Dreadwind is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers Transformers series.
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Dreadwind box art |
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| Decepticon | |
|---|---|
| Sub-group | BotCon Exclusives, Powermasters, Voyagers |
| Function | Air Defense |
| Rank | 6 |
| Partner | Hi-Test, Bug Bite, Thrust, Thundercracker, and Dirge |
| 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.
Darkwing and Dreadwind are considered highly collectable.[1]
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.
Dreadwind appeared in issue #77 "Exodus!" where he was among the Decepticons who backed Bludgeon's plan to conquor an inhabited world for the Decepticons once they abandoned Cybertron, rather than go with the Autobot plan to start from nothing on an uninhabited world.
They aided in the raid on planet Klo, where they were seemingly 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 U.K.’s exclusive Transformers title.
The U.S. animated series was canceled before Dreadwind was produced, so he did not appear in the series, however, the redeco of Dreadwind, known as Buster, appeared as a regular in the Masterforce series in Japan. Dreadwind's only true appearance in animated form was in the commercials for Powermaster toys.[2]
Dreadwind was among the Decepticons featured in the 1988 book and audio adventure Autobot Hostage by Ladybird books.[3]
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.
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?".
Dreadwind appeared in Withered Hope by Fun Publications.[4]
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.
| Decepticon | |
|---|---|
| Function | High Altitude Bomber |
| Rank | 6 |
| 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 anime series, but was added to the toy line by Hasbro just prior to the Transformers: Universe line of redecos.
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.
Robot Masters Smokesniper toy |
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| Decepticon | |
|---|---|
| Sub-group | Deluxe Vehicles |
| Alternate Modes | Jet |
| Series | Transformers: Timelines |
This version of Dreadwind is the mirror universe version of the Generation 1 character and a member of Megatron's heroic Decepticon forces. Darkwind and Dreadwind seem to be stand-up comedians. According to the author of the character he is based on classic comedians Stan Laurel and Bud Abbott.[8]
He can turn into a jet. In jet modes he and Darkwind combine into Dreadwing.
Darkwind and Dreadwind were executed by the Autobots in Around Cybertron from issue #27 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine.
The toy for Transformers: Robot Masters Smokesniper was repainted as Shattered Glass Dreadwind.