Inferno (Energon)

Inferno is an Autobot from the Energon portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

Inferno is the epitome of a professional Autobot soldier. Calm and composed on the battlefield, he is careful to consider the consequences of his actions, and his patience makes him a superb sniper. He is loyal to the Autobots through and through, regardless of what may happen, and regardless of what he may need to sacrifice to ensure their safety, well-being, and prosperity. Optimus Prime consults him on many important decisions because of his pragmatic, and thoughtful nature, as well as the impressive reputation that he's built up as a soldier during his years in service.

Sometimes he is later known as Roadblock; other times Roadblock is a separate individual.

Fiction

Toy pack-in comics

Inferno, with Prowl and Ironhide, built an energon tower.

Later, Inferno, Landmine, and Prowl surveyed a hill as a possible site for another energon tower. Landmine asked Optimus Prime for permission to construct the energon tower, but the Autobot leader denied the request, citing Decepticon activity in the area. Such "activity" soon involved the Autobots when a flock of Divebombs attacked them. Faced with insurmountable odds, Inferno was forced to Powerlinx with Prowl. Megatron soon joined the attack, but Powerlinx Inferno was able to shoot down the Decepticon leader. The Divebomb attack was revealed to be a distraction when Insecticons, having absorbed all of the energon underground, erupted from the earth. Unable to handle all of the Terrorcons, the three Autobots were forced to flee. Energon Volume 2

Later, Inferno was Powerlinxed to Hot Shot when the Autobots were defeated in battle. They were saved by the arrival of Wing Saber. As an individual, Inferno was there to witness Optimus Prime welcoming Wing Saber into the Autobot ranks. Energon Volume 4

Energon cartoon

Voice actor: Michael Daingerfield (English), Nobutoshi Canna (Japanese), Johan Wilhelmsson (Swedish), Jarosław Boberek (Polish), Jhonny Torres (Latin-American Spanish), Vicente Luis Ivars (Castilian Spanish), Saku Mäkynen (Finnish), Daniele Valenti (Italian), Romain Redler (French)

The most essential characteristic of a successful sniper is patience.

I am endlessly patient.

Soon after the defeat of Unicron and the reunification of Cybertron, Inferno was one of several Autobots who greeted the human delegation sent from Earth, managing to scare the crap out of a young Kicker.

Ten years later, Inferno was part of Optimus Prime's detachment of Autobots sent to investigate the mysterious attack on Mars and to help defend Earth. Landing on Mars, Inferno reported no signs of life in the aftermath of the attack. He then went on to Earth, where he helped take down several Terrorcons attacking Kicker before powerlinking with Hot Shot to destroy several more in quick succession. Cybertron City

As the Autobots prepared for further attacks on Earth, they were caught off-guard when the Terrorcons hit Lunar City instead. Inferno operated the Space Bridge controls to send his fellow Autobots to the moon, while remaining behind to guard Ocean City in their absence. Energon Stars Inferno remained on monitor duty as Hot Shot and Jetfire were tasked with shoring up the defenses at Desert City and Plains City. He detected a mysterious comet, but was unable to properly identify it before it vanished. Scorpinok Inferno continued his monitor duties and running the Space Bridge as the Autobots prepared for combat on Earth and Mars. Megatron's Sword As the search for new sources of energon continued, Inferno monitored Kicker's progress from Ocean City. He detected the Terrorcon forces zeroing in on Kicker, sent out an alert to warn him, and then accompanied Optimus to aid their away team in fending off the enemy units. The New Cybertron City

As Terrorcon attacks on the Autobot installations increased, Inferno was given command of the new Cybertron City in the mountains, where he coordinated the defense against the latest attack before joining Ironhide in the aftermath of Scorponok's unsuccessful raid on Jungle City. Later, he was part of the Autobot detachment sent to reinforce Plains City, where upon arrival, he expressed surprise at the utter devastation that greeted them. Megatron had returned, and Hot Shot was mortally wounded trying to oppose him. Megatron Resurrected Inferno oversaw the severely damaged Hot Shot's recovery in an energon regeneration tank on Ocean City. When Megatron launched an attack on Ocean city, Inferno valiantly defended Hot Shot's recuperating body from Battle Ravage drones until he was nearly overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Fortunately, Hot Shot recovered in time to help out his comrade, then together they confronted Megatron with the newly constructed copies of Megatron's sword. Megatron Raid

When Optimus Prime was being stalked by Alpha Q's new agent, Starscream, Inferno and the other Autobots worked together to shadow Prime for his own protection, despite his protests. This eventually led the group to Lunar City, where they clashed with Megatron and his Terrorcons once more. Though the evil 'bots were driven back, the newly rebuilt city was left in ruins once again. Starscream the Mysterious Mercenary Soon thereafter, Ironhide and the others journeyed into the asteroid belt and confronted a massive ship resembling Unicron. They fought through Scorponok and the ship's defenses and managed to destroy it, but the threat of Unicron lingered on everyone's minds. Battle of the Asteroid Belt As the plan for energon towers was unveiled, Inferno helped defended Ocean City by combining with Hot Shot. Doctor Jones' prototype was completed and activated mid-fight, and basted away all the Decepticons. Energon Tower

As Jungle City came under Terrorcon attack, Inferno teamed with Kicker and Ironhide to confront the ground assault forces. Inferno attempted to teach Ironhide the lessons of patience and precision. He arranged an ambush for the Terrorcons by gathering a large supply of energon in one spot, and waiting for the Battle Ravages to strike. Next, Inferno prepared each shot before firing, making absolutely sure of a direct hit instead of blinding wasting ammo. As the Autobots abandoned Jungle City and planned to destroy it and the Terrorcons still inside, Inferno encouraged Ironhide to take the fateful shot necessary to ignite the energon deposits. Crisis in Jungle City

While searching for trace amounts of energon on the moon, Kicker was assaulted by Terrorcons. Optimus summoned Inferno and the other Autobots from Ocean City to defend against the Decepticon attack that followed. They drove off the Decepticons once Lunar City was reactivated, and an energon tower sent from Cybertron expelled a shockwave that drove off the enemy. Kicker Beware! In preparation for Megatron's comet strike on Earth, Optimus Prime dispatched Inferno to Lunar City, where he assembled the first line of defense using Omnicons and auto-gun turrets to turn against the comets. Energon Grid

As the Autobots planned out their future mission now that Earth was safe behind the energon grid, Inferno attended the preparation session to head out into space and actively stop the return of Unicron. Rodimus Friend or Foe? He joined the crew of the newly minted Miranda II, and fought the Decepticons during their inaugural Space Bridge flight. Go for Unicron! After Kicker detected energon on an uncharted planet during their travels, Inferno piloted the Miranda II down into the atmosphere for a closer look. Unfortunately, the extreme cold caused pillars of ice to grow out of the mountains and form around the ship, trapping it in place. As the other Autobots searched for the energon, Inferno lived up to his name and turned a flamethrower on the ice in order to melt their way free. He finished his task just in time for the Autobots to flee from a new breed of Terrorcons. The Return of Demolishor

During the approach to Unicron, the Autobots were assaulted by the Decepticons and flying Terrorcons drones. Working together, Kicker and Inferno managed to wipe out most of the Terrorcons by using small chunks of energon like grenades, lobbing them into the Terrorcons' midst, then shooting them so they'd explode. A Tale of Two Heros Inferno was at the helm of the Miranda II as they prepared for the first attack run on Unicron. He piloted the ship through the belly of Unicron, as Megatron sent ever-shifting panels and blocks to crush their vessel from all directions. Having successfully gotten the enemy's attention, the Miranda II shot out towards a Space Bridge, luring Unicron into the vicinity of Cybertron, where a massive alottment of energon towers exploded in firepower against the Chaos-Bringer. Megatron was forced into utter retreat, and the first battle against Unicron was a victory. Battle Stations

Unfortunately, this also sent a clear signal to the Decepticons that the war had begun anew. Uprisings began on Cybertron, as Inferno and Hot Shot recognized the rebels were heading towards the special prison holding Shockblast, an absolutely insane and extremely powerful Decepticon who was forced into imprisonment after the war instead of gaining amnesty like so many others. Powerlinx Inferno and Optimus Prime raced to the detention block to prevent the dangerous warrior's escape. Alpha Q: Identity Unfortunately, Shockblast escaped right out of their grasp, using one of his guards as a living shield to make a getaway, then cutting him down the moment he was no longer useful. The fight raged outside, as Inferno and the others fought to defend Cybertron's energon towers against Shockblast and his new Decepticon allies. Shockblast: Rampage

During the peace talks between Optimus, Rodimus, and Alpha Q, Inferno briefly traveled to Cybertron before returning to Unicron's head in the company of Arcee. Survival Instincts Later he fought alongside the other Autobots in defense of Cybertron's energon towers in an attack led by Shockblast. Each One Fights... A highly successful Terrorcon raid delivered enough energon to Megatron to transform Unicron and directly threaten Cybertron. Inferno and the Autobots made an effort to breach Unicron's defenses and attack Megatron within. Unicron Unleashed

Inferno infiltrated Unicron separately from the other Autobots, taking up a sniper position to hunt for the Decepticons. He found a clear shot at Shockblast, and took it. Unfortunately, the one-eyed fiend was quick enough to throw up a shield that blocked Inferno's blast. Open Fire! The fighting that followed shook up Unicron considerably, and Inferno eventually fell out of the Chaos-Bringer's hull, but was rescued by Jetfire. Inferno met up with Optimus Prime and the others, following them through a spatial rift to chase down Megatron and Alpha Q.Ripped Up Space

THIS IS SO WELL-ANIMATED, IT HURTS!

The Autobots found another solar system on the other side, filled with newly formed planets that Alpha Q recreated out of the remnants of worlds consumed by Unicron. On Iron Planet, Inferno and the others had a showdown with Shockblast, a renegade Decepticon who recently tried to overthrow Megatron, and he was captured and chained at the scene. Protection

As the others moved on to explore Jungle Planet, Inferno remained behind to stand guard over Shockblast. He calmly shrugged off Shockblast's taunting while waiting for Rodimus to relieve him at his post. Unfortunately, Megatron finally decided to forgive Shockblast for his treachery and arrived on Iron Planet to reclaim him. Inferno used his precision sniper skills to hold off the Decepticons for a time, but was soon caught unawares by the undetectable Starscream. Megatron tortured Inferno for information and his own amusement, stabbing the Autobot sharpshooter through the chest with his blade. When Inferno still didn't break, Megatron decided to brand Inferno as he had Scorponok, forcibly converting him to the Decepticon cause. Although Inferno was eventually rescued by Optimus Prime and the Autobots, Megatron's Hyper Power had been introduced into his system like a virus, making his insignia and allegiance...fluid. Improsoned Inferno

Inferno wrestled with the virus as he accompanied the Autobots to Jungle Planet. He isolated himself from the others and attempted to overcome Megatron's power through meditation and force of will. The Decepticon insignia acted as a beacon for Megatron, however, enabling him to track Inferno and the Autobots to their new base of operations and stage a surprise attack. Inferno waged an internal and external war against the Decepticons, fighting through Scorponok's Terrorcons and rejecting the Decepticon's offers of comradery. Determined to win the fight for himself, Inferno also mistakenly waved off Kicker and Ironhide when they attempted to help him against the Insecticons, almost forgetting the true strength of the Autobots lay in their teammwork. Once he remembered, Inferno accepted the help of his friends and fought off the effects of Megatron's influence again. Jungle Planet

Strangely fitting.

Inferno continued to steel himself against the Decepticon influence as he helped the Autobots secure Jungle Planet beneath the protection of an energon tower. Bulkhead Next, the Autobots prepared to establish an energon grid between the various planets. Inferno joined Rodimus and Landmine on Blizzard Planet as they fought off Megatron, Starscream and the Terrorcons. The Ocean Planet tower fell, however, and the Autobots needed distraction to keep the Decepticons at bay while the replacement tower was sent. Inferno volunteered to use his affliction to the Autobots' advantage. By allowing the Decepticon virus to temporarily take him over, Megatron would be aware of the change and lured to Inferno's position, leaving Ocean Planet free and unmolested. Unfortunately, the dark side cannot be turned from so easily once embraced. Inferno very nearly became a Decepticon for real until Kicker had Signal Flare launch an energon star into him, temporarily clearing his head. Inferno thrust himself into the light of the energon sun, hoping it could completely purify his systems. At the last minute, it did indeed cleanse his system of the Decepticon virus, but his body could not stand the energon overload and was destroyed completely moments after his mind was restored. Farewell Inferno

Predictably unfitting.

Inferno's spark was recovered, and he was reborn in a new, tamper-proof body under the name Roadblock. In his first mission after being rebuilt, Roadblock oversaw a flotilla of energon tower missiles sent by Dr. Brian Jones to attack Unicron's headless body. Omega Supreme The energon towers failed, and so Roadblock and the Autobots attempted to gain access to Unicron's interior to strike back from the inside. They were driven off when Unicron plowed into the planetary energon grid, though, and were unable to prevent Unicron from reclaiming his head from Alpha Q's Energon Orb. A Heroic Battle

As Unicron began to awaken, Roadblock and the Autobots could do little more than keep the lesser Decepticons occupied. The Power of Unicron With Unicron fully activational again, the war quickly moved beyond the power of individual Autobots to influence. As Unicron destroyed Blizzard Planet, Roadblock was one of many Autobot warriors caught in the planetary backlash, and sent to sick bay for repairs. Optimus Supreme He recovered quickly, however, and took to referring to his male nurse as Nurse Flare, causing Signal Flare to hotly insist that he was a medical assistant, not a nurse. Roadblock prepared to launch into battle once again before Kicker talked him into helping coordinate the energon towers assault instead. With the towers, the power of Primus, and the teamwork of the Optimus Supreme combination, Unicron was finally defeated, his essence scattering to the solar winds. Unicron Perishes

Optimus suffered serious injuries after overtaxing his capabilities in battle, and so Roadblock and the others watched over him in stasis on Ocean Planet. When Megatron resurfaced on Cybertron, however, Rodimus gathered the crew of the Miranda II to return to Cybertron. He ordered Roadblock and Jetfire to remain behind on Ocean Planet and watch over Alpha Q's worlds in their absence. Ambition

At some point, in the Autobot combat training simulation, Roadblock teamed up with a digital representation of his previous body. and Jetfire teamed up for the tournament. They were put against Six Shot and Shockblast in their first match. The Decepticons distracted them by offering a handshake before the match, and took advantage of their dropped guard to blast them out of the ring. Distribution

Roadblock and Misha prepared to defend Alpha Q's worlds when Galvatron brought Cybertron through the warpgate, intending to destroy the planets. Jetfire had been recuperating on Ocean Planet but, against Roadblock's urgings, he threw himself back into battle. Formidable Roadblock and Misha tracked the super-powerful Galvatron as he left Cybertron, and determined he was not heading towards Alpha Q's planets. Destructive Power Roadblock continued to look over Misha, and then Miranda and Sally Jones as the humans took refuge in Ocean City. When Misha and Kicker, about to leave for the final confrontation against Unicron, were having a moment over the video-phone, Roadblock and the other two women left the room to give them some privacy. Spark

When his Combination Spark lit up, Roadblock knew it was time to rejoin his friends, and he traveled by warp gate from Ocean Planet to Jungle Planet, where Optimus Prime had just battled Galvatron to a standstill. Prime could not overcome Unicron on his own, and needed the Combination Sparks of all his fellow Autobots to face the final conflict. Roadblock's body was converted into pure energy as he became one with his spark, so that it could in turn become one with all the other Combination Sparks, revitalizing Optimus. Filled with the strength of all his men, Optimus united with Omega Supreme in the ultimate Powerlinx, grappling with Galvatron until the Decepticon leader shrugged off Unicron's influence and plunged into the sun. Roadblock and the other Autobots then separated, and were restored to their individual forms. The Sun

Energon comic

And I'll form...THE PANTS!!!

Ten years after the Unicron Battles, Cybertron was at peace. Inferno and Prowl strolled together on the streets of Cyber City. This Evil Reborn

Despite the apparent serenity, Optimus Prime believed Unicron would soon rise again. Inferno waited outside the council chambers with a select group of Autobots while Prime petitioned the council to fortify their world. His pleas nearly fell upon deaf audio receptors before Unicron's Four Horsemen lay siege to Cybertron and made the debate an outdated exercise. What Lies Beneath Inferno and the others fought back against Terrorsaur and the Horsemen, but soon fell before their augmented might. After Optimus tapped into the power of Sig-Omega, though, he was able to revitalize Inferno and gift him and the other Autobots with the Spark of Combination. The tide turned, and the Horsemen abandoned their attack. What Lies Beneath, Part Two

As they traveled to Earth, Inferno and the Autobots struggled to defeat Scorponok's Terrorcons and their Hyper Mode enhancements. What Lies Beneath, Part Three When the Omnicons arrived from Cybertron as reinforcements, Inferno helped them coordinate their attack, and the Terrorcons were eventually driven off. What Lies Beneath, Part Four

Inferno attended a meeting at the United Nations when Optimus and the Autobots were officially recognized and welcomed to Earth by the delegates. Multiplicity

During the Terrorcon invasion, Inferno led a team in Moscow, Russia against the Battle Ravage clone-troopers. They barely managed to hold their own until Megatron returned to vanquish the Terrorcons for them. Multiplicity, Pt. 4

Kre-O online manga

Inferno was present with Prowl as Red Alert forgave another Inferno for his sulkiness. Dive Into the Fire! The Rescue Operation of Friendship

Toys

Energon

Not the good ol' boy, but every bit as red.

• Inferno (Combat Class, 2003)

• Takara ID number: SC-03
• Takara release date: December 25, 2003
• Accessories: Missile, water cannon/launcher
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro and Shogo Hasui (Takara)

Released in the first wave of Energon "Combat Class" toys (aka Deluxes), Inferno transforms into a Cybertronic water-cannon firetruck. His spring-loaded water cannon fires a blue projectile, and can also be turned and pivoted in several directions. This assembly ends up on his right arm in robot mode, but can be popped off and used as a hand-held weapon thanks to a 5 mm post on the base of the assembly.

Inferno can "Powerlinx" with any compatible Combat-class or Mega-class Autobot, forming either the top or bottom of each combination. In top-half mode, his legs become a pair of over-shoulder cannons.

The main differences between the Hasbro and Takara releases are that the Hasbro version uses a darker silver plastic, and has several gold paint applications that the Japanese version lacks. This makes the Hasbro version marginally more accurate to his appearance in the cartoon.

• More information on Inferno at TFU.info

This is probably pretty humiliating for him. Or for anybody.

• Hot Shot / Inferno Super Link Set (Multi-pack, 2003)

• ID number: SS-01
• Release date: December 25, 2003
• Accessories: Missile, water cannon/launcher

In Japan, Takara released Inferno both individually and in a box set with Hot Shot. Both toys are identical to their individual releases.

Likely owing to a tight production schedule, the image on the front of the box actually depicts the Hasbro figures, complete with Inferno having metallic silver plastic parts instead of matte light gray like the Takara version.

I had some pain; now I'm a crane.

• Inferno Volt (Combat Class, 2004)

• ID number: SC-21
• Release date: August 26, 2004
• Accessories: Missile, crane arm/launcher

Released in the fourtheenth wave of Takara's Super Link toyline (and the only product in said wave), "Inferno Volt" is an extensive retooling of the regular Energon Inferno, replacing his front bumper, head, stabilizers, and the entire water cannon structure with a new crane boom and cab. This assembly retains the spring-loaded missile launching gimmick from Inferno, and like Inferno the crane boom is on a geared mechanism and can be moved by twisting the cab around (and vice-versa). The boom can also be removed from the base ahead of the main joint, but this is primarily a breakage prevention feature so the boom pops off clean should it be dropped, though that portion does have a 5 mm post so it can be hand-held on its own as well.

The Hasbro version of this toy represents the toy-bio continuity character Roadblock, who isn't a powered-up version of Inferno. The two toys are almost identical, but Inferno Volt's right-shoulder faction symbol is in a large field of white paint filling up the whole indented area on that shoulder, where Roadblock's symbol is simply outlined in white.

This mold also served as the basis of the non-toy Shattered Glass incarnation of Ratchet.

• More information on Inferno V (actually, Roadblock) at TFU.info

Built to Rule!

Ready to save Legoland.

• Inferno (Built to Rule!, 2005)

• Accessories: Missile, artillery station w/ 2 missiles

Built to Rule! Inferno was originally designed as a Built to Rule! toy of Armada Rollout, who was developed with a much more solid Trans-Skeleton with larger, blockier limbs, a design that was carried on to the true Energon Built to Rule! construction sets. He also comes with an extra artillery station build, with two spring-loaded missile launchers, to fill out the set.

The Energon Built to Rule! line only had a limited, test market release initially in and around Cincinnati, Ohio. The sets later filtered out into some "Tuesday Morning" chain stores at drastically dropped prices.

Merchandise

McDonald's

• Inferno (January 2005)

Part of the second Energon Happy Meal promotion, which was only available in some Latin American markets. Inferno features a spring-loaded transformation to robot mode. Given his limited release, he's extremely rare.

Notes

• According to Rodimus' toy bio and Transformers: Energon Official Guidebook, he is Inferno's brother.
• Unlike most other cameo Kreons, Inferno appears to have a made-up helmet which is a Kre-Ofied version of his counterpart's head with blue and red paint details.
• Inferno appears in an Easter egg cameo in IDW's Lost Light #2.

Foreign names

Inferno

• Japanese: Inferno (インフェルノ Inferuno)
• Hungarian: Golyózápor ("Bullet-rain")

Roadblock

• Japanese: Inferno Volt (インフェルノV (ボルト) Inferuno Boruto)
• Hungarian: Úttorlasz ("Roadblock")