Bulkhead (TFA)


 * Bulkhead is an Autobot in the Transformers Animated continuity family.



Bulkhead is your typical big bruiser, built like a brick wall, but with a heart of gold. He's gentle by nature and is very curious about humans, especially since they give him an opportunity to explore his artistic side. It's a pity that he's a bit of a lummox...okay, he's a lot of a lummox. He's like a St. Bernard, a gentle giant who has no idea how strong he is and therefore has a tendency to flatten you when he just wants to show his affectionate side. You'll always be glad you spent time with Bulkhead... just make sure you put any breakables away beforehand.

"You guys got it easy. All people want me to do is break stuff. I've got a sensitive side too, you know...but breaking stuff is kinda fun."

- Bulkhead on his lot in life

Transformers Animated cartoon

 * Voice actor: Bill Fagerbakke (English), ? (Japanese)

While repairing a space bridge with his unit, Bulkhead and his pal Bumblebee discovered the long lost All Spark. However, the Decepticons soon arrived, prompting Bulkhead to mention that he had never seen a Decepticon ship up close. (No one had and lived, as Ratchet pointed out.) Bulkhead did his best to hang on while the Autobots drove their ship through the space bridge. Coming out of warp, they went headlong toward Earth, and he joined his fellow 'bots in heading into stasis to avoid the impact shock of an unpleasant landing.

After emerging from stasis, Bulkhead accompanied the other Autobots to investigate a large, cybernetic creature that was menacing the local lifeforms (which they assumed were robots like themselves). Bulkhead requested help from a group of local drones, then noticed Sari Sumdac trying to take her keycard away from her robot dog, Sparkplug. Assuming Sari was the pet, Bulkhead greeted herwhich promptly sent her running and screaming. Way to make first contact there, big guy.

After Starscream arrived to take the All Spark, the Autobots engaged him in fierce game of "Keep-away". At one point, Bulkhead tried to catch the All Spark, shouting "I got it." Starscream snagged the All Spark instead, but Bulkhead knocked the Decepticon flier out of the air with his wrecking ball, causing him to drop the All Spark. It's not nice to contradict Bulkhead.

Later, in Autobot HQ, he said he had some problems, because all humans want from him is to break stuff. After all, he had his sensitive side as well (even if breaking stuff was fun). When Megatron attacked the Autobots' base, Bulkhead got in touch with his inner breaker, confirming that smashing stuff IS fun! Megatron had different plans for him, though, and Bulkhead discovered it's not as much fun to BE smashed. After Bulkhead was saved, he tried to catch a tiny machine that looked like it might be the culprit. Prime hoped to study it and find out where it came from, but Bulkhead smashed the little critter to pieces when he grabbed it.

After that Prowl tried to train Bulkhead to be more subtle in his actions, to assess a situation, choose the right move, then execute it with grace and precision. This didn't meet with any real success, as Bulkhead's antics damaged the base and caused him to fall on Prowl. Moving to an island in Lake Erie, Bulkhead tried again. He knocked down some trees which fell on Prowl. Things actually got worse when Bulkhead tried to use Prowl's methods against the Dinobots, a trio of animatronics run amok. Prowl wisely advised Bulkhead to stop doing what Prowl would do and instead do what Bulkhead himself would do. Bulkhead quickly discovered that his blunt, powerhouse approach had its place and time for proper use, charging and knocking down Snarl, hitting Swoop out of the air, and throwing Grimlock into a pit of molten tar. Afterward, the Dinobots were due to be melted down. However, Prowl suspected the Dinobots were actually alive, not mere machines, so he enlisted Bulkhead's help in secretly transporting them from their prison to the deserted island on Lake Erie. There they could live undisturbed and perhaps get themselves under control. Prowl had realized that just because something was big and lumbering and destructive was no reason to give up on it, and Bulkhead knew just what he meant.

Sari's birthday party went poorly as the guests were all children of Sumdac Industries employees. The Autobots arrival made things a little more interesting, but klutsy Bulkhead soon found himself ignored, alongside Sari, as the kids were drawn to the others(even Ratchet). Bulkhead wanted to give Sari her gift, a xylophone, but he felt Dr Sumdac's gift, a musical robot named Soundwave, outshone it. Sari's atention was drawn away from her friend, as she spent her free time plugging her key into the toy to upgrade him. But, bulkhead realised that there was something off about Soundewave, but his attempts to prove it just forced a wedge between Sari and himself. It turned out the big guy was right on the money however, as Soundwave turned out to be a creation of Megatron's that gained sentience through the key. Soundwave took control of the machines of Detroit and captured Sari, attempting to convince Bulkhead of the inferiority of humans. For a few minutes, it seemed Bulkhead was on his side, but with a wink to Sari, he punched Soundwave so hard he blew into his component parts. Sari apologised, and the pair played with Bulkhead's gift, albeit after Sari nearly broke her hand punching Bulkhead's fist.

Animated

 * Bulkhead (Voyager, 2008)


 * Bulkhead will transform from an armored, six-wheeled military-type van. The toy will have an "automorph" gimmick: When you flip down the sides of the van, his hands will swing forward (due to concealed springs). His left hand can fire a wrecking ball, attached via string.
 * The toy is pretty short for a Voyager, but Bulkhead is a stout sort of fella.


 * Bulkhead (Activator, 2008)




 * Bulkhead (Deluxe, 2008)
 * Confimed at the British Toy Fair.


 * Bulkhead (Leader)


 * This figure features lights, deploying missile racks, a buzzsaw weapon, and a voice chip with three quotes from the cartoon: "Sorry, my bad," "C'mon, little buddy!", and "Time for the big guns!" It also comes with the Headmaster, which can fit over the figure's head. This accessory will work with any other Leader-class toy.

Trivia

 * Bulkhead can form his kibble into a chair. This is awesome.
 * ...Wile his toy does not. This is not awesome.
 * While Bulkhead's Earth form features no continuous tracks, he still has them on his feet, like in his Cybertron form. This is probably an animation error that stayed in the show. The toy's legs are more developed, as the front wheels form the backs of the feet.
 * Interestingly enough, out of the five main Autobot characters, Bulkhead is the only one who doesn't have a G1 counterpart.