Pyro (G1)
- Pyro is an Autobot Obliterator from the Generation 1 continuity family. He is also known as Spark.
Young Pyro is another in a proud tradition of selfless Autobot heroes. He is invariably on the front lines protecting the weak and helpless, and is so brave and steadfast as to be virtually immovable. He stands for truth, justice, and the freedom of all sentient beings. He commands a powerful multi-functional battlestation. And, hey, did we mention that he transforms into a truck?
You see, Pyro has self-styled himself after his hero, Optimus Prime. Unfortunately, being Prime is way harder than Pyro first figured. Humans are so small and squishy and fragile! Why does Prime bother? Keeping them alive is a job in itself! And, sure, Prime would give his life for another, but can't such decisions wait for something really important? It's just not fair.
| “ | And Prime's there, and he's... he's awestruck. And then, too late, he gets it: me and him—we're the same. We're the very same. | ” |
—Pyro, horrified at the idea of dying outside of glorious combat alongside Prime, Last Stand of the Wreckers #4 | ||
Fiction
IDW comics continuity
Due to heroic actions, Pyro was given a promotion to Wrecker status. Along with Guzzle, Ironfist, and Rotorstorm, he waited for pick-up at the Igue-Moor Fuel Depot; unlike them, he was extremely embarrassed when their bored target practice trashed the place, hurriedly putting fires out and trying to apologise to the irate foreman Dipstick. Upon pick-up, he was stunned to find one of those fragile humans was a Wrecker, and he bemused Verity with a stunned speech about how Optimus was right about the need to protect her species. Last Stand of the Wreckers #1
After the former (and incarcerated!) Wreckers leader, Impactor, was picked up by the group, Pyro and the other new recruits were sidelined to a separate room while the "grown-ups" chatted. The others tried to help Pyro pick out a motto for himself, as he had yet to do so. His suggestions of "Freedom of thought, freedom of action, freedom...to be" and "Sentience is the guarantor of autonomy" were deemed either too pompous or too, uh, derivative.
Soon, all the Autobots on board Ultra Magnus's ship gathered to work out the details of their planned take-back of the prison world Garrus-9. Unfortunately, the mastermind behind G-9's subjugation was the infamous Decepticon wild card, Overlord, and Pyro joined the others in freaking out just a tad. Pyro expressed concerns that their strategy for completing their objectives wasn't terribly complex. Springer reminded him that this was the Wreckers, where planning is dumb. The group was to arrive on planet spread across two escape pods. Pyro, Topspin, Perceptor, and Ironfist were assigned to Rotorstorm's shuttle, while the other pod was to be guided in remotely also by Rotorstorm. On the way in, Pyro was surprised to learn that their pod had a stowaway: Verity Carlo in her battle suit.
The Decepticons were, of course, ready for the two pods with an impressive volley of firepower. After their pods took a number of hits, Pyro and the others crash-landed on the surface of Garrus-9, right on the footsteps of Overlord. Last Stand of the Wreckers #2
After their recovery and Rotorstorm's demise at the hands of Overlord, Pyro protected Verity by shielding her in his chest while Perceptor, Topspin, and Ironfist took on Overlord. The Autobots beat a hasty retreat as Overlord requested the rest of the Decepticons bring them a head of a Wrecker in exchange for freedom. After they escaped and found their way to where Aequitas was being held, Pyro finally remembered he was hiding Verity in his chest. After a verbal scolding from Verity, who reminded him that humans don't fold up inside chest compartments well, Pyro let his mask slip and openly questioned what Optimus Prime saw in these fragile creatures.
Once Pyro's team arrived at Aequitas's cell, and with Decepticons closely on their tails, he helped helped Topspin carry the barely alive Fortress Maximus inside as the prison doors opened to reveal... Last Stand of the Wreckers #3
 Plot details for Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4 follow. |
| “ | You're no Prime. Hell, you're barely an Autobot. | ” |
—Verity Carlo's opinion of Pyro's egomania, Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4 | ||
...Aequitas, Garrus-9's supercomputer, which judged its prisoners of their guilt. They were charged with downloading the contents of its hard drive and getting out of there, but there was one catch: With Garrus-9's command crew gone, the only way to access the mainframe for downloads was to sacrifice a spark to it. Perceptor was ineligible for this, as he was needed to interface with the supercomputer, sacrificing Topspin would also kill Twin Twist, and Verity was a human...leaving Pyro and Ironfist.
Pyro balked at this, insisting his life was destined for far greater things than sacrificing himself so that they could merely turn on a computer. No, he saw himself at the end of his life going out in a blaze of glory, saving a planetful of organisms, and finally catching the attention of Optimus Prime. Like the true hero he was destined to be, he fingered Ironfist to sacrifice himself instead. After all, that guy just worked in a lab. What important things had he done? This argument infuriated Verity. Just as Ironfist began sadly to agree, they were interrupted by Topspin nominating himself. Twin Twist was about to die from torture at the hands of Stalker anyhow, and this way, they could both die with relative dignity, on their own terms.
Once Perceptor had access to Aequitas, another hard decision reared its head. Pyro and the others were surrounded by Decepticons, and in moments, they would be overrun and, most likely, destroyed. Perceptor could activate the deterrence chips in every prisoner on Garrus-9, thus saving them, but, as Pyro noted, Impactor was also a former prisoner and would share their fate. Perceptor put their decision to a vote, and Pyro voted against. However, Perceptor decided the needs of many outweighed the needs of Impactor, and Ironfist, with the vast database of Aequitas downloaded into his systems, had learned that Impactor wasn't so great after all and deserved to die. Last Stand of the Wreckers #4
Timelines: Generation 2: Redux
Further information in this article is coming soon as it pertains to information that may not yet have been officially released. |
Toys
Generation 1
- Pyro (Obliterator, 1993)
- Accessories: Rifle, 6 missiles
- Pyro transforms from a Carmichael Cobra airport crash truck into a robot (front half) and a gun emplacement featuring a six-barrel missile launcher which actually fires as one rotates the knob on the back. His sticker sheet notably includes several different windshield decals, each with the word "FIRE" in a different language. In robot mode he has fairly limited articulation as well as an Optimus Prime-looking headsculpt, which was the trend with Autobot leaders at the time.
- He was first released as part of the "transitional" period of Transformers in the European market, bearing the new Generation 2 Autobot symbol.
- Pyro notably suffers from Gold Plastic Syndrome, as his feet, lower arms, wheel rims, missile launcher and his gun are made of this brittle plastic.
Generation 2
- Spark (Obliterator, 1994)
- Accessories: Rifle, 6 missiles
- Pyro was re-released in Europe without changes in Generation 2 proper under the name "Spark."
Timelines
- Generation 2: Redux (BotCon 2010 box set)
- Accessories: "Flame" missile
- "Autobot Spark" is an extensive redeco of Universe Inferno, transforming into an American pumper/tanker fire truck. His top-mounted spring-loaded missile launcher ends up mounted on his right arm in robot mode. He may have the most paint of any BotCon toy ever.
- He's part of a Generation 2-themed five-figure box set available exclusively at BotCon 2010. The other figures in the set are Streetwise, Clench, Breakdown and Sky-Byte.
Notes
- He is neon incarnate!
