Steeljaw (G1)

The name or term "Steeljaw" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Steeljaw (disambiguation).

Steeljaw is an Autobot Mini-Cassette from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Ravage may get more screentime, but Steeljaw always beats Ravage to the catnip.

Where the Decepticon cassette with a cat-mode is a master of moving about undetected, it is fitting that his Autobot counterpart is one of the best at tracking down robots who don't want to be found. Steeljaw is a tenacious tracker of unmatched skill, whose olfactory sensors can track even the faintest scent for a range of 800 miles. All business when on the job, he can come off as cold, even rude to others, but that's just his professionalism and determination getting the better of him. Off the clock, he loves to investigate odors of all shapes and sizes, and Earth has many new and unusual smells for him to enjoy - the perfume of young women being one of his favorites. Steeljaw has a nearly unbreakable bite, from which he takes his name, and is armed with two solar-powered pellet guns. He can electromagnetize himself to stick to surfaces in cassette mode. His only real weakness is a tendency to rust.

My man Steeljaw can sniff out any trail, if it's hot or if it's not.Blaster, "Madman's Paradise"

French-Canadian name: Macho

Italian name: Fender

Latin-American name (The Headmasters): Carter

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Frank Welker (English), Masashi Ebara (Japanese)

In 2005, during Megatron's attack on Autobot City, Soundwave ejected several of his cassette warriors to prevent Blaster from sending a radio transmission to Optimus Prime on Moonbase One. To fend off Soundwave's cassettes, Blaster ejected his own force, including Steeljaw. Blaster's cassettes and Soundwave's cassettes appeared to be evenly matched, and Steeljaw had no small bit of fun gnawing on Rumble. The Transformers: The Movie

Guess which band he has recorded on himself

In the year 2006, Steeljaw was summoned by Rodimus Prime to help track down Daniel Witwicky, after he vanished from a dignitary's party on Cybertron. Steeljaw tracked the boy and Grimlock to an old abandoned corridor and a hidden chamber, where the Quintessons had once exiled their unwanteds into other dimensions. Along with Ultra Magnus, Blaster and the other cassettes, Steeljaw followed the trail into Menonia. He ultimately found Daniel trying to free a great sorcerer known as the Golden One from a tomb. With Ramhorn's help, they broke open the mouth of the cave, and the Golden One helped the Autobots defeat the Quintesson exile who had enslaved the locals. Madman's Paradise

Steeljaw also helped recover a lost Quintesson journal, The Quintesson Journal, briefly fought alongside Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus in Europe The Ultimate Weapon, and was chosen as a "Primitive" by Primacron's Assistant to face the threat of Tornedron. Call of the Primitives

The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1 The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

Japanese cartoon continuity

Scramble City OVA

Megatron sent Ratbat to find the secret location of Metroplex's construction site. Blaster ejected his own cassette troops, Steeljaw among them, to counter the Decepticon threat. His cassette army failed, allowing Ratbat to slip through and discover the location of Metroplex. Scramble City

The Headmasters cartoon

In this series, Steeljaw had the power to talk in normal Japanese.

Steeljaw and the Mini-Cassettes journeyed to the Arctic with Blaster to help Hot Rod in the search for the Matrix of Leadership. They confronted the Predacons and Steeljaw battled the tiger, Rampage. Tragedy struck when Blaster was killed in battle with his arch-foe, Soundwave. Steeljaw tried to recover whatever remnants of his friend that he could. The Mystery of Planet Master Steeljaw and the Cassettes mourned the loss of their friend so greatly that they couldn't even go on missions. Eventually, Rodimus Prime had Blaster rebuilt using Master technology as Twincast. Reunited, Steeljaw and Twincast infiltrated Trypticon and the planet Chaar to stop Galvatron's Madmachine from being used against the Autobots. The Great Cassette Operation Later, in a form of stealth mission usually reserved for Decepticon Cassettes, Ramhorn and Steeljaw somehow managed to reach Chaar on their own and spy on Scorponok, learning all about his plans for plasma energy. The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts

After the Decepticons abandoned the solar system to seek out more energy, Twincast, Steeljaw and the Mini-Cassettes joined Fortress' crew in hunting them down. On Paradise, Steeljaw was dispatched on a scouting mission, and learned Highbrow had been kidnapped by the Decepticons. He alerted Twincast to what he had discovered. Head Formation of Friendship

Back on Earth, Steeljaw and the Mini-Cassettes ejected to help Twincast gather information on the recent upsurge of Decepticon activity. Steeljaw and Twincast went to investigate a non-responsive outpost in Alaska, only to discover Scorponok had eliminated all the Autobots stationed there. They were spotted by Sixshot, and Twincast commanded Steeljaw to flee back to Autobot City with their report. Steeljaw remained behind, hidden by a rocky outcrop, long enough to see his commander shot down by the Ninja Commander, and vowed to return with help. True to his silent vow, Steeljaw, eventually came back with Fortress Maximus and Metroplex. Now that's a cavalry. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg When the Decepticons seemingly abandoned Earth, Steeljaw and his fellow Mini-Cassettes did some investigating to make sure they were gone. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)

In the final battle at the North Pole, Steeljaw and the Mini-Cassettes were unleashed on Mindwipe to save the Headmasters. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)

Teletraan Go! Go! comics

Both a noble protector and apparently rather creepy.

As Teletraan 15 recovered from her injuries at the hands (and mouth) of Galvatron, Blaster gave her a cassette tape to cheer her up, saying, "A princess like you deserves happier music." When she listened to it, she discovered that it was in fact entirely full of depressing songs.

It was also apparently Steeljaw, who became her companion in her next adventure, when she visited the Generation 2 timeline and encountered the Jetfire of that era. Steeljaw commented that the Autobot smelled "like a warrior I know" and asked if he was the same person in a new body.

Steeljaw accompanied and protected Teletraan 15 on her journey as she filled his recording space with data on the Transformers whom she had been sent to study. The observing Teletraan 10, on the other hand, was more than perturbed by Steeljaw's fondness for the smell of young women, and threatened to reveal publicly his tendency to rust. When the pair returned to the artificial satellite Nana, Teletraan 15 was suddenly possessed by the disembodied spirit of Starscream... and Steeljaw was not seen in her company again.

Marvel Comics continuity

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

Generation 1

Marvel UK future timelines

Hold the Quintessons' what?

In an alternate timeline of the year 2008, Steeljaw was stationed at Autobot City: Earth when it was sacked by Quintessons. He survived, hidden within Blaster's tape compartment, and was activated by Hot Rod and Arcee to help them fight off the invaders. Space Pirates!

Generation 2

G.I. Joe Starring Snake-Eyes and the Transformers

In the normal timeline (albeit in a G.I. Joe comic), Steeljaw was part of a team sent by Optimus Prime to stop a Cobra-rebuilt Megatron. Steeljaw was killed rather abruptly, being the first victim of Megatron's new "hyper-velocity" rail gun. Final Transformations

Dreamwave comics continuity

Steeljaw was depicted among Blaster and the cassettes as part of the resistance movement organized against Shockwave on Cybertron by Hot Rod and Kup. He participated in the final conflict against the Decepticons and the Guardian Robots, bringing the planet back under Autobot control. Countdown to Extinction

Toys

Generation 1

• Rewind & Steeljaw (Cassette 2-pack, 1986/1987)
  • Accessories: Left and right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns"

Steeljaw transforms from a microcassette into a robotic lion. His cassette mold can fit in the tape compartments of Blaster and Soundwave. For the Hasbro line, he was only available in a two-pack with Rewind.

There is a notable variation concerning Steeljaw's add-on weapons; initial releases have gold-colored chrome, while later (and more common) versions have silver-chromed weapons.

• Steeljaw (Cassettebot, 1986/1987)
  • Japanese ID number: C-65, C-120
  • Accessories: Left and right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns"

In Japan, Steeljaw --like most of the "Cassettebots" and "Cassettetrons"-- was only (originally) individually available, and was released again in the Headmasters. He was only ever released with silver weapons in Japan.

• Twincast (Autobot, 1987)
  • Japanese ID number: C-116
  • Accessories: Left and right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns"

Steeljaw was later packed in with Twincast, the "reborn" version of Blaster. This release added a special decal to his "tape window", which showed the weak point of Scorponok when viewed through Twincast's chestplate-window, in a manner like the Tech Spec decoders. Also, this version is made of two slightly different colored yellow plastic. His body is the same color as other releases, however, his legs, feet, head, and tail are a shade lighter.

• Broadcast (Autobot, 2006)
  • Japanese ID number: TFC-21
  • Accessories: Left and right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns", tape case

Although he had originally been packed in with Twincast in Japan, for the Transformers Collection series, Steeljaw came with plain old Blaster instead; his place in the Twincast re-release taken by Flip Sides. He also came with a clear-plastic cassette case to be "stored" in, which was originally available only with the first three individual Cassettetrons: Frenzy, Laserbeak and Ravage.

• Great Cassette Operation 2 (2009)
  • Encore number: 17
  • Accessories: Left and right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns"

As part of the Encore Generation 1 reissue line, Steeljaw was released with Ratbat, Ramhorn and Slugfest. His add-on weapons are gold-colored. As with the version released with the Twincast reissue, the feet, legs, and tail are a lighter color of yellow plastic than the rest of the body.

Universe (2008)

G1 Series

• Autobot Blaster (2010)
  • Accessories: Left and right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns"

Steeljaw was available in this San Diego Comic-Con exclusive reissue of Blaster alongside Ramhorn and Eject. Released as part of the Universe (2008) toyline, the packaging also has a special foil-detailed outer slip case. This release has the gold-colored weapons and the lighter-colored plastic on the head, feet, legs, and tail.

This set was also made available at the Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong Fair 2010.

External links

• Steeljaw on TFU.info
• Steeljaw's Universe profile at NTFA.net