Pipes (Transformers)

Pipes is the name of a fictional character in the various Transformers universes.Transformers character
name =Pipes


caption =Pipes from the Animated Series
affiliation =Autobot
subgroup =Mini-Bots
rank =5
function =Warrior
partner =
motto ="One being's junk is another's art."
alternatemodes =Semi-Truck cab
series =
engvoice =Hal Rayle
japanvoice =

Transformers: Generation 1

His original tech spec reads: The more seemingly worthless a gadget, the more Pipes is fascinated by it. And he finds Earth a veritable gold mine of worthless gadgetry: carrot juicers, musical wristwatches, electric hair combers—the capacity of the human imagination never ceases to amaze Pipes! He is so enthralled by all this that he now collects these artifacts, creating a sort of mini-museum of American consumerism in an unused corner of the Ark. Pipes doesn’t allow his hobby to interfere with his responsibilities to the Autobot struggle—at least not usually. Even while on a mission, he’s been know to pull over to the curb and enviously ogle a human walking by using a hand-held portable electric fan. Pipes explains, “The true collector never knows when or where he’ll discover his next treasure!”

In vehicle mode, Pipes can travel 100 mph with a range of 400 miles and can haul up to 60 tons. His twin exhaust pipes, which become his arms in robot mode emit corrosive gases that can dissolve a two inch thick slab of steel in 10 minutes. He is among the strongest of the Autobot mini-bots.

Pipes is fairly tough, but even a mere scratch to his corrosion resistant armor leaves him vulnerable to the destructive effects of his own exhaust gasses. Often, in the heat of battle, Pipes is unaware of such blemishes and consequently sometimes succumbs to his own weapon.

Animated series

The character first appeared in the original Transformers cartoon's third season premiere, a five part mini-series entitled "Five Faces of Darkness", in which he and a few other mini-bots defended the Ark from the gigantic Decepticon Trypticon, and later helped install the transformation cog in Metroplex.

He also appeared in the episode "Forever is a Long Time Coming".

Marvel Comics

Pipes made his only Marvel appearance in issue #245 of the Marvel UK Transformers comic, as an Autobot cadet. After his fellow cadets Tailgate, Flattop and Subsea entered the disused sewers of Cybertron (known as the Underworld) as part of an outdated Autobot initiation, they were attacked by mutant Transformers, and Subsea and Flattop were killed. Pipes and Outback (also a cadet), arrived to rescue their friends just in time to see Tailgate destroy the mutants, and the three of them escaped the sewers together, with Pipes warning that they were lucky not to have encountered anything worse. However, unbeknown to them, Tailgate's battle had awakened horrific demons beneath Cybertron, who would emerge to battle other Autobots and Decepticons in the next two issues.

Fun Publications

Pipes appeared among the various characters on Transtech Cybertron in the "Transcendent Part 4" by Fun Publications.

Toys

*Generation 1 Pipes (1986):The Autobot Mini-Bot Pipes toy was released during 1986 where he was a remold of Huffer. :This toy is U.S. Patent number D297036. [http://www.google.com/patents?id=XY49AAAAEBAJ&dq=D297036]

References