Atomizer

Atomizer is an Autobot from the 2005 IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Ultra Magnus may see everyone as a troublemaker, but sometimes he has a reason.

Atomizer is a former interior designer turned weapons engineer and assassin. Formerly stationed at the Kimia Facility as part of Brainstorm's team, where he fancied himself a bit of a writing critic, he joined the Lost Light's quest for the Knights of Cybertron. Atomizer favors archery-style weapons and is rarely without some kind of shaft-launcher.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

First appearance: "Bullets" (text story); More than Meets the Eye Annual 2012 (depicted on-panel)

When Brainstorm's team were discussing Fisitron's datalog #330, Atomizer put forward a number of critiques of Fisitron's work, and he and the rest of the team started quoting Fisitronisms. Skyfall overheard them and later passed on the criticism to Ironfist, who was less than impressed. Bullets

On skimming a list of those aboard the Lost Light beginning with 'A', Ultra Magnus remarked that a certain someone should never be allowed near a crossbow. How to Say Goodbye and Mean It Later, Magnus confiscated Atomizer's crossbow. In return, Atomizer mocked him for the smile that killed a thousand Nanocons. You, Me, and Other Revelations

The third Miser brother had the power to make it rain arrows.

Having acquired a bow and arrow to replace his confiscated weapon, Atomizer attended Rewind's second storytelling session over a bottle of "Old Corroder" in Swerve's. (It seems he once had an adventure with Xaaron, Dipstick, Sprocket, and Slapdash.) An Intimate Beheading He later participated in the battle with a group of Decepticons on Temptoria. Before & After When Overlord went on a murderous rampage throughout the Lost Light, Atomizer pierced him with a couple of utterly ineffective arrows. Under Cold Blue Stars Following Overlord's defeat, Atomizer and many other crew members were a bit upset with Drift for having brought him on board. The Gloaming Together with many others he later gawked at a giant portal the Lost Light encountered in space. The Fecund Moon

When Rodimus heard that the Lost Light was harbouring a criminal, Atomizer was the second Autobot he thought of (Whirl was the first). The Divided Self Even so, he had enough faith in Atomizer's interior decorating skills to have him fix up the embarrassing flame decor of the captain's office. The Sound of Breaking Glass Atomizer was present when Rodimus sought recruits for a mission into the Dead Universe, Black Metal and participated in the battle to defend the Lost Light from Ammonites on Hydrophena. Into the Abyss He celebrated alongside the rest of the crew when the ship was finally able to return to Cybertron. The Becoming He later assisted with repairs to the Lost Light, helping to repaint the name on the hull. Towards Peace

During Megatron's trial, he began conspiring with Getaway and Whirl, first planning to get Rodimus to surrender being Captain of the Lost Light since they did not believe him to be capable of finding the Knights. How Bright Their Frail Deeds Atomizer supplied Rodimus with what he claimed to be a list of the crewmembers who voted to have him removed as captain, Words Hang in the Air though it turned out that Atomizer had made the list up. Predestination: A Beginner's Guide

After Megatron was made the new Lost Light captain and an Autobot, Atomizer and his co-conspirators began planning to manipulate Tailgate into being assaulted or killed by the ex-con. Once that happened, Autobot security would arrest or kill Megatron. The Lopsided Triangle He and Getaway also began to gauge support for a coup amongst members of the Lost Light's crew such as Mainframe. Anyone who wouldn't be for it had their memory of the conversation erased by nudge gun. How Bright Their Frail Deeds No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases

At some point in the first six months of the Lost Light's second voyage, he settled his bar tab at Swerve's. When the Lost Light began to wink out of existence, Atomizer fled with the other crew members, Predestination: A Beginner's Guide but presumably disappeared with the rest of the original crew. Twenty Plus One

Atomizer reappeared, no worse for wear, at Swerve's after the quantum engine mishap. He toasted with Brainstorm, and then noticed that his colleague broke Swerve's 'No Briefcases' policy. He reminded Brainstorm about the rule, who in return opened his briefcase and knocked everyone else in the room unconscious, including Atomizer. The Road Not Taken He was drinking there again some time later when Minimus Ambus visited with Ten. Our Steps Will Always Rhyme

Atomizer was one of many Autobots who gathered when Rodimus announced news of Thunderclash's prewake. He was later seen dancing at the event. The Sensuous Frame Later when Swerve held his "Earth Dance", Atomizer hung out in the back of the room with Huffer. The Frail Gaze

"Madam, I'm Atomizer."

Tailgate was eventually steered into attacking Megatron and when Whirl got cold feet, Getaway had Atomizer shoot their third man with the memory-altering nudge gun. The Lopsided Triangle After the plan failed and Ultra Magnus attempted to arrest Getaway, Atomizer attacked him, although all this accomplished was that he got himself arrested as well. Speak, Memory: Part 1

Him and this army.

Six months later, the full extent of Atomizer and Getaway's plotting became apparent when the rest of the crew stranded Megatron, Rodimus and their supporters on the Necrobot's planet and released their ringleaders from the brig. Atomizer stood alongside Getaway as he told Rodimus that they were on their own, then cut off communications and took the Lost Light. In an act of pettiness, Atomizer waved at the exiles. How Bright Their Frail Deeds

Getaway took charge of the Lost Light, naming Atomizer his second in command. Atomizer later told Getaway that while getting rid of Megatron and his entourage was good for the ship, it was a "victory that felt like a defeat" to the rest of the crew and encouraged him to give them a solid win that they could get behind. When they picked up Rodimus's message from the Necroworld explaining that they were going to be killed by the Decepticon Justice Division, Thunderclash tried to leave to go after them; Atomizer put a crossbow bolt through his neck while Getaway shot him from behind with a nudge gun. Knowing that too many of the crew had heard Rodimus's message, Getaway freed Sunder and asked him to alter everyone's memories to think that Rodimus and the others had left of their own volition. Atomizer was extremely uneasy at finding out that Sunder's payment was the brains of twenty-five crew members. Filling in the Blanks He was present to greet the Protectobots after they crash-landed in the Lost Light's shuttle bay. After Riptide revealed to them the truth of what had happened, they were captured and placed into a memory loop. Full Circle

Splitting the Atomizer

Getaway and Atomizer escorted Riptide to the oil reservoir, where Getaway explained to him that he had made a deal with the domesticated scraplets in the medibay to devour Transformers but to leave their brainstems for Sunder. Telling Riptide that he wouldn't even bother having Sunder erase everyone's memories of him because he wouldn't be missed, he shot him with a nudge gun to make him forget how to transform and threw him in. Filling in the Blanks Atomizer told Getaway that what he did to Riptide wasn't right and that, having already won, there was no need to be so cruel. Getaway took Atomizer to where the comatose Protectobots were being kept, and told Atomizer to kill either Hot Spot, Rook, or First Aid to prevent them from forming Defensor. Atomizer eventually chose to kill Rook, looking away as he fired the fatal shots. Getaway explained that he knew Atomizer thought he had gone too far, but after killing Rook, now so had Atomizer.

Later, Atomizer uneasily joined Getaway in welcoming the Lost Light's new head of security, Star Saber. His arrival was interrupted by the appearance of Mirage, Riptide, Thunderclash, and Defensor, using the corpse of Ambulon as a replacement leg. Star Saber immediately went on the attack, badly wounding Thunderclash and killing Mirage. Finally deciding he'd had enough, Atomizer shot Star Saber in the head with his nudge gun and ushered the others onto Star Saber's ship to escape. Getaway angrily dragged Atomizer into his office, where he brutally murdered him and began negotiating with Sunder to make the crew believe Thunderclash was the killer. Journey's End

Notes

• Atomization is the process of creating an aerosol, a suspension of particles in a gas. Paint is often stored in aerosol form, and is a helpful tool for interior designers. Meanwhile, in sci-fi, the concept of atomizing typically refers to disintegrating something and turning it into its component atoms. Puns!

Foreign names

• Japanese: Atomizer (アトマイザー Atomaizā)