Blowpipe (G1)
| This article is about the Nebulan Targetmaster. For the G1 Pipes homage from Revenge of the Fallen, see Blowpipe (ROTF). |
- Blowpipe is a Nebulan Targetmaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.
The conniving brother-in-law of Lord Zarak, Blowpipe managed the political campaign that brought him and kept him in power. While a smooth political operator with endless connections, Blowpipe lacks the physical presence and style of a leader, causing him to resent his brother-in-law for taking all the glory when he did all the "real" work.
Treating combat like he would a political campaign, Blowpipe plots and plans things in advance, leaving nothing to chance, which puts him at odds with his binary bonded partner Triggerhappy, whose idea of combat tactics is to wave his gun around randomly as fast as he can and shoot really, really fast.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Blowpipe was brother-in-law to Lord Zarak, presumably Llyra's maternal uncle. Always cast in Zarak's shadow, he spent his career as a political manager for Zarak. Although Blowpipe's machinations won Zarak the prominance he coveted in the Council of Peers, it was ultimately Zarak's own charisma which was given credit for his rise to fame, leaving Blowpipe envious and unheralded. He remained a part of Zarak's political machine and, when Zarak joined forces with Scorponok and the Decepticons, Blowpipe underwent the Targetmaster process and binary bonded to Triggerhappy. This did little to raise his personal profile on Nebulos, however, as Zarak ordered the Decepticons to abandon Nebulos mere hours later. Brothers in Armor!!
Blowpipe remained at Triggerhappy's side throughout the Decepticons' stay on Earth. He was remarkably silent when Triggerhappy and Mindwipe decided to desert Zarak and the Decepticons. The Gathering Darkness
Cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
One of the Nebulan Hive, Blowpipe was bio-engineered into a weapon by the Targetmaster process. When he transformed and jumped into Triggerhappy's hand, he punned on his name by stating he wanted to BLOW the rebels away. Triggerhappy responded by cackling that the Autobots were as good as melted slag. The Rebirth, Part 2
The Headmasters cartoon
Blowpipe and his five friends were refugees, having fled their home planet of Master when Scorponok and the Decepticons began an all-out siege on the world. They were being chased through space in their starship by the Decepticons when they came across the Battleship Maximus. Fortress gave them safe haven aboard his starship, and the Master citizens attempted to show their gratitude by removing the deadly plasma energy bombs Fortress was trying to dispose of. Their efforts came too late, however, as the plasma energy bombs exploded aboard their ship in space, bathing everyone nearby with energy. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)
Although they survived the explosion, for Blowpipe and two of his fellow refugees, the ending was not a happy one. The plasma energy somehow fused each of them to a different one of the Decepticon trio who had been attacking them, creating Targetmasters. Blowpipe was now the eternal partner of Triggerhappy and became a member of the Decepticon army at his side. As a Decepticon, Blowpipe was forced to join in the invasion of his own planet. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)
Dreamwave comics continuity
Blowpipe jumped from brother-in-law to half-brother who organized Zarak's illegitimate election.
Toys
Generation 1
- Triggerhappy with Blowpipe (Targetmaster, 1987)
- Accessories: Cannon-pack
- Blowpipe transforms into a compression cannon with single large and smaller secondary barrel. Blowpipe's transformation, like Caliburst's, is slightly more involved than many Targetmasters weapons; his gun barrel is a separate piece that plugs into his back, and once his legs are folded up the barrel has to be snapped into place where the legs were, the resulting weapon longer than many of the other first year Targetmasters. Blowpipe could be placed in either Triggerhappy's hands or on top of his vehicle mode.
