Editing Howlback (G1)

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{{disambig3|Howlback}}
:''Howlback is a [[Decepticon]] [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassette]] from the [[Collector's Edition]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Howlback Legends.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Ain't no howlaback, girl.]]
'''Howlback''' (ハウルバック ''Haurubakku'') is a member of the elite [[Cobalt Sentry|Cobalt Sentries]], the "public safety unit" of the [[Decepticon Secret Police]]. Howlback takes her job and position as an enforcer very seriously and will brook no dissent from anyone, even a fellow [[Decepticon]]. She carries herself with an elegant air, which masks the ice-cold killer at the core of her [[spark]].

As part of her job of quelling insurgencies and arresting (or assassinating) suspected rebels, she carries a set of "Multi-Track Missiles", but her real strength is in her "Feedbacker Shield", an energy barrier which absorbs energy attacks, allowing her to fire them back at the target of her choosing.
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==Fiction==
===''Lil Formers''===
Howlback was one of the absurd amount of minion Soundwave ejected out of his chest, all in a row, in preparation for a fight. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Recordicons''===
Incensed at [[Ratbat (SG)|Batbot]]'s crusade against evil as it was an affront to the one true [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], Howlback tracked down the Recordicon, only for [[Nightprowler]] to come to Batbot's aid. Howlback protested that they were ganging up on her, but Nightprowler asserted that when heroes do it, it's just called "teamwork". {{storylink|Recordicons#Recordicons #21|''Recordicons'' #21}}

===''Regeneration One''===
Howlback was present on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] when the [[Dark Matrix (G1)|Dark Matrix]] creature attacked the population and was converted into a [[shadow-leech]] alongside [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]], [[Beastbox (G1)|Beastbox]], [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]], [[Squawktalk (G1)|Squawktalk]], [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]], and [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]]. Their combined form menaced [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] before he was rescued by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|King of Shadows}} The shadow-leeches ceased to be a threat once [[Hot Rod/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] defeated the Dark Matrix creature. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
One universe's version of Howlback was protoformed with a male chassis. Howlback referred to herself with female pronouns but felt no need for reformatting into a female chassis. The [[Arcee (G1)#Ask Vector Prime|Arcee]] of Howlback's reality would mention her in a lecture Arcee gave in [[Axiom Nexus]] which [[Vector Prime]] attended. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/12/23}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
Seeking revenge for a prior loss, [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] led a team consisting of herself, Howlback, [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadowstalker]], and [[Twirl (G1)|Twirl]] against Autobot bases. [[Elita One]] sent [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] and [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] to face them. {{storylink|Fatal Furies: Flamewar's Revenge}}

==Toys==
===''Collector's Edition''===
[[File:G1 Howlback-toy.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Cat Ballue]]
*'''Cobalt Sentries''' (Decepticons, [[2005]])
**''Japanese ID number'': '''69''', '''71''' (Cobalt Sentries set)
**''Accessories'': Left & right "Multi-Track Missiles", tape case

:A [[redeco]] of the original [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]] mold, Howlback transforms from a mechanical jaguar into a microcassette tape that can fit in the chest compartment of the [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] or [[Blaster (G1)/toys|Blaster]] molds. Her "tape window" shows a readout of the [[Autobot]] [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] that displays his "weak point" when she is placed behind a clear-red piece of transparent plastic, like the [[Tech Spec decoder]]s and the chestplates behind the Soundblaster and Twincast molds. She also came with a clear-plastic cassette case, like early [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] releases of the cassette Transformers.

:Howlback was only available in an [[e-HOBBY|e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]] "Cobalt Sentries" two-pack with her teammate [[Garboil (G1)|Garboil]]. The mold was later used to make another e-Hobby exclusive, [[Glit (KP)|Glit]], and [[Transformers Encore|''Encore'']] [[Stripes]]. She was repurposed as ''[[Shattered Glass (issue)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Glit (SG)|Glit]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/Howlback/howlback.htm More info on Howlback at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/1172/Collectors+Edition+Japanese/Howlback.html Howlback toy gallery at Transformertoys.co.uk]''

==Notes==
[[File:Howlback-card.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|Takara thought very hard about claiming only having a left-side weapon was making her "more accurate".]]
*"Howlback" is actually an audio term, essentially a synonym for "feedback".
*Howlback's coloration is based on the individually boxed pre-''Transformers'' ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' version of the MC-02 "Microcassette Robo Jaguar" mold.
*The Cobalt Sentries set had notoriously bad quality control in regards to Howlback's add-on weapons. There were ''numerous'' complaints of sets with two of the same-side weapon, leading to a lot of trading between fans and mailed-off replacement parts from Takara.
*Howlback's appearance in ''[[Recordicons]]'' is actually a fairly momentous situation, from a meta viewpoint. As the ''Shattered Glass'' universe in which it is set has crossed over with the ''Classics'' universe—which is itself a Marvel-derived continuity—Howlback's assigned sex is "neuter", but as she identifies as a woman (as expressed in her ''Recordicons'' appearance), she has the honor of being the first Transformers character in the history of the brand to be depicted in official fiction as transgender—at least [http://itswalky.tumblr.com/post/90095176222/once-fun-pubs-classics-universe-crossed-over-with according to the author].
**Years later, the Facebook version of "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" would declare this to be true of at least one universe's version of Howlback.

[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Mini-Cassettes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Security officers]]