Gears (Transformers)

Marvel Comics

"The only thing Gears wants to learn about this planet is how to get off it. I hate this place already. I just know you're going to use me as a mobile transport unit again, once we have to set up. Nuts, let's go home." - Gears in Marvel Transformers #1

Gears is notable in the Marvel Comics series as the Autobot who teamed up with Spider-Man in #3 of the series. The two went off to save Sparkplug Witwicky from the Decepticons, and Spider-Man's presence allowed Gears to take down Ravage and Soundwave, before confronting Megatron himself, who blew the floor out from under him. Spider-Man's web failed to catch Gears, and he plummeted to the bottom of a cliff. He was eventually repaired by Ratchet and teamed with Windcharger and Cliffjumper on the Dinobot Hunt; unfortunately he was injured again in a Decepticon ambush.

He went on to battle the Decepticons on many other occasions, becoming less prominent as time went on. He was eventually deactivated during the Underbase powered Starscream's rampage.

Gears was seen among the Autobots being repaired on the Ark when Optimus Prime sent Landmine and Cloudburst on their mission to obtain computer chips to repair fellow Autobots in issue #52, "Guess Who the Mechannibals Are Having for Dinner?"^[3]

Animated series

Gears was among the original Autobot crew of the Ark which crashed on Earth. In "More Than Meets the Eye" his infrared sensors, a feature of his tech spec, allowed him to track down Ravage, although he left the actual capturing of the Decepticon to others.

Gears' most prominent appearance came in the episode "Changing Gears". Gears with his fellow Autobots head to a mining area to rescue some workers from a Decepticons attack, which results in Gears getting captured by the Decepticons, as the mining attack was a setup to bring Gears to them. The Decepticons bring Gears to Africa as Megatron explains to him the Solar Needle, a weapon that could pierce the sun itself, and that he needs his help in completing it. Gears would never cooperate with them so Megatron has Starscream stun him with his Null-ray so they can take a special circuit card he has as the last component for the Solar Needle. When the Null-ray effects wear off he wonders what happened, due to being stunned from the Null-ray, then becomes confused as to why he suddenly feels so good-natured, as the removal of his circuit card altered his personality from cranky and complaining to a nice and ultra-polite Autobot. Realizing that Gears' special circuit card is his personality circuit, Megatron takes advantage of his personality glitch by having him help them make the energon cubes, making him their slave. Despite being confused as to why he isn't his usually mad and cranky self Gears, who isn't aware of his missing circuit card, is still well aware that the Decepticons are evil, but was rendered so nice that he can't say no to helping them. During the helping, Gears tells Megatron about how he should be angry at him, giving him an insult or two, but for some reason he just can't get too upset, as he tries to remain true to who he is, but gets Starscream mad which almost destroys the Solar Needle. When Gears hears himself say that he loves helping them, being a slave, he has himself wondering if he does as he looks at the power box for the Solar Needle, which helps him realize why his personality is all messed up. Now aware that his special circuit card, containing his real personality, was taken from him by the Decepticons, Gears has to find a way to get it back, but as luck would have it for Gears, that is when his Autobot friends arrive to stop the Decepticons. With the Decepticons distracted by the arrival of his fellow Autobots, Gears makes a break for the power box in an attempt to get his circuit card back to restore his real personality but is stopped by Starscream, who was looking for an excuse to blast him all day. Starscream is about to destroy Gears but he is saved by Bumblebee, as he thanks him for the assistance, even calling him his little buddy, and asks if this is a fun fight. Gears is able to fight off his personality glitch for a moment to save Optimus Prime from harm's way, when Megatron hurls him into the energy grid for the Solar Needle. Megatron blasts Gears for helping him then holds Optimus Prime at gunpoint, forcing the rest of the Autobots to drop their weapons to protect their leader. Megatron orders Gears to repair the Solar Needle which confuses the Autobots as to why he would help them. Prime orders Gears to stop but Megatron reminds him that he asked for a favor; due to his personality glitch, he can't say no, not wanting him to feel bad. Ironhide asks Megatron what did he do to Gears, even calling him a monster as he knows something is wrong with his friend, for turning him into something he's not, nice. Megatron explains to the other Autobots that he's using Gears' personality circuit to power up the Solar Needle. Now knowing about Gears' personality problem, Prime decides to take it upon himself to snap Gears out of his personality glitch, and asks Megatron for a final request. So Prime asks Gears to do him a favor. Gears was waiting for him to ask that and he does, sabotaging the device. Gears is able to maintain control over his personality glitch as he helps his fellow Autobots defeat the Decepticons, even flinging Starscream into Soundwave. After the Decepticons are defeated, Gears asks Prime if he can get his circuit card back from the Solar Needle power box, which he does. The other Autobots want to leave him like this, but they change their minds when they are overruled by Gears. Prime puts his circuit card back where it belongs which restores him to his previous personality, and he reverts to moaning. After Gears destroys the Solar Needle he keeps complaining which annoys the other Autobots into driving off without him, much to his annoyance.

Gears didn't make any more prominent appearances (he did however have a big role in episode "B.O.T"). An argument can be made that Gears was one of the two Autobots who was dropped into the pool of acid before Jazz, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, and Spike were saved by Spike's son, Daniel – although among most fans, Gears' only appearance in the film was on Moon Base 1 sitting next to Ironhide before he leaves. It is assumed he died when Unicron attacked Moon Base 1.

Audio books

Gears was featured in the 1985 Transformers audio book Autobots' Lightning Strike.

Dreamwave Productions

When civil war broke out on the planet Cybertron between the Autobot and Decepticon factions, Gears joined the Autobot cause. When Decepticon leader Megatron and Autobot leader Optimus Prime disappeared in an accident with a space bridge, the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Gears stayed with the Autobots under the leadership of Prowl.

Learning that the Decepticons were testing a new mobile command base at the Praetorus Wharf, Prowl led Cliffjumper, Gears, Jazz, Skids and Sideswipe to investigate. What they discovered was Trypticon (Transformers: The War Within - The Dark Ages #3). They were only saved when Shockwave called the giant away to combat the Fallen.

Gears was among the Autobots who followed Optimus Prime on his mission on board the Ark and crash landed on Earth. In 1984, when the Ark's computer re-activated, it reformatted Gears in the form of an Earth truck.

Eventually the combined forces of the Autobots on Earth, and their human allies were able to capture the Decepticons. A ship called the Ark II was built to take the Cybertronians back to Cybertron along with some human companions, but the ship exploded shortly after takeoff. The human allies were killed but the Cybertronians were lost in the ocean, again in stasis lock.

Gears returned to Cybertron with Optimus Prime and most of the Autobots to face charges after Ultra Magnus told them that the war had ended. Eventually Gears returned to Earth to help with the construction of Autobot City.

Devil's Due Publishing

In this reimagining of the Generation One story, the Ark was discovered by the terrorist Cobra Organization, and all the Transformers inside were reformatted into Cobra vehicles remotely controlled by the Tele-Vipers. In this storyline Gears turned into a Cobra flight pod.

IDW Publishing

Gears appeared in issues #1-2 of Transformers: Evolutions - Hearts of Steel.

Toys

• Generation 1 Gears (1984)

The original Gears toy was based on the Microman toy line.^[4] He was released with a normal Autobot symbol in 1984, and with an Autobot rub sign in 1985. The rub sign version of Gears was re-released in Japan in 2004. One of the earliest Transformers toys.^[5]

This toy features an embossed "M" on his hood, a holdover from his Microman toy line roots.

Gears was remolded into the Autobot Swerve, and then the original mold was recolored into the Japanese exclusive named Smallfoot.

Gears was released as a toy named Pick-Up in South America and came in several color variations.

• Generation 1 McDonald's Gears (1985)

One of the four original McDonald's Happy Meal Transformers toys from 1985, this toy was just a solid statue of the character in robot mode.

Toys

• Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Autobot Gears (2009)

A silver redeco of the Deluxe class Stockade, from the previous movie's toy line.

• Transformers Speed Stars Stealth Force Autobot Gears (2010)

A non-transforming blue SUV that mechanically opens its panels and reveals hidden weapons at the push of a button. Features a launching missile mounted on the roof.^[8] The box art shows an illustration of his robot mode, which is similar to his movie Deluxe form, but colored blue.^[9]

Toys

• Prime Beast Hunters Deluxe Autobot Gears (not released yet)^[10]

Remold of Prime Ratchet.