Windcharger (G1)
| The name or term "Windcharger" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Windcharger (disambiguation). |
- Windcharger is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Of all the Ark's crew who crash-landed on Earth, Windcharger is unquestionably the fastest on the ground, at least for short distances. Windcharger can go from zero to 60 MPH virtually instantly, limited only by the traction between his tires and their driving surface. Frequently, after tearing away with a neck-snapping jerk, he will just as rapidly squeal to a halt to investigate something that caught his eye, for Windcharger is impulsive as well as impatient, both in mind and in body.
In robot mode, Windcharger can energize his arms and make them the poles of a precisely controllable electromagnet, powerful enough to levitate ten tons of steel 700 feet away. With care, he can draw objects gently toward him or hurl them violently away. Also, as the long-suffering laws of physics dictate, this field is extremely strong near Windcharger; at close range, he can tear magnetic objects to shreds.
Unfortunately for Windcharger, his power supply, biased as it is toward a brief, heavy overload, is prone to failure if the overload is too severe or too long-lasting. Even worse, his impulsive nature makes him hardly willing to exercise the mental control he needs to avoid overusing his power. As a result, Windcharger often finds himself stumbling home, reeking of ozone and burned insulation, and needing medical attention and a nice, tall, chilled glass of dielectric oil.
Fiction
Marvel The Transformers comics
Five billion years ago, Windcharger was part of Optimus Prime's plan to defend Iacon from the Decepticons. After Prime lured the Decepticons onto a bridge and blew it up, Windcharger used his magnetic powers to pull him to safety. And There Shall Come...a Leader!
Windcharger was among the elite few selected by Optimus Prime to join him in crashing the Ark into the Earth, to keep the ship's secrets from the Decepticons. The Transformers After the Autobots awoke in 1984, Windcharger was very concerned with how they would obtain more fuel, though thankfully a solution presented itself almost immediately; Bumblebee had befriended a human who suggested a means of converting gasoline to Energon. Power Play! After the human, Sparkplug Witwicky, was abducted by the Decepticons, Windcharger participated in the attack on Fortress Sinister to rescue him. After the clash, Windcharger looked on at Gears's body, deactivated following his fellow Autobot's plummet from the Decepticon fortress, but still salvageable. Prisoner of War! Returning to base, the Autobots busied themselves in repairing the Ark. During their work, Brawn was subjected to a powerful electrical feedback, altering his personality and making him violently irrational. The haywire Autobot stormed out and began rampaging through a nearby town, forcing Windcharger and the others to subdue him. Another electrical shock returned Brawn to his senses, but the Autobots couldn't be sure he was wholly back to normal. His test of loyalty came in the form of a trial by combat against Starscream, and though Windcharger believed that Brawn was destroyed in the duel, he was overjoyed to see that the Autobot's demise had simply been a ruse orchestrated using Mirage's holographic powers. Windcharger then cheered as Brawn was welcomed back into the Autobot fold. The Enemy Within!
During a Decepticon attack on the Ark, Optimus Prime attempted to activate the Ark's computer, known as Auntie, to bring the defense systems back online. Unfortunately, Auntie had been damaged in the crash and become unstable. Unable to remember who was friend or foe, she used a magnetic field to subdue all the combatants aside from Windcharger and Ravage, whose magnetic powers enabled them to counter Auntie’s magnetic force. With Ravage's help, Windcharger was able to deactivate Auntie's Guardian battle droid. Once Ravage shut down Auntie, Windcharger used his powers to hurl Megatron from the Autobot base. Raiders of the Last Ark
After witnessing Huffer accuse Sparkplug Witwicky of treachery, Windcharger battled the Decepticons once more, but was defeated by Shockwave along with the rest of the Autobots. The Last Stand His deactivated body was strung up from the Ark's ceiling to be used as spare parts. The New Order
The Decepticons reprogrammed Guardian while in control of the Ark, and once they had been vanquished from the ship, the droid was reactivated. At this time, the Ark was still full of deactivated Autobots in need of repair. The few active Autobots made Windcharger's reactivation a priority so that he could use his magnetic powers to thwart the hostile droid. Ultimately, however, Windcharger did not get the chance, as Swoop stepped up to the task instead. The Wrath of Grimlock!
After Ratchet had put the bulk of the Autobots back in working order, he had Windcharger and the others go on a diagnostics run through the open plains to ensure they were back in tip-top shape. DIS-Integrated Circuits! Some time later, Windcharger was gunned down by Optimus Prime's body when the Decepticons took control of it using a fake head. Prime Time!
When the Autobots were dispatched to locate the missing Dinobots, all suffering from madness due to circuit damage, Windcharger was assigned to lead "A-Team", which included Cliffjumper and Gears. The three searched for Sludge in a northern California swamp, but were captured in a Decepticon ambush led by Soundwave. They were later rescued thanks to Bumblebee. Dinobot Hunt!
He was seen much later, watching Blaster and Grimlock duke it out for leadership of the Autobots on the moon. He then took part in fighting the Decepticon forces that attempted to ambush them. Totaled!
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: John Stephenson (English), Terry McGovern (English, "Masquerade"), Keiichi Nanba (Japanese), Ken Shiroyama (Japanese, "SOS Dinobots"), Takurō Kitagawa (Japanese, "Microbots", "Fire on the Mountain"), Liu Qin (Chinese), Juan Cuadra (Latin-American Spanish), Antônio Patiño (Brazilian Portuguese, 1st voice), Niko Macoulis (German, Generation 2 dub of "Masquerade"), Frank Muth (German, Generation 2 dub of "S.O.S. Dinobots"
Windcharger was part of the initial crew of the Ark, on a mission to seek out new energy sources to fuel their struggle with the Decepticons. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 After awakening on Earth over four million years later, Windcharger participated in the unsuccessful Autobot counter-attack on the Decepticon siege of Sherman Dam, which was being run at dangerous capacities to fill the Decepticons' energon cubes. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2
He was also among the group of Autobots who attempted to stop the Decepticons raiding the ruby crystal mines of Burma. He dressed up in a lab coat during an attempt to trick the Decepticons into attacking a fake rocket base, though it turned out the Decepticons they were fighting were decoys, and he and the other Autobots were forced to try and stop the Decepticons from taking off in their space cruiser. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3
When Optimus Prime was severely damaged, Windcharger, Brawn and Gears went to see how the repairs were going, unaware that Laserbeak had hitched a ride on Brawn's shoulder. He later helped defend headquarters long enough for a new cosmitron to be retrieved from Cybertron, so Prime could be repaired. Divide and Conquer Windcharger attended the unveiling of the Dinobots, and was knocked over by Sludge during the ensuing chaos. S.O.S. Dinobots
Of all the other Autobots, he seemed to be closest to Brawn, judging from their excellent teamwork and friendly banter while journeying with Skyfire to investigate a Decepticon super-weapon in Peru. When Windcharger was injured during the battle later in that mission, Brawn was quick to swear vengeance for the small 'bot. Fire on the Mountain
When Sparkplug Witwicky was kidnapped by the Decepticons, Windcharger was in the group which tunneled beneath the Decepticon base, using his magnetic field to detect when they'd reached their destination and carrying Sparkplug from the base. Along with the other Autobots, he was unsuccessful in preventing Megatron from bringing Cybertron into Earth's orbit. The Ultimate Doom, Part 1 After Bumblebee fell into a chasm during the Autobot retreat, Windcharger used his tractor beam to pull the little Autobot out. The eruption of the volcano at Autobot HQ blew Windcharger, Ratchet and Huffer into the air, necessitating a rescue by Skyfire. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2
After Insecticons were sighted in Bali, Windcharger, Brawn and Bumblebee headed there in Skyfire. They found the Insecticons feeding on a field of hay, but had trouble fighting them off. Windcharger had to set up a repulsor field to stop them from being cut to bits by the spikes from Shrapnel's grenade. The rest of the Autobots turned up in time to save their bacon, and they pursued the Decepticons to a nearby refinery. A Plague of Insecticons
Windcharger was in the group of Autobots who attempted to defend a new Air Force rocket base from the Decepticons. He and Ratchet were taken out by an attack from behind by Soundwave, who was promptly given the boot by Brawn. Windcharger was OK though, and later helped the other Autobots try to reason with Spike Witwicky when the boy was placed in a robot body and went a little nuts. Autobot Spike He was hanging around Autobot HQ when Teletraan I detected strange readings from the bottom of the Atlantic, but didn't bother volunteering to go check it out. Atlantis, Arise! At one point, he helped the other Autobots construct detection plates to increase Headquarter's security grid. Enter the Nightbird
"...A bee flew by and I panicked."
Much like the other Autobots, Windcharger was bemused by Optimus Prime's odd behavior after one particular battle, and even more confused when a second Optimus drove into Headquarters. Their test to determine the real Prime proved inconclusive, however the Autobots were alerted by strange energy readings from the crevasse the earlier battle had taken place at. Returning to the scene, they battled the Decepticons again, however Windcharger and Spike spotted Starscream acting oddly, and found Megatron's control center, from which he was controlling the false Prime.
Before they could return to warn the other Autobots, the pair were spotted, and Windcharger was knocked into the crevasse, where he only escaped destruction by transforming — his vehicle mode tires insulated him from the korlonium crystals filling the crevasse. He was able to climb out and warn the other Autobots. When Megatron dropped Spike from his ship, Windcharger used jetpacks from the Decepticons to fly off and save him from his fall. A Prime Problem
Windcharger was around when Wheeljack attempted to demonstrate how he'd taught the Dinobots to better control their abilities. It didn't go well. Dinobot Island, Part 1 When Megatron supercharged himself with the Heart of Cybertron, Windcharger helped defend Headquarters against the Decepticon leader. Microbots All of the Autobots were banished from Earth after the Decepticons framed them with an elaborate plan. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 They almost crashed into the sun, but made it back to Earth safely. Upon returning, Windcharger proved key in winning the following battle against the Decepticons. Windcharger rammed into Megatron, stole his fusion cannon, blasted off his arm, and used his magnetic powers to pummel him into a building. Windcharger then proceeded to grab Ravage, and hurl him out of the battle, then smashed Devastator's head. The Decepticons then promptly retreated. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
After a close call with Cybertonium depletion, Windcharger was around for a ceremony honoring Spike, Carly and the Dinobots for retrieving more of the valuable substance from Cybertron. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2 He, Huffer and Ironhide blasted Decepticon drones in New York City. Make Tracks After Tracks and Bumblebee disappeared, Windcharger took part in the search. As the other Autobots were picked off by Lord Chumley and his servant Dinsmoore, Windcharger narrowly escaped one of their fiendish traps. He regrouped at HQ with the other Autobots in time for Chumley to deliver his challenge to Optimus. Prime Target
Windcharger was among the five Autobots who disguised themselves as Stunticons in order to halt one of Megatron's evil schemes; he camouflaged himself as Wildrider. When the group was forced to become a fake Menasor, Windcharger's magnetic powers were essential to pull the Autobots together for the illusion. Masquerade
Windcharger was among the Autobots killed at the Battle of Autobot City; Arcee pulled his corpse into the shelter of a bunker and laid it alongside that of Wheeljack. The Transformers: The Movie
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga
Windcharger greeted Kenji, the Autobots' new human friend, when he came to visit their headquarters in Japan. Shortly afterwards, the city of Yokohama came under attack from the Decepticons, and Windcharger followed Optimus Prime to the site of the battle. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4
Full Throttle Scramble Power!
After the Autobots had foiled the Decepticons' latest plan, Windcharger and dozens of other Autobots arrived at the villains base alongside Scramble City to punish them for their misdeeds. Full Throttle Scramble Power!
Story of Binaltech
Granted a vision of the future by the time-tossed Decepticon Ravage, Wheeljack saw Windcharger's looming death in the year 2005, and resolved to save his life. Project Bodyshop
Two BT-16 Honda S-2000 Aero Style bodies were built for Windcharger to use, but the EDC shuttle they were on disappeared during delivery. One of the BT-16s ended up being possessed by the spark of a future Transformer, while the other was implanted with an evil laser core by Unicron and became Decepticharge. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/08
Wings Universe
By 2012, memorial statues of Windcharger, Huffer, Red Alert, and Wheeljack had been built at Autobot City. A Flash Forward, Part 2
Deviations
In an alternate timeline where Optimus Prime survived the Battle of Autobot City, Windcharger's body was lined up with other victims of the battle to be honored. Deviations
Find Your Fate Junior
Dinobots Strike Back
When Bombshell used a cerebro-shell to control the Dinobots and send them on a violent rampage, Optimus Prime had few options. One option involved letting Mirage use a hologram of Optimus Prime to lure the Dinobots over a cliff. The other was to allow Windcharger to use his magnetic powers to remove the shells from a distance. Windcharger was eager to be chosen.
But how far away should he stand? If he stands too close, he may cause a whirlwind of magnetic destruction that would rip the Dinobots to shreds, causing dino-corpse parts to fly about and knock the Autobots around! But if he stands too far away, his powers may have no effect and everyone will die helplessly at the hands of their brainwashed comrades.
Windcharger stood 40 feet away:
Let's stand a little further away next time, Windcharger. You murderer.
In the alternate path, he did just that. From 100 feet away, his magnetic field harmlessly popped all four shells right off.
The next day, in one possible path, Skids returned to the Ark to report Bumblebee disappearing after radioing him about a secret base inside Mount Lomas where the Decepticons were ready to process black coral into superfuel. While Prowl wanted to have the Dinobots infiltrate and back-stab the Decepticons, Windcharger advocated an immediate all-out assault, partly for Bumblebee's sake. Turns out either course of action would produce an Autobot victory, but Topspin didn't fare as well if Optimus selected Windcharger's plan. Dinobots Strike Back
Earthquake
In one possible sequence of events, Windcharger was sent out alongside Powerglide and Beachcomber to investage a secret Decepticon fortress discovered by Beachcomber. Once the three Autobots arrived at cliff face that concealed the Decepticons' base, the three of them debated on which course of action they would take.
If the three Autobots decided to walk through the main entrance of the Decepticons' base, Windcharger was the first to charge forward. Unfortunately for Windcharger, the doors slammed shut upon him, crushing him into a heap of smoking metal. Fortunately for Windcharger, Rumble was tricked into creating an earthquake that incapacitated the Decepticons almost immediately, allowing for Powerglide and Beachcomber to retrieve his remains, and bring them to Ratchet for repairs.
If the trio decided instead to look for an alternate entrance into the Decepticon fortress, they discovered a narrow passageway hidden behind bushes and scrubs. Beachcomber then led his squad into the passageway until they emerged into a storage room. Leading out of the storage room was a passage not unlike the one from which they had just emerged, and a brightly lit corridor. Windcharger voted to explore the other dark passageway.
If Beachcomber joined Windcharger, the two of them soon found themselves before a heavy stone doorway. Hearing Decepticon voices beyond the door, the pair argued whether or not to try spring a surprise attack on the Decepticons.
If Beachcomber decided to proceed with Windcharger and attack, the two Autobots started to argue once more on how to get through the heavy door. While Windcharger was eager to use his magnetic abilities to bust it down, Beachcomber considered attempting to decode the door’s access lock.
If the pair managed to decode the door’s password, they found themselves intruding upon Megatron’s secret chamber. Upon hearing Megatron approaching, the pair grabbed him from behind. Taken by surprised, the Decepticon leader was tricked into thinking that the Autobots had has base surrounded, and was made to have the Decepticons surrender. After contacting Optimus Prime, to send reinforcements, the Decepticons’ ploy was successfully undone.
If the pair were unable to decode the door’s password, Windcharger attempted to smash the door down, despite Beachcomber’s protests. All Windcharger managed to do was make a lot of noise, and the two Autobots fled. Unfortunately, as they retreated, they were spotted by Megatron, who blocked off their exit in his weapon mode. The Decepticon leader then promptly slaughtered the pair.
If Beachcomber decided to explore the brightly-lit corridor with Powerglide, Windcharger was unable to find anything of importance on his own. But the other two Autobots shortly met up with him once more, and informed Windcharger that they had uncovered the Decepticons’ ploy. The trio returned to Autobot headquarters to relate their findings to Optimus Prime. The Decepticons planned to use a Destruction Beam to create a fault line near Center City, which would in turn be exploited by Rumble’s earthquake-inducing abilities to destroy the entire area. The Autobots then decided to split up in two groups, one to attack the Decepticons’ fortress, the other to attempt to stop Rumble in Center City. It is unknown which group, if any, Windcharger was assigned to.
Alternatively, if Beachcomber decided to have Windcharger, Powerglide and himself each investigate a different area of the Decepticons’ fortress, Beachcomber would get himself captured, leading to his teammate’s capture. Windcharger was ordered executed by Buzzsaw while the Decepticons carried on with their evil deeds. Earthquake
Desert Flight
Windcharger was part of a group of the Autobots’ best scouts, led by Optimus on a fuel-finding mission. He rescued Powerglide from crashing before the Autobots’ newest adventure could even begin when P.G.’s engines stalled, through the use of his magnetic abilities. The noise the convoy had heard, which had led to Powerglide stalling out, was a large explosion in the distance. Optimus sent Cosmos to investigate the noise.
If Cosmos radioed his findings to Optimus immediately, Optimus’s convoy moved in to investigate a nearby Decepticon base. En route, the Autobots passed near a human town, but began floating in mid-air before being able to reach it. Evidently, the phenomenon was caused by a Decepticon anti-gravity weapon.
If Optimus ordered his troops to come to the humans’ aid, they found themselves taking part in a struggle in futility, as the entire town was near-weightless, meaning they couldn’t put the humans anywhere where they wouldn’t float away once more. Then, the Autobots heard Decepticons approaching. Helpless in their current position, the Autobots were quickly eradicated by the Decepticons.
If Optimus ordered his troops to attack the Decepticon base, they soon reached an area free of the anti-gravity beam’s influence. They were then attacked by a small fleet of Decepticons. The Decepticons were quickly forced to break off their attack and retreated. But with the battle over, the Autobots noticed a small human boy at their feet. The Autobots then headed for the Decepticon base, with their stowaway. Megatron delivered an ultimatum; if the Autobots did not surrender Optimus Prime to the Decepticons immediately, he would use his gravity beam to have the nearby humans float off into space.
If the Autobots decided to continue with their initial plan to simply attack the Decepticon base, their advance was halted by a force field. Megatron then fired his beam in all directions, causing a ripple effect that sent everything not fastened down to the Earth’s surface to float helplessly out into space.
Alternatively, the Autobots could concoct a plan where Optimus would pretend to allow himself to be taken prisoner, per Buddy’s suggestion. In actuality, Windcharger and the rest of the Autobots were hidden away inside Optimus’s trailer. The Autobots then led a surprise attack on their unsuspecting foes. Windcharger was tasked with disabling the Decepticons’ forcefield, so that further Autobot reinforcements could allow for a quick victory. Seeking out the control room, Windcharger came face-to-face with a Decepticon drone, demanding a password. The Decepticons being rather uncreative with the passwords, Windcharger settled on two possible phrases that had a high possibility of being correct.
If Windcharger guessed that the password was “MEGATRON IS SUPREME!” he was promptly executed by the Decepticon drone.
If Windcharger guessed that the password was “DEATH TO OPTIMUS PRIME!” the guard drone allowed him safe passage. Windcharger then easily turned off the bases’s forcefield.
In the event that Buddy tampered with the gravity gun in the ensuing battle, the Autobots would emerge victorious.
In the event that Buddy instead entered a space-time anomaly created throughout the course of the battle, the Autobots would lose their fight against the Decepticons, and Windcharger wound up either injured or dead.
In a completely different possible sequence of events, wherein Cosmos had taken off to explore the Decepticon base on his own, The Autobot convoy were surprised to see two Cosmoses flying back towards them some time later. Both Cosmoses declared themselves to be the real one, and urged Optimus to destroy the other.
If Optimus destroyed the wrong Cosmos, the duplicate obliterated Windcharger and the rest of the Autobots with the proton bomb it housed within its body.
If Optimus destroyed the duplicate Cosmos, the real one would inform the Autobots of the Decepticons’ schemes, and the convoy would roll out to take on their adversaries. They were soon met by a squad of flying Decepticons, but were at a strict disadvantage against their adversaries as their vehicle modes possessed no weapons. The Autobots nonetheless managed to fight their way to the Decepticons’ base, one way or another, and defeated the Decepticons by using their own gravity weapon against them. Desert Flight
Decepticon Poison
Windcharger’s magnetic powers come from his magnetic gun, rather than being built into his superstructure. In one possible scenario, Windcharger was amongst the troops that Optimus brought to the Decepticons’ poison lab, in order to foil the Decepticons’ plan of poisoning the humans’ nearby water supply. Upon seeing the Decepticons hauling out barrels of poison, Windcharger suggested that he drive down and use his magnetic powers to cause a ruckus. The rest of the Autobots would then be able to come in and take care of the Decepticons easily.
If Optimus went along with Windcharger’s plan, WIndcharger would levitate the barrels over the Decepticons’ head with his magnetic abilities, leading to Jazz and Prowl working together to ignite their contents over the Decepticons’ heads. The Decepticons were forced to retreat, and the lab was destroyed, allowing the Autobots to drive back to base victoriously. Decepticon Poison
Sticker Adventures books
Windcharger helped fend off a Decepticon attack. He and the other Autobots then enjoyed an unusual lull in Decepticon activities for the next several days, only to find out they had been lulled into a false sense of security; the Decepticons had stolen the Autobots’ entire supply of fuel during this quiet time. Windcharger set out to find more fuel before it was too late, only for Hound to tell him that the Decepticons were already approaching. Thankfully, Optimus returned just in time with a new shipment of fuel.Re-energized, the Autobots forced the Decepticons to flee once again. Revenge of the Decepticons
Marvel Storybooks continuity
Windcharger was one of the thirty-five Autobots rebuilt on Earth as terrestrial vehicles. Learning that Megatron was once more up to no good, Windcharger joined Optimus and the rest of the Autobots in an assault on the Decepticon base. Finding themselves welcomed with open arms into the enemy stronghold, Windcharger gave Optimus a confused look in response to these bizarre happenings. The Decepticons' act was soon revealed as a distraction, and Windcharger engaged Soundwave in combat, repelling the Decepticon with a magentic field. The Autobots were expelled from the Decepticons' headquarters, but soon returned to do battle with the evil robots once more when Megatron executed his plan to take millions of humans hostage ina a bid to gain the Earth's unconditional surrender. In the fight that followed, Windcharger was blasted by Devastator. The Autobots eventually won the conflict thanks to the Dinobots' timely intervention, and Windcharger drove away with the rest of the Autobots. Battle for Earth
In order to liberate a group of Autobot hostages from the Decepticons, Windcharger helped build a statue of Devastator, from within which the Autobots could hide. Windcharger helped bring the false peace offering before the Decepticons' headquarters. From this point on, it was up to the Autobots hiding within the statue to rescue the hostages. They ultimately succeeded. The Autobots' Secret Weapon
Marvel coloring books
Windcharger was part of the Autobot convoy that followed Optimus Prime into battle when the Autobots learned that the Decepticons were using a molecular transfer device to steal fuel from all over the globe. He helped Huffer fight Starscream by using his magnetic powers to pull the Decepticon down into Huffer's range. Having expended a lot of his energy during the fight against the Decepticons, Windcharger was tended to by Ratchet, and received a fuel transfer from the much less fuel-efficient Ironhide.Summertime Coloring Book
Ladybird Books continuity
Windcharger was part of a battle unit assembled by Optimus Prime to stop the Decepticons from seizing control of...a single windmill. (No, really.) Laserbeak's Fury
Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity
- Voice actor: ??
While spying on the Decepticons, Windcharger found out that they were intending to use Doctor Heath Blaisedale's solar reactor to drain all the Sun's energy for their own use, spelling doom for Earth. He returned to headquarters to warn Optimus Prime and found that Dr. Blaisedale had already been persuaded to help the Autobots. They raced to the solar plant to defend it against the Decepticons, but when Blaisedale was kidnapped by Ravage, Windcharger was part of a team led by Optimus to rescue her. By the time they got back to the solar plant, Cliffjumper had run out of energy, and Windcharger had to push him clear of the battle. Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)
The Battle for Planet Earth
- Voice actor: Peter Marinker (English)
After a day of hard work repairing the Ark, Windcharger and the other Autobots relaxed in front of the television, only to discover the Decepticons were kidnapping humans. Bumblebee to the Rescue He, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper and Beachcomber kept the Decepticon base under constant surveillance via a shift system. When Windcharger spotted the Decepticons leaving for Stanley Lake, he alerted the other Autobots and was part of the mission to save the dam there. Menace at the Dam When Starscream attempted to defect to the Autobots, Windcharger thought that the Decepticon would have much useful information for them. As it turned out, it was a trick so Starscream could pass on information to the Decepticons, but the Autobots were able to use it to their advantage and destroy the Decepticon base. Espionage!!!!!
Deadly Paradise
Windcharger was part of a team of Autobots who traveled to Carob Island to investigate suspected Decepticon activity. Upon discovering Decepticon machines digging for a unique ore, he helped destroy them using his magnetic abilities. It soon transpired that the Decepticons were forcing local roboticist Madame Cee to build fake Autobots, and after rescuing Bumblebee and Hound from her grasp, Windcharger and the others made it to the Decepticon base on the island. They were initially captured and imprisoned, but were soon busted out by Prowl and started attacking their captors. During the battle, Windcharger grabbed Starscream and crushed him to death using the full force of his personal magnetic field. Deadly Paradise
Big Looker storybooks
When Grapple was brainwashed by Bombshell's cerebro-shell, Windcharger was able to magnetically remove the shell from his head on the battle field, in a manner that apparently caused no lasting brain damage. Hooray! Insecticon Attack!
When the Decepticons invaded a car show at the Coliseum, Windcharger was one of the robots in disguise who infiltrated the show to thwart the Decepticon plot. Car Show Blow Up
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
Windcharger was among the crew of the Ark when it crashed on Earth, and awoke in 1984 to battle the Decepticons. When the Autobots defeated the Decepticons and planned to return to Cybertron aboard the Ark II, Windcharger was one of many Transformers recovered by Lazarus after the starship exploded over the Arctic. In 2002, the Decepticons broke free of Lazarus's control before the Autobots, and tore through their captive enemies. Optimus Prime and a free group of Autobots did some spot-welding to repair as many comrades as they could in a hurry, but Windcharger was too badly damaged and remained off-line until after the resulting battle in San Francisco was over. Prime Directive
When Optimus Prime and Megatron joined forces against the U.S. military, Windcharger was on hand with the Autobots in confronting the President's forces. He was one of the first to fall before the assault of the deconstructionites. Fusion
The Autobots were entrenched against the Decepticons on the shores of Alaska, fighting over a pod containing Scourge, when Shockwave arrived from Cybertron. Shockwave proclaimed a new era of peace, slaying Scourge in the process. Optimus Prime and a number of other Autobots were forced to surrender to Shockwave's fantastically violent security force, but Windcharger was part of a small unit that managed to sneak away and remain in hiding on Earth. These 'bots, led by Jazz, were tasked with investigating Scourge's appearance, to gain further insight on the unfolding events. Brothers' Burden Windcharger, Jazz, and Brawn returned to the Alaska battlefield, only to discover that Scourge's body had vanished. Baffled by this turn of events, Windcharger suggested that the group return to base, and leave the brainier 'bots to figure out what to do next. Cold War
After the end of Shockwave's despotic rule over Cybertron, the Autobots on Cybertron made contact with Windcharger's crew for an update and promised to send supplies. Generation 1 #0 Unfortunately, a group of Decepticons returned to Earth under Starscream's command first. Windcharger was deactivated battling the brutal Bruticus, and subsequently left to rust at the bottom of a lake. Night of the Combaticons Black Sunshine He was eventually fished out by Warpath and Bumper (who had arrived from Cybertron with Bumblebee with supplies), but they were waylaid by Earth Defense Command. The Omega Effect Bumper, Warpath, Windcharger and the other unconscious Autobots were then transported to a secret underground facility. Atonement There, the EDC began repairs on the Autobots, though Windcharger needed more work than most, and was still off-line when several other Autobots accompanied Marissa Faireborn and her soldiers on a mission to San Desto. Infestation
By the time the San Desto mission had been completed, Windcharger was back on his feet. He and the rest of Jazz's team said their goodbyes to Marissa before departing in the Orion. Lost and Found The Autobots traveled to Alaska, where Prowl and the troops serving under him had already begun construction of Autobot City. The Route of All Evil
The Beast Within
After a brutal battle during which The Beast, a monstrous gestalt of unimaginable power, was released, Windcharger’s butchered form lay smoldering in a mass grave of both Autobot and Decepticon corpses. The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Windcharger was an "outlier": a Transformer who had some abnormal skill or attribute that had nothing to do with his alt mode. (He called them his "magic arms".) Functionists hate that crap, so he kept it secret and hung out at the Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology, where Senator Shockwave had created a safe haven for outliers. Windcharger owed so much to Shockwave that he joined him and Orion Pax in a heist, risking his life against a Senate conspiracy; his magnetic powers were used to "fly" the thieves into the Primal Basilica to steal "the Matrix" (actually a bomb) without tripping any alarms. He also used his magnetism to stop the bomb falling when Ratchet accidentally dropped it. Sadly, his Academy home was destroyed and his mentor Shockwave brainwashed in an Institute branch. An Intimate Beheading
The Outliers stuck with Orion Pax and aided him in defending a hot spot in Alyon from Sentinel Prime's forces. With help from a group of time travelers from the Lost Light of the future, the group took down a weapons platform sent to irradiate the hot spot's sparks: in Windcharger's case, he magnetically hurled Pax through the platform. They then had their memories of the travelers wiped by Chromedome. All Our Parlous Yesterdays
Some time later, after Bumper and Fastback were killed in the line of duty, Windcharger attended their funeral. Most mourners were Autobots working in Kaon Security Services, with Sentinel Prime present, so Windcharger may or may not have switched to the Security Services. Megatron Origin #3
Windcharger responded to Optimus' rallying call for additional support and fought in the following battle for control of Cybertron. Broadcast Windcharger later met the Autobot leader personally (again). Endgame
As the war spread across Cybertron, Windcharger became a soldier in the Autobot army under Optimus Prime's command. When they were defending a city from the Decepticon advancing force, Optimus Prime ordered Blurr to use his speed to break through the enemy ranks and sow confusion. Windcharger volunteered his own rapid movement, but Optimus Prime rebuffed him due to Blurr's superior speed, and asked Windcharger to hold the line with Groove and Prowl. After their victory, he was seen at a celebration talking with Hound. The Iron Age
Much, much later, Windcharger made it to Earth, along with Seaspray and Jetfire after the Decepticons wiped out Autobot outposts across the galaxy. Ride-Along At one point, Windcharger was captured by Skywatch, along with Gears. ...For All Mankind
He was released from captivity once the Autobots and Skywatch settled their differences, but it wasn't long before the Decepticons struck once again. Forced to abandon their Skywatch base, Windcharger and the other Autobots fled towards Omega Supreme only to find themselves under attack, first from humans with anti-Transformer sentiments, then from Megatron himself. Even the Autobots' combined firepower failed to put a scratch on the Decepticon's brand new body, and they were defeated in short order. Woken Furies
Most of the Autobots left Earth a while later, intending to return to Cybertron. They took a captive Megatron with them, and seeing the powerful Decepticon leader in bonds was a source of great interest to Windcharger and others. Chaos Theory #1 Once back on their home planet, the Autobots fought against Galvatron's Sweep army. Numbers
Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-
Kre-O cartoon
Windcharger was a goalie in in a game of soccer against Airachnid and the Constructicons. Ultimate Defender
Games
Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons
Windcharger had been taken prisoner by the Decepticons, and was hidden away in their maze-like base along with several other Autobots. This prompted Optimus Prime to embark on a rescue mission. Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game
Transformers Legends
Windcharger was among the Autobots handpicked by Jazz for a mission to deliver energon to a hidden Autobot base. Unfortunately their plan was foiled by the interference of Rampage, Tantrum and Headstrong. Road to Ruin
Windcharger was part of Drift's team which had to speed a vital component to a power station to prevent it from exploding. They made it, despite interference from Breakdown and Wildrider. Rushdown Road
Windcharger and a few other Autobots were heading back from a charity event when they received a distress signal from a nearby human military base. Investigating, they found the Decepticons scouring the base for the MacGuffin Generator. Though Windcharger learned of the device's location, he was too late to prevent Ruckus from stealing it. Though the Decepticons appeared to have won as they activated the device, it proved too volatile and blew them off into the distance. Windcharger helped the humans rebuild the base in the battle's aftermath. Raiding Party
Transformers: Battle Tactics
Windcharger participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Uncommon character that could be recruited by collecting 35 units of Cybermetal, and 16 units of Transmetal. Transformers: Battle Tactics
Toys
Generation 1
- Released in the first year of Transformers in the same color as its Microchange version, and later on in a darker shade of red (coinciding with the addition of the rub mark to the line in 1985), Windcharger transforms into a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car. The Microchange toyline was meant to depict robots that turn into toy cars, which accounts for the somewhat cartoonish proportions of Windcharger's Trans Am mode.
- Camaro (Robocar, 1985)
- Released in Brazil by Estrela in 1985, Robocar Camaro was available in two color schemes: red and grey (Windcharger's original colors) and white and grey. Whether or not Robocar Camaro is the same character as the evil Malignus Camaro is unknown.
- No, he's not actually a Camaro.
- Camaro (Robocar, 19??)
- Released in Argentina by Antex, Robocar Camaro was available in two color schemes: blue and black and yellow and black. Both toys feature a paper decal based on the original Microchange sticker on the robot mode chest that doesn't particularly like to stay in place thanks to weak glue.
- While Camaro's cardback depicted a white version, it is suspected that this was merely photography of an Estrela toy, and that the white version was never sold in Argentina.
- Windcharger (Keychain, 2003)
- In 2003, toy company Fun4All made four different keychains, based on four of the original Generation 1 Mini Vehicle molds, Windcharger among them. This version is almost identical to the original, only it has a ring on the front bumper to attach the chain portion, and no face paint.
- In Japan, all four keychains were released in blind-packed boxes. Each one also had a rarer all-black "chase" version. While the normal Windcharger retained the lack of silver face-paint, the black version actually got the silver paint on his face once again.
- This toy was redecoed to make the BotCon Europe 2002 exclusive Rook.
Alternators
- Windcharger (Alternator, 2004)
- Alternator ID number: 10
- Accessories: Engine-shield
- Originally designed to be an updated version of the Omnibot Overdrive, this Alternators toy ended up having its name changed to "Windcharger" by Hasbro after they were unable to obtain the trademark for "Overdrive". (The toy was released as Overdrive as part of the Japanese Binaltech line, however.) His alternate mode is a licensed 1:24 scale Honda S2000 sports car with a removable "ragtop" roof, which doubles as a shield in robot mode, plus a replacement "folded down" ragtop roof piece. Like most Alternators toys, Windcharger features rubber tires, opening doors, hood and trunk, a detailed driver/passenger compartment complete with seats, dashboard and steering wheel and a working "steering" mechanism (though not connected to the steering wheel).
- Differences between Alternators Windcharger and Binaltech Overdrive go beyond the different names and the usual mix of die-cast metal and plastic parts for the Binaltech version's vehicle mode shell (including a fully painted car exterior) versus the Alternators version's all-plastic car shell: At the request of Honda's USA branch, who didn't like the idea of "their" toy toting a gun around, Windcharger lacks the long drive-shaft/barrel for the rifle accessory formed from his engine block, which was even called a "shield" on the packaging. Since Honda's Japanese department had no such objections, however, Binaltech Overdrive did include an unchanged barrel. Other minor differences include slightly differently-shaped visors, the paint operations on the front grille, and their dashboards sculpted as mirrored counterparts of each other, with Overdrive having the steering wheel on the rights side (like a Japanese car) while Windcharger has it on the left side (like an American car) for all the Hasbro markets he was released in.
- This sculpt was retooled into Decepticharge, which was planned to get a Binaltech counterpart (with Overdrive's Japanese-car dashboard) as Wildrider and eventually as "Blackwidow", but those plans were ultimately scrapped. The intended "Blackwidow" version was later released in different colors as Binaltech Arcee.
| Alternators mold: Windcharger | ||
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Transformers (2010)
- Windcharger (Scout, 2010)
- Windcharger transforms into a genericized modern muscle car that's a cross between a fifth generation Ford Mustang and a fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro. In robot mode, Windcharger features flip-out "hand blasters"/magnets in his wrists. His head sculpt is based on the same "modified animation model head" design as Alternators Decepticharge's head, which had originally been designed with Windcharger in mind (see below). His magnet assembly also features C joint bars that can be used even when the magnets are retracted. As part of the Reveal the Shield subline imprint of the 2010 Transformers toy line, he features a heat-sensitive rubsign.
- Like many other Reveal the Shield toys, Windcharger fell victim to the discontinuation of the 2010 Transformers line by all major US retail chains in favor of the then upcoming Dark of the Moon line. While he was widely available in foreign markets such as the United Kingdom, Canada, or Germany, US fans who didn't want to import him could initially only buy him from online retailers. Windcharger, together with several other Reveal the Shield toys, later showed up at discount stores such as Ross and Five Below, where he sold for a mere $5 a pop, and CVS Pharmacies, who charged more than MSRP for him. Coupled with the demand for a new-sculpt toy of a 1984 character, this resulted in a situation where you could either buy him locally for cheap if you were lucky, or had to resort to importing him or even buying from scalpers. On the upside, at least he got officially released, unlike the subsequent Scout Class wave.
United
- Windcharger is part of wave five of United, and comes packaged with his redeco, Wipe-Out. United Windcharger replaces the rub sign with a tampographed Autobot symbol. While there are the slightest of plastic shade differences from the Hasbro release, they're pretty much visually negligible.
Kre-O
- Mech Venom Strike (Beast Force Figure Pack, 2013)
- Set number: 2235
- Pieces: 49 pieces
- Accessories: Stand-brick, scoped pistol, Gun emplacement
- The "Mech Venom Strike" Beast Force set includes a Windcharger Kreon who can be rebuilt into a muscle car. Extra details are provided by customer-applied stickers. He also has an adjustable gun emplacement with a pressure-launch missile.
- Windcharger reuses Hound's helmet and Sentinel Prime's pistol.
- The set also comes with a buildable brick-beast Corhada.
- Kreon Class of 1984 (Kreon figure set, 2014)
- This version of Windcharger, voted "Most Likely to Run Out of Energon" by the Kreon Class of 1984, has much more toy-based tampographs than his prior version, including a visored face. He uses the Hound-style helmet.
- He was only available in a pack of 30 Kreons dubbed "Class of 1984". This set was made for sale at San Diego Comic-Con 2014. Remaining stock will be sold at Hasbro Toy Shop online.
Generations
Combiner Wars
- Windcharger (Legends, 2015)
- Windcharger, released as part of the first wave of the Generations line's Combiner Wars subline imprint, is a retool of Generations Tailgate with a new head, which heavily resembles that of the Reveal the Shield figure. Because the head sculpt and the center of his vehicle mode hood are one piece, the latter is also changed, now sporting sculpted details instead of Tailgate's smooth surface. The 5mm peg hole is retained.
- His lower legs feature details that are intended to evoke the look of rear window shades. While both the original Windcharger toy and the Reveal the Shield figure actually had rear windows with sculpted "shades" that ended up on his legs, Combiner Wars Windcharger has a smooth rear window, and the details on his legs are a case of "faux-parts". They weren't as obvious on Tailgate due to the latter's plastic color layout and the lack of paint, but on Windcharger, they're painted the same color as his actual rear window, making them stand out much more.
- He includes a collector card featuring art from the "Road to Ruin" episode of Transformers Legends (art which is highly evocative of the Reveal the Shield toy and not this one).
- The original version of this mold was redecoed into Timelines Nightracer and served as the model for the non-toy Shattered Glass incarnation of Tailgate.
Power of the Primes
- Windcharger (Legends, 2017)
- Power of the Primes Windcharger is an all-new mold that transforms from a robot into fictionalized Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car that is based on his Generation 1 toy. He also features an opening canopy on his alternate mode to let any Titan/Prime Masters to ride in.
- Although sample pictures and renders depict Windcharger's head as being elevated oddly high above his shoulders, it can be further collapsed down by angling his back half further down.
Merchandise
Decoy
- Windcharger (Decoy, 1987)
- Decoy ID number: 25
- Decoy Windcharger is a small, red rubber figure depicting his robot mode. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was randomly packaged with Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Protectobots, and Technobots.
Notes
- Windcharger had the preliminary name of Sprint.[1]
- Early in development, Bob Budiansky's original profiles for the Transformers characters also included nicknames by which they were known; Windcharger went by "Jack Rabbit". These nicknames were removed from the profiles when they were published as Marvel's Transformers Universe series, but some of them saw publication in The Transformers Comics Magazine.
- Poor ol' Windcharger is the only Autobot who doesn't get a name-check or a chance to use his special powers at any point during the show's three-part pilot, "More than Meets the Eye". All he gets to do is get beat up by Reflector. Per the episode's original script, he was supposed to get a brief spotlight helping Brawn and Huffer fight the oil rig fire at the conclusion of the first episode, but with the removal of this scene, he didn't even get to speak until "Divide and Conquer".
- In an early draft of The Movie, Windcharger's fate was much more gruesome. He survived the initial assault on Autobot City, true, but was present when Galvatron and his new troops came back to finish the job. Windcharger was launched into the air by a volley of missile fire that obliterated Gears, and was ripped to pieces in midair by Cyclonus and his "armada" flying through him. His dismembered parts rained down on Blaster, who then ran for it.[2]
- Windcharger makes a post-mortem appearance in the third season episode "Call of the Primitives" as the energy creature Tornedron attacks Cybertron. Whether this appearance was accidental or if he "got better" (like Wheeljack) is unknown.
- Whether the Alternators Windcharger toy actually represents G1 Windcharger or the Omnibot Overdrive, whom it was originally designed as (and actually released as under Binaltech), is up for debate. The toy's packaging lacks a bio, it even predates the addition of mottos to Alternators packaging, and with Alternators designs not appearing in any fiction whatsoever (with one exception), all we have to go by is his name. Since Windcharger predates the practice of using the name of an established character as an alternate name for a toy of a different character from the same continuity whose name is unavailable for trademark (or other) reasons (see "Snarl", "Strafe", and "Caliburst" for a few examples), we have chosen to keep the figure listed on Windcharger's page, not least because the Binaltech version is listed on Overdrive's page after all.
- The retool of Alternators Grimlock was originally planned to be Windcharger (presumably in red), with the vehicle mode being a convertible. Ultimately, however, the toy ended up as Wheeljack instead, with a new head sculpt. The head sculpt originally intended for Ford-Windcharger eventually ended up being used for the retool of the actual "Windcharger" toy (the Honda S2000 mold) instead, now named "Decepticharge".
Foreign names
- Japanese: Charger (チャージャー Chājā), Windcharger (ウィンドチャージャー Windochājā)
- Czech: Náprava
- French: Rapido (Canada)
- Hebrew: To'én Rúah (טוען רוח, "Wind Charger")
- Hungarian: Széllovas ("Wind-rider")
- Italian: Lampo ("Lightning Flash")
- Mandarin: Chōngdiànqì (China, 充电器, "(Electrical) Charger")
- Portuguese: Ventania, Vendaval, Giro (Brazil comics)
- Russian: Razrjadnik (Разрядник, "Discharger")
- South American: Camaro
Footnotes
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Articles in need of images
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Pages with broken file links
- Alternators Autobots
- Combiner Wars
- Decoys
- Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots
- Generation 1 Autobots
- IDW Generation 1 Autobots
- Kre-O Autobots
- Kreons
- Mini Vehicles
- SDCC exclusives
- Transformers (2010) Autobots
- Wings Universe Autobots
- Upcoming toy releases
