Drift (G1)

This article is about the Generation 1 character. For the Armada episode, see Drift (episode).

Drift is an Autobot in the IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Oh Drift-chan, you smell awesome, and not at all like feet!"

Drift (ドリフト Dorifuto) is totally sugoi! He's a member of a ragtag team of rebels under the command of Kup, working alongside many members of the Wreckers. Just how he rose from total obscurity to this level of distinction is just part of his mysterious past. Drift isn't very talkative, letting his sword and his smirk speak for him.

Fiction

IDW comics

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

Seriously, you made this guy up when you were eight.

Drift was among the crew of the spacecraft Trion when it was baited into a Decepticon ambush over Cybertron. Its command codes were hacked due to their being sold to the Decepticons by an Autobot traitor, and left defenseless it was forced to crash-land on the desolate landscape of the planet. Eventually the crew were found by Optimus Prime's unit, who unfortunately proved to also be stranded. When Mirage was revealed by Jazz to have been standing invisibly among them, Drift was the only one who didn't appear surprised. All Hail Megatron #5

When an advance scout of the Insecticon swarm discovered the Autobots' base-camp, Drift was dispatched to take care of it. Drift stood stock-still as the creature walked up to him, greeting it with a simple "hello" and smirking as the monstrous beast snarled in his face. Finally he beheaded the beast with a single wave of his sword. A second creature tried to attack Drift from behind, but the smirking Autobot merely tilted his head slightly, allowing Perceptor to kill the beast with some precision sniping. Cliffjumper thought the incident was the coolest thing ever. All Hail Megatron #6

After Sunstreaker revealed to Ironhide that he was the traitor, an army of the Swarm came after them. Drift saved Ironhide while Sunstreaker blew the bridge, killing himself and the Swarm army. Later, Drift visited Ironhide and claimed that the Decepticons had access to the Autobots' systems in a way that Sunstreaker couldn't possibly have. Ironhide asked if this meant there was a second traitor, Drift replied that there was simply more to the situation than they knew. All Hail Megatron #8

When Mirage was showing some doubt in the Autobot cause, it was Drift who said that, now more than ever, the Autobots should continue being who they are. Bumblebee insinuated that Drift had no right to say something like that, which started an argument that was only stopped by the return of Optimus Prime. All Hail Megatron #9

Notes

• Commenting on what inspired him to create Drift, writer/creator Shane McCarthy said that "I wanted a character in AHM that had a particular element to him that I didn’t see readily available elsewhere and secondly because, frankly, I thought it would be a great idea for Hasbro to have an Autobot Drift racer."

• According McCarthy, Drift's Japanese overtones are meant to be a tip of the hat "to the country that gave birth to [Transformers]." It is possible he meant Diaclone and Micro Change, as the Transformers franchise was developed between Hasbro and Marvel Entertainment, two American companies.

• IDW Publishing claimed that Drift had been solicited by Hasbro to receive a toy in the Universe line. After months of no word whatsoever on the subject from Hasbro or a single hint that such a thing would happen from the usual sources (read: leaks and stolen toys), Hasbro's Australian branch eventually answered the claim with a rather unequivocal "No, there is no character named Autobot Drift or any toy designed after the comic character coming out in our 25th Anniversary or any other Transformers line." in an online Q&A session. However, IDW editor Chris Ryall maintained at New York Comic-Con 2009 that Drift was still on track to receive a toy, but no release date had been set. In a March 2009 online Q&A session, Hasbro confirmed that no Drift toy was currently planned at all, although they "would love to make a toy after IDW's Drift and will do our best to fit him into the line at the right time."

• Drift's name is derived from the Japanese driving technique of "drifting", rendered in Japanese as ドリフト走行 (dorifuto sōkō). This is also the source of the Japanese Katakana writing on his car mode doors and in Chris Ryall's announcement; it is a transliteration of his English name and is not from Japanese fiction.

• Drift's vehicle mode design is similar to the Mega-Bloks Magna Former Magscinder, from the drifting body kit, to the rising sun deco right down to having "DRIFT" written in katakana on its car doors.