Wreck-Gar
Encyclopedia
Wreck-Gar is the name of two characters from the Transformers universes
. Both are unpredictable good-aligned characters who provide comic relief in their series.
For many years Wreck-Gar was the only Junkion character to have a toy until the e-hobby
exclusive character Detritus was released in Japan.
U.S. run of the Transformers comic, the Marvel UK
version of the comic would make heavy use of Wreck-Gar and the movie cast in order to fill in the gaps between reprinted US material.
Wreck-Gar's first appearance came in the Fallen Angel arc, when he built the time machine enabling Rodimus Prime, Kup
and Blurr
to travel back to 1987 in pursuit of the former Decepticon leader Galvatron
. Stealing away when the device was activated, Wreck-Gar found the remains of Bumblebee
(obliterated by Death's Head
, a bounty hunter from the future trying to claim a bounty on Galvatron) and rebuilt him into Goldbug. Subsequently taking part in a diversionary assault on Galvatron (and nearly getting scrapped for it) , Wreck-Gar subsequently rebuilt Galvatron's time-jump mechanism to return all the time travellers to the future, bar Galvatron, who had modified the mechanism to stay behind.
Later, Wreck-Gar returned home to Junk only to discover it had been enslaved by Unicron
. Attempting to stay behind, he was captured by Death's Head. It is learned Death's Head also been mentally enslaved by Unicron, whose head had survived after the climactic battle of The Transformers: The Movie
. The bounty hunter managed to resist Unicron's control long enough to allow Wreck-Gar to escape, allowing him to go underground and plant a store of explosives. Unfortunately a badly timed assault by Rodimus Prime and the Dinobots
caused a tremor which nearly buried Wreck-Gar. The Junkion leader was (somewhat unwillingly) freed by Death's Head and his store of explosives were detonated by the bounty hunter, seemingly destroying Unicron.
His next appearance was as a prisoner of the Quintessons
, whose homeworld was dying due to the time rift caused by Galvatron, Cyclonus
and Scourge
staying in the past. He was nearly fed to a pack of Sharkticon
s, but was rescued at the last minute by Wheelie
. The two unlikely allies then transmitted the Quintessons' plan for colonization throughout the galaxy, making the Quintessons' targets aware of their plans. He continued to appear in the alternate future stories of the UK comics.
usually allied with the Autobot
s and introduced in The Transformers: The Movie
. Wreck-Gar is distinguishable from his fellows by his long moustache and goatee. In the movie, the voice for his character was provided by Eric Idle
, of Monty Python
fame. In the TV series, he is voiced by Tony Pope
.
Wreck-Gar has a manner of speaking which causes him to talk using lingo and incongruous phrases from television
commercials and programs ("We talk TV."). Such phrases included "Don't look behind door number two, Monty. It's time to play 'End of the Line My Valentine!' Gee-Ronny-Do-Ron-Ronny-MOOOOOOO!" His speech was also accented with television sound effects (beeps, static, clicks etc.). He was initially suspicious of the intentions of Ultra Magnus
and company when they are first arrived on the Planet of Junk, where he led an attack on the Autobot
s. Wreck-Gar says "Stop thief" in reference to the Autobots, which suggests that he viewed their salvaging operation on the planet of Junk as theft. Fortunately Hot Rod pacified him with the universal greeting. Wreck-Gar pledged his support in destroying Unicron, offering the services of not only the Junkions but supplying a space craft to get to Cybertron. Despite the space craft being crushed and destroyed by Unicron, all aboard (which included not only Wreck-Gar but Perceptor
and Ultra Magnus
) apparently survived. This may be thanks to the Junkions' extraordinary repair capabilities.
After his alliance with the Autobots, he filled in for the deceased Ratchet
as the Autobots' main surgeon, his people's unique affinity for repair (as seen by their reassembly and reactivation of Ultra Magnus
after he was destroyed by the Decepticon
s) making him quite advantageous in the Autobots' war against the Decepticons.
While it seems Wreck-Gar indeed maintained his post as Junkion leader, he was a frequent guest star on the show and was often depicted as if he were a full resident of Cybertron.
He first made his television debut in Five Faces of Darkness when he saved Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Kup, Spike, Arcee, Grimlock and the Aerialbots from the planet Goo. In addition, he was able to reconstitute Springer (much like he did Ultra Magnus) after he had been destroyed by a waste disposal unit. It was suggested in the episode that Goo was a colony
of Junkion.
Wreck-Gar would also be among the captives in The Killing Jar. The Quintessons
were most alarmed by him as a captive since he acted totally opposite of his assumed programming. The Quintessons were convinced that a sterile environment would render him inert. Instead Wreck-Gar proceeded to trash the room, making it into a facsimilie of Junkion.
Wreck-Gar would later appear in Forever is a Long Time Coming, where he, Blurr and Blaster aid a young Alpha Trion in the past.
His signature episode, however, would be the first part of a series of episodes dealing with the Quintesson Journal. The episode was titled The Big Broadcast of 2006. The basic plotline involved a Quintesson signal beamed down into Junkion television sets. The signal was subliminal
in nature, and made the Junkions distrust all foreign visitors, the Autobots included. Amidst the chaos the Quintessons attempted to retake their journal, which contained a record of their more dubious dealings between planets. Somehow, though, the signal became scrambled and was sent out throughout the Universe, causing an intergalactic war. The episode also featured Wreck-Gar saying "Yo, Joe!"
while charging into battle.
Aside from being a major plot point in the third season, the episode was reprinted verbatim in the pages of Marvel Comics
. Much like the Movie adaptation, it was out of continuity with the title's ongoing story.
Wreck-Gar made his final appearance in The Return of Optimus Prime
part 1. Rodimus Prime brought the deceased body of Optimus Prime to Wreck-Gar, hoping that the Junkions could repair him. Wreck-Gar stated he was unable to do so (in his classic TV talking way, quoting Star Trek
: "I'm a doctor, not a forklift. His engines, they cannot take the strain! He's dead, Jim."). He was last seen being infected by Ultra Magnus and in turn infecting Rodimus Prime. Since he was not shown as being injured or killed, his status and whereabouts at the end of the series remain unknown.
Wreck-Gar would continue to appear in the Japanese cartoon based on the Headmasters. He appeared in the first episode among others, however no reference is made to Wreck-Gar being part of the Junkion tribe. It is unknown, in the Japanese continuity whether Junkion still exists or whether or not Wreck-Gar is still its leader.
1986 story and coloring book The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp by Pat Brigandi.
's take on the G1 comics. When a badly-damaged Megatron was ejected into space by the ever-treacherous Starscream
after a battle with Shockwave
, Wreck-Gar recovered his body drifting in space. Taking him to Junk and repairing him, Megatron tricked Wreck-Gar into repairing some of the Seeker
clones, intending to use them as the beginnings of an army, while telling Wreck-Gar that he was really using them to battle injustice throughout the galaxy. When the Junkion leader discovered the truth, Megatron killed him.
Though modeled after the G1 version, Wreck Gar's design was influenced by his voice actor "Weird Al" Yankovic
, whose 1986 Transformers movie
soundtrack song "Dare to Be Stupid
" was among the many movie references used in Wreck-Gar's debut. This is shown in such instances as throwing his original motorcycle form from the movie at Bumblebee (after being told to "Give them everything you've got!" by the Angry Archer) and saying the universal greeting "Ba-weep-graghna-weep-nini-bong" to Lugnut. In reference to the usage of Yankovic's song in the film, after Ratchet exclaims that even he can't be stupid enough to destroy the city, Wreck-Gar exclaims, "I am Wreck-Gar, I dare to be stupid
!"
, as Ratchet could only fish out random junk. Though believed gone, Wreck-Gar was actually online, half-buried at the bottom of the river, cheerfully declaring himself a hero to passing fish (and occasionally requesting a helping hand or fin).
He later makes his return in the "Human Error Part 2," now missing his Autobot insignia, helping Sari
fight Soundwave
to free the Autobots from his control. During the battle against Soundwave, Wreck-Gar is apparently immune to Ratbat
's mind-controlling riff, likely due to his addled mental state, and attempts to counter the noise by playing an accordion (a reference to his voice actor, "Weird Al" Yankovic's, affinity for Polka music and his "Polka Power" music videos). In the fight's aftermath, Wreck-Gar helps in cleaning the mess from the fight before walking off, distributing garbage to "all the good children" in the manner of Santa Claus
.
After the end of the series, it was announced at BotCon 2009 that Wreck-Gar now works for Detroit sanitation.
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...
. Both are unpredictable good-aligned characters who provide comic relief in their series.
Transformers: Generation 1
Wreck-gar is the idiosyncratic leader of the Junkions.For many years Wreck-Gar was the only Junkion character to have a toy until the e-hobby
E-hobby
e-Hobby is an online Japanese retailer that is perhaps best known for creating and selling exclusive repaints of Transformers by Takara. One of the reasons that these figures are so coveted is because they are often new or rare characters...
exclusive character Detritus was released in Japan.
Marvel Comics
While Wreck-Gar and the rest of the movie cast would not make any major appearances 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...
U.S. run of the Transformers comic, the Marvel UK
Marvel UK
Marvel UK was an imprint of Marvel Comics formed in 1972 to reprint US produced stories for the British weekly comic market, though it later did produce original material by British creators such as Alan Moore, John Wagner, Dave Gibbons, Steve Dillon and Grant Morrison.Panini Comics obtained the...
version of the comic would make heavy use of Wreck-Gar and the movie cast in order to fill in the gaps between reprinted US material.
Wreck-Gar's first appearance came in the Fallen Angel arc, when he built the time machine enabling Rodimus Prime, 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 Blurr
Blurr
Blurr is the name given to five different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He frequently appears as a blue Autobot who transforms into a swift car...
to travel back to 1987 in pursuit of the former Decepticon leader 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...
. Stealing away when the device was activated, Wreck-Gar found the remains of 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 :...
(obliterated by Death's Head
Death's Head
Death's Head is a fictional comic book character, a robotic bounty hunter appearing in the books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Simon Furman and artist Geoff Senior for the company's Marvel UK imprint...
, a bounty hunter from the future trying to claim a bounty on Galvatron) and rebuilt him into Goldbug. Subsequently taking part in a diversionary assault on Galvatron (and nearly getting scrapped for it) , Wreck-Gar subsequently rebuilt Galvatron's time-jump mechanism to return all the time travellers to the future, bar Galvatron, who had modified the mechanism to stay behind.
Later, Wreck-Gar returned home to Junk only to discover it had been enslaved by 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...
. Attempting to stay behind, he was captured by Death's Head. It is learned Death's Head also been mentally enslaved by Unicron, whose head had survived after the climactic battle of 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....
. The bounty hunter managed to resist Unicron's control long enough to allow Wreck-Gar to escape, allowing him to go underground and plant a store of explosives. Unfortunately a badly timed assault by Rodimus Prime and the 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...
caused a tremor which nearly buried Wreck-Gar. The Junkion leader was (somewhat unwillingly) freed by Death's Head and his store of explosives were detonated by the bounty hunter, seemingly destroying Unicron.
His next appearance was as a prisoner of the Quintessons
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...
, whose homeworld was dying due to the time rift caused by Galvatron, Cyclonus
Cyclonus
Cyclonus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:The tech spec from the box art of the Cyclonus toy describes him as a compassionless Decepticon air warrior and saboteur...
and Scourge
Scourge (Transformers)
Scourge is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. He first appeared as one of the central villains in the 1986 film The Transformers, voiced by Stan Jones. He also regularly appeared in the animated Transformers series and Transformers comic books. Since then other...
staying in the past. He was nearly fed to a pack of Sharkticon
Sharkticon
-Transformers: Generation One:The ravenous Sharkticons, the most famous and deadly of the Quintessons' slaves, are rotund robots capable of transforming into ferocious, amphibious creatures...
s, but was rescued at the last minute by Wheelie
Wheelie (Transformers)
Wheelie is the name of two different fictional characters in the Transformers series.-Generation 1:The first Wheelie is a young Autobot who turns into a car. He has a distinctive style of speech, in which he rhymes his sentences while speaking in a high pitched voice, making him sound like a child....
. The two unlikely allies then transmitted the Quintessons' plan for colonization throughout the galaxy, making the Quintessons' targets aware of their plans. He continued to appear in the alternate future stories of the UK comics.
Animated series
Wreck-Gar is the leader of the Junkions, a group of TransformersTransformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
usually allied with the 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...
s and introduced 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....
. Wreck-Gar is distinguishable from his fellows by his long moustache and goatee. In the movie, the voice for his character was provided by Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
, of Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
fame. In the TV series, he is voiced by Tony Pope
Tony Pope
Anthony Pope , also known as Anthony Mozdy, was a voice actor.He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and was known for providing the voice of Furby, as well as the voice of Newton Gimmick and other voices in the popular toy series The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin in the 1980s.-Death:He died on February 11,...
.
Wreck-Gar has a manner of speaking which causes him to talk using lingo and incongruous phrases from television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
commercials and programs ("We talk TV."). Such phrases included "Don't look behind door number two, Monty. It's time to play 'End of the Line My Valentine!' Gee-Ronny-Do-Ron-Ronny-MOOOOOOO!" His speech was also accented with television sound effects (beeps, static, clicks etc.). He was initially suspicious of the intentions of 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...
and company when they are first arrived on the Planet of Junk, where he led an attack on the 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...
s. Wreck-Gar says "Stop thief" in reference to the Autobots, which suggests that he viewed their salvaging operation on the planet of Junk as theft. Fortunately Hot Rod pacified him with the universal greeting. Wreck-Gar pledged his support in destroying Unicron, offering the services of not only the Junkions but supplying a space craft to get to Cybertron. Despite the space craft being crushed and destroyed by Unicron, all aboard (which included not only Wreck-Gar but Perceptor
Perceptor
Perceptor is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Perceptor transforms into a microscope ....
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...
) apparently survived. This may be thanks to the Junkions' extraordinary repair capabilities.
After his alliance with the Autobots, he filled in for the deceased 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...
as the Autobots' main surgeon, his people's unique affinity for repair (as seen by their reassembly and reactivation of 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...
after he was destroyed by the Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
s) making him quite advantageous in the Autobots' war against the Decepticons.
While it seems Wreck-Gar indeed maintained his post as Junkion leader, he was a frequent guest star on the show and was often depicted as if he were a full resident of Cybertron.
He first made his television debut in Five Faces of Darkness when he saved Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Kup, Spike, Arcee, Grimlock and the Aerialbots from the planet Goo. In addition, he was able to reconstitute Springer (much like he did Ultra Magnus) after he had been destroyed by a waste disposal unit. It was suggested in the episode that Goo was a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Junkion.
Wreck-Gar would also be among the captives in The Killing Jar. The Quintessons
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...
were most alarmed by him as a captive since he acted totally opposite of his assumed programming. The Quintessons were convinced that a sterile environment would render him inert. Instead Wreck-Gar proceeded to trash the room, making it into a facsimilie of Junkion.
Wreck-Gar would later appear in Forever is a Long Time Coming, where he, Blurr and Blaster aid a young Alpha Trion in the past.
His signature episode, however, would be the first part of a series of episodes dealing with the Quintesson Journal. The episode was titled The Big Broadcast of 2006. The basic plotline involved a Quintesson signal beamed down into Junkion television sets. The signal was subliminal
Subliminal
Subliminal may refer to:* Subliminal stimuli* Subliminal , Israeli rapper and producer* Subliminal , an electronic music label...
in nature, and made the Junkions distrust all foreign visitors, the Autobots included. Amidst the chaos the Quintessons attempted to retake their journal, which contained a record of their more dubious dealings between planets. Somehow, though, the signal became scrambled and was sent out throughout the Universe, causing an intergalactic war. The episode also featured Wreck-Gar saying "Yo, Joe!"
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
while charging into battle.
Aside from being a major plot point in the third season, the episode was reprinted verbatim in the pages of Marvel Comics
Marvel 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...
. Much like the Movie adaptation, it was out of continuity with the title's ongoing story.
Wreck-Gar made his final appearance in The Return of Optimus Prime
The Return of Optimus Prime
The Return of Optimus Prime is the two-part season finale of season three on the animated TV series The Transformers. Part 1 aired February 24, 1987, Part 2 aired the next day.- Part 1 :...
part 1. Rodimus Prime brought the deceased body of Optimus Prime to Wreck-Gar, hoping that the Junkions could repair him. Wreck-Gar stated he was unable to do so (in his classic TV talking way, quoting Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
: "I'm a doctor, not a forklift. His engines, they cannot take the strain! He's dead, Jim."). He was last seen being infected by Ultra Magnus and in turn infecting Rodimus Prime. Since he was not shown as being injured or killed, his status and whereabouts at the end of the series remain unknown.
Wreck-Gar would continue to appear in the Japanese cartoon based on the Headmasters. He appeared in the first episode among others, however no reference is made to Wreck-Gar being part of the Junkion tribe. It is unknown, in the Japanese continuity whether Junkion still exists or whether or not Wreck-Gar is still its leader.
Books
Wreck-Gar appeared in the Marvel BooksMarvel Books
Marvel Books refers to prose books licensed by Marvel Entertainment or its division in the 1980s that published coloring books and sticker books...
1986 story and coloring book The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp by Pat Brigandi.
Dreamwave Productions
Wreck-Gar also appeared 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 take on the G1 comics. When a badly-damaged Megatron was ejected into space by the ever-treacherous 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...
after a battle with 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...
, Wreck-Gar recovered his body drifting in space. Taking him to Junk and repairing him, Megatron tricked Wreck-Gar into repairing some of the Seeker
Seekers (Transformers)
Seekers is a term in the Transformers universe usually used to describe certain Decepticon warriors with jet transformations. For the character named Seeker see Seeker .-Origin of the term:...
clones, intending to use them as the beginnings of an army, while telling Wreck-Gar that he was really using them to battle injustice throughout the galaxy. When the Junkion leader discovered the truth, Megatron killed him.
Toys
- Generation 1 Wreck-Gar (1986)
- In the initial toy commercial for Wreck-Gar, he was depicted fighting Autobot Triple ChangerTriple ChangerTriple Changers are Transformers that can transform from robot into two different alternative modes.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
SpringerSpringer (Transformers)Springer is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. For trademark reasons, many toys of the character are named Autobot Springer.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, implying he was allied with the Decepticons.- Reveal the Shield Deluxe Wreck-Gar (2011)
- In 2010, it was revealed in Walmart's database that a new Wreck-Gar figure will be released. An official picture of his robot mode was featured on the cover of issue #35 (Oct/Nov 2010) of the Transformers Collectors' Club magazine. Much like the original G1 toy, this figure transforms into a motorcycle, but features an asymmetrical limb design.
- United Deluxe Wreck-Gar (2011)
- A redeco of the Reveal the Shield toy by Takara.
Transformers Animated
Wreck-Gar appears in the Transformers Animated series, having the unique characteristic of taking any suggestion or insult literally, causing humorous chaos as a result.Though modeled after the G1 version, Wreck Gar's design was influenced by his voice actor "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, whose 1986 Transformers 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....
soundtrack song "Dare to Be Stupid
Dare To Be Stupid (song)
"Dare to Be Stupid" is an original song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a musical pastiche of the band Devo.Shortly after the song was released, Yankovic received a letter from Mark Mothersbaugh congratulating him on writing "the perfect Devo song". In an interview on VH1's Behind The Music,...
" was among the many movie references used in Wreck-Gar's debut. This is shown in such instances as throwing his original motorcycle form from the movie at Bumblebee (after being told to "Give them everything you've got!" by the Angry Archer) and saying the universal greeting "Ba-weep-graghna-weep-nini-bong" to Lugnut. In reference to the usage of Yankovic's song in the film, after Ratchet exclaims that even he can't be stupid enough to destroy the city, Wreck-Gar exclaims, "I am Wreck-Gar, I dare to be stupid
Dare to Be Stupid
Dare to Be Stupid is the third studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1985. The album was one of many produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer...
!"
Animated series
Wreck-Gar first appeared in "Garbage In, Garbage Out" where he is created from a pile of junk infused with energy from a shard of the Allspark. Initially he did not know what he was, making his way to the police on the assumption that they could help him find out, only to unknowingly save the Angry Archer from them. Wreck-Gar was given his name by the Angry Archer, which is a shortened form of "Worthless WRECK and "walking pile of GARbage", names Detroit citizens yelled at him while he wandered on the city streets. Because he takes anything said to him literally, Wreck-Gar alternated from the Angry Archer's accomplice to Autobot, then to a garbage dispenser after listening to Rachet's harsh words. Through Lugnut, Wreck-Gar momentarily became a Decepticon. After spilling an Allspark-enhanced swarm of nanobots he collected while aiding the Angry Archer, it only took Ratchet's apology and his telling Wreck-Gar to think for himself to make the confused Transformer choose to be an Autobot hero, sacrificing himself to ultimately save Detroit from the destructive nanobots. In doing so he was thought lost in the Detroit RiverDetroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, as Ratchet could only fish out random junk. Though believed gone, Wreck-Gar was actually online, half-buried at the bottom of the river, cheerfully declaring himself a hero to passing fish (and occasionally requesting a helping hand or fin).
He later makes his return in the "Human Error Part 2," now missing his Autobot insignia, helping Sari
Sari Sumdac
Sari Sumdac is a fictional character in the Transformers Animated cartoon series.-Transformers Animated:The eight-year old adopted daughter of Dr. Isaac Sumdac, Sari lived a sheltered life until she befriends the Autobots after they saved her upon their reawakening.She is the primary source of...
fight 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:...
to free the Autobots from his control. During the battle against Soundwave, Wreck-Gar is apparently immune to 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 mind-controlling riff, likely due to his addled mental state, and attempts to counter the noise by playing an accordion (a reference to his voice actor, "Weird Al" Yankovic's, affinity for Polka music and his "Polka Power" music videos). In the fight's aftermath, Wreck-Gar helps in cleaning the mess from the fight before walking off, distributing garbage to "all the good children" in the manner of Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
.
After the end of the series, it was announced at BotCon 2009 that Wreck-Gar now works for Detroit sanitation.
Toys
- Animated Voyager Wreck-Gar (2009)
- A Voyager sized figure that transforms from garbage truck to robot.
- Animated TA-32 Voyager Wreck-Gar (Takara Tomy) (2010)
- The Japan release version by Takara TomyTakara Tomyis a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
sports a metallic silver grille and container. Released on July 2010.