Ironhide

Canon Information
Abilities/Powers:Ironhide's strength is very obviously in that of his weapons--the two main cannons on and in each arm. On the right arm, a plasma warhead launcher, capable of firing off 3 "smart" rounds per second. On the left, a fission chamber cannon, delivering a 12kt payload. Rumor has it that he also possesses a minigun, firing 200 rounds per second, but prefers the larger cannons. All of his guns are equiped with top-of-the-line targetting sights, and only the very best in components and semi-self-regenerating ammunition. The fission cannon is capable of solar recharge, while the missiles can be replenished by ingesting raw material in the form of scrap metal (as seen in the novel Veiled Threat).

At one point, it was said that he had a hand in destroying a small planet with the strength of his weaponry. Also according to the novel, Veiled Threat, he has the capacity to refine and create energon, which is essentially a substance that comes from breeding nitro gliceren, gasoline, alcohol, and the juice in blue glowsticks.

Normally, he would be sporting more guns than a small country, but since that isn't he case, he has to rely on brute strength, which he does have to spare.

His name does not lie, his armor is thick, and tough, it had to be, for him to have survived for as long as he has. Shots that would kill a smaller, lesser-armored Autobot only scratch him. It takes a great deal of force to so much as puncture his exterior armor. He's rather agile for his size and age, although not a fast mover.. His top speed is only 110MPH in vehicle mode, though he is capable of hauling 200 metric tons, and able to take on mose head-on collisions without much severe damage. He is almost literally a tank in truck form. And, since he's an Autobot, is capable of switching between forms on a split-second's notice. He can scan a machine and take its form. However, it does need to be of the right size to accomodate his mass--4.8 tons, and 25' of big angry robot. He's smaller, now, than he was originally, but that hasn't increased his speed any. His little truck mode is still bulky and slow.

Strengths:Blowing things up. Fighting. Reading his enemies in battle. Weapons mechanics. Explosives. Being the Autobot weapons master, he has a great knowledge of how to make things go boom in the best of all possible ways. Assembling and making large-scale and small scale weapons has been shown to be a passtime of his, as he helped amass great stocks of energon, potentially for explosives, and worked with Sargent Epps of NEST to develop weaponry for use against Decepticons. Basically, Ironhide loves big booms.

Weaknesses:Subtlety. Relationships. Keeping his temper in check. Neon medical officers. He's one of the oldest known Autobots--and he looks it, with his body still carrying many scars, broken pieces, and countless repairs. As a result, sometimes his gears seize up, and his transformations slow. He is a veteran of countless battles, both on Cybertron, and on Earth. He was a ranked officer, and well-known for his ability on the field. Unfortunately, "tact" wasn't among these abilities. He's blunt as a spoon, and irritable. Diplomacy and interspecies relations aren't what you call this one for.

Personality:Tough-as-nails and no-nonsense, Ironhide is a warrior to the core, despite the fact he tends to be something of a loose cannon—-no pun intended--with a temper and actual cannons to back him up. He is fiercely loyal to a given cause--fanatically loyal to the Autobot cause, and utterly devoted to Optimus Prime. However, he tends to be standoffish, occasionally foul-mouthed, and stubborn, going so far as to argue with Optimus before ultimately giving in. Tact is not in his vocabulary, or his core programming. Ironhide has a temper, and although his "bite" is just as bad as his "bark", his displays are often easily settled by those who know how to properly handle him. He's excitable, despite his age, especially where weapons and explosions are concerned. But around pretty much everything else, he acts like a grouchy old man, with a stubborn streak as wide as he is massive.

While he does not give his trust away freely, especially in regards to humanity, once you’ve won it, he can be frighteningly devoted. He does genuinely care about his fellow Autobots, but the Decepticons have a special place in hell, as far as he's concerned--he hates them as much as any living thing can hate another. He feels that any measures are necessary when it comes to defeating said Decepticons. Since a good majority of the soldiers he once knew sided with Megatron, relishing in chaos and destruction, tainting their purpose. In a sense, most of those he knew betrayed their kind, and therefore Ironhide himself--in his opinion. Megatron especially. He worked with them, trusted them, and they ended up trying to kill him, and the Autobots. "Turning traitor" is a big issue for him; a traitor, he believes, cannot be redeemed. They are scum, and can never be trusted again.

But for the Autobots, and their human allies at NEST and in the children, he would give his life in their defense, without hesitation. He will never, ever, kill those he deems to be innocent--which is usually a synonym for "civilian". Beating them into a pile of unrecognizable scrap, however, does not count as "killing", in his book. It's gotten him into trouble for crossing the line before, as far as physical violence goes. But under no circumstances will he actually take a civilian life. Death is for soldiers and traitors. On this, he will not so much as bend.

He was made for soldiering--for potecting the weaker, the younger, the innocent. Whether that means throwing himself into the fray ahead of one of them, taking the shots meant for another, or giving his own life for them, it doesn't matter to him. He will do so. It isn't so much that he feels certain individuals cannot protect themselves. It's just something he must do, and can't adequately explain why. If he is unable to defend those he cares for, or those he feels he must, it rarely sits well with him. He doesn't know how to protect people from things that can't be fought, and that, for lack of a better word, scares him a little. More accurately, he hates it.

Ironhide is painfully private, almost to the point of phobic. All personal matters, especially his own, are best kept private. He does try to get along with his allies, and with people more outwardly emotional than he is, but he seems to consistently say the wrong thing, and can't for the life of him figure out what he's said wrong or why. Most of his more concerned, sentimental conversations are locked down--the words are supposed to be between the two parties, not the rest of the world. Emotion still overrides caution, sometimes, and he's not always able to do this, which leaves him ashamed of himself, or merely embarrassed, for a long time afterward. This includes forms of physical affection beyond the odd shove--it's private, it should take place behind closed doors.

Lastly, if you want to live, do not fly with Ironhide. He hates it, loathes it. If there is any other feasible means of transportation, by God, he will take it.

References:


 * Voice:


 * "Punkass Decepticon."


 * Vehicle Mode:


 * Front


 * Side view with size comparison.


 * Transformation sequence:


 * This scene never gets old.


 * Robot Mode:


 * View 1


 * View 2 - Size comparison


 * Facial view - includes scarring on right side of face. Plus damaged optic!

Vertiline
Deaths:

Punishments:

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