Wheeljack (Unicron Trilogy)


 * Wheeljack is a Decepticon from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.



Wheeljack isn't here for vengeance, he's here for vengeance.

A former Autobot, Wheeljack wears the scarred insignia as a constant reminder of what he left. He believes the supposedly-noble Autobots left him on the field of battle to die (and he's not entirely wrong about that, either), and particularly blames his former friend Hot Shot (that, now, he's got dead wrong). He's a fierce soldier with a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

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

Japanese name: Rampage

Armada

 * Voice actor: Michael Daingerfield (US), Susumu Chiba (Japan)



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 alone could not lift the wreckage, 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.

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.


 * (Note: Wheeljack claims to have put the past behind him, and that he isn't here for revenge, but at the same time, he constantly thinks about the incident and has definitely returned for revenge. This is possibly due to bad translation or bad writing of the source script. It's also possible, however, that this inconsistency is caused entirely by Wheeljack's own skewed perceptions.)

Armada
Wheeljack, along with Skywarp and Sideways, guarded the rocket site that was used to launch Megatron's solar scalpel into orbit.

Energon
Millions of years ago, Wheeljack was part of a squad of Decepticons under the command of Scorponok.

Armada



 * Wheeljack with Mini-Con Wind Sheer (Deluxe, 2003)
 * Japanese ID number: MD-07


 * Armada Wheeljack transforms into a gullwing-doored supercar of vague origin. He is cast in dark charcoal plastic in vehicle mode, with white and yellow for robot parts. His most distinctive feature is the large, scarred Autobot symbol on the center of his chest.  When his Mini-Con Wind Sheer is attached to his active rooftop Powerlinx port, both doors either side of the vehicle mode open up like wings, which also give access to the triggers for his door-mounted missile launchers.  In robot mode, these missiles can be held in his hands as melee weapons.  Unusually, his right wrist features a swivel joint while his left wrist is immobile.


 * The Takara release of Wheeljack, named Rampage, has some major colour differences. His predominant vehicle mode plastic is now solid black, with the large yellow paint striping replaced with much smaller light blue stripes, and his eyes are painted blue, matching his cartoon model.


 * This mold was also used to make a proposed Universe Battle in a Box Deluge/Drench, but the toy was never released.


 * Rampage and Hawk with Air Assault Micron (Multi-pack, 2003)
 * Japanese ID number: MS-08


 * In Japan, Wheeljack was available both as an individual release, and in a multi-pack with the Air Assault Mini-Con Team, likely to mirror how his rival Hot Shot had a multi-pack with the Air Defense Mini-Con Team.

Trivia

 * According to Aaron Archer, the final head design for Armada Wheeljack is unintentional, at least to Hasbro. Unbeknownst to the American toy company, Takara had designed and sculpted the head to resemble Generation 1 Sideswipe, no doubt due to the similarity of the robot modes on both toys, and Hasbro's team were surprised when they received the prototype toy from Japan.


 * Also according to Aaron Archer, during his ORSON stint, it seems some other things about the final sculpt were unknown to the Hasbro team.
 * 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 whilst most other Armada figures seemed to lack them, the reply was "Wheeljack has knees?"


 * At OTFCC 2003, Hasbro had noted they had vague plans to release the Takara version of Wheeljack as a running change. This never materialized, however.


 * Out of the Armada Decepticons who came to Earth in the animated continuity and were not shown to be killed off, Wheeljack is the only one who did not reappear in Energon. As a result, his eventual fate is unknown.