Huffer (G1)
- Huffer is an Autobot character in the Generation 1 continuity family.
To say that Huffer is cranky is an understatement. Huffer's the poster boy for whiney pessimism. He complains and grumbles his way through every day, especially since he's been shipwrecked on Earth. If he thought his existence was unbearable before, it's intolerable now, and he'll certainly let you know. There is no light in his dark hours...which is all the time.
Despite what a joy he is to be around, he's very effective at his job. A construction engineer, he can whip up anything of any complexity. Unfortunately, he'll be kicking and screaming the whole way.
- Japanese name: Drag (do-ra-ggu, ドラッグ)
- Hungarian name: Fortyogó ("Ebullier")
- Greek name: Gigantas (Γίγαντας)
- French-Canadian name: Grognon
- Italian name: Turbo
- Russian name: Nitik (Нытик, Whiner)
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Among several selected by Optimus Prime to clear a path for their planet, Cybertron, through an asteroid field, Huffer lay dormant on Earth after a Decepticon attack which forced both sides to crash land. Four million years later, he and the others were awoken, and Huffer was rebuilt to transform into an Earth-style truck cab. He immediately wanted to go home. Sadly, his solicited assessment of the Ark's condition was bleak, and he feared he'd be "stranded on this scrapball forever." The Transformers
Their new human comrade, Sparkplug Witwicky, was captured by the Decepticons to convert Earth fuel into something Transformers can use, but after he was rescued, it was learned that Sparkplug had given the Decepticons what they had wanted. Before further explanation could be made, Huffer demanded the "traitor" be punished. While Huffer and Ironhide bickered, Sparkplug made his shortlived escape; Jazz tried to stop him with a wall of flame, but the aged human suffered a heart attack. The Last Stand!
Huffer was one of the Autobots who "fell before the might" of Laserbeak during a surprise attack on the Ark by Megatron and his Decepticons. After Megatron and Optimus Prime accidentally awakened the Ark's central computer system, Auntie, Huffer -- as well as nearly everyone else on board -- was suddenly magnetically sealed to its walls. After some teamwork, everyone was set free, and the Decepticons were ejected from the Ark. Raiders of the Last Ark
Huffer caught Optimus Prime's attention to relay a message for Ratchet. In the memory banks of the Ark's computers, Ratchet had discovered evidence of a battle between Shockwave and the Dinobots in the Savage Land four million years ago. However, with Autobot fuel reserves being so low, Optimus determined that the fates of Shockwave and the Dinobots mattered little at that moment. No, that wouldn't come back to bite him at all.
Low on fuel, the Autobots used the Tubes of Transference to donate what energy the group had to its five mightiest warriors. Huffer was one of the five selected for this "last stand," and though he suffered a strafing from Thundercracker, he survived through the bitter end to victory. ...for five seconds, before Shockwave arrived and blew them all away. Thanks, Optimus. Thanks a lot. The Last Stand!
Afterwards, Huffer's body spent a while strung up from the Ark's ceiling. Typical. The New Order!
After Ratchet retook the Ark and repaired everyone, Huffer complained of being homesick for his homeworld of Cybertron and was obsessed with returning home to the point of distraction from his real duties. Prowl, giving a tour to the human industrialist G.B. Blackrock, was annoyed to find Huffer not rebuilding their communication center's ultra-frequency monitoring, but tinkering instead with the transdimensional radiowave scrambler in hopes of contacting Cybertron. Prowl thought getting him out of the Ark would do him some good, so he sent Huffer on a mission to disrupt a Decepticon operation. En route, Huffer met with a trucker, Bomber Bill, who was also homesick, due to the Decepticons nabbing his truck. The Decepticons, ironically, were up to building a transdimensional radiowave scrambler of their own, and Huffer was forced to choose between destroying the communications device, thus severing contact with his homeworld, or allowing the Decepticons to contact their brethren on Cybertron, ensuring enemy reinforcements would spill over onto Earth and thus spelling certain doom. Huffer ultimately made the right choice, but he hated it. Loudly. The Next Best Thing to Being There!
Using an eavesdropping system Huffer and Blackrock had set up previously, the Autobots were able to overhear Shockwave's plans to drop the captured head of their leader, Optimus Prime, in a nearby swamp. Huffer was charged with towing Prime's body to the location. However, the head was actually a decoy head, which, when attached to the body, caused it to go on a murderous rampage. And then the Decepticons showed up! It took entirely too long for the real head to show up, allowing Prime to save from certain doom the few who remained functional. Prime Time!
Huffer was among the the Earth-bound Autobots who witnessed a battle between Grimlock and Blaster for Autobot leadership on Earth's moon. Totaled!
Classics
Fifteen years after the Autobot/Decepticon war ended on Klo, Huffer was part of Grimlock's crew on the Graviton. His attitude towards Earth had not improved with age. While pursuing Bug Bite's Decepticons, ultimately finding them back on Earth, Ultra Magnus ordered Huffer to stay onboard the Graviton and keep an eye on both Bug Bite's ship (with orders to blow it out of the sky if it moved) and on Tyrannitron (with orders to keep him from "eating something important") while the rest of the Autobots went planetside. Just great. A brilliant engineer having to sit and petsit Snarl's gun. Games of Deception
Animated continuity
- Voice actor: John Stephenson (English), Yutaka Shimaka (Japan)
Huffer was part of the original crew of Ark-based Autobots who crashed on Earth four million years ago. In 1984, he awoke and was reformatted into a mini semi truck cab. An engineer and not a warrior, Huffer loathed combat and hated being stationed on Earth as he longed to return to Cybertron. Optimus Prime would often have to motivate Huffer, reminding him to remain courageous in the long fight. During one of the first engagements on Earth, where the Autobots attempted to stop the Decepticons from attacking an off-shore oil rig, Huffer was trapped in the debris. Brawn came to his rescue, cutting Huffer loose from the wreckage.
Damaged in a fall from the top of the Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma, Optimus Prime was encouraged by Huffer, Cliffjumper, and Gears as he painfully tried to transform back into robot mode. More Than Meets the Eye, Part 2
When Optimus Prime authorized Wheeljack and Ratchet to build robot dinosaurs, Huffer insisted that this was a waste of time. After the Dinobots were completed and unveiled, Huffer remarked, "Dinobots? I thought you were supposed to make Dinosaurs!" and laughed. This was followed by an awkward silence. S.O.S. Dinobots
Prime was ever accident-prone, though, and after being beaten down by Megatron and again struggling to transform, Huffer was helpful enough to tow Prime's trailer back to the base. Prime told Huffer that he was a true friend. But then, Prime considers all the Autobots his friends, so it might not be saying much. Heavy Metal War
Later, Huffer denounced Spike and Chip's idea for the Autobots to participate in a charity race, and stayed at the base with Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Brawn. His bad feelings turned out to be well founded when Megatron used the Transfixatron to lock the Autobots in vehicle mode. Huffer's dour attitude was so annoying that Brawn nearly bear hugged him to death. The Autobot Run
Though his death was never depicted, Huffer's grave is later mentioned amongst those of the other Autobots who died during the attack on Autobot City aboard their interstellar mausoleum. Along with the mausoleum itself, Huffer's remains were later plunged into a red sun as a side-effect of a Quintesson plot. Dark Awakening
Bummer.
There are rumors that Huffer actually survived. Perhaps his near death experience gave him a new outlook and appreciation for life.
Probably not.
Dreamwave comics continuity
Huffer was a part of the crew onboard the Ark when it crashed into Earth four million years ago while clearing an asteroid in the path of Cybertron.
He was one of many Transformers captured and reprogrammed by arms dealer Adam 'Lazarus' Rook for lease to terrorist organisations and shady governments requiring brutal military might. Fortunately, Autobots under the command of Optimus Prime repaired and re-reprogrammed Huffer and the remaining captive Autobots. Immediately, they were put to work on fighting Megatron's metallic virus which had spread deep into Canadian territory. Huffer was seen to be very gung-ho about starting the blasting process when Wheeljack cautioned the group that the anti-virus requires converting their own interal energy, and he needed complete commitment from them if his plan was to suceed. Prime Directive, Part 5
Soon, the Canadian military arrived. Unfortunately, due to the recent attacks by both enslaved Autobots and Decepticons under the command of Rook, the Canadians attempted to stop the Autobots doing what they percieved to be an attack on their soil. When Wheeljack tied to explain what they were doing (in a rather agressive manner), the Canadians soldiers panicked and fired upon the Autobots. Huffer was blasted by a tank shell while trying to aid the fallen Wheeljack. Prime Directive, Part 6
When Ultra Magnus and the united Cybertronians arrived on Earth, Huffer was one of the Autobots who accompanied Optimus Prime back to Cybertron. He joined up with the insurgency groups under Smokescreen and Hot Rod's command, and he and the Ark's crew brought down Shockwave's regime. War and Peace After the revolution, Prowl conceived of a new Autobot City constructed on Earth as their new base of operations. He requisitioned the reluctant Huffer to leave his Beloved Cybertron (TM) to contribute his construction engineering skills to the city's design. Lost and Found
IDW comics continuity
Huffer was one of the manual laborers seen disputing the Senate's attempts to automate their trade with drones. Megatron Origin, Part 2
Toys
Generation 1
- Huffer (Mini Vehicle, 1984/1985)
- Japanese ID number: 14
- Huffer was part of the original 1984 assortment of Autobot Mini Vehicles. His mold was originally used for the Microchange series of toys as an "American" truck. The Microchange toyline was meant to depict robots that transformed into toy cars, which accounts for the somewhat cartoonish proportions of Huffer's vehicle modes. In 1985, Huffer's rooftop faction symbol decal was replaced by a rubsign.
- This mold was used to make Pipes; for the Hasbro line it was extensively retooled, while in Mexico and some European markets, it was straight-redecoed.
- Minibot Team (Multi-pack, 2004)
- Japanese ID number: TFC-12
- Huffer was reissued in a "Transformers Collection" six-pack with Bumblebee, Cosmos, Gears, Powerglide and Warpath. There are no notable differences between the original and the reissue versions.
- This entire set was redecoed to make the G1 GoBots set; Huffer was used to make Road Ranger.
Classics
- Huffer (Scout, 2007)
- Sold together in a bag with Springer and their instructions and bio cards, Huffer is a Classics-themed BotCon 2007 attendee exclusive. An orange and blue redeco of the Cybertron Armorhide toy, Huffer transforms into a semi tractor-trailer cab with hook-crane attachment. Plugging a Cyber Planet Key into the back of his cab flips his grill down, exposing a rack of eight (non-firing) missiles. This feature is also available in his robot mode. Huffer can store a Cyber Planet Key using tabs on his hook-crane/rifle, and came with a silver-bordered translucent orange Earth Key.
Trivia
- It has been speculated by some fans that, in the animated continuity, Huffer may have been created from Orion Pax's friend Dion, the same way and at the same time Prime and Elita One were rebuilt by Alpha Trion.
