Out of the 18 Autobots introduced in 1984 Windcharger is the only one who does not get a line or name stated in the 3 parter to G1. All you do is seem him in the background and that about it. Even Hauler gets his name stated! Also I am starting to rewatch G1 and was thinking about how he is the only one I did not spot in the first episode. I see the other 17 Autobots at least once but I don't recall seeing him in the background one time! Tfwiki says he appeared in the episode but I did not notice. Does any know where he showed up in the first episode and with a screen cap would be awesome.

So yea what are your thoughts on Windcharger being pretty much left out if anyone in the series opener... besides Frenzy of Buzzsaw. But hey at least he got to appear in the The Movie.

 

Huffer and Gears also don't appear in ep1. Pretty sure Bluestreak is also left out.

 

You can see Huffer, Bluestreak and Gears attacking on the oil rig at the end.

 

As a corpse....

 

OK. I saw Bluestreak (at least it might be him) & Huffer (for 1 sec) but didn't see Gears
Oil rig fight in this clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3bM4p0ikkI

 

It seemed like G1 started with too big of a cast to give every single toy and repaint adequate screen time, character development or even acknowledging their existence.

He is making up for this in IDW as he has Xmen style mutant powers that allow him to gruesomely pull transformers apart limb from limb with only his thoughts. It's good to hear that he is working through his bitterness and aggression at being ignored in G1. I think he was also pretty brutal in the G1 ladybird kids book.

 

Hank Hill says,
"Only a mutant could be so cruel to Laaaaaay-dyBird!"

 

Quality bad on that video but Gears is at 5:22 next to Huffer.

 

Could be worse. Skids never even got to transform out of car mode.

 

He annihilated Starscream in that book.

Here's a scan from Tfwiki, and the narration that was in the book with it:



"Windcharger flew to the rescue, grabbing Starscream in his huge arms and squeezing him with such magnetic might that the Decepticon screamed for the very last time."

Yes, that is the actual quote. Goddamn.

 

Characters like Windcharger got the short end of the stick, not making much of a presence in the show and then never getting an appearance in a later series.

 

Windcharger and movie Optimus Prime could form a charming bromance, bonding over their shared interest in gruesome Mortal Kombat style fatalities.

 

Hey, at least he was shown being carried to safety by Arcee in the animated movie. Poor Wheeljack, a focal character in the series didn't even get that.

 

But Skids has Marvel and MTMTE comics where he's relevant.

Windcharger did have a decent role as part of Orion Pax and the Outlaws but otherwise still doesn't do that much.

 

I'd completely forgotten Windcharger existed.

During my run of G1, I lost track of a -lot- of freakin' characters man.

 

FOUND HIM!

File:MTMTEProwlstreak.jpg - Transformers Wiki

 

Windcharger was freakin' brutal during some of his appearances. His way of compensating for so little screen time?

 

I don't remember seeing Brawn either in the first episode, we see him in episode two going to Huffers aid

 

Probably because there was just too many.

Sadly it wasn't until Beast Wars that they learned a smaller cast makes the characters more memorable and defined.

Oh yeah, you're right. He just sort of shows up.

Welcome to the site, BTW.

 

I agree. My favorite Transformers casts are those with a smaller number of robots.

Of course, with a large cast it's likely that there will be at least some characters a fan will like, but the chances that all characters will be memorable is near zero. There are plenty of G1 characters I do like. However, many of the G1 robots I do like are greatly underused, like Beachcomber, Sixshot, or Punch-Counterpunch. Likewise, G1 also has the most characters I don't like. I can't stand half of the 1986 movie cast.

Having said that, I do like Windcharger in Fire On The Mountain for what it's worth.