Cromar

Cromar is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

A tuppence for you.

Cromar is the leader of the Powerdashers.

Fiction

S.T.A.R.S. pack-in flyers

The Powerdashers featured in two early recruiting messages sent to humans by the Autobots. The messages were almost identical in content, claiming that the Autobots marooned on Earth were becoming desperate in their battle against the Decepticons, sending an S.O.S. to Cybertron even though they didn't know if anyone would be there to receive it. Luckily, their plea was answered in the form of the Powerdashers, Omnibots, and Time Warriors. The only Powerdasher seen was the jet-form model, but the message noted that the Powerdashers' state of constant evolution meant that they might not look the same later. Reinforcements from Cybertron! The battle is far from over!

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

The three Powerdashers were created with a primitive design based on the forms of very early Cybertronians. Meant to aid the Autobots on Earth, the Powerdashers' powers and personalities were still growing when they were put into duty. More than Meets the Eye They were packed in stasis aboard the supply ship Orion, which ended up crashing on Earth after getting shot down by Sunstorm. The crew activated the Powerdashers, who awoke without a word and immediately began working on the ship. When they finished, they packed up their tools and quietly went back on board. Black Sunshine

2005 IDW continuity

It's a food truck expo, they're very rare and this is the first one I've ever been to so I'm a bit nervous.

Cromar and the other Powerdashers fought under Ultra Magnus in a battle on Clemency. Cromar's team was ordered by Magnus to try to disable the Nightmare Engine, but the group was interrupted by a K-Class Decepticon bombing. The Gloaming

Ask Vector Prime

Multiversal observer Vector Prime explained that, in some universes, the Powerdashers were three individual sentient beings, with Cromar as the leader. Ask Vector Prime, 21 September 2015

Generations Selects Special Comic

Heh, you're pretty strong.

In the Selectors conflict of 2050, Cromar was one of many Autobots hit by Blot's anti-electron ooze. Abominus comic 1

2019 IDW continuity

First appearance: Escape #3

Cromar was a security officer who assisted Hound's caravan of organics and wounded civilians as they made their way from war-torn Iacon to the relative safety of Darkmount. Escape Part Three Hound put Cromar on patrol in case and threats arrived on the horizon. Sure enough, Cromar reported an Insecticon clone swarm making their way towards Darkmount. Escape Part Four During the crisis that followed, Hound utilized Cromar's Weaponizer abilities to combine with him and unleash serious firepower in defense of the innocents. Escape Part Five

Cromar remained with Darkmount's defenders in the cycles that followed, holding out against the Insecticon swarm. Termagax arrived with a plan to reprogram the Insecticons to feed on another threat to Cybertron, the rust worms. One security team was needed to capture an Insecticlone and upload a data-bomb into its cortex, while another team would attach a receiver to Bombshell at the center of the hive mind to distribute the data packet to the entire swarm. Cromar linked up with Novastar's team in the field and brought the receiver to use on Bombshell. Radical Time They infiltrated the Insecticon hive to deliver the data bomb. Cromar linked up with the sniper Javelin in Weaponizer form to hold off the swarm while Novastar and Smokescreen delivered the data bomb to Bombshell. End of Time

Toys

The Transformers

Weird vibes on this guy, I'm tellin' ya.

• Powerdasher (Mail-order, 1984)

Part of the very first year of The Transformers product, the Powerdasher is a redeco of the Diaclone "Sky Dasher", transforming into a Cybertronic jet. It has a pull-back motor in vehicle mode, allowing it to quickly roll forward across flat surfaces. Okay, the engine also works in robot mode, but it means it's just sliding along headfirst on its back.

It was only available as a mail-order exclusive in the US, costing $3 and 2 Robot Points. The jet-mode Powerdasher was the only one pictured in the ads, but the type you got ended up being random: you might have gotten the drill or car instead. The jet-form Powerdasher appears to be the most common model sent, however.

• More information on the Jet-form Powerdasher at TFU.info

Generations Selects

Back on Broadway yet again...

• Powerdasher Cromar (Deluxe Weaponizer, 2019)

• Series: War for Cybertron: Siege
• ID number: WFC-GS04
• Accessories: 2 W-5 Gyro Blasters
• Known designers: AJ Piejko-Brown (packaging)

A Generations Selects accompaniment to Siege, "Powerdasher Cromar" is a retool of Deluxe Class Autobot Sixgun, transforming from robot to a Cybertronian VTOL craft (Sixgun is officially stated to be a "tank", but come the heck on). He is also compatible with the Fire Blast effect pieces from the Battle Masters assortment, which can be used to simulate blaster fire or explosions. His deco and headsculpt are based on the original toy, and like most other Siege Selects toys, he is completely free of "battle damage" paint applications.

As a Weaponizer, he can also be taken apart and converted into weapons and armor that can be attached to other figures that use the C.O.M.B.A.T. System (or, really, any 5mm post-compatible toys). He is armed with two "W-5 Gyro Blasters" (which share their design with Siege Sideswipe's "gyro blaster"), and splits into the "C-50 M2 Dual-Flank Boost Launcher" (upper torso), "C-S2A M2 Guided Missile Launcher" (lower body), two "C-M3 Anti-Gravity Cannons" (legs), and two "C-LR M2 Ion-Pulse Blasters" (arms). His instructions show three suggested combinations of these parts with other figures: the "Defensive Loadout" turns him into a massive anti-aircraft-gun backpack, the "Offensive Loadout" has a slightly smaller gun-backpack and uses his torso as a shield, and turns his legs into "platform shoes", while the "High-Precision Launcher Gauntlet" re-combines his upper and lower torso-parts into a massive punchy-hand that fits over most Deluxe toys' arms.

Unfortunately, copies have suffered from quality control in that the head is sometimes poorly glued together, resulting in the neck swivel being neutered completely. To make things worse, even attempting to move the head could cause the head to split at the seams and fall off.

Cromar was released exclusively through various online retailers in North America. Numerous samples were also found at Canadian Toys"R"Us stores.

This mold also served as the model for Metroshot in the Legends comic.

Notes

• The jet Powerdasher was originally a Diaclone toy called the "Sky Dasher" (スカイダッシャー). The Diaclone toy uses blue plastic instead of black, and has an extra sticker sheet. And, of course, a Diaclone pilot.
• "Cromar" was the name given to the Takara U.S. Diakron, GiG Italian Trasformer, and Joustra French Diaclone releases of the Powerdasher Jet toy. The name would not be used for the character in Transformers fiction until the comic issue More than Meets the Eye #16 in 2013, following on from writer James Roberts using the names "Chromar", Aragon, and Zetar in his unofficial fan-novel Eugenesis.
• The name "Cromar" is evidently a play on cromo, the Italian term for chromium and in turn, chrome plating.
• The Powerdashers were the first Cybertronian (well, non-Earthly) vehicular toys released–and were released in 1984, to boot.

Foreign names

• Cantonese: Cromar (克羅馬 Hak¹lo⁴maa⁵)
• Mandarin: Cromar (Taiwan, 克羅莫 Kèluómò; China, 克罗玛 Kèluómǎ)