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Specifics: 1985 toy



Overdrive and his companions Downshift and Camshaft are the Omnibots, a trio of Autobots with the ability to cross dimensions and sense disturbances in the forces of space and time.

Fiction[]

The Transformers manga[]

Omnibots group

Overdrive (left) politely kneels so no one realizes he's twice as tall as he should be.

During a massive battle on Cybertron, Galvatron introduced his latest combining warrior, Predaking. Predaking simultaneously took out Defensor, Omega Supreme, and Superion with a single punch, causing much worry for the Autobots, as Sky Lynx was already engaged in battle on Earth!

Overdrive vehicle

A flying car? How droll.

From out of nowhere came Camshaft, Downshift and Overdrive. They swiftly shifted into vehicle mode(s) and circled Predaking, tying up his legs with cable. Predaking swatted at them to no avail!

Then the Omnibots transformed into their battle modes and...drove at Predaking, which caused him to topple backwards onto Bruticus, Devastator, and Menasor, taking them all out.

The assembled Autobots cheered for these three mighty warriors of great justice, who were subsequently never seen or heard of again.

Dreamwave Generation One comics[]

Overdrive and Downshift stood guard on Cybertron over a detention facility under the united government. Cold War After Starscream unleashed Menasor on Iacon, Overdrive and his fellow Omnibots were sent by Ultra Magnus to stop him. They did not succeed, and may have been killed by the rampaging giant. Passive Aggression

Binaltech[]

During the second wave of reconstructions under the Binaltech Project, Overdrive recovered from the Cosmic Rust virus by transferring into a new body designed by Honda's Wako-based Technology Research Center. Outfitted with new weapons and the Quantum Dial, an old version of his dimension-traveling apparatus, Overdrive assumed the place of high tactician among Ultra Magnus' soldiers at Autobot City. It was his experience voyaging the dimensional fabric that enabled Overdrive to recognize the future Ravage's manipulations of the timestream. His efforts, combined with Prowl's, finally allowed the Autobots to capture Ravage.

After Operation: Distant Thunder neutralized the random time-warps appearing throughout the universe, Overdrive used his dimension-hopping powers to confirm that the main timeline had been restored, separate from their own Binaltech reality.

IDW Generation One comics[]

SpotlightBlaster PincherOverdrive

"Did you see that, Pincher? We're actually in fiction again!"

Overdrive served aboard the Autobot Orbital Command Hub, under Optimus Prime's overall supervision. Stormbringer, Part 1 After Prime had left for Earth, Overdrive and Pincher gawked at the returned Blaster. Spotlight: Blaster

Toys[]

Generation One[]

  • Overdrive (Omnibot, 1985)
  • Accessories: "Neutron Blaster", "Plasma Beam Rifle", "Twin Electron Cannon"
Overdrive transforms into a Ferrari BB Diablo with flip-out wings and a bumper-mounted flip-out blaster. He was available as a mail-order exclusive starting in the second series of Transformers toys in 1985 (or the first year in Japan, where he was also mail-order-only). These Transformers did not come shipped with tech specs.
In the US, Overdrive cost $5 and 4 robot points. In Japan, he cost 980 yen and only 2 robot points.

Binaltech[]

  • Overdrive (Binaltech, 2004)
  • Japanese ID number: BT-12
Binaltech Overdrive Toy

Windcharger could never figure out why Overdrive was more popular with the ladies...

The toy that was released as Windcharger in the US (due to inability to secure the trademark on the character name) got released as the dude he was designed to be in Japan. He transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed Honda S2000 sports car with a removable "ragtop" roof.
Aside from the addition of painted die-cast metal, the major difference between Overdrive and Windcharger is that Overdrive retains the long drive-shaft/barrel for his engine/rifle accessory. The removal of it from the US version was at the request of Honda's USA branch, who didn't like the idea of "their" toy toting a gun around. Since Honda's Japanese department had no such objections, however, Binaltech Overdrive did include an unchanged barrel. Other minor differences include slightly different visors, the paint applications on the front grille, and Overdrive being right-hand drive for Japan, while Windcharger is left-hand drive for the US.
This mold was retooled into Alternator Decepticharge and Binaltech Arcee. The former (or the latter, depending on how one looks at it) was at one point planned to be released in Japan as Wildrider and later as Black Widow (Blackarachnia), but those plans were ultimately scrapped.

Notes[]

  • Like all Omnibots, Overdrive has been given three conflicting bios over the years, with none of those bios' writers apparently being aware of the other ones: An unpublished Marvel bio, the Japanese tech spec and Dreamwave's More Than Meets the Eye profile.
  • The trio of Omnibots were originally Diaclone "Doublechangers", named for their ability to transform into both standard car and combat car modes.

External links[]

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