Pipes (Transformers)

Pipes is the name of two fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Both are Autobot trucks.

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&mdash;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&mdash;at least not usually. Even while on a mission, he's been known 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 mi 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 2 in 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", where it is revealed that he apparently has some skill as a medic. Rodimus Prime employed him in an effort to repair and revive the damaged and dazed Perceptor, who kept rambling about the nearby time window which had been activated by the Quintessons. Pipes readily admitted his ignorance in the matter, remarking "Nuts and bolts, I understand. Theoretical physics...uh."

In the episode "Carnage in C-Minor", it could be argued that Pipes makes an appearance in the episode, albeit miscolored and shown alongside Brawn (who was long dead at this point) and Bonecrusher (a Decepticon) firing at Galvatron. However many fans say it's a miscolored Huffer (who was listed as dead in an earlier episode), others dismiss it completely as the episode was riddled with animation errors.

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

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.

Games
Pipes is one of eight playable characters in the 1986 Commodore 64 video game Transformers: The Battle to Save the Earth.

Toys

 * Generation 1 Mini-Bot Pipes (1986)
 * A blue reremold of Generation 1 Huffer with a reverse transformation. The toy was remolded again in 2008 for Encore #11 set with Bumblebee, Swerve, Tailgate and Outback.


 * This toy is U.S. Patent number D297036.

Transformers Animated
On April Fools Day 2009, Derrick J. Wyatt posted an image on his blog of a lineup of characters, stating that some would be appearing in season three of Transformers Animated, and that some were merely April Fools' jokes. Among the characters featured were Huffer and Pipes, the pair of whom were drawn to resemble the Mario Bros. - with Pipes looking like Luigi.