Crasher

Crasher is the name of several fictional characters in the Gobots toyline, and the subsequent Challenge of the GoBots cartoon and Transformers series. She was a regular character in the Gobots cartoon and star of the film Gobots: Battle of the Rock Lords voiced by Marilyn Lightstone. She is sometimes called "Fracture" for trademark purposes.

Gobots

Crasher
Challenge of the Gobots, Machine Robo and Robo Machines character

Crasher in Challenge of the Gobots
First appearance "The Battle for Gobotron"
Last appearance Gobots: Battle of the Rock Lords
Voiced by Marilyn Lightstone
Japanese name Porsche Robo
Release number MR-20
Information
Species Gobot
Gender Female
Abilities Energy blasts, flight, shapeshifting, superhuman durability, superhuman strength
Affiliation Renegade Gobot
Alternate mode Porsche 956

The female Crasher was one of Cy-Kill's most loyal Renegades, despite having a somewhat manic personality. One of her favoured pastimes is participating in demolition derbies.[1] She is considered reckless.[2] Under interrogation, she admitted to having a crush on Leader-1 before the Guardians and Renegades began their struggle. Unlike most Gobots, she rarely seems to use her hand-mounted blasters, instead using a trademark attack wherein she stamps her foot on the ground to create a powerful earthquake-style energy discharge that could track its victim in much the same manner as a heat-seeking missile. Crasher's seeming state of near-madness effectively renders her fearless, and she has an ongoing grudge with the Guardian Turbo, rarely avoiding a chance to battle him. However, she tends to take any defeat or challenge very personally.[3]

Despite her gender, unlike many 1980s female cartoon characters, Crasher is shown to be treated equally compared to her male counterparts, and is feared by most Guardians.[4] Crasher enjoyed Gobot demolition derbies and at one time had a crush on Leader-1.

According to Hasbro employees Crasher was the inspiration for the Decepticon Fracture.[5]

Animated series

Crasher appears in almost every episode, usually as a featured character.

In the pilot Crasher and Cop-Tur aid Cy-Kill when he steals the astrobeam and escapes Gobotron to Earth.[6]

Cy-Kill, Cop-Tur, Crasher, Geeper-Creeper, Pincher, and Snoop attack a lab, but it is defended by Leader-1, Baron Von Joy, Blaster, Dozer, Dumper, Road Ranger, Scooter, Scratch and Turbo. Although the Guardians were winning the battle, an accidental backfire from Baron Von Joy's weapon allows the Renegades to escape.[7]

Cy-Kill, Cop-Tur, Crasher and Snoop attack Leader-1, Turbo, Scooter and Small Foot. Crasher wounds Small Foot. After attaining recordings of the Guardians the Renegades retreat. Using the recordings Cy-Kill has Herr Fiend program robot duplicates of the Guardians. When demonstrating Space Bender weapon to Unicom, Leader-1 learns that the Renegades ware attacking Washington. The Renegades ambush Leader-1 and replaced him with his duplicate. Leading the Command Center back to Gobotron and getting rid of Scooter and Small Foot the Renegades then release duplicates of Path Finder, Rest-Q, Van Guard and Turbo. Small Foot and Scooter are able to capture the Turbo duplicate and learn where their friends are being held. Cy-Kill then replaces Good Night. Using the duplicate Turbo the Guardians infiltrate the Renegade base, free the captured Guardians and escape from Spoons and Fitor. Although blocked by the Renegades, Scooter uses a hologram of Zod to make the Renegades flee. Making it back to Gobotron the Guardians are attacked by the Guardian duplicates. The real Guardians are able to defeat their duplicates with the aid of the real Zeemon, Hans-Cuff and Rest-Q. Cy-Kill then arrives in Thrustor with more duplicates, but Small Foot is able to stop with robots using the Space Bender, which fuses their robot brains.[8]

Scooter and Small Foot join Nick and A.J. to watch a car stunt show which is attacked by Crasher, BuggyMan and Fly Trap. Small Foot fights Buggyman and defeats him, but the Renegades regain the upper hand until the Guardians are rescued by Leader-1 and Turbo who arrived in Power Suits. Cy-Kill vows to gain Power Suits for the Renegades. Scooter decides he needed more firepower, so he has Baron Von Joy remove his damaged holo projector in favor of a blaster unit. Screw Head, Bad Boy and Cop-Tur are sent to attack Unicom bases and distract the Guardians while Cy-Kill, Crasher and Scorp attempt to take the suits from the Guardian Command Center. Small Foot and Scooter are able to delay the Renegades until Leader-1 and Turbo return to chase away the Renegades. Realizing he is a better Guardian with his holo projector, Scooter has it reinstalled. [9]

Crasher was among the Renegade Gobot forces who aided the Rock Lord Magmar on the planet Cordax.[10] [11]

Comics

Crasher appeared in the story "Scooter's Mighty Magnet" as one of Cy-Kill's minions.[12]

Books

Egmont Books

Crasher was featured in the 1986 children's book Collision Course Comet - Robo Machine Featuring The Challenge Of GoBots. The illustrations of this book depict her in her white variant, not the black one used in the animated series.[13]

Western Publishing Company

Crasher appeared in the 1984 Western Publishing Company story War of the GoBots by Robin Snyder. [14]

Crasher appeared in the 1985 Western Publishing Company story Race to the Stars by Jack Harris.[15]

Fun Publications

Crasher was also featured in various Transformers fiction from Fun Publications, in both the "Ask Vector Prime" and "Renegade Rhetoric" Facebook series. Notably, she appeared in the "Echoes and Fragments" story that intermingled elements from GoBots into the plot of The Transformers: The Movie; in a nod to her two identities, Crasher was reformatted by Unicron into Fracture.

Toys

Crasher’s toy was a re-release of the Machine Robo Porsche Robo figure. It was first issued by Tonka in 1983, in an authentic white Rothmans Porsche livery (of the 1982-87 factory team).
From the outset the character was black/red in the cartoon, and by 1984 the toy was recolored to match Crasher's on-screen appearance. There was a variant of the stickers on this toy. One having a solid white background behind the "1" on the arms, the other having a red stripe above the white.
This toy was sold by itself and in a gift pack with Tank and Geeper-Creeper.
In 1993, the white version (with a new sticker sheet) was issued as "Sports Car" (the trademark "Crasher" now belonging to Hasbro) in Bandai's Machine Robo range.

Transformers: Generation 1

Crasher
Decepticon
Information
Sub-group Deluxe Vehicles, Female Transformers
Alternate modes Formula-1 race car
Series Transformers: Generation 1

This version of Crasher is based off the Gobots character, despite being Cybertronian. She presumably has the same alternate mode.

IDW Publishing

In the second issue of The Transformers: Megatron Origin, Crasher is one of the background Transformers cheering Megatron's victory over Cy-Kill. However, she is drawn with a face similar to the toy, with a large red visor taking up much of her face.

Transformers

Fracture
Decepticon
Information
Sub-group Deluxe Vehicles, Female Transformers and New Decepticons.
Partner Stockade
Alternate modes Formula-1 race car
Series Transformers

Though not part of the live-action Transformers film, Fracture is featured as part of the toy line and associated comics.[16] Dedicated to Megatron and the Decepticon cause, Fracture is a dangerous enemy. She is totally fearless, and probably a little bit crazy, as she dives directly into any battle, regardless of the odds.

Although she carries a powerful negative energy blaster, she prefers to use the seismic energy dischargers on her feet to smash the surrounding earth to pieces. Any battlefield on which she walks shudders with the force of her steps.[17] In the IDW comics, Fracture was given a new design to fit in more with the movie's animation style, rather than one resembling her toy.

Her appearance in the Titan Magazines series depicted her with her toys appearance, though with a different characterization. Notably being loyal to Stockade rather than Megatron, believing him to be the original reason the Great War began and thus Cybertron's destruction.

Titan Magazines

Note: Stories from the alternate universe where Megatron won the battle for the Allspark are in italics.

Fracture appears in issue #17 of the Titan Transformers Magazine, in a story called "Return to Cybertron: Part 1." She is part of the "New Decepticons" on Cybertron led by Stockade.

IDW Publishing

Fracture is among the Decepticons who arrive on Earth under the direction of Soundwave in Transformers: Alliance #3. She arrives in Italy and assumed the form for a Formula One race car. In issue #4 Fracture is hunted down by Ironhide and human members of N.E.S.T., who chase her until Ironhide can run her off a cliff, killing her.

Toys

A Walmart exclusive black/white/red redeco of Classics Deluxe Mirage. According to the toy designer, this character was inspired by the GoBots character Crasher, but Hasbro's legal department was unable to secure that name.[18] The paint scheme is based on one used by a Russian F1 race team (specifically, Midland F1 Racing).[19]

Transformers: Timelines (Shattered Glass)

Crasher
Decepticon
Information
Sub-group Female Transformers, Mayhem Suppression Squad
Alternate modes Land Racer
Series Transformers: Timelines

A mirror-universe version of Crasher appeared in the Transformers: Timelines fiction. She is one of the heroic Decepticons. Crasher can cause quakes with her fists. She is a white racing vehicle. Her cousin is the evil Autobot Blurr.

Fun Publications

Crasher appears in the fiction Dungeons & Dinobots, a text-based story from Fun Publications. She is part of the Mayhem Suppression Squad called in by Soundwave to defend the Arch-Ayr fuel dump from an Autobot attack. She later became part of the crew of the Nemesis.[20]

In Do Over the Nemesis launches after the Ark. After a brief battle the Nemesis is shot down and crashes on Earth, with the crew escaping in stasis pods. Although not directly depicted, Crasher is a member of the crew of the Nemesis.

Crasher appears in Eye In the Sky where Cliffjumper recovers her pod and reactivates her. Cliffjumper, Crasher, Frenzy, Heatwave, Ravage and Soundwave are sent on a mission to Burpleson Air Force Base to stop the Autobots from controlling the GODS defense system. Heatwave uses his powers to convince the GODS transmitter to fire the weapon on itself and stop the Autobots from taking control.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)

Fracture
Decepticon
Information
Sub-group Bounty Hunters, Steeljaw's Pack
Function Bounty Hunter
Motto "It's always about a bounty!"
Alternate modes Cybertronian Motorcycle,
Earth Chopper-style Motorcycle
Series Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)
English voice actor Kevin Pollak
Japanese voice actor Anri Katsu

The Fracture name is used once again, this time for a male character from Transformers: Robots in Disguise (the 2015 animated follow-up to the previous series Transformers: Prime). This version of Fracture is a bounty hunter who has a rivalry with the Autobot bounty hunter, Drift. He transforms into a purple motorcycle and is the only one that doesn't have an animal motif for his robot mode in the first season. He has two Mini-Con partners, Airazor and Divebomb, voiced by Roger Craig Smith and Khary Payton, respectively, who transform into missiles which launch from Fracture's shoulders. Like Drift, Fracture's Mini-Cons seemingly form part of his alternate mode as they are seen transforming with him.

Animated series

Fracture debuted in the episode 12, entitled "Hunting Season". He traveled to Earth to collect the bounty the Cybertron High Council put on Bumblebee, but when Drift steps in to defend Bumblebee and his ship is hijacked by the Autobots, Fracture stayed on Earth and joined Steeljaw's gang. In his following appearances, he would join Steeljaw's pack in attempting to break out the Decepticons that the Autobots had already captured, only to fail repeatedly. In the first season finale, Fracture attacks the Autobot base when only Fixit, Denny and Russel are there. The three prepare to fight Fracture and his Mini-Cons, only to find that a newly resurrected Optimus Prime has already defeated them. Despite not being an Alchemor prisoner, the defeated Fracture (and his Mini-Cons) was presumably placed in a stasis cell before Optimus when off to fight Megatronus.

Video games

Fracture appears as an unlockable character in the mobile game for Transformers: Robots in Disguise.

Toys

Part of the third wave of Robots in Disguise One-Step Changers, Fracture transforms from robot to chopper in one step. For some reason, his optics were painted blue instead of red.
This Warrior-sized mold of Fracture transforms from a Cybertronian Chopper Bike to a robot. Low on articulation, Fracture is constructed around his "Deployer" gimmick, a large, built-in, spring-loaded launcher which hangs off his right-hand side and can launch any Robot in Disguise Mini-Con figure, including his packed-in partner, Airazor. In robot mode, pulling down on a lever on Fracture's back swings the launcher downward to fire the loaded Mini-Con; in vehicle mode, it becomes his bike's sidecar, and the Mini-Con is launched by pressing a button on top of it. The launcher is designed with a "safety" switch on its underside that prevents the button from being pressed unless the bike is placed on a surface. The included Airazor transforms into a torpedo, and comes with a sprue of extra weapons and armor. Most of these extra pieces attach to Airazor to make his alternate mode resemble a tiny spacecraft; he also comes with an teeny-weeny little pair of energy swords, which he can hold in his hands or store on his legs, and which can also mount on Fracture's forearms. Fracture features a Mini-Con mounting port on his left elbow, where Airazor or any other Mini-Con can attach.

As with all Robots in Disguise figures, all Fracture toys have a scannable insignia on the right side of his front wheel. Scanning this with the Robots in Disguise mobile game temporarily unlocks Fracture as a playable character, if the player has not already permanently unlocked him.

References

  1. ↑ Bellomo, Mark (2010). Totally Tubular '80s. Krause Publications. p. 90=93. ISBN 1-4402-1282-1.
  2. ↑ "News". Computer & Video Games. 1 (61): 8.
  3. ↑ http://www.oafe.net/yo/tfm_frac.php
  4. ↑ Going, Going, Gobots by Matt Carara, Toyfare Magazine #123, November 2007, page 80-82
  5. ↑ http://www.toplessrobot.com/2011/04/8_things_you_didnt_know_about_gobots_and_probably.php
  6. ↑ Written by Alan Burnett, Jeff Segal and Tom Ruegger (September 8, 1984). "The Battle for Gobotron". Challenge of the GoBots. Season 1. Episode 1. First-run syndication.
  7. ↑ "It's The Thought That Counts". Challenge of the GoBots. Season 1. Episode 6. First-run syndication.
  8. ↑ "Doppleganger". Challenge of the GoBots. Season 1. Episode 23. First-run syndication.
  9. ↑ Written by Jeff Segal, Kelly Ward and Mark Young (November 24, 1985). "Scooter Enhanced". Challenge of the GoBots. Season 1. Episode 55. First-run syndication.
  10. ↑ Ray Patterson (Director), Kay Wright (Producer), Jeff Segal (Writer) (1986-03-21). GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords (Motion picture). Clubhouse Pictures.
  11. ↑ Texe W. Marrs and Wanda J. Marrs (1985). The Great Robot Book. Little Simon. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-671-60243-7.
  12. ↑ Jay Itzkowitz (w), Paul Kirchner (a). "Scooter's Mighty Magnet" (Spring 1986), Telepictures Publications
  13. ↑ Hanna-Barbera (1986). Collision Course Comet - Robo Machine Featuring The Challenge of the GoBots. Egmont Books. ISBN 978-0723578581.
  14. ↑ Snyder, Robin (1984). War of the GoBots. Western Publishing Company. ISBN 0307113760.
  15. ↑ Harris, Jack (1985). Race to the Stars. Western Publishing Company. ISBN 0307666433.
  16. ↑ http://www.oafe.net/yo/tfm_frac.php
  17. ↑ Hasbro.com - Decepticon Fracture
  18. ↑ http://www.toplessrobot.com/2011/04/8_things_you_didnt_know_about_gobots_and_probably.php
  19. ↑ TFW2005.com - Decepticon Fracture
  20. ↑ S. Trent Troop and Greg Sepelak (2008). Dungeons & Dinobots. Illustrator Evan Gauntt. Fun Publications.

External links

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