Pipes (G1)
- Pipes is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Pipes is an excellent soldier, tough, brave, and very strong, and otherwise worthy of little note, except for his unusual ability and eccentric hobby.
His ability, which he is (to be fair) not the most proficient at controlling, is to emit clouds of corrosive gases from his exhaust pipes. This is possible in both modes, but is more useful (except to annoy motorists) in robot mode, where the pipes are on his arms.
If he stays at it for at least ten minutes, these noxious gases will eat through a 2" slab of ordinary steel (special alloys take longer). His own skin is well-protected against these gases, but in battle the coatings may flake off, and if he does not notice this (as frequently occurs) he is vulnerable to his own attack, with unpleasant results.
When he came to Earth, Pipes became enamored of the fleshlings' primitive and ingenious technology, and could not resist taking home cast-off examples when on missions. Eventually, a previously disused area of the Ark became his own personal museum of nose hair trimmers, patent rulers, and other worthless but fascinating ephemera of the throwaway society. He will gladly talk for endless hours about each prized find.
Only Wreck-Gar can be said to really enjoy an extended tour of Pipes' little museum, but Pipes is a good soldier and a friendly soul, and his comrades generally allow him his little eccentricity.
- French-Candian name: Tuyo
- Hungarian name: Csőtörő
- Italian name: Roccia
Fiction
Generation 1 Cartoon
- Voice actor: Hal Rayle (US); Kenyu Horiuchi (Japan)
Pipes was present at the Ark when Trypticon came to destroy it. He and his fellow Autobots made a valiant effort to hold off the Decepticon city-robot, but failed, and the Ark and its volcano were reduced to rubble. When Sky Lynx, Blurr and Wheelie arrived with Metroplex's transformation cog, Pipes installed it, allowing the Autobot giant to transform and defeat Trypticon. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5
Later, he accompanied Rodimus Prime, Kup, and the Aerialbots on a rescue mission after Perceptor and friends disappeared while looking for a source of chronal energy. They found the Quintessons had constructed a time window on an an asteroid for the purpose of undoing the original Autobot rebellion against the Quintessons on Cybertron. Perceptor was found alone, suffering serious injuries, and his team missing. Pipes' mechanical skills were put to work as a battlefield medic to try and patch up Perceptor, but his incoherent mumblings about theoretical physics didn't do anyone much good. Forever is a Long Time Coming
Marvel Comics
- (Note: Events in italics occurred only in the Marvel UK books.)
Pipes graduated from Autobot Military Academy, but nearly lost his friend Tailgate to a stupid initiation stunt when the hapless cadet accompanied some other Autobots into the Underground to prove his courage. Fearing the worst, Pipes and Outback went in after him. When they found Tailgate battling a group of techno-mutants, though, Pipes convinced Outback to hang back and let Tailgate prove himself in combat. Tailgate successfully defeated all comers, and the three Autobots returned to the surface. Underground!
Dreamwave Generation 1 Comics
IDW Generation 1 Comics
Toys
Generation 1
- Pipes (Mini Vehicle, 1986)
- Japanese ID number: C-60
- Pipes is a blue extensive retool of the 1984 Autobot Mini Vehicle Huffer. He is changed quite a lot; his front is Huffer's back and vice versa, and his cab transforms differently.
Trivia
- Pipes' profile picture in Dreamwave's More Than Meets The Eye series is very... interesting. Apparently he was originally drawn (likely by Pat Lee) with no hands as per the toy, then hands (drawn by Don Figueroa) were edited on to the picture at a later point. Pipes' right hand comes from Big Daddy's profile picture, while the left comes from Wildfly's.
- Although Pipes is a remolding of Huffer, the two have a simple yet distinctly different transformation. Whereas Huffer simply moved the truck cab up to reveal his head and then flipped over the smokestacks for arms, Pipes flips the cab over, repositioning it behind his head instead of shelling it like a hood, and his arms just flip down from their truck position. Amusingly, the tabs that hold the truck cab in place, sticking out of his robot mode chest, are detailed to look like seats.
