Wheeljack (Armada)

Wheeljack is a Decepticon and former Autobot from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

"My vengeance will be long-winded and repetitive!"

Wheeljack isn't here for friendship anymore, he's here to enact revenge. But things weren't always this way. No, long ago he was an Autobot, and a close friend of Hot Shot. Good humored and confident in his belief that his comrades were as good as they come, he was one of the best Autobots there was. This was all done away with, however, when he was abandoned on the battlefield by his platoon. Damaged and betrayed, he was rescued by Megatron and indoctrinated into the Decepticons, and he eventually became one of their most stalwart and reliable soldiers. He now has a burning hatred for his former teammates, correctly believing them to be the cause of his abandonment. He mistakenly believes, though, that Hot Shot had a part in it. To this end, Hot Shot frequently attempts to explain what really happened on the battlefield on that fateful day, to little avail.

Wheeljack is a skilled soldier with many tricks up his sleeve, and his primary set of weapons are his energy batons. Though his dedication is one of his greatest strengths, it is also undoubtedly his greatest weakness. His one-track mind for revenge and destruction leads to irrationality, and he fails to make educated decisions as a result of it.

He's accompanied by his Mini-Con partner Wind Sheer, who also used to be allied with the Autobots, but followed Wheeljack over to the Decepticons.

Fiction

Armada cartoon

Voice actor: Michael Daingerfield (English), Susumu Chiba (Japanese), Woo-sin Lee (Korean), Claes Ljungmark (Swedish), Gerhard Jilka (German), Kustaa Kantelinen (Finnish), Jorge Teixeira (Castilian Spanish), Juan Guzmán (Latin-American Spanish)

Because you're mine, I walk the... oh, wait. Wrong caption.

Wheeljack was once an Autobot in the same military unit as Hot Shot, looking up to his peer due to his own inexperience in battle, and they considered each other good friends. However, that friendship was broken one day when Wheeljack was trapped under rubble in the middle of an intense fire. Hot Shot could not lift the wreckage alone, and left to get some help, promising to return, but he never did. An arrogant Autobot officer forbade Hot Shot from returning, claiming the fire was too intense and they couldn't risk more lives.

"Soon, we'll all go home... you, me, Optimus, some guy—no... not some guy, he's—Wheeljack?"

Meanwhile, Wheeljack saw a figure approaching through the flames, thinking that at last, Hot Shot had returned. But it was Megatron who saved him that day, and in return, Wheeljack became a Decepticon.

A million years later, a black-coloured Wheeljack tracked down Hot Shot on Earth as his former friend was mentoring another young Autobot, Side Swipe. Managing to aggravate the younger Autobot's temper by laughing evilly and (ha) sideswiping him off the road, Wheeljack led him on a chase before finally sending him off a cliff. Confronting Hot Shot, he explained what had happened so long ago and why he was here. Past As Hot Shot begged forgiveness, Wheeljack shot him at point-blank range.

Later, as Hot Shot tried to deal with these revelations, Wheeljack challenged his friend to a showdown at an abandoned oil refinery. Once again, Hot Shot tried to explain what had really happened and asked for forgiveness, but the Decepticon was both unwilling to listen and had been too bitter for too long to simply let bygones be bygones. At that moment, the hapless Side Swipe attempted to save Hot Shot, only to be taken hostage by Wheeljack, who shot Hot Shot in the leg before daring him to save his young friend from the burning refinery.

"This is what you get for stealing my G1 reference!"

In a touch of what he perceived to be poetic justice, Wheeljack left Side Swipe restrained to the main oil tank in the middle of the blazing inferno, as he believed Hot Shot would abandon his new friend just as he allegedly did to Wheeljack on Cybertron. As Hot Shot struggled through his injuries and limped through the refinery to save Side Swipe, Thrust, who had been watching the confrontation, attacked the helpless Autobot. An enraged Wheeljack shot him out of the sky for daring to interfere, but soon discovered that Megatron had been there the whole time.

On the Moon, a comically injured Thrust protested Megatron's decision to allow Wheeljack to join the Decepticons, given his unstable temperament and violent disposition. Wheeljack swore loyalty to Megatron and the Decepticons, to the unease of Starscream. Past II

After the bulk of the Autobots had been lured away from their base, Wheeljack participated on an attack on the enemy headquarters which ended with the Requiem Blaster in Megatron's hands, and Smokescreen at death's door. Sacrifice The Decepticons regrouped at their base. When Starscream walked in, he took out his frustration for being left behind on Thrust. Wheeljack showed concern over this turn of events, but Megatron put an end to the fight and sent his troops off. Cyclonus and Wheeljack rushed back to Megatron's throne room when they heard that Starscream was rebelling against Megatron. Starscream shot them both before they could intervene, and left to join the Autobots. Regeneration

The Decepticons were gathered in Megatron's throne room when an alarm sounded throughout their base. Wheeljack suggested that the alarm signaled an incursion from the Autobots, but Cyclonus dismissed the idea as preposterous. Wheeljack was right, of course, and attempted to pursue his vendetta against Hot Shot when he turned up. Hot Shot had been tasked with finding the Decepticon-held Mini-Cons, and side-stepped Wheeljack instead of fighting him. Wheeljack then stuck to fighting the main Autobot force until they eventually retreated, having rescued nearly all of the Decepticon-held Mini-Cons. Rescue Wheeljack and the others were stuck filling in for the tiny 'bots, picking up where they'd left off on the construction of a spaceship, and cutting into the time the Decepticons would have otherwise spent gossiping and watching Megatron vent his anger by destroying the lunar landscape. Mars

Wheeljack was part of the Decepticons' next battle, which was actually a carefully constructed scheme by Thrust to bring Starscream, the Star Saber and the Skyboom back to the Decepticon fold. Crack With the sword, the shield, and the blaster now in hand, the Decepticons finalized the construction of the Hydra Cannon, powered by all three Mini-Con weapons. They then used its awesome firepower to obliterate a comet before turning their sights towards the Earth.Threaten When Optimus Prime and Jetfire arrived to stop the Decepticon ship from unleashing its power against Earth, Cyclonus, Demolishor, and Wheeljack dealt with Jetfire, pinning him down and leaving him unable to stop Optimus from sacrificing himself to stop the cannon's blast. Crisis

With Optimus destroyed, Wheeljack and the other Decepticons set course back to Cybertron. Remorse Cyclonus expressed confusion over why Megatron seemed so morose after the death of Optimus Prime. Wheeljack explained to him that the sudden loss of an eternal rival could be discomforting. Depart When Cyclonus whined that Megatron was turning the Decepticons' ship around to deal with their Autobot pursuers, Wheeljack firmly told his fellow Decepticon to never question their leader. In the battle that followed, Optimus Prime was revived by the Mini-Cons and forced the Decepticons to retreat. Miracle

Wait Lord Galvatron, I want to be made into a toy too

Arriving on their home planet ahead of Optimus Prime and his soldiers, the Decepticons managed to take Cybertron by force. During a war-charge led by Galvatron (formerly Megatron), Wheeljack and the others came upon Optimus and Jetfire. The Decepticons retreated when the Autobots brought to their attention a black hole the Mini-Cons were holding at bay overhead, and warned of the approach of "Unicron." Uprising On Cybertron, Wheeljack encountered Hot Shot trying to infiltrate Decepticon command to talk with Galvatron. Though at first eager to continue his feud with the Autobot, Wheeljack was eventually talked into letting Hot Shot deliver his message to the Decepticon leader. The conversation led to Thrust revealing that Unicron was indeed real, as well as the master he secretly served. Thrust then took off with both the Requiem Blaster and Skyboom Shield in hand. Wheeljack seemed to finally forgive Hot Shot for his past transgressions, and joined him in pursuing Thrust. Dash Now amicable to one another, Wheeljack and Hot Shot delved deep into a series of labyrinthine and strangely organic-looking tunnels. When they heard the Requiem Blaster going off into the distance, the two 'bots sped towards it. They found Starscream protecting Rad, Alexis, and Carlos from a cave-in. The children informed the newcomers of a revelation they had been privy to: the Mini-Cons had originally been spawned by Unicron in a bid to subjugate the Cybertronian race. Drift

Wheeljack continued to help Hot Shot track down Thrust, eventually coming to a portal that transported them to Cybertron's moon. There, they tried to attack their quarry, only to be warded off by various parasitic organisms that populated the satellite's interiors. Unicron's minion got away, but Wheeljack and his allies managed to make their way to the moon's surface. As the ground beneath their feet began to collapse, they were rescued by Jetfire, who flew them back to Cybertron. Looking back at the moon, the 'bots realized that the satellite they were previously standing upon concealed Unicron's body, who was now awakening. Wheeljack bid Hot Shot farewell, and returned to the Decepticons in preparation for the upcoming battle against the Chaos Bringer. Portent

Though no longer plagued by rage, Wheeljack was still loyal to Galvatron. He accompanied Galvatron as he attacked Optimus's forces in a canyon. There, Wheeljack was kept occupied by the enemy soldiers while Optimus tried to reason with Galvatron. The Autobots' and Decepticons' firefight was interrupted by an energy discharge from Unicron, and soon thereafter Galvatron was swayed by Starscream's death to unite his forces with Optimus's. Cramp Wheeljack attended a formal ceremony where Prime and Galvatron shook hands, uniting the Autobots and Decepticons into an armada that struck at Unicron together. Alliance All attempts to damage Unicron proved futile. Determining their best plan of attack laid in attacking Unicron from within, Optimus and Galvatron infiltrated their gargantuan foe's body. Meanwhile, Wheeljack and the rest of the troops kept Unicron occupied with their ships, in the hopes of forestalling Cybertron's annihilation. Union As he battled Unicron, Wheeljack's Autobot roots shined through; he showed concern first and foremost for Optimus Prime, wondering if he was making any progress on his mission. The troops on the outside certainly weren't, as all the damage they inflicted on Unicron healed near-instantaneously. Origin

Thankfully, the team inside of Unicron succeeded in retrieving the Mini-Con weapons, de-powering the Chaos Bringer. The Transformers then scrambled to eliminate Unicron before he recovered, but this proved unnecessary; once Galvatron sacrificed himself, there was no longer enough hatred in the universe to sustain Unicron, and he vanished from existence. The Transformers' war now at an end, Wheeljack and his fellow Cybertronians stood united as a race, and begun rebuilding their war-torn planet. Mortal Combat

Dreamwave Armada continuity

Armada comic

Hot Shot who?

Long ago, Wheeljack was one of the most trusting and dedicated Autobots around. He put unending faith in the Autobot cause and especially his teammates, such as Hot Shot, with whom he had a friendly rivalry. But that all ended when a battlefield miscommunication resulted in Wheeljack being abandoned... and being found by the Decepticons. They quickly indoctrinated him, and before long he had slashed his Autobot symbol and joined the opposing team. Some day he'll meet Hot Shot again, and there will be a reckoning. More Than Meets The Eye #3

Wheeljack, along with Skywarp and Sideways, guarded the rocket site that was used to launch Megatron's Solar Scalpel into orbit. Fire & Ice

Much later, Wheeljack was among the Decepticon troops allied with the Autobots and Mini-Cons during the battle against Unicron. He clutched his head in agony when the Chaos Bringer appeared and declared that this reality would be consumed. The End

Energon comic

Millions of years before the arrival of the Transformers on Earth, Wheeljack was part of a squad of Decepticons under the command of Scorponok. No Exit

Emboldened by Megatron's return, Wheeljack, Skywarp, and Thundercracker renounced the peace on Cybertron and accosted the Autobot Dropshot, only to flee when approached by the ghost of Starscream. Armageddon Part 1

Following Megatron's instructions, Wheeljack intervened in a battle between Senators Avalon and Levitacus. Though Avalon managed to kill Levitacus, he was shortly thereafter cut down by Wheeljack. Armageddon Part 3

Games

Transformers: Battle Tactics

I'm a former Autobot with batons and no Decepticon Insignia!

Armada Wheeljack participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Epic character who first appeared in the "Armada: Episode 3: Between Two Worlds" event, and could be recruited after collecting 650 units of Cybermetal, 350 units of Transmetal, 150 exclusive cores, and 50 cores of this character. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Toys

Armada

Revenge is a dish best served with pinto beans and muffins. (Hasbro version pictured)

Burning Revenge with lots of burning!
(Takara version pictured)

• Wheeljack with Wind Sheer (Super-Con, 2003)

• Takara name: Rampage
• Takara ID number: MD-07
• Takara release date: August 14, 2003
• Accessories: 2 missiles/hand-held blasters/melee weapons
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro), Shogo Hasui (Takara)

Released in the sixth wave of Armada Super-Cons, Wheeljack transforms into a gullwing-doored supercar resembling a Ferrari F50. His most distinctive feature is the large, scarred Autobot symbol on the center of his hood/chest, with a smaller Decepticon sigil beneath it. When a Mini-Con is attached to his active rooftop Powerlinx plug, both doors either side of the vehicle mode open up like wings, which also give access to the triggers for his door-mounted spring-loaded missile launchers. This plug is in a recessed section of roof designed to accommodate Wheeljack's pack-in Mini-Con Wind Sheer in jet mode, but any Mini-Con will suffice to unlock the doors. It might just be a bit more awkward to do so.

In robot mode, his missiles can be held in his hands as melee weapons (or blasters, if you follow the cartoons' depiction of them). Unusually, his right wrist features a swivel joint while his left wrist is immobile. Also unusually, his proper transformation scheme requires a Mini-Con to open his doors/wings… though, this can be worked around by unlatching the yellow clips with your fingers underneath the vehicle mode.

The Takara Legend of the Microns release of Wheeljack, named "Rampage", has major differences from the Hasbro version. His predominant vehicle mode plastic is now solid black rather than charcoal, with the large yellow paint striping replaced with much smaller light blue stripes. His windows are metallic light blue instead of metallic light purple, and his eyes are painted blue, making him more cartoon-accurate. While Hasbro representatives expressed interest in releasing the Takara deco, possibly as a running change, this ultimately never happened.

This mold was also used to make a proposed, but unreleased, Universe Battle in a Box Drench. This mold in a similar deco was later used to make the BotCon 2008 exclusive Shattered Glass Sideswipe.

• More information on Wheeljack at TFU.info

• Rampage & Air Assault Micron (Multi-pack, 2003)

• ID number: MS-08
• Release date: August 14, 2003
• Accessories: 2 missiles/hand-held blasters/melee weapons

In Japan, Wheeljack and Wind Sheer were available both as an individual release, and in a multi-pack with the Air Assault Microns, likely to mirror how his rival Hot Shot had a multi-pack with the Air Defense Micron. All of the toys in the set are identical to their individual releases.

Legacy

Unfortunately, Wind Sheer didn't get the memo this time.

• Armada Universe Wheeljack (Deluxe Class, 2025)

• Accessories: 2 clubs, shoulder cannon, missile
• Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy)^[1]

Released in the fifth and final wave of Transformers: Legacy United Deluxes, "Armada Universe Wheeljack" is a redeco of Shattered Glass Collection Sideswipe (itself a retool of Kingdom Sideswipe with a new front fascia, doors, and head). His deco is based on his Takara Legends of the Microns "Rampage" toy rather than the Hasbro Armada toy, which in turn is more show-accurate. In a show of faithfulness to the original tooling, the new hood has an embossed Autobot insignia.

Aside from the (non-firing) launcher and missile that came standard with the mold, he includes two new club weapons designed to form the car mode's "running boards" based on the original Armada mold's missiles, which could be held as clubs. The aforementioned running boards are highlighted in the instructions as being capable of lifting up in vehicle mode to replicate the original toy's vehicle mode Powerlinx feature.

Notes

• Hasbro Transformers lead Aaron Archer at first stated that the resemblance of Wheeljack's head design to Generation 1 Sideswipe was unintentional on Hasbro's part, noting that Takara was responsible and that the Hasbro team was surprised when they received the prototype from Japan. Years later, Archer recalled seeing the head amongst designer Eric Siebenaler's sketches experimenting with a more Generation 1-esque aesthetic.^[2]
• During Archer's time as ORSON, he indicated unawareness of several features of the toy:
  • When a fan asked about Wheeljack having only one articulated wrist, Archer did not know why this was done.
  • When asked about Wheeljack having knees while most Armada figures seemed to lack them, the reply was "Wheeljack has knees?"
• The original plan for Wheeljack was for him to be Hot Shot's brother. Even after the episode aired, Aaron Archer, posting as ORSON, was unaware of this change.^{[citation needed]}

Foreign names

• Japanese: Rampage (ランページ Ranpēji)
• Hungarian: Volán Jack ("Steering-wheel Jack")
• Korean: Freddy (프레디 Peuredi)
• Mandarin: Qiānjīndǐng (China, 千斤顶, "Wheeljack")
• Polish: Prasownik
• Russian: Gonshhik (Гонщик, "Racer")
• Ukrainian: Rul'ovyj (Рульовий, "Wheelman")

References