Impactor


 * Impactor is an Autobot from the Generation One continuity family.

Impactor is the leader of the Wreckers, an elite Autobot strike team, and as such is a deadly force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Though he is dedicated to his troops, he is not so dedicated to his superiors, and is not above directly insulting them. Emirate Xaaron, who assembled the Wreckers long ago to assassinate the Decepticon warlord Trannis, takes this attitude in stride, and can give as well as he receives. Impactor refers to the Autobot resistance leader as a "wily old buzzard," as he is often surprised by Xaaron's blunt yet indirect ways of making his point and getting what he wants. Despite this, their difficulties mask a genuine friendship.

Marvel Comics UK continuity
After the leave of Optimus Prime, Megatron and their troops from the war, Emirate Xaaron assembled the Wreckers to assassinate the warlord Trannis who came into power in Megatron's absence. Impactor was chosen to lead this team. Though the assassination attempt was successful, other leaders quickly sprung up to take Trannis' place. Countless of years later, after Optimus Prime and his Autobots had awoken on Earth, Impactor and the Wreckers were responsible for executing Operation: Volcano, a planned ambush of the Decepticons' fiercest warriors using Xaaron as bait. Ultra Magnus was assigned to the Wreckers to help them bolster their ranks for the mission, but he was quickly needed to travel to Earth to investigate the disappearance of Optimus Prime. Impactor's commitment to the mission wavered and he at first refused to deploy his team without Magnus there as back-up, but he changed his mind after learning a lesson about perseverance while at Macaddam's. Impactor's doubts were further quelled when Xaaron convinced him that Springer, Broadside, and Sandstorm were an adequate replacement for Magnus, which Xaaron accomplished by having them disguise themselves as Decepticons and beat Impactor up. Operation: Volcano was once again on track.

Xaaron, the bait for the Wreckers' trap, was placed according to plan, but suddenly Megatron called his warriors to Earth, overriding all other commands, including the planned ambush on Xaaron. Disappointed that their trap was ruined, the Wreckers let down their guard long enough to allow an assassin named Macabre, ignoring Megatron's orders, to fire upon Xaaron. Impactor was the first to react and pushed Xaaron out of the way, taking the shots meant for the Autobot underground resistance leader. Immediately, the other Wreckers turned and fired upon Macabre, killing him, but Impactor was fatally wounded. With his last words he named Springer the next leader of the Wreckers before dying in Xaaron's arms, again calling him a "wily old buzzard." Springer was severely affected by Impactor's death, and felt inadequate in the shadow of his legacy. So when a rogue Autobot scientist named Flame discovered a way to reanimate dead Transformers, Springer was crippled from action when he was met with the reanimated corpse of Impactor. His route to the kidnapped Wreckers and Xaaron blocked, he reluctantly fought his predecessor until Springer managed to jar Impactor into remembering his past life. Impactor sacrificed his life again when he stopped Flame's reactors from destroying Cybertron.