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Eject (G1)

2014-06-25T15:56:47Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 cassettebot|the Aligned-universe data-disc-bot|Eject (FOC)}}
:''Eject is an [[Autobot]] [[Autobot Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassette]] ('''ready for some football!''') from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:EjectVisualworks.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Skree! Unnecessary roughness, unnecessary roughness!]]
The best way to describe '''Eject''' is that he is always ''ready for some football!'' A confirmed Earth-sports junkie, Eject constantly scans the airwaves for everything from baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey, ''anything'', from professional to academic-level competition. This occasionally interferes with his job as a surveillance agent, should a game go into overtime when he should be monitoring [[Decepticon]] activity. Sports clichés and terms litter his speech: "home runs", "touchdowns", "gooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooal!!" and, of course, "Are you'' '''ready for some football?!"'''

For Eject, sports are more than a form of entertainment. To his mind, they are also the answer to the war. He feels that sports could replace the way Cybertronians traditionally settle disputes: with bloody arena combat or a millennia or two of killing each other in mass numbers. He tries to get the other Autobots in on the idea, and envisions one day a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] free of the horrors of war, where arenas are filled with fans cheering a three-point shot rather than a decapitation, where all Transformers are united in being truly'' '''READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!''' ''

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:TFTM EjectVsFrenzy.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|"SPEAR! SPEAR! SPEAR! BAH GAWD!"]]
During the Battle of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], Eject sacked [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] in mid-air while defending [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] in the communications tower. They continued grappling with each other as the "Mini-Cassette War" raged on. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

After the defeat of [[Unicron]], Eject was first seen stationed inside [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] when Blaster was calling for help from [[Earth Defense Command]] on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Sometime later, he joined Blaster and his fellow cassettes in traveling to [[Menonia]], looking for the missing [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. The strong silent type, Eject still helped overthrow [[Mara-Al-Utha]] and bring the [[Golden One]] back into power. {{storylink|Madman's Paradise}}
{{--}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform'' comic====
When the Decepticons posed as Autobots to defame their enemies in the eyes of humanity, Eject and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] rode inside [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] when the Autobots busted up a Decepticon-run anti-Autobot rally. Eject and Rewind fired their blasters at a pair of hooded-and-robed figures, who were revealed as the Decepticons [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]].

The two small Autobots then beat the ever-loving snot out of the two small Decepticons. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel UK future timelines====
[[File:EjectSpacePirates.jpg|thumb|"Usually the team that scores the most points wins the game."]]
Eject was stationed on Cybertron in 2008. He fielded a distress signal sent by an unknown party, and then passed the ball to his coach, Ultra Magnus, to call the play. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:EjectTWW.jpg|left|thumb|Ready for a game that won't be invented for millennia!]]
Eject was among the many Autobots who congregated in a secret base during the [[Age of Internment]], when the recently returned [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] covered the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], capturing countless Autobot heroes and sending the remnants of the army underground. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

{{-}}
===''G.I. Joe vs. Transformers''===
[[File:Eject-blackhorizon.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The CHIFFON! Pick the CHIFFON! No, not the taffeta!]]
Eject was part of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s team, working in conjunction with [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] to round up stray Cybertronian technology on Earth. When the Autobots disrupted one of [[Destro]]'s sales on a dock in [[Cuba]], Eject wound up taking on eight [[S.N.A.K.E.]] armored robots by himself.

''And he won.''

Back at the submerged space ship ''[[Arc II]]'', he was having a pleasant day watching reality TV shows with [[Firewall]] until the [[Pretender Monster]]s attacked. While Prowl, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] all fell before the Decepticons' assault...

''Eject got away without a scratch.''

Eject carried Firewall to the surface for [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] to pick up, before heading below to recharge and help the others. Whether this "help" consisted of single-handedly driving off their attackers is not made clear, but really, his track record points that way. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}}

After [[Unicron]] was defeated, Eject happily went back to watching bad television with Firewall. He was elated when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] chose to join them. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===Transformers G1: Awakening===
[[File:Gluawakening eject.jpg|thumb|left|150px]]
Eject was among the Autobots who left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and spent four million years in stasis after it was shot down over Earth by the Decepticons. As Blaster had been damaged in the crash, Eject was forced to remain inside him until he could be repaired sufficiently to return to combat. This was eventually achieved shortly before the Autobots returned to Cybertron to assault the Decepticon fortress in an attempt to free the enslaved Autobots there. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
When the Decepticons seemed to be having a run of luck, Eject helped Blaster, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] uncover [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s infiltration. {{storylink|Covert Operations}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Eject toy.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|RIBEIB, or EIBRIB? The (lesser) debate continues...]]
*'''Eject & Ramhorn''' (Cassette 2-pack, 1986)
**''Accessories'': 2 "Thruster Guns"

:Among the first new-mold cassettes in the line (rather than being pre-''Transformers'' ''[[Microman]]'' toys), Eject shares the same mold as [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], transforming into a blue microcassette. In this mode, he can fit in the chest compartment of the [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] or [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] toys. He was available only in a two-pack with [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]] in the [[Hasbro]] line.

: The initial Hasbro releases of Eject/Ramhorn had chromed-gold weapons; subsequent releases used chromed-silver. There are also [[Variant|variations]] of all new-mold cassettes from this series, in which the cassette back detailing is either a factory-applied foil decal, or painted-on detailing. It is unknown what (if any) correlation there is between the weapon and detailing variants.

: This mold was (much) later used to make [[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]], [[Rosanna (KP)|Rosanna]], [[Solarbot]], and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (toyline)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Rewind (SG)|Rewind]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Eject/eject.htm More information on Eject at TFU.info]''

*'''Eject''' (Cassettebot, 1986, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-68''', '''C-117'''
**''Accessories'': 2 "Thruster Guns"

: In Japan, Eject — like most of the "Cassettebots" and "Cassettetrons" — was only (originally) individually available, and was released again in the ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (toyline)|Headmasters]]''.
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Great Cassette Operation''' (2009)
**''Encore number'': '''15'''
**''Accessories'': 2 "Thruster Guns"

: As part of [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' [[Generation 1 reissues|Generation 1 reissue]] line, Eject was released along with [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. This release of Eject features an orange face, silver weapons, and an Autobot symbol tampographed on his stomach.

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====G1 Series====
[[File:Universe2008 SDCC G1Blaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Autobot Blaster''' (2010)
**''Accessories'': 2 "Thruster Guns"

:Eject was available in this [[San Diego Comic-Con]] [[exclusive]] reissue of Blaster alongside Steeljaw and Ramhorn. Identical to the Encore release, the figure has an Autobot symbol tampographed on its abdomen, decaled "Side A" details, and comes with silver chromed weapons. For this release Eject featured a red face (instead of orange), silver plastic (over gray), and a tampographed Autobot symbol (different than the one featured on the Encore release). Released as part of the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' (2008) toyline]], the packaging also has a special foil-detailed outer slip case.

:This set was also made available at the Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong Fair 2010.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* For the original draft of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and several revisions, there was going to be only one humanoid Autobot Mini-Cassette, who was going to be called Bolts.<ref>[http://boltax.blogspot.com/2010/12/heritaage-auctions-transformers-movie.html TFTM script draft at Disciples of Boltax]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/transformers.html Early script for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' at dailyscript.com]</ref> Between the original draft and actual product, Bolts's role was split in two; his attitude and tussle with [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] went to Eject, while his fight with [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] sort of went to [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]. During their initial ejection from Blaster however, both Eject and Rewind swap color schemes multiple times for the duration of the scene.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Eject''' (イジェクト ''Ejekuto'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Pēn Shè''' (喷射, "Eject")
*''French:'' '''Ejecteur''' (Canada, "Ejector")
*''Italian:'' '''Catapulta'''
*''Russian:'' '''Effect''' (Эффект ''Jeffekt'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Mini-Cassettes]]
[[Category:Surveillance specialists]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]

Highbrow (G1)

2014-05-29T18:03:46Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{picsneeded|toy, fiction}}
{{faction|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Highbrow}}
:''Highbrow is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:Highbrow.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb| Try to imagine that [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] had a kid...]]

To put it in terms even your obviously limited intellect can easily understand: "'''Highbrow''' is smarter than you are". No, no, don't allow your comparably plebeian cerebral encumbrance to strain itself beyond endurance in a futile attempt to grasp the intrinsic universal magnitude of Highbrow's innate mental acuity, for it will bear no arboreal reproductive spheres. The ultrascopic trans-infinite sublimity of his diurnal ponderances transcend the circumference of most sentient species' entire thought-spheres, if he does vocalize the notion personally (and you can be certain he will).

The greatest tragedy of his existence is to be clearly so far beyond all those around him, entrapped as they are by their own primitive psyches and abysmal ignorance in a barbaric escalation of pugnacious defenestration and rebuttal. That a paradigmatic mind such as his own should be bound or beholden to a lesser being, especially a rude, primitive swain such as the [[Nebulan]] biped [[Gort]] is a supreme and vexing irony.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
Back on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] Highbrow was part of an Autobot strike unit led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], operating out of the [[Manganese Mountains]] and working to foil the schemes of the dastardly [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. However, Fortress Maximus had grown sick of warfare and sought to escape the endless conflict by emigrating to the world of [[Nebulos]]. Along with a large number of his comrades, Highbrow opted to join Fortress Maximus on his quest for peace.

[[File:Highbrow gort marita ring of hate.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
After arriving on Nebulos, Highbrow was the first Autobot to encounter a [[Nebulan]], or more specifically two Nebulans — Gort and [[Marita]], conducting what was apparently a "[[Kiss|binomial data transfer]]". Due to a misunderstanding that led to Gort tripping and injuring himself, this first contact did not go well and the Autobots' subsequent attempts to assure the natives of their peaceful intentions were sabotaged by [[Zarak (G1)|Lord Zarak]] for political reasons. In a final attempt to convince the Nebulans not to start a war, Highbrow was one of four Autobots who followed their leader's example in surrendering their own heads as a show of good faith. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

Soon Scorponok's Decepticons had arrived on Nebulos and after they attacked the city of [[Koraja]] the Autobots convinced [[Galen]] to attempt the creation of [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] - a fusion of Nebulan and Autobot warriors through a [[binary bonding]] process devised by the Nebulan surgeon [[Arcana]]. Highbrow was binary bonded to Gort and together they were able to repel the Decepticon invaders. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}} However, once the Decepticons had developed Headmasters of their own the tables were turned and, lured to Scorponok's base on the [[Plains of Thok]], Highbrow and his Headmaster comrades were soundly defeated. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Following the introduction of the [[Targetmaster]]s to the war on Nebulos, Highbrow, Gort and the others were freed from captivity by a remorseful Zarak, now himself binary bonded to Scorponok. After a brief battle with the Decepticon Targetmasters they retreated to protect Koraja from further damage. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Highbrow worlds apart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
''During a mission on Nebulos, the Autobot Headmasters were being chased by Decepticons. [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] taunted Highbrow about how wrong his predictions were, but the tables turned when Highbrow wound up saving Chromedome from the [[Horrorcon]]s. [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] faked a retreat, something that Highbrow found very suspicious. Hardhead criticized Highbrow's tendency to think things over, but [[Brainstorm]] defended him. The Headmasters decided that rescuing the Targetmasters from the Decepticon [[Fortress of Despair]] was more important, but found they were tricked. The ensuing clash saw Highbrow captured by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], and with his partner [[Gort]] conflicting with Highbrow's decisions, he was at a disadvantage. Figuring out the two's incompatibilities, Scorponok attacked, but with encouragement from Chromedome, Gort and Highbrow teamed up and defeated the Decepticon, learning the true meaning of being a Headmaster.'' {{storylink|Worlds Apart!}}

Subsequently, the Autobots intercepted a call for help from their allies on [[Earth]] and left Nebulos to investigate. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}} While the main force stayed in orbit aboard the ''[[Steelhaven]]'', Highbrow and the other Headmasters travelled to [[Oregon]], the source of the signal, where they found the Autobot [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] trapped in the body of a toy car, along with the [[human]] [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]. Discovering that they had been followed to Earth by Scorponok's Decepticons, who were even now threatening Spike, Fortress Maximus ordered his troops into battle, where Highbrow blasted [[Skullcruncher]]. Following the death of [[Galen]] and the eruption of [[Mount St. Hilary]], Highbrow noted it was a worthy farewell to their lost leader. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

[[File:Highbrow pretender to the throne.jpg|thumb|left|150px]]
With Spike now installed as Galen's replacement Headmaster partner, he discovered that the [[core consciousness]] of the presumed-dead Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had been stored on a [[floppy disk]] by [[Ethan Zachary]] at [[Alternate Reality, Inc.]] and using technology stolen from Scorponok by the digital Prime, Highbrow and Brainstorm were able to replicate the [[Pretender]] process aboard the ''Steelhaven''. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

Highbrow, Brainstorm, Fortress Maximus and Goldbug made several attempts to reconstruct Optimus Prime but their efforts were met with failure because the bodies they built for him kept exploding due to a lack of resources or something. Upon encountering the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] nearby they contacted its crew for help but the tyrannical [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] refused to accept Fullstrength Motleypuss's authority and Highbrow was forced to watch Grimlock and Max's champion [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] duel on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] for Autobot leadership. Caught unawares by a massed Decepticon attack led by [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] the assembled Autobots were then stranded when the Ark was damaged and Maximus ordered the ''Steelhaven'' to Nebulos in hopes of resurrecting Optimus Prime there. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

{{note|At some point after Prime's return, the ''Steelhaven'' was apparently used to repair the damaged Ark and retrieve the rest of the Autobots, though this was not explicitly shown.}}

[[File:Highbrow broods time wars.jpg|thumb|150px]]
''Lured into Scorponok's clutches by humans hypnotised by Mindwipe, Highbrow battled the Horrorcons, but was defeated and also hypnotised. While Highbrow thus suffered from amnesia, the Decepticons attempted to convince him that they were on his side. Gort, however, was unaffected, and when he recombined with Highbrow, the two ripped off Scorponok's head.'' {{storylink|All in the Minds!}} ''He kept the head without telling the other Autobots, knowing he should destroy it and thus end Scorponok for good, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Though this led to the Decepticons coming for their leader's head, Optimus Prime told Highbrow he'd done as an Autobot should. To make matters worse, Highbrow was among the Autobots displaced into [[Limbo]] by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and the future Autobots.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

Highbrow journeyed with Optimus Prime's Autobots to confront the [[Air Strike Patrol]] at the [[MacDill Air Force Base]] where the [[Micromaster]]s also summoned Scorponok's Decepticons. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} Realising that this battle had been engineered by a third party, Prime ordered his troops to return to the Ark aboard their [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]], where they were easily able to overpower [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s minion [[Blackjack]] {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} and return the explosives he had planted there to [[Megatron's base]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Skin Deep}} Highbrow was injured not long afterwards by an out-of-control [[Guardian (Marvel)|Mark V Guardian Droid]] when Hot Rod's plan to restore Optimus Prime's fighting spirit when somewhat wrong. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} He had sufficiently recovered by the time Grimlock's A.T.T.T. returned from the [[Matrix Quest]] with the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-possessed [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] aboard to shoot the insane Decepticon a couple of times in the back. {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:Highbrow bomb-burst surrender.jpg|thumb|left|150px]]
Highbrow was with Optimus when he surrendered to Scorponok at the Decepticons' [[New Jersey base]] and was disarmed by [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]]. While he was in Decepticon custody the base was bombed by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s renegades. {{storylink|Surrender!}} He was not injured in the attack and went on to escape with Prime, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] only to walk into the beginnings of a new [[Decepticon Civil War]]. {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} With orders to contain the battle, Highbrow, Kup, [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] and [[Waverider]] apprehended Mindwipe as he was hypnotising [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] and convinced him to order both sides of Decepticons to stand down. However, all of the Transformers were then transported away back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Out of Time!}}

With the Transformers gathered by [[Primus]], Highbrow looked ready to punch out [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] if he'd tell [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] ''one more joke'' during the exposition. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

During [[Unicron]]'s attack on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Highbrow accidentally got into [[Cloudburst]]'s way and made him steer into the path of Unicron's flame-breath and explode. Jerk. This caused Highbrow to lose it and perform a full frontal assault on Unicron, who clapped his hands and crushed him. It'd be worse if it happened to someone else. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
{{-}}

====Earthforce====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Grimlock prime ark crew break-away.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Highbrow was among the "new age" Autobots who attended [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s meeting with [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] about their more brutal methods. When Grimlock threatened to quit the Autobots, Highbrow cautioned Prime that they were already too short on soldiers to allow this. Instead, Prime seemed all too willing to get rid of Grimlock, and the two of them actually came to blows. After beating some sense into each other, however, Optimus Prime agreed to allow Grimlock his autonomy, to lead "Earthforce" while he and the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s crew took off for space. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Johnny Haymer]] (English), [[Eiji Yanagisawa]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:Rebirth2 Highbrow bonded.jpg|thumb|left|280px]]
Highbrow was stationed on Cybertron in [[2007]], and observed a demonstration of [[Brainstorm]]'s gauche theory that human partners could invariably improve the tactical capabilities of the Autobots in combat. Following the display, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] alerted Highbrow's unit to a Decepticon force moving on Cybertron. They pursued [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] and successfully retrieved his prize, the key to said foundry, but the Autobots' shuttle was then perniciously struck by plasma energy, sending it on a quite unseemly trek through space. The raucous venture eventually led to a crash landing on planet [[Nebulos]], and a tête-à-tête with the most impertinent group of locals. The technophobic cave-dwellers nearly blew the Autobots up until the arrival of the Decepticons cast Highbrow and his friends in a much finer light via contrast. Nevertheless, half of Highbrow's companions were abducted by the Decepticons in the melee that followed. In dire straits, the Autobots were forced to bow to Brainstorm's engineering mania and bond with their new Nebulan allies, creating Headmasters. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

[[File:Rebirth3 Highbrow vehicle mode.jpg|thumb|260px]]
Regrettably, Highbrow found himself in a seemingly inequitable partnership with [[Gort]], the Nebulans' uncouth plebeian of a leader. Still, the binary bonding process did provide an exceptional combat advantage for Highbrow, as Gort was now on hand to remind him of the tactical advantage of a good right cross. The Autobot Headmasters rescued their friends, and began prepping their ship for repairs. Unfortunately, the Decepticons weren't above stealing a good idea, and formed a Headmaster partnership of their own with a local syndicate, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]]. They absconded with the Key and made haste back to Cybertron. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}

Upon the fortuitous arrival of Optimus Prime on Nebulos, Highbrow and his comrades returned to Cybertron with alacrity to foil Galvatron's plot. Credit where credit is due, it was Gort and his band of Nebulan rabble who sealed the Plasma Energy Chamber due to their organic immunity to the energy's effects. With Cybertron entering a new Golden Age thanks to the chamber and [[Vector Sigma]] recharging the entire world, Highbrow and his new partner returned to Nebulos with the other Headmasters to dispose of the Hive's machinery and make Gort's planet peaceful once more. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:FlashForward3-Headmasters.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Following [[Hi-Q]]'s kidnapping, Highbrow turned out with Chromedome, Crosshairs and Brainstorm to brief [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]'s team, though he spent the whole time playing with a device. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
{{note|"Highbrow" is the name of the combined small Master robot and the larger [[transtector]] vehicle/robot body. When separated from his transtector, Highbrow is called Gorter.}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michitaka Kobayashi]] (Japanese)}}
Four million years ago, Highbrow was among a group of [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronians]] who departed Cybertron under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]], seeking to escape the eternal war that had consumed the planet. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their craft to crash land on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], an inhospitable world whose murderous environments and wildly changeable atmospheric conditions threatened the lives of the Cybertronians almost as soon as they stepped off their ship and were caught in a desert of sinking sands. Fighting against the odds, the Cybertronians made several technological quantum leaps to survive on Master, including the creation of larger, lifeless Transformer bodies called [[transtector]]s. Highbrow and many of his comrades underwent rigorous physical and mental training to master the art of [[transformation]], learning to transform into heads that connected to the transtectors and placed them under their control. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Highbrow was one of ten warriors who became one of these "Headmasters", but unfortunately, half their number soon rebelled against Fortress's leadership and sided with a traitor named [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] against him. Via the Decepticon ninja [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], Scorponok soon forged an alliance with the Decepticon leader, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[File:HM3 Highbrow.jpg|thumb|left|230px]]
In the year [[2011]], when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Highbrow and his fellow Autobot Headmasters travelled to the planet to help their comrades defend their homeworld. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} They set about fighting the Decepticon Headmasters, and Highbrow took on [[Skullcruncher]]. Following the battle's conclusion, they traveled to [[Athenia]] on board Battleship Maximus to join the Autobot forces there. Though they volunteered to accompany [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] to [[Earth]] to help search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he insisted on sidelining them. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} After [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]'s death, the Headmasters joined Hot Rod anyway and helped him search. When the came under attack from [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], they were able to hold the Decepticon off long enough for Hot Rod to dig up the Matrix. They accompanied him back to Cybertron, where Hot Rod once more became Rodimus Prime, but they failed to stabilize [[Vector Sigma]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was forced to do it himself by sacrificing his life. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Following the Decepticons' creation of the [[Madmachine]], the Autobot Headmasters were all ready to storm over to [[Chaar]] to deal with it, however Rodimus instead had Fortress resurrect Blaster as Twincast, and sent him and his cassettes instead. The Headmasters were sent to Cybertron, where they helped the [[Throttlebot]]s destroy the Madmachine. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} While on patrol in Battleship Maximus, the Headmasters encountered two [[Beastformer]]s, leading them to travel to planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] to thwart a Decepticon invasion. {{Storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} After failing to destroy a [[Metamorphose|strange meteor]], they aided the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s in a fight against Decepticons. Partway though, they were called back to Athenia so they could accompany [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] on a mission to destroy the meteor, and Highbrow and his fellows kept [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s men busy while Daniel completed said mission. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:HM7 Highbrow fell down.jpg|thumb|240px]]
The Headmasters were sent to [[Praum]] to investigate reports of a Decepticon attack. On arrival, they found the base had been devastated and the occupants apparently destroyed. When Highbrow attempted to egress through the top of the building in his helicopter mode and it shut on him, they discovered they'd fallen into Scorponok's trap and they were soon being buried in sand. The five Headmasters remembered their struggles back on Master and swapped Transtectors in order to escape. Highbrow used [[Brainstorm]]'s jet mode to fly out and attack the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} While investigating a mysterious blackmailer, the Headmasters checked out the [[Statue of Liberty]] and Highbrow suggested they check out TV footage for clues, leading them to discover that there appeared to be six different blackmailers. They arrived in [[London]] with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], only to find the Decepticons had leveled the place. They similarly arrived back in [[New York City|New York]] too late. They later aided the [[Trainbot]]s in catching up with and defeating the culprit, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], whom they'd encountered before on Master. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:HM9 Highbrow rowing.jpg|thumb|left|240px]]
The Headmasters continued to train with Highbrow utilizing a rowing machine. When Decepticons were reported to be heading for Earth, he opted to remain on Athenia, and later traveled to Cybertron with Fortress when the Decepticons mounted an all-out attack on the planet. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} When the Decepticon Headmasters split mid-battle, the Autobots started hunting for them. Eventually they discovered the Decepticons were heading for Vector Sigma and gave pursuit. Unfortunately they failed to stop the Decepticons destroying Cybertron. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:HM12 Highbrow vehicle mode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
During the launch of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, the Headmasters defended [[Sol System Center|the launch pad]]. Highbrow and Hardhead briefly ganged up on Cyclonus. They succeeded in launching the satellite, but when the Decepticons made another play for it, Sixshot kept the Autobot Headmasters busy. The Headmasters found the satellite near [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]], but were forced to destroy it to keep it out of Decepticon hands. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} The Headmasters went to Earth to assist when a Peruvian volcano erupted and ended up fighting [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and the Decepticon Headmasters. Fortunately they were able to save the inhabitants of the village of [[Pan]]. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} When they attacked a [[buridanka]] plant on Earth, Highbrow heroically attacked the plant by jumping into one of its mouths. The rest of the fight didn't go much better, and the Headmasters found themselves in danger of termination until Fortress broke out the [[Master Sword]] and cut the thing to shreds. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:HM14 Highbrow transformed.jpg|thumb|left|220px]]
When reports came in of the Decepticons being up to something on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], Brainstorm and the other Headmasters traveled there in [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]. After tangling with [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] they rescued Daniel and found out that the Decepticons were planning to blow the entire planet up. Interrogating the Decepticons led them to a crater which naturally turned out to be a trap. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Both Brainstorm and Highbrow were injured enough that they had to undergo extensive repairs. They finally returned to the fight to save Mars in time to witness MegaZarak's arrival, and were subsequently defeated by the giant. As Mars exploded, the four Headmasters joined Fortress aboard Maximus, and they were able to escape the planet thanks to the explosions recharging Maximus's power. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Highbrow didn't think the Decepticons would blow up any more planets, given how dangerous it would be to do so, and Chromedome called him naive. He and the other Headmasters patrolled space near Chaar and came under attack from MegaZarak, but escaped thanks to another appearance by a mystery UFO. It wasn't until the Autobots gatecrashed Scorponok's coronation ceremony that the UFO was revealed to be the returned Galvatron, and they had to retreat. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} After an SOS was received from [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], the Headmasters prepared to take a shipment of energy to that world. The Decepticons set out to stop them, but Brainstorm and Highbrow kept them busy while Chromedome and Hardhead sneaked ahead with the energy. The Autobots arrived on Sandra in time to fight off the incoming Decepticons. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

As part of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]'s plan to negotiate with the Decepticon, the four Headmasters accompanied him to [[Shangri-La Island]] on Earth as an escort. When the Galvatron who met with Spike turned out to be an impostor, Brainstorm and the others rescued Carly and Daniel before attacking the Decepticons. During the escape, Sixshot destroyed the [[space bridge]] network, and the Autobots set out in pursuit in Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} When the Decepticons invaded [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], the Autobots attempted to go help, but were stopped by the Hive ships which opened fire on Maximus. After Chromedome went on ahead to convince the people of Hive that the Autobots were on their side, the Headmasters were able to land and help fight off the Decepticons. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}}

[[File:HM20 Highbrow whispers to Daniel.jpg|thumb|240px]]
As Maximus neared the [[Twin Star]] system, Brainstorm got the other riled up by claiming battle was about brain over brawn. As Daniel left to sit the battle out on Toruin, Highbrow reassured him that the other Headmasters would sort out their differences eventually. The Headmasters, minus Brainstorm who'd also gone to Toruin, fought at length with the Decepticons on Spherity until Brainstorm arrived with the news that the inhabitants and all their energy had vacated to a secret base on Toruin, and the Headmasters decided to simply leave the Decepticons to the empty planet. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}}

Highbrow created ''[[Video Challenger]]'' which Daniel used as a game. After Highbrow detected an SOS, the Headmasters went to planet [[Daros]], only to find the Decepticons had been shooting the local population. Chromedome and Highbrow found [[Tekna]], a Beastformer who had been involved in the construction of Scorponok's transtector. Highbrow took him back to Maximus where, before he died, Tekna passed on a microfilm. Believing it to contain information on the transtector, Highbrow set about decoding it. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}}

[[File:HM22 Highbrow and Papika.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.45| Say, are these real?]]
Progress was slow, and when the Decepticons were tracked to [[Paradise]], Highbrow went down to the planet to see if he could find some clues. He befriended a young native girl, [[Papika (Headmasters)|Papika]], who pointed him to where the Decepticons had landed, however when he reached the site, the three Decepticon Headmasters captured him. He was chained up under a waterfall and remained there until the other Headmasters and Papika came and rescued him. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}}

When the Headmasters paid a visit to the [[Pirate Planet]], Highbrow used his analytically skills to uncover a hidden pyramid. While the Decepticons tried to gain entry though brute force, Highbrow worked out that the key to the pyramid was a skull mounted on the prow of a [[Space Pirate Ship|derelict ship]] in the [[Space Graveyard]] near the planet. He, Daniel and the Trainbots retrieved the skull and opened the pyramid, but the energy it had contained was already gone. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}} The Headmasters returned to Athenia, where Highbrow continued to try and decipher the blueprints with little success. He was not too busy to travel to Earth to try to stem a Decepticon attack, but the Headmasters were too late to prevent [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s death at the hands of Sixshot. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

[[File:HM23 Highbrow's eureka moment.jpg|thumb|260px]]
The Decepticons began striking at points across the Earth, but the Headmasters followed Galvatron to [[Alaska]], where they were able to use information passed on by Punch to defeat Galvatron, trapping him beneath the ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} New information pointed to the Decepticons trying to destroy Earth altogether. Highbrow left behind a note regarding his research into MegaZarak's weak spot, and while he, Brainstorm and Hardhard battled the Decepticons on the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]], Chromedome used his work to successfully discover the weak point. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

With Earth largely abandoned by the Decepticons, the Autobot Headmasters set about finding the bombs they'd planted. Brainstorm and Highbrow retrieved a bomb from a mine and returned it to Battleship Maximus. During the disposal of the bombs in space, an accident created the [[Targetmaster]]s from a group of refugees from Master and some Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Brainstorm and Highbrow carried [[Pointblank]] back to the ship, though the newcomer dismissed their combat skills. Warned by the refugees, the Headmasters returned to their home world and fought the Decepticons. {{Storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:HM30 Highbrow with portable energy detector.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|The others don't have the heart to break it to him that the remote control has already been invented.]]
After Wheelie was kidnapped by the Decepticons, Highbrow gave Chromedome and Daniel advice before the pair rushed off to save their friend. Fortress was prepared to turn over the Master Sword information to Sixshot, but when Wheelie was successfully rescued, Highbrow and the other Autobots were unsuccessful in preventing the Decepticons from getting the information anyway. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Headmasters worked on tracking the unique energy signature that would betray the location of the Decepticons' work. Highbrow even built a portable energy detector that led them to the cavern where Scorponok was creating the [[Zarak Shield]], but they were too late to prevent its completion. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Highbrow thought Chromedome's plan to rally the residents of Master against the Decepticons was risky, but went along with it anyway. It went horribly wrong when Scorponok popped up in the middle of the city and defeated Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Headmasters traced Daniel to planet [[Daira]] after he became separated from the ship, and were surprised to find he'd been looked after by Sixshot. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} When Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a duel, the other Headmasters tried and failed to talk their friend out of accepting. They were reluctant to let him go alone, but when it turned out the whole thing was a diversion while the other Decepticons headed for Earth, they had no choice but to let him go it alone. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

The Autobots hurried back to Earth, where the Decepticons were busy erecting [[Death Tower]]s. When they learned that Spike and Carly's plane had crashed in the [[Andes Mountains|Andes]], the four Headmasters went there with Daniel and Wheelie to rescue them. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} On their way to [[Egypt]] to deal with another Death Tower, the four Headmasters had to contend with Mindwipe, Skullcruncher and Weirdwolf, though the trio didn't present much of a threat in the end. After failing to stop the Death Tower from rising, the Autobots' entire army went to the [[Arctic|North Pole]] where they faced the Decepticons in a final battle to save Earth. As Fortress Maximus was caught in the energies preparing to tear the planet apart, Highbrow and the other three Headmasters attempted a Head Formation to give him more power. It was only when the other Autobots joined in that they succeeded, and the Decepticons' satellite was destroyed. With the Decepticons having fled into space, the Autobots left Earth to pursue them. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''The Great Transformer War''====
Before the Headmasters joined the greater Transformer war, Highbrow, as part of the [[Headmasters of Justice]], hunted down the [[Headmasters of Evil]] on a barren planet. Their ensuing battle was interrupted when [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] arrived to retrieve the Headmasters of Evil, as Galvatron had need of them. As they left, Fortress met up with the four Autobot Headmasters and they all boarded Battleship Maximus to pursue the Decepticons to Cybertron. {{Storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' manga====
On [[Athenia]], Highbrow attended the unveiling of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] memorial statue. He and the other Headmasters of Justice also waylaid a Decepticon bombing attack on the planet. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Venturing to [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Highbrow and the Headmasters of Justice investigated an SOS from their allies. On aerial recon, Brainstorm and Highbrow found [[Alligatron]] and [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] attacking innocent Beasts. The Headmasters heroically bought time for the Beasts to flee, but were captured by the Decepticons. Luckily, Hardhead and Chromedome found reinforcements in [[Kane]] and the Autobot Beastformers. They provided a needed distraction for Highbrow and Brainstorm to break free from their captors. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Headmasters, [[Trainbot]]s, and Beastformers successfully drove the Decepticon forces off of Beest and back to [[Chaar]]. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

Highbrow and the Headmasters next traveled to an Alaskan energy refinery, where the Headmasters of Evil managed to temporarily get the drop on them, separating the Masters from their [[Transtector]]s. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Autobot Headmasters reunited with their Transtectors and defeated the enemy. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

The Trainbots joined Highbrow and the Headmasters on an undersea mission where they found [[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]], [[Skullcruncher]] and the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s stealing(?) energy from subaquatic vents. They also found a giant robot squid lying in wait. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Headmasters and Trainbots dismantled the squid and stopped the Decepticons' scheme. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 3|The Headmasters #3}}

In a battle with [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], Highbrow and the Headmasters of Justice failed to prevent the Six Clan ninja from stealing food rations. And kidnapping [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]. By accident. Way to go, guys. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 4|The Headmasters #4}}

During the Christmas season, Highbrow and his friends entertained the patients at a children's hospital until the Decepticons arrived. Through quick thinking and teamwork...aw, you get the picture. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 6|The Headmasters #6}}

On Earth, Highbrow and the crew of the Battleship Maximus helped put out a fire so that [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] could concentrate on battling the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Highbrow earned his head-themed name working for the [[Institute|New Institute]] alongside [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Brainstorm]]. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}

Highbrow joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as it searched for the [[Knights of Cybertron]] and was seen hanging out in [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]'s [[Swerve's|new bar]]. While he was there, he fell victim to [[Skids (G1)|Skids']] drunken antics. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} For his heroic actions rebooting the anti-vacuum shield system after a hull rupture, Highbrow was awarded the coveted [[Rodimus Star]]. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] later beat Highbrow at a game of [[Cybertronian sport#Fullstasis|Fullstasis]], yelling his much-overused "[['Til all are one|Till All Are One]]" in victory. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} He was among the ''Lost Light'' crew members who defeated a rogue Decepticon garrison on [[Temptoria]], {{storylink|Before & After}} and also participated in the battle to defend the ship from [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}}

During the confrontation with [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] on [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], Highbrow was subdued by the [[Legislator]]s boarding the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} He was manning the bridge when the ship was pulled off course by an intervening [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} The crew followed Metroplex's lead to a watery planet where they were attacked by [[Ammonite]]s, forcing Highbrow and the others to defend themselves. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}}

{{-}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
Highbrow was kidnapped by the Decepticons and held captive on Cybertron by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. He was rescued by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and his other comrades, and in turn helped rescue those who were still imprisoned. Once they had reunited, Highbrow and the others met with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] for the last battle against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Jon Umaki]] (English)}}
====Decepticon story====
Highbrow attempted to prevent the Decepticons from stealing energy from the Mongan hydroelectric power plant. He attempted to reason with them to leave without violence, but [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] brushed aside his efforts. After the battle, Highbrow fled, yelling about what barbarians the Decepticons were.

====Autobot story====
Highbrow was one of the Autobots present on [[Zel Samine]] during the Decepticon attacks. He joined up with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s party after they secured the hydroelectric power plant from the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
The Autobot Headmasters including Highbrow hunted for [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s ghost by tracking the electro-magnetic spikes which signaled his manifestations. They were able to prevent him passing over into the physical world, and scattered the Decepticons who had aided him. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (Legends)|Ghost in the Machine}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Highbrow''' (Headmaster, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-103'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 "Corrosive Acid Rainmaker Rifles"

:Highbrow transforms into a [[Cybertron (planet)|cybertronic]] twin-rotor helicopter. His two "Corrosive Acid Rainmaker Rifles" can attach to the underside of his wings or under the helicopter's nose to create Highbrow's "attack helicopter" mode. His Headmaster partner Gort can sit inside his cockpit in either vehicle mode.

:In robot mode, like all Headmaster toys, Highbrow has a flip-down panel on his chest which covers a spring-loaded mini-[[Tech Spec|Tech-Spec]]-meter which gives readouts for Speed, Strength and Intelligence. The tumblers are activated when Gort (or any other Headmaster unit) is plugged into his neck socket. With Gort plugged in, Highbrow's tech spec tumblers display 7 for Speed, 7 for Strength, and 7 for Intelligence.

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

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Caramel===
[[File:Highbrow caramel.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Highbrow''' (1987)

:A soft-rubber figurine of Highbrow was available as part of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Milk Caramel|Transformers Caramel]]'' line of "[[candy toy]]s" in yellow, red or blue. Like all the figures from the ''Headmasters'' assortment, the figure was permanently attached to a flat base that had a rubber stamp of Highbrow's face and name on its underside.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1HighbrowOriginalHead.jpg|thumb|"Does this head make me look fat? It does, doesn't it?"]]
*In the television [[commercial]] for [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' limited series, the Autobot and Decepticon Headmasters are shown having different head designs than the ones their Nebulan partners would later turn into. These designs were seemingly never used in any other piece of ''Transformers'' media. The models for most of them, however, turned up in the ''[[Transformers Generations]]'' guidebook.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Gorter''' (ゴーター ''Gōtā''), '''Highbrow''' (ハイブロウ ''Haiburō'')
*''French:'' '''Intellect''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Cruiserbot'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hǎi Lóng''' (China, 海龙, "Sea Dragon"), '''Gāu Méi''' (Taiwan, 高眉, "High Brow")
*''Russian:'' '''Umnik''' (Умник, "Sage")

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

[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Ladybird Books Autobots]]

Shockwave (WFC)

2014-05-15T12:36:15Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Shockwave}}
:''Shockwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''

[[File:Shockwave-RageoftheDinobots3cover.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|SPM seeking abominations of science. Turn-ons: dinosaurs, logic]]

'''Shockwave''' was a member of the scientist caste in the industrial city of [[Kaon]]. In a reversal of the usual order, he was swayed by the ambitions of the former mining caste member turned gladiator [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. Serving as Megatron's "pet mad scientist" and [[second-in-command]], he saw to the fighter's armament during his rise to prominence, all the while fantasizing on the prospect of ''mass producing'' such warriors. Thankfully, Megatron's more practical nature reined in Shockwave as the movement which became the Decepticons finally moved out of the shadows.

Shockwave naturally only serves his one true master: logic. He's willing to ignore petty squabbles and jabs at him, and will only do what he finds logical. Megatron is pleased by his dedication and his competence stemming from it, starkly contrasting with the egotistical and gloating [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. His passive nature to goings-on around him may paint him as apathetic, but whoever believes that is writing their death warrant. Shockwave is as brutal and fierce as any Decepticon warrior, and has the strength and durability to withstand everything from explosions to Autobot assault. He does '''not''' take well to attempts on his life or his experiments failing or being tampered with. Primus help you if you actually do break his seemingly eternal calm.

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Shockwave was a scientist who lived on the fringes of Cybertronian society, admitting to [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Orion Pax]] he knew little of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. He was one of the scientists whose innovations allowed the mass production of stressed-crystal material used to build [[Crystal City]]. There he began his [[combiner]] experiments, creating [[Bruticus (WFC)|Bruticus Maximus]], whose lack of intelligence in combined form made him a danger to friend and foe, and he was put in [[stasis lock]]. Shockwave moved to [[Kaon]], becoming a surgeon for the gladiators, where he met [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]us. He continued his combination experiments with the three [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]]s, whom Megatronus bested in combat: it was in this match that the crowd chanted a shorter name for the gladiator, Megatron. Megatron recognized two things about Shockwave: that he was bereft of any morality or ethics, and that while he was his most loyal ally, he would turn on him one day.

[[File:WFCcomicDecepticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|''We three 'Cons of Kaon are...'']]

During the [[Autobot]]-[[Decepticon]] war, Shockwave perfected his experiments with the [[Constructicon (WFC)|Constructicon]]s, creating a [[Devastator (WFC)|Devastator]] which was unleashed on Crystal City. Shockwave set up a laboratory in the ruins but was ordered to take command of the newly conquered city state [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]]. Autobot sympathizers became fodder for experiments, while Shockwave's forces conquered [[Vos]]. He quelled dissent in both cities by requesting Vos' Air Commanders [[photon missile]] strike Tarn, for which he claimed the Autobots were responsible, and then had a photon missile strike (of supposedly unknown origin) ordered on Vos, killing the Air Commanders whose true loyalty lay with [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]].

When the Decepticons captured [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station, Shockwave oversaw two of Starscream's scientists ingest [[Dark Energon]]: the powerful result activated a security [[gyro-inhibitor charge]] which rendered Shockwave unconscious. Shockwave later subjected the two subjects to a deprivation study, and found it necessary to muzzle them as the duo agonized as a result of Dark Energon's absence in their bodies. Shockwave also used the [[Spark]]s of those killed in the capture to turn Trypticon into a Decepticon, able to spawn drones and [[Mini-Con|Minicons]] in its corridors.

Shockwave remained on Cybertron in command of the Decepticons, while Megatron left with his elite soldiers on the ''Nemesis'' to pursue the Autobot ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]''. Shockwave promised Megatron that [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|Cybertron would remain as he left it]], the notion of which Megatron chastised. He ordered Shockwave to rebuild Cybertron and enslave the remaining Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

{{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}
{{charstubfiction}}

===IDW Aligned comics===

[[File:LastStand-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And as purple as he is logical.]]

Shockwave had been put in charge of a remote Decepticon base in the middle of the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], where he was to oversee a reportedly unlimited source of [[Energon]], a potentially amazing advantage in the waning days of the war for Cybertron. [[Swoop (WFC)|Swoop]] had been dispatched to the investigate this mysterious Energon-rich Decepticon base when he overheard a conversation between Shockwave and [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. Starscream was concerned that Shockwave's attentions were diverted away from the Energon discovery and was wasting his talents on examining the [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]]s he'd discovered and the "cosmic secrets" he had learned. Shockwave's Insecticon horde discovered Swoop's presence, and the Autobot was captured. {{storylink|Secrets (FOC)|Secrets}}

Predictably, the other members of Swoop's Autobot team, the [[Lightning Strike Coalition Force]] arrived in hopes of retrieving Swoop. Shockwave confronted the four and boasted that this action on their part was central to his plans. The Lightning Strike Coalition Force would make "perfect test subjects" for his experiments, {{storylink|Siege Mentality}} and as their leader, [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]], fought back, Shockwave thanked him for not alerting [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] of their whereabouts. The five would be fashioned into the ultimate weapon for the Decepticon cause! {{storylink|Last Stand}}

Shockwave was waiting when Grimlock awoke, strung up in his laboratory. He explained that he had discovered ancient Transformers technology, a [[space bridge|bridge that could traverse both space and time]]. This "space bridge" had offered him a glimpse of many worlds, but most relevantly Shockwave had seen into the past of a certain [[Earth|small blue planet]] where [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|amazing and terrible creatures]] once stalked its lands. As Shockwave's machinery took Grimlock apart, he told the Autobot that he and his team would be rebuilt into forms resembling those alien creatures and become weapons for the Decepticons. {{storylink|Fragmentation (FOC)|Fragmentation}} As Grimlock was being reformed, through his pain he saw visions of the future, of being unwittingly unleashed by Starscream and ultimately taking his revenge on Shockwave. Shockwave quelled these visions by breaking into Grimlock's mind, reducing the once fiercely intelligent leader to nothing but a feral berserker. {{storylink|Fall}}

After Optimus Prime and [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s group of warriors had left the planet, Shockwave remained behind and fashioned a new faction known as [[Forged]]. He commanded this group through [[Ser-Ket]], a former Decepticon whom he had experimented on and granted a draconic [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] altmode. {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 2|Rage of the Dinobots #2}} Ser-Ket reported to Shockwave after the Forged had captured [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]], {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 1|Rage of the Dinobots #1}} an event that led to the Forged base being attacked by Grimlock's Dinobots, who killed Ser-Ket. Sending a remote-control avatar [[drone]] in time to witness the battle, Shockwave didn't think much of his underling's death, explaining to the Dinobots that she had overestimated her role in his machinations. {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 3|Rage of the Dinobots #3}} By strategic use of a force field and an [[Electromagnetic pulse|EMP grenade]], he defeated the Dinobots and brought them to one of his labs to finish what he had started by purging them of their sentience once and for all. As he began to work on Grimlock, however, the other Dinobots broke out of captivity and ripped his avatar to pieces. The real Shockwave then contacted them via hologram to let them know they had only destroyed one of many avatars in one of many labs, but one day they might come face to face with the real deal once again. {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 4|Rage of the Dinobots #4}}

=== ''Prime'' cartoon ===
{{voiceactor|[[David Sobolov]] (English), [[Kenta Miyake]] (Japanese)|[[Ja-hyeong Gu]] (Korean), [[Uli Krohm]] (German), [[Jorge Badillo]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Jussi Wahlgren]] (Finnish)}}
[[File:Prime-Shockwave&Cliffjumper.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|left|Logic dictates that there is a small chance that I will kill you, here and now... but I'm gonna shoot anyway.]]

During the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]], Shockwave cloned a small army of [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]] and had them micro-chipped so he could track them at all times. On Megatron's orders, he dispatched them to Earth to destroy the Autobots stationed there and secure any energon they could find. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Unreliable Narratives}}

While most of the population left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] during the [[Great Exodus]], Shockwave stayed behind. He spent his time building and scavenging technology, and managed to reverse-engineering [[space bridge]] technology. His efforts had come to fruition when [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], while delivering Energon to power the bridge, brought him an encrypted Autobot transmission along with two prisoners, [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] and [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. By using his own invention, the [[cortical psychic patch]], on Arcee, Shockwave gained the codes to decrypt the transmission, revealing it to be a message from [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] calling the Autobots to [[Earth]]. He later found the two Autobots sabotaging the space bridge, and was buried in rubble during the ensuing fight. After he dug himself out, he followed them into the space bridge and was only stopped when Arcee hit his optical sensor. Shockwave was still inside the space bridge when it exploded, but Cliffjumper hoped he survived, as he wanted a rematch. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

Shockwave found himself back on the abandoned planet Cybertron, blinded. He repaired his injuries and continued his experiment, using recovered CNA to clone a [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]]. Years later, Shockwave detected the energy surge caused by the [[Omega Lock]] and went to investigate, encountering [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] who had come on an unrelated mission.{{storylink|Scattered}} Shockwave returned with him to [[Earth]], where [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] had created [[Darkmount (Earth)|a fortress]]. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}}

Megatron appointed Shockwave his first lieutenant in charge of science. With Starscream's interrogation of [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] failing to yield results, Shockwave attempted a cortical psychic patch, but was similarly unable to gain any information. The continuing failure to track down the scattered Autobots led Shockwave to reveal the fruits of his cloning work—a [[Predaking (Prime)|huge Predacon]]. {{storylink|Scattered}} Shockwave gave the creature a whiff of Wheeljack's energon before unleashing it, however it eventually returned empty-handed. {{storylink|Prey (episode)|Prey}}

[[File:Rebellion-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Logic dictates that my altmode should look ''awesome''.]]

When Darkmount came under attack, Shockwave suggested unleashing the Predacon, only for the beast to be defeated moments after it entered battle. Though Starscream took the opportunity to get some mocking in, Shockwave simply turned and jumped his way down the outside of the fortress before defeating the Autobots himself. The victory was short-lived, as once Optimus Prime turned up, the Autobots turned on their captor. Despite holding his own against them, Shockwave retreated through a GroundBridge once the citadel was destroyed. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}}

Shockwave then began retrieving Predacon remains from the clones previous sent to Earth, so that he could clone them again and form a new army of Predacons. {{storylink|Project Predacon}} When the Predacon returned safe and well to the ''Nemesis'', Shockwave was content for Megatron to place it under Starscream's command. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}} While he was retrieving Predacon remains in [[Texas]], he was attacked by [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]], [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and Optimus Prime. Soundwave arrived through a GroundBridge to give Shockwave support, keeping Prime busy while Shockwave grappled with the other two Autobots. Though the fossil broke apart during Shockwave's fight, thanks to Soundwave a fraction of it was GroundBridged back to the [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']]. Upon returning to the ship and at Megatron's urging, Shockwave opted to let Starscream retrieve further genetic material. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

Shockwave's cloning process neared completion, but the revelation that the existing Predacon was intelligent resulted in the Decepticons rethinking the entire plan, as [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] might turn against them. Shockwave agreed it was logical that they should use the Autobots to terminate the clones, however Starscream lured the Autobots to the off-site laboratory while he was still purging sensitive information from the computers. He retreated, and after the laboratory was destroyed, discovered that the [[Synthetic Energon]] they'd been storing in it had created Cybermatter. {{storylink|Evolution}}
[[File:ShockwavePunishesScreamer-MinusOne.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.66| Happy birthday, Starscream!]]
Shockwave almost put out one of Starscream's eyes over the early arrival of the Autobots, but was talked out of it in time. The Decepticons decided to repair the Omega Lock as a launch mechanism, with Shockwave in charge of perfecting Synthetic Energon. When they realized that Ratchet would be helpful in perfecting the formula, Shockwave instructed Laserbeak to track [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] to find the Autobot base. Meanwhile Shockwave himself took part in a raid on the [[Solaris particle collider]]. {{storylink|Minus One}} Unfortunately [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] proved too much for Shockwave to handle, and he had to be rescued by Predaking.

Back on the ''Nemesis'', he used a cortical psychic patch on Ratchet in an attempt to learn the completed Synth-En formula, but came up empty handed. As a result, the Decepticons had to switch tack and attempt to persuade Ratchet to help them. {{storylink|Persuasion}} While Ratchet was put to work on the Synthetic Energon formula, Shockwave was called away to oversee the completion of the Omega Lock. As a result he was not there when Ratchet attempted to escape, but he was able to salvage the completed formula from the mess Ratchet left, and began the process of synthesizing enough to power the Omega Lock. {{storylink|Synthesis}} Shockwave's attempts to activate the Omega Lock were hampered by having to fight Ratchet and the other Autobots who turned up. Following Megatron's demise, he grabbed the protesting Starscream and the pair made a run for it. They escaped the warship in a lifepod, somewhere over Cybertron. {{storylink|Deadlock}}

Shockwave resumed his experiments, though he had to relocate his lab a number of times to avoid detection, and successfully created [[Darksteel (Prime)|Darksteel]] and [[Skylynx]]. He was summoned when the two Predacons led Starscream to a Predacon burial ground uncovered by the upheaval of Cybertron's rebirth, however as they were gathering up the bones, they were witness to the unexpected return of Megatron. It turned out to be [[Unicron]] using Megatron's body, and after the dark god raised an army of undead Predacons, the horde's first act was to swarm the terrified Shockwave.

He somehow survived, and later approached Predaking and the other two Predacons as they fought each other, suggesting they might instead like to go fight Unicron, only to disappear as mysteriously as he appeared. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

===''Tales of the Beast Hunters''===
Shockwave cloned [[Lazerback]] in a [[Hyperevolution Chamber]], unaware his subject could hear everything he said. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 3}} On awakening [[Ripclaw (Prime)|Ripclaw]], Shockwave told the Predacon that [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] was in danger from the [[Autobot]]s. Ripclaw promptly took off out of the laboratory. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 8}} Sometime later, Shockwave realized that the Predacons were as big a threat to the Decepticons as to the Autobots and decided to shut down the cloning project. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 11}} He found [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] sneaking around his laboratory {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 10}} and came up with a new plan to blame the laboratory's destruction on the Autobots, hopefully causing Predaking to eliminate Prime's team. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 11}}

Deciding to cut his losses and run, Shockwave enlisted [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]'s help in packing up his laboratory. The pair took the last two remaining Hyperevolution Chambers with them to Cybertron. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 20}}

===''Full of Fire!''===
Shockwave revealed to Megatron that more Predacons had been cloned. The scientist dispatched five new Predacons with Predaking to test the Autobots and record data on the enemy's combat effectiveness. When all six were defeated, Megatron believed the data to be useless as the Autobots now knew the extent of the Predacon army, only for Shockwave to reveal that he had many more Predacons ready to go. {{storylink|Full of Fire!}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Steve Blum]]''

[[File:War for Cybertron Shockwave.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"When your hit percentage exceeds mine, YOU may choose the soundtrack!"]] {{Note|Shockwave is an pre-order [[exclusive]] downloadable content character for use in multiplayer modes, and is not playable in the ''War for Cybertron'' storyline campaign. Using a preorder code to unlock him will allow the player to use Shockwave in Escalation mode, and makes his chassis available for customizing an online multiplayer character for Decepticon scientists. His chassis is labelled as "Retaliator". Shockwave was later made available alongside the other preorder-exclusive characters in the ''Transformers: War for Cybertron Map and Character Pack''. He was available for the XBox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, but not for the PC version.}}
{{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' - Decepticons (DS)===
:''Voice actor:'' Steve Blum

{{Note|Shockwave is an unlockable character for the Nintendo DS version of ''War for Cybertron''. On the Decepticon version he can replace any of the other Decepticons in the campaign mode. He can be unlocked by beating Purification 6 in Arena Mode.}}

Shockwave was at the Energon Purification zone when the Decepticons had used it for their stores of Energon. Shockwave challenged Megatron and his troops to a fight, saying if they beat him, he'd join their ranks. Shockwave was indeed defeated, and somewhat reluctantly joined the Decepticon ranks.
{{Storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Steve Blum]]''
[[File:FoCShockwave2.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.66|He's being scouted for potential membership into the Legion of Doom.]]
When Cybertron was beginning to shut down, Shockwave wanted to reboot it, but to do this, he needed an large energon supply. As he searched for one, he discovered an ancient technology in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] called Space Bridges. Using the observatories of the ancients that used to reside in the Sea of Rust, Shockwave began searching for new planets that he could suck the life out of, and found [[Earth|one]] rich in raw energy. He also began experimenting on several [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] which had started coming onto the planet's surface, and took three unusually intelligent Insecticons, [[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]], [[Kickback (FOC)|Kickback]] and [[Sharpshot]], under his command. He later used them to capture [[Dinobot (FOC)|five Autobots]], whom he gave new forms based on the [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|large reptiles]] he saw on the planet.

After [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] was killed during siege on the Autobot's Ark, [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] took command of the Decepticons. The two argued over the use of a lake of Energon near the Space Bridge tower, and though Shockwave attempted to convince him of its potential usefulness, Starscream simply wanted to drain the lake. When [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Jazz (WFC)|Jazz]] disrupted the fuel line leading to the tower, Shockwave unleashed an army of Insecticons upon them while he attempted to rectify the problem. He failed to do so, but luckily he had already built a replica tower in Kaon. Following [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]]'s resurrection of Megatron, Shockwave went to Kaon meet him and informed him of his discovery of the Space Bridge and the planet they could plunder. Megatron subsequently went to retrieve [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]]'s power core so that they could power a craft to get the there, while Shockwave went to finalize the completion of the tower.

Later, Starscream infiltrated Shockwave's facility and watched as Shockwave and his Insecticons tortured [[Grimlock (WFC)|one of the Autobots]] he had experimented on, before he attempted to recruit Grimlock, which failed and resulted in the Autobot being freed. Shockwave decided to consider the breakout a test of Grimlock's new abilities, and monitored him closely as he fought his Insecticon minions, and proceeded to tear apart every one of them. Much later, Grimlock had attempted to attack Shockwave at the Space Bridge, but he was quickly restrained. Shockwave taunted Grimlock saying that he wouldn't create such a powerful weapon without a means to control it, calling him a pet, and contacted Megatron to let him know the tower was active and the portal was open. After Megatron assigned Shockwave to take charge of the Decepticons in his absence, Grimlock was enraged enough for him to transform into his Tyrannosaurus mode and attack Shockwave, tearing his left arm off and ''swallowing it'' before knocking him away with his tail. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron}}

===''Transformers On Your Street''===
Shockwave arrived on [[you]]r street from space in jet mode. He fought [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] and landed a blow against him while you watched through your blinds. Grimlock retaliated by transforming into dinosaur mode, the sight of which sent Shockwave flying away. {{storylink|Transformers On Your Street}}

==Commercial appearances==
:''Voice actor:'' [[Corey Burton]]''
[[File:WFC Shockwave game.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Well done. Here come the test results: "You are a horrible person." That's what it says: a horrible person. We weren't even testing for that.]]
Megatron left Shockwave to handle an unknown battle when he arrived. Shockwave instructed Soundwave to transform into boombox mode and play [[The Touch]]! After a while, Starscream asked about Shockwave's choice of songs and was told once he got a higher hit percentage than Shockwave then he could choose a soundtrack. {{storylink|Commercial#War for Cybertron|GameStop's commercial for their Shockwave multiplayer exclusive}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"I want him in the games until he dies playing. Acknowledge." "Acknowledged, Master Control." "End of line."]]
*'''Shockwave''' (Deluxe, 2012)
**''Series/number'': '''01 / #003'''
**''Accessories:'' Two-piece laser cannon

: Part of the first wave of [[2012]] ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class toys, ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' Shockwave transforms into a "Cybertronian mobile artillery" mode. The front center fuselage of the vehicle becomes a [[5mm post|hand-held]] "laser cannon" that's modeled after the [[Sling Shock#Generations|Sling Shock]]. It can be stored on a 5mm port on his back, and undocumented in his [[instructions]], can replace his hands by folding either one of them in, and tabbing the cannon onto the revealed wrist socket. As another undocumented feature, the cannon actually consists of two pieces, with a large Y-shaped muzzle that can be removed, revealing the sculpted ends of a triple-barreled gun. The muzzle stays on the cannon through friction and, depending on the [[quality control]], can fit rather loosely and slide off if pointed downward. (A bit of double-stick tape wrapped around the end of one of the barrels will help it stay in place without permanent changes.) The muzzle part can also be stored on Shockwave's back, forming some sort of [[jet pack|jet-pack]] exhaust.

:Shockwave features two examples of [[Kibble#faux-parts|faux-parts]]: The undersides of his heels resemble the front end of the Y-shaped muzzle part, effectively serving as an extension of the muzzle in vehicle mode, whereas a fake replica of the top end of his head (including his signature "ear" panels) is sculpted on the top side of his vehicle mode (which ends up on the underside of his backpack in robot mode).

:The figure has a "dramatic reveal" feature, where pressing the chest into place causes the head to pop up. The clasp used to hold the spring-loaded piece in place is fairly strong, and requires a small amount of force to latch if the head isn't pressed down before moving the chest assembly. Depending on the individual quality of the figure, this can cause the latch to wear out, and the spring is strong enough that the head will push the whole assembly out of place in vehicle mode if not properly retracted. As such, care should be taken on this step of conversion.

: This toy was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as ''[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generations|Shockwave]] in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' comics. This mold was also [[redeco]]ed/[[retool]]ed into ''Fall of Cybertron'' [[Fireflight (FOC)|Air Raid]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/GenShockwave/shockwave.htm More information on Shockwave at TFU.info]''

===Prime===
[[File:Primetoy-TakaraTomy-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[Narrator|It is the year 2005...]]]]
*'''Shockwave''' (Deluxe, [[December 15|12-15]]-[[2012|12]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''AM-29'''
**''Accessories:'' "Bido" Arms Micron

: Part of the ninth wave of [[TakaraTomy]] ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' toys, Shockwave is a redeco/retool of his ''Fall of Cybertron'' toy, and is the first release of said toy in Japan. His wings have been retooled with additional 5mm posts and ports, and he has been redecoed to have a brighter, metallic shade of purple plastic. Additionally, he has brighter silver [[paint operation]]s, and some of his other paint operations have been replaced with customer-applied [[sticker]]s.

: Instead of his two-piece laser cannon, he now comes with an [[Arms Micron]], [[Bido]], who transforms from a robotic rhinoceros beetle into [[Sling Shock#Prime|Shockwave's cannon]] and vehicle fuselage. Bido features numerous 5mm ports and posts for mounting, but can only be used as a hand-held cannon, and is unable to replace Shockwave's hand. Sorry.
{{-}}

===Beast Hunters===
[[File:BHtoy Voyager Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Shockwave's early attempt at indoctrinating the Predacons to the Decepticon cause involved wearing dragon costumes. It... didn't go over so well.]]
*'''Shockwave''' (Voyager, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''02 / 003'''
**''Accessories:'' Chest armor panel, 2 shoulder/foot armor panels

: Part of the second wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Beast Hunters]]'' Voyager Class toys, Shockwave transforms into a Cybertronian tank. He features numerous 5mm ports, such as his shoulder-pads, right hand, and right forearm in robot mode, and his feet in vehicle mode. His rear treads are made of rubberized plastic, and the left tread unfurls to become a hose that attaches to the permanently attached "[[Hyperflux Cannon]]" that makes up his left forearm. By repeatedly pressing down on the trigger on top of the cannon, the barrel of the cannon spins while opening and closing, revealing more of its translucent red tip.

:For accessories, he comes with three "beast armor" pieces—a three-eyed chest-plate and two claw-shaped panels—that can be attached to Shockwave in both robot and vehicle modes, with the "claw" pieces attaching to his shoulders and feet via 5mm post.

:His instructions forget to mention that the "spike" panels on his tread [[Kibble|backpack]] need to be swung up for robot [[show-accuracy]], and that the treaded portions themselves are on [[Slide joint|telescoping joints]], and need to be pulled apart and extended for tank mode. His instructions also include the [[Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 11|eleventh chapter]] of the ''[[Tales of the Beast Hunters]]'' series.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Shockwave/shockwave.htm More information on ''Beast Hunters'' Shockwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Cyberverse===
[[File:PrimeBHtoy-Cyberverse-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Shockwave''' (Cyberverse Commander, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''03 / 007'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Missile]]

: Part of the third wave of ''Prime: Beast Hunters'' [[Cyberverse#Series 3|Series 3 ''Cyberverse'']] Commander Class toys, Shockwave is a [[Size class|smaller-scale]] mold. His right hand is compatible with [[C joint|3mm post]]s, and his left forearm is a "Hyperflux Cannon" that can launch its missile via pressure launch.

:This mold was later retooled to make [[Bludgeon (Prime)|Bludgeon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/CybCommShockwave/shockwave.htm More information on Cyberverse Shockwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Rising}}
* '''Bombshock & Shockwave ''' (Commander 2-pack)
**''Accessories'': Missile

: A [[redeco]] of Shockwave in colors more reminiscent of his ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|precursor]], this version of Shockwave was only available as part of a "[[Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising|Predacons Rising]]" Commander Class 2-pack with [[Bombshock (Prime)|Bombshock]], which was [[exclusive]] to [[Target]] stores in the United States, and to Tesco and Carrefour stores in Europe.

:Curiously, like all ''Predacons Rising'' multi-packs featuring redecoed ''Cyberverse'' figures, this set doesn't identify the figures as ''Cyberverse'' products anywhere on the [[packaging]].

:As shown by an official [[stock photography|stock photo]],<ref name="targetlisting">[http://www.target.com/p/transformers-predacons-command-shockwave-figure/-/A-14575734 Target listing] for the Shockwave/Bombshock set, depicting the packaging with mixed up names.</ref> the packaging in its original presentation featured the name "Shockwave" in front of Bombshock, who is placed on the left, and "Bombshock" in front of Shockwave, who is placed on the right. By the time the two-pack hit stores, this was remedied by stickers with the correct names covering up the wrong ones.<ref name="stickers">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/953415-predacon-rising-bombshock-shockwave-found.html "Predacon Rising Bombshock and Shockwave found"] thread at TFW2005, showing the stickers.</ref>

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/PRShockwave/shockwave.htm More information on ''Predacons Rising'' Shockwave at TFU.info]''

*'''Shockwave's Lab''' (SDCC 2013 exclusive)

*'''Shockwave's Lab''' (Cybertron-Con 2013 exclusive)
{{charstubtoys}}
{{-}}

===Go!===
*'''Hunter Shockwave''' ([[April 27|04–27]]–13)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''G13'''
**''Accessories:'' Chest armor panel, 2 shoulder/foot armor panels

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Go!]]'' toys, Hunter Shockwave is a redeco of the "Beast Hunters" Voyager Class Shockwave toy, and is cast in a darker, metallic shade of purple plastic. He features additional metallic blue paint applications. His armor pieces are now black.

{{--}}

==Notes==
* In the map of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] from the "[[Binder of Revelation]]" included in ''[[Transformers Vault]]'', Shockwave came from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], which explains why he took control of it during the war.
* As noted above, Shockwave's model is usable in ''War for Cybertron'' multiplayer as the Retaliator-type chassis for [[Scientist (WFC)|Scientist]]-class characters. His parts are also available for Scientists in ''Fall of Cybertron'', now classified as Defender-type components.
* Shockwave is usable in both the Autobot and Decepticon versions of the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|''War for Cybertron'' games for the DS]]. He is used only for multiplayer, bonus missions and Arena mode in the Autobot version and used in Multiplayer, Arena mode, and campaign in the Decepticon version.
* In the XBOX 360/PS3 versions of War for Cybertron, Shockwave's left arm is his Plasma Cannon, but in the DS version, it's his ''right'' arm.
* The GameStop ''War for Cybertron'' commercial describes Shockwave as second-in-command of the Decepticons, and [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] is never officially referred to as such.
* For said commercial, Shockwave was voiced by [[Corey Burton]], voice actor of [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1]] and [[Shockwave (Animated)|Animated]] Shockwaves. He later lamented over [http://www.coreyburton.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=853&sid=3992b18086e21d8f6face60940505757 a forum post] that the performance was so rushed and the "gag" nature so out of character, that it hardly even sounded like him: "Two different sessions; and while they were awfully nice to work with, I have to say that the gag line was written and directed completely off-character. Since it was all supposed to be pretty "camp" anyway, and it had to be wedged-into a space that wasn't even there in the initial cut, I just went along with it. Figured it's just a silly bit of hype, that wasn't worth taking seriously enough to fuss over."
* The aforementioned commercial also indicates that Shockwave is evidently a fan of [[Stan Bush]].
* According to his [[Transformers Hall of Fame]] bio, Shockwave's emotions sometimes get the better of him, leading to irrational behavior. He also hopes that one day his work will let him reformat all Cybertronians to a new form of existence and ideally become ruler of Cybertron in the process. Looks like Megatron's hunch wasn't far off...
* Although Shockwave is a Jet in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, he's a ground vehicle in the DS Version. This is most probably because the mission he is unlocked in features his Autobot counterpart, [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]], a Heavy Ground vehicle. Shockwave's increasable stats are, however, those of a Flying Vehicle.
* In the games, Shockwave is a jet while Megatron is a tank; in "Prime", this is reversed: Megatron is a jet and Shockwave a tank.
* In the Japanese dub of ''Prime'', actor [[Kenta Miyake]] channels the unique personality of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] from the Japanese dub of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] in that he's a grizzled old man with a gravelly voice and a short temper. Unlike the the Japanese Generation 1 Shockwave, ''this'' Shockwave has a new verbal tic in which he endlessly punctuates sentences by bellowing the word ''"Shock!"''

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Shockwave''' (ショックウェーブ ''Shokkuwēbu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Zhèn Dàng Bō''' (震荡波 "Shockwave")
*''Russian:'' '''Vzryvala''' (Взрывала, "Blaster")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

Shockwave (WFC)

2014-05-15T12:35:52Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Shockwave}}
:''Shockwave is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''

[[File:Shockwave-RageoftheDinobots3cover.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|SPM seeking abominations of science. Turn-ons: dinosaurs, logic]]

'''Shockwave''' was a member of the scientist caste in the industrial city of [[Kaon]]. In a reversal of the usual order, he was swayed by the ambitions of the former mining caste member turned gladiator [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]. Serving as Megatron's "pet mad scientist" and [[second-in-command]], he saw to the fighter's armament during his rise to prominence, all the while fantasizing on the prospect of ''mass producing'' such warriors. Thankfully, Megatron's more practical nature reined in Shockwave as the movement which became the Decepticons finally moved out of the shadows.

Shockwave naturally only serves his one true master: logic. He's willing to ignore petty squabbles and jabs at him, and will only do what he finds logical. Megatron is pleased by his dedication and his competence stemming from it, starkly contrasting with the egotistical and gloating [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. His passive nature to goings-on around him may paint him as apathetic, but whoever believes that is writing their death warrant. Shockwave is as brutal and fierce as any Decepticon warrior, and has the strength and durability to withstand everything from explosions to Autobot assault. He does '''not''' take well to attempts on his life or his experiments failing or being tampered with. Primus help you if you actually do break his seemingly eternal calm.

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Shockwave was a scientist who lived on the fringes of Cybertronian society, admitting to [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Orion Pax]] he knew little of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. He was one of the scientists whose innovations allowed the mass production of stressed-crystal material used to build [[Crystal City]]. There he began his [[combiner]] experiments, creating [[Bruticus (WFC)|Bruticus Maximus]], whose lack of intelligence in combined form made him a danger to friend and foe, and he was put in [[stasis lock]]. Shockwave moved to [[Kaon]], becoming a surgeon for the gladiators, where he met [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]us. He continued his combination experiments with the three [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]]s, whom Megatronus bested in combat: it was in this match that the crowd chanted a shorter name for the gladiator, Megatron. Megatron recognized two things about Shockwave: that he was bereft of any morality or ethics, and that while he was his most loyal ally, he would turn on him one day.

[[File:WFCcomicDecepticons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|''We three 'Cons of Kaon are...'']]

During the [[Autobot]]-[[Decepticon]] war, Shockwave perfected his experiments with the [[Constructicon (WFC)|Constructicon]]s, creating a [[Devastator (WFC)|Devastator]] which was unleashed on Crystal City. Shockwave set up a laboratory in the ruins but was ordered to take command of the newly conquered city state [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]]. Autobot sympathizers became fodder for experiments, while Shockwave's forces conquered [[Vos]]. He quelled dissent in both cities by requesting Vos' Air Commanders [[photon missile]] strike Tarn, for which he claimed the Autobots were responsible, and then had a photon missile strike (of supposedly unknown origin) ordered on Vos, killing the Air Commanders whose true loyalty lay with [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]].

When the Decepticons captured [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station, Shockwave oversaw two of Starscream's scientists ingest [[Dark Energon]]: the powerful result activated a security [[gyro-inhibitor charge]] which rendered Shockwave unconscious. Shockwave later subjected the two subjects to a deprivation study, and found it necessary to muzzle them as the duo agonized as a result of Dark Energon's absence in their bodies. Shockwave also used the [[Spark]]s of those killed in the capture to turn Trypticon into a Decepticon, able to spawn drones and [[Mini-Con|Minicons]] in its corridors.

Shockwave remained on Cybertron in command of the Decepticons, while Megatron left with his elite soldiers on the ''Nemesis'' to pursue the Autobot ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]''. Shockwave promised Megatron that [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|Cybertron would remain as he left it]], the notion of which Megatron chastised. He ordered Shockwave to rebuild Cybertron and enslave the remaining Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

{{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}
{{charstubfiction}}

===IDW Aligned comics===

[[File:LastStand-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|And as purple as he is logical.]]

Shockwave had been put in charge of a remote Decepticon base in the middle of the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], where he was to oversee a reportedly unlimited source of [[Energon]], a potentially amazing advantage in the waning days of the war for Cybertron. [[Swoop (WFC)|Swoop]] had been dispatched to the investigate this mysterious Energon-rich Decepticon base when he overheard a conversation between Shockwave and [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. Starscream was concerned that Shockwave's attentions were diverted away from the Energon discovery and was wasting his talents on examining the [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]]s he'd discovered and the "cosmic secrets" he had learned. Shockwave's Insecticon horde discovered Swoop's presence, and the Autobot was captured. {{storylink|Secrets (FOC)|Secrets}}

Predictably, the other members of Swoop's Autobot team, the [[Lightning Strike Coalition Force]] arrived in hopes of retrieving Swoop. Shockwave confronted the four and boasted that this action on their part was central to his plans. The Lightning Strike Coalition Force would make "perfect test subjects" for his experiments, {{storylink|Siege Mentality}} and as their leader, [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]], fought back, Shockwave thanked him for not alerting [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] of their whereabouts. The five would be fashioned into the ultimate weapon for the Decepticon cause! {{storylink|Last Stand}}

Shockwave was waiting when Grimlock awoke, strung up in his laboratory. He explained that he had discovered ancient Transformers technology, a [[space bridge|bridge that could traverse both space and time]]. This "space bridge" had offered him a glimpse of many worlds, but most relevantly Shockwave had seen into the past of a certain [[Earth|small blue planet]] where [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|amazing and terrible creatures]] once stalked its lands. As Shockwave's machinery took Grimlock apart, he told the Autobot that he and his team would be rebuilt into forms resembling those alien creatures and become weapons for the Decepticons. {{storylink|Fragmentation (FOC)|Fragmentation}} As Grimlock was being reformed, through his pain he saw visions of the future, of being unwittingly unleashed by Starscream and ultimately taking his revenge on Shockwave. Shockwave quelled these visions by breaking into Grimlock's mind, reducing the once fiercely intelligent leader to nothing but a feral berserker. {{storylink|Fall}}

After Optimus Prime and [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s group of warriors had left the planet, Shockwave remained behind and fashioned a new faction known as [[Forged]]. He commanded this group through [[Ser-Ket]], a former Decepticon whom he had experimented on and granted a draconic [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]] altmode. {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 2|Rage of the Dinobots #2}} Ser-Ket reported to Shockwave after the Forged had captured [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]], {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 1|Rage of the Dinobots #1}} an event that led to the Forged base being attacked by Grimlock's Dinobots, who killed Ser-Ket. Sending a remote-control avatar [[drone]] in time to witness the battle, Shockwave didn't think much of his underling's death, explaining to the Dinobots that she had overestimated her role in his machinations. {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 3|Rage of the Dinobots #3}} By strategic use of a force field and an [[Electromagnetic pulse|EMP grenade]], he defeated the Dinobots and brought them to one of his labs to finish what he had started by purging them of their sentience once and for all. As he began to work on Grimlock, however, the other Dinobots broke out of captivity and ripped his avatar to pieces. The real Shockwave then contacted them via hologram to let them know they had only destroyed one of many avatars in one of many labs, but one day they might come face to face with the real deal once again. {{storylink|Rage of the Dinobots issue 4|Rage of the Dinobots #4}}

=== ''Prime'' cartoon ===
{{voiceactor|[[David Sobolov]] (English), [[Kenta Miyake]] (Japanese)|[[Ja-hyeong Gu]] (Korean), [[Uli Krohm]] (German), [[Jorge Badillo]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Jussi Wahlgren]] (Finnish)}}
[[File:Prime-Shockwave&Cliffjumper.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|left|Logic dictates that there is a small chance that I will kill you, here and now... but I'm gonna shoot anyway.]]

During the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]], Shockwave cloned a small army of [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacons]] and had them micro-chipped so he could track them at all times. On Megatron's orders, he dispatched them to Earth to destroy the Autobots stationed there and secure any energon they could find. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Unreliable Narratives}}

While most of the population left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] during the [[Great Exodus]], Shockwave stayed behind. He spent his time building and scavenging technology, and managed to reverse-engineering [[space bridge]] technology. His efforts had come to fruition when [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]], while delivering Energon to power the bridge, brought him an encrypted Autobot transmission along with two prisoners, [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] and [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]]. By using his own invention, the [[cortical psychic patch]], on Arcee, Shockwave gained the codes to decrypt the transmission, revealing it to be a message from [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] calling the Autobots to [[Earth]]. He later found the two Autobots sabotaging the space bridge, and was buried in rubble during the ensuing fight. After he dug himself out, he followed them into the space bridge and was only stopped when Arcee hit his optical sensor. Shockwave was still inside the space bridge when it exploded, but Cliffjumper hoped he survived, as he wanted a rematch. {{storylink|Out of the Past}}

Shockwave found himself back on the abandoned planet Cybertron, blinded. He repaired his injuries and continued his experiment, using recovered CNA to clone a [[Predacon (Prime)|Predacon]]. Years later, Shockwave detected the energy surge caused by the [[Omega Lock]] and went to investigate, encountering [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] who had come on an unrelated mission.{{storylink|Scattered}} Shockwave returned with him to [[Earth]], where [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] had created [[Darkmount (Earth)|a fortress]]. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}}

Megatron appointed Shockwave his first lieutenant in charge of science. With Starscream's interrogation of [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] failing to yield results, Shockwave attempted a cortical psychic patch, but was similarly unable to gain any information. The continuing failure to track down the scattered Autobots led Shockwave to reveal the fruits of his cloning work—a [[Predaking (Prime)|huge Predacon]]. {{storylink|Scattered}} Shockwave gave the creature a whiff of Wheeljack's energon before unleashing it, however it eventually returned empty-handed. {{storylink|Prey (episode)|Prey}}

[[File:Rebellion-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Logic dictates that my altmode should look ''awesome''.]]

When Darkmount came under attack, Shockwave suggested unleashing the Predacon, only for the beast to be defeated moments after it entered battle. Though Starscream took the opportunity to get some mocking in, Shockwave simply turned and jumped his way down the outside of the fortress before defeating the Autobots himself. The victory was short-lived, as once Optimus Prime turned up, the Autobots turned on their captor. Despite holding his own against them, Shockwave retreated through a GroundBridge once the citadel was destroyed. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}}

Shockwave then began retrieving Predacon remains from the clones previous sent to Earth, so that he could clone them again and form a new army of Predacons. {{storylink|Project Predacon}} When the Predacon returned safe and well to the ''Nemesis'', Shockwave was content for Megatron to place it under Starscream's command. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}} While he was retrieving Predacon remains in [[Texas]], he was attacked by [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]], [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] and Optimus Prime. Soundwave arrived through a GroundBridge to give Shockwave support, keeping Prime busy while Shockwave grappled with the other two Autobots. Though the fossil broke apart during Shockwave's fight, thanks to Soundwave a fraction of it was GroundBridged back to the [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']]. Upon returning to the ship and at Megatron's urging, Shockwave opted to let Starscream retrieve further genetic material. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

Shockwave's cloning process neared completion, but the revelation that the existing Predacon was intelligent resulted in the Decepticons rethinking the entire plan, as [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] might turn against them. Shockwave agreed it was logical that they should use the Autobots to terminate the clones, however Starscream lured the Autobots to the off-site laboratory while he was still purging sensitive information from the computers. He retreated, and after the laboratory was destroyed, discovered that the [[Synthetic Energon]] they'd been storing in it had created Cybermatter. {{storylink|Evolution}}
[[File:ShockwavePunishesScreamer-MinusOne.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.66| Happy birthday, Starscream!]]
Shockwave almost put out one of Starscream's eyes over the early arrival of the Autobots, but was talked out of it in time. The Decepticons decided to repair the Omega Lock as a launch mechanism, with Shockwave in charge of perfecting Synthetic Energon. When they realized that Ratchet would be helpful in perfecting the formula, Shockwave instructed Laserbeak to track [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] to find the Autobot base. Meanwhile Shockwave himself took part in a raid on the [[Solaris particle collider]]. {{storylink|Minus One}} Unfortunately [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] proved too much for Shockwave to handle, and he had to be rescued by Predaking.

Back on the ''Nemesis'', he used a cortical psychic patch on Ratchet in an attempt to learn the completed Synth-En formula, but came up empty handed. As a result, the Decepticons had to switch tack and attempt to persuade Ratchet to help them. {{storylink|Persuasion}} While Ratchet was put to work on the Synthetic Energon formula, Shockwave was called away to oversee the completion of the Omega Lock. As a result he was not there when Ratchet attempted to escape, but he was able to salvage the completed formula from the mess Ratchet left, and began the process of synthesizing enough to power the Omega Lock. {{storylink|Synthesis}} Shockwave's attempts to activate the Omega Lock were hampered by having to fight Ratchet and the other Autobots who turned up. Following Megatron's demise, he grabbed the protesting Starscream and the pair made a run for it. They escaped the warship in a lifepod, somewhere over Cybertron. {{storylink|Deadlock}}

Shockwave resumed his experiments, though he had to relocate his lab a number of times to avoid detection, and successfully created [[Darksteel (Prime)|Darksteel]] and [[Skylynx]]. He was summoned when the two Predacons led Starscream to a Predacon burial ground uncovered by the upheaval of Cybertron's rebirth, however as they were gathering up the bones, they were witness to the unexpected return of Megatron. It turned out to be [[Unicron]] using Megatron's body, and after the dark god raised an army of undead Predacons, the horde's first act was to swarm the terrified Shockwave.

He somehow survived, and later approached Predaking and the other two Predacons as they fought each other, suggesting they might instead like to go fight Unicron, only to disappear as mysteriously as he appeared. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

===''Tales of the Beast Hunters''===
Shockwave cloned [[Lazerback]] in a [[Hyperevolution Chamber]], unaware his subject could hear everything he said. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 3}} On awakening [[Ripclaw (Prime)|Ripclaw]], Shockwave told the Predacon that [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] was in danger from the [[Autobot]]s. Ripclaw promptly took off out of the laboratory. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 8}} Sometime later, Shockwave realized that the Predacons were as big a threat to the Decepticons as to the Autobots and decided to shut down the cloning project. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 11}} He found [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] sneaking around his laboratory {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 10}} and came up with a new plan to blame the laboratory's destruction on the Autobots, hopefully causing Predaking to eliminate Prime's team. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 11}}

Deciding to cut his losses and run, Shockwave enlisted [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]]'s help in packing up his laboratory. The pair took the last two remaining Hyperevolution Chambers with them to Cybertron. {{storylink|Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 20}}

===''Full of Fire!''===
Shockwave revealed to Megatron that more Predacons had been cloned. The scientist dispatched five new Predacons with Predaking to test the Autobots and record data on the enemy's combat effectiveness. When all six were defeated, Megatron believed the data to be useless as the Autobots now knew the extent of the Predacon army, only for Shockwave to reveal that he had many more Predacons ready to go. {{storylink|Full of Fire!}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Steve Blum]]''

[[File:War for Cybertron Shockwave.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"When your hit percentage exceeds mine, YOU may choose the soundtrack!"]] {{Note|Shockwave is an pre-order [[exclusive]] downloadable content character for use in multiplayer modes, and is not playable in the ''War for Cybertron'' storyline campaign. Using a preorder code to unlock him will allow the player to use Shockwave in Escalation mode, and makes his chassis available for customizing an online multiplayer character for Decepticon scientists. His chassis is labelled as "Retaliator". Shockwave was later made available alongside the other preorder-exclusive characters in the ''Transformers: War for Cybertron Map and Character Pack''. He was available for the XBox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, but not for the PC version.}}
{{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' - Decepticons (DS)===
:''Voice actor:'' Steve Blum

{{Note|Shockwave is an unlockable character for the Nintendo DS version of ''War for Cybertron''. On the Decepticon version he can replace any of the other Decepticons in the campaign mode. He can be unlocked by beating Purification 6 in Arena Mode.}}

Shockwave was at the Energon Purification zone when the Decepticons had used it for their stores of Energon. Shockwave challenged Megatron and his troops to a fight, saying if they beat him, he'd join their ranks. Shockwave was indeed defeated, and somewhat reluctantly joined the Decepticon ranks.
{{Storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Steve Blum]]''
[[File:FoCShockwave2.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.66|He's being scouted for potential membership into the Legion of Doom.]]
When Cybertron was beginning to shut down, Shockwave wanted to reboot it, but to do this, he needed an large energon supply. As he searched for one, he discovered an ancient technology in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] called Space Bridges. Using the observatories of the ancients that used to reside in the Sea of Rust, Shockwave began searching for new planets that he could suck the life out of, and found [[Earth|one]] rich in raw energy. He also began experimenting on several [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] which had started coming onto the planet's surface, and took three unusually intelligent Insecticons, [[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]], [[Kickback (FOC)|Kickback]] and [[Sharpshot]], under his command. He later used them to capture [[Dinobot (FOC)|five Autobots]], whom he gave new forms based on the [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|large reptiles]] he saw on the planet.

After [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] was killed during siege on the Autobot's Ark, [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] took command of the Decepticons. The two argued over the use of a lake of Energon near the Space Bridge tower, and though Shockwave attempted to convince him of its potential usefulness, Starscream simply wanted to drain the lake. When [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Jazz (WFC)|Jazz]] disrupted the fuel line leading to the tower, Shockwave unleashed an army of Insecticons upon them while he attempted to rectify the problem. He failed to do so, but luckily he had already built a replica tower in Kaon. Following [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]]'s resurrection of Megatron, Shockwave went to Kaon meet him and informed him of his discovery of the Space Bridge and the planet they could plunder. Megatron subsequently went to retrieve [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]]'s power core so that they could power a craft to get the there, while Shockwave went to finalize the completion of the tower.

Later, Starscream infiltrated Shockwave's facility and watched as Shockwave and his Insecticons tortured [[Grimlock (WFC)|one of the Autobots]] he had experimented on, before he attempted to recruit Grimlock, which failed and resulted in the Autobot being freed. Shockwave decided to consider the breakout a test of Grimlock's new abilities, and monitored him closely as he fought his Insecticon minions, and proceeded to tear apart every one of them. Much later, Grimlock had attempted to attack Shockwave at the Space Bridge, but he was quickly restrained. Shockwave taunted Grimlock saying that he wouldn't create such a powerful weapon without a means to control it, calling him a pet, and contacted Megatron to let him know the tower was active and the portal was open. After Megatron assigned Shockwave to take charge of the Decepticons in his absence, Grimlock was enraged enough for him to transform into his Tyrannosaurus mode and attack Shockwave, tearing his left arm off and ''swallowing it'' before knocking him away with his tail. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron}}

===''Transformers On Your Street''===
Shockwave arrived on [[you]]r street from space in jet mode. He fought [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] and landed a blow against him while you watched through your blinds. Grimlock retaliated by transforming into dinosaur mode, the sight of which sent Shockwave flying away. {{storylink|Transformers On Your Street}}

==Commercial appearances==
:''Voice actor:'' [[Corey Burton]]''
[[File:WFC Shockwave game.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Well done. Here come the test results: "You are a horrible person." That's what it says: a horrible person. We weren't even testing for that.]]
Megatron left Shockwave to handle an unknown battle when he arrived. Shockwave instructed Soundwave to transform into boombox mode and play [[The Touch]]! After a while, Starscream asked about Shockwave's choice of songs and was told once he got a higher hit percentage than Shockwave then he could choose a soundtrack. {{storylink|Commercial#War for Cybertron|GameStop's commercial for their Shockwave multiplayer exclusive}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"I want him in the games until he dies playing. Acknowledge." "Acknowledged, Master Control." "End of line."]]
*'''Shockwave''' (Deluxe, 2012)
**''Series/number'': '''01 / #003'''
**''Accessories:'' Two-piece laser cannon

: Part of the first wave of [[2012]] ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class toys, ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' Shockwave transforms into a "Cybertronian mobile artillery" mode. The front center fuselage of the vehicle becomes a [[5mm post|hand-held]] "laser cannon" that's modeled after the [[Sling Shock#Generations|Sling Shock]]. It can be stored on a 5mm port on his back, and undocumented in his [[instructions]], can replace his hands by folding either one of them in, and tabbing the cannon onto the revealed wrist socket. As another undocumented feature, the cannon actually consists of two pieces, with a large Y-shaped muzzle that can be removed, revealing the sculpted ends of a triple-barreled gun. The muzzle stays on the cannon through friction and, depending on the [[quality control]], can fit rather loosely and slide off if pointed downward. (A bit of double-stick tape wrapped around the end of one of the barrels will help it stay in place without permanent changes.) The muzzle part can also be stored on Shockwave's back, forming some sort of [[jet pack|jet-pack]] exhaust.

:Shockwave features two examples of [[Kibble#faux-parts|faux-parts]]: The undersides of his heels resemble the front end of the Y-shaped muzzle part, effectively serving as an extension of the muzzle in vehicle mode, whereas a fake replica of the top end of his head (including his signature "ear" panels) is sculpted on the top side of his vehicle mode (which ends up on the underside of his backpack in robot mode).

:The figure has a "dramatic reveal" feature, where pressing the chest into place causes the head to pop up. The clasp used to hold the spring-loaded piece in place is fairly strong, and requires a small amount of force to latch if the head isn't pressed down before moving the chest assembly. Depending on the individual quality of the figure, this can cause the latch to wear out, and the spring is strong enough that the head will push the whole assembly out of place in vehicle mode if not properly retracted. As such, care should be taken on this step of conversion.

: This toy was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as ''[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generations|Shockwave]] in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' comics. This mold was also [[redeco]]ed/[[retool]]ed into ''Fall of Cybertron'' [[Fireflight (FOC)|Air Raid]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/GenShockwave/shockwave.htm More information on Shockwave at TFU.info]''

===Prime===
[[File:Primetoy-TakaraTomy-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[Narrator|It is the year 2005...]]]]
*'''Shockwave''' (Deluxe, [[December 15|12-15]]-[[2012|12]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''AM-29'''
**''Accessories:'' "Bido" Arms Micron

: Part of the ninth wave of [[TakaraTomy]] ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' toys, Shockwave is a redeco/retool of his ''Fall of Cybertron'' toy, and is the first release of said toy in Japan. His wings have been retooled with additional 5mm posts and ports, and he has been redecoed to have a brighter, metallic shade of purple plastic. Additionally, he has brighter silver [[paint operation]]s, and some of his other paint operations have been replaced with customer-applied [[sticker]]s.

: Instead of his two-piece laser cannon, he now comes with an [[Arms Micron]], [[Bido]], who transforms from a robotic rhinoceros beetle into [[Sling Shock#Prime|Shockwave's cannon]] and vehicle fuselage. Bido features numerous 5mm ports and posts for mounting, but can only be used as a hand-held cannon, and is unable to replace Shockwave's hand. Sorry.
{{-}}

===Beast Hunters===
[[File:BHtoy Voyager Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Shockwave's early attempt at indoctrinating the Predacons to the Decepticon cause involved wearing dragon costumes. It... didn't go over so well.]]
*'''Shockwave''' (Voyager, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''02 / 003'''
**''Accessories:'' Chest armor panel, 2 shoulder/foot armor panels

: Part of the second wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime:]] [[Beast Hunters]]'' Voyager Class toys, Shockwave transforms into a Cybertronian tank. He features numerous 5mm ports, such as his shoulder-pads, right hand, and right forearm in robot mode, and his feet in vehicle mode. His rear treads are made of rubberized plastic, and the left tread unfurls to become a hose that attaches to the permanently attached "[[Hyperflux Cannon]]" that makes up his left forearm. By repeatedly pressing down on the trigger on top of the cannon, the barrel of the cannon spins while opening and closing, revealing more of its translucent red tip.

:For accessories, he comes with three "beast armor" pieces—a three-eyed chest-plate and two claw-shaped panels—that can be attached to Shockwave in both robot and vehicle modes, with the "claw" pieces attaching to his shoulders and feet via 5mm post.

:His instructions forget to mention that the "spike" panels on his tread [[Kibble|backpack]] need to be swung up for robot [[show-accuracy]], and that the treaded portions themselves are on [[Slide joint|telescoping joints]], and need to be pulled apart and extended for tank mode. His instructions also include the [[Tales of the Beast Hunters Chapter 11|eleventh chapter]] of the ''[[Tales of the Beast Hunters]]'' series.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Shockwave/shockwave.htm More information on ''Beast Hunters'' Shockwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Cyberverse===
[[File:PrimeBHtoy-Cyberverse-Shockwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Shockwave''' (Cyberverse Commander, 2013)
**''Series/number'': '''03 / 007'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Missile]]

: Part of the third wave of ''Prime: Beast Hunters'' [[Cyberverse#Series 3|Series 3 ''Cyberverse'']] Commander Class toys, Shockwave is a [[Size class|smaller-scale]] mold. His right hand is compatible with [[C joint|3mm post]]s, and his left forearm is a "Hyperflux Cannon" that can launch its missile via pressure launch.

:This mold was later retooled to make [[Bludgeon (Prime)|Bludgeon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/CybCommShockwave/shockwave.htm More information on Cyberverse Shockwave at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Rising}}
* '''Bombshock & Shockwave ''' (Commander 2-pack)
**''Accessories'': Missile

: A [[redeco]] of Shockwave in colors more reminiscent of his ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|precursor]], this version of Shockwave was only available as part of a "[[Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising|Predacons Rising]]" Commander Class 2-pack with [[Bombshock (Prime)|Bombshock]], which was [[exclusive]] to [[Target]] stores in the United States, and to Tesco and Carrefour stores in Europe.

:Curiously, like all ''Predacons Rising'' multi-packs featuring redecoed ''Cyberverse'' figures, this set doesn't identify the figures as ''Cyberverse'' products anywhere on the [[packaging]].

:As shown by an official [[stock photography|stock photo]],<ref name="targetlisting">[http://www.target.com/p/transformers-predacons-command-shockwave-figure/-/A-14575734 Target listing] for the Shockwave/Bombshock set, depicting the packaging with mixed up names.</ref> the packaging in its original presentation featured the name "Shockwave" in front of Bombshock, who is placed on the left, and "Bombshock" in front of Shockwave, who is placed on the right. By the time the two-pack hit stores, this was remedied by stickers with the correct names covering up the wrong ones.<ref name="stickers">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/953415-predacon-rising-bombshock-shockwave-found.html "Predacon Rising Bombshock and Shockwave found"] thread at TFW2005, showing the stickers.</ref>

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/PRShockwave/shockwave.htm More information on ''Predacons Rising'' Shockwave at TFU.info]''

*'''Shockwave's Lab''' (SDCC 2013 exclusive)

*'''Shockwave's Lab''' (Cybertron-Con 2013 exclusive)
{{charstubtoys}}
{{-}}

===Go!===
*'''Hunter Shockwave''' ([[April 27|04–27]]–13)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''G13'''
**''Accessories:'' Chest armor panel, 2 shoulder/foot armor panels

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (toyline)|Go!]]'' toys, Hunter Shockwave is a redeco of the "Beast Hunters" Voyager Class Shockwave toy, and is cast in a darker, metallic shade of purple plastic. He features additional metallic blue paint applications. His armor pieces are now black.

{{--}}

==Notes==
* In the map of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] from the "[[Binder of Revelation]]" included in ''[[Transformers Vault]]'', Shockwave came from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], which explains why he took control of it during the war.
* As noted above, Shockwave's model is usable in ''War for Cybertron'' multiplayer as the Retaliator-type chassis for [[Scientist (WFC)|Scientist]]-class characters. His parts are also available for Scientists in ''Fall of Cybertron'', now classified as Defender-type components.
* Shockwave is usable in both the Autobot and Decepticon versions of the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|''War for Cybertron'' games for the DS]]. He is used only for multiplayer, bonus missions and Arena mode in the Autobot version and used in Multiplayer, Arena mode, and campaign in the Decepticon version.
* In the XBOX 360/PS3 versions of War for Cybertron, Shockwave's left arm is his Plasma Cannon, but in the DS version, it's his ''right'' arm.
* The GameStop ''War for Cybertron'' commercial describes Shockwave as second-in-command of the Decepticons, and [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] is never officially referred to as such.
* For said commercial, Shockwave was voiced by [[Corey Burton]], voice actor of [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1]] and [[Shockwave (Animated)|Animated]] Shockwaves. He later lamented over [http://www.coreyburton.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=853&sid=3992b18086e21d8f6face60940505757 a forum post] that the performance was so rushed and the "gag" nature so out of character, that it hardly even sounded like him: "Two different sessions; and while they were awfully nice to work with, I have to say that the gag line was written and directed completely off-character. Since it was all supposed to be pretty "camp" anyway, and it had to be wedged-into a space that wasn't even there in the initial cut, I just went along with it. Figured it's just a silly bit of hype, that wasn't worth taking seriously enough to fuss over."
* The aforementioned commercial also indicates that Shockwave is evidently a fan of [[Stan Bush]].
* According to his [[Transformers Hall of Fame]] bio, Shockwave's emotions sometimes get the better of him, leading to irrational behavior. He also hopes that one day his work will let him reformat all Cybertronians to a new form of existence and ideally become ruler of Cybertron in the process. Looks like Megatron's hunch wasn't far off...
* Although Shockwave is a Jet in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, he's a ground vehicle in the DS Version. This is most probably because the mission he is unlocked in features his Autobot counterpart, [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]], a Heavy Ground vehicle. Shockwave's increasable stats are, however, those of a Flying Vehicle.
* In the games, Shockwave is a jet while Megatron is a tank; in "Prime", this is reversed: Megatron is a jet and Shockwave a tank.
* In the Japanese dub of ''Prime'', actor [[Kenta Miyake]] channels the unique personality of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] from the Japanese dub of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] in that he's a grizzled old man with a gravelly voice and a short temper. Unlike the the Japanese Generation 1 Shockwave, ''this'' Shockwave has a new verbal tic in which he endlessly punctuates sentences by bellowing the word ''"Shock!"''

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Shockwave''' (ショックウェーブ ''Shokkuwēbu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Zhèn Dàng Bō''' (震荡波 ''Shokkuwēbu'')
*''Russian:'' '''Vzryvala''' (Взрывала, "Blaster")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Cyberverse]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

Lockdown (Animated)

2014-05-05T16:21:05Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|{{factions/icons|custom=Rubsign inactive.png|cLink=Decepticon|cPretty=Decepticon}}|{{factions/icons|custom=Rubsign inactive.png|cLink=Autobot|cPretty=Autobot}}}}

{{disambig3|Lockdown}}

:''Lockdown is a bounty hunter commonly allied with the [[Decepticon]]s from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Tfalockdowna.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Not bad, for a human."]]

Driven by the thrill of the chase, '''Lockdown''' is a bounty hunter by choice and a Decepticon only by necessity. He's got no real loyalty towards [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], but the Decepticons always pay on time, better than the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]], and allow him access to the systems upgrades he craves. Besides that, he's such a nasty piece of work that it's just easier for him to be a 'Con.

Lockdown has a grisly habit of collecting "trophies" from his victims for his own use. He has attached a number of parts that appear to be stolen, such as his hook, chainsaw weapons, and parts of his left leg. His collection of stolen gadgets include quick-hardening cement spray, smoke bombs, and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s EMP generator. The [[Autobot]]s consider his actions appalling, while [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] views his mercenary ways an insult to the Decepticon cause, but Lockdown doesn't care. As long as Megatron and the Decepticon leadership will give him his upgrades, Lockdown will get the job done.

{{quote|I'm not that good with names and faces, but I never forget a trophy.|Lockdown, "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{Idw-tfa}}
{{voiceactor|[[Lance Henriksen]] (English), [[Akio Ōtsuka]] (Japanese)|[[Kaspar Eichel]] (German), [[Pietro Ubaldi]] (Italian, "The Thrill of the Hunt" only), [[Marco Balbi]] (Italian, second voice)}}

Lockdown was a student in [[Yoketron (Animated)|Yoketron]]'s [[Cyber-Ninja Corps]], and one of the greater students at that. However, during the Great War he somehow brought shame on the Corps and was booted out and became a bounty hunter instead. His first act as a bounty hunter was to lead a Decepticon attack on Yoketron's training center and to steal the protoforms kept in storage. During the attack, he killed his former teacher and took his helmet. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

[[Image:TFA Thrill Hunt Lockdown Optimus.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Hnn. No cavities. Figures."]]

One of his other wartime jobs was to bring an [[Arcee (Animated)|intelligence officer]] who carried vital information in for questioning. He encountered [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], broke off one of the Autobot's forehead chevrons and stole his [[Electromagnetic pulse|EMP]] generator, turning the healing tool into a weapon. During said encounter, Lockdown's right arm was destroyed when he launched it at Ratchet, causing him to replace it with a decidedly more menacing one (namely, the hook seen above). He was also indirectly responsible for Arcee losing her memory. {{storylink|The Thrill of the Hunt}}

On modern-day Earth, Lockdown was hired by [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] to bring in the Autobot presumed responsible for [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'s death ''and was allowed to name his price—specifically, Lugnut's [[Punch of Kill Everything]]. Tracking the ''[[Nemesis (Animated)|Nemesis]]'' to the location of its crash on the moon, Lockdown, through use of the security footage, determined that a repair crew led by [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] was responsible. Realizing he was not alone, he soon found himself face to face with [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]], who had her own reasons for being there. Being suspicious of her motives, Lockdown confronted her, only to be knocked out cold by Blackarachnia's [[cyber venom]]. Coming to and seeing her gone, he dismissed this and moved on to capture his real target'', {{storylink|The Arrival issue 4#"A Few Loose Strands"|A Few Loose Strands}} Optimus Prime. He captured Prime using the EMP generator and, impressed by Prime's own personal modifications, stole his axe and forcibly removed Optimus's grapplers, something that traumatized him later on. When the Autobots came to rescue Prime, Lockdown made short work of [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]. [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], on the other hand, proved a bigger challenge, but Lockdown came out on top (after having a tire mark smudged on his face). He was about to leave in [[Death's Head (Animated)|his ship]] with his new trophies, when Ratchet, who had been suffering from war flashbacks, came on the scene and soundly thrashed him, partially because the stolen EMP generator didn't work on Ratchet himself. Pinning Lockdown, Ratchet painfully removed both Prime's grapplers and his own EMP generator. Lockdown was forced to watch as Ratchet crippled his ship and escaped with a weakened Optimus. {{storylink|The Thrill of the Hunt}}

After arriving on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], Blitzwing remarked that the Decepticons hadn't heard anything from Lockdown since he contacted Blitzwing. Mentioning Lockdown's name made Lugnut get a little bent out of shape. {{storylink|Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found}}

[[Image:AFistfulofEnergon-Lockdowninponcho.jpg|left|200px|thumb|The robot with no name.]]

As it turns out, Lockdown survived the crash and his ship was repaired. Learning of a large bounty on [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]], Lockdown headed back to Earth, expecting a serious fight to take him down. It turned out that Prowl managed to take down Starscream for him. During a fight over the Decepticon, they realized that Starscream had escaped. Heading to Earth on his ship, he discovered Prowl had stowed away. Prowl offered to help Lockdown, and the bounty hunter offered a suit of armor to assist.

[[Image:AFistfulofEnergon-Lockdownwithhelmet.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Why, yes Prowl, I have all this Samurai armor that not only fits you and matches your color scheme, but can also turn into a sidecar that attaches to your vehicle mode! Oh, and by the way, I killed your sensei.]]

Upon landing on Earth, Lockdown and Prowl discovered Starscream ([[Clone number 3370318|both purple and more cowardly than usual]]) and Prowl managed to take him down. Lockdown contacted Megatron to set up a meet, but Prowl wanted to turn him over to the Elite Guard. Lockdown subdued Prowl and took Starscream. At the warehouse, the Autobots arrived with [[Clone number 2716057|''another'' Starscream]]. Lockdown tried to take his leave, but Megatron commanded him to stay. Then the two Starscreams revealed that they were clones with bombs in their chests. Lockdown managed to get away in the chaos, then contacted Prowl with an offer of a partnership. Prowl rejected his offer, saying that all the mods were for weak processors, and warned Lockdown never to contact him again, or he'd turn him over to the Elite Guard. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon}}

At some point after he left Earth, Lockdown traded information to [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] in exchange for weapons. {{storylink|SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy}}

[[Image:FiveServosOfDoom-LockdownInYoketronHelmet.jpg|thumb|left|200px|]]

He later came back to Earth, hired by [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] to capture Decepticons for him so he could look good. Lockdown happily complied until [[Ramjet (Animated)|one of the prisoners]] made a better deal, causing Lockdown to happily turn on the Autobots. He was able to defeat Prowl through his ninja skills and trickery, taking him away to steal his jump-jets and holo-projector so he could replicate the armour Prowl once wore. Shockingly, putting one of the heroes next to a load of kit that said hero could use ''backfired'', and Lockdown found himself fighting a stronger Prowl—especially once the Autobot realised Lockdown had been the one to murder Yoketron.

While beaten, Lockdown was able to escape once again. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}
{{--}}

===Toy bios===
[[Image:Blazinglockdownpackageart.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Don't touch that please, your primitive intellect wouldn't understand alloys and compositions and things with... molecular structures.]]
In the past, Lockdown stole an "active camo" mod from a member of the Autobot [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]]. As it renders him nearly invisible, he uses it to do reconnaissance on his targets, learning everything he needs to know about them before striking. Unfortunately, it shorts out in the rain. {{storylink|#Stealth|Stealth Lockdown}}

Lockdown realizes that half the game is psychological, no matter what that game is. If it's bounty hunting, and you have to paint yourself blue with skeletons and a missing optic to give your target a case of the glitches, well, sometimes it's what you have to do. They'll certainly know he's ''coming''—and that nothing is going to stop him. {{storylink|#Bandit|Bandit Lockdown}}

At some point, Lockdown was exposed to exotic energy that supercharged his systems, causing his body to give off a fiery glow. This enhancement went so far as to change his mode of operations; he no longer seeks payment for his actions, and instead simply lives to see the terror coming from the Autobots he destroys. With his chainsaw and a body that now gives off so much heat that it can melt or burn through whatever he comes in contact with, that's a ''lot'' of terror... for however long the condition lasts. {{storylink|#Blazing|Blazing Lockdown}}
{{-}}

===''Web of Deception''===
Blackarachnia hired Lockdown to get her revenge on Optimus Prime, sending the bounty hunter to [[Archa Seven]] to pick up one of the [[Archa Seven arachnid|giant spiders]] there and bring it back to Earth. Using [[Sparkseeker]] EMP torpedoes, he was able to abduct Optimus Prime right off the [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Autobot ship]] and tie him to a bomb next to the spider as part of Blackarachnia's plan. A short time later the rest of the Autobots caused problems for him, and he opted to leave them to it. {{storylink|Web of Deception}}

{{Note|As "Web of Deception" is a multipath adventure, some accounts of the events may vary. In one particular version of events, Lockdown got a better offer from a safari hunter in the [[Kvi Cluster]] and captured Blackarachnia instead.}}

===''The Cool'' comics===
[[Image:The CoolLockdownAndRatchet01.jpg|thumb|left|200px|I'm the dog, the big bad dog...]]

Upon arriving on [[Earth]], Lockdown joined [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] in attacking [[Detroit]]. Transforming from vehicle to robot mode, he faced off against [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] in an attempt to seize the [[AllSpark]]. {{storylink|The Cool Episode 1}}

Lockdown later joined up with Prowl (giving him a set of power-boosting armor) in hunting down what he thought was Starscream. Lockdown then doublecrossed Prowl when the Autobot began to have doubts and hauled the bounty off to Megatron by himself. The Starscream he had captured turned out to be nothing more than a clone, rigged to explode by the ''real'' Starscream. Prowl launched the clone into the sky, where it detonated harmlessly, though Lockdown disappeared in the confusion. {{storylink|The Cool Episode 6}}

{{-}}

==Games==
===Transformers Animated: The Game===
:''Voice actor'': [[Lance Henriksen]] (English)
[[Image:TFAnimated Game Lockdown.jpg|thumb|right|139px]]
Lockdown was hired by [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] to find [[AllSpark]] fragments in exchange for some sweet upgrades. Lockdown, always the consummate professional, delivered the goods. He later lucked into some more fragments, which had been gathered by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], and swiped them from the Autobot. Bumblebee furiously chased him along [[Detroit]]'s streets, bumping into him until he had to reboot and the Autobot pinched the fragments back. To add insult to injury, Lockdown was subsequently hunted down and captured by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The Game}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Deluxe Lockdown.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Arrr, matey...]]
*'''Lockdown''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-08'''
**''Accessories'': Hook attachment, engine block/EMP generator
: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Transformers Animated]]'' Deluxes, Lockdown transforms into an amalgam of a 1980s Corvette and a 1960s Cougar, with lots of spikes and a cow-catcher on his bumper. He looks freaking terrifying. In car mode, pressing down on his engine block/EMP generator flips out twin cannon barrels. A hook can also be flipped from the center of his bumper.

: In robot mode, the entire engine block/center hood assembly pops off to form a "replacement" hook-hand gauntlet that can be used on either arm (though for [[character model|animation model]] accuracy, it would go on his right arm). The engine block can be removed and attached to the [[Ratchet (Animated)|deluxe Ratchet's]] left arm via the "war wound" socket. There was much rejoicing. But it cannot be attached to [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s arm. Despite being "normal" size in car mode for a Deluxe, due to his transformation, he towers over most Deluxes in robot mode.

: His wrists are susceptible to breaking off if too much pressure is applied when trying to force his wrists into a more natural "straight down" position, so don't do it. The earliest releases of the toy had issues with the EMP generator; it was hard to trigger the barrel release, plus it didn't lock onto Ratchet's arm too well. Later releases fixed these issues.

: Lockdown is slightly mistransformed in the picture to the right: his legs are not properly extended. Doing so would allow the panels at the top of his legs to fold into his legs and face down, not forward. Also, his shoulder panels should be flipped up. These steps make for a more cartoon-accurate toy.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/Lockdown/lockdown.htm More information on Lockdown at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Activator}}
[[Image:Activators Lockdown.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Bounty-hunting goodness, now in pocket size.]]
*'''Lockdown''' (Activators, 2008)

:Part of the second wave of [[Activators]], this very simplified Scout-class version of Lockdown features a button-activated auto-transformation from vehicle to robot. He lacks the right-arm hook attachment. He's also really squat, even for an Activators toy.

: The cardback refers to his car mode as a "Prowler", for what it's worth.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/ActLockdown/lockdown.htm More information on Activators Lockdown at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|AnimatedSuperCollection}}
*'''Animated Super Collection Vol. 1''' (multipack, 2010)

: Released in October 2010 in Japan, the "Animated Super Collection Vol. 1" giftset contained slight redecos of Activators Lockdown, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]].

{{-}}{{anchor|Stealth}}
[[Image:Ani-toy StealthLockdown.JPG|right|250px|thumb|"No doubt you want a Starscream redeco instead of this. Hnn, figures."]]
*'''Stealth Lockdown''' (3-pack, 2008)
**''Accessories'': Hook attachment, engine block/EMP generator

: Part of a Target-[[exclusive]] multi-pack, this version of the original Deluxe toy is mostly smoky-clear plastic with light gray [[Plastic|PVC]] plastic for joint tolerances, and only a small number of [[paint operation|paint applications]]. He retains his gimmicks, but it is currently unknown if his wrists have the same breakage issues as the normal version.

: He comes with the [[Legends Class|Legends-class]] versions of [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]. These two are ''almost'' identical to their individually carded mass-retail versions, having silver [[insignia|faction symbols]] instead of red.

: His [[packaging]] [[stock photography]] depicts a [[:Image:StealthLockdownOriginal.jpg|very different version]] of the toy, being completely transparent as opposed to the final toy's translucent-but-smokey coloration.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/StealthLockdown/lockdown.htm More information on Stealth Lockdown at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Bandit}}
[[Image:BanditLockdown.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Ooga booga!]]
*'''Bandit Lockdown''' (Activators, 2008)

: Part of the fourth wave of Activators, Lockdown gets a creeeeeepy black and blue redeco with skeletons on the hood, somewhat evoking ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'''s skeleton-bedecked pirate [[Cannonball (Cybertron)|Cannonball]]. He even has a blacked-out left optic! Arr! Pity he lacks the hook-hand, or the whole pirate thing would be complete.

: The cardback refers to his car mode as a "Bandit Prowler." Whatever that means.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/BanditLockdown/lockdown.htm More information on Bandit Lockdown at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Blazing}}
[[Image:Blazing Lockdown.jpg|right|250px|thumb|This is what happens when he takes "trophies" from a Ford Pinto.]]
*'''Blazing Lockdown''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-46'''
**''Accessories'': Chainsaw attachment, engine block/EMP generator

: Part of the fifth wave of ''Animated'' Deluxes, this fiery-themed [[redeco]] and [[Retool|retooling]] of the original Lockdown toy replaces the hook in his hood-attachment with his chainsaw weapon, which is removable, but cannot flip back out of sight like the hook can. He retains all of the [[Gimmick|gimmickry]] from the previous versions of the mold. Due to the fact that the motor block can go on either hand, it is possible to place the hook on the right hand and the chainsaw on the left one on the deluxe figure, thus recreating the flashback scene seen in "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]".

: Blazing Lockdown was retooled into [[BotCon 2011]] [[Wildrider (Animated)|Wildrider]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/Lockdown/lockdown.htm More information on Blazing Lockdown at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BumperBattler}}
[[Image:Ani-toy BumperBattlers Lockdown.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Lockdown on his day off]]
*'''Lockdown''' (Bumper Battlers, 2009)

: Part of the fourth wave of [[Bumper Battlers]] toys, this ''extremely'' simplified toy features electronic sounds when the Decepticon symbol on his hood is pressed. Pressing in on his bumper flips up the roof of the car, revealing his robot mode.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/BBLockdown/lockdown.htm More information on Bumper Battlers Lockdown at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
* According to [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]]'s blog, his original concept for Lockdown was as a freakish [[Frankenstein's monster|Frankenstein-like monster]]. It was altered to better fit Lockdown's more business-like nature.<ref>http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/05/evolution-of-lockdown.html</ref> Lockdown's final model is "reminiscent of skull like head and an undertaker's tux"{{sic}} —hey, he even has coat-tails!<ref>https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21975298&postID=2803441425110630377&isPopup=true</ref>
* Meanwhile, Wyatt has explicitly said that Lockdown is ''not'' based on [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]]. The older bounty hunter's name was, however, later used for [[Death's Head (Animated)|Lockdown's starship]].
* The [[Character model|cartoon model]] for Lockdown shows an amusing [[homage]] to the older [[toy]]s. Instead of the ordinary Decepticon symbol seen on the toy, the animated version's chest carries what appears to be a [[rubsign]], presumably to symbolize the character's lack of allegiance to any faction.
* Lockdown's allegiance, in fact, seems to be more than meets the eye. Lockdown has stated outright that he isn't a Decepticon—and according to Derrick Wyatt, no Decepticon ever trained at [[Cyber-Ninja Dojo|Master Yoketron's dojo]].<ref>http://twitter.com/DerrickJWyatt/status/1420346893</ref> Combined with the fact that his concept design featured a stolen part whose Decepticon symbol had been ''crossed out'', the evidence strongly points to Lockdown as having been a former ''Autobot''. Lockdown's profile in ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|The AllSpark Almanac]]'' also supports this: Prowl "writes" that he suspects Lockdown to have been an Autobot, based on his size, powers, and car-based altmode. In "[[The Stunti-Con Job]]", [[Wildrider (Animated)|Wildrider]] is seen with the same body-type as Lockdown, and all of the [[Team Stunticon|Stunticons]] were said to have taken on Autobot shells for their mission, further pointing to Lockdown being a former Autobot.
* According to the Decepticon character descriptions sent out in the original [[Cartoon Network]] press release for ''Transformers Animated'', Lockdown "can go into a ''[[Predator (alien)|Predator]]''-like stealth mode for brief periods". Thus far, he has never been shown to ''do'' this in fiction, although the idea seems to have been the basis for the Stealth Lockdown toy—whose bio further cemented the ''Predator'' connection by saying his "active camo shorts out in rain".
* In his [[The Thrill of the Hunt|debut episode]], Lockdown's original arm (the one currently outfitted with his hook) came equipped with a rocket powered fist. This weapon was destroyed by Ratchet during the episode, and was not ever seen afterwards, either on the show or in toy form.
* His toy's vehicle mode is adorable yet terrifying. Like if ''[[wikipedia:Cars (film)|Cars]]'' had a serial-killer character.
* Despite having lost the EMP generator, Lockdown retains the external engine it comprises in his vehicle mode, as seen in "[[A Fistful of Energon]]". Perhaps he found a substitute or a replacement?
* The interior of Lockdown's vehicle mode sports a chain-steering wheel and a skull on the gear stick. Now that's hardcore. The skull gear stick was even immortalized in toy form: It's molded on the interior of the Bumper Battles figure.
* Lockdown was responsible for breaking off Ratchet's right-hand chevron, but it would appear that [[The Arrival issue 3#"'Bots of Science"|he wasn't the first]].
* Although it initially seemed that Lockdown had not [[Scanning|scanned]] a local Earth altmode, he was shown doing so [[The Arrival issue 4|in a comic]] immediately prior to the events shown in "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]". This is slightly confusing though, since the Great War flashbacks in "Thrill" do seem to show Lockdown using the same muscle car altmode he would later adopt Earthside—but to be fair, the scene was quite dark. He must have just scanned an extremely similar new form. Shrug.
* He seems to bear resemblance to another bounty hunter - original Lobo from DC comics, especialy with the black lines on his face.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Lockdown''' (ロックダウン ''Rokkudaun'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Fēng Suǒ''' (China, 封锁, "Lockdown")

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated Autobots]]
[[Category:Animated Decepticons]]
[[Category:Bounty hunters]]

Brawl (G1)

2014-05-01T18:33:10Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{picsneeded|Fiction, early model}}
{{disambig3|Brawl}}
:''Brawl is a [[Decepticon]] [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:MTMTEBrawl.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"I wouldn't need the pistol, but I don't wanna have to bend over to aim..."]]
If '''Brawl'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s on the battlefield and you can't hear him coming, it's time to check your audio receptors, because chances are you've gone deaf. Brawl's main distinguishing characteristic is '''VOLUME'''. No matter if he's talking (yelling), moving (clanking and rattling), or fighting (yelling, clanking, rattling, and blasting) you're sure to hear him doing it, as is anyone else in the county. As if that wasn't enough, he is also a ball of barely contained rage and violence with a hair-trigger temper. This makes even his comrades wary, but it does make him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield... as long as the mission doesn't require stealth. Or zero casualties.

Brawl combines with his fellow Combaticons to form [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Tony St. James]] (English), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese)|[[Héctor Vieyra]] (Spanish), [[Fritz von Hardenberg]] (German, "Fight or Flee"), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Starscream's Brigade" and "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Fight or Flee")}}

[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Starscream Brawl.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"It's YOUR fault I'm not more toy-accurate!"]]
Brawl was one of the five [[renegade Decepticon]]s liberated by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in the Air Commander's latest attempt to unseat [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. As an element of their imprisonment, they had been reduced to mere [[personality component]]s, so Starscream installed them into abandoned [[World War II]] military vehicles. The transplant caused the vehicles to immediately reconfigure themselves: Brawl in particular went from being an [[wikipedia:M4 Sherman|M4 Sherman]] tank<ref>"Starscream's Brigade" shooting script</ref> to being a... more differenter tank, before turning into a robot. Starscream called them "Combaticons" and announced their names as they transformed, but they didn't recognize him. Nor did they feel particularly indebted to him for their release; Brawl even threatened to pound him into scrap for no apparent reason. In the end, Starscream only guaranteed their loyalty though having given them bodies bereft of [[energy absorber]]s, so they would be dependent upon him to refuel. While their first missions for Starscream were initially successful, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]' intervention meant the brigade's defeat, and Megatron exiled all six to a remote asteroid. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

The Combaticons managed to tow the asteroid to Cybertron and evict [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Brawl would have preferred just to shoot the hell out of the Decepticons and [[Earth]], but [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] managed to rig the [[space bridge]] to drag Earth into the sun. However, the Combaticons were later attacked by mysterious aggressors. Although the Combaticons were confused by their appearance, Brawl figured that they should just annihilate them. As it turned out, the aggressors were holograms created by Starscream and Shockwave, whom the Combaticons captured. Once Megatron, as well as the [[Autobot]]s, arrived, the Combaticons merged into Bruticus, but [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] deactivated him. The Combaticons were then reprogrammed to serve Megatron. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:BOT RepairingBrawl.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Only a fierce backrub could cure Brawl's rage. Megatron happily loaned out his eunuch for a few hours just to get some peace and quiet.]]

When Onslaught ordered the Combaticons to transform in a street, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] knocked into Brawl, who in turn made his displeasure very vocal. They then transformed into Bruticus, who was immediately shot to pieces by [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. Swindle was the sole survivor, and he sold his partners' deactivated forms to various humans such as [[El Presidente]]. Under threat of death by Megatron, Swindle stole back the parts of his unit. However, he was unable to find Brawl's personality component, leaving Brawl a silent shell requiring to be guided over to the rest of the group when ordered to form Bruticus. It turned out that the Combaticons couldn't merge at all without that particular piece of technology, much to Megatron's dismay. Swindle was sent out to retrieve the personality component, which had been used by [[Martin and Roland|some]] [[Elise Presser|kids]] to build [[B.O.T. (robot)|a robot]] for a school project. Of course, this made the robot extremely violent, and it destroyed the school lab and fought some Autobots before Swindle found it and recovered the component. This whole ordeal does pose a question: why does Bruticus depend on the personality component of a loud, homicidal maniac to form? {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[File:FightorFlee RazorclawBrawl.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|This makes perfect sense in context. Really.]]

During the Decepticon attack on [[Paradron]], Brawl teamed up with [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] to capture [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], and together they managed to make him fall off a bridge. Later, he manned a [[molecular cannon]] alongside [[Headstrong]], but the cannon was destroyed in an Autobot attack. At the same time, Brawl was ''also'' part of Bruticus, who was accompanying [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}} Some time later, the Combaticons were sent by Galvatron to assassinate the Decepticon exile [[Octane (G1)|Octane]]. Because bringing Brawl along when you need to sneak up on someone is a good idea. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

The Combaticons later performed a hit-and-run attack on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in order to mess up an upcoming peace conference. Brawl got a good shot at [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] in the ensuing battle, but [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] jumped in and took the blast. {{storylink|Surprise Party}} When the [[Hate Plague]] was brought to Earth, the Combaticons were infected by the disease when Bruticus was (rather ineffectively) punched by an infected Ultra Magnus. Bruticus apparently split apart later on, as Brawl was seen rampaging through a human marketplace, crushing various stands beneath his tracks. Soon afterwards he infected Headstrong. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
[[File:Manga8 Brawlshootsadog.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Oh my god, you've killed a puppy. YOU RUST-CASE!!]]
When Menasor's baseball stadium/command base was attacked by Superion and Defensor, Bruticus came to his aid. He quickly took out Defensor, damaging [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and preventing the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] from combining again. However, Superion blasted Brawl and Swindle away with his [[electrostatic discharger rifle]], allowing [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] to steal their places as Bruticus's legs and fly away with him. Brawl followed them, meagerly yelling for his enemies to wait up. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

The Combaticons were later sent to hunt down an escaped [[Murdered puppy|puppy]] that Megatron had experimented on. Brawl was pretty happy when he got a few shots in on the fleeing animal, but was reprimanded by [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] as they were supposed to capture it alive. [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] soon showed up to save the dog, and using its [[Decepticon super science|experimental energy]], he and the [[Mini Vehicle]]s defeated the Combaticons. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}
{{--}}

=====Scramble City: Mobilization=====
When the Stunticons were dispatched to hinder the Autobots from constructing [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]], they were attacked by the Aerialbots and did not fare too well. Brawl and the Combaticons arrived to help, and together Bruticus and Menasor easily overpowered Superion. However, Scramble City itself soon drove up and blasted both combiners into the distance. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
Brawl and the Combaticons participated in an all-out Decepticon attack on Cybertron, {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} until [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] arrived and drove them away. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Shortly afterwards, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] set out to find the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and bring it to Optimus Prime, and the Combaticons were among the troops sent out to stop him. They were ambushed by the Protectobots, and defeated when Defensor buried Bruticus in a rockfall. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Not long after that, the Combaticons defended [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] against [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]]'s attempted infiltration, but failed when the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] arrived and distracted them. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:SOSfromSandra Terrorcon Brawl.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"NO MERCY! RIP 'EM APART! I'LL MURDERIZE 'EM! I'LL —" "Your squad's over there, Brawl." "RIGHT! I KNEW THAT!"]]

The Combaticons were later part of ''another'' attack on Cybertron, during which they killed plenty of [[Generic|soldiers]] before getting into another fight with Defensor. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} They lost. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}} When the Decepticons planted a giant carnivorous plant in [[San Francisco]], the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were stationed to attack any Autobots who arrived to kill it. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} When the Autobots were preparing [[energon cube]]s to aid the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], Brawl attacked them alongside the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], taking [[Blot (G1)|Blot]]'s place for [[Animation error|reasons unknown]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}} [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] later sent all the Combaticons, Terrorcons and [[Horrorcon]]s to attack an Autobot energy facility in [[Miami]], in order to lure Autobot troops away from [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} The Combaticons also later unleashed Bruticus as Sixshot continued his reign of terror over the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

Brawl was present when [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] held a speech about Galvatron's recent death and took control of the Decepticons. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}} Bruticus was later part of a small group of Decepticons who tried to lead Fortress Maximus away from the Decepticon base on [[Master (planet)|Master]]. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} The combiner then stood by and laughed as [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] sank the luxury liner ''[[Queen World]]'' in the Atlantic Ocean, before being ordered to defend a [[Death Tower]] in [[Australia]]. Bruticus easily took care of Defensor when the Autobot tried to destroy the tower, but was ordered to retreat when the machine activated. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} As Bruticus, the Combaticons participated in the final battle with the Autobots at the North Pole, and retreated into space when Scorponok's energy-absorbing satellite started tearing the Earth apart. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{--}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic=====
Brawl formed the right leg of [[Scramble 7]], a Decepticon combiner using various combiner team members in a supposedly "ideal" configuration. Scramble 7 attacked the Autobot base on [[Athenia]], but was defeated by [[Ginrai|Super Ginrai]], [[Lightfoot]] and [[Ranger]] thanks to their use of [[Chōkon Power]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon, comic and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]], upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Brawl was of those summoned, but only as part of Bruticus. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

====''Wings Universe''====
Brawl was part of an Autobot [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] special ops unit created by [[Magnum]] to take out the various [[Decepticon Warlord|leaders]] of the new Decepticon faction, in the hopes of ending the war quickly. He was assigned to the "Combaticons" as their Ground Assault specialist. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 2}}

Before they could get started on their primary mission, however, the [[Autobot High Council]] had a more...diplomatic mission for the Elite Guard. Teamed with their fellow squad, [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]]'s Strike Team, Brawl and the Combaticons were to make contact with an archeological team heralded by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] as responsible for one of the greatest finds of recent history. Brawl had little interest in the old bot's preaching, and he spent the mission briefing drawing little cartoon bombs and explosions on the sheet in front of him. When the Councilbot started talking about demolition work, though, Brawl suddenly became more interested in the job.

Out at [[Median]], they found the mission was even more complicated than Alpha Trion let on. Dig coordinator [[Flip Sides (G1)|Flipsides]] explained how they had uncovered a massively powerful artifact known as the [[Heart of the Dragon]], and the Decepticons had already become aware of it. Brawl and the Elite Guard began fortifying the town to [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]'s specifications to resist attack. Although he preferred DEstruction over CONstruction, Brawl still got to make a lot of noise setting up the barricades, so he enjoyed the work immensely. When [[Dion]] of the Strike Team commented how he sometimes missed his truck mode after seeing Brawl in action, the gruff Combaticon laid out his credo for life: ''Reformatting's for wimps.'' Oh, and ''"Aim for the mouth, so's you don't have to talk to them."'' One bot, many credos.

When the attack came, Brawl operated on the second line of defense with Onslaught, [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] and the Strike Team's weaponry expert, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]. Once the Decepticon [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtrooper]]s made it through the first line, however, it became a game of cybercat and ironmouse, as the 'Cons split up and used sensor ghosts to send the Elite Guard chasing their tails. By the time Brawl even got a clean shot at one of 'em, the Decepticons had already secured their objective and were speeding back to base.

The Elite Guard pursued them and managed to infiltrate the Stormtroopers' transforming mobile fortress, the [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]. They were forced to confront [[Brimstone (G1)|Brimstone]], a tiny but powerful Transformer brought to life by the Heart of the Dragon. His fiery breath decoupled molecules, sending even Brawl scurrying for cover. Despite said scurrying, Brawl was uncomfortable with leaving Brimstone to burn himself out like the turncoat Stormtrooper [[Drench (G1)|Drench]] suggested. One can only hope the massive explosion that consumed Brimstone and leveled the Metrotitan was enough to satisfy Brawl's battlelust. {{storylink|Flames of Yesterday}}

Over the following weeks, the Combaticons and Strike Team continued working together on co-assigned missions against the Decepticon hierarchy. Although they bonded on a personal level, the Combaticons were aware Metalhawk's team was a bit more...squeamish about the duties of war than they were. When they captured a [[Transport drone|Cubeformer]] Decepticon, for instance, Brawl tortured the unwilling informant away from the Strike Team to get the information they needed, and Onslaught concocted a story about a suicide implant to explain the Con's demise. After successfully assassinating Decepticon field leader [[Shadowcaster]], the Combaticons remained in the field to search for more information. They got more than they bargained for and were captured by [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s forces. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 3}}

Brawl and the Combaticons were isolated behind Oan energy bars, although Brawl was stubborn enough to constantly try and force his way past the unbreakable bars, until his exo-structure was smoldering with the feedback. They were brought before Deathsaurus, who slyly began to manipulate the Special Ops Team into becoming true "Combaticons" under the Decepticon banner. A personal touch was added to sway every Combaticon, but for Brawl he needed to do little more than suggest he ''needed'' help from the Elite Guard in order to fight. That was all it took to make Brawl determined to destroy the Elite Guard just to prove Deathsaurus wrong. Brawl...not very bright. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 4}}

The Combaticons led an assault on Elite Guard headquarters with Deathsaurus's forces and unveiled the modifications their new commander had fitted them with: combination technology to form the big, bad, battlin' [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]! {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 5}} Bruticus managed to slaughter pretty much all of the Guard before [[Dion]] blinded the giant, forcing them to separate. They headed back to Deathsaurus's base for repairs. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 6}}

Repairs proceeded, but the Combaticons were startled to learn that Deathsaurus could force them to combine into Bruticus at will. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} They still turned out to help defend the base against the remnants of the Elite Guard. Brawl started bashing [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] around, and finally the moment he'd been waiting impatiently for came — the Combaticons began to merge... and were promptly blasted. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}} When it turned out they'd been blasted by more survivors of the Elite Guard massacre, Brawl announced they'd have to have another go at killing them all, but sadly Blast Off was indisposed, so they couldn't form Bruticus. During the end of the battle retreat, Brawl pointed out that Blast Off was still missing, and it delayed the team long enough for the Elite Guard to capture them. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 4}}

In the hands of the compromised [[Gyronian Sentry|Gyronian Sentry Team]], the Combaticons were whisked away to Deathsaurus's fortress, now under Megatron's control. Though Megatron gave them the option, none of them cared to help Deathsaurus, and they were imprisoned and their personality components subsequently interred in the Decepticon Detention Center. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel Generation 1 comics====
{{noteukonly}}
''[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], who had held the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] inside his mind, once experienced nightmares of strange new Transformers, [[Special Teams]] with the ability to merge into a giants. Brawl and his Combaticon teammates appeared in one of Buster's earlier dreams, before he sought help from the Autobots. In order to process the information his subconscious was feeding him, Buster linked his mind with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], so that the next dream came through far clearer than the previous ones. He and Prime observed a scenario where the Combaticons joined forces with the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] against their Autobot counterparts, the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. The Combaticons fought together as Bruticus, but were defeated by the teamwork shown by Autobot gestalts [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. After Prime and Buster awoke, the Autobots immediately went to work designing these new warriors. Thanks to [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s hacking skills, however, [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] also saw the visions and began working on their own Special Teams. {{storylink|Second Generation!}}''

{{note|The above origin was not referenced in the U.S. comics and, unlike the Stunticons, the Combaticons were never explicitly stated to have been built on Earth. Although it's generally assumed they were anyway, one [[Swarm (issue)|obscure reference]] inferred that they may have come from Cybertron.}}

[[File:GonebutNotForgotten Brawlheadcrush.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"MEGATRON... PLEASE, NO!! I... CAN'T BREA... WAIT!! I... HAVE A... MOU..." *krunnk*]]

On his first mission on Earth, Brawl was sent with the Combaticons and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to steal the human [[hydrothermocline]] plant. When they arrived, they faced Optimus Prime and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] waiting for them. Brawl combined with his team to form Bruticus, but before the giant got a chance to brawl with [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], [[Ethan Zachary|a human]] suggested that they'd play a [[Multi-World|video game]] over the plant instead. Optimus Prime and Megatron both agreed, and Brawl was sent into the video game along with the other Combaticons, Protectobots, and faction leaders. Brawl teamed up with [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to destroy [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] in the "Vineland" area of the game. However, they were tripped up by a bunch of vine creatures, [[Decrystallizer cannon|crystallized]], and blown to smithereens. Game over. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

Unluckily for him, Brawl learned nothing about caution from this experience. A few days later, he mouthed off at Megatron, telling him to get over the fact that Optimus Prime had died by someone else's hands. Megatron proceeded to pop Brawl's head like a ripe melon and throw his lifeless body into a wall. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

''He got better. On a later mission, Soundwave and the Combaticons were commissioned with destroying the inactive super-Decepticon known as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], who had been trapped inside the lava flow of an active volcano, preserving him like a fly in amber. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who had been commanding the Combaticons ever since Megatron was believed dead in a [[space bridge]] accident, nevertheless saw Galvatron as a potential threat to his command, and wanted him eliminated permanently. Vortex and the others were to set up explosive charges around the mouth, burying the future warrior forever. Their plans were waylaid by a group of human females, who used up most of the explosives against the Combaticons. The Decepticons were then forced to retreat once [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and the [[Throttlebot]]s arrived to back-up the humans, but they swore vengeance for the interference. {{storylink|Ladies' Night (issue)|Ladies' Night}}''

After chasing the Throttlebots around, the Combaticons eventually attacked them in a car lot, and Brawl got into another fight with the Protectobots as they arrived on the scene. Blaster stopped him from shooting [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] in the back, and the Combaticons were eventually forced to retreat. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} Shortly afterwards, the group decided to ambush the Protectobots on their way to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. They failed to take the Autobots completely by surprise as Hot Spot recognized Brawl's tank tracks on the ground, and the ensuing battle quickly led to the groups combining. Bruticus claimed victory over Defensor with his brute strength, but was soon tricked and broken into his component parts by Blaster. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}

Brawl was amongst the large number of Decepticons who ambushed the Autobots on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], only to be beaten back by Blaster and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

{{--}}
====Generation 2====
Brawl was among the Decepticons preparing to charge into battle against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}} He was later seen with his fellow Combaticons attempting to defend the [[Warworld]] against boarders. They didn't do so well. {{storylink|Total War!}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
Brawl was damaged trying to breach [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s defenses. He was towed in for repairs by Onslaught and the Decepticon recovery crew. {{storylink|Decepticon Hideout}}

===Young Corgi continuity===
Brawl joined his fellow Combaticons, Vortex and Blast Off, in searching for a city the humans had found hidden beneath the ice. After a brief battle with the Aerialbots, both sides learned that the [[city-dweller]]s were dangerous to Autobot and Decepticon alike, and joined forced against the [[Watcher]] and his ilk. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and the Aerialbots complied with the truce, allowing Brawl and the Combaticons to leave unmolested once everything was over. {{storylink|Battle Beneath the Ice}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Brawltww.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|This... is my BOOMSTICK!]]
Brawl participated in [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s siege on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} and spent most of his time in tank mode. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} As part of a combiner group, his actions were somewhat limited by the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]]; it is unknown how he occupied his time while the Accord was in place. {{storylink|Devastation}}

Millions of years later, when [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] appeared on Earth, the battered Combaticons were ordered by Starscream to combine into Bruticus and deal with the crazed zealot. It did not end well. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

[[File:G1DW SkyLynx defeats Combaticons.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|This can't turn out good...]]

The repaired Combaticons were brought to Guadalcanal where they could hone their somewhat lackluster combat skills and listen to Starscream's long-winded aspirations of glory. When Swindle commented on Starscream's mental state, Brawl agreed, stating that he'd like to pull the Air Commander's cerebro circuits straight out of his faceplate so they could get a better look at them. Starscream overheard their conversation, but let it pass in order for them to fight the magnificent Autobot [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. Unfortunately, the Combaticons did not fare well when the crafty Autobot split into his two forms, with Brawl and Onslaught nearly crushed by the Lynx's right paw.

This was the least of their troubles, however, as [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] showed up as soon as Sky Lynx was deactivated. This encounter also did not end well. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{--}}

===''G.I. Joe vs the Transformers''===
As part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces, Brawl defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] strike force. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Autocracy12-BrawlOnslaughtSkullgrinBlitzwing.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Early in the war, Brawl defended the [[Citadel]] from the Autobots as part of Blitzwing's unit and was ordered with Onslaught and [[Skullgrin]] to contain the Autobot forces. He got crushed by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] soon after the order. {{storylink|Endgame}}

Brawl was a member of the Combaticon tactical unit under the command of [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]]'s [[Decepticon Secret Service]] and helped capture the [[Pretender Monster|"gestalt" transformers]] being held in the [[Garrus-9]] detention facility. He loved killing things: "''We aim to maim!''" Presumably, he was not particularly keen on being maimed himself, as he was impaled by [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]'s twin saber blades. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

After a deal was negotiated between Arcee and Banzai-Tron, Brawl and the other Combaticons later helped her in an attempt to recapture [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] (who had been stolen by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime's]] forces), though the insane Autobot disappeared mid-battle. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

{{note|Due to the truncated nature of the ''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]'' miniseries, the outcome of this battle is unknown.}}

Years later, most of the Combaticons were left stranded and energon-less on Earth following a failed invasion. They were hired by [[North Korea]]n leader [[Kim Jong Du]] to lead an attack on the [[South Korea|South]]. Brawl, Onslaught and Vortex destroyed a South Korean outpost on the border of the DMZ to this end. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"}} They chafed under Kim's leadership, but unlike them, the Koreans knew how to produce [[energon]], so they had no choice but to obey. Inevitably, the Autobots showed up to stop the Combaticons from getting involved with human conflicts, but were forced to stay in their vehicle modes for the battle. Car modes and [[Skywatch]] [[crash suit]]s were hardly a match for a tank like Brawl, and the Combaticons got away. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"}}

While Brawl and his teammates were celebrating their victory, the Autobots returned, and this time they had no problems with transforming. Without exclusive access to robot modes, the Combaticons were outnumbered, with Brawl having to deal with [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] simultaneously. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"}} He soon found himself defeated and tied up whilst the Autobots dealt with both the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] and a [[Russia]]n nuke sent to wipe them all out. While they made sure to destroy the North Korean energon facilities, the Autobots couldn't take prisoners at the time, and so the Combaticons were presumably set free. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"}}

Several months later, Brawl and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] attacked Prowl as he investigated some sensitive issues. He wasn't worried when [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] came to Prowl's rescue, since the Autobots could never penetrate his armor plating in tank mode, but was defeated and captured after Prowl fired a shot straight through his barrel. Stuck in a state of mid-transformation, he was brought to the Autobot base and interrogated as to who sent him. Brawl insisted that it was all him, but when pressed for information, a failsafe installed in his body by Swindle activated and fused the Autobots' [[Suppressor (device)|suppressors]] to his neural net, sending him into nigh-[[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward}} {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden}}

Brawl was eventually cured and brought home to a reformatted Cybertron, where he was brought by Starscream with a bunch of other Cybertronians to pressure Prowl into revealing one of his secret discoveries below ground. Later underground, they witnessed a [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] declare that Starscream was the Cybertronian destined to unite their whole race. He and the other Cybertronians celebrated afterwards with Starscream. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
Brawl was active in the Decepticon/Autobot war when [[Doctor Arkeville]] created [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]. He didn't take an active role when the Doctor's creation went on a rampage and was stopped by the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] however. {{storylink|Nemesis Rising}}

{{-}}
==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Brawl toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Available in space camouflage.]]
* '''Brawl''' (Combaticon, 1986/1987/1990)
**''Team ID number'': '''C1'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-67'''
**''Accessories'': [[Electron gun]], Twin Sonic Cannon

: Brawl transforms into a green Leopard 1 main battle tank. In vehicle mode his armament is supplemented by a large dark gray anti-aircraft gun mounted of the back of the tank's hull. In robot mode Brawl is armed with a small dark gray gun.

: Early releases of Brawl used painted die-cast metal for his chest and leg-mounted tank treads. This was later replaced by color-cast plastic. The complete set of Combaticons were re-released in the European-market "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line in 1990; these releases has the [[rubsign]] indent removed from the molding.

: Brawl normally operates as Bruticus' left leg, but as a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style combiner, he can also act as any other limb for any other combination of robots who share the connection design.

: In 1987, Brawl also came with a randomly-packed Decepticon [[Decoy]] and accompanying mini-comic/checklist.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed as ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (toyline)|Operation Combination]]'' [[Sandstorm (OC)|Sandstorm]], as well as ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Armorhide (RID)|Armorhide]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Brawl/brawl.htm More information on Brawl at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Bruticus}}

*'''Bruticus''' (Gift set, 1985)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-69'''

:In addition to his single release, Brawl was also sold in a "Bruticus" [[giftset]] alongside the other Combaticons. The gift set was never available in the USA or Canada, but only in [[Japan]] and [[Italy]].

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[File:G2Brawl toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Before [[Megaplex (MW)|Megaplex]] came about, Megatron disguised Brawl as himself to draw fire away.]]
*'''Brawl''' (Combaticon, 1994)
**''Team ID number'': '''C1'''
**''Accessories'': Pistol, double-barreled cannon

: For ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', Brawl was redecoed with bright green and purple camo. Presumably this is so he can hide in the same green and purple forests as [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Megatron]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Brawl/brawl.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Brawl at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|G22012}}
[[File:Generationstoy-G2Brawl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"I don't care what "G" it is, I'm staying green."]]
*'''Bruticus''' (Box set, 2012)
**''Accessories'': Rifle

: A redeco of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' [[Brawl (WFC)#Generations|Decepticon Brawl]], available only as part of an Amazon.com/[[BigBadToyStore]] shared exclusive "Decepticon Bruticus" [[giftset|gift set]], with all the Combaticons' colors based on their 1994 ''Generation 2'' counterparts.

: Brawl's [[alternate mode]] is a green "[[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]]" hover tank with a twin-barreled turret. Unlike most other Transformers toys with tank alternate modes, Brawl sports ''no'' wheels whatsoever. His robot mode rifle can be attached to the turret (between the two cannon barrels) and thus serve as an additional weapon. In robot mode, Brawl can hold his rifle (which features a [[5mm post]] as its handle) in either hand.

: In addition to his robot and vehicle modes, Brawl can also combine with his fellow Combaticons into Bruticus and serve as any of the gestalt robot's four limbs, though his official configuration shown in the [[instructions]] is the left leg.

: This toy was [[retool]]ed into ''Fall of Cybertron'' [[Twintwist]].

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe-ROTF-toy Brawl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66| BRWL!]]
*'''Bruticus Maximus''' (2008)
**''Series'': '''G1 Series'''
**''Accessories:'' Energon Gun-radar/hand, Decepticon-type [[energon star]]

:''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Brawl is a redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Kickback (Energon)|Kickback]]/[[Blight (Energon)|Blight]] mold, transforming into a green [http://www.army-technology.com/projects/gepard/gepard1.html Gepard] anti-aircraft tank. He was only available with ''Universe'' Bruticus Maximus giftset. When combined with the other Combaticons, Brawl is nominally Bruticus Maximus' left leg, though he can be used in any other limb position. His tank mode is adorned with the text "1MJ9" in a font that says "brwl" when read upside-down.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]] and ''Universe'' (2008) [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], who doubles as ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Blast Off (ROTF)|Blast Off]]. Brawl himself is also indistinguishable from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Brawl (ROTF)|Brawl]]. Another planned redeco, ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' [[Gunbarrel (Movie)|Gunbarrel]], was canceled.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/TargetBrawl/brawl.htm More information on ''Universe'' Brawl at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Bruticus''' (multi-pack, Japan 2009)
**''ID number:'' '''16'''

:A reissue of the original G1 Brawl toy at first sight, this toy is actually a redeco of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Armorhide retool of the sculpt. This version of Brawl was only available as part of a Bruticus gift set released under [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line of reissues.

{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy Scout Brawl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Decepticon Brawl''' (Scout, 2012)
**''Accessories:'' Cannon

:A redeco of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|''Transformers'' 2010]] [[Breacher]], ''Generations'' Brawl transforms into a Land Systems OMC [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratel_IFV Ratel IFV]. His cannon uses the [[C joint]] system, so it can be clipped onto multiple places on his robot mode, as well as on other figures with appropriate mounting points. (The [[instructions]] completely neglect to mention this, instead insisting on keeping the weapon attached to the vehicle roof mount in robot mode, thus keeping his weapon on his back even though he comes packed with the gun clipped onto his fist.) His arm-panels also utilize 3mm clips, therefore they can be equipped with assorted C joint accessories. They can also be removed and used as shields as they too are attached to his wrists with C-joints. The side of Brawl's alt mode is decorated with "D67", the Japanese ID number of his original toy.

: Originally developed by Hasbro Asia for release in their territories, Brawl was brought over with many other toys as [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]] exclusives for the 2012 holiday season.

: This mold would also have been used for the canceled 2010 ''Transformers'' [[Bodyblock (TF 2010)|Bodyblock]] toy.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Decepticon/GDOBrawl/brawl.htm More information on ''Generations'' Brawl at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===United===
*'''Bruticus''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' Energon Gun-radar/hand, Decepticon-type [[energon star]]

:Released exclusively by TakaraTomy in non-Japanese Asian markets, this redeco of the ''Energon'' Bruticus Maximus set has colours similar to the previous ''Universe'' (2008)/''Revenge of the Fallen'' release, but with a greater emphasis on G1-accuracy. Brawl trades in the olive coloured plastic for dark green and grey. Additionally, the gun-radar/combined mode foot/hand previously cast in translucent coloured plastic is now opaque grey, though his energon star remains orange.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1OddCombat.jpg|thumb|200px]]
[[File:EuroClassicsCombaticons.jpg|thumb|200px]]
* The [[character model]]s of the Combaticons are kinda... okay, ''heavily'' made-up. Brawl has a lot of extra bits, and his arms are completely different from the toy. Early models of the team which were a bit more accurate to the toys - except for the heads, oddly enough - have shown up in various sourcebooks, though Brawl's is still off in some very odd ways. Even his final vehicle-mode model is off-kilter, resembling a British [[wikipedia:Centurion tank|Centurion]] more than a German Leopard 1.
* The packaging of the 1990 European [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] release of the original Onslaught toy depicted the Combaticons in new color schemes, despite the fact that the actual toys looked identical to their original releases. While it may never be known for certain, it has been theorized that these colors originated from a packaging printing error rather than a legitimate attempt to [[redeco]] the Combaticons.
* Brawl's animation model was used multiple times (in both robot and tank modes) as [[generic]] Decepticons in the [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|''Armada'' cartoon]].
* According to the [[Walmart]] computer database, there seemed to have been plans at some point for a ''[[War Within (franchise)|War Within]]'' version of Brawl in the 6" ''[[Titanium Series]]'' line. No other evidence of these plans has come to light.
* In the Wings of Honor continuity the Combaticons are swayed to the Decepticon side by Deathsaurus appealing to their darker natures, represented by one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Shockingly, Brawl's Wrath was his undoing (though one might also make an argument for Lust. Battlelust, that is.)

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Brawl''' (ブロウル ''Burōru'')
*''French:'' '''Baggareur''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Huligán''' ("Hooligan")
*''Italian:'' '''Bomber'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jēng-chǎu''' (Taiwan, 爭吵, "Brawl"), '''Chǎo nào''' (China, 吵闹, "Brawl")
*''Russian:'' '''Grom''' (cartoon, Гром, "Thunder")

{{--}}

==References==
<references />

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

[[Category:Combaticons]]
[[Category:Elite Guard]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Blast Off (G1)

2014-05-01T18:31:38Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{disambig3|Blast Off}}
:''Blast Off is a [[Decepticon]] [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:MTMTEBlastOff.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Ground control to Major Denial.]]
'''Blast Off''' doesn't need a write-up in some pathetic, [[Main Page|grubby little human database]]. It might matter to [[Sky Lynx (G1)|''some'' robots]] what others think of them, or if they think of them at all, but Blast Off couldn't care less. No, he's literally and figuratively above your average Cybertronian riff-raff. The other Combaticons could completely forget he's up here, orbiting so far above the Earth, distant and alone... with only the empty void for company... and he couldn't care less. No, certainly not.

Lesser robots could hardly understand the joy... yes, that's it, the joy, he finds in efficiently and remorselessly annihilating targets from such a great distance. Blast Off was quite simply "built better" than the rest, you see, and so needs nothing from those tiny beings moving about so... so very... far away below. Blast Off... Blast Off is quite happy with his superior position, yes, quite happy and... and quite alone.

Blast Off condescends to combine with his fellow [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to form [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Milt Jamin]] (English), [[Show Hayami]] (Japanese), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4"), [[Eiji Yanagisawa]] (Japanese, ''The Rebirth'') |[[Edgar Wald]] (Latin American)}}

[[File:RevengeBruticus BlastOff Brawl.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"You ever think about what you want to do after graduation?"]]
Blast Off was one of the five [[renegade Decepticon]]s liberated by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in the Air Commander's latest attempt to unseat [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. As an element of their imprisonment, they had been reduced to mere [[personality component]]s, so Starscream installed them into abandoned [[World War II]] military vehicles. The transplant caused the vehicles to immediately reconfigure themselves: Blast Off in particular went from being a [[wikipedia:B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17 bomber]]<ref>"Starscream's Brigade" shooting script</ref> to being a space shuttle, of all things (though he still thought that it was a "crude carcass"). Starscream called them "Combaticons" and announced their names as they transformed, but they didn't recognize him. Nor did they feel particularly indebted to him for their release; in the end, Starscream only guaranteed their loyalty though having given them bodies bereft of [[energy absorber]]s, so they would be dependent upon him to refuel. While their first missions for Starscream were initially successful, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]' intervention meant the brigade's defeat, and Megatron exiled all six to a remote asteroid. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Their exile would prove to be short-lived. With Blast Off providing the locomotion, the Combaticons returned to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], where they defeated [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his [[Sentinel (G1)|drone army]]. It took a temporary Autobot-Decepticon alliance to defeat the Combaticons, and the Autobots believed them destroyed after Cybertron's sort-of liberation. In reality, Megatron had Bruticus (and thus, Blast Off, we guess) reprogrammed to be more loyal. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:AerialAssault BlastOff Aerialbots.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Are you sure this is where we parked?"]]

The Combaticons later ambushed the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] in a Middle Eastern country, and Blast Off heavily damaged [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] during the battle. He and the others then went off to help Megatron with his scheme to steal fighter aircraft from the country, and to protect his [[Giant Purple Griffin]]. Blast Off somehow failed to notice the Autobot [[insignia]]s on the stolen and disassembled Slingshot and [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] before deeming both jets "cheap junk" and leaving. Although to be fair, he probably would've said that even ''if'' he knew who they were. Blast Off participated in the following battle against the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], but lost when they ignited an oil well, creating an explosion that sent Bruticus flying. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

Later, Blast Off and his teammates were driving around a city before abruptly forming Bruticus and just as abruptly getting blown to scrap by [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. Only [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] was left in one piece, and he quickly took the opportunity to sell the parts of Blast Off and the others to various [[El Presidente|people]]. As soon as Megatron found out, he forced Swindle to get them back, and Blast Off was soon repaired. Then Bruticus was defeated by the Autobots again. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In 2006, the Decepticons were driven off Cybertron and took refuge on [[Chaar]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} Blast Off was with them, and when the Decepticons were offered [[energon]] by the [[Quintesson]]s, the Combaticons joined up with them. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} For this decision, Blast Off was shot in the back by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

[[File:Chaos RunamuckonBlastOff.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Heigh-ho, Blast Off, away!" 
"Aw, shut up, Runamuck!"]]

Later, Blast Off was patrolling a litter void in Decepticon territorial space when he found a [[Skuxxoid]] on a rocket sled making target practice out of the junk. After running the little punk to ground, Blast Off "convinced" him to give over his impressive blaster cannon. In addition, the alien told him how to find the weapon's rare ammunition, [[death crystal]]s, from Quig Mountain on the planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]]. When the Autobots came to investigate, Blast Off and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] attempted to chase them off the scene. [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], another egotistical space shuttle, gave them a merry chase, but Runamuck managed to blow up a comet to cover their escape. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

[[File:SurpriseParty GiantBlastOff.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Determined to one-up Astrotrain, Blast Off grows big enough to transport his teammates and their combined form.]]

The Combaticons later failed to assassinate Decepticon exile [[Octane (G1)|Octane]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} Some time after that, they showed off some guerrilla tactics by appearing out of nowhere to damage a peace conference shuttle before escaping aboard Blast Off. {{storylink|Surprise Party}} When the Decepticons conquered [[Paradron]], Blast Off and Swindle guarded jail cells, but didn't do very well when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and his troops arrived to rescue the prisoners. Meanwhile, Blast Off was also part of Bruticus, who was watching the whole affair alongside Galvatron. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

In 2007, the Combaticons were infected by the [[Hate Plague]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} Later that year, the Decepticons attacked Cybertron in order to take control of the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]]. As the other Combaticons built a giant engine on the planet's surface, Blast Off shot down [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] before reporting to Galvatron that the Aerialbots had been vanquished. He then ripped out [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s [[power pack]] to fuel the engine. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
As part of Bruticus, Blast Off came to the Stunticons' aid when their new command outpost was attacked by the Aerialbots and Protectobots. Together with Menasor, Bruticus defeated Defensor, only for the two combiners to get their leg components shot off by Superion. [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] took control of Bruticus's legs and flew away with Blast Off, Vortex and Onslaught, planning to drop them off somewhere over the ocean. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

Blast Off later joined the Combaticons in hunting down an [[Murdered puppy|escaped dog]] on which the Decepticons had [[Decepticon super science|experimented]]. He reacted with horror when the [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot warriors]] came to stop their evil activities, and the Combaticons combined into Bruticus. However, [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], imbued with the dying dog's [[Scramble Power]], defeated the giant using the [[Minibot combiner|"Minibot Warrior Spiral Attack"]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}

=====Scramble City: Mobilization=====
The Combaticons were dispatched to assist the Stunticons in a battle against the Aerialbots. Together, the two teams overwhelmed the Autobot fliers, but before they could finish their enemies off, they were defeated by the newly constructed [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:FWCOTS Blast Off.jpg|thumb]]
In the year 2011, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] ordered a large-scale Decepticon assault on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in order to get his hands on [[Vector Sigma]]. The Combaticons were part of the attack forces, and Blast Off was seen bombing random targets until he was shot out of the sky by [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} As the battle continued, Blast Off merged with his team to form Bruticus, but even alongside the other Decepticon combiners, he was no match for [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} The Combaticons were driven away, and were instead sent to Earth with orders to stop [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] from bringing the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Before they got very far, they were ambushed by the Protectobots and were buried in a rockslide in the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Blast Off subsequently helped defend [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] against [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]]'s infiltration, but the Autobot spy snuck past when the Combaticons were distracted by the timely arrival of the Aerialbots. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Blast Off later participated in another attack on Cybertron, this time because Galvatron wanted [[Cybertonuron]]. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The Combaticons ended up facing Defensor yet again, and Bruticus was defeated by a swift kick to the neck. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}} As part of Bruticus, Blast Off later defended a giant carnivorous plant in [[San Francisco]] from [[Raiden]]. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] then took command of the Combaticons, who sent them to attack an Autobot energy facility in [[Miami]] alongside the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] and [[Horrorcon]]s. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} They also unleashed Bruticus at Sixshot's order as he continued his reign of terror over the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:IRMLFE Decepticon cheer.jpg|thumb|left]]

When [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] officially took over [[Decepticon leader|leadership]] after Galvatron's death, Blast Off was amongst the cheering Decepticons. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}} On the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], Bruticus later tried to divert attention away from the Decepticon base, to no avail. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Later, back on Earth, Bruticus stood by and laughed as [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] sank the luxury liner ''[[Queen World]]'' in the Atlantic Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} Blast Off was present at the massive Autobot-Decepticon battle in the [[Arctic]], if only as part of Bruticus. The combiner fled into space when it seemed Scorponok was going to tear Earth apart for [[plasma energy]]. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{-}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic=====
Blast Off formed the right arm of [[Scramble 7]], a Decepticon combiner using various combiner team members in a supposedly "ideal" configuration. Scramble 7 attacked the Autobot base on [[Athenia]], but was defeated by [[Ginrai|Super Ginrai]], [[Lightfoot]] and [[Ranger]] thanks to their use of [[Chōkon Power]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon, comic and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]], upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Blast Off was of those summoned, but only as part of Bruticus. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Transformers: Zone}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

====''Wings Universe''====
Blast Off graduated from the [[Autobot Military Academy]] and was drafted into the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]]. He underwent the flying upgrade program to become a Space Warrior, but was curiously outfitted with a rather situation-specific (''re: useless'') alternate mode as a planetary orbiter. [[Magnum]] and [[Sentinel Major]] recruited him into the Guard's Special Ops Team, the Combaticons. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 2}}

On their first mission, the Combaticons were teamed with [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] and his Elite Guard Strike Team. In the rundown city known as [[Median]], an archeological dig had uncovered a powerful artifact known as the [[Brimstone (G1)|Heart of the Dragon]], and the Decepticon raiders from [[Quarex]] called [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtrooper]]s were planning to swipe it. The Elite Guard arrived in Median to plan a defense and protect the dig team from the coming attack.

It was slow going converting the dilapidated ruins into a sturdy bunker to hold off an attack. Blast Off, [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Dion]] worked with the dig's security chief [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] on the fortifications, but Blast Off's prissy manner made him little help. He bemoaned the perils of manual labor, while also complaining about his useless orbiter mode which kept him from being useful during manual labor. When the Stormtroopers arrived, [[Rage (G1)|Rage]] and his minions made it past Metalhawk's crew because he made the mistake of trying to take them alive. The operation went downhill from there, and the Decepticons soon escaped with the Heart.

Tracking the Stormtroopers back to their mobile base, the [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], Blast Off and the others fought their way through Rage's bizarre creations, the [[Minotoron]]s. Seeing an opportunity to sneak inside, Blast Off, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and Dion mounted the creatures when they were summoned back inside the Metrotitan. Inside the mechanimals pen, however, the only possible exit was an enclosed observation booth far above their heads. Once again, Blast Off lamented the uselessness of his alternate mode, since he could only fly straight up, unable to maneuver enough to get them into the booth. It was up to Dion to use his vehicle-mode boosters as a makeshift jetpack to reach the upper levels.

Once the team had reassembled inside, they were forced to confront [[Brimstone (Universe)|Brimstone]], a small but powerful Transformer with atom-smashing breath, brought to life by the Heart of the Dragon. They engaged in an accelerated advance to the rear long enough for the Strike Team's <strike>mad bomber</strike> weapons specialist [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] to cobble together his explosives and blast Brimstone to [[J'nwan]]. The blast didn't kill the creature, but it did upset his delicate energy containment protocols, causing him to explode from the inside out. Blast Off and the Elite Guard managed to escape the blast radius, and reported back to Magnum about a job well done. {{storylink|Flames of Yesterday}}

The Combaticons and Strike Team continued to work together on many missions over the following weeks. After successfully eliminating [[Shadowcaster]], Blast Off and the Combaticons broke off from their partners to control patrolling the area and search for further leads on the [[Decepticon Warlord]]s. Instead, they ended up being captured by [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 3}}

Deathsaurus saw potential in the Combaticons, and manipulated them into abandoning the Elite Guard and siding with him. For Blast Off, the manipulation required little more than the promise of a [[Triple Changer]] upgrade with both land AND space modes so he wouldn't have to be so... lonely up there... {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 4}}

Blast Off and the Combaticons led a squadron of Deathsaurus's troops in battle against the Elite Guard headquarters. Four Elite Guard teams returned to base quickly enough to eliminate the threat of most of the Decepticons. The Combaticons had one last ace to play, however, and used Deathsaurus's new combination technology to merge into [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], killing Sentinel Major and starting the slaughter anew. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 5}} Bruticus managed to slaughter pretty much all of the Guard before [[Dion]] blinded the giant, forcing them to separate. They headed back to Deathsaurus's base for repairs. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 6}}

Repairs proceeded, but the Combaticons were startled to learn that Deathsaurus could force them to combine into Bruticus at will. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} They still turned out to help defend the base against the remnants of the Elite Guard. Blast Off found himself grappling with [[Side Burn (G1)|Side Burn]], but gained the upper hand when the Autobot was distracted by the sight of a sword-wielding [[Lyzack]]. The Combaticons attempted to merge, only to be blasted mid-combination. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}} In the resulting confusion, Blast Off was bound and sat on by Side Burn, preventing the Combaticons from forming Bruticus again and ultimately resulting in their capture by the Elite Guard. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 4}}

In the hands of the compromised [[Gyronian Sentry|Gyronian Sentry Team]], the Combaticons were whisked away to Deathsaurus's fortress, now under Megatron's control. Though Megatron gave them the option, none of them cared to help Deathsaurus, and they were imprisoned and their personality components subsequently interred in the Decepticon Detention Center. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel Generation 1 comics====
{{noteukonly}}
''[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], who had held the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] inside his mind, once experienced nightmares of strange new Transformers, [[Special Teams]] with the ability to merge into a giants. Blast Off and his Combaticon teammates appeared in one of Buster's earlier dreams, before he sought help from the Autobots. To make sense of these dreams, Buster linked his mind with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s, and they both witnessed a scenario where the Combaticons and [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] lost against their Autobot counterparts, the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. However, the dream was also spied into by [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]], and so the Decepticons started building the Decepticon Special Teams seen in the vision. {{storylink|Second Generation!}}''

{{note|The above origin was not referenced in the U.S. comics and, unlike the Stunticons, the Combaticons were never explicitly stated to have been built on Earth. Although it's generally assumed they were anyway, one [[Swarm (issue)|obscure reference]] inferred that they may have come from Cybertron.}}

[[File:Afterdeath Vortex BlastOff.JPG|left|120px|thumb|"Hey, Vortex! Let's give these... clouds a surprise that will kill 'em all!"]]

Blast Off and the other Combaticons were led by Megatron to steal the human [[hydrothermocline]] power plant, only to be faced with Optimus Prime and his Protectobots. After some advice by a nearby human named [[Ethan Zachary]], the two groups decided to fight [[Multi-World|virtually]] rather risk damage to the power plant. Transferring his mind into a computer, Blast Off teamed up with [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] and ambushed [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] in the area called the "Cloud-Steppes". They did well at first, until the local AI turned against them and blinded the two fliers with a cloud, leading to them crashing into each other and losing the game.

That's right. Blast Off, Lord of the Skies, was beaten up by a cloud. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

''On a mission for Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], Blast Off and the Combaticons secured a volcano where the nemeses [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] had been found frozen in the cooled lava like flies in amber. Shockwave saw Galvatron as a threat to his power base and wanted the volcano destroyed with Galvatron stuck inside it. The Combaticons' mission was interrupted, however, by several female fleshlings trying to save Ultra Magnus. They sent a speeding jeep towards Blast Off and his comrades, but the Combaticons stopped the vehicle easily. However, they didn't fare as well against a tank the women had appropriated, which fired at the jeep and set off the storage of explosives the women had put inside it. {{storylink|Ladies' Night (issue)|Ladies' Night}}''

[[File:UsedAutobot BlastOff Groove.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|Blast Off demonstrates for Groove how some toys fail the drop test.]]

He and his fellow Combaticons were sent on a hunting mission by Decepticon command and spent several weeks tracking and tormenting [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and the [[Throttlebot]]s, who had recently interfered with their schemes. They were interrupted by the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], though, and engaged in battle with their foes. Blast Off demonstrated his unmitigated superiority by beating up a [[Groove (G1)|pacifist]]. Darn peace-niks. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} In a later combat, the Combaticons joined to form Bruticus but were beaten by Blaster and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. Afterwards, Blast Off was slapped with a mode-lock device so that Blaster could remote-control him, taking his human friends the Spacehikers for a spin around outer space. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}} Unfortunately, Blaster was at odds with Autobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] at the time as well, and Blast Off and his passengers were forcibly captured by the [[Ark (G1)|''Ark'']]. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} The Decepticon later either escaped Autobot custody on his own or was rescued along with [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s victims by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

In 2006 of an alternate future, Blast Off helped the Decepticons retreat from a battle against Autobots and [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US)}}

{{note|In the UK version of the story, the events of "The Big Broadcast of 2006" are a fabrication invented by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]].}}
{{--}}
=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''In 2008, Blast Off was briefly seen racing through the skies with his fellow Decepticons on the way to attack [[Autobase]]. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

====Generation 2====
Blast Off was one of the Decepticons who fell back under Megatron's command after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] was destroyed. He was among the crowd of Decepticons Megatron whipped up into a warrior frenzy before first confronting [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his second-generation [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}} He later showed concern when Onslaught had a tummy-ache, particularly because Combaticons (strictly speaking) don't ''have'' tummies. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} Blast Off and his fellow Combaticons were the first Decepticons aboard the [[Warworld]] to meet the boarding party of Cybertronians led by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]. They didn't fare so well. {{storylink|Total War!}}

===Young Corgi continuity===
When the humans discovered a city buried beneath the ice, Blast Off and the Decepticons came looking for an opportunity to loot it. Initially blamed for shooting down a research plane, Blast Off and the Combaticons fought the Aerialbots until [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] alerted them that the [[city-dweller]]s were the true enemy of them all. After the Autobots and Decepticons worked together to neutralize the city-dwellers, Blast Off transformed to shuttle mode and ferried his fellow Combaticons and Ravage back to Megatron. {{storylink|Battle Beneath the Ice}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Blast Off was monitoring things on the Decepticon's derelict space cruiser when he spotted one of the Autobot [[Clone (subgroup)|Clone]]s though a doorway. Blast Off rushed towards him, only to be clocked on the head by the other Clone and rendered out cold. It was not a good day for Blast Off. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Shortly after [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] became the new Autobot Supreme Commander, Blast Off took part in the Decepticon assault upon [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. Blast Off enjoyed strutting his stuff in his less aerodynamic but more heavily armed original form.

Millions of years later, Blast Off, along with his fellow Combaticons, was imprisoned by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], until they were released by Starscream.

When [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] appeared on Earth, the battered Combaticons were ordered by Starscream to combine into Bruticus and deal with the crazed zealot. It did not end well. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

[[File:G1DW SkyLynx defeats Combaticons.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Nice kitty... pretty kitty...]]
The repaired Combaticons were brought to Guadalcanal, where they could hone their somewhat lackluster combat skills and listen to Starscream's long-winded aspirations of glory. Starscream ordered them to defeat the Autobot [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] as a means to train themselves for greater battles. Blast Off ordered Vortex to "take Sky Lynx down", but unfortunately, the Combaticons did not fare well when the Autobot split into his two forms, and Blast Off was embarrassingly grabbed in the flying form's jaws.

This was the least of their troubles, however, as [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] showed up as soon as Sky Lynx was deactivated. This encounter also did not end well. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{--}}
===''G.I. Joe vs the Transformers''===
As part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces, Blast Off defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] strike force. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Stormbringer4 Decepticonfliers.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Whoever hits [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] gets the Cybertron Clearing House."]]
Blast Off was part of the troop complement aboard the Decepticon warship ''[[Thanatos]]'' under the command of [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]. With respect to the desperate defense the [[Wrecker]]s were mounting against [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], Razorclaw sent out two squads of Decepticons to assist the Autobots; Blast Off was among the aerial forces led by [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

[[File:SpotlightArcee BlastOff.jpg|left|350px|thumb|Now that's just rude.]]

He was later reassigned to the Combaticons operating under [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]]'s [[Decepticon Secret Service]]. The Combaticons were used as an elite storming brigade in the attack on the [[Garrus-9]] penitentiary in an effort to capture the prison's [[Pretender Monster|newest inmates]] and their so-called [[Combiner|gestalt technology]]. Blast Off was right in the middle of chortling over the fun of killing folk when he was skewered by [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. The other Combaticons carried him out with them when they evacuated with their prizes. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

After a deal was negotiated between Arcee and Banzai-Tron, Blast Off and the other Combaticons later helped her in an attempt to recapture [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] (who had been stolen by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime's]] forces), though the insane Autobot disappeared mid-battle. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

{{note|Due to the truncated nature of the ''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]'' miniseries, the outcome of this battle is unknown, though it appears the [[Devastator (G1)|Secret Service won]].}}

While Blast Off didn't participate in the Combaticons' [[North Korea|adventures]] on [[Earth]] for reasons unknown, he resurfaced years later on Cybertron as one of the Decepticons imprisoned by the Autobots following the end of the war. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson}} After the captive 'cons had gotten some level of freedom, Blast Off was part of a Cybertronian crowd recruited by [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] to pressure [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] into revealing a secret discovery below ground. Following Starscream into the cave, they witnessed a [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] declare him the Cybertronian destined to unite their whole race. He and the other Cybertronians celebrated afterwards with Starscream. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}} Once [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] appeared in Iacon, Blast Off and the other Decepticons threw the peace aside and began rioting for a return to the good old days. {{storylink|City on Fire}}

{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
When a team of Autobots led by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] went on the offensive, Blast Off, Swindle and Vortex used superior military tactics to fight them off. {{storylink|War Dawn (Legends)|War Dawn}} Blast Off was among the Decepticons who joined with the Quintessons in an attempt to destroy the Autobots. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 2}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Blastoff toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|What are you talking about? I see brown space shuttles being used by the army all the time.]]
*'''Blast Off''' (Combaticon, 1986/1990)
**''Team ID number'': '''C3'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-65'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right cannons, pistol

: Blast Off transforms into [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Space Shuttle Orbiter|yet another]] [[wikipedia:Space Shuttle|International NASA Space Shuttle]]. In this mode, he is armed with two laser cannons mounted to his engines.

: In robot mode Blast Off is armed with a small laser pistol and his two laser cannons, which are now mounted on his legs. Along with fellow Combaticon [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]], Blast Off is the first Transformer figure to use ball joints, located in his shoulders. He usually forms Bruticus' right arm, but as a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style toy, he can be connected with any limb slot on Bruticus.

: This mold was also used to make ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (toyline)|Operation Combination]]'' [[Shuttle Gunner]], as well as ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Movor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Blast-Off/blast-off.htm More information on Blast Off at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Bruticus}}

*'''Bruticus''' (Gift set, 1985)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-69'''

:In addition to his single release, Blast Off was also sold in a "Bruticus" [[giftset]] alongside the other Combaticons. The gift set was never available in the USA or Canada, but only in [[Japan]] and [[Italy]].

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
*'''Blast Off''' (Combaticon, 1994)
**''Team ID number'': '''C3'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right cannons, pistol

: In ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', Blast Off was [[redeco]]ed white with purple camouflage... for all the times you need purple camouflage in space.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/BlastOff/blast-off.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Blast Off at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|FOCgiftset}}
[[File:Generationstoy-G2BlastOff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|He didn't see the snowstorm coming until it was too late.]]
*'''Bruticus''' (Box set, 2012)
**''Accessories'': 2 hand-held blasters/tailfins

: Part of a giftset [[exclusive]] to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and [[BigBadToyStore]], this version of Blast Off is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]] [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' [[Blast Off (FOC)#Generations|Blast Off]] in ''Generation 2'' colors. He can form any arm or leg of Bruticus, but his nominal placement is as the right arm, as usual.

: This toy was retooled into ''Fall of Cybertron'' [[Topspin (FOC)|Autobot Topspin]].
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe-ROTF-toy BlastOff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Bruticus Maximus''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' Energon Gun-radar/hand, Decepticon-type [[energon star]]

:''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Blast Off is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' the [[Kickback (Energon)|Kickback]]/[[Blight (Energon)|Blight]] mold, transforming into a brown [http://www.army-technology.com/projects/gepard/gepard1.html Gepard] anti-aircraft tank. His markings include his initials on his tread housings and a five-pointed star which, combined with his color scheme, gives his tank mode a somewhat Soviet feel. He was only available with ''Universe'' Bruticus Maximus giftset. When combined with the other Combaticons, Blast Off is nominally Bruticus Maximus' right arm, though he can be used in any other limb position.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]] and ''Universe'' (2008) [[Brawl (G1)|Decepticon Brawl]]. These two toys were later sold in the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toyline as another [[Brawl (ROTF)|Brawl]] and [[Blast Off (ROTF)|Blast Off]]. Another planned redeco, ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' [[Gunbarrel (Movie)|Gunbarrel]], was canceled.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/TargetBlastOff/blastoff.htm More information on ''Universe'' Blast Off at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Bruticus''' (multi-pack, Japan 2009)
**''ID number:'' '''16'''

:A reissue of the original G1 Blast Off toy at first sight, this toy is actually a redeco of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Movor retool of the sculpt. This version of Blast Off was only available as part of a Bruticus gift set released under [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line of reissues.

{{-}}

===United===
*'''Bruticus''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' Energon Gun-radar/hand, Decepticon-type [[energon star]]

:Released exclusively by TakaraTomy in non-Japanese Asian markets, this redeco of the ''Energon'' Bruticus Maximus set has colours similar to the previous ''Universe'' (2008)/''Revenge of the Fallen'' release, but with a greater emphasis on G1-accuracy. Additionally, the gun-radar/combined mode foot/hand previously cast in translucent coloured plastic is now opaque grey, though his energon star remains orange.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Generation 2===
*'''Blast Off''' (199?)

: A digital wristwatch of Blast Off's shuttle mode was released during ''Generation 2'', in the same white and purple coloration as the toy. This did not have a robot mode, however.
{{--}}
==Notes==
[[File:G1OddCombat.jpg|thumb|220px]]
* The [[character model]]s of the Combaticons are kinda... okay, heavily made-up. Early models of the team which were a bit more accurate to the toys - except for the heads, oddly enough - have shown up in various sourcebooks, though Blast Off's is still off in some very odd ways. Blast Off's final animation model apparently mis-interpreted his forehead crest as a visor, giving him one funkily arranged face, for example.
* Normally, the word "blast" is rendered in katakana as ブラスト (''burasuto'')—like in [[Strongarm (Energon)|Blastarm]] or [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Broadblast]]. However, the katakana used in Blast Off's Japanese name is most decidedly ブレスト (''buresuto'')—which is usually used to render the English words "breast" or "blessed". It appears that this is not an ''uncommon'' misspelling, so it is uncertain as to whether Takara were ''intentionally'' trying to give Blast Off the name "Breast Off"/"Blessed Off". However, it is somewhat notable that this same spelling was later used to render the first part of [[Blast Master]]'s name, an unrelated shuttle character released years later. It's possible the common katakana "spelling" of the word changed at some point, but we can't say for sure.
* The packaging of the 1990 European [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] release of the original [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] toy depicted the Combaticons in (mostly) [[:File:EuroClassicsCombaticons.jpg|new color schemes]], despite the fact that the actual toys looked identical to their original releases. While it may never be known for certain, it has been theorized that these colors originated from a packaging printing error rather than a legitimate attempt to [[redeco]] the Combaticons.
* In the Wings of Honor continuity the Combaticons are swayed to the Decepticon side by Deathsaurus appealing to their darker natures, represented by one of the Seven Deadly Sins. As noted above, Blast Off is convinced by the offer of a Triple-Changer upgrade so he'd be, y'know, useful. His vice is thus Envy.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Blast Off''' (ブレストオフ ''Buresuto Ofu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Bào Zhà''' (爆炸 "Explosion")
*''French:'' '''Propulsio''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Kilövő''' ("Launcher")
*''Italian:'' '''Exploder'''
*''Russian:'' '''Vzryv''' (cartoon, Взрыв, "Explosion")

==References==
<references />

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

[[Category:Combaticons]]
[[Category:Elite Guard]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Vortex (G1)

2014-05-01T18:26:54Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|minicon|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{picsneeded}}
{{disambig3|Vortex}}
:''Vortex is a [[Decepticon]] [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:MTMTEVortex.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'm FANCY!]]
In a past life, it is very possible that '''Vortex''' was a roller coaster of some sort. He is the interrogator of the [[Decepticon]]s, and his favorite method of coaxing secrets from trembling [[Autobot]]s is to take them on ''Mr. Vortex's Wild Ride''. Laughing like a maniac, Vortex will treat Autobots held hostage within his cargo hold to a psychotic helicopter ride of twists, turns and near-death experiences. Then, once he has learned everything they have to tell: kerplop!

Vortex can combine with his fellow [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to form [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Johnny Haymer]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese), [[Yoku Shioya]] (Japanese, "Aerial Assault"), [[Toshio Ishii]] (Japanese, ''2010''), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese, "Surprise Party"), [[Eiji Yanagisawa]] (Japanese, "The Rebirth") |[[Héctor Vieyra]] (Latin American), [[Willi Röbke]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2''), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4''), [[Michael Rüth]] (German, ''The Ultimate Weapon''), [[Tonio von der Meden]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Starscreams Brigade'' & ''The Revenge of Bruticus''), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''The Ultimate Weapon'')}}

[[File:StarscreamsBrigade Vortex capture.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hey dude, I don't think we're in [[Kansas]] anymore!" 
"Shut up, Jazz."]]
Vortex was one of the five [[renegade Decepticon]]s liberated by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in the [[Air Commander]]'s latest attempt to unseat [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. As an element of their imprisonment, they had been reduced to mere [[personality component]]s, so Starscream installed them into abandoned [[World War II]] military vehicles. The transplant caused the vehicles to immediately reconfigure themselves: Vortex in particular went from being a [[wikipedia:F4U Corsair|Chance Vought F4U Corsair]]<ref>"Starscream's Brigade" shooting script</ref> to being a helicopter, before turning into a robot. Starscream called them "Combaticons" and announced their names as they transformed, but they didn't recognize him. Nor did they feel particularly indebted to him for their release; in the end, Starscream only guaranteed their loyalty though having given them bodies bereft of [[energy absorber]]s, so they would be dependent upon him to refuel. While their first missions for Starscream were initially successful, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]' intervention meant the brigade's defeat, and Megatron exiled all six to a remote asteroid. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Vortex and his fellow Combaticons soon escaped the asteroid and invaded [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], defeating [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s defenses as Bruticus. After Onslaught modified the [[space bridge]] to pull [[Earth]] into the [[sun]], the Combaticons were attacked by unknown forces, which were actually [[hologram]]s. Vortex was quite happy, as he ''loved'' sneak attacks. Once again, however, the Combaticons were defeated by outside intervention, as the Autobots and Decepticons temporarily allied against the renegades. While Megatron allowed the Autobots to believe the Combaticons had been destroyed, he secretly had Bruticus (and his components, we guess) reprogrammed to serve more loyally. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:RevengeBruticus BlastOff Vortex.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Another example of why headbanging isn't more popular among the Decepticons.]]

Some time later, the Combaticons set a trap for the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], and Vortex attacked them alongside [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]. He was eventually shot down by [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] and retreated back to Megatron's [[Giant Purple Griffin]], which the Aerialbots eventually discovered. In the ensuing battle, Vortex took control of a few of Megatron's jet fighter [[drone]]s, but didn't fare particularly well anyway. The Combaticons then tried to merge into Bruticus, but were defeated by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} Afterwards, Bruticus was blown to pieces by [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] sold Vortex's parts. What a friend. Vortex and the other Combaticons were eventually repaired just in time for Bruticus to be defeated again. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[File:FFoD2 SwindleVortex.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hey, my semi-automatic glue gun isn't firing lasers any more! It must be... broken?"]]

After the great battle at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], the Combaticons were among the battered Decepticon forces who withdrew to [[Chaar]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} When the Deceptions spotted [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] spying on them, Vortex was the first to note that their weapons weren't working due to their low energy levels. He and his comrades simply opted for bashing the intruders to death instead. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} The Combaticons later participated in a [[Quintesson]]-led assault on a group of Autobots trapped on [[Goo 8739B|Goo]], {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} until [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] returned and took back control of his forces. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

[[File:UltimateWeapon Vortex interrogation.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Confess! Where is the candlestick? What were you doing in the conservatory?"]]

The Combaticons later performed a hit-and-run attack on Cybertron in order to destroy a peace conference shuttle. When the Autobots fought back, Vortex shot [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] with a barrage of lasers, but was blasted out of the sky by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] for it. {{storylink|Surprise Party}} Much later, Vortex was charged with guarding [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] in the [[Netherlands]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], seated in a disguised Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime, respectively, tried tricking him into thinking they were repairmen in order to infiltrate the city-bot, but unfortunately Vortex could detect the "nauseating smell of Autobot fumes" on them. He tried shaking the truth out of Daniel, only to accidentally throw him off a cliff. The Autobots were forced to abandon their disguises in order to save him, and Rodimus blasted Vortex into unconsciousness. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

[[File:ReturnOptimusPrime1 InfectedVortex.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|The difference between a Decepticon and a Decepticon infected with the hate plague is... murky, at best.]]

When the Earth was infected by the [[Hate Plague]], the Combaticons were among the early victims. In a frenzy, Vortex started flying around an airfield blowing up jumbo jets. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} By order of Galvatron, the Combaticons later constructed a giant planetary rocket engine that was used to propel Cybertron into orbit around Earth. They also dragged away the bodies of defeated Autobots to use as fuel for the engine. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
As Bruticus, Vortex and the Combaticons aided Menasor when the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]' new base found itself under attack from [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. Whilst Bruticus took care of Defensor with relative ease, Superion shot his leg components off, allowing [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] to steal their places. Taking control of the giant's flight systems, the two [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] flew off with Bruticus's remaining components, planning to drop them off somewhere over the ocean. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

Vortex and the Combaticons were later ordered to hunt down a [[Murdered puppy|dog]] imbued with [[Decepticon super science]]. The Autobot [[Mini Vehicle]]s led by [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] soon arrived to save the poor animal, and the Combaticons formed Bruticus in response. However, the dog used its super science to power up Powerglide, who used [[Scramble Power]] to combine with his comrades and drill straight through him, forcing the Combaticons to withdraw. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}

=====Scramble City: Mobilization=====
Vortex and the other Combaticons were dispatched to help the Stunticons in a battle against the Aerialbots. As Bruticus and Menasor, the two groups nearly defeated Superion, until [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] arrived and blew them away. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
The Combaticons participated in a major Decepticon assault on Cybertron, during which Vortex performed air strikes until he was shot down by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} He later combined with the other Combaticons to continue fighting, but even Bruticus was driven away by the arrival of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} The Combaticons were subsequently sent to Earth, where they set out to stop [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] from retrieving the [[Matrix of Leadership]] for Optimus Prime. They didn't get far before being ambushed by the Protectobots, who buried the team in a rockfall. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Vortex and the others later defended [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] against [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]]'s attempted infiltration, but got their hands full when the Aerialbots also joined the battle. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

The Decepticon army, including the Combaticons, later attacked Cybertron again, in order to obtain the precious [[Cybertonuron]] created by [[Vector Sigma]]. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} This didn't go very well, as Bruticus was again defeated by Defensor. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}} Bruticus was then sent to [[San Francisco]] with orders to destroy any Autobots out to kill the giant carnivorous plant hidden there by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. He ended up dueling with [[Raiden]], the [[Trainbot]] combiner. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} Vortex and his team were later seen under the command of [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], who ordered them to attack an Autobot energy facility in [[Miami]] in order to divert troops from [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} They also unleashed Bruticus as Sixshot continued his reign of terror over the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

Vortex later watched and cheered as Scorponok official took leadership of the Decepticons. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}} As Bruticus's arm, he later tried to lure Fortress Maximus away from the Decepticon base on [[Master (planet)|Master]], but it didn't work. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Bruticus was later seen laughing with [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] as they sank the luxury liner ''[[Queen World]]'' in the Atlantic Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} Naturally, Vortex and the Combaticons were part of the final climactic battle with the Autobot army at the [[Arctic|North Pole]], and retreated into space when Scorponok's plan to tear Earth apart appeared to become a reality. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon, comic and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]], upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Vortex was of those summoned, but only as part of Bruticus. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

====''Wings Universe''====
Vortex was part of an Autobot [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] special ops unit created by [[Magnum]] to take out the various [[Decepticon leader|leaders]] of the new Decepticon faction, in the hopes of ending the war quickly. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 2}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Flames of Yesterday}}
{{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 3}}
{{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 4}}
{{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 5}}

Bruticus managed to slaughter pretty much all of the Guard before [[Dion]] blinded the giant, forcing them to separate. After Vortex suggested that Dion had probably perished at Bruticus's hand, they headed back to Deathsaurus's base for repairs. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 6}}

Repairs proceeded, but the Combaticons were startled to learn that Deathsaurus could force them to combine into Bruticus at will. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} They still turned out to help defend the base against the remnants of the Elite Guard. Vortex boasted that if they formed Bruticus, killing the Guard would be like fighting mindless drones, however as the Combaticons attempted to merge, they were blasted mid-combination. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}} They picked themselves up again, but were still unable to merge, as Blast Off had gone missing. At the end of the battle, the team failed to retreat fast enough and were captured by the Elite Guard. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 4}}

In the hands of the compromised [[Gyronian Sentry|Gyronian Sentry Team]], the Combaticons were whisked away to Deathsaurus's fortress, now under Megatron's control. Though Megatron gave them the option, none of them cared to help Deathsaurus, and they were imprisoned and their personality components subsequently interred in the Decepticon Detention Center. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
''[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] was the only human in existence to have ever possessed the Autobots' [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] in his mind. Months after returning the Matrix to its true guardian, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Buster began experiencing nightmares of strange new Transformers, [[Special Teams]] with the ability to merge into a 5-in-1 giant. Vortex and his Combaticon teammates appeared in one of Buster's earlier dreams, before he sought help from the Autobots. In order to process the information his subconscious was feeding him, Buster linked his mind with Prime, so that the next dream came through far clearer than the previous ones. He and Prime observed a <s>toy commercial</s> scenario where Vortex and his fellow Combaticons joined forces with the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] against their Autobot counterparts, the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. The Combaticons fought together as [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], but were defeated by the teamwork shown by Autobot gestalts [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. After Prime and Buster awoke, the Autobots immediately went to work designing these new warriors. Thanks to [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s hacking skills, however, [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] also saw the visions and began working on their own Special Teams. {{storylink|Second Generation!}}''

{{note|The above origin was not referenced in the U.S. comics and, unlike the Stunticons, the Combaticons were never explicitly stated to have been built on Earth. Although it's generally assumed they were anyway, one [[Swarm (issue)|obscure reference]] inferred that they may have come from Cybertron.}}

[[File:Afterdeath Vortex BlastOff.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|For the glory of Mesmeron!]]
At Megatron's command, Vortex began scouting human energy projects for possible sources of energon for the Decepticons to steal. Hovering over [[Energy Futures Industries]] on the Oregon coast, Vortex learned about a new device called a [[hydrothermocline]], which could potentially summon limitless energy from beneath the seas. He summoned Megatron and the rest of the Combaticons for a late night raid. Unfortunately for them, the Autobots had been doing a little spying of their own, and the Combaticons found Optimus Prime and the Protectobots lying in wait at EFI when they arrived. Optimus and Megatron were busy measuring who had the biggest gestalt when [[Ethan Zachary]], a human programmer working at EFI, offered them a better solution than brawling. Using his [[Multi-World]] video game scenario, Zachery could upload the Autobots and Decepticons into the game, allowing them to fight without risking the hydro-whatsis or innocent lives in the process.

Inside Multi-World, Vortex and [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] teamed up to hunt down Protectobots. In the region known as the [[Cloud-Steppes]], they came across [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[Blades (G1)|Blades]]. The digital environment was composed of a series of roadways supported by cables connecting them to hovering clouds. Vortex chose the simplest solution and began cutting through the cables with his rotor blades, sending the ground-bound Groove and several Cloud-Steppers to their doom. Groove saved himself, and Blades caught the cloud people as they fell. The Autobots' new friends then turned their cloud power against the Combaticons, blinding them long enough for Groove to... blind them again. Stupid pacifists. Anyway, Vortex and Blast Off then crashed into each other and "died", their consciousnesses returning to reality. The other Combaticons fared just as well, leaving Megatron alone to fight Prime and Defensor. Blindly choking his subordinates in the real world, Megatron got close enough for Vortex to whisper a "cheat code" he had overheard when first scouting the location... AFTERDEATH. Despite using the password to cheat, Megatron still lost the battle. But, because Optimus Prime was forced to sacrifice innocent "people" in the game to defeat Megatron, he allowed the Decepticons to take the hydrothermocline anyway. Truly an [[Heavy Metal War|overdeveloped sense of honor]]. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

During the Decepticon plans to move the hydrothermocline to a more energy efficient location for its work, Vortex was transporting the land-bound Decepticons to their island base. At Shockwave's request, however, he was dissuaded from picking up Megatron on time, allowing Shockwave's [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] mercenaries time to complete their assassination attempt on the Decepticon leader. Megatron survived, but ended up blowing himself up anyway, leaving Vortex and the Combaticons under Shockwave's command. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}} When fuel auditor [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] arrived to supervise the Decepticon activities, Shockwave engineered a daring daylight raid on an oil tanker in the Caribbean. Vortex, the [[Conehead]]s and the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] successfully commandeered the vessel and brought it to the Decepticons island base. It was the perfect plan... with the small technicality of there not being any fuel in the tanker. {{storylink|Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom}}

''On a later mission, Soundwave and the Combaticons were commissioned with destroying the inactive super-Decepticon known as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], who had been trapped inside the lava flow of an active volcano, preserving him like a fly in amber. Shockwave nevertheless saw Galvatron as a potential threat to his command, and wanted him eliminated permanently. Vortex and the others were to set up explosive charges around the mouth, burying the future warrior forever. Their plans were waylaid by a group of human females, who used up most of the explosives against the Combaticons. The Decepticons were then forced to retreat once [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and the [[Throttlebot]]s arrived to back-up the humans, but they swore vengeance for the interference. {{storylink|Ladies' Night (issue)|Ladies' Night}}''

Vortex began trailing the Throttlebots, and caught up with them on a California freeway. He was freely taking pot shots at them until Blaster transformed and supported himself on [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]] and [[Chase (G1)|Chase]]'s vehicle modes, firing back at the Combaticon with his electro-scrambler gun. After nearly causing a traffic pile-up, Blaster got a good shot at Vortex, overloading his circuitry and sending the Decepticon careening through the sky. Once he recovered, Vortex tracked Blaster and the Throttlebots to a used car dealership, and summoned the rest of the Combaticons. Matters became complicated when the Protectobots also arrived on the scene, looking to arrest Blaster and Goldbug for going AWOL and rebelling against the Autobot commander, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]... not to mention the [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] brigade of human military officers looking to take the Autobots into custody as well. The resulting four-way war left everyone confused and the dealership a wreck. Vortex was blinded early on battling [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]], and the Combaticons ultimately retreated once Blaster joined forces with the Protectobots. In the melee, however, the Throttlebots were carted off by RAAT, and the Protectobots still took Blaster into custody for Grimlock after the fight was over. {{storylink|Used Autobots}}

Vortex tracked the Protectobots from a distance, as they transported the mode-locked Blaster back to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] for trial and execution. The two teams clashed again at a (mostly) abandoned railyard once the Combaticons had fully assembled on Vortex's position. Vortex clashed with his opposite number, the Protectobot helicopter known as Blades, trading fire in the skies. Despite his computer image-guided targeting technology, Blades was unable to overcome Vortex's aerial agility and score a decent hit. The Combaticons eventually combined into Bruticus and managed to defeat the united Defensor in battle. Meanwhile, Blaster had managed to shake off his mode-lock and, despite his current situation, brought down the Decepticons in defense of his fellow Autobots. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}

[[File:Jetfireyourehit.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
The Combaticons licked their wounds and eventually limped back to the Decepticons' hidden island base in the Caribbean. Decepticon leadership soon changed from Shockwave to Ratbat after the former was critically injured and believed dead following a space battle with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}} When the Autobots decided the best way for Grimlock and Blaster to finally settle their differences was through trial by combat, Ratbat brought the Decepticons to the combat site on the moon and launched a full scale assault on the unsuspecting Autobots. Vortex and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] managed to shoot down [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], but ultimately Grimlock and Blaster put aside their differences and turned the tide, sending the Decepticons packing. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

For their next trick, the Decepticons turned their deserted desert island base into a tropical paradise for humans, using the tourist trade to hide their true motives and protect themselves from any Autobot attack with human shields. Despite their distaste for flesh-creatures, many of the Decepticons were in good spirits. Vortex was seen trading stories with [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] about how he told off one of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. Those nerds. {{storylink|Club Con!}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''Vortex and the Decepticon air force were led into battle by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] in 2008. They planned to strike back against the Autobots, but were instead ambushed by the [[Quintesson]]s in what could have been a massacre. Putting aside his pride, Decepticon commander [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] radioed the Autobots for assistance, and soon the two factions were fighting side-by-side on Cybertron against the invading Quintesson forces. After the fight was over, Soundwave left the battlefield in Vortex's [[Scale|ridiculously-oversized]] helicopter mode. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

====Generation 2====
When Megatron was looking to forge an alliance with Optimus Prime against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s Cybertronians, he brought a contingent of Decepticons to Ethos to back-up the Autobots. Vortex joined Starscream and [[Ransack (G2)|Ransack]] in supplementing the Aerialbots and the other Autobot sky forces. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

Vortex, along with the other Combaticons, formed the first line of defense against Jhiaxus's attack on [[Warworld]]. While Vortex's ultimate fate is unseen, the fact that Jhiaxus's troops ultimately took Warworld makes it likely he was destroyed. {{storylink|Total War!}}

===Young Corgi continuity===
Vortex and his fellow Combaticons were searching for a mysterious city beneath the ice when the Aerialbots, [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] and [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]], interfered. Vortex got into a dogfight with Skydive, flying through the icy mountains and canyons of the North Pole. Luckily, as a Super Seasprite helicopter, he was infinitely more maneuverable than an F-16. Vortex led Skydive straight towards a mountain wall, and shot upwards at the last instant to send the Aerialbot flying nose first into the side of the mountain. Unfortunately for Vortex, Skydive vaporized the mountain peak with his [[nega-gun]] and, flipping back around in robot mode, clocked the Combaticon with a solid blow while Vortex was blinding by the steam.

Vortex was presumably still seeing stars when the rest of the Decepticons learned the [[city-dweller]]s were the true enemy and joined forces with the Autobots against them. Hopefully, Vortex's fellow Combaticons remembered to pick him up for repairs when they departed. {{storylink|Battle Beneath the Ice}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Shortly after [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] became the new Autobot Supreme Commander, Vortex and the other Combaticons took part in the Decepticon assault upon [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s command. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}}

Millions of years later, after the [[Great Shutdown]], Vortex, along with his fellow Combaticons, was imprisoned in the [[Detention Banks]] in [[Quadrant Epsilon]] by Shockwave under his new "Cybertronian" regime. When the Autobots rose up against Shockwave and the Decepticons, Starscream turned tail and escaped to [[Earth]] with the [[protoform]]s of the Combaticons. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Returning to the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' via an uncooperative [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], Starscream realized he needed to take parts from the Autobots' ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' if he ever hoped to get the ''Nemesis'' flying again, and for that he needed considerable firepower. Fortunately, there was a nearby abandoned military testing ground from which the Combaticons could scan Earth-based alternate modes. When the attack on the ''Ark'' was launched, the Autobots had little problem defending against the first wave, successfully capturing [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], but several of the Autobots were soundly beaten when the Combaticons showed up and combined into the mighty Bruticus. The behemoth attacked the ''Ark'' freeing his Decepticon compatriots before going after [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. Unfortunately, the Autobots activated their ship's self-destruct before escaping, damaging the Combaticons in the resulting explosion. When Starscream berated them for letting the ship be destroyed, Vortex groaned in pain. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}}

Damaged or not, they soon had to face a powerful enemy when the crazed zealot [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] appeared on Earth, but before they could attack him, Bruticus' head was blown apart by [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] in the Autobot supply ship ''[[Orion]]''. In the aftermath, Bruticus's barely-conscious body was battered upon by an angry Brawn. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

[[File:G1DW SkyLynx defeats Combaticons.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Nice kitty... pretty kitty...]]

The repaired Combaticons were brought to Guadalcanal, where they could hone their somewhat lackluster combat skills and listen to Starscream's long-winded aspirations of glory. Starscream ordered them to defeat the Autobot [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] as a means to train themselves for greater battles. Blast Off ordered Vortex to "take [Sky Lynx] down", but the crafty Autobot split into his two forms, and Blast Off was embarrassingly grabbed in the flying form's jaws while Vortex looked on.

This was the least of their troubles, however, as [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] showed up as soon as Sky Lynx was deactivated. This encounter also did not end well. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{--}}
===''G.I. Joe vs the Transformers''===
As part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces, Vortex defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] strike force. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Vortex was part of the Combaticons', under the command of [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzaitron]]'s [[Decepticon Secret Service]]. They attacked the [[Garrus-9]] penal facility to seize the [[Pretender Monster|new gestalt Transformers]]. When [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] turned up to kill them all, it was Vortex who reacted quickly and sprang the gestalts while under fire. He then dissed [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] on the way out. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

After a deal was negotiated between Arcee and Banzaitron, Vortex and the other Combaticons later helped her in an attempt to recapture [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] (who had been stolen by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]]'s forces) on [[Rotan]], though the insane Autobot disappeared mid-battle. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

{{note|Due to the truncated nature of the ''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]'' miniseries, the outcome of this battle is unknown, though [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] existing a year later may be a clue.}}

Years later on Earth the Combaticons were hired by [[North Korea]]n leader [[Kim Jong Du]] to lead an attack on the [[South Korea|South]]. Brawl, Onslaught and Vortex destroyed a South Korean outpost on the border of the DMZ to this end, with Vortex destroying air support the South had sent. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"}}

None of the Combaticons were particularly happy about working for humans, but as the Koreans were the only ones able to produce [[energon]] for them, they had little choice in the matter. It wasn't long before the Autobots got involved, attacking the Combaticons while they were bickering and attempting to keep Vortex groundbound. Using his rotor blades, Vortex managed to deflect [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]'s smokescreen and damage [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] before taking to the air. The Autobots called in their own air support in the form of [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], but the scientist failed to stand up to a trained soldier like Vortex, who cut one of his wings and sent him crashing into [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]. He then picked up Onslaught before retreating. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"}}

As the Combaticons toasted to their victory, Vortex bragged about Jetfire's defeat and wished that the Autobots would come back so he could do it all over again. His wish was immediately granted, as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] smashed through the wall and sent Vortex flying into [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], who attempted to cut his rotors off. He managed to shake the Autobot off and take flight...only to be knocked back down by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], now allied with the Autobots. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"}} The Combaticons soon found themselves defeated, and they didn't get involved when the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] got showed up and the humans attempted to nuke all the Transformers. Fortunately for Vortex and his teammates, the Autobots didn't have the resources to take prisoners, so they remained at large. Thundercracker destroyed the energon facilities in North Korea, though, so the Combaticons wouldn't get involved with ''them'' again. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"}}

{{-}}
==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
When a team of Autobots led by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] went on the offensive, Blast Off, Swindle and Vortex used superior military tactics to fight them off. {{storylink|War Dawn (Legends)|War Dawn}}

During a later fight, Vortex arrived on the battlefield along other Decepticon reinforcements. What outcome the battle yielded is unclear. {{storylink|By Land, Sea, or Air}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Vortex toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Get to da choppa. I dare ya.]]
* '''Vortex''' (Combaticon, 1985/1986/1991)
**''Team ID number'': '''C4'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-66'''
**''Accessories'': Pistol, left & right cannons

: Vortex transforms into a [[Wikipedia:SH-2 Seasprite|Kaman Aerospace SH-2 Seasprite helicopter]]. He is armed with a small, chin-mounted [[Glue gun|semi-automatic glue gun]] and two large, tri-barrel Gatling guns mounted astern on his tail.

: In robot mode, Vortex is armed with his helicopter chin gun, and along with fellow Combaticon [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], is one of the first Transformers figures to utilize ball-joints, located in his shoulders. The top of his helicopter mode (where his rotor attaches) is capable of rotating as part of his transformation so that the rotor can be mounted 'forwards' in vehicle mode but high on his back in robot mode. Many pictures of Vortex (including the one to the right) neglect this step, leaving him mistransformed and awkward looking in his helicopter form. Vortex normally becomes the left arm of Bruticus, but as a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style design, he can also occupy any other limb slot on Bruticus.

: There are a few variations of this toy. Initial releases of Vortex gave him a [[die-cast]] metal chestplate painted deep purple. Later releases replaced the metal with lighter-purple plastic. In 1991, the entire Combaticon team was re-released as part of the European "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line; like many toys released in this series, Vortex was [[retool]]ed to remove the [[rubsign]] indent from his vehicle mode.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed as ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (toyline)|Operation Combination]]'' [[Target Hawk]], as well as ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ro-Tor (RID)|Ro-Tor]]. Vortex's left side cannon was [[retool]]ed into the [[Action Master]] [[Over-Run (G1)|Over-Run]]'s "rotary photon pulse laser cannon", which appropriately can be attached to his [[Attack Copter|helicopter]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Vortex/vortex.htm More information on Vortex at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Bruticus}}
*'''Bruticus''' (Gift set, 1985)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-69'''

:In addition to his single release, Vortex was also sold in a "Bruticus" [[giftset]] alongside the other Combaticons. The gift set was never available in the USA or Canada, but only in [[Japan]] and [[Italy]].

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
* '''Vortex''' (Combaticon, 1994)
**''Team ID number'': '''C4'''
**''Accessories'': Pistol, left & right cannons

: During the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' line, Vortex was redecoed blue with purple camouflage paint. His weapons were also redecoed purple, and his chest was changed to a different shade of purple, making him totally inconspicuous.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Vortex/vortex.htm More information on Generation 2 Vortex at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|FOCgiftset}}
[[File:Generationstoy-G2Vortex.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"I can chop you up with this blade or these blades. Decisions, decisions."]]
*'''Bruticus''' (Box set, 2012)
**''Accessories'': 2 swords

: Part of a giftset [[exclusive]] to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and [[BigBadToyStore]], this version of Vortex is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]] [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' [[Vortex (FOC)#Generations|Vortex]] in ''Generation 2'' colors. He can form any arm or leg of Bruticus, although his nominal placement is as the left arm, as usual.

: This toy was retooled into ''Fall of Cybertron'' [[Whirl (FOC)|Autobot Whirl]].
{{--}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe-ROTF-toy Vortex.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66| MY PSYCHO-COPTER GOES SOISOISOISOISOISOI]]
*'''Bruticus Maximus''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' Quad blaster (hand/foot), Decepticon-type [[energon star]]

:''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Vortex is a redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Blackout (combiner)|Blackout]]/[[Stormcloud (Energon)|Stormcloud]] mold, transforming into a blue/grey assault helicopter somewhat similar to an AH-1 Cobra. He was only available with ''Universe'' Bruticus Maximus giftset. When combined with the other Combaticons, Vortex is nominally Bruticus Maximus' left arm, though he can be used in any other limb position. "V-1" is [[tampograph]]ed on the right side of his cockpit.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Topspin (Classics)|Topspin]] and ''Universe'' (2008) [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. Said Swindle is identical to ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Swindle (ROTF)|Swindle]], and Vortex himself also doubles as that franchise's [[Vortex (ROTF)|Vortex]]. Another planned redeco, ''[[Movie (toyline)|Movie]]'' [[Reverb (Movie)|Reverb]], was canceled.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/TargetVortex/vortex.htm More information on ''Universe'' Vortex at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[File:Henkei-toy VortexMicron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And he doesn't take American Express.]]
*'''Destron Vorter''' (Micron, 2009)

: A redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Mini-Con]] [[Divebomb (Classics)|Divebomb]], Vortex now transforms into an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|AH-64D Longbow Apache assault helicopter]].

: Vortex was only available by—brace yourself—signing up for a [http://www.transformers-card.com/pre2/index.html Transformers-themed Visa credit card] through Pocket Card Co., Ltd. Vortex is available only to those who get the Decepticon-themed card. Also available is [[Slingshot (G1)|Sling]] for those who get the Autobot card. How one gets both without paying out the butt is anyone's guess.

: This mold was also used to make [[Torque Gain]] and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Cloudraker (Universe)|Cloudraker]] and [[Crosshairs (Universe)|Crosshairs]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2009/Destron/Vorter/vorter.htm More information on ''Henkei!'' Vorter at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Bruticus''' (multi-pack, Japan 2009)
**''ID number:'' '''16'''

:A reissue of the original G1 Vortex toy at first sight, this toy is actually a redeco of the ''Robots in Disguise'' Ro-Tor retool of the sculpt. This version of Vortex was only available as part of a Bruticus gift set released under [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line of reissues.

{{-}}

===United===
*'''Bruticus''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' Quad blaster (hand/foot), Decepticon-type [[energon star]]

:Released exclusively by TakaraTomy in non-Japanese Asian markets, this redeco of the ''Energon'' Bruticus Maximus set has colours similar to the previous ''Universe'' (2008)/''Revenge of the Fallen'' release, but with a greater emphasis on G1-accuracy. Vortex's colour layout is similar to the previous releases, but has a darker, more G1-accurate blue-green. Additionally, the quad blaster/combined mode foot/hand previously cast in translucent coloured plastic is now opaque grey, though his energon star remains red.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:EuroClassicsCombaticons.jpg|thumb|200px]]
* The [[character model]]s of the Combaticons are kinda... okay, heavily made-up. [[:File:G1OddCombat.jpg|Early models of the team]] which were a bit more accurate to the toys - except for the heads, oddly enough - have shown up in various sourcebooks, though Vortex's is still off in some very odd ways.
* The packaging of the 1990 European [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] release of the original Onslaught toy depicted the Combaticons in (mostly) new color schemes, despite the fact that the actual toys looked identical to their original releases. While it may never be known for certain, it has been theorized that these colors originated from a packaging printing error rather than a legitimate attempt to [[redeco]] the Combaticons.
* In the Wings of Honor continuity the Combaticons are swayed to the Decepticon side by Deathsaurus appealing to their darker natures, represented by one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Vortex's vice is his love of fine oil, most likely to represent Gluttony.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Vorter''' (ボルター ''Borutā'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Xuàn Fēng''' (旋风 "Whirlwind")
*''Russian:'' '''Vihr'''' (Вихрь, "Whirlwind")

==References==
<references />

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

[[Category:Combaticons]]
[[Category:Elite Guard]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Interrogators]]
[[Category:Japanese promotion exclusives]]
[[Category:Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Springer (G1)

2014-05-01T18:22:44Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|autobot|wreckers|autobotg2}}

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

[[File:Springer-decipherthedecepticon.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|You're all clear kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!]]
'''Springer''' is the archetypical action hero: great in a fight, unselfconsciously brave, confident, and always ready with a dead-pan sarcastic quip to lighten the moment. Someone you can depend on to ride in, save the day and be smug about it.

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

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

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

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

[[File:Springerarceecmonwoman.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|C'mon, woman!]]
Springer was among the first Autobots to leap into the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005. He helped [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] transform the city into its heavily-armed, armored fortress configuration, and later used an oversized piece of artillery to bombard [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]].

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

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

[[File:Springerfivefacescopter.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The physics of this makes no sense.]]
A year later, Springer attended the first [[Galactic Olympics]] alongside his fellow Autobots. Unfortunately, the festivities were interrupted by an [[Skuxxoid|alien mercenary]] who turned the Olympic torch into a giant flash/smoke grenade, and then a battalion of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] attacked. Springer was able to douse the torch from the air, but by then, the attackers had already fled, having captured [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]. Springer immediately volunteered to track the escaped alien saboteur, and was joined by Arcee. They followed their quarry to his strange base ship, an asteroid-like spacecraft referred to as a "[[Rockeroid]]". The mercenary fled after misleading his pursuers into believing that the Decepticons were behind the attack, and Springer was fortunately able to pilot his ship (barely). {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

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

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

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

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

[[File:DarkAwakening-Springer.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a blaster by your-''WHERE'S MY BLASTER?!'']]
Sometime later, Springer, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], Grimlock and [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] were on-hand when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] miraculously returned from the dead, telling tales of how Rodimus, Arcee and an Autobot shuttle crew gave their lives against the Quintessons so that he could escape, and return to Cybertron. Springer eagerly jumped on the bandwagon to follow Optimus and the entire Autobot fleet to hunt down the Quintessons and avenge Arcee and his friends. ''Especially'' Arcee. He was on board the flagship when Rodimus and the others, alive and well, intercepted the fleet and stopped the Quintesson trap from being sprung. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

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

[[File:NightmarePlanetSteed.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|For Narnia!]]
Springer and Ultra Magnus picked up an electromagnetic disturbance in a remote region of Cybertron, and drove out with Rodimus Prime to investigate. They were ambushed by a [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] assassination squad, but ''all'' the Transformers were ambushed again by the Quintessons' latest toy: a device which turned the nightmarish dreams of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] into physical reality. Springer and the Predacon commander [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] were kidnapped by a massive [[dragon]] and flown off to an isolated castle. Tossed into the dungeon, Springer and Razorclaw met a [[Fairy-tale princess|princess]] being held captive by the dragon. Going with the flow, Springer took up her quest to defeat the dragon and return the princess to her father. Knight Springer and his faithful steed Razorclaw, whom the princess had promised [[gold]] as reward, escaped the dungeon and took up the search for the "magic lance" necessary to kill the dragon. Riding into battle atop the Predacon's back, Springer plunged the lance into the dragon's chest and then followed the yellow brick road back to his friends. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

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

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

[[File:VampireDepth.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Coooookiiiieeees.]]
When Perceptor finished construction of a new experimental power core for Cybertron, Springer used his helicopter mode to lower the core into place. Naturally, the Decepticons attempted to acquire the power core for themselves, but were led astray by their Quintesson "allies" who instead directed them towards the [[Hibernation Chamber]] of the [[Trans-Organic]]s. Springer and the other Autobots caught up with the 'Cons just in time to find them in pitched battle with the unleashed Trans-Organics, including the massive and monstrous power-sapping [[Dweller]]. The Dweller drained the energy from its victims on contact, then placed them inside incubation tubes on its back. [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and three [[Sweep]]s were among its first victims. Springer valiantly scaled the creature and tore open its rear casing to free his friend and renew his series for another season. No good deed goes unpunished, though, for the creature had transformed Wreck-Gar into a [[Energy vampire|vampiric]] extension of itself, an undead robot who drained energy from others to feed it back into the Dweller itself. Springer became a victim of the very robot he tried to save. Luckily, Perceptor was able to concoct a method of correcting their power imbalance, restoring Springer, Wreck-Gar and the other victims to normal. The Dweller was launched into space once it latched onto the power core, thanks to Perceptor's bizarre security measures which allowed him to jettison the entire unit with the pull of a lever. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:SpringerOnlyHuman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Surprise, he's the green one!]]
Somewhere on Earth (it doesn't really matter where) a crime spree was raging, and the Autobots were called in to help. Springer lent his helicopter mode to rescue civilians trapped in burning buildings during a series of bombings. Springer, Arcee, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime were called in by an anonymous tip that would be their "big break in the case". Springer laughed off the police chief when he suggested it might be a dangerous trap, but he stopped laughing when [[Victor Drath]] and "[[Cobra Commander|Old Snake]]" captured the Autobots inside of a minute. Not one to waste resources, Drath eliminated his enemies and developed powerful new weapons at the same time by converting the four Autobots' mental essence into synthetic organic forms. He ordered the organic material destroyed but, surprisingly, it seemed to form itself into four genuinely human bodies for the Autobots. Springer and the "Autobots" escaped Drath's thugs in the scrapyard where they were being disposed of, and sought cover in a nearby shed. In the sort of plot contrivance not revived until ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers'' years later, the Autobots found four matching jumpsuits inside, each perfectly replicating their individual color schemes. As a human, Springer faced some tough lessons, like shaving and dealing with sidewalk preachers.

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

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

[[File:CotP-BlasterEject.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Blaster, please, this isn't the time for this!]]
On a barren planetoid, Springer was fighting alongside Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] against the Decepticons. They were pinned down in the trenches, waiting for "[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Commander Modesty]]" to arrive and lend some air support. Once he arrived, though, Sky Lynx and the other "[[primitive]]s" on both sides were called into space by a signal only they could hear. Before either side could fully comprehend what had happened, a massive energy creature known as [[Tornedron]] arrived, draining them dry of their energy. Luckily, Grimlock and the primitives eventually managed to save the universe and undo the power loss suffered by Springer and the others. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

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

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

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' comic====
[[File:Triplechangerstarget2006.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|This trinity's going to war!]]
Springer was a member of the Wreckers commando squad, originally meant (with the other Triple Changers) to substitute for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] in [[Operation: Volcano]] to fend off the [[Decepticon]] reinforcements while the other Wreckers dealt with Cybertron's deadliest. and could 'spring' forwards really far. [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] decided to the best way to convince [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] that Springer, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] were up to replace Magnus was by having them pretend to be Decepticons and beating the [[Slag (slang)|slag]] out of him. So that's more or less what they did. Except they had to gang up against him. While he was unarmed. And with an [[inhibitor claw]] on his back. Nonetheless they did impress the Wreckers leader, and quickly begun training in [[Debris]]. But even as Volcano began, there were still worries that the three newcomers might not be enough to replace Magnus. Ultimately, Volcano did not take place, instead being replaced by Impactor having half his head blown off by a [[Macabre|nobody Decepticon]]. After blowing Macabre away, Springer and the Wreckers watched Impactor's life pass away. Evidently particularly impressed by Springer, Impactor chose him as his replacement to lead his motley crew.

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

[[File:Uk203 cover detail.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"See Springer, that's the difference between you and I. Organization. Careful thinking. Forward planning. And that is why I sleep in the arms of a beautiful woman and you spend your evenings alone in your bedsit. With ''cheap porn''."]]
That done, it was time for the main mission: Take the Wreckers to Earth to face [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Unfortunately, by accident they found themselves sent by the [[space bridge]] to a human city, and the fight against Galvatron began causing major destruction and endangerment of human life. Springer quickly decided to take the fight out of the city, pretending he'd captured Galvatron's time-jump device and leading Scourge and Cyclonus away from the humans. Springer led the Wreckers back to Cybertron with the intent of returning for Galvatron later. {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}} Unfortunately, that "later" was the Time Wars. Even with the support of the Decepticon [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], the Wreckers were massacred, with Springer's order to retreat and fight a running battle doing nothing to stop the slaughter. However, Springer's heroism impressed Mayhem leader [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] so much he disobeyed his orders to kill the surviving Autobots; the two also saved each other's life during the battle. {{storylink|Time Wars}}

Left stranded on Earth, Springer and the other Time Wars survivors decided to band together as the eponymous [[Survivors]] after a proposal from Carnivac. Springer was originally reluctant but soon became the leader of that group too. {{storylink|Survivors!}} Carnivac eventually chafed under his leadership, whacked Springer one, and then left—right when the new Mayhems were arriving to kill him! {{storylink|Way of the Warrior}} Springer was convinced by the others to go to Carnivac's aid, but while Carnivac was saved, [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]] was killed. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
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=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Wolf in the Fold Springer.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Grrrrr. >:(]]
Springer wanted to wait for the Mayhem Attack Squad to make the first mistake before seeking vengeance for Catilla, but Carnivac couldn't wait. He set off on his own to enact his revenge. Without time to formulate a decent plan, Springer realized the Survivors would need raw numbers to defeat the Mayhems, and that meant dealing with [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Earthforce]]. Asking for help to save a Decepticon... Springer ruminated that Grimlock was likely to declare them all traitors on the spot. {{storylink|Wolf in the Fold!}} Still, they went to Earthforce, pledging the Survivors' allegiance in return for them helping rescue Carnivac. They were successful, and half the Mayhems were captured while the other half died at Carnivac's hands. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} Soon thereafter, Springer led his men against [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], protecting a human oil tanker in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}} Springer's final act as a member of Earthforce was standing around with Grimlock and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] as they coerced [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]] into removing the cerebro shell from [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'s brain. {{storylink|Inside Story!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Peace Rodimus Springer.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Springimus Prime?]]
In [[2008]], Springer was briefly seen among a massive melee between the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

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

====="Another Time & Place"=====
[[File:Another Time Place Fangry.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
When Grimlock and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] rushed off half-cocked searching for a cure for [[Nucleon]] on [[Hydrus Four]], it was up to the Autobots to bail them out of trouble when they were caught by the Decepticons. Working with a small group (including [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]), Springer caught the Decepticon [[Fangry]] alone and pulled him into the sea. Before he could fight back, Springer used a thermal knife to amputate both of his arms, leaving the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] helpless against his Autobot attackers.

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

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Springerg2.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Hey, Marvel US, it's me!]]
When the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] ambushed the [[Autobot]]s on the planet [[Ethos]], Springer was in charge of a squad consisting of former [[Wrecker]]s buddies [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Inferno's buddy [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]. Although Springer warned his squad to stay close together, Smokescreen broke formation, resulting in his death and the injuring of Ironhide. Smokescreen's death caused Inferno to lose his temper, and he subsequently also died despite Springer's warnings. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

Springer later helped lay [[Sky Sniper]] mines on Earth, in preparation for a final stand against the coming of the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
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====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classics Ultramagnus Springer Grimlock comic.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Springer's the one who doesn't know how binoculars work. Well, one of them, anyway.]]
Springer seems to be much more of a loner, never having been part of the Wreckers, and having mainly worked alone against the Decepticons until after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s defeat on [[Klo]]. Fearing the end of the conflict that was so important to him, he was eager to sign on with Grimlock's crew.

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

[[File:AtFightsEnd-OverkillDragstripAcidStorm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|And then there was a fight. We guess.]]
Later, [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]], [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] were waiting on a dusty planet when Springer's rogue team of Autobots attempted to hunt them down. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}
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====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Wreckers loose ends.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Alright you lazy bums, its time to make 'em sorry for leaving us outta the first eighty issues!]]
Springer interrupted [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s [[solid light simulation|holographic training session]] (just before Kup would have been defeated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]) to tell him that the [[Skyscorcher]]s were holed up in the [[Pax Cybertronia Decommissioning Depot]], where they feared they would detonate [[Warbird|cobalt-60 warheads]]. Though disapproved by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Springer and the [[Wrecker]]s invaded the facility and captured the Deluxe [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s, saving countless lives. The Wreckers joined Kup in his quest to help the other planets affected by the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], and travelled to [[Earth]], hitching a ride aboard the [[Cosmic Carnival]]. Unfortunately they learned the entire planet had been devastated, and were summarily blown out of the sky by nuclear missiles, launched by Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1|Loose Ends #1}}

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

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

Prime commanded Megatron to let Springer go, but the Decepticon leader coldly executed him, sending Prime into a furious attack. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5|Loose Ends #5}} Kup was very upset over Springer's death, and blamed his death on Optimus's inaction. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One|Natural Selection #1}}
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===Sticker Adventures===
[[File:Springer botjp.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|In the Special Edition, Wreck-Gar shoots first.]]
Springer was one of four Autobots working on mapping the universe when their shuttle is hit by a meteor. Forced into an emergency landing on the [[Junkion (planet)|Junk Planet]], they were attacked by [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] until Hot Rod & Kup arrived to save their skidplates. {{storylink|Battle on the Junk Planet}}
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===3H comics===
Not long after the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], the Wrecker Springer attempted (fruitlessly) to cheer up [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who had become severely depressed following the death of her surrogate son and Headmaster companion [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. Afterward, he and Hot Rod, now called simply "Rodimus", both checked out and later underwent the [[Great Upgrade|Maximal Upgrade]]. {{storylink|Departure}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:TWW Escalation Springer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Spring-heeled jerk.]]
After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] disappeared along with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in a test of the [[space bridge]], {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}} Springer broke off from the Autobot army and formed the Wreckers. Springer was leading the Wreckers into an investigation of the [[Tagan Heights]] Industrial Quadrant East, but they were discoved by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who unleashed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] upon them. Springer, alongside his fellow Wreckers, attacked the Ultracon Combiner but ended up tangled in cabling. This gave Ratbat the chance to gloat at Springer. Once news of Devastator aligning with the [[Ultracon]]s reached [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], they moved in to aid the Wreckers, combining into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and battling Devastator. {{storylink|Escalation}}

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

[[File:DW Countdown to Extinction Springer.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Millions of years later, after the [[Great Shutdown]], Springer, together with Hot Rod and Blurr, spotted a Decepticon shuttle emerging from [[transwarp]] over the [[Wastelands]] of Cybertron. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Springer reported to Optimus Prime that the situation in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] had become worse and that the [[Guardian robot]]s had been reactivated. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} Whilst fighting the Guardian robots outside of Shockwave's fortress, Springer saw the matrix fire a beam of light towards an [[Unicron|unknown entity]]. {{storylink|countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

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

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
[[File:ArtofWar3 Sandstorm Springer.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Get to the Choppah!]]
Springer accompanied [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] in searching for a missing team of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]]. However, their radars were jammed by [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], so their search was fruitless. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:Autocracy10-Springer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
During the rule of [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], Springer was a member of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s security force. Once they learned that Zeta was draining civilians of their [[energon]], they turned on him and helped [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] and the [[Decepticon]]s overthrow him. {{storylink|Overthrown}} The Decepticons then betrayed the Autobots and imprisoned them, but Springer managed to get his hands on a gun, break out together with his cellmates, and join some other escapees in the search for Orion Pax. Once they found him, they were shocked to learn that he had acquired the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and become Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Rise}} Alongside many other Autobots, Springer rallied behind the new Prime and helped chase the Decepticons out of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Endgame}}

Springer acted as a security guard at [[Starsreach Spaceport]] during the [[Exodus (G1)|mass exodus]] of neutrals in the early days of the war. {{storylink|Massacre}} Some time later, he participated in a battle that the Autobots couldn't win. [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] suggested they counter-attack from the west, but the young Autobot leader realised that it was a trap,and advocated falling back to [[Polyhex]]. Optimus was proven right when Springer, acting as aerial support, spotted [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] arriving to the west. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}

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

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

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5 Springer arrives too late.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|You monster! THEY WERE FANWANK!!!]]
The Wreckers' rivalry with Squadron X came to an end on the planet [[Pova]], where they found themselves in a bad way after Springer was trapped under some collapsed rubble. Despite Springer's pleas, Impactor used his own body as a shield against Squadron X's advancing troops, firing through it. This helped turn the tide, and the Wreckers rounded up all of Squadron X for transport offworld. Unfortunately, Impactor snapped when [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] told him that Pova was neutral territory, and that he was ordered to set them free or else the Autobots would face diplomatic repercussions. Impactor locked himself in their ship, and as Springer tried to break through the door, personally executed every member of Squadron X while they were restrained. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

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

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

[[File:Stormbringer2 Springer.jpg|upright=1.95|thumb|The Wreckers don't half go on about that, do they?]]
Years later on the planet [[Varas Centralus]], Springer, now commander of the Wreckers, was coordinating the counter-offensive against a [[Phase Sixer|Phase Six]] [[infiltration protocol|Decepticon siege bunker]] when he got the call from Optimus Prime that [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] might be active again on Cybertron. Pulling the Wreckers out of Varas Centralus, Springer was of the opinion that if Thunderwing was still alive, they should nuke Cybertron and take the monster with it. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} After [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] were rescued, the Wreckers prepared to breach [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s cultist lair at [[Thunderhead Pass]]. Springer tried to persuade Optimus Prime from joining the battle, but the Autobot leader was not to be deterred. After routing the cultists, a new problem arose: Thunderwing, sent off to wreak havoc on [[Nebulos]], was returning. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} The Wreckers gave it their all against Thunderwing, but were seriously outmatched, with Springer's rotors being destroyed by the monstrous titan. As Thunderwing bore down on him, unexpected help came from the Decepticon battleship ''[[Thanatos]]'', and the combined efforts managed to stagger the giant, forcing it to draw more [[Ore-13|Ultra-Energon]] from the environment, whose side effects eventually forced it to shut down. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

[[File:SpotlightKup Springersholograph.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Ebeneezer Kup!]]
Not long thereafter, Springer excused himself from actively leading the Wreckers when he heard his old mentor Kup had finally been found, after being MIA for some time. Rescue conditions were hardly ideal, however: [[Tsiehshi|the planet]] the old warhorse was stuck on was permeated with [[Ore-8|highly unstable energy crystals]] which produced massive amounts of debilitating radiation and a single spark might set off an explosive chain reaction that would destroy the planet. Kup, meanwhile, had somehow survived exposure to this environment, yet had gone over the brink of madness, attacking the Autobot teams that beamed down to retrieve him because their thick radiation armors made them appear monstrous to his eyes. Despite these complications, Springer insisted rescue efforts continue, even after many Autobots were destroyed in the attempt. Finally, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] arrived as a defensive specialist, and used his force field to block the radiation and get Kup to recognize him. Kup was brought in for repairs, and Springer returned to the Wreckers. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

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

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

[[File:AHM15 SpringerpunchesProwl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Why should [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] get [[All Hail Megatron issue 4|all the fun?]]]]
Springer was making regular trips to the ''[[Ark-17]]'' to check up on Kup, but one day found that the old warrior had been transferred to the [[Kimia Facility]] without his knowledge. Filled with rage, Springer traveled to the facility and delivered an uppercut to [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]'s chin, only to learn that Kup had been fully repaired using [[Pretender]] technology. While he was skeptic at first, Springer's spirits were soon lifted when he got to meet the rejuvenated Kup. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Everything in Its Right Place}}

Led by Kup, Springer later helped rescue a number of Wreckers who had been captured by the Decepticon [[Turmoil]]. Following this mission, Springer and his fellow Wrecker [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] joined Kup's personal strike force on board the starship ''[[Trion]]''. He argued against letting [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] into the team, but Kup felt that everyone deserves a second chance. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}} Shortly afterwards, the team caught a distress call from [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]], who was being chased by Decepticons. Kup's team went to his aid, but unfortunately their opponent was the abominable [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], who melted Springer's rotor blades with acid. Eventually, the giant was toppled by [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s new sniping skills. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Lost & Found}}

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

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1 Springer introduction.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|''Lookin' back on the track, for a little green bag...'']]
When the Autobots relocated to another base, Springer participated in the caravan in his ground vehicle mode. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} At the new base, Springer helped set up a large defensive cannon to use against the incoming swarm. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Despite Springer's best use of fisticuffs, the Autobots were overrun by the thousands of Insecticons, and only saved by the intervention of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} Omega took everyone to [[New York City]] on [[Earth]], where Megatron and his forces were located. During the great battle, Springer shoved his knee hard in [[Viewfinder]]'s abdomen. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}}

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

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

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers2 SpringerImpactorReunion.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Reunited and it feeeels so bad!]]
Once Impactor was aboard, Springer asked him how he got out of Garrus-9. After hearing Impactor's tale of escape and the revelation that infamous [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] was now the death camp warden, Springer felt that the mission was finally getting interesting. He then shared words with Impactor about the incident on [[Pova]]. Impactor stormed out, but Springer still felt it would be a good idea to use him on the team. Ultra Magnus then relayed something that Prowl wanted done, but only revealed the name: Aequitas.

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

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

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4 faceshot.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1||Right in the kissah!]]
Springer came to after a torturing round from Stalker and began arguing with Impactor about the events that led to the former Wreckers command to be imprisoned on Garrus-9. Springer expressed the desire to forgive Impactor and himself for what happened on Pova, but this couldn't happen until Impactor admitted that what he did was wrong. They were interrupted by the return of Stalker, who had retrieved his latest instrument of torture, the [[endoscopic claw]]. After Twin Twist died as a result of [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]'s sacrifice to activate Aequitas, Stalker was about to move onto the others when help arrived in the form of Guzzle, Kup and [[Snare]]. Kup sprang Springer, who brought a quick end to Stalker with the torturer's own endoscopic claw. This respite didn't last long, as [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] blasted through the wall having been radioed by Stalker. The large Decepticon simply asked if the Wreckers were ready, with Springer replying affirmative. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers SpringerOverlordFaceoff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Give me your- [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Oh, you know.]]]]
The battle with Overlord took the combatants to Garrus-9's roof, but it soon became apparent that Springer's team were fighting a losing battle. After Impactor was seemingly defeated, Ironfist, Perceptor and Verity arrived with a large rotary cannon for Springer to use that would supposedly turn the tide. The Wreckers commander emptied the massive weapon into Overlord, who at merely seemed annoyed at the attack, knocked the weapon away and tore Springer's face off. As he advanced on Ironfist, the diminutive Autobot detonated the payload of [[deterrence chip]]s that the Springer had fired into Overlord, and Verity broke his will by revealing that Megatron had since died, robbing the insane Overlord of his obsessive desire to face the Decepticon leader in combat. After Impactor disabled Overlord, he refused to kill him, stating that it was not what Springer wanted. With G-9's liberation, Ultra Magnus took the survivors back to [[Earth]], where Springer was still alive but on life-support, with Kup by his bedside. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Though his body was repaired, Springer was left in a coma due to a [[zero point]], an affliction that kept his [[spark]] from moving through his body. After the liberation of Garrus-9, the comatose Springer was transferred to [[Debris]], where he was left under the care of Roadbuster and Whirl. {{storylink|Zero Point}} Convinced their leader would never wake up, Whirl attempted to euthanize him using Roadbuster's [[Sparkeater (weapon)|Sparkeater weapon]], but was caught in the act by Roadbuster and punished. {{storylink|Interiors}} At [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s suggestion, Roadbuster began reading the ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'' datalogs to Springer in hopes that an emotional response might cause his subconscious to bypass the zero point. When he came to the complete lie of a datalog detailing Pova, Roadbuster gave up and chose to tell Springer the truth: the Wreckers had been ''glad'' to see Impactor kill Squadron X, and they had only asked Springer to lead them because they didn't want to be thrown in prison alongside him. Just as he went on to admit that Springer had still proven to be their greatest leader, Springer began showing signs of life again. {{storylink|Zero Point}}
{{-}}

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

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

===''Transformers Legends''===
When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] were abducted by [[Skuxxoid]]s during the [[Galactic Olympics|Galactic Games]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and Springer gave chase. Instead of finding the Skuxxoids, they caught up with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], just as their leader was having a vision that the [[Quintesson]]s were behind the kidnapping. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1}}

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

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

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

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[File:Springerbotcontoy.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|Suffers from vestigial JaAm cravings.]]
*'''Springer''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Sword, silver-bordered green [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]-style Autobot [[Cyber Key]]

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

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

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

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

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008 Springer comicpack toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Whatever happened to the whole Triple Changer angle? And no, [[attack mode]]s don't count.]]
*'''Standoff Beneath the Streets''' (Voyager-Deluxe Comic two-pack, 2008)
**''Series'': '''War Within Series'''
**''Accessories'': Two "plasma rockets", "spinning [[energon]] blades"/rotor blades, Autobot [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]-style [[Cyber Key]]

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

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

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

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

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

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

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy Springer.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Now we just need a Voyager Class ground-mode Springer to keep things even.]]
*'''Autobot Springer''' (Deluxe, 2012)
**''Accessories'': Left & right missile launchers, two missiles, sword

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

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

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

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/GDOSpringer/springer.htm More information on ''Generations'' Springer at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|Voyager}}
[[File:Generationstoy-VoyagerSpringer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|And all the other toys on this page were thrown away.]]
*'''Autobot Springer''' (Voyager, 2013)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / 001'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG21'''
**''Accessories'': Dual missile launcher, two missiles, rotor blades/sword

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

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

:The Japanese release of Springer features some differences in plastic colors, including a duller shade of yellow and a uniform silver color replacing the Western release's light and dark grays. He also has green feet.

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

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

{{-}}

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

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sprang''' or '''Sprung''' (スプラング ''Supurangu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tán Huáng''' (China 弹簧 "Springs"), '''Bǎi Zhàng Tiào''' (China 百丈跳 "Thousand-feet jump")
*''French:'' '''Ricochet''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Szökkenő''' ("Springer")
*''Italian:'' '''Bora'''
*''Russian:'' '''Sprinter''' (Спринтер)

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

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

Whirl (G1)

2014-04-22T17:03:27Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

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

[[File:G1Whirl boxart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Whirl enjoys making hand puppets in his own image.]]

[[Units of time|Vorns]] before [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] coined the phrase "Sometimes crazy works", '''Whirl''' was living it in action. Whirl believes that, logically speaking, insanity makes an extremely effective weapon. Enemies flee in terror before the absolutely insane maneuvers he pulls on the battlefield. His extreme maneuverability in helicopter mode lets him spin, bob, weave, dive, and bank like someone totally out of control. Or totally out of his mind.

Needless to say, Whirl is a rather reckless fighter and can take damage because of it. He's okay with that, because he absolutely LOVES his job...perhaps a little ''too'' much. Many of Whirl's comrades remain unsure if his wild behavior is truly an affectation, or if his increasingly-fleeting displays of rationality are actually the facade hiding a troubled psyche.

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

{{bigquote|You wanna know a '''secret''', [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|hornhead]]? Life's messed up. '''I'm''' messed up. I've done bad things and I '''continue''' to do bad things, because the voice telling me '''not to'''...? He's not said much for a while. And y'know what keeps me going? <big>'''ANGER.'''</big> Anger's an '''insulator'''. Stops life getting '''too close'''. If I got myself "fixed," maybe the anger would leave me—and then I really '''would''' be screwed.|Whirl, psychotic and unapologetic|"[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self]]"}}

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

[[File:Whirl copter Target 2006.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|This is one choppah you cannot get to.]]
Later, the Wreckers continued preparing for [[Operation: Volcano]], an attempt to eliminate some of the [[Decepticon|Decepticons']] [[Ten Deadliest Killers|deadliest killers]]. During the simulation, Whirl demonstrated his trademark aerial combat style to draw fire away from his teammates. As the simulation concluded, Impactor decided that without Ultra Magnus' support, the operation would basically become a suicide mission for the Wreckers. Whirl and the others agreed with him and Impactor left to tell Xaaron that the Wreckers were bowing out of Volcano. Taking some downtime, Whirl, Roadbuster, and [[Twin Twist]] went to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] to unwind. While Roadbuster and Twin Twist were having uneasy feelings about the decision to ditch Volcano, Whirl seemed fine with it, pointing out that it was only logical and no one would say that they were in the wrong. Their discussion was interrupted when they noticed [[Fang]], a Decepticon who began bullying a [[Piano Transformer guy|smaller Transformer]] in the place. Twin Twist violently intervened, realizing that as Autobots, it was their duty to always do their best to stop the Decepticons. His sudden revelation seemed to energize Whirl and Roadbuster, and after Impactor was convinced by Xaaron to go through with Operation: Volcano, the rest of the Wreckers eagerly volunteered.

[[File:Target 2006 Whirl Roadbuster Do It.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|My face is down here, Roadbuster...I think.]]
Unfortunately, Operation: Volcano failed when most of the targeted Decepticons were unknowingly ordered clear of the ambush by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Only [[Macabre]] went ahead and attempted to assassinate Xaaron, shooting and mortally-wounding Impactor instead. Whirl and the rest of the Wreckers immediately gunned Macabre down in retaliation. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

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

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

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Whirl LooseEnds2.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
Along with the other [[Wrecker]]s Whirl voted to follow [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s plan to leave Cybertron to visit the other planets touched by the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and so they hitched a ride with [[Berko]]'s [[Cosmic Carnival]] to Earth. Whirl looked on in horror as their surveillance drones showed a devastated planet, and worse still—Megatron! Before any of the Wreckers could react, the Decepticon promptly launched nuclear warheads at their shuttle, apparently destroying it. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

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

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

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

After returning to Cybertron, Whirl was present with the other Wreckers as they attempted to defuse a tense situation between civilians on a main highway road. They failed and it erupted into a brawl. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} He later participated in an attack on [[Fort Scyk]] to root out [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s cell of Decepticon insurgents, but was flung through the air when the whole place exploded. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}}
{{-}}

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

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:War and Peace 4 RoadbusterWhirl.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"RAGH, WHIRL NOT IN [[The Transformers (cartoon)|CARTOON]]!! MENASOR REMOVE FROM STORY!"]]
When the Autobots split into multiple factions after the disappearance of their leaders, Whirl joined Springer's group, known as the Wreckers. During the Dark Ages of Cybertron, he participated in an attack against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

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

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

[[File:Interiors WhirlPreEmpurataFlashback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{quote|Twice voted "Autobot most likely to defect".|{{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|''Meet The Crew''}}}}

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

[[File:Ongoing22 WhirlbeatsMegatron.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|''I'M THE HERO I CAN DO WHAT I WANT!'']]
Whirl was eventually granted a position in the [[Rodion]] police force. When a rabble-rousing miner named [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] was brought in for brawling with other law enforcement officers, the Senate ordered Whirl to kill him, presumably to silence his increasingly loud voice of dissension. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} {{storylink|Interiors}} Failing to finish the job, Whirl was arrested by his captain [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]], so the Senate sent more men to free him, fearing his actions would be exposed. Their men attacked the Rodion police station and freed Whirl, but Orion Pax wouldn't stand for it and defeated them, shooting Whirl's leg off in the process. Whirl warned his captain that the Senate would not be happy if any further harm came to him, but Orion merely picked him up, went to the [[Grand Imperium]] in person and confronted the entire Senate with his actions. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2}}

[[File:Whirl Impactor Patternism.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Due to Orion Pax's public display of Whirl's crime, the Senate had no choice but to send him to [[Garrus-1]]. After Whirl's mistreatment of Megatron in Rodion was exposed, he found himself suffering constant attacks and beatings in prison by Decepticon sympathizers. Whirl saved his one [[communicube]] call for an appropriate occasion, and found it when his former handler [[Kroma]] briefly became his cellmate. Whirl was told of an impending Senate plot involving assassination and a city-destroying bomb. He consequently used his one call to bring Orion Pax to Garrus-1, where he informed his former captain of all he had heard. While Orion initially assumed Whirl was acting out of compassion, Whirl immediately corrected him, explaining that he just wanted revenge against the Senate for mutilating, using, and abandoning him. After Orion left, Whirl was introduced to his new cellmate- [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], who promptly beat him into critical condition. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

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

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

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4-triumphoverevil.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Category: Things That Do Not Exist.]]
Whirl eventually joined the Autobot special operations taskforce, the Wreckers. He was with the team when they triumphed in final battle over their longtime rivals [[Squadron X]] on the planet [[Pova]], only to discover they had no jurisdiction on the planet and would be required to let the Squadron go. Refusing to accept this, Wrecker leader Impactor murdered the entire squadron while Whirl looked away in apparent shame, but took no action. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}} The incident was covered up by [[Autobot High Command]], and to avoid being implicated in the crime alongside their leader, Whirl and the other Wreckers lied and told Springer that they had no idea what Impactor was planning on doing. Springer believed them and defended their inaction at Impactor's trial, also agreeing to become the new leader of the Wreckers at Whirl and the others' request. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

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

[[File:Whirl copter Stormbringer4.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Is [[Obsidian (BM)|"Obsidianesque"]] a word?]]
Years later, Whirl was deployed with the other Wreckers to [[Varas Centralus]] to help [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]'s counter-insurgency team deal with the Decepticon [[infiltration protocol|infiltration team]] there, which had just activated Siege Mode. Partway into the battle, they were forced to pull out and return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] when news came through of the possible resurgence of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} Arriving at their homeworld, the team saved the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] from a patrol of [[Centurion droid]]s, then joined Optimus Prime in attacking [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s secret base. Whirl and Roadbuster helped Jetfire from his imprisonment, but they were too late: Bludgeon had indeed recalled Thunderwing home. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} Whirl joined Springer and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] in attacking the mindless [[Pretender]], but their weapons were disabled when he ionized the air around them, forcing them to back off. Fortunately, a team of Decepticons led by [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] arrived to supplement the Autobot forces and the day was soon won. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

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

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

[[File:Whirl Sparkeaterweapon Interiors.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|left|"What, ''this''? It's uhm...just his new [[Beast Hunters]] armor! Yeah, that's it."]]
Around three years later, when putting together a squad to liberate [[Garrus-9]] from the clutches of the deranged Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], Springer ruled Whirl out of the mission on account of his recently becoming something of a liability. {{storylink|Bullets}} The mission to Garrus-9 left Springer in a comatose state, and Whirl and Roadbuster were assigned the task of watching over him and tending to his needs until he awoke. Convinced that this was never going to happen, Whirl attempted to euthanize his leader with Roadbuster's [[Sparkeater (weapon)|Sparkeater weapon]], but was caught in the act by Roadbuster and ejected from the Wreckers by the power of "the veto"—the ability of a Wrecker to have another member of the unit removed at any time. {{storylink|Interiors}} He wound up in prison for his actions, but was released and given a "final warning" by Ultra Magnus to stay out of trouble. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

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

[[File:Whirl Sweeps Liars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Dear God...they're no longer mint in box!]]
Frustrated with the NAILs and having been kicked out of the Wreckers, Whirl acquired a disturbing method of stress relief: gathering up several leftover [[Sweep]] carcasses, pinning them to a wall inside a shabby structure out in Cybertron's wastelands, and apparently mutilating them. Eventually deciding that he'd had his fun, Whirl doused the ruins with fuel and bid a very creepy thank you and farewell to the remains, planning to burn it all—quite possibly, himself included. Interrupted by [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]], who had misidentified the Sweeps' energy readings as those of [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], Whirl immediately attacked him and set the place ablaze to cover his tracks. Their battle carried them to the [[Mitteous Plateau]], where they were discovered by [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], prompting Whirl to try and pin all the blame on Cyclonus before killing him so he couldn't contradict his story. Before he could, however, a huge subterranean explosion triggered by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] erupted beneath Whirl, heavily damaging him and knocking him offline. Figuring that Whirl was too dangerous to leave lying around, Ratchet had him brought along with Tailgate aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as it left Cybertron. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[File:HangersOn Whirl Cyclonus.jpg|thumb|left|110px|Expressions, glorious expressions!]]
Whirl awoke in the medibay of the ''Lost Light'', his first instinct being to reach out and throttle the nearest person to him, which turned out to be [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]. Brought to his senses with the warning that he'd go back to prison if he didn't behave, Whirl left to skulk around the hallways, where he was found by Ultra Magnus and brought him into a meeting between [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and Cyclonus. Advised to make his peace with Cyclonus, Whirl continued to dodge all responsibility for starting the fight but nonetheless offered him a hand of "forgiveness", only to have Cyclonus respond by drawing him into a ''hug''... followed by a whispered threat that he would kill him at some point and the Autobot would never see it coming.

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

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

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

[[File:Whirl Interiors yes.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Whirl: '''1'''. {{-}} Hostage situation: '''-2'''.]]
Not long thereafter, Whirl was having a session with Rung when recent crew addition [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] had an acute psychotic episode and went on a rampage through the ship, holing up in Rung's office and immobilizing Whirl by stabbing him to the floor with a pipe. Unfazed, Whirl taunted Maximus, trying to bait him into killing him, but Maximus only grew more curious about Whirl's mental state and reputation, and threatened Rung in order to force Whirl into telling his life story. The story provided [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] enough time to position themselves outside Rung's office and distract Maximus with a projection of his tormentor, Overlord. Whirl used the distraction to tear the pipe out of his gut, unpinning himself from the floor. When a shot intended to take Maximus out went wild and hit Rung in the head instead, Whirl took the opportunity to stab the distraught Max with the pipe, ending the hostage situation after three-plus hours. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:Whirl graffiti MTMTEAnnual2012.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|left|"Yeah well, I'll build my own spaceship! With blackjack! And hookers! In fact, forget the spaceship!"]]
Whirl joined Rodimus, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] in being shrunk down and sent to deal with a swarm of [[Nanocon]]s that had been revived within Ultra Magnus' body, where he showed some difficulty with his "no guns" orders. After Magnus smiled them to death, Whirl managed to leave some graffiti inside Ultra Magnus, a fact that he would proudly inform First Aid of during Tailgate's [[Act of Affiliation]] ceremony.

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

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

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

[[File:Whirlholomatter.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.0|]]
Whirl tagged along with Swerve's group when the crew of the ''Lost Light'' was granted leave on the planet [[Hedonia]]. He was granted a new human-based [[holomatter]] avatar, which he seemed to approve of based solely on the fact that it carried weapons. When the group found a Transformer-friendly bar, Whirl got Ultra Magnus black-out drunk after slipping him a drink containing weapons-grade [[Nucleon]], much to everyone's chagrin. While waiting for Magnus to regain consciousness, the group played "the nemesis game", each sharing their own personal arch-enemies. Whirl named the deceased Killmaster as his, and proceeded to describe the graphic nature of how he ended their rivalry before being cut off by Rung. When Magnus began to stir, the group left Swerve to deal with him and took a trip to a nearby gift shop. Whirl opted to remain outside and continually bang his head against a display case- something he felt relieved pressure on his brain. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

Sometime later, the group encountered a group of [[Ammonite]]s- a mechanical race similar to Transformers who were entangled in a long and bitter war with their hated foes, the [[Terradore]]s. Whirl and Skids engaged in a bit of a "my war is bigger than yours" contest with them, with the Ammonites outclassing them in most categories. When [[Imperius Drax]], the leader of the Terradores unexpectedly entered the same bar as them, Whirl took it upon himself to show the Ammonites a thing or two about war. He walked up to chat with Drax, things escalated, and then Whirl simply killed the guy. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

Ultra Magnus was still out cold when they returned to check on him, so Whirl hatched a plan to get him back in time for pick-up. He ferried the others to the shuttle, then they projected their holomatter avatars back to the bar to drive Magnus' vehicle mode through an organics-only section. While forcing Magnus into vehicle mode proved difficult, they eventually managed it and drove him home. Whirl admitted to the others that, difficulties aside, he had a fun time. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}}

Whirl was among those interviewed for Rewind's documentary, "Little Victories". A "Person You'd Like To Punch" theme night at [[Swerve's]] had an overwhelming majority of people who attended pick Whirl. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

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

[[File:Whirl Cyclonus HouseOfAmbus.jpg|thumb|right|350px|]]

When a search for the abducted Ultra Magnus led the ''Lost Light'' to discover the long-missing [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], Rodimus asked Whirl to be part of an advance landing party. Finding the "miracle moon" to be a hot spot seething with newborn [[spark]]s, Tailgate asked the others to define for him the difference between being "forged" and being "constructed cold". When Chromedome identified himself as someone who had been constructed cold, Whirl couldn't help but point out that he himself had been forged and "perfected" in a hot spot just like the one they were standing in. Shortly thereafter, the group was attacked by [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]]'s [[Titan Hunters]], forcing Whirl and the others to flee from superior numbers. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} Retreating didn't sit well with Whirl, and he invited Cyclonus to join him in a counterattack on their pursuers. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}

Their attack was successful only in that they didn't get captured along with the others. Whirl couldn't help himself in claiming that he had killed more Decepticons than Cyclonus during the battle. On smelling the enriched Nucleon of a nearby armory close to a jail suspended over a [[smelting pool]], Whirl was eager to organise a jailbreak to free Rodimus and Co.

In company with a far more cautious Cyclonus, Whirl found that he couldn't open the armory door due to his unwieldy claws and needed Cyclonus to help him. Occupied with the door mechanism, Cyclonus inquired of Whirl why he never had his empurata features "fixed". Whirl replied that he was messed up, that he had done and would continue to do bad things. While he remained angry about his mutilations, he was insulated against the voice of his conscience. If fixed he "really would be screwed". In the spirit of ''quid pro quo'' Whirl tried to ask Cyclonus about the gashes on his face, but the reply was lost when a stealthy [[Legislator]] stabbed Cyclonus through the midriff with his sword.

[[File:Whirl Cyclonus TheDividedSelf.jpg|thumb|left|300px|"You know what I keep thinking about, Cyclonus? You know the end of Butch Cassidy? Redford and Newman are almost out of ammunition, and the whole Bolivian army is out in front of this little hut?"{{-}} "Whirl, I'm going to make you pay for this."]]

Fortunately, Whirl (or unfortunately for Whirl) he fought Cyclonus's attacker off so that Cyclonus could remove the blade without too much injury. The pair then teamed up with other rescued prisoners, [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] and the remaining survivors of the ill fated [[Circle of Light]], just as an army of Legislators attacked en masse. Whirl asked Cyclonus to call off his previous death threats if they made it out of the fight alive as they rushed into battle wielding [[Great Sword]]s procured from the armory. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

In the middle of the battle Whirl noticed something very unusual about Cyclonus' Great Sword, it was, in Whirl's words, "frikkin nuclear-powered", glowing with light and cutting a swathe through the attacking Legislator army. Cyclonus had a surprisingly deep connection with his sword for a novice, as only Dai Atlas could manage a similar feat with his own sword. Dai Atlas suggested to Whirl that "your friend is clearly ''devout''". Whirl was more surprised by the use of the word "friend" than the rest of Atlas' explanation.

However much headway they were making, it wasn't fast enough for Cyclonus. Cyclonus' rather obtuse comment of being "needed elsewhere" made Whirl respond cattily that he was dragging their battle out for fun, that he’d just finish up himself. Dai Atlas asked Cyclonus if Whirl was being sarcastic, and Cyclonus replied that he didn't believe that even Whirl knew. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Whirl and the surviving members of the Circle of Light continued to fight the Legislators, but they were eventually overwhelmed. Moments from being killed, Whirl was saved when Chief Justice [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] called all remaining Legislators to his position. In the battle's aftermath, Whirl and Cyclonus conferred on the edge of the smelting pool. A heavily-damaged and unable-to-fly Whirl asked Cyclonus if he was still willing to let bygones be bygones in regards to their mutual death threats against one another. Despite briefly entertaining a fantasy of shoving Whirl into the pool, a preoccupied Cyclonus agreed and departed.

Later aboard the ''Lost Light'', Whirl would reveal that Dai Atlas had commented on the unnatural strength of Cyclonus's spark- demonstrated while Cyclonus was wielding a Great Sword. Atlas had wondered if Cyclonus had the spark of a newborn with the intense energy he was producing. Relaying this information to Cyclonus, Whirl indirectly helped save Tailgate's life, as Cyclonus consequently used his excess spark energy to revitalize his dying roommate. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}}

[[File:Whirl fightfightfight BlackMetal.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66]]

The ''Lost Light'' received a distress call from Orion Pax and headed to [[Gorlam Prime]]. They rescued the ''[[Skyroller]]'' from the collapsing planet's gravity well and welcomed Orion and his crew aboard. Whirl derived amusement from [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]'s outright hostility toward Cyclonus. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} Later, when Orion and Rodimus were looking for volunteers to journey into the [[Dead Universe]], Hardhead took another verbal potshot at Cyclonus. Whirl was gleeful at first, but then disappointed when they didn't come to blows. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}}

After the ''Lost Light'' was by guided by to an unknown planet, the Autobots found themselves underwater and attacked by thousands of Ammonites. Whirl was among those who boarded the [[Rodpod]] to launch a counterattack. Eventually, the Autobots found the inert [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] hiding on the ocean floor. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}}

The Rodpod entered Metroplex's empty eye socket and made its way to the [[Brain module|brain]], where the group discovered it missing. The Autobots disembarked and after journeying around in Metroplex's head for a brief time, they ended up right back where they started at the Rodpod. Whirl took his frustration out on the garish vehicle, but it was soon discovered to be booby-trapped by an Ammonite. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}}

The Rodpod exploded, but the Autobots were shielded from the blast by a wall that had suddenly sprung up within the chamber. Ratchet worryingly noticed that Whirl had gone missing in the chaos. Whirl quickly returned, however, having captured the Ammonite that blew up the Rodpod. After some strong-arming, the Ammonite revealed that they had been ordered by [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] to sabotage the ''Lost Light'''s efforts to return to Cybertron. Before the Autobots could discuss these revelations further, they were confronted by [[Nautica]] and [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]. {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}}

After a brief introduction, the two [[Female Transformer|female]] Autobots offered to lead the others to Metroplex's brain. Another horde of Ammonites appeared, and Ultra Magnus ordered the others to follow Nautica and Chromia. Whirl opted to stay behind and fight the Ammonites with a few others, noting that he was in his element in battle. Eventually, the Autobots were able to connect Metroplex to the ''Lost Light'', which he used as a makeshift life support system. He quantum-jumped back to Cybertron, bringing the ''Lost Light'' with him. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}}

Unfortunately, this didn't solve the problem of the Ammonite infestation, and Whirl's group were still fighting for their lives within Metroplex as the giant Autobot squared off with the [[Necrotitan]]. The Ammonites kept combining into larger and larger forms, prompting Whirl to admit that even he was tired of fighting with them. Thankfully, through the efforts of [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] and Megatron, Metroplex was given a sudden boost of power, which reactivated his internal defenses. This immediately eliminated any Ammonite invaders, with Whirl charmingly referring to them as being "deader than a [[Duobot]]". {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

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

{{-}}
===''Transformers Legends''===
Whirl was involved in a chaotic kerfuffle. What outcome the battle yielded is unclear. {{storylink|By Land, Sea, or Air}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Whirl toy.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Shockwave's younger brother? Only in the wild world of [[Fan fiction|fanfic]]s.]]
*'''Whirl''' (Deluxe Vehicle, 1985)
**''Accessories'': "Null-Ray Module", "[[Paralyzo box]]", "Photon Beam Rifle", "Shell Cannon"

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

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

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

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

===Classics===
[[File:ClassicsWhirl toy.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Am I blue? Am I blue? Ain't these tears in my eye tellin' you?]]
*'''Autobot Whirl''' (Legends, 2007)
**''Accessories'': Rotor blade

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

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

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

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

===Generations===
*'''Autobot Whirl''' (Voyager, 2014)
**''Accessories'': Null-Ray Module, Paralyzo box, Shell Cannon, Photon Beam Rifle
[[File:Whirl generations voyager.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Not as super-unvincible as people were hoping.]]
: Whirl is heavily styled after his Generation 1 toy, but sports a more curved head and reverse knee "chicken legs" which evoke (but do not match) his appearance in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]''. He's also a [[Triple Changer]], with a third Gerwalk-esque mode known as a "Heloped". Just as with his original toy, he has a pair of mechanical pincers which a weapon similar to his "Null-Ray Module" cannon can be fitted over. All four of his weapons can attach via c-clips to various sculpted rods.

:Unmentioned in the instruction sheet is that his shoulder-struts can collapse into his torso for a more pleasing robot mode. Also, in robot mode, you can rotate the shoulder-struts so that the thin tabs on top face down to allow for greater shoulder pose ability. It's also likely that the knee transformations are swapped between robot and heloped mode in the instructions, so that the robot mode has the digitigrade legs and the heloped mode has the "gerwalk"-style backwards knees, and this hypothesis is supported by the [[:File:RID26 subcvr.jpg|packaging art]]. A smaller detail of note is that Whirl's neck is on an extra hinged panel that allows the head to be raised up a few millimeters from where it normally sits.

: Whirl comes with a sticker sheet, with one sticker referencing [[Wild Bill|CW-4 William S. Hardy]].

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[File:3DBattleCard Whirl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66| Soi soi soi soi]]
*'''Whirl''' (2007)

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

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

===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''Xuán Rèn''' (China, 旋刃, "Turning Blades")
*''French:'' '''Tourbillon''' (Canada, "Whirlwind")

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

Inferno (G1)

2014-04-18T13:28:15Z

Steamshield: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

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

[[File:G1 Inferno profilecollection1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Will probably start fires just to put them out.]]

If there's a blazing fire, '''Inferno''' is going to be one of the first bots on the scene, rushing in headlong without regard for his own safety to rescue anyone trapped inside. If there's a blazing fire''fight'' Inferno will also be one of the first bots on the scene, and probably even faster than the previous scenario.

Few bots are as gung-ho as Inferno, whose heat-resistant body and seeming lack of fear make him a tough customer in any kind of emergency. He certainly prefers the thrill of gunning down [[Decepticon]]s over tackling a four-alarm fire, but he doesn't let his thirst for battle interfere with his duty as a rescue bot.

Amusingly, ''he's'' the rational, cautious one in the odd-couple friendship he has with [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]].

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Walker Edmiston]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese), [[Show Hayami]] (Japanese, "The Gambler"), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese, "The Search for Alpha Trion")|[[Isidro Olace]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Dinobot Island, Part 1"), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Dinobot Island, Part 2", "Prime Target", and "Auto Berserk"), [[Kai Taschner]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Kremzeek!"), [[Ulf-Jürgen Wagner]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Masquerade")}}

[[File:InsecticonSyndrome Inferno fires.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Flashlights of DOOM!]]
Inferno appeared without explanation one day as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] explained their mission to stop the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] from attacking the [[Nova Power Plant]]. He was the first to roll out on Prime's orders. During the battle at the power plant, the gun-slinging fire fighter stood by [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and shot down [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] before they rushed off to rescue the human pilots of a downed helicopter. After the super-powered Insecticons crushed [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and electrocuted [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Inferno sprayed fire-retardant foam on Ironhide and loaded him into Prime's trailer as the Autobots retreated. Inferno later participated in the Autobot counterattack at [[Iron Mountain]] where he and the other Autobots were buried under tons of rock. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was heard to complain about Inferno ending up on his head whilst they were trapped. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[File:DinobotIsland Pt2 InfernospraysCowboys.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Bonanza got a little weird near the end of the series]]
When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] accidentally set fire to [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]], Inferno helped [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] douse the flames. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Later, Inferno did his part to preserve the sanctity of the timestream by spraying cowboys with [[fire-retardant foam]]. Eh... you had to be there. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Inferno showed off his athletic ability in a friendly game of basketball with Optimus Prime, [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]. When [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] discovered that [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] were working with the Constructicons, Inferno came with the other Autobots to investigate, where he assisted in the fight against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Though Inferno was initially stunned when Devastator deflected some of [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]'s [[glass gas]], the Autobots eventually emerged victorious. {{storylink|The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders}}

[[File:AutoBerserk Inferno RedAlert friendship.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Why can't I quit you?]]
Later, Inferno was ordered to guard over Red Alert as the Autobots repelled an attack by the Decepticons on the [[Negavator]] super weapon's bunker. Inferno, itching for a fight, abandoned Red Alert despite his paranoid friend's repeated requests for him to stay. Inferno rescued Red Alert when his friend was buried under rubble which had the unfortunate side-effect of damaging Red Alert's logic circuits to the point of overload. Inferno later proved his friendship to Red when he saved Red Alert from himself when the latter, in a state of paranoia, allied himself with [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and the Decepticons. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}}

Inferno and the other Autobots were sent on a rocket to the sun as part of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s plot. Though all hope seemed lost, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] created a force field that protected the Autobots and allowed Cosmos to return them to Earth. The Autobots arrived just in time to stop Megatron, and Inferno helped shoot at the Decepticons during the onslaught. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:BlasterBlues-InfernoSpray.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Inferno used Hydro Pump!]]
After the Decepticons caused a disastrous explosion at an airport that severely injured the Dinobots, Inferno arrived with Hoist and Red Alert to put out the fire and cart the Dinobots back to headquarters. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} When Megatron disrupted Earth's radio waves, peril was unleashed worldwide. Among the calamities was a train derailed and blown up by a fallen tree, and the dead radio meant that the fire lookout was unavailable. Luckily, Inferno and Red Alert were in the area, and together they worked to put out the fire, with Inferno watering down the flames. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

[[File:ChildsPlay-InfernoToTheRescue.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.05|He's got better things to do tonight than let others die.]]
Inferno helped defend [[New York City]] against Megatron's army of robot drones, and put out a fire at the [[Chrysler Building]]. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} He later fought the Decepticons at a baseball stadium where Megatron was trying to set up his latest [[space bridge]]. Inferno extended a net from his ladder assembly to catch a pair of humans Starscream had been terrorizing in the air. During the battle, the Space Bridge was inadvertently activated, transporting Inferno and several other Autobots and Decepticons to an alien world, where they were all merely the size of toys. Having landed in a child's room, Inferno helped the Autobots gain the boy [[Aron (G1)|Aron]]'s trust when he put out the fire Starscream started in a toy building. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} On their way back to Earth, the Autobots were intercepted by an alien named [[Bosch]] and Inferno and the others were immobilized. They were eventually restored, but only after some complicated wheeling and dealing by Bosch and Smokescreen. {{storylink|The Gambler}}

As the Insecticons rampaged through the world's farmland, Inferno and a squad of Autobots attempted to overpower them before they caused a worldwide famine. Unfortunately, the blasted bugs were so strong from repeatedly feedings, they repelled a group of Autobots twice their number without even calling upon their [[Insecticon clone]]s. Inferno kept [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] from death by fire, but otherwise the mission was a total failure. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

Inferno was one of only four Autobots left undamaged by [[Kremzeek]]'s disastrous run through the Ark, thanks to [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]'s insulating foam. Despite this, he and the other remaining Autobots were hard pressed to even slow the little spark down. Even Inferno's time-tested solution of shooting foam at every problem failed miserably. Eventually, it was the human scientist [[Sōji Yoshikawa]] who came up with the plan that finally dispersed the creature. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[File:PrimeTarget CapturedInferno.jpg|thumb|upright=0.95|Remind me never to shop at Canadian Tire!]]
Inferno came searching for Tracks and Bumblebee when they were captured by [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]]. When Inferno saw a burning building, he couldn't help but rush in and check it out. However, it was one of Lord Chumley's traps, and a hose wrapped around Inferno's leg, capturing him. Yes. Inferno's bravery impressed Chumley, who remarked that he had never seen a species so unafraid of fire! The captured Autobots were freed when Optimus Prime (with a little help from the Decepticon [[Triple Changer]]s) defeated Chumley. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}}

Inferno was reunited with his old friend [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]] when he, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] went to search for where Optimus Prime had wandered off to. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}

Inferno was briefly seen assembled with the rest of the Autobots before they drove off to rescue Perceptor from [[Fox Creek Canyon]]. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} With Red Alert and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], Inferno watered down a blazing village during the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]' attempt to move the Earth closer to its sun. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:Masquerade AutobotsBlasted.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.05|Shot down in flames!]]
Inferno was in one of the Autobot teams that captured the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. While [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] ignited the oil [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] were in, Inferno doused it (something he "wouldn't feel good about" when he did it) to help capture the stunt freaks. He was, eventually, among those Autobots taken down by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] when the Stunticons formed into him to escape. {{storylink|Masquerade}}
{{-}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
[[File:JHeadmasters03InfernoEtc.jpg|thumb]]
Alongside [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], Inferno was dispatched by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] to protect [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] from any Decepticons trying to stop him from finding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. They were not seen to actually confront anyone. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}
{{-}}

====''Wings Universe''====
[[File:BattleLines6-UltraMagnus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
{{Wingsnote}}
Nine million years ago, Inferno 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]]. Five million years later, following the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s disappearance, he and several other Autobots entered [[stasis hibernation pod]]s to await the energy rejuvenation of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

At some point he was exposed to [[forestonite]] and developed the power to create fireballs in his hands. He compared powers with [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] one day in [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 2}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Infernomissinginaction.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Inferno used up all his cool in this image, so he didn't show up much.]]
''Inferno was present at the battle of [[Sherman Dam]].'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} ''He later led [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] to search for the missing [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], saving [[Danny Phillips|a boy]] in the process.'' {{storylink|Missing in Action}}

''Inferno joined [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] as part of a monitoring unit stationed on Earth to keep watch for the threat of super-Decepticon, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Shortly after they arrived, the unit chased off the unrelated threat of a [[Furnacia]]n [[Firebug (G1)|Firebug]], who had arrived on Earth and begun starting fires in human settlements. They exiled it to Mercury in a message pod.'' {{storylink|Firebug!}}

''When Galvatron later resurfaced, the reconnaissance team sent a message to Cybertron and joined up with the [[Wrecker]]s and Decepticon [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] in confronting the time traveler. Unfortunately Galvatron had help (as if he needed it) in the form of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. The Wreckers and Mayhems were torn to shreds, suffering greater than 50% losses.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}} ''Inferno was one of the few survivors who limped away from the final battle, cut off from any support from Cybertron. The remaining members of the Wreckers and Mayhems pooled resources as the [[Survivors]], living on Earth separately from the planet's active Cybertronian armies.'' {{storylink|Survivors!}}

Inferno was present when [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] were loading up their shuttles to go chase after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his gang of less-than-merry men. {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} He was later killed on the planet [[Klo]] and then reactivated by the power of the [[Last Autobot]]. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

[[File:Infernorhythmsofdarkness.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Can you believe this was my first Marvel US appearance?]]
In an alternate timeline, Inferno was one of seven remaining Autobots on Earth in the year [[2009]], fighting against Decepticon domination of the American continents. He survived the desperate attempt to prevent a nuclear attack by the rest of the world, and was last seen fighting against greater odds heroically, for all our freedoms. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

{{note|Inferno's US and UK timelines are more difficult to reconcile than most characters, primarily because of how the Survivors story blends from the main UK continuity ("Time Wars") straight into the splinter continuity (Earthforce). He shows up totally unannounced on Cybertron after the war with Unicron, and never speaks. His presence in the stories "[[Decepticon Dam-Busters!]]" and "[[Missing in Action]]" is also hard to reconcile as he is not otherwise shown amongst the original Autobots on Earth and the latter story is a general continuity nightmare.}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Infernoshutup.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|He really kind of deserved it.]]
After a new squad of Mayhems came to Earth to execute their treacherous former members, the Survivors failed to stop the Decepticon named Bludgeon from killing [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}} After [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] ran off on his own to seek vengeance against the Mayhems, Inferno and the remaining Survivors hooked up with [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s [[Earthforce]] in order to provide the [[Pretender]] some proper back-up. They then chose to stick around with Earthforce full-time as an adjunct unit. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} Inferno and the Survivors were later seen on the high seas, fighting off [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] when he attempted to hijack an oil tanker. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

Later, Inferno was standing guard over the Mayhems they had captured when the Survivors first joined with Earthforce. Bludgeon, [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] and [[Stranglehold]] were being model prisoners. Very quiet... too quiet. As Inferno began to get unnerved by the silence, Stranglehold suddenly began pounding away at the floor like a madman, tearing it up while still they all remained totally silent. Not quite sure what else to do, Inferno turned off the energy bars and entered the cell to blast the prisoner with a pacifier ray. As soon as he did, though, Bludgeon's katana shot through his backside, summoned mentally from the storage room by its master's [[Metallikato]] discipline. Inferno blacked out as the three Pretenders casually sauntered out of their cell to freedom. {{storylink|Shut Up!}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Smokescreeninferno.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|He can't quit Smokescreen either!]]
In the alternate version of 2008, after Unicron's attack on Cybertron, Inferno and his good friend [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] discovered Unicron's continued existence on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], where he had enslaved the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] into rebuilding his body. Retreating to their ship to make contact with the rest of the Autobots, they ran afoul of the brainwashed [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]]. Inferno was badly injured, but with their shuttle under attack by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] in the skies over Cybertron, he was forced to hurl Smokescreen to safety through the front windscreen, so word of Unicron's survival could reach Rodimus Prime. Inferno's last act was to go out in a blaze of glory, crashing straight into the Decepticon ranks in the battle below. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
{{-}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Infernoescalation.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"And there's an apocryphal third reason involving my love for disco!"]]
Inferno was working with a squad of Autobots trying to stop [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] from committing genocide on planet [[Ethos]]. Most of his team took heavy fire, but it was the death of his friend [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] that got Inferno ''really'' angry. His temper getting the best of him, Inferno broke ranks to hit more of the [[Ethos raiding party|Cybertronians]]. Though he managed to avenge Smokescreen's death, other Cybertronians cornered him, and he was forced to leap into a building for safety. Unfortunately, the building collapsed, and he was crushed. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
Sometime around [[2007]], Inferno was amongst those suffering ill effects from the infusion of [[Nucleon]] into their systems. It had apparently left him unable to control his body temperature as he was glowing red-hot and surrounded by cooling systems in the "[[Nursery]]". {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Inferno and his good buddy [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] joined up with Grimlock's [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] during the time of the [[Dark Ages]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}} Some millennia later, after the [[Great Shutdown]], Inferno was one of the first Autobots reactivated and brought around to the idea of a unified Cybertronian populace by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Joining Red Alert, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], he became a charter member of the [[Autobot High Council]], ruling alongside Shockwave in administrative matters while Ultra Magnus focused on more militant concerns. However, the lack of leadership experience by Inferno and most of his fellow council-beings led to them ceding more and more power to Shockwave over the years. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} They eventually came to their senses and joined in the insurrection against Shockwave led by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the Ark's crew. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Inferno was at the Ark when Starscream was brought in, badly damaged and offline. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MegsOrigin4 Grapple Inferno.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Inferno discovers that your face really will stay that way.]]
Inferno was attending to the fire damage and chaos caused by [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron's]] opening assault on [[Kaon]] when an [[Kaon upperclass|elite]] pleasure cruiser fell out of the sky on top of him and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

During the following war on Cybertron, Inferno was one of several Autobots [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] would have trusted his life with. After Blaster returned to the Autobots after having been lost for millennia, Inferno was among Blaster's friends who took leave from their assignments to see "The Voice". However, after a second attempt on Blaster's life, Inferno was also one of the four Autobots under suspicion of the failed assassination. Fortunately the [[Beachcomber (G1)|real (unwilling) culprit]] was caught, so Inferno and the others were cleared. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

Inferno eventually ended up on [[Earth]], where he was among those who remained with [[Skywatch]] while other Autobots were returning to Cybertron. He listened to [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and [[Kyle Pennington]] discuss ways to improve relations between humanity and the Autobots, and facepalmed when said ways included putting out fires and saving cats from trees. {{storylink|Police Action: Part 1|Police Action #1}}

[[File:FecundMoon-Impressive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Always hanging out with Grapple, always.]]

After the Chaos War, the Autobots left on Earth reunited with their fellows on Cybertron, which had become wild and untamed after the release of all the Matrix's power. When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] stepped down as leader of the Autobots and went into self-imposed exile, [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] disagreed on the future of the Cybertronian race. Rodimus wanted to leave Cybertron and search for the fabled [[Knights of Cybertron]], in the hope that they could restore balance and order to Cybertron. Inferno was among the few hundred Autobots who agreed with Rodimus, and he joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as it left Cybertron for deeper space. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

Inferno was with [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Boss (G1)|Boss]] when the latter was gunned down by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|Interiors}} Later, he stood with the rest of the crew as Rodimus announced his discovery of -- and intention to investigate -- [[Moonbase One|Luna One]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon}}

When the Lost Light was overrun by Legislators, Inferno was with [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] as both were pinned down by one of the giant robots. {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
Inferno and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] teamed-up on an emergency rescue mission. While Inferno put out the deadly fire, Ratchet recovered a young girl from a burning building, badly in need of hospital care. On their way to the hospital, however, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] started firing on Ratchet. Inferno "took the heat" for Ratchet and his patient, letting them get to the hospital safely. Ratchet cheerily got to work on his next patient...patching up Inferno. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

{{-}}

==Games==
===The Transformers (PS2)===
{{Note|Inferno is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Autobot duplicates in the Decepticon campaign.}}

{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Inferno was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}
===''Transformers Legends''===
During a Decepticon attack on a major human city, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], Inferno and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s 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}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Inferno toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Then he'll start the fire again.]]
*'''Inferno''' (Autobot, 1985, 2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''10'''
**''Accessories:'' "Extinguisher Rifle", 2 fists (left & right), 3 missiles, 2 hose nozzles

:Inferno transforms into a Japanese Mitsubishi Fuso firetruck. His ladder has three sections to it, allowing it to extend to a really impressive length. Each of his forearms contains a spring-loaded missile launcher, so he can fire his own fists or silver missiles, though the [[Hasbro]] versions have these launchers severely weakened [[for safety reasons]]. He is usually depicted in media as having a missile/laser/nozzle in place of a hand on his right arm. He is also armed with a small black Extinguisher rifle.

:In 2003, Inferno was re-released as part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s "[[The Transformers Collection]]" series. This time he featured [[tampograph]]ed Autobot symbol and blue eyes instead of yellow. These changes carried over to the [[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]] Inferno, Commemorative Series [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], and [[Hauler|RoadHauler]].

:Later in the same year, he was released by [[Hasbro]] in the Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] "Commemorative Series" line. The Hasbro version no longer featured launching fists or missiles unlike the Takara version. This reissue comes with an additional autobot symbol decal, depicting the more modern long-faced autobot logo. The instructions say to place this sticker over the autobot symbol sticker that is already on inferno's chest!

:This mold was [[redeco]]ed and partially [[retool]]ed to make [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], [[e-HOBBY]] [[Hauler|RoadHauler]] and ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (toyline)|The Headmasters]]'' [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Inferno/inferno.htm More information on Inferno at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/CSInferno/inferno.htm More information on Commemorative Series Inferno at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|ActionMaster}}

[[File:ActionMaster Inferno.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Inferno's lack of transformation ability was compensated by a big orange thingamajig.]]
*'''Inferno with Hydro-Pack''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' Hydro-Pack, "Magna-Blast Gun"

:Part of the third assortment of "basic" carded [[Action Master]]s, Inferno is a non-transforming action figure with a simplified design, based loosely on his cartoon [[Character model|animation model]]. Inferno came with a [[Hydro-Pack]] that could be attached to his back (with a "hose" that flipped over his shoulder to attach to his handgun, a feature unique among Action Master "partner" accessories), or transformed via spring-loaded mechanism into a large cannon, with a barrel that could be further extended by attaching his handgun to the very end of it. He is compatible with all other Action Master weapons and vehicles.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Inferno/inferno.htm More information on Action Master Inferno at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Generation 2''===
[[File:G2 Inferno toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|How's anyone supposed to climb the ladder with this huge thing on my back?]]
*'''Inferno''' (Autobot Hero, 1993)
**''Accessories:'' "Extinguisher Rifle", water cannon, 2 fists (left & right), 2 head nozzles

:For ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', Inferno's original toy was re-used with virtually no deco changes, adding only the "Autobot" [[tampograph]]. His forearms were retooled to remove the spring-loaded launcher mechanism (the chromed missiles from the original releases were also dropped), his detachable fists were also re-tooled in order for them to fit snuggly in the connecting hole of the forearms and the wing extensions on his shoulders were also slightly retooled. He came with a large red [[Water-squirting gimmick|water-shooting]] cannon that clipped to his ladder. Said cannon rains pain.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Autobot/Inferno/inferno.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Inferno at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008 G1Inferno.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|BURNING JUSTI— Oh, sorry, wrong fire truck.]]
*'''Inferno''' (Voyager, 2009)
**''Series'': Generation 2 Series
**''Accessories'': "Water Blast" projectile

:"[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]] series" ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Inferno is the first all-new tooling for the Voyager class [[size class|price point]] in the ''Universe'' line. Unlike the original toy, ''Universe'' Inferno transforms into an American pumper/tanker fire truck, rather than the Generation 1's Japanese Hino ladder engine. In lieu of a ladder, he packs a water cannon with spring-loaded projectile, a call-back to ''Generation 2'' Inferno's working water cannon.

:This version of Inferno transforms into a fictional six-wheeled variant of the 2002–2007 Pierce Contender series of firetrucks. It appears to be a fusion of two different designs from that period. See: [[Wikipedia:Pierce Manufacturing#Gallery of Pierce Apparatus|Pierce Manufacturing]]

:The number "401" [[tampograph]]ed onto him is the area code for the state of Rhode Island, home of [[Hasbro]]'s headquarters.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Pyro (G1)#Timelines|Spark]], and was retooled to make ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' [[Grapple (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Solar Storm Grappel]] and ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Hot Spot (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Hot Spot]]. It was then redecoed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Artfire (Headmasters)#United 2|Artfire]], using tooling from both the original Inferno version and the newer Grappel version of this [[mold]].

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

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[File:Henkei inferno.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Is it hot in here, or is it just me?]]
*'''Cybertron Inferno''' (Voyager, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-15'''
**''Accessories:'' "Water Blast" projectile

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Inferno differs from ''Universe'' Inferno mainly in the red plastic used: whereas ''Universe'' Inferno has a darker shade of red, ''Henkei'' Inferno is considerably brighter. The dark brown plastic used for several parts on ''Universe'' Inferno has been changed to gray. The black parts on ''Universe'' Inferno are now dark blue and the colorless clear plastic used for his eyes is actually molded in clear blue plastic (rather than being painted over clear blue). Major paint application changes include chroming Inferno's water cannon, forearm panels, and the backs of his shoulder panels. Aside from the chrome he also has the addition of yellow highlights to his head, clear-red painted sirens, and the removal of the Rhode Island "401" area code.
{{-}}

===Speed Stars===
====Stealth Force====
[[File:StealthForce Inferno toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Because ''real'' firetrucks come with ''real'' firepower]]
*'''Autobot Inferno''' (Stealth Force Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' 2 projectiles

:''[[Speed Stars]]'' Inferno is a new non-transformable mold, appearing as a much more traditional looking fire truck than any of his previous toys but retaining the "401" tampograph that his ''Universe'' toy had. His packaging also depicts his ''Universe'' toy's robot head. At the press of a button, he can deploy his weapons located on top, at the side and the front of his vehicle mode while pulling a tab hides the weapons again.

:Included in the package are ''two'' water-burst missiles. However, they can only be stored in and fired from his top-mounted cannon one at a time.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 9''' (multi-pack, 1986)

*'''Inferno''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''14'''

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

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

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[File:3DBattleCard Inferno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Inferno''' (2007)

:A 36-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Inferno "transforms" into a red fire truck. He uses the same parts layout as [[Live-action film series|Movie]] [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], Movie [[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]] and "[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Classic Bonecrusher]]", albeit with some parts moved around to make him more fire truck-like.
{{-}}

===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Kabaya-Inferno.jpg‎|thumb|300px]]
*'''Inferno''' (2011)
:Released in the fourth wave of the revived ''Transformers Gum'' series in 2011, this transforming model kit of Inferno is made from red and black plastic, with stickers for detail. It's based on the ''Henkei'' Inferno toy.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Phoenix King movie poster.jpg|thumb|Inferno moonlights for easy cash.]]
*Inferno's [[character model]] seems to have two different head designs. One, seen in "[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]", is a more angular and toy-based design; the other, seen in "[[Auto Berserk]]", is more rounded and simplified, and lacks any facial definition lines.
*According to his [[Tech Spec]] and [[The Transformers Universe]] profile, Inferno shoots [[missile]]s out of his forearms. This weapon is usually depicted in fiction as a fire-retardant nozzle or laser gun.
*Inferno's original toy, slightly modified, was [[Knockoff|knocked off]] and used as the title giant robot in the Korean animated film ''Phoenix King'' (피닉스킹). ''Phoenix King'' was dubbed (horribly) and released in America by Digiview Entertainment as ''[http://www.angelfire.com/droid/futuremasters/Defenders.html Defenders of Space]'', generally selling for the bargain price of $1.00. Scenes of "Inferno" from this movie were also incorporated into another bargain film distributed by Digiview Entertainment, ''[http://www.angelfire.com/droid/futuremasters/SpaceThunder.html Space Thunder Kids]''.
*The earliest pictured version of Action Master Inferno is largely different from the final version, but only upon close examination. The early version errs on the side of the original toy in color and design, while the final more closely follows the design of the animation model. Strangely, the early version has a nearly solid black block of a head (possibly to echo the ladder base in which the original's head was contained), as well as generally wider and chunky proportions.
*Inferno seems to have been cut from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''; he never appears in the film, but still has a voice actor credit. He does appear in [http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k545/snookems44/transformers%20the%20movie%20script/transfomersthemoviescriptpage31.jpg the dialogue script], however.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Inferno''' (インフェルノ ''Inferuno'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Xiāo Fáng Chē''' (China, 消防车, "Fire engine")
*''Hebrew:'' '''Lahav'yór''' (להביור, "Flamethrower")
*''Russian:'' '''Vodomjot''' (Водомёт, "Water Cannon")
{{-}}

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

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Inferno (G1)

2014-04-14T00:38:29Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

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

[[File:G1 Inferno profilecollection1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Will probably start fires just to put them out.]]

If there's a blazing fire, '''Inferno''' is going to be one of the first bots on the scene, rushing in headlong without regard for his own safety to rescue anyone trapped inside. If there's a blazing fire''fight'' Inferno will also be one of the first bots on the scene, and probably even faster than the previous scenario.

Few bots are as gung-ho as Inferno, whose heat-resistant body and seeming lack of fear make him a tough customer in any kind of emergency. He certainly prefers the thrill of gunning down [[Decepticon]]s over tackling a four-alarm fire, but he doesn't let his thirst for battle interfere with his duty as a rescue bot.

Amusingly, ''he's'' the rational, cautious one in the odd-couple friendship he has with [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]].

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Walker Edmiston]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese), [[Show Hayami]] (Japanese, "The Gambler"), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese, "The Search for Alpha Trion")|[[Isidro Olace]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Dinobot Island, Part 1"), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Dinobot Island, Part 2", "Prime Target", and "Auto Berserk"), [[Kai Taschner]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Kremzeek!"), [[Ulf-Jürgen Wagner]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Masquerade")}}

[[File:InsecticonSyndrome Inferno fires.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Flashlights of DOOM!]]
Inferno appeared without explanation one day as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] explained their mission to stop the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] from attacking the [[Nova Power Plant]]. He was the first to roll out on Prime's orders. During the battle at the power plant, the gun-slinging fire fighter stood by [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and shot down [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] before they rushed off to rescue the human pilots of a downed helicopter. After the super-powered Insecticons crushed [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and electrocuted [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], Inferno sprayed fire-retardant foam on Ironhide and loaded him into Prime's trailer as the Autobots retreated. Inferno later participated in the Autobot counterattack at [[Iron Mountain]] where he and the other Autobots were buried under tons of rock. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was heard to complain about Inferno ending up on his head whilst they were trapped. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[File:DinobotIsland Pt2 InfernospraysCowboys.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Bonanza got a little weird near the end of the series]]
When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] accidentally set fire to [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]], Inferno helped [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] douse the flames. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Later, Inferno did his part to preserve the sanctity of the timestream by spraying cowboys with [[fire-retardant foam]]. Eh... you had to be there. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Inferno showed off his athletic ability in a friendly game of basketball with Optimus Prime, [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]. When [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] discovered that [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] were working with the Constructicons, Inferno came with the other Autobots to investigate, where he assisted in the fight against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Though Inferno was initially stunned when Devastator deflected some of [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]'s [[glass gas]], the Autobots eventually emerged victorious. {{storylink|The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders}}

[[File:AutoBerserk Inferno RedAlert friendship.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Why can't I quit you?]]
Later, Inferno was ordered to guard over Red Alert as the Autobots repelled an attack by the Decepticons on the [[Negavator]] super weapon's bunker. Inferno, itching for a fight, abandoned Red Alert despite his paranoid friend's repeated requests for him to stay. Inferno rescued Red Alert when his friend was buried under rubble which had the unfortunate side-effect of damaging Red Alert's logic circuits to the point of overload. Inferno later proved his friendship to Red when he saved Red Alert from himself when the latter, in a state of paranoia, allied himself with [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and the Decepticons. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}}

Inferno and the other Autobots were sent on a rocket to the sun as part of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s plot. Though all hope seemed lost, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] created a force field that protected the Autobots and allowed Cosmos to return them to Earth. The Autobots arrived just in time to stop Megatron, and Inferno helped shoot at the Decepticons during the onslaught. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:BlasterBlues-InfernoSpray.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Inferno used Hydro Pump!]]
After the Decepticons caused a disastrous explosion at an airport that severely injured the Dinobots, Inferno arrived with Hoist and Red Alert to put out the fire and cart the Dinobots back to headquarters. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} When Megatron disrupted Earth's radio waves, peril was unleashed worldwide. Among the calamities was a train derailed and blown up by a fallen tree, and the dead radio meant that the fire lookout was unavailable. Luckily, Inferno and Red Alert were in the area, and together they worked to put out the fire, with Inferno watering down the flames. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

[[File:ChildsPlay-InfernoToTheRescue.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.05|He's got better things to do tonight than let others die.]]
Inferno helped defend [[New York City]] against Megatron's army of robot drones, and put out a fire at the [[Chrysler Building]]. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} He later fought the Decepticons at a baseball stadium where Megatron was trying to set up his latest [[space bridge]]. Inferno extended a net from his ladder assembly to catch a pair of humans Starscream had been terrorizing in the air. During the battle, the Space Bridge was inadvertently activated, transporting Inferno and several other Autobots and Decepticons to an alien world, where they were all merely the size of toys. Having landed in a child's room, Inferno helped the Autobots gain the boy [[Aron (G1)|Aron]]'s trust when he put out the fire Starscream started in a toy building. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} On their way back to Earth, the Autobots were intercepted by an alien named [[Bosch]] and Inferno and the others were immobilized. They were eventually restored, but only after some complicated wheeling and dealing by Bosch and Smokescreen. {{storylink|The Gambler}}

As the Insecticons rampaged through the world's farmland, Inferno and a squad of Autobots attempted to overpower them before they caused a worldwide famine. Unfortunately, the blasted bugs were so strong from repeatedly feedings, they repelled a group of Autobots twice their number without even calling upon their [[Insecticon clone]]s. Inferno kept [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] from death by fire, but otherwise the mission was a total failure. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

Inferno was one of only four Autobots left undamaged by [[Kremzeek]]'s disastrous run through the Ark, thanks to [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]'s insulating foam. Despite this, he and the other remaining Autobots were hard pressed to even slow the little spark down. Even Inferno's time-tested solution of shooting foam at every problem failed miserably. Eventually, it was the human scientist [[Sōji Yoshikawa]] who came up with the plan that finally dispersed the creature. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[File:PrimeTarget CapturedInferno.jpg|thumb|upright=0.95|Remind me never to shop at Canadian Tire!]]
Inferno came searching for Tracks and Bumblebee when they were captured by [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]]. When Inferno saw a burning building, he couldn't help but rush in and check it out. However, it was one of Lord Chumley's traps, and a hose wrapped around Inferno's leg, capturing him. Yes. Inferno's bravery impressed Chumley, who remarked that he had never seen a species so unafraid of fire! The captured Autobots were freed when Optimus Prime (with a little help from the Decepticon [[Triple Changer]]s) defeated Chumley. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}}

Inferno was reunited with his old friend [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]] when he, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] went to search for where Optimus Prime had wandered off to. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}}

Inferno was briefly seen assembled with the rest of the Autobots before they drove off to rescue Perceptor from [[Fox Creek Canyon]]. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} With Red Alert and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], Inferno watered down a blazing village during the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]' attempt to move the Earth closer to its sun. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:Masquerade AutobotsBlasted.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.05|Shot down in flames!]]
Inferno was in one of the Autobot teams that captured the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. While [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] ignited the oil [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] were in, Inferno doused it (something he "wouldn't feel good about" when he did it) to help capture the stunt freaks. He was, eventually, among those Autobots taken down by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] when the Stunticons formed into him to escape. {{storylink|Masquerade}}
{{-}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
[[File:JHeadmasters03InfernoEtc.jpg|thumb]]
Alongside [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], Inferno was dispatched by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] to protect [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] from any Decepticons trying to stop him from finding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. They were not seen to actually confront anyone. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}
{{-}}

====''Wings Universe''====
[[File:BattleLines6-UltraMagnus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
{{Wingsnote}}
Nine million years ago, Inferno 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]]. Five million years later, following the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s disappearance, he and several other Autobots entered [[stasis hibernation pod]]s to await the energy rejuvenation of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

At some point he was exposed to [[forestonite]] and developed the power to create fireballs in his hands. He compared powers with [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] one day in [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 2}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Infernomissinginaction.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Inferno used up all his cool in this image, so he didn't show up much.]]
''Inferno was present at the battle of [[Sherman Dam]].'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} ''He later led [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] to search for the missing [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], saving [[Danny Phillips|a boy]] in the process.'' {{storylink|Missing in Action}}

''Inferno joined [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] as part of a monitoring unit stationed on Earth to keep watch for the threat of super-Decepticon, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Shortly after they arrived, the unit chased off the unrelated threat of a [[Furnacia]]n [[Firebug (G1)|Firebug]], who had arrived on Earth and begun starting fires in human settlements. They exiled it to Mercury in a message pod.'' {{storylink|Firebug!}}

''When Galvatron later resurfaced, the reconnaissance team sent a message to Cybertron and joined up with the [[Wrecker]]s and Decepticon [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] in confronting the time traveler. Unfortunately Galvatron had help (as if he needed it) in the form of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. The Wreckers and Mayhems were torn to shreds, suffering greater than 50% losses.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}} ''Inferno was one of the few survivors who limped away from the final battle, cut off from any support from Cybertron. The remaining members of the Wreckers and Mayhems pooled resources as the [[Survivors]], living on Earth separately from the planet's active Cybertronian armies.'' {{storylink|Survivors!}}

Inferno was present when [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] were loading up their shuttles to go chase after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his gang of less-than-merry men. {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} He was later killed on the planet [[Klo]] and then reactivated by the power of the [[Last Autobot]]. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

[[File:Infernorhythmsofdarkness.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Can you believe this was my first Marvel US appearance?]]
In an alternate timeline, Inferno was one of seven remaining Autobots on Earth in the year [[2009]], fighting against Decepticon domination of the American continents. He survived the desperate attempt to prevent a nuclear attack by the rest of the world, and was last seen fighting against greater odds heroically, for all our freedoms. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

{{note|Inferno's US and UK timelines are more difficult to reconcile than most characters, primarily because of how the Survivors story blends from the main UK continuity ("Time Wars") straight into the splinter continuity (Earthforce). He shows up totally unannounced on Cybertron after the war with Unicron, and never speaks. His presence in the stories "[[Decepticon Dam-Busters!]]" and "[[Missing in Action]]" is also hard to reconcile as he is not otherwise shown amongst the original Autobots on Earth and the latter story is a general continuity nightmare.}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Infernoshutup.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|He really kind of deserved it.]]
After a new squad of Mayhems came to Earth to execute their treacherous former members, the Survivors failed to stop the Decepticon named Bludgeon from killing [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]]. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}} After [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] ran off on his own to seek vengeance against the Mayhems, Inferno and the remaining Survivors hooked up with [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s [[Earthforce]] in order to provide the [[Pretender]] some proper back-up. They then chose to stick around with Earthforce full-time as an adjunct unit. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} Inferno and the Survivors were later seen on the high seas, fighting off [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] when he attempted to hijack an oil tanker. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

Later, Inferno was standing guard over the Mayhems they had captured when the Survivors first joined with Earthforce. Bludgeon, [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] and [[Stranglehold]] were being model prisoners. Very quiet... too quiet. As Inferno began to get unnerved by the silence, Stranglehold suddenly began pounding away at the floor like a madman, tearing it up while still they all remained totally silent. Not quite sure what else to do, Inferno turned off the energy bars and entered the cell to blast the prisoner with a pacifier ray. As soon as he did, though, Bludgeon's katana shot through his backside, summoned mentally from the storage room by its master's [[Metallikato]] discipline. Inferno blacked out as the three Pretenders casually sauntered out of their cell to freedom. {{storylink|Shut Up!}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Smokescreeninferno.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|He can't quit Smokescreen either!]]
In the alternate version of 2008, after Unicron's attack on Cybertron, Inferno and his good friend [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] discovered Unicron's continued existence on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], where he had enslaved the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] into rebuilding his body. Retreating to their ship to make contact with the rest of the Autobots, they ran afoul of the brainwashed [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]]. Inferno was badly injured, but with their shuttle under attack by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] in the skies over Cybertron, he was forced to hurl Smokescreen to safety through the front windscreen, so word of Unicron's survival could reach Rodimus Prime. Inferno's last act was to go out in a blaze of glory, crashing straight into the Decepticon ranks in the battle below. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
{{-}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Infernoescalation.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"And there's an apocryphal third reason involving my love for disco!"]]
Inferno was working with a squad of Autobots trying to stop [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] from committing genocide on planet [[Ethos]]. Most of his team took heavy fire, but it was the death of his friend [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] that got Inferno ''really'' angry. His temper getting the best of him, Inferno broke ranks to hit more of the [[Ethos raiding party|Cybertronians]]. Though he managed to avenge Smokescreen's death, other Cybertronians cornered him, and he was forced to leap into a building for safety. Unfortunately, the building collapsed, and he was crushed. {{storylink|Escalation!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
Sometime around [[2007]], Inferno was amongst those suffering ill effects from the infusion of [[Nucleon]] into their systems. It had apparently left him unable to control his body temperature as he was glowing red-hot and surrounded by cooling systems in the "[[Nursery]]". {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Inferno and his good buddy [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] joined up with Grimlock's [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] during the time of the [[Dark Ages]]. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}} Some millennia later, after the [[Great Shutdown]], Inferno was one of the first Autobots reactivated and brought around to the idea of a unified Cybertronian populace by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Joining Red Alert, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], he became a charter member of the [[Autobot High Council]], ruling alongside Shockwave in administrative matters while Ultra Magnus focused on more militant concerns. However, the lack of leadership experience by Inferno and most of his fellow council-beings led to them ceding more and more power to Shockwave over the years. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} They eventually came to their senses and joined in the insurrection against Shockwave led by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the Ark's crew. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Inferno was at the Ark when Starscream was brought in, badly damaged and offline. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MegsOrigin4 Grapple Inferno.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Inferno discovers that your face really will stay that way.]]
Inferno was attending to the fire damage and chaos caused by [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron's]] opening assault on [[Kaon]] when an [[Kaon upperclass|elite]] pleasure cruiser fell out of the sky on top of him and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

During the following war on Cybertron, Inferno was one of several Autobots [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] would have trusted his life with. After Blaster returned to the Autobots after having been lost for millennia, Inferno was among Blaster's friends who took leave from their assignments to see "The Voice". However, after a second attempt on Blaster's life, Inferno was also one of the four Autobots under suspicion of the failed assassination. Fortunately the [[Beachcomber (G1)|real (unwilling) culprit]] was caught, so Inferno and the others were cleared. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

Inferno eventually ended up on [[Earth]], where he was among those who remained with [[Skywatch]] while other Autobots were returning to Cybertron. He listened to [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and [[Kyle Pennington]] discuss ways to improve relations between humanity and the Autobots, and facepalmed when said ways included putting out fires and saving cats from trees. {{storylink|Police Action: Part 1|Police Action #1}}

[[File:FecundMoon-Impressive.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Always hanging out with Grapple, always.]]

After the Chaos War, the Autobots left on Earth reunited with their fellows on Cybertron, which had become wild and untamed after the release of all the Matrix's power. When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] stepped down as leader of the Autobots and went into self-imposed exile, [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] disagreed on the future of the Cybertronian race. Rodimus wanted to leave Cybertron and search for the fabled [[Knights of Cybertron]], in the hope that they could restore balance and order to Cybertron. Inferno was among the few hundred Autobots who agreed with Rodimus, and he joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' as it left Cybertron for deeper space. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

Inferno was with [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Boss (G1)|Boss]] when the latter was gunned down by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|Interiors}} Later, he stood with the rest of the crew as Rodimus announced his discovery of -- and intention to investigate -- [[Moonbase One|Luna One]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
Inferno and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] teamed-up on an emergency rescue mission. While Inferno put out the deadly fire, Ratchet recovered a young girl from a burning building, badly in need of hospital care. On their way to the hospital, however, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] started firing on Ratchet. Inferno "took the heat" for Ratchet and his patient, letting them get to the hospital safely. Ratchet cheerily got to work on his next patient...patching up Inferno. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

{{-}}

==Games==
===The Transformers (PS2)===
{{Note|Inferno is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Autobot duplicates in the Decepticon campaign.}}

{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Inferno was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}
===''Transformers Legends''===
During a Decepticon attack on a major human city, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], Inferno and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s 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}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Inferno toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Then he'll start the fire again.]]
*'''Inferno''' (Autobot, 1985, 2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''10'''
**''Accessories:'' "Extinguisher Rifle", 2 fists (left & right), 3 missiles, 2 hose nozzles

:Inferno transforms into a Japanese Mitsubishi Fuso firetruck. His ladder has three sections to it, allowing it to extend to a really impressive length. Each of his forearms contains a spring-loaded missile launcher, so he can fire his own fists or silver missiles, though the [[Hasbro]] versions have these launchers severely weakened [[for safety reasons]]. He is usually depicted in media as having a missile/laser/nozzle in place of a hand on his right arm. He is also armed with a small black Extinguisher rifle.

:In 2003, Inferno was re-released as part of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s "[[The Transformers Collection]]" series. This time he featured [[tampograph]]ed Autobot symbol and blue eyes instead of yellow. These changes carried over to the [[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]] Inferno, Commemorative Series [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], and [[Hauler|RoadHauler]].

:Later in the same year, he was released by [[Hasbro]] in the Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] "Commemorative Series" line. The Hasbro version no longer featured launching fists or missiles unlike the Takara version. This reissue comes with an additional autobot symbol decal, depicting the more modern long-faced autobot logo. The instructions say to place this sticker over the autobot symbol sticker that is already on inferno's chest!

:This mold was [[redeco]]ed and partially [[retool]]ed to make [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], [[e-HOBBY]] [[Hauler|RoadHauler]] and ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (toyline)|The Headmasters]]'' [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Inferno/inferno.htm More information on Inferno at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/CSInferno/inferno.htm More information on Commemorative Series Inferno at TFU.info]''
{{-}}{{anchor|ActionMaster}}

[[File:ActionMaster Inferno.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Inferno's lack of transformation ability was compensated by a big orange thingamajig.]]
*'''Inferno with Hydro-Pack''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' Hydro-Pack, "Magna-Blast Gun"

:Part of the third assortment of "basic" carded [[Action Master]]s, Inferno is a non-transforming action figure with a simplified design, based loosely on his cartoon [[Character model|animation model]]. Inferno came with a [[Hydro-Pack]] that could be attached to his back (with a "hose" that flipped over his shoulder to attach to his handgun, a feature unique among Action Master "partner" accessories), or transformed via spring-loaded mechanism into a large cannon, with a barrel that could be further extended by attaching his handgun to the very end of it. He is compatible with all other Action Master weapons and vehicles.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Inferno/inferno.htm More information on Action Master Inferno at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Generation 2''===
[[File:G2 Inferno toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|How's anyone supposed to climb the ladder with this huge thing on my back?]]
*'''Inferno''' (Autobot Hero, 1993)
**''Accessories:'' "Extinguisher Rifle", water cannon, 2 fists (left & right), 2 head nozzles

:For ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'', Inferno's original toy was re-used with virtually no deco changes, adding only the "Autobot" [[tampograph]]. His forearms were retooled to remove the spring-loaded launcher mechanism (the chromed missiles from the original releases were also dropped), his detachable fists were also re-tooled in order for them to fit snuggly in the connecting hole of the forearms and the wing extensions on his shoulders were also slightly retooled. He came with a large red [[Water-squirting gimmick|water-shooting]] cannon that clipped to his ladder. Said cannon rains pain.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Autobot/Inferno/inferno.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Inferno at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008 G1Inferno.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|BURNING JUSTI— Oh, sorry, wrong fire truck.]]
*'''Inferno''' (Voyager, 2009)
**''Series'': Generation 2 Series
**''Accessories'': "Water Blast" projectile

:"[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]] series" ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Inferno is the first all-new tooling for the Voyager class [[size class|price point]] in the ''Universe'' line. Unlike the original toy, ''Universe'' Inferno transforms into an American pumper/tanker fire truck, rather than the Generation 1's Japanese Hino ladder engine. In lieu of a ladder, he packs a water cannon with spring-loaded projectile, a call-back to ''Generation 2'' Inferno's working water cannon.

:This version of Inferno transforms into a fictional six-wheeled variant of the 2002–2007 Pierce Contender series of firetrucks. It appears to be a fusion of two different designs from that period. See: [[Wikipedia:Pierce Manufacturing#Gallery of Pierce Apparatus|Pierce Manufacturing]]

:The number "401" [[tampograph]]ed onto him is the area code for the state of Rhode Island, home of [[Hasbro]]'s headquarters.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Pyro (G1)#Timelines|Spark]], and was retooled to make ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]'' [[Grapple (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Solar Storm Grappel]] and ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Hot Spot (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Hot Spot]]. It was then redecoed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Artfire (Headmasters)#United 2|Artfire]], using tooling from both the original Inferno version and the newer Grappel version of this [[mold]].

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

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[File:Henkei inferno.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Is it hot in here, or is it just me?]]
*'''Cybertron Inferno''' (Voyager, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-15'''
**''Accessories:'' "Water Blast" projectile

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Inferno differs from ''Universe'' Inferno mainly in the red plastic used: whereas ''Universe'' Inferno has a darker shade of red, ''Henkei'' Inferno is considerably brighter. The dark brown plastic used for several parts on ''Universe'' Inferno has been changed to gray. The black parts on ''Universe'' Inferno are now dark blue and the colorless clear plastic used for his eyes is actually molded in clear blue plastic (rather than being painted over clear blue). Major paint application changes include chroming Inferno's water cannon, forearm panels, and the backs of his shoulder panels. Aside from the chrome he also has the addition of yellow highlights to his head, clear-red painted sirens, and the removal of the Rhode Island "401" area code.
{{-}}

===Speed Stars===
====Stealth Force====
[[File:StealthForce Inferno toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Because ''real'' firetrucks come with ''real'' firepower]]
*'''Autobot Inferno''' (Stealth Force Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories:'' 2 projectiles

:''[[Speed Stars]]'' Inferno is a new non-transformable mold, appearing as a much more traditional looking fire truck than any of his previous toys but retaining the "401" tampograph that his ''Universe'' toy had. His packaging also depicts his ''Universe'' toy's robot head. At the press of a button, he can deploy his weapons located on top, at the side and the front of his vehicle mode while pulling a tab hides the weapons again.

:Included in the package are ''two'' water-burst missiles. However, they can only be stored in and fired from his top-mounted cannon one at a time.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 9''' (multi-pack, 1986)

*'''Inferno''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''14'''

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

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

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[File:3DBattleCard Inferno.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Inferno''' (2007)

:A 36-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Inferno "transforms" into a red fire truck. He uses the same parts layout as [[Live-action film series|Movie]] [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]], Movie [[Longarm (Movie)|Longarm]] and "[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Classic Bonecrusher]]", albeit with some parts moved around to make him more fire truck-like.
{{-}}

===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Kabaya-Inferno.jpg‎|thumb|300px]]
*'''Inferno''' (2011)
:Released in the fourth wave of the revived ''Transformers Gum'' series in 2011, this transforming model kit of Inferno is made from red and black plastic, with stickers for detail. It's based on the ''Henkei'' Inferno toy.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Phoenix King movie poster.jpg|thumb|Inferno moonlights for easy cash.]]
*Inferno's [[character model]] seems to have two different head designs. One, seen in "[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]", is a more angular and toy-based design; the other, seen in "[[Auto Berserk]]", is more rounded and simplified, and lacks any facial definition lines.
*According to his [[Tech Spec]] and [[The Transformers Universe]] profile, Inferno shoots [[missile]]s out of his forearms. This weapon is usually depicted in fiction as a fire-retardant nozzle or laser gun.
*Inferno's original toy, slightly modified, was [[Knockoff|knocked off]] and used as the title giant robot in the Korean animated film ''Phoenix King'' (피닉스킹). ''Phoenix King'' was dubbed (horribly) and released in America by Digiview Entertainment as ''[http://www.angelfire.com/droid/futuremasters/Defenders.html Defenders of Space]'', generally selling for the bargain price of $1.00. Scenes of "Inferno" from this movie were also incorporated into another bargain film distributed by Digiview Entertainment, ''[http://www.angelfire.com/droid/futuremasters/SpaceThunder.html Space Thunder Kids]''.
*The earliest pictured version of Action Master Inferno is largely different from the final version, but only upon close examination. The early version errs on the side of the original toy in color and design, while the final more closely follows the design of the animation model. Strangely, the early version has a nearly solid black block of a head (possibly to echo the ladder base in which the original's head was contained), as well as generally wider and chunky proportions.
*Inferno seems to have been cut from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''; he never appears in the film, but still has a voice actor credit. He does appear in [http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k545/snookems44/transformers%20the%20movie%20script/transfomersthemoviescriptpage31.jpg the dialogue script], however.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Inferno''' (インフェルノ ''Inferuno'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Xiāo Fáng Chē''' (China, 消防车, "Fire engine")
*''Hebrew:'' '''Lahav'yór''' (להביור, "Flamethrower")
*''Russian:'' '''Vodomjot''' (Водомёт, "Water Cannon")
{{-}}

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

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Wreckers

2014-04-13T18:01:27Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|autobot|wreckers}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Wrecker}}
[[File:Wreckers symbol.png|thumb|Wreck & Rule]]
The '''Wreckers''' are a special task force, generally composed of the best and the toughest die-hard fighters around. Its ranks include a veritable who's-who of the obscure; mechs you've never heard much about, mostly because the Wreckers are often called in to fight when the odds of success are slim. Bluntly, they tend to burn through their roster at a frightening rate. The Wreckers are a close-knit group that's more concerned with bursting in, guns-blazing, and doing their Thing, than they are concerned with, say, strategy. Despite their disregard for planning and the bodycount their team mounts, the Wreckers are amazingly successful. If it's a lost cause, the Wreckers will be there, winning the day with sheer guts and determination.

Perhaps the most celebrated leader of the Wreckers is [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], though the memory of his former leader, [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], hangs over his head. The team also has vague ties to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], and its roster often includes the other [[Triple Changer]]s, the [[Jumpstarter]]s and the [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s. The roster of the Wreckers, as noted, is always in flux, and the future will bring leaders such as [[Apelinq]] and members outside the usual pool of [[Autobot]]s, including [[Maximal]]s, [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], and even former [[Decepticon]]s. But those were [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|pretty weird times]].

{{bigquote|Never a dull moment when you're a Wrecker.|[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]|[[Stormbringer issue 4|''Stormbringer'' #4]]}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' comic====
[[File:Wreckersoriginallineup.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|They always smile after a nice massacre.]]
The initial roster of the Wreckers consisted of Impactor (the leader), Roadbuster, Whirl, Twin-Twist, Topspin and Rack'n'Ruin. They were later joined by Broadside, Sandstorm and Springer (who became the team's leader after Impactor's death). The team were set to be at the business end of [[Operation: Volcano]], killing ten of the most deadly Decepticons as they converged on a staged conference. However, when [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] called off the Decepticons' advance (truth be told, he didn't seem to know or care about it), the Wreckers' plans were also cancelled. As was Impactor's life, as one of the Decepticons, [[Macabre]], had stayed behind to kill [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]], and Impactor took the 'bullet' for him. Impactor named Springer his successor as he lay dying. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

Later, the team and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] were misled into trying to kill [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] upon his return to Cybertron. Decepticons had planted misinformation that Prime was in fact a Decepticon made up to ''look'' like Prime. Fortunately for the Wreckers' record, Magnus and Xaaron uncovered the truth before anyone could kill the Autobots' Greatest Leader. {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} During his stay on Cybertron, Optimus Prime led the Wrecks on a number of fruitful raids on [[Decepticon fuel store]]s. {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Technician wreckers legion of the lost.jpg|thumb|left|350px]]
After Optimus Prime returned to Earth, [[Autobase]] in [[Kalis]] was rocked by a huge explosion caused by the venting of an active nuclear reactor. Xaaron told the Wreckers of Megatron's ancient plan to turn Cybertron into a vast mobile battle station and that Autobase was potentially built on top of the engine room. Springer led the Wreckers to try to find the entrance to the sub-terranean facility but they were unable to locate it. Upon their return Autobase was attacked by hoards of undead Transformers including their former leader, Impactor. Once the Wreckers and Xaaron were imprisoned, [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] revealed himself to be behind the explosion as well as the reanimation of the dead. Though shaken by recent events Springer managed to escape the cell taking Impactor with him. The current Wrecker leader did enough to reawaken some sense of self in the zombified Impactor before reaching the surface where he met Ultra Magnus and the [[Sparkabot|Sparkler Mini-Bots]]. Meanwhile the other Wreckers had escaped and headed for the armoury and, aided by a curious and vengeful Impactor, managed to reach the weapons necessary to defeat Flame's undead minions. With [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon's]] assistance the Wreckers broke through to the main control room where Xaaron was preparing to sacrifice himself in order to reach the reactor shut down control. Under orders to leave, the Wreckers fought their way past more reanimated corpses leaving Impactor to save Xaaron twice again, firstly by killing Flame and then entering the radioactive chamber himself to deactivate the reactor. Xaaron made it to safety and gave thanks for the bravest being he had ever met. {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:WreckingHavoc-yourfoe.jpg|thumb|300px]]
In [[1988]] the Wreckers were tasked to bring down [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Both Xaaron and Springer had concerns about the mission but deemed it necessary due to the danger posed by the future Decepticon leader. The team transported through an unstable dimensional portal, unwittingly landing in a small mid-western town, to be confronted not only by Galvatron but also his two former lieutenants, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. Unable to fight all three Deceptions as well as defend the human population, Springer managed to lure Cyclonus and Scourge away. Faced with a choice of allowing Galvatron to escape or aid their leader the Wreckers chose to help Springer. Galvatron was able to escape but the Wreckers vowed to return to finish the job. {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}}

In an effort to reduce further risk to human life Xaaron sent an Advance Surveillance Unit, consisting of Broadside, Sandstorm and Inferno, to set up a reconnaissance base. Though their primary mission was to observe and not interfere, the two Wreckers and Inferno could not help put go to the aid of a local town when a [[Firebug (G1)|Firebug]] crash landed nearby and started multiple blazes. {{storylink|Firebug!}}

[[File:Megatron wreckers time wars.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
The unit tracked Galvatron as he stockpiled equipment and supplies and discovered his subterranean base. With space and time [[time rift|ripping themselves apart]] due to the future Decepticon's presence, Xaaron sent reinforcements in the shape of a Decepticon [[Decepticon heavy transport|spacecraft]] carrying the rest of the Wreckers and the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], who had formed a crisis alliance. The two teams made their way to Galvatron's unguarded base and were able to walk straight in. Unfortunately Galvatron had formed his own alliance with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (or at least, [[Straxus (G1)|his clone]]) and they attacked the two elite squads, who quickly began to fall beneath the might of the crazed duo. Topspin was one of the first to fall, victim of Megatron's [[fusion cannon]]. Cracks soon showed in the alliance as Springer and [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] almost came to blows, blaming each other for the disastrous plan. They were interrupted by Scourge and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who had also allied themselves to Galvatron. Fortunately Springer was able to sow seeds of doubt about the cause of the space/time rift in Scourge's mind, distracting him, Springer then jumped him while Ravage was taken out by Carnivac. The Wreckers leader sounded the retreat and Carnivac reluctantly ordered his Mayhems to do the same.

[[File:TimeWars-frakamm.jpg|thumb|250px]]
The teams re-grouped at the Decepticon ship with Galvatron and Megatron hot on their heels. Galvatron announced his arrival by destroying Sandstorm with his [[Particle cannon]], enraged Roadbuster fetched an experimental [[Pathblaster]] and managed to blow half of Galvatron's face off. However the weapon was unstable and exploded, killing Roadbuster before he could use it again. Galvatron was only further enraged by his injury ripping off Twintwist's head and blasting Rack'n'Ruin. The remaining Wreckers were only saved by the arrival of reinforcements of Autobots and Decepticons from both the future and present day. With most of their members offline and the rest injured the Wreckers did not play any further part in the battle. {{storylink|Time Wars}}

After the Time Wars, the few survivors (Springer, Broadside and Inferno) joined together with other "outsiders"—both Autobot and Decepticon. The Decepticon ship they had used to reach Earth was stolen by Megatron and they were seemingly abandoned by High Command, with these new circumstances they ceased to use the Wreckers title and formed part of the (aptly named) [[Survivors]]. {{storylink|Survivors!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Rodimus technobots wreckers peace.jpg|thumb|left|300px||...have granted me the right to join two Cybertronians in holy matrimony. You sure about your best man Magnus?]]
In an alternate future of [[2510]], the Wreckers killed the last Decepticon in battle, signifying the end of the [[Great War (G1)|war]]. Upon learning this news, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] called together his warriors at Autobase to announce that he was stepping down as Autobot leader and selected Springer as his replacement. Triton, a Decepticon double agent who had infiltrated the ranks of the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], sought to sow dissent in the Autobot ranks and questioned Rodimus's choice, suggesting that Ultra Magnus would make a better leader.

The resulting argument quickly escalated when [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] shot Roadbuster, blowing his head clean off. Sandstorm retaliated by killing Triton and soon the Autobots had split into factions fighting a whole new war, to Rodimus Prime's great despair. {{storylink|Peace}}
{{-}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (original leader, offline)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]
*[[Rack'n'Ruin]] (offline)
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] (offline)
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] (offline)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (leader after Impactor's death)
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] (offline)
*[[Twin Twist]] (offline)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}

*Both Roadbuster and Whirl were absent during the Flame incident and initial Galvatron mission. Roadbuster reappears and dies during the Time Wars but Whirl is never seen again. As Springer states that the rest of the Wreckers are with him on the Decepticon heavy transport ship, this may indicate that Whirl either left the Wreckers or was killed in action.
*Dialogue in "[[Firebug!]]" suggests Inferno was not a Wrecker at this point. Later, in "[[Survivors!]]" and an [[Transformers Annual 1991|annual bio]], he was considered an ex-Wrecker. There is no indication of when he joined, most likely prior to "[[Time Wars]]".
*Rack'n'Ruin and Inferno are missing from the alternate future roster in "[[Peace]]".

====''Regeneration One''====
{{ongoing}}
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Wreckers loose ends.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66| [[Great War (G1)|Great War?]] What Great War? Sorry, must have missed the call to arms. Did you make a mess? ]]
Twenty-one years after the battle of [[Klo]], Springer led a team of soldiers known as the Wreckers. Loosely under the jurisdiction of Ultra Magnus, the Wreckers were apparently separate from the standard [[Cybertron Civil Defense]] rank-and-file. They stopped a terrorist act on Cybertron and later accompanied Kup to visit planets affected by the Great War. On their first stop, Earth, they discovered it had been devastated some time ago. Before they had chance to fully take in the devastation their ship was promptly blown out of the sky by Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

The unit managed to bail out of the ship in escape pods, crash landing on Earth. Somewhat battered, the Wreckers had little chance to fully take stock before Whirl delivered the news that reanimated Decepticons were on their way. Heading out Springer decided to try to contact Cybertron and aid the safe approach of reinforcements. Leaving the injured at a safe distance the remaining Wreckers attempted to reach the [[Deep Space Network]] at [[Goldstone]]. Sandstorm, Roadbuseter and Leadfoot tried to keep the zombie Decepticons distracted while Kup, Springer and Whirl made a dash for the transmitter. The former trio were not totally successful so Kup turned to assist to allow his team mates to send the message. Unfortunately he was taken by surprise by [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], knocked unconscious and quickly taken to Megatron. Meanwhile a group of human survivors stumbled across Rack'n'Ruin and the injured Wreckers. Assuming the worse the humans attempted to flee, Rack'n'Ruin tried to go after them but was held off by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]] {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}}

Though initially distrustful, Circuit Smasher eventually allied himself with the Wreckers and explained how human interference with the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] had led to the reactivation of Megatron. Somehow the Decepticon leader managed to turn the planet's defenses on itself, reactivated his fallen warriors and in a matter of hours had all but wiped out the Earth. Circuit Smasher took the Wreckers to meet [[G.B. Blackrock]] who told them that the Ark should be their key target as it formed the basis of Megatron's technology and defensive capabilities. However, before they could make any specific plans their meeting was interrupted by a call from Megatron who informed them that he had given Kup [[Scraplet]]s. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Springer once again split the Wreckers, while he, Sandstorm and Whirl went to meet Megatron the remaining bots and their human allies would assault the Ark. Both teams took heavy fire, Springer's squad were soon grounded by weight of numbers and the others got past the first wave of Ark defenses only to face a troupe of [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian Units]]. Megatron was about to execute Springer when Optimus Prime arrived with reinforcements, the distraction allowing the zombie Starscream to tell Kup to kill [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. {{storylink| Loose Ends, Part 4}}

Prime demanded the Megatron let Springer go, however the Decepticon leader merely goaded his nemesis by glibly blasting Springer's head off at point blank range. Blinded with rage Prime attacked leading Megatron to reveal that he had programmed [[Aunty|Auntie]], the Ark's computer, to launch every missile on the planet once their battle was done. At the Ark the Wreckers kept the Guardians busy so that Circuit Smasher could deal with Auntie. Kup managed to arm himself and make his way to Megatron's [[Battle sled]] to kill Ratchet and with him Megatron with whom the medic had become fused both in body and mind. Considering it a mercy killing Kup shot Ratchet giving Prime the chance he needed to rip out Megatron's [[Spark]]. Fortunately by this time Circuit Smasher had deactivated Auntie and the planet was saved from further destruction. {{storylink| Loose Ends, Part 5}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (leader)
*[[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]]
*[[Rack'n'Ruin]]
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (former leader, offline)
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}
{{-}}

===''Universe: Featuring the Wreckers''===
[[File:Wreckers3hlineup.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Now taking applications for: [[Cyclonus (G1)|Traitors]], [[Fractyl|Wimps]], and [[Alpha Trion (G1)|People Who Shouldn't Be Here]].]]
After the end of the war, the [[Maximal High Council]] called the Wreckers back into service to protect the fragile peace that existed between [[Maximal]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]. The war veteran and gifted engineer Apelinq was assigned to be a squad commander of this new iteration of the legendary Autobot strike force, and several of his former comrades were also drafted. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Major]] was also added to the ranks of the Wreckers in a commanding role. {{storylink|Disclosure|Apelinq's extended profile}}

All but Rodimus and Apelinq were lost to [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon forces]] and its [[transformation virus]], but their depleted ranks were filled with other survivors, some rescued by Apelinq from the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. In this troubled time, even [[Decepticon]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] were accepted into their ranks. {{storylink|Transformers: Universe (comic)|Transformers Universe: Featuring The Wreckers}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Apelinq]]
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]
*[[CatSCAN]]
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (traitor)
*[[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]]
*[[Dillo]] (offline)
*[[Fractyl]]
*[[Mol]] (offline)
*[[Packrat]] (offline)
*[[Primal Prime]]
*[[Ramulus]]
*[[Rav (BM)|Rav]] (offline)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (offline)
*[[Rotorbolt (Universe)|Rotorbolt]]
*[[Sentinel Maximus]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
*[[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]] (offline)
*[[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]] (offline)
*[[Tap-Out (G1)|Tap-Out]]
*[[Tigatron]]
}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Wreckersdw.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The Wreckers: Featuring Ultra Magnus' Crotch.]]
The Wreckers split from the Autobot forces after the disappearance of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in a [[space bridge]] explosion. Led by Springer, they clashed with [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s [[Ultracon]]s in the [[Tagan Heights]] for a time {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}} before reuniting with the Autobots and the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]] immediately prior to the Age of Internment. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (leader)
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
*[[Twin Twist]]
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
}}

Later on, during Shockwave's reign on Cybertron, the Wreckers whittled down to small but elite task force of Autobots dedicated to keeping the peace wherever (and however) necessary. The [[Triple Changer]]s left the group and Ultra Magnus stepped in to lead.

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*Topspin
*Twin Twist
*Roadbuster (offline)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (leader)
*Whirl (offline)
}}

When the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] were released from imprisonment in Cybertron's [[Detention Banks]], the Wreckers responded in kind. This, however, was after [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] had already wiped out the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] and defeated [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. In the battle, both Whirl and Roadbuster were apparently killed before Ultra Magnus took charge and brought Menasor down. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
{{quote|What do you '''mean''', it's a lost cause? Of '''course''' it's a lost cause. That's why we're '''here!'''|[[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2]]}}

{{quote|They give the Autobots something to ''believe in!'' And it's all thanks to [[Ironfist (G1)|you]]. Without Fisitron and his datalogs, the Wreckers would be nothing more than a bunch of ''thugs with a death wish.''|[[Verity Carlo]], "[[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5]]}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4-triumphoverevil.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|This roster feels familiar.]]
The Wreckers are the Autobots who get called in when the odds of success are non-existent, but the job needs to be done anyway. The origin of the group is unknown, and for the longest time their existence was no more than a rumor, even among the ranks of their fellow Autobots. {{storylink|Zero Point}} Because of the extreme nature of their missions, the Wreckers have a low survival rate, around 38% to 42%, depending on who you ask. {{storylink|Dead Men's Boots}} All of the founding members have died (with one deliberately ignored exception), and the group's roster has gone through at least eighteen iterations. Although every active member isn't always present for every mission, Springer once said Wreckers only leave the group ''for good'' in three ways: death, dementia, or dishonorable discharge. In fact, the one rule this "No Rules" team abides by is The Veto: any Wrecker can remove any other Wrecker from the roster at any time. {{storylink|Interiors}}

The Wreckers' exploits have been lionized in the eyes of the rank and file by their unofficial biographer, "[[Ironfist (G1)|Fisitron]]", and his ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'' datalogs. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}} Before his death, Fisitron produced 331 datalog adventures for his heroes, cobbled together from data requests, mission reports and [[Autopedia]] bios about the Wreckers and their history. Many Autobots in the fleet subscribed to Fisitron's datalogs. They were an inspiration to the Autobots, heroes of daring exploits who never leave each other behind and always save the day... or so ''Wreckers: Declassified'' and the official line would tell them.

Among the many adventures chronicled by Fisitron were the Wreckers' battles with [[The Anguished]], an event involving Broadside and some [[Rada Mor|psychic explosives]], {{storylink|Bullets}} the [[Roadbuster affair]], Impactor rescuing Xaaron from the [[Sonic Canyons]] (at which point he coined the battle cry of "Wreck and rule!", while flying a sky-sled into a drilling platform) {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2}} and the [[Siege of T'Muk]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1}} Another episode involved Impactor rescuing hostages on the verge of an event horizon. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2}}

[[File:RulesofDisengagement-BlackShadowvsWreckers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Oh, and remember when Black Shadow blasted us all new ones? Good times.]]
The earliest observed Wreckers team was the 11th iteration, led by Crest and consisting of Hyperion, Impactor, Valve, Piston, Rack, and at least one more member. They battled the Warriors Elite genocide specialist named [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]], and three Wreckers died in combat, including their leader Crest and Piston. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement}} Hyperion, a known former Wreckers leader, likely succeeded Crest as commander.

The roster continued to evolve, as Hyperion stepped down for reasons unknown, and Impactor went on to become the team's longest serving member and leader. The last surviving founding member, Valve, abandoned the Autobot cause and joined up with the Decepticons. He was responsible for founding and leading the Wreckers' opposite number, [[Squadron X]]. His betrayal cut so deep that the Wreckers collectively refuse to acknowledge his history with the group. {{storylink|Zero Point}} The reason for Valve's betrayal hasn't been explained, although considering that around this time the Wreckers recruited Whirl (a loose cannon indirectly responsible for the death of Valve's brothers, [[Wheelarch]] and [[Springarm]]), one could make an educated guess.

Following the battle of [[Sherma Bridge]], Impactor recruited Springer into the 17th iteration of the Wreckers. Springer rose quickly in the ranks, becoming Impactor's first officer and nicknamed "his little green circuit booster" after his knack for rallying the team's spirits. Unfortunately, the horrors of war began to weigh on Springer, as he saw the Wreckers straying further and further from the [[Autobot Code]]. He ignored the "slips" for some time, but as Impactor's hatred of Squadron X became more bittered and obsessive, Springer's resolve began to shake. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

After Springer was recruited, another Wrecker named Blocker succumbed to dementia and began cannibalizing his best friend. He was removed from the roster and replaced by Sandstorm. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

Twenty years before the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], the vendetta between Impactor and Squadron X came to an end on the neutral planet of [[Pova]]. The roster by this time included Springer, Roadbuster, Sandstorm, Whirl, Broadside, and the now conjoined Rack'n'Ruin. After being pursued across nine star systems, Squadron X was caught off-guard refueling their ship, the ''[[Pale Fire]]'', and the entire roster was eventually captured and fitted with inhibitor claws by the Wreckers. Impactor proudly called in his catch to [[Autobot High Command]], but [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] told him the unthinkable: they had to let Squadron X go. A non-interference pact made with the Povans made the capture illegal and a potential political nightmare, so Prowl ordered Impactor to release the Decepticons. Instead, Impactor took Roadbuster's gun and put himself in a room with the prisoners, executing each of them one at a time with a bullet through the brain module. Springer was nearly crippled by injuries he suffered during the fight, but as he dragged himself over to room, he saw Impactor standing over the bodies. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Springer reported his superior officer to High Command, and Impactor was arrested under the [[Tyrest Accord]] for violating the Autobot Code and killing helpless prisoners. At the [[Aequitas]] trials, Springer's testimony sank any chances Impactor had of release, and he was sentenced to [[Garrus-9]]. A cover story was released that Impactor had been locked away for selling circuit boosters to the [[Chomskian]]s. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2}}

Springer became the Wrecker leader after Impactor's arrest. He'd been asked to by the other Wreckers and thought that he could correct their increasingly immoral course; what he didn't know was that the other members were trying to cover up their collusion with Impactor's murders. They lavished praise on Springer in the hopes that he wouldn't demand they be prosecuted, too. {{storylink|Zero Point}} Some time after Springer took command, Rack'n'Ruin lost their lives. {{storylink|Dead Men's Boots}}

Decades later, the Wreckers were assigned to [[Varas Centralus]] after the Decepticon [[Infiltration protocol|infiltration unit]] on that planet went to [[Phase Sixer|Phase Six]]. They were pulled out and sent back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] at the order of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] when the Autobot leader suspected that [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] might have been behind the disappearance of the [[Calabi-Yau]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}}

[[File:Wreckersstormbringer.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|The Wreckers are so hardcore they don't even need a spaceship. Except for when they [[Xantium (G1)|do]].]]
The Wreckers arrived just in time to save [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] and [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]]. They then proceeded to take [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s team apart without breaking a sweat. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} Thunderwing was ''slightly'' more challenging, but the Wreckers suffered no apparent casualties. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

When Thunderwing popped up again guarding a cave on [[Corata-Vaz]], Optimus Prime sent for the team once again. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} While they did not succeed in stopping Thunderwing themselves, they managed to survive until he was rendered inert by [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Sometime later, some of the Wreckers were captured by the Decepticons. They were rescued by the remaining Wreckers, now led by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], who was acting independently. After this, Kup decided to form a new team that included Wreckers [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

After the great push by Megatron, Kup and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] were made into Wreckers, with Ultra Magnus and [[Verity Carlo]] providing them with transport. A few years later, Wrecker reservists [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]], [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]], [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] and [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] were added to the team. Springer was becoming weary of assembling these teams, only to see them blown apart.

The first mission by the new team was to travel to [[Garrus-9]] and bring it back under Autobot control. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}} After the arrival of a battered Impactor, however, they discovered that the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] had seized control of the facility and the whole place had gone mental. A report from Prowl also stated they needed to find "[[Aequitas]]". Splitting into two teams, the Wreckers made planetfall {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|Last Stand of the Wreckers #2}} and soon became separated from each other. Perceptor's team were tasked to find Aequitas, but Springer abruptly changed strategy and split his group into two: one to find the prisoners, the other to "get help" from a maximum security cell. Perceptor's team succeeded—albeit with the loss of Rotorstorm to Overlord—but Springer, Impactor and Twin Twist were captured. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

Topspin willingly sacrificed himself to activate Aequitas, simultaneously killing Twin Twist due to their branched spark. Kup and Guzzle failed to find the help they were looking for, but managed to save Springer and Impactor from death by torture. As Springer's team faced down Overlord himself, the other Wreckers finished their mission by downloading Aequitas's data into Ironfist. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} Perceptor's group then went to aid the others in the battle against Overlord, with Pyro sacrificing himself in the process. Overlord effortlessly defeated most of the remaining Wreckers, but was eventually taken down thanks to Ironfist's connection to Aequitas. Garrus-9 was liberated, and miraculously, no further Wreckers had been killed in the fight with Overlord... though Springer was in a critical condition and Ironfist succumbed to a workplace injury and died on the way home. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Convinced that their leader, Springer, was a goner, Whirl used Roadbuster's [[Sparkeater (weapon)|Sparkeater]] to attempt to euthanize Springer. Instead he was caught in the act by Roadbuster and kicked out of the Wreckers. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] later suggested to Roadbuster that reading something emotional could reactivate the leader of the Wreckers, so Roadbuster read datalogs from the ''Wreckers: Declassified'', to no avail. However, after Roadbuster confessed to Springer what the other Wreckers felt about what Impactor did, and called Springer their best leader, the comatose Autobot began showing signs of life. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-newrecruits.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"What's your name, soldier?" "Parts, sir! Private Parts!"]]
'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Blocker]] (former member)
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (former member)
*[[Crest]] (former leader, offline)
*[[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]]
*[[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]] (former leader, offline)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (former leader)
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] (offline)
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (offline)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]
*[[Piston (Wrecker)|Piston]] (offline)
*[[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] (offline)
*[[Rack'n'Ruin]] (offline)
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] (offline)
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]]
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (leader)
*[[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] (offline)
*[[Twin Twist]] (offline)
*[[Valve]] (former member, traitor, dead to them)
*[[Verity Carlo]] (stowaway), the only non-Cybertronian member.
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (former member)
}}
{{-}}

{{note|Their starship, the ''[[Xantium (G1)|Xantium]]'', appears able to transform into a robot and thus may also constitute a member of the team.}}

===Shattered Glass===
The Wreckers were a band of mercenaries led by [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]], who spent their time looting and pillaging the countryside. They approved of [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus]]'s campaign of conquest, but initially preferred to remain autonomous.

That is, until one fateful day when Optimus hired the Wreckers to fight alongside his Autobots at the battle of [[Praxus-Delta]]. The battle was brutal and resulted in every Wrecker except Rodimus meeting the fate of most Wreckers across the [[multiverse]] at the hands of the Decepticons. Rodimus impressed Optimus by remaining in the fight regardless, in order to fulfill the contract. Thanks to his efforts the Autobots escaped without further losses, and Optimus was so impressed that he offered Rodimus leadership of the [[Seeker (SG)|Seekers]], which the former Wrecker accepted. {{storylink|Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus's toy bio}}

After the [[Mayhem Suppression Squad]] had successfully turned back one of the Autobots' raids, [[Side Burn (SG)|Side Burn]] reminded Prime that he ''had'' recommended reforming the Wreckers as their best counter to the Squad.

Later, when trying to convince [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Sideswipe (SG)|Sideswipe]] to leave the Decepticons and join up with one of his power-grabbing schemes, Rodimus hearkened back to what was likely the Wreckers' old motto, when he told them that they'd have "a whole planet ready to ''wreck-and-ruin''!" {{storylink|Dungeons & Dinobots}}

===''Transformers Animated''===
During the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], the Wreckers were a major problem for the Decepticons, operating behind their lines as a commando unit. They are noted for interrupting supply lines, destroying the mainframe on [[Bk'n]], and demolishing the shipyards of [[Salvvatan VI]]. They operated from the [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinel]] ship ''[[Zeta Supreme|Xantium]]'', which was bonded to [[Impactor Major]], apparently the leader of the team. Megatron created the [[Decepticon Heavy Brigade]] specifically to hunt down the Wreckers. When they finally met in battle, [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] was the only survivor on either side. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

===Aligned continuity===
{{bigquote|Wreckers don't call for backup. They call for clean-up!|[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]|"[[Loose Cannons]]"}}

[[File:ChainOfCommand Wreckers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|On the count of three, everybody say Whirl sucks.]]
The Wreckers were [[Autobot High Council|Council Guardians]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] and [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] were also members, though early on in the war Bulkhead left to join [[Team Prime]]. {{storylink|Con Job}} Wheeljack left when [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] was appointed to lead the squad {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}} by [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] with the hopes Magnus would be able to give the squad some discipline. {{storylink|Project Predacon}} The Wreckers took part in the siege of the [[Hydrax Plateau]]. Afterwards, they were all that stood between [[Devastator (WFC)|Devastator]] and the [[Tagan Heights]] before [[Defensor (WFC)|Defensor]] arrived. They guarded the [[Well of All Sparks]] when [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] descended through it to free the [[core]] of its suffocation by [[Dark Energon]]. Ultra Magnus, [[Springer (WFC)|Springer]], and other team members opted to remain behind to distract [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] when the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'' launched, gaining invaluable allies in [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]], [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]], and [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

After Cybertron went dark, Wheeljack traveled the stars and eventually found Bulkhead on [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Con Job}} He left shortly after their reunion and continued to search the galaxy. He eventually found [[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]], but [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] had found them both and promptly destroyed Seaspray's ship, killing the Wrecker. When Dreadwing made his way to Earth, Wheeljack followed to get his revenge. {{storylink|Loose Cannons}} The [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]] [[Hardshell (Prime)|Hardshell]] noted that he had off-lined several Wreckers when fighting Bulkhead. {{storylink|Toxicity}} Miko was inducted as a Wrecker by Wheeljack after she off-lined Hardshell. {{storylink|Hurt}} At some point, [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] graduate [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] had studied every battle the Wreckers had been involved in. {{storylink|The Human Factor}} After arriving on Earth, Ultra Magnus again attempted to instill some discipline into Bulkhead and Wheeljack, but this only led to Wheeljack temporarily quitting the team. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (former member)
*[[Fisitron (Timelines)|Fisitron]]
*[[Hot Shot (WFC)|Hot Shot]]
*[[Impactor (Prime)|Impactor]] (offline)
*[[Kup (WFC)|Kup]]
*[[Miko Nakadai (Prime)|Miko Nakadai]]
*[[Moonracer (COP)|Moonracer]]
*[[Pyro (Prime)|Pyro]] (offline)
*[[Roadbuster (Prime)|Roadbuster]] (offline)
*[[Rotorstorm (Prime)|Rotorstorm]] (offline)
*[[Ruination (FOC)|Ruination]] (the combined form of five Wreckers)
*[[Seaspray (Prime)|Seaspray]] (offline)
*[[Springer (WFC)|Springer]]
*[[Topspin (FOC)|Topspin]]
*[[Twintwist]]
*[[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] (leader)
*[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] (former member)
*[[Whirl (FOC)|Whirl]]
}}

===''Dark of the Moon''===
{{bigquote|We don't let them off the base much 'cause they're assholes.|[[Charlotte Mearing]]|''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''}}

[[File:DOTM-Leadfoot-Topspin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|How am I gonna stop some big, mean Mother Hubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind? The answer, use a gun. And if that don't work? Use more gun.]]

The Wreckers, [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]], [[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]] and [[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]], were a trio of engineering geniuses who came to Earth aboard the Autobot spaceship ''[[Xantium (DOTM)|Xantium]]''. The Wreckers rarely left the secret Autobot launch facility at Cape Canaveral, partially because caring for the ship dominated their time, and partially because they were assholes. The Wreckers helped engineer the Autobots' feigned exile from Earth and assassination by [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], and later participated in the battle for [[Chicago]]. They proved effective, if vicious, fighters, dismantling their fair share of Decepticons, challenging [[Shockwave (Movie)|Shockwave]] and rescuing [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] from an embarrassing situation. All three of them would continue fighting and would be among the surviving Autobots, accepting Earth as their true home.{{storylink|Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Roadbuster (DOTM)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]]
*[[Topspin (DOTM)|Topspin]]
}}
{{-}}

===''Bot Shots''===
The Wreckers were an elite Autobot fighting force famed for their habit of not fighting fair. {{storylink|Topspin (BS)|Topspin's online bio}}

'''Known members:'''
{{collist|3|
*[[Roadbuster (BS)|Roadbuster]]
*[[Leadfoot (BS)|Leadfoot]]
*[[Topspin (BS)|Topspin]]
}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wreckers''' (レッカーズ ''Rekkāzu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Léi Tíng Zhěng Jiù Duì''' (China, 雷霆拯救队, "Lightning Rescue Team")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Rontók''' (''Dark of the Moon'', "Ruiners")
*''Indonesian'' '''Wreker''' (왜러긄 ''Wrecker'')
*''German:'' '''Schrotter''' (''Prime'', "Wrecker(s)")

[[Category:Animated subgroups]]
[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Dark of the Moon subgroups]]
[[Category:Fall of Cybertron subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Prime subgroups]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass subgroups]]
[[Category:Subgroups]]
[[Category:Universe (2003)]]
[[Category:Wreckers| ]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron subgroups]]

Thunderhead Pass

2014-04-13T17:58:33Z

Steamshield: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

{{disambig2|the location on Cybertron|the Dark of the Moon Autobot|Thunderhead}}
:''Thunderhead Pass is a location on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] from the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Thunderheadpass.jpg|300px|thumb|"TONIGHT, WE DINE IN HELL!"]]
'''Thunderhead Pass''' is a location on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
After [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] underwent the [[Pretender|polydermal grafting process]], he went on a rampage, forcing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] to work together to destroy him. However, Thunderwing was ultimately swallowed up by the planet, at what became known as Thunderhead Pass. The [[Transformer]]s were forced to abandon Cybertron in the process.

Seven hundred [[Units of time|stellar cycles]] later, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] discovered [[Energon]] readings near the location of Thunderhead Pass. Jetfire decided that they should investigate, but were attacked by a group of [[Decepticon]]s under the leadership of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] who worshipped Thunderwing as the herald of a new Cybertron. They reactivated Thunderwing and sent him to [[Nebulos]], but the Axis Cradle controlling him was destroyed by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], causing Thunderwing to return near Thunderhead Pass. He was defeated by draining his [[Ultra-Energon]] reserves due to the [[Wrecker]]s, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], [[Centurion droid]]s, and a speech/salvo from Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Transformers: Stormbringer |Stormbringer}}

After Thunderwing's second defeat, a detachment of [[Autobot]]s under [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] were set to guard Thunderhead Pass while a small team of scientists under Jetfire conducted research. Once the research was concluded, Jetfire and his team left, but the guards remained as Thunderwing's body was secured there. That turned out to be for naught when [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] attacked the guard post in order to recover Thunderwing's remains. He killed [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], incapacitated the others, and ultimately escaped with his prize. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

Some time thereafter, [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] singlehandedly repelled an aerial assault on Thunderhead Pass. This remarkable feat earned him a place among the Wrecker Reservists. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

===Aligned continuity===
There was a battle at Thunderhead Pass, after which [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] transferred from the [[Wrecker]]s to [[Team Prime]]. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''Léi Yún Guān''' (China, 雷云关, "Thunder cloud pass" )

[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Prime locations]]

Thunderhead Pass

2014-04-13T17:58:03Z

Steamshield: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

{{disambig2|the location on Cybertron|the Dark of the Moon Autobot|Thunderhead}}
:''Thunderhead Pass is a location on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] from the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Thunderheadpass.jpg|300px|thumb|"TONIGHT, WE DINE IN HELL!"]]
'''Thunderhead Pass''' is a location on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
After Thunderwing underwent the [[Pretender|polydermal grafting process]], he went on a rampage, forcing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] to work together to destroy him. However, [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] was ultimately swallowed up by the planet, at what became known as Thunderhead Pass. The [[Transformer]]s were forced to abandon Cybertron in the process.

Seven hundred [[Units of time|stellar cycles]] later, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] discovered [[Energon]] readings near the location of Thunderhead Pass. Jetfire decided that they should investigate, but were attacked by a group of [[Decepticon]]s under the leadership of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] who worshipped Thunderwing as the herald of a new Cybertron. They reactivated Thunderwing and sent him to [[Nebulos]], but the Axis Cradle controlling him was destroyed by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], causing Thunderwing to return near Thunderhead Pass. He was defeated by draining his [[Ultra-Energon]] reserves due to the [[Wrecker]]s, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], [[Centurion droid]]s, and a speech/salvo from Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Transformers: Stormbringer |Stormbringer}}

After Thunderwing's second defeat, a detachment of [[Autobot]]s under [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] were set to guard Thunderhead Pass while a small team of scientists under Jetfire conducted research. Once the research was concluded, Jetfire and his team left, but the guards remained as Thunderwing's body was secured there. That turned out to be for naught when [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] attacked the guard post in order to recover Thunderwing's remains. He killed [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], incapacitated the others, and ultimately escaped with his prize. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

Some time thereafter, [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] singlehandedly repelled an aerial assault on Thunderhead Pass. This remarkable feat earned him a place among the Wrecker Reservists. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

===Aligned continuity===
There was a battle at Thunderhead Pass, after which [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] transferred from the [[Wrecker]]s to [[Team Prime]]. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''Léi Yún Guān''' (China, 雷云关, "Thunder cloud pass" )

[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Prime locations]]

Thunderwing (G1)

2014-04-13T17:56:31Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
{{disambig3|Thunderwing}}
{{featured}}
:''Thunderwing is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:Thunderwing with matrix.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|And we are dutifully impressed.]]

In a better world, '''Thunderwing''' would be the ideal Decepticon leader. He's fearless, ruthless, and immensely powerful, while uncommonly concerned about the welfare of his fellow Decepticons. For this mindset, Thunderwing gets a high approval rating from his peers, but, sadly, this is not the whole story.

Thunderwing's vice is, simply, obsession. When his mind sets its sights on a who or what that furthers his goals, he will stop at nothing to achieve victory. Slowly but surely, his esteem for his colleagues is replaced by single-mindedness, until finally Thunderwing awakens from his haze, potentially victorious, but either abandoned or surrounded by the bodies of the few friends who tried valiantly to snap him out of it. In these dark moments, the usually noble Thunderwing is as deceitful and two-faced as any halfwit Decepticon.

But what separates Thunderwing from the rest is his sheer power. His [[Pretender]] shell is likely the most powerful ever built, and it forms impenetrable armor around his robot body. Every inch is covered in weaponry, from the electrostatic guns in his shoulders, to the hoses in his chest that emit dangerous gases, to even the rarely-used metal-eating laser beam that fires out of his forehead. In addition to this built-in arsenal, he carries around his signature cyclone cannon, the power of which is increased 50% by the powerpack his shell houses on its back. In jet mode, Thunderwing can unleash a never-ending torrent of plasma charges.

Because of all this, Thunderwing is almost always successful in hunting down his obsessions, though at regrettable costs.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Magnificent Six Megadeath Past.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|No, my visual appearance is not a [[Pretender to the Throne!|continuity error]]. Why do you ask?]]
A handful of Transformers are born with a natural affinity to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. Though these special few are usually Autobots, Thunderwing was an exception. Thunderwing felt that the Matrix called to him, and believed that he would become the first Decepticon to possess it. {{storylink|Deadly Obsession}}

''Early on in the war, he served at [[Fort Scyk]]. He became a protege of Fort commander [[Megadeath (G1)|Megadeath]], who saw and encouraged the burning ambition within the lad, grooming Thunderwing as an asset and potential general for when he'd make a bid for leadership. For his part, Thunderwing thought Megadeath was utterly mental but also that he'd be his ticket to the top. He later soured on Megadeath when he viciously tortured the [[Magnificent Six]], which Thunderwing felt was ill-fitting for such valiant enemies, and then Megadeath let himself and the whole of [[Stanix]] get nuked to slag ''anyway''.'' {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

''Four million years later, a vacuum in Decepticon high command allowed a driven Thunderwing to rise quickly from relative obscurity to a command position in the ranks. Thunderwing oversaw an operation that lured the [[Battle Patrol]] into a Decepticon facility in order to capture them and steal [[Micromaster]] technology from the Autobots. The [[Race Car Patrol|Race Car]] and [[Off Road Patrol|Off Road]] Patrols staged a successful rescue operation but failed to stop the Decepticons from making their own Micromasters.'' {{storylink|A Small War!}}

[[File:Thunderwingisapretender.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Thunderwing is a Pretender? The hell you say!]]
''Fourteen months later, to test of his readiness to takeover leadership of the Decepticons, Thunderwing was given a hunting mission: Three Autobot prisoners were released on Earth, and Thunderwing was charged with chasing down and executing them on his own. While [[Playback]] and [[Horsepower (G1)|Horsepower]] did fall before his cyclone cannon, the last runner, [[Hosehead (G1)|Hosehead]], was saved by his fellow Autobots [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] and [[Siren]]. The [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] exploded the fuel core in Playback's corpse at close range to Thunderwing, nearly cooking him alive inside his own impenetrable [[Pretender]] shell. Shrieking in agony, Thunderwing plunged into the nearby surf.'' {{storylink|The Big Shutdown!}}

[[File:AssaultontheArk-Thunderwing.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|This is exactly how cable news pundits are hired.]]
''Thunderwing eventually rose from the waters, his still-cooling shell juxtaposed with the growing intensity of his rage at being beaten. Thunderwing lashed out at everything around him and very nearly destroyed a ship of his fellow Decepticons who had been sent to find him. As a duly appointed officer of the [[Decepticon High Council]], [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] was sent to inform Thunderwing that his bid for leadership was not being rejected outright, but was still under review, and the Councilors had asked that he return to Cybertron. Instead, Thunderwing violently conscripted Ruckus and his team into joining him for an assault on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in order to get revenge on Hosehead and his ilk.'' {{storylink|Rage!}} ''Thunderwing single-handedly blasted his way into the Ark and confronted [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] directly before Ruckus convinced him to save the fight for another day. Returning to Cybertron, Thunderwing was surprised to learn that the Decepticon High Council was impressed by his initiative and the strength of his vendetta, and so granted him full leadership of the Decepticons of Cybertron.'' {{storylink|Assault on the Ark!}}

''One of Thunderwing's first actions on taking over Decepticon leadership was to abolish [[neutral]] territories, making places such as [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] Decepticon-only establishments.'' {{storylink|Out to Lunch!}} Despite these movements, Lord Thunderwing became displeased with the growing success of the newly-rebuilt [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] and their raiding of [[Decepticon fuel store|Decepticon fuel]] and ammunition depositories. Fearing the Autobot resistance movement was gaining momentum, he ordered [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] and [[Stranglehold]], the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]], to find and kill the Autobot Pretenders. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

[[File:Thunderwingmindleech.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|This is probably the closest look we'll get at Thunderwing's unpublished character model. [[José Delbo]] was a copier.]]
When the Mayhem Attack Squad failed, Thunderwing became curious when teams of Autobots were subsequently ordered to search an area of space. Trailing a team on [[Pz-Zazz]] which included ''(again)'' Nightbeat, Hosehead, and Siren, he waited until the right moment to blast and capture them. {{storylink|Bird of Prey!}} As Thunderwing's Decepticons began trailing another team of Autobots on [[Cheyne]] ([[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]], [[Dogfight]], and [[Override (G1)|Override]]), he subjected the captured first group to his [[Mind Leech]] machine. He learned from these torture sessions that the Autobots were scouring the universe for the lost Creation Matrix. Unfortunately, the second group was no closer to finding the Matrix either, and he left them to their own devices. {{storylink|Kings of the Wild Frontier.}} His obsession with finding the Creation Matrix caused some concerns for the Decepticons under his command, and he even began attacking his own troops when accused of taking his personal quest too far. These outbursts began coming to a head when he found traces of Matrix energy in a [[Klud|sea monster]] on [[Pequod]]. Ruckus made the mistake of questioning his leader's growing obsession, and Thunderwing backhanded him into some equipment (unknowingly shorting out the Mind Leech which held their captive Autobots immobile). While his troops battled the Autobots searching there, he used his affinity for the Matrix to mind-link with the sea monster. Discovering that the Matrix was on [[Cameron]]'s third moon, [[VsQs]], he abandoned the battle, much to the growing frustration of his troops. {{storylink|Deadly Obsession}}

[[File:Thunderwingwhereisthecreationmatrix.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|Obsessed much?]]
As it happened, between the revival of the Klud and the arrival of Thunderwing, the Creation Matrix had become warped. Thunderwing fought intensely with Bumblebee, Jazz, and Grimlock on VsQs, and they were overwhelmed not only by his vastly superior might, but by the strength of his desire to possess the Matrix. However, he and his troops were subdued by a [[Matrixspawn]], a darkly-evolved creature contaminated by the Matrix, allowing Bumblebee and the other Autobots to grab the Matrix and head for their ship. But when the Autobot shuttlecraft later arrived within the Ark, it was Thunderwing who emerged, in full possession of the Creation Matrix, enshrouded in its energies. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:AllFallDown-Thunderwingpossessed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|We are '''power incarnate!''' We are '''unstoppable!''' We are a '''really short Deluxe Class toy!''']]
On board the Ark, Thunderwing savagely beat Optimus Prime, the latter of whom was afraid to return the violence in kind, in fear that the Matrix would be destroyed and their race would be doomed against Unicron. Waves of Autobots stormed against Thunderwing, ending in [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] and others being killed or critically wounded. Quickly, the increasingly-evil Matrix took over Thunderwing, overpowering his thoughts and controlling his actions. After turning his power on his own troops, he had one final moment of clarity at what he had become, but it was too late. He was consumed. Nightbeat, Siren, and Hosehead, who Thunderwing had captured earlier, had escaped their constraints, and after releasing the bay doors, Thunderwing was harpooned to the shuttlecraft. The shuttle self-destructed and Thunderwing and the Creation Matrix were seemingly lost. {{storylink|All Fall Down}}

[[File:G1thunderwingthevoid.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Thunderwing displays that, yes, he has an alt mode just before showing up to die again.]]
The Matrix, however, was made of sterner stuff, and after some time reactivated alongside Thunderwing's body and the Autobot shuttlecraft on the surface of a planet. {{storylink|Out of Time!}} As time passed, and though only the "barest spark of life remained," it healed Thunderwing's body, eventually allowing it to transform and escape. It (they) now hungered for revenge! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

Thunderwing, completely controlled by the Creation Matrix, arrived on Cybertron just as Unicron had attacked. Through Thunderwing, the Matrix continued to manifest as a frightening demon, which blasted Unicron and buried its tendrils within him. Though Unicron was momentarily stunned, once the Matrix revealed that it was now attempting to be a force of Evil, Unicron ripped the manifestation apart. Unicron has no equal in the arena of evil. Thunderwing's body fell in tatters, and the Matrix casing dropped to the planet below. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
At some point following the battle with Unicron, Thunderwing's remains were recovered and interred in the [[Hall of Silence]] on Cybertron. Twenty-one years later, Optimus Prime departed Cybertron, bound for Earth to end the threat of Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} Soundwave seized this opportunity to lead an attack on the Hall of Silence to steal what was left of Thunderwing for Bludgeon, and to gain control of the residual Matrix energy stored in his corpse.{{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic===
[[File:Thunderwingg1worldscollide.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|They weren't even trying to color me right!]]
Versions of Thunderwing, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] from various devoured universes were sent by their master, [[Unicron]], to prepare another universe for his coming. Porting into [[Decepticon Command Headquarters]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Galvatron left Thunderwing and the others on Cybertron to accomplish their task. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4|Worlds Collide, Part 1}} Though they destroyed all of the Decepticons in their headquarters and established a network of [[space bridge]] portals, this universe's [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] was not amongst their victims. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4|Worlds Collide, Part 2}}

Traveling to Earth's Decepticon headquarters (but leaving Bludgeon behind on Cybertron to guard the portal), they found it momentarily abandoned, so Thunderwing suggested they hunt down this universe's [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] to learn Megatron's location. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4|Worlds Collide, Part 3}} However, Thrust knew nothing, and they quickly returned to Decepticon Earth headquarters when Thunderwing detected that their space bridge nexus on Cybertron had been breached. Ultimately, Thunderwing and the other servants of Unicron were destroyed when this universe's [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] detonated a bomb in Cybertron's Decepticon Command Headquarters, incinerating them all. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4|Worlds Collide, Part 4}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Thunderwingwhathaveyoudone.jpg|thumb|Moral of Stormbringer: Pretenders [[Ruined FOREVER|ruined Transformers]].]]
Seven hundred years ago, during the height of the Autobot-Decepticon war on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Thunderwing was a Decepticon scientist who alerted both sides to the damage that the ongoing conflict was doing to their planet and the resultant danger of an impending catastrophic event. According to [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], his warnings were ignored, even by [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]].

[[File:Thunderwing stormbringer.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Y'know, Thunderwing, Al Gore was content with just making a slide show.]]
Subsequently, Thunderwing took action on his own, subjecting himself to a "polydermal grafting" process of his own design, one that had previously been summarily rejected by [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] as "unnatural" and "ill-conceived". This process of grafting tissue culled from living subjects onto a Transformer to create an armored symbiotic carapace somehow also appears to have made him the avatar of the very apocalypse he had warned against. The process drove Thunderwing insane but made him invulnerable; even the combined might of the Autobots and Decepticons couldn't stop him. In the end, he was swallowed whole by Cybertron itself, leaving the planet completely uninhabitable. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}}

When [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] went missing, Megatron assigned Bludgeon to dig into his research and find out what he'd been doing. An indeterminate time later, Thunderwing's resting place was discovered by a group of Decepticons led by Bludgeon, who planned to continue where Thunderwing left off. {{storylink|Spotlight: Soundwave}} The project was completed in the present day, using a combination of "[[Ultra-Energon]]" (culled from Shockwave's research) and a set of imprinted commands. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} Thunderwing was thus resurrected and immediately departed for [[Nebulos]], following Bludgeon's plans to sacrifice that world to restore Cybertron somehow. There, Thunderwing was engaged by the Decepticon Infiltration team in place, which did not want to see Nebulos completely destroyed. After Thunderwing totaled [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]], [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]], [[Skullcruncher]], and [[Roadgrabber]], the survivors, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]], [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]], and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], abandoned the planet, leaving Thunderwing alone. However, after the destruction of Bludgeon's control harness, Thunderwing changed course—back towards Cybertron. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}}

[[File:Thunderwingidwultramode.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Ultra mode" puts all that wing kibble to use!]]
There, he was attacked by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]], the [[Wrecker]]s, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], and reprogrammed [[Centurion droid|Centurion drones]]. Jetfire revealed that enough punishment would eventually cause Thunderwing to drain most of his [[energon]] reserves. However, Thunderwing revealed a third "[[Super Mode|Ultra]]" robot configuration. Thanks to the Wreckers, the Decepticons, the instability of Ultra Energon, and a speech/salvo combination from Optimus Prime, he was stopped dead in his tracks. His inanimate form was taken into custody by the [[Autobot]]s. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

[[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] would later steal Thunderwing's body from [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s detail of Autobots, in service of [[Nova Prime|his master]] in the [[Dead Universe]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}} Since the Dead Universe Transformers can only spend a limited amount of time in the land of the living, they programmed Thunderwing to guard the cave entrance to the [[Nega-Core]] on planet [[Corata-Vaz]]. He easily batted away Hound's crew and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], but did not pursue them, as his programming seemed to keep him on a leash that only included the cave entrance. It did, however, allow [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] the time he needed to escape. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

[[File:SpotlightSideswipe ThunderwingVSWreckers.jpg|left|275px|thumb|The Wreckers return to star in '''''“Nothing Can Stop The Thunderwing! Part III”'''''.]]
The [[Wrecker]]s later attempted to penetrate Thunderwing's defenses and reach the Nega-Core, but apparently had no more success than Ultra Magnus and company. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}}

Jetfire came up with the idea to try and take control of Thunderwing using Bludgeon's (apparently repaired) control harness. This alerted [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], who activated Bludgeon (now under his control) to put a stop to it. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

While Jetfire managed to halt Thunderwing in his tracks for a brief time, a visit from the Jhiaxus-controlled Bludgeon forced Jetfire to focus on other, more pressing issues. While the Wreckers were successful in disabling the Nega-Core, Thunderwing once again began to advance on them. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

{{Note|Due to the truncated nature of the [[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]] mini-series, the end result of this battle was not shown, but as all of the Wreckers appeared later on, Thunderwing was presumably disabled along with the other guardians when Jhiaxus was defeated. It's never exactly clarified what happened after that, but Simon Furman would later suggest that Thunderwing was executed.}}

===''Wings Universe''===
{{Wingsnote}}
Thunderwing was captured by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s after being cornered and making an unsuccessful attempt to defend himself with what turned out to be a dud bomb. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 3}}

===''United''===
[[File:FierceFightingonPlanetNebulos-Thunderwing.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Thunderwing was so disappointed he later [[Transformers United|painted his arms gray]].]]
Thunderwing originated from another universe, where he was said to have possessed the Matrix and nearly defeated the Autobots. {{storylink|#United 2|''United'' Thunderwing bio}}

As Decepticon leader, Thunderwing had a [[nano-virus]] released that afflicted most Autobots save those with [[Nebulan]] partners, tricking them to go to [[Nebulos]] for an anti-virus so they could be ambushed and their partners taken! His minion [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] botched the mission though. Thunderwing chewed him out and decided he needed to take a more active role... {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}
{{-}}
==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
Thunderwing, [[Axer (G1)|Axer]], and [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] accompanied [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] on a mission to defeat Nemesis's former self, Nova Prime. {{storylink|Prime Evil}} He led a team of Decepticons including [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]] and [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] in a raid on an Autobot [[Sun-Farming facility]]. Despite the Autobots putting up more resistance than expected, Thunderwing and his men triumphed, conquering the facility and sending the Autobots packing. {{storylink|Revelation (Legends)|Revalation}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Thunderwing toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|You passed this up when you saw it in the stores. Then [[Simon Furman|Furman]] had to come along.]]
*'''Thunderwing''' (Mega Pretender, 1989)
**''Accessories'': Pretender shell, 2 heat-seeking laser blasters, [[cyclone rifle|cyclone cannon]]

:Thunderwing's inner robot transforms into a rather simple Cybertronic shuttlecraft. His [[Pretender]] shell also transforms into a starship mode of its own. The inner vehicle can be attached underneath the nose of the larger vehicle to create a combined starship mode. The inner robot is relatively generic in appearance (as with most Pretenders) while his outer Pretender shell resembles an alien warrior with Japanese [[wikipedia:Oni (folklore)|Oni]] influences. The inner robot carries a small "cyclone cannon" laser, while the shell is armed with two large laser blasters. All three of his guns can be mounted on his shell's vehicle mode. The large laser blasters can be mounted on the jet two different ways, either perpendicular or parallel to the wing undersides.

:Unlike fellow Mega Pretenders [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] or [[Vroom (G1)|Vroom]], parts do not need to be removed and rearranged in order for Thunderwing to achieve any of his modes.

:This mold was [[retool]]ed to make [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Decepticon/Thunderwing/thunderwing.htm More information on Thunderwing at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generationstoy-Thunderwing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Matrix obsession sold separately.]]
*'''Thunderwing''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories'': 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, recon drone

:Part of the fifth wave of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxe class toys, Thunderwing's alternate mode is a fighter jet loosely based on an [[United States Air Force#F-22 Raptor|F-22 Raptor]], with different wings but retaining the F-22's characteristic zigzag patterns sculpted on the hull. He transforms into a robot that looks like the original Thunderwing toy's Pretender shell. The nose of the jet can detach and become a separate aerial drone, while the two missile launchers can detach from the wings and become handheld weapons or clip together into one massive gun. The middle section of the sculpted missiles on the sides of the guns are also compatible with [[C joint]] accessories. Thunderwing's colors seem to be inspired by his color scheme in the latter end of the Marvel run, considering his green arms. There is also an homage to [[Don Figueroa]]'s design in ''Stormbringer'' with Thunderwing's face and feet.

:At [[BotCon 2010]], the [[Hasbro]] design team noted that they had wanted to make the aerial drone unit transform into a robot but were unable to do so (presumably for budget reasons, though they didn't go into that detail).

:The toy is slightly mistransformed in packaging, with the chest section that conceals his head in jet mode in its robot mode position.

:This sculpt was retooled to make ''Generations'' [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Sky Shadow]] and [[BotCon 2012]] [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]]. Thunderwing's [[instructions]] initially depicted him with Sky Shadow's head and chest. A [[Variant|running change]] version of the instructions depicts Thunderwing's own head, but keeps Sky Shadow's chest unchanged.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2010/Decepticon/Thunderwing/thunderwing.htm More information on ''Generations'' Thunderwing at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===United===
[[File:Unitedtoy-Thunderwing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Sometimes Hasbro beats Takara to media accuracy.]]
*'''Thunderwing''' (Deluxe, January 2012)
**''ID number:'' '''UN-26'''
**''Accessories'': 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, recon drone

:The ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' release of Thunderwing decos his robot mode to approximate the colors of the original toy rather than his Marvel appearances. It achives this by changing the green plastic on his arms for gray and the green plastic on his thighs and waist side armor for black plastic. The clear orange plastic is now a clear cherry red, the light green and dark green paint is a hi-gloss forest green, and the blue paint is slightly darker. His light gray plastic is now a cream color. Last but not least the purple plastic is a very light purple on this release.
:The soft-plastic spikes on United Thunderwing's arms are much softer than either his Generations counterpart or [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Sky Shadow's]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Thunderwingisdeath.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Like that cannon he always carries around? Too bad, the toy ain't got it.]]
*Thunderwing only transformed out of his humanoid shell mode once in the entire United States run of the Marvel Comics series. Even then, it was into his non-combined shell-only jet mode, leaving no hint that he had an inner robot mode at all. The only time we see his inner robot mode is in his first appearance, the Marvel United Kingdom story, "[[The Big Shutdown!]]".
*Thunderwing's Marvel Comics appearances give him a four-barreled hand weapon that's completely fabricated, as it's not based on any of the toy's three guns. As with the melee weapons [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Stranglehold]], and [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] use in the comic, his four-barreled cannon likely originated from his unpublished [[character model]].
*A phenomenon [[Straxus (G1)|seen]] [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|often]] in the Marvel United States material, Thunderwing suffered from color scheme shift. At first, he appears in colors that approximate his toy's layout as best as the printing process allowed. Suddenly, in his biggest, most memorable appearances in [[Dark Creation|#65]] and [[All Fall Down|#66]], much of his blacks, grays, and blues were replaced by light greens. As a side effect of this phenomenon, since covers are colored in advance of the interiors, #66's cover featured a blue-armed Thunderwing with a green-armed Thunderwing inside.
[[File:Thunderwingg1catalog.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Early Thunderwing was faaaabulous!]]
*Hasbro [[stock photography|photography]] of Thunderwing shows some plastic color differences from the final product. His shell's arms are the same purple as his guns instead of gray, and his inner robot's thighs are that purple as well, instead of the final toy's black. Black paint is applied to the shell's thighs differently, and the inner robot's forearms seem to be painted light gray. Additionally, the smaller robot is incapable of toting either of the larger guns in jet mode, as the peghole isn't large enough.
*Speaking of pegholes, both of Thunderwing's large guns have [[5mm post]]s with holes in the center that can function very much like [[Powerlinx]]able pegs, which means one can store [[Mini-Con]]s on them, if one so desires.
*Fitting with [[Don Figueroa]]'s method of making all of his robot designs able to be easily turned into toys (until [[The Transformers (IDW)|recently]], anyways), IDW Thunderwing's Ultra Mode is telegraphed by his kibble. An image in the ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' trade paperback's sketch section shows exactly how he transforms into it.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Thunderwing''' (サンダーウイング ''Sandāuingu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Léi Yì Wáng''' (China, 雷翼王, "Thunderwing King")
*''French:'' '''Aérofoudre''' (Canada, "Aerolightning")

[[Category:Armada Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Royalty]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Thunderhead Pass

2014-04-13T17:54:09Z

Steamshield:

{{disambig2|the location on Cybertron|the Dark of the Moon Autobot|Thunderhead}}
:''Thunderhead Pass is a location on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] from the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Thunderheadpass.jpg|300px|thumb|"TONIGHT, WE DINE IN HELL!"]]
'''Thunderhead Pass''' is a location on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
After Thunderwing underwent the [[Pretender|polydermal grafting process]], he went on a rampage, forcing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] to work together to destroy him. However, Thunderwing was ultimately swallowed up by the planet, at what became known as Thunderhead Pass. The [[Transformer]]s were forced to abandon Cybertron in the process.

Seven hundred [[Units of time|stellar cycles]] later, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] discovered [[Energon]] readings near the location of Thunderhead Pass. Jetfire decided that they should investigate, but were attacked by a group of [[Decepticon]]s under the leadership of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] who worshipped Thunderwing as the herald of a new Cybertron. They reactivated Thunderwing and sent him to [[Nebulos]], but the Axis Cradle controlling him was destroyed by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], causing Thunderwing to return near Thunderhead Pass. He was defeated by draining his [[Ultra-Energon]] reserves due to the [[Wrecker]]s, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], [[Centurion droid]]s, and a speech/salvo from Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Transformers: Stormbringer |Stormbringer}}

After Thunderwing's second defeat, a detachment of [[Autobot]]s under [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] were set to guard Thunderhead Pass while a small team of scientists under Jetfire conducted research. Once the research was concluded, Jetfire and his team left, but the guards remained as Thunderwing's body was secured there. That turned out to be for naught when [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] attacked the guard post in order to recover Thunderwing's remains. He killed [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], incapacitated the others, and ultimately escaped with his prize. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

Some time thereafter, [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] singlehandedly repelled an aerial assault on Thunderhead Pass. This remarkable feat earned him a place among the Wrecker Reservists. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

===Aligned continuity===
There was a battle at Thunderhead Pass, after which [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] transferred from the [[Wrecker]]s to [[Team Prime]]. {{storylink|Chain of Command (Prime)|Chain of Command}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Mandarin:'' '''Léi Yún Guān''' (China, 雷云关, "Thunder cloud pass" )

[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Prime locations]]

Devastator (G1)

2014-04-03T19:09:18Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Devastator}}
{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ultracon}}
:''Devastator is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:DevastatorManga1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He devastates things. Devastates them right in the mouth.]]
'''Devastator''' is an immensely powerful warrior, and in that sense the combination of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] into a merged being is a huge success. Mentally, on the other hand, he's very much less than the sum of his parts. Devastator's primitive psyche is limited to only the thoughts and actions on which all his components can agree, which results in raging bouts of destructive fury. Given the sheer power Devastator brings to these rages, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] has no complaints.

As an [[Action Master]], he is [[Action Master partner|partnered]] with [[Scorpulator]].

Normally he is composed of the six robots...

*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (leader) — right leg
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] — upper body
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] — left arm
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] — lower body
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] — left leg
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] — right arm

However, in at least one reality, he goes from being a six-robot combiner to a five-bot one, Hook and Mixmaster being replaced by [[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]]. In another, he is rebuilt with a modular design that allows Hook to replace Scrapper as the right leg, and any robot built with a compatible design to form the head, including [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]].

{{bigquote|Nothing defeats the Devastator, nothing!|Devastator|"[[Heavy Metal War]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Arthur Burghardt]] (English), [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese), [[Yū Shimaka]] (Japanese, ''The Movie'') |[[Guillermo Romano]] (Latin American), [[Mário Monjardim]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1''), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German, ''The Burden Hardest to Bear''), [[Werner Abrolat]] (German, The Movie TV Dub), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''The Core'' & ''The Master Builders''), [[Klaus Kessler]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Triple Takeover''), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Starscreams Brigade'')}}

[[File:HeavyMetalWar preparetomeetyourdoom.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
The ability to merge into Devastator was given to the Constructicons by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] around nine million years ago, not long after he brainwashed them into his loyal servants using the [[Robo-Smasher]]. Their former friend [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] learned of this new ability first-hand when the Constructicons combined in order to hold Omega fast, so that the Robo-Smasher could be turned loose on his mind. Omega overpowered Devastator, however, and tore himself free of the Robo-Smasher, left not subservient to Megatron, but with a burning desire for vengeance against the Constructicons. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

Millions of years later, in [[1984]], having joined Megatron on [[Earth]], the Constructicons were charged with tunnelling under [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headmasters]] in order to destroy [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. Confronted by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and forced back outside the volcano base, the Constructicons realized they were no match for their new opponents, and combined into Devastator to fight back—the first of several battles between the giant and the Dinobots that wound rage through the Transformers' time on Earth. The Dinobots fared poorly in their first meeting with Devastator, but before they fell, their fellow Autobots returned to lend them a hand. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] distracted Devastator with a hologram of [[Halonix Maximus|a giant Autobot]], allowing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] to blast him dead center, causing him to disengage into the separate Constructicons. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[File:CityofSteel devastator kong.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Puny Autobot stole Devastator's sunglasses!"]]

Devastator was next called into action when the Decepticons were attempting to conquer and recreate [[New York City]], his height and power being required to stop a group of Autobots scaling the [[Empire State Building]], which had been seized by the Decepticons. With Optimus Prime playing Fay Wray to his [[King Kong]], Devastator climbed to the top of the building, fighting off attacks by remote controlled drone helicopters courtesy of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] along the way. Once Devastator reached the peak, however, Optimus was able to gain remote control of his own dismembered gun-wielding arm, which had been mounted on top of the building as an artillery unit, and blasted Devastator off the building. Plummeting back to street-level, the combiner split apart on impact. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

After Megatron's [[Transfixatron]] scheme failed, Devastator was unleashed upon the Autobots, and began to mop the floor with them using finger lasers, optical tractor beams, and really heavy fists. The tide turned when Wheeljack and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] used the Transfixatron against Devastator, successfully cancelling out the Constructicons' combined form. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[File:TheCore dominated devastator.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
When Megatron attempted to tap the Earth's core to give the Decepticons a limitless supply of geothermal energy, Devastator defended the project from Autobot attack. To get around the giant combiner, [[Chip Chase]] and Wheeljack created [[dominator disc]]s which forced the Constructicons, and thus Devastator, into serving the Autobots. Unfortunately, Megatron had anticipated this plan and built a device to override the dominator discs. When he turned Devastator against the Autobots, Wheeljack turned up the power on the dominator discs, which only served to fry Devastator's [[Circuits|logic circuits]] and sent him berserk, damaging the controls for Megatron's drill just as it was about to pierce the Earth's core. Working together, both factions restored Devastator to Megatron's control and sent him into the ground to take out the drill before it could destroy the Earth. Devastator was surprised by Megatron's cowardly absence after he returned surface, but merely believed Megatron left to plan their next attack. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[File:MasterBuilders devastator under attack.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Allying with Autobots [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] to construct a [[Solar Power Tower]] of Grapple's design that they could then steal for the Decepticons, the Constructicons formed Devastator to install the sun-harnessing sphere component on top of the tower. After the villains took control of the tower, the other Autobots arrived to stop their plan and were confronted by Devastator once again, but managed to fell him by tricking him into collapsing the tower right on top of himself. {{storylink|The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders}}

Devastator got his first rematch with the Dinobots when the prehistoric anti-heroes attacked the Constructicons as they were unloading a supply of [[Cybertonium]] from the [[space bridge]]. Scavenger was caught off-guard by the Dinobots before he could join his team-mates in forming Devastator, and the one-armed giant was unable to prevent the Dinobots from transporting themselves to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Devastator had pulled himself together by the time [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Carly]] arrived, hot on the Dinobots' trail, but Carly's superior driving skills allowed her to navigate around his stomping feet and make it into the bridge as well. Not one of Devastator's better days. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} [[File:SecretofOmega devastator vs omega.jpg|left|thumb|250px]] Another rematch of a different kind was soon to come when the Constructicons crossed paths with Omega Supreme, but the Autobot titan's rage allowed him to quickly overcome Devastator, burying him beneath an avalanche. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

After the [[Triple Changer]]s temporarily disposed of Megatron and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], the Constructicons threw in with [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] as the new Decepticon leader, building a maze around his base of operations. Unsurprisingly, Blitzwing refused to uphold his part of the bargain and make the Constructicons his leadership partners, so the enraged team formed Devastator to improve their bargaining posture. Megatron soon returned and put Blitzwing and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] in their place, but Devastator did not fall in line so easily, and continued his attack against them all, forcing all the in-fighting Decepticons to team up to eventually take him down. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}} Betrayals remained the order of the day when Devastator next saw combat, called up by Megatron to deal with another plot by Starscream and his new troops, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. Starscream had foreseen Devastator's involvement, however, and had given his Combaticons the power to combine into [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], who soundly defeated the Constructicons' combined form. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[File:TFTM Devastator.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Come on boy, fetch!]]
Devastator played a key role in the [[Battle of Autobot City|battle]] of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in the year 2005, smashing the artillery that lined the city and, after an all-night siege, successfully breaching its walls with his prodigious strength. Before he could progress inside the city itself, though, his old foes the Dinobots arrived to halt his progress, dropping on him from an incoming shuttle. Devastator kicked [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] out of the air, slammed [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] and hurled him aside, but was brought low by [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], who pushed him through a wall. Even from this position, though, Devastator managed to take out [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] immediately after, as he dodged an attack from the flying Dinobot and caused some rubble to collapse on him. The battle was brought to an end when Megatron was defeated and the Decepticons retreated from Earth aboard Astrotrain, arguing amongst themselves who would lead them now. Scrapper argued for the Constructicons, since they formed Devastator, "the most powerful robot", and the team proceeded to merge to prove their point, but were shaken apart mid-transformation by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[File:FFoD1 devastator nomnom.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
Following the battle with [[Unicron]], the defeated Decepticons were exiled to the burnt-out world of [[Chaar]], where they scraped by on diminishing amounst of [[energon]]. When Astrotrain returned from an energy run, the Constructicons fought over the few scraps of energon he brought back, but banded together to form Devastator to make sure Astrotrain couldn't take any for himself (though Bonecrusher lacked the energy to hold on to his teammates). Just as Devastator was about to tuck into his hard-won [[energon cube]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] hacked him apart with his sword and drove the Constructicons off. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

In [[2006]], the Constructicons formed Devastator when fighting the Autobots on an asteroid [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] was trying to turn into a mobile weapon, but he was flattened when a cunning [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] transformed to aircraft carrier mode in mid-air and landed directly on top of him. The battle carried to the planet [[Eurythma]], where Devastator was formed again, but he was quickly blasted apart into his component robots by a precise shot from [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}} Devastator got a little revenge on Broadside later in the year when he teamed up with [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] to confront him in the seas of [[Japan]], though the huge waves the Autobot kicked up when he fell under their laser fire forced the team to separate and withdraw. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
[[File:FSRLstorypage devastator.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Devastator once faced his old nemesis Omega Supreme during the midst of [[:File:StudioOxCybertronBattleCons.jpg|another, larger battle]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Story page # unknown}} At a presumably later date, Devastator clashed with Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] in... space, or something? Well, Cybertron was in the background, so it was probably space. The battle was so great that Prime even needed to call in the extra firepower of his [[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]], which flew through space (or whatever) to join the fight. It was kind of a weird day. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 6|Story page #6}}

Later, Devastator and Menasor were making trouble for the Autobots, but were dealt with by the Autobots' newest combiner warrior, [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. The [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]] gestalt took Devastator out by launching his right arm—[[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]]—at him, who transformed to robot mode mid-flight and shattered the Decepticon giant's chestplate with his mighty right hand. Devastator seemed suitably horrified. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 12|Story page #12}} Not nearly as horrified, though, as anyone who gazed upon his and the other Decepticon combiners' [[:File:GestaltTrioTVMagazine.jpg|deformed bodies]] when they later gathered for another major battle. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 16|Story page #16}}
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=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
[[File:FSRLF6 devastator forms.jpg|left|thumb|215px]]
In the late 1980s, in search of a location that could serve as a base for their new battle station [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Megatron brought the Constructicons to a utopian island to begin deforestation and construction. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] arrived to stop the Decepticons, the Constructicons merged into Devastator and announced that he and Trypticon would take on the Autobot combiner (overkill much?). Trypticon did not approve of sharing his prey, however, and he picked up Devastator and threw him into a nearby rockface, shattering him back into his individual components. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

=====''Scramble City'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)
[[File:ScrambleCity devastator.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Discovering the location of the secret factory in which the Autobots were constructing their mobile fortress [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]], Megatron dispatched the Constructicons to destroy it. Confronted by a team of Autobots led by Optimus Prime, they formed Devastator, who quickly took the upper hand in the battle by hurling giant boulders and opening fire with his cannon. Observing Devastator's attack from within Scramble City, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] ordered the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] into the fray, and a speedy hail of laser fire from above courtesy of the airborne Autobots soon cut Devastator down to size and had the Constructicons retreated. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' comic=====
In the year [[2010]], Devastator participated in a Decepticon attack on the planet Feminia, battling alongside Bruticus and Menasor against their Autobot counterparts Superion, Defensor and Omega Supreme. The fight was fairly evenly matched until Galvatron called up his ace-in-the-hole, [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], whose power was unmatched by any of the Autobots... except for the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]], who essentially tied Predaking's shoelaces together until he fell over, straight into Devastator and his chums, sending them all toppling to the ground and knocking them to bits.{{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)|[[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American)}}

[[File:SOSfromSandra devastator vs defensor.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|SHORYUKEN!]]
In [[2011]], Devastator was among the Decepticons who attacked Cybertron in an attempt to seize the planet by taking control of [[Vector Sigma]]. While [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] had [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] engaged, Devastator tried to shoot the Autobot combiner in the back, but evil plan was foiled by Optimus Prime, who struck Devastator with a flying jump kick and knocked his blast off-course so that it hit Abominus instead. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} As the battle progressed, Devastator joined forces with [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and Abominus to drive back the Autobot combiner robots, but where then felled themselves by the power of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Later, during another major battle on Cybertron, this time over [[cybertonuron]], Devastator was presented with another chance to shoot Superion in the back as he battled Abominus, but yet again shot Abominus instead as the pair broke their grapple at the last moment. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}} This affair concluded with the destruction of Cybertron, so it was on Earth that Devastator next fought, battling [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] as part of a Decepticon effort to hijack an Autobot energy shipment to the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

Devastator disappeared from view following this; in truth, he and many other Decepticons had secretly withdrawn to the hidden, sub-oceanic continent of [[Lemuria (Headmasters)|Lemuria]], where Devastator oversaw the processing of [[crysmagnetal]] for [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s [[Death Tower]]s. Once the towers were deployed around the world, Devastator joined the entire Decepticon army in battling the Autobots at the North Pole, and fled into space alongside them upon their defeat. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' manga=====
[[File:DarkEmperorDeathsaurusZone01.jpg|thumb]]
Years later, the image of Devastator was among a group of holograms of older Decepticons projected by [[King Poseidon]] to deceive and confuse the Autobots under [[Ginrai]]'s command. {{storylink|Burn, Super Soul! The New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

=====''Zone'' catalog=====
At some point after the year [[2025]], Devastator joined several other powerful Decepticons in an assault on planet [[Micro|Zone]], led by the reborn [[Emperor of Destruction|Dark Emperor]] [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]. Attempting to steal their [[Energon Z]], the Decepticons proved no match for the [[Micromaster]]s and were driven away. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)#Catalogue story page 1|Zone Project Story}}

=====''Zone'' manga and story pages=====
[[File:Zonemanga devastator magmastorm.jpg|left|thumb|Hot soup!]]
Devastator was among the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] recruited by the Decepticons' newest [[Emperor of Destruction]], [[Violen Jiger]]. Outfited with new armor and weaponry—incluing a large arm-mounted drill—Devastator was christened the "Technology General" of the group, and sent forth to conquer planets in pursuit of Violen Jiger's goal of creating a [[Decepticon Zone]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}}

One element required for Violen Jiger's plan was the mysterious life-giving [[Zodiac]], hidden somewhere on Earth. Devastator accompanied [[King Poseidon]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] to the planet, cutting a swathe of destruction through the cities of Earth as they converged on [[Mount Fuji]], where the Zodiac was believed to rest. Arriving at the mountain, the four generals were confronted by a small army of Autobot Micromasters, which prompted nothing but laughter from the villains... until a rock clonked Devastator on the head, hurled by the newly arrived Autobot [[Powered Master]]s [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Sonic Bomber]]. As battle erupted, Devastator broke away, using his drill to burrow into the Earth in hopes of locating the subterranean hiding place of the Zodiac, but Dai Atlas pursued him into the planet's depths. There, Dai Atlas used his "awareness of the flow of nature" to summon up a torrent of magma that took Devastator out of the fight. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}}

The Generals later schooled [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] and the [[Metrosquad]] in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 7}}
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=====''Zone'' cartoon=====
[[File:DevastatorZone1.jpg|thumb|215px|PHALLIC!]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Hirohiko Kakegawa]]
{{note|The ''Zone'' cartoon tells a slightly different, expanded version of Devastator and the other Generals' first battle with Dai Atlas.}}
Dispatched to Earth with Trypticon, Predaking and King Poseidon by Violen Jiger to acquire the Zodiac, Devastator destroyed the [[World Trade Center]] while searching the planet for the mysterious energy source. By the time Devastator arrived in Japan, Trypticon and Predaking were already embroiled in battle with Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber; he burst up out of the ground while Dai Atlas was grappling with Predaking and attempted to run him through with his drill, but was stopped by a barrage of missiles from the acting Autobot leader. Predaking ordered him away to seek the Zodiac, and Devastator obeyed, drilling down into the Earth, but Dai Atlas pursued, following Devastator into the subterranean cavern in which the Zodiac rested. Devastator snatched the enigmatic orb and fled, handing it off to King Poseidon before turning back to resume his battle with Dai Atlas, whom the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] combiner had restrained with a chain. Before Devastator could drill a hole through him, though, Dai Atlas shifted to drill tank mode and dragged the Decepticon into a vein of molten magma, which swept him away. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
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====''Wings Universe''====
{{wingsnote}}
[[File:BattleLines6 devastator electrocuted.jpg|left|thumb|300px]]
After being Robo-Smashed into loyal Decepticons, the Constructicons were upgraded by [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], at Megatron's orders, using the combiner technology stolen from the conquered warlord [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]. The newborn Devastator joined the Decepticons in an attack on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] one week later. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} The Autobots attempted to stop him by shooting down a live energy conduit which stuck his right arm, but it barely phased the Decepticon. When they followed that up by shooting him in the knees, however, Devastator toppled over backwards. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

Nine million years later, during the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005, after breaching the city walls, Devastator was confronted by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and a small group of Autobots. He invited them to surrender, but they responded by blasting him into his component parts. {{storylink|A Flash Forward}}
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===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:TFUS10 all crumble before devastator.jpg|thumb|250px]]
No sooner had the Constructicons been created—by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], on Earth, using the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] and the facilities of [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]—than they were dispatched on their first mission to construct a massive communications dish that would allow [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] to broadcast a message to long-lost Cybertron. When the dish came under attack by a squad of Autobots, the Constructicons merged to form Devastator for the first time, much to the surprise of the attacking Autobots. The titan shrugged off the Autobots' attacks, even including [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'s liquid nitrogen blasts, but things took a turn for the worse when Soundwave, wired into the dish and unable to defend himself, made the mistake of calling on Devastator to destroy a ''specific'' Autobot—[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], who had slipped close to the dish in the chaos. The dull-witted Devastator struggled to process this precise instruction, taking out each Autobot one after the other until he found the one that Soundwave had been talking about; fortunately for the Decepticons, Huffer's own indecision gave Soundwave time to successfully transmit his message. The dish was subsequently destroyed by Huffer's human ally [[Bomber Bill]], and Soundwave ordered retreat, grading Devastator's performance as "notably deficient." {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

[[File:UK62 Devastator.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Concept art for Capcom's upcoming Street Fighter vs Transformers]]
''Following this poor initial outing, Devastator was subsequently put through training and tests that managed to improve his operation and co-ordination. With the Constructicons now operating better together, Shockwave charged them with attacking a demolition derby that the Autobots' human friend [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] was attending in order to kidnap him for use as leverage. Faced with Buster's Autobot protectors, the Constructicons formed Devastator to deal with them, but the very sight of the combiner sent Buster catatonic. While Devastator battled the Autobots—during which he was toppled by [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and blinded by [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]'s [[black beam gun]]—Soundwave scanned Buster's mind to discover what had happened to the human, and immediately ordered the Constructicons to separate and retreat unpon discovering that the Matrix had implanted a vision for the future of combiner technology in Buster's brain.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}}

''Seeking to make a reality out of the information the Matrix had planted in Buster's mind'', the Autobots staged an attack on the Decepticon's [[Wyoming base]] in order to draw out Devastator so they could observe his technology in action. When Shockwave ordered Devastator into action, [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], watching from afar, monitored and recorded the Constructicons' transformation pattern. He reported his success to Optimus Prime, who ordered a retreat, and the Autobots subsequently used the information derived from Devastator to create their own team of [[combiner]]s, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

Devastator next appeared to defend the Decepticons' [[Club Con|base in the Florida Keys]] from a joint attack by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], [[Cobra]], and the [[Autobot]]s. He brawled with [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] until a blast from Superion's rifle caused a malfunction in his coupling links and he broke up into his components. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

{{note|Given that Devastator never reappeared in the "main" US or UK Marvel continuity, and that when he ''did'' turn up next in the [[Earthforce]] stories (see below), he was being rebuilt as a separate robot, perhaps Superion's attack ''permanently'' destroyed the Constructicons' ability to combine.}}

====Earthforce====
[[File:Devastator rebuild.png|thumb|Did they forget he'd need two legs or what?]]
{{earthforcefiction}}
For reasons unknown, the Constructicons were rendered incapable of combining at one point. Unwilling to lose Devastator's raw power, they attempted to construct a new and separate version of him in the Bahamas, surrounding the construction side with an [[Automated defence ring]]. [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] were able to master the ring's challenges, and wrecked the project before the new Devastator could be completed. {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:CrossingOver3 devastator vs grimlock.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Mixmaster was voted off the combiner.]]
The Constructicons were among the Decepticon warriors assembled by Megatron as he re-established his power base on Earth 15 years after the fall of [[Unicron]]. For some unexplained reason, Hook and Mixmaster were no longer part of the group, replaced by a new Constructicon named [[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]]. As a result, Devastator's combination was significantly altered.

The giant Decepticon warrior was assembled to battle the Autobots in the Southern Hemisphere, when both groups were seeking out the source of a new set of energy readings. Devastator confronted the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and the force of their battle was enough to cause the landscape to cave in, revealing the caverns below. The Constructicons were disassembled by the impact, however, and were forced to fight Grimlock individually. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}}
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===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:DarkAges2 cybertronian devastator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He wants the biggest purse in the world!]]
Devastator was the first combiner, the end result of the Constructicons' research into [[mass intellect]]. However, he suffered a huge drawback in that he would only do what his components agreed on, which was usually smash stuff. {{Storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye #8}} Although the process would later be refined, leaving the method by which Devastator was formed considered primitive by comparison, the sheer destructive power of the combiner was so great that the Constructicons were actually forbidden from trying to modifying their own combination for fear that Devastator's effectiveness would be compromised. {{Storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye #2}}

During the [[Dark Ages]], between 7.4 and 6.5 million years ago, when the Decepticons and Autobots fractured into several smaller factions, the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]] was signed, ruling the [[Special Teams]] non-aligned. However, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] managed to convince the Constructicons to side with the [[Ultracon]]s, and they accompanied him when he made his push to take the [[Tagan Heights]], forming Devastator to battle the [[Wrecker]]s. Hopelessly outmatched by the giant, the Wreckers were bailed out when the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] chose to disobey the accord and aid them, merging into Defensor to give Devastator a run for his money. {{storylink|Escalation}} The resultant clash of titans destabilized the surrounding area, but in the end, Defensor realized he couldn't beat Devastator with strength. While the Wreckers stepped into distract the Decepticon, Defensor split back up into the individual Protectobots, and plugged Devastator into the local power grid, hitting him with a massive electrical shock that overloaded his combination system and forced him to separate. {{Storylink|Devastation}}

In 2002, when the Decepticons returned to menace Earth after a period of inactivity courtesy of the schemes of [[Robert Hallo]] and [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], Devastator played the central role in the grand display of destruction a furious Megatron unleashed upon humanity. At Megatron's command, Devastator disembarked the Decepticons' temporary base in the [[Northwest Territories]], walking along the seabed down the west coast of North America, heading for [[San Francisco]], destroying a US Navy submarine along the way. [[File:DW devastator.jpg|left|thumb|300px]] Bursting from the waters of San Francisco Bay, the absolutely gigantic Devastator immediately set to work putting the city to ruin, until confronted by Superion. Devastator speedily triumphed in the battle that followed, reducing the Autobot combiner to his component Aerialbots, {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} then turned on the other Autobots who had arrived, stomping Trailbreaker flat despite his [[force field]] and slamming [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] between his monolithic palms. To no-one's surprise, it was Optimus Prime who was finally able to take the giant down, ramp-jumping to his head-height in vehicle mode so that he could shot him point-blank in the face, blowing much of his head and shoulders to bits and sending him toppling into the waters below. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}}

''Over the following months, Starscream had the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] secretly rebuild Devastator and the Constructicons without Megatron's knowledge. When Megatron vanished off the face of the Earth, Starscream took the opportunity to bring his secret weapon back into the light. Devastator made his return debut in the canyons of Nevada, where Starscream led the unwitting Autobot named [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] right into a blast from Devastator's [[solar energy rifle]]. He was a major force in Starscream's control of [[Las Vegas]] as well, and battled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] when the Dinobot commander attempted to free the city from Decepticon domination. {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}}''

''When Megatron returned from deep space, Devastator unhesitatingly remained at Starscream's side, and was prepared to tear his former leader limb from limb at Starscream's command. When the Decepticons split into two factions between Megatron and Starscream, the Constructicons were steadfastly loyal to Starscream. They were captured, along with the rest of Starscream's men, when the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] settled in Las Vegas. Trapped inside an energy net, Devastator tried to bludgeon his way out at first, until [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] convinced the Constructicons to separate so they could dig their way out from underneath the field. Once they were freed, the Constructicons reformed Devastator as the Autobots and Decepticons united in an attempt to destroy the Keepers before the American government carried out the final solution and nuked Las Vegas off the map. Didn't work—the xenophobic [[President of the United States|President]] jumped the gun and fired off the nuclear missile early in the hopes of eliminating the Transformers as well as the Keepers. Still, the impending nuclear holocaust wasn't enough to deter Devastator's one-track mind, and he continued to hunt down the Keeper-possessed [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (since that was the one Autobot [[Starscream (G1)|mommy]] and [[Megatron (G1)|daddy]] would let him destroy at the moment). During the fight, the Keepers managed to trap Devastator and his massive comrade [[Omega Sentinel (G1)|Omega Sentinel]] outside a protective field, while they engaged the smaller Transformers inside. This eventually meant that Devastator was too far away to be protected by Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-constructed shields when the nuclear missiles finally struck. The combined Constructicons suffered massive damage as a result. {{storylink|Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation}}''

[[File:DWG1ongoing0 devastators remains.jpg|thumb|300px]]
''In the aftermath of the nuclear assault on Las Vegas, the Constructicons were trapped permanently in their Devastator form as a result of their injuries. Devastator was present in the Nevada desert when the American military forces ambushed the Autobots and Decepticons. After that, Megatron sent him and Omega Sentinel to keep watch on the Void gateway being built on [[Allister Greaves]]' property to allow the Keepers back into normal space. Optimus Prime and Megatron soon joined them there, and began the final battle against the Keepers' pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]], and his puppets Bluestreak and Starscream. Devastator attempted to swat Starscream out of the sky, but eventually stopped when the Keepers' power faded and Starscream returned to his ever-so-likeable self. Instead, he was forced to contend with the far more formidable Omega Sentinel, who had broken free from Megatron's control and returned to his original Guardian programming. Ultimately, the Omega Sentinel sacrificed himself to stop the Keepers by plunging into the Void, and pulled Devastator with him. When the Keepers' control crystal was shattered, the Void was destroyed and Devastator fell back out into real space. He floated in the vacuum between Mars and Jupiter, in deep stasis lock. A secret American space venture, the starship ''[[Bounty]]'', happened across the gigantic Decepticon on their mission, and made plans to bring him back to Earth. {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}}''

Devastator eventually fell into the hands of [[Earth Defense Command]], and was being studied at their secret bunker. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[File:GIJoevsTF5 Devastator wrecked.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|No Bumblebee... 'twas beauty killed the beast.]]
The Constructicons formed Devastator to defend the [[SPS Satellite]] control center on [[Cobra Island]] from the attacking Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]]. After telling the [[Cobra]] troops that he'd help them since he hated Autobots just as much as he hated humans, Devastator killed [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] with a single shot from his gun. Unfortunately, this angered the Autobot's friends, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who attacked Devastator along with a squad of human tanks. The combiner was overrun by their numbers and was defeated after having his left arm blown off. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

For the remainder of the battle, Devastator's body was used as cover by human troops as they continued the fight against Cobra and the Decepticons. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}
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===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:AHM2Devastator.jpg|thumb|225px|"Has anyone seen my chestplate?"]]
Shortly before the outbreak of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]—a student of the creator of [[combiner|gestalt technology]], [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]—was brought into the Decepticon ranks for the express purpose of using his master's teachings to develop a combiner for the faction. He accepted with the caveat that the process was likely to take a ''very'' long time. {{storylink|Shockwaves}} Indeed, it would be millions of years before [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] had his gestalt warrior; in the year that followed the thwarting of the [[Expansion]], the scientifically-minded [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] finished Shockwave's work, successfully granting the Constructicons the ability to combine into Devastator. Where previous experiments with combination had struggled to unite the minds involved in the process, the Constructicons' shared appetite for destruction allowed Devastator to remain relatively mentally stable, if angry. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

When the Decepticons initiated the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], striking at Autobot outposts across the galaxy simultaneously, Devastator was a key component of the squadron himself led to [[Earth]], where he made short work of the local Autobot unit, who were exiled back to Cybertron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} The Decepticons then began conquering the planet, starting with [[New York City]]; Devastator cut off the human population's means of escape by wading into the waters around the city and destroying the bridges and tunnels. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}}

In time, the apparent lack of direction Megatron had for the Decepticons after their conquest of Earth caused a schism in their ranks, and Devastator sided with Starscream, attacking and attempting to kill Megatron. Their fight was soon interrupted by the arrival of jets from the European Union, which Devastator had to fight off. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} A much greater opponent then appeared in the form of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], who arrived with all the exiled Autobots and engaged Devastator in battle. With buildings being shattered by their titantic clash, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] ordered Omega to move the battle with Devastator to a safer area. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Omega responded by hauling the combiner out into the bay, where he slammed him against the [[Statue of Liberty]] and blasted him through the chest, taking him out and leaving to sink into the waters below. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

[[File:IDWongoing28 devastator and sunstreaker.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb]]
Several years later, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] tracked Scrapper down and killed him to make sure Devastator could never be formed again. {{storylink|Scrapper (issue)|Scrapper}} This did not prove as permanent a solution as first appeared, however: after the Decepticons liberated Scrapper's body from [[Skywatch]] {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man|The Demolished Man}} they were summoned back to Cybertron for a battle with the Autobots, where the Constructicons proved capable of combining with Scrapper's corpse. The resultant Devastator suffered from a "dead leg" that he could not move properly, allowing the Autobots to outrun him, and his other leg was also soon taken out of the equation when [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] tricked the giant into stomping on his explosive-laden wheelchair. Just as the giant was about to crush him with his fists instead, he was mentally taken over by [[D-Void]] and forced to merge with all other Decepticons and [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s [[Sweep]] army to form the "[[Deceptigod]]". {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings}}

The defeat of D-Void was followed by the reversion of Cybertron into a primordial wilderness into which Megatron fled, leaving the leaderless Decepticons—the Constructicons among them—to live in the rebuilt [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], under the unstable governance of Bumblebee. Megatron soon discovered that the combination of [[Ore-13]] and [[space bridge]] technology in his new body allowed him to tap the energies from within Cybertron that D-Void had used to create the Deceptigod, and in this force's ability to subjugate individual will and facilitate combination, he saw the means to finally perfect the combination process. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} [[File:IDWRID14 prowlstator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|"Nothing is more of a prick than Devastator, nothing!"]] Megatron tested his theories upon the Aerialbots, fusing them into "The Superion", and also secretly conspired with several of the Decepticons in Iacon, allowing Bombshell to experiment with the energies, with which he seized control of the mind of the Autobot police officer [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]. Faking both his own death and those of the Constructicons, {{storylink|Devisive}} Bombshell withdrew them all to Prowl's [[Black Room]], where the Constructicons' bodies were rebuilt to the specifications of a new, modular Devastator design that moved Hook to Scrapper's old position as right leg, and would allow others built with compatible forms to serve as the combiner's head. The intent was for Megatron himself to become Devastator's new head, but rather than risk his own mind and body in a test run, it was arranged for the mind-controlled Prowl to become part of Devastator first, to ensure the process worked.

When Megatron returned to Iacon and his plan went into action, the Constructicons and Prowl combined into the new and improved Devastator, under the complete control of Bombshell via Prowl. Under Megatron's orders, the revamped Devastator proceeded to destroy Autobot High Command with the sweep of a hand. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} The giant then continued on to the Iacon med-centre, which he also devastated, before menacing the Autobots, NAILs, and disillusioned Decepticons trying to defend it. Superion arrived from Cybertron's wilderness and proceeded to engage Devastator in combat, and two giants' battle continued for some time until, elsewhere, Bombshell was stabbed through the head by [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. With his controlling influence gone, Devastator fell into a stupor, just as Prowl—his mind still partially aware within the combiner—turned his thoughts to the one thing he and the five Constructicons agreed on: a hatred of Spike Witwicky. This unifying idea caused Devastator to reawaken, now of one mind, and with just one goal: to never be controlled ever again. With that, Devastator grabbed Superion, tore the combined Autobot in half, {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} and proceeded to destroy everything he saw. However, the giant was surprised when [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] got a boost up onto his shoulders and began to call out to Prowl inside his mind. After some well-placed punches and a speech from the Autobot veteran on the topic of free will and personal change, Prowl wrestled enough control to cause Devastator to tear off his own head, spontaneously un-combining the gestalt. Shortly afterwards, Megatron attempted to reform the combiner, this time with himself as its head, but the well-timed activation of a stasis field secretly built into the Decepticon leader's spark casing by the late [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] stopped the process in its tracks. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:G1commercial devastator.jpg|thumb]]
*Masquerading as construction vehicles, the Constructicons horrified their human operators by revealing their true nature. As their human drivers bailed out and fled, the team combined into Devastator, who crashed his fists together, creating a surge of energy that crackled all the way through his gigantic body. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1|Constructicons commercial}}
*Causing chaos at a construction site, the Constructicons merged into Devastator, who created a huge fissure by stabbing a girder into the ground. The Dinobots emerged from the crevasse, and Grimlock seized Devastator's leg with his jaws and threw the combiner aside. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 2|G2 Constructicons & Dinobots commercial}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''DreamMix TV World Fighters''===
[[File:DreamMix-Devastator.jpg|thumb|left]]
Devastator was an onlooker in one of the arenas where the combatants of the [[DreamMix TV]] ''[[World Fighters]]'' program did battle. {{storylink|DreamMix TV World Fighters}}
{{-}}

===''Sector Seven'' ARG===
[[File:SectorSeven devastator cgi.jpg|thumb]]
User jayeljay posted a photograph of a [[Non-Biological Extraterrestrial]] to the [[Stop Sector Seven]] website, noting its similarity to Devastator as he appeared in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|1980s cartoon series]] [[Sector Seven]] had developed as part of their [[Hungry Dragon]] initiative. {{storylink|Sector Seven (game)|Sector Seven ARG}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1devastator toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Devastator was here first, Scramble-boys!]]
*'''Devastator''' (Giftset, 1985/1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''37'''
**''Accessories:'' Robot head, head laser, 2 forearms/launchers, 2 fists, 2 drills, "super wing" chest plate, "missile mount" hip connector, "wing" pelvis armor, "magna laser"/"solar energy rifle", individual robot guns, Mixmaster's 2 missiles

:The first [[combiner]] toy in the ''Transformers'' toyline, Devastator originated in [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s [[pre-Transformer]]s ''[[Diaclone]]'' toyline, where he was the unnamed combined form of the "Construction Vehicle Robo" team. He is created by assembling all six Constructicons, who, unlike the later [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style combiners, cannot be rearranged into other configurations. The large pieces of vehicle-mode weaponry the Constructicons came with form important connector pieces for the giant robot—in particular, his forearms are the missile launchers that came with Scavenger and Bonecrusher. These launchers can be equipped with silver-chrome drill attachments instead of his fists, but their spring-loaded firing mechanism was severely weakened by [[Hasbro]] [[for safety reasons]]. He is armed with Mixmaster's magna laser, though his own [[bio]] identifies his weapon as a solar energy rifle.

:In the United States, Canada and Japan, the Constructicons were originally available both sold separately on individual blister cards (with the additional Devastator parts split up between them) and as a boxed [[Giftset|gift set]] of all six. On the European continent, the individual Constructicons were first released individually by Hasbro subsidiary [[Milton Bradley]] in 1985 (with a giftset rumored to exist, but with no proof as of yet<ref name="mbredtr">[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/eurous/mb_template.html "Milton Bradley and the red TF Tracks"] at TF-1.com.</ref><ref name="mbcollection">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/transformers/mb-transformers-collection/ "MB Transformers Collection"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>), then re-released in 1986 by Hasbro proper, this time in a ''yellow'' coloration manufactured by [[Joustra]].<ref name="frenchcon">[http://tfsource.com/blog/french-connection/ "French Connection"] at the TF Source blog.</ref><ref name="europestrange">[http://tfsource.com/blog/europes-strangest-attractions/ "Europe's Strangest Attractions"] at the TF Scource blog.</ref><ref name="frenchconst">[http://www.fredsworkshop.com/vjap6.html "French TFs: G1 Yellow Constructicons"] at Fred's Workshop.</ref> These figures are not to be confused with the yellow European Constructicons released in 1992, who featured grey parts and could not combine into Devastator, nor with the yellow ''Generation 2'' Constructicons (see below), who lacked the [[rubsign]]s and forearm-launcher tabs that this version featured.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Decepticon/Devastator/devastator.htm More information on Devastator at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{Anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[File:ActionMaster Devastor.gif|upright=1.66|thumb|Scorpulator, alligator.]]
*'''Devastator with Scorpulator''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories'': "Magnifier Blaster"

:A non-transforming action figure compatible with any other [[Action Master]] vehicle or accessory, Devastator's sculpt is based largely on his original [[Character model|animation model]], but with a great many toy-based elements added for extra detail. Most notably, his head is based on the toy instead of the very different animation model. Released in the second wave of carded Action Master figures, Devastator came with his small animal [[Action Master partner|partner]], [[Scorpulator]], who transformed into an acid spray gun that Devastator could wield and a "Gripper Backpack" that plugged into Devastator's back.

:As an [[Action Master]], Devastator received a set of Power Plans, viewable [[:File:Devastator Power Plans.jpg|here]]. Not surprisingly, none of his listed parts line up with those found in the STARS manual (see notes). [[:File:1990protoactionmasters.jpg|A prototype of Action Master Devastator]] features a different head coloration.[[File:1990protoactionmasters.jpg|1px]]

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Decepticon/Devastator/devastator.htm More information on Action Master Devastator at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[File:G2Devastator toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|So neon and Playskoolish, even though real construction vehicles are yellow.]]
*'''Devastator''' (1993)
**''Accessories:'' Robot head, head laser, 2 forearms/launchers, 2 fists, 2 drills, "super wing" chest plate, "missile mount" hip connector, "wing" pelvis armor, "magna laser"/"solar energy rifle", individual robot guns, Mixmaster's 2 missiles

:[[Redeco]]s of all six Constructicons were released individually as part of the first assortments of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' products, now colored yellow like the European version from 1986. They were not identical to that earlier version, however: they featured a lighter purple plastic, lacked rubsigns, had all their spring-loaded accessories (such as Devastator's forearms) [[retool]]ed to remove the firing [[gimmick]] completely, and both Hook and Bonecrusher featured a ''Generation 2''-style Decepticon [[insignia|logo]] and the word "DECEPTICON" [[tampograph]]ed on them. Aside from that, ''Generation 2'' Devastator was functionally identical to his ''Generation 1'' predecessor.

:Famously, a later—and seemingly less common—run of the figures changed the yellow plastics to rich orange. Unverified rumors claim that this version of the team was exclusive to [[KB Toys]] stores. Whatever the case, neither color version was available as a gift set.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Decepticon/Devastator/devastator.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Devastator at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Classics===
[[File:Devastatorclassics.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|And then there were five.]]
*'''Constructicon Devastator''' (Multi-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Two claw [[energon weapon]]s, two pincer energon weapons

:''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Devastator is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' combiner [[Constructicon Maximus]]. As this mold is a five-bot combiner in the "Scramble City" style, rather than Devastator's traditional six, the team now consists only of Scavenger (redecoed from [[Steamhammer (Energon)|Steamhammer]]), Scrapper, Bonecrusher (both redecoed from the [[Sledge (Energon)|Sledge]]/[[Bonecrusher (Energon)|Bonecrusher]] mold), Long Haul and enigmatic new member [[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]] (redecoed from the [[Duststorm (Energon)|Duststorm]]/[[Wideload (Energon)|Wideload]] mold). Hightower replaces Mixmaster and Hook, but his bio combines elements of both the missing members', leading to some interesting speculation.

:Scavenger forms Devastator's main body, while the other four robots attach via universal connectors to form any of his limbs, using their energon weapon accessories to form clawed hands and feet for their combined form. Being a redeco, this of course means Devastator's components can also connect with any of the other combiner robots from the ''Energon'' series. Devastator was only available in a full five-pack, [[exclusive]] to Wal-Mart stores.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/ClassicsConstructiconDevastator/constructicondevastator.htm More information on ''Classics'' Devastator at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
[[File:G1toy encore devastator.jpg|thumb|300px]]
*'''Devastor''' (Gift Set, 2011)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''20'''
**''Accessories:'' Robot head, head laser, 2 forearms/launchers, 2 fists, 2 drills, "super wing" chest plate, "missile mount" hip connector, "wing" pelvis armor, "magna laser"/"solar energy rifle", individual robot guns, Mixmaster's 2 missiles, 6 biocards for the component Constructrons, 1 biocard of Devastar

:The Devastor Gift Set was made available once more as part of TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' series of reissues. Apparently cast from a newly created set of molds, (given the presence of a Tomy copyright stamp rather than the original Hasbro/Takara one) the team feature numerous small difference from the original toys, though none that serve to change Devastator's appearance in any significant way.
{{-}}

[[File:G1toy encore anime devastator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Shown here without consumer-applied [[sticker]]s, for maximum cartoon-accurate effect!]]
*'''Devastor (Anime Color Ver.)''' (Gift Set, 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''20A'''
**''Accessories:'' Robot head, head laser, 2 forearms/launchers, 2 fists, 2 drills, "super wing" chest plate, "missile mount" hip connector, "wing" pelvis armor, "magna laser"/"solar energy rifle", individual robot guns, Mixmaster's 2 missiles,1 biocard for Devastor reflecting the changes of his appearance

:Initially solicited as a "yellow version", this second ''Encore'' release of Devastator instead proved to be a redeco and retool based upon the character's appearance in the original ''Generation 1'' cartoon. All six figures feature assorted different paint details such as painted red optics, most notably a brighter, more yellowish-green plastic color, painted torso (for Gren and Mixmaster), and a purple mixing drum for Mixmaster; Devastor now comes with black forearms, and most significantly, a new headsculpt based on the cartoon's visored look. His package art is modified to reflect these changes, and an additional window is added to the box to showcase his new noggin in-package.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
[[File:Devastator decoy.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Destron Hero Collection 22''' (multi-pack, 1986)
:Devastator was among the many characters rendered by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] as part of their series of 1.5" soft rubber ''keshigomu'' figurines. Like all the figures in the series, Devastator featured a number sculpted into his back that was the sum total of his [[Tech Spec]]s, for use in the various games that could be played with the figurines. He was available in purple as part of a 22-piece box set of Decepticon figures, in peach as part of various other randomly-packed box sets released by Takara subsidiary [[Seven]], and in a wide variety of different colors in "gachapon" capsule machines.

*'''Devastator''' (1987)
**''Decoy number:'' '''48'''

:The Devastator figurine was later brought over to [[Hasbro]] markets as part of the [[Decoy]] promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Decepticon Decoys, he was cast in purple and available as a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] and [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. Very early in the promotion, a red version of Devastator was also available, which was packaged ''only'' with the Throttlebots; unsurprisingly, this version is much rarer.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Decoys/Devastator/devastator.htm More information on Decoy Devastator at TFU.info]''

===Hard Hero===
[[File:Devastatorbust.jpg|thumb|"Duh, gee Devastator, how you gonna get through these bars? I dunno, moron, suppose I devastate them? Duh, ok!"]]
*'''Devastator''' (Bust, 2003)

:This bust of Devastator was released by [[Hard Hero]], and was based on his G1 cartoon appearance. The eighth release in their main bust series, Devastator was limited to 3500 pieces, with an additional 100 specially signed by the sculptor.
{{-}}

===Super Collection Figure===
[[File:HOC Devastator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|DEVASTATOR... JUST WANT TO... SIIIIIIIIIIIIING!]]
*'''Devastor''' (Super Collection Figure, 2001)
**''Accessories:'' Display stand
: A three-inch tall PVC figure based on the cartoon rendition of Devastator was part of the fifth wave of TakaraTomy's ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like the other figures in the wave, Devastator was available in both full-color and metallic silver "pewter" versions, at a ratio of one each per case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. In eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of the figure came packed with the waist and tail for the wave's collectable [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] "build-a-figure".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Destron/PewterDevastor/devastor.htm More information on pewter Devastor at TFU.info]''

===Heroes of Cybertron===
*'''Constructicon Devastator''' (Heroes of Cybertron, 2003)

:This Hasbro-released version of the SCF Devastator figure uses the same sculpt, but is molded in red translucent plastic and painted over to allow for a [[light-piping]] gimmick in its eyes. The figure was sold on an individual blister card rather than blindpacked, and came with a collector card and the left arm for the [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] build-a-figure.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Decepticon/HoCDevastator/devastator.htm More information on ''Heroes of Cybertron'' Devastator at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 1 Figure-Collection===
[[File:Bottlecap devastator.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Devastor''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-4'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

:At only one inch in height, this Devastator "bottlecap" figurine (so named because its display base is the size of a bottlecap) was one of fourteen blindpacked figures available in Kabaya's Transformers [[Generation 1 Figure-Collection]]. The figure was rendered in a "retro" black and white color scheme, and came with a leaflet, personalized with cartoon screen captures.
::*''[http://snakas.web.fc2.com/misc_item/kabaya_bottle.htm More information on the Generation 1 collection at Autobase Aichi]''
{{-}}

===KT Figure Collection===
[[File:Kt devastator.jpg|thumb|He looks so happy!]]
*'''Devastator''' (KT Figure Collection, 2004)

:Devastator features as part of [[Kaiyodo]] and Takara's [[KT Figure Collection]], appearing in a small diorama figure that recreates the scene from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' of him ripping through the walls of Autobot City, with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] added into the mix. Designed by [[Yuki Ohshima]], the figure was available in an individually-sold blindpacked box, or as part of a complete box set of all five figures from the series and came with a card featuring some artwork of Devastator from [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s [[Prime Directive issue 5|''Prime Directive'' #5]].
{{-}}

===Palisades===
[[File:Palisades Devastator.jpg|thumb|Brother, won't you spare a dime?]]
*'''Devastator''' (Statue, 2006)

:Standing at over a foot tall, [[Palisades Toys]]' statue of Devatator was one of the final products released by the company before it folded. It was limited to only 421 pieces, and in a cute touch, came disassembled in box, requiring the buyer to "combine" the legs and arms with the torso to ready Devastator for display on his large Decepticon insignia base.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:PreDevastator.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|This is why "revisions" exist.]]
[[File:G1DevastatorHeads.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Shades optional.]]
[[File:STARSDevastator.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|His crotch is a "shock absorber". Make of that what you will.]]
*The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] [[production bible|series bible]] contains two descriptions of each Constructicon, and half of them were typed referring to their combined form as "'''The Destructoid'''". This was then crossed out by hand, with "Devastator" written above.
*Devastator's (or rather, his ''[[Diaclone]]'' counterpart's) concept design was decidedly less imposing than the final. Interestingly, it is only composed of five components, the core being a long-nosed truck cab.
*Devastator had two different [[character model]]s in the original ''Transformers'' cartoon; at the least, he had two different head designs, one with a visor and one without. Sometimes his head would change designs within a single episode—the "visorless" look is how he appeared for the majority of "[[Heavy Metal War]]", but he appears with his visor on in a few shots. While both head designs would continue to be used (almost at random) in subsequent episodes, the visored design was used for his dramatic scene in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', and thus seems to have "won out"; it appears on all modern Devastator merchandise.
*As it was most commonly flanged and synthesized in the Generation 1 cartoon, Devastator's voice carries one or more slightly-offset repeats of itself, presumably intended to convey the idea that he's made up of several individuals.
*Devastator received a [[Power Plans]]-esque diagram in the [[S.T.A.R.S.]] [[Tech-Spec Manual]], which named various components of his body in... somewhat unusual ways. Notably, [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]'s shovel (and thus Devastator's foot) is listed as a "rotational angle adjuster", while [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]'s shovel (part of Devastator's shoulder) is listed as "coolant".
*In later years, toys sporting the name "Devastator" required an additional "Constructicon" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Constructicon Devastator'''".

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Devastor''' (デバスター ''Debasutā'')
*''French:'' '''Dévastateur''' (Canada)
*''German:'' '''Vernichter''' (''Generation 2'')
*''Hebrew:'' '''Mash'midán''' (משמידן, "Annihilator")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Pusztító''' ("Destroyer", Marvel Comics), '''A Halálosztó''' ("The Deathbringer", first ''The Movie'' dub), '''Mega-robot''', '''A Pusztító''' (both from the second ''The Movie'' dub)
*''Italian:'' '''Uragan''' (Action Master)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hǔei-mìeh Chě''' (Taiwan, 毀滅者, "Devastator"), '''Róu-lìn Chě''' (Taiwan, 蹂躪者, "Devastator"), '''Dà Lì Shén''' (China, 大力神, "Hercules")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Devastador'''
*''Russian:'' '''Rasroushitel''' (Разрушитель, "Devastator")

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Constructicons]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Zone Decepticons]]

Bruticus (G1)

2014-03-30T18:44:06Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2}}
{{disambig3|Bruticus}}
:''Bruticus is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:Bruticusg1guido.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''They all combine and kick Superion's behind'' ''As the big, bad, battlin' Bruticus!'']]
'''Bruticus''' is the combined form of the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] team. A terrifying sight on the battlefield, Bruticus is among the strongest of all Transformers. He can pulverize a suspension bridge with a single 14,000 psi punch. He can lift up to 500,000 pounds. His armor is impervious to most artillery and radiation.

He's also dumb as a sack of hammers. But as far as Decepticon combiners go, [[Devastator (G1)|that's]] [[Menasor (G1)|not]] [[Abominus (G1)|a]] [[Predaking (G1)|problem]]. In fact, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] wishes that he had an army of Bruticuses, and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is thankful that he doesn't.

Bruticus is composed of:

*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (leader)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]
*[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Roger C. Carmel]] (English), [[Yū Shimaka|Yutaka Shimaka]] (Japanese) |[[Edgar Wald]] (Spanish), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, "Fight or Flee", "The Burden Hardest to Bear"), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, ''Generation 2'' "Starscream's Brigade", "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Fight or Flee")}}

[[File:Bruticus cartoon.jpg|left|135px|thumb|"Bruticus crush... Bruticus destroy human who draw Bruticus wrong!"]]
Bruticus became active for the first time during a battle between [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s rogue Decepticon brigade and Megatron's forces. Anticipating [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s expected moves, he waited for his former leader to order the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to merge into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Starscream then unleashed his surprise—he similarly ordered the Combaticons to form the mighty Bruticus. Though extremely low in intelligence, even by the standards of combined robots, he was also extremely powerful, easily defeating Devastator and sending the remaining Decepticons loyal to Megatron into retreat. Unfortunately, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] arrived and formed [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], who launched an attack from behind, quickly subduing Bruticus. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[File:Revenge of bruticus 2 threratenShockwave.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"Bruticus want be drawn proper!"]]
Starscream and the Combaticons were banished from [[Earth]] on an asteroid, and the group quickly had a falling-out. After Starscream left, the Combaticons attacked [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], easily defeating [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his drones. Thirsting for revenge, the Combaticons reprogrammed the [[space bridge]] to pull Earth closer to the Sun, in the hopes of destroying it and every Transformer there. The Autobots and Decepticons temporarily joined forces to retake Cybertron and prevent Earth's destruction, and with Starscream's help, they deactivated the Combaticons once they formed Bruticus through a failsafe device built into the treacherous giant's back. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron agreed that Bruticus must be destroyed, but the Decepticon leader fooled the Autobots by using Shockwave's holographic simulator to make it appear as though Bruticus was destroyed, when in reality the combiner was reprogrammed to be loyal only to Megatron. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:Revenge of bruticus 16 brains.jpg|left|135px|thumb|"See! Bruticus head not empty!"]]
Soon afterwards, during Megatron's latest scheme on Earth involving the theft of fighter aircraft using Middle-Eastern criminals, the Combaticons were called into service to defend Megatron's [[Giant Purple Griffin]], a large... thing that apparently pumped oil. Or something. Struggling against the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], the Combaticons formed Bruticus, yet were still knocked over when the Autobot planes twisted a tow cable around his legs. The Decepticon combiner was finally defeated when the Aerialbots ignited the nearby oil wells, causing a massive explosion that sent Megatron, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and Bruticus flying away. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

Later, Bruticus was walking down the street, minding his own business (i.e. attacking a human city) when BAM! Bruticus was destroyed in battle with [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (man, this guy can't seem to catch a break). Only Swindle survived, and he sold the remains of his comrades to various mercenaries and [[El Presidente|third-world dictator-types]], only to be forced to locate and rebuild the Combaticons by Megatron. The reformed Bruticus was then defeated when Megatron's [[orbit disruptor cannon]] was overloaded by the human-built [[B.O.T. (robot)|B.O.T.]], once again sending the Decepticon flying into the sky. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[File:Bruticus punch planebot.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"Bruticus punch planebot so hard, make artist draw all over cel!"]]
For some reason, in the year 2006 the Combaticons were idly hanging around as Bruticus during the Decepticon occupation of [[Paradron]]. He served as something of a comic foil for [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], acting as straight-man while Galvatron delivered witticisms that were completely lost on the giant warrior. Also... that old line about "losing your head if you weren't attached to it"? Apparently, you can lose a foot even if it was attached, because [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] was seen manning a molecular cannon while Bruticus was in the control room with Galvatron. If you don't watch those feet, they just run right off on their own. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

During a Decepticon invasion of Japan, Bruticus was battling Defensor near a dojo. He enraged his opponent by negligently putting the humans in danger with their combat and, once [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] arrived to back up Defensor, Bruticus split into the individual Combaticons and fled. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

Invading [[Gregory Swofford|Swofford]] and [[Mark Morgan|Morgan]]'s lab, Bruticus was the first Decepticon infected by the [[Hate Plague]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
{{-}}

=====''Wings Universe''=====
{{wingsnote}}
Combination technology was something the [[Decepticon Warlord]] [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] had long tinkered with, since the days of his fortress in [[Gygax]]. Although his early experiments were discontinued thanks to the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Autobot Elite Guard]], he remained interested in the idea, and eventually found the perfect means to implement it. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 36|Bruticus's ''Wings Universe'' profile}}

When the Combaticons were swayed to joining forces with Deathsaurus they received various upgrades. They demonstrated the most potent of these upgrades when they were surrounded by their former comrades in the Elite Guard and combined into Bruticus. The combiner then proceeded to crush their former commanding officer Sentinel Major with one mighty hand. This prompted the other Elite Guardsmen to attack in search of vengeance. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 5}}

Tragically for the Guard, Bruticus proved to be virtually unstoppable and easily wiped out several of the Elite Guard teams before [[Metalhawk]]'s Strike Team arrived. Despite the heroic efforts of [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] and [[Over-Run (G1)|Over-Run]], Bruticus quickly slew them before [[Dion]] managed to blind the mighty combiner and force him to separate. This forced the Combaticons to retreat, but not before killng Metalhawk as well. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 6}}

The Combaticons underwent repairs at Deathsaurus's base, but shocked to learn that the repairs included a remote activation for their combination into Bruticus. The combiner, confused and still blinded from his battle, lashed out at the Constructicons repairing him, and they were forced to use the override they'd fitted to stop the giant in his tracks. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} During the battle to defend the base against the Elite Guard, the Combaticons again attempted to form Bruticus, only to be promptly blasted. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}}

====Scramble City====
{{voiceactor|[[Yū Shimaka]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:SCcelMenSupBrut.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Et tu, Bruticus?]]
In 1986, the Autobots and their human allies worked diligently on their "Scramble City" project, a giant mobile fortress. Several Decepticons under the command of Starscream were dispatched to attack the secret construction site, but were defeated by the Aerialbots. Due to Starscream's failure to stop the Aerialbots, the Stunticons were quickly sent in, and soon in the battle formed Menasor. Menasor managed to corrupt Superion's formation by shooting one of ''his own'' limbs onto his opponent, rendering Superion vulnerable. However, he was soon stopped, and Superion regained his balance. Eventually, the Combaticons came in to help Menasor (though not willingly), forming Bruticus. The two tag-teamed against Superion, but were both stopped when [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City itself]] was brought into battle to end the conflict. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}
{{-}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michitaka Kobayashi]] (Japanese), [[Ryōichi Tanaka]] (Japanese, ep 13)}}

[[File:HeadOn RaidenVsBruticus.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Bruticus duel with light... poles."]]
Bruticus joined up with several other Decepticon combiners during a Decepticon assault on Cybertron, {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} but they were all driven away by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} When the Combaticons were sent out to stop [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] from finding the [[Matrix of Leadership]], they clashed with the Protectobots again. Both teams combined, but Defensor eventually blasted the mountain behind Bruticus, who was buried in the ensuing rockfall. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} While defending [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] against intruders, the Combaticons formed Bruticus to fight back against the incoming [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Bruticus scuffled with Defensor yet again during a new attack on Cybertron, {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} but was defeated by a flying punch to the neck. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}} Next up, Bruticus was set with ambushing any Autobots who came to stop [[buridanka|a giant carnivorous plant]] planted by the Decepticons in [[San Francisco]]. When the [[Trainbot]]s arrived, Bruticus and [[Raiden]] did battle with energy swords. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

Bruticus was formed by the Combaticons as part of Sixshot's major strike on Earth. He attacked an Autobot outpost as four other outposts were being assaulted simultaneously by the other Decepticons. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

On the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], Bruticus later helped a group of Decepticons lead Fortress Maximus away from their base. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Later, back on Earth, he stood by and laughed as [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] sank the luxury liner ''[[Queen World]]'' off the coast of Lisbon, Portugal. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} Finally, Bruticus participated in the large-scale battle with the Autobots at the North Pole, and was seen holding down [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] so [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] could kick him. When [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s energy-absorbing satellite started tearing the Earth apart, Bruticus retreated into the atmosphere to watch the results alongside the rest of the Decepticon forces. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Zone''====
Over fifteen years later, after several more Decepticon leaders had come and gone, the faction came under the rulership of the supernatural entity [[Violen Jiger]]. This mysterious creature's first action was to recruit a team of [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] from Decepticon history; Bruticus was enlisted as his "Flame General" and outfitted with new armor and weaponry to make him even more powerful than before. The generals were charged with acquiring the two objects needed for Violen Jiger's ultimate goal: the Autobot super-fuel [[Energon Z]], and the enigmatic, life-giving energy source, the [[Zodiac]].

{{note|By the time of ''Zone'', Japanese cartoon continuity had already branched off in two similar but distinct directions a few years beforehand. One branch was depicted in the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''Zone'' animated series, while the other was told through their respective [[manga]] and [[story page]]s as published in ''[[TV Magazine]]''. As such, there are two discrete versions of the ''Zone'' story that both spin out of the cartoon timeline, detailed individually below.}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Yukimasa Kishino]] (Japanese)

Bruticus was selected by [[Violen Jiger]] as one of his Nine Great Demon Generals, given the rank of Flame General and rebuilt with more powerful armor and weaponry. However, he did jack squat with it; while he joined [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] on a raid for [[Energon Z]] on planet [[Micro|Zone]], he did not engage in battle at any time, though he was seen leaving with his comrades when the battle was over. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

=====''Zone'' comic and story pages=====
[[File:BruticusZone1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Bruticus finally drawn right... with fire."]]
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]], upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}}

Flame General Bruticus was the first to encounter the [[Autobot]]s when he attacked the planet [[Feminia]]. He was defeated by the combined might of the [[Rescue Patrol Team]], [[Super Car Patrol Team]], [[Battle Patrol|Battle Patrol Team]], [[Galaxy Rocket]] and [[Moonradar (Zone)|Moonradar]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 2}}

The Generals then united to attack planet Feminia once again, this time destroying it utterly. Violen Jiger next charged his Generals with collecting [[Energon Z]] and the all-powerful [[Zodiac]], which he intended to use to fuel his conquest. [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Bruticus and [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] attacked planet Zone, defeating the Micromaster teams and stealing their Energon Z core. The Micromasters pursued them into space, only to be stopped by [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] and his energy web. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}}

The Generals later schooled [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] and the [[Metrosquad]] in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 7}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
''In a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] saw the future, where Autobot and Decepticon [[Special Teams]] battled over Earth's resources. One such team was the Combaticons, who merged into the massive warrior, Bruticus. Unfortunately for the Autobots, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] managed to tap into this induced dream, allowing the Decepticons to see the same possibilities the Autobots did. {{storylink|Second Generation!}}''

{{note|The implication, especially in the UK comics, is that Bruticus and the Combaticons were built on Earth by the Decepticons. They were presumably brought on-line with the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s using the same Matrix-tap device [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] used to activate the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. None of this was shown on-panel, however, and some contradictions do exist.}}

[[File:Bruticus-ukcard.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|"Where Bruticus helmet go?"]]
Megatron and the Combaticons invaded [[Energy Futures Industries]] with the intent of stealing the powerful [[hydrothermocline]]. Confronted by Optimus Prime and the Protectobots, Megatron attempted to prove the superiority of his forces by ordering them to combine into... Bruticus! His gloating was cut short, however, when the Protectobots demonstrated the equally impressive ability to combine into... [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]! Fortunately for all sides, the fleshling [[Ethan Zachary]] arrived with a solution that didn't involve Bruticus and Defensor going at it until the entire complex (and the hydrothermocline) was annihilated. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

The Combaticons formed Bruticus in a northern [[California]] railyard to battle the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], who subsequently formed [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. The two soon battled to a standstill, as Bruticus's sonic stun gun proved no match for Defensor's force field, but the Decepticon eventually managed to topple his foe by smacking him around with an ''entire train''. Bruticus then noticed [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], who claimed to have left the [[Autobot]]s, and seemingly killed [[Sammy Wainwright|a child]] to prove it. Bruticus was so impressed that he didn't notice Blaster toppling a power line on him, blasting him into his component parts. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}

{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Bruticus was created in [[1939]] as part of a plot by [[Destro]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] to overthrow their [[Cobra Commander|respective]] [[Megatron (G1)|leaders]]. A fusion of human and Cybertronian technology, Bruticus had no mind of his own, and was made only to follow his creators' orders. {{storylink|Wolves}} Later, when the combined forces of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and the Autobots were moving against [[Cobra]], Destro betrayed Starscream and activated Bruticus, ordering him to destroy everyone. Screaming that he hated everything and that he only wanted to "sleep again", Bruticus went on a wild rampage and caused an avalanche. As the giant swept aside any Autobot resistance, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] deduced that Bruticus was an artificial creation and wasn't really "alive" like the other Transformers. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] saw only one way to stop him—destroying the [[Matrix of Leadership]] that was connected to the lifeforce of all Transformers. On Prime's orders, [[Snake-Eyes]] let Bruticus smash the Matrix, causing a flash of light that destroyed the raging giant. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:BlackSunshine Bruticusdamaged.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Bruticus suntan lotion no work!"]]
Mighty Bruticus created from members of [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. But then [[Optimus Prime (G1)|truckbot]] and [[Megatron (G1)|bossbot]] go away, thought killed, though not by Bruticus. Robots make [[Crisis Intervention Accord|deal]] which make Combaticons not work together. Bruticus not like deal, but components agree, forcing Bruticus to go to sleep... {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}} {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[Starscream (G1)|Starbot]] later take components to [[Earth|fleshie world]]. Bruticus defeat puny Autobots, make Starbot compliment, Bruticus happy. But bi-polar Starbot call Bruticus stupid, make Bruticus sad. Components attack [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]], and form Bruticus, but Autobots blow up base. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Starbot yell at Bruticus, but not Bruticus fault. Soon, Bruticus components damaged in battle by [[Sunstorm (G1)|Burning bot]], Starbot order components to form mighty Bruticus! Bruticus try to smash Burning bot, but Burning bot too fast. ARGH! Bruticus head blown up by [[Mini Vehicle|Little Bot]] [[Orion|spaceship]]! Bruticus go to sleep... {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

[[File:RouteofAllEvil Bruticus.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Give purse to BRUTICUS!"]]
Later, components training by fighting [[Sky Lynx (G1)|egobot]] when [[Predaking (G1)|strangebot]] interrupt. Components recognize danger, and form Mighty Bruticus! Strangebot attack Bruticus! Bruticus ANGRY! Bruticus try to stop strangebot guns, but strangebot use foot-gun to hurt Bruticus!

Coward Starbot fly away like coward. Strangebot, open wings like birdbot and chase, but Bruticus stop birdbot. Bruticus want birdbot to DIE! No! Stupid gun, broken! Birdbot hurt Bruticus again, and Bruticus go to sleep... {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{-}}
===''Alternity''===
Bruticus, amongst others, was empowered by a higher-dimensional [[Megatron (G1)#Alternity|Megatron]] in order to be pitted against a higher-dimensional [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Alternity|Optimus Prime]]'s [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|avatar]] in a cross-dimensional "game full of death and suffering". {{storylink|To Die Game!}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] searched for the truth behind [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s death, he battled Bruticus in a game of death and suffering. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}

===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons captured some of the Autobots' greatest warriors, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and Bruticus stood guard over [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] on Cybertron. They were defeated and their prisoners were rescued by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and the other freed Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:Bruticus toy.jpg|130px|thumb|"Rargh... many transform Bruticus wrong... and blame Bruticus design..."]]
*'''Bruticus''' (Multi-pack, 1986, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-69'''

: Bruticus is formed from all five Combaticon toys. The four smaller Combaticons attach via sockets in Onslaught's shoulders and the bottom of his feet. Fists and feet pads attach onto the four limbs, and Bruticus is completed with a large chest plate and a helmet covering Onslaught's head. He wields Onslaught's [[sonic stun-gun]] in battle. The gun can also be stored on his backpack using two rectangular pegs which hold the gun in place via its targeting sight. As with all [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style [[combiner]] teams, his limbs can be rearranged into any slot of one's choosing.

: In most markets, only the individual Combaticons were released, and the [[giftset]] was only available in Japan and Italy.

: The individual Combaticons were re-released in various European markets as part of the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line in 1991, and a Bruticus giftset was reissued by [[TakaraTomy]] in Japan in 2009.

: This mold was redecoed and later retooled to make ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (toyline)|Operation Combination]]'' [[Battle Gaia]], and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]''/''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Bruticus/bruticus.htm More information on Bruticus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[File:G2bruticus.jpg|130px|thumb|"Bruticus feel... pretty?"]]
*'''Onslaught''' (1994)
*'''Blast Off''' (1994)
*'''Brawl''' (1994)
*'''Swindle''' (1994)
*'''Vortex''' (1994)

: During ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' in 1994, only the individual Combaticons were released. ''Generation 2'' Bruticus is a [[redeco]] of the original Bruticus toy, or more accurately, a redeco of the entire Combaticon team. Functionally, he is nearly identical to the original toy, other than being slightly enhanced by a missile launcher (the same launcher that came with Jazz and Sideswipe) and a post-hole in Onslaught's backpack which allows the launcher to be stored there.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Bruticus/bruticus.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Bruticus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{Anchor|WFC}}
[[File:G2toy-BruticusAmazon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"You all laugh when Bruticus wear these colors before. WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!?"]]
*'''Bruticus''' (Box set, 2012)
**''Accessories'': Sonic Cannon

: This version of Bruticus comes as a gift set, [[exclusive]] to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and [[BigBadToyStore]]. Packaged in a ''Generation 2''-styled box complete with hand-painted character art, it contains [[redeco]]es of all five ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]] [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' [[Combaticon (WFC)|Combaticons]] in their Generation 1 doppelgangers' ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' colors, complete with with ''Generation 2'' Decepticon insignia.

: Preorders for the set began on [[July 6]] of 2012 via Amazon (BigBadToyStore would not put up theirs until much later), and the final product was shipped out in early/mid-November. This may be considered a tie-in to Amazon's preorder bonus for the game: a "''Generation 2''"-themed skin for Bruticus. This set was also available at normal retail in Australia.

: These molds were [[retool]]ed into ''Fall of Cybertron'' [[Ruination (FOC)|Ruination]].

{{--}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe-ROTF-toy BruticusMaximus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Why Bruticus no have hands?"]]
*'''Bruticus Maximus''' (2008)
**''Series:'' '''G1 Series'''
: ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Bruticus, now named Bruticus Maximus (presumably for [[trademark]] reasons), is a redeco of the [[Destruction Team]]/[[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] combiner from ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''. While [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] retain their previous modes of tank and helicopter respectively, [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] is now the combiner's second tank, and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] a sand-colored helicopter.

[[File:Tf universe 25th bruticus a.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb]]
:Like [[Superion (G1)#Universe (2008)|Superion]], Bruticus Maximus, despite being initially intended as a ''Universe'' [[Target]] [[exclusive]], was only released in ''Universe'' packaging in some non-American markets such as Australia and Singapore. Instead, Target stores (and Zellers stores in Canada) received an unchanged version of the toy in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' packaging, still named [[Bruticus Maximus (ROTF)|Bruticus Maximus]], with all the individual components retaining their names as well.
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Bruticus''' (2009)
:In 2009, the Generation 1 set was reissued under the ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' line, using the [[retool]]ed molds from the ''Car Robots'' and ''Robots in Disguise'' lines.

{{picsneeded|Packaged toy perhaps?}}
{{-}}

===United===
*'''Bruticus Maximus''' (2012)

:Released exclusively in Takara's Asian markets, this redeco of the ''Energon'' Bruticus Maximus set has colours similar to the previous ''Universe'' (2008)/''Revenge of the Fallen'' release, but with a much greater emphasis on G1-accuracy. Additionally, the hand/feet/weapons previously cast in translucent coloured plastic are now opaque grey.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:EuroClassicsBruticus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|First person to insert a "Don't shoot the caption" gag gets summarily banned.]]
* Much like the individual Combaticons who form him, Bruticus's animation model has a design difference from the toy. In his case, the chest plate is drawn to look like it is formed from [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]'s wings, while the rest of the shuttle forms Bruticus's arm.
* The packaging of the 1991 [[Generation 1 (European toyline)|European]] [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] release of the original Onslaught toy depicted Bruticus and the Combaticons in (mostly) new color schemes, despite the fact that the actual toys looked identical to their original releases. While it may never be known for certain, it has been theorized that these colors were the cause of an error with the hue settings of the [[stock photography|stock photos]], rather than a legitimate attempt to [[redeco]] the Combaticons.
* Several attributes of [[Action Master Elite]] [[Turbo Master]], including his face and chest plate, suggest that he was originally intended to be Bruticus. However, according to ''[[Transformers Generations]]'', at one point a non-transforming version of Action Master Bruticus was planned, which would have looked significantly different from [[Turbo Master]].
* For every version of the original Bruticus mold, the packaging art depicts the Brawl figure on backwards.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Bruticus''' (ブルーティカス ''Burūtikasu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hún Tiān Bào''' (China, 浑天豹)
*''Italian:'' '''Multiforce''' (toy)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Brutus''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Grubikus''' (Грубикус)

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

[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combaticons]]
[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Zone Decepticons]]

Combaticon (G1)

2014-03-30T18:35:30Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{disambig3|Combaticon}}
:''The Combaticons are a [[Decepticon]] [[subgroup]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:TVMGuideCombaticons.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|The Dirty Half-Dozen Minus One—from left to right Swindle, Vortex, Onslaught, Blast Off and Brawl.]]
The '''Combaticons''' are a unit of fierce Decepticon soldiers, operating with (mostly) military precision under the watchful eye of the tactically brilliant Onslaught. They sometimes operate out of [[Combaticons' headquarters|their own headquarters]].

The Combaticons consist of:
*The tactician [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (leader)
*The violent [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]
*The egotistical [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]
*The con man [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]
*The unhinged [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]

They combine to form [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]].

{{quote|We aim to maim!|Brawl tells us the basic gist of the team|"[[Spotlight: Arcee]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:Starscreams brigade 5 letsgo.jpg|center|upright=2.2|thumb|Dad's Army]]
When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] was banished from the Decepticons for Yet Another Failed Coup Against [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], he was deposited on the island of [[Guadalcanal]], the site of one of the major battles between the [[United States of America]] and [[Japan|Imperial Japan]] during [[World War II]]. There he found and rebuilt several abandoned US military vehicles to pass the time. After he finished, he decided that if Megatron can have a Decepticon army, then so can he!

After bluffing his way past [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] to use the [[space bridge]], he travelled to a [[Decepticon Detention Center|detention center]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and liberated the [[personality component]]s of several [[Renegade Decepticon|Decepticon political prisoners]] before destroying the rest. Back on [[Earth]], Starscream installed the components into the rusting military vehicles and ordered them to transform.

[[File:Combaticons group.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Swindle suddenly becomes a fervent opponent of [[scale]].]]

The reborn Combaticons were less than pleased with their "new," primitive bodies, nor were they particularly thankful to Starscream for freeing them after millions of years of imprisonment. That is, until the former Decepticon Air Commander revealed that he had neglected to install [[energy absorber]] units into their bodies, so they would have no way of refueling. As he was the only one with the knowledge and expertise to install them, he demanded their allegiance in his aim to overthrow Megatron. The Combaticons agreed to obey Starscream, for now.

[[File:Starscreams brigade 7 SSrideshoulder.jpg|155px|thumb|SQUAWK! Starscream wanna cracker!]]

Under Starscream's leadership, the Combaticons managed to capture several prisoners, then used their energy absorbers to recharge themselves at a power plant. Unfortunately, Megatron and the Decepticons attacked, while the Autobots rescued their comrades. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] formed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], who was quickly defeated by the Combaticons' much more powerful, but dull-witted combined form, Bruticus. Starscream ordered Bruticus to grab Megatron, forcing his former commander to acknowledge Starscream as the new leader of the Decepticons. Under duress, Megatron did so as the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] watched nearby. The latter group, deciding that Starscream would be too dangerous as a leader, quickly formed [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and defeated Bruticus with a single attack.

Starscream and the Combaticons were banished from Earth on a small asteroid, left to wallow in their own misery and blame each other for their failures. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[File:Revenge of bruticus 4 changing course.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Lads, we can get the scrambled channels now]]

Starscream and the Combaticons quickly had a falling-out. After Starscream left, the Combaticons attacked Cybertron, easily defeating [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his [[Sentinel (G1)|drones]]. Thirsting for revenge, Onslaught reprogrammed the space bridge to pull Earth closer to the [[Sun]], in the hopes of destroying it and every Transformer there. The Autobots and Decepticons temporarily joined forces to retake Cybertron and prevent Earth's destruction, and with Starscream's help, they deactivated the Combaticons once they formed Bruticus through a failsafe device built into the treacherous giant's back. Optimus Prime and Megatron agreed that Bruticus must be destroyed, but the Decepticon leader fooled the Autobots by using Shockwave's [[holographic projector]] to make it appear as though Bruticus was destroyed, when in reality the combiner was reprogrammed to be loyal only to Megatron. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:Revenge of bruticus 15 fakeblowup.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Care Bear Stare]]

Soon afterwards, during Megatron's latest scheme on Earth involving the theft of fighter aircraft using Middle-Eastern criminals, the Combaticons were called into service to defend Megatron's [[Giant Purple Griffin]], a large... thing that apparently pumped [[oil]]. Or something. Struggling against the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], the Combaticons formed Bruticus, yet were still knocked over when the Aerialbots twisted a tow cable around his legs. The Decepticon combiner was finally defeated when the Aerialbots ignited the nearby oil wells, causing a massive explosion that sent Megatron, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], Bruticus and gas prices flying away. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

[[File:Bruticus punch planebot.jpg|left|155px|thumb|"Bruticus punch planebot so hard, make artist draw all over cel!"]]

While attacking a human city, Bruticus was destroyed in battle with [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (man, this guy can't seem to catch a break). Only Swindle survived, and he sold the remains of his comrades to various mercenaries and [[El Presidente|third-world dictator-types]], only to be forced to locate and rebuild the Combaticons by Megatron. The reformed Bruticus was then defeated when Megatron's disruptor cannon was overloaded by the human-built [[B.O.T. (robot)|B.O.T.]], once again sending the Decepticon flying into the sky. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[File:Combaticons bruticus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Not often you can get a view of the whole team AND their combined form in a single screencap.]]

After the great battle at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], the Combaticons were among the battered Decepticon forces who withdrew to [[Chaar]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} Swindle was instrumental in negotiating an alliance with the [[Quintesson]]s; {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} the Combaticons later participated in a Quintesson-led assault on the Autobots on [[Goo 8739B|Goo]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

A lone Blast Off later attacked a [[Skuxxoid]] who was using [[death crystal]]s to blow stuff up in Decepticon territory, and forced the alien to tell him where he got the ammunition. When a group of Autobots tried to find the crystals as well, Blast Off attacked them alongside [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]]. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}} The Combaticons later failed to assassinate Decepticon exile [[Octane (G1)|Octane]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}} then succeeded in shooting up a shuttle meant to take human delegates to an interstellar peace conference. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

During a Decepticon attack on the [[Netherlands]], Swindle infiltrated [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and stole his [[transformation cog]], whilst Vortex was charged with guarding [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}} The Combaticons later participated in the assault on [[Paradron]], where they guarded the imprisoned Paradronians, among other things. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}} When the Earth was infected by the [[Hate Plague]], the Combaticons (Bruticus) were among those infected. Brawl was seen driving along the road and infecting [[Headstrong]] who, in turn, infected [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] while Vortex attacked a civilian plane on a runway. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

Under [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s directions, the Combaticons constructed a giant planetary rocket engine that was used to propel Cybertron into orbit around Earth. They also dragged away the bodies of defeated Autobots to use as fuel for the engine. Once Scorponok and Fortress Maximus began to fight the Combaticons ran away. They presumably left Cybertron with Galvatron in Scorponok {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{-}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
Bruticus arrived to help the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] fight [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] at a baseball stadium in [[Japan]]. He quickly defeated Defensor, injuring [[Hot Spot (G1)|his torso]] and preventing him from combining. In response, Superion disabled Brawl and Swindle using his [[electrostatic discharger rifle]], allowing [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] to steal their places as Bruticus's legs. Taking control of the giant's flight systems, the two Protectobots flew off with Bruticus as [[Kenji]] cheered at them to drop the Combaticons into the sea. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}} Onslaught later joined the Stunticons in a scheme to defame the Autobots by destroying factories around Japan whilst wearing Autobot [[insignia]]s. When confronted by the real Autobots, he "combined" with fellow [[Decepticon Trailer Brigade]] member [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], but they were defeated and sent packing by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7}}

The Combaticons' next mission was to hunt down [[Murdered puppy|an escaped dog]] that Megatron had experimented on, imbuing it with [[Decepticon super science]]. Brawl managed to fatally injure the animal, much to Onslaught's annoyance as they were supposed to capture it alive. The Autobot [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] soon arrived to put a halt to their activities, and the dog expressed its gratitude by using its experimental powers to energize Powerglide with [[Scramble Power]]. As Powerglide used the power to combine with his fellow [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]], the Combaticons responded by forming Bruticus. He proved weaker than this new [[Minibot combiner]], however, as it used the "Minibot Warrior Spiral Attack" to drill straight through Bruticus's chest, defeating him.

The dog still died, though. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #8}}

====Scramble City====
When the Stunticons were dispatched to hinder the Autobots from constructing [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]], they were attacked by the Aerialbots and did not fare too well. The Combaticons arrived to help, and together Bruticus and Menasor easily overpowered Superion. However, Scramble City itself soon arrived and blasted both combiners away. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''====
The Combaticons emerged as Bruticus alongside the other Decepticon super-warriors, ready to storm the Autobot energy tower on the planet [[Feminia]]. Galvatron and his men laughed off the presence of Superion, Defensor and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]... but the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]? Carrying a length of thread?! Oh, the horror. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

====''The Great Transformer War''====
The Combaticons and Stunticons were working out of Trypticon where the kidnapped scientist Doctor [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] was being forced to work for Galvatron's evil ends. When the Aerialbots and Protectobots arrived to save the scientist, Onslaught and Motormaster combined with Trypticon in their deployment launcher modes. Hurtling their fellow Decepticons at Superion did such damage that the Aerialbots were forced to disassemble. Somehow, however, the remaining Protectobots managed to hold off both Bruticus and Menasor long enough for [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] to repair the Aerialbots, and for [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] to sneak past the Decepticons and retrieve Dalton. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
The Combaticons participated in an all-out Decepticon attack on Cybertron, {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} until [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] arrived and drove them away. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Shortly afterwards, [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] set out to find the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and bring it to Optimus Prime, and the Combaticons were among the troops sent out to stop him. They were ambushed by the Protectobots, and defeated when Defensor buried Bruticus in a rockfall. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Not long after that, the Combaticons defended [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] against [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]]'s attempted infiltration, but failed when the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] arrived and distracted them. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:UltraMagnusDies Combaticons.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"All six Combaticons present and accou... Wait! Why are YOU with us?"]]

The Combaticons were later part of ''another'' attack on Cybertron, during which they killed plenty of [[Generic|soldiers]] before getting into another fight with Defensor. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} They lost. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}} When the Decepticons planted a giant carnivorous plant in [[San Francisco]], the Combaticons and Stunticons were ordered to with attack any Autobots who arrived to kill it. When the Aerialbots and [[Trainbot]]s did just that, Bruticus got into an energy-sword fight with [[Raiden]]. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} Sixshot later sent the Combaticons, [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] and [[Horrorcon]]s to attack an Autobot energy facility in [[Miami]], in order to lure Autobot troops away from [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

The Combaticons were present when [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] held a speech about Galvatron's recent death and took control of the Decepticons. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}} Bruticus was later part of a small group of Decepticons who tried to lead Fortress Maximus away from the Decepticon base on [[Master (planet)|Master]]. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} He then stood by and laughed as [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] sank the luxury liner ''[[Queen World]]'' in the Atlantic Ocean, before being stationed at one of Scorponok's [[Death Tower]]s in Canberra, [[Australia]]. He defended the tower against Defensor until it activated, at which point [[Wingspan]] and [[Pounce]] ordered him to withdraw. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}}

Bruticus participated in the final battle with the Autobots at the North Pole, and fought [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] alongside [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]. As Scorponok's energy-absorbing satellite started tearing the Earth apart, Bruticus retreated into the atmosphere to watch the results alongside the rest of the Decepticon forces. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{--}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
Brawl and Blast Off participated in an attack on [[Athenia]] by forming the right limbs of [[Scramble 7]], a Decepticon combiner using various combiner team members in a supposedly "ideal" configuration. Despite being so great, however, Scramble 7 was defeated by [[Ginrai|Super Ginrai]], [[Lightfoot]] and [[Ranger]] thanks to their use of [[Chōkon Power]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}

====''Zone'' OVA, comic and story pages====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]], upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. The Combaticons were of those summoned, but only in the form of Bruticus. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel Generation 1 comics====
{{noteukonly}}
''The Combaticons and their fellow [[Special Teams]] were first conceived within [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s mind shortly after the human had relinquished control of the [[Creation Matrix]] to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was able to view this data remotely and prepare for their development. {{storylink|Second Generation!}}''

On their first mission on Earth, the Combaticons followed [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to retrieve the human [[hydrothermocline]] plant. When they arrived, they faced Optimus Prime and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] waiting for them. The Combaticons formed Bruticus and stared down [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] when a nearby human named [[Ethan Zachary]] suggested that they play a [[Multi-World|video game]] over the plant instead. Optimus Prime and Megatron both agreed, and the Combaticons were sent into the game to attack the Protectobots. However, they lost every battle due to not taking the "wildlife" AI into account. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}} After this, the Combaticons didn't do much but follow Megatron around, even when their mentally unstable leader heavily damaged Brawl for mouthing off. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

The Combaticons would later attack the [[Throttlebot]]s in a used car lot, only for the Protectobots and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] to interfere and force them to retreat. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} Shortly afterwards, the group decided to ambush the Protectobots on their way to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. This time, Bruticus claimed victory over Defensor by hitting him with a train, but was soon tricked and broken into his component parts by Blaster. After this, Blaster took control of Blast Off and flew into space, separating the shuttle from the other Combaticons. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}} Along with most of the Decepticon army, the Combaticons later ambushed the Autobots on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], only to be beaten back by Blaster and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''At some point thereafter, the Combaticons worked with [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] and [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] under the command of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] to steal a backup of the [[floppy disk]] containing Optimus Prime's personality. {{storylink|Prime Bomb!}}''

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Totalwar-combaticons.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|Grrrrrr... feisty!]]
After Bludgeon's defeat, Swindle took the returning Decepticon leader Megatron on a tour of the [[Warworld]] battleship he had inherited. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} Soon after, Brawl and Blast Off were among the Decepticons preparing to charge into battle against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]]. {{storylink|New Dawn}} Vortex was seen with various other Decepticons attacking the [[Ethos raiding party|Cybertronians]] on [[Ethos]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}} As the alliance progressed, Onslaught was struck by empathic pains as his apparent spawn [[Mindset (G2)|Mindset]] was consumed by the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

During the final battle at [[Earth]], all the Combaticons later attempted to defend the Warworld against a Cybertronian boarding party led by the treacherous Starscream. Despite Onslaught's emphatic orders of "maximum firepower", they didn't do so well. {{storylink|Total War!}}
{{--}}
===Young Corgi continuity===
When the fleshlings discovered a mysterious lost civilization buried underneath the ice, the Combaticons Brawl, Vortex and Blast Off joined [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] in seeking whatever treasures the hidden city might have. They were confronted by the Aerialbots named [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] and [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]], and fought on the surface over the city. Little did they know that the [[city-dweller]]s were robots themselves, remotely storing and copying images of the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, imprinting themselves with the skills of warfare. They were only stopped by the unlikely duo of Ravage and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. After the city-dwellers were defeated, the Autobots granted safe passage to their one-time Decepticon allies. Blast Off expanded to his maximum size to transport his fellow 'Cons back to Decepticon headquarters. {{storylink|Battle Beneath the Ice}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
The five soldiers who would one day become the Combaticons were early participants in the Decepticons' war effort. While Onslaught and the others joined Shockwave in attacking [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and the [[High Council Pavilions]] being protected by the Autobots, Swindle chose to throw in with Starscream, helping him to disable [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and assume temporary control over Megatron's planetary juggernaut project. {{storylink|Transformers: The War Within|The War Within}}

At some later date, these five warriors were officially brought together as a combiner team, given the ability to form Bruticus. Like the other Combiners, they were banned from operating together on any given faction during the Dark Ages, by decree of the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]] to prevent any more devastation to the planet at the hands of the super-robot combiners.{{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}} The Combaticons were still authorized to operate individually and separately among the various Decepticon factions. Given his previous efforts helping [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] and the [[Battlecharger]]s with Starscream's coup, Swindle may have joined them as a member of the [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]], although this was never stated. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

By the modern era, the Combaticons had been declared war criminals by the united Cybertronian government under Shockwave and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. The details of their crimes and why they were singled-out for imprisonment is unclear—Shockwave may have been intentionally eliminating [[Ratbat (G1)|potential rivals]] or [[Stunticon (G1)|loose cannons]], or may simply have allowed their imprisonment as a token showing of cooperation with the Autobot High Council. Once the Transformers from Earth were contacted, and uprisings began taking place on Cybertron, Starscream managed to worm his way into the [[Detention Banks]] and recover the five stasis pods containing the Combaticons. He loaded them onto his stolen transport and brought them back to Earth with him and the rest of his hand-picked crew. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

[[File:Onslaught G1DW routeofallevil.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"YOOOOOO JOE!"]]

On Earth, Starscream reactivated the Combaticons as his personal "brigade", scanning Earth military vehicles for their alternate modes. Using the Combaticons as shock troops, he made a two-staged assault on the Ark, and successfully took five of the seven remaining Autobots off-line. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Starscream and Bruticus' efforts to complete their set were interrupted by the arrival of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], Starscream's crazed clone-brother, and Bruticus was damaged in the melee. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} After the battle with Sunstorm, Starscream attempted to train the Combaticons into better military shape, using the Autobot prisoner [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] as a "tackling dummy". His training efforts were interrupted by the return of Megatron and his combiner team, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. Even as Bruticus, the Combaticons quickly fell before the might of [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{--}}
===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
The Combaticons were among the Decepticons under control of "the Son of Megatron", [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]. Onslaught tried to protect his leader from a vengeful Optimus Prime while Brawl, Vortex and Blast Off were seen fighting against a combined Autobot-[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] army. Swindle, however, was nowhere to be found. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Early in the war, Brawl and Onslaught were part of an armored division led by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. They participated in the defense of the [[Citadel]] but were overwhelmed by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]]. {{storylink|Endgame}}

During the war [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] became one of the worst violators of the [[Tyrest Accord]], constantly selling Transformers technology to alien races, and had gone AWOL from the Decepticons, hunted by both sides of the war. {{storylink|Spotlight: Ultra Magnus}} The other four remained Combaticons, and were a dangerous tactical unit capable of taking on and beating superior numbers (even ones backed up by [[Arcee (G1)|total loonies]]). Under orders from [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzaitron]], they successfully raided the [[Garrus-9]] Autobot prison and abducted [[Pretender Monster|the six newest inmates]], the gestalt Transformers, despite taking some damage from a high threat convict, Arcee, who was released to stop them. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} Soon afterwards, the Combaticons were among the only survivors of an attack by the [[Dead Universe]] Transformers, who activated the gestalt combined form, [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], inside Banzaitron's base. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} After a deal was negotiated between Arcee and Banzaitron; the Combaticons, remaining [[Decepticon Secret Service|DSS]] members and the crazed Autobot fought Monstructor on [[Rotan]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Two years after the fall of Megatron, the Combaticons were among the Decepticons left behind on Earth. Swindle joined up with a small band of roaming Decepticons, {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} while Onslaught was one of many Transformers captured by [[Skywatch]] using their reverse-engineered energon and Cybertronian technology. He and several other Decepticons were rescued from Skywatch custody by Swindle's team, who removed the mode-locks placed on them by Skywatch's restraint tech. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}} After Swindle failed to take advantage of some rebellious Autobots in an attempt to get off Earth, he disappeared. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

Fleeing to [[North Korea]], Swindle made a deal with [[Kim Jong Du]], the leader of the nation, offering him the Combaticons as an invasion force in exchange for energon. He left when he got the energy he needed, but the other Combaticons remained. {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}} Soon enough, Onslaught, Brawl and Vortex were invading [[South Korea]] for their employer (Blast Off's whereabouts were unknown: Skywatch noted that the Koreans had enough energon for five Transformers, but he might just have left Earth on his own). {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"|"The Land Ironclads"}} They ended up in a brawl with both the Autobots (allied with Skywatch) and [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] (allied with [[China]]), but were ultimately defeated. Luckily for them, the Autobots didn't have the resources at hand to take them captive. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"|"All My Sins Remembered"}}

Brawl later tried to kill [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] on Swindle's behalf, but failed and was captured by the Autobots. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward|Only Forward}} Swindle himself was taken in shortly afterwards when his latest scheme failed. {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}} The captured Combaticons, now including Blast Off and likely the others as well, ended up being forced to work for the Autobots on a restored Cybertron once the war was declared over. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson}}
{{--}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:EliteGuardCombaticons TheComingStorm2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1| DUM DUM DUUUUUUM!]]
The Combaticons were a [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] special ops unit created by [[Magnum]] to take out the various [[Decepticon leader|leaders]] of the new Decepticon faction, in the hopes of ending the war quickly.{{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 2}} After they ended up getting captured by [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]], the silver-tongued Decepticon manipulated the Combaticons to join him so they could prove their superiority over the rest of the Elite Guard. In return, he modified them so they could combine into Bruticus. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 4}}

They attacked Elite Guard HQ, using their new combined form {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 5}} and managed to slaughter most of the Elite Guard defenders, until [[Dion]] injured the giant, forcing them to separate. They departed the scene, assuming everyone to be dead. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 6}} Returning to Deathsaurus's base, they underwent repairs, though they were startled to learn that Deathsaurus could control their merging remotely. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} As the remnants of the Elite Guard tried to attack the base, the Combaticons joined the other Decepticons in defending it. However as they tried to merge into Bruticus, they were blasted by some new arrivals {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}} who were, it turned out, even more survivors of the massacre. Blast Off was captured and bound by [[Side Burn (G1)|Side Burn]], meaning the Combaticons were unable to form Bruticus for the rest of the battle. After Deathsaurus called a retreat, the team was slow to comply, and as a result were captured by the Elite Guard. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 4}}

In the hands of the compromised [[Gyronian Sentry|Gyronian Sentry Team]], the Combaticons were whisked away to Deathsaurus's fortress, now under Megatron's control. Though Megatron gave them the option, none of them cared to help Deathsaurus, and they were imprisoned and their personality components subsequently interred in the Decepticon Detention Center. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Onslaught toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"How come the other Combaticons aren't as tall as I am? Because I'm a natural-born leader, HAH!"]]
[[File:G1Vortex toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"Ride the whirlwind! Slag, I got it wrong!"]]
[[File:Bruticus toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"Rargh... humans transform Bruticus wrong... and blame Bruticus's design..."]]
*'''Combaticons''' (1986)
**[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]
**[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]
**[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]
**[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]
**[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]

:*''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-69'''

:As a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style [[combiner]] team, the Combaticon team includes four small toys, sold carded at the $5 price point, and one large leader toy, sold boxed for $12 or so and including all the combiner [[kibble]]. They were available as part of the 1986 and 1987 assortments. In most markets, the Combaticons were only sold as individuals; the combined [[giftset]] was only available in Japan and Italy.

:Like their counterparts, the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], the four small Combaticons feature unique transformation schemes. All have attachable weapons for their vehicle modes. Posability varies from figure to figure; Brawl and Swindle have knee and "elbow" joints (their shoulder joints are halfway down their arms), but their legs are conjoined at the knees. Blast Off and Vortex feature an early use of [[ball joint]]s in their shoulders, giving them near-universal range of motion, but are otherwise similarly limited.

:Like the other three original Scramble City teams, the small limbs can attach to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s robot mode, while the leader can be used to make an additional ramp/platform for Metroplex or [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]].

:The Combaticon molds have been frequently redecoed (and slightly retooled) over the years; they have been used to make ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (toyline)|Operation Combination]]'' [[Battle Gaia]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]], and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Ruination. They are also a favorite for [[Knockoff|bootleg]] toy manufacturers to copy, sometimes sold with bizarre new names like [[Onslaught (G1)|Tugging Gun]], [[Swindle (G1)|Copter]], [[Blast Off (G1)|Secpmdary]], [[Onslaught (G1)|Steel Generals]], and [[Blast Off (G1)|Secondary Brain]].
{{--}}
===Generation 2===
*'''Combaticons''' (1993)
**Onslaught
**Brawl
**Blast Off
**Swindle
**Vortex

:A redeco of the Generation 1 molds that looks like they just went through a paintball war... and lost. They all combine and kick Superion's behind as the big, bad, battling Bruticus.

*'''Bruticus''' (Box set, 2012)
[[File:Generationstoy-G2Bruticus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"You all laughed when I wore these colors before.
WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!?"]]
: Bruticus is a G2-styled giftset [[exclusive]] to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and [[BigBadToyStore]], containing [[redeco]]es of the ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' Combaticons in their ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' colors with G2-style Decepticon insignia. This may be considered a tie-in to Amazon's preorder bonus for the game: a "''Generation 2''"-themed skin for Bruticus.

{{--}}

===Alternators===
*'''Swindle''' (2004)

{{main|Swindle (G1)#Alternators}}

===Universe (2008)===
*'''Onslaught''' (Legends of Cybertron, 2008)
*'''Onslaught''' (Ultra, 2008)

{{main|Onslaught (G1)#Universe (2008)}}

[[File:Universe-ROTF-toy BruticusMaximus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Bruticus Maximus''' (2008)

: The ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Combaticons are [[redeco]]s of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Destruction Team]]. In this incarnation, Swindle is a helicopter and Blast Off is a tank, while their combined form is known as Bruticus Maximus for [[trademark]] reasons. They were only available as a Bruticus Maximus multi-pack.

: The Combaticons are identical to the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Combaticon (ROTF)|Combaticons]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1OddCombat.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Floro Dery does odd things.]]
*Before the Combaticons were animated, there were apparently two different character model sheets made up for them. The ones we know use the toy heads, but bodies that, for whatever reason, have little resemblance to the actual vehicles or robot modes of the actual Combaticon figures. Another set appears to be based heavily on the toys... but with new heads. These went unused in any media.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Combatron''' (コンバットロン ''Konbattoron'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Zhàn Chē Duì''' (China, 战车队, "Combat Vehicles Team")
*''Italian:'' '''Combacticon'''
*''Russian:'' '''Boevikon''' (Боевикон, "Thrillercon")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Combatantes'''

[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Combaticons| Combaticon (G1)]]
[[Category:Combiner teams]]
[[Category:Decepticon subgroups]]
[[Category:Elite Guard]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 2 subgroups]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe subgroups]]

Ratchet (G1)

2014-03-26T23:23:16Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|hofsilver}}{{disambig3|Ratchet}}
{{featured}}{{suite}}
:''Ratchet is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:Ratchetg1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|All aboard the party ambulance!]]
'''Ratchet''' is the Autobots' Chief Medical Officer. If something's broke, he can fix it. Ratchet is known for his irreverent bedside manner; He loves having a good time, and his party-loving nature has given him a dry wit. He is not a particularly mighty warrior, which sometimes leads him to believe that he is expendable. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has trouble convincing Ratchet that this is far from the truth.

Although he's a healer, Ratchet often finds himself on the front lines of combat and, on occasion, the last hope the Autobots have. These pressures are sometimes too much for him to handle, but Ratchet ultimately never gives up.
His vehicle mode sometimes splits into his robot and a [[Onebox component|separate component]].

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Ratchetg1first.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|This look didn't last long.]]
Ratchet was one of the select Autobots chosen by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to travel aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of [[Mount St. Hilary]] with the rest of the crew. Once the volcano exploded and the Transformers reactivated, Ratchet was rebuilt to transform into an ambulance. He responded to [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]'s complaining by telling him that at least he didn't have to fix everyone all the time! Ratchet would rather be partying. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[File:Ratchetgetstofixgears.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|What a comfortable-looking repair sled they're dragging Gears into.]]
As their war against the Decepticons continued on [[Earth]], Ratchet joined the Autobots' debate about how to deal with their dwindling fuel resources. Thankfully, [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] had located a human, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who could help them convert fuel to a form usable by them, so the Ark was left in Ratchet's hands as the others left to meet with Bumblebee and his new human friends. Ratchet noted sadly that without fuel, even his considerable skills were useless. {{storylink|Power Play!}} While they were gone, Ratchet attended to the Ark. During his attempts at repairs, he uncovered something interesting in its memory databanks, but Optimus Prime cut him off before he could explain. Gears was badly damaged in the battle that followed, and his body was brought back to Ratchet for repairs. After working on him for a short period of time, Ratchet was amazed that he could already speak. Unfortunately, Gears had bad news; Sparkplug Witwicky had converted fuel for the Decepticons while he had been their prisoner! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

The Autobots were outraged at this, which upset Sparkplug so much that he suffered a heart attack. Ratchet volunteered to drive Sparkplug and his son [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] to the [[Greater Portland Medical Center|hospital]]. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} While Buster stayed at the hospital with his ailing father, Ratchet held fast to his oath to preserve life, an oath which made no distinction between organic or mechanical life, and helped [[Gus (medic)|two]] [[Mel (medic)|paramedics]] to get to their emergency. Upon their return to the hospital, Ratchet was happy to learn that Sparkplug, now able to speak, had told Buster that he'd poisoned the Decepticons' fuel. While this conversation was taking place, his drivers, alarmed their ambulance could talk, were poking around his ambulance mode, trying to discover the tape deck they suspected to be there. After an angry, annoyed outburst, the humans fled.

[[File:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Staring also works.]]
Despite Buster's good news, Ratchet felt he should return to the Ark as swiftly as possible; no one there was responding to his communications. Buster accompanied him, and en route tried to explain to Ratchet that the traffic signals were non-sentient and would not respond to his pleas. When a red light turned green, eventually, after Ratchet's attempts at persuasion, the Autobot admonished the child for his lack of communication skills. But when Ratchet and Buster arrived at the Ark, they were horrified to discover [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] standing sentry outside. Buster, who was small enough to slip in unnoticed, snuck inside to investigate. {{storylink|The New Order}} Buster later returned to Ratchet, looking like a fright, and told the Autobot that the Decepticons had taken over the Ark, and that their bodies were hung like meat from the ceiling! Even crazier still was when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was seen carrying the defeated body of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] back into the Ark. Ratchet began to worry that he was the last Autobot alive. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

Ratchet soon discovered, to his horror, that he was the last Autobot still functional on Earth, up against the entire Decepticon army. Covertly invading the Ark, he learned that even the mighty Optimus Prime had fallen. However, Prime's head, though detached, still functioned, and the Autobot Commander told Ratchet that he must rise up to meet this challenge. Ratchet did not believe he could; he was a doctor, not a warrior (damnit, Jim). {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[File:Ratchetwarriorschool.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The more you know!™]]
Ratchet was no warrior, and he doubted what he could do to topple this new status quo, but still, Ratchet tried. In his weakened state, Megatron could not hope to defeat Shockwave and reclaim his leadership, but Ratchet approached him with a possible solution. Ratchet knew how Shockwave had fallen 4 million years ago (having discovered this earlier within the Ark's memory databanks), and struck a deal, sealed by the [[Rite of Oneness]]: If Ratchet could defeat Shockwave, Megatron would relinquish Decepticon control of the Ark and its wrecked Autobot inhabitants.

Ratchet journeyed to the [[Savage Land]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had fought Shockwave to a stalemate, leaving all dormant in a tar pit prison. He dug up the Dinobots and repaired them. Soon after, he met with Megatron on a snowy ski slope and announced that he had fulfilled his half of the bargain; Shockwave was defeated. Megatron, of course, went back on his part of the deal and threatened to kill Ratchet. Ratchet declared that he knew all along Megatron would not hold up his end of the bargain and admitted that he had not, in fact, defeated Shockwave. The Dinobots sprung up out of the snow surrounding Megatron and fought him, but did not succeed. Megatron now stood alone, triumphant, mocking Ratchet and his lack of a warrior's edge. With nothing to lose, Ratchet charged Megatron, but he was ineffectual. However, the charge had loosened the ground on which Megatron stood, and the Decepticon leader fell off the cliff side and disappeared. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

''On their return trip to the Ark, Ratchet helped educate the Dinobots about human/Autobot relations by telling them the story of a recent battle with the Decepticons at a hydroelectric dam.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} ''When they arrived, Ratchet and the Dinobots found the Ark defended by [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], an Autobot combat drone which had been reprogrammed by Shockwave. Ratchet rescued the Dinobots from the powerful drone by remembering and exploiting one of its few weaknesses, an access port which could admit a fine laser. Ratchet then began the task of repairing the Autobots, placing priority on those whose command skills would be useful. This put him at odds with Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], who felt that the fallen Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] should be repaired first.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}

''When Prowl devised a plan to use the Matrix to create an army of monstrous Autobot warriors, debate over the plan's ethics threatened to divide the Autobots. Ratchet remained neutral and asked Optimus Prime to step in and provide guidance.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

''Ratchet and Wheeljack collaborated on a [[battlesuit|Transformer-sized robotic suit]], to be used by Buster Witwicky in battle. Optimus Prime was unamused.'' {{storylink|Robot Buster!}}

[[File:Ratchetmechanic.jpg|left|thumb|Such irony.]]
After the destruction of Optimus Prime, Ratchet was not able to repair him. Unable to deal with his failure, Ratchet wandered off on his own during Optimus's funeral. Ratchet decided that rather than moping, he should concern himself with the other damaged Autobots under his care, so he headed towards a junkyard to look for spare parts he could use. However, he was abducted in vehicle mode by the [[Mechanic (G1)|Mechanic]] and his accomplice [[Juan (thief)|Juan]] when the two thieves were found by the police. Ratchet revealed himself when they arrived at the Mechanic's hideout, but the Mechanic froze Ratchet with [[Cryogenic sprayer|his own surgical weapon]] and hid outside. When he had unfrozen, Ratchet presumed the humans had fled and went back to the Ark, unaware that this was what the humans had been waiting for as they intended to follow him to his hideout and steal even more of his weapons. Inside the Ark, Ratchet was again defeated by [[Laser scalpel|his own surgical tools]]. But using pieces he took from the junkyard, he repaired [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and the appearance of the police car frightened the Mechanic away. The Mechanic escaped with Ratchet's tools and the [[power booster rod]]. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime's funeral, Ratchet stood with Omega Supreme, Blaster, and the others, and an incoming fleet of aircraft piloted by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] was detected. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} After the Autobots teamed up with the human counter-terrorist organization [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], Ratchet worked with [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]], who had already begun to rebuild Bumblebee. Ratchet was surprised to see that Bumblebee had been upgraded by Mainframe into a more-powerful body, and after the process was completed (despite [[Doctor Mindbender]]'s bickering), Bumblebee decided to rename himself Goldbug. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

[[File:Ratchetneverisnow.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Paging Dr. Smartass.]]
With Optimus Prime dead, Ratchet and a few other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate a new leader. Ratchet stressed that their nominee must be kind, just as Optimus Prime had been, someone who would be willing to give everything he had. After a surprise attack on the Ark by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Ratchet had his answer. Ratchet's new patients, those that had suffered during the attack, had told him of Grimlock's selflessness in battle. The other Autobots agreed, and Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} However, Grimlock's leadership quickly turned sour, and Ratchet became the voice of sarcasm behind Grimlock's decisions. When a second group of Autobots led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] met Grimlock's Earth-bound Autobots, they brought with them a [[floppy disk]] containing the mind of the dead Optimus Prime. Ratchet couldn't contain his joy, and so Grimlock struck him down and told him to shut up. Ratchet was told to shut up again when he belittled Grimlock's disbelief that Fortress Maximus was part [[human]]. Grimlock set up a battle for Autobot supremacy between him and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (who fought in Fortress Maximus' stead), so Ratchet and all of both Autobot groups stepped out onto the surface of Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to watch the fight. Ratchet cheered relentlessly for Blaster, but the spectators were cut short by a surprise Decepticon attack. After the Decepticons had fled, Ratchet was glad to see that Blaster and Grimlock had, for the moment, set aside their differences, because they would need all the cooperation they could muster to repair the fallen and the heavily-damaged Ark. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''When an [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and a time-traveling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] decimated the Earthbound Autobot forces, Optimus Prime no longer possessed the life-giving powers of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], so Ratchet was left with the monumental task of repairing them.'' {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}} During a period of work-induced stress, he began to hallucinate visions of his patients attacking him and accusing him of being worthless. It was during this time that the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]], posing as Autobots, offered to help transport Ratchet to Cybertron, where he could have access to new medical technology that had been created during his 4-million-year absence on Earth. He and three of the Sports Car Patrol took the bodies of Grimlock, [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] with him, though Ratchet was curious why [[Blackjack]] stayed behind on the Ark. Ratchet's concerns were answered when, upon arrival on Cybertron, he saw standing before him the believed-to-be-deceased Megatron, who had orchestrated the entire scheme. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

[[File:Ratchetbroughtthemhere.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Megatron inadvertently activated Ratchet's dormant "evil genius" gene.]]
Megatron brought Ratchet the remains of Starscream, demanding Ratchet repair the Air Commander while Blackjack held the Ark and its medical bay inhabitants hostage. Ratchet agreed, and he used [[Pretender]] technology to repair Starscream while secretly repairing Grimlock, Jazz, and Goldbug as well. After Pretender Starscream was sent to Earth, Megatron sought out Ratchet to kill him, but Ratchet had his own Pretenders ready. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} Ratchet sprung Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee (Ratchet preferred Bumblebee's original form) on Megatron, but Megatron and his Micromasters were too powerful for them. The Pretenders and Micromasters' battle wandered outside [[Megatron's base]], and Ratchet was left alone. Sacrificing his life, Ratchet warped the bombs Blackjack had put on the Ark into the Decepticon base in an attempt to kill both himself and Megatron. Megatron tried to escape through the warp portal, but Ratchet tackled him, and the base exploded. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[File:Megs ratch.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Ratchet to the left of me, Megatron to the right—Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.]]
Optimus Prime was devastated by the loss of Ratchet. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} He assigned the detective [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to investigate Ratchet's death, and Nightbeat hypothesized that Ratchet could possibly still be alive. There was an initial blast which could have knocked Ratchet into the portal and into [[unspace]], a netherworld between the warp portal's starting and ending points. A probe was sent to retrieve him, and it succeeded—but it also brought back Megatron, who was fused with Ratchet as a single, monstrous being. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} The Ratchet/Megatron creature rampaged through the Ark, wounding several Autobots, but Optimus Prime would not let them harm it. This put Optimus Prime in an awkward position: Was the life of Ratchet worth the possible loss of his other troops? The creature fought his way into the engine rooms and began tearing stuff apart, and Prime's choice was made for him: The creature must be stopped. Prime fought Ratchet/Megatron to a standstill, and, alarmingly, the part that was Ratchet took control and pulled Prime's gun to his own forehead, pleading for the Autobot Commander to put him out of his misery. In an unpopular decision, Optimus Prime ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate Megatron and Ratchet, even if it meant saving Megatron. Bonded at a molecular level, neither could survive without the other, even when separated. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

[[File:Ratchetjollies.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Holy crap.]]
Separated by Fixit, they remained in stasis on the Ark until Grimlock and his [[Nucleon]]-revived Dinobots found the Ark abandoned during the Transformers' battle with [[Unicron]]. They filled the entire medical bay chambers with Nucleon, not aware that Megatron lay there in storage. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Shockwave and Starscream stole the Ark after Unicron was defeated, in an attempt to return to Earth and conquer it. {{storylink|Still Life!}} However, just as Megatron awoke, Starscream and Shockwave were interrupted by [[Galvatron II]], who had snuck on board before launch. While Galvatron and Megatron teamed up on Shockwave, Starscream went to check on any other possible survivors in the medical bay. He found Ratchet, whose mind was still connected to Megatron's, and Starscream fought the confused Autobot easily. However, when Starscream mused that Ratchet was no fun to kill, Ratchet became enraged and defeated him in a berserker state. Determined to end what he had started, Ratchet blew up the Ark as it was approaching Earth's orbit, sending all four Decepticons and himself to a supposed death.<ref>Except all the Decepticons eventually turn up alive.</ref> {{storylink|A Savage Circle}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
Ratchet was present at the Ark in [[2003]] when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] announced his plans for a fully-functional transforming fortress known as [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}

====''Generation 2''====
As Optimus Prime was being repaired after a catastrophic battle with Megatron, he recalled the events of the Transformer civil war thus far, including two of Megatron's encounters with Ratchet. {{storylink|New Dawn#"Tales of Earth Part Four"|Tales of Earth #4}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}
[[File:Ratchetgamesofdeception.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb]]
Fifteen years after Ratchet seemingly perished with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] when the Ark crashed into the [[Yukon]], Megatron had returned to power. Starscream had been fully rebuilt, Shockwave's disembodied head was rigged to exist only in a tortured advisory role, and Ratchet's body was stashed, seemingly lifeless, in a dark corner of Megatron's new throne room within the Ark's remains. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

[[File:Ratchet-AtFightsEnd.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|From martyr to furniture.]]
Megatron kept Ratchet there for his own amusement, able to talk but not to move, because the Decepticon leader had begun to consider his unlikely nemesis a friend. The Decepticon leader enjoyed toying with Ratchet's doubts; he asked Ratchet why Optimus Prime hadn't come to rescue him in all these years. Megatron also enjoyed hearing Ratchet's measured responses, many of which genuinely took him by surprise, though some Megatron didn't think Ratchet truly believed.

Megatron wanted Ratchet to know the real reason why the Transformers fight. After they watched Megatron's plan to assassinate [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (and end the Decepticon civil war) culminate in success, he told Ratchet why. It's not to win or to lose, but because of who they were. The Transformers were born to fight. Megatron picked up Ratchet's motionless body, set it inside a [[CR chamber|bubbling tank]], and left him there. As Ratchet felt his body begin to dissolve, Megatron asked him to give Prime his regards.

[[File:Invasion-Radcontrolroom.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Ratchet's happy? This can't be the Marvelverse.]]
Later, the Autobots secured the abandoned Ark and found Ratchet inside the tank, reformatted into a new body. However, Ratchet noted that his new surgical tools looked suspiciously like weapons. He recalled Megatron's words about why the Transformers fight. Did he truly have no choice? {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

Subsequently, Ratchet was stationed with several other Autobots in [[Canada]] within the ''[[Ark II]]''. He was present one day when [[Rad]] reported from the [[Ironworks]] base in [[Oregon]] about a foiled attack by [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]] and his Decepticons. Soon thereafter, due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Ratchet assisted his peers in evacuating a devastated city block. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
In [[2012]], twenty-one years after the Ark crashed into Northern Canada with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] aboard, Ratchet still lived, but in a horrible existence — as a disembodied head adorning Megatron's [[battle sled]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2|Loose Ends #2}} After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Autobot]]s arrived to battle Megatron, the [[zombie|zombified]] [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] struggled to tell the [[Scraplet]]-infected [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] the secret to stopping Megatron — to kill Ratchet! {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4|Loose Ends #4}}

Kup struggled over to Ratchet and with a borrowed gun from [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]], finally ended Ratchet's suffering, which in turn immobilized Megatron and allowed Prime to destroy his mortal enemy once and for all. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5|Loose Ends #5}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Don Messick]] (English), [[Wally Burr]] (English, "[[Masquerade]]"), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese)|[[Garcia Neto]] (Portuguese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American), [[Peter Musäus]] (German, "Transport to Oblivion"), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, "Roll for It" and "The Autobot Run"), [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]] (German, "The Girl Who Loved Powerglide"), [[Christian Weygand]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Claus Brockmeyer]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1"), [[Kai Taschner]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Masquerade", "Transport to Oblivion", and "Roll for It")}}

[[File:Ratchetg1cartoon.jpg|upright=1.34|thumb|Ruh-roh. Rooby-rooby-roo!]]
Ratchet served as chief medical officer of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] on its mission to seek out new energy sources to fuel the Autobot struggle against the Decepticons. When the Ark was boarded by the crew of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Ratchet attempted to defend his ship by attacking [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], but was thrown into a computer console for his trouble. Ratchet and the other Transformers were forced into emergency [[stasis lock]] when the out-of-control Ark crashed into a volcano on a [[Earth|primitive planet]]. Four million years later, the volcano erupted, activating [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons. Ratchet was rebuilt into a human-scaled ambulance. After [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]'s failed scouting mission ended in a counterattack by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], Ratchet arrived with [[Hauler]] to pull the damaged Hound out of a ravine. Once he finished repairing Hound, Ratchet was part of the battlegroup sent to stop the Decepticons stealing the oil from an off-shore oil rig. However, he did not fare well in this battle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

After the Autobots saved their new human friends, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], from the oil rig fire, Ratchet repaired [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]'s damaged arm in the repair bay outside the Ark. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in the explosion of the [[ruby crystal mines of Burma]], Ratchet helped the Autobot leader recover, but evidently his skills as a medic were not required, as Prime was totally fine after transforming back into robot mode. Soon afterwards, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] was shot by Skywarp, so Ratchet carried the old-timer back to base for repairs. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

During an ill-fated Autobot attempt to defend the local solar power plant, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] managed to shoot the guns out of Ratchet and Prowl's hands. Smarting from the concussion blast, Ratchet called for the Autobots to fall back. However, Ironhide once again managed to get himself damaged while saving Optimus Prime. Ironhide objected to Ratchet and Sparkplug's diagnosis of his damage, but Ratchet warned him against backtalk or the medic would short out Ironhide's mouth circuit. To prevent further argument, he shut down Ironhide, cutting off the warrior in mid-sentence. After the Autobots were led into a trap by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], Ratchet discovered the tampering done by the Decepticons and restored the little Autobot. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[File:DivideandConquer Ratchet at work.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.34|"…But I'm still alive!" — "No matter, Optimus. Doctor knows better!"]]
Ratchet patched up the Autobots quick smart after they were caught in an explosion at a hi-tech lab. Of course, he immediately afterwards had to alert them to incoming Decepticons, and probably had to put them back together again after the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Roll for It}} With Optimus critically injured after a Decepticon attack, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] worked to repair their leader, only for Laserbeak to sneak into the base and inflict more damage on Optimus. Ratchet and Wheeljack continued to work, eventually succeeding in saving Prime's life using a [[Cosmitron]] retrieved from Cybertron by [[Chip Chase]] and a team of Autobots. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

A group of Autobots including Ratchet enjoyed hijinks in the snow when abnormal weather conditions were caused by the Decepticons tapping a crystal in the Arctic. The Autobots went to the Arctic, where Ratchet was part of Ironhide's team, which was separated from the main Autobot force and captured by the Decepticons. After the group faked their own destruction, Ratchet repaired [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], who had been shot by Starscream after refusing to terminate the Autobots. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Inspired by the discovery of dinosaur bones, Ratchet and Wheeljack designed and built the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Unfortunately the new warriors were difficult to control, and Ratchet was soon patching up [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. After the rest of the Autobots fell foul of the Decepticons, Wheeljack had the idea of reactivating the Dinobots, and he and Ratchet installed new brain modules, allowing the Dinobots to be successfully used in battle. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Ratchet was one of the Autobots who went to [[Peru]] when the Decepticons discovered the [[Crystal of Power]] there, and built a cannon to utilise it. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Ratchet was on hand for the impact of [[Meteorini Chipperoni]] and Optimus subsequently ordered him and Wheeljack to construct two more Dinobots to bolster the Autobots' ranks. Once [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] were constructed, Ratchet and Wheeljack held a demonstration. The two new additions quickly proved themselves and were dispatched to aid Optimus Prime, who'd run afoul of the other three Dinobots after [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] turned them against the Autobots. By the time Ratchet and the other Autobots got there, Optimus had persuaded [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] to defect back. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a rescue mission to retrieve Sparkplug from the Decepticon base, Ratchet was again repairing the Autobots when Sparkplug started trying to repair him, despite him being undamaged. Sparkplug then started working on Prime, despite Ratchet pointing out that Prime had already been fixed. Sparkplug was under the control of the Decepticons, and had sabotaged the Autobots weapons and Teletraan I, so the Decepticons could attack. After the attack was repelled, Ratchet repaired Teletraan I, which alerted the Autobots to the giant [[space bridge]] which the Decepticons were building. The Autobots rolled out, but were unable to prevent Cybertron being dragged into [[Earth]]'s orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[File:UltimateDoom2 Autobot volcano.jpg|thumb|200px]]
Retreating to headquarters, the Autobots sent out the Dinobots to battle the disasters caused by the nearby Cybertron. The [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] which the Ark was embedded in became active, erupting and spewing Ratchet, [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and Huffer into the air, necessitating a rescue on the part of Skyfire. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Ratchet surfed with Optimus Prime and the others to where the Decepticons were building a generator, though they were unable to prevent the Decepticons getting away with a shuttle full of energon and saved a bunch of humans instead. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Once Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, Ratchet and the other Autobots set about repairing the devastation it had wrought on Earth. They were subsequently occupied preventing Starscream's plan to destroy the planet using an [[Exponential Generator]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, the Autobots watched in horror as the Autobot leader was defeated. They later discovered that Megatron had cheated, rendering the results of the contest void, and allowed them to legally blast the Decepticons into a lava-filled crevasse. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[File:G1 ChangingGears Ratchet karate.jpg|left|upright=1.45|thumb|Now COUGH!]]
After Spike was injured during a battle with the Decepticons, Ratchet carried their injured human friend to the metro hospital. While Spike's mind was transferred into the [[Autobot X (G1)|Autobot X]] experimental body Sparkplug had made earlier, Ratchet repaired the battle-damaged Bumblebee, but was forced to cut short his repairs after Spike went on a rampage in his new body. After Spike's mind was returned to his real body, Ratchet theorised that he could probably fix the problems in the mind-transfer process, but thought it was better left alone. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} When Megatron captured [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and unwittingly threatened the destruction of the Earth with his [[Solar Needle]], Ratchet totally fly-kicked Thundercracker. After the Decepticons retreated, Ratchet and Wheeljack argued over which wire they had to disconnect to stabilize the [[Sun]]. However, nobody seemed to notice that he and Gears sounded exactly the same. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Part of a mission to [[New York City]] to investigate the disappearance of the [[Empire State Building]], Ratchet joined Spike, Hound, Bumblebee and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in entering the city via the sewers in an attempt to recover Optimus Prime. When they finally found their leader, he had been disassembled by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], and Ratchet had a heck of a job putting him back together again, including having to wrangle an [[alligatorcon (G1)|alligatorcon]]. During a battle on the streets of the city, Ratchet and Ironhide ended up in the Decepticon's new skyscraper, and were again able to rescue Prime from a nasty fall. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

[[File:AttackoftheAutobots Prime and Ratchet on rocket.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"I can see my house from here!"]]
Ratchet was one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]] and was compelled to attempt to get some blueprints from [[Harding|Doctor Harding]]. After being de-evilled by one of Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s, Ratchet and Optimus jumped aboard a rocket in mid-air and Ratchet detached a solar satellite even as the rocket blasted towards space. The pair were able to get the satellite into space on Skyfire's back. Afterwards, Ratchet and Sparkplug realised they had to repair all of the jets the Autobots had trashed while under Decepticon control. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He patched up Mirage after another battle, and told the other Autobot to rest, but Mirage instead rushed off to prove he wasn't a traitor as Cliffjumper had suggested. After Mirage led the Autobots into a trap, Ratchet found one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s on Mirage's forehead. After the inevitable battle, Ratchet patched Mirage up once more. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[File:Immobilizer Ratchet ambulance mode.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Ratchet attended the demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. It didn't go well, with Wheeljack being accidentally immobilized and the Decepticons stealing his device. Wheeljack was loaded into the back of Ratchet's ambulance mode, and they returned to base where Ratchet repaired Ironhide, telling him to STFU when he blamed himself for the attack. The Autobots were eventually able to get the Immobilizer back. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Ratchet was one of those who didn't take part in a charity race and was thus spared from being affected by the Decepticon's [[Transfixatron]] ray and captured. He and Wheeljack constructed an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] and mounted an attack with a small group to rescue the other Autobots. Afterwards, Ratcher realised that he was going to be repairing for days. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

He took part in the defence of [[Washington, D.C.]] against the combined forces of the Decepticons and [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Ordered to guard [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], he an Wheeljack cracked jokes at the robot's expense, until Optimus told them off. They were unable to prevent the robot's capture by the Decepticons and returned to base, where Ratchet repaired Brawn. A stealth attack by the reprogrammed ninja resulted in the loss of power to the base, and Ratchet soon discovered that the [[World Energy Chip]] had been stolen. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[File:Dinobotislandratch&spark.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Ratchet, like the other Autobots, was taken in by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone]], at least until Windcharger revealed the truth. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He also took part in an attempt to stop one of Megatron's plans using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{storylink|The Core}} and helped Wheeljack whipped up an antidote to prevent the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] exploding after they consumed the [[Nova Power Core]]. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} After another Dinobot rampage at Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet sighed and started the repairs once again. The Dinobots were subsequently banished to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], no doubt to his relief. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} With Sparkplug's help, repairs were soon complete. When Teletraan I detected a disturbance near the library Spike was visiting, Ratchet reassured Sparkplug as the rest of the Autobots rolled out. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

When Megatron found the [[Heart of Cybertron]], Ratchet was among the group of Autobots who were first to feel his wrath and had to limp back to base. While [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] put a bizarre plan into operation, Ratchet and Wheeljack set up a forcefield to hold back the Decepticon leader until Perceptor's plan could succeed. {{storylink|Microbots}} Ratchet attended the [[Autobot Day]] celebration, during which Megatron managed to frame the Autobots. The Autobots were subsequently banished from Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They almost perished in the [[Sun]], but made it back to Earth in time to overthrow the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

After the Dinobots were damaged in a Decepticon attack, Ratchet repaired them, only for them to desert the Autobot forces. There's gratitude for you. A short time later, the Autobots were all disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} With Spike and [[Carly]]'s help, the Dinobot retrieved more Cybertonium from Cybertron, and the Autobots were able to repair themselves. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Ratchet was among the Autobots who turned up too late to prevent Megatron from stealing the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. After the Decepticons used it to jam Earth's radio signals, Ratchet helped some humans who'd become trapped in a blizzard. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was also part of the group who coated themselves in [[electrum]] to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[File:Kremzeek! Ratchet with Kremzeek.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|- Are you an elf? - No, I'm delirium tremens!]]
While defending New York against Decepticons drones, Ratchet realised that the drones didn't have brains, meaning they were remote controlled. Once [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] had broadcast a jamming signal, the Autobots were able to attack the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. Ratchet, Wheeljack and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] joined Sparkplug and [[Raoul]] in turning the drones back into cars. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After Optimus Prime's team of Autobots went missing, Ratchet and the others attempted fruitlessly to find out where they'd gone. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Ratchet also took part in the operation to rescue [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] from a horde of [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} He was one of the first Autobots to be disabled by [[Kremzeek]], which didn't bode well for the Autobots' chances of getting repaired. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

After Optimus beat [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]]'s death traps, Ratchet and the other Autobots provided Prime with reinforcements. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}} He and Wheeljack picked up [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] after the Autobot plane was defeated by the [[Conehead]]s. Ratchet started patching him up, but Powerglide refused further treatment until he could rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz|Astoria]], the spunky heiress he'd been charged with protecting. Once Astoria was safe, Powerglide returned for more repairs, and Ratchet joined in mocking him for his apparent [[Transformer romance|romantic feelings]] for the girl. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[File:KeyVectorSigma1 Ratchet thoughtful.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1| Did I prescribe him a soporific or purgative? Or both?]]
Although Ratchet was puzzled by Megatron's sudden interest in stealing cars, Optimus knew what the Decepticons were up to, and led a team, including Ratchet, to Cybertron. There, they found [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] badly damaged. Once Ratchet and Wheeljack had repaired him, he explained that Megatron had taken the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], and the Autobots journeyed underground. Encountering [[Centurion droid|Centurions]] left by Megatron to guard the way, Ratchet and Wheeljack repaired Maintenance drones to send against them in battle. Unfortunately they reached [[Vector Sigma]] too late, and Optimus ordered that some shuttles be rebuilt into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} The Autobots returned to Earth with the new additions, and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] promptly blew up on landing, resulting in Ratchet, Wheeljack and Sparkplug working feverishly to save the giant Autobot's life and repair his body. They ultimately succeeded. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[File:CosmicRust Ratchet and Blaster infected.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.45|'Cause this is thriller, thriller night!]]
The Aerialbots, much to Ratchet's disgust, seemed to admire the Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. When the Autobot team was plunged millions of years back in time Ratchet worked with Wheeljack to repair the Decepticon time machine to get them back. They managed to, but wouldn't tell Ratchet what had happened, leaving the story telling to Optimus. {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}} Ratchet helped apply [[corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], and was later affected by the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] that Megatron brought back from space. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[File:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|upright=1.05|thumb|Seen here suffering from a unique condition known as "Dying Ratchet Syndrome".]]
After [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to provide [[energy absorber]]s, the Autobots launched an attack while the Combaticons were busy fighting Megatron's forces. Ratchet and Grapple managed to rescue the two prisoners during the distraction. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Ratchet was also a part of the team which came to the Aerialbots' aid, after they fell into a trap laid by the Combaticons. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} During another of Megatron's plans, the Autobots captured the Stunticons, and Ratchet customised some of the Autobots using [[camouflage paint]] to disguise them as the Decepticon team. Somehow this worked, and after Megatron's plan was foiled, Ratchet and the rest of the Autobots provided reinforcements. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In the year [[2005]], while piloting a secret mission to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in order to gather a stockpile of [[energon]] from Earth, Ratchet and his allies were attacked by Megatron. Ratchet and Ironhide returned fire, but they were both shot repeatedly and left for dead on the floor of the shuttle as the Decepticons continued with their attack on Autobot City. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Ratchet's body was evidently recovered for interment, as his grave was housed in the interstellar [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. Sadly, it was not Ratchet's fate to rest in peace; along with the mausoleum itself, Ratchet's remains were later plunged into a star as a side-effect of a [[Quintesson]] plot. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Amidst a massive battle against the Decepticons at the Autobot base in [[Arizona]], Ratchet was one of the first to notice that [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and his cassette forces were nowhere to be found. Now suspicious, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] immediately alerted all his units in Japan to be on the lookout for the Decepticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Later, as [[Kenji]] was enjoying a tour of a secret Autobot facility in Japan, Ratchet was alerted to an attack by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in Yokohama. The Autobots immediately rolled out to meet the threat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Ratchet was one of about a kajillion Autobots who arrived on Metroplex to provide reinforcements for Optimus Prime after the Decepticon's [[Omega Whip]] weapon was destroyed. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
[[File:Stargatebattles ratchet.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]
In the 1990s, Ratchet used Cybertronian technology to save the lives of human scientist [[Adle|Professor Adle]] and his daughter [[Katua Adle|Katua]] when they were both badly injured in an explosion during a field test of one of the professor's creations. The professor's right arm was blown off and Katua lost her right leg, but Ratchet was able to fit them with cybernetic prosthetics so advanced that they were even able to experience pain and warmth through them as if they were their real limbs. This convinced Professor Adle of the Autobots' nobility, while Katua developed a fondness for Ratchet. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

About six months later, Ratchet was part of a delegation of Autobots who accompanied Optimus Prime to a press conference in America. The conference announced the construction of the "[[Trigger]]", an interstellar teleportation system jointly developed between the Autobots and the United States government, and Ratchet helped Wheeljack write the speech that Prime proceeded to recite to the assembled human masses. Ignoring [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]]'s attempts to keep them quiet while the conference was going on, Ratchet and Wheeljack muttered to each other that they didn't like the Trigger's gun-shaped design, as it reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A little later, when human protesters gathered to object to the presence of the Autobots on Earth, Katua Adle was able to prove that they were not emotionless metal monsters by revealing her prosthetic leg to the irate crowd and explained that she could feel through it. After all, how could Ratchet have replicated those sensations if he did not know them himself? The shamed crowd relented, and Optimus Prime told Katua that he would pass her kind words on to Ratchet himself. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

====''Story of Binaltech''====
Along with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Ratchet helped implant [[Chip Chase]]'s consciousness into the lifeless Prowl-2 shell when Prowl's spark was lost in [[subspace]]. {{storylink|Prowl & Chase}}

====''Wings Universe''====
Ratchet and a [[Paradron Medic]] tended to [[Dion]]'s injuries following [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'s rampage. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 1}} As casualties continued to mount, he and the other medics lamented that they were running out of space to put the patients. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[File:Ratchetgreatcarrally.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"You sure are a jerk when you repair me, Ratchet!"]]
{{quote|You sure go all to pieces when a missile hits you, Hound.}}

While [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was taking part in a cross-country Car Rally, he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s missiles. Ratchet raced onto the scene to repair Hound, and joked that his patient sure falls apart when a missile hits him! Also, Hound complained that Ratchet was screwing him together too tightly, causing him pain.

Ratchet is kind of a jerk. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

Following a battle with the Decepticons that resulted in many Autobot injuries, Ratchet and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were busy trying to fix them. Optimus Prime asked them about their progress, but they both sighed. Ratchet noted that even the mighty Dinobots were out of commission, for they had suffered the heaviest losses. But suddenly, the Decepticons attacked, having repaired their warriors in record time! Optimus Prime called his remaining functional warriors to the highways while Ratchet and Huffer returned to their repairs. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}
{{-}}

===The Battle for Planet Earth===
Ratchet was part of an Autobot expedition to [[South America]] to search for energy, but split from the rest of the group some time before they found [[Mount Sheelah]]. {{storylink|Terror of Mount Sheelah}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
In the path where Mirage used a hologram of Optimus Prime to lure the four [[cerebro-shell]]-controlled [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] over the edge of [[Bandit's Bluff]] and into the ocean, Ratchet was one of the Autobots crewing [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray's]] destroyer mode. He helped haul the unconscious quartet aboard for safe transport back to the Ark, then dried them off, chuckling, "This is one Decepticon plan that was all wet!" (''The Autobots never learn about Operation Black Coral in this path'')

In an alternate path, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] were exploring [[Dolphin's Bay]] in search of Decepticon activity when the former was paralyzed and left in an underwater cave by [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]. This leads to four possible endings, two of which involve Ratchet rescuing Bumblebee. In one, he first repairs a waterlogged and injured Skids on the deck of Seaspray after [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] hauled his disabled [[Star mini-submarine|mini-sub]] off the ocean floor. Skids then told his three teammates about Operation Black Coral, prompting a full-scale Autobot assault, during which Ratchet and Skids used the repaired sub to rescue Bumblebee. Another ending saw a similar assault in which Ratchet was part of the land-force and rescued Bumblebee on his own. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[File:Agenda3-AutobotsonArkattack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|He's fallen and he's not getting up.]]
Four million years ago, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, and Jazz were on the bridge of the Ark when it was suddenly attacked by the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. It crashed in a dormant volcano for untold years until it was disturbed by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], who had traveled from the far future. Ratchet's body was sprawled across a pile of boxes. Frozen in [[stasis lock]] as he was, Ratchet was unable to stop the Predacon from assassinating the equally comatose Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} This act would have rewritten history from that moment forward, but the ensuing time storm was stopped as [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] held Prime's spark in trust until his troupe of [[Maximal]]s, led by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], could repair Prime's body. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"OW! I should blast you to atoms! You did that ''on purpose''!" 
"Tone down your audio amplifiers, will ya? That ''didn't'' hurt... ''much''."|Starscream and Ratchet|"[[Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire]]"|style=2}}

[[File:Ratchettww.jpg|left|thumb|The Cybertronian red cross is Pac-Man.]]
8.2 million years ago, Ratchet accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] to the [[Border Regions|Sub-Orbital District]] of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], which had been devastated after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] activated the [[planetary engine]]s. He found no life signs in the entire blast radius. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} 600,000 years later, Ratchet remained with the Prowl-led Autobots after Optimus Prime disappeared in a [[space bridge]] explosion. He repaired [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] after the theoretician was damaged in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Ratchet was among the crew of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] when it crashed on [[Earth]], and awoke in 1984 to battle the [[Decepticon]]s. After years of fighting, Ratchet and the other Autobots took part in [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human/Autobot operation that defeated and captured the Earth-bound Decepticons. However, the ''[[Ark II]]'', which was meant to convey the Autobots, the captured Decepticons, and a number of humans back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]], sending Ratchet and his comrades to the bottom of the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Years later, Ratchet was brought back by the sinister [[Lazarus]], who had recovered and reprogrammed a number of Transformers for his nefarious ends. However, when Megatron broke free of Lazarus's control, he hooked up Ratchet and a number of other Autobots to a device that generated a deadly "metal virus". {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} Soon after, Optimus Prime detached Ratchet and the others from the doomsday device, {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} and he eventually recovered.

''When the alien [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] took over [[Las Vegas]], Ratchet was among the Autobots assembled by Optimus Prime to invade the occupied area. While the others engaged in battle, Ratchet was tasked with dealing with the collateral damage, and leading the human residents of Las Vegas to safety. He returned to the protection of Optimus Prime and his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] augmented power before a nuclear strike hit the city, and lent his skills to repairing the Autobots who had given their energon to power up Prime's "Finishing Move".'' {{storylink|Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation}}

''Over the next few days, Ratchet brought all the Autobots back on-line, including [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], who had each been drastically injured over the course of the preceding events. No sooner had Bluestreak been reactivated, though, that he was drawn back into the Keepers' control by their pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]]. Franklin's status as an "[[augment]]" — a human specially engineered using Cybertronian technology — allowed him to bypass [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security and infiltrate the Ark. Ratchet blamed himself for allowed that loophole in the security system. Later, Ratchet diagnosed the effects of the [[deconstructionite]]s—reverse-engineered nanotechnology used by the government against the Transformers to drain away their processing power.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}}

Ratchet took part in a battle in the [[Canada|Canadian]] Arctic with the Decepticons over possession of a crashed spacecraft containing [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. As the Autobots overwhelmed their foes, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived on the planet and gave them an ultimatum: Surrender and return to a newly unified Cybertron, or be destroyed. {{storylink|New World Order}} The Autobots returned to the Ark, where Optimus Prime assigned Ratchet to a [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]-led team that was to remain on Earth. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} After Shockwave's lieutenant, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], took Prime and others back to Cybertron, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] remained at the Ark as Jazz, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] attempted to locate Scourge and his ship. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}}

[[File:DWSkyfire Starscream Ratchet.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|My crotch is my stomach.]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a team of Decepticons arrived on Earth, they attacked the Ark's inhabitants, wanting the starship for themselves. In the initial assault, the Autobots managed to take [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], his cassettes, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] prisoner, but eventually all the Autobots but Ratchet and Brawn were defeated by the mighty [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Expecting a supply ship from Cybertron later that day, Ratchet and Brawn slipped past the Ark's berserk defense systems in order to contact the ship and warn them. Unfortunately, Bruticus arrived soon after, and they were forced to destroy the Ark rather than let the Decepticons have access to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Before the battle could escalate further, it was interrupted by the arrival of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] seemingly powered by supernatural forces. An uneasy truce was formed between the small group of Autobots and Decepticons, and Ratchet begrudgingly put his medic skills to work on Starscream. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} However, after Jetfire left the ''[[Orion]]'' to go after Sunstorm, Starscream used his [[null-ray]] on the remaining Autobots, including Ratchet. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

Ratchet later aided in the construction of Autobot City. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Ratchetjoetf2.jpg|left|upright=0.8|thumb|Physician, arm thyself.]]
In an alternate timeline, a newly formed [[human]] terrorist organization named [[Cobra]] uncovered the Ark buried in a dormant volcano. Finding two armies of giant, transformable robots, they repurposed these aliens for their own use, rebuilding them so they could reconfigure into various Cobra-designed vehicles. Ratchet was reprogrammed and rebuilt into a Cobra [[HISS tank]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1}} [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was able to break free from his reprogramming and awaken the other Transformers, {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} and, with the help of the human anti-terrorist task-force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], he defeated Megatron and Cobra. An alliance between the Autobots and the United States government was formed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

Two years later, a malfunction in [[Teletran 3]] sent dozens of Transformers into various points in history, an act which, if not reversed, would result in a perpetual holocaust being unleashed across [[Earth]]. To retrieve one Transformer and bring him home, a team of Cobra and G.I. Joe agents were sent 15 years into an apocalyptic future where [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his Decepticons ruled. The remaining cyborged humans had formed a resistance which had only one Autobot warrior who stood between them and utter annihilation. The last Autobot alive, Ratchet had grown bitter and battle-hardened after years of guerrilla warfare, and he demanded the team sent to bring him back to the present day help him complete one more mission. Ratchet, the Joes, and the Cobra agents were successful in freeing a factory nearby that was manned by enslaved humans, but Ratchet refused to go home with them and abandon his calling. [[Barbecue]] returned Ratchet home against his wishes, and as Ratchet cursed the stupid little creature, the [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] of the present day shot Ratchet in the back, putting him out of commission. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

Later, when [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] took Optimus Prime prisoner, Ratchet (still in his post-apocalyptic body) was part of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s rescue team. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Ratchet was among the Autobots who were awakened by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] in [[1939]], and joined their war on [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. During the assault on the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], he wondered why the Decepticons were so easy to defeat ''now'', after having been such a pain in the neck back on Cybertron. Ratchet most likely perished when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was smashed to pieces shortly afterwards. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Ratchet was happy enough to repair a badly-damaged Starscream, when the latter was brought in to the Ark. He agreed with Wheeljack that they should take the opportunity to take a look at Starscream's logic circuits, and maybe see if there was anything untoward which was making him such a disagreeable fellow, and Optimus was eventually talked around. It wasn't long before Ratchet had Starscream back online, amnesiac and surprisingly benign (it didn't last). {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

While on a mission to retrieve [[Sky Spy]], Ratchet encountered [[Stitch]], a veteran army medic, and helped him save a woman trapped in a swollen creek. The woman needed emergency medical treatment, so Ratchet used Sky Spy to scan the necessary information from Stitch's mind in order to complete surgery on the woman. Sometime later, Ratchet checked on Stitch and presented him with a new cybernetic arm to replace the one he used to repair Sky Spy. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===Descent into Evil===
[[File:Ratchetironhidedescent.jpg|left|thumb|Amazingly not dead.]]
Years after the Decepticon and Autobot Wars had ended, Ratchet and five other Autobots were sent to [[Ceti Alpha Seven]] to destroy [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|General Deathsaurus's]] Insecticon clone lab and stop his planned Decepticon uprising. After a team of four (consisting of [[Outback (G1)|Fallback]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Flareup (G1)|Flareup]], and [[Ricochet (Timelines)|Ricochet]]) failed, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] followed to help. After battling swarms of [[Virulent Clone]]s and [[Buzzclaw (G1)|Buzzclaw]], they finally met up with Deathsaurus himself. Ironhide stayed to fight the general, and Ratchet separated to find their fallen friends.

Ratchet managed to gather the victims but was captured by Deathsaurus along with Ironhide. Both were restrained inside the lab, which was set to detonate. Before this happened, Ricochet snuck in and freed them, allowing them to gather the wounded and escape as the clone lab was destroyed. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Infiltration3 Ratchet.jpg|thumb|250px]]
{{main|Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity}}
The Autobots' Chief Medical Officer, a close friend of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and someone who had treated every [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] since [[Nominus Prime]], Ratchet somehow ended up in a bog-standard Tactical Response Unit on a tenth-rate planet called "Earth" circling around a fourth-rate star called "the Sun" populated by strange creatures known as "humans". There, after several years, he went rogue to track down a human who had somehow found his way into a Decepticon Infiltration Bunker. Finding him dead, he found his palmtop computer with photos of the base in the hands of a runaway called [[Verity Carlo]], triggering the discovery a series of events that would bring Optimus himself to Earth after even [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], his unit commander, ultimately had to admit was significant despite his hatred for Ratchet's "playing hero".

After the Decepticon [[Surge (event)|Surge]], Ratchet was amongst those stranded first on an uninhabitable Cybertron, then Earth for an extended time. After these and [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s Chaos War were over, finished, he joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', aiming to find a successor as CMO - and while he did so, by the name of [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], he also found a new pair of hands to replace his worn-out set, courtesy of the mad [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] who would become his new arch-enemy. Groovy.

===''Hearts of Steel''===
{{picsneeded|Ice Age Wars, Victorian, modern bodies}}
Ratchet fought in the "[[Ice Age Wars]]" on ancient Earth, transforming into an unidentified animal with scales and spikes. As the increasingly colder climate began to threaten the Autobots and Decepticons, they powered down underground to finish their conflict at a later date, and were eventually awoken by humans in the mid-19th century. Ratchet and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] agreed that it was too early to awaken [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and interfere with humanity, but they were disregarded by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] who wanted to help the humans reach their goals. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}}

Upon learning from the humans that the Decepticons were also awake, Bumblebee reported this to Ratchet and Prowl, who were seemingly in charge while Prime was asleep. Now that he knew Decepticons were involved, Ratchet felt it necessary for the Autobots to do something. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} Taking on a medical boxcar altmode, he joined the other Autobots in forming a train and pursuing the Decepticons' [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as it headed towards [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}} They were briefly held back when the Decepticons collapsed a tunnel entrance on them, forcing Ratchet and the others to stop and dig their comrades and human allies out of the rubble. Once the Astrotrain was stopped and the Decepticons were defeated, the Autobots went back underground to continue fighting another day. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

In [[1888]], the [[Elder God]]s began threatening Earth, causing the Autobots to resurface. Seeking the energy needed to reactivate Optimus Prime, Ratchet and several other Autobots brought inventors [[Tobias Muldoon]] and [[Nikola Tesla]] to their deep-frozen leader. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} After sacrificing their energy to awaken Optimus Prime with [[Tesla tower|Tesla's invention]], Optimus Prime granted his soldiers some of his personal energon reserves. Soon, the Autobots set out to save [[Port Cenotaph]]; there, they found [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], who had been infected by the Elder God. While Ratchet handled Ironhide, Optimus Prime defeated the Elder God and it retreated to the ocean depths, releasing its hold on its thralls on the surface. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

{{charstubfiction|X-Files Conspiracy: The Transformers}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[File:RatchetHenkeiTsushima.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|"Ma'am, I'm just an SUV—oh, fine."]]
Despite rescuing a girl from a burning building, she had fallen unconscious, so he offered to drive her and her mother to the hospital. Unfortunately, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was tailing them from above. He would have blasted Ratchet, but Inferno blocked the shot with his fire truck mode, transformed, and then knocked Starscream out of the sky with his water cannon. Thanks to Inferno's help, Ratchet was able to successfully deliver the girl to the hospital.

But Ratchet's work wasn't done, as he had taken note of Inferno's heavy injuries. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}
{{-}}

===''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''===
Ratchet took part in a battle which resulted in the Decepticons being defeated and captured. When the city was attacked by [[Martian]]s, he and the other Autobots were forced to make a temporary alliance with the Decepticons to destroy the invaders. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Ratchet could come to his aid when Optimus was broken down. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Jack Merluzzi]] (English)}}
====Autobot story====
{{Note|Ratchet was available as a playable character in the Autobot campaign during the second playthrough.}}

====Decepticon story====
During the search for the [[Gem of Mystery]], the Decepticons needed a key to proceed through the ruins. While searching for [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and the key, they came across Ratchet. Ratchet delayed the Decepticons for a short time before they continued their pursuit of Chromedome. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers G1: Awakening''===
[[File:Gluawakening ratchet.jpg|thumb|150px]]
Ratchet was among the Autobots who left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and spent four million years in stasis after it was shot down over [[Earth]] by the Decepticons. He was among the first of the Autobots to recover, and sent Bumblebee on a series of energy gathering missions while he attempted to repair Optimus and the others. Ratchet worried about involving the [[human]]s in their war, but Optimus awoke in time to announce they had no choice. During a battle at [[Dyson Dam]], the Autobots captured [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], whom Ratchet repaired after it turned out Jetfire wasn't a Decepticon after all. Discovering that the Decepticons had built a [[space bridge]], the Autobots used it to return to Cybertron, onto to find that their home world had been conquered by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] during their four million year nap.

By rewiring the circuitry in his embedded tool set, Ratchet was able to free himself and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and the pair liberated Optimus and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] before the Autobot team retreated back to Earth. They arrived back in time to help [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in battle against the Decepticons. When the Autobots detected a distress call, Ratchet thought it might be Grimlock, but as it turned out, it was a trap. They managed to survive that, and hurried back to the Ark, where they had to repel a Decepticon assault on their ship. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
When Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to a duel, Ratchet was one of the few Autobots left at HQ to defend it from an attack by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. He joined [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] in mounting a defense, but they were no match for the Decepticon team. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War - Part 1}} During a Decepticon attack on a major human city, Ratchet, [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s 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}}

After Optimus Prime's defeat at the hand of Megatron, Ratchet was involved in the skirmishes in Autobot city that ensued. {{storylink|The Omega Corps}}

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

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

==Notes==
[[File:G1RatchetSexchange.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|So Ratchet basically avoided becoming part of the ''Girls Gone Wild'' cast. Good on her. Er, him.]]
[[File:BC2011HoFRatchetArt.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Bork bork bork - wait, no, that's Sweden...]]
*[[Bob Budiansky]] has said that he named Ratchet after the less-friendly medic Nurse ''Ratched'' from ''[[wikipedia:Ratched|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''.
*Ratchet never really showed his party animal spirit in Marvel, outside of the start of "Warrior School". Budiansky gives two answers for why: "1) in the comic book stories, he always found himself in situations too serious to allow his party personality to emerge. 2) I screwed up and forgot I had written that as part of his profile. I prefer to go with answer number 1."<ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Budiansky interview at Metal Machine]</ref>
*In the Shout! Factory Matrix of Leadership Special Edition DVD set, an interview with Bob Budiansky features close-ups of his original character notes for several characters, Ratchet being one of them. Oddly, his handwritten notes refer to Ratchet as "her" and the Autobots' "go-to gal" for repairs. While this obviously was not the final direction the character took, it is an odd [[Ratchet (Animated)#Notes|coincidence]]... and a fact that makes the early nicknames "Cool Hand Lube" and "Greasefinger" ''even more embarrassing''.<ref>Nicknames in profiles published in ''[[The Transformers Comics Magazine]]''.</ref>
*In a '''different''' gender-related coincidence, the French [[Diaclone]] release of Ratchet, "Ambulance", was referred to as female in one of [[Joustra]]'s [http://www.tf-1.com/articles/pretf/joustraamb_template.html pack-in minicomics].
*The Hall of Fame banner that was outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium during [[BotCon 2011]] depicted Ratchet with inverted shoulder colors. While ostensibly done to avoid the legal wrath of the Red Cross organization, it suggests that Ratchet has either suddenly become Christian and/or decided to align himself with Switzerland.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Ratchet''' (ラチェット ''Rachetto'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Jiù hù chē''' (China, 救护车, "Ambulance")
*''Czech:'' '''Zdravotník'''
*''French:'' '''Mécano''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Racsni'''
*''Italian:'' '''Doc'''
*''Portuguese:'' '''Alavanca''' (Portugal comics), '''Trinco''' (Brazil comics, "Lock")
*''Russian:'' '''Khrapovik''' (cartoon, Храповик, "Ratchet")

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Beast Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Cloud Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2014-03-26T23:20:14Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

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

[[File:FortMax1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

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

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

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

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

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

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

[[File:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

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

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

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

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

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

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

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

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

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

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

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

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

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

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

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

[[File:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

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

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

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

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

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

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

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

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

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

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

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

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

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

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

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

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

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}
[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|thumb|200px]]
Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}
[[File:Fortress maximus loose ends.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least 2 years. At some point [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] wanted to live his life and intruders were able to get aboard the crashed ship and re-awaken [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Circa [[1994]], Fort Max battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}
{{-}}

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

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb]]
The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

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

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

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

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|- Why are you so pale? - It is the winter camouflage, dude!]]
In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

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

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Drang nach Master!]]
Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

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

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

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|thumb|225px]]
While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[File:Hm6 fortmax funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]
When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|thumb|225px]]
When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]
Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|thumb|225px]]
Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:Hm17 maximus vs scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px|That's how the scorpions breed!]]
While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|thumb|225px]]
When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:Hm26 weak spot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|From USSR with "love"!]]
Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]
With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|thumb|225px|Insert 80's computer joke here.]]
Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

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

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|thumb|225px]]
As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

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

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

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

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

[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]
Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream]]s, he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

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

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

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

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

[[File:FortMax Jetfire SpotlightCyclonus.jpg|thumb|Guilt!]]
When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

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

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

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Torture!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Gore!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

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

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], and [[Ambulon (G1)|Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Not long afterwards, he attended a medal ceremony held by [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] to honor the heroes of a recent hull breach emergency. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}
[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rage!]]
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted 'Hot Rod' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit Rung, much to Maximus' anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:IDWMtMtE15-FortMaxOverlordThwok.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Vengeance!]]
Weeks later, a recovered Rung paid him a visit in the brig and accepted an unabashedly-sincere apology from Maximus. When Overlord broke free from the [[slow cell]] hidden in the ''Lost Light'''s basement, Fortress Maximus was released from confinement to combat the rampaging Phase-Sixer after he was temporarily incapacitated by Chromedome's use of Trepan's Trigger. He pummeled Overlord mercilessly and forced him back into the slow cell, which was then jettisoned from the ''Lost Light'' into space and destroyed by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} Later, when Rodimus led a band of Autobots to the lost satellite [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], he left Fort Max in command of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} After the infiltration of the ship by [[Legislator]]s, Fort Max used his oft-mentioned leg guns to fend off the attackers {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}, but was soon subdued. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} As a [[Reproduction#IDW Generation 1 continuity|forged]] Autobot, Maximus was not affected when [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] activated the [[universal killswitch]], but could only watch as it nearly killed Blaster and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Once the Legislators were defeated, Rodimus commended Fortress Maximus for his defense of the ship and offered him [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s previous title of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. As this position that would have him leave the ''Lost Light'', Maximus feared he might have another breakdown if left unchecked and asked for advice from Rung, who reassured him of his mental health and convinced him to accept. Maximus subsequently departed the ''Lost Light'', remaining on Luna 1 alongside [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and the [[Circle of Light]] to guard a captive Tyrest. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

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

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

:Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy produced in the original G1 line, and for over 25 years was the largest Transformers toy produced at all. In robot mode, he stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than his rival [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. The original retail price was nearly $100USD. His size record would eventually be broken by the 24" tall ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]].

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

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

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

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

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

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

===Transform Jr===
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

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

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

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

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

===GT===
*'''GT-R Maximus''' ([[September 28|9-28]]-[[2013]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GT-04'''
**''Accessories:'' Master Jack Sword, [[Hiiro]] race queen figure

:''[[Transformers GT]]'' GT-R Maximus is a heavy retool of the ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] toy, transforming into a 1:32 replica of the D'station Advan GT-R race car used by the [http://www.matchy.co.jp/ KONDO Racing] team in the [[wikipedia:Super GT|Super GT]] racing championship series. He features die-cast metal parts, an opening hood, trunk and doors, as well as an interior, complete with his feet and thighs being sculpted to form the back seats. His armaments include flip-out non-firing blasters on his arms and the "Master Jack Sword", a sword based on the [[Master Sword]] but with hinges that allow it to double as a car jack. Like all ''GT'' toys, Maximus also comes with a [[GT-Sister]], a poseable human figure themed after a [[wikipedia:race queen|race queen]], namely a lady named Hiiro.

:GT-R Maximus was originally slated to be released as GT-03, but was pushed back to GT-04 with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Megatron]] becoming GT-03. This may have had to do with the fact his original promotional art featured the same head as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Prime]] rather than the newly tooled head the figure comes with.

:This mold was also used, with different heads and accessories, to make the other ''Transformers GT'' toys: GT-R Prime, GT-R Megatron and [[Star Saber (Victory)#GT|GT-R Saber]].
{{-}}

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

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

===Parody Deformed===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

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

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

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

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

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

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

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

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

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

==Notes==
*"Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.
*Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)
*Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.
[[File:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Once you rip it off, it can never stay on again.]]
*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown, though it may be related to the [http://www.allspark.com/images/Transformers_Generations/2011/Vol2/07.jpg tan with red accents hard copy Takara possessed].
*The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].
*When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.
*Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

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

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

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

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2014-03-26T23:17:48Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

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

[[File:FortMax1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

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

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

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

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

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

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

[[File:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

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

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

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

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

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

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

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

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

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

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

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

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

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

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

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

[[File:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

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

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

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

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

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

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

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

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

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

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

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

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

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

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

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

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

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}
[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|thumb|200px]]
Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}
[[File:Fortress maximus loose ends.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least 2 years. At some point [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] wanted to live his life and intruders were able to get aboard the crashed ship and re-awaken [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Circa [[1994]], Fort Max battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}
{{-}}

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

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb]]
The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

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

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

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

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|- Why are you so pale? - It is the winter camouflage, dude!]]
In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

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

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Drang nach Master!]]
Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|thumb|250px]]
Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

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

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

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|thumb|225px]]
While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[File:Hm6 fortmax funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]
When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|thumb|225px]]
When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]
Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|thumb|225px]]
Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:Hm17 maximus vs scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px|That's how the scorpions breed!]]
While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|thumb|225px]]
When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:Hm26 weak spot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|From USSR with "love"!]]
Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]
With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|thumb|225px|Insert 80's computer joke here.]]
Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

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

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|thumb|225px]]
As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

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

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

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

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

[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]
Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream]]s, he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

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

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

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

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

[[File:FortMax Jetfire SpotlightCyclonus.jpg|thumb|Guilt!]]
When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

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

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

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Torture!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Gore!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

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

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], and [[Ambulon (G1)|Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Not long afterwards, he attended a medal ceremony held by [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] to honor the heroes of a recent hull breach emergency. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}
[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rage!]]
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted 'Hot Rod' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit Rung, much to Maximus' anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:IDWMtMtE15-FortMaxOverlordThwok.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Vengeance!]]
Weeks later, a recovered Rung paid him a visit in the brig and accepted an unabashedly-sincere apology from Maximus. When Overlord broke free from the [[slow cell]] hidden in the ''Lost Light'''s basement, Fortress Maximus was released from confinement to combat the rampaging Phase-Sixer after he was temporarily incapacitated by Chromedome's use of Trepan's Trigger. He pummeled Overlord mercilessly and forced him back into the slow cell, which was then jettisoned from the ''Lost Light'' into space and destroyed by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} Later, when Rodimus led a band of Autobots to the lost satellite [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], he left Fort Max in command of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} After the infiltration of the ship by [[Legislator]]s, Fort Max used his oft-mentioned leg guns to fend off the attackers {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}, but was soon subdued. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} As a [[Reproduction#IDW Generation 1 continuity|forged]] Autobot, Maximus was not affected when [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] activated the [[universal killswitch]], but could only watch as it nearly killed Blaster and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Once the Legislators were defeated, Rodimus commended Fortress Maximus for his defense of the ship and offered him [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s previous title of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. As this position that would have him leave the ''Lost Light'', Maximus feared he might have another breakdown if left unchecked and asked for advice from Rung, who reassured him of his mental health and convinced him to accept. Maximus subsequently departed the ''Lost Light'', remaining on Luna 1 alongside [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and the [[Circle of Light]] to guard a captive Tyrest. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

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

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

:Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy produced in the original G1 line, and for over 25 years was the largest Transformers toy produced at all. In robot mode, he stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than his rival [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. The original retail price was nearly $100USD. His size record would eventually be broken by the 24" tall ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]].

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

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

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

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

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

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

===Transform Jr===
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

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

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

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

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

===GT===
*'''GT-R Maximus''' ([[September 28|9-28]]-[[2013]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GT-04'''
**''Accessories:'' Master Jack Sword, [[Hiiro]] race queen figure

:''[[Transformers GT]]'' GT-R Maximus is a heavy retool of the ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] toy, transforming into a 1:32 replica of the D'station Advan GT-R race car used by the [http://www.matchy.co.jp/ KONDO Racing] team in the [[wikipedia:Super GT|Super GT]] racing championship series. He features die-cast metal parts, an opening hood, trunk and doors, as well as an interior, complete with his feet and thighs being sculpted to form the back seats. His armaments include flip-out non-firing blasters on his arms and the "Master Jack Sword", a sword based on the [[Master Sword]] but with hinges that allow it to double as a car jack. Like all ''GT'' toys, Maximus also comes with a [[GT-Sister]], a poseable human figure themed after a [[wikipedia:race queen|race queen]], namely a lady named Hiiro.

:GT-R Maximus was originally slated to be released as GT-03, but was pushed back to GT-04 with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Megatron]] becoming GT-03. This may have had to do with the fact his original promotional art featured the same head as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Prime]] rather than the newly tooled head the figure comes with.

:This mold was also used, with different heads and accessories, to make the other ''Transformers GT'' toys: GT-R Prime, GT-R Megatron and [[Star Saber (Victory)#GT|GT-R Saber]].
{{-}}

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

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

===Parody Deformed===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

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

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

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

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

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

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

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

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

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

==Notes==
*"Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.
*Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)
*Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.
[[File:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Once you rip it off, it can never stay on again.]]
*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown, though it may be related to the [http://www.allspark.com/images/Transformers_Generations/2011/Vol2/07.jpg tan with red accents hard copy Takara possessed].
*The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].
*When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.
*Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

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

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

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
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[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
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Skids (G1)

2014-03-26T23:11:39Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

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

[[File:Skidsg1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Gee, that REALLY looks like his Alternators head, what are the odds?]]
'''Skids''' is a theoretician. This is appropriate, as some would say his existence is merely theoretical; everyone forgets who he is or that he was there. But if they got to know him, they'd learn that he likes to daydream, get built into furniture, and pick up cowboy chicks.

Though a theoretician by trade, he's also a congenital learner, capable of mastering almost any skill naturally. While this makes him suited for just about any task, it makes him a surprisingly skilled warrior and special ops agent as he learns more combat techniques. The only skills he seems to have trouble mastering are people skills. To his closest friends or even his superiors, he's gruff, introverted, and sullen. But that's because despite his vast and ever-growing skillset, the only thing he can't quite figure out is himself, and it ticks him off.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Chain]] (English, "[[Quest for Survival]]"), [[Dan Gilvezan]] (English, "[[Triple Takeover]]"), [[Keiichi Nanba]] (Japanese, "Quest for Survival"), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese, "Triple Takeover")|[[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American)}}

[[File:Skidsanimated.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Hoist, Prime, and Skids ogle Bumblebee's animation model.]]
Like many of the Autobots who first appeared in 1985, the exact circumstances behind Skids joining the original group of Earth-based Autobots remain unknown. Skids first appeared as part of a strike force that was sent to stop the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] from ravaging a human farm, only to meet with failure. Apparently injured in the battle, Skids underwent some repairs by [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] upon return to Autobot Headquarters, where he responded incredulously to [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]]'s report that he had retrieved [[robotic insecticide]] from the planet [[Floron III]] to deal with the Insecticon threat. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

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

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[File:Binaltech skids cardart.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|After using up all of his vacation and sick days, Skids returned to work to find that the Transformers cartoon had been cancelled.]]
Skids was the first of the Binaltech Autobots created simply with the intent of upgrading an existing, healthy Transformer, rather than in the name of repairing one that had been injured. Outfitted with self-repairing nanomechanical antibodies, Skids's body can, barring heavy damage in battle, theoretically function for thousands of years without maintenance. In both his original and new body, Skids dedicated time to studying the chronal warp on [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], which gave rise to the Autobot strategy known as "[[Operation: Distant Thunder]]", a last-ditch scheme should the Decepticons tamper with the fabric of space-time. That horror occurred in [[2004]] when Ravage used the [[Kronosphere]] to alter the timeline, and Skids prepared to initiate the plan and send [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s memory data back in time to avert the catastrophe. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (prose)|Darkest Hour}}

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

=====''Henkei! Henkei!''=====
[[File:Skids and screech.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
When Skids successfully proved the existence of particles able to cross over between dimensions, he put his discovery to work for the forces of good, coating his armor in these "Dimension Slide" particles and endowing himself with the power to move between realities, as well as a snazzy new green paintjob. In this quest to examine anomalies within the multiverse, Skids found he could summon other versions of himself from different dimensions to aid him, but for unknown reasons, one of these alternate versions wound up trapped in Skids's home dimension, unable to return to his own world. Named "[[Screech (Generations)|Screech]]" (presumably to save all the Autobots a headache), this alternate Skids teamed up with his counterpart, and together, the pair worked as "Quantum Operatives" policing the multiverse while searching for a way to get Screech home. {{storylink|#Toys|Skids's toy bio}} {{storylink|Screech (Generations)|Screech's toy bio}}

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

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

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

[[File:Charleneskids.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Proving once and for all that chicks dig giant robots.]]
On the way to raid the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon base]], Skids accidentally clipped the car of hot-tempered [[Jake Dalrymple]], who pursued the Autobots on their mission and distracted Skids just enough for [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] to blast him off a cliff. Although Optimus Prime mourned the loss of Skids, neither the Autobot leader nor any other Autobot thought to recover the believed deactivated body of Skids later after their mission had been completed. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} Lying crippled and unable to transform, Skids was shortly discovered by register girl [[Charlene (cowgirl)|Charlene]], who, thinking he was an ordinary van, had him fixed up with the intent of keeping him for herself. Skids was open to the idea at first, preferring a peaceful life to that of a warrior, but after another bout of road rage with Dalrymple, the unearthly stunts he performed left him no option but to reveal his true nature of Charlene.

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

[[File:Skidslimbo.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Oh, hey, remember Skids?]]
Skids returned to the Ark with Finkleberg, and later embarked on a mission with him to track down a group of missing Autobots who had been captured by the [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team]]. Unfortunately, money still governed Finkleberg's actions, and he promptly sold out Skids to RAAT's leader [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]] when Skids was deactivated for the night. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} Skids was disassembled for study, but when the Decepticons [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] appeared on Earth and began defacing landmarks, RAAT operative [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]] was forced to enter into a deal with the Autobots to stop them. Skids and the other Autobots' components were combined to form a jury-rigged robot that Circuit Breaker used to stop the [[Battlecharger]]s, but in return for their co-operation, Skids and the Autobots were allowed to go free. {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}}

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

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

[[File:Skidssurvivors.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|And then he stole [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]]'s head.]]
''With Galvatron's eventual destruction during the [[Time Wars]], Skids was finally returned to Earth, but he had spent too long in Limbo—the limbo-creatures had succeeded in shaping a reality from his dreams, and the nightmarish monsters that he had imagined materialised on Earth with him. Fleeing from the beasts, who desired to merge with Skids so that they might become more powerful, Skids lured them into a nuclear power plant which he had planned to detonate, wiping out the monsters and himself, but the remnants of the Autobot [[Wrecker]]s—joined by [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]] and [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] of the Decepticon [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]—arrived to aid him, defeating the monsters. Skids joined with this group of Transformers, forming the [[Survivors]].'' {{storylink|Survivors!}}

[[File:Grimlockwasthatwise.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Hey, who here remembers when I was damaged and shoved into the medbay? No? Well, that makes all of us.]]
Grimlock traveled to [[Hydrus Four]] to use [[Nucleon]] to revive the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Returning to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], he also pumped Nucleon into the med bays, reviving Skids and several others, and headed towards [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Grimlock used the Ark as a blunt instrument across [[Unicron]]'s head, forcing Skids and the others to evacuate and join the battle against the Chaos Bringer. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
{{-}}

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

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

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

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

===Find Your Fate Junior===

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

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

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

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

===3H comics===
[[File:Skidswreckers2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|In the context of science, "theory" does not mean "guess" or "hunch", Rodimus. You should probably pay attention.]]
Skids was among the senior scientists (including [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]], and [[Rad]]) who questioned [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s plan to send out the best of the remaining Autobot science and research members to establish deep-space reconnaissance posts. {{storylink|Betrayal}}
{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Skidsbacksoff.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|-gulp-]]
Before the [[Great War (G1)|war]], Skids trained as a theoretician at the [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Senator Shockwave]]'s [[Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology|Academy of Advanced Technology]], {{storylink| Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} secretly recruited to the school because of his status as an "[[outlier]]" with special powers—in Skids's case, a "super-learning" ability that allowed him to master many skills. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}} He was present at the academy on the day that [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] and [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] arrived to take Shockwave into protective custody, and his attempt to stop them was quickly quashed when the towering Roller intimidated him into silence. {{storylink| Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} It was not long, however, before Skids's teacher returned and recruited him and classmates "[[Glitch (IDW)|Glitch]]" and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] for a plan formulated by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] to steal a bomb disguised as the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] from [[Nominus Prime]]'s body as it lay in the [[Primal Basilica]]. Skids was somewhat disappointed that his sole contribution to the plan was not one of his many skills, but merely the fact he had a grappling hook in his arm that they could use to lower Pax into the Basilica, but despite a minor snag when the technology-disrupting Glitch accidentally jammed his hook's winch, the mission was a success. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:Getaway Skids ArmTheLonely.jpg|thumb]]

After graduating to full-fledged theoretician status, Skids went on to join the [[Diplomatic Corps]], to work to persuade other races to support the Autobot cause. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}} At some point, he disappeared under currently unknown circumstances and was believed dead, {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} though the first clue that he yet lived came in the form of a mysterious message from the future that was sent—albeit too late to be heeded—to the Autobots departing to find the lost [[Knights of Cybertron]], which warned: "Don't let them take Skids". {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Skids had, in fact, become part of [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]'s covert [[Special Operations]]. Partnered with [[Getaway]], he was sent to attempt an "assassination" on [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]], using a [[nudge gun]] to implant the impulse to resign in the Chief Justice's mind. The plan failed, and Skids was only able to escape using a shuttle made from [[mode lock]]ed [[Legislator]]s. Using the nudge gun's other charge, Skids erased his own memory after setting the shuttle to home in on the nearest of his handlers, the [[Duobot]]s. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

[[File:LiarsAtoD2-Skids.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|How do you like me now?]]

It was in this amnesiac state that he arrived on the planet where the ''[[Lost Light]]'' had crashed. Abruptly, the mode lock deactivated and the ship began transforming, so Skids made an impulsive decision: he reactivated the lock, sent the ship crashing into the surface, and bailed out. Making it to the ground safely, Skids found himself under attack from the Legislators that had made up his ship — though one of them had been killed in the crash, the other two were coming after him with giant swords and fire breath. Skids came upon the deceased bodies of two Autobots who had failed to survive the ''Lost Light'' crash—[[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]] and [[Polaris]]—and used their weapons and abilities to eliminate another of the pursuing robots. Running from the lone survivor, Skids came upon a small party of Autobots from the ''Lost Light'', who deactivated the inhibitor claw for him, allowing him to access his weapons and destroy last Legislator. Skids was invited to join the crew of the ''Lost Light'', though he was less than enthusiastic about [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]'s proposition that the pair of them should team up. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

[[File:LiarsAtoD3-RungSkids.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|MEANWHILE IN A 20 MILE RADIUS OF THIS EVENT]]
When a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] got loose aboard the ''Lost Light'', requiring the crew to be sealed in their quarters, Skids, having decided to exploit his missing memories to entirely reinvent himself and deciding he disliked confinement, left through the ventilation system. Drawn by [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s cries, he saved the psychiatrist from a close call with the Sparkeater, and at [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]]'s request, led the creature through the vents to the engine room where Rodimus disposed of it. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} As a celebration of the death of the Sparkeater, Swerve opened a [[Swerve's|bar]] where Skids got drunk together with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. He failed to notice that Chromedome stole his gun while he was messing around with his grappling hook and a server-robot. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement}} After attending a ceremony to commend Chromedome, [[Brainstorm]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] on recent heroics, {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}} Skids was next spotted still hanging out at the bar with some other Autobots as [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] put Chromedome's ability to identify an Autobot based on their transformation sound to the test. {{storylink|Interiors}} He later tried to comfort Swerve following his accidental shooting of Rung. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement}}

When a swarm of [[Nanocon]]s that had lain dormant inside [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s body were mysteriously reactivated, Skids and a few others were shrunk by Brainstorm's mass-displacement gun and sent inside Magnus to eliminate them. Once that was dealt with, Skids attended [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]'s Autobot Initiation Ceremony, during which he relayed Swerve's report from the engine room that dead crewmember [[Ore]] had come back to life. The chaos only continued when Skids and a team of Autobots were abruptly teleported by [[Galactic Council]] to the planet [[Theophany]], there to investigate the razing of [[Crystal City]]. Beneath the city, they found a slumbering [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]], leading to discussions on the Transformers' creation myths and the meaning of life; Skids and Chromedome shared a belief that life was shaped not by destiny or gods, but by interactions with others. Skids theorized that both the Nanocons and Ore had come back to life thanks to the psychic emanations of the Metrotitan, then helped [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] fend off the Galactic Council's forces until the Autobots could free the Metrotitan, which teleported them all back to the ''Lost Light'' and quantum-jumped the ship to safety. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

[[File:CybertronianHomesickBlues-SkidsRung.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|"Legs: Yes. Bow-tie: Cool...I can buy a fez."]]

Inspired by their talk, Skids requested that Chromedome use his [[mnemosurgery]] to unlock his lost memories; Chromedome discovered that only Skids's last year of memories had been erased, while the others had been repressed by a trauma so horrific he did not dare restore them. Chromedome was, however, able to identify the music in his head as the "[[The Empyrean Suite]]", and hoped he would never learn its significance. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

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

[[File:TheFecundMoon-Skids.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Skids kind of lost it a bit after Charlene left.]]

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

Fortunately for Skids, he survived this, and was later teleported by Star Saber into a cell which contained Rodimus' crew. Perceptor examined his wound, while Swerve explained what happened to them. After Skids said that he would apologize for whatever he had done to Tyrest, Star Saber returned to the cell, carrying his [[Getaway|"Partner in crime"]] with him. Chromedome then explained that when he read Skids' mind, he had done it wrong, and misinterpreted the remnant memory as an "Imperative to escape". In actuality though, it was a name, Getaway. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} Getaway was able to fill Skids in on his lost memories of their ill-fated mission to change Tyrest's mind, and explained Tyrest's mad plan to reach [[Cyberutopia]]. With the newcomer's help, Skids and the others were freed from the cell and confronted Tyrest, only to be incapacitated by the lawmaker's suggestion weapon. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Thanks to Tailgate, the suggestion weapon was disabled, and Skids cuffed [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], only for the medic to promptly escape when his back was turned. The Autobots caught up with him at Tyrest's gate to Cyberutopia, but only Skids, finally at peace with himself, was able to step through the guilt-detecting force field. He found himself standing on a strange landscape being talked to by a multi-colored [[spark]]. On hearing cries for help from Rung, he dashed back through the portal to help fight the Legislators until Tailgate was able to shut them down with some amendments to the law. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}}

Before the ''Lost Light'' left Luna 1, Skids played a film compiled by Rewind to detail the ship's voyage. Unfortunately the film failed to impress the members of the [[Circle of Light]] who rejected any notion of joining the crew. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

==Games==
===3D Battle-Card Game===
Skids was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}
===''Transformers Legends''===
During the war on Cybertron, Skids was among a group of Autobots led by [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], who went to [[Tyrest (polity)|Tyrest]] in an attempt to reason with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. They were ambushed by the Decepticons, and Sentinel Prime was killed. {{storylink|The War Within}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
{{anchor|G1v1}}
[[File:G1 Skids toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Introducing the new Nikahimi Deathtrap. With its poly-cotton body shell, it's the fastest car in the world... to open with the jaws of life. The Nikahimi Deathtrap—the last car you'll ever drive.]]
*'''Skids''' (Autobot Car, 1984/1985)
**''Accessories'': "Liquid nitrogen rifle", "twin electron blaster", "rocket pod" launcher, 3 rockets
:Skids began life as part of [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' toyline, where he was known simply by the name of his alternate mode, the [[wikipedia:Honda City Turbo|Honda City Turbo]], and was available in blue, red or black color schemes (see [[#Notes|Notes]], below). The blue version of the figure was used by [[Hasbro]] as part of the ''Transformers'' toyline, sans a small scooter accessory that the ''Diaclone'' figure had come with which stored inside his trunk. Despite sharing this common point of origin with many of his fellow Autobot cars, he features a few unusual touches: his rear wheels fold into his feet for added robot-mode stability, and his weapons attach by clipping over his forearms, rather than plugging into his fists. Among his armament is a "rocket pod", the spring-loaded missile-firing mechanism of which was neutered for Hasbro's release of the figure.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

===Alternators===
[[File:Alt Skids toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Heavily clearanced so fanboys could customize him into Ironhide.]]
{{anchor|Alt}}
*'''Autobot Skids''' (2005)
**''Alternator ID number'': '''17'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BT-16'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-rifle

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

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

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

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

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

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

[[File:G1toy quantum operative skids.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You sure you can call this an homage?]]
*'''Skids & Screech Quantum Operative Ver.''' (exclusive multi-pack, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' "Material acceleration pistol", dual-barreled gun, "quantum shield" launcher, 3 rockets, scooter

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

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

===Generations===
[[File:Generations Skids.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The theoretician the world deserves, not the one it needs right now.]]
*'''Autobot Skids''' (Deluxe, 2013)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #009'''
**''Accessories:'' Nudge gun & nitrogen gun (combine to form rifle)

:Part of the seventh wave of 2012-onwards ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' "Autobot Skids" transforms from a contemporary-looking hatchback into a robot mode largely based on [[Alex Milne]]'s design for [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' comic, most notably featuring that body's numerous integrated weapons. He also includes the [[nudge gun]] carried by Skids in said comic and a new version of the liquid nitrogen rifle from his original toy, the two of which can combine into a larger rifle.

:There are numerous reports of the figure's hips being assembled the [[Misassembly|wrong way round]], thus affecting the car mode as well as hampering the leg articulation (and it could even result in the ball joints at the waist snapping off), this can simply be fixed by popping them out and swapping them to the right place (just as long as you are careful with the aforementioned ball joints).

:He comes packaged with the [[Little Victories|twenty-second issue]] of IDW's aforementioned ''More than Meets the Eye'' comic series, featuring a cropped version of its retailer incentive cover, which is called out as a 'Hasbro Exclusive Cover' on its front. Skids was later [[retool]]ed into [[Crosscut (Autobot)#Generations|Crosscut]].
{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

{{-}}

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

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

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

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

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

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

==References==
<references />

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

Tracks (G1)

2014-03-26T18:26:56Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Tracks}}
:''Tracks is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Tracksg1.jpg|upright=1.95|thumb|If God had wanted Tracks to multiply, he would have given him the Creation Matrix and luscious lips. But he only gave him the luscious lips.]]

'''Tracks''' is a little bit of a narcissist, according to his Autobot buddies, and it's hard for him to stay lighthearted and gay under such criticism. He attributes it to jealousy, since few Autobots are so well-endowed with a sleek, muscular, and tastefully decorated sports car mode as his.

The truth is, Tracks's armament is considerable. In the wink of an eye, he can erect his hardened launcher shafts and deploy two flaming incendiary missiles. These projectiles are heat-seeking, seeking out warm Decepticon bodies and striking hard in sensitive places. With his long and powerful "blinding" [[black beam gun]], which negates light, he strikes his enemies in the darkness. Whether defending [[San Francisco]] or displaying his trademark moves in [[Dancitron]], Tracks is one fantastically flamboyant fighter!

Tracks can even fly like a butterfly by deploying his secret, hidden wings from their protective closet.

He should be a dangerous opponent, but his concern with preserving his stylish appearance and poor ability to work with fellow Autobots hampers him. Often he simply cruises the metro area alone all night, looking for Decepticons worthy of his attentions. Tracks may not always get along with his friends, but he knows his enemies. He knows them very well, indeed.

His [[Action Master partner]] is [[Basher]].

{{bigquote|Keep San Francisco clean—LEAVE!|Tracks to the Asteroid bird alien|"[[The Secret of Omega Supreme]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michael McConnohie]] (English), [[Show Hayami]] (Japanese), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese, "Dinobot Island, Part 2" thru "Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1", "Triple Takeover", "Hoist Goes Hollywood"), [[Kōki Kataoka]] (Japanese, "The Secret of Omega Supreme"), [[Carlos Nieto]] (Latin American)

[[File:DinobotIsland2 Tracks robotmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|How this show lasted this far without me, I'll never know.]]
Tracks was one of several Autobots who appeared out of nowhere one day. He listened in as [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] reported the discovery of [[Dinobot Island (G1)|an island full of dinosaurs]]. Following another [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] mishap at base, Tracks helped with repairs. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} He, [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] were sent out to intercept and drive back a pirate ship that had appeared through a temporal anomaly due to Megatron's interference on the temporally displaced [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]]. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}} Tracks took part in a game of basketball with the Dinobots, and failed to stop [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] from making a slam dunk. As Prime observed that Tracks was in need of maintenance, and he admitted that he'd had a deuce of a time trying to get an appointment with [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]. As it turned out, Hoist and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] had somehow fallen in with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to build Grapple's [[Solar Power Tower]]. Tracks was part of the mission to see what was going on, and ended up fighting [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Following the Autobot victory, he helped dig through the ruins of the tower to find Grapple and Hoist. {{storylink|The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders}}

[[File:MMP1 Tracks fires black beam gun.jpg|thumb|upright=1.34|And I said "let there be dark!"]]
When the Decepticons attacked a new solar power plant in [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]], Tracks took to the air and blasted [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] with his black beam gun. In retaliation, [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] rammed Tracks, knocking the Autobot out of the sky. The Decepticons retreated, much to the delight of the [[human]]s present. Tracks complained about the annoying cheering noise they were making. He was happy enough to take part in [[Autobot Day]], until an incriminating video (faked by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] of course) was shown and the crowds turned against the Autobots. They retreated to Headquarters, but a short time later, the authorities turned up to arrest them and put them on trial. The verdict was swiftly delivered, and the Autobots forced to leave the planet on a spaceship provided by [[Shawn Berger]]. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Locked on course to the [[Sun]], the Autobots abandoned ship and used [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] to return to [[Earth]], where the Decepticon plot had already been revealed. The Autobots freed the enslaved humans and chased off the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} After the theft of the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and Tracks reported from the field that they hadn't detected any Decepticon activity. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

[[File:G1MakeTracks TracksRaoul.jpg|left|upright=1.34|thumb|It's not what it looks like, honestly!]]
Tracks and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] assisted the [[New York City|New York]] Police Department's Crime Buster program by parking themselves in a seedy, run-down neighborhood to entice car thieves to steal them, then capturing the thieves and their buyer. Back at [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s garage, Tracks opined that New York City was exhilarating and that they could remain there forever as far as he was concerned, to the amusement of the other Autobots. Annoyed at their attitude, Tracks took off for a joyride, but almost immediately fell prey to a gang of would-be car thieves who shot out Tracks' tires as he tried to run them off the road. Crashing into a streetlight, Tracks was badly damaged and unable to transform. Fortunately, the car thief with a heart of gold, [[Raoul]], happened by and decided to take possession of Tracks, who quickly revealed he was no ordinary badly damaged dark blue Corvette Stingray with a giant flaming logo on his hood.

Together, the pair tailed the [[Geddis brothers]] to a Decepticon installation in the [[Pine Barrens]], where the Constructicons were converting stolen cars. When an electrical fault disabled Tracks during the course of the investigation, Raoul came to his rescue, and they both fled through the woods, eventually running into some more Autobots. Tracks joined Bumblebee, [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] in defending downtown from the stolen vehicles, converted into drones by the Decepticons, and was appalled when they damaged the [[Chrysler Building]]. Tracks and Raoul took part in the assault on the Decepticon base, however Megatron grabbed the young human. Tracks announced that if Raoul was harmed, there'd be trouble, but the threat proved unnecessary, as Raoul made use of a can of spray paint to escape. At Prime's invitation, Tracks demolished the base with a few well-placed shots. Later, he volunteered Raoul to help [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] fix all the cars that the Decepticons had messed with. {{storylink|Make Tracks}}

[[File:QuestForSurvival Inferno puts out Tracks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|But this is!]]
Tracks was part of a disastrous attempt to stop the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] from eating Earth crops. [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] set him on fire, forcing Inferno to put him out. Tracks bravely fought on until [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] called a retreat and they returned to Headquarters for repairs. Some time later, after Cosmos had become trapped by an infestation of [[Morphobot]]s, Tracks took part in rescue efforts. As [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] used his music to repel the creatures, Tracks and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] helped hook Cosmos up to Hoist. Unfortunately during the subsequent fight with the Decepticons, the [[robotic insecticide]] was destroyed, leaving them with no weapon against the Insecticon army. It all turned out okay, as said army was eaten by the Morphobots anyway. Tracks watched as the Morphobots were launched into space to wreck some other planet's ecology. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

[[File:SecretOmegaSupreme Tracks is alarmed.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Tracks Threatens his Hand: Part 1]]
When [[San Francisco]] was threatened by an [[Asteroid bird alien|alien bird creature]], Tracks risked his life in battle to defend the city until [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] arrived to drive it off. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} Following Megatron's disappearance, [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] took over a sports stadium and had the Constructicons build a maze leading to it. Tracks, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] attempted to traverse the maze, only to get totaled by Blitzwing and built into a throne. Fortunately Hoist came to the rescue and fixed them all up in time to witness Megatron's return and the downfall of Blitzwing and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. The four repaired Autobots jokingly arranged themselves into a throne for Optimus afterwards. Optimus declined their kind offer. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}}

Whilst out on a supply run with Bumblebee, Tracks opined that Optimus Prime had sent him out on this task to show the humans that Autobots didn't just have strength, but refinement as well. When Bumblebee sharply pointed out his comrade's lack of humility, Tracks replied that he feared ''some'' Autobots had much to be humble about. Together, they watched a storefront television report by [[Hector Ramirez (G1)|Hector Ramirez]] on the disappearance of a [[Daina|top secret Soviet jet]], for which blame was placed on the [[United States of America]]. Bumblebee suspected Decepticon involvement, which was convenient, as Tracks saw Astrotrain and Blitzwing lurking about nearby. The Autobots gave chase, only to discover the 'Cons were holographs projected by the big game hunter [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]], and the pair were quickly subdued. After several more Autobots were captured, the imprisoned hostages were forced to run through several cruel and unusual torture devices. Tracks in particular was forced to race around a small, spiked track while laser cannons fired at him. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}}

[[File:G1Auto-Bop Tracks girl.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|"Eeek, Mr. Tracks, can I have your autograph?" "Sure thing, baby."]]
Tracks and Blaster were reunited with Raoul when the human and [[Bop Crew]] were being chased by [[Furg]]'s gang outside of the [[Dancitron]] night club. Tracks stylishly defeated the thugs by arcing his laser fire horizontally, simultaneously destroying several of the weapons wielded by Furg's men. As he did so, he noticed that one of the gang members was a man dressed in a business suit. The Autobots decided to investigate further.

Inside the club, Tracks declined to dance with some girls, and [[Stylish man|another patron]] asked him where he could "get those threads" (meaning Tracks's robot body). As Tracks left, remarking that Dancitron wasn't ''his'' kind of club, he noted that there were more out-of-place humans, including a housewife in a bathrobe and a garbage man. Tracks and Blaster came to Raoul's aid again when the driver of a train in which the humans were traveling was "activated' by [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and accelerated the train to unsafe speeds. Later, Tracks and Raoul were attacked by brainwashed "workers" at a construction site for something large and mysterious. Bravely risking his paint job, Tracks protected Raoul from red-hot rivets fired by a brainwashed construction worker.

[[File:Trackscruc2.jpg|left|upright=1.45|thumb|Tracks forgot his safeword.]]
Returning to the club, Tracks was lured into a trap by the mind-controlled [[Poplock]] and [[Rocksteady]]. Barely evading Starscream's attack, Tracks was assaulted by the rest of the club's patrons and chained up to the sound system, where the Decepticons hoped the music would eventually shake him apart. After Raoul de-hypnotised the club patrons by getting them slightly wet, the humans freed Tracks, who proceeded to take off after the fleeing Starscream. Crazy like a fox, Tracks seeded the clouds above the mysterious construction site, causing rain to fall down on the hypnotised workers, totally ruining Starscream's plan forever. Knowing that despite his good looks, he was outgunned and outpowered, Tracks used his superior agility to trick Starscream into flying into the half-constructed building and damaging himself when the Decepticon failed to avoid obstructions. With the Decepticons defeated, Tracks and Blaster destroyed the mysterious building. Grateful to the Bop Crew for saving his life, Tracks had Blaster help them out by acting as the boom box for their curbside breakdance sessions, to the latter's horror. {{storylink|Auto-Bop}}

[[File:HoistGoesHollywood Sunstreaker Tracks masks.jpg|upright=1.34|thumb|"What are the chances? The only two Autobots marching and we turned up wearing the same outfit."]]
After Hoist was hired to be in a film, a number of other Autobots got wind of it and decided to volunteer their services as well. Tracks and the others impressed the [[Attack of the Alien Robots director|director]] enough that he cast them, and Tracks ended up as a stunt vehicle, flying into a fake brick wall. The Autobots were dissatisfied with their assigned roles and told Hoist to try and pull some strings. The director decided to rethink the movie, and had Tracks and the others dressed as "evil alien robots". Tracks confessed he felt like a fool, but refused to quit. While shooting another scene, the pyrotechnics turned out to be bigger than expected, and the Autobots were nearly blown up. The shoot had been sabotaged by the Decepticons, who were after film of Dirge, who had crashed while carrying a device stolen from [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s [[Wheeljack's workshop|workshop]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. After the affair was resolved, Tracks and the other Autobots decided not to be a part of the movie business after all. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

Later, Tracks was one of several Autobots facing off against the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] near the [[Seattle|Seattle-Tacoma area]] when Megatron was using the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] to transform the land into metal. He was rammed by [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] into a boulder and flipped over. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Tracks was one of several Autobots who participated in the [[Europa 2000]], a charity race from Paris to Istanbul which, if the Autobots won, would have netted them a million dollars, which they would give to charity. Tracks was disdainful of the arrogant American driver [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]] and his suped-up [[Symultech Industries]] car. During the race, Tracks tried to contact the other Autobots, only to find out they had been disabled by the Stunticons in Megatron's quest to stop the Autobots from interfering with his plans for the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]]. Teamed up with Cahnay and [[Teranova|a scientist who mysteriously disappeared]] during the course of the battle, the Autobots defeated [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and destroyed the Pearl. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

[[File:Masquerade Tracks firing.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|... And Part 2]]
After [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] was abducted by the Decepticons, Tracks was one of the Autobots who volunteered to go on the rescue mission, and was subsequently struck down with [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. Fortunately a cure was soon forthcoming. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} He also took part in the defense of Headquarters during a Decepticon attack. Megatron soon retreated, not because of anything the Autobots did, but because he had realised that Starscream was behind everything. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Tracks helped defend a human city from the Insecticons, however a [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] plan saw the Autobots searching for a component to get the [[space bridge]] working so they could reach Cybertron. They eventually tracked the component down, only to find the Insecticons had chewed it up. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Tracks was part of a responsive strike against a series of Stunticon raids on human compounds. He took to the air at one point, prompting [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] to remark that his flying car mode was "droll". In retaliation for this unwarranted remark, Tracks blinded Dead End with his black light gun, which caused the Decepticon to drive into the car-crushing fists of [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]]. {{storylink|Masquerade}}
{{-}}

====''Story of Binaltech''====
When the Decepticons unleashed Cosmic Rust on Earth, Tracks was one of the many Autobots infested with the virus. As [[Earth Defense Command]] created the Binaltech Project in order to help the Autobots, Tracks was one of the first patients to undergo transference into an [[electro-cell]] powered new body. With the help of his fellow Binaltech Autobots (Smokescreen, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]), Tracks and his new powers were used to drive the Decepticons off the planet. He remained part of the soldiers based at Autobot City on Earth.

Tracks apparently now had the power to change and update his paint job at will. Thrilling. Simply thrilling.

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
[[File:JHeadmasters09Tracks.jpg|thumb|"Look, I'll stop asking you to fix my every little nick and scratch, '''I swear!'''" "KIYAAAAAAAA!"]]
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Tracks briefly engaged the Decepticons with his comrades. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Years onward, Tracks was seen on Earth working with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Alongside [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], he was dispatched to intercept invading Decepticons and prevent them from interfering with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]'s search for the Matrix. The group was not actually seen to confront anyone. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Later, while defending Cybertron, Tracks got kicked in the face ''really hard''... by [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]. Uh, heat of the moment? {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
During the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Tracks was part of a team which took down [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] after the Decepticon breached [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. They had to retreat when the Constructicons fought back. {{storylink|A Flash Forward}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Skidsgrapplesmokescreenhoisttracks.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|I was rebuilt out of better spare parts than the rest of you!]]
Tracks was (re?)constructed on Earth by the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] when the Autobots' forces were depleted using the [[mind bank]], his mind downloaded into a new body from a memory crystal. He attended [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]]'s field training exercise on human culture—rock and roll wasn't quite Tracks's taste, but when the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] tried to steal and convert sonic energy from the concert, surface-to-air combat with the enemy seemed quite a bit more enjoyable for him. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} On a later mission, he attempted to help [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] prevent [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] from being reawakened by the Decepticons, but the mistrustful human armed forces kept them at bay long enough for [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] to revive his leader. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}}
[[File:RockNRollOut-Tracksdriver.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Oh, well that just makes too much sense.]]
''Shortly thereafter, Tracks joined [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] in protecting [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] from Soundwave and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. He and Smokescreen actually managed to hold their own against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] for a short period of time.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}}

Tracks also was part of the Autobot strike on [[Wyoming base|Decepticon headquarters]] which allowed Bumblebee to record Devastator's transformation and combination sequence, giving the Autobots a chance to replicate the unique gestalt technology. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''The Autobots experienced a major setback when Optimus Prime, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] dematerialized before their eyes at a meeting, seemingly atomized in seconds. Matters only became more pressing when [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Decepticon commander of [[2006]], arrived in the present, kidnapped [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and co-opted the Constructicons for his own purposes. Goaded into rash action by their friend's distress, the Autobots rushed into battle with the new warriors. Tracks stood shoulder to shoulder with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], Ironhide, and Smokescreen against Galvatron, but the future Decepticon just laughed and voluntarily allowed them to unload their firepower on him. Staser bolts, high-density lasers, thermal charges, fracture rockets... all hit Galvatron dead center, and all did absolutely nothing. To add injury to insult, he then beat the helpless Tracks and his comrades into a pulp for good measure.''

[[File:Brawn trailbreaker tracks target 2006.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
''Beyond desperate, the Autobots actually stooped to reviving Megatron from where Galvatron had left him to rust earlier, and working with him to concoct a strategy against their common foe. Their gambit was somewhat successful, as Tracks and the Autobots managed to capture Galvatron's lieutenant, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], with Megatron's aid. When Tracks and the others went for a prisoner exchange to get Jazz back, however, they found that Galvatron had lobotomized their friend and turned him into a rampaging zombie. Jazz disabled Tracks and the others for a time, and they only woke up into time to wander into the climax, when [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and the future ''Autobots'' destroyed Galvatron's new space cannon in a massive explosion, convincing him to return the future empty-handed. Needless to say, the Autobots were glad when Optimus Prime and the others miraculously returned after Galvatron and his men returned to the future, reversing the [[mass substitution]] effect.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

[[File:DarkStar-BlotTracks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Throw out your hands, stick out your tush, hands on your hips, give 'em a push!]]
Tracks and the Autobots became much less involved in Earth affairs when [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] assumed control of the army after Prime's death and took the Ark back out into space. Tracks was trapped on the moon for some time with the combined crews of the Ark and Steelhaven after a Decepticon attack damaged their transport. {{storylink|Totaled!}} He was later deactivated while battling the combined Decepticon armies in the Arctic, when he received an unexpected acid bath from [[Blot (G1)|Blot]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:MakinTracks-Tracks.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|We have the same reaction to ''Glee.'']]
In his [[Body Shop]] at Autobot [[Earthbase]], Wheeljack was attempting to revive Tracks, but Grimlock kept sabotaging his efforts, hoping to move efforts towards Autobots he thought were more deserving. Not only did he fail to stop the reconstruction, Optimus Prime ended up assigning Tracks to Earthforce, to Grimlock's eternal regret. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}}

Later on, he joined the other Autobots in hunting [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], who had kidnapped their human ally, [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]]. The other [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] tried to stop them, and did manage to derail several others, but Tracks and Bumblebee got Motormaster to separate from his trailer (apparently he can do that..?) and then led [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] into knocking their own leader off the road. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

====''Generation 2''====
Tracks was operating out of [[Autobase]] on Earth after the Autobots began confronting the threat of the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]]. When [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] agreed to join forces with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prime]], Tracks began working closely with the Decepticon [[Rotor Force]] members [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]] and [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]]. It's possible his friendship and influence had something to do with their interest in switching sides. {{storylink|Total War!}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
Tracks travelled to a devastated planet Earth in [[2012]] with Optimus Prime in order to confront Megatron one last time. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5|Loose Ends #5}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
If Optimus Prime decided to stop the [[cerebro-shell]]-controlled [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] with an immediate all-out attack to make sure they didn't reach a human city, Tracks shot [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in the eyes with his black-beam gun, provoking a harmless blind charge. He apparently did nothing else of note in that fight, even when Optimus ordered his troops to, "Bring them down fast and hard."

In an alternate path, Tracks was aerial back-up for [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] in a battle with Megatron's warrior jets. He cheered, "Got him!" as Powerglide's thermal beam laid waste to the Decepticons, "him" most likely being [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], who had just dropped a missile on [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Tracks was an active member of the Autobot forces as far back as the days of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. He attended the ceremony that turned Optronix into Optimus Prime, and witnessed their new leader deal with three Decepticon assassins. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} He served with the Autobots for several million years until the time of the [[Great Shutdown]], working with Prowl's faction during the Dark Ages. {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}}

Afterwards, Tracks seemed to lapse into semi-retirement while other Autobots worked towards establishing a new unified Cybertronian government with the Decepticons. He was seen among the general populace observing the Anti-Prime propaganda [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was pumping out through the cortex. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} He eventually recognized the rotten core of their alliance with Shockwave, though, and formed a resistance cell with [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] and the [[Triple Changer]]s. They and their [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot]] allies joined the major offensive alongside Optimus Prime, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and the other cells, which ultimately overthrew Shockwave's control. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
Tracks was among the ranks of a team of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], waiting for [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s hostages to escape so that they could assault the Decepticon base. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} When the opportunity arose, they headed into the fray alongside human reinforcements from [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], eventually defeating the Decepticon army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

===''TransTech''===
Tracks (in his [[Binaltech]] body) is one of countless "offworlders" residing in [[Axiom Nexus]]. {{storylink|Gone Too Far}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Tracks was among the Autobots who battled the Decepticons on Earth millions of years ago, until an ice age forced them to hide underground, powered down. He was reactivated in the mid-19th century when the Autobots learned that the Decepticons had woken up. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:SpotlightJazz-promise.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|He's too pretty (and too 1985) to die!]]
In the early days of the war, Tracks was among the new Autobot soldiers lined up to be inspected by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}

On his very first combat mission, Tracks' unit was attacked and he was the only survivor. He was rescued by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], who was being tracked by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. The Predacons pinned the two down, but thanks to bravery and trickery by Jazz, three of the 'cons were disabled. When Jazz faced off alone against the remaining two, Tracks overcame his doubts and cowardice and attacked [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]], knocking them both unconscious. Jazz battled [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] alone and was saved by a shuttle crew of [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]], who repaired the two Autobots and took them back to base. Tracks didn't know Jazz's identity until later, but he knew what it meant to be an Autobot. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}}

During the battle for [[Sherma Bridge]] early in the war, Tracks and all other combatants dropped what they were doing to watch the first duel between Optimus Prime and [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}}

Four million years ago, Tracks was present at a victory celebration after the Autobots halted a major Decepticon energon convoy. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

In the modern day, both Tracks and Jazz ended up as part of Optimus Prime's forces on [[Earth]], only to be defeated in battle with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and unceremoniously dropped on the ruins of Cybertron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} There, they had to fend against the [[Insecticon swarm]] while [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] tried to repair Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} At one point during their stay on the planet, Tracks boosted his comrades' spirits by telling them the story about how Jazz had heroically saved him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}} Unfortunately, the positive emotions didn't seem to last, and everyone was back to brooding before long. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} When the crew of the ''[[Trion]]'' crashlanded on Cybertron, Tracks listened to [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]'s tale about how it happened. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} He wanted to know when [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] got scary. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

Tracks later defended the Autobot base against a massive swarm attack. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} The battle didn't go in their favor, but thankfully they were saved by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} Omega ferried Tracks and the rest back to Earth, where they battled the Decepticons in [[New York City]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}}

Two years later, Tracks defected alongside [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], as they were afraid that [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] might arrest the Autobots on Earth due to various recent events. The four left to join [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]'s team instead, only to come under attack from [[Skywatch]]. Upon seeing [[Campolongo]] take out Beachcomber, Tracks raised his gun at the human in panic and anger, but Hoist stopped him from firing. He tried to run for it, but didn't make it far before being stuck in vehicle mode and captured. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}}

Eventually, Skywatch realized that the Autobots were good guys and formed an alliance with them, freeing Tracks in the process. He and the other Autobots fled the Skywatch base after a Decepticon attack, were chased by angry humans for a while, then were soundly defeated in battle with a newly upgraded Megatron. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}}

Tracks was present at the Autobot base when Hot Rod (now calling himself Rodimus) showed up to warn everyone that Cybertron, which was habitable again, had been conquered by [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]. The Autobots quickly left Earth to reclaim their home planet. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} Once they arrived, it turned out Galvatron was using [[Kimia Facility]] to attack the planet. Led by [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], Tracks and the other Autobot fliers attacked Kimia and fought with the many [[Sweep]]s defending it. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}}

Following the defeat of Galvatron and the end of the war, Tracks remained on Cybertron where he later fought back against the Decepticons when they inevitably rejected the peace and tried to conquer the planet. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} The [[NAIL|neutral]] population, led by [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]], didn't appreciate their continuing the war and banished both Autobots and Decepticons from [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. As they set up camp out in the wilderness, Tracks witnessed a fight break out between the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
Tracks took some time out from polishing himself to help [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] track down the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], so they could stop the Decepticon team from committing crimes in back alleys. {{storylink|The Thin Blue Line}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Tracks toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Some looks just don't go out of fashion, my dear.]]
*'''Tracks''' (Autobot Car, 1985, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''44''', '''TFC-4'''
**''Accessories:'' "Black Beam Gun", 2 missile launchers, missile launcher mount, 4 missiles

:The original Tracks toy transforms into a blue [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Corvette Stingray]] with a large flame decal on his hood. Tracks's vehicle mode can achieve a [[Transportation mode|flight mode]] via two flip-out wings and attachable rocket launchers. In robot mode, Tracks is armed with a long rifle that covers most of his lower arm, and the two white rocket launchers are now mounted above his head. The rifle can also attach to his back for storage or for additional weaponry in flight mode.

[[File:RoadRage-toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Flaming hot.]]
:The European version of Tracks, released by Hasbro's newly acquired [[Milton Bradley]] subsidiary, was initially available in red, based on the original ''[[Diaclone]]'' color scheme (the toy is also featured in red on the mural scene on the back of 1985 Transformers packaging). In fact, it is believed (based on very plausible evidence) that this red Tracks, as well as the rest of the last-minute second wave of MB-branded Transformers toys released in 1985, was actually a ''Diaclone'' toy originally released by French company [[Joustra]] taken out of its packaging, given a [[rubsign]] and put in an MB Transformers box when Hasbro/MB acquired Joustra's still unsold ''Diaclone'' stock.<ref name="mbjoustra">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-4/ "MB Transformers: Part 4"] and [http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-6/ "MB Transformers: Part 6"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref> When Hasbro's name replaced the MB branding on European Transformers packaging, many of the MB-branded toys were re-released in the new packaging. The "Hasbro"-branded version of Tracks now sported the same blue color as his US counterpart.<ref name="maz">[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/eurous_frame.php?art=mb "Milton Bradley and the Transformers Red Tracks" at TF-1.com]</ref>

:This mold was used to make [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]], an [[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]] redeco based on the red European version.

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

*'''Tracks''' (Classic Hero, 1991)
:Tracks was re-released in Europe in 1991 as part of the ''[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]'' line, again in his standard blue Transformers color scheme.
{{-}}{{Anchor|ActionMaster}}

[[File:AMTracks toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|As if ''I'' would be seen wearing ''that''.]]
*'''Tracks with Basher''' (Action Master, 1991)
**''Accessories:'' "Black Beam Gun", "Basher" partner/backpack

:This version of Tracks was a European exclusive, sculpted to resemble his cartoon appearances more closely. As with all [[Action Master]]s, he cannot transform, but is highly articulated by the standards of the time. He came with small tank [[Action Master partner|partner]] named [[Basher]], who forms a battle helmet/backpack for Tracks (or any other Action Master), colored in bright green and baby blue. Tracks is compatible with all Action Master vehicles and accessories.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Autobot/Tracks/tracks.htm More information on Action Master Tracks at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[File:BlackTracksToy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|From the people who brought you "Caddyblack", "Blackdraft", and "Black Kramer vs. Kramer"]]
*'''Black Tracks''' (2002)
**''Accessories:'' "Black Beam Gun", 2 missile launchers, missile launcher mount, 4 missiles

:A [[redeco]] of the original Tracks, Black Tracks was offered as part of a contest connected to the release of the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics]]'' manga compilation. 300 Black Tracks figures were awarded through this contest.

:The figure was apparently inspired by a rare black redeco of the ''Diaclone'' Corvette Stingray mold that was only available in Finland from the R-Kioski store chain there but in limited numbers with only a few originals found from these stores.

::*''[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/pretf/blacktracks_template.html More info on TF Black Tracks and the Finnish Diaclone Black Corvette Stingray at TF-1.com]''
{{-}}

===Transformers Collection===
*'''Tracks''' (2002)
:Tracks was reissued by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] on [[September 27]] of 2002 as part of their "book-box" ''[[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' series of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]].

===Commemorative Series===
*'''Autobot Tracks''' (2003)
:Tracks was reissued by [[Hasbro]] as part of the [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series V]]'', now officially named "Autobot Tracks" for trademark reasons.

===Alternators/Binaltech===
[[File:BTTracks toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|You can colour me blue, you can colour me yellow, but I will still be that most excellent fellow.]]
*'''Autobot Tracks''' (2004, 2006)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''5'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/blaster

:The ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators/Binaltech]]'' toy of Tracks updates his [[alternate mode]] to a [[licensed vehicle alternate modes|licensed]] 1:24 scale [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Corvette Z06]], featuring opening doors, an opening hood with an engine block underneath, a realistic interior, a "steering" mechanism that makes the front wheels move in unison, and [[rubber tires]]. Amusingly enough, his rocket launchers are stored next to the passenger and driver seats.

:In robot mode, Tracks greatly resembles his ''Generation 1'' self, though with one major difference: The roof of his actual car no longer forms the front of his chest. Instead, he has a [[Kibble#"Faux-parts"|pseudo-car-roof]] chest piece that folds down. His large shoulder pads, formed from the rear halves of the car, give the impression of the wings his original toy had. Equipped with a double-barreled gun (formed from his car engine), two pairs of double-barreled, slide-out wrist blasters, and two shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, Tracks is the most heavily armed ''Alternators'' toy.

:Tracks was first released in Japan under [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''Binaltech'' line with yellow as its primary color. The Hasbro version, named "Autobot Tracks" for [[trademark]] reasons, was initially also intended to be released in yellow first, with a [[Variant#Running changes|running change]] to blue intended to come out later. However, when problems with the yellow plastic were discovered at the [[prototype|test shot]] stage, Hasbro decided to scrap the yellow version (presumably before it ever made it to the packaging stage), and instead released the toy in blue from the get-go. (Any [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|rumors]] that the toy was shipped to stores and then recalled have never been backed up by any evidence.) A blue ''Binaltech'' variant was later also released to match the Hasbro version, which retroactively replaced the yellow version as the "main" color variant in Takara's promotional material for the line (even though the blue version's packaging and [[instructions|instruction booklet]] still depict the yellow version).

:The main difference between Hasbro's ''Alternators'' version and the Japanese ''Binaltech'' version is that both color variants of ''Binaltech'' Tracks have the majority of their car body panels constructed of [[die-cast]] metal, which are also fully painted, whereas the ''Alternators'' version is made out of unpainted plastic. In addition, the blue version of ''Binaltech'' Tracks (which is a slightly darker shade of blue than its ''Alternators'' counterpart) also came with a large reproduction of his ''Generation 1'' predecessor's hood flame sticker. This sticker was eventually released with Hasbro's own ''Alternators'' [[Swerve (G1)#Alternators|Swerve]], a [[retool]] of Tracks.

:Initially, Chevrolet had denied Hasbro and Takara the license for the Z06 Corvette. Thus, an auxiliary plan for Tracks was devised, this time as another "well-known American sports car", a Dodge Viper. Eventually, though, Chevrolet had a change of mind and granted Hasbro and Takara the license for the Corvette design after all. As a result, the Viper sculpt was slightly redesigned, given a new head sculpt, and ultimately ended up as [[Sideswipe (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Sideswipe]] instead (called "Side Swipe" for trademark reasons).<ref name="vipertracks">Control drawings for the Viper as Tracks, sporting a Tracks head sculpt and a different [[transformation]] for the doors, allowing them to more closely resemble Tracks's G1 wings, are depicted in the Japanese ''[[The Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' book.</ref> The Tracks head sculpt originally designed for the Viper body ultimately ended up being used for the Corvette version of Tracks, though.

:In addition, the original prototype for Tracks (seen in the Takara [[stock photography|stock photos]] on the toy's packaging and in the instruction booklet) featured a spring-loaded trigger mechanism for the arm cannons, which was changed to the final toy's manually deployed cannon mechanism starting with the test shot stage.

:Due to only shipping in two [[wave]]s, Tracks initially ended up as one of the rarer ''Alternators'' toys. When Hasbro tried to relaunch the line in 2006, a re-released Tracks (with no changes other than the different packaging) was part of the first wave of the new assortment. Ironically, the re-released Tracks ended up as a [[shelfwarmer]] this time around.

:This sculpt was retooled significantly to make ''Alternators'' [[Ravage (G1)|Battle Ravage]] (aka ''Binaltech'' Ravage), and later given a second retool that only replaced the head sculpt for the aforementioned Swerve.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/AltTracks/tracks.htm More information on Alternators Tracks at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/Tracks/tracks.htm More information on yellow Binaltech Tracks at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[File:TF2010 deluxe TurboTracks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Gee, that handheld clip-on launcher [[Wheeljack (G1)|looks familiar.]]]]
*'''Turbo Tracks''' (Deluxe, 2010/2011)
**''Accessories:'' 2 white clip-on missile launchers, 1 black gun/clip-on launcher

:Part of the fifth wave of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] Deluxe class toys, Turbo Tracks transforms from a blue sports car into a winged robot. Tracks comes with three [[C joint|C clip]] weapons, one of which can be handheld, while the missile launchers clip behind his head, a callback to his G1 toy. He can also assume a flying car mode by folding out the wings in car mode and moving the missile launchers from under the doors to tabs on a rotatable flipout panel just behind the rear window. This configuration frees up the launchers' clips, allowing [[Cyberverse]] accessories to be attached. His main gun can then attach to his underside. As part of the first wave of the "[[Reveal the Shield]]" promotion, he sports a [[Rubsign]].

:Turbo Tracks was redecoed into [[BotCon 2012]] [[Tracks (SG)|Tracks]] and retooled into ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys|Wheeljack]], ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and ''Timelines'' [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Autobot/Tracks/tracks.htm More information on Turbo Tracks at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===United===
[[File:Unitedtoy-AutobotTracks.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Few people know that Tracks is a card-carrying member of the '70s Preservation Society.]]
*'''Autobot Tracks''' (Deluxe, 2011)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''UN-13'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 white clip-on missile launchers, 1 "black beam gun"/clip-on launcher

:''[[Transformers United|United]]'' Autobot Tracks is a redeco of ''Transformers'' (2010 toyline) Turbo Tracks. ''United'' Tracks features a more detailed paint deco, including metallic blue paint on his blue plastic panels, a Generation 1-style flame hood symbol and painted rear trunk grille and tailpipes. The yellow paint on Turbo Tracks' chest is unpainted on the United version, and the yellow paint on Turbo Tracks' waist is now silver. United Tracks has light blue painted eyes to Turbo Tracks' unpainted smoky gray. United Tracks also has a more detailed rear in car mode, featuring painted exhausts, a silver grill detail, as well as the painted taillights like on Turbo Tracks. Unlike a good portion of Turbo Tracks figures, the red paint on United Tracks' face comes all the way up to the crest of his helmet. Despite all these changes, the two figures have identical (or nearly identical) plastic colors. As with all ''United'' versions of the ''Transformers'' (2010) toys, Tracks lacks a heat-sensitive rub sign, replacing it with a [[tampograph]]ed Autobot sigil.

:The Japanese Instructions show to flip down the rear tires while the car is in Flight Mode.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{picsneeded}}
*'''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

:In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Tracks was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[Tech Spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

*'''Tracks''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''15'''

:The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Tracks game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]].

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

==Notes==
[[File:1985MuralRedTracks.jpg|thumb|225px|I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way.]]
*As mentioned above, the red ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of Tracks appears on Hasbro's 1985 packaging mural (along with several other toys in early or unused color schemes). What makes this particular appearance stranger than the rest is the red Tracks' depiction – apparently confronting [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and shooting at [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] – which implies the artist thought proto-Tracks was a [[Decepticon]].
*It is frequently joked amongst Transformers fans that Tracks is homosexual, although the character has not actually demonstrated any romantic interest in other male characters. All his romantic interest was focused squarely on himself. An ''Auto-sexual'', if you will.
*Voice actor [[Michael McConnohie]] claims Tracks is not gay. He chose the voice of Thurston J. Howell III from ''Gilligan's Island'', played by [[wikipedia:Jim Backus|Jim Backus]], as the basis for Tracks' snooty voice and mannerisms. McConnohie refers to Tracks's [[Accent|manner of dialect as a "Harvard Lockjaw"]].
*Tracks appeared in one of five original Generation 1 [[public service announcement]]s, warning kids not to steal cars, even if it's just for joy-riding. He seems to have a ''thing'' for carjackers, that Tracks.
*In later years, toys sporting the name "Tracks" require an additional prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Tracks'''" or "'''Turbo Tracks'''".
*He's not gay. '''Seriously.''' We can't stress this enough.
*Not that there's anything wrong with that.
*But really. He's not gay.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Tracks''' (トラックス ''Torakkusu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Lún tāi''' (China, 轮胎， "Tires")
*''French:'' '''Le Sillage''' (Canada, "The Trail")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Vagány''' ("Tough guy")
*''Italian:'' '''Puma'''
*''Portuguese:'' '''Rasto''' (Portugal comic, "Track"), '''Trilho''' (Brazil comic, "Track")
*''Russian:'' '''Krah''' (Крах, "Failure")

==References==
{{reflist}}

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

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Hardhead (G1)

2014-03-26T18:24:17Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Headmaster from Generation 1|the Predacon from Beast Wars Neo|Hardhead (BWN)}}
:''Hardhead is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:HardH.gif|274px|thumb|No, my toy's head looks nothing remotely like this, why do you ask?]]
'''Hardhead''' is a soldier to his core. A soldier with a stubborn streak a [[Units of length|megamile]] wide. He's stubborn to the point of rejecting outright any path but his own, any idea that goes against his natural instinct or inclination (namely fighting), and any advice he didn't come up with himself. He doesn't talk much, and when he does, it tends to be blunt and terse, if not outright rude. A soldier doesn't waste time on social niceties when there's a war to fight.

Perhaps surprisingly, given his limited social aptitude, Hardhead has found a good companion in [[Duros]], his [[Binary bonding|binary-bonded]] [[Nebulan]] partner, who enjoys warfare just as much as Hardhead does. The two mesh so well, it's been said that theirs may be the best match among all the Autobot-Nebulan teams.

{{quote|So what? They call me Hardhead. And that's really '''''all''''' you need to know.|Hardhead is unimpressed with [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'s bragging|[[Devastation issue 4|''Devastation'' #4]]}}

==Fiction==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Eiji Itō]] (Japanese)|[[Franz Rudnick]] (German, ''The Rebirth, Part 1''), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, ''The Rebirth, Part 2'')}}

[[File:Rebirth2-Welcometotheclub.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|This is what my head looks like. Sometimes.]]
After the resurrection of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], the Decepticons practically disappeared for a time. On Cybertron, Brainstorm used this reprieve to experiment on pairing Transformers with human partners, though his efforts did not convince Hardhead or [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. Shortly after the exercise, Optimus Prime contacted them, notifying them of the Decepticons' return. They had stolen the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] and were on their way to the chamber itself on Cybertron. Unfortunately, the chamber's activation would destroy Cybertron. Hardhead and several other Autobots commandeered a ship to head off [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] before they could reach the Plasma Energy Chamber, and they managed to retrieve the Key, but an energy surge smacked the Autobot ship out of Cybertron's orbit and far into space.

Hardhead and the others crash-landed on a strange planet named [[Nebulos]] and were quickly taken captive by an underground resistance movement that believed the Autobots were machines controlled by the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], who ruled Nebulos. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} After Hardhead volunteered to become a Headmaster, he was partnered with Duros. Their first test run against the Hive machines was a cracking success with the pair working to take one down. They followed that up by taking part in the liberation of some Autobots who had been captured by Decepticon forces, easily outclassing their foe. He was the first to welcome Optimus Prime when the Autobot leader arrived on the planet. The Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters managed to get the stolen key back from the Decepticons, only for [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] to reveal himself. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}

With the key back in Decepticon hands, the Autobots headed back to Cybertron in an attempt to regain it. It looked like the Decepticons were planning to open the Plasma Energy Chamber, and the Autobots suddenly found themselves abandoned by their partners. Stuck in vehicle mode, Hardhead and the others tried to storm Scorponok to rescue [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], but were easily captured. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] came to the rescue with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], and the Autobots were free for all of thirty seconds before they were overwhelmed by the energies from the opened Plasma Energy Chamber. Luckily they had Spike and the Nebulons to close the chamber and bring about a new [[Golden Age]].

Hardhead, Duros and the other Headmasters later returned to Nebulos to begin the work of reclaiming and rebuilding the planet. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Hardhead is a small robot who transforms into a head and controls a larger, lifeless [[transtector]] body. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the small robot as '''Ros''', with "Hardhead" being the name of the combined small robot/transtector form, though this distinction is hardly ever made in fiction.}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Masato Hirano]] (Japanese)
[[File:HM7 Hardhead learns to transform.jpg|thumb|230px]]
Four million years ago, Hardhead was among a group of [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronians]] who departed Cybertron under the leadership of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]], seeking to escape the eternal war that had consumed the planet. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their craft to crash land on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], an inhospitable world whose murderous environments and wildly changeable atmospheric conditions threatened the lives of the Cybertronians almost as soon as they stepped off their ship and were caught in a desert of sinking sands. Fighting against the odds, the Cybertronians made several technological quantum leaps to survive on Master, including the creation of larger, lifeless Transformer bodies called [[transtector]]s. Hardhead and many of his comrades underwent rigorous physical and mental training to master the art of [[transformation]], learning to transform into heads that connected to the transtectors and placed them under their control. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Hardhead was one of ten warriors who became one of these "Headmasters", but unfortunately, half their number soon rebelled against Fortress's leadership and sided with a traitor named [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] against him. Via the Decepticon ninja [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], Scorponok soon forged an alliance with the Decepticon leader, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[File:HM2 Hardhead small robot.jpg|thumb|left|220px]]
In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Hardhead and his fellow Autobot Headmasters traveled to the planet to help their comrades defend their homeworld. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} He helped [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] fight [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]]. After the battle concluded with a Decepticon retreat, the Headmasters went to [[Athenia]] for introductions with the rest of the Autobots. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} They soon joined [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] on [[Earth]] to search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and fought [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] while Hot Rod retrieved their prize. They returned to Cybertron with the Matrix, and witnessed [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] sacrificing himself to save [[Vector Sigma]] and Hot Rod becoming Rodimus Prime once more. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

[[File:HM4 Hardhead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|And sometimes, my head looks like this.]]
When the Decepticons developed the [[Madmachine]], the Headmasters were all ready to storm over to [[Chaar]] and destroy it. Instead Rodimus had [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] resurrected as Twincast, and the Headmasters went to Cybertron to delay the Decepticons and their machine long enough for Twincast to find a way to destroy it. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} Out on patrol in space, Hardhead and Chromedome first found stowaways in the form of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], and then retrieved a couple of [[Beastformer]]s floating in space. The latter led the Headmasters to the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], where they found the natives had been subjugated by the Decepticons. Joining with [[White Leo]]'s rebels, they helped free the natives from Decepticon rule. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[File:HM8 Hardhead.jpg|thumb|left|280px]]
After the Decepticons directed a metal-warping meteor named [[Metamorphose]] at Athenia, the Headmasters accompanied Daniel on a mission to destroy it and ended up tangling with the Decepticon Headmasters. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Lured to the planet [[Praum]] by a distress call, the five Headmasters fell into a trap laid by Scorponok. It was only by remembering their struggles back on Master that they performed a Cross-Head on and escaped the trap so they could fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} When Earth's major powers were threatened by a mysterious blackmailer, the Headmasters attempted fruitlessly to track the culprit down, until a clue led them to the fact it was Sixshot. They joined [[Raiden]] in cornering Sixshot in [[Japan]] and saw the Decepticon off. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

The Headmasters continued their training, with Hardhead exercising on a treadmill. When the Decepticons were reported to be heading for Earth, he and Chromedome went there to investigate, and when it turned out that the Decepticons were heading to Cybertron to secure the supply of [[cybertonuron]], the pair joined the other Earth-based Autobots in heading there too. The Decepticon Headmasters mysteriously ran off mid-battle {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} and the Autobots tracked them down. They followed the trio to Vector Sigma's chamber, where the Decepticons had planted a number of bombs. Unable to defuse them, the Autobot Headmasters headed to the surface and raised the alarm, allowing the planet to be evacuated before it was destroyed. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:HM11 Hardhead sings karaoke.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|''Never gonna give you up Never gonna let you down'']]
At the party to celebrate the completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, Hardhead got drunk, bullied Twincast into providing music, and "treated" everyone to some karaoke. When the Decepticons attacked the launch, Hardhead and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] double-teamed [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and the satellite was successfully launched, though a short time afterward, the Decepticons stole it. The Headmasters tried to retrieve it, but were eventually forced to destroy it to prevent it being used for evil. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} The Headmasters followed that up by helping save the residents of the South American village of [[Pan]] from a nearby erupting volcano. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} They also faced a huge [[buridanka]] plant as it attacked [[San Francisco]], though it wasn't until Fortress pulled out the [[Master Sword]] that they were able to defeat it. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:HM15 Hardhead aims gun.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire a hundred shots or only ninety-nine? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I kinda lost track myself. But being as this is a metal shard-firing shatterblaster, the most powerful rifle in the universe, and would blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?]]
When reports came in of the Decepticons being up to something on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], hardhead and the other Headmasters traveled there in [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]. After tangling with [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] they rescued Daniel and found out that the Decepticons were planning to blow the entire planet up. Interrogating the Decepticons led them to a crater which naturally turned out to be a trap. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} With Maximus, [[Brainstorm]] and Highbrow out of commission, Hardhead and Chromedome fought on. Despite the help of Raiden and the other Headmasters once they were better, the Autobots were faced with the arrival of Scorponok's new transtector, and were unable to prevent the Decepticons destroying the planet. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:HM17 Daniel and Wheelie have fun with hoses.jpg|thumb|240px]]
Despite Fortress's orders, Chromedome and Hardhead made an attempt to attack Chaar by concealing themselves aboard Maximus and heading toward the planet while the ship was on patrol. They were intercepted by the forewarned Decepticons, who sent them back to Maximus in a hurry. Hardhead took part in the Autobot strike on Scorponok's coronation, and was witness to the return of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Following a distress call from the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], the Headmasters attempted to take a shipment of [[energon]] there. When they were ambushed by the Decepticons ''en route'', Hardhead and Chromedome used their transtectors as decoys while they went on ahead to deliver the energy. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

As part of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]'s plan to negotiate with the Decepticon, the four Headmasters accompanied him to [[Shangri-La Island]] on Earth as an escort. When the Galvatron who met with Spike turned out to be an impostor, Hardhead and the others rescued [[Carly]] and Daniel before attacking the Decepticons. During the escape, Sixshot destroyed the [[space bridge]] network, and the Autobots set out in pursuit in Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} When the Decepticons invaded [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], the Headmasters set out to assist, but the Hive ships mistook them for enemies, and even Hardhead, Chromedome, and Brainstorm trying to reason with them didn't help. After Chromedome went on ahead and persuaded the people of Hive that the Autobots were on their side, the other Headmasters were allowed to help fight off the Decepticons. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}}

[[File:HM21 Hardhead splitscreen.jpg|thumb|left|240px]]
The Autobots followed the Decepticons to [[Twin Star]], where it turned out that the planet the Decepticons were attacking had already been evacuated of population and energy. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} They next followed an SOS to planet [[Daros]] where they helped overthrow a corrupt government and fight off the Decepticons. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} Hardhead and Chromedome were put to work fixing Battleship Maximus's weapons systems, and completed repairs by the time they had to go rescue Highbrow and expel the Decepticons from the idyllic world of [[Paradise]]. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} They again tangled with the Decepticons on the [[Pirate Planet]], though it ultimately turned out that the planet's energy was long gone. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:IRiskMyLifeForEarth-Letgoofme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Humpty Grumpty.]]
As the Decepticons returned to Chaar, their mission complete, so the Headmasters returned to Athenia. They were unable to get to Earth in time to prevent Sixshot from killing [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], but fought the ninja off with a fearsome counter-attack. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} The emboldened Decepticons began striking across the globe until the Headmasters tracked Galvatron down in [[Alaska]]. Using information passed on by [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], they defeated the Decepticon leader and buried him beneath the ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} New information pointed to the Decepticons trying to destroy Earth altogether. As Chromedome had been relieved of duty by Fortress, Brainstorm took Hardhead and Highbrow to face the Decepticons on [[Kamchatka Peninsula]]. They didn't fare well until Chromedome completed Highbrow's research, discovering Scorponok's weak point. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

With the Decepticons having abandoned Earth, the Autobots set about repairing the damage they'd done. Hardhead and Chromedome attempted to remove a number of bombs from a mine, but when Chromedome accidentally activated one, the pair had to perform a head switch to get them out safely. As they transported the bombs to a safe location in space, the Headmasters encountered a ship of refugees from Master. The refugees attempted to help dispose of the bombs but were caught in the explosion. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} The refugees from Master became bonded as [[Targetmaster]]s with three newly arrived Autobots, who turned out to have a low opinion of the Headmasters. Nonetheless, the Headmasters returned to their home world to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:HM30 Hardhead in hiding.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|We don't know why he's smiling, because we can't see what he's doing behind that rock.]]
After the Decepticons ransomed Wheelie for information on the Master Sword, Hardhead and the other Autobots were unsuccessful in keeping said information out of the Decepticons' hands, even after Wheelie was rescued. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Headmasters worked on finding Scorponok by searching for unique energy wavelengths and even found the cavern where he was constructing the [[Zarak Shield]], but were too late to prevent its completion. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Hardhead and the others went along with Chromedome's plan to rally the population of Master against the Decepticons, only for the whole plan to go wrong when Scorponok popped up in the middle of a major city and defeat Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

As the Decepticons left Master to head home, the Autobots gave chase. When Daniel was inadvertently ejected during a battle, the Headmasters eventually traced him to [[Daira]], though they had a hard time believing that he'd been looked after by Sixshot. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} When Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a duel, the other Headmasters tried and failed to talk their comrade out of it. They were unable to follow him to lend help, as it turned out the whole thing was a diversion while the Decepticons headed for Earth. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 chromedome hardhead hypnotised.jpg|thumb|230px]]
By the time the Autobots reached Earth, the Decepticons had begun erecting [[Death Tower]]s made from [[crysmagnetal]] around the globe, discharging energy from their tops. The Headmasters had their hands full attending to the crash of Spike and Carly's plane in the Andes Mountains. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots headed for [[Egypt]] where they tangled briefly with the three Decepticon Headmasters and failed to stop another Death Tower going up. As a last ditch effort, the Headmasters joined the entire Autobot army in a counter strike on the Decepticons at the [[Arctic|North Pole]]. Hardhead and Chromedome were saved from [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s hypnotism by Twincast and his cassettes. As Fortress Maximus was caught in the energies preparing to tear the planet apart, Hardhead and the other three Headmasters attempted a Head Formation to give him more power. It was only when the other Autobots joined in that they succeeded, and the Decepticons' satellite was destroyed. With the Decepticons having fled into space, the Autobots left Earth to pursue them. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''The Great Transformer War''====
While significant Transformer battles were being waged on [[Earth]] and across space, Hardhead and the other Headmasters were battling their Decepticon counterparts on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. Thinking that the three Decepticons had escaped them by leaping into a chasm, Hardhead began raging, and nearly wound up fighting with [[Brainstorm]] when the other Headmaster told him to calm down. Luckily, he was able to direct his anger back upon the Decepticons when they came bursting out of the ground beneath the Autobots' feet. The Decepticons didn't fare terribly well in the battle, which abruptly ended when the Decepticon ninja [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] arrived and instructed them to follow him back to [[Chaar]]. The Decepticons fled into space, but Hardhead and his fellow Autobot Headmasters quickly gave chase aboard the battleship ''Maximus'', heading for Cybertron rejoin the larger Transformer war. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====

On [[Athenia]], Hardhead attended the unveiling of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] memorial statue. He and the other Headmasters of Justice also waylaid a Decepticon bombing attack on the planet. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Venturing to [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Hardhead and the Headmasters of Justice investigated an SOS from their allies. On ground patrol, Hardhead and Chromedome were assaulted by [[Reproganmar]]...the Fever Vegetation! Luckily, [[Kane]] and the Beastformers were able to cut them free. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Headmasters, [[Trainbot]]s, and Beastformers successfully drove the Decepticon forces off of Beest and back to [[Chaar]]. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

Headhead and the Headmasters next traveled to an Alaskan energy refinery, where the Headmasters of Evil managed to temporarily get the drop on them, separating the Masters from their [[Transtector]]s. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Autobot Headmasters reunited with their Transtectors and defeated the enemy. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

The Trainbots joined Hardhead and the Headmasters on an undersea mission where they found [[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]], [[Skullcruncher]] and the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s stealing(?) energy from subaquatic vents. They also found a giant robot squid lying in wait. Through quick thinking and teamwork, the Headmasters and Trainbots dismantled the squid and stopped the Decepticons' scheme. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 3|The Headmasters #3}}

In a battle with [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], Hardhead and the Headmasters of Justice failed to prevent the Six Clan ninja from stealing food rations. And kidnapping [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]. By accident. Way to go, guys. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 4|The Headmasters #4}}

During the Christmas season, Hardhead and his friends entertained the patients at a children's hospital until the Decepticons arrived. Through quick thinking and teamwork...aw, you get the picture. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 6|The Headmasters #6}}

On Earth, Hardhead and the crew of the Battleship Maximus helped put out a fire so that [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] could concentrate on battling the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
Several years after the end of the Headmasters' war on Earth, a new Autobot [[Supreme Commander]] named [[Ginrai]] was appointed, and flown to [[Athenia]] for his coronation. Hardhead was present for the ceremony, and then helped to fight off a Decepticon attack upon the planet. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}} Soon after, when the Decepticon [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] made his way to Earth, Hardhead, the other Autobot Headmasters and [[Raiden]] pursued him, but were defeated in battle in Earth's orbit. {{storylink|God Ginrai's Amazing Super-God Combination!}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Hardhead-RingofHate.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Highbrow's forehead is right!]]

A long time ago, on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Hardhead was part of an Autobot strike unit led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. This unit operated out of a cave dug into the [[Manganese Mountains]], and often worked to foil the schemes of their primary nemesis, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. Their last major mission on Cybertron was to upset a slave march to the [[smelting pool]]s. After that, however, Fortress Maximus revealed to the Autobots that he had grown sick of warfare, and planned to escape the endless ring of hate by immigrating to a new world altogether: [[Nebulos]]. Initially, Hardhead was outraged and accused Maximus of cowardice for even conceiving of leaving the war before it was finished, but he was quickly chastized when [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] reminded him of how valiantly their leader had fought on the battlefield that day, and every day prior for countless [[Units of time|vorns]]. With some convincing, Hardhead and many others chose to join Fortress Maximus on his quest for peace. Peace is rarely an Autobot's lot, though, as an innocent mishap combined with some xenophobia among a few of the Nebulan rulers to bring war to the Autobot camp's doorstep. Hardened warriors like Hardhead and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] immediately fell into old habits and started fighting back, but Fortress Maximus abruptly ended their gunplay and ordered an all-out retreat.

Despite these setbacks, Fortress Maximus was determined to wage peace, not war. He brought an envoy of Autobots, including Hardhead, to the Nebulan capitol of [[Koraja]] to once again plead for peace. When the Nebulans still were not totally swayed after he and his Autobots disarmed, Maximus removed his own head from his shoulders, leaving his body deactivated and inoperable in the Nebulans' care. Hardhead and three other Autobots joined their leader in his gesture. It was this gesture which finally ushered in a cease fire with the Nebulans. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

Fortress Maximus, Hardhead and the others had their separate heads and bodies detained inside a bunker outside Koraja, as so-called "prisoners of peace", while the Nebulan leaders conversed with them and also the remaining Autobots (under Kup's supervision) in the [[Folassian Forest]] beyond the city. Maximus had successfully convinced [[Galen]], head of the [[World Watchers]], of his good intentions, but the paranoid Lord [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] distrusted the Autobots at every turn, and was committed to removing them from Nebulos even if he had to fake their crimes in order to do it. He even went so far as to summon the Decepticons to Nebulos, hoping that they would rid the planet of their Autobot problem. (So he's not that bright. Give him a break, he's in politics!)

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]

The Decepticon arrival was everything you would expect, as Scorponok and his henchmen began to lay siege to Koraja, trying to get at the inoperative Fortress Maximus and his men. Galen and Council Guard Commander [[Duros]] arrived at the Autobots' bunker to rapidly consult them on options. Several potential strategies were discarded in short order, and the allies finally settled on a radical solution involving bio-mechanical engineering — Galen and several other volunteers were bionically reconstructed to transform into duplicates of the Autobots' severed heads, allowing them to [[Binary bonding|binary bond]] with the Autobots' bodies and share both physical control and tactical analysis with the original Autobot personalities. Duros was one of the first volunteers for the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] process, and was binary bonded to Hardhead. Duros quickly adjusted to the raw power and military might of his new body, using Hardhead's laser-guided cannon against the Decepticon aggressors. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

Their status as the saviors of Koraja made Duros and the others an instant hit among the populace, but Nebulos's rulers were still wary of the Transformers, especially now that their presence had led Nebulans themselves to wage war for the first time in over 10,000 years. Galen and his men did their best to assuage the fears of the [[Council of Peers]]. When the [[Horrorcon]]s and [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] attacked the [[Splendora]] resort, Hardhead and [[Brainstorm]] joined their Autobot comrades, the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], in fending off [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] and zapping [[Apeface]] and [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] into submission. The devastation left in the wake of their battle did little to discourage the Council's antipathy, however. When the Autobot Headmasters went on a rescue mission to recover Lord Zarak and his followers (who had been prisoners of the Decepticons since their arrival), a detachment of Council members insisted on accompanying them. Unfortunately, Zarak had entered into a bargain with Scorponok, and by the time Hardhead and the others reached the [[Plains of Thok]], the Decepticon Headmasters had been born. Although Zarak / Scorponok endangered the council members by using them as a diversion to gun down the Autobots, [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s hypnotic gaze had scrambled the other Nebulans' minds so much that Zarak was able to convince them that Galen's men were the evil ones, and he manipulated the Decepticons into becoming Nebulos's new "champions". {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Duros and the other Nebulan Headmasters were held captive by Zarak in Koraja, alongside their disabled Autobot counterparts. Despite his hunger for power and growing battle-lust, however, Zarak still ultimately wanted what was best for Nebulos. Realizing how a continued war between the Autobots and Decepticons would truly affect the planet he loved, Zarak freed Duros and the Autobot Headmasters, sending them back to their comrades in the forest. Galen had reached the same conclusions as Zarak, and gathered his men back aboard the Autobot ship ''[[Steelhaven]]'', to leave Nebulos behind to rebuild in their absence. Sure enough, Zarak / Scorponok and the Decepticons chose to follow the Autobots into space. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Hardhead-WorldsApart.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Got to... SHEEAKK!]]

''Before they left, however, the Autobot Headmasters had another encounter with their Decepticon opposite numbers. After the [[Targetmaster]]s were captured by the Decepticons for analysis and dissection, Hardhead and the Headmasters went out looking for them, only to run into the Decepticon Headmasters on the way. Hardhead was nearly knocked off the road when Mindwipe's hypnotic stare sent Brainstorm crashing into him. Despite being shaken by the impact, Hardhead still managed to defeat both [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] and [[Skullcruncher]] by himself. The Autobots regrouped to follow Mindwipe, the last of their attackers, who was apparently fleeing for safety. After entering the Decepticons' [[Fortress of Despair]], however, Hardhead and the others realized they had been led into a trap, and were confronted by the might Scorponok and the Decepticon Targetmasters. In order to help even the odds, Hardhead freed the Autobot Targetmasters who were being held prisoner. With their help, the Autobots eventually overcame the Decepticons and fled back to base. {{storylink|Worlds Apart!}}''

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|And I'll form the head! Fortress Maximus's head, that is. With tools.]]

After leaving Nebulos, Hardhead and the crew of ''Steelhaven'' followed an Autobot distress call to the planet called Earth. During the long journey, they had Fortress Maximus heavily upgraded into a larger, more powerful body. Even the militaristic Duros was a bit unsettled by the new war-like outlook of their leader, Galen, but he insisted he was merely changing to fit the circumstances they had been dealt. Upon arrival, Fortress Maximus, Hardhead and the other Headmasters took a shuttle down to Earth's surface, and located the caves in [[Mount St. Hilary]] where the distress call had first been broadcast. They also found the broadcaster himself, an Autobot named [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] whose [[brain module]] had been retrofitted into a tiny electronic toy car. [[Toy Soldiers!|Long story]]. Scorponok and the Decepticon Headmasters had also come to Earth after the distress call, however, and a battle broke out. The battle proved costly, as Galen died protecting an Earthling from Scorponok. He passed on his control helmet to this boy, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], leaving Fortress Maximus and the Autobots in his hands. It was Hardhead who first suggested that Spike was the group's new leader. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

In the weeks that followed, ''Steelhaven's'' crew united with the other Autobots on board the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Hardhead was present on the moon when two members of the Ark's crew, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], engaged in ritual combat to settle their differences. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Edgeofextinction-hardheadbombburst.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|That's gonna leave a mark.]]
''During the [[Time Wars (event)|Time Wars]], Hardhead was among the Autobot strike team gathered by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Grimlock and Fortress Maximus to engage [[Galvatron (G1)#Marvel Comics continuity|Galvatron]] for the fate of two time periods, several associated planets, and the universe at large. Unfortunately, the future Autobots of 2009 arrived before the battle began, and the mass-substitution effect created by time travel shunted Hardhead into [[Limbo]] for the duration. {{storylink|Time Wars}}''

Hardhead was next seen on Cybertron for the final united battle against [[Unicron]]. Working with the Decepticon [[Pretender]], [[Bomb-Burst (G1)|Bomb-Burst]], he was in the process of moving a surface-to-air missile battery into position when Unicron touched down on the planet's surface. The Planet-Eater's massive foot indiscriminately crushed Autobot, Decepticon, and weapon flat. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Escalation6 Hardhead AVENGE.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Hardhead makes his own decisions!]]
Hardhead was [[Reproduction#IDW Generation 1 continuity|constructed cold]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} He was a career soldier, intended as a problem solver who got things done fast. To him, this meant he had no future, as some day the war will end, and he would be a walking reminder of it, something to be quietly done away with. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} He was part of the [[113th Battalion]] and took part in a massive battle against [[Black Shadow (Victory)|Black Shadow]]. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement}}

[[File:Devastation4 Hardhead.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Hardhead answers his own questions!]]
Prior to the [[Brasnya]] incident, Hardhead was ordered by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] to [[Earth]] on the ''[[Ark-32]]'', along with [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}} The two arrived right in the middle of the battle, although Hot Rod sped away after the [[facsimile construct|facsimile]] before Hardhead could stop him to report their presence. He engaged in battle with [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} causing severe damage to the shuttle [[Triple Changer]] and continued to hound him to such an extent that [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] had to call in [[Thundercracker (G1)|reinforcements]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation #5}} When [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] seemingly defeated Optimus Prime, Hardhead attempted (futilely) to damage him with repeated cannon blasts. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

Hardhead would eventually regroup with his teammates after the battle and was among them during [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'s surprise assault on the ''[[Ark-19]]''. He bravely (if futilely) attacked Sixshot, along with the rest of the Autobots before being beamed back to the ''Ark-32''. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} Due to injuries and separate missions, Hardhead found himself to be the only active Autobot besides [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]—and neither were happy to hear that Optimus was withdrawing them from Earth to [[Garrus-9]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} Hardhead went to retrieve Hot Rod and the others, blowing up a [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] that was attacking Hot Rod. Hot Rod refused to go though, wanting to see the Headmaster mystery to the end. Hardhead reluctantly let him go and took [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] back with him. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[File:SpotlightHardhead HardheadsHeadshot.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Hardhead expresses his own feelings!]]
Soon, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] discovered that he logged a message during his visit to [[Gorlam Prime]]—of which he had no recollection—and asked Hardhead for help. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

Before leaving for Gorlam Prime, Nightbeat told Hardhead of his fears that he may be compromised, and that if he threatened Hardhead or anyone else, he should terminate Nightbeat. Arriving on Gorlam Prime, Nightbeat and Hardhead discovered virtually the entire planet's population had frozen in a chrysalis-like state and were in the midst of undergoing some kind of evolutionary cycle. Before they could explore further, however, they were beset upon by dozens of [[Micromaster]]s, all of whom immediately targeted Hardhead.

[[File:Nightbeatexecuted.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Hardhead shoots his own comrades!]]
Escaping from their attackers, the two Autobots fled deep underground. Once they neared the portal to the [[Dead Universe]], [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] took remote-control of Nightbeat and tried to kill Hardhead with a point-blank shot between the optics. Fortunately, Hardhead lived up to his name and took the shot with minimal damage. As Nightbeat was joined by more Micromasters, Hardhead took the opportunity to retreat deeper into Gorlam Prime's underground caverns.

There, he discovered the portal to the Dead Universe. As the mind-controlled Nightbeat caught up with him, Hardhead realized he had nowhere else to fall back to. When told to surrender, Hardhead responded by shooting Nightbeat through the head with a pinpoint shot and then plunged through the portal, ready to face whatever dangers lay on the other side. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}}

[[File:DeadUniverseHardhead.jpg|100px|thumb|Hardhead rises from his own grave!]]
Having become a permanent resident of the [[Dead Universe]], Hardhead did not resurface until Jhiaxus's plans were well underway. However, he did manage to catch the Cybertronian scientist who was fleeing the onslaught of [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Preventing the madman's escape, he explained to the hyperviolent Autobot that Jhiaxus couldn't truly die here on the threshold between the material world and the Dead Universe. That suited Arcee fine, as it let her indulge her revenge fantasies to their utmost. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Hardhead remained at Arcee's side as she happily killed Jhiaxus over and over again, though he was more interested in investigating some ancient catacombs discovered in the depths of Gorlam Prime. After some time had passed, the portal to the Dead Universe began to act strangely, luring the inhabitants of the planet into wandering through it. Seemingly due to his connection to the Dead Universe, Hardhead was immune to this apparent hypnosis, and he pinned Arcee down to keep her from following the others. Once the entire population of Gorlam Prime was gone, the portal emitted a flash of light and changed shape, knocking Hardhead and Arcee out cold. After they awoke, they left to investigate the catacombs and figure out what happened. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}} Eventually, they detected [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] and his troops entering the portal's chamber and attacked them. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 1|Heart of Darkness #1}}
[[File:Heart of Darkness2 HardheadVSCyclonus.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Hardhead delivers his own lame dialogue!]]
Hardhead took on [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], defeating both of them, but was brought down by Galvatron, who was drawing on power from the Dead Universe. He urged Arcee to flee and warn the Autobots, and was then captured by Galvatron, who invaded his mind and read his memories. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}} Having presumably fallen under Galvatron's control, Hardhead joined the army he was building to defend the universe from [[D-Void]] from the Dead Universe. He accompanied Galvatron, Cyclonus, and a [[generic]] or two to the planet [[Dykayra]] to scout out a sight of an incursion of D-Void. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 3|Heart of Darkness #3}} There, he and the others fought with [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]], resurrected and controlled by D-Void. Hardhead survived the battle and was later air-dropped onto [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the army's first line of defense. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}}

[[File:Hardhead Chaos Part4.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Hardhead crashes his own ship!]]
Hardhead was somehow freed from Galvatron's influence and reunited with Arcee. Thanks to Galvatron tapping into his mind with the [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]], Hardhead had a solid understanding of the connection between it, D-Void, and Galvatron himself. Aboard Arcee's shuttle in Cybertron's orbit, they addressed the survivors of the destroyed [[Kimia Facility]], expounding on Cybertron's current predicament. Some, like [[Brainstorm]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], had trouble grasping the complicated scenario, but Hardhead finally broke through to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]. The group of Autobots set upon the task of preventing Galvatron from unknowingly doing D-Void's bidding and turning Cybertron into a massive portal for the Dead Universe to bleed through.

Bringing their shuttle into Cybertron's crumbling atmosphere, everyone but Hardhead and Arcee bailed out when it was decided to fly under the planet's surface. Following a large access tunnel directly to [[Vector Sigma]] and the core, Hardhead crashed the shuttle directly on top of Galvatron. Galvatron dug himself out from under the debris and took both Hardhead and Arcee on, quickly defeating them. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis}}

After the Chaos war ended and Galvatron was defeated, Hardhead considered joining Rodimus's quest for the [[Knights of Cybertron]], only to change his mind when he learned that the crew was full of freaks. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} Instead he joined forces with [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], and [[Garnak]] to take custody of the catatonic Jhiaxus and leave Cybertron to keep it safe from his brand of evil. After a while, their ship picked up a distress signal from the planet [[Arduria]], which caused Jhiaxus to awaken and begin screaming 'Pax'. In response, Hardhead called Optimus Prime, who had changed his name back to Orion Pax in the aftermath of the Chaos Event. Together, they investigated the situation on Arduria, only to fall victim to a Decepticon trap. Attacked by [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], Hardhead and Orion were unable to prevent Jhiaxus from begin rescued by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], but upon deducing that the Decepticons were hunting down the fruits of [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s [[Regenesis]] program, they pursued them to the [[Lenocinium Velnero System]]. {{storylink|Syndromica (1)}}

Hardhead, Pax, Wheelie, and Garnak, after months of searching for Jhiaxus, came across another Decepticon ship just as it entered planet [[LV-117]]'s atmosphere. {{storylink|Syndromica (2)}} This ship was manned by [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], who had just stolen it out from under [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Night and the City}}

Hardhead and his companions chased the stolen Decepticon ship to LV-117's surface only to arrive, to their surprise, many years after the ship they had just followed to the surface has crashed. Almost immediately, Orion Pax disappeared from the company of his companions to find himself shifting non-linearly through time, which, fortuitously, enabled him to gain a firmer understanding of what Jhiaxus and Bludgeon were planning. Pax, after a month away, temporally stabilized and returned to his friends, who had waited on LV 117 for his return at Wheelie's staunch insistence. Hardhead then let Pax know how long he had been gone and informed him that Jhiaxus and his followers had returned in Pax's absence, stolen the crashed Decepticon ship, and were gone again. The quartet set out once more to hunt down and stop Jhiaxus, Bludgeon, and Monstructor. Hardhead attempted to pilot the ship out of the planet's orbit at the same angle by which they had entered, but despite his best efforts, another two weeks was lost leaving orbit. {{storylink|Syndromica (2)}}

As Jhiaxus had mentioned Gorlam Prime during their last encounter, the four Autobots made their way to the dead planet. On the way, Hardhead, like all cold constructed Cybertronians, was nearly killed by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]]'s [[universal killswitch]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} After recovering and arriving on Gorlam, he showed his companions the mysterious catacombs he'd explored years earlier, leading to the discovery of another Regenesis ore within them. Hardhead's own theory was that Jhiaxus had built the catacombs to make the planet more like Cybertron, but they found it went deeper than that when Wheelie began disintegrating on touching one of the buildings, forcing Hardhead to amputate his arm. Another battle with Monstructor led to the revelation that the underground city was in fact a dormant [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] infused with [[Ore-2]], and unfortunately Orion Pax played right into Jhiaxus's hands by awakening it. {{storylink|Homecoming (IDW)|Homecoming}} As the unleashed Ore-2 destroyed Gorlam Prime, Pax's group escaped on the ''[[Skyroller]]'' and were rescued by the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Hardhead was unhappy to find Cyclonus there. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}}

Learning that a Dead Universe portal had opened on Cybertron, Orion Pax elected to enter the still active Gorlam Prime portal alongside Hardhead, Rodimus and Cyclonus to investigate. Having nothing but mistrust for Galvatron's former minion, Hardhead called Cyclonus a coward and accused him of abandoning them when the group was attacked by [[cyberwraith]]s within the Dead Universe. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} He was also pretty rude to Rodimus for abandoning Cybertron in favor of some quest, only to learn that it was in fact the ''Lost Light'' crew who had recently saved him from death by killswitch. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} To the surprise of everyone, most of all Hardhead, the group was then approached by none other than Nightbeat, having "survived" his death at Hardhead's hands by falling through the Dead Universe portal and becoming undead. However, even so he remained a sleeper agent of Nova Prime's, and by following him Hardhead and the others found themselves led into a trap. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}}

Trapped in a containment cube by Nova, the team improvised a plan to distract their captors and smash their way out using Orion Pax's strength and Hardhead's skull. The plan succeeded, only for the force field to reseal itself before anyone Hardhead could escape, leaving him alone against Nova Prime who crushed his fist and with it the force field generator allowing him to survive within the Dead Universe. Exposed to the malevolent and lethal universe around him, Hardhead's body disintegrated and scattered on the winds. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}}

{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
Hardhead was kidnapped by the Decepticons and held captive on the Jail planet by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. He was rescued by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and his other comrades, and in turn helped rescue those who were still imprisoned. Once they had reunited, Hardhead and the others met with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] for the last battle against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Strings Kozisek]] (English)}}
{{Note|Hardhead was available as a playable character in the Autobot campaign during the second playthrough.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
The Autobot Headmasters including Hardhead hunted for [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s ghost by tracking the electro-magnetic spikes which signaled his manifestations. They were able to prevent him passing over into the physical world, and scattered the Decepticons who had aided him. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (Legends)|Ghost in the Machine}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Hardhead toy.jpg|thumb|I don't get it either. Not like I have a "hard head" to draw.]]
*'''Hardhead''' (Headmaster, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-102'''
**''Accessories'': "Duros" Headmaster partner "Tank Commander", 2 "Shatterblasters"

:Hardhead transforms into a Cybertronian self-propelled artillery gun. Like many Transformers of this era, he can store his rifles in 5mm peg holes in his vehicle mode, and his Headmaster partner, Duros, can ride inside his cockpit. Duros transforms into his head, which, when attached to Hardhead's robot mode, activates a simplified, spring-loaded [[Tech Spec]] meter hidden under a panel on his chest. (The panel is very susceptible to breakage however, so it's advised you don't open it.) This [[gimmick]] works with any other Headmaster "pilot" figure.

:In robot mode, Hardhead is unusually tall for a toy of his price point, as the tank basically flips on end and extends to transform. As to be expected, Hardhead has rather limited articulation.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/Hardhead/hardhead.htm More information on Hardhead at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008toy-HardheadUltra.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|It feels like a pizza-disc launcher is missing.]]
*'''Hardhead''' (Ultra Class, 2009)
**''Series:'' '''Generation 1 Series'''
**''Accessories'': Shield

: Hardhead is a mostly green [[Walmart]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Ultra Class [[Onslaught (G1)#Uni08Ultra|Onslaught]], and transforms into a six-wheeled SWAT assault truck with positionable mine-scoops and a rotating double-barreled turret on top. When the button on his rotating turret is pressed, electronic lights in his head and turret flash and one hears either machine gun fire or a siren sound, either of which are continuous if held down. Rolling the vehicle's middle left tire activates a third sound effect of him causing extensive property damage on something unfortunate enough to get caught under his wheels. A looped driving sound will then be continuously played until the tire stops rolling, when a final sound of the vehicle driving away/to a halt is played. He comes with a riot shield, which can either connect to a flip up tab on his left arm in robot mode, or store on top of his turret in either mode. The small flap at the top of the shield is used to access the turret's button, either by pressing on the flap itself, or by flipping it open and pressing the button directly. A button on his right arm spring-deploys an arm-mounted weapon. Instead of blending in with the rest of his colors, his shield stands out entirely black with a messily painted "no" sign on top of a similarly made Decepticon symbol with seven tally marks below it.

: The robot mode [[Kibble#.22Faux-parts.22|cheats]] somewhat, having a second tow-winch on his belt-buckle immediately below his vehicle hood, while the actual vehicle mode winch splits in two to form his shoulders.

: Hardhead uses the later version of Onslaught's electronics that doesn't cut off quickly.

: This mold was [[retool]]ed into ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Clench (G1)#Timelines|Clench]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/TFUHardhead/hardhead.htm More information on Hardhead at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1HardheadOriginalHead.jpg|upright=1.9|thumb|More like... Squathead...]]
[[File:Hardhead-in-WarpathInstructions.jpg|thumb|Ah, ''that's'' more like it!]]
* In the television [[commercial]] for [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' limited series, the Autobot and Decepticon Headmasters are shown having different head designs than the ones their Nebulan partners would later turn into. These designs were seemingly never used in any other piece of ''Transformers'' media. The [[Character model|models]] for most of them, however, turned up in the excellent ''[[Transformers Generations]]'' guidebook.
* As had been (snarkily) pointed out on the captions on this page, the design of Hardhead's toy head doesn't match any of his fictional appearances. The biggest difference is that the toy has a mouthplate whereas the cartoon and comics all show him with a mouth, but there are lots of other variations in shape and detailing.
* The [[instructions]] for ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Warpath (G1)#Generations|Warpath]] show him with an alternate head sculpt resembling Hardhead. Unlike various other ''Generations'' toys, however, the alternate head only shows up in ''some'' steps in the instructions, whereas most steps simply depict Warpath's actual head. There are currently no known specific plans to release a Hardhead [[retool]] of Warpath.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Ros''' (ロス ''Rosu''), '''Hardhead''' (ハードヘッド ''Hādoheddo'')
*''Italian:'' '''Blindobot''' ("Armoredbot")
*''French:'' '''Tête-Dure''' (Canada, "Hard-Head")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tǐeh Tóu''' (Taiwan, 鐵頭, "Hard Head", literally "Iron Head"), '''Lǎo wán gù''' (China, 老顽固, "Old Stubborn")
*''Russian:'' '''Tverdolob''' (Твердолоб ''Die-Hard'')
{{--}}

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

[[Category:Dead Universe]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]

Blackout (Animated)

2014-03-26T18:21:31Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Blackout}}

:''Blackout is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Blackoutanimated.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Not Shown: The fleeing US Army.]]

'''Blackout''' is a monstrous brute of titanic proportions, larger than any other Decepticon. Few have survived an encounter with this hulking behemoth and lived to tell the tale, but those who have survived have added his story to Decepticon lore, which tells of him single-handedly obliterating vast numbers of [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]], before finally falling himself at the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]]'s end.

His feet are equipped with seismic energy dischargers, reverse-engineered from an oddly-misplaced Cybertronian named [[Crasher (Animated)|Crasher]], which allow him to force nearby electronics to shut down with a single stomp.

And we're not kidding, he can destroy Omega Sentinels well. ''Real well''.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Bumper Robinson]] (English), [[Kenta Miyake]] (Japanese)}}
{{Idw-tfa}}
''During the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], the [[Wrecker]]s were a major problem for the Decepticons, operating behind their lines as a commando unit. Megatron created the [[Decepticon Heavy Brigade]], of whom Blackout was a member, specifically to hunt down the Wreckers. When they finally met in battle, the Wreckers were all destroyed (including their vessel, [[Zeta Supreme]]), and Blackout was the only survivor on the Decepticon side. He continues to wear the Brigade's symbol on his shoulders, partly to honor the fallen, and partly to announce that he's a Heavy Brigade '''all by himself.'''''

''Later in the war, on [[Velocitron]], he destroyed [[Delta Supreme]], who had been rebuilt into an artillery platform. During the climax of the war in the [[Battle for Iacon]], Blackout destroyed [[Beta Supreme]] '''and''' [[Eta Supreme]]. Beta Supreme managed to inflict catastrophic injuries on Blackout, however, and he took hundreds of cycles to repair. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

[[Image:TransWarpedBlackoutAttacks.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Now to the server, I mean... space bridge.]]

Blackout, along with the other members of [[Team Chaar]], assaulted a [[space bridge]] in an attempt to capture it and conquer [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. During the battle, he descended from above, sending [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] flying and disabling the Space Bridge with a massive shock wave. After being berated by [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] for his mistake, he apologized and reactivated the Space Bridge with another shock wave. Later, he retreated from the looming battle against the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] under the orders of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] and Strika. {{Storylink|TransWarped}}
{{-}}

===''The Cool'' comic===
[[Image:BlackoutanimatedTheCool.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hatredcopter.]]
As [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] found themselves engaged in a rare tender moment, Blackout unwittingly ruined it by knocking the top of a skyscraper off in helicopter-mode (burying Prime in the rubble). Annoyed, Blackarachnia asked what he was doing there and Blackout explained that he was being pursued by two tenacious Autobots: [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]]. Blackout attempted to strike the twins with a buzzsaw, but they dodged his attack and swooped in for close-quarters combat. Blackout was unable to defend himself against the two small, quick Autobots, thanks to his unwieldy bulk. The twins then combined into [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] and fought the Decepticon bruiser-to-bruiser. Blackarachnia and [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] abandoned Blackout to face the Autobots alone, realizing that the battle had become too hazardous. {{storylink|The Cool Episode 4}}

Having escaped The Elite Guard, Blackout later rejoined [[Team Chaar]] in space, secretly observing [[Team Athenia]]'s battle against a [[Rock Lord]]. {{storylink|The Cool Extra issue 2|The Cool Extra #2}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Animatedtoy-BlackoutTomy.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Diabeetus.]]
*'''Blackout''' (Voyager, 2010)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-20'''
**''Accessories:'' Disc

:Voyager Blackout transforms into the Earth-based helicopter form Blackout would have taken if Season 4 had ever been greenlighted, rather than the beetle-like airship he appears as in "[[TransWarped]]." He shoots a disc from a weapon formed from his tail rotor. This weapon can be snapped into place over either of his wrists. During transformation to robot mode, connecting his pelvis into his torso automatically spring-releases the turbine fan behind his head. The instructions neglect to show that the over-the-shoulders missile rack can be folded back in robot mode, although it is shown on the packaging and in the picture here on the right.

:Blackout was only made available as part of [[TakaraTomy]]'s Japanese toyline. He was originally intended to be released under [[Hasbro]]'s toyline, but was canceled. Based on test shots, the Hasbro version would have different deco on the eyes and coloration for the Decepticon symbol.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2010/Destron/Blackout/blackout.htm More information on Blackout at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
[[Image:Animated_j_op2.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Kommander Sorscha and her warjacks.]]

* Blackout is an homage to [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] from the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]]. The Takara figure includes a character sheet of Blackout that mentions said homage, complete with images of the movie Voyager figure, misspelled as "moive".
* According to [[Derrick J. Wyatt]], Blackout's modified Decepticon sigil signifies he '''is''' the Decepticon Heavy Brigade.<ref>[http://www.formspring.me/DerrickJWyatt Post on Derrick Wyatt's Formspring account]</ref>
* He looks like [http://nastyish.com/images/wilford%20brimley/wilford-brimley-diabeetus.jpg Wilford Brimley.] Derrick Wyatt says he doesn't sound like Wilford Brimley (he sounds like Lurch), but he does suffer from "low-octane oil." [http://www.formspring.me/DerrickJWyatt/q/620898456]
* Blackout is armed with 4 <s>[[Zander Cannon]]s</s> [[zander cannon]]s, and [[Galva-conductor|galva conductor]]s in his [[particle blaster]]s. He also has [[astro blaster]]s and a "[[seismic energy disruptor]]".
*In the second Japanese [[title sequence]] to ''Transformers Animated'', there are two of him. This doesn't make sense to us either, [[Grindor (ROTF)|but it does follow tradition]].
*Blackout is the basis for the [[Transformers Cards]]-only character [[Grinder]], the [[BotCon 2011]] lithograph-only character [[Venom (Animated)|Venom]], and the "[[The Stunti-Con Job|Stunti-Con Job]]" advertisement-only character [[Bugly (Animated)|Bugly]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Blackout''' (ブラックアウト ''Burakkuauto'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Yūn Xuàn''' (China, 晕眩, ''Vertigo'')

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Animated Decepticons]]

Megatron (G1)

2014-03-26T18:18:04Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|{{factions/icons|custom=Megatron Origin Symbol.png|cSize=35x35px|cLink=Gladiatorial combat}}|predacon|hofsilver}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Megatron}}{{suite}}
:''Megatron is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:Megatronguido.jpg|upright=1.95|thumb|Baby, why you make me gotta hurt you?]]
'''Megatron''' is the founder of the Decepticon uprising, and their most well-known and feared [[Decepticon leader|leader]]. As a young, charismatic leader forged in battle and the heritage of war, he began to believe in a grand purpose for his race—it is the [[Transformer]]s' glorious destiny to rule an [[Decepticon Empire|empire]] which will span the universe. The opposite of his mortal enemy [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], he feels great contempt for other Transformers who, he feels, betray their proud heritage by demanding peace and cooperation with weaker life forms. It is the destiny of the Decepticons to bring order to the universe through conquest, though in the millions of years since coining this purpose it remains to be seen how much of his mission statement is altruistic... and how much of it is mere words built to fuel warriors to further his desire for personal power.

Megatron will attempt almost anything to achieve his goals, but his schemes are rarely in any way subtle. This is perhaps due to his arrogance, but his pride is not so strong as to dissuade him from abandoning a battle he is losing. Some would question his sanity, though these few are mostly now dead by his hands... or his [[fusion cannon]], depending on his mood. Sometimes he uses his [[energon mace]] to strike them down. It does not matter how they die. Death by the hands of Megatron is an honour.

His Earth [[Alternate mode]] is usually a modified [[wikipedia:Walther P38|Walther P38]]. Contrary to natural assumptions, his [[fusion cannon]] becomes the scope, not the barrel.

Sometimes, Megatron is later [[Renaming|reborn as]] [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]].

{{quote|You destroy everything you touch, Megatron!}} {{quote|That's because everything I touch is food for my hunger. My hunger for ''power''!|Optimus Prime and Megatron, "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{main|Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity}}

[[File:Megatrong1marvelhumiliation.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|And so it begins...]]
Megatron was a [[gladiatorial combat|gladiator]] from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], who sought to turn Cybertron into a cosmic dreadnaught. To win his war for conquest, Megatron's Decepticons developed the art of transformation. Reawakening on Earth in [[1984]], Megatron was ousted from command by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], and their power struggle continued for sometime until Optimus Prime killed himself in a video game duel. Refusing to believe his nemesis was dead, Megatron committed suicide by blowing himself up on a [[space bridge]]. However, the explosion had merely deposited him in the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]] region of Cybertron, where he wandered as an [[empty]], with no recollection of who he was.

After regaining his memories, Megatron forced [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] to turn [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] into a [[Pretender]], but the ploy failed and the two were grotesquely fused in a [[trans-time dimensional portal]] explosion. [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] separated their bodies but the two remained in stasis aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. They reawoke when [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], a future version of Megatron, attacked, and Ratchet crash landed the ship.

In [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|one universe]], [[Cobra]] rebuilt Megatron into a tank, and he allied with Optimus against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], his [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], and the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. In [[Transformers: Classics|another]], fifteen years of peace passed before Megatron rose again. In [[The Transformers: Regeneration One|a third]], he woke up in [[1994]], and proceeded to lay waste to the Earth, awaiting the day Optimus Prime would return.
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
{{main|Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}

[[File:Mtmte1 megatron throne.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|FOOL! Pass me the TP!]]

Megatron was responsible for bringing Cybertron out of its [[Golden Age]] when he restarted the Autobot/Decepticon civil war nine million years ago. Among his first actions was the fatal wounding of a young dock worker named Orion Pax, who was rebuilt to become Megatron's mortal enemy, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]].

Megatron's forces boarded the Autobots' spacecraft when it was on a mission to search for new sources of energy on other planets, and was knocked offline like all the other Transformers when the craft crashed on prehistoric Earth. When both factions reawakened in 1984, Megatron made it his mission to pillage all of Earth's natural resources and enslave its populace, with the goal of revitalizing Cybertron and dominating the entire universe. His plans were by turns cunning, wicked, outrageous, and often, utterly, utterly ludicrous.

In 2005, Megatron faced off with Optimus Prime in a battle at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], during which he fatally wounded the Autobot leader, but not without taking severe damage himself. Cast adrift into space, Megatron was found by the planet-eater, [[Unicron]], and recreated as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]].

In other timelines which branch out of this one, Megatron became a [[Transmetal]], ordered the [[murdered puppy|murder of a puppy]], and years after his transformation into Galvatron, became Megatron once again, in various powered-up forms.
{{--}}
===Marvel coloring books===
[[File:BumblebeeToTheRescue Megatron.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"Who's for volleyball?"]]
To rule [[Earth]], Megatron came up with the idea to raid sunken treasure. Once they obtained the treasure, Megatron decided to use a truck to take it into town and buy some factories. Unfortunately for him, the truck was [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who released a bunch of [[Autobot]]s and defeated Megatron and his men. {{storylink|Search for Treasure Under the Sea}} Megatron's next plan was to lock up the Autobots in a [[special Autobot prison]]. They managed to get most of their enemies captured, but while Megatron was distracted by a [[Giant fake Autobot|cardboard cutout]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] freed the Autobots and Optimus soon had Megatron wrapped in an iron bar. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue!}}

Megatron sent out the Decepticons to find factories to build more troops. They ended up falling into a trap laid by the forewarned Autobots, but Megatron refused to surrender and Optimus Prime threw him into orbit. Floating in space, Megatron promised that next time the Decepticons would win! {{storylink|Decepticon Patrol}}
The Decepticons kidnapped [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], but had to retreat during the following battle because they were low on power. {{storylink|The Deadly Fuel Shortage}}

Deciding that the Decepticons should rule Earth, Megatron set about using the [[molecular transfer device]] to steal the planet's fuel supplies. The Autobots soon found out about it, and when they assaulted the Decepticon stronghold, Megatron was bamboozled by one of Mirage's holograms. {{storylink|Summertime Coloring Book}} After [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] reported on a communication device possessed by the Autobots, Megatron used a fake message to lure Bumblebee away from the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] so he could take it over. It worked, but when Optimus pulled the same trick a short time later, Megatron fell for it. {{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}} Megatron decided to build a factory in a forested area. The Autobots also happened to be vacationing there, and after Megatron was knocked down by a boulder, and fooled by one of [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s holograms, he was forced to flee. {{storylink|Forest Rescue Mission}}

After the Decepticons developed a jet engine silencer, Megatron led them on an attack on the Autobot base. Thanks to Bumblebee's warnings, the Autobots tricked the Decepticons into using up their firepower on a hologram of the Autobot base. {{storylink|Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission}}

{{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}}
{{charstubfiction}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books continuity===
{{voiceactor|[[Earl Hammond]] (English)}}
Tricking thousands of humans into digging a large cavern underneath the [[Kalahari Desert]] in [[Africa]], Megatron detonated them with the largest explosion the world had ever seen, transforming the coal and humans into the world's largest diamond. Transporting it to a satellite launch base in [[Brazil]], Megatron gloated the [[crystal satellite|satellite]] would use the diamond as a lens to melt the [[Rocky Mountains]]. Prime countered the attack by constructing a square mile of polished metal, which the Autobots placed below the satellite, deflecting its beam and destroying it. Megatron and Soundwave escaped underground in a [[turbine mole machine]]. {{storylink|Satellite of Doom}}

The duo stole an enormous hovering fuel transport, but [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] destroyed it, forcing Megatron to come up with a new scheme: to drill the [[Prudhoe Bay oil reservoir]]. Their drill was so powerful, it caused volcanic eruptions and [[Siberia]] to approach the US, accelerating tensions between the US and USSR. Optimus had [[razon gas]] pumped into the reservoir, returning the oil below the sea floor and rising the Decepticon device. Boarding it, the Autobots once again found Megatron had fled. {{storylink|When Continents Collide}} He now intended to raise the oil from Brazil, unwittingly destroying the city of [[Machu Picchu]] and much of the [[Andes Mountains|Andes]], as well as wreaking havoc with the weather. The Autobots stopped them again, and once more Megatron and Soundwave fled. {{storylink|Storms of Destruction}}

With all these failures, Megatron grew jealous of Shockwave's success in getting oil to the Decepticon soldiers. Tracking [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], Megatron found the Autobot oil supplies in [[Antarctica]]. Using the [[Crusher]] Megatron sliced icebergs off the Antarctic, causing sea levels to rise. Unwittingly, his actions revived hundreds of dormant Dinobots trapped in the tar beneath the ice, forcing him to flee once more. {{storylink|Jaws of Terror}} Enslaving oil workers in the Pacific, Megatron tried to drill the oil of [[Buru]], but [[Oil driller and transporter|his transport]] overloaded and he took flight. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}} From his submersible near [[Madagascar]], Megatron sank six oil tankers. Attacking another, Megatron's submersible was completely wrecked when it emerged the oil he drained was tainted by the Autobots with corrosive acid. He escaped during the subsequent Autobot attack. {{storylink|Attack of the Decepticons}}

Megatron's relationship with Soundwave was very abusive; he dubbed him a "blundering tape-filled idiot". {{storylink|When Continents Collide}}

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[File:KidsCliff1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|MTV pimps Megatron's ride.]]
As Decepticon leader, Megatron was part of the forces that attacked the Autobot Ark while it was trying to eliminate asteroids that threated to smash [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to pieces. The Ark crashed on [[Earth]], and four million years later, the Decepticons were first to be woken by the ship's computer. Leaving the ship, they attempted to destroy it, but their energy levels were too low, and Megatron announced they'd have to find new sources of energy. After raiding the nuclear plant at nearby [[Kimball]], they returned to the Ark, only to find it empty. He ordered his men to split up and go in two different directions, and hence they were able to outflank the Autobots. The battle was short-lived, as the Autobots proved too much for them, and the Decepticons retreated. {{storylink|Battle for Cybertron}}

A bunch of humans set up a race for charity, and the victor would receive a year's supply of oil and gasoline. Well, the Decepticons desperately wanted that bounty, so rather than just steal it, they decided to sneak into the race. [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] was one of the Autobots driving in the rally and was unaware that the scary black Cadillac was actually being driven by Megatron! Megatron dogged Cliffjumper for quite a while but ended up losing to the Minibot. Cliffjumper won the race and everybody smiled, even Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

After a particularly damaging battle, Megatron sent the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s to distract the Autobots while he took a small squad to capture a broken-down oil truck nearby, claiming it would allow them to defeat the Autobots once and for all. While he and his men were implementing the plan, somehow [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] sneaked up and got the truck working again. Megatron furiously pursued the truck and managed to seize it from behind. Suddenly [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] appeared overhead and Megatron proved unable to shoot him down. The [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] dropped a bomb on the group of Decepticons, reducing them to a pile of metal scrap. An automated signal summoned a [[Decepticon rescue squadron|rescue squadron]], who arrived a short time later to retrieve the remains of Megatron and his men. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

Megatron set his sights on raiding a power plant, and promised his men that whoever came up with a fool-proof plan would be made Decepticon [[second-in-command]]. He was pleased when [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] informed him that [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] had been captured, and even more so when [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] arrived back at base with the [[cerebro-shell]]ed Autobot. Megatron instructed Grapple to come up with a plan to steal the energy in the power plant. When the rest of the Autobots turned up to rescue their friend, Megatron took the opportunity to gloat before battle commenced. He ordered Grapple to help them fight, however Grapple, who had been de-cerebro-shelled, called him a "big coffee pot" and threw him on [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. {{Storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}
{{-}}
===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:MegatronsFightForPower Megatron takes off.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
When [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] discovered that the Autobots were working on a device resembling a radio tower, Megatron sent [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] to investigate. The revelation that the Autobots had concealed much of the tower underground made Megatron think they were up to something underhanded, but before he could learn more, he realized [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] had gone to destroy the device. Megatron and the other Decepticons caught up with and stopped Starscream, and then puzzled over the machine. The machine, in reality intended to collect lightning, released a surge of power that caused the Decepticons to malfunction, forcing them to retreat. {{storylink|Autobots' Lightning Strike}}

Impatient at the lack of the energy they needed to power their space cruiser, Megatron had [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] sent out. They soon hit pay dirt when Buzzsaw located an experimental solar power station. After surveying the station with Soundwave, Megatron ordered the rest of the Decepticons to come in force, however instead Starscream attempted to lead the other Decepticons in an impromptu mutiny. Though Megatron swiftly brought the Decepticons back under his heel, their energy collection was ultimately foiled by the Autobots. {{storylink|Megatron's Fight for Power}} As the Decepticons' space cruiser neared completion, Megatron was determined that they find a way to test the ion-drive, despite Starscream's protests that it didn't need testing. Luckily Ravage located an abandoned mine, so the Decepticons made use of it for testing purposes. The Autobots again got wind of their activities, and used mine cars to blow up the ion-drive, collapsing the tunnel on the Decepticons. {{storylink|Autobots Fight Back}}

Furious over the constant defeats, Megatron ordered Soundwave to send Laserbeak to find out more about the [[human]]s who inhabited the planet [[Earth]]. The scouting mission led the Decepticons to a unique piece of Earth technology — a windmill. During the ensuing fight with the Autobots, they discovered the windmill was immune to the null ray, and believing it to be an advanced new weapon, Megatron ordered it be captured. Instead Rumble managed to destroy it and it collapsed on top of the four Decepticons. {{storylink|Laserbeak's Fury}} At some point [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] traveled back in time from the 21st century and took over leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}}

===Colorforms audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] passed on news of Doctor [[Heath Blaisedale]]'s solar reactor. Megatron immediately made plans to use the device to drain the [[Sun]]'s energy, despite [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s assertion that doing so would result in doom for Earth. He was furious when Starscream led an impromptu attack on the Autobots at the solar plant and ordered the three jets to retreat before they damaged the reactor. He had [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] kidnap Blaisedale in an attempt to draw the Autobots away from the plant, before leading an attack himself. Unfortunately his particle cannon was destroyed by [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] turned up as well, resulting in the destruction of the solar reactor. Megatron retreated empty-handed. {{storylink|Sun Raid}}

===The Battle for Planet Earth===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
Thanks to [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]'s spying, Megatron and his men followed the Autobots to [[South America]], where they found [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] taking interest in [[Mount Sheelah]]. Being unfamiliar with volcanoes, Megatron decided to investigate, but his men were unable to capture the [[John Gordon|two]] [[Tim Gordon|humans]] helping the Autobots. After the Autobots had retreated, the Decepticons got their change to look more closely at the volcano, only for it to erupt, trapping them with lava. {{storylink|Terror of Mount Sheelah}} Megatron had his men kidnap humans from towns to use as slave labor, but after [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] stole the Decepticons' [[global crystal]], the Decepticons were forced to set the humans free. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (G1)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}}

After [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] spotted a hydro-dam at [[Stanley Lake]], Megatron decided to see if it was suitable for their energy needs, and staged an invasion. A short time later, he and his men spotted the Autobots in the valley in front of the dam and attacked them. Though they appeared triumphant after the Autobots retreated, the valley was flooded with water from the dam a short time later, washing them all away. {{storylink|Menace at the Dam}} Furious at the mounting defeats, Megatron sent Starscream to infiltrate the Autobot ranks. When air commander reported that the Autobots' [[Deuterium Orbital Laser Tracing System|super weapon]] was being stored in [[Mount Levram]], Megatron led the Decepticons there to flatten the mountain. Unfortunately it turned out that Starscream hadn't fooled the Autobots at all, and when the Decepticons returned to their base, it had been leveled in their absence. {{storylink|Espionage!!!!!}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
Megatron had been overseeing Operation Black Coral from the Decepticons' secret base in [[Mount Lomas]] for over a week before two of the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s went on their mission to [[Hidden Valley]]. When [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] reported that [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] had successfully planted [[cerebro-shell]]s on four of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], he was thrilled!

{{note|Since Kickback leaving to report back to Megatron occurs before the first choice is made, and Megatron's reaction is documented on the back cover, we can assume that this holds true for every path in this book.}}

In one possible path on the following day, he rallied his troops with a speech about how the imminent completion of the machinery necessary to convert [[Dolphin Bay]]'s [[black coral]] into superfuel would ensure the final defeat of the Autobots in a matter of hours. This conveniently told the spying [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] all he needed to know about Operation Black Coral so he could relay it to [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] via radio, which conveniently told [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] that he was right outside the doorway so Frenzy could paralyze him and leave him in the underwater tunnel.

If Skids just returns to the Ark after this, it leads to two possible outcomes in which Megatron appears long enough to witness a Decepticon defeat. In one, he ordered his warrior jets into action only to see them fall to [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide's]] thermal beam while [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] torched the base's lab. In another, [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] showed up at Mount Lomas claiming that he and the other three Dinobots under Bombshell's control had just decimated the Autobot ranks, convincing Megatron to welcome them into their base by holding the Operation Black Coral victory party and bonfire a day early. He began to question his judgement when Grimlock suddenly ordered his team to attack, but didn't react in time to save Soundwave or Frenzy. As [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] nailed [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] with a missile, Megatron fired his nuclear fusion cannon at the Pteranodon, only to have his blast redirected at the last second by [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl's]] tail-strike. This caused him to blast straight down into the mountainside, creating a hole which allowed the arriving Autobots easy access to Megatron's swiftly-demolished base.

{{note|If Skids tries to rescue Bumblebee, their base is just as doomed, but Megatron does not reappear.}}

In another alternate path, Megatron greeted the approaching Autobot assault force with "a strange challenge to Optimus Prime": a one-on-one fight to the end! After squaring off for a few minutes, Megatron fired, but Optimus dodged the blast by splitting into his three components, gaining the upper hand. Thanks to [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble's]] interference, we'll never know if Megatron could've turned things around.
{{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

===Milton Bradley mini-comic===
When the Autobots launched an [[Ark (G1)|ark]] to clear a path through the asteroid belt that threatened [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron set an ambush and boarded the ship with his men. He grappled with the Autobot leader, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] who revealed that the ship had been set on a collision course with a nearby planet. Megatron had his own contingency plan, and ordered [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] to jump clear. The crash knocked out Megatron and everyone else aboard the ark, but four million years later, a volcanic eruption jolted the ship's systems back into life. Megatron and the others were repaired by the ship's brain, and were soon ready to renew hostilities on [[Earth]]. {{storylink|In the Transformers}}

===''Transformers PD Type'' comic===
[[File:PDtype-Matrixattack.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|This is how the movie ''should've'' gone.]]

With the discovery of a new super energy source known as the [[Blackball]]s, Megatron found himself joined by numerous Decepticons from all across the timestream, all hoping to obtain the ebony spheres. Naturally, opposing him were a team of Autobots, also gathered from all across the timestream.

In one confrontation with his eternal foe, Optimus Prime, Megatron got to relive their battle at Autobot City. Except this time around, Megatron was defeated when Prime launched his "Matrix Attack" (''literally'' launching the Matrix from his chest, bonking Megatron on the noggin). {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##1 "You're Great! Optimus Prime!"|You're Great! Optimus Prime!}}

Later, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] managed to find what he ''thought'' was a Blackball. He presented it to Megatron and received much praise...until the Blackball turned out to be a cartoon bomb which exloded in their faces. As the Autobots stood astonished that their crude strategy succeeded, a badly singed Megatron was left in a smoking crater, strangling Starscream. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##3 "Don't Cry! Megatron!!"|Don't Cry! Megatron!!}}

During battle with [[Victory Leo]], Megatron found himself horribly outmatched. Thinking quickly, he launched a special weapon from his fusion cannon: a ball of yarn. The giant robot kitty immediately began playing with the yarn, giving Megatron the distraction he needed to escape. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##6 "Tough as Nails! Victory Leo!"|Tough as Nails! Victory Leo!}}

After that, he had to snap a pensive [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] out of a trance and order him to return to a battle he had walked away from in order to look at clouds. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##9 "Oh, Overlord."|Oh, Overlord.}}

Some time later, Starscream located yet another Blackball. This time, though, he decided to keep its power for himself and use it to overthrow Megatron. Then it exploded in his hands because it was ''another'' cartoon bomb. Megatron watched the explosion from a distance, unaware of what was going on. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##10 "Good Luck! Starscream!!"|Good Luck! Starscream!!}}

===The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual===
{{storylink|The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual|Megatron's ''The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual'' profile}}

{{storylink|Day of the Decepticons}}

{{storylink|The Dinobots!}}

{{storylink|Moving Day Planet Earth}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{-}}

===''Comic Bom Bom G-2'' comic===
In the year [[199X]], the Decepticons had learned of a powerful new energy source known as [[forestonite]] which just happened to be located (surprise surprise) on [[Earth]]. Megatron sent his trio of [[Cyberjet]]s to Earth first to draw out the enemy Autobots. The Cyberjets made quick work of [[Electro (G2)|Electro]] but were soon halted by the appearance of Optimus Prime.

Megatron then entered the fray and fired his Black Hole Burn attack from his fusion cannon, narrowly missing Optimus Prime but vaporizing [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]] in the process. Prime fought fiercely but Megatron began to take the upper hand in battle.

However, Prime was encouraged to keep fighting by the cheers of a human boy named [[Junpei]]. Megatron, surprised at Prime's resilience, attempted to finish his foe off with his Tornado Axe attack. Prime countered with his Double Wheel-Torque Mega-Ton, which trumped Megatron's attack and injured the Decepticon badly. Megatron teleported back to his ship and left Earth's atmosphere, vowing to return. {{storylink|The New Battle!!}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Garry Chalk]] (English), [[Wataru Takagi]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:G1Megatron MasterBlaster stasislock.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Sure, we all need our beauty sleep, but 4 million years, now that's taking the piss.]]
After the Autobot/Decepticon war moved to Earth, Megatron hunted down the [[Voyager probe]] as it traveled through the [[Solar System]] and encoded a message on its disc. Should his efforts fail, he left detailed instructions to any Decepticon descendants who recovered the disc, instructions which apparently condoned use of [[transwarp]] technology to alter history in his favor by locating the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] before it was reactivated, with access codes to the Ark stored in the disk, and killing Optimus Prime before the Autobots and Decepticons reawaken. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[File:G1Megatron Disc Agenda part2.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Now that's what we call a smile.]]
The disk (dubbed the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]]) eventually fell into Cybertronian hands and was stolen by a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] who shared Megatron's name. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} This new [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], later stranded in Earth's past, was able to use a recording of the original Megatron to sway one of the original Megatron's most loyal troops, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], to his cause. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[File:G1Megs Nemesis part2 deletedclip.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|I was cut out?! This is Starscream's doing!]]
The original Megatron himself was stranded in Earth's past on board the Ark, offline. Before long, Predacon Megatron was able to approach the comatose body of his namesake and steal his [[spark]], integrating it into his own system. Almost immediately, however, during Predacon Megatron's painful reaction to this integration, he was thrown into a pool of lava by his treacherous underlings. In spite of—or perhaps because of—this, Predacon Megatron emerged from the lava, with a new body that could now transform into a fire-breathing dragon. It is unknown how much influence the original Megatron's Spark had in this metamorphosis. {{storylink|Master Blaster}} At the end of the Beast Wars, after Predacon Megatron was overcome, the original Megatron's Spark was returned to his body, restoring the flow of history.<ref>This scene was cut out of "[[Nemesis Part 2]]" for air-time reasons, but its occurrence is still implied by [[Optimus Primal]]'s note that all was as it should be. The clip was added as a special feature to [[Kid Rhino]]'s and [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''Beast Wars'' season 3 DVD box sets.</ref>

A [[Megatron (myth)|Megatron]] is mentioned in the [[Covenant of Primus]], an ancient sacred text which claims to prophesize future events, including the Beast Wars. It is implied that both Megatrons took their name from here. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Megatrong1gladiator.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Gladiators can afford extra paint applications.]]
Young Megatron was a rising star in gladiatorial combat in the depths of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. As victory upon victory mounted, he began to realize that the games were nothing more than an elaborate conspiracy by the [[Council of Ancients]] to divert the attentions of the masses from the dangerous truth of Cybertron’s history. When Megatron began to show interest in Cybertron's buried past through exploration and research, the Council of Ancients attempted to have him assassinated—a plan that only resulted in stirring up even more discontent among Cybertronians, allowing Megatron to begin recruiting for the Decepticon movement.

First his "inner circle", then many of the gladiators, and then finally disgruntled civilians answered his call to action. The Decepticons were born. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

[[File:Fledglingcause.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Megatron is so grass-roots.]]
In search of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix]], Megatron personally killed [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], only to find that the Autobot leader was not even carrying the Matrix of Leadership. He then sent an assassination squad to the inauguration of the new [[Prime (rank)|Prime]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus]], only for the whole squad to be killed. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} Refusing to give up, Megatron paid a visit to one of the huge planetary engines which the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s were reactivating, using it to orchestrate a disaster in the destruction of the [[Forum of Enlightenment]], all in order to lure Optimus underground. Megatron sent [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] to kill Prime and bring him the Matrix {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} As Megatron explained to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] his plan to transform [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] into a massive warworld that would cut a swathe of destruction through the galaxy, Optimus again defeated the Decepticons sent against him.

Megatron finally opted to confront the new Prime personally, but Starscream blasted the bridge they were standing on, plunging them both into an abyss. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} Megatron continued to press his attack, explaining to Optimus exactly why he needed the Matrix and urging Prime to join him. When Megatron drove his fist into his opponent's chest, the Matrix enveloped them both in light, and they found themselves on [[Earth|an alien world]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} Visions of the future, spawned by the Matrix, played out before the two warriors, even as they continued to fight. Finally they were returned to subterranean Cybertron, but were quickly separated. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Optimus returned with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s sword and a new resolve, defeating Megatron. Meanwhile, Starscream had activated the planet mechaforming process too soon, resulting in the destruction of the machinery. Some time later, Megatron, his memory of the battle and Matrix visions erased, found Soundwave while stumbling through the Cybertron underground. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

Roughly 7.4 million years BCE, Megatron and Optimus Prime disappeared in an early test of the then-unstable [[space bridge]] matter-transport system. {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}} Spending an undisclosed time on the planet [[Quintessa]], Megatron returned with an overwhelming army of lifeless [[Air Warrior|seeker clones]], arriving as the planet was on the verge of peace. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} He quickly subjugated the planet, though he kept secret the fact that he was working with the Quintessons. He took great delight in sealing Starscream in a tank of [[Piranacon (Quintesson)|Piranacons]] and placing the Autobots in internment camps, while working on a plan to access Cybertron's core. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

{{note|This story was never finished due to the closure of Dreamwave, though the seekers and presumably Megatron as well were eventually defeated.}}

Four million years BCE, Cybertron was threatened by a massive approaching asteroid, so Optimus Prime led a contingent of Autobots aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] to blow the rock to fragments, which were transported away by an orbital space bridge network. When this task was completed, Megatron chose this moment to strike, attacking the Ark with his troops. Crippled, the craft flew through one of the space bridge portals, and was transported to prehistoric Earth, where it crashed, entombing the occupants in stasis for four million years.

The Autobots and Decepticons were reactivated in 1984, but specific details of their battles in the 1980s and 1990s are unrecorded. In 1999, an Autobot/Human military alliance succeeded in capturing and deactivating the Decepticons. However, the [[Ark II]] spaceship carrying them back to Cybertron exploded shortly after liftoff, and the Transformers were believed destroyed. In actuality, they had been scattered back to Earth, where they lay in [[stasis lock]] across the globe for three years.

This slumber was brought to an end when [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]] (aka Lazarus), a rogue military scientist who had devised a method of controlling Transformers, salvaged many of the fallen Cybertronians and reprogrammed them as mass killing machines, which he then attempted to sell on the black market. Megatron was used to attack and destroy a rebel encampment in [[South America]]. Lazarus later demonstrated his voice control of Megatron to a prospective client, however though Megatron obeyed the lesser commands, he would not move when commanded to kneel. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}}

Having sufficiently raised interest, Lazarus held an auction, beginning with Megatron. He was unprepared when the Decepticon leader demonstrated his autonomy, blasting his way out of the bunker. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}} Megatron swiftly put into action a plan to use a [[cyber-virus]] to reformat Earth into a new Cybertron, with Lazarus as its first casualty. As the Autobots arrived, Megatron outlined his plan to Optimus, suggesting that the Autobot leader simply let it happen. Prime declined, however as the two factions fought, the US Military decided to enact [[Operation Clean-Up]] and dropped a bomb on them. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}

The bomb's energy absorbed by the virus, the Decepticons left the area before the Autobots could recover. Megatron unleashed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] on [[San Francisco]], resulting in mass slaughter and the devastation of the city. The Autobots arrived and engaged the Decepticons in battle, but [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]'s defeat turned the course of the battle towards Autobot defeat. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} Although Prime took down Devastator, he still fell before Megatron, who took the time to point out how worthless the humans around them were. He again suggested that Optimus join him. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} The actions of a group of humans, including ramming Megatron with fire engines, inspired the Autobots to fight back. Optimus slammed Megatron to the ground and delivered a beating, but Soundwave's news that the humans had launched a nuke at their battleground in a virtual repeat of the events in Canada, provoked a peal of laughter from Megatron. Though the nuke was stopped by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], the Decepticons escaped in the ensuing chaos. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

[[File:Shockwavedwwarandpeace.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Megatron's a bottom.]]
Several months later. Megatron was subliminally summoned to a remote area in Alaska along with the other Earthbound Transformers. There they battled until Megatron's former second-in-command, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], arrived and revealed that in their absence the war on Cybertron had ended. He arrested Megatron, Prime, and their troops as war criminals. Megatron, weakened by battle, was quickly defeated by Shockwave and loaded aboard a shuttle for return to Cybertron, only to have Starscream seize the opportunity to jettison him into space on the return trip. {{storylink|New World Order}} Megatron used the time floating in space to contemplate his existence and the Decepticon goal. Realizing that he had wasted millennia in his feud with Prime, Megatron resolved to once again conquer Cybertron as a means of enhancing the Transformer race and strengthening it from outside threats. It seemed as through he would not live to accomplish this goal, however, as death closed in on him... only for him to be retrieved by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}} Wreck-Gar took Megatron to the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] and repaired and re-armed him, as well as digging up and reactivating a number of seeker clones that had wound up there after being dumped through space bridge portals. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}} Megatron returned the favor by stabbing him in the back with an energy dagger. {{storylink|Runnin' with the Devil}}

Traveling to the Planet [[Beast (planet)|Beest]], Megatron defeated the exiled Decepticon warlords, the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], and rebuilt them into the mightiest of all combiners, [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], to serve as his ace in the hole in his quest to reclaim leadership of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Welcome to the Jungle}} Moving in stealth on Cybertron, Megatron defeated Shockwave, severing his laser arm and forcing him into servitude. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} He then returned to Earth to collect the remaining Decepticons under Starscream's command. With Soundwave's help, he blasted a good-sized hole through Starscream himself, before the Air Commander revealed the recent activities of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a figure Megatron believed was connected to the [[Covenant of Primus]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{note|While it was alluded that Megatron had a grand goal in mind that also included the subjugation of the [[Quintesson]]s, the remainder of the story has yet to be told due to the closure of [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]. However it has been stated by representatives of [[IDW Publishing]], the current holders of the Transformer comic license, that once Dreamwave has exited bankruptcy court, they intend to finish the story.}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
His spark within the body of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], Megatron was able to talk the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] leader into a new plan. Once they had broken into the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and implanted a fragment of Megatron's spark into Starscream, he was able to use the air warrior to attempt to return his spark to its rightful place. Unfortunately the beast Megatron resisted and overcame Megatron in a war of wills, subsuming the older Megatron. After the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] ended, the [[Maximal]]s returned Megatron's spark to his body. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

Following yet another fight between Megatron and Starscream, the latter went missing. The discovery that Starscream appeared to be working with the Autobots drove Megatron into a rage, and he unsuccessfully tried to extract the Seeker from the clutches of his foes, only to be beaten off by the Autobots. Starscream later returned of his own accord, claiming to have been feigning amnesia in order to gain access to the Autobot base. The story appeared to placate the Decepticon leader. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

Megatron was furious when Soundwave told him that [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] was selling Decepticon weapons on the black market. After chewing out [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], he commanded Skywarp to bring Swindle in, and he wasn't fussy about how many pieces the Combaticon was in. {{storylink|Two for the Price of One}}

Megatron, along with [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and two [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]s, was waiting [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] emerged from a meeting with [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] and two [[Optimus Primal]]s. {{storylink|Prime Spark (story)|Prime Spark}}

During the gladiatorial matches in the depths of Cybertron, Megatron encountered [[Geosensus]], and mistook him for a potential recruit. When Geosensus revealed he had no offensive capability, Megatron concluded he was a worthless idiot. Megatron prepared to terminate Geosensus, but was interrupted by Shockwave's warning that security forces were incoming. The two Decepticons left to plan their attack on Kaon. {{storylink|Parts}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Megatronddjoe.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Joey Slick > Cobra Commander]]
When [[Cobra]], a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world, found a crashed spaceship full of Transformers in [[stasis lock]], Megatron proved to them that the machines weren't piloted vehicles when he briefly awoke and groaned that he still functioned. Cobra rebuilt the aliens into new vehicles and reprogrammed them to serve Cobra, with the exception of Megatron, who was rebuilt to transform into a Walther P38 handgun, but was only locked in this mode and not reprogrammed. Holstered by [[Cobra Commander]] at all times, the Decepticon mocked Cobra's decisions, such as deciding that [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], Megatron's traitorous lieutenant, would serve as the Commander's choice of transport. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1}}

Regardless of his complaints, Megatron's only chance to be released from his state was to follow Cobra Commander's orders, such as providing instructions on how to create [[energon]]. Things weren't all bad, though, as he still got some enjoyment out of seeing his nemesis [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] being forced to steal and destroy. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}} Megatron was also pleased when [[Destro]] showed up and started bossing Cobra Commander around. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}}

When the Transformers were cleared of their reprogramming thanks to [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Cobra Commander found himself face to face with a very stern Optimus Prime, and tried to use Megatron to shoot the Autobot. However, Megatron still had some control of his body and strictly refused to fire, instead bargaining with Cobra Commander to return him to normal. The human gave in, and Megatron transformed and clashed with his old enemy. With Prime low on energon, Megatron came out on top, but before he could finish Prime off, Starscream attacked him and tried to take leadership of the Decepticons. Megatron got rid of him, but the distraction had allowed several Autobots to come to Optimus Prime's rescue. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

Ignoring Prime to focus on some more long-term plans, Megatron made [[Doctor Mindbender]] use the [[SPS Satellite]] to create large amounts of energon. However, his party was soon crashed when Optimus Prime attacked the facility and used the energon to power up. Finding the situation unsalvageable, Megatron tried to escape while Prime was busy with [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} He ran right into [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], but was unimpressed with their firepower and fought back with his [[energon mace]], possibly killing [[Mercer]]. Things quickly turned for the worse for Megatron; his arm was heavily damaged by a stray beam from the malfunctioning SPS Satellite, he was pounded by G.I. Joe's rockets, and Optimus Prime caught up to him and beat him to a pulp. Prime then stole his [[fusion cannon]] and used it to destroy the satellite and smack Megatron across the jaw, defeating him and ending the battle. The Decepticon was disassembled, but unbeknownst to the victors, his remains were seized and experimented upon by the United States government. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

[[File:The Art of War 1 Martin vs Megatron.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|No one sticks out their tongue at Megatron. At least, not for long.]]
A few years later, the human scientists had used Megatron's technology to create the [[Serpentor|Serpent Organic Robot]], a synthetic creature that combined the personalities of several of [[Earth]]'s most famous warmongers and Megatron. After being prematurely activated by Cobra Commander, Serpent O.R. flashbacked to a memory of Megatron's imprisonment and attacked the Cobra leader. He then plugged himself into Soundwave's deactivated head and learned the history of the Transformers, subsequently considering himself the son of Megatron. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1|The Art of War #1}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Megatron and his underlings lay buried and deactivated under a temple on the [[Fera Islands]] for some three million years, until one day in [[1938]] when they were somehow reactivated by [[Major Bludd]] touching the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. After learning that [[Cobra]], like the Decepticons, were ruthless conquerors in search of power, Megatron allied himself with the humans. However, this was merely a ruse so that he could get his hands on the Matrix, which proved hard as [[Cobra Commander]] kept on his person at all times. Megatron and his troops spent the following year helping Cobra ransack various European nations, stealing energy for themselves while leaving the useless "[[Gold|yellow metal]] and painted paper" for Cobra. In the summer of [[1939]], he took out the aerial defense of the English Channel alongside [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], clearing the way for an invasion of the [[United Kingdom]]. {{storylink|The Line}}

Hours later at the Fera Islands, Megatron was in the process of beating up Starscream for leaving his post when he spotted an Autobot [[Sky Spy|repair drone]] in the process of reactivating [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and his troops. This angered him slightly more than [[Destro]] eyeing his [[energon cube]]s. {{storylink|Transformed}} Deciding that he needed a safer place to store the energy, Megatron commandeered a submarine and forced Cobra troops to move the cubes into it, which did not please Cobra Commander. However, Megatron had decided their alliance had outlived its usefulness anyway, and prepared to squish the fleshling, only to learn the hard way that Cobra Commander could use the Matrix to cause him great pain. As Megatron collapsed, the Cobra leader warned him against ever rebelling again. {{storylink|Trial by Fire}}

The Decepticon commander decided to bide his time, and stood calmly by Cobra Commander's side as their enemies closed in on the Terrordrome. When [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] refused to follow Cobra Commander's orders, Megatron admonished him in order to further trick the commander that he had learned his lesson. {{storylink|Trenches}} As Cobra Commander's orders led to Shockwave breaking apart, Megatron suggested that he be given the Matrix so he could repair his underling. Unfortunately for him, Cobra Commander did not fall for it, but Megatron at least got to taunt him for wasting valuable troops like that. Shortly afterwards, [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] was unleashed, causing a rockslide that crushed Cobra Commander's legs, despite his orders for Megatron to shield him. Instead, Megatron "humbly" suggested that the commander use his gun mode as a means of ending his life. Cobra Commander could not go through with it, but Megatron was simply picked up by the [[Baroness]], who executed her former leader. Free at last, the Decepticon leader went after the Matrix, only to find it had been stolen by [[Snake-Eyes]]. Before he could kill the ninja, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] arrived and attacked him, keeping him at bay while Snake-Eyes destroyed the Matrix in an attempt to destroy Bruticus, killing all the Transformers in the process. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:IDWMegatron.jpg|thumb]]
{{main|Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity}}
Realizing that peaceful movements could not change [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron, a miner from [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], decided to wage a war against the corrupt [[Senate]]. With help from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] and his [[Autobot]]s, he overthrew the corrupt Autobot leader, [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], and became new tyrant of the planet. The betrayed Orion Pax, now going by the name of "Optimus Prime", gathered the remaining Autobots and organized a rebellion against Megatron and his [[Decepticon]] army. Over time, the war between Decepticons and Autobots spread throughout the entire galaxy.

Four million years later, Megatron arrived on Earth to put down a coup fronted by Starscream. Intrigued by the presence of an incredible new energy source known as [[Ore-13]] on the planet, Megatron remained on Earth, and when Optimus Prime arrived as well, it became a new battleground for the war. By springing a trap on the Autobots, Megatron cast them to the despoiled, [[Insecticon swarm|Insecticon-infested]] Cybertron and attempted to conquer Earth. However, aided by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|a human]], Optimus Prime defeated Megatron at last, while Starscream took his damaged leader and retreated from the planet.

After a two-year convalescence, Megatron was revived in a new body built by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]. Seeking revenge on both Optimus Prime and humanity, Megatron concocted a plan to shatter the already-fragile alliance between the Autobots and their new human allies in [[Skywatch]], mind-controlling humans into his pawns through replicas of his gun form. Defeating Prime in battle, he then made the surprising move of surrendering himself to the Autobots, but his ulterior motives soon revealed themselves: by surrendering, he secured himself passage to Cybertron, and once there, used the [[space bridge]] technology in his new body to teleport his Decepticon army back to their homeworld. This plan played out in the midst of an attempt by [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] to bring the [[Dead Universe]] entity [[D-Void]] into the living reality; the minds of Megatron's troops were seized by D-Void and they were combined into [[Deceptigod|a giant monster]], which Megatron battled and defeated.

Galvatron's defeat was followed by the reformatting of Cybertron into a primordial state, and Megatron went into hiding in the wilderness to study the energy used to create D-Void's monster, using it to perfect the combination process. With a new [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] created through this idealized new process, as a well as a new body for himself design to interact with the combiner, Megatron laid siege to Iacon from within, but was stopped by a hidden forcefield implanted inside his body by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]].

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Megatron was referred to as a leader [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] wanted to replace. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} When the [[Elder God]]s took the [[Decepticon]]s under their control, Megatron had yet to awaken. {{Storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}}

{{note|Unused concept art for ''Hearts of Steel'' depicts Megatron with a variety of proposed alternate modes: a giant cannon (with big studded wheels that become shoulder-shields), a 19th-century Colt revolver, possibly a [[wikipedia:Colt 1851 Navy Revolver|Colt 1851 Navy]], and another very similar revolver, with an anachronistic scope and a bulkier muzzle.}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comics===
In the 21st century, Megatron attacked [[Tokyo]], planning to steal its energy and enslave the population. He retreated once the Autobots arrived and a fight with Optimus ensued. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 1}} Sending [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] to distract his nemesis, Megatron quietly gathered a large amount of energon cubes before being attacked by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2}} Megatron escaped, {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3}} with enough energon to transform himself into Galvatron. He nearly killed Prime and Ironhide before apparently overloading and exploding, transforming him back into Megatron. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 7}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun'' comics===

[[File:Henkei1 enter megatron.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|At last, I have returned in a— wait, am I a NERF pistol now?! CURSE YOU STARSCREAM!!!]]

When the legendary [[Energon Cube]] was lost to the reaches of space, Megatron led a small team of Decepticons across the galaxy in pursuit. The cube crashed on Earth, in the Japanese town of [[Hoshinochō]], where it shattered into innumerable fragments that were scattered far and wide. To search for the cube shards, Megatron and his Decepticons took on the forms of local vehicles and devices, so they could operate in secret. [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots had also followed the Cube to Earth, and so the Transformers' war continued in secret on this new world. {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

Ten years later, Megatron discovered that the humans had a "secret weapon" of sorts in their quest: They had allied themselves with the human boy [[Akira Kihara]], who possessed the incredible powers of a "[[Booster]]", one of a small number of beings in the universe born with the power to detect and manipulate the energies of the Energon Cube. Seeking the boy's power for his own, Megatron struck, but was repelled when Akira used his powers to their fullest. Alas, Akira overloaded his body and died in the process, and Prime was consumed with guilt. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}}

One year after the battle for Akira, Megatron received word from [[Astrotrain (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Astrotrain]] that [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Starscream]] and [[Ramjet (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Ramjet]] were battling Prime's Autobots at the human structure known as the [[Star Dome]]. {{storylink|Enter! The Transformers}} Joining the conflict, he berating Starscream for his failures, using the fallen Air Commander as a shield to protect himself from Optimus Prime's shots. Chastizing Prime for not going all-out in his attack, Megatron turned his Fusion Cannon on [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Bumblebee]] and the Autobots' newest human ally [[Wataru Hoshinoumi]]. At the last moment, Prime appeared to deflect Megatron's blast with a shot of his, and Megatron elected to retreat, transforming to gun mode and collapsing a large chunk of the Star Dome to cover the Decepticons' withdrawal. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Appears!}} Starscream claimed Megatron's advanced age was making him weak, but Megatron suggested that he had another reason for calling retreat... {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

[[File:Henkei6 megatron mace.jpg|thumb|Even if the mace's end is only a few feet from my head, it shall never hurt me!]]

When Starscream struck out on his own, attacking a power plant with the aid of the brainwashed Autobot [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Skyfire]], Megatron observed the battle via a recording made by his spy, [[Ravage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Ravage]]. The events that unfolded during the conflict confirmed Megatron's suspicions: Wataru was also a Booster! {{storylink|Wataru's Power}} Once again seeking to take the power of a Booster for himself, Megatron tracked Prime and Wataru when they went on a mission to investigate a local relic (in actuality, a cube shard), then struck hard. Taunting Prime with the memory of the last Booster that he had allowed to die, Megatron goaded the Autobot leader into a ferocious battle with their energon-axe and flail. Throughout the duel, Megatron challenged Prime's philosophy and beliefs, eventually striking home with the claim that Prime had hoped to use Wataru's power to defeat him. With Prime's focus broken by this sadly-true accusation, Megatron was able to lay Prime low and seize Wataru, informing the boy that he would not allow him to die like Akira had if he came with him willingly. Naturally, Wataru refused, and activated his powers, forcing Megatron back with a barrier shield; this, Megatron realized, was what had deflected his shot during his first encounter with Wataru, rather than Prime's blast. Wataru used his powers to heal Optimus and power-up his energon axe into a mighty sword, which Prime used to tear a massive gash in Megatron's armor. The explosion that resulted decimated the surrounding countryside, and when Prime and Wataru awoke, Megatron was gone. {{storylink|Optimus Prime's Secret}}

[[File:Henkei8 megatron energon bath.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Now that my bubble bath is ready, I shall go get my [[Rubber Ducky|little rubber bathtime plaything]].]]

The injured Megatron had been spirited away by [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Cyclonus]], who took him to a network of caves beneath a volcano and placed him in a "bath" of molten [[energon cube]]s to heal him. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} While Megatron was recuperating, however, Starscream led Optimus Prime and Bumblebee to his location, in hopes that they would destroy him so that he could take his throne. As Starscream and Cyclonus battled in the air, Prime approached Megatron, and without hesitation, plunged his energon sword into the Decepticon leader's chest and broke the blade off within his body. Megatron howled in pain and fury, and the energon cubes around him began to react, rising to whirl around him and surround his body with their glow. The maddened Megatron seized one of the cubes and bit into it deeply, causing a huge energon explosion. As the light from the blast faded, Megatron stood restored, renewed and reformatted... now, he was [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Galvatron]]! {{storylink|Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!!}}
{{-}}

===''Alternity''===
[[File:Alternity megatron auto avatars.jpg|thumb|250px]]

Numerous incarnations of Megatron from throughout the [[multiverse]] were gathered together as the "[[Megatron Aggregate]]" under the leadership of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Alternity|one particular incarnation]] who hailed from a universe where the Autobots had evolved into the hyperdimensional race known as the [[Alternity]]. Shackling the power of the trans-time god-beast [[Hytherion]], this Megatron conveyed time-and-space-manipulating powers similar to those of the Alternity upon himself as his different iterations, forging them into one cross-dimensional gestalt-consciousness entity. To battle the Alternity across time and space, the Megatrons copied their methods, projecting their consciousnesses into [[auto-avatar]]s. The Megatron responsible for the scheme took control of a "Premium Le Mans Blue" style auto-avatar, while his first known ally (from an unidentified dimension) possessed a "Silver Blade" body. {{storylink|To Mega Therion}}

The third identified member of the Megatron Aggregate hailed from [[universal stream]] [[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy|Primax 1286:3 Kappa]]. In a "Diamond Black" auto-avatar body, he engaged in battle with "Ultimate Silver" Optimus Prime across two [[universal stream]]s, striking at him from the year 2009. This Megatron was amused when Prime deduced that he had an ulterior motive for operating in that year, and so made him a wager: if he could defeat him in a game of his own choosing, he would answer a question honestly. Megatron proposed manipulating the inhabitants of his home universe in a "game full of death and suffering", and infused a portion of his power through a legion of Decepticons (including his own past self) to be pitted against Prime's lone chosen champion, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|To Die Game!}}
{{note|Alternity beings are both individuals and a collective of separate entities. More fiction about Megatron's Alternity collective can be found [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Alternity|here]].}}
{{-}}

===''Universe'' cartoon===
[[File:FfE Megatron.JPG|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Cyclonus, if you would please fetch the nail clipper.]]
During the war, Megatron rose up to become leader of the Decepticons. Pursuing Optimus on his quest for more Energon, he shot down his ship. Landing, he, Starscream and Soundwave saw Optimus and his Autobots had survived, and taken disguises. Megatron's eyes turned red as he prepared to scan an alternate mode... {{storylink|Action Blast 1}}

Megatron and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] set up a mining operation near an abandoned [[Rock-It Fuel|gas station]] to extract Earth's natural resources and convert them to [[energon]]. They were discovered by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who created a diversion and knocked Cyclonus out. Megatron then blew the mining operation up with his double-barreled arm cannon and retreated with Cyclonus. {{storylink|Fight for Energon}}
{{--}}
===''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''===
[[File:Mars Attacks The Transformers - Megatron doesn't want to hear it.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
After being defeated by the Autobots, Megatron and his men were restrained with [[stasis cuffs]]. [[Martian]]s attacked while they were being transported by the humans, allowing the Decepticons to escape. Megatron struck a deal with the invading forces to team up and destroy the Autobots, however he was promptly double-crossed, as the Martians sealed both factions in a force field. Megatron reluctantly accepted Prime's offer of an alliance, using [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s combined power to bring down the force field. The Decepticon leader was cut off mid-rant by the Martian leader zapping him with a shrink ray and reducing him to the size of a toy. His fusion cannon still proved effective in terminating the Martian leader, and when [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] attempted to claim leadership, Megatron attacked him in the face. Soundwave was able to reverse the shrink ray, and after the Martians were repelled, Megatron announced the alliance was over. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}

==Commercial appearances==
Megatron featured in quite a few [[commercial]]s, mostly advertising other toys:

* He appears in the very first Transformers animation, a commercial announcing the upcoming 1984 comic book. He lands amid a battle on Earth and fires his cannon at incoming Autobots. This appearance uses his pre-cartoon design, with the black helmet and triggered cannon. He was not properly introduced in the commercial, but simply referred to as "The Decepticon Leader".

* Footage from that commercial, as well as the show's opening credits, was recycled into an early ad for the toyline.

* In the ad for [[Coleco]]'s [[Power Cycle]], Megatron and the Decepticons are raiding a <s>jungle gym</s> power plant. This footage is recycled from the advertisement for the first issue of the comic, and features Megatron's early "black helmet" model.

* The footage from the first issue of the comic was recycled again for the [[rubsign]] ad.

* Megatron attempts to hijack a load of shoes in a South American ad for [[Bata]]'s licensed ''Transformers'' footwear. He is stopped when a pair of said shoes deflect his fusion cannon blast right back at him. No, really.

* In the middle of a desert battle, Megatron summons Thrust and Dirge, in response to Optimus Prime bringing in like half a dozen new guys.

[[File:Commercial-AMMegatronpoints.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|My purple fists are for POINTING!]]

* Action Master Megatron points at Action Master Starscream.

* Megatron, in his Action Master body, is seen in a base futilely trying to grab a pair of [[Micromaster Combiner]]s.

Megatron's voice, provided by [[Frank Welker]], has narrated numerous commercials, including:
* The Constructicons
* Rubsigns
* Sharkticons (strange!)
* Wreck-Gar (stranger!)
* Galvatron (stranger still!)
* Stunticons
* Combaticons
* Trypticon
* Predacons
* Battlechargers

===The Hub promos===
[[File:Hub-CobraPaloozaMegatronAThon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
[[Cobra Commander]] and Megatron had an argument involving New Year's Eve marathons of their respective television series. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1|Cobra-palooza Megatron-A-Thon}}

{{-}}

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Megatron could hinder Optimus Prime's progress by blasting him with fusion cannons. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''The Transformers'' (Commodore 64)===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (Commodore 64)}}

===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===

As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] searched for the truth behind [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s death, he was taunted by Megatron about the truth. Soon, Megatron and Ultra Magnus battled in a game of death and suffering. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals''===
After defeating both the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] on ancient Earth, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] entered the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' and used a prototype [[transreplication]] device to create clones of the dormant Decepticons within. The Megatron clone, equipped with all the memories and personality functions of the original, then followed Ravage back to his future in order to conquer it. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals}}

===''DreamMix TV World Fighters''===
{{voiceactor|[[Seizō Katō]] (Japanese)}}

As part of [[DreamMix TV]]'s attempt to pull in more ratings, Megatron and his eternal rival Optimus Prime were invited to battle bunches of other beings on the television show ''[[World Fighters]]''. {{storylink|DreamMix TV World Fighters}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Jeff Manning]] (English)}}
[[File:TF PS2 Megatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen'' - The Game (Xbox 360/Sony PS3/PC)===
[[File:ROTF 360PS3PC G1Megatron DLC.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Compare me to a cancelled toy, as I am only a skin for Flight ''Movie'' Me. I feel pain, as no one else can feel '''MY AWESOME POWER!!!''']]
{{voiceactor|Frank Welker (English)}}

{{Note|On [[August 27]], [[2009]], Megatron was one of a handful of downloadable characters in a DLC pack for Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3.}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
{{-}}

===Transformers Battle Universe===
At the edge of time, when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] needed a new host, Megatron was among several warriors (and [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatrons]]) summoned from the multiverse to battle for control of the prize. {{storylink|Transformers Battle Universe}}

===''Transformers G1: Awakening''===
[[File:Megatron g1awakening stats.jpg|upright=1.1|left|thumb]]
When the Autobots left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], Megatron and his troops gave chase, boarding the Autobot ship and causing it to crash on [[Earth]]. After a four million year stasis nap, a volcanic eruption woke the Decepticons, and they began conquering the new planet and building a [[space bridge]]. When they found [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], Megatron tricked him into joining the Decepticons. Unfortunately the Autobots soon turned Jetfire to their side, much to Megatron's displeasure, and the Autobots found out about the space bridge. Megatron returned to Cybertron and laid a trap with which he successfully captured the Autobots who came through the bridge. When the Autobots escaped back to Earth, Megatron followed them and mounted an all-out assault on the Ark. Unfortunately this was repelled, and despite Megatron's best efforts, the Autobots fought their way back to the space bridge, and attacked the Decepticon's headquarters on Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
[[File:TFLegendsApp-Megatron.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Megatron started out as a gladiator in the Kaon pits, and the harsh conditions gave him the desire to be the strongest of all. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Megatron's bio}} Megatron formulated a plan to wipe out the Autobots by activating [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[planetary engine]]s. When [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] tried to meet with him to talk him out of this course of action, Megatron instead ambushed the Autobot leader and successfully slew him. Unfortunately Megatron found that Sentinel was not in possession of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], which was promptly passed to the new Autobot leader, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The War Within}}

During the early days of the war, Megatron attempted to obtain a quick victory by conquering Iacon. This plan failed due to Metroplex getting involved in the battle. {{storylink|Assault on Iacon}}

Megatron's strict rule resulted in the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] going rogue. {{storylink|Harvest of the Insecticons}} He was pleased when he heard that Optimus Prime had been badly damaged by the Dinobots, but didn't have time to order a strike on the Autobot base, as the Dinobots were attacking his own base. {{storylink|Day of the Dinobots - Part 1}}

At some point, Megatron went missing in action, and Starscream took command of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (Legends)|Countdown to Extinction}} As part of a distraction while the Constructicons attacked Teletraan I, Megatron challenged Optimus to a duel. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War - Part 1}} After [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] found a Golden Lagoon of [[Electrum]], Megatron led the invulnerable Decepticons against [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and then Autobot Headquarters, only to find the latter was deserted. The Decepticons rushed back to the lagoon to find the Autobots were also invulnerable, and after the lagoon was destroyed in the ensuing battle, Megatron and his forces retreated. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (Legends)|The Golden Lagoon}}

Megatron was enraged to learn that the Constructicons had somehow become friendly with [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], and sent [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]] out to bring the team back into line. {{storylink|The Master Builders (Legends)|The Master Builders}} When [[Chronogon]] portals began opening, Megatron devised a plan to utilize them. The Decepticons successfully sprang a trap that sent the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] back in time, and followed that up by trying unsuccessfully to prevent Orion Pax from becoming Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Golden Age (Legends)|Golden Age}}

When the ongoing conflict finally came to a head, Megatron led an assault on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] and eventually stood over Optimus Prime's broken body. {{storylink|One Shall Fall...}} Or possibly Optimus defeated Megatron. {{storylink|The Battle for Autobot City}} A short time later, Megatron was reborn into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], thanks to [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|All Hail Galvatron}}
{{-}}

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

==Merchandise==
{{main|Megatron (G1)/merchandise}}

==Notes==
[[File:Earlymegatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The [[fusion cannon]]'s got that handle because... well, we're not sure.]] [[File:P-Megatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Microman Megatron's concept model. Back then, he was a little less happy to see you.]]
* Early in the ''Transformers'' series preproduction, Megatron's look was based not on the toy, but on concept art for an unproduced prototype version. This early version, sporting a different, black head, a very different scope/fusion cannon, and the gun's barrel on his back, managed to make its way into not only early [[commercial]] animation and licensed material, but into the art of the early Marvel Comics. Though the model was altered before the animated series was produced, elements from the first model were perpetuated such as the back-mounted barrel in both the comic and the cartoon. The Marvel Comics continued to color Megatron's helmet black (well, blue) until the end of its run. Cleverly, the IDW comics used the black helmet to show Megatron's younger self and used his normal gray helmet for his modern self in order to show age.

* The name "Megatron" was originally used by Marvel Comics for ''another'' robot that appeared long before the Transformers toyline came about, in issue 18 of the ''Shogun Warriors'' series (written by Doug Moench, art by Herb Trimpe, released in July 1980).<ref>[http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix2/droneracecharter.htm#Megatron Megatron and the "Drones" from Marvel's ''Shogun Warriors'' comic at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe]</ref> Strictly speaking, though, the name is even older, as it has been used by a manufacturer of ball points since at least 1965.<ref name="ballpoint">[http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=72213575 USPTO file on "Megatron" trademark for ballpoint balls]</ref> [[Bob Budiansky]] stated in an interview that the name "Megatron" is a portmanteau derived from "Megaton" and "Electronic".<ref>[http://www.alteredstatesmag.com/features/qanda/bbudiansky_2.php ASM - Your Future Nostalgia. Today]</ref> He suggested the name "Megatron" for the Transformers line (it's unclear if he was aware of the existing Marvel character, though as an editor it seems likely that he at least had a subconscious memory of it) but [[Hasbro]] initially rejected it, claiming that "mega" conjured images of nuclear bombs. Budiansky reminded them that the name was supposed to sound evil, because he's the leader of the bad guys. Hasbro responded, "Oh, right", and then approved the name.<ref>[http://www.alteredstatesmag.com/features/qanda/bbudiansky_2.php ASM: A Little Q&A with... Bob Budiansky]</ref>

*When Megatron transforms into gun mode, he most often [[Size changing|shrinks]] to a size where he can be held by either a human or fellow Transformer and has someone else aim and fire him. The exceptions are in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|episodes]] "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]" and "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]", the [[The Transformers (PS2)|''The Transformers'' video game]], the manga issues [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' #4]] and "[[The Battle of the Star Gate]]" (likely "[[Activation]]" too, but the angles makes it impossible to say for certain) as well as the [[G.I. Joe (comic)|''G.I. Joe'' issue]] "[[Realignments]]". In the cases of "S.O.S. Dinobots", ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' #4 and "The Battle of the Star Gate", Megatron does not shrink and has another Transformer somewhat clumsily aim and move him. In "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3", the video game and "Realignments" (and "Activation"), he floats in the air and takes a shot at his target unassisted. Regardless, the reasons Megatron chooses to Transform instead of simply using his fusion cannon are not entirely clear. The ''G.I. Joe'' comic issue states that his robot mode is an easier target than his gun mode, but it's unclear if that's the only advantage the gun mode has over the other. One could assume his gun mode's firepower is more concentrated or in some other way more powerful.

*On the 1985 [[The Transformers Universal Studios Tour|Universal Studios Tour]], a giant statue of Megatron was available for children to clamber over and have their picture taken on. It wasn't especially dignified.

* In the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon continuity, Megatron has been missing since the beginning of [[Pax Cybertronia]]. It is rumored that he has been deceased.<ref name=BWU>Page 37, Guest Character and ''G1'' Icons, ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'' ISBN 978-4766938005</ref>

* The guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'' credits Megatron as '''Original Megatron''' in order to make distinguish between him and the [[Megatron (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Megatron]].<ref name=BWU/>

*Some [[Canada|Québecquers]] loved his shiny body so much they named a communications company after him.<ref>[http://www.megatron.net/quebec/ Megatron Dot Net Forward Slash Quebec.]</ref>

{{--}}

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Megatron''' (メガトロン ''Megatoron'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Megaton''' (麥加登 ''Mak Gaa Dang'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Měi-jīa Wáng''' (Taiwan, 美加王, "King Mega"), '''Jǜ-wú-bà''' (Taiwan, 巨無霸, "Extremely Gigantic"), '''Wēi Zhèn Tīan''' (China, 威震天, "Extremely Prestigious", literally "Heaven-shaking Might")
*''French:'' '''Mégatron'''
*''Hebrew:'' '''Megatron''' (מגהטרון ''Mghjrwn'')
*''Portuguese:'' '''Megatrão''' (Portugal comics)
*''Russian, Serbian & Ukrainian:'' '''Megatron''' (Мегатрон)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Megatron Megatron's Universe profile at NTFA.net]
* [http://www.transformers-universe.com/popup.php?img=content/images/galerie/pics/44/4417_Megatron_DreamwaveProfile1.jpg Page 1,] [http://www.transformers-universe.com/popup.php?img=content/images/galerie/pics/44/4418_Megatron_DreamwaveProfile2.jpg 2 and] [http://www.transformers-universe.com/popup.php?img=content/images/galerie/pics/44/4419_Megatron_DreamwaveProfile3.jpg 3 of Megatron's MTMTE profile at Transformers-universe.com]
*[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/4539/37/|e-HOBBY Megatron Black Version Manga and Profile Translation at the Allspark / TF Pulp]
* [http://transfans.co.uk/comics_guide_detail.php?id=269&page=13 Transformers #227 Letters Page on Transfans.co.uk]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Emperors]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Decepticons]]
[[Category:Robo-Capers characters]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Blackout (Animated)

2014-03-26T18:03:57Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig3|Blackout}}

:''Blackout is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Blackoutanimated.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Not Shown: The fleeing US Army.]]

'''Blackout''' is a monstrous brute of titanic proportions, larger than any other Decepticon. Few have survived an encounter with this hulking behemoth and lived to tell the tale, but those who have survived have added his story to Decepticon lore, which tells of him single-handedly obliterating vast numbers of [[Omega Sentinel (Animated)|Omega Sentinels]], before finally falling himself at the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]]'s end.

His feet are equipped with seismic energy dischargers, reverse-engineered from an oddly-misplaced Cybertronian named [[Crasher (Animated)|Crasher]], which allow him to force nearby electronics to shut down with a single stomp.

And we're not kidding, he can destroy Omega Sentinels well. ''Real well''.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Bumper Robinson]] (English), [[Kenta Miyake]] (Japanese)}}
{{Idw-tfa}}
''During the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], the [[Wrecker]]s were a major problem for the Decepticons, operating behind their lines as a commando unit. Megatron created the [[Decepticon Heavy Brigade]], of whom Blackout was a member, specifically to hunt down the Wreckers. When they finally met in battle, the Wreckers were all destroyed (including their vessel, [[Zeta Supreme]]), and Blackout was the only survivor on the Decepticon side. He continues to wear the Brigade's symbol on his shoulders, partly to honor the fallen, and partly to announce that he's a Heavy Brigade '''all by himself.'''''

''Later in the war, on [[Velocitron]], he destroyed [[Delta Supreme]], who had been rebuilt into an artillery platform. During the climax of the war in the [[Battle for Iacon]], Blackout destroyed [[Beta Supreme]] '''and''' [[Eta Supreme]]. Beta Supreme managed to inflict catastrophic injuries on Blackout, however, and he took hundreds of cycles to repair. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}

[[Image:TransWarpedBlackoutAttacks.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Now to the server, I mean... space bridge.]]

Blackout, along with the other members of [[Team Chaar]], assaulted a [[space bridge]] in an attempt to capture it and conquer [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. During the battle, he descended from above, sending [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] flying and disabling the Space Bridge with a massive shock wave. After being berated by [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] for his mistake, he apologized and reactivated the Space Bridge with another shock wave. Later, he retreated from the looming battle against the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] under the orders of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] and Strika. {{Storylink|TransWarped}}
{{-}}

===''The Cool'' comic===
[[Image:BlackoutanimatedTheCool.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hatredcopter.]]
As [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] found themselves engaged in a rare tender moment, Blackout unwittingly ruined it by knocking the top of a skyscraper off in helicopter-mode (burying Prime in the rubble). Annoyed, Blackarachnia asked what he was doing there and Blackout explained that he was being pursued by two tenacious Autobots: [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]]. Blackout attempted to strike the twins with a buzzsaw, but they dodged his attack and swooped in for close-quarters combat. Blackout was unable to defend himself against the two small, quick Autobots, thanks to his unwieldy bulk. The twins then combined into [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] and fought the Decepticon bruiser-to-bruiser. Blackarachnia and [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] abandoned Blackout to face the Autobots alone, realizing that the battle had become too hazardous. {{storylink|The Cool Episode 4}}

Having escaped The Elite Guard, Blackout later rejoined [[Team Chaar]] in space, secretly observing [[Team Athenia]]'s battle against a [[Rock Lord]]. {{storylink|The Cool Extra issue 2|The Cool Extra #2}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Animatedtoy-BlackoutTomy.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Diabeetus.]]
*'''Blackout''' (Voyager, 2010)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TA-20'''
**''Accessories:'' Disc

:Voyager Blackout transforms into the Earth-based helicopter form Blackout would have taken if Season 4 had ever been greenlighted, rather than the beetle-like airship he appears as in "[[TransWarped]]." He shoots a disc from a weapon formed from his tail rotor. This weapon can be snapped into place over either of his wrists. During transformation to robot mode, connecting his pelvis into his torso automatically spring-releases the turbine fan behind his head. The instructions neglect to show that the over-the-shoulders missile rack can be folded back in robot mode, although it is shown on the packaging and in the picture here on the right.

:Blackout was only made available as part of [[TakaraTomy]]'s Japanese toyline. He was originally intended to be released under [[Hasbro]]'s toyline, but was canceled. Based on test shots, the Hasbro version would have different deco on the eyes and coloration for the Decepticon symbol.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2010/Destron/Blackout/blackout.htm More information on Blackout at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
[[Image:Animated_j_op2.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Kommander Sorscha and her warjacks.]]

* Blackout is an homage to [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] from the [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]]. The Takara figure includes a character sheet of Blackout that mentions said homage, complete with images of the movie Voyager figure, misspelled as "moive".
* According to [[Derrick J. Wyatt]], Blackout's modified Decepticon sigil signifies he '''is''' the Decepticon Heavy Brigade.<ref>[http://www.formspring.me/DerrickJWyatt Post on Derrick Wyatt's Formspring account]</ref>
* He looks like [http://nastyish.com/images/wilford%20brimley/wilford-brimley-diabeetus.jpg Wilford Brimley.] Derrick Wyatt says he doesn't sound like Wilford Brimley (he sounds like Lurch), but he does suffer from "low-octane oil." [http://www.formspring.me/DerrickJWyatt/q/620898456]
* Blackout is armed with 4 <s>[[Zander Cannon]]s</s> [[zander cannon]]s, and [[Galva-conductor|galva conductor]]s in his [[particle blaster]]s. He also has [[astro blaster]]s and a "[[seismic energy disruptor]]".
*In the second Japanese [[title sequence]] to ''Transformers Animated'', there are two of him. This doesn't make sense to us either, [[Grindor (ROTF)|but it does follow tradition]].
*Blackout is the basis for the [[Transformers Cards]]-only character [[Grinder]], the [[BotCon 2011]] lithograph-only character [[Venom (Animated)|Venom]], and the "[[The Stunti-Con Job|Stunti-Con Job]]" advertisement-only character [[Bugly (Animated)|Bugly]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Blackout''' (ブラックアウト ''Burakkuauto'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Vertigo''' (晕眩)

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Animated Decepticons]]

Silverbolt (G1)

2014-03-10T17:08:29Z

Steamshield: /* Foreign names */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|maximal}}
{{disambig3|Silverbolt}}
:''Silverbolt is an [[Autobot]] [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Silverbolt magnificent six.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''It's not the car or the bus or the train, it's the plane'' ''When we hit top speed, it's always the same'' ''Sweating red hot but chilled to the bone'' ''Side to side, bouncing round the ozone'' ''Tranquilise me! Hypnotise me!'' ''Techno-fear has paralysed me'' ''All around me, people grinning'' ''Laughing while my head is spinning'' ''Shaking like a leaf from my head to my feet'' ''Strapped to a seat at 20,000 feet'']]
'''Silverbolt's''' character is defined by his extreme [[Wikipedia:acrophobia|fear of heights]] and by his refusal to bow to it. He constantly struggles to project the image of a brave, determined soldier to hide his fear from others. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] named him leader of the Aerialbots in the hopes that worrying about them would give him something else to focus on besides his own phobia. This has proven true and, not surprisingly, the mature, responsible Silverbolt makes an excellent commander.

He can combine with his fellow Aerialbots to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

{{quote|"Our mission is accomplished. Further risk would be foolish."
"How come they made you Aerialbot leader, Silverbolt? You've got no sense of adventure."
"Exactly."|'''Silverbolt''' and '''[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]]'''|"[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]"|noquote=true}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Charlie Adler|Charles Adler]] (English), [[Tomomichi Nishimura]] (Japanese), [[Fumihiko Tachiki]] (Japanese, ''The Rebirth'')|[[Jean Claudio]] (French), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2 - 4'' & ''Fight or Flee''), [[Erhard Hartmann]] (German, ''Forever is a Long Time Coming''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''Starscreams Ghost'' & ''The Burden Hardest to Bear''), [[Wolfgang Mascher]] (German, ''Ghost in the Machine''), [[Imo Heite]] (German, ''The Ultimate Weapon'' & ''The Big Broadcast of 2006''), [[Klaus Kessler]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Ghost in the Machine'')}}

[[File:G1Silverbolt Key1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"So long, cruel world!" Actual episode quote. Seriously.]]
Silverbolt was constructed out of a low-flying cargo transport vessel, which was modified to resemble an Earthly Concorde. He was later given life by [[Vector Sigma]], along with the other [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], then returned to [[Earth]] with the Autobots via [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. It was soon discovered that Silverbolt had a crippling weakness: an intense fear of heights, due to his low-altitude origins. Conversely, he was the only Aerialbot who wasn't a complete jerk. Because of this, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] made him commander of the Aerialbots, reasoning that it would give him something to worry about other than his acrophobia. He proved worthy of this role when he persuaded his mutinous team mates to help the Autobots protect humanity, by showing them how [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] was able to disregard his fatigue at will due to his concern for Omega Supreme's well-being, something robots cannot do.

[[File:G1 Silverbolt cartoon.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Has anyone seen my [[Humanization#Lips|lip balm]]?"]]
As the combined forces of the Autobots and Aerialbots sent the Decepticons into retreat, Silverbolt bravely went after [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and destroyed the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], despite his great fear of heights. As he fell, he was saved at the last moment by [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]], who was impressed by his courage. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Silverbolt led his Aerialbots to the Middle East to discover why aircraft had been mysteriously disappearing from the area. As they flew over a canyon, Silverbolt detected a call from help down below, only to discover it was a Decepticon trick. The Decepticons retreated when Optimus Prime showed up, and Silverbolt pitched in to rescue Slingshot, who had been buried by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]. Later on, Silverbolt and [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] fought the Decepticons and their drones. When the Combaticons merged into [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], Silverbolt (after expressing disdain for [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]]'s late arrival) ordered his team to become [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. After a bit of combiner-on-combiner action, the Aerialbots separated and ignited the oil that had spilled all around the Decepticons, scattering them. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

[[File:WarDawn-SilverboltAndOP.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|"In the future, you'll be a great Autobot leader." "Sweet!" "And I'm the key to your success." "GET OUT."]]

When the Seekers captured half of the Earth's leaders, Silverbolt seemed to be the only one concerned, and he valiantly rescued the humans when [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] dropped them. Back at the base, Ratchet and Silverbolt couldn't believe the other Aerialbots' admiration of the Decepticons, but that was cut short when strange energy readings were detected on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Boarding Omega Supreme, Silverbolt went with the other Autobots to check it out, but when they arrived, the other Aerialbots were more interested in tagging along with Starscream. Rushing in to help his teammates, Silverbolt was placed with the others into the [[Kronosphere]], where they were sent to Cybertron's past, before the Great War. There, he met a worker named Orion Pax, and Silverbolt was again frustrated by his fascination with Decepticons. When Orion Pax was injured by Megatron, Silverbolt and his team brought him to Alpha Trion, and at Silverbolt's insistence, the damaged Orion was rebuilt into Optimus Prime. Following that, the Aerialbots destroyed the Decepticons' fuel, and Wheeljack managed to repair the Kronosphere and return them to their time. Upon their return, Silverbolt ordered the Aerialbots to combine into Superion and take down a [[guardian robot]] Megatron had sicced on the Autobots. {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}}

The Aerialbots were tasked with applying [[corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], but Perceptor was captured by Stunticons, leaving it up to the Aerialbots to locate him. They followed the Stunticons' [[Blitzwing (G1)|escape vehicle]], but Dirge and Ramjet scared Silverbolt's squad off by using their [[Lightning Bug]]. When Megatron offered to let Perceptor free at Fox Creek Canyon, Silverbolt was among the many Autobots to come with Prime to rescue their comrade. Later, Silverbolt commanded the formation of Superion, and in this combined form the Aerialbots defeated Menasor and destroyed the Lightning Bug. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

After the death of Megatron and the retaking of Cybertron, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots became part of the Autobot Fleet. When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and Spike were kidnapped to [[Quintessa]], the rescue party alerted the Aerialbots to swoop by for covering fire and pick-up. By 2006, Silverbolt was showing far more confidence as a leader, and effectively coordinated the entire rescue operation. Briefly, he even [[scale|grew so large]] that all the Autobots trapped on Quintessa's surface were able to board him. Whattaguy. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} When the Quintessons destroyed their own planet to get at the Autobots, the resulting blast wave destroyed the Aerialbots' ship, sending Silverbolt and the rest hurtling through space. They eventually impacted on [[Goo 8739B|Goo #8739B]]. That planetoid was so sticky, Silverbolt couldn't even blast free of its surface in jet mode. They were eventually rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}

{{Note|In the episode "[[Dark Awakening]]", several jets in the Autobot Fleet resembling the Aerialbots' alt modes were destroyed by the Quintessons. Repeatedly. Since the Aerialbots unquestionably survived the attack, it would seem their character models were merely used to build up the size of the fleet, and the casualty figures.}}

[[File:ForeverLongTime Air Raid Silverbolt.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Why are you the leader, Silverbolt? I've got a nicer paint job." "[[Inferno (episode)|Yes, but... a Concorde is bigger.]]"]]
As a leader, Silverbolt was something of a killjoy to his fellow Aerialbots, encouraging moderation and self-control over daredevil flying and adventuring. During a battle against the Quintessons, Air Raid was eager to chase after the Quintessons and give them what-for, but Silverbolt insisted they stick with the mission and secure the asteroid base the Quintessons had been operating from instead. When Air Raid gave him some backtalk that basically amounted to "Pussyyyyy!", Silverbolt shrugged it off and reminded his comrades that THIS was why Prime put him in charge. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

Once, Air Raid led the Decepticon duo of [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] into an asteroid field where Silverbolt and his fellow Aerialbots were waiting to spring an ambush. The Aerialbots messed the Decepticons up pretty badly, especially after they transformed into Superion. Eventually, Silverbolt and the others chased the Decepticons through a strange warp in space. This proceeded to have no consequences for [[Sandstorm (G1)|anyone]] [[Paradron|whatsoever]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were spending a relaxing day watching home movies on [[Teletraan II]] when things suddenly get serious, as the Autobots' computer off-handedly informed them [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was never destroyed in his last battle with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Sure enough, Silverbolt and Skydive were later present at the former site of Fort Knox, investigating Trypticon's handiwork on behalf of the [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|King of Kings]] of [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. When they tracked Trypticon to his new staging grounds, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots launched from [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], but the Decepticon presence in Carbombya was more than they had anticipated. The Aerialbots made a hasty retreat when confronted with overwhelming firepower, but soon returned with reinforcements and drove the Decepticons from Carbombya. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

During a battle in space, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots may or may not have been present. Superion, at least, was surely there on the planet [[Eurythma]]... sometimes. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}} Silverbolt was ''definitely'' stationed at Autobot City, though, when [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and Starscream stole Metroplex's eyes. The massive Autobot was nearly driven mad with pain when the Decepticons set off a bomb in his brain, and Skydive, Silverbolt and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] had to keep him contained so that his thrashing didn't destroy anything irreplaceable. Like Portland. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (episode)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Silverbolt jet mode.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|No one tell him that space is really really high up.]]
After [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] took some hostile fire over the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]], Rodimus Prime dispatched Silverbolt and the Aerialbots to investigate. They were caught in a crossfire between the brain-addled Junkions and the Quintessons, who were responsible for messing with the Junkions' air waves, and their minds. Even after becoming Superion, the Aerialbots took heavy fire and had to be brought back to [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] on Cybertron for repairs. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

Normally, Silverbolt is the pinnacle of self-restraint and professionalism. One day, though, he congratulated [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] on strategically getting himself set on fire by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], and then personally flew down the monster's throat, throwing out laser bolts and imaginative taunts all the way down his gullet. Someone slipped a little too much caffeine into Silverbolt's oil that day. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

During the Decepticon invasion of Japan, the Aerialbots fought against [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] when he tried to derail a bullet train full of passengers. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}} Sometime thereafter, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were recruited by Rodimus Prime to rescue the body of Optimus Prime from [[Gregory Swofford|Swofford]] and [[Mark Morgan|Morgan]]. Unfortunately, this only meant they were among the first Autobots exposed to the [[Hate Plague|hate plague]]. Despite the madness induced by the red dust, the Aerialbots were apparently still willing to form Superion. Superion ran amok, causing serious property damage, infecting [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], and taking several other Autobots out of action. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

When the Decepticons invaded Cybertron searching for the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], the Aerialbots tried to stop them. Unfortunately, they didn't reckon with [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. Silverbolt's team was taken down in a matter of seconds, with him being personally eliminated by Cyclonus, wielding Sixshot in gun mode. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} Silverbolt somehow survived Sixshot's direct hit, and was finally defeated [[The Rebirth, Part 3|two episodes later]] by [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]. The [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] then took his [[power pack]] to use as fuel for the giant rocket engine they were constructing for [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga====
When the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] confronted Menasor at a baseball stadium, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots arrived as back-up. They formed Superion to engage Menasor and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. After [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] was injured, Superion targeted the Decepticon combiners' legs, shaking them loose and giving the smaller Protectobots a chance to link up with the Decepticon gestalts and override control of their bodies. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}} After the Autobots discovered a utopia island paradise, it was besieged by Megatron and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who wanted to build an impregnable fortress. [[Kenji]] radioed for help, and Optimus Prime sent Silverbolt and the Aerialbots to the rescue. As Superion, they fought off [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], using their smarts to outthink the evil warriors. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

====''Scramble City'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Tomomichi Nishimura]] (Japanese)}}
Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were dispatched from the [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] to aid Optimus Prime in battle with the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Their aerial firepower frankly overwhelmed the marauding Decepticons, and sent them home with their transistors between their struts. On his second attempt, Megatron sent the Stunticons, who were considerably more successful in engaging the Autobots. Damaged in jet modes, Silverbolt the Aerialbots chose instead to merge and form Superion. As Superion, they possessed scramble combining abilities, but so did the Stunticons when they formed Menasor. The Aerialbots were in the midst of reconfiguring their limb formation when Fireflight, being...well, a daydreaming idiot, mixed up whether he was supposed to be the right leg or the left. His indecision gave Menasor time to shoot him down, and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] assumed the place of Superion's right leg instead, corrupting his programming. Silverbolt and the others were trapped as Superion, literally fighting themselves, until Fireflight retook his place as Superion's limb. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
In 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] of [[Eran]] to utilize his skills and improve the Decepticons' combiner technology. Silverbolt and the Aerialbots joined the Protectobots in assaulting Trypticon, in hopes of rescuing the hostage scientist. Silverbolt and his team formed Superion for a first strike, but the Decepticon combiners countered with their deployment modes, launching the Stunticon and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] troops with enough force to tear Superion apart. The Protectobots stood guard over [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] as he performed battlefield triage on the Aerialbots in his repair bay mode, bringing them back online. Silverbolt then transformed into launcher mode and unleashed the Aerialbots in their own scramble attack, blinding Menasor and Bruticus long enough for the Autobots to escape safely with Dalton. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ken Yamaguchi]] (Japanese)}}

Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were stationed at Autobot City on Earth in 2011. When Galvatron attacked Cybertron via the old [[space bridge]] network, the Aerialbots were summoned to Cybertron as reinforcements. They soon arrived with the [[Trainbot]]s and quickly joined the battle. Silverbolt and his team formed Superion and battled [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] and Devastator. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Later, the combined Aerialbots fought alongside [[Raiden]] and Defensor against the Decepticon combiners, and were nearly crushed when Bruticus collapsed a building on their position. They were bailed out by the arrival of the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. When Hot Rod began his search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on Earth, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots returned to the humans' planet to assist him. They confronted the Stunticons in the desert, pitting Superion against Menasor yet again. The battle was so fierce, it eventually carried them to the Arctic, where Hot Rod was searching. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Silverbolt and his flying comrades joined the [[Triple Changer]]s in distracting the Decepticons long enough for [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] to sneak inside Trypticon and gather data on the [[Madmachine]]. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} Sometime later, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were on a research vessel that passed near a [[Metamorphose|strange meteorite]]. The meteorite had been altered by Galvatron to produce magnetic warping waves whenever it detected metal, and so it send the Aerialbots and their ship twisting through space. Although the Decepticons tried to intervene, the Autobots eventually recovered Silverbolt and his injured colleagues. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

Following a lengthy repair cycle, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were ready for action when Galvatron and the Decepticons laid siege to Cybertron one last time. Transporting to Cybertron from Earth, they raced into battle (on foot, for some reason). Silverbolt and the team got the drop on the Stunticons when they merged into Superion, smashing and scattering the 'Cons before they could form Menasor. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} As the fighting continued, the Aerialbots battled Abominus as Superion and later separated to trade blaster fire with the Stunticons. The warring only came to an end once [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s bombs blew up [[Vector Sigma]] and annihilated the planet.{{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

Silverbolt was stationed at Autobot City when a volcano erupted in [[Peru]], threatening a nearby town. Ultra Magnus sent out the Protectobots and [[Trainbot]]s, but they ran into trouble with the Headmasters and [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s. Silverbolt pleaded with Ultra Magnus to send his men in as reinforcements, but Magnus was worried about leaving the base unguarded by sending out too many of his troops. As Ultra Magnus wracked his brain trying to deal with the problem, the Autobot Headmasters had time to ''fly from [[Athenia]]''. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

When [[buridanka|a giant carnivorous plant]] attacked San Francisco, Ultra Magnus dispatched Silverbolt and the Aerialbots to combat it. Although they made frequent bombing runs on the organism, the Aerialbots were unable to stop it. Only the arrival of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] and his powerful giant [[Transtector]] brought an end to the creature's rampage. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were part of a strike team that flew to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to disrupt Scorponok's gathering of Decepticons. They immediately formed Superion upon entering the battle. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

When one of Scorponok's Death Towers emerged in Washington D.C., Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were dispatched to investigate it. As part of Superion, Silverbolt 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)}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Silverbolt aerialbots over america.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|<div align="center">'''THIS IS SPARTA!!!!!''']]</div>
The Aerialbots were created when [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] filmed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'s combining sequence, ''following a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-sent vision by [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] of new [[Special Teams]]''. Using the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] gave the Aerialbots life. The leader, Silverbolt's alternate mode is that of a human transport airplane. After being given life and during testing, Prime ordered them to stop the Decepticon assault on the [[Hoover Dam]].

The fight went well, but [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] used his super-sonic ability to bring out a Transformer's deepest fear; it warped Silverbolt's fear of heights (ironic for an Aerialbot) and forced him to land. The Aerialbots prevailed in the fight, however, and as the Decepticons fled, Silverbolt combined them all to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], trying to stop the drill from absorbing all of the Hoover Dam's electricity.

Superion's reflex was to strike out and kill [[Ricky Vasquez|the human]] who held [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in his gun form, but Silverbolt mentally stepped in and prevented him from doing so. He forced the Aerialbots to disassemble. The human fired Megatron's gun at the drill, winning the day for the Autobots. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

[[File:Aerialbots minds wiped marvel 22.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Wheeljack, did you unquestioningly kill the Aerialbots, as per my orders?" "Yep—sure thing, Prime!"]]
Nonetheless, Silverbolt's mind was wiped along with his fellow Aerialbots shortly afterwards, due to Optimus Prime's dissatisfaction with the mission. Silverbolt would appear in other later battles with his teammates, usually getting blown out of the sky, if not to pieces.

Later, when [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] was transporting the human [[Donny Finkleberg]] home, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were sent to do battle with the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. Both combiners fused, creating [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and Superion. [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Josie Beller]], known as Circuit Breaker, fired upon Superion, however, crippling him heavily and leaving Menasor the victor. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

[[File:Silverbolt perchance to dream.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|"This must be a flashback... I'm in monochrome!"]]
''They would battle Menasor again at a Blackrock plant, and this time the fusion worked so well everyone found out the others' weaknesses and neuroses. Horrified at his fear of heights being found out, Silverbolt drove Superion into a vicious, brutal fury.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} ''Following this, Silverbolt and the other Aerialbots would come under [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s command to investigate enemy activity in a small East Coast town. They would combine into Superion for the fourth and final time—their collective neuroses and loathing of each others' weaknesses made it impossible for Superion to focus on more than one thing at a time.'' {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}} ''Silverbolt would later work to get over his fear.'' {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

With Optimus dead, Silverbolt was one of the high-ranking Autobots gathered by [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] to decide their new leader. Silverbolt voted for [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]—nice one... {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} He later got killed by the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:LastAutobot-Silverbolt.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
After obtaining [[Nucleon]] from [[Hydrus Four|Hydrus 4]], Grimlock indiscriminately pumped the restorative substance through the Ark's life support chambers, reviving Silverbolt along with other fallen Autobots. Silverbolt and the others were immediately shoved into battle against [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} Following Unicron's defeat, the Decepticons tried to strand the Autobots on a self-destructing Cybertron, but Grimlock had hidden away a small fleet of Decepticon warships. Silverbolt, suffering Prowl's impatient badgering, piloted one of the warships to [[Klo]] for a last stand against the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Silverbolt sunstreaker perchance to dream.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|"Hey, who's the joker that left this cyber-bug in my CR chamber?"]]
Kept in inactive rest after his destruction at the hands of Starscream, Silverbolt was revived by [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] when the future Decepticon infiltrated the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and attempted to reprogram several Autobots into working for him, using their darker impulses as a focus. Galvatron succeeded in reactivating Silverbolt and several others, but failed to command their loyalty, and they turned his own [[mind bug]] technology against him. {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} When Optimus Prime took the Ark out into space shortly thereafter, leaving [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] in charge of Autobot activity on Earth, Silverbolt joined the new Earthforce in opposing the remaining Decepticon factions, led by Megatron and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Break-Away!}} Perhaps at Silverbolt's request, the other Aerialbots were also revived in short order, and joined Earthforce as well. When Wheeljack's new defense grid for the Earthbase went awry, Silverbolt assembled the Aerialbots to fly air support for Prowl as he attempted to re-enter the base and shut down the system from the inside. {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}

Sometime later, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots were operating as Superion when [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] zapped them with a [[cerebro-shell]], causing the super-robot to rampage through the countryside. A human named [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]] eventually managed to climb inside and remove the shell from Superion's cerebral circuitry. {{storylink|Inside Story!}}

Sent on a mission to [[Stanix]] with five other Autobots, he was captured by [[Megadeath (G1)|Megadeath]], who had tortured his comrades millions of years ago. Silverbolt got them to face their fear and move past it, saving their lives. {{storylink|The Magnificent Six!}}

====="Another Time & Place"=====
Silverbolt was part of the Autobot force who travelled to [[Hydrus Four]] to rescue the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Along with his fellow Aerialbots, [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] and [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], he performed a bombing run on the Decepticon-held medcenter where they were trying to revive Megatron. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Jazz silverbolt prowl escalation.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]
After the defeat of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his Decepticons on [[Klo]], the Autobots split into smaller combat units throughout the universe. Once Optimus Prime and Grimlock learned of the threat posed by the second generation [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian army]], though, the Autobot forces reconsolidated under their command. Slingshot and the other Aerialbots were first seen after the Autobots had retreated to an asteroid sanctuary for retraining. They were, um, outsmarted by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}}

Later, when Grimlock decided to countermand Prime's orders and come to his aid against the Decepticons on Earth, Silverbolt was part of the rescue team he assembled. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} He was also involved in the two major offensives against the Cybertronians, on [[Ethos]] {{storylink|Escalation!}} and at Autobase Earth. {{storylink|Total War!}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
Sometime around [[2007]], Silverbolt was amongst those suffering ill effects from the infusion of [[Nucleon]] into their systems, being kept in stasis in the "[[Nursery]]". {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}
Silverbolt was aboard the ''[[Graviton (Classics)|Graviton]]'' when it was pulled into the [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon]] universe and deposited near that universe's prehistoric [[Earth]]. After being shot down by the ''[[Talon (Classics)|Talon]]'', the Autobots adopted organic alternate modes to avoid the ambient [[Energon radiation]], with Silverbolt taking the form of an eagle. {{storylink|Shattered Time}} After discovering that three [[stasis pod]]s were missing from the ship, the Autobots went in search of them, only to find Megatron had found them first. Silverbolt, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] were bombarded by the newly-activated [[Autojetter]], and it was only the arrival of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] and the recovery of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] that saved them. {{storylink|Shattered Expectations (BWSG)|Shattered Expectations}}

The Autobots retreated across a rock bridge, and watched as Magnus faced off against Megatron, dealing their foe a temporary defeat. Back at the ''Graviton'', Depth Charge gave the "Maximals" more of an explanation regarding his presence. {{storylink|Shattered Paths}} When they located their missing energy purifier, the Maximals went out to fetch it. Despite the new ability of Ironhide, Prowl and Silverbolt to merge into [[Magnaboss]], they were trounced by [[Piranacon (G1)|God Neptune]]. {{storylink|Shattered Hope}} Returning to the ship, the Maximals fueled up before joining Depth Charge, who had located the Matrix he was seeking. The Maximals kept a security system occupied long enough for Magnus to retrieve the Matrix in question, however a short time later they were confronted by Megatron piloting a giant mech. {{storylink|Shattered Balance}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Silverbolt and his fellow Aerialbots became one of the first Autobot "[[Special Teams]]" several million years ago, adopting the process used to create [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in order to become Superion. The unchecked destructive power of these super-robots was eventually recognized by the Autobot and Decepticon factions, however. By the time of the [[Dark Ages]], the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]] had been ratified, strictly forbidding Special Teams from operating together on any given faction, in order to prevent these titans from tearing the planet apart. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[File:DWPrimeDirective6 Autobots wanttheirheads.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Although they were apparently not part of the Ark's original crew, Silverbolt and the Aerialbots somehow arrived on Earth and were part of Optimus Prime's unit in the 1980s. The war on the human homeworld raged until 1998 when the Decepticons were finally defeated, and in the following year, the ''[[Ark II]]'' was constructed to take the Transformers home. However, the ship was sabotaged by the rogue engineer-turned arms dealer Adam Rook, known as [[Lazarus]], and General [[Robert Hallo]], who planned on reprogramming the Transformers into the service of the United States military. The Aerialbots were some of the few Transformers who were not recovered by Lazarus for his reprogramming venture, now aimed at hiring out the Transformers to the highest bidder. Instead, they lay immobile in the Arctic waters until reactivated as Superion in 2002 by Optimus Prime, using the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Silverbolt and the Aerialbots in their Superion form, battled the Decepticons in the Northwest Territories of [[Canada]] {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} and again in [[San Francisco]]. During the latter conflict, Superion was broken down into his individual components while battling [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} When Megatron failed to convince Optimus Prime to join his cause, Silverbolt and his team were freed and eventually reunified in order to intercept a nuclear missile (launched by General Hallo) headed for the California coastline. Superion, and by extension the Aerialbots, were destroyed in stopping the missile. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

Their remains were collected secretly by [[Earth Defense Command]] and held in Area 51. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Before the war, Silverbolt was a law enforcer and member of captain [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]]'s team, serving as their eye in the sky and participating in the capture of [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. {{storylink|Law and Disorder}} During their hunt for the Decepticon spy [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], he reported to Orion where their target was headed and the failed attempts of the other Autobots at taking him down. Once everyone else was defeated or distracted, Silverbolt went after Soundwave on his own, only to crash when [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] ripped off his port stabilizer. {{storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} He later participated in the search for the insurgent [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]], but was unable to assist his teammates after they entered the maze-like [[Acropolex]]. {{storylink|Ruins}} After Orion Pax had become Optimus Prime, Silverbolt and his Aerialbots responded to his rallying call for additional support against the Decepticons and fought against the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] in the battle over [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] began his rampage across Cybertron, Silverbolt first provided aerial surveillance and later led the Aerialbots in an attack that served to collapse a building on top of the beast. {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}} Four million years ago, Silverbolt attended a victory celebration on Cybertron after the Autobots stopped a Decepticon energon convoy from reaching its destination. He was seen chatting with [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] at the party. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

[[File:SpotlightBlaster Silverbolt.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|His bedside manner could use some work...]]
In the modern era, with Optimus Prime leading the Autobots in the field, Silverbolt became Operation Commander on the [[Autobot Orbital Command Hub]]; [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] was one of his senior officers. He was involved in trying to find the attempted assassin of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], deducing the assailant had to be an Autobot. To catch the would-be killer, Silverbolt and Blaster concocted a plan where the Autobot morale-booster set himself as bait. Silverbolt and his men waited as backup while Blaster dealt with the assassin (who turned out to be a mind-controlled [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]), but he nearly stormed into the room when he saw that "the Voice" was not armed with a weapon. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

Several years later, Silverbolt was mentioned as being on Earth by [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}}

Most of the Autobots eventually left Earth, returning to Cybertron to fight [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s army. When Galvatron began to fire at the planet's surface using [[Kimia Facility]]'s particle cannon, Silverbolt led all available flying Autobots in an attack on the facility. Though he didn't know what Galvatron was targeting, he knew the barrage had to be stopped, and volunteered to destroy Kimia by tossing explosives into its barrel. He didn't need to, as it was soon blown up by Autobots on the inside. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}}

[[File:StickTogether-Aerialbots.jpg|thumb|250px]]
After the Chaos war, Silverbolt's fellow Aerialbot [[Barrel Roll]] died in an explosion and Silverbolt, unable to trust any Decepticons after four million years of war, blamed the survivor, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and would've killed the Decepticon if not for Wheeljack spoiling his aim. Shortly after the incident, Bumblebee agreed to accept [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] into the government, which made Silverbolt even more furious. He attacked Bumblebee and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] before announcing that he and his Aerialbots were leaving Bumblebee's government. {{storylink|Stick Together}} Shortly after leaving Iacon behind and traveling into the untamed wilderness Cybertron had become, the Aerialbots were the first to fall victim to [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s experiments with a [[combiner]] energy that influenced their minds and made them turn on each other. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Silverbolt's comrades teamed up to attack him, though he himself remained immune for a time, something he believed to be a side effect of him never truly feeling like part of the team. He avoided their attacks for three days before he too began to feel the effects and made a recording of his experiences as a warning to whoever came next. {{storylink|Night and the City}} [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], sent out to find the lost Aerialbots, first discovered a broken wing belonging to their Silverbolt, {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt}} but by the time he tracked the warning message to its source, he found the Aerialbot leader had succumbed to the influence and, to cope, merged with his team into a single being: [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|Night and the City}}
{{-}}

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
[[File:Maximalimperium.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Though his aerial insecurities are now mostly a thing of the past, he still mutters a short prayer or mantra as he takes flight. Though taking to the air might bring about some queasiness in him still, Silverbolt believes that courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it. {{Storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

Silverbolt was a member of the Maximal counterpart to the [[Tripredacus Council]], the [[Maximal Imperium]], alongside former Autobot teammates [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2|The Ascending #2}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
Silverbolt and his Aerialbot team managed to drive [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] into a retreat after this twisted creation of [[Doctor Arkeville]] was unleashed on the world. {{storylink|Nemesis Rising}} They had similar success intercepting [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s convoy, which was trying to deliver part of a super weapon to Decepticon HQ. The Aerialbots' attack resulted in the Decepticons destroying their own weapon to keep it out of Autobot hands. {{storylink|Eagle Eyes}} The Aerialbots were trapped by the Decepticons and sent back through time through a [[Chronogon]] portal. Encountering the archivists Orion Pax and Ariel, the team took the injured pair to [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] following an attack on the [[Iacon Archives]]. Trion helped the team return to present day, where Silverbolt told [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Elita One]] about their adventure. {{storylink|Golden Age (Legends)|Golden Age}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1 Silverbolt toy.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Oh God, I'm in the middle of a white cloud!" *faints*]]
*'''Silverbolt''' (Aerialbot, 1986/1991)
**''Team ID number:'' '''A1'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-50'''
**''Accessories:'' "[[Electrostatic discharger rifle|Electrostatic Discharger Rifle]]", "Blast Shield" chest plate, Superion's head, 2 fists (left & right), 2 foot stands (left & right), ramp and "Blast Deflector" waist plate

:Silverbolt transforms into a Concorde SST jet liner, and also has a third launcher/base mode for use with the other Aerialbots. A particular weakness of Silverbolt's design is the way both his legs are connected to his hips by a long pin going through several very small (and weak) plastic hinges that are put under stress as the immediate joint underneath this assembly is a swivel used during transformation. His [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] release has a spring powered launcher mechanism for the "base" mode that was removed from his [[Hasbro]] releases, leaving only a piece that flopped around uselessly on his chest. He was available both alone and in a gift set with his teammates.

:In Japan, the entire Aerialbot team were offered (as individual purchases) as mail-order items in US packaging during ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''. Silverbolt cost 2000 yen and three [[Robot Point|robot points]] and did not include the base mode launcher.

:The Aerialbots were later sold as part of the [[Classics (Europe)|European Classics]] toyline in 1991, still without the "base" mode launcher on Silverbolt.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Silverbolt at TFU.info]''

*'''Superion''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-55'''

:Silverbolt was also available with the other Aerialbots as part of a Superion giftset. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases for the same markets (i.e., the Takara version of Silverbolt included the you-know-what).

===Generation 2===
*'''Silverbolt''' (1994)
**''Team ID number:'' '''A5'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 Missile launchers, 2 missiles, chest plate, Superion's head, 2 fists (left & right), 2 feet (left & right), ramp and waist plate

:For the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toyline]], Silverbolt's toy was [[redeco]]ed in blue and orange, and his wings were [[retool]]ed to hold a new pair of spring-loaded missile launchers (reused from the ''Generation 2'' versions of [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]). No base mode launcher here, either...
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Generation 2 Silverbolt at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{picsneeded|Generation 2 toy pics that aren't ganked from TFU.info.}}

===Beast Wars===
[[File:Silverbolt-bw-magnaboss-toy2.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|House the people living on the street. Shoe the children with no shoes on their feet.]]
*'''Magnaboss''' (Ultra, 1997)

:Silverbolt transforms from an eagle into a robot, with portions of his wings turning into a pair of swords. Each wing also contains a spring-loaded missile launcher. He is able to combine with [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Prowl (G1)/toys|Prowl]], his package buddies, forming part of the torso and helmet to the giant robot [[Magnaboss]].

:This mold was used to make ''[[Beast Wars II (toyline)|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Skywarp (BWII)|Skywarp]].

:The Magnaboss toy included no information about its 3 components beyond their names. The character was finally established by [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] to be Generation 1 Silverbolt a decade after its release in 2007.

:Silverbolt is rumoured to be a sufferer of the dreaded [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]]. Thankfully he is not one of the more common cases and most Silverbolts have survived many years of playwear. Unlike, say, [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] .
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Beast Wars Silverbolt at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008 Silverbolt toy.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Will the new [[size class]] solve his long-running [[scale]] problems? Only time will tell...]]
*'''Silverbolt''' (Ultra Class, 2008)
**''Series'': '''Classic Series'''
**''Accessories:'' "Electron Bolt Rifle", "Electron Bolt"

:Part of the second wave of [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] Ultra-class toys, Silverbolt transforms into a (fictional) FB-129<ref name="fb129">The designation is derived from the markings on Silverbolt's redeco [[Skyjack#Universe (2008)|Skyfall]], which are located in the same position the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' Skyjack toy (which represents the same character as ''Universe'' Skyfall), whose [[alternate mode]] is based on an F-117A Nighthawk, sported "FB-117" markings.</ref> supersonic fighter-bomber. As an Ultra Class toy, he comes with various light and sound [[gimmick]]s (exactly the same ones as Universe [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]]), including a machine gun type sound when one presses the big red button on the fuselage, and different classic transformation sound effects depending on whether he is being transformed from vehicle mode or vice versa. His spring-loaded missile-launching blaster features a B-2 Stealth bomber as a decorative shape. His '''BOLT-25''' markings reference both his name and the twenty-fifth (silver) anniversary of the Transformers brand.

:The Japanese ''Transformers USA'' version of this toy for the [[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|''Henkei! Henkei!'' line]] features much brighter white plastic, replacing most of his grey plastic with the same white for a better match with his cartoon model. Also, the red on his chest is now a matching shade of red rather than the two tones seen on the ''Universe'' version.

:This mold was also used to make [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwind]] and [[Skyjack#Universe (2008)|Skyfall]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUSilverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Universe Silverbolt (Ultra) at TFU.info]''

{{picsneeded|Japanese version}}
{{-}}
{{anchor|Legend}}
*'''Special Team Leaders''' (Legends Class multi-pack, 2008)
**''Series'': '''Classic Series'''

:A [[redeco]] of the [[Legends Class|Legends-class]] ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Thundercracker (Armada)|Thundercracker]] toy, Silverbolt transforms into a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet. He is only available in a Target-[[exclusive]] gift set along with Legends-class versions of [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Zone]], [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattorshot]], [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Grrr]] and [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]].

:This mold was also used to make Legends-class ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and 2008's ''Universe'' [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFULegendsSilverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Universe Silverbolt (Legends) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|Uni08Superion}}
[[File:Universe2008 Silverbolt combiner.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The other guys think I'm acrophobic, but I'm not scared of [http://aceattorney.wikia.com/wiki/Acro some guy in a wheelchair.]]]
*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 2008)
**''Series'': '''G1 Series'''

:Available only as a component of ''Universe'' Superion, this version of Silverbolt is a white and black redeco of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]], transforming into a futuristic supersonic jet similar to an SR-71 Blackbird or [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]]. As a toy derived from the ''Energon''-series "[[Powerlinx]] [[Combiner]]"s, he can attach any ''Energon'' combiner limbs to the Powerlinx ports located on his arms and legs, though nominally he combines with his fellow Aerialbots to become Superion.

:Like the Storm Jet version of the sculpt, Silverbolt features several instances of [[misassembly]]: Namely, his inside legs are swapped so that the knee joint faces the wrong way. Furthermore, his shoulders are also misassembled, since there is a molded chevron...in his armpit.

:The Superion five-pack, despite being initially intended as a ''Universe'' [[Target]] [[exclusive]], was only released in ''Universe'' packaging in some non-American markets such as Australia and Singapore. Instead, American Target stores (and Zellers stores in Canada) received an unchanged version of the toy in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' packaging, still named [[Superion (ROTF)|Superion]], with all the individual components, including [[Silverbolt (ROTF)|Silverbolt]], retaining their names as well.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Universe Silverbolt (Multi-pack) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1silverboltchestonoff.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sometimes Silverbolt just wants to naked it up.]]
*Silverbolt's [[character model]] is based on the toy with Superion's chest plate attached. Even Silverbolt's [[package art]] includes the Superion chest plate, though his robot mode is without it on the back-of-the-box art and in his own instructions. Attaching Superion's chest plate results in limited elbow positioning, so it would appear he was not designed to use it in this mode, though [[Sixshot (G1)|it wouldn't be out of the question]]. Either someone along the way made a mistake or realized that he looked really terrible without it.
:* Because the Superion chest plate was used with Silverbolt's robot mode so prevalently, his ''Universe'' toy incorporates details from it.
*Due to the size of his original toy's alternate mode, in that form he should be one of the biggest Transformers around (approximately 164 feet, 5 inches tall!). This means he's one of the most [[Scale|out-of-scale]] Generation 1 characters, both as a toy and in all of his depictions in fiction.
[[File:SilverboltPrimeVisualworks.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|This is the most hardcore Silverbolt has ever been.]]
*Apparently Silverbolt sometimes lets Prime ride on his back while dropping bombs on Decepticons from above. Bet you didn't know Concordes could even CARRY bomb-loads!
*Oddly, the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' depicts him with the eagle head for his robot mode head. It also reveals that Silverbolt had lost most of his fear of heights by the time he gained this form.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Silverbolt''' (シルバーボルト ''Shirubāboruto'')
*''French:'' '''Éclairo''' (Canada, "Lightningo")
*''Hebrew:'' '''Kalíah Késsef''' (קליע כסף, "Silver Bullet")
*''Italian:'' '''Radiant'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Yín Shǎn-dìan''' (Taiwan, 銀閃電, "Silver Bolt"), '''Yín Jìan''' (China, 银箭, "Silver Arrow")
*''Russian:'' '''Arbalet''' (Арбалет, "Arbalest")

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Aerialbots]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]