet and the Dinobots found the ''Ark'' defended by [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], an Autobot combat drone which had been reprogrammed by Shockwave. Ratchet rescued the Dinobots from the powerful drone by remembering and exploiting one of its few weaknesses, an access port which could admit a fine laser. Ratchet then began the task of repairing the Autobots, placing priority on those whose command skills would be useful. This put him at odds with Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who felt that the fallen Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] should be repaired first. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}''

''When Prowl devised a plan to use the Matrix to create an army of monstrous Autobot warriors, debate over the plan's ethics threatened to divide the Autobots. Ratchet remained neutral and asked Optimus Prime to step in and provide guidance. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}''

''Ratchet and Wheeljack collaborated on a Transformer-sized robotic suit, to be used by Buster Witwicky in battle. Optimus Prime was unamused. {{storylink|Robot Buster!}}''

[[Image:Ratchetmechanic.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Such irony.]]

After the destruction of Optimus Prime, Ratchet was not able to repair him. Unable to deal with his failure, Ratchet wandered off on his own during Optimus's funeral. Ratchet decided that rather than moping, he should concern himself with the other damaged Autobots under his care, so he headed towards a junkyard to look for spare parts he could use. However, he was abducted in vehicle mode by the [[Mechanic (G1)|Mechanic]] and his accomplice [[Juan]] when the two thieves were found by the police. Ratchet revealed himself when they arrived at the Mechanic's hideout, but the Mechanic froze Ratchet with his own surgical weapons and headed for the ''Ark'', intent on finding technology that would ensure he would never be threatened by the police again. When he had unfrozen, Ratchet followed the human back to the ''Ark'', but was defeated by his own surgical tools. But using pieces he took from the junkyard, he repaired [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and the appearance of the police car frightened the Mechanic away. The Mechanic escaped with Ratchet's tools and the [[Power Booster Rod]]. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime's funeral, Ratchet stood with Omega Supreme, Blaster, and the others, and an incoming fleet of aircraft piloted by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] was detected. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} After the Autobots teamed up with the human counterterrorist organization [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], Ratchet worked with [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]], who had already begun to rebuild Bumblebee. Ratchet was surprised to see that Bumblebee had been upgraded by Mainframe into a more-powerful body, and after the process was completed (despite [[Dr. Mindbender]]'s bickering), Bumblebee decided to rename himself Goldbug. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

[[Image:Ratchetneverisnow.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Paging Dr. Smartass.]]

With Optimus Prime dead, Ratchet and a few other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate a new leader. Ratchet stressed that their nominee must be kind, just as Optimus Prime had been, someone who would be willing to give everything he had. After a surprise attack on the Ark by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Ratchet had his answer. Ratchet's new patients, those that had suffered during the attack, had told him of Grimlock's selflessness in battle. The other Autobots agreed, and Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} However, Grimlock's leadership quickly turned sour, and Ratchet became the voice of sarcasm behind Grimlock's decisions. When a second group of Autobots led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] met Grimlock's Earth-bound Autobots, they brought with them a [[floppy disk]] containing the mind of the dead Optimus Prime. Ratchet couldn't contain his joy, and so Grimlock struck him down and told him to shut up. Ratchet was told to shut up again when he belittled Grimlock's disbelief that Fortress Maximus was part [[human]]. Grimlock set up a battle for Autobot supremacy between him and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (who fought in Fortress Maximus' stead), so Ratchet and all of both Autobot groups stepped out onto the surface of Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to watch the fight. Ratchet cheered relentlessly for Blaster, but the spectators were cut short by a surprise Decepticon attack. After the Decepticons had fled, Ratchet was glad to see that Blaster and Grimlock had, for the moment, set aside their differences, because they would need all the cooperation they could muster to repair the fallen and the heavily-damaged Ark. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''When an [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a time-traveling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] decimated the Earthbound Autobot forces, Optimus Prime no longer possessed the life-giving powers of the [[Creation Matrix]], so Ratchet was left with the monumental task of repairing them. {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}}'' During a period of work-induced stress, he began to hallucinate visions of his patients attacking him and accusing him of being worthless. It was during this time that the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]], posing as Autobots, offered to help transport Ratchet to Cybertron, where he could have access to new medical technology that had been created during his 4-million-year absence on Earth. He and three of the Sports Car Patrol took the bodies of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]] with him, though Ratchet was curious why [[Blackjack]] stayed behind on the ''Ark''. Ratchet's concerns were answered when, upon arrival on Cybertron, he saw standing before him the believed-to-be-deceased Megatron, who had orchestrated the entire scheme. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

[[Image:Ratchetbroughtthemhere.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Megatron inadvertently activated Ratchet's dormant "evil genius" gene.]]

Megatron brought Ratchet the remains of Starscream, demanding Ratchet repair the Air Commander while Blackjack held the ''Ark'' and its medical bay inhabitants hostage. Ratchet agreed, and he used [[Pretender]] technology to repair Starscream while secretly repairing Grimlock, Jazz, and Goldbug as well. After Pretender Starscream was sent to Earth, Megatron sought out Ratchet to kill him, but Ratchet had his own Pretenders ready. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} Ratchet sprung Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee (Ratchet preferred Bumblebee's original form) on Megatron, but Megatron and his Micromasters were too powerful for them. The Pretenders and Micromasters' battle wandered outside [[Megatron's base]], and Ratchet was left alone. Sacrificing his life, Ratchet warped the bombs Blackjack had put on the ''Ark'' into the Decepticon base in an attempt to kill both himself and Megatron. Megatron tried to escape through the warp portal, but Ratchet tackled him, and the base exploded. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[Image:Megs ratch.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ratchet to the left of me, Megatron to the right—Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.]]

Optimus Prime was devastated by the loss of Ratchet. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} He assigned the detective [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to investigate Ratchet's death, and Nightbeat hypothesized that Ratchet could possibly still be alive. There was an initial blast which could have knocked Ratchet into the portal and into [[unspace]], a netherworld between the warp portal's starting and ending points. A probe was sent to retrieve him, and it succeeded—but it also brought back Megatron, who was fused with Ratchet as a single, monstrous being. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} The Ratchet/Megatron creature rampaged through the ''Ark'', wounding several Autobots, but Optimus Prime would not let them harm it. This put Optimus Prime in an awkward position: Was the life of Ratchet worth the possible loss of his other troops? The creature fought his way into the engine rooms and began tearing stuff apart, and Prime's choice was made for him: The creature must be stopped. Prime fought Ratchet/Megatron to a standstill, and, alarmingly, the part that was Ratchet took control and pulled Prime's gun to his own forehead, pleading for the Autobot Commander to put him out of his misery. In an unpopular decision, Optimus Prime ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate Megatron and Ratchet, even if it meant saving Megatron. Bonded at a molecular level, neither could survive without the other, even when separated. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

[[Image:Ratchetjollies.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Holy crap.]]

Separated by Fixit, they remained in stasis on the ''Ark'' until Grimlock and his [[Nucleon]]-revived Dinobots found the ''Ark'' abandoned during the Transformers' battle with [[Unicron]]. They filled the entire medical bay chambers with Nucleon, not aware that Megatron lay there in storage. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Shockwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] stole the ''Ark'' after Unicron was defeated, in an attempt to return to Earth and conquer it. {{storylink|Still Life!}} However, just as Megatron awoke, Starscream and Shockwave were interrupted by [[Galvatron II]], who had snuck on board before launch. While Galvatron and Megatron teamed up on Shockwave, Starscream went to check on any other possible survivors in the medical bay. He found Ratchet, whose mind was still connected to Megatron's, and Starscream fought the confused Autobot easily. However, when Starscream mused that Ratchet was no fun to kill, Ratchet became enraged and defeated him in a berserker state. Determined to end what he had started, Ratchet blew up the ''Ark'' as it was approaching Earth's orbit, sending all four Decepticons and himself to a supposed death.<ref>Except all the Decepticons eventually turn up alive.</ref> {{storylink|A Savage Circle}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''Ratchet was present at the Ark in 2003 when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] announced his plans for a fully-functional transforming fortress known as [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}''

====''Generation 2''====
{{note|Megatron's molecular-level link with Ratchet was entirely ignored in ''Generation 2''. Megatron returned and was rebuilt by Cobra, while Ratchet's fate was not mentioned at all.}}
As Optimus Prime was being repaired after a catastrophic battle with Megatron, he recalled the events of the Transformer civil war thus far, including two of Megatron's encounters with Ratchet. {{storylink|Tales of Earth Part Four}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
{{note|The ''Classics'' comics take place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a [[splinter timeline]] that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or ''Generation 2''.}}
[[Image:Ratchet-AtFightsEnd.jpg|left|250px|thumb|From martyr to furniture.]]
Fifteen years after Ratchet seemingly perished with Megatron, Starscream, and Shockwave when the Ark crashed into the [[Yukon]], Megatron had returned to power. Starscream had been fully rebuilt, Shockwave's disembodied head was rigged to exist only in a tortured advisory role, and [[:Image:Ratchetgamesofdeception.jpg|Ratchet's body was stashed]], seemingly lifeless, in a dark corner of Megatron's new throne room within the Ark's remains. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

Megatron kept Ratchet there for his own amusement, able to talk but not to move, because the Decepticon leader had begun to consider his unlikely nemesis a friend. The Decepticon leader enjoyed toying with Ratchet's doubts; he asked Ratchet why Optimus Prime hadn't come to rescue him in all these years. Megatron also enjoyed hearing Ratchet's measured responses, many of which genuinely took him by surprise, though some Megatron didn't think Ratchet truly believed.

Megatron wanted Ratchet to know the real reason why the Transformers fight. After they watched Megatron's plan to assassinate [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (and end the Decepticon civil war) culminate in success, he told Ratchet why. It's not to win or to lose, but because of who they were. The Transformers were born to fight. Megatron picked up Ratchet's motionless body, set it inside a [[CR chamber|bubbling tank]], and left him there. As Ratchet felt his body begin to dissolve, Megatron asked him to give Prime his regards.

Later, the Autobots secured the abandoned Ark and found Ratchet inside the tank, reformatted into a new body. However, Ratchet noted that his new surgical tools looked suspiciously like weapons. He recalled Megatron's words about why the Transformers fight. Did he truly have no choice? {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Wally Burr]] (English, "[[Masquerade]]" only), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese), [[Garcia Neto]] (Brazil)

[[Image:Ratchetg1cartoon.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Ruh-roh. Rooby-rooby-roo!]]
Ratchet served as chief medical officer of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on its mission to seek out new energy sources to fuel the Autobot struggle against the Decepticons. When the ''Ark'' was boarded by the crew of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Ratchet attempted to defend his ship by attacking [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but was thrown into a computer console for his trouble. Ratchet and the other Transformers were forced into emergency [[stasis lock]] when the out-of-control ''Ark'' crashed into a volcano on a [[Earth|primitive planet]]. Four million years later, the volcano erupted, activating [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons. Ratchet was rebuilt into a human-scaled ambulance. After [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper's]] failed scouting mission ended in a counterattack by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], Ratchet arrived with [[Hauler]] to pull the damaged Hound out of a ravine. Once he finished repairing Hound, Ratchet was part of the battlegroup sent to stop the Decepticons stealing the oil from an off-shore oil rig. However, he did not fare well in this battle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

After the Autobots saved their new human friends, Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky, from the oil rig fire, Ratchet repaired [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]'s damaged arm in the repair bay outside the ''Ark.'' {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in the explosion of the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Ratchet helped the Autobot leader recover, but evidently his skills as a medic were not required, as Prime was totally fine after transforming back into robot mode. Soon afterwards, Ironhide was shot by Skywarp, so Ratchet carried the old-timer back to base for repairs. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

During an ill-fated Autobot attempt to defend the local solar power plant, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] managed to shoot the guns out of Ratchet and Prowl's hands. Smarting from the concussion blast, Ratchet called for the Autobots to fall back. However, Ironhide once again managed to get himself damaged while saving Optimus Prime. Ironhide objected to Ratchet and Sparkplug's diagnosis of his damage, but Ratchet warned him against backtalk or the medic would short out Ironhide's mouth circuit. To prevent further argument, he shut down Ironhide, cutting off the warrior in mid-sentence. After the Autobots were led into a trap by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], Ratchet discovered the tampering done by the Decepticons and restored the little Autobot. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[Image:DivideandConquer Ratchet at work.jpg|thumb|left|240px|"There, Prime, I'll fix you right up and all three of us can die in the movie!"]]
Ratchet patched up the Autobots quick smart after they were caught in an explosion at a hi-tech lab. Of course, he immediately afterwards had to alert them to incoming Decepticons, and probably had to put them back together again after the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Roll for It}} With Optimus critically injured after a Decepticon attack, Ratchet and Wheeljack worked to repair their leader, only for [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to sneak into the base and inflict more damage on Optimus. Ratchet and Wheeljack continued to work, eventually succeeding in saving Prime's life using a [[Cosmotron]] retrieved from Cybertron by [[Chip Chase]] and a team of Autobots. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

A group of Autobots including Ratchet enjoyed hijinks in the snow when abnormal weather conditions were caused by the Decepticons tapping a crystal in the Arctic. The Autobots went to the Arctic, where Ratchet was part of Ironhide's team, which was separated from the main Autobot force and captured by the Decepticons. After the group faked their own destruction, Ratchet repaired [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], who had been shot by Starscream after refusing to terminate the Autobots. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Inspired by the discovery of dinosaur bones, Ratchet and Wheeljack designed and built the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s. Unfortunately the new warriors were difficult to control, and Ratchet was soon patching up [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. After the rest of the Autobots fell foul of the Decepticons, Wheeljack had the idea of reactivating the Dinobots, and he and Ratchet installed new brain modules, allowing the Dinobots to be successfully used in battle. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Ratchet was one of the Autobots who went to [[Peru]] when the Decepticons discovered the [[Crystal of Power]] there, and built a cannon to utilise it. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Ratchet was on hand for the impact of [[Meteorini Chipperoni]] and Optimus subsequently ordered him and Wheeljack to construct two more Dinobots to bolster the Autobots' ranks. Once [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] were constructed, Ratchet and Wheeljack held a demonstration. The two new additions quickly proved themselves and were dispatched to aid Optimus Prime, who'd run afoul of the other three Dinobots after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] turned them against the Autobots. By the time Ratchet and the other Autobots got there, Optimus had persuaded [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to defect back. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a rescue mission to retrieve Sparkplug from the Decepticon base, Ratchet was again repairing the Autobots when Sparkplug started trying to repair him, despite him being undamaged. Sparkplug then started working on Prime, despite Ratchet pointing out that Prime had already been fixed. Sparkplug was under the control of the Decepticons, and had sabotaged the Autobots weapons and Teletraan I, so the Decepticons could attack. After the attack was repelled, Ratchet repaired Teletraan I, which alerted the Autobots to the giant [[space bridge]] which the Decepticons were building. The Autobots rolled out, but were unable to prevent Cybertron being dragged into [[Earth]]'s orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom2 Autobot volcano.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Retreating to headquarters, the Autobots sent out the Dinobots to battle the disasters caused by the nearby Cybertron. The [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] which the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] was embedded in became active, erupting and spewing Ratchet, [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] into the air, necessitating a rescue on the part of Skyfire. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Ratchet surfed with Optimus Prime and the others to where the Decepticons were building a generator, though they were unable to prevent the Decepticons getting away with a shuttle full of energon and saved a bunch of humans instead. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Once Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, Ratchet and the other Autobots set about repairing the devastation it had wrought on Earth. They were subsequently occupied preventing [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s plan to destroy the planet using an [[Exponential Generator]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, the Autobots watched in horror as the Autobot leader was defeated. They later discovered that Megatron had cheated, rendering the results of the contest void, and allowed them to legally blast the Decepticons into a lava-filled crevasse. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:G1 ChangingGears Ratchet karate.jpg|left|260px|thumb|Now COUGH!]]
After Spike was injured during a battle with the Decepticons, Ratchet carried their injured human friend to the metro hospital. While Spike's mind was transferred into the [[Autobot X]] experimental body Sparkplug had made earlier, Ratchet repaired the battle-damaged Bumblebee, but was forced to cut short his repairs after Spike went on a rampage in his new body. After Spike's mind was returned to his real body, Ratchet theorised that he could probably fix the problems in the mind-transfer process, but thought it was better left alone. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} When Megatron captured [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and unwittingly threatened the destruction of the Earth with his [[Solar Needle]], Ratchet totally fly-kicked Thundercracker. After the Decepticons retreated, Ratchet and Wheeljack argued over which wire they had to disconnect to stabilize the [[Sun]]. However, nobody seemed to notice that he and Gears sounded exactly the same. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Part of a mission to [[New York City]] to investigate the disappearance of the [[Empire State Building]], Ratchet joined Spike, Hound, Bumblebee and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in entering the city via the sewers in an attempt to recover Optimus Prime. When they finally found their leader, he had been disassembled by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], and Ratchet had a heck of a job putting him back together again, including having to wrangle an [[alligatorcon]]. During a battle on the streets of the city, Ratchet and Ironhide ended up in the Decepticon's new skyscraper, and were again able to rescue Prime from a nasty fall. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

[[Image:AttackoftheAutobots Prime and Ratchet on rocket.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I can see my house from here!"]]
Ratchet was one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]] and was compelled to attempt to get some blueprints from [[Doctor Harding]]. After being de-evilled by one of Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s, Ratchet and Optimus jumped aboard a rocket in mid-air and Ratchet detached a solar satellite even as the rocket blasted towards space. The pair were able to get the satellite into space on Skyfire's back. Afterwards, Ratchet and Sparkplug realised they had to repair all of the jets the Autobots had trashed while under Decepticon control. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He patched up Mirage after another battle, and told the other Autobot to rest, but Mirage instead rushed off to prove he wasn't a traitor as Cliffjumper had suggested. After Mirage led the Autobots into a trap, Ratchet found one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s on Mirage's forehead. After the inevitable battle, Ratchet patched Mirage up once more. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[Image:Immobilizer Ratchet ambulance mode.jpg|thumb|left|200px|He doesn't look much like the toy in this mode, either.]]
Ratchet attended the demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. It didn't go well, with Wheeljack being accidentally immobilized and the Decepticons stealing his device. Wheeljack was loaded into the back of Ratchet's ambulance mode, and they returned to base where Ratchet repaired Ironhide, telling him to STFU when he blamed himself for the attack. The Autobots were eventually able to get the Immobilizer back. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Ratchet was one of those who didn't take part in a charity race and was thus spared from being affected by the Decepticon's [[Transfixatron]] ray and captured. He and Wheeljack constructed an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] and mounted an attack with a small group to rescue the other Autobots. Afterwards, Ratcher realised that he was going to be repairing for days. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

He took part in the defence of [[Washington, D.C.]] against the combined forces of the Decepticons and [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Ordered to guard [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], he an Wheeljack cracked jokes at the robot's expense, until Optimus told them off. They were unable to prevent the robot's capture by the Decepticons and returned to base, where Ratchet repaired Brawn. A stealth attack by the reprogrammed ninja resulted in the loss of power to the base, and Ratchet soon discovered that the [[World Energy Chip]] had been stolen. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Dinobotislandratch&spark.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The animators never could decide if I had zero, one or two crosses on my shoulder. Here I have one ...]]
Ratchet, like the other Autobots, was taken in by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone]], at least until Windcharger revealed the truth. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He also took part in an attempt to stop one of Megatron's plans using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{storylink|The Core}} and helped Wheeljack whipped up an antidote to prevent the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s exploding after they consumed the [[Nova Power Core]]. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} After another Dinobot rampage at Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet sighed and started the repairs once again. The Dinobots were subsequently banished to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], no doubt to his relief. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} With Sparkplug's help, repairs were soon complete. When Teletraan I detected a disturbance near the library Spike was visiting, Ratchet reassured Sparkplug as the rest of the Autobots rolled out. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

When Megatron found the [[Heart of Cybertron]], Ratchet was among the group of Autobots who were first to feel his wrath and had to limp back to base. While [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] put a bizarre plan into operation, Ratchet and Wheeljack set up a forcefield to hold back the Decepticon leader until Perceptor's plan could succeed. {{storylink|Microbots}} Ratchet attended the [[Autobot Day]] celebration, during which Megatron managed to frame the Autobots. The Autobots were subsequently banished from Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They almost perished in the [[Sun]], but made it back to Earth in time to overthrow the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

After the Dinobots were damaged in a Decepticon attack, Ratchet repaired them, only for them to desert the Autobot forces. There's gratitude for you. A short time later, the Autobots were all disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} With Spike and [[Carly]]'s help, the Dinobot retrieved more Cybertonium from Cybertron, and the Autobots were able to repair themselves. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Ratchet was among the Autobots who turned up too late to prevent Megatron from stealing the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. After the Decepticons used it to jam Earth's radio signals, Ratchet helped some humans who'd become trapped in a blizzard. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was also part of the group who coated themselves in [[electrum]] to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:Kremzeek! Ratchet with Kremzeek.jpg|thumb|left|200px|... and here I don't have any. Make up your minds, animators.]]
While defending New York against Decepticons drones, Ratchet realised that the drones didn't have brains, meaning they were remote controlled. Once [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] had broadcast a jamming signal, the Autobots were able to attack the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. Ratchet, Wheeljack and Hoist joined Sparkplug and [[Raoul]] in turning the drones back into cars. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After Optimus Prime's team of Autobots went missing, Ratchet and the others attempted fruitlessly to find out where they'd gone. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Ratchet also took part in the operation to rescue [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] from a horde of [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} He was one of the first Autobots to be disabled by [[Kremzeek]], which didn't bode well for the Autobots' chances of getting repaired. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

After Optimus beat [[Lord Chumley]]'s death traps, Ratchet and the other Autobots provided Prime with reinforcements. {{storylink|Prime Target}} He and Wheeljack picked up [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] after the Autobot plane was defeated by the [[Conehead]]s. Ratchet started patching him up, but Powerglide refused further treatment until he could rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz|Astoria]], the spunky heiress he'd been charged with protecting. Once Astoria was safe, Powerglide returned for more repairs, and Ratchet joined in mocking him for his apparent [[Transformer romance|romantic feelings]] for the girl. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:KeyVectorSigma1 Ratchet thoughtful.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Although Ratchet was puzzled by Megatron's sudden interest in stealing cars, Optimus knew what the Decepticons were up to, and led a team, including Ratchet, to Cybertron. There, they found [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] badly damaged. Once Ratchet and Wheeljack had repaired him, he explained that Megatron had taken the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], and the Autobots journeyed underground. Encountering [[Centurion droid|Centurions]] left by Megatron to guard the way, Ratchet and Wheeljack repaired Maintenance drones to send against them in battle. Unfortunately they reached [[Vector Sigma]] too late, and Optimus ordered that some shuttles be rebuilt into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} The Autobots returned to Earth with the new additions, and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] promptly blew up on landing, resulting in Ratchet, Wheeljack and Sparkplug working feverishly to save the giant Autobot's life and repair his body. They ultimately succeeded. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:CosmicRust Ratchet and Blaster infected.jpg|thumb|left|260px|'Cause this is thriller, thriller night!]]
The Aerialbots, much to Ratchet's disgust, seemed to admire the Decepticon [[seeker (body-type)|seeker]]s. When the Autobot team was plunged millions of years back in time Ratchet worked with Wheeljack to repair the Decepticon time machine to get them back. They managed to, but wouldn't tell Ratchet what had happened, leaving the story telling to Optimus. {{storylink|War Dawn}} Ratchet helped apply [[corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], and was later affected by the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] that Megatron brought back from space. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|right|190px|thumb|Seen here suffering from a unique condition known as "Dying Ratchet Syndrome".]]
After [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to provide [[energy absorber]]s, the Autobots launched an attack while the Combaticons were busy fighting Megatron's forces. Ratchet and Grapple managed to rescue the two prisoners during the distraction. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Ratchet was also a part of the team which came to the Aerialbots' aid, after they fell into a trap laid by the Combaticons. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} During another of Megatron's plans, the Autobots captured the Stunticons, and Ratchet customised some of the Autobots using [[camouflage paint]] to disguise them as the Decepticon team. Somehow this worked, and after Megatron's plan was foiled, Ratchet and the rest of the Autobots provided reinforcements. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In the year 2005, while piloting a secret mission to [[Autobot City]] in order to gather a stockpile of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] from Earth, Ratchet and his allies were attacked by Megatron. Ratchet and Ironhide returned fire, but they were both shot repeatedly and left for dead on the floor of the shuttle as the Decepticons continued with their attack on Autobot City. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Ratchet's body was evidently recovered for interment, as his grave was housed in the interstellar [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. Sadly, it was not Ratchet's fate to rest in peace; along with the mausoleum itself, Ratchet's remains were later plunged into a star as a side-effect of a [[Quintesson]] plot. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Amidst a massive battle against the Decepticons at the Autobot base in Arizona, Ratchet was one of the first to notice that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his cassette forces were nowhere to be found. Now suspicious, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] immediately alerted all his units in Japan to be on the lookout for the Decepticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

Later, as [[Kenji]] was enjoying a tour of a secret Autobot facility in Japan, Ratchet was alerted to an attack by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in Yokohama. The Autobots immediately rolled out to meet the threat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4}}
=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Ratchet was one of about a kajillion Autobots who arrived on Metroplex to provide reinforcements for Optimus Prime after the Decepticon's [[Omega Whip]] weapon was destroyed.{{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====The Stargate Battles=====

[[Image:Stargatebattles_ratchet.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

In the 1990s, Ratchet used Cybertronian technology to save the lives of human scientist [[Professor Adle]] and his daughter [[Katua Adle|Katua]] when they were both badly injured in an explosion during a field test of one of the professor's creations. The professor's right arm was blown off and Katua lost her right leg, but Ratchet was able to fit them with cybernetic prosthetics so advanced that they were even able to experience pain and warmth through them as if they were their real limbs. This convinced Professor Adle of the Autobots' nobility, while Katua developed a fondness for Ratchet. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

About six months later, Ratchet was part of a delegation of Autobots who accompanied Optimus Prime to a press conference in America. The conference announced the construction of "[[Warp Gate|The Trigger]]", an interstellar teleportation system jointly developed between the Autobots and the United States government, and Ratchet helped Wheeljack write the speech that Prime proceeded to recite to the assembled human masses. Ignoring [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s attempts to keep them quiet while the conference was going on, Ratchet and Wheeljack muttered to each other that they didn't like the Trigger's gun-shaped design, as it reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A little later, when human protesters gathered to object to the presence of the Autobots on Earth, Katua Adle was able to prove that they were not emotionless metal monsters by revealing her prosthetic leg to the irate crowd and explained that she could feel through it. After all, how could Ratchet have replicated those sensations if he did not know them himself? The shamed crowd relented, and Optimus Prime told Katua that he would pass her kind words on to Ratchet himself. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

=====''Binaltech''=====
Along with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Ratchet helped implant [[Chip Chase]]'s consciousness into the lifeless Prowl-2 shell when Prowl's spark was lost in [[subspace]].

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[Image:Ratchetgreatcarrally.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"You sure are a jerk when you repair me, Ratchet!"]]
{{quote|You sure go all to pieces when a missile hits you, Hound.}}

While [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was taking part in a cross-country Car Rally, he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s missiles. Ratchet raced onto the scene to repair Hound, and joked that his patient sure falls apart when a missile hits him! Also, Hound complained that Ratchet was screwing him together too tightly, causing him pain.

Ratchet is kind of a jerk. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

Following a battle with the Decepticons that resulted in many Autobot injuries, Ratchet and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were busy trying to fix them. Optimus Prime asked them about their progress, but they both sighed. Ratchet noted that even the mighty Dinobots were out of commission, for they had suffered the heaviest losses. But suddenly, the Decepticons attacked, having repaired their warriors in record time! Optimus Prime called his remaining functional warriors to the highways while Ratchet and Huffer returned to their repairs. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[Image:Agenda3-AutobotsonArkattack.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He's fallen and he's not getting up.]]
Four million years ago, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, and Jazz were on the bridge of the Ark when it was suddenly attacked by the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. It crashed in a dormant volcano for untold years until it was disturbed by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who had traveled from the far future. Ratchet's body was sprawled across a pile of boxes. Frozen in [[stasis lock]] as he was, Ratchet was unable to stop the Predacon from assassinating the equally comatose Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} This act would have rewritten history from that moment forward, but the ensuing time storm was stopped by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and some time-traveling [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"OW! I should blast you to atoms! You did that ''on purpose''!" 
"Tone down your audio amplifiers, will ya? That ''didn't'' hurt... ''much''."|Starscream and Ratchet|"[[Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire]]"|style=2}}

[[Image:Ratchettww.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The Cybertronian red cross is Pac-Man.]]
8.2 million years ago, Ratchet accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] to the [[Border Regions|Sub-Orbital District]] of [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]], which had been devastated after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] activated the planetary engines. He found no life signs in the entire blast radius. {{storylink|The War Within}} 600,000 years later, Ratchet remained with the Prowl-led Autobots after Optimus Prime disappeared in a [[space bridge]] explosion. He repaired [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] after the theoretician was damaged in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

Ratchet was among the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crashed on [[Earth]], and awoke in 1984 to battle the [[Decepticon]]s. After years of fighting, Ratchet and the other Autobots took part in [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human/Autobot operation that defeated and captured the Earth-bound Decepticons. However, the ''[[Ark II]]'', which was meant to convey the Autobots, the captured Decepticons, and a number of humans back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]], sending Ratchet and his comrades to the bottom of the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Years later, Ratchet was brought back by the sinister [[Lazarus]], who had recovered and reprogrammed a number of Transformers for his nefarious ends. However, when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] broke free of Lazarus's control, he hooked up Ratchet and a number of other Autobots to a device that generated a deadly "metal virus". Soon after, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] detached Ratchet and the others from the doomsday device, and he eventually recovered. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

''When the alien [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] took over [[Las Vegas]], Ratchet was among the Autobots assembled by Optimus Prime to invade the occupied area. While the others engaged in battle, Ratchet was tasked with dealing with the collateral damage, and leading the human residents of Las Vegas to safety. He returned to the protection of Optimus Prime and his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] augmented power before a nuclear strike hit the city, and lent his skills to repairing the Autobots who had given their energon to power up Prime's "Finishing Move". {{storylink|Annihilation|Annihilation}}''

''Over the next few days, Ratchet brought all the Autobots back on-line, including [[Bluestreak]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], who had each been drastically injured over the course of the preceding events. No sooner had Bluestreak been reactivated, though, that he was drawn back into the Keepers' control by their pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]]. Franklin's status as an "[[augment]]" -- a human specially engineered using Cybertronian technology -- allowed him to bypass [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security and infiltrate the ''Ark''. Ratchet blamed himself for allowed that loophole in the security system. Later, Ratchet diagnosed the effects of the [[deconstructionite]]s -- reverse-engineered nanotechnology used by the government against the Transformers to drain away their processing power. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

Ratchet took part in a battle in the [[Canada|Canadian]] Arctic with the Decepticons over possession of a crashed spacecraft containing [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. As the Autobots overwhelmed their foes, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived on the planet and gave them an ultimatum: Surrender and return to a newly unified Cybertron, or be destroyed. {{storylink|New World Order}} The Autobots returned to the ''Ark'', where Optimus Prime assigned Ratchet to a [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]-led team that was to remain on Earth. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} After Shockwave's lieutenant, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], took Prime and others back to Cybertron, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] remained at the ''Ark'' as Jazz, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] attempted to locate Scourge and his ship. {{storylink|Cold War}}

[[Image:DWSkyfire Starscream Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My crotch is my stomach.]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a team of Decepticons arrived on Earth, they attacked the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inhabitants, wanting the starship for themselves. In the initial assault, the Autobots managed to take [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], his cassettes, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] prisoner, but eventually all the Autobots but Ratchet and Brawn were defeated by the mighty [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Expecting a supply ship from Cybertron later that day, Ratchet and Brawn slipped past the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s berserk defense systems in order to contact the ship and warn them. Unfortunately, Bruticus arrived soon after, and they were forced to destroy the ''Ark'' rather than let the Decepticons have access to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Before the battle could escalate further, it was interrupted by the arrival of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] seemingly powered by supernatural forces. An uneasy truce was formed between the small group of Autobots and Decepticons, and Ratchet begrudgingly put his medic skills to work on Starscream. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} However, after Jetfire left the ''[[Orion (ship)|Orion]]'' to go after Sunstorm, Starscream used his [[Null-ray]] on the remaining Autobots, including Ratchet. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

Ratchet later aided in the construction of Autobot City. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Ratchetjoetf2.jpg|left|140px|thumb|Physician, arm thyself.]]
In an alternate timeline, a newly formed [[human]] terrorist organization named [[Cobra]] uncovered the ''Ark'' buried in a dormant volcano. Finding two armies of giant, transformable robots, they repurposed these aliens for their own use, rebuilding them so they could reconfigure into various Cobra-designed vehicles. Ratchet was reprogrammed and rebuilt into a Cobra [[H.I.S.S.]] tank. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1}} [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was able to break free from his reprogramming and awaken the other Transformers {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4}}, and, with the help of the human anti-terrorist task-force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], he defeated Megatron and Cobra. An alliance between the Autobots and the United States government was formed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}}

Two years later, a malfunction in [[Teletran 3]] sent dozens of Transformers into various points in history, an act which, if not reversed, would result in a perpetual holocaust being unleashed across [[Earth]]. To retrieve one Transformer and bring him home, a team of Cobra and G.I. Joe agents were sent 15 years into an apocalyptic future where [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his Decepticons ruled. The remaining cyborged humans had formed a resistance which had only one Autobot warrior who stood between them and utter annihilation. The last Autobot alive, Ratchet had grown bitter and battle-hardened after years of guerrilla warfare, and he demanded the team sent to bring him back to the present day help him complete one more mission. Ratchet, the Joes, and the Cobra agents were successful in freeing a factory nearby that was manned by enslaved humans, but Ratchet refused to go home with them and abandon his calling. [[Barbecue]] returned Ratchet home against his wishes, and as Ratchet cursed the stupid little creature, the [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] of the present day shot Ratchet in the back, putting him out of commission. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3}}

Later, when [[Serpent O.R.]] took Optimus Prime prisoner, Ratchet (still in his post-apocalyptic body) was part of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s rescue team. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Ratchet was among the Autobots who were awakened by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] in 1939, and joined their war on [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. During the assault on the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], he wondered why the Decepticons were so easy to defeat ''now'', after having been such a pain in the neck back on Cybertron. Ratchet most likely perished when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was smashed to pieces shortly afterwards. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Ratchet was happy enough to repair a badly-damaged Starscream, when the latter was brought in to the Ark. He agreed with Wheeljack that they should take the opportunity to take a look at Starscream's logic circuits, and maybe see if there was anything untoward which was making him such a disagreeable fellow, and Optimus was eventually talked around. It wasn't long before Ratchet had Starscream back online, amnesiac and surprisingly benign (it didn't last). {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

While on a mission to retrieve [[Sky Spy]], Ratchet encountered [[Stitch]], a veteran army medic, and helped him save a woman trapped in a swollen creek. The woman needed emergency medical treatment, so Ratchet used Sky Spy to scan the necessary information from Stitch's mind in order to complete surgery on the woman. Sometime later, Ratchet checked on Stitch and presented him with a new cybernetic arm to replace the one he used to repair Sky Spy. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===''Timelines''===
[[Image:Ratchetironhidedescent.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Amazingly not dead.]]
Years after the Decepticon and Autobot Wars had ended, Ratchet and five other Autobots were sent to [[Ceti Alpha Seven]] to destroy [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|General Deathsaurus's]] Insecticon clone lab and stop his planned Decepticon uprising. After a team of four (consisting of [[Outback|Fallback]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]], and [[Ricochet (Descent into Evil)|Ricochet]]) failed, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] followed to help. After battling swarms of [[Virulent Clones]] and [[Buzzclaw (Timelines)|Buzzclaw]], they finally met up with Deathsaurus himself. Ironhide stayed to fight the general, and Ratchet separated to find their fallen friends.

Ratchet managed to gather the victims but was captured by Deathsaurus along with Ironhide. Both were restrained inside the lab, which was set to detonate. Before this happened, Ricochet snuck in and freed them, allowing them to gather the wounded and escape as the clone lab was destroyed. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}
{{-}}

=== IDW comics continuity ===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Infiltration3_Ratchet.jpg|left|350px|thumb|]]

[[Image:Ratchetholomatter.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Ratchet's holo-matter avatar has no mouth, and he must snark.]]
Before the war with the Decepticons Ratchet served with the Security Forces stationed in Kaon. He was present at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3}}

Ratchet was part of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Although a loyal warrior, Ratchet's conscience got the better of him when he intercepted a Decepticon pulsewave ordering the elimination of [[Stoker|a human being]]. While he was too late to save that human, he encountered two more—[[Verity Carlo]] and [[Hunter O'Nion]]—who had stumbled upon the Decepticon plot. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0}} Ratchet broke cover to save their lives, subjecting himself to the wrath of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], who threatened disciplinary action. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3}}

Ratchet was seemingly alone in his convictions, until [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] agreed to help him and the humans investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in [[Nebraska]]. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] arrived while the humans were reconnoitering and began an aerial bombardment of the bunker, intending to destroy it. Bumblebee and Ratchet engaged the Decepticons in order to buy the humans time to escape the collapsing bunker. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4}}

The Autobots and humans were leaving the Decepticons to finish their work when an enraged [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] burst from the buried ruins of the bunker. Thankfully for them, Megatron was more concerned with the treachery of Blitzwing and Skywarp, allowing Ratchet and the others to escape with their lives. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5}} Unwilling to risk their safety further, Ratchet subsequently returned the humans to ''[[Ark-17]]'', where they met the newly arrived Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6}}

[[Image:Sixshot-devastation3a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]

After [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was apparently destroyed by [[Machination|a mysterious human organisation]], Ratchet determined that the wreckage the Autobots recovered was a fake. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2}} Later, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], against orders, accompanied Verity Carlo and [[Jimmy Pink]] to find clues on the missing Sunstreaker's and Hunter's whereabouts while Optimus Prime and the other Autobots went to [[Brasnya]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4}} When the humans set off a trap, the Autobots saved them, though Ironhide was critically injured and Ratchet was forced to abandon him to bring the humans to safety. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6}}

When the Autobots decided to relocate the ''Ark-17'', they were attacked by [[Sixshot]], who downed the ship in mid-flight. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1}} Ratchet was ordered to take Verity and Jimmy into an escape pod while the rest of the crew piloted the ship into the ocean. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2}} Sixshot soon found Ratchet and pursued him relentlessly. Ratchet used the distraction provided by some human jet fighters to escape, hiding among an ambulance pool in [[Pensacola]], Florida. Sixshot soon flushed him out, however, and pursued him out of town, forcing Ratchet to abandon Verity and Jimmy for their own safety. When cornered at the water's edge, Ratchet prepared to make a last stand, but was saved by the timely arrival of the other Autobots. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3}}

[[Image:Devastation5 Ratchet Jazz.jpg|left|200px|thumb|CLEAR!]]

The humans made their way back to the Autobots to warn them about an air attack by the military, and Ratchet took them with him on an orbital bounce to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. Unfortunately, this killed Verity and Jimmy. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4}}

Guilt-stricken, Ratchet managed to restart their hearts after more than 5 minutes, though he feared they suffered brain damage. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5}} Some time later, however, Ratchet was present as the pair were reunited with Hunter. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5}}

A year later, Ratchet and a number of other Autobots were led by Optimus Prime in an attempt to rid Earth of the Decepticons once and for all. Unfortunately, they fell right into a trap, and Ratchet was injured by a shot to the chest. The Autobots were then thrown into a [[space bridge]] leading to the ruins of Cybertron, where the Decepticons hoped the "[[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]" would eat them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7}} Whilst hiding from the swarm, Ratchet tended to the critically-damaged Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1}} After listening to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s tale about how the ''[[Trion]]'' and its crew had crashed on the planet as well {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}}, Ratchet mingled with him and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6}}

Ratchet later checked up on Sunstreaker, telling him that his separation from Hunter had been a complete success, although the human would never be "fully human" again. Their base soon came under attack from the swarm, however, so the other Autobots formed a perimeter around Ratchet and [[Roadbuster]] as they fled elsewhere. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8}} At their new base, Ratchet managed to use a [[CR chamber]] to heal his damaged comrades, although he reported to [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] that the chamber could do nothing to improve their declining morale. In addition, he and Wheeljack were still having trouble repairing Optimus Prime, and Ratchet cursed that [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] had turned into just another "clown with a gun". Thankfully, they eventually came through and brought Prime back from the brink of death. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9}}

Ratchet and the others finally managed to get off Cybertron thanks to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and returned to Earth to continue their fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11}} He survived the battle in [[New York City]], and cheered with his comrades as the Decepticons fled the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12}}

Later, Ratchet was part of the rescue party that saved Bumblebee form a military attack after the yellow guy abandoned his cover to save some refugees. After repairing Bumblebee, Ratchet told the mini-bot that they found him by monitoring human radio signals. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|Hidden}}

Several years after the fall of Megatron, Ratchet and the Autobots were still operating on Earth. It served as a meeting point for all Autobots who had survived the great purge the Decepticons had orchestrated throughout the galaxy. {{storylink|Spotlight: Prowl}} Not all Autobots were content with the virtually directionless existence Optimus Prime had led them into, however, especially with the human organization known as [[Skywatch]] hunting them and Decepticons alike. Ratchet was present when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] demanded Prime allow him to stage a rescue operation to recover Prowl after he was captured...and afterwards, when Ironhide came back from the mission as a corpse. He witnessed Optimus Prime abdicate his role as leader, and leave the Autobots to surrender to Skywatch. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

In the aftermath of Prime's decision, and the subsequent departure of a splinter faction under Hot Rod's command, Ratchet and the others were left in a state of shock. With the war effectively over and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] missing, the line of succession was no longer clear. The Autobots decided to hold an election to see who their new leader would be. No one was more surprised than Bumblebee when HE turned out to be the new chosen leader. Ratchet quickly stepped up as Bumblebee's second, helping shepherd him into his new role. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Bumblebee's authority was challenged almost immediately by the arrival of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], but Ratchet did his best to support 'Bee before Magnus took off on a mission of his own. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Ratchet had his work cut out for him, though. Not only was [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] undermining Bumblebee's authority from the start, Bumblebee himself just couldn't adjust to the role quickly. Still, he supported Bumblebee's decision to form a clandestine alliance with Skywatch through Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who was acting outside his mandate in the hopes of using the Autobots to stop [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and the other Decepticons still loose on Earth. Working in secret with Horiuchi, the Autobots hoped to prove their value and good intentions to Skywatch's higher ups by racking up an impressive number of Decepticon captures. They even began wearing specially-designed Skywatch insignia badges for communication and to mask their activities from Skywatch operatives who weren't "in the loop". After five successful bag-and-tags, however, Horiuchi threw them the first curveball. The Autobots' next target was [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], one of their own who had left after Ultra Magnus's arrival. As Ratchet and the others refused to hunt one of their own, Horiuchi demonstrated a hidden feature of the badges -- the ability to forcibly revert the Autobots to vehicle mode at his command. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

Left with no choice, Ratchet and Bumblebee led the Autobots in capturing Blurr. The whole situation was a fiasco, however, and Blurr even fired on Bumblebee during the encounter, damaging his badge. Bumblebee found the courage to defy Horiuchi and refused to turn over Blurr to Skywatch later that day. The colonel tried to mode-lock Bumblebee for his insubordination, but the shot to Bumblebee's badge had rendered it useless. Quick on the uptake, Ratchet whispered to Bumblebee to fake it so Horiuchi didn't realize he'd lost his edge over the Autobot leader. At Ratchet's prompting, the Autobots pretended the damaged badge had left Bumblebee trapped in vehicle mode permanently, despite Horiuchi's attempts to reverse the mode-lock. With Blurr's help, they recovered another Volkswagen Beetle to use as a ringer, allowing Bumblebee to leave the base and seek a solution for their predicament. Because Skywatch was constantly monitoring their vocal output using the badges, Ratchet and the others couldn't even speak a word of encouragement to 'Bee as he set off on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

With Bumblebee on the loose, Ratchet continued the ruse of pretending to cooperate with Colonel Horiuchi and his staff, showing them the malfunctioning "Bumblebee" for examination. Meanwhile, he and Wheeljack kept in touch with the real Bumblebee using a text-only comm signal that wouldn't show up on Skywatch's monitoring. Ratchet was named acting leader of the Autobots while "Bumblebee" was off-line, as he and Wheeljack secretly led the real Bumblebee to [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], creator of the badges' control board. Bumblebee needed access to the board's schematics in order to free his friends, but had to manipulate [[Serena Bharwaney|Bharwaney's young daughter]] into helping him. Ratchet had to comfort Bumblebee through "using" the girl for his own purposes. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

Unfortunately, the rogue Decepticon Skywarp had also learned of the board, and was coming to Bharwaney's to steal it. Ratchet and the other Autobots were forced to blow their cover to rush to Bumblebee's aid. They were too late, however, and Bumblebee was forced to set off an EMP, knocking him and Skywarp off-line while disabling the control board and the badges as well. As Ratchet brought Bumblebee in for repairs, he reluctantly agreed to upgrade his new commander into a more war-like, combat ready body to fit his new duties. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

Soon, Ultra Magnus returned from his scouting mission to challenge Bumblebee's authority again, gathering Ratchet and several other Autobots in the name of the [[Tyrest Accord]] to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Hot Rod's mistake became clear when his "ally", [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], activated a new Decepticon combiner and unleashed it on the Autobots. {{storylink|Enemies of the System}}

After several Autobots were damaged fighting [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Ratchet began patching them up as best he could, with the help of Skywatch personnel. He barely finished working on Ultra Magnus before the enforcer stomped off to search for [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. {{storylink|Earthworks}} Following this, the Autobots entered a formal alliance with Skywatch. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 7}}

{{spoiler|The Transformers issue 9|August 14 2010}}
Ratchet was helping a human technician repair [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] showed up and asked for the Autobots' help with defeating the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. They accepted, but due to pressure from the [[President of the United States]], they were going to have to do it in disguise. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 9}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
Ratchet was with the Autobots hiding out in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]], with most of the Autobot forces having been defeated. He tended to the seriously wounded [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire's]] injuries, and suggested surrender to the Decepticons to save their fellow Autobot's life. When [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (disguised as Bumblebee) and the Decepticons attacked, he attempted to reason with the Decepticon mercenary about Jetfire's condition, only to be attacked for his trouble. After the Autobots surrendered, he was furious when Mirage betrayed his word and prepared to carry out Megatron's order to execute the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
With Optimus Prime in stasis lock, Ratchet and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] appeared to be the co-leaders of the Autobots in the 19th century. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} Despite [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee's]] pleading, he was reluctant to interfere with the humans, but nevertheless participated in the pursuit of the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as it headed to [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

His "Ice Age Wars" altmode is uncertain, but it clearly has scales and spikes. His 19th-century altmode is a medical boxcar. He may be the very first Transformer depicted with a boxcar altmode, as prior to this, all train-based Transformers were locomotives.

{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:RatchetHenkeiTsushima.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Ma'am, I'm just an SUV—oh, fine."]]
Despite rescuing a girl from a burning building, she had fallen unconscious, so he offered to drive her and her mother to the hospital. Unfortunately, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was tailing them from above. He would have blasted Ratchet, but Inferno blocked the shot with his fire truck mode, transformed, and then knocked Starscream out of the sky with his water cannon. Thanks to Inferno's help, Ratchet was able to successfully deliver the girl to the hospital.

But Ratchet's work wasn't done, as he had taken note of Inferno's heavy injuries. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Ratchettoyg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Why's everything so dark in here?]]
* '''Ratchet''' (1984/1986/1990/2001/2007)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''99'''
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: Ratchet was originally a Onebox Ambulance Type toy from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line before [[Hasbro]] brought ''Transformers'' to North America. The toy transforms from an ambulance to a robot and [[Onebox component|gun-station]]. A variant of the toy includes red crosses on the top and sides of the vehicle. Ratchet and his [[retool]]/[[redeco]] buddy [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], like all Diaclones, were designed to be piloted mecha, which is why he has a seat instead of a head. The Transformers version applied a face sticker to the back of the seat in lieu of a real sculpted noggin.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in multiple offers, including the [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]] flier packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point]]s.

: In Japan, Ratchet was originally only available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail-away, costing 1700 yen and 4 robot points. In 2001, he was reissued in Japan as an [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]], paired with Ironhide.

:[[Image:Encoretoy-Ratchetwithhead.jpg|left|thumb|100px|This looks ... better?]]

: In mid-December 2007, he was reissued again as part of Takara's Transformers Encore line. This particular version came with an illustration on one box flap depicting Ratchet's cartoon-design head and chest windshield. By punching out the image along the perforated edges, folding it just so and tucking it in behind the toy's windshield, one could give the toy a "real" head, just like in the TV series, instead of using the Diaclone-original windshield face sticker. Sort of. This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the mobile platform's gun-base, designed to keep Ratchet more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go.

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

{{-}}
{{anchor|EmergencyGreen}}

[[Image:Encoreratchetemergencygreen.jpg|right|250px|thumb|To the Mystery Machine, gang!]]
* '''Ratchet Emergency Green''' (2008)
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: A [[redeco]] of the original toy (well, the retooled Encore version) which [[homage]]s [[Ratchet (Movie)|the live-action movie Ratchet]], Ratchet Emergency Green is a Japanese mail-away exclusive available with a purchase of the book ''[[Transformers Visualworks]]''. After the book release on December 4, 2007, purchasers could mail in a ticket from the book and purchase either one (5200yen) or two (10,000 yen) of the item. Ratchet shipped to customers in April 2008. He comes in the same packaging as the regular Encore release, including packaging images, instructions, and the same white-headed cardboard torso punch-out.

: He's totally awesome.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/EmergencyGreenRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on Emergency Green Ratchet at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-RatchetDiE.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Maybe photographing him against a white backdrop wasn't such a great idea.]]
* '''Autobot Ratchet & Flareup''' (2005)
**''Accessories'': Lightbar/blaster

: One of two "souvenir" packages [[exclusive]] to [[BotCon 2005]], Ratchet is a retooling of the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' Autobot [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]] with a new head, transforming into a large utility van. In robot mode, his lower vehicle portion becomes a [[Onebox component|mobile battle/repair platform]]. Ratchet can fold his legs back and up over his shoulders (wow!) and re-attach to this platform for a "battle mode". In this, ahem, ''position'', Ratchet 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.

: The mold's standard "receiver dish" weapon was not produced; instead, he came with a new "light bar" that pegged onto his roof in much the same manner.

: He could only be purchased in an at-show "souvenir" two-pack along with [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]]. This mold was also used to make [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] for the same convention.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on BotCon Ratchet at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkeitoy-Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Surprise, I'm colored like the cartoon!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-14'''
**''Accessories:'' Converting Cannon

: A redeco and retooling of the [[Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 ''Universe'']] [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide toy]], ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Ratchet transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a red Japanese-style emergency lightbar, is cast in bright white plastic and has a deco resembling Ratchet's appearance in the original cartoon series, down to his dark gray head crest. Like all ''Henkei'' toys, he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] plastic, specifically his headlights and taillights, as well as his "Converting Cannon" weapon.

{{-}}
===Universe (2008)===
====Generation 1 Series====
[[Image:Ratchet25toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|No, not that [[Ratchet (Universe)|Universe Ratchet]].]]
*'''Autobot Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Medical Dispenser/Combat Blade

: Like ''Henkei'' Ratchet, ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Ratchet is a redeco and retooling of the ''Universe'' Ironhide toy, and transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a blue American-style emergency lightbar (as opposed to Henkei Ratchet's different tooled red Japanese-style emergency lightbar), is cast in pearlescent white plastic and has a rather generic "Ratchety" colour/paint scheme. His license plate also reads [[The Pri¢e of Life!|H3L PU2]].

:While similar in execution, there are a great many changes from Henkei Ratchet to Universe Ratchet. The red paint detailing on Universe Ratchet is different than that of Henkei Ratchet in color and layout. The Henkei version's stripes resemble that more of his original counterpart, while the Universe version resemble that of his ''[[Ratchet (Animated)|Animated]]'' version. Henkei Ratchet uses chrome paint on his weapon and both sets of lights while the Universe version leaves them unpainted. Gray paint covers Henkei Ratchet's gun barrel and silver on his upper chest (behind the chest window), these parts remain unpainted on Universe Ratchet. The paint used for the windows of Universe Ratchet is a light blue while Henkei Ratchet uses a deeper metallic blue paint. Universe Ratchet has black forearms and upper thighs, while the Japanese version uses a pure white (different from the white used through out the rest of the figure). Universe Ratchet has a yellow vanity plate and red head crest while Henkei Ratchet has a blank gray plate and gray head crest. Universe Ratchet features a blue blade on his weapon, while Henkei Ratchet features a red blade. Universe Ratchet also features a lighter red plastic than the Henkei version.

:Like ''Universe'' Ironhide, the blue paint used for his opaque windows matches ''really'', '''''really''''' badly with his translucent blue plastic windows.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{anchor|TakaraDecoy}}
[[Image:G1-toy DecoyRatchet.jpg|right|thumb|Ratchet cosplaying as Ironhide, or Ironhide cosplaying as Ratchet? You, the viewer, decides!]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ratchet was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

{{anchor|HasbroDecoy}}

*'''Ratchet''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''6'''

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ratchet game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is 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)|Technobot]]s.

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

{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:SCF-Act6-Ratchet.jpg|right|thumb|Super-action pose doctor!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2002)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ratchet was available in "Act 6" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line, a slight retooling of the Ironhide figurine with a new head and "gun"-hand (despite the fact that their two [[character model]]s are not quite identical). Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the pewter version of Ratchet came packaged with the left leg of the wave's [[Grand Maximus]] collectable "build-a-figure".

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

: Ratchet's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ratchet was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Part of the fifth and final wave of ''Heroes of Cybertron'', Ratchet was, unlike the Japanese figure, sold on an indivudual blister card and came packaged with the right leg of the [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

{{--}}
===Transformers Mini-Bust===
[[Image:Ratchet-DiamondSelectstatue.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Your choice of head! His choice of medical tools.]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2009)

: Released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2009, Ratchet was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. The bust continues the tradition of giving all Ratchet merchandise (but not toys) the [[wikipedia:International_Committee_of_the_Red_Cross|red cross]] insignia on their shoulders to better match the Animation model. Ratchet's Bio credits him and Wheeljack with creating the [[Dinobot_(G1)#Cartoon_continuity|Dinobots]]; effectively making him the cartoon version but he comes packaged with two heads for do-it-yourself retconning. Comic accurate red helmet with white chevron, or the cartoon accurate white helmet with grey chevron. Fans of the Universe 2.0 version (white helmet, red chevron) will have to buy some red paint when they pick their bust up. Three tools are also included with the Bust. One slightly resembling the [[Power Booster Rod]], the other a Cybertronian version of an [[wikipedia:otoscope|otoscope]] and the third is some sort of medical gear shaft. They are not sculpted on nor do they possess a magnet and are simply lodged in his hands for display.

{{-}}
==Notes==
*[[Bob Budiansky]] has said that he named Ratchet after the less-friendly medic Nurse ''Ratched'' from ''[[wikipedia:Ratched|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''.
*Ratchet never really showed his party animal spirit in Marvel, outside of the start of "Warrior School". Budiansky gives two answers for why: "1) in the comic book stories, he always found himself in situations too serious to allow his party personality to emerge. 2) I screwed up and forgot I had written that as part of his profile. I prefer to go with answer number 1." <ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Budiansky interview at Metal Machine]</ref>
[[Image:G1RatchetSexchange.jpg|thumb|300px|So Ratchet basically avoided becoming part of the ''Girls Gone Wild'' cast. Good on her. Er, him.]]
*In the Shout! Factory Matrix of Leadership Special Edition DVD set, an interview with Bob Budiansky features close-ups of his original character notes for several characters, Ratchet being one of them. Oddly, his handwritten notes refer to Ratchet as "her" and the Autobots' "go-to gal" for repairs. While this obviously was not the final direction the character took, it is an odd [[Ratchet (Animated)#Trivia|coincidence]]... and a fact that makes the early nicknames "Cool Hand Lube" and "Greasefinger" ''even more embarrassing''.
*In later years, toys sporting the name "Ratchet" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Ratchet'''".
* Ratchet's original toy is part of a matrix of cross-referencing [[redeco]]s:
** In 2008, the original 1984 Ratchet mold got a green redeco as "Ratchet Emergency Green" in obvious reference to [[Ratchet (Movie)|his movie counterpart]].
** Meanwhile, the movie counterpart's toys got a red and white "Rescue Ratchet" redeco... based on the original colors of the 1984 toy.
** Elsewhere, [[Ratchet (Animated)|''Animated'' Ratchet]] includes elements from both characters, including Generation 1 Ratchet's chevron crest and coloration. (''Animated'' Ratchet later got a movie-based "Rescue Ratchet" redeco, to boot.)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ratchet/ratchet.htm Ratchet at TFU.info]
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ratchet Ratchet's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]

Ratchet (G1)

2010-07-17T09:10:38Z

Kcchia80: /* The Transformers cartoon */ HTML correction

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}{{disambig3|Ratchet}}
{{featured}}
:''Ratchet is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ratchetg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|All aboard the party ambulance!]]
'''Ratchet''' is the Autobots' Chief Medical Officer. If something's broke, he can fix it. Ratchet is known for his irreverent bedside manner; he loves having a good time, and his party-loving nature has given him a dry wit. He is not a particularly mighty warrior, which sometimes leads him to believe that he is expendable. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has trouble convincing Ratchet that this is far from the truth.

Although he's a healer, Ratchet often finds himself on the front lines of combat and, on occasion, the last hope the Autobots have. These pressures are sometimes too much for him to handle, but Ratchet ultimately never gives up.

His vehicle mode sometimes splits into his robot and a [[Onebox component|separate component]].

:''Nicknames'': '''Cool Hand Lube''', '''Greasefinger'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]].</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Alavanca'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Doc'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Mécano'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Racsni'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Trinco''' ("Lock")
:''Czech name:'' '''Zdravotník'''
:''Russian name (TV):'' '''Храповик /Chrapovick''' ("Ratchet")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ratchetg1first.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This look didn't last long.]]
Ratchet was one of the select Autobots chosen by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to travel aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of [[Mount St. Hilary]] with the rest of the crew. Once the volcano exploded and the Transformers reactivated, Ratchet was rebuilt to transform into an ambulance. He responded to [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]'s complaining by telling him that at least he didn't have to fix everyone all the time! Ratchet would rather be partying. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Ratchetgetstofixgears.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What a comfortable-looking repair sled they're dragging Gears into.]]

As their war against the Decepticons continued on Earth, Ratchet joined the Autobots' debate about how to deal with their dwindling fuel resources. Thankfully, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] had located a human, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who could help them convert fuel to a form usable by them, so the Ark was left in Ratchet's hands as the others left to meet with Bumblebee and his new human friends. Ratchet noted sadly that without fuel, even his considerable skills were useless. {{storylink|Power Play!}} While they were gone, Ratchet attended to the Ark. During his attempts at repairs, he uncovered something interesting in its memory databanks, but Optimus Prime cut him off before he could explain. Gears was badly damaged in the battle that followed, and his body was brought back to Ratchet for repairs. After working on him for a short period of time, Ratchet was amazed that he could already speak. Unfortunately, Gears had bad news; Sparkplug Witwicky had converted fuel for the Decepticons while he had been their prisoner! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

The Autobots were outraged at this, which upset Sparkplug so much that he suffered a heart attack. Ratchet volunteered to drive Sparkplug and his son [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] to the hospital. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} While Buster stayed at the hospital with his ailing father, Ratchet held fast to his oath to preserve life, an oath which made no distinction between organical or mechanical life, and spent long hours helping to ferry injured humans to and from the hospital. His human drivers were alarmed to find this out after the fact. Ratchet was happy to learn that Sparkplug, now able to speak, had told Buster that he'd poisoned the Decepticons' fuel. While this conversation was taking place, his drivers were poking around his ambulance mode, trying to discover how he was talking. After an angry, annoyed outburst, the humans fled.

[[Image:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Staring also works.]]

Despite Buster's good news, Ratchet felt he should return to the Ark as swiftly as possible; no one there was responding to his communications. Buster accompanied him, and en route tried to explain to Ratchet that the traffic signals were nonsentient and would not respond to his pleas. When a red light turned green, eventually, after Ratchet's attempts at persuasion, the Autobot admonished the child for his lack of communication skills. But when Ratchet and Buster arrived at the Ark, they were horrified to discover [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] standing sentry outside. Buster, who was small enough to slip in unnoticed, snuck inside to investigate. {{storylink|The New Order}} Buster later returned to Ratchet, looking like a fright, and told the Autobot that the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, and that their bodies were hung like meat from the ceiling! Even crazier still was when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was seen carrying the defeated body of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] back into the Ark. Ratchet began to worry that he was the last Autobot alive. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

Ratchet soon discovered, to his horror, that he was the last Autobot still functional on Earth, up against the entire Decepticon army. Covertly invading the ''Ark'', he learned that even the mighty [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had fallen. However, Prime's head, though detached, still functioned, and the Autobot Commander told Ratchet that he must rise up to meet this challenge. Ratchet did not believe he could; he was a doctor, not a warrior (damnit, Jim). {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[Image:Ratchetwarriorschool.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The more you know!™]]

Ratchet was no warrior, and he doubted what he could do to topple this new status quo, but still, Ratchet tried. In his weakened state, Megatron could not hope to defeat Shockwave and reclaim his leadership, but Ratchet approached him with a possible solution. Ratchet knew how Shockwave had fallen 4 million years ago (having discovered this earlier within the Ark's memory databanks), and struck a deal, sealed by the [[Rite of Oneness]]: If Ratchet could defeat Shockwave, Megatron would relinquish Decepticon control of the ''Ark'' and its wrecked Autobot inhabitants.

Ratchet journeyed to the [[Savage Land]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had fought Shockwave to a stalemate, leaving all dormant in a tar pit prison. He dug up the Dinobots and repaired them. Soon after, he met with Megatron on a snowy ski slope and announced that he had fulfilled his half of the bargain; Shockwave was defeated. Megatron, of course, went back on his part of the deal and threatened to kill Ratchet. Ratchet declared that he knew all along Megatron would not hold up his end of the bargain and admitted that he had not, in fact, defeated Shockwave. The Dinobots sprung up out of the snow surrounding Megatron and fought him, but did not succeed. Megatron now stood alone, triumphant, mocking Ratchet and his lack of a warrior's edge. With nothing to lose, Ratchet charged Megatron, but he was ineffectual. However, the charge had loosened the ground on which Megatron stood, and the Decepticon leader fell off the cliff side and disappeared. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

''On their return trip to the ''Ark'', Ratchet helped educate the Dinobots about human/Autobot relations by telling them the story of a recent battle with the Decepticons at a hydroelectric dam. {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} When they arrived, Ratchet and the Dinobots found the ''Ark'' defended by [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], an Autobot combat drone which had been reprogrammed by Shockwave. Ratchet rescued the Dinobots from the powerful drone by remembering and exploiting one of its few weaknesses, an access port which could admit a fine laser. Ratchet then began the task of repairing the Autobots, placing priority on those whose command skills would be useful. This put him at odds with Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who felt that the fallen Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] should be repaired first. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}''

''When Prowl devised a plan to use the Matrix to create an army of monstrous Autobot warriors, debate over the plan's ethics threatened to divide the Autobots. Ratchet remained neutral and asked Optimus Prime to step in and provide guidance. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}''

''Ratchet and Wheeljack collaborated on a Transformer-sized robotic suit, to be used by Buster Witwicky in battle. Optimus Prime was unamused. {{storylink|Robot Buster!}}''

[[Image:Ratchetmechanic.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Such irony.]]

After the destruction of Optimus Prime, Ratchet was not able to repair him. Unable to deal with his failure, Ratchet wandered off on his own during Optimus's funeral. Ratchet decided that rather than moping, he should concern himself with the other damaged Autobots under his care, so he headed towards a junkyard to look for spare parts he could use. However, he was abducted in vehicle mode by the [[Mechanic (G1)|Mechanic]] and his accomplice [[Juan]] when the two thieves were found by the police. Ratchet revealed himself when they arrived at the Mechanic's hideout, but the Mechanic froze Ratchet with his own surgical weapons and headed for the ''Ark'', intent on finding technology that would ensure he would never be threatened by the police again. When he had unfrozen, Ratchet followed the human back to the ''Ark'', but was defeated by his own surgical tools. But using pieces he took from the junkyard, he repaired [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and the appearance of the police car frightened the Mechanic away. The Mechanic escaped with Ratchet's tools and the [[Power Booster Rod]]. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime's funeral, Ratchet stood with Omega Supreme, Blaster, and the others, and an incoming fleet of aircraft piloted by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] was detected. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} After the Autobots teamed up with the human counterterrorist organization [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], Ratchet worked with [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]], who had already begun to rebuild Bumblebee. Ratchet was surprised to see that Bumblebee had been upgraded by Mainframe into a more-powerful body, and after the process was completed (despite [[Dr. Mindbender]]'s bickering), Bumblebee decided to rename himself Goldbug. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

[[Image:Ratchetneverisnow.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Paging Dr. Smartass.]]

With Optimus Prime dead, Ratchet and a few other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate a new leader. Ratchet stressed that their nominee must be kind, just as Optimus Prime had been, someone who would be willing to give everything he had. After a surprise attack on the Ark by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Ratchet had his answer. Ratchet's new patients, those that had suffered during the attack, had told him of Grimlock's selflessness in battle. The other Autobots agreed, and Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} However, Grimlock's leadership quickly turned sour, and Ratchet became the voice of sarcasm behind Grimlock's decisions. When a second group of Autobots led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] met Grimlock's Earth-bound Autobots, they brought with them a [[floppy disk]] containing the mind of the dead Optimus Prime. Ratchet couldn't contain his joy, and so Grimlock struck him down and told him to shut up. Ratchet was told to shut up again when he belittled Grimlock's disbelief that Fortress Maximus was part [[human]]. Grimlock set up a battle for Autobot supremacy between him and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (who fought in Fortress Maximus' stead), so Ratchet and all of both Autobot groups stepped out onto the surface of Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to watch the fight. Ratchet cheered relentlessly for Blaster, but the spectators were cut short by a surprise Decepticon attack. After the Decepticons had fled, Ratchet was glad to see that Blaster and Grimlock had, for the moment, set aside their differences, because they would need all the cooperation they could muster to repair the fallen and the heavily-damaged Ark. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''When an [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a time-traveling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] decimated the Earthbound Autobot forces, Optimus Prime no longer possessed the life-giving powers of the [[Creation Matrix]], so Ratchet was left with the monumental task of repairing them. {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}}'' During a period of work-induced stress, he began to hallucinate visions of his patients attacking him and accusing him of being worthless. It was during this time that the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]], posing as Autobots, offered to help transport Ratchet to Cybertron, where he could have access to new medical technology that had been created during his 4-million-year absence on Earth. He and three of the Sports Car Patrol took the bodies of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]] with him, though Ratchet was curious why [[Blackjack]] stayed behind on the ''Ark''. Ratchet's concerns were answered when, upon arrival on Cybertron, he saw standing before him the believed-to-be-deceased Megatron, who had orchestrated the entire scheme. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

[[Image:Ratchetbroughtthemhere.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Megatron inadvertently activated Ratchet's dormant "evil genius" gene.]]

Megatron brought Ratchet the remains of Starscream, demanding Ratchet repair the Air Commander while Blackjack held the ''Ark'' and its medical bay inhabitants hostage. Ratchet agreed, and he used [[Pretender]] technology to repair Starscream while secretly repairing Grimlock, Jazz, and Goldbug as well. After Pretender Starscream was sent to Earth, Megatron sought out Ratchet to kill him, but Ratchet had his own Pretenders ready. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} Ratchet sprung Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee (Ratchet preferred Bumblebee's original form) on Megatron, but Megatron and his Micromasters were too powerful for them. The Pretenders and Micromasters' battle wandered outside [[Megatron's base]], and Ratchet was left alone. Sacrificing his life, Ratchet warped the bombs Blackjack had put on the ''Ark'' into the Decepticon base in an attempt to kill both himself and Megatron. Megatron tried to escape through the warp portal, but Ratchet tackled him, and the base exploded. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[Image:Megs ratch.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ratchet to the left of me, Megatron to the right—Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.]]

Optimus Prime was devastated by the loss of Ratchet. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} He assigned the detective [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to investigate Ratchet's death, and Nightbeat hypothesized that Ratchet could possibly still be alive. There was an initial blast which could have knocked Ratchet into the portal and into [[unspace]], a netherworld between the warp portal's starting and ending points. A probe was sent to retrieve him, and it succeeded—but it also brought back Megatron, who was fused with Ratchet as a single, monstrous being. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} The Ratchet/Megatron creature rampaged through the ''Ark'', wounding several Autobots, but Optimus Prime would not let them harm it. This put Optimus Prime in an awkward position: Was the life of Ratchet worth the possible loss of his other troops? The creature fought his way into the engine rooms and began tearing stuff apart, and Prime's choice was made for him: The creature must be stopped. Prime fought Ratchet/Megatron to a standstill, and, alarmingly, the part that was Ratchet took control and pulled Prime's gun to his own forehead, pleading for the Autobot Commander to put him out of his misery. In an unpopular decision, Optimus Prime ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate Megatron and Ratchet, even if it meant saving Megatron. Bonded at a molecular level, neither could survive without the other, even when separated. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

[[Image:Ratchetjollies.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Holy crap.]]

Separated by Fixit, they remained in stasis on the ''Ark'' until Grimlock and his [[Nucleon]]-revived Dinobots found the ''Ark'' abandoned during the Transformers' battle with [[Unicron]]. They filled the entire medical bay chambers with Nucleon, not aware that Megatron lay there in storage. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Shockwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] stole the ''Ark'' after Unicron was defeated, in an attempt to return to Earth and conquer it. {{storylink|Still Life!}} However, just as Megatron awoke, Starscream and Shockwave were interrupted by [[Galvatron II]], who had snuck on board before launch. While Galvatron and Megatron teamed up on Shockwave, Starscream went to check on any other possible survivors in the medical bay. He found Ratchet, whose mind was still connected to Megatron's, and Starscream fought the confused Autobot easily. However, when Starscream mused that Ratchet was no fun to kill, Ratchet became enraged and defeated him in a berserker state. Determined to end what he had started, Ratchet blew up the ''Ark'' as it was approaching Earth's orbit, sending all four Decepticons and himself to a supposed death.<ref>Except all the Decepticons eventually turn up alive.</ref> {{storylink|A Savage Circle}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''Ratchet was present at the Ark in 2003 when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] announced his plans for a fully-functional transforming fortress known as [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}''

====''Generation 2''====
{{note|Megatron's molecular-level link with Ratchet was entirely ignored in ''Generation 2''. Megatron returned and was rebuilt by Cobra, while Ratchet's fate was not mentioned at all.}}
As Optimus Prime was being repaired after a catastrophic battle with Megatron, he recalled the events of the Transformer civil war thus far, including two of Megatron's encounters with Ratchet. {{storylink|Tales of Earth Part Four}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
{{note|The ''Classics'' comics take place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a [[splinter timeline]] that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or ''Generation 2''.}}
[[Image:Ratchet-AtFightsEnd.jpg|left|250px|thumb|From martyr to furniture.]]
Fifteen years after Ratchet seemingly perished with Megatron, Starscream, and Shockwave when the Ark crashed into the [[Yukon]], Megatron had returned to power. Starscream had been fully rebuilt, Shockwave's disembodied head was rigged to exist only in a tortured advisory role, and [[:Image:Ratchetgamesofdeception.jpg|Ratchet's body was stashed]], seemingly lifeless, in a dark corner of Megatron's new throne room within the Ark's remains. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

Megatron kept Ratchet there for his own amusement, able to talk but not to move, because the Decepticon leader had begun to consider his unlikely nemesis a friend. The Decepticon leader enjoyed toying with Ratchet's doubts; he asked Ratchet why Optimus Prime hadn't come to rescue him in all these years. Megatron also enjoyed hearing Ratchet's measured responses, many of which genuinely took him by surprise, though some Megatron didn't think Ratchet truly believed.

Megatron wanted Ratchet to know the real reason why the Transformers fight. After they watched Megatron's plan to assassinate [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (and end the Decepticon civil war) culminate in success, he told Ratchet why. It's not to win or to lose, but because of who they were. The Transformers were born to fight. Megatron picked up Ratchet's motionless body, set it inside a [[CR chamber|bubbling tank]], and left him there. As Ratchet felt his body begin to dissolve, Megatron asked him to give Prime his regards.

Later, the Autobots secured the abandoned Ark and found Ratchet inside the tank, reformatted into a new body. However, Ratchet noted that his new surgical tools looked suspiciously like weapons. He recalled Megatron's words about why the Transformers fight. Did he truly have no choice? {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Wally Burr]] (English, "[[Masquerade]]" only), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese), [[Garcia Neto]] (Brazil)

[[Image:Ratchetg1cartoon.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Ruh-roh. Rooby-rooby-roo!]]
Ratchet served as chief medical officer of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on its mission to seek out new energy sources to fuel the Autobot struggle against the Decepticons. When the ''Ark'' was boarded by the crew of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Ratchet attempted to defend his ship by attacking [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but was thrown into a computer console for his trouble. Ratchet and the other Transformers were forced into emergency [[stasis lock]] when the out-of-control ''Ark'' crashed into a volcano on a [[Earth|primitive planet]]. Four million years later, the volcano erupted, activating [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons. Ratchet was rebuilt into a human-scaled ambulance. After [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper's]] failed scouting mission ended in a counterattack by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], Ratchet arrived with [[Hauler]] to pull the damaged Hound out of a ravine. Once he finished repairing Hound, Ratchet was part of the battlegroup sent to stop the Decepticons stealing the oil from an off-shore oil rig. However, he did not fare well in this battle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

After the Autobots saved their new human friends, Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky, from the oil rig fire, Ratchet repaired [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]'s damaged arm in the repair bay outside the ''Ark.'' {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in the explosion of the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Ratchet helped the Autobot leader recover, but evidently his skills as a medic were not required, as Prime was totally fine after transforming back into robot mode. Soon afterwards, Ironhide was shot by Skywarp, so Ratchet carried the old-timer back to base for repairs. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

During an ill-fated Autobot attempt to defend the local solar power plant, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] managed to shoot the guns out of Ratchet and Prowl's hands. Smarting from the concussion blast, Ratchet called for the Autobots to fall back. However, Ironhide once again managed to get himself damaged while saving Optimus Prime. Ironhide objected to Ratchet and Sparkplug's diagnosis of his damage, but Ratchet warned him against backtalk or the medic would short out Ironhide's mouth circuit. To prevent further argument, he shut down Ironhide, cutting off the warrior in mid-sentence. After the Autobots were led into a trap by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], Ratchet discovered the tampering done by the Decepticons and restored the little Autobot. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[Image:DivideandConquer Ratchet at work.jpg|thumb|left|240px|"There, Prime, I'll fix you right up and all three of us can die in the movie!"]]
Ratchet patched up the Autobots quick smart after they were caught in an explosion at a hi-tech lab. Of course, he immediately afterwards had to alert them to incoming Decepticons, and probably had to put them back together again after the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Roll for It}} With Optimus critically injured after a Decepticon attack, Ratchet and Wheeljack worked to repair their leader, only for [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to sneak into the base and inflict more damage on Optimus. Ratchet and Wheeljack continued to work, eventually succeeding in saving Prime's life using a [[Cosmotron]] retrieved from Cybertron by [[Chip Chase]] and a team of Autobots. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

A group of Autobots including Ratchet enjoyed hijinks in the snow when abnormal weather conditions were caused by the Decepticons tapping a crystal in the Arctic. The Autobots went to the Arctic, where Ratchet was part of Ironhide's team, which was separated from the main Autobot force and captured by the Decepticons. After the group faked their own destruction, Ratchet repaired [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], who had been shot by Starscream after refusing to terminate the Autobots. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Inspired by the discovery of dinosaur bones, Ratchet and Wheeljack designed and built the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s. Unfortunately the new warriors were difficult to control, and Ratchet was soon patching up [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. After the rest of the Autobots fell foul of the Decepticons, Wheeljack had the idea of reactivating the Dinobots, and he and Ratchet installed new brain modules, allowing the Dinobots to be successfully used in battle. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Ratchet was one of the Autobots who went to [[Peru]] when the Decepticons discovered the [[Crystal of Power]] there, and built a cannon to utilise it. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Ratchet was on hand for the impact of [[Meteorini Chipperoni]] and Optimus subsequently ordered him and Wheeljack to construct two more Dinobots to bolster the Autobots' ranks. Once [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] were constructed, Ratchet and Wheeljack held a demonstration. The two new additions quickly proved themselves and were dispatched to aid Optimus Prime, who'd run afoul of the other three Dinobots after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] turned them against the Autobots. By the time Ratchet and the other Autobots got there, Optimus had persuaded [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to defect back. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a rescue mission to retrieve Sparkplug from the Decepticon base, Ratchet was again repairing the Autobots when Sparkplug started trying to repair him, despite him being undamaged. Sparkplug then started working on Prime, despite Ratchet pointing out that Prime had already been fixed. Sparkplug was under the control of the Decepticons, and had sabotaged the Autobots weapons and Teletraan I, so the Decepticons could attack. After the attack was repelled, Ratchet repaired Teletraan I, which alerted the Autobots to the giant [[space bridge]] which the Decepticons were building. The Autobots rolled out, but were unable to prevent Cybertron being dragged into [[Earth]]'s orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom2 Autobot volcano.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Retreating to headquarters, the Autobots sent out the Dinobots to battle the disasters caused by the nearby Cybertron. The [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] which the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] was embedded in became active, erupting and spewing Ratchet, [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] into the air, necessitating a rescue on the part of Skyfire. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Ratchet surfed with Optimus Prime and the others to where the Decepticons were building a generator, though they were unable to prevent the Decepticons getting away with a shuttle full of energon and saved a bunch of humans instead. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Once Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, Ratchet and the other Autobots set about repairing the devastation it had wrought on Earth. They were subsequently occupied preventing [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s plan to destroy the planet using an [[Exponential Generator]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, the Autobots watched in horror as the Autobot leader was defeated. They later discovered that Megatron had cheated, rendering the results of the contest void, and allowed them to legally blast the Decepticons into a lava-filled crevasse. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:G1 ChangingGears Ratchet karate.jpg|left|260px|thumb|Now COUGH!]]
After Spike was injured during a battle with the Decepticons, Ratchet carried their injured human friend to the metro hospital. While Spike's mind was transferred into the [[Autobot X]] experimental body Sparkplug had made earlier, Ratchet repaired the battle-damaged Bumblebee, but was forced to cut short his repairs after Spike went on a rampage in his new body. After Spike's mind was returned to his real body, Ratchet theorised that he could probably fix the problems in the mind-transfer process, but thought it was better left alone. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} When Megatron captured [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and unwittingly threatened the destruction of the Earth with his [[Solar Needle]], Ratchet totally fly-kicked Thundercracker. After the Decepticons retreated, Ratchet and Wheeljack argued over which wire they had to disconnect to stabilize the [[Sun]]. However, nobody seemed to notice that he and Gears sounded exactly the same. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Part of a mission to [[New York City]] to investigate the disappearance of the [[Empire State Building]], Ratchet joined Spike, Hound, Bumblebee and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in entering the city via the sewers in an attempt to recover Optimus Prime. When they finally found their leader, he had been disassembled by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], and Ratchet had a heck of a job putting him back together again, including having to wrangle an [[alligatorcon]]. During a battle on the streets of the city, Ratchet and Ironhide ended up in the Decepticon's new skyscraper, and were again able to rescue Prime from a nasty fall. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

[[Image:AttackoftheAutobots Prime and Ratchet on rocket.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I can see my house from here!"]]
Ratchet was one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]] and was compelled to attempt to get some blueprints from [[Doctor Harding]]. After being de-evilled by one of Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s, Ratchet and Optimus jumped aboard a rocket in mid-air and Ratchet detached a solar satellite even as the rocket blasted towards space. The pair were able to get the satellite into space on Skyfire's back. Afterwards, Ratchet and Sparkplug realised they had to repair all of the jets the Autobots had trashed while under Decepticon control. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He patched up Mirage after another battle, and told the other Autobot to rest, but Mirage instead rushed off to prove he wasn't a traitor as Cliffjumper had suggested. After Mirage led the Autobots into a trap, Ratchet found one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s on Mirage's forehead. After the inevitable battle, Ratchet patched Mirage up once more. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[Image:Immobilizer Ratchet ambulance mode.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Ratchet attended the demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. It didn't go well, with Wheeljack being accidentally immobilized and the Decepticons stealing his device. Wheeljack was loaded into the back of Ratchet's ambulance mode, and they returned to base where Ratchet repaired Ironhide, telling him to STFU when he blamed himself for the attack. The Autobots were eventually able to get the Immobilizer back. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Ratchet was one of those who didn't take part in a charity race and was thus spared from being affected by the Decepticon's [[Transfixatron]] ray and captured. He and Wheeljack constructed an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] and mounted an attack with a small group to rescue the other Autobots. Afterwards, Ratcher realised that he was going to be repairing for days. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

He took part in the defence of [[Washington, D.C.]] against the combined forces of the Decepticons and [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Ordered to guard [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], he an Wheeljack cracked jokes at the robot's expense, until Optimus told them off. They were unable to prevent the robot's capture by the Decepticons and returned to base, where Ratchet repaired Brawn. A stealth attack by the reprogrammed ninja resulted in the loss of power to the base, and Ratchet soon discovered that the [[World Energy Chip]] had been stolen. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Dinobotislandratch&spark.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The animators never could decide if I had zero, one or two crosses on my shoulder. Here I have one ...]]
Ratchet, like the other Autobots, was taken in by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone]], at least until Windcharger revealed the truth. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He also took part in an attempt to stop one of Megatron's plans using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{storylink|The Core}} and helped Wheeljack whipped up an antidote to prevent the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s exploding after they consumed the [[Nova Power Core]]. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} After another Dinobot rampage at Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet sighed and started the repairs once again. The Dinobots were subsequently banished to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], no doubt to his relief. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} With Sparkplug's help, repairs were soon complete. When Teletraan I detected a disturbance near the library Spike was visiting, Ratchet reassured Sparkplug as the rest of the Autobots rolled out. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

When Megatron found the [[Heart of Cybertron]], Ratchet was among the group of Autobots who were first to feel his wrath and had to limp back to base. While [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] put a bizarre plan into operation, Ratchet and Wheeljack set up a forcefield to hold back the Decepticon leader until Perceptor's plan could succeed. {{storylink|Microbots}} Ratchet attended the [[Autobot Day]] celebration, during which Megatron managed to frame the Autobots. The Autobots were subsequently banished from Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They almost perished in the [[Sun]], but made it back to Earth in time to overthrow the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

After the Dinobots were damaged in a Decepticon attack, Ratchet repaired them, only for them to desert the Autobot forces. There's gratitude for you. A short time later, the Autobots were all disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} With Spike and [[Carly]]'s help, the Dinobot retrieved more Cybertonium from Cybertron, and the Autobots were able to repair themselves. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Ratchet was among the Autobots who turned up too late to prevent Megatron from stealing the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. After the Decepticons used it to jam Earth's radio signals, Ratchet helped some humans who'd become trapped in a blizzard. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was also part of the group who coated themselves in [[electrum]] to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:Kremzeek! Ratchet with Kremzeek.jpg|thumb|left|200px|... and here I don't have any. Make up your minds, animators.]]
While defending New York against Decepticons drones, Ratchet realised that the drones didn't have brains, meaning they were remote controlled. Once [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] had broadcast a jamming signal, the Autobots were able to attack the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. Ratchet, Wheeljack and Hoist joined Sparkplug and [[Raoul]] in turning the drones back into cars. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After Optimus Prime's team of Autobots went missing, Ratchet and the others attempted fruitlessly to find out where they'd gone. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Ratchet also took part in the operation to rescue [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] from a horde of [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} He was one of the first Autobots to be disabled by [[Kremzeek]], which didn't bode well for the Autobots' chances of getting repaired. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

After Optimus beat [[Lord Chumley]]'s death traps, Ratchet and the other Autobots provided Prime with reinforcements. {{storylink|Prime Target}} He and Wheeljack picked up [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] after the Autobot plane was defeated by the [[Conehead]]s. Ratchet started patching him up, but Powerglide refused further treatment until he could rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz|Astoria]], the spunky heiress he'd been charged with protecting. Once Astoria was safe, Powerglide returned for more repairs, and Ratchet joined in mocking him for his apparent [[Transformer romance|romantic feelings]] for the girl. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:KeyVectorSigma1 Ratchet thoughtful.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Although Ratchet was puzzled by Megatron's sudden interest in stealing cars, Optimus knew what the Decepticons were up to, and led a team, including Ratchet, to Cybertron. There, they found [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] badly damaged. Once Ratchet and Wheeljack had repaired him, he explained that Megatron had taken the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], and the Autobots journeyed underground. Encountering [[Centurion droid|Centurions]] left by Megatron to guard the way, Ratchet and Wheeljack repaired Maintenance drones to send against them in battle. Unfortunately they reached [[Vector Sigma]] too late, and Optimus ordered that some shuttles be rebuilt into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} The Autobots returned to Earth with the new additions, and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] promptly blew up on landing, resulting in Ratchet, Wheeljack and Sparkplug working feverishly to save the giant Autobot's life and repair his body. They ultimately succeeded. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:CosmicRust Ratchet and Blaster infected.jpg|thumb|left|260px|'Cause this is thriller, thriller night!]]
The Aerialbots, much to Ratchet's disgust, seemed to admire the Decepticon [[seeker (body-type)|seeker]]s. When the Autobot team was plunged millions of years back in time Ratchet worked with Wheeljack to repair the Decepticon time machine to get them back. They managed to, but wouldn't tell Ratchet what had happened, leaving the story telling to Optimus. {{storylink|War Dawn}} Ratchet helped apply [[corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], and was later affected by the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] that Megatron brought back from space. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|right|190px|thumb|Seen here suffering from a unique condition known as "Dying Ratchet Syndrome".]]
After [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to provide [[energy absorber]]s, the Autobots launched an attack while the Combaticons were busy fighting Megatron's forces. Ratchet and Grapple managed to rescue the two prisoners during the distraction. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Ratchet was also a part of the team which came to the Aerialbots' aid, after they fell into a trap laid by the Combaticons. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} During another of Megatron's plans, the Autobots captured the Stunticons, and Ratchet customised some of the Autobots using [[camouflage paint]] to disguise them as the Decepticon team. Somehow this worked, and after Megatron's plan was foiled, Ratchet and the rest of the Autobots provided reinforcements. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In the year 2005, while piloting a secret mission to [[Autobot City]] in order to gather a stockpile of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] from Earth, Ratchet and his allies were attacked by Megatron. Ratchet and Ironhide returned fire, but they were both shot repeatedly and left for dead on the floor of the shuttle as the Decepticons continued with their attack on Autobot City. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Ratchet's body was evidently recovered for interment, as his grave was housed in the interstellar [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. Sadly, it was not Ratchet's fate to rest in peace; along with the mausoleum itself, Ratchet's remains were later plunged into a star as a side-effect of a [[Quintesson]] plot. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Amidst a massive battle against the Decepticons at the Autobot base in Arizona, Ratchet was one of the first to notice that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his cassette forces were nowhere to be found. Now suspicious, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] immediately alerted all his units in Japan to be on the lookout for the Decepticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

Later, as [[Kenji]] was enjoying a tour of a secret Autobot facility in Japan, Ratchet was alerted to an attack by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in Yokohama. The Autobots immediately rolled out to meet the threat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4}}
=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Ratchet was one of about a kajillion Autobots who arrived on Metroplex to provide reinforcements for Optimus Prime after the Decepticon's [[Omega Whip]] weapon was destroyed.{{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====The Stargate Battles=====

[[Image:Stargatebattles_ratchet.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

In the 1990s, Ratchet used Cybertronian technology to save the lives of human scientist [[Professor Adle]] and his daughter [[Katua Adle|Katua]] when they were both badly injured in an explosion during a field test of one of the professor's creations. The professor's right arm was blown off and Katua lost her right leg, but Ratchet was able to fit them with cybernetic prosthetics so advanced that they were even able to experience pain and warmth through them as if they were their real limbs. This convinced Professor Adle of the Autobots' nobility, while Katua developed a fondness for Ratchet. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

About six months later, Ratchet was part of a delegation of Autobots who accompanied Optimus Prime to a press conference in America. The conference announced the construction of "[[Warp Gate|The Trigger]]", an interstellar teleportation system jointly developed between the Autobots and the United States government, and Ratchet helped Wheeljack write the speech that Prime proceeded to recite to the assembled human masses. Ignoring [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s attempts to keep them quiet while the conference was going on, Ratchet and Wheeljack muttered to each other that they didn't like the Trigger's gun-shaped design, as it reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A little later, when human protesters gathered to object to the presence of the Autobots on Earth, Katua Adle was able to prove that they were not emotionless metal monsters by revealing her prosthetic leg to the irate crowd and explained that she could feel through it. After all, how could Ratchet have replicated those sensations if he did not know them himself? The shamed crowd relented, and Optimus Prime told Katua that he would pass her kind words on to Ratchet himself. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

=====''Binaltech''=====
Along with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Ratchet helped implant [[Chip Chase]]'s consciousness into the lifeless Prowl-2 shell when Prowl's spark was lost in [[subspace]].

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[Image:Ratchetgreatcarrally.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"You sure are a jerk when you repair me, Ratchet!"]]
{{quote|You sure go all to pieces when a missile hits you, Hound.}}

While [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was taking part in a cross-country Car Rally, he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s missiles. Ratchet raced onto the scene to repair Hound, and joked that his patient sure falls apart when a missile hits him! Also, Hound complained that Ratchet was screwing him together too tightly, causing him pain.

Ratchet is kind of a jerk. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

Following a battle with the Decepticons that resulted in many Autobot injuries, Ratchet and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were busy trying to fix them. Optimus Prime asked them about their progress, but they both sighed. Ratchet noted that even the mighty Dinobots were out of commission, for they had suffered the heaviest losses. But suddenly, the Decepticons attacked, having repaired their warriors in record time! Optimus Prime called his remaining functional warriors to the highways while Ratchet and Huffer returned to their repairs. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[Image:Agenda3-AutobotsonArkattack.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He's fallen and he's not getting up.]]
Four million years ago, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, and Jazz were on the bridge of the Ark when it was suddenly attacked by the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. It crashed in a dormant volcano for untold years until it was disturbed by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who had traveled from the far future. Ratchet's body was sprawled across a pile of boxes. Frozen in [[stasis lock]] as he was, Ratchet was unable to stop the Predacon from assassinating the equally comatose Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} This act would have rewritten history from that moment forward, but the ensuing time storm was stopped by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and some time-traveling [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"OW! I should blast you to atoms! You did that ''on purpose''!" 
"Tone down your audio amplifiers, will ya? That ''didn't'' hurt... ''much''."|Starscream and Ratchet|"[[Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire]]"|style=2}}

[[Image:Ratchettww.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The Cybertronian red cross is Pac-Man.]]
8.2 million years ago, Ratchet accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] to the [[Border Regions|Sub-Orbital District]] of [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]], which had been devastated after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] activated the planetary engines. He found no life signs in the entire blast radius. {{storylink|The War Within}} 600,000 years later, Ratchet remained with the Prowl-led Autobots after Optimus Prime disappeared in a [[space bridge]] explosion. He repaired [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] after the theoretician was damaged in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

Ratchet was among the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crashed on [[Earth]], and awoke in 1984 to battle the [[Decepticon]]s. After years of fighting, Ratchet and the other Autobots took part in [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human/Autobot operation that defeated and captured the Earth-bound Decepticons. However, the ''[[Ark II]]'', which was meant to convey the Autobots, the captured Decepticons, and a number of humans back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]], sending Ratchet and his comrades to the bottom of the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Years later, Ratchet was brought back by the sinister [[Lazarus]], who had recovered and reprogrammed a number of Transformers for his nefarious ends. However, when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] broke free of Lazarus's control, he hooked up Ratchet and a number of other Autobots to a device that generated a deadly "metal virus". Soon after, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] detached Ratchet and the others from the doomsday device, and he eventually recovered. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

''When the alien [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] took over [[Las Vegas]], Ratchet was among the Autobots assembled by Optimus Prime to invade the occupied area. While the others engaged in battle, Ratchet was tasked with dealing with the collateral damage, and leading the human residents of Las Vegas to safety. He returned to the protection of Optimus Prime and his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] augmented power before a nuclear strike hit the city, and lent his skills to repairing the Autobots who had given their energon to power up Prime's "Finishing Move". {{storylink|Annihilation|Annihilation}}''

''Over the next few days, Ratchet brought all the Autobots back on-line, including [[Bluestreak]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], who had each been drastically injured over the course of the preceding events. No sooner had Bluestreak been reactivated, though, that he was drawn back into the Keepers' control by their pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]]. Franklin's status as an "[[augment]]" -- a human specially engineered using Cybertronian technology -- allowed him to bypass [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security and infiltrate the ''Ark''. Ratchet blamed himself for allowed that loophole in the security system. Later, Ratchet diagnosed the effects of the [[deconstructionite]]s -- reverse-engineered nanotechnology used by the government against the Transformers to drain away their processing power. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

Ratchet took part in a battle in the [[Canada|Canadian]] Arctic with the Decepticons over possession of a crashed spacecraft containing [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. As the Autobots overwhelmed their foes, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived on the planet and gave them an ultimatum: Surrender and return to a newly unified Cybertron, or be destroyed. {{storylink|New World Order}} The Autobots returned to the ''Ark'', where Optimus Prime assigned Ratchet to a [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]-led team that was to remain on Earth. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} After Shockwave's lieutenant, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], took Prime and others back to Cybertron, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] remained at the ''Ark'' as Jazz, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] attempted to locate Scourge and his ship. {{storylink|Cold War}}

[[Image:DWSkyfire Starscream Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My crotch is my stomach.]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a team of Decepticons arrived on Earth, they attacked the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inhabitants, wanting the starship for themselves. In the initial assault, the Autobots managed to take [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], his cassettes, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] prisoner, but eventually all the Autobots but Ratchet and Brawn were defeated by the mighty [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Expecting a supply ship from Cybertron later that day, Ratchet and Brawn slipped past the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s berserk defense systems in order to contact the ship and warn them. Unfortunately, Bruticus arrived soon after, and they were forced to destroy the ''Ark'' rather than let the Decepticons have access to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Before the battle could escalate further, it was interrupted by the arrival of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] seemingly powered by supernatural forces. An uneasy truce was formed between the small group of Autobots and Decepticons, and Ratchet begrudgingly put his medic skills to work on Starscream. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} However, after Jetfire left the ''[[Orion (ship)|Orion]]'' to go after Sunstorm, Starscream used his [[Null-ray]] on the remaining Autobots, including Ratchet. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

Ratchet later aided in the construction of Autobot City. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Ratchetjoetf2.jpg|left|140px|thumb|Physician, arm thyself.]]
In an alternate timeline, a newly formed [[human]] terrorist organization named [[Cobra]] uncovered the ''Ark'' buried in a dormant volcano. Finding two armies of giant, transformable robots, they repurposed these aliens for their own use, rebuilding them so they could reconfigure into various Cobra-designed vehicles. Ratchet was reprogrammed and rebuilt into a Cobra [[H.I.S.S.]] tank. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1}} [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was able to break free from his reprogramming and awaken the other Transformers {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4}}, and, with the help of the human anti-terrorist task-force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], he defeated Megatron and Cobra. An alliance between the Autobots and the United States government was formed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}}

Two years later, a malfunction in [[Teletran 3]] sent dozens of Transformers into various points in history, an act which, if not reversed, would result in a perpetual holocaust being unleashed across [[Earth]]. To retrieve one Transformer and bring him home, a team of Cobra and G.I. Joe agents were sent 15 years into an apocalyptic future where [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his Decepticons ruled. The remaining cyborged humans had formed a resistance which had only one Autobot warrior who stood between them and utter annihilation. The last Autobot alive, Ratchet had grown bitter and battle-hardened after years of guerrilla warfare, and he demanded the team sent to bring him back to the present day help him complete one more mission. Ratchet, the Joes, and the Cobra agents were successful in freeing a factory nearby that was manned by enslaved humans, but Ratchet refused to go home with them and abandon his calling. [[Barbecue]] returned Ratchet home against his wishes, and as Ratchet cursed the stupid little creature, the [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] of the present day shot Ratchet in the back, putting him out of commission. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3}}

Later, when [[Serpent O.R.]] took Optimus Prime prisoner, Ratchet (still in his post-apocalyptic body) was part of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s rescue team. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Ratchet was among the Autobots who were awakened by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] in 1939, and joined their war on [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. During the assault on the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], he wondered why the Decepticons were so easy to defeat ''now'', after having been such a pain in the neck back on Cybertron. Ratchet most likely perished when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was smashed to pieces shortly afterwards. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Ratchet was happy enough to repair a badly-damaged Starscream, when the latter was brought in to the Ark. He agreed with Wheeljack that they should take the opportunity to take a look at Starscream's logic circuits, and maybe see if there was anything untoward which was making him such a disagreeable fellow, and Optimus was eventually talked around. It wasn't long before Ratchet had Starscream back online, amnesiac and surprisingly benign (it didn't last). {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

While on a mission to retrieve [[Sky Spy]], Ratchet encountered [[Stitch]], a veteran army medic, and helped him save a woman trapped in a swollen creek. The woman needed emergency medical treatment, so Ratchet used Sky Spy to scan the necessary information from Stitch's mind in order to complete surgery on the woman. Sometime later, Ratchet checked on Stitch and presented him with a new cybernetic arm to replace the one he used to repair Sky Spy. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===''Timelines''===
[[Image:Ratchetironhidedescent.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Amazingly not dead.]]
Years after the Decepticon and Autobot Wars had ended, Ratchet and five other Autobots were sent to [[Ceti Alpha Seven]] to destroy [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|General Deathsaurus's]] Insecticon clone lab and stop his planned Decepticon uprising. After a team of four (consisting of [[Outback|Fallback]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]], and [[Ricochet (Descent into Evil)|Ricochet]]) failed, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] followed to help. After battling swarms of [[Virulent Clones]] and [[Buzzclaw (Timelines)|Buzzclaw]], they finally met up with Deathsaurus himself. Ironhide stayed to fight the general, and Ratchet separated to find their fallen friends.

Ratchet managed to gather the victims but was captured by Deathsaurus along with Ironhide. Both were restrained inside the lab, which was set to detonate. Before this happened, Ricochet snuck in and freed them, allowing them to gather the wounded and escape as the clone lab was destroyed. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}
{{-}}

=== IDW comics continuity ===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Infiltration3_Ratchet.jpg|left|350px|thumb|]]

[[Image:Ratchetholomatter.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Ratchet's holo-matter avatar has no mouth, and he must snark.]]
Before the war with the Decepticons Ratchet served with the Security Forces stationed in Kaon. He was present at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3}}

Ratchet was part of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Although a loyal warrior, Ratchet's conscience got the better of him when he intercepted a Decepticon pulsewave ordering the elimination of [[Stoker|a human being]]. While he was too late to save that human, he encountered two more—[[Verity Carlo]] and [[Hunter O'Nion]]—who had stumbled upon the Decepticon plot. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0}} Ratchet broke cover to save their lives, subjecting himself to the wrath of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], who threatened disciplinary action. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3}}

Ratchet was seemingly alone in his convictions, until [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] agreed to help him and the humans investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in [[Nebraska]]. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] arrived while the humans were reconnoitering and began an aerial bombardment of the bunker, intending to destroy it. Bumblebee and Ratchet engaged the Decepticons in order to buy the humans time to escape the collapsing bunker. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4}}

The Autobots and humans were leaving the Decepticons to finish their work when an enraged [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] burst from the buried ruins of the bunker. Thankfully for them, Megatron was more concerned with the treachery of Blitzwing and Skywarp, allowing Ratchet and the others to escape with their lives. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5}} Unwilling to risk their safety further, Ratchet subsequently returned the humans to ''[[Ark-17]]'', where they met the newly arrived Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6}}

[[Image:Sixshot-devastation3a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]

After [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was apparently destroyed by [[Machination|a mysterious human organisation]], Ratchet determined that the wreckage the Autobots recovered was a fake. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2}} Later, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], against orders, accompanied Verity Carlo and [[Jimmy Pink]] to find clues on the missing Sunstreaker's and Hunter's whereabouts while Optimus Prime and the other Autobots went to [[Brasnya]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4}} When the humans set off a trap, the Autobots saved them, though Ironhide was critically injured and Ratchet was forced to abandon him to bring the humans to safety. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6}}

When the Autobots decided to relocate the ''Ark-17'', they were attacked by [[Sixshot]], who downed the ship in mid-flight. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1}} Ratchet was ordered to take Verity and Jimmy into an escape pod while the rest of the crew piloted the ship into the ocean. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2}} Sixshot soon found Ratchet and pursued him relentlessly. Ratchet used the distraction provided by some human jet fighters to escape, hiding among an ambulance pool in [[Pensacola]], Florida. Sixshot soon flushed him out, however, and pursued him out of town, forcing Ratchet to abandon Verity and Jimmy for their own safety. When cornered at the water's edge, Ratchet prepared to make a last stand, but was saved by the timely arrival of the other Autobots. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3}}

[[Image:Devastation5 Ratchet Jazz.jpg|left|200px|thumb|CLEAR!]]

The humans made their way back to the Autobots to warn them about an air attack by the military, and Ratchet took them with him on an orbital bounce to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. Unfortunately, this killed Verity and Jimmy. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4}}

Guilt-stricken, Ratchet managed to restart their hearts after more than 5 minutes, though he feared they suffered brain damage. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5}} Some time later, however, Ratchet was present as the pair were reunited with Hunter. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5}}

A year later, Ratchet and a number of other Autobots were led by Optimus Prime in an attempt to rid Earth of the Decepticons once and for all. Unfortunately, they fell right into a trap, and Ratchet was injured by a shot to the chest. The Autobots were then thrown into a [[space bridge]] leading to the ruins of Cybertron, where the Decepticons hoped the "[[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]" would eat them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7}} Whilst hiding from the swarm, Ratchet tended to the critically-damaged Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1}} After listening to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s tale about how the ''[[Trion]]'' and its crew had crashed on the planet as well {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}}, Ratchet mingled with him and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6}}

Ratchet later checked up on Sunstreaker, telling him that his separation from Hunter had been a complete success, although the human would never be "fully human" again. Their base soon came under attack from the swarm, however, so the other Autobots formed a perimeter around Ratchet and [[Roadbuster]] as they fled elsewhere. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8}} At their new base, Ratchet managed to use a [[CR chamber]] to heal his damaged comrades, although he reported to [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] that the chamber could do nothing to improve their declining morale. In addition, he and Wheeljack were still having trouble repairing Optimus Prime, and Ratchet cursed that [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] had turned into just another "clown with a gun". Thankfully, they eventually came through and brought Prime back from the brink of death. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9}}

Ratchet and the others finally managed to get off Cybertron thanks to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and returned to Earth to continue their fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11}} He survived the battle in [[New York City]], and cheered with his comrades as the Decepticons fled the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12}}

Later, Ratchet was part of the rescue party that saved Bumblebee form a military attack after the yellow guy abandoned his cover to save some refugees. After repairing Bumblebee, Ratchet told the mini-bot that they found him by monitoring human radio signals. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|Hidden}}

Several years after the fall of Megatron, Ratchet and the Autobots were still operating on Earth. It served as a meeting point for all Autobots who had survived the great purge the Decepticons had orchestrated throughout the galaxy. {{storylink|Spotlight: Prowl}} Not all Autobots were content with the virtually directionless existence Optimus Prime had led them into, however, especially with the human organization known as [[Skywatch]] hunting them and Decepticons alike. Ratchet was present when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] demanded Prime allow him to stage a rescue operation to recover Prowl after he was captured...and afterwards, when Ironhide came back from the mission as a corpse. He witnessed Optimus Prime abdicate his role as leader, and leave the Autobots to surrender to Skywatch. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

In the aftermath of Prime's decision, and the subsequent departure of a splinter faction under Hot Rod's command, Ratchet and the others were left in a state of shock. With the war effectively over and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] missing, the line of succession was no longer clear. The Autobots decided to hold an election to see who their new leader would be. No one was more surprised than Bumblebee when HE turned out to be the new chosen leader. Ratchet quickly stepped up as Bumblebee's second, helping shepherd him into his new role. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Bumblebee's authority was challenged almost immediately by the arrival of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], but Ratchet did his best to support 'Bee before Magnus took off on a mission of his own. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Ratchet had his work cut out for him, though. Not only was [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] undermining Bumblebee's authority from the start, Bumblebee himself just couldn't adjust to the role quickly. Still, he supported Bumblebee's decision to form a clandestine alliance with Skywatch through Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who was acting outside his mandate in the hopes of using the Autobots to stop [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and the other Decepticons still loose on Earth. Working in secret with Horiuchi, the Autobots hoped to prove their value and good intentions to Skywatch's higher ups by racking up an impressive number of Decepticon captures. They even began wearing specially-designed Skywatch insignia badges for communication and to mask their activities from Skywatch operatives who weren't "in the loop". After five successful bag-and-tags, however, Horiuchi threw them the first curveball. The Autobots' next target was [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], one of their own who had left after Ultra Magnus's arrival. As Ratchet and the others refused to hunt one of their own, Horiuchi demonstrated a hidden feature of the badges -- the ability to forcibly revert the Autobots to vehicle mode at his command. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

Left with no choice, Ratchet and Bumblebee led the Autobots in capturing Blurr. The whole situation was a fiasco, however, and Blurr even fired on Bumblebee during the encounter, damaging his badge. Bumblebee found the courage to defy Horiuchi and refused to turn over Blurr to Skywatch later that day. The colonel tried to mode-lock Bumblebee for his insubordination, but the shot to Bumblebee's badge had rendered it useless. Quick on the uptake, Ratchet whispered to Bumblebee to fake it so Horiuchi didn't realize he'd lost his edge over the Autobot leader. At Ratchet's prompting, the Autobots pretended the damaged badge had left Bumblebee trapped in vehicle mode permanently, despite Horiuchi's attempts to reverse the mode-lock. With Blurr's help, they recovered another Volkswagen Beetle to use as a ringer, allowing Bumblebee to leave the base and seek a solution for their predicament. Because Skywatch was constantly monitoring their vocal output using the badges, Ratchet and the others couldn't even speak a word of encouragement to 'Bee as he set off on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

With Bumblebee on the loose, Ratchet continued the ruse of pretending to cooperate with Colonel Horiuchi and his staff, showing them the malfunctioning "Bumblebee" for examination. Meanwhile, he and Wheeljack kept in touch with the real Bumblebee using a text-only comm signal that wouldn't show up on Skywatch's monitoring. Ratchet was named acting leader of the Autobots while "Bumblebee" was off-line, as he and Wheeljack secretly led the real Bumblebee to [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], creator of the badges' control board. Bumblebee needed access to the board's schematics in order to free his friends, but had to manipulate [[Serena Bharwaney|Bharwaney's young daughter]] into helping him. Ratchet had to comfort Bumblebee through "using" the girl for his own purposes. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

Unfortunately, the rogue Decepticon Skywarp had also learned of the board, and was coming to Bharwaney's to steal it. Ratchet and the other Autobots were forced to blow their cover to rush to Bumblebee's aid. They were too late, however, and Bumblebee was forced to set off an EMP, knocking him and Skywarp off-line while disabling the control board and the badges as well. As Ratchet brought Bumblebee in for repairs, he reluctantly agreed to upgrade his new commander into a more war-like, combat ready body to fit his new duties. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

Soon, Ultra Magnus returned from his scouting mission to challenge Bumblebee's authority again, gathering Ratchet and several other Autobots in the name of the [[Tyrest Accord]] to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Hot Rod's mistake became clear when his "ally", [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], activated a new Decepticon combiner and unleashed it on the Autobots. {{storylink|Enemies of the System}}

After several Autobots were damaged fighting [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Ratchet began patching them up as best he could, with the help of Skywatch personnel. He barely finished working on Ultra Magnus before the enforcer stomped off to search for [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. {{storylink|Earthworks}} Following this, the Autobots entered a formal alliance with Skywatch. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 7}}

{{spoiler|The Transformers issue 9|August 14 2010}}
Ratchet was helping a human technician repair [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] showed up and asked for the Autobots' help with defeating the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. They accepted, but due to pressure from the [[President of the United States]], they were going to have to do it in disguise. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 9}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
Ratchet was with the Autobots hiding out in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]], with most of the Autobot forces having been defeated. He tended to the seriously wounded [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire's]] injuries, and suggested surrender to the Decepticons to save their fellow Autobot's life. When [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (disguised as Bumblebee) and the Decepticons attacked, he attempted to reason with the Decepticon mercenary about Jetfire's condition, only to be attacked for his trouble. After the Autobots surrendered, he was furious when Mirage betrayed his word and prepared to carry out Megatron's order to execute the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
With Optimus Prime in stasis lock, Ratchet and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] appeared to be the co-leaders of the Autobots in the 19th century. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} Despite [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee's]] pleading, he was reluctant to interfere with the humans, but nevertheless participated in the pursuit of the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as it headed to [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

His "Ice Age Wars" altmode is uncertain, but it clearly has scales and spikes. His 19th-century altmode is a medical boxcar. He may be the very first Transformer depicted with a boxcar altmode, as prior to this, all train-based Transformers were locomotives.

{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:RatchetHenkeiTsushima.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Ma'am, I'm just an SUV—oh, fine."]]
Despite rescuing a girl from a burning building, she had fallen unconscious, so he offered to drive her and her mother to the hospital. Unfortunately, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was tailing them from above. He would have blasted Ratchet, but Inferno blocked the shot with his fire truck mode, transformed, and then knocked Starscream out of the sky with his water cannon. Thanks to Inferno's help, Ratchet was able to successfully deliver the girl to the hospital.

But Ratchet's work wasn't done, as he had taken note of Inferno's heavy injuries. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Ratchettoyg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Why's everything so dark in here?]]
* '''Ratchet''' (1984/1986/1990/2001/2007)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''99'''
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: Ratchet was originally a Onebox Ambulance Type toy from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line before [[Hasbro]] brought ''Transformers'' to North America. The toy transforms from an ambulance to a robot and [[Onebox component|gun-station]]. A variant of the toy includes red crosses on the top and sides of the vehicle. Ratchet and his [[retool]]/[[redeco]] buddy [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], like all Diaclones, were designed to be piloted mecha, which is why he has a seat instead of a head. The Transformers version applied a face sticker to the back of the seat in lieu of a real sculpted noggin.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in multiple offers, including the [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]] flier packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point]]s.

: In Japan, Ratchet was originally only available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail-away, costing 1700 yen and 4 robot points. In 2001, he was reissued in Japan as an [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]], paired with Ironhide.

:[[Image:Encoretoy-Ratchetwithhead.jpg|left|thumb|100px|This looks ... better?]]

: In mid-December 2007, he was reissued again as part of Takara's Transformers Encore line. This particular version came with an illustration on one box flap depicting Ratchet's cartoon-design head and chest windshield. By punching out the image along the perforated edges, folding it just so and tucking it in behind the toy's windshield, one could give the toy a "real" head, just like in the TV series, instead of using the Diaclone-original windshield face sticker. Sort of. This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the mobile platform's gun-base, designed to keep Ratchet more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go.

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

{{-}}
{{anchor|EmergencyGreen}}

[[Image:Encoreratchetemergencygreen.jpg|right|250px|thumb|To the Mystery Machine, gang!]]
* '''Ratchet Emergency Green''' (2008)
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: A [[redeco]] of the original toy (well, the retooled Encore version) which [[homage]]s [[Ratchet (Movie)|the live-action movie Ratchet]], Ratchet Emergency Green is a Japanese mail-away exclusive available with a purchase of the book ''[[Transformers Visualworks]]''. After the book release on December 4, 2007, purchasers could mail in a ticket from the book and purchase either one (5200yen) or two (10,000 yen) of the item. Ratchet shipped to customers in April 2008. He comes in the same packaging as the regular Encore release, including packaging images, instructions, and the same white-headed cardboard torso punch-out.

: He's totally awesome.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/EmergencyGreenRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on Emergency Green Ratchet at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-RatchetDiE.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Maybe photographing him against a white backdrop wasn't such a great idea.]]
* '''Autobot Ratchet & Flareup''' (2005)
**''Accessories'': Lightbar/blaster

: One of two "souvenir" packages [[exclusive]] to [[BotCon 2005]], Ratchet is a retooling of the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' Autobot [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]] with a new head, transforming into a large utility van. In robot mode, his lower vehicle portion becomes a [[Onebox component|mobile battle/repair platform]]. Ratchet can fold his legs back and up over his shoulders (wow!) and re-attach to this platform for a "battle mode". In this, ahem, ''position'', Ratchet 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.

: The mold's standard "receiver dish" weapon was not produced; instead, he came with a new "light bar" that pegged onto his roof in much the same manner.

: He could only be purchased in an at-show "souvenir" two-pack along with [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]]. This mold was also used to make [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] for the same convention.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on BotCon Ratchet at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkeitoy-Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Surprise, I'm colored like the cartoon!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-14'''
**''Accessories:'' Converting Cannon

: A redeco and retooling of the [[Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 ''Universe'']] [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide toy]], ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Ratchet transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a red Japanese-style emergency lightbar, is cast in bright white plastic and has a deco resembling Ratchet's appearance in the original cartoon series, down to his dark gray head crest. Like all ''Henkei'' toys, he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] plastic, specifically his headlights and taillights, as well as his "Converting Cannon" weapon.

{{-}}
===Universe (2008)===
====Generation 1 Series====
[[Image:Ratchet25toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|No, not that [[Ratchet (Universe)|Universe Ratchet]].]]
*'''Autobot Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Medical Dispenser/Combat Blade

: Like ''Henkei'' Ratchet, ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Ratchet is a redeco and retooling of the ''Universe'' Ironhide toy, and transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a blue American-style emergency lightbar (as opposed to Henkei Ratchet's different tooled red Japanese-style emergency lightbar), is cast in pearlescent white plastic and has a rather generic "Ratchety" colour/paint scheme. His license plate also reads [[The Pri¢e of Life!|H3L PU2]].

:While similar in execution, there are a great many changes from Henkei Ratchet to Universe Ratchet. The red paint detailing on Universe Ratchet is different than that of Henkei Ratchet in color and layout. The Henkei version's stripes resemble that more of his original counterpart, while the Universe version resemble that of his ''[[Ratchet (Animated)|Animated]]'' version. Henkei Ratchet uses chrome paint on his weapon and both sets of lights while the Universe version leaves them unpainted. Gray paint covers Henkei Ratchet's gun barrel and silver on his upper chest (behind the chest window), these parts remain unpainted on Universe Ratchet. The paint used for the windows of Universe Ratchet is a light blue while Henkei Ratchet uses a deeper metallic blue paint. Universe Ratchet has black forearms and upper thighs, while the Japanese version uses a pure white (different from the white used through out the rest of the figure). Universe Ratchet has a yellow vanity plate and red head crest while Henkei Ratchet has a blank gray plate and gray head crest. Universe Ratchet features a blue blade on his weapon, while Henkei Ratchet features a red blade. Universe Ratchet also features a lighter red plastic than the Henkei version.

:Like ''Universe'' Ironhide, the blue paint used for his opaque windows matches ''really'', '''''really''''' badly with his translucent blue plastic windows.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{anchor|TakaraDecoy}}
[[Image:G1-toy DecoyRatchet.jpg|right|thumb|Ratchet cosplaying as Ironhide, or Ironhide cosplaying as Ratchet? You, the viewer, decides!]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ratchet was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

{{anchor|HasbroDecoy}}

*'''Ratchet''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''6'''

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ratchet game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is 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)|Technobot]]s.

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

{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:SCF-Act6-Ratchet.jpg|right|thumb|Super-action pose doctor!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2002)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ratchet was available in "Act 6" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line, a slight retooling of the Ironhide figurine with a new head and "gun"-hand (despite the fact that their two [[character model]]s are not quite identical). Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the pewter version of Ratchet came packaged with the left leg of the wave's [[Grand Maximus]] collectable "build-a-figure".

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

: Ratchet's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ratchet was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Part of the fifth and final wave of ''Heroes of Cybertron'', Ratchet was, unlike the Japanese figure, sold on an indivudual blister card and came packaged with the right leg of the [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

{{--}}
===Transformers Mini-Bust===
[[Image:Ratchet-DiamondSelectstatue.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Your choice of head! His choice of medical tools.]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2009)

: Released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2009, Ratchet was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. The bust continues the tradition of giving all Ratchet merchandise (but not toys) the [[wikipedia:International_Committee_of_the_Red_Cross|red cross]] insignia on their shoulders to better match the Animation model. Ratchet's Bio credits him and Wheeljack with creating the [[Dinobot_(G1)#Cartoon_continuity|Dinobots]]; effectively making him the cartoon version but he comes packaged with two heads for do-it-yourself retconning. Comic accurate red helmet with white chevron, or the cartoon accurate white helmet with grey chevron. Fans of the Universe 2.0 version (white helmet, red chevron) will have to buy some red paint when they pick their bust up. Three tools are also included with the Bust. One slightly resembling the [[Power Booster Rod]], the other a Cybertronian version of an [[wikipedia:otoscope|otoscope]] and the third is some sort of medical gear shaft. They are not sculpted on nor do they possess a magnet and are simply lodged in his hands for display.

{{-}}
==Notes==
*[[Bob Budiansky]] has said that he named Ratchet after the less-friendly medic Nurse ''Ratched'' from ''[[wikipedia:Ratched|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''.
*Ratchet never really showed his party animal spirit in Marvel, outside of the start of "Warrior School". Budiansky gives two answers for why: "1) in the comic book stories, he always found himself in situations too serious to allow his party personality to emerge. 2) I screwed up and forgot I had written that as part of his profile. I prefer to go with answer number 1." <ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Budiansky interview at Metal Machine]</ref>
[[Image:G1RatchetSexchange.jpg|thumb|300px|So Ratchet basically avoided becoming part of the ''Girls Gone Wild'' cast. Good on her. Er, him.]]
*In the Shout! Factory Matrix of Leadership Special Edition DVD set, an interview with Bob Budiansky features close-ups of his original character notes for several characters, Ratchet being one of them. Oddly, his handwritten notes refer to Ratchet as "her" and the Autobots' "go-to gal" for repairs. While this obviously was not the final direction the character took, it is an odd [[Ratchet (Animated)#Trivia|coincidence]]... and a fact that makes the early nicknames "Cool Hand Lube" and "Greasefinger" ''even more embarrassing''.
*In later years, toys sporting the name "Ratchet" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Ratchet'''".
* Ratchet's original toy is part of a matrix of cross-referencing [[redeco]]s:
** In 2008, the original 1984 Ratchet mold got a green redeco as "Ratchet Emergency Green" in obvious reference to [[Ratchet (Movie)|his movie counterpart]].
** Meanwhile, the movie counterpart's toys got a red and white "Rescue Ratchet" redeco... based on the original colors of the 1984 toy.
** Elsewhere, [[Ratchet (Animated)|''Animated'' Ratchet]] includes elements from both characters, including Generation 1 Ratchet's chevron crest and coloration. (''Animated'' Ratchet later got a movie-based "Rescue Ratchet" redeco, to boot.)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ratchet/ratchet.htm Ratchet at TFU.info]
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ratchet Ratchet's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]

Ratchet (G1)

2010-07-17T09:09:48Z

Kcchia80: /* The Transformers cartoon */ another caption added ... three dead guys from TFTM

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}{{disambig3|Ratchet}}
{{featured}}
:''Ratchet is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ratchetg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|All aboard the party ambulance!]]
'''Ratchet''' is the Autobots' Chief Medical Officer. If something's broke, he can fix it. Ratchet is known for his irreverent bedside manner; he loves having a good time, and his party-loving nature has given him a dry wit. He is not a particularly mighty warrior, which sometimes leads him to believe that he is expendable. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has trouble convincing Ratchet that this is far from the truth.

Although he's a healer, Ratchet often finds himself on the front lines of combat and, on occasion, the last hope the Autobots have. These pressures are sometimes too much for him to handle, but Ratchet ultimately never gives up.

His vehicle mode sometimes splits into his robot and a [[Onebox component|separate component]].

:''Nicknames'': '''Cool Hand Lube''', '''Greasefinger'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]].</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Alavanca'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Doc'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Mécano'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Racsni'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Trinco''' ("Lock")
:''Czech name:'' '''Zdravotník'''
:''Russian name (TV):'' '''Храповик /Chrapovick''' ("Ratchet")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ratchetg1first.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This look didn't last long.]]
Ratchet was one of the select Autobots chosen by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to travel aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of [[Mount St. Hilary]] with the rest of the crew. Once the volcano exploded and the Transformers reactivated, Ratchet was rebuilt to transform into an ambulance. He responded to [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]'s complaining by telling him that at least he didn't have to fix everyone all the time! Ratchet would rather be partying. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Ratchetgetstofixgears.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What a comfortable-looking repair sled they're dragging Gears into.]]

As their war against the Decepticons continued on Earth, Ratchet joined the Autobots' debate about how to deal with their dwindling fuel resources. Thankfully, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] had located a human, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who could help them convert fuel to a form usable by them, so the Ark was left in Ratchet's hands as the others left to meet with Bumblebee and his new human friends. Ratchet noted sadly that without fuel, even his considerable skills were useless. {{storylink|Power Play!}} While they were gone, Ratchet attended to the Ark. During his attempts at repairs, he uncovered something interesting in its memory databanks, but Optimus Prime cut him off before he could explain. Gears was badly damaged in the battle that followed, and his body was brought back to Ratchet for repairs. After working on him for a short period of time, Ratchet was amazed that he could already speak. Unfortunately, Gears had bad news; Sparkplug Witwicky had converted fuel for the Decepticons while he had been their prisoner! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

The Autobots were outraged at this, which upset Sparkplug so much that he suffered a heart attack. Ratchet volunteered to drive Sparkplug and his son [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] to the hospital. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} While Buster stayed at the hospital with his ailing father, Ratchet held fast to his oath to preserve life, an oath which made no distinction between organical or mechanical life, and spent long hours helping to ferry injured humans to and from the hospital. His human drivers were alarmed to find this out after the fact. Ratchet was happy to learn that Sparkplug, now able to speak, had told Buster that he'd poisoned the Decepticons' fuel. While this conversation was taking place, his drivers were poking around his ambulance mode, trying to discover how he was talking. After an angry, annoyed outburst, the humans fled.

[[Image:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Staring also works.]]

Despite Buster's good news, Ratchet felt he should return to the Ark as swiftly as possible; no one there was responding to his communications. Buster accompanied him, and en route tried to explain to Ratchet that the traffic signals were nonsentient and would not respond to his pleas. When a red light turned green, eventually, after Ratchet's attempts at persuasion, the Autobot admonished the child for his lack of communication skills. But when Ratchet and Buster arrived at the Ark, they were horrified to discover [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] standing sentry outside. Buster, who was small enough to slip in unnoticed, snuck inside to investigate. {{storylink|The New Order}} Buster later returned to Ratchet, looking like a fright, and told the Autobot that the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, and that their bodies were hung like meat from the ceiling! Even crazier still was when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was seen carrying the defeated body of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] back into the Ark. Ratchet began to worry that he was the last Autobot alive. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

Ratchet soon discovered, to his horror, that he was the last Autobot still functional on Earth, up against the entire Decepticon army. Covertly invading the ''Ark'', he learned that even the mighty [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had fallen. However, Prime's head, though detached, still functioned, and the Autobot Commander told Ratchet that he must rise up to meet this challenge. Ratchet did not believe he could; he was a doctor, not a warrior (damnit, Jim). {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[Image:Ratchetwarriorschool.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The more you know!™]]

Ratchet was no warrior, and he doubted what he could do to topple this new status quo, but still, Ratchet tried. In his weakened state, Megatron could not hope to defeat Shockwave and reclaim his leadership, but Ratchet approached him with a possible solution. Ratchet knew how Shockwave had fallen 4 million years ago (having discovered this earlier within the Ark's memory databanks), and struck a deal, sealed by the [[Rite of Oneness]]: If Ratchet could defeat Shockwave, Megatron would relinquish Decepticon control of the ''Ark'' and its wrecked Autobot inhabitants.

Ratchet journeyed to the [[Savage Land]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had fought Shockwave to a stalemate, leaving all dormant in a tar pit prison. He dug up the Dinobots and repaired them. Soon after, he met with Megatron on a snowy ski slope and announced that he had fulfilled his half of the bargain; Shockwave was defeated. Megatron, of course, went back on his part of the deal and threatened to kill Ratchet. Ratchet declared that he knew all along Megatron would not hold up his end of the bargain and admitted that he had not, in fact, defeated Shockwave. The Dinobots sprung up out of the snow surrounding Megatron and fought him, but did not succeed. Megatron now stood alone, triumphant, mocking Ratchet and his lack of a warrior's edge. With nothing to lose, Ratchet charged Megatron, but he was ineffectual. However, the charge had loosened the ground on which Megatron stood, and the Decepticon leader fell off the cliff side and disappeared. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

''On their return trip to the ''Ark'', Ratchet helped educate the Dinobots about human/Autobot relations by telling them the story of a recent battle with the Decepticons at a hydroelectric dam. {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} When they arrived, Ratchet and the Dinobots found the ''Ark'' defended by [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], an Autobot combat drone which had been reprogrammed by Shockwave. Ratchet rescued the Dinobots from the powerful drone by remembering and exploiting one of its few weaknesses, an access port which could admit a fine laser. Ratchet then began the task of repairing the Autobots, placing priority on those whose command skills would be useful. This put him at odds with Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who felt that the fallen Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] should be repaired first. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}''

''When Prowl devised a plan to use the Matrix to create an army of monstrous Autobot warriors, debate over the plan's ethics threatened to divide the Autobots. Ratchet remained neutral and asked Optimus Prime to step in and provide guidance. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}''

''Ratchet and Wheeljack collaborated on a Transformer-sized robotic suit, to be used by Buster Witwicky in battle. Optimus Prime was unamused. {{storylink|Robot Buster!}}''

[[Image:Ratchetmechanic.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Such irony.]]

After the destruction of Optimus Prime, Ratchet was not able to repair him. Unable to deal with his failure, Ratchet wandered off on his own during Optimus's funeral. Ratchet decided that rather than moping, he should concern himself with the other damaged Autobots under his care, so he headed towards a junkyard to look for spare parts he could use. However, he was abducted in vehicle mode by the [[Mechanic (G1)|Mechanic]] and his accomplice [[Juan]] when the two thieves were found by the police. Ratchet revealed himself when they arrived at the Mechanic's hideout, but the Mechanic froze Ratchet with his own surgical weapons and headed for the ''Ark'', intent on finding technology that would ensure he would never be threatened by the police again. When he had unfrozen, Ratchet followed the human back to the ''Ark'', but was defeated by his own surgical tools. But using pieces he took from the junkyard, he repaired [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and the appearance of the police car frightened the Mechanic away. The Mechanic escaped with Ratchet's tools and the [[Power Booster Rod]]. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime's funeral, Ratchet stood with Omega Supreme, Blaster, and the others, and an incoming fleet of aircraft piloted by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] was detected. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} After the Autobots teamed up with the human counterterrorist organization [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], Ratchet worked with [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]], who had already begun to rebuild Bumblebee. Ratchet was surprised to see that Bumblebee had been upgraded by Mainframe into a more-powerful body, and after the process was completed (despite [[Dr. Mindbender]]'s bickering), Bumblebee decided to rename himself Goldbug. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

[[Image:Ratchetneverisnow.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Paging Dr. Smartass.]]

With Optimus Prime dead, Ratchet and a few other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate a new leader. Ratchet stressed that their nominee must be kind, just as Optimus Prime had been, someone who would be willing to give everything he had. After a surprise attack on the Ark by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Ratchet had his answer. Ratchet's new patients, those that had suffered during the attack, had told him of Grimlock's selflessness in battle. The other Autobots agreed, and Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} However, Grimlock's leadership quickly turned sour, and Ratchet became the voice of sarcasm behind Grimlock's decisions. When a second group of Autobots led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] met Grimlock's Earth-bound Autobots, they brought with them a [[floppy disk]] containing the mind of the dead Optimus Prime. Ratchet couldn't contain his joy, and so Grimlock struck him down and told him to shut up. Ratchet was told to shut up again when he belittled Grimlock's disbelief that Fortress Maximus was part [[human]]. Grimlock set up a battle for Autobot supremacy between him and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (who fought in Fortress Maximus' stead), so Ratchet and all of both Autobot groups stepped out onto the surface of Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to watch the fight. Ratchet cheered relentlessly for Blaster, but the spectators were cut short by a surprise Decepticon attack. After the Decepticons had fled, Ratchet was glad to see that Blaster and Grimlock had, for the moment, set aside their differences, because they would need all the cooperation they could muster to repair the fallen and the heavily-damaged Ark. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''When an [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a time-traveling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] decimated the Earthbound Autobot forces, Optimus Prime no longer possessed the life-giving powers of the [[Creation Matrix]], so Ratchet was left with the monumental task of repairing them. {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}}'' During a period of work-induced stress, he began to hallucinate visions of his patients attacking him and accusing him of being worthless. It was during this time that the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]], posing as Autobots, offered to help transport Ratchet to Cybertron, where he could have access to new medical technology that had been created during his 4-million-year absence on Earth. He and three of the Sports Car Patrol took the bodies of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]] with him, though Ratchet was curious why [[Blackjack]] stayed behind on the ''Ark''. Ratchet's concerns were answered when, upon arrival on Cybertron, he saw standing before him the believed-to-be-deceased Megatron, who had orchestrated the entire scheme. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

[[Image:Ratchetbroughtthemhere.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Megatron inadvertently activated Ratchet's dormant "evil genius" gene.]]

Megatron brought Ratchet the remains of Starscream, demanding Ratchet repair the Air Commander while Blackjack held the ''Ark'' and its medical bay inhabitants hostage. Ratchet agreed, and he used [[Pretender]] technology to repair Starscream while secretly repairing Grimlock, Jazz, and Goldbug as well. After Pretender Starscream was sent to Earth, Megatron sought out Ratchet to kill him, but Ratchet had his own Pretenders ready. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} Ratchet sprung Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee (Ratchet preferred Bumblebee's original form) on Megatron, but Megatron and his Micromasters were too powerful for them. The Pretenders and Micromasters' battle wandered outside [[Megatron's base]], and Ratchet was left alone. Sacrificing his life, Ratchet warped the bombs Blackjack had put on the ''Ark'' into the Decepticon base in an attempt to kill both himself and Megatron. Megatron tried to escape through the warp portal, but Ratchet tackled him, and the base exploded. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[Image:Megs ratch.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ratchet to the left of me, Megatron to the right—Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.]]

Optimus Prime was devastated by the loss of Ratchet. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} He assigned the detective [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to investigate Ratchet's death, and Nightbeat hypothesized that Ratchet could possibly still be alive. There was an initial blast which could have knocked Ratchet into the portal and into [[unspace]], a netherworld between the warp portal's starting and ending points. A probe was sent to retrieve him, and it succeeded—but it also brought back Megatron, who was fused with Ratchet as a single, monstrous being. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} The Ratchet/Megatron creature rampaged through the ''Ark'', wounding several Autobots, but Optimus Prime would not let them harm it. This put Optimus Prime in an awkward position: Was the life of Ratchet worth the possible loss of his other troops? The creature fought his way into the engine rooms and began tearing stuff apart, and Prime's choice was made for him: The creature must be stopped. Prime fought Ratchet/Megatron to a standstill, and, alarmingly, the part that was Ratchet took control and pulled Prime's gun to his own forehead, pleading for the Autobot Commander to put him out of his misery. In an unpopular decision, Optimus Prime ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate Megatron and Ratchet, even if it meant saving Megatron. Bonded at a molecular level, neither could survive without the other, even when separated. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

[[Image:Ratchetjollies.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Holy crap.]]

Separated by Fixit, they remained in stasis on the ''Ark'' until Grimlock and his [[Nucleon]]-revived Dinobots found the ''Ark'' abandoned during the Transformers' battle with [[Unicron]]. They filled the entire medical bay chambers with Nucleon, not aware that Megatron lay there in storage. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Shockwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] stole the ''Ark'' after Unicron was defeated, in an attempt to return to Earth and conquer it. {{storylink|Still Life!}} However, just as Megatron awoke, Starscream and Shockwave were interrupted by [[Galvatron II]], who had snuck on board before launch. While Galvatron and Megatron teamed up on Shockwave, Starscream went to check on any other possible survivors in the medical bay. He found Ratchet, whose mind was still connected to Megatron's, and Starscream fought the confused Autobot easily. However, when Starscream mused that Ratchet was no fun to kill, Ratchet became enraged and defeated him in a berserker state. Determined to end what he had started, Ratchet blew up the ''Ark'' as it was approaching Earth's orbit, sending all four Decepticons and himself to a supposed death.<ref>Except all the Decepticons eventually turn up alive.</ref> {{storylink|A Savage Circle}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''Ratchet was present at the Ark in 2003 when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] announced his plans for a fully-functional transforming fortress known as [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}''

====''Generation 2''====
{{note|Megatron's molecular-level link with Ratchet was entirely ignored in ''Generation 2''. Megatron returned and was rebuilt by Cobra, while Ratchet's fate was not mentioned at all.}}
As Optimus Prime was being repaired after a catastrophic battle with Megatron, he recalled the events of the Transformer civil war thus far, including two of Megatron's encounters with Ratchet. {{storylink|Tales of Earth Part Four}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
{{note|The ''Classics'' comics take place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a [[splinter timeline]] that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or ''Generation 2''.}}
[[Image:Ratchet-AtFightsEnd.jpg|left|250px|thumb|From martyr to furniture.]]
Fifteen years after Ratchet seemingly perished with Megatron, Starscream, and Shockwave when the Ark crashed into the [[Yukon]], Megatron had returned to power. Starscream had been fully rebuilt, Shockwave's disembodied head was rigged to exist only in a tortured advisory role, and [[:Image:Ratchetgamesofdeception.jpg|Ratchet's body was stashed]], seemingly lifeless, in a dark corner of Megatron's new throne room within the Ark's remains. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

Megatron kept Ratchet there for his own amusement, able to talk but not to move, because the Decepticon leader had begun to consider his unlikely nemesis a friend. The Decepticon leader enjoyed toying with Ratchet's doubts; he asked Ratchet why Optimus Prime hadn't come to rescue him in all these years. Megatron also enjoyed hearing Ratchet's measured responses, many of which genuinely took him by surprise, though some Megatron didn't think Ratchet truly believed.

Megatron wanted Ratchet to know the real reason why the Transformers fight. After they watched Megatron's plan to assassinate [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (and end the Decepticon civil war) culminate in success, he told Ratchet why. It's not to win or to lose, but because of who they were. The Transformers were born to fight. Megatron picked up Ratchet's motionless body, set it inside a [[CR chamber|bubbling tank]], and left him there. As Ratchet felt his body begin to dissolve, Megatron asked him to give Prime his regards.

Later, the Autobots secured the abandoned Ark and found Ratchet inside the tank, reformatted into a new body. However, Ratchet noted that his new surgical tools looked suspiciously like weapons. He recalled Megatron's words about why the Transformers fight. Did he truly have no choice? {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Wally Burr]] (English, "[[Masquerade]]" only), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese), [[Garcia Neto]] (Brazil)

[[Image:Ratchetg1cartoon.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Ruh-roh. Rooby-rooby-roo!]]
Ratchet served as chief medical officer of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on its mission to seek out new energy sources to fuel the Autobot struggle against the Decepticons. When the ''Ark'' was boarded by the crew of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Ratchet attempted to defend his ship by attacking [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but was thrown into a computer console for his trouble. Ratchet and the other Transformers were forced into emergency [[stasis lock]] when the out-of-control ''Ark'' crashed into a volcano on a [[Earth|primitive planet]]. Four million years later, the volcano erupted, activating [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons. Ratchet was rebuilt into a human-scaled ambulance. After [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper's]] failed scouting mission ended in a counterattack by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], Ratchet arrived with [[Hauler]] to pull the damaged Hound out of a ravine. Once he finished repairing Hound, Ratchet was part of the battlegroup sent to stop the Decepticons stealing the oil from an off-shore oil rig. However, he did not fare well in this battle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

After the Autobots saved their new human friends, Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky, from the oil rig fire, Ratchet repaired [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]'s damaged arm in the repair bay outside the ''Ark.'' {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in the explosion of the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Ratchet helped the Autobot leader recover, but evidently his skills as a medic were not required, as Prime was totally fine after transforming back into robot mode. Soon afterwards, Ironhide was shot by Skywarp, so Ratchet carried the old-timer back to base for repairs. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

During an ill-fated Autobot attempt to defend the local solar power plant, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] managed to shoot the guns out of Ratchet and Prowl's hands. Smarting from the concussion blast, Ratchet called for the Autobots to fall back. However, Ironhide once again managed to get himself damaged while saving Optimus Prime. Ironhide objected to Ratchet and Sparkplug's diagnosis of his damage, but Ratchet warned him against backtalk or the medic would short out Ironhide's mouth circuit. To prevent further argument, he shut down Ironhide, cutting off the warrior in mid-sentence. After the Autobots were led into a trap by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], Ratchet discovered the tampering done by the Decepticons and restored the little Autobot. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[Image:DivideandConquer Ratchet at work.jpg|thumb|left|240px|"There, Prime, I'll fix you right up and all <ic>three</ic> of us can die in the movie!"]]
Ratchet patched up the Autobots quick smart after they were caught in an explosion at a hi-tech lab. Of course, he immediately afterwards had to alert them to incoming Decepticons, and probably had to put them back together again after the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Roll for It}} With Optimus critically injured after a Decepticon attack, Ratchet and Wheeljack worked to repair their leader, only for [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to sneak into the base and inflict more damage on Optimus. Ratchet and Wheeljack continued to work, eventually succeeding in saving Prime's life using a [[Cosmotron]] retrieved from Cybertron by [[Chip Chase]] and a team of Autobots. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

A group of Autobots including Ratchet enjoyed hijinks in the snow when abnormal weather conditions were caused by the Decepticons tapping a crystal in the Arctic. The Autobots went to the Arctic, where Ratchet was part of Ironhide's team, which was separated from the main Autobot force and captured by the Decepticons. After the group faked their own destruction, Ratchet repaired [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], who had been shot by Starscream after refusing to terminate the Autobots. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Inspired by the discovery of dinosaur bones, Ratchet and Wheeljack designed and built the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s. Unfortunately the new warriors were difficult to control, and Ratchet was soon patching up [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. After the rest of the Autobots fell foul of the Decepticons, Wheeljack had the idea of reactivating the Dinobots, and he and Ratchet installed new brain modules, allowing the Dinobots to be successfully used in battle. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Ratchet was one of the Autobots who went to [[Peru]] when the Decepticons discovered the [[Crystal of Power]] there, and built a cannon to utilise it. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Ratchet was on hand for the impact of [[Meteorini Chipperoni]] and Optimus subsequently ordered him and Wheeljack to construct two more Dinobots to bolster the Autobots' ranks. Once [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] were constructed, Ratchet and Wheeljack held a demonstration. The two new additions quickly proved themselves and were dispatched to aid Optimus Prime, who'd run afoul of the other three Dinobots after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] turned them against the Autobots. By the time Ratchet and the other Autobots got there, Optimus had persuaded [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to defect back. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a rescue mission to retrieve Sparkplug from the Decepticon base, Ratchet was again repairing the Autobots when Sparkplug started trying to repair him, despite him being undamaged. Sparkplug then started working on Prime, despite Ratchet pointing out that Prime had already been fixed. Sparkplug was under the control of the Decepticons, and had sabotaged the Autobots weapons and Teletraan I, so the Decepticons could attack. After the attack was repelled, Ratchet repaired Teletraan I, which alerted the Autobots to the giant [[space bridge]] which the Decepticons were building. The Autobots rolled out, but were unable to prevent Cybertron being dragged into [[Earth]]'s orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom2 Autobot volcano.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Retreating to headquarters, the Autobots sent out the Dinobots to battle the disasters caused by the nearby Cybertron. The [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] which the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] was embedded in became active, erupting and spewing Ratchet, [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] into the air, necessitating a rescue on the part of Skyfire. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Ratchet surfed with Optimus Prime and the others to where the Decepticons were building a generator, though they were unable to prevent the Decepticons getting away with a shuttle full of energon and saved a bunch of humans instead. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Once Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, Ratchet and the other Autobots set about repairing the devastation it had wrought on Earth. They were subsequently occupied preventing [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s plan to destroy the planet using an [[Exponential Generator]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, the Autobots watched in horror as the Autobot leader was defeated. They later discovered that Megatron had cheated, rendering the results of the contest void, and allowed them to legally blast the Decepticons into a lava-filled crevasse. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:G1 ChangingGears Ratchet karate.jpg|left|260px|thumb|Now COUGH!]]
After Spike was injured during a battle with the Decepticons, Ratchet carried their injured human friend to the metro hospital. While Spike's mind was transferred into the [[Autobot X]] experimental body Sparkplug had made earlier, Ratchet repaired the battle-damaged Bumblebee, but was forced to cut short his repairs after Spike went on a rampage in his new body. After Spike's mind was returned to his real body, Ratchet theorised that he could probably fix the problems in the mind-transfer process, but thought it was better left alone. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} When Megatron captured [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and unwittingly threatened the destruction of the Earth with his [[Solar Needle]], Ratchet totally fly-kicked Thundercracker. After the Decepticons retreated, Ratchet and Wheeljack argued over which wire they had to disconnect to stabilize the [[Sun]]. However, nobody seemed to notice that he and Gears sounded exactly the same. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Part of a mission to [[New York City]] to investigate the disappearance of the [[Empire State Building]], Ratchet joined Spike, Hound, Bumblebee and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in entering the city via the sewers in an attempt to recover Optimus Prime. When they finally found their leader, he had been disassembled by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], and Ratchet had a heck of a job putting him back together again, including having to wrangle an [[alligatorcon]]. During a battle on the streets of the city, Ratchet and Ironhide ended up in the Decepticon's new skyscraper, and were again able to rescue Prime from a nasty fall. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

[[Image:AttackoftheAutobots Prime and Ratchet on rocket.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I can see my house from here!"]]
Ratchet was one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]] and was compelled to attempt to get some blueprints from [[Doctor Harding]]. After being de-evilled by one of Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s, Ratchet and Optimus jumped aboard a rocket in mid-air and Ratchet detached a solar satellite even as the rocket blasted towards space. The pair were able to get the satellite into space on Skyfire's back. Afterwards, Ratchet and Sparkplug realised they had to repair all of the jets the Autobots had trashed while under Decepticon control. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He patched up Mirage after another battle, and told the other Autobot to rest, but Mirage instead rushed off to prove he wasn't a traitor as Cliffjumper had suggested. After Mirage led the Autobots into a trap, Ratchet found one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s on Mirage's forehead. After the inevitable battle, Ratchet patched Mirage up once more. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[Image:Immobilizer Ratchet ambulance mode.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Ratchet attended the demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. It didn't go well, with Wheeljack being accidentally immobilized and the Decepticons stealing his device. Wheeljack was loaded into the back of Ratchet's ambulance mode, and they returned to base where Ratchet repaired Ironhide, telling him to STFU when he blamed himself for the attack. The Autobots were eventually able to get the Immobilizer back. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Ratchet was one of those who didn't take part in a charity race and was thus spared from being affected by the Decepticon's [[Transfixatron]] ray and captured. He and Wheeljack constructed an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] and mounted an attack with a small group to rescue the other Autobots. Afterwards, Ratcher realised that he was going to be repairing for days. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

He took part in the defence of [[Washington, D.C.]] against the combined forces of the Decepticons and [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Ordered to guard [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], he an Wheeljack cracked jokes at the robot's expense, until Optimus told them off. They were unable to prevent the robot's capture by the Decepticons and returned to base, where Ratchet repaired Brawn. A stealth attack by the reprogrammed ninja resulted in the loss of power to the base, and Ratchet soon discovered that the [[World Energy Chip]] had been stolen. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Dinobotislandratch&spark.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The animators never could decide if I had zero, one or two crosses on my shoulder. Here I have one ...]]
Ratchet, like the other Autobots, was taken in by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone]], at least until Windcharger revealed the truth. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He also took part in an attempt to stop one of Megatron's plans using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{storylink|The Core}} and helped Wheeljack whipped up an antidote to prevent the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s exploding after they consumed the [[Nova Power Core]]. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} After another Dinobot rampage at Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet sighed and started the repairs once again. The Dinobots were subsequently banished to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], no doubt to his relief. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} With Sparkplug's help, repairs were soon complete. When Teletraan I detected a disturbance near the library Spike was visiting, Ratchet reassured Sparkplug as the rest of the Autobots rolled out. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

When Megatron found the [[Heart of Cybertron]], Ratchet was among the group of Autobots who were first to feel his wrath and had to limp back to base. While [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] put a bizarre plan into operation, Ratchet and Wheeljack set up a forcefield to hold back the Decepticon leader until Perceptor's plan could succeed. {{storylink|Microbots}} Ratchet attended the [[Autobot Day]] celebration, during which Megatron managed to frame the Autobots. The Autobots were subsequently banished from Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They almost perished in the [[Sun]], but made it back to Earth in time to overthrow the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

After the Dinobots were damaged in a Decepticon attack, Ratchet repaired them, only for them to desert the Autobot forces. There's gratitude for you. A short time later, the Autobots were all disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} With Spike and [[Carly]]'s help, the Dinobot retrieved more Cybertonium from Cybertron, and the Autobots were able to repair themselves. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Ratchet was among the Autobots who turned up too late to prevent Megatron from stealing the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. After the Decepticons used it to jam Earth's radio signals, Ratchet helped some humans who'd become trapped in a blizzard. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was also part of the group who coated themselves in [[electrum]] to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:Kremzeek! Ratchet with Kremzeek.jpg|thumb|left|200px|... and here I don't have any. Make up your minds, animators.]]
While defending New York against Decepticons drones, Ratchet realised that the drones didn't have brains, meaning they were remote controlled. Once [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] had broadcast a jamming signal, the Autobots were able to attack the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. Ratchet, Wheeljack and Hoist joined Sparkplug and [[Raoul]] in turning the drones back into cars. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After Optimus Prime's team of Autobots went missing, Ratchet and the others attempted fruitlessly to find out where they'd gone. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Ratchet also took part in the operation to rescue [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] from a horde of [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} He was one of the first Autobots to be disabled by [[Kremzeek]], which didn't bode well for the Autobots' chances of getting repaired. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

After Optimus beat [[Lord Chumley]]'s death traps, Ratchet and the other Autobots provided Prime with reinforcements. {{storylink|Prime Target}} He and Wheeljack picked up [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] after the Autobot plane was defeated by the [[Conehead]]s. Ratchet started patching him up, but Powerglide refused further treatment until he could rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz|Astoria]], the spunky heiress he'd been charged with protecting. Once Astoria was safe, Powerglide returned for more repairs, and Ratchet joined in mocking him for his apparent [[Transformer romance|romantic feelings]] for the girl. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:KeyVectorSigma1 Ratchet thoughtful.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Although Ratchet was puzzled by Megatron's sudden interest in stealing cars, Optimus knew what the Decepticons were up to, and led a team, including Ratchet, to Cybertron. There, they found [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] badly damaged. Once Ratchet and Wheeljack had repaired him, he explained that Megatron had taken the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], and the Autobots journeyed underground. Encountering [[Centurion droid|Centurions]] left by Megatron to guard the way, Ratchet and Wheeljack repaired Maintenance drones to send against them in battle. Unfortunately they reached [[Vector Sigma]] too late, and Optimus ordered that some shuttles be rebuilt into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} The Autobots returned to Earth with the new additions, and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] promptly blew up on landing, resulting in Ratchet, Wheeljack and Sparkplug working feverishly to save the giant Autobot's life and repair his body. They ultimately succeeded. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:CosmicRust Ratchet and Blaster infected.jpg|thumb|left|260px|'Cause this is thriller, thriller night!]]
The Aerialbots, much to Ratchet's disgust, seemed to admire the Decepticon [[seeker (body-type)|seeker]]s. When the Autobot team was plunged millions of years back in time Ratchet worked with Wheeljack to repair the Decepticon time machine to get them back. They managed to, but wouldn't tell Ratchet what had happened, leaving the story telling to Optimus. {{storylink|War Dawn}} Ratchet helped apply [[corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], and was later affected by the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] that Megatron brought back from space. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|right|190px|thumb|Seen here suffering from a unique condition known as "Dying Ratchet Syndrome".]]
After [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to provide [[energy absorber]]s, the Autobots launched an attack while the Combaticons were busy fighting Megatron's forces. Ratchet and Grapple managed to rescue the two prisoners during the distraction. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Ratchet was also a part of the team which came to the Aerialbots' aid, after they fell into a trap laid by the Combaticons. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} During another of Megatron's plans, the Autobots captured the Stunticons, and Ratchet customised some of the Autobots using [[camouflage paint]] to disguise them as the Decepticon team. Somehow this worked, and after Megatron's plan was foiled, Ratchet and the rest of the Autobots provided reinforcements. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In the year 2005, while piloting a secret mission to [[Autobot City]] in order to gather a stockpile of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] from Earth, Ratchet and his allies were attacked by Megatron. Ratchet and Ironhide returned fire, but they were both shot repeatedly and left for dead on the floor of the shuttle as the Decepticons continued with their attack on Autobot City. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Ratchet's body was evidently recovered for interment, as his grave was housed in the interstellar [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. Sadly, it was not Ratchet's fate to rest in peace; along with the mausoleum itself, Ratchet's remains were later plunged into a star as a side-effect of a [[Quintesson]] plot. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Amidst a massive battle against the Decepticons at the Autobot base in Arizona, Ratchet was one of the first to notice that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his cassette forces were nowhere to be found. Now suspicious, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] immediately alerted all his units in Japan to be on the lookout for the Decepticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

Later, as [[Kenji]] was enjoying a tour of a secret Autobot facility in Japan, Ratchet was alerted to an attack by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in Yokohama. The Autobots immediately rolled out to meet the threat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4}}
=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Ratchet was one of about a kajillion Autobots who arrived on Metroplex to provide reinforcements for Optimus Prime after the Decepticon's [[Omega Whip]] weapon was destroyed.{{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====The Stargate Battles=====

[[Image:Stargatebattles_ratchet.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

In the 1990s, Ratchet used Cybertronian technology to save the lives of human scientist [[Professor Adle]] and his daughter [[Katua Adle|Katua]] when they were both badly injured in an explosion during a field test of one of the professor's creations. The professor's right arm was blown off and Katua lost her right leg, but Ratchet was able to fit them with cybernetic prosthetics so advanced that they were even able to experience pain and warmth through them as if they were their real limbs. This convinced Professor Adle of the Autobots' nobility, while Katua developed a fondness for Ratchet. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

About six months later, Ratchet was part of a delegation of Autobots who accompanied Optimus Prime to a press conference in America. The conference announced the construction of "[[Warp Gate|The Trigger]]", an interstellar teleportation system jointly developed between the Autobots and the United States government, and Ratchet helped Wheeljack write the speech that Prime proceeded to recite to the assembled human masses. Ignoring [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s attempts to keep them quiet while the conference was going on, Ratchet and Wheeljack muttered to each other that they didn't like the Trigger's gun-shaped design, as it reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A little later, when human protesters gathered to object to the presence of the Autobots on Earth, Katua Adle was able to prove that they were not emotionless metal monsters by revealing her prosthetic leg to the irate crowd and explained that she could feel through it. After all, how could Ratchet have replicated those sensations if he did not know them himself? The shamed crowd relented, and Optimus Prime told Katua that he would pass her kind words on to Ratchet himself. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

=====''Binaltech''=====
Along with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Ratchet helped implant [[Chip Chase]]'s consciousness into the lifeless Prowl-2 shell when Prowl's spark was lost in [[subspace]].

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[Image:Ratchetgreatcarrally.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"You sure are a jerk when you repair me, Ratchet!"]]
{{quote|You sure go all to pieces when a missile hits you, Hound.}}

While [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was taking part in a cross-country Car Rally, he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s missiles. Ratchet raced onto the scene to repair Hound, and joked that his patient sure falls apart when a missile hits him! Also, Hound complained that Ratchet was screwing him together too tightly, causing him pain.

Ratchet is kind of a jerk. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

Following a battle with the Decepticons that resulted in many Autobot injuries, Ratchet and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were busy trying to fix them. Optimus Prime asked them about their progress, but they both sighed. Ratchet noted that even the mighty Dinobots were out of commission, for they had suffered the heaviest losses. But suddenly, the Decepticons attacked, having repaired their warriors in record time! Optimus Prime called his remaining functional warriors to the highways while Ratchet and Huffer returned to their repairs. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[Image:Agenda3-AutobotsonArkattack.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He's fallen and he's not getting up.]]
Four million years ago, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, and Jazz were on the bridge of the Ark when it was suddenly attacked by the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. It crashed in a dormant volcano for untold years until it was disturbed by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who had traveled from the far future. Ratchet's body was sprawled across a pile of boxes. Frozen in [[stasis lock]] as he was, Ratchet was unable to stop the Predacon from assassinating the equally comatose Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} This act would have rewritten history from that moment forward, but the ensuing time storm was stopped by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and some time-traveling [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"OW! I should blast you to atoms! You did that ''on purpose''!" 
"Tone down your audio amplifiers, will ya? That ''didn't'' hurt... ''much''."|Starscream and Ratchet|"[[Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire]]"|style=2}}

[[Image:Ratchettww.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The Cybertronian red cross is Pac-Man.]]
8.2 million years ago, Ratchet accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] to the [[Border Regions|Sub-Orbital District]] of [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]], which had been devastated after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] activated the planetary engines. He found no life signs in the entire blast radius. {{storylink|The War Within}} 600,000 years later, Ratchet remained with the Prowl-led Autobots after Optimus Prime disappeared in a [[space bridge]] explosion. He repaired [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] after the theoretician was damaged in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

Ratchet was among the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crashed on [[Earth]], and awoke in 1984 to battle the [[Decepticon]]s. After years of fighting, Ratchet and the other Autobots took part in [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human/Autobot operation that defeated and captured the Earth-bound Decepticons. However, the ''[[Ark II]]'', which was meant to convey the Autobots, the captured Decepticons, and a number of humans back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]], sending Ratchet and his comrades to the bottom of the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Years later, Ratchet was brought back by the sinister [[Lazarus]], who had recovered and reprogrammed a number of Transformers for his nefarious ends. However, when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] broke free of Lazarus's control, he hooked up Ratchet and a number of other Autobots to a device that generated a deadly "metal virus". Soon after, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] detached Ratchet and the others from the doomsday device, and he eventually recovered. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

''When the alien [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] took over [[Las Vegas]], Ratchet was among the Autobots assembled by Optimus Prime to invade the occupied area. While the others engaged in battle, Ratchet was tasked with dealing with the collateral damage, and leading the human residents of Las Vegas to safety. He returned to the protection of Optimus Prime and his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] augmented power before a nuclear strike hit the city, and lent his skills to repairing the Autobots who had given their energon to power up Prime's "Finishing Move". {{storylink|Annihilation|Annihilation}}''

''Over the next few days, Ratchet brought all the Autobots back on-line, including [[Bluestreak]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], who had each been drastically injured over the course of the preceding events. No sooner had Bluestreak been reactivated, though, that he was drawn back into the Keepers' control by their pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]]. Franklin's status as an "[[augment]]" -- a human specially engineered using Cybertronian technology -- allowed him to bypass [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security and infiltrate the ''Ark''. Ratchet blamed himself for allowed that loophole in the security system. Later, Ratchet diagnosed the effects of the [[deconstructionite]]s -- reverse-engineered nanotechnology used by the government against the Transformers to drain away their processing power. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

Ratchet took part in a battle in the [[Canada|Canadian]] Arctic with the Decepticons over possession of a crashed spacecraft containing [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. As the Autobots overwhelmed their foes, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived on the planet and gave them an ultimatum: Surrender and return to a newly unified Cybertron, or be destroyed. {{storylink|New World Order}} The Autobots returned to the ''Ark'', where Optimus Prime assigned Ratchet to a [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]-led team that was to remain on Earth. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} After Shockwave's lieutenant, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], took Prime and others back to Cybertron, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] remained at the ''Ark'' as Jazz, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] attempted to locate Scourge and his ship. {{storylink|Cold War}}

[[Image:DWSkyfire Starscream Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My crotch is my stomach.]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a team of Decepticons arrived on Earth, they attacked the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inhabitants, wanting the starship for themselves. In the initial assault, the Autobots managed to take [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], his cassettes, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] prisoner, but eventually all the Autobots but Ratchet and Brawn were defeated by the mighty [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Expecting a supply ship from Cybertron later that day, Ratchet and Brawn slipped past the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s berserk defense systems in order to contact the ship and warn them. Unfortunately, Bruticus arrived soon after, and they were forced to destroy the ''Ark'' rather than let the Decepticons have access to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Before the battle could escalate further, it was interrupted by the arrival of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] seemingly powered by supernatural forces. An uneasy truce was formed between the small group of Autobots and Decepticons, and Ratchet begrudgingly put his medic skills to work on Starscream. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} However, after Jetfire left the ''[[Orion (ship)|Orion]]'' to go after Sunstorm, Starscream used his [[Null-ray]] on the remaining Autobots, including Ratchet. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

Ratchet later aided in the construction of Autobot City. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Ratchetjoetf2.jpg|left|140px|thumb|Physician, arm thyself.]]
In an alternate timeline, a newly formed [[human]] terrorist organization named [[Cobra]] uncovered the ''Ark'' buried in a dormant volcano. Finding two armies of giant, transformable robots, they repurposed these aliens for their own use, rebuilding them so they could reconfigure into various Cobra-designed vehicles. Ratchet was reprogrammed and rebuilt into a Cobra [[H.I.S.S.]] tank. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1}} [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was able to break free from his reprogramming and awaken the other Transformers {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4}}, and, with the help of the human anti-terrorist task-force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], he defeated Megatron and Cobra. An alliance between the Autobots and the United States government was formed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}}

Two years later, a malfunction in [[Teletran 3]] sent dozens of Transformers into various points in history, an act which, if not reversed, would result in a perpetual holocaust being unleashed across [[Earth]]. To retrieve one Transformer and bring him home, a team of Cobra and G.I. Joe agents were sent 15 years into an apocalyptic future where [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his Decepticons ruled. The remaining cyborged humans had formed a resistance which had only one Autobot warrior who stood between them and utter annihilation. The last Autobot alive, Ratchet had grown bitter and battle-hardened after years of guerrilla warfare, and he demanded the team sent to bring him back to the present day help him complete one more mission. Ratchet, the Joes, and the Cobra agents were successful in freeing a factory nearby that was manned by enslaved humans, but Ratchet refused to go home with them and abandon his calling. [[Barbecue]] returned Ratchet home against his wishes, and as Ratchet cursed the stupid little creature, the [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] of the present day shot Ratchet in the back, putting him out of commission. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3}}

Later, when [[Serpent O.R.]] took Optimus Prime prisoner, Ratchet (still in his post-apocalyptic body) was part of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s rescue team. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Ratchet was among the Autobots who were awakened by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] in 1939, and joined their war on [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. During the assault on the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], he wondered why the Decepticons were so easy to defeat ''now'', after having been such a pain in the neck back on Cybertron. Ratchet most likely perished when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was smashed to pieces shortly afterwards. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Ratchet was happy enough to repair a badly-damaged Starscream, when the latter was brought in to the Ark. He agreed with Wheeljack that they should take the opportunity to take a look at Starscream's logic circuits, and maybe see if there was anything untoward which was making him such a disagreeable fellow, and Optimus was eventually talked around. It wasn't long before Ratchet had Starscream back online, amnesiac and surprisingly benign (it didn't last). {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

While on a mission to retrieve [[Sky Spy]], Ratchet encountered [[Stitch]], a veteran army medic, and helped him save a woman trapped in a swollen creek. The woman needed emergency medical treatment, so Ratchet used Sky Spy to scan the necessary information from Stitch's mind in order to complete surgery on the woman. Sometime later, Ratchet checked on Stitch and presented him with a new cybernetic arm to replace the one he used to repair Sky Spy. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===''Timelines''===
[[Image:Ratchetironhidedescent.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Amazingly not dead.]]
Years after the Decepticon and Autobot Wars had ended, Ratchet and five other Autobots were sent to [[Ceti Alpha Seven]] to destroy [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|General Deathsaurus's]] Insecticon clone lab and stop his planned Decepticon uprising. After a team of four (consisting of [[Outback|Fallback]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]], and [[Ricochet (Descent into Evil)|Ricochet]]) failed, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] followed to help. After battling swarms of [[Virulent Clones]] and [[Buzzclaw (Timelines)|Buzzclaw]], they finally met up with Deathsaurus himself. Ironhide stayed to fight the general, and Ratchet separated to find their fallen friends.

Ratchet managed to gather the victims but was captured by Deathsaurus along with Ironhide. Both were restrained inside the lab, which was set to detonate. Before this happened, Ricochet snuck in and freed them, allowing them to gather the wounded and escape as the clone lab was destroyed. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}
{{-}}

=== IDW comics continuity ===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Infiltration3_Ratchet.jpg|left|350px|thumb|]]

[[Image:Ratchetholomatter.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Ratchet's holo-matter avatar has no mouth, and he must snark.]]
Before the war with the Decepticons Ratchet served with the Security Forces stationed in Kaon. He was present at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3}}

Ratchet was part of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Although a loyal warrior, Ratchet's conscience got the better of him when he intercepted a Decepticon pulsewave ordering the elimination of [[Stoker|a human being]]. While he was too late to save that human, he encountered two more—[[Verity Carlo]] and [[Hunter O'Nion]]—who had stumbled upon the Decepticon plot. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0}} Ratchet broke cover to save their lives, subjecting himself to the wrath of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], who threatened disciplinary action. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3}}

Ratchet was seemingly alone in his convictions, until [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] agreed to help him and the humans investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in [[Nebraska]]. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] arrived while the humans were reconnoitering and began an aerial bombardment of the bunker, intending to destroy it. Bumblebee and Ratchet engaged the Decepticons in order to buy the humans time to escape the collapsing bunker. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4}}

The Autobots and humans were leaving the Decepticons to finish their work when an enraged [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] burst from the buried ruins of the bunker. Thankfully for them, Megatron was more concerned with the treachery of Blitzwing and Skywarp, allowing Ratchet and the others to escape with their lives. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5}} Unwilling to risk their safety further, Ratchet subsequently returned the humans to ''[[Ark-17]]'', where they met the newly arrived Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6}}

[[Image:Sixshot-devastation3a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]

After [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was apparently destroyed by [[Machination|a mysterious human organisation]], Ratchet determined that the wreckage the Autobots recovered was a fake. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2}} Later, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], against orders, accompanied Verity Carlo and [[Jimmy Pink]] to find clues on the missing Sunstreaker's and Hunter's whereabouts while Optimus Prime and the other Autobots went to [[Brasnya]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4}} When the humans set off a trap, the Autobots saved them, though Ironhide was critically injured and Ratchet was forced to abandon him to bring the humans to safety. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6}}

When the Autobots decided to relocate the ''Ark-17'', they were attacked by [[Sixshot]], who downed the ship in mid-flight. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1}} Ratchet was ordered to take Verity and Jimmy into an escape pod while the rest of the crew piloted the ship into the ocean. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2}} Sixshot soon found Ratchet and pursued him relentlessly. Ratchet used the distraction provided by some human jet fighters to escape, hiding among an ambulance pool in [[Pensacola]], Florida. Sixshot soon flushed him out, however, and pursued him out of town, forcing Ratchet to abandon Verity and Jimmy for their own safety. When cornered at the water's edge, Ratchet prepared to make a last stand, but was saved by the timely arrival of the other Autobots. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3}}

[[Image:Devastation5 Ratchet Jazz.jpg|left|200px|thumb|CLEAR!]]

The humans made their way back to the Autobots to warn them about an air attack by the military, and Ratchet took them with him on an orbital bounce to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. Unfortunately, this killed Verity and Jimmy. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4}}

Guilt-stricken, Ratchet managed to restart their hearts after more than 5 minutes, though he feared they suffered brain damage. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5}} Some time later, however, Ratchet was present as the pair were reunited with Hunter. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5}}

A year later, Ratchet and a number of other Autobots were led by Optimus Prime in an attempt to rid Earth of the Decepticons once and for all. Unfortunately, they fell right into a trap, and Ratchet was injured by a shot to the chest. The Autobots were then thrown into a [[space bridge]] leading to the ruins of Cybertron, where the Decepticons hoped the "[[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]" would eat them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7}} Whilst hiding from the swarm, Ratchet tended to the critically-damaged Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1}} After listening to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s tale about how the ''[[Trion]]'' and its crew had crashed on the planet as well {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}}, Ratchet mingled with him and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6}}

Ratchet later checked up on Sunstreaker, telling him that his separation from Hunter had been a complete success, although the human would never be "fully human" again. Their base soon came under attack from the swarm, however, so the other Autobots formed a perimeter around Ratchet and [[Roadbuster]] as they fled elsewhere. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8}} At their new base, Ratchet managed to use a [[CR chamber]] to heal his damaged comrades, although he reported to [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] that the chamber could do nothing to improve their declining morale. In addition, he and Wheeljack were still having trouble repairing Optimus Prime, and Ratchet cursed that [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] had turned into just another "clown with a gun". Thankfully, they eventually came through and brought Prime back from the brink of death. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9}}

Ratchet and the others finally managed to get off Cybertron thanks to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and returned to Earth to continue their fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11}} He survived the battle in [[New York City]], and cheered with his comrades as the Decepticons fled the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12}}

Later, Ratchet was part of the rescue party that saved Bumblebee form a military attack after the yellow guy abandoned his cover to save some refugees. After repairing Bumblebee, Ratchet told the mini-bot that they found him by monitoring human radio signals. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|Hidden}}

Several years after the fall of Megatron, Ratchet and the Autobots were still operating on Earth. It served as a meeting point for all Autobots who had survived the great purge the Decepticons had orchestrated throughout the galaxy. {{storylink|Spotlight: Prowl}} Not all Autobots were content with the virtually directionless existence Optimus Prime had led them into, however, especially with the human organization known as [[Skywatch]] hunting them and Decepticons alike. Ratchet was present when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] demanded Prime allow him to stage a rescue operation to recover Prowl after he was captured...and afterwards, when Ironhide came back from the mission as a corpse. He witnessed Optimus Prime abdicate his role as leader, and leave the Autobots to surrender to Skywatch. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

In the aftermath of Prime's decision, and the subsequent departure of a splinter faction under Hot Rod's command, Ratchet and the others were left in a state of shock. With the war effectively over and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] missing, the line of succession was no longer clear. The Autobots decided to hold an election to see who their new leader would be. No one was more surprised than Bumblebee when HE turned out to be the new chosen leader. Ratchet quickly stepped up as Bumblebee's second, helping shepherd him into his new role. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Bumblebee's authority was challenged almost immediately by the arrival of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], but Ratchet did his best to support 'Bee before Magnus took off on a mission of his own. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Ratchet had his work cut out for him, though. Not only was [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] undermining Bumblebee's authority from the start, Bumblebee himself just couldn't adjust to the role quickly. Still, he supported Bumblebee's decision to form a clandestine alliance with Skywatch through Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who was acting outside his mandate in the hopes of using the Autobots to stop [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and the other Decepticons still loose on Earth. Working in secret with Horiuchi, the Autobots hoped to prove their value and good intentions to Skywatch's higher ups by racking up an impressive number of Decepticon captures. They even began wearing specially-designed Skywatch insignia badges for communication and to mask their activities from Skywatch operatives who weren't "in the loop". After five successful bag-and-tags, however, Horiuchi threw them the first curveball. The Autobots' next target was [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], one of their own who had left after Ultra Magnus's arrival. As Ratchet and the others refused to hunt one of their own, Horiuchi demonstrated a hidden feature of the badges -- the ability to forcibly revert the Autobots to vehicle mode at his command. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

Left with no choice, Ratchet and Bumblebee led the Autobots in capturing Blurr. The whole situation was a fiasco, however, and Blurr even fired on Bumblebee during the encounter, damaging his badge. Bumblebee found the courage to defy Horiuchi and refused to turn over Blurr to Skywatch later that day. The colonel tried to mode-lock Bumblebee for his insubordination, but the shot to Bumblebee's badge had rendered it useless. Quick on the uptake, Ratchet whispered to Bumblebee to fake it so Horiuchi didn't realize he'd lost his edge over the Autobot leader. At Ratchet's prompting, the Autobots pretended the damaged badge had left Bumblebee trapped in vehicle mode permanently, despite Horiuchi's attempts to reverse the mode-lock. With Blurr's help, they recovered another Volkswagen Beetle to use as a ringer, allowing Bumblebee to leave the base and seek a solution for their predicament. Because Skywatch was constantly monitoring their vocal output using the badges, Ratchet and the others couldn't even speak a word of encouragement to 'Bee as he set off on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

With Bumblebee on the loose, Ratchet continued the ruse of pretending to cooperate with Colonel Horiuchi and his staff, showing them the malfunctioning "Bumblebee" for examination. Meanwhile, he and Wheeljack kept in touch with the real Bumblebee using a text-only comm signal that wouldn't show up on Skywatch's monitoring. Ratchet was named acting leader of the Autobots while "Bumblebee" was off-line, as he and Wheeljack secretly led the real Bumblebee to [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], creator of the badges' control board. Bumblebee needed access to the board's schematics in order to free his friends, but had to manipulate [[Serena Bharwaney|Bharwaney's young daughter]] into helping him. Ratchet had to comfort Bumblebee through "using" the girl for his own purposes. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

Unfortunately, the rogue Decepticon Skywarp had also learned of the board, and was coming to Bharwaney's to steal it. Ratchet and the other Autobots were forced to blow their cover to rush to Bumblebee's aid. They were too late, however, and Bumblebee was forced to set off an EMP, knocking him and Skywarp off-line while disabling the control board and the badges as well. As Ratchet brought Bumblebee in for repairs, he reluctantly agreed to upgrade his new commander into a more war-like, combat ready body to fit his new duties. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

Soon, Ultra Magnus returned from his scouting mission to challenge Bumblebee's authority again, gathering Ratchet and several other Autobots in the name of the [[Tyrest Accord]] to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Hot Rod's mistake became clear when his "ally", [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], activated a new Decepticon combiner and unleashed it on the Autobots. {{storylink|Enemies of the System}}

After several Autobots were damaged fighting [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Ratchet began patching them up as best he could, with the help of Skywatch personnel. He barely finished working on Ultra Magnus before the enforcer stomped off to search for [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. {{storylink|Earthworks}} Following this, the Autobots entered a formal alliance with Skywatch. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 7}}

{{spoiler|The Transformers issue 9|August 14 2010}}
Ratchet was helping a human technician repair [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] showed up and asked for the Autobots' help with defeating the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. They accepted, but due to pressure from the [[President of the United States]], they were going to have to do it in disguise. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 9}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
Ratchet was with the Autobots hiding out in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]], with most of the Autobot forces having been defeated. He tended to the seriously wounded [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire's]] injuries, and suggested surrender to the Decepticons to save their fellow Autobot's life. When [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (disguised as Bumblebee) and the Decepticons attacked, he attempted to reason with the Decepticon mercenary about Jetfire's condition, only to be attacked for his trouble. After the Autobots surrendered, he was furious when Mirage betrayed his word and prepared to carry out Megatron's order to execute the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
With Optimus Prime in stasis lock, Ratchet and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] appeared to be the co-leaders of the Autobots in the 19th century. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} Despite [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee's]] pleading, he was reluctant to interfere with the humans, but nevertheless participated in the pursuit of the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as it headed to [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

His "Ice Age Wars" altmode is uncertain, but it clearly has scales and spikes. His 19th-century altmode is a medical boxcar. He may be the very first Transformer depicted with a boxcar altmode, as prior to this, all train-based Transformers were locomotives.

{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:RatchetHenkeiTsushima.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Ma'am, I'm just an SUV—oh, fine."]]
Despite rescuing a girl from a burning building, she had fallen unconscious, so he offered to drive her and her mother to the hospital. Unfortunately, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was tailing them from above. He would have blasted Ratchet, but Inferno blocked the shot with his fire truck mode, transformed, and then knocked Starscream out of the sky with his water cannon. Thanks to Inferno's help, Ratchet was able to successfully deliver the girl to the hospital.

But Ratchet's work wasn't done, as he had taken note of Inferno's heavy injuries. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Ratchettoyg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Why's everything so dark in here?]]
* '''Ratchet''' (1984/1986/1990/2001/2007)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''99'''
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: Ratchet was originally a Onebox Ambulance Type toy from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line before [[Hasbro]] brought ''Transformers'' to North America. The toy transforms from an ambulance to a robot and [[Onebox component|gun-station]]. A variant of the toy includes red crosses on the top and sides of the vehicle. Ratchet and his [[retool]]/[[redeco]] buddy [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], like all Diaclones, were designed to be piloted mecha, which is why he has a seat instead of a head. The Transformers version applied a face sticker to the back of the seat in lieu of a real sculpted noggin.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in multiple offers, including the [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]] flier packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point]]s.

: In Japan, Ratchet was originally only available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail-away, costing 1700 yen and 4 robot points. In 2001, he was reissued in Japan as an [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]], paired with Ironhide.

:[[Image:Encoretoy-Ratchetwithhead.jpg|left|thumb|100px|This looks ... better?]]

: In mid-December 2007, he was reissued again as part of Takara's Transformers Encore line. This particular version came with an illustration on one box flap depicting Ratchet's cartoon-design head and chest windshield. By punching out the image along the perforated edges, folding it just so and tucking it in behind the toy's windshield, one could give the toy a "real" head, just like in the TV series, instead of using the Diaclone-original windshield face sticker. Sort of. This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the mobile platform's gun-base, designed to keep Ratchet more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go.

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

{{-}}
{{anchor|EmergencyGreen}}

[[Image:Encoreratchetemergencygreen.jpg|right|250px|thumb|To the Mystery Machine, gang!]]
* '''Ratchet Emergency Green''' (2008)
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: A [[redeco]] of the original toy (well, the retooled Encore version) which [[homage]]s [[Ratchet (Movie)|the live-action movie Ratchet]], Ratchet Emergency Green is a Japanese mail-away exclusive available with a purchase of the book ''[[Transformers Visualworks]]''. After the book release on December 4, 2007, purchasers could mail in a ticket from the book and purchase either one (5200yen) or two (10,000 yen) of the item. Ratchet shipped to customers in April 2008. He comes in the same packaging as the regular Encore release, including packaging images, instructions, and the same white-headed cardboard torso punch-out.

: He's totally awesome.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/EmergencyGreenRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on Emergency Green Ratchet at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-RatchetDiE.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Maybe photographing him against a white backdrop wasn't such a great idea.]]
* '''Autobot Ratchet & Flareup''' (2005)
**''Accessories'': Lightbar/blaster

: One of two "souvenir" packages [[exclusive]] to [[BotCon 2005]], Ratchet is a retooling of the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' Autobot [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]] with a new head, transforming into a large utility van. In robot mode, his lower vehicle portion becomes a [[Onebox component|mobile battle/repair platform]]. Ratchet can fold his legs back and up over his shoulders (wow!) and re-attach to this platform for a "battle mode". In this, ahem, ''position'', Ratchet 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.

: The mold's standard "receiver dish" weapon was not produced; instead, he came with a new "light bar" that pegged onto his roof in much the same manner.

: He could only be purchased in an at-show "souvenir" two-pack along with [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]]. This mold was also used to make [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] for the same convention.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on BotCon Ratchet at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkeitoy-Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Surprise, I'm colored like the cartoon!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-14'''
**''Accessories:'' Converting Cannon

: A redeco and retooling of the [[Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 ''Universe'']] [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide toy]], ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Ratchet transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a red Japanese-style emergency lightbar, is cast in bright white plastic and has a deco resembling Ratchet's appearance in the original cartoon series, down to his dark gray head crest. Like all ''Henkei'' toys, he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] plastic, specifically his headlights and taillights, as well as his "Converting Cannon" weapon.

{{-}}
===Universe (2008)===
====Generation 1 Series====
[[Image:Ratchet25toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|No, not that [[Ratchet (Universe)|Universe Ratchet]].]]
*'''Autobot Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Medical Dispenser/Combat Blade

: Like ''Henkei'' Ratchet, ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Ratchet is a redeco and retooling of the ''Universe'' Ironhide toy, and transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a blue American-style emergency lightbar (as opposed to Henkei Ratchet's different tooled red Japanese-style emergency lightbar), is cast in pearlescent white plastic and has a rather generic "Ratchety" colour/paint scheme. His license plate also reads [[The Pri¢e of Life!|H3L PU2]].

:While similar in execution, there are a great many changes from Henkei Ratchet to Universe Ratchet. The red paint detailing on Universe Ratchet is different than that of Henkei Ratchet in color and layout. The Henkei version's stripes resemble that more of his original counterpart, while the Universe version resemble that of his ''[[Ratchet (Animated)|Animated]]'' version. Henkei Ratchet uses chrome paint on his weapon and both sets of lights while the Universe version leaves them unpainted. Gray paint covers Henkei Ratchet's gun barrel and silver on his upper chest (behind the chest window), these parts remain unpainted on Universe Ratchet. The paint used for the windows of Universe Ratchet is a light blue while Henkei Ratchet uses a deeper metallic blue paint. Universe Ratchet has black forearms and upper thighs, while the Japanese version uses a pure white (different from the white used through out the rest of the figure). Universe Ratchet has a yellow vanity plate and red head crest while Henkei Ratchet has a blank gray plate and gray head crest. Universe Ratchet features a blue blade on his weapon, while Henkei Ratchet features a red blade. Universe Ratchet also features a lighter red plastic than the Henkei version.

:Like ''Universe'' Ironhide, the blue paint used for his opaque windows matches ''really'', '''''really''''' badly with his translucent blue plastic windows.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{anchor|TakaraDecoy}}
[[Image:G1-toy DecoyRatchet.jpg|right|thumb|Ratchet cosplaying as Ironhide, or Ironhide cosplaying as Ratchet? You, the viewer, decides!]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ratchet was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

{{anchor|HasbroDecoy}}

*'''Ratchet''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''6'''

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ratchet game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is 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)|Technobot]]s.

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

{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:SCF-Act6-Ratchet.jpg|right|thumb|Super-action pose doctor!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2002)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ratchet was available in "Act 6" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line, a slight retooling of the Ironhide figurine with a new head and "gun"-hand (despite the fact that their two [[character model]]s are not quite identical). Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the pewter version of Ratchet came packaged with the left leg of the wave's [[Grand Maximus]] collectable "build-a-figure".

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

: Ratchet's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ratchet was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Part of the fifth and final wave of ''Heroes of Cybertron'', Ratchet was, unlike the Japanese figure, sold on an indivudual blister card and came packaged with the right leg of the [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

{{--}}
===Transformers Mini-Bust===
[[Image:Ratchet-DiamondSelectstatue.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Your choice of head! His choice of medical tools.]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2009)

: Released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2009, Ratchet was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. The bust continues the tradition of giving all Ratchet merchandise (but not toys) the [[wikipedia:International_Committee_of_the_Red_Cross|red cross]] insignia on their shoulders to better match the Animation model. Ratchet's Bio credits him and Wheeljack with creating the [[Dinobot_(G1)#Cartoon_continuity|Dinobots]]; effectively making him the cartoon version but he comes packaged with two heads for do-it-yourself retconning. Comic accurate red helmet with white chevron, or the cartoon accurate white helmet with grey chevron. Fans of the Universe 2.0 version (white helmet, red chevron) will have to buy some red paint when they pick their bust up. Three tools are also included with the Bust. One slightly resembling the [[Power Booster Rod]], the other a Cybertronian version of an [[wikipedia:otoscope|otoscope]] and the third is some sort of medical gear shaft. They are not sculpted on nor do they possess a magnet and are simply lodged in his hands for display.

{{-}}
==Notes==
*[[Bob Budiansky]] has said that he named Ratchet after the less-friendly medic Nurse ''Ratched'' from ''[[wikipedia:Ratched|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''.
*Ratchet never really showed his party animal spirit in Marvel, outside of the start of "Warrior School". Budiansky gives two answers for why: "1) in the comic book stories, he always found himself in situations too serious to allow his party personality to emerge. 2) I screwed up and forgot I had written that as part of his profile. I prefer to go with answer number 1." <ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Budiansky interview at Metal Machine]</ref>
[[Image:G1RatchetSexchange.jpg|thumb|300px|So Ratchet basically avoided becoming part of the ''Girls Gone Wild'' cast. Good on her. Er, him.]]
*In the Shout! Factory Matrix of Leadership Special Edition DVD set, an interview with Bob Budiansky features close-ups of his original character notes for several characters, Ratchet being one of them. Oddly, his handwritten notes refer to Ratchet as "her" and the Autobots' "go-to gal" for repairs. While this obviously was not the final direction the character took, it is an odd [[Ratchet (Animated)#Trivia|coincidence]]... and a fact that makes the early nicknames "Cool Hand Lube" and "Greasefinger" ''even more embarrassing''.
*In later years, toys sporting the name "Ratchet" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Ratchet'''".
* Ratchet's original toy is part of a matrix of cross-referencing [[redeco]]s:
** In 2008, the original 1984 Ratchet mold got a green redeco as "Ratchet Emergency Green" in obvious reference to [[Ratchet (Movie)|his movie counterpart]].
** Meanwhile, the movie counterpart's toys got a red and white "Rescue Ratchet" redeco... based on the original colors of the 1984 toy.
** Elsewhere, [[Ratchet (Animated)|''Animated'' Ratchet]] includes elements from both characters, including Generation 1 Ratchet's chevron crest and coloration. (''Animated'' Ratchet later got a movie-based "Rescue Ratchet" redeco, to boot.)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ratchet/ratchet.htm Ratchet at TFU.info]
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ratchet Ratchet's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]

Ratchet (G1)

2010-07-17T08:59:30Z

Kcchia80: /* The Transformers cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}{{disambig3|Ratchet}}
{{featured}}
:''Ratchet is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ratchetg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|All aboard the party ambulance!]]
'''Ratchet''' is the Autobots' Chief Medical Officer. If something's broke, he can fix it. Ratchet is known for his irreverent bedside manner; he loves having a good time, and his party-loving nature has given him a dry wit. He is not a particularly mighty warrior, which sometimes leads him to believe that he is expendable. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has trouble convincing Ratchet that this is far from the truth.

Although he's a healer, Ratchet often finds himself on the front lines of combat and, on occasion, the last hope the Autobots have. These pressures are sometimes too much for him to handle, but Ratchet ultimately never gives up.

His vehicle mode sometimes splits into his robot and a [[Onebox component|separate component]].

:''Nicknames'': '''Cool Hand Lube''', '''Greasefinger'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]].</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Alavanca'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Doc'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Mécano'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Racsni'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Trinco''' ("Lock")
:''Czech name:'' '''Zdravotník'''
:''Russian name (TV):'' '''Храповик /Chrapovick''' ("Ratchet")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ratchetg1first.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This look didn't last long.]]
Ratchet was one of the select Autobots chosen by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to travel aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of [[Mount St. Hilary]] with the rest of the crew. Once the volcano exploded and the Transformers reactivated, Ratchet was rebuilt to transform into an ambulance. He responded to [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]'s complaining by telling him that at least he didn't have to fix everyone all the time! Ratchet would rather be partying. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Ratchetgetstofixgears.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What a comfortable-looking repair sled they're dragging Gears into.]]

As their war against the Decepticons continued on Earth, Ratchet joined the Autobots' debate about how to deal with their dwindling fuel resources. Thankfully, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] had located a human, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who could help them convert fuel to a form usable by them, so the Ark was left in Ratchet's hands as the others left to meet with Bumblebee and his new human friends. Ratchet noted sadly that without fuel, even his considerable skills were useless. {{storylink|Power Play!}} While they were gone, Ratchet attended to the Ark. During his attempts at repairs, he uncovered something interesting in its memory databanks, but Optimus Prime cut him off before he could explain. Gears was badly damaged in the battle that followed, and his body was brought back to Ratchet for repairs. After working on him for a short period of time, Ratchet was amazed that he could already speak. Unfortunately, Gears had bad news; Sparkplug Witwicky had converted fuel for the Decepticons while he had been their prisoner! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

The Autobots were outraged at this, which upset Sparkplug so much that he suffered a heart attack. Ratchet volunteered to drive Sparkplug and his son [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] to the hospital. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} While Buster stayed at the hospital with his ailing father, Ratchet held fast to his oath to preserve life, an oath which made no distinction between organical or mechanical life, and spent long hours helping to ferry injured humans to and from the hospital. His human drivers were alarmed to find this out after the fact. Ratchet was happy to learn that Sparkplug, now able to speak, had told Buster that he'd poisoned the Decepticons' fuel. While this conversation was taking place, his drivers were poking around his ambulance mode, trying to discover how he was talking. After an angry, annoyed outburst, the humans fled.

[[Image:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Staring also works.]]

Despite Buster's good news, Ratchet felt he should return to the Ark as swiftly as possible; no one there was responding to his communications. Buster accompanied him, and en route tried to explain to Ratchet that the traffic signals were nonsentient and would not respond to his pleas. When a red light turned green, eventually, after Ratchet's attempts at persuasion, the Autobot admonished the child for his lack of communication skills. But when Ratchet and Buster arrived at the Ark, they were horrified to discover [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] standing sentry outside. Buster, who was small enough to slip in unnoticed, snuck inside to investigate. {{storylink|The New Order}} Buster later returned to Ratchet, looking like a fright, and told the Autobot that the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, and that their bodies were hung like meat from the ceiling! Even crazier still was when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was seen carrying the defeated body of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] back into the Ark. Ratchet began to worry that he was the last Autobot alive. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

Ratchet soon discovered, to his horror, that he was the last Autobot still functional on Earth, up against the entire Decepticon army. Covertly invading the ''Ark'', he learned that even the mighty [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had fallen. However, Prime's head, though detached, still functioned, and the Autobot Commander told Ratchet that he must rise up to meet this challenge. Ratchet did not believe he could; he was a doctor, not a warrior (damnit, Jim). {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[Image:Ratchetwarriorschool.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The more you know!™]]

Ratchet was no warrior, and he doubted what he could do to topple this new status quo, but still, Ratchet tried. In his weakened state, Megatron could not hope to defeat Shockwave and reclaim his leadership, but Ratchet approached him with a possible solution. Ratchet knew how Shockwave had fallen 4 million years ago (having discovered this earlier within the Ark's memory databanks), and struck a deal, sealed by the [[Rite of Oneness]]: If Ratchet could defeat Shockwave, Megatron would relinquish Decepticon control of the ''Ark'' and its wrecked Autobot inhabitants.

Ratchet journeyed to the [[Savage Land]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had fought Shockwave to a stalemate, leaving all dormant in a tar pit prison. He dug up the Dinobots and repaired them. Soon after, he met with Megatron on a snowy ski slope and announced that he had fulfilled his half of the bargain; Shockwave was defeated. Megatron, of course, went back on his part of the deal and threatened to kill Ratchet. Ratchet declared that he knew all along Megatron would not hold up his end of the bargain and admitted that he had not, in fact, defeated Shockwave. The Dinobots sprung up out of the snow surrounding Megatron and fought him, but did not succeed. Megatron now stood alone, triumphant, mocking Ratchet and his lack of a warrior's edge. With nothing to lose, Ratchet charged Megatron, but he was ineffectual. However, the charge had loosened the ground on which Megatron stood, and the Decepticon leader fell off the cliff side and disappeared. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

''On their return trip to the ''Ark'', Ratchet helped educate the Dinobots about human/Autobot relations by telling them the story of a recent battle with the Decepticons at a hydroelectric dam. {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} When they arrived, Ratchet and the Dinobots found the ''Ark'' defended by [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], an Autobot combat drone which had been reprogrammed by Shockwave. Ratchet rescued the Dinobots from the powerful drone by remembering and exploiting one of its few weaknesses, an access port which could admit a fine laser. Ratchet then began the task of repairing the Autobots, placing priority on those whose command skills would be useful. This put him at odds with Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who felt that the fallen Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] should be repaired first. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}''

''When Prowl devised a plan to use the Matrix to create an army of monstrous Autobot warriors, debate over the plan's ethics threatened to divide the Autobots. Ratchet remained neutral and asked Optimus Prime to step in and provide guidance. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}''

''Ratchet and Wheeljack collaborated on a Transformer-sized robotic suit, to be used by Buster Witwicky in battle. Optimus Prime was unamused. {{storylink|Robot Buster!}}''

[[Image:Ratchetmechanic.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Such irony.]]

After the destruction of Optimus Prime, Ratchet was not able to repair him. Unable to deal with his failure, Ratchet wandered off on his own during Optimus's funeral. Ratchet decided that rather than moping, he should concern himself with the other damaged Autobots under his care, so he headed towards a junkyard to look for spare parts he could use. However, he was abducted in vehicle mode by the [[Mechanic (G1)|Mechanic]] and his accomplice [[Juan]] when the two thieves were found by the police. Ratchet revealed himself when they arrived at the Mechanic's hideout, but the Mechanic froze Ratchet with his own surgical weapons and headed for the ''Ark'', intent on finding technology that would ensure he would never be threatened by the police again. When he had unfrozen, Ratchet followed the human back to the ''Ark'', but was defeated by his own surgical tools. But using pieces he took from the junkyard, he repaired [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and the appearance of the police car frightened the Mechanic away. The Mechanic escaped with Ratchet's tools and the [[Power Booster Rod]]. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime's funeral, Ratchet stood with Omega Supreme, Blaster, and the others, and an incoming fleet of aircraft piloted by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] was detected. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} After the Autobots teamed up with the human counterterrorist organization [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], Ratchet worked with [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]], who had already begun to rebuild Bumblebee. Ratchet was surprised to see that Bumblebee had been upgraded by Mainframe into a more-powerful body, and after the process was completed (despite [[Dr. Mindbender]]'s bickering), Bumblebee decided to rename himself Goldbug. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

[[Image:Ratchetneverisnow.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Paging Dr. Smartass.]]

With Optimus Prime dead, Ratchet and a few other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate a new leader. Ratchet stressed that their nominee must be kind, just as Optimus Prime had been, someone who would be willing to give everything he had. After a surprise attack on the Ark by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Ratchet had his answer. Ratchet's new patients, those that had suffered during the attack, had told him of Grimlock's selflessness in battle. The other Autobots agreed, and Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} However, Grimlock's leadership quickly turned sour, and Ratchet became the voice of sarcasm behind Grimlock's decisions. When a second group of Autobots led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] met Grimlock's Earth-bound Autobots, they brought with them a [[floppy disk]] containing the mind of the dead Optimus Prime. Ratchet couldn't contain his joy, and so Grimlock struck him down and told him to shut up. Ratchet was told to shut up again when he belittled Grimlock's disbelief that Fortress Maximus was part [[human]]. Grimlock set up a battle for Autobot supremacy between him and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (who fought in Fortress Maximus' stead), so Ratchet and all of both Autobot groups stepped out onto the surface of Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to watch the fight. Ratchet cheered relentlessly for Blaster, but the spectators were cut short by a surprise Decepticon attack. After the Decepticons had fled, Ratchet was glad to see that Blaster and Grimlock had, for the moment, set aside their differences, because they would need all the cooperation they could muster to repair the fallen and the heavily-damaged Ark. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''When an [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a time-traveling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] decimated the Earthbound Autobot forces, Optimus Prime no longer possessed the life-giving powers of the [[Creation Matrix]], so Ratchet was left with the monumental task of repairing them. {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}}'' During a period of work-induced stress, he began to hallucinate visions of his patients attacking him and accusing him of being worthless. It was during this time that the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]], posing as Autobots, offered to help transport Ratchet to Cybertron, where he could have access to new medical technology that had been created during his 4-million-year absence on Earth. He and three of the Sports Car Patrol took the bodies of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]] with him, though Ratchet was curious why [[Blackjack]] stayed behind on the ''Ark''. Ratchet's concerns were answered when, upon arrival on Cybertron, he saw standing before him the believed-to-be-deceased Megatron, who had orchestrated the entire scheme. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

[[Image:Ratchetbroughtthemhere.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Megatron inadvertently activated Ratchet's dormant "evil genius" gene.]]

Megatron brought Ratchet the remains of Starscream, demanding Ratchet repair the Air Commander while Blackjack held the ''Ark'' and its medical bay inhabitants hostage. Ratchet agreed, and he used [[Pretender]] technology to repair Starscream while secretly repairing Grimlock, Jazz, and Goldbug as well. After Pretender Starscream was sent to Earth, Megatron sought out Ratchet to kill him, but Ratchet had his own Pretenders ready. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} Ratchet sprung Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee (Ratchet preferred Bumblebee's original form) on Megatron, but Megatron and his Micromasters were too powerful for them. The Pretenders and Micromasters' battle wandered outside [[Megatron's base]], and Ratchet was left alone. Sacrificing his life, Ratchet warped the bombs Blackjack had put on the ''Ark'' into the Decepticon base in an attempt to kill both himself and Megatron. Megatron tried to escape through the warp portal, but Ratchet tackled him, and the base exploded. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[Image:Megs ratch.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ratchet to the left of me, Megatron to the right—Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.]]

Optimus Prime was devastated by the loss of Ratchet. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} He assigned the detective [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to investigate Ratchet's death, and Nightbeat hypothesized that Ratchet could possibly still be alive. There was an initial blast which could have knocked Ratchet into the portal and into [[unspace]], a netherworld between the warp portal's starting and ending points. A probe was sent to retrieve him, and it succeeded—but it also brought back Megatron, who was fused with Ratchet as a single, monstrous being. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} The Ratchet/Megatron creature rampaged through the ''Ark'', wounding several Autobots, but Optimus Prime would not let them harm it. This put Optimus Prime in an awkward position: Was the life of Ratchet worth the possible loss of his other troops? The creature fought his way into the engine rooms and began tearing stuff apart, and Prime's choice was made for him: The creature must be stopped. Prime fought Ratchet/Megatron to a standstill, and, alarmingly, the part that was Ratchet took control and pulled Prime's gun to his own forehead, pleading for the Autobot Commander to put him out of his misery. In an unpopular decision, Optimus Prime ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate Megatron and Ratchet, even if it meant saving Megatron. Bonded at a molecular level, neither could survive without the other, even when separated. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

[[Image:Ratchetjollies.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Holy crap.]]

Separated by Fixit, they remained in stasis on the ''Ark'' until Grimlock and his [[Nucleon]]-revived Dinobots found the ''Ark'' abandoned during the Transformers' battle with [[Unicron]]. They filled the entire medical bay chambers with Nucleon, not aware that Megatron lay there in storage. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Shockwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] stole the ''Ark'' after Unicron was defeated, in an attempt to return to Earth and conquer it. {{storylink|Still Life!}} However, just as Megatron awoke, Starscream and Shockwave were interrupted by [[Galvatron II]], who had snuck on board before launch. While Galvatron and Megatron teamed up on Shockwave, Starscream went to check on any other possible survivors in the medical bay. He found Ratchet, whose mind was still connected to Megatron's, and Starscream fought the confused Autobot easily. However, when Starscream mused that Ratchet was no fun to kill, Ratchet became enraged and defeated him in a berserker state. Determined to end what he had started, Ratchet blew up the ''Ark'' as it was approaching Earth's orbit, sending all four Decepticons and himself to a supposed death.<ref>Except all the Decepticons eventually turn up alive.</ref> {{storylink|A Savage Circle}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''Ratchet was present at the Ark in 2003 when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] announced his plans for a fully-functional transforming fortress known as [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}''

====''Generation 2''====
{{note|Megatron's molecular-level link with Ratchet was entirely ignored in ''Generation 2''. Megatron returned and was rebuilt by Cobra, while Ratchet's fate was not mentioned at all.}}
As Optimus Prime was being repaired after a catastrophic battle with Megatron, he recalled the events of the Transformer civil war thus far, including two of Megatron's encounters with Ratchet. {{storylink|Tales of Earth Part Four}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
{{note|The ''Classics'' comics take place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a [[splinter timeline]] that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or ''Generation 2''.}}
[[Image:Ratchet-AtFightsEnd.jpg|left|250px|thumb|From martyr to furniture.]]
Fifteen years after Ratchet seemingly perished with Megatron, Starscream, and Shockwave when the Ark crashed into the [[Yukon]], Megatron had returned to power. Starscream had been fully rebuilt, Shockwave's disembodied head was rigged to exist only in a tortured advisory role, and [[:Image:Ratchetgamesofdeception.jpg|Ratchet's body was stashed]], seemingly lifeless, in a dark corner of Megatron's new throne room within the Ark's remains. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

Megatron kept Ratchet there for his own amusement, able to talk but not to move, because the Decepticon leader had begun to consider his unlikely nemesis a friend. The Decepticon leader enjoyed toying with Ratchet's doubts; he asked Ratchet why Optimus Prime hadn't come to rescue him in all these years. Megatron also enjoyed hearing Ratchet's measured responses, many of which genuinely took him by surprise, though some Megatron didn't think Ratchet truly believed.

Megatron wanted Ratchet to know the real reason why the Transformers fight. After they watched Megatron's plan to assassinate [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (and end the Decepticon civil war) culminate in success, he told Ratchet why. It's not to win or to lose, but because of who they were. The Transformers were born to fight. Megatron picked up Ratchet's motionless body, set it inside a [[CR chamber|bubbling tank]], and left him there. As Ratchet felt his body begin to dissolve, Megatron asked him to give Prime his regards.

Later, the Autobots secured the abandoned Ark and found Ratchet inside the tank, reformatted into a new body. However, Ratchet noted that his new surgical tools looked suspiciously like weapons. He recalled Megatron's words about why the Transformers fight. Did he truly have no choice? {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Wally Burr]] (English, "[[Masquerade]]" only), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese), [[Garcia Neto]] (Brazil)

[[Image:Ratchetg1cartoon.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Ruh-roh. Rooby-rooby-roo!]]
Ratchet served as chief medical officer of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on its mission to seek out new energy sources to fuel the Autobot struggle against the Decepticons. When the ''Ark'' was boarded by the crew of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Ratchet attempted to defend his ship by attacking [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but was thrown into a computer console for his trouble. Ratchet and the other Transformers were forced into emergency [[stasis lock]] when the out-of-control ''Ark'' crashed into a volcano on a [[Earth|primitive planet]]. Four million years later, the volcano erupted, activating [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons. Ratchet was rebuilt into a human-scaled ambulance. After [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper's]] failed scouting mission ended in a counterattack by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], Ratchet arrived with [[Hauler]] to pull the damaged Hound out of a ravine. Once he finished repairing Hound, Ratchet was part of the battlegroup sent to stop the Decepticons stealing the oil from an off-shore oil rig. However, he did not fare well in this battle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

After the Autobots saved their new human friends, Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky, from the oil rig fire, Ratchet repaired [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]'s damaged arm in the repair bay outside the ''Ark.'' {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in the explosion of the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Ratchet helped the Autobot leader recover, but evidently his skills as a medic were not required, as Prime was totally fine after transforming back into robot mode. Soon afterwards, Ironhide was shot by Skywarp, so Ratchet carried the old-timer back to base for repairs. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

During an ill-fated Autobot attempt to defend the local solar power plant, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] managed to shoot the guns out of Ratchet and Prowl's hands. Smarting from the concussion blast, Ratchet called for the Autobots to fall back. However, Ironhide once again managed to get himself damaged while saving Optimus Prime. Ironhide objected to Ratchet and Sparkplug's diagnosis of his damage, but Ratchet warned him against backtalk or the medic would short out Ironhide's mouth circuit. To prevent further argument, he shut down Ironhide, cutting off the warrior in mid-sentence. After the Autobots were led into a trap by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], Ratchet discovered the tampering done by the Decepticons and restored the little Autobot. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[Image:DivideandConquer Ratchet at work.jpg|thumb|left|240px]]
Ratchet patched up the Autobots quick smart after they were caught in an explosion at a hi-tech lab. Of course, he immediately afterwards had to alert them to incoming Decepticons, and probably had to put them back together again after the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Roll for It}} With Optimus critically injured after a Decepticon attack, Ratchet and Wheeljack worked to repair their leader, only for [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to sneak into the base and inflict more damage on Optimus. Ratchet and Wheeljack continued to work, eventually succeeding in saving Prime's life using a [[Cosmotron]] retrieved from Cybertron by [[Chip Chase]] and a team of Autobots. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

A group of Autobots including Ratchet enjoyed hijinks in the snow when abnormal weather conditions were caused by the Decepticons tapping a crystal in the Arctic. The Autobots went to the Arctic, where Ratchet was part of Ironhide's team, which was separated from the main Autobot force and captured by the Decepticons. After the group faked their own destruction, Ratchet repaired [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], who had been shot by Starscream after refusing to terminate the Autobots. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Inspired by the discovery of dinosaur bones, Ratchet and Wheeljack designed and built the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s. Unfortunately the new warriors were difficult to control, and Ratchet was soon patching up [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. After the rest of the Autobots fell foul of the Decepticons, Wheeljack had the idea of reactivating the Dinobots, and he and Ratchet installed new brain modules, allowing the Dinobots to be successfully used in battle. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Ratchet was one of the Autobots who went to [[Peru]] when the Decepticons discovered the [[Crystal of Power]] there, and built a cannon to utilise it. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Ratchet was on hand for the impact of [[Meteorini Chipperoni]] and Optimus subsequently ordered him and Wheeljack to construct two more Dinobots to bolster the Autobots' ranks. Once [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] were constructed, Ratchet and Wheeljack held a demonstration. The two new additions quickly proved themselves and were dispatched to aid Optimus Prime, who'd run afoul of the other three Dinobots after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] turned them against the Autobots. By the time Ratchet and the other Autobots got there, Optimus had persuaded [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to defect back. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a rescue mission to retrieve Sparkplug from the Decepticon base, Ratchet was again repairing the Autobots when Sparkplug started trying to repair him, despite him being undamaged. Sparkplug then started working on Prime, despite Ratchet pointing out that Prime had already been fixed. Sparkplug was under the control of the Decepticons, and had sabotaged the Autobots weapons and Teletraan I, so the Decepticons could attack. After the attack was repelled, Ratchet repaired Teletraan I, which alerted the Autobots to the giant [[space bridge]] which the Decepticons were building. The Autobots rolled out, but were unable to prevent Cybertron being dragged into [[Earth]]'s orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom2 Autobot volcano.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Retreating to headquarters, the Autobots sent out the Dinobots to battle the disasters caused by the nearby Cybertron. The [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] which the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] was embedded in became active, erupting and spewing Ratchet, [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] into the air, necessitating a rescue on the part of Skyfire. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Ratchet surfed with Optimus Prime and the others to where the Decepticons were building a generator, though they were unable to prevent the Decepticons getting away with a shuttle full of energon and saved a bunch of humans instead. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Once Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, Ratchet and the other Autobots set about repairing the devastation it had wrought on Earth. They were subsequently occupied preventing [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s plan to destroy the planet using an [[Exponential Generator]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, the Autobots watched in horror as the Autobot leader was defeated. They later discovered that Megatron had cheated, rendering the results of the contest void, and allowed them to legally blast the Decepticons into a lava-filled crevasse. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:G1 ChangingGears Ratchet karate.jpg|left|260px|thumb|Now COUGH!]]
After Spike was injured during a battle with the Decepticons, Ratchet carried their injured human friend to the metro hospital. While Spike's mind was transferred into the [[Autobot X]] experimental body Sparkplug had made earlier, Ratchet repaired the battle-damaged Bumblebee, but was forced to cut short his repairs after Spike went on a rampage in his new body. After Spike's mind was returned to his real body, Ratchet theorised that he could probably fix the problems in the mind-transfer process, but thought it was better left alone. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} When Megatron captured [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and unwittingly threatened the destruction of the Earth with his [[Solar Needle]], Ratchet totally fly-kicked Thundercracker. After the Decepticons retreated, Ratchet and Wheeljack argued over which wire they had to disconnect to stabilize the [[Sun]]. However, nobody seemed to notice that he and Gears sounded exactly the same. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Part of a mission to [[New York City]] to investigate the disappearance of the [[Empire State Building]], Ratchet joined Spike, Hound, Bumblebee and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in entering the city via the sewers in an attempt to recover Optimus Prime. When they finally found their leader, he had been disassembled by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], and Ratchet had a heck of a job putting him back together again, including having to wrangle an [[alligatorcon]]. During a battle on the streets of the city, Ratchet and Ironhide ended up in the Decepticon's new skyscraper, and were again able to rescue Prime from a nasty fall. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

[[Image:AttackoftheAutobots Prime and Ratchet on rocket.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I can see my house from here!"]]
Ratchet was one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]] and was compelled to attempt to get some blueprints from [[Doctor Harding]]. After being de-evilled by one of Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s, Ratchet and Optimus jumped aboard a rocket in mid-air and Ratchet detached a solar satellite even as the rocket blasted towards space. The pair were able to get the satellite into space on Skyfire's back. Afterwards, Ratchet and Sparkplug realised they had to repair all of the jets the Autobots had trashed while under Decepticon control. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He patched up Mirage after another battle, and told the other Autobot to rest, but Mirage instead rushed off to prove he wasn't a traitor as Cliffjumper had suggested. After Mirage led the Autobots into a trap, Ratchet found one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s on Mirage's forehead. After the inevitable battle, Ratchet patched Mirage up once more. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[Image:Immobilizer Ratchet ambulance mode.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Ratchet attended the demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. It didn't go well, with Wheeljack being accidentally immobilized and the Decepticons stealing his device. Wheeljack was loaded into the back of Ratchet's ambulance mode, and they returned to base where Ratchet repaired Ironhide, telling him to STFU when he blamed himself for the attack. The Autobots were eventually able to get the Immobilizer back. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Ratchet was one of those who didn't take part in a charity race and was thus spared from being affected by the Decepticon's [[Transfixatron]] ray and captured. He and Wheeljack constructed an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] and mounted an attack with a small group to rescue the other Autobots. Afterwards, Ratcher realised that he was going to be repairing for days. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

He took part in the defence of [[Washington, D.C.]] against the combined forces of the Decepticons and [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Ordered to guard [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], he an Wheeljack cracked jokes at the robot's expense, until Optimus told them off. They were unable to prevent the robot's capture by the Decepticons and returned to base, where Ratchet repaired Brawn. A stealth attack by the reprogrammed ninja resulted in the loss of power to the base, and Ratchet soon discovered that the [[World Energy Chip]] had been stolen. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Dinobotislandratch&spark.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The animators never could decide if I had zero, one or two crosses on my shoulder. Here I have one ...]]
Ratchet, like the other Autobots, was taken in by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone]], at least until Windcharger revealed the truth. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He also took part in an attempt to stop one of Megatron's plans using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{storylink|The Core}} and helped Wheeljack whipped up an antidote to prevent the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s exploding after they consumed the [[Nova Power Core]]. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} After another Dinobot rampage at Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet sighed and started the repairs once again. The Dinobots were subsequently banished to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], no doubt to his relief. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} With Sparkplug's help, repairs were soon complete. When Teletraan I detected a disturbance near the library Spike was visiting, Ratchet reassured Sparkplug as the rest of the Autobots rolled out. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

When Megatron found the [[Heart of Cybertron]], Ratchet was among the group of Autobots who were first to feel his wrath and had to limp back to base. While [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] put a bizarre plan into operation, Ratchet and Wheeljack set up a forcefield to hold back the Decepticon leader until Perceptor's plan could succeed. {{storylink|Microbots}} Ratchet attended the [[Autobot Day]] celebration, during which Megatron managed to frame the Autobots. The Autobots were subsequently banished from Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They almost perished in the [[Sun]], but made it back to Earth in time to overthrow the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

After the Dinobots were damaged in a Decepticon attack, Ratchet repaired them, only for them to desert the Autobot forces. There's gratitude for you. A short time later, the Autobots were all disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} With Spike and [[Carly]]'s help, the Dinobot retrieved more Cybertonium from Cybertron, and the Autobots were able to repair themselves. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Ratchet was among the Autobots who turned up too late to prevent Megatron from stealing the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. After the Decepticons used it to jam Earth's radio signals, Ratchet helped some humans who'd become trapped in a blizzard. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was also part of the group who coated themselves in [[electrum]] to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:Kremzeek! Ratchet with Kremzeek.jpg|thumb|left|200px|... and here I don't have any. Make up your minds, animators.]]
While defending New York against Decepticons drones, Ratchet realised that the drones didn't have brains, meaning they were remote controlled. Once [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] had broadcast a jamming signal, the Autobots were able to attack the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. Ratchet, Wheeljack and Hoist joined Sparkplug and [[Raoul]] in turning the drones back into cars. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After Optimus Prime's team of Autobots went missing, Ratchet and the others attempted fruitlessly to find out where they'd gone. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Ratchet also took part in the operation to rescue [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] from a horde of [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} He was one of the first Autobots to be disabled by [[Kremzeek]], which didn't bode well for the Autobots' chances of getting repaired. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

After Optimus beat [[Lord Chumley]]'s death traps, Ratchet and the other Autobots provided Prime with reinforcements. {{storylink|Prime Target}} He and Wheeljack picked up [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] after the Autobot plane was defeated by the [[Conehead]]s. Ratchet started patching him up, but Powerglide refused further treatment until he could rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz|Astoria]], the spunky heiress he'd been charged with protecting. Once Astoria was safe, Powerglide returned for more repairs, and Ratchet joined in mocking him for his apparent [[Transformer romance|romantic feelings]] for the girl. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:KeyVectorSigma1 Ratchet thoughtful.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Although Ratchet was puzzled by Megatron's sudden interest in stealing cars, Optimus knew what the Decepticons were up to, and led a team, including Ratchet, to Cybertron. There, they found [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] badly damaged. Once Ratchet and Wheeljack had repaired him, he explained that Megatron had taken the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], and the Autobots journeyed underground. Encountering [[Centurion droid|Centurions]] left by Megatron to guard the way, Ratchet and Wheeljack repaired Maintenance drones to send against them in battle. Unfortunately they reached [[Vector Sigma]] too late, and Optimus ordered that some shuttles be rebuilt into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} The Autobots returned to Earth with the new additions, and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] promptly blew up on landing, resulting in Ratchet, Wheeljack and Sparkplug working feverishly to save the giant Autobot's life and repair his body. They ultimately succeeded. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:CosmicRust Ratchet and Blaster infected.jpg|thumb|left|260px|'Cause this is thriller, thriller night!]]
The Aerialbots, much to Ratchet's disgust, seemed to admire the Decepticon [[seeker (body-type)|seeker]]s. When the Autobot team was plunged millions of years back in time Ratchet worked with Wheeljack to repair the Decepticon time machine to get them back. They managed to, but wouldn't tell Ratchet what had happened, leaving the story telling to Optimus. {{storylink|War Dawn}} Ratchet helped apply [[corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], and was later affected by the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] that Megatron brought back from space. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|right|190px|thumb|Seen here suffering from a unique condition known as "Dying Ratchet Syndrome".]]
After [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to provide [[energy absorber]]s, the Autobots launched an attack while the Combaticons were busy fighting Megatron's forces. Ratchet and Grapple managed to rescue the two prisoners during the distraction. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Ratchet was also a part of the team which came to the Aerialbots' aid, after they fell into a trap laid by the Combaticons. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} During another of Megatron's plans, the Autobots captured the Stunticons, and Ratchet customised some of the Autobots using [[camouflage paint]] to disguise them as the Decepticon team. Somehow this worked, and after Megatron's plan was foiled, Ratchet and the rest of the Autobots provided reinforcements. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In the year 2005, while piloting a secret mission to [[Autobot City]] in order to gather a stockpile of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] from Earth, Ratchet and his allies were attacked by Megatron. Ratchet and Ironhide returned fire, but they were both shot repeatedly and left for dead on the floor of the shuttle as the Decepticons continued with their attack on Autobot City. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Ratchet's body was evidently recovered for interment, as his grave was housed in the interstellar [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. Sadly, it was not Ratchet's fate to rest in peace; along with the mausoleum itself, Ratchet's remains were later plunged into a star as a side-effect of a [[Quintesson]] plot. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Amidst a massive battle against the Decepticons at the Autobot base in Arizona, Ratchet was one of the first to notice that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his cassette forces were nowhere to be found. Now suspicious, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] immediately alerted all his units in Japan to be on the lookout for the Decepticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

Later, as [[Kenji]] was enjoying a tour of a secret Autobot facility in Japan, Ratchet was alerted to an attack by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in Yokohama. The Autobots immediately rolled out to meet the threat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4}}
=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Ratchet was one of about a kajillion Autobots who arrived on Metroplex to provide reinforcements for Optimus Prime after the Decepticon's [[Omega Whip]] weapon was destroyed.{{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====The Stargate Battles=====

[[Image:Stargatebattles_ratchet.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

In the 1990s, Ratchet used Cybertronian technology to save the lives of human scientist [[Professor Adle]] and his daughter [[Katua Adle|Katua]] when they were both badly injured in an explosion during a field test of one of the professor's creations. The professor's right arm was blown off and Katua lost her right leg, but Ratchet was able to fit them with cybernetic prosthetics so advanced that they were even able to experience pain and warmth through them as if they were their real limbs. This convinced Professor Adle of the Autobots' nobility, while Katua developed a fondness for Ratchet. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

About six months later, Ratchet was part of a delegation of Autobots who accompanied Optimus Prime to a press conference in America. The conference announced the construction of "[[Warp Gate|The Trigger]]", an interstellar teleportation system jointly developed between the Autobots and the United States government, and Ratchet helped Wheeljack write the speech that Prime proceeded to recite to the assembled human masses. Ignoring [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s attempts to keep them quiet while the conference was going on, Ratchet and Wheeljack muttered to each other that they didn't like the Trigger's gun-shaped design, as it reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A little later, when human protesters gathered to object to the presence of the Autobots on Earth, Katua Adle was able to prove that they were not emotionless metal monsters by revealing her prosthetic leg to the irate crowd and explained that she could feel through it. After all, how could Ratchet have replicated those sensations if he did not know them himself? The shamed crowd relented, and Optimus Prime told Katua that he would pass her kind words on to Ratchet himself. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

=====''Binaltech''=====
Along with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Ratchet helped implant [[Chip Chase]]'s consciousness into the lifeless Prowl-2 shell when Prowl's spark was lost in [[subspace]].

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[Image:Ratchetgreatcarrally.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"You sure are a jerk when you repair me, Ratchet!"]]
{{quote|You sure go all to pieces when a missile hits you, Hound.}}

While [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was taking part in a cross-country Car Rally, he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s missiles. Ratchet raced onto the scene to repair Hound, and joked that his patient sure falls apart when a missile hits him! Also, Hound complained that Ratchet was screwing him together too tightly, causing him pain.

Ratchet is kind of a jerk. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

Following a battle with the Decepticons that resulted in many Autobot injuries, Ratchet and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were busy trying to fix them. Optimus Prime asked them about their progress, but they both sighed. Ratchet noted that even the mighty Dinobots were out of commission, for they had suffered the heaviest losses. But suddenly, the Decepticons attacked, having repaired their warriors in record time! Optimus Prime called his remaining functional warriors to the highways while Ratchet and Huffer returned to their repairs. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[Image:Agenda3-AutobotsonArkattack.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He's fallen and he's not getting up.]]
Four million years ago, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, and Jazz were on the bridge of the Ark when it was suddenly attacked by the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. It crashed in a dormant volcano for untold years until it was disturbed by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who had traveled from the far future. Ratchet's body was sprawled across a pile of boxes. Frozen in [[stasis lock]] as he was, Ratchet was unable to stop the Predacon from assassinating the equally comatose Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} This act would have rewritten history from that moment forward, but the ensuing time storm was stopped by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and some time-traveling [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"OW! I should blast you to atoms! You did that ''on purpose''!" 
"Tone down your audio amplifiers, will ya? That ''didn't'' hurt... ''much''."|Starscream and Ratchet|"[[Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire]]"|style=2}}

[[Image:Ratchettww.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The Cybertronian red cross is Pac-Man.]]
8.2 million years ago, Ratchet accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] to the [[Border Regions|Sub-Orbital District]] of [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]], which had been devastated after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] activated the planetary engines. He found no life signs in the entire blast radius. {{storylink|The War Within}} 600,000 years later, Ratchet remained with the Prowl-led Autobots after Optimus Prime disappeared in a [[space bridge]] explosion. He repaired [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] after the theoretician was damaged in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

Ratchet was among the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crashed on [[Earth]], and awoke in 1984 to battle the [[Decepticon]]s. After years of fighting, Ratchet and the other Autobots took part in [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human/Autobot operation that defeated and captured the Earth-bound Decepticons. However, the ''[[Ark II]]'', which was meant to convey the Autobots, the captured Decepticons, and a number of humans back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]], sending Ratchet and his comrades to the bottom of the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Years later, Ratchet was brought back by the sinister [[Lazarus]], who had recovered and reprogrammed a number of Transformers for his nefarious ends. However, when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] broke free of Lazarus's control, he hooked up Ratchet and a number of other Autobots to a device that generated a deadly "metal virus". Soon after, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] detached Ratchet and the others from the doomsday device, and he eventually recovered. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

''When the alien [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] took over [[Las Vegas]], Ratchet was among the Autobots assembled by Optimus Prime to invade the occupied area. While the others engaged in battle, Ratchet was tasked with dealing with the collateral damage, and leading the human residents of Las Vegas to safety. He returned to the protection of Optimus Prime and his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] augmented power before a nuclear strike hit the city, and lent his skills to repairing the Autobots who had given their energon to power up Prime's "Finishing Move". {{storylink|Annihilation|Annihilation}}''

''Over the next few days, Ratchet brought all the Autobots back on-line, including [[Bluestreak]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], who had each been drastically injured over the course of the preceding events. No sooner had Bluestreak been reactivated, though, that he was drawn back into the Keepers' control by their pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]]. Franklin's status as an "[[augment]]" -- a human specially engineered using Cybertronian technology -- allowed him to bypass [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security and infiltrate the ''Ark''. Ratchet blamed himself for allowed that loophole in the security system. Later, Ratchet diagnosed the effects of the [[deconstructionite]]s -- reverse-engineered nanotechnology used by the government against the Transformers to drain away their processing power. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

Ratchet took part in a battle in the [[Canada|Canadian]] Arctic with the Decepticons over possession of a crashed spacecraft containing [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. As the Autobots overwhelmed their foes, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived on the planet and gave them an ultimatum: Surrender and return to a newly unified Cybertron, or be destroyed. {{storylink|New World Order}} The Autobots returned to the ''Ark'', where Optimus Prime assigned Ratchet to a [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]-led team that was to remain on Earth. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} After Shockwave's lieutenant, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], took Prime and others back to Cybertron, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] remained at the ''Ark'' as Jazz, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] attempted to locate Scourge and his ship. {{storylink|Cold War}}

[[Image:DWSkyfire Starscream Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My crotch is my stomach.]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a team of Decepticons arrived on Earth, they attacked the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inhabitants, wanting the starship for themselves. In the initial assault, the Autobots managed to take [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], his cassettes, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] prisoner, but eventually all the Autobots but Ratchet and Brawn were defeated by the mighty [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Expecting a supply ship from Cybertron later that day, Ratchet and Brawn slipped past the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s berserk defense systems in order to contact the ship and warn them. Unfortunately, Bruticus arrived soon after, and they were forced to destroy the ''Ark'' rather than let the Decepticons have access to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Before the battle could escalate further, it was interrupted by the arrival of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] seemingly powered by supernatural forces. An uneasy truce was formed between the small group of Autobots and Decepticons, and Ratchet begrudgingly put his medic skills to work on Starscream. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} However, after Jetfire left the ''[[Orion (ship)|Orion]]'' to go after Sunstorm, Starscream used his [[Null-ray]] on the remaining Autobots, including Ratchet. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

Ratchet later aided in the construction of Autobot City. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Ratchetjoetf2.jpg|left|140px|thumb|Physician, arm thyself.]]
In an alternate timeline, a newly formed [[human]] terrorist organization named [[Cobra]] uncovered the ''Ark'' buried in a dormant volcano. Finding two armies of giant, transformable robots, they repurposed these aliens for their own use, rebuilding them so they could reconfigure into various Cobra-designed vehicles. Ratchet was reprogrammed and rebuilt into a Cobra [[H.I.S.S.]] tank. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1}} [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was able to break free from his reprogramming and awaken the other Transformers {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4}}, and, with the help of the human anti-terrorist task-force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], he defeated Megatron and Cobra. An alliance between the Autobots and the United States government was formed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}}

Two years later, a malfunction in [[Teletran 3]] sent dozens of Transformers into various points in history, an act which, if not reversed, would result in a perpetual holocaust being unleashed across [[Earth]]. To retrieve one Transformer and bring him home, a team of Cobra and G.I. Joe agents were sent 15 years into an apocalyptic future where [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his Decepticons ruled. The remaining cyborged humans had formed a resistance which had only one Autobot warrior who stood between them and utter annihilation. The last Autobot alive, Ratchet had grown bitter and battle-hardened after years of guerrilla warfare, and he demanded the team sent to bring him back to the present day help him complete one more mission. Ratchet, the Joes, and the Cobra agents were successful in freeing a factory nearby that was manned by enslaved humans, but Ratchet refused to go home with them and abandon his calling. [[Barbecue]] returned Ratchet home against his wishes, and as Ratchet cursed the stupid little creature, the [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] of the present day shot Ratchet in the back, putting him out of commission. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3}}

Later, when [[Serpent O.R.]] took Optimus Prime prisoner, Ratchet (still in his post-apocalyptic body) was part of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s rescue team. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Ratchet was among the Autobots who were awakened by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] in 1939, and joined their war on [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. During the assault on the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], he wondered why the Decepticons were so easy to defeat ''now'', after having been such a pain in the neck back on Cybertron. Ratchet most likely perished when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was smashed to pieces shortly afterwards. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Ratchet was happy enough to repair a badly-damaged Starscream, when the latter was brought in to the Ark. He agreed with Wheeljack that they should take the opportunity to take a look at Starscream's logic circuits, and maybe see if there was anything untoward which was making him such a disagreeable fellow, and Optimus was eventually talked around. It wasn't long before Ratchet had Starscream back online, amnesiac and surprisingly benign (it didn't last). {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

While on a mission to retrieve [[Sky Spy]], Ratchet encountered [[Stitch]], a veteran army medic, and helped him save a woman trapped in a swollen creek. The woman needed emergency medical treatment, so Ratchet used Sky Spy to scan the necessary information from Stitch's mind in order to complete surgery on the woman. Sometime later, Ratchet checked on Stitch and presented him with a new cybernetic arm to replace the one he used to repair Sky Spy. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===''Timelines''===
[[Image:Ratchetironhidedescent.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Amazingly not dead.]]
Years after the Decepticon and Autobot Wars had ended, Ratchet and five other Autobots were sent to [[Ceti Alpha Seven]] to destroy [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|General Deathsaurus's]] Insecticon clone lab and stop his planned Decepticon uprising. After a team of four (consisting of [[Outback|Fallback]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]], and [[Ricochet (Descent into Evil)|Ricochet]]) failed, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] followed to help. After battling swarms of [[Virulent Clones]] and [[Buzzclaw (Timelines)|Buzzclaw]], they finally met up with Deathsaurus himself. Ironhide stayed to fight the general, and Ratchet separated to find their fallen friends.

Ratchet managed to gather the victims but was captured by Deathsaurus along with Ironhide. Both were restrained inside the lab, which was set to detonate. Before this happened, Ricochet snuck in and freed them, allowing them to gather the wounded and escape as the clone lab was destroyed. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}
{{-}}

=== IDW comics continuity ===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Infiltration3_Ratchet.jpg|left|350px|thumb|]]

[[Image:Ratchetholomatter.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Ratchet's holo-matter avatar has no mouth, and he must snark.]]
Before the war with the Decepticons Ratchet served with the Security Forces stationed in Kaon. He was present at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3}}

Ratchet was part of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Although a loyal warrior, Ratchet's conscience got the better of him when he intercepted a Decepticon pulsewave ordering the elimination of [[Stoker|a human being]]. While he was too late to save that human, he encountered two more—[[Verity Carlo]] and [[Hunter O'Nion]]—who had stumbled upon the Decepticon plot. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0}} Ratchet broke cover to save their lives, subjecting himself to the wrath of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], who threatened disciplinary action. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3}}

Ratchet was seemingly alone in his convictions, until [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] agreed to help him and the humans investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in [[Nebraska]]. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] arrived while the humans were reconnoitering and began an aerial bombardment of the bunker, intending to destroy it. Bumblebee and Ratchet engaged the Decepticons in order to buy the humans time to escape the collapsing bunker. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4}}

The Autobots and humans were leaving the Decepticons to finish their work when an enraged [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] burst from the buried ruins of the bunker. Thankfully for them, Megatron was more concerned with the treachery of Blitzwing and Skywarp, allowing Ratchet and the others to escape with their lives. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5}} Unwilling to risk their safety further, Ratchet subsequently returned the humans to ''[[Ark-17]]'', where they met the newly arrived Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6}}

[[Image:Sixshot-devastation3a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]

After [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was apparently destroyed by [[Machination|a mysterious human organisation]], Ratchet determined that the wreckage the Autobots recovered was a fake. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2}} Later, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], against orders, accompanied Verity Carlo and [[Jimmy Pink]] to find clues on the missing Sunstreaker's and Hunter's whereabouts while Optimus Prime and the other Autobots went to [[Brasnya]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4}} When the humans set off a trap, the Autobots saved them, though Ironhide was critically injured and Ratchet was forced to abandon him to bring the humans to safety. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6}}

When the Autobots decided to relocate the ''Ark-17'', they were attacked by [[Sixshot]], who downed the ship in mid-flight. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1}} Ratchet was ordered to take Verity and Jimmy into an escape pod while the rest of the crew piloted the ship into the ocean. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2}} Sixshot soon found Ratchet and pursued him relentlessly. Ratchet used the distraction provided by some human jet fighters to escape, hiding among an ambulance pool in [[Pensacola]], Florida. Sixshot soon flushed him out, however, and pursued him out of town, forcing Ratchet to abandon Verity and Jimmy for their own safety. When cornered at the water's edge, Ratchet prepared to make a last stand, but was saved by the timely arrival of the other Autobots. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3}}

[[Image:Devastation5 Ratchet Jazz.jpg|left|200px|thumb|CLEAR!]]

The humans made their way back to the Autobots to warn them about an air attack by the military, and Ratchet took them with him on an orbital bounce to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. Unfortunately, this killed Verity and Jimmy. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4}}

Guilt-stricken, Ratchet managed to restart their hearts after more than 5 minutes, though he feared they suffered brain damage. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5}} Some time later, however, Ratchet was present as the pair were reunited with Hunter. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5}}

A year later, Ratchet and a number of other Autobots were led by Optimus Prime in an attempt to rid Earth of the Decepticons once and for all. Unfortunately, they fell right into a trap, and Ratchet was injured by a shot to the chest. The Autobots were then thrown into a [[space bridge]] leading to the ruins of Cybertron, where the Decepticons hoped the "[[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]" would eat them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7}} Whilst hiding from the swarm, Ratchet tended to the critically-damaged Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1}} After listening to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s tale about how the ''[[Trion]]'' and its crew had crashed on the planet as well {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}}, Ratchet mingled with him and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6}}

Ratchet later checked up on Sunstreaker, telling him that his separation from Hunter had been a complete success, although the human would never be "fully human" again. Their base soon came under attack from the swarm, however, so the other Autobots formed a perimeter around Ratchet and [[Roadbuster]] as they fled elsewhere. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8}} At their new base, Ratchet managed to use a [[CR chamber]] to heal his damaged comrades, although he reported to [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] that the chamber could do nothing to improve their declining morale. In addition, he and Wheeljack were still having trouble repairing Optimus Prime, and Ratchet cursed that [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] had turned into just another "clown with a gun". Thankfully, they eventually came through and brought Prime back from the brink of death. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9}}

Ratchet and the others finally managed to get off Cybertron thanks to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and returned to Earth to continue their fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11}} He survived the battle in [[New York City]], and cheered with his comrades as the Decepticons fled the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12}}

Later, Ratchet was part of the rescue party that saved Bumblebee form a military attack after the yellow guy abandoned his cover to save some refugees. After repairing Bumblebee, Ratchet told the mini-bot that they found him by monitoring human radio signals. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|Hidden}}

Several years after the fall of Megatron, Ratchet and the Autobots were still operating on Earth. It served as a meeting point for all Autobots who had survived the great purge the Decepticons had orchestrated throughout the galaxy. {{storylink|Spotlight: Prowl}} Not all Autobots were content with the virtually directionless existence Optimus Prime had led them into, however, especially with the human organization known as [[Skywatch]] hunting them and Decepticons alike. Ratchet was present when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] demanded Prime allow him to stage a rescue operation to recover Prowl after he was captured...and afterwards, when Ironhide came back from the mission as a corpse. He witnessed Optimus Prime abdicate his role as leader, and leave the Autobots to surrender to Skywatch. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

In the aftermath of Prime's decision, and the subsequent departure of a splinter faction under Hot Rod's command, Ratchet and the others were left in a state of shock. With the war effectively over and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] missing, the line of succession was no longer clear. The Autobots decided to hold an election to see who their new leader would be. No one was more surprised than Bumblebee when HE turned out to be the new chosen leader. Ratchet quickly stepped up as Bumblebee's second, helping shepherd him into his new role. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Bumblebee's authority was challenged almost immediately by the arrival of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], but Ratchet did his best to support 'Bee before Magnus took off on a mission of his own. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Ratchet had his work cut out for him, though. Not only was [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] undermining Bumblebee's authority from the start, Bumblebee himself just couldn't adjust to the role quickly. Still, he supported Bumblebee's decision to form a clandestine alliance with Skywatch through Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who was acting outside his mandate in the hopes of using the Autobots to stop [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and the other Decepticons still loose on Earth. Working in secret with Horiuchi, the Autobots hoped to prove their value and good intentions to Skywatch's higher ups by racking up an impressive number of Decepticon captures. They even began wearing specially-designed Skywatch insignia badges for communication and to mask their activities from Skywatch operatives who weren't "in the loop". After five successful bag-and-tags, however, Horiuchi threw them the first curveball. The Autobots' next target was [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], one of their own who had left after Ultra Magnus's arrival. As Ratchet and the others refused to hunt one of their own, Horiuchi demonstrated a hidden feature of the badges -- the ability to forcibly revert the Autobots to vehicle mode at his command. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

Left with no choice, Ratchet and Bumblebee led the Autobots in capturing Blurr. The whole situation was a fiasco, however, and Blurr even fired on Bumblebee during the encounter, damaging his badge. Bumblebee found the courage to defy Horiuchi and refused to turn over Blurr to Skywatch later that day. The colonel tried to mode-lock Bumblebee for his insubordination, but the shot to Bumblebee's badge had rendered it useless. Quick on the uptake, Ratchet whispered to Bumblebee to fake it so Horiuchi didn't realize he'd lost his edge over the Autobot leader. At Ratchet's prompting, the Autobots pretended the damaged badge had left Bumblebee trapped in vehicle mode permanently, despite Horiuchi's attempts to reverse the mode-lock. With Blurr's help, they recovered another Volkswagen Beetle to use as a ringer, allowing Bumblebee to leave the base and seek a solution for their predicament. Because Skywatch was constantly monitoring their vocal output using the badges, Ratchet and the others couldn't even speak a word of encouragement to 'Bee as he set off on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

With Bumblebee on the loose, Ratchet continued the ruse of pretending to cooperate with Colonel Horiuchi and his staff, showing them the malfunctioning "Bumblebee" for examination. Meanwhile, he and Wheeljack kept in touch with the real Bumblebee using a text-only comm signal that wouldn't show up on Skywatch's monitoring. Ratchet was named acting leader of the Autobots while "Bumblebee" was off-line, as he and Wheeljack secretly led the real Bumblebee to [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], creator of the badges' control board. Bumblebee needed access to the board's schematics in order to free his friends, but had to manipulate [[Serena Bharwaney|Bharwaney's young daughter]] into helping him. Ratchet had to comfort Bumblebee through "using" the girl for his own purposes. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

Unfortunately, the rogue Decepticon Skywarp had also learned of the board, and was coming to Bharwaney's to steal it. Ratchet and the other Autobots were forced to blow their cover to rush to Bumblebee's aid. They were too late, however, and Bumblebee was forced to set off an EMP, knocking him and Skywarp off-line while disabling the control board and the badges as well. As Ratchet brought Bumblebee in for repairs, he reluctantly agreed to upgrade his new commander into a more war-like, combat ready body to fit his new duties. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

Soon, Ultra Magnus returned from his scouting mission to challenge Bumblebee's authority again, gathering Ratchet and several other Autobots in the name of the [[Tyrest Accord]] to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Hot Rod's mistake became clear when his "ally", [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], activated a new Decepticon combiner and unleashed it on the Autobots. {{storylink|Enemies of the System}}

After several Autobots were damaged fighting [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Ratchet began patching them up as best he could, with the help of Skywatch personnel. He barely finished working on Ultra Magnus before the enforcer stomped off to search for [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. {{storylink|Earthworks}} Following this, the Autobots entered a formal alliance with Skywatch. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 7}}

{{spoiler|The Transformers issue 9|August 14 2010}}
Ratchet was helping a human technician repair [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] showed up and asked for the Autobots' help with defeating the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. They accepted, but due to pressure from the [[President of the United States]], they were going to have to do it in disguise. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 9}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
Ratchet was with the Autobots hiding out in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]], with most of the Autobot forces having been defeated. He tended to the seriously wounded [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire's]] injuries, and suggested surrender to the Decepticons to save their fellow Autobot's life. When [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (disguised as Bumblebee) and the Decepticons attacked, he attempted to reason with the Decepticon mercenary about Jetfire's condition, only to be attacked for his trouble. After the Autobots surrendered, he was furious when Mirage betrayed his word and prepared to carry out Megatron's order to execute the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
With Optimus Prime in stasis lock, Ratchet and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] appeared to be the co-leaders of the Autobots in the 19th century. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} Despite [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee's]] pleading, he was reluctant to interfere with the humans, but nevertheless participated in the pursuit of the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as it headed to [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

His "Ice Age Wars" altmode is uncertain, but it clearly has scales and spikes. His 19th-century altmode is a medical boxcar. He may be the very first Transformer depicted with a boxcar altmode, as prior to this, all train-based Transformers were locomotives.

{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:RatchetHenkeiTsushima.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Ma'am, I'm just an SUV—oh, fine."]]
Despite rescuing a girl from a burning building, she had fallen unconscious, so he offered to drive her and her mother to the hospital. Unfortunately, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was tailing them from above. He would have blasted Ratchet, but Inferno blocked the shot with his fire truck mode, transformed, and then knocked Starscream out of the sky with his water cannon. Thanks to Inferno's help, Ratchet was able to successfully deliver the girl to the hospital.

But Ratchet's work wasn't done, as he had taken note of Inferno's heavy injuries. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Ratchettoyg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Why's everything so dark in here?]]
* '''Ratchet''' (1984/1986/1990/2001/2007)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''99'''
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: Ratchet was originally a Onebox Ambulance Type toy from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line before [[Hasbro]] brought ''Transformers'' to North America. The toy transforms from an ambulance to a robot and [[Onebox component|gun-station]]. A variant of the toy includes red crosses on the top and sides of the vehicle. Ratchet and his [[retool]]/[[redeco]] buddy [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], like all Diaclones, were designed to be piloted mecha, which is why he has a seat instead of a head. The Transformers version applied a face sticker to the back of the seat in lieu of a real sculpted noggin.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in multiple offers, including the [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]] flier packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point]]s.

: In Japan, Ratchet was originally only available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail-away, costing 1700 yen and 4 robot points. In 2001, he was reissued in Japan as an [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]], paired with Ironhide.

:[[Image:Encoretoy-Ratchetwithhead.jpg|left|thumb|100px|This looks ... better?]]

: In mid-December 2007, he was reissued again as part of Takara's Transformers Encore line. This particular version came with an illustration on one box flap depicting Ratchet's cartoon-design head and chest windshield. By punching out the image along the perforated edges, folding it just so and tucking it in behind the toy's windshield, one could give the toy a "real" head, just like in the TV series, instead of using the Diaclone-original windshield face sticker. Sort of. This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the mobile platform's gun-base, designed to keep Ratchet more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go.

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

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{{anchor|EmergencyGreen}}

[[Image:Encoreratchetemergencygreen.jpg|right|250px|thumb|To the Mystery Machine, gang!]]
* '''Ratchet Emergency Green''' (2008)
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: A [[redeco]] of the original toy (well, the retooled Encore version) which [[homage]]s [[Ratchet (Movie)|the live-action movie Ratchet]], Ratchet Emergency Green is a Japanese mail-away exclusive available with a purchase of the book ''[[Transformers Visualworks]]''. After the book release on December 4, 2007, purchasers could mail in a ticket from the book and purchase either one (5200yen) or two (10,000 yen) of the item. Ratchet shipped to customers in April 2008. He comes in the same packaging as the regular Encore release, including packaging images, instructions, and the same white-headed cardboard torso punch-out.

: He's totally awesome.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/EmergencyGreenRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on Emergency Green Ratchet at TFU.info]''

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===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-RatchetDiE.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Maybe photographing him against a white backdrop wasn't such a great idea.]]
* '''Autobot Ratchet & Flareup''' (2005)
**''Accessories'': Lightbar/blaster

: One of two "souvenir" packages [[exclusive]] to [[BotCon 2005]], Ratchet is a retooling of the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' Autobot [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]] with a new head, transforming into a large utility van. In robot mode, his lower vehicle portion becomes a [[Onebox component|mobile battle/repair platform]]. Ratchet can fold his legs back and up over his shoulders (wow!) and re-attach to this platform for a "battle mode". In this, ahem, ''position'', Ratchet 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.

: The mold's standard "receiver dish" weapon was not produced; instead, he came with a new "light bar" that pegged onto his roof in much the same manner.

: He could only be purchased in an at-show "souvenir" two-pack along with [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]]. This mold was also used to make [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] for the same convention.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on BotCon Ratchet at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkeitoy-Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Surprise, I'm colored like the cartoon!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-14'''
**''Accessories:'' Converting Cannon

: A redeco and retooling of the [[Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 ''Universe'']] [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide toy]], ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Ratchet transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a red Japanese-style emergency lightbar, is cast in bright white plastic and has a deco resembling Ratchet's appearance in the original cartoon series, down to his dark gray head crest. Like all ''Henkei'' toys, he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] plastic, specifically his headlights and taillights, as well as his "Converting Cannon" weapon.

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===Universe (2008)===
====Generation 1 Series====
[[Image:Ratchet25toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|No, not that [[Ratchet (Universe)|Universe Ratchet]].]]
*'''Autobot Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Medical Dispenser/Combat Blade

: Like ''Henkei'' Ratchet, ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Ratchet is a redeco and retooling of the ''Universe'' Ironhide toy, and transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a blue American-style emergency lightbar (as opposed to Henkei Ratchet's different tooled red Japanese-style emergency lightbar), is cast in pearlescent white plastic and has a rather generic "Ratchety" colour/paint scheme. His license plate also reads [[The Pri¢e of Life!|H3L PU2]].

:While similar in execution, there are a great many changes from Henkei Ratchet to Universe Ratchet. The red paint detailing on Universe Ratchet is different than that of Henkei Ratchet in color and layout. The Henkei version's stripes resemble that more of his original counterpart, while the Universe version resemble that of his ''[[Ratchet (Animated)|Animated]]'' version. Henkei Ratchet uses chrome paint on his weapon and both sets of lights while the Universe version leaves them unpainted. Gray paint covers Henkei Ratchet's gun barrel and silver on his upper chest (behind the chest window), these parts remain unpainted on Universe Ratchet. The paint used for the windows of Universe Ratchet is a light blue while Henkei Ratchet uses a deeper metallic blue paint. Universe Ratchet has black forearms and upper thighs, while the Japanese version uses a pure white (different from the white used through out the rest of the figure). Universe Ratchet has a yellow vanity plate and red head crest while Henkei Ratchet has a blank gray plate and gray head crest. Universe Ratchet features a blue blade on his weapon, while Henkei Ratchet features a red blade. Universe Ratchet also features a lighter red plastic than the Henkei version.

:Like ''Universe'' Ironhide, the blue paint used for his opaque windows matches ''really'', '''''really''''' badly with his translucent blue plastic windows.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{anchor|TakaraDecoy}}
[[Image:G1-toy DecoyRatchet.jpg|right|thumb|Ratchet cosplaying as Ironhide, or Ironhide cosplaying as Ratchet? You, the viewer, decides!]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ratchet was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

{{anchor|HasbroDecoy}}

*'''Ratchet''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''6'''

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ratchet game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is 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)|Technobot]]s.

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

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===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:SCF-Act6-Ratchet.jpg|right|thumb|Super-action pose doctor!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2002)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ratchet was available in "Act 6" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line, a slight retooling of the Ironhide figurine with a new head and "gun"-hand (despite the fact that their two [[character model]]s are not quite identical). Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the pewter version of Ratchet came packaged with the left leg of the wave's [[Grand Maximus]] collectable "build-a-figure".

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

: Ratchet's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ratchet was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Part of the fifth and final wave of ''Heroes of Cybertron'', Ratchet was, unlike the Japanese figure, sold on an indivudual blister card and came packaged with the right leg of the [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

{{--}}
===Transformers Mini-Bust===
[[Image:Ratchet-DiamondSelectstatue.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Your choice of head! His choice of medical tools.]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2009)

: Released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2009, Ratchet was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. The bust continues the tradition of giving all Ratchet merchandise (but not toys) the [[wikipedia:International_Committee_of_the_Red_Cross|red cross]] insignia on their shoulders to better match the Animation model. Ratchet's Bio credits him and Wheeljack with creating the [[Dinobot_(G1)#Cartoon_continuity|Dinobots]]; effectively making him the cartoon version but he comes packaged with two heads for do-it-yourself retconning. Comic accurate red helmet with white chevron, or the cartoon accurate white helmet with grey chevron. Fans of the Universe 2.0 version (white helmet, red chevron) will have to buy some red paint when they pick their bust up. Three tools are also included with the Bust. One slightly resembling the [[Power Booster Rod]], the other a Cybertronian version of an [[wikipedia:otoscope|otoscope]] and the third is some sort of medical gear shaft. They are not sculpted on nor do they possess a magnet and are simply lodged in his hands for display.

{{-}}
==Notes==
*[[Bob Budiansky]] has said that he named Ratchet after the less-friendly medic Nurse ''Ratched'' from ''[[wikipedia:Ratched|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''.
*Ratchet never really showed his party animal spirit in Marvel, outside of the start of "Warrior School". Budiansky gives two answers for why: "1) in the comic book stories, he always found himself in situations too serious to allow his party personality to emerge. 2) I screwed up and forgot I had written that as part of his profile. I prefer to go with answer number 1." <ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Budiansky interview at Metal Machine]</ref>
[[Image:G1RatchetSexchange.jpg|thumb|300px|So Ratchet basically avoided becoming part of the ''Girls Gone Wild'' cast. Good on her. Er, him.]]
*In the Shout! Factory Matrix of Leadership Special Edition DVD set, an interview with Bob Budiansky features close-ups of his original character notes for several characters, Ratchet being one of them. Oddly, his handwritten notes refer to Ratchet as "her" and the Autobots' "go-to gal" for repairs. While this obviously was not the final direction the character took, it is an odd [[Ratchet (Animated)#Trivia|coincidence]]... and a fact that makes the early nicknames "Cool Hand Lube" and "Greasefinger" ''even more embarrassing''.
*In later years, toys sporting the name "Ratchet" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Ratchet'''".
* Ratchet's original toy is part of a matrix of cross-referencing [[redeco]]s:
** In 2008, the original 1984 Ratchet mold got a green redeco as "Ratchet Emergency Green" in obvious reference to [[Ratchet (Movie)|his movie counterpart]].
** Meanwhile, the movie counterpart's toys got a red and white "Rescue Ratchet" redeco... based on the original colors of the 1984 toy.
** Elsewhere, [[Ratchet (Animated)|''Animated'' Ratchet]] includes elements from both characters, including Generation 1 Ratchet's chevron crest and coloration. (''Animated'' Ratchet later got a movie-based "Rescue Ratchet" redeco, to boot.)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ratchet/ratchet.htm Ratchet at TFU.info]
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ratchet Ratchet's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]

Ratchet (G1)

2010-07-17T08:58:15Z

Kcchia80: /* The Transformers cartoon */ using caption to point out he only has one cross here

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}{{disambig3|Ratchet}}
{{featured}}
:''Ratchet is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ratchetg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|All aboard the party ambulance!]]
'''Ratchet''' is the Autobots' Chief Medical Officer. If something's broke, he can fix it. Ratchet is known for his irreverent bedside manner; he loves having a good time, and his party-loving nature has given him a dry wit. He is not a particularly mighty warrior, which sometimes leads him to believe that he is expendable. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has trouble convincing Ratchet that this is far from the truth.

Although he's a healer, Ratchet often finds himself on the front lines of combat and, on occasion, the last hope the Autobots have. These pressures are sometimes too much for him to handle, but Ratchet ultimately never gives up.

His vehicle mode sometimes splits into his robot and a [[Onebox component|separate component]].

:''Nicknames'': '''Cool Hand Lube''', '''Greasefinger'''<ref>Nicknames found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]].</ref>
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics):'' '''Alavanca'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Doc'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Mécano'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Racsni'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics):'' '''Trinco''' ("Lock")
:''Czech name:'' '''Zdravotník'''
:''Russian name (TV):'' '''Храповик /Chrapovick''' ("Ratchet")

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ratchetg1first.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This look didn't last long.]]
Ratchet was one of the select Autobots chosen by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to travel aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of [[Mount St. Hilary]] with the rest of the crew. Once the volcano exploded and the Transformers reactivated, Ratchet was rebuilt to transform into an ambulance. He responded to [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]'s complaining by telling him that at least he didn't have to fix everyone all the time! Ratchet would rather be partying. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Ratchetgetstofixgears.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What a comfortable-looking repair sled they're dragging Gears into.]]

As their war against the Decepticons continued on Earth, Ratchet joined the Autobots' debate about how to deal with their dwindling fuel resources. Thankfully, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] had located a human, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who could help them convert fuel to a form usable by them, so the Ark was left in Ratchet's hands as the others left to meet with Bumblebee and his new human friends. Ratchet noted sadly that without fuel, even his considerable skills were useless. {{storylink|Power Play!}} While they were gone, Ratchet attended to the Ark. During his attempts at repairs, he uncovered something interesting in its memory databanks, but Optimus Prime cut him off before he could explain. Gears was badly damaged in the battle that followed, and his body was brought back to Ratchet for repairs. After working on him for a short period of time, Ratchet was amazed that he could already speak. Unfortunately, Gears had bad news; Sparkplug Witwicky had converted fuel for the Decepticons while he had been their prisoner! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

The Autobots were outraged at this, which upset Sparkplug so much that he suffered a heart attack. Ratchet volunteered to drive Sparkplug and his son [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] to the hospital. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} While Buster stayed at the hospital with his ailing father, Ratchet held fast to his oath to preserve life, an oath which made no distinction between organical or mechanical life, and spent long hours helping to ferry injured humans to and from the hospital. His human drivers were alarmed to find this out after the fact. Ratchet was happy to learn that Sparkplug, now able to speak, had told Buster that he'd poisoned the Decepticons' fuel. While this conversation was taking place, his drivers were poking around his ambulance mode, trying to discover how he was talking. After an angry, annoyed outburst, the humans fled.

[[Image:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Staring also works.]]

Despite Buster's good news, Ratchet felt he should return to the Ark as swiftly as possible; no one there was responding to his communications. Buster accompanied him, and en route tried to explain to Ratchet that the traffic signals were nonsentient and would not respond to his pleas. When a red light turned green, eventually, after Ratchet's attempts at persuasion, the Autobot admonished the child for his lack of communication skills. But when Ratchet and Buster arrived at the Ark, they were horrified to discover [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] standing sentry outside. Buster, who was small enough to slip in unnoticed, snuck inside to investigate. {{storylink|The New Order}} Buster later returned to Ratchet, looking like a fright, and told the Autobot that the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, and that their bodies were hung like meat from the ceiling! Even crazier still was when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was seen carrying the defeated body of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] back into the Ark. Ratchet began to worry that he was the last Autobot alive. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

Ratchet soon discovered, to his horror, that he was the last Autobot still functional on Earth, up against the entire Decepticon army. Covertly invading the ''Ark'', he learned that even the mighty [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had fallen. However, Prime's head, though detached, still functioned, and the Autobot Commander told Ratchet that he must rise up to meet this challenge. Ratchet did not believe he could; he was a doctor, not a warrior (damnit, Jim). {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[Image:Ratchetwarriorschool.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The more you know!™]]

Ratchet was no warrior, and he doubted what he could do to topple this new status quo, but still, Ratchet tried. In his weakened state, Megatron could not hope to defeat Shockwave and reclaim his leadership, but Ratchet approached him with a possible solution. Ratchet knew how Shockwave had fallen 4 million years ago (having discovered this earlier within the Ark's memory databanks), and struck a deal, sealed by the [[Rite of Oneness]]: If Ratchet could defeat Shockwave, Megatron would relinquish Decepticon control of the ''Ark'' and its wrecked Autobot inhabitants.

Ratchet journeyed to the [[Savage Land]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had fought Shockwave to a stalemate, leaving all dormant in a tar pit prison. He dug up the Dinobots and repaired them. Soon after, he met with Megatron on a snowy ski slope and announced that he had fulfilled his half of the bargain; Shockwave was defeated. Megatron, of course, went back on his part of the deal and threatened to kill Ratchet. Ratchet declared that he knew all along Megatron would not hold up his end of the bargain and admitted that he had not, in fact, defeated Shockwave. The Dinobots sprung up out of the snow surrounding Megatron and fought him, but did not succeed. Megatron now stood alone, triumphant, mocking Ratchet and his lack of a warrior's edge. With nothing to lose, Ratchet charged Megatron, but he was ineffectual. However, the charge had loosened the ground on which Megatron stood, and the Decepticon leader fell off the cliff side and disappeared. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

''On their return trip to the ''Ark'', Ratchet helped educate the Dinobots about human/Autobot relations by telling them the story of a recent battle with the Decepticons at a hydroelectric dam. {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} When they arrived, Ratchet and the Dinobots found the ''Ark'' defended by [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], an Autobot combat drone which had been reprogrammed by Shockwave. Ratchet rescued the Dinobots from the powerful drone by remembering and exploiting one of its few weaknesses, an access port which could admit a fine laser. Ratchet then began the task of repairing the Autobots, placing priority on those whose command skills would be useful. This put him at odds with Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who felt that the fallen Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] should be repaired first. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}''

''When Prowl devised a plan to use the Matrix to create an army of monstrous Autobot warriors, debate over the plan's ethics threatened to divide the Autobots. Ratchet remained neutral and asked Optimus Prime to step in and provide guidance. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}''

''Ratchet and Wheeljack collaborated on a Transformer-sized robotic suit, to be used by Buster Witwicky in battle. Optimus Prime was unamused. {{storylink|Robot Buster!}}''

[[Image:Ratchetmechanic.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Such irony.]]

After the destruction of Optimus Prime, Ratchet was not able to repair him. Unable to deal with his failure, Ratchet wandered off on his own during Optimus's funeral. Ratchet decided that rather than moping, he should concern himself with the other damaged Autobots under his care, so he headed towards a junkyard to look for spare parts he could use. However, he was abducted in vehicle mode by the [[Mechanic (G1)|Mechanic]] and his accomplice [[Juan]] when the two thieves were found by the police. Ratchet revealed himself when they arrived at the Mechanic's hideout, but the Mechanic froze Ratchet with his own surgical weapons and headed for the ''Ark'', intent on finding technology that would ensure he would never be threatened by the police again. When he had unfrozen, Ratchet followed the human back to the ''Ark'', but was defeated by his own surgical tools. But using pieces he took from the junkyard, he repaired [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and the appearance of the police car frightened the Mechanic away. The Mechanic escaped with Ratchet's tools and the [[Power Booster Rod]]. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime's funeral, Ratchet stood with Omega Supreme, Blaster, and the others, and an incoming fleet of aircraft piloted by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] was detected. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} After the Autobots teamed up with the human counterterrorist organization [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], Ratchet worked with [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]], who had already begun to rebuild Bumblebee. Ratchet was surprised to see that Bumblebee had been upgraded by Mainframe into a more-powerful body, and after the process was completed (despite [[Dr. Mindbender]]'s bickering), Bumblebee decided to rename himself Goldbug. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

[[Image:Ratchetneverisnow.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Paging Dr. Smartass.]]

With Optimus Prime dead, Ratchet and a few other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate a new leader. Ratchet stressed that their nominee must be kind, just as Optimus Prime had been, someone who would be willing to give everything he had. After a surprise attack on the Ark by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Ratchet had his answer. Ratchet's new patients, those that had suffered during the attack, had told him of Grimlock's selflessness in battle. The other Autobots agreed, and Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} However, Grimlock's leadership quickly turned sour, and Ratchet became the voice of sarcasm behind Grimlock's decisions. When a second group of Autobots led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] met Grimlock's Earth-bound Autobots, they brought with them a [[floppy disk]] containing the mind of the dead Optimus Prime. Ratchet couldn't contain his joy, and so Grimlock struck him down and told him to shut up. Ratchet was told to shut up again when he belittled Grimlock's disbelief that Fortress Maximus was part [[human]]. Grimlock set up a battle for Autobot supremacy between him and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (who fought in Fortress Maximus' stead), so Ratchet and all of both Autobot groups stepped out onto the surface of Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to watch the fight. Ratchet cheered relentlessly for Blaster, but the spectators were cut short by a surprise Decepticon attack. After the Decepticons had fled, Ratchet was glad to see that Blaster and Grimlock had, for the moment, set aside their differences, because they would need all the cooperation they could muster to repair the fallen and the heavily-damaged Ark. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''When an [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a time-traveling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] decimated the Earthbound Autobot forces, Optimus Prime no longer possessed the life-giving powers of the [[Creation Matrix]], so Ratchet was left with the monumental task of repairing them. {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}}'' During a period of work-induced stress, he began to hallucinate visions of his patients attacking him and accusing him of being worthless. It was during this time that the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]], posing as Autobots, offered to help transport Ratchet to Cybertron, where he could have access to new medical technology that had been created during his 4-million-year absence on Earth. He and three of the Sports Car Patrol took the bodies of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]] with him, though Ratchet was curious why [[Blackjack]] stayed behind on the ''Ark''. Ratchet's concerns were answered when, upon arrival on Cybertron, he saw standing before him the believed-to-be-deceased Megatron, who had orchestrated the entire scheme. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

[[Image:Ratchetbroughtthemhere.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Megatron inadvertently activated Ratchet's dormant "evil genius" gene.]]

Megatron brought Ratchet the remains of Starscream, demanding Ratchet repair the Air Commander while Blackjack held the ''Ark'' and its medical bay inhabitants hostage. Ratchet agreed, and he used [[Pretender]] technology to repair Starscream while secretly repairing Grimlock, Jazz, and Goldbug as well. After Pretender Starscream was sent to Earth, Megatron sought out Ratchet to kill him, but Ratchet had his own Pretenders ready. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} Ratchet sprung Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee (Ratchet preferred Bumblebee's original form) on Megatron, but Megatron and his Micromasters were too powerful for them. The Pretenders and Micromasters' battle wandered outside [[Megatron's base]], and Ratchet was left alone. Sacrificing his life, Ratchet warped the bombs Blackjack had put on the ''Ark'' into the Decepticon base in an attempt to kill both himself and Megatron. Megatron tried to escape through the warp portal, but Ratchet tackled him, and the base exploded. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[Image:Megs ratch.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ratchet to the left of me, Megatron to the right—Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.]]

Optimus Prime was devastated by the loss of Ratchet. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} He assigned the detective [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to investigate Ratchet's death, and Nightbeat hypothesized that Ratchet could possibly still be alive. There was an initial blast which could have knocked Ratchet into the portal and into [[unspace]], a netherworld between the warp portal's starting and ending points. A probe was sent to retrieve him, and it succeeded—but it also brought back Megatron, who was fused with Ratchet as a single, monstrous being. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} The Ratchet/Megatron creature rampaged through the ''Ark'', wounding several Autobots, but Optimus Prime would not let them harm it. This put Optimus Prime in an awkward position: Was the life of Ratchet worth the possible loss of his other troops? The creature fought his way into the engine rooms and began tearing stuff apart, and Prime's choice was made for him: The creature must be stopped. Prime fought Ratchet/Megatron to a standstill, and, alarmingly, the part that was Ratchet took control and pulled Prime's gun to his own forehead, pleading for the Autobot Commander to put him out of his misery. In an unpopular decision, Optimus Prime ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate Megatron and Ratchet, even if it meant saving Megatron. Bonded at a molecular level, neither could survive without the other, even when separated. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

[[Image:Ratchetjollies.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Holy crap.]]

Separated by Fixit, they remained in stasis on the ''Ark'' until Grimlock and his [[Nucleon]]-revived Dinobots found the ''Ark'' abandoned during the Transformers' battle with [[Unicron]]. They filled the entire medical bay chambers with Nucleon, not aware that Megatron lay there in storage. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Shockwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] stole the ''Ark'' after Unicron was defeated, in an attempt to return to Earth and conquer it. {{storylink|Still Life!}} However, just as Megatron awoke, Starscream and Shockwave were interrupted by [[Galvatron II]], who had snuck on board before launch. While Galvatron and Megatron teamed up on Shockwave, Starscream went to check on any other possible survivors in the medical bay. He found Ratchet, whose mind was still connected to Megatron's, and Starscream fought the confused Autobot easily. However, when Starscream mused that Ratchet was no fun to kill, Ratchet became enraged and defeated him in a berserker state. Determined to end what he had started, Ratchet blew up the ''Ark'' as it was approaching Earth's orbit, sending all four Decepticons and himself to a supposed death.<ref>Except all the Decepticons eventually turn up alive.</ref> {{storylink|A Savage Circle}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''Ratchet was present at the Ark in 2003 when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] announced his plans for a fully-functional transforming fortress known as [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}''

====''Generation 2''====
{{note|Megatron's molecular-level link with Ratchet was entirely ignored in ''Generation 2''. Megatron returned and was rebuilt by Cobra, while Ratchet's fate was not mentioned at all.}}
As Optimus Prime was being repaired after a catastrophic battle with Megatron, he recalled the events of the Transformer civil war thus far, including two of Megatron's encounters with Ratchet. {{storylink|Tales of Earth Part Four}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
{{note|The ''Classics'' comics take place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a [[splinter timeline]] that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or ''Generation 2''.}}
[[Image:Ratchet-AtFightsEnd.jpg|left|250px|thumb|From martyr to furniture.]]
Fifteen years after Ratchet seemingly perished with Megatron, Starscream, and Shockwave when the Ark crashed into the [[Yukon]], Megatron had returned to power. Starscream had been fully rebuilt, Shockwave's disembodied head was rigged to exist only in a tortured advisory role, and [[:Image:Ratchetgamesofdeception.jpg|Ratchet's body was stashed]], seemingly lifeless, in a dark corner of Megatron's new throne room within the Ark's remains. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

Megatron kept Ratchet there for his own amusement, able to talk but not to move, because the Decepticon leader had begun to consider his unlikely nemesis a friend. The Decepticon leader enjoyed toying with Ratchet's doubts; he asked Ratchet why Optimus Prime hadn't come to rescue him in all these years. Megatron also enjoyed hearing Ratchet's measured responses, many of which genuinely took him by surprise, though some Megatron didn't think Ratchet truly believed.

Megatron wanted Ratchet to know the real reason why the Transformers fight. After they watched Megatron's plan to assassinate [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (and end the Decepticon civil war) culminate in success, he told Ratchet why. It's not to win or to lose, but because of who they were. The Transformers were born to fight. Megatron picked up Ratchet's motionless body, set it inside a [[CR chamber|bubbling tank]], and left him there. As Ratchet felt his body begin to dissolve, Megatron asked him to give Prime his regards.

Later, the Autobots secured the abandoned Ark and found Ratchet inside the tank, reformatted into a new body. However, Ratchet noted that his new surgical tools looked suspiciously like weapons. He recalled Megatron's words about why the Transformers fight. Did he truly have no choice? {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Wally Burr]] (English, "[[Masquerade]]" only), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese), [[Garcia Neto]] (Brazil)

[[Image:Ratchetg1cartoon.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Ruh-roh. Rooby-rooby-roo!]]
Ratchet served as chief medical officer of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on its mission to seek out new energy sources to fuel the Autobot struggle against the Decepticons. When the ''Ark'' was boarded by the crew of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Ratchet attempted to defend his ship by attacking [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but was thrown into a computer console for his trouble. Ratchet and the other Transformers were forced into emergency [[stasis lock]] when the out-of-control ''Ark'' crashed into a volcano on a [[Earth|primitive planet]]. Four million years later, the volcano erupted, activating [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons. Ratchet was rebuilt into a human-scaled ambulance. After [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper's]] failed scouting mission ended in a counterattack by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], Ratchet arrived with [[Hauler]] to pull the damaged Hound out of a ravine. Once he finished repairing Hound, Ratchet was part of the battlegroup sent to stop the Decepticons stealing the oil from an off-shore oil rig. However, he did not fare well in this battle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

After the Autobots saved their new human friends, Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky, from the oil rig fire, Ratchet repaired [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]'s damaged arm in the repair bay outside the ''Ark.'' {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in the explosion of the [[Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma]], Ratchet helped the Autobot leader recover, but evidently his skills as a medic were not required, as Prime was totally fine after transforming back into robot mode. Soon afterwards, Ironhide was shot by Skywarp, so Ratchet carried the old-timer back to base for repairs. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

During an ill-fated Autobot attempt to defend the local solar power plant, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] managed to shoot the guns out of Ratchet and Prowl's hands. Smarting from the concussion blast, Ratchet called for the Autobots to fall back. However, Ironhide once again managed to get himself damaged while saving Optimus Prime. Ironhide objected to Ratchet and Sparkplug's diagnosis of his damage, but Ratchet warned him against backtalk or the medic would short out Ironhide's mouth circuit. To prevent further argument, he shut down Ironhide, cutting off the warrior in mid-sentence. After the Autobots were led into a trap by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], Ratchet discovered the tampering done by the Decepticons and restored the little Autobot. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[Image:DivideandConquer Ratchet at work.jpg|thumb|left|240px]]
Ratchet patched up the Autobots quick smart after they were caught in an explosion at a hi-tech lab. Of course, he immediately afterwards had to alert them to incoming Decepticons, and probably had to put them back together again after the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Roll for It}} With Optimus critically injured after a Decepticon attack, Ratchet and Wheeljack worked to repair their leader, only for [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to sneak into the base and inflict more damage on Optimus. Ratchet and Wheeljack continued to work, eventually succeeding in saving Prime's life using a [[Cosmotron]] retrieved from Cybertron by [[Chip Chase]] and a team of Autobots. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

A group of Autobots including Ratchet enjoyed hijinks in the snow when abnormal weather conditions were caused by the Decepticons tapping a crystal in the Arctic. The Autobots went to the Arctic, where Ratchet was part of Ironhide's team, which was separated from the main Autobot force and captured by the Decepticons. After the group faked their own destruction, Ratchet repaired [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], who had been shot by Starscream after refusing to terminate the Autobots. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Inspired by the discovery of dinosaur bones, Ratchet and Wheeljack designed and built the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s. Unfortunately the new warriors were difficult to control, and Ratchet was soon patching up [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. After the rest of the Autobots fell foul of the Decepticons, Wheeljack had the idea of reactivating the Dinobots, and he and Ratchet installed new brain modules, allowing the Dinobots to be successfully used in battle. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Ratchet was one of the Autobots who went to [[Peru]] when the Decepticons discovered the [[Crystal of Power]] there, and built a cannon to utilise it. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Ratchet was on hand for the impact of [[Meteorini Chipperoni]] and Optimus subsequently ordered him and Wheeljack to construct two more Dinobots to bolster the Autobots' ranks. Once [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] were constructed, Ratchet and Wheeljack held a demonstration. The two new additions quickly proved themselves and were dispatched to aid Optimus Prime, who'd run afoul of the other three Dinobots after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] turned them against the Autobots. By the time Ratchet and the other Autobots got there, Optimus had persuaded [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to defect back. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a rescue mission to retrieve Sparkplug from the Decepticon base, Ratchet was again repairing the Autobots when Sparkplug started trying to repair him, despite him being undamaged. Sparkplug then started working on Prime, despite Ratchet pointing out that Prime had already been fixed. Sparkplug was under the control of the Decepticons, and had sabotaged the Autobots weapons and Teletraan I, so the Decepticons could attack. After the attack was repelled, Ratchet repaired Teletraan I, which alerted the Autobots to the giant [[space bridge]] which the Decepticons were building. The Autobots rolled out, but were unable to prevent Cybertron being dragged into [[Earth]]'s orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom2 Autobot volcano.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Retreating to headquarters, the Autobots sent out the Dinobots to battle the disasters caused by the nearby Cybertron. The [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] which the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] was embedded in became active, erupting and spewing Ratchet, [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] into the air, necessitating a rescue on the part of Skyfire. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Ratchet surfed with Optimus Prime and the others to where the Decepticons were building a generator, though they were unable to prevent the Decepticons getting away with a shuttle full of energon and saved a bunch of humans instead. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Once Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, Ratchet and the other Autobots set about repairing the devastation it had wrought on Earth. They were subsequently occupied preventing [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s plan to destroy the planet using an [[Exponential Generator]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, the Autobots watched in horror as the Autobot leader was defeated. They later discovered that Megatron had cheated, rendering the results of the contest void, and allowed them to legally blast the Decepticons into a lava-filled crevasse. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:G1 ChangingGears Ratchet karate.jpg|left|260px|thumb|Now COUGH!]]
After Spike was injured during a battle with the Decepticons, Ratchet carried their injured human friend to the metro hospital. While Spike's mind was transferred into the [[Autobot X]] experimental body Sparkplug had made earlier, Ratchet repaired the battle-damaged Bumblebee, but was forced to cut short his repairs after Spike went on a rampage in his new body. After Spike's mind was returned to his real body, Ratchet theorised that he could probably fix the problems in the mind-transfer process, but thought it was better left alone. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} When Megatron captured [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and unwittingly threatened the destruction of the Earth with his [[Solar Needle]], Ratchet totally fly-kicked Thundercracker. After the Decepticons retreated, Ratchet and Wheeljack argued over which wire they had to disconnect to stabilize the [[Sun]]. However, nobody seemed to notice that he and Gears sounded exactly the same. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Part of a mission to [[New York City]] to investigate the disappearance of the [[Empire State Building]], Ratchet joined Spike, Hound, Bumblebee and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in entering the city via the sewers in an attempt to recover Optimus Prime. When they finally found their leader, he had been disassembled by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], and Ratchet had a heck of a job putting him back together again, including having to wrangle an [[alligatorcon]]. During a battle on the streets of the city, Ratchet and Ironhide ended up in the Decepticon's new skyscraper, and were again able to rescue Prime from a nasty fall. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

[[Image:AttackoftheAutobots Prime and Ratchet on rocket.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I can see my house from here!"]]
Ratchet was one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]] and was compelled to attempt to get some blueprints from [[Doctor Harding]]. After being de-evilled by one of Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s, Ratchet and Optimus jumped aboard a rocket in mid-air and Ratchet detached a solar satellite even as the rocket blasted towards space. The pair were able to get the satellite into space on Skyfire's back. Afterwards, Ratchet and Sparkplug realised they had to repair all of the jets the Autobots had trashed while under Decepticon control. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He patched up Mirage after another battle, and told the other Autobot to rest, but Mirage instead rushed off to prove he wasn't a traitor as Cliffjumper had suggested. After Mirage led the Autobots into a trap, Ratchet found one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s on Mirage's forehead. After the inevitable battle, Ratchet patched Mirage up once more. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[Image:Immobilizer Ratchet ambulance mode.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Ratchet attended the demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. It didn't go well, with Wheeljack being accidentally immobilized and the Decepticons stealing his device. Wheeljack was loaded into the back of Ratchet's ambulance mode, and they returned to base where Ratchet repaired Ironhide, telling him to STFU when he blamed himself for the attack. The Autobots were eventually able to get the Immobilizer back. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Ratchet was one of those who didn't take part in a charity race and was thus spared from being affected by the Decepticon's [[Transfixatron]] ray and captured. He and Wheeljack constructed an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] and mounted an attack with a small group to rescue the other Autobots. Afterwards, Ratcher realised that he was going to be repairing for days. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

He took part in the defence of [[Washington, D.C.]] against the combined forces of the Decepticons and [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Ordered to guard [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], he an Wheeljack cracked jokes at the robot's expense, until Optimus told them off. They were unable to prevent the robot's capture by the Decepticons and returned to base, where Ratchet repaired Brawn. A stealth attack by the reprogrammed ninja resulted in the loss of power to the base, and Ratchet soon discovered that the [[World Energy Chip]] had been stolen. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Dinobotislandratch&spark.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The animators never could decide if I had zero, one or two crosses on my shoulder. Here I have one ...]]
Ratchet, like the other Autobots, was taken in by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone]], at least until Windcharger revealed the truth. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He also took part in an attempt to stop one of Megatron's plans using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{storylink|The Core}} and helped Wheeljack whipped up an antidote to prevent the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s exploding after they consumed the [[Nova Power Core]]. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} After another Dinobot rampage at Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet sighed and started the repairs once again. The Dinobots were subsequently banished to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], no doubt to his relief. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} With Sparkplug's help, repairs were soon complete. When Teletraan I detected a disturbance near the library Spike was visiting, Ratchet reassured Sparkplug as the rest of the Autobots rolled out. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

When Megatron found the [[Heart of Cybertron]], Ratchet was among the group of Autobots who were first to feel his wrath and had to limp back to base. While [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] put a bizarre plan into operation, Ratchet and Wheeljack set up a forcefield to hold back the Decepticon leader until Perceptor's plan could succeed. {{storylink|Microbots}} Ratchet attended the [[Autobot Day]] celebration, during which Megatron managed to frame the Autobots. The Autobots were subsequently banished from Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They almost perished in the [[Sun]], but made it back to Earth in time to overthrow the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

After the Dinobots were damaged in a Decepticon attack, Ratchet repaired them, only for them to desert the Autobot forces. There's gratitude for you. A short time later, the Autobots were all disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} With Spike and [[Carly]]'s help, the Dinobot retrieved more Cybertonium from Cybertron, and the Autobots were able to repair themselves. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Ratchet was among the Autobots who turned up too late to prevent Megatron from stealing the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. After the Decepticons used it to jam Earth's radio signals, Ratchet helped some humans who'd become trapped in a blizzard. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was also part of the group who coated themselves in [[electrum]] to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:Kremzeek! Ratchet with Kremzeek.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
While defending New York against Decepticons drones, Ratchet realised that the drones didn't have brains, meaning they were remote controlled. Once [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] had broadcast a jamming signal, the Autobots were able to attack the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. Ratchet, Wheeljack and Hoist joined Sparkplug and [[Raoul]] in turning the drones back into cars. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After Optimus Prime's team of Autobots went missing, Ratchet and the others attempted fruitlessly to find out where they'd gone. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Ratchet also took part in the operation to rescue [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] from a horde of [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} He was one of the first Autobots to be disabled by [[Kremzeek]], which didn't bode well for the Autobots' chances of getting repaired. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

After Optimus beat [[Lord Chumley]]'s death traps, Ratchet and the other Autobots provided Prime with reinforcements. {{storylink|Prime Target}} He and Wheeljack picked up [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] after the Autobot plane was defeated by the [[Conehead]]s. Ratchet started patching him up, but Powerglide refused further treatment until he could rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz|Astoria]], the spunky heiress he'd been charged with protecting. Once Astoria was safe, Powerglide returned for more repairs, and Ratchet joined in mocking him for his apparent [[Transformer romance|romantic feelings]] for the girl. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:KeyVectorSigma1 Ratchet thoughtful.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Although Ratchet was puzzled by Megatron's sudden interest in stealing cars, Optimus knew what the Decepticons were up to, and led a team, including Ratchet, to Cybertron. There, they found [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] badly damaged. Once Ratchet and Wheeljack had repaired him, he explained that Megatron had taken the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], and the Autobots journeyed underground. Encountering [[Centurion droid|Centurions]] left by Megatron to guard the way, Ratchet and Wheeljack repaired Maintenance drones to send against them in battle. Unfortunately they reached [[Vector Sigma]] too late, and Optimus ordered that some shuttles be rebuilt into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} The Autobots returned to Earth with the new additions, and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] promptly blew up on landing, resulting in Ratchet, Wheeljack and Sparkplug working feverishly to save the giant Autobot's life and repair his body. They ultimately succeeded. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:CosmicRust Ratchet and Blaster infected.jpg|thumb|left|260px|'Cause this is thriller, thriller night!]]
The Aerialbots, much to Ratchet's disgust, seemed to admire the Decepticon [[seeker (body-type)|seeker]]s. When the Autobot team was plunged millions of years back in time Ratchet worked with Wheeljack to repair the Decepticon time machine to get them back. They managed to, but wouldn't tell Ratchet what had happened, leaving the story telling to Optimus. {{storylink|War Dawn}} Ratchet helped apply [[corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], and was later affected by the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] that Megatron brought back from space. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|right|190px|thumb|Seen here suffering from a unique condition known as "Dying Ratchet Syndrome".]]
After [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to provide [[energy absorber]]s, the Autobots launched an attack while the Combaticons were busy fighting Megatron's forces. Ratchet and Grapple managed to rescue the two prisoners during the distraction. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Ratchet was also a part of the team which came to the Aerialbots' aid, after they fell into a trap laid by the Combaticons. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} During another of Megatron's plans, the Autobots captured the Stunticons, and Ratchet customised some of the Autobots using [[camouflage paint]] to disguise them as the Decepticon team. Somehow this worked, and after Megatron's plan was foiled, Ratchet and the rest of the Autobots provided reinforcements. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In the year 2005, while piloting a secret mission to [[Autobot City]] in order to gather a stockpile of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] from Earth, Ratchet and his allies were attacked by Megatron. Ratchet and Ironhide returned fire, but they were both shot repeatedly and left for dead on the floor of the shuttle as the Decepticons continued with their attack on Autobot City. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Ratchet's body was evidently recovered for interment, as his grave was housed in the interstellar [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. Sadly, it was not Ratchet's fate to rest in peace; along with the mausoleum itself, Ratchet's remains were later plunged into a star as a side-effect of a [[Quintesson]] plot. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Amidst a massive battle against the Decepticons at the Autobot base in Arizona, Ratchet was one of the first to notice that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his cassette forces were nowhere to be found. Now suspicious, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] immediately alerted all his units in Japan to be on the lookout for the Decepticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

Later, as [[Kenji]] was enjoying a tour of a secret Autobot facility in Japan, Ratchet was alerted to an attack by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in Yokohama. The Autobots immediately rolled out to meet the threat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4}}
=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Ratchet was one of about a kajillion Autobots who arrived on Metroplex to provide reinforcements for Optimus Prime after the Decepticon's [[Omega Whip]] weapon was destroyed.{{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====The Stargate Battles=====

[[Image:Stargatebattles_ratchet.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

In the 1990s, Ratchet used Cybertronian technology to save the lives of human scientist [[Professor Adle]] and his daughter [[Katua Adle|Katua]] when they were both badly injured in an explosion during a field test of one of the professor's creations. The professor's right arm was blown off and Katua lost her right leg, but Ratchet was able to fit them with cybernetic prosthetics so advanced that they were even able to experience pain and warmth through them as if they were their real limbs. This convinced Professor Adle of the Autobots' nobility, while Katua developed a fondness for Ratchet. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

About six months later, Ratchet was part of a delegation of Autobots who accompanied Optimus Prime to a press conference in America. The conference announced the construction of "[[Warp Gate|The Trigger]]", an interstellar teleportation system jointly developed between the Autobots and the United States government, and Ratchet helped Wheeljack write the speech that Prime proceeded to recite to the assembled human masses. Ignoring [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s attempts to keep them quiet while the conference was going on, Ratchet and Wheeljack muttered to each other that they didn't like the Trigger's gun-shaped design, as it reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A little later, when human protesters gathered to object to the presence of the Autobots on Earth, Katua Adle was able to prove that they were not emotionless metal monsters by revealing her prosthetic leg to the irate crowd and explained that she could feel through it. After all, how could Ratchet have replicated those sensations if he did not know them himself? The shamed crowd relented, and Optimus Prime told Katua that he would pass her kind words on to Ratchet himself. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

=====''Binaltech''=====
Along with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Ratchet helped implant [[Chip Chase]]'s consciousness into the lifeless Prowl-2 shell when Prowl's spark was lost in [[subspace]].

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[Image:Ratchetgreatcarrally.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"You sure are a jerk when you repair me, Ratchet!"]]
{{quote|You sure go all to pieces when a missile hits you, Hound.}}

While [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was taking part in a cross-country Car Rally, he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s missiles. Ratchet raced onto the scene to repair Hound, and joked that his patient sure falls apart when a missile hits him! Also, Hound complained that Ratchet was screwing him together too tightly, causing him pain.

Ratchet is kind of a jerk. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

Following a battle with the Decepticons that resulted in many Autobot injuries, Ratchet and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were busy trying to fix them. Optimus Prime asked them about their progress, but they both sighed. Ratchet noted that even the mighty Dinobots were out of commission, for they had suffered the heaviest losses. But suddenly, the Decepticons attacked, having repaired their warriors in record time! Optimus Prime called his remaining functional warriors to the highways while Ratchet and Huffer returned to their repairs. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[Image:Agenda3-AutobotsonArkattack.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He's fallen and he's not getting up.]]
Four million years ago, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, and Jazz were on the bridge of the Ark when it was suddenly attacked by the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. It crashed in a dormant volcano for untold years until it was disturbed by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who had traveled from the far future. Ratchet's body was sprawled across a pile of boxes. Frozen in [[stasis lock]] as he was, Ratchet was unable to stop the Predacon from assassinating the equally comatose Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} This act would have rewritten history from that moment forward, but the ensuing time storm was stopped by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and some time-traveling [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"OW! I should blast you to atoms! You did that ''on purpose''!" 
"Tone down your audio amplifiers, will ya? That ''didn't'' hurt... ''much''."|Starscream and Ratchet|"[[Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire]]"|style=2}}

[[Image:Ratchettww.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The Cybertronian red cross is Pac-Man.]]
8.2 million years ago, Ratchet accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] to the [[Border Regions|Sub-Orbital District]] of [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]], which had been devastated after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] activated the planetary engines. He found no life signs in the entire blast radius. {{storylink|The War Within}} 600,000 years later, Ratchet remained with the Prowl-led Autobots after Optimus Prime disappeared in a [[space bridge]] explosion. He repaired [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] after the theoretician was damaged in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

Ratchet was among the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crashed on [[Earth]], and awoke in 1984 to battle the [[Decepticon]]s. After years of fighting, Ratchet and the other Autobots took part in [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human/Autobot operation that defeated and captured the Earth-bound Decepticons. However, the ''[[Ark II]]'', which was meant to convey the Autobots, the captured Decepticons, and a number of humans back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]], sending Ratchet and his comrades to the bottom of the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Years later, Ratchet was brought back by the sinister [[Lazarus]], who had recovered and reprogrammed a number of Transformers for his nefarious ends. However, when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] broke free of Lazarus's control, he hooked up Ratchet and a number of other Autobots to a device that generated a deadly "metal virus". Soon after, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] detached Ratchet and the others from the doomsday device, and he eventually recovered. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

''When the alien [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] took over [[Las Vegas]], Ratchet was among the Autobots assembled by Optimus Prime to invade the occupied area. While the others engaged in battle, Ratchet was tasked with dealing with the collateral damage, and leading the human residents of Las Vegas to safety. He returned to the protection of Optimus Prime and his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] augmented power before a nuclear strike hit the city, and lent his skills to repairing the Autobots who had given their energon to power up Prime's "Finishing Move". {{storylink|Annihilation|Annihilation}}''

''Over the next few days, Ratchet brought all the Autobots back on-line, including [[Bluestreak]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], who had each been drastically injured over the course of the preceding events. No sooner had Bluestreak been reactivated, though, that he was drawn back into the Keepers' control by their pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]]. Franklin's status as an "[[augment]]" -- a human specially engineered using Cybertronian technology -- allowed him to bypass [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security and infiltrate the ''Ark''. Ratchet blamed himself for allowed that loophole in the security system. Later, Ratchet diagnosed the effects of the [[deconstructionite]]s -- reverse-engineered nanotechnology used by the government against the Transformers to drain away their processing power. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

Ratchet took part in a battle in the [[Canada|Canadian]] Arctic with the Decepticons over possession of a crashed spacecraft containing [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. As the Autobots overwhelmed their foes, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived on the planet and gave them an ultimatum: Surrender and return to a newly unified Cybertron, or be destroyed. {{storylink|New World Order}} The Autobots returned to the ''Ark'', where Optimus Prime assigned Ratchet to a [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]-led team that was to remain on Earth. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} After Shockwave's lieutenant, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], took Prime and others back to Cybertron, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] remained at the ''Ark'' as Jazz, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] attempted to locate Scourge and his ship. {{storylink|Cold War}}

[[Image:DWSkyfire Starscream Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My crotch is my stomach.]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a team of Decepticons arrived on Earth, they attacked the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inhabitants, wanting the starship for themselves. In the initial assault, the Autobots managed to take [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], his cassettes, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] prisoner, but eventually all the Autobots but Ratchet and Brawn were defeated by the mighty [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Expecting a supply ship from Cybertron later that day, Ratchet and Brawn slipped past the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s berserk defense systems in order to contact the ship and warn them. Unfortunately, Bruticus arrived soon after, and they were forced to destroy the ''Ark'' rather than let the Decepticons have access to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Before the battle could escalate further, it was interrupted by the arrival of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] seemingly powered by supernatural forces. An uneasy truce was formed between the small group of Autobots and Decepticons, and Ratchet begrudgingly put his medic skills to work on Starscream. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} However, after Jetfire left the ''[[Orion (ship)|Orion]]'' to go after Sunstorm, Starscream used his [[Null-ray]] on the remaining Autobots, including Ratchet. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

Ratchet later aided in the construction of Autobot City. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Ratchetjoetf2.jpg|left|140px|thumb|Physician, arm thyself.]]
In an alternate timeline, a newly formed [[human]] terrorist organization named [[Cobra]] uncovered the ''Ark'' buried in a dormant volcano. Finding two armies of giant, transformable robots, they repurposed these aliens for their own use, rebuilding them so they could reconfigure into various Cobra-designed vehicles. Ratchet was reprogrammed and rebuilt into a Cobra [[H.I.S.S.]] tank. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1}} [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was able to break free from his reprogramming and awaken the other Transformers {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4}}, and, with the help of the human anti-terrorist task-force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], he defeated Megatron and Cobra. An alliance between the Autobots and the United States government was formed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5}}

Two years later, a malfunction in [[Teletran 3]] sent dozens of Transformers into various points in history, an act which, if not reversed, would result in a perpetual holocaust being unleashed across [[Earth]]. To retrieve one Transformer and bring him home, a team of Cobra and G.I. Joe agents were sent 15 years into an apocalyptic future where [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his Decepticons ruled. The remaining cyborged humans had formed a resistance which had only one Autobot warrior who stood between them and utter annihilation. The last Autobot alive, Ratchet had grown bitter and battle-hardened after years of guerrilla warfare, and he demanded the team sent to bring him back to the present day help him complete one more mission. Ratchet, the Joes, and the Cobra agents were successful in freeing a factory nearby that was manned by enslaved humans, but Ratchet refused to go home with them and abandon his calling. [[Barbecue]] returned Ratchet home against his wishes, and as Ratchet cursed the stupid little creature, the [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] of the present day shot Ratchet in the back, putting him out of commission. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3}}

Later, when [[Serpent O.R.]] took Optimus Prime prisoner, Ratchet (still in his post-apocalyptic body) was part of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s rescue team. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Ratchet was among the Autobots who were awakened by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] in 1939, and joined their war on [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. During the assault on the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], he wondered why the Decepticons were so easy to defeat ''now'', after having been such a pain in the neck back on Cybertron. Ratchet most likely perished when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was smashed to pieces shortly afterwards. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Ratchet was happy enough to repair a badly-damaged Starscream, when the latter was brought in to the Ark. He agreed with Wheeljack that they should take the opportunity to take a look at Starscream's logic circuits, and maybe see if there was anything untoward which was making him such a disagreeable fellow, and Optimus was eventually talked around. It wasn't long before Ratchet had Starscream back online, amnesiac and surprisingly benign (it didn't last). {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

While on a mission to retrieve [[Sky Spy]], Ratchet encountered [[Stitch]], a veteran army medic, and helped him save a woman trapped in a swollen creek. The woman needed emergency medical treatment, so Ratchet used Sky Spy to scan the necessary information from Stitch's mind in order to complete surgery on the woman. Sometime later, Ratchet checked on Stitch and presented him with a new cybernetic arm to replace the one he used to repair Sky Spy. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===''Timelines''===
[[Image:Ratchetironhidedescent.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Amazingly not dead.]]
Years after the Decepticon and Autobot Wars had ended, Ratchet and five other Autobots were sent to [[Ceti Alpha Seven]] to destroy [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|General Deathsaurus's]] Insecticon clone lab and stop his planned Decepticon uprising. After a team of four (consisting of [[Outback|Fallback]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]], and [[Ricochet (Descent into Evil)|Ricochet]]) failed, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] followed to help. After battling swarms of [[Virulent Clones]] and [[Buzzclaw (Timelines)|Buzzclaw]], they finally met up with Deathsaurus himself. Ironhide stayed to fight the general, and Ratchet separated to find their fallen friends.

Ratchet managed to gather the victims but was captured by Deathsaurus along with Ironhide. Both were restrained inside the lab, which was set to detonate. Before this happened, Ricochet snuck in and freed them, allowing them to gather the wounded and escape as the clone lab was destroyed. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}
{{-}}

=== IDW comics continuity ===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Infiltration3_Ratchet.jpg|left|350px|thumb|]]

[[Image:Ratchetholomatter.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Ratchet's holo-matter avatar has no mouth, and he must snark.]]
Before the war with the Decepticons Ratchet served with the Security Forces stationed in Kaon. He was present at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3}}

Ratchet was part of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Although a loyal warrior, Ratchet's conscience got the better of him when he intercepted a Decepticon pulsewave ordering the elimination of [[Stoker|a human being]]. While he was too late to save that human, he encountered two more—[[Verity Carlo]] and [[Hunter O'Nion]]—who had stumbled upon the Decepticon plot. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0}} Ratchet broke cover to save their lives, subjecting himself to the wrath of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], who threatened disciplinary action. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3}}

Ratchet was seemingly alone in his convictions, until [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] agreed to help him and the humans investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in [[Nebraska]]. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] arrived while the humans were reconnoitering and began an aerial bombardment of the bunker, intending to destroy it. Bumblebee and Ratchet engaged the Decepticons in order to buy the humans time to escape the collapsing bunker. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4}}

The Autobots and humans were leaving the Decepticons to finish their work when an enraged [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] burst from the buried ruins of the bunker. Thankfully for them, Megatron was more concerned with the treachery of Blitzwing and Skywarp, allowing Ratchet and the others to escape with their lives. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5}} Unwilling to risk their safety further, Ratchet subsequently returned the humans to ''[[Ark-17]]'', where they met the newly arrived Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6}}

[[Image:Sixshot-devastation3a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]

After [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was apparently destroyed by [[Machination|a mysterious human organisation]], Ratchet determined that the wreckage the Autobots recovered was a fake. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2}} Later, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], against orders, accompanied Verity Carlo and [[Jimmy Pink]] to find clues on the missing Sunstreaker's and Hunter's whereabouts while Optimus Prime and the other Autobots went to [[Brasnya]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4}} When the humans set off a trap, the Autobots saved them, though Ironhide was critically injured and Ratchet was forced to abandon him to bring the humans to safety. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6}}

When the Autobots decided to relocate the ''Ark-17'', they were attacked by [[Sixshot]], who downed the ship in mid-flight. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1}} Ratchet was ordered to take Verity and Jimmy into an escape pod while the rest of the crew piloted the ship into the ocean. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2}} Sixshot soon found Ratchet and pursued him relentlessly. Ratchet used the distraction provided by some human jet fighters to escape, hiding among an ambulance pool in [[Pensacola]], Florida. Sixshot soon flushed him out, however, and pursued him out of town, forcing Ratchet to abandon Verity and Jimmy for their own safety. When cornered at the water's edge, Ratchet prepared to make a last stand, but was saved by the timely arrival of the other Autobots. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3}}

[[Image:Devastation5 Ratchet Jazz.jpg|left|200px|thumb|CLEAR!]]

The humans made their way back to the Autobots to warn them about an air attack by the military, and Ratchet took them with him on an orbital bounce to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. Unfortunately, this killed Verity and Jimmy. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4}}

Guilt-stricken, Ratchet managed to restart their hearts after more than 5 minutes, though he feared they suffered brain damage. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5}} Some time later, however, Ratchet was present as the pair were reunited with Hunter. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5}}

A year later, Ratchet and a number of other Autobots were led by Optimus Prime in an attempt to rid Earth of the Decepticons once and for all. Unfortunately, they fell right into a trap, and Ratchet was injured by a shot to the chest. The Autobots were then thrown into a [[space bridge]] leading to the ruins of Cybertron, where the Decepticons hoped the "[[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]" would eat them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7}} Whilst hiding from the swarm, Ratchet tended to the critically-damaged Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1}} After listening to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s tale about how the ''[[Trion]]'' and its crew had crashed on the planet as well {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}}, Ratchet mingled with him and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6}}

Ratchet later checked up on Sunstreaker, telling him that his separation from Hunter had been a complete success, although the human would never be "fully human" again. Their base soon came under attack from the swarm, however, so the other Autobots formed a perimeter around Ratchet and [[Roadbuster]] as they fled elsewhere. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8}} At their new base, Ratchet managed to use a [[CR chamber]] to heal his damaged comrades, although he reported to [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] that the chamber could do nothing to improve their declining morale. In addition, he and Wheeljack were still having trouble repairing Optimus Prime, and Ratchet cursed that [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] had turned into just another "clown with a gun". Thankfully, they eventually came through and brought Prime back from the brink of death. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9}}

Ratchet and the others finally managed to get off Cybertron thanks to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and returned to Earth to continue their fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11}} He survived the battle in [[New York City]], and cheered with his comrades as the Decepticons fled the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12}}

Later, Ratchet was part of the rescue party that saved Bumblebee form a military attack after the yellow guy abandoned his cover to save some refugees. After repairing Bumblebee, Ratchet told the mini-bot that they found him by monitoring human radio signals. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|Hidden}}

Several years after the fall of Megatron, Ratchet and the Autobots were still operating on Earth. It served as a meeting point for all Autobots who had survived the great purge the Decepticons had orchestrated throughout the galaxy. {{storylink|Spotlight: Prowl}} Not all Autobots were content with the virtually directionless existence Optimus Prime had led them into, however, especially with the human organization known as [[Skywatch]] hunting them and Decepticons alike. Ratchet was present when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] demanded Prime allow him to stage a rescue operation to recover Prowl after he was captured...and afterwards, when Ironhide came back from the mission as a corpse. He witnessed Optimus Prime abdicate his role as leader, and leave the Autobots to surrender to Skywatch. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

In the aftermath of Prime's decision, and the subsequent departure of a splinter faction under Hot Rod's command, Ratchet and the others were left in a state of shock. With the war effectively over and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] missing, the line of succession was no longer clear. The Autobots decided to hold an election to see who their new leader would be. No one was more surprised than Bumblebee when HE turned out to be the new chosen leader. Ratchet quickly stepped up as Bumblebee's second, helping shepherd him into his new role. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Bumblebee's authority was challenged almost immediately by the arrival of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], but Ratchet did his best to support 'Bee before Magnus took off on a mission of his own. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Ratchet had his work cut out for him, though. Not only was [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] undermining Bumblebee's authority from the start, Bumblebee himself just couldn't adjust to the role quickly. Still, he supported Bumblebee's decision to form a clandestine alliance with Skywatch through Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who was acting outside his mandate in the hopes of using the Autobots to stop [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and the other Decepticons still loose on Earth. Working in secret with Horiuchi, the Autobots hoped to prove their value and good intentions to Skywatch's higher ups by racking up an impressive number of Decepticon captures. They even began wearing specially-designed Skywatch insignia badges for communication and to mask their activities from Skywatch operatives who weren't "in the loop". After five successful bag-and-tags, however, Horiuchi threw them the first curveball. The Autobots' next target was [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], one of their own who had left after Ultra Magnus's arrival. As Ratchet and the others refused to hunt one of their own, Horiuchi demonstrated a hidden feature of the badges -- the ability to forcibly revert the Autobots to vehicle mode at his command. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

Left with no choice, Ratchet and Bumblebee led the Autobots in capturing Blurr. The whole situation was a fiasco, however, and Blurr even fired on Bumblebee during the encounter, damaging his badge. Bumblebee found the courage to defy Horiuchi and refused to turn over Blurr to Skywatch later that day. The colonel tried to mode-lock Bumblebee for his insubordination, but the shot to Bumblebee's badge had rendered it useless. Quick on the uptake, Ratchet whispered to Bumblebee to fake it so Horiuchi didn't realize he'd lost his edge over the Autobot leader. At Ratchet's prompting, the Autobots pretended the damaged badge had left Bumblebee trapped in vehicle mode permanently, despite Horiuchi's attempts to reverse the mode-lock. With Blurr's help, they recovered another Volkswagen Beetle to use as a ringer, allowing Bumblebee to leave the base and seek a solution for their predicament. Because Skywatch was constantly monitoring their vocal output using the badges, Ratchet and the others couldn't even speak a word of encouragement to 'Bee as he set off on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

With Bumblebee on the loose, Ratchet continued the ruse of pretending to cooperate with Colonel Horiuchi and his staff, showing them the malfunctioning "Bumblebee" for examination. Meanwhile, he and Wheeljack kept in touch with the real Bumblebee using a text-only comm signal that wouldn't show up on Skywatch's monitoring. Ratchet was named acting leader of the Autobots while "Bumblebee" was off-line, as he and Wheeljack secretly led the real Bumblebee to [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], creator of the badges' control board. Bumblebee needed access to the board's schematics in order to free his friends, but had to manipulate [[Serena Bharwaney|Bharwaney's young daughter]] into helping him. Ratchet had to comfort Bumblebee through "using" the girl for his own purposes. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

Unfortunately, the rogue Decepticon Skywarp had also learned of the board, and was coming to Bharwaney's to steal it. Ratchet and the other Autobots were forced to blow their cover to rush to Bumblebee's aid. They were too late, however, and Bumblebee was forced to set off an EMP, knocking him and Skywarp off-line while disabling the control board and the badges as well. As Ratchet brought Bumblebee in for repairs, he reluctantly agreed to upgrade his new commander into a more war-like, combat ready body to fit his new duties. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

Soon, Ultra Magnus returned from his scouting mission to challenge Bumblebee's authority again, gathering Ratchet and several other Autobots in the name of the [[Tyrest Accord]] to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Hot Rod's mistake became clear when his "ally", [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], activated a new Decepticon combiner and unleashed it on the Autobots. {{storylink|Enemies of the System}}

After several Autobots were damaged fighting [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Ratchet began patching them up as best he could, with the help of Skywatch personnel. He barely finished working on Ultra Magnus before the enforcer stomped off to search for [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. {{storylink|Earthworks}} Following this, the Autobots entered a formal alliance with Skywatch. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 7}}

{{spoiler|The Transformers issue 9|August 14 2010}}
Ratchet was helping a human technician repair [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] showed up and asked for the Autobots' help with defeating the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. They accepted, but due to pressure from the [[President of the United States]], they were going to have to do it in disguise. {{storylink|The Transformers issue 9}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
Ratchet was with the Autobots hiding out in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]], with most of the Autobot forces having been defeated. He tended to the seriously wounded [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire's]] injuries, and suggested surrender to the Decepticons to save their fellow Autobot's life. When [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (disguised as Bumblebee) and the Decepticons attacked, he attempted to reason with the Decepticon mercenary about Jetfire's condition, only to be attacked for his trouble. After the Autobots surrendered, he was furious when Mirage betrayed his word and prepared to carry out Megatron's order to execute the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
With Optimus Prime in stasis lock, Ratchet and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] appeared to be the co-leaders of the Autobots in the 19th century. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1}} Despite [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee's]] pleading, he was reluctant to interfere with the humans, but nevertheless participated in the pursuit of the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as it headed to [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4}}

His "Ice Age Wars" altmode is uncertain, but it clearly has scales and spikes. His 19th-century altmode is a medical boxcar. He may be the very first Transformer depicted with a boxcar altmode, as prior to this, all train-based Transformers were locomotives.

{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:RatchetHenkeiTsushima.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Ma'am, I'm just an SUV—oh, fine."]]
Despite rescuing a girl from a burning building, she had fallen unconscious, so he offered to drive her and her mother to the hospital. Unfortunately, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was tailing them from above. He would have blasted Ratchet, but Inferno blocked the shot with his fire truck mode, transformed, and then knocked Starscream out of the sky with his water cannon. Thanks to Inferno's help, Ratchet was able to successfully deliver the girl to the hospital.

But Ratchet's work wasn't done, as he had taken note of Inferno's heavy injuries. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Ratchettoyg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Why's everything so dark in here?]]
* '''Ratchet''' (1984/1986/1990/2001/2007)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''99'''
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: Ratchet was originally a Onebox Ambulance Type toy from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line before [[Hasbro]] brought ''Transformers'' to North America. The toy transforms from an ambulance to a robot and [[Onebox component|gun-station]]. A variant of the toy includes red crosses on the top and sides of the vehicle. Ratchet and his [[retool]]/[[redeco]] buddy [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], like all Diaclones, were designed to be piloted mecha, which is why he has a seat instead of a head. The Transformers version applied a face sticker to the back of the seat in lieu of a real sculpted noggin.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in multiple offers, including the [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]] flier packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point]]s.

: In Japan, Ratchet was originally only available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail-away, costing 1700 yen and 4 robot points. In 2001, he was reissued in Japan as an [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]], paired with Ironhide.

:[[Image:Encoretoy-Ratchetwithhead.jpg|left|thumb|100px|This looks ... better?]]

: In mid-December 2007, he was reissued again as part of Takara's Transformers Encore line. This particular version came with an illustration on one box flap depicting Ratchet's cartoon-design head and chest windshield. By punching out the image along the perforated edges, folding it just so and tucking it in behind the toy's windshield, one could give the toy a "real" head, just like in the TV series, instead of using the Diaclone-original windshield face sticker. Sort of. This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the mobile platform's gun-base, designed to keep Ratchet more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go.

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

{{-}}
{{anchor|EmergencyGreen}}

[[Image:Encoreratchetemergencygreen.jpg|right|250px|thumb|To the Mystery Machine, gang!]]
* '''Ratchet Emergency Green''' (2008)
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: A [[redeco]] of the original toy (well, the retooled Encore version) which [[homage]]s [[Ratchet (Movie)|the live-action movie Ratchet]], Ratchet Emergency Green is a Japanese mail-away exclusive available with a purchase of the book ''[[Transformers Visualworks]]''. After the book release on December 4, 2007, purchasers could mail in a ticket from the book and purchase either one (5200yen) or two (10,000 yen) of the item. Ratchet shipped to customers in April 2008. He comes in the same packaging as the regular Encore release, including packaging images, instructions, and the same white-headed cardboard torso punch-out.

: He's totally awesome.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/EmergencyGreenRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on Emergency Green Ratchet at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-RatchetDiE.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Maybe photographing him against a white backdrop wasn't such a great idea.]]
* '''Autobot Ratchet & Flareup''' (2005)
**''Accessories'': Lightbar/blaster

: One of two "souvenir" packages [[exclusive]] to [[BotCon 2005]], Ratchet is a retooling of the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' Autobot [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]] with a new head, transforming into a large utility van. In robot mode, his lower vehicle portion becomes a [[Onebox component|mobile battle/repair platform]]. Ratchet can fold his legs back and up over his shoulders (wow!) and re-attach to this platform for a "battle mode". In this, ahem, ''position'', Ratchet 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.

: The mold's standard "receiver dish" weapon was not produced; instead, he came with a new "light bar" that pegged onto his roof in much the same manner.

: He could only be purchased in an at-show "souvenir" two-pack along with [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]]. This mold was also used to make [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] for the same convention.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on BotCon Ratchet at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkeitoy-Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Surprise, I'm colored like the cartoon!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-14'''
**''Accessories:'' Converting Cannon

: A redeco and retooling of the [[Universe (2008 franchise)|2008 ''Universe'']] [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide toy]], ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Ratchet transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a red Japanese-style emergency lightbar, is cast in bright white plastic and has a deco resembling Ratchet's appearance in the original cartoon series, down to his dark gray head crest. Like all ''Henkei'' toys, he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] plastic, specifically his headlights and taillights, as well as his "Converting Cannon" weapon.

{{-}}
===Universe (2008)===
====Generation 1 Series====
[[Image:Ratchet25toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|No, not that [[Ratchet (Universe)|Universe Ratchet]].]]
*'''Autobot Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Medical Dispenser/Combat Blade

: Like ''Henkei'' Ratchet, ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Ratchet is a redeco and retooling of the ''Universe'' Ironhide toy, and transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a blue American-style emergency lightbar (as opposed to Henkei Ratchet's different tooled red Japanese-style emergency lightbar), is cast in pearlescent white plastic and has a rather generic "Ratchety" colour/paint scheme. His license plate also reads [[The Pri¢e of Life!|H3L PU2]].

:While similar in execution, there are a great many changes from Henkei Ratchet to Universe Ratchet. The red paint detailing on Universe Ratchet is different than that of Henkei Ratchet in color and layout. The Henkei version's stripes resemble that more of his original counterpart, while the Universe version resemble that of his ''[[Ratchet (Animated)|Animated]]'' version. Henkei Ratchet uses chrome paint on his weapon and both sets of lights while the Universe version leaves them unpainted. Gray paint covers Henkei Ratchet's gun barrel and silver on his upper chest (behind the chest window), these parts remain unpainted on Universe Ratchet. The paint used for the windows of Universe Ratchet is a light blue while Henkei Ratchet uses a deeper metallic blue paint. Universe Ratchet has black forearms and upper thighs, while the Japanese version uses a pure white (different from the white used through out the rest of the figure). Universe Ratchet has a yellow vanity plate and red head crest while Henkei Ratchet has a blank gray plate and gray head crest. Universe Ratchet features a blue blade on his weapon, while Henkei Ratchet features a red blade. Universe Ratchet also features a lighter red plastic than the Henkei version.

:Like ''Universe'' Ironhide, the blue paint used for his opaque windows matches ''really'', '''''really''''' badly with his translucent blue plastic windows.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{anchor|TakaraDecoy}}
[[Image:G1-toy DecoyRatchet.jpg|right|thumb|Ratchet cosplaying as Ironhide, or Ironhide cosplaying as Ratchet? You, the viewer, decides!]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ratchet was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

{{anchor|HasbroDecoy}}

*'''Ratchet''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''6'''

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ratchet game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is 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)|Technobot]]s.

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

{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:SCF-Act6-Ratchet.jpg|right|thumb|Super-action pose doctor!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2002)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ratchet was available in "Act 6" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line, a slight retooling of the Ironhide figurine with a new head and "gun"-hand (despite the fact that their two [[character model]]s are not quite identical). Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the pewter version of Ratchet came packaged with the left leg of the wave's [[Grand Maximus]] collectable "build-a-figure".

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

: Ratchet's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ratchet was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Part of the fifth and final wave of ''Heroes of Cybertron'', Ratchet was, unlike the Japanese figure, sold on an indivudual blister card and came packaged with the right leg of the [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

{{--}}
===Transformers Mini-Bust===
[[Image:Ratchet-DiamondSelectstatue.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Your choice of head! His choice of medical tools.]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2009)

: Released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2009, Ratchet was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. The bust continues the tradition of giving all Ratchet merchandise (but not toys) the [[wikipedia:International_Committee_of_the_Red_Cross|red cross]] insignia on their shoulders to better match the Animation model. Ratchet's Bio credits him and Wheeljack with creating the [[Dinobot_(G1)#Cartoon_continuity|Dinobots]]; effectively making him the cartoon version but he comes packaged with two heads for do-it-yourself retconning. Comic accurate red helmet with white chevron, or the cartoon accurate white helmet with grey chevron. Fans of the Universe 2.0 version (white helmet, red chevron) will have to buy some red paint when they pick their bust up. Three tools are also included with the Bust. One slightly resembling the [[Power Booster Rod]], the other a Cybertronian version of an [[wikipedia:otoscope|otoscope]] and the third is some sort of medical gear shaft. They are not sculpted on nor do they possess a magnet and are simply lodged in his hands for display.

{{-}}
==Notes==
*[[Bob Budiansky]] has said that he named Ratchet after the less-friendly medic Nurse ''Ratched'' from ''[[wikipedia:Ratched|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''.
*Ratchet never really showed his party animal spirit in Marvel, outside of the start of "Warrior School". Budiansky gives two answers for why: "1) in the comic book stories, he always found himself in situations too serious to allow his party personality to emerge. 2) I screwed up and forgot I had written that as part of his profile. I prefer to go with answer number 1." <ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Budiansky interview at Metal Machine]</ref>
[[Image:G1RatchetSexchange.jpg|thumb|300px|So Ratchet basically avoided becoming part of the ''Girls Gone Wild'' cast. Good on her. Er, him.]]
*In the Shout! Factory Matrix of Leadership Special Edition DVD set, an interview with Bob Budiansky features close-ups of his original character notes for several characters, Ratchet being one of them. Oddly, his handwritten notes refer to Ratchet as "her" and the Autobots' "go-to gal" for repairs. While this obviously was not the final direction the character took, it is an odd [[Ratchet (Animated)#Trivia|coincidence]]... and a fact that makes the early nicknames "Cool Hand Lube" and "Greasefinger" ''even more embarrassing''.
*In later years, toys sporting the name "Ratchet" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Ratchet'''".
* Ratchet's original toy is part of a matrix of cross-referencing [[redeco]]s:
** In 2008, the original 1984 Ratchet mold got a green redeco as "Ratchet Emergency Green" in obvious reference to [[Ratchet (Movie)|his movie counterpart]].
** Meanwhile, the movie counterpart's toys got a red and white "Rescue Ratchet" redeco... based on the original colors of the 1984 toy.
** Elsewhere, [[Ratchet (Animated)|''Animated'' Ratchet]] includes elements from both characters, including Generation 1 Ratchet's chevron crest and coloration. (''Animated'' Ratchet later got a movie-based "Rescue Ratchet" redeco, to boot.)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ratchet/ratchet.htm Ratchet at TFU.info]
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ratchet Ratchet's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]

Brawl (WFC)

2010-07-14T21:47:20Z

Kcchia80: adding another caption; why don't I get to shoot Brawl's cannons in robot mode, dammit?!

{{faction|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Brawl}}
:''Brawl is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron|War for Cybertron]] portion of the [[Transformers: Prime]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:WFC Brawl.jpg|thumb|300px|I carry around these twin cannons on my back ... and my default weapon is an assault rifle. Sigh.]]

'''Brawl''' ''loves'' explosions. He ''loves'' to kill them [[Autobot|Auto-brats]], too. Really, if it involves massive amounts of violence, chances are he'll ''love'' it.

==Games==

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)''===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Nolan North]]

{{spoiler|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|July 24}}

During the final days of the war, Brawl served aboard a Decepticon starship under [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]], who was seeking the [[Dark Energon]] guarded by the neutral Sky Commander [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]]. He was part of the bridge crew, along with [[Barricade (Prime)|Barricade]] as Megatron laid siege to the orbiting station where Starscream hid the supply of Dark Energon. After Megatron gained entry to the station (by ramming his starship into it, no less), Brawl and Barricade then helped Megatron fight his way into the station, past Starscream's soldiers. Starscream's constant taunting irritated Brawl, to the point he requested permission to rip off Starscream's head. He even said please. The Decepticons eventually reached the supply of Dark Energon and prevented Starscream from destroying it, and as his reward, Brawl was infused with the corrupted Energon's power by Megatron.

Later, during the Decepticon assault on the Autobot capital of Iacon, Brawl had the honour of commanding and spearheading the ground attack while Starscream (his head sadly still attached) commanded the aerial forces and Megatron personally led a small strikeforce into the heart of the city. Megatron's team eventually reunited with Brawl and his forces outside the Iacon Vaults, where Autobot leader [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]] had taken refuge. Despite being heavily out-numbered (and being dogpiled by numerous Autobots), Brawl held out until Megatron, [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] and [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] arrived to assist. Brawl complained about Starscream's refusal to give his ground troops air support, but Megatron wasn't interested in excuses.

When even Megatron's Dark Energon powers failed to open the massive doors to the Vaults, the enraged Decepticon ordered a bombing run. Brawl attempted to protest, since the Autobots' anti-aircraft defenses were still active, but Megatron would not be convinced. After the bombing attempt failed miserably, Brawl tactfully suggested they first take the anti-aircraft guns in order to guarantee success. Megatron noted this was 'an excellent suggestion' and commanded him to see to it.

The Decepticons successfully disabled the anti-aircraft guns and Brawl once again called down a bombing run, only to be bluntly refused by Starscream. Taking issue with Starscream referring to the bombers as 'his ships', Megatron cut in and ensured the bombing run would take place. However, Brawl and his comrades now had to hold off a massive Autobot counterattack until the bombers arrived. Despite fighting and killing numerous Autobots (including several Heavy Soldiers and Aerialbots), it seemed as though the Decepticons would be overwhelmed. Brawl successfully completed the bombing run count down and watched as the Autobots were obliterated. Megatron ordered Brawl to hold his position while he led his team to 'discuss' matters with Zeta Prime.

Brawl followed his orders to hold his ground to the letter. In fact, while Megatron, Breakdown and Soundwave were being attacked by [[Destroyer (WFC)|a huge Autobot]], Brawl watched, no doubt confident that his master would be victorious.

He probably wasn't too happy when Starscream claimed leadership when Megatron was apparently killed by a [[Omega Supreme (Prime)|huge heavily-armed ship]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron - Decepticon (DS)''===
{{charstubfiction}}

==Notes==
*Despite his [[Brawl (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]] being nothing more than a battle-hungry bundle of rage and his [[Brawl (Movie)|live-actin movie counterpart]] being a heavily-armed, battle-hungry bundle of rage (both being shock-troops you unleashed on the enemy), this Brawl is intelligent enough to act as overall ground commander. He even makes a calm, well-thought out suggestion during the Iacon battle, advising Megatron to disable the anti-aircraft guns.

*While his tank mode, colouring and lust for battle are Brawl, his intelligence, strategic outlook and command ability are more in line with the Combaticon commander [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]. The twin barrels on his back also harken back to his old boss, as the original Brawl only had one barrel.

[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Fiction-only characters]]
[[Category: Prime characters]]

Keith Szarabajka

2010-07-14T21:35:49Z

Kcchia80:

{{disambig3|Keith}}
[[Image:KeithSzarabajka.jpg|thumb|right|160px|In the Buffyverse my wife and son were killed by vampires and my daughter was turned into one. Fighting Decepticons isn't half bad by comparison.]]
'''Keith Szarabajka''' (born [[December 2]], 1952) is an American actor and voice artist. As an on-screen actor, he has played Daniel Holtz on ''Angel'', Robert Morrison on ''24'', and Detective Gerard Shephens in ''The Dark Knight''. As a voice actor, Szarabajka has performed as Kip O'Donnell on ''The Wild Thornberrys'', Jet Black in ''Viewtiful Joe'', [[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]] in ''Ultimate [[Spider-Man]]'', [[Venom (Crossovers)|Venom]] in ''Spider-Man Web of Shadows'' and several characters in Electronic Arts' ''Mass Effect'' and ''Mass Effect 2'' (which also featured the voices of [[Lance Henriksen]] and [[Keith David]]).

==Roles==
===Transformers (2007 game)===
*[[Decepticon]]s
*Additional voices

===War for Cybertron===
*[[Ironhide (Prime)|Ironhide]]

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843775/ Keith Szarabajka] at the Internet Movie Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Szarabajka, Keith}}
[[Category:English voice actors]]

Keith Szarabajka

2010-07-14T21:35:09Z

Kcchia80: an attempt at a caption

{{disambig3|Keith}}
[[Image:KeithSzarabajka.jpg|thumb|right|160px|In the Buffyverse my wife and son were killed and my daughter was turned into a vampire. Fighting Decepticons isn't half bad by comparison.]]
'''Keith Szarabajka''' (born [[December 2]], 1952) is an American actor and voice artist. As an on-screen actor, he has played Daniel Holtz on ''Angel'', Robert Morrison on ''24'', and Detective Gerard Shephens in ''The Dark Knight''. As a voice actor, Szarabajka has performed as Kip O'Donnell on ''The Wild Thornberrys'', Jet Black in ''Viewtiful Joe'', [[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]] in ''Ultimate [[Spider-Man]]'', [[Venom (Crossovers)|Venom]] in ''Spider-Man Web of Shadows'' and several characters in Electronic Arts' ''Mass Effect'' and ''Mass Effect 2'' (which also featured the voices of [[Lance Henriksen]] and [[Keith David]]).

==Roles==
===Transformers (2007 game)===
*[[Decepticon]]s
*Additional voices

===War for Cybertron===
*[[Ironhide (Prime)|Ironhide]]

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0843775/ Keith Szarabajka] at the Internet Movie Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Szarabajka, Keith}}
[[Category:English voice actors]]

Kari Wahlgren

2010-06-21T10:42:07Z

Kcchia80: itals

[[Image:KWahlgren.jpg|thumb|right|140px|No, she's got nothing to do with [[Hook (G1)|Hook]].]]
'''Kari Wahlgren''' (born in 1977) is an American voice actress. She can be recognized as Haruko Harahara in ''FLCL'', Kagami Hiiragi in ''Lucky Star'', Fuu in ''Samurai Champloo'', Kyoko Milchan in ''Heat Guy J'', Ashe in ''Final Fantasy XII'', Lady in ''Devil May Cry'', Tayuya in ''Naruto'', Emma Frost in ''[[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]] and the X-Men'', and Saya Otonashi in ''blood+''.

==Roles==

===Transformers (2007 game)===
*Additional Voices

===War for Cybertron===
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1312566/ Kari Wahlgren] at the Internet Movie Database
*[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=531 Kari Wahlgren at Anime News Network]
*[http://www.kariwahlgren.net/ Her official website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahlgren, Kari}}
[[Category:English voice actors]]

Kari Wahlgren

2010-06-21T10:41:40Z

Kcchia80: included Ashe in FFXII, a rather prominent role in a rather prominent game

[[Image:KWahlgren.jpg|thumb|right|140px|No, she's got nothing to do with [[Hook (G1)|Hook]].]]
'''Kari Wahlgren''' (born in 1977) is an American voice actress. She can be recognized as Haruko Harahara in ''FLCL'', Kagami Hiiragi in ''Lucky Star'', Fuu in ''Samurai Champloo'', Kyoko Milchan in ''Heat Guy J'', Ashe in "Final Fantasy XII", Lady in ''Devil May Cry'', Tayuya in ''Naruto'', Emma Frost in ''[[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]] and the X-Men'', and Saya Otonashi in ''blood+''.

==Roles==

===Transformers (2007 game)===
*Additional Voices

===War for Cybertron===
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1312566/ Kari Wahlgren] at the Internet Movie Database
*[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=531 Kari Wahlgren at Anime News Network]
*[http://www.kariwahlgren.net/ Her official website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahlgren, Kari}}
[[Category:English voice actors]]

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4

2010-06-15T09:28:26Z

Kcchia80: /* Covers */ JayE

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]] #4
|prev=G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3
|next=The Art of War issue 1
|image=devilsdue-joetf2-cover4b.jpg
|caption=My only friend.
|publisher=[[Devil's Due Press]]
|date=[[December 1]], 2004
|coverdate=
|writer=[[Dan Jolley]]
|pencilers=[[Tim Seeley]], [[E. J. Su]]
|inkers=[[Andrew Pepoy]]
|colorist=[[Val Staples]]
|letterer=[[Robin Spehar]] of [[Dreamer Design]]
|graphic design=
|editor=[[Mark Powers]]
|continuity=[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity]]
}}

'''Jurassic Park comes to Cybertron.'''

==Synopsis==
Below [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s surface, a group of [[Cobra]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] survivors takes stock of their situation. Storm Shadow reports that he saw the sequence Shockwave used to lock down [[Teletran 3]]'s teleportation sequence, meaning they can try to reverse it. Beachhead proposes sending someone up the via the conduit shaft that brought them down here, but to avoid detection they can't have any metal in or on them. Lady Jaye and Roadblock meet that requirement, and volunteer. Stripped to their skivvies, they start rappelling up the shaft.

Above, Cyclonus and Shockwave discuss the [[human]]s' ingenuity in regard to implementing the teleporter. Shockwave intends to vivisect the survivors for research purposes.

Lady Jaye uses a quick physics lesson to save Roadblock from a pulse coming down his cable. Soon they arrive at the control chamber, where Shockwave is amusing himself by taunting Perceptor about his plans to strip Earth bare. Their conversation is interrupted when Roadblock makes his move, grabbing a pistol loose from one of Shockwave's troops. He manhandles the gun into firing position and manages to score a couple of hits, providing enough distraction for Lady Jaye to reach Teletran 3. Despite Starscream's shouted warning, she enters the sequence, and in a flash of light, Team 4 returns. Right behind them: the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]!

Newly reformatted into massive and powerful forms, the Dinobots cut a destructive swath through the Decepticons, driving them to retreat.

The next day, the grip of Shockwave's rule has been broken. Optimus Prime thanks the humans for their help. Prime and Lady Jaye agree to make sure that all the teleportation technology is destroyed on both [[Earth]] and Cybertron, as Cobra Commander and Destro nearly come to blows. As the humans prepare to go home, the Baroness notes that Cobra Commander isn't too upset over losing Starscream; CC replies that "they can keep him."

At that moment, on the other side of the planet, Shockwave is undergoing repairs in his headquarters. Starscream is brought before him, and manages to talk his way out of being seen as a traitor. But at that moment, a voice begins speaking: Cobra Commander! Via a recording, he explains that Starscream's been nothing but trouble... and that his hull is lined with explosives. The top of Shockwave's command tower disappears in fire.

Three months later, at the [[McMath Maximum Security Correctional Facility]] in [[Spokane]], Washington, Dr. Mindbender receives some visitors from the National Security Agency. They fly him off to a secret compound, and order him to take an elevator below or be killed. Mindbender realizes they're not NSA, but he has no choice. Below ground, he finds himself facing a group of beings not of his world: Pythona, Nemesis Enforcer, and the servants of [[Cobra-La]]. They intend to open a dimensional gateway, heralding the coming of [[Unicron]]!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (11)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (22)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (23)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (24)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (25)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (26)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (30)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (31)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (32)
|c2=
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (10)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (12)
* [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (miscolored) (13)
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (14)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (miscolored) (15)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (16)
* [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] (17)
* [[Venom (G1)|Venom]] (27)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (28)
|h3=[[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]]|c3=
* [[Beachhead]] (1)
* [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (2)
* [[Cover Girl]] (5)
* [[Snake-Eyes]] (6)
* [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] (7)
* [[Lady Jaye]] (8)
* [[Gung-Ho]] (miscolored) (18)
* [[Dusty]] (19)
* [[Shipwreck]] (21)
* [[Spirit]] (33)
* [[Barbecue]] (34)
|h4=[[Cobra|Cobras]]|c4=
* [[Tomax and Xamot|Xamot]] (3)
* [[Destro]] (4)
* [[Storm Shadow]] (9)
* [[Cobra Viper]] (20)
* [[Cobra Commander]] (29)
* [[Baroness]] (35)
* [[Doctor Mindbender|Dr. Mindbender]] (38)
|h5=Others|c5=
* Kendall and Dupree (36), (37)
* [[Cobra-La]] [[Royal Guard]]s (38)
* [[Nemesis Enforcer]] (39)
* [[Pythona]] (40)
}}

==Quotes==
"You know, I always thought I'd die in Scotland." 
"Maybe I can help you with that, once we get back to Earth." 
"American humor..."
:—'''Destro''' and '''Stalker'''

"Oh my sweet lord. Saved by physics."
:—'''Roadblock''' avoids electrocution

"They don't see us yet." 
"Saved by scale."
:—'''Lady Jaye''' and '''Roadblock'''

"Man oh man... you will not ''believe'' where we've been."
:—'''Dusty''' heralds the coming of the Dinobots

"If you're hearing this recording, Starscream, you've somehow managed to escape from me. I imagine you've gone off to rejoin your Cybertronian compatriots at this point, yes? If that's the case, then allow me to address your superior. Starscream has been an ''unending'' thorn in my side. He is insolent, lazy, would have killed me if he'd had half the chance, and at this point has become next to worthless. ...But it's nothing the forty-five pounds of plastic explosive I lined his housing with won't fix."
:—'''Cobra Commander''', as Starscream goes boom

==Errors==
* Xamot was among the humans captured by Cyclonus and Shockwave at the end of last issue. How'd he get down below with the others?
* Dirge and Ramjet were among Shockwave's troops in the Teletran 3 control room. One of them is still shown, but he's colored as a random generic.
* Where'd Ultra Magnus go?
* The start of Cyclonus' statement to Shockwave ("I have to say...") is misdirected to another Decepticon.
* Starscream briefly reverts to his G1 colors before going back to the correct Cobra hues.
* That must be the slowest-moving electrical pulse in the entire universe.
* Perceptor gets a Decepticon-purple speech balloon for his "Optimus Prime is still alive" line.
* Pythona's speech doesn't quite match up with the details of Unicron's coming as revealed in the ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: Black Horizon|Black Horizon]]'' miniseries.

==Items of note==
* There's a LOT of random Decepticon extras running around in this issue.
* The Unicron/Cobra-La plot thread wouldn't re-appear in the third series, but would drive the fourth one.
* Meets or exceeds previous installments' levels of awesome.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Lady Jaye and Grimlock by [[E. J. Su]] and [[Jeremy Roberts]].
* '''Cover B:''' Roadblock, Lady Jaye and Snake Eyes hide from Shockwave by [[Clement Sauve]], [[Serge LaPointe]], and [[John Rauch]].

<gallery>
Image:Joetfii 04a.jpg|Me Grimlock not ride, me king! Get off, Lady Jaye!
Image:Devilsdue-joetf2-cover4b.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Dreamer Design
* ''Voltron'' #11
* ''Street Fighter'' #13
* ''Misplaced@17''
* ''Breakdown'' #3
* ''The Blade of Kumori'' #2
* ''Defex'' #3
* ''Infantry''
* ''G.I Joe: Master & Apprentice 2''
* ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #38
* ''G.I. Joe: Reloaded''
{{-}}
==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Devil's Due issues]]

Circuit Breaker (G1)

2010-06-14T11:27:14Z

Kcchia80: added disambig link

{{disambig2|a girl who hates machines|a girl who loves machines|Sephie Beller}}
:''Circuit Breaker is a [[human]] from the [[Marvel Comics]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Circuitbreaker.jpg|right|250px|thumb|When giant space robots aren't enough to bring in readers, you throw in some tin-foil-covered T&A.]]
'''Circuit Breaker''' is a villain whose pathological hatred of robots knows no bounds. She refuses to make the distinction between [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]], blaming the Transformer race as a whole for the attack which left her crippled. As such, she is more likely to do harm to the Autobot cause than to be of assistance.

Circuit Breaker was genius '''Josie Beller'''. Hired by [[Blackrock Industries]] only a few years out of high school, she was responsible for designing the most advanced oil-drilling platform in the world. Despite her well-publicized technological achievements, Beller was humble; to her, it was merely part of her job. She continues to be extremely devoted to her employer, [[G.B. Blackrock]].

But after being paralyzed during a Decepticon attack on the platform, she invented a uniform to enable her to walk again. Her computerized suit not only allows her to move, but grants her the power to shoot electricity, disrupt circuitry, and fly. This costume does not cover much of her body, but having the power to manipulate electricity gives a you a good defense against inappropriate catcalls.

:''Portuguese name (Portugal comics)'': '''Disjuntora'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comics)'': '''Rompe-Circuitos'''

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Josiebeller.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Josie Beller, pre-op.]]
After Josie Beller appeared on the news {{storylink|The New Order|The New Order}}, her life took a tragic turn when the Decepticon [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] attacked the oil-drilling platform that the news report was showcasing. Beller, who was operating the defense systems, fired harpoons at Shockwave. As Shockwave reeled in pain, he yanked away from the rig, ripping out the harpoon launchers, which, as a chain reaction of debris fell through the construct, caused the electrical systems to malfunction. Josie Beller was electrocuted. This paralyzed her entirely from the neck down, other than the ability to use her right arm. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

[[Image:Circuitbreakercrewcut.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Josie Beller, post-op.]]
Hospitalized, Beller blamed herself. She told Blackrock that she had failed him, and swore she would make it up to him. Blackrock tried to explain that Beller owed him nothing, but she would not listen to him. Her devotion was, perhaps, pathological. She hated robots, she hated what they did to Blackrock Industries, and she hated them for paralyzing her.

[[Image:Circuitbreakervsjazz.jpg|right|100px|thumb|"Destroyer of the colony! You shall BUUUUUUURN!"]]
[[Image:Circuitbreakervsunicron.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Who needs the Matrix when you got Scary Angry Chick?]]
Blackrock sought to equip himself better against attacks from the Transformers. Soon, he planned to unveil a new secret weapon to the press, the [[Anti-Robot Photonic Multi-Cannon]]. Josie Beller broke into Blackrock's office and disrobed, revealing an electrical costume which allowed her to move again. She declared her name to now be Circuit Breaker. The next day, when Blackrock unveiled the Anti-Robot Photonic Multi-Cannon to the press, it had been sabotaged by Circuit Breaker. She wished for Blackrock to introduce her as the real weapon he had intended to announce all along. But then, the Decepticons [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] arrived, intent on stealing the cannon, while [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] arrived to stop them. Circuit Breaker's hatred did not distinguish between Autobot and Decepticon and attacked both. However, as the Autobots refused to attack humans, both Jazz and Wheeljack suffered heavily from her electrical attacks. Blackrock pleaded to her, demanding she realize that not all robots were her enemy. She again refused to listen. In need of a recharge, she left, vowing to return to finish the job she started. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}
''Still fuming and wanting revenge on all Transformers, Circuit Breaker witnessed a girl playing with her friends fall through the ice. She used her power over electricity to melt the ice to get her out, but her heart had stopped. She defibrillated her heart using her powers, saving her life. But the adult present was unappreciative, calling her a freak and telling her to leave. This made her even more angry at the Transformers for causing her injuries. As she was flying away, she witnessed Jazz loose control on the icy roads which caused Buster to fall in the snow. Circuit Breaker thought Jazz was attacking Buster and came to his aid, destroying Jazz's gun and getting ready to finish him off. Buster pleaded with her to spare him since they were friends. Just then the clock struck twelve. Since it was now Christmas day, Circuit Breaker gave Jazz his second reprieve and flew off.'' {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

{{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}
{{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}
{{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}}
{{storylink|Monstercon from Mars!}}
{{storylink|The Human Factor!}}
{{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}
{{storylink|Out of Time!}}
{{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

Much later, she totally fried [[Unicron]]. Holy crap, man. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

{{storylink|Exodus!}}
{{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}
{{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction}}

==Notes==
* Circuit Breaker is also directly and solely responsible for saving the entire Marvel universe from the Beyonder, in ''[[wikipedia:Secret Wars II|Secret Wars II]]''. (At the request of [[Bob Budiansky]], she was published in that book before her debut in ''Transformers'' solely so Marvel Comics could claim ownership of the character[http://bwtf.com/interviews/bb204/]... although Josie Beller appeared in ''Transformers'' '''before''' Circuit Breaker appeared in ''Secret Wars II'', so, uh, legal headaches ahoy!). Legal issues caused by Marvel Comics ownership of the character forced [[IDW]] to replace all stories featuring Circuit Breaker with text summaries in their [[Classic Transformers]] collections up to volume 4. Starting with volume [[Classic Transformers Volume 5|volume 5]], Circuit Breaker's name and likeness was reproduced. A note in the copyright blurb states that she is a 2009 copyright of Marvel Comics and that she was used with permission.

==External links==
* [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/circuitb.htm Circuit Breaker] at the [http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/ Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe]

[[Category:Comic-only characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category: Marvel properties]]
[[Category:Supervillains]]
[[Category:Superheroes]]

Breakdown (G1)

2010-06-07T13:41:21Z

Kcchia80: added a caption to the Chaar photo

{{disambig3|Breakdown}}
{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2}}
:''Breakdown is a [[Decepticon]] [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:MTMTEBreakdown.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ever since the invention of [[Targetmaster]]s, Breakdown has been convinced his pistol is out to kill him...]]
'''Breakdown''' has an acute case of paranoia. (What was that!?) He genuinely believes that things, both living and inanimate, are ''watching'' him. (They're everywhere!) Breakdown doesn't like to stand out in a crowd. (Did you hear ''that''!?) He dreads being different and garnering attention. (Stop staring at me!) At times, he almost wishes he was a [[human]] so he could just disappear and no one would notice. (Get them off meeeee!) Needless to say, he and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (He's one of THEM!!) would be energon drinking buddies if each wasn't likely to be convinced the other was trying to poison him.

In vehicle mode, Breakdown's engine has got the shakes so hard that it can actually cause mechanical failures in other vehicles. (They're faking!) He can also rely (Ha! As if!) on his [[concussion cannon]] if he gets cornered in an alley. As you'd expect, his paranoia is his worst weakness. It's such a problem that the stress can trigger mechanical problems, and it does, constantly. (Oh, yeah, I bet you'd ''love'' to claim this was "self-inflicted"!)

Breakdown can also combine (They'll never take me alive!!) with his fellow [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to form [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]].

:''Italian name:'' '''Caimano''' ("Caiman")
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Panicon'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Vibrátor''' ("Vibrator", aheh)
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Pāo-máo''' (拋錨, literally "Reject Anchor")
:''Chinese name (China):'' '''Daji''' (打击, "Strike")

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Jack Angel]] ([[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1|First appearance only]]); [[Alan Oppenheimer]] (English), [[Keiichi Nanba]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Ktvs1 megs builds breakdown.jpg|left|thumb|220px|These Snap-Tite kits are awesome!]]

After a failed attempt to steal experimental rocket fuel from [[United States military]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] realized that while the Decepticons controlled the skies, the Autobots had supremacy on the ground, and so they needed new ground-based warriors who could out-drive and out-fight the Autobots on their terms. [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] was sent to steal various [[human]] vehicles that would be rebuilt to become the new Stunticons. Breakdown was given [[Spark|life]] by [[Vector Sigma]] along with the rest of the Stunticons. He agreed to obey Megatron, but there was a certain reluctance in his voice. He probably thought Megatron was out to get him, or something. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}}

[[Image:Breakdown.jpg|right|220px|thumb|I'm Breakdown and...what the $*#@! are you looking at?!]]

Whilst the Autobots were trapped on Cybertron, the Decepticons returned to [[Earth]] with the newly awakened Stunticons who began wreaking havoc and damaging the Autobots' good name by attacking the US military base containing the experimental rocket fuel. Eventually, the Autobots returned with the newly built [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] whose combined form Superion defeated the Stunticon combiner Menasor. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Despite this defeat, the Stunticons were the key component in Megatron's elaborate scheme to hold a [[Europa 2000|fake charity race]] from Paris to Istanbul so he could steal US driver [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s car which would be melted down to house the the powerful [[Pearl of Bahoudin]]. One by one, the Stunticons disabled the Autobot participants assigned to protect Cahnay. Afterwards, the Stunticons were defeated when Cahnay rammed his car into Menasor’s face. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

[[Image:Cosmicrust taking over this boat.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]

When Megatron was infected with [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] after a trip to the lost Autobot colony of [[Antilla]], the Stunticons were assigned to capture the Autobot scientist [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], who had developed the powerful anti-corrosion [[Corrostop]]. Arriving incognito on a ferry, Breakdown transformed and nervously informed the human passengers that this was a mutiny...no, no a hijack! Anyway, they were taking over the boat! Breakdown forced the humans into the captain’s cabin, though he actually locked them in the garage. After Megatron cured himself and infected the Autobots with the Cosmic Rust, Menasor attacked the Statue of Liberty in [[New York City]] with the ancient [[Lightning Bug]] heat ray, intent on stopping the Autobots from [[Matter duplicator|matter-duplicating]] more Corrostop from the layer they sprayed on the statue. Superion defeated Menasor and destroyed the Lightning Bug. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

After Starscream was banished for yet another failed coup, he returned with a powerful new Decepticon team called the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], who were able to outfight Autobot and Decepticon alike. With Megatron needing a trump card, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] attempted to call on the Stunticons to help, but they refused as they were having a demolition derby with various human-owned cars. However, the Stunticons belatedly arrived after the Combaticons' combined form of [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] defeated [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and forced Megatron to acknowledge Starscream as the new Decepticon leader. Realizing that Starscream would not stop at Megatron, the Stunticons merged into Menasor and disabled Bruticus in one mighty punch. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[Image:Masquerade_as_i_preducted.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Shouldn't the [[Red Alert (G1)|insanely paranoid]] Lambo Autobot have taken his place?]]

While assembling a new weapon capable of destroying any target by creating a chain reaction in its molecules, Megatron found himself short a few key components to finish the device. He sent the Stunticons out to retrieve those components by any means necessary. Breakdown and [[Wildrider]] assaulted a local optics laboratory to gather new focusing lenses for the cannon's beam. On their way to the weapon's construction site, they were intercepted by a troop of Autobots. It was [[Grapple]] who brought down Breakdown, setting him on fire with his arc-welder rifle by using a trail of fuel as a fuse. The Stunticons were dragged back to Autobot Headquarters for imprisonment, an experience that Breakdown considered thoroughly "mortifrying". Once brought in, the Stunticons' radios were disabled and they were trapped in vehicle mode behind energized bars. The Autobots then used camouflage paint to alter their appearances and mimic the Stunticons, hoping to get close enough to Megatron to catch him unawares. Autobot warrior [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] assumed Breakdown's appearance for the mission. After they left, however, Breakdown tried using his unique vibratory pulses to disrupt his bars and break free, and just as he "preducted", it worked! He caught his Autobot captors by surprise and blasted several of them before they could react, giving him enough time to free his fellow Stunticons and form Menasor. After a brief but memorable conflict, Menasor escaped the Ark and returned to Megatron. The cannon was rendered unusable by the Autobots' intervention, though, and Megatron's plan failed. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

[[Image:Ffod3_squalor_on_chaar.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Breakdown never did like sitting around the campfire with the other Decepticons.]]

In the wake of [[Unicron]]'s attack on Cybertron in the year 2005 and the subsequent Decepticon exile to [[Chaar]] in 2006, the Stunticons were reduced to being scavengers, fighting like [[slaarg]]s with their fellow Decepticons over the few scraps of energon they had. Motormaster determined that the Decepticons needed strong leadership to survive, and hope came when [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] brought news of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s survival and asked for the Decepticons to donate their remaining energon to revive their leader. While Dead End was pessimistic about their survival, Breakdown said they were doomed anyway without a leader and focus. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} However, while Cyclonus and the [[Sweep]]s were resurrecting Galvatron, the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] arrived on Chaar with an offer of energon in exchange for attacking the Autobots. The Stunticons were instrumental in convincing the other Decepticons to ally themselves with the Quintessons. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} After Galvatron returned to seize control of the Decepticons, the Stunticons were part of the Decepticon team attacking the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this continuity as detailed above, except the events of 2006 are pushed back to 2010. Japanese continuity inserts several new stories into the resultant gaps in the timeline.}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
[[Image:Srlf manga breakdown.jpg|right|thumb|It's nice to see him happy once in a while!]]

Breakdown and the Stunticons decided to have a little fun and tear up a baseball stadium in Japan. Luckily, the Autobots' plucky young ally [[Kenji]] was present to radio for assistance. All the combiner teams assembled, and it was Menasor and Bruticus against Superion and Defensor! Defensor was forced to break apart by the combined Decepticon attack, but Superion and Kenji got the idea to shoot out the Decepticons' leg components. [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] took advantage of the empty combiner ports and took over as Menasor's legs while [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] took over as Bruticus' lower limbs. All four Protectobots immediately launched Menasor and Bruticus into the ocean. Breakdown was last seen chasing his "possessed" teammates into the distance. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5}}

While posing as Autobots, Breakdown, [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and the Stunticons rampaged through the city streets, smearing the good name of their adversaries. Later, [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] posed as humans to rally people against the Autobots, and Motormaster's brigade staged an attack on the rally to drive the point home. The Autobot fire engines [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] arrived, however, and used their water hoses to wash off the Decepticons' fake insignia. Enraged, Motormaster planned to combine into Menasor...only to see Breakdown and the others were already retreating into the distance. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7}}

{{-}}
=====''Scramble City'' cartoon=====

[[Image:Scramblecity_breakdown_forms_an_arm.jpg|220px|left|thumb|Arm? Leg? He's the guy with the gun!]]

Breakdown and the Stunticons were summoned by Megatron to put an end to the [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project, and succeeded where [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] had failed. Their first strike was impressive, holding back Optimus Prime and a cadre of Autobots and shooting the Aerialbots out of the skies. When the Aerialbots formed Superion, Breakdown and his teammates followed suit and merged into Menasor. During the battle, the Stunticons tried mixing it up by swapping around their usual configuration, and Breakdown became Menasor's left arm. {{storylink|Scramble City}}

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

Galvatron kidnapped [[Doctor Dalton]] of [[Eran]] to upgrade the might of his combiner warriors. When the Autobot combiners arrived to save Dalton, Breakdown and his teammates were deployed at high speeds from Motormaster's launcher mode. They met Superion in mid-air, and the force of their deployment enabled the combiner teams to tear him apart. The Stunticons then merged into Menasor to move in for the kill. They were ultimately outwitted by the Autobots, however, who rescued Dalton and safely returned to Metroplex. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1}}

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

[[Image:Hmep3_breakdown_and_dragstrip.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Breakdown and the Stunticons participated in Galvatron's siege on Cybertron. They managed to gain the high ground against the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s and [[Throttlebot]]s, and rained laser fire down on their opponents. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Breakdown and his team formed Menasor to fight their Autobot counterparts, but were steamrolled by the might and firepower of the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. Transporting back to Earth, they attempted to interfere with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s quest for the Matrix. Breakdown and the Stunticons were confronted by the Aerialbots in the desert, but the battle of their combiner forms eventually led them to the Arctic. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

When [[Vector Sigma]] began perfecting the new super-metal [[Cybertonuron]] on Cybertron, Galvatron ordered another all-out attack on the planet to seize the metal for the Decepticons before the Autobots could make use of it. Breakdown and the Stunticons journeyed to Cybertron with the strike force, and confronted their old enemies, the Aerialbots. The Aerialbots got the drop on Breakdown's group by forming Superion and lashing out before the Stunticons could form Menasor as well. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Breakdown and the Stunticons were still in a firefight sometime later, as [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] passed by looking for [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and the Decepticon [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}} In [[San Francisco]], Breakdown and the Stunticons assisted Bruticus in using a carnivorous plant to distract the Autobots from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s plans on [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. They fought against the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s and [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

Sometime later, Breakdown and the Stunticons gathered in the desert as their Ninja Commander [[Sixshot]] began issuing orders. They assembled as Menasor, and took part in the escalating Decepticon war effort as five separate Autobot outposts were attacked simultaneously at Sixshot's command. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} The Stunticons remained on Earth while Scorponok took the bulk of the Decepticon forces to planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], hiding from the Autobots in the sunken continent of [[Lemuria (G1)|Lemuria]] where they mined [[crysmag metal]]. When Scorponok returned, the Stunticons, combined as Menasor, joined in the final battle between the Autobot and Decepticons at the North Pole. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon, comic and story pages=====

Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Breakdown was among those summoned, but only as a part of Menasor. {{storylink|Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} {{storylink|Zone (manga)|Transformers: Zone}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
====Generation 1====
Many years ago on Cybertron, somehow Breakdown existed before he was born and had joined [[Bombshell]] and [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] in shooting at [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

[[Image:Stunticonsmarvelg1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Breakdown is the blue guy in the background.]]

''Though [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] had given the [[Creation Matrix]] back to Optimus Prime, its influence was still present in his mind. He and Prime had their minds connected to a machine, where they shared a vision of a "Second Generation" of Transformers. Breakdown was the member of the Stunticons, one of four [[Special Team]]s. In this vision, Breakdown and his fellow Stunticons combined into Menasor and fought the Autobots Superion and Defensor. But Megatron and Soundwave were listening in on this vision, and both sides planned to make it reality. {{storylink|Second Generation!}}''

Upon learning that the [[cerebro-shell]] implanted in [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] had also granted them access to the powers of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] immediately built a team of Decepticons. The new Stunticons, which included Breakdown, were sent to find the Autobot [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], who had earned new trust for the Autobots by publically saving a [[human]]. After Breakdown and the others knocked over every car in their way to get to Skids, they turned to "protect" him from the new [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], hoping to confuse the public and discredit the Autobots. Breakdown combined with his fellow Stunticons to form [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and they fought the Aerialbots' [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

''The other Stunticons watched as Megatron raged at the accidentally insolent Motormaster. Breakdown looked especially concerned as Megatron seemed to have crushed Motormaster under a boulder, but Megatron had purposefully missed to teach him a lesson. {{storylink|Prey!}}''

Breakdown had traveled early with some other Decepticons to the Decepticons' [[Club Con|new island headquarters]], where he helped construct an energy transfer pipeline that led from the island through the [[Space Bridge]] to Cybertron. Megatron, meanwhile, had been attacked by [[Predaking]] under secret orders from Shockwave. When Predaking was defeated, (possibly) Breakdown found a "laser disk" inside Predaking that proved Shockwave's treachery. And then Megatron went nuts and apparently blew up himself and the Space Bridge before their eyes. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

[[Image:Clubconresort.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Breakdown is responsible for the mints on pillows.]]

Breakdown was seen among the Decepticons on board Shockwave's island base. When it was attacked by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], Breakdown and the others traveled with the space-faring island headquarters into Earth's orbit, though Shockwave was seemingly killed in the process. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}} [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who had assumed command, organized Breakdown and the other Decepticons in a battle against the Autobots on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]] defended himself by throwing a moon rock at his head. But when their island ship was damaged, Ratbat called for a retreat. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Ratbat moved their space-traveling island base back to Earth's seas, where it became a human travel resort to smokescreen the Decepticons' efforts to locate a key to finding the powerful [[Underbase]]. Breakdown was advertised on television as part of the island's smiling welcoming party. {{storylink|Club Con!}} Shortly thereafter, Ratbat's Decepticons met with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Decepticons, and tempers and suspicions came to a head between the two groups as Breakdown was helping move fuel to the island base's fission tubes. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

{{-}}
=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[Image:Jazz end of the road.jpg|left|200px|thumb|]]
''Breakdown was briefly seen at the [[Enclave]], rubbing shoulders with the various troops from Megatron and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s factions.'' {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} ''Later, after the factions merged, he drove into battle alongside the Stunticons and [[Battlecharger]]s when [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] led an attack on Autobot [[Earthbase]]. Although the Autobot defense systems were down at the time, Breakdown and his comrades were still ultimately driven off.'' {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}} ''On another occasion, Starscream and Soundwave learned the Autobots had a [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|human reporter]] writing a positive story about them. Fearing that good publicity among the humans would give Earthforce an edge, they sent the Stunticons to kidnap the human. As Motormaster made off with the reporter, Breakdown and the Stunticons ran interference against the Autobot cars following him. After [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] transformed and got off a quick shot at their leader, Breakdown rear-ended him in the legs. The Autobot was knocked out of the fight, but so was Breakdown as he had caved in his own hood in the effort.'' {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

{{Note|It is unclear which faction Breakdown was on before Soundwave and Starscream led their coup for Decepticon leadership.}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''Breakdown and the Stunticons attacked [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] on the road in 2003, making an attempt to steal the plans for the upcoming [[Autobot City]]. They were successful, but the plans were a set of fakes, so they ultimately didn't gain anything. A traffic light tried to tell Breakdown as much, but he refused to listen to it. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}''

''In 2008, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] were compelled by [[Unicron|Unicron]] to make an assassination attempt on the Decepticon leader, Shockwave. They sealed the door to the audience chamber during the attack, and so Soundwave summoned the Stunticons as Menasor to break through the door. They eventually did so, and Breakdown and Dead End were about to execute the Decepticon traitors when Death's Head returned with news of Shockwave's demise. Using a series of explosives built into his hover platform as an incentive, the bounty hunter forced Soundwave and the other Decepticons to submit to their leadership. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}''

====Generation 2====
[[Image:NewDawn-Breakdown.jpg|right|thumb|100px|Sneering because they forgot about his snazzy new colors.]]
Breakdown was among the Decepticons rallied for war against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] after [[Skullgrin]]'s death. {{storylink|New Dawn}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
At some point in Cybertron's recent history, the Stunticons were deemed psychotic and too dangerous to function in society, and as a result were placed into perpetual stasis lock inside of a prison facility. Later, in an attempt to create a diversion while he set his final plans in motion, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arranged for the release of the Stunticons. They formed into Menasor and ran amuck for awhile, until [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived and began insulting them. Unable to reconcile with this, the five Stunticons began to bicker with each other over whose fault it was that they were failing, temporarily stopping Menasor and allowing Ultra Magnus to ram the combiner in the chest, forcing him to separate into his component parts and disabling the Stunticons. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:GIJoevsTFII_2_Breakdown.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I learned ''this'' from [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]!"]]
It must've been Breakdown's lucky day when [[Teletran 3]] went haywire and transported him the Stunticons to 1930s [[Chicago]], as unlike his comrades, he stayed conscious the whole time instead of getting locked in a new vehicle mode. Breakdown decided to stay quiet, however, and let himself be used by a human criminal gang until he and the others were found by a group of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] and [[Cobra]] members sent to bring the lost Cybertronians back to the future. After overhearing [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] explaining what would happen to Earth if the Stunticons weren't retrieved, Breakdown revealed himself and stole [[Beachhead]]'s [[disruption unit]]s, using them to awaken Dead End, Wildrider and Drag Strip. With Motormaster absent, Breakdown led the others in a car chase across Chicago, which ended when Prime and the humans found Motormaster and sent everyone back to present-day Cybertron. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

[[Image:ArtofWar4_Breakdown_shoots_Nautilator.jpg|thumb|left|200px|]]
The Stunticons were later recruited into [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s army, and Breakdown both helped capture some Autobots and G.I. Joes and attack an Autobot peace ceremony in the form of Menasor. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} Following the battle, he and [[Nautilator]] were assigned to guard the imprisoned Joes, and Breakdown told his fellow Decepticon how freaky it was to be on Earth and have all those fleshlings stare at you. He then decided to check up on the [[Snake-Eyes|prisoner in black]], only to hypnotized by the human's [[Arashikage]] ninja techniques and forced to gun down Nautilator. After then freeing the humans, Breakdown was released from Snake-Eyes's control and fell unconscious. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:ForAllMankind-Breakdown.jpg|right|thumb|200px|"I hated that show!"]]
Breakdown was among the Decepticons abandoned on Earth after the fall of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Two years later, he was so desperate for energon that he attacked a human solar power planet, looking to somehow recharge. [[Skywatch]] was dispatched to the scene, and they overpowered the Stunticon using armored [[Crash suit]]s. By attaching a mode-lock device, the Skywatch agents forcibly reverted Breakdown to vehicle mode, leaving him trapped and unable to operate himself. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] took possession of Breakdown's car mode himself after the battle. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

Breakdown has since been relegated to Spike's pimpmobile, although the human did repair the battle damage first before taking the Decepticon out on the town. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Witwicky drove Breakdown to Skywatches' headquarters to interrogate [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who had surrendered himself. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

After an enlightening conversation with Optimus, Spike left to drive Breakdown around to help clear his head. He asked Breakdown rhetorical questions about his feelings on the war, knowing that the suppressor kept the captive Decepticon from being able to listen, but Spike's one-sided chat was suddenly interrupted. The other [[Stunticon]]s had surrounded Breakdown on the road, hoping to rescue him. Reclaiming Breakdown wouldn't be easy, as Spike began unloading gunfire at them through his busted window. Despite these countermeasures, Spike was forced to abandon Breakdown by leaping out his window into a body of water when he saw the much bigger [[Motormaster]] heading towards him in a game of chicken.

Breakdown was returned to the construction site of a spaceship, built by an alliance between some Decepticons and a group of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] spent three hours doing mysterious repairs on Breakdown, cutting into time needed to build the spaceship, a decision that had begun to rub the Autobots the wrong way. But when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and a group of deputized Autobots under [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s command arrived to arrest everyone for their illegal actions, Swindle's gambit was revealed. Breakdown had been rebuilt, like the other Stunticons, to combine into the massive [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. Surprise! {{storylink|Enemies of the System}}

Despite their new physical power, however, the Stunticons' combiner process was imperfect. The individual robots' personalities did not properly blend into one another to create the Menasor gestalt mind, leaving them mentally disorganized. Breakdown was heard complaining that he couldn't see anything from his position as one of the legs. The Autobots took advantage of this weakness, targeting the individual Stunticon components in sequence. Breakdown was seen surrendering to Skywatch in the aftermath. {{storylink|Earthworks}}
{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:BotCon2010Promo-Breakdown.jpg|left|thumb|250px|For some reason he has a thing about [[BotCon]].]]
[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] called Breakdown and [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] to him to help him brainstorm ideas for more ultimate weapons. Breakdown suggested they visit [[BotCon]] again, as it's the destination for everything Transformers-related. Also, there would be exclusive toys, special guests, and various functions and events! Little did Breakdown know that Counterpunch was a double agent, and that the Decepticons' designs for BotCon would soon be relayed to the Autobots. {{storylink|BotCon 2010 Promo}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Breakdown toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wahoo reaction, now a gucci cola sale]]
*'''Breakdown''' (Stunticon, 1986/1987)
**''Team ID number'': '''S2'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-51'''
**''Accessories'': "[[Concussion cannon]]", double-barreled "plasma-energy blaster".

: The original Breakdown toy transforms into a white [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Lamborghini Countach|Lamborghini Countach]]. He comes with a blue double-barreled cannon that attaches to the back of his vehicle mode. In robot mode, he is armed with a small blue laser pistol. As he was designed with the "[[Scramble City]]" style of combination, he can form the arm or leg to any similarly-constructed super robot. Although the 1986 Stunticon gift set shows Breakdown as the left arm of Menasor, Breakdown's nominal placement is as Menasor's right leg.

: The original release featured a red sticker on Breakdown's hood. Later "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" range releases in Europe featured a gold sticker instead.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Breakdown/breakdown.htm More information on Breakdown at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Menasor}}
*'''Menasor''' (Giftset, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-55'''
**''Accessories'': "Concussion rifle", double-barreled "plasma-energy blaster".

: Breakdown was also available as part of the Menasor giftset in numerous markets, along with his teammates [[Motormaster]], [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], [[Drag Strip]], and [[Wildrider]]. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2-toy Breakdown.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean you aren't coloured neon blue.]]
*'''Breakdown''' (Stunticon, 1994)
**''Team ID number:'' '''S3'''
**''Accessories'': "Concussion rifle", double-barreled "plasma-energy blaster".

: ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' Breakdown was released as an [[exclusive]] at [[BotCon 1994]], with only approximately 300 units sold. Originally, Hasbro had planned to mass-release a complete set of ''Generation 2'' Stunticons, but ultimately only Breakdown saw official release in any form. The "collect them all!" [[cross-sell]] on the back of the packaging featuring the other Stunticons was covered by a BotCon 1994 sticker.

: The toy is, of course, a [[redeco]] of the original Breakdown toy, and has the distinction of being the first [[BotCon]] toy ever.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Breakdown/breakdown.htm More information on Generation 2 Breakdown at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Timelines===
[[Image:BreakdownBotcon.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Cue the Miami Vice theme.]]
*'''Generation 2: Redux''' (BotCon 2010 box set)
**''Accessories'': Pistol, engine block

: A [[redeco]] and new-head [[retool]]ing of the [[Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'']] [[Sideswipe (G1)#Universe (2008)|Sideswipe]]/[[Sunstreaker (G1)#Universe (2008)|Sunstreaker]] mold, Breakdown transforms into a heavily-modified-for-legal-purposes [[wikipedia:Lamborghini_Gallardo|Lamborghini Gallardo]] in his ''Generation 2'' color scheme. He uses the "Sideswipe" robot mode with the hood-chest. His pistol can be mounted in either of the holes on his shoulders, as well as combined with the removable engine assembly to form a beefier-looking weapon. The engine can also be mounted on his back as his jet pack. His license plate reads "BCFW94", as in "BotCon Fort Wayne '94", the [[BotCon 1994|very first BotCon ever]].

: He's part of a ''[[Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]''-themed five-figure box set available [[exclusive]]ly at [[BotCon 2010]].

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei!]]''/''[[Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Henkei! Henkei!|Red Alert]] and the [[Transformers Collectors' Club|Club]]-exclusive [[Punch (G1)#Timelines 2|Punch/Counterpuch]].

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Trivia==
[[Image:G2Breakdown toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|So what if he can't transform? He doesn't have to link up to that jerk Motormaster ever again!]]

* An ''unofficial'' [[Action Master]] ''Generation 2'' Breakdown was an exclusive at [[BotCon 2004]], created from bootlegged Action Master [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] parts. Though this wiki does not normally list unofficial items, this one is put here simply to reinforce that even though it is a [[BotCon]] toy, it was from the one year that BotCon was unofficial, and the toy is not [[Hasbro]]-approved either. Thank you, won't we?

* In the ''[[Transformers Autobots/Decepticons|Transformers Decepticons]]'' game based on the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 movie]], an unlocked alternate mode called "Scout" is a [[homage]] to Breakdown.

* ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Runamuck (ROTF)|Runamuck]]'s vehicle mode deco homages Breakdown's Generation 1 form.

: Also, ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Brakedown_(ROTF)|Brakedown]] homages G1 Breakdown in form, color, ''and'' name.

* Breakdown's depiction in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'' comic is based upon ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]'s design sans roof. Sunstreaker's roof IS removable without tools, so feel free to paint away.

{{-}}

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

[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category:Predacons]]
[[Category:Scouts]]
[[Category:Stunticons]]

Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac

2010-06-04T17:38:03Z

Kcchia80: /* Transformers references */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac''
|image=Allsparkalmanaccover.jpg
|caption=[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s going to have his hands full cleaning these two up.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|written by=[[Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster]]
|date=[[August 19]], [[2009]]
|illustrated by=
|continuity=[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]
|pagecount=220
|next=Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac Volume 2
|ISBN=ISBN 1600104878 
ISBN 978-1600104879
}}

{{bigquote|What a brilliant book! Probably the best I've ever read, human or Cybertronian. I can't recommend it strongly enough!|[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], the rear cover of The AllSpark Almanac}}

'''''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac''''' is a <s>lusty</s> happy love-letter written to {{SITENAME}} for our carnal pleasure.

==Contents==
*Foreword, by [[Derrick J. Wyatt]]
*Introduction, by the authors
*Interstitial A: ''[[Transformers Hero]]''
*Chapter 1: [[Autobot]]s
*Interstitial B: Lighting
*Chapter 2: [[Decepticon]]s
*Interstitial C: [[Transformation]]s
*Chapter 3: [[Human]]s
*Interstitial D: Opening Credits
*Chapter 4: Events
*Interstitial E: [[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Titan Magazines]]
*Chapter 5: Culture
*Interstitial F: Design Evolution
*Chapter 6: [[Detroit]]
*Interstitial G: [[Bee in the City]]
*Chapter 7: Settings
*Interstitial H: Backgrounds
*Afterword, by [[Marty Isenberg]]
*A Word from [[Hasbro]]
*Acknowledgments

==Notes==

This book is an encyclopedic examination of the entire ''Transformers Animated'' storyline universe. It presents exhaustively thorough character profiles and summaries of the first two seasons of the cartoon and the ''Animated'' [[The Arrival|Arrival]] comic book...''all written completely in-universe'', in the form of "interviews" with the characters or excerpts from their journals and other in-story media.

"Interstitial" interludes are presented out-of-universe and describe the design process behind the art, animation, and locations, as well as brief story summaries of the [[Transformers Animated (Titan)|Titan Magazines]] ''Animated'' issues. Elements of toy design are covered as well, but comparatively briefly.

There are also an ''insane'' number of [[easter egg|obscure references]] to Transformers minutiae culled from the 25-year history of the [[Transformers brand|brand]], as well as other sci-fi and entertainment franchises as well. Basically, ''all'' proper nouns and names refer to something or someone, even if that someone is a possibly non-existent character only mentioned once in a letters page of a foreign comic. And that's before we start talking about the ''numbers'': Almost every seemingly incongruous alphanumeric string is a reference to another franchise, be it a ''Star Trek'' stardate or a Terminator's official designation. And that's just the content in English—about a third of the book's pages have large stretches covered in [[Cybertronix]]. Deciphered, these are all revealed to be non-Transformers-related passages, including song lyrics, catchphrases, memes, map coordinates and extensive, verbatim quotes from diverse sources ranging from Tennyson's ''Ulysses'' to ''Max Headroom''. In particular, the book has a noticeable number of hidden references to [[wikipedia: Iron Maiden|Iron Maiden]], courtesy of author Bill Forster, a massive fan of the band.

Derrick Wyatt has promised that there will be a second AllSpark Almanac (currently in the works), and that it will feature all of the [[Cyber-Ninja Corps|Cyber-Ninjas]].[http://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/statuses/3990883557]

==Chapter 1 - Autobots==
Chapter one covers all Autobots who appear in the first two seasons of the cartoon.

{{collist|3|
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] by Ultra Magnus
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] by Lockdown
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] by Captain Fanzone
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] by Bulkhead
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] by Sari
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] by Bumblebee
*[[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]] by Blackarachnia
**[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]
**[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]]
**[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] by Ratchet
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] by Bulkhead
*[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] by Ratchet
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] by Bumblebee
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] by Bumblebee
*[[Wasp]] by Shockwave
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] by Ratchet}}

===Transformers references===

* Pg 15 – [[Optimus Prime (Animated) | Optimus Prime]]'s axe is identified as a [[Solitarium]] ultra-axe.

* Pg 20a – As mentioned in his tech spec, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is a [[Protihex Medical Mechanics University|Protihex Medical Mechanical graduate]].

* Pg 20b – [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] refers to Ratchet with the nickname “Cool Hand Lube”, an epithet coined for [[Ratchet (G1)|the original Ratchet]].

* Pg 34 – Unnamed in the ''Animated'' cartoon, the alien planet visited by the young Optimus, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] populated by giant spiders is here given the name [[Archa Seven]]. Presumably, this puts it in the same system as [[Akalo|Archa Nine]].

* Pg 35 – Sentinel Prime's [[Skyboom (Animated)|shield]] is dubbed a [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom shield]].

* Pg 44 – Ratchet recalls an old flame from [[Crystal City]].

* Pg 55 – [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme's]] profile contains numerous references.
:The language describing Omega's strength deliberately hearkens back to Generation 1 [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega's]] Transformers Universe profile, describing how he can pulverize “steel cubes” of impressive volume and hit diminutive items from a great distance with his head cannon. Numerous Cybertronian units of [[Category:Measurements|measurement]] are used in the process; Omega is said to be able to lift 600,000 kilo-units (a measurement used by [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in the ''Animated'' episode "[[Rise of the Constructicons]]"); the dimensions of the aforementioned cube are given in mechanometers (used in the Generation 1 episode "[[City of Steel]]" and mentioned twice more in the book); and the distance at which he can blast a small object is given in hics (from the Marvel UK 1991 annual story "[[The Magnificent Six!]]" and used once more in the book).
:Omega is also noted to be armed with concussion blasters (the personal weapon of Generation 1 [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]), pulsar bombs (used by the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacons]] on two occasions in the [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] cartoon), quasar beams (Generation 2 [[Blowout]] and Beast Wars [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] both wielded quasar cannons), friction cannons (G1 [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] was armed with a friction blaster) and aquasting missiles (weapon of choice of the Beast Wars Fuzor [[Injector]]).
:And finally, Omega has armor enhanced with [[rheanimum]].

===Real-world references===

* Pg 46 – Ratchet speculates that Wreck-Gar must have “27,000 gags” hidden in his trash bin. The number 27 is a running gag in [["Weird Al" Yankovic]]'s songs... Al, of course, being the voice actor who played Wreck-Gar.

===Errors===
* Page 33: The [[Magnus Hammer]] is referred to as a "Storm'''breaker'''" hammer instead of "Storm'''bringer'''," a previously-given name for the weapon.

==Chapter 2 - Decepticons==
Character models for all Decepticons who appeared in Animated seasons one and two.
{{collist|3|
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] by Lugnut
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Lugnut]] by Blitzwing
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] by Lugnut
*[[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]] by Bulkhead
**[[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]]
**[[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]]
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] by Megatron
*[[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] by The Angry Archer
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] by Sari
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] by himself
*[[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] by Thundercracker
*[[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] by Ramjet
*[[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] by Sunstorm
*[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] by Skywarp
*[[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] by Slipstream
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] by Prowl
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 60 – Mentioned here and restated on pg 127, Megatron's swords are forged from [[tironium]]. As noted in his tech specs, his armor can deflect anti-proton lasers.

* Pg 66 – As on his toy packaging, Lugnut is referred to with the nickname "The [[Kaon]] Krusher".

* Pg 74 – Shockwave's cannon can fire blasts from anywhere in the electromagnetic spectrum, just like Generation 1 [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] could.

* Pg 77 – Swindle's gyro gun and scatter blaster are named after the weapons of the original Generation 1 [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]].

* Pg 81 – Starscream claims to be the handsomest 'bot "this side of the [[Benzuli Expanse]]".

* Pg 83-84 – Having gone unnamed in the Animated cartoon, [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] and [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] were all given names and powers derived from their Generation 1 counterparts when they were released as toys. The liar and female clones did not get toys, but ''The AllSpark Almanac'' carries on the trend; the liar clone is named [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] and is noted to have a reinforced nosecone for mid-air collisions, while the female clone gets the brand new name of [[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] (which was previously revealed at [[BotCon 2009]]).

* Pg 88 – Numerous weapons used by Lockdown in the cartoon are here given the names of similar weapons from other corners of the Transformers multiverse. He is armed with [[sleep net]]s (from the Generation 1 coloring book ''[[Bumblebee to the Rescue!]]''), [[nova spray]], and a [[lightning whip]]. His chainsaw is also described as being “micro-serrated”, language frequently used to describe the beak of Generation 1 [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 66 - Blitzwing calls Lugnut a “five-eyed, no-brained, flying purple people eater,” paraphrasing the 1958 Sheb Wooley song, “Purple People Eater”.

* Pg 82 – Starscream's first sycophantic clone is given the numerical designation [[Clone number 2716057|#2716057]], the serial number of hard-drinking robot Bender from Futurama. The first cowardly clone, meanwhile, is marked [[Clone number 3370318|#3370318]], the serial number of Bender's identical duplicate, Flexo.

==Chapter 3 - Humans==
Character models and the occasional background image for the major humans of Animated.
{{collist|3|
*[[Sari Sumdac]] by Bulkhead
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] by Megatron
*[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Carmine Fanzone]] by Sari
*The [[Angry Archer]] by Swindle
*[[Professor Princess|Professor Penny Princess, PhD]] by Sari
*[[Nanosec]] by Slo-Mo
*[[Slo-Mo]] by Nanosec
*[[Headmaster (Animated)|The Headmaster]] by Bulkhead
*[[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Colossus Rhodes]] by Meltdown
*[[Fusion creature]]s
**[[Fusion creature|BAT-MONSTER]] by Grimlock
**The [[Fusion creature|Seafood Louis creature]] by Fanzone
*[[Master Disaster]] by Blurr
*[[Street Demon]] by Bulkhead
**[[Ming-Li]] and [[Roxy Sparkles]] by Sari
**[[Shana Story]] and [[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] by Bumblebee
*[[Porter C. Powell]] by Headmaster
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 94 – Swindle plans to imitate [[Angry Archer]]'s antiquated dialect to help facilitate his next deal with the [[Darkling Lords]] of [[Prysmos]]. This is a reference to the 1987 Hasbro toyline, [[Visionaries]]; Prysmos was the planet upon which that series was set, and the Darkling Lords were the villains of the franchise. Visionaries was also a back-up strip for the UK Marvel Transformers comics.

* Pg 101 – The name of Prometheus Black's company is given as [[Biotech Unbound]], referring to the Greek poem, “Prometheus Unbound”, which was also the title of a ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Prometheus Unbound|episode]].

*Pg 103 – In the Animated cartoon, the bat-monster is noted as having formerly been Meltdown's lawyer. Here, Captain Fanzone notes that the shark-monster was his stock broker. In addition, he calls it a "[[Seafood Louis]] creature", and claims that it "kicks some serious fin," one of the multiple catchphrases of the cartoon series [[Wikipedia:Street Sharks|''Street Sharks'']].

* Pg 105 – [[Solon Kitakaze (Animated)|Solon Kitakaze]] is named after [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s [[Solon Kitakaze (Victory)|cyborg son]] from the infamously kooky [[Victory (franchise)|Victory]] [[Victory (manga)|manga]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 97 – [[Slo-Mo]] is here given the first name of Samantha, and on pg 143, the surname of Lomow. So hey, it turns out that her real name is the same as Hasbro Senior Vice President of Global Marketing [[Samantha Lomow]], on whom she was based.

* Pg 105 – [[Ming-Li]] is named after author Jim Sorenson's wife, Ming-Li Wang. [[Shana Story]] is named for a friend of author Bill Forster, Shana Storey, who is credited in the acknowledgments section of their previous book, [[The Ark II — A Compendium of Japanese Character Designs|The Ark II]].

* Pg 106 – Porter C. Powell's limousine is branded as a “TUX model”, named for the Tonka [[Tonka GoBots|GoBot]] it was designed to resemble.

===Errors===
* Page 95: The "d" is left out of "Powdered Sugar."

==Chapter 4 - Events==
The episodes and comic stories that make up the primary Animated continuity, in order.
{{collist|2|
*[[Transform and Roll Out]] as three Autobot Incident Reports by Optimus Prime and a page from Isaac Sumdac's journal
*[[Dispatches]] as musings from [[Vector Prime]]
*[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[Total Meltdown]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[Blast from the Past]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[The Arrival issue 4#.22A Few Loose Strands.22|A Few Loose Strands]] as [[Venus (magazine)|Venus]], the trans-dimensional magazine for Decepti-femmes
*[[The Thrill of the Hunt]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Ratchet
*[[The Arrival #5]] as a page from Swindle's ledger and an evaluation form
*[[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[Along Came a Spider]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 2#.22Whatever Happened To Whatisname.3F.22|Whatever Happened To Whatisname?]] as a page from Professor Princess' diary
*[[Sound and Fury]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 2#.22Attention Surplus Disorder.22|Attention Surplus Disorder]] as two pages from the [[Detroit Powell Press]]
*[[Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found]] as Lugnut's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[The Arrival #3]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Survival of the Fittest]] as a police report from Captain Fanzone
*[[Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[The Arrival issue 4#.22The Insincerest Form of Flattery.22|The Insincerest Form of Flattery]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Bulkhead
*[[Nature Calls]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Prowl
*[[Megatron Rising - Part 1]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[The Elite Guard]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[The Return of the Headmaster]] as Sentinel Prime's private journal and a letter from Sari to her absent father
*[[Mission Accomplished]] as Megatron's Internal Log and a medical report from Ratchet
*[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]] as a box of [[Garbage O's]] cereal
*[[Velocity]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Bumblebee
*[[Rise of the Constructicons]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[A Fistful of Energon]] as Starscream's Internal Log
*[[SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy]] as excerpts from interrogations conducted by Captain Fanzone
*[[Autoboot Camp]] as Shockwave's Encrypted Internal Log
*[[First (and Second) in Flight]] as a page from Ultra Magnus' memoirs
*[[Black Friday (episode)|Black Friday]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[Sari, No One's Home]] as a letter from Sari to her absent father
*[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]] as Megatron's Internal Log
*[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
}}

===Transformers references===

*Pg 112 – An observation of the events of the [[Dispatches|first issue]] of the Animated comic by the trans-dimensional [[Vector Prime]]. He uses the aforementioned Universal Stream classification system to catalog this manuscript, identifying the Animated cartoon universe as “Malgus 1207.26 Alpha”. The designation is later used again on pg 117.

* Pg 116 - Presumably, the trans-dimensional magazine [[Venus (magazine)|Venus]] is named for Beast Wars [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia's]] voice actor, [[Venus Terzo]]. Whatever currency its cover price is in, it's represented with a “B” in Predacon Cybertronix! Blackarachnia wears the crown, shoulderpads and cape donned by Generation 1 Starscream for his coronation in [[The Transformers: The Movie]]. References on the cover include:
:*“Sparkmate” is a term used in the N64 ''[[Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals]]'' video game, to describe Tigatron and Airazor's romantic bond.
:*[[Chain of Command]] is the title of a Beast Wars episode.
:*Readers are invited to compare several pairs of Decepticon and Predacon fembots:
:**[[Clio]] is a Decepticon [[Powermaster]] mentioned by [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] in the letters page of issue #315 of Marvel UK's Generation 1 comic. She is pitted against [[Lyzack]], sister of Decepticon Breastforce warrior [[Leozack]], who appears in the final issue of the Victory manga.
:**[[Manta Ray (BW)|Manta Ray]] is a Beast Wars McDonalds Happy Meal figure, who was established as being female by IDW Publishing's Beast Wars Sourcebook. She is up against the equally aquatic [[Scylla]], from [[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]].
:**[[Flamewar]] and [[Nightracer]] are both BotCon [[exclusive]] female Decepticons, from 2005 and 1995, respectively. The match-up has a deeper meaning; Nightracer was created by notorious Decepticon fan [[Raksha]], and some fans believe that Flamewar's personality is based on Raksha, though her creator [[Ben Yee]] denies it.
:*''Revenge of the Fallen'''s Pretender [[Alice]] teaches readers how to disarm a [[foldspace warhead]], a weapon which appears in the second issue of the UK's 2007 live-action movie comic.
:*The magazine's gossip columnist is [[Freezon]], the Decepticon car included with Tyco's Transformers Electric Racing Set released in the 1980s. She is dishing the dirt on Lugnut and [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]'s relationship, which was established in Strika's profile, published in issue #24 of the Transformers Collectors Club Official Magazine.
:*[[Beta Maxx]] is the partner of BotCon 2007 exclusive Alpha Trion, while [[Caliburn]] is partnered with 2004 exclusive, [[Megazarak]]. The cover identifies them as Mini-Cons, despite the fact that no previous writing has ever done so (Caliburn is explicitly a [[Micromaster]], while Beta Maxx has only been referred to as an Autobot). Funnily enough, in late 2008, author Jim Sorenson was involved in an argument on the Transformers Wiki about Beta Maxx being a Mini-Con... hmmmn. Anyway, they're talking to Cybertron [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]].

* Pg 119a – Most of the weapons Swindle sells Lugnut and Blitzwing, and the planets he gets them from, are established, if obscure, Transformers items and locales. Most of them were named in the comic story this page covers, "[[Everything Must Go]]", but a few more things are named here. The full list includes:
:*An [[anti-gravity gun|anti-gravity cannon]] from the planet [[Andellor]].
:*A [[triple crusher cannon]] from the planet Talos Four (probably derived from a mistake on TFWIKI.Net, which misspelled [[Taros Four]] in this manner for a time).
:*A decompression pump from [[Torkulon]].
:*[[Glass gas]] and a [[Digital Impact Mace]] (the weapon of choice of [[BotCon 2000]] exclusive toy [[Apelinq]]) from the planet [[Darhos]].
:*Super glue from the [[Menonia]].
:*An [[omega bomb]] from [[Ganzvort]].
:*Two [[Nemesis Shield]]s from [[Garro|Garo]] and [[Comb|Com]].
:*A [[Chaosmaster Bomb]] from [[Xeptos]].
:*Circuitry repair patches from [[Cheyne]].

* Pg 119b – Optimus's evaluation form is rendered in the style of classic Transformers [[Tech Spec]]s, but not any one particular design. The training exercise from the comic story “Survival Skills” is revealed to have taken place on [[Kaiba-5]].

* Pg 124-125 The article text of the Detroit Powell Press included in the AllSpark Almanac contain numerous references.
:*[[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]] was a journalist who appeared in a three-part story in Marvel UK's Generation 1 comic.
:*[[Quake-Maker]] is a supervillain from the UK's Animated comic.
:*The [[Mechanic]] is a human criminal who battled the Autobots in two issues of the Marvel's original Generation 1 comic.
:*The [[Jack Boys]] are a motorcycle gang from the ''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon.
:*[[Jake Lomax]] is a mob boss from issue #13 of Marvel's Generation 1 comic.
:*[[Jacob Lee Bonaventure]] is an industrialist from IDW's ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'' mini-series.

:The sidebar on the page also makes numerous references:
:*“Defensor United” refers, of course, to the Generation 1 [[Defensor (G1)|Protectobot combiner]], but more specifically to the recurring discussions of [[Mecha-soccer]] in the Marvel UK comic's letters page, where Defensor United played in the Cybertron Premier Division. The team is thrashed by real-life football team West Ham at [[Tigatron Stadium]], the venue named for the [[Tigatron|Beast Wars character]], which appeared in the Animated episode "[[Five Servos of Doom]]".
:*In the Animated universe, the Generation 1 Decepticon ally, mad scientist [[Doctor Arkeville]], is the surgeon general! He recommends [[Ding Dong]]s (favored by the [[President of the United States]] in the live-action movie!) as a cure for the [[Hate Plague]], a rage-inciting disease that appeared in the Generation 1 two-part episode, "[[The Return of Optimus Prime]]".
:*Racing queen [[Junko Shiragami]] is a human female from the ''Binaltech Asterisk'' toyline (who was in turn based upon [[Kelly (RID)|Kelly]] from ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]''). Here, she is dating scientist [[Michael Avery]], who appeared in the 2007 movie prequel novel, [[Ghosts of Yesterday]].
:*Street Demon racer Roxy Sparkles (earlier named on page 105) is here noted to be a member of the band [[Purple Fungus]], who were a favorite of [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] in the Find Your Fate Junior novel, "[[Attack of the Insecticons]]".
:*“Princess Ringo” was the nickname by which ''[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'' character [[Ringo Chikuma]] preferred to be known. Here, she has recently visited [[Mont Porte]], the country that is home to the ''Super-God Masterforce'' Headmaster Junior [[Minerva]].

:Adverts refer to:
:*[[Dancitron]], a musical event named for a dance club from the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Auto-Bop]]". Cold Slither is playing here, a band from the G.I. Joe cartoon episode of the same name, created as part of an evil Cobra plot. The piece of music composed as their [[Cold Slither|signature tune]] was used as incidental music in several Transformers episodes.
:*Wyatt Toys, the toy store named after Animated art director [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] which appears in several episodes of the cartoon. The advert notes that the store sells [[Diaclone]] and [[Microman]] figures, the two toylines that were Transformers' progenitors.
:*Roadhog Horton's Motorcycle Show, named after [[Roadhog Horton]], a member of the bounty-hunting motorcyclist [[Roadjammer]]s from [[Ca$h and Car-nage!|issue #46]] of the Marvel Generation 1 comic. His show also features autograph signings from Rorza, a reference to the [[Rorza, the Rocket-cycle Racer from Rigel III|Rocket-Cycle Racer from Rigel III]] of the same name from issue #44.
:*A horror movie named “[[Monster from Mars]]”, an elaborate reference to the movie of the same name that was the central plot element of "[[Monstercon from Mars!]]", issue #45 of the Marvel comic. In said issue, Decepticon Pretender [[Skullgrin]] starred in the title role; this poster features a monster designed to look like Skullgrin in the style of Meltdown's [[fusion creature]]s, in reference to the fact that Skullgrin's fellow Pretenders [[Submarauder (G1)|Submarauder]] and [[Bomb-Burst]] were the base for the two fusion creatures in the cartoon. In both the original comic and this version, the movie is directed by [[Rollie Friendly]] and stars [[Jake Colton]] and [[Carissa Carr]]; this version also adds [[Karen Fishook]], an actress from the Generation 1 cartoon episode, "[[Hoist Goes Hollywood]]". The movie's soundtrack is by the [[High Rollahz]], a band featured in the “Keepers Trilogy” novel, [[Hardwired]].

* Pg 127 – Unnamed in the original comic "[['Bots of Science]]", Ratchet here notes that he has dubbed the cure for Cosmic Rust "[[Corrostop]]". Its ingredients include [[Ingredient X]] and [[razon gas]].

* Pg 134 – The [[Steelhaven (Animated)|Elite Guard ship]] is here given the name ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]''.

* Pg 136 – Sari's notebook paper is decorated with an illustration of "Hello [[Nekomimi A and Nekomimi B|Nekomimi]] Pop-Star", a chibified, "Hello Kitty"-style version of Nekomimi A from the Energon episode, "[[Distribution]]". Nekomimi B appears on pg 147 in a similar fashion.

* Pg 138-139
:*The brand of the tire in the logo is [[Wheeljack]] Tyres!

:*In the “fueltritional facts” box alone, there are references to:
:**mercury sauce, a favorite of the [[Mecannibal]]s from the Marvel Generation 1 comic
:**[[Rarified Energon]], introduced in the Transformers Collectors Club magazine storyline, [[Crossing Over]]
:**[[Energon Z]] from [[Zone (franchise)|Zone]]
:**budianskium basil (referring to Transformers writer [[Bob Budiansky]])
:**grated gears (a serving suggestion for ants by Beast Wars [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] in [[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]])
:**janick [[jaAm]] (see below.)

:*The word jumble unscrambles to read “You lived like a warrior ans died to an hero”, an infamous quote from the late-1990s fanfic by MG-Dinobot, “Dinobot's Old Technology”, which was itself a misquote from the Beast Wars episode "[[Code of Hero]]". The quote went on to become one of the most famous online memes from that era of Transformers [[fandom]].
:**The answer at the bottom of the page, however, claims it actually says “WhY mY ShOuldErs hUrT?”, a tortured quote from British fan Blueshift's [[JaAm|famous re-scripting]] of the first Armada pack-in mini-comic. This was also the source of the above-mentioned “jaAm” line, which was since been immortalized on the license plate and packaging bio of the 2009 Universe Hot Shot figure.

:*Illustration B in the “spot the difference” puzzle is, of course, Generation 1 [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock's]] [[character model]].

* Pg 145 – Ultra Magnus's memoir is prefaced with a haiku from "[[Sky-Byte (Animated)|Sky-Byte]], Decepticon poet", referencing the loveable haiku-writing [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] from ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]''. He has to be a Decepticon here, of course, because there are no Predacons in the ''Animated'' universe. In the course of this page, Magnus mentions [[mitotic spark]]s and the [[Angarix Sector]], a region of space introduced in the Generation 1 episode "[[The Quintesson Journal]]".

* Pg 148 – Megatron refers to the act of [[branding]] the Constructicons with the Decepticon symbol as the "[[Rite of the Deceptibrand]]," after the Autobot equivalent, the "[[Rite of the Autobrand]]".

===Real-world references===
{{Main|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac/Events Real-world references}}

===Errors===
* Page 133: "...have tried harder to recruit the Dinobots as allies, but I was so angry at Prowl's deception that I..." is repeated immediately following the first use in the third paragraph.

* Page 145: The "c" is left out of "First (and Second) in Flight."

==Chapter 5 - Culture==
A catch-all for other aspects of Animated including ships, monsters and customs.
{{collist|3|
*The [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] by Optimus Prime
*Autobot Cybertronian forms by Ultra Magnus
*Decepticon Cybertronian forms by Starscream
*The [[Death's Head (Animated)|Death's Head]] by Lockdown
*[[Autobot Shuttle (Animated)|Autobot Shuttle]] by Blitzwing
*[[Automaton|Sumdac robots]] by Porter C. Powell
*Bulkhead's Art by Ratchet, Optimus Prime and Sari
*[[Halloween]] by Bulkhead and Bumblebee
*[[Space barnacles]] by Sari
*[[Nanite|Nanobots]] by Ratchet
*The Media by Soundwave
*[[Ability|Powers]] by Prowl
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 161 – Starscream uses the expression “a few [[lipole]]s short of a nest”, referring to the metal-eating bat-creatures native to Jupiter's moon [[Io]], from the Generation 1 multi-part episode, [[Five Faces of Darkness]].

* Pg 164 – Lockdown's spaceship is named the ''[[Death's Head (Animated)|Death's Head]]'', after a certain [[Death's Head (G1)|freelance peacekeeping agent]], yes? It has been upgraded using parts obtained from the planets [[Jörmungandr]] and [[Taxxon]], and the [[Jabbi-Ko]] aliens, outfitted with Vandarian holographic technology (from the same planet as the [[Vandarian fuzz-worm]]s) and [[cybertitanium]] cables (among other items mentioned below as they're non-''Transformers'' references).

* Pg 170 – Bulkhead describes candy as being like [[Ultra-Energon]] for kids.

* Pg 174 – Newscaster [[Lester Black]] is revealed to be the great-nephew of [[Hector Ramirez (Animated)|Hector Ramirez]], a callback to the [[Hector Ramirez (G1)|Generation 1 news reporter of the same name]] (who was actually unnamed in his one ''Transformers'' cartoon appearance).

===Real-world references===
* Pg 164 – Lockdown's spaceship used to be an “IG-2000” class ship, referring to the [[Star Wars]] ship that bore that name. It is outfitted with Deckard cannons (named for Rick Deckard from Blade Runner), Samus-blasters (named for Samus Aran from Metroid), and isomorphic controls preventing anyone other than Lockdown from piloting it, as does Doctor Who's TARDIS. Lockdown rounds out the paragraph by saying “a bot's got to know his limitations”, paraphrasing Clint Eastwood in Magnum Force.

* Pg 165 - “A three hour tour!” cackles Blitzwing, quoting the theme tune of Gilligan's Island.
*Pg 170/171 - Among the [[Halloween]] costumes are a [http://ghostbusters.wikia.com/wiki/Samhain Samhain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headless_Horseman Headless Horseman], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro_Samurai#Afro_Samurai Afro Samurai], [[Destro]], [[Cobra Commander]] and [[General Hawk]].

==Chapter 6 - Detroit==
People, places and things in and about Detroit.
{{collist|3|
*[[Augustus Edsel|Detroit's Leadership]] by Sentinel Prime
*Buildings by Jazz
*[[Blackwater Prison]] by Captain Fanzone
*Solar Fusion by Porter C. Powell
*[[Human|Organic Inhabitants]] by Sentinel Prime
*Emergency Responders by Captain Fanzone
*Earth Vehicles by Jazz
*Stupid Organics (i.e. animals) by Sentinel Prime
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 178 – [[Augustus Edsel|Mayor Edsel]] is revealed to be the nephew of famous actor [[Harold Edsel (Animated)|Harold Edsel]].

* Pg 183 – The [[Sidney Biggles-Jones Memorial Solar Fusion Plant]] is named after the [[Sidney Biggles-Jones|scientist]] from the Marvel Comics ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' / ''Generation 2'' crossover. The other scientists named as working on solar fusion, [[Brian Jones (Animated)|Brian Jones]], [[Daichi Onishi]], [[Peter Morris (Animated)|Peter Morris]], and [[Felix Adle]], are named after (respectively) [[Brian Jones (Energon)|Dr. Jones]] from ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'', Doctor [[Kenneth Onishi]], [[Professor Morris]] and [[Professor Adle]].

===Real-world references===
* Pg 189 – [[Jeff Litvack]] is a friend of Jim Sorenson's, who he credits in the acknowledgments of this book. [[Krista Kohlhausen]] is Bill Forster's “favorite person,” according to the acknowledgments of The Ark.

==Chapter 7 - Settings==
Background pictures and associated character models from the first two seasons of Animated.
{{collist|3|
*[[Autobot Earth Base]] by Bulkhead
*[[Decepticon Earth Base]] by Mixmaster and Scrapper
*[[Sumdac Systems]] by Isaac Sumdac
*[[Nemesis (Animated)|The Nemesis]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Dinobot Island (Animated)|Dinobot Island]] by Prowl
*[[Meltdown's Subterranean Lab]] by Cyrus "The Colossus" Rhodes
*[[Archa Seven]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Autobot boot camp]] by Ultra Magnus
}}

===Transformers references===
* Pg 200 – The generic Sumdac Systems technicians are named [[Eddie Fairchild and Matt Conroy]]. These are the names of two prototypical characters who existed in the development phase of the Generation 1 cartoon, who eventually evolved into [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Chip Chase]].

* Pg 203 – Noted architect George R. Apple. [[Grapple|G.R.Apple]]? Anybody? Anybody? C'mooon!

* Pg 206 – The [[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]] is equipped with a Grand Mal class force field, named after the [[Grand Mal]], the giant fortress-cum-giant head occupied by Beast Wars [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the latter stages of the Beast Machines cartoon. It has a cybertroid alloy star drive (just like the Generation 1 [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]], as mentioned in the G1 episode [[Microbots]]), and has the most sophisticated sensor array this side of the [[Eshems Nebula]], a region of space introduced in IDW Publishing's live-action movie-based [[Defiance]] series.

* Pg 207 – To escape the damaged Nemesis, the Decepticons used Devolan escape pods. The planet [[Devola]] was the site of a huge victory for the Decepticon [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] in the Armada universe.

* Pg 211 – The crashed Decepticon ship on Archa Seven is named the [[Twilight (Animated)|Twilight]], after the [[Twilight (G2)|flagship]] from the Marvel Generation 2 comics.

==Interstitials==
The only place in the book where out-of-universe is presented, the interstitial pages covered divergent continuities as well as select aspects of the animation process.

==Literary elements==
Including the copyright information, title page, foreword and afterwords, notes from the authors and acknowledgments.

===Transformers references===
* Pg 9a – [[Jim Sorenson (Quadwal -3760.925 Theta)|Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster (Quadwal -3760.925 Theta)|Bill Forster]] hail from [[universal stream]] Quadwal -3760.925 Theta. Universal streams are a means of classifying the numerous Transformers universes devised by authors [[Greg Sepelak]] and [[Trent Troop]], which first appeared in the Transformers Collectors Club story, [[Withered Hope]]. This particular classification, however, makes no sense, save for the “Theta” suffix, which indicates a “spoken word” or “live performance” scenario. The “-” sign also indicates they're from a reverse parallel universe, akin to the Shattered Glass fiction introduced at [[BotCon 2008]], the only other universal stream to be marked like this. “Don't ask,” the authors say.
** But we're the goddamned Transformers Wiki, so screw that "don't ask" stuff. We're nerds, we're gonna do this thing. "Quadwal" is an obvious play on "fourth wall," which is what this universal stream is breaking. September 25, 3760 BC is the first day of the Hebrew calendar, specifically the date some believe Creation began. (So that "-" sign has a double meaning!) So Sorenson and Forster hail from the Real Life Universe, or the negative universe version of it, hence why they are incarcerated criminals.

* Pg 9b – The Reverse-Pretender technology used by Sorenson and Forster is a reference to several 1980s Transformers toy [[commercial]]s, which featured a child leaping into the air and transforming into Ultra Magnus.

* Pg 215 - Marty Isenberg mentions a [[GEEWUN|certain group of fans]], canonizing yet another fan-made term.

===Errors===
* Page 2: In the indicia, the latter "r" is left out of "characters".

==External Links==
[http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/digipedia/annotated_almanac.html Full annotated listing of MOST hidden references in the Almanac]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category: IDW titles]]
[[Category: Reference texts]]

Swindle (disambiguation)

2010-06-04T16:33:57Z

Kcchia80:

The name '''Swindle''' has been assigned to several different ''Transformers'' characters:

{{disamb|y=1986|[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] jeep from [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]].}}

{{disamb|y=2002|[[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] the [[Mini-Con]] partner to [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] from the [[Unicron Trilogy]].}}

{{disamb|y=2004|"Swindle", the Japanese name for the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] combiner member [[Blight (Energon)|Blight]].}}

{{disamb|y=2005|[[Swindle (Universe)|Swindle]] the [[Micromaster]] train and member of the [[Railbot]]s from ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]''.}}

{{disamb|y=2006|[[Swindle (Cybertron)|Swindle]] the [[Decepticon]] offroad buggy and savage twin brother of [[Hardtop (Cybertron)|Hardtop]] from ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''.}}

{{disamb|y=2007|[[Swindle (Movie)|Swindle]] the red [[Decepticon]] car from the [[Transformers (2007)|Transformers live-action movie]] continuity family.}}

{{disamb|y=2008|[[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] the Humvee-based Decepticon arms dealer from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]''.}}

{{disamb|y=2009|[[Swindle (ROTF)|Swindle]] the [[Combaticon (ROTF)|Combaticon]] helicopter from ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''.}}

Swindle should not be confused with...

* [[Swindler]] the [[Micromaster]] DeLorean from Generation 1.

{{disambig}}

TransWarped

2010-05-31T20:41:37Z

Kcchia80: /* Part I */ punctuation

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA TransWarped Sari hands.jpg
|caption="WhY mY hAnDs HuRt?"
|prev=A Bridge Too Close, Part II
|next=Three's a Crowd
|ep=30, 31 and 32
|title="TransWarped"
|airdate=[[March 14]], 2009
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]] [[Michael Ryan]] [[Marsha Griffin]]
|directed by=[[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yoshio Frank Chatani]] [[Tetsuro Moronuki]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''In the aftermath of the battle at the mine, Sari and her father’s relationship takes a strange turn; the Autobots have their work cut out for them trying to contact Cybertron; and Megatron and Starscream find a new opportunity'''

==Synopsis==
===Part I===
[[Image:TransWarpedRodimusCosmicRust.jpg|thumb|left|180px|No fair, I just got here!]]

Somewhere along the outer rim of the galaxy, a contingent of [[Autobot]]s led by [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] defends [[space bridge 687-030]] against the [[Decepticon]]s' "[[Team Chaar]]," led by [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]. She, [[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]] and [[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]] strafe [[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]], [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] and [[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]], badly injuring Hot Shot's leg and forcing team medic [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] to perform an amputation. Before she can do so, however, she is swallowed up by [[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]], who explosively vomits her back at her team. Rodimus contacts the [[Elite Guard]] for backup, but the Autobot forces are spread much too thin, defending space bridges from Decepticon attacks all across the galaxy. Oil Slick and Cyclonus proceed to take down Brawn and Ironhide, leaving Rodimus on his own, at which point Blackout arrives and all but finishes the fight with a huge electromagnetic pulse. Rodimus still has some fight left in him, but it drains away when Oil Slick offlines him with a vial of [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. Strika contacts [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], who informs her that nobody is to TransWarp to the planet until [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] himself arrives. But Megatron was supposed to be there megacycles ago...

[[Image:TransWarpedStarscreamsScream.jpg|thumb|right|180px|I'mma firin' my lazhar!.]]

Off in the depths of space, the disembodied head of [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] attempts to remove Megatron's stasis cuffs with his teeth as the Decepticon leader berates him all the while. As Starscream begins bellowing back at Megatron, the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] fragment in his forehead begins to glow, and he undergoes a surprising transformation: His mouth converts into a sonic blaster that shoots the cuffs clean off Megatron's wrists. There is no time for the two villains to celebrate, however, as the giant form of [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] materializes above them. But after a moment, Megatron realizes that the colossus is offline...

[[Image:TransWarpedProtoform.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Hush little baby, don't say a word. Sumdac's gonna build you a mockingbird.]]

On [[Earth]], as the Autobots return to [[Detroit]], [[Isaac Sumdac|Professor Sumdac]] explains [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] origins to her as best he can, revealing that he discovered her in his laboratory years ago, in the form of a small, liquid metal robot. Sari finds the story hard to believe, and her strained patience reaches its end when the group returns to [[Sumdac Tower]] and confronts [[Porter C. Powell]] and [[Henry Masterson]]. Powell tries to smooth things over with Isaac, but Masterson's belligerent attitude dispels any attempts at peace, which is further ruined when he demands the Autobots return his Headmaster, or "heads will roll." Having entered the lab from the elevator behind them, Optimus picks up Masterson and asks for clarification on his threat. Isaac immediately fires both Powell and Masterson, but Masterson refuses to vacate the premises, and Powell takes another shot at Sari's disputed parentage. In a moment of anger, Sari's hands transform into energy projectors that hurl the two men into the building's elevator. This newest revelation pushes Sari over the edge, and she walks out on the man she can no longer even think of as her father, returning to the Autobots' base with her "fellow machines." While [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] examines Sari—deducing that she's basically human, but partially Cybertronian—Prowl departs to carry out some research of his own. With Ratchet lost in his memories of [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]], [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] head back to the Decepticons' destroyed mine base to salvage some equipment that will let them contact Cybertron and inform the Autobots there of the traitor in their midst.

On a small planetoid somewhere in space, [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] is still trapped in a cement blob with Starscream's [[Thundercracker (Animated)|egomaniacal]] and [[Skywarp (Animated)|cowardly]] clones. Blurr proposes using sonic pulses to dissolve the glue, and the egomaniac takes the idea for his own and successfully frees them. Blurr immediately speeds off, launching into space and literally running across the galaxy, ricocheting off everything in his path (including the egomaniac) to get back to Cybertron and inform the Elite Guard of Megatron's invasion plan.

Megatron and Starscream force their way into Omega Supreme's body, but this action brings the giant Autobot back online, and his internal systems immediately seize the Decepticons. Megatron exploits Omega's simple processor and convinces the titan to take him back to Cybertron "to face justice." Omega transforms back into ship mode and TransWarps off toward Cybertron.

Back on Earth, Bumblebee and Bulkhead are searching through the ruins of the mine when Bumblebee discovers a [[Plasmadynamic thruster|plasmadynamic thruster]] space bridge component that abruptly TransWarps him away. While Bulkhead is wondering where his buddy went, he is suddenly attacked by Henry Masterson, who recovered his Headmaster unit and Starscream's headless body from the mine the night before.

At Sumdac Tower, Prowl shadows Sumdac into his laboratory, quickly accesses his computers, and scans the scientist in an attempt to learn more about Sari's origins. Ratchet is having distinctly less luck back at the Autobot base, where Sari refuses to let him perform an exploratory surgery. The whole unpleasant affair reminds Ratchet of his past on Cybertron, when he performed open-processor surgery on Arcee and discovered she was carrying the codes that were key to the creation of Omega Supreme. Prime snaps Ratchet out of his flashback with the news that he cannot contact Bumblebee and Bulkhead, and Ratchet heads out to the mine to investigate.

[[Image:TFA TransWarped Headmaster Starscream power up.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|Here we go again...]]]]
With the other Autobots busy, Optimus Prime tries to patch up the Sumdac family feud by surreptitiously opening a comm channel to Professor Sumdac's laboratory and explaining loudly and at length to Sari that he is going to take her to [[Burger Bot]]. Sumdac catches on and heads out to meet them there, but Sari is furious at being set up and refuses to talk to him. Unfortunately, the Headmaster soon arrives, having picked up Prime's phone call through bugs left in Sumdac Tower, and threatens to unleash t0t47 0wN4ge!

===Part II===
[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Headmaster PWN3D.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Heads out.]]
Optimus Prime engages the Headmaster, binding him with his grapplers and dragging him around the Burger Bot parking lot before taking a moment to usher the Sumdacs to safety behind a dumpster. The fight carries the two combatants to an overhead roadway and back, with the Headmaster eventually downing Prime with a slab of concrete. Sumdac is forced to take action, and he hides Sari within the dumpster so that he can draw the Headmaster's attention and keep her safe. Touched by this, Sari unleashes her energy projectors on the Headmaster in defence of her father, though they do little to the villain other than draw his attention. Prime rejoins the battle just in time, ramming the villain in truck mode and goading the Headmaster into trying to transform Starscream's body as well. Infuriated by Prime's claim that a n00b such as he would find it difficult, the Headmaster tries to meet the challenge... only to find his Headmaster unit squeezed clean off Starscream's body by the transformation process. As Starscream's lifeless carcass spirals off into the river, the Headmaster is apprehended by Prime and handed over to [[Captain Fanzone]].

Back at Sumdac tower, Prowl reveals his findings to Prime, Sari and Sumdac: He believes that the body Sumdac found in his lab was, in fact, a Cybertronian [[protoform]] that scanned Professor Sumdac's genetic data. Sari takes the revelation in stride, although everyone else remains mystified as to how a protoform wound up on Earth in the first place. There is no time to dwell on the subject, however, as Ratchet radios Prime to inform him of Bulkhead's injuries and Bumblebee's disappearance.

Out in space, Omega Supreme re-emerges from TransWarp, and his systems all power down, having been sapped of energy by the effort of the teleport. Megatron attempts to escape from the confines of the giant Autobot's body, but without his weapons, he is unable. Starscream's new sonic blaster is similarly ineffective, and Megatron instead schemes to take control of Omega's very body.

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Blurr Crushed.jpg|180px|right|thumb|"We... are going... to die!"]]
On Cybertron, Shockwave (in the form of Longarm Prime) is informed by [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] that the space bridge network has been shut down to prevent a Decepticon invasion of the planet. Suppressing his frustration, Shockwave is promptly presented with an outlet for his anger when Blurr comes streaking out of the sky and crashes at his feet. Blurr informs him of the double-agent on Cybertron, whom he plans to identify by cross-referencing his voice-print with the Cybertron intelligence database, and Shockwave immediately attacks the speedster, intent on silencing him before his cover can be blown. Blurr streaks off into a series of nearby corridors, but his speed fails to carry him beyond Shockwave's reach: Using a control console, Shockwave seals off the tunnels, and Blurr is crushed between two walls.

Back on Earth, Ratchet's treatment of Bulkhead is interrupted by Sari, who volunteers use of her Key to fix the larger Autobot's wounds. Ratchet is indignant, insisting that just because something is new, it doesn't make it better, but Bulkhead requests the Key. While Sari goes to work on Bulkhead's injuries, the sullen medic is overtaken by his memories; he recalls the creation of Omega Supreme and how he was partnered with the newborn titan to serve as his mentor, teacher and friend. Ratchet is roused from his unpleasant trip down memory lane when discussion turns to the whereabouts of Bumblebee, and before long, Bulkhead figures out that the plasmadynamic thruster has TransWarped Bumblebee off across the galaxy. Bulkhead suggests using a retrieval beacon generator recovered from the mine ruins to pinpoint Bumblebee's location, and Sari uses her Key to fix it before Ratchet can even begin examining it.

Aboard Omega Supreme, Megatron uses his stasis cuffs to "hotwire" Omega's body and bring it back online. However, when the light from Omega's "headlights" falls upon a nearby asteroid, Megatron and Starscream are shocked to see the rock react to the light, transforming into a humanoid monster that immediately attacks the ship! As more asteroids transform around him, Omega TransWarps away to safety...only for Bumblebee, cruising on the tail end of Omega's TransWarp field, to materialize in his place, right in the midst of the rock creatures! The largest creature swallows the tiny Autobot with a single gulp.

Simultaneously, on Earth, Bulkhead locks in on Bumblebee's position and teleports him back, but the rock creature he is inside comes with him and is immediately driven to a rampage by the blinding light of the [[Sun]]. Optimus Prime detects Bumblebee's signature within the creature, and the Autobots prepare to give chase as the alien stomps off through the city. Prowl is rather taken aback to see Ratchet wearing his EMP generator on his arm once more, while Prime has to deal with Sari's demands that she be allowed to join them in the fight now that she has powers. Prime refuses, and the Autobots zoom off after the rock monster, but Sari won't take no for an answer and is struck with inspiration: Give herself an upgrade! Sari concentrates, and a port opens in her chest, into which she inserts her Key...and in an explosion of energy, Sari's whole body transforms into a taller, older form, suited in combat armor!

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Screamer Hotwire OmegaSupreme.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Name: Starscream Function: Jumper Cable]]
Meanwhile, Megatron has discovered that Omega Supreme has again expended all his power, and his stasis cuffs do not have the energy left to rectify the situation. He grabs Starscream's head and jams it into the circuits, where the traitor's AllSpark fragment energizes Omega's systems once more.

[[Image:TransWarpedBumblebeeSari.jpg|thumb|right|180px|So, kids, don't play with too many knives!]]
Back in Detroit, the Autobots are attempting to figure out how to stop the rock creature without hurting Bumblebee, when the upgraded Sari comes streaking onto the scene on jet skates. As the Autobots look on in shock, Sari begins attacking the alien with arm-blades and an energy-hammer that morph out of her arms. A single strike of the hammer reduces the alien to boulders, freeing Bumblebee, who is immediately struck by Sari's new look, but then shouts a warning: The smaller boulders surrounding the pair have transformed into small creatures. But the creatures pose no threat to Sari, and she pounds them into pebbles. As Sari basks in her triumph, Ratchet realizes with horror that she has used the Key on herself. The elderly Autobot's concern is soon proven valid, as the Key overloads Sari's systems, and she loses control of her body. With Sari attacking everything and everyone around her, the Autobots attempt to stop her with a variety of non-lethal strategies, but Sari counters everything they throw at her, including Prowl's processor-over-matter technique. Even as Prime and Sari tell Bumblebee to keep back, the young Autobot races to his friend's side...only for the out-of-control Sari to stab him through the chest! Frozen for a horrific moment, Bumblebee is then hurled back by an energy discharge, and the light dims from his optics...

===Part III===
Ratchet leaps to Bumblebee's aid, but without Sari's Key, Bulkhead fears his little buddy is done for. Ratchet denies that he requires the key to do his job, but his memories of when he was forced to place the dying Omega Supreme in stasis haunt him as he begins to operate on Bumblebee.

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Ratchet Repairs Bumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|180px|Operator, what's the number for Nine-One-One?]]
Sari, meanwhile, is storming through the city streets, causing objects to explode when she comes into contact with them, and the Autobots head after her, seeking to remove the Key in hopes of bringing her back under control. They corral her with a wall of steel girders, affording Prowl the chance to get the drop on her and rip the Key from her chest, but Sari continues to rampage. With Bumblebee fading, Ratchet goes back on his previous claim and requests the Key be brought to him, but when Prowl complies, he discovers that the energy of the Key has been completely drained. Prowl assures Ratchet that he can accomplish the task without the Key, and the old medic gravely takes up the challenge and manages to bring Bumblebee back online.

Back with Sari, Prime and Bulkhead, Sari's energies are growing increasingly more out of control, as the street beneath her explodes with every step she takes. Bulkhead suggests just trying to "hold it in," but when Sari tries, things get even worse, as she begins to glow with so much energy that she is on the verge of exploding. Optimus summons Ratchet so that he can use his EMP generator to take Sari down, and while Ratchet is hesitant to do so, Sari begs him to stop her. Ratchet fires, and Sari collapses, her energy fading.

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped LongArm Cliffjumper Cube.jpg|right|thumb|180px|Kid's meal premiums aren't what they used to be.]]
On Cybertron, Longarm Prime has Cliffjumper dispose of the crushed remains of Blurr and is then contacted by Megatron. Learning that the space bridge network is down and that the Earth-based Autobots are poised to blow Shockwave's cover, Megatron orders the Decepticons to cease their attacks on the space bridges so that he can solve both problems his own way. Team Chaar receive the transmission and fall back, much to the Elite Guard's surprise.

In the Autobots' base, Ratchet completes a rewiring of Sari's systems, bypassing the circuits that caused her to run out of control. Professor Sumdac soon arrives, having been informed of the location of the base by Optimus Prime. The Autobots are a little upset by this, but Prime makes it clear that there are to be no more secrets in this "family". The Autobots step outside the plant to give the Sumdacs some time together, and are in the middle of catching Bumblebee up on recent events when the small Autobot suddenly begins to glow with TransWarp energies once more. Bulkhead quickly deactivates the plasmadynamic thruster, but the source of the TransWarp wave the thruster was picking up soon becomes apparent, as Omega Supreme materializes in the sky overhead. Much to the Autobots' surprise, the titan fires upon them before transforming to robot mode, revealing a projected image of Megatron's face upon his visor! The Decepticon leader is in complete control of Omega's body and begins attacking the Autobots, forcing Optimus Prime to consider unleashing an uncontrollable Sari on the giant. Before resorting to this desperate last resort, the Autobots attempt to lure Megatron away from the city. Ratchet even upgrades Bumblebee's stingers to a more powerful battle grade for the mission.

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Prowl Megs OSFight.jpg|left|thumb|180px|I'm going to have to put you on the game grid.]]
Taking refuge in the nearby river, the Autobots attack Omega's legs, forcing open an access hatch through which Prime and Prowl enter Omega's body. Battling Omega's internal defences, Prowl taps into Omega's processor in order to help him fight off Megatron's control, and they succeed in forcing Megatron out of the system. Prime engages Megatronin order to keep Prowl safe, but as their battle rages, Starscream seizes control of Omega's mind and forcibly disconnects Prowl from Omega's processor. Prime and Prowl are unceremoniously ejected from Omega Supreme's body, but Starscream is not finished there; he uses Omega's internal defences to seize Megatron, and resumes attacking the Autobots all around him. Megatron manages to talk Starscream into an alliance, suggesting they forget Earth and conquer Cybertron together. Starscream struggles to activate Omega's TransWarp system, and while his attention is occupied with this task, Omega's consciousness fights its way to the surface and begs Ratchet to shut him down again. Ratchet regretfully unleashes his EMP generator upon Omega, but it has no effect, and Starscream transforms Omega into starship mode in order to begin the TransWarp. Bulkhead and Bumblebee hit upon the idea to plant the plasmadynamic thruster on Omega Supreme, and they hand it off to Prime to complete the task. Prime plants the thruster at the last second before Omega disappears into TransWarp, and Ratchet catches Prime with his magnets as he falls out of the sky.

Back at the Autobot base a little later, Sari comes to and admits to Ratchet that he was right about taking it slow. Sumdac apologizes for holding back the truth from Sari for so long, and Bumblebee thanks Ratchet for saving his tailpipe. Unfortunately, Bulkhead brings the mood down by reminding everyone that they still have to find a way to contact Cybertron.

[[Image:TFA TransWarped lost in space.JPG|thumb|right|180px|[[Ripped Up Space]]]]
On Cybertron, [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] holds an Autobot council and announces that all the evidence points to a double agent on Cybertron. Longarm Prime implicates escaped convict [[Wasp]], and Ultra Magnus instructs [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] to put together a unit to hunt the fugitive down. Magnus also notes that he has to make contact with Optimus's crew on Earth, and Longarm hastily demands that all contact with them be filtered through him, responding to the council's wary looks by adding that it will be purely for security reasons.

In the sky above Cybertron, Omega Supreme materializes, and Starscream howls with glee...only for the Autobot spaceship to TransWarp away immediately to another random point in space...and another...and another...
{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]] (2)
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] (3)
*[[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]] (4)
*[[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] (7)
*[[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (10)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (11)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (12)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (17)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (18)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (19)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (20)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (21)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (22)
*[[Mainframe (Animated)|Mainframe]] (27)
*[[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]] (28)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (29)
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] (31)
*[[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]] (33)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (34)
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] (36)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (37)
|c2=
*[[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]] (1)
*[[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]] (5)
*[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] (6)
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]] (8)
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime / Shockwave]] (13)
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] (14)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (15)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (16)
*[[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] (30)
*[[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] (32)
|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (24)
*[[Headmaster (Animated)|The Headmaster]] (25)
*[[Porter C. Powell]] (26)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (35)
|c4=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (23)
*[[Rock creature]]s (38)
}}

==Quotes==
"'Bulkhead' and 'genius' in the same sentence? I'll never get used to that."
:—'''Bumblebee''' shows his high opinion of his best friend.

"I'll warn them even if I have to run halfway across the galaxy to Cybertron to do it!" 
:—'''Blurr''', who apparently does just that.

"Sari, I don't pretend to fully understand humans, but from what I've seen, being a father is far more than a simple organic bond. It has much more to do with the spark. With the heart."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' muses on the nature of family. Sadly, the [[fandom]] desires more [[Relatives|concrete answers]].

"Prepare for TOT! Total Ownage Time!"
:—'''Headmaster''' to Optimus Prime and the Sumdacs.

"You taught me to protect like an Autobot, but all I did was destroy like a Decepticon." 
"We do what we must, even if it sometimes doesn't make sense." 
:—'''Omega Supreme''' and '''Ratchet''', before the former is put into modified stasis

'''Ratchet''': Omega, what are you doing?! Don't you recognize your old friend?! 
'''Megatron''': The question should be, "Don't you recognize your old enemy?" 
'''Optimus Prime''': Megatron?! 
'''Megatron''': Ah, then you ''do'' remember my name. Pity I can't remember yours.
:—The Autobots learn that Megatron has taken control of Omega Supreme

"It appears you and I are destined to battle aboard this ship once more, Autobot." 
"Bring it on, Decepticon."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

"Starscream too powerful. Please, shut me down! I want to sleep again." 
"I already had to use this thing once today when I didn't want to. Don't make me use it again." 
"We do what we must, even if it sometimes doesn't make sense."
:—'''Omega Supreme''' tries to convince '''Ratchet''' to use his EMP Generator

"Someday I really have to learn how to fly."
:—Someday will come [[Endgame, Part I|soon]], '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Technical or animation errors===
* When Megatron is first seen in space, parts of his helmet are miscolored red.
* Just before Omega Supreme is activated Ultra Magnus accompanies High Brow and Ratchet on a lift, in this shot the part of the Magnus Hammer's handle is missing.
* When Sari removes her key in order to place it in the homing beacon generator, the string doesn't actually go over her head... It just phases through her neck. Somehow.
* The damage to Starscream's body disappears during the commercial break.
* When Bumblebee tells Sari to watch out, her back kibble disappears for a moment. It reappears in the next shot.
* Once the key has been removed from Sari, the string attached to it mysteriously reappears.
* When Ratchet is talking to Bumblebee about Sari's condition, the side of his head is miscolored white.
* When Blackout attacks Rodimus, his chest is miscolored gray.
* After Bumblebee is slashed, there's a red spot on Bulkhead with an Autobot symbol inside it.

===Continuity errors===
* Megatron finds both of his rotors/swords after being freed from the stasis cuffs, despite leaving ''at least'' one behind when he was sucked into the space bridge in "A Bridge Too Close".
* When Bumblebee gets blown away in "Part II" after being stabbed by Sari, he lands on his back. When we cut back to him in "Part III", he appears on his side.
* Bumblebee’s rocket boosters seemingly appear out of nowhere. With Ratchet's upgrading of his stingers and now this, it seems that <s>Hasbro</s> the Autobots have gotten over their "Upgrades are bad, m'kay" phase. Spending two seasons out-gunned will probably do that to you.
* Sentinel is back in his Earth body, despite being shown in his Cybertronian body during "[[Autoboot Camp]]".
* If Sumdac was wearing gloves at the time he touched the protoform, how did it get his DNA? For that matter, how did Sari end up female?
*It is revealed that the streak of white in Isaac's hair came from the shock he received when he approached the protoform that would become Sari. Pay no attention to the streak in the hair of his younger self appearing in "[[Transform and Roll Out]]", please...

===Continuity notes===
*As Sari dismisses Isaac Sumdac's story of her origin, she suggests that he should have told her how he found her "in a cabbage patch", or how "the stork" brought her. Similar ideas were suggested by Professors Bumblebee and Bulkhead in "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]". In that episode, the professors also suggested that Sari was really a robot, that she came to Earth in an egg, or that she could have fallen through a portal, ''all'' of which seem to have some nugget of truth to them: She ''is'' part-robot, she was contained in a strange pod, and she appeared in Sumdac's lab out of thin air. ''Foreshadowing!''
*After Sari mentions those theories, Optimus Prime recalls how Sari told him of human manufacturing, which occurred in "[[Transform and Roll Out]]".
*Starscream says Omega Supreme is "more powerful than I imagined...well, not AllSpark-powerful...", in reference to his use of the same phrase to describe the AllSpark way back in "Transform and Roll Out!"

===Transformers references===
*Bar Oil Slick, every member of the new squads harkens back to a previous series. Rodimus, Ironhide, Brawn and Cyclonus are heavily based off their Generation One counterparts. Red Alert and Hot Shot take after their Unicron Trilogy incarnations. Spittor and Strika are both modeled after Beast Era characters, and Blackout's design is heavily influenced by the live-action movie version.
*While lecturing her on taking it slow with her powers, Ratchet says that there's "more than meets the vis-scanners" on having powers, a clear reference to the time-honored Transformers tagline "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)|more than meets the eye]]".
*Arcee's open head [[:Image:Spotlight Arcee b.jpg|looks ''waaay'' too much]] like [[Alex Milne]]'s cover for [[IDW Publishing]]'s "[[Spotlight: Arcee]]" to be a coincidence.
*Blurr races along a Saturn-style planetary ring, as [[Blurr (G1)|his namesake]] had done in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 3|Generation 1 season 3]] opening credits.
*The building in which the [[Autobot High Council]] have their meeting looks [[Metroplex (G1)|somewhat familiar]].
*Blackout seems to have retained his seismic stomp that was used by his [[Blackout (Movie)|movie counterpart]].
*Team Chaar gets its name from [[Chaar|the planet of the same name]].

===Real-world references===
* Megatron tells Optimus, "You have persistence, Autobot. I hate persistence." This is based on Lou Grant's well-known dialogue from the first episode of ''[[:wikipedia:The Mary Tyler Moore Show|The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]''—"You know what, you've got spunk! … I hate spunk!"
* Sari's transformation sequence upon absorbing the power of the key is a nod to the transformation sequence of the title robot in ''Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann''.
* Sari's use of a large hammer, sending it down with her buttocks in the air, references back to... about ninety billion different anime shows. Although they usually involve an upskirt of sorts that's very thankfully absent here.
* As Sari dismisses Isaac Sumdac's story of her origin, she suggests that he should have told her how he found her "in a cabbage patch", which is a reference to [[:wikipedia:Cabbage Patch Kids|popular 80s toy]].

===Trivia===
*[[Derrick J. Wyatt]] confirmed via. Twitter after the show aired that like the series pilot, "[[Transform and Roll Out]]", "TransWarped" was made "as one 70 minute movie", although it was also cut into 22-minute episodes for syndication.<ref>[[Derrick J. Wyatt]] — http://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/status/1329673450 — "We made it as one 70 minute movie, but it has also been cut into three 22s".</ref> Unlike the pilot, however, "TransWarped" counts as three episodes out of the thirteen alotted for the show's third season. While Cartoon Network aired all three episode in movie form for their premiere, Canadian network YTV opted to debut them in episodic form, airing only the first two in a double-bill, and then screening the final part the following week.
* The creatures that turn into rocks may be a reference to the Rock Lords from the [[Tonka GoBots]] movie ''[[wikipedia:GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords|GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords]]''
*Starscream gains a "sonic scream" as a head-mounted weapon in this episode. Coincidentally (or not?), in the initial [[Cartoon Network]] press release for Transformers Animated, Starscream's profile claimed that he had a sonic scream he could use to send foes spinning through the air. This ability is never seen again.
*The Headmaster's appearance in this episode marks the only time a human villain is used in Season 3. And even then, he's relatively minor compared to a Decepticon-controlled Omega Supreme.
*In his last line, Shockwave seems to forget to use his American accent. Probably because he's getting worried about getting caught.
*This episode marks the first live appearance of Cybertron.
*This episode marks the last time Blurr, Thundercracker, and Skywarp appear in the series.
*This is also the last appearance of 'Longarm's' crane mode. All subsequent appearances of Shockwave involve him transforming only into his Decepticon tank mode.

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transwarped}}
[[Category:Animated episodes]]

TransWarped

2010-05-31T20:40:59Z

Kcchia80: /* Part I */ changes " 'fellow robots' " to " 'fellow machines' " since that's what she says

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFA TransWarped Sari hands.jpg
|caption="WhY mY hAnDs HuRt?"
|prev=A Bridge Too Close, Part II
|next=Three's a Crowd
|ep=30, 31 and 32
|title="TransWarped"
|airdate=[[March 14]], 2009
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]] [[Michael Ryan]] [[Marsha Griffin]]
|directed by=[[Matt Youngberg]] [[Yoshio Frank Chatani]] [[Tetsuro Moronuki]] [[Yutaka Kagawa]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''In the aftermath of the battle at the mine, Sari and her father’s relationship takes a strange turn; the Autobots have their work cut out for them trying to contact Cybertron; and Megatron and Starscream find a new opportunity'''

==Synopsis==
===Part I===
[[Image:TransWarpedRodimusCosmicRust.jpg|thumb|left|180px|No fair, I just got here!]]

Somewhere along the outer rim of the galaxy, a contingent of [[Autobot]]s led by [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] defends [[space bridge 687-030]] against the [[Decepticon]]s' "[[Team Chaar]]", led by [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]]. She, [[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]] and [[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]] strafe [[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]], [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] and [[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]], badly injuring Hot Shot's leg and forcing team medic [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] to perform an amputation. Before she can do so, however, she is swallowed up by [[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]], who explosively vomits her back at her team. Rodimus contacts the [[Elite Guard]] for backup, but the Autobot forces are spread much too thin, defending space bridges from Decepticon attacks all across the galaxy. Oil Slick and Cyclonus proceed to take down Brawn and Ironhide, leaving Rodimus on his own, at which point Blackout arrives and all but finishes the fight with a huge electromagnetic pulse. Rodimus still has some fight left in him, but it drains away when Oil Slick offlines him with a vial of [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. Strika contacts [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], who informs her that nobody is to TransWarp to the planet until [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] himself arrives. But Megatron was supposed to be there megacycles ago...

[[Image:TransWarpedStarscreamsScream.jpg|thumb|right|180px|I'mma firin' my lazhar!.]]

Off in the depths of space, the disembodied head of [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] attempts to remove Megatron's stasis cuffs with his teeth as the Decepticon leader berates him all the while. As Starscream begins bellowing back at Megatron, the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] fragment in his forehead begins to glow, and he undergoes a surprising transformation: His mouth converts into a sonic blaster that shoots the cuffs clean off Megatron's wrists. There is no time for the two villains to celebrate, however, as the giant form of [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] materializes above them. But after a moment, Megatron realizes that the colossus is offline...

[[Image:TransWarpedProtoform.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Hush little baby, don't say a word. Sumdac's gonna build you a mockingbird.]]

On [[Earth]], as the Autobots return to [[Detroit]], [[Isaac Sumdac|Professor Sumdac]] explains [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] origins to her as best he can, revealing that he discovered her in his laboratory years ago, in the form of a small, liquid metal robot. Sari finds the story hard to believe, and her strained patience reaches its end when the group returns to [[Sumdac Tower]] and confronts [[Porter C. Powell]] and [[Henry Masterson]]. Powell tries to smooth things over with Isaac, but Masterson's belligerent attitude dispels any attempts at peace, which is further ruined when he demands the Autobots return his Headmaster, or "heads will roll." Having entered the lab from the elevator behind them, Optimus picks up Masterson and asks for clarification on his threat. Isaac immediately fires both Powell and Masterson, but Masterson refuses to vacate the premises, and Powell takes another shot at Sari's disputed parentage. In a moment of anger, Sari's hands transform into energy projectors that hurl the two men into the building's elevator. This newest revelation pushes Sari over the edge, and she walks out on the man she can no longer even think of as her father, returning to the Autobots' base with her "fellow machines." While [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] examines Sari—deducing that she's basically human, but partially Cybertronian—Prowl departs to carry out some research of his own. With Ratchet lost in his memories of [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]], [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] head back to the Decepticons' destroyed mine base to salvage some equipment that will let them contact Cybertron and inform the Autobots there of the traitor in their midst.

On a small planetoid somewhere in space, [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] is still trapped in a cement blob with Starscream's [[Thundercracker (Animated)|egomaniacal]] and [[Skywarp (Animated)|cowardly]] clones. Blurr proposes using sonic pulses to dissolve the glue, and the egomaniac takes the idea for his own and successfully frees them. Blurr immediately speeds off, launching into space and literally running across the galaxy, ricocheting off everything in his path (including the egomaniac) to get back to Cybertron and inform the Elite Guard of Megatron's invasion plan.

Megatron and Starscream force their way into Omega Supreme's body, but this action brings the giant Autobot back online, and his internal systems immediately seize the Decepticons. Megatron exploits Omega's simple processor and convinces the titan to take him back to Cybertron "to face justice". Omega transforms back into ship mode and TransWarps off toward Cybertron.

Back on Earth, Bumblebee and Bulkhead are searching through the ruins of the mine when Bumblebee discovers a [[Plasmadynamic thruster|plasmadynamic thruster]] space bridge component that abruptly TransWarps him away. While Bulkhead is wondering where his buddy went, he is suddenly attacked by Henry Masterson, who recovered his Headmaster unit and Starscream's headless body from the mine the night before.

At Sumdac Tower, Prowl shadows Sumdac into his laboratory, quickly accesses his computers, and scans the scientist in an attempt to learn more about Sari's origins. Ratchet is having distinctly less luck back at the Autobot base, where Sari refuses to let him perform an exploratory surgery. The whole unpleasant affair reminds Ratchet of his past on Cybertron, when he performed open-processor surgery on Arcee and discovered she was carrying the codes that were key to the creation of Omega Supreme. Prime snaps Ratchet out of his flashback with the news that he cannot contact Bumblebee and Bulkhead, and Ratchet heads out to the mine to investigate.

[[Image:TFA TransWarped Headmaster Starscream power up.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|Here we go again...]]]]
With the other Autobots busy, Optimus Prime tries to patch up the Sumdac family feud by surreptitiously opening a comm channel to Professor Sumdac's laboratory and explaining loudly and at length to Sari that he is going to take her to [[Burger Bot]]. Sumdac catches on and heads out to meet them there, but Sari is furious at being set up and refuses to talk to him. Unfortunately, the Headmaster soon arrives, having picked up Prime's phone call through bugs left in Sumdac Tower, and threatens to unleash t0t47 0wN4ge!

===Part II===
[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Headmaster PWN3D.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Heads out.]]
Optimus Prime engages the Headmaster, binding him with his grapplers and dragging him around the Burger Bot parking lot before taking a moment to usher the Sumdacs to safety behind a dumpster. The fight carries the two combatants to an overhead roadway and back, with the Headmaster eventually downing Prime with a slab of concrete. Sumdac is forced to take action, and he hides Sari within the dumpster so that he can draw the Headmaster's attention and keep her safe. Touched by this, Sari unleashes her energy projectors on the Headmaster in defence of her father, though they do little to the villain other than draw his attention. Prime rejoins the battle just in time, ramming the villain in truck mode and goading the Headmaster into trying to transform Starscream's body as well. Infuriated by Prime's claim that a n00b such as he would find it difficult, the Headmaster tries to meet the challenge... only to find his Headmaster unit squeezed clean off Starscream's body by the transformation process. As Starscream's lifeless carcass spirals off into the river, the Headmaster is apprehended by Prime and handed over to [[Captain Fanzone]].

Back at Sumdac tower, Prowl reveals his findings to Prime, Sari and Sumdac: He believes that the body Sumdac found in his lab was, in fact, a Cybertronian [[protoform]] that scanned Professor Sumdac's genetic data. Sari takes the revelation in stride, although everyone else remains mystified as to how a protoform wound up on Earth in the first place. There is no time to dwell on the subject, however, as Ratchet radios Prime to inform him of Bulkhead's injuries and Bumblebee's disappearance.

Out in space, Omega Supreme re-emerges from TransWarp, and his systems all power down, having been sapped of energy by the effort of the teleport. Megatron attempts to escape from the confines of the giant Autobot's body, but without his weapons, he is unable. Starscream's new sonic blaster is similarly ineffective, and Megatron instead schemes to take control of Omega's very body.

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Blurr Crushed.jpg|180px|right|thumb|"We... are going... to die!"]]
On Cybertron, Shockwave (in the form of Longarm Prime) is informed by [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] that the space bridge network has been shut down to prevent a Decepticon invasion of the planet. Suppressing his frustration, Shockwave is promptly presented with an outlet for his anger when Blurr comes streaking out of the sky and crashes at his feet. Blurr informs him of the double-agent on Cybertron, whom he plans to identify by cross-referencing his voice-print with the Cybertron intelligence database, and Shockwave immediately attacks the speedster, intent on silencing him before his cover can be blown. Blurr streaks off into a series of nearby corridors, but his speed fails to carry him beyond Shockwave's reach: Using a control console, Shockwave seals off the tunnels, and Blurr is crushed between two walls.

Back on Earth, Ratchet's treatment of Bulkhead is interrupted by Sari, who volunteers use of her Key to fix the larger Autobot's wounds. Ratchet is indignant, insisting that just because something is new, it doesn't make it better, but Bulkhead requests the Key. While Sari goes to work on Bulkhead's injuries, the sullen medic is overtaken by his memories; he recalls the creation of Omega Supreme and how he was partnered with the newborn titan to serve as his mentor, teacher and friend. Ratchet is roused from his unpleasant trip down memory lane when discussion turns to the whereabouts of Bumblebee, and before long, Bulkhead figures out that the plasmadynamic thruster has TransWarped Bumblebee off across the galaxy. Bulkhead suggests using a retrieval beacon generator recovered from the mine ruins to pinpoint Bumblebee's location, and Sari uses her Key to fix it before Ratchet can even begin examining it.

Aboard Omega Supreme, Megatron uses his stasis cuffs to "hotwire" Omega's body and bring it back online. However, when the light from Omega's "headlights" falls upon a nearby asteroid, Megatron and Starscream are shocked to see the rock react to the light, transforming into a humanoid monster that immediately attacks the ship! As more asteroids transform around him, Omega TransWarps away to safety...only for Bumblebee, cruising on the tail end of Omega's TransWarp field, to materialize in his place, right in the midst of the rock creatures! The largest creature swallows the tiny Autobot with a single gulp.

Simultaneously, on Earth, Bulkhead locks in on Bumblebee's position and teleports him back, but the rock creature he is inside comes with him and is immediately driven to a rampage by the blinding light of the [[Sun]]. Optimus Prime detects Bumblebee's signature within the creature, and the Autobots prepare to give chase as the alien stomps off through the city. Prowl is rather taken aback to see Ratchet wearing his EMP generator on his arm once more, while Prime has to deal with Sari's demands that she be allowed to join them in the fight now that she has powers. Prime refuses, and the Autobots zoom off after the rock monster, but Sari won't take no for an answer and is struck with inspiration: Give herself an upgrade! Sari concentrates, and a port opens in her chest, into which she inserts her Key...and in an explosion of energy, Sari's whole body transforms into a taller, older form, suited in combat armor!

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Screamer Hotwire OmegaSupreme.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Name: Starscream Function: Jumper Cable]]
Meanwhile, Megatron has discovered that Omega Supreme has again expended all his power, and his stasis cuffs do not have the energy left to rectify the situation. He grabs Starscream's head and jams it into the circuits, where the traitor's AllSpark fragment energizes Omega's systems once more.

[[Image:TransWarpedBumblebeeSari.jpg|thumb|right|180px|So, kids, don't play with too many knives!]]
Back in Detroit, the Autobots are attempting to figure out how to stop the rock creature without hurting Bumblebee, when the upgraded Sari comes streaking onto the scene on jet skates. As the Autobots look on in shock, Sari begins attacking the alien with arm-blades and an energy-hammer that morph out of her arms. A single strike of the hammer reduces the alien to boulders, freeing Bumblebee, who is immediately struck by Sari's new look, but then shouts a warning: The smaller boulders surrounding the pair have transformed into small creatures. But the creatures pose no threat to Sari, and she pounds them into pebbles. As Sari basks in her triumph, Ratchet realizes with horror that she has used the Key on herself. The elderly Autobot's concern is soon proven valid, as the Key overloads Sari's systems, and she loses control of her body. With Sari attacking everything and everyone around her, the Autobots attempt to stop her with a variety of non-lethal strategies, but Sari counters everything they throw at her, including Prowl's processor-over-matter technique. Even as Prime and Sari tell Bumblebee to keep back, the young Autobot races to his friend's side...only for the out-of-control Sari to stab him through the chest! Frozen for a horrific moment, Bumblebee is then hurled back by an energy discharge, and the light dims from his optics...

===Part III===
Ratchet leaps to Bumblebee's aid, but without Sari's Key, Bulkhead fears his little buddy is done for. Ratchet denies that he requires the key to do his job, but his memories of when he was forced to place the dying Omega Supreme in stasis haunt him as he begins to operate on Bumblebee.

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Ratchet Repairs Bumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|180px|Operator, what's the number for Nine-One-One?]]
Sari, meanwhile, is storming through the city streets, causing objects to explode when she comes into contact with them, and the Autobots head after her, seeking to remove the Key in hopes of bringing her back under control. They corral her with a wall of steel girders, affording Prowl the chance to get the drop on her and rip the Key from her chest, but Sari continues to rampage. With Bumblebee fading, Ratchet goes back on his previous claim and requests the Key be brought to him, but when Prowl complies, he discovers that the energy of the Key has been completely drained. Prowl assures Ratchet that he can accomplish the task without the Key, and the old medic gravely takes up the challenge and manages to bring Bumblebee back online.

Back with Sari, Prime and Bulkhead, Sari's energies are growing increasingly more out of control, as the street beneath her explodes with every step she takes. Bulkhead suggests just trying to "hold it in," but when Sari tries, things get even worse, as she begins to glow with so much energy that she is on the verge of exploding. Optimus summons Ratchet so that he can use his EMP generator to take Sari down, and while Ratchet is hesitant to do so, Sari begs him to stop her. Ratchet fires, and Sari collapses, her energy fading.

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped LongArm Cliffjumper Cube.jpg|right|thumb|180px|Kid's meal premiums aren't what they used to be.]]
On Cybertron, Longarm Prime has Cliffjumper dispose of the crushed remains of Blurr and is then contacted by Megatron. Learning that the space bridge network is down and that the Earth-based Autobots are poised to blow Shockwave's cover, Megatron orders the Decepticons to cease their attacks on the space bridges so that he can solve both problems his own way. Team Chaar receive the transmission and fall back, much to the Elite Guard's surprise.

In the Autobots' base, Ratchet completes a rewiring of Sari's systems, bypassing the circuits that caused her to run out of control. Professor Sumdac soon arrives, having been informed of the location of the base by Optimus Prime. The Autobots are a little upset by this, but Prime makes it clear that there are to be no more secrets in this "family". The Autobots step outside the plant to give the Sumdacs some time together, and are in the middle of catching Bumblebee up on recent events when the small Autobot suddenly begins to glow with TransWarp energies once more. Bulkhead quickly deactivates the plasmadynamic thruster, but the source of the TransWarp wave the thruster was picking up soon becomes apparent, as Omega Supreme materializes in the sky overhead. Much to the Autobots' surprise, the titan fires upon them before transforming to robot mode, revealing a projected image of Megatron's face upon his visor! The Decepticon leader is in complete control of Omega's body and begins attacking the Autobots, forcing Optimus Prime to consider unleashing an uncontrollable Sari on the giant. Before resorting to this desperate last resort, the Autobots attempt to lure Megatron away from the city. Ratchet even upgrades Bumblebee's stingers to a more powerful battle grade for the mission.

[[Image:TFAni TransWarped Prowl Megs OSFight.jpg|left|thumb|180px|I'm going to have to put you on the game grid.]]
Taking refuge in the nearby river, the Autobots attack Omega's legs, forcing open an access hatch through which Prime and Prowl enter Omega's body. Battling Omega's internal defences, Prowl taps into Omega's processor in order to help him fight off Megatron's control, and they succeed in forcing Megatron out of the system. Prime engages Megatronin order to keep Prowl safe, but as their battle rages, Starscream seizes control of Omega's mind and forcibly disconnects Prowl from Omega's processor. Prime and Prowl are unceremoniously ejected from Omega Supreme's body, but Starscream is not finished there; he uses Omega's internal defences to seize Megatron, and resumes attacking the Autobots all around him. Megatron manages to talk Starscream into an alliance, suggesting they forget Earth and conquer Cybertron together. Starscream struggles to activate Omega's TransWarp system, and while his attention is occupied with this task, Omega's consciousness fights its way to the surface and begs Ratchet to shut him down again. Ratchet regretfully unleashes his EMP generator upon Omega, but it has no effect, and Starscream transforms Omega into starship mode in order to begin the TransWarp. Bulkhead and Bumblebee hit upon the idea to plant the plasmadynamic thruster on Omega Supreme, and they hand it off to Prime to complete the task. Prime plants the thruster at the last second before Omega disappears into TransWarp, and Ratchet catches Prime with his magnets as he falls out of the sky.

Back at the Autobot base a little later, Sari comes to and admits to Ratchet that he was right about taking it slow. Sumdac apologizes for holding back the truth from Sari for so long, and Bumblebee thanks Ratchet for saving his tailpipe. Unfortunately, Bulkhead brings the mood down by reminding everyone that they still have to find a way to contact Cybertron.

[[Image:TFA TransWarped lost in space.JPG|thumb|right|180px|[[Ripped Up Space]]]]
On Cybertron, [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] holds an Autobot council and announces that all the evidence points to a double agent on Cybertron. Longarm Prime implicates escaped convict [[Wasp]], and Ultra Magnus instructs [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] to put together a unit to hunt the fugitive down. Magnus also notes that he has to make contact with Optimus's crew on Earth, and Longarm hastily demands that all contact with them be filtered through him, responding to the council's wary looks by adding that it will be purely for security reasons.

In the sky above Cybertron, Omega Supreme materializes, and Starscream howls with glee...only for the Autobot spaceship to TransWarp away immediately to another random point in space...and another...and another...
{{--}}
==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]] (2)
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] (3)
*[[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]] (4)
*[[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] (7)
*[[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (10)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (11)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (12)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (17)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (18)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (19)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (20)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (21)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (22)
*[[Mainframe (Animated)|Mainframe]] (27)
*[[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]] (28)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (29)
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] (31)
*[[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]] (33)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (34)
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] (36)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (37)
|c2=
*[[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]] (1)
*[[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]] (5)
*[[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] (6)
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]] (8)
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime / Shockwave]] (13)
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] (14)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (15)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (16)
*[[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] (30)
*[[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] (32)
|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (24)
*[[Headmaster (Animated)|The Headmaster]] (25)
*[[Porter C. Powell]] (26)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (35)
|c4=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (23)
*[[Rock creature]]s (38)
}}

==Quotes==
"'Bulkhead' and 'genius' in the same sentence? I'll never get used to that."
:—'''Bumblebee''' shows his high opinion of his best friend.

"I'll warn them even if I have to run halfway across the galaxy to Cybertron to do it!" 
:—'''Blurr''', who apparently does just that.

"Sari, I don't pretend to fully understand humans, but from what I've seen, being a father is far more than a simple organic bond. It has much more to do with the spark. With the heart."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' muses on the nature of family. Sadly, the [[fandom]] desires more [[Relatives|concrete answers]].

"Prepare for TOT! Total Ownage Time!"
:—'''Headmaster''' to Optimus Prime and the Sumdacs.

"You taught me to protect like an Autobot, but all I did was destroy like a Decepticon." 
"We do what we must, even if it sometimes doesn't make sense." 
:—'''Omega Supreme''' and '''Ratchet''', before the former is put into modified stasis

'''Ratchet''': Omega, what are you doing?! Don't you recognize your old friend?! 
'''Megatron''': The question should be, "Don't you recognize your old enemy?" 
'''Optimus Prime''': Megatron?! 
'''Megatron''': Ah, then you ''do'' remember my name. Pity I can't remember yours.
:—The Autobots learn that Megatron has taken control of Omega Supreme

"It appears you and I are destined to battle aboard this ship once more, Autobot." 
"Bring it on, Decepticon."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

"Starscream too powerful. Please, shut me down! I want to sleep again." 
"I already had to use this thing once today when I didn't want to. Don't make me use it again." 
"We do what we must, even if it sometimes doesn't make sense."
:—'''Omega Supreme''' tries to convince '''Ratchet''' to use his EMP Generator

"Someday I really have to learn how to fly."
:—Someday will come [[Endgame, Part I|soon]], '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Technical or animation errors===
* When Megatron is first seen in space, parts of his helmet are miscolored red.
* Just before Omega Supreme is activated Ultra Magnus accompanies High Brow and Ratchet on a lift, in this shot the part of the Magnus Hammer's handle is missing.
* When Sari removes her key in order to place it in the homing beacon generator, the string doesn't actually go over her head... It just phases through her neck. Somehow.
* The damage to Starscream's body disappears during the commercial break.
* When Bumblebee tells Sari to watch out, her back kibble disappears for a moment. It reappears in the next shot.
* Once the key has been removed from Sari, the string attached to it mysteriously reappears.
* When Ratchet is talking to Bumblebee about Sari's condition, the side of his head is miscolored white.
* When Blackout attacks Rodimus, his chest is miscolored gray.
* After Bumblebee is slashed, there's a red spot on Bulkhead with an Autobot symbol inside it.

===Continuity errors===
* Megatron finds both of his rotors/swords after being freed from the stasis cuffs, despite leaving ''at least'' one behind when he was sucked into the space bridge in "A Bridge Too Close".
* When Bumblebee gets blown away in "Part II" after being stabbed by Sari, he lands on his back. When we cut back to him in "Part III", he appears on his side.
* Bumblebee’s rocket boosters seemingly appear out of nowhere. With Ratchet's upgrading of his stingers and now this, it seems that <s>Hasbro</s> the Autobots have gotten over their "Upgrades are bad, m'kay" phase. Spending two seasons out-gunned will probably do that to you.
* Sentinel is back in his Earth body, despite being shown in his Cybertronian body during "[[Autoboot Camp]]".
* If Sumdac was wearing gloves at the time he touched the protoform, how did it get his DNA? For that matter, how did Sari end up female?
*It is revealed that the streak of white in Isaac's hair came from the shock he received when he approached the protoform that would become Sari. Pay no attention to the streak in the hair of his younger self appearing in "[[Transform and Roll Out]]", please...

===Continuity notes===
*As Sari dismisses Isaac Sumdac's story of her origin, she suggests that he should have told her how he found her "in a cabbage patch", or how "the stork" brought her. Similar ideas were suggested by Professors Bumblebee and Bulkhead in "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]". In that episode, the professors also suggested that Sari was really a robot, that she came to Earth in an egg, or that she could have fallen through a portal, ''all'' of which seem to have some nugget of truth to them: She ''is'' part-robot, she was contained in a strange pod, and she appeared in Sumdac's lab out of thin air. ''Foreshadowing!''
*After Sari mentions those theories, Optimus Prime recalls how Sari told him of human manufacturing, which occurred in "[[Transform and Roll Out]]".
*Starscream says Omega Supreme is "more powerful than I imagined...well, not AllSpark-powerful...", in reference to his use of the same phrase to describe the AllSpark way back in "Transform and Roll Out!"

===Transformers references===
*Bar Oil Slick, every member of the new squads harkens back to a previous series. Rodimus, Ironhide, Brawn and Cyclonus are heavily based off their Generation One counterparts. Red Alert and Hot Shot take after their Unicron Trilogy incarnations. Spittor and Strika are both modeled after Beast Era characters, and Blackout's design is heavily influenced by the live-action movie version.
*While lecturing her on taking it slow with her powers, Ratchet says that there's "more than meets the vis-scanners" on having powers, a clear reference to the time-honored Transformers tagline "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)|more than meets the eye]]".
*Arcee's open head [[:Image:Spotlight Arcee b.jpg|looks ''waaay'' too much]] like [[Alex Milne]]'s cover for [[IDW Publishing]]'s "[[Spotlight: Arcee]]" to be a coincidence.
*Blurr races along a Saturn-style planetary ring, as [[Blurr (G1)|his namesake]] had done in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)#Season 3|Generation 1 season 3]] opening credits.
*The building in which the [[Autobot High Council]] have their meeting looks [[Metroplex (G1)|somewhat familiar]].
*Blackout seems to have retained his seismic stomp that was used by his [[Blackout (Movie)|movie counterpart]].
*Team Chaar gets its name from [[Chaar|the planet of the same name]].

===Real-world references===
* Megatron tells Optimus, "You have persistence, Autobot. I hate persistence." This is based on Lou Grant's well-known dialogue from the first episode of ''[[:wikipedia:The Mary Tyler Moore Show|The Mary Tyler Moore Show]]''—"You know what, you've got spunk! … I hate spunk!"
* Sari's transformation sequence upon absorbing the power of the key is a nod to the transformation sequence of the title robot in ''Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann''.
* Sari's use of a large hammer, sending it down with her buttocks in the air, references back to... about ninety billion different anime shows. Although they usually involve an upskirt of sorts that's very thankfully absent here.
* As Sari dismisses Isaac Sumdac's story of her origin, she suggests that he should have told her how he found her "in a cabbage patch", which is a reference to [[:wikipedia:Cabbage Patch Kids|popular 80s toy]].

===Trivia===
*[[Derrick J. Wyatt]] confirmed via. Twitter after the show aired that like the series pilot, "[[Transform and Roll Out]]", "TransWarped" was made "as one 70 minute movie", although it was also cut into 22-minute episodes for syndication.<ref>[[Derrick J. Wyatt]] — http://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/status/1329673450 — "We made it as one 70 minute movie, but it has also been cut into three 22s".</ref> Unlike the pilot, however, "TransWarped" counts as three episodes out of the thirteen alotted for the show's third season. While Cartoon Network aired all three episode in movie form for their premiere, Canadian network YTV opted to debut them in episodic form, airing only the first two in a double-bill, and then screening the final part the following week.
* The creatures that turn into rocks may be a reference to the Rock Lords from the [[Tonka GoBots]] movie ''[[wikipedia:GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords|GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords]]''
*Starscream gains a "sonic scream" as a head-mounted weapon in this episode. Coincidentally (or not?), in the initial [[Cartoon Network]] press release for Transformers Animated, Starscream's profile claimed that he had a sonic scream he could use to send foes spinning through the air. This ability is never seen again.
*The Headmaster's appearance in this episode marks the only time a human villain is used in Season 3. And even then, he's relatively minor compared to a Decepticon-controlled Omega Supreme.
*In his last line, Shockwave seems to forget to use his American accent. Probably because he's getting worried about getting caught.
*This episode marks the first live appearance of Cybertron.
*This episode marks the last time Blurr, Thundercracker, and Skywarp appear in the series.
*This is also the last appearance of 'Longarm's' crane mode. All subsequent appearances of Shockwave involve him transforming only into his Decepticon tank mode.

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transwarped}}
[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Josh Duhamel

2010-05-31T19:52:46Z

Kcchia80: /* Trivia */ clarifies it was 09 Indy 500

{{disambig3|Josh}}

[[Image:Lennox.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Picturesque]]
'''Josh Duhamel''' ([[November 14]], 1972–) is an American actor, best known for his role of Danny McCoy on the television series ''Las Vegas''.

On [[January 11]], 2009 he married Fergie, of the Black Eyed Peas.

===''Transformers'' (2007)===
* [[William Lennox]]

===''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen''===
* William Lennox

==Trivia==
* In 2009 as part of the promotion for ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', Duhamel drove a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro pace car at the [http://www.welovesoaps.net/2009/05/josh-duhamel-drives-pace-car-at-indy.html Indianapolis 500 on May 24.]

==External links==
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0241049/ Josh Duhamel at the Internet Movie Database]
* [http://www.wnct.com/nct/entertainment/music/article/update_black_eyed_peas_singer_fergie_and_transformers_actor_josh_duhamel_ma/28548/ Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie and ‘Transformers’ actor Josh Duhamel married in Malibu] — WNCT

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duhamel, Josh}}
[[Category:On-camera actors]]
[[Category:DreamWorks]]

A Bridge Too Close, Part I

2010-05-31T19:11:00Z

Kcchia80: /* Synopsis */ added a caption based on the fact that in the picture, Optimus Prime is telling Bulkhead the picture needs a caption ... *brain explodes*

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|ep=28
|image=TFA ABTC1 Space Bridge operational.JPG
|caption=Closer... closer...
|title="A Bridge Too Close, Part I"
|airdate=[[June 28]], 2008
|written by=[[Marsha Griffin]]
|directed by=[[Ben Jones]] [[Christopher Berkeley]] [[Shunji Ōga|Shunji Oga]]
|animation studio=[[The Answer Studio]]
}}

'''The Decepticons kidnap Bulkhead to aid in Megatron's ultimate plan to take over Cybertron.'''
:''German title:'' "'''Die Weltraumbrücke, Teil 1'''" ("The Spacebridge, Part 1")
:''Polish title:'' "'''O Jeden Most Za Blisko, Część 1'''" ("A Bridge Too Close, Part 1")

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Megatron branding.jpg|thumb|left|"Can't you just paint the insignia on our chest?" "Now, where's the fun in that?"]]

Now serving under [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], the [[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]] have completed construction of the villain’s [[space bridge]]. They are rewarded for their efforts by being officially inducted into the [[Decepticon]] army in a small ceremony led by Megatron, with [[Lugnut]] and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] serving as witnesses (and, for some reason, holding candles). After the Constructicons have recited the oath of allegiance, Megatron [[branding|brands]] them, quite literally, with a [[Redeco|color-change]] for their armor and eyes thrown into the bargain. At Megatron’s instruction, [[Isaac Sumdac|Professor Sumdac]] fires up the bridge, but when it fails to activate due to the professor’s simple lack of understanding of the technology, Megatron realizes that he will require additional help...

[[Image:TFA ABTC1 Screamer Clones Argue.jpg|thumb|"There's something in your [[optic]]." "No, there isn't!"]]

On [[Earth]]’s [[Moon (moon)|moon]], [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] gloats over five new [[Starscream clone (Animated)|clones]] of himself, to which he is in the process of putting the finishing touches. The final clone is completed and, like its fellows, brought online with a tiny chip of the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] that gives Starscream life. Immediately, however, Starscream has to wrestle with the various wacky personalities the clones have wound up with, each one an exaggerated aspect of his own: a coward, a sycophant, an egomaniac, a pathological liar... and a short-tempered female who insists that Starscream not ask what aspect of his personality gave birth to her.

Megatron contacts [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in order to have him [[Cybertronian Datanet|track down]] the top space bridge engineer on the planet. Shockwave is surprised to report that the engineer in question is on Earth—it’s [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]! Megatron decides to capture Bulkhead personally and instructs Lugnut and Blitzwing to pick up an item from [[Sumdac Tower]] to aid in “convincing” the Autobot to help them. When Lugnut points out that Sumdac cannot be trusted in the base alone with the Constructicons, Megatron decides to take the professor with him. As all this scheming goes on, however, someone else is listening in—the mysterious “Blue Racer” that [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] recently encountered.

[[Image:TFA ABTC1 painting time.JPG|thumb|left|Optimus Prime has deemed this image in need of a caption!]]

At the Autobot base, Bulkhead is working on his latest painting, an abstract rendition of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]. Unfortunately, backseat artistry from the other Autobots winds up ruining the painting, and Bulkhead goes for a walk with Sari to vent a little. Bumblebee follows to apologize, but just as he catches up to them, Megatron appears in the sky overhead and opens fire. Using Sumdac as a human shield to stop the Autobots from firing back, Megatron continues to rain destruction down on the Autobots as Bumblebee and Sari argue over whether or not Sumdac has been working with Megatron.

[[Image:TFA ABTC1 Megatron Sumdac Hostage.jpg|thumb|right|...dads?]]
Suddenly, the Blue Racer speeds onto the scene, and Bumblebee, believing the enigmatic speedster to be working with Megatron, chases him off through the city and manages to run him off the road. When he attempts to report his success to Bulkhead, though, there’s no response—because Megatron has captured Bulkhead and is airlifting him away. Bumblebee’s failure is compounded by the next turn of events: The Blue Racer reveals himself to be [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]], a fast-talking member of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] who has been covertly monitoring Megatron’s activities.

Back at the Decepticon headquarters, Bulkhead refuses to help Megatron, so the villain unveils the fruit of Blitzwing and Lugnut’s labor: a [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] unit! Faced with the threat of once again having his body taken over and being used to destroy his fellow Autobots, and failing to elicit any help from [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] or [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]], Bulkhead relents and agrees to work on the space bridge.

At the Autobots’ base, Blurr relates his mission to [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and company and brings them up to speed, quite literally. While Prime leads the rest of the team to the Decepticon base, the location of which is provided by Blurr, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and Sari head for Teletran-1 to try to get it online one last time. Just like [[Lost and Found (episode)|last time]], their efforts lead to nothing, forcing Ratchet to attempt one last drastic approach: using the AllSpark fragments the Autobots have gathered to jump-start the ship’s systems.

[[Image:TFA ABTC1 Bulkhead Sumdac.JPG|thumb|left|Merry Christmas!]]

Prime’s team is led by Blurr into the Decepticons’ coal mine base, where they are immediately attacked by Lugnut and Blitzwing. The fight is a brief one, as Blurr uses his super-speed to bind the odd couple with [[stasis cuffs]]. Meanwhile, as the space bridge nears completion, Bulkhead insists on modifying many aspects of Sumdac’s design, and winds up in an argument with the human, which Sumdac interprets as Bulkhead trying to sabotage the bridge deliberately. When the bridge is activated, however, it functions perfectly—Bulkhead knew full well that Sumdac’s design was wrong, and he corrected it!

[[Image:TFA ABTC1 Screamer Clones Emerge.jpg|thumb|right|Why, I'm beside myself! And myself! And...]]
As the bridge flares into life, Prime’s team bursts into the main chamber, but they are instantly immobilized by cement booties, courtesy of Mixmaster. With the Autobots out of the picture, it seems there is nothing to stop Megatron now...until the roof of the cavern explodes, and Starscream and his clone army make their grand entrance!

[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|To be continued…]]
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (14)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (15)
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] (16)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (17)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (18)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Lugnut]] (2)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (3)
*[[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] (4)
*[[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] (5)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (7)
*[[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]] (8)
*[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] (9)
*[[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] (10)
*[[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]] (11)
*[[Slipstream (Animated)|Slipstream]] (12)
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] (13)

|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (6)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ah, never before have I seen such an impressive group of lethal fighting machines! And pretty good-looking, if I do say so myself."
:—The ever-humble '''Starscream''' comments on his clone army.

'''Skywarp, the Coward Starscream''': Us? Against Megatron?!? ARE YOU INSANE?!? ''[Meekly]'' Ah, I think I just sprang an oil leak... 
'''Thundercracker, the Egomaniac Starscream''': Silence, you fool! Megatron is a worthless pile of scrap metal compared to ''my'' genius. 
'''Sunstorm, the Sycophant Starscream''': Brilliant observation! Brilliant! But your genius pales in comparison to the genius of our leader, the [[Starscream (G1)|original]] Starscream. 
'''Starscream''': Mmm, I could listen to this one all day! 
'''Ramjet, the Liar Starscream''': What are you talking about? ''I'' am the [[Geewun|original]] Starscream! 
'''Starscream''': Liar! ''I'' am the original Starscream. 
'''Ramjet''': I never said I was the original Starscream. 
'''Starscream''': You just did right now. 
'''Ramjet''': No, I didn't. 
'''Starscream''': Yes, you did. 
'''Ramjet''': No, I didn't. 
'''Starscream''': Yes, you did! 
'''Ramjet''': No. I. Didn't. 
'''Slipstream, the Female Starscream''': Ohh, haven't you figured it out yet? He's a pathological liar. Each of us clones represents one aspect of your personality. [''points to each clone in turn''] He's a coward... he's an egomaniac... he's a suck-up... he's a liar. 
'''Ramjet''': I am not! 
'''Starscream''': So, which part of me did you come from? 
'''Slipstream''': Don't ask. 
'''Starscream''': ''[sigh]'' This is going to be a long orbital cycle.
:—Best [[introdump]] ever?

"I just didn't think my head was so big." 
"That's your leg."
:—'''Sari''' and '''Bulkhead'''. Oh, the irony!

'''Sari''': No, don't shoot! You'll hit my dad! 
'''Bulkhead''': She's right! 
'''Bumblebee''': So what are we supposed to do? Fight him with snappy comebacks?
:—'''Bumblebee''' conveniently forgets his normal attack strategy.

'''Bumblebee''': All right, Zippy, start talking! 
''[Blurr transforms from vehicle mode to robot mode]'' 
'''Blurr''': First of all, the name's not "Zippy"! As a matter of fact, I don't believe I've ever met another bot named Zippy, so one can only assume that you came up with "Zippy" in reference to my speed, which may be technically accurate, but lacks a certain creativity! 
'''Bumblebee''': Eh...eh-eh... 
'''Blurr''': More to the point, the name's Blurr! I'm an Autobot intelligence agent, sent to this planet by the Elite Guard to keep an eye on Optimus Prime and his crew as well as monitor the Decepticon activity, and ''you'', my friend, have just blown a decacycle of covert surveillance designed to uncover Megatron's plot to conquer Cybertron. Everything was going according to plan when I intercepted a communication between the Decepticon leader and an unknown double agent! They were in the midst of plotting the abduction of an unsuspecting Autobot, which now, from the status of the current ground situation, appears to have been successful. Got that so far? 
'''Bumblebee''': Uh...could you repeat the last part? 
'''Blurr''': Which last part? 
'''Bumblebee''': Oh, everything after "The name's not Zippy."
:—It took Bumblebee a long time to get Blurr to start talking. From this point on, he doesn't shut up.

'''Bumblebee''': Woah, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up! 
'''Prowl''': Did he just say Bulkhead? 
'''Optimus Prime''': ''Our Bulkhead?'' 
'''Ratchet''': ''An expert?'' On anything?!
:—The Autobots aren't terribly impressed with Bulkhead.

"I must be a bigger pain in the gearshaft than I thought."
:—'''Starscream''' [[Total War!#Quotes|openly admits]] one of his primary faults.

"Okay, I give. I'm officially no longer the fastest thing on wheels."
:—'''Bumblebee''' is humbled after seeing Blurr's speedy takedown of Blitzwing and Lugnut.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
*When Mixmaster encases Optimus and Prowl in concrete, his colors shift back to his neutral, pre-Decepticon color scheme.
*When Megatron attacks the Autobots, his cockpit changes from black to grey for a brief moment, then back.
*Blurr's mouth disappears for a frame after he introduces himself to Bumblebee and is pointing at him for the second time.

===Continuity errors===
*Not so much an error as a quirk: During the engagement in the mines, Icy Blitzwing is scowling noticeably, while Hothead Blitzwing is...''smiling???''
*When Bulkhead is brought into Decepticon HQ, Prof. Sumdac says his name as if he is surprised to see the Autobot, despite the fact that Sumdac was ''there'' when Bulkhead was kidnapped by Megatron.
*It's odd that while Bumblebee wasn't fast enough to catch up with Blurr with his turbo boosters in "[[Velocity]]", he can catch up to him and hit him while he hasn't got them on in this episode.

===Transformers references===
[[Image:ABridgeTooClosePart1-MegatronHandExtendtion.jpg|thumb|right|His special hand! There's none other like it!]]
*Shockwave's report on Bulkhead appears to be in the form of [[Tech Spec]]s.
*After branding, the Constructicons' colour schemes match those of their Generation 1 counterparts.
*Megatron shoots off his middle and index finger which isn't [[Scrounge (G1)|something]] [[Elita One#Classics|new]].
*Ironically, what Starscream says about his clones is similar to what [[Starscream (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]] remarked on [[Starscream clone (G1)|his clone]].

===Real-world references===
*In ''[[Wikipedia:The Bridge on the River Kwai|The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'', [[Obi-Wan Kenobi|Alec Guinness]] is a prisoner of war who is forced to build a bridge. Even though the bridge will help his enemies, he builds the bridge to the best of his ability just to demonstrate how capable he is. In "A Bridge Too Close"...replace "Alec Guinness" with "Bulkhead".
*The title is a reference to the movie ''[[Wikipedia:A Bridge Too Far (film)|A Bridge Too Far]]''.
*Among the parts needed for a space bridge are "hollow cathode tubes", parts which until recently made up computer monitor displays.

===Trivia===
*So in all the months that Isaac Sumdac has been missing, it never occurred to anyone that the Decepticons kidnapped him? Perhaps everyone thought he was dead.
*All of the heavy exposition is given to the guy who talks really, really fast. Handy.
*Megatron initiates new Decepticons by [[branding]] the symbol onto them with cattle brands. How bovine.
*This is not the first time Bulky has transformed his [[Total Meltdown|kibble into a chair]].
*Starscream opens a hatch on his head to pick parts from his AllSpark fragment to bring the clones to life, suggesting that in all of the episodes when you do see it, he has his hatch open, exposing the AllSpark fragment.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Two ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Six: Black Friday (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Six: Black Friday (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Sechs: Schwarzer Freitag (Paramount) — English and German audio.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridge Too Close, Part I}}
[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Brawn (G1)

2010-05-31T11:38:10Z

Kcchia80: /* Merchandise */ added a caption

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Brawn}}
:''Brawn is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:G1Brawn MarvelTFU.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Optimus said "One shall stand, one shall fall". I do both.]]
'''Brawn''', the Autobots' demolitions expert, is amazingly strong for his size. Due to his small stature, he often attempts to overcompensate by playing up his macho personality. He loves a challenge, be it rugged off-roading or charging headlong at foes several times his size. He has a lot of ''chutzpah'', and a somewhat sarcastic sense of humor ever at the ready. Due to his ''machisimo'', he sometimes looks down on noncombatant Autobots.

In addition to his great strength, Brawn is also so tough as to be almost indestructible. [[Personal canon|''Almost'']].

:''Nickname'': '''Muscles'''<ref>According to [[Jim Sorenson]], Brawn had this listed as his nickname in [[Bob Budiansky]]'s personal Transformers comic bible. Nicknames for other characters could be found in early ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Universe]]''-style profiles published in [[The Transformers Comic Magazine]].</ref>

:''Japanese name:'' '''Gong''' (ゴング ''Gongu'')
:''French name (Canada):'' '''Bruto'''
:''Hungarian name:'' '''Izmos''' ("Hefty")
:''Italian name:'' '''Cammello'''
:''South American name:'' '''Jipe''' (pronounced "''hee-pay''")
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comic):'' '''Brigão'''
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Músculos'''
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Brown''' (布朗 ''Bù Lǎng'')
:''Chinese name (China):'' '''Da Han''' (大汉 ''Big Man'')
:''Russian name:'' '''Силач''' (''Strong guy'')

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Brawnmarvel1.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Gee, ya think? You think that maybe I should use these clamps, that I use every day, at every opportunity? You're a freakin' genius, ya idiot!]]
After the Autobots re-awoke on modern-day Earth, Brawn was one of five Autobots sent out to reconnoiter their new world. When their patrol came under attack from a squadron of Decepticons, Brawn advised the others to stay behind him, as he could absorb the incoming jets' firepower. With one swing of his powerful fist, he clocked [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. However, the Autobots were forced to withdraw, though Brawn wondered where [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] had disappeared. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}} Bumblebee, damaged, had snuck off to [[S. Witwicky Auto Repairs]], and after he disclosed his location, the Autobots traveled to meet him there. But the Decepticons had their eye on [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], the [[human]] owner of the repair shop, and the Autobots met them there in battle. Brawn knocked [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] aside after he had overwhelmed [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], but ultimately the Decepticons were successful, and returned to their [[Fortress Sinister|headquarters]] with Sparkplug. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Brawn and the Autobots returned to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] with Sparkplug's son, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]].

[[Image:Nonecancahllengethemightofbrawn.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I am your new leader!]]
When the Autobots staged a diversionary attack on the Decepticons' headquarters, Brawn's strength enabled him to storm through [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]'s localized earthquake, and punch out the little punk. Unfortunately, the little punk had a brother. [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]'s high-frequency sonic attack knocked Brawn out. When Brawn recovered, the body of [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] lay crumpled at his feet, having helped to rescue Sparkplug, but at great risk to his own life. Sparkplug returned to the Ark with the Autobots, {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} and Brawn shared their shock and disgust when Sparkplug admitted he had helped the Decepticons learn to convert Earth fuel for their evil purposes! {{storylink|The Last Stand}}

''A malfunction caused Brawn to go mad, rampaging in a small town because he thought the cars were being enslaved by humans (and then "killed" the cars when they showed no gratitude). After a destructive chase, the Autobots finally managed to recapture and repair him. To regain his honour, he agreed to be [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s opponent in a trial by combat; [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] had [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] fake Brawn's death to end the battle. {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}}''

Having regained their full strength with Sparkplug Witwicky's assistance, the Decepticons staged a final attack on the Autobots. The Autobots, meanwhile, were still very weak, so Brawn was among the Autobots who donated fuel to re-energize five chosen Autobot warriors, in preparation for their last stand against the Decepticons. That gambit failed when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was unearthed and deactivated the Autobots with a single shot. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} Subsequently, Brawn's offline body was dragged by [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] to be used for spare parts for a new Decepticon army. {{storylink|The New Order}} Eventually, the Ark was retaken, and Brawn was reactivated by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] along with the others. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

In the rush that followed to catch up with the Decepticons' gains, Brawn and [[Bluestreak]] were charged with the repair of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s [[ionic fusion drive]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} When the Autobots overheard Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, Optimus Prime, in a nearby swamp, Brawn was among the Autobots who traveled to the swamp with Prime's body. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. Brawn was one of those wounded before Prime's proper head was returned. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''After Prime was restored as commander of the Autobots, [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]'s mind was hijacked by [[Professor Morris]], and Brawn was one of the Autobots who tried to hold the rampaging [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] down. {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} After Swoop was subdued, Prime turned his attentions towards the other missing Dinobots, and Brawn was part of a team sent to bring in a demented Snarl. He, Mirage, and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] found him in [[Nevada]]'s deserts, terrorizing the American military. Snarl proved too much for them until he was stopped by a prototype military weapon. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}''

[[Image:Brawntarget2006.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Scourge, being from the future, knows Brawn's secret weakpoint.]]
''Brawn, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] were called to guard Buster Witwicky from the Decepticons when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] swore revenge for a previous humilation at the human's hands. While they were at a demolition derby, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] struck. After the Constructicons combined to form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Buster was lost in the crowd, much to Brawn's dismay. Buster's life was spared when Soundwave detected [[Special Team|crucial information]] within Buster's mind, and the shot Soundwave intended for the human was fired at Brawn instead. {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}}''

[[Image:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Zapped in the shoulder, no doubt.]]
''When strange Decepticons traveled back in time from the future, Brawn was easily defeated by [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. This coincided with the arrival of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Brawn was part of a group that interrupted a fight between Magnus and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in order to save his life. {{storylink|Target: 2006}} The Autobots several failures during the Galvatron incident convinced Optimus Prime to fake his own death in order to teach the Autobots how to survive without him. Brawn was among the Autobots who witnessed his "funeral." But before the funeral could end, Optimus Prime returned to them, and Brawn and the others were stunned, but welcomed him back. {{storylink|Resurrection!}}''

Brawn was witness to a battle between [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] for Autobot leadership on [[Earth]]'s [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. After the scene was attacked by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s Decepticons, Brawn soon lost a fight with [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who dismissed the Autobot as having a "bright future as ''spare parts!''" {{storylink|Totaled!}}

When an [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of [[New York City|New York]], [[Tokyo]], and [[Buenos Aires]]," Brawn was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]] led a team of Autobots which included Brawn, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of Starscream's hand"! Oops. {{storylink|Dark Star (issue)|Dark Star}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] briefly considering reviving Brawn as one of his new minions, but the Autobot was not psychologically suitable. {{storylink|Perchance to Dream}}''

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Brawnfinaltransformations.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Here's hoping he can't implode neutrons!]]
Brawn was part of a team led by [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], and including [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], [[Override (G1)|Override]], and [[Chase (G1)|Chase]], sent to answer the distress call sent out by their [[human]] allies [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. They arrived in [[Milleville]], just in time to save [[Scarlett]] from a recently revived and [[Cobra]]-upgraded [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]].

Brawn and the other Autobots quickly learned that Megatron's strength and weaponry had been vastly improved. First Steeljaw fell, then Chase. Finally, it fell to Brawn to keep Megatron from reaching the [[Ark (G1)|Autobots' ship]]. Though Brawn fought Megatron bravely, he was vaporized when Megatron revealed that he could implode neutrons. The resulting explosion was seen from across town. {{storylink|Final Transformations}}
{{note|This Brawn, or one from a marginally variant universe, was abducted by [[Unicron]] shortly before his death to fight in the [[Cauldron]]. See below.}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice Actor:'' [[Corey Burton]] (English), [[Yū Shimaka|Yutaka Shimaka]], [[Minoru Inaba]] ([[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]] only) (Japanese), [[Henry Djanik]] (French)

[[Image:MTMTE2 Brawn saves Huffer.jpg|thumb|left|240px|"Scream if I set you alight."]]
Brawn was one of the Autobots on board the crashed [[Ark (G1)|Autobot ship]] who awoke in 1984, reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to have an Earth-based alt-mode of a Jeep-like vehicle. He was frequently involved in combat engagements against the Decepticons in the early years of the Earth-based war, including the battle that saw the Decepticons destroy an offshore oil rig. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} In the flaming chaos that followed, Brawn helped save his fellow Autobot [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] who was trapped in the wreckage by cutting him loose with a blowtorch contained in his right arm. When [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] were discovered at Autobot Headquarters, he and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] tried tackling Ravage, only for the Decepticon to slip through their fingers. Brawn took part in the ill-fated [[Sherman Dam]] mission, {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} and dressed in a lab coat for the similarly disastrous missile base deception. He and the other Autobots attempted to assault the Decepticon [[Victory (ship)|space cruiser]] to prevent its launch, but it was only through the actions of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] that the ship crashed. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}} Brawn was one of a number of Autobots who a memory-altered Bumblebee lured to a cave to be attacked by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[Image:RollForIt Brawn chucks Optimus.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Crowning moment of awesome.]]
Brawn, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Bluestreak]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] arrived at the power generator where [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] were attacking. Hotheaded Cliffjumper charged at Thundercracker, only to be smashed backwards by a steel pillar. Brawn's thick hide meant that he was completely unharmed when Cliffjumper crashed directly into his stomach. Starscream wanted to smash them in, but Optimus criticized this decision, telling him to "pick on somebody his own size". Later, he came with the Autobots to [[Doctor Alcazar|Dr. Alcazar]]'s lab, but he didn't do much of anything. Brawn retreated to home base with the other Autobots, and the Decepticons attacked the next morning. Starscream held gun-mode [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in his hand, hoping to kill Optimus Prime with it. Brawn hid in a tear in the ground directly in front of Starscream and gave Optimus the boost to knock Megatron out of Starscream's hands. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[Image:DivideandConquer LaserbeakonBrawns shoulder.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Crowning moment of duuurrrrrr.]]
After Optimus was injured in a Decepticon attack, Brawn, [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] walked into Headquarters to see how repairs were going. Brawn somehow completely missed the fact that [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] had hitched a ride on his shoulder, allowing the Decepticon to infiltrate the base and inflict even more damage on Prime. He later helped defend Headquarters against a Decepticon attack, while a team retrieved a replacement [[Cosmotron]] for Prime. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} Brawn was among the Autobots who discovered a cave full of dinosaur fossils in the volcano in which Headquarters was embedded, and subsequently took part in the building of robotic versions of the dinosaurs. At the grand unveiling, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s ran wild, and Brawn and [[Bluestreak]] were bashed aside by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s tail. Despite this, the Dinobots later proved successful in fighting the Decepticons when Brawn and many of the other Autobots were captured at the [[Great Falls]]. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[Image:Brawnfusioncannon.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Don't get too cocky. This thing kills you later.]]
Another important mission for Brawn involved a super-weapon being built in [[Peru]], where it was he (and his ally [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]) who first discovered the Decepticons' plot and informed the other Autobots. He and Windcharger utilized [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire's]] transport capabilities and found that the Decepticons were, indeed, in Peru. After flying Soundwave into the side of a cliff, Brawn survived a direct hit from Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] and played dodge the Decepticon until Skyfire picked him and Windcharger up again. Having picked up the rest of the Autobots, they returned to the mining town near the ancient pyramid that the Decepticons were using as a firing platform. During the ensuing battle, Brawn got his hands on Megatron's fusion cannon, returning the earlier favor by blasting Megatron in the chest with it. After defending the town against a rock slide, the Autobots attacked the pyramid itself. During the battle, Brawn raced to the top and tackled Starscream and Megatron on his own, distracting them and ultimately resulting in the destruction of the Decepticon cannon. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:TUD1 Brawn drilling.jpg|left|260px|thumb]]
When two more Dinobots were to be constructed, Brawn again took part. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}} After Sparkplug was kidnapped by the Decepticons, Brawn led a small team, using his drill to burrow under the Decepticon base so they could successfully rescue Spike's father. Unfortunately Sparkplug was under the influence of [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s [[hypno-chip]] and sabotaged the Autobot defences, allowing the Decepticons to attack. Brawn was stuck with the cleanup in the aftermath. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Later, the Decepticons succeeded in using a massive space bridge to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit. Unsuccessful at foiling their plan, Brawn and the Autobots returned to base. News that Sparkplug had been taken to Cybertron led to Brawn volunteering for the mission to his home world in Skyfire. Spike and Bumblebee accidentally triggered a trapdoor, and Brawn gamely jumped in after them. The trio stumbled on the secret plans to the hypno-chips. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Following an altercation with some Decepticons, during which Brawn got the better of Soundwave yet again, the Autobots escaped to [[Wheeljack's workshop]]. There [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] whipped up a counter device for the hypno-chips, and the team returned to Earth in time to join the last desperate battle. After Megatron's ship was destroyed and Cybertron flung out of orbit, Brawn commiserated with Bumblebee after the latter expressed disappointment at not being able to try out his boogie board. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

[[Image:PlagueofInsecticons Brawn riding Shrapnel.jpg|right|220px|thumb|Yeeeehaw!]]
During the post-Cybertron clean up, Brawn and Gears were repairing a building together when Huffer started yelling at them. After the Decepticons were detected enroute somewhere, Brawn and the other Autobots began tailing them. Brawn was forced to dig Bumblebee out when Megatron blasted some rocks down on them. After a brief stop in some quicksand, the Autobots caught up with their quarry at Arkeville's secret laboratory. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} Brawn, Windcharger, Bumblebee, Spike and Skyfire went to [[Bali]] to investigate reports of giant robot insects, only to encounter the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s. Brawn was unimpressed with this new foe, and when they created an army of clones, theorized that the army was just a holographic illusion. He recanted his theory moments later after being blasted on his tailpipe. Luckily the rest of the Autobots arrived before the situation could get too out of control. During the pursuit of the Decepticons, Brawn asked Optimus to toss him into the air, so he could administer a good old-fashioned beating to [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. His ride on the Insecticon lasted a few moments, as he was kicked off by [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], and only saved from smashing into the ground by Skyfire. He and Ironhide later had Optimus ride on their backs so he would be insulated against the Insecticons' lightning. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:AutobotSpike Brawn's almighty foot.jpg|left|220px|thumb]]
Brawn and all the other Autobots turned out to watch the Optimus/Megatron bout to decide which faction could stay on Earth. Megatron, unfortunately, won, but the Autobots soon discovered that he had cheated, and sent the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s to disable [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to hide it, nullifying the outcome. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}} During a battle at a rocket base, Brawn kicked Soundwave in the backside so hard that the Decepticon flew into the side of a rocket, causing a chain reaction that devastated the base. Great going! During the same battle, Spike was injured, and the Autobots downloaded his mind into [[Autobot X]] while his body was operated on. He became unstable and fled the base, leading Brawn and the other Autobot to follow him so they could stop him falling under Megatron's influence. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}}

Brawn took part in a mission to come to the aid of some gold miners, but it was an ambush — Megatron energised some boulders, disposing of the Autobots long enough to kidnap Gears. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} Brawn defended Headquarters against yet another Decepticon attack, only for Soundwave to retreat before Brawn could present him with a "nickel knuckle sandwich". The attack had been a diversion while Megatron sabotaged the Autobot [[recharging chamber]]s, and Brawn and the other Autobots were rendered evil by the planted [[personality destabilizer device]]. Brawn went to the nearest airforce base and began merrily destroying jets, until [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] restored his goodness with an [[attitude exchanger]]. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

[[Image:Immobilizer Brawn punches water.jpg|right|230px|thumb]]
Brawn came to see the proper testing of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s [[Immobilizer|latest invention]]. When it stopped the water in a river from flowing, Brawn claimed that the now-solid water wouldn't be immune to his hydraulic knuckles. He took it back soon after. Later, when the Decepticons took the immobilizer and began using it to stop Autobots in their tracks, Brawn helped tunnel underground for [[Carly]] so she could get to the immobilizer and reroute it. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} While most of the Autobots participated in a charity event, Brawn stayed at Headquarters with Huffer, which he probably regretted. When Bumblebee reported that the Autobots had been zapped with the [[Transfixatron]] and captured by the Decepticons, Huffer's complaining resulted in Brawn physically picking up his companion and telling him to shut up. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and Wheeljack were able to rig up a cure, and the four Autobots, plus Spike and [[Chip Chase]], rescued the rest of the team. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[Image:AtlantisArise Brawn ropes Thundercracker.jpg|left|260px|thumb]]
He, along with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and Wheeljack, volunteered to check out an energy flare in the Atlantic. Upon discovering the underwater city of [[Sub-Atlantica]], the squad was ambushed by the Decepticons' new ally [[Nergill]]. They were overwhelmed by Decepticon forces and had to escape, with Wheeljack being captured by their enemies. Optimus Prime took the Autobots, Brawn included, to Washington D.C., where the Decepticons were headed. Brawn held Thundercracker in place with his lasso, allowing Optimus to fire at him. However, Nergill arrived and turned the tables by using a disruptor to hold Brawn and the other Autobots in place. Bumblebee and Spike rescued Wheeljack, who called the Dinobots for reinforcements. Grimlock snapped Nergill's disruptor in half, freeing Brawn and the others. Following that, Brawn came with his comrades to sink Nergill's city once again, shooting a few blasts at the city while hiding behind some rubble. When Sub-Atlantica began sinking, Optimus Prime ordered his team to evacuate. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Brawn assisted in defending [[Nightbird (G1)|a primitive Earth robot]] at [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist|Dr. Fujiyama]]'s request. Decepticons soon burst in, with Soundwave destroying the platform Brawn was standing on. [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] came and covered Brawn's back. The fall had such a toll on Brawn, he couldn't transform. Though he said he could walk home, Mirage and Ratchet insisted that he go back to Autobot base to be repaired. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:MasterBuilders Brawn finds builders.jpg|right|240px|thumb]]
Brawn was present at Headquarters when the Dinobots went on another of those rampages. He jumped out of the way as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] sped past to deal with a fire. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} After [[Grapple]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] fell in with the wrong crowd so they could build their [[Solar Power Tower]], Brawn and the rest of the Autobots went to investigate and ended up facing Devastator. The day won, the Autobots searched through the rubble of the tower. Brawn unearthed Grapple's scale model of the tower, and then Grapple and Hoist themselves, welded into a sheet of metal. {{storylink|The Master Builders}}

When a [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon starship]] was uncovered in an archaeological dig (and Megatron subsequently retrieved the awesome power of the [[Heart of Cybertron]]), Brawn was angered that fellow Autobot [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] did not participate in battles, not understanding that Perceptor's scientific and technical skills necessitated his exclusion from combat missions. To the irritation of [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], Brawn decided it was his job to bully the Autobot scientist, insinuating that Perceptor was a coward not prepared to do his duty alongside the other Autobots.

[[Image:Microbots Brawn and heroic Perceptor.jpg|left|260px|thumb|The next day, Brawn found Brawn/Perceptor slash on [[alt.toys.transformers]].]]
As Megatron prepared to attack the Autobot base, Perceptor came up with a plan. He, Brawn and Bumblebee were shrunk to microscopic size and infiltrated Megatron's body. Though Brawn was keen to do as much damage as possible while they were in there, he discovered that Perceptor's more intellectual approach was much more effective in getting their mission completed. Perceptor's bravery in disconnecting the Heart while under fire caused Brawn to change his earlier tune. Once they escaped Megatron, Brawn threw the Heart of Cybertron into the sky, where Perceptor blasted it. The ordeal over, Brawn declared Perceptor a hero, though it is uncertain whether he was big enough to apologize to Perceptor for his earlier boorish behavior. {{storylink|Microbots}}

Brawn took part in the [[Autobot Day]] parade, during which footage was screened incriminating the Autobots in energy theft. When the human authorities turned up to arrest them all, Brawn complied with Optimus's wishes to comply peacefully, however after a brief trial, the Autobots found themselves being expelled from Earth. Brawn ended up being stuck sitting next to Huffer and Gears, which probably didn't make him any happier. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} The spacecraft they were on was locked on course for the [[Sun]], forcing them to use [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and one of Trailbreaker's force fields to escape it. They returned to Earth, where they lost no time in overthrowing the oppressive regime the Decepticons had set up. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} Like the other Autobots, Brawn was crippled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion until Spike, [[Carly]] and the Dinobots obtained more of the substance. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[Image:TFTM Brawn dies.jpg|right|300px|thumb|'Tis only a flesh wound!]]
When the Decepticons discovered a lake of [[electrum]], Brawn was among the second wave of Autobots to go up against them unsuccessfully. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} During another battle in a baseball stadium, Brawn picked up Soundwave and hurled him bodily at Starscream. A short time later, the space bridge in the middle of the pitch sent a number of the Autobots and Decepticons present to a random destination, but luckily Brawn wasn't one of them. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} He was later at Headquarters when Optimus sent [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] out to look for Starscream. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

By 2005, the Decepticons had retaken Cybertron, while the Autobots set up secret bases on the planet's moons. Brawn was stationed on [[Moonbase One]], and volunteered to be part of a shuttle mission to [[Autobot City]] on Earth to fetch more energon. The shuttle was attacked enroute by the Decepticons, and as Brawn ran towards the boarders, Starscream shot him down with Megatron's gun mode, killing him. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{-}}

=====Brawn lives?=====
[[Image:DeceptiBrawn1.jpg|right|210px|thumb|"Hey guys, I'm back! And I found [[Hauler]]!"]]
While nowhere near as prevalent as discussion of "[[Cyclonus (G1)|Who is Cyclonus?]]", there is recurring debate among [[Fandom|Transformers fans]] regarding Brawn's death in the shuttle attack mentioned above. Generally taken up in partial jest, proponents of Brawn's survival focus on Brawn's well-established toughness and the fact that he had repeatedly survived more serious shots from Megatron than the [[shoulder]] wound he received on the shuttle. For example, being shot in the ''head'', '''''twice''''', in "[[Fire on the Mountain]]" and being perfectly okay.

Additionally, Brawn appears in "[[Carnage in C-Minor]]" (an episode which takes place well after the time of his supposed death). However, due to the generally low quality of the animation in that episode, Brawn's appearance is usually dismissed as an [[animation error]]. Brawn was ''not'' mentioned as one of the interred Autobots in "[[Dark Awakening]]"... but [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], who appeared alongside Brawn in "Carnage", ''was'' (even though Huffer's death was not portrayed in the film... in fact, he was barely in the movie at all, only being seen for about a second when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] crashes though the barrier [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] was setting up.)

The Marvel UK comic also incorporated the events of the Movie into its future timeline and in one story set after it ([[Space Pirates!]]), Brawn is seen, albeit wounded in a Quintesson attack. However also shown is Wheeljack, who is clearly shown dead in the animated version of the Movie, and [[The Transformers: The Movie|there are several differences between the animated version and the information given in the comics]] which may make this inadmissable evidence in the matter.
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====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====

Brawn was amongst the Autobots defending [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] in [[Arizona]] from a massive Decepticon onslaught. As the battle raged on, Brawn watched in slack-jawed horror as [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] got bombed in midair by a passing [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. The Autobots eventually won, however. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

====e-Hobby comics====

During another Decepticon attack on [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]], Brawn was busy defending the base from the encroaching Decepticons. Beating one to a pulp, he asked for a situation update from [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] who unfortunately had to inform him that Megatron had just been upgraded into an invincible [[Transmetal]]! {{storylink|Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.}}

===''Universe''===
[[Image:Wheeliebrawntapoutescape.jpg|left|300px|thumb|That's right. Brawn lives.]]
In the future, [[Unicron]] was left in such a state of disrepair that he barely functioned. With the last vestiges of his power, he summoned Transformers from all across the tapestry of the [[multiverse]] to battle within him, so that he could harvest the energy of the losers' [[Spark|sparks]]. To this end, Brawn was [[Retcon|abducted]] by Unicron just before he was atomized by the Cobra-tanked Megatron, and sent to the [[Cauldron]] with countless other abductees. Thankfully, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] soon engineered a mass escape, during which Brawn, [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Tap-Out (G1)|Tap-Out]] subdued the rage-afflicted [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] to keep them from killing each other.

Brawn then escaped Unicron thanks to a portal created by [[Optimus Primal]] and [[Snarl (BM)|Snarl]]. He arrived with many of the others on Primal's technorganic Cybertron. Having cheated death, he fistbumped with Trailbreaker. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}
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===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[Image:Brawnageofwrath.jpg|300px|thumb|Brawn, you're the worst slave ever.]]

Brawn's early activities in the war were largely unchronicled. He was first seen loading for the planetary evacuation shortly after Optronix rose to become Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2}} More than a million years later, during the Age of Internment, Brawn was seen in [[Internment Camp Pi]], in the remains of [[Praxus]], among the Autobots being forced to drill to Cybertron's core by Megatron and the Decepticons. When Cliffjumper fell in the prisoner line, [[Octane]] and [[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]] took it as an excuse to beat on the helpless Autobot. Brawn snapped into action, fighting back against the Decepticon oppressors, until the clone forces of Megatron's [[Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] shot him down with little effort. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 2}}

After crashing on Earth with the Ark, Brawn and the Autobots remained inactive until reviving in 1984. The Autobots allied with humankind and were eventually able to defeat the Decepticons at the turn of the century. Following the ''[[Ark II]]'' tragedy, Brawn became one of the many Transformers recovered and reprogrammed by [[Lazarus]]. He was later rescued by Optimus Prime and rebuilt by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]’s unit. He was part of a small task force, led by Jazz, assigned to stop the spread of Megatron’s deadly metal virus in the [[Canada|Canadian]] Northwest Territories and would later remain behind on Earth when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] demanded the Autobots return to Cybertron as war criminals. {{storylink|Prime Directive}}

''When the [[President of the United States]] wanted to eliminate the Transformers in a desert ambush, the Autobots were forced to join forces with the Decepticons against the U.S. military. Brawn was one of the Autobots chosen for the mission by Optimus Prime. During the fight, the Americans unleashed weaponized nanite chips known as [[deconstructionite]]s, designed to drain away processing power from Cybertronian computer systems. Brawn was one of the first to fall to the attack, and had to be ferried to safety inside Prime's trailer. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

[[Image:Brawnvsbruticus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Excuse me while I put on my face.]]
Brawn stayed behind on Earth under Jazz's command after Prime and the other Autobots were taken back to Cybertron by Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} After the end of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s despotic rule over Cybertron, though, Starscream and several Decepticons returned to Earth to make trouble for the Autobots. After Jazz went missing in the Decepticon assault on the Ark, Brawn became a subordinate to the much-less-impressive Bumblebee, who had returned from Cybertron. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} The chance to pound the everloving scrap out of [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]' ruined form probably made up for this, even if the combiner was later revived as part of Starscream's deal in response to [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]. He and the other Mini Vehicles were part of an attempt to stop Sunstorm by attaching Ratchet's energy siphon. Brawn was last seen among Bumblebee's unit when they returned from the assault to the [[Orion]] and discovered that they had been (wait for it...) betrayed by Starscream. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}}

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===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:GIJoevsTF4_Gears_Brawn_FlightPods.jpg|thumb|right|200px|]]
Alongside several other Transformers, the dormant Brawn was found aboard the crashed ''Ark'' by the human terrorist organization [[Cobra]]. The humans reprogrammed their findings for their own needs, rebuilding Brawn and [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] into Cobra [[Flight Pod]]s in the process. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} Two Flight Pods were later seen during the Cobra attack on the [[SPS Research Facility]], but they didn't transform, so it's unclear whether or not they were Brawn and Gears. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} The reprogramming was eventually undone by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and Brawn and Gears quickly located their former captor, [[Cobra Commander]]. Destroying the human's escape route, Brawn made it clear that he was not interested in negotiating and that he'd rather have laid to rot aboard the ''Ark'' forever than be used as Cobra's servant. Unfortunately, [[Storm Shadow]] came to Cobra Commander's rescue with a [[S.N.A.K.E.]] mech and knocked the Autobots out before they could capture him. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} Brawn was later shocked when he heard that the [[United States military]] were nuking [[Cobra Island]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

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===IDW comics continuity===
{{spoiler|The Iron Age|June 12}}

Brawn was present at the funeral for [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback]], along with [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] and the rest of [[Kaon]] Security Services. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3}}

[[Image:NewArrivalsOldEncounters_Brawn_HotRod.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Angry little bot.]]

As the war raged on, Brawn helped med-evac [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and Jazz after they were injured battling the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}} Sometime later, he was seen chatting with his comrades [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] during a victory celebration. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

In modern times, Brawn eventually traveled to [[Earth]] after the galaxy-wide assault broke the Autobot war machine. Years later, after Optimus Prime's resignation from command, Hot Rod decided to leave Earth and take anyone who'd come with him. Brawn attempted to stop him, but backed off when Bumblebee told him to just let Hot Rod go. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}}

Later on, he was deputized by Ultra Magnus after the duly appointed enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]] discovered Hot Rod working with a group of Decepticons to escape Earth. They attempted to stop Hot Rod, only to be confronted by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and his newly-minted combiner, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|Enemies of the System}}

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==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1-toy Brawn.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Oh no, he's a Cylon!]]
* '''Brawn''' (Mini-Vehicle, 1984/1985/1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''15'''

: Brawn was part of the original assortment of Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Vehicles]] released in 1984. * The mold was originally developed for the ''[[Microman]] Microchange''. That toyline was meant to depict robots who transformed into toy cars, which is why Brawn's car proportions are a bit exaggerated. He transforms into a (somewhat altered) Toyota Land Cruiser (although the front grille is based on a Willy's Jeep) with a non-removable spare tire on the roof.

: There are a couple different variations of the toy. Like all of the 1984 releases, some versions have a [[rubsign]] applied to it, where the original runs do not. However, there is also a mold variation: some versions have the [[faceplate]] as part of the front body mold, while others have the faceplate as a part of the back, poking through a hole in the front body like the visor does.

: There are a fair few [[redeco]]s of Brawn from south of the border. In Brazil, a version in gold with sand-colored robot parts was released. Peru got a light tan Jeep with dark turquoise robot parts, a light-blue painted helmet and no chrome. Mexico got another sand-colored Jeep in 1986, but with maroon robot parts.

: The Brawn mold was later used to create the [[Malignus]] [[Jipe (Malignus)|Jipe]] and [[Outback]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Brawn/brawn.htm More information on G1 Brawn at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|keychain}}
*'''Brawn''' (Keychain, 2003)

: The Brawn mold was [[retool]]ed by [[Hasbro]] licensee [[Fun4All]] and made as part of the second wave of ''Transformers'' keychains alongside [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]. A small plastic ring was added to the front bumper, which the metal key chain attaches to. The keychains came on pretty close reproductions of their original cardbacks from 1984. These were originally sold in chains like Hot Topic and video game stores, but over the course of several years, found their way even to the racks of Wal-Mart.

: In Japan, the four Mini Vehicles were sold in small boxes. Each one was also available in a solid-black variation.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Cybertron/BlackBrawn/brawn.htm More information on black keychain Brawn at TFU.info]''

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====Universe (2003)====
[[Image:Brawnotfccunreleased.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Now we'll never get a new Brawn toy!]]
*'''Autobot Brawn'''
**''Accessories'': Crane/cannon, 2-part spare tire/blades, energon star, energon gauntlet

: A retool of ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Strongarm (Energon)|Strongarm]] as Brawn was part of [[3H Productions]]' proposal for an [[OTFCC|OTFCC 2005]] convention exclusive set. However, with the financial collapse of 3H Productions in late 2004 and the subsequent transfer of the ''Transformers'' convention license to [[Fun Publications]], all plans for this toy were scrapped. It would have featured a new head and new snap-on [[Energon weapon]] fists.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====G1 Series====
[[Image:Universe2008 Legends AutobotBrawn.jpg|right|300px|thumb|...whoops, scratch that.]]
*'''Brawn''' (Legends, 2008)

: Released in the fourth wave of ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Legends Class|Legends-class]] toys, Brawn is a new-mold toy of the original Brawn inspired by his [[character model]], transforming into a Hummer SUV-like vehicle. His spare tire, mounted on his back end in vehicle mode, is actually a free-spinning wheel just like the normal four, and the same size as the front wheels... meaning that, in theory, it could be used as an ''actual'' spare tire.

:Amusingly enough, his robot-mode arms are upside-down inside the packaging, with his shoulders somewhere around hip-level.

: Pre-release samples and images of the toy showed him to have green-plastic tires. These were ultimately painted black for the actual retail release.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUBrawn/brawn.htm More information on Legends Brawn at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
{{picsneeded}}
*'''Minibot Attack Team''' (Multi-pack, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-18'''

:The ''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' release of ''Universe'' Brawn uses a much more desaturated olive-green base plastic, with brighter yellow chest paint, yet keeps the black face paint due to having the same paint layout as the Universe version. This is apparently meant more an homage to his Micro Change roots than "just" TakTomy wanting to do something different than Hasbro<ref>http://www.ntfa.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4529</ref>. He comes in a set with [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]].
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:G1-toy DecoyBrawn.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Toy-accurate in one hand, show-accurate in the other.]]
{{anchor|TakaraDecoy}}
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of "Gong" was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something. Brawn mixes the [[character model|cartoon model]] with elements from the original toy (most notably giving him a claw for a right hand).

{{anchor|HasbroDecoy}}
*'''Brawn''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''24'''

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Brawn game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is 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)|Technobot]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Brawn/brawn.htm More information on Decoy Brawn at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==References==
<references/>
==External Links==
* [http://www.toybin.org/search.php?q=1984+Autobot+Brawn ToyBin Brawn Toy Gallery]
* [http://ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Brawn Brawn's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Demolitions specialists]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Legends of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]

Shoulder

2010-05-31T11:32:32Z

Kcchia80:

[[Image:Bludgeonasavageplace.jpg|right|250px|thumb|'Cold shoulder' indeed.]]
The '''shoulder''' is one of the most vital components of a [[Transformer]]'s body.

It is unknown why the shoulder is such an Achilles heel of Cybertronians. However, it is clearly the most easily damaged location on their chassis, as many instances of minor damage have led to grave injury and even death.

Such instances include:

*In a battle on Earth, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] was shot in his shoulder by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Seeing this injury, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] immediately called off the attack to get Ironhide immediate medical attention.
*Years later, the incredibly strong Autobot [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] was killed in a single blow from a wound to the shoulder. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie|TFTM}}
*[[Catilla]] was killed by a blow to the shoulder from [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon's]] sword. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
*[[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] once decided to retreat after sustaining severe shoulder damage, although this may have been from worry that another blow could pierce his armor elsewhere. {{storylink|Haven}}
*Megatron also contracted cosmic rust via an asteroid chunk in his shoulder. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust}}

There are very likely many more examples of shoulder wounds and their fatal nature. The only theory is that many Transformers store their [[spark]] in their shoulders.



[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]