Trailbreaker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Transformers Character | |
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| Trailbreaker | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot (Cybertron) |
| Sub-Group | Autobot Cars |
| Rank | 7 |
| Function | Defensive Strategist |
| Motto | "An Autobot is as good as the fuel in his tank." |
| Alternate mode(s) | Toyota 4WD Hilux Cybertronian Truck Cobra Stinger |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 |
| Voiced by | Frank Welker (English) Unknown (Japanese) |
Trailbreaker (Glouton in Canada, Tuono in Italy) is a fictional character from the Transformers toy line and animated television series. He is one of the benevolent Autobots, who oppose the villainous Decepticons.
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[edit] Transformers: Generation 1 (1984)
Trailbreaker was portrayed as a light-hearted joker, who often acted a morale booster for his comrades. Deep down, however, he considers himself a liablity due to his high fuel consumption. Because of this he has a low sense of self-worth, he often asks to be left out of missions. Despite this, the other Autobots know he is a valuable addition to their ranks.
According to original tech spec notes written by Bob Budiansky found at Iacon One in 2006 the original name for Trailbreaker was Guzzle, a name later used by another Autobot character.
[edit] Animated series
Trailbreaker was one of the original Autobots to appear aboard the Ark. When it crashed, he was re-activated four million years later and his vehicle was converted to that of a Toyota 4WD HiLux. He was a hearty character who would make light of any situation (just as his tech spec portrayed him). His primary feature was his force field which he often used to defend him and his comrades.
Trailbreaker accompanied his fellow Autobots on their first mission to stop the Decepticons on Earth -- a mission that took him to an off-shore oil rig. The Decepticons plundered the rig for energon, and destroyed it, leaving it a flaming wreck that endangered its human crew. Trailbreaker used his force field to contain the fire, while Wheeljack used his built-in fire suppression systems to douse the flames.
Later, Trailbreaker served as a spy despite his stated function as defensive strategist. He, along with the humans Sparkplug Witwicky and Spike, camped out near the Decepticon headquarters and eavesdropped on their plans to raid the ruby mines of Burma.
As the series progressed and more new characters were introduced Trailbreaker only appeared when his forcefeild was called for. In Triple Takeover a plot by Starscream, Astrotrain and Blitzwing resulted in the flooding of a city. Trailbreaker used his forcefield to protect himself, and a small group of Autobots from a large tidal wave. It was his force field that saved all the Autobots from being disintegrated by the Sun in the episode Megatron's Master Plan Part 2, and it again saved them from a Decepticon ambush in "Tjhe Immobilizer". Trailbreaker's last animated appearance was in episode 64, Masquarade.
Trailbreaker did not appear in the finished movie or the seasons beyond. However, part of the movie's storyboard depicted he would be lying already dead (much like Windcharger and Wheeljack) during the Decepticons attack on Autobot city. This was cut from the finished movie, but it is possible that he was killed offscreen.
[edit] Marvel Comics
Trailbreaker appeared in the Marvel Transformers comic in a capacity similar to his appearance in the animated series. However, the rapid introduction of new characters meant that Trailbreaker had less importance. He last appeared in the US comic watching the duel between Grimlock and Blaster, although he continued to appear sporadically in the UK comics.
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
When civil war broke out between the Autobots and Decepticon factions, Trailbreaker joined the Autobot cause. Trailbreaker was present under the command of Grimlock at the battle of Altihex, where the Autobot Overhaul was killed and Decepticon Seekers Thundercracker and Skywarp destroyed a transport full of neutral Cybertronians. Unable to save the city, the Autobot helped evacuate civilians (Transformers: The War Within #1). When Decepticon Military Operations Commander Shockwave lead a force of Decepticons against the Autobot capital of Iacon, Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who defended the city (Transformers: War Within #5-6).
When Decepticon leader Megatron and Autobot leader Optimus Prime disappeared in an accident with a space bridge, the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Trailbreaker stayed with the Autobots under the leadership of Prowl. Hound, Tracks, Trailbreaker and other Autobots showed up as reinforcements when Prowl and his team of Autobots confronted Trypticon. Only Shockwave calling Trypticon away to battle the Fallen saved them. (Transformers: The War Within - The Dark Ages #4).
Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who followed Optimus Prime on his mission aboard the Ark. After leaving Cybertron the Ark was attacked by Megatron's ship, the Nemesis. Once the Decepticons boarded the Ark, it crash-landed on Earth, where all on board were preserved in emergency stasis. In 1984 a volcanic eruption awakened the Ark's computer, Teletran-I, which repaired all on board. It reformatted Trailbreaker in the form of an Earth truck (specifically, a Toyota Hi-Lux camper pickup).
Eventually the combined forces of the Autobots on Earth and their human allies were able to capture the Decepticons. A ship called the Ark II was built to take the Transformers and some human companions back to Cybertron, but the ship exploded shortly after takeoff. The human allies were killed, but the Cybertronians were lost in the ocean, again in stasis lock.
After Spike Witwicky used a piece of the Matrix to revive Optimus Prime, Optimus traveled to the remote shoreline where he was recovered and used the Matrix to revive Jazz, Mirage, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Superion, Trailbreaker and Wheeljack (Transformers: Generation One #2). Trailbreaker returned to Cybertron with Optimus Prime and most of the Autobots to face charges, after Ultra Magnus informed them the war on Cybertron had ended.
[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 Trailbreaker turned into a Cobra Stinger vehicle[1]. However, after the Transformers were freed from Cobra's control, Trailbreaker was killed by Storm Shadow's S.N.A.K.E Battlesuit.
[edit] Transformers: Alternators
Although no Trailbreaker toy was released in the Alternators line, he was mentioned in the Japanese fiction for the series. According to the story that came with Binaltech Swindle, the body Swindle inhabits was intended to be the new body for Trailbreaker. The body was stolen by the Decepticions and Swindle's spark installed in it. Because of this many kitbashers have taken to repainting Swindle black and adding Autobot symbols to it to make an Alternators Trailbreaker.
The toy that eventually became Alternators Optimus Prime was initially intended to be a toy for Trailbreaker. Takara requested that Hasbro make the truck model be Optimus Prime instead, as pick-up trucks are not popular in Japan, so they thought the only way the figure would sell was if it was Optimus Prime.
When the Optimus toy was redecoed black into Nemesis Prime, some fans took to transplanting the head off Swindle or Rollbar onto the black pick-up to make an Alternator Trailbreaker. Fan-made tricker sets have even been produced and sold to add details making the figure look even more like Trailbreaker. [2]
[edit] 3H Enterprises
Generation 1 Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who appeared in the Transformers: Universe comics, although he was not (technically) produced as a toy in that line. His form in the 3H comics was based on his original toy, not the redone animated appearance.
Trailbreaker was amongst the Autobot heroes of the Great War welcomed back back to Cybertron. However, all of them were transported away by Unicron. Trailbreaker was the only one not reformatted into a new body, but he was forced to fight for Unicron's amusement (and unbeknownst to all, so that the Spark energy from fallen combatants could revitalize his own shattered frame). Trailbreaker eventually freed himself by performing a risky spark swap with Silverbolt. All were subsequently freed by the resurrected Optimus Primal,and Trailbreaker went on to serve him as part of the new Autobot faction.
Although Universe ended at issue #3, the flashback of Optimus Prime would reveal what happened. In the final battle between the forces of Optimus Primal and Unicron, the Chaos-Bringer had disappeared (due to the events of Transformers: Energon), with Primal's forces barely making it out. Trailbreaker was among those seen escaping.
A toy called Ironhide in Transformers: Universe was painted in the colors of Generation One's Trailbreaker. It is suspected that this toy (along with a version of Transformers: Robots in Disguise's Prowl 2, repainted in G1 Red Alert's colors) was intended to be a part of an earlier line of eight Spy Changers, produced as homages to classic Generation One Autobots cars. Because those eight toys both resembled and carried the names of their Generation One counterparts, it would seem more appropriate for the Transformers: Universe version of Ironhide to have been named Trailbreaker instead.
[edit] Transformers Collectors Club magazine
Although Universe ended at issue #3, the flashback of Optimus Prime would reveal what happened. In the final battle between the forces of Optimus Primal and Unicron, the Chaos-Bringer had disappeared (due to the events of Transformers: Energon), with Primal's forces barely making it out. Trailbreaker was among those Autobots seen escaping.
[edit] Toys
- Generation 1 Trailbreaker (1984)
- In the original toy line and animated TV series, Trailbreaker turns into a black Toyota 4WD HiLux, and is one of the first year Transformers toys, based on one of the Diaclone line of toys, where he was blue (in addition to other colors). Two variants of this toy exist, the original and one with a heat-sensitive rub-symbol. In 1996 Trailbreaker was remolded into the Autobot Hoist. Trailbreaker was reissued in Europe in 1991 and in Japan in 2001, but was never reissued in the U.S. According to store listings there were plans to reissue Trailbreaker and Ironhide as a commerative toy in 2005, but due to poor sales of the line, they were never released.
- Decoy Trailbreaker (1986)
- A decoy of Trailbreaker was included with many of the smaller Transformers toys sold in 1986. The appearance of Trailbreaker was based on his animated appearance.
[edit] Transformers: Cybertron
According to Hasbro they first considered the name Trailbreaker for the toy they eventually called Overhaul (Jackshot in Japan), which is why Overhaul was renamed Leobreaker when he was reformatted into a lion/tiger.
