View source for Nightracer (G2)

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|cybEmpireG2|autobotg2}}
{{disambig2|the Decepticon from ''Generation 2''|the Decepticon she was sometimes cloned from|Nightracer (G1)}}
:''Nightracer is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:LegacyNightracerart.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A pioneer for women ''and'' goths.]]

Steady and stoic, '''Nightracer''' stands alone. She fears emotional entanglements with her fellow Decepticons will distract her from getting the job done swiftly and precisely. And her caution has seemingly bore results—she's one of the Decepticons' most skilled sharpshooters. Nightracer's aloofness and well-deserved confidence has earned her the ire of her would-be peers, mistaking her demeanor for arrogance, but the truth is she's merely pragmatic, and sees no virtue in downplaying her abilities. Of her fellow Decepticons, Nightracer cares only for [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], to whom she is unerringly loyal.

Nightracer is sometimes paired with the [[Mini-Con|Micron]] [[Shakar]]. Because the two were assigned to one another by Megatron himself, Shakar is the one other Decepticon Nightracer does not shun.<ref>TFSS Nightracer profile card</ref> Occasionally, she's cloned from [[Nightracer (G1)|another, somehow even cooler, Nightracer]].

==Fiction==
===''The Allspark Almanac''===
Readers of ''[[Venus (magazine)|Venus]]'', a trans-dimensional magazine for [[female Transformer|Decepti-femmes]], were invited to decide who was deadlier, Nightracer or [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|The Allspark Almanac}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:FlashForward3-Nightracer.jpg|left|thumb|Believe it or not, but I'm the same toy as that guy in front!]]
In [[2012]], [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] had the [[Battlecharger]]s retrieve several [[personality component]]s from within [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], one of which was the [[Nightracer (G1)|original Nightracer]]'s. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 2}} Jhiaxus had remembered the myth of Nightracer, and chose to clone her and re-create one of Cybertron's deadliest warriors. In particular, he chose to include her acerbic personality to see how his other clones, his "Second Generation" of Cybertronians, would react, in order to overcome arising divisions. The cloned Nightracer firmly believed in Jhiaxus's goals of recreating the Cybertronian Empire. At least, that's what she told herself, since the original Nightracer's aversion to social interaction and bonds still showed through. Her knowledge that she was a clone of the original Nightracer gives her serious doubts, often causing her to wonder whether the original Nightracer was faster, a better shot, or stronger. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 46|Nightracer's profile in Club magazine #46}} She was unveiled along with the rest of the "Second Generation" to [[Hi-Q]]. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 3}}

[[File:CommonFoe-Nightracer.jpg|right|thumb|Hi, I'm Nightracer. I'm here to befriend Autobots and endorse peace treaties between them and the Decepticons, as Raksha intended.]]
After [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] and his team of Autobots were captured, Jhiaxus showed him Nightracer and five other clones as an example of his work. Realizing that one Autobot was unaccounted for, Jhiaxus instructed Nightracer to go look for him. As she did so, [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] offered to watch her rear, to which she responded that he was a little young for her and raced off. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 5}}

Side Burn caught up with Nightracer on a cliff overlooking the rest of her clone brethren clashing with Pyro's Autobots. When sight of the battle below restored Side Burn's memories of the war, Nightracer pleaded for him to stay with her and the other Decepticons. Side Burn reminded her that she and the other clones were intended by Jhiaxus to rise up above their factions, and noted that by coming with him to join the Autobots, she could fulfill that mission. Apparently persuaded, she returned to Earth with the Autobots, where she helped Side Burn debrief [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] on what had happened and advocated pardoning the [[Battlecharger]]s for their kidnapping charges. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}}

Nightracer later acquired a new body, and was present for the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

===Renegade Rhetoric===
One of [[Megatron (G1)#The Battle for Planet Earth|Megatron]]'s [[Renegade Decepticon]]s, Nightracer followed her leader out of [[Primax 085.0 Eta|their home reality]] to a new reality. There, Nightracer and [[Crash Test (G2)|Crash Test]] raided a [[Sumdac Systems]] to acquire a pallet of [[Destronium]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric|Renegade Rhetoric (2), 2016/05/05}} With their ill-gotten supplies, the Decepticons upgraded themselves into the second generation of [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]]s, improving upon the technology of the [[GoBot]]s of [[Gargent 087.0 Kappa|Strata 22]], sending the Autobots on the defensive. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric|Renegade Rhetoric (2), 2016/05/12}} Subsequently, Nightracer stuck with Megatron when [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] made a play for leadership. {{storylink|Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric|Renegade Rhetoric (2), 2016/05/19}}

==Toys==
===''Generation 2''===
[[File:G2toy-Nightracer.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|She's still waiting for her insignia to finish downloading.]]
[[File:FX95Nightracer.jpg|right|100px|thumb|She feels positively naked without her stripes. (FX version shown).]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Nightracer''' (Go-Bot, 1995)}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Rifle
{{toydesigner|[[Raksha]] (Raksha), [[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Nightracer was a [[BotCon 1995]] [[exclusive]] toy, with a confirmed at-convention run of only 298 pieces. A [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] [[High Beam]], Nightracer transforms into a "concept car" with an exposed rear engine that looks ''exactly'' like the [[Wikia:hotwheels:Speed Blaster|Speed Blaster]] car from Mattel's ''[[Hot Wheels]]'' line that was first released in 1991 under the names "Back Burner" and "Sonic Special". At 1:64 scale and using through-axle wheels for speedy rolling on smooth surfaces, she is compatible with many ''Hot Wheels'' and ''Matchbox''-brand playsets and tracks.

: Technically, Nightracer is a literal [[repaint]] of the Go-Bots version of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], using the same base plastic colors but lacking the gold overcoat paint layer, and featuring silver paint on her face and engine as opposed to Bumblebee's purple face and unpainted black engine. She also uses different wheels than Bumblebee, supposedly those intended for the [[Double Clutch (G2)#Generation 2|Double Clutch]]/[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Mirage]] sculpt. (See "[[#Notes|Notes]]" below for more details on the origin of the toy.) Each toy given at the convention was further modified with hand-painted blue stripes on the sides of the hood, and a [[customizing|custom]]-made Decepticon sigil sticker on the center of the hood.

: Nightracer came packaged in a taped plastic factory bag affixed to a [[The Transformers (toyline)|classic-series-styled]] card, also produced on a personal home printer.

: Several years later, a large batch of Nightracer figures were sold through WhizBang Toys, both on eBay and through WhizBang's toy shows, presumably [[Hasbro]] overstock. This version of the toy lacks the hand-painted details and Decepticon sigil sticker, obviously.

: Aside from being the first toy specifically [[redeco]]ed for use as a convention exclusive, Nightracer was also the first ''Transformers'' toy sold as a female character to see North American release, however limited.

: This mold was also used to make [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Crosswise (RID)#Toys|Crosswise]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Decepticon/Nightracer/nightracer.htm More information on Nightracer at TFU.info]''
{{G2HighBeamMold}}
{{--}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:Timelinestoy-Nightracer.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|I make a pretty good [[Wipe-Out]] too!]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-d1|'''Krok / Nightracer''' (TFSS 3.0, 2015)}}</ul>
{{toydesigner|[[Raksha]] (original concept, bio)}}

:''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' Nightracer is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#Thrilling 30|Generations: Thrilling 30]]'' Legends Class [[Tailgate (G1)#Generations|Tailgate]] mold, using the blues requested (but not used) for her original BotCon toy, transforming into a muscle car of probably-made-up model.

: She shipped as the "freebie" figure in Version 3.0 of the [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]], in the same box as [[Krok (G1)#Timelines|Krok]], the 6th and final paid figure in the service. She came packed with a similarly recolored version of [[Neutro#Generations|Groundbuster]], named [[Shakar#Toys|Shakar]], an anagram of [[Raksha]], Nightracer's creator and the host of Botcon 1995, who also contributed the text for Nightracer's packed-in bio card.

:This toy was [[Repurposing|repurposed]] as a body for [[Tailgate (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Tailgate]]. This mold was also retooled into ''Thrilling 30'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Generations|Windcharger]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Decepticon/TFSSNightracer/nightracer.htm More information on Nightracer on TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W5Nightracer.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Nightracer, Gunner''' (2020)
**'''Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack''' 
**''Rarity: '''''SRT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T30/T46'''
**''Stars: ''5
{{toydesigner|[[Sara Pitre-Durocher]] (illustrator)}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I drew and colored this set of cards throught my job at Volta, for Transformers TCG , for Hasbro/ WOTC! Loved working on these..!! Ahh 💕|link=https://twitter.com/SaraLePew/status/1236002179128926208|site=Twitter|name=Sara Pitre-Durocher|year=2020|month=03|day=06}}</ref>

:This card's set was originally set for an April 2020 release, however due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the release was pushed back to May 29, 2020.
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Nightracer's 1995 toy colors weren't quite what Raksha had asked for: the lime-ish yellow plastic parts were supposed to be ''blue'', but Hasbro had presumably told Raksha that the colors couldn't be changed.<ref name="bc1995">[http://web.archive.org/web/20070611081535/http://www.electric-escape.net/tf/conventions/BotCon-95/Raksha Archived version of Raksha's BotCon 1995 notes]</ref> A possible reason for this is that, due to the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots']] [[gang-molding|gang-molded]] nature, Nightracer was actually made from spare parts that were left over from the production run of the Japanese releases of Go-Bots [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GobotOptimusPrime|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Go-Bot|Megatron]], and [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Soundwave]]: Nightracer's "godawful yellow" is also the color of Soundwave's car shell. This would also explain the different wheels, which were supposedly intended for the [[Double Clutch (G2)#Toys|Double Clutch]]/[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Mirage]] sculpt, which (along with the [[Motormouth#Toys|Motormouth]]/[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Ironhide]] sculpt) didn't see another release during this time span. Supposedly, then, the subsequent WhizBang release of Nightracer ''also'' consists of leftover parts from the same production run as the Japanese Go-Bots.
*Nightracer's ''Timelines'' magazine profile art (seen below) depicts her with a unique character model not seen before or since: a [[body-type]] patterned after ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]; apparently a case of artistic license, as artist [[Matthew Armstrong]] had incorporated elements of ''Animated'' characters into the other profiles he drew for Fun Publications.
*The original Nightracer's name, character, and biography never went through the [[Hasbro]] approval process—Raksha in fact originally maintained that Hasbro had no legal claim on the character. Having alleviated this concern one way or another, Raksha penned the bio for Nightracer's ''Timelines'' toy in 2015, formally [[canonizing]] the character's original characterization some 20 years later.
*As of the end of "[[A Flash Forward]]", Nightracer is pretty friendly, apparently okay with Side Burn hitting on her, and also now aligned with the Autobots. Well, at least they finally got the colors right.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:BC95Nightracerart.jpg|''Generation 2'' card art
File:NightracerG2-profile.jpg|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' profile art
File:TFSS Nightracer CardArt.jpg|''Timelines'' card art
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:BotCon exclusives]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Convention-original characters]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Gunners]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]