Runabout (Transformers)
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Runabout is the name of two fictional characters in the Transformers universes.
Contents |
[edit] Transformers: Generation 1 (1986)
| Transformers character | |
 |
|
| Runabout | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Decepticon  |
| Sub-Group | Battlechargers |
| Function | Shock Trooper |
| Motto | "A pretty car makes an even prettier wreck." |
| Alternate Modes | Lotus Esprit |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 |
| English voice actor | Roger Behr |
| Japanese voice actor | Yoku Shioya |
The first Runabout formed one half of the Battlecharger duo with Runamuck. His mold was created for Transformers, not a previous toyline like many other early Transformers toys.
[edit] Animated Series
Runabout's presence in the Transformers television series is limited to one episode - where he was among the Decepticon forces in the third season episode Ghost in the Machine. During this episode he was one of the Decepticons who were guarding Trypticon, when Scourge (who was thought a traitor by the Decepticons for his possessed actions earlier) and the ghost of Starscream arrived to steal one of the battle station's eyes, as part of a deal with Unicron to get Starscream's body back. Starscream possessed Runabout and had him shoot Runamuck . Runamuck was able to send for reinforcements, but the two traitors escaped after Starscream took over Astrotrain. Starscream later returned to Trypticon to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron and make it his new body, but was stopped by Dirge, Thrust and the Battlechargers, who sabotaged Trypticon, before Autobot planted explosives blasted Unicron's head into orbit. Runabout did not appear again.
[edit] Marvel Comics
Runabout and Runamuck first appeared in the US Marvel Transformers comics in issue 23 where they responed to Megatron's request to announce a challenge to Optimus Prime in a dramatic fashion. Taking him up on this, the two Battlechargers caused random mayhem, until witnessing a young boy scrawling graffiti. Inspired by the youngster, they followed him and his family throughout America, graffiting Mount Rushmore and the Washington Monument on the way. They would then encounter the Transformer hating Circuit Breaker, who attacked them and nearly killed the family the two Battlechargers had been following. Stripped of her command in RAAT, she turned to a group of Autobots she had captured led by Blaster, who agreed to let her combine them into a super-Autobot if she would let them go afterwards. They caught up with the Battlechargers as they defaced the Statue of Liberty and defeated them both, dropping their broken bodies into New York Harbour.
They would not show up again until much later in the series, when they appeared as part of a group of rogue Decepticons recruited by Shockwave to fight Scorponok in the Decepticon Civil War, attacking the Decepticon base in New Jersey, before all involved were transported to Cybertron, where both later took part in the climactic battle with Unicron. Runamuck was shown to be among the casualties of the battle, while Runabout was killed soon after by a cannibalistic race of primitive mechanoids who emerged from under Cybertron's surface. Both would appear again in the UK comics divergent continuity Earthforce tales, as part of the Decepticon forces under Megatron and Shockwave.
Runabout also appeared as part of Galvatron's forces in a nightmare alternate universe where Unicron had destroyed Cybertron, and Galvatron and the Decepticons ruled Earth. He was killed by Inferno.
[edit] Dreamwave Comics
Runabout's Dreamwave bio indicated that he simply lived to commit one evil deed after the other, especially targeting attractive structures, even on the battlefield. This has led to him being classed as a serial killer by the Autobots. He is slightly smarter than the average Decepticon.
Runabout was recruited as a Decepticon under the leadership of Megatron in his war against the Autobots on the planet Cybertron. When Megatron and Autobot leader Optimus Prime disappeared in an accident with a space bridge, the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Runabout joined up with the Predacons under the leadership of Starscream.
After the Great Shutdown on Cybertron ended, Runabout was reformatted in the form of an Earth sports car and served under Shockwave. Later he would be responsible for killing Broadside, before himself being seemingly killed by a Sharkticon. Wounded and looking to recharge, Runabout and Runamuck broke into Shockwave's abandoned lab where they accidentally released Sunstorm. They did not appear again.
[edit] IDW comics
After Dreamwave's closure, the rights to the Transformers comics were taken up by IDW Publishing. They have begun to publish their own new material, including a miniseries called Infiltration featuring some of the Generation One Transformers. In Infiltration, Starscream is in command of a small group of Decepticons on Earth consisting of Skywarp, Thundercracker, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and the Battlechargers Runabout and Runamuck. Starscream had discovered an ore on Earth that was the Transformer equivalent of steroids, making him bold enough to advance their infiltration phase ahead of schedule. However, it seems that humans have somehow obtained evidence of the Transformers' existence, which would derail Starscream's plans. Runabout has thus far appeared as part of Starscream's elimination squad along with Runamuck, disposing of any evidence of their operation on Earth. The two, with aid from Thundercracker, pursued Ratchet, who was harbouring three humans who had discovered evidence of the Decepticon presence on Earth. They failed. However, with the arrival of Megatron on Earth, they suddenly had more important things to worry about. Powered up by Ore-13, they, along with Thundercracker and Astrotrain, were sent to confront Megatron as he arrived looking for Starscream. In spite of their powered up status they surrendered without a fight in the face of Megatron's wrath. It is likely that they will appear in the upcoming Transformers: Escalation mini-series.
[edit] Transformers: Galaxy Force
Runabout is the Japanese name for the Decepticon called Runamuck in the US. He came packaged with the Autobot Longrack. He was created to be an intentional homage to the original character.
