Raf Esquivel
- Rafael Esquievel is a human from the Prime continuity family.
He's quiet, shy, wees himself in the face of trouble, and goes into "the zone" whenever he sees technology. You'd think he'd be constantly getting wedgies from nearby punks and biker kids, but no! Rafael "Raf" Esquivel is, in fact, best mates with Miko Nakadai and Jack Darby! Even more incredible, he's best mates with Bumblebee, a robot car from outer space, and since other Autobots like Ratchet are unfamiliar with human technology, he's called on at Autobot Central Command to use his know-how to save the world!
Raf is 12 years old. And a quarter. A very big quarter!
Fiction
Prime cartoon
- Voice actor: Andy Pessoa (English)
 Plot details for Darkness Rising, Part 2 follow. |
Raf was playing with his radio-controlled car in a dry drainage canal when he got a call from his mother, and promised he'd come home after another five minutes. Playtime was interrupted a short time later when Jark Darby executed a motorcycle leap into the canal. Raf was impressed by that, but more so when the motorcycle turned out to be an alien robot in disguise. Arcee fought against two Decepticons and was soon joined by Bumblebee, who accidentally crushed Raf's toy underfoot. Raf wasn't too upset by the loss, and when Bumblebee was subsequently pinned down by the Decepticons, Raf courageously yelled at them to leave Bumblebee alone. He and Jack then fled up a storm drain as the Decepticons came after them, but his distraction helped the Autobots eventually win the battle.
After school the next day, Jack approached Raf and suggested they keep the whole thing to themselves. It wasn't that easy, as Bumblebee picked that moment to drive up to take Raf back to base. Raf was able to understand Bumblebee's buzzing, and pointed out Arcee nearby who had come for Jack. At base, he, Jack and Miko marveled at Ratchet and Bulkhead before Optimus Prime briefed them on the ongoing Autobot/Decepticon war. Darkness Rising, Part 1 When an alarm went off, Raf translated Bumblebee's statement that it was a proximity alert. He, Jack and Miko hid to avoid being seen by Agent Fowler, who was paying a visit to complain to Prime about recent Autobot activities.
A signal sent most of the Autobots rushing off on a mission, leaving the three kids with Ratchet. Raf made himself useful by helping the medical bot get the silo's aging computer system to work. Once the mission was over, Raf realised it was getting late and he was going to be grounded for a month if he didn't get home, so Optimus assigned Bumblebee to take him home and watch over him. Darkness Rising, Part 2
Plot details for Darkness Rising, Part 3 follow. |
Bumblebee and Raf were delayed getting back to the base because they stopped off to play a video game (Raf lost). When they finally got there, Optimus promptly left on a mission with Ratchet, and Arcee and Bumblebee further abandoned the kids, leaving them with Bulkhead. Raf attempted to join in Miko's attempt to form a band by offering to play samples on his laptop. Another visit by Fowler resulted in the federal agent being captured by the Decepticons, and Raf used his hacking skills to locate Fowler. After Bulkhead departed to try and deal with it, Jack and Raf realized that Miko had sneaked after the Autobot. They used the ground bridge to join the pair, arriving near the Decepticon ship where they were spotted by the sentries. Darkness Rising, Part 3
