Breakdown (G1)
| The name or term "Breakdown" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Breakdown (disambiguation). |
- Breakdown is a Decepticon Stunticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Breakdown has an acute case of paranoia. (What was that!?) He genuinely believes that things, both living and inanimate, are watching him. (They're everywhere!) Breakdown doesn't like to stand out in a crowd. (Did you hear that!?) He dreads being different and garnering attention. (Stop staring at me!) At times, he almost wishes he was a human so he could just disappear and no one would notice. (Get them off meeeee!) Needless to say, he and Red Alert (He's one of THEM!!) would be energon drinking buddies if each wasn't likely to be convinced the other was trying to poison him.
Breakdown can combine (They'll never take me alive!!) with his fellow Stunticons to form Menasor.
- Italian name: Caimano
- French-Canadian name: Panicon
- Hungarian name: Vibrátor (aheh)
Fiction
Cartoon continuity
- Voice actor: Jack Angel (First appearance only); Alan Oppenheimer (English), Keiichi Nanba (Japanese)
After a failed attempt to steal experimental rocket fuel from United States Military, Megatron realized that while the Decepticons controlled the skies, the Autobots had supremacy on the ground, and so they needed new ground-based warriors who could out-drive and out-fight the Autobots on their terms. Rumble was sent to steal various human vehicles that would be rebuilt to become the new Stunticons. Breakdown was given life by Vector Sigma along with the rest of the Stunticons. He agreed to obey Megatron, but there was a certain reluctance in his voice. He probably thought Megatron was out to get him, or something. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 Whilst the Autobots were trapped on Cybertron, the Decepticons returned to Earth with the newly awakened Stunticons who began wrecking havoc and damaging the Autobots' good name by attacking the US military base containing the experimental rocket fuel. Eventually, the Autobots returned with the newly built Aerialbots whose combined form Superion defeated the Stunticon combiner Menasor. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2
Despite this defeat, the Stunticons were the key component in Megatron's elaborate scheme to hold a fake charity race from Paris to Istanbul so he could steal US driver Auggie Cahnay's car which would be melted down to house the the powerful Pearl of Bahoudin. One by one, the Stunticons disabled the Autobot participants assigned to protect Cahnay. Afterwards, the Stunticons were defeated when Cahnay rammed his car into Menasor’s face. Trans-Europe Express
When Megatron was infected with Cosmic Rust after a trip to the lost Autobot colony of Antilla, the Stunticons were assigned to capture the Autobot scientist Perceptor, who had developed the powerful anti-corrosion Corrostop. Arriving incognito on a ferry, Breakdown transformed and nervously informed the human passengers that this was a hijack and forced them into the captain’s cabin, though he actually locked them in the garage. AfterMegatron cured himself and infected the Autobots with the Cosmic Rust, Menasor attacked the Statue of Liberty in New York City with the ancient Lightning Bug heat ray, intent on stopping the Autobots from matter-duplicating more Corrostop from the layer they sprayed on the statue. Superion defeated Menasor and destroyed the Lightning Bug. Cosmic Rust
After Starscream was banished for yet another failed coup, he returned with a powerful new Decepticon team called the Combaticons, who were able to outfight Autobot and Decepticon alike. With Megatron needing a trump card, Soundwave attempted to call on the Stunticons to help, but they refused as they were having a demolition derby with various human-owned cars. However, the Stunticons belatedly arrived after the Combaticon's combined form of Bruticus defeated Devastator and forced Megatron acknowledge Starscream as the new Decepticon leader. Realizing that Starscream would not stop at Megatron, the Stunticons merged into Menasor and disabled Bruticus in one mighty punch. Starscream's Brigade
While assembling a new weapon capable of destroying any target by creating a chain reaction in its molecules, Megatron found himself short a few key components to finish the device. He sent the Stunticons out to retrieve those components by any means necessary. Breakdown and Wildrider assaulted a local optics laboratory to gather new focusing lenses for the cannon's beam. On their way to the weapon's construction site, they were intercepted by a troop of Autobots. It was Grapple who brought down Breakdown, setting him on fire with his arc-welder rifle by using a trail of fuel as a fuse. The Stunticons were imprisoned in the Ark, their radioes and vehicle modes disabled and trapped behind energized bars. The Autobots then used camouflage paint to alter their appearances and mimic the Stunticons, hoping to get close enough to Megatron to catch him unawares. Autobot warrior Sideswipe assumed Breakdown's appearance for the mission. After they left, however, Breakdown managed to use his unique vibratory pulses to disrupt his bars and break free. He caught his Autobot captors by surprise and blasted several of them before they could react, giving him enough time to free his fellow Stunticons and form Menasor. After a brief but memorable conflict, Menasor escaped the Ark and returned to Megatron. The cannon was rendered unusable by the Autobots' intervention, though, and Megatron's plan failed. Masquerade
In the wake of Unicron's attack on Cybertron in the year 2005 and the subsequent Decepticon exile to Chaar in 2006, the Stunticons were reduced to being scavengers, fighting like slaargs with their fellow Decepticons over the few scraps of energon they had. Motormaster determined that the Decepticon needed strong leadership to survive, and hope came when Cyclonus brought news of Galvatron's survival, and asked for the Decepticons to donate their remaining energon to revive their leader. While Dead End was pessimistic about their survival, Breakdown they were doomed anyway without a leader and focus. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 However, while Cyclonus and the Sweeps were resurrecting Galvatron, the Quintessons arrived on Chaar with an offer of energon in exchange for attacking the Autobots. The Stunticons were instrumentals were in convincing the other Decepticons to ally themselves with the Quintessons. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 After Galvatron returned to seize control of the Decepticons, the Stunticons were part of the Decepticon team attacking the Autobots on Earth. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5
Zone OVA, manga and story pages
Seeking to create a Decepticon Zone to counter the Autobot Zone, Decepticon Emperor Violen Jiger gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Breakdown was among those summoned, but only as a part of Menasor. Zone Part 1 Transformers: Zone Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Upon learning that the cerebro-shell implanted in Optimus Prime had also granted them access to the powers of the Creation Matrix, Megatron and Soundwave immediately built a team of Decepticons. The new Stunticons, which included Breakdown, were sent to find the Autobot, Skids, who had earned new trust for the Autobots by publically saving a human. After Breakdown and the others knocked over every car in their way to get to Skids, they turned to "protect" him from the new Aerialbots, hoping to confuse the public and discredit the Autobots. Breakdown combined with his fellow Stunticons to form Menasor, and they fought the Aerialbots' Superion. Heavy Traffic!
Megatron gathered Breakdown and the rest of the Stunticons before him to escort him in gun mode to Florida, where they would be air-lifted to the Decepticons' new island headquarters. In the wake of the death of Optimus Prime, Megatron's paranoia had grown so great that Breakdown and the others left their leader behind to deal with a random human truck. Gone but Not Forgotten!
Ratbat moved their space-traveling island base back to Earth's seas, where it became a human travel resort to smokescreen the Decepticons' efforts to locate a key to finding the powerful Underbase. Breakdown was advertised on television as part of the island's smiling welcoming party. Club Con!
Earthforce
Breakdown was briefly seen at the Enclave, rubbing shoulders with the various troops from Megatron and Shockwave's factions. The Bad Guy's Ball! Later, after the factions merged, he drove into battle alongside the Stunticons and Battlechargers when Soundwave led an attack on Autobot Earthbase. Although the Autobot defense systems were down at the time, Breakdown and his comrades were still ultimately driven off. Divide and Conquer! On another occasion, Starscream and Soundwave learned the Autobots had a human reporter writing a positive story about them. Fearing that good publicity among the humans would give Earthforce an edge, they sent the Stunticons to kidnap the human. As Motormaster made off with the reporter, Breakdown and the Stunticons ran interference against the Autobot cars following him. After Jazz transformed and got off a quick shot at their leader, Breakdown rear-ended him in the legs. The Autobot was knocked out of the fight, but so was Breakdown as he had caved in his own hood in the effort. End of the Road!
Marvel UK future timelines
Breakdown and the Stunticons attacked Kup on the road in 2003, making an attempt to steal the plans for the upcoming Autobot City. They were successful, but the plans were a set of fakes, so they ultimately didn't gain anything. A traffic light tried to tell Breakdown as much, but he refused to listen to it. Ark Duty
In 2008, Scourge, Cyclonus and Death's Head were compelled by Unicron to make an assassination attempt on the Decepticon leader, Shockwave. They sealed the door to the audience chamber during the attack, and so Soundwave summoned the Stunticons as Menasor to break through the door. They eventually did so, and Breakdown and Dead End were about to execute the Decepticon traitors when Death's Head returned with news of Shockwave's demise. Using a series of explosives built into his hover platform as an incentive, the bounty hunter forced Soundwave and the other Decepticons to submit to their leadership. The Legacy of Unicron!
Generation 2
Breakdown was among the Decepticons rallied for war against the Cybertronian Empire after Skullgrin's death. New Dawn
Dreamwave comics continuity
At some point in Cybertron's recent history, the Stunticons were deemed psychotic and too dangerous to function in society, and as a result were placed into perpetual stasis lock inside of a prison facility. Later, in an attempt to create a diversion while he set his final plans in motion, Shockwave arranged for the release of the Stunticons. They formed into Menasor and ran amuck for awhile, until Ultra Magnus arrived and began insulting them. Unable to reconcile with this, the five Stunticons began to bicker with each other over whose fault it was that they were failing, temporarily stopping Menasor and allowing Ultra Magnus to ram the combiner in the chest, forcing him to separate into his component parts and disabling the Stunticons. Passive Aggression
Devil's Due continuity
Toys
Generation 1
- Breakdown (Stunticon, 1986/1987)
- Team ID number: S2
- Japanese ID number: D-51
- Accessories: "Concussion cannon", double-barreled "plasma-energy blaster".
- The original Breakdown toy transforms into a white Lamborghini Countach. He comes with a blue double-barreled cannon that attaches to the back of his vehicle mode. In robot mode, he is armed with a small blue laser pistol. As he was designed with the "Scramble City" style of combination, he can form the arm or leg to any similarly-constructed super robot. Although the 1986 Stunticon gift set (below) shows Breakdown as the left arm of Menasor, his nominal placement is as the right leg.
- The original release featured a red sticker on Breakdown's hood. Later "Classics" range releases in Europe featured a gold sticker instead.
- Menasor (Giftset, 1986)
- Japanese ID number: D-55
- Accessories: "Concussion rifle", double-barreled "plasma-energy blaster".
- Breakdown was also available as part of the Menasor giftset in numerous markets, along with his teammates Motormaster, Dead End, Drag Strip, and Wildrider. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.
Generation 2
- Breakdown (Stunticon, 1994)
- Team ID number: S3
- Accessories: "Concussion rifle", double-barreled "plasma-energy blaster".
- Generation 2 Breakdown was released as an exclusive at BotCon 1994, with only approximately 300 units sold. Originally, Hasbro had planned to mass-release a complete set of Generation 2 Stunticons, but ultimately only Breakdown saw official release in any form. The "collect them all!" cross-sell on the back of the packaging featuring the other Stunticons was covered by a BotCon 1994 sticker.
- The toy is, of course, a redeco of the original Breakdown toy, and has the distinction of being the first BotCon toy ever.
Trivia
- An unofficial Action Master Generation 2 Breakdown was an exclusive at BotCon 2004, created from bootlegged Action Master Sideswipe parts. Though this wiki does not normally list unofficial items, this one is put here simply to reinforce that even though it is a BotCon toy, it was from the one year that BotCon was unofficial, and the toy is not Hasbro-approved either. Thank you, won't we?
- In the Transformers Decepticons game based on the 2007 movie, an unlocked alternate mode called "Scout" is a homage to Breakdown.
