Retrax
- Retrax is a Predacon from the Beast Wars portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
Retrax is a decent warrior, using his pill bug mode to overpower his enemies. He specializes in desert demolitions and lives in tunnels under the desert, which keep him cool. His companions are the remains of his enemies. He is a coward at heart, however, and at the slightest hint of being overwhelmed will bounce to safety in his "bug ball" along one of his many pre-determined escape routes.
Fiction
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
After the Maximals left prehistoric Earth at the end of the Beast Wars, Magmatron traveled to the organic world to activate all protoforms that had been left behind, planning to turn them into Predacons in the process. Retrax was among the protoforms activated to this end. Shell Game #1
IDW Beast Wars comics
His previous identity unknown, Retrax was one of the many Decepticons that the Tripredacus Council experimented upon with transwarp energy. Lucky for him, he was one of their successful experiments, and was reborn in a "purer" body. Dawn of the Predacus
He then eventually came to be one of the protoforms jettisoned by the Axalon on prehistoric Earth. Retrax was activated and put in chronal phase by Razorbeast at Magmatron's request. The newly born Predacon quickly joined Magmatron. The Gathering #1 He was sent to hunt down the Maximals that Razorbeast had also awakened. The Gathering #2
While investigating a swampy area with Transquito, Powerpinch, Scourge, and Insecticon, Retrax was attacked by Poison Bite. Several other Predacons were taken down by the Mutants, who declared that no Maximal or Predacon was welcome in their home. The Gathering #3
Retrax survived the stinkin' muties' attack and later joined Manterror and Snapper in creating a distraction so Ravage's main Predacon force could attack the Maximals. He annoyed the hell out of Manterror with his grousing that he'd rather be with a platoon than in a vulnerable group, and was accused of being a wuss. When faced with Grimlock, Retrax chose to curl up into a ball and bounce away to safety, rather than engage the Maximal raptor directly. (Manterror was right!) Under desperate orders from Manterror, Retrax remembered to blow up the mines he'd planted around the Maximal base. The Ascending #1
When the Blendtrons turned up, Retrax agreed that the Maximals and Predacons should stand together against them... though not too close to Stinkbomb. The Ascending #4
Beast Wars: Uprising
A member of the resistance against the Builders, Retrax participated in Blackarachnia's attack on Override's control room. He and Longhorn were responsible for keeping security at bay while the main force incapacitated the Builder. Broken Windshields
Toys
Beast Wars
- Retrax (Deluxe, 1997)
- Retrax transforms into a dark translucent green (dark enough that it appears black to a casual observer), yellow, and white organic pill bug. His transformation process is simple, considering all of his robot mode components are jammed underneath one plate of armor. Per his alt mode, the toy can be rolled around like a ball. The spring-activated gimmick that curls up his isopod mode can also be used to make his arms snap together in robot mode, grasping his target in a
bearbug hug—or just clapping.
Notes
- Retrax is one of the only Transformers to have a Tech Spec stat at "1" (Speed). He also is one of the only Transformers to have a Tech Spec stat at "2" (Firepower).
- His Beast Wars Sourcebook profile incorrectly identifies him as having insect legs, but pillbugs are actually terrestrial crustaceans.
Foreign names
- Italian: Tenax[1]
