Rhinox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rhinox is the name of two fictional characters from various Transformers universes.
Contents |
[edit] Beast Wars
| Transformers character | |
 Rhinox Box Art |
|
| Rhinox | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Maximal  |
| Sub-Group | Deluxe Beast Deluxe Vehicles Transmetals |
| Rank | 5 (original and transmetal) 8 (10th Anniversary and Timelines) |
| Function | Defense (original) Strategic Defense (Transmetal and Timelines) |
| Motto | "Power in defense of freedom will always triumph over power used for evil." |
| Alternate Modes | Scoop Loader Rhinoceros Transmetal Rhinoceros |
| Series | Beast Wars Transformers: Timelines |
| Voiced by | Richard Newman (English) Daiki Nakamura (Japanese) |
Rhinox's character in the Beast Wars television series is very different from how the toy was depicted. As one of the first year toys, the toy of Rhinox was created before the television series came along, and his character was written by Hasbro. These characterizations were largely thrown out the window by the television series producers.
Rhinox's original tech spec portrayed him as an immensely tough and territorial Maximal dedicated to battling the Predacons. His transmetal tech spec showed that he appreciated his increased mobility, pulling high speed attacks on the Predacons and showing off with wheelies. His 10th Anniversary Tech Spec was more in-line with the show portrayal.
In 2005 the original Rhinox toy was one of the toys selected for the Beast Wars 10th Anniversary toyline. He was repainted in more show-accurate colors. He came packaged with one of the six pieces used to make the Transmutate toy.
[edit] Overview
Rhinox was a Maximal and Optimus Primal's oldest friend, although it seems Rhinox has known Rattrap for even longer, stating he was his best friend in the episode A Better Mousetrap. His beast mode is in the form of a large brown rhinoceros (it rarely appeared in the second season, and was never seen in the third). He has two machine guns as weapons, which fans have nicknamed the “Chainguns of Doom”. He usually stays in the base and acts as an engineer and second in command of the Maximals. Rhinox created the Maximal Base's automated defense system, dubbed Sentinel.
Rhinox seems generally as capable of leadership as Optimus Primal, and Optimus Primal has told him as much. However, Rhinox abhors the babysitting and loss of independence that come with being a full-time leader. He is indisputably loyal to Optimus Primal; their mutual respect is so strong that Rhinox is the only Maximal that Optimus Primal seeks advice from (causing mild, intermittent jealousy among a few other Maximals). Some fans believe it us it is implied that Rhinox might be older than Optimus Primal, and a once-great (but burned-out) ex-leader, sent to advise Optimus Primal, who was new at the leadership role, however this never confirmed or hinted at during the series. In extreme situations the Maximals often turn to him first – (for example in Possesion when Cheetor and Rattrap are faced with a massive battery of autoguns they both call for "Rhinox!"). This is perhaps most notable in An Optimal Situation when Optimus orders them to pursue Megatron to save the base, but it takes Rhinox to get them moving (telling them he can handle the repairs by himself). Rhinox's true abilities come out when, in the episode Dark Designs, he is reprogrammed into a Predacon – only to outwit and damage every other Predacon, much to the dismay of Megatron. Rhinox is the only Maximal whose form does not physically change or evolve for the duration of the series; though in the toyline he did become a transmetal. He spent much of the second and third season minding the Maximal Base rather than going out on missions.
He has a brilliant mind, a thirst for peace, and an astounding vigor and a resolve to do whatever it takes to maintain that peace. He does whatever it is that is asked of him, even though the requests often made of him are impossible. But being the ever resourceful engineer, Rhinox finds a way. Rhinox also contributes in countless other ways, he is considered to be second-in-command to Optimus Primal and also often serves as enforcer, keeping the troops in rank. His great size and strength is another one of his advantages, in addition to his incredibly quick thinking. These attributes have saved the Maximals countless times throughout the series.
[edit] Transformers: Timelines
Rhinox would appear in the BotCon Timelines tale Dawn of Futures Past, as the engineer of the Axalon. With his work seemingly cut out keeping the other two crew members in line, he was soon called upon to restore the Axalon after it was attacked and crippled by Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. With the former Decepticons distracted by another Maximal ship, Rhinox was able to get the ship's engines and guns online in time to destroy the Predacons. His engineering expertise was soon called upon again to save the lives of the other Maximal ship's pilot and passenger by performing a remote spark transfer to the blank protoforms in the Axalon's cargo hold. It is interesting to note that Rattrap refers to him (insultingly) as a "big rhinoceros", foreshadowing his later transformation in the ‘’Beast Wars’’.
[edit] Season One
Rhinox was defense officer of the Maximal ship called the Axalon, commanded by Optimus Primal. Their mission was one of exploration and to get rid of the abomination called Protoform X, but things didn't go as planned. With crewmates Cheetor and Rattrap, the Axalon chased the Predacon criminal Megatron through transwarp space after the theft of the Golden Disk. The Maximals and Predacons crashed on prehistoric Earth, where high energon levels threatened to destroy the crew unless they adopted organic alternate modes. Rhinox was given the form of a rhino (Beast Wars Part 1). Rhinox would be a loyal (unofficial) second-in-command to Primal throughout the whole conflict.
Rhinox's talents would be displayed at multiple points in the Beast Wars. He would be the one principally responsible for saving the life of the protoform that would become Airazor, developing a paternalistic bond with her. Rhinox also created Sentinel, a security computer that could defend their base from the Predacons. Later, after being blinded by an energon explosion caused by Scorponok, Rhinox displayed his leadership abilities and coolness under pressure when he guided a similarly blinded Rattrap, Dinobot and Cheetor back to base, showing them how to let their other senses help them and drive off the opportunistic Predacons.
Rhinox was damaged by Tarantulas and Blackarachnia during a Predacon attack in the first season’s finale, and was subsequently offline for Primal's heroic sacrifice.
[edit] Convention Comics
Rhinox was one of the stars of the 1997 Botcon Convention Comics, a story set near the end of season one of the ‘’Beast Wars’’ television series.
In the Convention Comics plot, Inferno and Blackarachnia watched as the Predacon scientist Fractyl attempted to invent energon armor capable of protecting them from energon build up. Although seemingly successful, the armor was stolen by the Maximal thief Packrat. Blackarachnia and Fractyl realized the energon armor was flawed and could destroy the planet if it came in contact with large amounts of energon. Inferno pursued Packrat, but since Packrat didn't need to assume beast mode with the armor on, he got the upper hand in the fight with Inferno. Hearing the battle, Airazor, Cheetor and Rhinox joined Packrat. Fractyl convinced Rhinox that the armor was a threat to them all. Rhinox was able to talk Packrat into giving up the armor, which Fractyl aided them in doing. When Blackarachnia arrived with Megatron, Packrat suggested that Fractyl pretend to be attacking the Maximals, who fled. Megatron was impressed with Fractyl's new found battle prowess.
[edit] Season Two
Rhinox was among those unaffected by the quantum wave which turned many Cybertronians into transmetals. It's theorized by fans that he didn't change because he was in a cryo-regeneration chamber at the time (after being damaged by Tarantulas and Blackarachnia), and was protected from it. (Note: In the toy line he was released as a transmetal and his tech spec stated he was changed in the quantum surge, but due to limitation in the show production, they kept Rhinox in his original form.)
Rhinox ventured into the "Other side of the Matrix" ("where all are one") after Optimus Primal died, using the hole in time left by the Vok Planet Killer's destruction, retrieving Optimus Primal's spark and placing it in a new transmetal new body
Rhinox continued to battle the Predacons and use his medical skills. When Transmutate's stasis pod fell to Earth it was Rhinox who determined that she could be a potential threat (much to Silverbolt's disgust) and also realized that Dinobot's wounds were fatal after his climactic battle with the Predacons. When Megatron attempted to alter history, Primal and the other Maximals pursued him to the Ark, relying on Rhinox's great strength to force the doors of the damaged Ark open. However, they were too late. Megatron had shot Optimus Prime in the head and all of time began to destabilize.
[edit] Season Three
Megatron's plan was thwarted when Blackarachnia unexpectedly switched sides, allowing Rhinox and the former Predacon to repair Prime's body while Optimus Primal safeguarded his Spark. He later defended the Ark alongside Rattrap, only being saved by Depth Charge's timely arrival, and managed to help Blackarachnia in her switch to a transmetal II body. In the series conclusion, as Megatron attempted to used the Decepticon ship Nemesis to destroy the Ark and humanity, Rhinox realized that the Dinobot Clone’s transmission meant that history was still being written. Taking the Omega Delta Autobot shuttle, Rhinox managed to crash it through the bridge of the ‘’Nemesis’’ effectively ending Megatron's threat, and with it, the Beast Wars. After this, Rhinox returned with the other Maximals back to Cybertron.
Rhinox was of the only three Transformers, and the only Maximal, in the Beast Wars series who did not change his form; along with the Predacons Waspinator and Inferno. However, in the toy-line based upon the series Rhinox became a transmetal during the quantum surge, with the vehicle mode of a snow-cat.
[edit] Beast Machines
Unfortunately for the Maximals, Megatron broke free of his bonds in transwarp and arrived on Cybertron ahead of them, taking over the planet. When the Maximal surivivors inside the Autobot shuttle reached Cybertron, it was shot down by Megatron's forces and landed on the planet. The Maximals were chased by Megatron's Vehicon drones, who threw canisters of Megatron's transformation-freezing virus at them. All those Maximals whose bodies had been altered during the Beast Wars were transformed back to their original bodies and frozen in their beast modes. Rhinox and Silverbolt, however, had their sparks captured by Megatron.
Megatron used Rhinox's spark to give life to one of the original three Vehicon generals: Tankor. As Tankor, Rhinox was a simple-minded powerhouse who never felt any emotions other than rage and fury. His spark remained dormant inside of Tankor for some time, conscious and aware, but never capable of reaching the surface. It wasn't long before Cheetor and Rattrap discovered that their former comrade was trapped inside the technological titan.
By hacking into Rhinox's memory and using further persuasion, the two Maximals were able to recover Rhinox. When Rhinox was freed, he encountered Optimus Primal in the Matrix. Optimus was delighted to see his old friend, but the feelings weren't mutual. Rhinox claimed that he now embraced his role as Tankor, and that he was willing to help Megatron in his quest to purge Cybertron of all organics to make a purely technological world. Although the other Maximals tried to reprogram him after this revelation, Optimus told them to stop, for he claimed that if they tampered with Rhinox's mind, then they would be no better then Megatron. It is worth while to note that many fans point out that since Rhinox was still under the affects of Megatron’s Vehicon programming he was not capable of making a free choice. They argue that Optimus should have allowed the Maximals to restore his original programming and that if even Rhinox, who then would have been master of his own mind, had chosen to remain with the Vehicons it would have truly been his own choice. Optimus’ failure to help Rhinox would haunt the Maximal Leader for a long time afterwards.
From that moment on, Rhinox, or Tankor, would scheme not only against the Maximals, but Megatron as well. He believed that since Megatron was partly organic, he was not fit to rule over a purely technological planet. He reprogrammed Megatron's Diagnostic Drone so that it would serve him and with its help obtained the Key to Vector Sigma, a weapon which could turn all organics into technological matter. He then faked his own death in front of the Maximals so he could continue his schemes without interference from them or Megatron. By using the Diagnostic Drone, Rhinox tricked Megatron into giving only the tank-drones the Key. However he later found out that they no longer respond to his commands. When Optimus Primal was fighting Megatron in the season’s finale, Rhinox interfered and blasted Optimus with the key, revealing to all that he was still alive. He then tried to destroy Megatron, but was restrained by his own body; Megatron revealed that Rhinox couldn't destroy him as it was hard-wired in his datatracks, and that he'd known of Rhinox's treachery all along. Optimus then used the Plasma Energy chamber to combine with the energy from the Key to Vector Sigma. The resulting energy wave destroyed Rhinox, and his spark rejoined the Matrix, where he was able to meet Optimus one last time to share his regret for his misdeeds.
Rhinox's character was heavily altered, as he'd not previously shown any beliefs in genocide, tyranny or rampant anti-organic sentiments; by contrast, he'd been highly positive about the beast modes and the extra abilities they granted them, and had only shown tyrannical tendencies when reprogrammed in Dark Designs. Many Beast Wars fans were unhappy with this change, some virulently so, as it was completely altering a popular character with no precedent even though in the episode Fallout, Rhinox revealed that as Tankor, he was not embracing his true nature as revealed in his statement from the episode to Optimus: "My spark has rejoined the matrix, I paid the price for my misguided deeds, but it is not too late for you...Embrace the true nature of your spark unlike me."
[edit] 3H Enterprises
Even with the death of Tankor in the Beast Machines storyline, Rhinox would return in the story of Transformers: Universe.
In Transformers: Universe #3 Alpha Trion and Primus claim they need Primal to choose his troops from any Cybertonians, past or present, and he chooses Rhinox and Depth Charge, who are brought back to life. Although Rhinox is happy to have a second chance to redeem himself for his acts as Tankor, Depth Charge isn't pleased with being brought back from the dead. Subsequently Rhinox would appear as Primal's lieutenant in the 2004 BotCon voice actor play, using his technical expertise to build a device that stops Unicron pulling Transformers from other dimensions. However, this caused an Autobot shuttle piloted by Bumblebee, Cosmos and Tracks to become lost in Rhinox's time. The Autobots would assist Rhinox' forces (Rattrap, Silverbolt and Waspinator) to defeat the Decepticons and send both the Autobots and several other timelost groups back to their own times and realities.
Although 3H Enterprises losing the license would forestall the conclusion to the Universe storyline, an explanation of sorts would be found in issue 8 of the Transformers Collectors Club magazine Cybertron/Robots in Disguise, where Optimus Prime told the tale of how Unicron's forces were defeated in one last battle by Optimus Primal's forces, as Unicron disappeared due to the black hole opened in Transformers: Energon. Here Rhinox was able to finally face his demons, battling and defeating the alternate Tankor serving Unicron.
Rhinox wouldn't get a toy in the Universe line, despite appearing in the fiction; however his 10th Anniversary toy came out in 2005 and is a perfect match for his appearance in the Universe story.
[edit] Toys
A pre-Beast Wars Rhinox toy was made for Botcon 2006. The toy was a repaint of Transformers: Cybertron Landmine.
A Maximal who knows much about his Autobot Ancestors, Rhinox values the ideals they fought for and wears their sigil on his chest as a constant reminder of this.
[edit] Trivia
- The show book for Beast Wars describes Rhinox as a straight man who is inspired by Lou Costello.
- The original toy of Rhinox came with a duel spinning mace weapon, but the show depicted this as an automatic chaingun weapon. The toy also came with a sword which was never used in the show.
[edit] Transformers: Armada
| Transformers character | |
 Rhinox Toy |
|
| Rhinox | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot  |
| Sub-Group | Deluxe Beast Transmetals |
| Partner | Armorhide |
| Motto | "Hard work never killed anybody." |
| Alternate Modes | Transmetal Rhinoceros |
| Series | Transformers: Armada |
In the later Transformers: Armada series, which is a separate spin-off Transformer Universe from Beast Wars and Beast Machines, the transmetal Rhinox toy was re-colored and released as an Autobot, partnered with the Mini-Con Armorhide.
[edit] Animated Series
This Rhinox had a cameo appearance in the cartoon series in episode 52, Mortal Combat.
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
Rhinox appeared among the Autobots in the Dreamwave Productions Armada comic book series. Rhinox appeared among the Autobots in the Dreamwave Productions Armada comic book series. He was among the team of Autobots led by Jetfire who investigated mysterious Space Bridge activity at the Decepticon Headquarters - unaware it had been taken over by the Heralds of Unicron.Bludgeon was still present and stalked Jetfire's team. Rhinox survived relatively unscathed, unlike Blurr and Dropshot, and helped to eventually destroy the samurai-like former Decepticon.
He fought against Unicron in the end of the Armada series and was abducted by the Chaos Bringer along with Airazor, Cheetor and Terrorsaur.
[edit] Transformers: Energon
Armada Rhinox appeared as a minion of Unicron in the Transformers: Energon comic book series. Rhinox became “War”, one of the Four Horsemen of Unicron.
Armada Rhinox also was set to appear in the unreleased issue 33 of the Transformers: Energon comic series [1].
