Broadside (Classics)

From MediaWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is about . For other uses of "Broadside", see Broadside (disambiguation)|The name or term "Broadside" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Broadside (disambiguation).}}
Broadside is a Decepticon-allied Mini-Con from the Unicron Trilogy and Generation 1 continuity families.
Dipsy becomes a mercenary of war.

Broadside is the de facto leader of the Demolition Team, a trio who use their engineering skills and raw strength to destroy Autobot installations with ease. He was once a security officer, but felt that his processing power was too great for such meager work. After studying construction engineering, metallurgy, and military tactics during his off hours, he handed in his resignation... by leveling everything he had been assigned to protect. He then went off to unite most of the organized Decepticon Mini-Cons, finding happiness in his new life of crime.<ref>Broadside's profile in Club magazine #16</ref>


Fiction

[edit]

Classics

[edit]

Broadside was part of a legion of Mini-Cons created by the Last Autobot in 1991 before departing Cybertron. Their mission was to rebuild and revitalize the planet after the devastation it suffered during the war with Unicron. Under the direction of Modus Prime, first among equals, they were directed to prepare the planet for when the Autobots one day returned. This preparation required more than construction...some acts of violence were also asked of the Mini-Cons for the greater good. Broadside was one of the Mini-Cons assigned to eliminate the lingering threats on Cybertron, such as the underground demons and mutants. Whereas some Mini-Cons saw this as sport, or at least necessary, Broadside believed it was tantamount to committing genocide. He began to fear that the Mini-Cons would be swept aside with just as much finality after their job was completed and the Autobots returned to bask in the fruits of their labors. Broadside found a new way of doing things when he came across the devastated remains of Scorponok. Although the mighty Decepticon leader was dead, enough of his datatrax remained for Broadside to salvage, and he learned of a Cybertronian way of life beyond mere labor...the way of the Decepticon.

Broadside had found a new goal in life—to preserve Cybertron for the Mini-Cons, and prevent the Autobots from taking what his people had created. He began gathering like-minded Mini-Cons from the population to work alongside him, including Sledge, Wideload, and the Dirt Digger Team. Realizing that Modus Prime would never agree to this new order, Broadside took steps to eliminate the Mini-Cons' present leader. He scraped together a working bulk-sized Transformer from spare parts left in the aftermath of Unicron, and arranged an "accident". Modus Prime wanted to examine a newly rediscovered processing plant in Altihex, and Broadside went as security along with Wideload's Heavy Hauler Team and Sledge's Urban Renewal Team. An explosion went off in the plant, covering up the deaths of Modus Prime and all those who weren't loyal to Broadside. As they made their way out of the inferno, Broadside and his men dragged out the "Autobot" corpse and accused it of being their attacker. When the forensics expert Strongarm off-handedly suggested the Autobot only attacked because of some sort of damage or infection, Broadside seized his words and began spreading the notion of a "madness plague", stirring up discontent in the population about the potential return of the Autobots.

His next step was to actively prevent the Autobots' return. The trans-hyperwave caster tower in Proximax was designed by the Mini-Cons to constantly transmit out into space, inviting the Autobots to come home to a restored Cybertron. Broadside sent the Dirt Digger Team to modify the signal, warning the Autobots to stay away because the planet was still unstable. Modus Prime's replacement, the Dinobot commander Hacksaw, intervened on their sabotage, and Broadside was forced to get directly involved. It was a battle of words as much as pistons, because Hacksaw was possibly the only Mini-Con Broadside would have felt comfortable calling friend. In the end, Hacksaw fell over the side of a busted catwalk, and Broadside caught him before he plummeted to his death. Broadside begged Hacksaw to see things his way, but the Dinobot coldly told him that to truly be strong, one must be willing to make sacrifices. In that moment, Broadside dedicated himself completely to his cause, and let Hacksaw fall to his doom.

In the days that followed, Broadside stepped up as the new leader of the Mini-Cons. He blamed the death of Hacksaw on the Dirt Digger Team, claiming the madness plague had spread to them. For the sake of everyone, he declared the planet quarantined against off-world visitors, so that the Autobots would not be "infected". Nightscream and the Mini-Cons loyal to Hacksaw attempted to halt Broadside's plans, broadcasting footage of his battle with Hacksaw for all to see. Although his machinations were uncovered, Broadside already had his audience—he called out to his fellow Mini-Cons to understand why he did what he did. The assembled Mini-Cons were divided, and so...the war for Cybertron began...anew... The New World

Ask Vector Prime

[edit]

In Aurex 615.03 Epsilon, Broadside was one of several Decepticon-aligned Mini-Cons dispatched on board the Doomsday to the Beast Wars of Alpha Q's universe. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/23

2005 IDW continuity

[edit]

Broadside, Wideload, and Sledge were a group of Decepticons who had chosen not to return to Cybertron at the conclusion of the Great War, making a home for themselves in a crashed Worldsweeper vessel and becoming a long-range informant for Starscream's government. In 2018, they were approached by Bludgeon, who recruited them and hundreds of other Decepticon deserters into the "Decepticon Vengeance Division" to take on Unicron. Stranger Eons

The Decepticon Vengeance Division ended up getting converted into Maximal-like forms after Bludgeon revealed himself to be in league with Unicron. Broadside took part in the invasion of Earth. Road's End

As the fleet began their final approach over Earth, the Demolition Team noted that both Metroplex and Trypticon had vanished before the two Titans space bridged atop their ship. Assembly At Bludgeon's command, they set course for the Eastern Seaboard of the United States to wreak mindless destruction before the Dinobots boarded the warship. Even with his durability augmented by the Ore's power, Broadside was burnt alive by Strafe, dying soon after when the Worldsweeper crashed on the White House's lawn. Ceremony

Toys

[edit]

Classics

[edit]
Daddy, when I grow up, can I be a Combaticon too?!
  • Demolition Team (Mini-Con Team, 2006)
Part of the first wave of Classics Mini-Cons, Broadside transforms from an M1 Abrams main battle tank into a robot with a mini-gun for a right hand. In tank mode, his turret can rotate 180 degrees, and the cannon barrel can elevate (it kind of has to as part of his transformation).
Unfortunately, due to being extremely top-heavy in robot mode and having incredibly small feet, it is ridiculously hard to get him to stand up and stay standing up for any length of time without the wind from, say, a passing electron knocking him over.
He was only available in the "Demolition Team" three-pack with his teammates Sledge and Wideload.
This mold was also used to make Universe Heavytread, Universe Treadshot, and Ironside.

Notes

[edit]
  • An Autobot-aligned Mini-Con called Tracks was planned for release in one of the Cybertron Mini-Con Versus Packs, facing off against the Decepticon-aligned Divebomb, as part of a wave composed of members of the Mini-Con Council of Sages. Tracks' bio described him as a slow-moving military commander.<ref>"TRANSFORMERS CYBERTRON MINI-CON Class: DIVEBOMB vs. TRACKS:
    [...]
    "TRACKS is a study in opposites. Though he is physically very slow moving, his mind is incredibly quick. Despite the fact that he is capable of bringing incredible brute force to bear on any argument, he prefers to out think his enemies. Often clumsy in daily life, he displays an uncanny grace on the battlefield. As supreme commander of the Council military, he is a brilliant military strategist, but he would rather solve disputes peacefully, keeping military action as a last resort. He is a firm believer that the MINI-CON robots, DECEPTICONS and AUTOBOTS are all one people, and hopes that one day they will all live in harmony together. Awesome DIVEBOMB and TRACKS figures change from robots to vehicles and back again!"—Hidden bios for the unreleased Cybertron Mini-Con Versus Packs found on the Transformers website</ref> Based on this, it seems quite likely that Tracks would've used the tank mold, which ultimately saw release in the Classics line as Broadside.
  • The hand-painted sample pictured on the back of the Demolition Team's card has different paint applications than the actual final product, most notably Broadside's face.
  • Broadside is one of a handful of Classics Mini-Con molds that has never been released by TakaraTomy, despite their large number of Mini-Con campaign items released over the following many years.

References

[edit]
<references />
Retrieved from "https://tfwiki.duckdns.org/index.php?title=Broadside_(Classics)&oldid=1880058"