Blitzwing (TFA)


 * Blitzwing is a Decepticon in the Transformers Animated continuity family.



Blitzwing not only has three modes (robot, jet, and tank), he also has three alternate personalities (a cold strategist, a short-tempered hothead, and a total nutcase) along with the faces rattling around in his head to go with them. He's as liable to have a conversation with himself as he is to say a word to his fellow Decepticons. Pretty much the only thing that keeps him in line is that all three of his personalities are scared to death of Megatron.

Blitzwing's cold personality is represented by a long, blue face with a monocle and speaks with quiet disdain. His easily angered personality has a red face and is gap-toothed, making him look and sound like a certain Austrian musclehead. Finally, his crazy personality's face looks like nothing so much as a black jack-o'-lantern and just sounds hysterical. All three personalities have a German accent, and apparently he has trouble flying in a straight line. 

Blitzwing's armament varies depending upon which personality is dominant at the time. His calculating personality has an arsenal of ice weaponry, while the hothead predictably can bring the heat. When his third personality is foremost, nearly anything can be dished out from either of his vehicle modes. Blitzwing's alt-mode is likewise dependent on which aspect is dominant at the time. His cold side uses the jet, his angry side dominates the tank, and his insane side can use both. It even goes so far that if he becomes angry during flight, he transforms into tank mode.

Basically, he's the Purple Baron. Or a panzer that can walk.

"Ze name iz Blitzwing, insect—remember it! Cause it's ze last thing you're gonna hear before I—express my feelings in song!"

- Blitzwing switching personalities like we switch shoes

Transformers Animated cartoon



 * Voice actor: Bumper Robinson (English), Rainer Doering (German)

Blitzwing was aboard the Nemesis with the other Decepticons at the time of the AllSpark's re-discovery. He partially froze Blackarachnia's arm, commenting on how her demeanor was as unpleasant as her organic beast mode. When Blackarachnia advised him to blow it out his actuator, Blitzwing angrily demanded that she refer to him by his proper name, or else he would...express his feelings in song! His out-of-tune rendition of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" got all the Decepticons arguing until Megatron entered, prompting Blitzwing to fall silent with the rest.

When it became clear the Nemesis was going to crash into an exploding space bridge, Blitzwing fled in an escape pod.

After Megatron's disappearance, Blitzwing placed a bounty on Optimus Prime, intending to punish him for destroying Megatron. Fifty solar cycles later, the bounty hunter Lockdown contacted Blitzwing, saying he had Prime. Blitzwing promised that Lockdown would receive payment once Blitzwing received Prime&mdash;then asked if he could please, please please see Prime turn into a fire truck.

Blitzwing and Lugnut followed a beacon to the Moon to find the wreckage of the Nemesis. The pair of them had similar problems determining the dominant species on Earth as the Autobots did, mistaking Earth's automatons and machines for sentient beings. During an encounter with the Autobots, Megatron opted to radio Lugnut exclusively, leaving Blitzwing struggling to work out what exactly was going on. Blitzwing believed Lugnut was only listening to voices in his head, so Lugnut had to take him along forcibly. Uncertain of the number and strength of the Autobots' "reinforcements" (the Detroit Police Department), the pair scanned Earth vehicles for disguises so they could lay low. Blitzwing's calculating persona wanted to scan a fighter jet, while his aggressive side wanted a tank. After a brief argument, his crazy side won out and scanned both.

The two Decepticons followed the Autobots to Lake Erie, where Blitzwing froze the lake. When the Autobots submerged, he followed them in tank form. Blitzwing was lured by the Autobots towards the Ark and blasted by one of its weapons systems. He and Lugnut were left fragmented but functional and floated to the surface, only to be met by Starscream, who offered to repair them in exchange for a pledge of undying allegiance...

Apparently, they chose to serve under Starscream, but still were bickering with each other. When Lugnut began receiving internal transmissions from Megatron again, Starscream was confused, but his scans still detected the signals. He ordered both Lugnut and Blitzwing to find the AllSpark Key while he himself tracked the transmissions.

At the moment, the key was in the hands of Ratchet. Blitzwing used his ice guns to freeze Ratchet and rip off the arm that was carrying the key. Afterward, they went to Sumdac Towers to find Megatron. In the process of greeting him, they revealed Megatron's true Decepticon nature to Prof. Sumdac. Blitzwing, now understanding what had been going on with Lugnut, inserted the key into Megatron's head, restoring their true leader...

As Megatron proceeded to beat up the Autobots, Blitzwing and Lugnut decided not to intervene and kept an eye on Professor Sumdac instead. When Megatron called his loyal troops to him, Blitzwing looked on as his leader made an example of Starscream. The Decepticons took to the air, locating and attacking the Ark as it traveled from the lake to the Tower, then from the Tower to Dinobot Island, where it was shot down. Blitzwing split off to tackle Prowl, Ratchet and Bumblebee, before being brought down by a combined EMP burst. As Blitzwing rolled around and shelled the Autobots, Prowl noticed that Blitzwing's personalities were connected to his alternate modes and powers. Bumblebee taunted the Triple Changer enough that Angry Blitzwing took over, transformed from jet to tank—and fell into the lake.

The Decepticon trio make their own lair in a mine whom their walls have camouflage shielding so they can recover from their encounter with the Autobots. When Megatron announced his new plan to conquere Cybertron, Blitzwing said that the plan was crazy. He probably said that because even Lugnut did not know how they would get there. Megatron revealed that they would build their own space bridge using the specs Megatron downloaded from the Ark during one of the encounters with the Autobots. Blitzwing finally understood this. However, they would need the captured Prof. Sumdac to help them, as the specs were incomplete.

Animated

 * Blitzwing (Voyager, 2008)


 * Blitzwing transforms into a futuristic "Mech-Warrior"ish-tank with large, anti-aircraft-like guns and a squat jet with tracks. The robot mode has three faces, which can be switched around. He looks awesome.

Trivia

 * Marty Isenberg originally envisioned a character who could change into anything. When that (obviously) proved unworkable in toy terms, the character of Blitzwing as a triple-changer was suggested for the role.


 * His helmet is an obvious nod to a World War II-era German Stahlhelm helmet and goggles. Given the overall design in robot mode, the nature of his personalities and even his name itself, this really isn't very surprising.


 * Blitzwing's face-changing gimmick was in part inspired by Man-E-Faces from Masters of the Universe. He's not the first Transformers toy to feature multiple rotating faces; Alpha Q, inspired by the five-faced Generation 1 Quintessons, holds that distinction.  Whether Blitzwing (or the Quintessons) have any roots in such larger cultural currents as the many three-faced depictions of the Buddha and various gods from the Hindu pantheon (or at least Japanese cartoon characters from the 80s based on them) remains unknown.


 * Blitzwing's decision to scan both a tank and a jet in Lost and Found was an interesting one, possibly implying that Blitzwing wasn't a Triple Changer to begin with, and perhaps that other Animated-era Transformers can take on multiple forms if they just scan other vehicles. He's only a tank when he's in angry mode, and only a jet when in his colder, calculating personality, so if a requirement to being a Triple Changer is having a few bolts loose, maybe that's not a road other Transformers wish to take.