Razorbeast

Razorbeast is a Maximal from the Beast Wars portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Whose tusks gleam in the night?^[1]

Razorbeast is a stubborn infantry fighter with great strength and tenacity befitting a boar. He will keep struggling and fighting ferociously against all odds no matter how hopeless the situation. This steadfastness in the face of adversity, coupled with his considerable improvisational skills has earned Razorbeast respect from comrades and foes alike, despite his diminutive stature. His self-reliant, self-sufficient nature and fierce refusal to give up has made him a prime choice for important but dangerous solo missions. Razorbeast has a healthy respect for the chain of command and would never disobey an order from above.

Fiction

Toy bios

Whose prose gleams in the night?

Razorbeast was an infantry soldier serving under Optimus Primal, a leader he would never disobey due to his respect for Optimus, not only as his leader, but also as his comrade. He was stubborn, aggressive, and always starving for combat, something he engaged in ferociously, causing even his fellow Maximals to consciously attempt to always stay on his good side. Razorbeast toy bio

In a swamp outside the Fusion Building genetics lab, a fleet of ferocious animals had gathered. Suddenly, the wild boar and his wild comrades were under attack by a massive crocodile! Surprise! This was a battle between Optimus Primal and his Maximals and Megatron's Predacons! Razorbeast quickly transformed to attack Tarantulas, and the Beast Wars began! Optimus Primal vs Megatron!

TransTech

The Razorbeast of Primax 296.0 Beta was one of many Offworlders in Axiom Nexus. At the behest of Andromeda, Miss-Q tracked him down for an interview for Axiom Nexus News' segments on foundational universal stream Primax 496.22 Alpha. Razorbeast was delighted to share what he knew about alternate Beast Wars, but the only thing Andromeda wanted to do was to speak famous quotes by the Razorbeast of Primax 206.15 Gamma on-air. Frustrated by the frivolous requests, Razorbeast terminated the interview and told ANN to never contact him again. Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/03/24

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Razorbeast was a Maximal double-agent planted in the Predacon ranks by Lio Convoy to spy on Magmatron. After becoming part of Magmatron's inner circle, Razorbeast was brought to prehistoric Earth in order to raise an army out of the stasis pods left there after the conclusion of the Beast Wars. Magmatron had him send out a shell program to the pods so that they’d be born as Predacons upon their activation, but Razorbeast arranged so that at least some of the pods were activated as Maximals. When Magmatron's agents in the field reported this irregularity in their scheme, Razorbeast fled rather than attempt to maintain his cover. Shell Game #1

2006 IDW Beast Wars continuity

Maybe his alt mode is a Razor scooter?

At the tail-end of the Great War, Razorbeast was sent out to accompany Tigatron in an attempt to broker peace-talks between the Autobots and Decepticons, hoping to end the war without further carnage. Unfortunately, the first enemy camp they approached was headed by the renegade soldier Megatron, who sicced Predaking on them. Razorbeast fled before the gestalt could cut him down. Dawn of the Predacus

Razorbeast later came to be an undercover agent embedded by Lio Convoy in Magmatron's organization to discover, and if possible to foil, the general's plans. He traveled back in time to prehistoric Earth with Magmatron and his crew to retrieve the rogue Megatron, the group entering chronal phase to avoid detection. However, this mission was just a front to the true plan- to challenge the Maximals for control of Cybertron. Magmatron needed an army, and prehistoric Earth was littered with the stasis pods that had been abandoned by the Axalon. Magmatron had Razorbeast awaken these protoforms as Predacons, however, Razorbeast inserted a virus into the protoform-awakening software which allowed some of them to retain their Maximal allegiance. The Gathering #1

Fleeing from Magmatron, Razorbeast hooked up with the few Maximals he could immediately find: B'Boom, Snarl, Optimus Minor, Bonecrusher, Ramulus, and Wolfang. B'Boom in particular had difficulty trusting Razorbeast at first, as the boar's camouflage programming caused him to broadcast a Predacon spark signature even now. An initial excursion to obtain a transwarp signal booster from the Tri-Predacus Agent's crashed transwarp cruiser saw Razorbeast and his group fight Magmatron directly. They escaped after Razorbeast managed to exploit the weakness of Magmatron's multiple beast mode components and bury him under an avalanche. While Optimus Minor and Snarl managed to obtain the transwarp signal booster, Razorbeast dubbed it too damaged and in need of replacement parts. The Gathering #2

No wonder Magmatron kickbanned him. Clearly HAX!

Next, Razorbeast's rag-tag crew attempted to raid the Ark for the necessary supplies to repair the signal booster and send a distress call back to Cybertron. Razorbeast felt this would be less likely to cause damage to the timestream than taking anything from the remains of the Axalon. While they successfully obtained the parts they needed, Magmatron's capture of Megatron and an imminent return trip to Cybertron via a portable transwarp gate required immediate intervention. Razorbeast and Optimus Minor set out to stop Magmatron as the others worked to send the distress call. The Gathering #3

In a fortuitous bit of timing, the wandering Grimlock arrived at the transwarp gate and engaged Magmatron in battle as Razorbeast and Minor formulated a plan. Magmatron defeated Grimlock and found his next opponent in Razorbeast, who stepped out into the open to challenge him. Using the chronal phase armband to shift in-and-out of Magmatron's timezone, Razorbeast managed to keep him occupied long enough for Optimus Minor to get the unconscious Megatron off the transwarp pad. Magmatron accidentally fell onto the pad and Razorbeast blasted the controls as it activated, sending the Predacon general to parts unknown. In the end, Razorbeast's company joined up with Torca's militia, Prowl's air force, and the remaining Maximals to continue protecting Earth against the remaining Predacons and their new commander, the rebuilt Ravage. The Gathering #4

-And this little piggy...was a smartass!

Razorbeast continued to lead the Maximals against Ravage's Predacons, enduring hit-and-run attacks for several weeks. He felt increasingly uneasy about their situation, confiding in Wolfang and Prowl that he didn't think the distress call they had managed to send ever made it to Cybertron. Wolfang and Prowl attempted to put his unease to rest, but Razorbeast simply couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more he could be doing. Shortly thereafter, Ravage set his Predacons on a full-tilt assault against the Maximals, hoping to steal the chronal phase armbands that would allow him to sync up with the "other" Beast Wars. Razorbeast led the counterattack, and upon noticing that Ravage wasn't present, retreated to the cave that the armbands had been hidden. He found Ravage there, and with Snarl's help, managed to knock the former Decepticon unconscious...or so Razorbeast thought. The Ascending #1

Hakuna MatatAAAIIGGHH!!!

Razorbeast bound Ravage and left him in the cave to return to the battle outside. Ravage then revealed himself to be playing roboto-possum, snagged the armbands, and activated one. Razorbeast and his Maximals continued their battle with the Predacons, and the Pack suddenly arrived on Earth to turn the tide. Victory and rescue seemed imminent to a relieved Razorbeast, until Ravage emerged from chronal phase, interrupting a reunion with Lio Convoy. Ravage told of both Magmatron's survival and the looming threat of Shokaract. Before anything more could be elaborated on, Shokaract's herald Rartorata appeared in the skies above, swooping down and stabbing Razorbeast with his Angolmois-laced stinger. The other Maximals and Predacons watched in horror as Razorbeast began mutating into a giant, feral beast. The Ascending #2

The Maximals were forced to wrestle the berserk Razorbeast to the ground and restrain him to get him under control as the Predacons engaged Rartorata. Lio Convoy managed to break through the Angolmois-madness and bring Razorbeast back to his senses temporarily, but when Drancron and Elephorca arrived on the scene, Razorbeast broke free and turned his rage on the two Blendtrons. Lio Convoy and Ravage used Razorbeast's maddened attack to marshal their forces for a return trip to Cybertron, with Lio saluting his stricken comrade's sacrifice. The Ascending #3

That'll do, Maximal. That'll do.

Razorbeast managed to defeat Elephorca largely by himself, and the others managed to beat Drancron and Rartorata. With no new enemies to focus his rage on, Razorbeast began to lose control again. A distraught Optimus Minor was forced to shoot his friend in the head, killing him, lest he harm the surviving Maximals and Predacons.

In the aftermath, a returned Magmatron would show his respect for a fallen foe by remarking that Razorbeast was deserving of a monument for his actions. The Ascending #4

2005 IDW continuity

Pig Versus a City

Razorbeast was a Eukarian colonist who found work on Cybertron after the formation of the Council of Worlds. He and Fizzle worked aboard a small cargo ship. When a horde of undead Titans threatened the planet, Razorbeast wasn't keen on staying, but Starscream's rousing speech inspired the two to remain in orbit and hold off the Titans for as long as possible. Ping

Beast Wars: Uprising

Razorbeast, who possessed a porcineacon alternate mode, was special forces in the Resistance during the Grand Uprising. When the Vehicon Apocalypse began, he was recruited along with Ro-Tor, Apexus, and Vertebreak to serve Lio Convoy in a small commando unit, breach the Grand Mal, and hopefully shut down the Vehicons at their source. After infiltrating the Mal, Lio Convoy and Blackarachnia pressed ahead to the control center while Razorbeast and the surviving commandos provided a distraction. Razorbeast was forced to mercy-kill Apexus when his comrade was infected by a Vehicon. As time wore on, the surviving commandos began working their way towards engineering and possible points of sabotage, but Blackarachnia intercepted them. The fight with Galva Convoy had been hard on both sides, and Lio Convoy was near death. Blackarachnia commandeered Ro-Tor and the engineering mission, and gave Razorbeast a new one: Save. The. Commander. Razorbeast accepted the assignment and got Lio Convoy out of the Grand Mal and to the medi-units. Derailment

2021 Beast Wars comic

"I'm not boar-ing you, am I? That's, heh, that's some pig humor."

Razorbeast was contained in one of the many stasis pods on the Axalon that were ejected when the ship was caught in a battle with the Darksyde and left in orbit above the planet they crashed on. The pod was soon brought down to the surface due to sabotage carried out by Blackarachnia. However, due to her not being able to upload the entirety of Tarantulas' code to said pods, Razorbeast kept his Maximal programming. When his pod fell into a lake it was unable to release its opening hatch until Skold happened to find and carry it out of the water. Thankful to his rescuer and not completely aware of the situation, Razorbeast struck up a friendship with the Predacon. Unbeknownst to either of them, however, they were being watched and tested by the Vok, who provoked a pack of savage ironwolves into attacking the pair. Razorbeast quickly charged and attacked the group while Skold attempted to persuade him to save himself, but he refused to leave his new friend. Razorbeast was quickly overwhelmed by the pack and received several serious injuries. Skold tore the pack apart to save him but found his body mangled by the creatures. As Razorbeast slipped into stasis lock Skold was forced to take him back to the Maximals and the Axalon, knowing the Predacons wouldn't save him. After some tense negotiations, Optimus Primal took his body back into the ship, promising they would do what they could to help him. Thicker Skin

War! War! Stop it!

Along with the other Maximals, Razorbeast joined Optimus Primal when he launched a pre-emptive strike on the Predacon base in order to retrieve the Golden Disk, despite his private doubts about having to fight his friend Skold. Maximals Strike Back, Part 1 In the ensuing battle, Razorbeast battled Terrorsaur, but when he saw Skold grappling with his leader Optimus he instinctively abandoned the fight to rush over and break up their fight. As he got between the pair and insisted that she didn't have to be their enemy, Terrorsaur swooped down on the Maximal and hauled him away into the sky. Gloating that Razorbeast should've killed him when he got the chance, Terrorsaur dropped the Maximal warrior directly into a mountain of raw energon crystals that formed the core of the planet's many floating islands and triggered a cataclysmic explosion. Skold quickly avenged her fallen friend, however; when Terrorsaur gloated that he'd killed the "stupid Maximal", the little Predacon snapped and ripped Terrorsaur's spark from his body in a moment of anger. Maximals Strike Back, Part 2

Toys

Beast Wars

Will Smith's been looking for me since, like, October!

• Razorbeast (Basic, 1996)

• Accessories: Mane-blaster
• Known designers: Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy)

Part of the very first wave of Beast Wars product, Razorbeast transforms from an organic red boar^[2] to robot mode with a spring-loaded one-step autotransformation activated by pulling up his tail. His mane separates from his back to become a dual barreled (non-firing) handgun; the character's box art indicates this was originally intended to be a two-piece accessory that could be held in both hands, but that obviously didn't happen.

The initial releases of Razorbeast and the other wave-1 Basics and Deluxes came on a "rocky bubble" card. This quickly changed to the "smooth bubble" style, with all toys re-released in this style of packaging. As such, the rocky packaging is rarer and goes for more on the secondary market.

This toy was promoted in Japanese catalogs as "Razorback", but was ultimately unreleased in that country. This mold was also used to make Beast Wars Neo Randy.

• More information on Razorbeast at TFU.info

• Predacon Arachnid Micro Playset (Playset, 1997)

In Europe, the Beast Wars-branded MicroVerse playsets (see below) were released solely as Beast Wars/Biocombat (English/Spanish/Italian packaging) or Beast Wars/Ani Mutants (French/Dutch/German packaging) products.

This release is entirely identical to the US MicroVerse release of the toy, aside from the packaging and the branding.

MicroVerse

• Predacon Arachnid Micro Playset (Playset, 1997)

• Series: Beast Wars: Transformers
• Known designers: Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy)

This tiny, non-transforming micro-figure of Razorbeast was only available as part of the Arachnid MicroVerse playset, which also came with a tiny, non-transforming micro-figure of alligator Megatron. There are two variants of this piece; one has bright yellow legs, the other bright green.

• More information on MicroVerse Razorbeast at TFU.info

Merchandise

Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game

Quality, freshness, and flavor, they're the magic words for PORK.

• Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game (1997)

Razorbeast was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars card game.

Notes

Try Furman & Burnham's Second-Choice Bacon. "Liked More Than Expected"

• The card-art for Razorbeast shows him with two handguns. It's possible that an early design of the toy was intended to split the mane in half. In the comics, he alternates between holding his gun in his hand and leaving it mounted on his back while firing.
• Simon Furman picked Razorbeast as the main Maximal character of The Gathering before he even saw a picture of him. Razorbeast's name just stood out to him. He also stated that had he seen the toy before he made that decision, he might have used someone different.^[3] The use of the character caused a surge in price for Razorbeast's toy on the secondary market.
• Razorbeast was a last-minute addition to the cast of the 2021 Beast Wars comic—his role was originally intended for Moon, until Hasbro said that character was not available to use.^[4] Evidently, Hasbro didn't have a problem with Moon showing up as a murderous post-apocalyptic scrounger in 2022's Last Bot Standing.
• Don't call him Pumbaa.
• Know that Razorbeast does not have claws.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Razorback (レイザーバック Reizābakku),^[5] Razorbeast (レイザービースト Reizābīsuto)^[6]
• French: Sanglier (Canada, "Boar")
• Italian: Razor
• Spanish: Jabali (America, "Wild Boar")

References