Strongarm (Movie)

Strongarm is an Autobot from the Transformers portion of the movie continuity family.

You slag with me, you slag with the best!

Much like his friend Signal Flare, Strongarm does not consider himself a warrior. Although he is highly skilled, he would rather be working on repairing faulty or damaged machines than fighting. Generally good-natured and light-hearted, Strongarm's gift for mechanics and electrical systems make him an invaluable asset for the Autobots, constantly fixing broken or faulty weapons systems. He'll keep on talking the entire time, too... if there's no-one else in the room to converse with (or, more accurately at), he's got his own voice-activated computer to jibba-jabba at.^[1]

However, all of that changed when an oversight on Strongarm's behalf led to his team being destroyed by Decepticons. During the onslaught, he took damage to his face and was left for dead. Even though he has made a full recovery, he prefers to not have his scares repaired as a reminder of his failure.^[2]

Fiction

Titan movie comics

As a recruit, Strongarm underwent training missions with Ironhide, said training being an attack on a "heavily armed Decepticon base". Strongarm did a flanking run to draw enemy fire. Lost In Space 3: Ironhide

Alternate timeline

Megatron slags with the best.

In a divergent timeline, the Decepticons succeeded at Mission City and conquered the United States. Strongarm was one of the six Autobot reinforcements hiding on the moon. Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1 Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 2 When Starscream attacked and it seemed clear their plan was ruined, Strongarm was the one who decided to go to Earth anyway, as they had nothing left to lose. However, this is what Starscream wanted them to do... Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 3

Strongarm managed to help save Bumblebee from Megatron but actually fighting the Big Meg was out of his league (he has the dents to prove it). Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 4 Despite this, he still wanted to get in the middle of Optimus Prime's fight with Megatron as he's "nucking futz". Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 5

He was extremely relieved when the war appeared to be finally over, to the point of making a very inappropriate joke about the AllSpark's destruction. Unfortunately, it never ends, and Strongarm (looking quite resigned) had to defend the Savannah Shelter from a Decepticon massacre. Aftermath Part 1 When Starscream manipulated NATO into joining the battle, Strongarm was taken down by tank fire. Aftermath Part 2

Getting no rest, once repaired he was constantly sent to protect human convoys against inevitable Decepticon attacks. Dark Spark

Strongarm joined Optimus, Longarm, Elita-One, and Skyblast in the Straxus, on a mission to gather Nucleon from Cybertron. The team was was surprised to find a Unicron-possessed Cybertron head in their direction after they had blasted off. Return to Cybertron: Part 3 He managed to survive Unicron's initial assault against the Autobots' shuttle, and later helped in fending off Unicron's drones while the rest of her team worked out the means to force Unicron into fleeing. Return to Cybertron: Part 4

When the Autobots made their final move against the Decepticons, Strongarm was part of the spearhead into the Decepticon Heartland—to the extent of answering a question directed at Ironhide (lettering error? What error?). He personally 'tagged' Stockade, an ally of convenience, to be teleported back to Cybertron, pointing out to the Decepticon that he'd been playing silly buggers with their deal and so they were cutting him out of it. Revolution Part Three

IDW movie comics

Many years ago, Strongarm was a member of Optimus's Science Division, under the overall command of Protector Megatron. After a mysterious relic was uncovered outside the Simfur temple (which coincided with an attack by aliens unknown from the Eshems Nebula), Defiance #1 Protector Megatron changed, seizing control of Cybertron's military and essentially declaring himself dictator. Optimus implored to the 'bots under his command to not follow Megatron into war, advice that Strongarm heeded. Defiance #2

During the cleanup of the attack, Strongarm worked with Grindcore and Cosmos to launch debris into space from the Burthov launch facility. The payload was the largest yet, and Strongarm considered that Optimus would be proud of them. Unfortunately, soon after, Megatron declared Optimus and his group "traitors" following a failed attempt to capture the scientist and kill his subordinates. Defiance #3

Forced by circumstances beyond their control, Strongarm and other scientists became soldiers in Optimus Prime's Autobot faction against Megatron's Decepticons. He later watched from a distance as the Decepticons launched the Nemesis, and participated in a mission to bring Sentinel Prime's "torch" invention to the Simfur Temple. Foundation #3 As the civil war reached its height, Optimus revealed his plan to allegedly capture the AllSpark and somehow transport it aboard their ship, the Ark. What most of the Autobots didn't know was Optimus planned to launch the Cube into deep space, away from Megatron, to give the Autobots a fighting chance. Strongarm was one of the Autobots who elected to remain behind on Cybertron. Defiance #4

Several thousand years later, with Cybertron dry of energy from the loss of the AllSpark, Strongarm and a team of Autobots tried to steal energon from the Decepticon capitol of Trypticon. He organized a rendezvous with Arcee and Chromia, but the team was ambushed by Shockwave's troops and were forced to retreat. Rising Storm #2

A hundred years later, after Megatron had been killed on Earth and the AllSpark destroyed, Strongarm and his friends were part of the Autobot underground resistance to Starscream and Dreadwing's rule. They were preparing to move out to Simfur on a rescue mission when Arcee returned from Mars. The Reign of Starscream #4 Strongarm, Breakaway and Wingblade moved to create a diversion at Trypticon so Arcee's team could move in. However, Dreadwing's drone forces attempted a coup, complicating the situation, so Strongarm's team was instead assigned the task of deactivating the drone army via a fail safe switch in the city. The Autobots barely got out of Trypticon in time as Dreadwing's escape ship plummeted down and destroyed the once-magnificent capitol of Cybertron. The Reign of Starscream #5

Toys

Transformers (2007)

• Strongarm (Scout Class, 2007)

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

Released in the second wave of Transformers Target-exclusive Scout-class toys, Strongarm is a redeco of Energon Scout Class Strongarm, transforming into a Cybertronic jeep with the Sector Seven logo emblazoned on him. He has a clear-plastic "energon" crane-boom/rifle and spare tire which can combine to form a large axe.

This toy was also sold as a Farmers exclusive in New Zealand, as well as in Portugal's now-defunct Feira Nova stores.

This mold was also used to make Fallback and Crosshairs. The axe mold was separated and used for multiple Takara promotional freebie energon weapons, as well as being released in reddish-orange with the Japanese "Wild" redeco of Energon Ironhide.

This toy was later repurposed as Shattered Glass Brawn.

• More information on Strongarm at TFU.info

Notes

• Strongarm's bio pegs him as an Autobot, where his toy's only "faction" marking is for Sector Seven (apart from the molded-in Autobot logo). It's possible Strongarm is hiding out among the Sector Seven motor pool disguised as one of their jeeps.
• Due to Strongarm and Crosshairs BOTH appearing in The Reign of Starscream, an effort was made to give Strongarm a different look by giving him a "battle mask" covering his nose area.
  • In The Reign of Starscream issue #5 (ironically, just before battle), Strongarm's battle mask is "open" to show the gaping hole in the middle of his face. Ouch!

References