Blaster (G1)

Blaster is an Autobot in Generation 1. In Japanese continuity he is later rebuilt as Twincast.

"What it is, big mama? My mama no raise no dummies. I dug her rap!"

Blaster loves all Earth music, especially good, hard, LOUD Rock'n'Roll. A powerful fighter who tends to make his presence known, you can find him at the forefront of any situation he's involved in. As a communications officer, part of his training involves getting other 'bots to communicate.

(Note: Blaster's personality varied signifigantly between the comic and cartoon, see entries below for details.)

Malay-English dub name: Billy (Blaster), Blaster (Twincast)

Japanese names: Broadcast / Twincast / Broadblast

Italian name: Radiorobot (Blaster), Digital (Twincast)

French-Canadian name: Tempo

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

More than likely, he'll kill you. Yeah, you. You know who you are.

"War is dirty, violent, and mean. I don't want your company or your friendship, just your help in blasting those Decepticon rust-buckets into hot, burning slag."

Blaster was a rather grim, brooding, rebellious loner and one of the best, kick-@$$ fighters the Autobots had. He had a bit of a problem with authority and hated Decepticons with a passion due to the death of his former partner Scrounge. He developed a bit of a rivalry with Grimlock whose orders he disliked and a reluctant friendship with Goldbug whose more naturally upbeat personality provided the Boy-Wonder to his Batman.

"BLASTER BE OUR LEADER PLEAAAASE???"

Animated continuity

Voice Actor: Buster Jones (US), Keiichi Nanba (Japan)

Relax dude, chill a sec and enjoy the happenin' sounds of this premium Cybertronian sound system! Rock out!
Blaster in the cartoon was a fun-loving, hip and happening robot. Loud and energetic, and happy to share his choice of rockin' tunes with anyone, whether they really wanted to hear them or not.

His loud music often got him into trouble, especially when he jammed emergency frequencies with bad 80's hair metal. Blaster and Cosmos eventually converted a deserted Decepticon headquarters on Earth's moon into an Autobot base, they were never shown to use it (it's possible the base they built was later used by Marissa Faireborn of the EDC).

Blaster had a rivalry with Decepticon tapedeck, Soundwave. The two clashed frequently, though they were most often shown to be evenly matched. In 2005, when the Decepticons ransacked Autobot City, Soundwave attempted to jam Blaster's distress signal to Optimus Prime with his Cassette forces. Blaster countered with his own Cassette army, and the itty bitty guys 'rassled.

In 2006, Blaster was stationed most frequently at Autobot City on Earth. However, at one point in Transformer history best left forgotten, he traveled with the Autobots to another planet where he translated opera into English.

Scramble City OVA

Blaster was finally gifted with some Cassette forces of his own to counter Soundwave's. Steeljaw and Ramhorn took on Ratbat but couldn't protect the secrets of Metroplex.

Headmasters cartoon

Blaster's rivalry with Soundwave increased dramatically by the year 2011. At one point, when Hot Rod was searching Earth for the Matrix, he was ambushed by Soundwave. Blaster took Soundwave on alone, urging Hot Rod to leave without him. Soundwave and Blaster then prepared for their final duel. The result was a tie, sorta. They both died.

Later, all the Autobots were content to leave Blaster as a corpse until Daniel and Blaster's cassette forces whined enough to have their pal resurrected. Rodimus then brought Blaster back online as the yellow and blue repaint, Twincast. Coincidentilly, the Decepticons reanimated Soundwave as the black-as-coal Soundblaster. The two arch enemies then renewed their struggle.

Japanese Generation 2 story pages

There's so much I don't understand about this image

Apparently, by the Generation 2 era of the Transformers, Twincast returned to his original Blaster form. He can be seen behind Optimus Prime and Megatron in the first Japanese Generation 2 story page (Prime and Megatron having forged the Cybertron Alliance).

(Interestingly enough, despite Japanese Generation 2 taking place in the animated continuity, Blaster appears in his Marvel Comics design. Wacky.)

Toys

Generation 1

• Blaster (Autobot, 1985/1986/2006)

Japanese ID number: 38, TFC-21

Originally a Microchange "Radi-Casse Robo" ("radio-cassette", you see), Blaster transforms into a "ghetto blaster" boom-box. Pressing the "eject" button pops open his tape door, which can store a single microcassette Transformer.

Some releases of Blaster still retain the battery-cover back from the Microchange release (see Trivia).

Blaster was re-released in 2006 as part of the "Transformers Collection" "bookbox" series, packaged with Steeljaw.

• Twincast (Autobot, 1987/2006)

Japanese ID number: C-116

The first Blaster toy was redecoed, and had its tape-door retooled in order to accommodate two cassettes at once. The clear-plastic part of the door was also changed to clear-red, so when certain cassettes were placed inside, the "secret plans" decals on them would reveal the "weak point" of either Fortress Maximus or Scorponok, much like using the tech-specs decoders. He came with Steeljaw, who was given one of these new decals.

In 2006, Twincast was reissued as an e-Hobby exclusive, this time packaged with the new character Flip Sides.

• Blaster w/ Flight Pack (Action Master, 1990)

A non-transforming action figure, Action Master Blaster (not to be confused with the "Action Master Blasters" price-point) is compatible with any other Action Master vehicle or accessory. His design is based largely on his cartoon model, with elements from the toy added (like his visor). He came with the "Flight Pack" accessory, which converts from a winged jetpack to a massive "electro-scrambler" cannon.

Binaltech Asterisk

• Broadblast meets Lumina (Binaltech, 2005)

Japanese ID number: BTA03

A redeco of Alternators Skids, "Broadblast" transforms into a 1:24 scale Toyota bB, aka the Scion xB. He has working doors, hood, and trunk, plus his engine becomes a non-firing weapon. He also comes with an extra decal sheet, which includes signs for "TBN" which possibly stands for "Transformers Broadcast Network" or somesuch; there is Japanese text on the labels as well, but it's really tiny and hard to make out.

He came with a PVC-plastic figurine of the human newsgirl Lumina Hoshi.

Attacktix

• Blaster

Trivia

• The pre-Transformers version of Blaster was actually a functioning AM radio. The Microchange release of the toy came with a microcassette-sized radio that plugged in to Radi-Casse Robo, which had internal wiring that allowed the radio to play through the speakers in its' legs. The speakers were powered by batteries housed in the robot's back, hence the battery cover on early Blasters. The big hole in his Electro-Scrambler rifle is an earphone storage space, and the cord can be wrapped around the gun.

• According to Grimlock on a Letters Page, Blaster's visor is retractable. He uses it to shield his especially delicate optical sensors from sunlight.

• The packaging for Twincast's e-Hobby reissue was the same generic Decepticon-scheme box used to package Magnificus. However, since Flip Sides is technically a Decepticon, it...sorta works.

• According to Blaster himself on the UK letters page he has two siblings: Toaster and Karmen.

External links

• Blaster on tfu.info

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.