Red Alert (Transformers)
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Red Alert is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.
Contents |
[edit] Transformers Generation 1 (1985)
| Transformers character | |
 |
|
| Red Alert (Alert) | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot  |
| Sub-Group | Autobot Cars |
| Function | Security Director |
| Motto | "Caution can never be overused." |
| Alternate Modes | Lamborghini Countach LP500S |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 |
| Voiced by | Michael Chain (English) Yoku Shioya (Japanese) |
Red Alert(Alert in Japan, Feu D'Alerte in France, Jaguaro in Italy)'s toy is a repaint and remold of the Autobot named Sideswipe. The mold was originally made by Takara as part of Diaclone's CarRobot line, with Sideswipe being the second Lamborghini Countach robot produced for it. The car was then retooled as a police car (which was also done with Sunstreaker). The police Countach was repainted as a fire escort for the 1985 Transformers line, making Red Alert one of the first original Transformers designs to be produced.
He was reissued in Japan in 2002, and in the U.S. in 2003. In 2004, a miniature transforming version of the original Red Alert was released in Japan as part of a series of small Transformers. Red Alert's source material, Diaclone's second Countach patrol car was later sold as the Autobot Clampdown. (Only police badges with Autobot insignias make Clampdown different from his Diaclone counterpart.)
[edit] Animated Series
Red Alert first appeared in the episode "Dinobot Island, Part 1". His most prominent appearance came in "Auto-Berserk" alongside Inferno. After a battle with the Decepticons ended with Red Alert being damaged by one of Rumble's missiles, the Autobot became paranoid that Inferno and the others were out to get him. Red Alert deserted and teamed up with Starscream (who had been kicked out of the Decepticons after a disagreement with Megatron) to steal an Autobot device called the Negavator. After being damaged again, Red Alert realized what he had done and destroyed the Negavator, setting fire to the cavern they were in - and a guilty Inferno rushed into the fire to save Red Alert's life. After this, Red Alert realized who his true friends were. He last appeared in the US in episode 63 - The Revenge of Bruticus.
Red Alert did not appear again after season 2 of the television series. Storyboards for The Transformers: The Movie include a dropped sequence depicting the death of Red Alert though - shot in the back by Scavenger. But it is speculated that he survived, because that scene did not make it to the movie.
He also makes an appearance in the opening for Japanese opening for season 3.
[edit] Transformers: The Headmasters
Red Alert did make one appearance in the first episode of the Japanese exclusive Headmasters series.
[edit] Marvel Comics
Red Alert did not appear in the U.S. Marvel (Generation 1) comic but he did make a cameo appearance in the UK comics story "Time Wars" where he was one of the future Autobots under the command of Rodimus Prime from the year 2009 who travelled back to 1989 to stop a space-time rift caused by the presence of the future Decepticon Galvatron. Unfortunately, on their arival they displaced Optimus Prime and a number of others to limbo, leading them to be attacked by Fortress Maximus' Autobots. After this was cleared up by Optimus (speaking through the Matrix) the Autobots and Decepticons present attacked Galvatron, but were no match for him and his ally - a clone of Megatron (believed by all to be the real thing). After Galvatron's eventual defeat by Optimus, Red Alert and the other future Autobots returned to their own time.
[edit] Transformers: Generation 2
Although there was no toy of Red Alert for the Generation 2 toy line, the Generation 1 character appeared in the Marvel's Generation 2 comics. Unfortunately, he died in the same issue he premiered in (Transformers: Generation 2 #4).
Grimlock planned a raid on Jhiaxus's ship Twilight against Optimus Prime's orders to strike a morale-raising blow. Unfortunately, Jhiaxus was expecting this move and had Grimlock's troops surrounded. Red Alert attacked Jhiaxus anyway in a gesture of defiance, and was shot to pieces.
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
Red Alert appeared among the Autobots in the first Generation 1 series by Dreamwave comics, which mostly featured first-year Autobots, but later he was retroactively written out and then appeared as one of the Autobots on Cybertron who hadn't come to Earth yet.
When civil war broke out on the planet Cybertron between the Autobots and Decepticons, Red Alert joined the Autobot cause. Red Alert acted as an advisor to Optimus Prime when he became the new Autobot leader. After the Great Shutdown ended Red Alert was reformatted into an Earth-style car. During this period he became one of the Cybertronian high council, although power was really in the hands of Shockwave. Despite reservations by Perceptor about Shockwave's true motives, they dispatched Ultra Magnus to stop the Stunticons.
After Shockwave was eventually defeated, Red Alert was one of the tutors training the Mini-Bots. Red Alert was last seen amongst those Autobots who worked on the construction of Autobot City (Metroplex). Dreamwave's closure at this point prevented this story from being finished.
[edit] Toys
Although depicted in the television series as having a red head, Red Alert's original toy has a black head. Ironically it was the black head design that was used in most of Red Alert's other fictional appearances.
[edit] Transformers Binaltech (2005)
The original Red Alert (called Alert in Japan) character returns for Binaltech as a recolor of Silverstreak. His Binaltech appearance is actually one of the first Binaltech Asterisk toys - these being produced with a female driver. Alert comes with Ai - recognisable from her appearance in the Japanese TV series Car Robots (Robots in Disguise in America). It is not yet known whether there will be an Alternators version of Red Alert.
[edit] Transformers: Universe
Two other toys were released in the Transformers: Universe toy line which were painted as homages to the Generation 1 Red Alet.
There was also a Deluxe Autobot repaint of Transformers: Robots in Disguise Prowl who resembled Red Alert, but was given the name Inferno. The Prowl repaint was originally supposed to be named Red Alert, while Inferno was to be the X-Brawn repaint, but information got crossed during packaging development.
[edit] Transformers: Armada (2002)
| Transformers character | |
 |
|
| Red Alert (Ratchet/First Aid/First Gunner) | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot |
| Sub-Group | Deluxe Vehicles Cybertron Defense Team |
| Function | Doctor Science Officer Technician |
| Partner | Longarm Dirt Boss |
| Motto | "All life is precious." |
| Alternate Modes | Dodge Magnum Emergency Vehicle Missile Truck |
| Series | Transformers: Armada Transformers: Universe Transformers: Cybertron |
| Voiced by | Brian Dobson (English) Yasuyuki Kase (Japanese) |
Although called Red Alert in the U.S., the character was called Ratchet in Japan, the name of Generation 1 character he more closely resembled. Armada Red alert came packaged with a Mini-Con partner named Longarm.
According to the Armada video game Armada Red Alert is supposed to stand 19 feet 7 inches tall (597cm) and the toy is 19cm tall. That's a scale of 1:31.
[edit] Animated series
Red Alert was one of the Autobots who originally came to Earth with Optimus Prime. He acted as their chief medic, and was primarily responsible for rebuilding Smokescreen into Hoist. He was unabe to save Prime when he was blasted by the Hydra Cannon, however. He would be badly injured by the bsetial Nemesis Prime on a distant planet, and was reformatted by Longarm's power into a new Powerlinking body. After this, he went on to fight in the final battle against Unicron.
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
In Dreamwave's Transformers: Armada comic, Red Alert would play a smaller role than his animated counterpart. One of the first Autobots to appear, he was unable to prevent the fall of Cyber City to the Mini-Con enhanced Decepticons. One million years later, when the signal from the escaped Mini-Cons was received, he was one of the Autobots who journeyed to Earth under Optimus Prime. Subsequently, he was involved in many of the adventures on Earth, battling the Decepticons on numerous occasions, gaining Longarm and searching for the Mini-Con Matrix.
It was during this last mission that he was attacked by Galvatron, one of the Heralds of Unicron, himself searching for the Matrix. Barely escaping he and his companions made their way back to the Autobot base and tried to deal with the disappearance of Optimus Prime, only to be met with a full-scale attack by the Decepticons, with Red Alert being easily beaten by Demolishor. Presumably repaired, he, along with Hot Shot and Scavenger took revenge on Megatron for Smokescreen's death by blasting the traitorous Decepticon leader into Unicron's mouth.
[edit] 3H Comics
Armada Red Alert appeared in issue 2 of the Transformer: Universe comic book as one of the escaping prisoners of Unicron.
[edit] Transformers: Energon
Red Alert was the Japanese name for the character called Prowl in the US.
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
Armada Red Alert continued to appear among the Autobots in the Transformers: Energon comic series in his Armada form. In issue 27 of the Energon comic he was one of those who volunteered to head to Earth to battle the Terrorcon invasion. Battling against Divebomb and his clones alongside Beachcomber, Rodimus, Hot Shot and Thrust, the defenders looked to be overrun - until Megatron arrived and routed the clones.
[edit] Transformers: Cybertron (2005)
The release of Red Alert in Cybertron Deluxe wave 3.5 was packaged with a DVD containing the third episode of Transformers: Cybertron, called "Hidden".
The toy of Red Alert was sold by itself, as well as packaged with the Mini-Con Dirtboss and a Tiny-Tin as a promotion at Walmart stores. Oddly, though the Warmart promotional Red Alert was identical to the regular deluxe sized one with an Earth Cyber Key included, the box stated Red Alert came with a Speed Planet Cyber Key and had information about the Speed Planet on the side panel. The reason he has a multi-medical tool instead of a left hand is because it was sliced off in the conflict before Armada by Starscream.
[edit] Animated Series
Red Alert (the same character as Armada Red Alert) reappeared in Transformers: Cybertron as one of those trying to contain the black hole created by the collapse of the energon sun. He failed, and joined Prime's team of Autobots on Earth (picking up a slight Australian accent in the process), where he battled Megatron's Decepticons on numerous occasions. Prime sent him to the Speed Planet Velocitron to locate the planet's Cyber Planet Key. Much to Red Alert's displeasure, Hot Shot got increasingly involved in the planet's affairs, rescuing Breakdown from Ransack and Crumplezone. Red Alert eventually called in Prime when when the two of them were nearly destroyed in a sneak attack by Ransack, Crumplezone and Starscream. However, despite Prime's initail displeasure, Hot Shot went on to win the Key in a race.
Red Alert participated in many other battles against both Megatron's forces and Starscream's army of ancient Decepticons. However, he paid a heavy price when he, Hot Shot and Scattorshot were gunned down by Megatron's death machine gun power. The three were resurrected and reformatted by Primus, and became the Cybertron Defense Team, with Red Alert now transforming into a missile truck. They went on to battle Soundwave, the now giant-sized Starscream and Galvatron (Megatron's powered up form). After Galvatron's final defeat, Red Alert joined rime's new Space Bridge Project.
Although named Red Alert in the U.S., this character is named First Aid in Japan, yet another homage to another Generation 1 Autobot ambulance. In Japan he is an original character, but in the U.S., the toy's identity follows the original plan of being the Armada character upgraded.
[edit] IDW Publishing
An epilogue to Red Alert's story would be found in IDW's Transformers Collectors Club exclusive comic story, Revelations part 6. This story, set before the announcement of the Space Bridge Project, saw Red Alert and the other Autobots and humans return to Cybertron. They encounterd an alternate version of Prime, Alpha Trion and several other Autobots and Mini-Cons. There, they delivered the grave news of Vector Prime's death in battle. All then mourned those who were lost in the battles.
[edit] Unicron Trilogy Toys
[edit] Armada
Besides the original Armada Red Alert toy, he was repainted as Powerlinx Red Alert, released as a kids toy in a McDonalds happy meal and as a Built-To-Rule model kit.
[edit] Energon
A Sams Club exclusive repaint of Armada Red Alert was sold packaged with a repaint of Armada Starscream and both their Mini-Cons. Although packaged under the name Prowl and Starscream as part of the Transformers: Energon line, the Hasbro web site listed the figures as Red Alert and Starscream and said they were part of the Transformers: Universe toy line.
[edit] Critical Path Pack
In 2006 a Target store exclusive 2 pack called the Critical Path Pack included Cybertron Sideways and Red Alert.
[edit] Remolds and Recolors
In 2006 the original mold of Cybertron Red Alert was repainted as a Decepticon named Cannonball. The larger Cybertron Defense Red Alert was remolded into Botcon 2006 Megatron. The Micro class Cybertron Defense Red Alert was painted into a homage of Generation 1 Perceptor.
[edit] Transformers: Universe (2004)
| Transformers character | |
 |
|
| Red Alert (Discharge) | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot |
| Sub-Group | Micromasters |
| Alternate Modes | Fire Truck |
| Series | Transformers: Universe |
Red Alert was the name of one of a member of the Micromaster team which formed Universe Defensor. A fire truck, it was an American release of a Generation One Japanese-only character named Discharge. Universe Defensor appeared briefly in one issue of the Transformers: Universe comic book, breaking out of imprisonment from Unicron.
Lacking any tech spec for or appearances individually, it's impossible to tell how this character is related, if at all, to other characters named Red Alert, however, the character of Discharge was a female Autobot firefighter.
Discharge's bio painted her as dedicating herself to the purpose of her alternate mode - putting out fires and rescuing people. Few have ever seen her true appearance. She hates fighting, but is fearsome when provoked.
