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“ | I am Astrotrain, mightiest of all the gods! Fall down and worship your new master, worms! From this day forward, all who defy me, die! | „ |
~ Astrotrain to the people of the moon Titan. |
“ | Now, repeat after me: we, the soldiers of the Astrotrain Empire, will obey Astrotrain and scavenge the energy for his empire! | „ |
~ Astrotrain to his "Astroforce". |
Astrotrain is the name of three fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons who can assume the form of a space shuttle.
Transformers: Generation 1[]
Astrotrain is a Triple Changer who can assume the form of both a steam locomotive and a space shuttle. He was voiced by the late Jack Angel.
Astrotrain's Marvel and Dreamwave bios both state that he loves using his Triple Changing abilities to create confusion among his enemies, enjoying the fear in their eyes in the moments before he destroys them.
Animated series[]
Astrotrain first appeared in season 2 and was a part of Megatron's forces on Earth. Although typically a secondary character, Astrotrain was a main player in two episodes. In the episode "Triple Take-over", he and fellow Triple Changer Blitzwing froze Megatron and Starscream and took leadership of the Decepticons for themselves. Leading an army of drone-like locomotives, he was defeated and forced to return command to Megatron at gunpoint.
Astrotrain was seemingly let back into the Decepticons after this, being sent alongside Blitzwing in "Prime Target" to forge an alliance with the big-game hunter Lord Chumley, although Chumley had no interest in the Decepticons, merely wishing to hunt the ultimate prey, Optimus Prime.
Like other Transformers in the animated series, Astrotrain's size changed greatly in his various forms. His primary role was transporting Decepticons as a space shuttle or train. However, in robot form, he was no larger than an average-sized Transformer.
One of Astrotrain's most prominent actions appeared in the episode "God Gambit". The Autobot, Cosmos discovered an energy source on Saturn's moon Titan, but was shot down by Astrotrain and disabled. Upon discovering a large deposit of energy crystals, Astrotrain (accompanied by Starscream and Thrust) persuaded Titan's inhabitants, the Talarians, to worship him as a god, subsequently using them as slaves to mine the crystals. The disabled Cosmos, being held prisoner, managed to contact the Autobots, thanks to a Talarian rebel who reactivates his communicator. Omega Supreme, with Perceptor and Jazz aboard, arrived and eventually drove off the Decepticons but not before Astrotrain destroyed the crystals, proclaiming if he can't have them, nobody can.
In The Transformers: the Movie, Astrotrain was also present at the Battle of Autobot City but was not wounded. He transported the defeated Decepticons back to Cybertron following their defeat by Optimus Prime. It would turn out he was not strong enough to carry them all. Several of the weaker Decepticons were literally thrown off of him, only to be found and changed by Unicron. Of note, his shuttle size changed greatly from moment to moment - Starscream is shown as being nearly as high as his door (which is nearly to the ceiling), but less than a minute later, Devastator is able to stand inside him. After they arrive on Cybertron, Astrotrain is shown to be the one crowning Starscream during the coronation scene, although it seems that he is slightly shorter than Starscream. Like the rest of the Decepticons, Astrotrain accepts Galvatron's leadership without question.
He would continue to make sporadic appearances throughout season 3.
Marvel Comics[]
Astrotrain first appeared in the UK-exclusive story "Target: 2006", as one of the Decepticons still based on Cybertron. He was unknowingly responsible for thwarting the Autobots' planned ambush Operation Volcano by recalling their targets to help provide reinforcements for Earth. He remained with the Cybertron-based Deceptions led first by Straxus and then by Ratbat. This led into his first Marvel US appearance in Issue #29, when Ratbat sent him to Earth with fellow Triple Changers Blitzwing and Octane to check on a cargo he had had delivered. This led them to be infected by the Scraplets, before battling an investigating Blaster and Goldbug. In the end, the Autobots found a way to defeat the Scraplets, but in the process let the Decepticons escape with the cargo, with Astrotrain even managing to put a control device on industralist G.B. Blackrock that led to him installing mind-controlling car washes on Ratbat's behalf.
Astrotrain remained on Earth, teaming up with the local Decepticons and taking part in operations such as the theft of an oil tanker and the battle with the Autobots on the moon. He last appeared during the Underbase Saga, where he took part in the brief battle with Scorponok's Decepticon faction, fighting Weirdwolf and Snapdragon, and battled the Aerialbots when the Autobots turned up before the three factions united against an Underbase-powered Starscream. Astrotrain was part of the unit led by Fortress Maximus and Soundwave who defended Buenos Aires and was among those killed by Starscream during the battle.
The post-movie version of the character appeared in "Space Pirates", where he was part of the Decepticon taskforce put together by Soundwave to attack the Autobot base on Cybertron. They were instead ambushed by the Quintessons and joined up with the Autobots to halt their invasion.
In Marvel UK's Earthforce storyline, Astrotrain was part of Shockwave's rogue Decepticon group. He fought with Dead End after the failure of the attempted Enclave with Megatron's faction, and later joined Shockwave, Blitzwing and Octane in ambushing Megatron and stealing a fuel shipment. After Soundwave and Starscream united the two factions, Astrotrain took part in the large scale assault on the Autobot Earthforce base. He made his last appearance in "Manouevres", where he and Blitzwing helped out Octane on finding him stranded in an army testing range with a full tanker of fuel, but abandoned him on learning he had got himself stranded there by tormenting human cars (and, unknowingly, Jazz) for fun.
IDW Comics[]
- Main article: Astrotrain (IDW Comics)
Transformers Cyberverse[]
- Main article: Astrotrain (Cyberverse)
War for Cybertron Trilogy[]
Astrotrain is a minor antagonist of the War for Cybertron Trilogy. He makes his first appearance in Siege episode 6, as part of the attack on the Ark. In Earthrise Astrotrain is part of the crew of the Nemesis, and pursues the Ark. However, while battling the Autobots, a team led by Wheeljack managed to take over the Nemesis' bridge, and Astrotrain and the other Decepticons surrendered in response.
Energon Universe[]
- Main article: Astrotrain (Energon Universe)