Blackarachnia (BW)
| The name or term "Blackarachnia" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Blackarachnia (disambiguation). |
- Blackarachnia is a Predacon who changes allegiances with alarming frequency from the Beast Era portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
A sultry femme fatale, Blackarachnia is smart, sexy, and dangerous. She's got eight legs, and she knows how to use them. Of the several rebellious Predacons under Megatron's command, she's one of the very few who can, on occasion, outguile him. Always looking out for Number One, Blackarachnia values her independence and freedom above all else. She would rather be deactivated than be a slave.
Blackarachnia's greatest weakness, other than her overconfidence, is her feelings for the Maximal Silverbolt. Something about his heroic demeanor and the kindness he shows her makes her uneasy. She hasn't experienced unconditional love before, and it scares her, though she'll never admit it.
Fiction
Toy bios
Working by moonlight, Blackarachnia posed as a double agent. In reality, this was merely a ruse she utilized in order to lure unwitting Maximals into her darkened den, where she first paralyzed her victim with a poisonous missile. She then proceedd to restrain her victim with her powerful legs, and subsequently sucked their life force dry... kinky. She was capable of converting thermal energy into cyber venom. Blackarachnia bio
The new Transmetal 2 body Blackarachnia acquired from Megatron's mysterious new technology had the power to cast illusions, altering her physical appearance and position for up to five minutes thanks to the electro disruptor housed in her... rear segment. Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia toy bio
Cartoon continuity
Beast Wars Metals comic
Following the Quantum surge, Blackarachnia was one of the few Transformers not to be upgraded into a Transmetal. As Quickstrike and his armies laid siege to the weakened Maximal base, Blackarachnia waited in secret for an opening. When Rhinox was forced to shut Sentinel down to let an injured Airazor in, Blackarachnia saw her chance and entered the base. Knocking out Airazor and ripping Rattrap's arm off, Blackarachnia confronted Rhinox. Rhinox proceeded to pull out a "gun", but instead of shooting her with it, he blasted himself in the head (the "gun" actually being a machine allowing him to enter Transwarp space). Confused, but seeing no further use for the Maximals, Blackarachnia left the base. As the base collapsed behind her, she was approached by Quickstrike, who didn't like her "interfering" with his business. Not in the mood, she immediately kicked his head off. Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!
Universe CD-ROM
Blackarachnia followed Reptillion[sic] in battle against Optimus Primal and his Autobot forces. She teamed up with Razorclaw to fight Striker before being abducted by Unicron. Universe CD-ROM
TransTech
Though she may appear to be a native of Axiom Nexus, Blackarachnia was brought online in a far different universe. On a Cybertron where the Autobots and Decepticons had grown too decrepit to carry on the Great War, they constructed proxy armies in the form of the Maximals and Predacons. As a result from her first moments Blackarachnia knew only strife and combat. Increasingly questioning the orders of her Autobot masters, the breaking point came with the death of her colleagues Silverbolt and Rhinox. She conspired with Nightscream and together they killed their commander, Optimus Primal.
Joined by the malcontent Predacons Immorticon and Scavenger, they fled and activated an experimental transwarp device, hoping to escape Cybertron. Instead, they found themselves in Axiom Nexus. After processing, they were placed in the care of Alpha Trion. He convinced her that the Transcendent Technomorphs who ruled the city were little different from the Autobots under whose yoke she had chafed. Under his tender ministrations, her spark was transferred from her Lowtech body into that of her Transcendent Technomorph counterpart, with the authorities of Axiom Nexus none the wiser. "TransTech" Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25
Thus upgraded, she joined Alpha Trion's insurrectionist organization, and was part of the raid on Shockwave's laboratory in the hopes of rescuing Breakaway. Blackarachnia and her comrades successfully stormed into Shockwave's inner sanctum, where they came face-to-face with the formidable Megatron. Transcendent: Part 5 Despite that rather severe obstacle, Blackarachnia and the Alpha Trion's minions managed to secure the transit room and transwarp to the Old One's original universal stream. Transcendent: Part 6
On the other side of the transwarp portal, Alpha Trion ordered Blackarachnia to prepare the cloaking device in order to keep his return a secret. Reunification: Part 1
Games
Beast Wars: Transformers video game
Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals video game
- Voice actor: Janet-Laine Green (English), ? (Japanese)
Transmetal Blackarachnia joined her fellow Predacons in distributing various one-on-one beat downs to the Maximals. Eventually, Silverbolt convinced her to defect to the Maximals but she never truly reformed. It was her betrayal at a key moment that eventually assured the Maximals victory in the Beast Wars. Once back on Cybertron, she worked as a double-agent between the Maximal and Tripredacus Council with no loyalty to either side. She often pondered what would have happened if she had remained on the Predacon's team throughout the war. Beast Wars Transmetals
Toys
Beast Wars
- Blackarachnia (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
- Japanese ID number: D-8
- Accessories: Launcher, 4 leg-missiles
- Blackarachnia's original toy is a redeco of the Tarantulas mold, transforming into a rather generic-looking organic spider. It features a removable spring-loaded launcher hidden in its beast-mode abdomen. It nominally fires the "grappling hook" attached to its abdomen by a string, but its front four beast-mode legs can also be removed and used as ammunition. Like all first-year Beast Wars Deluxes, the robot-mode head has both a "robot" face and a "mutant" face; Blackarachnia is always depicted in fiction using the "robot" one (or a rough approximation thereof).
- The Takara release of the toy has numerous color differences from the Hasbro version, but they are of dubious merit as far as making her more "show-accurate" go. The bright green of the Hasbro version's forearms is replaced with dull silver, while the brighter purple is replaced with a darker, more desaturated purple. Her dark copper paint is replaced with a brighter gold. Her robot-mode facemask is painted gold, which is closer to the show model... but her face beneath is black with gold eyes (instead of gold with black eyes), and she inexplicably gains a new painted-black forehead crest, where the show model has gold.
- This mold was later used to make the "Beast Wars 10th Anniversary" version of Tarantulas, and the Beast Wars Telemocha version of Blackarachnia. It was intended to be used to make a second Universe version of Blackarachnia, but that toy set was canceled.
- Deep Forest Showdown: Tigatron VS Blackwidow (VS set, 1997)
- Japanese ID number: VS-8
- Accessories: Launcher, 4 leg-missiles
- In Japan, "Blackwidow" was available both as an individual and in a "VS" pack with Tigatron. Both toys were identical to their individual releases.
- Blackarachnia (Happy Meal, 1997)
- McNumber: ??
- Part of the second McDonald's Beast Wars Happy Meal pack-in, Blackarachnia's "Transmetal" form rather resembles some sort of dust mite more than a spider, and the robot mode appears to have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. It has a very similar transformation to the earlier promotional figure Beetle.
- Like the other two Transmetal Happy Meal figures, Blackarachnia has some metallic-sheened plastic intended to resemble the colored chromed finish of the retail Transmetals toys.
- Blackarachnia (Transmetal 2, 1999)
- Japanese ID number: C-48
- Accessories: Mandible grapnel-line
- The Transmetal 2 version of Blackarachnia transforms into a large, organic/mechanical, monstrous spider, featuring a grappling hook, switching faction symbols activated by rotating her spark crystal around, and a spring-loaded spin-kick action feature. She also has a half-assed "defense mode", bringing the chromed abdomen bits down to cover her chest. Like all larger Transmetal 2s, Blackarachnia has hints of an abandoned "transport" mode, mainly the free-spinning wheels and concealed rockets in the spider-mode abdomen.
- This toy was initially hard to find at retail, as one of the toy's features, a piece of removable chest armor (no, really), was altered slightly, delaying later shipments.
- This mold was used to make the BotCon 2000 exclusive Arcee.
Beast Machines
- Blackarachnia (Deluxe, 2000)
- An early toy in the Beast Machines line, Blackarachnia transforms into a technorganic spider. In spider mode, squeezing its pedipalps together raises its central fangs; they were spring-loaded to release and lower, respectively. In keeping with the early Beast Machines "articulated features" motif, her robot mode head has a multi-piece articulated brow, which can slide up to reveal two extra sets of eyes, as she does on the cartoon.
- This mold was later redecoed to make the Universe version of Blackarachnia, as well as Crystal Widow.
- Blackarachnia (Happy Meal, 2000)
- McNumber: ??
- As one of ten toys in the third Transformers McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, Blackarachnia is a super-simplified version of her retail toy, with a coloration closer to the Mainframe CG model, though more shockingly pink rather than maroon. This toy is designed for the younger set, with softer plastic and no removable parts.
- She is the only Beast Era character to get two McDonald's Happy Meal toys.
- Blackwidow (Deluxe, 2005)
- Japanese ID number: BR-04
- Part of the Japanese Toys "R" Us-exclusive Beast Wars Returns series, this toy is a redeco of the original Beast Machines Blackarachnia in a more show-like maroon coloration. Reportedly, this toy was limited to 3000 pieces, a full thousand less than the others in the original assortment. Since she was also the most changed from the US release in the initial batch of toys, this made her considerably harder to get.
Universe (2003)
- Blackarachnia (Deluxe, 2003)
- Part of the second wave of Universe Deluxes, Blackarachnia returned as a Decepticon and as a redeco of the original Beast Machines figure. However, her forearms were mistakenly swapped, leaving her forearm "spikes" pointing up towards her biceps rather than down near her elbows. She received a Decepticon faction symbol over her spark crystal as well.
- This mold (with the same swapped-forearms error) was used to make Crystal Widow.
- Leatherhide Vs. Blackarachnia (Halloween Horrorcon value pack, unreleased)
- Accessories: Launcher, 4 leg-missiles
- In 2004, a group of test-shots made their way onto eBay, among them a redeco of the original Beast Wars Tarantulas/Blackarachnia mold in black with silver spider-legs and salmon-colored robot parts. Later, Hasbro's official website checklist featured listings for two Universe "Halloween Horrorcon Value Packs" that were to be Wal-Mart exclusives... which also likely explains why they were canceled. (Wal*Mart had taken a good half-dozen exclusives and released them more-or-less simultaneously, leading to a huge glut. A lot of other Transformers exclusives were canceled during the Universe era.) One of the sets was "Leatherhide Vs. Blackarachnia"... and thus, the mystery spider was confirmed, as the other test-shots in that group lined up with the name listings given in the sets.
 Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Beast Wars Telemocha Series
- Blackwidow (Deluxe, 2007)
- Japanese ID number: TM-06
- Accessories: Launcher, 4 leg-missiles
- As part of the Beast Wars Telemocha line, the original Blackarachnia toy was extensively redecoed with a ridiculous number of gold paint operations, making her closer to show-accurate in coloration than the other versions of the mold, but still not quite there. (Her shoulders are silver in the show.) All of the gimmicks of the original toy were retained, though her alternate head didn't receive any paint that wasn't intended to make her nominal head look more show-accurate.
- She came with a DVD containing "The Assassin Virus", the Japanese dubbing of Beast Wars episode 10, "Gorilla Warfare".
Binaltech
- Blackwidow (Binaltech, unreleased)
- Japanese ID number: BT16
- Accessories: Engine-rifle, roof-shield
- In 2005, the mold used for Alternators Decepticharge was presented as an upcoming release for the Japanese Binaltech line. They decided to give the toy an entirely new deco, as the Hasbro toy's deco didn't appeal to their ideal of "real-life accuracy". In robot mode, the toy was given a color scheme based on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia, with the toy's name being changed to "Blackwidow", Takara's name for the character. Though a bio and story chapter were written to accommodate it into the Binaltech fiction, and photoshopped images released through an online retailer revealed the intended color scheme, Takara ultimately decided to cancel the toy altogether, as they were fearing that another redeco (in addition to the upcoming Binaltech Asterisk toys) would be too repetitive. Plans to release this toy as part of a different line were never picked up again.
- This mold was ultimately released in Japan as part of an unexpected Binaltech continuation, this time as Arcee. The original version of the mold was used to make Alternators Windcharger and Binaltech Overdrive. It was also planned to become a new toy of the Paradron Medic, but that also got canceled.
Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Merchandise
- Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game (1997)
- Blackarachnia was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars card game.
Robot Heroes
- Cheetor vs. Blackarachnia (2-pack, 2008)
- Part of the first wave of Universe-branded Robot Heroes, Blackarachnia is a simple, yet well-detailed two-inch tall figurine with exaggerated, cartoony proportions. She was only available in a two-pack with Cheetor.
Notes
- Blackarachnia's original Beast Wars card art has her wearing a spike-studded collar... while her chest seems to be leopard-spotted. Kinky.
- Reportedly, Blackarachnia's show model was created after some Mainframe folks had taken the design modeler to a strip club only a few days prior for, um... inspiration. [1]
- Much like her fellow spider Tarantulas, her original beast mode is depicted with nine eyes rather then eight.
- In the "jovial" Japanese dub of Beast Wars, Blackarachnia's character underwent a few small (depending on your point of view) changes. Firstly, she had a voice that can only be described as "bipolar". She would switch between her usual sultry, flirtatious voice to a screaming blood-thirsty maniac at the drop of a hat. Another notable change is that, while still a strong female character, she was made less independent and was occasionally prone to begging for mercy from her enemies, something she never did in the English version. However, this isn't the first time the Japanese have done their best to "improve" upon a female character.
- The artwork advertising the Transmetal Blackarachnia toy on Happy Meal Bags was rendered with the toy transformed incorrectly. Her beast mode head isn't flipped down, leaving her organic-looking robot mode chest exposed.
- Even though Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia's toy has a unique faction-switching spark crystal, the feature doesn't make sense in a fictional context. By that point in the Beast Wars television series, the Transmetal Driver had destroyed her Predacon shell program, making her fully Maximal. (Though, to be fair, it had happened mere moments previously.)
- Blackarachnia exhibited what appears to be telekinesis not long after gaining her Transmetal 2 form, levitating a steel girder to stop Rampage in "Master Blaster". The ability only appeared once and was never explained, though it resembles the other strange, almost supernatural powers wielded by Transmetals 2 in the cartoon. Following her reformatting in Beast Machines, Blackarachnia no longer possessed this ability.
- Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 animation model is noticeably tweaked from the toy design, with her extremely large shoulder-pads and back rockets all being significantly reduced to a very discreet size. Although arguably more toy-accurate than the CG model of her original body, this level of alteration was uncommon in new characters/upgraded bodies introduced from Season 2 onwards, as their animation models were more closely based on their respective toys (at least in appearance, if not always in capabilities.)[2]
- Character and fiction information for the cancelled BT-16 "Blackwidow" toy finally emerged in late 2007 with the release of The Transformers Binaltech Stories: Profiles and Technical Specifications, an unofficial publication by Binaltech story writer Hirofumi Ichikawa that compiled all then-current Binaltech information as well as that of the unreleased Blackarachnia and Ginrai toys. As it was never officially released, this information can be considered pseudocanonical at best.
- Blackarachnia is (strangely) depicted solely using a golden orange version of her Transmetal II body in her IDW Beast Wars Sourcebook profile entry. She received properly colored coverage of all her modes in the trade paperback version.
- In the Nintendo 64 version of Beast Wars: Transmetals, Blackarachnia was a stretched palette-swap of Transmetal Tarantulas. The PlayStation version does not stretch out Tarantulas, instead remeshing the model to resemble her Transmetal 2 form.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Blackwidow (ブラックウィドー Burakkuwidō)
- Cantonese: Alaina (Hong Kong, 雅麗娜 Aa Lai Naa)
- French: Mygale (Canada toy), La Veuve Noire (Canada cartoon, "The Black Widow")[3]
- German: Schwarze Arachnia (Beast Wars Cartoon only)
- Italian: Arachnia
- Latvian: Zirneklene (Derived from "zirneklis", meaning "spider")
- Mandarin: Hēi Jr-jū (Taiwan, 黑蜘蛛, "Black Spider"), Jr-jū (Taiwan Beast Machines, 蜘蛛, "Spider")
- Polish: Arachna
- Portuguese: Aracniana (Portugual), Viúva Negra (Brazil Beast Wars, "Black Widow")
- Russian: Chornaya Vdova (Чёрная Вдова, "Black Widow")
- Spanish: Araña Negra ("Black Spider")[3]
References
- ↑ Why Blackarachnia Looks Asian on alt.toys.transformers.
- ↑ "Animators' Interview" from Madman Entertainment's Beast Wars Season 3 DVDs.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Whether Transmetal II Blackarachnia had different French and Spanish names is uncertain at this point.
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