Dark Hot Rod
From MediaWiki
| The name or term "Black Rodimus" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Black Rodimus (disambiguation). |
- Dark Hot Rod is an Autobot clone turned Decepticon turned Autobot turned... wha? from the Generation 1 continuity family.
A dark clone of Hot Rod built by Megatron, Dark Hot Rod was convinced from his creation that he was the real Hot Rod. He is physically Hot Rod's equal, but lacked the Autobot's honor, respect for life and reverence for Optimus Prime. He was driven to destroy what he thought was the fake Hot Rod, and forcibly take the Matrix from Optimus.
An encounter with the original Hot Rod in a crystal-lined cave changed all that. Through a burst of energy, Dark Hot Rod became aware of the truth of his creation. To atone for his actions, he has joined the Autobots, and fights against the Decepticons who made him!
Games
The Transformers (PS2)
- Voice actor: Peter von Gomm
When the Decepticons returned to stop the Autobots from reaching the UFO, they faced an army of Megatron clones. Afterwards, Dark Hot Rod joined the Decepticons.
Dark Hot Rod was available as a playable character in the Decepticon campaign during the second playthrough.
Toys
Generation 1
- Black Rodimus (Autobot, 2001)
- Japanese ID number: C-78B
- A redeco of the Autobot Hot Rod toy in blacks and grays sold only at the 2001 Tokyo Toy Festival, Black Rodimus transforms into a futuristic/Cybertronic race car. Though his plastics and paint colors changed, his decals were the same as the normal Rodimus release. It is noteworthy that the hood and door stickers, factory-applied on other versions of the Hot Rod mold, were not preapplied to Black Rodimus, instead being included on a separate sticker sheet. Limited to 1500 pieces and packaged in a monochrome black version of Hot Rod's normal packaging, Black Rodimus was only available with the joint purchase of the "Crystal Rodimus" version of Hot Rod.
Masterpiece
- Black Rodimus Convoy (2011)
- Japanese ID number: MP-9B
- Accessories: Trailer/Mobile Defense Bay, Anti Photon Eliminator/Anti Photon Lasers Alpha & Beta, Matrix of Leadership, Snatchers Blade, Phantom Torch
- Black Rodimus Convoy is a black, purple, blue, teal and gray redeco of Masterpiece Rodimus Convoy, and can transform from Black Rodimus to Black Rodimus Convoy in both robot and vehicle modes. Extensions in the figure's hips give Black Rodimus Convoy some slight extra height over Black Rodimus, while a spring-loaded pop-out second face, revealed when the figure's helmet is tilted back, gives him his older, lined features; this face is somewhat narrower than Rodimus's, combining with a slight elevation of the back-mounted spoiler to further create the illusion of a larger figure. Black Rodimus Convoy's vehicle mode is formed by fitting Black Rodimus into the trailer backwards, and an entirely new vehicle-front—featuring Black Rodimus Convoy's shorter hood and smaller canopy and lacking an exposed engine block—flips out from beneath the trailer and wraps around his rear end. Both vehicles feature opening canopies, though only Black Rodimus has any sculpted interior detail of note.
- Black Rodimus Convoy's trailer opens up into a Mobile Defense Bay through a spring-loaded transformation activated by pressing a button on the trailer's roof. Furthering his armament, the figure comes with two twin Anti Photon Lasers for Black Rodimus, which can combine and extend through a spring-loaded automorph-style process into Black Rodimus Convoy's larger Anti Photon Eliminator. The guns can store within his trailer, and mount on any one of six different ports in Defense Bay mode for additional firepower. Like the original Hot Rod toy, a single Anti Photon Laser can mount in the vehicle mode's engine block. The rest of Black Rodimus's additional gadgets and features are based on ones used by Hot Rod in The Transformers: The Movie, including a retractable "Fear Sight" visor (dropped over the figure's eyes by rotating the circular "ears" on its helmet), a "Snatchers Blade" buzzsaw, and a "Phantom Torch" welding torch. Both saw and torch store inside his trailer while not in use, and attach to universal clips which rotate out of his forearms. Lastly he also comes with a Matrix of Leadership accessory redecoed in red chrome. The Matrix stores within his chest and is so small that Black Rodimus Convoy cannot actually hold it by its handles.
Unreleased toys
- The final Titanium Series catalog listed a number of figures which were never released. One of the 3" Micro Figures appearing only as a name (with no image) was the oddly cased "Black RODIMUS". This would presumably have been a redeco of the 3" Rodimus figure, but details about its faction or characterization are unknown.
Notes
- This character's English name, "Dark Hot Rod", actually comes from the Japanese-exclusive video game The Transformers.
- Someone actually put stickers on their Black Rodimus for the all-Rodimus pictorial feature in the Japanese Transformers Generations 2010 guidebook. They didn't apply the ones for his thighs, though.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Black Rodimus (ブラックロディマス Burakku Rodimasu)
