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The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds

2020-07-20T17:18:39Z

MagnusPrime24: /* Quotes */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=50
|prev=Speak, Memory! (Part 2)
|next=No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases
|image=MTMTE50_regcvr.jpg
|title="The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds"
|caption="Why is it us? Why us?" "Because we're here, lad. Nobody else. Just us."
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|''More than Meets the Eye'' #50]]
|date=[[February 24]], [[2016]] (digital, parts of Europe and Asia) [[March 9]], 2016 (rest of world)
|coverdate=February 2016
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|inks by=Alex Milne and [[Brian Shearer]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]] (pg. 1-10), [[Priscilla Tramontano]] (pg. 11-15, 22-23, 27-32), [[John-Paul Bove]] (pg. 17-21, 24-26)
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''A psychic attack leads Team Rodimus back to the Necrobot's planet, where a mutiny in the ranks of the ''Lost Light'' spells their doom.'''

==Synopsis==
''On [[Earth]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] receive a haunting transmission: a series of videos from crewmembers of the ''[[Lost Light]]''—[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]], [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Minimus Ambus]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], and [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]]—explaining that they are about to die and leaving individual instructions for how they wish to be interred. The broadcast also reaches [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'', but the ''Lost Light'' remains silent, unresponsive to any hailing requests. Optimus Prime proposes using the [[space bridge]] to go to their rescue, but Jetfire reveals the awful truth... the message claims the speakers have six hours left to live, but it was sent three weeks ago.''

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-rollout.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|We'd make a comment about jumping the cybershark, but face it; this series has already done a ''lot'' weirder stuff than this.]]
Three weeks earlier, the ''Lost Light''ers help liberate the planet [[Miliarium]] from the clutches of the [[Rust Giant]]s, with the super-strong [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] taking out their biggest, meanest member. [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]—remotely supervising the battle from the ship on account of his newfound pacifism—is a little prickly when he discovers that everyone hid from him the fact that Millarians are organic, but softens when [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] lets him give the "[[roll out]]" order.

A little later, after everyone has returned to the ship, Megatron holds the latest in a series of classes on the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and focuses his attention on the mysterious, gear-like hieroglyph that the crew have come upon several times in the course of their quest. Pooling their knowledge, the class concludes that the symbol is a kind of "coat of arms," representing just one of multiple clans that existed within the Knights' ranks. The discussion is interrupted, however, when Megatron suddenly reels in pain, clutching his head; when Minimus Ambus attempts to go to his aid, the ex-Decepticon reflexively lashes out, punching Minimus across the room. Horrified at his own actions, Megatron retreats to his quarters, where Velocity checks him over and administers his latest dose of [[Fool's Energon]]. She worries that the sedative could be the reason for Megatron's actions, as it has been known to cause fluctuations in a 'bot's personality, but he explains that he was bombarded with agonizing, screaming voices in his mind—an experience, it soon turns out, that a handful of ''other'' crew members also underwent at the same time, each hearing their own unique horrific sound. [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] are able to trace the signal of this "psychic attack" back to its source, and plans are quickly made to go and investigate.

The group all piles into the Rodpod: Rodimus, Magnus, the victims of the attack (Megatron, Tailgate, Rewind, Chromedome, Rung, and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]), their partners and friends ([[Ten]], [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]], and [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]]), "Team Rodimus" (Nightbeat, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], and Nautica), and team doctor Velocity, who is convinced by Mainframe to bring Whirl along for extra muscle. [[Quantum generator|Quantum jumping]] to the signal's point of origin, the pod materializes in utter blackness, which the team soon realize means they have jumped ''inside'' a huge, hollow object. One more small jump to the object's surface, and they discover they have returned to the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]]... but no sooner have they stepped out of the Rodpod than a squadron of attack craft suddenly appears in the skies and opens fire on them! Totally outnumbered, everyone boards the pod again and tries to quantum jump away, only to discover the teleport engines are dead. The team sets course for the Necrobot's fortress, but the Rodpod is shot down right in front of it; everyone manages to survive and haul themselves out of the wreckage before the Rodpod finally explodes.

[[File:Getawayunloads HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds.jpg|right|upright=1.6|thumb|''Hang on, how many bots died because Rod was inexperienced and ruinous?'']]
Taking cover inside the fortress, the team discovers the Necrobot's dead body in the middle of the floor. While Ravage sneaks out to examine the single enemy fighter they managed to bring down during the escape, Nightbeat snaps into analytical mode, and he and Brainstorm piece together what has occurred: the "psychic attack" was originally an ordinary transmission sent by their attackers to lure the group to the planet, but the fatally-wounded Necrobot, with the last of his strength, corrupted the signal in a failed attempt to warn them off. Using the Necrobot's computer, Rodimus re-establishes contact with the ''Lost Light''... but is shocked when the 'bot who answers his hail turns out to be [[Getaway]]! The escapologist explains that he has been freed from his cell by the ''entire crew'', who have finally tired of Rodimus's leadership and the way in which Megatron has been accepted into their ranks, and are staging a full-blown mutiny. Getaway and [[Atomizer]] have been planning this since before the ship left Cybertron, having identified all "Megatron sympathizers" through judicious questioning and application of Getaway's [[nudge gun]], and have now isolated and trapped them on the Necrobot's world, so that the rest of the crew can ''actually get on with their quest'' to find the Knights and save the Cybertronian race. Even the mystery attackers are part of their plan—attackers whose identities Megatron has already figured out, making him severely doubt Getaway's promise that nobody but Megatron will be harmed. As Getaway shuts off the comm-link, a wounded Ravage limps back inside to confirm his leader's suspicions: the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] has arrived... and everyone is going to die.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (1)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] (4)
*[[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] (5)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (6)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (7)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] (10)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (11)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (12)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (13)
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (14)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] (20)
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (21)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] (22)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (23)
*[[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]] (25)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (26)
*[[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (27)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (28)
*[[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] (30)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] (31)
*[[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (32)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (33)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (34)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (35)
*? (36) 
*[[Boss (G1)|Boss]] (37)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (38)
*[[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] (39)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (40)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] (41)
*[[Hound (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hound]] (42)
*[[Xaaron]] (43)
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (44)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] (45)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] (46)
*[[Powerflash]]? (47) 
*[[Splashdown]]? (48) 
*[[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (statue, 51)
*[[Getaway]] (53)
*[[Atomizer]] (54)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] (55)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (56)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (57)
*[[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (58)
{{!}}}
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{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] (15)
*[[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (16)
*[[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] (17)
*[[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (18)
*[[Fulcrum]] (19)
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] (49)
*[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] (59)
*[[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]] (60)
*[[Helex (DJD)|Helex]] (61)
*[[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] (62)
*[[Blue Bacchus]] (63)
*[[Killbison]] (64)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Drillhorn (Victory)|Drillhorn]] (65)
*[[Leozack]] (66)
*[[Guyhawk]] (67)
*[[Vos (DJD)|Vos]] (68)
*[[Dominus Ambus|The Pet]] (69)
*[[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] (70)
{{!}}}
|c4=
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (8)
*[[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (9)
*[[Rust Giant]]s (24)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] (29)
*[[Ten]] (50)
*[[Mortilus|Censere]] (52)
}}

==Quotes==

"I was particularly impressed by '''your''' efforts, '''Riptide'''. You clearly put in a lot of work." 
"Did I pass?" 
"No, but I'll talk to you afterwards to explain why."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Riptide''' on the latter's academic skills

"I'm not usually a '''fan''' of group discussion, or brainstorming, or waiting for other people to stop speaking, but that was actually pretty impressive."
:—'''Nightbeat''', on the benefits of talking out a problem

"'''Stress''' is another side effect of the chemo-sedatives." 
"It's not stress." 
"How do you know?" 
"Because I've never been happier."
:—'''Velocity''' and '''Megatron'''

'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Hold on. Someone '''fired on us''' and you want to '''run towards the gun'''?" 
'''Rodimus:''' "'''Yep'''—and '''disarm''' them before they take another shot. It's a perfectly good plan! '''Team Rodimus''' are well up for it!" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "'''Is''' well up for it. Team Rodimus '''is''' well up for it. Singular. One team." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Whatever. Chop-chop!" 
'''Megatron:''' "When did you first realize that he uses '''bad grammar''' to distract you whenever you raise an objection to something he wants to do?" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "He does '''WHAT'''?"
:—'''Megatron''' evidently knows his co-captain better than '''Magnus'''

"This is the new '''teleport drive'''. Nautica built it as a '''thank-you present''' after I stopped going on and on about how much I wanted a teleport drive."
:—'''Rodimus'''

'''Rodimus:''' "I'm sorry if not all of us are catlike and unpanickable." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Not a word." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Jeez, Magnus. Time and place." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "No, no, no. You can't have people throwing '''made up words''' around willy-nilly. There are impressionable 'bots on board." 
'''Brainstorm:''' "Magnus is right. Making up words leads to criminanarchy and pandebordination." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Brainstorm! One more and you're on '''remand.'''"

"By what '''tortured logic''' did '''High Command''' conclude that letting an '''unrepentant mass murderer''' off the hook represented anything '''other''' than an '''insult''' to the memory of the '''billions''' he killed? Seriously—can someone explain to me how the war can end with the '''instigator''' being allowed to go about his business '''as if nothing happened'''? The death camps! The massacres! The cities razed to the ground! Apparently all of them were just '''missteps'''—painful but necessary—on Megatron's '''path to self-discovery'''! (...) By helping that '''maniac''' find peace you're excusing his past behavior. And so it falls to us—'''the 99%'''—to remind you how '''wrong''' this is. Forgiveness? Rehabilitation? Reintegration? No. Not him. Not now. Not ever."
:—'''Getaway'''

"I'm not a bad person. I just have strong beliefs."
:—Sure, '''Getaway'''. Sure

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*"Who doesn't want to survive the dying of the light?" Skids asked Nightbeat, back when they first visited Necroworld in "[[The Not Knowing]]"...
*Optimus and Jetfire are in the ''[[Skyroller]]'' when they receive the crew's message, outside [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]]'s "house," placing this story after the events of [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' #50]].
*We see that the Scavengers were sent a copy of the recording of the crew's last requests too. Back in #45 Misfire mentioned that he had a 'contact' among the Autobots. In #46 [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fort Max]] confirmed that the Scavengers had been supplying Brainstorm with parts. It looks like Brainstorm hasn't broken his ties with his handlers after all, especially if he's sending messages to them in last-ditch pleas for help.
*When Nightbeat delivers his part of the message, he talks about how he can prepare himself "this time," and strokes the centre of his forehead: a reference to when he died before, shot right through the head, in ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]''.
*Nightbeat requests his funeral ceremony be Neoprimalist, the sect of Primalism that [[Flywheels]] was noted to belong to in [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|issue #7]].
*Magnus sputters as he tries to say the word "fun," just as he did back in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]], but this time, he finally gets it out.
*Rung requests that, should he die in alt mode, he be disassembled—an allusion to the mystery of his alternate form, and the fact that, whatever it is, it may still be able to serve its purpose after his death.
*Chromedome mentions that this is the first time he and Rewind have "died together", alluding to both the "original" Rewind's death in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]], and the death of Chromedome's quantum duplicate, as seen in [[slaughterhouse|issue #32]].
*Megatron was previously mentioned to be teaching a class of some sort in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]], of which Riptide was a student.
*Megatron mentions [[information creep]] during his class, the memory-altering mental malady mentioned before in [[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]. In the same issue, it was established that Riptide was rubbish at exams, which is followed through on here as he fails his assignment in Megatron's class.
[[File:MTMTE50 megatron class dismissed.jpg|right|200px|thumb]]
*After Megatron strikes Minimus, he points his outstretched right arm at him with the wrist canted down. Clearly old habits are hard to break; this seemingly odd pose would, if Megatron still possessed his [[fusion cannon]] on his arm, point it straight at Minimus' head!
*The mysterious gear symbol raises its figurative head once again. Skids remembers how he saw it in [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], Thunderclash remembers seeing it in the map from his dreams in [[The Sensuous Frame|issue #41]], and Perceptor mentions that Rodimus drew it into his own map from [[The Not Knowing|issue #44]].
*Nautica recounts how she spent time on [[Troja Major]], where we know from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]] she picked up a copy of ''[[Towards Peace]]''. She says she visited a "heritage museum"; presumably, this is the business run by Decepticon antiquarian [[Agonizer]], mentioned in [[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|issue #45]] as having set up shop on the planet.
*Rodimus brings "Team Rodimus" together again, who were last referred to by that name back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]] when they assembled to examine the alternate-Rodimus's coffin.
*The crew previously visited the Necrobot's planet in issue #44. Back in that issue, the Necrobot described it as a "shell of a world," quoting his departed friend [[Tusk]]. That line suddenly becomes a lot more literal with this issue's revelation that the planet is hollow.
*Note how Magnus's right arm takes a bad hit during the explosion of the Rodpod. It's deliberately kept off-panel for the remaining portion of the issue, likely to obscure the fact that the arm has been completely severed—'cause remember, as we know from [[The Gloaming|issue #16]] and [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], that's the arm containing [[Solomus|Tyrest]]'s recall switch/teleporter. No quick escapes with ''that'', Magnus!
*Brainstorm identifies the Necrobot's computers as using elements of the same technology as the guilt-detecting computer [[Aequitas]], from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', which is why everyone who suffers from the "psychic attack" experiences a unique, tailor-made terror.
*Getaway says he realised Rodimus was crap when he saw "that ridiculous Rodpod". Getaway's first response to the Rodpod waaaay back in "[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss]]" was "And this guy is your ''leader''", while later including it in his freakout in "[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit]]". And you thought these were just jokes!
*The full extent of Getaway and Atomizer's scheme is revealed, tying back into their attempt to dispatch Megatron from [[The Lopsided Triangle|issue #47]], and Atomizer's manipulation of Rodimus from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]]. They obviously arrange to have Mainframe suggest that Whirl accompany Team Rodimus not because he holds any favour for Megatron, like the rest of the exiles, but because he discussed having second thoughts about Getaway's methods in #47.
*Getaway also mentions the only real side effect from the nudge gun and its memory wipes is a slight headache. Sure enough, Skids and Nightbeat mention having inexplicable headaches off-hand in [[The Sensuous Frame|#41]] and [[The Not Knowing|#44]], respectively, while Tailgate had one in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]] that was ''implied'' to be the result of too much drink, but about which we now know better. Finally, to spell it out for us, Whirl was shown having a headache after being nudge-gunned in [[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]].
**In Tailgate's case, that revelation also implicitly tells us who ''really'' told Getaway about Tailgate's deathbed confession; not Cyclonus, as Getaway claims, but Tailgate himself, who then had the memory of telling Getaway erased.
**Even sneakier, if one is to look back on the panel in issue #40 when Tailgate complains about his head hurting, Getaway's right hand is obscured by a table leg.
**In Whirl's case, considering the action he took against Megatron in #28 it is likely that he agreed to a potential mutiny from early on, right up until he had second thoughts about Getaway's extreme methods and Getaway decided he couldn't be relied upon.
*The Decepticon Justice Division allied with Deathsaurus' forces back in [[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]]. 'Bots from that issue who appear among their team on the story's final page include Leozack, Killbison, Drillhorn, and Blue Bacchus.

===Real-life references===
*Both this multi-parter's title and this issue's sub-title are quotes from the poem "{{w|Do not go gentle into that good night}}," by {{w|Dylan Thomas}}. The work urges one to survive, to not willingly embrace death, to "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
*Roberts has said the creepy video was meant to be an "ISIS-style" execution video,<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 05:40 to 6:00]</ref> referring to the {{w|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|infamous terrorist group}}'s habit of making victims spout propaganda before being killed on-screen.
*The planet Miliarium takes its name from the Latin word for "milestone," in reference to the 50-issue milestone ''More than Meets the Eye'' has reached.
*Velocity's ringtone ("I'm a doctor, not a performance artist!") is, of course, a spoof of [[Doctor McCoy]]'s catchphrase from the original ''[[Star Trek]]''. She notes it's a gift from Swerve, who has recently indulged himself in all of Earth's television, and refers to Velocity's decision to go into medicine rather than [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]'s highly-venerated performing arts.
*Getaway calls Team Rodimus's trip a "journey into mystery," referencing the {{w|Journey into Mystery|Marvel comic}} of the same name which introduced [[Thor]].
*"The 99%" is a populist political slogan, along with "the 1%": the 99% are the alleged majority being stepped on by the elites of the 1%.
*The concept of one small brave band of heroes facing down impossible odds as legions of enemies close in on their position, unable to retreat, is (as Roberts would acknowledge) lifted from the movie ''[[Zulu]]''—which the crew were shown watching back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]], in a bit of very deliberate foreshadowing. Swerve makes the reference explicit with his "Patients - '''thousands''' of 'em!" line.

===Errors===
*For his one-panel appearance, Scoop is his traditional orange, but he ought to be in [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]-green these days, since becoming part of [[Devastator (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Devastator]], as seen in [[All That Remains|''Windblade'' #3]].
*Hard to spot in the rust giant throng on the left of the double-page title spread is [[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]], recognizable by his shoulder cannons, square-head-thing, and the treads on his upper arms, which he had when he appeared on Cybertron in issue #29. This is the first time we've seen him among the ''Lost Light'' crew—but he's colored almost entirely cream instead of his normal red and blue. Not unlike his [[Slamdance (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' counterpart]], actually!
*In Fortress Maximus's early appearance, his name is misspelled "Fotress". This was corrected for the trade paperback collection.
*The headline on the [[Galactic Bulletin]] reads "AUTOBOTS LIBERATE MIL'''L'''ARIUM".
*When Rodimus first convenes the crew after the psychic attack, Brainstorm is missing his face vents.
*In the first shot of the Rodpod's interior, Nautica is missing her yellow accents; in the next panel, the centre of Skids' chest is miscolored blue.
*When Nightbeat discovers the Necrobot's body, his face is colored gray instead of yellow.
*When Skids mentions that Nightbeat and Censere had forged "something of a bond", Censere's name is misspelled "Censerre", with an extra R.
*In the panel that reveals the mutineers, Mainframe's face is colored wrong. The "divider" between his mouthplate and his visor is colored AS the visor, and his actual optic is colored like his forehead, making him look like he's kind of smugly squinting at Rodimus.
*In the group shot of the DJD and Deathsaurus's forces on the last page, Guyhawk is visible in the background, between Helex's legs, but he's colored grey and red with a green face, instead of his usual red and white.

===Production notes===
James Roberts went into lengthy detail about the comic at [http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Comics.]:
*Roberts had actually forgotten to ''do'' the Previously On page until late in the day! <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 10:10 to 10:41]</ref>
*Originally the execution vid was going to open with a character buying it.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 05:55 to 06:12]</ref>
*The broadcast was inspired by the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "{{w|The Pandorica Opens}}", where characters from across the series cameo at the start. This was to 'ground' the comic into the continuity of its sister titles, as ''MTMTE'' is usually detached from the rest of the line and Roberts wanted to nod to it.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 06:45 to 8:24]</ref>
*Roberts (acknowledging some criticism of the strip being meandering) notes that previous stories had been very insular on the ship but here they are actually ''helping'' people at the start! This flags up that "Heroic Autobot" thing before it all goes wrong. Also intentional was Megatron deliberately giving non-lethal tactics to the Autobots.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 15:59 to 17:40]</ref>
*Megatron was going to teach classes in other issues but there was never space for it. Roberts used it as a way to give some love to lesser-seen characters by giving them a seat.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 22:50 to 23:40]</ref>
*Roberts was told that the are/is thing ''is'' gramatically correct in America. "I didn't know that." <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 36:47 to 36:54]</ref>
*Alex Milne decided to put the flower in Censere's mouth.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 48:30 to 48:50]</ref>
*Roberts clarifies that Getaway was "treated in a way he would find objectionable" in the previous issue and while it "had to be" done that way due to his skills, it "plays into Getaway's larger plan" as "the rules" are clearly different for ''his'' crimes than Brainstorm or Megatron's.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 53:26 to 54:14]</ref>
*The mutineers shown are deliberately shown to be "B-listers you know and like and trust" for impact. Hoist is specifically there because of his Spotlight and Riptide because he'd once been a 'main' guy.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 54:15 to 55:11]</ref>
*It was noted that what Getaway is saying is similar to what fans were saying back when they learned about Auto-Megs.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 56:30 to 57:10]</ref>
*Roberts alludes to an unplanned reflection of ''[[Community]]'' that a fan noted: that every so often, ''Community'' would show what the main cast look like to other people and what they look like are arseholes.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 58:30 to 1:00:00]</ref>

===Other notes===
*The "story so far" page that opens this issue recaps the entire series, summing up each individual story or multiparter with a simple description: a schism ([[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|''The Death of Optimus Prime'']]), an accident (issues [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]-[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|2]]), a sparkeater ([[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]]), a virus (issues [[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]-[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|5]]), a hostage situation ([[Interiors|issue #6]]), an interlude (issues [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]-[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|8]]), a calling ([[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 annual]]), a ''Spotlight'' or two (''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Trailcutter]]'' and ''[[The Waiting Game|Hoist]]''), a story (issues [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]-[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|11]]), a mix-up ([[Before & After|issue #12]]), a night out ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|issue #13]]), a mistake ([[Remembrance Day|issue #14]]), a death ([[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]]), a funeral ([[The Gloaming|issue #16]]), a lost moon ([[Remain in Light|issues #17-21]]), a diversion ([[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|issues #22-27]]), a trial (issues [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]-[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|30]]), an exodus ([[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]), another ''Lost Light'' (issues [[slaughterhouse|#32]]-[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|33]]), a loss ([[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|issue #34]]), an alternate universe ([[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|issue #35]]), a race against time (issues [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]-[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|38]]), an alliance ([[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]]), a farewell ([[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]]), a reunion (issues [[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]-[[The Frail Gaze|42]]), a sitcom ([[The One Where They Go to Earth|issue #43]]), an epiphany ([[The Not Knowing|issue #44]]), another interlude (issues [[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]-[[Animals|46]]), a betrayal ([[The Lopsided Triangle|issue #47]]), and a resignation (issues [[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]-[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|49]]).
*Megatron notes that it has been about a year since the ''Lost Light'' left Cybertron after his trial, meaning that about 18 months (one year plus the six-month gap between "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]" and "season 2") have passed in the last two years' worth of comics.

===Soundtrack===
For all of "The Dying of the Light":
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdBc5uByFQ Hurt]" by {{w|Johnny Cash}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/697906882363711489 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>

For this part alone:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYT2yy2s24 Heroes]" by {{w|David Bowie}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/699356951868743680 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlCPlnCIfo Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe]" by {{w|Okkervil River}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/699357596449427456 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOuOR7TNKc Nonphenomenal Lineage]" by {{w|Grandaddy}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/699359380072955905 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>
*"Family Tree" by TV on the Radio<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/704821189512974339 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>

===Crew manifest===
*Exiled: Brainstorm, Chromedome, Cyclonus, Megatron, Minimus Ambus, Nautica, Nightbeat, Ravage, Rewind, Rodimus, Rung, Skids, Swerve, Tailgate, Ten, Velocity and Whirl were effectively removed from the crew by Getaway's mutiny.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/28256-megatron-seeks-redemption-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-50-preview.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds

2020-07-20T17:17:53Z

MagnusPrime24: /* Quotes */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=50
|prev=Speak, Memory! (Part 2)
|next=No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases
|image=MTMTE50_regcvr.jpg
|title="The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds"
|caption="Why is it us? Why us?" "Because we're here, lad. Nobody else. Just us."
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|''More than Meets the Eye'' #50]]
|date=[[February 24]], [[2016]] (digital, parts of Europe and Asia) [[March 9]], 2016 (rest of world)
|coverdate=February 2016
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|inks by=Alex Milne and [[Brian Shearer]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]] (pg. 1-10), [[Priscilla Tramontano]] (pg. 11-15, 22-23, 27-32), [[John-Paul Bove]] (pg. 17-21, 24-26)
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''A psychic attack leads Team Rodimus back to the Necrobot's planet, where a mutiny in the ranks of the ''Lost Light'' spells their doom.'''

==Synopsis==
''On [[Earth]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] receive a haunting transmission: a series of videos from crewmembers of the ''[[Lost Light]]''—[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]], [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Minimus Ambus]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], and [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]]—explaining that they are about to die and leaving individual instructions for how they wish to be interred. The broadcast also reaches [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'', but the ''Lost Light'' remains silent, unresponsive to any hailing requests. Optimus Prime proposes using the [[space bridge]] to go to their rescue, but Jetfire reveals the awful truth... the message claims the speakers have six hours left to live, but it was sent three weeks ago.''

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-rollout.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|We'd make a comment about jumping the cybershark, but face it; this series has already done a ''lot'' weirder stuff than this.]]
Three weeks earlier, the ''Lost Light''ers help liberate the planet [[Miliarium]] from the clutches of the [[Rust Giant]]s, with the super-strong [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] taking out their biggest, meanest member. [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]—remotely supervising the battle from the ship on account of his newfound pacifism—is a little prickly when he discovers that everyone hid from him the fact that Millarians are organic, but softens when [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] lets him give the "[[roll out]]" order.

A little later, after everyone has returned to the ship, Megatron holds the latest in a series of classes on the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and focuses his attention on the mysterious, gear-like hieroglyph that the crew have come upon several times in the course of their quest. Pooling their knowledge, the class concludes that the symbol is a kind of "coat of arms," representing just one of multiple clans that existed within the Knights' ranks. The discussion is interrupted, however, when Megatron suddenly reels in pain, clutching his head; when Minimus Ambus attempts to go to his aid, the ex-Decepticon reflexively lashes out, punching Minimus across the room. Horrified at his own actions, Megatron retreats to his quarters, where Velocity checks him over and administers his latest dose of [[Fool's Energon]]. She worries that the sedative could be the reason for Megatron's actions, as it has been known to cause fluctuations in a 'bot's personality, but he explains that he was bombarded with agonizing, screaming voices in his mind—an experience, it soon turns out, that a handful of ''other'' crew members also underwent at the same time, each hearing their own unique horrific sound. [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] are able to trace the signal of this "psychic attack" back to its source, and plans are quickly made to go and investigate.

The group all piles into the Rodpod: Rodimus, Magnus, the victims of the attack (Megatron, Tailgate, Rewind, Chromedome, Rung, and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]), their partners and friends ([[Ten]], [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]], and [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]]), "Team Rodimus" (Nightbeat, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], and Nautica), and team doctor Velocity, who is convinced by Mainframe to bring Whirl along for extra muscle. [[Quantum generator|Quantum jumping]] to the signal's point of origin, the pod materializes in utter blackness, which the team soon realize means they have jumped ''inside'' a huge, hollow object. One more small jump to the object's surface, and they discover they have returned to the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]]... but no sooner have they stepped out of the Rodpod than a squadron of attack craft suddenly appears in the skies and opens fire on them! Totally outnumbered, everyone boards the pod again and tries to quantum jump away, only to discover the teleport engines are dead. The team sets course for the Necrobot's fortress, but the Rodpod is shot down right in front of it; everyone manages to survive and haul themselves out of the wreckage before the Rodpod finally explodes.

[[File:Getawayunloads HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds.jpg|right|upright=1.6|thumb|''Hang on, how many bots died because Rod was inexperienced and ruinous?'']]
Taking cover inside the fortress, the team discovers the Necrobot's dead body in the middle of the floor. While Ravage sneaks out to examine the single enemy fighter they managed to bring down during the escape, Nightbeat snaps into analytical mode, and he and Brainstorm piece together what has occurred: the "psychic attack" was originally an ordinary transmission sent by their attackers to lure the group to the planet, but the fatally-wounded Necrobot, with the last of his strength, corrupted the signal in a failed attempt to warn them off. Using the Necrobot's computer, Rodimus re-establishes contact with the ''Lost Light''... but is shocked when the 'bot who answers his hail turns out to be [[Getaway]]! The escapologist explains that he has been freed from his cell by the ''entire crew'', who have finally tired of Rodimus's leadership and the way in which Megatron has been accepted into their ranks, and are staging a full-blown mutiny. Getaway and [[Atomizer]] have been planning this since before the ship left Cybertron, having identified all "Megatron sympathizers" through judicious questioning and application of Getaway's [[nudge gun]], and have now isolated and trapped them on the Necrobot's world, so that the rest of the crew can ''actually get on with their quest'' to find the Knights and save the Cybertronian race. Even the mystery attackers are part of their plan—attackers whose identities Megatron has already figured out, making him severely doubt Getaway's promise that nobody but Megatron will be harmed. As Getaway shuts off the comm-link, a wounded Ravage limps back inside to confirm his leader's suspicions: the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] has arrived... and everyone is going to die.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
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{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (1)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] (4)
*[[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] (5)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (6)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (7)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] (10)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (11)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (12)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (13)
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (14)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] (20)
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (21)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] (22)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (23)
*[[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]] (25)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (26)
*[[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (27)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (28)
*[[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] (30)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] (31)
*[[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (32)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (33)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (34)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (35)
*? (36) 
*[[Boss (G1)|Boss]] (37)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (38)
*[[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] (39)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (40)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] (41)
*[[Hound (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hound]] (42)
*[[Xaaron]] (43)
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (44)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] (45)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] (46)
*[[Powerflash]]? (47) 
*[[Splashdown]]? (48) 
*[[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (statue, 51)
*[[Getaway]] (53)
*[[Atomizer]] (54)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] (55)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (56)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (57)
*[[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (58)
{{!}}}
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{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] (15)
*[[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (16)
*[[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] (17)
*[[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (18)
*[[Fulcrum]] (19)
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] (49)
*[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] (59)
*[[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]] (60)
*[[Helex (DJD)|Helex]] (61)
*[[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] (62)
*[[Blue Bacchus]] (63)
*[[Killbison]] (64)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Drillhorn (Victory)|Drillhorn]] (65)
*[[Leozack]] (66)
*[[Guyhawk]] (67)
*[[Vos (DJD)|Vos]] (68)
*[[Dominus Ambus|The Pet]] (69)
*[[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] (70)
{{!}}}
|c4=
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (8)
*[[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (9)
*[[Rust Giant]]s (24)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] (29)
*[[Ten]] (50)
*[[Mortilus|Censere]] (52)
}}

==Quotes==

"I was particularly impressed by '''your''' efforts, '''Riptide'''. You clearly put in a lot of work." 
"Did I pass?" 
"No, but I'll talk to you afterwards to explain why."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Riptide''' on the latter's academic skills

"I'm not usually a '''fan''' of group discussion, or brainstorming, or waiting for other people to stop speaking, but that was actually pretty impressive."
:—'''Nightbeat''', on the benefits of talking out a problem

"'''Stress''' is another side effect of the chemo-sedatives." 
"It's not stress." 
"How do you know?" 
"Because I've never been happier."
:—'''Velocity''' and '''Megatron'''

'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Hold on. Someone '''fired on us''' and you want to '''run towards the gun'''?" 
'''Rodimus:''' "'''Yep'''—and '''disarm''' them before they take another shot. It's a perfectly good plan! '''Team Rodimus''' are well up for it!" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "'''Is''' well up for it. Team Rodimus '''is''' well up for it. Singular. One team." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Whatever. Chop-chop!" 
'''Megatron:''' "When did you first realize that he uses '''bad grammar''' to distract you whenever you raise an objection to something he wants to do?" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "He does '''WHAT'''?"
:—'''Megatron''' evidently knows his co-captain better than '''Magnus'''

"This is the new '''teleport drive'''. Nautica built it as a '''thank-you present''' after I stopped going on and on about how much I wanted a teleport drive."
:—'''Rodimus'''

'''Rodimus:''' "I'm sorry if not all of us are catlike and unpanickable." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Not a word." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Jeez, Magnus. Time and place." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "No, no, no. You can't have people throwing '''made up words''' around willy-nilly. There are impressionable 'bots on board." 
'''Brainstorm:''' "Magnus is right. Making up words leads to criminanarchy and pandebordination." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Brainstorm! One more and you're on '''remand.'''"

"By what '''tortured logic''' did '''High Command''' conclude that letting an '''unrepentant mass murderer''' off the hook represented anything '''other''' than an '''insult''' to the memory of the '''billions''' he killed? Seriously—can someone explain to me how the war can end with the '''instigator''' being allowed to go about his business '''as if nothing happened'''? The death camps! The massacres! The cities razed to the ground! Apparently all of them were just '''missteps'''—painful but necessary—on Megatron's '''path to self-discovery'''! (...) By helping that '''maniac''' find peace you're excusing his past behavior. And so it falls to us—'''the 99%'''—to remind you how '''wrong''' this is. Forgiveness? Rehabilitation? Reintegration? No. Not him. Not now. Not ever."
:—'''Getaway'''

"I'm not a bad person. I just have strong beliefs."
:—Sure, '''Getaway'''. Sure.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*"Who doesn't want to survive the dying of the light?" Skids asked Nightbeat, back when they first visited Necroworld in "[[The Not Knowing]]"...
*Optimus and Jetfire are in the ''[[Skyroller]]'' when they receive the crew's message, outside [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]]'s "house," placing this story after the events of [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' #50]].
*We see that the Scavengers were sent a copy of the recording of the crew's last requests too. Back in #45 Misfire mentioned that he had a 'contact' among the Autobots. In #46 [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fort Max]] confirmed that the Scavengers had been supplying Brainstorm with parts. It looks like Brainstorm hasn't broken his ties with his handlers after all, especially if he's sending messages to them in last-ditch pleas for help.
*When Nightbeat delivers his part of the message, he talks about how he can prepare himself "this time," and strokes the centre of his forehead: a reference to when he died before, shot right through the head, in ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]''.
*Nightbeat requests his funeral ceremony be Neoprimalist, the sect of Primalism that [[Flywheels]] was noted to belong to in [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|issue #7]].
*Magnus sputters as he tries to say the word "fun," just as he did back in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]], but this time, he finally gets it out.
*Rung requests that, should he die in alt mode, he be disassembled—an allusion to the mystery of his alternate form, and the fact that, whatever it is, it may still be able to serve its purpose after his death.
*Chromedome mentions that this is the first time he and Rewind have "died together", alluding to both the "original" Rewind's death in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]], and the death of Chromedome's quantum duplicate, as seen in [[slaughterhouse|issue #32]].
*Megatron was previously mentioned to be teaching a class of some sort in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]], of which Riptide was a student.
*Megatron mentions [[information creep]] during his class, the memory-altering mental malady mentioned before in [[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]. In the same issue, it was established that Riptide was rubbish at exams, which is followed through on here as he fails his assignment in Megatron's class.
[[File:MTMTE50 megatron class dismissed.jpg|right|200px|thumb]]
*After Megatron strikes Minimus, he points his outstretched right arm at him with the wrist canted down. Clearly old habits are hard to break; this seemingly odd pose would, if Megatron still possessed his [[fusion cannon]] on his arm, point it straight at Minimus' head!
*The mysterious gear symbol raises its figurative head once again. Skids remembers how he saw it in [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], Thunderclash remembers seeing it in the map from his dreams in [[The Sensuous Frame|issue #41]], and Perceptor mentions that Rodimus drew it into his own map from [[The Not Knowing|issue #44]].
*Nautica recounts how she spent time on [[Troja Major]], where we know from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]] she picked up a copy of ''[[Towards Peace]]''. She says she visited a "heritage museum"; presumably, this is the business run by Decepticon antiquarian [[Agonizer]], mentioned in [[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|issue #45]] as having set up shop on the planet.
*Rodimus brings "Team Rodimus" together again, who were last referred to by that name back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]] when they assembled to examine the alternate-Rodimus's coffin.
*The crew previously visited the Necrobot's planet in issue #44. Back in that issue, the Necrobot described it as a "shell of a world," quoting his departed friend [[Tusk]]. That line suddenly becomes a lot more literal with this issue's revelation that the planet is hollow.
*Note how Magnus's right arm takes a bad hit during the explosion of the Rodpod. It's deliberately kept off-panel for the remaining portion of the issue, likely to obscure the fact that the arm has been completely severed—'cause remember, as we know from [[The Gloaming|issue #16]] and [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], that's the arm containing [[Solomus|Tyrest]]'s recall switch/teleporter. No quick escapes with ''that'', Magnus!
*Brainstorm identifies the Necrobot's computers as using elements of the same technology as the guilt-detecting computer [[Aequitas]], from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', which is why everyone who suffers from the "psychic attack" experiences a unique, tailor-made terror.
*Getaway says he realised Rodimus was crap when he saw "that ridiculous Rodpod". Getaway's first response to the Rodpod waaaay back in "[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss]]" was "And this guy is your ''leader''", while later including it in his freakout in "[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit]]". And you thought these were just jokes!
*The full extent of Getaway and Atomizer's scheme is revealed, tying back into their attempt to dispatch Megatron from [[The Lopsided Triangle|issue #47]], and Atomizer's manipulation of Rodimus from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]]. They obviously arrange to have Mainframe suggest that Whirl accompany Team Rodimus not because he holds any favour for Megatron, like the rest of the exiles, but because he discussed having second thoughts about Getaway's methods in #47.
*Getaway also mentions the only real side effect from the nudge gun and its memory wipes is a slight headache. Sure enough, Skids and Nightbeat mention having inexplicable headaches off-hand in [[The Sensuous Frame|#41]] and [[The Not Knowing|#44]], respectively, while Tailgate had one in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]] that was ''implied'' to be the result of too much drink, but about which we now know better. Finally, to spell it out for us, Whirl was shown having a headache after being nudge-gunned in [[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]].
**In Tailgate's case, that revelation also implicitly tells us who ''really'' told Getaway about Tailgate's deathbed confession; not Cyclonus, as Getaway claims, but Tailgate himself, who then had the memory of telling Getaway erased.
**Even sneakier, if one is to look back on the panel in issue #40 when Tailgate complains about his head hurting, Getaway's right hand is obscured by a table leg.
**In Whirl's case, considering the action he took against Megatron in #28 it is likely that he agreed to a potential mutiny from early on, right up until he had second thoughts about Getaway's extreme methods and Getaway decided he couldn't be relied upon.
*The Decepticon Justice Division allied with Deathsaurus' forces back in [[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]]. 'Bots from that issue who appear among their team on the story's final page include Leozack, Killbison, Drillhorn, and Blue Bacchus.

===Real-life references===
*Both this multi-parter's title and this issue's sub-title are quotes from the poem "{{w|Do not go gentle into that good night}}," by {{w|Dylan Thomas}}. The work urges one to survive, to not willingly embrace death, to "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
*Roberts has said the creepy video was meant to be an "ISIS-style" execution video,<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 05:40 to 6:00]</ref> referring to the {{w|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|infamous terrorist group}}'s habit of making victims spout propaganda before being killed on-screen.
*The planet Miliarium takes its name from the Latin word for "milestone," in reference to the 50-issue milestone ''More than Meets the Eye'' has reached.
*Velocity's ringtone ("I'm a doctor, not a performance artist!") is, of course, a spoof of [[Doctor McCoy]]'s catchphrase from the original ''[[Star Trek]]''. She notes it's a gift from Swerve, who has recently indulged himself in all of Earth's television, and refers to Velocity's decision to go into medicine rather than [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]'s highly-venerated performing arts.
*Getaway calls Team Rodimus's trip a "journey into mystery," referencing the {{w|Journey into Mystery|Marvel comic}} of the same name which introduced [[Thor]].
*"The 99%" is a populist political slogan, along with "the 1%": the 99% are the alleged majority being stepped on by the elites of the 1%.
*The concept of one small brave band of heroes facing down impossible odds as legions of enemies close in on their position, unable to retreat, is (as Roberts would acknowledge) lifted from the movie ''[[Zulu]]''—which the crew were shown watching back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]], in a bit of very deliberate foreshadowing. Swerve makes the reference explicit with his "Patients - '''thousands''' of 'em!" line.

===Errors===
*For his one-panel appearance, Scoop is his traditional orange, but he ought to be in [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]-green these days, since becoming part of [[Devastator (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Devastator]], as seen in [[All That Remains|''Windblade'' #3]].
*Hard to spot in the rust giant throng on the left of the double-page title spread is [[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]], recognizable by his shoulder cannons, square-head-thing, and the treads on his upper arms, which he had when he appeared on Cybertron in issue #29. This is the first time we've seen him among the ''Lost Light'' crew—but he's colored almost entirely cream instead of his normal red and blue. Not unlike his [[Slamdance (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' counterpart]], actually!
*In Fortress Maximus's early appearance, his name is misspelled "Fotress". This was corrected for the trade paperback collection.
*The headline on the [[Galactic Bulletin]] reads "AUTOBOTS LIBERATE MIL'''L'''ARIUM".
*When Rodimus first convenes the crew after the psychic attack, Brainstorm is missing his face vents.
*In the first shot of the Rodpod's interior, Nautica is missing her yellow accents; in the next panel, the centre of Skids' chest is miscolored blue.
*When Nightbeat discovers the Necrobot's body, his face is colored gray instead of yellow.
*When Skids mentions that Nightbeat and Censere had forged "something of a bond", Censere's name is misspelled "Censerre", with an extra R.
*In the panel that reveals the mutineers, Mainframe's face is colored wrong. The "divider" between his mouthplate and his visor is colored AS the visor, and his actual optic is colored like his forehead, making him look like he's kind of smugly squinting at Rodimus.
*In the group shot of the DJD and Deathsaurus's forces on the last page, Guyhawk is visible in the background, between Helex's legs, but he's colored grey and red with a green face, instead of his usual red and white.

===Production notes===
James Roberts went into lengthy detail about the comic at [http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Comics.]:
*Roberts had actually forgotten to ''do'' the Previously On page until late in the day! <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 10:10 to 10:41]</ref>
*Originally the execution vid was going to open with a character buying it.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 05:55 to 06:12]</ref>
*The broadcast was inspired by the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' episode "{{w|The Pandorica Opens}}", where characters from across the series cameo at the start. This was to 'ground' the comic into the continuity of its sister titles, as ''MTMTE'' is usually detached from the rest of the line and Roberts wanted to nod to it.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 06:45 to 8:24]</ref>
*Roberts (acknowledging some criticism of the strip being meandering) notes that previous stories had been very insular on the ship but here they are actually ''helping'' people at the start! This flags up that "Heroic Autobot" thing before it all goes wrong. Also intentional was Megatron deliberately giving non-lethal tactics to the Autobots.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 15:59 to 17:40]</ref>
*Megatron was going to teach classes in other issues but there was never space for it. Roberts used it as a way to give some love to lesser-seen characters by giving them a seat.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 22:50 to 23:40]</ref>
*Roberts was told that the are/is thing ''is'' gramatically correct in America. "I didn't know that." <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 36:47 to 36:54]</ref>
*Alex Milne decided to put the flower in Censere's mouth.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 48:30 to 48:50]</ref>
*Roberts clarifies that Getaway was "treated in a way he would find objectionable" in the previous issue and while it "had to be" done that way due to his skills, it "plays into Getaway's larger plan" as "the rules" are clearly different for ''his'' crimes than Brainstorm or Megatron's.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 53:26 to 54:14]</ref>
*The mutineers shown are deliberately shown to be "B-listers you know and like and trust" for impact. Hoist is specifically there because of his Spotlight and Riptide because he'd once been a 'main' guy.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 54:15 to 55:11]</ref>
*It was noted that what Getaway is saying is similar to what fans were saying back when they learned about Auto-Megs.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 56:30 to 57:10]</ref>
*Roberts alludes to an unplanned reflection of ''[[Community]]'' that a fan noted: that every so often, ''Community'' would show what the main cast look like to other people and what they look like are arseholes.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 58:30 to 1:00:00]</ref>

===Other notes===
*The "story so far" page that opens this issue recaps the entire series, summing up each individual story or multiparter with a simple description: a schism ([[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|''The Death of Optimus Prime'']]), an accident (issues [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]-[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|2]]), a sparkeater ([[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]]), a virus (issues [[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]-[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|5]]), a hostage situation ([[Interiors|issue #6]]), an interlude (issues [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]-[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|8]]), a calling ([[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 annual]]), a ''Spotlight'' or two (''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Trailcutter]]'' and ''[[The Waiting Game|Hoist]]''), a story (issues [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]-[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|11]]), a mix-up ([[Before & After|issue #12]]), a night out ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|issue #13]]), a mistake ([[Remembrance Day|issue #14]]), a death ([[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]]), a funeral ([[The Gloaming|issue #16]]), a lost moon ([[Remain in Light|issues #17-21]]), a diversion ([[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|issues #22-27]]), a trial (issues [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]-[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|30]]), an exodus ([[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]), another ''Lost Light'' (issues [[slaughterhouse|#32]]-[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|33]]), a loss ([[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|issue #34]]), an alternate universe ([[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|issue #35]]), a race against time (issues [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]-[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|38]]), an alliance ([[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]]), a farewell ([[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]]), a reunion (issues [[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]-[[The Frail Gaze|42]]), a sitcom ([[The One Where They Go to Earth|issue #43]]), an epiphany ([[The Not Knowing|issue #44]]), another interlude (issues [[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]-[[Animals|46]]), a betrayal ([[The Lopsided Triangle|issue #47]]), and a resignation (issues [[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]-[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|49]]).
*Megatron notes that it has been about a year since the ''Lost Light'' left Cybertron after his trial, meaning that about 18 months (one year plus the six-month gap between "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]" and "season 2") have passed in the last two years' worth of comics.

===Soundtrack===
For all of "The Dying of the Light":
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdBc5uByFQ Hurt]" by {{w|Johnny Cash}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/697906882363711489 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>

For this part alone:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYT2yy2s24 Heroes]" by {{w|David Bowie}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/699356951868743680 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlCPlnCIfo Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe]" by {{w|Okkervil River}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/699357596449427456 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOuOR7TNKc Nonphenomenal Lineage]" by {{w|Grandaddy}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/699359380072955905 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>
*"Family Tree" by TV on the Radio<ref>[https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/704821189512974339 James Roberts on Twitter]</ref>

===Crew manifest===
*Exiled: Brainstorm, Chromedome, Cyclonus, Megatron, Minimus Ambus, Nautica, Nightbeat, Ravage, Rewind, Rodimus, Rung, Skids, Swerve, Tailgate, Ten, Velocity and Whirl were effectively removed from the crew by Getaway's mutiny.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/28256-megatron-seeks-redemption-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-50-preview.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)

2020-07-19T15:42:43Z

MagnusPrime24: /* Overview */

{{Nav-bw|logo=BWTFcartoonlogo.png}}

'''''Beast Wars: Transformers''''' is a Daytime Emmy award-winning [[computer-generated imagery|computer-animated]] television series that premiered on [[April 22]], [[1996]] in syndication in the United States.<ref>Though this episode played several days earlier in several US markets, its most widespread screening was on the 22nd.</ref>

Though [[Trukk not munky|reviled]] by many ''Transformers'' fans when it first hit the airwaves in 1996, ''Beast Wars'' is now considered by many to be among the finest examples of ''Transformers'' storytelling, striking a happy balance between character, humor, and story.

==Overview==
''Beast Wars'' opens at an unspecified time and place, where two warring factions of robots have crashed on a strange planet populated by animals like those on [[Earth]]. The planet abounds in mystery, with vast deposits of raw [[energon]] and evidence of [[Vok|alien]] activity. The Energon forces the newly arrived Transformers to take on protective beast forms to shield themselves from the ambient Energon radiation. And so begin the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]...

[[File:Beastwarsmaxgroup.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|Rattrap and Airazor conspire to ruin school picture day.]]
Though at first the show seemed to be in an entirely separate continuity, by the end of the first season's 26 episodes, viewers had been treated to a number of classical Transformers references, such as [[Unicron]] and even the reappearance of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], last seen as a ghost in the third season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]]. These ties to the original story increased as the second season progressed and the planet was revealed as prehistoric Earth, the characters having been thrown back in time. The third season was entirely structured around the [[Maximal]]s defending their dormant [[Autobot]] ancestors aboard the ancient crashed [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

The show won over many viewers through fun, intriguing stories and generally high production values. Strong characterization, top-notch scripting and voice acting, and complex, overarching plot threads are among the reasons cited for the show's enduring popularity. Some of the show's mysteries and machinations remain topics for fan debate over two decades after it aired.

The show's CGI, though somewhat primitive by today's standards, was revolutionary by television standards of the time (and puts [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|some later shows]] to [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|shame]]). Mainframe's animators took pains to ensure their characters gestured and emoted in great detail, and the "camera" work often took creative advantage of the format's flexibility.

The show was immediately followed by a sequel series, ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''.
{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Beast Wars episodes}}

''Beast Wars'' had 52 episodes over 3 seasons.

===Season 1: 1996–1997===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]
# [[Beast Wars (Part 2)]]
# [[The Web]]
# [[Equal Measures]]
# [[Chain of Command (BW)|Chain of Command]]
# [[Power Surge (episode)|Power Surge]]
# [[Fallen Comrades]]
# [[Double Jeopardy]]
# [[A Better Mousetrap]]
# [[Gorilla Warfare]]
# [[The Probe]]
# [[Victory (episode)|Victory]]
# [[Dark Designs]]
# [[Double Dinobot]]
# [[The Spark]]
# [[The Trigger, Part 1]]
# [[The Trigger, Part 2]]
# [[Spider's Game]]
# [[Call of the Wild]]
# [[Dark Voyage]]
# [[Possession]]
# [[The Low Road]]
# [[Law of the Jungle]]
# [[Before the Storm]]
# [[Other Voices, Part 1]]
# [[Other Voices, Part 2]]}}

===Season 2: 1997–1998===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Aftermath]]
# [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]]
# [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]
# [[Tangled Web]]
# [[Maximal, No More]]
# [[Other Visits (Part 1)]]
# [[Other Visits (Part 2)]]
# [[Bad Spark]]
# [[Code of Hero]]
# [[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]]
# [[The Agenda (Part 1)]]
# [[The Agenda (Part 2)]]
# [[The Agenda (Part III)]]}}

===Season 3: 1998–1999===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Optimal Situation]]
# [[Deep Metal]]
# [[Changing of the Guard]]
# [[Cutting Edge]]
# [[Feral Scream Part 1]]
# [[Feral Scream Part 2]]
# [[Proving Grounds]]
# [[Go with the Flow]]
# [[Crossing the Rubicon]]
# [[Master Blaster]]
# [[Other Victories]]
# [[Nemesis Part 1]]
# [[Nemesis Part 2]]}}

==Characters==
[[File:BW Maximals.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Time for Rattrap to lead.]]
[[File:BW Predacons.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Waspinator is loved by fans.]]
Because developing new CGI character models was, at the time, an expensive and time-consuming process, the number of on-screen characters in ''Beast Wars'' was relatively small compared to most other ''Transformers'' shows. It is thus practical to list all the Transformers who appeared in the cartoon. They are listed in order of appearance. (The [[stasis lock]]ed [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are not on this list.) Note that many characters besides these are also full-fledged ''Beast Wars'' characters, having appeared in other media.
{{-}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Richard Newman]])
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]* ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Ian James Corlett]])
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (Scott McNeil)
*[[Tigatron]] ([[Blu Mankuma]])
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] ([[Pauline Newstone]])
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (Scott McNeil)
*[[Transmutate (BW)|Transmutate]] ([[Susan Blu]])
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Tigerhawk]] (Blu Mankuma)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] ([[Don Brown]])
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] ([[Doug Parker]])
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] ([[Alec Willows]])
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (Scott McNeil)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]† ([[Venus Terzo]])
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] ([[Jim Byrnes]])
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] ([[Colin Murdoch]])
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] ([[Campbell Lane]])
*[[Ram Horn]] ([[Lee Tockar]])
*[[Sea Clamp]] (Ian James Corlett)
*[[Cicadacon]] (Scott McNeil)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (Lee Tockar)
*[[Dinobot II]] (Scott McNeil)
|c4=
*[[Vok]] (Blu Mankuma, Richard Newman)
'''[[Decepticon]]s'''
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (Doug Parker)
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (Garry Chalk)
'''[[Protohuman]]s'''
*[[Blix|Leader Neanderthal]] (Garry Chalk)
*[[Una]] (Susan Blu)
*[[Chak]] (?)
|nonumbering=true
}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Allied with the Maximals, nominally a Predacon.

† Became a Maximal towards the end of the series, though originally a Maximal protoform.

==Awards and nominations==
===1998 Daytime Emmy Awards===
*Outstanding Achievement in Animation - [[Clyde Klotz]] '''(WINNER)'''

==International releases==
===Japan===
In Japan, the ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' cartoon was split into 2 separate 26 episode series.

====''Beast Wars: Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''====
[[File:BW Logo Japanese.gif|250px|center]]

'''''Beast Wars: Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''''' ( ビーストウォーズ超生命体トランスフォーマー ''Beast Wars Chō Seimeitai Transformers'') aired in 1997, consisting of the North American season 1 episodes. In charge of localization was [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]], an audiography director whose resume included shows such as the [[TV Tokyo]] dubs of [[Saban]]'s ''[[X-Men]]'' and the original ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''. Iwanami's signature style of localization and dubbing relies heavily on satirical comedy and ad libbing, most commonly turning the programs into self-referential parodies of themselves. While the early episodes of ''Beast Wars'' were fairly innocuous in their ad libs, as time went on their inclusion became progressively more intrusive and by the last third of the series there was a severe tonal shift.

The ad libbing in ''Beast Wars'' primarily consisted of "noise"; talking for the sake of talking and reducing atmospheric silence or visual subtlety to a minimum. One particular trait of the dub was that each character had their own unique vocal tic with which they would punctuate their sentences or, more commonly, chant incessantly for no apparent reason. For instance, Waspinator would chant "''bun''", Scorponok would chant "''orya''", Blackarachnia would hiss "''chā''", Rhinox would ramble "''dana''" and so on. This gimmick was especially pronounced during fight scenes, when characters would repeatedly and comically shout their vocal tics every time they pulled the trigger of their weapons, reducing firefights to a cacophony of unending gibberish.

Many characters underwent considerable changes in personality and characterization. Some of these changes were gradual; Megatron began the series as a gravelly voiced and uncharismatic slob who would loudly hock loogies after fits of maniacal laughter. That trait was phased out in exchange for him becoming an effeminate, mood-swinging goofball; his tone of voice transitioning from a ferocious baritone to a silly high pitch at the drop of a hat. He was also made humorously cowardly, shouting out wimpy excuses while retreating (including the claim that he was late for piano practice).

Other characters were fundamentally altered right from the get go. [[Predacon computer|NAVI-ko]], the Predacon computer, gained a girly and fitful personality and characters would talk with her rather than at her. Tigatron was made into a humorous samurai ronin parody. Airazor had her gender changed, becoming a young male and Tigatron's trusty ward (and later, his lover).

All 26 episodes were aired without any edits for time or content (unlike the Japanese broadcasts of ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)#Japanese release|The Transformers]]'' and many future imported Western ''Transformers'' shows). However, the episodes were aired out of the original sequence. The new order was mostly harmless save for one exception: "[[The Spark]]" was aired before "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]". As a result, that made it seem like the Maximals were abandoning Airazor in their attempt to leave Earth.

''Beast Wars'' aired on [[TV Tokyo]] in the Wednesday 6:30 PM timeslot. As the second season of the North American ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' was not ready for localization by the time ''Beast Wars'' ended in Japan, a pair of domestically produced cartoon series, ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'', were commissioned to fill the gap. The [[Japanese themes|opening theme]] for ''Beast Wars'' was "[[War War! Stop It]]" by [[Banana Ice]] while the ending theme was "[[For the Dream|FOR THE DREAM]]" by [[Mickey]].

====''Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals''====
[[File:BWMetals Logo.jpg|center|250px]]

'''''Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズメタルス, ''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Metals'') aired in 1999, consisting of the North American season 2 and 3 episodes. While ''Beast Wars'' had been fairly judicious in its self-referential humor, even in its last stretch of episodes, ''Beast Wars Metals'' was an unrestrained self-parody, constantly breaking the fourth wall and demonstrating awareness of its own status as a TV series.

Ad libbing was done to the extreme and characters all received major personality adjustments to reflect the aggressively comedic nature of the series. For example, Depth Charge was turned into a goofy old man who enjoyed singing fishing songs while transforming, Silverbolt was now psychotically polite with an obnoxious happy-go-lucky attitude, and Rampage now talked in the rough-and-tumble dialect of a cartoon street punk. The show was incessantly self-aware, regularly acknowledging the camera, the TV channel and, in one of the more oppressive gags, Rattrap would constantly smell what the audience was eating (making remarks to the effect of, "Oh, that's Sato-san's curry" as he sniffed). Yoshikazu's dubbing style would become synonymous with all imported Western ''Transformers'' cartoons in Japan, as he would be placed in charge of localizing every series through ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'', all with the same overbearingly satirical attitude.

The distribution of episodes for ''Beast Wars Metals'' was complicated. Japan included selected episodes in two separate theatrical releases:

:*''[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]'' (premiering the episode "[[Bad Spark]]")
:*''[[1999 Summer Toei Anime Fair]]'' (premiering the episode "[[Cutting Edge]]").

Since the above episodes were released theatrically, they are not included in the show's proper 26 episode list, with their places being taken by two original [[clip show]]s:

:*Episode 14: "[[Where Is the Banana?]]"
:*Episode 26: "[[Remix: I Lost the Banana!]]"

As with the other installments in the ''Beast Wars'' franchise, ''Beast Wars Metals'' aired on [[TV Tokyo]] in the Wednesday 6:30 PM timeslot. The series had two opening themes, "[[Tamashii no Evolution]]" and "[[Sennen no Soldier]]" by [[Hironobu Kageyama]], and two ending themes, "[[BA-BI-BU-BE Beast Wars]]" and "[[HALLELUYAH]]" also by Kageyama.

===United Kingdom===
When originally aired on GMTV in the United Kingdom, ''Beast Wars'' was only screened on school holidays, usually in double bills on Bank Holidays, and one episode per morning on half-term weeks, meaning that only a few episodes were shown a year, with wide gulfs in between (most prominently, ''three months'' passed between the airings of "Other Visits" parts [[Other Visits (Part 1)|1]] and [[Other Visits (Part 2)|2]]). In a sign of things to come, "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]" was shown some 25 minutes earlier than billed due to rescheduled news reports, meaning many fans missed the entire opening episode. Things went from bad to worse when "[[Equal Measures]]" was skipped, and only continued when, after "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]", the series skipped directly to "[[Other Voices, Part 1]]". The entirety of the second season followed the conclusion of the first, but the channel never aired the third season; although it was subsequently released on VHS, the [[cliffhanger]]-resolving "[[Optimal Situation]]" was only available as a free gift with purchase at [[Toys"R"Us]].

Additionally, these GMTV airings were modified in various ways. The first and most foremost alteration was the removal of the word "Transformers" from the series' title, which was only reinstated with "[[Other Voices, Part 1]]". With regard to the actual content, the earliest episodes generally had nothing more extreme than the removal of uses of the word "[[Slag (slang)|slag]]" (as it is effectively a synonym for "slut" in English slang), but with the beginning of the second season, edits were steadily made to episodes for no readily apparent reasons. Additionally, any scenes featuring flashing images were routinely put through a filter that slowed such scenes down to comical levels. This culminated in a butchered version of "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", which snipped out many short scenes throughout all three episodes for no reason, from inconsequential moments like Tarantulas cackling and driving out of his lab in Part 1, to key scenes such as Silverbolt and Optimus Primal's "office talk" in Part 2, and in what was the last straw for many fans, the complete second half of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s speech (''the part explaining [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s entire motivation''), also from Part 2.

During the time they had the rights to the series, GMTV also showed the entirety of seasons one and two on the then-obscure digital-only channel ITV2.

Channel 5, a terrestrial channel, showed the entire series in its complete form in 2003. Thankfully. This got rerun too, leading to the ''Beast Wars'' comics getting [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|used as reprints in Titan's Movie-based comic]].

===France===
In France and (French) Belgium, the show was called "Animutants" and had a good-quality dubbing, rather close to the original voices. But while the first two seasons of the show were aired, the third one never was; the show always ended with "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", leaving the viewers in the area with the worst case of cliffhanger ever.

However, the French dubbed episodes that can nowadays be found on DVD and VHS stop at "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", but we can assume that the TV broadcast reached the end of the season.

===Belgium===
Beast Wars aired under its original name with Dutch subtitles, but like the French broadcast, it stopped abruptly after "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]".

===China===
In China, the show was localized as ''Chāonéng Yǒngshì'' (超能勇士, "Super-Powerful Warriors") and released in a good-quality dubbing by the People's Art Theatre of Liaoning. It was very successful on the TV station and once won a very high audience rating. Like the Japanese dub, Season 2 and Season 3 episodes were also merged into one season called ''Chāonéng Yǒngshì: Jīnshǔ Biàntǐ'' (超能勇士：金属变体, "Super-Powerful Warriors: Transmetals"). Neither title included "Transformers", leaving some of the audience unaware that this was a sequel to [[The Transformers (cartoon)|their childhood]]. Following the Chinese release of ''Beast Machines'', the People's Art Theatre of Liaoning re-dubbed the show with character names changed into the Chinese translation of ''Beast Machines'', I.E. changing the name of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] from Hēixīngxīng Duìzhǎng (黑猩猩队长, "Captain Chimpanzee") to Xīngxīng Jiāngjūn (猩猩将军, "General Gorilla").

===Vietnam===
In Vietnam, the show was called ''Chiến tranh quái vật vũ trụ'' ("Galaxy Monster Wars"). The show was released on VHS tapes with a very good Vietnamese dub, then it was copied to VCD. Unfortunately, as happened in France, only the first two seasons were aired. It ended with "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", and left the fans with a cliffhanger.

===Germany===
The German dub used the original title, ''Beast Wars''. The show was initially very successful on the TV Station RTL2 and was released on VHS. However, only the first season was shown and dubbed. Furthermore, the TV broadcast had many fight scenes censored to comply with Germany's strict laws against TV violence; however, the VHS Release was uncut. After many reruns the show was cancelled and the second and third Season were never shown in Germany.

===Italy===
The toyline was already renamed ''Biocombat'', but the cartoon got the long and unusual title of ''Rombi di Tuono e Cieli di Fuoco per i Biobombat'' ("Thunderbolts and Flaming Skies for the Biocombat"). Such long titles were indeed a tradition for cartoons dubbed in Italian in the '90s. The theme song was replaced with the homonymous "[[Rombi di Tuono e Cieli di Fuoco per i Biocombat]]".

The dub made many changes—much dialogue was simplified, and every silence was filled with either a narrator describing aloud what just happened or Megatron having inner monologues.

For some reason, "Gorilla Warfare" and "The Probe" were switched around in the airing order. To patch this, the former begins with the narrator stating that Optimus Primal is searching around for another probe after last time's failure.

The ''Beast Wars'' dub is the first time the terms "Autobots" and "Decepticons" were kept as such in an Italian dub. While "Decepticons" was kept in subsequent series, to hear "Autobots" again, Italians had to wait until 2007 when the first live action movie was released, since ''Robots in Disguise'' and the Unicron Trilogy went back using "Autorobot".

===Spanish America===
The show aired in many Latin American countries, mainly through [[Cartoon Network]]'s South American feeds, as well various local TV stations. The dub was recorded at Audiomaster 3000 in Mexico. Apart from some name changes (Optimus Primal became Optimus Primitivo, to name an example) the dub was completely uncut.

==Home video releases==
===Canada===
{{main|Alliance Atlantis}}
[[File:Alliance Beast Wars Vol1 DVD.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
;VHS
*''Beast Wars'' — A Feature Length Beasties Adventure (1996)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — Une Adventure Cybernetique (1996)
*''Beast Wars'' — Beasties Escape (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — L'Évasion (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' — Warning from Space (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — Alert Dans L'Espace (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' / ''Robots-Bêtes'' Three pack (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' — Optimus Lives! (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — L'Empreinte D'Optimus (1998)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes — Where the Beasties Began! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 2 — The Saga Continues! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 4 — The Predacons Advance! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (2005)
{{-}}

===Japan===
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
[[Pioneer]]'s Japanese DVD sets of the series come with optional English language dialogue with Japanese subtitles, allowing fans in Japan to view the more serious version of the show if desired.
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Enter the Super Lifeform Transformers (1997)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Cheetus's Crisis (1997)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Disappeared (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — The Solitary Warrior Tigatron (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — New Weapons of Terror! (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Goodbye, Rattle!? (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Floating Island Death Match (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — The Destrons' Dramatic Finish (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Two Dinobots? (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Revive, Beast Power! (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — The Immortal Starscream (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Fare Thee Well, Tigatron (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — To Protect the Peace... (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Great Cybertron Army Collection (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Great Destron Army Collection (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Great Quiz Collection (1999)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — We're Back! (1999)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — Convoy Reborn (1999)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — I Quit! (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — Huh? The Face? (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — I'm a Crab! (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — I Do Love You! (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — Gro~w Bigger (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — Rrray! (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — The Movie (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — I Am Resurrected (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — Love Typhoon (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — Sssshiny! (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — I Hath Returned (2000)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals'' — Happy? This Should Do It (2000)
[[File:Pioneer BeastWars Laserdisc Box2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Maximal Edition (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition (1998)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD BOX (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD BOX 1 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD BOX 2 (2000)
{{-}}

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Universal}}
The entire run of the show ended up on VHS from 2000 to 2001, though "[[Aftermath]]" was only available as a pack-in with [[Claw Jaw#toys|Claw Jaw]], and "[[Optimal Situation]]" could only be obtained as a free gift with purchase at [[Toys"R"Us]]. DVD releases were considerably more spotting, starting from "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]" and releasing only ten episodes across two volumes. In both cases, however, cuts were gone! Characters could rightfully swear!
[[File:UK Beast Wars Vol3 VHS.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Not featuring [[Razorclaw (BW)|Razorclaw]].]]
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Free Video (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 2 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 3 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 4 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 5 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 6 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 7 ([[March 5]] 2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 8 (March 5, 2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 1 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 2 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 4 (2001)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (2004)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 2 (2005)
{{-}}

===United States===
[[File:Rhino BeastWars Vol1 DVD.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
;{{main|Rhino Entertainment}}
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 (2002)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 2 (2002)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season (2003)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Second Season (2004)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season (2004)

;{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*''Transformers - Beast Wars'': Season One (2011)
*''Transformers - Beast Wars'': The Complete Series (2011)
*''Transformers - Beast Wars'': Seasons 2 & 3 (2011)
*''Transformers - Beast Wars'': Chain of Command (2014)
*''Transformers - Beast Machines'': The Complete Series (2014)
{{-}}

===Australia and New Zealand===
{{main|Madman Entertainment}}
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 2 (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 (2006)
*''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (2009)
{{-}}

===Russia===
Russian DVD sets come with only Russian dialogue and no subtitles.
;DVD
*''Transformery: Beast Wars'' — Season 1 Vol. 1 (first 13 episodes of the first season) (2011)
{{-}}

===Germany===
;DVD
;[[Pandavision]] (2012)
*''Transformers: Beast Wars'' - Season 1 (April 24, 2012)

===Pack-ins and Giveaways===
{{main|Hasbro|Pack-in material}}
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Aftermath]] & [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Aftermath]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Bad Spark]] & [[Code of Hero]] (1999)

;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Equal Measures]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[A Better Mousetrap]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[The Spark]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Spider's Game]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Possession]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Code of Hero]] (2006)
*"[[Beast Wars (Part 1)|Enter the Super Lifeform Transformers]]" and "[[Victory (episode)|The Destrons' Dramatic Finish]]" (2006)
*"[[Beast Wars (Part 2)|Destroy the Destrons]]" (2006)
*"[[The Web|Cheetus's Crisis]]" (2006)
*"[[Equal Measures|Operation: Time Bomb Transfer!]]" (2006)
*"[[Chain of Command (BW)|Convoy Disappeared]]" (2006)
*"[[Power Surge (episode)|The Sky-Mountains Explode]]" (2006)
*"[[Fallen Comrades|The Solitary Warrior, Tigatron]]" (2006)
*"[[Double Jeopardy|Kick of the Spider Woman]]" (2006)
*"[[The Probe|New Weapons of Terror!]]" (2006)
*"[[Gorilla Warfare|The Assassin Virus]]" (2006)
*"[[A Better Mousetrap|Goodbye, Rattle!?]]" (2006)
*"[[The Spark|The Falcon Warrior, Airazor]]" (2006)
*"[[The Trigger, Part 1|Floating Island Death Match, Part 1]]" and "[[The Trigger, Part 2|Floating Island Death Match, Part 2]]" (2006)
*"[[Dark Voyage|Around and Around the Jungle]]" (2006)
*"[[Possession|The Immortal Starscream]]" (2006)

==Notes==
* The first season of ''Beast Wars'' cost $18 million, 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 with Bob Forward].
* There are three known unproduced ''Beast Wars'' episodes: "[[A Greater Ape]]", "[[Bitch Wars]]", and "[[Dark Glass]]".
* {{w|lang=ja|B-CLUB (模型雑誌)|B-Club magazine}} erroneously claims that ''Beast Wars'' is the first fully CGI television show in the world, a title actually held by ''{{w|Insektors}}''. Mainframe's own CGI show ''{{w|ReBoot}}'' also predates ''Beast Wars''.
* The Production Designer for the show, [[Clyde Klotz]], won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation in 1997. How cool is that?
* For reasons unknown, neither the [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]] nor the [[Shout! Factory]] U.S. DVD releases of ''Beast Wars'' season three included the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmCEsbUe6E opening that was televised], which included an original shot of the ''Axalon'' and ''Darksyde'' spaceships crashing down to prehistoric Earth. Instead, all season three episodes began with the season two [[title sequence|opening]] for the first part of the beginning credits.
* Also, the ''Beast Wars'' season one releases from both Rhino and Shout! Factory used the shorter version of the [[title sequence]] and [[theme song]] that originated from when ''Beast Wars'' was shown as part of the syndicated ''[[Power Block]]''.

===Foreign names===

*''English:'' '''''Beasties''''' (Canada; broadcast only<ref>https://imissbionix.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/beast-wars-beasties-dvd-sets-wont-be-released-in-canada/</ref>)
*''Japanese:'' '''''Beast Wars Chō Seimeitai Transformers''''' (ビーストウォーズ超生命体トランスフォーマー, "Beast Wars Super Lifeform Transformers"), '''''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Metals''''' (second and third seasons, 超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズメタルス, "Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars Metals")
*''Bulgarian:'' '''''Voinata na zverovete''''' (Войната на зверовете "War of the Beasts")
*''Cantonese:'' '''''Ciunang Jungsi''''' (Hong Kong, 超能勇士, "Super-Ultra Warriors")
*''French:'' '''''Animutants''''' (France), '''''Robots-Bêtes''''' ("Beast-Robots", Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''''Biocombat'''''
*''Latvian:'' '''''Briesmoņu kari''''' ("Monster Wars")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Bǎibiàn Jīngāng''''' (Taiwan, 百變金剛, "Morph Vajra"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Yěshòu Zhànzhēng''''' (China, 变形金刚：野兽战争, "Transfomers: Beast Wars")
*''Polish:'' '''''Kosmiczne Wojny''''' ("Cosmic Wars")
*''Russian:'' '''''Bitvi Zverey''''' (Битвы зверей, "Battles of the Beasts"), '''''Zhestokye voini''''' (Жестокие войны, "Cruel wars")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Guerra de Bestias''''' (America, "War of Beasts")
*''Vietnamese:'' '''''Chiến tranh quái vật vũ trụ''''' ("Galaxy Monster Wars")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External Links==
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhWipIfRhqz0stsLo2v9If0qbNDVfoSrY "Beast Wars Super Lifeform Transformers" playlist] on TakaraTomy's YouTube channel (JP only)

[[Category:Beast Wars media]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2020-07-09T13:09:28Z

MagnusPrime24: /* After Dominus */ Added story links to stub and some info from The Everlasting Voice Arc

{{factions|autobot}}
{{suite}}
[[File:mtmte 50 chromedome's last wishes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|What it's like being IDW Chromedome.]]
An ex-copper and quiet academic with burning passions, '''Chromedome''' falls easily in love and even more easily into really bad ideas and self destructive habits. But he can totally quit [[mnemosurgery]] any time, guys! He just has a ''reason'' why this one time, it's okay.

He's [[Conjunx Endura]] with [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]]. Deep down, Chromedome's sure Rewind would leave him for [[Dominus Ambus|his previous partner]].

:*''First Appearance:'' [[Chaos Part One: Lamentations|''Transformers vol. 1'' #24]]

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===A scientist before the war===
[[File:MTMTE9 early Chromedome.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|In addition to neuroscience, his other interests include funny cat GIFs and ''[[Sherlock Holmes|Sherlock]]'' slashfic.]]
'''Tumbler of Iacon''' was [[Reproduction|constructed cold]] long before he adopted the name "Chromedome". {{storylink|Remembrance Day}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} {{storylink|The Not Knowing}}

Before the [[Great War (G1)|war]], during the days of the [[Clampdown (event)|Clampdown]], Tumbler was a mechaforensic scientist in the police force. The poor bugger was nicknamed "Unlucky" because he had to work with [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], the most anal, full-autopsy loving officer of all time. Despite Prowl's Prowlness, the two had an ambiguous, more-than-partners relationship. Tumbler had a strong interest in [[mnemosurgery]], the science of hacking into Transformer minds and "reading" their memories, and was fascinated by the conspiracy theories of the [[Institute]], a supposed secret group used by the authorities to brainwash dissidents.

Tumbler and Prowl investigated the assassination of [[Sherma|Senator Sherma]], whose corpse had been marked with a Decepticon insignia, and backtracked his whereabouts to the posh [[Translucentica Heights]]. Unfortunately, the killer had struck again before they arrived, murdering a second senator! {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} Tumbler attempted to chase down a suspect, who perished in a fiery crash. Investigating the second victim's home, the two police 'bots learned from the warden [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] that the senator, [[Momus]] was secretly a Decepticon. The group were suddenly set upon a second attacker, but were saved by the timely arrival of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]], a fellow law enforcement officer. Pax had learned from his senator friend, [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], that Sherma was also a secret Decepticon sympathizer, making it clear that the murders being committed ''against'' Decepticons, rather than ''by'' them.

[[File:Chromedome notices hands Patternism.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Pax was able to identify that the killers had been using borrowed bodies, so Prowl and Tumbler set out to investigate the nearest [[Relinquishment Clinic]], passing a Decepticon protest along the way. Although innocuous at first glance, the pair eventually found a secret facility beneath the clinic Tumbler believed to be the Institute. Along with proof that the killers had indeed been using borrowed bodies, Tumbler also discovered a list of citizens organized by threat level. Meeting back up in [[Rodion]], Orion Pax was able to use the list and other evidence he'd gathered to realize the true plot in motion: the Senate had arranged for the pro-Decepticon senators' murders so that the swift solving of the crimes would boost Decepticon faith in the Senate, increasing the turn-out for the recently created [[Decepticon Registration Act]]. The Senate then planned to detonate a bomb at the late [[Nominus Prime]]'s memorial service, hidden inside a fake [[Matrix of Leadership]], and blame it on the Decepticons, giving them an excuse to use the Registration Act list, found by Tumbler, to round up and brainwash the dissidents. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

With a plan to stop the bomb plot in place, Tumbler borrowed a replica Matrix from police armorer [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], to be switched by Pax for the Matrix-bomb. At a concerned Prowl's insistence, Tumbler was left behind during the 'heist' to switch the Matrix, and was instead assigned to guard Shockwave with Pax's colleague [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] at a safehouse. Unfortunately, the safehouse was attacked by Senate thugs, and whilst Pax arrived back there in time, he was forced to allow the enforcers to take Shockwave in return for Roller's life. Tumbler quickly led Pax to the Institute facility he had found with Prowl, only to find it deserted. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:BeforeandAfter-TheWorseTheDeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|right|"Everyone calls me Chromedome, but my real name is MySpace -- wait, wait, no."]]
In the aftermath of the full-scale Decepticon rebellion, the new Prime, [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta]], moved the Institute to a new, remote location, "rebranding" it as the 'New Institute'. Knowing of Tumbler's interest in neuroscience through Prowl, Zeta recruited the forensics officer as an apprentice cerebroscientist under [[Trepan]]. Working at the New Institute, he acquired the nickname "Chromedome" in reference to his prodigious skills as a mnemosurgeon and lobotomist, which he would eventually adopt as his regular name. When [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] located and attacked the facility, Chromedome was in the middle of a procedure on the Decepticon [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]], but was interrupted by a blast through his midsection. Luckily, the medic [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] was on hand to save the mnemosurgeon's life. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}}

Over time, after the war had begun proper, Chromedome came to resent his mnenosurgical abilities and became cynical over their use. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} Many things he had to do during wartime were things that, in hindsight, he would regret. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Eventually, Chromedome was on the verge of suicide due to the immense burden of his abilities and the terrible side-effects they had on his own mental health. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} It was then, at his lowest point, that he went to a repurposed Relinquishment Clinic to end it, but found [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] searching fruitlessly for [[Dominus Ambus]]. {{storylink|Before & After}} He formed a deep friendship with the diminutive archivist. Chromedome credited Rewind's optimism and caring nature as having saved his life, and the two were nearly inseparable since. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} Indeed, [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] has been known to claim them as being "closer than [[Rack'n'Ruin (G1)|Rack'n'Ruin]]" {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} and Rewind had named Chromedome as his [[Conjunx Endura]]. {{storylink|Before & After}}

[[File:Brainstorm Chromedome infodump.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55|A little known earlier detonation of the [[Metafictional bomb|meta bomb]].]]
Chromedome was stationed at [[Kimia Facility]] when [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s invaded. {{storylink|Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}} He survived and managed to escape before the facility's destruction, leaving in an escape pod together with Brainstorm and a number of other Autobots. They were soon rescued by, as he put it, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|a psychopath in pink armor]], and made a joke at Swerve's expense. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}}

As Arcee told the survivors about [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] and [[D-Void]]'s master plan to bring the [[Dead Universe]] into the actual universe, Chromedome and [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] felt a bit overwhelmed by the massive "info dump" and wondered if other species ever had to worry about saving the universe. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

[[File:Chromedome Prowl RemembranceDay.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|One prick deserves another... or five.]]
Weeks later, after D-Void's threat had ended and Cybertron had been reborn, Prowl summoned Chromedome and revealed to him that Overlord, recently defeated and captured by the [[Wrecker]]s, had not in fact had his spark removed and imprisoned, as the official story had claimed. Instead, he had been rebuilt, as part of an initiative by Prowl to uncover the secret to the immense power and endurance of Overlord and the other [[Phase Sixer]]s. With interrogation and the gift of a new body ineffective in making the Decepticon prisoner talk, Chromedome's former partner now sought for him to interface with Overlord and find the secret in his memories, a complex procedure that would be highly dangerous to the mnemosurgeon. When Chromedome refused, not wanting to break his promise to Rewind to stop interfacing, Prowl attempted to blackmail him with an unsavoury secret from the mnemosurgeon's past. Desperate to avoid Rewind learning this story, Chromedome attacked Prowl and forcibly interfaced with him, erasing from his old friend's memory both the blackmail threat and the knowledge that let him make it. He subsequently left the office, telling Prowl, oblivious to his attack, that he'd consider the proposal to work on Overlord. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}}

Somewhere around that time, Chromedome and Rewind attended the Festival of Lost Light. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}

===The ''Lost Light''===
[[File:Chromedome Prowl Liars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"And another thing! You ''deserved'' that memory wi- aaah... I mean, what memory wipe?"]]

After Optimus Prime's subsequent appearance and departure from Cybertron, Chromedome chose to join the [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]]'s crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', alongside Rewind. Prowl, angry with this decision, tried to persuade him to stay, noting that Chromedome was "gifted" and his talents were still required on Cybertron, with the plan regarding Overlord left unspoken due to Rewind's presence. Eventually, realizing he wouldn't get anywhere with the argument, Chromedome gave up and left with Rewind, leaving Prowl to fume alone in his office.

Not long afterwards, Chromedome, Rewind, and [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] were headed to the ''Lost Light'', with Chromedome verbally jabbing at Rewind's impractical [[Alternate mode|alt mode]] along the way. Suddenly, a fight between [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] crossed their paths, as well as [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], who had just escaped being trapped underground for six million years. Chromedome helped Tailgate out of the ground, but the small Cybertronian fainted when he saw that his escape had accidentally injured Whirl. Chromedome and the rest decided to take both Whirl and Tailgate aboard ''Lost Light'' for repairs. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

After the ''Lost Light'' suffered a premature [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] and ended up halfway across the galaxy, forty Autobots were sucked out of a hull breach and sent plummeting to the surface of a nearby planetoid. Once the ship had landed there, Chromedome, Rewind, and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] aided in the recovery of missing crew members, pulling the stowaway Cyclonus from a lake. Later, Chromedome and others came across [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], who had also crash-landed on the planet and was being pursued by some unknown [[Legislator|sword-carrying robots]]. After Chromedome removed the "fiddly" [[inhibitor claw]] attached to Skids, the long thought-dead Autobot sprung into action and defeated his one remaining pursuer, much to the amazement of the others. Later, Chromedome was present when Rodimus addressed the crew. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

[[File:Chromedome mnemosurgery ChaosOfWarmThings.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|You know, sometime I'd just like games night NOT to end in me sticking my fingers in a corpse.]]
When a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] was thought to have been let loose aboard the ''Lost Light'', Rodimus asked Chromedome to use his abilities to help identify it. Despite Rewind's reservations, Chromedome complied, hacking into [[Shock (G1)|Shock]]'s mind to see the deceased Autobot's last memories. They did indeed tell of a violent attack by a Sparkeater, and Chromedome recoiled in pain and collapsed. After Chromedome recovered, he described the Sparkeater's appearance to the others. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} After the Sparkeater business had been resolved, Chromedome and Rewind were present for the grand opening of [[Swerve's]]. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} A few days after, he enjoyed a drink with Rewind and a tipsy Skids in [[Swerve's|Swerve's new bar]]. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} When the Lost Light was hit by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s thumb (disconnected from its owner) Chromedome helped Brainstorm, Highbrow seal the hole while Trailbreaker used his forcefield to prevent them from being sucked out into the vacuum of space. He was presented with a [[Rodimus Star]] for his part in repairing the ship. Chromedome and Highbrow then discussed Rodimus Stars with Tailgate, who noted their shared "head-themed" nicknames. Later, he was paralyzed along with (nearly) everyone else on board of the ship when Brainstorm accidentally activated one of his experimental weapons. He eventually recovered, and was awarded another Rodimus Star "for exceptional endurance in the face of adversity". {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} Curious about Skids's ever-present handgun (and the mental block which seemingly kept Skids from remembering it), Chromedome swiped the gun at the bar and turned it over to Brainstorm for analysis. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

Days later, over another round of drinks, Chromedome demonstrated his talent of being able to identify someone by the sound of their transformation alone. He offered some sympathy to Tailgate over the latter's studying under Ultra Magnus and displayed disgust when Tailgate mentioned trying to invite Cyclonus over to the table. However, the casual atmosphere came to a violent end when a mentally-disturbed Fortress Maximus entered the bar and abruptly shot [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] at pointblank range. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Chromedome later checked in with Brainstorm to find out what was up with Skids' gun. Brainstorm managed to blow the thing up while examining it, but also named it a "binary gun" after recognizing it could only hold two cartridges. He also noted that its engineering seemed to indicate that the gun came from the Institute. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

[[File:Chromedome mnemosurgery MTMTEAnnual2012.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Existential angst!]]
Chromedome suffered a brief bout of false recall, where he re-experienced the memory of [[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]]'s death- one of the unpleasant side-effects of his mnemosurgeries. He attended Tailgate's Autobot initiation ceremony, and he, Rewind, and Brainstorm placed bets with [[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] as to how long it would take for Rodimus to say "[['Til all are one]]" in his speech. After representatives of the [[Galactic Council]] showed up, Chromedome was among the Autobots teleported to the surface of [[Theophany]] to explore the ruins of [[Crystal City]], which had been subject to some unknown siege and left desolate. They discovered an inert [[Titan (group)|Titan]] under the city, and Rodimus ordered Chromedome to hack into the giant's [[brain module]] and read its memories, hoping to discover what happened to Crystal City. While preparing to do so, Chromedome and Skids had a brief chat about their similar outlooks on life and its larger meaning. With a disapproving Rewind looking on, Chromedome hacked into the Titan's memory, and discovered it was still alive. Chromedome collapsed in pain, images torn from the Titan's brain reverberating through his mind, as the giant woke with a start and fired an eye-blast that struck the Galactic Council's ship in orbit. Once recovered, Chromedome explained that the Titan was attempting to will its [[spark]] to leave its body, having barely any power left and being totally paralyzed. Chromedome wanted to attempt to re-enter the Titan's mind, as the glimpses he caught indicated that its memories contained much of the information that they were seeking. With the Galactic Council's troops bearing down on them and the ''Lost Light'' under attack, Rodimus chose to set the Titan free instead of pillaging its mind. After some of its mass was shrunk by Brainstorm, the Titan had enough power to teleport the Autobots back to their ship, and the ''Lost Light'' quantum-jumped to safety. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

Days later Skids, inspired by his discussion with Chromedome in Crystal City, wanted to let the mnemosurgeon unlock his missing memories. Chromedome admitted that he himself was curious about the mystery of Skids' past and agreed to do it. After hacking into Skids' mind, Chromedome discovered the memories of the year prior to Skids' joining the crew of the ''Lost Light'' had been replaced by an imperative to escape. Chromedome dug deeper and found the erased memories still locked inside Skids' head, but once he caught a glimpse of them, he quickly withdrew. Chromedome told Skids that the buried memories were so horrifying and traumatic that it was better for everyone, Skids himself included, that they never resurface. Skids reluctantly agreed, but asked Chromedome about a piece of music he kept hearing in his head. Chromedome admitted that he heard it in there too, identified it as "[[The Empyrean Suite]]", and prayed that Skids would never come to understand its significance. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

In order to restore the recovering [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s mind, Chromedome and others were assembled by Rewind to tell a story from the Clampdown era. Chromedome explained to the others that the story would help reestablish critical neural connections in Rung's brain. He started off the story, but he and Rewind got briefly distracted trying to figure out how many times Prowl had flipped a table over in their presence. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} By the end of the story, the ship's alarms were sounding, and Chromedome scrambled for battle stations with the others. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:BeforeandAfter-SilentTreatment.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|Not "''like'' an old married couple", they literally ''are'' an old married couple.]]

As they headed to [[Temptoria]] in the ''[[Leading Light]]'', Chromedome and Rewind argued over the latter's insistence of joining them in battle, despite being technically exempt from combat. Though Chromedome enthusiastically took part in the battle on Temptoria against a small force of Decepticons, when he returned to the shuttle, he found that Rewind had been gravely injured in an explosion. Back on the ''Lost Light'', [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] talked Chromedome into performing a jumpstart on Rewind to save the smaller 'Bot's spark. While waiting to hear if the procedure had worked or not, Chromedome got to chatting with Tailgate about how he and Rewind had met, of Rewind's lost “master”, (a progressive ‘Bot by the name of [[Dominus Ambus]]). Rewind had never stopped looking for the missing Ambus and even made Chromedome promise to continue the search if anything ever happened to him.

The jumpstart procedure failed, as Chromedome's own spark was "low yield". Sent to his quarters to recharge, an emotionally vulnerable Chromedome spoke to Brainstorm through his door. Brainstorm offered to show him something in the basement that would give the Autobots an advantage and prevent any more tragedies like Rewind's from ever happening again. Before Chromedome could answer, however, First Aid contacted him with the news that Whirl had a compatible spark to be used to save Rewind. A happy reunion ensued. {{storylink|Before & After}}

Despite this, Chromedome met with Brainstorm and Drift and learned the secret of Overlord's presence on the ''Lost Light''. Despite his previous refusal to Prowl, the fresh memory of Rewind's near-death was enough for Chromedome to agree to use his talents on the Decepticon, in the hope that "Autobot Phase Sixers" could prevent any such tragedies from happening again. Over the next several days, Chromedome visited Overlord in the [[slow cell]] multiple times, acclimating himself to the Decepticon's mental architecture. As a safeguard in the event of Overlord's escape, he subtly altered the Decepticon's memories so as to make him associate the phrase "'til all are one!" with defeat in combat, knowing that Rodimus would undoubtedly say this in a battle. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} In-between visits to Overlord, Chromedome took time to be interviewed for Rewind's documentary about life on the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

[[File:RemembranceDay-Chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|left|This is something Rung would also call "a super bad idea".]]
Feeling bold, Chromedome began visiting Overlord's cell without informing his co-conspirators in advance, and confronted Overlord directly in his memories. He compelled Overlord to lead him through his memories to the [[Foundry]], when [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], and [[Rossum]] used [[ununtrium]] to reinforce his endoskeleton and transform him into one of the [[Warriors Elite]]. Although Chromedome found his answers, he was taken unawares by Overlord also having mnemosurgical training, allowing the Decepticon to loop them through a shared memory and take control of the mental environment. With Chromedome helpless, Overlord browsed through the Autobot's memories at will until he found the security codes to unlock the slow cell. With this, Overlord escaped, taunting a weakened Chromedome with the knowledge that the five seconds it would take him to cross the cell in pursuit would equal thirty minutes of killin' time for Overlord aboard the ship. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}}

Sure enough, Chromedome exited the slow cell into chaos, as the crew of the ''Lost Light'' battled vainly against the superwarrior. Luckily, a true-to-form Rodimus uttered his catch phrase, causing a sudden nervous attack in Overlord which gave Fortress Maximus an opening to overpower the Decepticon. Per Drift's back-up plan, Overlord was forced back into the slow cell, which was readied to eject into space. Tragically, one of Drift's [[sword]]s, stolen during the battle, blocked the cell door open, and heroically Rewind climbed inside the cell to remove the blade. Once he did, the door closed automatically, severing Chromedome's left arm and trapping Rewind inside with Overlord. Desperately speaking some final words to his partner (which Rewind could not hear through the door), Chromedome watched helplessly as the cell was jettisoned. Unwilling to leave Rewind to Overlord's tender mercies, Chromedome personally manned the weapons array of the ''Lost Light'' and blew the slow cell to pieces, apparently killing Rewind in the process. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}}

[[File:TheGloaming-iloveyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|I love you too, guys!]]
As Rewind and the other victims were laid to rest, Chromedome seemed to hold together remarkably. Only Brainstorm knew what was really going on in his friend's head, and confronted Chromedome in his suite after the funeral. Brainstorm tried to remind Domey of his other Conjunx Endura over the years -- [[Mach (Victory)|Mach]], [[Pivot]], [[Scattergun]]—each of whom Chromedome forcibly removed from his own memories using mnemosurgery once they died, as he couldn't cope with the loss. Brainstorm pleaded with Chromedome not to do it again, and honor Rewind by remembering him. He passed on a final message from Rewind, a memory stick the little bot threw through the cell door as it was closing. These final words and expression of love from Rewind were enough to stop Chromedome from injecting and convince him to hold onto the memory of his lost love. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

[[File:RemainInLight2-ChromedomeAltMode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Shortly afterwards, Chromedome visited Ratchet in the medibay for reconstruction of his left arm. As he entered, a [[cybercrosis|panicked]] Tailgate barged past him. Before work on the arm was complete, the ''Lost Light'', pursuing the missing Ultra Magnus, arrived at a vast portal in space, and Chromedome watched from the observation deck. Beyond the portal was the long lost [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and the mnemosurgeon was recruited by Rodimus for the landing party. The group descended, though not before Chromedome promised Skids to search for answers regarding his amnesia, and on the moon's surface they found an active hot spot of gestating [[spark]]s. Before long, however, the party was set upon by [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]] and his cadre of [[Titan Hunter]]s, {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} forcing them to flee into a nearby [[Titan (body-type)|Titan]] "graveyard". Their flight was futile, and the entire group was soon captured, whereupon their gracious host was revealed as [[Solomus|Tyrest]], who accused them of crimes against creation. On the way to their cell, Chromedome noticed an apparently immobile Ultra Magnus. The landing party quickly got to chatting with their new cellmate, who revealed himself to be [[Minimus Ambus]], spark brother of Rewind's lost friend [[Dominus Ambus]]. Even though they were all locked up at the behest of Tyrest, Chromedome didn't share Tailgate's impatience to escape their shared prison cell. He quickly chastised the [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot]] for calling him "Domey", the personal nickname that Rewind once used. The group stewed in their prison for some time until an observant Rung deduced something from Minimus's mannerisms—that their cellmate was none other than Ultra Magnus! {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}

Chromedome listened intently to Minimus's explanation with the others, learning the secret of the [[Magnus Armor]]. When Skids and Swerve were teleported into their holding cell and Skids was revealed by Minimus to be considered a criminal, Chromedome assumed it had something to do with the "binary gun" the theoretician had been carrying. When Tyrest's enforcer [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] introduced them to another new cellmate, Chromedome revealed to Skids that he had read his memories wrong. What he had thought was a buried imperative in Skids's mind to "escape", was actually a name- the name of their new cellmate, [[Getaway]]! {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

[[File:ArmTheLonely-Chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|Sometimes we like to throw a bone to the artists out there looking for a rear-view reference shot.]]
Getaway explained things to Chromedome and the others, formally identifying the binary gun as a [[nudge gun]]. With Getaway's help, Chromedome was able to connect the dots and understand the gaps in Skids's memory. Once everyone found out that Tyrest had gone mad and needed to be stopped, Getaway asked for donated parts from his cellmates to escape their prison. For his part, Chromedome gave Getaway the syringes from his fingers, allowing the escapist to take down the Legislator guarding them. The group armed-up and headed to Tyrest's control room for a confrontation. Unfortunately, the Chief Justice was prepared for them, activating a weapon that paralyzed the Autobots. Tyrest then turned on his [[universal killswitch]], a device intended to kill any Transformers that were [[Reproduction|constructed cold]]. Having been so, Chromedome began dying slowly and painfully. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Ultimately, the killswitch was deactivated and Tyrest's plans foiled. In the aftermath, Chromedome visited a dying Tailgate, whose [[cybercrosis]] was in its final stages. Noting Cyclonus's bedside vigil, Chromedome respectfully departed to let the two say their goodbyes. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}}

After Orion Pax arrived aboard the ''Lost Light'', Chromedome attended the welcome party at Swerve's. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} He took part in the underwater battle on [[Hydrophena]], defending [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] against the [[Ammonite]] forces, {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}} and was teleported along with the rest ''Lost Light'' to Cybertron after they managed to get the Titan's space bridge in working order. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} Crash-landing on the planet's surface, Chromedome disembarked with the rest of the crew and fought in the massive battle against their Ammonite attackers and the undead [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]]. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

[[File:TheBecoming-throw.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6|Prowl just can't BELIEVE someone would throw him off a cliff just for laughing at a widower.]]
In the aftermath of the Necrotitan's defeat, Ultra Magnus tried to convince Chromedome to read Metroplex's mind, a request the mnemosurgeon rebuffed. Feeling depressed, he went to ruminate atop a cliff on the outskirts of New Iacon, where Prowl found him. A bitter argument erupted between the two, with Prowl blaming Chromedome's earlier mnemosurgery on him for leaving his mind vulnerable to [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s control, and Chromedome faulting Prowl for smuggling Overlord aboard the ''Lost Light''. Rage overcame Chromedome when Prowl expressed pleasure that this had indirectly led to Rewind's death, and he attacked the police-bot, hurling him off a cliff and pummeling him until Ultra Magnus intervened. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} However, the altercation was cut short by 70 billion more of Shockwave's Ammonites, who Chromedome engaged on the ground alongside Whirl and Arcee. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

{{-}}

===Second Launch===
When the crisis had passed and Megatron had seemingly surrendered and defected to the Autobots, Optimus Prime attempted to have Chromedome extract Megatron's memories for use in court. The former Decepticon leader vehemently refused to allow this, citing his fear that the extraction might be used as a cover for [[Shadowplay]]. Megatron was able to finagle his way out of a verdict and subsequently joined the ''Lost Light'' as its new captain. Chromedome opted to rejoin the expedition but soon fell into a deep depression, shutting himself away in his habitation suite and listening to Rewind's final message over and over in the dark, much to the concern of his friends. Chromedome was startled into action, however, when the last words of his lover's message suddenly changed into an agonized scream. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}}

Deeply perturbed, he sought out [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] for some answers, and while initially angered by the detective's skeptcism, the appearance of Rewind's apparent ghost galvanized Nightbeat into action. The two returned to Nightbeat's quarters to gather more detective equipment, where Chromedome voiced his belief that he was probably being punished for not continuing to search for Dominus Ambus. Their converstion was interrupted when the pair discovered that the outside wall of Nightbeat's hab suite had disappeared. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} A few minutes later, Rodimus summoned Chromedome and Nightbeat to examine what appeared to be his own corpse, ignoring Chromedome's concerns about injecting into a cadaver. All Chromedome was able to find were Rodimus's "red letter" days, which, combined with the matching energon, caused something of an existential crisis in Rodimus. Then the wall behind everyone vanished.

When it became clear that the ship was slowly and inexplicably vanishing, Chromedome evacuated on the [[Rodpod]].{{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} When the crewmembers began disappearing as well, Chromedome was one of the afflicted. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}} Those Autobots who were unaffected by the disappearances discovered that the quantum engine failure of the ''Lost Light'' had created a second, on-course, ''Lost Light'', which had been attacked and destroyed by the [[Decepticon Justice Division|DJD]] some eighteen months prior.

The "other" Chromedome had been tormented by the Decepticons during their attack, offered to be spared if he wiped his memories of Rewind. Chromedome refused, so DJD member [[Vos (DJD)|Vos]] had snapped off his mnemosurgical needles and stabbed him to death. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}} After coming across the wreckage of the ship, the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]], unaware of the quantum accident, added "Chromedome's" name to his list of deceased Transformers. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

[[File:TheRoadNotTaken-ChromedomeRewind.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|*fart*]]

Once Rewind — the sole surviving member of the duplicate ''Lost Light'' and the cause of Chromedome's strange visions — had reset the ailing quantum engines, the paradox was resolved and the main ''Lost Light'' and its crew members rematerialized, Chromedome among them. Skids gave him a pair of [[magna-clamp]]s and told him to go to the outside of the ship. The two lovers sat side by side for a while before embracing. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}} Upon their return to the ''Lost Light'', Rewind opted to live in his own, separate hab suite, which upset Chromedome. Rewind explained that the two weren't technically each other's actual spouse and that he felt more comfortable starting out again with Chromedome with some degree of separation. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}

This peace was to be short-lived: during a celebration at Swerve's to commemorate their recent adventure, Brainstorm was seemingly revealed to be a Deceticon double-agent, poisoning the crew of the ship and escaping across time and space by using the time machine in his [[Time case|briefcase]]. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}} The first hint that something had gone wrong came when Rewind awoke from a bad dream about the "[[Dark Dawn]]", a genocidal event that had never happened in their timeline. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}

Believing that he had travelled back in time to kill Orion Pax and preemptively end the war, a group of Autobots who shared the same spark-type with Brainstorm were assembled to pursue him, using a quantum duplicate of Brainstorm's briefcase. In the event that the team would inadvertently reveal the future to inhabitants of the past, Chromedome was temporarily augmented with the ability to erase anyone's memory with a simple handshake. The time traveling team first landed in [[1st Cycle 502]], four million years ago, where they helped Orion Pax and his team of renegade [[Outlier (group)|outliers]] protect a [[hot spot]] from [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s [[Elite Guard]]. After needing to follow Brainstorm again through another time jump, Chromedome shook hands with everyone, accidentally causing Optimus Prime and the others to forget [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]]'s fate and—to Rodimus's horror—fail to permanently warn Trailbreaker about his death in four million years. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}}

The team's next stop was in 51st Cycle 500, where Chromedome confronted the new problem of potentially bumping into himself. Brainstorm timejumped again (to [[4th Cycle 499]]) and the team followed, and this time Chromedome and Rewind staked out the [[Rodion]] police headquarters with Whirl. As they waited, Rewind troubled Chromedome with the suggestion of possibly using time travel to save Rewind's previous spouse, Dominus Ambus. Their discussion of timetravel ethics was interrupted when three Senate thugs arrived at Police HQ, setting off Whirl on a rampage due to his shared history with them. Chromedome and Rewind managed to stop Whirl, but not before they accidentally caused the chain of events that would later lead to Senator Shockwave's capture. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}}

It became increasingly clear that, rather than killing Megatron, Brainstorm had instead been trying to manipulate events in such a way as to prevent the rise of Megatron, and with his plans going increasingly awry, a desperate Brainstorm time-jumped to the moment of Megatron's creation, pointing a gun at the half-built 'bot who would one day become Megatron. Though the Autobots were able to talk him down, Rewind, who had had his databanks overwritten with information about [[Functionist Universe|the series of events that would come to pass if Megatron was never born]], decided to shoot Megatron himself, seemingly dooming Cybertron to a genocidal [[Functionism|functionist]] regime in exchange for sparing the rest of the galaxy from the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]].

However, the group did not end up changing history, as the nature of time travel meant that Rewind was always fated to kill Megatron; after replacing Megatron's original spark with a [[Point One Percenter]] spark from the future, the team tied up loose ends and returned to their own time. Chromedome reaching out to Rewind in his vulnerable moment had caused the two to bridge the rift that had been between them, and the pair began to share a hab suite once again. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} Sometime after returning, Chromedome spoke to the ship's higher ups, arguing that Rewind's actions were down to trauma; as a result of which no action was charged against him. During Brainstorm's trial, Chromedome served as Brainstorm's defense, when he was the first 'bot to be brought before the [[Lost Light Internal Affairs Committee]]. {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}}

[[File:TheOneWhereTheyGoToEarth-table.jpg|left|thumb|Ultra Magnus was shunned after admitting his favourite season was the fourth.]]

In the aftermath of the ''Lost Light'' attending Thunderclash's pre-wake, the ship held a dance-off, where Chromedome and Rewind attended, dancing together. {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}} Shortly after, it turned out Swerve had been slowly dying for some time, and to aid their shipmate the ''Lost Light'' crew used their [[holomatter]] avatars to navigate "[[Swearth]]" in the hopes of finding him. A subsequent medical examination revealed that Swerve had nearly succumbed to an old bullet wound inflicted by the mysterious [[Dominus Ambus|Agent 113]] as part of his unorthodox method of relaying information. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}} Among the information encoded within the bullet was data regarding the legendary "[[Mortilus|Necrobot]]" and his supposed base of operations. Chromedome was present as Rewind informed Rodimus about the mysterious being, and spoke up in favor of investigating the [[Necroworld|planet]] where the Necrobot lived, hoping to help his conjunx find out more about the fate of Dominus Ambus. After arriving on the Necroworld, the group learned how the Necrobot kept track of Cybertronians through holographic statues; Chromedome deduced that there was a central database all the statues were connected to, meaning that it was possible to learn who was alive or dead through who had a statue switched on. Rewind was understandably terrified and asked Chromedome for guidance; Chromedome felt that it wasn't for him to choose, so when Rewind chose to search, it turned out that Dominus had been listed as "deactivated".

Later, Chromedome tried to comfort a devastated Rewind by offering to "smudge" his memories of what happened, only for Nightbeat to show up wanting to show them something. It was a list of the "[[Disappeared]]:" 'bots who had been unaccounted for, and Dominus's name was at the bottom of the list. {{storylink|The Not Knowing}}

A few days later, Chromedome and Rewind were at Swerve's together, their hand-holding witnessed by a passing Cyclonus. {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}} Shortly thereafter, Cyclonus and Tailgate were involved in an altercation. Wondering what had just happened, Rodimus had Chromedome inject into Cyclonus. The injection took a heavy strain on Chromedome. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}} A few hours later, the serial killer Sunder went on a rampage through the ''Lost Light'', his first victim being Skids. Chromedome soon turned up, and realized Skids was remembering the events at Grindcore that had caused the amnesia Chromedome had examined the year before. He injected to try and make sure Skids didn't remember what had happened while Rung and Tailgate went after Sunder. {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

Chromedome attended the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s movie night where Rewind was showing a documentary about the beginning of the war. As the documentary reached the section on Megatron's killing of Sentinel Prime, Brainstorm commented that the former Autobot leader had a lot in common with his killer, prompting Chromedome to point out the irony of someone so obsessed with the purity of the Autobot "brand" being similar to the leader of the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}

Around December of that year, Chromedome was one of many crewmembers who took advantage of "time fissures" present in Swerve's to look back on the past, including "his" Rewind, something Rung warned him against. Afterward he took part in a toast to "surprises". {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

Some months later, Chromedome was one of several members of the crew who took part in a fight on [[Miliarium]] against marauding [[Rust Giant]]s. On returning to the ''Lost Light'', Rewind was subjected to a powerful psychic attack of unknown origin. When Rodimus assembled a team to investigate, Rewind and Chromedome were part of the away team — made up of others who had experienced the attack — dispatched to track the signal to its source. The search led them to a strange hollow planet, which turned out to be the Necroworld; they didn't get far before they were attacked by a massive Decepticon armada, forcing them to retreat to the Necrobot's fortress before they were shot down. Discovering that the Necrobot himself perished, the group learned that disgraced escapologist [[Getaway]] had led the rest of the ''Lost Light'' in a mutiny designed to lure Rodimus, Megatron, and his sympathisers off the ship... and leave them to the tender mercies of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]]. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

The D.J.D. stuck to their script, and, after a brief attack on the fortress, retreated to give their victims eight hours to weigh up their limited options and stew in their fear. Nightbeat found a potential way offworld by using one of the late Necrobot's teleport chambers, but Velocity discovered a basement filled with pods that seemingly contained organic lifeforms. Unwilling to let the organics be massacred by the DJD, nobody opted to leave. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|The Sun in Flight}} As the team dug in for a fight, Chromedome and Rewind had an argument, each belieing that the other should have used the teleport chamber to escape. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|Your Fierce Tears}} When Ratchet and Drift arrived on the planet, they managed to capture the mysterious "[[Dominus Ambus|Pet]]" that accompanied the DJD. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} Despite still being weak from injecting Tailgate some months before, {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|Your Fierce Tears}} Chromedome volunteered to operate on the creature in the hopes of learning where the DJD had hidden their starship. An hour later, after recording his last will and testament, he prepared to inject. Despite Rodimus's orders to just do a quick probe of recent memories, Chromedome began feeling off, and, ignoring Ratchet's demand to stop, he went deeper.

[[File:it's not your choice to make.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]

Much to his horror, Chromedome found that The Pet was not a simple animal, but a [[beast mode]] Cybertronian who had been "[[Domestication|domesticated]]" by the DJD; even as Ratchet shouted that the procedure was killing him, he felt confident that he could reverse the process. Ignoring the protests, Chromedome delved deeper and made a terrifying discovery: The Pet was Dominus Ambus, who had once been the infamous "Agent 113" Even as Ratchet and Rewind yelled at him to stop, he kept going, feeling (and saying) that Rewind couldn't have room for both the people he loved in his life. Unable to watch Chromedome kill himself, Rewind made the choice to abort the procedure by slicing off his arm, leaving Dominus to die.

Some hours later, with D.J.D.-related death imminent, a repaired Chromedome morosely agreed with Velocity's encasement of the day's proceedings as "torture". {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} Then Velocity hit on an idea to give them an edge in the upcoming execution: since extreme trauma to Tailgate had made his quantum-engine radiated spark surge and briefly power up others, doing that now could give them an edge against the enemy. Skids stepped forward and Chromedome, to his dismay, had to help his friend relieve the horrors of Grindcore and all the blotted-out guilt, his last injection being to drive him over the edge.

[[File:mtmte54 KRACK.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Fun? FUN?! How DARE you! How many have to die for you to get your sick jollies?! HOW MANY?]]

In the ensuing battle, a supercharged Chromedome was sought out by Overlord, who mocked the mnemosurgeon for letting the first Rewind die... prompting an enraged Chromedome to punch him across the battlefield. All too soon, however, the charge burned out and Chromedome and the others were surrounded on all sides. Only the arrival of Megatron, armed with a new fusion cannon, allowed them to fall back to the fortress. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} During all of the carnage and high drama of Megatron's obliteraton of the D.J.D., Chromedome stayed at the back, silently looking at Skids' dead body. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}
{{-}}

===After Dominus===

Once the dust had settled from the battle against the D.J.D., Chromedome was part of the team Rodimus assembled to return to Cybertron for help using the reassembled teleporter. While the teleporter did bring them to ''a'' Cybertron, it had somehow deposited them on the Cybertron of the [[Functionist Universe]]. Almost immediately after arriving, he and the rest of the team were placed under arrest by [[Twelve-of-Twelve]] and his [[Functionary|Functionaries]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|Some Other Cybertron}} As they were paraded through a crowd to shame them on their way to imprisonment, Rewind pointed out to Chromedome that Cybertron had no moon, proving that this was the Functionist Universe. After a grenade thrown by a member of the [[Anti-Vocationist League]] took out two of the group's Functionary escorts, Chromedome was freed from his restraints and joined in the battle. As Twelve-of-Twelve attacked Rodimus, Chromedome lassoed a chain around his neck and pulled him in, though the councilor managed to teleport away before he could do anything else. Soon after the fight was over, [[Six-of-Twelve]] began broadcasting across Cybertron, Chromedome seeming somewhat in disbelief that the councilor's head resembled [[Matrix of Leadership|The Matrix]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|Anomie}} When the League teleported Team Rodimus to [[Kalis|Adaptica]], Chromedome attended the meeting with estranged councilor member [[Nine-of-Twelve]]. When the alternate [[Anode]] arrived, Chromedome denied any involvement with the mysterious U.F.O. just outside Cybertronian orbit. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 3: A World Misplaced|A World Misplaced}}

When the U.F.O. was revealed to be [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]], Chromedome joined the others on the balcony in staring at it before it unleashed its tractor beams. While Megatron handled the defense of the city, Chromedome joined Rodimus in heading to rescue the alternate [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] and [[Vector Sigma]] from the Functionists. When the group arrived outside Vector Sigma's chamber however they found the Council had already gained access to the supercomputer but that they had ''not'' used Rung to access the chamber. When Rodimus bravely tackled [[Six-of-Twelve]], Chromedome <s>pointed out the colossal error in judgment </s> warned that his brave leader would now have to fight eleven councilors as they entered the chamber. Like all, Chromedome was horrified to see, {{storylink|Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|Bad Moon Rising}} Six-of-Twelve using the false Matrix to suspend Rodimus in an agony beam. Ratchet came to their rescue by pretending to hold the alternate Rung hostage. After they teleported back to the surface and took over the [[Cog (facility)|Cog]], Rung displayed his ability to create [[photonic crystal]]s and explained why the Council hadn't slain him prompting Chromedome to ask why the Council hadn't gone public with the photonic crystals for a year and pointed out that Vector Sigma was sealed off by [[ununtrium]] but Rung explained how the Council had turned everything to their own advantage. After Rung revealed that the Functionists were building an army to exterminate all non-Cybertronian life in the galaxy, Rewind leaned on Chromedome as he despaired over the hatred the Cybertronians had for aliens. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|Modes of Production}} After the Cog had crashed in Adaptica and Brainstorm and Roller had worked out how to save everyone, Chromedome held hands with Rewind at the first (non-functional) matter transporter before they ran to a second (functional) one where the group teleported to Luna 2 and teleported the moon to Necroworld. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}} When Rodimus announced his [[Skip|incredibly morbid plan]] to escape Necroworld, Chromedome and Rewind held hands. {{storylink|After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|After Megatron}}

Aboard the cramped spacecraft, Chromedome and Rewind climbed aboard the sleeping Roller's alternate mode to "canoodle" much to the ex-cop's shock when he awoke. The three went to Rodimus about this issue who simply could not bring himself to even pretend to care before he ushered everyone out when a call came in from [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]]. Concurrently, the increasingly petty and ridiculous prank war between [[Anode]] and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] reached its climax with Rewind accidentally being raked by [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]]'s [[Great Sword]]. Chromedome immediately turned on Cyclonus before [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] broke up the fighting. To top it all off, an increasingly intangible Ratchet was sinking through the floor, Skip was shrinking and [[Ten]] declared that the fate of the universe hinged upon everyone following his commands. {{storylink|Sardines}}

Chromedome and the rest of Team Rodimus would then find themselves all in what appeared to be the Afterspark, having presumably died when Skip shrank. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|Metastasis}} He and the second Rewind would go on to find the first Rewind and Dominus Ambus and prepare to ascend together. Unfortunately, it was soon revealed that the world they were on wasn't the Afterspark, but [[Mederi]], an ancient euthanasia clinic that used telepathic constructs to put its inhabitants at ease before killing them. The first Rewind and Dominus were merely projections of what Chromedome and Rewind hoped to find in the Afterspark. After Rodimus and his advisors shut down the telepathic field all the projections faded away, leaving Chromedome and the second Rewind with only each other once again. The two wouldn't have long to dwell on their loss, however, as they were soon set upon by sparkeaters made from the former Lost Light crew! {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}
{{Charstubfiction|{{storylink|Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|A Dance Before Dying}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|Lūstrāre}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|Farsickness}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|A Spark Among Embers}} {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}}}
{{-}}

==INSIRT continuity==
[[File:Timeless-EjectChromedomeStylor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Long ago on Cybertron, Chromedome served in the [[Autobot Police]] and harbored an interest in the field of mnemosurgery. Over time, he was able to use his highly decorated partner Prowl's status to pursue this interest, developing the ability to extract information directly from a suspect's mind. However, as time passed, Chromedome found himself called upon not only to read minds, but rewrite them, altering a subject's memories and personality. Seeking to escape the burden of these duties, he buried his past and his talents. Eventually, though, he would come to meet Rewind, another Autobot with an interest in memories. Though it took some time, Chromedome eventually let the smaller Autobot into his life. {{storylink|Chromedome (G1)#Timelines|''Timelines'' Chromedome bio card}}

Some time later, Chromedome and Rewind would become crewmembers of the ''Lost Light'', and, along with [[Stylor]] and ex-Decepticon mercenary [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]], formed the [[INSIRT|Intelligence and Notable Surreptitious Information Recovery Team]], a group tasked with uncovering any mysteries that might threaten the ship's quest to find the Knights of Cybertron. {{storylink|INSIRT|INSIRT Tech Spec}} INSIRT's duties took them to the [[Vestigial Cortical Complex]], a Decepticon memory storage facility that Rewind became very excited about. After they located the facility, an impatient Treadshot made a door by way of explosion, allowing Chromedome, Rewind and Stylor to file inside. {{storylink|Timeless}}

At some point Rewind died, and [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity#Recordicons|Brainstorm]] set Chromedome up on a date with [[Eject (G1)#Recordicons|Eject]]. {{storylink|Recordicons issue 27|Recordicons #27}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
*The fact that Chromedome originally used to go by a different name was first brought up in [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|issue #9]] of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'': In that issue, his name was written in quotation marks in Rewind's diagram, and when Chromedome himself was about to mention his original name, Rewind cut him off, arguing that it would make the story they were telling too "confusing". The out-of-universe reason for this was that writer [[James Roberts]] wanted to trick readers into believing that his unmentioned original name held some significance, causing rampant speculation. In [[Remembrance Day|issue #14]] of the same series, it was finally revealed that his original name was the completely insignificant "Tumbler"; the real revelation was that his ''current'' name, "Chromedome", was the one that had a deeper meaning, as it was originally a nickname given to him at the "[[Institute|New Instutute]]" where he used to work under [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], a rather surprising twist in the light of the events of the "Shadowplay" three-parter.
* "Timeless" co-writer [[Jesse Wittenrich]] would [http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/99399-post-pictures-of-your-special-arm/page-1044#entry3318823 later reveal] his intention that the Rewind depicted in "Timeless" was being projected into Chromedome's mind by Stylor, and that the actual Rewind was deceased. Vestigial remnants of this plot point remain in the published comic, in the form of Stylor's constant physical contact with Chromedome, and Treadshot never acknowledging Rewind. Whether this holds true in the completed comic or is merely [[authorial intent]] is an exercise left to the reader.
*[[James Roberts]] has said that IDW Prowl and Chromedome had a "stronger bond" than just being partners.<ref>[http://theunderbase.libsyn.com/the-underbase-deconstructs-shadowplay "The Underbase Podcast Deconstructs Shadowplay"], 17:17 - 14:58</ref>
*An erroneously-coordinated appearance by Chromedome in [[The Gloaming|''More than Meets the Eye'' #16]] was recolored by [[Josh Burcham]] into "[[Toxin]]", a character created for [[Unofficial conventions|TFCon 2011]].
* Chromedome's present day alt mode looks suspiciously like a light runner from the ''{{w|Borderlands (series)|Borderlands}}'' franchise.
* Chromedome's [[:File:MTMTE9 early Chromedome.jpg|"Shadowplay"-era body]] (distinct from his present day one) inspired his [[Chromedome (G1)#Generations|''Titans Return'' figure]]. Amusingly, this toy briefly appeared as his present day body in [[Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|''Lost Light'' #19]] because no one supplied [[E. J. Su]] with reference models.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Mnemosurgeons]]

First Aid (G1)

2020-07-09T12:44:09Z

MagnusPrime24: /* 2005 IDW continuity */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|First Aid}}
:''First Aid is an [[Autobot]] [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TFU First Aid.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Damn it, Jim! I'm a doctor, not a pacifist!]]
'''First Aid''' is one of the most empathic and compassionate beings you'll ever meet. He cares deeply about all living things. Heck, he even cares deeply about the "pain" of inanimate objects. A broken or malfunctioning can-opener will earn just as much sympathy and attention as a fellow Autobot. Otherwise, First Aid is a soft-spoken and sometimes overly cautious sort (especially when it comes to the well-being of a fellow Autobot). Still, all the Autobots know he will work long and hard to do his best for them and that their well-being matters to him more than anything, and those are quite comforting thoughts.

First Aid combines with his fellow Protectobots to form [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], [[Gaia Guardian]], or [[God Guardian]].

{{bigquote|Where there's life, there's hope.|First Aid|"[[Funeral for a Friend!]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Bell]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese)|[[Massimo Corizza]] (Italian), [[Michael Rüth]] (German, ''The Ultimate Weapon'' & ''The Big Broadcast of 2006''), [[Wolfgang Mascher]] (German, ''Surprise Party''), [[Franz Rudnick]] (German, ''The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1''), [[Christoph Jablonka]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''The Ultimate Weapon''), [[Albert Augier]] (European French)}}

[[File:TUW first aid fullbody.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|The shiniest doctor around.]]
First Aid is an avowed pacifist. When the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] attacked an inhabited city on [[Earth]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] called upon the Protectobots to evacuate the civilians caught in the crossfire. First Aid helped an injured man discovered by Streetwise. Later, as Earth's orbit was diverted to the [[Sun]] by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], First Aid brought civilians to a meat locker that [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and Streetwise had commandeered to help the [[human]]s cool down. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

First Aid, as part of Defensor, was the arm that wielded the rifle which totally blew up [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Afterwards, he was with the Protectobots when they saved some window-washers from a burning skyscraper. Later still, First Aid and the other Protectobots were ordered to help defend [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] from a Decepticon attack. They merged into Defensor and activated his useless force field, which almost immediately deactivated, allowing the Decepticons to blast Defensor back into his component parts. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[File:Firstaidfixesmultramagnus.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Well... a little clyster with the fresh machine oil... and your constipation will pass off!]]
In the year [[2005]], First Aid was among the Autobot stationed at [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] when the Autobot city came under attack from [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}} Later, in 2006, he was on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] for the planet's first peace conference. He participated in a surprise birthday party for [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] along with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]], Groove and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. The Combaticons then attacked a nearby shuttle bay, hoping to scrap the ships which would be used to ferry delegates to the conference. First Aid happily blasted away at the Combaticons. After the battle, First Aid was tending to a serious wound Magnus suffered on his back, when he used his own body to shield Wheelie from a Decepticon attack. When attention turned to the damaged shuttle, Ultra Magnus insisted First Aid repair the ship first and deal with his injuries later. Guess he forgot First Aid was a doctor, not a mechanic! (Ol' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] sure wouldn't have taken no lip—he would have disconnected the patient's vocal processor first.) {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

First Aid and the Protectobots were part of the Autobot unit that travelled to the planet [[Eurythma]], forming Defensor to battle Decepticons there. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}} Later, when [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] took heavy fire over the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] brought him back to Cybertron for repairs. First Aid arrived and began patching up the super-robot. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}
[[File:TUD firstaid.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"This isn't a war. It's a murder." [switch flipped] "This isn't a war, it's a moider!"]]
When the Autobots were asked to help the Dutch authorities deal with French rebels, First Aid bemoaned the whole situation, wondering why humans were always fighting amongst themselves. After the human aggressors were dispersed, a Decepticon sneak attack knocked [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] out of the sky, and First Aid carried him back to Metroplex for repairs. No sooner was the operation complete than an intruder alert within the city drew the medic's attention, and he found the Decepticon Swindle stealing Metroplex's [[transformation cog]]. First Aid attempted to talk the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] into handing the cog over, but Swindle laughed in his face, and was easily able make off with his loot because First Aid's pacifism meant that he refused to fight back. Despite [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]'s attempts to convince First Aid that they didn't expect him to compromise his beliefs, the medic felt he was a liability to the Autobots and left, taking up residence in a junk yard and helping its custodian [[NUL-A]] chug down some oil and repair some refrigerators. In time, First Aid was approached by [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], who brought dire news that the immobilized Metroplex was under attack from Trypticon. Only the skilled First Aid could properly align Metroplex's new transforming cog, and the medic was convinced to lend his aid. [[File:RoOP1 firstaid altmode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The devil is in the detailing... or maybe the lack thereof.]] While Trypticon and the half-transformed Metroplex fought it out, First Aid bravely entered the Autobot giant and re-aligned the cog, allowing the Autobot city to transform fully and defeat Trypticon. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

When [[Jessica Morgan]] was injured in a Decepticon attack on her [[Mark Morgan|father]]'s laboratory, First Aid was summoned to transport her to County General Hospital. First Aid helped to restore the paralyzed Jessica's ability to walk with an exo-skeleton, but his efforts were met only with hatred from her father, who loathed the Transformers. Subsequently, when news reached the Autobots that Optimus Prime's body was being kept at Morgan's lab, First Aid and the Protectobots were part of the battle unit that returned there, merged as Defensor. Like most present, they succumbed to the madness of the [[Hate Plague]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

In [[2007]], First Aid and the Protectobots were among those who defended Cybertron against a major Decepticon attack, only to fall before the power of the new Decepticon [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}} Some time later, at [[Tommy Kennedy]]'s birthday, First Aid, among other Autobots, presented to the human boy a cake. {{Storylink|Surprise Party#Season 5|Season 5: Surprise Party}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon take place in Japanese continuity as described above, except "The Rebirth" and subsequent adventures do not occur, and the events of season 3 take place in 2010. Several additional stories are inserted into the timeline as follows.}}
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
[[File:FSLRF protectobots.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.3|"And then we'll change this font!"]]
First Aid and the other Protectobots made their dramatic debut when they formed Defensor to defeat both Menasor and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 12|Story page #12}}

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

When the Decepticon combiners attacked a baseball stadium in [[Japan]], the Protectobots and Aerialbots raced to the rescue. After attending to the blaze created by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]'s destruction, First Aid and his team combined into Defensor. However, Defensor's central component was damaged battling Bruticus; with Hot Spot out of action, the Protectobots could not maintain their super-robot form. Getting an idea, the Autobots' human friend [[Kenji]] told [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] to shoot out the legs of the Decepticon super-robots. With their legs damaged, Menasor and Bruticus were left open for First Aid and the other small Protectobots to link up as their new legs, taking over the Decepticons' locomotion, sending them out to sea. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

Later, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] were paving over a natural island paradise, and the Autobots sent a rescue party to save the wildlife and their friends on the island. Due to the medical needs of the mission, First Aid replaced [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] with the Aerialbots to form Superion. Even linked together, First Aid and the Aerialbots were outclassed against both [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], until [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] generated a hologram of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to distract the dino-base Decepticon, sending him over a cliff. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}
{{-}}

=====Scramble City=====
[[File:GreatTFwar protectobots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
First Aid and the Protectobots participated in the Scramble City project under Ultra Magnus's direction, working towards the construction of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. After the Decepticons uncovered their secret building site, the Protectobots rode into battle alongside the newly completed Metroplex. First Aid and his comrades arrived and formed Defensor just in time to act as the harbinger of Metroplex and his really big gun. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''The Great Transformer War'' manga=====
In [[2010]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] kidnapped the scientist [[Dalton]] in order to upgrade his combiner warriors. First Aid and the Protectobots joined forces with the Aerialbots to rescue Dalton from inside Trypticon. Superion was heavily damaged in the first strike run, however, and Hot Spot needed time in his repair bay mode to bring the Aerialbots back to fighting strength. While Blades snuck into Trypticon alone to rescue Dalton, First Aid, Streetwise and Groove defended Hot Spot against both Menasor and Bruticus. They held out long enough for the Aerialbots to be revived. After the Aerialbots distracted the Decepticons, Blades completed his mission and the Autobots rolled out for Scramble City with Dalton in tow. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}
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=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Masaharu Satō]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:HM3 firstaid.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
In [[2011]], Galvatron attacked Cybertron looking to take control of [[Vector Sigma]]. First Aid and the Protectobots were active in Cybertron's defense as Defensor during the assault, {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} after which they were reassigned to Earth to help keep the Decepticons busy while [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s searched for the missing [[Matrix of Leadership]]. On a security sweep, the Protectobots ran across their old nemeses, the Combaticons, and the two teams quickly combined to battle as Bruticus and Defensor. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

[[File:JHeadmasters09Tracks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Just what the doctor ordered!]]
When Galvatron made another strike on Cybertron, this time to steal the super-metal [[Cybertonuron]], First Aid and the Protectobots assembled before the [[space bridge]] on Earth to be transported into battle. As he helped defend the planet, First Aid was seen delivering a mighty kick to the face of... er, his fellow Autobot [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]. Seeking out the Combaticons on the battlefield, the Protectobots soon formed Defensor and fought once more with Bruticus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} For at least part of the battle, the two teams disassembled again for man-to-man combat. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

First Aid and the Protectobots were dispatched to [[Peru]] with the [[Trainbot]]s when a volcano erupted, leaving a mountainside village in dire peril. Their rescue mission was blocked first by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], who [[Shouki]] and the Trainbots stepped in to occupy, then by the Decepticon Headmasters. True to his devout pacifism, First Aid was not seen engaging in battle until the Protectobots formed Defensor. In the combined form, however, the team were vulnerable to [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s paralysis ray, which was strong enough to force First Aid and the Protectobots apart and leave them completely immobilized. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

First Aid and the Protectobots were part of a strike team that flew to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to disrupt Scorponok's gathering of Decepticons. They immediately formed Defensor upon entering the battle. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Later, when the Autobots' attempts to provide energy aid to the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]] were disrupted by the Decepticons, First Aid and the Protectobots fought back against the enemy, and formed Defensor to counter Devastator on the battlefield. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:HM35 defensor armforaleg.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5|Well, if it isn't my old friend Mr. McGreg!]]
After the death of Ultra Magnus, the Autobots were desperately trying to pick up the slack during Sixshot's campaign of destruction around the globe. First Aid and the Protectobots assembled as Defensor to go out and confront Sixshot at one of the attack sites, but they apparently didn't fare too well. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} When the Decepticons seemingly abandoned Earth, First Aid and the Protectobots assisted Spike in ridding the planet of all traces of their departed foes, starting with the Decepticons' abandoned Earth base. Combined as Defensor, the team joined Raiden and Computron in obliterating the base. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

Following a lengthy period of inactivity, the Decepticons renewed their attacks on Earth. With [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] still off in space, Spike Witwicky dispatched First Aid and the Protectobots to Canberra, [[Australia]] to confronted Bruticus at one of Scorponok's new Death Towers. As Defensor, the Protectobots were beaten severely by Bruticus, and First Aid was even knocked out of the arm socket. Using Scramble Power, Defensor switched Streetwise up to his shoulder and reattached First Aid as a leg, still carrying his fireball cannon. Despite this cunning(?) trick, Defensor was defeated by Bruticus. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} As part of Defensor, First Aid participated in the Autobots final battle with Scorponok's Decepticons at the North Pole. He lent his energies to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]] to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
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=====''Unite Warriors''=====
In [[2021]] when his old friend NUL-A's birthday came around, First Aid got the other Protectobots to play a baseball game in his honor. {{storylink|Unite Warriors Offshot#Today Is First Aid's Close Friend NUL-A's Birthday!|Today Is First Aid's Close Friend NUL-A's Birthday!}}

=====Wars manga=====
[[File:Metrowars FirstAid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
First Aid was stationed at [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] while it was under reconstruction after an attack from [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]. When Metrotitan and the Decepticons attacked again, the reborn Metroplex transformed and First Aid helped [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] man one of Metroplex's cannons. With Metroplex's firepower, the Decepticons were sent retreating. {{Storylink|Metrowars}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
After Cybertron entered its new Golden Age, the war between the Autobots and Decepticons still raged in space and on Earth. First Aid perished along with most of the rest of Defensor in battle with their nemesis, Menasor. Only Streetwise and Breakdown survived. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
The Protectobots once lived on the colony world of [[Archon]], but as the colony slowly began to fail they succumbed to [[stasis lock]]. They remained that way until [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] chanced across the ruins of the planet and brought them back to Earth. The only way to revive them was through an [[energon]] infusion; the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s volunteered for the process. The Protectobots made a complete recovery and then some: the transfusion had given them the ability to combine! Optimus Prime gave them [[Protectobots' headquarters|their own headquarters]] in [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]], hoping that city life would help them acclimatize to life on Earth while also providing the metropolis with an extra degree of protection. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/21}}
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===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:SecondGeneration protectobots.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.3|First Aid's faceplate and visor are at the dry cleaners.]]
''When their human ally [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] began suffering from a series of troubling dreams, the Autobots peered inside his mind in an attempt to understand. There, they saw a vision of a team of new robots, the Protectobots—First Aid among them—being ordered to guard the [[Pullen Power Plant]] against Decepticon attack. Attacked by the Stunticons and Combaticons, the team did the incredible, merging their bodies to become Defensor. Realizing that they were being sent a message about the future of Transformer evolution by the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] itself, the Autobots determined to make this vision a reality and set about building the new robots they had seen.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}} {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}}

Having learned of a Decepticon plot to acquire the human-made [[hydrothermocline]], Optimus Prime brought the Protectobots with him to [[Energy Futures Industries]] in order to guard the device. After [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] arrived ready for a fight, the Transformers allowed themselves to be convinced of a better solution by [[Ethan Zachary]], an employee of EFI. Zachary would upload their minds into a video simulation program known as [[Multi-World]], allowing the Transformers to do battle without damaging the hydrothermocline or the surrounding area. Inside the game world, First Aid and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] were exploring Vineland when their path was blocked by a web of thick vines. [[File:Firstaid-g1issue26.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|I'd have helped, but I only do hands.]] First Aid wanted to blast through, but Streetwise thought better of it and merely lifted the vines out of their way. They were caught off-guard by the Combaticons [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], but were then miraculously saved by the living vines they had refrained from destroying moments ago. First Aid then used his [[decrystallizer cannon]] on the Decepticons, making them brittle enough for Streetwise to shatter with a burst from his [[Compression cannon|compressed air cannon]]. Ultimately, Optimus Prime declared himself the loser, and so First Aid and the other Protectobots watched their leader detonate before their eyes. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} ''These events were observed by the [[time travel]]ling [[Dicet Alpha-zero]].'' {{storylink|The Quest!}}

First Aid later attempted to console a despondent [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] after the death of Optimus Prime, teaching him that it was best to worry more about the patients he could save rather than the patients he could not. Returning to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] after attending Prime's funeral, First Aid and the other Autobots came under attack from the vessel's defense systems, control of which had been seized by the human criminal [[Mechanic|The Mechanic]]. Ratchet defeated the human, and he and First Aid tended to the wounded. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

[[File:GalvatronDorA firstaid mass substitution.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.3]]
''When the freelance peacekeeping agent [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] travelled back in time from the future, First Aid was temporarily mass-displaced [[Limbo]] to make room for the bounty hunter right before [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]]'s eyes.'' {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}

After [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] abandoned the Autobots due to their disagreements with [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock's]] leadership, Grimlock tasked the Protectobots with finding the deserters and returning them to the Ark. First Aid and the others found them (and the [[Throttlebot]]s) hiding at [[Big Steve's Used Cars]], where the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s had already arrived. As the two teams battled each other, individually First Aid squared off with [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]], and both sides were so blinded by their battle that they didn't notice [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] making away with Goldbug and the Throttlebots. With the Combaticons deterred, however, the Protectobots still had Blaster to bring back to Grimlock... for trial and execution. {{storylink|Used Autobots}}

[[File:ChildsPlay-FirstAidGroove.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|<obligatory Scale article link>]] Blaster was mode-locked into stereo mode, clamped to [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], and also carried inside First Aid for travel back to the Ark, but the Protectobots met up with the Combaticons again within a sprawling trainyard. After the Combaticons merged into [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and laid into First Aid and the others, they were forced to set Blaster aside and merge into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] to counter. Blaster, released from mode-lock by some errant children, came to Defensor's rescue, and ultimately First Aid and the others decided Blaster shouldn't stand trial, and he was set free. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}} After First Aid returned to the Ark, the humans were recaptured and Grimlock ordered them to be executed. First Aid and the other Autobots were upset, though they didn't know Grimlock was bluffing in order to draw Blaster into his custody. They begged Blaster to usurp leadership of the Autobots, but Blaster was forced to surrender himself in order to assure the children's safety. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''Following Optimus Prime's return to life, First Aid and the Protectobots were assigned to guard the backup copy of the [[floppy disk]] that had enabled his resurrection, stored at an [[Alternate Reality, Inc.]] warehouse. Alerted to Combaticon activity at [[Rutter U.S. Military Base]], the team was relieved by the Autobot [[Powermaster]]s so they could go and deal with their old rivals. Unfortunately, they were too late to stop the Combaticons' theft of military technology; worse yet, upon their return to the warehouse, they discovered that the Decepticon Powermasters had stolen the disk in their absence. Combining into Defensor, they tried to stop the villains from escaping, but a barrage of fire from the underhanded Combaticons knocked the giant over. With the villains gone, Defensor split back into his components, and First Aid tended to the Autobot Powermasters' wounds.'' {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}}

First Aid and several other Autobots helped Blaster train. {{storylink|Club Con!}} ''Soon after, First Aid was among the Transformers deactivated in the battle with the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and was put in a life support capsule. A couple of years later, Optimus Prime briefly considered using a Matrix fragment to revive him after Ratchet's disappearance.'' {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}}
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====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
At the raw oil harbor of [[Rotterdam]], First Aid and the other Protectobots combined into Defensor to battle [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. Ultimately, the Decepticons would retreat, as Powermaster Optimus Prime had predicted! {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|Transformers in Action: He Who Laughs Last ...}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:First aid g2 swarm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] discovered the threat of the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], they called in Autobots scattered across the galaxy, including First Aid. And, when Grimlock chose to disobey Prime's directives and make a tactical first strike against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s ships, First Aid went with him. They were quickly found out and captured, though, leaving it to Optimus to bail them out of trouble. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Sometime later, First Aid was working with a science team alongside [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]]. They attempted to find out what had devastated the population of [[J'asik]], down to the cellular level. Samples taken from the bodies helped the team identify the killer, known as the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]], as an offshoot of the Cybertronian race. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:First aid kup rg1 loose ends 5.jpg|thumb|left]]
In [[2012]] First Aid travelled to a devastated Earth with Optimus Prime and a group of other Autobots to confront Megatron. After fighting his way through Megatron's lobotomised [[zombie]] army, the medic attended to [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and injected him with an anti-toxin that would hopefully regress the [[Scraplet]] infection the captive [[Wrecker]] had been infected with. When he was sufficiently recovered, Kup took First Aid's gun and used it to kill Ratchet, in turn killing Megatron through the link he and the doctor shared. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}} In the aftermath, First Aid delivered a casualty report to Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

Following the foiling of [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]'s [[Gene Key]] scheme, First Aid sat in on a meeting of Autobot high command to discuss the lingering after-effects on Cybertronian society of the Decepticon warmonger's plan. {{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} This was soon followed by an attack on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] by [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s Neo-Decepticons, which was put down by a team of Autobots led by Blaster; in the aftermath, First Aid tended [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]'s wounds. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}}

First Aid was on hand to help treat the wounded after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Warworld]] attacked Cybertron, and was seen carrying such an unfortunate on a stretcher with help from [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} Soon after, when [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his [[Primum Fugae]] caused havoc, First Aid repaired [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s injuries. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

====''Timelines''====
At some point during the war against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]], First Aid developed [[Gold Plastic Syndrome|GPS]], preventing him from properly combining. On Optimus Prime's orders, First Aid and [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] conducted a full-body spark transplant on a dying Ratchet, transferring him to a new body. Ratchet's new body came equipped with combination technology, allowing him to take First Aid's place as Defensor's limb. {{storylink|Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Customization class G2 Ratchet bio}}

===The Special Teams===
Optimus Prime assigned First Aid and the other Protectobots to defend the [[Pullen Power Plant]], where they combined into Defensor to battle [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Thankfully, [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] arrived to even the odds, and ultimately the Decepticons were repelled. {{storylink|The Special Teams}}
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===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[File:TFin3D firstaid checks optimus.jpg|thumb]]
Following [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s resurrection, First Aid and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] bugged him to come in for a full checkup, which [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] believed was just their way of saying that it was good to have the Autobot leader back. The checkup was interrupted by an alarm, which First Aid announced indicated a Decepticon attack. He took part in the effort to repel [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'s forces, only for them to retreat on their own, when Prime realised it was just a diversion while Galvatron attacked the Energon plant. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}
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===Toy pack-in material===
[[File:Decoycomic firstaid.jpg|left|thumb]]
When the Decepticons stole the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], <s>Ratchet</s> First Aid built an army of Autobot [[decoy]]s to distract the Decepticons while the real Autobots attempted to retrieve their missing artifact. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}}
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===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Firstaid-warwithin.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|In his younger years, First Aid wore a stylish hoodie.]]
Following the disappearance of Optimus Prime and Megatron in a [[space bridge]] accident, the Autobots and Decepticons splintered into multiple separate factions. In compliance with the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]], First Aid and the other Protectobots declared themselves unaligned to any of the groups, and elected to continue operating as an independent team, rather than go their separate ways. When word reached them that the Constructicons had broken the accord by siding with the [[Ultracon]]s, however, First Aid and his comrades knew that they had to take a stand themselves, and decided to aid the [[Wrecker]]s in battle against the Decepticon giant. {{storylink|Escalation}} When Defensor began prioritizing Devastator's destruction over preventing collateral damage, Wreckers leader Springer had to talk the Protectobots into separating, after which they were able to use their individual smarts to bring the Constructicon combiner down: First Aid had Hot Spot lift him up on his ladder so he could plug a power cable into a port on Devastator's body, overloading Devastator and forcing him to separate. In the battle's aftermath, First Aid thanked Springer for talking them down, realizing they still had a lot to learn about their combined self. {{storylink|Devastation}} The team subsequently returned to their home base to analyze what had gone wrong with their combination, though First Aid had to convince Hot Spot to let it go when he started to become obsessive. But just as the Protectobots were preparing to take some downtime, they were attacked by the [[Chaos Trinity]], who kidnapped Hot Spot for use in [[The Fallen]]'s scheme. In the scuffle, First Aid was taken out by teammate Streetwise, who had been hypnotized by Mindwipe. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

[[File:BlackSunshine firstaid tends battlechargers.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Roughly 6.5 million years later, First Aid the Protectobots battled Menasor as Defensor when the Stunticons escaped from a penal facility... and lost, big time. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} Soon after, the team aided in the Autobot insurrection against [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s rule of Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}} After the Autobots regained power, First Aid and the Protectobots searched Shockwave's clone lab, finding [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] barely alive, having been attacked by [[Sunstorm (G1)|an unknown assailant]]. First Aid was seen administering medical help to the heavily damaged [[Battlecharger]]s. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}
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===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Spotlight: Jazz]]; [[Bullets]] (modern era, text); [[Life After the Big Bang|''Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye'' #4]] (on panel)

First Aid was born [[Reproduction#2005 IDW continuity|forged]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}}

In the early days of the war, First Aid was part of an extraction team who located the damaged pair of [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] following their skirmish with the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. He performed initial repairs on both of them, bringing Tracks back online. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}} About four million years ago, he was seen chatting with his comrades [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] during a victory celebration. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

[[File:MTMTE4 a passing interest.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Doctors cure people, medics make them more comfortable while they die]]
First Aid was eventually assigned to [[Delphi]], an Autobot emergency medical facility on [[Messatine]]. Like any emergency room, Delphi experienced brief flurries of activity followed by long cycles of nothing but routine patient care and waiting for the next disaster. While passing the time First Aid became an avid subscriber to ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'', the adventures of the Autobots' most elite strike team compiled by their unofficial biographer, [[Ironfist (G1)|Fisitron]]. He often found himself reading (and re-reading) [[Pova|Datalog 113: Showdown at Pova]] whenever his work lagged. Five years into his tour at Delphi, while attending a medical conference on the [[Kimia Facility]], First Aid had his own brush with the Wreckers when their leader [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]] approached him with a rather unique request. Springer had a mole deep within the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] known only as [[Dominus Ambus|Agent 113]], who had a highly unusual means of delivering messages to his Autobot contacts: In battle, he would ''shoot'' a fellow Autobot with pinpoint accuracy through the right "eye" of their faction symbol with a bullet containing a data-chip with his report inside. First Aid was one of several medics secretly recruited by Springer to always be on the lookout for Agent 113's calling card. First Aid eagerly accepted the "secret mission" and checked over the insignia of every patient that came through his emergency room doors from then on. Not the subtlest of Autobots, First Aid developed a reputation for being fixated on insignias, and was even referred to Autobot psycho-analyst [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who diagnosed him with "obsessive compulsive tendencies" that forced First Aid's boss [[Ambulon]] to demote him to nurse. But First Aid's attention to his secret duty paid off: one night after the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], when he was giving the once over to [[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]]'s recon team after a skirmish with the DJD, First Aid finally discovered one of Agent 113's bullets. The encoded information he delivered to Springer led to the Wreckers' ill-fated mission on [[Garrus-9]]. {{storylink|Bullets}}

[[File:first-aid-jumpstart.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.3|"Have you any idea how many [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]]s I had to buy to make these jump leads?" "Yes honey,four..." "it was worth it...Now I can finally say 'Say hello to my little friend!'"]]
When the [[Red Rust]] virus broke out in Delphi, First Aid, Ambulon, and [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]'s efforts to treat it seemed to be in vain, forcing First Aid to call for help by transmitting the facility's patient survival statistics through the [[transwarp|subspace]] network once used to distribute the ''Wreckers: Declassified'' datalogs. This attracted the attention of [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]], who brought [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] and [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] to Delphi where First Aid told them about the outbreak. Using "jump-starting", a new method of [[spark]] resuscitation he had invented himself, he later used his own spark to revitalize a comatose [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] just in time to save the others from a pair of [[Genericon]]s believed to have spread the virus. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} After Fortress Maximus killed the Genericons, it was discovered that Pharma was the culprit behind the virus, a fact that First Aid had long suspected. In the chaos that followed, First Aid took charge to save the patients around him. [[File:MTMTE5 firstaid takes charge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|OBJECTION!!!!!]] After Pharma was defeated and Ratchet used the villain's vaccine to cure Delphi of its virus, First Aid returned to the ''[[Lost Light]]'' with Ratchet. Ratchet promised to promote the nurse to Chief Medical Officer in place of himself after witnessing his actions. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} To First Aid's silent annoyance, however, Ratchet showed no signs of relinquishing the title any time soon, leaving him Chief Medical Officer-in-training. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

While visiting the [[Swerve's|ship's bar]], First Aid was asked by Ambulon to keep his fellow medic's embarrassing alt-mode a secret, though the request was in vain as [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] promptly triggered Ambulon's transformation anyway. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} First Aid was repairing a dismembered [[Dipstick]] when he and much of the crew were frozen in place by one of [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]]'s experimental weapons. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} After Fortress Maximus went on a small shooting spree inside the Lost Light, First Aid helped Ratchet treat the victims. He failed to notice the pattern Ratchet saw in them: they all resembled [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]. {{storylink|Interiors}} That escapade concluded with Swerve accidentally shooting Rung in the head; First Aid, Ambulon, and Ratchet were instrumental in saving Rung's life {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} and First Aid took the lead on his aftercare, helping him re-learn how to distinguish people from their surroundings. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

First Aid was among the crew members that had been shrunken by Brainstorm's mass-displacement cannon and sent to destroy some [[Nanocon]]s inside [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] that had been mysteriously revived. First Aid was resized after the Nanocons were destroyed and attended [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]'s Autobot Initiation Ceremony and asked [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] what he had graffitied inside Ultra Magnus' body but the ceremony began before Whirl could make a full answer. First Aid then told [[Skids (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skids]] that Ambulon was handling some offline crew members that had suddenly came back to life. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} After the situation was handled, First Aid joined a few Autobots for movie night in [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]]'s hab-suite where they watched "[[Proteus's Promise]]". {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

[[File:Patternism-FirstAid.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|Hey honey! Sorry, but some guy got his head cut off at work today, so I'm gonna need to stay late.]]
When someone tried to kill [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], First Aid and Ambulon went to work fixing him up. In the process, First Aid discovered the truth, {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} that Red Alert's injuries were self-inflicted, though [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] didn't take the news well. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

Following the return of the ''[[Leading Light]]'' from [[Temptoria]], First Aid tended to the rapidly-fading Rewind and talked [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] into giving the small Autobot a jumpstart. Unfortunately he had to break the news that it hadn't worked. As it turned out, Whirl also had a compatible [[spark]], and First Aid successfully carried out the procedure with him. {{storylink|Before & After}} First Aid later helped Tailgate throw an "alt mode party" in an attempt to get Rung to transform, and appeared in one of Rewind's documentaries to explain how the ''[[Vis Vitalis]]'' worked. {{storylink|Little Victories}} When Overlord was let loose on the ''Lost Light'' and stabbed Ultra Magnus through the spark, First Aid rushed to his aid but sadly recognized the injury to be fatal. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}}

When Ultra Magnus's body got up and floated away under mysterious circumstances, First Aid gathered with the rest of the crew to gawp at a huge portal the ''Lost Light'' had followed Magnus's trail to. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} After the ship went through the portal, First Aid and Ambulon were in the medbay when the [[Legislator]]s invaded the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}} Alas, the ship was soon overrun, and both 'bots found themselves teleported to Pharma's new lab on [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]]. First Aid had to witness Ambulon being horrifically sawn in half, ''lengthwise'' as part of a twisted competition between Ratchet and Pharma. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} When Ratchet refused the younger medic's help, First Aid was infuriated by his attitude and accused him of being unable to let go of his reputation as "best medic" out of a belief that no one else could ever match his expertise. While Ratchet then revealed that the reason he couldn't help was that Ambulon was already dead, he saw the truth in First Aid's words and promised to officially hand over the title of Chief Medical Officer once they'd caught Pharma. First Aid, however, saw no reason to show the corrupt medic any mercy. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

[[File:ThisCalamitousLife-FirstAid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Not amused]]
First Aid was soon able to confront Pharma, and was enraged that rather than show remorse for his murders of patients or Ambulon, the rogue medic was ''amused'' by what he'd done. When he went so far as to laugh at Ambulon's death, the younger medic snapped and executed him on the spot, then realized what he'd done and broke down. He was comforted by Rung, but on returning to the ''Lost Light'' he shut himself in and refused to talk to anyone. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} The crew eventually convinced him to come out and perform an autopsy on a the corpse of a mysterious ''second'' Rodimus, hoping some work would help rehabilitate him. First Aid deduced from the body's [[innermost energon]] that it was an alternate Rodimus and not some kind of copy. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}}

[[File:BirthsDeathsInterventions-FirstAid.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67]]
As it transpired, the second Rodimus was a quantum duplicate, which began the slow quantum erasure of the ''Lost Light'' and its crew. First Aid abandoned ship, but soon, his shuttle disappeared around him, as did crewmates [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]]—only [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and First Aid were left, floating in space, because they weren't members of the ship's original crew. Once the situation had been put to rights, everyone reappeared, and First Aid's group set down on the planet [[Ofsted XVII]] for a momentary breather. First Aid went off to explore the area, and found a gravely-wounded Transformer of unclear affiliation in a nearby lecture theatre. A quick examination proved he was a Decepticon, but First Aid kept this fact from his crewmates as he called upon them to donate some of their [[innermost energon]] to help the 'bot survive. Recognizing the 'bots true allegiance, Mainframe and Bluestreak refused; Trailcutter agreed, but just as he was about to start the process, First Aid recognized the mantra the delirious patient was chanting as the motto of the Decepticon Justice Division. Refusing to heal one of ''those'' monsters under any circumstances, First Aid tried to talk Trailcutter out of helping him, to no avail—and unfortunately, First Aid's fears proved true as the 'bot, [[Vos (DJD)|Vos]], attacked Trailcutter as soon as he had been re-powered. While Trailcutter protected himself with his forcefield, First Aid sped off to get the others, but when they returned, they were horrified to discover that Trailcutter had trapped a second, hidden DJD member, [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]], inside his field with him, who had torn him to pieces. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}} The remaining trio tried to escape in their shuttle, but it was blown up before it could take off as a parting gesture from the DJD. Fortunately, First Aid and his friends survived. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}

After Ratchet had several crewmembers tested for "super-[[scraplet]]s", First Aid recognized it as a complete fabrication and an excuse for the senior doctor to talk to his friends in private. As it turned out, Ratchet had been tying up some loose ends before leaving the ''Lost Light'': when First Aid next came to see him, all he found was a method of contacting him and a note officially promoting First Aid to Chief Medical Officer. {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}}

When the ''Lost Light'' met with the ''[[Vis Vitalis]]'' for a pre-wake party for the near-death [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]], First Aid and [[Minimus Ambus]] met with ''Vis Vitalis'' chief medical officer [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]]. While Velocity showed Minimus the supposed map to [[Cyberutopia]] that Thunderclash had drawn on the wall, First Aid examined Thunderclash. To First Aid's surprise, however, Thunderclash was ''not'' dying of his old war wound, which had miraculously been healed six months prior. As Velocity could not come up with any information about the "passing healer", First Aid opened up Thunderclash's trailer to examine, finding it empty. Then, Thunderclash started manipulating his own systems to make the life sign monitor display a message: "You're all blind, you're all dead". They then heard a knocking coming from his trailer. {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}} First Aid, Minimus, and Velocity came under attack by strange creatures. [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]] and [[Skystriker (G1)|Skystriker]] arrived in response to the noise only for the creatures to tear Skystriker to shreds. In an act of supreme heroism, Thunderclash himself transformed to hold the creatures off. The group from the medbay then fled with others to the danceroom. There, it was determined that the beasts were [[personality tick]]s, picked up by the [[Caminus (planet)|Camien]] crewmembers from [[Marasma]]. They had healed Thunderclash's wound so that they could continue feeding on his charisma and were now visible because their perception-based cloaking was down. Just as all hope seemed lost, the ticks suddenly all died, having overdosed on Rodimus and Megatron's combined charisma. First Aid later attended a party to celebrate the day's successes at [[Swerve's]] aboard the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}}

[[File:MistakesAndMayhem-Protectobotssortof.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Some time later when [[Mirage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Mirage]] was due to return to Cybertron to represent the ''Lost Light'' in the first meeting between Cybertron and Caminus, First Aid chose to come with as his acting doctor, worried about the "visions" his patient had been experiencing. {{storylink|The Possible Light}} As he was accepting a goodbye present from Tailgate and setting Velocity up to take care of things during his absence, a comatose Swerve was brought before First Aid, but he was unable to locate the problem without surgery and the patient was much too weak to survive being opened up. He had to leave before the other crew members solved the mystery, but on learning from Velocity that the injury had been in Swerve's shoulder and seeing an old picture of him with an insignia on that same shoulder, First Aid realized the damage must have be caused by one of Agent 113's data bullets and asked Velocity to retrieve it. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}} They were accompanied by [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]], [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], and [[Blades (G1)|Blades]]: their mission to protect Mirage led to Streetwise jokingly dubbing the group the "Protectobots". {{storylink|The Possible Light}}

On arrival, they came with Mirage as he sought out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], leading to their getting caught up in a [[combiner]] duel between [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'s [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] recognized the Protectobots as another potential combiner for his side and, before First Aid could protest that they weren't even a proper team, used the [[Enigma of Combination]] to merge them into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], who bested Devastator soon after coming online. {{storylink|Mistakes and Mayhem}} Optimus Prime found it worrying that none of Defensor's components had reverted to their normal forms since becoming a combiner; Prowl noted that it was difficult for combiner teams to stay separate for long. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} Once the whole Caminus mess was over, First Aid and the others managed to separate and left Cybertron to return to the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|The Transgressors}}

Some time later, Red Alert misremembered First Aid queuing to join the crew of the ''Lost Light'' alongside other incongruous characters, such as Ambulon, Ironfist, and [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}}

The shuttle eventually caught up with the ''Lost Light'', making a violent (yet smart) crash landing into shuttlebay four. As First Aid crawled out of the shuttle however, a security team headed by [[Powerflash]] aimed their weapons at him before [[Getaway]] diffused the tension and offered some evasive statements to explain the ship's radio silence and explained the change in command before he directed First Aid to take [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] to the med-bay. While there, the two discussed their missing crewmates and possible theories on what had happened before he ran a Spark check noting the large drop in the total number of Sparks and one behind a large, locked door. Attempting to cut through it, Getaway popped in and merrily unlocked it revealing the comatose [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]. After some disturbing gallows humour, First Aid demanded Getaway tell him what had happened to Rodimus and Megatron who revealed that Team Rodimus had abandoned ship believing they could make better progress without the larger crew before insisting First Aid speak to Hoist about Thunderclash. First Aid found the substitute medic in [["Visages"]] where he caught up with the crew over several overpriced drinks and learnt of the many changes aboard ship.

His suspicions mounting, First Aid called a meeting for the Protectobots and Mirage in the abandoned [[Swerve's]] noting that twenty-five members of the crew were unaccounted for. As they traded theories and accusations, Mirage and First Aid referenced being asked by Getaway and Atomizer if they would support a mutiny against Megatron, a conversation First Aid confessed to regretting. [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] took that as his cue to enter and revealed the truth behind the mutiny and Thunderclash. Getaway's inner circle then entered and the escapeologist revealed that Thunderclash was in a memory loop. [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] then found the lights, revealing the horrific sight of [[brain module]]s still attached to their spinal columns, pocked with ''teeth-marks'' and suspended in [[engex]]. A running firefight soon broke out as the Protectobots scrambled back to their shuttle to notify [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]. The group managed to board a shuttle before it was struck by a [[proton missile]] and towed in with a tractor beam and they were all placed in a memory loop. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 1): Full Circle|Full Circle}} First Aid had a narrow brush with death when Getaway ordered [[Atomizer]] to shoot one of the Protectobots, but was spared when he chose [[Rook (Generations)|Rook]] instead. Awakened from his memory loop by Riptide, he and the Protectobots stormed the shuttle bay as Defensor after taking a detour to retrieve [[Ambulon]]'s corpse as a substitute leg for the combiner. However, Defensor was soon cut down and the Protectobots gunned to pieces by Getaway's "new hire" [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]]. First Aid, the sole surviving Protectobot, only escaped his second brush with death and escaped aboard a shuttle with Thunderclash and Riptide thanks to Atomizer having a change of heart and jumping Star Saber. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|A Dance Before Dying}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|Lūstrāre}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|Farsickness}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|A Spark among Embers}} {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
After being injured in a fight while protecting humans, First Aid doubted his effectiveness in combat. [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] tried to cheer him up by insisting on how valuable First Aid was to the Protectobots. Sure enough, First Aid soon had the opportunity to lead the Protectobots in a search for [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and [[Metroplex (Kre-O)|Metroplex]]'s stolen transforming cog. In the aftermath of a battle between [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and Defensor, First Aid remained true to himself by even treating the injured [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. {{storylink|Bad at Fighting? Rescue Team Protectobots, Dispatch!}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
First Aid was presumably present as part of Defensor during the Battle for [[Sherman Dam]] in [[Primax 096.0 Beta]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
Following the example of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], First Aid and the rest of the Protectobots downsized into [[Micromaster]]s in order to conserve fuel on an energy-starved post-[[Great War (G1)|Great War]] Cybertron.

After a break-in into the [[Forever Vaults]] left one of its guards, [[Cop-Tur (G1)|Cop-Tur]], injured but alive, he was placed under the care of First Aid and [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] in [[Micropolis]]. Cop-Tur's condition baffled both doctors, as unbeknownst to them, he had been infected by the [[G-Virus]]: an artificial plague that would replicate the process that had turned [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Either Fixit or First Aid was blasted by [[Galvatron (BWII)|their patient]] after he had undergone his transformation. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}}

===''Combiner Wars'' cartoon===
First Aid was among the Autobot troops who bore witness to a pivotal duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron, one meant to end the war before the never-ending arms race between the two factions spiralled further out of control. {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Optimus Prime}}

==Commercial appearances==
*First Aid and the rest of the Protectobots rushed the Decepticon fortress [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], undaunted by its enormous size. When Trypticon assumed its battle station mode, the Protectobots merged into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] to better fight back. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Defensor and Trypticon|Defensor and Trypticon commercial}}
*First Aid and the Protectobots received a message from Optimus Prime alerting them that [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] was wreaking havoc in a human city, and that the threat was "bigger than ever." The Protectobots combined into Defensor to better combat the Decepticon. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#2015|Transformers Generations: Combiner Wars commercials}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
During a Decepticon attack on a major human city, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and the Protectobots launched rescue operations. Unfortunately their efforts were hampered by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who unleashed all manner of sonic attacks on them. {{storylink|To the Rescue}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsFirstAid.jpg|thumb|left|400px]]
First Aid participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character available as reward in the "Defensor Safeguard" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:First-Aid-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|300px| The Poor man's Ratchet.]]
First Aid volunteered to head to Project Nova research site and check its status. He reported that everything was calm, but then he spotted Spectro sneaking through the back door of the facility. Not waiting for backup, he went after him to investigate. [[Reflector (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Reflector]] was running toward him and shoved him aside, and First Aid also proceeded to evacuate when he heard a noise, and his transmission was severed. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Project Supernova}}

With First Aid missing, Optimus gave [[Smokescreen (G1)#Transformers Earth Wars|Smokescreen]], who was also at the research site, the task to find him. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Bit of a Longshot}}

First Aid reestablished commmunications, but he was in circuit shock, leaking lubricants, and exposed to the Nova Core's exotic particles. He harnessed his medi-bots to shield him so he can repair himself faster. Optimus also told him to keep his head low while Smokescreen was in battle with Brake-Neck. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Battle Hardened}}

Fully repaired, he helped in the evacuation and protection of the humans from the site, but couldn't let them out of his sight while Brake-Neck was around. He sent his two medi-bots to secure the Nova Core. As they were making their way back, Reflector yanked it from their grasps and took the core for themselves. But Spyglass accidentally dropped the core into water. First Aid convinced the trio to help him shield the core or else everyone would die. Afterwards, he headed out with Smokescreen. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events| Big Bang!}}

When First Aid arrived, Hot Spot was glad to see another Protectobot on Earth. Ratchet and Wheeljack also affirmed their medical assistance. Just then Wheeljack's unstable plasma caster exploded, which Bumblebee thought was a Decepticon diversion. First Aid told him not to worry and lead him to the lab.

At some point Bumblebee asked about First Aid's red medi-bots. He explained his Shield Drones were Build Bots he found in an abandoned base, and refitted with shielding tech and reprogrammed to prevent Autobots from being hurt in the first place. That said, he resumed Bumblebee's dentist appointment, with Hot Spot next.

First Aid was fixing a part in a struggling patient when Ratchet reminded him he could turn his Energon mixer off before fixing it, but First Aid considered it cruel. They turned their attention to another patient in stasis mode who had sustained beam laser damage and mortar shrapnel. Ratchet stated the vulgar reality of war stripped of pomp and ceremony, but First Aid was optimistic; where there's life, there's hope.

*'''Class:''' Medic
*'''Lowest Star Rating''': 2 star
*'''Weapons:''': First Aid uses a medi-gun that shoots out health bombs, instead of one continuous stream. His Medibots both use healing beams and provide 40-45% resistant shields.
*'''Ability: Deploy Medibots''' - Deploys 2 Medibots, each with an ability to shield friendly bots blocking 40/45% of incoming damage.
**'''Cost''': 4 ability points +2 cost increase.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:first-aid First Aid at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

==Toys==
===The Transformers===
[[File:G1toy FirstAid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''First Aid''' (Protectobot, [[1986]][[1987|–87]], [[1992]])
**''Team ID number'': '''P4'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-75'''
**''Accessories:'' "[[Photon pistol]]", "dual-barrelled [[decrystallizer cannon]]", cannon connector

:First Aid transforms into a Datsun Vanette C120 ambulance (distinguishable from the Nissan version by its twin headlamps), model year 1980 or later. As a small, simple toy, there are some significant compromises in the appearance of the vehicle to facilitate transformation, such as the rather visible hinge joints for the front end and the big gap in the back of the ambulance to facilitate his knee joint. In [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], First Aid can be equipped with his large decrystallizer cannon via a connector piece that plugs into the 5mm peg hole on his rear, while in [[robot mode]], he is armed with a small photon pistol. The card instructions for this toy incorrectly show Groove's photon pistol instead of First Aid's weapon. Similarly, Streetwise's connector is shown instead of the connector for First Aid's decrystallizer cannon.

:First Aid combines with his fellow Protectobots to form Defensor, taking the nominal position of left arm. As a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style robot, however, he can form any limb for the robot, and can interact with all other combiner teams built with the same design.

:The initial release of First Aid had a [[die-cast]] metal chest, but like several other 1986 toys, later releases replaced this with red plastic. In 1987, he came packaged with a random Autobot [[Decoy]].

:First Aid and the other Protectobots were re-released in 1992 as part of the [[Europe]]an-market ''[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]'' line. This version uses the plastic chest, and his [[rubsign]] indent has been filled in for this release.

:This mold was [[redeco]]ed as [[Safety]] from the [[Guard City]] giftset in the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (toyline)|''Operation Combination'' toyline]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/FirstAid/firstaid.htm More information on First Aid at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Defensor}}
[[File:G1toy defensor giftset.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Defensor''' (giftset, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-76'''
**''Accessories:'' Photon pistol, dual-barrelled decrystallizer cannon, cannon connector

:All five Protectobots were made available in many markets as a complete [[giftset]] as well as on individual cards/boxes. It is unknown which versions of the toys are in the multipack, metal parts or plastic.

: In 1988, [[GiG]] also re-released the Defensor set in [[Italy]], with five random "Exogini Transformers" ([[Decoy]]s) added.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Defensor/defensor.htm More information on Defensor at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[File:G2-FirstAid.jpg|thumb|They didn't change me much.]]
*'''First Aid''' (Protectobot, unreleased)
**''Team ID number:'' '''P2'''
**''Accessories:'' "Photon pistol", "dual-barrelled decrystallizer cannon", cannon connector
:The Protectobots were to be released as part of the second wave of combiners in ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''. However, this entire wave was ultimately canceled for unknown reasons. First Aid was to be off-white with seafoam-green robot chest, [[Gold Plastic Syndrome|swirly metallic gold]] robot parts and a different rescue/ambulance deco. Vanishingly few samples—less than a dozen—of this item made their way outside [[Hasbro]], including some on-card samples, which give him the unit number "P2".
{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
[[File:TFU03-toy FirstAid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''First Aid''' (Micromaster Protectobot, [[2004]])
**''Accessories'': Defensor right foot
{{note|The ''Universe'' [[First Aid (Universe)#Universe (2003)|First Aid]] toy was utilized as the ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' incarnation of First Aid.}}

:An [[exclusive]] to Kay-Bee stores, First Aid is mostly-identical to the ''[[The Transformers: Micromaster|Micromaster]]'' version of [[Sireen#Micromaster 2|Sireen]], transforming into an ambulance of undetermined model. The only difference between the two is that First Aid has gray-plastic thighs whereas Sireen has black. He can also form any other part of the combined Defensor robot, but he's extremely awkward at best as anything other than a leg; his normal placement is as the right leg.

:The toy's larger connector socket is approximately 5mm wide, making First Aid compatible with [[Powerlinx]] ports.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/MMFirstAid/firstaid.htm More information on First Aid at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Bot Shots===
[[Image:BotShots FirstAid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|First Aid? More like [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel Ratchet]].]]
*'''Protectobots''' (Multi-pack, 2013?)
**''Number'': '''T0??'''
***''Fist strength'':
***''Blaster strength'': '''487'''
***''Sword strength'':
:A redeco of ''[[Bot Shots (toyline)|Bot Shots]]'' [[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Bot Shots|Autobot Ratchet]], "Protectobot First Aid" automatically transforms from emergency-response SUV to robot when a sharp impact is applied to his front end. He was to be sold in a five-pack with [[Hot Spot (G1)#Bot Shots|Protectobot Hot Spot]], [[Blades (G1)#Bot Shots|Protectobot Blades]], [[Groove (G1)#Bot Shots|Protectobot Groove]] and [[Streetwise (G1)#Bot Shots|Protectobot Streetsmart]], but this never saw release.

:Many of his parts originally came from [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Bot Shots|Ironhide]] and were also used for [[Dirt Boss (Cybertron)#Bot Shots|Super Bot Dirt Boss]], [[Hound (G1)/toys#Bot Shots|Blitz Shot Autobot Hound]] and [[Swindle (G1)#Bot Shots|Swindle]].

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Kre-O===
[[FIle:KreO-Toy First Aid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|First Aid superior, Protectobots inferior.]]
*'''Defensor''' (Micro-Changer Combiner, [[2013]])
**''Set number'': '''A4474'''
**''Pieces'': '''85'''
**''Accessories'': Pistol

:First Aid comes as part of the Defensor [[Micro-Changer]] combiner set alongside [[Blades (G1)#Kre-O|Blades]], [[Hot Spot (G1)#Kre-O|Hot Spot]], and [[Streetwise (G1)#Kre-O|Streetsmart]], and can be rebuilt from his robot mode into an ambulance. He can also contribute his bricks to form Defensor. His helmet was originally created for [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Soundwave]] (can you tell?) and his gun used to be [[Bumblebee (Kre-O)|Bumblebee]]'s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/Kre-OFirstAid/firstaid.htm More information on First Aid at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transformers (2014)===
[[File:ProtectobotsEmergencyResponse-FirstAid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|You better snap this one up, 'cuz they're definitely not gonna make a real First Aid any time... uh...]]
*'''Protectobots Emergency Response''' (Three-pack, [[2014]])
:''[[Transformers (2014 toyline)|Transformers]]'' "Protectobot First Aid" is a minor redeco of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' Deluxe Class [[Ratchet (WFC)#Prime|Autobot Ratchet]], with altered paint applications (now predominantly blue) and a lighter shade of gray plastic. He also has a "dramatic head reveal" [[gimmick]], with his [[robot mode]] head being spring-loaded to pop up once his "backpack" is pulled down. He features [[5 mm post|5 mm peg-holes]] for his hands, a pair on his front bumpers/shins, and a pair on his vehicle roof.

:First Aid also comes with a pair of battle blades that can mount/be held via 5mm post, and his hands can be swung down at the wrist to give the appearance of the blades sprouting out of his wrists. The blades can mount into the peg-holes on his front bumper, creating a battle mode, and the blades can store on tabs underneath his vehicle.

:First Aid is only available in three-pack with [[Streetwise (G1)#Transformers (2014)|Protectobot Streetsmart]] and [[Groove (G1)#Transformers (2014)|Protectobot Groove]], which was released as a [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusive in Hasbro's Asian markets, while in the United States, it was officially an [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] exclusive that was later also stocked by other online retailers such as [[BigBadToyStore]] for a hefty markup.

:This mold was retooled into [[BotCon 2014]] [[Cannonball (G1)#Timelines|Cannonball]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/AKDFirstAid/firstaid.htm More information on 2014 First Aid at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-FirstAid.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|...any time soon. ''Huh.'']]
*'''Protectobot First Aid''' (Deluxe Class, [[2015]])
**'''4 of 5: [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]'''
**Accessories: Axe, double-barrelled gun/fist/foot
:Released as part of the ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' subline imprint of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'', First Aid is an extensive retool of ''Combiner Wars'' [[Offroad#Generations|Decepticon Offroad]]. He transforms into either an {{w|Advanced life support|Advanced Life Support (ALS) vehicle}} or a limb for any combiner in the same subline or any ''Unite Warriors'' Voyager class figure or into one of [[Godbomber#Legends|''Legends'' Godbomber's]] legs, although he officially forms the right leg of [[Defensor (G1)#Generations|Defensor]]. He has a tab on the roof of his vehicle mode that fits into a slot on his fist/foot accessory, allowing it to serve as a gun. He is the only Deluxe Class Protectobot whose instructions actually show him using the gun in this manner. While the front hood/windshields are needed to be folded as kneecaps for his leg mode, the piece also had a tendency to dislodge if he collides to Hot Spot's (or his redecoes/retools) protruding foot while the legs are being swiveled in his standing position, unless the leg joints are bent down to lessen the problem.

:First Aid comes with a copy of "''Combiner Wars'' #12" (actually [[Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|''The Transformers'' #36]]). In Canada, Latin America, and Europe, the comic is omitted and replaced with a collector card featuring the figure's [[package art]].

:The original version of this mold was also used to make [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service|TFSS]] [[Ruckus (G1)#Combiner Wars|Grabuge]] and ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' [[Breakdown (WFC)#Unite Warriors 2|Zombie War Breakdown]], and was differently retooled into ''Combiner Wars'' [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#CombinerWars|Ironhide]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#CombinerWars|Trailbreaker]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/CWFirstAid/firstaid.htm More information on ''Combiner Wars'' First Aid at TFU.info]''
{{CWOffroadMold}}
{{-}}

===Unite Warriors===
[[File:TF-Unite-Warriors-UW03-First-Aid.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Guardian''' ('''Defensor''') (Multi-pack, [[December 12]], 2015)
**''ID number:'' '''UW-03'''
**''Accessories:'' Axe, double-barrelled gun/fist/foot

:Takara's iteration of ''Combiner Wars'' Defensor is sold in a gift set including the five original Protectobots, with Groove (as a new Deluxe-sized mold) included instead of [[Rook (Generations)#Toys|Rook]]. First Aid features deco changes that evoke his original toy, such as a triangle symbol and thin red stripe alongside his vehicle mode side and an Autobot insignia on his left foot, and a painted rear window absent on the Hasbro release.

:''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' Guardian is released as a [[TakaraTomy Mall]] exclusive, rather than being a regular release. Preorders were open from May 25 to July 6, and it was shipped in December 2015.
{{CWOffroadMold}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:G1merch tfgum firstaid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Groove and First Aid''' (1987)
**''Accessories'': Photon pistol, dual-barrelled decrystallizer cannon

:Released in the fourth wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of [[candy toy]]s, this incarnation of First Aid is a snap-together model kit constructed of white, red and black plastic. Available only in a two-pack with Groove (and a stick of gum), First Aid has no paint applications, but features some stickers for decoration. He retains all the features and functionality of his larger toy, and combines with the other ''Transformers Gum'' Protectobots, all available in the same wave, to form Defensor.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-13.html More information on Transformers Gum First Aid at a Japanese fan blog]''
{{-}}

===G Guardian===
[[File:GGuardian firstaid.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''First Aid''' (Candy toy, [[2012]])
**''ID number:'' '''2'''
**''Accessories:'' Photon pistol
:First Aid is a snap-together candy toy model kit produced by Kabaya for their ''[[Gaia Guardian|G Guardian]]'' series, coming in an individual box packed with a stick of (chalky) gum. Made up of red and white plastic with ''lots'' of stickers for detail, he can combine with his five wave-mates to form [[Gaia Guardian]], able to become either an arm or a leg for the super-robot in the style of his Generation 1 figure. Similarly, he can also combine in the traditional manner with ''G Guardian'' Groove, Streetwise & Blades and Kabaya's 2012 ''Transformers Gum'' Hot Spot to form Defensor. ''G Guardian'' [[Heatrock]] and [[Skyfeather]] attach to Defensor to create [[God Guardian]].
::*''[http://d.hatena.ne.jp/nagano07/20120420/1334943000 More information on the G Guardian Protectobots at a Japanese blog]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:First Aid-Alex Milne-MtMtE.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
*First Aid is often characterized broadly in the fandom as a pacifist, but this attribute was only demonstrated in [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]]—his fellow Protectobot [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] was indicated to be the pacifist Protectobot in the original Tech Spec profiles. In First Aid's other appearances, he seems to have little problem fighting his enemies.
*Although the Protectobots in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]] are assumed to have been built on Earth (explicitly so in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK comics]]), his advice in "[[Afterdeath!]]" to [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] after [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|death]] sounds like words of experience.
*In the Italian dub, First Aid speaks with a cadence resembling an ambulance siren.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''First Aid''' (ファーストエイド ''Fāsuto Eido'')
*''French:'' '''Ambulo''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Sirena'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jíjiùyuán''' (急救员, "First Responder")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Primeiro Socorro''' (Portugal Comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Verstak''' (Верстак, "Joiner's Bench"), '''Sanitar''' (Санитар, "Male Nurse")

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Protectobots]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Tailgate (G1)

2020-07-09T02:34:27Z

MagnusPrime24: Adding info to reduce the stub.

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Tailgate}}
:''Tailgate is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TFU Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Shake harder, boy!]]
The naïve '''Tailgate''' needs to be liked. It's hardly the most unique of flaws, but he has an unfortunate, childlike tendency towards extremes. Placed in a situation with [[Autobot]]s who don't know him from [[Primon]], this sanitation 'Bot will spin a tall tale the height of a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] in an attempt to impress his fellows before it all comes crashing down. And it ultimately will—while he's a 'Bot with a spark of gold, he's broadly unfocused, frequently distracted and easily led, and often gets impulsive, irrational obsessions. And his timekeeping ''sucks''. In spite of this, he sometimes acts as a scout, with strict orders not to break cover for any reason. He is aided by a ridiculously powerful iron-cobalt magnet installed behind his bumper, which he can use to follow closely behind other vehicles and travel far into enemy territory on minimal fuel.

Easily his most distinctive mental issue is his occasional inability to tell the difference between a non-living [[Earth]] machine and sentient robotic life such as himself. While it's a [[:File:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|mistake many other Cybertronians have made at first]], typically they learn quickly and let it go. Not Tailgate. Once he gets it into his head, his compassion turns to rage against the "enslavers", and is quite vocal in his desire to "free" the machines of Earth.

[[Wheeljack's Bizarre Invention! Optimus Power Up!?|That boy ain't right]].

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ted Schwartz]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:FFoD5 MiniVehicles.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|"That machine is alive I tell you! Aliv—" "WE KNOW, TAILGATE!"]]
Tailgate was one of a group of [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] stationed at the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in 2006. When the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] built [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] out of a human city, [[Mount St. Hilary]] and the Ark were the first stop on his journey to destroy [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Tailgate and the other Autobots on duty rolled out to defend the Ark with all the firepower at their disposal. It didn't go very well. The Ark was left devastated in Trypticon's mighty wake, and Tailgate's troops were beaten and scattered by the colossal dinosaur. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga=====
[[File:FSRLmanga7 Tailgate.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rumors help him grow. Paranoia nurtures him.]]
With the [[Autobot]]s being framed by the [[Decepticon Trailer Corps]] for numerous crimes, [[Kenji]] was feeling a bit dejected at how his schoolyard chums were suddenly turning on them. Tailgate appeared to give him a lift home from school and attempted to cheer him up, reminding him that as an [[Honorary Autobot]] he had nothing to worry about. Their drive was interrupted by a crowd gathering around a display put on by a pair of robed figures (secretly [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]), decrying the Autobots and preaching the heroism of the [[Decepticon]]s. The rest of the Autobots soon arrived to straighten things out. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}}

Tailgate later responded to a distress signal sent from [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], who was fighting to rescue a [[Battle Dog|puppy]] that was brimming with energy from the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. Dying from its wounds, the dog transferred the energy into Powerglide, giving him brief access to [[Scramble Power]]. Along with the other [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot]]s, Tailgate merged with Powerglide into a [[Minibot combiner]] and swiftly defeated [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
{{-}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
[[File:Transformers Legends LG08 Tailgate and Swerve.jpg|thumb|]]
In [[2015]], Tailgate and Swerve fought [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] in a battle that went poorly, with Tailgate being easily kicked aside and Swerve stomped into the ground. As Tailgate picked Swerve back up using his Mini-Con partner, [[Groundshaker (Legends)|Groundshaker]], a [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] visiting from [[Legends World|another universe]] asked the two Minibots why they'd even taken on such a huge enemy. The Autobots responded that size has nothing to do with it, telling Rattrap that their Mini-Cons were just as small as him, but nevertheless valuable allies. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 8|Bonus Edition Vol. 8}} After Tailgate mentioned that his partnership with Groundshaker let him work with bomb disposal, Rattrap got curious about what Mini-Cons were, prompting Tailgate to explain the history behind the little 'bots. The enamored Rattrap then wanted to be a Mini-Con ''too'', and had an uncomfortable Tailgate wield him into battle with Trypticon. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter|Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter}} Eventually, the two heroic Minibots successfully defeated Trypticon. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:BattleLines6-UltraMagnus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Tailgate was present at the first "meeting" of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] nine million years ago. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukexclusive|Tailgate}}
[[File:Underworld!-TailgateFlattopSubsea.jpg|thumb|"I'M NOT A COWARD!"]]
Tailgate was one of the Autobots working with [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s covert cell on Cybertron, and was briefly seen when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] came to Cybertron and rallied the troops for an assault on [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]]. {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

He eventually finished his training at the [[Autobot Military Academy]], but upon graduation was provoked into joining [[Flattop (Autobot)|Flattop]] and [[Subsea]] in venturing [[Underworld|underground]], in order to prove his courage. When a group of [[Mutant (G1)|Cybertronian Mutants]] attacked and slaughtered his fellow cadets, Tailgate stood his ground. A blast into [[Smeltdown]]'s chest-furnace obliterated most of the sewer-dwellers, leaving only the ape-like [[Rotgut]]. However, a little quick thinking, and Tailgate was able to use the larger machine's bulk against him, flipping Rotgut into the pyre left in Smeltdown's wake. Thus, he proved he was not a coward... and also not very good at watching his friends' backs in a fight. [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] eventually arrived as Tailgate surfaced and let them know of his fellow cadets' fate.

Unfortunately, Tailgate's actions inadvertently [[Demon|woke something ''worse'' than the Mutants]]... {{storylink|Underworld!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}
[[File:Decepticons attack destiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|It doesn't get much better than this. Sorry, Tailgate.]]
Tailgate participated in the defense of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] against the onslaught of the [[Blitz Engine]]s and the Decepticon crew of the [[Warworld]]. He didn't have time to do much of anything except get shot by [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]]. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}} He survived, and travelled to the [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]] with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] to battle [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and survived that too. Almost immediately upon returning to Cybertron, however, he was attacked and killed by a [[shadow-leech]]. Ouch. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:BlackSunshine Autobot training failures.jpg|thumb|left]]
Tailgate was among the Autobot civilians who watched [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s anti-Optimus-Prime propaganda broadcasts. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Didn't seem to do the trick, though, as he was later seen training alongside several Autobot recruits against [[auto-combatant]]s following Shockwave's defeat. None of them fared particularly well in training, however, much to [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'s dismay. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|''Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye'' #1]]
[[File:MTMTE1 tailgate damaged.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|It's a scratch, he'll just walk it off... oh, right.]]
'''Tailgate of [[Rivets Field]]''' was forged from a hot spot that ignited six million years ago, two weeks before the launch of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} During this time, he lived in an era of peace alongside the likes of [[Nova Prime]] and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} Assigned the role of fourth-class sanitation 'bot, he was tasked with cleaning out the craft's coolant tubes before take-off, {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} but ran late to the job and made the mistake of trying to make up the time by short-cutting across the fragile [[Mitteous Plateau]]. The terrain collapsed out from under him, leaving him badly damaged and trapped underground, but he soon hit upon the plan of detonating the trailer-full of [[energon]] rations he had brought with him in hopes of blasting his way out. Unfortunately for him, he kept repeatedly passing out as he set this up, and with his chronometer damaged had no way of measuring the passage of time. He finally succeeded ''six million years later'', and was dragged from his pit by a group of Autobots who were on their way to depart the planet on the starship ''[[Lost Light]]''. Suffering a panic attack and passing out when he saw his explosion had damaged [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], the unconscious Tailgate was brought aboard the ''Lost Light'' by the Autobots, since he'd mentioned "the launch" and they had no idea who he was. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

Due to an accident with the quantum engine, the ''Lost Light'' was duplicated and ''another'' Tailgate woke up to bond on a different ''Lost Light''. What did he do? We dunno because the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] showed up and killed everyone! {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

[[File:MTMTE2 Tailgate.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Just your average kick-boxing, bomb disposing, metaphysics and epistemology student, and I once caught a fish ''this big!'']]
[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] soon discovered Tailgate's age when he studied his ancient systems, and called [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] in to carbon-date him. Tailgate woke up before that was necessary (happily observing that he hadn't killed "Nut-Job", as he mistakenly thought Whirl was called), so Swerve instead gleefully took it upon himself to inform him how long he'd been offline. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} Tailgate was horrified and heartbroken: by all rights, he should have been found in days, but the length of his absence made it clear he was so unimportant that nobody had noticed or ''cared'' he was missing. Since there was nobody around who knew the truth, and since he had always wanted to do something big and heroic with this life, Tailgate decided to make up a dramatic, overblown past for himself. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} He and Swerve went for a walk, during which he claimed that the damaged "Waste Disposal" decal on his arm actually read "Bomb Disposal", and that he had been part of the [[Primal Vanguard]], though Swerve was more interested in seeing his [[alternate mode]]. After Tailgate was introduced to [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]], the group were caught up in a battle between the amnesiac [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and some [[Legislator|strange robots]], in whose repeated chanting of "nineteen-eighty-four" Tailgate took an interest.

A little later, back on the ''Lost Light'', Swerve finally convinced Tailgate to attempt to transform, {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} but he wound up getting stuck halfway. It was at this inopportune moment that the crew were ordered back to their rooms, since a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] had been reported loose aboard the ship; spotting [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]], another Transformer from his time, Tailgate asked for some help getting to a room. Cyclonus carried the half-transformed Tailgate there and quite rudely dumped him on the ground. As the Sparkeater situation unfolded outside, the two ancient 'bots discussed the six million year gap in history they missed; Cyclonus described the [[Great War (G1)|Autobot-Decepticon conflict]] to Tailgate as he understood it, romanticizing the Decepticons' position enough that later, as Ratchet was unsticking his half-transformed body, Tailgate declared that he wanted to ''be'' a Decepticon! {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

[[File:Cyclonus Tailgate LifeAftertheBigBang.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Tailgate goes to see his KRAK dealer.]]
Learning of Tailgate's aims, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] insisted that ship's captain [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] set the "confirmed Decepticon sympathizer" straight, so Rodimus recruited Rewind to beam a compressed visual history of the war directly into Tailgate's head. Sobered by what he saw and realizing that the Decepticons were the "bad guys", Tailgate fumed at Cyclonus for misleading him and impotently struck him, leading his icy roommate to reciprocate with a vicious backhand. Leaving their room, Cyclonus kicked the downed Tailgate on his way out, leaving him cowering on the floor. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}

[[File:IDW MtMtE5 MagnusTailgateAttentionDirt.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Determined to be one of the "good guys", Tailgate requested that Ultra Magnus teach him the [[Autobot Code]]. By this point, Tailgate had edited his own [[Autopedia]] entry to reflect the false history he had created for himself—claiming he had studied metaphysics under [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], was a champion kick-boxer who graduated from the [[Ibex School of Epistemology]], helped invent the idealised heat engine, coordinated a search for the long-lost [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and he was part of [[Nova Prime]]'s inner circle, encouraging him to explore space—and the impressed Magnus agreed to educate him. Alas, Tailgate was soon to discover this meant an excruciating slog through an intense analysis of ten thousand pages of text. He was briefly interested in section 19, subsection 80, paragraph four because it reminded him of the robots that attacked Skids, {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} but by and large the experience was a gruelling one, and he moaned long and loud about it in [[Swerve's|Swerve's bar]], especially once he discovered there was an ''abridged'' version of the Code. {{storylink|Interiors}}

After the ''Lost Light'' was impacted by a discarded thumb from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], and was subsequently repaired, Tailgate attended an award ceremony honoring [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], Chromedome and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] for their part in saving the ship. He chatted with Chromedome during the celebration, and noted how the three honored Autobots had head-related names. Later, Tailgate was having a conversation with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] when they, along with nearly everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' were frozen in place due to one of Brainstorm's experimental weapons accidentally going off. After he recovered, he was awarded a [[Rodimus Star]] "for exceptional endurance in the face of adversity". {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

[[File:MTMTEannual rodimus writes on tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Ultimately, Tailgate passed his Autobot Code exam, though he professed it was not with "his best grades ever". Asking Cyclonus to attend his [[Act of Affiliation]], a step on the way to the full [[Rite of the Autobrand]], he was seemingly ignored - although his fellow Ancient Cybertronian would secretly attend. At the ceremony itself, however, Rodimus was briefly possessed by a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] and, rather than drawing his probationary Autobot symbol, scrawled "Set Me Free" in [[Cybertronian language#2005 IDW continuity|Old Cybertronian]] on his chest. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

Tailgate loved "Movie Night" in Rewind and Chromedome's quarters, where he watched such films as the old public information piece "[[Proteus's Promise]]", with several other members of the crew {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}} and would later recall it as the happiest time of his life. {{storylink|Before & After}} He was invited to listen in on Rewind's third communal storytelling session, part of an attempt to help the damaged [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] regain his memories; Tailgate had to interrupt Drift to ask what a [[Relinquishment Clinic]] was, {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} and was particularly impressed by the skills of one Orion Pax {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} even though he hadn't realized that Orion was actually [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], despite the notes he'd been making to keep track of all the characters. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:MTMTE12 panic keeps me focused.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Tailgate joined a mission to [[Temptoria]] to investigate the possibility that the [[Circle of Light]] were being held there. While the larger Autobots roughed up the occupying Decepticons, Tailgate and Rewind investigated the contents of [[Battery|The Battery]] only to find that the Decepticons didn't have the Circle and were merely converting the native life forms to [[energon]], and had rigged up a bomb. {{storylink|Before & After}} Now forced to actually dispose of a bomb, Tailgate tricked Rewind into telling him how to actually do it. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} Unfortunately he accidentally triggered a timer, and when he refused to stop work and escape, he had to be physically thrown from the room by Cyclonus. Cyclonus and Rewind were caught in the bomb's explosion, and Tailgate dragged the severely-damaged Cyclonus back to the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> medibay on his own. Observing the other Autobots leaving offerings of [[innermost energon]] for Rewind, Tailgate attempted to leave an offering for Cyclonus, only for it to be rebuked. Cyclonus did seem to have a change of heart after seeing Rewind's offerings, and helped Tailgate pick up the pieces of the shattered vial. {{storylink|Before & After}}

‎[[File:MtMtE13-BabyTailgate.jpg‎|thumb|"Congratulations! It's a beautiful baby boy... [[Tailgate (G1)#Notes|We think.]]]]
Some time later, he went to the bars on [[Hedonia]] with his usual crowd (his psycho-reactive [[holomatter|holomatter avatar]] taking the form of a human baby). {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} After abandoning Swerve with a drunken Ultra Magnus, Tailgate and the others explored a gift shop. Tailgate grew bored as Skids tried on hats but decided not to wait outside with Whirl, who was banging his head on a display case. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}} When Rewind was about to show a recording of the ''Ark-1'' opening ceremony that included the naming of its original crew, Cyclonus suddenly flew into a "drunken rage" that disrupted the proceedings. Tailgate ushered the others away so he could calm him down; after they had departed, it became clear Cyclonus had done this so the others wouldn't realize Tailgate wasn't part of the crew. Cyclonus revealed he had known from the start that Tailgate had been lying, and the little 'bot broke down and admitted to having falsified his past, and his grief over being a nobody. Cyclonus took pity on Tailgate and taught him how to sing an Old Cybertronian anthem. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

[[File:MTMTE22 tailgate altmode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
While lounging around in the ship's oil reservoir, Tailgate, Swerve, and Rewind took to discussing the cool alternate modes of their crew-mates, and entered into a wager to see who could be the first to solve the longstanding mystery of what Rung turned into. Tailgate tried to trick Rung into transforming by holding an "alt mode party", claiming they were all the rage back in his day, but since Rung hailed from the same time as him, it proved an unconvincing gambit. Interviewed by Rewind for a documentary movie about life on the ship not long thereafter, Tailgate continued making up accolades for himself, but openly admitted to never having been happier than he was on the ship, and looking to the future with glee. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

Tailgate and Cyclonus remained close after their experiences on Hedonia; Tailgate was in the ship's workshop crafting a new horn to replace Cyclonus's missing one when the 'bot in question angrily came storming in after learning that their quarters were to play host to "Movie Night". {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} That concern melted away in the face of [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]'s subsequent rampage through the ship; Cyclonus and Tailgate sat together during the funeral for the crewmembers who lost their lives in the chaos. After the ceremony, Tailgate went to help Ratchet to care for the dying Ultra Magnus, but accidentally scanned himself with Ratchet's "death clock", which announced that Tailgate had only three days to live. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

[[File:Tailgate Cyclonus Hope Is A Lie.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.4|The Hope is a Lie]]
An examination by Ratchet revealed that he had a terminal case of [[cybercrosis]], and Tailgate elected to trust only Cyclonus with the news, though Cyclonus seemed almost disinterested in the tragic announcement. Tailgate went to Swerve's Bar to drink away his sorrows, oblivious to the massive portal that the ''Lost Light'' was about to travel through. When Luna 1 was discovered to lie on the other side of the portal, an evidently distressed Cyclonus made up for his behavior by inviting Tailgate onto the team who would explore the moon. He insisted it was just for the experience, with the caveat that despite Luna 1's reputation as a "Miracle Moon", Tailgate must not hope for a cure. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

On arrival on Luna 1, Tailgate was captured and imprisoned with most of the ''Lost Light'' away team, becoming separated from Cyclonus who remained free. As none of the others knew he had less than three days to live, Tailgate's claims of impatience and panic at being in captivity were dismissed. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}} Things looked brighter once their co-prisoner [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Minimus Ambus]] revealed that he was really a healed Ultra Magnus; when Tailgate asked how he could have cheated his impending death, Minimus declared that the [[Solomus|Chief Justice Tyrest]], who has using the moon as a base, had doctors that could apparently work miracles. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

[[File:MTMTE21 tailgate amends law.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Chekhov's [[semicolon]]!]]
Tailgate's clock was down to one day and twelve hours by the time [[Getaway]] sprang the group from the cell, by which time he could no longer walk and had to be carried by Rodimus, though he played off his paralysis as seized-up servos. Reuniting with Ratchet, Tailgate told him of the moons' "miracle medibay", but Ratchet solemnly informed him that only Tyrest's medical minion [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] could really use the tools within it. The group proceeded to confront Tyrest and were all apparently immobilized by a "thought weapon" that paralyzed their bodies. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Tailgate's cybercrosis, however, had rendered him deaf to the frequency of the suggestion weapon. He managed to jump Tyrest and jab him in the head through the "cleansing" hole Tyrest drilled in his own brow. Tailgate deactivated the weapon while Tyrest was distracted, only to be taken hostage by the Chief Justice. Though he urged Rodimus to open fire, admitting his terminal condition, Tailgate was saved moments later by [[Minimus Ambus]]. As the room was swarmed by [[Legislator]]s responding to Tyrest's distress call, Tailgate put his knowledge of the Autobot Code to good use, using Tyrest's computer to amend and repeal the law in its totality. He barely had time to celebrate his achievement before collapsing.

[[File:Cyclonus SparkTransfusion ThisCalamitousLife.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Whomsoever pulls the sword from the Tailgate, they are the one]]
The next day, back on the ''[[Lost Light]]'', Tailgate asked Cyclonus to spare him a lingering death by terminating him, but Cyclonus refused. Though a cure was subsequently found, thanks to Tyrest's collection of esoteric medical equipment, Tailgate's spark had faded to a point where the process would no longer be viable. However, on Whirl's suggestion, Cyclonus used his [[Great Sword]] to directly transfuse energy into Tailgate's spark, boosting it to a condition that allowed the small 'bot's life to be saved. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} Tailgate underwent a period of recovery. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

After about six months, Tailgate was fully recovered from his cybercrosis, and could even fully transform again. He playfully charged Cyclonus when he first got out of the medbay, demonstrating his new signature move of "finger to the head". Tailgate was surprised by all that had gone on in his absence, including the new captain Megatron and ''Swerve's'' using [[Ten|one of the Legislators]] as a bouncer. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} He'd learned from his experiences ahahahaha just kidding, one of the first things he did was talk up his actions on Luna 1 at the bar. Getaway began talking to him, telling him his heroics were Prime-worthy and when Tailgate admitted to having lied about his old job, the agent bonded with him over his own dull past (Tailgate didn't notice Cyclonus storm out). {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} All of this was a trick: Getaway needed a patsy for Megatron to be tricked into assaulting or killing, as part of his plan to get the ex-Decepticon off the ship and in a prison cell. Tailgate was the ''easiest'' person to groom. {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}}

[[File:TwentyPlusOne-cyclonusscoldstailgate.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
This was all interrupted when the ship had to be abandoned on account of ''vanishing'' {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} and Tailgate was stuck on a crowded [[Rodpod]] with twenty others. When they started vanishing too, Tailgate (pumped up from false bravado from his recent praising) immediately aimed his guns at an amused Megatron—causing a standoff that, to Tailgate's horror, included Cyclonus too. As the vanishings went on, erasing all the original crewmembers, Tailgate had time to see all the other escape ships disappear before he too was claimed. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}} The cause was identified as the ''Lost Light'' running across the duplicate ''Lost Light'' (where [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] came across the other Tailgate's corpse) and everything was fixed. And the quantum duplicate Rewind was back too! {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}} And then Getaway told him he thought he could ''be a [[Wrecker]]''! {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} Tailgate would've been really pleased about all this if he and everyone else hadn't been whacked unconscious by poisoned engex at Swerve's! {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

Tailgate was fixed up and made part of a time-travel team (due to a compatible spark), pursuing the poisoner Brainstorm before he could alter the timeline. That meant he got to meet ''ORION PAX OMG''. He squeed about how awesome he was for trying to save infant sparks (and tried to get Cyclonus to agree) and then actually got to ''work with him''! {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} They went further back to pre-war [[Rodion]] and Tailgate had to take control of Cyclonus's comms while the ancient stared into the distance. When Tailgate babbled about the time-travel mechanics freaking him out, he found out Cyclonus was silent because of the chance to once again see an undamaged Cybertron.

[[File:Stet-curlystraw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|For want of a curly straw...]]
Cyclonus then apologised for hitting him. "Noted", replied Tailgate.

A further time-jump took them to Maccadam's New Oil House, waiting to see what happened. He listened to pre-war Megatron's poetry, had a drink, and asked for a [[curly straw]]. Rung getting him a curly straw started a bar fight that got Megatron arrested, so it's important to know that Tailgate is responsible for the Great War. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} Their final trip went to Megatron's birth and Tailgate was amused to see he was born in a Con facility (as in -structed Cold). During the whole time travel chaos, it was Tailgate who suggested "why don't we use time travel to send the ''Lost Light'' a message from the post telling them ''not'' to do all this bad stuff?". {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} That message made it to the day the ''Lost Light'' launched, but too late to stop them. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} A ticked off Cyclonus pointed out that ''all'' of those bad things turned out well, including that Tailgate himself ''didn't die of cybercrosis''.

[[File:OurStepsWillAlwaysRhyme TailgateHoverboard.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Once back in the present day, Tailgate and the crew watched ''[[Back to the Future|Back to the Future Part II]]'' and it was so awesome {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} that he went and got his ''own'' [[hoverboard]] and annoyed the crap out of the ''Lost Light'' crew by zooming about on it inside.

[[File:Getaway's innocent conversation with Tailgate.jpg‎|right|upright=1.7|thumb|''Gaslight'', starring Tailgate of Rivets Field as Paula]]
He and Getaway got together to go Legislator fishing in the oil reservoir, starting with a friendly booze-up in Mirage's bar [["Visages"]]. After telling him a ''slight'' fabrication of their recent time travel escapades, Getaway just ''happened'' to ''accidentally'' mention that Cyclonus had been saying mean things about Tailgate behind his back. Tailgate was horrified to learn Cyclonus had been insulting him for being scared on his death bed but don't worry Tailgate, Getaway's got your back and another drink would help even if you don't want it and oh don't mention to Cyclonus that he told you this, eh? {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}}

At [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]'s pre-wake, Tailgate used the hoverboard to ''kill it'' on the dance floor! {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}} Afterwards, at a subsequent EarthDance party at "Swerve's", he had "The Power Of Love" requested and planned to ask Cyclonus to dance with him. When Cyclonus refused and said begging him would be embarrassing, Tailgate muttered "like I don't normally embarrass you" under his breath and went off to dance with Getaway (not noticing Cyclonus had changed his mind). {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}}

[[File:TheOneWhereTheyGoToEarth-tailgategetsmeta.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left]]
Later, he presented First Aid with a farewell present from the crew despite the fact the medic's absence was only temporary. Soon after he was drafted into the team sent to 'Swearth' in order to save Swerve from an unknown illness and while on the strange sitcom world, he found a comic book series detailing the crew of the ''Lost Light'''s adventures. By the time the others had arrived back he was on issue #21 and pointed out that Swerve had opened Brainstorm's briefcase. For the benefit of the mission he skipped to issue #43 (The Swerve disappears story) and discovered a 'story so far page' by the bartender that explained everything. Rung realised the comic book was Swerve's way of reaching out to them and Tailgate witnessed the combination of the three neighbours into Swerve. When Swerve refused to say where the issue was, Tailgate deduced that he had found his happy place and didn't want to leave. After Cyclonus gave Swerve a moralising speech, Tailgate noticed Swerve's shoulder wound and he declared the story wrapped up. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

Tailgate was one of the dozen or so Autobots who landed on the [[Necroworld]], home of [[Mortilus|Censere]], hoping to find out more about the mysterious neutral Transformer. {{storylink|The Not Knowing}}

After months of {{w|Child grooming|grooming}}, Getaway began to start the [[Conjunx Endura|Conjunx Ritus]] and wow Tailgate, they could be [[Conjunx Endura]] and all it would take now is for him to do the "Act of Devotion", ''proving'' he really wanted it. Maybe he could, say, use those ''wicked cool [[mnemosurgery]] needles you totally said you wanted'' to put a special anti-villain virus in Megatron! But it's OKAY if you DON'T, I guess, they'd just have to start the whole ritual again, if they ''wanted'' to...

[[File:TheLopsidedTriangle-sparkspasm.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|Tailgate Mega Evolves after exposure to the Tailgatenite.]]
Tailgate duly broke into Megatron's hab-unit with no idea his 'Ravage detector' was a fake and he would have been killed if Whirl, Getaway's co-conspirator, hadn't had an attack of conscience and alerted Cyclonus. When saved, with Cyclonus risking his life against the ''Light'' security team, Tailgate realised that he'd unwittingly started the Conjunx Ritus on the Tetrahexian during his assumed death—holding his hand (Act of Intimacy), confessing his fear of death (Disclosure), giving him the gift of a replacement horn (Proferrence), and being saved with Cyclonus's own spark energy (Devotion). When Cyclonus was shot into stasis lock, a frightened and grieving Tailgate's glowing eyes, his constant tic, built into {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}} a wave of spark energy that unwittingly woke up Thunderclash but left Tailgate comatose. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

[[File:SpeakMemory2 TailgateThrowsRodpod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|It is I, Super Tailgate! (And I am cute, too!)]]
When he finally came round, the ship was under lockdown as the monstrous [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder, the Tetrahex Ripper]], a mnemosurgeon gone psychotic who could hack your mind on sight. While walking around the ship, he found Getaway's cell and was left furious about how the 'bot wouldn't even talk to him after all he'd done (unaware his mouth had been ''removed'' to stop him talking his way out of the cell) and punched the wall in anger.... shattering the windows. Tailgate found himself dragged into the fight against Sunder and showed another feat of strength when he ''hurled'' the [[Rodpod]] at the villain, crushing him! Which he had not expected. After the battle, [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] found that Tailgate was an [[Outlier (group)|outlier]]: his spark was "uniquely susceptible to mutation as a result of the background radiation generated by quantum travel," and a stress-caused mutation had made him super-strong and super-durable. All coming up Tailgate! {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

A time fissure had been discovered at Swerve's and allowed everyone to briefly look back at the past, seeing the departed. Tailgate chose to look back at [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and Drift, where he learned, with visible sadness, that Drift had introduced Pipes to him because the other minibot had been looking for a romantic partner. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

During a movie night, Tailgate and some of the other ''Lost Light'' crewmembers watched a documentary about [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] and his death during the earliest days of the war. Brainstorm commented that the ruthless Sentinel was, in many ways, the first Decepticon - a comment that confused Tailgate, as he had only heard good things about the former Prime. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-powerpunch.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|If you're an evil 'con, I will punch you for fun!]]
With his great strength, Tailgate was a key player in the liberation of Millarium and '''POWER PUNCHED''' a [[Rust Giant]] that was threatening Rodimus. Shortly after, it all changed: Tailgate and a dozen others were hit by a psychic attack eminating from an unknown location, with Tailgate hearing Cyclonus in pain and blaming him for what happened with Getaway. The group and some others tracked the signal to the Necrobot's home planet, only to find a Decepticon attack force waiting for them... and when the ''Light'' was contacted, Tailgate and his comrades learned the rest of the crew had let Getaway out and had a mutiny against Megatron and anyone deemed a 'sympathiser'. To Tailgate's horror, the Decepticon Justice Division were on the planet and closing in. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}} He naively hoped that the 'fortress' they were in was stopping the Decepticons rushing in but it turned out to be a deliberate psyops tactic to let them stew. There was luckily a way out, the Necrobot's teleporter! Problem is, a search had found stasis pods of organics (Tailgate not believing it mattered ''why'' the Necrobot had had them) in the fortress and teleporting would abandon them. Megatron gave a stirring speech in favour of staying to guard the innocents and Tailgate, with all the others, agreed to stay. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|The Sun in Flight}}

[[File:AtCloseOfDay-tailgatedemolishes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
When Ratchet returned, he investigated Velocity's description of Tailgate's unusual mutation, raising the concern that several other Transformers exposed to this pulse had experienced devastating system crashes. Meanwhile, Tailgate himself put his great strength to work as he began demolishing sections of the Necrobot's fortress to produce raw material for Brainstorm's inventions. Tailgate later re-convened with the other Autobots in the center of the fortress, where Whirl and Cyclonus revealed that the Necrobot's storm shield prevented them from firing the fortress's weapons. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} Instead, Velocity came up with the idea of triggering another mutagenic spark spasm, which would temporarily transform all the Cybertronians nearby into super-strong Outliers. Skids unwittingly sacrificed himself thanks to his traumatic memories, but as he perished the radiation from his spark super-charged the Autobots.

[[File:RageRage-wastedisposal.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|Tailgate's developed a... ahem... punchier personality.]]
The Autobots charged forward to take down the Decepticons, although Tailgate found that his foes weren't willing to play along with his witty banter. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} The upgrade soon wore off, and Tailgate retreated back to the Necrobot's fortress with the other Autobots as Megatron took down the members of the DJD one by one. When that business as over, Tailgate was present to witness the return of [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]], [[Terminus (G1)|Terminus]], and several other Transformers who had vanished throughout history—in reality abducted by the time-travelling Necrobot and brought to the present day. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}

At daybreak, he showed off his super-strength by lifting Roller and boasted about his combat prowess to the time-scooped. Cyclonus pulled him aside to quietly inform him that it was wrong to grandstand when not everyone had made it out alive and he bore some responsibility for Skids' loss. That's when time-scooped Decepticon [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], irritated that Autobots were celebrating Decepticon deaths, 'oops! pardon me' bumped the two to start a fight. When Tailgate later found Cyclonus to be heavily damaged, he stormed off to batter Fangry, ignoring his partner's cries to leave it. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|Some Other Cybertron}} Tailgate found Fangry and proceeded to brutalize him finishing with throwing the Decepticon against the Memorial to the Disappeared with enough force to rupture the Decepticon's neural cluster an act which terrified the other Decepticons into fleeing. Cyclonus then showed Tailgate the corpses of the many Decepticons the minibot had killed to try and get him to better understand his new powers only for Tailgate to collapse from a lack of Energon. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|Anomie}} When Cyclonus arrived to help Whirl missing half his body, Whirl realized that Tailgate was responsible forcing Cyclonus to confess that, while recharging, Tailgate attempted to tear out his own Spark, forcing Cyclonus to intervene and becoming damaged as a result. Despite Cyclonus' protests, Whirl told Tailgate the truth behind Cyclonus' damages. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|Bad Moon Rising}} Tailgate and Whirl arrived in the main room where Tailgate stoically greeted Cyclonus. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|Modes of Production}} When Necroworld returned to its own universe, Tailgate was the first to welcome back the group. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

When Rodimus hit on the (somewhat disturbing) plan to supersize the corpse of the Decepticon [[Skip]] to create a large enough spacecraft to escape Necroworld, Tailgate got to work manually converting the now giant Decepticon into starship mode. He was approached by Cyclonus who confessed his fear that Tailgate may be manipulated again as Getaway once did to him only for Tailgate to brush him off, insisting that no one would manipulate him again and invited Cyclonus to leave him alone. When the boarding call came, Tailgate informed Cyclonus that he was staying behind even trying to return the [[innermost energon]] that Cyclonus had donated as the minibot no longer believed the two had a future together. Once the ship launched, Tailgate confessed to [[Kaput]] his reasons for staying behind, namely not wanting to hurt Cyclonus anymore and asked if Kaput could make him normal once again. After days of study, Kaput hit on a possible answer. Seal Tailgate in an [[isolation chamber]] for six months and flood him with neutronic radiation to try and get his Spark back to normal. Despite the risks, Tailgate agreed yet no sooner had he entered the chamber did Fangry slay Kaput and reset the timer on the chamber as revenge for Tailgate humiliating him. Instead of six months, Fangry buried Tailgate for ''another'' six million years. Fangry promptly cut the communication line and buried the entrance to the chamber with the grass and flowers covering Tailgate's resting point. {{storylink|After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|After Megatron}}

When the [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]] Autobots arrived on [[Necroworld]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] discovered the isolation chamber and summoned [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] to examine it. The group used [[Beak]]'s super-optics to glimpse inside the chamber and found evidence suggesting the minibot had succumbed to spontaneous Spark combustion. Maximus informed Rodimus of the grim news who then informed Cyclonus. News of Tailgate's demise proved the last straw before all the tensions aboard [[Skip]] came to a boil.
{{storylink|Sardines}}

Tailgate eventually found himself in what appeared to be the Afterspark and proceeded to wait for Cyclonus to find him. Cyclonus lived up to his expectations after he and the rest of Team Rodimus found themselves in the same place. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|Metastasis}}Tailgate and Cyclonus swapped stories of what had happened to them after their parting. Tailgate awoke in this place depowered and with only a vague memory of his last moments underground. When Cyclonus told Tailgate that he hadn't died on Skip but rather when Tailgate told him to leave, the minibot declared that the two would now have a new deal: they were never to separate again. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (2): The God War|The God War}} But when it was revealed that the planet Team Rodimus had found themselves on wasn't the Afterspark, but a telepathic euthanasia clinic the bots realized it was likely that Tailgate was really just another construct. After Rodimus and crew shut down the clinic's systems, Cyclonus declared his love for Tailgate. Tailgate embraced him and told him to protect him as the constructs faded. However, seemingly miraculously, Tailgate remained even after the clinic's systems had completely died. They didn't have much time to celebrate though, as they were immediately set upon by a group of sparkeaters that were former members of the Lost Light's crew! {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|A Dance Before Dying}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|Lūstrāre}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|Farsickness}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|A Spark Among Embers}} {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}}}
{{-}}

====Prevenge====
{{voiceactor|[[Susan Blu]] (English)}}
Tailgate was suffering through one of Ultra Magnus's lectures on the Autobot code when his teacher was suddenly whisked away through a trans-dimensional portal. Tailgate was left to ponder if he had caused the portal to open with his brain... for about six seconds, after which Ultra Magnus reappeared. Ultra Magnus told Tailgate that they could call it a day on the lecture, so long as Tailgate promised never to speak of what had just transpired. {{storylink|Prevenge}}

===''Power of the Primes'' marketing material===
The Autobot Tailgate could enhance his fuel efficiency by linking with [[Prime Master]]s. {{storylink|#Power of the Primes|''Power of the Primes'' Tailgate packaging bio}}
{{note|For a list of powers manifested by Tailgate, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsTailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Tailgate participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Common character that could be recruited for 16 units of Cybermetal. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Tailgate toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|White Rider.]]
*'''Tailgate''' (Mini Vehicle, [[1986]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-61'''

: Tailgate is a white-and-blue [[retool]]ing of the 1984 Autobot, [[Windcharger (G1)#Generation 1|Windcharger]], transforming into a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car. His head sculpt is much more elaborate than the earlier toy's (which shared the ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' sculpt), and his hood has been altered with an indent for a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

: The original version of this mold was used by [[Camaro]] and [[Rook (Universe)|Rook]]. Tailgate's toy was also used as the model for the comics-original character [[Wipe-Out]].

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-mini-vehicles-tailgate/1179/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Tailgate at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Tailgate/tailgate.htm More information on Tailgate at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|IGA}}
*'''Tailgate''' (Mini Vehicle, 1987)

: In the Mexican ''Transformers'' line produced by [[IGA]], Tailgate was released as a straight [[redeco]] of Windcharger, sold on Tailgate cards. He came in two different colors: white with metallic-blue, and yellow with metallic-blue. The reasoning for the yellow version may lie in the [[Toy Fair 1986]] catalog, which shows a prototype Tailgate in yellow.

: IGA appears to have done this old-mold-new-colors move with the other third-year retools ([[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]], [[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]], [[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]] and [[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]), though so far Tailgate and Swerve are the only ones that have been confirmed with carded samples.

{{-}}

===Encore===
[[File:Encore Tailgate.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Immediately, something like scales fell from Tailgate's eyes, and he could see again.]]
*'''Bumble & Minibots''' (Multi-pack, [[2008]])
**''Encore number'': '''10'''

:In 2008, Tailgate was reissued in the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This version of Tailgate has his visor painted bright blue, plus the [[insignia]] sticker on the robot mode has been cut to the contours of the insignia, rather than the simple trapezoid fitting the plate it is attached to on prior versions (despite what Takara's stock photos of the toy showed).

: Tailgate came in a five-bot multipack, bundled with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Encore|Bumblebee]], [[Outback (G1)#Encore|Outback]], [[Pipes (G1)#Encore|Pipes]], and [[Swerve (G1)#Encore|Swerve]].
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm the one that loves the purple oni.]]
====Thrilling 30====
*'''Autobot Tailgate & Groundbuster''' (Legends Class, [[2014]])
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #008'''

:Part of the sixth wave of [[2012]]-onwards ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' "Autobot Tailgate" is a new mold that's roughly the size of a ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Commander Class toy. He transforms from a white muscle car into a [[robot mode]] largely based on [[Nick Roche]]'s design for [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' comic, with some blue flame-decals on his hood likely inspired by his ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' [[Tailgate (Prime)|counterpart]]. He comes with [[Neutro#Generations|Groundbuster]] (based on the [[Micromaster]] [[Neutro#Generation 1|Neutro]]), who transforms into a robot, a bomb disposal skid loader,<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/96686-generations-legends-targetmaster-moulds/?p=2423893 Designer Joe Kyde on "The Allspark" messageboard]</ref> and an extended claw for Tailgate to wield via its [[5 mm post|5mm post]], or mount onto the peg-hole on Tailgate's hood in vehicle mode.

:This mold was retooled into ''Generations'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Generations|Windcharger]] and ''Timelines'' [[Nightracer (G1)#Timelines|Nightracer]]. It also served as the basis of the non-toy ''Shattered Glass'' incarnation of [[Tailgate (SG)|Tailgate]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/GenTailgate/tailgate.htm More information on ''Generations'' Tailgate at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

====Power of the Primes====
[[File:POTPtoy-Tailgate.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Hi, it's me! I just think household electronics are people! What's a Cyclonus?]]
*'''Autobot Tailgate''' (Legends Class, 2017)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''PP-34'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[October 27]], 2018'''
:Part of the second wave of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Legends Class figures, "Autobot Tailgate" is a retool of ''Power of the Primes'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Power of the Primes|Windcharger]] with a new head. He transforms from a robot into a fictionalized Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car that is based on his [[#Generation 1|Generation 1 toy]]. He also features an opening canopy on his alternate mode to let any Titan/Prime Masters to ride in.

:Tailgate and the rest of his wave were released at retail in Singapore, and subsequently in the United Kingdom, and later, the United States, before Hasbro even acknowledged their existence, let alone before online retailers were permitted to sell their stock.
{{-}}

===Legends===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG-08-Tailgate.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|It makes your whites slightly darker, and your brights also slightly darker.]]
*'''Swerve & Tailgate''' (Multi-pack, 2015-[[January 24|01-24]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG08'''

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Tailgate is a redeco of ''Thrilling 30'' Legends Class Tailgate with a closer resemblance to his original toy, with changes such as a darker shade of teal, an Autobot sigil on his stomach and black car mode windows. He also lacks the flame deco on his hood but instead features a silver-painted grill. Tailgate and "Groundshaker" were sold exclusively in a two-pack with [[Swerve (G1)#Legends|Swerve]] and [[Phaser (G1)#Legends|Phaser]].
{{-}}

===Vintage G1===
[[File:Walmart-Vintage-G1-Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Tailgate''' ("Legion Class" reissue, 2018)

: Part of the first wave of the ''[[Vintage G1]]'' line, this reissue of the Tailgate Mini Vehicle is ''very'' similar to the [[#Encore|''Encore'' release]], with the light blue visor, but has a few more small changes. The vehicle mode [[rubsign]] is an all-new type used on the ''Vintage G1'' toys; the insignia ''only'' turns red rather than the mood-ring multicolor of older rubsigns, plus the silver border is mirror-level reflective. This version also has production information tampographed onto the sole of his right foot.

:Like all ''Vintage G1'' figures, Tailgate was [[exclusive]] to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but has thus far only been available from the Walmart website in the US. He was also available at general retail in Hong Kong, and exclusive in Australia to the website of fashion chain Cotton On. Oddly, the Australian release came in [[multilingual packaging]] intended for the European market, a rare but not entirely unheard of occurrence. Unfortunately, due to the limited space on the back, the iconic [[Tech Spec]] card is omitted, replaced by parental warnings in 24 languages about the possibility of breakage due to excessive force, and that parts are not designed to reattach.

:Although originating from the 1986 range of Mini-Vehicles, ''Vintage G1'' Tailgate's [[package art#Back of the box art|back-of-card artwork]] features the original 1984 mural, rather than the 1986 "Metroplex" mural present on ''Vintage G1'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Vintage G1|Hot Rod's]] box.

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:ToyFair1986-TFpage01a-TailgateHubCap.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Little. Yellow. Different.]]
*In the pre-[[Toy Fair 1986]] catalog, Tailgate is featured with a yellow car body, a black chest/torso, and a red face. Fellow 1986 [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] is featured with a white car body. Hmmmmm.
*Fan speculation about Tailgate's gender—always presented as male—broke out across Tumblr when a ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' promo called him [[:File:MTMTEpromo tailgate.jpg|"The Ingenue"]], a term for a ''female'' stock character.<ref>As debated [http://konora.tumblr.com/post/84182229574 here], [http://konora.tumblr.com/post/84182229574 here], [http://raelling.tumblr.com/post/84200154095 here]...</ref> This was ''completely'' unintentional but Roberts was "pleased" to find out what he'd accidentally done.<ref>[http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2015/02/26/james-roberts-on-idws-transformers-more-that-meets-the-eye/ Women Write About Comics: "James Roberts on IDW’s Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye" 18:00 - 18:08]</ref> He went on to approve of [[Susan Blu]] being cast as Tailgate in "[[Prevenge]]" when it was run by him pre-[[BotCon]], and said at an [[Unofficial conventions|Auto Assembly]] panel that he was convinced Tailgate's baby-holoform was a girl. It can happen even though it's not on [[Hub Network|the Hub]]!

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Tailgate''' (テイルゲイト ''Teirugeito'', テイルゲート ''Teirugēto'')
*''French:'' '''Hayon''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Dǎngbǎn''' (挡板, "Tailgate")

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Scouts]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Tailgate (G1)

2020-07-08T22:17:24Z

MagnusPrime24:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Tailgate}}
:''Tailgate is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TFU Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Shake harder, boy!]]
The naïve '''Tailgate''' needs to be liked. It's hardly the most unique of flaws, but he has an unfortunate, childlike tendency towards extremes. Placed in a situation with [[Autobot]]s who don't know him from [[Primon]], this sanitation 'Bot will spin a tall tale the height of a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] in an attempt to impress his fellows before it all comes crashing down. And it ultimately will—while he's a 'Bot with a spark of gold, he's broadly unfocused, frequently distracted and easily led, and often gets impulsive, irrational obsessions. And his timekeeping ''sucks''. In spite of this, he sometimes acts as a scout, with strict orders not to break cover for any reason. He is aided by a ridiculously powerful iron-cobalt magnet installed behind his bumper, which he can use to follow closely behind other vehicles and travel far into enemy territory on minimal fuel.

Easily his most distinctive mental issue is his occasional inability to tell the difference between a non-living [[Earth]] machine and sentient robotic life such as himself. While it's a [[:File:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|mistake many other Cybertronians have made at first]], typically they learn quickly and let it go. Not Tailgate. Once he gets it into his head, his compassion turns to rage against the "enslavers", and is quite vocal in his desire to "free" the machines of Earth.

[[Wheeljack's Bizarre Invention! Optimus Power Up!?|That boy ain't right]].

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ted Schwartz]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:FFoD5 MiniVehicles.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|"That machine is alive I tell you! Aliv—" "WE KNOW, TAILGATE!"]]
Tailgate was one of a group of [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] stationed at the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in 2006. When the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] built [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] out of a human city, [[Mount St. Hilary]] and the Ark were the first stop on his journey to destroy [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Tailgate and the other Autobots on duty rolled out to defend the Ark with all the firepower at their disposal. It didn't go very well. The Ark was left devastated in Trypticon's mighty wake, and Tailgate's troops were beaten and scattered by the colossal dinosaur. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga=====
[[File:FSRLmanga7 Tailgate.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rumors help him grow. Paranoia nurtures him.]]
With the [[Autobot]]s being framed by the [[Decepticon Trailer Corps]] for numerous crimes, [[Kenji]] was feeling a bit dejected at how his schoolyard chums were suddenly turning on them. Tailgate appeared to give him a lift home from school and attempted to cheer him up, reminding him that as an [[Honorary Autobot]] he had nothing to worry about. Their drive was interrupted by a crowd gathering around a display put on by a pair of robed figures (secretly [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]), decrying the Autobots and preaching the heroism of the [[Decepticon]]s. The rest of the Autobots soon arrived to straighten things out. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}}

Tailgate later responded to a distress signal sent from [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], who was fighting to rescue a [[Battle Dog|puppy]] that was brimming with energy from the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. Dying from its wounds, the dog transferred the energy into Powerglide, giving him brief access to [[Scramble Power]]. Along with the other [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot]]s, Tailgate merged with Powerglide into a [[Minibot combiner]] and swiftly defeated [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
{{-}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
[[File:Transformers Legends LG08 Tailgate and Swerve.jpg|thumb|]]
In [[2015]], Tailgate and Swerve fought [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] in a battle that went poorly, with Tailgate being easily kicked aside and Swerve stomped into the ground. As Tailgate picked Swerve back up using his Mini-Con partner, [[Groundshaker (Legends)|Groundshaker]], a [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] visiting from [[Legends World|another universe]] asked the two Minibots why they'd even taken on such a huge enemy. The Autobots responded that size has nothing to do with it, telling Rattrap that their Mini-Cons were just as small as him, but nevertheless valuable allies. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 8|Bonus Edition Vol. 8}} After Tailgate mentioned that his partnership with Groundshaker let him work with bomb disposal, Rattrap got curious about what Mini-Cons were, prompting Tailgate to explain the history behind the little 'bots. The enamored Rattrap then wanted to be a Mini-Con ''too'', and had an uncomfortable Tailgate wield him into battle with Trypticon. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter|Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter}} Eventually, the two heroic Minibots successfully defeated Trypticon. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:BattleLines6-UltraMagnus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Tailgate was present at the first "meeting" of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] nine million years ago. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukexclusive|Tailgate}}
[[File:Underworld!-TailgateFlattopSubsea.jpg|thumb|"I'M NOT A COWARD!"]]
Tailgate was one of the Autobots working with [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s covert cell on Cybertron, and was briefly seen when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] came to Cybertron and rallied the troops for an assault on [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]]. {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

He eventually finished his training at the [[Autobot Military Academy]], but upon graduation was provoked into joining [[Flattop (Autobot)|Flattop]] and [[Subsea]] in venturing [[Underworld|underground]], in order to prove his courage. When a group of [[Mutant (G1)|Cybertronian Mutants]] attacked and slaughtered his fellow cadets, Tailgate stood his ground. A blast into [[Smeltdown]]'s chest-furnace obliterated most of the sewer-dwellers, leaving only the ape-like [[Rotgut]]. However, a little quick thinking, and Tailgate was able to use the larger machine's bulk against him, flipping Rotgut into the pyre left in Smeltdown's wake. Thus, he proved he was not a coward... and also not very good at watching his friends' backs in a fight. [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] eventually arrived as Tailgate surfaced and let them know of his fellow cadets' fate.

Unfortunately, Tailgate's actions inadvertently [[Demon|woke something ''worse'' than the Mutants]]... {{storylink|Underworld!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}
[[File:Decepticons attack destiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|It doesn't get much better than this. Sorry, Tailgate.]]
Tailgate participated in the defense of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] against the onslaught of the [[Blitz Engine]]s and the Decepticon crew of the [[Warworld]]. He didn't have time to do much of anything except get shot by [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]]. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}} He survived, and travelled to the [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]] with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] to battle [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and survived that too. Almost immediately upon returning to Cybertron, however, he was attacked and killed by a [[shadow-leech]]. Ouch. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:BlackSunshine Autobot training failures.jpg|thumb|left]]
Tailgate was among the Autobot civilians who watched [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s anti-Optimus-Prime propaganda broadcasts. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Didn't seem to do the trick, though, as he was later seen training alongside several Autobot recruits against [[auto-combatant]]s following Shockwave's defeat. None of them fared particularly well in training, however, much to [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'s dismay. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|''Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye'' #1]]
[[File:MTMTE1 tailgate damaged.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|It's a scratch, he'll just walk it off... oh, right.]]
'''Tailgate of [[Rivets Field]]''' was forged from a hot spot that ignited six million years ago, two weeks before the launch of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} During this time, he lived in an era of peace alongside the likes of [[Nova Prime]] and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} Assigned the role of fourth-class sanitation 'bot, he was tasked with cleaning out the craft's coolant tubes before take-off, {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} but ran late to the job and made the mistake of trying to make up the time by short-cutting across the fragile [[Mitteous Plateau]]. The terrain collapsed out from under him, leaving him badly damaged and trapped underground, but he soon hit upon the plan of detonating the trailer-full of [[energon]] rations he had brought with him in hopes of blasting his way out. Unfortunately for him, he kept repeatedly passing out as he set this up, and with his chronometer damaged had no way of measuring the passage of time. He finally succeeded ''six million years later'', and was dragged from his pit by a group of Autobots who were on their way to depart the planet on the starship ''[[Lost Light]]''. Suffering a panic attack and passing out when he saw his explosion had damaged [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], the unconscious Tailgate was brought aboard the ''Lost Light'' by the Autobots, since he'd mentioned "the launch" and they had no idea who he was. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

Due to an accident with the quantum engine, the ''Lost Light'' was duplicated and ''another'' Tailgate woke up to bond on a different ''Lost Light''. What did he do? We dunno because the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] showed up and killed everyone! {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

[[File:MTMTE2 Tailgate.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Just your average kick-boxing, bomb disposing, metaphysics and epistemology student, and I once caught a fish ''this big!'']]
[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] soon discovered Tailgate's age when he studied his ancient systems, and called [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] in to carbon-date him. Tailgate woke up before that was necessary (happily observing that he hadn't killed "Nut-Job", as he mistakenly thought Whirl was called), so Swerve instead gleefully took it upon himself to inform him how long he'd been offline. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} Tailgate was horrified and heartbroken: by all rights, he should have been found in days, but the length of his absence made it clear he was so unimportant that nobody had noticed or ''cared'' he was missing. Since there was nobody around who knew the truth, and since he had always wanted to do something big and heroic with this life, Tailgate decided to make up a dramatic, overblown past for himself. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} He and Swerve went for a walk, during which he claimed that the damaged "Waste Disposal" decal on his arm actually read "Bomb Disposal", and that he had been part of the [[Primal Vanguard]], though Swerve was more interested in seeing his [[alternate mode]]. After Tailgate was introduced to [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]], the group were caught up in a battle between the amnesiac [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and some [[Legislator|strange robots]], in whose repeated chanting of "nineteen-eighty-four" Tailgate took an interest.

A little later, back on the ''Lost Light'', Swerve finally convinced Tailgate to attempt to transform, {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} but he wound up getting stuck halfway. It was at this inopportune moment that the crew were ordered back to their rooms, since a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] had been reported loose aboard the ship; spotting [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]], another Transformer from his time, Tailgate asked for some help getting to a room. Cyclonus carried the half-transformed Tailgate there and quite rudely dumped him on the ground. As the Sparkeater situation unfolded outside, the two ancient 'bots discussed the six million year gap in history they missed; Cyclonus described the [[Great War (G1)|Autobot-Decepticon conflict]] to Tailgate as he understood it, romanticizing the Decepticons' position enough that later, as Ratchet was unsticking his half-transformed body, Tailgate declared that he wanted to ''be'' a Decepticon! {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

[[File:Cyclonus Tailgate LifeAftertheBigBang.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Tailgate goes to see his KRAK dealer.]]
Learning of Tailgate's aims, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] insisted that ship's captain [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] set the "confirmed Decepticon sympathizer" straight, so Rodimus recruited Rewind to beam a compressed visual history of the war directly into Tailgate's head. Sobered by what he saw and realizing that the Decepticons were the "bad guys", Tailgate fumed at Cyclonus for misleading him and impotently struck him, leading his icy roommate to reciprocate with a vicious backhand. Leaving their room, Cyclonus kicked the downed Tailgate on his way out, leaving him cowering on the floor. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}

[[File:IDW MtMtE5 MagnusTailgateAttentionDirt.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Determined to be one of the "good guys", Tailgate requested that Ultra Magnus teach him the [[Autobot Code]]. By this point, Tailgate had edited his own [[Autopedia]] entry to reflect the false history he had created for himself—claiming he had studied metaphysics under [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], was a champion kick-boxer who graduated from the [[Ibex School of Epistemology]], helped invent the idealised heat engine, coordinated a search for the long-lost [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and he was part of [[Nova Prime]]'s inner circle, encouraging him to explore space—and the impressed Magnus agreed to educate him. Alas, Tailgate was soon to discover this meant an excruciating slog through an intense analysis of ten thousand pages of text. He was briefly interested in section 19, subsection 80, paragraph four because it reminded him of the robots that attacked Skids, {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} but by and large the experience was a gruelling one, and he moaned long and loud about it in [[Swerve's|Swerve's bar]], especially once he discovered there was an ''abridged'' version of the Code. {{storylink|Interiors}}

After the ''Lost Light'' was impacted by a discarded thumb from [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], and was subsequently repaired, Tailgate attended an award ceremony honoring [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], Chromedome and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] for their part in saving the ship. He chatted with Chromedome during the celebration, and noted how the three honored Autobots had head-related names. Later, Tailgate was having a conversation with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] when they, along with nearly everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' were frozen in place due to one of Brainstorm's experimental weapons accidentally going off. After he recovered, he was awarded a [[Rodimus Star]] "for exceptional endurance in the face of adversity". {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

[[File:MTMTEannual rodimus writes on tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Ultimately, Tailgate passed his Autobot Code exam, though he professed it was not with "his best grades ever". Asking Cyclonus to attend his [[Act of Affiliation]], a step on the way to the full [[Rite of the Autobrand]], he was seemingly ignored - although his fellow Ancient Cybertronian would secretly attend. At the ceremony itself, however, Rodimus was briefly possessed by a [[Titan (group)|Titan]] and, rather than drawing his probationary Autobot symbol, scrawled "Set Me Free" in [[Cybertronian language#2005 IDW continuity|Old Cybertronian]] on his chest. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

Tailgate loved "Movie Night" in Rewind and Chromedome's quarters, where he watched such films as the old public information piece "[[Proteus's Promise]]", with several other members of the crew {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}} and would later recall it as the happiest time of his life. {{storylink|Before & After}} He was invited to listen in on Rewind's third communal storytelling session, part of an attempt to help the damaged [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] regain his memories; Tailgate had to interrupt Drift to ask what a [[Relinquishment Clinic]] was, {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} and was particularly impressed by the skills of one Orion Pax {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} even though he hadn't realized that Orion was actually [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], despite the notes he'd been making to keep track of all the characters. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:MTMTE12 panic keeps me focused.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Tailgate joined a mission to [[Temptoria]] to investigate the possibility that the [[Circle of Light]] were being held there. While the larger Autobots roughed up the occupying Decepticons, Tailgate and Rewind investigated the contents of [[Battery|The Battery]] only to find that the Decepticons didn't have the Circle and were merely converting the native life forms to [[energon]], and had rigged up a bomb. {{storylink|Before & After}} Now forced to actually dispose of a bomb, Tailgate tricked Rewind into telling him how to actually do it. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} Unfortunately he accidentally triggered a timer, and when he refused to stop work and escape, he had to be physically thrown from the room by Cyclonus. Cyclonus and Rewind were caught in the bomb's explosion, and Tailgate dragged the severely-damaged Cyclonus back to the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> medibay on his own. Observing the other Autobots leaving offerings of [[innermost energon]] for Rewind, Tailgate attempted to leave an offering for Cyclonus, only for it to be rebuked. Cyclonus did seem to have a change of heart after seeing Rewind's offerings, and helped Tailgate pick up the pieces of the shattered vial. {{storylink|Before & After}}

‎[[File:MtMtE13-BabyTailgate.jpg‎|thumb|"Congratulations! It's a beautiful baby boy... [[Tailgate (G1)#Notes|We think.]]]]
Some time later, he went to the bars on [[Hedonia]] with his usual crowd (his psycho-reactive [[holomatter|holomatter avatar]] taking the form of a human baby). {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} After abandoning Swerve with a drunken Ultra Magnus, Tailgate and the others explored a gift shop. Tailgate grew bored as Skids tried on hats but decided not to wait outside with Whirl, who was banging his head on a display case. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}} When Rewind was about to show a recording of the ''Ark-1'' opening ceremony that included the naming of its original crew, Cyclonus suddenly flew into a "drunken rage" that disrupted the proceedings. Tailgate ushered the others away so he could calm him down; after they had departed, it became clear Cyclonus had done this so the others wouldn't realize Tailgate wasn't part of the crew. Cyclonus revealed he had known from the start that Tailgate had been lying, and the little 'bot broke down and admitted to having falsified his past, and his grief over being a nobody. Cyclonus took pity on Tailgate and taught him how to sing an Old Cybertronian anthem. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

[[File:MTMTE22 tailgate altmode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
While lounging around in the ship's oil reservoir, Tailgate, Swerve, and Rewind took to discussing the cool alternate modes of their crew-mates, and entered into a wager to see who could be the first to solve the longstanding mystery of what Rung turned into. Tailgate tried to trick Rung into transforming by holding an "alt mode party", claiming they were all the rage back in his day, but since Rung hailed from the same time as him, it proved an unconvincing gambit. Interviewed by Rewind for a documentary movie about life on the ship not long thereafter, Tailgate continued making up accolades for himself, but openly admitted to never having been happier than he was on the ship, and looking to the future with glee. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

Tailgate and Cyclonus remained close after their experiences on Hedonia; Tailgate was in the ship's workshop crafting a new horn to replace Cyclonus's missing one when the 'bot in question angrily came storming in after learning that their quarters were to play host to "Movie Night". {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} That concern melted away in the face of [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]'s subsequent rampage through the ship; Cyclonus and Tailgate sat together during the funeral for the crewmembers who lost their lives in the chaos. After the ceremony, Tailgate went to help Ratchet to care for the dying Ultra Magnus, but accidentally scanned himself with Ratchet's "death clock", which announced that Tailgate had only three days to live. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

[[File:Tailgate Cyclonus Hope Is A Lie.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.4|The Hope is a Lie]]
An examination by Ratchet revealed that he had a terminal case of [[cybercrosis]], and Tailgate elected to trust only Cyclonus with the news, though Cyclonus seemed almost disinterested in the tragic announcement. Tailgate went to Swerve's Bar to drink away his sorrows, oblivious to the massive portal that the ''Lost Light'' was about to travel through. When Luna 1 was discovered to lie on the other side of the portal, an evidently distressed Cyclonus made up for his behavior by inviting Tailgate onto the team who would explore the moon. He insisted it was just for the experience, with the caveat that despite Luna 1's reputation as a "Miracle Moon", Tailgate must not hope for a cure. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

On arrival on Luna 1, Tailgate was captured and imprisoned with most of the ''Lost Light'' away team, becoming separated from Cyclonus who remained free. As none of the others knew he had less than three days to live, Tailgate's claims of impatience and panic at being in captivity were dismissed. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}} Things looked brighter once their co-prisoner [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Minimus Ambus]] revealed that he was really a healed Ultra Magnus; when Tailgate asked how he could have cheated his impending death, Minimus declared that the [[Solomus|Chief Justice Tyrest]], who has using the moon as a base, had doctors that could apparently work miracles. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

[[File:MTMTE21 tailgate amends law.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Chekhov's [[semicolon]]!]]
Tailgate's clock was down to one day and twelve hours by the time [[Getaway]] sprang the group from the cell, by which time he could no longer walk and had to be carried by Rodimus, though he played off his paralysis as seized-up servos. Reuniting with Ratchet, Tailgate told him of the moons' "miracle medibay", but Ratchet solemnly informed him that only Tyrest's medical minion [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] could really use the tools within it. The group proceeded to confront Tyrest and were all apparently immobilized by a "thought weapon" that paralyzed their bodies. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Tailgate's cybercrosis, however, had rendered him deaf to the frequency of the suggestion weapon. He managed to jump Tyrest and jab him in the head through the "cleansing" hole Tyrest drilled in his own brow. Tailgate deactivated the weapon while Tyrest was distracted, only to be taken hostage by the Chief Justice. Though he urged Rodimus to open fire, admitting his terminal condition, Tailgate was saved moments later by [[Minimus Ambus]]. As the room was swarmed by [[Legislator]]s responding to Tyrest's distress call, Tailgate put his knowledge of the Autobot Code to good use, using Tyrest's computer to amend and repeal the law in its totality. He barely had time to celebrate his achievement before collapsing.

[[File:Cyclonus SparkTransfusion ThisCalamitousLife.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Whomsoever pulls the sword from the Tailgate, they are the one]]
The next day, back on the ''[[Lost Light]]'', Tailgate asked Cyclonus to spare him a lingering death by terminating him, but Cyclonus refused. Though a cure was subsequently found, thanks to Tyrest's collection of esoteric medical equipment, Tailgate's spark had faded to a point where the process would no longer be viable. However, on Whirl's suggestion, Cyclonus used his [[Great Sword]] to directly transfuse energy into Tailgate's spark, boosting it to a condition that allowed the small 'bot's life to be saved. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} Tailgate underwent a period of recovery. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

After about six months, Tailgate was fully recovered from his cybercrosis, and could even fully transform again. He playfully charged Cyclonus when he first got out of the medbay, demonstrating his new signature move of "finger to the head". Tailgate was surprised by all that had gone on in his absence, including the new captain Megatron and ''Swerve's'' using [[Ten|one of the Legislators]] as a bouncer. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} He'd learned from his experiences ahahahaha just kidding, one of the first things he did was talk up his actions on Luna 1 at the bar. Getaway began talking to him, telling him his heroics were Prime-worthy and when Tailgate admitted to having lied about his old job, the agent bonded with him over his own dull past (Tailgate didn't notice Cyclonus storm out). {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} All of this was a trick: Getaway needed a patsy for Megatron to be tricked into assaulting or killing, as part of his plan to get the ex-Decepticon off the ship and in a prison cell. Tailgate was the ''easiest'' person to groom. {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}}

[[File:TwentyPlusOne-cyclonusscoldstailgate.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
This was all interrupted when the ship had to be abandoned on account of ''vanishing'' {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} and Tailgate was stuck on a crowded [[Rodpod]] with twenty others. When they started vanishing too, Tailgate (pumped up from false bravado from his recent praising) immediately aimed his guns at an amused Megatron—causing a standoff that, to Tailgate's horror, included Cyclonus too. As the vanishings went on, erasing all the original crewmembers, Tailgate had time to see all the other escape ships disappear before he too was claimed. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}} The cause was identified as the ''Lost Light'' running across the duplicate ''Lost Light'' (where [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] came across the other Tailgate's corpse) and everything was fixed. And the quantum duplicate Rewind was back too! {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}} And then Getaway told him he thought he could ''be a [[Wrecker]]''! {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} Tailgate would've been really pleased about all this if he and everyone else hadn't been whacked unconscious by poisoned engex at Swerve's! {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

Tailgate was fixed up and made part of a time-travel team (due to a compatible spark), pursuing the poisoner Brainstorm before he could alter the timeline. That meant he got to meet ''ORION PAX OMG''. He squeed about how awesome he was for trying to save infant sparks (and tried to get Cyclonus to agree) and then actually got to ''work with him''! {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} They went further back to pre-war [[Rodion]] and Tailgate had to take control of Cyclonus's comms while the ancient stared into the distance. When Tailgate babbled about the time-travel mechanics freaking him out, he found out Cyclonus was silent because of the chance to once again see an undamaged Cybertron.

[[File:Stet-curlystraw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|For want of a curly straw...]]
Cyclonus then apologised for hitting him. "Noted", replied Tailgate.

A further time-jump took them to Maccadam's New Oil House, waiting to see what happened. He listened to pre-war Megatron's poetry, had a drink, and asked for a [[curly straw]]. Rung getting him a curly straw started a bar fight that got Megatron arrested, so it's important to know that Tailgate is responsible for the Great War. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} Their final trip went to Megatron's birth and Tailgate was amused to see he was born in a Con facility (as in -structed Cold). During the whole time travel chaos, it was Tailgate who suggested "why don't we use time travel to send the ''Lost Light'' a message from the post telling them ''not'' to do all this bad stuff?". {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} That message made it to the day the ''Lost Light'' launched, but too late to stop them. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} A ticked off Cyclonus pointed out that ''all'' of those bad things turned out well, including that Tailgate himself ''didn't die of cybercrosis''.

[[File:OurStepsWillAlwaysRhyme TailgateHoverboard.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Once back in the present day, Tailgate and the crew watched ''[[Back to the Future|Back to the Future Part II]]'' and it was so awesome {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} that he went and got his ''own'' [[hoverboard]] and annoyed the crap out of the ''Lost Light'' crew by zooming about on it inside.

[[File:Getaway's innocent conversation with Tailgate.jpg‎|right|upright=1.7|thumb|''Gaslight'', starring Tailgate of Rivets Field as Paula]]
He and Getaway got together to go Legislator fishing in the oil reservoir, starting with a friendly booze-up in Mirage's bar [["Visages"]]. After telling him a ''slight'' fabrication of their recent time travel escapades, Getaway just ''happened'' to ''accidentally'' mention that Cyclonus had been saying mean things about Tailgate behind his back. Tailgate was horrified to learn Cyclonus had been insulting him for being scared on his death bed but don't worry Tailgate, Getaway's got your back and another drink would help even if you don't want it and oh don't mention to Cyclonus that he told you this, eh? {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}}

At [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]'s pre-wake, Tailgate used the hoverboard to ''kill it'' on the dance floor! {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}} Afterwards, at a subsequent EarthDance party at "Swerve's", he had "The Power Of Love" requested and planned to ask Cyclonus to dance with him. When Cyclonus refused and said begging him would be embarrassing, Tailgate muttered "like I don't normally embarrass you" under his breath and went off to dance with Getaway (not noticing Cyclonus had changed his mind). {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}}

[[File:TheOneWhereTheyGoToEarth-tailgategetsmeta.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left]]
Later, he presented First Aid with a farewell present from the crew despite the fact the medic's absence was only temporary. Soon after he was drafted into the team sent to 'Swearth' in order to save Swerve from an unknown illness and while on the strange sitcom world, he found a comic book series detailing the crew of the ''Lost Light'''s adventures. By the time the others had arrived back he was on issue #21 and pointed out that Swerve had opened Brainstorm's briefcase. For the benefit of the mission he skipped to issue #43 (The Swerve disappears story) and discovered a 'story so far page' by the bartender that explained everything. Rung realised the comic book was Swerve's way of reaching out to them and Tailgate witnessed the combination of the three neighbours into Swerve. When Swerve refused to say where the issue was, Tailgate deduced that he had found his happy place and didn't want to leave. After Cyclonus gave Swerve a moralising speech, Tailgate noticed Swerve's shoulder wound and he declared the story wrapped up. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

Tailgate was one of the dozen or so Autobots who landed on the [[Necroworld]], home of [[Mortilus|Censere]], hoping to find out more about the mysterious neutral Transformer. {{storylink|The Not Knowing}}

After months of {{w|Child grooming|grooming}}, Getaway began to start the [[Conjunx Endura|Conjunx Ritus]] and wow Tailgate, they could be [[Conjunx Endura]] and all it would take now is for him to do the "Act of Devotion", ''proving'' he really wanted it. Maybe he could, say, use those ''wicked cool [[mnemosurgery]] needles you totally said you wanted'' to put a special anti-villain virus in Megatron! But it's OKAY if you DON'T, I guess, they'd just have to start the whole ritual again, if they ''wanted'' to...

[[File:TheLopsidedTriangle-sparkspasm.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|Tailgate Mega Evolves after exposure to the Tailgatenite.]]
Tailgate duly broke into Megatron's hab-unit with no idea his 'Ravage detector' was a fake and he would have been killed if Whirl, Getaway's co-conspirator, hadn't had an attack of conscience and alerted Cyclonus. When saved, with Cyclonus risking his life against the ''Light'' security team, Tailgate realised that he'd unwittingly started the Conjunx Ritus on the Tetrahexian during his assumed death—holding his hand (Act of Intimacy), confessing his fear of death (Disclosure), giving him the gift of a replacement horn (Proferrence), and being saved with Cyclonus's own spark energy (Devotion). When Cyclonus was shot into stasis lock, a frightened and grieving Tailgate's glowing eyes, his constant tic, built into {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}} a wave of spark energy that unwittingly woke up Thunderclash but left Tailgate comatose. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

[[File:SpeakMemory2 TailgateThrowsRodpod.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|It is I, Super Tailgate! (And I am cute, too!)]]
When he finally came round, the ship was under lockdown as the monstrous [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder, the Tetrahex Ripper]], a mnemosurgeon gone psychotic who could hack your mind on sight. While walking around the ship, he found Getaway's cell and was left furious about how the 'bot wouldn't even talk to him after all he'd done (unaware his mouth had been ''removed'' to stop him talking his way out of the cell) and punched the wall in anger.... shattering the windows. Tailgate found himself dragged into the fight against Sunder and showed another feat of strength when he ''hurled'' the [[Rodpod]] at the villain, crushing him! Which he had not expected. After the battle, [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] found that Tailgate was an [[Outlier (group)|outlier]]: his spark was "uniquely susceptible to mutation as a result of the background radiation generated by quantum travel," and a stress-caused mutation had made him super-strong and super-durable. All coming up Tailgate! {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

A time fissure had been discovered at Swerve's and allowed everyone to briefly look back at the past, seeing the departed. Tailgate chose to look back at [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] and Drift, where he learned, with visible sadness, that Drift had introduced Pipes to him because the other minibot had been looking for a romantic partner. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

During a movie night, Tailgate and some of the other ''Lost Light'' crewmembers watched a documentary about [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] and his death during the earliest days of the war. Brainstorm commented that the ruthless Sentinel was, in many ways, the first Decepticon - a comment that confused Tailgate, as he had only heard good things about the former Prime. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-powerpunch.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|If you're an evil 'con, I will punch you for fun!]]
With his great strength, Tailgate was a key player in the liberation of Millarium and '''POWER PUNCHED''' a [[Rust Giant]] that was threatening Rodimus. Shortly after, it all changed: Tailgate and a dozen others were hit by a psychic attack eminating from an unknown location, with Tailgate hearing Cyclonus in pain and blaming him for what happened with Getaway. The group and some others tracked the signal to the Necrobot's home planet, only to find a Decepticon attack force waiting for them... and when the ''Light'' was contacted, Tailgate and his comrades learned the rest of the crew had let Getaway out and had a mutiny against Megatron and anyone deemed a 'sympathiser'. To Tailgate's horror, the Decepticon Justice Division were on the planet and closing in. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}} He naively hoped that the 'fortress' they were in was stopping the Decepticons rushing in but it turned out to be a deliberate psyops tactic to let them stew. There was luckily a way out, the Necrobot's teleporter! Problem is, a search had found stasis pods of organics (Tailgate not believing it mattered ''why'' the Necrobot had had them) in the fortress and teleporting would abandon them. Megatron gave a stirring speech in favour of staying to guard the innocents and Tailgate, with all the others, agreed to stay. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|The Sun in Flight}}

[[File:AtCloseOfDay-tailgatedemolishes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left]]
When Ratchet returned, he investigated Velocity's description of Tailgate's unusual mutation, raising the concern that several other Transformers exposed to this pulse had experienced devastating system crashes. Meanwhile, Tailgate himself put his great strength to work as he began demolishing sections of the Necrobot's fortress to produce raw material for Brainstorm's inventions. Tailgate later re-convened with the other Autobots in the center of the fortress, where Whirl and Cyclonus revealed that the Necrobot's storm shield prevented them from firing the fortress's weapons. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} Instead, Velocity came up with the idea of triggering another mutagenic spark spasm, which would temporarily transform all the Cybertronians nearby into super-strong Outliers. Skids unwittingly sacrificed himself thanks to his traumatic memories, but as he perished the radiation from his spark super-charged the Autobots.

[[File:RageRage-wastedisposal.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|Tailgate's developed a... ahem... punchier personality.]]
The Autobots charged forward to take down the Decepticons, although Tailgate found that his foes weren't willing to play along with his witty banter. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|Rage, Rage}} The upgrade soon wore off, and Tailgate retreated back to the Necrobot's fortress with the other Autobots as Megatron took down the members of the DJD one by one. When that business as over, Tailgate was present to witness the return of [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]], [[Terminus (G1)|Terminus]], and several other Transformers who had vanished throughout history—in reality abducted by the time-travelling Necrobot and brought to the present day. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}}

At daybreak, he showed off his super-strength by lifting Roller and boasted about his combat prowess to the time-scooped. Cyclonus pulled him aside to quietly inform him that it was wrong to grandstand when not everyone had made it out alive and he bore some responsibility for Skids' loss. That's when time-scooped Decepticon [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], irritated that Autobots were celebrating Decepticon deaths, 'oops! pardon me' bumped the two to start a fight. When Tailgate later found Cyclonus to be heavily damaged, he stormed off to batter Fangry, ignoring his partner's cries to leave it. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|Some Other Cybertron}} Tailgate found Fangry and proceeded to brutalize him finishing with throwing the Decepticon against the Memorial to the Disappeared with enough force to rupture the Decepticon's neural cluster an act which terrified the other Decepticons into fleeing. Cyclonus then showed Tailgate the corpses of the many Decepticons the minibot had killed to try and get him to better understand his new powers only for Tailgate to collapse from a lack of Energon. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|Anomie}} When Cyclonus arrived to help Whirl missing half his body, Whirl realized that Tailgate was responsible forcing Cyclonus to confess that, while recharging, Tailgate attempted to tear out his own Spark, forcing Cyclonus to intervene and becoming damaged as a result. Despite Cyclonus' protests, Whirl told Tailgate the truth behind Cyclonus' damages. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|Bad Moon Rising}} Tailgate and Whirl arrived in the main room where Tailgate stoically greeted Cyclonus. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|Modes of Production}} When Necroworld returned to its own universe, Tailgate was the first to welcome back the group. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 6: This Machine Kills Fascists|This Machine Kills Fascists}}

When Rodimus hit on the (somewhat disturbing) plan to supersize the corpse of the Decepticon [[Skip]] to create a large enough spacecraft to escape Necroworld, Tailgate got to work manually converting the now giant Decepticon into starship mode. He was approached by Cyclonus who confessed his fear that Tailgate may be manipulated again as Getaway once did to him only for Tailgate to brush him off, insisting that no one would manipulate him again and invited Cyclonus to leave him alone. When the boarding call came, Tailgate informed Cyclonus that he was staying behind even trying to return the [[innermost energon]] that Cyclonus had donated as the minibot no longer believed the two had a future together. Once the ship launched, Tailgate confessed to [[Kaput]] his reasons for staying behind, namely not wanting to hurt Cyclonus anymore and asked if Kaput could make him normal once again. After days of study, Kaput hit on a possible answer. Seal Tailgate in an [[isolation chamber]] for six months and flood him with neutronic radiation to try and get his Spark back to normal. Despite the risks, Tailgate agreed yet no sooner had he entered the chamber did Fangry slay Kaput and reset the timer on the chamber as revenge for Tailgate humiliating him. Instead of six months, Fangry buried Tailgate for ''another'' six million years. Fangry promptly cut the communication line and buried the entrance to the chamber with the grass and flowers covering Tailgate's resting point. {{storylink|After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|After Megatron}}

When the [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]] Autobots arrived on [[Necroworld]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Fortress Maximus]] discovered the isolation chamber and summoned [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] to examine it. The group used [[Beak]]'s super-optics to glimpse inside the chamber and found evidence suggesting the minibot had succumbed to spontaneous Spark combustion. Maximus informed Rodimus of the grim news who then informed Cyclonus. News of Tailgate's demise proved the last straw before all the tensions aboard [[Skip]] came to a boil.
{{storylink|Sardines}}

Tailgate eventually found himself in what appeared to be the Afterspark and proceeded to wait for Cyclonus to find him. Cyclonus lived up to his expectations after he and the rest of Team Rodimus found themselves in the same place.{{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|Metastasis}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (2): The God War|The God War}} {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|A Dance Before Dying}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|Lūstrāre}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|Farsickness}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|The Return of the King}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|The Unremembering}} {{storylink|Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers|A Spark Among Embers}} {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}}}
{{-}}

====Prevenge====
{{voiceactor|[[Susan Blu]] (English)}}
Tailgate was suffering through one of Ultra Magnus's lectures on the Autobot code when his teacher was suddenly whisked away through a trans-dimensional portal. Tailgate was left to ponder if he had caused the portal to open with his brain... for about six seconds, after which Ultra Magnus reappeared. Ultra Magnus told Tailgate that they could call it a day on the lecture, so long as Tailgate promised never to speak of what had just transpired. {{storylink|Prevenge}}

===''Power of the Primes'' marketing material===
The Autobot Tailgate could enhance his fuel efficiency by linking with [[Prime Master]]s. {{storylink|#Power of the Primes|''Power of the Primes'' Tailgate packaging bio}}
{{note|For a list of powers manifested by Tailgate, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsTailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
Tailgate participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Common character that could be recruited for 16 units of Cybermetal. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Tailgate toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|White Rider.]]
*'''Tailgate''' (Mini Vehicle, [[1986]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-61'''

: Tailgate is a white-and-blue [[retool]]ing of the 1984 Autobot, [[Windcharger (G1)#Generation 1|Windcharger]], transforming into a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car. His head sculpt is much more elaborate than the earlier toy's (which shared the ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' sculpt), and his hood has been altered with an indent for a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

: The original version of this mold was used by [[Camaro]] and [[Rook (Universe)|Rook]]. Tailgate's toy was also used as the model for the comics-original character [[Wipe-Out]].

::*''[http://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-mini-vehicles-tailgate/1179/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Tailgate at Transformerland.com]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Tailgate/tailgate.htm More information on Tailgate at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|IGA}}
*'''Tailgate''' (Mini Vehicle, 1987)

: In the Mexican ''Transformers'' line produced by [[IGA]], Tailgate was released as a straight [[redeco]] of Windcharger, sold on Tailgate cards. He came in two different colors: white with metallic-blue, and yellow with metallic-blue. The reasoning for the yellow version may lie in the [[Toy Fair 1986]] catalog, which shows a prototype Tailgate in yellow.

: IGA appears to have done this old-mold-new-colors move with the other third-year retools ([[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]], [[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]], [[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]] and [[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]), though so far Tailgate and Swerve are the only ones that have been confirmed with carded samples.

{{-}}

===Encore===
[[File:Encore Tailgate.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Immediately, something like scales fell from Tailgate's eyes, and he could see again.]]
*'''Bumble & Minibots''' (Multi-pack, [[2008]])
**''Encore number'': '''10'''

:In 2008, Tailgate was reissued in the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This version of Tailgate has his visor painted bright blue, plus the [[insignia]] sticker on the robot mode has been cut to the contours of the insignia, rather than the simple trapezoid fitting the plate it is attached to on prior versions (despite what Takara's stock photos of the toy showed).

: Tailgate came in a five-bot multipack, bundled with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Encore|Bumblebee]], [[Outback (G1)#Encore|Outback]], [[Pipes (G1)#Encore|Pipes]], and [[Swerve (G1)#Encore|Swerve]].
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm the one that loves the purple oni.]]
====Thrilling 30====
*'''Autobot Tailgate & Groundbuster''' (Legends Class, [[2014]])
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #008'''

:Part of the sixth wave of [[2012]]-onwards ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' "Autobot Tailgate" is a new mold that's roughly the size of a ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Commander Class toy. He transforms from a white muscle car into a [[robot mode]] largely based on [[Nick Roche]]'s design for [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' comic, with some blue flame-decals on his hood likely inspired by his ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' [[Tailgate (Prime)|counterpart]]. He comes with [[Neutro#Generations|Groundbuster]] (based on the [[Micromaster]] [[Neutro#Generation 1|Neutro]]), who transforms into a robot, a bomb disposal skid loader,<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/96686-generations-legends-targetmaster-moulds/?p=2423893 Designer Joe Kyde on "The Allspark" messageboard]</ref> and an extended claw for Tailgate to wield via its [[5 mm post|5mm post]], or mount onto the peg-hole on Tailgate's hood in vehicle mode.

:This mold was retooled into ''Generations'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Generations|Windcharger]] and ''Timelines'' [[Nightracer (G1)#Timelines|Nightracer]]. It also served as the basis of the non-toy ''Shattered Glass'' incarnation of [[Tailgate (SG)|Tailgate]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/GenTailgate/tailgate.htm More information on ''Generations'' Tailgate at TFU.info]''
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====Power of the Primes====
[[File:POTPtoy-Tailgate.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Hi, it's me! I just think household electronics are people! What's a Cyclonus?]]
*'''Autobot Tailgate''' (Legends Class, 2017)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''PP-34'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[October 27]], 2018'''
:Part of the second wave of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Legends Class figures, "Autobot Tailgate" is a retool of ''Power of the Primes'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Power of the Primes|Windcharger]] with a new head. He transforms from a robot into a fictionalized Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car that is based on his [[#Generation 1|Generation 1 toy]]. He also features an opening canopy on his alternate mode to let any Titan/Prime Masters to ride in.

:Tailgate and the rest of his wave were released at retail in Singapore, and subsequently in the United Kingdom, and later, the United States, before Hasbro even acknowledged their existence, let alone before online retailers were permitted to sell their stock.
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===Legends===
[[File:TF-Legends-LG-08-Tailgate.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|It makes your whites slightly darker, and your brights also slightly darker.]]
*'''Swerve & Tailgate''' (Multi-pack, 2015-[[January 24|01-24]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG08'''

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Tailgate is a redeco of ''Thrilling 30'' Legends Class Tailgate with a closer resemblance to his original toy, with changes such as a darker shade of teal, an Autobot sigil on his stomach and black car mode windows. He also lacks the flame deco on his hood but instead features a silver-painted grill. Tailgate and "Groundshaker" were sold exclusively in a two-pack with [[Swerve (G1)#Legends|Swerve]] and [[Phaser (G1)#Legends|Phaser]].
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===Vintage G1===
[[File:Walmart-Vintage-G1-Tailgate.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Tailgate''' ("Legion Class" reissue, 2018)

: Part of the first wave of the ''[[Vintage G1]]'' line, this reissue of the Tailgate Mini Vehicle is ''very'' similar to the [[#Encore|''Encore'' release]], with the light blue visor, but has a few more small changes. The vehicle mode [[rubsign]] is an all-new type used on the ''Vintage G1'' toys; the insignia ''only'' turns red rather than the mood-ring multicolor of older rubsigns, plus the silver border is mirror-level reflective. This version also has production information tampographed onto the sole of his right foot.

:Like all ''Vintage G1'' figures, Tailgate was [[exclusive]] to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but has thus far only been available from the Walmart website in the US. He was also available at general retail in Hong Kong, and exclusive in Australia to the website of fashion chain Cotton On. Oddly, the Australian release came in [[multilingual packaging]] intended for the European market, a rare but not entirely unheard of occurrence. Unfortunately, due to the limited space on the back, the iconic [[Tech Spec]] card is omitted, replaced by parental warnings in 24 languages about the possibility of breakage due to excessive force, and that parts are not designed to reattach.

:Although originating from the 1986 range of Mini-Vehicles, ''Vintage G1'' Tailgate's [[package art#Back of the box art|back-of-card artwork]] features the original 1984 mural, rather than the 1986 "Metroplex" mural present on ''Vintage G1'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Vintage G1|Hot Rod's]] box.

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:ToyFair1986-TFpage01a-TailgateHubCap.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Little. Yellow. Different.]]
*In the pre-[[Toy Fair 1986]] catalog, Tailgate is featured with a yellow car body, a black chest/torso, and a red face. Fellow 1986 [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] is featured with a white car body. Hmmmmm.
*Fan speculation about Tailgate's gender—always presented as male—broke out across Tumblr when a ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' promo called him [[:File:MTMTEpromo tailgate.jpg|"The Ingenue"]], a term for a ''female'' stock character.<ref>As debated [http://konora.tumblr.com/post/84182229574 here], [http://konora.tumblr.com/post/84182229574 here], [http://raelling.tumblr.com/post/84200154095 here]...</ref> This was ''completely'' unintentional but Roberts was "pleased" to find out what he'd accidentally done.<ref>[http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2015/02/26/james-roberts-on-idws-transformers-more-that-meets-the-eye/ Women Write About Comics: "James Roberts on IDW’s Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye" 18:00 - 18:08]</ref> He went on to approve of [[Susan Blu]] being cast as Tailgate in "[[Prevenge]]" when it was run by him pre-[[BotCon]], and said at an [[Unofficial conventions|Auto Assembly]] panel that he was convinced Tailgate's baby-holoform was a girl. It can happen even though it's not on [[Hub Network|the Hub]]!

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Tailgate''' (テイルゲイト ''Teirugeito'', テイルゲート ''Teirugēto'')
*''French:'' '''Hayon''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Dǎngbǎn''' (挡板, "Tailgate")

==Footnotes==
<references />

[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Scouts]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]