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Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2026-04-17T22:20:48Z

Basedgyjoshipper: "into installing Overlord on the Lost Light covertly on board the Lost Light" was the previous text

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[[File:Prowl-Infiltration2&3covers.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|My prickitude [[Shane McCarthy|fluctuates]] [[Nick Roche|wildly]] [[Mike Costa|between]] [[John Barber|writers]].]]
Pragmatist. Calculating and cold. Rule-bound. Prickly. Just some of the words used to describe '''Prowl''', and that's by those he'd consider allies! To him, the war is nothing but a maddening confluence of factors he cannot control, despite his impressive strategic acumen and dedication to logic. That doesn't stop him from trying though, and Prowl secretly moves [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|players]] and [[Ironfist (G1)|pawns]] across his own personal chess board in an attempt to expand his influence and produce the results he desires. Prowl always believes he's serving the greater good through these morally-gray manipulations, but he's sometimes uncaring of the harm he causes to his own comrades and the increasingly-fewer people he'd call friends.

His inherent ruthlessness is so well known that even when he's been under [[Bombshell (G1)|enemy mind control]], or negatively influenced by [[Devastator (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|other outside means]], those closest to him have barely noticed a difference in Prowl's behavior. On occasion, Prowl will find his conscience again and attempt to change his nature, but these self-reinventions seldom take for very long. Prowl's crossed lines that most people don't even know exist and despite his intentions, he's learned time and again that he'll ultimately be judged by his harsh actions.

{{first|[[Infiltration issue 1|''Infiltration'' #1]]}}

{{quote|We're not winning this war, and I'm '''''tired''''' of it. Tired of crunching stat after stat, formulating workable strategies for '''''achievable victory'''''. Prime listens--to a point--then gets '''''restless''''' and changes tack on a whim. The average Autobot default setting is daredevil maverick. That's not '''''us''''', [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]]. '''''We''''' can subdivide this war into its purest mathematical form and generate solutions all we want, but unless we happen to be [[Spotlight: Hot Rod|'''''surfing''''' on a '''''meteoroid''''']] at the time, '''''no one''''' will pay attention.|Prowl|"[[Everything in Its Right Place]]"}}

==Fiction==
===From cop to soldier===
[[File:MTMTE9 early Chromedome.jpg|left|upright=1.3|thumb|"Uh-huh, uh-huh... and what's it called when a smartass cop gets his spark extinguished while he's recharging?"]]
Prowl of [[Petrex]] was [[Reproduction|constructed cold]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} He learned to appreciate rules and discipline during his formative years in Petrex, a strictly [[functionism|functionist]] town where saying anything bad about your [[alternate mode]] could get you thrown in jail. He eventually made it into the [[Iaconian Mechaforensic Division]], where he became famous for his tendency to order a full body autopsy during practically every investigation. This is exactly what he did when he and his partner [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Tumbler]] were assigned to investigate the assassination of [[Sherma|Senator Sherma]], seemingly killed by Decepticons, leading to the discovery of [[cerulean glass]] on the victim's body. Following the trail to [[Translucentica Heights]], the duo ran straight into another body: that of [[Momus|Senator Momus]]. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}}

[[File:Prowl computing Patternism.jpg|right|upright=1.55|thumb|"Shut up." <br> "I didn't say anything." <br> "You were ''thinking'', it's ''annoying''."]]
As Tumbler went after the killer, Prowl investigated the crime scene and found that Momus had in fact been a Decepticon himself... and also that there was a ''second'' killer, who promptly attacked them. Inexperienced in combat, Prowl could do little to fight back, but the two were rescued by a fellow cop named [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] who believed the [[Senate]] to be targeting Decepticons. Pax suggested that they avoid reporting their findings to their superiors, but Prowl ignored him in favor of regular police procedure, which much to his chagrin led to his preliminary report being quoted as fact on the news. Sent by Pax to investigate a nearby [[Relinquishment Clinic]], he and Tumbler not only found proof that the killers had been using borrowed bodies, but also a complex dedicated to researching [[brain module]]s and a list of known Decepticons. While Tumbler, Orion Pax and several others believed that the clinic was the [[Institute]] and that the Senate was planning to use it to brainwash the Decepticons, Prowl rejected this as a far-fetched conspiracy theory. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} He refused to have any part in Pax's plan to stop the Senate's evil plot, but worried about his partner's choice to join in. He asked Pax to keep Tumbler out of danger, and in exchange he wouldn't tell anyone what they were planning. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:MegatronOrigin2 boredAutobots.jpg|left|thumb|And remember to fill out those TPS reports.]]
Following the rise of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Prowl joined the Autobot Security Services in [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]], working right under Sentinel. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 1|Megatron Origin #1}} Prowl's goal was to work against Sentinel's corrupt system from the inside, and he often talked Sentinel out of carrying out his destructive plans. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}} {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}} However, becoming part of that system (even just for subversive reasons) resulted in the end of his close relationship with Tumbler. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} Tumbler would eventually become [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]], and Prowl would forever be made the butt of jokes by Chromedome's future [[Conjunx Endura]] [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]]: usually featuring fictional instances of Prowl being beaten up. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} Prowl accompanied Sentinel Prime for the inspection of a mine on [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]]. There, they first saw [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] and were dismissive of his odd behavior. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}}

[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s rise as the most popular and violent pit fighter in videos of Kaon's illegal [[gladiatorial combat]] attracted Prowl's attention, and he formed an Autobot Security Services team to crack down on them, though to the chagrin of his fellow officers, he tended to blather on about his theories about how somebody was making a fortune distributing on these inexpensive to produce videos. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}}

After the murder of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], Sentinel and Prowl led a security forces deployment that arrested many of Megatron's pit fighters and those that they were attempting to recruit. Prowl personally attached the [[inhibitor claw]] to Megatron once he was overwhelmed by security forces. While processing the prisoners, he delivered the galling news that due to [[Ratbat (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|senate orders]], Soundwave was to be freed without charge. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Unfortunately, it was all part of Megatron's mad plans. He allowed himself and his men to be captured so Starscream could feign turning coat and murder the senate members who questioned him. During the ensuing jail break that devastated the [[Security Services Headquarters|Security Team HQ]] and following street battle, Prowl lost his usual cool composure in the face of such onslaught and looked to Sentinel Prime for directions. When Prime left to face Megatron personally and was brutally defeated, it was Prowl who took control and ordered the evacuation of security forces from Kaon. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

During Sentinel's state funeral, Prowl made a public announcement that the Decepticons had desecrated Sentinel's body and stolen his head. {{storylink|The Last Autobot|The Last Autobot}}

[[File:DanceAmongTheShadows JetfirepunchesProwl.jpg|right|upright=1.6|thumb|Yeah...get used to this, Prowl.]]
When [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] rose to power, Prowl took an interest in keeping watch on those in power. Orion Pax eventually brought him [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] who had been arrested for assaulting an officer of the law. Prowl was ready to dismiss them until Pax brought up the death of [[Hefter]], an act done by corrupt policemen gaining Prowl's interest. When the police mech interrogated Jetfire, the Decepticon started a fist fight which Prowl easily won before he convinced him that he and Pax wanted to help. He was able to deduce from Jetfire's words that no one had told Jetfire to attack Pax but someone had told him ''about'' him. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}} Jetfire led the two to [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] who stoically denied any and all accusations about the gun-running scheme. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back|Behind My Bleeding Back}} With the investigation going nowhere, Prowl released the flier from custody who responded by socking him in the jaw as part of an act to lure the gun-runners out of hiding. Meeting with Pax and Jetfire at [[Cosmic Carnival]] site, Jetfire turned over the [[ion blaster]] to clear Hefter's name and revealed he knew when and where the next shipment would be. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|Dance Among the Shadows}} To keep an optic on events, Prowl then outfitted Jetfire with a wire. The two learnt that Soundwave was fully aware of the weapons which destroyed any sympathy Orion had for the Decepticons. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}} Prowl and Pax then followed Jetfire's signal, leading to a firefight against the Decepticons that resulted in the entire shipment of weapons being destroyed. {{storylink|New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|Feel Safe Without Regrets}} Prowl simply went right back to work and expressed surprise that Jetfire had taken up Pax's offer to work with them. {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}}

After the [[Tygun factory]] had been destroyed in a bombing, a bot named [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] turned himself in for the crime, claiming nightmares had driven him to it. A skeptical Prowl ordered Jetfire to scan the room, finding that an outside signal was being broadcasted into Bumblebee's processor. Pax and Prowl tracked the signal and found the Decepticons responsible. In the following firefight, it was revealed Bumblebee had followed them and lunged at Soundwave only to be forced off. As the facility began to fall apart, Prowl grabbed Bumblebee and ran out. As the three watched the hideout go up in flames, Bumblebee asked if he could have a job with them. {{storylink|Ghost Stories}} Prowl was with Orion Pax and his fellow officers when they busted [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] for dealing [[simultronic]]s to customers. {{storylink|Post}} They busted Swindle AGAIN after finding him overseeing a gun-running operation. By this point, Orion Pax was becoming disillusioned with policing Iacon's streets and Prowl had to talk him out of strong-arming the Decepticon. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}}

[[File:SinsOfTheWreckers3-ProwlAntiRadArmor.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Prowl was among the arresting officers who took down [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] when he began [[Roadbuster affair|brutalizing his cadets]]. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}} Prowl began working with the non-aligned scientist [[Tarantulas (BW)|Mesothulas]] in secret. Mesothulas saw their relationship as symbiotic—Prowl's imagination would feed into Mesothulas's desire to make the impossible real, and vice versa. Their partnership resulted in many frightening advancements, such as stasis bullets, spark extraction, and Decepti-bombs. The successful utilization of the latter resulted in Decepticons being blamed for the destruction of the neutral city [[Carpessa]], which allowed Prowl to recruit the survivors into the Autobots. Mesothulas also contributed the idea of the [[Aequitas]] computer, though Prowl reported that High Command were concerned with the ethics of the guilt-detecting supercomputer. Prowl eventually began to have very strong doubts about the ethics involved with Mesothulas's inventions, particularly after the revelation of his latest creations, the [[Noisemaze (dimension)|Noisemaze]], and an artificial Cybertronian life-form called Ostaros. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}}

Prowl quietly made a deal with [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] where in he would dispose of Mesothulas by pushing the scientist into the Noisemaze and destroy all of his inventions, including Ostaros. However, Impactor could not bring himself to eliminate Ostaros, and told Prowl to do his own dirty work if he wanted it done. Prowl, however, could not kill him either, and instead had the artificial Cybertronian enlisted in the Autobots under the name [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]]. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}} {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 5|Sins of the Wreckers #5}} Prowl and Impactor decided to have Springer mentored by [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]], both believing that it would be best for the young 'bot's moral character. Prowl gave Kup a "need-to-know" version of Springer's backstory and introduced the pair to each other. Kup's tutelage of the lad did indeed produce a valued and notable Autobot hero in Springer, something that both Prowl and Impactor secretly took pride in. {{storylink|Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers|Requiem of the Wreckers}} Prowl would later create an automatic recording for the possibility of him ever being compromised, in which case he wanted Springer to be the one to rescue him from whatever misfortune he found himself in. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|Sins of the Wreckers #1}} Impactor would later call in his favour with Prowl to have Roadbuster released after he had served minimum rehab. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}}

[[File:HuntForSoundwave Prowlvehicle.jpg|right|upright=1.5|thumb|The Prickmobile.]]
As the Decepticon movement began to spread across Cybertron, Prowl became a member of Orion Pax's Autobot counter-insurgency unit. He participated in a mission to arrest Swindle as he was selling weapons to terrorists in [[Nyon]]. {{storylink|Law and Disorder}} Not long afterwards he helped hunt down Decepticon spy Soundwave, but was dealt with by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] who collapsed the [[Neurospan Bridge]] on him. {{storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} Prowl was later present when Orion and his team discussed an offer from Megatron to talk, and if such a peaceful meeting were even possible. {{storylink|Post}} When Bumblebee was held hostage by the Decepticons to force Orion to attend the meeting, Prowl and the rest of the team came as back up, bailing Orion and Bumblebee out. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}}

On a mission from Zeta Prime to arrest the insurgent [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]], Orion Pax's team traveled to Nyon's [[Acropolex]], where Prowl noted that their target seemingly wasn't trying to kill them and also mentioned being a believer in the [[Matrix of Leadership]] unlike [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|some people]]. At the heart of the Acropolex, the Autobots found that Hot Rod just wanted to show them multiple tanks full of energon drained from Nyon's populace to power Zeta Prime's war machines. He asked Orion Pax to join him against Prime's tyranny, though Prowl voiced his disapproval of officers joining the insurgents against their own government. {{storylink|Ruins}} He seemingly changed his mind as soon as Zeta Prime began directly assaulting Nyon. To distract Zeta's [[Guardian robot|Omega Destructor]]s while Hot Rod evacuated the city, Orion Pax and Prowl acted as bait and drew one of the Destructors into a trap, but failed to harm it and were defeated by Zeta Prime himself. {{storylink|Purge}} The Autobots' lives were saved by Megatron, who took them to Kaon for repairs and negotiated an alliance with Orion. {{storylink|Choices}}

[[File:Prowl Autocracy12 Endgame.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|This is my "up to something" face.]]
Together with their new allies, Prowl and the others attacked Zeta Prime's [[Citadel (building)|Citadel]] and put an end to his rule. Unsurprisingly, the Decepticons then betrayed them. {{storylink|Overthrown}} Prowl was among those captured under Megatron's new rule, but escaped alongside his cellmates [[Hound (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hound]], Springer, and Kup. They followed Orion Pax's ID signal to the ruins of Nyon, where they were shocked to learn that he had acquired the Matrix and become Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Rise}} When Optimus had to make a rallying call for more allies for their cause, Prowl cut the news-feed for the message to get carried out. He then participated in the assault against the Citadel. {{storylink|Broadcast}} After the battle, Prowl showed Optimus the armory that Zeta Prime had hidden in the [[Undergrid]], suggesting that they could use the weapons within against the Decepticons, but Optimus refused this and ordered them destroyed. {{storylink|Endgame}} While outwardly complying with Prime's order, Prowl instead secretly stashed the private arsenal away for a "rainy day". {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}}

Not long after Optimus's rise to leadership, Prowl aided him in responding to an attack on the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]]. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}} During the [[Exodus (event)|Exodus]], his security unit was in charge of upholding order at Iacon's [[Starsreach Spaceport]], but growing tensions led to rioting among those who couldn't afford their way off the planet. Prowl called in Optimus Prime to calm the rioters, only to be pulled into combat when the Decepticons attacked the spaceport. {{storylink|Massacre}} After [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] had chased off the attackers, Prowl watched him and the other [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] leave Cybertron. {{storylink|Unleashed}} He later participated in the Autobot defensive strategy against a rampaging [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Annihilation}}

[[File:ALonelyPillarOnThePlain-BattleOfJunkion.jpg|right|upright=1.2|thumb|Is it better to be prickishly logical or logically prickish?]]
During an all-out Decepticon assault on Iacon, Prowl suggested the Autobots retreat to avoid being overwhelmed by Megatron's new [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] allies, but was ordered by Prime to hold the line. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} He continued to fight until Prime transmitted a holographic message telling all combatants that he had defeated Megatron and that the battle was over. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}} The captive Megatron was violently busted out of Autobot imprisonment soon thereafter, but Optimus hoped that Megatron would perhaps now be more amenable to reason in the future, much to Prowl's consternation. {{storylink|Post}}

Prowl led a group of Autobots to [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] where they were met by Decepticons led by [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]. The two squads clashed over Junkion's gravimetric core with either Shockwave or Prowl eventually giving the order to detonate the core and destroy the planet completely. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}}

Four million years ago, Prowl was working directly under Optimus Prime as the Autobots fought to prevent the Decepticons from bringing fresh energon supplies to the war effort. While Optimus went after the energon convoy himself, Prowl held the line with Hound and the others to prevent the Decepticons from getting hold of the latest city they had targeted. In the aftermath, Prowl congratulated Prime for capturing the convoy without having to fire a shot. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

At some point during the war, Prowl tried to desert and escape the war on board the ''[[Peaceful Resolution]]''. It was shot down before reaching orbit, and he realized he had to help win the war instead of running from it. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

Half a million years ago, during the Decepticon's siege on Metroplex, Prowl protested Optimus's illogical decision to enter the battlefield himself, and found himself backed up by [[Alpha Trion]], who suggested taking Metroplex out of the equation. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} As he and Bumblebee watched the Titan depart Cybertron, Prowl grumbled that while it was necessary, the war itself was illogical, and that the reactive actions of Optimus were not the kind of leadership the Autobots needed, but rather someone like him who could plan for everything. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers5-atrocityafteratrocity.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb]]
After the [[Garrus-9]] detention facility had been established, Prowl was among the law enforcement Autobots who endured Aequitas's guilt-detecting trials of ''Autobot'' [[Flame (Marvel)|criminals]] who inflicted unspeakable horrors on civilians and other non-combatants. Prowl and other luminaries such as [[Chief Justice]] [[Solomus|Tyrest]], [[Xaaron (G1)|Xaaron]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] agreed that the trials would remain a secret until the final verdict was cast, then it would be full disclosure, regardless of the damage to morale and the Autobots' political standing. {{Storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}} Prowl would later have concerns about Tyrest's state-of-mind following the Aequitas trials, and he would try to utilize [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and [[Getaway]] to have the unstable Tyrest retire using a [[Institute|New Institute]] "[[nudge gun]]" to alter his memory. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Some 20,000 years ago, Prowl was given command of the ''[[Ark-19]]''. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

===Earth Unit===
[[File:Infiltration3 Prowl saveit.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Talk to the hand, the prick ain't listening.]]
In the early 21st century, Prowl was the leader of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on [[Earth]] for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency led by [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] and blindly following the Autobot rules of counterinsurgency. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 1|Infiltration #1}} {{storylink|Infiltration issue 2|Infiltration #2}} He almost threw [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] in the brig for breaking cover to rescue three humans from the Decepticons, and subsequently refused to contact [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] until further evidence of enemy activities was uncovered. He did not willingly believe Ratchet when the medic told him that the Decepticons had stepped up their presence by constructing a [[Infiltration protocol|second base]]. However, [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] ended up sending a pulsewave transmission to Optimus Prime behind Prowl's back. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}} Prowl was forced to face reality when Megatron arrived on Earth to confront Starscream, {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} and he finally agreed to call in Optimus Prime. Thing was, Prime had already arrived. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

When Springer ordered several Autobots on a lethal mission to rescue the damaged and deranged Kup from [[Tsiehshi]], Prowl evidently helped conceal Springer's efforts from Optimus. However, he still felt it was a misguided effort, asking Springer if Kup would want other Autobots killed rescuing him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}}

Prowl went with the Autobots to investigate Decepticon activity in the country of [[Latveria]]. There they discovered a heavily shielded "array" that the Decepticons were using as a base. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} After a skirmish with the [[human]]s that were present there, they teamed up with them to shut down the [[Psycho-Prism]] human mind altering device the Decepticons had fortified inside the array. The Decepticons attacked. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}} During the fight, [[Luke Cage]] and Ratchet discovered a weak spot in the array's defenses and went in. Prowl followed to make sure Ratchet didn't put human interests ahead of Autobot interests, but the human [[Spider-Man]] was held captive inside, so Prowl gave in and let Ratchet and Luke Cage attempt a rescue.

Prowl found the Psycho-Prism guarded by [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and [[Doctor Doom]]. Doctor Doom zapped him into unconsciousness. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}} He awoke next to Ratchet to find Spider-Man had been freed by Doctor Doom, who had switched sides. Prowl and Ratchet decided to use the Decepticons' [[mirror response mode]] equipment to boost their power with Spider-Man's superhuman abilities. [[Wolverine (Marvel)|Wolverine]] arrived with Jazz and Bumblebee and suggested they use his abilities instead. They did, then [[orbital jump|orbital bounced]] with Spider-Man back to the battle outside, where their added strength helped defeat Megatron. Wolverine, Jazz, and Bumblebee stayed to destroy the Psycho-Prism. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

[[File:Escalation6 Prowl MYTURF.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Yeah, let the irresponsible loner look after the plot device. Good call.]]
After [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] was kidnapped by [[Machination|a mysterious group of humans]], {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} Prowl was still obsessed with the rules of the counterinsurgency war and thus did not understand why Optimus Prime requested reinforcements to Earth. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}} Prowl was furious when Ironhide dared to go around him and volunteer himself to track down clues on Sunstreaker's disappearance, and subsequently forced him to stay behind while the Autobots not on his grievance list left for [[Brasnya]] to confront the Decepticons. {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}} When everything kicked off in the former [[Russia|Soviet]] nation, Prowl led [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] (and later [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]) into battle, attempting to capture [[Georgi Koska]], a Decepticon [[Facsimile construct|facsimile]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} He clashed with Hot Rod over the capture of Koska as both of them were of equal rank, {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation #5}} but when Optimus Prime was temporarily offline and believed dead, Prowl assumed full command and came up with a strategy for fighting Megatron (shoot him, then run away). {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

Under orders from Optimus, Prowl oversaw the moving of ''[[Ark-19]]'' to a more secure location. He turned to Prime rather than order the launch on his own discretion. (Prime had to order him to use his own discretion.) {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} When [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] blew them out of the sky, Optimus took command of the situation until the ''Ark-19'' was destroyed. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}}

Once on the ''[[Ark-32]]'', Prowl found that, due to injuries from the battle with Sixshot {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} and separate missions, he and Hardhead were the only active Autobots. He was mildly annoyed that Optimus Prime and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] were otherwise preoccupied during this crisis. He was then shocked when Optimus abruptly ordered their unit to withdraw from Earth to handle a situation at the [[Garrus-9]] secure facility. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}}

Optimus Prime and Prowl met with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout and how a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Prime left Maximus in charge and said that he and Prowl had unfinished business aboard the ''Ark-32''. When [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] was reported guarding a cave on [[Corata-Vaz]], Optimus Prime recognized this had something to do with his [[infraspace]] encounter in [[Brasnya]]. He ordered Prowl to summon the [[Wreckers]] to find out what Thunderwing was guarding. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}} He judged the subsequent battle between the Wreckers and Thunderwing as suicidal, and felt that they were wasting their time given everything seemed to be coming at them at once. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}}

Prowl was present to hear Ratchet diagnose Sunstreaker after the later's de-Headmasterification. {{storylink|Replay}}

[[File:AHM15 SpringerpunchesProwl.jpg|thumb|According to my calcula- ''OHGODMYFACE!'']]
Prowl became increasingly frustrated with the tendency of the Autobots in general and Optimus specifically to lionise and listen to charismatic warriors and mavericks. Realising nobody would listen to the more logical tactical advice that he or Perceptor gave, he had Kup sent to the [[Kimia Facility]] to be rebuilt... with some personality sub-routines added in, which would ensure that the iconic elder could be controlled and made to act as a proxy for him. Prowl didn't want attention or glory, he only wanted to do his job, and he had absolutely no ethical qualms about ensuring that "when [Kup] speaks, you won't even see my lips move"...

He ''really'' didn't like Springer either, and was annoyed that the ''Decepticons'' seemed to be a more unified body than the Autobots. {{storylink|Everything in Its Right Place}}

After the [[Expansion]] incident, Optimus Prime reassigned more Autobots to Earth. The Decepticons had been laying low for months, and everyone was starting to get restless. While Prowl recommended a "wait and see" approach to Optimus Prime, Ironhide's calls for action soon drowned out Prowl's reasoning. When Mirage handed them solid intelligence about a possible opportunity to wipe out Starscream and a small group of Decepticons, the Autobots acted on it. It turned out to be an ambush, and the Autobots were soundly defeated by the Decepticons with the aid of [[Devastator (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Devastator]]. Informed that the Decepticons were launching simultaneous attacks across the galaxy on Autobot installations and also that there was a traitor among them, the Autobots' morale was dealt a heavy blow. Through use of a space bridge portal, Megatron planned to send the Autobots to Cybertron to have them devoured by the [[Insecticon swarm|Swarm]]. Optimus Prime managed to sabotage the portal and strand the Autobots on Cybertron before the Decepticons could follow, albeit nearly at the cost of his life. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

[[File:Ironhidepuncheseveryone.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|I'm sensing a pattern emerging.]]
In this unprecedented situation, Jazz's authority superseded Prowl's, and he took overall command of the battered and demoralized Autobots. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} Jazz also proved necessary to shore up Prowl's own authority, which was severely disregarded by his men. Jazz's reputation helped keep them in line, particularly the recalcitrant Ironhide, who had taken to striking superior officers, including Prowl himself. After the situation with Ironhide was defused, Prowl got Jazz to admit the energon searches he'd been sending troops out on were just to keep the men busy. Prowl worried that Prime would soon die, and about the details of their commander's condition that they had kept from the troops at large. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}

Frustrated at being stranded on Cybertron, he listened to [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]'s story about how awesome and cool Jazz is to pass the time. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}}

In particular, what Jazz and Prowl were withholding was the fact that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was not within Prime anymore, but had been absconded with by Megatron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

Kup arrived on Cybertron shortly thereafter with his own team, and things took a turn for the worse, with the Swarm encroaching on their position. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} Sunstreaker was revealed to be the traitor, having made a bargain with Starscream to kill Megatron. He sacrificed his life to buy the other Autobots time to put some distance between them and the Swarm. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}}

[[File:AHM10 ProwlandJazz.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Prick ''and'' nerd.]]
Thankfully, Ratchet finally managed to repair and revive Optimus Prime, and Autobot morale went on the upswing despite their situation. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Under Prime's direction, they immediately began building a defense against the oncoming Swarm horde in a new temporary base. Once everything was nearly in place, Prowl calculated the odds of them succeeding and wound up with quite a dire forecast. Jazz urged him to keep it to himself, which Prowl quickly agreed to do. When the Swarm surged against them, the Autobots fought as hard as they could, but were eventually on the verge of being overwhelmed. Fortunately, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] arrived to tilt the odds squarely in the Autobots' favor. Prowl asked Omega how he had survived the galaxy-wide Decepticon attack, speculating that they had probably sent an army against him. Omega simply replied, "I am Omega Supreme". {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}

The Autobots eventually boarded Omega's rocket mode and headed for Earth. There, they engaged the Decepticon forces in a fierce battle which ended with Megatron's defeat and Starscream ordering a withdrawal from the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

[[File:Prowl Spotlight AdviseAgainstInvolvement.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"But Prowl, look...teddy bear."]]
Over the next three years, the Autobots remained on Earth at the insistence of Optimus Prime. Optimus believed they could not leave in good conscience while human society was still in disarray from their war and rogue Decepticons still wandered the planet. The humans were not interested in having protectors, however, and soon learned to take care of themselves. [[Skywatch]] reverse-engineered Cybertronian technology to hunt and capture Autobots AND Decepticons left on the planet.

As part of Optimus Prime's belief that the Autobots must help humanity rebuild in whatever way possible, Prowl was assigned to assist the local police whilst in disguise as one of their squad cars. Over the next eight months, Prowl saw humanity at its lowest ebb. Desperate, angry people who would never forgive the Transformers for bringing their war to humanity's homeworld. He watched as some of his driver's fellow police officers set fire to the building that the Decepticon [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] was trapped in, a cold execution of what Prowl considered an enemy combatant. He protested to Optimus Prime that humanity was dangerous, they were now killing Transformers, and that there was no strategic purpose for the Autobots to be on this planet or for he to continue this masquerade of being a police car. Prime asked his officer to trust him in his belief to the value of this activity, and that all the Autobots were on a personal journey.

===Lessons from Earth===
[[File:Prowl Spotlight DoneTheNumbers.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Prowl finally realizes that math is useless.]]
And so Prowl continued to patrol the streets, and while he did so, he calculated. The humans numbered in their swarming billions versus less than ten thousand Cybertronians. Humanity lived brief, petty, frantic lives of comparatively little consequence, their world and its infrastructure inefficient, ramshackle and incompetent. Prowl concluded that not a single human life was worth that of a Cybertronian. However, when he and his police officer driver were overseeing the removable of volatile Cybertronian wreckage from a building, some workers accidentally triggered an abandoned weapon to fire, destroying a damaged building. Without thinking, Prowl transformed and pushed a young girl out of the way, saving her life, but in the process, was trapped under the rubble that would have crushed her. His driver expressed disbelief that the Autobot had been in disguise as his car for the past eight months, and that he had broken cover to save one girl. Prowl confessed that for eight months he had been watching, planning, but unable to do anything. There were so many times he could have assisted if he were able to break cover. He had run the numbers, made calculations on Earth and on humanity, his math was flawless, but they weren't ''right''. And when push came to shove, he couldn't rely on what he thought might happen, he had to act on instinct and do the right thing. The policeman, impressed, remarked that Prowl spoke like a true beat cop, and stated that while he was obligated to call this incident in, it wasn't an emergency and suggested that Prowl had an hour to extricate himself before Skywatch arrived. {{storylink|Ride-Along}}

[[File:Ongoing issue 1-Prowl shot in the back.jpg|left|thumb|Woman makes prick staticky. Hilarity ensues.]]
The Autobots moved west, where Prowl was joined in his undercover police work with new arrival [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]]. They were present at a power installation in New Mexico, which was being ransacked by the ravenous [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]. Skywatch deployed its robot-hunting crash-suits and brought down the Decepticon before leveling lethal particle cannons at him. Despite himself, Prowl broke cover to prevent the execution of a helpless Transformer. This left his backside open to the second Skywatch team on site, who used [[Suppressor (device)|mode lock inhibitors]] to capture him as well as the "bait", Breakdown.

Prowl's capture was reported back to Autobase by Streetwise, and Hot Rod assembled a strike team to infiltrate Skywatch and rescue him. These Autobots were outfitted with Wheeljack's new counter-inhibitors to prevent the mode lock from working. Unfortunately, this sudden change in tactical efficiency only caused Skywatch to panic, drawing out their lethal ordnance to protect themselves. Prowl was rescued...but Ironhide died in the assault. Grieving for his friend, Optimus Prime then stepped down as Autobot leader and turned himself over to Skywatch. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

With Optimus gone, Hot Rod advocated abandoning his plan and this planet, and Prowl was one of the first to sign up for Hot Rod's splinter group. They failed to convince [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] to fly them off-world, but then encountered a group of Decepticons led by Swindle. After a brief scuffle, Hot Rod and Swindle entered into negotiations for a truce. Prowl was uncomfortable with the idea of collaboration, despite his earlier effort on Breakdown's behalf. Ultimately, however, he went along with it. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}}

[[File:Prowl Seasons In Flight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Prowl always narcs on the cool kids.]]
The united Autobots and Decepticons attempted to construct a space cruiser in order to leave the planet. Their efforts reached a hurdle with the arrival of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]], duly appointed enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. Prowl had summoned Ultra Magnus to Earth as part of standard operating procedure after Ironhide's death, before Prime abdicated his leadership and the faction had split. Things became difficult as Magnus attempted to confiscate Hot Rod's "unlicensed interstellar vehicle". Prowl attempted to weigh in with legalese of his own, citing the line of procedural succession and emergency powers, but it became moot when Magnus discovered their collaboration. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight}}

Eventually the collaboration ended when the Decepticons betrayed Hot Rod. Prowl and the others survived thanks to the intervention of Optimus Prime and Skywatch leading Bumblebee to form an alliance with humans. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

[[File:Prowl LSOTW5 Pressure.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.55|To prick...or ''not'' to prick...]]
Sometime after things settled down on Earth, Prowl formed a plan to recapture the [[Garrus-9]] detention facility, which had fallen during Megatron's push three years earlier. On the basis of an earlier report from [[Dominus Ambus|Agent 113]], High Command had originally concluded that G-9 had been utterly destroyed, but Springer found new intel that suggested that Fortress Maximus and Co. had not only survived the Surge, but were repelling Decepticon invasion parties while waiting to be rescued. {{storylink|Bullets|Bullets}}

Prowl's primary objective on this mission was for the Wreckers to retrieve the data stored on [[Aequitas]], as he feared that if the Decepticons managed to get their hands on politically damaging information about Autobot war criminals, it would be disastrous to the Autobot cause. When selections for the new Wreckers squad were being made, Prowl learned that [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] (a weapons researcher at [[Kimia Facility]] who had an obsessive fascination with the Wreckers) had recently suffered a lab accident involving cerebro-centric bullets and only had months to live. Applying pressure on psy-ops specialist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (who had judged the researcher unfit for Wreckers duty), Prowl arranged for Ironfist to be placed in Springer's squad on the condition that he would be the one to sacrifice his life to unlock Aequitas. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} After the surviving Wreckers defeated [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and liberated G-9, Prowl was given a [[data slug]] containing the Aequitas's data, the legacy of Ironfist, who had finally succumbed to his lab accident injury. Prowl explained to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] how he regretted using Ironfist in this manner, and he would prefer if the information about trials were never made public, despite what he had agreed to millions of years ago, for fear of what it would do to Autobot morale. As Ultra Magnus left, Prowl started to apply pressure on the data slug... {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

[[File:Infestation2-Prowl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|IM IN UR HEAD DRIVING U CRAZY...ER.]]
When [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] crash-landed a spaceship full of [[zombie]]s in [[Las Vegas]], Autobot and Skywatch troops were ready to defend the city. After a brief battle, they learned that the zombies were not on Galvatron's side, but rather a threat to the entire planet, and Prowl had the area quarantined before interrogating Galvatron on what he knew about the creatures. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} The leader of the zombies, an interdimensional vampire in disguise named [[Britt]], soon revealed herself and attacked the Autobots and Decepticons, infecting Kup with the zombie plague and creating a space-time portal to Cybertron's distant past, intending to infect the planet while it was still teeming with life. Prowl, however, had a way to sabotage her plan: using his previously established mind link with Kup, he removed the virus's control over the old warrior and had him change the portal's coordinates, trapping Kup, Britt and the zombie army in the [[Dead Universe]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}} {{Storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}}

Prowl was one of the Autobots who participated in the covert mission to take out the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], who were working with [[North Korea]] in exchange for energon. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"|Ranks of Bronze}} In order to keep the battle a secret from the world at large, they hacked all spy satellites watch the area, after which Prowl helped defeat [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"|Hawk Among the Sparrows}} Then the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] joined the fray. Since Bumblebee and [[Kyle Pennington|Pennington]] back at base were unable to see what was going on, Prowl had to keep them informed, all while calculating the best strategies to avoid casualties. The Autobots were eventually victorious, but at the cost of humanity learning about their alliance with Skywatch. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"|All My Sins Remembered}}

As the Autobots flew home from Korea, the Decepticons returned to Earth with a vengeance and had their plane shot down. Prowl and the others survived, however, and made it to shore. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} After their attacker was revealed to be none other than a returning Megatron, they confronted him and learned that he had defeated most of their troops in America and left them to the mercy of armed and angry humans. Prowl sent Jazz to save them, but against his direct orders to not resort to violence, Jazz ended up breaking cover and killing one of the men. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome|Burning Chrome}} The Autobots regrouped at Omega Supreme, and were soon joined by Megatron, having given himself up just to taunt them. Prowl was contemplating how short-sighted it had been to have both their mechanics on the Korea team when Optimus Prime approached him, asking him to investigate Megatron's claims that [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] had executed a [[Scrapper (G1)|surrendered combatant]]. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

[[File:PoliceActionPrologue-Prowl.jpg|left|thumb|Not to prick, apparently.]]
In order to finish his investigation, Prowl remained on Earth with Bumblebee, Ultra Magnus and some other Autobots while the rest of them left to drive Galvatron off of Cybertron. After a last-minute questioning of Megatron revealed nothing new, he tried unsuccessfully to get Decepticon deserter [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] to stay with the Autobots, and lied to Bumblebee and Spike that he would keep them updated on what was going on. {{storylink|Police Action: Prologue}} Appearing via hologram on board Omega Supreme, Prowl participated in the talks on what the Autobots would do with Megatron. He agreed with Xaaron that they needed a third party to judge the Decepticon leader's trial, but admitted that personally he'd rather just execute the scumbag. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}}

[[File:Prowl The Question.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Okay, so you say "we"...]]
For a time, Prowl and Bumblebee clashed over command of the Earth-bound Autobots. Prowl co-opted several operatives, such as Street-Wise and Groove, for his own operation, while Bumblebee was left with dealing with a Decepticon situation on his own. When Bumblebee returned to their headquarters with all five Stunticons as his prisoners, he earned a certain degree of respect from Prowl; until then Prowl had doubted Bumblebee's capabilities as a leader. {{storylink|The Question}}

When Spike let slip that he'd be gone from base for 36 hours for secret reasons, Prowl decided to spy on his activities. This proved uninformative as Spike just met with higher-ups and assorted women, but things got heated when Breakdown suddenly showed up for revenge against the human. Prowl defeated him with help from Streetwise, but was forced to break off the mission and was chewed out by Ultra Magnus for the attention attracted by the battle. He mentioned wanting to look into anti-Transformer spokesman [[Ben Simpson]], whom he suspected was providing people with guns made from Megatron's parts, but was ordered to focus on Spike. Searching the site of Scrapper's death, Prowl was sampling some odd chemical residue when he suddenly came under attack. {{storylink|Police Action: Part 1|Police Action #1}}

The assailant was Brawl, though Prowl noticed he had a spotter that got away. Together with Streetwise he defeated the Decepticon and took him in for questioning, but a failsafe in his body caused him to shut down during interrogation. Continuing with the investigation on Spike, Prowl had former Skywatch member [[Sandra (G1)|Sandra]] brought in while he looked into the sample he had found. Just as he figured out that Scrapper had been attacked by a human with a chemical weapon rather than another Decepticon as previously assumed, Spike approached him and shamelessly admitted that it was all true. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward|Only Forward}}

[[File:ASecondChanceAtEden ProwlandSpikeover.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.0|Melodramatic prick.]]
While Spike argued that it was a strategical operation to rid the world of Devastator, Prowl saw it as murder with vengeance for Spike's friend [[Tim Simmons]] as the motive. Spike didn't care for being lectured, calling Prowl out on making his own tough decisions and keeping secrets from his allies for their own sake. Before he could think of what to do next, Prowl got word from Bumblebee that Ultra Magnus had agreed to go after Ben Simpson, and rolled out alongside him and Streetwise. Simpson turned out to be a [[facsimile construct]] created by Swindle to boost anti-Transformer sentiment among humanity for profit. When captured, Swindle not only admitted to being responsible for the situation in North Korea, but also for helping Skywatch by selling Cybertronian technology to... Spike Witwicky. Before the Autobots could do much, Spike had fled while Jazz went off on his own and announced to the world that the Autobots were cutting all ties with Skywatch and humanity. {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}}
{{-}}

===Schemers never change===
[[File:Prowl DeathofOptimusPrime.jpg|upright=0.85|right|thumb|Emo prick.]]
The few Autobots on Earth returned to Cybertron in the wake of Galvatron and the [[D-Void]]'s defeat. Though the war was over, [[Autobot High Command]] found themselves stuck with the thankless job of governing the many neutral Cybertronians returning home. Prowl coined the term Non-Aligned Indigenous Life-forms, or [[NAIL]]s, for them, and they didn't like being ruled by the people who had ruined their world through war. When a riot took place, the Autobots were outnumbered 20-to-1 and Prowl had no choice but to release the captive Decepticons and have them lend a hand, though [[inhibitor/deterrence chip]]s kept from using lethal force. Things got worse when Rodimus and Ultra Magnus announced that they were leaving Cybertron in search of the [[Knights of Cybertron]] when he needed them to deal with the neutrals. This caused Prowl to blow up in anger towards the neutrals, calling them arrogant and ungrateful cowards who did nothing during the war but now acted like they owned the planet. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

[[File:HowToSayGoodbyeAndMeanIt Prowlflipstable.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb|The table is a metaphor for his characterization whenever a new writer takes over.]]
Contrary to Prowl's belief that nobody would willingly come with Rodimus, he managed to gather over 200 Autobots for his quest, including his old partner and friend Chromedome. Prowl ended up goading Rodimus {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}} into installing [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] covertly on board the ''[[Lost Light]]'' {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} and asked Chromedome to perform mnemosurgery on the captive in the hopes of learning the secrets of what made a Phase-Sixer. When Chromedome refused, Prowl attempted to blackmail him with an unsavoury secret from the mnemosurgeon's past, threatening to tell Rewind; Chromedome responded by assaulting Prowl and erasing some of his memory to protect his relationship with Rewind. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}} Not to be deterred by his slight amnesia, Prowl still tried to convince Chromedome to stay as he truly needed his special abilities, but Chromedome refused as he'd rather leave his past behind. After a brief fit of anger, Prowl resorted to plan B, contacting his [[Duobot|agents]] on board [[Lost Light|Rodimus's ship]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} He ordered them to place a tracker on its engines, though unfortunate events would lead to them to fail and be killed. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} Prowl and Bumblebee watched the launch of the ''Lost Light'' be cut short when the ship disappeared in a sudden explosion. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

[[File:Prowl Arcee TheAutomonyLesson.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Prick talking about how he hasn't gone soft.]]
Prowl was left handling the Decepticons, who were very harsh law enforcers and very unhappy about their imprisonment. After arresting [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] and [[Horri-Bull]] for assaulting [[Tappet|a NAIL]] (and then arresting the NAIL for disturbing the peace), he took them back to the Decepticon pen and was confronted by Decepticon spokesman [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who demanded his faction be treated as equals. Believing him to have some sort of plan, Prowl reported his suspicions to Bumblebee and suggested they cancel the memorial service dedicated to Rodimus's crew, what with the large NAIL population being indifferent to the fate of their friends. He later discussed the matter of Ratbat with his secret weapon, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], telling her that he was going to preserve the peace even if he had to do things he didn't want to do. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} He learned the truth soon enough when Starscream came to the Autobots and sold out Ratbat, telling Prowl that he planned to assassinate Bumblebee during the memorial service then stage a coup. Acting on this info, Prowl managed to stop [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] from sniping Bumblebee and leaving a NAIL to take the blame, and in the meantime sent Arcee to deal with Ratbat. Even though she mercilessly murdered the Decepticon, the two agreed afterwards that she had acted in self-defense and had no other choice. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} Prowl later addressed to the Decepticons in the wake of Ratbat's death, claiming that evidence suggested suicide. Starscream stepped in and backed the cover story, much to Prowl's discomfort. Very shortly thereafter, mysterious explosions began striking Cybertron, leading Prowl to believe the Decepticons were responsible. Metalhawk questioned this, adding in some cutting remarks about the war not being over for Prowl yet. Eventually Wheeljack figured out the origin of the explosions and that all parties were innocent in the matter. Much to Prowl's displeasure, Starscream came up with a plan to protect the civilians while Wheeljack ended the threat. When Starscream was granted a place in the new government thanks to his actions, [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] became enraged and struck Prowl, who had tried to calm him down. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

[[File:Prowl Bombshell Devisive.jpg|thumb|left|Reports of this headshot may have been greatly exaggerated.]]
Starscream immediately began undermining Bumblebee's position in the new government, adding to Prowl's growing frustration. When the Decepticon [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]] was found murdered, Prowl saw to the investigation. While interrogating the only witness, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], Prowl found a [[cerebro-shell]] implanted on the Decepticon, leading him to the conclusion that [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] was the murderer. Prowl and Arcee used the entranced Dirge to track Bombshell down, finding the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] ensnaring [[Sunstorm (G1)|another victim]]. After a scuffle where Prowl found out that Bombshell's I/D chip wasn't functioning, he ordered [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] to pursue the fleeing suspect. Prowl and Arcee soon caught up and found Blurr being accosted by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. While Arcee was ordered to save Blurr, Prowl kept on with his pursuit of Bombshell, eventually cornering him. When Bombshell refused to give him any information or the identity of any possible collaborators, a fed-up Prowl coldly executed the deranged Insecticon. The cerebro-shell fell off Dirge, and he witnessed the aftermath of Prowl's actions. Dirge managed to escape and Prowl ordered Arcee to pursue him while he dealt with the Constructicons. Utilizing a hidden override code on the I/D chips to overcome whatever was blocking the signal, Prowl activated their chips and disabled all five Constructicons at once. Later, an injured Blurr gave Prowl a piece of his mind for being ordered after Bombshell without backup, calling him "crazy" and "paranoid". Prowl ignored Blurr's concerns, and pointed out that there was something larger at play with the Decepticons, telling Bumblebee that they had to "take control" of this new era. {{storylink|Devisive}}

When the NAIL [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] arrived, Prowl kept close tabs with him along with Sideswipe. Later on, he was informed that Sky-Byte was having a secret meeting with the Decepticons and broke into their hiding place with Streetwise and Sideswipe and after a brief fight, managed to capture Sky-Byte and Needlenose. They were about to lynch them in public when Ironhide stopped Prowl after saying that it was a way to have a better future of equality for Autobot and Decepticon. When questioned the next day at [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] of his new attitude, Ironhide said he had a vision that he and Alpha Trion were telling war stories on Gorlam Prime and that every Autobot and Decepticon by that time, were dead along with their old grudges. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

[[File:Sideswipe Prowl and Wheeljack vehicle Primus All Good Things.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|Prickmobile 2: Prick Harder]]
When the Decepticon captain [[Turmoil]] landed his ship on Cybertron, Prowl and his security forces were ordered in by Bumblebee to attack if necessary. When the order was given by Metalhawk, the Autobot forces stormed in to capture the Decepticons. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}} Prowl saw the Dinobots, Sky-Lynx and Ironhide off when they headed out into the wilderness in response to a distress signal. After they were out of earshot, Prowl noted that he was uncomfortable with the Dinobots retaining their Earth altmodes, and wish they would return to "normal." Bumblebee responded that things had been far from normal recently. He then joined Metalhawk and Starscream in their criticisms about the free elections being stalled on Cybertron, though Bumblebee insisted that they were forthcoming. He later explained to Bumblebee that he desired the elections to take place because he had confidence that Bumblebee would be elected as the planet's leader. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt (IDW)|Dinobot Hunt}} When [[Turmoil]]'s ship, containing a sort of time machine, disappeared under Bumblebee's nose, Prowl arrived to assist the investigation. {{storylink|Night and the City}} He was later present when a Metrotitan appeared beneath Cybertron's surface and declared Starscream as the Cybertronian conqueror who would unite the planet. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}}

[[File:CityOnFire-NewProwl.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|<---o The Verge]]
A short while later, Omega Supreme was bombed in a terror attack, and Prowl used the opportunity as pretense to arrest the Decepticons still working under Soundwave and Shockwave. To allow him to spirit the Decepticons away to secret captivity, Prowl had Arcee infiltrate their hideout, disable them with a special stasis bomb, and then plant explosives throughout the pen. Prowl then lead his public arrest force to the pen, where he purposely tripped the explosives to present the appearance that the Decepticons had booby-trapped their own base and had perished in the blast. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}} The blast left Prowl in a serious, although stable, condition, but he soon mysteriously disappeared from his [[CR chamber]]. A short while later, when Decepticons had begun rioting in response to Megatron's return, Prowl reappeared in an upgraded body, and shot [[Staxx (G2)|Staxx]] to save Wheeljack, who had been corned by the angry mob. {{storylink|City on Fire}} He subsequently led the Autobot engineer to the [[Black Room]], where the Decepticons Prowl had previously 'killed' were waiting, repaired and upgraded. Wheeljack was taken hostage, and soon the escaped Megatron arrived, with a stunned Starscream in tow. {{storylink|The Verge}}

[[File:IDWRID14 prowlstator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Deva-prick? Prick-astator?]]
When a group of Autobots, joined by Metalhawk, Dirge and Swindle arrived at the Black Room, Prowl was holding Starscream and Wheeljack at gunpoint. The engineer tried to remind Bumblebee of what was "most important", but was shot through the head by his captor. Bombshell and Prowl revealed to their audience that the Autobot law enforcer had been taken by one of the Insecticon's mind control devices as he attempted to execute him, and had been a pawn of the Decepticons ever since. Bombshell also noted that Prowl had been easily controlled due to his memories already being damaged in some manner. With that concluded, Megatron declared that the Autobot had outlived his usefulness as a secret pawn, and announced that he would now become part of the next generation of Decepticon warrior. Briefly freed from Bombshell's influence, Prowl collapsed to the ground, aghast that his friends had never suspected his being controlled, but was suddenly wracked with pain as his body transformed against his will... into the head and shoulders of a reborn Devastator! The behemoth proceeded to attack the Autobot command center and snatch [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]] out of the air, before proceeding, under Bombshell's influence, to the med-center, where the highest concentration of Autobots was. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}}

The Prowl-Devastator remained conscious under Bombshell's control, but unable to direct his own actions. He was confronted by Ironhide's newly arrived Autobot gestalt, the former Aerialbots known as [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], and battled the giant. Prowl-Devastator's mind temporarily shut down when Arcee revealed her true colors and executed Bombshell. The gestalt soon started back up again, however, as Prowl's mind interfaced with the Devastator gestalt and began willingly causing vast amounts of destruction. The Devastator-Prowl started rampaging again, completely out of Decepticon control, and tore his way through Superion. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}}

Ironhide managed to get through to Prowl inside Devastator's psyche, convincing him to stop the devastation. Prowl re-exerted control over himself and Devastator long enough to rip the gestalt's head from its shoulders, separating Prowl and the Constructicons back into their component parts. Undeterred, Megatron prepared to enter the Devastator gestalt personally with his new body. Luckily, Bumblebee deciphered Wheeljack's last words in time, and he, Prowl and Ironhide spoke the access code for Wheeljack's system bypass, reactivating the force field bubble the engineer had secretly implanted in Megatron's spark casing. Unfortunately for the Autobot government, however, the NAILs had had enough after this latest outbreak of warfare. Led by Starscream, they cast both Autobots and Decepticons out of new Iacon. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

===Suffering the consequences===
[[File:SecondExodus ConstructiconsLoveProwl.jpg|left|thumb]]
Almost immediately after departing, the Autobots were confronted by the Constructicons, who wanted to join up with Prowl since their unification had given them a glimpse into Prowl's mind, and they had liked what they had seen. Bumblebee attempted to rationalise that Prowl had only done all the terrible things he had done under Bombshell's influence, but Arcee, thinking she was helping, pointed out that Ratbat's assassination ''had'' been Prowl. She later attempted to apologise for revealing this. {{storylink|Second Exodus}} When Tyrest's [[universal killswitch]] was activated, Prowl was among those affected. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Luckily Prowl was saved thanks to Rodimus and Perceptor. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} Later, when a bright light mysteriously appeared, {{storylink|Second Exodus}} Prowl and the other Autobots approached it, only for a [[Necrotitan|Titan]] to emerge from the ground in front of them. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}}

As Bumblebee tried to organise an offensive, he asked Prowl if it was that same Titan that had proclaimed Starscream would rule, Prowl admitted he wasn't sure since his memories from his time under Bombshell's control were fuzzy. Despite insisting that attacking immediately was their best course of action, Bumblebee protested, leading Prowl to argue that it was Bumblebee's indecisiveness that led to him losing Iacon, at which point they were suddenly attacked by Soundwave's Decepticons. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} However, when Starscream arrived to confront the Titan, Prowl once again became infuriated with Bumblebee's hesitation in allowing Arcee to take him out and with his sudden collaboration with Soundwave on the situation. The final straw came when the Titan unleashed a wave of energy, injuring several of the Autobots, leading Prowl to outright blame Bumblebee for their problems. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}}

While Prowl thought they should press the attack Bumblebee favored a more logical approach, which was when Soundwave heard Megatron screaming. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} Following the sound, the combined force found Shockwave's lab, where [[Nova Prime]] and Galvatron were attempting to emerge from the [[Dead Universe]] through a spacebridge in Megatron's chest. While battling Shockwave's forces, Prowl tried to order Bumblebee to focus on fighting rather than reaching the resurrected Metalhawk, but when Shockwave called in the Necrotitan, Prowl ordered a retreat. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}} Prowl called for the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces to retreat to Iacon, retorting [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop's]] protest that they wouldn't be leading it there since it was already heading towards the city. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}}

[[File:FinisTemporis BeechokesProwl.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2|Does Bee have to choke a prick??]]
They eventually made it back to Iacon, where [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] led them to the self-pitying Starscream. Prowl, recognizing that Shockwave was relying on them to fight among themselves, decided to play things logically and took charge of the situation, organizing the treatment of the wounded, the evacuation of the survivors, and preparing a counter-strike against the Titan. While coordinating with Soundwave, he questioned whether the Decepticon understood Shockwave's logic, but Soundwave admitted he never understood Shockwave, and as Prowl scoffed at his belief that they could still defeat him, Bumblebee arrived with an injured Megatron. Furious that Bumblebee would rescue their longtime enemy, Prowl was prepared to shoot the Decepticon leader, however as they all argued, Metroplex and the ''Lost Light'' arrived via quantum jump to fight the Necrotitan. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} After greeting the ''Lost Light'' crew as they disembarked, Prowl smugly reprimanded Bumblebee for allowing Megatron to disappear with a portion of Metroplex's thumb; when Bumblebee aggressively told him to piss off and that he'd made a choice, Prowl looked smug indeed about the little guy having made a decision like he'd wanted. Luckily too, the Decepticon leader did not adandon them as Prowl thought; Megatron teleported into Metroplex's hand to give him the Regenesis ore in the thumb, allowing Metroplex to defeat the Necrotitan. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

[[File:TheBecoming-throw.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Cybertron's hottest new sport, prick toss.]]
After reluctantly admitting that Bumblebee was right to trust Megatron, Prowl then sought out Chromedome, having realised that the mnemosurgeon had worked on him, which was what had allowed Bombshell to control him. Taunting him on the recent loss of Rewind, the pair fought, and Prowl found himself cheered on by the Constructicons until Ultra Magnus arrived to break up the fight. Magnus then gave Prowl a few choice words, pointing out that Prowl had been indirectly responsible for many problems on the ''Lost Light'', and that he had never suffered through any of his own actions. Prowl was left alone with his admirers after a final remark from Magnus citing that he was the loneliest person he had ever met and was now among like-minded company. Before too long, however, the calm was ended by the arrival of Shockwave's army of [[Ammonite]]s. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} Seeing that [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] was about to harass Metroplex, a hesitant Prowl was convinced by the Constructicons into reforming Devastator, {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} who managed to defeat the original combiner with help from the ''Lost Light''. After the fighting was over, Prowl was among the crowd who witnessed Optimus and Megatron exit the ''Lost Light'', with the Decepticon leader having defected. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

[[File:DetonationBoulevard Prowlrages.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.55|He's a splash of spittle away from going full [[Andrew Wildman|Wildman]].]]
In a meeting to discuss what to do with Megatron, Prowl urged that they simply move forward with executing him rather than go through the mockery of a trial, however it was decided that a trial would go ahead to show the public that the Autobots didn't operate outside the law. Prowl was pleased to hear Optimus appoint him prosecutor. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} As the trial progressed, Prowl had many testimonies against Megatron made, including ones from [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] and Starscream. However, when Megatron changed his plea from guilty to not guilty {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} and made clear his desire to be tried by the Knights of Cybertron, a legal loophole possible because of the trial taking place on Luna-2 where the laws were different. A group of Decepticons crashed the trial and tried to free Megatron, but the Autobots easily fought them off, with Prowl personally getting the better of [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]]. As the trial saw a brief recess, Prowl insisted that they move the proceedings back to Cybertron so that Megatron's loophole wouldn't be an issue, however Ultra Magnus pointed out that they couldn't do so for their own convenience. As a result, Optimus ended up allowing Megatron to join the ''Lost Light'' in order to have the former Decepticon's fate decided by the Knights. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}}

Prowl let his fury at Optimus fly, but when Optimus pointed out that Megatron was accepting his mistakes and the wrongness of his actions, Prowl admitted that he too had been ruthless throughout the course of the war, and that Bumblebee's death was clouding his judgement. Accepting Optimus's offer to join him on another mission to Earth, Prowl hoped that he might learn more from the planet. When the Constructicons, whom Prowl had reluctantly accepted, asked if they were joining the ''Lost Light'' under Megatron, Prowl raged that he would never stand with Megatron, and told them they would be going to Earth, knowing that Optimus was making a mistake and that he would have to be there to fix things. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] attempted to discuss the result of the trial with Prowl, but Prowl instead preferred to vent his frustrations to the lonely Autobot, sarcastically stating that a bold new future awaited them. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} Before they departed, Prowl offered his opinion to Arcee on the difference between her and the Camiens, and was pleased when she asked Optimus permission to join their mission. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

===Erratic behavior===

[[File:TheMindBomb Prowlnoexecutionsyet.jpg|left|thumb]]
As they approached Earth, Prowl stated it was good to be home, to the confusion of Cosmos, who pointed out how personally Prowl took Spike Witwicky's betrayal. Prowl brushed aside the comment, and asked if Cosmos trusted Prime's leadership, revealing that he asked him to come along because he needed someone he can trust on the mission. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}} Arriving in Earth's orbit, the Ark-7 was immediately attacked by Cybertronian-like weapons, and Prowl protested against falling back to the moon since the humans knew they were coming. As Optimus organised a team to go to the surface aboard [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], Prowl was ordered to remain with Arcee and Sky Lynx to investigate who launched the missiles, and Arcee suspected Prowl was unhappy with being sidelined. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} As a battle between Optimus's team and the allied [[Earth Defense Command]] and Galvatron-led Decepticons erupted, Prowl sent Arcee and Sideswipe to back them up while he and Sky Lynx gathered the Constructicons. When the battle moved into the small town of [[Poverty Flat]], Prowl revealed his plan to force the Decepticons into revealing themselves, and combined with the Constructicons into Devastator, {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} thereby threatening the EDC's attempt to cover up the return of the Cybertronians. Once the EDC pulled the Decepticons out, Prowl dismissed Optimus's concerns about the recklessness of Prowl's plan and his horror at Prowl's expectation that the EDC would have executed the civilians, pointing out that he had exposed the EDC's mind bomb weapon, which was doubtlessly designed thanks to access to a Cybertronian brain, giving them a lead as to the captured Alpha Trion's location. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

[[File:IDreamOfWires ProwlandJazzvehiclemodes.jpg|right|upright=1.2|thumb]]
As the Autobots worked on a way to infiltrate the base, Optimus was unhappy with Prowl's presumption about leading the rescue mission, and ordered him to remain with Sky Lynx. Arcee took a moment to confide in Prowl that she thought that [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] was a spy, however Prowl wasn't concerned with that, only if she had told Optimus. After asking if she was still loyal to him, Arcee responded that she was loyal to the Autobot cause, a fact that Prowl found highly amusing. As Optimus's team started their attack, Prowl used the distraction to disembark Sky Lynx and infiltrate the base himself, where he caught up with Jazz, who had found Alpha Trion. Holding a gun to his comrade's head, he stated that Trion wasn't going anywhere, {{storylink|Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} and with Jazz's attention on him, pointed out the alarms set up around Alpha Trion. Having realized that the humans couldn't have used Alpha Trion to create their mind bomb in the short time he was their captive, Prowl and Jazz began searching their base for clues. When Prowl was apparently knocked out by the mind bomb, he used the connection to the EDC's mainframe, but lacking time to go through their encrypted files, took control of their weapons and take out the Decepticon worldburner. After Jazz carried him to their teammates, Prowl awoke to reveal that Scavenger's leaking of information to the Decepticons was his plan to make events play out as they did. After forming Devastator to cover the rescue of Alpha Trion, Prowl counted the mission as a complete success. While Optimus was furious about Prowl's actions and secrets, Prowl insisted that it was all justifiable in this dangerous new era.

Meanwhile, Galvatron murdered [[Sparkplug Witwicky|General Witwicky]], and claimed that Prowl had been the culprit, and was believed due [[Marissa Faireborn|Marissa Faireborn's]] awareness of the animosity between Prowl and his son. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

When Optimus and Alpha Trion journeyed to the moon for a private conversation, Prowl used a stealth-painted Cosmos to listen in as Trion explained his role in history, and of the mysterious [[Enigma of Combination]] that could allow Cybertronian's to merge located on Earth. When Alpha Trion asked whether Optimus would share this information with Prowl, due to his control of the only truly successful combiner in eons, Optimus questioned why he wouldn't share what he had learned from his friend. {{storylink|The Crucible}}

[[File:Vs ProwlchasesSpike.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb]]
As Prowl learned of the resurfacing of Spike Witwicky, Optimus prepared to head back to Cybertron, leaving Prowl in charge, but warned him against taking more unnecessary risks. Overcome with anger over Optimus's weakness and suffering from another nosebleed, which were getting more frequent, Prowl gathered the Constructicons and informed them that they were going after Spike {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}} Believing that Spike knew of the Enigma of Combination's whereabouts, Prowl and the Constructicons took on a dangerous pursuit through the streets of Tokyo for their target. Momentarily halted in his pursuit by Arcee, who was concerned about him putting innocent humans in danger, Prowl finally managed to capture his quarry just as the Decepticons arrived, also in search of Spike.

[[File:TheObliterati-diespikedie.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Escaping to the cover of a nearby forest, Spike expected to be executed, but Prowl proclaimed that he had forgiven Spike. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|Vs.}} While Spike was quick to assume that it was because he was justified in defending the preservation of his own species, Prowl corrected him by saying he now understood how destructive his own race was and that they needed to be stopped. Requesting Spike's help in recovering the Enigma, Prowl and the Constructicons headed to [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]]'s facility in Wanmu. Using Spike to infiltrate and confirm the Enigma's presence, and upon hearing from Cosmos that the Decepticons were inbound, Prowl then ordered the Constructicons to combine so that they could take the Enigma, and that Spike was only a secondary target, having lied about his forgiveness. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}} While Devastator did manage to retrieve the Enigma, his components' shared hatred for Spike derailed the combiner's objective, throwing the Enigma away as he attempted to squash Spike. Arcee finally managed to reach Prowl by revealing that the Enigma had been taken by [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] during his blind attack. After taking a [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] as a bonus prize, Prowl blamed the Constructicons for taking control of Devastator from him, but they pointed out Prowl was as much to blame, and Arcee suggested that Prowl find a way to explain his actions to Optimus. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati|The Obliterati}}

[[File:ThePossibleLight RattrapsideswithProwl.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|the year is 3403 AD, crime is legal and cop's are illegal, only one man is willing to break the law to make the law legal again: Crimecop]]
As he showed off the spacebridge to Jetfire, Prowl received word from Rattrap about Starscream's recent contact with the colony of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] and his acquisition and use of the Enigma of Combination. Furious, Prowl contacted Optimus, demanding to know what he was thinking in allowing Starscream access to colonies, accusing Prime of not seeing the bigger picture. As Optimus terminated the call, omitting the fact that Starscream had combiners, Prowl seethed with rage at not being trusted, and decided to act himself. Having Rattrap use Metroplex's spacebridge to provide a connection to Cybertron, Prowl and the Constructicons traveled through. Seeking to prevent Starscream from achieving an empire, Prowl stated that Caminus and the other colonies would need to be cut off, ensuring the safety of the universe, even if it came at the cost of Cybertron and everyone on it. {{storylink|The Possible Light}}

[[File:Mistakes&Mayhem-ProwlArested.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|CYCLOPS WAS RIGHT.]]

Interrupting the clean-up on Caminus, Prowl and Constructicons formed Devastator and ordered all Cybertronians to return through the space bridge, but [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]'s protest and [[Sparkstalker]]'s refusal led to Devastator opening fire. After besting Superion once again and dragging him through the spacebridge to Cybertron, the Prowl-controlled-Devastator stated that he was doing what was necessary and began destroying the spacebridge. Optimus tried to convince Starscream and [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] that Prowl could be reasoned with, but Starscream used the Enigma of Combination to heal Superion and force the "[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]" to merge into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], and together both combiners defeated Devastator. While Starscream sought Prowl's death, Optimus and Windblade managed to convince him otherwise, but as Prowl was arrested and dragged off, Prowl raged that Starscream would never change and Optimus was playing with fire. {{storylink|Mistakes and Mayhem}}

When Optimus visited the imprisoned Prowl to talk over recent events, Prowl was unconvinced by Prime's attempts to put a system in place to curb Starscream's ambition, and pointed out that Starscream still needed the combiners on his side since Superion and Defensor were likely more loyal to Optimus, and would likely recruit Devastator. Believing that Prowl had been twisted by numerous betrayals he feels he has suffered, Prowl retorted that Optimus could include himself in that list. As Prowl insisted that he has always been the one to make the tough calls Optimus couldn't, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] broke free and formed [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], starting a battle between him, Superion, Defensor and a Scoop-included Devastator. When Rattrap arrived with the Enigma of Combination, Prowl ordered him to use it, forcing Prowl, Optimus, Ironhide, Mirage and Sunstreaker to form [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|a new combiner]], who quickly confronted the other combiners and stated that it was time for him to take control. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}}

[[File:NowAndOnEarth-PrimePunchesProwl.jpeg|thumb|left|upright=1.025|Prowl's had this coming for how long now?]]

Devastator recognized that Prowl was in control of the new combiner, due to his previous experience in combining, and was furious that he had been rejected by his former component for an upgrade. Suddenly the combiner collapsed as Prowl began fighting his fellow components for control within the combiner's psyche. One by one, Optimus, Ironhide, Sunstreaker, and Mirage rallied, refusing to look at the world only as numbers and statistics the way Prowl does, instead sharing their belief in the power of people that can change and be there to help one another. Synchronized by this shared belief, their minds slowly came together, and while Prowl refused to accept their way of thinking, his refusal was what allowed him to finally understand them, and in that understanding, all five were unified and Optimus Maximus was truly born. Alongside Superion and Defensor, Optimus Maximus defeated the other combiners, and then willingly separated himself so that Prowl could be arrested, knowing they could not be above the law. {{storylink|All That Remains}}

With Prowl now in custody, Optimus hoped that he could talk some sense into his old ally. Prowl simply replied that morality had nothing to do with military strategy, and that spending time as Devastator meant that he could no longer tell the difference between himself and the Decepticons. The two former friends finally came to blows, although Prowl's knowledge that a part of him would always exist within Prime convinced the Autobot leader to spare his life. However while Optimus's back was turned, Rattrap spirited Prowl away; with both their plans having failed, he stated that Prowl owed him a victory. {{storylink|Now and On Earth}} Prowl was branded a fugitive for his actions, and wanted signs were scattered throughout Iacon. {{storylink|The Transgressors}}
{{-}}

=== Gone Too Far ===
[[File:SinsOfTheWreckers2-ProwlWebbedUp.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Prowl's web of lies have come back to bind him, literally.]]
Prowl received a message from Verity Carlo, who had a copy of the Aequitas data and threatened to release it. Getting to Earth quickly by utilizing his mind link to Kup, Prowl prepared to confront Verity in Nome, Alaska when he suddenly was attacked and kidnapped by [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]]. When Prowl woke up, he was in a strange landscape which attacked his sensors, and lost consciousness again as Mesothulas welcomed him to the Noisemaze. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|Sins of the Wreckers #1}} Mesothulas briefly locked his old friend in a [[positive reinforcement prison]], where Prowl dreamt that his recent actions had resulted in a utopian peacetime Cybertron and Optimus thanked him for his pragmatism. Prowl awoke to find himself trapped in a giant web. Recognising his captor's voice, Prowl asked what Mesothulas wanted, though the scientist responded that he no longer answered to that name and stated that Prowl had something he wanted, threatening to expose his dirty secrets. Once he was alone, Prowl used his mind-link to Kup to address the recently awakened Springer and the Wreckers, fully exposing his manipulation of the older bot, but explained as much as he could about his situation before being cut off.

[[File:SinsOfTheWreckers3-Tarantulas'FinalOffer.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Say it, don't web-spray it.]]Mesothulas then returned, revealing his possession of the Aequitas data Verity had had, resigning Prowl to agree to talk. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|Sins of the Wreckers #2}} Mesothulas then fully revealed himself to Prowl, shocking the Autobot with his new form, and his new name, Tarantulas. Prowl suspected that Tarantulas had come to the conclusion that he had pushed him into the Noisemaze, and intended to use the war crimes data from Aequitas to blackmail him as revenge. However, Tarantulas merely wished to work with Prowl again, to recreate the symbiosis of their original relationship. When Prowl refused, he was placed in the company of his would-be rescuers: Verity, Springer, Roadbuster, and Arcee, and forced to watch as their most shameful, damning thoughts were bared to him thanks to Tarantulas's new invention, the guilt-extracting [[Impetus]]. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}}

Prowl tried to reason with [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], whom Tarantulas had recruited as a mole within the Autobots, but the intelligence analyst had been infuriated by his early-releasing of Roadbuster, and verbally tore into Prowl for his various crimes. At that moment, Verity revealed that she had not intended to release Aequitas, but had only wanted to force Prowl to help treat her for the illness caused by her exposure to Aequitus, and Prowl lamented that he wished she had just asked. Before Tarantulas could hook him up to Impetus, Prowl attempted to make the scientist give up on another partnership by claiming that he had killed Ostaros, though this failed. At that moment, Kup used their connection to inform him that rescue was on its way, but only because of Prowl's value and not because he deserved to be saved. Finally convincing Hubcap not to release the Aequitas data, the analyst freed him and the other captives. Prowl pulled a gun on Hubcap, believing he had too much incriminating data to be allowed to live. Hubcap pleaded for his life, arguing that killing him would only continue the cycle of violence and secrecy that has resulted in their current situation. Though Prowl was swayed by Hubcap's logic, Impactor believed it was too great a risk and shot Hubcap. Insisting that they destroy all of Tarantulas's work, Prowl and the others began preparing to collapse the Noisemaze, just as Tarantulas returned. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}}

[[File:SinsOfTheWreckers5-kuppunchesprowl.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|YOU punch a car! And YOU punch a car! EVERYBODY PUNCH A CAR!!!]]
After failing once more to convince his former partner to give up, Prowl listened as Impactor revealed the truth of what happened, at which point Tarantulas realised Springer was Ostaros and went after him. Ordered by the Wrecker to get out of the maze, Prowl prepared to force [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] to consume the [[Obtenteum]] in order to collapse the Noisemaze. After meeting up with Kup and Guzzle, the former got in a good hit on Prowl's jaw for his manipulations of him, and Guzzle took care of Tidal Wave. However once they escaped into Debris, Guzzle pulled his weapons on Prowl and Kup, determined to take revenge for the friends he had lost because of them, forcing Impactor to put him down. Later, Prowl went back into the remains of the Noisemaze to rescue the still-alive Springer, and severed his link with Kup. Neither Kup nor Arcee wanted to deal with him further, and decided to let Prowl go for the time being, yet not informing Optimus about the crisis either. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 5|Sins of the Wreckers #5}}

When Optimus annexed Earth into the Council of Worlds and broadcast a message, Prowl watched and refuted his former friend's claim that he was bringing freedom to Earth. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}}

His initial excursion to Earth was remembered by [[Scarlett]] and [[Joe Colton]] as they discussed the threat the Cybertronians posed to Earth. {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

After [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] came back to life, casually murdered people and kidnapped Optimus and Soundwave via a [[Space bridge|spacebridge]], Arcee contacted Prowl, who knew exactly where his old boss would go. {{storylink|White Light}}

[[File:TenToMidnight-ProwlStrugglesToRemember.jpg|left|thumb|With all the wrongs he's done lately, it's easy to believe he might not remember his wrongdoings from only a few years ago.]]
That place was [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where Prowl suspected Sentinel would try to raise the graveyard of Titans as the former Prime had dreamed of using a Titan army before the Great War began. When Prowl arrived on the moon, he was attacked by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] for [[Garrus-9]] before [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] held back his boss. It was only after that Prowl actually recalled the Garrus-9 fiasco that he warned them and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] of great danger to Luna 1. Prowl explained Sentinel's return to life, the Titan plan and that he was there to deactivate Luna 1's spacebridge. The trio, specifically Red Alert, were skeptical of Prowl's words before [[Beak]] arrived with proof of Prowl's claims, which led Red to believe he was stalling them and working with Sentinel. Nonetheless, the four Autobots set out to stop the Prime. On the way Prowl spoke to Max about the [[Team Rodimus (G1)|Team Rodimus]] and the fact that the ''[[Lost Light]]'' was non-responsive to hails. Their trail led them to the [[Planetary engine|massive engines]] which prompted Max to question Sentinel's age if he knew exactly where and what they were. When they arrived to confront Sentinel in a Titan's brain module, they found the unwilling [[Sovereign]] strapped to the giant's CPU, as the other Titans rose up. Before any action could be taken, Sentinel took control of Red Alert, who shot Prowl into stasis. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}}

[[File:LastLight-Prowl'sStaying.jpg|right|thumb|Prick 2: Return of the Prick.]]
As Sentinel gloated, Cerebros placed a shell on Prowl that allowed the former to control his motor functions. He used this to hit Sentinel over the head with a [[Mobile Autobot Repair Bay|M.A.R.B.]] before the three Autobots escaped. When Prowl awoke, he was dismayed to learn what Cerebros had done and that he was being left out the loop for once. Max and Cerebros planned to use the body of the Titan they were based in to stop Sentinel's army, but the [[Transformation cog (biology)|T-Cog]] was stuck in place. Prowl casually used his table flipping skills to manually complete the transformation. While Maximus fought off the Titan army, Prowl and Cerebros confronted Sentinel, who promptly shot them both down and tried to force Red Alert to execute Prowl. Red Alert managed to break free and separate Sentinel's [[Titan Master]] self from his true body. Sentinel would have forced Red to kill himself had Beak not pushed the Prime into one of the thrusters. Prowl asked how deep the thrusters were (one and a half miles) before casually noting that Sentinel was dead. Prowl later took Sovereign back to Earth, before deciding to stay on Luna-1 and take a long overdue sabbatical. He sympathized with Maximus over his fears of change and endings before an alert came through pertaining to information regarding the ''Lost Light''. However, the message seemed to just be gibberish and the quartet ignored it before they resumed cleaning the Titan's T-Cog. {{storylink|Last Light (issue)|Last Light}} At some point, Prowl received a final message from Springer after the Wrecker entered the [[Timemaze]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers|Requiem of the Wreckers}}

===Maximal Hunter===
[[File:TheDeadComeHomePart1 TeamProwl.jpg|left|thumb|"Right. Now we're in trouble. And it's only just beginning."]]
To combat the threat of the [[Maximal]]s, Prowl began gathering forces of his own. He located [[Stardrive]], the Camien Triple-Changer who formerly served with the [[Solstar Order]], as well as [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Garnak]]. He unearthed the long forgotten [[vamparc ribbon]] and other weapons confiscated from Zeta Prime after his fall. He also led his allies to [[Regalis V]], where they confronted a group of Maximals attacking the [[Throttlebot]]s, missing since the [[Surge (event)|Surge]] ten years prior. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}} Prowl also began corresponding with [[Pyra Magna (G1)|Pyra Magna]], the [[Torchbearer]] standing by Optimus's side, who had similar misgivings about Prime's direction. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}} When Starscream was reflecting on his own history, he recalled Prowl being present when Orion Pax allied with Megatron to take down Zeta Prime. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}}

After [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]]'s return to Cybertron, the ''[[Peaceful Revolution]]'' began tracking the flight path of the Maximal Titan, [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]]. As they followed, Stardrive became aware of a great danger facing [[Elonia]] with Prowl telling her not to become distracted by her past (she wasn't, she just felt she should pass on the news). By tracking Nemesis, the ''Peaceful Revolution'' made its way to [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]] in time for the colony to come under assault from [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. Though they tried to defend the planet, the sheer number of Maximals forced them to retreat. Patched through to Optimus, Prowl reported on their inability to save the world but that he'd deduced Unicron's next target was likely [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] and that Optimus should consider baiting a trap for their foe there. {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}}

By analyzing the data, Prowl soon concluded that Cybertron was a lost cause and that the final battle for the fate of their universe would be on [[Earth]]. When Stardrive informed him that Unicron had arrived at Cybertron (seven minutes later than Prowl predicted), the tactician ordered a course set for Earth. No sooner had the ''Peaceful Revolution'' emerged in [[Jupiter]] space, did Unicron teleport himself into the solar system. Prowl quickly called Optimus, who'd evacuated their species to Earth, that the Chaos Bringer was bearing down on Earth. {{storylink|Road's End}}

After picking up some straggling members of Prime's crew, {{storylink|A Sunrise Dark}} Prowl directed the ''Peaceful Revolution'' to the [[Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park]] to meet up with everyone else, where he told [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] that the reason Unicron was causing the stars to go out was its assimilation of the supermassive [[Black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]] it once orbited. As part of the final plan to save the universe, Prowl was sent to [[Toronto]] to confront Shockwave. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}}

[[File:Ceremony ProwlandShockwavefaith.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|It's like looking in an ugly, purple mirror.]]
Breaking into the [[CN Tower]], Prowl saved Shockwave from being slain by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] before he dragged him outside so Stardrive could interface with the cyclopean scientist. Though Shockwave tried to have Prowl abandon his plan, Prowl retorted that "faith" did not require deities as it was merely a synonym for inner strength. Once Optimus's sacrifice destroyed Unicron, Prowl and Stardrive hauled Shockwave away, before taking a moment to bask in the sunlight of their new world. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

At [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]'s order, Prowl made his way to "New Cybertron", partly to make sure the planet could sustain itself, but mainly so he could turn Megatron over to the [[Galactic Council]] for trial, in the hopes that the Cybertronian race could join the organization. After allowing the ''[[Lost Light]]'' crew the luxury of one "victory lap" around the galaxy, Prowl oversaw Megatron's incarceration in [[Garrus-10]] until the trial could be held. {{storylink|How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2}}

Some time later, back on Earth, Prowl visited the incarcerated Shockwave on ''Lemuria''. Having little sympathy for the scientist's identity crisis, he bluntly told Shockwave that people would forever be defined by their actions, not their intentions, perhaps finally coming to terms with his own tainted past. {{storylink|Post}}

[[File:Post ProwlLearnsHisLesson.jpg|center|thumb|upright=0.55|''I Am Prick'' authored by Prowl of Petrex.]]
{{--}}

==INSIRT continuity==
Long ago on Cybertron, [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity#INSIRT continuity|Chromedome]] served in the [[Autobot Police]] and harbored an interest in the field of mnemosurgery. Over time, he was able to use his highly decorated partner Prowl's status to pursue his interest in mnemosurgery, developing the ability to extract information directly from a suspect's mind. {{storylink|Chromedome (G1)#Timelines|''Timelines'' Chromedome bio card}}

==Ask Vector Prime==
[[File:AHM 1cvrEXCL.jpg|left|upright=0.9|thumb|I think this is a killing joke!]]
In [[Primax 708.10-R Lambda]], [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] cracked the codes to an Autobot forward listening outpost. He walked in, shot Prowl, and then laughed and took a photo of what he had done. Prowl would be unable to transform for many stellar cycles. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/06}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Prowl-Andrew Griffith-RiDS1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
* [[James Roberts]] stated that pre-war Prowl and Chromedome had a, ah, "stronger bond" than just being partners.<ref>[http://theunderbase.libsyn.com/the-underbase-deconstructs-shadowplay "The Underbase Podcast Deconstructs Shadowplay"], 17:17 - 14:58</ref> This would put their tension in the present day as more personal than we thought (and Rewind's constant insults against Prowl as being the new boyfriend having a go at the crappy ex, and vice versa to Prowl's disapproval of Rewind).
* According to IDW story editor [[Andy Schmidt]], ''[[Ride-Along|Spotlight: Prowl]]'' was originally going to be told in [[The Transformers (IDW)|the ongoing series]]. But when fans reacted badly to Prowl's characterization in [[...For All Mankind|the first issue of that series]], IDW decided to jump the gun and publish the story early as a ''Spotlight''.<ref>[http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/1002/19/schmidt.htm Comics Continuum video interview with Andy Schmidt]</ref> It is intended to reconcile his new, rashly self-sacrificial portrayal with the methodical, vehemently anti-hotheaded-maverick personality he [[The Transformers: Infiltration|had]] [[The Transformers: Escalation|exhibited]] [[Everything in Its Right Place|previously]]. But that reconciliation doesn't actually address the core concern of many of those upset fans, who wanted not just explanation, but ''reversion'' to the subversive schemer that Prowl had recently developed into.<ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=7345 IDW forum thread practically begging for Prowl's new characterization to be undone.]</ref> John Barber eventually saw fit to explain this snapback in [[Devisive|''Robots in Disguise'' #4]].
*Prowl was one of the characters whom both [[James Roberts]] and [[John Barber]] wanted for their respective books,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=As for the divvying up, we both started off with two or three characters that had been dictated – actually, that’s the wrong word – by IDW editorial, then came up with a core cast wish list. There were only a few clashes. I would have liked Prowl and Wheeljack and I think John would have liked Magnus and Ratchet. We compromised.|link=http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=309188#309188|name=James Roberts|site=IDW's forums}}</ref> perhaps unsurprisingly explaining his significant guest role in ''More than Meets the Eye''/''Lost Light''.
* Prowl's design in the first "season" of ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' is based on a [[:File:BluestreakWFCconceptart.jpg|concept drawing of ''War for Cybertron'' Bluestreak]] that never made its way into the game as line artist [[Andrew Griffith]] was asked by Hasbro to use a contemporary video game design.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=When I started RID, Hasbro asked me to base the Cybertronian looks off of the video game designs but didn’t provide them and I hadn’t played the games. So I had to rely on Google searches and the only thing I could find was Bluestreak. Found out much later it was for the DS game.|link=https://twitter.com/glovestudios/status/1520117835925803009|name=Andrew Griffith|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=04|day=29}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=Addendum: My bad actually, it appears that that design wasnt made public till after RiD(2012) came out. my bad!|link=https://twitter.com/glovestudios/status/1520120637347536897|name=Andrew Griffith|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=04|day=29}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Strategists]]

Dark Cybertron (IDW)

2026-02-14T13:59:36Z

Basedgyjoshipper: linked to nonexsistant page

{{disambig3.5|the comic book event|the titular prophecy|Dark Cybertron (prophecy)|Dark Cybertron}}
[[File:DarkCybertronLogo.png|center|500px]]
[[File:DarkCybertron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.]]

"'''Dark Cybertron'''" is an "event" storyline published across 2013–2014 by [[IDW Publishing]]. A simultaneous celebration of the [[Transformers brand]]'s 30th anniversary and the second anniversary of IDW's most recent relaunch of their Transformers comic books, the storyline takes place in alternating issues of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', with special one-shots released for the first and final chapters. It was produced in conjunction with Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Transformers: Generations]]'' toyline, and both the prelude and the event itself (eighteen issues in all) were packaged with ''Generations'' figures, all of which were incorporated into the story.

"Dark Cybertron" was followed by the "[[Dawn of the Autobots]]" post-event branding, marketed as a jumping-on point for new readers and introducing the new ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' mini-series.

{{bigquote|THE END OF EVERYTHING! SHOCKWAVE makes a move millions of years in the planning—an ultimate plan to remake Cybertron and destroy both the Autobots and Decepticons! The biggest Transformers event in comic book history!|IDW's hyperbolic promotion for "Dark Cybertron" makes some big promises!}}
<br>
{{chapters|title="Dark Cybertron" chapters:|next=Dawn of the Autobots|align=left|content=
<div class="list-header">"Syndromica"</div>
* [[Syndromica (1)]]
* [[Syndromica (2)]]

<br/><div class="list-header">"Dark Prelude"</div>
* [[Omega's Conundrum|Orion Pax]]
* [[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Thundercracker]]
* [[Spotlight: Megatron|Megatron]]
* [[The Question|Bumblebee]]
* [[The Reluctant Specialist|Trailcutter]]
* [[The Waiting Game|Hoist]]

<br/><div class="list-header">"Dark Cybertron Prelude"</div>
* ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Shockwaves|#17]]
* [[Second Exodus|#18]]
* [[Homecoming (IDW)|#19]]
* [[Three Monologues|#20]]
* [[Shockpoint|#21]]
* [[Soundwaves (issue)|#22]]
* ''More than Meets the Eye'' [[Little Victories|#22]]

<br/><div class="list-header">"Dark Cybertron"</div>
* [[Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|#1]]
* [[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#2]]
* [[Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|#3]]
* [[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#4]]
* [[Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|#5]]
* [[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#6]]
* [[The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|#7]]
* [[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#8]]
* [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|#9]]
* [[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#10]]
* [[Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|#11]]
* [[...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|#12]]
}}
<br>
{{IDWEvent}}

==Prequels==
[[File:RID6 cvrB.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Planning for "Dark Cybertron" began with ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Syndromica (1)|#6]].]]
The storyline of "Dark Cybertron" was built to almost from the inception of the ''More than Meets the Eye'' and ''Robots in Disguise'' comics—specifically, in "Syndromica", the side-plot occurring in occasional issues of ''Robots in Disguise'' which focused on [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] as he pursued [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] across the galaxy. In these issues, unexplored and unfinished plot threads from [[Simon Furman]]'s time as chief architect of the IDW universe six years prior came to the fore, as the extent of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s [[Regenesis]] program was explored and characters that had fallen by the wayside like [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] returned. ''More than Meets the Eye'' chose to focus on supplementary material surrounding Shockwave's origins in the "Shadowplay" story arc, as well as acting as a sequel to "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos Theory]]".

Build-up increased at the end of 2012 with the return of the ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]'' series of one-shots, which soon revealed themselves to be pack-ins for upcoming ''Generations'' toys. That these issues were preludes to "Dark Cybertron" was not immediately apparent (aside from the fact that they were eventually collected in a trade paperback named ''Dark Prelude''), with all that seemed to link them being a common theme of the [[Titan (group)|Metrotitan]]s and their [[space bridge]] capabilities (serving to [[To sell toys|promote]] the new [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|''Generations'' Metroplex]] toy). Once the crossover was underway, however, it became apparent that in addition to the Titans, the ''Spotlights'' had been used as a means of stealth-introducing to toy-buying readers unfamiliar with the IDW universe several characters and concepts that would play important roles in ''Dark Cybertron'', such as Nightbeat, Megatron's internal space bridge, and perhaps most significantly, the introduction of Metroplex's severed thumb.

Backstory on the Titans and [[Crystal City]] were featured in the Primus annuals.

Following the conclusion of ''Robots in Disguise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s first long-form story arc with its [[Heavy Is the Head|sixteenth issue]], active promotion for the story's imminent beginning commenced, with all six of the subsequent issues of the title bearing a "Dark Cybertron Prelude" cover box, three of which were used as pack-ins for the next wave of ''Generations'' figures. In addition to introducing this new batch of toy characters into the storyline, these issues returned to the Prime side-plot and expanded on Shockwave's involvement in it, and moved other characters into position for the event. Further still, like the ''Spotlight''s before them, the issues used as pack-ins also served to provide for buyers a pocket summary of all the relevant IDW history needed to fully appreciate ''Dark Cybertron''—Shockwave's Regenesis program, the general history of Nova Prime and Jhiaxus's era, a basic recap of ''Robots in Disguise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s story up to that point, the Dead Universe, and more. At the same time as this was happening, ''More than Meets the Eye'' brought its own first "season" to a close, then followed up with a single "Dark Cybertron Prelude" issue of its own (also a pack-in, introducing new elements that would be key to the event's story) before both series dived into the crossover.
{{--}}

==Overview==
To bring together the final strands of a long-germinating plan that has been his life's work, [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] orchestrates a series of events that cause havoc for the [[Autobot]]s, [[Decepticon]]s, and [[NAIL]]s on three separate fronts. At his behest, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] manipulates [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]—the once and former Optimus Prime—into awakening a slumbering [[Titan (group)|Metrotitan]] on the planet [[Gorlam Prime]]. Bringing the Titan to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Shockwave combines his [[Regenesis]] ores of [[Ore-14|Regeneration]] and [[Ore-2|Death]] to transform the giant into a zombie "[[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]]", through which he makes contact with [[Nova Prime]] and [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] in the [[Dead Universe]]. Requiring a [[space bridge]] to free the two ancient Cybertronians from their undead realm, Shockwave has the titan unleash a "death plague" upon [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]; in the chaos that follows, the reanimated [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] is used to retrieve the captive [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] so that Shockwave can employ the space bridge within his body. The united forces of [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]]'s Autobots and [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s Decepticons storm Shockwave's [[Crystal City]] base and prevent Nova Prime's emergence in the living universe, but Galvatron manages to make the crossing.

Simultaneously, the awakening of the Titan causes Gorlam Prime to collapse into a portal to the Dead Universe, and Pax and his team are only saved from being sucked inside by the timely arrival of the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Conferring with Iacon leader [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] and learning of events on Cybertron, Pax leads a team through the portal into the Dead Universe to try and stop Shockwave's plot from the other side. They encounter and are tricked into a trap by Nova Prime's mind-controlled thrall [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], but are able to free him, along with Nova's other captive, [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]; Pax destroys Nova, retaking the name of Optimus Prime in the process.

Meanwhile, the ''Lost Light'', charged with tracking down Jhiaxus, is pulled off-course by a summons from the badly-wounded [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], via a severed portion of his thumb the ship had previously encountered. Finding the ancient Autobot and his companions [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], and [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] on the ocean planet [[Hydrophena]], the crew defends him and themselves against an army of Shockwave's [[Ammonite]] minions and use their ship's engines to give him enough of a power boost to teleport them all back home to Cybertron. They return as the Necrotitan is in the middle of razing Iacon at Shockwave's command; Megatron, having fallen in with Bumblebee, uses his space bridge to teleport Metroplex's thumb—revealed to contain another of Shockwave's ores—from the ''Lost Light'' back into its owner's hand, giving him the energy to defeat the Necrotitan and heal the plague.

Unfortunately, all has transpired according to Shockwave's plans: the Ammonites, ''Lost Light'', and Necrotitan were pupeteered to ensure that Metroplex would return to Cybertron and bring the last of the ores with him, while Optimus Prime was deliberately lured into the Dead Universe so that he could destroy Nova Prime and remove his control over its necrotic energies. Using the combined powers of all his ores, fueled by the energy of the Dead Universe—channeled by Jhiaxus's chronal drive, through an unwitting Galvatron—Shockwave intends to bend space and time to his will, collapsing all of reality into a singularity that will be used to feed Cybertron for eternity. As the majority of the Autobots and Decepticons battle the colossal Ammonite army Shockwave summons to the planet, a small team ventures into Crystal City to confront the villains, where they are soon rejoined by Optimus Prime's team, who emerge through a portal to the Dead Universe within the unknowingly-undead [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]]. Metalhawk sacrifices himself to unbalance the ore equation, destroying the Ammonites, while Bumblebee is killed by Shockwave; inspired by the words and the sacrifice of his new friend, Megatron dons the Autobot symbol, an action that throws Shockwave into confusion. The scientist's loss of focus causes him to lose control of the chronal drive, setting his mind adrift in time and resulting in the re-emergence of his pre-[[Shadowplay]] self. Horrified at what he has become, Shockwave allows Optimus and Megatron to kill him, destroying the drive and bringing an end to his plan.

The event led into a jumping-on point event for the Transformers books titled "[[Dawn of the Autobots]]", beginning in [[Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|''Robots in Disguise'' #28]], [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|''More than Meets the Eye'' #28]], and the [[A 'Bot and Her City|first issue]] of the new ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' mini-series, and taking place six months after the end of "Dark Cybertron".

==Consequences==
Several plot lines were resolved as a result of the crossover, and many characters were repositioned for the IDW universe going forward:

* A number of major and supporting characters were killed, including [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], and [[Nova Prime]].
* [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]], [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]], and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] were re-introduced into the IDW universe after several years' absence.
* Female Transformers other than Arcee, including the "fan-designed" [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], were introduced.
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] reassumed the mantle of Prime.
* [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] made the major decision to join the Autobots, and Galvatron took command of the now-leaderless Decepticons.
* The Autobots of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' and Cybertron reconnected for the first time since the current series began.
* The ongoing plots involving the [[Dead Universe]] and the [[Regenesis]] ores, introduced in the first few months of IDW's ''Transformers'' line in 2005-06, [[Revolution|seemingly]] were permanently resolved.
* The universe still hates [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]].

==Creative team==
"Dark Cybertron" is co-written by ''Robots in Disguise'' and ''More than Meets the Eye'' authors [[John Barber]] and [[James Roberts]]. The nature of the issues as toy pack-ins necessitated that work begin on them at the same time as other regular issues of the two ongoings were being produced; as such, with regular artists [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Alex Milne]] occupied on their normal issues, artistic duties for the event were primarily divided up between [[Atilio Rojo]], who drew the scenes set on Cybertron, [[James Raiz]], who covered scenes featuring the ''Lost Light'' crew, and [[Livio Ramondelli]], who illustrated the portion of the story set in the Dead Universe. [[Brendan Cahill]] contributed pages to the first and eleventh chapters, before illustrating the finale, while [[Nick Roche]] and newcomer [[Robert Gill]] chipped in towards the midpoint of the story. Later into the event, their schedules freed, Milne and Griffith returned to provide art for their respective books final few chapters.

Much was made of the involvement of preeminent mainstream comic book artist [[Phil Jimenez]], who collaborated with Roberts and Barber on the plot, provided layouts for Chapter 1 (finished by Griffith) and 12 (finished by Cahill) and drew several pieces of package art for the ''Generations'' toys that were used as "Retailer Incentive" or subscription variant covers for each of the twelve issues. Jiminez's covers initially corresponded to the toy with which each comic came packaged, but this wavered as the crossover went on; this, coupled with some evidently mis-matched pack-ins (Rattrap's and Skywarp's issues were almost certainly switched) suggests that Hasbro may have reshuffled the toyline's wave assortments after the storyline had been organized in advance.

[[Casey Coller]] provides a cover for each issue, usually in the regular cover slot, with additional subscription and RI covers provided by a variety of artists, including Griffith, Milne, Raiz, Cahill, Roche, Ramondelli, [[E. J. Su]], and [[Marcelo Matere]].

==Collections==
* '''''The Transformers: Dark Prelude''''' <small>([[August 14]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613777167 / ISBN 978-1613777169</small>
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: Orion Pax, Thundercracker, Megatron, Bumblebee, Trailcutter'' & ''Hoist.''
** Each of the characters receiving the Spotlight also had new Deluxe Class toys as part of the 2012–2013 ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' line, '[[Thrilling 30]]'.
** Bonus material includes covers from each issue.
** Trade paperback format. New cover art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Perez]].

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 1''''' <small>([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' issues #23–25, and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' issues #23–24.
** Bonus material includes covers from each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' <small>([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989</small>
** Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–27, and ''Dark Cybertron Finale''.
** Bonus material includes covers from each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' <small>([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23–27, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–27, and ''Dark Cybertron Finale.
** Bonus material includes a 26-page "Behind the Scenes of ''Transformers: Dark Cybertron'' #1" by John Barber, with additional commentary by James Roberts, Brendan Cahill, Phil Jiminez, Andrew Griffith, and Carlos Guzman. This in-depth page-by-page breakdown includes script extracts, various stages of lineart, character/location/ship designs, and more!
** Bonus material includes a cover gallery.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 59: Dark Cybertron, Part 1''''' <small>([[June 14]], [[2017]])</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23–25, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–24.
** Bonus material includes a bio on the [[Titan (group)|Titans]], the making of ''Dark Cybertron'' with [[John Barber]] and [[James Roberts]], a cover gallery and a forward by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6]]''''' <small>([[October 18]], 2017) ISBN 1684050855 / ISBN 978-1684050857</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23–27, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–27, ''Dark Cybertron Finale'', and [[The Transformers: Windblade|''Windblade'' (2014)]] issues [[A 'Bot and Her City|#1]]–[[Windblade issue 4|4]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TFDarkPrelude tpb.jpg|'''''Dark Prelude''''' – cover art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:DC vol1.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' – cover art by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:DC HC.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron''''' – cover art by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v59.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 59: Dark Cybertron, Part 1''''' – cover art by [[Guido Guidi]] (Ratchet) and Phil Jimenez/[[Andrew Griffith]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V6.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6''''' – cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Tom B. Long]]
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 60: Dark Cybertron, Part 2''''' <small>([[February 21]], [[2018]])</small>
** Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–27, and ''Dark Cybertron Finale''.
** Bonus material includes a "blow-by-blow account of Dark Cybertron's hidden secrets", a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v60.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 60: Dark Cybertron, Part 2''''' – cover art by [[Mark Brooks]] (Brainstorm) and Andrew Griffith (retro)
</gallery>

===Japanese reprints===
The Japanese reprints have been published from [[Villagebooks]], translated by [[Akihisa Koike]]. Bonus material includes art from all covers, appearance character commentary, includes a booklet with a commentary written by Akihisa Koike and [[Eugene Ishikawa]].

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 1''''' <small>([[March 25]], [[2022]])</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' issues #23–25, and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' issues #23–24.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' <small>([[March]] 25, 2022)</small>
** Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–27, and ''Dark Cybertron Finale''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Villagebooks DC vol1 cover.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Kazumasa Yasukuni]].
File:Villagebooks DC vol2 cover.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' – cover art by Kazumasa Yasukuni.
</gallery>

[[Category:Dark Cybertron issues]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:IDW More than Meets the Eye issues]]
[[Category:IDW Robots in Disguise (2012) issues]]
[[Category:Story arcs]]

Dark Cybertron (IDW)

2026-02-14T13:57:45Z

Basedgyjoshipper: mentioned Shadowplay and the Primus annuals

{{disambig3.5|the comic book event|the titular prophecy|Dark Cybertron (prophecy)|Dark Cybertron}}
[[File:DarkCybertronLogo.png|center|500px]]
[[File:DarkCybertron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this. I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill, and think things over.]]

"'''Dark Cybertron'''" is an "event" storyline published across 2013–2014 by [[IDW Publishing]]. A simultaneous celebration of the [[Transformers brand]]'s 30th anniversary and the second anniversary of IDW's most recent relaunch of their Transformers comic books, the storyline takes place in alternating issues of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', with special one-shots released for the first and final chapters. It was produced in conjunction with Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Transformers: Generations]]'' toyline, and both the prelude and the event itself (eighteen issues in all) were packaged with ''Generations'' figures, all of which were incorporated into the story.

"Dark Cybertron" was followed by the "[[Dawn of the Autobots]]" post-event branding, marketed as a jumping-on point for new readers and introducing the new ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' mini-series.

{{bigquote|THE END OF EVERYTHING! SHOCKWAVE makes a move millions of years in the planning—an ultimate plan to remake Cybertron and destroy both the Autobots and Decepticons! The biggest Transformers event in comic book history!|IDW's hyperbolic promotion for "Dark Cybertron" makes some big promises!}}
<br>
{{chapters|title="Dark Cybertron" chapters:|next=Dawn of the Autobots|align=left|content=
<div class="list-header">"Syndromica"</div>
* [[Syndromica (1)]]
* [[Syndromica (2)]]

<br/><div class="list-header">"Dark Prelude"</div>
* [[Omega's Conundrum|Orion Pax]]
* [[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Thundercracker]]
* [[Spotlight: Megatron|Megatron]]
* [[The Question|Bumblebee]]
* [[The Reluctant Specialist|Trailcutter]]
* [[The Waiting Game|Hoist]]

<br/><div class="list-header">"Dark Cybertron Prelude"</div>
* ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Shockwaves|#17]]
* [[Second Exodus|#18]]
* [[Homecoming (IDW)|#19]]
* [[Three Monologues|#20]]
* [[Shockpoint|#21]]
* [[Soundwaves (issue)|#22]]
* ''More than Meets the Eye'' [[Little Victories|#22]]

<br/><div class="list-header">"Dark Cybertron"</div>
* [[Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|#1]]
* [[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#2]]
* [[Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|#3]]
* [[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#4]]
* [[Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|#5]]
* [[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#6]]
* [[The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|#7]]
* [[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#8]]
* [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|#9]]
* [[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#10]]
* [[Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|#11]]
* [[...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|#12]]
}}
<br>
{{IDWEvent}}

==Prequels==
[[File:RID6 cvrB.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Planning for "Dark Cybertron" began with ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Syndromica (1)|#6]].]]
The storyline of "Dark Cybertron" was built to almost from the inception of the ''More than Meets the Eye'' and ''Robots in Disguise'' comics—specifically, in "Syndromica", the side-plot occurring in occasional issues of ''Robots in Disguise'' which focused on [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] as he pursued [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] across the galaxy. In these issues, unexplored and unfinished plot threads from [[Simon Furman]]'s time as chief architect of the IDW universe six years prior came to the fore, as the extent of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s [[Regenesis]] program was explored and characters that had fallen by the wayside like [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] returned. ''More than Meets the Eye'' chose to focus on supplementary material surrounding Shockwave's origins in the "Shadowplay" story arc, as well as acting as a sequel to "[[Chaos IDW|Chaos Theory]]".

Build-up increased at the end of 2012 with the return of the ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]'' series of one-shots, which soon revealed themselves to be pack-ins for upcoming ''Generations'' toys. That these issues were preludes to "Dark Cybertron" was not immediately apparent (aside from the fact that they were eventually collected in a trade paperback named ''Dark Prelude''), with all that seemed to link them being a common theme of the [[Titan (group)|Metrotitan]]s and their [[space bridge]] capabilities (serving to [[To sell toys|promote]] the new [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|''Generations'' Metroplex]] toy). Once the crossover was underway, however, it became apparent that in addition to the Titans, the ''Spotlights'' had been used as a means of stealth-introducing to toy-buying readers unfamiliar with the IDW universe several characters and concepts that would play important roles in ''Dark Cybertron'', such as Nightbeat, Megatron's internal space bridge, and perhaps most significantly, the introduction of Metroplex's severed thumb.

Backstory on the Titans and [[Crystal City]] were featured in the Primus annuals.

Following the conclusion of ''Robots in Disguise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s first long-form story arc with its [[Heavy Is the Head|sixteenth issue]], active promotion for the story's imminent beginning commenced, with all six of the subsequent issues of the title bearing a "Dark Cybertron Prelude" cover box, three of which were used as pack-ins for the next wave of ''Generations'' figures. In addition to introducing this new batch of toy characters into the storyline, these issues returned to the Prime side-plot and expanded on Shockwave's involvement in it, and moved other characters into position for the event. Further still, like the ''Spotlight''s before them, the issues used as pack-ins also served to provide for buyers a pocket summary of all the relevant IDW history needed to fully appreciate ''Dark Cybertron''—Shockwave's Regenesis program, the general history of Nova Prime and Jhiaxus's era, a basic recap of ''Robots in Disguise''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s story up to that point, the Dead Universe, and more. At the same time as this was happening, ''More than Meets the Eye'' brought its own first "season" to a close, then followed up with a single "Dark Cybertron Prelude" issue of its own (also a pack-in, introducing new elements that would be key to the event's story) before both series dived into the crossover.
{{--}}

==Overview==
To bring together the final strands of a long-germinating plan that has been his life's work, [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] orchestrates a series of events that cause havoc for the [[Autobot]]s, [[Decepticon]]s, and [[NAIL]]s on three separate fronts. At his behest, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] manipulates [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]]—the once and former Optimus Prime—into awakening a slumbering [[Titan (group)|Metrotitan]] on the planet [[Gorlam Prime]]. Bringing the Titan to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Shockwave combines his [[Regenesis]] ores of [[Ore-14|Regeneration]] and [[Ore-2|Death]] to transform the giant into a zombie "[[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]]", through which he makes contact with [[Nova Prime]] and [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] in the [[Dead Universe]]. Requiring a [[space bridge]] to free the two ancient Cybertronians from their undead realm, Shockwave has the titan unleash a "death plague" upon [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]; in the chaos that follows, the reanimated [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] is used to retrieve the captive [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] so that Shockwave can employ the space bridge within his body. The united forces of [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]]'s Autobots and [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s Decepticons storm Shockwave's [[Crystal City]] base and prevent Nova Prime's emergence in the living universe, but Galvatron manages to make the crossing.

Simultaneously, the awakening of the Titan causes Gorlam Prime to collapse into a portal to the Dead Universe, and Pax and his team are only saved from being sucked inside by the timely arrival of the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Conferring with Iacon leader [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] and learning of events on Cybertron, Pax leads a team through the portal into the Dead Universe to try and stop Shockwave's plot from the other side. They encounter and are tricked into a trap by Nova Prime's mind-controlled thrall [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], but are able to free him, along with Nova's other captive, [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]; Pax destroys Nova, retaking the name of Optimus Prime in the process.

Meanwhile, the ''Lost Light'', charged with tracking down Jhiaxus, is pulled off-course by a summons from the badly-wounded [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], via a severed portion of his thumb the ship had previously encountered. Finding the ancient Autobot and his companions [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], and [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] on the ocean planet [[Hydrophena]], the crew defends him and themselves against an army of Shockwave's [[Ammonite]] minions and use their ship's engines to give him enough of a power boost to teleport them all back home to Cybertron. They return as the Necrotitan is in the middle of razing Iacon at Shockwave's command; Megatron, having fallen in with Bumblebee, uses his space bridge to teleport Metroplex's thumb—revealed to contain another of Shockwave's ores—from the ''Lost Light'' back into its owner's hand, giving him the energy to defeat the Necrotitan and heal the plague.

Unfortunately, all has transpired according to Shockwave's plans: the Ammonites, ''Lost Light'', and Necrotitan were pupeteered to ensure that Metroplex would return to Cybertron and bring the last of the ores with him, while Optimus Prime was deliberately lured into the Dead Universe so that he could destroy Nova Prime and remove his control over its necrotic energies. Using the combined powers of all his ores, fueled by the energy of the Dead Universe—channeled by Jhiaxus's chronal drive, through an unwitting Galvatron—Shockwave intends to bend space and time to his will, collapsing all of reality into a singularity that will be used to feed Cybertron for eternity. As the majority of the Autobots and Decepticons battle the colossal Ammonite army Shockwave summons to the planet, a small team ventures into Crystal City to confront the villains, where they are soon rejoined by Optimus Prime's team, who emerge through a portal to the Dead Universe within the unknowingly-undead [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]]. Metalhawk sacrifices himself to unbalance the ore equation, destroying the Ammonites, while Bumblebee is killed by Shockwave; inspired by the words and the sacrifice of his new friend, Megatron dons the Autobot symbol, an action that throws Shockwave into confusion. The scientist's loss of focus causes him to lose control of the chronal drive, setting his mind adrift in time and resulting in the re-emergence of his pre-[[Shadowplay]] self. Horrified at what he has become, Shockwave allows Optimus and Megatron to kill him, destroying the drive and bringing an end to his plan.

The event led into a jumping-on point event for the Transformers books titled "[[Dawn of the Autobots]]", beginning in [[Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|''Robots in Disguise'' #28]], [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|''More than Meets the Eye'' #28]], and the [[A 'Bot and Her City|first issue]] of the new ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' mini-series, and taking place six months after the end of "Dark Cybertron".

==Consequences==
Several plot lines were resolved as a result of the crossover, and many characters were repositioned for the IDW universe going forward:

* A number of major and supporting characters were killed, including [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], and [[Nova Prime]].
* [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]], [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]], and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] were re-introduced into the IDW universe after several years' absence.
* Female Transformers other than Arcee, including the "fan-designed" [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], were introduced.
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] reassumed the mantle of Prime.
* [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] made the major decision to join the Autobots, and Galvatron took command of the now-leaderless Decepticons.
* The Autobots of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' and Cybertron reconnected for the first time since the current series began.
* The ongoing plots involving the [[Dead Universe]] and the [[Regenesis]] ores, introduced in the first few months of IDW's ''Transformers'' line in 2005-06, [[Revolution|seemingly]] were permanently resolved.
* The universe still hates [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]].

==Creative team==
"Dark Cybertron" is co-written by ''Robots in Disguise'' and ''More than Meets the Eye'' authors [[John Barber]] and [[James Roberts]]. The nature of the issues as toy pack-ins necessitated that work begin on them at the same time as other regular issues of the two ongoings were being produced; as such, with regular artists [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Alex Milne]] occupied on their normal issues, artistic duties for the event were primarily divided up between [[Atilio Rojo]], who drew the scenes set on Cybertron, [[James Raiz]], who covered scenes featuring the ''Lost Light'' crew, and [[Livio Ramondelli]], who illustrated the portion of the story set in the Dead Universe. [[Brendan Cahill]] contributed pages to the first and eleventh chapters, before illustrating the finale, while [[Nick Roche]] and newcomer [[Robert Gill]] chipped in towards the midpoint of the story. Later into the event, their schedules freed, Milne and Griffith returned to provide art for their respective books final few chapters.

Much was made of the involvement of preeminent mainstream comic book artist [[Phil Jimenez]], who collaborated with Roberts and Barber on the plot, provided layouts for Chapter 1 (finished by Griffith) and 12 (finished by Cahill) and drew several pieces of package art for the ''Generations'' toys that were used as "Retailer Incentive" or subscription variant covers for each of the twelve issues. Jiminez's covers initially corresponded to the toy with which each comic came packaged, but this wavered as the crossover went on; this, coupled with some evidently mis-matched pack-ins (Rattrap's and Skywarp's issues were almost certainly switched) suggests that Hasbro may have reshuffled the toyline's wave assortments after the storyline had been organized in advance.

[[Casey Coller]] provides a cover for each issue, usually in the regular cover slot, with additional subscription and RI covers provided by a variety of artists, including Griffith, Milne, Raiz, Cahill, Roche, Ramondelli, [[E. J. Su]], and [[Marcelo Matere]].

==Collections==
* '''''The Transformers: Dark Prelude''''' <small>([[August 14]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613777167 / ISBN 978-1613777169</small>
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]: Orion Pax, Thundercracker, Megatron, Bumblebee, Trailcutter'' & ''Hoist.''
** Each of the characters receiving the Spotlight also had new Deluxe Class toys as part of the 2012–2013 ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' line, '[[Thrilling 30]]'.
** Bonus material includes covers from each issue.
** Trade paperback format. New cover art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Perez]].

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 1''''' <small>([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' issues #23–25, and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' issues #23–24.
** Bonus material includes covers from each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' <small>([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989</small>
** Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–27, and ''Dark Cybertron Finale''.
** Bonus material includes covers from each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' <small>([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23–27, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–27, and ''Dark Cybertron Finale.
** Bonus material includes a 26-page "Behind the Scenes of ''Transformers: Dark Cybertron'' #1" by John Barber, with additional commentary by James Roberts, Brendan Cahill, Phil Jiminez, Andrew Griffith, and Carlos Guzman. This in-depth page-by-page breakdown includes script extracts, various stages of lineart, character/location/ship designs, and more!
** Bonus material includes a cover gallery.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 59: Dark Cybertron, Part 1''''' <small>([[June 14]], [[2017]])</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23–25, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–24.
** Bonus material includes a bio on the [[Titan (group)|Titans]], the making of ''Dark Cybertron'' with [[John Barber]] and [[James Roberts]], a cover gallery and a forward by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6]]''''' <small>([[October 18]], 2017) ISBN 1684050855 / ISBN 978-1684050857</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #23–27, and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–27, ''Dark Cybertron Finale'', and [[The Transformers: Windblade|''Windblade'' (2014)]] issues [[A 'Bot and Her City|#1]]–[[Windblade issue 4|4]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TFDarkPrelude tpb.jpg|'''''Dark Prelude''''' – cover art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:DC vol1.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' – cover art by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:DC HC.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron''''' – cover art by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v59.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 59: Dark Cybertron, Part 1''''' – cover art by [[Guido Guidi]] (Ratchet) and Phil Jimenez/[[Andrew Griffith]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V6.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 6''''' – cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Tom B. Long]]
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 60: Dark Cybertron, Part 2''''' <small>([[February 21]], [[2018]])</small>
** Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–27, and ''Dark Cybertron Finale''.
** Bonus material includes a "blow-by-blow account of Dark Cybertron's hidden secrets", a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v60.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 60: Dark Cybertron, Part 2''''' – cover art by [[Mark Brooks]] (Brainstorm) and Andrew Griffith (retro)
</gallery>

===Japanese reprints===
The Japanese reprints have been published from [[Villagebooks]], translated by [[Akihisa Koike]]. Bonus material includes art from all covers, appearance character commentary, includes a booklet with a commentary written by Akihisa Koike and [[Eugene Ishikawa]].

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 1''''' <small>([[March 25]], [[2022]])</small>
** Collects ''Dark Cybertron'' #1, ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' issues #23–25, and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' issues #23–24.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' <small>([[March]] 25, 2022)</small>
** Collects ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–27, and ''Dark Cybertron Finale''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Villagebooks DC vol1 cover.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Kazumasa Yasukuni]].
File:Villagebooks DC vol2 cover.jpg|'''''Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' – cover art by Kazumasa Yasukuni.
</gallery>

[[Category:Dark Cybertron issues]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:IDW More than Meets the Eye issues]]
[[Category:IDW Robots in Disguise (2012) issues]]
[[Category:Story arcs]]

Skyfall (G1)

2025-11-29T22:17:02Z

Basedgyjoshipper: IMO the ALL helps alludes to Bullets

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Skyfall}}
:''Skyfall is an [[Autobot]] [[Action Master]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:SkyfallG1.jpg|thumb|''Let the sky fall<br>When it crumbles<br>We will stand tall<br>Face it all together'']]
'''Skyfall''' is an up-and-coming Autobot weapons engineer who envisions a very bright future for himself. He has an effusive and enthusiastic personality, always heaping praise on those around him and telling them things they already know, in a way that doesn't seem suspicious at all. Whenever his friends reach a major success, Skyfall is always there to join in the celebration (and glory), and wouldn't you know it, whenever his rivals fail, things just seem to work out to Skyfall's benefit too. What a lucky bot he is! One day, Skyfall will accomplish great things—you'll see! Oh, you'll ALL see.

His [[Action Master partner]] is [[Top-Heavy]].

==Fiction==
===2005 IDW continuity===
{{First|[[Spotlight: Arcee]] (cameo); [[Bullets]] (where everyone learns to hate the guy)}}
[[File:SpotlightArcee Autobotsfighting.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"We're not going to make it!"<br/> "Shut up, SHUT UP!"]]
Skyfall was a weapons-designer and a rival of [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]. Ironfist designed [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s signature [[ion blaster|rifle]], but the Autobot commander mistakenly believed it was Skyfall's work. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} Of course, it was only out of respect for Prime's image that Skyfall never corrected that misconception. Yeah.

Skyfall received plenty of praise for "designing" Prime's ion blaster, but it was Ironfist who received the next round of cheers for his development of cold phosphex, otherwise known as "[[glass gas]]". Perhaps feeling he needed to prove himself, Skyfall volunteered to take part in an advance patrol, which was then captured by Decepticons. He endured 100 years of captivity in the infamous [[Grindcore (prison)|Grindcore]] penal colony. Upon Skyfall's rescue, Ironfist strongly advocated for him to become one of the engineers at the [[Kimia Facility|Kimia design facility]]. Instead, Skyfall was brought into the less-prestigious manufacturing division, although Ironfist still let his good buddy use his workshop from time to time for personal projects. There, working side by side, the two renewed their friendship... except for the teensy little detail about how Skyfall was an amoral bastard out for no one but himself. After Ironfist had developed the fearsome chemical weapon known as [[Gideon's Glue|mycopropelene]], he himself was so shocked by its virulence that he attempted to destroy the entire stockpile of his creation, but Skyfall found out about it and leaked critical information to the Decepticons, who then used it in the massacre at [[Babu Yar]]. Skyfall then manipulated the subsequent Autobot investigation of the incident to direct suspicion towards Ironfist, but ultimately, nothing came of it.

Skyfall soon fell under official scrutiny too, when he used his time in Ironfist's workshop to further development of cold phosphex (which he "jokingly" swore had been his idea from the beginning and that Ironfist had stolen from him). His more extreme and poorly tested concoction, [[glass gas|black phosphex]], led to severe weapons malfunctions in the field. High Command forcibly transferred Skyfall out of weapons design and into the penal system, working as a guard on [[Garrus-9]]. While there, he accidentally fulfilled Ironfist's dream and helped the Wreckers in battle, fighting off a prison break side-by-side with [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]]'s team. {{storylink|Bullets}} He was among the personnel attempting to defend the G-9 penitentiary from [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzaitron]]'s assault {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} and later, [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime's]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} He, ah, ''did'' things while he was there.
[[File:Bullets-Skyfall.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Oh, right. The poison. The poison for Skyfall, the poison chosen especially to kill Skyfall, Skyfall's poison.]]
Once again, Ironfist intervened on his "friend"'s behalf, bringing him back to the Kimia engineering corps so he could enjoy Skyfall's company... which often took the form of passive-aggressive backhanded compliments about Ironfist's temperament during ethics investigations and the repetitiveness of many of his entries in the ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'' series. At some point, Ironfist promised his good buddy Skyfall that he could have Ironfist's lab if anything ever happened to him. Wasting little time, Skyfall tampered with one of Ironfist's cerebro-guns, ensuring it would automatically fire when held at a certain angle and thus dooming Ironfist to a slow death by creeping brain-bullet. Naturally, Ironfist confided in his friend about his injury, to which Skyfall sensitively replied that he should have his head examined.

Skyfall essentially sabotaged himself, however, once [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] learned of Ironfist's injury (although not its cause). Thinking Ironfist's death sentence made him uniquely suitable for the [[Aequitas]] mission to Garrus-9, Prowl used his sway in High Command to get Ironfist named as a new Wrecker, replacing Springer's initial choice... Skyfall. Just as he was leaving Kimia for the Wreckers, however, Ironfist got the analysis reports back from [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]] about the cerebro-gun that "malfunctioned". Realizing that Skyfall had enough access to his workshop to have rigged the gun to fire as it did, Ironfist still departed Kimia without confronting his "friend".

After Ironfist left, Skyfall took possession of that precious, long-sought lab. But Skyfall's true personality soon shone through: He was arrogant and dismissive enough to repeatedly ditch the requests of [[Xaaron]]'s investigative committee, and as punishment, the authorities repossessed all the weapon tech that the lab had housed. Skyfall had barely absorbed this setback when he found himself receiving a recorded message from Ironfist, who had just died at that moment. Revisiting all the strange coincidences that had accompanied Skyfall's career over the years, Ironfist had uploaded an automatic message and broadcast timer into his brain-bullet's internal computer, and he revealed the proof of all of Skyfall's crimes to every fan who was following "Fisitron"'s datafeeds.

[[File:Skyfall mtmte.JPG|thumb|150px|left]]
Skyfall soon found himself barricaded inside his lab with an angry mob of Autobot troopers banging on the door, as Ironfist laid out one condemnation after another. Knowing he would never survive among his former victims on Garrus-9, Skyfall happened across the one remaining weapon in the lab—Ironfist's last, secret sample of Gideon's Glue—and drank it, killing himself. {{storylink|Bullets}}

During Skyfall's autopsy, his memories were read by [[Mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] who as a result would later suffer an inherited flashback to Skyfall's last moments. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] later made use of old footage of Skyfall in his final, spliced-together message to Chromedome. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In Cybertron's distant past, Skyfall was one of five members of the [[Elite Flying Corps]], under the command of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Along with [[Swoop (G1)|Divebomb]], [[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]], [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]], and [[Doubleheader]], he engaged Decepticons in the skies. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/20}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1Skyfall toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Gun-DAMMIT! ...Sorry.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Skyfall with Top-Heavy''' (Action Master, [[1990]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': "Top-Heavy" partner, "[[cloudbuster cannon]]"
{{toydesigner|[[Masakatsu Saito]] (concept artist)}}

: Part of the third assortment of individually-carded [[Action Master]]s, released in the seventh and final year of ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' in the US, Skyfall is a non-transforming 3¾-inch action figure of a robot with details implying a former Cybertronian jet [[alternate mode]]. (Helps that his bio outright says "former jet fighter".) His construction is broadly similar to that used by the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' figures of the time, having a swivel neck, shoulders and knees, plus ball-jointed hips attached via a steel rod internally secured by a rubber "o-ring". His hands have standard 3 mm holes which allow him to hold any other accessory in the Action Master line, plus his feet have holes in the bottom to secure him to larger vehicles. On top of that, the hole in his back is compatible with [[5 mm post]]s.

: He came with his transforming rhino-[[Action Master partner|partner]] [[Top-Heavy#Toys|Top-Heavy]], who turns into a "radar-guided, triple-barreled, electro-pulse machine gun" that can be enhanced with Skyfall's smaller rifle.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Skyfall/skyfall.htm More information on Skyfall at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
{{twoimages|File:ActionMasterMuralSkyfallKickOff.jpg|File:Skyfall catalog.jpg|thumb|w1=280|w2=175|caption=}}
*Skyfall's toy bio<ref>[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Skyfall/skyfall.htm Skyfall at TFU.info]</ref> contains the rather outrageous line: "Can change into anything from a construction crane to a can opener, then into a weapon in less time than it takes to plug in a phone jack", implying he has some kind of super-transformational ability—which is, of course, outwardly nonsense, as he is a non-transforming Action Master, even described in the very next line of his bio as a "former jet fighter." It's apparent that, given that he's a weapons engineer, the line contains an erroneous extra preposition and adverb, and is ''supposed'' to read: "Can change anything from a construction crane to a can opener into a weapon in less time than it takes to plug in a phone jack".
*Skyfall's colors went through several alterations before production.
**The 1990 boxback mural<ref>[http://www.botchthecrab.com/galleryImage.asp?gallery=2&image=41 Back of the Box Art: 1990 - botchthecrab.com]</ref> and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime's]] [[Armored Convoy]] package art feature Skyfall in a grey and green color scheme (with [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]] also in entirely different colors in those artworks).
**Meanwhile, Skyfall's catalog photography and [[Power Plans]] show him in red and white. The Hasbro "Spring 1990" Toy Fair catalog (printed in mid-to-late 1989) assigns the preproduction name "Fireball" to this deco, but the name had switched to Skyfall by the time the February 1990 Toy Fair catalog was printed.
*Skyfall's design seems to be strongly inspired by the Japanese ''Gundam'' robot line, with maybe a little Generation 1 [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] mixed in.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Skyfall''' (スカイフォール ''Sukaifōru'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]

Devastator (G1)

2025-11-04T20:11:39Z

Basedgyjoshipper: Skybound 25 in Devvy fiction

{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Devastator}}{{suite}}
{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|cobra|ultracon|autobot}}
:''Devastator is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:DevastatorManga1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He devastates things. Devastates them right in the mouth.]]
'''Devastator''' is an immensely powerful warrior, and in that sense the combination of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] into a merged being is a huge success. Mentally, on the other hand, he's very much less than the sum of his parts. Devastator's primitive psyche is limited to only the thoughts and actions on which all his components can agree, which results in raging bouts of destructive fury. Given the sheer power Devastator brings to these rages, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] has no complaints.

As an [[Action Master]], he is [[Action Master partner|partnered]] with [[Scorpulator]].

Normally he is composed of the six robots...

*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (leader) — right leg
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] — upper body
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] — left arm
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] — lower body
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] — left leg
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] — right arm

In some realities, this arrangement changes. See individual entries below for details.

{{bigquote|Nothing defeats the Devastator, nothing!|Devastator|"[[Heavy Metal War]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
[[File:TFTM Devastator.jpg|thumb|Robo-Smasher]]
{{main|Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
The first combiner, Devastator was created after his component Constructicons were brainwashed into the loyal servant of their own creation, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] using the [[Robosmasher]]. Forming special enmities with their former friend, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], he would continue to be a major Decepticon weapon through the years, even as later combiners eroded his edge.
{{charstubfiction|Needs an actual summary}}
{{--}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:TFUS10 all crumble before devastator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The prototype.]]
No sooner had the Constructicons been created—by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], on Earth, using the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] and the facilities of [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]]—than they were dispatched on their first mission to construct a massive communications dish that would allow [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] to broadcast a message to long-lost Cybertron. When the dish came under attack by a squad of Autobots, the Constructicons merged to form Devastator for the first time, much to the surprise of the attacking Autobots. The titan shrugged off the Autobots' attacks, even including [[Ironhide (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ironhide]]'s liquid nitrogen blasts, but things took a turn for the worse when Soundwave, wired into the dish and unable to defend himself, made the mistake of calling on Devastator to destroy a ''specific'' Autobot—[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], who had slipped close to the dish in the chaos. The dull-witted Devastator struggled to process this precise instruction, taking out each Autobot one after the other until he found the one that Soundwave had been talking about; fortunately for the Decepticons, Huffer's own indecision gave Soundwave time to successfully transmit his message. The dish was subsequently destroyed by Huffer's human ally [[Bomber Bill]], and Soundwave ordered retreat, grading Devastator's performance as "notably deficient." {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

[[File:UK62 Devastator.JPG|left|thumb|Concept art for Capcom's upcoming Street Fighter vs Transformers]]
''Following this poor initial outing, Devastator was subsequently put through training and tests that managed to improve his operation and co-ordination. With the Constructicons now operating better together, Shockwave charged them with attacking a demolition derby that the Autobots' human friend [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] was attending in order to kidnap him for use as leverage. Faced with Buster's Autobot protectors, the Constructicons formed Devastator to deal with them, but the very sight of the combiner sent Buster catatonic. While Devastator battled the Autobots—during which he was toppled by [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and blinded by [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]'s [[black beam gun]]—Soundwave scanned Buster's mind to discover what had happened to the human, and immediately ordered the Constructicons to separate and retreat upon discovering that the Matrix had implanted a vision for the future of combiner technology in Buster's brain.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}}

''Seeking to make a reality out of the information the Matrix had planted in Buster's mind'', the Autobots staged an attack on the Decepticon's [[Wyoming base]] in order to draw out Devastator so they could observe his technology in action. When Shockwave ordered Devastator into action, [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], watching from afar, monitored and recorded the Constructicons' transformation pattern. He reported his success to Optimus Prime, who ordered a retreat, and the Autobots subsequently used the information derived from Devastator to create their own team of [[combiner]]s, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''While on a mission in [[Yukon]] territory, the Constructicons formed Devastator to chase [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] down after they spotted the pair spying on their construction project. The chase took them through a forest and before a hydro-electric dam, which Devastator was duped into blasting. The structure collapsed, unleashing a torrent of water onto the Constructicons, and washing them away.'' {{storylink|The Mission}}

Devastator next appeared to defend the Decepticons' [[Club Con|base in the Florida Keys]] from a joint attack by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], [[Cobra]], and the [[Autobot]]s. He brawled with [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] until a blast from Superion's rifle caused a malfunction in his coupling links and he broke up into his components. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

====Movie Future Timeline====
In the assault on Autobot City, Megatron ordered the Constructicons to form Devastator. His efforts to breach their defenses were diverted by the arriving reinforcements of the Dinobots. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}
{{--}}

====Earthforce====
[[File:Devastator rebuild.png|thumb|Did they forget he'd need two legs or what?]]
{{earthforcefiction}}
The Constructicons were rendered incapable of combining at one point. Unwilling to lose Devastator's raw power, they attempted to construct a new and separate version of him in the Bahamas, surrounding the construction side with an [[Automated defence ring]]. [[Ironhide (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ironhide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] were able to master the ring's challenges, and wrecked the project before the new Devastator could be completed. {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}}

=====Ask Vector Prime=====
The Constructicons were unable to combine due to [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. {{Storylink|Ask Vector Prime}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:CrossingOver3 devastator vs grimlock.jpg|left|thumb|Mixmaster was voted off the combiner.]]
The Constructicons were among the Decepticon warriors assembled by Megatron as he re-established his power base on Earth 15 years after the fall of [[Unicron]]. For some unexplained reason, Hook and Mixmaster were no longer part of the group, replaced by a new Constructicon named [[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]]. As a result, Devastator's combination was significantly altered.

The giant Decepticon warrior was assembled to battle the Autobots in the Southern Hemisphere, when both groups were seeking out the source of a new set of energy readings. Devastator confronted the Dinobot [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and the force of their battle was enough to cause the landscape to cave in, revealing the caverns below. The Constructicons were disassembled by the impact, however, and were forced to fight Grimlock individually. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
[[File:DevastatorvsSunstreaker-ASW.jpeg|thumb|Devastator, stop looking into the camera!]]

The Devastator was "phase 2" of Megatron's latest plot to take over the Earth. After having taken millions of humans hostage, Megatron ordered the Constructicons to combine. The Devastator then proceeded to overpower everything the Autobots threw at him... until the Dinobots arrived. Though The Devastator mocked the Dinobots' slow pace at first, his mockery was cut short by Swoop blasting him at point blank range, killing Hook and Scrapper in the process. The rest of The Devastator's components were then slaughtered one by one. {{storylink|Battle for Earth}}

Happening upon [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] admiring his reflection in a pond, Devastator moved in to capture the vain Autobot. The task shortly accomplished despite Sunstreaker attempting to fight back, Devastator brought him to Decepticon headquarters. After locking Sunstreaker in a prison cell, Devastator split up into his component pieces.

The Constructicons once more joined to form Devastator when a rescue party stormed Decepticon headquarters to rescue Sunstreaker. Devastator made short work of [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] as well, and stuffed them in Sunstreaker's holding cell.

The Constructicons merged once more to view an Autobot peace offering; Optimus and his troops had left before the Decepticons' headquarters a life-size statue of Devastator. Accompanying the statue was a letter from Optimus Prime, explaining that the effigy was meant as a symbol of the Autobots' surrender. The rest of the Decepticons cheered as Devastator neared the statue to contemplate it. But the moment the giant Decepticon touched the statue, an ambush part of Autobots burst forth from within it. Each Autobot fired at Devastator from a different side. This resulted in Devastator's attention to be so thoroughly divided that his components transformed back into their individual selves. With the playing field evened-out, the Decepticons wound up losing against the Autobots once again. {{storylink|The Autobots' Secret Weapon}}

===Autobot Alert!===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:AutobotAlertDevastatorSeville.jpg|thumb|left]]
In one possible scenario, the Constructicons merged into Devastator in order to retrieve a sunken ship off the California coast. Within the ship was a sphere of cybertite, which contained the formula for an ancient Autobot power-booster. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

===Frito-Lay posters===
[[File:HiCThePowerStruggle.jpg|thumb|[[Jointron|Frito Banditos]].]]

Devastator joined Megatron and other Decepticons in a battle to seize a tremendous energy source (another dam), but were countered by the Autobots. [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] attempted to blast Devastator in the back but missed. Somehow. {{storylink|The Power Struggle}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Devastator and Starscream tried to attack some power-lines, only for Optimus Prime to step in and thwart their insidious plot. Devastator was left grumbling in pain after Optimus Prime had toppled him to the ground. {{storylink|Sweepstakes Offer!}}
{{--}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:DarkAges2 cybertronian devastator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|He wants the biggest purse in the world!]]
Devastator was the first combiner, the result of the Constructicons' research into [[mass intellect]]. However, he suffered a huge drawback in that he would only do what his components agreed on, which was usually smash stuff. {{Storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye #8}} Although the process would later be refined, leaving the method by which Devastator was formed considered primitive by comparison, the sheer destructive power of the combiner was so great that the Constructicons were actually forbidden from trying to modifying their own combination for fear that Devastator's effectiveness would be compromised. {{Storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye #2}}

During the [[Dark Ages]], between 7.4 and 6.5 million years ago, when the Decepticons and Autobots fractured into several smaller factions, the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]] was signed, ruling the [[Special Teams]] non-aligned. However, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] managed to convince the Constructicons to side with the [[Ultracon]]s, and they accompanied him when he made his push to take the [[Tagan Heights]], forming Devastator to battle the [[Wreckers]]. Hopelessly outmatched by the giant, the Wreckers were bailed out when the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] chose to disobey the accord and aid them, merging into Defensor to give Devastator a run for his money. {{storylink|Escalation}} The resultant clash of titans destabilized the surrounding area, but in the end, Defensor realized he couldn't beat Devastator with strength. While Devastator became distracted by Springer, Defensor split back up into the individual Protectobots, and plugged Devastator into the local power grid, hitting him with a massive electrical shock that overloaded his combination system and forced him to separate. {{Storylink|Devastation (issue)|Devastation}}

In 2002, when the Decepticons returned to menace Earth after a period of inactivity courtesy of the schemes of [[Robert Hallo]] and [[Lazarus|Adam Rook]], Devastator played the central role in the grand display of destruction a furious Megatron unleashed upon humanity. At Megatron's command, Devastator disembarked the Decepticons' temporary base in the [[Northwest Territories]], walking along the seabed down the west coast of North America, heading for [[San Francisco]], destroying a US Navy submarine along the way. [[File:DW devastator.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|Somebody help me I'm drowning-Oh.Lucky I'm so tall.]] Bursting from the waters of San Francisco Bay, the absolutely gigantic Devastator immediately set to work putting the city to ruin, until confronted by Superion. Devastator speedily triumphed in the battle that followed, reducing the Autobot combiner to his component Aerialbots, {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} then turned on the other Autobots who had arrived, stomping Trailbreaker flat despite his [[force field]] and slamming [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] between his monolithic palms. To no-one's surprise, it was Optimus Prime who was finally able to take the giant down, ramp-jumping to his head-height in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] so that he could shot him point-blank in the face, blowing much of his head and shoulders to bits and sending him toppling into the waters below. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}}

''Over the following months, Starscream had the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] secretly rebuild Devastator and the Constructicons without Megatron's knowledge. When Megatron vanished off the face of the Earth, Starscream took the opportunity to bring his secret weapon back into the light. Devastator made his return debut in the canyons of Nevada, where Starscream led the unwitting Autobot named [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] right into a blast from Devastator's [[solar energy beam rifle]]. He was a major force in Starscream's control of [[Las Vegas]] as well, and battled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] when the Dinobot commander attempted to free the city from Decepticon domination. {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}}''

''When Megatron returned from deep space, Devastator unhesitatingly remained at Starscream's side, and was prepared to tear his former leader limb from limb at Starscream's command. When the Decepticons split into two factions between Megatron and Starscream, the Constructicons were steadfastly loyal to Starscream. They were captured, along with the rest of Starscream's men, when the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] settled in Las Vegas. Trapped inside an energy net, Devastator tried to bludgeon his way out at first, until [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] convinced the Constructicons to separate so they could dig their way out from underneath the field. Once they were freed, the Constructicons reformed Devastator as the Autobots and Decepticons united in an attempt to destroy the Keepers before the American government carried out the final solution and nuked Las Vegas off the map. Didn't work—the xenophobic [[President of the United States|President]] jumped the gun and fired off the nuclear missile early in the hopes of eliminating the Transformers as well as the Keepers. Still, the impending nuclear holocaust wasn't enough to deter Devastator's one-track mind, and he continued to hunt down the Keeper-possessed [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (since that was the one Autobot [[Starscream (G1)|mommy]] and [[Megatron (G1)|daddy]] would let him destroy at the moment). During the fight, the Keepers managed to trap Devastator and his massive comrade [[Omega Sentinel (G1)|Omega Sentinel]] outside a protective field, while they engaged the smaller Transformers inside. This eventually meant that Devastator was too far away to be protected by Optimus Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-constructed shields when the nuclear missiles finally struck. The combined Constructicons suffered massive damage as a result. {{storylink|Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation}}''

[[File:DWG1ongoing0 devastators remains.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|This is what happens when you buy a "loose" Devastator on eBay.]]
''In the aftermath of the nuclear assault on Las Vegas, the Constructicons were trapped permanently in their Devastator form as a result of their injuries. Devastator was present in the Nevada desert when the American military forces ambushed the Autobots and Decepticons. After that, Megatron sent him and Omega Sentinel to keep watch on the Void gateway being built on [[Allister Greaves]]' property to allow the Keepers back into normal space. Optimus Prime and Megatron soon joined them there, and began the final battle against the Keepers' pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]], and his puppets Bluestreak and Starscream. Devastator attempted to swat Starscream out of the sky, but eventually stopped when the Keepers' power faded and Starscream returned to his ever-so-likeable self. Instead, he was forced to contend with the far more formidable Omega Sentinel, who had broken free from Megatron's control and returned to his original Guardian programming. Ultimately, the Omega Sentinel sacrificed himself to stop the Keepers by plunging into the Void, and pulled Devastator with him. When the Keepers' control crystal was shattered, the Void was destroyed and Devastator fell back out into real space. He floated in the vacuum between Mars and Jupiter, in deep stasis lock. A secret American space venture, the starship ''[[Bounty]]'', happened across the gigantic Decepticon on their mission, and made plans to bring him back to Earth. {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}}''

Devastator eventually fell into the hands of [[Earth Defense Command]], and was being studied at their secret bunker. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:GIJoevsTF5 Devastator wrecked.jpg|thumb|left|No, Bumblebee... 'twas beauty that killed the beast.]]
The Constructicons formed Devastator to defend the [[SPS Satellite]] control center on [[Cobra Island]] from the attacking Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]]. After telling the [[Cobra]] troops that he'd help them since he hated Autobots just as much as he hated humans, Devastator killed [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] with a single shot from his gun. Unfortunately, this angered the Autobot's friends, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who attacked Devastator along with a squad of human tanks. The combiner was overrun by their numbers and was defeated after having his left arm blown off. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

For the remainder of the battle, Devastator's body was used as cover by human troops as they continued the fight against Cobra and the Decepticons. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

===''The Beast Within''===
During a particularly violent battle betweenthe Autobots and the Decepticons, the Constructicons merged into Devastator in order to fight [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], the Dinobots’ combined form. He did not last too long against the Dinobot gestalt. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[All Hail Megatron issue 2|''All Hail Megatron'' #2]]}}

[[File:AHM2Devastator.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Has anyone seen my chestplate?"]]

After the death of [[Nexus Prime]] and the failure that was [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], many dedicated themselves to rediscovering workable [[combiner|gestalt technology]]. {{storylink|The Crucible}} Shortly before the outbreak of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]—a student of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], Monstructor's creator—was brought into the Decepticon ranks for the express purpose of using his master's teachings to develop a combiner for the faction. He accepted with the caveat that the process was likely to take a ''very'' long time. {{storylink|Shockwaves}} Indeed, it would be millions of years before [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] had his gestalt warrior; in the year that followed the thwarting of the [[Expansion]], the scientifically minded [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] finished Shockwave's work, successfully granting the Constructicons the ability to combine into Devastator. Where previous experiments with combination had struggled to unite the minds involved in the process, the Constructicons' shared appetite for destruction allowed Devastator to remain relatively mentally stable, if angry. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} {{storylink|Shockpoint}}

When the Decepticons initiated the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], striking at Autobot outposts across the galaxy simultaneously, Devastator was a key component of the squadron on [[Earth]], where he made short work of the local Autobot unit, who were exiled back to Cybertron. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} The Decepticons then began conquering the planet, starting with [[New York City]]; Devastator cut off the human population's means of escape by wading into the waters around the city and destroying the bridges and tunnels. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}}

In time, the apparent lack of direction Megatron had for the Decepticons after their conquest of Earth caused a schism in their ranks, and Devastator sided with Starscream, attacking and attempting to kill Megatron. Their fight was soon interrupted by the arrival of jets from the European Union, which Devastator had to fight off. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} A much greater opponent then appeared in the form of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], who arrived with all the exiled Autobots and engaged Devastator in battle. With buildings being shattered by their titanic clash, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] ordered Omega to move the battle with Devastator to a safer area. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Omega responded by hauling the combiner out into the bay, where he slammed him against the [[Statue of Liberty]] and blasted him through the chest, taking him out and leaving to sink into the waters below. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

[[File:IDWongoing28 devastator and sunstreaker.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|"Are you Sam Witwicky?" "No, but I'm better than you".]]

Several years later, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] tracked Scrapper down and killed him to make sure Devastator could never be formed again. {{storylink|Scrapper (issue)|Scrapper}} This did not prove as permanent a solution as first appeared, however: after the Decepticons liberated Scrapper's body from [[Skywatch]] {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man|The Demolished Man}} they were summoned back to Cybertron for a battle with the Autobots, where the Constructicons proved capable of combining with Scrapper's corpse. The resultant Devastator suffered from a "dead leg" that he could not move properly, allowing the Autobots to outrun him, and his other leg was also soon taken out of the equation when [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] tricked the giant into stomping on his explosive-laden wheelchair. Just as the giant was about to crush him with his fists instead, he was mentally taken over by [[D-Void]] and forced to merge with all other Decepticons and [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] army to form the "[[Deceptigod]]". {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings}}

The defeat of D-Void was followed by the reversion of Cybertron into a primordial wilderness into which Megatron fled, leaving the leaderless Decepticons—the Constructicons among them—to live in the rebuilt [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], under the unstable governance of Bumblebee. Megatron soon discovered that the combination of [[Ore-13]] and [[space bridge]] technology in his new body allowed him to tap the energies from within Cybertron that D-Void had used to create the Deceptigod, and in this force's ability to subjugate individual will and facilitate combination, he saw the means to finally perfect the combination process. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} [[File:IDWRID14 prowlstator.jpg|thumb|200px|"Nothing is more of a prick than Devastator, nothing!"]] Megatron tested his theories upon the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], fusing them into "The [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]", and also secretly conspired with several of the Decepticons in Iacon, allowing Bombshell to experiment with the energies, with which he seized control of the mind of the Autobot police officer [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]. Faking both his own death and those of the Constructicons, {{storylink|Devisive}} Bombshell withdrew them all to Prowl's [[Black Room]], where the Constructicons' bodies were rebuilt to the specifications of a new, modular Devastator design that moved Hook to Scrapper's old position as right leg, and would allow others built with compatible forms to serve as the combiner's head. The intent was for Megatron himself to become Devastator's new head, but rather than risk his own mind and body in a test run, it was arranged for the mind-controlled Prowl to become part of Devastator first, to ensure the process worked.

When Megatron returned to Iacon and his plan went into action, the Constructicons and Prowl combined into the new and improved Devastator, under the complete control of Bombshell via Prowl. Under Megatron's orders, the revamped Devastator proceeded to destroy Autobot High Command with the sweep of a hand. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} The giant then continued on to the Iacon med-centre, which he also devastated, before menacing the Autobots, NAILs, and disillusioned Decepticons trying to defend it. Superion arrived from Cybertron's wilderness and proceeded to engage Devastator in combat, and two giants' battle continued for some time until, elsewhere, Bombshell was stabbed through the head by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]]. With his controlling influence gone, Devastator fell into a stupor, just as Prowl—his mind still partially aware within the combiner—turned his thoughts to the one thing he and the five Constructicons agreed on: a hatred of Spike Witwicky. This unifying idea caused Devastator to reawaken, now of one mind, and with just one goal: to never be controlled ever again. With that, Devastator grabbed Superion, tore the combined Autobot in half, {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} and proceeded to destroy everything he saw. However, the giant was surprised when [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] got a boost up onto his shoulders and began to call out to Prowl inside his mind. After some well-placed punches and a speech from the Autobot veteran on the topic of free will and personal change, Prowl wrestled enough control to cause Devastator to tear off his own head, spontaneously un-combining the gestalt. Shortly afterwards, Megatron attempted to reform the combiner, this time with himself as its head, but the well-timed activation of a stasis field secretly built into the Decepticon leader's spark casing by the thought-to-be dead [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] stopped the process in its tracks. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

[[File:TheMindBomb-Devastator.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|Helpless humans gaze in horror at Devastator's giant crotch!]]

Impressed by certain nasty things they'd seen in Prowl's memories during their merging of minds, the Constructicons left the Decepticons to befriend their new idol. {{storylink|Second Exodus}} When Shockwave put into motion a plan to collapse the universe into Cybertron, the Constructicons convinced a reluctant Prowl they had to form Devastator again to keep [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] off of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} Devastator grappled with his crazed forebear until the ''[[Lost Light]]'' joined the fight and rammed the original combiner into his component pieces. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}} Prowl would subsequently learn to see Devastator as a valuable resource, willingly combining with the Constructicons during a battle with the Decepticons on Earth six months later {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} as part of a plan to expose the reappearance of Cybertronians on Earth—specifically, to make things difficult for the [[Earth Defense Command]] and their Decepticon allies. In the ensuing fight, Devastator battled against Galvatron's Decepticons, and managed to gain the upper hand. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}} They would merge again to finish off a Worldsweeper-class ship and to cover the escape of the Autobots from [[Marshall Islands|Bikini Atoll]], Jazz (with the unexpected help of Prowl) having rescued [[Alpha Trion]] from human captivity. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

Starscream later showed footage of Devastator on Earth to Wheeljack, so as to highlight the danger that combiners posed. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}}

[[File:TheObliterati-diespikedie.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|It's German for "The Spike, the."]]

On Earth, the Autobots turned their attention to searching for the lost [[Enigma of Combination]]. Prowl formed a temporary truce with Spike Witwicky to help infiltrate [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]]'s [[Onyx]] facility, and deployed Devastator to spearhead the attack. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}} Although Devastator proved effective at tearing the building apart and temporarily secured the Enigma, his loathing of Spike - the man who had killed him once before - ultimately drove the combiner berserk and ruined the mission. Arcee finally managed to talk Devastator down and force him to split apart. Prowl blamed the Constructicons for taking over their combined body, although they maintained that Devastator couldn't be controlled like that and that all of them were equally responsible for the outburst. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati}} On Cybertron, Starscream confronted Optimus over "his" personal combiner, using it as leverage so that he could accelerate Superion's own repairs. {{storylink|First Contact (IDW)|First Contact}}

After Prowl learned that Starscream was planning to absorb [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] into the new "[[Council of Worlds]]", he and the Constructicons hijacked the Ark's new [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] to travel to Metroplex, intending to tear the spacebridge apart and cut Cybertron off from the rest of the galaxy. {{storylink|The Possible Light}} Combined once more, Devastator issued an ultimatum to the assembled Cybertronians and Camiens, but was interrupted by the new and improved Superion. Although Superion proved to be a nimble and clever fighter, Devastator was able to overpower him with brute force, and dragged his defeated foe back through the space bridge to Cybertron. He was briefly distraced by an Autobot-Decepticon alliance, allowing Starscream to use the Enigma on a group of bystanders and create Defensor. Defensor joined forces with Superion and the duo finally managed to overcome Devastator. {{storylink|Mistakes and Mayhem}}

Starscream sought to turn Devastator's power to his own end, and used the Enigma to rebuild Devastator once more. This new configuration incorporated Starscream's lackey [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] as Devastator's new right leg, omitting Prowl and returning the other Constructicons to their original configurations. Scoop's religious fanaticism and devotion to his "Chosen One" allowed him to override the other members of the team and force Devastator to obey Starscream's commands. His first mission was to stop [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] from going on yet another rampage on Caminus. Unfortunately, Defensor misread the situation and attacked Devastator, sparking a four-way brawl between all of the combiners. Metroplex's malfunctioning space bridge sent the quartet tumbling onto an alien world, and things only escalated when the newly born [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]], under the control of Prowl, stepped in to intervene. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}}

[[File:AllThatRemains-spacebridgefight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|left|"This bridge ain't big enough for all of us."]]

Devastator was furious at Prowl for "abandoning" him, and this anger allowed Devastator to ignore Scoop's input and sock Optimus Maximus hard enough to knock him for a loop. Devastator, now completely out of control, teamed up with Menasor in a fight that spanned the colony worlds. Devastator had the upper hand as he pummeled him on [[Velocitron]], but he was restrained by Superion and Defensor before he could deliver a finishing blow. Devastator retaliated by kicking Optimus clear through the space bridge and onto [[Vigilem|Carcer]], but his enemy quickly got his act together and dove back through the portal. Optimus's counterattack threw the Constructicons off balance and allowed all three Autobot combiners to pile onto him, tearing him into his components. Although Scoop apologized for losing control, he and the Constructicons were arrested by the [[Badgeless]] and placed back into Starscream's custody. {{storylink|All That Remains}} {{storylink|The Will of the Few}}

In the aftermath, Starscream allowed Devastator to recombine so that Superion could safely extricate the Constructicons off of Cybertron. Optimus Prime's own time as a combiner allowed him to realize that the Constructicons needed to regularly combine to stay stable, and also noted that Devastator seemed apologetic for his actions. {{storylink|Now and On Earth}} Windblade was grateful that Devastator wasn't allowed to roam free. {{storylink|Windblade vol. 2 issue 4|Windblade #4}}

Starscream proved willing to unleash Devastator in times of great need, such as the Decepticon riot at the Space Bridge chamber. Although Devastator ''was'' willing to follow the orders of the "Chosen One", his habit of defaulting to "devastate" to solve problems almost caused more chaos than it stopped. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}}

On Earth, [[Scarlett]] and [[Joe Colton (Dire Wraith)|Joe Colton]] remembered Devastator's attack on New York as they discussed the threat that Cybertronians posed. {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

Seeking a new edge against a recently arrived fleet of undead [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s, Starscream—hoping to seize control of the Titan [[Vigilem|Carcer]]—used Devastator to launch a full-on attack on the Titan-ship, a distraction while Windblade and a small insertion team made their way inside. {{storylink|Desperate Times}} Devastator came up against [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], who managed to catch one of his punches and stop the combiner dead in his tracks. {{storylink|Desperate Measures (Till All Are One)|Desperate Measures}} When [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] managed to puppeteer the Titan's motor functions, she grabbed Devastator and hurled him at an undead Titan. Devastator managed to reorient himself and land feet first upon his target, the impact taking it out of the fight. {{storylink|Rubicon}}

[[File:Unforgivable-Devastatordies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"At least this time, Devastator die with [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|dignityyyyyyy!"]]]]
When a [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] controlled [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] marched towards [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] (an average day on Cybertron), [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] deployed Devastator to slow the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]'s approach. Devastator fared rather poorly, being burned by the beast's atomic breath before getting stepped on and crunched in the monster's jaws. After that he called it quits for the day, but his valiant effort in battle convinced Trypticon to spare the combiner's life. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}}

When [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] returned to Cybertron and proved yet another tyrant, Scoop's faith in Starscream was rekindled and he managed to convince his fellow Constructicons to form Devastator and free Starscream from prison. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}} After Onyx threw Optimus into the [[Crystal City]] [[black hole (phenomenon)|black hole]], Devastator worried about whether or not they would have to fight Onyx next, before he revealed to Starscream his epiphany: Though Starscream had betrayed Cybertron, he had remained true to himself, meaning he was the reincarnation of [[The Fallen]]. As Starscream pondered how to spin that to his advantage, he ordered Devastator to destroy the Autobots within [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], only for the combiner to be met by [[Victorion]]. In spite of the Camien's gravity powers, Devastator managed to breach her defense and engage her in melee combat. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}} {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever|Endless Forever}}

Unknown to Devastator, his newfound ability to match the Camien was due to a sample of [[Ore-4]] aboard [[Nemesis (BW)|Nemesis]] interfering with his foe's powers. [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] soon managed to shatter the Ore-4, which restored Victorion to full strength. In a rage, the Torchbearer combiner unleashed her power on Devastator, who had only a second to mutter Starscream's name before he was ripped to atoms. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|Unforgivable}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Revenge (All Spark)}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}}}}

===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
During a robbery at the [[Autobot City Bank]], [[Spinister (G1)#Kre-O cartoon|Spinister]] called up Devastator, who ripped the roof off the bank and sent the three Autobot security guards flying with his wrecking ball. {{storylink|Quest for Energon, Part 1}}

While taking part in a soccer game, the Constructicons merged into Devastator to block [[Bumblebee (Kre-O)|Bumblebee]]'s penalty kick. Unfortunately in doing so he handled the ball, incurring a red card from the referee whom he promptly stomped into the ground. {{storylink|Ultimate Defender}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
Awesome and terrifying, Devastator was still defeated by the Autobots due to his highly ticklish tootsies. {{storylink|A New Menace! The Giant Soldier Devastator Appears!}} Together with [[Bruticus (G1)#Kre-O online manga|Bruticus]] and [[Menasor (G1)#Kre-O online manga|Menasor]] he tried to put the finishing touch on Megatron's new solar power tower, but the three combiners fumbled it and wrecked the tower instead. {{storylink|Megatron's Ambition!? The Solar Tower Is Built!}} While attacking the [[Metroplex (G1)|Autobot base]], Devastator, Bruticus and [[Predaking (Kre-O)|Predaking]] were met by the Autobot combiner [[Superion (G1)#Kre-O online manga|Superion]], but Devastator knew his weakness: acrophobia. The three Decepticons almost defeated Superion by tossing him into the air, but were defeated when the Autobot planted himself on the ground and rolled into their legs. {{storylink|Kre-O Micro-Changers Combiners comic}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:TFvsJoe12 Devastator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Is that [[Gravedigger]] in there?]]
The Constructicons formed Devastator to attack the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] starship ''[[Defiant (G.I. Joe)|Defiant]]'', successfully destroying one of its two modules. Despite this, the Joes proved themselves capable of outmaneuvering the giant Decepticon. Devastator was able to land one shot on the ''Defiant''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s other module before [[Wild Bill]] used it to ram the gestalt back into his component pieces. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} The Constructicons would later lament that the death of Long Haul in the battle prevented them from ever forming Devastator again. {{storylink|Earth: R.I.P.}} This turned out to be untrue, as Devastator later participated in the defense against a joint Autobot-Joe attack. He was now sporting a gray pelvis, indicating Long Haul had been replaceable. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
{{voiceactor|[[Patrick Seitz]] (English, ''Combiner Wars''), [[Rob Gavagan]] (English, ''Titans Return'', ''Power of the Primes)}}

[[File:Homecoming(CW) Devastator Rodimus Prime.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|I HATE IT WHEN IT HAPPENS TO ME.]]
Devastator was one of the combiners that [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] swore revenge against after they laid waste to [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] during the [[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner Wars]]. {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Windblade}}

After learning the [[Council of Worlds|Council]] was planning on using the [[Enigma of Combination]] again, the Constructicons formed Devastator and broke into the Council building. Devastator grabbed [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and easily tore his arm off. {{storylink|Homecoming (CW)|Homecoming}} Devastator demanded they hand over the Enigma, and defied [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] when ordered to stand down. [[Victorion]] arrived to take Devastator on, but after [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] took control of the Enigma, he used it to merge with Devastator and the other combiners present. {{storylink|A War of Giants}} Starscream soon lost control of his new "[[Starscream Combiner|Ultimate]]" form and became a danger to the entire planet, forcing [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Megatron, and Windblade to team up and stop him. In the end, Devastator was restored when Starscream was defeated and he willingly left with Victorion and the other combiners after she took possession of the Enigma. {{storylink|Destruction's Dawn}}

[[File:TF-TR-Cartoon-Ep6-Megathrow.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|This is not a brutality.]]
While not contributing directly, Devastator's components assisted in the reconstruction efforts following the end of the Combiner Wars. {{storylink|Aftermath and Rebirth}} When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] attacked, he and the other Combiners were recruited by the [[Mistress of Flame]] to search for [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} They eventually reached Fortress Maximus, and began to investigate. {{storylink|The Fight Begins}} Finding the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]'s weapons systems were intact, Devastator maintained that he didn't need any missiles to stop Trypticon. {{storylink|Overlord and Emissary}} When Megatron arrived at Fortress Maximus and revealed the Mistress of Flame had perished, Devastator and the other Combiners assumed him responsible and attacked. Devastator managed to briefly pin Megatron down, but the Decepticon leader picked him up by his leg and swung him into Victorion. Once Windblade arrived and the fight stopped long enough for Megatron to explain, Devastator fused with the other Combiners using the Enigma of Combination, turning Victorion into a super-Combiner. {{storylink|Desperate Actions}}

[[File:POTP-Ep2-Volcanicus-Devastator-dies.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|This is a fatality.]]
Unfortunately, they proved no match for Trypticon and were ultimately forced to separate again, though Devastator was quick to jump back into the fray. Trypticon managed to knock him into an exposed [[energon]] main triggering an explosion and nearly forcing him to separate back into the Contsructicons before pulling himself together. He later joined the others in attacking Trypticon's fortress mode from all sides. {{storylink|In Good Hands}} When Trypticon swallowed Victorion and the Enigma, he used its power to take control of Devastator and the other Combiners, forcing them to attack Maximus and Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Consumed}} Devastator was freed form Trypticon's control after the Titan expelled the Enigma, and he bore witness to the return of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] and the death of Optimus. Though he very nearly killed Megatron on the spot, believing him a traitor, he was eventually convinced to follow Megatron towards Megatronus's objective. {{storylink|All Things Must Pass}}

Unfortunately, while the others went searching for the [[Requiem Blaster (Thirteen)|Requiem Blaster]], Devastator and his team were cornered by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Cron]]. Though he attempted to fight them, he was eventually pinned down by Rodimus, who shot off each of his limbs before Menasor relented and gave them Megatron's location. As a final act of cruelty, Rodimus executed Devastator anyway. {{storylink|Volcanicus (episode)|Volcanicus}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[File:CulturalAppropriation-MonsterousVsDevastator.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
On a fuel-deprived post-war Cybertron, Hot Rod helped reform the surviving Constructicons from within, instituting a 2/3rds Autobot roster and convincing them to downsize into fuel-efficient [[Micromaster]] bodies. {{storylink|Micro-Aggressions}} {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}} Devastator, his consciousness and memories preserved in the surviving Constructicons, remained an option for the newest incarnation of the team.

During the [[Grand Uprising]], [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]] and the Constructicons joined up with [[Buckethead]] and the unaffiliated "[[Ex-Bot (BWU)|Ex-Bots]]" when a group of [[Monster GoBot|alien invaders]] deliberately provoked the [[Human Confederacy]]. At a [[trans-hyperwave caster]] that the [[Renegade]]s had seized, Hightower deployed Devastator, who fought and defeated the [[GoBot]] combiner [[Monsterous]]. In the aftermath, the Constructicons agreed to abandon the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builder]]s and join the Ex-Bots to defend innocent civilians caught in the war between Builders and [[Resistance (BWU)|Resistance]]. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}

While chasing [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], Buckethead suggested forming Devastator, but [[Magmatron]] and [[Stiletto (BW)|Stiletto]] pointed out that the combiner would do more harm then good in that situation. Days later, the [[Vehicon Apocalypse]] threatened all of Cybertron; on the march to [[Nova Cronum]], the Constructicons formed Devastator to wade through the hordes of [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s. At the [[Grand Mal]] itself, Devastator joined forces with the Maximal combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)|Magnaboss]]. Their combined assault weakened the Grand Mal's force field enough for [[Lord Imperious Delirious]] to take note of them, and fire his massive optic ray at the combiners. Devastator shoved Magnaboss out of the way; while the Maximal combiner only lost an arm, Devastator had lost Bone Crusher, Hightower, and Long Haul, and the combined shock of their deaths knocked him offline. {{storylink|Derailment}}

The surviving Constructicons were able to extricate themselves from Devastator, and when the Vehicon threat had passed they began searching for new recruits. They found willing volunteers in [[Wideload (G1)|Wideload]], [[Steam Hammer]], and [[Hauler|Road Hauler]], who underwent the gestalt process. The newest version of Devastator had lost some of his old savagery, but gained wisdom and a constructive attitude from his new components, earning the respect of the surviving Builders who considered him their champion. {{storylink|The Inexorable March}}

10,000 years after the Grand Uprising, Devastator was misremembered as a Resistance combiner under [[Lio Convoy]]'s command. {{storylink|Lio Convoy: Unity Through Tyranny}}

===''Timelines''===
[[Demolishor (SG)|Demolishor]] landed in a universe where a female Decepticon Devastator was demolishing Crystal City. {{storylink|Coalescence}}

===''Bumblebee'' graphic novels===
[[File:GoForTheGold-AutobotsTakeCover.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] press-ganged the Constructicons into helping him excavate a fallen [[cybertonium]] meteorite. After taking a beating from [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], the team formed Devastator in order to grab a fragment of the meteor before the substance went critical, but the explosion knocked the combiner apart. The six Constructicons promptly made an embarrassing retreat aboard Astrotrain, bickering with Starscream all the while. {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold}}

===''Mazinger Z versus Transformers''===
While stranded in an alternate-universe Japan, the Constructicons formed Devastator to take on [[Kōji Kabuto]] inside the [[Mazinger Z]] super robot. Although Devastator's raw strength nearly overpowered the heroic super robot at first, the Mazinger fired off a rocket punch that knocked Devastator back into his components. {{storylink|Mazinger Z versus Transformers}}

===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===

When [[Gozer]] attacked Cybertron, Devastator formed to fight back against the entity but ultimately fell, ripped in half, lengthways, by the invader. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Constructicons Rising, Part 1|''Galaxies'' #1]]}}

[[File:ConstructiconsRisingPart1 DevastatorVisor.jpg|thumb|left|300px|"Guess it's time to give our...Deva-''state of the union''."<br>'''YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH!!!''']]
In the aftermath of the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], the Constructicons were working in [[Rivets Field]] when they stumbled across the legendary [[Enigma of Combination]]. In the time it took for them to bring the artifact to [[Termagax]], it had already worked its effects on the group. With a little help from Termagax, the six used the Enigma to combine into a single form. The visionary 'bot held that such a being would be the ultimate building tool, able to rebuild the devastation the war had inflicted on Cybertron. However, the first merging was anything but pleasant, forming a mindless berserker as the Constructicons and their individual identities were subsumed. With advice from Termagax, the Constructicons were able to work together and control the combined form, though Hook felt a seventh, distinct consciousness present trying to assert control.

[[File:ConstructiconsRisingPart4-Devastator.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2]|"You don't win, Banner. Nobody ''ever'' wins when you're involved."]]
Despite the misgivings of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Termagax was confident the Constructicons would be able to work their combined form so long as they focused their purpose. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} However, as they finished work on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], they momentarily lost control of the combiner and smashed their own work. Though Termagax was able to talk them into separating again, Hook reiterated his belief there was a "presence" waiting to take over when they merged, and the others had begun to feel a need to be connected, along with the uncontrollable rage.

Termagax allowed the Constructicons one more chance, defending them to a doubtful [[Nominus Prime]]. Going with Termagax's suggestion to let the combined form take over, it rebuilt Iacon, better than new, though Hook remained concerned by the form's rage. However, despite their success, Nominus was concerned by the combiner's potential threat, and had the Constructicons sent to the remote colony of [[Mayalx]]. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 3}}

In their time in exile, the Constructicons didn't combine again, and Scrapper began to wonder if the Enigma's code had worn off. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 1}} It had not, and at the urging of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], the Constructicons decided to recombine, and allow the "seventh consciousness" to take over fully, to work with it rather than against it. With the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] giving them a gift of unstable energon as fuel, the Constructicons united once more, their combined form naming himself as "Devastator". The combiner promptly and savagely laid waste to Mayalx, capping his rampage by destroying a statue of Nominus, before his components separated again. {{storylink|Constructicons Rising, Part 4}}

[[File:SeaofRustI DevastatorAsteroid.jpg|thumb|left|260px|"Puny humans, I've come to smash."]]
While awaiting [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s call to arms, the Constructicons formed Devastator while they aimlessly drifted through space on a mass of spaceborne debris. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|Sea of Rust I}} Eventually, Devastator arrived back on Cybertron at Shockwave's invitation, being guided to the planet's surface by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

He strode to the [[Sonic Canyons]], noticed by [[Team Stream]], who followed him to [[Exarchon]]'s hidden bunker. There, he relayed that Shockwave had asked him to come, and Exarchon was only too pleased to have a combiner in his employ. However, after [[Flatline (G1)|one of Exarchon's incarnations]] was eliminated elsewhere, Exarchon decided he needed another new vessel to house his Threefold Spark and moved to usurp Devastator. {{storylink|War's End Part Three}} However, the combiner's will proved difficult to overcome thanks to the mental resistance of the six individual Constructicons, and Exarchon was forced to abandon his attempt to usurp them. The ordeal forced Devastator to separate back into the now-weakened Constructicons and after Exarchon was defeated, they departed with [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'s team of Decepticons. {{storylink|War's End Part Four}}

[[File:FateOfCybertron DevastatorIsPower.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"Welcome to Planet Hulk!"]]
Promised a place of glory among the Decepticons, the Constructicons eagerly swore loyalty to Megatron and had Devastator join the attack on [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]] to prevent the Autobots from leaving the planet. The Autobots fielded [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] and [[Leviathan (G1)|Leviathan]] to counter him, and the three giants met in the middle of the battlefield. Devastator savagely beat Leviathan down and hit Computron so hard that the Autobot combiner separated into his components. He was momentarily held at bay by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] while Computron was reformed and enhanced with five additional components. This larger Computron managed to overpower Devastator, forcing the Constructicons to separate in order to avoid a massive blow, but ultimately the concentrated firepower of the entire Decepticon army brought the Autobot super-combiner down and ended the battle. {{storylink|Transformers: Fate of Cybertron|Fate of Cybertron}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:Inspiring-Devastator.jpg|left|thumb]]

When the Constructicons staged an attack on the ''Ark'', they found themselves physically outmatched by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], combining into Devastator to level the playing field. Victory might have been assured had [[Spike (MLP)|Spike]] not quickly skimmed [[Teletraan I]]'s instruction manual to learn what he needed to trigger the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s engines for a moment, toppling the combiner back into his components. {{storylink|Inspiring}}

===''Legacy VS500 Collection Special Comic''===
Devastator was one of the spectators for the [[Speedia 500]], {{Storylink|Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1}} and cheered as the race neared its end. {{storylink|Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 2}}
{{-}}
===Energon Universe===
[[File:TF2023 no. 5 – Enter Devastator.jpg|thumb|Hraaaaah]]
The Constructicons were among the numerous Decepticons lying in the ''[[Ark (G1)#Energon Universe|Ark]]'' after it crashed on Earth. It would be some time before [[Starscream (G1)#Energon Universe|Starscream]] was able to revive them however. Eventually though, he managed to acquire the energy and raw material to do it, and when the Autobots launched a counteroffensive to retake the ''Ark'', the Constructicons were lying in wait for them. After the Constructicons made their presence known, Starscream ordered them to merge into Devastator. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 5|Transformers #5}}

Devastator continued to attack the Autobots, chasing them to the Ark and then grabbing [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Energon Universe|Optimus Prime]], they proceeded to thrash the Autobot leader around, knocking Starscream away in the process. [[Arcee (G1)#Energon Universe|Arcee]] and [[Jazz (G1)#Energon Universe|Jazz]] then fired upon Devastator making him lose hold of the Prime. They then started reaching for the Autobots inside the Ark, grabbing a hold of [[Ratchet (G1)#Energon Universe|Ratchet]], Jazz would promptly shut the door on the combiner to prevent more than Ratchet's leg being lost and to keep the gestalt out. Devastator then continued pounding on the spaceship before being directed to a less rocky area of the ship. They eventually broke into the room where the Autobots were in and started attacking, and started to reach for Optimus for another thrashing, but the Prime just ripped their finger off. Optimus would then open fire on Devastator before delivering a swift kick to the face. The combiner then followed Optimus and was outsmarted by him, as they lunged towards the Prime, they was thrown over the cliff and split back into the Constructicons. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 6|Transformers #6}}

Devastator's power was called upon again by [[Shockwave (G1)#Energon Universe|Shockwave]] when the Autobots invaded the ''[[Nemesis (G1)#Energon Universe|Nemesis]]'' in hopes of rescuing [[Jazz (G1)#Energon Universe|Jazz]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Energon Universe|Cliffjumper]] and stopping the Decepticons from using a space bridge to transport energon to Shockwave's fortress on Cybertron. As the Autobots pursued Shockwave through the ship, he ordered the Constructicons to combine into the mighty warrior, who swiftly swatted at the Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 11|Transformers #11}} When [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] attempted to get involved in the battle, Devastator swiftly crushed her van and delivered a powerful kick that sent Cliffjumper flying through the nearby Spacebridge to Cybertron. Optimus Prime rallied the remaining Autobots and bombarded Devastator, eventually sending them toppling into Shockwave's energy feeder, destroying it. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 12|Transformers #12}}

[[File:TF2023 no. 16 – Devastator and Bruticus duke it out in a forest.JPG|thumb|left|250px]]
When Soundwave and the Decepticons tracked the Autobots to a dam, they instead found Starscream, still alive after being [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|usurped as leader by Soundwave]] and with the Combaticons and Astrotrain on his side. Starscream declared that Soundwave would pay for his treachery and ordered the Combaticons to form [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 15|Transformers #15}} Naturally, Soundwave responded by commanding the Constructicons to form Devastator. As the two combiners fought, Optimus Prime, watching from afar, opened fire on them in an attempt to save nearby humans. However, his shots instead hit the dam, which collapsed and sent a huge tidal wave crashing down upon all the Transformers present. Despite this, Devastator and Bruticus continued their fight even as they were pushed on by the water. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 16|Transformers #16}}

Eventually arriving in [[Seattle]], the Decepticons continued their fight, with Devastator hurling the top of the Space Needle at Bruticus. The damage suffered by the rest of the city was similarly brutal, with the Autobots scurrying around the grappling titans' feet trying to scoop up as many humans as possible and ferry them to safety. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 17|Transformers #17}} Devastator was distracted from their battle by interference from Starscream, but when Starscream was taken out of the sky by Rumble and Bruticus moved to rescue their leader, Devastator took the opportunity to follow. From the top of a skyscraper, Devastator RKO'd Bruticus straight into the pavement, asserting that Devastator could be the only combiner. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 18|Transformers #18}}

Devastator was active once again to participate in an all out assault on the Ark, but his feud with Bruticus boiled over once again, and the two began to fight each other instead of the Autobots. [[Megatron (G1)#Energon Universe|Megatron]] managed to straighten them out, but before the two could get to killing Autobots, they were taken out of the fight by the newly arrived [[Superion (G1)#Energon Universe|Superion]].{{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 21|Transformers #21}} Devastator and Bruticus then fought the assembled US Military along with the other Decepticons, with the two combiners competing over how many humans they could kill. (Devastator was leading 37-23) {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 22| Transformers #22}} Devastator was present for the Autobots and Decepticon's final clash at the Adler planetarium in [[Chicago]].{{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 23| Transformers #23}} Though the Decepticons were victorious against the Autobot forces, the battle did a number on them, with Devastator and Bruticus even putting aside their beef to bemoan how much they hurt. When Megatron was thrown from the top of a skyscraper by Optimus Prime, Devastator caught him and retreated per his leader's orders. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 24| Transformers #24}} In the aftermath, Megatron hit Devastator with a punch so hard, he had separated into his component parts. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 25| Transformers #25}}

{{ongoing}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:G1commercial devastator.jpg|thumb|Now, light our darkest hour!]]
*Masquerading as construction vehicles, the Constructicons horrified their human operators by revealing their true nature. As their human drivers bailed out and fled, the team combined into Devastator, who crashed his fists together, creating a surge of energy that crackled all the way through his gigantic body. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Constructicons|Constructicons commercial}}
*Causing chaos at a construction site, the Constructicons merged into Devastator, who created a huge fissure by stabbing a girder into the ground. The Dinobots emerged from the crevasse, and Grimlock seized Devastator's leg with his jaws and threw the combiner aside. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 2#Constructicons and Dinobots|Generation 2 Constructicons and Dinobots commercial}}
{{--}}

==Games==
===''DreamMix TV World Fighters''===
[[File:DreamMix-Devastator.jpg|thumb|left|"I gotta be more assertive, or else people are gonna keep walking all over me. Literally!"]]
Devastator was an onlooker in the Decepticons' secret base, which served as one of the arenas where the combatants of the [[DreamMix TV]] ''[[World Fighters]]'' program did battle. He didn't seem to mind much when people stepped on his chestplate and hand. {{storylink|DreamMix TV World Fighters}}
{{--}}

===''Sector Seven'' ARG===
[[File:SectorSeven devastator cgi.jpg|thumb|This would have been awesome in ROTF, but ''NO'', Bay would have none of it!]]
User jayeljay posted a photograph of a [[Non-Biological Extraterrestrial]] to the [[Stop Sector Seven]] website, noting its similarity to Devastator as he appeared in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|1980s cartoon series]] [[Sector Seven]] had developed as part of their [[Hungry Dragon]] initiative. {{storylink|Sector Seven (game)|Sector Seven ARG}}
{{--}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{main|Minion Pig#As Devastator}}
Devastator (portrayed by a Minion Pig) appears as the first Combiner, unlockable in Challenge Events or with a stupidly expensive gem purchase. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{voiceactor|[[Dave Boat]] (English)}}
[[File:Devastation-Devastator Rematch.jpg|left|200px|thumb]]
Devastator appeared early on to halt the Autobots' progress, but was soon called back by Megatron because he needed the Constructicons to guard the sub-generators keeping the ''[[Proudstar]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s security system activated. Later, the Constructicons confronted the Autobots at the primary generator and formed Devastator, but despite replacing his hands with ''huge'' drills halfway into the fight, he was still defeated.

Later in the depths of the ''Proudstar'', the Constructicons were among a large force of Decepticons that Megatron put in place as a last line of defense. When they failed to beat the Autobots in a six-against-five fight, they formed Devastator again, but this time Menasor showed up to help him. Even ''this'' didn't help much, as both combiners were eventually knocked off the platform and appeared to explode at the bottom of a large pit.{{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Devastator.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|The hunchback of Iacon.]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Devastator-(G2).jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Hunchback 2:[[Alpha Trion]]'s revenge.]]
Devastator and Devastator (G2) participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! Devastator could be recruited if all of his components were at max level.

Along with Devastator (G2) in the "Devastator's Metal War" event, there was also a golden Devastator that dealt only 1-5 damage, but encountering him would let the player enter a contest for a chance for five people to win an in-game Devastator, and one person to win a Devastator Special Edition Gift Set.
{{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[file:DevastatorEarthwars.jpg|thumb|Devastator has tiny waist? RAAAAGH!!]]

Devastator was formed after Megatron eagerly used the [[Enigma of Combination]] on the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. Mass devastation ensues. After the curb-stomp battle of one base that held a [[Ore-13|strange mineral]] inside of it, Mixmaster suspected something was up. The next outpost faced had [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] inside of the base, and the two had a massive battle. After the battle was over, Devastator had expended too much energon from the Decepticon forces, so a new energy source had to be found. Also, Megatron found out only high-ranking versions of his Constructicons could combine, therefore eliminating his need of low-leveled Constructicons. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Transformers: Earth Wars - Combiner Wars Campaign}}

To permanently obtain Devastator, one has to collect all six three or four-star Constructicons and combine them in the Combiner Lab.

*'''Class:''' Combiner
*'''Abilities'''
**'''Rush and Smash:''' Rush into combat smashing walls along the way. Deals heavy damage to the final target.
**'''Rocket Swarm:''' Fire a swarm of rockets dealing damage over a large area.
**'''Death Ray:''' Fire a powerful beam that deals massive damage to a single target. Cannot be used on the HQ.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:devastator Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki Devastator Page]
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Heavy Metal''===
Devastator was one of the Decepticons under Starscream's command during an invasion of Earth. He could be found defending the Decepticons' mining efforts. {{storylink|Transformers: Heavy Metal}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Devastator was the first combiner; after his first deployment, however, it didn’t take long before the Autobots stole the secrets of gestalt technology and began deploying their own combiners to fight back. {{storylink|The Enigma of Combination}} Despite this, Devastator remained the most feared combiner of them all. {{storylink|Decepticon Directive}}

The Constructicons maintained a large roster of stand-in Decepticons who could also form Devastator; {{storylink|Decepticon Directive}} according to unconfirmed reports, Devastator had even incorporated Autobot components at various points. Regardless of who was forming him at the time, Devastator’s personality remained more or less intact, and [[Termagax]] was impressed by this kind of psychological continuity. {{storylink|The Enigma of Combination}}

==Toys==
{{main|Devastator (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Devastator (G1)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Machinima-CW-Devastator.jpg|Machinima Combiner Wars model.
File:Transformers 2023 6 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg|Energon Universe
</gallery>

==Notes==
[[File:PreDevastator.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|This is why "revisions" exist.]]
[[File:STARSDevastator.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|His crotch is a "shock absorber". Make of that what you will.]]
* The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] [[production bible|series bible]] contains two descriptions of each Constructicon, and half of them were typed referring to their combined form as "'''The Destructoid'''". This was then crossed out by hand, with "Devastator" written above.
* The concept design for Devastator (or rather, his ''[[Diaclone]]'' precursor) was decidedly less imposing than the final. Interestingly, it is only composed of five components, the core being a long-nosed truck cab.
* Devastator is a rarity among Generation 1 combiners in the fact Scrapper, the Constructicons' leader, does not form any part of their combined form's torso, instead simply serving as the right leg.
* The reason Devastator's [[character model|animation model]] is missing several details that can be found on the toy, appears to not only be for ease of animation, but due to some of the toy reference photos either missing accessories or having parts positioned in such a way that they can't be seen from certain angles.<ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OSbNSWxwEihhwWRKWQVq-qD773U6fK3s/view 1985 Hasbro briefing binder scans]</ref> Some of these missing details include:
# The head missile, which is absent from the photos.
# Scavenger's excavator arm, which is folded behind Devastator's forearm, making it hidden from some of the angles in the photos, presumably making the model designer unaware that it was there.
# Hook's crane, which is similarly hidden from some of the angles in the photos.
# The hip guns, which were presumably removed just for the sake of convenience.
:Additionally, it appears the gift set box art (second image on the right) was designed using the same reference images, as the head missile is missing, and Scavenger's excavator arm is tucked away behind Devastator's forearm—only this time, it wasn't removed!
* Devastator received a [[Power Plans]]-esque diagram in the [[S.T.A.R.S.]] [[Tech-Spec Manual]], which named various components of his body in... somewhat unusual ways. Notably, [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]'s shovel (and thus Devastator's foot) is listed as a "rotational angle adjuster", while [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]'s shovel (part of Devastator's shoulder) is listed as "coolant".
* In later years, toys sporting the name "Devastator" required an additional "Constructicon" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Constructicon Devastator'''".
* Many box set releases of the original Devastator toy, including the original G1 release, feature reversed art of all his components save Hook. This was fixed for Encore but still present on later releases of the toy.
*[[Don Figueroa]] stated he had hoped ''War Within'' Devastator would have sported his ''Diaclone'' color scheme.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I had hoped they sported their Diaclone colors during The War Within #Doncept|link=https://twitter.com/SketchyFig/status/1641897780963835904|name=Don Figueroa|site=Twitter|day=31|month=03|year=2023}}
·</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Devastor''' (デバスター ''Debasutā''), '''Devastator''' (デバステーター ''Debasutētā'')
*''French:'' '''Devastator''' (France), '''Dévastateur''' (Canada), '''Dévastateur robot''' (''The Movie'' dub)
*''German:'' '''Der Vernichter''' ("The Annihilator"; 1994 TV dub of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and ''Generation 2'' cartoon only)
*''Greek:'' '''Excavator''' (1990 giftset only)
*''Hebrew:'' '''Mash'midán''' (משמידן, "Annihilator")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Pusztító''' ("Destroyer", Marvel Comics), '''A Halálosztó''' ("The Deathbringer", first ''The Movie'' dub), '''Mega-robot''', '''A Pusztító''' (both from the second ''The Movie'' dub)
*''Italian:'' '''Uragan''' (Action Master)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hǔimìezhě''' (Taiwan, 毀滅者, "Devastator"), '''Róulìnzhě''' (Taiwan, 蹂躪者, "Devastator"), '''Dà Lì Shén''' (China, 大力神, "Hercules")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Devastador'''
*''Russian:'' '''Rasroushitel''' (Разрушитель, "Devastator")
*''Swedish:'' '''Destroyer''' (''The Movie'' comic adaptation only)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Cloud Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars Combiners]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Earth Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Constructicons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Decepticons]]
[[Category:Variable gender characters]]

Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2025-07-31T14:34:28Z

Basedgyjoshipper: Thundercracker's first, forged form, previous from meeting Starscream is absent

{{faction|decepticon|edc}}
{{suite}}
{{Picsneeded
|missing Thundercracker forged body}}
[[File:TheObliterati thundercracker and buster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|The one where he's interesting and fun.]]
A chance to be part of the exciting world of [[Gladiatorial combat|underground gladiator games]] turned into a life '''Thundercracker''' never wanted, but a belief in the rhetoric that founded his faction, and the sense of brotherhood and belonging he gained from being a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] saw him remain a loyal [[Decepticon]] for millions of years. Eventually, however, the Decepticons strayed too far from their original goals for Thundercracker to tolerate, and he threw his lot in with [[Earth]], embracing the planet as a new home and celebrating the ability of its people to grow and change in ways that Transformers struggle to. Today, his love of [[human]]ity and their arts has evolved into a desire to become a screenwriter, but love for his dog [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] always comes first.

{{first|[[Infiltration issue 0|''Infiltration'' #0]]}}

{{bigquote|The are few things currently on Earth that have lasted as long as we have. [...] I used to find that transience laughably fragile. But I see now that it's actually a strength I'm just beginning to grasp. [...] I believe I'm finally understanding the meaning of the word... "beautiful". I can't think of the last time we created anything. We have so much to learn here.|Thundercracker|[[Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|''The Transformers'' #4]]}}

{{TOCclear}}

==Fiction==
===Becoming a Seeker===
[[File:MegatronOrigin4 Thundercracker Skywarp.jpg|left|upright=2.5|thumb|"When I joined this murderous terrorist group, I wasn't ever intending to shoot at anyone!"]]

Marked as an [[Outlier (group)|outlier]] by the power to create incredibly loud sonic booms, Thundercracker first met [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] at the [[Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology]]. Skywarp came to resent the Academy, convinced that the two were treated as second-class citizens because of their [[flight class|airborne alternate modes]]. When they were approached by Senator [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], Skywarp pushed Thundercracker into joining, and the two were rebuilt into bodyframes identical to Starscream's own. Skywarp would later realize that Starscream had done this to confuse the taxpayers he'd conned. {{storylink|Starscream: The Movie (comic)|Starscream: The Movie}}

[[File:SLOrionPax thundercracker I presume.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75]]

The three were approached by Soundwave with an offer from the underground pit-fighter and revolutionary rhetorician [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]], who sought flight-capable Transformers to join his forces. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} To hide from his former constituents, Starscream and his new lackeys joined up; {{storylink|Starscream: The Movie (comic)|Starscream: The Movie}} while the trio believed that they would be joining his gladiatorial team, Megatron intended them to be fully-fledged warriors as he transitioned his Decepticons from underground activists to fully-blown insurgents. After being given [[System|weapons systems]] by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], the Seekers kidnapped [[Decimus (G1)|Senator Decimus]], who was to be executed at Megatron's recruitment rally. However, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] and the Autobots arrived and arrested everyone. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} After Starscream killed the members of the [[Senate]] who had gathered in [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] and liberated the prisoners, Megatron launched an "Everything burns" offensive on Kaon, during which Thundercracker and Skywarp were sent to target a ship carrying the wealthy and elite. Thundercracker expressed reservations about attacking the ship, but Skywarp gave him some simple advice: "Don't think. Just do it." {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

As the Decepticon uprising spread across the planet, Thundercracker came under the command of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and participated in his plan to capture [[Alpha Trion]]. He protested against Bludgeon's idea to strap a captive [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] to a shuttle and launch it at the nearest settlement, disturbed by the needless civilian casualties it would cause. {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}}

When Orion Pax turned against the demented Autobot leader [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], Thundercracker was among the Decepticons that Megatron led to Orion's rescue. Megatron and Orion joined forces against Zeta, but Thundercracker didn't enjoy having to spend time with Orion's Autobots, and almost came to blows with [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]]. {{storylink|Choices}} He participated in their combined attack on Zeta Prime's [[Citadel (building)|Citadel]], working with [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] to take out the building's defensive [[vamparc ribbon|vamparc cannons]]. {{storylink|Overthrown}} After Zeta was dead, Megatron betrayed Orion, declared himself ruler of Cybertron and began capturing Autobots. During this time, Thundercracker brought [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] to the Decepticon-controlled Citadel before going on to guard an Autobot detention cell, only to be punched out by Ironhide when Hot Rod broke the prisoners out. {{storylink|Rise}} Megatron ordered Thundercracker and other seekers to defend the Citadel from the assaulting Autobots—led by Orion, now [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]—but they were intercepted by the newly recruited Aerialbots. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

[[File:Primacy2 thundercracker what is this.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.3|left|thumb|*In a dark, grumbling voice* "I'm Batman."]]
After Megatron's short-lived rule of Cybertron was ended, Thundercracker watched [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] take control of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Wreckage (issue)|Wreckage}} Scorponok's first move was to lead the Seekers in an attack on the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]], {{storylink|Faces of Darkness}} which ended disastrously when the refinery exploded. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}} Scorponok did not mourn those who lost their lives in the blast, however; Thundercracker silently watched as he praised the strong for surviving, and put a Decepticon who spoke out against him in his place. {{storylink|Fallout (issue)|Fallout}} Fortunately, Megatron soon returned to retake command of the Decepticons, and began putting his splintered faction back together. Thundercracker was sent to the planet [[Magmara Nine]] to bring the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] back into the fold, {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} so that the reunified Decepticon forces could launch a major attack on the Autobots. Unfortunately, a miscalculation during that great battled saw Thundercracker and his fellow fliers taken out of the fight early on, as the lingering fumes of [[acid rain]] unleashed against the Autobots corroded the Seekers' systems and caused them to drop out of the sky. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

[[File:SLThundercracker TC vs BB.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|thumb|Thunda- Thunda- Thunda-]]
Alongside Starscream and [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], Thundercracker participated in an attack on the [[Institute|New Institute]], {{storylink|Remembrance Day}} and in another battle, blew away [[Hot Shot (G1)|a yellow Autobot]]. {{storylink|Drift issue 2|Drift #2}} Eventually, he fell under Bludgeon's command again, and became one of his [[Titan Hunter]]s, searching through space for the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], who had vanished from Cybertron some years prior. Thundercracker did not enjoy the work; the chase seemed futile, each stop proving fruitless, and his fellow hunters held no respect for him or his attempts to apply any kind of scientific deduction to their mission. As such, when Thundercracker discovered a chunk of Cybertronian metal during the Hunters' investigation of an asteroid, he kept it to himself. Examining the metal, Thundercracker deduced it was a piece of Metroplex, and used the quantum radiation it was saturated with to pinpoint the Titans' current location—but still, for reasons he could not even explain to himself, he kept the specifics of his findings to himself, providing the co-ordinates to Bludgeon with the justification that he had a "hunch". Unfortunately, it turned out there was an inhabited colony on the asteroid the co-ordinates led to; Thundercracker failed to talk Bludgeon out of attacking the [[Urtuskian|alien residents]], so instead, he took up position at the head of the attack unit and tried to scare the colonists away with a sonic boom, hoping they would get clear before his teammates opened fire. He failed miserably, but pushed it from his mind, focusing intently on his greater mission. Headed into the asteroid's depths, Thundercracker discovered Metroplex soaking up the pseudo-energon reservoir within, whereupon he was attacked by [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], part of an Autobot unit that had followed the Hunters to the asteroid. The pair battled until one of the aliens intervened, hurling himself at Thundercracker in an attempt to save Bumblebee's life. Thundercracker simply tossed the alien aside, but the creature's grand gesture allowed Thundercracker to come to a realization... just as the alien had acted selflessly, Thundercracker realized the lie he had told Bludgeon was not a self-serving one, but rather, a lie told out of a genuine desire not to see Metroplex fall into Decepticon hands. Thundercracker radioed his fellow Decepticons and lied once more, claiming Metroplex was nowhere to be found, and they all withdrew from the asteroid, believing that the whole affair had been an Autobot trick. Angry at Thundercracker for leading them into it, Bludgeon had him removed from his unit and sent back to Cybertron. {{storylink|The Hunting Party (IDW)|The Hunting Party}}

===Infiltration===
[[File:Infiltration0 Thundercracker.jpg|upright=1.75|left|thumb|Tha-Boom, I want you in my room...]]
In the present day, long after Cybertron had been rendered uninhabitable, Thundercracker served as part of Starscream's [[Infiltration protocol|insurgent unit]], operating covertly on Earth to destabilize governing organizations and create global anarchy. After four years of secrecy, the unit went off-mission with the discovery of [[Ore-13]], a super-powerful variant of energon, which Starscream planned to use to stage a coup. When their activities in [[Nebraska]] were discovered by the human [[Stoker]], an agent of the secret organization known as the [[Machination]], Thundercracker, [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] were sent to deal with the human and recover his [[SM-40]] palmtop PC, containing data on their operation. The team caught up with and killed Stoker outside Phoenix, AZ, but the SM-40 was missing, stolen by young runaway [[Verity Carlo]]. Thundercracker tracked her down, but before he could terminate her and her friend [[Hunter O'Nion]], he was driven off by [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0|Infiltration #0}} Ratchet managed to temporarily shake Thundercracker and the two [[Battlecharger]]s, {{storylink|Infiltration issue 1|Infiltration #1}} but they picked up his trail again before long. This time, however, Thundercracker was shot down by [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] and Ironhide. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 2|Infiltration #2}}

[[File:Devastation1 Ruining Everything.jpg|upright=1.75|thumb|Megatron's lost it! It must be a Tuesday.]]

Soon, Megatron arrived on Earth to put down Starscream's attempted rebellion. Thundercracker, along with the other Decepticons, were unwilling to stand against him when the Decepticon leader ordered them to stand down. Megatron proceeded to take Starscream offline, {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}} and Thundercracker and the others promptly submitted themselves to his command once again. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} To get the infiltration protocol back on track, Megatron sent Thundercracker and Skywarp to destroy the El Jira power plant in the middle east to inflame global tensions and spark a global energy shortage, {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}} then focused his efforts on the Eastern European country of [[Latveria]]. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} There, Megatron activated the [[Psycho-Prism]] he had stolen from [[Doctor Doom]], which emitted an aggression wave that acted on humans, increasing international tensions in the area. Megatron sent Thundercracker and Skywarp to bomb the neighboring country of [[Symkaria]] so they would blame Latveria and start a war, but their actions drew the attention of both the Autobots and the human superhero team the [[Avengers]]. After capturing [[Spider-Man]], Thundercracker and the Decepticons powered themselves up using his super-powers as part of [[mirror response mode]], then took the fight to the Autobots and Avengers. Thundercracker shot and injured Optimus Prime {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}} and [[Ms. Marvel]], and engaged in a dogfight with [[Captain America]] in the [[Quinjet]], but was then taken down by a blast from [[Iron Man]]'s Transformer-sized armor {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}} and retreated with the other Decepticons via [[emergency warp-out]]. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

During battle in [[Brasnya]], the sorely-pressed Skywarp teleported Thundercracker in to try and stop [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] from escaping with [[Georgi Koska|one of their facsimile constructs]]. Hot Rod was able to [[orbital jump]] to safety, and Thundercracker then joined Skywarp in recovering the defeated Megatron and retreating. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}} Furious over his defeat, Megatron called in the destructive [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]—a breach of protocol that alarmed Thundercracker and several other Decepticons. Together, they conspired to bring Starscream back online in hopes he could to talk some sense into their leader. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} They managed to get Starscream active again just in time for the Decepticon base to be attacked by the alien [[Reaper]]s, {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} and with a little help from [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|a mysterious ally]], Thundercracker and his comrades claimed victory over the extraterrestrial invaders. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

===Dishonor to the Decepticons===
[[File:AHM7 thundercracker our own kind.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|"Lord Megatron, I think I'm experiencing character development! Kinda tingles..."]]

During the Decepticons' battle with the Reapers, the Autobots had left Earth to deal with the threat of an incursion by the [[Dead Universe]], and Megatron exploited their absence by taking his men to ground. The Decepticons returned to Cybertron, where a series of experiments were carried out to create [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. The misshapen [[Insecticon swarm|swarm]] of creatures that were created one after another in pursuit of a perfect specimen outraged Thundercracker, who demanded Megatron euthanize them rather than allow fellow Decepticons to endure such a torturous existence. Megatron, unsurprisingly, paid little heed to the Seeker's words. After a trio of satisfactory Insecticons were created, the Decepticons returned to Earth and lured the Autobots into a trap, which saw Thundercracker and the other Decepticons successfully overpower their enemies and strand them on Cybertron via a [[space bridge]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

With Earth now unprotected, a year on from the Reaper battle, the Decepticons launched a huge attack on [[New York City]] in which Thundercracker participated. Though he followed orders obediently, engaging human jet fighters in the skies over the city, he shared little of his comrades' enthusiasm for mindless destruction, and was the only one among them to cast a backward glance at the devastation Megatron left in his wake. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} Thundercracker and his fellow Seekers helped cut off the city by blowing up the [[Brooklyn Bridge]], {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}} then listened in silence as Megatron gave a victory speech. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}

[[File:AHM12 thundercracker nuke.jpg|left|thumb]]
When Skywarp got into an argument with [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] that ended with weapons drawn, Thundercracker came to the aid of his brother Seeker and sent the Insecticons scuttling off. While Skywarp expressed his enjoyment at working with Thundercracker again, describing it as "like old times", Thundercracker immediately became sullen and withdrawn again, leaving Skywarp frustrated, unable to have any real ''fun'' in the destruction if he was doing it on his own. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}} Some time later, back in New York, when Starscream betrayed Megatron and sent the Insecticons and [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to attack him, Thundercracker merely stood back and watched. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} This battle was interrupted by the arrival of human jets sent from [[Europe]], which Thundercracker helped engage. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} The Autobots themselves then returned, but were abandoned in the city by the Decepticons to die in a [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear bomb]] strike Megatron had arranged. After the other Decepticons had pulled out, however, Thundercracker returned, and offered to help the Autobots redirect the plummeting bomb. When questioned, he opined the Decepticons had lost their way, and the mass slaughter of unworthy foes was dishonorable. He succeeded in snatching the bomb out the air, flying it up to the fringes of the atmosphere, and detonating it safely, but was then confronted by a furious Skywarp, who was outraged at the idea of a Seeker "betrayer". Despite Thundercracker's attempts to explain his position, Skywarp blasted him point-blank in the head. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

===Evolution on Earth===
[[File:SeasonsInFlight thundercracker discovers tv.jpg|thumb]]
Thundercracker survived, but was left heavily injured and only partially functional. Painfully dragging himself inside a ruined New York skyscraper, which human cleanup crews likely wouldn't reach for months, he reflected on how life on Earth was always changing and always finding a way to survive. After weeks of scrounging, he eventually managed to construct a distress beacon, and as he waited for his fellow Decepticons to find him, he also got a [[television]] working. For the next one and a half years, Thundercracker spent his time watching human programs and growing increasingly fascinated with their ever-changing world and society. Eventually, he was found by a ragtag team of 'cons left behind on the planet, who repaired him and hoped that he, as an elite Seeker, would lead them. Thundercracker refused, as he saw no point in a warrior leading the team, since the war was over for them. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight}}

[[File:Earthworks thundercracker saves bbee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Instead, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] took command, and led Thundercracker and the others in a revenge attack on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. After some quick battlefield thinking by Swindle, the Decepticons changed their tunes and instead offered to help Hot Rod and his group leave Earth. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} As Thundercracker helped them construct a ship, he thought about how Swindle had to be planning something, and how he felt remorse for the Autobots and how lost they were. His thoughts strayed back to the humans and their ever-changing world, comparing them to his own so-called "transforming" race that had remained the same for millions of years. While Thundercracker used to laugh at it, he now saw the beauty of Earth, where every act of destruction was also an act of creation. He knew that they had a lot to learn from the humans, but all his fellow Transformers wanted to do was to run away. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] confronted Hot Rod's group, Thundercracker stood back and watched from the sidelines as Swindle unveiled his new creation, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}} While the other Decepticons turned on their Autobot "comrades", Thundercracker remained true to his honor. He saved [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] during a scrap with [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]], and proceeded to help Rodimus as well. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

Months later, Bumblebee contacted Thundercracker, asking him for help in getting the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] out of [[North Korea]]. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"|Ranks of Bronze}} While he had left the Decepticons, Thundercracker was uninterested in rejoining the war, having found a new hobby in studying humanity from a hideout filled with televisions. After Bumblebee's attempts to befriend him were rebuffed, the Autobot confronted him with the fact that despite his admirable attempts at changing, Thundercracker was a warrior at heart, and would get back in the action sooner or later. Realizing that he was right, Thundercracker agreed to aid Bumblebee's Autobots, and traveled to North Korea where he knocked [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] out of the sky. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"|Hawk Among the Sparrows}} The Combaticons were defeated, only for the Autobots to get attacked by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] instead. Thundercracker faced off against [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] before personally blowing up the [[energon]] plants in North Korea and [[China]], thus ending the Combaticons' and Predacons' alliances with those nations. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"|All My Sins Remembered}}

[[File:WokenFuries thundercracker shot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|[[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|True friends]] shoot you in the ''face''.]]

Returning home from Asia, Thundercracker found his hideout trashed—the humans had discovered it while he was away. And if that wasn't bad enough, ''Starscream'' was there, asking for his help. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon|Altered Carbon}} He had recently been ousted from his position of Decepticon leader by Megatron, and tried to convince Thundercracker to return to the Decepticons and help him overthrow Megatron again. Thundercracker reacted with the same disinterest as he had shown Bumblebee's proposition, reminding Starscream that the Decepticons had left him to rot and that he couldn't care less about galactic conquest. His attitude only served to anger Starscream, who shot him in the back repeatedly. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} Thundercracker's life was saved by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], sent by the Autobots to again request his help against the returning Decepticon army, who defeated Starscream and carried the injured Seeker to safety. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome|Burning Chrome}}

At the Autobot base, Thundercracker got medical attention from [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] (and complained that he wasn't Ratchet). In exchange for his repairs, Optimus Prime wanted him to tell the Autobots where Megatron could have brought the recently injured Soundwave, but having had no contact with the main Decepticon force for years, Thundercracker couldn't tell him anything. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}} With his repairs done, Thundercracker left the Autobots' base, calling them "sentimental" for wanting to return to Cybertron and electing not to come with them. Prowl tried to stop him, but he only warned the Autobot against provoking him before flying off. {{storylink|Police Action: Prologue}}

He returned to his hideout to pack up his televisions and find a new place to live, only to be approached once again by Bumblebee, who was now looking for help with finding Decepticons currently on Earth. Thundercracker reminded the Autobot he had no contact with the other Decepticons anymore, wishing only to live in peace on Earth, and questioned his ability to lead the Autobots. When the subject of returning to Cybertron with a space bridge came up, he remembered that earlier Megatron had been grilling him about the time he and Bumblebee met Metroplex, suggesting that he was looking for a way to generate space bridges using his own body much like the titan. Thundercracker let Bumblebee have his records of Metroplex's space bridge radiation signature to follow up on this theory, but refused to get involved with the fight himself. {{storylink|The Question}}

In time, Cybertron was restored and its scattered populace began returning home, but Thundercracker elected to continue living on Earth. His absence from Cybertron was pointed out by Wheeljack when Starscream expressed interest in getting the Seekers back together; mentioning Thundercracker's name gave Wheeljack a flash of inspiration, and helped him realize that a series of recent explosions on Cybertron were reminiscent of ball lightning. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

===A 'bot and his dog===
[[File:ExRID36 ThundercrackerthreatensSoundwave.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6|"What do you want from me, huh? HUH?"]]

As the years rolled by, Thundercracker's interest in TV shows evolved into a desire to become a scriptwriter himself. He got to work writing a screenplay about a human female named "Susan Journeyer" and her love interest "Josh Boyfriend" which was heavily inspired by his favourite show ''[[Nurse Whitney]]'', but his attempts to write from a human perspective were... interesting. He came into contact with [[Earth Defense Command]], who recognized his neutrality and provided him with a new hideout, a source of energon and a friendly dog named [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]], but eventually, they required something from him in return: when a group of Autobots returned to Earth for the first time in years, Thundercracker was to serve as bait to lure them into an ambush. Noting that Bumblebee wasn't among them, Thundercracker was a bit bummed to learn the Autobot had died, but this was overridden by the shock of hearing the war had ended with Megatron joining the Autobots. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} As the EDC and their new Decepticon allies ambushed the Autobots, Thundercracker stayed out of the line of fire, worrying over Buster. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} He then accompanied—and annoyed—his EDC liaison [[Marissa Faireborn]] as she cleaned up the mess after the battle. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}}

The EDC base on [[Marshall Islands|Bikini Atoll]] was next to be attacked by Autobots, so Thundercracker took Marissa there, though he refused to get too close to the battle out of worry for Buster. While escaping the destruction, he slipped and fell into a cavern where, to his horror, he discovered an EDC facility full of drone duplicates of his old comrades, Ramjet and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}} Alarmed, Thundercracker contacted Soundwave to learn more about the Decepticons' alliance with the EDC, but the meeting did not go very well; Soundwave inadvertently threatened Buster, getting things off on the wrong foot, and Thundercracker soon learned that he had no knowledge of the drones. Thundercracker agreed to think about Soundwave's offer to live on the new Decepticon commune the EDC was constructing for them around [[Jupiter]], and gave his old comrade a copy of his screenplay as a parting gift. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|Vs.}}

[[File:TheObliterati thundercracker and clones.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.3|"Thank you, honey, this is a beautiful party! You invited all my friends. Good thinking!"]]
Now aware that the EDC was secretly working towards their own ends, Thundercracker kept a vigil over their Bikini Atoll base, and did not have to wait long before the drone army was activated. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}} Unable to stop the drones' flight, Thundercracker entrusted Buster's safety to EDC scientist [[Sanjay Bharwaney]] and took off after them, radioing Soundwave for assistance. Angry to learn of the EDC's deception, Soundwave weighed his options; Thundercracker was able to convince him that if the drones made it across the ocean and reached land, the re-ignition of war between humanity and Cybertronians was inevitable, and that they needed to act to save Earth not ''for'' the humans, but in ''spite'' of them, so that it could be a world for the Decepticons as well. Soundwave reluctantly agreed, and easily cracked the control signal for the drones, deactivating them and letting them fall out of the sky... but warned Thundercracker not to contact him again. Not that that bothered Thundercracker much, as he happily reunited with Buster on the beaches of Bikini Atoll. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati|The Obliterati}}

At some point, Thundercracker discovered Christmas and decided to write children's story about it. And he did. And despite the very best of Bogart and Se7en references, it remained on par with his other writing. {{storylink|The Thirteenth Day of Christmas}}

Thundercracker was still hanging around Bikini Atoll when the captive [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] was brought in. Thundercracker felt he should be allowed to talk to the human, believing he could get him to open up since they had both acted heroically during Megatron's occupation of Earth years earlier, but Faireborn refused to allow it. Instead, Thundercracker passed the time by reading her, Bharwaney, and [[Ayana Jones|Jones]] his screenplay. {{storylink|The Nothing Man}}

[[File:EXRID50 ThundercrackerPrimehandshake.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.9|"Okay folks, everything is fine. Fight is over, folks, I'm sorry Mark."]]
Still looking for a chance to talk to Spike, Thundercracker grumbled that Blackrock got to see Spike and he didn't. TC complained to Buster that Blackrock seemed a little nuts. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}} When Buster and [[D.0.C.]] uncovered a secret room with captive Autobots under the Bikini Atoll base, Thundercracker "translated" for Buster that the Autobots weren't attacking the EDC, but had been prisoners. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 3: Helden|Helden}} As Galvatron betrayed, well, ''everyone'', Thundercracker offered to stand beside the Autobots and EDC against the Decepticons. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|Perihelion}} He offered to fly straight to [[Shanghai]] to take part in the battle against Galvatron's forces, but was urged not to go by Marissa, who said she was afraid he would die and that she liked his stupid stories. Once the battle was over Optimus and his forces arrived at EDC Headquarters to rescue the Autobots there. Thundercracker and Marissa explained that it was the traitorous Blackrock, not the EDC who harmed Optimus's friends. Wanting to leave the EDC and its subterfuge behind, Thundercracker asked Optimus to put the past aside, and he was allowed to join with the Autobots in leaving Bikini Atoll. He took the Autobots to his old homestead, where they set up a new base of operations on Earth. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}}

During the Autobots' global relief efforts, Thundercracker, Buster, and [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] provided tablets and internet access to poverty stricken Balkan villages. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|Edge of the Earth}}

Optimus took Thundercracker and Buster with him to [[Sanctuary Station]] to try and convince Soundwave and his group of Decepticons to join with the Autobots, where he was not received warmly by his former comrades. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} They arrived back at [[Monument Valley]] with Soundwave and his Decepticons in tow. After splitting up a fight between Buster and [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]], Thundercracker got into an argument with [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]], which had to be split up by Optimus. Thundercracker was among the combined Autobot and Decepticon force that rode in [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to engage with Galvatron's group of Decepticons in the [[Indian Ocean]]. When Galvatron turned the Earth into a giant [[Enigma of Combination]], Thundercracker was forcibly fused with [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], Sunstreaker, [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], and [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] into [[Sky Reign]] (Thundercracker formed the left arm). {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} Sky Reign, [[Galvatronus (CW)|Galvatronus]], and two [[Seeker clone|Seeker combiners]] ganged up on Superion, until Superion was able to write the combination code into his brain and separate all the combiners. The now separated Thundercracker knocked Sunstreaker out of the way of a blast from the fleeing Galvatron's fusion cannon, getting his arm blown off in the process, and fired upon Astrotrain to try and prevent the Decepticons from escaping. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}} He regrouped with the Autobots while Cosmos and Arcee gave chase to Astrotrain and Galvatron. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} He was later seen sitting on a raft with Sunstreaker and Slugslinger while the remaining Decepticons were being rounded up at the bottom of the ocean. {{storylink|White Light}} Once that was cleared up, he stood in a group shot while Soundwave gave an inspirational speech about the importance of Cybertronians being united. {{storylink|White Heat}}

Some time later, [[Joe Colton]] and [[Miles Mayhem]] discussed the initial infiltration of Earth by the Autobots and Decepticons (including Thundercracker), the search for Ore-13, and how Optimus Prime and the Autobots abandoned the planet to Megatron and the Decepticons (still including Thundercracker). {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}}

[[File:TransformersRevolution-ThundercrackervsDireWraith.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|"You are tearing me apart, Lisa!"]]
Months later, he'd been given a new arm by [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] that incorporated a powerful cannon. He was in [[Philadelphia]] with Buster, [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] and [[D.0.C.]] helping people evacuate from a burning building before he got a distress call from [[Marissa Faireborn]] at the [[White House]] which had been infiltrated by [[Dire Wraith|aliens]]. When he arrived, the aliens had taken control of the [[Seeker clone]]s. He managed to best one before the second forced him into the White House (crushing an alien in the process) before he and D.0.C. defeated it. When Marissa briefed him on the powers of the Wraiths he briefly geeked out about organics with abilities comparable to Cybertronians before he atomized one that was threatening Buster. Thundercracker led the charge into the situation room cutting through more Wraiths before the leader combined her magics with a sample of [[Ore-13]] growing to Cybertronian size. Thundercracker forced her into the sky with the promise to throw her into the sun before she managed to tear his new arm off. As she fell boasting of her superiority Thundercracker warned her to be careful with her burning hands around the cannon's ammunition. She wasn't careful and wound up impaling herself on the [[Washington Monument]]. Thundercracker then attempted a quip before he reunited with his friends. He then realized his disconnect from Susan Journeyer was caused by his still being a Seeker regardless of his affiliations. Together with Buster, Thundercracker decided it was time to seek himself. ROAD TRIP! {{storylink|Thundercracker & Buster Save the World}}

===Disaster artist===
[[File:DanceAmongTheShadows ThundercrackerMarissaCairo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left|"Well, the interesting part is that on our first date, she paid for dinner."]]

Thundercracker's world tour eventually took him, Marissa, and Buster to [[Egypt]]. While lounging against the Sphinx, Thundercracker received a call from Spike, asking if he would help [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] understand the cloaking field around the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions']] ship. When Marissa asked who he was talking to, he told her that it was a wrong number, but after she'd gone away, Thundercracker agreed to help on one condition. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}} As it turned out, this one condition was giving Marissa an invitation to join G.I. Joe. While she talked with [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] inside a cafe, Thundercracker sat outside with [[Chameleon (G.I. Joe)|Chameleon]] and discussed his past with Marissa with her. As she brought up her past with Flint, Thundercracker commented on how "trope-y" it seemed and was later captivated by her own history- "[[Chuckles|the guy in a Hawaiian shirt]]" she mentioned being of particular interest to him. As Flint exited the cafe, Thundercracker excitedly started to tell him about his new screenplay based on Chameleon's story about Chuckles, but the irritated Joe wasn't interested and only wanted to know if he'd now provide the calculations on the Junkions' ship. Though Thundercracker was surprised to learn Flint was Marissa's father (and showed a lack of understanding of the human reproductive process), a stern look from Flint was enough to get him to agree. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back|Behind My Bleeding Back}}

After Marissa declined the offer to join G.I.Joe, Thundercracker tried to get her to open up about her relationship with her father, to little avail. He tactfully suggested that Flint just wanted to spend time with her by asking her to join the team, and Marissa had second thoughts. The two caught up with Flint and Chameleon's aircraft, landing in [[Sicily]] for another try at conversation. As Flint and Marissa talked, Thundercracker shot the breeze with Chameleon again. Thundercracker seemed a bit taken aback when he overheard Marissa say that she accompanied him on their sightseeing tour only because she was afraid the Cybertronians would eventually destroy the world. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|Dance Among the Shadows}} After [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] hordes were unleashed across the world by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], Thundercracker had to fend some off in Sicily. As the survivors departed, Marissa expressed her frustration at the constant battles she'd been involved in since the Cybertronians came to Earth, and hurt Thundercracker's feelings when she claimed all his kind knew how to do was destroy. Deciding they couldn't stay on the sidelines any longer, Marissa had Thundercracker fly them to the [[Matterhorn]], where she presented a proposal to the [[President of the United States]] about the Junkion matter. A week later, Thundercracker was on-site at Earth Defense Command's old Bikini Atoll HQ where a [[Little Cybertron|refugee camp]] was being built for the Junkions, overseen by Marissa. {{storylink|New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|Feel Safe Without Regrets}} [[Pyra Magna]] soon got on Thundercracker's case for spending his time playing with Buster instead of helping build the Junkion settlement, forcing Marissa to cover for her friend. {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}}

On the day that Earth was to officially join the [[Council of Worlds]], Thundercracker complimented Marissa's outfit as she prepared to travel to Cybertron for the ceremony. He wished her well as she stepped through the [[space bridge]] portal, but panicked when the portal died and all communication from Cybertron ceased. [[Aileron]] calmed things down and asked Thundercracker to check in on Sanctuary Station to make sure the Decepticons aboard were all accounted for. Thundercracker wasn't exactly pleased with the implication that they, and therefore HE- couldn't be trusted. {{storylink|Primeless, Part 1}} Nevertheless, he took Buster on a trip to the space station, admiring the view on the way there. Once aboard, he was warmly greeted by Cosmos and asked [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] if he had composed any new poems. Thundercracker then tried to find a place for Buster to relieve herself as Cosmos got him a headcount of those currently aboard Sanctuary. {{storylink|Primeless, Part 2}}

[[File:StarscreamTheMovie ThundercrackerProximaLighting.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right|"Denny, don't plan too much. It may not come out right."]]
In his spare time, Thundercracker began working on his screenplay about Chuckles, envisioning a heroic story about the G.I.Joe undercover agent saving the world from [[Cobra]]. He was approached by Starscream, who was interested in employing Thundercracker's creative "talents" to make a biographical film about his life. Thundercracker eagerly accepted the job and was soon listening to Starscream recount his own history, albeit with an obvious bias. Deciding he needed some close outside sources to get a more accurate picture of Starscream's life, Thundercracker interviewed his fellow Seekers [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and Skywarp, each of whom painted a pointedly-negative picture of Starscream. Realizing that this was incompatible with Starscream's self-congratulatory accounts, Thundercracker consulted [[Alpha Trion]] for help on marrying the truth with myths and storytelling in general.

As production on the movie commenced, it quickly became apparent to those hired as actors and crew that Thundercracker had little practical idea of how to make a film. [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] had to explain how cinematography and lighting worked to him, and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] complained about having to have his entire body painted every day to play the title role as Starscream. Thundercracker's rigid directing style and his constant rewrites of the script just before takes didn't help matters either. Production stalled and Thundercracker confided in Marissa that he was uncertain about how to reconcile the truth with Starscream's preferred narrative. He needed to keep Starscream happy so that the film would continue to be funded, but felt like he was selling out his creative vision by presenting an inaccurate picture of Cybertron's ruler to the public. Fearing he could never break into [[Hollywood]] by compromising himself, Thundercracker asked for Marissa's advice. Marissa put Thundercracker in contact with movie producer [[Bulletman|Richard Ruby]], to whom he showed a rough cut of some of the more "talking heads" scenes that had been filmed. Ruby bluntly told Thundercracker that this kind of film would never make it in Hollywood, as the general human audience just wanted to see giant robots shooting each other- not historical drama. Thundercracker didn't care for the advice, but reasoned that as long as people were inspired by what they watched, the film could still work.

[[File:StarscreamTheMovie ThundercrackerActing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|"Do you want to play football?" <br> "In tuxes? Are you kidding?"]]
The latest round of spontaneous script rewrites were the last straw for Acid Storm, who dropped out of the production. Thundercracker decided to step into the role of Starscream himself for the remainder of the shoot (as well as playing Skywarp and himself), but the news just then broke that Starscream had confessed to a number of crimes and been imprisoned. Inspired by this turn of events, Thundercracker now had his ending for the film. After completing it, he visited Starscream in prison and showed him the final product. Starscream accepted it in seeming good humor, but pointed out it was irrelevant now that he was in jail. Thundercracker disagreed, standing behind his work, claiming the film would withstand the test of time. After giving the movie's crew some gift baskets for their hard work (Thundercracker ignored the question of ''actual'' payment now that their funding had been cut), he headed to Earth with Buster to deliver the [[Starscream: The Movie (film)|finished film]] to Richard Ruby for distribution. However, the [[space bridge]] portal redirected him to the barren world of [[Prion (planet)|Prion]], where some of Starscream's goons tried to kill him and prevent the film from seeing release. Thundercracker defeated them easily and eventually got to Earth, finding out that Richard Ruby had left a message for him upon his arrival.

Thundercracker discovered that [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] had already made a [[Dark Invasion|Cybertronian action movie]] for human audiences and it had bombed hard in theaters. Ruby told Thundercracker that Cybertronian movies were probably D.O.A. on Earth now, and the best he could do was release the Starscream bio-pic on an [[Coma|obscure direct-to-digital platform]]. Accepting this, Thundercracker glumly decided he had been kidding himself about being a successful filmmaker and returned to Cybertron. Marissa attempted to console him, but was interrupted when Thundercracker received another phone call, this one from famed human director [[J.J. Hackensack]]. Having watched Thundercracker's movie, Hackensack saw more potential in Cybertronian cinema, and asked Thundercracker if he'd like to colloborate on something. His confidence restored, a giddy Thundercracker immediately responded in the affirmative. {{storylink|Starscream: The Movie (comic)|Starscream: The Movie}}

===Breaking in===
[[File:Assembly ThreeSeekerAmigos.jpg|thumb|upright=2.5|"Anyway, how's your sex life?"]]
Now possessing the connections and clout to make his Chuckles movie into a reality, Thundercracker moved to Hollywood and got it properly written and filmed. He was in the middle of producing a final edit of it to send to J.J. Hackensack when [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] appeared over the Earth. Thundercracker sprang into action, protecting those in his neighborhood from the destruction that Unicron's mere presence above the planet caused. {{storylink|A Sunrise Dark}} As he helped people evacuate a burning building, Thundercracker tried to call Marissa, but she was unable to talk at the moment. A plan was formed to destroy Unicron by using the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]] and Thundercracker was contacted by Starscream to aid them in getting the alien artifact to the planet-eater's surface. Thundercracker first flew to [[Mount Rushmore]] to see Marissa one more time, leaving Buster with her in case he didn't return. He then flew into Earth's orbit with the Talisman to rendezvous with Starscream and Skywarp, being somewhat elated that the three of them were flying together again. Starscream and Skywarp were less thrilled to have him along, and the gravity of the situation didn't stop Thundercracker from being amused at the initials of the [[Decepticon Vengeance Division]] (D.V.D.) that barred their path to Unicron. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}}

[[File:Post ThundercrackerAward.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|"Here you go, keep the change, hi doggie!"<br>"You're my favorite customer."]]
Unicron's [[Maximal]] minions began firing upon the approaching Seekers as Thundercracker unleashed sonic booms, heedless of whether they were effective in space or not. The oncoming fire directed at them grew too intense and Thundercracker was shot down, with Skywarp being forced to go to his aid to recover the Talisman. Surrounded by Maximals, Thundercracker was surprised to see Skywarp teleport in and take a strike meant for him. He threw the Talisman to Starscream, unwilling to abandon Skywarp and the two of them were soon completely overwhelmed by the Maximals. However, in the end, Thundercracker's sonic booms were able to keep their enemies at bay in close quarters, and he and Skywarp managed to survive the onslaught. With Unicron having been defeated, the pair returned to Earth and Thundercracker happily reunited with Buster and Marissa. Skywarp watched Thundercracker be embraced by his friends and incredulously admitted that his old comrade was still a true Seeker. In the aftermath, Thundercracker sat with the survivors and admired a bald eagle that perched on his finger. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

After "''[[Last Laugh: The Life and Death of Chuckles]]''" was released, it was nominated for an award for "Best Original Screenplay." Thundercracker and Buster attended the awards ceremony, with Thundercracker being nervous not just to hear if he had won, but also because his favorite actress [[Karen Fishook]] was the presenter. Having realized his dream at last, Thundercracker was overcome with emotion as Karen prepared to announce the winner. {{storylink|Post}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Thundercracker's profile in ''[[Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook]]'' [[Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 3|#3]] notes that his outlier sonic powers are so mild that they may not qualify as a true outlier ability.
*In answer to fan speculation that Thundercracker, Skywarp, and the other Seekers would have been constructed cold (like Starscream), [[James Roberts]] gave a possible explanation for their outlier abilities (ostensibly unique to Forged Cybertronians) by suggesting that they were the eventual result of the Senate's attempts to artificially induce outlier abilities (first seen in [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|issue #36]] of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye| More than Meets the Eye]]'').<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Issue #36 shows the Senate's first attempts to manufacture special abilities (in this case by irradiating sparks), so...|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/650570537022955521|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=10|day=04}}</ref> However, these fan speculations were largely born out of the belief that Thundercracker and Skywarp's bodies always resembled Starscream; later stories would show this was not the case, and that the pair had been alive prior to the Senate's attempts to create artificial outliers.
*Despite joining the Autobots after Galvatron's insurgency, Thundercracker never dons the Autobot insignia nor does he formally identify as one. He does however remove the Decepticon insignias from his wings, choosing to identify as a neutral Cybertronian.
*In ''Infiltration'', [[E. J. Su]] debuted Thundercracker in an original design as an F-22. For ''All Hail Megatron'', [[Guido Guidi]] drew Thundercracker in his [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|''Masterpiece'' toy body]] as an F-15. This initially remained the case in [[The Transformers (IDW)|''The Transformers'' vol. 1]] until [[Don Figueroa]] reverted Thundercracker to a stylized version of Su's F-22 body in [[Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|issue #4]].
*According to [[Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 3|''Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook'' #3]], Thundercracker is 30 feet tall and weighs 10 tons<ref>For reference, this equals 9.1 metres and 9.1 metric tonnes</ref> (the same as [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]]).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Seekers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]