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| :''The Deluxe Vehicles are an [[Autobot]] [[subgroup]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].'' | | :''The Deluxe Vehicles are an [[Autobot]] [[subgroup]] from the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toyline portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].'' |
| | [[File:Target 2006 Whirl Roadbuster Do It.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|My god. Think of the children!]] |
| | The '''Deluxe Vehicles''' are a duo of [[Autobot]]s individually known by the names [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] and [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]. They are members of the [[Wreckers]]. |
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| The '''Deluxe Vehicles''' are a duo of [[Autobot]]s individually known by the names [[Roadbuster]] and [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]. They are members of the [[Wrecker]]s.
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| {{stub}}
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| ==Fiction==
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| ===Marvel UK comics continuity===
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| The [[Wrecker]] team was sent out to assassinate the [[Decepticon leader]] [[Trannis]]. They managed to despite the odds, but due to the subsequent rise of [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], their success became nought. {{storylink|Target: 2006#Cybertron: The Middle Years!|Cybertron: The Middle Years!}} Always ready for the next near-impossible mission against the [[Decepticon]] forces, the Wreckers spent the next several years preparing a plan to take out a good amount of the worst Decepticon soldiers in one strike and thereby reinvigorate [[Autobot]] morale. Dubbed [[Operation: Volcano]], the plan was set into motion by Roadbuster, who deliberately leaked false information about the location of [[Emirate Xaaron]] to [[Autobot traitor|another]] to leak to the Decepticons. Not entirely free from feelings of guilt, he watched from a distance how the traitor gave [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] the information in order to be spared, which he wasn't.
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| [[Image:Target 2006 Whirl Roadbuster Do It.jpg|350px|right|thumb|]]
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| Unfortunately, coinciding events made that [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], a key element in Operation: Volcano, had to leave for [[Earth]] with only little time before the trap would have to close. On edge, the Wreckers kept training against [[Facsimile Construct]]s to predict their chances, Whirl functioning as a distraction agent and Roadbuster in charge of taking out the last of the targets. There was no doubt on anyone's mind though, that they had any chance without Ultra Magnus keeping reinforcements at bay. So, they made the decision then and there to drop the mission; because it was pointless to continue, not because they wanted to give it up. To get over that downer, Roadbuster, Whirl and their colleague [[Twin Twist]] went to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. While Whirl with certain cheerfulness tried to have a good time, Roadbuster and Twin Twist could not put Operation: Volcano out of their heads. As they were discussing the matter, [[Fang|a Decepticon]] entered the establishment and immediately began to harass [[Piano Transformer guy|a member of the bar's staff]]. Roadbuster and Whirl did nothing, considering it not their fight, but Twin Twist didn't agree with them. Giving the Decepticon his comeuppance, Twin Twist declared it was their duty as Autobots to fight no matter what and so convinced the other two to continue Operation: Volcano after all.
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| D-Day arrived, yet Ultra Magnus had still not come back. Roadbuster pointed out that even with Xaaron's [[Triple Changer|reinforcements]], the odds were slim, but the Wreckers had little choice but to go on regardless. Incredibly enough, just at the last moment before the confrontation, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] contacted the Decepticons on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and ordered them to cease all current operations to assist him. The Wreckers were left perplexed by this turn of events, enough so that [[Macabre|one remaining Decepticon]] managed to sneak close and kill teamleader [[Impactor]]. After rewarding his murderer with a laserfire overdose, the Wreckers gathered around Impactor's body for his final moments. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}
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| When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was accidentally [[Space bridge|transported]] to Cybertron, the Wreckers believed him to be a Decepticon-allied imposter and captured him in order to execute him. {{storylink|The Harder They Die!}} Roadbuster was among Optimus Prime's executors-to-be, a note he could leave out of his curriculum vitae thanks to [[Outback]]'s effective rescue attempt. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} Of course, the Wreckers wouldn't just let the Decepticon and traitor get away, so they split up to find them. Whirl was with the team that located the fugitives and as such was witness when finally Optimus Prime was recognized as the real deal. {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} With Optimus by their side, the Wreckers completed various missions to free slaves and steal [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] from the Decepticons, boosting Autobot morale as Operation: Volcano should have done. {{storylink|Resurrection!}}
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| [[Image:RoadbusterdeathTimeWars.jpg|300px|left|thumb|]]
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| Whirl disappeared from the Wreckers' roster afterwards, his fate never revealed. Roadbuster had a time of absence as well, but he eventually came back to help fight the twin threat of Megatron and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] during the Time Wars. He was given an [[Pathblaster|experimental weapon]] by [[Rack'n'Ruin]] to test on the adversaries and managed to blow off half of Galvatron's head with it. Unfortunately, he didn't heed Rack'n'Ruin's warning on the weapon's instability and still held it when it exploded, ending his life. {{storylink|Time Wars}}
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| ====Marvel UK future timelines====
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| In an alternate version of 2510, Roadbuster, Whirl and the rest of the [[Wrecker]]s fought along in the battle that put an end to the [[Decepticon]] faction for good. Shortly hereafter, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] held a ceremony where he officially announced the war to have come to an end and subsequently his plans to pass the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] on to the leader of the Wreckers, [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. This decision was challenged by [[Triton]], in truth a surviving, undercover Decepticon, who claimed [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] would be a better leader for a world at peace. Whirl took offense to Triton putting down his commanding officer, telling him to watch his mouth and asking where his "precious Ultra Magnus" was when the Wreckers were winning the war. Triton in return punched Whirl to the ground, to which Roadbuster reacted by raising his gun and stating it was time someone shut him up permanently. It didn't come to that, as [[Scattershot]] shot first in defense of Triton and Ultra Magnus's reputation, thereby killing Roadbuster. This disastrous turn of events soon escalated into an Autobot Civil War between the forces of Ultra Magnus and Springer. {{storylink|Peace}}
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| ''Well done, Deluxe Vehicles. Very well done.''
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| ====Marvel books====
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| Roadbuster was stationed on [[Earth]]. The Autobots' initially failed to stop a new plan of Megatron's to take millions of people hostage, but came back to fight again once they were repaired. Roadbuster blasted a hole in the Decepticons' fortress's wall so the Autobots could get inside. {{storylink|Battle for Earth}}
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| ===Dreamwave comics continuity===
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| At some point in the [[Dark Ages]], [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had been spotted in the [[Tagan Heights]] district, so Roadbuster and Whirl moved out with the other Wreckers under command of [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] to kick the [[Ultracon]] out of the strategically valuable area. Unimpressed, Ratbat unleashed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] on them. That fight didn't go so well, but matters only got worse when [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] joined in and the two giants lost consideration for anything but smashing each other out of existence. {{storylink|Escalation (Dreamwave)|Escalation}} As such, the Wreckers had no choice but to flee, much as they hated it. {{storylink|Devastation (Dreamwave)|Devastation}}
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| [[Image:War and Peace 4 RoadbusterWhirl.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
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| During the [[Age of Internment|next chapter]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s history, Roadbuster was one of the many [[Autobot]] forced to do slave labour for the [[Decepticon]]s, {{storylink|The Age of Wrath issue 2}} but he survived the maltreatment there to be back in Autobot business during the "[[Micromaster]] era". On one mission, he was attacked by a Decepticon group consisting of [[guzzler]]s and Micromasters and robbed of his [[Energon (fuel)|energon]]. The guzzlers left with that, but the Micromasters stayed to fight Roadbuster's rescue party. Luckily for him, the Autobots won and could bring him back to safety. Less peachy was that [[Crunch (G1)|one of the Autobot Micromaster soldiers]] had died trying to save him, further agitating the frail alliance between guzzlers and Micromasters. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}}
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| At the time of Shockwave's reign, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] became the leader of the Wreckers and so led his elite combat unit against the threat of a suddenly reactivated [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. Prior to the battle, he warned the team most of them probably wouldn't come back. {{storylink|Cold War}} "Most of them" turned out to be a less specific designation for Roadbuster and Whirl. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}
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| {{--}}
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| ===IDW comics continuity===
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| Roadbuster and Whirl were part of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s security team in [[Kaon]] when Cybertron was still at peace. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2}} Ages later, they had joined the Wreckers and took part in a battle on [[Varas Centralus]]. Due to events on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the Wreckers were called back before they could finish the fight. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2}} [[Xantium|Travelling]] as fast as they could back to their old home planet, they came just in time for Roadbuster and [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] to save two of the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] from death by [[Centurion droid|Centurion drone]]. Shortly thereafter, Whirl and Roadbuster participated in kicking [[Pretender|polydermal grafting-supporter]] tailpipe {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3}} and joined the second fight against [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4}} They also were present in the third battle against him on [[Corata-Vaz]], where the resurrected Thunderwing guarded the [[Nega-Core]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}
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| The Wreckers started to go through some roster changes after Springer's old mentor [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] came back on-line. Whirl and several of the Wreckers were captured battling the Decepticon [[Turmoil]], and they were rescued by Kup, Roadbuster and the remaining Wreckers. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}} After that mission, Kup took Roadbuster, Springer and several members of their team to crew his new starship ''[[Trion]]''. It's unknown if Whirl and the others continued operating together as the Wreckers in their absence. Roadbuster and the ''Trion'' team rescued [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] from [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]] shortly before the interplanetary assault which brought down all the Autobot systems. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12}}
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| After the Decepticons retreated, Roadbuster chose to remain behind on Earth when Springer and Kup returned to the Wreckers. He was seen working with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s [[Skywatch]] division two years later. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}
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| {{charstubfiction}}
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| ===3D Battle-Card Game===
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| Whirl was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
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| {{-}}
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| ==Toys== | | ==Toys== |
| [[Image:G1Roadbuster toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wake him...when you need him.]] | | [[File:G1Whirl toy.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Whirl's (actually fairly cool) toy.]] |
| [[Image:G1Whirl toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
| | ===''The Transformers''=== |
| ===Generation 1=== | |
| * '''Deluxe Vehicles''' (1985) | | * '''Deluxe Vehicles''' (1985) |
| **[[Roadbuster]] | | **[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] |
| **[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] | | **[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] |
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| : The Deluxe Vehicles were originally designed by [[Takatoku Toys]] for the ''[[Wikipedia:Special Armored Batallion Dorvack|Special Armored Batallion Dorvack]]'' (特装機兵ドルバック) toyline. Roadbuster is a [[Redeco|repaint]] of the "Mugen Calibur" toy and Whirl is one of the "Oberon Gazzette" toy. They feature larger size and greater complexity than most of the ''Transformers'' toys of their time. | | : The Deluxe Vehicles were originally designed by [[Takatoku Toys]] for the ''[[Special Armored Battalion Dorvack]]'' toyline, in turn based on the anime series of the same name from [[Ashi Productions]]. Roadbuster is a [[redeco]] of the "Mugen Calibur" (ムゲンキャリバー) toy and Whirl is one of the "Ovelon Gazzette"<ref>Yes, this is the secondary English spelling given on the Japanese toy packaging. Many Western fans prefer to interpret this name as "Oberon Gazette", but your mileage may vary.</ref> (オベロンガゼット) toy. They feature larger size and greater complexity than most of the ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' toys of their time. |
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| ===Classics===
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| * '''Autobot Whirl''' (Legends, 2007)
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| {{main|Whirl (G1)#Classics}}
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| ===Universe (2008)===
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| ====G1 Series====
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| *'''Autobot Ambush''' (Voyager Deluxe Comic 2-Pack, 2008)
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| {{main|Roadbuster#Universe (2008)}}
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| {{--}} | | {{--}} |
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| ==Merchandise==
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| ===3D Battle-Card Game===
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| *'''Whirl''' (2007)
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| {{main|Whirl (G1)#3D Battle-Card Game}}
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| ==Notes== | | ==Notes== |
| [[Image:BonaparteTulcas.jpg|right|220px|thumb|]] | | [[File:BonaparteTulcas.jpg|right|upright=1.2|thumb|Not so much a "robot mode" as a "random pile of tank parts" mode.]] |
| * Both Deluxe Vehicles were licensed from [[Takatoku Toys]] by [[Hasbro]] for inclusion in their 1985 [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 line-up]]. In the Japanese market, these toys were from one of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s competitors, which meant Takara would not include them in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|their version of the toyline]]. Since Hasbro and Takara shared the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] as promotional material for the toyline, the Deluxe Vehicles were not included in its cast. They also were omitted from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|US Marvel comics]] and kept low profile in the UK Marvel comics. | | * The original molds of both Deluxe Vehicles were created by [[Takatoku Toys]], and were bought along with the rest of company after its bankruptcy in 1984 by [[Bandai]]. Bandai in turn licensed the molds to [[Hasbro]] for inclusion in their 1985 [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 line-up]]. However, in the Japanese market, Bandai was the main competitor of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], which meant Takara would not include them in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|their version of the toyline]]. Since Hasbro and Takara shared the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] as promotional material for the toyline, the Deluxe Vehicles were not included in its cast. They also were omitted from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|US Marvel comics]] but appeared in the UK Marvel comics, albeit with a low profile, despite their toys not actually being released in the UK. |
| | | * The ''[[Special Armored Battalion Dorvack]]'' line contains a third transforming robot that was not inserted to Generation 1, "Bonaparte Tulcas" (ボナパルトタルカス). Presumably, this absence was because the toy has a far less convincing [[robot mode]] than the other two. A third "tank" Deluxe Vehicle was mentioned in Hasbro documents about the 1985 characters that came to light in 2010, meaning Tulcas was considered for inclusion in the line at some stage.<ref>[http://boltax.blogspot.com/2011/01/ron-friedman-auction-hasbro-briefing.html Ron Friedman auction - Hasbro Briefing Binder (pt 6 )]</ref> A character based on Bonaparte Tulcas eventually did appear as a cameo in the 2014 [[Fun Publications]] story "[[Hoist the Flag]]", dubbed by [[Ask Vector Prime]] as "[[Headcannon]]". |
| * The ''Special Armored Batallion Dorvack'' line contains a third transforming robot that was not inserted to Generation 1, "Bonaparte Tulcas". Presumably, this was because the toy has a far less convincing [[robot mode]] than the other two and thus was less interesting to put on the market. | | * For that matter, the less humanoid look of Whirl might have something to do with the fact that, until ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', he was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay less featured in stories than Roadbuster. |
| | | * To maximise both their own profits and their figures' place in the domestic marketplace, Takatoku Toys struck up a relationship with the less renowned manufacturer Mark, whereby the latter would produce cheap, [[knockoff]]-quality versions of these figures. Due to some sort of crazy loophole, the rights to these cheap versions remained with Mark after Takatoku folded, and simple versions of a number of the Takatoku figures were licensed to another American manufacturer, Select. They used them for the cash-in [http://www.toyarchive.com/Convertors/Convertors.html ''Convertors''] line, which was on sale at more or less the same time the real things were in the ''Transformers'' line. This is where all those little plastic Roadbusters and Whirls you see on [[eBay]] come from... |
| * For that matter, the lesser humanoid look of Whirl might have something to do with the fact that he's waaaaaaaaaaaaaay less featured in stories than Roadbuster. | |
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| * To maximise both their own profits and their figures' place in the domestic marketplace, Takatoku Toys struck up a relationship with the less renowned manufacturer Mark, whereby the latter would produce cheap, [[knockoff]]-quality versions of these figures. Due to some sort of crazy loophole the rights to these cheap versions remained with Mark after Takatoku folded, and simple versions of a number of the Takatoku figures were licensed to another American manufacturer, Select. They used them for the cash-in [http://www.toyarchive.com/Convertors/Convertors.html ''Convertors''] line, which was on sale at more or less the same time the real things were in the ''Transformers'' line. This is where all those little plastic Roadbusters and Whirls you see on [[eBay]] come from... | |
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| {{--}}
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| ==External links== | | ==References== |
| * [http://www.toyboxdx.com/datafiles/data/dorvack/ Special Armored Batallion Dorvacks at Toyboxdx.com]
| | {{reflist}} |
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| [[Category:Autobot subgroups]] | | [[Category:Autobot subgroups]] |
| [[Category:Generation 1]] | | [[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]] |
| [[Category:Wreckers]]
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