Rook (CW)
| The name or term "Rook" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Rook (disambiguation). |
- Rook is an Autobot Protectobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
A rising star assigned straight out of the Cybertronian Military Academy, Rook is the newest member of the Protectobots. An astute and courageous soldier, he must now take his extensive knowledge of military tactics and strategy and learn to apply it in his new role on a rescue team. Thankfully, his durabyllium super-alloy armor and hydraulic claw stand him in good stead, making evacuating wounded Autobots from danger zones a cinch. Rook may not have expected to wind up on this team, but he carries out his new role with fearless aplomb.
Fiction
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Rook was in Mirage's visions of a Caminus consumed by flame and rampaging giants! The Possible Light
Rook happened to be standing around Lost Light #10 recap page when Starscream aimed the Enigma of Combination at some loosely-affiliated Autobots jokingly referred to as the "Protectobots" and then Rook was suddenly Defensor's leg. Mistakes and Mayhem
Following the Combiner Wars, Rook returned with the rest of his new team via shuttle to the Lost Light deep in space. However, their shuttle was too damaged to dock safely and had to crash within the Lost Light's shuttle bays. His fellow Protectobot, First Aid seemed very suspicious of the ship's new commander, Getaway, but Rook made fun of First Aid for suspecting a conspiracy. But First Aid was quickly proven right that something was very wrong, and Rook and the others escaped the Lost Light on their original shuttle. They were shot down by the Lost Light, forced to return to the shuttle bays and had to crash-- look, okay, unbeknownst to them they were trapped in a memory loop. Shouldn't have laughed at First Aid's conspiracy suspicions, Rook. Full Circle
Commercial appearances
Rook and the Protectobots received a message from Optimus Prime alerting them that Menasor was wrecking havoc in a human city, and that the threat was "bigger than ever." The Protectobots combined into Defensor to better combat the Decepticon. Transformers Generations: Combiner Wars commercials
Games
Transformers: Battle Tactics
Rook participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character who could be recruited by collecting 500 units of Cybermetal, 250 units of Transmetal, and 50 cores of this character. Transformers: Battle Tactics
Toys
Generations
- Protectobot Rook (Deluxe, 2015)
- 2 of 5: Defensor
- Accessories: Clamp weapon, double-barreled gun/fist/foot
- Released as part of the Combiner Wars subline imprint of Generations, Rook can transform into either an armored SWAT vehicle or a limb for any combiner from the same subline or any Unite Warriors Voyager class figure or into one of Legends Godbomber's legs, though he was intended to be combined with Hot Spot, Streetwise, First Aid, and Blades to form Defensor (with Groove now serving as a chest piece), or as a component of Modulus.
- Rather than 5mm hands, Rook has forward-facing 5mm ports in front of his fists. This allows him to mount his clamp-like accessory as an integrated weapon or use Combiner Wars combiner hands (one of which is included) as giant "Hulk hands". This is pretty awesome.
- This mold was redecoed into Unite Warriors Wandering Roller, slightly retooled into Combiner Wars Impactor and Tarantulas, heavily retooled into Combiner Wars Swindle and Hound, and even further retooled into Unite Warriors Nosecone. This mold also served as the basis of the non-toy Shattered Glass version of X-Brawn.
- Rook comes with a copy of "Combiner Wars #10" (actually The Transformers #34). In Canada, Latin America, and Europe, the comic is omitted and replaced with a collector card featuring the figure's package art.
| Combiner Wars mold: Rook | ||
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Notes
- Rook's headsculpt is designed to evoke a rook playing piece from chess.[1] It also ends up evoking an ushanka, a piece of Russian headwear normally used to protect the wearer's ears in cold conditions as well as provide some protection from blunt force impact on the head.
- Rook's deco was the work of Joe Kyde.[2]
- Rook suddenly appeared among the Protectobots during Combiner Wars despite being totally unmentioned in the script, the rather notorious end result of a rushed production and error-riddled artwork. Transformers: Lost Light made use of that in its recap page by saying he was literally just some random 'bot who was moving past and got combiner-ed.
- Rook was originally planned to be in "Deadly Aim", but Fun Publications later decided to use Offroad instead to make Wreckage 1.0 a Decepticon by majority.[3]
