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[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chassis_237.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:200:She's hot and gets the job done!]]

''Chassis'' is a comic book series set in a time when science advanced at an amazing pace. New technology meshed with the past bringing with it zoot-suit robots, {{jet pack}} gang-bangers, {{art deco}} skylines, and rocket car racing!

Rocket car racing, also known as the Aero-run is the world's most popular sport. It's a high stakes spectacle of speed and peril where flying rocket cars race at breakneck speeds around hairpin turns and gut wrenching drops. Its drivers are legendary, but the money and power behind the sport is deeply corrupt. Chassis, the 17-year-old daughter of Charles Foster [=McBain=], one of the Aero-run founders, desperately wants to be a rocket racer but her father won't allow it. Partly due to the dangers of the sport, but mostly because of the nefarious gangsters and corporate thugs who control it. So the brash young girl, with the help of her robotic mechanic and best friend, SLIC, devises a plan to enter the race under an alias in hopes to prove to her father she's up to the challenge. But Chassis' daring decision only leads to more danger for her, her friends, and her father!

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!!Tropes:

* TwentiesBobHaircut: Caddie, Tommy Tropic's {{Fembot}} chauffeur, has RobotHair resembling a stylised shingle bob: very fitting for the book's Art Deco aesthetic.
* AcePilot: By definition, anyone who competes in the Aero-run has to be an ace pilot.
* ActionGirl: Chassis is not only an AcePilot who competes in the world's most dangerous sport, but she also takes on the gangsters who control the sport.
* AllThereInTheManual: Due to the short run of the title (and the fact that it moved between three publishers), many details of the world where only spelled out in the #0 issue which was intended as an introduction for new readers. This included profiles of characters who never made it into the series proper.
* AlternateHistory: History deviates during UsefulNotes/TheGreatWar. ThePlague known as 'The Virus' or the 'Perfect Plague' swept across the world in 1915; forcing hasty peace talks and and an end to the war in 1916. A Global Unification Congress (GUC), consisting of the world leaders present at the peace conference, is established to find a cure for the plague. By the time a cure is found in 1917, 80 million people have died worldwide. The money and effort put into finding a cure rapidly advance the development of science and technology. Lower world population figures make it easier to deal with poverty and food shortages on a global level, averting TheGreatDepression and UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. By 1949, the GUC has rebuilt Europe, there is not a sign of global aggression in sight, births are at an all time high, Elanor Roosevelt is president of the USA, and [[FlyingCar the Aerorun]] is the number one sport in the world.
* BadassDriver: Chassis owns a flying car.
* BlackSheep: Sabotage is the scion of an old, traditional family from Japan. He scandalised his father by becoming thoroughly Westernised. He father paid for him to move to California to get rid of him. After failing to become an actor, he became an Aero-run racer. After acquiring a reputation as one of the dirtiest racers on the circuit, and an Anglo girlfriend, Sabotage has been [[IHaveNoSon disowned by his father]]. He doesn't care.
* TheCasino: Elizabeth Tall Mountain is the owner of the Dream Catcher Casino on the Algonquin reservation. The casino is the sponsor of her 'nephew' Mark Little Crow: the first Native American Aero-Run racer.
* CoolOldGuy: Sky Fish is the oldest driver competing in the Aero-Run, and is generally regarded as the sport's elder statesman.
* CruelCheerleader: Twist, who became so obsessed with her favourite racer that she started killing his rivals.
* DeadPersonConversation: While under [[IntoxicationEnsues the effects of a hallucinogenic perfume]], Chassis hallucinates a conversation with 'Rocketman' Rodriguez: [[MyGreatestFailure the driver who died during a collision with Chassis during her first race]]. Chassis sees Rodriguez as a rotting corpse still dressed in his racing gear.
* DieselPunk: An AlternateHistory where many social problems are lurking just below the surface of the gleaming technological utopia, and where high-tech devices are constructed using (mostly) 1940s' technology.
* FieryRedhead: The 17-year-old Chassis [=McBain=] disobeys her father's edict and runs away to compete in the Aero-Run; the world's most dangerous sport.
* {{Fanservice}}: Just look at the covers
* {{Fembot}}: Tropic's robot chauffeur Caddie is 'female'; being built with feminine curves and breasts, 'hair', and more delicate facial features. Chassis' RobotBuddy SLIC is smitten with her.
* FixingTheGame: Organized crime largely controls the betting on the Aero-Run, and their attempts to influence the outcome of races is a constant threat in the series. In the second miniseries, Chassis discovers someone among the select circle of high-rollers is fixing races.
* FlyingCar: Rocket car racing, a.k.a. the Aero-run, is the most popular sport in the world, and the series centres around Chassis's attempts to break into the sport.
* FunctionalAddict: Covergirl is in constant pain and addicted to painkillers as a result of the accident that nearly crippled her. However, she is still one of the top drivers in the Aero-run despite her addiction.
* GreaseMonkey: SLIC is Chassis's mechanic and keeps her rocket car flying.
* HandicappedBadass: Covergirl was horribly injured in a rocket car crash that left her unable to breathe without the assistance of a machine that she has to carry with her at all times. This does not prevent her from being an AcePilot, and arguably the most dangerous driver in the Aero-Run.
* HellBentForLeather: Chassis is normally dressed in a skintight leather flight suit.
* HoodOrnamentHottie: The covers often showed Chassis draped across her aero-car.
* IHaveNoSon: Sabotage was initially banished to America by his wealthy, traditional father: essentially becoming a RemittanceMan. However, Sabotage's antics eventually become so extreme that his father disowns him altogether. Sabotage doesn't care.
* TheIrishMob: Tommy Tropic used to be a rumrunner for the Irish Mob during the days of Prohibition.
* LoveMakesYouCrazy: An excellent summary of Twist. She is a cheerleader so obsessed with her favourite Aero-run driver that she is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure he wins: sabotaging, and even killing, his rival racers.
* TheMafia: One of the ongoing subplots is Chassis' attempts to break the control of the Mob over the sport of Aero-run. The comic is set an AlternateHistory 1940s, and the mobsters are portrayed as stereotypical 1930s gangsters
* MoralGuardians: A minor subplot in the second miniseries (that is never properly resolved) involves Mrs. Wyatt who is seeking to have Chassis' comic book banned as an example of moral degeneracy.
* MostCommonSuperpower: Just take a look at the page image.
* MushroomSamba: Chassis is given a bottle of perfume that actually contains a powerful hallucinogen. After putting it on, she suffers violent hallucinations while driving that cause her to crash her car.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Elizabeth Tall Mountain has this reaction after her sabotage of Matt Geer's car causes her 'nephew' Mark Little Crow to crash. He manages to avoid a stand full of spectators, but, in doing so, slams into the sea in an apparently fatal crash.
* MyGreatestFailure: In her first professional race, Chassis [=McBain=] is forced to take evasive action due to a dangerous maneuver by ALEX Prime. In doing so, she collides with 'Rocketman' Rodriquez; forcing him off the track. Rodriquez collides with a pylon and is killed. This event haunts Chassis throughout her career, and makes her always help racers in trouble, even if doing so causes her to lose the race.
* NativeAmericanCasino: Elizabeth Tall Mountain is the owner of the Dream Catcher Casino on the Algonquin reservation. The casino is the sponsor of her 'nephew' Mark Little Crow: the first Native American Aero-Run racer.
* NeighbourhoodFriendlyGangsters: Tommy Tropic used to be a rumrunner for TheIrishMob during the days of Prohibition. When he made enough money, he bought a tropical island and started [[TheCasino a casino]]: supposedly cutting his ties to organised crime. His casino is successful enough for him to sponsor one of the major races in the Aero-run. Rumours still circulate about possible mob ties, but he comes across more as a LovableRogue than anything else.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Twist once sets her personal droid to sabotage Chassis's aerocar during a race. His sabotage initially puts her behind. However, he then causes one of her rocket engines to explode. The sudden boost of power propels her to the lead and allows her to win.
* OutsideRide: After Matt Geer's aero-car is damaged by sabotage and crashes, Chassis saves him from the subsequent explosion by having him leap on to the hood of her car and flying off while he clings on for dear life.
* ThePlague: The backstory to the AlternateHistory involves the outbreak of a virulent disease known as 'the Virus' to scientists, and as the 'Perfect Plague' to the media during UsefulNotes/TheGreatWar. This virus forces hasty peace talks and a speedy end to the war in 1916.
* RedBaron: Several of the top Aero-run racers are much better known by their nicknames than their real names. These include Covergirl, Sabotage and Sky Fish.
* RemittanceMan: Sabotage is the scion of an old, traditional family from Japan. He scandalised his father by becoming thoroughly Westernised. He father paid for him to move to California to get rid of him. Eventually, Sabotage's antics became so extreme that his father [[IHaveNoSon disowned him entirely]].
* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: In ''Chassis''' alternate 1949, Adolf Hitler is a cartoonist. And Elanor Roosevelt is the President of the USA.
* TheRival: Chassis' two main rivals on the Aero-Run circuit are Covergirl and Sabotage. Both are extremely ruthless and willing to whatever it takes to win, regardless of the risk to themselves or others. In Sabotage's case, this extends to outright cheating.
* RobotBuddy: SLIC is Chassis's best friend as well as her loyal mechanic.
* RobotDog: Elizabeth Tall Mountain owns a robotic attack dog named Coyote.
* RobotHair: Tommy Tropic's {{Fembot}} chauffer Caddie has 'hair' of what appears to be black lacquer resembling a TwentiesBobHaircut: very much in keeping with the Art Deco aesthetic of the book.
* ShoutOut:
** Rothchild Billings owns a company called [[Film/{{Metropolis}} Rotwang Electronics]]. And the face on the outside of its Art Deco skyscraper headquarters looks like the robotic Maria.
* SingleTear: When Covergirl suffers a VillainousBSOD over her hatred of Chassis, a single tear escapes from under visor and rolls down her cheek.
* SinisterShades: Chassis' main [[TheRival rival]] Covergirl wears a reflective visor that she never takes off. Given her body had to be reconstructed are after a near-fatal crash, it is possible the visor is permanently attached to her face.
* SpyCatsuit: Chassis' one piece racing suit.
* SunglassesAtNight: Disfigured Aero-Run racer Covergirl never removes her sunglasses/visor, and is even shown to sleep in them. It is never explicitly stated, but they might have been permanently attached to her face in the extensive reconstructive surgeries she underwent following a near fatal crash.
* TrappedByGamblingDebts: Rothchild Billings is forced to call off his engagement to Chassis by gangsters who offer to pay off his debts. They hope the emotional distress will cause Chassis to lose her next race.
* TwoFaced: Chassis' rival driver, the icy and calculating Covergirl, had the right-hand side of her face hideously scarred in an aero-car crash.
* UndersideRide: Twist's personal droid clings to the underside of Chassis's aerocar to sabotage it during a race.
* VillainousBSOD: Covergirl suffers a breakdown over her irrational hatred of Chassis, and confronts Chassis with a gun. However, she cannot pull the trigger and Chassis tells Tassel to let her go; realising that Covergirl is not a threat to anyone except herself.
* VehicularSabotage: Twist sends her personal droid to sabotage Chassis's areocar during a race.
* WackyRacing: The Aero-run is raced over a variety of courses, all of which have unique obstacles and dangers.
* WeCanRebuildHim: Covergirl was almost killed in a spectacular FlyingCar crash. She underwent extensive reconstructive surgery that included the implanting of various mechanical improvements in her body. However, her lungs were so badly damaged that she cannot survive without a portable respirator machine she must always carry with her.
* WrenchWench: Although primarily a driver, Chassis does know her way around an engine.
* {{Zeerust}}: Deliberately invoked. There are flying cars and robots, but people still go to cinemas to watch newsreels.

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