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[heavyweaponsbot]

Player Information
Player name: Red
Contact: AIM @ thisismyomnitool
Are you over 18: yes
Characters in The Box Already: none

Character Information
Character Name: Ironhide
Canon: Transformers: Live Action
Canon Point: Midway through Dark of the Moon, right after the fight with the Dreads. Before Sentinel's Betrayal.
Is your character Dead, Undead or Alive: Alive

History:
It is said that Ironhide is one of the oldest known Autobots--and he looks it, with his body still carrying many scars, broken pieces, and countless repairs, most specifically a bad hip and faulty core timing (according to the bio on the back of his toy). He is a veteran of countless battles, both on Cybertron, and on Earth.

Cybertron was, at its height, a pretty peaceful planet, barren of anything resembling organic life, and instead fostering a population of, for lack of a better term, giant, sentient, robots. They were mechanical in build, but very much alive. The population was divided into civilian and military sectors, with civilians having a variety of positions, from science and research to waste disposal. Megatron, then called the High Protector, ran the entirety of the military -- air, ground, and security forces were under his jurisdiction. Much of the planet's, and their race's, history was unknown, save that all life on their planet came from a large, mystical cube housed in a temple -- this artifact was known as the All Spark. No one knew where it came from, or how it managed to create life, but it was vital to the existence of every Cybertronian, and the planet itself. They did know it generated vast amounts of energy, which made it a target for outside, hostile, interests.

Ironhide was a captain in the ground forces, fighting to protect the planet and the All Spark from hostile takeover, and well-known for his ability on the field. These skills were, according to his history, enough to which Megatron himself took notice, and allowed the soldier audiences with him on occasion. He eventually came to specialize in weapons -- both in the use of them, and their development, creating and maintaining his own over-sized arm cannons.

Everything was perfectly normal, until a civilian science team, led by a 'bot called Optimus, uncovered a strange piece of triangular metal with an odd inscription. They had been researching an archeological dig near the All Spark's temple, in hopes of better understanding it. No one could quite figure out what exactly the triangle was -- and they had no time to investigate further. At the same time, their planet was attacked by an organic army looking to take the All Spark for themselves. Ironhide was involved in the battle, helping to drive off the enemy fighters.

While everyone was occupied saving the day, Megatron took the triangular artifact for himself. It turned out to house a being known as the Fallen, who corrupted Megatron's mind, intending to use the army commander to exact revenge for his imprisonment. As a result, Megatron launched an all-out attack on the organics trying to take the All Spark, claiming it was their right to destroy any and all opposition, rather than simply protecting their borders. Again, Ironhide was involved in the operation, out of a sense of duty. Following the slaughter of the organic forces, Megatron ordered the deaths of the same scientists -- including Optimus -- who had discovered the Fallen's Artifact. When the armed forces began to disintegrate, with Megatron renaming his troops "Decepticons", Ironhide was among the first dissenters. He saw what his fellow soldiers were becoming, and refused to take innocent lives.

This was the most difficult choice he had to make. There was no way that a group of scientists -- one of whom did good repair work from time to time -- could be guilty of what Megatron claimed. There was no reason for Megatron's claim... and calling for execution, their execution, was not the purpose of soldiers. He knows full well that he deserted the armed forces. But he will never admit it. Especially after the war began, and his choice was vindicated. He does not regret what he did, and if pressed, he will justify his decision.

He has been serving under Optimus Prime, the newly named Autobot leader, ever since, becoming not only comrades, but friends as well. When the war officially broke out, he became indispensable, providing tactics, and some intelligence on the Decepticons. Over time, it became clear Megatron and the Decepticons would not stop fighting until they had claimed the All Spark, and its power, for themselves, and the conflict continued on for thousands of years.

At some point during the war (canon is very unspecific) he was given the task of training young warriors, created to solely bolster the Autobot forces. He seemed to take to this task quite readily. One trainee in particular was called Sideswipe, and the two were quite close during Sideswipe's training and upbringing. Unfortunately, they lost contact after the younger 'bot was dispatched to look after a refugee colony on another planet, a task which ended in disaster. It was destroyed by a Decepticon named Demolishor, and Sideswipe took off on his own, after an argument about tactics with his old teacher.

Eventually, Optimus made the choice to launch the All Spark from Cybertron, in an attempt to end the war, despite dooming their race, and their planet. The theory was that if there was nothing to fight over, the conflict would cease. Megatron followed it out into space, abandoning his troops, but the war continued. It was then decided that a group of Autobots would seek out the All Spark, and Megatron, before the Decepticon forces could do the same. At the very least, they could prevent him from retrieving it -- and maybe, somehow, return it to Cybertron. Ironhide was among the group chosen for the mission.

The group -- consisting of Optimus, Bumblebee, Jazz, Ratchet, and Ironhide himself -- trailed the All Spark, and Megatron, to the Solar System, and the planet Earth, making landfall in the year 2007. Once there, they continued in their search, resulting in a great deal of frustration, and the discovery of the boy Samuel Witwicky, who was in possession of a map to the All Spark. Not only did they find the location of the All Spark, but Megatron's frozen shell -- both housed in secret in the Hoover Dam by the United States government. Unfortunately, Megatron defrosted, summoned his troops, and took after the All Spark again. All this chaos culminated in the battle of Mission City, during which Sam managed to shove the All-Spark into Megatron's own spark, killing him from the sheer energy overload. The All Spark was destroyed, along with the Decepticon leader, save for a small shard, kept by Optimus. In addition to Megatron and his troops, the Autobots lost Jazz during the battle, but suffered no further casualties.

Ironhide was among the cleanup crew following the battle, partnering with Captain Lennox's team -- a group of soldiers who had aided them during the fight in Mission City -- in taking down the rogue machines created by the All-Spark's energies, and picking up the pieces of dead Decepticons. He later aided in transporting the Decepticon remains to their final resting place, taking part in small skirmishes with them along the way. Something else was brewing -- even without their leader, the Decepticons were still searching for something on Earth.

And so, Ironhide, along with the other surviving Autobots, joined forces with the human military, forming the group known as NEST, in order to hunt down both the remaining Decepticon forces, and any that might arrive later on. As a show of trust between the two races, Optimus allowed the United States military to put the All Spark Shard into safekeeping. With Megatron dead, it seemed that his air commander, Starscream, had taken over the command of the Decepticons. For two years, NEST fought battle after battle, collecting more Autobot refugees, and coming out with more victories than they did losses. Every part of the globe was under scrutiny, from the African desert, to the Andes. In Africa, they engaged Starscream's forces at a major dam in Zambia, defeating them, and saving millions of lives, as the Decepticons had been attempting to break the dam for unknown purposes. Later, he took part in a mission to Australia, in which it was discovered that there was, in fact, a splinter group of Decepticons, working toward Megatron's resurrection. This only strengthened the need to step up patrols, and stop any Decepticon who entered Earth's atmosphere.

Then, an incident took place in Buenos Aires. In September of 2008, Ironhide was called on to reign in his old student. Sideswipe had reappeared, obsessed with revenge, and was hell-bent on taking down a massive Decepticon alone. Demolishor, the Decepticon responsible for decimating Sideswipe's colony, had followed his comrades to Earth as well -- and Sideswipe had chased him. The younger Autobot managed to rack up a large death toll, and huge amounts of property damage before Ironhide could talk him down. It took the old warrior throwing himself in front of a missile strike to get through to the younger, and haul him back to NEST, where they began working together once again.

All went as planned, until a routine mission in Shanghai, in the fall of 2009, came coupled with a strange warning about "the Fallen". A warning given by the dying Demolishor no less. From there, everything fell apart--the human government's relationship with the Autobots disintegrated into suspicion, Decepticons infiltrated the secure storage facility holding the All Spark Shard, Megatron was revived, and, worst of all, Optimus was killed fighting against the newly resurrected Decepticon. "The Fallen" as it turned out, had been brought back to life himself, by unknown means, and was launching an attack against humanity. The Fallen somehow believed humanity had wronged him -- as had the ancestors of Optimus Prime, and thus was taking the opportunity to strike back.

Because, somehow, there was a machine of Cybertronian make on Earth, a machine known as the Harvester. This machine was designed to reduce the sun to energy -- a massive amount of energy -- for use in "refueling" the All Spark. The Fallen intended to activate this machine, wiping out all life in the Solar System, and thus bringing about his Great Revenge Scheme.

The Autobots were blamed for the Fallen's attack -- as the government and military believed if they were not present, the Decepticons would not have struck. Following the apparent disbanding of the NEST forces, Ironhide and the rest of NEST (human and Autobot alike) took matters into their own hands. Acting on word from Sam Witwicky, they rerouted their planes, heading to Egypt, where the boy claimed he could help revive the Autobot leader. Of course, a battle ensued, with Ironhide and NEST fending off the oncoming Decepticon horde until Sam could reach Optimus -- presumably with his mysterious way to restore him. During that battle, Sam was killed, seemingly ending all hope of reviving Prime, and Megatron's massed forces drew down on the dwindling NEST team. And then, somehow, the boy came back to life, in possession of an ancient Cybertronian artifact known as the Matrix of Leadership. It was with this artifact that Prime was revived. And thanks to Prime that the Fallen was defeated.

After the Decepticon retreat, or rather, after Megatron and Starscream fled, things slowly began to go back to the way they were. NEST was placed back in action, and started working not only to root out Decepticon incursions, but, apparently, terrorist threats as well. Everything went pretty swimmingly, until a Decepticon known as Shockwave attacked NEST HQ, killing a good number of Autobots, and NEST personnel -- including one Director Galloway, much to the private relief of a lot of said personnel.

The Autobots and their allies carried on, despite being left off-balance by the surprise attack. It was clear their enemy had not fully retreated after all, even though no other hostile contact had been made. At least until Shockwave reappeared in Chernobyl in 2011, ransacking the old reactor core. After his retreat, the discovery Optimus had made in the reactor made it obvious that their human allies hadn't exactly been honest with the Autobots about important facets of history. This was due to the fact Optimus had found Cybertronian technology in the reactor -- technology humans never should have had access to.

Optimus was understandably upset, going so far as to give the humans the "silent treatment" until Ironhide smacked him out of it. A mission was launched to find the source of the technology the humans had appropriated -- a source Ironhide identified as an old Autobot ship known as the Ark, a ship which carried very valuable cargo: one Sentinel Prime, a hitherto unmentioned mentor of Optimus, along with some very secret and powerful technology known as a 'space bridge'. From the description given, the Space Bridge was, essentially, a massively powerful teleportation device, capable of bringing things from one end of the universe to another. Naturally, this couldn't fall into the wrong hands, so off NEST went to pick Sentinel up, and bring both him and his stuff down to Earth. This was all well and good until, of course, the Decepticons heard about it, and decided to crash the party.

Ironhide was one of the defenders who stood against a pair of Decepticon attacks on the NEST compound in Washington DC. He and his student, Sideswipe, took down the Decepticons with relative ease, before falling back to help defend Sentinel from further attacks -- as they had realized it was he, and not his Space Bridge technology, the Decepticons sought after.

And then, his canon point ended. Literally.


Personality:
Tough-as-nails and no-nonsense, Ironhide is a warrior to the core, despite the fact he tends to be something of a loose cannon—-no pun intended--with a temper and actual cannons to back him up. He is fiercely loyal to a given cause--fanatically loyal to the Autobot cause, and utterly devoted to Optimus Prime. However, he tends to be standoffish, occasionally foul-mouthed, and stubborn, going so far as to argue with Optimus before ultimately giving in. Tact is not in his vocabulary, or his core programming. Ironhide has a temper, and although his "bite" is just as bad as his "bark", his displays are often easily settled by those who know how to properly handle him. He's excitable, despite his age, especially where weapons and explosions are concerned. But around pretty much everything else, he acts like a grouchy old man, with a stubborn streak as wide as he is massive.

While he does not give his trust away freely, especially in regards to humanity, once you’ve won it, he can be frighteningly devoted. He does genuinely care about his fellow Autobots, but the Decepticons have a special place in hell, as far as he's concerned--he hates them as much as any living thing can hate another. He feels that any measures are necessary when it comes to defeating said Decepticons. Since a good majority of the soldiers he once knew sided with Megatron, relishing in chaos and destruction, tainting their purpose. In a sense, most of those he knew betrayed their kind, and therefore Ironhide himself--in his opinion. Megatron especially. He worked with them, trusted them, and they ended up trying to kill him, and the Autobots.

"Turning traitor" is, therefore, a big issue for him; a traitor, he believes, cannot be redeemed. They are scum, and can never be trusted again.

But for the Autobots, and their human allies at NEST and in the children, he would give his life in their defense, without hesitation. He will never, ever, kill those he deems to be innocent--which is usually a synonym for "civilian". Beating them into a pile of unrecognizable scrap, however, does not count as "killing", in his book. It's gotten him into trouble for nearly crossing the line before, as far as physical violence goes. But under no circumstances will he actually take a civilian life. Death is for soldiers and traitors. On this, he will not so much as bend.

He was made for soldiering--for protecting the weaker, the younger, the innocent. Whether that means throwing himself into the fray ahead of one of them, taking the shots meant for another, or giving his own life for them, it doesn't matter to him. He will do so. It isn't so much that he feels certain individuals cannot protect themselves. It's just something he must do, and can't adequately explain why. If he is unable to defend those he cares for, or those he feels he must, it rarely sits well with him. He doesn't know how to protect people from things that can't be fought, and that, for lack of a better word, scares him a little. More accurately, he hates it.

Ironhide is painfully private, almost to the point of phobic. All personal matters, especially his own, are best kept private. He does try to get along with his allies, and with people more outwardly emotional than he is, but he seems to consistently say the wrong thing, and can't for the life of him figure out what he's said wrong or why. Most of his more concerned, sentimental conversations are locked down--the words are supposed to be between the two parties, not the rest of the world. Emotion still overrides caution, sometimes, and he's not always able to do this, which leaves him ashamed of himself, or merely embarrassed, for a long time afterward. This includes forms of physical affection beyond the odd shove--it's private, it should take place behind closed doors. He has a very clear soft spot for the young -- human or Autobot, as evidenced by his raising of one Autobot, and his treatment of Bumblebee throughout his canon.

Lastly, if you want to live, do not fly with Ironhide. He hates it, loathes it. If there is any other feasible means of transportation, by God, he will take it.

Items on your character at canon point:
His two cannons, described below. And the Heavy Iron cannon, something that appears to function more like a shotgun than an actual cannon, though specific information is never fully disclosed. It's a big gun, basically.

Abilities, Strengths and Weaknesses:
His name does not lie, his armor is thick, and tough, it had to be, for him to have survived for as long as he has. Shots that would kill a smaller, lesser-armored Autobot only scratch him. It takes a great deal of force to so much as puncture his exterior armor. He's rather agile for his size and age, although not a fast mover. Both he and his vehicle mode are heavy-duty brawlers, not quick scouts. His top speed is only 110MPH in vehicle mode, though he is capable of hauling 200 metric tons, and able to take on most head-on collisions without much severe damage. He is almost literally a tank in truck form. And, since he's an Autobot, is capable of switching between forms on a split-second's notice. He can scan a machine and take its form. However, it does need to be of the right size to accommodate his mass.

At one point, it was said that he had a hand in destroying a small planet with the strength of his weaponry. Also according to the novel, Veiled Threat, he has the capacity to refine and create energon, which is essentially a substance that comes from breeding nitroglycerin, gasoline, alcohol, and the juice in blue glowsticks.

Like all Autobots, he possesses scanning capability--although what exactly that entails is unclear. It is noted that they are capable of detecting lifeforms, other Cybertronians, and some types of radioactive material with these scanners.

He is capable of calling up a holographic driver, though the exact capabilities of said hologram are never quite explained. They can speak with the voice of the Cybertronian in question, but are not solid, as objects are able to pass through them. There is no other discernible difference, however, between the hologram and a real human.

Ironhide's strength is very obviously in that of his weapons--the two main cannons on and in each arm. On the right arm, a plasma warhead launcher, capable of firing off 3 "smart" rounds per second. On the left, a fission chamber cannon, delivering a 12kt payload.

Rumor has it that he also possesses a minigun, firing 200 rounds per second, but prefers the larger cannons. All of his guns are equipped with top-of-the-line targeting sights, and only the very best in components and semi-self-regenerating ammunition. The fission cannon is capable of solar recharge, while the missiles can be replenished by ingesting raw material in the form of scrap metal (as seen in the novel Veiled Threat).

Samples
Network/Action Spam Sample:
Sample post from Dear_Player!

Prose Log Sample:
The Decepticon howled, swinging its head around to face the Autobots, mouth gaping wide for another attack. In response, Ironhide planted his feet again, scarred optics set, his aim never wavering. He stood like a great black sentinel between the attacker and his wounded charge, lying silently in a pile of broken silver armor. Murder glinted in his expression -- in the white-hot barrel of the cannon.

"Come!" he bellowed over the distance. "Try to touch this soldier again and I shall tear the other half off as well!"

It paused. Sickly green optics flicked from the fluid-spattered ground to the jaw component still held in Ironhide's grip. The Decepticon took a step forward.

Orange light ripped through its shoulder joint, burning a molten hole through metal and wires. With a shriek, the Decepticon lumbered backward, twisting and whining through its mutilated mouth.

"Come again!" shouted Ironhide. "Come again, if you dare!"

It froze, its high-pitched keening of pain still echoing across the plain. For good measure, Ironhide hefted the oversized component and flung it at the creature. It clanged off the monster's wounded shoulder, hitting the ground with a crunch. He snorted out a huff of air, stepping toward it as the other cannon swung into position. His voice dropped, a low, rumbling snarl tearing its way free of his chest and vocal processor.

"Try me."

The creature didn't move. Ironhide didn't move.

With a warbling hiss, it backed down. It slid back into the canyon, dragging itself slowly over the broken rock, agony in every motion. Even after it vanished, Ironhide stayed put. Too many times the Autobots had been fooled by false retreats. He refused to add to the count. He didn't know how long he stood there, looming over the fallen young soldier, waiting. Too long, probably.

At last, he deemed it safe to proceed. Without a word, he knelt, and hefted the silver body up onto one shoulder. Sideswipe's frame was shivering, twitching as every slight touch sent a ripple of pain through his sensors. He was coated in fluid, shrapnel, and dust. Two fingers on one of his hands were missing. And he was alive.

Ironhide carried his charge back to the base camp, keeping his free cannon primed the entire trip.