Rollbar (Transformers)

Rollbar is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. The original Rollbar was a member of the Throttlebot team who turned into a Jeep.

Transformers: Generation 1

Rollbar first appeared in the 1987 range as part of the Autobot Throttlebot team, similar to the Decepticon Battlechargers in which they were pulled back and then set loose along the floor or other flat surface—minus the auto-transformation.^[1]

Rollbar's bio described him as a brave, battle hardened veteran. He exists for the sole purpose of showing the Decepticons how tough he is. As leader of the Throttlebots, Rollbar often tries to inspire them with his speeches and jokes, usually eliciting only amusement from his more laid-back troops.

Marvel Comics

Rollbar had a more prominent role in the accompanying Transformers comic from Marvel. He first appeared in issue 29 of the US comic,^[2] where he was in command of the Throttlebots on Cybertron. Captured by Ratbat, he and the others were not killed, but sent to Earth on a special mission - to kill the Scaplet infected Autobots and Decepticons in order to keep the infection from spreading - otherwise, he would have Earth sterilised of all life. Unwilling to kill their fellow Autobot Blaster, they nonetheless were sent to Earth, tracking down the infected Goldbug. Preparing to kill him, they discovered water was effective in killing the creatures. With some unwilling aid from the Decepticons the Scraplets were cured and the Throttlebots joined Blaster and Goldbug (renegades from Grimlock's leadership) on Earth.

After a brief side-adventure in the UK comics where they battled Soundwave and the Combaticons over the destruction of the bodies of Galvatron and Ultra Magnus, the group encountered the Combaticons again, being attacked by Vortex. The group were then attacked by R.A.A.T, the Combaticons and the Protectobots, sent by Grimlock to capture Blaster. In the resulting mayhem, Rollbar and the other Throttlebots were taken out by Circuit Breaker and captured by RAAT. Captured and dissected, the Throttlebots had their brains transferred to the rtemore control cars of a sympathetic scientist. The RAAT base was then attacked by the Predacons. The Autobots fled, but the Predacons tracked them down, capturing Buster Witwicky in the process. Rollbar and the others Throttlebots's bodies were later reconstructed only to be destroyed by Underbase-powered Starscream. After that, it is unclear if they were revived again.

Animated series

The Throttlebots are among the troops commanded by Rodimus Prime in their attempt to rescue the body of Optimus Prime from the lab of Doctor Mark Morgan. They are infected with the hate plague.^[3]

Rollbar appeared in the third season of the animated series as leader of the Throttlebots, often working in tandem with Bumblebee, although he rarely had any major roles.

Rollbar made a brief appearance in the first episode of the Japanese exclusive series Transformers: The Headmasters. He was one of the reinforcements summoned to defend Vector Sigma alongside the Dinobots, but was put to sleep by Mindwipe's hypnotic attack.

Dreamwave Productions

Like many other Transformers who did not appear in Dreamwave's G1 stories, Rollbar nonetheless received a one-page bio in their More Than Meets the Eye profile series.

Toys

• Generation 1 Rollbar (1987)

He was a simple Transformer with no articulation at all. Rollbar had scenery reflected in his windshield.^[4] The Throttlebots were among the first Transformers released in 1987 and featured pull-back motors that worked in both car and robot modes.^[5]

• Alternators Rollbar (2006)

A direct recolor of Alternators Swindle. Although his original toy was green, Hound was already released as a green Jeep Wrangler, and it was therefore decided to release him with an orange deco in order to avoid releasing figures that are too similar. Compared to Swindle, Rollbar lacks the black detail paint on the vehicle's doors and grille. As a robot, his arms are fully painted, while the head is the same color as Swindle's. The deviation from his original coloring and limited modifications from the Swindle figure means that Rollbar's most accurate attribute to his original G1 figure is his vehicle mode being that of a Jeep.^[6][7]

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Rollbar is the name given to the Japanese Car Robots Greenjeeper; a repaint of the G1 Combaticon Swindle. He forms the right leg of the team's combined form, the gestalt Ruination. He first appears in standard army camouflage then in 2003 he is repainted into arctic camouflage as a Wal*Mart exclusive. This color scheme does not appear outside America and is not shown in the TV series.

An under-developed character; Rollbar is a hand-to-hand combat specialist, he loves to fight and prefers arctic environment.

Animated series

Rollbar was one of five Transformers that actually began life as Autobots, sent to Earth along with a sixth to lead them in a mission to reactivate the legendary Autobot battle station known as Fortress Maximus. However, their craft malfunctioned and crashed, and the six Autobots were entombed in protoform state, joining Fortress Maximus in slumber until their ship was unearthed by Megatron and his Predacons. Absconding with the Autobot protoforms right under Optimus Prime's nose, Megatron took them to a nearby military base, intending to scan alternate modes for them. Mega-Octane was the first to be reactivated, infused with a portion of Megatron's own spark energy to create the first of a new breed of Transformer that Megatron dubbed the "Decepticons." The other four members of the team followed, and eventually the sixth, Scourge, who took leadership of the team from Mega-Octane with a show of force.

Simply referred to as the Commandos, they soon demonstrated their skills by blowing up dams across the country, debuting their combining abilities against Rail Racer and later attempting to harness the energies of a volcano on Montrose Island. As part of a string of failed attempts to locate the Autobots' hidden base, Movor was launched into orbit to track Side Burn from space, and the Decepticons then pretended to have reverted to their original Autobot selves in an effort to make the Autobots take them in. Later, Decepticon corruption of the Autobots' global spacebridge led Ruination into conflict with Landfill.

It soon became apparent that Scourge sought to overthrow Megatron's leadership, and the discovery of Fortress Maximus, buried beneath the Earth's surface accelerated the process as exposure to his energies, and those of the O-Parts - the keys to Maximus's resurrection - awoke memories of Scourge's original mission. His new Decepticon programming turned it on its head, however, as he now wished to command Maximus's power for his own, and soon had the other Decepticons thinking the same way, conspiring with Mega-Octane to get Cerebros, the power key of Fortress Maximus, under his control. As a series of chases to acquire control of Maximus began, Scourge eventually revealed his treachery by trying to have the giant attack Galvatron (Megatron, in a new form), only for the plan to fail. In retribution, Galvatron again brainwashed the Decepticons, turning them back into his loyal servants, who followed him so completely that they were even willing to take his orders after he attempted to kill them as a belated punishment. With Galvatron's defeat, the Decepticons and Predacons were all taken back to Cybertron for imprisonment.

Dreamwave Productions

The character of RiD Rollbar made one appearance in Dreamwave comics Summer Special issue before the company went under. There was a contest in the issue as to whether RiD or Beast Wars would be the next Dreamwave comic series. Beast Wars won.

3H Enterprises

His only appearance in the official storyline of Transformers: Universe was as a member of the Ruination combiner team in the 2004 BotCon voice actor play, where he was commanded by Reptilion.

Toys

• Car Robots Greenjeeper

With Ruinations official height being given as 15 meters (49.2 feet) tall, and the toy measuring 25 centimeters tall, the toy would have a scale of about 1/60. This would mean Mega-Octane would stand 11.4 meters (37.4 feet) tall, while the other Commandos would stand about 4.8 meters (15.7 feet) tall.

• Robots in Disguise Rollbar (2001)

A redeco of Greenjeeper.

• Robots in Disguise Rollbar Redeco

The Commandos were packaged together in a uniform "urban camo" redeco.^[9]

• Universe Rollbar (2004)

A recolor of the Robots in Disguise Rollbar was released in Wal*Mart stores as part of a Ruination gift-set. He is painted in desert camo.

Transformers: Armada

Rollbar is a white dune buggy. He is detailed in gray and black. In the cartoon continuity, he featured prominently in the Japanese Linkage DVD comic, which chronicles how he came to be partnered with Scavenger, as well as his short time alongside the "Super Stunt Team."

Dreamwave Productions

Rollbar appeared among the Mini-Cons in issue #18 of the Transformers: Armada comic book who aided Over-Run using the Mini-Con Matrix in the defeat of Unicron.

His biography portrayed him as being insanely brave to the point of stupidity. Even before the war broke out he was renowned for standing up to Megatron and the Decepticons. Teamed up with Scavenger, his strength and take-no-prisoners attitude mean the duo gave become a force to be reckoned with.

Toys

• Armada Scavenger with Rollbar (2002)

A new mold.

• Energon Treadbolt with Rollbar (2004)

A recolor of the Armada toy.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Titan Magazines

Rollbar was sent on a training mission with several other Autobots where they encountered the Decepticon Dead End. He later was trained by the veteran Autobot Springer and was sent on a mission against the Decepticon Tankor.

Toys

• Revenge of the Fallen Scout Rollbar (2009)

Pictures of Rollbar first appeared on the internet in December 2008.

• Transformers The Ravage Infiltration Scout Rollbar (2010)

A Target exclusive gift set featuring Deluxe Autobot Flak, Scout Rollbar (a gray urban camouflage redeco of Dune Runner) and a silver/black redeco of Legends Ravage, along with three N.E.S.T. soldier figurines.^[10]

• Age of Extinction Deluxe Rollbar (not yet released)

A white redeco of Generations Deluxe Autobot Skids in a racing livery similar to Shane Dyson's rally car.^[11]

• Age of Extinction One Step Changers Rollbar (not yet released)

A toy for younger children with easy transformation by opening the rear halves of the vehicle mode.^[12]

References