Ironhide
Ironhide is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. The first Ironhide was an Autobot head of security who turned into a red van introduced in 1984. The second Ironhide, also called Ox in Japan, was a heroic ninja who turned not a pickup truck introduced in 2000.
Contents
Transformers: Generation 1
Ironhide (Rhino in Canada, Falco (meaning "hawk") in Italy, Vasököl (Ironfist) in Hungary, Bronevik in Russia) is portrayed as a strong and toughened old Autobot warrior who has seen his fair share of battle.
Reception
Ironhide was one of the favorite Autobots of IGN.[1]
Fictional biography
"Go chew on a microchip!" is Ironhide's slogan. Prefers action to words. Oldest, toughest, most battle-tested Autobot. Bodyguard to Optimus Prime. In charge of guarding anything of importance. Gruff, but kind. Trithyllium-steel skin makes him nearly invulnerable to attack. Shoots variety of liquids from supercooled nitrogen to superheated lead. Has sonar, radar, radiowave detector. Slowest and most fragile of the group.
Animated series
The character designers for the cartoon redesigned Ironhide's body, which is now the best-known of all his appearances. He was originally depicted as being a black 72' GMC. Despite being known for being part of the Autobot security detail and Optimus Prime's bodyguard, Ironhide was most often seen in the capacity of a warrior, often fighting in battle with or without Optimus Prime, or a specific work site/person/cargo to protect. He was also used as an officer, leading a team of Autobots just as would Optimus's advisers, Prowl and Jazz. Ironhide seemed to develop a bond with the Autobots' human allies, engaging with them on a friendly basis as much as protecting them. Ironhide had a close relationship with the female Autobot Chromia.
In the "More Than Meets The Eye" three parter that launched the animated series, Ironhide was shown taking down Soundwave aboard the Ark before it crash landed on Earth and later assisting Bumblebee in stopping a Rumble-created flood. He quickly grew tired of the Autobots constantly being a step behind the Decepticons and impetuously took off after them - only to be brought back down to Earth with a bump by a teleporting Skywarp. Ironhide's most prominent appearance was in the second season episode "The Immobilizer". Distracted by Spike's friend Carly (who was a big fan of the Autobots) while on guard duty, Ironhide inadvertently allowed the Decepticons to steal Wheeljack's latest invention - a weapon that could freeze anything including Transformers. Guilt-ridden and believing himself to be too old to be of any further use, Ironhide resigned from active service, against the wishes of Optimus Prime. However, when Carly was captured by the Decepticons the veteran Autobot went to her rescue and saved her from the Decepticon base. After being frozen and unfrozen by the Immobilizer (after Carly and Brawn sabotaged it) Ironhide personally destroyed the device and returned to active duty.
Ironhide fully fulfilled his role as Prime's bodyguard in the episode "Transport to Oblivion". While battling Megatron at a power plant, Prime accidentally knocked the Decepticon leader into a generator giving him a temporary power boost. Megatron took complete advantage of this by knocking Prime down and temporarily stunning him. He then transformed into his gun mode, ordering Soundwave to destroy the Autobot leader. Ironhide leaping forward, took the shot himself saving Prime's life. Rather than pursue the withdrawing Decepticons, Optimus ordered the team back to base because of how badly Ironhide had been hit. The grouchy Ironhide was not at all pleased with needing some "R&R" (what Ratchet said was needed for one of his components "removed and rebuilt"). Ratchet humorously threatened to disconnect Ironhide's vocal circuits if he kept complaining. Ironhide made a full recovery and was available for duty soon thereafter.
In "A Prime Problem", Ironhide took temporary leadership of the Autobots when they could not decide on which Optimus Prime was which, as Megatron had made a perfect clone of Optimus Prime to fool the Autobots into venturing down into a dangerous chasm.
In "The Search for Alpha Trion", when Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron alone to save Elita One, Ironhide leads Inferno and Powerglide after him. On Cybertron the Autobots are briefly reunited with Chromia, Moonracer and Firestar to defeat the Decepticons.
Ironhide is killed in The Transformers: The Movie as the Decepticons invade an Autobot shuttle in which Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet and Brawn are traveling to Earth. Before the shuttle departed, Spike asked Ironhide to tell his son Daniel that he misses him and that he will be coming home as soon as they kick Megatron's tail clear across the galaxy. Despite the heavily concentrated armor of his front section, he falls as a result of a number of blasts from the invading Decepticons and several shots to the chest from Megatron in his gun mode wielded by Starscream. When Megatron reveals to Starscream how he is going to attack Autobot City on Earth and wipe them out forever, a wounded Ironhide clutches at Megatron's leg and yells, "No!!". Megatron responds with the now famous words: "Such heroic nonsense" and kills Ironhide offscreen with a point-blank blast to the head from his fusion cannon. A few scenes later, Ironhide appears to be attacking Autobot City with the Decepticons but this is actually a mis-colored Reflector error.
In the Transformers: Prime episode "Toxicity", Bulkhead explains to Agent Fowler about the dangers of Tox-En, a toxic form of Energon. In his flashback, a Transformer resembling G1 Ironhide is seen dead.
Books
Ironhide was featured in the 1985 audio adventures Megatron's Fight For Power, Autobots Fight Back and Laserbeak's Fury by John Grant, published by Ladybird Books.[2][3]
Comics
Fun Publications
Ironhide was been depicted in numerous stories by Fun Publications in different continuities. He has appeared as an old Autobot in their Beast Era stories, as well as appearing in the Classicverse and Wings of Honor settings.
Descent into Evil
A remold of the Energon Autobot Tow-Line, the original Ironhide makes his first appearance as a new toy in ten years as a BotCon exclusive. His body has been reconfigured by Optimus Prime and the Matrix into a form resembling a more advanced version of his old body (his Timelines toy). In the accompanying comic, Descent into Evil, set in a possible future he leads a group of Autobots, including his old friend Ratchet. Sent to investigate Deathsaurus' activities, they discovered his plan to create a massive army of Insecticon clones. After his team had been captured Ironhide took on Deathsaurus himself, hoping to distract him long enough to allow Ratchet to free the others. He failed and was captured by the larger Decepticon. However, he and Ratchet were freed by Ricochet, who was in fact an agent of Bumblebee, and had infected the Insecticons with a virus that slowly destroyed their clones. Ironhide was then instrumental in leading Autobot reinforcements to victory over the Decepticons.
Classicverse
At the command of Megatron a human city was attacked by Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust. The city was defended by Ironhide, Jetfire, Optimus Prime and Sunstreaker.[4]
Ironhide appears in "Beast Wars Shattered Glass Chapter One: Shattered Time" by Fun Publications. In this story Ultra Magnus and the Autobots aboard the Graviton battle Megatron and the Decepticons aboard the Talon. Both ships are pulled through a vortex into the past of Shattered Glass Earth. Crashing they discover that dangerous energon readings outside the ship will place them in stasis lock. The Autobots devise organic alternate modes to protect them from the energon. The Decepticons create energon-absorbing armor for protection. Ironhide takes on the alternate form of an elephant (his Beast Wars toy).[5]
Ironhide appears in the story arc Beast Wars Shattered Glass by Fun Publications. Ultra Magnus and his Autobots discover that their ship's high security storage rooms were damaged in the crash and the Autobot bodies in stasis pods were lost. They head out to recover the pods when they are attacked by Dirge and Seawing. They find the pods, but also discover that Megatron has gotten to them first. He's converted the three Autobots into Autojetter, Autolauncher, and Scylla, who are loyal to him. The Decepticons attack the Autobots, who are only saved thanks to the intervention of Depth Charge. Ultra Magnus orders the retreat, as there is nothing left for them to recover. Depth Charge informs the Autobots of his mission to save the multiverse.[6]
Wings Universe
Ironhide is among the Autobots present when Megatron attacks Iacon with his new weapon, Devastator.[7]
TFcon comics
Ironhide appears in the TFcon 2012 live script reading prelude comic Days of Wreckening. In this story he appears on future Cybertron as a Maximal leader and refuses to let Depth Charge go after Protoform X.[8]
Games
Ironhide is among the characters who appear in the TRANSFORMERS CVBERVERSE Battle Builder Game.[9]
Toys
- Generation 1 Autobot Car Ironhide (1984)
Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Ironhide is the strongest of the Spy Changers. Usually a peaceful intellectual until he gets pushed to the limit, then stay out of his way. He's an expert in materials transport and carries a shockwave rifle. Like the original this Ironhide has a Southern accent.
Animated series
In the television series, the Spy Changers received little characterization - usually acting in a group to attack or perform whatever mission they had been assigned. Ironhide's best friend was fellow Spy Changer Mirage which was the basis of one particular episode called "Mirage's Betrayal". After an incident where Mirage, fearing collateral damage, allowed the Predacons to get away, the others on the team accused him of failure. A furious Mirage walked out, realizing the Predacons had put a bug on him. Ironhide attempted to talk him out of it, but snapped and punched him when Mirage threatened to join the Predacons (unaware he was just doing it for show). Later, Mirage called the Spy Changers to Megatron's latest weapon, having ostensibly joined the Predacons. He managed to communicate his true intentions to the other Spy Changers, and they destroyed the laser. A guilty Ironhide demanded Mirage hit him to even things out between them - but Mirage simply prodded his friend, claiming they were now even before challenging him to a race back to base.
Toys
- Car Robots Ox (2000)
- A recolor of the Generation 2 Autobot Motormouth.
- Car Robots Ox rerecolor
- Robots in Disguise Ironhide (2001)
- An American release of the Japanese Car Robots toy named Ox.
- Robots in Disguise recolor Ironhide
- This toy was later recolored into several clear versions, one of which was repackaged as the second Universe Hoist.
References
- ↑ Transformers: Our Favorite Autobots - IGN
- ↑ Grant, John (1985). Megatron's Fight For Power. Ladybird Books. ISBN 0-7214-0896-6.
- ↑ Grant, John (1985). Autobots Fight Back. Ladybird Books. ISBN 0-7214-0942-3.
- ↑ Pete Sinclair (w), Evan Gauntt (p), Jesse Wittenrich (let), Pete Sinclair (ed). "At Fight's End" Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club The Official Magazine 30 (December 2009/January 2010), Fun Publications
- ↑ Benson Yee, Pete Sinclair & Matt Frank (w), Matt Frank (p), Matt Frank (i), Thomas Deer (col), Jesse Wittenrich (let), Pete Sinclair (ed). "Beast Wars Shattered Glass Chapter One: Shattered Time" The Transformers Collectors Club 49 (February–March 2013), Fun Publications
- ↑ Benson Yee, Pete Sinclair & Matt Frank (w), Matt Frank (p), Matt Frank (i), Thomas Deer (col), Jesse Wittenrich (let), Pete Sinclair (ed). "Beast Wars Shattered Glass Part 2" The Transformers Collectors Club (April–May 2013), Fun Publications
- ↑ Pete Sinclair & Jesse Wittenrich (October–November 2011). "Battle Lines Part 5". Transformers Collectors Club Magazine 1 (41): 3.
- ↑ Phillip M. Gervais (w), Ninjatron (p). "Days of Wreckening" TFcon Live Script Reading Prelude Comic (July 25th, 2012), TFcon
- ↑ TRANSFORMERS CYBERVERSE Battle Builder Game | CYBERVERSE | Hasbro
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