Astrotrain (G1)
| The name or term "Astrotrain" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Astrotrain (disambiguation). |
- Astrotrain is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Astrotrain loves to sow confusion. To this end, his Triple Changer abilities serve him well. Nothing pleases him more than confronting an Autobot in a dark corner and making him wonder if he's up against one Decepticon or two. He craves having this power over others. Single-minded, you may say, but when most of your time is spent transporting troops around, you have to take your jollies where you can. He wants more from life, but it's either fly the other Decepticons around, or get scrapped by them.
He also craves having power over a massive army of train drones. Follow your dreams, Astrotrain. Follow your dreams.
| “ | It's always the same thing. I fly them to points unknown, exhaust all my fuel, and they get to have all the fun. | ” |
—Astrotrain on his eternal role as the Decepticons' ride, "The Gambler" | ||
Fiction
Cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Jack Angel (English), Takurō Kitagawa (Japanese), Jorge García (Latin American)
Astrotrain arrived on Earth during the second year of Megatron's campaign to conquer the planet and its energy resources. His activities prior to that point remain unclear, but he was first seen guarding human slaves in an energy mine following the Decepticon takeover of Central City. When the Autobots returned from a brief exile in space, Astrotrain and his comrades were defeated and sent packing. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
He once transported Megatron to the moon where he and the Decepticons' leader attempted to jam Earth's radio waves. The attempt was interrupted by the arrival of Omega Supreme, Spike, Carly, and Optimus Prime. Astrotrain engaged in a bad pun, accused Omega Supreme of being too outdated to catch him, and then was the victim of a Cybertronian's impression of a sandworm (see image) before being thrown a few planetary diameters. Blaster Blues
Typically one of the more easy-going among the Decepticons, even Astrotrain isn't above letting a little power go to his head. While tracking Cosmos, he shot down the Autobot, who had been on a fuel scouting mission, and managed to trick the people of Titan into believing that he was one of their Sky Gods, so that they would mine energy crystals for him and the Decepticons. Astrotrain used Jero, a corrupt High Priest who was as fanatical as he was ruthless, to further his ends. However, the Autobots Jazz and Perceptor arrived aboard Omega Supreme looking for Cosmos. Omega Supreme was virtually out of fuel after the trip, but the Autobots soon managed to refuel him using the energy crystals. Knowing that he, Starscream and Thrust alone couldn't beat Omega Supreme, Astrotrain destroyed the crystals in a fit of pique before flying off, leaving Jero to die like the worm he was. Harsh, Astrotrain, harsh. The God Gambit
Astrotrain was used by Megatron to transport energy rich asteroid ore being mined by the Constructicons in high orbit. Astrotrain maintained his shuttle mode so that Long Haul could load him with cargo. He apparently did not have very keen sensors in that form, as the Autobot Cosmos was able to very clumsily swipe some ore from his open cargo bay, then loudly fell over Astrotrain's side without the Decepticon even reacting. The Secret of Omega Supreme
Astrotrain later transported Ramjet and Dirge to the planet Monacus to check up on Decepticon sympathizer Lord Gyconi. When they learned that Gyconi had captured a number of Autobots and brainwashed them into mindless slaves, the Decepticons tried to stow them aboard Astrotrain to take them back to Megatron. However, their plan was stopped by Smokescreen, Devcon and Slizardo, and the latter two followed Astrotrain into space as he escaped with his comrades. The Gambler
When Deceptitran sent word for assistance in overcoming Tlalakan rebels, Astrotrain transported Megatron and his warriors to that distant world to protect their energon horde. The rebellion gained Transformer aid of their own, though, and Seaspray and friends drove off the Decepticons and led the Tlalakans to freedom. Sea Change
rushing to and fro,
He's the really useful engine we adore"
However, the incident on Titan had given Astrotrain a taste of power, and he decided he liked it. With the help of Blitzwing, Astrotrain froze Megatron and Starscream in a sewer system in order to take over the Decepticons. He then created an army of trains to help him rule, thinking it was a good idea. Although he managed to amass a surprisingly large amount of energon cubes, the productive day ended with him flooding the entire city after bursting a water main. Worse, Megatron thawed out. The embarrassment of these incidents forced Astrotrain to creep back into the Decepticon ranks quietly... at fusion cannon point. Triple Takeover
Lord Chumley used Astrotrain's likeness as a lure to capture Tracks and Bumblebee. Megatron later sent the real Astrotrain (as well as Blitzwing) to go negotiate with Chumley so they could team up to annihilate the Autobots. The Triple Changers arrived in time to see Optimus refuse to rescue a distressed young woman. Astrotrain was curious, but Blitzwing fell for the ruse and got stuck, so Astrotrain was left with no other option but going to the castle to free him. On his way there, Astrotrain found Chumley using a robotic scorpion to fight Optimus Prime, and proposed Megatron's deal. Chumley responded by flinging the Decepticon away, hanging him up to the walls, and defusing his weapons. Astrotrain was frustrated and explained himself, but Chumley rejected the notion and claimed he'd rather have the help of an aardvark. But as Prime inched closer, Chumley panicked and freed the Decepticons, who promptly made their getaway. He learned that day, to never trust Decepticons. Prime Target
Megatron dispatched Astrotrain, Starscream, Ramjet, and Rumble in order to catch the Female Autobots, making up for Shockwave's failure. Running into their leader, Elita One, Astrotrain and Ramjet grabbed her and took her prisoner. When Optimus Prime arrived to rescue Elita, she kicked Astrotrain in the face, forcing him to lose his grip. He recovered and was able to celebrate Prime's apparent disintegration, later got zapped by the duo of Inferno and Firestar, and in shuttle mode he transported the retreating Decepticons away. The Search for Alpha Trion Megatron's next mission for Astrotrain was to go with Thrust and Ramjet to salvage Dirge and his cargo, who crashed in a swamp near a movie set. When they arrived, Astrotrain deployed a pair of claws to haul Dirge back, while a nearby director filmed them. Once they returned to headquarters, Astrotrain informed Megatron of the film crew that was watching them as they carted the device, and the enraged Megatron set out to destroy the film. Hoist Goes Hollywood
Astrotrain transported Megatron, Starscream and Rumble to the lost Autobot colony of Antilla, where they discovered the entire civilization had been wiped out by the deadly Cosmic Rust. Not heeding a holographic warning from the Autobots, Megatron ventured further into the colony and seized an advanced heat ray weapon from its storage chamber. As they left Antilla, a Cosmic Rust spore-filled asteroid appeared to chase after Astrotrain, prompting Megatron to test out of the power of the 'Lightning Bug' weapon on the space rock. The blast obliterated the asteroid, but the shrapnel from the explosion pierced Astrotrain's hull and punctured Megatron's chest plate, infecting him with Cosmic Rust. Oddly enough, Astrotrain was never infected. Cosmic Rust
Astrotrain witnessed Starscream throw a fit over Megatron's obsession with Shockwave, and was surprised as everyone else when the Seeker shot Megatron in the back. But when Megatron overpowered his subordinate, Astrotrain was disgusted and allowed Starscream to be humiliated. He was then present for a battle with Starscream's new team of Combaticons, but didn't contribute anything in particular. At the end of the day, Megatron ordered Astrotrain to take the traitorous Starscream and the Combaticons to an asteroid floating through space, where they would be banished forever. Starscream's Brigade Astrotrain could be glimpsed on the simulation of Megatron's orbit disruptor cannon, but did not get to actually see it in person. B.O.T.
In the year 2005, he transported the Decepticons away after getting their aft-sections handed to them at Autobot City. He couldn't make it back to Cybertron with the amount of weight on board, so they tossed some dead weight overboard. After that, Astrotrain served as the ring for the subsequent fight among the Decepticons to replace the ejected Megatron, where the Constructicons formed Devastator inside him (slag, Astrotrain is big!) and Rumble and Frenzy used their piledrivers (slag, Astrotrain is sturdy!) Apparently, they all made it back fine, and Astrotrain was the one to crown Starscream during his coronation as the new Decepticon leader. The Transformers: The Movie
When the Decepticons lost their hold on Cybertron, Astrotrain went with the rest of them to Chaar, where he was seen trying to deliver Energon cubes to the starving army. When he tried to take a cube for himself while the Constructicons were fighting amongst themselves for the energy, they merged into Devastator and kicked him aside. Devastator was then distracted by Menasor, and Astrotrain made another move for the cube, only to be shot by Cyclonus. Such is life. When Cyclonus insulted the Decepticons for their behavior, Astrotrain somewhat notably mentioned that he knew Galvatron and Megatron "were the same guy". Cyclonus later stated that he needed energon as it was needed to revive Galvatron, and Astrotrain gave him the rest of his supplies. He got an inspirational speech in return. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
When the Quintessons offered the Decepticons energon, Astrotrain joined his cohorts in the feasting, and when the Quintessons made a proposition, he agreed to go with it and went to battle the Autobots with everyone else. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 He later participated in a battle in space under unknown circumstances. The Killing Jar
Astrotrain then helped Galvatron and the Predacons with the plan to destroy Cybertron with a death crystal cannon. Chaos Later on, when intruders found their way inside Trypticon, Astrotrain responded to the alarm but ended up being possessed by Starscream's ghost because of his useful cargo space. Starscream flew his body most of the way to Unicron's head, then left it when he closed in on Cybertron, leaving Astrotrain to be shot down by the Protectobots. Astrotrain was then captured and interrogated by the Autobots, but was as confused as they were about why he had been flying so close to Cybertron all by himself. He was later released as a way of thanking Scourge for revealing Unicron's plans to them. Ghost in the Machine
Later, Astrotrain stumbled upon Sky Lynx in space and battled him until the two were suddenly interrupted by a laser barrage from the nearby Planet of Junk and retreated. Astrotrain returned to Chaar to report this to Galvatron, who punched him in the face, insulted him and stated that he didn't care. The Big Broadcast of 2006
Astrotrain was later seen participating in a Decepticon attack on Japan, trying to ram a bullet train head-on, before being driven off by the Aerialbots. The Burden Hardest to Bear
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic
Astrotrain photographed the incomplete Autobot City, with the aid of Reflector's camera mode, so that Megatron could decipher whether or not it was powerful enough to stand up to Trypticon. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3
The Headmasters cartoon
Astrotrain, Blitzwing and Octane were amongst the troops serving under Sixshot in Trypticon on Earth. Together, they helped Sixshot distract Ultra Magnus and his warriors from assisting the Autobots' forces on Cybertron. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky The three were later dispatched to protect Trypticon from an attack by the Autobot Triple Changers Springer, Broadside and Sandstorm, unaware that it was just a distraction to allow Twincast to infiltrate the base. The Great Cassette Operation He also served as Galvatron's personal transport to the planet Praum, where the Decepticons had set a trap for the Headmasters. The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery He also transported Galvatron and Soundblaster to Earth from Chaar, where they prepared their strike on Cybertron. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 Astrotrain then went into Earth's orbit to help steal the energy-gathering satellite known as Solar 1, The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok and much later he witnessed Scorponok reveal his gigantic Transtector at Zarak. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Astrotrain was one of Lord Straxus's warriors on Cybertron, operating out of Darkmount in Polyhex. At Megatron's demand, he called a group of Decepticons back from a planned assassination attempt on Emirate Xaaron and the Autobot leaders, leaving all the Decepticons unaware that it was actually a ploy by the Autobots to wipe them out. Target: 2006
Astrotrain and his fellow Triple Changers were commissioned by Ratbat to investigate the loss of his priceless cargo that had arrived on Earth via a low-cost freighter, but hadn't checked in as scheduled. Upon making contact with the crashed ship, Astrotrain and his companions were infected with Scraplets, and began to slowly waste away. Lucky for them, the Autobot Blaster was also infected, and his friends managed to re-discover the strange and wondrous chemical that acted as a cure. In saving Blaster, the Triple Changers were incidentally saved as well. Astrotrain showed quick thinking when he identified a nearby G.B. Blackrock as a useful asset and hypnotically gained control of him, thus ensuring the viability of Ratbat's greatest plan. The Cure!
The Triple Changers then linked up with Shockwave's Decepticons on Earth, which soon fell under the command of their former superior on Cybertron, Ratbat. Astrotrain joined the Decepticons in an assault on the Autobot crews of the Ark and Steelhaven on Earth's moon. Totaled! Sometime later, he fought against his fellow Decepticons when Ratbat and Scorponok's armies temporarily came to blows. Astrotrain was seen rolling over Snapdragon and Weirdwolf in the melee. Cold War! Once the Decepticons united against a nearby Autobot regiment, Astrotrain again saw action when he ionically-disrupted the Aerialbot, Slingshot. Soon after, though, the Triple Changers were all destroyed battling Starscream in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after Starscream got himself hopped-up on Underbase power. Dark Star
In an alternate future of 2006, Astrotrain discovered that the Junkions appeared to all be hypnotized. He flew to Chaar and timidly approached Galvatron with his report. Galvatron angrily hit him into a rock face and declared that he cared nothing about what the Junkions were up to. He told Astrotrain he should leave, so he did. The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US)
In an alternate version of 2009, Unicron had destroyed Cybertron and the Decepticons (under Galvatron's command) controlled America. Astrotrain and Octane were seen defending the Decepticon Powerbase from one last, desperate Autobot assault. They shot down the Pretender Crossblades, when he was disrupting the base's force field. Rhythms of Darkness!
Marvel UK future timelines
When Autobot City was completed in 2004, Astrotrain was one of several Decepticons brought by Shockwave to attack the opening day festivities. Aspects of Evil!
In 2008, the Decepticons were tipped by the Quintessons to an opportunity for wiping the Autobots off the face of Cybertron. Astrotrain acted as point-man for the invasion, not only leading the air force of flying Combaticons, Triple Changers and Seekers, but also acting as transport for Commander Soundwave and the legion of ground troopers in his cargo hold. Things turned sour when the Quintessons ambushed the Decepticons on their way to Autobase, though: Astrotrain was forced to dump the soldiers in his hold and quickly transform in order to greet their adversaries. Space Pirates!
Earthforce
He happily worked for Shockwave's faction in the Decepticon Civil War, along with his fellow Triple Changers. Astrotrain took the time to slug it out with Dead End after the Enclave between Shockwave and Megatron went sour. The Bad Guy's Ball! Thanks to an inside informant, Astrotrain and the other Triple Changers joined Shockwave in surprising Megatron at an energon shipment rendez-vous point, overpowering him with blaster fire until the Decepticon leader fell off the side of a cliff. Secrets Those were happy times for Astrotrain. He was not so happy when he had to rescue Octane from a military testing range, and when he found out Octane had got here by messing around on the job again, Astrotrain happily buggered off and left him. Manoeuvres!
Generation 2
Astrotrain shows up among a crowd of Decepticons all fired up to tackle the armies of Jhiaxus, just before they pretty much got slaughtered. New Dawn
Classics
Astrotrain's carcass lay undiscovered at the bottom of the sea for ten years until Megatron managed to find him. His remains were excavated piece by piece by enslaved humans and transported to Megatron's base of operations within the wrecked Ark in northern Canada. Using incomplete schematics and Megatron's memories of Astrotrain's old body, Astrotrain was finally reconstructed. Astrotrain was immediately put in charge of finding the remnants of the rest of the Decepticons who fell at the hands of the Underbase-powered Starscream, plus the unpleasant task of carting them back to their headquarters. This morbid job took its toll on Astrotrain, who yearned for real battle. Astrotrain's extended Classics profile
After the appearance of the mysterious crossdimensional Decepticon Landquake, Astrotrain and the other rebuilt Decepticons under Megatron's command traveled to South America to investigate an equally mysterious power source that seemed to share traits with Landquake. En route, they were attacked by Walter Barnett's RUNT squad. Crossing Over, Part 2 Astrotrain managed to shake off these interlopers just before Optimus Prime and his Autobots arrived in search of this same power source, and a new battle between the factions began in the jungles surrounding the power source. Crossing Over: Part 3 As the battle escalated, Astrotrain joined with some of his peers in surrounding Mirage and Rodimus, Crossing Over: Part 5 but ultimately, Megatron was forced to call for a withdrawal. Crossing Over: Part 6
Megatron soon granted the mysterious Bug Bite and his rogue group of Decepticons an audience. However, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons under Megatron's command were forcibly implanted with reverse-engineered cerebro-shells. Bug Bite's plan was cut short when a jammer activated by Elita One disabled the shells, and a fight soon erupted between Megatron's Decepticons, Bug Bite's Decepticons, and the Autobots under Ultra Magnus' command. Games of Deception
When Megatron ended the Decepticon Civil War with Bludgeon, Astrotrain was stationed aboard Starscream's warship. He informed his captain when the fortress below began powering down their weapons, thanks to the traitors in Bludgeon's ranks eliminating the Pretender. At Fight's End
Dreamwave comics continuity
When Megatron needed a major distraction to infiltrate the subsectors of Iacon and establish Cybertron as a living war world, he sent Shockwave to command a full frontal assault against the Autobot capital. Astrotrain was among the many Decepticons who aided Shockwave in this siege. The War Within Later on, after Megatron's disappearance led to a factioning of the Decepticon army, Astrotrain began serving with Starscream's Predacons. War Within: The Dark Ages The Predacons remained the only major hold out among the factions when Ultra Magnus negotiated a great peace between the Autobots and Decepticons due to low energon reserves planet-wide. Astrotrain and the Predacons attempted to prevent the peace treaty and the consolidation of their opponents, but their efforts were in vain until the surprise return of Megatron with his new Aerospace Extermination Squadron, thousands of super-charged warriors grown from Quintesson cloning technology. The Decepticons managed to establish an Age of Internment until Optimus Prime finally returned to free the Autobots and equalize the sides once more. War Within: The Age of Wrath
After the disappearance of the Nemesis and its crew, Astrotrain and his fellow future Triple Changers, Octane and Blitzwing, began serving directly under Shockwave's command. Destined for Nothing When Shockwave learned how to perfect his Triple Changer process after the Great Shutdown, due to Unicronian technology he pilfered from Scourge, Astrotrain was one of the first to benefit from the procedure.
In 2003, Astrotrain, along with Broadside, Blitzwing, Sandstorm and Octane arrived with Shockwave on Earth to place the Earth-bound Transformers under arrest for war crimes and take them back to Cybertron. New World Order When Shockwave was eventually defeated and his control of Cybertron lost, Astrotrain and Blitzwing remained his loyal servants until the return of Megatron caused Astrotrain to switch loyalties while Blitzwing was destroyed. Lost and Found
Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers comics
As part of Serpent O.R.'s forces on Cybertron, Astrotrain attacked an Autobot peace ceremony alongside Sixshot, Blitzwing and Buzzsaw. The Autobots responded by activating Omega Supreme, who blasted Astrotrain out of the air. The Art of War #3 When he opted to fight on ground level instead and wounded a civilian, Optimus Prime landed on top of him after falling from the sky, then proceeded to pummel the Triple Changer into the ground. The Art of War #4
IDW comics continuity
Astrotrain was part of a Decepticon infiltration cell that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, working to destabilize Earth's governing organizations and create global anarchy. Under the command of Starscream, he oversaw the extraction and refinement of the mysterious, Energon-like substance, Ore-13, Infiltration #5 but despite having sampled its power, he was unwilling to stand alongside Starscream against Megatron. Infiltration #6
Later on, he took Starscream's place as the Earthbound Decepticon Infiltration Unit's second-in-command under Megatron, and continued to oversee the Ore-13 research. Escalation issue 1 During Megatron's scheme to escalate the tensions between Brasnya and Russia, Astrotrain served as air cover for their ground forces, but was severely damaged by Hardhead Escalation issue 4 and later retreated.
After being humiliated in battle with Optimus Prime, Megatron ordered Sixshot to come to Earth several phases before his presence is normally requested. Upon hearing this, the wire in Astrotrain's forehead nearly exploded, but Megatron told him to shut up. Escalation issue 6 Witnessing his leader straying further from protocol every nano-klik but knowing none of them would dare tell Megatron he was wrong, Astrotrain decided to do the unthinkable, something no sane Transformer would ever do except as a very last resort: deliberately reactivate Starscream so he could do it for them. Devastation issue 1
When the alien Reapers suddenly attacked their headquarters, Astrotrain left his post (forcing Blitzwing to cover for him) to plot how to exploit the situation with Starscream (though he was openly concerned if the plan failed they'd be dead). The plan worked: Starscream successfully removed Sixshot from the board and attacked the Reapers, at which point Astrotrain popped up in the command bunker to go "look at how brave Starscream is bravely attacking the Reapers by himself!". Megatron deduced what was going on behind his back, but instead of punishment, led the Decepticons into battle. Devastation issue 5 After the destruction of the Reapers, Astrotrain expressed surprise at their victory and callously declared that the deaths of Runabout and Runamuck were acceptable losses. Devastation issue 6
A year later, the Decepticons on Earth, including Astrotrain, defeated the Autobots on the planet in a mighty battle. All Hail Megatron issue 7 As the Decepticons subsequently began conquering the planet, Astrotrain carried on being by-the-book and tactically minded in the attack on New York City, suggesting they send the Insecticons to handle ground forces to avoid ballistic attacks. All Hail Megatron issue 2
He also took to the subway lines in locomotive form to eradicate the humans hiding in the subway stations. Inexplicably, his train mode was seen to resemble an outdated steam locomotive instead of the diesel freight engine it had been a year earlier. All Hail Megatron issue 3 He later watched Starscream try to take control of the Decepticons using Devastator, although the revolt was interrupted by the arrival of human jets from Europe. All Hail Megatron issue 10 This was soon followed by the return of the exiled Autobots, at which point Astrotrain wrestled with Roadbuster and laughed at the Autobots when they were seemingly retreating (in reality, they were just making room). Astrotrain was then tackled into a building by Roadbuster, who commented that the Decepticon was a "lightweight". All Hail Megatron issue 11 Megatron and his army were defeated All Hail Megatron issue 12, and Astrotrain served as their escape vehicle as they fled Earth. All Hail Megatron issue 13
Three years later, Astrotrain was stationed on the desolate asteroid base where Starscream was in charge. He responded to Hot Rod's infiltration of the base, but ended up running straight past the intruder without noticing. Heart Like a Wheel Once Megatron took back command and had the Decepticons return to Earth for revenge, Astrotrain followed. He was present when Megatron was approached by a lone Optimus Prime, and was ordered to stop the Autobot when he apparently tried to escape. As it turned out, Prime was only getting some distance away from the imminent impact of a satellite he had arranged to be dropped on the Decepticons from space. Astrotrain and his comrades were blown sky high from the ensuing explosion. Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: The Demolished Man
With the Autobots reduced to a small rag-tag rabble, Astrotrain accompanied Starscream's small strike team to the Pegasus Star Cluster. Astrotrain and Blitzwing both attacked Optimus Prime after the mercenary Mirage destroyed the Autobot bunker's security system, allowing the Decepticons in. Astrotrain avoided death when Mirage forced Prime to lower his weapon in exchange for Jetfire's life. He could barely hold Prime back as Mirage executed Hound, losing his grip when the furious Autobot leader attacked the mercenary. Spotlight: Mirage
Hearts of Steel
Referred to as the Astrotrain, he was a black-and-purple locomotive, with a retracted propeller on the front and batwings along the side.
The Decepticons built (or modified) the Astrotrain to be the locomotive engine pulling their battle train to New York City. Hearts of Steel #3 En route he rammed through an Army blockade undamaged, but ended up driving off a cliff thanks to John Henry and Bumblebee, and apparently falling to his destruction... despite having wings. Hearts of Steel #4
Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comics
Astrotrain was one of the Decepticons who accompanied Megatron in his attacks on Earth in the 21st century. He was first seen going on a rampage in the Japanese district of Shinjuku, forcibly pushing a train along from behind while in his own train mode, threatening to derail it. Mirage and Grimlock arrived to save the train, prompting Astrotrain to switch to shuttle mode and take off through the city, shattering windows and forcing Optimus Prime and Bumblebee to shield human bystanders from the rain of glass with their own bodies. He then transformed into robot mode and began battling the Autobots, who were unaware he was merely staging a diversion so the other Decepticons could raid a power plant. Henkei! Henkei! volume 2 The powerful Triple-Changer had the Autobots on the ropes until their newest ally, Rodimus, arrived to join the fight. Henkei! Henkei! volume 3
Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga
Astrotrain was among the small group of Decepticons serving under Megatron who departed Cybertron in pursuit of the Energon Cube. When the Cube crash-landed on Earth and shattered into fragments, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons took on the forms of local vehicles and machinery to remain hidden while searching for the shards.
Eleven years after the crash of the Cube, when Ramjet and Starscream found themselves battling the Autobots in the Japanese town of Hoshinochō, Ramjet put in the call to Astrotrain. Astrotrain passed the message on to Megatron, who departed the Decepticons' warehouse base to join the fight. Enter! The Transformers
Some time later, Astrotrain joined Starscream and Ramjet in attacking a hydroelectric power plant, and easily fended off the leaderless Autobots who resisted them, as Optimus Prime was incapacitated at the time. Astrotrain took down Bumblebee and Mirage single-handedly, then transformed to shuttle mode so the other Decepticons could load the energon cubes they had gathered. When the revived Optimus Prime came speeding onto the scene soon after, Astrotrain quickly took off in a bid for escape, but was struck by a powered-up blast from Prime's ion blaster and disappeared in a colossal explosion. However, he was barely able to make it back to the Decepticons' undersea base to deliver the stolen energon cubes, but was denied any usage by Cyclonus. Time of Resurrection Astrotrain did not reappear again throughout the Transformers' battles on Earth.
Games
The Transformers (PS2)
| “ | Astrotrain, the triplechanger! With space shuttle and train engine forms, this is the ultimate transporter. He carries the logistical burden of the Decepticon's evil plans! | ” |
—The narrator, "The Transformers (PS2)" | ||
- Voice actor:
In the Autobot side of the story, Megatron sent Astrotrain to collect the energy they had drained from the hydroelectric power station. When Astrotrain was almost at the generator, he had caught up to a squad of Autobots who had come to stop the Decepticons. Astrotrain got the Autobots attention by blowing his train whistle and approached them in his train form. When he reached the Autobots, he transformed to robot form and announced that all the energy at the power station belonged to the Decepticons. He told the Autobot squad his orders, warned them that he would destroy the Autobots if they got in his way, and threatened to show them the true power of a triple changer. Optimus Prime requested that Astrotrain leave, but the locomotive/space shuttle Transformer brushed this off with a "whatever," and engaged the Autobots. Despite his best efforts, Astrotrain was defeated. Optimus told the triple changer to fly back on his prized wings, back to Megatron. Realizing that he was defeated, Astrotrain decided to retreat, transforming to his space shuttle form and blasted off. He faced off the Autobots once again outside ELTA. Despite having already fought Snapdragon, Apeface, and countless Decepticon foot soldiers in between them all, the Autobots managed to overcome the triple changer once again.
During the Decepticon storyline, Astrotrain was a member of a team that Megatron sent to investigate a mysterious UFO that was spotted in the area of Zel Samine. Something caused the team to lose contact with the main Decepticon forces, and they found out that they could not leave the planet, as Zel's sun, Paradius, emitted electromagnetic rays that was harmful to them. Unable to contact Megatron and with no way to leave the planet safely, Astrotrian and the others scattered across Zel.
The Decepticon forces went to Zel in order to investigate, and Astrotrain found the Decepticons while they were at the hydroelectric power station. He called out to them in his train mode and blew his whistle. He rolled up to them and transformed to robot mode once he was close enough, expressing relief for finding them as his energon supplies had been getting low. When Megatron announced that he was sure Astrotrain would be useful, Astrotrain assured him that he was great in fighting, not just for transporting.The Transformers
Toys
Generation 1
- Astrotrain (1985, 1986, 2004, 2005)
- Japanese ID number: 48, TFC-11
- Accessories: "Ionic Displacer Rifle"
- Astrotrain was one of the two Triple Changer toys released in 1985. He transforms into both a purple JNR Class C62 steam locomotive and a gray space shuttle. Like several other characters from Generation 1, the pre-production toy shown in Hasbro catalogs and stock photography does not match the final product.
- In Japan, the 1985 release of Astrotrain had a color scheme based upon the real-life versions of the vehicles he transformed into, with a white space shuttle and a black steam locomotive. In 1986, Takara released Astrotrain in his US toy colors.
- In 2004, Takara reissued Astrotrain in his original Japanese white color scheme, but with the "NASA" stickers changed to "ASTR", and with white paint on the shuttle side of the die-cast front. In 2005, Hasbro released this version of Astrotrain on the Hasbro Toy Shop.
- Astrotrain Proto Color Version (2004)
- Japanese ID number: 48
- Accessories: "Ionic Displacer Rifle"
- Often referred to as "Anime Astrotrain" by collectors, this version was decorated in colors used on the original 1986 toy's packaging as well as the Generation 1 animation model. He was an e-Hobby exclusive.
Classics
- Astrotrain (Deluxe, 2006)
- Accessories: Rifle
- Classics Astrotrain, like much of the Classics line, is an extensive update of the original Astrotrain designed based heavily upon their cartoon appearances and using modern toy engineering techniques. He still transforms into a NASA space shuttle, though there are two rather obvious locomotive front halves on the sides of the rear hull, and instead of a steam engine, his secondary vehicle mode is a bullet train locomotive. His robot mode is based heavily upon his Generation 1 cartoon animation model design, and is armed with a large purple laser rifle similar to the original toy's rifle.(The side of the rifle has a Mini-Con shaped port on it, if one chooses to do it) However, purple highlights aside, his deco's color scheme is predominantly based on the original Takara toy.
- A design fluke that was acknowledged on Hasbro's official Transformers website allows Astrotrain to connect to Cybertron Ultra Class Jetfire or his redecos, Cybertron Sky Shadow or Movie Jetstorm, via his landing gear. (Coincidentally, Jetfire's alternate mode is based on a Ukrainian Antonov An-225 Mriya, which was used to transport the Buran orbiter, the Soviet counterpart of the NASA Space Shuttle, on its back.)
- As with most Classics toys, he has a heat-sensitive rubsign.
Henkei! Henkei!
- Astrotrain (Deluxe, 2008)
- Japanese ID number: D-03
- Accessories: Rifle
- In 2008, Classics Astrotrain was released in Japan as part of the Henkei! Henkei! Transformers line by TakaraTomy. The figure was extensively redecoed into dark grey and purple colour scheme based on the character’s appearance the Generation 1 cartoon. Unlike the Hasbro Classics release, instead of a rubsign, he has two Decepticon sigils tampographed onto his wings. All Henkei toys feature a somewhat randomly vacuum-metallized part somewhere upon them, and Astrotrain is no exception: the trim of his chestplate and engine array are vacuumized purple, with the engines themselves left as unpainted silver chrome.
Merchandise
Decoy
- Astrotrain (Decoy, 1986)
- Decoy number: 38
- Decoy Astrotrain is a small, purple rubber figure made available with certain toys in the original toyline.
Boss Original Figure
- Astrotrain (Boss Original Figure, 2008)
- Released in a line of PVC figures available exclusively with containers of Boss brand coffee, this version of Astrotrain is rendered in grey and violet.
Notes
- The 1985 catalogs show a prototype Astrotrain toy, whose gray and purple color scheme is the one used in the cartoon. The prototype also has a number of design changes from the retail version: arms that extended on a slide joint, different feet, and a different head sculpt that was the basis for his character model. He was shown with Blitzwing's weapons. Being resin hard copies, these prototypes didn't transform.[1]
- Astrotrain's animation model is rather odd. Despite having the shuttle tailfin rather clearly folded up and slid into place within the torso... it has another mystery tailfin jutting straight out of the back. Huh.
- Speaking of the tailfin, the original box art and instructions[2] depict it as being folded open to make a chestplate shield. The fin gets tucked away early during the transformation to keep it out of the way. However, the original animation model (and thus his other fictional appearances) show it tucked away in robot mode.
- While Astrotrain's original toy had a visor, his Classics toy, and most of his depictions in fiction, give him two eyes instead.
- Astrotrain, along with Cosmos and Omega Supreme, was one of three space-faring characters added to the cartoon in 1985. In addition to the usual voice flanging given to the show's robotic characters, all three had an echoing reverberation applied to their voices, presumably to play up the "outer space" aspect.
- While Astrotrain does not appear in the Stormbringer comic series (due in part to him being on Earth at the time), the trade paperback includes a design sketch for a Triple Changer which appears to be intended as Astrotrain's pre-Earth Cybertronian form.
- In the IDW Generation 1 continuity during Simon Furman and E. J. Su's run, Astrotrain's space shuttle is essentially a far more realistic rendering of a space vehicle, but his third mode has been upgraded to a diesel-electric six-axle locomotive resembling a General Electric U28C model, along with custom features like red and purple headlights and an all-purple paint-job. It also has a Big F**king Gun mounted on the engine cowling. That's badass.
- From All Hail Megatron onward, Astrotrain's design has been reworked to resemble his Classics toy in robot mode, minus some of the train kibble. However, he transforms into a purple D62 steam locomotive once more, like his original toy. There is probably a good reason for that.
- Astrotrain believes that those who worship Transformers are fools. The God Gambit
- Whether or not Astrotrain needed rails to use his train mode varied in the cartoon. In the movie, he used his locomotive form to take a run up for him to take off (in space shuttle mode), but without the aim of rails. However, before that, he has been commanding his train drones and travelling on rails, in "Triple Takeover".
Foreign names
- Japanese: Astrotrain (アストロトレイン Asutorotorein)
- Hungarian: Űrvonat ("Space Train")
- Italian: Triplex Uno ("Triplex One")
- Mandarin: Tài-kōng Huǒ-chē (Taiwan, 太空火車, "Astro Train"), Da Huoche (China, 大火车, "Big Train")
- Russian: Astropoezd (Астропоезд, "Astrotrain")
- Ukrainian: Astrotyag (Астротяг, "Astrohauler")
