Wheeljack (Prime)
| The name or term "Wheeljack" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Wheeljack (disambiguation). |
- Wheeljack is an Autobot and Wrecker from the Aligned continuity family.
Wheeljack is one of the roughest Autobots around. As a former member of the Wreckers, he's seen plenty of action, and he's got the snarky one-liners to prove it. If there's anything he likes more than slicing up Decepticons with his swords or inventing new gadgets to slice Decepticons in different ways, it's hanging with his old buddy, Bulkhead (who calls him Jackie).
Wheeljack doubts Optimus Prime's leadership capabilities, believing he's more of a stuffy old figurehead than a warrior. Wheeljack also chafes under too much supervision. That's why he usually takes off shortly after he's arrived. He'd rather be on his own.
| “ | If you're trying to ruin my day, you're gonna have to try harder. | ” |
—Wheeljack, "Con Job" | ||
Fiction
Aligned novels
Wheeljack was a member of the Wreckers black ops. After the Great Exodus, the Autobots remaining on Cybertron encountered the inventor and engineer wandering outside Crystal City. They took him in, with Alpha Trion theorizing that he had escaped from Shockwave's facilities there. Wheeljack proceeded to equip the resistance with new gadgets and weaponry, but his true loyalty remained to science, rather than the Autobots.
Eventually, Wheeljack, along with Ultra Magnus and Springer approached Alpha Trion to propose re-creating space bridge technology on a personal scale, and using the energies from the space bridge explosion to trace the locations of the vanished Ark and Nemesis. The project proceeded, and the inventor was able to find a way of opening a brief passageway through space-time, utilising the remaining energies of the Well of All Sparks and the damaged consciousness of Vector Sigma. Wheeljack suggested they send a message of some sort through the gateway to Optimus Prime, but Alpha Trion advocated sending an actual bot. Eventually, the Autobot called Chaindrive was sent, equipped with a device to track the Matrix of Leadership, a piece of the Blades of Time, and a warning for Optimus regarding the Requiem Blaster. Exiles
Prime cartoon
- Voice actor: James Horan (English), Yūki Tai (Japanese), Lorenzo Scattorin (Italian), Dennis Schmidt-Foß (German), Ricardo Sawaya (Brazilian Portuguese)
Wheeljack was a member of the Wreckers alongside Bulkhead, Con Job Impactor, Roadbuster, Rotorstorm, Seaspray and Pyro. Loose Cannons He took part in an unnamed battle where he and Bulkhead became surrounded by Decepticons and low on Energon. However, Wheeljack threw a grenade into a smelter, causing it to explode and take out the attackers.Con Job Him and Bulkhead also had an altercation on Sandokan.Loose Cannons. However, early on in the war, Bulkhead left the Wreckers to join Team Prime while Wheeljack continued to serve in the Wreckers. Wheeljack took part in the Battle of Darkmount Pass, where he took out a group of Decepticons to get the Wreckers across a smelting pit. When Cybertron went dark, he began traveling the stars alone in the Jackhammer. Con Job
Eventually he reached Earth's Solar System and was hailed by the Autobots stationed there, including Bulkhead. As he was coming in to land at the coordinates provided by Optimus Prime, his ship was attacked and shot down by Vehicons. Wheeljack emerged from the Jackhammer and proceeded to trash the Decepticons, but was eventually overwhelmed and taken back to the Nemesis where he was imprisoned. He was amused to find that Starscream was in command of the Decepticons, and almost goaded Starscream into killing him.
An opportunity allowed him to kill his guard and break free from his bonds. He scaled to the top of the ship, where Starscream was waiting for Makeshift, who'd taken on Wheeljack's appearance, to open the Autobot GroundBridge. Wheeljack smashed a bunch of Vehicons and assaulted Starscream before escaping through the GroundBridge to the Autobot base. There he confronted Makeshift and the pair dueled with swords until Wheeljack was victorious. Bulkhead tossed Makeshift back through the GroundBridge along with a "present" for the 'cons.
Though the Autobots welcomed Wheeljack, he revealed that he intended to return to space. He invited Bulkhead along, but Bulkhead was too attached to his friends on Earth to leave. Bulkhead was sure Wheeljack would return someday... Con Job
When Miko was trying to stir Bulkhead's memory after he absorbed the data from the Cybertronian data cylinder she mentioned Wheeljack, and showed Bulkhead the picture she took of them together before he left. Sadly, this did not jog Bulkhead's memory. T.M.I.
During his travels, Wheeljack made contact with fellow Wrecker Seaspray only for Dreadwing to destroy Seaspray's ship. Wheeljack chased Dreadwing to Earth where they battled near a gas station, which was destroyed in the conflict as Optimus Prime's team arrived. Filling the other Autobots in, Wheeljack found himself chafing over the need for secrecy. When Dreadwing called him to arrange a meeting, Wheeljack took Bulkhead to try and trap the Decepticon. The encounter instead left Wheeljack buried.
Once Optimus dug him out, he accompanied the Autobot leader to the port where Bulkhead had been taken by Dreadwing and attempted to remove the bomb the Decepticon had placed on his comrade. Eventually he was forced to concede only Dreadwing could remove the bomb, and he and Optimus played a gambit that forced Dreadwing's hand. Convinced to stay on Earth by the other Autobots, Wheeljack adopted a new alternate mode and drove off to explore the planet. Loose Cannons
As the Autobots split up to retrieve the four new Iacon relics, Optimus told Ratchet that he'd need Wheeljack's help for the mission ahead. Remembering his past experiences with the Wrecker, Ratchet was naturally reluctant to go through with the idea, but Optimus reminded the medic that he would need a capable warrior like Wheeljack to watch his back. Triangulation
Ratchet rendezvoused with Wheeljack by the Jackhammer, and they headed out in the ship to find the relic. Wheeljack quickly got on Ratchet's nerve by calling him "doc" and "sunshine" but soon encountered Soundwave. The Wrecker engaged Soundwave in a dog fight using some fancy aerial flight moves, but against the advice of Ratchet, Wheeljack let Soundwave go and attacked Laserbeak. After a lengthy dog fight, Wheeljack shot the Mini-Con down, but the Jackhammer was also disabled. On the ground Wheeljack found Laserbeak and suggested planting a grenade inside of the Mini-Con to kill Soundwave, but Ratchet had a better idea: A virus which would download the entire Iacon data base into their systems.
While Ratchet set about implanting the virus into Laserbeak, Wheeljack went after Soundwave, soon locating and attacking the Decepticon. Though he almost got the upper hand, Soundwave hit him with the Resonance Blaster, and Wheeljack barely had time to warn Ratchet before falling unconscious. Despite the damage, Wheeljack refused to return to base for treatment and instead set about fixing his ship. But before Ratchet left, Wheeljack finally acknowledged the doctor by name. Triage
Games
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Further information in this article is coming soon as it pertains to information that may not yet have been officially released. |
Toys
Prime
- Wheeljack (Deluxe, 2012)
- Series/number: 1 / 003
- Japanese release date: ???
- Japanese ID number: AM-23
- Accessories: 2 swords (Hasbro only), Arms Micron (TakaraTomy only)
- Part of the first wave of "Robots in Disguise" Deluxe Class, Wheeljack transforms into a modified 2011 Lancia New Stratos Concept. He comes with two swords which can stow underneath the vehicle or attach under the front bumper to create an attack mode. In robot mode, Wheeljack can either hold the swords, stow them on his shoulders, or they can be inserted into slots near his wings. Surprisingly, there are no Autobot insignias on Wheeljack whatsoever.
- The TakaraTomy version of Wheeljack has some significant differences form the Hasbro release. Many of his paint operations have been dropped in favor of customer-applied foil stickers off of a separate sheet. Instead of his twin swords, he instead comes with an Arms Micron partner that converts into... a rather bulky weapon that vaguely sort-of resembles his normal sword. If you squint.
- Star Hammer with Wheeljack (Cyberverse Vehicle, 2012)
- Series/number: 2 / 001
- Japanese release date: 5-28-2012
- Japanese ID number: EZ-10
- Accessories: 2 swords
- Part of the first wave of large Cyberverse vehicles, this smaller, simplified version of Wheeljack comes with two translucent blue swords, which he can hold using 3mm ports in his hands. These swords are also capable of storing on his vehicle mode's roof, although the downward-curving orientation shown in the stock photo at right is not actually possible due to a change to how the pegs are arranged.
- This version of Wheeljack was only available with the Star Hammer, in which he can be seated in the opening cockpit. In the Star Hammer's battle platform mode, Wheeljack can man one of three battle stations using flip-down handlebars (which also allow other Cyberverse figures to man them).
- In Japan, the set was released under the name "Spaceship Star Hammer", but there are no notable physical differences from the Hasbro release.
- Wheeljack (Dark Energon Deluxe, 2012)
- Accessories: 2 swords
- A BigBadToyStore exclusive, this Dark-Energon-infused redeco of Prime Wheeljack is cast in translucent-blue and black plastics with copper and red accents, in a blatant homage to Slicer.
- Hyperspeed Wheeljack (Cyberverse Legion, 2012)
- Series/number: 2 / ???
- Accessories: "Gravimetric blaster"
- Part of the third wave of Cyberverse Legion-class toys, this version of Wheeljack is a single-carded release of the figure redecoed as an homage to the "Marlboor" Diaclone pre-Transformers retool of the Generation 1 Wheeljack sculpt. He comes with a recolored version of the twin-barreled blaster previously available with Cyberverse Prime Bumblebee and Arcee.
Notes
- At BotCon 2011, it was stated Wheeljack is meant to be a mechanic as with other incarnations, but it has yet to be mentioned in-series.[1]
- Wheeljack's "one grenade, one shot" strategy is hinted at by the fact that he does carry a single grenade on his hip.
References
- ↑ Botcon 2011 Transformers Prime Panel! on the AllSpark
