Raf Esquivel

Raf Esquivel is a human from the Prime portion of the Aligned continuity family.

Esquivel!

He's the quiet, forgotten child of a large family, and he goes into "the zone" whenever he sees technology. You'd think he'd be constantly getting wedgies from nearby punks and biker kids, but no! Rafael "Raf" Jorge Gonzales Esquivel is, in fact, best mates with Miko Nakadai and Jack Darby! Even more incredible, he's best mates with Bumblebee, a robot car from outer space, and since other Autobots like Ratchet are unfamiliar with human technology, he's called on at Autobot Outpost Omega One to use his know-how to save the world!

When you were twelve years old, you wished you were Raf.

(Okay, he's twelve and a quarter. A very big quarter! He's very specific about that.)

Fiction

Prime cartoon

Voice actor: Andy Pessoa (English), Motoko Kumai (Japanese), Diana Torres (Spain-Spanish), Do-hyeong Nam (Korean), Davide Garbolino (Italian), Christian Zeiger (German), Alan García (Latin American Spanish), Alex Minei (Brazilian Portuguese)

"That's a Foe-Glass. Lets me keep an eye on my enemies."

Born into a large family, Raf has often felt like the smallest member and been ignored by older family members even if he were shouting for attention. Out of His Head He has been able to understand digital code since he was three. Raf's Notes

Who needs parental supervision?

Raf was playing with his radio-controlled car in a dry drainage canal when he got a call from his mother, and he promised he'd come home after another five minutes. Playtime was interrupted shortly when Jark Darby executed a motorcycle leap into the canal. Raf was impressed by that, but more so when the motorcycle turned out to be an alien robot in disguise. Arcee fought against two Decepticons and was soon joined by Bumblebee, who accidentally crushed Raf's toy underfoot. Raf wasn't too upset by the loss, and when Bumblebee was subsequently pinned down by the Decepticons, Raf courageously yelled at them to leave Bumblebee alone. He and Jack then fled up a storm drain as the Decepticons came after them, but his distraction helped the Autobots eventually win the battle.

After school the next day, Jack approached Raf and suggested they keep the whole thing to themselves. It wasn't that easy, as Bumblebee picked that moment to drive up to take Raf back to base. Raf was able to understand Bumblebee's buzzing, and he pointed out the nearby Arcee, who had come for Jack. At base, he, Jack and their friend Miko marveled at Ratchet and Bulkhead before Optimus Prime briefed them on the ongoing Autobot/Decepticon war. Darkness Rising, Part 1 When an alarm went off, Raf translated Bumblebee's statement that it was a proximity alert. He, Jack and Miko hid to avoid being seen by Agent Fowler, who was paying a visit to complain to Prime about recent Autobot activities.

A signal sent most of the Autobots rushing off on a mission, leaving the three kids with Ratchet. Raf made himself useful by helping the medical bot get the silo's aging computer system to work. Once the mission was over, Raf realised it was getting late and he was going to be grounded for a month if he didn't get home, so Optimus assigned Bumblebee to take him back and watch over him. Darkness Rising, Part 2

Bumblebee and Raf were delayed getting back to the base because they stopped off to play a video game (which Raf lost). When they finally got there, Optimus promptly left on a mission with Ratchet, and Arcee and Bumblebee further abandoned the kids, leaving them with Bulkhead. Raf attempted to join in Miko's attempt to form a band by offering to play samples on his laptop. Another visit by Fowler resulted in the federal agent being captured by the Decepticons, and Raf used his hacking skills to locate Fowler. After Bulkhead departed to try and deal with it, Jack and Raf realized that Miko had sneaked after the Autobot. They used the GroundBridge to join the pair, arriving near the Decepticon ship, where they were spotted by sentries. Darkness Rising, Part 3

"Come on, Raf, you knew Stargate had to end some day."

Bulkhead rescued the pair while they were under fire and dropped them off behind some cover before heading into the ship. Unfortunately, the pair were spotted by the Decepticons a short time later and found themselves being carried to the brig. Arcee and Bumblebee rescued them both, and the combined group found Bulkhead and Miko. The kids soon discovered that the middle of a battle—especially between giant robots—is not the healthiest place to be. The Autobots cleared out a room for them to hide in, but Jack and Miko began arguing as soon as the 'bots left. Raf became upset, and the other two had to console him, but his fears were soon forgotten when Jack pointed out an important-looking computer display. Raf's flash drive proved useless when he couldn't find a USB port, and they were interrupted by a Decepticon anyway. While Raf was fetching his backpack, the Decepticon spotted him and opened fire. He was only saved by Jack tackling him behind a Decepticon corpse. The kids legged it, and Bulkhead handily picked that moment to turn up and deal with the Decepticon. Back at the Autobot base, Jack decided to opt out of the exciting new life they'd found, and he suggested Raf do likewise, but Raf was content to stay put. Darkness Rising, Part 4

Allow me to be the Peter Parker to your Doctor Octopus.

After the Autobots went to try and prevent Megatron from using his space bridge, they discovered that the Decepticon ship no longer had the ability to target the space bridge on Cybertron. Raf suggested that the Decepticons must be using the Giant Sized Array radio telescope in Texas for targeting. He attempted to hack into the installation's computer, but found that the computers there were too secure. At Jack's suggestion, he, Jack and Miko bridged to the array and accessed it via a computer in a spare room. Raf found he was able to download the space bridge plans, and when the Decepticons diverted the dishes, he could redirect them again. Unfortunately, Soundwave was in the next room, and he sent a tentacle to attack them. Though Raf was determined to keep working, he was knocked aside. Soundwave set the dishes to target Cybertron and disabled the computer. The three kids ran into the room in time to see Soundwave leaving and discover his handiwork. Back at base, Raf supplied Ratchet with the space bridge plans so he could instruct the other Autobots on how to sabotage the bridge. Raf was later present to welcome the Autobots back from their space battle. Darkness Rising, Part 5

To cover for his visits to the Autobot base, Raf told his mom that he'd joined the Computer Club. Raf's Notes Raf decided on building a model volcano as a science project for school, though initial tests resulted in an explosion that rocked the Autobot base. He and Bumblebee continued work on it until Bumblebee had to leave on a mission, and Ratchet decided to "assist". Ratchet ended up building a large metal volcano, which blew a hole in the roof when Raf presented it at school. Masters & Students He had to stay behind to help repair the damage, which took more than a little explaining. Raf's Notes

It's not dangerous enough to go alone. Take this.

The kids arrived at base one Saturday just as Optimus and Arcee were heading off to the Arctic on a mission. Raf was keen to go as well, having never seen snow, but Optimus told him it would be too dangerous. Disappointed, Raf went to play "being in the Arctic" in a base corridor, where he stumbled on a Scraplet. Raf was enchanted by the little creature and took it back to the control room, where it attacked Bumblebee and Raf had to smash it to death with a crowbar. The Autobots realised the base was infected, and Raf teamed up with Bumblebee as they hunted for more Scraplets. They found some, only for Bumblebee to be attacked. Returning to the control room, they were set upon by more Scraplets, and Raf helped Jack and Miko fight them off of the 'bots. With time running out, the three kids repaired an energon fuel line so Ratchet could get the GroundBridge working again and send the Scraplets to the Arctic. Afterwards, the kids helped repair the damaged Autobots. Scrapheap

With the arrival of Wheeljack, the Autobots decided to party. Miko brought out her electric guitar and encouraged Raf to try some moves. He responded by reluctantly breaking into The Robot, which Bumblebee proceeded to copy. When Wheeljack was found out as a Decepticon impostor, Raf and Jack watching in alarm as he took Miko hostage. Following the return of the real Wheeljack and the impostor's ejection, the Autobots had another party, during which Raf busted out his disco moves. He, Miko and Jack later saw Wheeljack off when the Autobot returned to space. Con Job

When the Autobots helped Fowler move a hi-tech device, the kids observed their progress from base with Ratchet. The Dynamic Nuclear Generation System was in danger of being captured by MECH, and Raf was able to pinpoint the exact position of the train it was on so Ratchet could GroundBridge Jack and Miko on board. He followed that up by hacking into the rail system and changing some points to send the train down a different track, however the MECH guys responded by overloading his laptop. Convoy Ratchet later helped him fix it. Raf's Notes #5

When the Autobots discovered that an Energon Harvester was possibly on Earth, Raf used his Internet search skills to trace it to a museum. Miko roped Jack and Raf into helping to steal it. The three of them GroundBridged into the museum on a scissor lift and set about dislodging the device from the statue holding it. However, during their getaway, Miko was grabbed by a security guard and Raf and Jack ran into Soundwave. Back at base, Raf continued their attempts to contact Fowler so they could retrieve Miko. Deus ex Machina

It would seem that the Autobots aren't the only ones who go into 'robot mode' under pressure.

Miko and Raf heard all about Jack's race with Vince at school, and congratulated him when he reached the Autobot base. He swore them both to secrecy. After Vince challenged Jack to another race but Arcee refused to take part, Jack tried to convince Raf to let him take Bumblebee instead. Raf was uncertain it was a good idea, but Miko managed to convince him. He and Miko were later playing a computer game when Arcee wondered where Jack was, and they failed to cover for their friend. When Optimus asked where everyone else was, they completely failed to keep that secret too. Speed Metal

Raf finally got to see snow!

After Optimus was struck down with a Cybonic plague and Arcee and Bumblebee infiltrated the Decepticon ship, the three kids watched Ratchet monitor the pair's progress. Raf was particularly concerned when Arcee patched Bumblebee into the comatose Megatron's mind in an attempt to find a cure for the plague. Sick Mind Raf was a spectator for the subsequent basketball game between Bulkhead and Bumblebee, but was surprised at some of Bumblebee's behavior during the game. When Bumblebee failed to pick Raf up for school, Raf rang Jack. Back at base, it turned out that Bumblebee was having visions of Megatron, and Ratchet had to induce a power-down mode. Raf stayed to keep his friend company, chatting about how he was saving up for a new laptop and showing off a picture of his family to Ratchet. Raf followed Bumblebee to the control room after the Autobot spontaneously reactivated and disappeared into the GroundBridge. It transpired that Bumblebee had been possessed by Megatron, though Megatron's control was not great enough that Bumblebee couldn't prevent him from injuring Raf. Raf insisted on accompanying Ratchet, and they followed Bumblebee through the GroundBridge to the Decepticon ship, where they found Bumblebee in the process of transferring Megatron's mind back to his comatose body. Though the pair tried their best, and Raf even managed to get Bumblebee to break free from Megatron's control, ultimately, Megatron returned to his body, and the trio were forced to retreat. Back at base, Bumblebee thanked Raf for helping him. Out of His Head

When Miko seemed totally disinterested in a mission the Autobots were going on, Jack and Raf suspected she was up to something, and sure enough, she made a break for the GroundBridge. Jack and Raf were forced to follow her through and ended up on the battlefield. Once the Autobots spotted the trio, Ratchet ordered them to return through the bridge, however interference from a Decepticon GroundBridge caused a disruption. When they came to, the children found that the Autobots couldn't see or hear them, and Raf theorized that the three kids were sent to an alternate dimension he dubbed the shadowzone (Miko's response was basically NERD!). Unable to be seen or heard by the Autobots, they were pursued by Skyquake who had been resurrected as a zombie by Starscream. Raf tripped while fleeing and almost lost his glasses, without which he was blind as a bat, but Miko retrieved them for him. The kids were eventually able to take advantage of the fact that Miko had dropped her phone at the base, and sent a text message to it. They also attempted to use Starscream's severed arm to fend off Skyquake, but only succeeded in dislodging the zombie's arm, which began chasing them. They escaped back to the real world through a portal created by Ratchet. Shadowzone

Raf was at the Autobot base when Jack and Arcee brought Jack's mom in to introduce her to everyone. Crisscross He and Miko had a wild ride to the base in Bulkhead, but after they realized that Jack's mom was there, Raf assured her that he and Miko had been wearing their seat belts. He hung out at base while Bulkhead and Arcee went on a mission to retrieve a polarity gauntlet, and later admired Bulkhead's new battle scars. Metal Attraction

Ratchet tested out some new synthetic energon while Raf watched. It was such a success that Raf was ready to try it on Bumblebee, but Ratchet warned that it needed further testing before they could try it on an Autobot. A short time after the other Autobots went out on a mission, Raf found Ratchet unconscious on the floor, having tried the synthetic energon on himself, and managed to wake the Autobot. When Arcee got into trouble, Ratchet left Raf in charge of the GroundBridge and went out to help. The Autobots soon returned to base, and Ratchet fondly picked up Raf for a moment. Stronger, Faster

In their spare time, the kids would track down pictures of the Autobots on conspiracy web sites, so Raf could hack in and replace them with pictures of lolcats. Raf rode in Bumblebee to play with his remote-controlled car, but first Bumblebee was called to a battle, and then they were attacked by Megatron. A burst of energon from Megatron's cannon struck Bumblebee, infecting Raf with Dark Energon and leaving him in a dire state. The Autobots took him back to base, where Ratchet and June Darby fought to save his life. After Ratchet discovered the nature of the energon infecting Raf, he gave the boy an infusion of real energon, and Raf finally began to recover. One Shall Fall

Raf was looking somewhat more perkier by the time they rescued Optimus from Megatron, however June still felt it necessary to take Raf to a real hospital, and she didn't intend on letting Raf return to the Autobots afterwards. Raf sadly watched Bumblebee from June's car as they left. The car didn't get very far before they were almost struck by lightning, and then the car was sucked towards a nearby tornado. Bumblebee came to the pair's rescue, pulling them out of the car before it was pulled into the tornado, and returning them to base where the Autobots worked out that Unicron was behind all the strange natural disasters now plaguing Earth. One Shall Rise, Part 1

The humans listened as the Autobots battled giant stone Unicrons, and as Megatron arrived to offer to help the Autobots defeat Unicron. When Miko and Jack wondered about extracting Unicron's from the Earth's core, Raf pointed out that Unicron was the Earth's core. The humans concealed themselves as Megatron arrived, but Raf was unable to stop himself running out to confront the Decepticon leader, and had to be restrained by the others. The humans all watched the Autobots and Megatron step through the GroundBridge into Earth's core. One Shall Rise, Part 2

Ratchet told the kids about Optimus back when he was Orion Pax, and how he got the Matrix. Miko and Raf were both concerned when they lost the Autobots' signals. The kids all took shelter underneath Ratchet when the ground started shaking, but were overjoyed when it turned out Prime's team had succeeded. They welcomed the Autobots back, but were shocked by the loss of Optimus, who had become amnesiac. One Shall Rise, Part 3

When it was determined that they would need to somehow get to Cybertron, Miko suggested using the GroundBridge, but Raf pointed out that it could barely reach orbit, so unless Ratchet somehow souped it up, it wouldn't work. He later saw Ratchet working on it, though Ratchet claimed to merely be tinkering. Raf was also at base after the Autobots failed to stop the Decepticons from stealing a power supply for a space bridge. Orion Pax, Part 1 Raf assisted Ratchet in testing the modified GroundBridge, and when the test failed, he tried to cheer up the despondent Autobot with an inspiring tale of overcoming adversity. As Jack prepared to leave for Cybertron, Raf asked him to pick up a souvenir. Orion Pax, Part 2 Raf and the others monitored Jack's progress from base, until he returned with the Autobots and a restored Optimus Prime. During the reunion, Raf gave Bumblebee a hug. Orion Pax, Part 3

Raf was impressed by Bumblebee's recounted adventures. After his Autobot partner lost his T-cog, Raf tried to cheer him up, but as all the entertainment he had revolved around cars, it made things worse. Ratchet later had to pick Raf up from school, and Raf asked the medic about how Bumblebee lost his voice. Operation Bumblebee, Part 1 Raf stayed by Bumblebee's bedside until he recovered from a fall. He and the other kids hung around for an attempted transplant, and subsequently covered for Bumblebee when he went to get his cog back. Operation Bumblebee, Part 2

The kids were racing toy cars when Fowler reported being attacked by Optimus. They stuck around as Optimus returned and it turned out he was being impersonated by a MECH creation. Nemesis Prime After the Nemesis became sentient, the kids GroundBridged aboard with Fowler to try and download the Iacon database. When they learned the ship was heading for New York City and Fowler was rendered unconscious, they headed for the power core. Miko and Raf ended up playing hide and seek with one of the ship's manipulator arms while Jack worked on reversing the energon flow. After succeeding, they high-tailed it back to the GroundBridge. Flying Mind

Raf was present as the Autobots started out on their missions to find the four relics. Tunnel Vision He operated the GroundBridge so the Autobots could head out. Triangulation While he was waiting at base, Ratchet contacted him to prepare a virus to be implanted in Laserbeak. Raf quickly created one and uploaded it to Ratchet, and as a result, once Soundwave returned to the Nemesis, the Iacon database was transmitted back to the mainframe in the Autobot base. Raf gave Ratchet the good news once the Autobot reached the base, but their mood was spoiled when Bulkhead was flung back through the GroundBridge. Triage He watched as Ratchet tried to revive the Wrecker. Hurt

While surfing the Internet replacing pictures of Bumblebee with a tap-dancing monkey, Raf found an image of a crashing Cybertronian escape pod. While the Autobots brought back Smokescreen from that mission, Raf later found a picture of Red Energon, sending them off yet again. New Recruit His falling grades resulted in his mom grounding him, and he rang Jack to let the Autobots know. When they inevitably required his help, the Autobots GroundBridged Fowler, Jack and Miko into his bedroom to get him to hack into a Project Damocles satellite. Though the Decepticons attempted to target his house with the satellite, he succeeded in using its thrusters to bring it out of orbit before having to convince his mom that he and his friends were a study group. The Human Factor As the Decepticons had discovered the location of his house, Raf's family was forced to move. Legacy

Soon after the three kids learned that the Autobots were preparing to return to Cybertron, they were kidnapped from outside their school by the Decepticons, and taken to Cybertron for use as hostages. Regeneration Bumblebee exchanged an Omega Key for Raf, and they later returned to Earth after the destruction of the Omega Lock. With the Autobot base under threat from the Decepticons, Bumblebee and Raf left through the GroundBridge together for elsewhere in the United States. Darkest Hour

While on the run, Raf and Bumblebee have the Autobot's paint job redone to fool the searching Decepticons. They headed for Jasper to meet up with the others. Darkmount, NV Raf's websurfing hit paydirt when he found a photo of Ratchet, leading the pair to the medic hiding in a junkyard. They tried to convince him to help them get the Harbinger's systems working, but in the end left him there. They tried working on the derelict themselves only for Ratchet to arrive, having had a change of heart. Scattered They were eventually joined by most of the rest of the team, who had been rounded up by the newly-arrived Ultra Magnus. Prey

The kids were surprised to learn that the creatures of myth were actually Predacons sent to Earth by the Decepticons. Project Predacon Raf seemed amused by the fact that Fowler was blatantly trying to pick up Jack's mom, and while the pair were away trying to obtain a Predacon bone, Raf mostly played video games and slyly hinted to Jack that June Darby and Fowler were maybe having dinner together or enjoying a movie. Plus One

Following Ratchet's capture by the Decepticons, Raf and Wheeljack used a piece of Laserbeak to construct a flying drone in the hope it would lead them to the Decepticon warship. Persuasion Though the plan to find the warship didn't pan out due to the probe's destruction, Ratchet was able to contact them and provide them with coordinates. Raf operated the GroundBridge, allowing the Autobots to head through to storm the Nemesis. Synthesis After Jack came up with a plan to help the Autobots, Raf gamely bridge him and Miko aboard the Nemesis before engineering a GroundBridge interaction that trapped Soundwave in the shadowzone. Following the capture of the ship, Raf was surprised to hear Bumblebee's restored voice. He, Miko and Jack accompanied the Autobots to Cybertron where they used the Omega Lock to restore the planet. Back on Earth, the kids received the news that they were going to be part of Unit:E, and Raf bid farewell to Bumblebee before the Autobots departed for their home world. Deadlock

Titan Magazines Prime comics

OMG, SQUEE! Are there death rays?!

Raf was particularly impressed with the Safe, a training room Ratchet set up in a lower-level of the base. When the Autobots accidentally uncovered a live nuke in the process of testing the room, Raf was left with Ratchet to work out how to defuse it and as Raf was the expert on Earth technology, Ratchet deferred the problem to him. After a moment's panic, Raf correctly identified the type of timer mechanism and reprogrammed it to count upwards, giving them vastly more time to do something about the bomb itself. After Fowler and a team of scientists arrived to deal with the missile, Ratchet suggested that Raf and Bulkhead design a new Safe, and Raf's first idea was a popup Megatron target range. The Safe and the Failsafe

When the Autobots took the kids to Valley of Fire State Park, Raf read up on the area from the park guidebook and impressed the others with his knowledge, though he thought it made him sound geeky. War Story While the Autobots decorated their base for Christmas, Raf and Bumblebee played video games together. Optimus had to take Bumblebee and Ratchet with him, leaving Arcee and Bulkhead at base with the kids, and Raf suggested they try to find something they had in common. When this didn't go well, Jack asked what plan B was, and Raf suggested Jenga. Eventually the two Autobots settled on ice skating, and they turned the base into an ice rink. Ice Breaker

Also, braaaaaaaains.

Raf got hold of the latest video game Invasionauts II. He played it for three hours with Bulkhead before the Decepticon coding implanted in it hypnotised him and got him to open the GroundBridge to a location near the Grand Canyon so that hordes of Vehicons could flood through. Once Jack and Miko managed to snap him out of his trance, he turned the GroundBridge into a loopback, sucking the Decepticons back through, and resolved to avoid playing video games for a while. Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!

He was unimpressed by Miko's joke that it was bad that their school wasn't one of the ones which had mysteriously blown up. School Is... Out! After Bulkhead went missing, Raf, Jack and Miko accompanied the Autobots on a trip to the Decepticon warship to find their friend. Raf was able to override the Ultra Prison that Bulkhead was being held in. The Battle for Bulkhead

After Bumblebee was injured during a battle in The Wave, Raf accompanied him back to base. Raf figured that cartoons would be best, and the pair fell asleep while watching Mummies Have Feelings II. Soundwave's remote-controlled hand climbed out of Bumblebee's chest and, despite Raf's initial assumption that he was hallucinating, proved real enough to try to kill the scout. Raf taped a firework from Miko's Party Kit to the disembodied hand and launched it into the sky, leaving his next task to explain to the newly-arrived Miko why he was setting off her fireworks. The Evil Shred He, Miko and Jack enjoyed watching footage of Optimus and Bulkhead's bumbling attempts to stop Knock Out and Breakdown. It's a Knock-Out

Commercial appearances

Raf declares that Time Warner Cable's ability to transmit Transformers: Prime on home computer, tablet, and smartphone platforms is superior to Megatron. Time Warner Cable: Competition

Games

Transformers: Prime - The Game

Voice actor: Andy Pessoa (English)

Transformers: Prime - The Game

Toys

Prime

Raf had to hunt far and wide for a New York-themed sweater vest.

• Bumblebee and Arcee, Includes Raf Esquivel and Jack Darby (NYCC 2011 exclusive)
  • Accessories: Stand

The Jack Darby and Raf Esquivel figurines were redecoed in New York-themed shirts and came with redecoed figures of Bumblebee and Arcee. They were sold exclusively at New York Comic Con 2011.

• More information on NYCC Raf at TFU.info

Where's my mouth?

• Optimus Prime vs Megatron: A Rivalry Reborn (Entertainment Pack, 2011)
  • Accessories: Stand

A PVC figurine of Raf comes with figurines of Jack Darby and Miko Nakadai, as well as Deluxe-Class toys of Optimus Prime and Megatron. As with the other two figures, Raf's head can turn and he can be removed from his stand.

• More information on Raf at TFU.info

Notes

• Raf told his mother that he joined the Computer Club to explain where he goes after school all the time.
• Even Raf doesn't know why he understands Bumblebee. He just makes perfect sense.
• He probably was named after Rafael Ruthchild, one of the show's producers.
• Raf is the least seen and heard of out of the three human allies of the Autobots.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Rafael Esquivel (ラファイエル・エスキベル Rafaieru Esukiberu)