Road Rocket (G2)
| The name or term "Road Rocket" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Road Rocket (disambiguation). |
- Road Rocket is an Autobot from the Generation 2 portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
Road Rocket runs hot all the time. Ever eager for action, he pushes his engine to its limits when roaring towards the battlefield, making it glow red-hot; Road Rocket has to chug a hefty cocktail of motor oil and antifreeze just to keep his systems from melting down. Thankfully, he always has more than enough energy to keep this breakneck pace in battle, using his "light saber" buzzsaw weapon to cleave through Decepticon armor as if it was warm butter.
Fiction
G-2 mini-comic and story pages
After the Cybertron Alliance failed, Road Rocket was one of the new warriors assembled by Optimus Prime to fight back against Megatron. An effective ninja clan warrior from the planet Chaar, he was also a loner by nature and frequently acted without consulting his fellow Autobots, getting him into trouble. G-2 Part 3
In his first battle against the Decepticons, he, Volt and Electro had been cornered by Jolt, Sizzle, Skyjack and Hooligan. Road Rocket broke formation against orders, using his vehicle mode to kick up a blinding cloud of dust before breaking through the Decepticons' line. G-2 #11
Later, he was running through the Decepticons' base, eventually finding himself cornered in a dead end by Road Pig, Jolt and Sizzle. As Road Pig mocked Road Rocket's failings as a ninja, an air vent opened up above them... Aero Raid had arrived to save Road Rocket's hash! Road, unimpressed, merely muttered out a simple "Thanks", much to Aero Raid's annoyance. G-2 #14
Robot Masters online comic
Road Rocket joined Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal in exploring a crevasse filled with Solitarium crystals. However, they were ambushed from above by Beast Megatron and Sideways, who detonated the crystals around the Autobots.
Fortunately, Primal managed to shield the three from the explosion with a huge slab of rock, but they were unable to prevent the Decepticons from making off with a huge load of Solitarium. Must Defend the Solitarium!
IDW comics continuity
During the war, Road Rocket was part of an Autobot squad led by Sunstreaker when they were attacked by Deadlock and his troops. The Autobots lost that battle, and were forced to retreat. Drift issue 1
Later, Road Rocket was a part of Hound's Tactical Response Unit, stationed at Thunderhead Pass to guard the remains of Thunderwing. He was witness to Hound's dressing down of Sideswipe. Later he was part of the team responding to the murder of Leadfoot and the attack on Sideswipe by an unknown Transformer. After an unsuccessful attempt to contain the attacker, he and most of the other members of his team were knocked offline, but their lives were spared by the mysterious being in a strange act of mercy. Spotlight: Galvatron
Later, Optimus Prime informed Hound that his unit should make preparations to come to Earth as reinforcements. Devastation issue 1 However, due to the extraction of prisoners from Garrus-9, Hound's unit, including Road Rocket, was diverted there instead. Devastation issue 6
On the way, their ship, the Ark-12 was attacked by Cyclonus and Road Rocket reported on the ship's damage. He joined the landing party and helped attack Cyclonus on the surface of Corata-Vaz. He was hit with one of Cyclonus' missiles. Spotlight: Cyclonus Road Rocket survived the encounter with Cyclonus and fought alongside the Wreckers as they attempted to get past Thunderwing, who had been activated by Cyclonus to guard the Nega-Core that was positioned inside the cavern. Spotlight: Hardhead
Hound's squad was soon put under the command of Fortress Maximus and sent to Earth to try and halt the Expansion. Their job was to get past Straxus and Grindcore and disable the Nega-Core the two Dead Universe Transformers were guarding. While Sideswipe held them off, Road Rocket helped Hound and the others dismantle the Nega-Cores and send them into the Benzuli Expanse, thus ending the threat of the Dead Universe...for the moment. Spotlight: Sideswipe
Timelines: Wings of Honor continuity
Toys
Generation 2
- Road Rocket (Laser Cycle, 1995)
- Japanese ID number: TRF-12
- Road Rocket transforms into a red and blue Yamaha GTS1000 motorcycle. One of the two Laser Cycles released in the tail end of Generation 2, Road Rocket has a light-up gimmick similar to that of the Laser Rod toys. Pressing a button on his "dashboard" lights a red LED, making the clear plastic of his arm-mounted weapon illuminate. This buzzsaw weapon becomes part of his rear wheel assembly in cycle mode.
- This mold was also used to make Robots in Disguise Sideways. It was planned for use in Generation 2 as Jazz, but that toy never saw release.
Robot Masters
- Road Rocket (Robot Master, 2004)
- Japanese ID number: RM-18
- Road Rocket's Robot Masters toy is a redeco of his first, largely in yellow and black. It retains the LED functionality of the original release. It also retains the retooling done to his handlebars and buzzsaw for the mold's Microman release (see Notes below).
Notes
- In 2000, Road Rocket and Road Pig were redecoed and retooled as items for the then-current incarnation of Microman, "LED Powers". Road Rocket became the "Mach Speeder" MicroBike, packaged with Microman "Rider Arthur" as L-14. The Mach Speeder did not have electronics, as the idea was that the LEDs within Rider Arthur's backpack would provide the light source for the buzzsaw weapon. To that end, the weapon was given a new handle so that Rider Arthur could use it. Though the handle was removed for later Transformers releases, the handle base retains the added detailing. This release is the source of the retoolings found in the later Robots in Disguise and Robot Masters uses of the mold. Later, the Mach Speeder received an exclusive Japanese Toys"R"Us redeco as the "Hyper Speeder", sold in a boxed set with a likewise-exclusive Road Pig redeco.
Foreign names
- Italian name: Goblin
- French name: Motard ("Biker")
