Broadside (G1)
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The name or term "Broadside" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Broadside (disambiguation). |
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- Broadside is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Broadside is a huge loser. He's the forgotten Autobot Triple Changer who can convert into two vehicle forms: a jet (of various sizes) and an aircraft carrier mode, for which he becomes an even huger loser by expanding to 1200 feet. Broadside also happens to be terrified of heights. And gets seasick on the water. For some reason he's pretty irritable all the time!
His life must suuuuuuck.
Fortunately, as one of the Wreckers, Broadside is almost constantly shooting the scrap out of Decepticons, which is probably a good outlet for any frustration.
“ | I like the sea far away and my feet on the ground. | ” |
—Broadside's Generation 1 bio quote |
Contents
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Fiction
Marvel UK The Transformers comics
Broadside and his fellow Triple Changers were late recruits into Operation: Volcano by Emirate Xaaron, taking the place of Ultra Magnus in the battle scenario. Emirate Xaaron decided to the best way to convince Impactor that Broadside, Springer, and Sandstorm were up to replace Magnus was by having them pretend to be Decepticons and beating the slag out of him. Their display impressed the Wreckers leader, and the Triple Changers quickly began training in Debris. Their introduction into the Wreckers was marred with tragedy, however, as Impactor was killed when Volcano finally went down. Springer succeeded Impactor as squad leader. Target: 2006
The Autobots' informants learned that there was a Decepticon spy posing as Optimus Prime on Cybertron, out to infiltrate their ranks. The Wreckers were sent to pursue this imposter. In due course, Broadside, Springer, Sandstorm, and Whirl managed to track down the "spy" after he had already escaped from the Wreckers once with the help of Outback. Before they could execute him, they were ordered to stand down by Ultra Magnus and Emirate Xaaron, who had learned that the Autobots had been fed false information; before them was the real Optimus Prime. Distant Thunder! With his name cleared, Optimus led several raids on Decepticon encampments in which Broadside participated. The last of these raids saw Optimus off to Earth, as he and Ultra Magnus battled Megatron while Broadside and the others kept the Decepticon rank-and-file busy. Resurrection!
After Prime had left, Autobase was moved to Kalis and was soon rocked by a huge explosion. Believing the explosion to be caused by an underground reactor, Broadside and the other Wreckers searched in vain for the chamber. Upon their return to headquarters, the Autobots were overcome by a legion of zombies! Springer, still ill-at-ease in his role as leader, floundered when the shambling horde burst through the floor, and without anyone to coordinate them, the Wreckers were easily vanquished. They were captured by the undead horde's controller, Flame, fitted with inhibitor bands, and detained within an underground cell. Though things seemed grim, Springer regained his senses following a pep-talk from Xaaron and managed to escape. Legion of the Lost!
Broadside and the rest of the Wreckers managed to break out of their cell as well, reacquired their weapons, and once more took up the fight against the zombies patrolling Flame's headquarters. They then bumped into a returning Springer, now accompanied by Ultra Magnus, Fizzle, Sizzle, and Guzzle. Unfortunately, any further progress towards Flame's inner sanctum was blocked off by a massive blast door. Springer and Broadside headed back for the surface in order to procure the heavy armament necessary to breach it, only to bump into Trypticon en route. Though taken aback at first, Broadside learned that the behemoth had arrived to repay a favor that fellow Decepticon Flywheels owed Ultra Magnus. With his help, the Autobots reached Flame, albeit a bit too late. The madbot's machines had already destabilized, and the countdown to Cybertron's destruction had begun. While Springer, Ultra Magnus, and Xaaron dealt with Flame, the rest of the group cut through the remnants of madbot's zombie army, and headed back to the surface. There, Broadside learned that a zombified Impactor had sacrificed himself in order to prevent the whole planet from blowing up. The Autobots stood in solemn silence to honor Impactor's heroic passing. Meltdown!
The Wreckers next prepared for their next mission: to travel to Earth and do battle against the future Decepticon Galvatron. Broadside helped put together the Wrecker's weapons stockpile in anticipation for this task. Deadly Games! Their mission nearly proved to be a complete disaster, however, as the Wreckers blindly portal-jumped onto Galvatron's coordinates, only to find themselves in the middle of a populated human city, surrounded by potential civilian casualties. Worse yet, Glavatron wasn't alone; with him were fellow future Decepticons Cyclonus and Scourge. Nonetheless, the Wreckers were forced to engage the enemy units, with Broadside managing to tackle Galvatron... only for his target to retaliate with a devastating right-hook to his face. Galvatron, thoroughly unimpressed with the Wreckers, proceeded to beat the snot out of them all. In order to bring an end to the fight, and any further damage to the city they were in, Springer lured Cyclonus and Scourge away, leaving the rest of his team with the opportunity to gang up on Galvatron. But Galvatron pointed out to them that Springer would surely die if pitted against both his cronies alone... Broadside and the others were forced to go after their commander, despite it meaning that Galvatron would get away from them. Their mission gone completely awry, Springer called for the Wreckers to return to Cybertron and plan anew. Wrecking Havoc
In order to guard against future problems such as the ones the Wreckers had encountered in their previous outing, Xaaron assigned Broadside, Inferno and Sandstorm to Earth full time as an Advance Surveillance Unit, gathering information on the planet so that they would be better prepared for the next battle with Galvatron. Though Broadside wanted to follow Xaaron's instructions to the letter, and not involve themselves in human affairs, his two teammates convinced him to nonetheless help out some humans whose town had been set ablaze. While evacuating the townsfolk, the Autobots discovered that the fire had been started by an alien lifeform, a cute-but-dangerous Firebug. Broadside was all too willing to simply destroy the pest, but Inferno convinced him instead to send it off to Mercury, where it wouldn't pose a danger to anyone else. Firebug! Later, the three Autobots caused a panic when they tried to celebrate Christmas with a bunch of humans, leaving the town of Border Flats in ruins as a result. Broadside and his teammates made themselves scarce, only for the Autobot Powermasters to track them down and attack, thinking they were dealing with a trio of Decepticon trouble-makers. Suitably ashamed of the damage they had caused, the Advance Surveillance Unit apologized for the misunderstanding. As the Autobots settled down, Optimus Prime joined them to impart on Broadside and the rest about their responsibility to the planet. Cold Comfort and Joy!
The trio's mission became serious once the time rift raging at both ends of Galvatron's time-jump began to tear apart the fabric of the universe. Xaaron had isolated Galvatron—and his time-tossed minions Scourge and Cyclonus—as the source of the distortion, and sent the full contingent of Wreckers to Earth, complete with unexpected back-up from their Decepticon counterparts, the Mayhem Attack Squad. Broadside balked at the idea, but honestly... they needed all the help they could get. Even that wasn't enough, however, against the combined might of Galvatron and the Megatron clone. The twin titans tore through the Wreckers and Mayhems without mercy: at the end of the so-called "Time Wars", less than half of the warriors were left alive. Time Wars
Cut off from any supplies or assistance from Cybertron, Broadside, Springer and Inferno felt left behind and abandoned to their fate on Earth. They were approached by the remaining members of the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad, who felt equally deserted by their faction. Despite this, one of their members, Snarler, still felt that joining up with Autobots constituted treason, and nearly butted heads with Broadside, necessitating Inferno to talk both of them down. Any talk of alliances was postponed when a processing of emergency vehicles passed by, and the Autobots investigated, while the Decepticons hung back. The source of the disturbance turned out to be Skids, recently escaped from Limbo. While in the nether-dimension, Skids had dreamed up several horrors, who materialized into reality upon his return to Earth. He was ready to trigger a nuclear meltdown to eradicate them, but the other Autobots talked him out of it, and fought by his side against the monsters. Though Broadside was ready to use lethal force, the others were hesitant, fearing that the monsters' destruction could somehow lead to Skids's death. Losing ground, Springer wound up calling on the Decepticons for help, and together they defeated the monsters. Better yet, their destruction had no effect on Skids after all! Banded together, Broadside, Inferno, Springer, Skids, Catilla and Carnivac rebranded themselves as the "Survivors". Survivors!
Unfortunately, Carnivac found life as a de facto Autobot difficult as the need to fight was in his blood and so Broadside and the other Survivors watched as he fought with Springer, ultimately breaking away from the main group. At the same time, Snarler didn't take kindly to warriors abandoning the Decepticon cause and assembled a new Mayhem Attack Squad to assassinate the traitors, chancing upon the lone Carnivac first. Way of the Warrior Although Catilla pleaded Carnivac's case, Springer was unmoved until Catilla ran off to save his friend and he had to explain himself to Broadside and the others. Survival Run Now resolved to assist their former comrade, they arrived on the scene too late; although they were able to drive off the Mayhems, Bludgeon had already killed Catilla and so Carnivac broke away from the Survivors permanently to seek his revenge. A Savage Place!
Marvel UK future timelines
In 2510, Broadside was fighting alongside Springer and the Wreckers when they fired the very last shots of the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. The Decepticons were not totally gone, however—a deep cover agent named Triton lived on inside the Autobot ranks. In order to stir up discord, Triton challenged Prime's decision when he announced that Springer would e his successor as Autobot leader. Triton declared that Ultra Magnus was a better choice to carry the Matrix, and the argument quickly escalated into a firefight. A new war between the Wreckers and the Technobots grew out of the conflict, bringing an end to Broadside's brief shore leave. Peace
Earthforce
Springer voted for the Survivors to wait to avenge Catilla's death, but Carnivac quickly ran out of patience. After the Decepticon left to attack the Mayhem Attack Squad within their own base, Broadside petitioned the Autobots went after him. Though Springer resisted going to Grimlock's Earthforce for the help they would need in order to take on the Mayhems effectively, Broadside and the other Survivors convinced him that this was the best course of action. Wolf in the Fold! It took some convincing, but Grimlock eventually acquiesed and allowed a handful of soldiers to join the Survivors in storming the beach where the Mayhems were holed up. While the others fought Stranglehold, Bludgeon, and Octopunch near the sea, Broadside investigated inland, finding Snarler dead and the remains of Carnivac's Pretender shell. He deduced that, despite what the Decepticons believed at the time, Carnivac was still alive. Indeed, Carnivac turned up soon afterwards, and the surviving Mayhems were taken into Autobot custody. Where Wolf?
Later on, the Earth-based Decepticons under Starscream and Soundwave attempted to divide the Autobots' attention, staging a full-scale assault on Earthbase while Starscream secured a tanker full of fuel in the meantime. While the main Earthforce defended their base, however, the Survivors fought back Starscream's energy-stealing attempt. Broadside used his rarely seen carrier mode to transport his fellow Survivors into battle on the high seas against Starscream, and the Seeker was driven off without much effort. Divide and Conquer!
Marvel US continuity
Marvel US The Transformers comics
Broadside was present to watch Blaster and Grimlock duke it out on Earth's moon over leadership of the Autobot forces. The proceedings were interrupted by a massive Decepticon attack, however, which sent the Autobots scrambling until Blaster and Grimlock were able to put aside their differences, and rally their forces into a counter-attack. Totaled!
Marvel Generation 2 comic
Broadside served with Sideswipe, Hound, and Blades as part of a team of Firestormers, who fought alongside the Dinobots. They attacked their enemy with so much zeal, that Grimlock had to remind them what side they were on. Broadside and his Firestormers' team were the first to uncover the existence of Jhiaxus and his Cybertronian Empire and alert Optimus Prime to its threat. However, Jhiaxus' command ship, the Twilight blasted them from orbit and kept Broadside and the others prisoner until Optimus Prime and Grimlock managed to set them free and escape. War Without End!
Broadside continued serving as a soldier throughout the Autobots' conflict with the Cybertronians. He was last seen fighting alongside Springer and several other veteran Autobots on the planet Ethos. Escalation!
Classics
Broadside helped rebuild the Ironworks. When the evil Autobots attacked from the negative polarity universe, Broadside was one of the first wave assimilated by the Junkions. Invasion
Regeneration One
A member of Kup's Wreckers, Broadside elected to follow their leader's plan to leave Cybertron and visit the other planets touched by the Great War. Some time later they hitched a ride with Berko's Cosmic Carnival to the Sol system, where Broadside and Whirl piloted their shuttle towards Earth. After launching surveillance drones they discovered that the planet had been devastated by Megatron, who at that very moment launched nuclear warheads at their shuttle, apparently destroying it. Loose Ends, Part 1
Though the Wreckers managed to escape the exploding ship by descending to Earth in their escape pods, Broadside suffered damage to his neural circuits which left him incapacitated and he had to be cared for by Rack 'n' Ruin. Loose Ends, Part 2 He was led about by the duo until they fell to Circuit Smasher, though the super-powered human was talked into staying his hand afterwards. The Autobots were then led by a group of humans accompanying Circuit Smasher to their headquarters. Loose Ends, Part 3 After a spell at Argus Base, Broadside was sufficiently recovered to join the human resistance in an assault on the Ark though his targeting systems were still not fully functional. Loose Ends, Part 4 Broadside was shot down by a Guardian unit during the subsequent battle. Loose Ends, Part 5
First Aid later put Broadside on the list of bots in critical condition, alongside fellow Wrecker Leadfoot and two other bots. Natural Selection, Part One Broadside's injuries left him sidelined for some time.
Broadside was back on the field soon enough, and joined in with the other Wreckers in an attack on Jhiaxus's Hub Network, managing to destabilize it while also fighting off countless Cybertronians in the process. The War to End All Wars, Part 4 After Jhiaxus was defeated, Broadside, along with his fellow Wreckers and Autobots returned to Cybertron to find it deserted, save for horrifying creatures that drained the life from whomever they touched. As Rodimus Prime departed to destroy the Dark Matrix entity controlling the creatures, the remaining Autobots split up, with the Wreckers heading to Earth to enlist the help of the humans. The humans were understandably quick to attack, but the Autobots were able to their trust. With the humans, the Wreckers traveled to Nebulos, where together they killed Fortress Maximus. As Rodimus closed off their universe from the rest of the multiverse, severing their connection to Primus and killing the Matrix entity, all Transformers, including Broadside became mortal, and eventually died of old age over the eons. The War to End All Wars, Part 5
Transformers '84
Shortly before the launch of the Ark, Broadside was part of a crew recruited by Perceptor to retrieve the injured Dynobots following a battle with Shockwave. Secrets & Lies #1 Later, Broadside, Sandstorm, Springer, and Impactor followed Ultra Magnus in a counterattack against Decepticon forces led by Straxus besieging an Autobot fort in the Border Regions. Following their intervention, Straxus ordered his troops to retreat but to gather as many prisoners as they could as they did so. Secrets & Lies #2
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Bill Martin (English), Masashi Ebara (Japanese), Chen Chun (Chinese), Francis Lax (European French)
While trying to escape Quintessa, Springer contacted the Autobot fleet for transport off-world. Having received his call, Broadside and the Aerialbots showed up, providing cover fire against the Sharkticons, while Silverbolt picked up the Autobots. After returning to Broadside, the fleet then took their leave. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2 Unbeknownst to the Autobots, however, the Quintessons boarded a ship themselves and detonated their home-world. While attempting to escape, debris from the blast hit Broadside, blowing him to smithereens, sending the Autobots aboard him tumbling helplessly through space. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3
When a Quintesson Scientist sought to collect specimens for his experiments, he disguised his ship as Broadside to lure in Cyclonus. The Killing Jar
When Teletraan II casually brought up in conversation that Trypticon, the Decepticons' largest weapon of mass destruction, had not been destroyed as everyone thought, Rodimus Prime sent Broadside and Seaspray out to investigate the site where Trypticon fell into the sea. Sure enough, they found no body, but instead a trail of massive footprints leading back towards land. Once the Autobots tracked Trypticon down to the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya, Broadside transported the Autobot strike force in by the coast. Thief in the Night
During a strike against a new Constructicon weapon asteroid, the Autobots and Decepticons alike were interrupted by a powerful harmonic discharge. Ultra Magnus, Blaster and Broadside broke away from the main battle to prevent Galvatron and Soundwave from taking control of the harmony for their own evil ends. Although Soundwave did manage to temporarily copy the harmony onto his tapes, Blaster erased the recording and the Autobots were able to drive off the Decepticons. Carnage in C-Minor Broadside was among the Autobots attending the unveiling of a generator on Cybertron when the Decepticon anti-electron attack was unleashed. Grimlock's New Brain
At a time when the Decepticons were carrying out a series of assaults on the nation of Japan, Broadside confronted Devastator and Predaking in the waters near a fishing village. Broadside nearly capsized a small boat due to the waves generated by their fight, but he managed to stabilize the craft before returning to battle. When the Matrix-charged Scourge rampaged through Tokyo, Broadside attempted to stop him by lifting him up with both arms. However, the Decepticon merely unleashed a burst of Matrix energy, hurting Broadside enough to release him. The Burden Hardest to Bear
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
2010 cartoon
While working for the Decepticons, Broadside was known as Broadswipe (ブロードスワイブ).[1] Four Captives
The Headmasters cartoon
- Voice actor: Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese)
Alongside Springer and Sandstorm, Broadside was sent from Athenia to Cybertron in order to defend against a major Decepticon assault. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky The Triple Changers then travelled to Earth, where they helped Twincast sneak into Trypticon by keeping their Decepticon counterparts busy with a dogfight. The Great Cassette Operation
Broadside later returned to Athenia, where he used his giant jet form to transport Rodimus Prime and the Autobot Headmasters back to Earth. Terror! The Six Shadows He helped out in this manner again when a volcano erupted in Peru, carrying the Headmasters, Spike, Daniel, and Wheelie to the village of Pan to help evacuate the locals. However, Broadside was unable to help the villagers directly, as the raging volcano stopped him from landing safely. The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts He also ferried the Headmasters to Mars, but didn't stick around to help fight the Decepticons, apparently. Maybe he got airsick. Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger In either case, he helped the Autobots survey the damage to Mars after it was devastated by Scorponok's plasma energy explosions. Return of the Immortal Emperor
e-HOBBY comics
In the 2030s, Broadside carried Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and Perceptor as they arranged back up for Daniel, who was controlling an Eldedroid and battling a Decepticon monster under the sea. Perceptor suggested that it might be best if Broadside took them to the surface over the spot where the battle was occurring. Broadside and Prime both agreed.
The triple-changer was eager to get there, as the combination of seasickness and worry over his friends was not enjoyable. Unfortunately they were interrupted in their travel by the giant "ghost" of Starscream. Some days you just can't win. MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.
Legends comic
In the G-2 era of the 2030s, Broadside and Sandstorm were by Springer when he declared he would turn his life around. LG19 Sprung Prologue
Self-conscious about his weaknesses and phobias, Broadside always strove to get stronger and would often upgrade his body, but his yearning for power also led to various missteps such as one time working with the Decepticons. Sometime in the 2030s, he modified himself into a giant Headmaster in control of an even more giant triple-changing transtector that was so powerful he was able to defeat Grand Scourge with ease. Following that battle, he and the Aerialbots were deployed to the keep the peace in the Legends World, where Broadside was approached by Armada Thrust who suggested they could use his power to conquer the world together. Broadside refused, so Thrust stole his transtector to do it himself, but he was able to take it back by using Repugnus's scaled-up armor suit. When Thrust explained that he really only wanted to prove his strength to the world, Broadside could relate and forgave the Decepticon, allowing him to stay with him and the Aerialbots as long as he used his intelligence for good instead of evil. Bonus Edition Vol. 53
Broadside attempted to defend the city from the out-of-control Pinpointer, Spoilsport, and Peacemaker, but even he was defeated by the super-powered mutants. Bonus Edition Vol. 62 When the world was flooded by Tigerburn, many sought refuge on Broadside's carrier mode. Bonus Edition Vol. 64
After Scorponok's and Devil Z's machinations ensured the destruction of the Legends World, Broadside's transtector was used to evacuate the Decepticons who had made the world their home. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two After returning to 2038 in the G1 World, Broadside and the Decepticons aboard were attacked by Dark Nova (in disguise as Unicron Neo), LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One who abducted Megatron. The damaged Broadside limped to the Z Planet, where Soundwave ran out of the ship to warn the others of Dark Nova's plans for Megatron. LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two When the Legends World was reborn, its refugees returned to their home planet aboard Broadside. Epiloge
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
During the beginning of Optimus Prime's tenure as leader of the Autobots, Broadside was an enormous warrior. He helped defend the Autobot capital of Iacon, alongside Vibes. The War Within #4
A few thousand years after that, Broadside, now the size of a standard Transformer, was a member of the Wreckers fighting for control of the Tagan Heights region. Escalation During one of their missions, he organized the evacuation of his team as Devastator and Defensor were decimating the area. Devastation
In the modern era, Broadside was one of the Autobots upgraded into a Triple Changer by Shockwave's new process, after the Autobots and Decepticons negotiated a truce following the Great Shutdown. Along with his fellow former Wrecker Sandstorm, Broadside served as part of Shockwave's Triple Changer Strike Force alongside the Decepticons Astrotrain, Octane and Blitzwing. Together, they traveled to Earth and apprehended Megatron's followers as war criminals. New World Order Generation 1 #0 But, while Shockwave was making many promises of a new world order where Autobots and Decepticons could live forever in peace, Broadside eventually concluded he could not be trusted. As a result, Broadside and Sandstorm made contact with Smokescreen and Tracks in the Autobot resistance, and began reporting on Shockwave's activities. Cold War
The Triple Changer Strike Force accompanied Shockwave to Earth, where they took into custody the castaway Transformers from the Ark and the Nemesis who had been cut off from developments on Cybertron for the last four million years. As soon as they got the chance, Broadside and Sandstorm freed the Ark's crew from imprisonment, Cold War and took them to meet Smokescreen's unit to plan an uprising against the Decepticon rule. Passive Aggression Optimus soon sent out a call to arms to all Autobots, uniting them into an organized army. Broadside and Tracks were among those directly contacted, and afterwards openly moved against Shockwave's regime in an assault on his headquarters. Countdown to Extinction The insurrection went off successfully, and the Autobots reclaimed control of Cybertron from Shockwave. Revelation
2005 IDW continuity
- First appearance: Stormbringer #2
Broadside was there. He saw it happen. The conquest of Kaon. The fall of a Prime. The beginning of the Great War. Broadside was there, and amazingly well armed for such a "peaceful" period, though perhaps he took a cue from Sentinel Prime. Either way, the huge old bot was one of the survivors who managed to evacuate before Megatron's takeover. Megatron Origin #4 He was among the Autobots who turned against Zeta Prime's rule and provided Ironhide with battlefield surveillance during the attack on Zeta's Citadel. Overthrown
As the war began, Broadside was one of many Autobots tapped at one time or another to join the elite fighting squad known as the Wreckers. Over time, Broadside would become one of the longest-serving (and surviving) members of the group, being present to welcome Springer on his first day. Requiem of the Wreckers At the command of Impactor, he fought against the Wreckers' opposite number, Squadron X, and eventually participated in their final conflict on planet Pova in the Redan Quadrant. After the battle, the Wreckers were informed that due to the fact the Wreckers had no jurisdiction on Pova, Squadron X had to be let go or else the Autobots would face diplomatic repercussions. Broadside turned away as Impactor snapped and murdered their prisoners, necessitating the creation of a cover story and Impactor's imprisonment at Garrus-9. Last Stand of the Wreckers #5
Though Broadside and the others agreed that Impactor had done the right thing, they didn't want to be thrown in Garrus-9 alongside him. To keep Impactor's second-in-command Springer from testifying against them, they convinced him that they hadn't expected Impactor to snap and asked him to be their leader. Zero Point Official records would state that Squadron X had managed to escape their confinement, forcing the Wreckers to finish them once and for all. Last Stand of the Wreckers #4
Around four hundred years ago, Broadside was attempting to defend Autobot territory on Cybertron from Decepticon expansion. He was part of a unit alongside Kup, Getaway, and Huffer shortly after the Battle of Thunderhead Pass, stuck in the trenches on what was left of Cybertron after Thunderwing stomped through it. Spotlight: Blaster
Broadside's "desperate gamble with the psychic explosives" was one of many thrilling Wrecker exploits chronicled in the Wreckers: Declassified datalogs. Bullets
In the present, Broadside was assaulting the Decepticon Siege Mode armature on Varas Centralus alongside Whirl and Sandstorm when Springer received orders from Optimus Prime to pull out the Wreckers and return to Cybertron. Stormbringer #2 After Optimus and the Wreckers quickly crushed Bludgeon's cult, Broadside reported that Thunderwing was coming back. Stormbringer #3 When Thunderwing touched down on Cybertron, Broadside, Scoop, and Roadbuster operated as advance recon, watching as the monstrous Pretender slowly erupted into a rage as memories of his past flooded what was left of his mind. Broadside had to pick up Scoop and run for it as Thunderwing unleashed a massive wave of energy. After Twin Twist managed to get himself into trouble, Broadside's team were tasked with getting his attention, but were blown away with a mighty clap of his hands. After recovering from having a pocket of gas detonated from underneath them, Broadside and the remaining Autobots fought alongside two squads of Decepticons and reprogrammed Centurion droids to help defeat Thunderwing. Stormbringer #4
Later, as the Expansion began, Broadside and the Wreckers came to Corata-Vaz to back-up Ultra Magnus and the Ark-12 crew, once again pitting themselves against Thunderwing. The Pretender had been co-opted by Nemesis Prime and his Dead Universe Transformers as guardian to one of three Nega-Cores, devices which would allow the Dead Universe to expand across the living one completely. Spotlight: Hardhead Broadside and the others tried fruitlessly to get past Thunderwing and shut down the Nega-Core. Spotlight: Doubledealer They were only successful once Jetfire used Bludgeon's old Axis Cradle to hack into Thunderwing's programming and shut down the new directives Jhiaxus had hardwired into him. Spotlight: Sideswipe
Broadside and several members of the Wreckers were captured by Turmoil's Decepticons. They were rescued by the remaining Wreckers under Kup and Springer, and the former Decepticon known as Drift. After this adventure, Kup and Springer formed a unit distinct from the Wreckers aboard the starship Trion, but Broadside and several other Wreckers were not added to this crews. Spotlight: Drift
While rebuilding the Wreckers after the Surge, Springer remarked to himself that Broadside was "all but lost to them now". What he meant by this is unknown. Bullets
Several years later, Broadside was among the Autobots who gathered on Earth. Taking on the form of a battleship, he participated in the combined Autobot-Skywatch attack on the Combaticons in North Korea. Their battle plan involved pushing Onslaught and Brawl to the shore, where Broadside opened fire on them. However, this plan failed when Vortex shot down Jetfire, who crashed right into Broadside, heavily damaging them both. Ranks of Bronze
Broadside eventually recovered and returned to America in time for Megatron's revenge on Earth. Burning Chrome He watched as Rodimus entered the Autobot base, bringing with him news that Cybertron had been occupied by Galvatron, and was among the Autobots who left Earth to liberate their home planet. Orphans of the Helix When Megatron's Decepticons arrived on the scene during the massive battle on Cybertron, Broadside joined Jetfire in an aerial strafing run against them. Kings
Three weeks after the battle had concluded, Broadside assisted as an air-traffic controller in the main Autobot command hub. He directed ships returning to Cybertron to appropriate landing zones based on Bumblebee's recommendations. The Death of Optimus Prime After reporting a ship coming in from the Lilivuvian/Livulian Quadrant, he was ordered by Bumblebee to call Metalhawk for him. The Autonomy Lesson Broadside was hanging around in the command hub when Wheeljack put a stop to the energy discharges that had been causing explosions on Cybertron. Stick Together He was later seen at exactly the same place. Devisive He got to receive word of a new arrival. A Better Tomorrow
Later, the Decepticon captain, Turmoil, landed his ship on Cybertron. Broadside wasn't too pleased to meet him again. Interference Patterns He was still doing his duties at high command as the faction leaders began discussing fair elections. Dinobot Hunt All Good Things When Megatron suddenly appeared in Iacon, Broadside and many of the other Autobots immediately tried to kill him, but were ultimately stopped from doing so by the Decepticon population. City on Fire He was back to doing his job at high command by the time Megatron's return led to rioting amongst the Decepticons. The Verge As he was trying to deal with the increasingly chaotic situation, Devastator ripped into high command and destroyed it with Broadside still inside. Before the Dawn
Broadside survived and was later seen escorting Megatron to his trial along with Sandstorm. Towards Peace The Triple-Changers acted as bailiffs during the subsequent court proceedings against Megatron. Predestination: A Beginner's Guide Broadside would subsequently join the crew of the Lost Light under Megatron's command and helped to bring in a strange coffin they found floating in space, alongside Mirage, Grotusque, and Hot Spot. Words Hang in the Air Broadside was sitting in Swerve's when Minimus Ambus and Ten entered together to hang out. Our Steps Will Always Rhyme Broadside later received Springer's final message before entering the Timemaze, watching it alongside Perceptor. Requiem of the Wreckers
Beast Wars: Uprising
The former Builder Broadside, left mindless and trapped in her[2] battleship mode due to lack of Energon, was the flagship of the Resistance Navy during the Grand Uprising, commanded by Captain Scylla. In the Battle of the Yuss Straits, the Broadside supported half of all Resistance fighters and tonnage as they advanced on Iacon up the Great Rust Sea. With the Yuss defensive batteries disabled, it was the Builders' Navy led by Banzai-Tron and the Tidal Wave that stood in their way.
Scylla coordinated a daring two-pronged assault from the Broadside with Cybershark leading the Resistance's subsea forces. An unhesitant advance by the Navy allowed Scylla to take advantage of the Builders when they scrambled to reposition and support their failing subsea forces. The Broadside and the Resistance drove a wedge through their foes' position, isolating and targeting the Builder ships individually.
Unfortunately, Banzai-Tron would not allow a clean victory. He charged the Tidal Wave straight at the Broadside in a kamikaze maneuver. Scylla ordered all hands to abandon ship, but an enormous number of casualties resulted when the Tidal Wave's relentless advance pierced the Broadside's reactor, sending up a mushroom cloud that consumed hundreds of lives. Derailment
Titans Return marketing material
Partnered with the Titan Master Blunderbuss, Broadside gained the ability to temporarily alter his size. Titans Return Blunderbuss/Broadside toy bio
Commercial appearances
Broadside and Sandstorm came to the rescue of Warpath and Powerglide, pinned down by a Decepticon attack. The Autobot Triple Changers shifted quickly through their modes to keep pace with their fleeing enemies, the Decepticon Triple Changers Blitzwing and Astrotrain. Sandstorm, Broadside, and Octane commercial
Games
The Transformers (PS2)
Transformers: Earth Wars
Transformers Roleplaying Game
Broadside was an Autobot with an aquatic alternate mode. Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook
Toys
The Transformers
- Broadside (Triple Changer, 1986)
- Takara ID number: C-85
- Accessories: plasma-pulse gun, vibro-axe, 2 missiles
- Known designers: Kaouru Matsumoto (TakaraTomy)
- As a Triple Changer, The Transformers Broadside transforms from a robot to an aircraft carrier or an oddly proportioned fighter jet that somewhat resembles a Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker. He carries a plasma-pulse gun and a relatively small axe in robot mode. Two non-firing missiles attach to his wings in jet mode or can be held in robot mode. Though the instructions imply the spring-loaded jet cockpit is unlocked by swiveling the rear metal fins, no such mechanism actually exists to lock down said cockpit, often leading to a lot of scratched clear blue plastic in carrier mode.
Titans Return
- Blunderbuss & Broadside (Voyager Class, 2017)
- Accessories: Seated gun, "Blunderbuss" Titan Master, 5 Aerialbot jets
- Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)
- Released as part of the Titans Return subline, Broadside is an extensive retool of Alpha Trion, transforming into another blatantly out of scale aircraft carrier and another aircraft-carrier-sized and very not-aerodynamic jet fighter (however, the legs can be shrunken down with some fiddling, and there are many fan modes that leave the legs partially untransformed to eliminate the top block.). Broadside also features Titan Master-compatible ports on some of his parts, and he comes with tiny Aerialbot jets (specifically in the alternate modes of their Combiner Wars figures released just two years earlier) molded on a sprue; once cut off this sprue, the jets can be attached to his carrier and robot mode ports, and be painted as desired. The stock photo depicts the jet mode mistransformed: the robot mode arms are supposed to be collapsed down to make a vaguely more aerodynamic front and eliminate the weird gap below his legs. This was corrected in the stock photos for the Legends recolor.
- Broadside also comes with Blunderbuss, a Titan Master who transforms from a tiny robot based on Safeguard into Broadside's head compatible with any Deluxe-or-larger Titans Return figure. Blunderbuss can sit in his jet mode cockpit; in boat mode, Broadside's bridge can flip backwards to form a seat for Blunderbuss to ride in.
- Like all Titans Return figures, Broadside features a small peghole made to accommodate a stand. Unfortunately, due to the nature of his transformations, the peghole will only work for his jet fighter mode. However, this can be circumvented for the robot mode by not keeping his back panel flush to the body.
- Even though early Hasbro CG renders of Blunderbuss used colors very close to the final product's light gray plastic, pre-production samples used for stock photos featured a gray face for Broadside's head and even darker plastic (with a green-ish tint) for Blunderbuss's arms, legs and head. Early stock photos also depicted paint for Broadside's aircraft carrier main deck, which turned out to be stickers on his actual release. Like with the previous wave, the packaging design Broadside was released in was the new "Decepticon" style standard for Titans Return Voyagers compared to the "Autobot" style used for figures from the first two waves, regardless of actual allegiance.
- In many places, this toy became a shelfwarmer.
- Broadside was further retooled into Tidal Wave.
Legends
- Broadside (Voyager Class, November 25, 2017)
- ID number: LG53
- Accessories: Weapon, Headmaster, Aerialbot sprues, Repug Armor Partner Drone
- Legends Broadside is a redeco of the Titans Return Voyager figure, in cartoon-accurate colors and head, and replaces stickers with tampographs. He retains the Aerialbot miniatures, and he also comes with a Repug Armor slightly redecoed from the accessory originally included with Titans Return Repugnus.
Merchandise
Transformers Character Card
- Broadside & Astrotrain Set (February 6, 2023)
- ID number: 39 & 40
- Released as part of the sixth wave of the e-HOBBY exclusive Transformers Character Card series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of Broadside and Astrotrain along with character profiles and tech specs.
Notes
- According to "Carnage in C-Minor", Broadside has quite a temper when it comes to his paint job.
- In the Italian adaptation of the characters names, all three of the Autobot Triple Changers were named after winds. The Italian name of Broadside, however, fit particularly well because it is also the name of a French Navy helicopter carrier: "Mistral".
- In the Italian dub, Broadside/Mistral's speech imitates whale song.
- In the original cartoon, as well as in both Dreamwave and IDW's comics, Broadside has been portrayed as a relatively large warrior, likely because one of his altmodes is an aircraft carrier. (In Dreamwave's case, however, he was large only in The War Within series and was "normal-sized" in the modern era.)
- Broadside's bio in Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye attempts to explain his ability to change into a giant aircraft carrier. Plates, which overlap in his other modes, extend out to cover the mass. As a result, his armor is terribly thin in this mode. It's not like those things need to repel gunfire or anything. (By contrast, More than Meets the Eye describes Astrotrain as a normally-armored space shuttle whose plates compress when he shrinks to robot mode, making an incredibly dense and armored warrior.)
- Broadside being referred to with feminine pronouns in Beast Wars: Uprising may have been a nod to Uprising fan and then-Allspark Forums moderator Jolene Blake, who went by the screen name "Broadside".
Canon or error?
Trying to determine which episodes Broadside actually appears in in the Generation 1 cartoon is rather difficult. While he has had several issues with different animation companies flip-flopping between two sets of drastically different character model sheets based on different toys (see below), he also has some discrepancies surrounding the first three episodes he appears in.
The first episode Broadside shows up, is in the episode "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2", where he is piloted by the Aerialbots as they go to rescue the other Autobots on Quintessa. The subsequent episode then shows him being blown to smithereens after being hit by debris from the detonation of Quintessa, with all of the Autobots onboard being thrown into space from the explosion. Originally Broadside was not scripted for either of these episodes, instead an "Aerialbot Carrier" is mentioned in the script,[3] with the following description given:
It seems pretty clear that the original intent was for it to just be an ordinary ship, however; the animation department (or possibly someone else in charge of the episode) appears to have taken the descriptor "aircraft carrier" literally and had Broadside replace the "Aerialbot Carrier" based on his alternate mode matching said descriptor. While this presumably improvised insertion would've been fine originally, the next episode's script called for the carrier to be absolutely obliterated, emphasising that it was to be reduced to "flying pieces of trash".[4] While it is obvious that Broadside's appearance was not scripted, several other moments within the script also saw some changes in the final episode, such as the "Autobot fleet" which was meant to be made up of more than just a single carrier, so even comparing the script to the final product is kinda like comparing apples to oranges. With all of that in mind, there are only two logical explanations:
- It's just a case of the animators repurposing a character's animation model as a ship, or
- It's an improvised insertion of a character into a scene, without knowledge of the subsequent episode's fate for the inserted character.
As this script is all the evidence that we have, it's uncertain what the thought process was, as it was likely done on the fly, meaning there are presumably no recorded documents to back up either theory, so it's just a matter of choosing whether or not to take it as a ship that just happens to look like Broadside being blown up or Broadside himself being blown up, only to return a few episodes later unscathed (which wouldn't be the first time). On the other hand, the Titans Return and Legends Broadside toys included a set of mini, non-transformable Combiner Wars (or Unite Warriors) Aerialbot planes that were presumably made as a reference to these two episodes, so perhaps Hasbro and Takara believe this to be him? Who knows.
The third episode Broadside appears in is "The Killing Jar", where a Quintesson Scientist disguises his ship as Broadside to get Cyclonus to board it. While this is not the real Broadside, and the fact that he is depicted as being allied with the Decepticons is an error in and of itself, the voice that the ship emits is definitely Broadside's and the dialogue script also confirms his role in the episode.[5] Japan would dub this appearance as "Broadswipe", although the reasoning behind this is unconfirmed (either an intentional change or working off old revisions of the script). But, in 2017, the Legends comic would say that Broadside used to work for the Decepticons in the past, so unlike the "Five Faces of Darkness" appearances above, this appearance is at least confirmed to be canon in the Japanese cartoon continuity.
Differing designs
- Broadside has the distinction of having two sets of drastically different character models. His pre-final models are based on a prototype of his toy that apparently went just short of production for some reason and features a similar color palette to his final models. His final models, on the other hand, are based directly on his finished toy. The prototype design—which could be seen in the Toy Fair 1986 catalog,[7] at right—was rendered in animated form in the AKOM episodes "Thief in the Night" and "Carnage in C-Minor", as well as the commercial for the 1986 Triple Changer toys. As with most of the characters used in the Marvel comics, all of Broadside's appearances used the pre-final model—even going so far as to color it with the same palette as the prototype toy!
- Bizarrely, Broadside's appearance in "Thief in the Night" (which only depicts him in vehicle mode) is a mash up between both his final and pre-final models. While most of the aircraft carrier is made up of the pre-final model, the cabin of the carrier is shown to be the final model's version, complete with the extra aerials and dishes.
- But wait, it gets even more bizarre! In "Carnage in C-Minor", his robot mode is obviously that of his pre-final model, but his aircraft carrier mode is his final model colored like his pre-final model! It also features a purple Autobot insignia of all things too. His jet mode in this episode is still the pre-final one, however.
- Broadside's final jet mode model appears twice in the US cartoon, but both of these appearances could be considered continuity errors (see above), meaning that the only proper canonical use of this model (without the aid of a retcon made thirty odd years after the fact) is in The Headmasters cartoon.
- Much like Broadside's aircraft carrier mode in "Carnage in C-Minor", Broadside's final jet mode model used in the "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes is often mis-colored in the pre-final jet mode's colors; the dead giveaways being more red around the cockpit, the black nosecone and the all-gray wings, which feature the missiles that the pre-final model lacks.
- Surprisingly, AKOM animated the episode "Grimlock's New Brain" as well, but used the character's final model; something that isn't very common for AKOM-animated episodes. However, when you take into consideration the amount of flip-flopping between both sets of Broadside models from the previous AKOM episodes (including the possible non-canonical jet mode appearance in "Five Faces of Darkness"), it appears that they possibly had both sets of models on hand.
- A design based on the prototype of Broadside's toy was also used for the 1986 package art mural.
- Broadside's Legends pack-in comic retconned his mural/prototype toy design, his pre-final model design and his final model design as all being canon within the Japanese cartoon continuity. The explanation given for Broadside's frequent change of appearance is that due to his lack of confidence and many fears, he'd change his appearance as an attempt at self-improvement.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Broadside (ブロードサイド Burōdosaido), Broadswipe (ブロードスワイブ Burōdosuwaipu)[1]
- French: Navalo (Canada)
- Hungarian: Deltás
- Italian: Mistral
- Mandarin: Xiánpào (舷炮, "Broadside")
- Russian: Krutoj (Крутой, "Tough")
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 This is a dub change to "The Killing Jar", either to fix the error or the translator worked off the second revision for the episode script that used "Broadswipe" as a preliminary name for Broadside. Later Japanese fiction would establish that both Broadside and "Broadswipe" are the same individual regardless.
- ↑ The Broadside is referred to with feminine pronouns, which may be down to the fact that naval vessels are traditionally referred to in the feminine in English, but, given that Uprising made several traditionally-male characters female, we are assuming that the Uprising version of Broadside is female.
- ↑ "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2" full script (quote from script page 45).
- ↑ "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3" full script (quote from script page 3).
- ↑ "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2" dialogue script (Broadside's credited line is line 37).
- ↑ Original pre-final animation model photograph.
- ↑ Toy Fair 1986 catalog featuring the infamous Generation 1 Broadside prototype.
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