This gallery contains 12 photos.
Whirl Joins The Crew
Tag: Whirl
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 26
A description or sketch for a human version of one of the characters
You know, I never really thought about this until I saw this day’s topic. Well, there was Cybertronian Homesick Blues, where the bots take on Super Intuitive holomatter Avatars which essentially answers this question for a few.
One of Brainstorms few non-weapon projects.
I thought the characterization was right on – Rewind has the video camera, Skids’ ID card is blank (like his memory), Rung and Swerve are unmistakable, Tailgate is a baby (since he has been offline nearly the entire 6 million years of his life) and Whirl has an eyepatch (so he only has a single useful eye) and guns. Bonus points for the eyepatch on Whirl’s Autobot badge!
I didn’t include Ultra Magnus here since his avatar was simply a representation of Verity Carlo and not of his personality. But you know, it would be interesting to see whether it would end up representing the Ultra Magnus we know and love or Minimus Ambus – the guy in the suit.
Finally, we were treated to Ratchet’s avatar back when he was on Delphi, albeit a corrupted version.
It’s actually pretty accurate since Ratchet was corroding at the time.
Of course, this is far from a new concept. We can go all the way back to the original G1 comics for the first look at holomatter avatars. Here’s a shot of mine from Transformers Issue #14:
After all these years, I still do.
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 21
A Tragic Character
Empurata is a terrible crime that was used all too often by the old Senate. This is but one of many things which brought about the Great War. It was used as a way to publicly shame anyone that disagreed with the Senate by removing their heads and hands and replacing them with the cyclops, claw hands look. Whirl is one such victim.
Whirl had, and still has, a flight-capable alt-mode. During the time of the Senate and the Functionists, this meant that his lot in life was to use that flight capability to the greater benefit of all of Cybertron. It is unclear what his exact flight duties were in the Aerial Corps, but it is known that he was one of the lucky ones to change to a job that was not related to his alt-mode. His chosen profession was a chronosmith – a watchmaker.
I hope he didn’t make Tailgate’s malfunctioning Chronometer.
When he had nothing left to lose, the Senate took his identity by removing his head and hands in an effort to persuade him to join their cause. As he has said, it is very convincing. Before too long, Whirl was working a Senate enforcer and was sent to deliver a message to a certain miner from Tarn who had been wrongly arrested for a barfight that he had not participated in, but was simply at the bar. It would be known years later that this “message” had turned the miner from a peaceful, freedom-fighter who preferred to use words to bring about change into the tyrant that we all know as Megatron, founder and leader of the Decepticons.
As the war loomed near, Whirl’s former commander, Orion Pax, now Optimus Prime, invited Whirl to join the Autobot cause. He did, but he has never been able to release the anger that Empurata and the actions of the Senate has poisoned him with.
He’s only happy when he’s mad!
He behaves irrationally and violently in nearly every circumstance and shows very little regard for the well being or feelings of others. Truly, Whirl’s actions are more befitting those of a Decepticon than an Autobot, but in war, it can be difficult to determine exactly who the “good guys” really are.
At the end of the day, when Whirl is alone and does not feel the need to maintain his tough-guy image with absurd levels of bravado, he is left alone with his thoughts and his one true longing.
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 11
One of your favorite pieces of dialogue.
Whirl always provides great dialog. This is a great example of his enthusiasm for fighting. Even though he wouldn’t be in the fight, he apparently likes to watch fighting just as much. The only time he’s been more excited was right before the crew dropped down to Temptoria to go battle some ‘Cons.
Fight? Pretty please?
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 8
A Badass Scene
How do you choose just one? How about pick the scenes that the other bots in the story thought were badass?
When Orion Pax said he’d “drop by”, this is not what I expected.
Swerve and Tailgate are certainly fans of this one; Whirl, not so much. But then again it’s Whirl – he’s pretty badass himself. He’s just hard to impress.
“But wait,” you say, “that’s in a story being told by Chromedome! That doesn’t count!” Well I say it does! But to play by another set of rules in which flashbacks don’t count, try this on for size:
Sparkeater onboard? Cool.
Drift and Skids are clearly Rodimus fanbots on this one, though Rung seems unimpressed. Actually, I think he’s just in shock after having just been used for bait. You just can’t please everyone, even if you’re Rodimus.
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 6
Best Issue So Far
There are so many great issues in this series, it’s difficult to pick just one as the best. I’m going with issue #13 – Cybertronian Homesick Blues.
Can you guess who’s who?
This issue is told mostly through flashback from the viewpoint of Swerve as he’s sending a message to Blurr, back on Cybertron. We first see some commotion coming from Cyclonus and Tailgate’s room and find out that it was just Cyclonus singing in Old Cybertronian.
Then the crew gets to go on shore leave to relax a little bit, even though Ultra Magnus doesn’t recognize that as a word. Naturally, hijinks ensue. We get to see their new Super Intuitive holomatter Avatars which are supposed to reflect the users’ psyches. For some it’s expected like Rung, Swerve and Rewind. I think the best, by far, was Whirl’s.
A hyperactive child with an eye patch and guns -unmistakably Whirl.
Then, the combined efforts of Whirl (intentional) and Swerve (unintentional) get Ultra Magnus passed-out drunk! It’s great because of the reactions of everyone and the dialog between Ultra Magnus and Swerve. This is where we learn quite a bit more about both of these characters and what makes them tick.
As the night comes to a close and Ultra Magnus is passed out again, the crew needs to find a way to get him back and how they do is nothing short of hilarious.
I hope Rewind’s not recording this!
A special bonus prose story at the end of the issue describes what the others were doing while Swerve was left alone with Ultra Magnus – browsing in the gift shop – and a section with Rung talking with Ultra Magnus including the latter’s failed attempts at humor.
30 Day MTMTE Challenge – Day 3
Favorite Pairing
This was a little tough since there are so many great pairings in MTMTE – Chromedome and Rewind, Cyclonus and Tailgate, Rodimus and Drift – but I think the one that I like best is Whirl and Cyclonus.
Even the spilled energon is complementary!
There has been nothing but tension in this relationship and, even though they have come to respect each other through many shared battles, I don’t see that tension ending any time soon. It certainly makes for entertaining reading. When is Cyclonus going to make good on his threat to kill Whirl? What insane thing is Whirl going to do next to try to beat Cyclonus to the punch? Sure they made up after the battle on Luna 1, but there has to still be some animosity, or at least uneasiness, deep inside each one. I hope Cyclonus makes it back from the Dead Universe when Dark Cybertron is over because I will really miss this pairing if he doesn’t.
Watch your step!