Hubs

Hubs is an Autobot Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

I'll go ya one better, if you've got the nerve. Let's race all the way... to Deadman's Curve.

Though every member of the Hot Rod Patrol is a young bot with a rebellious streak, Hubs takes it a step further than the rest. He's the youngest and most energetic of the team... which, combined with his also being the least skilled member, often leads to him getting neck-deep in trouble. The overly-aggressive Trip-Up also serves as a bad influence on the impressionable bot. It doesn't help that his anti-authoritarian streak is so wide that he even chafes when the "leader of the pack" Big Daddy takes command. Big Daddy finds himself having to watch Hubs carefully, as he's the only one of the team he's worried about getting into serious trouble when on missions.

Fiction

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Hubs was the junior member of the Hot Rod Patrol. He hooked up with Big Daddy and his crew during the Meltdown Riots and signed on full-time as a member of the Autobot army. Despite this, he maintained a decent friendship with Motorhead, rookie Decepticon for their counterparts in the Race Track Patrol. The two of them were trading jabs during a fight when Motorhead's shooting went wild, killing a fellow Micro named Crunch. Crunch's death was the final straw that led to the Hot Rods resigning from the Autobots and trying to go it on their own. Destined for Nothing

Hubs followed Big Daddy out into the Wastelands and after a brief encounter with highwaymen, traveled on to Little Iacon. At The Burn Outs, Hubs met up with Motorhead and had to break the news of Crunch's death to him. Before they could discuss it any further, Big Daddy challenged Roadhandler, the baddest of the bad, to a race. Everything else was forgotten as the Micros made their way outside to get a good view. Hubs was pumped about how cool his leader was, until he lost the race at the last moment when Roadhandler pulled some slick moves. Hubs tried to call out Big Daddy on his loss, but Trip-Up and Greaser made him show some respect—ain't no way anyone else could do so well against Roadhandler, so represent, yo. The Gray Race

Little Iacon soon came under attack from Shockwave's mutant freaks, and the Hot Rod Patrol peeled out to get some reinforcements from Autobot HQ. Turned out, however, that the Rank-and-File Brigade had smeared their reputations something nasty after they left, and they couldn't even get inside. The only bit of luck was Stakeout sneaking them some weapons. Recipe for Hate With nowhere else to go, they hooked up with Aerospace Commander Countdown in order to infiltrate Decepticon headquarters and rescue the Autobot Micros. They succeeded in time to stop Skystalker from pushing the Autobots and Decepticons into a double-suicide conflict so Skystalker could pick up the pieces. It was a victory, but a hollow one, and Hubs and the Hot Rod Patrol continued to question their role in the war. Victims of the Revolution

IDW Generation 1 continuity

Hubs was one of the denizens of Gorlam Prime who accosted Hardhead and Nightbeat when they arrived on the planet. Spotlight: Hardhead

Toys

Generation 1

Wanna see my Willys?

• Hot Rod Patrol (Micromaster Patrol, 1990)

Hubs transforms into a pale green 1941 Willys Coupe hot rod. Like Big Daddy, due to his large wheels, he slopes forward slightly, though not to the extent of his teammate's vehicle mode. He was only available in a four-pack with his teammates Big Daddy, Greaser and Trip-Up.

• More information on Hubs at TFU.info

Return of Convoy

• Hot Rod Team (Micro Trailer Team, 1991)
  • Japanese ID number: C-362
  • Accessories: Micro Trailer #2

The Hot Rod Patrol was released in the Return of Convoy series with no notable changes to the individuals. However, they did come with Micro Trailer #2.

Notes

• Hubs' Japanese name "Lucas" is probably a reference to George Lucas, who wrote and directed the hot-rod-laden movie American Graffiti before he brought us Star Wars.
• The Hot Rod Patrol include 4 decades of cars: 1934, 1941, 1957, and 1966.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Lucas (ルーカス Rūkasu)
• Italian: Grifo