Blast Master

This article is about the character. For the unrelated cartoon episode, see Master Blaster. For a list of other meanings, see Payload (disambiguation).

Blast Master is an Autobot Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Wouldn't it be more convenient if my rockets faced down?

Blast Master (aka Payload) loves receiving orders. He's eager to load up on equipment. He's enthusiastic about blasting off into space. He's delighted to engage in battle. He's also quite likely to screw up bigtime, thanks to all this reckless enthusiasm. His combiner partner on the Astro Squad is Phaser.

Fiction

Earthrise marketing material

When Sky Lynx got himself into a spot of deep space trouble, Blast Master and the rest of the Astro Squad hitched a ride on the roving comet known as Botropolis to journey out and rescue him. Botropolis Rescue Mission marketing material

Toys

The Transformers

The Cybertronian equivalent of "Bob Smith."

• Astro Squad (Micromaster Combiner Squad, 1990)

The Transformers Blast Master transforms into the back half of a black and white space shuttle. As a Micromaster Combiner, he can connect to the half-a-vehicle mode of any other Combiner to make a new vehicle mode, and can also attach to any Micromaster Combiner Transport. He was only available as part of the Astro Team, along with Phaser, Missile Master, Moonrock, Barrage, and Heave.

• More information on Blast Master at TFU.info

Return of Convoy

• Shuttle Rocket W Team (Micro Trailer Team, 1991)
  • Japanese ID number: C-364
  • Accessories: Micro Trailer #4

Blast Master was released in Return of Convoy as part of the Shuttle Rocket W Team, with Phaser, Missile Master, and Moonrock. All four toys are identical to their Hasbro releases. The set also came with Micro Trailer #4.

Generations

Thrilling 30

See? Much more convenient.

• Autobot Cosmos & Payload (Legends Class, 2013)
  • Series / Number: 02 / #006

Part of the fifth wave of 2012-onwards Generations Legends Class toys, Thrilling 30 Autobot Cosmos comes with "Payload" (trademark reasons), who transforms into both a modified X-37B space shuttle and a double-barreled blaster for Cosmos to wield via its 5 mm post. Blast Master can also plug into the black pegs on the front of Cosmos' vehicle modes via ports in the engines.

Payload was redecoed into Movie Advanced Series Astrotrain and Combiner Wars Cybaxx and Spacewarp.

• More information on Payload at TFU.info

War for Cybertron: Earthrise

And now they're pointed up again. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

• Fuzer & Autobot Blast Master (Micromaster, 2020)
  • ID number: WFC-E16
  • Japanese ID number: ER EX-11
  • Japanese release date: October 23, 2020

Part of the second wave of Earthrise Micromaster two-packs, "Autobot Blast Master" transforms from a robot into the back half of a space shuttle. In a rare moment for modern Transformers toys, the figures are sponsored by NASA, and the shuttle bears the organization's logo twice on its rear.

Blast Master can combine with his partner Fuzer to form his complete alt mode, which has ports on the back thrusters to add blast effects or to stand up on a post to simulate taking off. However, if one wants to keep the Micromasters separated, Blast Master bears a comically small crew cabin on his front. It tucks away out of sight when Blast Master combines with Fuzer. Also, Fuzer and Blast Master each have a fold-out 5mm post, allowing the combined duo to be handheld as a weapon with Blast Master's rockets serving as gun barrels.

Blast Master suffers from his back weight; getting him to stand up properly without altering his knees is a monumental challenge. Additionally, most copies of Blast Master have the 5mm peg in his chest reversed, with the flat end facing toward his head.

• Botropolis Rescue Mission (Galactic Odyssey Collection, 2021)

Released as part of the Encounter 5 set of the Earthrise Galactic Odyssey Collection, "Autobot Blast Master" is a redeco of his mass-retail figure, with new red and black accents creating a deco for the combined vehicle mode that is a dead-ringer for fellow space shuttle Micromaster, Storm Jet.

Blast Master is part of an Amazon-exclusive six-pack consisting exclusively of Autobots, bundled with fellow Micromasters Fuzer, Moonrock, and Missile Master, and the Modulators Overair and Ironworks. The Modulators are designed to combine into a giant space station which the Micromasters can interact with. Blast Master and Fuzer specifically dock onto a redeco of Earthrise Doubledealer's missile, which attaches to Overair.

This release corrects the chest peg assembly error from the last; Blast Master's chest port is now assembled with the flat end facing away from his head.

Notes

• Generations Payload's Tech Specs mostly match those of the Astro Squad, with 'Teamwork' and 'Cooperation' mapped onto 'Rank' and 'Fireblast'. The only differences are that the 'Teamwork/Rank' and 'Courage' values have both been increased from 7 to 8.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Blast Master (ブレストマスター Buresuto Masutā, ブラストマスター Burasuto Masutā)
• French: Explo-As (Canada)
• Italian: Zenit