Brawn (G1)
| The name or term "Brawn" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Brawn (disambiguation). |
- Brawn is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Brawn, the Autobots' demolitions expert, is amazingly strong for his size. Due to his small stature, he often attempts to overcompensate by playing up his macho personality. He loves a challenge, be it rugged off-roading or charging headlong at foes several times his size. He has a lot of chutzpah, and a somewhat sarcastic sense of humor ever at the ready. Due to his machisimo, he sometimes looks down on noncombatant Autobots.
In addition to his great strength, Brawn is also so tough as to be almost indestructible. Almost.
- Nickname: Muscles[1]
- Japanese name: Gong (ゴング Gongu)
- French name (Canada): Bruto
- Hungarian name: Izmos ("Hefty")
- Italian name: Cammello
- South American name: Jipe (pronounced "hee-pay")
- Portuguese name (Brazil comic): Brigão
- Portuguese name (Portugal comic): Músculos
- Chinese name (Taiwan): Brown (布朗 Bù Lǎng)
- Chinese name (China): Da Han (大汉 Big Man)
- Russian name: Силач (Strong guy)
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
After the Autobots re-awoke on modern-day Earth, Brawn was one of five Autobots sent out to reconnoiter their new world. When their patrol came under attack from a squadron of Decepticons, Brawn advised the others to stay behind him, as he could absorb the incoming jets' firepower. With one swing of his powerful fist, he clocked Laserbeak. However, the Autobots were forced to withdraw, though Brawn wondered where Bumblebee had disappeared. The Transformers Bumblebee, damaged, had snuck off to S. Witwicky Auto Repairs, and after he disclosed his location, the Autobots traveled to meet him there. But the Decepticons had their eye on Sparkplug Witwicky, the human owner of the repair shop, and the Autobots met them there in battle. Brawn knocked Ravage aside after he had overwhelmed Mirage, but ultimately the Decepticons were successful, and returned to their headquarters with Sparkplug. Power Play! Brawn and the Autobots returned to the Ark with Sparkplug's son, Buster Witwicky.
When the Autobots staged a diversionary attack on the Decepticons' headquarters, Brawn's strength enabled him to storm through Rumble's localized earthquake, and punch out the little punk. Unfortunately, the little punk had a brother. Frenzy's high-frequency sonic attack knocked Brawn out. When Brawn recovered, the body of Gears lay crumpled at his feet, having helped to rescue Sparkplug, but at great risk to his own life. Sparkplug returned to the Ark with the Autobots, Prisoner of War! and Brawn shared their shock and disgust when Sparkplug admitted he had helped the Decepticons learn to convert Earth fuel for their evil purposes! The Last Stand
A malfunction caused Brawn to go mad, rampaging in a small town because he thought the cars were being enslaved by humans (and then "killed" the cars when they showed no gratitude). After a destructive chase, the Autobots finally managed to recapture and repair him. To regain his honour, he agreed to be Starscream's opponent in a trial by combat; Optimus Prime had Mirage fake Brawn's death to end the battle. The Enemy Within!
Having regained their full strength with Sparkplug Witwicky's assistance, the Decepticons staged a final attack on the Autobots. The Autobots, meanwhile, were still very weak, so Brawn was among the Autobots who donated fuel to re-energize five chosen Autobot warriors, in preparation for their last stand against the Decepticons. That gambit failed when Shockwave was unearthed and deactivated the Autobots with a single shot. The Last Stand Subsequently, Brawn's offline body was dragged by Skywarp and Frenzy to be used for spare parts for a new Decepticon army. The New Order Eventually, the Ark was retaken, and Brawn was reactivated by Ratchet along with the others. DIS-Integrated Circuits!
In the rush that followed to catch up with the Decepticons' gains, Brawn and Bluestreak were charged with the repair of the Ark's ionic fusion drive. The Next Best Thing to Being There! When the Autobots overheard Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, Optimus Prime, in a nearby swamp, Brawn was among the Autobots who traveled to the swamp with Prime's body. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. Brawn was one of those wounded before Prime's proper head was returned. Prime Time!
After Prime was restored as commander of the Autobots, Swoop's mind was hijacked by Professor Morris, and Brawn was one of the Autobots who tried to hold the rampaging Dinobot down. The Icarus Theory After Swoop was subdued, Prime turned his attentions towards the other missing Dinobots, and Brawn was part of a team sent to bring in a demented Snarl. He, Mirage, and Trailbreaker found him in Nevada's deserts, terrorizing the American military. Snarl proved too much for them until he was stopped by a prototype military weapon. Dinobot Hunt!
Brawn, Ironhide, Tracks, and Smokescreen were called to guard Buster Witwicky from the Decepticons when Shockwave swore revenge for a previous humilation at the human's hands. While they were at a demolition derby, Soundwave and the Constructicons struck. After the Constructicons combined to form Devastator, Buster was lost in the crowd, much to Brawn's dismay. Buster's life was spared when Soundwave detected crucial information within Buster's mind, and the shot Soundwave intended for the human was fired at Brawn instead. Devastation Derby!
When strange Decepticons traveled back in time from the future, Brawn was easily defeated by Scourge. This coincided with the arrival of Ultra Magnus from Cybertron. Brawn was part of a group that interrupted a fight between Magnus and Galvatron in order to save his life. Target: 2006 The Autobots several failures during the Galvatron incident convinced Optimus Prime to fake his own death in order to teach the Autobots how to survive without him. Brawn was among the Autobots who witnessed his "funeral." But before the funeral could end, Optimus Prime returned to them, and Brawn and the others were stunned, but welcomed him back. Resurrection!
Brawn was witness to a battle between Grimlock and Blaster for Autobot leadership on Earth's moon. After the scene was attacked by Ratbat's Decepticons, Brawn soon lost a fight with Swindle, who dismissed the Autobot as having a "bright future as spare parts!" Totaled!
When an Underbase-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of New York, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires," Brawn was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, Goldbug led a team of Autobots which included Brawn, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of Starscream's hand"! Oops. Dark Star
Earthforce
Galvatron briefly considering reviving Brawn as one of his new minions, but the Autobot was not psychologically suitable. Perchance to Dream
Generation 2
Brawn was part of a team led by Hot Spot, and including Skydive, Steeljaw, Override, and Chase, sent to answer the distress call sent out by their human allies G.I. Joe. They arrived in Milleville, just in time to save Scarlett from a recently revived and Cobra-upgraded Megatron.
Brawn and the other Autobots quickly learned that Megatron's strength and weaponry had been vastly improved. First Steeljaw fell, then Chase. Finally, it fell to Brawn to keep Megatron from reaching the Autobots' ship. Though Brawn fought Megatron bravely, he was vaporized when Megatron revealed that he could implode neutrons. The resulting explosion was seen from across town. Final Transformations
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice Actor: Corey Burton (English), Yutaka Shimaka, Minoru Inaba (The Movie only) (Japanese)
Brawn was one of the Autobots on board the crashed Autobot ship who awoke in 1984, reformatted by Teletraan I to have an Earth-based alt-mode of a Jeep-like vehicle. He was frequently involved in combat engagements against the Decepticons in the early years of the Earth-based war, including the battle that saw the Decepticons destroy an offshore oil rig. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 In the flaming chaos that followed, Brawn helped save his fellow Autobot Huffer who was trapped in the wreckage by cutting him loose with a blowtorch contained in his right arm. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2
More than Meets the Eye, Part 3 Transport to Oblivion
Brawn, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Bluestreak and Cliffjumper arrived at the power generator where Starscream, Thundercracker and Soundwave were attacking. Hotheaded Cliffjumper charged at Thundercracker, only to be smashed backwards by a steel pillar. Brawn's thick hide meant that he was completely unharmed when Cliffjumper crashed directly into his stomach. Starscream wanted to smash them in, but Optimus criticized this decision, telling him to "pick on somebody his own size". Later, he came with the Autobots to Dr. Alcazar's lab, but he didn't do much of anything. Brawn retreated to home base with the other Autobots, and the Decepticons attacked the next morning. Starscream held gun-mode Megatron in his hand, hoping to kill Optimus Prime with it. Brawn hid in a tear in the ground directly in front of Starscream and gave Optimus the boost to knock Megatron out of Starscream's hands. Roll for It
Divide and Conquer S.O.S. Dinobots War of the Dinobots
Another important mission for Brawn involved a super-weapon being built in Peru, where it was he (and his ally Trailbreaker) who first discovered the Decepticons' plot and informed the other Autobots. During the ensuing battle in Peru, Brawn borrowed a gun from someone else. In the end, it was Brawn himself who raced to the top of the ancient pyramid the Decepticons were using as a firing platform, tackled Megatron and helped bring about the weapon's destruction. Fire on the Mountain
Brawn performed admirably in several of the Autobots' missions, most notably during the events which brought Cybertron into Earth's orbit. During those chaotic times, it was Brawn who repeatedly spearheaded the various attempts to rescue their ally Sparkplug Witwicky from the clutches of the Decepticons, even traveling to Cybertron itself along with a special rescue team. It was this team that learned of the means which Dr. Arkeville was using to control his human slaves, and then discovered a way to free them from his clutches. The Ultimate Doom
Countdown to Extinction A Plague of Insecticons Heavy Metal War Autobot Spike Changing Gears Attack of the Autobots
Brawn came to see the proper testing of Wheeljack's latest invention. When it stopped the water in a river from flowing, Brawn claimed that the now-solid water wouldn't be immune to his hydraulic knuckles. He took it back soon after. Later, when the Decepticons took the immobilizer and began using it to stop Autobots in their tracks, Brawn helped tunnel underground for Carly so she could get to the immobilizer and reroute it. The Immobilizer
He, along with Bumblebee, Hound and Wheeljack, volunteered to check out an energy flare in the Atlantic. Upon discovering the underwater city of Sub-Atlantica, the squad was ambushed by the Decepticons' new ally Nergill. They were overwhelmed by Decepticon forces and had to escape, with Wheeljack being captured by their enemies. Optimus Prime took the Autobots, Brawn included, to Washington D.C., where the Decepticons were headed. Brawn held Thundercracker in place with his lasso, allowing Optimus to fire at him. However, Nergill arrived and turned the tables by using a disruptor to hold Brawn and the other Autobots in place. Bumblebee and Spike rescued Wheeljack, who called the Dinobots for reinforcements. Grimlock snapped Nergill's disruptor in half, freeing Brawn and the others. Following that, Brawn came with his comrades to sink Nergill's city once again, shooting a few blasts at the city while hiding behind some rubble. When Sub-Atlantica began sinking, Optimus Prime ordered his team to evacuate. Atlantis, Arise! Brawn assisted in defending a primitive Earth robot at Dr. Fujiyama's request. Decepticons soon burst in, with Soundwave destroying the platform Brawn was standing on. Mirage came and covered Brawn's back. The fall had such a toll on Brawn, he couldn't transform. Though he said he could walk home, Mirage and Ratchet insisted that he go back to Autobot base to be repaired. Enter the Nightbird
Dinobot Island, Part 1 The Master Builders
When a Decepticon starship was uncovered in an archaeological dig (and Megatron subsequently retrieved the awesome power of the Heart of Cybertron), Brawn was angered that fellow Autobot Perceptor did not participate in battles, not understanding that Perceptor's scientific and technical skills necessitated his exclusion from combat missions. To the irritation of Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, Brawn decided it was his job to bully the Autobot scientist, insinuating that Perceptor was a coward not prepared to do his duty alongside the other Autobots. Brawn later changed his tune and was a big enough 'bot to appreciate Perceptor's skills when the latter hyper-accurately shot the Heart of Cybertron out of the sky. However, it is unclear whether Brawn was big enough to apologize to Perceptor for his earlier boorish behavior. Microbots
Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2 Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2 The Golden Lagoon Child's Play Starscream's Brigade
Brawn was shot down by Starscream in 2005, during the hijacking of a shuttle bound for Autobot City, making him one of the first fatalities of that famous assault. The Transformers: The Movie
Brawn lives?
While nowhere near as prevalent as discussion of "Who is Cyclonus?", there is recurring debate among Transformers fans regarding Brawn's death in the shuttle attack mentioned above. Generally taken up in partial jest, proponents of Brawn's survival focus on Brawn's well-established toughness and the fact that he had repeatedly survived more serious shots from Megatron than the shoulder wound he received on the shuttle. For example, being shot in the head, twice, in "Fire on the Mountain" and being perfectly okay.
Additionally, Brawn appears in "Carnage in C-Minor" (an episode which takes place well after the time of his supposed death). However, due to the generally low quality of the animation in that episode, Brawn's appearance is usually dismissed as an animation error. Brawn was not mentioned as one of the interred Autobots in "Dark Awakening"... but Huffer, who appeared alongside Brawn in "Carnage" was (even though Huffer's death was not portrayed in the film... in fact, he was barely in the movie at all, only being seen for about a second when Hot Rod crashes though the barrier Kup was setting up.)
The Marvel UK comic also incorporated the events of the Movie into its future timeline and in one story set after it (Space Pirates!), Brawn is seen, albeit wounded in a Quintesson attack. However also shown is Wheeljack, who is clearly shown dead in the animated version of the Movie, and there are several differences between the animated version and the information given in the comics which may make this inadmissable evidence in the matter.
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic
Brawn was amongst the Autobots defending Autobot headquarters in Arizona from a massive Decepticon onslaught. As the battle raged on, Brawn watched in slack-jawed horror as Sideswipe got bombed in midair by a passing Blitzwing. The Autobots eventually won, however. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2
e-Hobby comics
During another Decepticon attack on Autobot headquarters, Brawn was busy defending the base from the encroaching Decepticons. Beating one to a pulp, he asked for a situation update from Wheeljack who unfortunately had to inform him that Megatron had just been upgraded into an invincible Transmetal! Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.
Universe
In the future, Unicron was left in such a state of disrepair that he barely functioned. With the last vestiges of his power, he summoned Transformers from all across the tapestry of the multiverse to battle within him, so that he could harvest the energy of the losers' sparks. To this end, Brawn was abducted by Unicron just before he was atomized by the Cobra-tanked Megatron, and sent to the Cauldron with countless other abductees. Thankfully, Trailbreaker and Silverbolt soon engineered a mass escape, during which Brawn, Wheelie and Tap-Out subdued the rage-afflicted Sunstreaker and Sideswipe to keep them from killing each other.
Brawn then escaped Unicron thanks to a portal created by Optimus Primal and Snarl. He arrived with many of the others on Primal's technorganic Cybertron. Having cheated death, he fistbumped with Trailbreaker. Escape
Dreamwave comics continuity
Brawn's early activities in the war were largely unchronicled. He was first seen loading for the planetary evacuation shortly after Optronix rose to become Optimus Prime. The War Within issue 2 More than a million years later, during the Age of Internment, Brawn was seen in Internment Camp Pi, in the remains of Praxus, among the Autobots being forced to drill to Cybertron's core by Megatron and the Decepticons. When Cliffjumper fell in the prisoner line, Octane and Barrage took it as an excuse to beat on the helpless Autobot. Brawn snapped into action, fighting back against the Decepticon oppressors, until the clone forces of Megatron's Aerospace Extermination Squadron shot him down with little effort. The Age of Wrath issue 2
After crashing on Earth with the Ark, Brawn and the Autobots remained inactive until reviving in 1984. The Autobots allied with humankind and were eventually able to defeat the Decepticons at the turn of the century. Following the Ark II tragedy, Brawn became one of the many Transformers recovered and reprogrammed by Lazarus. He was later rescued by Optimus Prime and rebuilt by Jazz’s unit. He was part of a small task force, led by Jazz, assigned to stop the spread of Megatron’s deadly metal virus in the Canadian Northwest Territories and would later remain behind on Earth when Ultra Magnus demanded the Autobots return to Cybertron as war criminals. Prime Directive
When the President of the United States wanted to eliminate the Transformers in a desert ambush, the Autobots were forced to join forces with the Decepticons against the U.S. military. Brawn was one of the Autobots chosen for the mission by Optimus Prime. During the fight, the Americans unleashed weaponized nanite chips known as deconstructionites, designed to drain away processing power from Cybertronian computer systems. Brawn was one of the first to fall to the attack, and had to be ferried to safety inside Prime's trailer. Fusion
Brawn stayed behind on Earth under Jazz's command after Prime and the other Autobots were taken back to Cybertron by Ultra Magnus. Brothers' Burden After the end of Shockwave's despotic rule over Cybertron, though, Starscream and several Decepticons returned to Earth to make trouble for the Autobots. After Jazz went missing in the Decepticon assault on the Ark, Brawn became a subordinate to the much-less-impressive Bumblebee, who had returned from Cybertron. Night of the Combaticons The chance to pound the everloving scrap out of Bruticus' ruined form probably made up for this, even if the combiner was later revived as part of Starscream's deal in response to Sunstorm. He and the other Mini Vehicles were part of an attempt to stop Sunstorm by attaching Ratchet's energy siphon. Brawn was last seen among Bumblebee's unit when they returned from the assault to the Orion and discovered that they had been (wait for it...) betrayed by Starscream. Skyfire
Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers comics
Alongside several other Transformers, the dormant Brawn was found aboard the crashed Ark by the human terrorist organization Cobra. The humans reprogrammed their findings for their own needs, rebuilding Brawn and Gears into Cobra Flight Pods in the process. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4 Two Flight Pods were later seen during the Cobra attack on the SPS Research Facility, but they didn't transform, so it's unclear whether or not they were Brawn and Gears. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3 The reprogramming was eventually undone by Wheeljack, and Brawn and Gears quickly located their former captor, Cobra Commander. Destroying the human's escape route, Brawn made it clear that he was not interested in negotiating and that he'd rather have laid to rot aboard the Ark forever than be used as Cobra's servant. Unfortunately, Storm Shadow came to Cobra Commander's rescue with a S.N.A.K.E. mech and knocked the Autobots out before they could capture him. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4 Brawn was later shocked when he heard that the United States military were nuking Cobra Island. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5
IDW comics continuity
Brawn was present at the funeral for Bumper and Fastback, along with Sentinel Prime and the rest of Kaon Security Services. Megatron Origin issue 3 After the war got started, he helped med-evac Tracks and Jazz after they were injured battling the Predacons. Spotlight: Jazz
Brawn eventually traveled to Earth after the galaxy-wide assault broke the Autobot war machine. Years later, after Optimus Prime's resignation from command, Hot Rod decided to leave Earth and take anyone who'd come with him. Brawn attempted to stop him, but backed off when Bumblebee told him to just let Hot Rod go. New Arrivals, Old Encounters
 Spoiler warning: Plot details for Enemies of the System follow. of the next episode/issue in the series or 30 days after release, whichever is sooner |
Later on, he was deputized by Ultra Magnus after the duly appointed enforcer of the Tyrest Accord discovered Hot Rod working with a group of Decepticons to escape Earth. They attempted to stop Hot Rod, only to be confronted by Swindle and his newly-minted combiner, Menasor. Enemies of the System
Toys
Generation 1
- Brawn (Mini-Vehicle, 1984/1985/1986)
- Japanese ID number: 15
- Brawn was part of the original assortment of Autobot Mini Vehicles released in 1984. * The mold was originally developed for the Microman Microchange. That toyline was meant to depict robots who transformed into toy cars, which is why Brawn's car proportions are a bit exaggerated. He transforms into a (somewhat altered) Toyota Land Cruiser (although the front grille is based on a Willy's Jeep) with a non-removable spare tire on the roof.
- There are a couple different variations of the toy. Like all of the 1984 releases, some versions have a rubsign applied to it, where the original runs do not. However, there is also a mold variation: some versions have the faceplate as part of the front body mold, while others have the faceplate as a part of the back, poking through a hole in the front body like the visor does.
- There are a fair few redecos of Brawn from south of the border. In Brazil, a version in gold with sand-colored robot parts was released. Peru got a light tan Jeep with dark turquoise robot parts, a light-blue painted helmet and no chrome. Mexico got another sand-colored Jeep in 1986, but with maroon robot parts.
- Brawn (Keychain, 2003)
- The Brawn mold was retooled by Hasbro licensee Fun4All and made as part of the second wave of Transformers keychains alongside Windcharger. A small plastic ring was added to the front bumper, which the metal key chain attaches to. The keychains came on pretty close reproductions of their original cardbacks from 1984. These were originally sold in chains like Hot Topic and video game stores, but over the course of several years, found their way even to the racks of Wal-Mart.
- In Japan, the four Mini Vehicles were sold in small boxes. Each one was also available in a solid-black variation.
Universe (2003)
- Autobot Brawn
- Accessories: Crane/cannon, 2-part spare tire/blades, energon star, energon gauntlet
- A retool of Energon Strongarm as Brawn was part of 3H Productions' proposal for an OTFCC 2005 convention exclusive set. However, with the financial collapse of 3H Productions in late 2004 and the subsequent transfer of the Transformers convention license to Fun Publications, all plans for this toy were scrapped. It would have featured a new head and new snap-on Energon weapon fists.
 Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Universe (2008)
G1 Series
- Brawn (Legends, 2008)
- Released in the fourth wave of Universe Legends-class toys, Brawn is a new-mold toy of the original Brawn inspired by his character model, transforming into a Hummer SUV-like vehicle. His spare tire, mounted on his back end in vehicle mode, is actually a free-spinning wheel just like the normal four, and the same size as the front wheels... meaning that, in theory, it could be used as an actual spare tire.
- Amusingly enough, his robot-mode arms are upside-down inside the packaging, with his shoulders somewhere around hip-level.
- Pre-release samples and images of the toy showed him to have green-plastic tires. These were ultimately painted black for the actual retail release.
Henkei! Henkei!
- Minibot Attack Team (Multi-pack, 2009)
- Japanese ID number: C-18
- The Henkei! Henkei! release of Universe Brawn uses a much more desaturated olive-green base plastic, with brighter yellow chest paint, yet keeps the black face paint due to having the same paint layout as the Universe version. This is aparently meant more an homage to his Micro Change roots than "just" TakTomy wanting to do something different than Hasbro[2]. He comes in a set with Beachcomber and Cliffjumper
Merchandise
- Cybertron Hero Collection 22 (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)
- In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of "Gong" was available in part of a massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his tech spec ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of Transformers board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something. Brawn mixes the cartoon model with elements from the original toy (most notably giving him a claw for a right hand).
- Brawn (Decoy, 1987)
- Decoy number: 24
- The Hasbro Decoy release of the Brawn game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Protectobots and Technobots.
References
- ↑ According to Jim Sorenson, Brawn had this listed as his nickname in Bob Budiansky's personal Transformers comic bible. Nicknames for other characters could be found in early Universe-style profiles published in The Transformers Comic Magazine.
- ↑ http://www.ntfa.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4529
External Links
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