Backwind

Backwind is an Autobot-allied Mini-Con from the Power Core Combiners portion of the live-action film series continuity family.

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Ken Buddha and his illuminatable knees.

Backwind works alongside the Autobot Power Core Commander Searchlight. Backwind, like many Power Core Mini-Cons, is very versatile and useful. He can transform from a tiny robot into armor or a cannon for Searchlight's robot mode, or a winch for Searchlight's vehicle mode.

Toys

Power Core Combiners

• Searchlight with Backwind (Commander Class, 2010)

Part of the first wave of Power Core Combiners Commander Class figures, Backwind transforms form a small robot into a searchlight/winch, a hand-held cannon, or chest armor for any compatible Power Core Combiner super-mode torso. He was only available with his larger partner Searchlight. Due to the fact that he has a screwhole in his chest instead of the standard Powerlinx port, Backwind is capable of pegging onto any 5 mm post. However, he is incapable of activating any Powerlinx gimmicks on previous Powerlinx compatible toys.

This mold was also used to make Beacon and United Caliburst and Firebug.

During the period between 26 December 2010 and 31 January 2011, Hasbro ran their "Supercharge Your Holidays" promotion: for every $20 spent on Hasbro-branded product, customers could receive a free, random product from a list provided by Hasbro. Among the items on the list was "Transformers Combiners & Speed Stars Mini Vehicle". According to this discussion thread on Allspark.com, Searchlight with Backwind was one of the figures distributed.

• More information on Backwind at TFU.info

• Skyburst with Aerialbots (value pack, 2010)

This Toys"R"Us-exclusive value pack includes Skyburst, Searchlight, the Aerialbot drones, and Backwind, all for the normal cost of the Skyburst 5-pack alone. All of the toys in this set are identical to their individual releases.

• Power Core Combiners Special Value Offer (2011)

Searchlight and Backwind were also made available as part of a Walmart-exclusive Black Friday "Value Pack", combining a 5-pack team with a Commander 2-pack via packaging tape and a couple of stickers, for the whopping price of ten bucks, merely a third of what the two toys would normally cost.

So far, Searchlight has been found attached to the Mudslinger/Destructicons and Stakeout/Protectobots sets.

Notes

• Eric Siebenaler helpfully pointed out in a panel at BotCon 2010 that Backwind's name is pronounced like the "wind" in winding a rope, not "wind" as in a breeze.