Windcharger (G1)


 * Windcharger is an Autobot in the Generation 1 continuity family.



Of all the Ark's crew that crash-landed on Earth, Windcharger is unquestionably the fastest on the ground, at least for short distances. Of all Autobots living or deactivated he is among the quickest; he can go from zero to 60 MPH virtually instantly, limited only by the traction of the surface his tires are on. Frequently, after tearing away with a neck-snapping jerk, he will just as rapidly squeal to a halt to investigate something that caught his eye, for Windcharger is impulsive, as well as impatient, both in mind and in body.

Naturally, such quick starts require a huge burst of energy from Windcharger's power systems. He can also use this energy in another way. In robot mode, he can energize his arms and make them the poles of a precisely controllable electromagnet, powerful enough to levitate ten tons of steel 700 feet away. With care, he can draw objects gently toward him or hurl them violently away. Also, as the long-suffering laws of physics dictate, this field is extremely strong near Windcharger; at close range, he can tear magnetic objects to shreds.

Unfortunately for Windcharger, his power supply, biased as it is toward a brief, heavy overload, is prone to failure if the overload is too severe or too long-lasting. Even worse, his impulsive nature makes him hardly willing to exercise the mental control he needs to avoid overusing his power. As a result, Windcharger often finds himself stumbling home, reeking of ozone and burned insulation, and needing medical attention and a nice, tall, chilled glass of dielectric oil.

Preliminary name: Sprint South American name: Camaro  Japanese name: Charger  Spanish Name: Rapido 

Animated continuity
Voice actor: John Stephenson (US), Keiichi Nanba (Japan)

Windcharger was part of the initial crew of the Ark, although his role throughout most of the wars on Earth was much more low-key than that of his fellow Minibots. In fact, Windcharger went some time before anybody even seemed to know his name! Of all the other Autobots, he seemed to be closest to Brawn, judging from their excellent teamwork and friendly banter while journeying with Skyfire to investigate a Decepticon super-weapon in Peru. When Windcharger was injured during the battle later in that mission, Brawn was quick to swear vengeance for the small 'bot.

Though rarely given the chance to show off his impressive power over magnetism, Windcharger did manage to make use of it twice during Megatron's attempt to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit: first, to locate the Decepticon base for the rest of the rescue team when they were operating underground, and then again to help pull Bumblebee out of a really deep hole.

Much like his past, Windcharger's fate is something of an enigma - he was last seen among the corpses of the fallen at Autobot City, but the exact circumstances of his death (and even the identity of his killer) may never be known.

Dinobots Strike Back
When Bombshell uses a Cerebro-shell to control the Dinobots and send them on a violent rampage, it is up to Windcharger to use his magnetic powers to remove the shells from a distance. But how far away should he stand? If he stands too close, he may rip the Dinobots to shreds! If he stands too far away, his powers may have no effect and everyone will die. Choose, little boy, choose.

Generation 1

 * Windcharger (Mini Vehicle, 1984/2003)
 * Japanese ID number: 12
 * Released in the first year of Transformers in the same color as its Microchange version, Wincharger transforms into a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am sports car. The Microchange toyline was meant to depict robots that turn into toy cars, which attests to the somewhat cartoonish proportions of Windcharger's Trans Am mode. This mold was also used to make Camaro, and was retooled to make Tailgate.


 * In 2003, toy company Fun4All made four different keychains, based on four of the original Generation 1 Mini Vehicle molds, Windcharger among them. This version is almost identical to the original, only it has a ring on the front bumper to attach the chain portion to. (And no face paint.) This version of the toy was redecoed into the BotCon Europe exclusive Rook. In Japan, all four keychains were released in blind-packed boxes, and were also made as all-black "chase" versions.

Alternators

 * Windcharger (Alternator, 2004)
 * Originally designed to be an updated version of the Omnibot Overdrive, Hasbro ended up changing his name to Windcharger after being unable to obtain the trademark for Overdrive. (The toy was released as Overdrive as part of the Japanese Binaltech line, however.) He transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed Honda S2000 sports car with a removable "ragtop" roof.


 * Aside from the lack of die-cast metal, the major difference between Windcharger and Overdrive is that Windcharger lacks the long drive-shaft/barrel for his engine/rifle accessory, which was even called a "shield" on the packaging. This was at the request of Honda's USA branch, who didn't like the idea of "their" toy toting a gun around.


 * This mold was retooled into Decepticharge, which was planned to be released in Japan as Blackarachnia but ultimately scrapped.

Trivia



 * Windcharger makes a post-mortem appearance in the third season episode Call of the Primitives as the energy creature Tornedron attacks Cybertron. Whether this appearance was accidental or if he "got better" (like Wheeljack) is unknown.