Dreadwind

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Dreadwind is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.

Contents

[edit] Transformers: Generation 1

Transformers character
Dreadwind
Affiliation Decepticon
Sub-Group BotCon Exclusives
Powermaster
Voyager
Function Air Defense
Partner Hi-Test
Motto "Fear is a friend whose presence is felt long after he's left." (Generation 1)
"We're Doomed. Not that it matters." (Timelines)
Alternate Modes F-16 Fighter Jet
Cybertronian Jet
Series Transformers: Generation 1
Transformers: Timelines

Dreadwind was a pessimist, constantly taking the "glass is half empty" view (somewhat reminiscent of the Stunticon Dead End). The other Decepticons, bar Darkwing, avoid him, as they know he'll only depress them more. While Dreadwind does inspire dread on the battlefield, this only gets him even further down. Dreadwind transforms into an F-16 Fighting Falcon jet. His partner is the Nebulan Hi-Test. Hi-Test is the polar opposite of Dreadwind, who enjoys danger, and tries to get his partner to cheer up.

[edit] Marvel Comics

The peaceful planet of Nebulos had earlier been visited by the Autobots and Decepticons in Marvel Comics’ Transformers series, and when they departed, only ruin was left in their wake. To prevent such horrors from occurring again, Nebulan scientist Hi-Q detonated a bomb in the planet’s atmosphere which “poisoned” the planet’s various fuel supplies and resources – although harmless to Nebulans, the “poison” was toxic to Transformers. This was the fate which befell Dreadwind and Darkwing when they came to the planet looking for the departed Scorponok, and refueled from Nebulan resources, causing their bodies to cease functioning. Their rotting, immobile hulks soon became tourist attractions.

Meanwhile, Hi-Q’s jealous partner, Hi-Test, had vowed to outdo his contemporary, and hired criminal Throttle to steal Hi-Q’s latest fuel conversion theories, which he had dubbed the “Powermaster Process.” Using this data, Hi-Test bio-engineered his and Throttle’s bodies, and offered partnership to Dreadwind and Darkwing, who accepted; the two Nebulans transformed into engines and connected to them, supplying them with untainted energy direct from their own bodies. The Powermasters ran roughshod over the planet, but were eventually defeated by a new team of Powermasters, including Hi-Q himself, bonded with Optimus Prime, and exiled from Nebulos.

Dreadwind and Darkwing soon entered into a partnership with the robot-eating Mecannibals, hiding their own robot nature by dealing through Hi-Test and Throttle, whose job it was to find other robots for the Mecannibals to feast upon. Setting their sights upon Autobot Pretenders Landmine and Cloudburst, the Decepticons lured them into the Mecannibals clutches, but in a strange twist of fate, the Pretenders were sent to gather spices to improve their flavour. Dreadwind and Darkwing pursued them to make things difficult, but when the fact that they were robots was revealed to the Mecannibals, Landmine and Cloudburst departed while Dreadwing and Darkwind fled.

The Mecannibals pursued the two Powermasters to Cybertron, where they took an assignment from Megatron to acquire the body of the deceased Decepticon, Starscream, hoping it would allow them to shake off their pursuers. Heading to Earth, they discovered that the energies of the Underbase that had destroyed Starscream continued to animate his corpse, but when Throttle and Hi-Test drained them away, they took the body back to Megatron for revival as a Pretender. Megatron’s subsequent apparent death put the duo out of work, however, and they drowned their sorrows at Maccadam’s Old Oil House, where they remained drunkenly unaware of some Mecannibals that had picked up their trail being dispatched by the Autobot Quickswitch. Dreadwind and Darkwing participated in the attack on Unicron when the chaos-bringer assaulted Cybertron, and survived to serve under Bludgeon’s leadership, aiding in the raid on planet Klo, where they killed the Autobot Getaway.

Of the two, Dreadwind was a particular favorite character of series writer Simon Furman, and served a long stint as the character who answered reader’s queries on the letters page of the UK’s exclusive Transformers title.

[edit] Fun Publications

Based on the Transformers Classics toy line, the Timelines 2007 story is set 15 years after the end of the Marvel Comics story (ignoring all events of the Marvel U.K. and Generation 2 comics). Dreadwind, now without his Powermaster or his partner Darkwing, is one of the troops commanded by Bug Bite, under the ultimate command of Bludgeon. In this story he retains his usual pessimistic attitude, noting that Darkwing had been left with Bludgeon's troops, and that Hi-Test had been killed by Grimlock. He was the only one to see the spying Mirage, and blasted him. After Megatron's forces were implanted with cerebro shells and subsequently broke free, Dreadwind was seen holding Scrapper up with one hand, asking "Why doesn't anyone like me?". It is unclear if he survived the battle.

[edit] Dreamwave Productions

Although Dreadwind and Hi-Test did not appear in any fiction by Dreamwave Productions they did get a full bio in their More Than Meets The Eye series. This bio describes Hi-Test as an over-achieving former scientist who annoys his both partner and Darkwing.

[edit] IDW Publishing

Dreadwind made his first IDW Publishing appearance in The Transformers: Stormbringer, where he was part of an infiltration cell on the planet Nebulos under Darkwing's command. When Thunderwing arrived, Dreadwind and the other Decepticons did their best to stop him, but when Ruckus, Crankcase and Roadgrabber were destroyed by the monster, Dreadwind and Darkwing both fled.

[edit] Toys

  • Generation 1 Dreadwind (1988)
A Powermaster toy that came with Powermaster partner Hi-Test. He was later recolored into the Decepticon Godmaster Buster.
  • Transformers: Timelines Dreadwind (2007)
A remold of Classic Jetfire available as part of an exclusive set available at BotCon 2007.


[edit] Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Transformers character

Dreadwind by 3H Enterprises
Dreadwind
Affiliation Decepticon
Function High Altitude Bomber
Partner Smokejumper
Motto "Fear is the final gift I give those I destroy."
Alternate Modes Stealth Bomber/Tank
Series Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Dreadwind was part of the Robots in Disguise who did not appear in the animated series, but was added to the toy line by Hasbro just prior to the Transformers: Universe line of redecos.

[edit] 3H Enterprises

Dreadwind did not appear in any fiction, but he did get a biography in the 3H Enterprises club magazine. There were plans to make him part of the Decepticon forces under the command of Megazarak in the Transformers: Universe story, but when 3H lost the Transformers license, these plans were never realized.

Dreadwind is depicted as a merciless powerful one-robot juggernaut who uses Smokejumper's amazing targeting systems to reign down missiles on his opponents.

[edit] Toys

  • Robots in Disguise Dreadwind (2003)
Dreadwind is a redeco of Generation 2 Dreadwing, ATB Megatron and Beast Wars Second BB. He came packaged with his partner Smokejumper. He was later redecoed into Robot Masters Gigant Bomb.