Wheeljack (Armada)
| The name or term "Wheeljack" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Wheeljack (disambiguation). |
- Wheeljack is a Decepticon and former Autobot from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.
Wheeljack isn't here for vengeance, he's here for vengeance.
A former Autobot, Wheeljack wears the scarred insignia as a constant reminder of what he left. He believes the supposedly-noble Autobots left him on the field of battle to die (and he's not entirely wrong about that, either), and particularly blames his former friend Hot Shot (that, now, he's got dead wrong). He's a fierce soldier with a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
He's accompanied by his Mini-Con partner Wind Sheer, who also used to be allied with the Autobots, but followed Wheeljack over to the dark side.
Fiction
Armada cartoon
- Voice actor: Michael Daingerfield (English), Susumu Chiba (Japanese), Claes Ljungmark (Swedish), Gerhard Jilka (German), Kustaa Kantelinen (Finnish)
Wheeljack was once an Autobot in the same military unit as Hot Shot, looking up to his peer due to his own inexperience in battle, and they considered each other good friends. However, that friendship was broken one day when Wheeljack was trapped under rubble in the middle of an intense fire. Hot Shot could not lift the wreckage alone, and left to get some help, promising to return, but he never did. An arrogant Autobot officer forbade Hot Shot from returning, claiming the fire was too intense and they couldn't risk more lives.
Meanwhile, Wheeljack saw a figure approaching through the flames, thinking that at last, Hot Shot had returned. But it was Megatron who saved him that day, and in return, Wheeljack became a Decepticon.
A million years later, a black-coloured Wheeljack tracked down Hot Shot on Earth as his former friend was mentoring another young Autobot, Side Swipe. Managing to aggravate the younger Autobot's temper by laughing evilly and (ha) sideswiping him off the road, Wheeljack led him on a chase before finally sending him off a cliff. Confronting Hot Shot, he explained what had happened so long ago and why he was here. Past As Hot Shot begged forgiveness, Wheeljack shot him at point-blank range.
Later, as Hot Shot tried to deal with these revelations, Wheeljack challenged his friend to a showdown at an abandoned oil refinery. Once again, Hot Shot tried to explain what had really happened and asked for forgiveness, but the Decepticon was both unwilling to listen and had been too bitter for too long to simply let bygones be bygones. At that moment, the hapless Side Swipe attempted to save Hot Shot, only to be taken hostage by Wheeljack, who shot Hot Shot in the leg before daring him to save his young friend from the burning refinery.
In a touch of what he perceived to be poetic justice, Wheeljack left Side Swipe restrained to the main oil tank in the middle of the blazing inferno, as he believed Hot Shot would abandon his new friend just as he allegedly did to Wheeljack on Cybertron. As Hot Shot struggled through his injuries and limped through the refinery to save Side Swipe, Thrust, who had been watching the confrontation, attacked the helpless Autobot. An enraged Wheeljack shot him out of the sky for daring to interfere, but soon discovered that Megatron had been there the whole time.
On the Moon, a comically-injured Thrust protested Megatron's decision to allow Wheeljack to join the Decepticons, given his unstable temperament and violent disposition. Wheeljack swore loyalty to Megatron and the Decepticons, to the unease of Starscream. Past II
After the bulk of the Autobots had been lured away from their base, Wheeljack participated on an attack on the enemy headquarters which ended with the Requiem Blaster in Megatron's hands, and Smokescreen at death's door. Sacrifice The Decepticons regrouped at their base. When Starscream walked in, he took out his frustration for being left behind on Thrust. Wheeljack showed concern over this turn of events, but Megatron put an end to the fight and sent his troops off. Cyclonus and Wheeljack rushed back to Megatron's throne room when they heard that Starscream was rebelling against Megatron. Starscream shot them both before they could intervene, and left to join the Autobots. Regeneration
The Decepticons were gathered in Megatron's throne room when an alarm sounded throughout their base. Wheeljack suggested that the alarm signaled an incursion from the Autobots, but Cyclonus dismissed the idea as preposterous. Wheeljack was right, of course, and attempted to pursue his vendetta against Hot Shot when he turned up. Hot Shot had been tasked with finding the Decepticon-held Mini-Cons, and side-stepped Wheeljack instead of fighting him. Wheeljack then stuck to fighting the main Autobot force until they eventually retreated, having rescued nearly all of the Decepticon-held Mini-Cons. Rescue Wheeljack and the others were stuck filling in for the tiny 'bots, picking up where they'd left off on the construction of a spaceship, and cutting into the time the Decepticons would have otherwise spent gossiping and watching Megatron vent his anger by destroying the lunar landscape. Mars
Wheeljack was part of the Decepticons' next battle, which was actually a carefully constructed scheme by Thrust to bring Starscream, the Star Saber and the Skyboom back to the Decepticon fold. Crack With the sword, the shield, and the blaster now in hand, the Decepticons finalized the construction of the Hydra Cannon, powered by all three Mini-Con weapons. They then used its awesome firepower to obliterate a comet before turning their sights towards the Earth.Threaten When Optimus Prime and Jetfire arrived to stop the Decepticon ship from unleashing its power against Earth, Cyclonus, Demolishor, and Wheeljack dealt with Jetfire, pinning him down and leaving him unable to stop Optimus from sacrificing himself to stop the cannon's blast. Crisis
With Optimus destroyed, Wheeljack and the other Decepticons set course back to Cybertron. Remorse Cyclonus expressed confusion over why Megatron seemed so morose after the death of Optimus Prime. Wheeljack explained to him that the sudden loss of an eternal rival could be discomforting. Depart When Cyclonus whined that Megatron was turning the Decepticons' ship around to deal with their Autobot pursuers, Wheeljack firmly told his fellow Decepticon to never question their leader. In the battle that followed, Optimus Prime was revived by the Mini-Cons and forced the Decepticons to retreat. Miracle
Arriving on their home planet ahead of Optimus Prime and his soldiers, the Decepticons managed to take Cybertron by force. During a war-charge led by Galvatron (formerly Megatron), Wheeljack and the others came upon Optimus and Jetfire. The Decepticons retreated when the Autobots brought to their attention a black hole the Mini-Cons were holding at bay overhead, and warned of the approach of "Unicron." Uprising On Cybertron, Wheeljack encountered Hot Shot trying to infiltrate Decepticon command to talk with Galvatron. Though at first eager to continue his feud with the Autobot, Wheeljack was eventually talked into letting Hot Shot deliver his message to the Decepticon leader. The conversation led to Thrust revealing that Unicron was indeed real, as well as the master he secretly served. Thrust then took off with both the Requiem Blaster and Skyboom Shield in hand. Wheeljack seemed to finally forgive Hot Shot for his past transgressions, and joined him in pursuing Thrust. Dash Now amicable to one another, Wheeljack and Hot Shot delved deep into a series of labyrinthine and strangely organic-looking tunnels. When they heard the Requiem Blaster going off into the distance, the two 'bots sped towards it. They found Starscream protecting Rad, Alexis, and Carlos from a cave-in. The children informed the newcomers of a revelation they had been privy to: the Mini-Cons had originally been spawned by Unicron in a bid to subjugate the Cybertronian race. Drift
Wheeljack continued to help Hot Shot track down Thrust, eventually coming to a portal that transported them to Cybertron's moon. There, they tried to attack their quarry, only to be warded off by various parasitic organisms that populated the satellite's interiors. Unicron's minion got away, but Wheeljack and his allies managed to make their way to the moon's surface. As the ground beneath their feet began to collapse, they were rescued by Jetfire, who flew them back to Cybertron. Looking back at the moon, the 'bots realized that the satellite they were previously standing upon concealed Unicron's body, who was now awakening. Wheeljack bid Hot Shot farewell, and returned to the Decepticons in preparation for the upcoming battle against the Chaos Bringer. Portent
Though no longer plagued by rage, Wheeljack was still loyal to Galvatron. He accompanied Galvatron as he attacked Optimus's forces in a canyon. There, Wheeljack was kept occupied by the enemy soldiers while Optimus tried to reason with Galvatron. The Autobots' and Decepticons' firefight was interrupted by an energy discharge from Unicron, and soon thereafter Galvatron was swayed by Starscream's death to unite his forces with Optimus's. Cramp Wheeljack attended a formal ceremony where Prime and Galvatron shook hands, uniting the Autobots and Decepticons into an armada that struck at Unicron together. Alliance All attempts to damage Unicron proved futile. Determining their best plan of attack laid in attacking Unicron from within, Optimus and Galvatron infiltrated their gargantuan foe's body. Meanwhile, Wheeljack and the rest of the troops kept Unicron occupied with their ships, in the hopes of forestalling Cybertron's annihilation. Union As he battled Unicron, Wheeljack's Autobot roots shined through; he showed concern first and foremost for Optimus Prime, wondering if he was making any progress on his mission. The troops on the outside certainly weren't, as all the damage they inflicted on Unicron healed near-instantaneously. Origin
Thankfully, the team inside of Unicron succeeded in retrieving the Mini-Con weapons, de-powering the Chaos Bringer. The Transformers then scrambled to eliminate Unicron before he recovered, but this proved unnecessary; once Galvatron sacrificed himself, there was no longer enough hatred in the universe to sustain Unicron, and he vanished from existence. The Transformers' war now at an end, Wheeljack and his fellow Cybertronians stood united as a race, and begun rebuilding their war-torn planet. Mortal Combat
Dreamwave Armada continuity
Armada comic
Long ago, Wheeljack was one of the most trusting and dedicated Autobots around. He put unending faith in the Autobot cause and especially his teammates, such as Hot Shot, with whom he had a friendly rivalry. But that all ended when a battlefield miscommunication resulted in Wheeljack being abandoned... and being found by the Decepticons. They quickly indoctrinated him, and before long he had slashed his Autobot symbol and joined the opposing team. Some day he'll meet Hot Shot again, and there will be a reckoning. More Than Meets The Eye #3
Wheeljack, along with Skywarp and Sideways, guarded the rocket site that was used to launch Megatron's Solar Scalpel into orbit. Fire & Ice
Much later, Wheeljack was among the Decepticon troops allied with the Autobots and Mini-Cons during the battle against Unicron. He clutched his head in agony when the Chaos Bringer appeared and declared that this reality would be consumed. The End
Energon comic
Millions of years before the arrival of the Transformers on Earth, Wheeljack was part of a squad of Decepticons under the command of Scorponok. No Exit
Emboldened by Megatron's return, Wheeljack, Skywarp, and Thundercracker renounced the peace on Cybertron and accosted the Autobot Dropshot, only to flee when approached by the ghost of Starscream. Armageddon Part 1
Following Megatron's instructions, Wheeljack intervened in a battle between Senators Avalon and Levitacus. Though Avalon managed to kill Levitacus, he was shortly thereafter cut down by Wheeljack. Armageddon Part 3
Games
Transformers: Battle Tactics
Armada Wheeljack participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character who first appeared in the "Armada: Episode 3: Between Two Worlds" event, and could be recruited after collecting 650 units of Cybermetal, 350 units of Transmetal, 150 exclusive cores, and 50 cores of this character. Transformers: Battle Tactics
Toys
Armada
- Wheeljack with Mini-Con Wind Sheer (Deluxe, 2003)
- Japanese ID number: MD-07
- Accessories: 2 missiles
- Wheeljack transforms into a gullwing-doored supercar resembling a Ferrari F50. He is cast in dark charcoal plastic in vehicle mode, with white and yellow for robot parts. His most distinctive feature is the large, scarred Autobot symbol on the center of his chest, with a smaller Decepticon sigil beneath it. When his Mini-Con Wind Sheer is attached to his active rooftop Powerlinx port, both doors either side of the vehicle mode open up like wings, which also give access to the triggers for his door-mounted missile launchers. In robot mode, these missiles can be held in his hands as melee weapons. Unusually, his right wrist features a swivel joint while his left wrist is immobile. Also unusually, his proper transformation scheme requires Wind Sheer be attached, to open his doors/wings, making him a Powermaster of sorts.
- The Takara release of Wheeljack, named "Rampage", has major differences. His predominant vehicle mode plastic is now solid black, with the large yellow paint striping replaced with much smaller light blue stripes, his window is metallic light blue instead of metallic light purple, and his eyes are painted blue, making him more cartoon-accurate.
- This mold was also used to make a proposed, but unreleased, Universe Battle in a Box Drench. The deco was later used for the BotCon 2008 exclusive Shattered Glass Sideswipe.
- Rampage & Air Assault Micron (Multi-pack, 2003)
- Japanese ID number: MS-08
- Accessories: 2 missiles
- In Japan, Wheeljack and Wind Sheer were available both as an individual release, and in a multi-pack with the Air Assault Micron, likely to mirror how his rival Hot Shot had a multi-pack with the Air Defense Micron. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.
Notes
- According to Aaron Archer, the final head design for Armada Wheeljack is unintentional, at least to Hasbro. Unbeknownst to the American toy company, Takara had designed and sculpted the head to resemble Generation 1 Sideswipe, no doubt due to the similarity of the robot modes on both toys, and Hasbro's team were surprised when they received the prototype toy from Japan.
- Also according to Aaron Archer, during his ORSON stint, it seems some other things about the final sculpt were unknown to the Hasbro team.
- When a fan asked about Wheeljack having only one articulated wrist, Archer did not know why this was done:
- When asked about Wheeljack having knees whilst most other Armada figures seemed to lack them, the reply was "Wheeljack has knees?"
- At OTFCC 2003, Hasbro noted they had vague plans to release the Takara version of Wheeljack as a running change variant. This never materialized, however.
- Out of the Armada Decepticons who came to Earth in the animated continuity who were not shown to be killed off, Wheeljack is the only one who did not reappear in Energon. As a result, his eventual fate is unknown.
- The original plan for Wheeljack was for him to be Hot Shot's brother. Even after the episode aired, Aaron Archer, posting as ORSON, was unaware of this change.
- Wheeljack possessed a teleportation power in the cartoon which was not reflected in his Dreamwave MTMTE profile.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Rampage (ランページ Ranpēji)
- Mandarin: Qiānjīndǐng (China, 千斤顶, "Wheeljack" or "Hoisting Jack")
- Polish: Prasownik
- Hungarian: Volán Jack ("Steering-wheel Jack")
- Russian: Gonshhik (Гонщик, "Racer")
- Ukrainian: Rul'ovyj (Рульовий, "Wheelman")
