Tailgate

❥ Name/Handle: Treva
❥ Contact: jirotaka
❥ Over 18?: Yes
❥ Other Characters: NA

❥ Name: Tailgate
❥ Canon: Transformers IDW (2005)
❥ Canon Point: Lost Light #25, just before the victory lap in the Lost Light
❥ Fandom OC Approval: NA

❥ History: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Tailgate_(G1)#2005_IDW_continuity
Also linking Cyclonus’ wiki page, because it covers the end of the comic that isn’t in Tailgate’s wiki page and they are basically glued at the hip: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Cyclonus_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity#Return_to_the_Light
(It starts around the fifth paragraph from the bottom of that section, at "Upon awakening, Cyclonus quickly pieced together where the crew had supposedly wound up and explained his theory to his friends...")
❥ CRAU?: NA

❥ Personality: Tailgate is unlike most Cybertronians in that, overall, he's pretty cheerful and friendly. Having missed the four million year war, he doesn't have as much of a reason to be depressed and distrusting of everyone around him. He likes socializing with others on the Lost Light, be it hanging out at the bar, having a movie night, singing songs with Cyclonus, or going on crazy adventures. His friendship with Cyclonus and Whirl is a testament to just how good he is at making friends. Even the grumpiest of jerks get won over by his persistent desire to hang out and upbeat personality. He'll gladly climb all over anyone who will let him, and doesn't mind opening up about his feelings too much. This has a tendency to make others a bit uncomfortable though, and Tailgate can be a bit dense about recognizing that.

While he does genuinely enjoy making friends, his desire to make as many as possible also stems from some insecurity. He was basically a nobody before joining the Lost Light, just a sanitation bot who cleaned up whatever mess he was assigned to. And getting stuck in a hole for six million years with no one coming to look for him was kind of a blow to the ego as well. Tailgate desperately wants to be seen as cool and to have friends, which was why he initially lied about who he was to the crew of the Lost Light. But when Cyclonus told him he knew he was lying, and the longer he spent with everyone, he started to realize that people can like him for who he is. Not that he won't still want to tell anyone who will listen about his super cool adventures and accomplishments, but he learned that he doesn't need to make things up or show off his former super strength to be liked. He's braver now than he was before and doesn't panic in stressful situations.

Tailgate learned a lot through his adventures on the Lost Light, but he still hasn't completely lost his naivety. Getaway using his insecurity against him at least made him realize that not everyone has good intentions. He vowed never to let himself be used like that again, but his general lack of life experience makes him prone to seeing things in black and white, or getting mad when people try to tell him he's wrong about something. He's generally a bit childish when he gets upset. When he gets mad he's prone to punching walls - when he had his super strength it was sometimes other Cybertronians but he was arguing with Cyclonus a lot back then and is less crabby now - and being a bit passive aggressive. In the rare occasions he gets sad, Tailgate is prone to moping. Unless it's something he's trying not to show sadness about, like when he was told he was going to die from a disease, then he tries to cover his sadness with dry humor.


❥ Abilities:
- Cybertronians are notoriously hard to kill and very durable; normal human guns don't do much to them, Tailgate has been picked up by the head and thrown across a room with no damage gone, Tailgate's legs were completely crushed and he survived six million years with no medical attention, and their 'brains' can be removed from their heads and as long as it is still plugged in it won't kill them
- Cybertronians also have a built in universal language translator
- Tailgate can transform into a car
- He can also produce a Holomatter Avatar, which is a solid projection that can replicate the looks of organic species, like humans
❥ Extras:
- Tailgate's super strength already got nerfed when he died
- He'd probably support Ainea
- He loves curly straws and his demand for one started the four million year war between the Decepticons and Autobots