Barricade (Energon)

Barricade is a Decepticon from the Energon portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

Wait, I'm in a team of military vehicles yet am completely unarmed in robot mode? What gives?

Barricade is the leader of the Destruction Team, five super-energon-powered military vehicles who combine to form the mighty Bruticus Maximus.

Fiction

Energon cartoon

"Huh, so this is what I look like."

Shortly after awakening from their long slumber, Bruticus Maximus and Constructicon Maximus were ordered by Galvatron to pursue the fleeing Superion Maximus after the Autobot attempted to attack the Decepticon leader. Both combiners separated into their individual components and gave chase. They later pledged their allegiance to Galvatron, believing him to be the future of Cybertron. Wishes

When Six Shot pinpointed an Autobot signal on the planet's surface, Galvatron sent Constructicon Maximus and Bruticus Maximus out to investigate. The two combiners came upon Autobot refugees looking about the crashed Miranda II for survivors, and decided to have some fun by beating them up. Arcee and Kicker sped by to allow the Autobots to escape, and Bruticus Maximus split into Barricade and his other components to give them chase. They were unable to catch the pair, but came upon them again after the Omnicons had managed to clog up an energon pipeline, hindering the Decepticons' planetary defense grid. Bruticus Maximus assumed his combined form to gun them down, but was countered by the arrival of Optimus Prime and other Autobot reinforcements. Break Through

During a virtual training match between the Autobots and Decepticons, Barricade and Steamhammer gathered with their respective team members to face off against Storm Jet and his Air Team. Both sides combined and clashed, with Superion Maximus losing the battle. However, they were quickly defeated by Optimus Supreme in the next round. Distribution

Barricade and the other Destruction Team member eventually paid for their treachery during a final show down with the Air Team. Bruticus Maximus and Constructicon Maximus double teamed Superion Maximus, who held his own and destroyed Constructicon's spark before the Autobot was reduced to Storm Jet. However, the ghost of Superion's brother appeared, destroying Blackout, giving Storm Jet the chance to procure Constructicons's dead limbs and recombine into Superion. Before Bruticus could recover, the Autobot pierced his spark causing an explosion which engulfed them all. Spark

Toys

Energon

• Bruticus (Multi-pack, 2004)

• ID number: SD-21
• Release date: October 14, 2004
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro), Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy)

Part of the seventeenth and final wave of Takara's regular-retail Super Link line, "Onslaught" was only available as part of a complete set of all five Destruction Team members, never as an individual. He transforms into an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier with a rear-mounted (non-firing) missile rack that turns and elevates. He also forms the torso to the Bruticus Maximus combiner robot, capable of using any "Powerlinx Combiner" limb-robot combination thanks to the universal connector points used for the Air Team, Destruction Team and Construction Team toys. In addition, he possesses multiple Mini-Con connection points (but they don't activate any gimmicks).

This mold was later used to make the 2008 Universe toyline's Bruticus Maximus component/team member Onslaught (which doubles as Revenge of the Fallen Onslaught) and Fun Publications' Transformers Collectors' Club-exclusive Timelines Heatwave.

Scattorshot's big brother. Or little brother. You can't tell with all the upgrades.

• Barricade (Combat Class, 2005)

• Team ID number: D5
• Known designers: Eric Siebenaler (Hasbro), Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy)

Released in wave "7.5" of Hasbro's Energon "Combat Class" toys (Energon had a few "half-waves", it's complicated and weird), Barricade was only sold as an individual.

He is mostly the same as Takara's Onslaught, but has generally darker plastics and a few different paint layouts on some bits.

• More information on Barricade at TFU.info

Universe (2003)

• Barricade (Deluxe Class, 2005)

Barricade was repackaged on a Universe-themed card (but still in the longer-than-tall configuration) and sold through discount chains in the United States like Big Lots!.

No mention of his combining ability is made on the cardback, likely because none of his teammates were released in this series.

Notes

• For reasons unknown, Barricade is the only one of the three Powerlinx Combiner leaders to not have an online profile, and one of the few above-Basic toys to not get one. The most likely explanation is that he was part of one of the final waves of the Energon toyline, and Hasbro's web team simply didn't get around to uploading his profile. By that time, updates to the official Transformers website were very sporadic and haphazard.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Onslaught (オンスロート Onsurōto)