Red Alert (G1)


 * Red Alert is an Autobot in the Generation 1 continuity family.



Red Alert is paranoid, which is not a bad trait in a security officer if it's kept in check by reason, logic, and common sense. Red Alert is...not always so good with those other traits. The other Autobots appreciate his good intentions and eye for detail, but his ratio of false alarms to real emergencies is not always the greatest, and it makes them less likely to take him seriously when a threat is real. Inferno does his best to keep his good buddy Red out of trouble.

"I knew there was trouble!"

- Red Alert...all the time


 * French-Canadian name: Feu D'alerte
 * Hungarian name: Riadó (meaning Alert)
 * Italian name: Giaguaro, Alert (1987 on)
 * Japanese name: Alert

Generation 1
''When the Autobot warrior Brawn went on a temporarily mad rampage, Red Alert leapt out from nowhere to deck Brawn with one punch, and then vanish into the night as if he had never been there. ''

Marvel UK Future Timelines
''In 2009, Red Alert was one of the few Autobots available on Earth to help Kup and Arcee assault the new energy leech being constructed by the Decepticons. After destroying the work Soundwave and the Terrorcons had done, Red Alert and the others were immediately drafted by Rodimus Prime into leaping through the trans-time dimensional portal back to 1989. It seemed the extended time-jump of former Decepticon leader Galvatron was causing heavy stress on the timestream at both ends. 20 years in the past, Red Alert and his future Autobots joined forces with several different factions of Autobots and Decepticons on Earth to confront the menace of Galvatron and the resultant time storm. Red Alert took some flak from Galvatron's particle cannon during the battle, but ultimately the time storm was abated when Galvatron himself was cast into its maw, and the timestream restabilized itself. Red Alert, Rodimus and the other future Autobots then returned to their own time. ''

''Or did they? Upon returning to 2009, Red Alert and his comrades found Galvatron already there waiting for them. It seemed their actions in the past had reconstructed the timeline to such a degree that their present was now radically changed -- Galvatron and his Decepticons now ruled Cybertron. The Autobots tried to adjust to these new events and created a token resistance movement on Cybertron, but it was soon crushed and they were chased off their home planet and back to Autobot City on Earth. During the trip, Red Alert was serving as chief bridge officer of their starship when the Autobots were assaulted with sabotage. While Kup and a security team attempted to ferret out the traitor, Red Alert did his level best to keep the Autobots from crashing into Earth uncontrollably at sub-light speeds. Battered and bruised, most of the Autobots survived thanks to Arcee's efforts to reactivate the retro-rockets at the last minute. They still had to face the saboteur, however: an insane Rodimus Prime, corrupted from within by the essence of Unicron that he had unknowingly been carrying inside himself. On the ground, Red Alert joined Kup, Arcee, and the others in fighting their mad leader, until ultimately Rodimus fought off the evil within and regained his senses. ''

Generation 2
Grimlock planned a raid on Jhiaxus' ship Twilight against Optimus Prime's orders. Unfortunately, Jhiaxus was expecting this move and had Grimlock's troops surrounded. Against type, Red Alert attacked Jhiaxus anyhow, and was blown to pieces. Red Alert's death hinted to Grimlock that this may have been a bad idea.

Cartoon continuity

 * Voice actor: Michael Chain (US), Yoku Shioya (Japan)



Red Alert assisted Inferno when the Dinobots accidentally set Autobot headquarters on fire. He and Inferno later helped Prowl and Jazz corral some motorcycle rustlers who got transported into the future by a time warp.



The Autobots were testing the powerful Negavator superweapon they had built in cooperation with the United States Military when the Decepticons attacked, intent on stealing the weapon. Optimus Prime ordered Red Alert and Inferno to stay inside and guard the bunker as the rest of the Autobots took the fight to the Decepticons. Inferno chafed to fight the Decepticons and left Red on his own despite the latter's pleas for him to stay. During the battle, Decepticon attacks caused the bunker to catch fire and become damaged (much to Grapple's dismay), knocking Red Alert on the head and burying him under rubble. Realizing what happened, Inferno and the other Autobots returned to rescue Red. Unfortunately, the blow to his head damaged Red's logic circuits, making him more paranoid than usual, and caused him to flee the other Autobots in fear that they would take him apart and use him for spare parts. He also became thoroughly convinced that his pal Inferno was after his job and so he escaped the Autobots. Red Alert's damage was such that if he was left untreated, his circuits would eventually explode, and so the Autobots immediately left to find him.



Meanwhile, Starscream (who had once again fallen out of favour with Megatron) used Red's paranoia to his own advantage by pretending to form a partnership with the Autobot, feeding his paranoid state, encouraging him to steal the Negavator and use it to destroy both the Autobots and Decepticons. With Red Alert's knowledge, the pair infiltrated the bunker and stole the Negavator, just in time for Megatron to seize the weapon and for Starscream to reveal his true cowardly ways. Fortunately, Inferno saved Red Alert from himself and his Decepticon 'allies'.

Once, Cosmos radioed in to Teletraan I to inform the Autobots he had uncovered data on a new source of energy upon Saturn's moon of Titan, but was under heavy fire from Astrotrain. Optimus Prime began to order Cosmos to transmit the data, but Red Alert overruled his commander, saying it was too risky as the Decepticons might monitor and intercept the transmission. Prime acknowledged Red's caution, and instead sent a team of Autobots out aboard Omega Supreme to meet Cosmos.

Transformers: The Headmasters
Red Alert did make one appearance in the first episode of the Japanese exclusive Headmasters series.

The character also featured in the Transformers 2010 title sequence, despite not appearing in any of the episodes themselves.

Dreamwave comics continuity
Red Alert was serving the Autobot cause in Iacon when Sentinel Prime was destroyed, and Optronix first rose to become Optimus Prime at the request of Council of Elders. He worked under Prime's command and later, after Optimus and Megatron disappeared through a Space Bridge portal and the Dark Ages began, become one of the Autobot soldiers serving in Prowl's faction.

After the Great Shutdown, Red Alert was one of the first Autobots resurrected by the new alliance of Ultra Magnus and Shockwave, and was chosen to lead the united Cybertronians alongside Shockwave and an Autobot High Council. The council proved incapable of adequately leading on their own, though, and began gradually giving more and more power to Shockwave over time, until their role was as little more than figureheads. Ultimately, it took the arrival of Optimus Prime and the Ark's crew to galvanize the Autobot forces of Cybertron into realizing just how badly they'd been had by the Decepticons. Red Alert and the council finally joined in the insurrection and helped bring down Shockwave's empire.

Red Alert was seen tutoring several new Autobot cadets in combat as Cybertron settled down after the uprising. He was last seen among the Autobots who traveled to Earth to work on the construction of the new Autobot City.

IDW comics continuity
Red Alert briefly appeared with Prowl investigating the aftermath of some robot's demise during Kaon's underground bloodsport movement.

Generation 1

 * Red Alert (Autobot Car, 1985, 2001/2002/2003)
 * Japanese ID number: 05




 * Transforming into a Lamborghini Countach Fire Chief's car, Red Alert's toy is a redeco of the Diaclone "New Countach LP500S Police Car", which was a retool that added roof lights to the original Diaclone "New Countach LP500S", which was the mold used to make Sideswipe. Red Alert's alt mode is a perfect disguise, since many Fire Departments have Lamborghinis as auxiliary vehicles.


 * Red Alert saw the first of many reissues in early 2001. As part of Takara's "Collector's Edition" series of reissues that saw several pairs of "mold-mates" released together in limited numbers, Alert and Lambor were available as "Set A" at World Character Convention 12 For 2002, Alert was again released with Lambor, this time as "New Year Special" editions available through Takara's e-Hobby online shop. Hasbro reissued Red by himself as part of Commemorative Series IV, available at US Toys "R" Us stores in 2003.


 * Red Alert's mold was also used to make Clamp Down, who was an homage to the mold's original police deco. Sans roof lights, the Lamborghini mold was also used for Deep Cover, Tigertrack, and Generation 2 Sideswipe.

Smallest Transforming Transformers



 * Alert (2004)
 * Japanese ID number: GTF 10


 * Once again a remold of a Sideswipe, Smallest Transformers Alert was part of the second wave of the line. Like all of the Smallest Transformers, Alert was a tiny, simplified version of his original appearance, with limited articulation and non-rolling wheels.

Binaltech Asterisk

 * Alert Meets Ai (Autobot, 2005)
 * Japanese ID number: BTA-01




 * The first release in the Asterisk sub-line of Binaltech, Alert is a retool of the Binaltech Streak mold as a Subaru WRX STi Japanese Police vehicle, a scheme that many fans expected for a Binaltech/Alternators Prowl.  Although not a Fire Department vehicle this time, the toy's robot mode did feature many red highlights, including a red head, but as the headsculpt was unchanged, he still looked like Streak. BTA Alert was packaged with the PVC human figurine Ai Kuruma, a poilcewoman based on Robots in Disguise T-AI.


 * It should be noted that Alert's release had problems with parts-fitting in vehicle mode, possibly a sign that the Subaru WRX tooling was showing its age. The later release of this mold as Ricochet in the Alternators line, though, does not have these problems.

Universe

 * Red Alert (Legends, 2008)

Trivia

 * The original storyboards for The Transformers: The Movie depict a death scene for Red Alert which was not included in the finished film. Red meets his end as he is shot in the back by Skywarp after helping Ultra Magnus, Tracks and Sideswipe attack Devastator. Once again, the illuminati try to cover up his death.


 * Voice actor Michael Chain has stated that he based his characterization of Red Alert on former U.S. President Richard Nixon, a man so incredibly paranoid that he kept secret audio recordings of himself.


 * Red Alert appeared in one of five original Generation 1 public service announcements. After nearly mowing down a pair of kids on bikes, Red Alert scolded them and told them to never ride at night without reflectors.  However, Red Alert was shown driving at night without his headlights on, so that probably didn't help. Also, he only swerved at the last second... almost like he was aiming for them.


 * In the Dreamwave Generation 1 comics, when showing the panel through the eyes of many Cybertronians, Autobot and Decepticon alike, twisted text along the side of the shot, oftentimes reversed or flipped around, would read "The More Than Meets The Eye Transformer Red Alert". While other messages were often used, sometimes as Easter Eggs, this was the most popular. The Girl Scouts must have been planning this for years.


 * The color schemes for Universe Inferno and Prowl are clearly based on Red Alert's G1 look.


 * Although the first year of the Transformers line in Japan consisted of both 1984 and 1985 toys, Red Alert just managed to pipe most of the U.S. 1985 range to the post by being released in tandem with Sideswipe as one of the initial releases. Early TV Magazine art ostensibly featuring the Season One cast even specifically includes Red Alert among the 1984 Autobots.


 * The Acura RSX Alternators Prowl toy was originally supposed to be Red Alert, as backed up by a placeholder listing found at Hasbro's website and a Takara color guide for the toy that used a control drawing which sports a head sculpt based on G1 Red Alert (but colored as Prowl). Eventually, however, it was decided to release the toy as Prowl instead. Despite that the Subaru Impreza model had more resemblance to Prowl and the Acura RSX model had more resemblance to Red Alert. Because of this Reprolabels made sticker sheets that, together with a head swap (which can be swapped with ease) allow you to convert the Subaru into Prowl and the Acura into Red Alert, making them resemble their original forms much closer.