Hot Rod (Transformers)

Hot Rod is a character from The Transformers. First introduced in Transformers: The Movie, where he is voiced by Judd Nelson. He transforms into a red sports car, with flames painted on the hood and doors. Hot Rod has a youthful attitude, and serves as an older brother figure to Spike’s son Daniel Witwicky. Later in life he temporarily bears the Autobot Matrix of Leadership and becomes Rodimus Prime, and leader of the Autobots.

Appearance in Transformers: The Movie

At the beginning of the movie, he is stationed at Autobot City on Earth. Along with Daniel Witwicky, the son of Spike, he discovers the Decepticon's secret attack on the city. Just before the Decepticons are driven off, he gets in the way of a battle to the death between Optimus Prime and Megatron, when he eagerly attempts to protect Optimus Prime. Instead, he succeeded only in blocking Optimus's line of fire, allowing Megatron to fatally shoot Optimus Prime.

Shortly after the battle, Megatron, in his new form of Galvatron, attacks Autobot City again. The Autobots are split into two groups, and Hot Rod and Kup go aboard a shuttle with the Dinobots. During their journey to Cybertron, they are attacked by Galvatron's underling, Cyclonus. Their ship is critically damaged, and they crash on the planet Quintessa, where they are captured by the Quintessons and are sentenced to death by being torn apart by Sharkticons. Hot Rod and Kup manage to hold their own against them, and with the arrival of the Dinobots and a new Autobot, Wheelie, they turn the Sharkticons against their masters, and depart the planet to reunite with the other Autobots on Junkion.

From Junkion, the Autobots attack Unicron. Hot Rod pilots the Quintesson's ship into Unicron's right eye, but in the ensuing crash, he is separated from the other Autobots, and encounters Galvatron alone. Galvatron, who never intended to give Unicron the Matrix, preferring instead to enslave him with it, offered to make an alliance with Hot Rod to defeat Unicron. Unicron, however, sensing the danger Hot Rod posed, ordered Galvatron to kill him immediately. During the battle, Hot Rod took the Matrix from Galvatron, and was transformed into the Autobots' new leader, Rodimus Prime. He threw Galvatron out of Unicron's body and deep into space and opened the Matrix, which started a chain reaction that destroyed Unicron, then took command of the Autobots as they fled his body and led them back to Cybertron.

Later, when Optimus Prime is revived, Rodicus Prime returns the Matrix of Leadership (and the Prime title) to him, reverting to his former identity of Hot Rod.