Best Ever Character Introductions?

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inflatable dalek
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Best Ever Character Introductions?

Post by inflatable dalek »

An olde idea for a thread, but not one we've had for a while (NOTE: This is based on my memory, do not produce one from six weeks ago just to prove me wrong unless you want me to edit every post you ever made to show KISS player tie in art) and with all the new cartoons and films we've had recently I thought it might be worth revisiting.

So what Transformers (or various allies) made the most impressive débuts? I'm thinking more in terms of how their character's were established than say, someone who turned up for a great action scene but never really did anything beyond that.

I'll kick off with two (albeit obvious) ones:

Nightbeat: Within the insanely tight six pages of The Big Shutdown's first part you not only get a mystery plot and action scene, but lots of great monologues from everyone's favourite detective that firmly set up just how much fun he's going to be, a Raymond Chandler dick who's wandered into the wrong series by mistake. Every line is pure bliss and by the end it feels like he's been around for years.

Movie Prime: An odd one in that it's not really what he says in his first scene, which is mostly expositionary dialogue, but how it's said. Cullen instantly brings such dignity and world weary strength with just that slight touch of humour to the voice it makes even the most perfunctory of lines much more than they would have seemed on the page and pretty much creates a whole character out of virtually nothing. Brilliantly done.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Movie Sideswipe - "Clear a path!". Blackout does well too, acheiving more in his first scene than most Decepticons do in their entire history.

Air Raid - inexplicably gets to be good at everything in "Aerialbots Over America".

Omega Supreme - naturally, talking about the Marvel comics. Did he ever do anything in the cartoon apart from the "Just this once I will talk the way I did before, showing that I only talk the other way out of stubborness"?

Shockwave - okay, so there were only half-a-dozen of them, Prime was down an arm and they were all knackered, but that's still a mother of an entrance.

The Wreckers - these guys do not mess around. Shame it only worked on FCs, though. Spinister's incarnation of the Mayhems also fits here.
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Post by Wildrider »

Carnivac and Catilla in 'Time Wars' and their subsequent stories were a nice change from the clichéd Decepticon stereotypes and it was interesting to see how their characters changed according to the various conflicts and alliances poresented to them. Likewise Needlenose and Spinister in the follow up. I always loved seeing Decepticons with personality who weren't just clones, "Grrr kill Autobots!".

Not sure it counts, but Blades in the G2 continuity was a revelation and nice to see a Gestalt member with a separate personality and enjoying a story line where he isn't pictured next to every other member of the Protectobots. He comes across as an individual, a blood thirsty and acerbic individual, but an individual none the less!.

Budiansky's Blaster in the US comics, my first encounter with the character set the tone for a downward spiral of disappointment as he slowly turned into a DJ from the maverick warrior portrayed originally.

Outback in the Predacon/Prey/Prime storyline, another free thinker, small and resourceful a nice mirror of the Autobot resistance, once again ruined by being an Australian numpty in the cartoon.

For sheer gratuitous violence you just can't beat Galvatron's Movie introduction and him blowing away Starscream, from that point on, you know this shit just got real! Although crazy time warped mad Galvatron was always the best, I have a soft spot for the movie version.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Wildrider wrote: For sheer gratuitous violence you just can't beat Galvatron's Movie introduction and him blowing away Starscream, from that point on, you know this shit just got real! Although crazy time warped mad Galvatron was always the best, I have a soft spot for the movie version.
Visually I don't think I'd seen anything like Galvatron's creation scene up till that point as a kid (though no doubt something like Tron has lots of similar faux computer style graphics in it, if anyone has ever actually watched Tron let us know) and it did indeed make a huge impact. Starscream's hugely nasty death would probably be a candidate for best character exit...
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Post by Cliffjumper »

I like Tron. Daft plot, funky visuals.
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Post by Knightdramon »

1986 Movie Galvatron's entrance to Starscream's ceremony.

Movie Hot Rod transforms to Movie Rodimus for the first time inside Unicron [not sure if this counts as "character" introduction, though]

ROTF Sideswipe versus Sideways.

Animated Megatron when he's reformatted into his earth mode body at the end of season 1.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Cliffjumper wrote:I like Tron. Daft plot, funky visuals.

I now own Tron based on this recommendation. It had better be good.
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
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Post by Skyquake87 »

Best entrances...

Shockwave arriving in Mavel US # 4 and decimating the autobots and then stringing them all up in the ark to be used as parts (grim), taking control of the Decepticons and generally being brutally efficient.

Although they don't say much, I do like the Predacons in the 'Prey' storyline. Such a shame their toys are utter sh*t.

Sideswipe and Blades in G2. And Grimlock stamping down on that Cybertronian. Awesome piece of art by Derek Yaniger

The entire Beast Wars cast make an impression from the get go, some of my favourite scenes are Tarantulas down loading back into his own body, Megatron rising from the lava as a dragon and just funny little things like the way they carry themselves - Blackarachnia looking all sexy in 'The Trigger', 'Waspinator' posed to attack in the air in 'Master Blaster' ooh and Ravage appearing in 'The Agenda' and doing the cool transforming noise.

There's probably more, but that's all I can think of now.
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Post by Sunstreaker2 »

Mirage's introduction to the G1 cartoon in More Than Meets The Eye.

"The ship was...full."
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Post by Blackjack »

Movie Blackout, for being simply badass and setting the tone for the live action movies. BOOM BOOM BOOM

Movie Optimus Prime, for saying such a corny line like 'are you Samuel James Witwicky' but carrying with him all the gravitas and strength of character needed for such a character. God, I love Movie Prime. The first movie's roll call introduction scene is also particularly memorable, when you put it that way.

Movie Sideswipe. "Clear a path!"

That said, the Movie is full of great introduction scenes (and one scene wonders) Demolishor, Ravage, Reed, Driller, Dino and both Devastators all have great entrance scenes.

Aside from the Movie material... well, Animated's Omega Supreme finally transforming was pretty epic. Many people say Megatron, but his revival scene has always underwhelmed me despite all the goodness in Animated.

I've always been partial to Ultra Magnus' introduction in Animated. THOR HAMMER FTW

Beast Machines' Megatron was unbelievably badass, how he simply is unveiled from the ceiling and is revealed to be controlling the entirely of Cybertron.

Beast Wars' Rampage has the most badass introduction.

The alt-uni Galvatron in the Marvel comics. First scene and what does he do? Walk out of the sea and shoot at a corpse. Madness.

Scrounge in the Marvel comics. I was bummed to realize he's a one shot character.

Shockwave in the Marvel comics. But that's a given.

Thundercracker in the first IDW comic. You'd think the guy would at least get dignity with such badassery, but poor cannon fodder...

The G2 comics have a whole load of quasi character reintroductions. Blades, Grimlock, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream, Jhiaxus, Bludgeon's bunch...

The Insecticons in the G1 cartoon. It's about the only proper introduction, what with them eating grain crops and shit. And they totally kick ass with their wacky powers.
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Post by Shrapnel Clone »

I like Jetfire's introduction from the Transformer Movies, with the "CRAP! It's a Decepticon!"-effect.
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Post by Brave Maximus »

Spinister in the Armada Comic... I know horrible comic. But that image of him and the conversation with Prime about how it's all over. It was great.


Movie-verse Prime. It's been said before, but him rolling up, the rotating camera and finally Peter Cullen saying "I am Optimus Prime". Nothing can trigger a bigger Geek-out than that.
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Post by windsweeper »

Animated Rodimus

TF:TM Unicron

Movie Bumblebee

Movie Autobots

TF:TF Rodimus Prime

Target 2006 Galvatron. Not so much the introduction but the revelation he's Megatron. I hadn't seen the film when I read UK 83 and his revelation to Jazz that he was Megatron just blew my ten year old mind away.
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Post by Brimstone »

I thought Megatron's introduction in Infestation was awesome! Both when the girl runs in to him in that missile silo (or whatever it was) in Nebraska, and then when he completely PWNs Starscream.

Classic. :)
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Post by Summerhayes »

The Autobots made a great entrance in the 2007 movie. Easily my favourite scene of that film.

Cliffjumper wrote:I like Tron. Daft plot, funky visuals.
Both TRONS would be great if there was an option to turn off the dialogue and just watch them as music videos.
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Post by Tetsuro »

Well, I liked the introduction of Galvatron in the UK comic.
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Post by gregles »

Airachnids intro in predatory left an impression with me it was really dark, sinister and I personally wasn't expecting a villain to be that nasty and scary for a modern piece of fiction aimed at children.

strika and obsidian both won me over straight away with there no-nonsense approach

animated slipstream managed to win over a large portion of fandom including myself (if you measure fan love by number of customs made) with a funny intro and a handful of other scenes so thats gotta rank as a good intro
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Post by Red Dave Prime »

I really enjoyed Galvatrons Animated Movie Introduction (well, the bit with Starscream) - The whole scene is really well done. From the humour of the constructicons playing trumpets to the awesome way they have cyclonus sweep in. Plus its a fitting way to show how different Galvatron would be to Megatron. Just brilliant really. Also, Devastators combiner intro in the movie is pretty cool too.

From the live movie, I dont think anything tops Blackout. Its a fantastic set piece and was a great way to introduce the transformers to the real world. But I also really like Soundwave turning up in Revenge of the Fallen- its not brilliant by any stretch but it makes sense that the manipulating soundwave would be spying from above.

I dont think IDW have had any particularly great intros, but I did like Overlord in LSOTW and Spotlight Cyclonus was a highpoint too.

In terms of the worst though, the predacons showing up in the international incident story produced an audible groan when I read it.
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