Outback (G1)

Outback is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Alligaticon Dundee.

No by-the-book soldier is Outback (aka Fallback^[1]); for him, the rules of war are the rules of Rafferty. If the beaten track winds, it's a fair bet he'll go straight. He's more comfortable out in the never never anyway, up grades as steep as 50 degrees, or kicking up willie willies at 110 mph. His insubordination gains him little respect from his mates, and often he finds no partner on his missions but Pat Malone and his trusty rooftop tank-jigger, loaded with armor-piercing shells.

Way in the back blocks of Outback's mind, however, there lurks a dark certainty. By the rules of Rafferty he lives, and by these rules, he is sure, Outback's bound to be a write off. The army's run by Wallies and the war's a no-hoper, but he's not totally clapped-out yet, so he'll give it a fair go. It's not the best attitude, but he'll share it with anyone without reserve. Outback calls a spade a bloody spade.

Let a mission go down the gurgler, though, and Outback's the one who'll sort it. He may be largely a mediocrity; he may be an insubordinate grizzle, but his courage is beyond reproach. By the rules of Rafferty he lives, and so far they've served him well.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Dan Gilvezan (English, "Five Faces of Darkness"), Gregg Berger (English, "The Quintesson Journal"), Yoku Shioya (Japanese), Davide Lepore (Italian), Mário Monjardim (Portuguese), Roberto Macedo (Portuguese, "The Quintesson Journal")

He's bloody agro about his pozzy for the footy match.

After an attack on the Galactic Olympics, Outback and Blaster were charged with tracking down any Decepticons on Earth, whom the Autobots believed were responsible for the assault. With reason to believe some 'Cons were hiding out at a Carbombya air field, the duo still had to deal with a needle in a haystack (or rather, a jet in an airport). In order to get results, Outback bluffed his way through the inspection with a "Decepticon detector", pointing it at random things and hoping for a response. He got one. Astonishingly, the two jets with giant Decepticon insignias on them were actually Decepticons(!), Dirge and Ramjet, who tried to run for it in fear of Outback's respectable scanning abilities. Outback caught them with a nuclear bomb smoke bomb, though, and he and Blaster managed to interrogate the Coneheads and get the location of the Decepticons' new base on Chaar. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1

Shortly thereafter, Outback was among a cadre of Autobots who failed to defend the Ark from an attack by Trypticon. He didn't even get a chance to open a can of Foster's VB. Bugger. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

Oy, lookit the size o' that lion!

Later, Outback was teamed with Blaster again aboard Sky Lynx when Perceptor radioed in that a mysterious Quintesson signal was broadcasting from a nearby planet. Investigating, the Autobots discovered a lost Quintesson recorded journal, containing secret information about how the Quintessons had purposely escalated a war between Xetaxxis and Lanarq, two feuding worlds for which Rodimus Prime was attempting to negotiate a peace summit. Galvatron and the Predacons also arrived looking for the journal, and soon the Autobots, Decepticons, and Quintessons began a game of "hot potato", bouncing possession of the journal back and forth between each party over and over. Outback and the others eventually claimed the journal and brought it to the peace summit, ending the war at least temporarily. The Quintesson Journal

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic

That's not a punch. This is a punch.

When the Insecticons attacked Kyushu, Outback and the rest of the Four-Wheel Drive Corps, as well as Kenji, arrived to investigate. Outback and friends were briefly trapped inside craters by land mines but escaped once they united into some kind of crazy human pyramid. Using their combined attack, the Four-Wheel Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster, they drove the Insecticons away and saved Kyushu. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3

Generations Select Special Comic

In 2050, Outback stood with the Autobots when Megatron joined the Selectors in a revolution against their human masters. Volcanicus comic 1

Wings Universe

Outback gained a job as Magnum's administrative assistant, though he preferred the freedom of the outdoors and would explore the wilderness sectors of Cybertron whenever he could. Outback's profile in Club magazine #38 Following the incident with Brimstone, Outback brought Magnum a new assignment for Metalhawk and Onslaught. Flames of Yesterday Much later, after the Combaticons all but wiped out the Elite Guard, he answered the door of the Elite Guard Auxiliary Weapons Locker when Magnum brought a team to stock up on weapons, though he refused to let them in until Magnum gave the correct code. He, Ricochet, and Moonracer joined the team as they set out to attack Deathsaurus's base. Battle Lines, Part 2

Shortly after encountering Side Burn, the team was attacked by Deathsaurus's troops and forced to fight for their lives. Outback, Moonracer, and Flak gathered around Ricochet's fallen body, though it took a few moments for Outback to realize that the Autobot had perished from his injuries. They had little time to mourn, as they were promptly attacked by Lyzack. Battle Lines, Part 3 A week after the battle, he was part of the Autobot forces at Iacon's city walls as the Decepticons broke through with Devastator. Battle Lines, Part 5 The battle was won, but cost the Autobots some of their members. Soon later, when the Autobots' current reserve of energies was dangerously low, Outback joined his comrades still on Cybertron in stasis hibernation as an energy-saving measure. Battle Lines, Part 6

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Strewth, I'm a pie floater!

Surprised by a lone Decepticon killer, Outback was saved from death by Optimus Prime, who had accidentally returned to Cybertron along with Megatron. Though Prime told Outback that he wanted to be left alone after the rescue, Outback decided to quietly follow Prime along from a distance anyways. ...The Harder They Die! He later tried to save Optimus Prime from being executed as a spy by the Wreckers due to a rumor spread by Megatron.

I said to meself, "Outback, old son, find yourself a nice, comfortable spot and lay down and die."

When Ultra Magnus refused to believe him, Outback helped Optimus Prime escape by deactivating his energy restraints and distracting his captors with a gas particle bomb. The two went on the run together, pursued by Magnus and a squad of Guardian droids. Two of the Guardians caught up to them, and Outback was seriously wounded in battle against them. Optimus Prime was forced to carry him to safety. Under Fire!

Hiding in the Dead End of Cybertron, hoping that Outback would recover, Optimus Prime told him the story of what happened when he was displaced to the Limbo dimension when Galvatron traveled back in time.

Outback ultimately survived when Prime's tale was overheard by Ultra Magnus and Emirate Xaaron, convincing them of his identity. Distant Thunder! At no point did Outback have the opportunity to throw a couple of shrimps on the barbie, but he did fight alongside the Autobots, participating on several raids to secure Decepticon-held resources, before Optimus returned to Earth. Resurrection!

Crikey!

Outback next appeared on the Moon, watching a battle for Autobot supremacy between Blaster and Grimlock, when he and the other Autobots were suddenly attacked by the Decepticons and their island spaceship. He wanted to know what was going on! Totaled! Later, he partook in a training session with Blaster, alongside Mirage and Runamuck. Club Con!

Along with fellow Autobot Military Academy cadet Pipes, Outback later went after Tailgate to Cybertron's underground. They arrived in time to see Tailgate battle with the Mutants, but Outback didn't intervene, sure of the fact that Tailgate could handle the Muties himself. And he was riggerty right. Underworld!

Classics

Outback helped to rebuild Ironworks. When evil Junkions from a mirror universe attacked, he was turned into one. Invasion

Transformers '84

Shortly before the launch of the Ark, Outback was part of a crew recruited by Perceptor to retrieve the injured Dynobots following a battle with Shockwave. Secrets & Lies #1

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

"We get it—you're from Space Australia!"

Outback was operational during the early days of the war. He was one of the many Transformers at work at the Central Spaceport to prepare for the Autobot evacuation of the planet. The War Within #2

Outback was among the group of new recruits who failed to take on the auto-combatant training drones on Cybertron after Shockwave's rule was toppled. Black Sunshine

Descent into Evil

She's a feisty sheila!

Outback, having at this point renamed himself "Fallback" to complement his revived sense of optimism, led an Autobot strike force consisting of Chromia, Flareup, and Ricochet to the planet Ceti Alpha Seven. Their target was the Insecticon cloning facility constructed there by the Decepticon general Deathsaurus. The first batch of Virulent Clones had already been completed, and the team found itself under attack before they ever reached the lab. Fallback and his team destroyed a number of clones, but, when Deathsaurus himself joined the fight, they were overwhelmed and captured. The arrival of their teammates Ironhide and Ratchet on the planet ultimately resulted in Deathsaurus's defeat and the rescue of Fallback's team. Descent into Evil

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: Spotlight: Kup

Millions of years ago, before the outbreak of the war, Outback learned that the famous racer Drag Strip had gotten in league with the increasingly dangerous criminal Megatron. He decided to take action and assassinate Drag Strip on his way to a race, but was interrupted and disarmed by the security guard Ironhide, who had never heard of Megatron and was only doing his job. As Outback was taken into custody, he told Ironhide that it was thanks to blind, apathetic 'bots like him that a civil war was imminent. Iron in the Blood

Outback eventually joined Iacon's police force along with Ironhide to fight the nascent Decepticon movement within the "confines" of the law. He was practicing at the firing range when Kup gave the rookie Orion Pax his first blaster. Outback's violent hatred of Decepticons remained and he dispensed excessive brutality to anyone he suspected was a part of the organization. Orion and Ironhide once came upon him savagely beating Ravage for spraying some graffiti on a wall. Post

Wave goodbye to your head, wanker!

Another unfortunate 'Con that crossed Outback's path was Hefter, who he arrested for graffiti and allegedly having a gun. Hefter was shot to death in Outback's custody, which Outback all but admitted to doing. Tappet protested to Orion Pax and when Pax interrogated him later at a bar, Outback pulled a gun and ranted about the need to defend themselves and their partners, violently, against Decepticon killers everywhere. Pax thumped him, which didn't seem to sway Outback much. To Walk Among the Chosen Outback later arrived on the scene after Orion, Prowl, and Jetfire executed a sting operation and exchanged fire with Decepticon gun-runners. Outback had little empathy for the shell-shocked Jetfire, who had taken his first life in the confrontation, as he still didn't place any value on the lives of Decepticons. Feel Safe Without Regrets

A bit daggy, but a little amber fluid and she'll be apples!

During the war, Outback and Kup crash-landed on Tsiehshi, which was covered with radioactive Ore-8 crystals. When they attempted to use parts of their ship to create a transmitter, the radiation overloaded the generator, and Outback was killed in the explosion. Kup, however, was eventually driven insane by the radiation and not only talked to Outback's charred remains as though he were alive but used his severed arm as a club.

Springer was able to hack into the deceased Autobot's holo-emitter to try and send Kup a message that the Autobots were coming to rescue him, but the delusional Kup saw this as a ghost making threats upon his life. Outback's remains were further crushed by an errant swipe from one of the rescue party, sending Kup into another homicidal rage. Spotlight: Kup Everything in Its Right Place

After Ironhide mysteriously woke up alone on an abandoned Cybertron, he had a strange vision or hallucination featuring Outback. With half his body still missing, Outback delivered some cryptic comments about Optimus Prime being angry at Ironhide for letting the Stunticons get away, and that nobody recognized him anymore. Iron in the Blood

Of Masters and Mayhem

Outback was part of a devastating battle that left so many dead that the highest-ranked officer to lead their unit was the cook, Spin-Out, who Outback did his best to encourage. When the unit attempted to take Toxitron prisoner, Outback fell to the Decepticon's corrosive ooze, and his half-melted remains were crushed when Toxitron collapsed on top of them. The Toxic Transformer

Games

Transformers Legends

Outback was caught up somehow in a Quintesson plot to kidnap several Autobots during the Galactic Games. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1

Toys

The Transformers

You and I are a lot alike, mate, except I'm a robot, and you're dead!

• Outback (Mini Vehicle, 1986)

• Takara ID number: C-59
• Accessories: "Mortar cannon"
• Known designers: Hideaki Yoke (TakaraTomy)

Released in the third year of the Hasbro The Transformers line, Mini Vehicle Outback is a khaki and brown retool of the 1984 Mini Vehicle Brawn, transforming into an off-road SUV. Outback features a new robot torso/head plate and new arms. He is also the only Mini Vehicle to have been given an accessory: a "mortar cannon" that can mount on the vehicle mode roof via a 5 mm post-hole in the spare tire. Unfortunately, this weapon cannot really be wielded effectively in robot mode.

The initial releases of all Mini Vehicles and Special Teams in 1986 were part of a promotional campaign that featured reflective iron-on patches as part of a contest. Later in the year, packages without bonus patches were released.

In the Takara line, Outback was sold in a small box with a collector's card, rather than on a bubble card.

• Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Outback at Transformerland.com
• More information on Outback at TFU.info

G'day amigo.

• Outback (Mini Vehicle, 1987)

In the Mexican Transformers line produced by IGA, Outback was probably released as a straight redeco of Brawn, sold on Outback cards. He was cast in sand with metallic-maroon robot parts, which is pretty close to the Hasbro/Takara Outback colors. Unlike most of the second-series IGA Mini Vehicles, he does not appear to have been sold in a second color scheme (at least, that we know of so far).

We say "probably" because while IGA appears to have done this old-mold-new-colors-sold-as-new-character move with all of the third-year retooled Mini Vehicles, so far Tailgate and Swerve are the only ones that have been confirmed with carded samples. All of the IGA versions of probably-Hubcap, Outback, and Pipes have only been found loose. So it's highly likely, we just don't have the mint-condition proof yet. Fun!

IGA Transformers also eventually made their way to a variety of European markets, slightly decreasing their rarity.

This version of Outback was later repurposed as Shattered Glass Fallback.

• TFSquareOne article detailing the Mexican version of Outback

Timelines

I'm gonna blow the insides of your head all over four counties!

• Descent into Evil (Multi-pack, 2005)

• Accessories: Crane boom/rifle, spare tire halves, Autobot-style energon star

Available only as part of BotCon 2005's Descent into Evil set (along with Buzzclaw, Chromia, Deathsaurus, Dirge, Ironhide, and Ricochet), Timelines Fallback (renamed due to steakhouse reasons^[2]) is a brown and tan redeco of Energon Scout-sized Strongarm, transforming into a jeep of made-up model. His clear-blue spare tire and crane/cannon can be assembled to form an energon battle-axe, plus he comes with a clear-blue energon chip.

This mold was also used to make 2007 movie Strongarm and Crosshairs.

• More information on Fallback at TFU.info

Energon mold: Strongarm
Hasbro: Energon Strongarm Energon Strongarm Universe (2003) Omnicon Strong Arm Transformers (2007) Strongarm Crosshairs 3H Productions: Universe (2003) Autobot Brawn (canceled) Autobot Roadbuster (canceled) Fun Publications: Timelines Fallback Takara: Super Link Blastarm Blastarm USA Edition




Encore



Throw some more shrimp on the barbie?
• Bumble & Minibots (Multi-pack, 2008)

• ID number: 10
• Accessories: "Mortar cannon"

In 2008, Outback was reissued in the Encore line, with a few bits of extra paint deco. He has a new blue visor, plus the Autobot symbol sticker on his passenger side has been replaced with a painted red-and-silver symbol.

He was only available in a five-bot multipack with Bumblebee, Pipes, Swerve, and Tailgate.

• More information on Encore Outback at TFU.info

The Transformers mold: Brawn
Version 1 (Brawn): Hasbro: The Transformers Brawn Fun4All: The Transformers Brawn (keychain) Basic Fun: Heroes of Cybertron Brawn (keychain) Takara: Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 15 Gong Gong (keychain) Gong (black keychain) Estrela: Transformers Jipe (green, Robocar) Jipe (tan, Robocar) Jipe (blue, Malignus) Jipe (black, Malignus) Lynsa: Transformers Brawn (green & cream) Brawn (inverted green & cream) IGA: Transformers Brawn (altered face) Outback Version 2 (Outback): Hasbro: The Transformers Outback Vintage G1 Outback Takara/TakaraTomy: Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers C-59 Outback Encore 10 Outback
Hideaki Yoke




Power of the Primes



Sure, an Ironfist retool would’ve been nice, but something special had to be shown at Australian Toy Fair, right?
• Autobot Outback (Legends Class, 2018)

• TakaraTomy ID number: PP-38
• TakaraTomy release date: November 24, 2018
• Accessories: Shield/roof
• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro)

Part of the third wave of Power of the Primes Legends Class figures, "Autobot Outback" (he got his name back!) is a retool of Titans Return Legends Class Brawn with a new head (the only figure of his line to reuse a Titans Return mold), and transforms from a robot to a jeep, inspired by his original Generation 1 toy. His roof can detach to become a shield in robot mode, or peg into his back to maintain symmetry. While he sadly lacks his trademark roof-mounted cannon, the wheel on his roof has a 3mm port which lets you plug in any compatible spare weapon you like. Furthermore, the roof itself has a 5 mm port, allowing for even more weapons to be mounted, including his original toy's mortar cannon. Outback features an opening canopy for his cockpit, which allows any Prime Master figure to ride, and like Brawn he can transform without needing to remove a Prime Master from his cockpit.

In a clever touch, unpainted windows are sculpted beneath the vehicle mode storage of the shield, so that the vehicle mode will still look complete even if the accessory is lost.

In what can be only described as an amazingly funny coincidence, Outback's first toy since 1986 to be sold under his original name was not only officially revealed at the Australian Toy Fair 2018, but was also released at retail in Australia before most other worldwide markets (only Hong Kong got him earlier).




Vintage G1



"Released in Canada first?! Crikey!"
• Outback ("Legion Class", 2018)

• Accessories: "Mortar cannon"

Part of the first wave of the Vintage G1 line, Outback is incredibly similar to his Encore release, including his blue visor, but there are a few more minor alterations. The vehicle mode rubsign is an all-new type used on the Vintage G1 toys; the insignia only turns red rather than the mood-ring multicolor of older rubsigns, plus the silver border is mirror-level reflective. This version also has production information tampographed onto the back of his vehicle mode, replacing the molded information.

Like all Vintage G1 figures, Outback was exclusive to Walmart in the United States and Canada. He was also available at general retail in Hong Kong, and exclusive in Australia to the website of fashion chain Cotton On. Oddly, the Australian release came in multilingual packaging intended for the European market, a rare but not entirely unheard of occurrence. Unfortunately, due to the limited space on the back, the iconic Tech Spec card is omitted, replaced by parental warnings in 24 languages about the possibility of breakage due to excessive force, and that parts are not designed to reattach.

Although originating from the 1986 range of Mini-Vehicles, Vintage G1 Outback's back-of-card artwork features the original 1984 mural, rather than the 1986 "Metroplex" mural present on Vintage G1 Hot Rod's box. His instructions also show Brawn in the line-art.

The Transformers mold: Brawn
Version 1 (Brawn): Hasbro: The Transformers Brawn Fun4All: The Transformers Brawn (keychain) Basic Fun: Heroes of Cybertron Brawn (keychain) Takara: Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 15 Gong Gong (keychain) Gong (black keychain) Estrela: Transformers Jipe (green, Robocar) Jipe (tan, Robocar) Jipe (blue, Malignus) Jipe (black, Malignus) Lynsa: Transformers Brawn (green & cream) Brawn (inverted green & cream) IGA: Transformers Brawn (altered face) Outback Version 2 (Outback): Hasbro: The Transformers Outback Vintage G1 Outback Takara/TakaraTomy: Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers C-59 Outback Encore 10 Outback
Hideaki Yoke




Merchandise

Transformers Trading Card Game



• Autobot Outback, Gunner (2020)
  • Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack
  • Rarity: CT
  • Card Number: T04/T46
  • Stars: 6

This card's set was originally set for an April 2020 release, however due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the release was pushed back to May 29, 2020.

Notes



Outback stayed out in the sun way too long.
• In the pre-Toy Fair 1986 catalog, Outback is shown with a solid red face. Upon release, he had a solid silver face (then for his Encore release many years later, he had a silver face with a blue visor).
• The character Fastback from Megatron Origin was written and designed to be a pre-Earth version of Outback. However, Fastback is killed during the events of the comic, contradicting how Outback died during the war in the previously established Spotlight: Kup, necessitating a quick name change that turned Fastback into a nobody.
• Roche wanted to use a "name" character as a victim in Spotlight: Kup, knowing it has more impact when they die than when a generic bites it. Why Outback? He doesn't know!^[3]
• Before Transformers Fallback was mentioned in an Ask Vector Prime post, it is possible that he was a new form of Outback by this wiki's classification.
• Outback is one of few Generation 1 characters to have more than one Shattered Glass counterpart. The 2016 TCC story "Coalescence" established a trio of SG Autobots named Outback, Fallback, and Fastback!
• Oddly, so far as we can tell, Outback has never actually been to Australia. Or Nebulos.
• Voice actors Corey Burton and Philip L. Clarke had also auditioned for the role Outback.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Outback (アウトバック Autobakku)
• French: Bled (Canada)
• Hungarian: Mucsai ("Hillbilly")
• Italian: Raid
• Mandarin: Fùdì (腹地, "Hinterland")
• Russian: Dikar (Дикарь, "Savage")

References

1. ↑ "Fallback" was a substitute name used by Fun Publications for a BotCon 2005 exclusive Timelines toy representing the Generation 1 Outback character, because the name "Outback" was not available as a trademark to Hasbro at the time. The name was also used to refer to the character in the BotCon 2005 exclusive comic Descent into Evil. Although this would be the only time the name was used for the Generation 1 character, other toys inspired by Outback that represent characters from other continuities were also named "Fallback" (see here for more). Hasbro finally got the name "Outback" back in 2018, in time for the Power of the Primes toy and the Vintage G1 reissue of the original toy.
2. ↑ Fallback toy notes at BWTF.com
3. ↑ Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two