Hardhead is a supporting protagonist in Generation One of the Transformers franchise. He is the tritagonist of the Headmasters miniseries and the "Trial by Fire" storyline.
Biography
Cartoon
Hardhead was one of the many new characters introduced in the three-part miniseries "The Rebirth". He was part of a group of Autobots led by Hot Rod and Kup who were stationed on Cybertron in the aftermath of Optimus Prime's return. When Cyclonus and Scourge led a Decepticon assault to gain the Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, Hardhead and the others ended up being blasted into space along with the key and ending up on the planet Nebulos. They teamed up with the Nebulan resistance and underwent a Headmaster process that Brainstorm had devised, with Hardhead being partnered with the Nebulan Duros. After the Key changed hands many times, they accompanied Optimus Prime back to Cybertron where they ultimately witnessed the planet's rebirth.
He was voiced by Stephen Keenan, who also voiced Fortress Maximus and Scattershot.
Comics
Hardhead debuted in the Headmasters miniseries as one of the Autobots serving Fortress Maximus on Cybertron. He was reluctantly convinced to join Fortress Maximus' plan to abandon the war on Cybertron and retire to Nebulos. However, they were quickly treated with suspicion by the Nebulans and ended up in conflict with them. As a gesture of peace, Hardhead and several other senior Autobots removed their heads, deactivating themselves. They remained inert until the Decepticons attacked the planet, prompting a group of Nebulans to decide to binary-bond with the headless Autobots. Hardhead was linked with Nebulan Guard Commander Duros and together they fought off Scorponok's troops.
Hardhead, Brainstorm and the Technobots defeated a later raid by the Horrorcons and Terrorcons, but the Nebulan Council were suspicious of their new allies and insisted on observing them in an attempt to rescue the Decepticons' Nebulan prisoners. Instead, the Autobots ended up fighting the new Decepticon Headmasters. When they broke off the attack to save the Nebulan councillors, the Decepticons took the opportunity to shoot them all down and capture them. They were later freed by the Decepticons' ally Lord Zarak so they would lead the Decepticons off-planet.
In the UK exclusive story "Worlds Apart", Hardhead was part of a team led by Highbrow sent to rescue the captive Autobot Targetmasters Pointblank, Crosshairs and Sureshot. They were ambushed by Decepticons but Hardhead managed to take out Weirdwolf and Skullcruncher before discovering Scorponok had led them into a trap, intending to study the Headmaster process. Hardhead managed to free the trio of Targetmasters and together they overcame the Decepticons.
Hardhead made his first appearance in the main Marvel US comic in Issue #38, accompanying Fortress Maximus in his first landing on Earth. They soon ended up battling the Decepticon Headmasters again and, when Spike Witwicky turned the tide of the battle by taking control of Fortress Maximus, Hardhead was the one who put him forward as their new leader. In Issue #41, he was with Fortress Maximus' Autobots when they first made contact with the Earth Autobots led by Grimlock, witnessing the duel between him and Blaster and battling Ratbat's Earth Decepticons.
After Optimus Prime returned to unite the two factions, Hardhead was part of the taskforce he put together to challenge Galvatron in "Time Wars", although he ended up being shunted into limbo by the arrival of Blurr and the other future Autobots and missing the battle. He made his last appearance in Issue #75 among the Transformers defending Cybertron from Unicron. He and Bomb-Burst were moving a cannon into position when Unicron stepped on them, crushing them.
