Drag Strip (G1)

Drag Strip is a Decepticon Stunticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Step 1: Defend crotch. Step 2: Aim laser. Step 3: Fire randomly.

Drag Strip has never heard of the term "graceful in victory". He doesn't just like to win, he loves it. Drag Strip would sooner die a miserable death than ever sacrifice a victory, as he thrives on the bragging rights which accompany first place. He can't keep himself from stroking his own ego and bragging about his accomplishments in excruciating detail.

The other Decepticons, Megatron included, hate his metal guts and would gladly pummel him to scrap for being plain obnoxious if it weren't for the fact that his insatiable lust for victory makes him a formidable foe against the Autobots.

Drag Strip combines with his fellow Stunticons to form Menasor.

French-Canadian name: Démarro<br />

Japanese name: Drag Stripe<br />

Italian name: Iguana

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

Voice actor: Ron Gans (English), Kōki Kataoka (Japanese)

Long before fans, Rumble was inventing his own Toilet-modes for Transformers.

After a failed attempt to steal experimental superfuel from United States Military, Megatron realized that while the Decepticons controlled the skies, the Autobots had supremacy on the ground, and so they needed new ground-based warriors who could out-drive and out-fight the Autobots on their terms. Rumble was sent to steal various human vehicles that would be rebuilt in to the new Stunticons. In Drag Strip's case, Rumble targeted a the winner of a Formula 1 race on national television, which was a bad idea really, as it alerted the Autobots to Megatron's scheme. The Decepticons journeyed to Cybertron, beat the Key to Vector Sigma out of Alpha Trion's possession and ordered the ancient supercomputer to give life to the Stunticons. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 Whilst the Autobots were trapped on Cybertron, the Decepticons returned to Earth with the newly awakened Stunticons who began wrecking havoc and damaging the Autobots' good name by attacking the US military base containing the experimental rocket fuel. Eventually, the Autobots returned with the newly built Aerialbots whose combined form Superion defeated the Stunticon combiner Menasor. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2

Despite this defeat, the Stunticons were the key component in Megatron's elaborate scheme to hold a fake charity race from Paris to Istanbul so he could steal US driver Auggie Cahnay's experimental car which would be melted down to house the the powerful Pearl of Bahoudin. One by one, the Stunticons disabled the Autobot participants assigned to protect Cahnay, but the downfall of Megatron's plan came when he ordered the Stunticons to stop going after the remaining Autobots. Together, Cahnay, Bumblebee, Tracks and Bluestreak defeated Menasor and destroyed the Pearl of Bahoudin. Trans-Europe Express

Come to Cuba, and let loose your wild side.

When Megatron was infected with Cosmic Rust after a trip to the lost Autobot colony of Antilla, the Stunticons were assigned to capture the Autobot scientist Perceptor, who had developed the powerful anti-corrosion Corrostop. Drag Strip water skiied behind a speedboat driven by Wildrider, allowing him to force Perceptor to back into the awaiting Motormaster. After Megatron cured himself and infected the Autobots with the Cosmic Rust, Menasor attacked the Statue of Liberty in New York City with the ancient Lightning Bug heat ray, intent on stopping the Autobots from matter-duplicating more Corrostop from the layer they sprayed on the statue. Superion defeated Menasor and destroyed the Lightning Bug. Cosmic Rust

After Starscream was banished for yet another failed coup, he returned with a powerful new Decepticon team called the Combaticons who were able to outfight Autobot and Decepticon alike. With Megatron needing a trump card, Soundwave attempted to call on the Stunticons to help, but Drag Strip said to tell Megatron to blow it out his exhaust pipe. However, the Stunticons belatedly arrived after the Combaticon's combined form of Bruticus defeated Devastator and forced Megatron acknowledge Starscream as the new Decepticon leader. Realizing that Starscream would not stop at Megatron, the Stunticons merged into Menasor and disabled Bruticus in one mighty punch. Starscream's Brigade

Where'd he get this head from, anyway?

When Megatron needed additional equipment for his latest secret weapon, he sent the Stunticons out to steal it for him. Drag Strip and Dead End stormed a U.S. military base and scooped up an new experimental generator for their leader. On the way back, Drag Strip kept trying to taunt the disinterested Dead End into racing with him back to base. Their racing was interrupted, though, by the Autobots Tracks and Warpath. Drag Strip was knocked for a loop by Warpath's rapid-fire shells from his turret gun. Brought in to Autobot custody, the Stunticons were held prisoner while Optimus Prime and the Autobots used camouflage paint to disguise themselves as the Stunticons in order to enter Megatron's good graces and learn the purpose of the stolen equipment. Mirage, the Autobot's spy, took Drag Strip's place. The Stunticons did manage to break loose, though, and smashed their way out of the Ark as Menasor and made their rendezvous with Megatron, only to find themselves confronted with a faux Menasor, created by a combination of Mirage's illusions and Windcharger's magnetism. The real Menasor easily broke the delicately bonded "Menasor", but the Autobots had also sabotaged the equipment before handing it over to Megatron. After the super-cannon exploded, the Stunticons fled the battle. Masquerade

In the wake of Unicron's attack on Cybertron in the year 2005 and the subsequent Decepticon exile to Chaar in 2006, the Stunticons were reduced to being scavengers, fighting like slargs with their fellow Decepticons over the few scraps of energon they had. This changed when Cyclonus brought news of Galvatron's survival, and the Stunticons were among the first to donate their few remaining energon supplies to help revive their leader and give the Decepticons purpose. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 However, while Cyclonus and the Sweeps were resurrecting Galvatron, the Quintessons arrived on Chaar with an offer of energon in exchange for attacking the Autobots. Drag Strip was among those who were incredulous at their offer... but the Stunticons were instrumental in convincing the other Decepticons to go along with the Quintessons. Drag Strip was the very first Decepticon to board the Quintesson ship when ordered. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 After Galvatron returned to seize control of the Decepticons, the Stunticons were part of the Decepticon team attacking the Autobots on Earth. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5 The Ultimate Weapon The Burden Hardest to Bear The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1

Marvel Comics continuity

Generation 1

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

Drag Strip and the Stunticons, along with the other Special Teams, were first conceived within Buster Witwicky's mind shortly after the human had relinquished control of the Creation Matrix to Optimus Prime. Shockwave was able to view this data remotely and prepare for their development. Second Generation!

And thus Drag Strip was born! Oh, and all those blue guys, too, we guess.

Upon learning that the cerebro shell implanted in Optimus Prime had also granted them access to the powers of the Creation Matrix, Megatron and Soundwave immediately built a team of Decepticons. The new Stunticons, which included Drag Strip, were sent to find the Autobot, Skids, who had earned new trust for the Autobots by publically saving a human. After Drag Strip and the others knocked over every car in their way to get to Skids, they turned to "protect" him from the new Aerialbots, hoping to confuse the public and discredit the Autobots. Drag Strip combined with his fellow Stunticons to form Menasor, and they fought the Aerialbots' Superion. Heavy Traffic!

Drag Strip and the other Stunticons watched in horror as Megatron bludgeoned Motormaster with a boulder for suggesting that he might need their assistance in defeating Optimus Prime. Prey!

Megatron gathered Drag Strip and the rest of the Stunticons before him to escort him in gun mode to Florida, where they would be air-lifted to the Decepticons' new island headquarters. In the wake of the death of Optimus Prime, Megatron's paranoia had grown so great that Drag Strip and the others left their leader behind to deal with a random human truck. Gone but Not Forgotten! After Megatron's apparent demise, Drag Strip stood by while his new commander, Shockwave, spoke to Ratbat on Cybertron about the temporary use of Trypticon on Earth. King of the Hill!

Drag Strip was at Shockwave's side when the Decepticon leader suffered an embarrassment at the hands of Galvatron, part of a successful ploy by Galvatron to alienate Shockwave's troops. Enemy Action!

During a battle on the Moon between Blaster and Grimlock for command of the combined Earth/Nebulos Autobot forces, recently-promoted Decepticon commander Ratbat orchestrated a surprise assault on both groups. Motormaster led Drag Strip and the entire Earth-based Decepticon army from their space-faring Decepticon headquarters. But when Blaster and Grimlock noticed the ambush, they teamed up and turned the tide against the Decepticons. Drag Strip was defeated by a shot from Grimlock's missile launchers, and after many casualties, the Decepticons were forced to retreat. Totaled!

Drag Strip will take your bags up to your room.

Ratbat moved their space-traveling island base back to Earth's seas, where it became a human travel resort to smokescreen the Decepticons' efforts to locate a key to finding the powerful Underbase. Drag Strip was advertised on television as part of the island's smiling welcoming party. The Autobots sent Blaster and Jessie to rescue Buster Witwicky, and Jessie was able to sneak into the Decepticons' base and past Drag Strip and Vortex (who were telling jokes to each other) to find Buster. Club Con! After the Decepticons found what they were looking for, Drag Strip was seen escorting Buster Witwicky back to his cell. The Flames of Boltax!

Earthforce

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

Back in action on Earth, Drag Strip and his Stunticon partner Dead End began working for a faction of Decepticons led by Megatron. Megatron had created an ozone-warping rocket, designed to trap heat in the atmosphere which could be tapped for a new source of energy, even though it would virtually destroy all life on Earth. Their plan was interrupted by two Autobots, Wheeljack and Prowl. Starting Over! While Wheeljack kept the Stunticons busy, Prowl leapt onto the rocket itself, his weight knocking it off course and causing it to crash before it reached the apex point in the atmosphere it was meant to travel to. Drag Strip and Dead End raced to the crashsite, hoping to retrieve the atmospheric poisons Megatron had loaded it with. At the fallen rocket, however, they ran into Runabout and Runamuck, who were interested in securing the equipment for their commander, Shockwave. The four Decepticons began to tussle, little realizing Prowl had already snuck away and neutralized the cannisters. Life in the Slow Lane

Later on, when the Decepticons attacked the Autobot Earthbase, Drag Strip is seen charging into battle in robot mode for some reason, even though the Battlechargers and his fellow Stunticons are all racing forward in vehicle mode. Divide and Conquer! When the Decepticons needed to kidnap the Autobots' human ally, Irwin Spoon, Drag Strip and the Stunticons ran interference for Motormaster so that he could get away with the human stored inside his cab. After Breakdown took himself out of action, though, only Drag Strip and Dead End were left to stop Bumblebee and Tracks from catching up with their leader. The two Stunticons raced up onto the rear bumpers of their foes, only to be caught off guard when the Autobots suddenly broke away, sending the Decepticon cars hurtling into the back wheels of their own boss, Motormaster, knocking all of them off the road. End of the Road!

Drag Strip and Dead End are mistakenly named as Shockwave's troops in Life in the Slow Lane, just as the Battlechargers are mistakenly identified as working for Megatron.

Marvel UK future timelines

In 2003, Ravage uncovered information about a new city the Autobots were planning to build, and sent the Stunticons out to intercept Kup, who was carrying the schematics to their human allies. Demonstrating the same skills that earned them high honors in Skywarp's "Schoolyard-Bullying 101" seminar, Drag Strip and the Stunticons ganged up on the wily old Autobot and demanded his lunch money the data disk. Kup was relatively willing to give it up (the disk was, after all, a fake), but Drag Strip still had two of his buddies grab the Autobot's arms so's he could get in a few gutshots for good measure. And, to make a good day even better, Drag Strip and his cronies got to beat up Hot Rod a few minutes later too! Ark Duty

Generation 2

"Which is mostly all of him, turns out."

Drag Strip participated in the Decepticons' first battle with the Cybertronian Empire. It, uh...didn't go too well. Any fight you can walk away from may be a good one, but any fight that leaves you scouring a planet for the impact crater your leader made after he was knocked out of space can't have been that good. New Dawn

Dreamwave comics continuity

At some point in Cybertron's recent history, the Stunticons were deemed psychotic and too dangerous to function in society, and as a result were placed into perpetual stasis lock inside of a prison facility. Later, in an attempt to create a diversion while he set his final plans in motion, Shockwave arranged for the release of the Stunticons. They formed into Menasor and ran amok for awhile, until Ultra Magnus arrived and began insulting them. Unable to reconcile with this, the five Stunticons began to bicker with each other over whose fault it was that they were failing, temporarily stopping Menasor and allowing Ultra Magnus to ram the combiner in the chest, forcing him to separate into his component parts and disabling the Stunticons.

IDW comics continuity

"Well...there goes the neighborhood...again."

When Megatron launched his brutal rebellion, Drag Strip participated in the battle of Kaon alongside Dead End, defending themselves against Sentinel Prime and his Apex Armor. Megatron Origin issue 4

Toys

Generation 1

I think my cannon might be affecting my racing profile.

• Drag Strip (Stunticon, 1986/1987)
• Team ID number: S4
• Japanese ID number: D-52
• Accessories: Gravito-gun, plasma-energy cannon, cannon connector

Drag Strip transforms into a Tyrell P-34 Six-Wheeler race car. He comes with a purple double-barreled plasma energy cannon that attaches to the back of his vehicle mode.

In robot mode he is armed with a small purple "Gravito-gun". Since he was designed with the Scramble City-style combination, he can form the arm or leg to any similarly-constructed robot combination, though his nominal placement is as the right arm to Menasor.

• Menasor (Giftset, 1986)
• Japanese ID number: D-55

Drag Strip was also available as part of the Menasor giftset.

Generation 2

Yeah, G2 sure was nothing but neon.

• Drag Strip (Stunticon)
• Team ID number: S4
• Accessories: Gravito-gun, plasma-energy cannon, cannon connector

For the Generation 2 line, Hasbro intended to release redecoes of the Stunticons in 1994, with Drag Strip being cast in primarily black plastic, with blue accents. Ultimately, however, the toys never went into mass production and remained officially unreleased. Only the four limbs are known to have made it to the sample packaging stage, having turned up in very limited numbers over the years (with the exception of Generation 2 Breakdown, who was available at BotCon 1994 in somewhat larger quantities). All the Generation 2 Stunticons are known to catch high prices on the secondary market.

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Your bargaining posture is highly dubious.

Proceed on your way to oblivion.<br />This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

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Universe (2008)

Special Edition

He's got a bit of a yellow streak.

• Decepticon Drag Strip ("Special Edition" Deluxe, 2008)
• Accessories: Front spoiler/gun

Universe Decepticon Drag Strip is a redeco of Classics Mirage. He transforms into a closed-canopy Formula racer concept car. (With only four wheels, alas.) The front "wing" of the car mode detaches to become a handheld weapon. Like the other "Special Edition" figures, Drag Strip comes in a black book box-style packaging with monochrome art.

Though an Asian/Australian-market exclusive, Drag Strip will be available for purchase in the United States via Hasbro Toy Shop.

This mold was also used to make Fracture and BotCon 2007 clear Mirage.

External links

• Drag Strip at TFU.info
• Drag Strip's Universe profile at NTFA.net