Roadhandler is a supporting character in the Transformers franchise, especially Generation One. The original version of the character was a figure in the 1989 toyline.
Marvel Comics[]
Roadhandler's first chronological appearance was in the UK-exclusive story "A Small War". He was one of the new Autobot Micromasters and the most senior, leading the Race Car Patrol. On learning that another group of Micromasters, the Battle Patrol, had been captured by the Decepticons, he volunteered to lead the remaining Micromasters in a rescue mission, but Emirate Xaaron told him to instead destroy the Battle Patrol to stop the Decepticons analysing them and reverse-engineering Micromaster technology. Roadhandler was reluctant to carry out the orders and instead attempted a rescue, taking a small group into the Decepticon base while the others launched a diversionary attack. They successfully rescued the Battle Patrol, but not before the Decepticon Air Strike Patrol had been brought online (although they were easily overpowered after Roadhandler tricked them into thinking the bomb he'd been given to destroy the Battle Patrol was still active). Roadhandler reported to Emirate Xaaron for punishment but Xaaron instead thanked him for reminding him that the lives of his troops were important.
In his first Marvel US appearance in Issue #54, Roadhandler arrived on Earth as reinforcements along with the rest of the Race Car Patrol and also the Off Road Patrol. They were greeted by Optimus Prime but the meeting was awkward. Roadhandler was insolent while Optimus Prime's partner HiQ doubted the small robots would be of any use. Nevertheless, Optimus Prime assigned the eight newcomers the job of investigating Decepticon activity in the New Jersey swamps. Patrolling the nearby roads, Roadhandler and the rest of his patrol encountered human journalist Cecilia Santiago who filled them in on the fact the Decepticons were causing a storm over Manhattan and planning to attract and harness the energy of the lightning, with massive human casualties. Roadhandler and the others pursued Decepticon Iguanus to the top of the Empire States Building, where Roadhandler stopped Cecilia falling to her death and knocked the energy container out of position, causing Iguanus to take the full force of the lightning. Roadhandler declined to leave the scene with Optimus Prime and, as revealed in the next issue, he and the other Micromasters set about fostering relations with humans, appearing on talk shows, taking part in a wrestling match and teaching the local youngsters self-defence. Roadhandler boasted that he'd done more to improve Autobot/human relations in weeks than Optimus Prime had in years, but soon learned the downside when Lord Zarak challenged him to face old adversary Storm Cloud in a wrestling bout, taking the human youngsters he had befriended hostage to make him throw the match. The other Autobots rescued the humans and Roadhandler defeated his opponent but, realising the humans were in danger being close to him, rejected them in the aftermath.
His latest chronological appearance (which oddly was published first in the UK comic) was in "(Double)deal of the Century", which showed him and the rest of the Race Car Patrol back working with Optimus Prime. They went to meet Chainclaw, who was delivering battle plans, but ended up walking into a scheme by the allegiance-switching Doubledealer, who abducted Chainclaw and stole the plans as a Decepticon, then contacted them as an Autobot and told them the Decepticons were holding him hostage for energon. He offered to make the switch, then kept the energon for himself, delivering the battle plans to the Decepticons and Chainclaw to the Autobots, and quietly left the scene as Roadhandler, Optimus Prime and the others were tricked into attacking Scorponok.
