"Hold Still.  
This won't hurt a bit."

Affiliation: Autobot 
Function: Autobot Medic

Alternate mode: Ambulance
Weapon: EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) generator, magnetic blasters

First cartoon appearance: Transformers Animated, intro movie, Transform and Roll Out

RATCHET
(Voiced by Corey Burton)

Short-tempered, grizzled and seemingly older than the ALLSPARK itself, RATCHET is the team’s medic and OPTIMUS PRIME’s occasional drill sergeant/second-in-command. He’s an expert healer, but his bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired. Spend two minutes with RATCHET and you instantly get the sense that this bot’s seen it all. RATCHET largely keeps his past to himself, dishing out tantalizing tidbits when he feels the “kids” can handle, or NEED to handle, some of the truth. 

Robot Mode Power: RATCHET has magnetic powers. He can attract and repel any metallic matter or create magnetic force fields. He also uses these powers as the team’s medic, reshaping metal and circuitry, patching up any of the AUTOBOTS in the field. His talents also make him the team’s gadget-head. He can configure any tech they need and even perform robot/vehicle upgrades for all the AUTOBOTS.

Vehicle Mode Appearance: Tactical Medical Response Vehicle.

Character description from package "tech spec":  Autobot Ratchet was, at one time, one of the most promising medical minds on Cybertron.  After his experiences with Lockdown though, all he wanted to do was disappear.  An assignment to a deep space repair crew was just what he was looking for.  He never wanted to be in the middle of a new war against Megatron, but if that's where fate puts him, he'll do his best to keep his comrades safe and sound.

Galactic Powers and Abilities:
> Huge array of surgical and mechanical tools.  
> Once considered most talented medic on Cybertron.
> Trained at Protihex Medical Mechanics University.

Other appearances: Although Ratchet is among the few classic original Autobots of 1984, Ratchet has made surprisingly few appearances throughout the mythology.

* 1984 the classic Generation 1 original.
Amazingly, Ratchet made no other appearances throughout the Transformers mythos until
* 2002, in Japan, the character we know as Red Alert was called Ratchet in Japan.
* 2004 he appeared in Transformers Universe line, a recolor of X-Brawn.
* 2005, part of the Botcon, Decent into Evil, a recolor of Energon Tow-line.
* 2007 The Autobot Ratchet came back in a big way in the live action movie, released as a Best Buy Premium toy, Cyber Slammer, Fast Action Battler, and Fast Action Battler Recolor and several versions in "Legends" format.
* 2008 in Transformers Animated.

Bibliography of significant appearances: Autobot Ratchet plays an integral role in the Animated Series, serving as the grumpy old confidant to Optimus Prime.  His character has been heavily featured in the following episodes: Transformers Animated Movie introduction, " Transform and Roll Out" parts 2 and part 3, a blast from his magnet blasters, along with Bumblebee and a jolt from Sari's Allspark Key, helped bring the Dinobots to life in Blast from the Past, Thrill of the Hunt, Megatron Rising, Part 1, and Garbage In, Garbage Out.