Brawn (G1)
| The name or term "Brawn" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Brawn (disambiguation). |
- Brawn is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Brawn, the Autobots' demolitions expert, is amazingly strong for his size. Due to his small stature, he often attempts to overcompensate by playing up his macho personality. He loves a challenge, be it rugged off-roading or charging headlong at foes several times his size. He has a lot of chutzpah, and a somewhat sarcastic sense of humor ever at the ready. Due to his machisimo, he sometimes looks down on noncombatant Autobots.
In addition to his great strength, Brawn is also so tough as to be almost indestructible. Almost.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
After the Autobots re-awoke on modern-day Earth, Brawn was one of five Autobots sent out to reconnoiter their new world. When their patrol came under attack from a squadron of Decepticons, Brawn advised the others to stay behind him, as he could absorb the incoming jets' firepower. With one swing of his powerful fist, he clocked Laserbeak. However, the Autobots were forced to withdraw, though Brawn wondered where Bumblebee had disappeared. The Transformers Bumblebee, damaged, had snuck off to S. Witwicky Auto Repairs, and after he disclosed his location, the Autobots traveled to meet him there. But the Decepticons had their eye on Sparkplug Witwicky, the human owner of the repair shop, and the Autobots met them there in battle. Brawn knocked Ravage aside after he had overwhelmed Mirage, but ultimately the Decepticons were successful, and returned to their headquarters with Sparkplug. Power Play! Brawn and the Autobots returned to the Ark with Sparkplug's son, Buster Witwicky.
When the Autobots staged a diversionary attack on the Decepticons' headquarters, Brawn's strength enabled him to storm through Rumble's localized earthquake, and punch out the little punk. Unfortunately, the little punk had a brother. Frenzy's high-frequency sonic attack knocked Brawn out. When Brawn recovered, the body of Gears lay crumpled at his feet, having helped to rescue Sparkplug, but at great risk to his own life. Sparkplug returned to the Ark with the Autobots, Prisoner of War! and Brawn shared their shock and disgust when Sparkplug admitted he had helped the Decepticons learn to convert Earth fuel for their evil purposes! The Last Stand
A malfunction caused Brawn to go mad, rampaging in a small town because he thought the cars were being enslaved by humans (and then "killed" the cars when they showed no gratitude). After a destructive chase, the Autobots finally managed to recapture and repair him. To regain his honour, he agreed to be Starscream's opponent in a trial by combat; Optimus Prime had Mirage fake Brawn's death to end the battle. The Enemy Within!
Having regained their full strength with Sparkplug Witwicky's assistance, the Decepticons staged a final attack on the Autobots. The Autobots, meanwhile, were still very weak, so Brawn was among the Autobots who donated fuel to re-energize five chosen Autobot warriors, in preparation for their last stand against the Decepticons. That gambit failed when Shockwave was unearthed and deactivated the Autobots with a single shot. The Last Stand Subsequently, Brawn's offline body was dragged by Skywarp and Frenzy to be used for spare parts for a new Decepticon army. The New Order Eventually, the Ark was retaken, and Brawn was reactivated by Ratchet along with the others. DIS-Integrated Circuits!
In the rush that followed to catch up with the Decepticons' gains, Brawn and Bluestreak were charged with the repair of the Ark's ionic fusion drive. The Next Best Thing to Being There! When the Autobots overheard Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, Optimus Prime, in a nearby swamp, Brawn was among the Autobots who traveled to the swamp with Prime's body. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. Brawn was one of those wounded before Prime's proper head was returned. Prime Time!
After Prime was restored as commander of the Autobots, Swoop's mind was hijacked by Professor Morris, and Brawn was one of the Autobots who tried to hold the rampaging Dinobot down. The Icarus Theory After Swoop was subdued, Prime turned his attentions towards the other missing Dinobots, and Brawn was part of a team sent to bring in a demented Snarl. He, Mirage, and Trailbreaker found him in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, terrorizing the American military. Snarl proved too much for them until he was stopped by a prototype military weapon. Dinobot Hunt!
Brawn, Ironhide, Tracks, and Smokescreen were called to guard Buster Witwicky from the Decepticons when Shockwave swore revenge for a previous humilation at the human's hands. While they were at a demolition derby, Soundwave and the Constructicons struck. After the Constructicons combined to form Devastator, Buster was lost in the crowd, much to Brawn's dismay. Buster's life was spared when Soundwave detected crucial information within Buster's mind, and the shot Soundwave intended for the human was fired at Brawn instead. Devastation Derby!
When strange Decepticons traveled back in time from the future, Brawn was easily defeated by Scourge. This coincided with the arrival of Ultra Magnus from Cybertron. Brawn was part of a group that interrupted a fight between Magnus and Galvatron in order to save his life. Target: 2006 The Autobots several failures during the Galvatron incident convinced Optimus Prime to fake his own death in order to teach the Autobots how to survive without him. Brawn was among the Autobots who witnessed his "funeral." But before the funeral could end, Optimus Prime returned to them, and Brawn and the others were stunned, but welcomed him back. Resurrection!
Brawn was witness to a battle between Grimlock and Blaster for Autobot leadership on Earth's moon. After the scene was attacked by Ratbat's Decepticons, Brawn soon lost a fight with Swindle, who dismissed the Autobot as having a "bright future as spare parts!" Totaled!
When an Underbase-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of New York, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires," Brawn was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to New York City. As Starscream approached, Goldbug led a team of Autobots which included Brawn, and the entire team was destroyed with a "single wave of Starscream's hand"! Oops. Dark Star
Earthforce
Galvatron briefly considered reviving Brawn as one of his new minions, but the Autobot was not psychologically suitable. ...Perchance to Dream
Marvel Generation 2 comic
Brawn was part of a team led by Hot Spot, and including Skydive, Steeljaw, Override, and Chase, sent to answer the distress call sent out by their human allies G.I. Joe. They arrived in Milleville, just in time to save Scarlett from a recently revived and Cobra-upgraded Megatron.
Brawn and the other Autobots quickly learned that Megatron's strength and weaponry had been vastly improved. First Steeljaw fell, then Chase. Finally, it fell to Brawn to keep Megatron from reaching the Autobots' ship. Though Brawn fought Megatron bravely, he was vaporized when Megatron revealed that he could implode neutrons. The resulting explosion was seen from across town. Final Transformations
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Corey Burton (English), Yutaka Shimaka (Japanese), Minoru Inaba (Japanese, The Movie), Henry Djanik (French), Juan Cuadra (Latin American), Guillermo Romano (Latin American, Microbots), Ulises Cuadra (Latin American, The Master Builders & The Autobot Run) Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch (German, "Roll for It"), Imo Heite (German, "The Autobot Run"), Thomas Albus (German, The Movie TV dub), Gerd Wiedenhofen (German, Generation 2, "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2"), Willy Schäfer (German, Generation 2, "The Master Builders" and "Atlantis, Arise!")
Brawn was one of the Autobots on board the crashed Autobot ship who awoke in 1984, reformatted by Teletraan I to have an Earth-based alt-mode of a Jeep-like vehicle. He was frequently involved in combat engagements against the Decepticons in the early years of the Earth-based war, including the battle that saw the Decepticons destroy an offshore oil rig. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 In the flaming chaos that followed, Brawn helped save his fellow Autobot Huffer who was trapped in the wreckage by cutting him loose with a blowtorch contained in his right arm. When Soundwave and Ravage were discovered at Autobot Headquarters, he and Bumblebee tried tackling Ravage, only for the Decepticon to slip through their fingers. Brawn took part in the ill-fated Sherman Dam mission, More than Meets the Eye, Part 2 and dressed in a lab coat for the similarly disastrous missile base deception. He and the other Autobots attempted to assault the Decepticon space cruiser to prevent its launch, but it was only through the actions of Mirage that the ship crashed. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3 Brawn was one of a number of Autobots who a memory-altered Bumblebee lured to a cave to be attacked by the Decepticons. Transport to Oblivion
Brawn, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Bluestreak and Cliffjumper arrived at the power generator where Starscream, Thundercracker and Soundwave were attacking. Hotheaded Cliffjumper charged at Thundercracker, only to be smashed backwards by a steel pillar. Cliffjumper crashed directly into Brawn's stomach, but Brawn was completely unharmed thanks to his thick hide. Starscream wanted to smash them in, but Optimus criticized this decision, telling him to "pick on somebody his own size". Later, he came with the Autobots to Dr. Alcazar's lab, but he didn't do much of anything. Brawn retreated to home base with the other Autobots, and the Decepticons attacked the next morning. Starscream held gun-mode Megatron in his hand, hoping to kill Optimus Prime with it. Brawn hid in a tear in the ground directly in front of Starscream and gave Optimus the boost to knock Megatron out of Starscream's hands. Roll for It
After Optimus was injured in a Decepticon attack, Brawn, Gears and Windcharger walked into Headquarters to see how repairs were going. Brawn somehow completely missed the fact that Laserbeak had hitched a ride on his shoulder, allowing the Decepticon to infiltrate the base and inflict even more damage on Prime. He later helped defend Headquarters against a Decepticon attack, while a team retrieved a replacement Cosmitron for Prime. Divide and Conquer Brawn was among the Autobots who discovered a cave full of dinosaur fossils in the volcano in which Headquarters was embedded, and subsequently took part in the building of robotic versions of the dinosaurs. At the grand unveiling, the Dinobots ran wild, and Brawn and Bluestreak were bashed aside by Grimlock's tail. Despite this, the Dinobots later proved successful in fighting the Decepticons when Brawn and many of the other Autobots were captured at the Great Falls. S.O.S. Dinobots
Another important mission for Brawn involved a super-weapon being built in Peru, where it was he (and his ally Trailbreaker) who first discovered the Decepticons' plot and informed the other Autobots. He and Windcharger utilized Skyfire's transport capabilities and found that the Decepticons were, indeed, in Peru. After flying Soundwave into the side of a cliff, Brawn survived a direct hit from Megatron's fusion cannon and played dodge the Decepticon until Skyfire picked him and Windcharger up again. Having picked up the rest of the Autobots, they returned to the mining town near the ancient pyramid that the Decepticons were using as a firing platform. During the ensuing battle, Brawn got his hands on Megatron's fusion cannon, returning the earlier favor by blasting Megatron in the chest with it. After defending the town against a rock slide, the Autobots attacked the pyramid itself. During the battle, Brawn raced to the top and tackled Starscream and Megatron on his own, distracting them and ultimately resulting in the destruction of the Decepticon cannon. Fire on the Mountain
When two more Dinobots were to be constructed, Brawn again took part. War of the Dinobots After Sparkplug was kidnapped by the Decepticons, Brawn led a small team, using his drill to burrow under the Decepticon base so they could successfully rescue Spike's father. Unfortunately Sparkplug was under the influence of Doctor Arkeville's hypno-chip and sabotaged the Autobot defences, allowing the Decepticons to attack. Brawn was stuck with the cleanup in the aftermath. The Ultimate Doom, Part 1 Later, the Decepticons succeeded in using a massive space bridge to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit. Unsuccessful at foiling their plan, Brawn and the Autobots returned to base. News that Sparkplug had been taken to Cybertron led to Brawn volunteering for the mission to his home world in Skyfire. Spike and Bumblebee accidentally triggered a trapdoor, and Brawn gamely jumped in after them. The trio stumbled on the secret plans to the hypno-chips. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2 Following an altercation with some Decepticons, during which Brawn got the better of Soundwave yet again, the Autobots escaped to Wheeljack's workshop. There Wheeljack whipped up a counter device for the hypno-chips, and the team returned to Earth in time to join the last desperate battle. After Megatron's ship was destroyed and Cybertron flung out of orbit, Brawn commiserated with Bumblebee after the latter expressed disappointment at not being able to try out his boogie board. The Ultimate Doom, Part 3
During the post-Cybertron clean up, Brawn and Gears were repairing a building together when Huffer started yelling at them. After the Decepticons were detected en route somewhere, Brawn and the other Autobots began tailing them. Brawn was forced to dig Bumblebee out when Megatron blasted some rocks down on them. After a brief stop in some quicksand, the Autobots caught up with their quarry at Arkeville's secret laboratory. Countdown to Extinction Brawn, Windcharger, Bumblebee, Spike and Skyfire went to Bali to investigate reports of giant robot insects, only to encounter the Insecticons. Brawn was unimpressed with this new foe, and when they created an army of clones, theorized that the army was just a holographic illusion. He recanted his theory moments later after being blasted on his tailpipe. Luckily the rest of the Autobots arrived before the situation could get too out of control. During the pursuit of the Decepticons, Brawn asked Optimus to toss him into the air, so he could administer a good old-fashioned beating to Shrapnel. His ride on the Insecticon lasted a few moments, as he was kicked off by Kickback, and only saved from smashing into the ground by Skyfire. He and Ironhide later had Optimus ride on their backs so he would be insulated against the Insecticons' lightning. A Plague of Insecticons
Brawn and all the other Autobots turned out to watch the Optimus/Megatron bout to decide which faction could stay on Earth. Megatron, unfortunately, won, but the Autobots soon discovered that he had cheated, and sent the Constructicons to disable Teletraan I to hide it, nullifying the outcome. Heavy Metal War During a battle at a rocket base, Brawn kicked Soundwave in the backside so hard that the Decepticon flew into the side of a rocket, causing a chain reaction that devastated the base. Great going! During the same battle, Spike was injured, and the Autobots downloaded his mind into Autobot X while his body was operated on. He became unstable and fled the base, leading Brawn and the other Autobots to follow him so they could stop him falling under Megatron's influence. Autobot Spike
Brawn took part in a mission to come to the aid of some gold miners, but it was an ambush — Megatron energised some boulders, disposing of the Autobots long enough to kidnap Gears. Changing Gears Brawn defended Headquarters against yet another Decepticon attack, only for Soundwave to retreat before Brawn could present him with a "nickel knuckle sandwich". The attack had been a diversion while Megatron sabotaged the Autobot recharging chambers, and Brawn and the other Autobots were rendered evil by the planted personality destabilizer device. Brawn went to the nearest air force base and began merrily destroying jets, until Hound restored his goodness with an attitude exchanger. Attack of the Autobots
Brawn came to see the proper testing of Wheeljack's latest invention. When it stopped the water in a river from flowing, Brawn claimed that the now-solid water wouldn't be immune to his hydraulic knuckles. He took it back soon after. Later, when the Decepticons took the Immobilizer and began using it to stop Autobots in their tracks, Brawn helped tunnel underground for Carly so she could get to the Immobilizer and reroute it. The Immobilizer While most of the Autobots participated in a charity event, Brawn stayed at Headquarters with Huffer, which he probably regretted. When Bumblebee reported that the Autobots had been zapped with the Transfixatron and captured by the Decepticons, Huffer's complaining resulted in Brawn physically picking up his companion and telling him to shut up. Ratchet and Wheeljack were able to rig up a cure, and the four Autobots, plus Spike and Chip Chase, rescued the rest of the team. The Autobot Run
He, along with Bumblebee, Hound and Wheeljack, volunteered to check out an energy flare in the Atlantic. Upon discovering the underwater city of Sub-Atlantica, the squad was ambushed by the Decepticons' new ally Nergill. They were overwhelmed by Decepticon forces and had to escape, with Wheeljack being captured by their enemies. Optimus Prime took the Autobots, Brawn included, to Washington D.C., where the Decepticons were headed. Brawn held Thundercracker in place with his lasso, allowing Optimus to fire at him. However, Nergill arrived and turned the tables by using a disruptor to hold Brawn and the other Autobots in place. Bumblebee and Spike rescued Wheeljack, who called the Dinobots for reinforcements. Grimlock snapped Nergill's disruptor in half, freeing Brawn and the others. Following that, Brawn came with his comrades to sink Nergill's city once again, shooting a few blasts at the city while hiding behind some rubble. When Sub-Atlantica began sinking, Optimus Prime ordered his team to evacuate. Atlantis, Arise! Brawn assisted in defending a primitive Earth robot at Dr. Fujiyama's request. Decepticons soon burst in, with Soundwave destroying the platform Brawn was standing on. Mirage came and covered Brawn's back. The fall had such a toll on Brawn, he couldn't transform. Though he said he could walk home, Mirage and Ratchet insisted that he go back to Autobot base to be repaired. Enter the Nightbird
Brawn was present at Headquarters when the Dinobots went on another of those rampages. He jumped out of the way as Red Alert and Inferno sped past to deal with a fire. Dinobot Island, Part 1 After Grapple and Hoist fell in with the wrong crowd so they could build their Solar Power Tower, Brawn and the rest of the Autobots went to investigate and ended up facing Devastator. The day won, the Autobots searched through the rubble of the tower. Brawn unearthed Grapple's scale model of the tower, and then Grapple and Hoist themselves, welded into a sheet of metal. The Master Builders
When a Decepticon starship was uncovered in an archaeological dig (and Megatron subsequently retrieved the awesome power of the Heart of Cybertron), Brawn was angered that fellow Autobot Perceptor did not participate in battles, not understanding that Perceptor's scientific and technical skills necessitated his exclusion from combat missions. To the irritation of Bumblebee and Optimus Prime], Brawn decided it was his job to bully the Autobot scientist, insinuating that Perceptor was a coward not prepared to do his duty alongside the other Autobots.
As Megatron prepared to attack the Autobot base, Perceptor came up with a plan. He, Brawn and Bumblebee were shrunk to microscopic size and infiltrated Megatron's body. Though Brawn was keen to do as much damage as possible while they were in there, he discovered that Perceptor's more intellectual approach was much more effective in getting their mission completed. Perceptor's bravery in disconnecting the Heart while under fire caused Brawn to change his earlier tune. Once they escaped Megatron, Brawn threw the Heart of Cybertron into the sky, where Perceptor blasted it. The ordeal over, Brawn declared Perceptor a hero, though it is uncertain whether he was big enough to apologize to Perceptor for his earlier boorish behavior. Microbots
Brawn took part in the Autobot Day parade, during which footage was screened incriminating the Autobots in energy theft. When the human authorities turned up to arrest them all, Brawn complied with Optimus's wishes to comply peacefully, however after a brief trial, the Autobots found themselves being expelled from Earth. Brawn ended up being stuck sitting next to Huffer and Gears, which probably didn't make him any happier. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 The spacecraft they were on was locked on course for the Sun, forcing them to use Cosmos and one of Trailbreaker's force fields to escape it. They returned to Earth, where they lost no time in overthrowing the oppressive regime the Decepticons had set up. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2 Like the other Autobots, Brawn was crippled by Cybertonium depletion until Spike, Carly and the Dinobots obtained more of the substance. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
When the Decepticons discovered a lake of electrum, Brawn was among the second wave of Autobots to go up against them unsuccessfully. The Golden Lagoon During another battle in a baseball stadium, Brawn picked up Soundwave and hurled him bodily at Starscream. A short time later, the space bridge in the middle of the pitch sent a number of the Autobots and Decepticons present to a random destination, but luckily Brawn wasn't one of them. Child's Play He was later at Headquarters when Optimus sent Powerglide out to look for Starscream. Starscream's Brigade
By 2005, the Decepticons had retaken Cybertron, while the Autobots set up secret bases on the planet's moons. Brawn was stationed on Moonbase One, and volunteered to be part of a shuttle mission to Autobot City on Earth to fetch more energon. The shuttle was attacked en route by the Decepticons, and as Brawn ran towards the boarders, Starscream shot him down with Megatron's gun mode, killing him. The Transformers: The Movie
Brawn lives?
While nowhere near as prevalent as discussion of "Who is Cyclonus?", there is recurring debate among Transformers fans regarding Brawn's death in the shuttle attack mentioned above. Generally taken up in partial jest, proponents of Brawn's survival focus on Brawn's well-established toughness and the fact that he had repeatedly survived more serious shots from Megatron than the shoulder wound he received on the shuttle. For example, being shot in the head, twice, in "Fire on the Mountain" and being perfectly okay.
Additionally, Brawn appears in "Carnage in C-Minor" (an episode which takes place well after the time of his supposed death). However, due to the generally low quality of the animation in that episode, Brawn's appearance is usually dismissed as an animation error. Brawn was not mentioned as one of the interred Autobots in "Dark Awakening"... but Huffer, who appeared alongside Brawn in "Carnage", was (even though Huffer's death was not portrayed in the film... in fact, he was barely in the movie at all, only being seen for about a second when Hot Rod crashes though the barrier Kup was setting up.)
The Marvel UK comic also incorporated the events of the Movie into its future timeline and in one story set after it (Space Pirates!), Brawn is seen, albeit wounded in a Quintesson attack. However also shown is Wheeljack, who is clearly shown dead in the animated version of the Movie, and there are several differences between the animated version and the information given in the comics which may make this inadmissible evidence in the matter.
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic
Brawn was amongst the Autobots defending Autobot headquarters in Arizona from a massive Decepticon onslaught. As the battle raged on, Brawn watched in slack-jawed horror as Sideswipe got bombed in midair by a passing Blitzwing. The Autobots eventually won, however. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2
e-HOBBY comics
During another Decepticon attack on Autobot headquarters, Brawn was busy defending the base from the encroaching Decepticons. Beating one to a pulp, he asked for a situation update from Wheeljack who unfortunately had to inform him that Megatron had just been upgraded into an invincible Transmetal! Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.
3H comics
In the future, Unicron was left in such a state of disrepair that he barely functioned. With the last vestiges of his power, he summoned Transformers from all across the tapestry of the multiverse to battle within him, so that he could harvest the energy of the losers' sparks. To this end, Brawn was abducted by Unicron just before he was atomized by the Cobra-tanked Megatron, and sent to the Cauldron with countless other abductees. Thankfully, Trailbreaker and Silverbolt soon engineered a mass escape, during which Brawn, Wheelie and Tap-Out subdued the rage-afflicted Sunstreaker and Sideswipe to keep them from killing each other.
Brawn then escaped Unicron thanks to a portal created by Optimus Primal and Snarl. He arrived with many of the others on Primal's technorganic Cybertron. Having cheated death, he fistbumped with Trailbreaker. Escape
Dreamwave Generation 1 comics
Brawn's early activities in the war were largely unchronicled. He was first seen loading for the planetary evacuation shortly after Optronix rose to become Optimus Prime. The War Within #2 More than a million years later, during the Age of Internment, Brawn was seen in Internment Camp Pi, in the remains of Praxus, among the Autobots being forced to drill to Cybertron's core by Megatron and the Decepticons. When Cliffjumper fell in the prisoner line, Octane and Barrage took it as an excuse to beat on the helpless Autobot. Brawn snapped into action, fighting back against the Decepticon oppressors, until the clone forces of Megatron's Aerospace Extermination Squadron shot him down with little effort. The Age of Wrath Pt.2
After crashing on Earth with the Ark, Brawn and the Autobots remained inactive until reviving in 1984. The Autobots allied with humankind and were eventually able to defeat the Decepticons at the turn of the century. Following the Ark II tragedy, Brawn became one of the many Transformers recovered and reprogrammed by Lazarus. He was later rescued by Optimus Prime and rebuilt by Jazz's unit. He was part of a small task force, led by Jazz, assigned to stop the spread of Megatron's deadly metal virus in the Canadian Northwest Territories Prime Directive and would later remain behind on Earth when Ultra Magnus demanded the Autobots return to Cybertron as war criminals. New World Order
When the President of the United States wanted to eliminate the Transformers in a desert ambush, the Autobots were forced to join forces with the Decepticons against the U.S. military. Brawn was one of the Autobots chosen for the mission by Optimus Prime. During the fight, the Americans unleashed weaponized nanite chips known as deconstructionites, designed to drain away processing power from Cybertronian computer systems. Brawn was one of the first to fall to the attack, and had to be ferried to safety inside Prime's trailer. Fusion
Brawn stayed behind on Earth under Jazz's command after Prime and the other Autobots were taken back to Cybertron by Ultra Magnus. Brothers' Burden After the end of Shockwave's despotic rule over Cybertron, though, Starscream and several Decepticons returned to Earth to make trouble for the Autobots. After Jazz went missing in the Decepticon assault on the Ark, Brawn became a subordinate to the much-less-impressive Bumblebee, who had returned from Cybertron. Night of the Combaticons The chance to pound the everloving scrap out of Bruticus' ruined form probably made up for this, even if the combiner was later revived as part of Starscream's deal in response to Sunstorm. He and the other Mini Vehicles were part of an attempt to stop Sunstorm by attaching Ratchet's energy siphon. Brawn was last seen among Bumblebee's unit when they returned from the assault to the Orion and discovered that they had been (wait for it...) betrayed by Starscream. Skyfire
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
Alongside several other Transformers, the dormant Brawn was found aboard the crashed Ark by the human terrorist organization Cobra. The humans reprogrammed their findings for their own needs, rebuilding Brawn and Gears into Cobra Flight Pods in the process. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4 Two Flight Pods were later seen during the Cobra attack on the SPS Research Facility, but they didn't transform, so it's unclear whether or not they were Brawn and Gears. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3 The reprogramming was eventually undone by Wheeljack, and Brawn and Gears quickly located their former captor, Cobra Commander. Destroying the human's escape route, Brawn made it clear that he was not interested in negotiating and that he'd rather have laid to rot aboard the Ark forever than be used as Cobra's servant. Unfortunately, Storm Shadow came to Cobra Commander's rescue with a S.N.A.K.E. mech and knocked the Autobots out before they could capture him. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4 Brawn was later shocked when he heard that the United States military were nuking Cobra Island. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5
IDW comics continuity
Brawn was present at the funeral for Bumper and Fastback, along with Sentinel Prime and the rest of Kaon Security Services. Megatron Origin #3
As the war raged on, Brawn helped med-evac Tracks and Jazz after they were injured battling the Predacons. Spotlight: Jazz Sometime later, he was seen chatting with his comrades Cosmos and First Aid during a victory celebration. The Iron Age
In modern times, Brawn eventually traveled to Earth after the galaxy-wide assault broke the Autobot war machine. Years later, after Optimus Prime's resignation from command, Hot Rod decided to leave Earth and take anyone who'd come with him. Brawn attempted to stop him, but backed off when Bumblebee told him to just let Hot Rod go. New Arrivals, Old Encounters
Later on, he was deputized by Ultra Magnus after the duly appointed enforcer of the Tyrest Accord discovered Hot Rod working with a group of Decepticons to escape Earth. They attempted to stop Hot Rod, only to be confronted by Swindle and his newly-minted combiner, Menasor. Enemies of the System
When Bumblebee and Optimus Prime drafted a strike force to go after the Combaticons in North Korea, Brawn was less thrilled at being left behind. He kept griping to Silverstreak and Red Alert until they finally told him to suck it up and be quiet. International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows" After the secret mission to North Korea became not-so-secret, the Autobots were forced to defend their presence in America to the general public. Brawn and Silverstreak accompanied Bumblebee as he exited the Skywatch base and gave an impassioned speech about the values of freedom and uniting their two peoples, a speech easily worth of Abraham Lincoln.
Well, we all know what happened to Lincoln. (What? Too soon?) International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"
Brawn was incensed after the assassination attempt on Bumblebee, even more so once they uncovered the shooter's weapon...an exact replica of Megatron's old alternate mode. Brawn bellowed boisterously at the Skywatch staff to do something—save Bumblebee, destroy "Megatron", interrogate the human—until Ultra Magnus finally gave the tiny 'bot an ultimatum: shut up and be productive, or you're going in the brig. Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man Following a Decepticon attack on the Skywatch base, Brawn was sent by Ultra Magnus on a solo mission to contact the Decepticon deserter and occasional Autobot ally Thundercracker. Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon
Upon arriving at Thundercracker's hideout, Brawn found him heavily injured at the feet of Starscream. Believing Starscream to be responsible for shooting down the plane carrying Optimus Prime and his strike force back from Korea, he flew into a rage and began beating the Decepticon senseless. He only calmed down once Starscream started to plead for his life and revealed that the culprit was not him, but the real Megatron. Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies Brawn was then faced with a dilemma: while he had a chance to take Starscream into custody, Thundercracker needed urgent repairs or he'd probably die. Though reluctant, he ended up letting Starscream go and carried Thundercracker back with him. Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome
Brawn was present a few weeks later when Hot Rod (now "Rodimus") returned from space with news that Cybertron had been restored to a habitable state only to be occupied by Galvatron. Within a day, the Autobots blasted off into space to liberate their home. Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix Like several others, Brawn was surprised to see Megatron (not a replica this time) in Autobot captivity, and lined up for a chance to get a closer look at their longtime enemy. Chaos Theory Part 1 Once the Autobots arrived on Cybertron, he did battle with Galvatron's Sweep army. Chaos Part Two: Numbers
After the Chaos War ended, Brawn joined Rodimus and the crew of the Lost Light in their search for the Knights of Cybertron. Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On
Wings Universe
Brawn was part of Optimus Prime's new military, created by the Autobot High Council. Battle Lines, Part 1 He and the rest of the team were preparing to go find Megatron when they realized that Side Burn was missing, and all looked at Prowl, who as Brawn pointed out, was Side Burn's friend. Battle Lines, Part 2 A week later, he was part of the Autobot forces at Iacon's city walls as the Decepticons broke through with Devastator. Battle Lines, Part 5
Games
Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons
Brawn was amongst the Autobots kidnapped by Megatron and his Decepticons. Optimus Prime thus embarked on a rescue operation, infiltrating the Decepticons' labyrinthine base to liberate his troops. Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game
Toys
Generation 1
- Brawn (Mini-Vehicle, 1984/1985/1986)
- Japanese ID number: 15
- Brawn was part of the original assortment of Autobot Mini Vehicles released in 1984. The mold was originally developed for the Microman Microchange, a line meant to depict robots who transformed into toy cars, which is why Brawn's car proportions are a bit exaggerated. He transforms into a (somewhat altered) Toyota Land Cruiser, although the front grille is based on a Willy's Jeep, with a non-removable spare tire on the roof.
- The original Microchange toy had a different brown-ish shade of green, which was changed before his release as a Transformer. Brown = Brawn, hmm? This brown Microchange Brawn can even be seen in the 1984 catalog and on his instructions[1]. Bluestreak, anyone?
- There are a couple different variations of the toy. The initial versions have the faceplate and upper corners of the helmet as a part of the back vehicle piece, poking through holes in the robot part, while later runs have the faceplate as part of the robot-part facade. Both versions can be found in the 1984 pre-rubsign releases of the toy, while only the "full face front" version is available in the 1985 be-rubsigned release. There are also multiple copyright notice configurations on the back end of the vehicle mode if you care about that kind of thing. Interestingly, an indent for a rub mark was tooled into the roof after the initial releases, but instead they put the rub mark on the side door.
- There are a fair few redecos of Brawn from south of the border. In Brazil, a version in gold with sand-colored robot parts was released. Peru got a light tan Jeep with dark turquoise robot parts, a light-blue painted helmet and no chrome. Mexico got another sand-colored Jeep in 1986, but with maroon robot parts.
- Brawn (Keychain, 2003)
- The Brawn mold was retooled by Hasbro licensee Fun4All and made as part of the second wave of Transformers keychains alongside Windcharger. A small plastic ring was added to the front bumper, which the metal key chain attaches to. The keychains came on pretty close reproductions of their original cardbacks from 1984. These were originally sold in chains like Hot Topic and video game stores, but over the course of several years, found their way even to the racks of Wal-Mart.
- In Japan, the four Mini Vehicles were sold in small boxes. Each one was also available in a solid-black variation.
Universe (2003)
- Autobot Brawn
- Accessories: Crane/cannon, 2-part spare tire/blades, energon star, energon gauntlet
- A retool of Energon Strongarm as Brawn was part of 3H Productions' proposal for an OTFCC 2005 convention exclusive set. However, with the financial collapse of 3H Productions in late 2004 and the subsequent transfer of the Transformers convention license to Fun Publications, all plans for this toy were scrapped. It would have featured a new head and new snap-on Energon weapon fists.
 Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Universe (2008)
G1 Series
- Brawn (Legends, 2008)
- Released in the fourth wave of Universe Legends Class toys, Brawn is a new-sculpt toy of the original Brawn inspired by his character model, transforming into a generic SUV that takes some design cues from a Land Rover Discovery Series II and a Jeep Cherokee XJ with a bullbar mounted on the front. His spare tire, mounted on his back end in vehicle mode, is actually a free-spinning wheel just like the normal four, and the same size as the front wheels... meaning that, in theory, it could be used as an actual spare tire.
- Amusingly enough, his robot-mode arms are upside-down inside the packaging, with his shoulders somewhere around hip-level.
- Official stock photos depicting a pre-production sample in and out of packaging featured the tires in the same green plastic color as the vehicle shell. They were changed to black plastic for the mass production version.
Henkei! Henkei!
- Minibot Attack Team (Multi-pack, 2009)
- Japanese ID number: C-18
- The Henkei! Henkei! release of Universe Brawn uses a much more desaturated olive-green base plastic, with brighter yellow chest paint, yet keeps the black face paint due to having the same paint layout as the Universe version. This is apparently meant more as an homage to his Micro Change roots than "just" TakTomy wanting to do something different than Hasbro.[1] He comes in a set with Beachcomber and Cliff.
Merchandise
Transformers Milk Caramel
- Gong (1985)
- A soft rubber figurine—known in Japan as a keshigomu— of Brawn was released as part of the first wave of Kabaya's Transformers Milk Caramel candy toy range. He came packaged with chocolate-covered caramel candies, and was available in white, blue, sky blue, yellow, green and orange. Curiously, the figure was not based on either his toy or animation model robot mode designs; instead, it depicted him in an entirely different robot form, based on his 4WD alternate mode as it would appear if it transformed in the same manner as Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, going so far as to give him Bumblebee's head! The origin of this strange design is unknown, but it would be seen again in a model kit released by Takara and Seven the following year.
Trasformers Choco
- Gong (1985)
- A solid-color, snap-together model kit of Brawn was released by Kabaya as part of their Transformers Choco line of candy toys. Essentially a downsized but otherwise broadly identical version of his original toy, the Brawn kit was available in various colors, and came with candy-coated chocolates.
Decoy
- Cybertron Hero Collection 22 (multi-pack, 1986)
- Brawn was among the many characters rendered by Takara as part of their series of 1.5" keshigomu figurines. Like all the Autobots in the series, Brawn was molded in soft red rubber, and featured a number sculpted into his back that was the sum total of his Tech Specs, for use in the various games that could be played with the figurines. Brawn mixes the cartoon model with elements from the original toy (most notably giving him a claw for a right hand).
- Brawn was available as part of a 22-piece box set of Autobot figures, and later, in a peach coloration randomly packed as part of various other box sets.
- Brawn (Decoy, 1987)
- Decoy number: 24
- The figurine was later brought over to Hasbro markets as part of the Decoy promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Protectobots and Technobots
Pachi-pla kit
- Charger and Gong (model kit multi-pack, 1986)
- This two-pack of fully-transformable Brawn and Windcharger snap-together model kits were released by Takara and Seven; "pachi" is Japanese onomatopoeia for things which snap together, while "pla" is short for plastic, hence the kit's name. The figures are made from red and black plastic, and were available in two variations that alternated which of the colors was predominant. About the same size as the original figures, the kits are speculated to be unused molds created for MicroChange. Most notably, this set again makes use of the strange alternate design for Brawn seen previously in the Milk Caramel line, based on the Bumblebee body complete with Bumblebee's head.
Notes
- According to Jim Sorenson, Brawn had Muscles listed as his nickname in Bob Budiansky's personal Transformers comic bible. Nicknames for other characters could be found in early Universe-style profiles published in The Transformers Comics Magazine.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Gong (ゴング Gongu)
- French: Bruto (Canada)
- Hungarian: Izmos ("Hefty")
- Italian: Cammello
- Mandarin: Brown (Taiwan, 布朗 Bù Lǎng), Dà Hàn (China, 大汉 Big Man)
- Portuguese: Músculos (Portugal comic), Brigão (Brazil comic)
- Russian: Silach (Силач, "Strong guy")
- Spanish: Jipe (America, "Jeep")
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The many colors of Brawn at the NTFA forums.
External Links
- Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls
- Pages with broken file links
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Unreleased toys
- Children of Primus
- Classics Autobots
- Decoys
- Demolitions specialists
- Generation 1 Autobots
- Generation 2 Autobots
- Henkei! Henkei! Autobots
- Legends of Cybertron
- Mini Vehicles
- Universe (2008)
- Universe Autobots
- Wings Universe Autobots
