Inferno Combiner

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The Inferno Combiner is an Autobot Combiner from the Power of the Primes portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

When he hears that fire-bell chime / Inferno's got Nexus Prime
Putting on his legs and arms / to be sure they're safe from harm

Inferno may be bold and bombastic in a firefight, but as a firefighter he instinctively understands the value of life and how essential it is to stand up for it. It's this quieter, nobler trait that comes to the forefront when the "Inferno Combiner" is formed. Whether it's rescuing wounded Autobots from hazardous environments by literally making them its limbs or stepping up when beloved heroes go missing, all else is secondary in service of others' survival.

While the motivation to form this Combiner is plain as day, who it (he? they?) becomes as a gestalt conciousness - if they even become one - is less obvious. It's likely Inferno is in the driver's seat if he considers it reliable enough to swap in and out components in the middle of an active crisis, but this may also be a testament to the good-natured Autobot spirit of collaboration and teamwork.

Not that everyone is quite so combatible or open-minded, of course, but that's why firefighting is often volunteer work!

Fiction

Of Masters and Mayhem

Project: Firestormer was a program to create a new Combiner after Optimus Prime went missing. Ratchet, Hoist, Sideswipe, and Inferno wanted Bluestreak to join them in the initiative, but Bluestreak did not like the idea of becoming part of a Combiner. Ultimately, Project: Firestormer was never completed, presumably due to Thunder Mayhem's rampage. Lively Pursuit

Prime Wars Trilogy marketing material

The Autobot Inferno could enhance his firefighting skills by linking with Prime Masters. Power of the Primes Inferno packaging bio As "Nexus Inferno" he would wield the enigmatic power of Nexus Prime selflessly, combining with damaged bots to get them moving and out of danger. Power of the Primes Nexus Inferno card

Toys

Power of the Primes

He's always on the scene / In-fer-no
And his leg is minty green / In-fer-no

• Inferno (Voyager Class, 2018)
• 4 x compatible Deluxe Class figures

Power of the Primes Voyager Class Inferno can be linked with any four compatible Combiner Wars-style Deluxe Class figures to form an unnamed Combiner. Instructions and TakaraTomy stock photos show Blot and Cutthroat as the left and right arms, respectively, while Moonracer and Sinnertwin form the left and right legs, respectively. Meanwhile, Wreck-Gar's instructions show him as the left arm, Rippersnapper as the right arm, with Blot and Sinnertwin as the left and right legs, respectively. Finally, the lateral packaging art for Inferno and Wreck-Gar shows Jazz as the left arm (with the right arm not in view) while Slug and Sludge form the left and right legs, respectively.

As a Power of the Primes Combiner, a Prime Master, Matrix core, or Enigma can be installed within the Inferno Combiner's hands or feet, such as the "Autobot Enigma" that comes packed with Inferno. They cannot be installed in the Combiner's chest as the Inferno mold does not include a space for such a piece due to being retooled from an older mold.

Notes

• The unnamed Power of the Primes Inferno Combiner isn't the first time Inferno has been a combiner component—Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 has him as one of the Rescuebots who form that series' version of Defensor.
• The Inferno Combiner's right arm is obscured out of view on Power of the Primes packaging art, but line-artist Robby Musso eventually posted an uncropped view depicting some version of the Moonracer mold as the drawn limb in question... though we'll note that Novastar has a pre-existing connection with Inferno and was similarily released towards the tail end of the line.
• The packaging for Deluxe Class Wreck-Gar also included the Inferno Combiner art despite Wreck-Gar not being part of the artwork.

External links

• Clearer view of Power of the Primes packaging art by Robby Musso on Facebook