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The Story of Hot Rod: the Autobot Who Dared to Be More Than a Sidekick. From fan favorite to fandom scapegoat, Hot Rod’s rise, fall, and redemption is one of the most misunderstood arcs in Transformers history in my opinion. In this video, I'll burn through his journey—from his toy shelf debut in 1986, to being "that guy who got Prime killed," to finally earning his stripes in the comics as Rodimus Prime and beyond. Whether you're a die-hard G1 kid, a modern IDW reader, or just here for the toys (I see you), this is a full-throttle ride through the fiery history of the cavalier Autobot who might just be more than meets the eye.