.gif){kind=spacer}
Outback (Transformers)
Encyclopedia
Outback is a fictional character
s in the Transformers universe
. He's an Autobot who turns into a car. Due to trademark issues, newer toys of the character are named Fallback, although he's often still called Outback in the comics.
with a different head sculpt and a tan/khaki paint scheme. In the animated series, he spoke with an Australia
n accent.
in issue #47. However, he had a significant presence overseas in the "Prey" arc of the UK series. When Optimus Prime
arrived on Cybertron due to a teleporting accident the Wreckers
believed he was a spy and tried to kill him.
Outback, portrayed in the story as an oddball and a fatalist, was the only Autobot to recognise Optimus Prime as anything other than a replica. He rescued Optimus Prime and aided him thoroughout his time as a fugitive, but was eventually gravely wounded by a Guardian droid. Prime finally surrendered to the Wreckers on the condition that Outback receive medical treatment - this selfless act convinced Emirate Xaaron of Optimus Prime's true identity.
Outback survived his injuries. He was seen as a sparring partner battling Blaster in a training session and he later appeared in issue #245 as an Autobot cadet, where he was horrified to learn that his friends and fellow cadets Tailgate, Flattop and Subsea had ignored his warnings and entered the disused sewers of Cybertron (known as the Underworld) as part of an outdated Autobot initiation ritual. Outback and Pipes
(also a cadet) rushed to rescue their friends, arriving in the sewers just in time to see Tailgate battle and destroy a band of sadistic mutant Transformers (who had already killed Subsea and Flattop). Outback, Pipes and Tailgate escaped to the surface together, with Pipes warning that they were lucky not to have encountered anything worse. However, unbeknown to them, Tailgate's battle had awakened horrific demons beneath Cybertron, who would emerge to battle other Autobots and Decepticons in the next two issues.
, Kup
and Spike Witwicky were kidnapped, the Autobots assumed the recently defeated Decepticons were behind the plot. Rodimus Prime sent out Autobot patrols to seek out any remaining Decepticons. Outback was on patrol with Blaster
, when they were called in to investigate suspicious jets in the fictional nation of Carbombya. Using his "trusty Decepticon detector" he lured Dirge
and Ramjet
out into the open. He and Blaster disabled and interrogated them as to the whereabouts of their new hideout, the planet Chaar. In part 5 Outback was among the Earth-based Autobots forced to defend The Ark
from Trypticon
. However, the Autobots were no match for the Decepticon monster and the Ark was completely destroyed.
Outback's next significant role came in "The Quintesson Journal". Outback, Blaster, Sky Lynx
and the Autobot cassettes were returning to Cybertron from an undisclosed mission. While en route, Perceptor
intercepted a signal determined to be an old Quintesson
frequency. He ordered Outback and Blaster to rendezvous to the coordinates from where the signal was originating. The Autobots, as well as the Predacons arrived on the planet and discovered the journal. Soon the Quintessons themselves arrived and attempted to reclaim their journal. This resulted in a three way frenzy to maintain control of the journal. The Autobots eventually escaped with the journal and returned to Cybertron. The contents of the journal revealed the operation by the Quintessons to supply weapons to two warring civilizations, Zetaxus and Lenarq. The sneaky Quintessons would fuel tensions between the two factions, by selling larger and more expensive weapons to each side, without the other knowing it. Neither faction realized they had been conned by the Quintessons until the journal was revealed, leaving the Zetaxus and the Lenarq to agree to a cease fire. Outback did not make any major appearance in the series after this.
's Generation One ongoing series, as a new recruit to the Autobots.
comic Timelines: Descent into Evil, where he was renamed Fallback for copyright reasons. He appeared as part of Ironhide
's squad, sent to investigate Deathsaurus
' attempts to clone an army of Insecticons
. He and the other members of the squad were captured, but were rescued when backup arrived.
Outback is among the Autobots present when Megatron attacks Iacon with his new weapon, Devastator.
appearance in the Spotlight issue on Kup
- of a sort. The only other survivor of a crash on a deadly crystalline planet, Outback was killed when a generator he and Kup rigged exploded. The increasingly insane Kup talked to Outback's corpse as if it were alive. His body was later destroyed once and for all by an Autobot rescue team.
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 universe
Transformers universes
is an entertainment franchise. It began with the Hasbro Transformers toy line, centered on two factions of warring alien robots which are called the Autobots and the Decepticons...
. He's an Autobot who turns into a car. Due to trademark issues, newer toys of the character are named Fallback, although he's often still called Outback in the comics.
Transformers: Generation 1
Outback's bio presented him as a risk-taker who was willing to bend the rules if need be. His toy is a retooling of BrawnBrawn (Transformers)
Brawn is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. All are tough Autobots who turn into offroad vehicles.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
with a different head sculpt and a tan/khaki paint scheme. In the animated series, he spoke with an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n accent.
Marvel Comics
Outback was not featured in the US version of the comics, except as an unnamed sparring partner of BlasterBlaster (Transformers)
Blaster is the name of several fictional characters 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...
in issue #47. However, he had a significant presence overseas in the "Prey" arc of the UK series. When Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
arrived on Cybertron due to a teleporting accident the Wreckers
Wreckers (Transformers)
The Wreckers are a sub-team of Autobots in the fictional Transformers universe, functioning essentially as a commando unit. They are not derived from the Transformers toyline but rather are the creation of Marvel UK writer Simon Furman, who introduces the Wreckers in the story arc Target:2006...
believed he was a spy and tried to kill him.
Outback, portrayed in the story as an oddball and a fatalist, was the only Autobot to recognise Optimus Prime as anything other than a replica. He rescued Optimus Prime and aided him thoroughout his time as a fugitive, but was eventually gravely wounded by a Guardian droid. Prime finally surrendered to the Wreckers on the condition that Outback receive medical treatment - this selfless act convinced Emirate Xaaron of Optimus Prime's true identity.
Outback survived his injuries. He was seen as a sparring partner battling Blaster in a training session and he later appeared in issue #245 as an Autobot cadet, where he was horrified to learn that his friends and fellow cadets Tailgate, Flattop and Subsea had ignored his warnings and entered the disused sewers of Cybertron (known as the Underworld) as part of an outdated Autobot initiation ritual. Outback and Pipes
Pipes (Transformers)
Pipes is the name of two fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Both are Autobot trucks.-Transformers: Generation 1:His original tech spec reads: The more seemingly worthless a gadget, the more Pipes is fascinated by it...
(also a cadet) rushed to rescue their friends, arriving in the sewers just in time to see Tailgate battle and destroy a band of sadistic mutant Transformers (who had already killed Subsea and Flattop). Outback, Pipes and Tailgate escaped to the surface together, with Pipes warning that they were lucky not to have encountered anything worse. However, unbeknown to them, Tailgate's battle had awakened horrific demons beneath Cybertron, who would emerge to battle other Autobots and Decepticons in the next two issues.
Animated series
Outback made his first appearance in "Five Faces of Darkness Part 1". After Ultra MagnusUltra 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...
, Kup
Kup
Kup is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universe. All are older Autobots who are members of the Elite Guard. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time...
and Spike Witwicky were kidnapped, the Autobots assumed the recently defeated Decepticons were behind the plot. Rodimus Prime sent out Autobot patrols to seek out any remaining Decepticons. Outback was on patrol with Blaster
Blaster (Transformers)
Blaster is the name of several fictional characters 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...
, when they were called in to investigate suspicious jets in the fictional nation of Carbombya. Using his "trusty Decepticon detector" he lured Dirge
Dirge (Transformers)
Dirge is the name of several different fictional characters from the Transformers series. He was first introduced in 1985 as a villain in the Transformers series, appearing in the comic book by Marvel Comics and voiced by Bud Davis in the animated television series. Since then the name Dirge was...
and Ramjet
Ramjet (Transformers)
Ramjet is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All have been Decepticon aligned characters who turn into jets, usually white.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
out into the open. He and Blaster disabled and interrogated them as to the whereabouts of their new hideout, the planet Chaar. In part 5 Outback was among the Earth-based Autobots forced to defend 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....
from 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...
. However, the Autobots were no match for the Decepticon monster and the Ark was completely destroyed.
Outback's next significant role came in "The Quintesson Journal". Outback, Blaster, Sky Lynx
Sky Lynx
Sky Lynx is the name of several different characters in the fictional Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Sky Lynx consists of two separate components: a space shuttle that can transform into a bird-like creature , and a ground transport vehicle,...
and the Autobot cassettes were returning to Cybertron from an undisclosed mission. While en route, Perceptor
Perceptor
Perceptor is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Perceptor transforms into a microscope ....
intercepted a signal determined to be an old 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...
frequency. He ordered Outback and Blaster to rendezvous to the coordinates from where the signal was originating. The Autobots, as well as the Predacons arrived on the planet and discovered the journal. Soon the Quintessons themselves arrived and attempted to reclaim their journal. This resulted in a three way frenzy to maintain control of the journal. The Autobots eventually escaped with the journal and returned to Cybertron. The contents of the journal revealed the operation by the Quintessons to supply weapons to two warring civilizations, Zetaxus and Lenarq. The sneaky Quintessons would fuel tensions between the two factions, by selling larger and more expensive weapons to each side, without the other knowing it. Neither faction realized they had been conned by the Quintessons until the journal was revealed, leaving the Zetaxus and the Lenarq to agree to a cease fire. Outback did not make any major appearance in the series after this.
Dreamwave Productions
Outback had a brief cameo in DreamwaveDreamwave 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...
's Generation One ongoing series, as a new recruit to the Autobots.
Fun Publications
Outback appeared again in the 2005 BotConBotCon
BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" , is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994...
comic Timelines: Descent into Evil, where he was renamed Fallback for copyright reasons. He appeared as part of Ironhide
Ironhide
Ironhide is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ironhide was named after the television series Ironside.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
's squad, sent to investigate Deathsaurus
Deszaras
Deathsaurus is the fictional antagonist of the animated series Transformers: Victory and its accompanying toyline, one of the numerous Transformers series. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time....
' attempts to clone an army of Insecticons
Insecticons
Insecticons is the name given to a sub-group of fictional characters in the Transformers Universes, referred to as Insectrons in the Japanese version. The name was also used for several fictional characters in the Transformers Universes...
. He and the other members of the squad were captured, but were rescued when backup arrived.
Outback is among the Autobots present when Megatron attacks Iacon with his new weapon, Devastator.
IDW Publishing
Outback made his first IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
appearance in the Spotlight issue on Kup
Kup
Kup is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universe. All are older Autobots who are members of the Elite Guard. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time...
- of a sort. The only other survivor of a crash on a deadly crystalline planet, Outback was killed when a generator he and Kup rigged exploded. The increasingly insane Kup talked to Outback's corpse as if it were alive. His body was later destroyed once and for all by an Autobot rescue team.
Toys
- Generation 1 Mini-Vehicle Outback (1986)
- A brown remold of Brawn with a gun accessory.
- Timelines Basic Fallback
- A redeco of Energon Strongarm.
- Reveal the Shield Deluxe Fallback (2010)
- A brown redeco of Deluxe Brawn from the Revenge of the Fallen toy line with a head sculpt similar to his original G1 toy.