Strika
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Strika is a character from the fictional Transformers series. She is featured in Beast Machines and Transformers: Universe.
[edit] Beast Machines (2000)
| Transformers character | |
 The Vehicon Strika |
|
| Srika | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Vehicon  |
| Sub-Group | Deluxe Vehicle |
| Function | All-Terrain Combat |
| Motto | "No road is rougher than me!" |
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian Assault Vehicle |
| Series | Beast Machines |
| Voiced by | Patricia Drake |
Strika is one of the greatest generals in Cybertron's history, and the consort of Obsidian. She had her spark removed by Megatron, only to later have it placed within a Vehicon body. She joined the ranks of the Vehicon Generals, taking the place of Tankor as commander of heavy artillery drones.
They first appeared in the episode Sparkwar Part 1, where they immediately made an impact. Pretending to be dim and fairly weak, the two lured the Maximals into a trap, cutting off their every option with countless numbers of Vehicon Drones. Cornering them underground, the Maximals only escaped due to Botanica's intervention.
Like Obsidian, Strika wasn't given an alternate personality, as the previous Vehicon Generals had. However, her primary directive was to protect Cybertron, but since she was programmed to perceive Megatron as Cybertron now, her loyalty was misplaced.
Strika was not only a tactical genius, but she was also a technological expert as well. She was able to reverse the effects of a gadget created by Rattrap which cloaked the Maximals from their scanners. Although she was transformed into a merciless killer, Strika also has a love for beauty, as Rattrap proved when he plugged her into a hologram vision of Cybertron.
When Megatron was seemingly destroyed, she and Obsidian were lost because their purpose was now unclear. Therefore, they joined the Maximals, only to betray them shortly after when Megatron returned. However, it brought up the question about where their true loyalties lay: with Cybertron, or with Megatron.
In the final battle with the Maximals Obsidian and Strika were tricked into standing on an antigravity unit by Cheetor, who launched the pair into space, where neither were affected by the reformatting of Cybertron. Her tech spec indicates she has a particular rivalry with Blackarachnia, although this was never touched upon on screen.
Like many of the Beast Machines toys, the toy for Strika didn't match her television appearance very well. The Japanese release of the toy was repainted to more accurately match the television appearance. The Assault-Drones Strika controlled looked exactly like her and replaced the Tank-Drones as the heavily firepower units. No separate toy was released to represent her Drones in the toy line.
According to an F.A.Q. on Bob Skir's web site he oddly lobbied to call the Strika character Tananka. He also said Strika's personality was inspired by Sarah Douglas's portrayal of Ursa in the Superman II movie. He also said there was a scene with Obsidian and Strika cut from the final episode. "Obsidian and Strika had a MAGNIFICENT scene in which they return to Cybertron and decline an offer to be reformatted themselves (partly because they feel unworthy because of their role helping Megatron, and party because I wanted them to remain "pure" when I brought them back in the next series... which (as of this writing) I haven't been invited onto yet. Sadly, their finale got cut for time."
[edit] Transformers: Universe
| Transformers character | |
 The Decepticon Nemesis Strika |
|
| Nemesis Srika | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Decepticon  |
| Sub-Group | Deluxe Vehicle |
| Function | All-Terrain Combat |
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian Assault Vehicle |
| Series | Transformers: Universe |
In Transformers: Universe, an alternate version of Strika known as Nemesis Strika (labeled as a Decepticon) is a member of Unicron's forces. Nemesis Strika lacked official technical specifications, but the Hasbro website described the toy as a formidable opponent for the Autobots who transformed into a six-wheeled assault vehicle.
Since Nemesis Strika lacked any story, it is unknown if she was supposed to be the Strika of Beast Machines or one from a parallel Cybertron, like Universe Obsidian. The name "Nemesis" may have been stickered on because the trademark to the Strika name had been lost or there could have been an intended connection to Universe Nemesis Prime.
Although 3H Enterprises losing the license would forestall the conclusion to the Universe storyline, an explanation of sorts would be found in issue 8 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine Cybertron/Robots in Disguise, where Optimus Prime told the tale of how Unicron's forces were defeated in one last battle by Optimus Primal's forces, as Unicron disappeared due to the black hole opened in Transformers: Energon. Here Nemesis Strika and Obsidian were both presumably destroyed with Unicron's defeat.
