Skids

Skids was an Autobot theoretician whose personality and memories had been preserved aboard the Ark for millions of years. When heavy losses left the Autobots short of functioning warriors on Earth, Wheeljack transferred Skids and several other stored Autobots into newly constructed bodies, returning him to active service. His first experiences on Earth immediately fascinated him, particularly human culture and music, although the continuing war with the Decepticons prevented him from studying the planet in peace.

During an Autobot operation in Wyoming, Skids was damaged and separated from his comrades. A human woman named Charlene discovered him in vehicle mode and arranged for the seemingly abandoned automobile to be repaired, after which Skids revealed his true nature to her. Exhausted by the Cybertronian war, he briefly considered remaining with Charlene and living quietly as her vehicle while studying humanity. That escape ended when Donny Finkleberg arrived while being hunted by Ravage, forcing Skids back into combat. He defeated Ravage and accepted that abandoning the Autobots would not free him from the conflict, ultimately leaving Charlene and returning to his comrades.

Appearance: Skids is predominantly cobalt blue with a tall, broad, heavily built Cybertronian frame assembled from vehicle panels, exposed joints, wheels, windows, and layered mechanical plating. His head is compact and angular, enclosed by a blue helmet with a raised central crest, squared side housings, and narrow antenna-like extensions. His face is metallic silver with a segmented mouth plate, recessed cheek sections, and bright amber-yellow lenses set beneath a dark brow ridge. A small rectangular amber panel sits at the center of his forehead. His upper torso incorporates the front end of a blue vehicle, complete with a wide hood, black grille, round headlights, silver bumper sections, yellow auxiliary lamps, and a central license-plate panel. A red-and-white Autobot insignia is mounted prominently across the hood section of his chest. His shoulders are massive and box-shaped, with blue vehicle doors extending upward behind them and pale window panels framed in dark trim. Black rubber tires are built into the outer shoulder assemblies beside red circular mechanical details, while his arms combine blue armor, dark exposed joints, silver mechanisms, and large rectangular forearm housings. His hands are red with thick articulated fingers, and one forearm carries a long silver cylindrical weapon assembly with paired barrel sections.

His waist is compact beneath the oversized torso, with black mechanical sections, a red central pelvic plate, and dark angular hip armor. His thighs are covered by large brushed-silver panels with visible scratches and worn edges, separated by exposed black joint mechanisms. Blue rectangular knee housings contain small red inset panels, while his lower legs are exceptionally bulky and asymmetrical, constructed from large blue vehicle-body sections, silver inserts, black vents, recessed mechanical panels, and integrated wheels. One shin carries a visible black tire along the outer side, while the opposite leg has stacked black grille sections and a narrow inset mechanical panel near the ankle. His feet are broad and blocky, predominantly red with surrounding blue and silver armor, thick soles, and ribbed upper paneling.

Personality: Skids is thoughtful, curious, absent-minded, and far more comfortable studying the world around him than fighting a war. He views Earth as an enormous field of study and can become so absorbed in observing human behavior or processing new information that he loses awareness of immediate dangers. Although he dislikes being treated purely as a soldier, he does not lack courage and will fight when others are threatened. His time with Charlene briefly offered the peaceful existence he wanted, but it also forced him to accept that ignoring the war would not erase his responsibilities.

Charlene becomes Skids's closest human companion after finding him damaged and giving him an opportunity to experience ordinary human life away from the Autobot-Decepticon conflict. Optimus Prime is his commander and responsible for bringing his preserved personality back into active service, while Bumblebee introduces Skids and the other newly revived Autobots to Earth. Grapple, Hoist, Smokescreen, and Tracks are revived alongside him as part of the same reinforcement group. Ravage becomes a direct enemy during Skids's period with Charlene. Later, Springer, Broadside, Inferno, Carnivac, and Catilla become his companions in the Survivors after his return from Limbo.

Skids possesses an exceptionally large memory capacity and can absorb visual information at remarkable speed, making him highly effective as a researcher and theoretician. His analytical systems are suited to studying unfamiliar cultures, technology, and environments, although his tendency to become absorbed in his thoughts can leave him vulnerable during combat. His vehicle mode takes the form of a compact blue Earth automobile equipped with extremely effective braking systems, allowing him to stop across unusually short distances.

His primary weapons are a liquid nitrogen rifle capable of projecting super-cooled material across considerable distances and a twin electron blaster delivering electrical discharges powerful enough to disable mechanical targets. Skids can use the nitrogen weapon to immobilize enemies through rapid freezing rather than relying solely on destructive firepower. Despite being less combat-oriented than many Autobots, his specialized weapons and analytical intelligence make him dangerous once he focuses fully on a fight.