I saw some people post about how it was Tailgate that realized the planet-sized flaw in the plan and that got me thinking because, despite what most people (including myself initially), Tailgate is actually incredibly smart:
In mtmte #5, after Tailgate decides to become an Autobot and starts learning the Autobot’s code, Ultra Magnus informs us of a couple of important details about what said learning would entail:
A ten thousand pages military manual.
which they’ll go through “word by word, line by line" while analyzing each and every one of them “subjecting them to a series of ethical stress tests of philological ambiguity”.
Now I’m no expert on the matter but I did a little googling and the estimated amount of pages a law school student reads in a year is between 7,500 – 8,000.
which means Tailgate should rightfully be terrified considering that Ultra Magnus then followed it up with this:
A FEW WEEKS.
Tailgate is expected to cover more than a year of law school’s worth of reading material in great detail and deep understanding in A FEW WEEKS.
And the crazy thing is?
HE DOES. he passes the test.
Now they are 2 things you might say to dismiss this incredible fit of his:
1. Every Autobot must have studied it, can’t be that hard, right?
OH NO.
Everybody who didn’t need UM personal approval to become an Autobot learned the abridged version. I mean look at the standard Autobot. they did not go to law school to get there. sorry.
2. He says himself it wasn’t a good grade.
that might be it if you don’t take into account a very important fact:
Tailgate is a terrible speller.
not surprising considering he’s a very low-class bot, with probably less advanced linguistic programs. (which I am personally headcanoning as robo-dyslexia).
now I defy you to tell me Ultra fragging Magnus won’t take away points for misspellings. I DARE you.
AND HE STILL PASSED.
so yeah. he might not be Perceptor or Brainstorm or Nautica but Tailgate of Rivets field is one brilliant little minibot.
Here have more reasons to love him
He also did manage to keep up the guise of being a bomb disposal expert for a while while solely relying on his wits and what he could get out of the people around him. That takes a lot of cleverness.
NOT TO MENTION the time he stopped an entire army of Legislators by rewriting section 500 of the Autobot Code.
Can’t spell worth a damn, but he remembered the Code and its proper punctuation. And figured that changing it would stop the Legislators.
on the topic of robot noises: since rewind turns into a data stick he has no need for a particularly powerful engine or anything, so he’s just generally a lot quieter than most mechs on the lost light. instead of purring in that engine-rumbling way, he makes soft whirring/fan sounds, like the way computers do when youre uploading too many files all at once. when he’s recharging next to chromedome he can hear very faint beeps and video processing noises (similar to how old tape decks sound!)
Rewind: I think you’ve had more than enough high-grade for the night. C’mon buddy, let’s get you back to your hab suite.
Way to play yourself, Tailgate. I always thought the minibots’ interactions (esp. Tailgate’s and Rewind’s) were sweet. I love their friendship, and all the friendships in MTMTE! Someday I’ll write out the fic I had in mind for Tailgate and Rewind, but for now, a comic will have to do.
Anyways, happy Lost Light Fest! I knew I wouldn’t be able to participate in the traditional way (primarily since I’m still learning how to draw these darn bots) but I wanted to express my love of the series before it ended. Thanks for creating such a wonderful narrative, JRO. This comic’s done a lot for me, and my life is better from having read it. For people who haven’t had the pleasure of reading Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye yet, I heartily recommend it! It’s got a sweet, exciting, and heartfelt story with gorgeous artwork and characters I absolutely adore. It’s also got great representation with multiple canon gay / lesbian / trans characters, and it handles the topic of mental illness really well. It’s a pretty forgiving starting point for people who are new to Transformers too. MTMTE was my first TF comic, and it cemented my love of Transformers! If you want more info about the comic / where to start, lookhere.
Jab loves robots 