Landfill (Transformers)

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Landfill is the name of two fictional characters in the Transformers series.

Transformers: Generation 1

Transformers character
Name Landfill
Autobot
Series Transformers: Generation 1
Information
Alternate modes Earth-Style Dump Truck
Function Materials Transport
Motto "Adventure is found in unlikely places."
Partner Silencer and Flintlock
Rank 5
Sub-group Double Targetmasters

Landfill is the name of an Autobot Double Targetmaster who turns into a dump truck.[1]

Landfill was part of the three Double Targetmaster Autobots alongside Scoop and Quickmix, each with their vehicle modes based on a construction vehicle. As his name suggests, Landfill transforms into a dump truck. His Nebulan partners are called Silencer and Flintlock.

A four-wheeled garbage site. Leaves a trail of decaying refuse wherever he goes. Friendly, cheerful, but a bit of a slob. His Nebulan partners are Silencer, a noiseless, recoilless proton rifle, and Flintlock, a heat-targeting stress pistol which induces metal fatigue and fractures in steel. Fellow Autobots dislike working with Landfill because he's filthy and smells so bad.

Landfill can't understand why the other Autobots steer clear of him. He's generally a friendly, cheerful, hardworking, reliable fellow- what is the problem, he wonders? Unfortunately for Landfill, he needs to look no further than his rearview mirror for the answer. One of the unpleasant side effects of his job is the awful smell. And Landfill does little to minimize it. He leaves a trail of rotting refuse wherever he goes. He's usually caked in muck and filth. He's a veritable rolling garbage dump! Neither gentle hints from friends nor direct orders from superiors can persuade him to improve his personal hygiene. However, he earns the Autobots' appreciation for his willingness to undertake some of the most difficult and disgusting transport tasks. He'll haul a load of spare parts or toxic waste through a hail of enemy fire with equal enthusiasm, proving to his fellow Autobots that even steel-plated slobs have their value.

Landfill is teamed with the Nebulans Silencer and Flintlock. Silencer chose to undergo the bio-engineering procedure needed to become an Autobot Targetmaster after witnessing the destruction of his family's hydroponic farm by the Scorponok-led Decepticons who invaded Nebulos. A quiet man who once abhorred the use of force for any reason, he has become one of the best warriors among the Autobots' Nebulan allies.

Flintlock is a young man who was always eager for action. In fact, within the peaceful constraints of traditional Nebulan society, he was often too eager- he constantly ran afoul of Nebulan authorities for behavior they cited as "anti-social, anti-governmental and rude." Once the Autobots landed on Nebulos and sought Nebulan volunteers to help them thwart the Decepticon threat, Flintlock found a positive outlet for his aggression. Now he is considered one of the toughest, bravest, and surprisingly, most disciplined soldiers among the Autobots.

Landfill can transform into a dump truck. He can haul up to 10 tons of solid material in this mode. His maximum speed is 70 mph and his range is 350 miles. Silencer has been bio-engineered to convert to a noiseless, recoilless, high-powered proton rifle. He-is accurate up to six miles in this mode. Flintlock has been bio-engineered to convert to a stress pistol. In this mode he can shoot a beam of torsional energy that introduces counter-rotational forces within any metal object it hits. These forces induce metal fatigue and eventually metal failure, causing the target to fracture. An infra-red targeting sight allows Flintlock to home in on warm metal objects, such as enemy Decepticons with their engines running. Landfill can use Silencer and Flintlock in his robot or dump truck mode. The two Nebulans can combine to form one weapon that retains the offensive capabilities of both its components.

Landfill's primary liability is completely controllable. He leaves so obvious a trail of trash and emits such a powerful odor that even the dumbest Decepticon tracker would have no difficulty finding him.

Animated Series

Although the animated series stopped making original episodes in the US before Landfill was released, he appeared in animated form along with the only Double Targetmasters in commercials for the toys.

Animation from the commercial was used in the opening credits for season 5 of the Transformers, which retold episodes of earlier seasons. Landfill appeared in them.[2]

When the Generation 2 animated series was aired animated bits of the Generation 1 commercial with Landfill in it were edited into the episode "More Than Meets The Eye Part 1." [3]

Marvel Comics

Landfill first appeared in issue #60 of the Marvel Transformers comics. Landfill wielded Flintlock and Silencer during a series of fuel raids on Cybertron alongside the recently revived Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee. Landfill last appeared in issue #74 of the Marvel comics.

Marvel UK #223 contained the story called "Aspects of Evil Part 1". In this story Rodimus Prime in the year 2356 tells of his trials as Targetmaster Hot Rod and Firebolt in the year 1991. It was the end of the Decepticon Civil War, with Megatron, Shockwave and Scorponok competing for leadership of the Decepticons. Scorponok was losing the battle and fled, while being tracked by Megatron's Micromaster Air Strike Patrol made up of Nightflight, Whisper, Tailwind and Stormcloud. Hot Rod was leading fellow Targetmasters Quickmix with Boomer and Ricochet and Landfill with Silencer and Flintlock when Scorponok surrendered to him. Hot Rod was oblidged to defend his prisoner from attacks by the Air Strike Patrol. Driving the Air Strike Patrol off, Scorponok escaped.

Books

Landfill was among the Autobots featured in the 1988 book and audio adventure Autobot Hostage by Ladybird books.[4]

Condor Verlag

In a story called "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!" from Transformers Comic-Magazin issue #12 by German comic publisher Condor Verlag Optimus Prime instructs Backstreet, Bumblebee and Ruckus on how to identify Autobots from Decepticons in battle using the Ark's computer. Landfill is one of those he displays to the Autobots.[5]

Dreamwave Productions

Landfill and his partners did not appear in Dreamwave comics fiction but did receive a full page biography in their More Than Meets The Eye series.

Toys

  • Generation 1 Targetmaster Landfill (1988)
A new mold, Landfill came with his two partners.[6][7]


Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Transformers character
Landfill-rid.jpg
Robots in Disguise Landfill
Name Landfill/Constructicon Devastator
Autobot/Decepticon
Japanese name Build King
Series Transformers: Robots in Disguise
English voice actor Michael Reisz[8]
Information
Alternate modes Four Robots
Function Steel Sovereign
Rank 8
Sub-group Build Team/Constructicons

The 2001 series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, featured the Build Team (Build Masters)—four Autobot construction vehicles that could combine to form Landfill (Build King). Their toys would later be recolored as the G1 Constructicons.

Animated series

As the engineers who built the Global Spacebridge tunnel system that transports the Autobots around Earth, the Build Team always wanted to see action on the front lines, and thanks to Optimus Prime, they got their chance. It is hard to imagine that personalities like the powerful Heavy Load (Build Typhoon), the alert, seasoned Hightower (Build Cyclone) and the calm, rational Grimlock (Build Hurricane) could be led by such a young hothead as Wedge (Build Boy), but his compassion and caring for his teammates mean that they respect and stick by him. The team is capable of combining into Landfill (Build King) in various configurations.

Landfill is the 12-meter tall super robot formed of the four members of the Build Team. Thanks to his unique Tornado Fusion System, he can optimize his configuration for any combat situation. Landfill has three different modes, each in which Wedge remains at the center while the other three members rotate around his hub. The Hurricane Mode, in which Grimlock forms the back and arms, is a superb multi-purpose type formation, balancing offense and defense with a shield and rifle; the Cyclone Mode, with Hightower in the upper body, is a power type form excelling in close-quarters combat, wielding a melee shovel, and shield; and the Typhoon Mode, with Heavy Load in the topmost position, is his battle type formation, which has high offensive power, with a rifle and shovel.

3H Enterprises

2004 voice actor play plot - Rhinox has built a device to deflect Unicron's attempts to pull victims from other dimensions with his tractor beam. The Autobots deflect two attempts and the victims end up on a frozen planetoid instead of with Unicron. Maximals Rattrap and Silverbolt and the Predacon Waspinator are sent to help the victims, but Reptilion, Sunstorm, Ruination and Perceptor are sent to get them for Unicron. As a side effect of the device Rhinox built, a vortex opens which sucks in an Autobot shuttle from the past piloted by Bumblebee, Tracks and Cosmos. Thrust attacks the Maximal ship, but they are saved by being transported to the Autobot shuttle. The Autobots and Maximals then go to the planet where they save the victims from the Decepticons. On the planet are two groups of Autobots. One is from the Robots in Disguise story, with Landfill (Wal-Mart recolor), Side Burn (Universe recolor) and Prowl (Universe recolor). The other is from another parallel world with Spy Changer Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Prowl and Ironhide. They all fight off the Decepticons. The Autobot shuttle is sent back to its own time.

Fun Publications

The Universe coloring of Landfill was used for an alternate universe version who went by the character's Japanese name of Build King in a line of fiction from "Ask Vector Prime". In this reality, Build King and his components were sadly reformatted by the Robo-Smasher into Megazarak's minions the Constructicons, who united to form Devastator (thus establishing the role of the Universe Devastator figures). They were later drawn into the Universe conflict by Unicron.

Toys

  • Robots in Disguise Landfill (2001)
With an official height of 12 meters in and the toy standing 20cm tall, that makes the scale of Landfill 1:60. Landfill was also repainted in green and purple as a Decepticon called Devastator in the Universe line, a homage to Generation One Devastator.[9]
  • Robots in Disguise Landfill redeco (2003)
Landfill was reissued in yellow as a Wal-Mart exclusive 4-pack. The yellow Wal-Mart exclusive redecot of Landfill is considered by some fans to be an unofficial member of the Transformer: Universe line. It was the final toy released under the Robots In Disguise label before the line was changed into Transformers: Universe, and it is the form Landfill took when he appeared in the Universe story.
  • Universe Devastator (2004)
Released under the group name of the Constructicons once again, the team's combined form was named Constructicon Devastator. In addition, a redeco of the Build Team, a quartet of construction vehicles from the Transformers: Robots in Disguise series, was released in 2006 in the form of two Target exclusive two-packs, namely Bonecrusher/Scavenger and Long Haul/Hightower. These four also have the ability to combine into Devastator (just as the Build Team could combine into Landfill), and the change of "Hook" to "Hightower" is consistent with this release as well. With this set, Hightower retains his name, while his teammates Wedge, Heavy Load, and Grimlock become Bonecrusher, Long Haul, and Scavenger. The Micromaster Constructicons were initially a Kaybee store exclusive, but later on were found in other online stores.[10]


References

  1. Landfill (Autobot Targetmasters, Transformers G1)
  2. "YouTube". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVwR5Zr0goQ. Retrieved 2013-12-01. 
  3. seibertronsei. "Transformers Generation 2 Episode 1 Part 1/3". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MAjbv1pDNc. Retrieved 2013-12-01. 
  4. [1] Archived September 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. Robert Mann (w). "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!" Transformers Comic-Magazin 12 (December 1990), Condor Verlag
  6. Lee's Guide to Loose 1988 Transformers: The Autobots. Lee's Toy Review magazine, issue #207, February 2010
  7. Alvarez, J.E. (2001). The Unofficial Guide to Transformers 1980s Through 1990s Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition. Schiffer Publishing Ltd.. p. 74. ISBN 0-7643-1364-9. 
  8. Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Third Edition. Infobase Publishing. p. 657. ISBN 978-0-8160-6599-8. 
  9. Landfill (Autobot Build Team, Transformers: Robots In Disguise)
  10. "Constructicon Devastator (2004) - Decepticon". www.tfu.info. http://www.tfu.info/2004/Decepticon/MMDevastator/devastator.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-27.