Character discussion : This Week 'Thunderwing'

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:34 pm

Matrix powered nutjob?
Overated Pretender?
Future for the Decepticons?
Cyclone cannon, hes got the firepower no?

anna · Post by **anna** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:51 pm

definate nutjob(though i did have him lead for awhile)but i never understood why though no decepticon would be worthy why he could use the matrix(then again the matrix had been filled by darkness so maybe that explains it)

but what im waiting for is a discussion of dr acriville lol!!

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 1:58 pm

Thunderwing's great, though it wasn't until Matrix Quest where he really came into his own for me (I felt he was a bit bland in most of the black & white stuff). Loved the way he smashed Grimlock and Prime: "Hmm, I almost felt that" and "You amuse me, but that is all!" etc.

He had a Matrix affinity which is interesting... (like Hot Rod?). I assume the matrix doesn't differentiate between Autobots and Decepticons (they are after all the same race).

One small complaint: I was looking forward to his comeback and was a bit disheartened when he was killed in a couple of panels in Edge of Extinction.

But overall a perfect example of Furman taking a very disposable late-era toy and making him a memorable character.

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:09 pm

He looks cool, had his moments and I generally like him, but it would be better if he achieved more. I mean, Bludgeon took the leftovers of Decepticon army and only divine intervention stopped him (though to be honest, Autobots were scattered as well after On the Edge of Extinction). Thunderwing had Matrix, and all he managed was shooting Landmine with it, beat up few others and shouting a bit before Nighbeat had him thrown out. But he managed to get the Matrix, which itself is an achievement.

He could have been something more, I guess. But he's cool nutjob anyway.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 3:59 pm

Why was it that, when Megatron, Shockwave or Soundwave wasn't around to lead, a no-name Pretender came to power? 'Pretender to the throne' joke perhaps?

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:02 pm

The Decepticon High Command appointed him after he completely ballsed up the mission they set to test him (UK issues 230-231,241-242). Desperate times?

He was Acting Commander for some time before that (see Small War, set some time previous).

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 4:04 pm

I meant 'why him?' toywise? But as a character (this is 'character discussion after all) I suppose so.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:57 pm

How good do you think that cyclone cannon was?
fusion cannon powered?

Bouncelot · Post by **Bouncelot** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:22 pm

His biggest achievements were creating the micromasters and getting the matrix, after which he went mad, and got more interesting. The matrix affinity thing is interesting, as doesn't he suggest that it's almost unheard of amongst Deceptions. Also, how did he know he had the affinity?

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:56 pm

the matrix isnt choosey over good and evil then?

Warcry · Post by **Warcry** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 5:03 am

Thunderwing...

*sigh*

He was amusing, I guess. He was an interesting character. But he was the most disasterously incompetant leader the Decepticons ever had.

He thought that Micromasters were the key to victory. He couldn't kill Hosehead. He got owned by Nightbeat. He sent Bludgeon, Octopunch and Stranglehold out alone to break into the Autobots' stronghold and assassinate their greatest warriors.

And then there's his Matrix Quest accomplishments.

He had Nightbeat, Siren, Hosehead, Dogfight, Longtooth, Pincher, Doubleheader, Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee totally at his mercy at different points, but couldn't be bothered to kill any of them. And yet, after he got the Matrix he somehow decided it was of utmost importance to kill a group of thirty or so Autobots who were actively trying to destroy the Matrix's greatest enemy. So he trots off to do just that, only he fails miserably. He manages to cause a grand total of three enemy deaths before shooting his XO for being smarter than him. Then he got possessed by the soul of a diety. Then he got owned by Nightbeat again.

Then he got miraculously revived and immediately trotted off to fight the very being that the Autobots he just attacked were trying to defeat. He got owned again, this time by Unicron, and ended up getting deservidly shredded.

That resume makes Cartoon Megatron look good. But, on the other hand, he did kill Landmine. So he's OK in my books.

As an aside...we only seen his Pretender shell get shredded. So it's possible that Thunderwing's inner robot survived the battle, I guess. Though if he did, his mind was probably worse off than Circuit Breaker's.

[EDIT]Also, that pic at the top of the thread is one of my favourite pieces of TF art.

jboyler · Post by **jboyler** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:39 am

I actually really liked Thunderwing. I think that although he didn't accomplish anything, I enjoyed seeing a new, no-name character come to power and become a major player. His biggest accomplishment was stealing the spotlight from Galvatron, which is no small feat.

Transformers could use more characters like him. It seems that the continuities just recycle the movie plot over any over. While certain characters (Prime, Grimlock, etc) are indispensable, I would like to see completely new, hopefully worthy, characters take the stage.

-J

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:44 pm

jboyler wrote:His biggest accomplishment was stealing the spotlight from Galvatron.

Personally, in looks, insanity and power, Thunderwing was just 'Galvatron' to me.

jboyler wrote:Transformers could use more characters like him. It seems that the continuities just recycle the movie plot over any over. While certain characters (Prime, Grimlock, etc) are indispensable, I would like to see completely new, hopefully worthy, characters take the stage.

True. Especially in the cartoons. Pick out a random toy and make it, and its character, the central basis of the next series. Not bloody humans. GRR!

Post by **Best First** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:51 pm

Thunderwing was nuttier the a squirrel's winter stash.

I quite liked him - utterly convinced of his own destiny and happy to do anything to persue it. Plus he looks lovely when Mr Geoff draws him.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 1:07 pm

Yep, my, what big teeth he has...

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:33 pm

SO why did he have this 'affinity' with the matrix then? any ideas?

Or was the matrix infected and was like thinking bad matrixy things?

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:39 pm

Did he ever actually OPEN the Matrix? I don't remember him doing it - and if not, then he didn't have much of an 'affinity'.
The obvious answer would be that it was a character invention by the writers. But that's no fun, is it?
Perhaps he was so mad and evil that he was connected to it in the same way as mental evil Unicron was. But then why wouldn't Galvatron have been able to open it in the movie? He was Unicron created. Hmm...

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:43 pm

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:SO why did he have this 'affinity' with the matrix then? any ideas?

I don't see why couldn't he have. There are some Transformers who have this affinity, and like spider already said, Autobots and Decepticons are one race.

As to why of all Decepticons he had it? Accident of birth, I guess.

Autobloke wrote:Did he ever actually OPEN the Matrix? I don't remember him doing it - and if not, then he didn't have much of an 'affinity'.

But, he felt the Matrix, he claimed it was calling to him, he could use it, while Bumblebee could only carry it.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:46 pm

Perhaps he's a closet Autobot.

bobaprime85 · Post by **bobaprime85** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:02 pm

Ozz wrote:
Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:SO why did he have this 'affinity' with the matrix then? any ideas?
I don't see why couldn't he have. There are some Transformers who have this affinity, and like spider already said, Autobots and Decepticons are one race.

As to why of all Decepticons he had it? Accident of birth, I guess.

Much like Hot Rod? They both seem to have 'accident' written all over them....

Anyway, Thunderwing was a nice change of pace, considering that he basically came out of nowhere. The fact that he could actually gain some semblance of control over the Matix was an impressive feat in and of itself (although who was actually controlling whom is really sided in the Matrix's favor, to me anyway). If he had remained in contact with the Matrix for a longer period of time, we might have seen an odd Decepticon-ish idea of "Thunderwingimus Prime" or something.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:12 pm

Was that 'Deathbringer' bloke in charge of the Matrix, or did IT control HIM? Perhaps as the Matrix passed from 'test subject' to 'test subject' in its experiments in evil, it exerted more control. Thunderwing could have just been an unfortunate prisoner of the Matrix. Didn't the tainted Matrix try to control Prime too when he got it back?

bobaprime85 · Post by **bobaprime85** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:17 pm

Autobloke wrote:Didn't the tainted Matrix try to control Prime too when he got it back?

Yes, yes it did, the bastard.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:23 pm

I mostly meant that it didn't seem to care who it 'bonded' with as it seemed to just hook up with whoever came along in the universe.

bobaprime85 · Post by **bobaprime85** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:25 pm

I know, I was just being a smart-arse.

Y'know, one would think that Primus, being a god and all, would have bothered to put some kind of fail-safe in place in case such a situation would have come to pass.

But then again, this is Primus I'm talking about.....

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:28 pm

Yeah, but Primus wanted the TFs to all unite. Perhaps it was coded to accept Decepticons in case one ever became the leader of the Cybertronians (like Shockwave? Curse you DW!!!). Doesn't explain why Galvatron couldn't open it though.
The Matrix is dumb. And, yes - a bastard too.

Bouncelot · Post by **Bouncelot** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:31 pm

Autobloke wrote:Was that 'Deathbringer' bloke in charge of the Matrix, or did IT control HIM? Perhaps as the Matrix passed from 'test subject' to 'test subject' in its experiments in evil, it exerted more control. Thunderwing could have just been an unfortunate prisoner of the Matrix. Didn't the tainted Matrix try to control Prime too when he got it back?

Deathbringer never had the matrix. He touched it, got given some of its power, and went mad - probably this was some part of the matrix's experiments with evil. Whether it was cause or effect, I don't know.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:32 pm

Aside from the Magnificent 7, did we ever find out about Thunderwing's origins, or anything about him before he burst onto the scene and became leader? The Magnificent 7 doesn't really fit in terms of Pretender continuity...

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:32 pm

Whoops! He only touched it! I remember now.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:34 pm

spiderfrommars wrote:The Decepticon High Command appointed him after he completely ballsed up the mission they set to test him (UK issues 230-231,241-242). Desperate times?

He was Acting Commander for some time before that (see Small War, set some time previous).

Does this cover all of his past?

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:54 pm

He does come from nowhere with little or no backstory though. It would have been nice to have a flashback with Scorponok or Shockwave, maybe, to give him a bit more of a place in the grand scheme of things...

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Character discussion : This Week 'Thunderwing'

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