Skids (Transformers)

Skids is the name used for four characters in the Transformers Universes. Due to trademark reasons, the name was modified to "Skid-Z" for it to be used on new characters and an "Autobot" prefix was added when the original Skids toy was reissued and when he became an Alternator.

Transformers: Generation 1

Skids

Alternators Skids
Autobot
Information
Sub-group Autobot Cars
Function Theoretician
Partner Sunstreaker and Screech
Motto "Deep down, we are more like than unlike humans."
Alternate modes Honda City Turbo, Scion xB, Pickup Truck
Series Transformers: Generation 1
Transformers: Alternators
English voice actor Michael Chain/Dan Gilvezan

As with many early Transformers toys, Skids' toy was previously released in a Takara toy line named Diaclone.[1] The toy originally included a scooter which could fit inside his vehicle mode but this was omitted when the toy was released as a Transformer.

Skids was characterized as the perfect absent-minded warrior. Highly intelligent and always collecting data, Skids is nonetheless always daydreaming. He is a scientist first and foremost, and has made many valuable discoveries. Skids genuinely hates the war he finds himself caught up in, but for now is forced to continue in the Autobot army.

Reception

Skids was voted the 10th top Transformer who was bad ass in the comics by Topless Robots.[2]

Marvel Comics

Four million years ago, Skids was one of five Autobots who agreed to have their sparks transferred to crystal storage in case the Autobots needed extra troops during the mission of clearing a path for Cybertron through an asteroid belt. In 1985, the Autobots were suffering heavy casualties and the five Autobots were activated in "Rock and Roll Out" (U.S. #14). Skids and the others (except Grapple) were shown around Earth by Bumblebee, where Skids encountered music for the first time and proved unable to interact easily with humans. Despite orders not to engage with the enemy, they went on to battle Decepticons at a rock concert.

During a raid on the Decepticons' Wyoming base, Skids was damaged in the withdrawal and was rendered M.I.A. Unknown to the other Autobots, he was found and salvaged by a Western-enthusiast named Charlene, and spent the next few days living a peaceful life in her small hometown. He revealed he never really wanted to be a soldier in the first place, and he decided to stay with her and avoid the war. However, Skids was forced into battle when Donny Finkleberg arrived, fleeing the Decepticons and being pursued by Ravage. In order to protect both Donny and Charlene, Skids had to engage Ravage in combat and was able to trap him in a well (where he remained for the next few years). Realizing he could not walk away from the Great War, Skids returned to the Ark with Finkleberg in tow.

Skids was partnered with Donny in U.S. #22 in a mission to locate seven Autobots (recent arrivals from Cybertron) captured by I.I.I.'s new Rapid Anti-robot Assault Teams, engaging in battle with the Stunticons as they went. However, he was betrayed and given over to R.A.A.T. for money. The guilt of what he'd done weighed heavily on Donny and when the Battlechargers proved too much for R.A.A.T. to handle, he helped convince Circuit Breaker to release Skids and the other Autobots from custody so they could battle the Decepticons in U.S. #23's "Decepticon Graffiti".

Skids led the seven Autobots to the Ark, but partway into the journey he was interrupted mid-conversation and disappearing into Limbo with a scream, a bright light and an explosion in UK #101. This effect was caused by the future Decepticon Galvatron time-jumping again, which sends a present day being into limbo to make room for the time-traveler. Skids was trapped in limbo for the better part of two years. (He appeared in non-speaking group shots in three U.S. issues; the UK reprints carefully erased or altered his appearance each time.)

Limbo was inhabited by strange psychic parasites who trapped visitors in fantasy worlds where dreams became reality; Skids was exposed to them for two years and when Galvatron finally left, Skids emerged on Earth to find the monsters from his nightmares had manifested and were following him. They tricked him into believing their death would also cause him to die and vice versa to stop him destroying them, but the truth came out and he was assisted by the surviving members of the Wreckers & Mayhem Attack Squad. The battle over, Skids joined them in forming the Survivors.

The Survivors went rogue and saved human lives in random situations. When a Mayhem hit squad came after Carnivac and killed Catilla, the other Survivors turned to the Autobot Earthforce for help and subsequently joined them.

Issue #279 of the Marvel U.K. Transformers comic featured a story called "Divide and Conquer!" where Soundwave led the bulk of the Decepticon forces on Earth against the Autobot Earthforce headquarters while Starscream attacked an oil tanker. Sent into battle by Prowl, the Dinobots routed the main Decepticon forces while Springer led the Autobot Survivors Inferno, Skids, and Carnivac to defeat Starscream.

Animated series

Although Skids did appear in season two of the original Transformers cartoon, he only made brief cameo appearances in two episodes. In the episode "Quest for Survival", Skids is shown being repaired by Hoist, and is voiced by Michael Chain (where he only said one line). In his second episode, "Triple Takeover", it was Dan Gilvezan who provided Skids' voice. He is one of the Autobots who is never seen again after the movie.

Books

Skids was featured in the 1985 Find Your Fate Junior book called Dinobots Strike Back by Casey Todd.[3][4]

Binaltech

In the Binaltech storyline, Skids is entrusted with the critical task of executing "Operation: Distant Thunder", a desperate attempt by the Autobots to undo the temporal damage caused by Ravage. Using warp gates on Dinobot Island, the intent of the operation is to send a copy of Wheeljack's memory banks back to the Autobots at a point before the timeline was changed, with the hope of avoiding both Ravage's time corruption, in which all the Autobots were likely be annihilated, and the original animated movie's events in which Wheeljack, Ironhide, Prowl and many other Autobots died aboard the shuttle to Autobot City. Just as Skids initiates Distant Thunder, a squad of Decepticons attacks. .. (the storyline is continued on the limited-edition Binaltech Black Convoy's box).[5]

Dreamwave Productions

Skids was part of Prowl's team of Autobots during Transformers: The War Within - The Dark Ages. They attempted to investigate a new Decepticon base — only to discover it was Trypticon. In the ensuing battle, Skids was crushed though he was later repaired.

3H Enterprises

Skids appeared in a flashback scene in issue #2 of the Transformers: Universe Wreckers comic, where Rodimus Prime consulted Quickmix, Skids, Perceptor and Rad on his plans to send out ships to gather information on threats from space after the defeat of Unicron.

Devil's Due Publishing

Skids appeared in the fourth G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers crossover from Devil's Due Publishing as part of a group led by Prowl working with former G.I. Joe leader Hawk to stop the spread of Cybertronian technology on Earth. Skids acted as the group coordinator. He was shown to be knocked out when the Decepticon Monster Pretenders attacked, although he was later repaired.

Toys

Based on the Diaclone toy. Later remolded into Crosscut.[6]
Originally planned for released in wave 2 of the Smallest Transformers line, but was canceled along with Tracks and the add-on parts for Megatron.[7]
Skids reappeared in the Transformers: Alternators toy line, now turning into a Scion xB car with large Scion flame logos tampographed on his bodywork. His motto is "Speed is immaterial when you've got intelligence. And killer rims." For copyright reasons he was renamed Autobot Skids. His function was still a theoretician.
In Binaltech, he appeared as the Japanese Toyota bB version of the car, in a lighter shade of blue and with some differences to his robot-mode detailing. He did not have the Alternator version's flame tampographs or window tinting, but instead came with a sticker sheet which included a stripe detail reminiscent of his original G1 appearance, and a flame detail of a different design to that used on the Alternator. Binaltech Skids was released at the same time as the silver Broadblast repaint.
This toy was designed by Takara toy designer Hisashi Yuki.[8]
Produced by Wizards of the Coast, wave 2 of their Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game included a Skids card, who was a redeco of Ironhide from wave 1.
An all-new Deluxe mold of Skids, based on his IDW Comics incarnation. Comes with comic book.[9]
The mold for this figure is also used for Deluxe Crosscut and Transformers: Age of Extinction Deluxe Rollbar.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Skid-Z

Robots in Disguise Skid-Z toy
Autobot
Information
Sub-group Deluxe Vehicles
Function High-speed Scout
Rank 6
Motto "Catch me if you can, Decepticons!"
Alternate modes Indy Racer
Series Transformers: Robots in Disguise
English voice actor Michael Lindsay
Japanese voice actor Hitoshi Nishimura

The first of the modified spelling of the name, Skid-Z is a repaint of a toy named "Indy Heat" from the Takara series Car Robots and he is the Hasbro version of that character.[10]

Animated series

Skid-Z first arrived on Earth in the episode "Skid-Z's Choice". Arriving from Cybertron he scanned the alternate mode of a race car driven by the deceased racer Augie Cannay. After that, he felt a compelling need to participate in any race he could, no matter what it was. Sky-Byte actually attempted to recruit the ultra-competitive Autobot into the Predacons, but Skid-Z refused. The other Autobots tried to help him, believing he was possessed by the psychic energy of Augie. Believing they could find and help Skid-Z, Optimus Prime, the Autobot Brothers, Spy Changers and Team Bullet Train entered the international Grand Prix. The race was also entered by Sky-Byte undercover as a red sports car, who saw it as a chance to destroy the Autobots. Eventually Megatron attacked the Autobots during the race, with Skid-Z having to choose between saving his fellow Autobots or winning the race. He was able to overcome his racing urges and save the day. After this, he won the race, coming in first — but mistook Koji's watch alarm as a starting signal, racing off again. He was not seen again until after Galvatron's defeat in the final episode.

Toys

The Japanese version of this toy sports a more anime-accurate deco than the U.S. version.
A maroon/white redeco of Machine Wars Mirage, which was created and intended to be used earlier in Transformers: Generation 2. Skid-Z was a Deluxe-sized "flip-changer" — pulling on his rear spoiler transformed the vehicle automatically into robot mode. He came packaged with a Decepticon flip-changer jet Windsheer (a black redeco of Machine Wars Megatron), but was the only one of the two to appear in the TV series, albeit sparingly.[11]

Transformers: Armada

Skid-Z

Armada Skid-Z toy
Mini-Con
Information
Partner Predacon & Side Burn
Motto "If you don't believe, you don't belong."
Alternate modes Car
Series Transformers: Armada

The second and most recent use of the modified name "Skid-Z" was for a Mini-Con, a repaint of the Street Speed Team toy named Spiral. Skid-Z was one of two partners to the Decepticon named Predacon.

Dreamwave Productions

The Mini-Con Skid-Z did not appear in any Transformers fiction, save his bio in Dreamwave Productions More Than Meets the Eye series.

His bio indicated that Skid-Z was a follower of the charismatic cult leader Predacon. Always a misfit, Skid-Z felt as if he finally belonged with Predacon's group. Unfortunately, while he believed wholeheartedly in Predacon's philosophy, he was incompatible for the organics grafting process Predacon used on his followers to make them technorganic. Although the charismatic leader professed to be fine with this, Skid-Z felt as if he had let down his partner. He has a distinct rivalry with Predacon's other Mini-Con partner Side Burn, whose organic grafting took perfectly. Of course, Skid-Z does not know his rival is a spy for the Autobots.

Toys

Skid-Z is a redeco of Armada Spiral.[12]

Transformers: Cybertron

Skids is the Japanese name for the Transformers: Cybertron toy/character named Clocker, He is a native of the planet Speedia and transforms into a futuristic racing car; he is a protégé of Autolander. His voice actor is Nanae Kato. This Skids is exempt from having a modified name or a prefix as the licensing law that Hasbro has to abide to do not apply to toys released in Japan.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Skids

Revenge of the Fallen Skids
Autobot
Information
Sub-group Cyberverse Legion, Deluxe Vehicles, Legends, Micro Vehicles, Robot Powered Machines
Function Messenger, Warrior
Rank 2
Partner Mudflap, Arcee, Mikaela Banes, Elita-1, Sgt Epps
Motto "The right word is better than the wrong move."
Alternate modes Chevrolet BEAT, half an ice cream van, Cybertronian car, Chevrolet Spark
Series Transformers film series
Transformers: Robot Powered Machines
Transformers (2010)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
English voice actor Tom Kenny
Japanese voice actor Tomokazu Seki[13]

Skids appears in the 2009 installment to the live-action Transformers series.[14] He was discovered by the public when one of the Autobots, a Chevrolet BEAT, had a license plate that reads "SKIDZ".[15] Skids is the brother to the Autobot Mudflap. Mudflap is very hyperactive, while Skids believes himself to be the smarter of the two and tries to come across as mature, but nevertheless appears unable to keep quiet.

Skids is 11 foot 4 inches tall and weighs 1.2 metric tons.[16] He has an oversized right arm, as opposed to his twin brother, Mudflap, whose left is oversized. Skids has two buck teeth; one golden, the other normal. According to the biography and statistics published on the Hasbro web site, Skids is 8 feet tall and he has a nearly psychic link with his brother allowing them to make coordinated attacks. It also states that Skids and Mudflap used to serve as messengers before becoming warriors.[17]

IDW Publishing

In Tales of the Fallen #6 Arcee is taken by Thundercracker and given to the Decepticon medic Flatline, who experiments on her. Upon waking up she discovers Skids and Mudflap are also captives of the Decepticons.[18]

Skids first appeared in Transformers: Alliance #4 as one of the Autobots who responded to Optimus Prime's call to Earth. He joined with Optimus' team as part of NEST.

Skids appears in Transformers: Nefarious #1, set months after the events of the 2009 film. Alice steals an RV in Seattle and is chased by Skids and Mudflap, who keep her occupied until Sideswipe arrives and defeats her. She is taken to NEST headquarters on Diego Garcia to be examined by Ratchet. Sideswipe is disgusted by her decision to disguise herself as a human.

In California, the Autobots set a trap for Starscream's minions Divebomb, Fearswoop and Skystalker by having Theodore Galloway pose as an arms dealer attempting to purchase Cybertronian technology. The trap is uncovered and the Autobots send in Arcee, Chromia, Elita One, Ironhide, Mudflap and Skids. Divebomb and Skystalker are killed while Fearswoop is captured by the Autobots and taken back to the NEST base on Diego Garcia.[19]

Movie plot

Skids, who originally transforms into half of an ice cream truck, fails to capture Sideways in Shanghai, China. When he and Mudflap return to the NEST base on Diego Garcia, they scan two Chevrolet concept cars for their new modes. Skids takes the green one after knocking Mudflap off it; Mudflap ends up taking the form of the red-orange one. They then approach and accompany Bumblebee who rescues Sam Witwicky from Megatron and Starscream. Mudflap and Skids then accompany Wheelie, Sam Witwicky and friends and in their search for the ancient Seeker Jetfire and is teleported with them to Egypt. Finding themselves at a dead end, Skids's brawl with Mudflap unintentionally causes them to find the Tomb of the Primes before Bumblebee tosses them out. The twins then accompany Simmons and Leo into devising a plan to destroy the Sun Harvester. They encounter Devastator, in which Mudflap is sucked in by Devastator's vortex grinder with Skids devastated. When Mudflap breaks out of Devastator, he and Mudflap wail on the giant, before getting knocked off. The two are briefly seen taking cover under Devastator and are not seen afterwards.

Skids and Mudflap were originally set to appear in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but were cut from the final film due to many fans considering them to be racist and due to time restraints. Despite this, he and Mudflap do appear in vehicle form at the end of two Autobot convoys at the beginning of the film. They have been upgraded into Chevrolet Sparks. If in Final Cut they are not cut out of the film. Skids and Mudflap were killed, with Ironhide would be weapon Sentinel Prime. As in the comics adaptation.

Chevy Beat Concept car

Controversy

There has been a strong negative reaction to Mudflap and Skids in Revenge of the Fallen as the pair were received by some as racist stereotypes. The characters speak in street-slang dialogue, confess to not doing much reading, and have been perceived by some critics to have been designed with the body proportions of monkeys. Skids also sports a gold tooth. Manohla Dargis of the New York Times said that "the characters [...] indicate that minstrelsy remains as much in fashion in Hollywood as when, well, Jar Jar Binks was set loose by George Lucas."[20] Critic Scott Mendelson of The Huffington Post, who perceived the characters to resemble monkeys, said, "To say that these two are the most astonishingly racist caricatures that I've ever seen in a mainstream motion picture would be an understatement."[21] Harry Knowles, founder of Ain't It Cool News, asked his readers not to support the film, telling them, "you'll be taking [your children] to see a film with the lowest forms of humor, stereotypes and racism around."[22] Director Michael Bay has defended the characters, explaining that the characters' mannerisms were chosen by the actors who voiced them, and that they did so in fun.[23]

Video games

Skids is among the characters who appear in the TRANSFORMERS CVBERVERSE Battle Builder Game.[24]

Toys

All toys of this character are officially licensed from General Motors.

A Legends sized figure.
A toy car that instantly transforms to robot mode when tilted upright.
A Deluxe-sized figure with simple transformation for younger children.
A green/white redeco of the Fast Action Battlers figure bundled with Mudflap.
A poseable, non-transforming action figure of Skids.
Transforms from Chevrolet Beat to robot.
This toy was designed by Takara toy designer Hisashi Yuki.[25]
Packaged together with his twin Mudflap.
This package comes with Skids and Mudflap in the ice cream van combined mode as Skids becomes the front and Mudflap the back. The first release was packaged in van mode, while later releases had both figures packaged in robot modes.
A new Voyager-sized figure with opening doors and detailed interior. Comes with Mikaela Banes figure and transformable Arcee figure.[26]
A Lawson (Japan) exclusive redeco of Deluxe Skids and Mudflap with sand effects, depicting their appearance during their battle with Devastator in Egypt. Sold with the purchase of the Revenge of the Fallen DVD.[27]
A Target exclusive featuring a green/white redeco of the Legends figure with Legends Mudflap.
A Toys "R" Us exclusive gift set featuring the Ice Cream Van Twins and Voyager Demolishor. The twins are redecorated with rust effects and additional stickers.[28]
A yellow-green/white redeco of the Legends figure.
A metallic green/black redeco of the Deluxe figure. The license plate reads "1H8CONS", while the rear bumper sticker reads "I helped make The Fallen falled!".[29]
A redeco of ice cream van Mudflap and Skids in gold and pink, bundled with Sideways.[30]
A Japan exclusive white/pink redeco of the Legends figure.
A black/green redeco of the Revenge of the Fallen Legends figure.[31]
An all-new Deluxe Class figure of Skids in his new Chevrolet Spark form in black with green stripes. Includes special Mech Tech weapon.[32]
A black/green redeco of the Revenge of the Fallen Human Alliance figure with a Sgt. Epps figure (which was previously offered with the Human Alliance Sideswipe figure) in blue uniform. Also comes with Elita-1, which is a purple redeco of Arcee.[33]

References

  1. ↑ Alvarez, J.E. (2001). The Unofficial Guide to Transformers 1980s Through 1990s Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 26. ISBN 0-7643-1364-9.
  2. ↑ http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/04/10_transformers_that_were_only_badass_in_the_comic.php 10 Transformers That Were Only Badass in the Comics By Rob Bricken, Apr. 14 2009 By Kevin J. Guhl
  3. ↑ http://www.gamebooks.org/show_item.php?id=1144&PHPSESSID=4d7776a874ecb72d37230c8f12a49c24
  4. ↑ Dinobots Strike Back. Ballantine Books. 1985. ISBN 0-345-34150-3.
  5. ↑ http://www.cobraislandtoys.com/tf/2006/skids-alternator.html
  6. ↑ http://www.cobraislandtoys.com/tf/1985/skids.html
  7. ↑ TFW2005.com - WST Skids
  8. ↑ http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/interviews-27/takaratomy-staff-interview-translation-hisashi-yuki-rotf-rid-prime-bt-skids-and-bwn-unicron-168426/
  9. ↑ TFW2005.com - Generations Deluxe Autobot Skids
  10. ↑ TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE Returns! Hasbro Launches Product Line Based on Original '80s Theme; Fox Kids Series to Debut September 8th. Business Wire September 5, 2001
  11. ↑ Cobra Island Toys
  12. ↑ http://www.cobraislandtoys.com/tf/2003/skidz-minicon.html
  13. ↑ TFW2005.com - ROTF Japanese Dub Voice Credits
  14. ↑ http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-04-01-transformers-first-look_N.htm First look: Robo-brawlers big, small in new 'Transformers' By Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY
  15. ↑ http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-9/transformers-2-set-images---chevy-beat-character-revealed-165972/
  16. ↑ Transformers Live
  17. ↑ Hasbro.com - Battle Bios
  18. ↑ http://chrismowry.blogspot.com/2010/01/arcee-5-pages.html
  19. ↑ John Barber (w), Carlos Magno (p), Aburtov and Graphiksslava (i). Transformers: Rising Storm 1 (February 2011), IDW Publishing
  20. ↑ Manohla Dargis. "Invasion of the Robot Toys, Redux" New York Times; June 24, 2009
  21. ↑ Scott Mendelson. "Huff Post Review: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen: The IMAX Experience(2009)" The Huffington Post; June 30, 2009
  22. ↑ Harry Knowles. "Harry says TRANSFORMERS 2 is foul mouthed, racist & misogynistic! It also runs an hour too long!" Ain't It Cool News; June 23, 2009
  23. ↑ SFGate.com
  24. ↑ http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?R=E4651B16-5056-900B-1074-AA6D591357D5:en_US
  25. ↑ TFW2005.com - Takara Tomy Staff Interview (Translation): Hisashi Yuki
  26. ↑ Figure King magazine, issue #140, page 91
  27. ↑ TFW2005.com - Autobot Skids (Desert Version)
  28. ↑ TFW2005.com - Autobot Skids and Mudflap (Shanghai Showdown)
  29. ↑ TFW2005.com - Deluxe Tuner Skids
  30. ↑ TFW2005.com - Three New TF Hunt for the Decepticons 2-Packs
  31. ↑ TFW2005.com - Cyberverse Legion Autobot Skids
  32. ↑ TFW2005.com - Dark of the Moon Deluxe Skids Mechtech Weapon and Comparison
  33. ↑ TFW2005.com - Official High Resolution Transformers Mech Tech Images

External links

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