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The Thunder Machine is a fictional, four wheeled, armored, weaponized vehicle used by the Dreadnoks, a biker gang mercenary group. The Dreadnoks work for Cobra, a terrorist orginization who is the many enemy in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero comic books and cartoon series.
The vehicle was created and driven by Thrasher, one of the newer members of the Dreadnoks. It was cobbled together from parts salvaged from several different vehicles. The Thunder Machine is propelled by a jet engine similar to jet-propelled dragsters. This made it fast but hard to maneuver. The vehicle was built on a military truck chassis, similar to a Humvee. It had armor plating riveted over most of the exterior surface. The front tires were racing tires, adding some manuverabillity. Since an engine wasn't required, the front of the truck was replaced with the nose of a 70's era Trans-Am on top of which was mounted a roll cage and two huge armor-peircing gatling guns. The toy had spaces for a driver, passenger and two people standing on the running boards. The comic book showed five people (and one unwilling passenger) riding on it.
The toy was offered for 3 years, heavily featured in some comics, and rarely seen otherwise.
In issue #69, Thrasher, Monkeywrench and Zarana were in it as it was driven out a besieged Cobra base called a Terrordrome situated in the fictional war-torn country of Sierra-Gordo. It was driven to a large airfield and abandoned when the Dreadnoks took over a G.I.Joe transport plane.
It, or another version, was featured in issues #74 and #75. Acting Cobra Commander uses it as his personal transport vehicle during a civil war on Cobra Island. The vehicle's firepower destroys one of the Joe team's C-130 transport planes. It then crashes to an Iron Grenadier Nullifier tank ridden by Destro himself. It survives a blast from this powerful, well-built vehicle, built by Destro's weapons manufacturing division. It only ends up flipped. Thrasher's ill-thought decision to use grenades to turn it back over leaves it structually sound but with engine problems. It still manages to get Dreadnoks and Cobra Commander back to their own lines.
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