Strika

Strika is the name of three fictional characters from the Transformers series. The first was Strika is an Autobot general turned Vehicon, and one of the main villains in the animated Beast Machines television series in 2000, voice by Patricia Drake. The second Strika is a minor Decepticon villain from Transformers Animated television series, and is an homage to the first Strika. Both characters have appeared in comics by Fun Publications.

Beast Machines

Strika is one of the greatest generals in Cybertron's history, and the consort of Obsidian.

Fictional biography

Beast Machines: Strika's presence on the battlefield often turns the tide in favor of the Vehicons. Holds a personal vendetta against all Maximals, especially Blackarachnia. In combat, will lure enemy into rough terrain to give herself the advantage. Equipped with reciprocating laser cannon that shreds anything caught in its field of fire. Can wreak havoc with one sustained blast from her cannon. Alloy-plated armor deflects many types of Maximal ammo. Capable of high speed bursts on any terrain and has amazing endurance in close combat.

Timelines: Strika is sworn to the preservation of her homeworld – it is a goal to which she has been dedicated to for eons. The many conflicts she has fought in have honed her skills into perfect precision, allowing her mere presence on the battlefield to change the tide of the fight. Strika is deftly aware of her own advantages and disadvantages at any given moment, and manipulates the enemy’s forces accordingly. She often lures her foes into rough terrain where only her toughened treads can traverse the brutal landscape. The launchers located atop her vehicle mode offer a sustained barrage of terrifying firepower, while her main cannon shreds anything caught in its sights. The thick armor plates covering both Strika’s forms deflect most types of enemy artillery. Having conducted countless hours of hand-to-hand training, Strika has unbelievable endurance in close combat. Despite her hulking frame, she can execute sudden bursts of speed allowing her to overtake her prey with ease.

Animated series

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 was not 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 did not 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 partly 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."

A previously-unnamed character model appearing in a flashback in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4" was retroactively designated as Strika by Fun Publication's story The Flames of Yesterday.

Comics

3H Enterprises

In the Transformers: Universe storyline, 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.

Fun Publications

Strika appears in the Fun Publications story The Flames of Yesterday, as she is an Autobot in Cybertron's distant past.^[2]

Strika and Obsidian appear in the Botcon 2013 story Machine Wars: Termination where they are Autobot Generals in the far future, working to defend Cybertron from Jhiaxus' clone forces.^[3]

Obsidian and Strika appeared together in the story Wreckers: Finale Part II by 2007. During the invasion of Cybertron the Quintessons believed the orbital defenses were deactivated, but thanks to Obsidian and Strika, some of them were brought back online and used against a Quintesson ship.^[4]

Toys

• Beast Machines Strika (2000)

This "deluxe" size toy's colors did not match the animated series.

• Beast Wars Returns Strika

The Japanese exclusive redeco of the original Strika toy was made to more closely match the animated series color.

• Universe Deluxe Nemesis Strika

A redeco of the original Strika toy sold as a Decepticon.

• Timelines Machine Wars (2013)

A 5-pack sold exclusively at BotCon 2013. Contains the Autobots Hoist, Obsidian and Strika, as well as the Decepticon Megaplex and Skywarp.

Strika is a recolor and head remold of Generations Warpath.

Transformers Animated

Animated Strika is a character who appeared in season 3 of the Transformers Animated series. She is an homage to the Beast Machines version of the character, speaking with a Russian accent.^[5] Strika's team is made up of herself, Cyclonus, Oil Slick, Spittor, and Blackout. Though her group never appeared on Earth, Strika briefly appears in "Human Error Part 1" with the rest of Team Chaar & Shockwave, albeit as a virtual reality illusion. According to the show's creators, Strika is Lugnut's consort.

Animated Series

She first appears in the season 3 episode, "Transwarped", where she leads her team in conjunction with the other Decepticon groups in acquiring a Space Bridge. After her forces soundly defeat Rodimus's team, Strika then contacts Shockwave that she and her team have secured the space bridge and they are ready to warp to Cybertron; but Shockwave informs Strika to hold her position until Megatron and his team arrive on Cybertron much to her dismay. Later, as the Elite Guard make their way to their location, Strika is about to order her men to attack when they receive orders from Megatron to fall back as she reluctantly complies. Since then, Strika and her group's actions were mentioned among the Deceptions groups attacking other Space Bridge by Sentinel Prime while interrogating Lugnut for answers behind the attack. Her team remained at large.

Fun Publications

Strika's biography was printed in issue #24 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine. She is described as Megatron's personally chosen "General of Destruction", who has won many battles against the Autobots.

After the events of Transformers Animated the Stunticons set up a Stunt Convoy show in the city of Kaon and used it as cover to attempt to break Megatron out of his detention at Trypticon. Their efforts were thwarted thanks to the efforts of Cheetor, Optimus Prime and Sideswipe. The Stunticons were placed in detention with Megatron and an attempt to rescue them was made by the Decepticons Blot, Mindwipe, Oil Slick, Scalpel, Sky-Byte and Strika.^[6]

Kre-O

The third Strika is a Kreon from the Kre-O Transformers line. She was a Botcon 2013 exclusive.

Strika is an Autobot who turns into a tank, and is an homage to the Timelines Strika figure.

Toys

• Kre-O Transformers Machine Wars Kreon Souvenir Figure Set (2013)

A 5 pack containing Hoist, Megaplex, Obsidian, Skywarp and Strika.

External links

• Beast Machines Strika at the Transformers Wiki
• Animated Strika at the Transformers Wiki

References