Topspin (Classics)

Topspin is a Decepticon and Cybertronian from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Mr. Personality's bio quote is "By your will, Alpha Trion." Good work.

Long ago, Topspin felt the sensation of pain and terror, culminating in smoke and twisted metal, and finally darkness. Whatever traumatic experience happened to him during that time, it left him drained of will, emotion, and the memories of his past. He does, however, still remember his supernatural ability to manipulate the very spark within each Cybertronian. He can safely transfer a spark between bodies, or split one into multiple pieces without damage. But if he's angered, he can also use his ability as a terrible weapon to violently rip out a spark with a mere thought.

He also is certain that some great reward awaits him, if he can just find the right person to lead him to it. To reach this reward, he will habitually find a charismatic, powerful leader in whom to invest all his faith. He will commit unwavering loyalty to this leader, but if he does not receive the same loyalty in return, the recommended action is to seek serious cover. Topspin does not take rejection well.

His current leader is Alpha Trion, whom Topspin found when he awoke on the transit pads in Axiom Nexus, after long years of drifting through space due to a battle. He could sense that this was a powerful personality who would finally lead him to his reward. And it's true, Trion knows Topspin's true identity—that he's part of an ancient, powerful combiner along with his four gestalt brothers—and he promises Topspin will get his long-sought-after reward. Trion has his own plans for Topspin and his brothers once "reunification" is complete, however...

Later he becomes known as Spinaway.

Fiction

Fun Publications comics

Topspin left Cybertron to serve under Jhiaxus and follow his army to other worlds. Topspin was less interested in Jhiaxus's specific plans of conquest, however, and more simply convinced that Jhiaxus's sense of purpose and strong personality would lead him on the path to the great destiny he sensed was out there. Something that was his alone, outside of what the Liege Centuro could promise.

But after a long time of quietly following orders, tragedy seemed to strike during a terrible space battle over an alien planet. Topspin was separated from Jhiaxus's army and flung at near-light speeds into space, helpless to stop his trajectory.

Years later, after his energy-drained body passed through a wormhole, he landed in the multiversal hub city of Axiom Nexus. The Transcendent Technomorphs who inhabited that universe put Topspin in the care of a sage named Alpha Trion. It seemed that perhaps Topspin's fate had not been tragic after all, as Topspin sensed immediately that Trion was a great, charismatic leader who could lead him to his destiny. In turn, the sage saw the beginnings of his own grand goals in Topspin, and promised his new follower that he could lead the Decepticon to the greatness he sought. Topspin's profile in Club magazine #25

Alpha Trion quickly plotted ways to put the powers of his new "technician" to use in a plan to escape back to his home universe. He set Topspin to work transferring sparks from the bodies of his "lowtech" followers into the bodies of their TransTech counterparts, and the TransTech sparks into storage, both as a means of infiltration and to evade detection. Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25 Topspin could not bring himself to destroy the helpless TransTechs' sparks, though, and hid them away inside life-sustaining containment capsules. Rook - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/12/02

At some point, the Depth Charge from Alpha Trion's followers' home universe came about, on the hunt for the Maximals and Predacons the old sage had taken under his wing. By showing him the sparkless bodies of the four fugitives, Alpha Trion and Topspin were able to convince Depth Charge that his quarries had already met their demise. Depth Charge's profile in Club magazine #49

Eventually Trion met three more of Topspin's "kin", recently arrived in Axiom Nexus from their own travels, and brought them to his base of operations, though Breakaway was kidnapped along the way. Skyfall and Landquake were deeply disturbed upon being shown the spark-less bodies hanging from the base's ceiling, and confronted Trion, but Topspin interjected that the Transformers the bodies belonged to weren't really dead. Trion introduced Topspin to the others, and explained the spark-swapping plan that had been taking place.

Landquake was skeptical that sparks could really be transferred between bodies, so Topspin gladly showed off his power by transferring a spark from storage to his hand merely by touching it. Landquake was fascinated by the display, and noted that it could be potentially lethal. Topspin agreed, and enthusiastically said it would be if Trion so desired. He also gushed that Trion would be their savior that would grant them all true peace and freedom on Cybertron. Landquake... decided to change the subject at that, and asked Topspin to explain more details on how the spark storage and swapping worked. Transcendent: Part 3

As Skyfall and Landquake walked through Axiom Nexus afterwards, they made their own plans regards Topspin. Landquake was sure Topspin's "impossible" ability meant he was the one the Caretaker had sent them to find. Landquake proposed they pretend to go along with Trion's plans, so they could both rescue Breakaway and find a way to shatter Topspin's loyalty to Trion and steal him away.

Later at Trion's headquarters, word came that Breakaway had been found in Shockwave's laboratory in the Transwarp Complex, near a dimensional gate to Trion's home universe, and Trion made plans for everyone to attack. Transcendent: Part 4

Part of those plans involved the former RoboCo CEO, Bulletbike. He was one of the spark transfers Topspin had made, placing the spark of one of Trion's followers into Bulletbike's TransTech body, and Bulletbike's spark into the body of one of his multiversal counterparts. Bulletbike himself was not aware this was exactly what had happened, though, nor was anyone else. No one outside of Trion's group knew of Topspin's ability, and it left no traceable marks.

Bulletbike only knew his real body had been stolen somehow, and when he was pushed along to finally confront the impostor, the fake Bulletbike pulled all available security forces in to protect himself. Just at the right time to leave the Transwarp Complex unguarded... I, Lowtech The Coming Storm: Part 1

As Trion and his group crashed their way into the Complex, Trion had himself, Landquake, Skyfall, and Immorticon head off to rescue Breakaway from Shockwave's laboratory. Topspin, meanwhile, went with the others to secure the Transit Room with the gate to Trion's dimension for their eventual escape. Transcendent: Part 5 Once the rescue was successful and the others joined them, Topspin passed through the gate... Transcendent: Part 6

We'll just pretend the helicopter is "rolling".

...and came out in Alpha Trion's disused laboratory. As the others followed (along with Skyfall's mysteriously now-dead body), he moved to watch the door at Trion's orders, and called out a warning when an Autobot scout showed up on his monitor. He then briefly hid with the others as Trion dealt with the scout lethally.

Unfortunately, this incident, along with Breakaway discovering that Trion lied about how Skyfall had been killed, caused Landquake and Breakaway to rebel against Trion. The sage decided to have his followers take them all captive as a result... including Topspin!

The distraught Topspin asked why he had been taken prisoner when he had been a loyal follower. Trion told him that he was no longer needed as a loyal soldier, but as a tool to be used as Trion wished, then killed. Reunification: Part 1

As Topspin tried to wrap his mind around what his leader had done, Landquake and Breakaway whispered plans of escape, though Topspin was initially bewildered at Landquake's request that he help. As Landquake dealt with his and Breakaway's captors and the two made an escape with Skyfall's body, Landquake shouted to Topspin that he had been betrayed and should follow them.

This is how Mega Man uses the Top Spin to kill Shadow Man

Topspin mulled this over and realized that Landquake was right, dealt violently with his own captor by telekinetically ripping out his ember, then followed. Once outside, Topspin asked Landquake if he would help with getting revenge on Trion and his followers for betraying his loyalty. Landquake pointed out that survival was more important, but he would help if the opportunity ever presented itself, if only to avenge Skyfall. The three then transformed and rolled out.

Millicycles later, the three were holed up in a derelict building, with Topspin and Breakaway looking to Landquake for guidance on what to do. Topspin suggested that what had happened with Alpha Trion must be a mistake and they should go back, but Landquake emphatically disagreed. Topspin protested that Trion had never led him wrong before, but Breakaway pointed out that Trion had killed Skyfall.

Topspin then said they had to do something, leading Landquake to get frustrated about being treated as a leader. Breakaway tried to give him a pep talk, but soon Topspin noticed that something strange had just happened... Reunification: Part 2

The "something strange" turned out to be their latest visitor, Aquarius, having encased them all in a slow time bubble. Aquarius explained that he was actually the one who had brought them to their current universe. Topspin pointed out that Alpha Trion had brought them there. Aquarius tried to explain that things weren't always what they seemed, but Topspin didn't understand.

Topspin and Breakaway were then pulled aside by Landquake, who complained that he didn't like Aquarius, as the alien seemed crazy and disquieting. Topspin noted they didn't exactly have any other options but to listen at the moment, though, so Landquake finally relented and asked Aquarius to explain further.

Aquarius started to explain that the Autobots were creating a dangerous superweapon called Omega Doom, and that Topspin's group and Skyfall's body would somehow be able to help, once they went to this universe's Megatron and asked after their last member. However, the rest of the explanation was postponed by Computron suddenly ripping the roof off their hideout. Reunification: Part 3

They all made a run for it once again, with Topspin carrying Skyfall's body, and Landquake reluctantly decided they needed to go to Megatron. As they made their way to the Decepticon base, Aquarius continued his explanation: He had activated a Vector Sigma recall program for a warrior to defeat Omega Doom, which had delivered Topspin's group as the response. They then almost ran into Abominus, who waved them on to continue to the base, promising to deal with Computron for them.

Once they reached the base's entrance, they were greeted and taken inside by Megatron. Landquake explained their situation, and Megatron brought out and introduced their last member, Heatwave, to them. The reunion was cut short, however, by Cyclonus assassinating Megatron on Alpha Trion's orders. Reunification: Part 4

Get that camera out of my nose!

Landquake had no idea what to do, until Breakaway suggested the three of them try to revive Megatron with Heatwave's help. As Topspin applied his powers to the body with the others, strange things started happening, leaving them all confused and disoriented. Topspin had a strange flashback, and then he and the others were transported to a strange, white, featureless place. There they were greeted by Primus, who welcomed them home, and gave the now-reunited gestalt a choice: to die, live as they currently were and eventually fade away, or be reborn as what they were meant to be. Topspin presumably chose along with the others to be "reborn", as Primus then commanded, "Arise, Nexus Prime". Reunification: Part 5

After being reborn, Nexus Prime finally entered the battle with Omega Doom he had been summoned for, as the Autobot superweapon had recently arrived. When Omega shot a missile into Cybertron's sun, Nexus Prime had to follow to repair the sun before it went nova. The part of his mind that was still Topspin wanted to stay on Cybertron to fight, but was overridden by the Skyfall and Breakaway parts of him who knew that all of Cybertron would burn unless the sun was healed. Reunification: Part 6

Topspin returned as part of Nexus Prime's components to stop Ultra Magnus from misusing the Terminus Blade. Restoration Nexus Prime brought together the Terminus Blade and the united Star Saber, using them rewrite the rules of the multiverse. Out of the One, Many

After the Shrouding, Topspin was reincarnated as a natural resident of the negative polarity universe named Spinaway, along with his teammates Heatwave, Quakebreak, Landfall, and Skytop. Working as menial laborers, Spinaway and the team seemed to have no first hand knowledge of their previous incarnation, although Aquarius apparently maintained the awareness to tell them the legend of the Prime of Combination they once were. Spinaway and his comrades desperately wanted some quest to prove they were as worthy as the original Nexus Prime, and eventually stole the shuttle Buoyancy to make their own way in the universe. Coalescence

Toys

Classics

A more literal name than it is for other Topspins.

• Topspin (Basic, 2008)
  • Accessories: Quintuple-barreled "energon" cannon, energon chip

Topspin is a redeco of Energon Stormcloud/Blackout, transforming into an assault helicopter similar to an AH-1 Cobra. He comes with a quintuple-barreled "Super Energon" cannon that forms a hand or footplate for his limb-modes, plus a Decepticon-style energon star. He can also form a leg or arm to any Energon-series "Powerlinx Combiner" super robot, but he is specifically intended to combine with Landquake, Breakaway, Skyfall, and Heatwave to form Nexus Maximus.

He was the 2008 "early bird freebie" toy exclusive to the Transformers Collectors' Club, sent to members who signed up before the deadline. Like his fellow freebies, he is also available for sale on the Club store for those who didn't make the deadline, or future members.

This mold was also used to make Universe Bruticus Maximus team members Vortex and Swindle and Revenge of the Fallen Bruticus Maximus team members Vortex and Swindle. Another planned redeco, movie Reverb, was canceled.

• More information on Topspin at TFU.info

Notes

• Although the details are somewhat vague, Topspin's TFCC indicates that he was among Jhiaxus's Cybertronians in the Marvel Generation 2 comics, and that he was lost during one of their attacks on planets they planned to terraform; Pete Sinclair, however, stated on the TFCC forums that it was "...safe to assume that he is from a G2 type Universe. Not the Marvel G2", so make of it all what you will.
• Although Topspin only features in TransTech and Shattered Glass stories, his toy is technically Classics, judging by his instructions.
• The names of the reincarnated members of Nexus Prime (sans Heatwave) are the combinations of the names of two of the original members. In Spinaway's case, his name is a combination of Topspin and Breakaway.