Inferno Combiner

This article is about a character or concept which lacks any official name or designation. For more information, see Help:Nameless.

The Inferno Combiner is an Autobot Combiner from the Power of the Primes portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

When he hears that fire-bell chime / Inferno's got Nexus Prime
Putting on his legs and arms / to be sure they're safe from harm

Inferno may be bold and bombastic in a firefight, but as a firefighter he instinctively understands the value of life and how essential it is to stand up for it. It's this quieter, nobler trait that comes to the forefront when the "Inferno Combiner" is formed. Whether it's rescuing wounded Autobots from hazardous environments by literally making them its limbs or stepping up when beloved heroes go missing, all else is secondary in service of others' survival.

While the motivation to form this Combiner is plain as day, who it (he? they?) becomes as a gestalt consciousness – if they even become one – is less obvious. It's likely Inferno is in the driver's seat if he considers it reliable enough to swap in and out components in the middle of an active crisis, but this may also be a testament to the good-natured Autobot spirit of collaboration and teamwork.

Not that everyone is quite so compatible or open-minded, of course, but that's why firefighting is often volunteer work!

Fiction

Of Masters and Mayhem

Project: Firestormer was a program to create a new Combiner after Optimus Prime went missing. Ratchet, Hoist, Sideswipe, and Inferno wanted Bluestreak to join them in the initiative, but Bluestreak did not like the idea of becoming part of a Combiner. Ultimately, Project: Firestormer was never completed, presumably due to Thunder Mayhem's rampage. Lively Pursuit

Prime Wars Trilogy marketing material

The Autobot Inferno could enhance his firefighting skills by linking with Prime Masters. Power of the Primes Inferno packaging bio As "Nexus Inferno" he would wield the enigmatic power of Nexus Prime selflessly, combining with damaged bots to get them moving and out of danger. Power of the Primes Nexus Inferno card

Toys

Power of the Primes

He's always on the scene / In-fer-no
And his spare arm needs a clean / In-fer-no

• Inferno (Voyager Class, 2018)
• 4 x compatible Deluxe Class figures

Power of the Primes Voyager Class Inferno can be linked with any four compatible Combiner Wars-style Deluxe Class figures to form an unnamed Combiner.

As a Power of the Primes Combiner, a Prime Master, Matrix core, or Enigma can be installed within the Inferno Combiner's hands or feet, such as the "Autobot Enigma" that comes packed with Inferno. They cannot be installed in the Combiner's chest as the Hot Spot tooling Inferno is built from pre-dates this gimmick entirely.

Power of the Primes was notoriously muddy on information about "intended" layouts for Combiner teams. While the Dinobots and Terrorcons were pre-established teams who received complete coverage, no such luck exists for this selfless warrior! The following is a summary of every recorded configuration... though we'll note that while the instructions are largely arbitrary, the packaging art components are all Autobots.

	Inferno's/Wreck-Gar's packaging art	Inferno's instructions	Wreck-Gar's instructions
Left arm Right arm Left leg Right leg	Jazz Novastar/Moonracer? Slug Sludge	Blot Cutthroat Moonracer Sinnertwin	Wreck-Gar Rippersnapper Blot Sinnertwin

Notes

• Much like the similar Power of the Primes Combiner formed around Starscream, this (non)specific super robot isn't the first time Inferno has been a combiner component—Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 has him as one of the Rescuebots who form that series' version of Defensor.
• The characters involved in Project: Firestormer all use Combiner Wars designs. Ratchet and Bluestreak were produced by Fun Publications at the time, while Hoist and Inferno were sly references to pretooled heads for Trailbreaker and Hot Spot (the latter eventually released in Power of the Primes, hence sharing this page!) respectively. Finally, Sideswipe was a proposed - but not pursued - "virtual redeco" of Breakdown.
• You'd be forgiven for thinking "Nexus Inferno" was this Combiner's name. It's actually an upgrade that permits the Inferno Combiner to be made, as part of the pattern of utilising Prime Masters to wield various powers of the Primes - other examples are "Quintus Inferno" planting fire-hydrant Mini-Cons and "Micronus Inferno" sharing his resistance to extreme heat.

External links

• Clearer view of Power of the Primes packaging art by Robby Musso on Facebook