Ratchet (Transformers)
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Ratchet is the name of several characters in the Transformers Universes. The name Ratchet is almost always portrayed as an Autobot medic who turns into an ambulance. Ratchet is sometimes refered to as Autobot Ratchet in the toy line due to trademark issues in the US. The Armada homage to Ratchet was even renamed Red Alert for this reason.
Generation One (1984)
Ratchet (Mécano in France and Doc in Italy) is the chief medic of the Autobots in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara and Hasbro. His vehicle mode is an Ambulance. Ratchet is well remembered from fans of the original comic series, of which he played a major role, even though the character has not been featured in the modern Transformers Universe.The toy that was to become the Autobot Ratchet was originally released as part of the Japanese Diaclone series. He was later released in 1984 by Hasbro in the US. Ironhide has the same mold as Ratchet.
Profile
Ratchet would transform into an ambulance (cargo van type) and was colored white with red stripes and emergency lights. Ratchet had two robot modes, though only one was usually seen in the comic run and the television cartoon. The Ratchet toy transformed into the second form. Ratchet was one of the original and the longest-lived of all Transformers in the Marvel Transformers comic series. Often a fan favorite, he was a healer first, but a soldier nonetheless. His courage and loyalty are demonstrated time and again.Animated Series
Ratchet was the Autobot medic, and therefore he seldom was ever seen in battle, and usually spent time at the Autobot base with Wheeljack creating and repairing other Autobots. The two of them were credited for creating the Dinobots in an attempt to bolster their ranks versus the Decepticons. Ratchet was eventually killed in in an attack by the Decepticons on an Autobot shuttle in the opening scene.
Marvel Comics
Ratchet made his first appearance in issue #1 of the Marvel Comics Transformers comic book series. Originally this was intended to be a 4-issue series, but was later extended into 80 total issues. In issue number 4, he transported "Sparkplug" Witwicky to the hospital after Witwicky had a heart attack aboard the Autobot base, The Ark. Because of this, he was not at the final battle between the few remaining Autobots and the full-power Decepticons. At that battle, the Autobots were losing when their foes suddenly began falling from fuel that had been tainted by Witwicky. Before the Autobots could celebrate their victory, however, the Decepticon Shockwave appeared (his first appearance in the comic series) and destroyed the remaining Autobots. Thus, Ratchet was the only Transformer from the original series to appear from the beginning and survive past issue four.
As the sole surviving Autobot, Ratchet sought some way to resurrect his comrades defeat the Decepticon leaders Shockwave and Megatron. (And in one comic frame, an artist drew Ratchet with a Decepticon badge.) To this end, he came across information from The Ark's initial search for "life" on the planet when the craft first crashed. While in the "present" the probes read moving metallic objects as life (as it would expect, being from a metal-based life world), accounting for the recreation of the Transformers as vehicles, aircraft, etc., in a prehistoric attempt it had found none and instead determined the only moving, seemingly-sentient objects of similar size to the transformers, dinosaurs, to be life. The Ark thus created the Dinobots based on these beings. Finding information on the Dinobots, Ratchet sought out their location, finding them and fixing them back up. When he had completed this task, he confronted Megatron and ambushed the enemy robot with the six Dinobots. Megatron quickly (too quickly?) dispatched them and laughed at the weak medic. As a final resort, Ratchet flung himself into Megatron, hoping to throw them both off the tall cliff, destroying them both, but instead bounced off (falling on his butt). Megatron laughed at him again, though commending him for his courage. While laughing, the cliff edge Megatron was standing on collapsed and he fell to his deactivation. To this end Ratchet was a hero, though he didn't feel particularly victorious.
Near the end of the original comic run, he would be merged with (a newly resurrected) Megatron during an accident on a spacebridge, but he was eventually surgically separated and put in stasis to keep him alive (like being in a coma). Later he was infused with Nucleon along with other Autobots. His final action in the series was causing The Ark to crash-land on Earth (again) to prevent its Decepticon stowaways - Megatron, Galvatron, Shockwave and Starscream from landing and plundering Earth, presumably being killed in the process. Many times over, Ratchet was a hero, but he never gained nor sought such recognition.
It was Ratchet that created the first Transformers Pretender Classics. He had been forced by Megatron to create Decepticon Pretenders but secretly hid three Pretender shells and covertly reactivated Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee. Ratchet chose these three Autobots of the many deactivated ("dead") ones based on his experience and loyalty to them; he only had three Pretender shells that he could use.) Though Bumblebee had previously been upgraded in size and strength with a new name of Goldbug, Ratchet restored him to his original Bumblebee configuration because he "always liked [it] better".
Devil's Due Comics
In this reimagining of the Generation One story, the Ark was discovered by the terrorist Cobra organization, and all the Transformers inside were reformatted into Cobra vehicles remotely controlled by the Televipers. In this storyline Ratchet turned into a Cobra HISS tank.
In the second series, he appeared as "The Autobot", the sole Autobot guardian of a future Earth over-run by Decepticons.
(2002)
Ratchet was the Japanese name for the character of Red Alert. This character was an obvious homage to Ratchet, being an Autobot medic who turned into an ambulance and had a tool hand, just like Generation One Ratchet was sometimes depicted with.(2003)
Ratchet is the name of a character, a repaint of Robots in Disguise X-Brawn. He appeared in the Universe comic book, where it was established he was Ratchet from a parallel Cybertron brought to this world when captured by Unicron, but he escaped. His motto is "All life is precious." Autobot Ratchet tirelessly serves the Autobot cause; putting his versatile and unequaled medical skills to work as both a battlefield medic and doctor. He has devoted his career to the preservation of life in all its forms, and is selfless in protecting humans from the destruction often caused as a result of the Autobot / Decepticon war. Autobot Ratchet puts every fiber of his being into his job; extending his skills to make sure his fellow Autobots are kept as mentally healthy as possible. As a 4WD Rescue Vehicle, Autobot Rachet can travel over the roughest terrain and reach speeds up to 140 mph. He is an incredibly skilled and well-versed doctor, often limited more by time and possible lack of materials more than anything else. In battle, he's armed with an arc-welder blaster as well as a battle mace, which also can provide a small-localized force field shielding its user for brief durations. Autobot Ratchet often pushes himself to the point of physical exhaustion in performing his duties. He's usually so caught up in the healing of others, that he neglects his own maintenance.
(2005)
Ratchet also appeared as a remold of Energon Towline for the series.2007 film
In the upcoming live action film, Ratchet will appear, presumably in his familiar ambulance form, despite early rumours of being a fire engine.External links
- [G1 Ratchet at Teletraan-I: The Transformers Wiki]
- [TFU Ratchet at Teletraan-I: The Transformers Wiki]
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