Rad is a human from the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.
Bradley "Rad" White is your typical kid who's the son of brilliant scientists. He likes to ride his bike, he likes to explore caves, he likes to grab excitedly at radioactive things — wait, what?
Basically, Rad has a natural, insatiable curiosity about all things. Unfortunately, this curiosity goes unchecked when he's hanging out with his best friend Carlos, so it takes the watchful eye of the intelligent-but-much-more-reserved Alexis to keep them both out of trouble. His parents hope that some day Rad can channel this curiosity more productively.
Rad serves as the main Human protagonist of the Unicron Trilogy.
Fiction[]
Cartoon continuity[]
Armada[]
- Voice actor: Kirby Morrow (US), Masataka Nakai (Japan)
Hail Skroob!
One day, Rad and Carlos went exploring into the caverns deep beneath the local observatory. Inside, they found the curious remains of a clearly artificial construction, seemingly far in advance of human technology. Against the advice of Carlos, Rad was drawn towards a glowing, green, pentagonal artifact half-buried in the rubble. When he touched it, the entire structure began to shake, suddenly springing to life as thousands of computers lit up the walls.
At home, Alexis felt the tremors and used her computer to pinpoint the epicenter of the apparent earthquake as the mountain caverns that Rad and Carlos were exploring. Similarly, the scientists and researchers at the observatory were baffled by the sudden movement of the Earth. As Rad and Carlos made their escape with the artifact, a bright light engulfed the chamber they were in, simultaneously shutting down all electronic equipment in Lincoln, as well as emitting three distinctly coloured distress signal beams into the sky.
One beam, green, reached an ancient starship wreck on the dark side of the Moon, causing it to fire hundreds of smaller beams of green light at the Earth. The two remaining signal beams, coloured red and purple, continued deep into space until they reached a cold, distant, metal world.
Little did Rad know that he had unwittingly set in motion the next destructive phase in the great Transformers war, an endless battle of rage and hatred between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Thanks a lot, kid. First Encounter
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Energon[]
- Voice actor: Kirby Morrow (US), Masataka Nakai (Japan)
No time for love for Doctor Jones.
By 2020, Rad had been shipped off to Cybertron and was working as an assistant to Dr. Brian Jones, presumably because he wouldn't shut up about the Transformers. Cybertron City
Much to Dr. Jones's chagrin, his daughter appeared to have a thing for Rad.
Cybertron[]
Every girl's crazy about a sharp-dressed Rad.
In 2030, Rad, Carlos, and Alexis were still alive. They were present at the launching of the four ancient colony ships as they began the second attempt at a galaxy-spanning Space Bridge network.
Rad looked pretty damn dapper in a suit. Beginning
Dreamwave comics continuity[]
Armada[]
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Rad was the one to activate the crashed Mini-Con vessel, bringing to life its crew and alerting the Autobots and the Decepticons to Earth. After being saved, Rad, Carlos, and Alexis, having bonded with the Mini-Cons, wanted to help, but Optimus Prime stated that they shouldn't be involved.
Much later, Rad was made a prisoner of the Mini-Con Destruction Team, held captive on their moonbase and strapped to a bomb. He was saved in time, of course, then again told by Optimus Prime to stay clear of harm's way as the Autobots departed to confront Unicron.
Energon[]
Ten years later, Rad whined a lot about Alexis being worldly and active as a peace activist. She tried to say a tender goodbye, but he brushed her off and upset her. An attack from Battle Ravage caused a series of explosions that seem to eliminate Alexis, upsetting Rad. Alexis turned out to be alive, and he embraced her before urging her to get into his jeep to escape the destruction.
Panini comics continuity[]
Armada[]
... this just takes all the fun out of irony.
Associated characters[]
Their workplace is no Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma, but it'll do.
Even they don't want to hear about the Transformers.
- In the Dreamwave comic, Rad's unnamed parents, Mr. and Mrs. White (Dr. and Dr.?), work at the Cosmoscope Research Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
- In the animated series, they looked totally different.
Notes[]
- According to the now-defunct TV Tokyo Micron Legend website, Rad was 12 years old at the start of Armada. The page also stated that he enjoyed outdoor sports, and implied that Optimus Prime gave him Laserbeak as a personal possession.
- The Transformers Armada Official Guidebook backs up that Rad was 12 years old at the start of Armada, and that he enjoyed outdoor sports, specifically on his BMX bike.
- Rad's catchphrase "I'm here to tell you about the Transformers!" (sometimes varies as "I want to tell you about...) is from his introductory narration during the main titles sequence of the earlier episodes of Armada. Needless to say, this became rather repetitive after twenty or so episodes.
- Rad has the unfortunate penchant of saying '"Wicked Sweet!", usually when something impresses him greatly. It is quite possible that by 2011 this will be an acceptable form of slang. Alternately, perhaps Rad was from Boston originally.