Breakdown (IDW)

This article is about the unaligned Velocitronian. For the Decepticon Stunticon, see Breakdown (G1). For a list of other meanings, see Breakdown (disambiguation).

Breakdown is a Velocitronian from the IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

He's got the biggest puppy-dog eyes.

Conjunx Endura with Knock Out, Breakdown is heavier and slower than what his speed-focused people on Velocitron idealize. Since his world's entry into the Council of Worlds, he has become part of cross-planet endeavors that his Conjunx has gotten involved in. Unlike Knock Out, he goes about his life with more humility towards others.

Fiction

IDW Generation 1 continuity

INTENSE CHEERING ACTION

Moonracer mentioned Knock Out's Conjunx Endura while explaining Velocitronian society to Windblade. Windblade vol. 2 #4 The next day, Breakdown was in Delta watching the Benefit 500, and thus he cheered upon witnessing the offworlder Blurr's dazzling victory. Race Against the Light After Knock Out had joined the Council of Worlds, the two emigrated to Cybertron and took a trip to the Acid Wastes on Chosen One Day. Choose Me

Some time later, he reminded Knock Out to be nice while dealing with Moonracer. 07:00:00

If no-one else can help, and if you can find them...

When a wave of undead Titans approached Cybertron, the two Velocitronians joined the efforts to repel the invaders; Knock Out using his superior speed to lure a Titan into his Conjunx's fusillade of heavy artillery. Ping Their efforts weren't enough, and the Cybertronians were soon pushed back against the Spire in the face of a seemingly endless zombie onslaught. With no other recourse, Windblade hit upon a desperate idea to force the spacebound Carcer to transform, and assembled a team to infiltrate the ship and wrest control of the Titan from its captain Elita One. Desperate Times Breakdown was partnered with Lightbright, Sparkstalker and Blurr. While searching for Titan's brain module however, they were intercepted and detained by Elita herself. Desperate Measures

When offering Windblade advice for the upcoming political debate, Knock Out revealed he'd stayed on Cybertron primarily for Breakdown's sake. Breakdown and Knock Out attended the debates together and both participated in Windblade's victory party The Chosen One

When you are aboard an alien construct of uncertain design and purpose, you touch nothing!

Breakdown eventually got a job as a lab assistant to Wheeljack. Following Windblade's appointment as the new ruler of Cybertron, she sent the two to the subterranean colony of New Prysmos to examine the Talisman. As they approached the outskirts of the city, Breakdown inadvertently discovered that some of the Talisman's energy had surged beneath the city; touching a glowing crack in the ground like any good scientist, his arm began to crumble and die. Wheeljack quickly amputated the limb before the infection could spread any futher and the two retreated to a medical bay. Breakdown was still convulsing when Kup and Ironhide arrived. His negative reaction to the Talisman's energy inspired Cindarr and Virulina to use magic against their Cybertronian hosts. Schismatic

After Ironhide and Kup had gone to confront the Prysmosians about the Talisman burrowing to Vector Sigma, Breakdown recovered enough to aid Wheeljack in determining the necrotic effects of magic on Cybertronian biology. The two determined that the Cybertronians simply lacked sufficient time to properly understand magic before the Talisman would reach the core and reported this glum news to Ironhide when he returned. The Spectral Knights then arrived and proposed an alliance which Ironhide reluctantly agreed to. Cybertron No More

After Breakdown got a new arm attached, Wheeljack explained that the magic Breakdown had been exposed to was essentially just gamma radiation but augmented by inconsistent variances that all seemed to break down molecular structure. This led the scientist to theorize that the gamma radiation was a carrier and he exposed Breakdown's severed arm to the counter-frequency that neutralized the gamma radiation and restored the limb to pristine condition. The Velocitronian pointed out that the limb was beginning to disintegrate again but it was better than Wheeljack had expected and their best chance at saving Cybertron. Desperate Measures

Notes

• Breakdown is, of course, directly based on Prime Breakdown. Mairghread Scott confirmed from the get-go that he is Knock Out's Conjunx Endura, likely a wink at fans who believed that Prime Knock Out's relationship with Breakdown was more than platonic.
• While he was introduced midway through Windblade Vol. 2, Breakdown was left conspicuously unnamed (even being referred to only as "Knock Out's Conjunx" in the Holiday Special!) for some time, as there was another Breakdown already present in the IDW continuity. It wasn't until the release of the preview for Transformers vs. Visionaries #1, which included a cast page, that he was officially confirmed as being named Breakdown.