Backstreet (G1)

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This article is about the Autobot Triggerbot from Generation 1. For the Autobot from Animated, see Backstreet (Animated){{#switch:{{#sub:Backstreet (Animated)|-1}} != .= ?= .

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Backstreet is an Autobot Triggerbot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Everybody. (yeah yeah) Rock your body. (yeah yeah)

Backstreet hates warfare. He is not motivated like Beachcomber by philosophical reasons; quite frankly, he isn't mentally equipped for deep thought, but he at least suspects that a failure to fight would mean Decepticon victory, and that he does not want. No, his temperament is the trouble. He's jumpy and nervous, easily agitated, and prone to jumping to incorrect conclusions from accurate observations. He knows he is like this, and tries to avoid battles when possible. Does this make him a coward? Perhaps, but when he cannot honorably avoid fighting he does his best to crush his fears, lest he be found out. His comrades, unaware of his secret, know him as an adequate soldier.

As a lookout, Backstreet almost excels. His senses are keen, and his nervousness keeps him constantly alert, if edgy. Best of all, he can avoid the worst of the battlefield chaos. Unfortunately, jumping to conclusions is an even worse trait in a sentry than a front-line soldier.

Fiction

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Marvel Comics continuity

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Marvel The Transformers comics

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Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.
Am I original? Yeah. Am I the only one? Yeah. Am I sexual? ...No.

Around five million years ago, Backstreet was in the Autobot Fourth Computerized Division. Under the command of junior officer Optimus Prime, he, Override, and Dogfight were seeking to end the war with the knowledge of Boltax and the Underbase. On the way to Boltax, the Autobots encountered a series of traps which were placed to keep out unwanted intruders. Backstreet helped with the third trap, a road of collapsing panels. Noting that bigger wasn't necessarily better, the small car zipped past the trap faster than it could ensnare him, and Backstreet deactivated the trap on far side of it. Finally, the four Autobots reached Boltax, where the Disciples of Boltax warned them that pain and suffering would be inflicted on them if they continued. Backstreet didn't like being threatened, but Optimus Prime agreed with the disciples. He ordered Backstreet, Dogfight, and Override to stay behind while he continued. The Flames of Boltax!

Jam on 'cause Backstreet's got it!

He must've hit hard times over the next few millennia, though, as he was languishing in a Decepticon prison camp on Cybertron by 1988. There, he could do little more than anticipate being melted down into steel ingots, a fate he was most fearful of. Funny how your life can fall apart that quickly. Strangely enough, when the Firecons extricated him from his cell alongside Fizzle and Sizzle, they re-energized him, returned his proton missile cannons, and marched him down the space bridge instead. He wasn't simply being freed however; Backstreet and his Sparkabot companions were to be hunted down by human bounty hunters called Roadjammers, who Scorponok had equipped with mode-lock weapons. The Autobots were captured, though they were able to convince the humans that their Decepticon benefactors didn't have their best interests in mind. One of the bounty-hunters modified the jammers the Decepticons had provided him in order to control Backstreet's motor-functions, and used the Autobot trio to strike back at the Decepticons. The head of the operation, Lord Zarak, was forced to use an "anti-jammer" to liberate his own troops from the human's control, allowing the Autobots to escape. Backstreet helped get the Roadjammers out of harm's way on his way out, but afterwards left them to their own devices, not wanting anything more to do with the group. Ca$h and Car-nage!

Don't wanna hear you say "ain't nothin' but a heartache".

Backstreet's fellow Triggerbots were eventually released from prison under undisclosed circumstances. Returning to Cybertron, Backtreet and the Triggerbots worked for the Autobot Resistance. They were tasked to discover the identity of a mysterious package Darkwing and Dreadwind were hired to retrieve by an unknown party. While tailing the two Decepticon Powermasters near the Earth's Moon, however, they were spotted. Their targets tried to gun their shuttle down, and all attempts to outmaneuver the Decepticons failed. Dogfight was eager to retaliate with lethal force, but Backstreet reminded him that part of their mission was to uncover who had hired the duo; de-atomized 'cons wouldn't be able to share such information. Instead, the Autobots decided to detonate their ship's energon supply, making it appear as though the Decepticons had succeeded in destroying them. Once Dreadwind and Darkwing headed down to Earth, Backstreet and his teammates resumed tailing them covertly.

You are my fire. The one desire.

Making landfall in southern Peru, Backstreet managed to catch Hi-Test and Throttle, the Decepticons' Nebulan partners, as they were rushing towards an archeologist. He learned from the pair that the Powermasters were hired to recover the dead body of Starscream after the Underbase fiasco. Only problem was, the dead fought back; Starscream's body somehow had remained animated beyond death due to the lingering energies of the Underbase within it. Worse yet, the zombie was hostile! It caught Backstreet off-guard, severely injuring him in an opening salvo. Backstreet then tried to convince his teammates to save themselves while he held off Starscream. They wouldn't hear of it, and tried to tackle the undead Decepticon themselves. Ultimately, it was Backstreet who realized the corpse was driven by the Underbase, not Starscream's mind, and reasoned with the entity until it stopped fighting. Unfortunately, the Nebulans then jumped in and drained the remaining energies from Starscream's carcass. It crumpled into a heap, allowing the Decepticons to grab it and flee. Though Backstreet was left depressed over having failed his mission, the archeologist he had rescued earlier assured him he had done all he could. Race with the Devil

During the Matrix Quest, the Triggerbots traveled to the desert planet Cheyne in search of the legendary artifact. They were taken in by a group of peaceful settlers, but oddly began to lose focus in their quest. No, not robotic ADD... it was Vrobian Psychic Vampires from the Dark Nebula! Dogfight managed to break their psychic spell on the others, and Backstreet and Override were forced to kill the Vrobians in self-defense. After some off-hand musing about the nature of evil and death, the Triggerbots quickly moved on with their quest. Kings of the Wild Frontier.

Backstreet was one of many Autobots and Decepticons present when Primus (through Emirate Xaaron) revealed his plans for the defeat of Unicron. The Void!

Trigger-Happy!
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All my defenses are never going to hold, I'm always going to lose control.

In one mission on Earth, Backstreet was made pointman in an Autobot plan to capture Crankcase and Ruckus, two Decepticons carrying valuable information. The Autobots knew the Triggercons should be passing a certain point on their travels, and it was Backstreet's job to send the alert signal to the rest of the army when they reached that checkpoint. Because of their close proximity to a human town, Backstreet was under strict orders from Optimus Prime not to engage the enemy. When he spotted the Double Targetmasters flying as escort for the couriers, though, Backstreet became wracked by indecision and ultimately opened fire against orders. The battle began and caused serious damage and casualties among the humans, while Crankcase and Ruckus got away. Backstreet's backup, Override, was furious at him and overstated the reprimand from Optimus Prime he was to deliver, claiming Backstreet faced court-martial and possible termination. Caught up in another panic, Backstreet went AWOL, believing himself hunted by Autobots, Decepticons and humans alike. Fearing he would become a danger to himself and anyone he might encounter, his teammates were forced to track him down. The Decepticons, upon hearing of the situation, also took interest; Megatron saw opportunity to convert the wayward Autobot over to his faction. But Backstreet remained elusive. After narrowly avoiding being spotted by Getaway and Joyride, he encountered a human military patrol on a mountain road. Mistaking them for the Combaticons, Backstreet loosed a volley of firepower on the unsuspecting humans. The realization that he had once more imperiled innocents pushed him further over the edge, and Backstreet decided to hide away from any other potential victims.

He settled on a cinema at the abandoned Riverway Fun Park as his hideout of choice. Unfortunately, a night watchman stumbled upon him, and reported his sighting to the police. Spinister intercepted the watchman's call, and informed Megatron of Backstreet's whereabouts. Though Megatron ordered his stooges to keep their distance while he made his way over, Spinister and his fellow Decepticon, Scoop, proved unable to resist roughing up the lone Autobot. Caught off guard, Backstreet found himself at the mercy of his attackers. But Megatron's timely intervention saw the two bullies off, and the Decepticon leader extended a hand in friendship to Backstreet. Though promised protection and a privileged position in the Decepticon ranks, Backstreet remained loyal to his Autobot ideals, and refused outright to defect. Enraged, Megatron prepared to strike Backstreet down, but was himself stopped by the arrival of Optimus Prime. Upon hearing that, despite everything, Optimus still believed in him, Backstreet joined the fight, and managed to knock Megatron unconscious. Optimus laid cover fire as the other Decepticons rushed to Megatron's aid, and he and Backstreet retreated together.

During Backstreet's absence, Optimus had learned what had transpired to send his soldier on the run, and so was lenient on his sentence. Much to Backstreet's relief, Optimus only decreed that henceforth, he would be accompanied by a partner when out on lookout missions. Trigger-Happy!

Transformers Comic-Magazin

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Backstreet was present when the Decepticons unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con' on New York; however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings. New York — A City Sinking in Terror Later, Backstreet was one of many Autobots who fought in defense of a human oil tanker Headmaster of the Dimensions, and again at an oil refinery. He Who Laughs Last...

After Backstreet seriously injured Ruckus with blaster fire, Optimus Prime gave the Autobots a stern lecture about being able to tell friend from foe because Ruckus is apparently an Autobot now? "By their Blasters you shall know them...!"

When the Decepticons attempted to steal a submarine filled with plutonium rods, Backstreet oversaw the Autobot mission to retrieve them. The Energon Trap

Regeneration One

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Regeneration One continues from the Marvel US series, and does not include the UK stories or any subsequently published stories.

Backstreet, Dogfight, Crosshairs, Sureshot, and Override formed a security team that accompanied the new Autobot leader Hot Rod in apprehending the errant Dinobot Grimlock on his return to Cybertron. Although offered the choice to come quietly, Grimlock chose to do things the hard way, resisting all the way to Bastion-five lock-up. Natural Selection, Part Two

Having survived the battle against the forces of Jhiaxus at the Hub Network, Backstreet returned first to Cybertron, then formed part of a squad under Prowl's command that travelled by space bridge to Earth, where they were ambushed by Linda Chang's troops in the Glass Mountains. After Roadbuster had negotiated a ceasefire, the humans and Autobots united and journeyed to Nebulos, defeating the corrupted Fortress Maximus in the Clar Macro-jungle. The War to End All Wars, Part 5

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

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The Age of Wrath ceased publication before the story could conclude. The following would have taken place in unpublished issues.

After the Decepticons had taken over Cybertron, Backstreet and the Triggerbots accompanied Blaster as he used an ancient map of Cybertron's depths to infiltrate Megatron's slave camp, only for them to be discovered by Megatron himself. The Age of Wrath Pt.4

2005 IDW continuity

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First appearance: Stormbringer #2
Oh my God, we're back again.

When Optimus Prime needed a quick taxi service to Cybertron to investigate the disappearance of Jetfire's survey team, he called up Backstreet and the crew of the Ark-27 to transport him there. Stormbringer #2

Later, Backstreet and the Ark-27 were again called upon to assist Optimus Prime when Monstructor attacked and crippled Omega Supreme. Backstreet was seen assisting in Omega's recovery. Spotlight: Optimus Prime He was present on the Autobot Orbital Command Hub when Blaster announced his return to the airwaves. Spotlight: Blaster

Years later after the Surge, Backstreet was serving under Dogfight when they ran into the Decepticon Justice Division while returning from the Serp Mines. When rushing for medical assistance on Delphi, he had his Autobot symbol scrutinized by First Aid. Bullets Backstreet was apparently still in medical assistance in Delphi when the crew of the Lost Light arrived, and Ambulon was seen trying to reconstitute him. Life After the Big Bang Backstreet was starting to go offline, forcing Ratchet to transform into vehicle mode and activate the Red Rust infection that had hit Delphi earlier and was now in his system to save Backstreet's life. How Ratchet Got His Hands Back

Wings Universe

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Backstreet's back, alright!

During the Machine Wars, Backstreet received a battlefield promotion to City Commander of Uraya by Obsidian. With a collection of Autobot and Decepticon defenders, Backstreet held the line at Uraya for several days until Obsidian organized a tactical retreat. The surviving forces of Uraya combined with the various other city-states in secret, an invisible army cloaked by Mirage and assembled by Obsidian at Iacon to eliminate the full force of Megaplex and Jhiaxus's army. Termination After suffering injuries in the ensuing battle, Backstreet was evac'ed by Hoist with the assistance of Bitstream. A Common Foe

2019 IDW continuity

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First appearance: Transformers #23
All you people can't you see, can't you see, how your love's affecting our reality?

Backstreet was a member of the Senate Guard. During a controversial Senate meeting, he and the other members of the Guard provided security, but were unprepared for Megatron launching a full-scale military takeover. When Backstreet, Brawn, and Ironhide charged into the building to provide some reinforcements, Strika chased them right back out with a heavy artillery barrage. We Have Deceived You Backstreet and the remaining members of the Senate Guard then took part in a daring rescue mission into the Senate to free their compatriots, tunneling their way into the lower levels with Zetar's assistance. While sweeping the building for any more prisoners to free, Backstreet's team came under attack from Apeface and Blitzwing; although the ambush killed Roulette, Backstreet had just enough time to drag Groove to safety and fall back. Prime

Backstreet and the other members of the Senate Guard later accompanied the newly minted Optimus Prime to the Pyramid to meet with Perceptor. When the Decepticons attacked the building, Backstreet and his team faced off against Obsidian and helped keep the other Decepticons at bay before a buildup of molten plasma forced a full-scale evacuation. Titans

Every time we're down, you can make it right. And that makes you larger than life

Backstreet and the renamed "Prime Guard" deployed with their leader to the Sea of Rust, where Termagax had possession of the Enigma of Combination. They set up defensive positions around Termagax's house as the Decepticons arrived for the Enigma as well. Sea of Rust II The Enigma was lost to the Sea, but the Autobots escaped without any fatalities. Enigmatic Backstreet and the Prime Guard accompanied Optimus on a pilgrimage to commune with his immersant mentor, Codexa. They were ambushed by members of the Rise, who sought to capture the Prime. Ultra Magnus helped the Guard regain the initiative, and Backstreet and the others got Optimus to safety, though Magnus was captured. Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One

Backstreet and Flareup attended to Optimus Prime at Crystal City as he prepared for Strika to lead her Decepticons in a siege. A Dust of Crystals After the siege ended in a truce, Backstreet and the Prime Guard were part of a procession heading to Darkmount. Radical Time Despite the truce, they were boxed in by Decepticon artillery and forced to confront the Rust Worms directly. End of Time

In the final battle at Darkmount, the Autobots were joined by a new Combiner, Computron. When Devastator shattered the Technobots' combined form, Flareup and Groove rushed to aid the team leader, Scattershot, whose Combination Core allowed him to instantly reconfigure other Transformers into combiners. The Prime Guard was ready to serve, and Javelin, Backstreet, and Pipes joined the first two in helping Scattershot forge an even more powerful Computron. They held the line against Devastator and the Decepticons, allowing Optimus Prime and the other Autobots to escape aboard the Ark. When Computron was finally brought down by the united Decepticon army, the Prime Guard and Technobots became Megatron's prisoners. Fate of Cybertron

Toys

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The Transformers

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"You're tearin' us apart, oh...quit playin' games with my spark..."
Released in the fifth year of the original Transformers toyline (fourth year in the European toyline), Triggerbot Backstreet transforms into a Porsche 962-based Le Mans racing car. As a Triggerbot, in either robot or car modes, pressing a push-button on his back end flips out a pair of chromed spring-loaded (non-firing) rifles, referred to as "proton missile cannons" in his bio. Due to this gimmick, his back tires are just stickers while a single wheel hidden under the rear of the car allows Backstreet to roll.
All three Triggerbots were released in the fifth year of the Chinese Transformers toyline, over half a decade later than in the US/Europe. These releases have rubsigns, which the originals lacked as they had been phased out for the 1988 line.

Notes

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  • Backstreet had the preliminary name of "Speedtrap".<ref>Hasbro 1988 Pre-Toy Fair Catalog</ref>

Foreign names

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  • French: Confusion (Canada), Bitume (France, "asphalt")

References

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