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 Bruticus.

Marvel Comics

Blast Off debuted in issue #24, Afterdeath. In this issue, Megatron and the Combaticons are battling Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...

 and Protectobots

Protectobots

The Protectobots are a fictional emergency, search and rescue team of five Autobots in the Transformers toyline. They transform into civilian service and emergency vehicles and combine to form the combiner Defensor...

 near a computer lab. A human named Ethan Zachary convinces the robots to settle their dispute in a video game. They agreed on the condition that whichever side lost, their leader was destroyed in the real world. The object of the game was to destroy the leader of the group. The Combaticons and Protectobots were sent to different levels of the game. In each scenario, the Combaticons would lose and the Protectobots would win. This allowed them to merge into Defensor

Defensor

Defensor, the Latin word from which Defender and its equivalents in various languages stem, may refer to:-Title or function:*Defensor civitatis, a function in the Roman and Byzantine Empire, with later imitations*defensor matrimonii, in canon law....

 and destroy the virtual Megatron. However, Megatron uses a cheat code to reenter the game. Optimus defeats Megatron again, but this time he allows innocent lives to perish. Feeling guilty, Optimus forfeits the game and orders himself destroyed.

Later on, Blast Off is knocked unconscious during a battle between the Combaticons and the Protectobots. The Protectobots had been attempting to apprehend the "renegade" Autobot, Blaster

Blaster (Transformers)

Blaster is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara Tomy and Hasbro. Due to trademark reasons, he is sometimes called Autobot Blaster...

. Together the Autobots defeat the Combaticons. Blaster and several earth kids use an unconscious and mode locked Blast Off to escape into space.

Blast Off made an appearance in the Decepticon forces under the command of Megatron in issue #7 of the Marvel Generation 2 comic series, in a story called "New Dawn." Megatron lead his Decepticons against Jhiaxus

Jhiaxus

Jhiaxus is a fictional character in the Transformers universes. He is an evil Decepticon jet.-Transformers: Generation 2:Unlike most of the notable characters in the Transformers comics, Jhiaxus is not based on a toy...

' second generation Cybertronians near the moon of Tykos. The Decepticons were defeated and Megatron left injured, presumed dead, but swearing revenge.

Animated series

Blast Off debuted in the second season episode, Starscream's Brigade. In the episode, 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...

 is banished from Decepticon Headquarters after his latest attempt on Megatron's life. He is sent to the island of Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...

 where he discovers old World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 vehicles. Starscream decides to use these to build his own army. He raids a Decepticon detention center on Cybertron and steals the personality components of several renegade Decepticons. Blast Off is placed in an old WWII bomber and the body is reformatted into a space shuttle.

Blast Off's personality shows him being aristocratic. He speaks with sort of a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 accent. His ionic blaster disrupts the electrical system's on his targets. In the series, Blast Off often became the right arm of Bruticus, with his wings becoming the chest plate. On the toy, however, the chest was a separate piece.

After Bruticus is defeated by Menasor

Menasor

Menasor is the name to several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. The original version was the combined version of the Stunticons. Since then, other characters have taken the name Menasor.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Megatron banished Starscream and the Combaticons from Earth and sent to a distant asteroid. Starscream abandons the Combaticons on the asteroid and flies off into space. Blast Off later tows the entire asteroid to Cybertron, where the Combaticons defeat Shockwave

Shockwave (Transformers)

Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...

 and take over the planet. The Combaticons attempt to exact revenge on Megatron by using the space bridge to alter Earth's orbit, sending it towards the Sun. The plot fails and Megatron captures and reprograms the Combaticons to obey him.

Blast Off was later involved in a Decepticon plot to capture the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 oil fields. Early in the episode, Blast Off shoots down Slingshot

Slingshot (Transformers)

Slingshot is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. Hasbro has not reused the name Slingshot since 1994 due to its seeming inability to trademark the name. The most recent Slingshot homage uses the names Sky Shadow and Airazor....

 forcing the Autobots to retreat. In order to prove that the Decepticons were stealing planes for their operation, Slingshot and Skydive

Skydive (Transformers)

-Transformers: Generation 1:Skydive was part of the Aerialbot team able to form a limb of the combined robot Superion.Skydive would rather read about jet fighters than be one, and is fascinated by the science of aerial warfare. He can, within the limits of his design, duplicate the flying motion of...

 remain in a hangar in their jet modes. The Arabian planenappers disassemble the two Aerialbots

Aerialbots

The Aerialbots are a group of Autobots that transform into aircraft and combine to form the giant robot Superion. They were introduced into the Transformers toyline in 1985 and sold as a Superion gift set, and then sold separately in 1986 in most department stores...

 and store their parts in laundry trucks. Blast Off opens the truck to inspect the parts, but orders them scrapped when Slingshot fakes a short circuit. Later on, the Aerialbots arrive on the scene and the Decepticons use their new jet drones to attack them. Blast Off is assigned three of these jets. However, these drones proved to be no match for the Aerialbots and are destroyed.

Later in the third season, Blast Off comes into contact with a Scuxxoid, who was seen shooting a weird weapon. The alien tells him that the weapon uses Death Crystals, a powerful energy source that grows on a monster names Chaos. Blast Off and Runamuck decide to test the weapon on the Autobot Sky Lynx

Sky Lynx

Sky Lynx is the name of several different characters in the fictional Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Sky Lynx consists of two separate components: a space shuttle that can transform into a bird-like creature , and a ground transport vehicle,...

, punching holes into his armor, forcing the Autobots to retreat.

Blast Off made various other appearances as a member of the Combaticons, throughout the remainder of the series, as well as in the Japanese series Transformers: Headmasters

Dreamwave Productions

Dreamwave Productions

Dreamwave 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...

' 21st century re-imagining of the Generation 1 universe took its inspiration for the Combaticons from the original animated series, casting them as Decepticon prisoners who were reduced to protoform stasis because they were too dangerous to be released.

Onslaught, Brawl, Blast Off and Vortex originally appeared as part of Shockwave

Shockwave (Transformers)

Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...

's attack on Iacon in the first War Within series. At the same time Swindle was with Starscream, Motormaster, Runabout and Runamuck after Starscream head sent Megatron and Optimus Prime down further into the depths of Cybertron.

Later, when Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...

 led a rebellion against Shockwave's domination of Cybertron in 2003, 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...

 took the opportunity to form a power base, taking the protoform Combaticons to Earth and outfitting them with new alternate modes taken from an abandoned military base, then leading them in an attack on the Ark

Ark (Transformers)

The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the Transformers Universe. It has appeared as a central fixture of the Transformers storyline ever since its creation, as the Autobots main method of transport to Earth and as a base once they arrive....

 in order to acquire parts to make the Decepticon space cruiser, the Nemesis, space worthy. Confronted in battle by Brawn

Brawn (Transformers)

Brawn is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. All are tough Autobots who turn into offroad vehicles.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Bruticus was caught in an explosion as Ratchet

Ratchet (Transformers)

Ratchet is the name of several characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ratchet was named after the character of Nurse Ratched from the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The name Ratchet is almost always portrayed as...

 self-destructed the Ark, but he survived the conflagration, only to be knocked out by artillery fire from an incoming Autobot shuttle. After a battle with the evil clone, Sunstorm

Sunstorm (Transformers)

Sunstorm is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. Sunstorm is always a Decepticon allied jet who is yellow or orange in color.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Brawn opted to work out some of his stress on Bruticus's unconscious body, punching the gestalt about the head until his comrades yelled at him to stop. Bruticus would return, battling Sky Lynx

Sky Lynx

Sky Lynx is the name of several different characters in the fictional Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Sky Lynx consists of two separate components: a space shuttle that can transform into a bird-like creature , and a ground transport vehicle,...

 for Starscream's amusement - until the Predacons appeared in their combined form of Predaking. The two gestalts battled as Starscream fled and Bruticus lost. The ultimate fate of the Combaticons in the Dreamwave universe was not revealed, due to the company's closure.

IDW Publishing

Banzai-Tron, Gutcruncher, Axer and the Combaticons help Arcee

Arcee

Arcee is the name of a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. She is a female Autobot, usually pink in color. Being the most famous of the Female Transformers, she has two primary forms...

 attempt to recapture Monstructor.

Fun Publications

Nine million years in the past on Cybertron, Blast Off is assigned to the Autobot Elite Guard Combaticon unit, designed to seek out and stop the leadership of the Decepticon forces.

The Elite Guard Alpha Team and Strike Team did battle against a horde of ferrovorous bugs in one of Cybertron's city-states. Magnum then ordered the Strike Team to escort the Alpha Team to Space Port Bravo for their next mission. The Strike Team then reported to Magnum and Sentinel Major, who introduced them to the new Elite Guard Special-Ops Team, also called the Combaticons.

While on patrol Onslaught told Metalhawk the story of how his Elite Guard team captured Thunderwing

Thunderwing

Thunderwing is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. Introduced in 1989, he was a major villain in the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Although Thunderwing was created after the US Transformers television series ended, the character of Black Shadow did appear in...

. Metalhawk then told Onslaught about how his team captured Blue Bacchus. The teams of Elite Guardsmen then came across a Decepticon who was separated from his group. Brawl was able to get the location of a Decepticon base from the captive before he went offline. The Guard teams fround the base and were able to kill Shadowcaster, the base's leader. Metalhawk's team reported to Magnum, but the Combaticons stayed to investigate, Onslaught thinking their victory was too easy. They were captured by Decepticons.

He later became a Decepticon.

Metalhawk and his Strike Team were searching for Decepticons when they ran into a crazy "empty" who ranted about the coming of the "brute". They received a distress signal from Sentinel Major ordering all Elite Guard units to return base. When Metalhawk's team arrived at the base Ricochet told them of a Decepticon attack. Among the attackers are the Combaticions, but when Sentinel Major orders them to surrender, they combine into Bruticus and crush Sentinel Major.

When most of the members of the Autobot Elite Guard confronted Bruticus they were nearly wiped out, with Bruticus killing most of the Guard. Dion was able to blind Bruticus, forcing it to separate into the Combaticons, but the Combaticons finished off most of the remaining Guard, including Metalhawk, who was killed by Onslaught. This left only Dion alive, buried in the rubble, and Thunderclash's team, which was off planet at the time.

Toys

• Generation 1 Blast Off (1986)

The Blast Off figure was recolored and redistributed in the Robots in Disguise toy line as Movor.

• Generation 1 Kabaya Gum Blast Off & Swindle (1986)

Part of the original gum toy series by Kabaya

Kabaya

is a Japanese confectionery company. Its products include Roxy Hazelnuts....

 and bundled with Swindle. Two additional packs (Onslaught and Vortex & Brawl) are needed to complete Bruticus. Each package comes with a stick of chewing gum and an easy-to-assemble kit. The completed robot looks and transforms almost the same as the larger, original Takara version, but is molded in white instead of brown.

• Generation 2 Blast Off

The Blast Off figure was recolored and redistributed in the Generation 2 toy line.

• Universe Generation 1 Series Scout Blast Off (2009)

A redeco of Energon Kickback and Blight.

Transformers: Energon

Blast Off was the Japanese name for Energon Blackout

Blackout (Transformers)

Blackout is the name of several different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Blackout was one of a team of two Micromaster Combiners. They came with a Gepard air defense vehicle that could transform to a base...

, who transformed into an attack helicopter.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Little is known about this version of Blast Off yet. He is a Decepticon astronaut.

Toys

• Revenge of the Fallen Scout Blast Off (2009)

A repackage of the toy previously released as Universe Blast Off in other countries, this toy was released as a Target store exclusive in the U.S. as part of the Revenge of the Fallen toy line. This toy was in turn a redeco of the mold used for Energon Kickback and Blight and Timelines Landquake

Landquake

Landquake is the name to two different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Energon:In the animated series, Landmine was evolved by Primus into a new form. In Japan, this was an upgrade which was reflected in the show, where he was called Landmine Supermode. ...

.