Treadshot (Universe 2003)

The name or term "Treadshot" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Treadshot (disambiguation).

Treadshot is a Decepticon from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family (via the 2003 Universe toyline).

Dead End homage or not, we are doomed.

Treadshot was once friend and rival to Ultra Magnus. But, when the war broke out, the two took opposing sides, with Treadshot joining the Decepticons. His betrayal hit Ultra Magnus hard, and now the two are engaged in a bloody duel, both neglecting orders whenever the chance to smash the other comes around.

He is partnered with a presumably-evil version of the Mini-Con Nightbeat.

Fiction

Ask Vector Prime

A brutal fight with Treadshot forced Ultra Magnus to upgrade to a new body. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/23

Toys

Universe (2003)

• Ultra Magnus with Over-Run vs. Treadshot with Nightbeat (Battle in a Box, 2004)

• Accessories: Pistol, bayonet

Universe Treadshot is a retooling of the Armada Side Swipe toy, transforming into a Nissan Skyline sedan. His Mini-Con partner Nightbeat can store in a flip-out section of the back end of Treadshot's vehicle mode. Pressing down on the sigil plate (which despite still being shaped like the Autobot sigil now has a Decepticon sigil printed on it instead) in vehicle mode swings his car hood halves forward in a spring-loaded attack (or "dragster mode"). These hood parts end up on his arms in robot mode, giving him a spring-loaded attack in that mode. Attaching Nightbeat (or any other Mini-Con mold) to the Powerlinx plug on his back activates a "punching" action gimmick in his left arm.

He was only available as part of a "Battle in a Box" multi-pack along with Universe Ultra Magnus, Over-Run, and Nightbeat. This set was only available in "market six" stores like Kohl's.

This toy doubles as a Generation 1 character, and this retooled mold was also used to make Universe Oil Slick, while a more extensively-retooled version was used to make Cybertron Runamuck.

• More information on Treadshot at TFU.info

Notes

• Treadshot's car mode deco is fairly similar to that of the Generation 1 Stunticon Dead End, though the stripes are on the wrong side. Whether this is an intentional homage or mere coincidence, though, is unknown.
• Treadshot would later be homaged in BotCon 2012's Shattered Glass Treadshot, using Armada Side Swipe's colors.
• Having been released as a toy all the way back in 2004, Treadshot remained a complete enigma in terms of which continuity he belonged to for ten years. Finally, in 2014, issue 1 of Punishment featured him as part of IDW's original continuity, but then a year later, a post of the Facebook edition of Ask Vector Prime identified the original toy's bio as depicting a Unicron Trilogy setting. So now the toy represents two different continuity families on this wiki.