Ratchet (Movie)
| The name or term "Ratchet" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Ratchet (disambiguation). |
- Ratchet is an Autobot from the live-action film continuity family.
Ratchet, the Autobots' medic, is probably the bravest of them all. He'll risk his life to pull any wounded comrade from the battlefield. Indeed, he did not join Optimus Prime's team to be a soldier; rather, he's there to save lives, and thinks Prime is the best chance the universe has for peace.
A medic who dislikes violence, Ratchet's well-armed appearance is more due to being an improviser with surgical tools, such as his buzzsaw, which he discovered he had a penchant for due to his early experiences as a tool-and-die maker.[1] When combat is unavoidable, he can employ these makeshift weapons with surprising agility for his size.
His closest comrade is Arcee, and they share a common enemy in Lockdown.[2]
| “ | I can't save them all. I learned that truism a long time ago, on countless battlefields. But still, no matter how many I help... a hundred, a thousand... it's the one that I fail that haunts me! | ” |
—Ratchet on a bitter truth, "Transformers Comic #3" | ||
Fiction
Titan Magazines Transformers movie comics
Ratchet used to be a politician, Optimus Prime's chief liaison to the High Council of Ancients. He tried to find a peaceful solution to the civil war, and when this failed, he became a battlefield medic. Transformers: The Movie Guide
He would later be one of three Autobots who tried to prevent Megatron from reaching the AllSpark. However, they hadn't expected Devastator to be demented enough to set off a foldspace warhead at pointblank range, a weapon that warped everyone to different parts of the galaxy. Prelude: Megatron Ratchet found himself stuck in the middle of an genocidal alien war that uncomfortably mirrored Cybertron's own. Ignoring it at first, Ratchet scanned a local tank to blend in and inconspicuously set up a homing beacon in the hope of getting rescued. Finding himself with no purpose in the meantime and seeing the A'ovan faction getting slaughtered, Ratchet challenged and defeated Durguth, the local tyrant, thereby becoming the new ruler of the Thraal faction. He then ordered a ceasefire and oversaw an interim alliance, effectively bringing peace to the planet single-handed. Lost In Space Part 1: Ratchet
Ironhide eventually detected the beacon, Ratchet switched back to his green form, and the two began searching for Jazz when he didn't show. They rescued him from a predatory alien planet and then returned to Cybertron. Lost In Space Part 4: Jazz Once on Cybertron, he decided to try out that white body again, and was part of a mission to finally medevac Bumblebee. Movie Prequel #1
Centuries later and immediately following the death of Megatron, Ratchet (having gone back to green) and his comrades were attacked by zombie Decepticons. After being briefly smacked aside in the fight, it occurred to Ratchet that the corpses were being animated by AllSpark energy stolen from the AllSpark Mutations, and this knowledge turned the tide before the Autobots were wiped out. Starscream's Militia
Ratchet was part of the outnumbered human-Autobot resistance in the conquered United States of America. Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 2 Along with Ironhide, he infiltrated a Decepticon facility disguised as a (purple) Payload to stop them using the AllSpark to transform Earth, and he reluctantly decided to let the AllSpark be destroyed if it was the only way to save Earth. Unfortunately, Bonecrusher let them into the facility to kill them! Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 3
Ratchet's quick tactical thinking (absorbing nearby ore to reform his offensive weaponry and armour) immediately turned the tide against the Decepticon, but only the arrival of Arcee and her crew stopped him from being gunned down by Swindles. Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 4 Despite this, drone numbers were against them, and Ratchet didn't believe they could pull off a victory until he noticed a way to bypass the AllSpark's defensive forcefield and destroy the Cube with regular weaponry. Ratchet did this, saving Earth at the cost of the AllSpark, though he begged for forgiveness as he destroyed it. Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 5
To his relief, a fragment of the AllSpark had survived. Optimus, worried about the fragment being corrupted by exposure to Megatron, made Ratchet its guardian. Aftermath Part 1 However, in the face of great Decepticon numbers, Ratchet took an unauthorised risk and used the fragment to bring Jazz back to life. The fragment's corruption meant Jazz was brought back amoral and self-serving, and Ratchet was left distraught at what he'd done. Dark Spark
When the Autobots received an SOS from Ironhide's team on Cybertron, the entire team mobilised to head there. Ratchet hurriedly picked up Mikaela Banes so she could watch their base, ignoring every single traffic law as he did so. Return to Cybertron: Part 3 When on Cybertron, Ratchet found himself in battle against Unicron, trying to separate him from the Nucleon he was using to power his physical body (a possessed Cybertron!). It became clear fast that the Autobot's plan was not going to work fast enough, but Ratchet realised that such a large structure would have an energy distribution network around them; rather than drain the Nucleon manually, he sped things up by having everyone shoot the distribution network until it blew up, causing the energy to be used up in an internal fire. Who needs a Matrix when you have Ratchet! Return to Cybertron: Part 4
After the Decepticons re-took Savannah, Ratchet was part of the ground troops sent in to rescue Mikaela. He did bog all there, really. The Decepticon Who Haunted Himself
IDW Transformers movie comics
Many years before the war, First Officer Ratchet was a member of the Science Division on Cybertron. He was there when Ironhide of the Defense Force, looking over his shoulder, visited the Science Division. Foundation #2
Later, he greeted Commander Starscream when the latter returned from a patrol in the Eshems Nebula and repaired his wounds. When he reported of promising findings in the archaeological site near the temple of Simfur, Starscream was somewhat dismissive of the science division's efforts in light of their previous failures. Later, at the excavation site, Jazz tweaked Ratchet by asking if the artifacts found were as old as the first officer. Ratchet exaggerated being upset and deployed his various tools, threatening Jazz that he was just as good as disabling vocal processors as he was fixing them. When Optimus walked off with Protector Megatron, Ratchet wacked Jazz on the back of the head. He was present when Arcee's team found a strange artifact with the strange symbol and helped escort the relic out of the dig site when the aliens whom Starscream had encountered earlier suddenly attacked the planet. Defiance #1
After the alien attack ceased, Ratchet and Arcee analysed the remains of the attackers at a laboratory in Burthov, discovering that the aliens were similar in structures to Cybertronians, even to the point of having something similar to a spark core, but only lacked the means to transform. Before they could speculate further, Signal Flare arrived, with orders from Optimus to assemble for a meeting immediately. At the gathering, Optimus explained how Megatron was demanding they betray their principals of pacifism to go to war with the aliens, and while he implored to the members of his science division to not leave with the army, he also said they could freely choose to go without fear of reprimand. Naturally, Ratchet stayed on Optimus' side. Defiance #2
Hoping to learn some answers about the mysterious relic, Ratchet, Elita-One and Arcee took most of the recovered fragments found at the dig site to the lab for immediate examination. After Optimus Prime, Jazz and Prowl broke into Megatron's quarters to get a close look at the intact relic, Ratchet was surprised to learn that the ancient monolith seemed to be in better than had found it in. An unexpected shock same when analysis of the fragments detected the same symbol in the same area on all the different pieces, and what's more, the symbol was also on Optimus's head. Ratchet claimed that this was proof that the Dynasty of Primes existed, and that Optimus was linked to them. Later, at a dig site near Burthov, Ratchet bestowed the name Optimus Prime on his leader, with the opinion that it had a nice ring to it, though Optimus himself thought it might mean "records clerk" for all they knew. Examining the ruins, Optimus wondered aloud why only the relic Megatron possessed remained intact, leading Ratchet to hypothesis that the others had been smashed deliberately. Further speculation was halted by Prowl's security detachment, who had orders to arrest Optimus on flimsy charges of treason. As they were being led away, what no one in the group realised was Megatron had marked all but Optimus for death. Ratchet assisted in the recovery of Prowl when Brawl fired an explosive shell into the convoy. As the group made a run for Burthov, Optimus Prime personally took care of Starscream's group. Defiance #3
Shortly after Optimus took on the mantle of a Prime, he and Sentinel Prime stood before his followers, which included Ratchet. Foundation #3 After those following Optimus Prime were declared traitors, the planet erupted into civil war. Defiance #4
During the war, Optimus Prime decided to launch the AllSpark into space to keep it out of Lord Megatron's hands. Bumblebee's team was successful in diverting the Decepticon leader's attention at Tyger Pax, but the young Autobot was greviously injured as a result. As he was carried away on a stretcher, Ratchet declared Bumblebee a hero for delaying Megatron long enough for their plan to work. Ratchet repaired his body, but contrary to what he told Jazz years earlier, was unable to repair Bumblebee's vocal processor. Movie Prequel #1
Ghosts of Yesterday prequel novel
Ratchet was part of the crew of the Ark as it searched for the AllSpark. In 1969, in a remote star system, they encountered an alien ship, Ghost 1, which seemed Cybertronian in design. Ratchet remained on the Ark as the others went to check it out, but the alien ship headed down for a nearby planet before they could do so. When the Decepticons turned up and attacked, Ratchet provided support fire for his comrades from the Ark.
When Bumblebee, who'd gone to try and scout out the Ghost 1, lost communications with the Ark, Ratchet informed Optimus. Prime left to find the Autobot scout, leaving the others with orders to abandon them should the Decepticons attack again, something Ratchet wasn't keen on doing. As it happened, the Decepticons did attack again, but not before Ratchet had made some improvements to the defense systems on the Ark, which would help keep them out. He again provided support fire for Ironhide and Jazz, but when Starscream returned to reinforce the Decepticons, the pair had to retreat to the Ark.
Though Jazz said they should leave, Ratchet was determined to stay until Optimus and Bumblebee returned. The two missing Autobots showed up before it turned into an issue, and Prime called the trio out of the Ark to engage the Decepticons in battle. Ratchet and Bumblebee fought Barricade, though the Decepticon was almost too much for them to handle. When the Autobots realised that Scorponok had managed to sneak on board the Ark, Ratchet was forced to return to the ship. He forcibly ejected Scoponok and began laying into the small Decepticon, leading an already badly damaged Blackout to come to his partner's aid. The battle ended with an act of self-sacrifice from the Ghost 1 crew, which greatly impressed the Autobots. Ghosts of Yesterday
Transformers (2007 film)
- Voice actor: Robert Foxworth (English), Jin Urayama (Japan), Jan Spitzer (German), Alain Dorval (French), Angelo Nicotra (Italian), Júlio Chaves (Brazil), Jesús Cortez (Latin American-Spanish)
Hearing Bumblebee's call for assistance, Ratchet and the other Autobots under Optimus Prime's direct command came to Earth, with Ratchet crashing into a storefront. As emergency crews and bystanders observed the wreckage, Ratchet assumed the vehicle mode of a nearby Hummer H2 rescue vehicle and drove away.
Ratchet linked up with Ironhide and Jazz, then made their way to a deserted alley to meet up with Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and their new human friends. After being introduced as the unit's medical officer, Ratchet remarked that his sensors indicated that Sam's pheromone levels suggested he wanted to mate with Mikaela. (Neither Sam nor Mikaela appreciated this comment.) He also explained how Bumblebee's voicebox was damaged and that he had been having trouble fixing it for some time.
Following Sam to his house, Ratchet and their other Autobots unwittingly caused much destruction to the Witwicky yard and stress to Sam when they attempted to help the boy look for his grandfather's glasses. After Sam told them to hide, Ratchet accidentally walked into some power lines, which shocked him enough to make him fall onto a greenhouse. Ratchet found the experience tingly and suggested to Ironhide that he try it, and Ironhide sarcastically mused that it looked fun, but unfortunately, it had caused a neighborhood-wide blackout, making the search for the glasses much more difficult. Ratchet attempted to help by activating his powerful floodlights, which only succeeded in making the parents investigate Sam's room. When Ironhide remarked that Sam's parents were annoying, Ratchet sarcastically agreed with him with a triple "yeah". Ironhide then requested Prime's permission to "take them out," and Ratchet, suddenly alarmed, tried to stop the massive cannon only with words and a hand. Maybe that power surge did more damage than suspected.
Soon, Sam, Mikaela and his parents were captured by the mysterious Sector Seven. Ratchet and the other Autobots totally outclassed the S7 agents by instantly disarming them of their weapons, then rescuing the boy and his girl. Their dramatic escape was to be short-lived, and Bumblebee was captured while saving his human friends' lives. The next morning, the remaining Autobots gathered to discuss their options. Whether through intuition or some technological means, Ratchet announced that the Decepticons were preparing to make their move. Optimus Prime declared that if they could not defeat the Decepticons, he would fuse the AllSpark with his own spark, hopefully destroying it. Ratchet cautioned him against this action, as the raw power of the artifact would likely kill him. Prime replied that it was his own choice, and to save the humans from destruction and the mistakes of the Transformers, it was a sacrifice that he was willing to make. Inspired by his words, the Autobots headed to Hoover Dam, before encountering Bumblebee leading a column of Sector Seven vehicles headed in the opposite direction.
As the large group arrived in Mission City, it was attacked by Starscream, with the explosion crippling Bumblebee. At the same time, Devastator attacked the surviving human soldiers, prompting Ratchet and Jazz to engage the large Decepticon. As Jazz destroyed one of Devastator's rocket pods, Ratchet used his buzzsaw to slice off the tank's left arm.
...*toss*
Captain Lennox ordered Sam to take the AllSpark to the rooftop of a nearby, run-down building so he could pass the cube to a military helicopter that would soon arrive. Ratchet and Ironhide volunteered themselves to protect Sam as he made his escape. Unfortunately, the villainous Starscream swooped down to block Sam's path, forcing the Autobots to engage him in a rather one-sided battle that left them both damaged. Ratchet and Ironhide collapsed, and Sam had to continue on his own.
After the defeat of Megatron and the destruction of the AllSpark, Ratchet somberly informed Optimus Prime that he could not save the fallen Jazz. Later, as Optimus declared that Earth was their new home and that his team would be waiting for any surviving Autobots to gather there, Ratchet spent the remainder of the day observing Sam and Mikaela making out on the hood of Bumblebee's vehicle mode. Transformers
Transformers (2007) toy bios
Ratchet, despite what he said previously, fixed Jazz up just fine. Target Autobot Jazz The AllSpark helped a lot. AllSpark-Enhanced Autobot Jazz
He also learned a little more about Earth and decided to change to what he felt was a more typical "rescue" deco. The new look feels more natural to him, and helps him to help humans better. Rescue Ratchet Unfortunately, in a later encounter with Brawl, the Decepticon deliberately fired in all directions just to watch and laugh as Ratchet ran himself ragged trying to save all the injured people. Rescue Ratchet vs. Decepticon Brawl
Now realising that sometimes he can only save lives through combat, he began keeping his torch fueled for use against Decepticons. Rescue Torch Ratchet
Beast Wars Diorama Story
At some point, Ratchet and multiple Autobots and Decepticons traversed dimensions and found themselves on a different Earth, in the distant past. They crossed paths with new Transformer factions, the Maximals and the Predacons, who were engaged in a conflict called the Beast Wars. A battle broke out between the four factions. The Autobots and the Decepticons eventually returned to their home dimension, leaving the Maximals and Predacons behind to settle the Beast Wars. Beast Wars Diorama Story
IDW Transformers movie comics
After the battle of Mission City, Ratchet was reattaching Bumblebee's legs when an AllSpark mutation attacked Sam. Ratchet crushed the hostile creature with his foot, but was surprised to discover that it contained substances loaded with stimulants and ingredients harmful to humans such as Sam and Mikaela. After repairing Bumblebee and retrieving Jazz's remains, the Autobots rolled out to evade Sector Seven. In the month that followed, Ratchet became fascinated with Earth's varied minerals, such that Captain Lennox joked that the Autobots were late to meet them because Ratchet had stopped to take soil samples again. Alliance #1
Ratchet arrived at Sector Seven's secret base in the Nevada desert with the other Autobots to help escort the Decepticon remains to San Diego, California. He stayed with Prime when the Autobot leader sent Bumblebee and Ironhide back to retrieve the AllSpark sliver Prime had left in Sector Seven's care. Alliance #2 The convoy returned to the base anyway after the level of destruction caused by the Decepticons was reported. Ratchet could be seen assisting the damaged Bumblebee. By the time the Autobots were on US Navy aircraft carrier weeks later for Jazz's burial-at-sea, Ratchet had repaired Bumblebee's outer panels (giving him a new body kit), but was evidently unable to fully restore Bumblebee's vocal processors. The Autobots subsequently agreed to a formal alliance with the US military, and they began training on the island of Diego Garcia. Soon after, the Decepticons Swindle and Dead End were detected in San Francisco. Alliance #3
In San Francisco, Ratchet and Ironhide bantered about how the former's vehicle mode was more suited to NEST's cover story of a chemical spill, while the latter asserted that he was the more stylish of the pair. After Optimus Prime disabled Dead End, Ratchet did not detect any energy readings in the Decepticon. After the Decepticons were dealt with, Optimus and Major Lennox agreed that the Decepticons would most likely pursue Sam Witwicky again, and so he must be protected. As Bumblebee left, a sad Ratchet thanked the younger Autobot and promised that they'll keep working on his vocal processors, being sure that they could get them working again. Soon, more Decepticons were being sighted on Earth, and during a subsequent battle in Florida, Ratchet was pinned to the ground by the much larger Incinerator. Ratchet used his hand saw to cut into the Decepticon's ankle, distracting Incinerator enough for Optimus Prime to run his energy sword through him. An event that brought joy and hope to all was the arrival of new Autobot refugees to Earth, though this was tempered with the news of even more Decepticon sightings, and training of the new recruits were put to the test when Demolishor was spotted in Shanghai. Alliance #4
The Veiled Threat
On their way back to Diego Garcia, Ratchet watched Ironhide scare the crap out of a pirate who was trying to attack their ship. Later, he accompanied a NEST team including Ironhide, Optimus, Salvage, and Beachbreak to the Zambezi River to battle the Decepticons that had appeared there.Ratchet engaged the smaller Dropkick, leaving Prime and Ironhide to take Macerator and Payload. Shortly after; Optimus was swept over the falls; when Beachbreak lowered his cable, Ratchet transmitted to Prime to grab it and then helped haul him up.
Shortly afterwards, the team traveled to a nearby dam on the Zambezi, just as the Decepticons began their attack. Payload took up position down the gorge and began to fire on the dam. Ratchet climbed up onto the structure and did his best to patch the holes, even as he took fire from the Decepticon. Eventually, he was saved when William Lennox opened the emergency floodgates, releasing a torrent of water that sent Payload crashing away.
It took him a good deal of time to recover, so he missed out on the missions to Peru and Australia. But he was ready to join the team for the trip to Rome, and helped in the battle against Swindle, Dead End, and Starscream. The Veiled Threat
Revenge of the Fallen movie
- Voice actor: Robert Foxworth (English), Jin Urayama (Japan), Jan Spitzer (German), Angelo Nicotra (Italian), Júlio Chaves (Brazil), Jesús Cortez (Latin American-Spanish)
Ratchet stayed at NEST's Diego Garcia base during the team's mission in Shanghai. He was deployed when Megatron—who was resurrected with the AllSpark shard stolen from the NEST facility—began hunting for Sam Witwicky. Along with his comrades, Ratchet came too late to aid Optimus Prime, who was protecting Sam from Megatron, Starscream and Grindor. Ratchet ordered Bumblebee to get Sam to safety, while he and the rest of the Autobots provided cover fire, driving Megatron and Starscream off. The Autobots then located Prime's body, but there was nothing Ratchet could do for him: Optimus Prime was dead.
NEST returned to a US airbase with Optimus' body, only to be surrounded by United States military forces who had grown fearful of the Autobots' presence attracting more Decepticons to Earth following Prime's death. Director Theodore Galloway, who was behind NEST's shutdown, believed that humanity was sufficiently advanced enough to battle off the Decepticons, and also announced that they would buy time by negotiating with the Decepticons. Ratchet made no effort to conceal his low opinion of Galloway, believing him a "terribly misinformed" fool. Ratchet himself suggested that if the Autobots were unwelcomed, then they should simply leave Earth, but Ironhide opined that Optimus would not want them to leave. Reluctantly, the Autobots stood down and allowed themselves be kept under nets to restrain them.
Director Galloway ordered the Autobots retreat to Diego Garcia—but when Major William Lennox learned Witwicky had travelled to Egypt to find the Matrix of Leadership, which could be used to resurrect Prime, they were sent there instead. Ratchet fought off many Decepticons during Operation: Firestorm before Sam arrived and revived Prime with the Matrix. However, Prime was still weakened and the Fallen arrived to steal the Matrix so he could activate his star harvester. A defected Decepticon named Jetfire sacrificed himself so Optimus could use his parts to fly to the star harvester: Ratchet ordered Jolt to electrify Jetfire's body and begin a full transplant of the weapons systems and afterburners onto Optimus. Having combined, Optimus flew off to destroy the harvester and kill the Fallen. Revenge of the Fallen
Revenge of the Fallen toy bios
Ratchet has devoted his existence to the study of life in all its forms. The simple fact of life is, to his mind, the greatest testament to the majesty of the universe. Because of this, he has committed himself to fighting the Decepticons and their murderous advances. Autobot Ratchet As a result, when more Decepticons were detected on Earth Ratchet immediately began research into how best to upgrade his weapons. Two months later, he'd developed a new particle beam blaster. Beam Blast Autobot Ratchet He's also found the time to assist Blowpipe with his body modifications, making Blowpipe stronger and faster through a fusion of Earth and Cybertronian technology Super Tuner Throwdown, and to both add a pair of human missile launchers to Bumblebee and make his weapons available in vehicle mode. Cannon Bumblebee
While Ratchet and Blackout are total opposites Rescue Ratchet Vs. Blackout, Ratchet's very attitude offends the mighty Megatron. Autobot Ratchet VS Megatron More directly pressing for Ratchet, however, was an encounter with the meticulous Grindor, whose careful scheming and power of flight put Ratchet at a serious disadvantage. Only doing something completely unpredictable could save him! Surface To Air Showdown bio
IDW post-Revenge of the Fallen comics
After Alice's termination at the hands of a NEST squad, Ratchet got to take a poke at the corpse, while Sideswipe stood around making racially insensitive comments about humans. Nefarious #1 Soundwave led the Autobots to the location of the Initiative's base, only for them to find it gone. He subsequently figured out it had been moved to Oregon, and Ratchet and the Autobots headed up there. When they eventually reached Crater Lake, Ratchet was teamed up with Sideswipe. As the assault began, he suggested the other Autobot stay behind him as he could take more punishment, but Sideswipe disregarded that. Then it turned out the Initiative had brainwashed Transformers at their disposal. Nefarious #5 Ironhide and Ratchet teamed up to ram a bunch of the opposing Transformers. Ratchet was even able to free Blazemaster from enemy control with Optimus's help. Initiative head Carter Newell attempted to use a recreated AllSpark to end the lives of all of the Transformers, but the Autobots eventually prevailed. Nefarious #6
Cyber Missions
- Voice actor: Bronco D. Jackson (English), José Luis Orozco (Latin American-Spanish)
When Lockdown went on a rampage in Mission City, Ratchet went to stop him. After Ratchet's EMP blaster malfunctioned, Lockdown beat him up, took the weapon and escaped with it. Cyber Missions 3
Later, he was found by Sideswipe, who took him back to Diego Garcia and patched him up in the Medical Bay. Not soon after, Lockdown attacked the base, and Sideswipe held him off. Soon he was able to blast the EMP blaster off of Lockdown's wrist, and it slid back to Ratchet. Lockdown tried to retreat, much to Sideswipe's dismay, but Ratchet informed him that he was headed straight for the Medical Bay. Lockdown entered...and a few seconds later was captured by the robotic arms, which were programmed by Ratchet to hold him down and sedate him. Cyber Missions 7
Bumblebee and Ratchet were dispatched to a building in Scramble City by Optimus, who briefed them that Smolder and Chopster were causing trouble. On reaching the building, the pair encountered Chopster, and then were almost ran down by Smolder. Ratchet used his EMP blaster to disable Chopster, but the Mini-Con was merely stuck in fire axe mode, and still of use to his larger comrade. While Bumblebee attacked the Decepticons, Ratchet worked on getting his EMP blaster recharged, before hitting on boosting its power using his own spark. The weapon successfully took out Smolder, and the two Autobots cracked jokes over his deactivated body. Cyber Missions 9
Ratchet and Sideswipe were transporting some energon to a secure location when they were attacked by Starscream and Mindwipe. As Mindwipe assaulted them with his hypnotic powers, Ratchet suggested Sideswipe use his satellite radio as a diversion. The gambit worked, and Ratchet grabbed Mindwipe, slamming the Decepticon into the trailer of energon and using a short jolt to paralyze him. Ratchet's warning to Sideswipe that Starscream was too powerful came too late, as his fellow Autobot was in grave danger. Ratchet pushed the trailer plus Mindwipe over the nearest cliff, which succeeded in getting Starscream to release Sideswipe. As the Decepticon grabbed the trailer in mid-air, Ratchet announced that if the Autobots couldn't have the energon, no one could, and blasted the trailer. Starscream survived, and Ratchet suggested to Sideswipe that they find some place safe to hide. Cyber Missions 10
When Optimus confronted Megatron and Starscream in a remote part of the Arctic, Ratchet joined Ironhide, Bumblebee and Sideswipe in coming to his aid. The four of them came under attack from Starscream, but defeated him by driving him into range of Ratchet's EMP blaster. Cyber Missions 12 Optimus's later plan to lure the Decepticons to a spot in the wilderness was a success, and while Optimus and Megatron battled, Ratchet, Ironhide and Bumblebee ambushed the rest of the enemy. Ratchet faced off against Bludgeon, using his EMP blaster to block the Decepticon's sword blows. The fight effectively ended when the humans turned up in force to help surround the Decepticons, and Optimus gave Megatron the ultimatum to get off the planet or be destroyed. The Decepticons appeared to comply, leaving the Autobots jubilant. Decepticons Attack
Titan Magazine ROTF Comic
When three raw recruits brought in the dying Decepticon Dead End, Ratchet used his medical skills to save the poor wretch. After discovering that Dead End had been decaying on a molecular level and that he would have died if the cadets hadn't brought him in, Ratchet informed the cadets that he believed they had what it took to be Autobots. Spare Parts!
Ratchet believes in approaching matters diplomatically and cordially, as when Ironhide presented Barricade with his Christmas present for the Decepticon - which was actually a trick for Ironhide to punch Barricade. Whether or not Ratchet actually will give presents to Decepticons is unknown. #7's Law and Disorder
I Can Read! books
Ratchet came to rescue his best friend Sideswipe and Bumblebee after a run-in with Decepticons. He sawed through a metal bar pinning down Bumblebee. Ratchet to the Rescue
Transformers Annual 2011
When Decepticon activity was detected in Tokyo, Ratchet headed there with Optimus, Sideswipe and Ironhide. He and Sideswipe provided cover fire for Optimus, while their leader scaled a nearby office block to attack Grindor. Sam in Danger
Classified novels
 Plot details for Transformers Classified: Switching Gears follow. |
Ratchet was at Edwards Air Force Base with Bumblebee when they received word that two Cybertronians in transition forms had landed near Hurley's Crossing. The pair went there by helicopter and encountered Reverb, who claimed to be a Decepticon defector hunting down another Decepticon who was after the technology at Hawthorne Army Depot. Ratchet, hoping Reverb's story of a movement of Decepticons was true, opted to trust him, thought he still had Reverb restrained. They took Reverb to the army depot where Kevin Bowman let the two Autobots know that Gears was on their side and in reality trying to protect an ancient weapons cache. Reverb had already obtained a number of the weapons from the cache, including a personal force field generator, and was on the verge of running Ratchet through when Optimus and Ironhide arrived. Though down, Ratchet still managed to save Ironhide's life by tripping Reverb at a crucial moment, and he survived to see the end of the battle. Switching Gears
IDW Dark of the Moon comics
Ratchet received an Autobot distress call in a seismically active desert location. Responding to the call, he was surprised by Space Case. Engaging the Decepticon in combat, Ratchet crashed through the ground into a cave, where he found Arcee trapped under some rubble. Arcee informed him that Sam Witwicky and Bumblebee were trapped along with her, but before Ratchet could do anything to help, Space Case attacked again. Ratchet, musing on the conflict between his belief in pacifism and the realities of war, dealt the Decepticon a crippling blow with his saw. As Space Case retreated, Ratchet freed Arcee to chase him down, and turned his attention to rescuing Sam and Bumblebee. Transformers: Ratchet
Rising Storm issue 1Rising Storm issue 2 Rising Storm issue 3Rising Storm issue 4
Titan Magazines Dark of the Moon prequel strips
Ratchet and Ironhide were assigned to public relations at an anti-Cybertronian rally outside the Tech Museum of Innovation, something neither of them were particularly enthusiastic about. Ratchet tried to reassure Marcus Castor, the head of the protesters, that the Autobots were friendly, but failed to be convincing. After Ironhide "helped", the museum was attacked by Starscream and Barricade. After Ratchet was shot in the arm by Starscream, he hung back to try and protect the humans as much as possible. Unfortunately Starscream got the idea to throw a tanker truck at them. Ratchet called to the humans get behind him, but Ironhide knocked the tanker out of the way, and Optimus Prime's arrival saw the Decepticons off. The fight had also had the side effect of converting Castor and the protesters to the Autobots' side. Automatic for the People
Dark of the Moon (film)
- Voice actor: Robert Foxworth (English), Jin Urayama (Japanese), Ricardo Tejedo (Latin American Spanish)
Three years after Operation: Firestorm, Ratchet accompanied Optimus Prime to Ukraine to investigate a piece of ancient Autobot technology discovered there, but left the fighting to his leader when Shockwave and the Driller attacked the NEST soldiers. It was revealed that the artifact was an engine part from the long lost Autobot ship, the Ark, and had been retrieved by the Russians during the Space Race. Ratchet watched as Optimus explained to National Intelligence Director Charlotte Mearing the importance of this discovery, and Ratchet again joined Optimus to the Moon aboard the Xantium to reach the Ark on the moon. Upon exploration of the wrecked ship's crash vault, the two discovered Sentinel Prime in deep stasis, Ratchet noting that his vitals were running low, and he also bore possession of five pillars.
Back on Earth, Ratchet greeted Sam and Carly Spencer with the flashing of his emergency lights in vehicle mode. He was then a witness to Optimus reviving Sentinel with the Matrix of Leadership along with some of the other Autobots, and reassured the former Autobot leader that there was nothing to fear. However when Sentinel betrayed the Autobots, executed Ironhide, and brought an army of Decepticons to Earth, the United Nations were forced to exile the Autobots on the Decepticon's demands. Ratchet joined the other Autobots in leaving Earth aboard the Xantium, and was presumably killed as the ship was destroyed by Starscream.
However, the group actually hid in a piece of the ship that detached during liftoff. Ratchet and the Autobots rejoined with Sam and Epps in Decepticon-controlled Chicago, and in the subsequent battle defeated many Decepticons. Ratchet defiantly put up a fight as he was forced to the ground at gunpoint with Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Dino and Que when they were captured. The Decepticons began executing them, starting with Que, but when Wheelie and Brains caused a distraction, and the battle was renewed. Ratchet took down more Decepticons, and helped his leader and fellow Autobots take on Sentinel Prime himself, but even all of their combined strength could not defeat Sentinel. Eventually, Optimus defeated the traitor, saving Earth, and Ratchet commended Bumblebee on his bravery in battle. Dark of the Moon
Games
3D Battle-Card Game
Transformers The Game (console)
- Voice actor: Fred Tatasciore
Autobot Campaign
Ratchet landed on Earth alongside Optimus Prime, Ironhide and Jazz. The only time he adds something to the plot is when he reveals that Sam's grandfather discovered their enemy, the Decepticon leader Megatron, trapped in the Arctic. He also was with the Autobots after Optimus defeated Shockwave and rolls out to Mission City alongside them. After that, Ratchet disappears into thin air and isn't mentioned in the entire game, but he makes a very sudden appearance during Optimus Prime's speech. Transformers The Game
Transformers Autobots
A part of Optimus Prime's force on Earth, Ratchet stayed on the sidelines until Bumblebee came racing into Tranquility with Blackout on his tail. Intercepting him from a skyscraper's rooftop, Ratchet managed to destroy Blackout, sending him crashing down. Transformers: Autobots
Transformers Decepticons
Ratchet does very little. (Noticing a trend here?) He comes in to attack the Decepticon Create-a-bot in the Army base. After a short fight, he escapes. He makes no other appearances, and so is one of the three characters (the other two being Megatron and Brawl) to survive the game. He's in a spot of bother now, then. Transformers: Decepticons
AllSpark Wars
Allspark Highway
Autobot Stronghold
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - The Game
- Voice actor: Robert Foxworth
Xbox 360/Sony PS3/PC
Autobot campaign
Ratchet was armed with an energon multi-beam gun, which fired rapid bursts, and a sticky grenade launcher. His combat repair sequence could instantly heal himself and any nearby allies, befitting his status as a medic.
When Ironhide was jumped by Long Haul in the Shanghai Spiral Highway, Ratchet went in to find Ironhide, bring him back online, and escort him to an extraction point whilst defending him from the Decepticons. Later, Ratchet was deployed to the West Coast Oil Refinery to rescue three engineers trapped by marauding Decepticons. He was attacked by several waves of Combaticons, but bested his enemies and brought the engineers to safety. Ratchet then oversaw Sam's rescue from Grindor and Optimus Prime's battle with Starscream at the East Coast Industrial foundry. Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers Autobots/Decepticons
Revenge of the Fallen: Autobots/Decepticons
Transformers: Dark of the Moon - The Game
- Voice actor: Fred Tatasciore
(Xbox 360/PS3)
Toys
Merchandise
Notes
- In the film, a part of Ratchet's transformation involves his entire upper body rotating around. The main Voyager class toy does not do this, but Ironhide's does.
- The Hummer H2 prop vehicle used for the 2007 movie sports the license plate "6Q49935", with a "CA Exempt" registration reserved for Californian government and emergency vehicles. Barely visible in set photos, the same plate was also used for the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung in Frankfurt, Germany in September 2007.[3] In Revenge of the Fallen, Ratchet sports no license plate. On the Dark of the Moon Chicago set, the redecoed Hummer H2 car prop sported the license plate "9999963", again with a "CA Exempt" registration.[4]
- According to Meet the Autobots, Ratchet has X-ray vision, which lets him see for miles.
- In the hardcover Transformers: The Movie Guide, it is noted that Ratchet can cannibalize his own parts for emergency treatment of a patient; he carries within him redundant systems for such situations. (This only turns up once in a story though, in one of Titan's issues) He can also tow up to 300 lbs over his own weight in vehicle form, and his specialization isn't listed as being a medic, but in actually getting to the wounded.
- In the hardcover The Movie Guide it is noted that Ratchet is one of the few Autobots that could conceivably give Megatron a decent fight one-on-one before being dismembered and fed upon.
- In the Transformers guide to the movie, the book proclaims that "Ratchet carefully chose his landing site to avoid loss of human life." Yet he is seen crashing in the middle of the street, causing fires and several minor explosions. Maybe Ratchet thought he was avoiding loss of human life.
- Ratchet's toy packaging proclaims he has an "Automorph Forearm Cannon". However, the toy obviously lacks this weapon. At the Hasbro Tour during BotCon 2007, an early design prototype of Ratchet was displayed during a slide show, with similar callouts. Presumably, the forearm cannon was attempted, but dropped due to either engineering issues or cost.
- Ratchet is the only Autobot introduced in the first Transformers film never to have been given a close-up transformation sequence in the first film or its sequels, Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon.
- Ratchet's toys are part of a matrix of cross-referencing redecos, along with Animated Ratchet and Generation 1 Ratchet:
- In 2008, the original Generation 1 Ratchet mold got an e-Hobby exclusive green redeco in Japan as "Ratchet Emergency Green" in obvious reference to his movie counterpart.
- The red and white "Rescue Ratchet" redecos of movie Ratchet's toys are based on Generation 1 Ratchet's original toy.
- Animated Ratchet, his original design already referencing both predecessors with Generation 1 Ratchet's chevron and coloring and movie Ratchet's squiggly EEG symbol, had a further homage to the latter with a yellow redeco as (another) "Rescue Ratchet".
- Included with the downloadable content for the Revenge of the Fallen game on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 is a red and white color skin for Ratchet. Clearly, he needs to pick a color palette and commit!
- Contrary to what is implied or outright stated by everything from the Rescue Ratchet deco to the words of the moviemakers themselves, Ratchet is not, in fact, an ambulance.
- The Dark of the Moon site on Transformers.com says Ratchet's current status is: "Currently studying the implications of human pheromone levels." Creepy, dude!
- Ratchet and Bumblebee are the only ones of the original five Autobots to survive all three films and to have never died.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Ratchet (ラチェット Rachetto)
- Hungarian: Racsni
- Mandarin: Fēi Lún (Taiwan, 飛輪, "Flying Wheel"), Jiu Hu Che (China, 救護車, "Ambulance")
- Ukrainian: Hajka (Гайка, "Screw Nut")
Footnotes
- ↑ Hasbro Ratchet Battle Bio
- ↑ Hasbro Ratchet Battle Bio again
- ↑ "Ratchet" Hummer H2 prop vehicle at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung in Frankfurt, Germany in September 2007
- ↑ Dark of the Moon Chicago set at Seibertron.com.
