Sideways (Transformers)

Transformers: Armada/Transformers: Micron Legends

Sideways

Sideways transforms into a motorcyle. His consciousness is apparently housed within the smaller robot who rides his alternate mode (unnamed in US, Mirror in Japan), which can split into two components, Rook (Bright) and Crosswise (Shadow), who can in turn transform into two different head modules, one Autobot, one Decepticon. (Sideways's toy considers Rook and Crosswise to be Mini-Cons, but as the animated series would proceed to take the character in an unanticipated direction, it's hard to know whether or not this classification applies to their cartoon counterparts). Arriving on Earth claiming to be a drifter, the enigmatic Sideways sided with the Autobots, but soon - apparently - showed his true colours by siding with Megatron and the Decepticons, in the process allowing the villains to claim the Star Saber. However, as time went on, it became apparent that Sideways served a higher power, as he surreptitiously manipulated and sabotaged battles, creating dissent in the Decepticon ranks, always ensuring that the balance of power between the two factions was perpetually shifting. In an attempt to infiltrate the Autobots' base via their computer system, he inadvertantly sucked himself and the minds of the Autobots' human allies into cyberspace, where they caught their first glimpse of his mysterious master. When Megatron learned of his treachery, he sliced Sideways to ribbons with the Star Saber, but all were stunned when Sideways's body dissolved into energy and reformed, cackling that he could never be destroyed. Sideways proceeded to form a deal with Thrust, and alerted the kids to the existence of the Requiem Blaster, setting in motion a chain of events which eventually culminated with the Decepticons in possession of all three Mini-con weapons, heading back to Cybertron. Once there, Thrust absconded with the Star Saber and Skyboom, delivering them to Sideways within Cybertron's moon, which was in actuality the disguised form of Sideways's master, the monstrous Unicron. Sideways proceeded to steal the Star Saber, the third key needed to reactivate Unicron, and the behemoth was brought to life, turning on Cybertron cutting a swathe through the combined Autobot/Decepticon armada as Megatron (now Galvatron) and Optimus Prime confronted Sideways within his body and learned the truth - that Sideways was another of Unicron's creations. Allowing his master to takeover his body to speak through, Sideways attempted to make Prime the new vessel for his master's consciousness after desposing of the others to be absorbed by Unicron's body. When Rad was able to reawaken the Mini-Cons, they managed to break free and deactivated Unicron in the process. Enraged, Sideways attempted to kill his 'siblings' for doing this, only to be fatally wounded by Optimus Prime using the Requiem Blaster on him.