Rollout (Armada)

The name or term "Rollout" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Rollout (disambiguation).

Rollout is an Autobot-allied Mini-Con from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

Here I am, like a real character.

Using an upgraded version of Autobot Headmaster technology, Rollout transforms into the head and "central core" of Overload. He's weak physically, but still vies to be the hero that he believes himself to be. When combined, he's part of one of Cybertron's most powerful warriors; when separate, he can extinguish a fire from five miles away. Also in his combined mode, he can fulfill his desires to truly be a hero, leading him to secretly want to stay in this merged form permanently.

“	You're only as powerful as your mind allows you to be.	”
—Rollout's bio quote.

Fiction

Toy pack-in comics

Say hello to my little me.

After Galvatron was defeated, he was held prisoner in the Cybertronian Autobot base. Overload and Rollout (each speaking as a separate entity, together) accompanied Optimus Prime near Galvatron's cell, though Optimus cautioned them about a possible Decepticon attack. As Galvatron ranted loudly and at length, Rollout noted that Overload was ready and willing to shut him up forcefully at Prime's say-so.

True to Prime's warnings, Tidal Wave attacked the base. When the giant Decepticon warrior freed Galvatron and combined with him, even Overload in weapon mode piloted by Rollout wasn't enough to stop the Decepticons' advance.

None of this mattered when Unicron suddenly appeared over Cybertron. Armada Volume 4

Cartoon continuity

Armada cartoon

I'm very important.

Rollout was present as the chest of his Bulk, Overload, in a joint meeting between the Autobots and Decepticons. Overload stood silently and mostly out-of-the-way as the newly forged alliance discussed how to defeat Unicron. Union

Linkage

Cheesebot Spam-a-lot.

Rollout was a nucleon addict who sought treatment on the planet Nebulos. By the time that the dying Overload arrived on the planet, Rollout had already lost the ability to transform into his alternate mode and was in danger of permanently locking up. His attending physicians Hi-Q and Arcana decided to forge ahead with the ancient Headmaster surgical procedure, merging the two into a single body. Although the duo would survive, their new body could not handle two sparks at once and their identities began to blur together. By the time that Rhinox intervened and rebuilt Overload's body, Rollout seemed to have been completely subsumed by the fusion. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/18

Overload, flanked by Tidal Wave, engaged the forces of Unicron with some heavy Powerlinx artillery, using Prowl and Kingbolt in their pistol modes, plus Quench in his missile launcher mode. Linkage Part 13

Toys

Armada

(Hasbro version pictured)

• Overload with Rollout (Max-Con Class, 2003)

• Takara/Sonokong name: Ultra Magnus
• Takara/Sonokong ID number: MC-14
• Takara release date: September ??, 2003
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro), Joe Kyde (detailing), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Released in the fourth wave of Armada Max-Cons (the first wave with the "Unicron Battles" branding) with his larger partner Overload, Rollout transforms into a Cybertronian armored personnel carrier. In this mode, he can tow Overload in his weapon trailer form, as well as Super Base Optimus Prime's trailer. As a Mini-Con, he has a "Powerlinx" socket on his vehicle-mode underside which allows him to attach to any toy with a "Powerlinx" style 5 mm post; some toys have special Powerlinx posts that activate/unlock gimmicks when a Mini-Con is attached.

Overload's robot mode is incomplete by himself, needing Rollout plugged into the chest cavity to form the central torso and head. Once installed, pushing Rollout back into the cavity just a bit further activates the classic Generation 1 cartoon transformation sound effect.

He also has a fourth mode, a quad-barreled gun that can be held by any Transformer with a 5 mm hole; this mode is meant to give Rollout something to do when Overload is in his weapon-pack mode, since Rollout does not form any part of that configuration.

The Takara Legend of the Microns and Sonokong Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron versions of "Magnus" have his unpaintable plastic parts cast in dark red. He also has multiple paint differences from the Hasbro version, notably having less paint pretty much all over, and a silver face for the the combined-mode head rather than blue.

This mold was used to make Energon Knock Out, and was retooled to make Ape-Linq.

• More information on Rollout at TFU.info

• Magna Convoy DX Set (Multi-pack, 2003)

• ID number: MC-XX
• Release date: November 19, 2003

Legends of the Microns Ultra Magnus and Magnus were cast in colored-clear plastics as "Ultra Magnus Special Clear Version", and made available only in a Japanese Toys"R"Us-exclusive multi-pack.

This set also includes "Convoy Final Battle Color Version" (aka "Powerlinx Optimus Prime"), "Corona Prime", and an exclusive Exdimensions redeco of the Street Action Microns.

• More information on Special Clear Magnus at TFU.info

• Tokusei Ultra Magnus (Contest give-away, 2003)

• Accessories: 2 missiles

100 samples of this "sky blue" (とくせい) redeco of Ultra Magnus and Magnus were given away as prizes in a contest from the Japanese publication TV Magazine in its October 2003 issue. The rules of this contest are currently unknown.

Built to Rule!

• Roll-out (Built to Rule!, 2003)

• Accessories: Missile

A Rollout Built to Rule! set was planned as part of the tail-end for the Armada series, but was cancelled. Compared to the initial Armada Built to Rule! sets, Rollout was developed with a much more solid Trans-Skeleton with larger, blockier limbs, a design that was carried on to the short-lived Energon Built to Rule! construction sets.

The unproduced Rollout and Ramjet Built to Rule! sets were reworked into Energon Inferno and Skyblast, respectively.

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious. Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Energon

Super effective!

• Overload with Rollout & Optimus Prime with Corona Sparkplug (Multi-pack, 2004)

For this Costco-exclusive set Energon, Overload and Rollout were redecoed into a predominantly yellow color scheme with burgundy accents.

The stock imagery for the toy gives him much lighter blue paint than the final's rich blue.

This set also came with a matching new-deco version of Armada Super Base Optimus Prime and an unchanged Corona Sparkplug. All this cost a whopping $29.99, ten dollars less than Optimus Prime by himself. Wow!

• More information on Energon Rollout at TFU.info

Notes

• It was designer Aaron Archer's intention that Rollout was simply piloting the larger "Overload" body/trailer in combined Headmaster form.
• The origin and alt mode (front end loader) of Rollout's pre-Headmaster form is based on the Generation 1 Action Master Rollout.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Magnus (マグナス Magunasu)
• Korean: Magnus (매그너스 Maegeuneoseu)

External links

• Overload at TFU.info