Dark Rodimus (Transformers Animated)

My actions will lead to your destruction.

Name: Dark Rodimus
Allegiance: Decepticons
Function: Assassin
Timeline: Transformers Animated Timeline

Toyline: Transformers Animated

Profile:

Seeking to destabilise the Autobot forces, Megatron used Starscream’s cloning technology to create clones of many members of Autobot command. One of these creations was Dark Rodimus, a twin of the Autobot Rodimus Prime. Megatron tasked Dark Rodimus with destroying the original Rodimus Prime and taking his place, observing that Rodimus Prime was in line to replace Sentinel Prime as captain of the Autobot Elite Guard after Sentinel Prime stepped into the role of Magnus. However, Dark Rodimus has his own ideas. Bigger ideas. Why stop at controlling the Autobot forces - why not also overthrow Megatron and take over the Decepticons?

At his core, Dark Rodimus feels he's not that different from Rodimus Prime. He desires peace like Rodimus. Dark Rodimus feels like he's just taking a more pragmatic approach.

Til all are one.

Abilities:

Dark Rodimus is equipped with electrostatic paint which allows him to alter his colouration at will. He mainly uses this ability to immitate the colours of Rodimus Prime, but Dark Rodimus can also use this ability to blend into his surroundings - effectively camouflaging himself. Dark Rodimus is thought to sometimes use his electrostatic paint when he wants to blend into a crowd, either to escape pursuit or to covertly observe what the average 'bot on the street is thinking.

Dark Rodimus wields a copy of Rodimus Prime's energy bow. He can use it to blast a space barnacle off the hull of an energon freighter at a distance of one mile - his skill and accuracy with the weapon being rivalled only by Rodimus Prime himself. He is also highly adept in hand-to-hand combat.

Dark Rodimus, like Rodimus Prime, can generate clouds of smoke from his exhaust pipes in both his robot and vehicle mode, creating confusion and covering his escape if he is ever discovered.

Weaknesses:

Dark Rodimus is incredibly arrogant and assumes as a copy of the Autobot known as "the chosen one" he is without weakness . This arrogance - and more generally his power-hungry attitude - often spoils his otherwise perfect disguise allowing those who know Rodimus Prime best to identify when they are dealing with Rodimus Prime's evil clone.

Megatron foresaw the possibility of Dark Rodimus turning on him - after all, he's a clone of an Autobot - and installed precautions when he was constructed. Unbeknownst to Dark Rodimus, two bombs are concealed in his body, one attached to his processor and one attached to his fuel pump. These can be triggered remotely by Megatron at any time and will completely destroy Dark Rodimus once they are activated.

Sports car mode:

Additional images of Dark Rodimus:

More information on Dark Rodimus at TFW2005

Author notes:

Dark Rodimus (or Black Rodimus as I knew him before discovering his official English tech specs) is an utter gem of a toy. He looks fantastic with his black and purple deco - it just suits this mold so well.

The backstory to Dark Rodimus is an interesting one. It references the origins of the Generation 1 Black Rodimus (that he's an evil clone to replace the up-and-coming Hot Rod) but the story wraps it in some of Animated's plot elements. In expanding the bio for this write-up I took more elements from Animated, including Rodimus' role in Season 4's premiere.

To me the backstory makes for a great sidestory to the Animated mythos. And I'm all for expanding Transformers Animated however much I can.