Brawn (Transformers)
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Brawn is not to be confused with X-Brawn, a very similar character from Transformers: Robots in Disguise.
Brawn is the name of a character in the fictional Transformers universe.
Contents |
[edit] Transformers: Generation 1 (1984)
| Transformers Character | |
 |
|
| Brawn (Gong) | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot (Cybertron) |
| Sub-Group | Mini-bots |
| Function | Demolitions |
| Motto | "Might over microchips." |
| Alternate mode(s) | Land Rover Defender 4x4 Cobra Flight Pod |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 Transformers: Universe |
| Voiced by | Corey Burton (English) Yutaka Shimaka (Japanese) |
Brawn (Gong in Japan, Bruto in Canada and Cammello in Italy) is one of the strongest Autobots in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara and Hasbro. His vehicle mode is a Land Rover Defender 4x4. Brawn has not had a mass market release toy for several years and the character has not been featured in the modern Transformers Universe.
The original toy that became Brawn was originally released by Takara in 1983 as part of the Micro Change subset of the Japanese Microman line. He was released in the US in 1984 by Hasbro.
Brawn sees Earth, and any unknown place, as a hostile environment. However, this is what pleases Brawn the most as he enjoys missions involving the dangerous unknown. He is described as “strong, rugged, agile” and the most “macho” of all his Autobot companions. Brawn is the second strongest Autobot being capable of lifting just under 200,000 Earth pounds.
[edit] Animated series
Brawn was one of the Autobots on the Ark when it crashed into Earth four million years ago. He featured prominently in the series and was involved in many of the Autobot and Decepticon conflicts spanning the first two seasons of the The Transformers television series. Brawn had numerous roles during the first and second seasons, acting as the Autobots' muscle. On one occasion Brawn singlehandedly saved Prowl and Bluestreak from Starscream, Thundercracker and Soundwave ("Roll for it"). On another, he stopped Megatron's use of a crystal powered superweapon in Peru, attacking and distracting the Decepticon leader while Optimus Prime and Skyfire destroyed the weapon ("Fire in the Mountain"). When the Decepticons brainwashed Sparkplug Witwicky and took him to Cybertron, Brawn led the rescue mission and eventually managed to retrieve him ("The Ultimate Doom"). Later, Brawn developed a dislike of the scientist Perceptor, thinking him cowardly for preferring to study science than fight. However, after an adventure where they (along with Bumblebee) were shrunk to go inside Megatron's body to remove the Heart of Cybertron (a power source that was making Megatron all-powerful) Brawn admitted he'd been wrong after Perceptor's knowledge proved invaluable in defeating the rampaging Megatron ("Microbots").
In The Transformers: The Movie, set in the Earth year 2005, Brawn was assigned to Moonbase One along with several first season Autobots. He was later assigned to make a special supply run to Autobot City on Earth. During the shuttle mission, Decepticon forces invaded the shuttle. Using Megatron in pistol mode, Starscream killed Brawn with a single shot to the shoulder.
Brawn's death is disputed among fans. Although one of the strongest Autobots, in the movie he is rapidly dispensed by a single piercing shot to the shoulder. His absence from the list of deceased Autobots in Dark Awakening (replaced in a list of those killed in the shuttle attack with Huffer), plus an appearance in the post-movie episode "Carnage in C-Minor" has inspired ongoing debate as to whether the character is truly dead. The episode shows Brawn, a miscolored Huffer, and Bonecrusher fighting together against a weapon built by Galvatron. This appearance is generally considered an error, due to the episode being riddled with animation mistakes. Although select fans continue to argue Brawn's survival, in addition to the animation, confirmation of his demise can be confirmed in the Movie script[1] and comic book adaptations; all depict Brawn being killed.
[edit] Marvel Comics
Brawn was one of the original Autobot Transformers, making his first appearance in Issue #1 of the original Marvel Comics Transformers series. In the initial four issue limited series produced by Marvel, Brawn was part of Prime’s elite crew that crash landed on Earth. Throughout most of the series, Brawn remained more of a background character after the initial four issue arc. He was part of the Autobot team led by Goldbug to defeat the Underbase powered Starscream in San Francisco. Brawn, along with the other Autobots, was deactivated by Starscream in issue #50.
Although Brawn largely stayed in the background in the US Comics, in an early Marvel UK tale by Simon Furman he was pushed to the fore. In the arc (running from issues 13-17 of the UK comic) Brawn was depicted as becoming increasingly unstable due to an electric shock. He finally snapped and beat Sideswipe nearly to death. Brawn then went on the rampage, wrecking a nearby town, until the other Autobots eventually managed to take him down. Brawn was repaired and returned to sanity by Ratchet, and immendiately accepted a duel with Starscream (who had been having similar problems with the Decepticons after attacking Ravage). The Decepticon won, using his speed and agility to stay out of Brawn's reach, before seemingly destroying him. In reality Mirage had used his holographic powers to make it appear as if Brawn had died, and he returned to the Autobot fold once again. It is worth noting here that Brawn's robot mode was portrayed as a likeness of his toy, not as his more normal portrayal as in the animated series.
In the US comics, Brawn and several other Autobots were restored using Nucleon by the Autobot Grimlock just before Unicron attacked Cybertron in issue 75 of the series. Brawn participated in the battle, but was not seen again in the concluding issues of the original series.
Just before the launch of the Marvel Transformers: Generation 2 comic, Brawn made a brief return to active duty as part of the Autobot reinforcements on Earth responding to Megatron’s alliance with Cobra forces. Brawn was killed by Megatron in the conflict as his body was atomized, never again to return to the pages of Marvel continuity - although he would continue in the Transformers: Universe comics (see below).
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
In the 21st century re-imagining of the Generation One continuity by Dreamwave Productions, Brawn started out as a soldier on Cybertron at the dawn of the Autobot and Decepticon civil war.
When Autobot leader Sentinel Prime was killed by Decepticon leader Megatron, a new Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, was chosen. Optimus ordered the evacuation of Cybertron by the Autobots, and Brawn 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. Brawn stayed with the Autobots under the leadership of Prowl.Learning that the Decepticons were testing a new mobile command base at the Praetorus Wharf, Prowl led Cliffjumper, Brawn, Jazz, Skids and Sideswipe to investigate. What they discovered was Trypticon (Transformers: The War Within - The Dark Ages #3), and rowl's group only survived due to Trypticon being called away by Shockwave.
Six million years ago, Ultra Magnus united the Autobot factions and lead them to victory over Decepticons and Ultracons. Megatron returned to Cybertron in command of the clone forces of the Aerospace Extermination Squadron and took over Cybertron. Brawn was among the Autobots enslaved and forced to labor tunneling into Cybertron's core (Transformers: War Within - The Age of Wrath #2).
Brawn was among the Autobots who followed Optimus Prime on his mission on board the Ark and crash landed on Earth. In 1984, when the Ark's computer re-activated, it reformatted Brawn as in the form of an Earth truck.
Following the awakening of the Transformers on Earth, the Autobots allied with humankind and eventually defeated the Decepticons at the turn of the century. Following the Ark II tragedy, Lazarus was able to seize control of several of the Transformers that fell back to Earth, including Brawn. He was later rescued by Optimus Prime and rebuilt by Jazz’s unit. He was part of a small task force lead by Jazz assigned to stop the spread of Megatron’s deadly metal virus in the Canadian Northwest territories.
Following the liberation of Cybertron from Shockwave’s rule, Brawn was assigned to help reinforce Jazz’s team on Earth. Brawn objected to Bumblebee’s leadership of the mission, stating that he “was no Prime”. Brawn eventually accepted Bumblebee’s responsibility of command and helped to capture the Decepticons that were deactivated by Sunstorm.
[edit] Devil's Due Publishing
In this reimagining of the Generation One story, the Ark was discovered by the terrorist Cobra organization, and all the Transformers inside were reformatted into Cobra vehicles remotely controlled by the Televipers. In this storyline Brawn turned into a Cobra Flight Pod.
[edit] Toys
- Generation 1 Brawn (1984)
- The toy of Brawn was recolored into Jipe, and remolded into Outback. He was later released as a keychain in original and special black colors.
- McDonalds Brawn (1985)
- One of the four original McDonalds Happy Meal Transformers toy from 1985, this toy was just a solid blue and yellow statue of the character in robot mode.
- CybCon Brawn (2002)
- The two exclusive redecos available at CybCon 2002 were Spy Changers Laser Optimus Prime and Brawn. These were hand repainted from Robots in Disguise Spy Changers Scourge and X-Brawn.[1]
[edit] Transformers: Universe
The character of Brawn appeared in the Transformers: Universe comics as one of the Transformers captured by Unicron, and they even showed how he was taken from the pages of the Marvel comics just before he was killed by Megatron.
There was an unreleased version of Brawn, done as a remold of Transformers: Energon Strongarm, but painted to look like that Brawn with a remolded head and weapons, but it was never released. Presumable this would have been Brawn after he was upgraded in the Universe series.
The mold was instead merely repainted for the Transformers: Timelines toys as Fallback, an upgraded version of Generation 1 Outback, a toy which was a remold of Brawn.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- tfu.info's entry on the original toy, which also contains links to other toy incarnations of Brawn.
- RPG write-up for Brawn in the Champions RPG. by Mathew R. Ignash.
