Strika
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Strika is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers series. The first was one of the main villains in the animated Beast Machines television series, voice by Patricia Drake.
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Beast Machines
Strika is one of the greatest generals in Cybertron's history, and the consort of Obsidian.
Animated series
She had her spark removed by Megatron, only to later have it placed within a Vehicon body. She joined the ranks of the Vehicon Generals, taking the place of Tankor as commander of heavy artillery drones.
They first appeared in the episode "Sparkwar Part 1", where they immediately made an impact. Pretending to be dim and fairly weak, the two lured the Maximals into a trap, cutting off their every option with countless numbers of Vehicon Drones. Cornering them underground, the Maximals only escaped due to Botanica's intervention.
Like Obsidian, Strika was not given an alternate personality, as the previous Vehicon Generals had. However, her primary directive was to protect Cybertron, but since she was programmed to perceive Megatron as Cybertron now, her loyalty was misplaced.
Strika was not only a tactical genius, but she was also a technological expert as well. She was able to reverse the effects of a gadget created by Rattrap which cloaked the Maximals from their scanners. Although she was transformed into a merciless killer, Strika also has a love for beauty, as Rattrap proved when he plugged her into a hologram vision of Cybertron.
When Megatron was seemingly destroyed, she and Obsidian were lost because their purpose was now unclear. Therefore, they joined the Maximals, only to betray them shortly after when Megatron returned. However, it brought up the question about where their true loyalties lay: with Cybertron, or with Megatron.
In the final battle with the Maximals Obsidian and Strika were tricked into standing on an antigravity unit by Cheetor, who launched the pair into space, where neither were affected by the reformatting of Cybertron. Her tech spec indicates she has a particular rivalry with Blackarachnia, although this was never touched upon on screen.
Like many of the Beast Machines toys, the toy for Strika did not match her television appearance very well. The Japanese release of the toy was repainted to more accurately match the television appearance. The Assault-Drones Strika controlled looked exactly like her and replaced the Tank-Drones as the heavily firepower units. No separate toy was released to represent her Drones in the toy line.
According to an F.A.Q. on Bob Skir's web site he oddly lobbied to call the Strika character Tananka. He also said Strika's personality was inspired by Sarah Douglas's portrayal of Ursa in the Superman II movie. He also said there was a scene with Obsidian and Strika cut from the final episode. "Obsidian and Strika had a MAGNIFICENT scene in which they return to Cybertron and decline an offer to be reformatted themselves (partly because they feel unworthy because of their role helping Megatron, and partly because I wanted them to remain "pure" when I brought them back in the next series... which (as of this writing) I haven't been invited onto yet. Sadly, their finale got cut for time."
Strika appears in a flashback in "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4".
Fun Publications
Obsidian and Strika appeared together in the story Wreckers: Finale Part II by the Transformers Collectors Club in 2007. During the invasion of Cybertron the Quintessons believed the orbital defenses were deactivated, but thanks to Obsidian and Strika, some of them were brought back online and used against a Quintesson ship.[2]
Strika appears in the story The Flames of Yesterday, where she is an Autobot.[3]
Strika appears in the Botcon 2013 story Machine Wars: Termination.[4]
3H Enterprises
In the Transformers: Universe storyline, an alternate version of Strika known as Nemesis Strika (labeled as a Decepticon) is a member of Unicron's forces. Nemesis Strika lacked official technical specifications, but the Hasbro website described the toy as a formidable opponent for the Autobots who transformed into a six-wheeled assault vehicle.
Since Nemesis Strika lacked any story, it is unknown if she was supposed to be the Strika of Beast Machines or one from a parallel Cybertron, like Universe Obsidian. The name "Nemesis" may have been stickered on because the trademark to the Strika name had been lost or there could have been an intended connection to Universe Nemesis Prime.
Although 3H Enterprises losing the license would forestall the conclusion to the Universe storyline, an explanation of sorts would be found in issue 8 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine Cybertron/Robots in Disguise, where Optimus Prime told the tale of how Unicron's forces were defeated in one last battle by Optimus Primal's forces, as Unicron disappeared due to the black hole opened in Transformers: Energon. Here Nemesis Strika and Obsidian were both presumably destroyed with Unicron's defeat.
Toys
- Beast Machines Strika (2000)
- This Deluxe toy's colors did not match the animated series.
- Beast Wars Returns Strike
- The Japanese exclusive redeco of the original Strika toy was made to more closely match the animated series color.
- Universe Deluxe Nemesis Strika
- A redeco of the original Strika toy sold as a Decepticon.
- Botcon 2013: Machine Wars Strika
- A remold/redeco of Generations Warpath as Strika, who is featured as an Autobot general.
Transformers Animated
Animated Strika is a character who appeared in season 3 of the Transformers Animated series. She is an homage to the Beast Machines version of the character, speaking with a Russian accent.[5] Strika's team is made up of herself, Cyclonus, Oil Slick, Spittor, and Blackout. Though her group never appeared on Earth, Strika briefly appears in "Human Error Part 1" with the rest of Team Chaar & Shockwave, albeit as a virtual reality illusion. According to the show's creators, Strika is Lugnut's consort.
Animated Series
She first appears in the season 3 episode, "Transwarped", where she leads her team in conjunction with the other Decepticon groups in acquiring a Space Bridge. After her forces soundly defeat Rodimus's team, Strika then contacts Shockwave that she and her team have secured the space bridge and they are ready to warp to Cybertron; but Shockwave informs Strika to hold her position until Megatron and his team arrive on Cybertron much to her dismay. Later, as the Elite Guard make their way to their location, Strika is about to order her men to attack when they receive orders from Megatron to fall back as she reluctantly complies. Since then, Strika and her group's actions were mentioned among the Deceptions groups attacking other Space Bridge by Sentinel Prime while interrogating Lugnut for answers behind the attack. Her team remained uncaptured.
Fun Publications
Strika's biography was printed in issue #24 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine. She is described as Megatron's personally chosen "General of Destruction", who has won many battles against the Autobots.
After the events of Transformers Animated the Stunticons set up a Stunt Convoy show in the city of Kaon and used it as cover to attempt to break Megatron out of his detention at Trypticon. Their efforts were thwarted thanks to the efforts of Cheetor, Optimus Prime and Sideswipe. The Stunticons were placed in detention with Megatron and an attempt to rescue them was made by the Decepticons Blot, Mindwipe, Oil Slick, Scalpel, Sky-Byte and Strika.[6]
External links
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References
- ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Third Edition. Infobase Publishing. p. 442. ISBN 978-0-8160-6599-8.
- ↑ Greg Sepelak & S. Trent Troop (2007). Wreckers: Finale Part II. Illustrator Guido Guidi, Colorist Drew Eiden. Fun Publications.
- ↑ Jesse Wittenrich (2010). Flames of Yesterday. Illustrators Andrew Griffith and Jesse Wittenrich. Fun Publications.
- ↑ http://www.botcon.com/BotCon2013/bc13comic.cfm
- ↑ Transformers Animated - First Images of Animated Rodimus, Strika, Blackout and Spittor
- ↑ Marty Isenberg, Derrick J. Wyatt & Matt Youngberg (w), Marcelo Matere (p), Marcelo Matere (i), Thomas Deer & Jesse Wittenrich (col), Jesse Wittenrich (let), Pete Sinclair & Brian Savage (ed). ""The Stunt-Con Job"" Transformers: Timelines v2, 6 (Summer 2011), Fun Publications
