Longarm (Movie)
| The name or term "Longarm" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Longarm (disambiguation). |
- Longarm is an Autobot and a mass-produced drone-unit from the Transformers portion of the live-action film series continuity family.
Longarm is a chummy, nice, all around guy who just wants to help. "It never hurts to help" is his creed, and he enjoys working on protecting, repairing, and saving. After all, that's why he's an Autobot. He's almost too nice... he just can't figure out Decepticons at all. To be that angry, mean, treacherous, destructive, or emo, it all just seems like a huge waste of energy and time. Whether he is hauling or providing covering fire, as long as he's providing assistance by protecting his friends and making them smile, then he can smile right back.
There's also units of drones that convert into tow-trucks of the same name. Both the Autobot and Decepticon armies make use of these drones, which are solid, dependable fighters, and can be particularly dangerous.
Fiction
Titan movie comics
Longarm was part of the Autobot reinforcements. He understandably thought they were a wee bit doomed, unsure of how they were expected to defeat the vast Decepticon legions. Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1 Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 2 Nevertheless, he joined the others in landing on Earth, but in the battle at Savannah, Georgia, he was gunned down by the drone hordes. Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 3 Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 4 His unmoving body had to be removed from the Decepticon facility by Ironhide. Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 5
Once repaired, he joined the other Autobots in constant defensive actions against the Decepticons, including protecting San Diego alongside Ironhide. Dark Spark
When the Autobots were fully mobilized to Cybertron to secure Nucleon, Longarm showed he'd developed heavy pessimism after his series of ordeals, grimly stating that it was likely the Nucleon was used up by the Decepticons and Earth was doomed. He was made pilot of the Straxus, and found out Earth was doomed when Unicron teleported into the solar system and shot the Straxus down. Return to Cybertron: Part 3
After Earth was not-doomed, Longarm was briefly seen entering the Autobot ship as they were ordered off Earth. Revolution Part 1
IDW movie comics
Following the destruction of Megatron and the AllSpark in Mission City, Sector Seven took custody of the inactive tow truck that would one day become Longarm during cleanup operations Alliance #1 and relocated him to a secret base in the Nevada desert. The Reign of Starscream #3
In the years since Sector Seven was shut down, Longarm evolved into a sapient Transformer and eventually joined NEST. Alongside Salvage, he was on covert patrol in China and broke cover to save lives... only to get killed by the arriving Shockwave. Rising Storm #1
The Veiled Threat
Longarm was a grizzled old veteran from Cybertron who joined the Earth-bound Autobots and was mentored in integrating with Earthly ways by Ratchet. He enjoyed some time outside in his robot mode while hanging out with Kaminari Ishihara on a Diego Garcia beach. Left out of the Zambia mission, Longarm and Knockout hung out in a parking area, and Longarm tried to cool his younger companion's irritation at being denied action, while using his headlights to play with a feral cat.
The pair got their chance at action later, when they were sent to Peru with Epps and Petr Andronov to investigate some Decepticon activity. On arrival, Longarm had to physically restrain Knockout while Epps persuaded the smaller Autobot that his choice of holoavatar was inappropriate for the time period. When local NEST contact Pierre Morales was worried Starscream might be around somewhere, Longarm assured him it was unlikely.
The next day, the NEST team went on the road out of Cuzco and through the Andes, with Longarm taking the rear. Knockout raced ahead briefly and returned with Decepticons in pursuit. Longarm was almost blasted off the side of the mountain, only just catching the side with his finger tips and clambering back up. After saving Epps from a similar fall, he delivered a slap to Knockout and told him off for racing ahead. They were soon set upon by Ruination. Longarm jumped on the larger Decepticon's back and pummeled him, while the rest of the team found themselves fighting Blademaster. After Blademaster sustained a critical amount of damage and plunged to the ground far below, Ruination threw Longarm against the cliff face and moved in to finish him off, but was stopped by Knockout. Ruination retreated, and Longarm thanked Knockout and apologized for striking him earlier. Knockout, for his part, agreed racing ahead had been a mistake and said it wouldn't happen again. With the two Autobots damaged and the Decepticons unlikely to return, the NEST team drove back to Cuzco.
Longarm was later on the NEST mission to Rome, but didn't take part in any combat, perhaps due to the damage he'd sustained in Peru. The Veiled Threat
Toy bios
Longarm was brought to life by the AllSpark during the battle of Mission City. Just minutes old, Longarm, driven by Mikaela Banes, came to the aid of Bumblebee who was injured and lost the use of his legs. He drove Bumblebee down the streets of Mission City while Bumblebee continued the battle against the Decepticons. Final Stand toy bio
As one of the "two newest Autobot recruits on Earth", Longarm joined Breakaway in hunting down Sideways and Rampage. While Breakaway fought Rampage, Longarm went after Sideways, chasing him through the streets in vehicle mode. The result of this battle is unknown. Autobot Strike Mission toy bio
Games
Battle for the Allspark
Longarm units had good Attack and Defense capabilities, but little on speed. Battle for the Allspark
Transformers: The Game
Longarms are particularly dangerous foes that appear many times against both Autobot and Decepticon. They are capable of swinging the tow-arms on their backs in a wide circle, extending their wrecker-hooks, which results in a devastating slam attack that can send even the larger Transformers sprawling. Since they are also shielded against most artillery in robot mode, this attack can only be interrupted by hurling something at them.
Aside from the previously mentioned facial differences, Autobot Longarms are white with blue detailing while Decepticon versions are white with yellow detailing. Transformers The Game
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (3DS)
Toys
Transformers (2007)
- Longarm (Deluxe, 2007)
- Japanese ID number: MA-15
- Accessories: Missile
- Longarm transforms into a Ford F-350 tow truck, capable of towing another toy thanks to his hook-arm. This arm becomes a hand-held "quagma cannon" spring-loaded missile launcher in robot mode that is affixed to his right hand via a screw. The missile launcher can also be used in vehicle mode, as a notch is cut out of the front bumper, presumably for making surprise attacks (since other drone characters have similar weapons). There is a single, nigh-insignificant automorph feature; the emergency lights on top of the gun/tow rig are geared to fold simultaneously. This makes Blackout's knees almost look interesting.
- Unlike all of the other "drone" toys in the line, Longarm's robot mode is totally different from the CG design developed for the game; even his head resembles neither the Autobot or Decepticon drone heads. And by "totally different," we mean "has Generation 1 Hoist's head." Longarm's designer, Alex Kubalsky, was forced to make up his own transformation scheme and robot design since Activision's reference materials had not arrived in time. When it eventually did, he altered the chest and arms of his toy design to more closely match the game design. Obviously, he left the head alone.
- The gun is not meant to be removable, but is easily unscrewed. The loose gun won't fit on the right hand without the screw, but will peg into the left hand via the connection used to hold the gun/crane steady in vehicle mode. The figure is still capable of full transformation and the loose crane fits tightly in vehicle mode. It is however difficult to transform him while keeping the loose gun attached to his left hand.
- Longarm features a minor mis-assembly problem, in that the strut between the crane section and the hook itself is reversed. It is easily fixed by carefully popping off the hook and turning it around, then unscrewing the crane part and flipping the strut. This allows the gun to fit together much better, as depicted on the packaging.
- This mold was redecoed into Revenge of the Fallen Hoist.
- Towed to Safety (Multi-pack, UK 2007)
- Accessories: Missile
- This set, available in the UK in 2007, features an unaltered Deluxe class Longarm figure and a Deluxe class 1976 Camaro Bumblebee figure. The window box features a diorama background of the battle in Mission City that was also used in the Bumblebee Vs. Barricade pack.
- Final Stand (Screen Battles, 2007)
- Japanese ID number: SB-02
- Accessories: Missile
- This Screen Battles pack (or "Battle Scenes" in Europe) comes with a Longarm figure redecoed in the same paint job as the tow truck Mikaela Banes uses to tow Bumblebee to safety. The "Orson's Towing" markings have been replaced by the "Mike's Towing" markings seen on the actual truck used in the movie. Longarm's interior features a non-removable figurine of Mikaela where the driver's seat would be, plugged into one of the screw holes in the dashboard piece. The pack comes with a battle-damaged posable Bumblebee figure similar to the Robot Replicas toy.
- This set comes in a special window box featuring a diorama background of the battle in Mission City.
Revenge of the Fallen
- Autobot Strike Mission (Deluxe class figure multipack, 2009)
- Accessories: Missile
- Available as a Sam's Club-exclusive, Longarm was packed with Revenge of the Fallen Breakaway, Rampage, and a "battle damaged" version of Sideways. The only deco differences is the faded "battle damage" paint on the legs/front hood, roof, & the rear sides of the vehicle.
Merchandise
3D Battle-Card Game
- Longarm (3D Battle Card, 2007)
- Card number:
- In the 3D Battle-Card Game, the Longarm is on the Autobot side, but features the Decepticon-style head. Pieces punched out from two different cards can be assembled to form a tow-truck or a robot, while a third double-sided card gives its stats and attacks for each mode. He uses the same piece layout as Bonecrusher, just turned around in vehicle mode so the extension is in the back. This layout was also used for Classic Bonecrusher and Inferno in the "Energon Wars" expansion.
Notes
- Artist Ken Christiansen designed Longarm, along with the other new characters in the Transformers The Game and Revenge of the Fallen video games. Christiansen says on his blog that at the time, he didn't know the tow truck character he was designing for the video game was going to become a toy, and apologises to TakaraTomy designer Alex Kubalsky, who designed the Longarm toy without any reference images from Activision, the publisher of the Transformers movie video games.
- Longarm's vehicle mode is modeled after the tow truck Mikaela Banes uses in the movie to carry the damaged Bumblebee into battle. While the markings and paint job are similar, the truck in the film is of GMC make (specifically, an older model of Topkick, similar to Ironhide's alternate mode), while the toy is modeled on a Ford F-350.
- While the movie tow truck has "Mike's Towing" on the doors, the game model and carded release of the Deluxe-class toy have "Orson's Towing" instead, a reference to Transformers design director Aaron Archer's old screen name "ORSON" on the TFW2005.com boards, as confirmed at a BotCon panel. The Screen Battles multi-pack version returns to "Mike's" markings, however.
- Longarm's first appearance in official fiction (or a bot matching the appearance of his toy) was actually in the second issue of the Movie Prequel comics, which had him fighting in one of the flashback war scenes. Only in this brief cameo, he seemed to be a Decepticon.
- In the first issue of Rising Storm, Longarm's head appears to be based on Animated Longarm's. How "ironic" that he was then killed by Shockwave mere panels later.
- His general personality and quotation seem to be based on the titular character of the 1990s cartoon Eek! The Cat.
External links
- Longarm concepts and final rendering, on Ken Christiansen's blog.
