Thunderclash, is he really The Greatest Autobot or a phony?

Discussion in 'Transformers Comics Discussion' started by Autovolt 127, Sep 18, 2016.

  1. Autovolt 127

    Autovolt 127 Get In The Titan, Prime!

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    Serious talk does anyone else get the vibe that he is actually a phony and not really the greatest Autobot everyone claims to be?

    I know Thunderclash is just a joke character based off of how the old tech spec where he outranked and outclassed Optimus Prime.

    I wonder how involved he is with the Lost Light mutiny or was he left in the dark?
     
  2. ILoveDinobot

    ILoveDinobot You can, you up. No can, no BB.

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    I don't know, but I don't like him. I do get a vibe that he's not all he's cracked up to be.
     
  3. kaijuguy19

    kaijuguy19 Keyblade Wielder

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    I wouldn't be too shocked if he turns out to be a hack that just takes credit from other bots have done.
     
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  4. Rodimal Magnus

    Rodimal Magnus A Touch of Destiny

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    and then right after that information becomes public he does something truly heroic and gets himself killed making him the perfect comic book trope.
     
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  5. ReximusPrime

    ReximusPrime Well-Known Member

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    Of course he's perfect.....just like every other super heroic late G1/G2 UK Autobot
     
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  6. Windsweeper II

    Windsweeper II Banned

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    Lets hope not.
     
  7. RNSrobot

    RNSrobot Keeper of the Waspinator Swarm. Blam.

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    I think he is what he's said to be. And you're supposed to find that incredibly annoying, because we're on the side of the goons and losers of the Lost Light. ;) 

    Ratchet being old friends with "Thunders" sells that for me more than anything. Ratchet isn't prone to bullshit!
     
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  8. LordGigaIce

    LordGigaIce A Chair!

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    The whole point of More than Meets the Eye (and now Lost Light) is that they aren't your usual heroes. The Circle of Light summed it up nicely...

    In any other case? We'd be following Thunderclash and his heroic journey across the galaxy to find the Knights. He'd be our protagonist. His exploits would be our adventure. The Lost Light crew? They're schmucks. Part of what makes MtMtE great is that they're our schmucks. They're not the heroes, but the story is about them anyway because as flawed as they are? They still matter.
    Thunderclash exists to remind us of that. That they're not the heroes, and not the people we'd "normally" be focusing on. It's part of the MtMtE dynamic that I love.

    Making Thunderclash a phony would diminish the whole setup in a way. So I would rather he just be genuine.
     
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  9. Zenstrive

    Zenstrive Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, the fact that Ratchet actually like him is a proof that Thunderclash is a genuine hero.

    His heroism even killed a disease!
     
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  10. l0te

    l0te Well-Known Member

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    I don't think he's all he's cracked up to be, but I don't think HE thinks he's some great hero either.

    He just seems to be doing his own thing while everyone worships the ground he walks on.
     
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  11. LordGigaIce

    LordGigaIce A Chair!

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    Yep. It's why he works so well as a foil to Rodimus. Rodimus wants to do great things, and either gets in his own way or just has a run of terrible luck. Thunderclash doesn't want to be The Greatest Autobot. He's just a duty bound soldier who does what he thinks is right. He's exemplary, successful, talented in multiple fields, and the worst part? He has the gall to be humble about it! He just does his best, which is all anyone can really ask of anyone else. It just so happens that his best is really, really great.
     
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  12. Tristich

    Tristich Planeteer

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    Thunderclash is the Chuck Norris to Cybertron.
     
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  13. MatrixOfWumbo

    MatrixOfWumbo I see you

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    At the same time though, he's complicit in what happens to Team Rodimus on Necroworld, so there has to be something of a dark streak to him we haven't seen.
     
  14. SerBuckman

    SerBuckman Well-Known Member

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    It seems at least a few people think he was just left in the dark about it.
     
  15. MatrixOfWumbo

    MatrixOfWumbo I see you

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    James Roberts is not one of those people. Though it's also logical that, having just gotten out of a coma, he isn't working with all the facts.
     
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  16. Stryker055

    Stryker055 Trying my best here!

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    The whole "joke" of Thunderclash is that he genuinely is that great. Making him a phony would potentially make him a more interesting character, but it would also completely miss the point of the character.
     
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  17. Dramatic Spoon

    Dramatic Spoon Well-Known Member

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    I'm honestly torn.

    On one hand it would be hilarious to find out that Thunderclash is basically bullshitting his way through things and an astonishing amount of coincidences have lifted his reputation to the ridiculous levels it's currently at.
    Like King in OPM, only more ridiculous.

    On the other, if it is legitimate then having what is more-or-less a Walking, transforming Silver age of Comics caricature it sort of adds an interesting contrast.
     
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  18. Tristich

    Tristich Planeteer

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    The only other reason why I think Thunderclash is legit, besides Ratchet trusting him, is because he seems to have an uncanny amount of luck. He did almost die... twice.

    Unless he's got an outlying ability of mind manipulation? It reminds me of that one episode in Rick and Morty where everyone had fake memories of fake people, and they just couldn't help but remember every fake in a positive light. That would be stretching it too much for MTMTE, honestly.
     
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  19. Feralstorm

    Feralstorm Good Morning, Weather Hackers! TFW2005 Supporter

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    Going off the 'personality ticks' arc, maybe Thunderclash's deal is he puts out such an outsized 'charisma field' that everyone finds him and his deeds far more impressive and appealing than he might actually be in reality. Rodimus is immune (or allergic) to the effect. :) 
     
  20. motorthing

    motorthing Too old for this $hit

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    Going all the way back to the Tech Specs and the original Marvel portrayal of TFs there haven't been that many genuine Hero-Types in our hobby. You've had Optimus Prime and very few others you could point to as pretty much 99% Hero/admirable and everyone else has had quirks, faults or a "dark side" so I'm fine with Thunders being a nod to his Tech Spec and actually being an understated but genuine Hero.

    We have the rest of the cast to balance him out anyway.
     
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