Gunbarrel (Armada)
| The name or term "Gunbarrel" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Gunbarrel (disambiguation). |
- Gunbarrel is a Mini-Con from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.
Gunbarrel leads the Air Military Mini-Con Team with an iron fist. He's domineering, overbearing, and mean to the core. He's even carved victory notches and his personal motto "Death from above!" into his armor. He's basically a huge hardass, but he's also one that gets undeniable results. His Team is feared and respected on both sides of the conflict, and that's the way Gunbarrel likes it. He also respects the strength and skill of others when he comes across it.
An alternate-universe incarnation of Gunbarrel is partnered with the herald of Unicron, Ramjet, but shares none of Gunbarrel's personality traits... he hasn't got a personality anymore. Untold millennia of servility to the dark Transformer have left him—and his fellow Mini-Cons—little more than drones, utterly subservient to his master's will.
Fiction
Armada cartoon
Gunbarrel and the Air Military Team were hidden away in storage on the moon, apparently trapped there for a million years unlike their fellow Mini-Cons who had been scattered over the Earth. They were found and recruited by Thrust to the Decepticon cause, and incorporated into his battle strategies. Alongside the Air Defense Team, the Decepticons now possessed a rather large air force for vanquishing the Autobots. After Thrust lured the Autobots into a tight ravine with a false Mini-Con signal, Gunbarrel and his flying partners joined with Starscream in strafing the trapped Autobots. They were eventually overcome when Hot Shot fired on the jets, bringing them down. Tactician
The Air Military Team and Air Defense Team were used in Thrust's next offensive as well. Gunbarrel and the others used the Autobots' prohibition against firing on Mini-Cons against them, keeping Jetfire distracted and surrounded in mid-air, cut off from his landbound fellow Autobots and unable to fire back at his attackers. Linkup
Gunbarrel and his squad were assembled again to do battle with Jet Optimus alongside Megatron and his Dark Fleet armor. Desperate
On the moon, Gunbarrel and the other Mini-Cons were put to work by Megatron constructing a new space cruiser. When the Autobots lay siege to the Decepticon base, Perceptor sought out the Mini-Cons and tried to get them to accompany him to freedom. Their servility programming was too strong to overcome at first. After Gunbarrel and the others saw Perceptor valiantly risking his life against Megatron, however, the Mini-Cons shrugged off the chains of their oppression, and fled to the warp gate chamber where the Autobots transported them to safety on Earth. Rescue
Cybertron comic
One version of Gunbarrel was a slave of the dimension-hopping Megazarak, and was abducted by Unicron from Aurex 304.0 Epsilon along with fellow underling Sky Blast. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/01 They fought inside the Pit during the final stage of the Universe War, apparently as Children of Primus. Both were destroyed by Razorclaw. Revelations Part 2
The version of Gunbarrel allied with Ramjet came with his master and Nemesis Prime to Cybertron during their mission to destroy Primus using the Dead Matrix. Their first move was to blast their way into the Vector Sigma chamber, where they neutralized both the supercomputer and Alpha Trion. Balancing Act Gunbarrel, his fellow Mini-Cons and numerous Scrapmetals later listened to Ramjet explain Dark Scorponok's vampiric behavior, then stood beside their master as he met Skyfall. Balancing Act, Part 3 They all came with Ramjet and Nemesis Prime as they headed for Primus's chamber, but were confronted by Vector Prime. Balancing Act, Part 4 As Ramjet dueled with the ancient Transformer, the Air Military Team powerlinxed with him to increase his strength, minus Gunbarrel Balancing Act, Pt 5 who tried to escape after his master was banished by Vector Prime, only to be shot down with a smartnuke by Over-Run. Revelations Part 1
Toys
Armada
- Air Military Mini-Con Team (Basic, 2003)
- Japanese ID number: MM-11
- Known designers: Hironori Kobayashi (TakaraTomy)
- Gunbarrel transforms into a multi-engined military cargo plane of undetermined model. He also has a third "weapon" mode, a six-barreled (non-firing) cannon. He was normally only available in a three-pack with his teammates Terradive and Thunderwing.
| Transformers: Armada mold: Gunbarrel | ||
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- Thrust w/ Air Military Micron (Multi-pack, 2003)
- Japanese ID number: MS-06
- The entire Air Military Team was packaged with Thrust and Inferno in a special Japanese multi-pack as well as the normal individual releases.
- Air Military Micron Exdimensions (Basic, 2003)
- Japanese ID number: MM-12
- For their Exdimensions redeco, the entire Air Military Team was redone in black, clear-black, and white plastics, plus given a light white paint-wash. This set was released at normal retail, but in smaller numbers than the normal coloration.
- This toy also doubles as the separate character Glide.
| Transformers: Armada mold: Gunbarrel | ||
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- Unicron with Dead End (Bonus pack, 2003)
- Late in the U.S. line, Walmart stores received exclusive Unicron toys that came with the Air Military Team in a bubble attached to the top of the box. This set was sold for the normal retail price of Unicron... hey, free Mini-Cons!
Universe (2003)
- Ramjet w/ Thunderclash, Gunbarrel, Thunderwing, & Terradive (Multi-pack, 2004)
- Available as part of a Toys"R"Us exclusive "Spring Value Pack" with his master Ramjet, this version of Gunbarrel was redecoed in mostly darker shades of his original colors. This set also came with redecoes of the Mini-Cons Thunderclash, Thunderwing, and Terradive.
| Transformers: Armada mold: Gunbarrel | ||
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- Autobot Whirl with Makeshift & Gunbarrel (Ultra, 2004)
- Gunbarrel transforms into a multi-engined military cargo plane of undetermined model. He also has a third "weapon" mode, a six-barreled (non-firing) cannon. He was only available with Whirl and Makeshift.
- This deco of Gunbarrel was repurposed as Thunderstick in "Force of Habit".
| Transformers: Armada mold: Gunbarrel | ||
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Notes
- The packaging for the Toys"R"Us Universe Ramjet sets shows an Air Military Team in very different colors. Gunbarrel is pictured with a deco extremely similar to the Generation 2 Skyscorcher Terradive.
- According to Aaron Archer, Gunbarrel's name is a multi-lingual pun on ガンバル, ganbaru, meaning 'hard-working' or 'dedicated'.[1]
Foreign names
- Japanese: Glide (グライド Guraido), Gunbarrel (ガンバレル Ganbareru)
- Korean: Glide (글라이드 Geullaideu)
