Caliburst

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Caliburst is a name of two fictional characters from the Transformers series. The original Caliburst was the Targetmaster partner of the Decepticon Slugslinger. The second was the Mini-Con partner to the Autobot Huffer.

Transformers: Generation 1

Transformers character
Caliburst-dreamwaveart.jpg
Caliburst art
Name Caliburst
Decepticon
Series Transformers: Generation 1
Transformers United
English voice actor Johnny Haymer
First appearance "Brothers in Armor!!", The Transformers: Headmaster #4, January 1988
Information
Alternate modes Automatic machine gun
Gender Male
Partner Slugslinger
Sub-group Targetmasters

Caliburst is a Decepticon Targetmaster, the partner of the Decepticon jet Slugslinger.

Fictional biography

Slugslinger's partner is Caliburst, a one-time star actor on the planet Nebulos. Known more for being a ham than being good, Caliburst sought a stage where his theatrical skills would be better appreciated... and rewarded. He found it when he met the Decepticons, who offered him a significant quantity of money to join them. Bio-engineered to be Slugslinger's weapon, Caliburst's cool demeanor strikes fear into most opponents. Little do they know that he is even more scared than they are, but, being the trained actor that he is, he doesn't allow his true feelings to enter into his performance. Caliburst transforms into an automatic machine gun, which shoots 1,200 rounds of armor-piercing shells per minute. In either of his modes, Slugslinger can wield weapon-mode Caliburst. Caliburst often jams while transforming to or from weapon-mode. He gets locked in a position that leaves him useless as a weapon or a person.

In the Marvel Comics Transformers stories Nebulans are depicted as human-looking aliens, while in the animated series they are green-skinned aliens. In the Ladybird Books stories the Nebulans are human-sized robots.

Reception

Slugslinger has been specifically criticized for having an explicitly violent characterization, function and motto.[1]

Animated series

Slugslinger and Caliburst were introduced in "The Rebirth", the three-part fourth-season finale to the original Transformers animated series. When the Decepticons attempted to seize the power of the Plasma Energy Chamber in 2007, a group of Autobots were blasted across the galaxy to the planet Nebulos by the ancient foundry's energies, where they took up with a group of rebel Nebulons. To fight the Hive, the evil rulers of Nebulos, some of the Autobots and Nebulons bonded their bodies a minds together, becoming Headmasters, serving up a definitive defeat to the Decepticons pursuing them. This group of Decepticons was then approached by the Hive, who sought to replicate the Headmaster process with them, but Cyclonus was able to bargain them down to taking only half the Decepticons' heads, offering up the weapons of the others as alternatives. Using Nebulan technology, the guns were engineered into a transforming exo-suits which were donned by five members of the Hive, creating the Targetmasters, giving their Transformer wielders ten times the accuracy and firepower.

The Decepticon Targetmasters overcame the Autobots and reclaimed the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, but in the struggle, the Autobot Brainstorm was able to scan Cyclonus's partner, Nightstick, and that data was used to duplicate the Targetmaster process with the remaining Autobots and Nebulan rebels, creating the Autobot Targetmasters. Their power, however, was nothing in the face of the Decepticons' newest weapon, the super robot, Scorponok, who transported the Decepticon forces back to Cybertron, where their plans were foiled by Spike Witwicky and Fortress Maximus.

Although The Rebirth marked the end of the Transformers cartoon in the US, in Japan, a different direction was taken - ignoring the events of "The Rebirth", a brand new, exclusive 35-episode series, Transformers: Headmasters, was produced to take its place, which introduced the Targetmasters towards its conclusion. Notably, in Japan, the 1986 characters were not re-released as Targetmasters - only the six new characters featured in Headmasters.[2]

In the world of Transformers: Headmasters, there are no Nebulons - the Headmasters themselves are simply small Transformers, who, having settled on the planet Master, learned to transform into heads and connect to lifeless larger bodies named Transtectors. It was to Master that the Decepticon forces returned after the Autobots forced them to flee Earth, and consequently, a ship was dispatched by the planet's inhabitants to alert the Earth-bound Autobots to the Decepticon invasion. At the same time, the youthful Autobot, Wheelie, had summoned three of his old superior officers - Pointblank (Blanker in Japan), Sureshot and Crosshairs - to Earth to aid in the clean-up operation currently going on, when Autobot Headmaster Chromedome accidentally activated one of the plasma bombs the Decepticons had left behind. Heading out into space so that the bomb might harmlessly explode out in the void, the Autobots then crossed paths with the approaching Master ship, which was being pursued by the Decepticon Sixshot and three new troops - Slugslinger, Misfire and Triggerhappy. As Pointblank and his men tangled with the Decepticons, the Master refugees offered their help by transporting away the plasma bombs, only to have the bombs detonate in the middle of the battlefield. Recovering from the explosion, Pointblank, Crosshairs and Sureshot discovered that the six Master refugees had been fused to their arms. Although Fortress was able to surgically remove them, a bond now existed between the larger Transformers and the Master refugees, who could now freely attach and detach to their wrists as guns. Unfortunately for these new Targetmasters, the same had happened to Slugslinger and his fellows. The Targetmasters joined up with Fortress's crew on the mission to Master, but quickly clashed with the Headmasters - Pointblank and his men were hard, experienced warriors who thought little of the Headmasters, and Pointblank spent a good deal of time attempting to soothe Chromedome's fiery temper to improve his battle ability.

In episode #29, "The Master Sword Is in Danger!!", the Autobot and Decepticon Targetmasters participated in a battle on the planet Master where Zarak first sent in the Decepticon Duocons. In this battle the Decepticons are able to obtain a computer disk that contains information on the Master Sword.[3]

In episode #30, "The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide" the Autobot Targetmasters follow Soundblaster to the planet Master where they are ambushed by the Decepticon Targetmasters. The Autobots are washed away when the Decepticons blast a dam above the Autobots during the fight. Surviving the flood the Autobot Targetmasters discover a cave entrance to the Decepticon base. Despite being discovered by the Autobots, the Decepticon are able to escape with their new weapon.[4]

Comics

Blackthorne Publishing

Slugslinger and Caliburst appeared in the Blackthorne Publishing The Transformers in 3D issue #3 as one of Galvatron's troopes.[5]

Dreamwave Productions

Caliburst never appeared in the storyline of Dreamwave comics before the company closed, but he did get a biography with Slugslinger in their Transformers; More Than Meets The Eye series.

Marvel Comics

Events exclusive to the Marvel UK Transformers comics appear in italics.

Slugslinger and Caliburst first appeared in Transformers: Headmasters #4 when the Decepticons under Scorponok's leadership. With the Autobot Headmasters captured by their Decepticon counterparts, the Decepticons ran rampant over the planet Nebulos, a group of the remaining Autobots on the planet joined with a group of Nebulons branded as criminals by Nebulon's political leader, Lord Zarak - partner of the Decepticon, Scorponok - in order to protect the Nursery, Nebulos's primary agricultural research facility, against Decepticon attack. Through bio-mechanical engineering, the Nebulons were given the ability to transform into the guns of the Autobots, and, as Targetmasters, they fended the Decepticons off. Within several days, the Decepticons had duplicated the process with five of their own troops.

One of his most prominent actions during this period was to ambush the Autobot Headmasters in the Fortess of Despair alongside the other Decepticon Targetmasters. The Decepticons captured Highbrow, planning to use him to perfect their own Headmaster process. The plan failed when Highbrow forced Scorponok to flee. (Transformers UK #130-131)

After this, Slugslinger and the other Decepticons followed Maximus' group to Earth, where they soon wound up in battle with Ratbat's earthen faction, and later against the Earthen Autobots, where he was one of the aerial Decepticons that battled Swoop and the Aerialbots. He appeared less after this, aminly as one of Scorponok's troops, without any prominent actions. Slugslinger last appeared in Transformers #61.

Slugslinger and Caliburst had a Transformers: Universe profile published in the back of issue #60 if the US Marvel Transformers series.

Toys

Licensed

  • Generation 1 Slugslinger with Caliburst (1987)
A new mold, Slugslinger came packaged with his partner Caliburst.
  • United Mini-Con Caliburst (2011)
A grey and black recolor of Power Core Combiner Mini-Con Backwind. Caliburst was exclusive to Toys-R-Us Japan and customers were required to purchase 3000 yen worth of Transformers: Dark of the Moon products on March 11th 2011 to receive the figure.

Unlicensed

  • MasterShooter Collectibles Shooter Master High Caliber (not released yet)
An original third party toy done as an homage to Caliburst and meant to work with the Generation 1 Slugslinger toy.[6]

Gallery


Transformers: Power Core Combiners

Transformers character
Caliburst-pcc.jpg
Name Caliburst
Autobot
Series Transformers: Power Core Combiners
Information
Alternate modes Gun
Sub-group Mini-Con

In the Transformers: Power Core Combiners Caliburst is the Mini-Con partner to the Autobot Huffer.

This Caliburst has yet to appear in fiction.

Toys

  • Power Core Combiners Commander Huffer with Caliburst (2010)
A new mold. Huffer and Caliburst were sold in stores and later used as prized in the hasbro "Supercharge Your Holiday" promotion. This toy was recolored into Power Core Combiner Darkray and United Haywire.

References

  1. Miedzian, Myriam (2002). Boys Will Be Boys. Lantern Books. p. 276. ISBN 978-1590560358. 
  2. Transformers: The Ark II, Volume 2, By Jim Sorenson, Nick Roche, William Forster, page 58
  3. "The Master Sword Is in Danger!!". Transformers: The Headmasters. No. 29, season 1.
  4. "The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide". Transformers: The Headmasters. No. 30, season 1.
  5. "The Transformers in 3D" The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3 3 (March 1988), El Cajon, California: Blackthorne Publishing
  6. http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/3rd-party-unlicensed-41/mastershooter-collectibles-targetmasters-series-2-174138/

External links