Rollbar (Armada)

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

Rollbar is an Autobot-allied Mini-Con from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy.

Rollbar is a physically capable Mini-Con who impresses even his bulk peers with his sheer strength. Rollbar isn’t just powerful physically, though; he has a sharp mind, too. He’s a competent administrator who double-checks his ideas against the nearest expert whenever possible, and he enjoys challenging himself with things that others might find absurd–or even insane–so that he might remain as effective as possible. Working with his partner, the gruff Scavenger, is one of these challenges. Though moody and sometimes frustrating, Rollbar finds that working with the Autobot mercenary is just another challenge for him to inevitably overcome.

Fiction

Toy pack-in comics

Scavenger and Rollbar were assigned the task of constructing a satellite dish that could help find Megatron. In response, Megatron sent the Destruction Mini-Con Team and Starscream to destroy the dish. The Decepticons arrived just as Rollbar was putting the finishing touches on the dish, and destroyed it. Scavenger then intervened to help the Mini-Con, plowing Starscream into the sea and tying up the Destruction Team. Scavenger was saddened at the destruction of the dish, but Rollbar cheered him up by reminding him that they could build another one. Armada Volume 2

Dreamwave Armada comic

"I didn't destroy our village- it was the butterfly, I tell you, the butterfly!!!"

Rollbar was the leader of Mini-Con village C52, the last Mini-Con settlement the Decepticons attacked before moving on the Autobot Capital of Cyber City. Receiving advance warning of the Decepticon attack from Leader-1, Rollbar put Incinerator in charge of hastily constructing an energon dome defense and assigned Sparkplug to watch the Northern Quadrant for the expected Decepticon advance. Rollbar briefly paused to free a trapped Cybertronian butterfly just before the Decepticon attack began. Sparkplug was thrown from his position right into Rollbar who, with the assistance of Longarm, activated the energon dome. Cyclonus bypassed the dome by burrowing under it and captured Rollbar, among others. Rollbar, along with the rest of the residents of Mini-Con village C52 (except Sparkplug), were transported to the Decepticons' secret base for mecha-sectioning. They were subsequently freed by Sparkplug and the Air Defense Team and escaped Cybertron. Armada #1

He later spent time aboard the bridge of the Mini-Con starship while it was floating in space. Armada #3

On Earth Rollbar awoke with Longarm, Jolt, and Liftor and was for a time based out of a human junkyard while foraging for technology to repair their radio and contact their fellow Mini-Cons. Rollbar had a misadventure on one such foraging mission, falling asleep inside a car-crusher, not realizing its function. Monitoring human television channels, Rollbar's group learned Megatron was in pursuit of Sparkplug and the Street Action Mini-Con Team. Rollbar morosely agreed to be persuaded by Jolt, acknowledging they had to try to rescue them. Rollbar suggested Power-linking with the Autobots, and was subsequently partnered with Scavenger. Armada #5

Rollbar was among the Mini-Cons gathered at the Black Mesa in Arizona before transporting to Cybertron to participate in Over-Run's effort at the Cyber City Loop to defeat Unicron. The Mini-Cons united to unleash the Mini-Con Matrix's energy against Unicron, which ultimately drove the planet-eater off. The End

Cartoon continuity

Linkage

Hard to talk, ehhh

Rollbar arrived on Earth as a Mini-Con storage panel stored inside Redline's chest. After being activated, he joined Stella Holley and the Super Stunt Team on a mission to the Deccan Plateau in India, where they had tracked the landing of a spaceship. While Rollbar and Flat-Out were checking out the ship, however, the Mini-Cons were attacked by Unicron's servants, the Speed Chaser Team. Linkage Part 3 While Flat-Out joined the battle, Rollbar Powerlinxed with the owner of the spaceship, Scavenger. Powering up his dozer cannon, Scavenger drove off the Chaser Team. By bonding with Scavenger, however, Rollbar had activated his Servility Program, and he left with the Bulk instead of his friends. Linkage Part 4 Linkage Part 5

Later, Rollbar and High Wire met with Servo atop Mount Astrogate to discuss what the Super Stunt Team had discovered since Rollbar's departure. Linkage Part 8

Armada cartoon

Rollbar was among the new Mini-Cons seen under Decepticon control after Starscream first acquired the power of the Star Saber. Conspiracy Scavenger took Rollbar as his personal Mini-Con when he left to join the Autobots, and Powerlinxed with Rollbar to use his Dozer Cannon against Cyclonus in his first mission with the new team. Trust

Rollbar was present at the team meeting when the Autobots decided what to do with the Mini-Cons who formed the Requiem Blaster. Runaway

When Scavenger needed to teach Hot Shot a lesson about teamwork and leadership after Optimus Prime's death, he Powerlinxed with Rollbar and used their Dozer Cannon to drive home the point. Remorse As the Autobots prepared to launch into space for Cybertron aboard the Axalon, Rollbar was among the many Mini-Cons who boarded for the mission. Depart Rollbar later showed up very briefly Powerlinxed with Scavenger during the battle with the Decepticons on Cybertron. Uprising

Panini Armada comic

Rollbar was among the Mini-Cons on board the piece of the Mini-Con ship that crashed on the moon. Millions of years later, he was reactivated by a probe sent by Sparkplug, and soon afterwards met Scavenger and became his partner. Between Two Worlds!

Toys

Armada

A Rollbar toy that actually has rollbars!

• Scavenger with Rollbar (Max-Con Class, 2003)

• Takara name: Devastor
• Sonokong name: Hyena
• Takara/Sonokong ID number: MC-07
• Takara release date: April 24, 2003
• Known designers: Aaron Archer (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (Takara), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Available only with the Armada Scavenger toy, Rollbar transforms into a beach buggy of undetermined, probably-made-up model. 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.

In robot mode, Rollbar can be placed in Scavenger's driver's cabin to activate electronic sound features.

There is a retooled version of Rollbar featuring a minicon symbol on one leg, matching the Energon redeco. Assumedly this was a running change released late in the Armada line.

• More information on Rollbar at TFU.info

• Scavenger with Rollbar (Max-Con Class, 2003)

The complete Race Mini-Con Team was also included as bonus add-ons with several Max-Con Class toys, including Scavenger.

Unfortunately, what retail chain offered these is unknown at this time.

Energon

• Treadbolt (Mega Class, 2004)

For Energon, Rollbar returned as redeco and a minor retool of his original mold, coming packed with his new partner Treadbolt. He's now mostly in olive green with a white star on his hood, and now has a molded Mini-Con symbol on his right shin.

As an "eleventh hour" addition to the early Energon line, this set was reportedly produced in smaller numbers than most of the rest of the line. The back of the packaging even shows the toys in their original Armada colors.

This deco of Rollbar was repurposed as Energon Hound.

• More information on Energon Rollbar at TFU.info

Notes

Foreign names

• Japanese: Dirt (ダート Dāto)
• Korean: Dirt (더트 Deoteu)

Gallery

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  Armada vehicle mode animation model