Blowpipe (Transformers)

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Blowpipe is the name of two fictional characters from the Transformers series. The original Blowpipe was the Targetmaster partner of the Decepticon Triggerhappy. They were released in 1987 with the other first year Headmasters and Targetmasters. He was voiced by John Moschitta in the Transformers US television series. He was a reoccuring character in the Transformers: The Headmasters anime series. Neither the molds for Triggerhappy and Blowpipe nor even their names were ever reused.

Transformers: Generation 1

Transformers character
Blowpipe-toy.jpg
Generation 1 Blowpipe toy
Name Blowpipe
Decepticon
Series Transformers: Generation 1
English voice actor John Moschitta
Japanese voice actor Akimitsu Takase
First appearance "Brothers in Armor!!", The Transformers: Headmaster issue 4, January 1988
Information
Alternate modes Compression cannon
Gender Male
Partner Triggerhappy
Sub-group Targetmaster

Blowpipe is the Targetmaster partner of the Decepticon Triggerhappy.

In the Marvel Comics Transformers stories Nebulans are depicted as human-looking aliens, while in the animated series they are green-skinned aliens. In the Ladybird Books stories the Nebulans are human-sized robots.

Fictional biography

Triggerhappy is paired with Blowpipe, the conniving, envious brother-in-law of the evil Nebulan group’s leader, Lord Zarak. On Nebulous, Blowpipe managed Lord Zarak’s political career and was chiefly responsible for arranging his rise to fame and power. When Lord Zarak fell from grace and allied himself with the Decepticons, Blowpipe thought it prudent to follow, so he did. Blowpipe is bio-engineered to have the ability to convert to a powerful compressed air cannon, which Triggerhappy wields in robot and jet modes.

Animated series

The Transformers

Triggerhappy and Blowpipe were introduced in The Transformers episode "The Rebirth Part 1", the three-part fourth-season finale to the original Transformers animated series.

When the Decepticons attempted to seize the power of the Plasma Energy Chamber in 2007, a group of Autobots were blasted across the galaxy to the planet Nebulos by the ancient foundry's energies, where they took up with a group of rebel Nebulons. To fight the Hive, the evil rulers of Nebulos, some of the Autobots and Nebulons bonded their bodies a minds together, becoming Headmasters, serving up a definitive defeat to the Decepticons pursuing them. This group of Decepticons was then approached by the Hive, who sought to replicate the Headmaster process with them, but Cyclonus was able to bargain them to down to taking only half the Decepticons' heads, offering up the weapons of the others as alternatives. Using Nebulan technology, the guns were engineered into a transforming exo-suits which were donned by five members of the Hive, creating the Targetmasters, giving their Transformer wielders ten times the accuracy and firepower.

The Decepticon Targetmasters overcame the Autobots and reclaimed the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, but in the struggle, the Autobot Brainstorm was able to scan Cyclonus's partner, Nightstick, and that data was used to duplicate the Targetmaster process with the remaining Autobots and Nebulan rebels, creating the Autobot Targetmasters. Their power, however, was nothing in the face of the Decepticons' newest weapon, the super robot, Scorponok, who transported the Decepticon forces back to Cybertron, where their plans were foiled by Spike Witwicky and Fortress Maximus.

Transformers: The Headmasters

Although The Rebirth marked the end of the Transformers cartoon in the US, in Japan, a different direction was taken - ignoring the events of The Rebirth, a brand new, exclusive 35-episode series, Transformers: The Headmasters, was produced to take its place, which introduced the Targetmasters towards its conclusion. Notably, in Japan, the 1986 characters were not re-released as Targetmasters - only the six new characters featured in Headmasters.

In the world of Transformers: Headmasters, there are no Nebulons - the Headmasters themselves are simply small Transformers, who, having settled on the planet Master, learned to transform into heads and connect to lifeless larger bodies named Transtectors. It was to Master that the Decepticon forces returned after the Autobots forced them to flee Earth, and consequently, a ship was dispatched by the planet's inhabitants to alert the Earth-bound Autobots to the Decepticon invasion. At the same time, the youthful Autobot, Wheelie, had summoned three of his old superior officers - Pointblank (Blanker in Japan), Sureshot and Crosshairs - to Earth to aid in the clean-up operation currently going on, when Autobot Headmaster Chromedome accidentally activated one of the plasma bombs the Decepticons had left behind. Heading out into space so that the bomb might harmlessly explode out in the void, the Autobots then crossed paths with the approaching Master ship, which was being pursued by the Decepticon Sixshot and three new troops - Slugslinger, Misfire and Triggerhappy. As Pointblank and his men tangled with the Decepticons, the Master refugees offered their help by transporting away the plasma bombs, only to have the bombs detonate in the middle of the battlefield.

Recovering from the explosion, Pointblank, Crosshairs and Sureshot discovered that the six Master refugees had been fused to their arms. Although Fortress was able to surgically remove them, a bond now existed between the larger Transformers and the Master refugees, who could now freely attach and detach to their wrists as guns. Unfortunately for these new Targetmasters, the same had happened to Slugslinger and his fellows. The Targetmasters joined up with Fortress's crew on the mission to Master, but quickly clashed with the Headmasters - Pointblank and his men were hard, experienced warriors who thought little of the Headmasters, and Pointblank spent a good deal of time attempting to soothe Chromedome's fiery temper to improve his battle ability.

In episode 29, "The Master Sword Is in Danger!!", the Autobot and Decepticon Targetmasters participated in a battle on the planet Master where Zarak first sent in the Decepticon Duocons. In this battle the Decepticons are able to obtain a computer disk that contains information on the Master Sword.[1]

In episode 30, "The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide" the Autobot Targetmasters follow Soundblaster to the planet Master where they are ambushed by the Decepticon Targetmasters. The Autobots are washed away when the Decepticons blast a dam above the Autobots during the fight. Surviving the flood the Autobot Targetmasters discover a cave entrance to the Decepticon base. Despite being discovered by the Autobots, the Decepticon are able to escape with their new weapon.[2]

Comics

1984 Marvel Comics

Events exclusive to the Marvel UK Transformers comics appear in italics.

Triggerhappy and Blowpipe first appeared in Transformers: Headmasters #4 when the Decepticons under Scorponok's leadership. With the Autobot Headmasters captured by their Decepticon counterparts, the Decepticons ran rampant over the planet Nebulos, a group of the remaining Autobots on the planet joined with a group of Nebulons branded as criminals by Nebulon's political leader, Lord Zarak - partner of the Decepticon, Scorponok - in order to protect the Nursery, Nebulos's primary agricultural research facility, against Decepticon attack. Through bio-mechanical engineering, the Nebulons were given the ability to transform into the guns of the Autobots, and, as Targetmasters, they fended the Decepticons off. Within several days, the Decepticons had duplicated the process with five of their own troops, including Misfire.

One of his most prominent actions during this period was to ambush the Autobot Headmasters in the Fortess of Despair alongside the other Decepticon Targetmasters. The Decepticons captured Highbrow, planning to use him to perfect their own Headmaster process. The plan failed when Highbrow forced Scorponok to flee. (Transformers UK #130-131)

When Maximus' troops fled Nebulos to save it from further devastation, Scorponok's troops followed. Misfire would be amongst those battling Ratbat's earthbound Decepticons and then uniting to defeat the Earthen Autobots. In the Time Wars he arrived following Maximus group and battled the Earth Autobots. Misfire wounded Goldbug, but was then transported to the limbo dimension when Soundwave and the Terrorcons arrived from the future. After Scorponok took command, Misfire served as one of his troops, and was heard voicing doubts about letting the resurrected Starscream back into the fold.Misfire last appeared in Transformers #75 during the battle with Unicron over Cybertron. He did not appear after this, opening the possibility he was killed by the Chaos-Bringer.

Dreamwave Productions

Triggerhappy and Blowpipe got a biography in the Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye series.

Blackthorne Publishing

Triggerhappy appeared in the Blackthorne Publishing The Transformers in 3D issue #3 as one of Galvatron's troops.[3]

Manga

Triggerhappy appears in the Generations 2011 issue #2 "The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos" where he is among the Decepticon forces who ambush the Autobots on Nebulos.[4]

Toys

  • Hasbro Transformers Targetmaster Triggerhappy with Blowpipe (1987)
He came packaged with his Targetmaster partner.[5]
  • Hasbro Transformers: Titans Return Blowpipe & Triggerhappy (2016)
Blowpipe transforms into the head of Triggerhappy.
  • Takara Transfomers: Prime Mini-Con Blowpipe (2011)
A recolor of Power Core Combiners Groundspike available exclusively at Japanese Yamada Denki, Yodobashi Camera, Edion Group, Ishimaru, Deodeo, Eiden, and Midori stores on December 28, 2011.[6]
  • Hasbro Transformers: Generations Titans Return Deluxe Blowpipe & Triggerhappy (2017)
This version of Blowpipe becomes the head for Triggerhappy.
  • Hasbro Transformers: War for Cybertron Siege Blowpipe (2019)
Turns from robot to gun.
This Battle Master features blue arms, but they can be swapped with Siege Aimless' blue arms, to make both figures accurate to their original colors.


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers character
Name Blowpipe
Autobot
Series Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Information
Alternate modes Pickup Truck (resemling a Chevrolet Silverado)
Sub-group Deluxe Vehicles

Blowpipe is an Autobot who turns into a pickup truck.

Fictional biography

Blowpipe is obsessed with adapting Earth technology to work in his alien body. Endless tinkering, with help from Autobot Ratchet, has resulted in a remarkable fusion of technology, giving Blowpipe surprising strength, speed, and firepower. It's just these advantages that give him the edge against his latest opponent - the Decepticon speedster Sideways. Though the evil robot thinks he can rely on his speed to escape, he's in for a surprise when he sees Blowpipe easily keeping up.

Toys

  • Revenge of the Fallen Super Tuner Throwdown Deluxe Sideways and Blowpipe (2009)
A Wal-Mart exclusive. A redeco of Dropkick and Salvage. Comes with Sideways.


References

  1. "The Master Sword Is in Danger!!". Transformers: The Headmasters. No. 29, season 1.
  2. "The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide". Transformers: The Headmasters. No. 30, season 1.
  3. "The Transformers in 3D" The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3 3 (March 1988), El Cajon, California: Blackthorne Publishing
  4. Simon Furman (w), Guido Guidi (p). "Generations 2011" The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos 2 (2011), Japan: Takara Tomy
  5. Alvarez, J.E. (2001). The Unofficial Guide to Transformers 1980s Through 1990s Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition. Schiffer Publishing Ltd.. p. 68. ISBN 0764313649. 
  6. http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/transformers-prime-micron-armsmicron-campaign-figures-173991/

External links