Searchlight (Transformers)

Searchlight is the name of two fictional character in the Transformers toy line, comics and cartoon series.

Transformers: Generation 1
A creature of the night. Cruises the Earth with the curiosity of a cat. Nothing is too insignificant or irrelevant to escape his notice. Quiet, serious; a loner. Top row of headlights equipped with stereoscopic digital video cameras, spectroscopic chemical analyzer, and radiation detector. Bottom lights can produce strobe effect, full color spectrum with blinding 10,000 watt power.

Marvel Comics
Searchlight appears in the Marvel Comics Transformers series.

In Transformers (Marvel Comics U.S.) issues #29-30, the Throttlebots were a rogue band of Autobot rebels whom Ratbat captured and forced to go to Earth to end a Scraplet infestation - tiny viral robots that turn into bolts and screws and eat metal upon contact - by exterminating the infected. Blaster, Goldbug and the Decepticon Triple Changers had already been infected, with Goldbug searching for a cure; the Throttlebots reluctantly attempted to kill him until they discovered the Scraplets could be killed with water. Curing the plague, the Throttlebots joined Blaster and Goldbug on the road, eventually being hunted down by the Autobots (under Grimlock's command), the Combaticons and R.A.A.T. forces. Rollbar having been injured earlier by an R.A.A.T. ambush, the Throttlebots were captured by R.A.A.T. and eventually executed as a show of disapproval against Decepticon attacks (R.A.A.T. and the American government believed all Transformers were allied despite statements by their captives and humans who learned the truth); they only survived by having their brain modules secretly removed by sympathetic government agent Walter Barnett. Their brains spent some time in toy cars before their bodies were rebuilt by Fortress Maximus' crew.

The Throttlebots were destroyed by the Underbase-powered Starscream. Goldbug was rebuilt (as Bumblebee) but the other Throttlebots were never shown rebuilt; Chase appeared as part of an Autobot task-force in the GI Joe/Generation 2 crossover but he was killed by Megatron.

Animated series
The Throttlebots are among the troops commanded by Rodimus Prime in their attempt to rescue the body of Optimus Prime from the lab of Doctor Mark Morgan. They are infected with the hate plague.

IDW Publishing
Searchlight served under Optimus Prime in the Autobot hub.

The Throttlebots appeared as a whole team in IDW's Spotlight Metroplex.

Searchlight was on the Autobot Orbital Command Hub in Spotlight: Blaster. He was present when Blaster was recovered and returned to the Autobots.

Toy

 * Generation 1 Throttlebot Searchlight (1987)
 * A new mold. Like all Throttlebots he came with a pullback motor which could be used in either mode. The Throttlebots were among the first Transformers released in 1987 and featured pullback motors that worked in both car and robot modes.

Transformers: Power Core Combiners
Searchlight is the most skilled at search and rescue among the Autobots.

When Maketoys released promotional images of their Missile Launcher Jungle Type toy they included photos of it combined with Searchlight.

Toys

 * Power Core Combiners Searchlight with Backwind (2010)
 * Searchlight is an Autobot helicopter partnered with the Mini-Con Backwind. As a Power Core Combiner Scout, he can become the torso of a combined form by using four drone limbs (sold separately). His partner Backwind transforms into a gun that can mount under the front end of his helicopter mode.


 * Searchlight and Backwind were also repainted; Searchlight as the Decepticon Windburn, and Backwind as Beacon, Steelshot´s Mini-Con partner.