Outback


 * Outback is an Autobot in the Generation 1 continuity family. He is also known as Fallback.



No by-the-book soldier is Outback; for him, the rules of war are the rules of Rafferty. If the beaten track winds, it's a fair bet he'll go straight. He's more comfortable out in the never never anyway, up grades as steep as 50 degrees, or kicking up willie willies at 110 mph. His insubordination gains him little respect from his mates, and often he finds no partner on his missions but Pat Malone and his trusty rooftop tank-jigger, loaded with armor-piercing shells.

Way in the back blocks of Outback's mind, however, there lurks a dark certainty. By the rules of Rafferty he lives, and by these rules, he is sure, Outback's bound to be a write off. The army's run by Wallies and the war's a no-hoper, but he's not totally clapped-out yet, so he'll give it his best whirl. It's not the best attitude, but he'll share it with anyone without reserve. Outback calls a spade a ruddy spade.

Let a mission go down the gurgler, though, and Outback's the one who'll sort it. He may be largely a mediocrity; he may be an insubordinate grizzle, but his courage is beyond reproach. By the rules of Rafferty he lives, and so far they've served him well.


 * French-Canadian name: Bled

Animated continuity
Voice actors: Dan Gilvezan, Gregg Berger (US); Yoku Shioya (Japan)

After an attack on the Galactic Olympics, Outback and Blaster were charged with tracking down any Decepticons on Earth, whom the Autobots believed were responsible for the assault. With reason to believe some 'Cons were hiding out at a Carbombya air field, the duo still had to deal with a needle in a haystack (or rather, a jet in an airport). In order to get results, Outback bluffed his way through the inspection with a "Decepticon Detector", pointing it at random things and hoping for a response. He got one. Astonishingly, the two F15s with giant Decepticon insignias on them were actually Decepticons(!), Dirge and Ramjet, who tried to run for it in fear of Outback's respectable scanning abilities. Outback caught them with a smoke bomb, though, and he and Blaster managed to interrogate the Coneheads and get the location of the Decepticons' new base on Chaar.

Shortly thereafter, Outback was among a cadre of Autobots who failed to defend the Ark from an attack by Trypticon.

Later, Outback was teamed with Blaster again aboard Sky Lynx when Perceptor radioed in that a mysterious Quintesson signal was broadcasting from a nearby planet. Investigating, the Autobots discovered a lost Quintesson recorded journal, containing secret information about how the Quints had purposely escalated a war between Xetaxxis and Lanarq, two feuding worlds for whichRodimus Prime was attempting to negotiate a peace summit. Galvatron and the Predacons also arrived looking for the journal, and soon the Autobots, Decepticons and Quintessons began a game of "hot potato", bouncing possession of the journal back and forth between each party over and over. Outback and the others eventually claimed the journal and brought it to the peace summit, ending the war at least temporarily.

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformer manga
When the Insecticons attacked Kyushu, Outback and the rest of the 4-Wheel-Drive Brigade, as well as Kenji, arrived to investigate. Outback and friends were briefly trapped inside craters by land mines but escaped once they united into some kind of crazy human pyramid. Using their combined attack, the 4-Wheel-Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster, they drove the Insecticons away and saved Kyushu.

Marvel Comics continuity

 * (Note: Events in italics take place in the UK comics only.)

''Surprised by a lone Decepticon killer, Outback was saved from death by Optimus Prime, who had accidentally returned to Cybertron along with Megatron. He later tried to save Optimus Prime from being executed as a spy by the Wreckers due to a rumor spread by Megatron.''

''When Ultra Magnus refused to believe him, Outback helped Optimus Prime to escape. The two went on the run together, pursued by the Wreckers and a squad of Guardian Droids. Outback was later seriously wounded in battle with the Guardian Droids and Optimus Prime was forced to carry him to safety. ''

Hiding in the Dead End of Cybertron, hoping that Outback would recover, Optimus Prime told him the story of what happened when he was displaced to the limbo dimension when Galvatron traveled back in time.

Outback ultimately survived when Prime’s tale was overheard by Ultra Magnus and Emirate Xaaron, convincing them of his identity.

Dreamwave Comics continuity
Outback was among the group of new recruits who failed to take on the Auto-Combatant training drones on Cybertron after Shockwave's rule was toppled.



Timelines: Descent into Evil comic
Outback, having at this point renamed himself Fallback to complement his revived sense of optimism, led an Autobot strike force consisting of Chromia, Flareup and Ricochet to the planet Ceti Alpha Seven. Their target was the Insecticon cloning facility constructed there by the Decepticon general Deathsaurus. The first batch of Virulent Clones had already been completed, and the team found itself under attack before they ever reached the lab. Fallback and his team destroyed a number of clones, but, when Deathsaurus himself joined the fight, they were overwhelmed and captured. The arrival of their teammates Ironhide and Ratchet on the planet ultimately resulted in Deathsaurus's defeat and the rescue of Fallback's team.

IDW Comics continuity
Long ago, Outback and Kup crash-landed on an unknown planet covered with radioactive crystals. When they attempted to use parts of their ship to create a transmitter, the radiation overloaded the generator, and Outback was killed in the explosion. Kup, however, was eventually driven insane by the radiation and not only talked to Outback's charred remains as though he were alive but used his severed arm as a club.

Springer was able to hack into the deceased Autobot's holo-emitter to try and send Kup a message that the Autobots were coming to rescue him, but the delusional Kup saw this as a ghost making threats upon his life. Outback's remains were further crushed by an errant swipe from one of the rescue party, sending Kup into another homicidal rage.

What they did with what was left of Outback is unknown.

Generation 1

 * Outback (Autobot Mini Vehicle, 1986)
 * Japanese ID number: C-59


 * Outback is a khaki and brown retool of the 1984 Mini Vehicle Brawn. His head, arms, and chest have been changed, plus he has been equipped with a vehicle-mode gun.

Timelines

 * Descent Into Evil (multi-pack, 2005)


 * Available only as part of BotCon 2005's Descent into Evil set (along with Buzzclaw, Chromia, Deathsaurus, Dirge, Ironhide and Ricochet), Fallback (renamed due to trademark reasons) is a brown and tan redeco of Energon Strongarm, transforming into a jeep of made-up model. His clear-blue spare tire and crane/cannon can be assembled to form an energon battle-axe, plus he comes with a clear-blue energon chip.


 * This mold was also used to make movie-universe Strongarm and Crosshairs.