Bulkhead (TFA)


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



Bulkhead isn't quite your typical mudflap. Oh he really is a big clumsy mountain of a robot with a simple, untutored nature, but scratch that surface and you'll find both surprising depths and a spark of pure gold. Sure, Bulkhead enjoys goofing around with Bumblebee and "smashin' stuff" now and then, but he also has a constructive, artistic side he longs to express. He's loyal to his core and unswervingly dedicated both to doing the right thing, to his friends and to his dreams. For Bulkhead, entering the Autobot boot camp wasn't a road to glory or adventure but a way to reach his dream of becoming a real, honest-to-gosh space bridge technician.

Physically, Bulkhead is easily the strongest of the Autobots, with his power often used to wield the tethered wrecking balls he can switch out for his fists. Yet he's quite 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. 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 meditates on his lot in life

Animated cartoon

 * Voice actor: Bill Fagerbakke (English), Tilo Schmitz (German)

Bulkhead was originally an energon farmer and attended the Autobot boot camp in order to qualify as a space bridge engineer. It was there that he first met Bumblebee and their trainer, Sentinel Minor. To begin with, Bumblebee had no interest in being friends with the gentle giant, insulting him with the nickname "mudflap". A friendship blossomed after Bulkhead saved Bumblebee from some "malfunctioning" turrets, dropping a building on Sentinel in the process. In order to prevent Bulkhead from being expelled, 'Bee took the blame, and they both ended up on space bridge detail.

Eventually, they were placed under Optimus Prime's command. While repairing a space bridge, the team discovered the long-lost AllSpark. 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 and his reformatting into a terrestrial six-wheeled APC, 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 AllSpark, the Autobots engaged him in a fierce game of "Keep-away". At one point, Bulkhead tried to catch the AllSpark, shouting "I got it." Starscream snagged the AllSpark instead, but Bulkhead knocked the Decepticon flier out of the air with his wrecking ball, causing him to drop the AllSpark. 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.

On a shopping trip for Sari's birthday present, Bulkhead worked with Sari to rein in the pesky Professor Princess. The next day, Sari's birthday party began poorly, as the guests were all children of Sumdac Industries employees, who found Sari too weird for their tastes. The Autobots' arrival made things a little more interesting, but klutzy Bulkhead soon found himself ignored, alongside Sari, as the kids went for rides with the other Autobots (even Ratchet). Bulkhead wanted to give Sari her gift, a xylophone, but was too embarrassed to do so when he saw Dr. Sumdac's gift, a musical robot named Soundwave. For the next several days, Sari's attention was drawn away from her friend as she spent her free time plugging her key into the toy to upgrade it. Bulkhead realized that there was something off about Soundwave, but his attempts to prove it just forced a wedge between Sari and himself. Megatron's machinations to increase the split between them didn't help. It turned out the big guy was right on the money, however, as Soundwave was a creation of Megatron's that gained sentience through the key. Soundwave took control of the machines of Detroit and captured Sari. When Bulkhead came to her rescue, Soundwave attempted 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 that the Decepticon shattered into his component parts. Sari apologized, and the pair played with Bulkhead's gift, albeit after Sari nearly broke her hand punching Bulkhead's fist.



After destroying a good portion of a city block trying to stop a missile impact, Sari suggested to Bulkhead that he explore his more creative talents to show the citizens of Detroit that he wasn't an engine of destruction. Bulkhead had difficulty making his creations (his paint brushes kept snapping between his fingers) and panicked when he learned that Sari had arranged an art show for him. (Girl has connections.) While lamenting his lot in life, he was knocked out cold by a sudden electrical surge. When he came back online, he found that his body had been stolen. As Bumblebee attempted to help him finish his art pieces in time for the show, the Headmaster used Bulkhead's body to take control of a solar fusion plant, intending to detonate it unless he was paid a hefty ransom. Optimus used the ransom delivery to sneak the Autobots into the plant, where they defeated the Headmaster and reattached Bulkhead to his body...backwards. As the reactor reached critical, Bulkhead came up with a drone that would set the rods back, but the drone melted in the process. Not to be daunted, Bulkhead added it to his art collection, showing the citizens of Detroit his warzone art without them even knowing it.

When Decepticon energy signals were detected, the Autobots quickly realized that they were outnumbered. Bulkhead mentioned that the Dinobots might be able to help, not aware that Prowl hadn't told Optimus they had moved them to Dinobot Island. Prime was furious and ordered the two to take him there at once. After searching the island, the Autobots found the Dinobots. They were unwilling to help, so the Autobots left, unsure of their next move. When Bumblebee contacted Prime, saying that Starscream was at Sumdac Tower, he ordered him to stand down. When they arrived at the tower, they saw Bumblebee fighting Starscream. Prime dryly noted that disobeying orders was becoming a habit, but Bulkhead wasn't too insulted.

He was too busy being shocked by Megatron bursting through Sumdac Tower.

Quickly regain their composure, Bulkhead charged Megatron, only to have his wrecking ball severed and be thrown into a building. After the short battle, Sumdac told them how he had rebuilt Megatron. Bulkhead sounded as if he was about to crush the professor, but Prime told him that it was unimportant. Using excess key energy in Sumdac's equipment, the Autobots repaired themselves, and Prime apologized for his harsh words. Ratchet and Sari came by in the ship, picking up the Autobots, but they were shot down over Dinobot Island. During the subsequent battle, Bulkhead brought down Lugnut. The zealous Decepticon was stronger than Bulkhead, but as he activated his punch, Bulkhead used his wrecking ball to detonate it, sending Lugnut flying.

While repairing a damaged overpass, Bulkhead became stuck in some cement, but hid it to avoid being embarrassed. He was nearly destroyed when he used outdated, unstable fixative, but was saved by two newly sentient machines named Scrapper and Mixmaster. Once they helped him finish the repair work he'd been doing, Bulkhead reluctantly went with them for an oil break, though he wasn't sure it was okay to take it straight from a tanker ship. He WAS sure the rest of the Autobots would like his new friends. The crass construction workers did not impress the other Autobots, however, and things only got worse when a game of flattened-oil-can frisbee severed Sari's pigtails, leading Prime to evict the two. The next day, Bulkhead went looking for his friends, discovering that they had stolen parts for something Megatron was building. When Bulkhead told them that the Decepticons were the scum of the universe, the two went to challenge the Decepticons, without telling Bulkhead were to find them. The other Autobots were concerned that Scrapper and Mixmaster would sell them out, but Bulkhead still defended them. Unfortunately, the newly dubbed Constructicons did side with the Decepticons, taking Bumblebee hostage and demanding the AllSpark fragments the Autobots had. Bulkhead gave them the fragments and a cup of oil for the road, but he had spiked the oil with the outdated fixative from the other day. The subsequent explosion scrambled their memory circuits, and Bulkhead drove the amnesiac Transformers away, admitting that he had been wrong to trust them.

After Wasp escaped, Bulkhead tagged along with Bumblebee in an attempt to track a leaked signal, but 'Bee's attitude became unbearable, and Bulkhead stormed off. The kindhearted bot couldn't stay away, however, and helped Bumblebee out of a minor scrape. Bumblebee apologised, but Bulkhead shook it off; their friendship had rock-solid foundations. Reconciled, the two headed back to base, having missed a rather conspicuous mine shaft entrance.

Bulkhead later made an abstract painting of Sari in the style of Picasso, but the other Autobots suggestions ended up ruining the painting. He and Sari took a walk to clear his head, and Bumblebee came and genuinely tried to apologize. Things went rather poorly, and got even worse when Megatron arrived. He kidnapped Bulkhead and took him to his base. Megatron revealed that his double agent had learned that Bulkhead was Cybertron's top space bridge technician, and forced Bulkhead to help the Decepticons repair a space bridge they had reverse engineered. If Bulkhead refused, Megatron would use a Headmaster unit to steal his body and kill all of Bulkhead's friends, starting with Professor Sumdac. Bulkhead agreed to help, but Professor Sumdac believed that Bulkhead was trying to sabotage the device, and told Bulkhead to let him give the instructions to avoid sounding preposterious. Furious at everyone doubting his skill, Bulkhead actually fixed the space bridge, allowing Megatron to teleport the Decepticons to an underdefended Cybertron. See Bulkhead, this is why people don't take you seriously.

During a three way battle between the Autobots, the Decepticons, and Starscream's clones, Bulkhead tried to shut down the space bridge, but was locked with stasis cuffs by a female clone. After Megatron explained his plans and how Bulkhead had helped. the other Autobots expressed confusion at his skills, and Bulkhead explained that he had read all the space bridge schematics on the energon farm. Unfortunately, power problems arose, which Megatron tried to fix with by adding Starscream's AllSpark powered head into the power core. Unfortunately, this caused and overload which Bulkhead theorized would suck up all of Michigan. Fortunately, Omega Supreme arrived and allowed himself to be sucked into the portal. When the Autobots escaped, Bulkhead theorized that Omega was merely transported to another section of space, and had hope that he was still alive.

Unfortunately, any effort to locate Omega was put on hold when Sari noticed that the skin of her arm had been torn...revealing robotic circuitry underneath!

Animated

 * Bulkhead (Voyager, 2008)


 * Bulkhead transforms from an armored, six-wheeled military-type van into a robot mode that is a bit on the short side for a Voyager, due to the stout, stocky nature of the character. The toy features two "automorph"-style gimmicks in its transformation: after flipping down the back doors, pulling down on them retracts a pair of black tabs holding his arms into pace, allowing them to spring forward into position; and moving his chest into place automatically causes a panel to flip over, exposing his head.


 * The figure's left arm contains the character's signature gimmick, his wrecking ball. A concealed lever activates a pressure-launch system that fires the ball, which is attached to Bulkhead's arm by a sturdy string. Bulkhead's right arm, meanwhile, features a rather strange gimmick: after straightening the arm at the elbow, pressing the black lever on the upper arm causes Bulkhead's forearm to flip upwards. It might be an uppercut or some other sort of punch attack, but whatever this feature is supposed to be, it is not mentioned in either the toy's instructions, or on its packaging.


 * No, his kibble can't transform into a chair. Aww.


 * Bulkhead (Activator, 2008)



This version of Bulkhead can autotransform from a compressed version of a SWAT military van into his robot form when the middle siren bar is pressed. The vehicle mode lacks the back section's doors and bumper to better accommodate the gimmick, which leaves his robot mode's hands sticking out.

His kibble is unable to become a chair as well. Awww.


 * Bulkhead (Leader, 2008)




 * This version of Bulkhead is decidedly more heavily-armed than others, with the most distinctive additions to his arsenal coming in the form of a double-barreled turret for his vehicle mode, two missile racks (one per arm, each holding two removable missiles), and a buzzsaw in his right hand, which spins when a black tab on his forearm is pressed. He doesn't have a wrecking ball, but his other hand goes feature a "grabby" action, allowing you to clench and open his fingers by sliding a tab in his arm.


 * Bulkhead is outfitted with a significant array of electronic light and sound gimmicks. Pressing the Autobot insignia on his chest in robot mode causes his head to turn, his mouth to open and his "eyebrows" to raise, as he speaks one of three sound clips from the cartoon - "Sorry, my bad," "You can do it, buddy!", and "Time for the big guns!" - accompanied by flashing yellow lights in his chest, shoulders and eyes. During transformation, when the vehicle mode turret is snapped into or out of place, the classic transformation sound effect plays as his lights flash. In vehicle mode, pressing the turret activates a siren noise, which lasts as long as the button is held down and is accompanied by flashing red LEDs that illuminate his vehicle's lightbar. Bulkhead also comes packaged with the Headmaster, which can fit over the figure's head, altering his sound and light effects - once in place, the Headmaster will scream "Total ownage!", and all of Bulkhead's lights turn red and flash, illuminating the villain's translucent horns. This is the Headmaster's only phrase; pressing Bulkhead's insignia repeats the effects. The Headmaster accessory fits over all other Leader class figures.


 * This version of Bulkhead can transform his kibble into a chair! Hooray!

Trivia

 * Bulkhead can form his kibble into a chair. This is 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. The leader class toy, though, is show accurate in the sense that flipping out his feet will reveal the tracks.
 * Interestingly enough, out of the five main Autobot characters, Bulkhead is the only one who doesn't have a G1 counterpart. However, his color and stars symbols make him reminiscent of Hound.
 * For a clumsy "repair bot" with little or no fighting experience, Bulkhead is surprisingly effective on the battlefield. He was almost singlehandedly responsible for defeating the Dinobots (Blast from the Past), he proved highly effective against them once again in a rematch (Survival of the Fittest), and he defeated the more powerful Lugnut in a one-on-one confrontation (Megatron Rising - Part 2). He was also the only character to suspect Soundwave of being evil until it was too late, at which point Bulkhead once again saved the day by defeating him (Sound and Fury).
 * Bulkhead has a storage place in his chest which opens in at least two ways, like a drawer and/or like a door.
 * Bulkhead's eyes can extend from his face and act as a microscope. This is slightly strange, but also awesome.
 * Bulkhead, like another big lug with a similar voice, is best friends with a little yellow guy. Obviously this analogy only goes so far.
 * Bulkhead came from an Energon farm. Explains a bit, doesn't it?
 * After his reformatting into his APC mode, Bulkhead's robot mode kibble changes from the front of his vehicle mode (where it forms the scoop of the bulldozer) to the back, where it forms the doors of the truck.
 * Bulkhead's design and demeanor likely owe themselves to Crunch from The Mighty Orbots, a series Derrick J. Wyatt has admitted as being an inspiration.
 * Upon seeing a red prototype of Bulkhead's voyager toy, Derrick J. Wyatt recolored his Bulkhead promotional artwork in the prototype's colors.