Hound (Transformers)
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Contents |
[edit] Transformers: Generation 1 (1984)
| Transformers character | |
 Hound Box Art |
|
| Hound | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot  |
| Sub-Group | Autobot Car, Autoroller |
| Function | Scout |
| Motto | "Observe everything, remember even more." |
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian Car Mitsubishi J59 Military Jeep Power Scoop Jeep Wrangler |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 Transformers: Generation 2 Transformers: Alternators |
| Voiced by | Ken Sansom (English) Kenyu Horiuchi (Japanese) |
The toy that was to become the Autobot Hound was originally released as part of the Japanese Diaclone series by Takara.
A first generation Autobot, Hound (Dépisteur in Canada and Canguro in Italy) was released into Transformers' first year - 1984 and was one of the smallest of the standard sized Autobot cars. Hound transforms into an alternate mode that of a 4X4 Jeep and comes with three different weapons - a Missile Launcher, a Machine Gun and a Hologram Gun.
Hound is known for his love of the planet Earth, his tracking skills, and the ability to project highly realistic holograms.
The toy of Hound was later repainted as the ehobby exclusive Junkion Detritis.
[edit] Animated Series
During the first season of the cartoon, Hound served as the Autobots' primary scout and recon soldier, a role which suited him well because he quickly grew to love the varied natural landscapes of Earth. Hound was also instrumental in the creation of the original 3 Dinobots, as he captured holographic images which served as rough blueprints for construction of Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge. However, after a spurt of early appearances, Hound became increasingly absent from the show, showing up only when his holographic powers were necessary.
Hound was never seen again after a brief cameo near the beginning of Transformers: The Movie, and this has led to speculation that he died during the Battle of Autobot City, caught in the initial Decepticon attack and killed offscreen in a similar manner to Huffer. However, unlike Huffer (who received a mention when Daniel found his tomb in the Autobot Mausoleum), Hound's death was never specifically referenced, and there is no canonical evidence to either prove or disprove the possibility.In reality,writers of Transformers serial wanted to evolve Hound to a more regular position, but the mounting of the events caused this possibility to be discarded.
Hound was last seen in Takara's Japanese only Headmasters series, that included archive footage of TF:The Movie.
[edit] Dreamwave Comics
When civil war broke out on the planet Cybertron between the Autobots and Decepticon factions, Hound joined the Autobot cause.
After Decepticon leader Megatron killed the Autobot leader Sentinel Prime, a new Autobot leader was chosen by the Council of the Ancients. Hound was present when Optronix was given the Matrix and reformatted into Optimus Prime. Three Decepticon assassins attempted to kill Optimus, but were unsuccessful. Optimus then ordered a planet-wide evacuation of Cybertron (Transformers: The War Within #1).
Hound was among those who reluctantly prepared for the evacuation (Transformers: War Within #2).
When Megatron and Optimus Prime disappeared in an accident with a space bridge, the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Hound stayed with the Autobots under the leadership of Prowl.
When Prowl and his team of Autobots confronted Trypticon Hound, Tracks, Trailbreaker and other Autobots showed up as reinforcements (Transformers: The War Within - The Dark Ages #4).
Hound was among the Autobots who followed Optimus Prime on his mission on board the Ark. They were attacked by Megatron's ship, the Nemesis. After being boarded the Ark crash landed on Earth, where all on board were preserved in emergency stasis.
In 1984 a volcanic eruption awakened the Ark's computer, Teletran-1, and it repaired all on board. It reformatted Hound in the form of an Earth Jeep.
Eventually the combined forces of the Autobots on Earth, and their human allies were able to capture the Decepticons. A ship called the Ark II was built to take the Cybertonians back to Cybertron, along with some human companions. Optimus left a small portion of his Matrix with human Spike Witwitky, promising to return with Spike's father from Cybertron one day. The Ark II exploded shortly after takeoff. The human allies were killed, but the Cybertonians were lost in the ocean, again in statis lock.
Hound and others were recovered by a rogue military unit and reprogrammed as slave war machines. Megatron broke free and then freed his fellow Decepticons and Grimlock. Hound and the other Autobots who were found by Lazarus were abused by Megatron's troops, but were eventually by freed by Optimus Prime.
Hound returned with most of the Autobots from Earth to Cybertron as prisoners of Ultra Magnus.
Prowl's team returned from Cybertron and Hound aided with construction for the new Autobot City in Alaska (Transformers: Generation One III #10).
[edit] References
- http://www.seibertron.com/database/character.php?view=&char_id=105
- http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mathewignash/cshound.html
[edit] Generation Two
Although Hound did not receive a new toy during this time, he did appear in Marvel's Generation Two comic.
There were plans and prototypes to release a toy called Sgt. Hound, a recolor of a Decepticon Autoroller in green, but the toy was never released. The figure could be seen, along with General Optimus Prime, and Road Block and Dirtbag, in a picture from the 1995 Hasbro Toy Fair Boy's Toys Catalogue. It appears that the repaints are incorrectly listed, due to the colours of the two figures. [1]
[edit] Transformers: Energon
Although there was no character named Hound in the Energon series, the Mini-Con Rollbar was repainted in this series as a homage to Generation 1 Hound.
[edit] Transformers: Alternators
Hound's latest appearance has been that of a Jeep Wrangler during 2004 - twenty years after his original appearance in Transformers. In contrast to the other toys in the line, Hound (and the later remolds/repaints) does not include a steering system, or a weapon which transforms into a part of the car. Instead the figure features working suspension, and the weapon is folded and stored in the spare wheel. Hound appeared as Alternators figure #4, but Binaltech figure BT-03.
This toy was later recolored into Swindle and Rollbar.
[edit] External Links
- Hasbro Product Details for Alternators Hound
- Toy Review of Alternators Hound
- Toy Review of Binaltech Hound
- Gallery of Binaltech Hound (Part 1)
- Gallery of Binaltech Hound (Part 2)
