Rollbar

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Rollbar is the name given to three fictional characters in the Transformers Universes.

1 Transformers: Generation 1 (1987)
- 1.1 Transformers: Alternators (2006)
2 Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001)
- 2.1 Transformers: Universe (2004)
3 Transformers: Armada (2002)
- 3.1 Transformers: Energon (2004)
4 Links

[edit] Transformers: Generation 1 (1987)

Rollbar
Transformers character

Allegiance	Autobot (Cybertron)
Sub-Group	Throttlebot
Function	Tracker
Motto	"When the going gets tough, the tough get driving." "Four wheel drive is for sissies."
Alternate mode	Jeep Wrangler
Series	Transformers: Generation 1 Transformers: Alternators
Voice actors:	Dan Gilvezan (English)

Rollbar first appeared in the 1987 range as part of the Autobot Throttlebot team, similar to the Decepticon Battlechargers in which they were pulled back and then set loose along the floor or other flat surface -- minus the auto-transformation. He was a simple Transformer with no articulation at all. Rollbar had scenery reflected in his windshield.

Rollbar is a hard-bitten, brave tough-bot who has been through enough battles to have truly earned his reputation as a capable soldier. He thrives on competition and the opportunity to test his mettle, making his role as an Autobot fighter ideal for him. The trouble is, he peppers his speech with seemingly ridiculous macho clichés that unintentionally elicit laughter from his fellow Throttlebots. Rollbar, who functions as the unit's leader, doesn't understand why they can't keep a straight face during one of his motivational speeches; he's so legitimately cynical and world-weary that he really comes up with the quips himself, and he takes them completely seriously. Rollbar doesn't let the Throttlebots reactions affect him since he's too busy showing the Decepticons what he's manufactured of.

Rollbar is an exceptional tracker. He has a series of built-in chemical, radiation and audiovisual sensor, and recording devices that aid him in his work. He also has great agility, especially in vehicle mode. He can initiate flips and rolls while driving with little or no loss in speed. He is also adept at traversing rough terrain. Like most Throttlebots, Rollbar uses a standard laser rifle.

Rollbar's internal gyros sometimes malfunction which results in a diminished sense of balance. This can lead to injury if it happens in the middle of combat maneuvers.

Marvel Comic

U.S. #30: The Cure

On the Transformers homeworld of Cybertron, Rollbar commanded a gang of Autobot "Juice-Boosters" - five Throttlebots in total, a rebel band of Autobots who raid Decepticon fuel storage depots. Although Rollbar was used to having his team take on the enemy even though they were outnumbered, he refused to fight his way out of a situation that risked the lives of his team. In one such situation, a difficult battle led to him surrendering in exchange for their lives. Even though the Decepticon Titanium Class Destruction Drone who they had just surrendered to marched them to the Cybertron Decepticon leader Ratbat, Rollbar did not lose his confidence. Initially, Rollbar had believed that they were stealing enough fuel from the Decepticons for them to take action against the "Juice-Boosters", however Ratbat had a mission he wanted to send them on because they were expendable.

Ratbat showed the Throttlebots a video broadcast from the Earth-stranded Decepticon Triple-Changer, Astrotrain. He told of the plague of metal-eating Scraplets that he was infected with along with his comrades and their Autobot prisoner Blaster. Without a cure, they'll die. Rollbar thought he was being sent to Earth to deliver the cure but was told by Ratbat that a cure isn't known to him to exist. Instead, Ratbat wanted the Throttlebots to go to Earth and destroy all those infected using acid to prevent the plague spreading beyond Earth. The Throttlebots were shocked - this mean they would have to kill Blaster, a fellow Autobot who was also infected. Having being reformatted with Earthen alternate modes, Ratbat sent them to Earth across the Decepticons space bridge along with a ten hour deadline otherwise he would destroy the entire planet to keep the plague from spreading.

Upon arriving at the crater where Astrotrain and the others were trapped, the Throttlebots immediately prepared to fill the crater with acid. However, tracks leading away from the crater were spotted and was assumed to belong to a vehicle that was also Scraplet infected. Rollbar and Wideload left the crater along with a canister of acid. Ninety-three minutes later at a gas station, they found the culprit - Goldbug. Rollbar ignored Wideload's protests of not wanting to hurt a fellow Autobot because of their strict orders but felt the same way. Goldbug's new Human friend, Charlie Fong had just discovered a cure to the Scraplets - plain old water. In order to make the two Throttlebots believe him, Charlie threw a loose Scraplet at Wideload and then washed it off. After Goldbug was cured and made a request to G. B. Blackrock for lots of water, the three Autobots and Charlie returned to the crater. Being sent to Earth without any weapons, Rollbar was unable to participate in the battle against the Scraplets but once the plague was wiped out, he and his Throttlebots joined up with Goldbug and Blaster, also handing command over to Goldbug who knew Earth and its customs better than he did (conjecture based on future comic appearances)

U.K. #137 - #138: Ladies' Night

(NOTE: This story takes place before 'Used Autobots')

In a deserted city street, two hundred miles east of a volcano named Mount Verona, Goldbug was watching Herbie television through a store window along with Rollbar and Blaster. Rollbar said that there was nothing like it on Cybertron and that he thought it was great. One television set shown a TV show called Ladies' Night taking place live at Mount Verona reporting on a discovery found within the volcano - the body of Ultra Magnus. The Autobots rejoined the rest of the Throttlebots and headed to the volcano. Upon hearing that the Decepticons also present at the volcano had come to destroy Galvatron who was buried alongside Ultra Magnus, Goldbug and Rollbar decided to leave to allow the Decepticons to do so. However, despite the protests from Ultra Magnus' Human friend Cindy, the two Throttlebots decided that Galvatron was better off destroyed than attempting to save Ultra Magnus and risk releasing Galvatron as well.

Hearing the explosions from the volcano from their resting point, Rollbar had determined that the human females had attempted to save Ultra Magnus themselves and that they now had to take action. Upon confronting and threatening Onslaught, leader of the Combaticons, he left without a single shot fired from either side but gave a warning that the Throttlebots are now the Combaticon's priority targets. Neither Goldbug or Rollbar thought it was typical Decepticon behavior to give up so easily but quickly realised that the Decepticons still planned to blow the volcano up. After Blaster had jammed the signal for the detonation, the Autobots left.

U.S. #32: Used Autobots

On a roadway somewhere in California, Rollbar, the other Throttlebots and Goldbug were being attacked by the Decepticon Combaticon Vortex. Providing a moving platform for Blaster to stand on, Chase and Rollbar allowed Blaster to be able to strike back at their attacker. However, Rollbar was forced to swerve out the way of an incoming human-driven car causing Blaster to fall off the bridge but he was able to catch the side to stop falling in the water below and send off the Decepticon.

Later, the Autobots in need of fuel arrived at a Blackrock gas station in a town they came to. Unfortunately, because they didn't have drivers, they were recognised to be Autobots by an employee of the gas station who alerted R.A.A.T. The Autobots were too low on power to fight back and were forced to retreat, Rollbar being damaged by an aerial R.A.A.T. attack. With nowhere to go that was safe for them, the Autobots spent the night in a car park which they were unaware was a Used Car Lot. The next day, the owner of the car lot - Big Steve - wondered where the cars came from but saw them as a free gift for him to sell so he wasn't bothered. Because of Rollbar's damage, Big Steve wanted him to be towed to a junkyard but was stopped when the other Throttlebots transformed. After realising that these Autobots were wanted by the authorities, he sabotaged the Autobots fuel and alerted R.A.A.T.

At nightfall when the Autobots planned to leave, they discovered they were sabotaged and unable to move just as R.A.A.T. shown up. As did the Combaticons. And the Protectobots, under the orders of Grimlock. All after the Throttlebots. During the fighting between the Protectobots and the Combaticons, the Throttlebots were loaded onto a R.A.A.T. car-carrier and led away, leaving Blaster behind.

U.S. #37: Toy Soldiers

The Throttlebots are captives of R.A.A.T. being dissected and studied by its technicians. After the technicians had left, Walter Barnett transformed the six Throttlebots using a remote control device to question them about recent Decepticon attacks and was convinced by them of the Autobots and Decepticons true allegiances and intentions. In an effort to save the Throttlebots, Walter Barnett inserted the brain module of each Throttlebot into six of his son's remote controlled cars. However, their bodies were unable to be saved and were crushed by Forsythe, a R.A.A.T. executive at a public display. Barnett left early along with the toys before the termination was completed. He did not see or was aware that the Predacons and Ratbat attacked I.I.I. to confirm the Autobots deaths. Only being able to find the bodies and not the brains, the Decepticons threatened the humans present and left in pursuit.

After being led to the Witwicky garage in search of help by Goldbug, Buster agreed to take the Autobots to the Ark. However, the Autobots batteries were getting low on power and needed new ones. Buster took a detour to the store to get some. But the Predacons had tracked their scent there and attacked. Loose from their carrying case but without fresh batteries, the Autobots tried to escape their attackers with little success. Forced to flee, Buster only managed to take Goldbug with him to the Ark.

[edit] Transformers: Alternators (2006)

Alternators box artwork

The Generation 1 Rollbar returns after nearly a twenty year gap for Alternators as a direct recolor of Swindle. Although his original toy was green, this time Rollbar is red. This is because the Alternator Hound was already painted in green and two Alternator toys the same make of vehicle cannot be similar color schemes. Unfortunately, he lacks the black paint on the vehicle's doors that Swindle has which has a slightly negative effect on the overall image of the quality of the toy. As a robot; although he has his arms fully painted, the head is the same color as Swindle's which doesn't make Rollbar stand out as his own character when compared to the Decepticon. Because the toy was the third use of the Jeep Wrangler mold (originating from two years earlier) and the lack of paint applications when compared to Swindle; this toy was not well received by the fans initially. There is nothing at all about this toy that resembles the original other than being a make of Jeep. Alternators Rollbar has not appeared in any fiction.

[edit] Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001)

Rollbar (Greenjeeper)
Transformers character

Affiliation	Decepticon
Sub-Group	Commandos
Alternate Modes	4 Wheel Drive Vehicle
Series	Transformers: Robots in Disguise
English voice actor	Michael Lindsay

Rollbar is the name given to the Japanese Car Robots Greenjeeper; a repaint of the G1 Combaticon Swindle. He forms the right leg of the team's combined form, the gestalt Ruination. He first appears in standard army camouflage then in 2003 he is repainted into arctic camouflage as a Wal*Mart exclusive. This color scheme does not appear outside America and is not shown in the TV series.

With Ruinations official height being given as 15 meters (49.2 feet) tall, and the toy measuring 25 centimeters tall, the toy would have a scale of about 1/60. This would mean Mega-Octane would stand 11.4 meters (37.4 feet) tall, while the other Commandos would stand about 4.8 meters (15.7 feet) tall.

An under-developed character; Rollbar is a hand-to-hand combat specialist, he loves to fight and prefers arctic environment.

Rollbar's first appearance in the TV series was in episode #14 The Decepticons. As with his fellow Decepticons, Rollbar was created when Megatron found six Autobot protoforms and used his own energy to corrupt them.

[edit] Transformers: Universe (2004)

A recolor of the Robots in Disguise Rollbar was released in Wal*Mart stores as part of a Ruination gift-set. He is painted in desert camo.

His only appearance in the official storyline of Transformers: Universe was as a member of the Ruination combiner team in the 2004 Botcon voice actor play, where he was commanded by Reptilion.

[edit] Transformers: Armada (2002)

Armada card artwork

Rollbar is a white dune buggy. He is detailed in gray and black. In the cartoon continuity, he featured prominently in the Japanese Linkage DVD comic, which chronicles how he came to be partnered with Scavenger, as well as his short time alongside the "Super Stunt Team."

Character Profile

(From Dreamwave's More Than Meets The Eye Profile Book)

(Told from the perspective of the Mini-Con Sparkplug)

What's there to say about a Mini-Con with bearings so big that he requests to be partnered up with the moodiest, meanest, toughest soldier in the Autobot army on his first cycle of duty? The words "crazy" and "stupid" definitely come to mind, but when talking about my good buddy Rollbar, you can't forget the most important word: "tough." Even before we left Cybertron, Rollbar had been something of a tough-bot and was one of the only Mini-Cons to ever stand up against Megatron and his Decepticon bullies. Now that he's teamed up with the Autobot's resident loner, Scavenger, he's cranked that "take no slag" attitude of his up to the umpteenth degree. Still, I'll be the first to admit that I feel a lot better with Rollbar backing me up. He's the type of Mini-Con who looks danger straight in the face and spits servo-fluid in its eye. You've got to respect a mech like that.

Rollbar commands incredible strength for a Mini-Con, rivalling that of Autobots four times his size. And thanks to what Red Alert refers to as "an unprecedented compatibility in combiner circuitry," Rollbar's own offensive potential is tripled when he unites with his Autobot partner Scavenger.

Rollbar appears to have no obvious physical weaknesses, but his unwillingness to call for aid (read: "Little-bot Complex") often results in situations getting too intense even for him to handle solo.

[edit] Transformers: Energon (2004)

Armada Rollbar gets repainted as a G1 Hound homage and is now paired up with Treadbolt, a repaint of Armada Scavenger. It is not known why he gets paired with a different character in the storyline.