Brainstorm (Transformers)

From WikiAlpha
Revision as of 03:41, 8 July 2012 by Mathewignash (Talk | contribs)

Jump to: navigation, search
The below content is licensed according to Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License contrary to the public domain logo at the foot of the page. It originally appeared on http://en.wikipedia.org. The original article might still be accessible here. You may be able to find a list of the article's previous contributors on the talk page.
Transformers character
Brainstorm-boxart.jpg
Box art of the Brainstorm toy
Name Brainstorm
Autobot
Series Transformers: Generation 1
English voice actor Michael Bell[1]
Japanese voice actor Hideyuki Hori
Information
Alternate modes Cybertronian Jet
Function Scientist, Biomechanical Engineer
Gender Male
Motto "The strongest tyrant cannot crush freedom of thought."
Partner Arcana
Rank 7
Sub-group Headmasters

Brainstorm is a fictional character in the Transformers series introduced in 1987. He appeared as a major characters in the fourth season of the animated Transformers series voiced by Michael Bell. Although the show ended in the US after season four, the Japanese exclusive Transformers: Headmasters animated series continued with Brainstorm as one of the central characters, voiced by Hideyuki Hori.

Transformers: Generation 1

Brainstorm is an Autobot introduced in the 1987 Headmasters sub-line of Generation 1. He has the Headmaster partner Arcana, a humanoid medical doctor from the planet Nebulos, and he turns into a Cybertronian jet. Both Brainstorm and his partner Arcana were responsible for the adaption of the Headmaster process in most continuities. He is a scientist, responsible for many scientific discoveries, including the Pretender process. [2]

His Nebulan partner is almost as much a genius.[3]

In Japan the smaller head robot was called Cana.[4]

"Brainstorm" was also the title of issue #11 of the Marvel Comics Transformers series, but it had nothing to do with this character.

Marvel Comics

Disillusioned and frustrated with their war with Scorponok's Decepticons, Brainstorm eagerly joined Fortress Maximus's expedition on the Steelhaven in search of a peaceful world upon which to live. The Autobots travelled to the peaceful world of Nebulos, a pacifistic paradise where war and weapons were obsolete. However, they faced problems from the off, as the Nebulans distrusted and feared them, and Scorponok's Decepticons had followed them. To allay Nebulan fears, Brainstorm was among those who surrendered their heads in a goodwill gesture. When the Decepticons attacked, Arcana and Brainstorm underwent the Headmaster process to fight them off.

Brainstorm went on to fight in many more battles against the Decepticons, including being lured into a trap at Scorponok's fortress of despair, resulting in a battle with the Decepticon Targetmasters (Marvel UK Transformers #130-131). Realising the damage they were doing, Maximus' forces fled Nebulos for Earth, with Scorponok's troops in hot pursuit. Brainstorm joined up with Optimus Prime's forces on Earth, and was responsible largely for creating the Autobot Pretenders in issue #40.

Brainstorm continued to appear after this, but in a much reduced capacity, usually not having any major roles. Brainstorm was killed in issue #75 when he was impaled and devoured by Unicron.

Animated series

Brainstorm first appeared in The Transformers episode "Rebirth Part 1". Decepticons successfully stole the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber and opened the ancient device, a group of Autobots and humans including Brainstorm were blasted across the galaxy by the energy release, crash-landing on the planet Nebulos. Quickly siding with a group of rebels engaged in a war against the planet's evil rulers, the Hive, they deduced a process by which they could combine the best of their minds and bodies together, becoming Headmasters.

Whereas "The Rebirth" served as an ending for the cartoon series in the west, in Japan, it was decided to continue producing new episodes. To that end, "The Rebirth" was discarded, and in its stead, a new 35-episode series titled Transformers: The Headmasters was created, along with a new Japanese concept for Headmasters which differed distinctly from their Western counterparts. There would be no Nebulons or humans here - instead, the heads were small Cybertronians, and the bodies were lifeless constructs called "Transtectors" to which these small robots connected themselves, and which they controlled. Although the Japanese toyline, like the West, gave the Headmaster components different names to the larger Transtectors the animated series used only one name for both the head and the Transtector.

Four million years ago, Fortress was the leader of one of the many groups of Autobots who fled Cybertron to escape the wars. Things took a turn for the worse, however, when their spaceship crashed on the planet Master, the harsh environments of which killed many members of the crew. In order to survive the dangers inherent to life on Master, the Autobots created the lifeless bodies known as Transtectors, and underwent rigorous training to master the transformation technique and merge with them. Their training also allowed them to developed considerable mental powers such as telepathy and telekinesis.

However, a member of the group known as Zarak chafed under Fortress's leadership, and he and three of the Headmasters loyal to him turned on him, only to be defeated and forced off of Master. Zarak subsequently teamed up with Decepticon leader Galvatron, and when they attacked Cybertron in the year 2011, Fortress and his men - Brainstorm, Chromedome, Brainstorm, Hardhead and Highbrow - returned to their home planet aboard Fortress's battleship, Maximus, and joined the war once more.

Dreamwave Productions

Although Brainstorm didn't appear in the Dreamwave Transformers comics before the company closed down, Brainstorm and Arcana did get a one page biography in their More Than Meets the Eye series.

Fun Publications

Spark commands an Autobot shuttle crewed by Blaze, Hubcap, Sideswipe, Streetstar and Windbreaker into space where they intercept a distress call from Spike Witwicky on the planet Nebulos. When the Autobots arrive on Nebulos they meet Spike and Carly Witwicky, Chip Chase and the Autobots Brainstorm, Chromedome, Crosshairs and Highbrow who inform them that the Nebulan scientist Hi-Q is missing. They learn from Hi-Q's assistant Hi-Test that Hi-Q had security monitors and through them discover the scientist was kidnapped by the Decepticons Runabout and Runamuck.[5]

Convention comics

Brainstorm appeared in the unlicensed mini-comic released for the 2011 TFcon, called "Changes in War". This story is set on the planet Master before the events of Transformers: The Headmasters. Brainstorm is among the Autobots who try and fail to stop Scorponok and his allies from escaping.[6]

Mosaic

Brainstorm appeared in the Transformers: Mosaic story "The Sting of Scorponok" by Josh “Richter” van Reyk.[7]

Toys

  • Generation 1 Headmaster Brainstorm with Arcana (1987)
One of the first year Autobot Headmasters.[8]
  • Generation 1 Kabaya Gum Brainstorm with Arcana (1987)
Part of the original gum toy series by Kabaya. Each package comes with a stick of chewing gum and an easy-to-assemble kit. The completed robot looks and transforms almost the same as the larger, original Takara version, but is molded in blue instead of the original's green-blue.[9]


References

  1. The magic behind the voices: a who's who of cartoon voice actors, Page 334, Tim Lawson, Alisa Persons, 2004
  2. Bellemo, Mark (2007). Transformers Identification and Price Guide. Krause Publications. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-89689-445-7. 
  3. Alvarez, J.E. (2001). The Unofficial Guide to Transformers 1980s Through 1990s Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition. Schiffer Publishing Ltd.. p. 68. ISBN 0764313649. 
  4. Jim Sorenson & Bill Forster (July 22, 2008). Transformers: The Ark II. IDW Publishing. pp. 14-15. ISBN 978-1600101809. 
  5. Jesse Wittenrich & Pete Sinclair (June/July 2012). "A Flash Forward Part 3". Transformers Collectors Club Magazine 1 (45): 6-11. 
  6. Daniel Arseneault ] (w), Alex Milne (p), Josh Perez (col). "Changes in War" ' (July 29th, 2011), TFCon
  7. http://transformers-mosaic.deviantart.com/art/THE-STING-OF-SCORPONOK-93734755
  8. Toy buying guide by Judy Braiman-Lipson, Deborah Fineblum Raub, Consumer Reports Books, 1988
  9. TFW2005.com - Kabaya Gum Brainstorm

External links