Roadhandler (G1)

This article is about . For other uses of "Roadhandler", see Roadhandler (disambiguation)|The name or term "Roadhandler" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Roadhandler (disambiguation).}}
Roadhandler is an Autobot Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.
"I want to show you some simple self-defense moves... simple, and really silly-looking."

His name is Roadhandler, and he's the main spokesbot for the Micromaster Race Car Patrol, and he's here today to tell you that Micromasters are just as tough a bunch of Autobot warriors as any of the big boys. If any of you Decepticons aren't willing to believe that, then he's here to teach you a lesson, and what this lesson's going to be, is that Roadhandler's going to lay the smackdown on you. He's going to smack you down, and when he's done you'll know that his micro size has the power to surprise. He'll surprise you all, and any of you soft-hearted leaders can just go home to your momma-bots, because Roadhandler's in it to win it, and he's not going to pull punches just because you're threatening to cry about it. So go home and cry, and don't you tell Roadhandler to go back on his Micromaster buddies, either, because Roadhandler is a bot-pounding machine who knows who his friends are. Stay in school, kids, and don't do drugs!

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.
You know something, Mean Gene...

As leader of the Micromaster Race Car Patrol, Roadhandler was assigned to plant mines which would destroy a Decepticon installation. The purpose of this mission was to stop the Decepticons' experimentation on their fellow Autobot Micromasters in the Battle Patrol, previously captured during a scouting mission. Roadhandler's orders did not permit him to attempt to rescue the Battle Patrol, who were considered a lost cause. Upon arrival on-site however, he found himself unable to go through with his mission. Both the rest of the Race Car Patrol and the Off Road Patrol agreed that their mission felt wrong, and instead the group braved the installation. But breaking into the facility proved too easy... Turns out the Decepticons had already successfully reverse-engineered Micromaster technology, and were now using the Autobots to test their new Air Strike Patrol. Thinking quickly, Roadhandler pretended that the mine he had brought along was still active, and dropped it in a "panic." With their opponents distracted by the apparent peril, the Autobots beat them down and absconded with their comrades. Upon his return to base, Roadhandler submitted himself to whatever punishment awaited him for his disobedience. However, Xaaron responded that the fault had been his, for putting the needs of the war above the needs of his soldiers. A Small War!

In response to Optimus Prime's request for reinforcements on Earth, Xaaron sent over the Race Car Patrol and Off Road Patrol. Upon making contact with the group, Optimus's binary bonded partner, Hi-Q, was dismayed by their small size. Offended, Roadhandler explained that the Micromasters had downsized to conserve energy, and would be tough enough to face any Decepticon. Taking him at his word, Prime informed Roadhandler's group on a pair of recent news reports involving giant creatures spotted in the New Jersey swamps and unusual storm activity consolidating over Manhattan. Believing there was a Decepticon link between the stories, the Race Car Patrol went to patrol the nearby roads.

They crossed paths with Cecilia Santiago, a reporter already investigating recent developments. Roadhandler took her in to his vehicle mode to question her. Unfortunately, she was put off immediately by the mannequin propped up to pass as his driver, and assumed that he was in cahoots with the Decepticons. He convinced her that this wasn't the case, and though Roadhandler was ready to dump Cecilia as soon as he learned where the Decepticons were due to strike, she proved instrumental in getting the Race Car Patrol to their destination. Being newcomers to Earth, they weren't familiar with such concepts as toll fares, traffic lanes, and the like. The group located Iguanus in New York City as he was planting an energy-collecting device on top of the Empire State Building. Once more, Roadhandler told Cecilia that her assistance was no longer needed, and this time around managed to ditch her. But without her help, the group once more ran into difficulty navigating the human world. A couple of police officers, mistaking them for humans in costumes, attempted to bar the Micromasters' way, forcing Roadhandler and his teammates to tie them to nearby lampposts to proceed. Next, the group was confounded by a lack of "vacuum lifts" within the Empire State Building, and had difficulty operating the humans' elevators. They finally managed to reach the roof, only to find that Cecilia had beaten them there, and had been taken captive by Igunanus. Roadhandler prevented her from falling to her death, then knocked away Iguanus's device. The Decepticons were denied any energy from the storm, and Iguanus was sent plummeting down to the street. After their shared experience, Roadhandler and Cecilia became friends, and the Micromasters decided to take up residence in New York. King Con!

Whatcha gonna do, brother, when Roadhandler wraps his pythons around you?

In repayment for Cecilia's help, Roadhandler was obliged to appear on her television talk show. In a brief interview, Roadhandler denounced Optimus Prime as out of touch, and noted that Prime had always failed to do what Roadhandler had accomplished in only a few weeks; earning the respect and trust of humans. Roadhandler's fellow guest Jake "The Jackhammer" Jackson, a professional wrestler, used the show to issue a challenge to Roadhandler to a wrestling match. Although this challenge was clearly meant as a publicity stunt, Roadhandler used the opportunity to grant himself a new forum with which to demonstrate Autobot virtues to a larger human audience. Roadhandler became an instant celebrity, complete with his own adoring fan club. Decepticon leader Lord Zarak decided to sully Roadhandler's image by forcing him to throw a fight with Storm Cloud, and held members of Roadhander's fan club hostage to ensure his compliance. Once the humans were freed by Roadhandler's fellow Autobots, Roadhandler's victory over Storm Cloud earned him even more adulation from the humans; but what had happened to his fans proved to him that no human who had befriended an Autobot could ever be safe. To distance the humans from himself, Roadhandler made a speech in which he seemed to denounce humanity. He and his fellow Micromasters then left for new adventures in parts unknown. The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!

Later, Roadhandler and his Patrol accompanied Optimus Prime on a mission to retrieve vital battle plans from Chainclaw, who was serving as a courier. When Chainclaw was intercepted and captured by the Decepticon Dealer, Optimus Prime prevented Roadhandler from opening fire. Roadhandler argued that Chainclaw's situation was hopeless, meaning that his life could be forfeit to protect Autobot secrets; Optimus Prime disagreed, saying that an Autobot must always consider other options. One such presented itself immediately, as Dealer then radioed Optimus and offered to sell the plans back to him for 5000 energon units. Optimus agreed to the Decepticons' terms, and turned to the Race Car Patrol for volunteers on the exchange. Another Autobot named Double popped up, claiming to be Chainclaw's escort seeking to redeem himself on his failed mission. Roadhandler scanned the new arrival's Autobrand for authenticity, and all signs pointed to it being genuine. Optimus allowed Double to go through with the mission, but grew antsy when there appeared to be a delay on his return. He did come back, badly damaged and carrying Chainclaw, claiming that the Decepticons had ambushed him and taken both the plans and the energon. Angered by the betrayal, the rest of the Autobots present vowed to deal with the Decepticons themselves, and charged into battle against Scorponok's troops, holed up in a nearby building. (Double) Deal of the Century!

Roadhandler was invited to the Transformers' party for Christmas 1989, where he was nursing a sore head. The Transformers #250 cover

Another Time & Place
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After the battle of Klo, Roadhandler joined the Autobots in a mission to Hydrus Four to rescue the errant Dinobots. He planned to quietly free Grimlock and the others before the major offensive started, but Crankcase walked in at the wrong time, so Grimlock ploughed him through a wall.

So much for subtlety. Another Time & Place

Transformers Comic-Magazin

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Roadhandler and the Race Car Patrol arrived on Earth with the Autobots, and began to battle the Decepticons to protect Earth's energy resources. New York — A City Sinking in Terror

In a battle at Alaska, Roadhandler's team and the Off Road Patrol fought against the Decepticon Pretenders. The Transformers' Grand Hour: Headmaster of the Dimensions

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

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Toy bios

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Roadhandler was leader of the Race Car Patrol. Zone bio

Zone cartoon, manga, and story pages

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SNAP INTO A SLIM JIM!

When Victory Saber initiated the "Zone Project", the Race Car Patrol helped rebuild planet Micro into planet Zone. To counter this threat, Violengiguar began conquering planets in order to create his own Decepticon Zone. The Race Car Patrol and all other Micromaster teams were then sent on patrol across the galaxy, specifically to planets where their unique skills could do the most good. Zone Part 1

When King Poseidon and Trypticon attacked the aquatic planet of Wall, the Race Car Patrol team were deployed to defend it. With the aid of Commanders Overload, Erector, Missile Bull, and Skywave, they emerged triumphant. Zone Part 3

Roadhandler was one of the numerous Micromasters who helped defend Planet Zone from the Nine Great Demon Generals. Unfortunately, they were not able to prevent Overlord from stealing the planet's Zodiac energy capsule. Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas! Zone

When the Powered Masters flew off to the Tenth Planet for their showdown with Violengiguar, all the Micromaster teams took command of Zone and vowed to keep it safe in their Commander's absence. Zone Part 10

Legends comic

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Roadhandler was stationed on Zone when Violengiguar attacked, using the possessed bodies of the Powered Masters. They staged a counterattack using Dai Atlas and the real Powered Masters as a rallying point. Having mastered the use of Schaeffer Energy, the Micromasters could now transform and combine into powerful weapons. Roadhandler and Swindler linked up into a particle exhaust cannon, wielded by their enlarged comrade, Jetmaster. LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

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The cream will rise to the top, oooh yeaaah!

Apparently older and tougher than most Micromasters, Roadhandler enjoyed a certain position of authority thanks to his impressive driving skill and no-nonsense attitude. When Big Daddy threatened to lead a Micromaster exodus from the Autobots, Roadhandler refused to jump on the bandwagon with the Hot Rod Patrol. Destined for Nothing Later, Big Daddy confronted Roadhandler in Little Iacon about not steppin' up, so Roadhandler had to school him on the ways of the world. This, for some reason involved a race, which Roadhandler handily won. However, his lesson didn't seem to sink in to Big Daddy. The Gray Race After being captured by the Decepticons, Roadhandler and the rest of the Autobot Micros were eventually set free by Countdown and Big Daddy. He then did some serious damage on their jailers, ripping Barrage's head right off of his shoulders. Victims of the Revolution

2005 IDW continuity

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"These seem like the type of guys that forget to call their dads on their birthdays. Well, Jeff Angel calls his dad every day!"

Roadhandler and the rest of Jhiaxus's robotically evolved Gorlamites swarmed Hardhead and Nightbeat on Gorlam Prime. He demonstrated some serious stunt-driving while taking pot-shots at Hardhead. Spotlight: Hardhead

Beast Wars: Uprising

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Having fought on Earth during the Great War, Roadhandler and the Race Car Patrol took up arms once more in the 24th century to fight the Resistance during the Grand Uprising. They and the Air Strike Patrol were captured by the Resistance when their battalion retreated from the Mithril Sea without them. The Micromaster POWs were sent to Protihex, where they were forced into a series of gladiatorial Games that pitted Autobots against Decepticons to recreate the battles of ancient Earth.

In an early Game, Roadhandler single-handedly eliminated Metrobomb and Skyhopper while busting through a Decepticon roadblock. He survived the experience and participated in the final round of the tournament. There, Predacon dissident Preditron discovered that Roadhandler had died after sustaining injuries. Then Preditron witnessed Roadhandler's body mutate into a Vehicon as part of a hitherto unheard-of Builder upgrade, which rose to attack the crowd and spread the infection. Safe Spaces

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

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During the war for Cybertron, Roadhandler was a Ground Command Intelligence Private. Siege toy packaging

Games

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Transformers Roleplaying Game

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Roadhandler was a well-respected Autobot. Field Guide to Action and Adventure

Commercial appearances

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Roadhandler was among the many Autobot Micromasters unleashed by Optimus Prime that managed to infiltrate the Decepticons' lair and muck up the place. Micromaster Patrols commercial

Toys

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The Transformers

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What'chya gonna do when Handlermania runs wild on you?
  • Race Car Patrol (Micromaster Patrol, 1988/1990)
  • Takara ID number: C-334
Released in the sixth year of Hasbro's US Transformers toyline (fifth year in European markets), Roadhandler transforms into a red Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car. Roadhandler is gang-molded with his teammate Free Wheeler, sharing the same plastic colors.
He was only available in a four-pack with his teammates Free Wheeler, Swindler, and Tailspin.
Together with the Air Strike Patrol and the Off Road Patrol, the Race Car Patrol was released by Hasbro in late 1988 (basically, a case of "next year product" being released at the end of the old year), in packaging that differed from the "proper" 1989 Micromasters' redesigned packaging (silver cards and boxes featuring an all-new "Transformers" logo) by retaining a variation of the faction-specific color-coded gradient background on the card and featuring a unique "Micro Transformers" title in a variation of the old, pre-1989 "Transformers" logo. This same basic packaging design was also used for Canada (albeit bilingual English/French) and parts of Europe (bilingual French/Dutch, and Italian-only packaging distributed by GiG). However, a running change variant of the French/Dutch version featuring the later 1989 packaging design also exists, and most likely a similar version (in English-only packaging) was also released in the United Kingdom alongside similar versions of the Air Strike Patrol and the Off Road Patrol.
The Race Car Patrol was sold in Japan as part of the Zone series in 1990. The toys are identical to the Hasbro versions.
This sculpt was also used redecoed into the Zone Micromaster Gunrunner.


War for Cybertron: Siege

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...that's an unusual pinfall tactic you got there, Swindler, but whatever gets the 3-count, I guess...
  • Roadhandler & Swindler (Micromaster, 2019)
  • Hasbro ID number: WFC-S4
  • TakaraTomy ID number: SG-03
  • TakaraTomy release date: February 23, 2019
Part of the first wave of Siege Micromasters, Roadhandler transforms into a red vaguely-Cybertronian sports car somewhat resembling a 1980 Pontiac Firebird. He can also combine with his pack-in teammate Swindler to form the "Multi-Mech Particle Exhaust Cannon". As a part of the C.O.M.B.A.T. System, their weapon mode can be attached to any toy with a 5 mm post-hole. "Fire Blasts" can also be attached to their barrels. Alternatively he can be turned into a single blaster without the need of his teammate as a fan mode.
He was later retooled as Hyperdrive.


Notes

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  • In Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye encyclopedia, his name is spelled "Road Handler", two words. This was also the preliminary Siege toy naming at SDCC 2018, though the final packaging spells it as one word.

Foreign names

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  • Japanese: Roadhandler (ロードハンドラー Rōdohandorā)
  • French: Grappin (Canada, "Grappling hook")
  • Hungarian: Száguldó ("Speedster")
  • Italian: Molecula
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