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Function:
Resident Hypochondriac
Voice Actor:
Don Messick
First Appearance:
"More Than Meets The Eye, Part 2" |
Nightwind's Words of Wisdom:
I love Gears! I do! He is by far my favorite of the so-called Minibots. Why? Well...I'm not sure, really. I mean, in some ways, he's a whiner. Generally, I'm not fond of the whinier characters, like say, Huffer (all the time) and occasionally Mirage. But I think in the end that Gears doesn't really whine so much as grumble. There's a difference between whining and grumbling, after all. Whining is what Huffer does; it's laced with fatalism and self-defeat. Grumbling is just...letting off steam, and Gears does it in his own inimitable fashion. He's like a little old grumbly man, complaining about how much his joints hurt. He's the God of Grouch, and I love him for it.
In short, ike Dr. McCoy on Star Trek, Gears is a "Curmudgeon with a Heart of Gold." He bitches and moans, but you know he doesn't really mean anything by it. (In fact, if you believe his profile, he doesn't really mean it at all.) True, his curmudgeonliness only really comes out in "Changing Gears." Otherwise, he was nothing more than a background character. But that one episode made me love him to death. The cheerful way he told off Megatron in that episode — And he got away with it! HAH! — endeared the little guy to my heart forever...
The Official Word:
Profile: Gears is the complainer in the group: He absolutely hates the Earth and everything about it and he is eager to let the others know this. He is a self-proclaimed misfit, the type who finds fault in everything and everyone, even himself. That is one of the reasons Optimus Prime finds him useful: Gears is so sour-tempered that the rest of the Autobots cheer themselves up by trying to cheer him up. Only Optimus knows that Gears' complaining is an act. Gears realizes his function is to force his companions to see what's good about a situation, and he performs accordingly.
Abilities: Gears has tremendous strength and endurance. He is often used to tote heavy loads for long distances. He will even carry several of his comrades to conserve fuel. He can launch himself to a height of 20 miles and then float back down to the ground by creating a compressed air cushion under his feet. This makes him an excellent reconnaissance agent and his ability to detect infrared wavelengths allows him to work night or day.
Weaknesses: Since Gears has limited maneuverability when launched, he makes an easy target if spotted. Although his sour personality is mostly an act, a reminder of his home planet, Cybertron, can often depress him and negatively affect his performance.
Miscellaneous:
Best Place to Gears-Watch:
Oh, "Changing Gears" by far. :) He rules in that episode! :D *pinches Gears' cheeks*
Nightwind's Favorite Gears Quotes:
"Happy to be of service! ...I wish I wasn't, but I am!"
~Under the influence of a lack of The Grouch Circuit in "Changing Gears."
"How can I help you, Megatron, you evil son of a retro-rat?"
~A still-happy-to-be-of-service-yet-still-snarky Gears in "Changing Gears."
"That's easy for you to say! Your pulleys don't squeak!"
~Yelling down the hall after a patronizing Ironhide in "Changing Gears."
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