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Blackout (Transformers)
Encyclopedia
Blackout is the name of several different fictional character
s in the various Transformers universes
.
air defense vehicle that could transform to a base. Because Blackout and his partner Spaceshot are regularly pictured together and that they are amongst the lesser-known Micromasters, the exact identity of each Transformer is regularly mistaken for the other.
' Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye series. His bio painted him as a brave Decepticon warrior, but liable to flee if the odds turned against him. Only Spaceshot's disapproval often keeps this from happening.
Blackout's bio painted him as aggressive and independent—something which contrasts with Demolishor
's blind loyalty to Megatron. He would voice his thoughts and feelings, even at the risk of a severe beating.
. He was able to combine with his team to form a limb of the giant robot, Bruticus Maximus.
. As with all of the Energon combiner limbs, Blackout has a twin brother on his team—Stormcloud. Their energon weapons were a cannon and a pair of guns. In the Japanese series, each member had the name of a Generation 1 Combaticon—Blackout's name was Blast Off
.
was released later showing the art that would have been used with Blackout's profile.
, after the Generation 1 Combaticon. Possibly due to Hasbro's lack of a trademark on the name Vortex, they changed the name to Blackout. Blackout has had various names before being finalized—Soundwave
, Vortex
and Incinerator
; all names have been used on a Transformers toy at some point before. Leaked concept art for the character had the name "Incinerator" on it.
Blackout transforms into an Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low
helicopter. According to screenwriters Roberto Orci
and Alex Kurtzman
, Blackout is the largest Decepticon, serving as transportation for the other group members. He is armed with a missile launcher, 2 arm-mounted Gatling cannons, 2 energy cannons and has the ability to disrupt electronic devices via EMP
blasts. He is also able to detach and wield his tail rotor blades as a close-combat weapon. According to the book Transformers: The Movie Universe, Blackout's rotor weapon can spin at 6,000 rpm and is reinforced with toughened cobalt. When out of vehicle mode his main rotors fold into two sets of three onto his back, giving him the appearance of having wings. When in helicopter mode he can simulate the appearance of a human pilot, the same holographic model (referred to as "Mustache Man" on-set and in the credits) that "pilots" Starscream
and "drives" Barricade. Blackout can carry Scorponok on his back, as seen in both the film and the game.
According to his profile in the second issue of the U.K. Transformers magazine, Blackout stands 33 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 2.9 tons and has a maximum speed of 800 mph. The official guide to the Transformers video game says he's 33 feet tall. Both of these heights are much smaller than his alternate mode would suggest, and seem to contradict what Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman said about his size. However, in the video game's profile for him, it states that he is often seen "silently looming over Megatron's shoulder" indicating that he would have to be taller than Megatron, and therefore taller than 33 feet. His exact height seems to be a mystery. As size calculations from the Voyager class toy suggests, his height should be about 55 feet tall. Oddly the book Ghosts of Yesterday described him as being smaller than Optimus Prime, who is officially described as 28 feet tall.
, where he was the most vocal critic of Starscream
's leadership. When Starscream left to destroy Bumblebee
, Blackout seized the initiative and led Bonecrusher
, Scorponok and Frenzy
in an assault on the Autobots, attacking Prime. He failed, and eventually challenged Starscream to a duel for leadership of the Decepticons, which he lost.
The book Transformers - Meet The Decepticons by Jennifer Frantz had a slightly different ending than the movie. This book had all six Decepticons leaving Earth together after being defeated by the Autobots, instead of having most of their numbers die.
The back cover to children's book "Transformers Prime Time" by Michael Teitelbaum
called Blackout by his earlier name Vortex on the back cover, but used Blackout in the book.
. In issue #2 he sided with Megatron in his decision to counter-attack Cybertron's invaders and was among the fleet that attacked their ships.
Blackout also appeared in IDW Publishing
's movie prequel comic
, where he, Starscream and Barricade smashed up the Mars
Beagle 2
probe. In issue 4, he traveled to Earth, where he gained his MH-53 helicopter mode in Afghanistan
and destroyed the scanned vehicle. The three Decepticons, detecting emissions similar to that of the Allspark, then stumbled onto Sector 7's trap for Bumblebee, wiping out their military backup. Blackout tried to access Sector 7's computers, but could only glean a few bits of information before they shut it down. After Barricade outlined his plan to follow Bumblebee and see what they could find out, Blackout and Starscream tailed him from the air.
In Transformers: Alliance #2 the bodies of Brawl, Blackout and Megatron are seen being loaded onto trucks at the Nevada desert for disposal in the ocean.
(and first Transformer) to be seen. Early in the film, he, along with his minion
Scorponok, attacks the SOCCENT Forward Operations Centre in Qatar
, disguised as a MH-53M Pave Low IV
helicopter, tail number 4500 X, that was apparently shot down over Afghanistan
three months earlier. Blackout is escorted to the base by two F-22 jet fighters, where he transforms and single-handedly destroys the whole base. During his attack, he attempts to hack into the base's system to download data on the location of the Allspark and Megatron, only to have the hardline to the system cut off by a military officer. He then deploys Scorponok, sending him after a fleeing Captain William Lennox and his team. Later, Blackout is seen rallying with the other Decepticons to Starscream
's call, after Frenzy discovers the Allspark in the Hoover Dam
. Arriving in Mission City during the final battle, Blackout attacks Sam, who is saved by the timely intervention of Ironhide
. Later he attempts to kill Sam with his rotor weapon. Towards the end of the battle he attempts to help Megatron finish off Optimus Prime; however, he is attacked by Captain Lennox and his team, the former racing underneath him on a motorcycle and firing at him with a sable round, along with human pilots in F-22s firing a barrage of missiles from the air, eventually killing him. (The events of "Starscream's Militia" and Alliance issue #2 occur next.) His corpse is disposed of in the Laurentian Abyss
, along with Megatron and the other fallen Decepticons.
Blackout appeared in issue #7 if the Transformers Titan Magazine in a story called "Starscream's Militia". He was seemingly brought to life by Starscream using the sparks of Allspark mutations. He was immediately killed again by the Autobots.
Blackout appears in issue #22 of the Titan Transformers Magazine series in a story called "The Decepticon who Haunted Himself."
Blackout appears as a playable character in the Decepticon campaign. He stands very tall over the other Transformers and is very powerful. In the Autobot campaign, Jazz has to defeat both Starscream and Blackout, seemingly killing them. However, Jazz himself is killed by Brawl, who in turn is killed by Ironhide. In the Decepticon campaign, Blackout is used in many missions, but is eventually killed by the traitorous Starscream with a single shot to the upper chest.
.
Blackout is a living legend who has destroyed Omega Sentinel
s. He is also the largest Decepticon ever seen. He can emit shockwaves from his feet that can shut down (and reactivate) machinery.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s in the various Transformers universes
Transformers universes
is an entertainment franchise. It began with the Hasbro Transformers toy line, centered on two factions of warring alien robots which are called the Autobots and the Decepticons...
.
Transformers: Generation 1
Blackout was one of a team of two Micromaster Combiners. They came with a GepardFlugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard
The Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard is an autonomous, all-weather-capable German self-propelled anti-aircraft gun . It was developed in the 1960s and fielded in the 1970s, and has been upgraded several times with the latest electronics...
air defense vehicle that could transform to a base. Because Blackout and his partner Spaceshot are regularly pictured together and that they are amongst the lesser-known Micromasters, the exact identity of each Transformer is regularly mistaken for the other.
Dreamwave Productions
Blackout has never appeared in Transformers fiction, except for a profile in Dreamwave ProductionsDreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers comic book series...
' Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye series. His bio painted him as a brave Decepticon warrior, but liable to flee if the odds turned against him. Only Spaceshot's disapproval often keeps this from happening.
Transformers: Armada
Blackout is the Mini-Con partner of Demolishor.Dreamwave Productions
Blackout appeared among the Mini-Cons in issue #18 of the Transformers: Armada comic book who aided Over-Run using the Mini-Con Matrix in the defeat of Unicron.Blackout's bio painted him as aggressive and independent—something which contrasts with Demolishor
Demolishor
Demolishor is the name of several different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Armada:Demolishor is one of the earliest created Decepticons of the toyline; and in the storyline, also one of the first to come to Earth from his homeworld - the fictional planet...
's blind loyalty to Megatron. He would voice his thoughts and feelings, even at the risk of a severe beating.
Toys
- Armada Mini-Con Blackout (2002)
- Blackout was one of the first-released Mini-Cons that were included with a larger Transformer. Blackout was able to attach to DemolishorDemolishorDemolishor is the name of several different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Armada:Demolishor is one of the earliest created Decepticons of the toyline; and in the storyline, also one of the first to come to Earth from his homeworld - the fictional planet...
to form the front section of the Decepticon's tank mode, or he was able to sit on the seat on Demolishor's back. When attached to a special Mini-Con port, he can fire Demolishor's shoulder missiles.
- Armada Mini-Con Powerlinx Blackout
- He was later recolored when Demolishor received his Powerlinx upgrade.
- Armada Built to Rule Blackout (2003–2004)
- Blackout was also part of the Built to RuleBuilt to RuleBuilt to Rule was a building blocks toyline from Hasbro that is compatible with such leading brands as Lego. These sets were released from 2003 to 2005.Sets are usually based upon existing toys and characters from the Hasbro brand, such as Tonka, G.I. Joe and Transformers: Armada...
toy line, again as Demolishor's partner, and during 2004, he was recolored with a 'Night Attack' scheme which was not based on an existing Transformers toy. In the JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese series, Blackout was named Search and later Spark Search when he was recolored.
- Energon Mini-Con Blackout (2004)
- Ten years after the events in Armada, Demolishor retained his original form, only with a new color scheme. Blackout also received a new color scheme to match Demolishor's. However, Blackout did not appear in the Energon animated series. Blackout did not reappear when the Armada Demolishor toy was repainted for Transformers: CybertronTransformers: CybertronTransformers: Cybertron, known in Japan originally as , is the 2005-2007 Transformers toy line and animated series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara...
.
Transformers: Energon
Blackout was a member of the Decepticon Destruction Team and transformed into a helicopterHelicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. He was able to combine with his team to form a limb of the giant robot, Bruticus Maximus.
Animated series
In the Energon animated series, Blackout was a seemingly non-sentient drone commanded by team leader, BarricadeBarricade (Transformers)
Barricade is the name of four fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Barricade first featured in 1990 as part of a Decepticon race track patrol team, his vehicle mode being a Formula One racing car....
. As with all of the Energon combiner limbs, Blackout has a twin brother on his team—Stormcloud. Their energon weapons were a cannon and a pair of guns. In the Japanese series, each member had the name of a Generation 1 Combaticon—Blackout's name was Blast Off
Blast Off (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:Although Blast Off appears to be a cruel and ruthless opponent to the Autobots and a snob to his fellow Combaticons, he is in reality somewhat lonely, as his missions in space shuttle mode leave him feeling isolated. Combines with fellow Combaticons to form...
.
Dreamwave Productions
Although the Transformers: Energon comic book series by Dreamwave Productions was canceled before Blackout could appear in them, the Energon "More Than Meets The Eye" guide book was under development at the time. Pencil art by Guido GuidiGuido Guidi
Guido Guidi is an Italian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work on Transformers comics.-Dreamwave Productions:A longtime Transformers fan, Guidi was brought in by Dreamwave Productions to be artist for their Transformers: Armada comic, doing issues #8-13 and returning for...
was released later showing the art that would have been used with Blackout's profile.
Toys
- Energon Basic Blackout (2005)
- Shared a mold with Storm Cloud. Later redecoed into Timelines TopspinTopspin (Transformers)Topspin is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. Due to legal issues, later incarnations of the character are called Autobot Topspin.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
.
Transformers
Early leaked scripts of the 2007 live-action film had a Decepticon helicopter named VortexVortex (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:Vortex is the most out-and-out sadistic of the Combaticons, and functions as their interrogator. A favorite tactic of his is to trap Autobots in the huge wind funnels he creates in helicopter mode until they tell him what he wants to know. He combines with fellow...
, after the Generation 1 Combaticon. Possibly due to Hasbro's lack of a trademark on the name Vortex, they changed the name to Blackout. Blackout has had various names before being finalized—Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Vortex
Vortex (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:Vortex is the most out-and-out sadistic of the Combaticons, and functions as their interrogator. A favorite tactic of his is to trap Autobots in the huge wind funnels he creates in helicopter mode until they tell him what he wants to know. He combines with fellow...
and Incinerator
Incinerator (Transformers)
Incinerator is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Armada:Incinerator is the name of the Mini-Con Partner to Armada Blurr.-Animated series:...
; all names have been used on a Transformers toy at some point before. Leaked concept art for the character had the name "Incinerator" on it.
MH-53 Pave Low
The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low series is a long-range combat search and rescue helicopter for the United States Air Force. The series was upgraded from the HH-53B/C, variants of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion. The HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant" was initially developed to replace the HH-3 "Jolly...
helicopter. According to screenwriters Roberto Orci
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orci is a Mexican-American film producer, television producer, and screenwriter.-Biography:Orci was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. His mother had left Cuba for Mexico after Fidel Castro came to power. He is the older brother of screenwriter-producer J....
and Alex Kurtzman
Alex Kurtzman
Alex Kurtzman is an American film and television screenwriter and producer.Kurtzman was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where he met his high school friend and long time collaborator Roberto Orci...
, Blackout is the largest Decepticon, serving as transportation for the other group members. He is armed with a missile launcher, 2 arm-mounted Gatling cannons, 2 energy cannons and has the ability to disrupt electronic devices via EMP
Electromagnetic pulse
An electromagnetic pulse is a burst of electromagnetic radiation. The abrupt pulse of electromagnetic radiation usually results from certain types of high energy explosions, especially a nuclear explosion, or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field...
blasts. He is also able to detach and wield his tail rotor blades as a close-combat weapon. According to the book Transformers: The Movie Universe, Blackout's rotor weapon can spin at 6,000 rpm and is reinforced with toughened cobalt. When out of vehicle mode his main rotors fold into two sets of three onto his back, giving him the appearance of having wings. When in helicopter mode he can simulate the appearance of a human pilot, the same holographic model (referred to as "Mustache Man" on-set and in the credits) that "pilots" Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
and "drives" Barricade. Blackout can carry Scorponok on his back, as seen in both the film and the game.
According to his profile in the second issue of the U.K. Transformers magazine, Blackout stands 33 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 2.9 tons and has a maximum speed of 800 mph. The official guide to the Transformers video game says he's 33 feet tall. Both of these heights are much smaller than his alternate mode would suggest, and seem to contradict what Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman said about his size. However, in the video game's profile for him, it states that he is often seen "silently looming over Megatron's shoulder" indicating that he would have to be taller than Megatron, and therefore taller than 33 feet. His exact height seems to be a mystery. As size calculations from the Voyager class toy suggests, his height should be about 55 feet tall. Oddly the book Ghosts of Yesterday described him as being smaller than Optimus Prime, who is officially described as 28 feet tall.
Books
Blackout appeared in the prequel novel, Transformers: Ghosts of YesterdayTransformers: Ghosts of Yesterday
Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday, is a prequel novel to the Michael Bay Transformers film. It was written by Alan Dean Foster, based on a story by David Cian.-Plot summary:...
, where he was the most vocal critic of Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
's leadership. When Starscream left to destroy Bumblebee
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, Blackout seized the initiative and led Bonecrusher
Bonecrusher (Transformers)
Bonecrusher is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Bonecrusher is a member of the Constructicons. He is a brawler by nature and specialises in demolitions work...
, Scorponok and Frenzy
Frenzy (Transformers)
Frenzy is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
in an assault on the Autobots, attacking Prime. He failed, and eventually challenged Starscream to a duel for leadership of the Decepticons, which he lost.
The book Transformers - Meet The Decepticons by Jennifer Frantz had a slightly different ending than the movie. This book had all six Decepticons leaving Earth together after being defeated by the Autobots, instead of having most of their numbers die.
The back cover to children's book "Transformers Prime Time" by Michael Teitelbaum
Michael Teitelbaum
Michael S. Teitelbaum is a demographer at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York City.He publishes on immigration issues in both the popular and academic press and served as Commissioner to the U.S. Commission for the Study of International Migration and Cooperative Economic Development and...
called Blackout by his earlier name Vortex on the back cover, but used Blackout in the book.
IDW Publishing
Blackout appeared in Transformers: Defiance by IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
. In issue #2 he sided with Megatron in his decision to counter-attack Cybertron's invaders and was among the fleet that attacked their ships.
Blackout also appeared in IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
's movie prequel comic
Transformers: Movie Prequel
Transformers: Movie Prequel, published by IDW Publishing, is a 2007 comic book limited series that serves as a prequel to the 2007 film Transformers. It is written by Simon Furman and IDW editor-in-chief Chris Ryall, who was allowed to read the film's script, and penciled by artist Don Figueroa...
, where he, Starscream and Barricade smashed up the Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
Beagle 2
Beagle 2
Beagle 2 was an unsuccessful British landing spacecraft that formed part of the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express mission. All contact with it was lost upon its separation from the Mars Express six days before its scheduled entry into the atmosphere...
probe. In issue 4, he traveled to Earth, where he gained his MH-53 helicopter mode in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and destroyed the scanned vehicle. The three Decepticons, detecting emissions similar to that of the Allspark, then stumbled onto Sector 7's trap for Bumblebee, wiping out their military backup. Blackout tried to access Sector 7's computers, but could only glean a few bits of information before they shut it down. After Barricade outlined his plan to follow Bumblebee and see what they could find out, Blackout and Starscream tailed him from the air.
In Transformers: Alliance #2 the bodies of Brawl, Blackout and Megatron are seen being loaded onto trucks at the Nevada desert for disposal in the ocean.
Movie plot
In the 2007 live-action film, Blackout is the first active DecepticonDecepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
(and first Transformer) to be seen. Early in the film, he, along with his minion
Henchman
Henchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
Scorponok, attacks the SOCCENT Forward Operations Centre in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, disguised as a MH-53M Pave Low IV
MH-53 Pave Low
The Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low series is a long-range combat search and rescue helicopter for the United States Air Force. The series was upgraded from the HH-53B/C, variants of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion. The HH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant" was initially developed to replace the HH-3 "Jolly...
helicopter, tail number 4500 X, that was apparently shot down over Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
three months earlier. Blackout is escorted to the base by two F-22 jet fighters, where he transforms and single-handedly destroys the whole base. During his attack, he attempts to hack into the base's system to download data on the location of the Allspark and Megatron, only to have the hardline to the system cut off by a military officer. He then deploys Scorponok, sending him after a fleeing Captain William Lennox and his team. Later, Blackout is seen rallying with the other Decepticons to Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
's call, after Frenzy discovers the Allspark in the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
. Arriving in Mission City during the final battle, Blackout attacks Sam, who is saved by the timely intervention of Ironhide
Ironhide
Ironhide is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ironhide was named after the television series Ironside.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. Later he attempts to kill Sam with his rotor weapon. Towards the end of the battle he attempts to help Megatron finish off Optimus Prime; however, he is attacked by Captain Lennox and his team, the former racing underneath him on a motorcycle and firing at him with a sable round, along with human pilots in F-22s firing a barrage of missiles from the air, eventually killing him. (The events of "Starscream's Militia" and Alliance issue #2 occur next.) His corpse is disposed of in the Laurentian Abyss
Laurentian Abyss
The Laurentian Abyss is an underwater depression off the eastern coast of Canada in the Atlantic Ocean. Not a trench, but more of an "underwater valley", it is estimated to be at most ~6,000 meters in depth...
, along with Megatron and the other fallen Decepticons.
Titan Magazines
Note: Information in italics occur in the alternate storyline where Megatron won the battle for the Allspark.Blackout appeared in issue #7 if the Transformers Titan Magazine in a story called "Starscream's Militia". He was seemingly brought to life by Starscream using the sparks of Allspark mutations. He was immediately killed again by the Autobots.
Blackout appears in issue #22 of the Titan Transformers Magazine series in a story called "The Decepticon who Haunted Himself."
Video games
In the Transformers: Decepticons video game, a conversation between Brawl and Blackout reveals that he and other Decepticons were responsible for destroying the Autobot city Tyger Pax.Blackout appears as a playable character in the Decepticon campaign. He stands very tall over the other Transformers and is very powerful. In the Autobot campaign, Jazz has to defeat both Starscream and Blackout, seemingly killing them. However, Jazz himself is killed by Brawl, who in turn is killed by Ironhide. In the Decepticon campaign, Blackout is used in many missions, but is eventually killed by the traitorous Starscream with a single shot to the upper chest.
Toys
All toys of this character are officially licensed from Sikorsky AircraftSikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
.
- Transformers Legends Blackout (2007)
- A 3-inch micro-sized Legends version of Blackout features a simple transformation and two free-spinning blades.
- Transformers Fast Action Battlers Gyro Blade Blackout (2007)
- A Deluxe-sized toy with simplified transformation for younger children.
- Transformers Voyager Blackout (2007)
- Features a spinning set of blades, whose mount can be removed to form a spinning-blade weapon for the robot mode. It also includes a small, non-transforming ScorponokScorponokScorponok is the name shared by several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons that turn into Scorpoins.- Transformers: Generation 1:...
figure with a spring-tail that can be dropped from a basket in Blackout's helicopter mode. In vehicle mode, Blackout can combine with the Deluxe Class movie Scorponok figure (sold separately) in a combined gimmick: rotating Blackout's rotors will cause Scorponok's claws to spin. Blackout lacks the arm-mounted weapons seen in the film, but his robot mode does have sculpted missiles detailed on its shoulders. It is the smallest Voyager-class sized figure, despite his actual size in the movie being larger than the others. The figure has features based on a concept art image rather than the actual character from the movie. - This toy's fuselage is 25 centimeters long, while an actual Pavelow helicopter is 2235 centimeters long. This gives it a scale of about 1/89. With a robot toy height of 19 centimeters, Blackout should stand about 55 feet tall.
- This toy was later remolded into the Autobot Evac.
- A 2-pack called "Desert Attack" was released in 2007 at Toys "R" Us with both Voyager Blackout and Deluxe Scorponok.
- Transformers Legends Desert Blackout (2008)
- A redeco of Movie Legends Blackout.
- Transformers Premium Voyager Blackout (2008)
- A redeco of the Voyager Blackout with more movie-accurate detailing in vehicle mode.
- Revenge of the Fallen Titanium 3 inch Blackout (2009)
- A repackage of the same toy from the 2007 movie toy line. He squares off against Ratchet.
- Revenge of the Fallen Robot Heroes Optimus Prime vs. Blackout (2009)
- Small non-transforming figures which are targeted for smaller children. Optimus Prime vs Blackout.
- Dark of the Moon Cyberverse Commander Blackout with Scorponok (2011)
- A new Commander Class mold.
Non-transforming merchandise
- Transformers Blackout RC Helicopter (2007)
- A RadioShackRadioShackRadioShack Corporation is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown...
exclusive, this radio-controlled helicopterRadio-controlled helicopterRadio-controlled helicopters are model aircraft which are distinct from RC airplanes because of the differences in construction, aerodynamics, and flight training...
flies up to a range of 25 feet and is rechargeable using the supplied helipad. link
Transformers Animated
Animated Blackout is a character who appeared in season 3 of the Transformers Animated series. He is a homage to the 2007 movie version of the character and incorporates the insect-like style of the movie Decepticons into his robot mode.Blackout is a living legend who has destroyed Omega Sentinel
Omega Sentinel
Omega Sentinel can refer to:*A Marvel Comics character more commonly called Karima Shapandar.*A Transformers: Energon character related to Omega Supreme....
s. He is also the largest Decepticon ever seen. He can emit shockwaves from his feet that can shut down (and reactivate) machinery.
Animated series
He was seen in the season three episode "Transwarped" where he is a member of Strika's Team Chaar. He was shown to be powerful, but also somewhat dimwitted as unintentionally shut down the Space Bridge his group took for a few seconds.Fun Publications
Blackout's biography was printed in issue #24 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine.Toys
- Animated Voyager Blackout (unreleased)
- A new Voyager sized mold, which transforms into an Earth helicopter. The tail rotor becomes a spinning disc launcher in robot mode. Like Lugnut, Blackout is among the shortest in robot height among all the Voyager Class figures in the Animated line.
- Animated TA-20 Voyager Blackout (Takara Tomy) (2010)
- While the figure was never sold in the U.S, it was released in Japan in 2010 by Takara TomyTakara Tomyis a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
. This version sports darker shades of colors and is more detailed than the unreleased Hasbro version.