Extensive Definition
Trailbreaker (Glouton in Canada, Tuono in
Italy) is a
fictional
character from the Transformers
toy line and animated
television series. He is one of the benevolent Autobots, who
oppose the villainous Decepticons.
Transformers: Generation 1
Trailbreaker was portrayed as a light-hearted joker, who often acted a morale booster for his comrades. Deep down, however, he considers himself a liability due to his high fuel consumption. Because of this he has a low sense of self-worth, he often asks to be left out of missions. Despite this, the other Autobots know he is a valuable addition to their ranks.According to original tech spec notes
written by Bob
Budiansky, found at Iacon One in
2006, the original name for Trailbreaker was "Guzzle", a name later
used by another Autobot
character.
Animated series
Trailbreaker was one of the original Autobots aboard the Ark. When it crashed, he was re-activated four million years later and his vehicle was converted to that of a Toyota Hilux. He was a hearty character who would make light of any situation (just as his tech spec portrayed him). His primary feature was his force field which he often used to defend him and his comrades.Trailbreaker accompanied his fellow Autobots on
their first mission to stop the Decepticons on Earth — a mission
that took him to an off-shore oil rig. The Decepticons plundered
the rig for energon and destroyed it, leaving it a flaming wreck
that endangered its human crew. Trailbreaker used his force field
to contain the fire, while Wheeljack used
his built-in fire suppression systems to douse the flames.
Later, Trailbreaker served as a spy despite his
stated function as defensive strategist. He, along with the humans
Sparkplug and
Spike Witwicky, camped out near the Decepticon headquarters and
eavesdropped on their plans to raid the ruby mines of Burma.
As the series progressed and more new characters
were introduced, Trailbreaker only appeared when his force field
was needed. In "Triple Takeover" a plot by Starscream,
Astrotrain and
Blitzwing
resulted in the flooding of a city. Trailbreaker used his force
field to protect himself and a small group of Autobots from a large
tidal wave.
His force field later saved all the Autobots from
being disintegrated by the Sun in the episode "Megatron's Master
Plan Part 2", and it again saved them from a Decepticon ambush in
"The Immobilizer". Trailbreaker's last animated appearance was in
episode 64, "Masquerade".
Trailbreaker did not appear in
The Transformers: The Movie or the seasons beyond. However,
part of the movie's storyboard depicted that he would be seen dead
(much like Windcharger and
Wheeljack) during
the Decepticons' attack on Autobot
City. This was cut from the finished movie, but it is possible
that he was killed offscreen.
Marvel Comics
One of the least prominently featured of the original 18 Autobots, Trailbreaker appeared in the Marvel Comics Transformers series in a capacity similar to his appearance in the animated series. However, the rapid introduction of new characters meant that Trailbreaker was phased out quickly. He last appeared in the U.S. comic watching the duel between Grimlock and Blaster, although he continued to appear sporadically in the UK comics, including in the movie-related future arc Space Pirates, where he was killed in the Quintesson attack on Autobot City.Dreamwave Productions
When civil war broke out between the Autobots and Decepticon factions, Trailbreaker joined the Autobot cause. He was command of Grimlock at the battle of Altihex, where the Autobot Overhaul was killed and Decepticon Seekers Thundercracker and Skywarp destroyed a transport full of neutral Cybertronians. Unable to save the city, the Autobots helped evacuate civilians (Transformers: The War Within #1). When Shockwave lead a force of Decepticons against the Autobot capital of Iacon, Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who defended the city (War Within #5-6).When Decepticon leader Megatron and
Autobot leader Optimus
Prime disappeared in an accident with a space
bridge, the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into
smaller factions. Trailbreaker stayed with the Autobots under the
leadership of Prowl.
Hound,
Tracks,
Trailbreaker and other Autobots showed up as reinforcements when
Prowl and his team of Autobots confronted Trypticon. Only
Shockwave calling Trypticon away to battle the Fallen
saved them. (Transformers: The War Within - The Dark Ages
#4).
Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who followed
Optimus Prime on his mission aboard the Ark.
After leaving Cybertron, the Ark was attacked by Megatron's ship,
the Nemesis.
Once the Decepticons boarded the Ark, it crash-landed on Earth,
where all on board were preserved in emergency stasis. In 1984, a
volcanic eruption awakened the Arks computer, Teletran-I, which
repaired all on board. It reformatted Trailbreaker in the form of
an Earth truck (specifically, a Toyota Hilux
camper pickup).
Eventually the combined forces of the Autobots on
Earth and their human allies were able to capture the Decepticons.
A ship called the Ark II was built to take the Transformers and
some human companions back to Cybertron, but the ship exploded
shortly after takeoff. The human allies were killed, but the
Cybertronians were lost in the ocean, again in stasis lock.
After Spike Witwicky used a piece of the Matrix
to revive Optimus Prime, Optimus traveled to the remote shoreline
where he was recovered and used the Matrix to revive Jazz, Mirage,
Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Superion, Trailbreaker and Wheeljack
(Transformers: Generation One #2). Trailbreaker returned to
Cybertron with Optimus Prime and most of the Autobots to face
charges, after Ultra Magnus
informed them the war on Cybertron had ended.
Devil's Due Publishing
In this reimagining of the Generation One story,
the Ark was discovered by the terrorist Cobra
Organization, and all the Transformers inside were reformatted
into Cobra vehicles remotely controlled by the Televipers. In this
storyline, Trailbreaker turned into a Cobra Stinger vehicle.
However, after the Transformers were freed from Cobra's control,
Trailbreaker was killed by Storm
Shadow's S.N.A.K.E battlesuit.
Transformers: Alternators
Although no Trailbreaker toy was released in the Alternators line, he was mentioned in the Japanese fiction for the series. According to the story that came with Binaltech Swindle, the body Swindle inhabits was intended to be the new body for Trailbreaker. The body was stolen by the Decepticons and Swindle's spark installed in it. Because of this many kitbashers have taken to repainting Swindle black and adding Autobot symbols to make an Alternators Trailbreaker.The toy that eventually became Alternators
Optimus Prime was initially intended to be Trailbreaker. Takara requested
that Hasbro make the truck model be Optimus Prime instead, as
pick-up trucks are not popular in Japan — they believed the only
way the toy would sell was if it was the popular Optimus
Prime.
When the Optimus toy was redecoed black into
Nemesis
Prime, some fans took to transplanting the head off Swindle or
Rollbar onto the black pick-up to make an Alternator Trailbreaker.
Fan-made sticker sets have even been produced and sold to add
details making the figure look even more like Trailbreaker.
3H Enterprises
Generation 1 Trailbreaker was among the Autobots who appeared in the Transformers: Universe comics, although he was not produced as a toy in that line. His form in the 3H comics was based on his original toy, not the redone animated appearance.Trailbreaker was amongst the Autobot heroes of
the Great War welcomed back to Cybertron and soon transported away
by Unicron.
Trailbreaker was the only one not reformatted into a new body, but
he was forced to fight for Unicron's amusement (so that the Spark
energy from fallen combatants could revitalize Unicron's shattered
frame). Trailbreaker eventually freed himself by performing a risky
spark
swap with Silverbolt. All
were subsequently freed by the resurrected Optimus
Primal,and Trailbreaker went on to serve him as part of the new
Autobot faction.
Although Universe ended at issue #3, the
flashback of
Optimus Prime would reveal what happened. In the final battle
between the forces of Optimus Primal and Unicron, the Chaos-Bringer
had disappeared (due to the events of Transformers:
Energon), with Primal's forces barely making it out.
Trailbreaker was among those seen escaping.
A toy called Ironhide in
Transformers: Universe was painted in the colors of Generation Ones
Trailbreaker. It is suspected that this toy (along with a version
of
Transformers: Robots in Disguises Prowl 2, repainted in G1
Red
Alert's colors) was intended to be a part of an earlier line of
eight Spy
Changers, produced as homages to classic Generation One
Autobots
cars. Because those eight toys both resembled and carried the names
of their Generation One counterparts, it would seem more
appropriate for the Transformers: Universe version of Ironhide to
have been named Trailbreaker instead.
Fun Publications
Although Universe ended at issue #3, the flashback of Optimus Prime would reveal the following: during the final battle between the forces of Optimus Primal and Unicron, the Chaos-Bringer disappeared (due to the events of Transformers: Energon), with Primal's forces barely making it out. Trailbreaker was among those Autobots seen escaping.IDW Publishing
Trailbreaker made his first IDW Publishing appearance in the Spotlight issue on Kup. He was called in by Springer to rescue the veteran Autobot from a deadly radiation-filled planet where a malfunction in Kup's spark core could cause its destruction. Trailbreaker used his force fields to keep Kup's spark from imploding before transporting him back to the Ark 17.Toys
- Generation 1 Trailbreaker (1984)
- In the original toy line and animated TV series, Trailbreaker turns into a black Toyota 4WD HiLux, and is one of the first year Transformers toys, based on one of the Diaclone line of toys, where he was blue (in addition to other colors). Two variants of this toy exist, the original and one with a heat-sensitive rub-symbol. In 1985 Trailbreaker was remolded into the Autobot Hoist. Trailbreaker was reissued in Europe in 1991 and in Japan in 2001, but was never reissued in the U.S. According to store listings, there were plans to reissue Trailbreaker and Ironhide as a commemorative toy in 2005, but due to poor sales of the line, they were never produced.
- Decoy Trailbreaker (1986)
- A decoy of Trailbreaker was included with many of the smaller Transformers toys sold in 1986. The appearance of Trailbreaker was based on his animated appearance.
- Spy Changer Trailbreaker (unreleased)
- First announced in Previews magazine for December 2002 were a set of 5 Autobot Spy Changers - Wheeljack, Sideswipe, Trailbreaker, Prowl and Mirage.
- Transformers: Universe Spy Changer Ironhide
- This redeco of Generation 2 Go-Bot Motormouth was done in colors that were a direct homage to Generation 1 Trailbreaker. It is possible this toy is based on the unreleased Spy Changer Trailbreaker. It came packaged with a Spy Changer Ultra Magnus. This toy was later redecoed into the second Transformers: Universe Hoist.
- Transformers: Cybertron Overhaul
- Hasbro first considered the name Trailbreaker for the toy they eventually called Overhaul (Jackshot in Japan), which is why Overhaul was renamed Leobreaker when he was reformatted into a lion. This toy was redecoed into Brushguard. Early design sketches even depicted this toy with a head inspired by Trailbreaker's animated form and the sensor module found on the Trailbreaker toy.
- Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game Trailbreaker (2007)
- Produced by Wizards of the Coast, wave 2 of their Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game included a Trailbreaker card, who was a redeco of Autobot Ratchet from wave 1.