Van Guard

Van Guard
First appearance	Challenge of the GoBots episode "Speed is of the Essence"
Created by	Tonka
Voice actor	Ken Campbell
Nicknames	Van
Species	GoBot
Sex	Male
Abilities	Energy blasts Flight Healing factor Oxygen independence Shapeshifting Superhuman durability Superhuman longevity Superhuman strength
Affiliation	Guardian GoBot
Alternate mode	Dodge Caravan

Van Guard is a fictional character from the GoBots series. He was voiced by Ken Campbell in the Challenge of the GoBots animated series.

GoBots

Van Guard is a heroic GoBot Guardian. He should not be confused with the Perfect Effect character named Vanguard.

Abilities

Like most GoBots, Van Guard has numerous abilities because of robotic body. He can survive in space and is super-humanly strong and tough. He can fly in robot mode and project energy blasts from his hands. His body heals quickly when supplied with energy. He can turn into a mini-van.

Reception

• Van Guard toy review at Counter-X

Animated series

Challenge of the GoBots

Van Guard was a reoccurring character in Challenge of the GoBots.

Van Guardian appeared in Challenge of the GoBots episode 9-11, "The Fall of GoBotron", "Flight to Earth" and "Return to GoBotron".

In episode 16 "Doppelganger" Cy-Kill, Cop-Tur, Crasher and Snoop attack Leader-1, Turbo, Scooter and Small Foot on Earth. Crasher wounds Small Foot. After attaining recordings of the Guardians the Renegades retreated. Using the recordings Cy-Kill has Dr. Go program robot duplicates of the Guardians. Demonstrating Space Bender weapon to Unecom, Leader-1 learns that the Renegades are attacking Washington. The Renegades ambush Leader-1 and replace him with his duplicate. Leading the Command Center back to GoBotron and getting rid of Scooter and Small Foot the Renegades release duplicates of Path Finder, Rest-Q, Van Guard and Turbo. Small Foot and Scooter are able to capture the Turbo duplicate and learn where their friends are being held. Cy-Kill replaces Good Knight. Using the duplicate Turbo the Guardians infiltrate the Renegade base, free the captured Guardians and escape from the Renegade guards Spoons and Fitor. Although blocked by the Renegades, Scooter uses a hologram of Zod to make the Renegades flee. Making it back to GoBotron the Guardians are attacked by the Guardian duplicates. The real Guardians are able to defeat their duplicates with the aid of the real Zeemon, Hans-Cuff and Rest-Q. Cy-Kill arrives in Thrustor with more duplicates, but Small Foot is able to stop with robots using the Space Bender, which fuses their robot brains.

He appeared in episode 22, "Speed is of the Essence".

File:Vanguard-cotg.jpg

Van Guard in the Challenge of the GoBots episode "The Seer"

In episode 43, "The Seer" Cy-Kill and his minions Block Head, Cop-Tur, Crasher and Pincher kidnap a young blind psychic named Shaun Roberts and his mother from Unecom with the help of the human traitor Major Benedict. Cy-Kill uses the brain stormer to read the boy's mind. Shaun and his mother are rescued by Leader-1, Scooter, Turbo and Van Guard. During the battle the Renegade Block Head traps Van Guard in a pit of wet cement. An overload by the brain stormer robs the boy of his psychic powers and he is returned home safely.

Van Guard appeared in episode 46, "Pacific Overtures".

Van Guard appeared in episode 48, "Escape From Elba".

In episode 50, "Clutch of Doom" the Renegades who put the captured Guardians Blaster and Van Guard in prison.

Van Guard appeared in episode 57, "Inside Job".

Van Guard appeared in episode 58, "Element of Danger".

Van Guard appeared in episode 60, "Guardian Academy".

Van Guard's final animated appearance was in the film Gobots: Battle of the Rock Lords.

Comics

Fun Publications

Echoverse

Van Guard was featured in the 2016 Ask Vector Prime story Echoes and Fragments, set during the events of The Transformers: The Movie. The manipulations of the evil Gong and Sideways resulted in various GoBots swapping places with characters during the events of that film. Sideways made his was past Defendor and Van Guard at the entrance to old GoBotron when he sought out the Omega Lock.

Toys

• Tonka GoBots 51 Van Guard (1985)

Turn from robot to van.

See also: Van Guardian

External links

• Van Guard charactersat Counter-X
• Van Guard at TFU.info