Road Caesar

Road Caesar is an Autobot combiner from the Victory portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Et tu, Bruticus?"

Road Caesar (ロードシーザー Rōdo Shīzā) is the combined form of the Brainmasters, and a warrior almost without compare. Unlike many of his combiner predecessors, who suffered from limited intelligence or other impairments when combined, Road Caesar is a perfect fusion of his component members. He brings together the strength of Blacker, the skill of Laster and the intelligence of Braver to create a being of truly indomitable fighting spirit. If one were to call Star Saber the "king of the skies," then there's no question that Road Caesar is king of the land. And when these two kings fight side by side, the Decepticons always know they're in for a royal thrashing.

Road Caesar wields the mighty "Road Blade", a massive sword formed from the combination of Blacker, Braver, and Laster's individual blades. But even this weapon pales in comparison to his "Brain Wheel Shocker" technique, which sees Road Caesar launch rings of super-energy from all twelve of his tires. Even his opposite number, the Decepticon Liokaiser, can't stand up to this automotive onslaught.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Victory cartoon

Voice actor: Kōji Totani (Japanese)

"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."

When Leozack and the Dinoforce attacked Jan's new school on his first day of class, the Brainmasters sped onto the scene to aid Star Saber in defending the institution. The Dinoforce immediately merged into Dinoking, but the Brainmasters were unimpressed and responded in kind, fusing into Road Caesar for their first combiner battle on Earth. While Star Saber dealt with Leozack, Road Caesar sent Dinoking tumbling off a nearby cliff, forcing the villains to retreat. Attack! Leozack

"Had the funniest dream — I saw a statue of you bleeding like a fountain with a hundred spouts, and many lusty Romans came smiling and bathed their hands in it."
"...."
"Well, not ha-ha funny."

The Brainmasters next combined to defend the Ocean Exhibition amusement park against another attack by Leozack and the Dinoforce. Surrounded by the prehistoric pests, the team merged into Road Caesar with the intention of ending the battle quickly, but the Dinoforce quickly combined into Dinoking to fight back. The two combiners grappled hand-to-hand before drawing their weapons, at which point the sight of the retreating Leozack distracting Dinoking. Nearly sent toppling into the ocean by Road Caesar, the Dinoforce combiner opted to follow Leozack's example, leaving Road Caesar and Star Saber victorious once more. Move Out! Rescue Team

It was some time before the Brainmasters had to form Road Caesar again, but the time eventually came when the Decepticons attacked the Schaeffer Energy plant in America. Star Saber was forced to hold up a collapsing tower until Jan and the Rescue Patrol Team could evacuate the plant's human staff, forcing the Brainmasters to step up to the plate and face off against the Breastforce's combined form of Liokaiser. Road Caesar didn't fare very well in the battle, but he held his own long enough for the evacuation to be completed, freeing up Star Saber to take over the fight and defeat Liokaiser. Battle Up of Wrath!!

"Man, the Ides of March sneak up on me every year."

Soon after, the Brainmasters were lured into the desert by the Breastforce for a rematch, where Laster and Braver found themselves sinking beneath the shifting sands. Still able to manoeuvre thanks to his dune buggy alternate mode, Blacker was able to combine with his teammates in an attempt at pulling them, but Road Caesar only wound up sinking deeper into the sand. The combiner instead tried to focus his energy to boost his strength, but in doing so, left himself wide open to an attack from behind by Guyhawk, who injured Blacker so badly with his "Ice Needle" attack that he was forcibly disengaged from the other Brainmasters. Star Saber soon arrived to rescue the team, but Blacker was left badly wounded and out of action for some time. Crisis! Ambush in the Desert

"Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he: We are two lions litter'd in one day, and I the elder and more terrible."

The Brainmasters did not form Road Caesar again until Deathsaurus unleashed his Planet-Destroying Fortress upon the Earth. As Road Caesar, the trio were the first to engage the fortress in battle in space, and the first to feel its power, as they narrowly dodged one of its devastating beam attacks. With Greatshot to back him up, Road Caesar gave it his all, but the Autobots' attacks delivered virtually no damage to the fortress's tough armor and eventually, the fortress's weapons struck down the two warriors just as Star Saber arrived to take their place. The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress! Ordered back to Earth to recuperate, the Brainmasters were left unable to participate in the final battle thanks to their wounds, but Star Saber was still able to destroy the fortress and best Deathsaurus once and for all. Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification

Zone cartoon

When the wounded Star Saber passed the mantle of leadership to Dai Atlas, Road Caesar was among the Autobots standing onstage during the ceremony. Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

Victory comic

Those were truly the salad days.

Road Caesar's first foray onto the battlefield on Earth was not an impressive one. Alongside Star Saber, he raced to the aid of Landcross, who had been defeated by Deathsaurus in a burning forest. With a single swipe, Deathsaurus flattened Star Saber and split Road Caesar back into his component parts; he had super-charged his strength by drawing energy from the forest fire raging around them. Luckily, thanks to a distraction inadvertently caused by Deathsaurus' adopted human son Solon, Star Saber was able to overpower the Decepticon leader and defeat him. Great Reversal! Star Saber

Later, when Star Saber was faced with the combined might of Deathsaurus, Dinoking, and Liokaiser, Road Caesar was unable to get to his leader in time to help him. Fortunately, the new warrior Victory Leo came to the commander's aid, merging with him to form Victory Saber. In this new form, Star Saber sent the Decepticons packing, just as Road Caesar and Landcross arrived to watch. The Strongest Pair, the Combination of Victory!

During a later battle between Victory Saber and the Brainmasters and Deathsaurus and Liokaiser, the Decepticons gained the upper hand when Blacker broke off the fight and pursued Solon, who was beginning to doubt his allegiances. Blacker convinced Solon to join the Autobots team of human allies, the Victories, then quickly rejoined his team-mates and merged with Laster and Braver into Road Caesar. The Victories then channelled their energy into their Autobot counterparts for a final attack; boosted by the power of Solon's strength, Shūta's intelligence and Cab's skill, Road Caesar joined with Victory Saber in unleashing the "Victory Caliber" attack, sending the Decepticons fleeing off to their space. Shine, Five Stars of Victory

The Decepticons soon returned and began bombarding Earth with meteors from their "Space Stronghold". Road Caesar and the other Autobots headed into space to confront the villains; the Brainmasters split back into their individual forms and burst into the fortress in vehicle mode, but quickly recombined to continue the battle. Things were brought to a sudden halt when Deathsaurus revealed the true secret of the fortress: it was home to the Decepticons' families, who they simply wanted to keep safe. Road Caesar and the others reacted with slack-jawed amazement to this revelation, until Star Saber and Deathsaurus decided that it was time to lay down their arms and work together for peace in the future – the truest victory of all! The Grand Victory War

Toys

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

He's got some fine birthing hips.

• Blacker (Brainmaster, 1989)

• ID number: C-320

• Raster [sic] (Brainmaster, 1989)

• ID number: C-321

• Braver (Brainmaster, 1989)

• ID number: C-322
• Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

Released in the Victory portion of Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers toyline, Road Caesar is the combined super-robot form of the Brainmasters Blacker, Braver, and Laster. His unconventional combination, with Blacker forming everything from the knees up and the other two each forming a lower leg, leaves him with quite the wide stance. As with much of Victory, the toy is impressive for the time in its lack of "combiner kibble": all of the additional components required to complete Road Caesar are integrated parts of the individual Brainmaster toys: his chestplate, feet and leg armor are made from the individual robots' shields, while his fists and head are formed from their guns. The three robots' small swords combine to form Road Caesar's large "Road Blade" sword.

The three robots were most commonly sold in individual boxes.

The individual Brainmasters' moulds were later used to make the Motorvators (Flame, Gripper, and Lightspeed), but the new toys did not come with the shields or guns necessary to form Road Caesar—they can technically still combine, but the resulting form is noticeably lacking.

• More information on Road Caesar at TFU.info

• Roadcaesar (Gift set, 1989)

• ID number: C-323

Road Caesar could also be bought in a single gift-pack with all three Brainmasters packed in. While that toys themselves are identical to their individual releases, this set only came with bio cards for their combined Road Caesar form, lacking the cards for the individuals.

Merchandise

Parody Deformed

Caesar, stop!

• Road Caesar (1990)

A small, pink, non-transforming super deformed model kit of Road Caesar was available as part of Kabaya's Parody Deformed line of candy toys. The eighteenth figure in the series, he came with a PDTF Comic comic about himself, "So Fast! Road Caesar!!" and something that could charitably be described as "chocolate".

Super Collection Figure

Look at my crotch! Look at my crotch! Look! Look! Look at my crotch! LoooOOOOOk at my crotch! Yaaaay!

• Road Caesar (2002)
  • Act: 7
  • Accessories: Stand

A PVC figurine of Road Caesar was available in the seventh Victory-centric wave of Takara's Super Collection Figure line. Like all figures in the wave, Road Caesar was available in both full color and metallic silver "pewter" variants, at an even ratio of one of each per case of twelve figures. Road Ceasar is notable for having such a wide stance he has a hard time keeping both feet on the stand. The tiny wheels on his back are also removable and easily lost.

The pewter version of the figure has a potential problem with connector peg breakage, due to said pegs often getting a layer of pewter paint before being forced into a socket, leading to sticking and tearing. Care should be used when moving or removing the arms; shaving down the socket interior with a thin hobby knife is usually sufficient to fix the issue.

The pewter version also came with a "backpack" piece that could combine with the act's Star Saber figurine to transform him into Victory Saber (with the other necessary parts being included with the other pewter figures in the wave). In eight out of every ten cases, the parts were in full color; in the remaining two, they were pewter.

• More information on Super Collection Figure Road Caesar at TFU.info
• More information on pewter Road Caesar at TFU.info

Transformers Gum

Now with less child-bearing hips.

• Blacker + Road Blader (2013)
• Laster + Braver (2013)

Road Caesar's components (plus a support mecha) were released separately in series 2 of Kabaya's larger-sized DX gum kits. Unlike the actual toys, the unused combiner kibble from this set can combine into a jet-like support mecha (referred to as "Road Blader"), similarly to the Micromaster Sixteams.

Notes

• Road Caesar is featured in one of Victory's distinctive super-deformed commercial bumpers, but for unknown reasons, it was used only once in the series, as the last bumper played in the combiner's debut episode, "Attack! Leozack".

Foreign names

• Mandarin: Lùshàng Wáng (路上王, "Road King")
• Russian: Nepobedimiy Voin (Непобедимый Воин, "Invincible Warrior")