.gif){kind=spacer}
Blaster (Transformers)
Encyclopedia
Blaster is the name of several fictional character
s in the Transformers
television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara Tomy
and Hasbro
. Due to trademark reasons, he is sometimes called Autobot Blaster. He is an Autobot
who specializes in communications.
or ghettoblaster, hence the name. Blaster was a popular character from the original series while not featuring as prominently in the modern Transformers
universe.
According to Dan Fleming in Powerplay: toys as popular culture, Blaster represents a guardian of more primitive heroes, as well as the hidden power of technology.
As a member of the Autobot communications sub-group Blaster frequently worked with its other members - Eject
, Grandslam, Raindance
, Ramhorn
, Rewind
and Steeljaw
. He is the Autobots' answer to the evil Decepticon Soundwave
.
Blaster (Tempo in France
, Radiorobot in Italy
, Broadcast in Japan
) , like the Autobot Jazz
, has a great love of Earth culture, rock music
and other forms of music as long as it is "good, hard and loud". He's normally at the forefront of any given situation. As an AM/FM stereo cassette player, he can perform as a deck, plus receive radio signals on a variety of frequencies. Acting as the Autobot communications center, he can transmit signals within a 4,000 mile radius. Blaster is sometimes depicted as carrying various tape warriors within his deck, including (Steeljaw
, Ramhorn
, Rewind
and Eject
).
Blaster was voted the 5th top Transformer who was bad ass in the comics by Topless Robots.
According to critics, Blaster has a "black coded" voice and name.
Transformers comics Blaster originally appeared in issue #17, attempting to rescue his friend Scrounge, who was to be executed by Straxus
. Blaster is captured himself and forced to watch his friend die. He is rescued by Perceptor
and his Autobot group. Later, spying on Straxus' use of the Space Bridge, the Autobots decide to attack and blow it up. They discover the Space Bridge is their comrade Spanner. Blaster then battles Straxus one-on-one, seemingly destroying him. With the Space Bridge blowing itself up, Blaster has no choice but to lead his comrades (Beachcomber, Cosmos
, Perceptor
, Powerglide
, Seaspray
and Warpath) across the Bridge to Earth.
Their luck didn't improve as they were attacked by Megatron and his troops on arrival, only being saved when Megatron decides to attack the Autobot bases instead. Circuit Breaker
, a super-powered human whose crippling in an attack by Shockwave
had left her with a pathological hatred of all Transformers, then attacks and defeated them. She mounts their heads in her Rapid Anti-Robot Attack Team headquarters. After capturing the Aerialbots as well a new problem arose. The Decepticon Battlechargers Runabout
and Runamuck
had been causing mayhem all across America. Using the parts from all the captured Autobots she creates a giant Autobot with herself in control, striking a deal with them that if they would co-operate she would let them go. Circuit Breaker then uses them to oppose the two Decepticons, who were attacking the Statue of Liberty
. After defeating the Decepticons with Circuit Breaker the Autobots were released and rebuilt into their original forms.
After a brief side adventure in the UK comics, in which Blaster's group are attacked (and almost killed) by the insane future Decepticon Galvatron
, Blaster and his men join up with the main Autobots on Earth. Soon after they join, Optimus Prime dies. Blaster delivers the eulogy at his funeral.
In issue #27, "King of the Hill!", Perceptor
summons his fellow Autobots Blaster, Hot Spot, Jetfire
, Omega Supreme
, Ratchet
and Silverbolt in order to decide who should take leadership of the Autobots. After an attack by the giant Decepticon Trypticon
, Grimlock
is chosen to lead them.
Blaster would soon regret this. After a mission where their cover had been blown by the Mechanic, a human, he and Goldbug
, appalled by Grimlock's willingness to sacrifice humans to achieve their goals, desert. They also ran because they fear Grimlock's anger.
They had more adventures; facing the Decepticon Triple Changer
s and a plague of Scraplets, as well as facing off with a Decepticon strike force sent to destroy Galvatron and Ultra Magnus
. Blaster (himself getting more callous) is robbed of his ally when Goldbug and the Throttlebot
s are betrayed by humans and captured by RAAT. He is subsequently attacked by both the Combaticons
and the Protectobot
s, who had been sent by Grimlock to arrest him. The two combiner teams battled, with Bruticus beating Defensor. With aid from some human children Blaster takes out the giant Decepticon. As a reward, he locks Blast Off into his Decepticon shuttle mode and took them into space. There, they are attacked by Grimlock and the Ark
. Surrendering to save their lives, Blaster discovers he was not alone in his discontent, especially after Grimlock had tried to have the kids executed.
Events came to a head when Fortress Maximus
's group of Autobots link up with Grimlock's group, informing him that many of their group's number had been empowered by linking themselves with humans via the Headmaster
and Targetmaster
processes. Grimlock is not pleased, and it was quickly realized he had to be defeated. A recently-rebuilt and imprisoned Goldbug convinces Blaster to fight in Maximus' place. In the midst of their duel, Ratbat
's Decepticons attacked, and the two put aside their differences to lead the Autobots to a partial victory. During the conflict, Maximus sent a unit of his troops back to Nebulos so that Prime will be resurrected via the Powermaster process. Prime soon returns and retakes command, sending Blaster to investigate the Decepticon island resort Club Con, seemingly run by Buster Witwicky. Accompanying Buster's girlfriend Jessie, he soon had his cover blown by the Seacons
and was forced to flee.
Blaster encounters time-traveling Autobots who intended to deal with Galvatron, a plot detailed in the UK comics. This encounter results in Blaster being displaced to an alternate limbo realm.
He is soon freed, only to be deactivated by the Underbase powered Starscream
.
Blaster was seen among the Autobots being repaired on the Ark when Optimus Prime sent Landmine and Cloudburst on their mission to obtain computer chips to repair fellow Autobots in issue #52, "Guess Who The Mechannibals Are Having For Dinner?" Despite rescuing Sky Lynx, the two Autobots' mission ended in failure, when the pair realized the Mechannibals came by their computer chips by recycling them from other robots they ate.
Blaster's body was seen among the deactivated Autobots Ratchet is doing his best to revive in Transformers #56, "Back from the Dead".
This was not the end for Blaster; he is one of the Autobots revived by Nucleon
by Grimlock and the other Dinobots
. Returning to Cybertron, he battles against the coming of Unicron
. After the betrayal of the Decepticons, the Autobots follow them to the planet Klo
, where they were ambushed. Blaster is one of the few survivors. Then he is blown apart by Quake
's tank mode while Prowl
berates Grimlock for inept strategy. He was resurrected when Optimus Prime returned with the Last Autobot and routed the Decepticon forces.
The future Blaster from the Movie continuity would also appear in the UK comics, as one of the crew of Autobot city. Arcee
's unintentional dereliction of duty allows a Quintesson
sneak attack to catch the city unawares, and Blaster appears to get killed trying to radio for help. His body was later strung up by the Quintessons as a taunting gesture to the other Autobots. However, he helps his comrades from "beyond the grave", allowing his cassettes Steeljaw, Eject and Ramhorn to assist in taking back the city.
It later transpires that depictions of Blaster's "death" had been greatly exaggerated; he shows up, alive and well, in the prologue to the Time Wars saga, set months after the Quintesson attack on Autobot City.
He had several important appearances in season 2, most notably in "Blaster Blues", where his love of rock music and transmitting it to the other Autobots meant they were unable to respond to a Decepticon attack and prevent them from stealing a powerful decoder. He redeemed himself when he was able to transmit the location of the Decepticon base despite being captured.
In the episode "Prime Target", the big game hunter Lord Chumley
captures a secret Soviet jet, leading to panic and the possibility of war. Chumley then set his sights on the ultimate trophy, the head of Optimus Prime. In order to lure Optimus in, Chumley captures the Autobots Tracks
, Bumblebee
, Jazz
, Beachcomber, Grapple, Blaster and Inferno
. Windcharger
and Huffer
are able to avoid being trapped. When Cosmos
learns of the location chumley was keeping the captured Autobots, Optimus Prime accepts Chumley's challenge to meet him alone. Although interrupted by the Decepticons Astrotrain
and Blitzwing
's attempt to ally the Decepticons with Chumley, Optimus defeats the big game hunter and frees the Autobots. Chumley and the stolen jet were handed over to the Soviets by the Autobots as punishment for his actions.
He also had a prominent role in "Auto-Bop", where he faces off with his Decepticon counterpart Soundwave
in a sonic duel.
In The Transformers: The Movie
, set in the year 2005, Blaster was assigned to Autobot City on Earth. During the invasion by Megatron's forces, Blaster was responsible for sending a distress signal to Optimus Prime on Moonbase One. Blaster's transmission is jammed by Soundwave
's cassette minions to prevent him from establishing contact with the Autobot Moonbase. However, the signal is received and Optimus Prime is able to arrive with reinforcements to defeat the Decepticons. After the attack, Blaster picked up transmissions from Moonbases One and Two. He was not seen for the rest of the film.
In episode 78, Madman's Paradise, Spike and Carly host a banquet for a visiting ambassador. Daniel gets bored and wandered off. Grimlock
follows him, and they fall into a lost chamber where Quintessons banished their criminals to other dimensions. They slipped through to the sorcerous other-dimensional realm of Menonia, and are tricked into fighting on the Red Wizard's side, only to find out that he is the Quintesson criminal, who overthrew the Golden One. Blaster, Ultra Magnus
, Eject
, Rewind
, Ramhorn
, and Steeljaw
follow, and using Blaster's amplification, they help the Golden One defeat the Red Wizard. With the help of Perceptor
, the Autobots and Daniel are returned to Cybertron.
He continued to appear throughout the third season. His last appearance in the U.S. cartoon was in episode 95, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2".
Blaster is destroyed in the Japanese The Transformers: Headmasters
series during a fight with Soundwave
(who also perished in the fight) and rebuilt two episodes later as Twincast, with a blue/white color scheme as opposed to the red/yellow previously. After a pivotal role in Operation Cassette, he featured as a regular character throughout the whole series. The Twincast toy was recently re-issued by eHobby. Aside from the blue/yellow color scheme, the Twincast toy also differs from the Blaster/Broadcast toy in that the tape compartment can hold two cassette Transformers simultaneously.
In the second Generation 1 miniseries from Dreamwave Productions
, Blaster is part of a resistance group led by Hot Rod. He accompanies Optimus Prime during his attack on Iacon.
In “Spotlight: Blaster”, Blaster was badly damaged and left adrift in space, but was discovered by an alien ship who bought him back to the Autobot Command Hub under the command of Silverbolt. Having little memory of the event himself, Blaster finds that he was betrayed and nearly killed by a fellow Autobot just before his regular broadcast, in order to demoralize the Autobots just before a Decepticon attack. When the assassin tries again, Blaster eventually finds out that his attacker was Beachcomber, who was being controlled by the Decepticon Bombshell at the behest of Soundwave
. Blaster manages to talk Beachcomber into resisting the control, which nearly burns out his mind. Blaster swears to get revenge on Soundwave.
. The Ark launches from Cybertron for Earth under the command of Rodimus and is followed by the Decepticon ship Nemesis, under the command of Starscream. While battling over Earth it is shot down by human defense systems.
Blaster is spotlighted in the story Blitzwing Bop where he is one of two Autobots who were not affected by a radio disruption broadcast by the Decepticon Blitzwing
. Sent to recover Blitzwing, he plans to send the Decepticon to Cybertron on the Stellar Spanner with an amplifier which will destroy everyone on the planet, including Blitzwing! He is stopped by Soundwave and Thunderwing and thrown in to the Spanner, which ends up placing him on Earth's moon.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s in the Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara Tomy
Takara Tomy
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
and Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
. Due to trademark reasons, he is sometimes called Autobot Blaster. He is an Autobot
Autobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
who specializes in communications.
Transformers: Generation 1
Blaster's initial transformation is an AM/FM Stereo Cassette Player, commonly referred to as a boomboxBoombox
Boombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...
or ghettoblaster, hence the name. Blaster was a popular character from the original series while not featuring as prominently in the modern Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
universe.
According to Dan Fleming in Powerplay: toys as popular culture, Blaster represents a guardian of more primitive heroes, as well as the hidden power of technology.
As a member of the Autobot communications sub-group Blaster frequently worked with its other members - Eject
Eject (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:The initial Hasbro releases of Eject and Ramhorn had chromed-gold weapons, subsequent releases used chromed-silver. Eject shares a mold with the Autobot Rewind...
, Grandslam, Raindance
Raindance (Transformers)
Raindance is a character from the Transformers toy line and television series.-Transformers: Generation 1:He is an Autobot and part of the mini-cassette team. He has no robot mode, only a jet and cassette mode...
, Ramhorn
Ramhorn
-Transformers: Generation 1:He is part of the mini-cassette Autobot team and takes on the form of a rhinoceros.Ramhorn's bio painted him as extremely unruly and bad-tempered, prone to destroying anyone who violates his territory...
, Rewind
Rewind (Transformers)
Rewind is a fictional character from the Transformers universes. He is an Autobot historian who works under the commander of the communications officer Blaster.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Steeljaw
Steeljaw
Steeljaw is the name of several characters from the Transformers toy line and television series.-Transformers: Generation 1:He is an Autobot and part of the mini-cassette team. He takes the form of a lion...
. He is the Autobots' answer to the evil Decepticon Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
.
Blaster (Tempo in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Radiorobot in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Broadcast in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) , like the Autobot Jazz
Jazz (Transformers)
Jazz is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a music loving robot and talks with a slang accent. He is also a good friend of Optimus Prime's...
, has a great love of Earth culture, rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and other forms of music as long as it is "good, hard and loud". He's normally at the forefront of any given situation. As an AM/FM stereo cassette player, he can perform as a deck, plus receive radio signals on a variety of frequencies. Acting as the Autobot communications center, he can transmit signals within a 4,000 mile radius. Blaster is sometimes depicted as carrying various tape warriors within his deck, including (Steeljaw
Steeljaw
Steeljaw is the name of several characters from the Transformers toy line and television series.-Transformers: Generation 1:He is an Autobot and part of the mini-cassette team. He takes the form of a lion...
, Ramhorn
Ramhorn
-Transformers: Generation 1:He is part of the mini-cassette Autobot team and takes on the form of a rhinoceros.Ramhorn's bio painted him as extremely unruly and bad-tempered, prone to destroying anyone who violates his territory...
, Rewind
Rewind (Transformers)
Rewind is a fictional character from the Transformers universes. He is an Autobot historian who works under the commander of the communications officer Blaster.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Eject
Eject (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:The initial Hasbro releases of Eject and Ramhorn had chromed-gold weapons, subsequent releases used chromed-silver. Eject shares a mold with the Autobot Rewind...
).
Blaster was voted the 5th top Transformer who was bad ass in the comics by Topless Robots.
According to critics, Blaster has a "black coded" voice and name.
Marvel Comics
In the MarvelMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Transformers comics Blaster originally appeared in issue #17, attempting to rescue his friend Scrounge, who was to be executed by Straxus
Straxus
Lord Straxus is a fictional character from the Transformers series. A toy based on his Marvel comic appearance was released in 2010 under the name Darkmount.-Marvel Comics:Straxus was the Decepticon governor of a province of Cybertron known as Polyhex...
. Blaster is captured himself and forced to watch his friend die. He is rescued by Perceptor
Perceptor
Perceptor is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Perceptor transforms into a microscope ....
and his Autobot group. Later, spying on Straxus' use of the Space Bridge, the Autobots decide to attack and blow it up. They discover the Space Bridge is their comrade Spanner. Blaster then battles Straxus one-on-one, seemingly destroying him. With the Space Bridge blowing itself up, Blaster has no choice but to lead his comrades (Beachcomber, Cosmos
Cosmos (Transformers)
Cosmos is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes referred to as "Autobot Cosmos" for trademark purposes.Wired Magazine once nominated him as one of the 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time....
, Perceptor
Perceptor
Perceptor is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Perceptor transforms into a microscope ....
, Powerglide
Powerglide (Transformers)
Powerglide is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers series. He first appeared in 1985, and was voiced by Michael Chain in the animated The Transformers series.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, Seaspray
SEASPRAY
SEASPRAY was a clandestine U.S. Army special operations unit. Its existence within the U.S. Department of Defense was held secret insofar as it testifies to the close links between the United States Army and the Central Intelligence Agency....
and Warpath) across the Bridge to Earth.
Circuit Breaker (Transformers)
Circuit Breaker is a fictional comic book character in the 1980s Marvel Comics Transformers series.-Fictional character biography:After being severely injured in a raid for Earth oil by the Decepticon Shockwave, computer genius Josie Beller was left paralyzed in both legs and one arm...
, a super-powered human whose crippling in an attack by Shockwave
Shockwave (Transformers)
Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...
had left her with a pathological hatred of all Transformers, then attacks and defeated them. She mounts their heads in her Rapid Anti-Robot Attack Team headquarters. After capturing the Aerialbots as well a new problem arose. The Decepticon Battlechargers Runabout
Runabout (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:The first Runabout formed one half of the Battlecharger duo with Runamuck. Runabout is not the brains of the Battlechargers, but he is much calmer and certainly more articulate than Runamuck, and his presence helps keep the latter's cross-wired mind on task...
and Runamuck
Runamuck (Transformers)
Runamuck is the name of three fictional characters in the various Transformers series. All three are violent Decepticons who turn into cars. In the original Transformers animated series Runabout was voiced by Roger Behr.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
had been causing mayhem all across America. Using the parts from all the captured Autobots she creates a giant Autobot with herself in control, striking a deal with them that if they would co-operate she would let them go. Circuit Breaker then uses them to oppose the two Decepticons, who were attacking the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
. After defeating the Decepticons with Circuit Breaker the Autobots were released and rebuilt into their original forms.
After a brief side adventure in the UK comics, in which Blaster's group are attacked (and almost killed) by the insane future Decepticon Galvatron
Galvatron
Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...
, Blaster and his men join up with the main Autobots on Earth. Soon after they join, Optimus Prime dies. Blaster delivers the eulogy at his funeral.
In issue #27, "King of the Hill!", Perceptor
Perceptor
Perceptor is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Perceptor transforms into a microscope ....
summons his fellow Autobots Blaster, Hot Spot, Jetfire
Jetfire
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. He is nearly always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Omega Supreme
Omega Supreme
Omega Supreme is the name of a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. He is always an Autobot and is often depicted as a gigantic transformer with vast strength and/or overwhelming firepower.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Ratchet
Ratchet (Transformers)
Ratchet is the name of several characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ratchet was named after the character of Nurse Ratched from the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The name Ratchet is almost always portrayed as...
and Silverbolt in order to decide who should take leadership of the Autobots. After an attack by the giant Decepticon Trypticon
Trypticon
Trypticon is a fictional character in the Transformers toyline.-Transformers: Generation 1:Trypticon is the Decepticons' principal command base. He has three modes: a city, a mobile battle station, and a Tyrannosaurus rex. In each mode, he has a variety of weapons...
, Grimlock
Grimlock
Grimlock is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a tough leader who turns into a mechanical dinosaur...
is chosen to lead them.
Blaster would soon regret this. After a mission where their cover had been blown by the Mechanic, a human, he and Goldbug
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, appalled by Grimlock's willingness to sacrifice humans to achieve their goals, desert. They also ran because they fear Grimlock's anger.
They had more adventures; facing the Decepticon Triple Changer
Triple Changer
Triple Changers are Transformers that can transform from robot into two different alternative modes.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
s and a plague of Scraplets, as well as facing off with a Decepticon strike force sent to destroy Galvatron and Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers storylines.-Transformers: Generation 1:The greatest Transformer of them all. A commander could want no finer a soldier than Ultra Magnus...
. Blaster (himself getting more callous) is robbed of his ally when Goldbug and the Throttlebot
Throttlebot
-Transformers: Generation 1:The Throttlebots, a sub-group of the Autobots, consist of six toys that could transform between a car and a robot. As a special gimmick, they feature a pullback motor.right|thumb|Throttlebot Chase toy...
s are betrayed by humans and captured by RAAT. He is subsequently attacked by both the Combaticons
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
and the Protectobot
Protectobot
The Protectobots are a fictional emergency, search and rescue team of five Autobots in the Transformers toyline. They transform into civilian service and emergency vehicles and combine to form the combiner Defensor...
s, who had been sent by Grimlock to arrest him. The two combiner teams battled, with Bruticus beating Defensor. With aid from some human children Blaster takes out the giant Decepticon. As a reward, he locks Blast Off into his Decepticon shuttle mode and took them into space. There, they are attacked by Grimlock and the Ark
Ark (Transformers)
The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the Transformers Universe. It has appeared as a central fixture of the Transformers storyline ever since its creation, as the Autobots main method of transport to Earth and as a base once they arrive....
. Surrendering to save their lives, Blaster discovers he was not alone in his discontent, especially after Grimlock had tried to have the kids executed.
Events came to a head when Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus is the name of several fictional characters from several of the various Transformers universes. Fortress Maximus appeared in the season 4 finale of the US Transformers animated series voiced by Stephen Keener. He was one of the stars of the Japanese Transformers: Headmasters...
's group of Autobots link up with Grimlock's group, informing him that many of their group's number had been empowered by linking themselves with humans via the Headmaster
Headmaster (Transformers)
Headmasters are a sub-group of characters from the Transformers meta-series, distinguished by their ability to detach their heads when transforming into their alternate modes, with the heads then transforming themselves into a humanoid form...
and Targetmaster
Targetmaster
Targetmaster is a subline of the Transformers toyline that include Nebulan sidekicks who can transform into the Transformers' weapons.-1987 Targetmasters:...
processes. Grimlock is not pleased, and it was quickly realized he had to be defeated. A recently-rebuilt and imprisoned Goldbug convinces Blaster to fight in Maximus' place. In the midst of their duel, Ratbat
Ratbat
Ratbat is the name of several fictional characters who appeared in various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:As is the case with many Transformers characters, the various continuities in which Ratbat has appeared have portrayed him widely differently in terms of size, personality,...
's Decepticons attacked, and the two put aside their differences to lead the Autobots to a partial victory. During the conflict, Maximus sent a unit of his troops back to Nebulos so that Prime will be resurrected via the Powermaster process. Prime soon returns and retakes command, sending Blaster to investigate the Decepticon island resort Club Con, seemingly run by Buster Witwicky. Accompanying Buster's girlfriend Jessie, he soon had his cover blown by the Seacons
Seacons
This article is about the Transformers characters the Seacons. For the shopping mall, see Seacon Square. For the 1961 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, Seacon, see 19th World Science Fiction Convention...
and was forced to flee.
Blaster encounters time-traveling Autobots who intended to deal with Galvatron, a plot detailed in the UK comics. This encounter results in Blaster being displaced to an alternate limbo realm.
He is soon freed, only to be deactivated by the Underbase powered Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
.
Blaster was seen among the Autobots being repaired on the Ark when Optimus Prime sent Landmine and Cloudburst on their mission to obtain computer chips to repair fellow Autobots in issue #52, "Guess Who The Mechannibals Are Having For Dinner?" Despite rescuing Sky Lynx, the two Autobots' mission ended in failure, when the pair realized the Mechannibals came by their computer chips by recycling them from other robots they ate.
Blaster's body was seen among the deactivated Autobots Ratchet is doing his best to revive in Transformers #56, "Back from the Dead".
This was not the end for Blaster; he is one of the Autobots revived by Nucleon
Nucleon (Transformers)
Nucleon is a power source in the fictional Transformers universe. It was introduced during the beginning of the Action Masters toyline in 1990. The Action Masters were composed of small-scale 3¾" Transformers, a mixture of pre-exisitng characters, who were designed to closely resemble their...
by Grimlock and the other Dinobots
Dinobots
Dinobots is the name of several teams of characters in the fictional Transformers Universe. The groups are made up of several robots, each of whose transformed mode is that of a dinosaur or similar prehistoric animal. They are called Dinotrons in the Japanese version; and ' in the Japanese dub of...
. Returning to Cybertron, he battles against the coming of Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...
. After the betrayal of the Decepticons, the Autobots follow them to the planet Klo
Klo
-Other:* Klo, a fictional planet in the Transformers comic books* KLO, a news/talk radio station broadcasting out of Ogden, Utah...
, where they were ambushed. Blaster is one of the few survivors. Then he is blown apart by Quake
Quake (Transformers)
Quake is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers series.- Transformers: Generation 1 :The first Quake figure was a Decepticon Targetmaster with two transforming weapon-partners: Tiptop and Heater...
's tank mode while Prowl
Prowl (Transformers)
Prowl is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers series. "Prowl" is one of the most re-used American names in the assorted Transformers series, and its use has become almost synonymous with Autobots who possess a police car alternate mode...
berates Grimlock for inept strategy. He was resurrected when Optimus Prime returned with the Last Autobot and routed the Decepticon forces.
The future Blaster from the Movie continuity would also appear in the UK comics, as one of the crew of Autobot city. Arcee
Arcee
Arcee is the name of a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. She is a female Autobot, usually pink in color. Being the most famous of the Female Transformers, she has two primary forms...
's unintentional dereliction of duty allows a Quintesson
Quintessons
Quintessons are fictional aliens from the Transformers universe. Within the TV series, they are the creators of the Transformers, although in most other fictional universes featuring the Transformers, they have no such status...
sneak attack to catch the city unawares, and Blaster appears to get killed trying to radio for help. His body was later strung up by the Quintessons as a taunting gesture to the other Autobots. However, he helps his comrades from "beyond the grave", allowing his cassettes Steeljaw, Eject and Ramhorn to assist in taking back the city.
It later transpires that depictions of Blaster's "death" had been greatly exaggerated; he shows up, alive and well, in the prologue to the Time Wars saga, set months after the Quintesson attack on Autobot City.
Animated series
Blaster's first appearance was in episode 30, "Dinobot Island, Part 1" with no particular origin, simply appearing among the Autobots. Blaster frequently spoke in rhyme resembling rap music lyrics.He had several important appearances in season 2, most notably in "Blaster Blues", where his love of rock music and transmitting it to the other Autobots meant they were unable to respond to a Decepticon attack and prevent them from stealing a powerful decoder. He redeemed himself when he was able to transmit the location of the Decepticon base despite being captured.
In the episode "Prime Target", the big game hunter Lord Chumley
Lord Chumley
Lord Chumley is a 1914 short drama film directed by James Kirkwood. Prints of the film survive at the film archive of the Library of Congress.-Cast:* Lillian Gish - Eleanor Butterworth* Henry B. Walthall - Lord Chumley* Mary Alden* Walter Miller...
captures a secret Soviet jet, leading to panic and the possibility of war. Chumley then set his sights on the ultimate trophy, the head of Optimus Prime. In order to lure Optimus in, Chumley captures the Autobots Tracks
Tracks (Transformers)
Tracks is a character in the Transformers Universes. The name is now too generic to license in recent times; so the toys creator, Hasbro had to add a "modifier" - a prefix to the name in order to use it on their product, in this case the name became "Autobot Tracks" or "Turbo...
, Bumblebee
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, Jazz
Jazz (Transformers)
Jazz is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a music loving robot and talks with a slang accent. He is also a good friend of Optimus Prime's...
, Beachcomber, Grapple, Blaster and Inferno
Inferno (Transformers)
Inferno is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. Despite having different alternate modes, the character name has been most associated with the form of a fire engine.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. Windcharger
Windcharger
Windcharger is a fictional character and was one of the original toys in the Transformers line when Hasbro started producing them in 1984.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Huffer
Huffer (Transformers)
Huffer is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Autobots who turn into trucks. Huffer was first introduced in 1984, and was voiced by John Stephenson in the animated series The Transformers....
are able to avoid being trapped. When Cosmos
Cosmos (Transformers)
Cosmos is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes referred to as "Autobot Cosmos" for trademark purposes.Wired Magazine once nominated him as one of the 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time....
learns of the location chumley was keeping the captured Autobots, Optimus Prime accepts Chumley's challenge to meet him alone. Although interrupted by the Decepticons Astrotrain
Astrotrain
Astrotrain is the name of three fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons who can assume the form of a space shuttle.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Blitzwing
Blitzwing
Blitzwing is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. He is always depicted as a Decepticon with two alternate forms, that of a jet and that of a tank...
's attempt to ally the Decepticons with Chumley, Optimus defeats the big game hunter and frees the Autobots. Chumley and the stolen jet were handed over to the Soviets by the Autobots as punishment for his actions.
He also had a prominent role in "Auto-Bop", where he faces off with his Decepticon counterpart Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
in a sonic duel.
In The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated feature film based on the animated series of the same name. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and in the UK on December 5, 1986....
, set in the year 2005, Blaster was assigned to Autobot City on Earth. During the invasion by Megatron's forces, Blaster was responsible for sending a distress signal to Optimus Prime on Moonbase One. Blaster's transmission is jammed by Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
's cassette minions to prevent him from establishing contact with the Autobot Moonbase. However, the signal is received and Optimus Prime is able to arrive with reinforcements to defeat the Decepticons. After the attack, Blaster picked up transmissions from Moonbases One and Two. He was not seen for the rest of the film.
In episode 78, Madman's Paradise, Spike and Carly host a banquet for a visiting ambassador. Daniel gets bored and wandered off. Grimlock
Grimlock
Grimlock is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a tough leader who turns into a mechanical dinosaur...
follows him, and they fall into a lost chamber where Quintessons banished their criminals to other dimensions. They slipped through to the sorcerous other-dimensional realm of Menonia, and are tricked into fighting on the Red Wizard's side, only to find out that he is the Quintesson criminal, who overthrew the Golden One. Blaster, Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers storylines.-Transformers: Generation 1:The greatest Transformer of them all. A commander could want no finer a soldier than Ultra Magnus...
, Eject
Eject (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:The initial Hasbro releases of Eject and Ramhorn had chromed-gold weapons, subsequent releases used chromed-silver. Eject shares a mold with the Autobot Rewind...
, Rewind
Rewind (Transformers)
Rewind is a fictional character from the Transformers universes. He is an Autobot historian who works under the commander of the communications officer Blaster.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Ramhorn
Ramhorn
-Transformers: Generation 1:He is part of the mini-cassette Autobot team and takes on the form of a rhinoceros.Ramhorn's bio painted him as extremely unruly and bad-tempered, prone to destroying anyone who violates his territory...
, and Steeljaw
Steeljaw
Steeljaw is the name of several characters from the Transformers toy line and television series.-Transformers: Generation 1:He is an Autobot and part of the mini-cassette team. He takes the form of a lion...
follow, and using Blaster's amplification, they help the Golden One defeat the Red Wizard. With the help of Perceptor
Perceptor
Perceptor is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Perceptor transforms into a microscope ....
, the Autobots and Daniel are returned to Cybertron.
He continued to appear throughout the third season. His last appearance in the U.S. cartoon was in episode 95, "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2".
Blaster is destroyed in the Japanese The Transformers: Headmasters
The Transformers: Headmasters
The Transformers: Headmasters was a four-issue comic book mini-series based in the fictional universe of the Transformers. The bi-monthly series was published by Marvel comics and was originally printed July 1987 through January 1988....
series during a fight with Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
(who also perished in the fight) and rebuilt two episodes later as Twincast, with a blue/white color scheme as opposed to the red/yellow previously. After a pivotal role in Operation Cassette, he featured as a regular character throughout the whole series. The Twincast toy was recently re-issued by eHobby. Aside from the blue/yellow color scheme, the Twincast toy also differs from the Blaster/Broadcast toy in that the tape compartment can hold two cassette Transformers simultaneously.
Dreamwave Productions
Blaster was among the Autobot resistance during the Age of Interment, shown in the third War Within series.In the second Generation 1 miniseries from Dreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers comic book series...
, Blaster is part of a resistance group led by Hot Rod. He accompanies Optimus Prime during his attack on Iacon.
IDW Publishing
Blaster was recently the subject of a Spotlight issue in 2008. The comic depicts Blaster as "The Voice", acting much like a radio DJ and bolstering Autobot morale in the war against the Decepticons. In the comic, Blaster's alternate form is a tank with a pair of large sonic cannons.In “Spotlight: Blaster”, Blaster was badly damaged and left adrift in space, but was discovered by an alien ship who bought him back to the Autobot Command Hub under the command of Silverbolt. Having little memory of the event himself, Blaster finds that he was betrayed and nearly killed by a fellow Autobot just before his regular broadcast, in order to demoralize the Autobots just before a Decepticon attack. When the assassin tries again, Blaster eventually finds out that his attacker was Beachcomber, who was being controlled by the Decepticon Bombshell at the behest of Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. Blaster manages to talk Beachcomber into resisting the control, which nearly burns out his mind. Blaster swears to get revenge on Soundwave.
Toys
- Generation 1 Blaster (1985)
- The toy that was to become the Autobot Blaster was originally released as part of the Micro ChangeMicro ChangeTakara Toys' 1982 Micro Change series of toys were part of the 1980 New Microman toy line and were small household objects that could transform into vehicles or artificially intelligent robot characters that fought alongside their 10-centimeter tall alien cyborg Microman creators against the evil...
subset of the Japanese MicromanMicromanis a line of toys manufactured by Takara from 1974 to the present. Microman toys were originally imported to the United States by Mego Corporation as Micronauts until the company went bankrupt in 1982...
series. He was later released in 1985 by Hasbro in the U.S.- Generation 1 Kabaya Gum Broadcast (1985)
- Part of the original gum toy series by KabayaKabayais a Japanese confectionery company. Its products include Roxy Hazelnuts....
. Each package comes with a stick of chewing gum and an easy-to-assemble kit. The completed robot looks and transforms almost the same as the larger, original Takara version, but lacks the original's eject mechanism and yellow paint applications.- Generation 1 Twincast (1987)
- A remold of Blaster available only in Japan. Blue in color and could hold 2 cassettes at once.
- Generation 1 Action Master Blaster (1990)
- Came with a back pack and weapon.
- Binaltech Asterisk Broadblast with Lumina Hoshi (2005)
- In 2005, Takara launched a sub-line from the Binaltech series, called Binaltech Asterisk, which paired Binaltech characters with female co-pilots. The third figure in the line is called Broadblast. He is paired with news reporter Lumina Hoshi. Broadblast is a silver repaint of Binaltech SkidsSkids (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:...
, and does not have an equivalent in the Alternators line. Like Binaltech Skids, Broadblast is unusual among the Alternators/Binaltech toys, as he comes with a set of stickers which can be applied by the purchaser. The sticker set is similar to that supplied with Skids, but does not include Skids' characteristic red stripe stickers.- Generation 1 Reissue Twincast with Flipsides
- An ehobby exclusive. Shipped with the new cassette partner Flipsides.
- Universe Classic Series Voyager Autobot Blaster with Blockrock (2008)
- A redeco of Cybertron Soundwave was first displayed at the 2008 New York Toy Fair.
- Smallest Transformers Blaster (2010)
- An unlicensed figure produced by Justitoys recreates Blaster in the style of the Smallest Transformers line. A blue/yellow redeco was later released to represent Twincast.
- Device Label Broad Blast/Blaster (2010)
- A poseable Blaster figure that transforms into a Toshiba SatelliteToshiba SatelliteThe Toshiba Satellite is Toshiba's line of consumer-grade notebook computers. Models in the Satellite family vary greatly, ranging from entry-level models to full-fledged media center-class notebooks...
laptop that also doubles as a working 4-port USB hub. In robot mode, his chest can fit any of the Generation 1 cassette robots. - A San Diego Comic-Con International exclusive reissue of the original figure with cassettes Steeljaw, Ramhorn and Eject.
Transformers: Timelines
This Blaster is an evil mirror universe version of the Generation 1 character. He is evil, sadistic and speaks with a thick German accent.Fun Publications
Blaster is one of the many Autobots aboard the Ark in Do Over by Fun PublicationsFun Publications
Fun Publications is a publishing company that runs the Transformers Collectors Club and G.I. Joe Collectors Club under licensefrom Hasbro. Besides releasing comics, Fun Publications releases exclusive toys and runs conventions for their clubs....
. The Ark launches from Cybertron for Earth under the command of Rodimus and is followed by the Decepticon ship Nemesis, under the command of Starscream. While battling over Earth it is shot down by human defense systems.
Blaster is spotlighted in the story Blitzwing Bop where he is one of two Autobots who were not affected by a radio disruption broadcast by the Decepticon Blitzwing
Blitzwing
Blitzwing is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. He is always depicted as a Decepticon with two alternate forms, that of a jet and that of a tank...
. Sent to recover Blitzwing, he plans to send the Decepticon to Cybertron on the Stellar Spanner with an amplifier which will destroy everyone on the planet, including Blitzwing! He is stopped by Soundwave and Thunderwing and thrown in to the Spanner, which ends up placing him on Earth's moon.
Toys
No toy exists for this version of Blaster, but he seems to be based on the original Generation 1 toy in blue and gray colors.External links
- Blaster at TFWIKI.Net, the Transformers Wiki
- Champions RPG character sheet for Blaster.
- Gallery of Generation One Blaster
- Gallery of Binaltech Asterisk Broadblast