The Transformers Archive Skip to main content / Also skip section headers

[The Transformers Archive - an international fan site]
Please feel free to log in or register.

 
  • transformers forum
  • transformers fandom
  • transformers toys
  • transformers comics
  • transformers cartoon
  • transformers live-action movies

#10

Rhinox

By Warcry

"Hard work never killed anybody."

Percentage of vote: 32.0%
Average ranking: 10.2

...seriously, guys? Rhinox? Dude was barely in Armada at all. Weirdos.

*sigh*

Okay, fine. You voted for him, so I guess I'd better do him justice. A hardworking Autobot soldier, Rhinox was more or less a non-entity in the cartoon, only showing up in a brief, non-speaking cameo. But in the comics, he got more attention. Under Jetfire's command, he participated in an assault on Decepticon HQ during an invasion by Unicron's forces. Rhinox, somehow equipped with headlights in spite of being a rhinoceros, got to participate by using his lights to flush a Herald of Unicron out of the shadows. He somehow managed to survive the ensuing combat in spite of being a D-lister, though considering what happened next he probably wished he hadn't. Unicron himself came to Cybertron not long after, and when he was turned aside by the combined power of the Autobots, Decepticons and Minicons he decided to kidnap Rhinox and his friends and turn them into his new Heralds. In the Energon comics that followed, Rhinox and co. attacked Cybertron, were defeated by the Autobots...and then never seen again because comic publisher Dreamwave went belly-up.

And that, as they say, is that. The sum total of Rhinox's accomplishments as a Transformers character. Sorry for the short article. We'll try to do better tomorrow.

...wait, what? There's another Rhinox?

Oh. Right. Him. He makes way more sense.

Let's try this again...


#10

The Other Rhinox

By Warcry

" If that's a scientist, I'd hate to see your military units."

Percentage of vote: 32.0%
Average ranking: 10.2

...still not the right one? Bugger.

Okay. One more time...











#10

The Actually Popular Rhinox

By Warcry

"When a Spark goes online, there is great joy. When one is extinguished, the universe weeps."

Percentage of vote: 32.0%
Average ranking: 10.2

Now this guy, I can get behind.

Although I like Rhinox, I have to admit that I didn't have him pegged for making the list. I didn't vote for him myself, and I was quite surprised to see him ranking so much higher than more talked-about characters like Waspinator, Rattrap, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt. Because while Rhinox was always likeable and respect-worthy, for me at least he seemed to fade into the background a bit compared to his more flamboyant castmates. But after reading what the voters have to say, it makes a lot more sense.

Rhinox was the "quiet one" of the Beast Wars cast, especially in the later seasons as more characters were introduced and most of his first-season castmates were upgraded to Transmetal bodies. He tended to spend a lot more time at base than the others, building and repairing stuff and taking care of technical side of the Maximals' operation. He is also the calmest, most level-headed of the Maximal team, and apparently the oldest and most mature as well. Those traits combined to make him a father figure of sorts to the younger crew, especially Airazor and Cheetor.

"Holds everything together.
Quiet, calm, unassuming."

--lastmaximal

In spite of his technical leanings, though, Rhinox had a religious side. It was through him that we were first introduced to the concept of a "spark", the tiny ball of energy that forms a Transformer's life force. He was also the one who braved a trip to the Transformers' afterlife to bring back Optimus Primal after his leader fell saving prehistoric Earth from destruction.

Lest I give you the wrong impression, though, Rhinox isn't all business. In spite of his serious disposition, wasn't above stopping and smelling the flowers -- sometimes literally. He truly seemed to enjoy being on Earth, more so than many of his fellow Maximals, and was quite intrigued by the mysteries that the world and its Vok relics were concealing. In a sad turn of events, though, the series was wrapped up quickly and neither Rhinox nor the viewers ever really learned what the deal was with all the flying islands and standing stones beyond "FOR SCIENCE!"

But while Rhinox is a very cerebral character, he has another facet to his personality that sets him apart from other brainiacs in the history of the franchise like Wheeljack, Perceptor or Brainstorm: Rhinox is phenomenally badass. His CHAINGUNS OF DOOM have attained memetic status (so much so that they were the sole reason several of our voters gave for nominating him) but they're far from the only reason why. Rhinox was level-headed, cunning and a good problem-solver, cool under pressure and always a calming influence on his fellow Maximals even in the most trying of situations. It didn't matter what you threw at him short of the Nemesis, because Rhinox had nerves of hardened steel.

"So, here we have peaceful powerhouse, that
could be the ideal leader AND has a thing for
gadgets, spiritualism and is a medic! Wow,
that's a lot of talents for a guy like Rhinox.
I also like his dark side, which is manifested
in the form of Beast Machines Tankor."

--Nemesis-Scourge

But it wasn't all chainguns and roses with Rhinox, because his cool exterior belied the dark, dangerous depths that lurked beneath. Though he usually kept it hidden, on the few occasions when Rhinox's temper burst forth the guy was an absolute beast (pardon the pun), cowing even nigh-fearless characters like Megatron and Dinobot. And on the occasions where he was brainwashed or otherwise induced into looking past his usual moral code, Rhinox was terrifying. His turn as Tankor in Beast Machines made him one of the most impressive and dangerous antagonists in the entire Beast era, rivalling Megatron himself as both a mastermind and physical threat.

But the impact that losing him to the Vehicons -- and having him choose to stay on the dark side even after Megatron's control program was broken -- perhaps best illustrates just how important a character he is. Without Rhinox the Maximals were lost and spent most of Beast Machines stumbling in the dark looking for something, anything they could do to make things right. And without his calming presence, the team quickly fell into infighting and sulking, something they never quite recovered from even though they eventually won the day.

Rhinox was the glue that held the Maximals together, and though that sometimes meant fading into the background, when he wasn't around anymore his absence was felt all the more keenly. I said in an earlier writeup that Silverbolt was the heart of the team, and if that's then case then I suppose that makes Rhinox their soul -- spiritual, wise, calm and stoic. And now, I think, I finally understand what all you voters saw in him.

-- Back --

 
With thanks for long-term support to sponsors: