Prowl (Transformers)
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Prowl is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. After Optimus Prime and Megatron, and along with Mirage, "Prowl" is one of the most re-used American names in the assorted Transformers series, and its use has become almost syonymous with Autobots who possess a police car alternate mode.
Contents |
[edit] Transformers: Generation 1 (1984)
| Transformers character | |
 Prowl Box Art |
|
| Prowl | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot  |
| Sub-Group | Autobot Cars Action Masters |
| Rank | 9.0 |
| Function | Military Strategist and Analyst |
| Motto | "Logic is the ultimate weapon." |
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian Car Nissan Fairlady Z (Datsun 280ZX) Police Car Acura RSX |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 Machine Wars Transformers: Alternators Transformers: Universe |
| Voiced by | Michael Bell (English) Toshiro Ishii (Japanese) |
Prowl (Cervo in Canada, Pantera in Italy) is an Autobot of many virtues - he is quiet, competent, loyal, and possessed of almost endless patience. When Optimus Prime appoints Prowl a task, he can be guaranteed that it will be completed to the best of Prowl's ability. Prowl is not given to speculation or estimation - the only realm in which he will work is that of the proven fact; if he can't explain it, he will not believe it. He hates doubt, and strives to make a situation as simple and logical as possible, purging excesses of concern from his mind by going to Optimus Prime for assurance. Prowl is friendly, but as a listener, and not a talker, he is not too sociable, entering a conversation usually only when someone makes an unreasonable remark, and demanding an explanation.
Prowl's logic center is unquestionably the most powerful of all the Autobots' and gives him the ability to analyze any combat situation almost instantaneously and then advise on the optimal course of action - a skill that makes him eminently suited to his role as the Autobots' military strategist and analyst. For example, he can compute the paths of movement of 800 separate moving objects and determine the proper countermove in half a second. In robot mode, he is armed with a pair of shoulder-mounted cannons which fire wire-guided incendiary missiles, and a semi-automatic rifle that shoots pellets filled with a highly corrosive acid. He transforms into a police car version of a Datsun Fairlady 280ZX.
Prowl's straightforward mind means that non-linear thinking is one of his biggest weaknesses. Irrational situations and thought processes can sometimes scramble his circuits to the extent that his mind will briefly shut down.
Prowl's toy, originally released as part of the Japanese Diaclone series by Takara, was released in the first year of the Transformers toyline in 1984, and shares the same mold with Bluestreak, which was later slightly modified into Smokescreen. The face of the toy was the direct inspiration for the design of the Autobot symbol. The livery and cherry lights is that of the National Police Agency of Japan but without the kanji side letterings of the various forces and is replaced by Americanized letterings all around the car.
[edit] Animated series
A regular member of the battle units assembled to combat the assorted threats the Decepticons posed to Earth, Prowl's primary solo adventure saw him pursue Starscream, Thundercracker and Soundwave alongside Bluestreak after a botched raid, only for injuries sustained in the ensuing battle to knock his battle computer offline. Unable to mobilize himself without its functions, Prowl reached out electronically and interfaced with the nearby computer of Chip Chase, who manipulated Prowl's body and fended off the Decepticons.
Beyond that, however, Prowl's role as a strategist put him firmly in the background of the Transformers' ongoing adventures on Earth, participating in many battles but playing key roles in few; among some of his roles in conflict involving him orchestrating the plan to invade the Decepticons' underwater base, devising security measures to prevent Megatron from stealing super-fuel from an Autobot convoy and leading the attack against the Triple Changer Blitzwing's fortress when he separated from the Decepticons, only to wind up built into a throne by Scrapper, after being smashed and defeated by Blitzwing's tank mode.
In the year 2005, when the Autobots had been forced off of Cybertron and were based out of Autobot City on Earth and two orbiting moonbases, Prowl, Ironhide, Ratchet and Brawn were dispatched to Earth to collect a shipment of Energon Cubes that would power the Autobots' subsequent strike at the Decepticons. Getting wind of the plan, Megatron and his forces attacked their shuttle, and a single direct hit from Scavenger's weapon penetrated Prowl's armor, melting his internal workings and ending his life. His recovered body was laid to rest in the Autobots' deep-space masusoleum, which was later destroyed.
Strangely, although his toy tech specs placed him as second-in-command of the Autobots, in the animated series, both Jazz and Ironhide seem to outrank him in certain cases.
[edit] Transformers: Headmasters
Despite his "death", he made a further appearances in the opening episodes of the Japanese-exclusive series, Transformers: Headmasters - this is usually blamed on the fact that Transformers: The Movie had not reached Japan at this stage, so the writers and animators did not know which characters had died during it, although Prowl's name is still listed among the deceased in the Japanese dub of the earlier episode, "Dark Awakening," where the mausoleum containing his body was destroyed.
Prowl appeared in Episode 1 and 3 of the Japanese exclusive Headmasters series.
[edit] Marvel Comics
Contrary to his portrayal in the animated series, Prowl was most definitely second-in-command of the Autobots in Marvel Comics' ongoing Transformers comic book series. Following the Autobots' reactivation on Earth in 1984, Prowl led the first mission into nearby Portland. At first thinking that the Earthly vehicles were the planet's dominant lifeform, a battle with the Decepticons soon revealed to Prowl the existence of humans, and he ordered the Autobots to return to the Ark to report the new development to Optimus Prime. He participated in the battles that followed immediately, and was among the majority of injured Autobots who gave their energy to the most healthy group of five for the deciding clash against the Decepticons. Although the Autobots appeared to claim victory, their hopes were dashed by the arrival of Shockwave, who deactivated all the Autobots and strung them up in the Ark.
Thus did Prowl remain for a short period, until surviving medical officer Ratchet repaired and restored them - save for Optimus Prime, decapitated by Shockwave, who was draining the energy of the Creation Matrix from him to create new Decepticons. Prowl proceeded to head up the plan to save Prime, but Shockwave manipulated his headless body to attack the Autobots. Although many were badly damaged before Prime regained control of his form and defeated Shockwave, Prowl was not among them - although not an immediate contributor to any following conflicts, he was seen in several group shots in the Ark.
A story called The Gift in issue 93 of the Marvel UK comics explored Jetfire's problems fitting in with the other Autobots. Wheeljack informed Optimus Prime of a news cast where they learned the Decepticons had taken over a NASA space monitoring facility near the Ark. Prowl and Trailbreaker, with Jetfire as backup engaged the Decepticons Soundwave, Kickback and Dirge as the Decepticons attempted to contact Cybertron with the facility's deep space radio equipment. Although Prowl ordered Jetfire to stop Soundwave from sending his message, Jetfire ignored the order to help save Prowl from Kickback's attack. With the transmission sent the Decepticons retreated victorious.
A little later, across the Atlantic, in the United Kingdom's exclusive Transformers title, writer Simon Furman penned a tale in which Prowl was shredded by Shrapnel's weaponry. This served as explanation for Prowl's condition when he next appeared in the US title - stored within one of the Ark's stasis pods in a badly-damaged but surviving state (with no explanation offered). Under attack by the human known as the Mechanic, Ratchet played upon his fear of the police by successfully reactivating Prowl, who transformed and sent the human fleeing. Though seen sparingly, Prowl remained active for the remainder of Grimlock's leadership of the Autobots, and was deactivated by the Underbase-empowered Starscream (not shown on-panel in the US series, but later revealed posthumously in the UK title).
However he came to suffer it, deactivation was Prowl's fate for the extended future, until, in 1990, the Dinobot commander Grimlock pumped the Ark's stasis pods full of the life-restoring fuel, Nucleon, reactivating Prowl, who participated in the epic battle with Unicron, and immediately fell into the trusted role of second-in-command again, only this time, his commanding officer was Grimlock himself, having been appointed leader by the dying Optimus Prime. Prowl's logical approach to things immediately clashed with Grimlock's gruff, unrestrained, unmoderated behavior, but Grimlock played it Prowl's way by agreeing to a truce with the Decepticons in order to evacuate a seeingly-doomed Cybertron. Prowl was left eating his words when the Decepticons sabotaged the Autobots' ships, leaving them to their fates, and almost had a breakdown in the face of his impending demise until Grimlock swooped in to the rescue with Decepticon shuttles he had previously commandeered. The Autobots subsequently tracked the Decepticons to Klo, where they routed them with the help of the reborn Optimus Prime, and they then returned to Cybertron; rather than destroying itself, Cybertron had been restoring itself to its former glory.
Although the effect did not seem to overtake Prowl before the end of the series, Nucleon's side-effect saw it rob Transformers' of their ability to transform into vehicle mode. Consequently, Prowl would have become an Actionmaster - no coincidence, since just such a figure of him was released in the 1990 toyline (right), equipped with a transforming Turbo-Cycle vehicle. Prowl proceeded to put in brief appearances in Marvel's Transformers: Generation 2 comic book, although no figure of him was released in the accompanying toyline.
[edit] Earthforce
In 1990, in the previously-mentioned UK-exclusive comics, a branching storyline began that was separate from the events of the regular US continuity, and broke away into its own ongoing series of stories. Prowl was among a small group of Transformers awakened from stasis, not by Nucleon, but by the mental probings of the time-travelling Galvatron - but the world that Prowl woke up to was distinctly different to the one he remembered. Transformers were no longer as simple as they were in his day - surrounded by Pretenders, Headmasters, Micromasters, Powermasters and more, Prowl and his fellow old-schoolers longed for the old days, and when Grimlock suggested the creation of a proactive Earth-based Autobot force, they were quick to volunteer to join, that they might recapture some of their glory days in a simpler conflict than what the larger war had become.
As a member of the Earthforce, Prowl performed such feats as travelling back in time to prevent Megatron from removing troops from the past to use in the present, and having to actually break into the Autobots' own base when Wheeljack activated the defenses with everyone outside.
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
In Dreamwave Productions' 21st Century reimagining of the original universe, Prowl was also portrayed in a position of command. Before The Great War on Cybertron, Prowl lived in the city of Praxus, but when the war broke out, he soon joined the Autobots and quickly rose in rank. After Autobot leader Sentinel Prime was killed by Decepticon leader Megatron, Prowl was appointed advisor to the new leader, Optimus Prime, and aided in the defence of Iacon's capitol against an attack by a Decepticon force under the command of Shockwave.
When Prime and Megatron vanished in an early spacebridge experiment and were believed dead, the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into several smaller factions. Prowl remained with the faction that chose to continue calling itself the Autobots, acting as commander, and leading Cliffjumper, Gears, Jazz, Skids and Sideswipe on a mission to investigate a new Decepticon mobile fortress at Praetorus Wharf, which turned out to be Trypticon.
Prime and Megatron eventually returned, and four million years ago, Prowl was second-in-command aboard the Ark when it crashed on Earth, entombing all aboard in stasis until they were reawakened in 1984. Subsequently, after nearly twenty years of war on Earth, the Autobots defeated the Decepticons and headed back to Cybertron aboard the new spaceship, the Ark II, only for it to explode as it left Earth's atmosphere in 2001. Prowl was among the deactivated Transformers recovered by the terrorist known as Lazarus, who put them under his control, intending to sell them on the black market. To display their power during an auction, Lazarus had a group of Transformers including Prowl attack the Smitco oil refinery, killing the human workers there. Also among the controlled, however, was Megatron, who soon broke free in the midst of the auction and initiated his own plan, part of which involved the creation of a transmode virus that would reformat the Earth into a new Cybertron; Lazarus's other Autobot captives, including Prowl, were used as a source of power to generate the virus, but were later rescued and restored.
The following year, Shockwave and his forces arrived from Cybertron, intending to capture Prime, Megatron and their forces as war criminals, as Shockwave had succeeded in unifying the warring factions on their home planet. Staying behind with a small group to monitor Shockwave's movements while Prime returned to base, Prowl was shocked to be confronted by Ultra Magnus, and willingly entered his custody to learn more about the situation. Returned to Cybertron, Prowl and several other Autobots fell in with an underground rebel group opposing Shockwave's rule, who were then mobilized by Optimus Prime into striking back. Prime was seriously wounded in his ensuing confrontation with Shockwave, and while he recuperated from his injuries, Prowl assumed the mantle of leadership again.
The balance of peace on Cybertron fell into disorder once again, and Prowl began an attempt to train new warriors to bolster the Autobots' forces, without much success. Trying his hand at public speaking, Prowl found himself unable to handle the deluge of questions from the crowd before him, and it fell to Ultra Magnus to step in. After investigating Vector Sigma and Sunstorm with Perceptor, Prowl, feeling that Cybertronians would not accept change easily, elected to go somewhere that the Autobots were needed more - back to Earth, where he oversaw the beginning of construction on Autobot City.
Although Dreamwave clearly had more stories to tell of Prowl, their bankruptcy and closure means that for now, those tales will go untold.
[edit] Devil's Due Publishing
In this reimagining of the original series 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 Prowl turned into a Cobra Firebat jet.
He reappeared in the third crossover series as part of the combined Autobot/G.I. Joe force trying to rescue Optimus Prime. His body resembles that of the traditional Generation 1 look, indicating his alternate mode is once again a police car.
In the fourth series Prowl was in command of a unit (consisting of Sideswipe, Eject, Skids and Cosmos) working with former G.I Joe leader Hawk to stop the spread of Cybertronian technology on Earth. After almost catching the arms dealer Destro, the unit relaxed on their ship - unaware the whole thing had been a set-up by the Unicron aligned snake cult Cobra-La, leading the Monster Pretenders right to them. The story is ongoing.
[edit] Alternators
Although the Alternators toys have no supporting fiction, the Binaltech series tells a new storyline that branches out of the Generation One animated series in the early 21st Century. In it, much of the Autobots' earth-based force had been rendered inactive due to a biological warfare attack by the Decepticons, using Cosmic Rust, necessitating the construction of new bodies in joint partnership with human car companies. Prowl was not one of the injured, based as he was on Moonbase One at the time, but thanks to manipulations of the timeline by Ravage, Prowl became aware of his own impending death in 2005. An attempt was made to alter the course of time by transferring Prowl's laser core into a new body built by Honda, but rather than wait for him to come to Earth, a subspace transfer was arranged, only for a Decepticon attack on the shuttle to disrupt the process, causing Prowl's laser core to be lost in subspace. This loss caused Chip Chase to make a great sacrifice - having already interfaced with Prowl's body and controlled it before, he chose to upload his own mind into the body, fusing it with Prowl's own knowledge and personality, already uploaded into the body, giving it life.
[edit] IDW Publishing
In IDW Publishing's new The Transformers: Infiltration mini-series, Prowl is in command of an infiltration unit consisting of Ratchet, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Jazz, Bumblebee and Sunstreaker. He first appears saving Ratchet from Thundercracker. Although he is furious with Ratchet for breaking cover, he is at least willing to allow Rachet to get the data from the humans. Once notified of Megatron's presence on Earth, he leads the entire unit to the Decepticon base and saves Bumblebee from Runabout. This version of Prowl is a much stricter leader, incensed with Ratchet for blowing his cover and unwilling to tolerate the presence of the humans, albeit for reasons of their own safety.
In the sequel series The Transformers: Escalation Prowl, acting on orders from the newly arrived Optimus Prime, sends the humans home - only to lose Sunstreaker in a Machination ambush. Later, Prowl discovered the whereabouts of Megatron in the breakaway Soviet state of Brasnya and alerted Prime - over the objections of Ironhide, who wanted to locate Sunstreaker, prompting a confrontation between him and Prowl. Prowl then accompanied Prime to Brasnya to confront Megatron. With the facsimile escaping due to the intervention of Skywarp and Astrotrain, Prowl attempted a suicide run to capture it, being saved from Astrotrain by the newly arrived Hardhead in the process, only to nearly collide with Hot Rod, who had been attempting the same thing. Despite some bickering the tow managed to capture the facsimile, forcing the Russian troops to stand down. The story is ongoing.
[edit] Evolutions: Hearts of Steel
An alternate version of Prowl would appear in IDW's Hearts of Steel. Here he likewise seems to be in nominal command of the Autobots, recommending to Bumblebee and Ratchet that they not reactivate Optimus Prime. However, when Starscream's plan is discovered Prowl followed Bumblebee's lead in following the Decepticon train convoy, and was present at their defeat. Following this, he and the other Autobots went back into stasis.
[edit] Toys
- Prowl (1984)
- Based on a Diaclone mold. Shares a mold with Bluestreak and Smokescreen.
- Action Master Prowl
- Comes with a Turbo Cycle which turns into a battle station.
- Machine Wars Prowl (1997)
- Alongside Prowl's "return" in Beast Wars, the small toyline called Machine Wars was released exclusively in KB Toys stores in 1997, and featured a new Prowl figure with a spring-loaded transformation and a racing car alternate mode. The toy used for Prowl was an unused Generation 2 mold, and was shared by Machine Wars Mirage. He was later redecoed into Robots in Disguise Skid-Z.
- Machine Wars Prowl was recolored into Mirage (or Rijie) for the Japanese-exclusive Robot Masters toyline.
- Alternators Prowl (2005)
- Prowl staged a comeback in 2005 as part of the Transformers: Alternators toyline (known in Japan as Binaltech). Prowl now transforms into an Acura RSX police car. In Japan, the toy was redecoed in blue and also released under Prowl's name - the storyline claims it to be an alternate body, kept as an emergency back up for Prowl, or any other Autobot.
- Attacktix Prowl (2007)
- Series 2 of the Transformers Attacktix figures included a Generation 1 Prowl figure.
- Transformers Titanium Prowl (2007)
- A recent catalog of the Titanium line shows Prowl listed as a figure, but it is unknown if it is the Generation 1 Prowl, War Within Prowl, or the Robots in Disguise Prowl. [1]
[edit] Trivia
Binaltech Prowl is among the various characters to appear in a simple flash fighting game available on the Japanese Honda web site. [1]
[edit] Beast Wars (1997)
| Transformers character | |
 Maximal Prowl Toy |
|
| Prowl | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Maximal  |
| Sub-Group | Basic Beasts |
| Alternate Modes | Lion |
| Series | Beast Wars |
In the Beast Wars toyline, two characters were given the name of Prowl: a precursor to the excessive reuse the name would undergo as the years rolled by.
The first Beast Wars Prowl, released in 1997, transformed into a lion, and could combine with teammates Ironhide and Silverbolt into the giant warrior, Magnaboss. Sold as part of a pack, Prowl received no individual biographical information, leaving him a blank slate (although the Japanese version of the character, named Lio Junior, did have a bio, presented as a young, wild character).
[edit] 3H Enterprises
The first Beast Wars Prowl made appearance in Transformers: Universe #3 as part of Magnaboss. In this comic Optimus Primal pleads with Magnaboss and the Maximal High council (which oddly includes Bantor, Air Hammer, Corahda, Torca and Battle Unicorn) to take the threat of Unicron seriously, but they doubt his claims. Optimus Primal is detained, but Snarl breaks him out of the detention center.
[edit] IDW Publishing
According to the message board as IDW Publishing, the writers of their Beast Wars comics plan to make a profile of this Prowl in their comics which will give the character a background. It is said that this background will include that he is not the same character as Beast Wars II Lio Junior or the Beast Wars transmetal II Prowl.
[edit] Toys
- Beast Wars Lion Prowl (1997)
- Packaged together with Beast Wars Ironhide and Beast Wars eagle Superion Silverbolt.
- Lio Junior (1998)
- This repaint of Beast Wars lion Prowl features a blue head. It was sold by itself and packaged with Skywarp and Santon.
- It was also released in white and black recolors.
[edit] Beast Wars (1999)
| Transformers character | |
 Prowl Box Art |
|
| Prowl | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Maximal |
| Sub-Group | Transmetal II |
| Rank | 6.5 |
| Function | Military Strategist |
| Motto | "Logic is the ultimate weapon." |
| Alternate Modes | Transmetal II Great Horned Owl |
| Series | Beast Wars |
This Prowl's biography is distinctly familiar, being almost identical to that of the original Prowl, including his function as a military strategist, and even his motto. He strives to find logic and reasoning in everything. A listener, not a talker, he has the most sophisticated logic center of all the Maximals, which enables him to analyze and advise on complex combat situations almost instantaneously. He fires highly corrosive acid pellets, and is equipped with a cybernetic eye and frontal lobe, which interact with his wing-mounted ion orbs to supply him limited telekinetic power. He is afflicted with ironic, dry sense of humor. believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life. The reason for the similarity to original Prowl's biography is made immediately apparent, however his belief that he was a great military strategist in a former life indicates that this character actually is the original Prowl, reincarnated after his death.
Presumably sometime during the Beast Wars Magnaboss was suppose to have been killed in the toyline, with only Prowl’s spark surviving. His body must have been beyond repair and so the Maximals placed him in a blank stasis pod (similar to as Rhinox had done for Optimus Primal) which must then scanned a great horned owl, explaining his jump from lion to owl. This however has never appeared in canon fiction and is merely fan supposition taken from the toyline.
Although neither of these two Prowls puts in an appearance on the CGI-animated Beast Wars series, the original Prowl does: showing up briefly in flashbacks to the previous era and among the deactivated bodies littering The Ark.
[edit] IDW Publishing
Prowl appeared in the 2006 IDW Beast Wars comic series. He was among the Maximal protoforms from the Axalon which was recovered by Magmatron's Predacons and infected with a Predacon shell program. Unbeknownst to Magmatron, his technical expert Razorbeast was a Maximal double-agent and had managed to modify the program so a significant number of those infected emerged as Maximals. He has no apparent connections with his original Beast Wars toy.
This version of Prowl's stasis pod was presumably among those who were launched into orbit around prehistoric Earth in the Beast Wars series pilot.
He appeared among a flock of Maximal flyers along with Air Hammer, Nightglider and Sonar.
After the defeat of Magmatron's Predacons the united group of Maximals awaited rescue from Cybertron.
[edit] Toys
- Transmetal II Prowl (1999)
- The second Beast Wars Prowl, a transmetal II great horned owl released in 1999
- It was also released later in a black variant (dubbed "Smokescreen" by some fans in a callback to the shared mold of the original two characters).
[edit] Transformers: Robots in Disguise
| Transformers character | |
 RiD Prowl as he appeared in the TV Series |
|
| Prowl | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot |
| Sub-Group | Autobot Brothers |
| Rank | 10.0+ |
| Function | High-Speed Chaser |
| Partner | X-Brawn & Side Burn |
| Motto | "You can run, but you can't hide!" |
| Alternate Modes | Lambourghini Diabolo Police Car |
| Series | Robots in Disguise Transformers: Universe |
| Voiced by | Wankus (English) Takayuki Kondo (Japanese |
The first new character in a distinctly-alternate universe to bear the name of Prowl, this character was known as Mach Alert in Car Robots, the original 2000 Japanese version of 2001's Transformers: Robots in Disguise toyline and animated series. As the middle Autobot Brother, Prowl is the most intelligent of the three, and transforms into a Lambourghini Diabolo police car. He is equipped with a double-barrelled flame-thrower which can serve as booster jets for high-speed pursuits. Prowl can use his electronic systems to jam radios or hack into systems, and his ultra-sensitive scanners can detect the hum of an enemy circuit from clear across a city, and he won't give up until he's got his man. In his role posing as an ordinary human police car, Prowl has become a model officer dedicated to the preservation of law and order - even when it occasionally conflicts with his duties as an Autobot. He also frequently clashes with his brother Side Burn, whose reckless and care-free attitude contrasts sharply with Prowl's discipline.
[edit] Animated series
With the appearance of Megatron's forces on Earth, Prowl was forced to emerge from hiding alongside his brothers, X-Brawn and Side Burn, to engage the villains in a series of battles. As the most level-headed of the Autobot Brothers due to his police training, he was the one who rarely got himself involved in solo battles, instead fighting as part of a team for maximum effect. Prowl's authoritarian attitude shapes much of who he is and what he does - he spent a lot of time keeping Side Burn in line, often catching him breaking the rules of the road in his pursuits of red sports cars, and imparted those same rules to Tow-Line, who followed them with even greater zeal than Prowl himself. So entrenched in his role as a police car, Prowl at one point was even unwilling to disguise his "uniform" so that he could save Side Burn from a Decepticon trap.
When Ultra Magnus, came to Earth and forced Prime into a combination that allowed him to share the power of the Matrix, Magnus's link to the Matrix resulted in him inadvertently channelling its energy in the midst of a battle. That energy involved Prowl, Side Burn and X-Brawn, "supercharging" them into newly-colored, more powerful bodies. After a brief amount of training, Prowl and the others were soon able to control this new ability, shifting to "Supercharge Mode" when an extra power boost was needed in battle. Their supercharged modes afforded them no advantage in their final battle with Galvatron, however, as they were strung up and had their energy drained by the villain, until Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus challenged him to a final battle at the Earth's core, and defeated the powerhungry maniac.
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
The character also put in a brief appearance in one comic book story in the Dreamwave Summer Special, presented as being in-continuity with the animated series. RiD lost a contest between itself and Beast Wars to gain a mini-series, but before that mini-series, or any further RiD stories, could be published, Dreamwave went out of business.
Prowl would make one further surprise appearance in Dreamwave's Transformers: Armada series. With Optimus Prime having disappeared to an alternate dimension devastated by Unicron the Autobots attempted to locate their leader. As Jetfire attempted to locate him through Spacebridge links to other dimensions, one of these clearly shows RiD Optimus Prime and Prowl.
[edit] Collectors Club comics
In the comic story found in issue 8 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine Cybertron/Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime told the story of the last battle he was in, set in the Transformers: Universe storyline. Alongside 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal they attacked the last of Unicron's forces when Unicron suddenly disappeared, and they barely escaped. Among the Autobot forces were Universe Fireflight, King Atlas, Universe Night Slash Cheetor, Universe Longhorn, Universe Prowl, Universe Repugnus, Rhinox, Universe Side Burn, Sideswipe, Universe Silverbolt, Sunstreaker, Tap-Out, Trailbreaker, Cybertron/Robots in Disguise Ultra Magnus and Universe Whirl. Among the Decepticons were Universe Blackaracknia, Nemesis Strika, Universe Obsidian, Universe Razorclaw, Reptilion and Universe Skywarp.
[edit] Prowl 2
Additionally, although the character did not feature in the animated series, the Robots in Disguise toyline featured a Spychanger figure named Prowl 2, based on a previously-unreleased mold originally intended for use in Generation 2. Prowl 2 transforms into a 1994 Chevrolet Impala SS police interceptor (ironic, because the 1994-96 Impala SS itself is an upgraded civilian version of Chevrolet's Caprice 9C1 Police Interceptor). Later, in 2004, this figure was recolored to resemble the original Prowl, and released in an unnamed sub-line of Spychangers along with several other similar figures, which were later made part of the Transformers: Universe line. This figure was also recolored a second time, this time bearing the colors of Autobot Security Director Red Alert (his robot mode features remained the same as ones for his G1 Prowl homage). However, the toy form of "Red Alert" is still called Prowl 2.
[edit] Toys
Robots in Disguise Prowl was remolded (to remove his roof-lights) and recolored into the Sideswipe and Sunstreaker toys available exclusively at BotCon 2003 (as their original incarnations also transformed into lambourghinis). This altered version of the mold was later recolored again in the color scheme of the original Red Alert (another lambourghini) for Transformers: Universe, but was released in the line under the name of Inferno.
[edit] Transformers: Armada
| Transformers character | |
 Armada Prowl Toy |
|
| Prowl | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Mini-Con  |
| Sub-Group | Emergency Team |
| Function | Search |
| Partner | Makeshift & Firebot |
| Motto | "If it exists, I'll find it." |
| Alternate Modes | Police Cruiser |
| Series | Transformers: Armada |
The alternate universe of Transformers: Armada, introduced another Prowl in 2002, this time a member of the diminutive Mini-Con faction and one third of the Emergency Team, alongside Makeshift and Firebot. This Prowl naturally transforms into a police car, and possesses the additional ability to transform into a gun and be wielded by larger Transformers. His motto is "If it exists, I'll find it."
Prowl did not appear in the animated series, but eventually received characterisation when Dreamwave Productions crafted a profile for him. Prowl fills in the "search" role of the Emergency Team's search and rescue missions, using his acute senses and radar capabilities to locate survivors in the aftermath of battles. Prowl enjoys the act of helping others, but at the same time, he is somewhat vain about his abilities and is particularly fond of using them to discover things that others might miss. He fancies himself an expert detective, and spends his free time on Earth reading the planet's crime novels.
Prowl's toy was later recolored into the color scheme of original Smokescreen.
[edit] Transformers: Universe
Armada Prowl was later repainted for the Transformers: Universe line and packaged together with the Autobots Magna Stampede, Stockade and the Mini-Con Terradive.
[edit] Toys
Armada Prowl was recolored in white, red and maroon as the Japanese-exclusive figure, Kingbolt, a member of the "Hazard Team" available exclusively with the eleventh DVD volume release of the series. Further Japanese-exclusive recolors of the mold included the white and translucent green Groove and the grey and black Quasar. Transformers: Cybertron has also featured another repaint of this toy named Checkpoint.
[edit] Transformers: Energon
| Transformers character | |
 Energon Prowl as he appeared in the TV Series |
|
| Prowl | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot |
| Rank | 7 |
| Function | Head of Security |
| Motto | "You can run from justice, but it'll catch you!" |
| Alternate Modes | Formula One style Police Cruiser |
| Series | Transformers: Energon |
| Voiced by | Alestair Abel |
Despite occurring in the same universe as Transformers: Armada and its Prowl, Transformers: Energon introduced its own Prowl (known in Japan as Red Alert. This Prowl is head of security for several strategic bases, and in both robot mode and in his alternate mode as a formula one style police car, he is faster than any of his comrades. His hand weapon fires twin beams of energy which act like restraining cables, wrapping around an opponent and immobilising them. Endowed with the Spark of Combination, Prowl can "Powerlinx" with other, similarly-enabled Autobots, becoming either a torso or legs, allowing for the best configuration in any given his situation. Prowl is a true team player, but his suspicious nature prevents him from completely trusting any of his teammates: with the exception of his most frequent Powerlinx partner, Rodimus.
[edit] Animated series
Prowl was among the Transformers who departed Cybertron under Rodimus's command ages ago, voyaging through space. Even after many of their companions settled on another world and became the Omnicons, Prowl stayed by Rodimus, along with Landmine, and eventually, they encountered Alpha Q, and learned of his plan to use the power of Energon to reconstitute all that had been destroyed by the planet-eater, Unicron. They pledged themselves to Alpha Q's plan, and returned to Earth, clashing with Optimus Prime and his Autobots there after an initial misunderstanding, and later, Optimus's own wariness over Alpha Q's plan. Rodimus and his team put themselves under Optimus's command when his misgivings proved accurate, and an Energon reaction caused by Megatron tore open a rift in space through which several Transformers, including Prowl, Powerlinked with Hot Shot, were pulled. In this new region of space, Alpha Q's plan had come to fruition, and all the worlds Unicron had destroyed were recreated, but soon had to be defended against the Decepticons, and the reactivated Unicron himself. With the destruction of Unicron's body, the battle seemed over, but one more challenged stood in the way as Megatron was possessed by Unicron's mind and upgraded into Galvatron. In order to defeat the Unicron-possessed Galvatron, all the Autobots, including Prowl, took Powerlinking to the ultimate extent, using their Sparks of Combination to transform into energy and fuse with Optimus Prime, who battled Galvatron before he shook off Unicron's control and plunged himself into the sun in sacrifice.
[edit] Toys
The Transformers: Energon toyline also contained two additional toys bearing the Prowl name, which did not appear in the animated series:
- A black and white redeco of the Energon toy, one half of a SWAT Team along with Checkpoint (a similarly redecoed Rodimus).
- A redeco of the Transformers: Armada Red Alert toy, in Energon Prowl's color scheme.
Whether or not these two figues are intended to represent alternate versions of the main Energon Prowl is unclear. Some fans consider these toys unofficially part of the Transformers: Universe line.
[edit] Transformers: Universe
The multiple-universe-spanning Transformers: Universe 2004 line has featured several different Prowls from assorted universes.
Prowls featured in Universe include:
- A Micromaster bearing the name - a Western release of the figure formerly exclusive to Japan from 1992, known as Road Police. This Prowl naturally transforms into a police car, and combines with the other Micromaster Protectobots to form Defensor (SixTurbo in Japan). Although he has no U.S. tech spec, his Japanese tech spec describes him as the leader of his team with a strong sense of justice. He is also a collector of Earth guns and a quick draw expert. This Prowl appeared in Transformers: Universe comic #2 as part of Defensor.
- A slight recolor of Robots in Disguise Prowl, with added red decals and a larger Autobot symbol. This character appeared in the BotCon 2004 voice actor play.
- A redeco of Robots in Disguise Spy Changer Prowl 2, in the color scheme of the original Red Alert. Packaged together with an Optimus Prime Spy Changer. This character also appeared in the 2004 BotCon voice play.
- A redeco of Robots in Disguise Spy Changer Prowl 2, in the color scheme of the original Prowl (right). Two packaging versions of this toy existed - a Kaybee version which did not attribute the toy to Universe and was packaged in vehicle form, and a version for discount stores which did and was packaged in robot mode.
- A maroon and grey redeco of Armada Mini-Con Prowl, packaged with Universe Magna Stampede, Stockade, and Terradive.
2004 Voice actor play plot: Rhinox has built a device to deflect Unicron's attempts to pull victims from other dimensions with his tractor beam. The Autobots deflect two attempts and the victims end up on a frozen planetoid instead of with Unicron. Maximals Rattrap and Silverbolt and the Predacon Waspinator are sent to help the victims, but Reptilion, Sunstorm, Ruination and Perceptor are sent to get them for Unicron. As a side effect of the device Rhinox built, a vortex opens which sucks in an Autobot shuttle from the past piloted by Bumblebee, Tracks and Cosmos. Thrust attacks the Maximal ship, but they are saved by being transported to the Autobot shuttle. The Autobots and Maximals then go to the planet where they save the victims from the Decepticons. On the planet are two groups of Autobots. One is from the Robots in Disguise story, with Landfill (Wal-Mart recolor), Side Burn (Universe recolor) and Prowl (Universe recolor). The other is from another parallel world with Spy Changer Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Prowl and Ironhide. They all fight off the Decepticons. The Autobot shuttle is sent back to its own time.
[edit] External links
- Champions RPG character sheet for Prowl.
- Gallery of Generation One Prowl
- Gallery of Binaltech Prowl
- Gallery of Alternators Prowl
- Gallery of Binaltech "Vivid Blue" Prowl (Part 1)
- Gallery of Binaltech "Vivid Blue" Prowl (Part 2)
- Gallery of Robots In Disguise Prowl
- Gallery of Robots In Disguise Prowl
- Gallery of Energon Prowl
- Gallery of Armada Prowl
