Rocket Base

The Rocket Base is an Autobot Micromaster base from the Generation 1 continuity family.

It's ADA-compliant!

The enormously powerful Rocket Base is a potent force for good in the universe. Whether it's serving as the headquarters for Star Saber's team of Autobots or shuttling interstellar hero Countdown around the galaxy, it is a beacon standing tall against Decepticon tyranny. The base converts from a mobile launching pad and rocket into a full command center.

It is also known as the Shuttle Base (シャトル基地 Shuttle Kichi).

Fiction

Transformers Comic-Magazin

The Rocket Base was deployed by the Autobots in order to prevent a nuclear sub from falling into Decepticon hands. The Energon Trap

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Victory cartoon

The Shuttle Base moves across the landscape on massive caterpillar treads as its crew scans the planet for Decepticon activity. Among its many levels are personal quarters, a laboratory, an infirmary, an armory, and more, while the exterior of the base is a rocket launch pad from which Galaxy Shuttle is deployed.

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Zone comic and story pages

When planet Micro was rebuilt by the Powered Masters to protect the newly developed Energon Z, Moonradar's Rocket Base formed the core of the Zone Base, a sprawling installation formed of numerous interlocking stations manned by Micromasters which served to defend the planet. The Rocket Base served as a launch station for both the trustworthy Autobot Galaxy Shuttle and the "Galaxy Rocket", a spacecraft which could transform into a small base itself, which both transported Micromaster teams to planets all across the galaxy in order to protect them from the Decepticons attempting to making a "Zone" of their own. Zone story page #1

After defeating Decepticon attacks on various other planets, the Autobots on Zone itself soon came under attack by Overlord, Bruticus, Menasor, and Abominus, who sought the Energon Z for their master, Violengiguar. The villains successfully purloined the energy source, but the Micromasters did not give up, transforming the Rocket Base and launching the Galaxy Rocket in pursuit of the Decepticons. Unfortunately, the tiny heroes were stopped in their tracks by BlackZarak, but soon, Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber arrived to put the Decepticons in their place. Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

The Zone Base later came under Decepticon attack once more, this time at the hands of the monstrous Metrotitan, and was badly damaged in his assault. Galaxy Shuttle was stationed at the Rocket Base at the time, and was destroyed by the towering terror; the extent of the damage suffered by the Rocket Base, if it survived at all, is unclear. Zone story page #8

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

The rocket Base in launch base mode, parked in Cybertron's Wastelands. Scale inflated for awesomeness.

The rocket was an enormous ship that could transport the rest of the command center via an unspecified form of compression. The base's equipment included laser blasters, a repair bay, and an interstellar communications and tracking center. More than Meets the Eye

The Rocket Base's rocket ship transported Countdown and Groundshaker into the cosmos on a mission to search for Optimus Prime and his lost crew. Eventually, they parted ways with their search partners, Jetfire and Omega Supreme, and began tracking down rogue Decepticons. Their mission took them to Paradron, among other worlds, in pursuit of the Decepticons under Skystalker's command. In the end, the rocket ship ferried Countdown and Groundshaker back to Cybertron so they could ask for help. Destined for Nothing

Once there, it was parked in the Wastelands at a few kliks from Little Iacon. It served as their base of operations as they tried to persuade their fellow Micromasters that they had a higher calling. The Gray Race

Wings Universe

By the year 2984, the Rocket Base was in operation on Cyberion. Hoist the Flag

Beast Wars: Uprising

The Rocket Base was an integrated part of Micropolis on a post-war Cybertron. Hot Rod traveled over the bridge connecting the Sky Hyper to the Rocket Base on his way to his Star Convoy base, after being summoned to help fight against Lio Convoy's anti-government faction. Micro-Aggressions

Toys

The Transformers

Guns and rockets are well and good, but it's the Autobots' superior ramp capability that will win the war.

• Countdown (Micromaster Rocket Base, 1989)

• Accessories: Rocket, base, platform, large ramp, helipad, 3 short ramps, mechanical arm, large double laser, 2 small double lasers, large laser, gunner pod, scout vehicle

Released in the sixth year of Hasbro's US Transformers toyline (fifth year in European markets), the Rocket Base was the largest toy of 1989's entire range: a mobile rocket-launching launching gantry modeled on the Space Shuttle crawlers with rocket, unfurling into a sprawling base with multiple roadways and stations for Micromasters to man. The base mode has numerous attachment points for the ramps that came with other Micromaster vehicles.

This set came with the Micromaster Countdown.

In addition to the identical Japanese release below, the Rocket Base was also redecoed to make the Microman: LED Powers toy Micro Rocket Base – minus Countdown, as well as the mechanical arm accessory for whatever reason. A Lucky Draw version with a predominantly gold and white deco was also available to a select few.

• More information on the Rocket Base (with Countdown) at TFU.info

• Rocket Base (Micro Transformer Rocket Base, 1990)

• ID number: C-330
• Accessories: Rocket, base, platform, large ramp, helipad, 3 short ramps, mechanical arm, large double laser, 2 small double lasers, large laser, gunner pod, scout vehicle

Released in the Zone portion of Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers toyline, this release of the Rocket Base is identical to the earlier American version of the toy, but also includes the full Micromaster Rescue Patrol Team of Boater, Fire, Holi, and Pīpō.

This set comes with the commander Moonradar, who is identical to Countdown.

The Galaxy Shuttle toy from the previous year's Victory toyline was designed to sit in the launching space nominally used by the rocket.

Notes

...FROM THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE SIXTIES!

• The Rocket Base shown in the 1989 catalog has a vastly different, Saturn V-esque rocket with five boosters and an extremely tapered nose. It transforms identically to the final version, however. The gantry is also different, in that there is no detachable platform to allow access to the rocket and instead there are latches to hold the rocket in place upright against the gantry. Said latches fold down to form the legs of the gantry platform in base mode. Also, two extra cannons fold out from two slots next to the large sculpted monitor detail in the main body of the base.
• The design of the Rocket Base was used for the Autobots' Shuttle Base headquarters from 1989's Japanese series, Victory, though it only appeared in the cartoon and was never shown to transform. The toy wasn't released until the following year, during the Zone series, where it was called by its original American name of "Rocket Base" and was employed in fiction slightly differently.
  • While it is unclear if the Shuttle Base and the Rocket Base were originally intended to be the same structure, The Ark II has declared them to be so.
• At some point in the Micromaster years, there were plans for a base very similar to the Rocket Base. It is unknown whether it was an alternative design for the Rocket Base or meant to be released alongside it.
• Countdown's base is another victim of galaxy/solar system confusion. His original tech spec states that the ship uses gravitational pulls to "slingshot across entire galaxies in seconds", as if that were physically possible (not that slingshotting across an entire solar system in seconds would be any more likely.) His More than Meets the Eye profile adds in a mention of "experimental transwarp engines" to make this a bit more digestible, but retains a questionable mention of how the ship can "slingshot across the galaxy in mere moments."
• Undocumented in the instructions and in most promotional pictures is the fact that the upper level catwalk for the base mode is meant to attach to the two holes in the gantry to allow Micromasters access from the elevator to the rocket. Many promos mistakenly place the twin guns in those holes.

"YOU'RE WELCOME, LESSER SPACE TOYS!"

Homages

• While not as cut and dry an update as your average Modulator, the Rocket Base has been subject to several homages over the course of the Generations toylines:
  • The Siege figure of Omega Supreme, perhaps the most famous rocket with base in the franchise, was packaged with an update of Countdown.
  • The Earthrise iteration of Sky Lynx picked up a base mode bearing a more noticeable resemblance to the opened Rocket Base.
  • The Amazon exclusive Botropolis Rescue Mission set (seen right), marketed as something of an "expansion pack" for Sky Lynx, featured all new decoes for the Modulators Overair and Ironworks heavily homaging the Rocket Base, all the way up to including a reuse of Earthrise Doubledealer's ICBM accessory, here redecoed directly after the titular rocket.
  • The new deco of the Transformers: Legacy Velocitron Speedia 500 Collection Galaxy Shuttle's tender/launchpad is heavily homaging the Rocket Base.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Rocket Base (ロケットベース Roketto Bēsu)
• French: Base Aerospatiale (Europe)
• Dutch: Raketbasis