Rotorstorm (G1)
| This article is about the Generation 1 Autobot. For the Aligned Autobot, see Rotorstorm (Prime). |
- Rotorstorm is an Autobot Turbomaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.
The only airborne Turbomaster, Rotorstorm (aka Storm[1]) is a major asset to the team... and he wants you to know it. He'll tell you he's a ruthless, powerful, and fearless fighter, and that he's respected even by Decepticons for his brilliant strategies and blinding speed. While making quick-witted quips about your progenitor to assure that he's the center of attention, he'll tell you that any moment now the Wreckers will be knocking on his door. That he's everyone's favorite Autobot.
He'll remind you he also possesses advanced technology that lets him eavesdrop on Decepticon communications and an extra "Dodge" sense (rather like that human with the magic outfit) that warns him of impending danger, letting him guide his ground-based comrades out of harm's way. He'll tell you he's a force to be reckoned with.
And it's all true.
But this impervious and attention-seeking persona is a mask for Rotorstorm, one he puts on to inspire and motivate his team. If he has any weaknesses, it's that he feels burdened by the legend of himself he's created. Most mechs don't know the real Rotorstorm behind the mask, but if you ask him about the Simanzi Massacre, you'll find him. His jokes will stop, and he'll stare at the floor.[2]
| “ | And yes, I am that good. | ” |
—Rotorstorm on Rotorstorm, Last Stand of the Wreckers #2 | ||
Fiction
Predator Air Attack!
Rotorstorm swooped down on the Decepticon ranks attacking the Autobot base, and proceeded to fight Stalker one-on-one. Predator Air Attack!
2005 IDW continuity
- First appearance: Megatron Origin #2; Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 (modern era)
Pre-war, when Senator Ratbat updated himself on his current projects he could briefly see Rotorstorm on his monitor. Megatron Origin #2 Soon after he was created, Rotorstorm was enrolled in the Iaconian Aerial Academy. It was not a good time for him: he was viciously bullied by his instructor Jetstream. Bullets Rotorstorm bio
After war broke out in full force, Rotorstorm was part of the Polyhex border force. During the Simanzi Massacre, he was with Ultra Magnus as they tried to evade a squad of Cybernoughts; Magnus was blasted by one, but Rotorstorm's quick reflexes allowed him to escape in copter mode. The Gloaming Later in the battle, he saved the 9th Battalion and was given the Novic Medal for Outstanding Valor for it... but was left haunted and was consumed with doubts due to the carnage he'd witnessed. To compensate, he created a brasher cover personality. He applied for and then rejected Wrecker membership and took up a teaching job at IAA instead. On return to the frontline, he single-handedly repelled an attack at Thunderhead Pass. Rotorstorm bio
Many years later, following The Surge, his courageous leadership of a platoon saved Karashi Delta from the Decepticons. Bullets As a result, and having unknowingly been on the reserve list for a long time, Rotorstorm bio he was approached by Springer for recruitment into the Wreckers, with Springer claiming that he was on the top of the list, something that suited Rotorstorm's false confident personality just fine. In reality, this was a scripted line Springer said to all recruits. Dead Men's Boots
Before being collected, he amused himself by blowing up the Igue-Moor Fuel Depot with his fellows (practice, honest!) and harassing the local Autobot foreman Dipstick. Once the four were on board Ultra Magnus's ship, he was surprised to find the human Verity Carlo was part of the mission, and belittled her presence. During the transit to Garrus-9, he broke the silence by pointing out fellow Wrecker Pyro looked an awful lot like Optimus Prime... Last Stand of the Wreckers #1
After the legendary-but-scandalized Impactor (a former commander of the Wreckers) was brought on board following his escape from Garrus-9, Rotorstorm and the other new Wreckers were banished temporarily so the "grown-ups" could talk it through. Rotorstorm helped Pyro brainstorm a motto, with little success.
Soon the time came to plan the Wreckers' invasion of Garrus-9. In order to overwhelm the planet's forcefield, two ships needed to hit the force field's weak points at exactly the same time. Rotorstorm was asked to put his considerable skills to use ("yes, I am that good") by piloting one escape pod while remote piloting the other. In the moments leading up to the attack, Rotorstorm sat alone in an escape pod, chiding himself for being even "more of a wannabe than Ironfist" for agreeing to this. Regardless, Rotorstorm succeeded in getting both escape pods through the forcefield, though when they met heavy artillery from the Decepticons, both escape pods crash-landed. Last Stand of the Wreckers #2
Rotorstorm's group found themselves face-to-face with none other than Overlord himself and his inner circle. Overlord didn't care when Rotorstorm announced that they were not any ordinary Autobots, but Wreckers, but Rotorstorm was still determined to make an impression. He made a joke, which did extract a quiet laugh from their frightening opponent, to Rotorstorm's genuine surprise, but these words would be Rotorstorm's last. Overlord put his gun between Rotorstorm's optics and splattered his cranial fluids all over his horrified fellow Wreckers.
After the others managed to escape Overlord and his minions, Ironfist had severe trouble with having seen Rotorstorm's gruesome end. Later, after Verity shared her similar horror in her own way, Topspin admitted he'd never really cared for Rotorstorm. However, he was a Wrecker, and thus deserving of Topspin's respect. Last Stand of the Wreckers #3
After G-9 was liberated, Rotorstorm's remains, along with that of the other fallen Wreckers, were placed into caskets and transported to Earth. Last Stand of the Wreckers #5 They were later interred in the "Zone of Remembrance" on Debris, the Wreckers' base. Zero Point
Wings Universe
Rotorstorm was present at Pyro's base on Earth when he received Obsidian's signal from Cybertron. He didn't seem to be doing anything useful. A Common Foe
Ask Vector Prime
In Primax 092.0 Beta, Rotorstorm worked with Autobot leader Hyperdrive to defeat Predator leader Skyquake. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/16
Toys
The Transformers
- Rotorstorm (Medium Turbomaster, 1992)
- Accessories: 2 engines/missile launchers, 6 missiles
- Rotorstorm transforms into a blue Cybertronian helicopter with bright translucent pink rotor blades and canopy. His turbine engines can launch his six included yellow missiles a very long distance. A button on the back of the rotor housing drops down both engines/launchers for an 'attack mode' feature. In robot mode, Rotorstorm has limited articulation, and he holds his turbine launchers in his hands. His rotor blades can also be detached and held in one hand as an odd-looking sword.
- This mold was retooled and redecoed to make Machine Wars Sandstorm and Universe (2003) Whirl. This figure also doubles as the Aligned incarnation of Rotorstorm.
Notes
- Rotorstorm's function of "Guide and Strategician" is rather interesting, since "Strategician" is a word that's very rarely used. Maybe Rotorstorm got to write his own job description? Maybe it should be read as his portmanteau of "strategist" and "magician" (or likely "tactician"), 'cause he's that good.
- IDW 2005 Rotorstorm joked that the Wreckers could combine. Two years later, a combining Wrecker figure was announced. Sadly, Rotorstorm does not get to be a part of it, as the Vortex mold went to another helicopter-based Wrecker. Four years after that, another Wrecker combiner was released with a different helicopter again.
- Rotorstorm's Wings Universe design is a "virtual" redeco and retool of Fall of Cybertron Vortex. A full-body view can be seen on artist Josh Burcham's DeviantArt.[1]
Foreign names
- Dutch: Storm
- French: Tempête (Canada, "Storm"), Storm (Europe)
- Italian: Rotor
- Japanese: ローターストーム (Rōtāsutōmu)
References
- ↑ Like all the Turbomasters, Rotorstorm was released in four different packaging variants, three of them of the multilingual variety: In Europe, he was availabe in English/Spanish packaging under the name "Rotorstorm", in French/Dutch packaging under the name "Storm", and in Italian packaging distributed by GiG under the name "Rotor". Additionally, he was also available in Canada in English/French packaging under the double name "Storm · Tempête". While this technically means there were two concurrently used names for him for English-speaking markets, and the Canadian-English name "Storm" was also used for France, the Netherlands and Belgium, the fact is simply that during the early days of the Transformers fandom, the Turbomasters were commonly (albeit incorrectly) considered as having been only available in Europe, and indeed, the Canadian releases are still widely considered a mere piece of trivia to this very day. With the primary English-speaking market in Europe being the UK, the name "Rotorstorm" was considered the "default" name for the character from the outset… and that was long before he became one of the breakout characters in IDW's Last Stand of the Wreckers mini-series, thereby further solidifying the name "Rotorstorm".
- ↑ Information hybridized from Generation 1 pack-in profile card and portrayal in IDW 2005 comics.
