Flywheels

Flywheels
Transformers character
Generation 1 Flywheels box
Release number	D-97
Information
Species	Transformer
Abilities	Flight Oxygen independence Shapeshifting Superhuman durability Superhuman strength
Affiliation	Decepticon
Alternate mode	Jet and tank
Function	Assault Team (US), Union Combat Soldier (Japan)
Motto	"Believe in yourself, but only if you both agree."
Series	Transformers: Generation 1
Sub-group	Duocons
Tech specs	ST07 IN04 SP07 EN07 RN06 CO08 FB08 SK06

Flywheels is a fictional character from the Transformers series.

Transformers: Generation 1

Whereas the division of Battletrap's personality between his components seems to have been a successful one, Flywheels (Flywheel in Japan) is far from it - his two vehicular components possess individual personalities, and they loathe each other. Each half of him is jealous of the other, leading the two minds to fight with themselves more often than with his opponents. Flywheels can even be heard arguing with himself when his components are unified in robot mode. He divides into a tank and a jet, and all three modes can wield his laser cannon, equipped with infra-red sensors for heat-seeking capabilities.

Fictional biography

Split personality -- fights himself more often than his foes. Each half of him is jealous of the other. Often heard arguing with himself, even when unified in robot Mode. Tank has maximum speed of 75mph, range 350 miles. Jet has maximum speed of 1300mph, range 1800 miles. In robot Mode, carries a laser cannon with infra-red sensors for heat-seeking capabilities.

Reception

The Good Morning, Cybertron! podcast for August 20th, 2013 covered the announcement of a Keith's Fantasy Club Flywheels homage in the news.

Animated series

The Duocons did not appear in the American animated series proper, but Flywheels can lay claim to a small cameo in the opening sequence to the fourth and final season. Although it is odd, since the Duocons do not appear in the series, a clip of the unique animation created for the Duocon toy commercial was employed in the opening credits, giving Flywheels a second or two of screentime.

In contrast to America, the Duocons made a full foray into animation in the 1987 Japanese-exclusive Transformers: Headmasters animated series. No origin for them was explicitly offered - they suddenly appeared towards the end of the series when Scorponok and the Decepticons returned to Planet Master; presumably, they had remained on the planet when Scorponok and his troops departed prior to the start of the series. The Duocons were first mobilised into battle to steal a disk containing the blueprints of Fortress Maximus's Master Sword, which Battletrap successfully purloined. The duo subsequently defended the Decepticon base while the blueprints were used to create the Zarak shield, and planted a bomb on an asteroid as part of Scorponok's plan to betray and abandon Sixshot. Back on Earth, they participated in a huge final battle at the North Pole, during which Battletrap attacked Daniel Witwicky and Wheelie, only to be stopped by a vengeful Sixshot.

The characters lacked the personality quirks depicted in their American bios, and were voiced by Hirohiko Kakegawa and Hiroyuki Sato, respectively.

Comics

Dreamwave Productions

Although the Duocons themselves would only have minor roles in Dreamwave Productions' 21st Century re-imagining of the G1 universe, with Flywheels appearing as one of Starscream's Predacons, they did receive profiles that established them as part of an important legacy. Prior to the planetwide deactivation of Cybertron, Shockwave had been experimenting with the possibility of creating Transformers with multiple alternate modes. Following Cybertron's reactivation, he resumed his experiments, and the Duocons were his first creations - robots who possessed the power to split their forms into two independent vehicles. Their comparative instability, however, led Shockwave to continue his work, eventually resulting in the creation of the more stable Triple Changers - robots with the ability to transform into one of two modes alternately.

Marvel Comics

The story of the Duocons in Marvel Comics begins in the United Kingdom's exclusive Transformers comic book series, where they both appeared to battle the Autobots Ultra Magnus and the Sparkabots, who had only just returned to Cybertron. Flywheels was rendered unconscious during the fight and captured by the Autobots, who took him into the deserted city of Kalis. Awakening, Flywheels was terrified to discover where he was, and the Autobots soon shared his fear as reanimated Transformer corpses soon emerged from the ground around them, revived by the renegade Autobot mad scientist, Flame, to guard his operations beneath the city. Battling the zombies alongside the Autobots, Flywheels was released by Magnus and proved loyal enough to fetch help, returning with the giant Trypticon to offer aid.

A little later, both Flywheels and Battletrap were members of the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad that arrived on Earth to battle the time-travelling Galvatron as a rift in time and space threatened the existence of reality. Battletrap was apparently killed by Galvatron during the conflict, and while Flywheels did not receive an on-panel death, he did not appear again.

In the UK comic series, Flywheels was depicted as a triple changer able to transform into either a Tank or a Jet, but not both at the same time.

While Battletrap didn't receive much characterisation, Flywheel in the Kalis story was written along the lines of Battletrap's tech spec rather than his own.

Toys

• Hasbro Transformers Duocon Flywheels (1987)

A new mold.

• Hasbro Transformers Timelines Voyager Flywheels with Skytread (unreleased)

According to interviews with Fun Publications one of the sixth wave of Transformers Subscriptions Service figures was to be Titans Return Voyager Blitzwing into Flywheels.

External links

• http://www.tfu.info/1987/Decepticon/Flywheels/flywheels.htm

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