Flatline (ROTF)
- Flatline is a Decepticon from the live-action film series continuity family.
A master surgeon, Flatline might be a little too eager about his work. Tasked by his commander Thundercracker with creating the next generation of Decepticon warriors, he has wasted many viable protoforms in unsuccessful experiments. He's on the verge of a breakthrough, though! Any cycle now...
Fiction
IDW Transformers movie comics
Flatline served as the medical officer on a Decepticon outpost on an undisclosed planet. He was in the midst of reporting to Thundercracker on the status of the latest subject Thundercracker procured just as she was coming back online. Flatline wasn't confident whether or not her spark was strong enough to power the rest of the specimens. However, Thundercracker didn't take no for answer, saying that her spark was stronger than he was giving credit her for. He also warned Flatline not to screw this up, as he wasted the rest of outpost's viable protoforms on a long line of botched experiments. Once he had procured the supplies he needed for the final procedure, Flatline happily introduced himself to Arcee and revealled his grand scheme. He cannibalized Arcee's spark from her old body after Thundercracker tore it apart, and installed it one of the protoforms he killed in one of his many unsuccessful experiments. He would then transfer her spark into two other protoform shells and create a new breed of soldier that'd swell the outpost's dwindled ranks. It was pretty much Flatline's last shot at rebuilding Thundercracker's army, as he didn't have any luck reprogramming two other yo-yos. Once he had finished expositing, he flipped the switch, shutting down Arcee and carrying out the transferal process as Thundercracker watched. Against all odds, the procedure was a success, and Flatline got three soldiers for the price of one.
Elated, Flatline ran off to find one of the last protoforms he didn't kill to see if Arcee could power four at once. However, Arcee didn't give him the chance as she promptly freed Skids and Mudflap, who in turn freed her. Flatline returned, horrified to see all the prisoners out and about. He was amazed to see Arcee's consciousness shared amongst three bodies. But he was quickly overwhelmed and forced to retreat. In desperation, Flatline tried overwhelming the determined Arcee with an army of Payloads, Dreadwings and even Thundercracker himself. Unfortunately, he had done his work too well, and he had no choice to beat another hasty retreat after getting shot in the shoulder. Once Arcee dealt with the drones and chased off Thundercracker, she (they?) tried to track Flatline down by the trail of fluids. However, he had activated a pile of explosives that covered his escape long enough to make a clean getaway.
Trivia
- Flatline originally was going to make his appearance in The Reign of Starscream, operating on Devastator and turning him into the first Movieverse gestalt out of the bodies of several construction bots (including some folks like Mixmaster and Huffer(!)). The idea was turned down, however.[1]
- Back when Mowry was trying to think up a Generation 1-based story to pitch, he also asked Ben Templesmith to sketch for him what a G1 version of Flatline might look like. Templesmith ended up producing a sketch based around Flatline transforming into a 1960s model Hearse.[1]
- Flatline's Movie design, however, was entirely created by Alex Milne.
- In Tales of the Fallen #6, we find out that Flatline is apparently responsible for the limited intelligence of The Twins, having caused processor damage through his experimentations on them. Maybe that explains why they thought acting like wannabe gangsters made them look cool.
