The Thread of Interesting, Mind Blowing Transformers Trivia and Facts.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeeeeah, sorry... I don't buy that. Roadrage was almost 20 years after the box art was actually drawn. It's clearly based on the Diaclone version of Tracks.

Yes but thanks to the power of Retcon that Tracks is now officially Road Rage! ;D

You personally don't have to accept it, but that's the way it is according to official canon. If in the 5FDPverse red Tracks is another character then so be it... Jedi. Something something something Dark Side...

[Sky Shadow]

Yes but thanks to the power of Retcon that Tracks is now officially Road Rage! ;D

You personally don't have to accept it, but that's the way it is according to official canon.

Red Tracks is still Tracks in official canon, though - as Paulbot said, that's how Tracks was released in Europe and it's what it said on his box. Retconning or repurposing one toy to be another character doesn't eliminate their original role. G2 Dreadwing is still Dreadwing even though he was called Darkwing in the G2 comics. Wal-Mart Transmetal Rattrap doesn't stop being Rattrap just because he was later Packrat in the Wreckers comics. E-Hobby Glit doesn't stop being herself just because she was later changed to Shattered Glass Ravage.

There's no reason to assume that the red Tracks on the back of 1985 Hasbro boxes and cardbacks is Road Rage and not just a red Tracks.

[GoktimusPrime]

Sky Shadow: I see your point. After all, just because official canon has retconned Bumper (Bumblejumper) as an autonomous character doesn't change the fact that the original toy was not so, and was either a variation of Bumblebee or Cliffjumper depending on which card it was sold on.

In fact on my TF collection spreadsheet I have Bumblejumper listed as "Bumblejumper" -- deliberately with the quotation marks to indicate that the name is unofficial. I got my Bumblejumper loose so I have no idea if it's officially Bumblebee or Cliffjumper. But I personally accept Bumblejumper as a separate character from Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. Your Transmetal "Packrat" analogy is a good one -- I have this toy listed as Rattrap with the variant description listed in a separate column. At no point do I ever refer to this toy as "Packrat" in my list even though I may play with it as the Packrat character.

It's easy for me to see red Tracks as Road Rage because I only ever bought the e-Hobby reissue of red Tracks - who of course is Roadrage. But if I ever had the red version of Tracks I would list it as 'Tracks', just as I list TM Packrat as 'Rattrap.' Red Tracks may become Roadrage in the Gokiverse, but on my spreadsheet he'd still be 'Tracks' (likewise both my yellow and blue BT Tracks are called 'Tracks')

Up is down, down is up, and red Tracks is still red Tracks

Okay now I'm imagining your red Tracks hanging upside down doing the "Spiderman kiss"... with Road Rage!!

Eewwwwww! XD

[CryptiK]

may already be well known but the Autobots true creator was Dr Robotnik from sonic.

[GoktimusPrime]

Computer says no. (-_-)

Anyway, inspired by the red Tracks/Roadrage discussion I took some toy piccies and posted them here.

[Gutsman Heavy]

may already be well known but the Autobots true creator was Dr Robotnik from sonic.

OH EM GEE! mind=blown!

My two obsessions come together at last!

[King Atlas]

Interesting analysis of Beast Wars Rampage from transformers wikia:

Some fans are split on how to interpret Rampage's death; he is clearly shown to let go of the energon shard that killed him prior to being stabbed with it, to which Depth Charge reacted in surprise. Because of this, some fans feel this means Rampage, knowing he couldn't win the struggle, allowed himself to be impaled in order to end his torturous existence (and laughing in the giddy euphoria of oblivion), while others believe he deliberately let go to test whether or not Depth Charge would go through with his threat of ending his life, his laughter instead being taken as solace in the knowledge that Depth Charge's obsession with him had successfully corrupted him into the same kind of monster he wanted to kill. Another theory, based on more gradual character development, postulates thus: Initially, Rampage is exactly the blindly psychotic murderer described by Optimus Primal. However, the arrival of Transmutate introduces a kindred spirit which Rampage cares about, and when it is destroyed Rampage is completely overwhelmed by his sense of loss, even forgoing his joy of battle to mourn. This pallor of despair never truly leaves him, which is confirmed by comments made even far into the third season ("You'll live to regret this, crab-legs," threatens Blackarachnia; "I regret everything," Rampage replies.) It is therefore possible that Rampage releases his grip on the energon in a moment of clarity, realizing that death will only end his pain. He laughs mockingly at Depth Charge because in claiming his revenge Depth Charge is really setting Rampage free. Another possibility is that he took one last laugh at his hunter knowing that Depth Charge knew that he would have to die to slay him. Rampage could also just be batshit insane.

[GoktimusPrime]

Uh...

(don't use TFwiki its cheating).

Anyway, they're all plausible theories and we'll probably never know for sure. It's open to interpretation. My thoughts:

+ Rampage has always been a very tragic character. Since his creation he was seen by society as an abomination and instantly rejected. Transformers appear to have a gregarious need to social belonging like humans do, and thus this would have been incredibly damaging to X's psychology, which I assume is what created X to be a monster. He is a fiend that the Maximals created in their attempt to "play God."

+ X was even denied a real name (just assigned "Protoform X") and thus denied an identity. In a way it can be argued that the Predacons were (ever so slightly) more compassionate than the Maximals because they bothered to assign a name for him - thus 'humanising' him more. This is also seen in Star Wars where the Republic Clones are all given codes to identify them (like a licence plate number), but it was Anakin Skywalker who encouraged them to give themselves individual names like Cody, Gree, Oddball etc. because despite being clones they were still sentient individuals. Ironically when he became Darth Vader all the Stormtroopers in the Empire (many of whom were not clones) were given codes to dehumanise them (e.g. TK421).

+ We know that Depth Charge wasn't always dark, brooding and anti-social. As Optimus Primal once said there was a time when he would never have abandoned the Maximal cause and it was Protoform X who changed all that.

+ I think Transmutate merely stimulated the better side of Rampage that's _always_ been inside him. After all, he was created as a Maximal and was never reprogrammed with a Predacon shell program. This introduces an aspect of duality to Rampage, which a lot of characters have. Even Silverbolt has a dual aspect (as demonstrated when he impaled Tarantulas as an act of vengeance and Rampage pointed out, "That's not very Maximal of you.")

[5FDP]

If in the 5FDPverse red Tracks is another character then so be it... Jedi. Something something something Dark Side...

You'd be surprised what is possible in the 5FDPverse Up is down, down is up, and red Tracks is still red Tracks