MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

The Time Machine

2020-10-05T17:02:56Z

He-l-en1959: The Russian title was corrected

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Prime (Eaglemoss)|Transformers: Prime]]'' #27–28
|prev=Deadly Alliance
|next=Monkey Business
|title="The Time Machine"
|japanese=Машина времени
|romaji=Mashina Vremeni
|image=
|caption=
|publisher=[[Eaglemoss]]
|published in=
|date=[[March 15]]– [[March 22]], [[2013]]
|story by=
|writer=
|pencils=
|inks=
|colors=
|letters=
|managing editor=
|continuity=
}}

''' '''

==Summary==

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (7)
*[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (8)

|c2=
*[[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] (9)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (10)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] (11)

|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (3)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (4)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (6)
}}

{{issuestub}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Time Machine}}
[[Category:Eaglemoss Prime issues]]

Grimlock (RID 2015)

2019-12-16T16:58:55Z

He-l-en1959: a name for the picture is added

{{faction|decepticon|autobot|rescuebot|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3.5|the ''Robots in Disguise'' Dinobot|the character from the video games|Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock}}
:''Grimlock is a [[Decepticon]]-turned-[[Autobot]] [[Dinobot (RID)|Dinobot]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[File:Grimlock-RID2015promorender.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Another [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|''Robots in Disguise'' Grimlock]] who is green and can speak in full sentences? Well, at least this time he turns into a dinosaur.]]

'''Grimlock''' is a wild card among the Autobots. Huge and powerful, he's also headstrong and reckless. He transforms into a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', a powerful form that's essentially a wrecking ball on two legs. It’s not the subtlest [[alternate mode]] around, but Grimlock isn't one for subtlety.

Grimlock's what you might call a 'bot of action; he has little patience for complicated strategies and prefers to think of plans on the fly. Of course, his usual "plan" starts and stops at "punch it". He’s not a particularly ''skilled'' fighter, eschewing guns and blasters in favor of his own fists, but when you’re a heavy-hitting [[Dinobot (RID)|Dinobot]], sheer force is often all you need to get the job done. Grimlock’s fights involve a lot of collateral damage, and the big guy's not the brightest 'bot around - he's a bit clumsy and has a tendency to both underestimate ''and'' overestimate his own strength. Even so, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] recognizes that the myriad advantages of having a robotic dinosaur on their side outweigh the downsides, and Grimlock is always excited at the prospect of smashing up some of his monstrous jailmates from his days aboard the ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]''.

Although his raw strength is enough to head most problems off at the pass, Grimlock’s impulsiveness and often childlike behavior has sometimes landed him in trouble, especially after he bites off more than he can chew. Fortunately, he's tough and tenacious enough to fight his way right back out again. There is little he fears, but since coming to [[Earth]] Grimlock has developed a new phobia—a mortal dread of kittens.

Sometimes he works with the [[Mini-Con]] [[Volcano (Adventure)|Volcano]]. He can also combine with either [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] to form [[Primelock]], or with the rest of the [[Bee Team (RID)|Bee Team]] to form [[Ultra Bee]], though he wishes he wasn't always stuck being the combiner's legs.

In the years since his adventures with the Bee Team, he's found himself a new role as a teacher at the [[Rescue Bot Training Center|Rescue Bot Training Academy]].

{{quote|I hear fighting! Who's fighting?! I wanna fight!|Grimlock's first words out of his stasis cell|"[[Pilot (Part 1)]]"}}

==Fiction==
===2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Khary Payton]] (English), [[Frank Welker]] (roar sound effect), [[Masaomi Yamahashi]] (Japanese)|[[Alexander Kovriznyh]] (Russian), [[Sergio Romanò]] (Italian), [[Marco Kröger]] (German), [[Yasser Azzat]] (Arabic), [[Aku Laitinen]] (Finnish), [[Pierre Bodson]] (French)}}

[[File:PilotPart2 Grimlock dino mode.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Me Grimlock look good in green!]]
Grimlock was arrested for causing severe property damage {{storylink|True Colors}} and imprisoned in a [[stasis pod|stasis cell]] aboard the prison ship ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]''. After the ship crash-landed on Earth, his was one of the only stasis cells to remain largely intact after the impact, although the cell's actual "stasis" function was disabled. While Bumblebee, [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]], and [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]] tangled with the Decepticon criminal [[Underbite]], Grimlock managed to partially break free of his cell, and enthusiastically tried to join in the fight. Before he could do so, he was restrained by [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]], who zapped him with a taser attachment. Eventually, Grimlock managed to goad Underbite into a rage to help "free" him. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 1)}} Grimlock pursued the Decepticon to a scrapyard, though Underbite proved too much for him to handle. Joining up with [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s team, Grimlock enthusiastically helped bring Underbite in, and after they succeeded, Bumblebee put Grimlock on probation. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 2)}}

[[File:TrustExercises boating.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Sailing for adventure on the big blue wet thing.]]

Grimlock was the only member of Bumblebee's team to successfully complete the trust exercises, and as a result Bumblebee took him to investigate an attack on the oil tanker ''[[Windward]]''. The pair tussled with [[Hammerstrike (RID)|Hammerstrike]], though Grimlock ended up stranded at the bottom of the sea. The duo subsequently tracked the Decepticon to a nearby oil refinery and managed to catch him in a barrel. {{storylink|Trust Exercises}} Grimlock was instrumental in capturing the Decepticon [[Bisk (RID)|Bisk]]. Later, he joined in the hunt for [[Chop Shop (RID)|Chop Shop]] and wound up on guard duty. He decided to interfere anyway, and wound up getting stung into submission by Chop Shop's various components. His conspicuous alternate mode meant that he couldn't join in on the next attempt to bring in Chop Shop, so he wound up keeping [[Russell Clay|Russell]] company at the scrapyard. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye (RID)|More than Meets the Eye}}

When the team split up to search the [[Crown City Museum of Natural History and Sciences|Crown City museum]] for a Decepticon, Grimlock briefly tangled with [[Terrashock]] in a planetarium, but came off second best. Bumblebee eventually came up with a way to hunt the Decepticon on his own terms, which Grimlock enjoyed immensely. {{storylink|W.W.O.D.?}} Trying to protect a generator from [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]], Grimlock ended up being left on guard by himself and was trounced by the Decepticon. Grimlock was knocked silly, suddenly believing he could fly, and had to be helped back to the scrapyard by Strongarm. {{storylink|As the Kospego Commands!}}

[[File:AsTheKospegoCommands Grimlock poised and ready.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Me Grimlock get ready to rumble!]]

Grimlock's attempts to disguise his beast mode as a truck were less than successful, resulting in him being left at the scrapyard when Bee and the others were hunting for [[Filch]] near Crown City. It later turned out they needed him after all, but only to hold up a bridge. {{storylink|Collect 'Em All}} A [[cyber-tick]] named [[Minitron]] took control of Grimlock, forcing him to fight his friends and then make off with Underbite's stasis pod. The other Autobots followed him to [[Crown River Dam]] where Minitron met with [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]]. Although Minitron tried to goad the Autobots into attacking one another, Grimlock managed to pin him down and subdue him. As a reward, Grimlock was formally inducted into the Autobot ranks. {{storylink|True Colors}}

While Bumblebee and Strongarm were away on a mission, Sideswipe and Grimlock got to be spectators for a feud between Fixit and Denny. {{storylink|Rumble in the Jungle}} After [[Ped (RID)|Ped]] raided the Bots' energon supply, the others left Grimlock to guard what was left, and went to hunt the Decepticon. Later as they attempted to trap Ped, Grimlock himself became trapped at the bottom of a pit Ped dug. {{storylink|Can You Dig It?}} After a run-in with [[Quillfire (RID)|Quillfire]] left Bumblebee with reduced maturity, Strongarm and Grimlock went to hunt the Decepticon in a carnival, only to be joined by their leader. Grimlock got used as a steed and experienced a carnival ride before Quillfire was captured. {{storylink|Adventures in Bumblebee-Sitting!}}

When [[Drift (RID)|Drift]] and [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]] came to Earth to collect the bounty on Bumblebee, Grimlock was captured by the Decepticon to use as a ransom along with the other Autobots. {{storylink|Hunting Season}} As Bumblebee's team pursued [[Malodor]] and three other [[Skunkticon]]s, Grimlock found himself repeatedly sprayed with their debilitating toxin, and was briefly taken hostage by the Decepticon quartet. He helped capture the Skunkticons, but was again sprayed with toxin in the process. {{storylink|Out of Focus}}

The Autobots encountered the Decepticon [[Clampdown (RID)|Clampdown]], whom Grimlock found extremely creepy. The Autobots were led to tangle with Steeljaw's gang. Grimlock once again battled Underbite, and managed to gain the upper hand by force-feeding the [[Chompazoid]] plastic. The Decepticons were subdued and briefly captured until Steeljaw slipped his cuffs and caused a distraction. While Grimlock and the other Autobots were preoccupied with a runaway garbage barge, the Decepticons escaped. {{storylink|Sideways (episode)|Sideways}}

[[file:RobotsHaveNightmares Grimlock dream.jpg|thumb|right|300px|For rescuing a stray cat from a truck, Grimlock was forced to marry the Cat Prince.]]

Grimlock joined Russel for a night of scary movies, and unsuccessfully tried to frighten the young human, who claimed not to be afraid of anything. Along with the rest of the Autobots, he later travelled to a local cave system in search of [[Nightstrike]]. The Decepticon got the drop on the team and incapacitated all of them with his fear-inducing scream, forcing Grimlock to have nightmares about kittens. Although the Autobots escaped and managed to capture Nightstrike, Grimlock was still jumpy in spite of his claims to the contrary, and quickly fled at the sight of a local stray cat. {{storylink|Even Robots Have Nightmares}}

Grimlock was later dispatched to the Crown City subway system to track down another Decepticon contact, although Strongarm was less than enthused about having to tow the Dinobot all the way there. By the time they had arrived, they discovered that the demented scientist [[Vertebreak (RID)|Vertebreak]], had stolen Sideswipe's body, and was all too eager to try it out on the Autobots. Strongarm fought Vertebreak, but Grimlock was held up by passing trains. The Autobots eventually manage to take in Vertebreak, but Grimlock was too slow to outrun the oncoming train, forcing the other wheeled Autobots to carry him and the Decepticon to safety. {{storylink|Some Body, Any Body}}

Russell explained to Grimlock about the notion of "paying it forward", which confused Grimlock. With the help of the newly arrived Drift and his Mini-Cons, Grimlock helped to recapture a tank that had been commandeered by an escaped Quillfire and Springload... and deliberately made sure not to catch either of the falling Decepticons. {{storylink|One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing}}

During a training exercise, Grimlock was injured by a falling piece of debris. Feeling that he was "the muscle" of the team and couldn't let his teammates down, Grimlock did his best to hide the injury from Bumblebee. This would eventually have repercussions when the team went underwater in pursuit of [[Octopunch (RID)|Octopunch]], who had broken into an abandoned Cybertronian spaceship. The Dinobot steadily grew weaker and less focused, unable to fight off the ship's various security measures. Eventually, Grimlock told Bumblebee the truth about the injury,and on returning to base he was patched up by Fixit. {{storylink|Deep Trouble (RID)|Deep Trouble}}

[[File:TFRIDTheChampGrimlockKick.jpg|thumb|left|300px|He crimefighting covers up a basic insecurity.]]

Grimlock's increasingly brazen shows of strength did not have the desired effect; one stunt wound up almost injuring Russell. When the other Autobots headed into Crown City in pursuit of [[Groundpounder (RID)|Groundpounder]] and [[Headlock (RID)|Headlock]], Grimlock's dinosaur alternate mode meant that he couldn't tag along. When the [[GroundBridge]] malfunctioned, however, he got his chance. With a rollcage welded to his back, Grimlock posed as "Dino-Bash", a human-built robot piloted by Denny, and challenged Groundpounder in a demolition derby at the Crown City [[Rumbledome]]. Groundpounder was eager to tangle with a real Dinobot, and initially gained the upper hand. Grimlock- with Fixit's assistance- was able to nail Groundpounder with his signature cannonball move... but not without almost bringing down the entire arena. {{storylink|The Champ}}

After Fixit reverted to his sentry programming, Grimlock was menaced by the various security measures around the scrapyard. Things were compounded by the return of Chop Shop, although Grimlock helped to bring in the Decepticon thief once again. {{storylink|The Trouble with Fixit}} Grimlock joined the gang to investigate a Decepticon signal that belonged to [[Kickback (RID)|Kickback]]. After returning to base, they discovered that Steeljaw had broken in and taken Fixit and the humans hostage. In the ensuing fight, Grimlock easily trounced Clampdown with a few well-placed tail smacks. {{storylink|Lockout}}

[[File:SimilarlyDifferent Grimlock catches rubble.jpg|thumb|right|380px|"Om..."]]
Grimlock eventually grew bored with his routine duties, and yearned for the days when he could simply smash whatever he wanted to. While on patrol he encountered [[Scowl (RID)|Scowl]], another Dinobot. The duo happily destroyed an old demolition site, but Grimlock realized that he had to do the right thing and arrest Scowl. Scowl managed to win him over and Grimlock let him walk free, on the condition that he never harm a human. Unfortunately for Grimlock, Scowl was actually one of Thunderhoof's old goons, and the Autobots rolled out to bring him in. Grimlock had to fight against a vengeful Scowl at a train station, where he helped redirect an oncoming train, and later at a spa, where he finally managed to overcome the other Dinobot with the help of a stone sculpture. Grimlock was saddened by the outcome of the fight, and mused that Scowl had never intended to change his violent ways. {{storylink|Similarly Different}}

The Autobots discovered [[Windblade (RID)|Windblade]], a charismatic 'bot who had been sent to Earth by [[Primus]] eons ago. With their ranks temporarily bolstered, Grimlock helped the team go after [[Zizza]], discovering her hiding spot at a nearby airport and then distracting her mind-controlled human pilots. {{storylink|The Buzz on Windblade}} Grimlock began feeling homesick for Cybertron and the [[Acid Wastes]]. Bumblebee tried to cheer up the team by taking them to [[Edmondville]], where they discovered the Decepticon [[Shifter]] [[Pseudo]]. Although Pseudo temporarily masqueraded as Grimlock, the team were able to spot the imposter and recapture him. {{Storylink|Ghosts and Impostors}}

After Strongarm and Sideswipe were kidnapped by Decepticons, Grimlock joined the remaining Autobots and Windblade for a raid on their hideout. When the Decepticons absconded to the [[Crown City Colossus]] with their hostages, Grimlock took the direct route by travelling underwater, although he was barred from destroying the portal by Clampdown. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}} Now with [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] on the loose, Grimlock teamed up with his allies- including a reborn Optimus Prime - against Megatronus and the other Decepticons. Grimlock managed to distract Megatronus long enough for the other Autobots to bring down part of the statue on their foe. In the aftermath, Grimlock opted to stay on Earth with the rest of the team. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 2}}

Grimlock was alarmed when [[Micronus Prime|Micronus]] projected a vision on his flank. Following a GroundBridge explosion, Grimlock helped (badly) to clear up and along with Bumblebee and Strongarm, was defeated by [[Overload (RID)|Overload]] when the Decepticon arrived at the scrapyard. {{storylink|Overloaded, Part 1}} After tracking Overload to a parking lot, the team split up with Grimlock and Strongarm trying to track the Cyclone Mini-Cons. They soon realized they'd actually been tracking humans, however Grimlock came up with a plan that let them maintain their cover. They caught up with Bumblebee in time to help take Overload back to base. {{storylink|Overloaded, Part 2}}

[[File:Suspended Grimlock rolls out.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot. So my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the Cretaceous, green, terrible...]]
Despite Strongarm's coaching, Grimlock was unable to establish the same level of teamwork with her that she'd had with Sideswipe, leading to them bungling the capture of [[Saberhorn]]. They eventually managed to successfully work together at the steel mill, however Grimlock ended up throwing Saberhorn through a wall and inadvertently allowing the Decepticon to escape. {{storylink|Metal Meltdown}} Grimlock took part in the pursuit of [[Crazybolt (RID)|Crazybolt]] and [[Slicedice]], during which he was able to help save some motorists accidentally endangered by Strongarm. He later helped Bumblebee try to deal with a fire caused by the two Cons, but they ended up requiring Strongarm's help to rescue some humans. {{storylink|Suspended}}

[[File:Brainpower-datacylindergonewrong.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Grimlock reads YouTube comments.]]
Bumblebee, Strongarm, and Grimlock captured the Mini-Con [[Torpor]], though the mission was nearly botched when Grimlock stumbled in on the other two Autobots as they strategised, tipping their target off to their whereabouts. Feeling that the other Autobots didn't rate his intelligence, Grimlock got Fixit's help him in trying to pass the police academy entrance exam, so that he could prove he was at least smart enough to enter the same fancy school that Strongarm had gone to. However, a mishap resulted in Grimlock downloading the entire content of a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]] into his brain. Though it greatly increased his intelligence, it also meant the eventual degradation of his neural pathways and as he joined in the hunt for [[Simacore]], he soon found his new knowledge left him unable to effectively fight. Fixit was able to reverse the process, draining his intelligence away in time for him to defeat Simacore and rescue Bumblebee and Strongarm from a particle accelerator. {{storylink|Brainpower}}

When a wounded Steeljaw turned up at the scrapyard, Bumblebee, Strongarm and Grimlock followed the trail of energon he'd left to a disused drive in where they encountered [[Scorponok (WFC)|Scorponok]], Crazybolt, and Slicedice. Though Grimlock was beaten down at first, he and Bumblebee were able to defeat and capture them after the latter Autobot distracted the enemy with a magic trick he had learned from Russel, allowing Grimlock to get a second wind. {{storylink|Misdirection}}

[[File:Impounded-grimlocksdisguise.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Robots in Disguise Grimlock disguised as [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|Robots in Disguise Grimlock]].]]
Grimlock grew increasingly bored as the Autobots hunted down a cable in a shipping yard, one of the many components the Decepticons were gathering for their current machinations. He managed to find it, shortly before he was blasted by Springload, and then inadvertently by Bumblebee. The mission a bust, the entire team were left mentally drained after having failed to decipher the Decepticons' motives. Grimlock turned down staking out a [[Rear Axle]] concert, not sharing Bumblebee's enthusiasm for the band, when their next lead pointed to it being the Decepticons' next target. Instead, he practiced his sculpture (which simply involved smashing big rocks into smaller rocks). Bumblebee called for back-up when he encountered Bisk on the mission, and Grimlock joined Strongarm in trying to come to help, only for them to be held up by traffic. {{storylink|Bumblebee's Night Off}} When Grimlock almost blew the Autobots' cover by landing in the middle of a crowd while trying to apprehend [[Silverhound]], Bumblebee banned him from going on missions. Fixit came up with a crane disguise for Grimlock to use, and the pair headed out after Bumblebee and Strongarm left to track down Quillfire. Passing himself off as a "Dino Crane," designed to look as it did because "children love dinosaurs," Fixit and Grimlock caught up to their commander and were able to help him and Strongarm capture Quillfire. Bumblebee gave Grimlock's new disguise his approval, allowing him once more to go back into the field. {{storylink|Impounded}}

After an incident with the GroundBridge brought [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] to Earth, Strongarm and Grimlock were knocked out by the Decepticon. They recovered, only to be warped away from the junkyard alongside [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] by a portal created by Soundwave. Working together, Grimlock and Strongarm were able to shut down Laserbeak, then rushed back to the rest of the team. They arrived just as Denny, Fixit, Russel, and Bumblebee managed to get Soundwave back into the [[shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]], and threw the Decepticon Mini-Con back into the other dimension after its master. {{storylink|Portals}} Following another mission, Grimlock joined the stealth team via the GroundBridge, and carried an injured Drift back to base. {{storylink|Graduation Exercises}}

After a chance encounter resulted in [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] joining the team, the Autobots got a lead to the location of the group of Decepticons; an escapee Mini-Con called [[Toolbox]]. They used a ruse to infiltrate the crashed ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' which the Decepticons were using as their "Decepticon Island," during which Grimlock pretended to be a Decepticon returning with Autobot prisoners. Though they made good grounds once inside the ship, one of the other slave Mini-Cons blurted out a greeting to Toolbox upon seeing him returned, betraying the Autobots' presence. Grimlock's team were surrounded by the bulk of the Alchemor's remaining Decepticons soon afterwards. {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 1)}} Thanks to Windblade providing them with an impromptu distraction, the rest of the Autobots were able to make a break for it and split up into smaller groups. Strongarm, Grimlock, and Sideswipe were sent to try and free the Mini-Cons being held captive by the Decepticons. They ended up in a communications room where they encountered Groundpounder and Thunderhoof. Still holding a grudge against Grimlock since their last encounter, Groundpounder beat down the Dinobot while Thunderhoof dealt with the other two Autobots. Sideswipe eventually managed to incapacitate the Decepticons by using nearby equipment to broadcast a high-frequency signal, holding onto consciousness for seconds longer than the Decepticons. After using the communications equipment to free the Mini-Cons, the trio escaped the ship before the [[cryo-gas]] bomb froze everyone aboard.

With the Decepticon threat now finally dealt with, several Autobots decided to head back to their homeworld. Grimlock was not among them, choosing instead to stay behind with Bumblebee on Earth to set up a permanent base of operations, should any more peril befall the planet. {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 2)}} When news of the Bee Team's exploits reached Cybertron, Grimlock became one of the many Autobots blacklisted by the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]] for being a supporter of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy (RID)|Enemy of My Enemy}}

Bumblebee took his team on a tour of interesting locations on Earth, culminating in them visiting the remains of [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]], only to find a strange bomb had been set up to detonate. Grimlock was partnered with Strongarm when the team split up, only to end up stepping on a mine. He was unable to move for fear of setting the mine off, until Bumblebee found him and revealed that the "mine" was just an old armor buffer. {{storylink|History Lessons}} When Bumblebee split up the team to search sites of Cybertronian significance, Grimlock was assigned look in western [[China]]. The team was accidentally bridged back to the scrapyard instead of [[Mount St. Hilary]] because Denny and Russell didn't know what they were doing. {{storylink|Strongarm's Big Score}}

[[File:TRID S2 E16 PL MSS.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Lobster Mobster strikes again.]]
After one too many accidents, Grimlock was disgruntled when Bumblebee only assigned him one mission in the search for Cybertronian relics. During his mission, he encountered Brother [[Gunter]], who set about teaching him patience via the medium of pretzel manufacture. [[Thermidor]] and [[Tricerashot]] turned up at the monastery, resulting in Grimlock calling in the rest of the team, however ultimately it was the patience he'd learned that allowed Grimlock to defeat the scavenger. {{storylink|Pretzel Logic}}

When Team Bee found a [[high energy pulse generator]] in [[Egypt]], Grimlock carried it back to the scrapyard using his crane mode, however the device was destroyed anyway when it threatened to fry their brains. Following an invasion of the scrapyard by the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, the team lost both their own Mini-Cons and their leader, after they were abducted by [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Mighty Big Trouble}} Joined by Optimus, the team split up to search for Starscream. Grimlock was first on the scene when Strongarm and Sideswipe ran into the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, but the ensuing hostilities ended when the Mini-Cons recognized Optimus, and the two groups teamed up. A short time later, they ran into the Scavengers, and then during the fight with them, the Mini-Cons were captured by Starscream. {{storylink|Mini-Con Madness (RID)|Mini-Con Madness}} [[File:TRID S2 E19 W SC 1.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Say hello to his little friend!]] Grimlock linked with Tricerashot, who'd avoided being captured, and took out the Scavengers. He and the rest of the team located Starscream's ship, and during the ensuing battle with the Decepticons, they were knocked out by Starscream. They eventually managed to defeat Starscream, despite him successfully merging with the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, by dragging him down into range of Fixit's signal so he could be de-merged. After farewelling Optimus and the Mini-Cons, Team Bee split up to search more Cybertronian sites. {{storylink|Worthy}}

Without any Decepticons to punch, Grimlock passed his time playing tic-tac-toe with his own tail. He joined Bumblebee and Drift as they traveled to [[Grand Valley]] to face a Decepticon. {{storylink|King of the Hill (Part 1)}} Grimlock found himself at a disadvantage as he was unable to outrun [[Heatseeker]]'s guided missiles, but he managed to serve as a distraction for Bumblebee and Drift to move in. The mission ended with the entire team somehow being merged into one robot, though they were unconscious at the time. {{storylink|King of the Hill (Part 2)}}

[[File:TRID S3 E3 D SC 1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|How To Train Your Dinobot.]]
Impressed by the abilities of Drift's pupils, Grimlock decided to become Drift's "poodle" too. As the team attempted to capture [[Crustacion]] in [[Antarctica]], Grimlock's attempts to put Drift's teachings into practice were surprisingly successful, and he was instrumental in capturing the 'Con. {{storylink|Defrosted}} Grimlock and the rest of the team joined up with the [[Rescue Bot]] [[Blurr (Prime)|Blurr]] as they attempted to recapture [[Ragebyte]]. {{storylink|Blurred}}

Grimlock, along with the rest of the team, found himself drawn to possess the [[Sphere of Doradus]] thanks to the strange energies it gave off. He was later able to overcome this desire thanks to his love of punching, and took part in the capture of Springload. {{storylink|Sphere of Influence}} Grimlock was part of a mission to [[West Rock]], and used his crane disguise to block the city's only exit to prevent [[Dragstrip (WFC)|Drag Strip]] and [[Wildbreak]] escaping. {{storylink|Bee Cool}}

During another attempt to capture Drag Strip, a methane explosion caused the team to again merge into a giant robot, though Grimlock was disappointed to find he was the legs. Afterwards, the team had to cope with having two Sideswipes as they continued to try to get back the relic Drag Strip had stolen. {{storylink|The Great Divide}} Grimlock and the rest of the team captured three Decepticon brothers as a result of Strongarm employing her detective skills. {{storylink|Get a Clue}}

[[File:RiD2015 Out of the Shadows Sidelock.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"The bottom. AGAIN."]]
Grimlock and Sideswipe were temporarily [[Sidelock|fused together]] during another of Fixit's combiner experiments. They and the rest of the team helped Drift recover his two Mini-Cons students after they were kidnapped by the Decepticon [[Shadow Raker]]. {{storylink|Out of the Shadows}} Another of Fixit's combiner experiments led to the Autobots temporarily switching bodies. Grimlock reveled in having Drift's vehicle mode, and gleefully took part in a road race in an attempt to stop the Stunticons, though he had difficulty working with Drift's Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Disordered Personalities}}

The team attempted to help Strongarm's friend [[Nightra]] after she turned up apparently being pursued by [[Blastwave]], only to discover that Nightra was the criminal being hunted while Blastwave an Autobot bounty hunter. When the deception was exposed aboard [[Blastwave's ship]], Grimlock put his all into hanging onto the rest of the team as they were nearly blown out of a cargo bay, before he managed to close the bay door. {{storylink|Guilty As Charged}} Grimlock developed an interest in art and started off by making a sculpture of Strongarm. {{storylink|The Golden Knight}}

[[File:RiD2015 - The Fastest Bot Alive - Super Grim.jpg|thumb|right|250px|WOAH-OHHHH!]]
After allowing Fixit to experiment on him, Grimlock developed uncontrollable super speed. Despite Bumblebee restricting him to base, Grimlock - inspired by Russell's reading a ''[[Captain Plasma Beam]]'' comic to him - believed he could be an effective superhero and joined in on a mission to recapture Simacore. This didn't go well, but he did eventually successfully defeat the Con, and he took pride in Simacore's having declared him to be the Orangucon's "greatest foe". {{storylink|The Fastest Bot Alive!}}

Grimlock, no longer with the aid of super-speed, took part in a mission to prevent the Stunticons from stealing the power source for a high-speed maglev train. {{storylink|Railroad Rage}} Grimlock and the rest of the team finally managed to combine into [[Ultra Bee]] during another mission against the Stunticons. {{storylink|Combine and Conquer}} A message from Windblade sent the team to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], where they again combined and managed to defeat the Stunticons once and for all. {{storylink|Moon Breaker}}

[[File:TRID E 63 Grimlock with rocks.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Me Grimlock love to smash rocks.]]
Russell and Grimlock began making video diaries to keep the absent Drift up-to-date. Their latest effort was interrupted by an attack which drove the Autobots from the scrapyard and forced them to seek refuge in the nearby cave system. Decepticon signals led them to the culprits — Steeljaw and his pack, and the ensuring battle endangered Crown River Dam. {{storylink|Exiles}} With the Autobots finding the cramped quarters of the caves inconvenient, Denny and Russell got Grimlock to enlarge it using his rock-smashing skills. {{Storylink|Breathing Room}} Left on monitor duty, Grimlock was distracted and missed the detection of some Decepticon signals. As a result he became hyper-sensitive about remaining professional and not having fun on the job, which almost resulted in the Decepticons getting away with some nuclear waste until Sideswipe snapped him out of it. {{storylink|Prepare for Departure}} Grimlock took part in a mission which resulted in the defeat and capture of (most of) Steeljaw's pack at the nuclear plant. {{storylink|Prisoner Principles}}

{{bigquote|Good call, Bulkhead. Smashing stuff really does relax me.|Grimlock|[[Sick as a Bot]]}}
[[File:SickAsABot Grimlock thinking.jpg|thumb|250px|right|All his plans are ''smashing!'']]
Grimlock took part in the defeat of Soundwave, preventing the Decepticon from irradiating the entire planet. He later dressed up as "the monster from Dimension Aaargh" for Sideswipe's performance of ''[[Showcase of Shivers]]''. {{storylink|Collateral Damage}} The Autobots returned to the scrapyard and Grimlock was tasked with securing the prisoners, only to let Underbite escape. He and the other Autobots were forced to chase the 'Con, who randomly teleported thanks to a chunk of space bridge he'd eaten. {{storylink|Something He Ate}} After Bumblebee, Strongarm and Sideswipe were infected with a nanovirus, Grimlock rushed off to try to capture the Decepticon. He only succeeded once the newly-arrived [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] helped him slow down and come up with a plan. {{storylink|Sick as a Bot}}

During a pursuit of Steeljaw, Grimlock and the others found themselves arrested by [[Dropforge]]. They were able to escape with Denny and Russell's help and both foiled Steeljaw's plan, and freed Dropforge from the mind control signal he was being controlled by. {{storylink|Five Fugitives}} Optimus arrived once more, sending Grimlock and the rest of the team to Cybertron where the Autobot council were using mind control on the population. On arrival, the Autobots were surrounded by security, {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy (RID)|Enemy of My Enemy}} however with the help of Dropforge and Steeljaw, they were able to gain entry to the [[High Council Tower]]. After they discovered the council were actually Decepticons, Grimlock decided the best way to eliminate the mind control was to smash everything. He then took on [[Treadshock]] and managed to knock him out with a tail smash. A battle ensued with the Autobots and Decepticons taking on their [[Galvatronus (RID)|combined forms]] for a last ditch struggle for Cybertron, and the Bee Team eventually prevailed. In the aftermath, Grimlock and the others returned to Earth as newly appointed ambassadors and ended up chasing after Steeljaw again. {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

{{-}}

===''Robots In Disguise'' shorts===
After accidentally stomping on Fixit several times during the day, Grimlock somehow got the Mini-Con stuck to his foot.
{{Storylink|Fixit Jam}} Grimlock was lent a [[Decepticon Hunter]] so he could find his signature weapon, his own fist. {{Storylink|Perfect}}

===IDW ''Robots in Disguise'' comic===
[[File:IDWRID1 Grimlock dinopile.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Grimlock's reaction after seeing the Big Green dub of ''Dragon Ball Z''.]]
While checking on a stasis pod with Strongarm, Grimlock stomped on a forest fire that had broken out. He attempted to track [[Flamefeather (RID)|Flamefeather]] until Bumblebee arrived and pointed them in the direction of the [[Fun-A-Rama]] amusement park. There, they managed to track down the Decepticon and capture him (Grimlock covertly stomped him!) however when the morning crowds arrived, Grimlock was forced to pretend to be a dinosaur statue for sixteen hours to avoid blowing the Autobots' cover. {{storylink|Fire, When Ready!}} During a training exercise, Grimlock cheerfully smooshed Sideswipe by executing a "Dinopile". After taking part in a team takedown of [[Spinhead]], he repeated the maneuver on the Decepticon. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 1|Robots in Disguise #1}}

Grimlock and Sideswipe aided in the capture of [[Transit (RID)|Transit]] by directing the Decepticon into a traffic jam engineered by Fixit. During a visit by [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]]'s team, Grimlock took part in a plan to capture [[Clipshade]], though his contribution ended up with him landing on top of Sideswipe again. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 2|Robots in Disguise #2}}

After establishing the location of [[Overhead]], Grimlock and the rest of the team managed to take the Decepticon down, though not before Grimlock had suffered a few bumps and accidentally worn a hat. After Overhead supplied them with a distress beacon she claimed would bring the leader of the [[Cybercomrade Sect]], Bumblebee and Grimlock set a trap, only to encounter Clipshade, who it turned out was an Autobot double agent—Overhead was the real Sect leader. They soon returned to Strongarm to find their captive had escaped. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 3|Robots in Disguise #3}} After attempting to help coach Sideswipe on his acting, Grimlock took part in an attempt to capture Overhead. He ended up being physically tossed by the Buffaloid during the fight, but after she caused the space bridge she was working on to collapse into a black hole, Grimlock managed to save [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] from falling into it. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 4|Robots in Disguise #4}}

Following the defeat of Megatronus, Team Bee followed Decepticon signals to [[Fort Tucker]] and found themselves tangling with two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s. Grimlock was injured shielding some unconscious humans from Vehicon missiles and had to be helped to safety by Drift. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 5|Robots in Disguise #5}} Returning to base, the team found empty stasis pods and the computer trashed, and were forced to resort to their own wits to work out where Steeljaw was. To the shock of the others, Grimlock reasoned that Steeljaw was probably in the [[Sierra Vistas]], leading them to successfully locate the cave in question, rescuing Fixit and Russell before engaging Steeljaw's crew. Grimlock battled his usual dance partner, Underbite, until the three Vehicons realized that Steeljaw was not part of Megatron's command. In the aftermath Team Bee was left with the majority of Steeljaw's team as prisoners. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 6|Robots in Disguise #6}}

===2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' books===
[[Lobbing|Lob-ball]] star "Gridlock Grimlock" had an impromptu game using Fixit as the ball. When the team went to hunt [[Scuzzard]], Grimlock was left at base as a last line of defense, and clumsily managed to knock over Filch's stasis pod, freeing the Decepticon. He joined the team in hunting down both of the avians, taking down Scuzzard with Sideswipe's help. {{storylink|Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard}} When three of Russell's classmates invaded the scrapyard, Grimlock was forced to pretend to be a prop from a Japanese kaiju movie, which worked until he saw the cat tattoo one of the boys was sporting, and reacted with terror. Fixit detected Decepticon signals, which resulted in Grimlock and the rest of the team tangling with Underbite, Thunderhoof and [[Slink]]'s gang in a warehouse. {{storylink|Sideswipe Versus Thunderhoof}}

Grimlock was disappointed when a potential Decepticon incursion turned out to be a drill and he wouldn't get to punch anything. He got his chance when the Autobots apprehended [[Forager]], however on their next mission the Autobots were led on a wild goose chase. On their return to the scrapyard they were captured and put into stasis pods by the Ronin, where they remained until Drift was able to free them and help them turn the tables on the three Decepticons. {{storylink|Drift's Samurai Showdown}}

An attempt at a game of football went wrong when Grimlock punctured the ball with his teeth while calling "hole in one!" He and the rest of the team took on [[Skinkbomb]], only to find the Decepticon's explosives formidable, and the fight was lost when Bumblebee became distracted. Though the team thought Bumblebee might be suffering from brain rust, the next time they faced Skinkbomb, they all heard the illusionary Optimus Prime's voice and were all able to overcome the Decepticon regardless. {{storylink|The Trials of Optimus Prime}}

Grimlock, Strongarm, and Bumblebee attempted to arrest the Decepticon [[Brakepad]], only to fall foul of his lethargy-inducing powers. After they returned to the scrapyard empty-handed, Denny and Russell had to force them to go back out into the field and capture Brakepad. {{Storylink|Autobot World Tour}}

===''TransTech''===
[[File:PrimalPrimeandfriend-CMW.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right]]
Grimlock prowled about the streets of the Under City in Axiom Nexus, in a crowd of countless off-worlders. {{storylink|Cybertron's Most Wanted}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
Grimlock and the other members of Bumblebee's team responded when Optimus Prime called their names in a display of his [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Adventure|new toy]]'s speaking gimmick, then joined Optimus in dancing to "[[Try☆Transformers Adventure↑↑↑]]". {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)|TAV21 Optimus Prime Now on Sale!}}

Grimlock was shocked when [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and [[Tigatron]] suddenly appeared among the Autobots, claiming to be from [[Legends Universe|another universe]]. {{storylink|Go! Adventure}}

===Signature ''Robots in Disguise'' comic===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Signature Robots in Disguise issue 1|Look Before You Leap}}}}

===''Rescue Bots Academy'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Terrence Flint]] (English)}}
Grimlock joined the [[Rescue Bot Training Center]] as a new teacher, though as a result they started going through the gym equipment a lot faster. Unlike the other recruits, [[Hoist (RB)|Hoist]] was initially terrified of the Dinobot, skipping out on the class; however, when he later realized Grimlock was afraid of [[Mister Pettypaws]], he overcame his own fear. {{storylink|Tyrannosaurus Wrecked}}

Grimlock later took the recruits (minus Hoist) to [[Wayward Island|Dino Island]]. However, the group accidentally let a triceratops back through the [[GroundBridge]]. They were forced to return the hard way, with [[Whirl (RBA)|Whirl]] towing Grimlock on some improvised water skis, but Hoist had already overcome his fear of dinosaurs and dealt with the situation by the time they got back. {{storylink|Dino Hard}}

After catching [[Hot Shot (Prime)|Hot Shot]] sneaking in late to class, Chase elected to have the recruits participate in stealth training, pairing the partner-less Hot Shot with Grimlock. Hot Shot was skeptical of Grimlock's methods and doubted the large Dinobot could be at all stealthy, leading him to ditch the professor early on. However, Grimlock proved him wrong by completing the exercise while successfully evading Chase's optics, earning Hot Shot's respect. {{storylink|Buddy Cop}}

==Games==
===''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game===
<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:65%"
|-
! scope="col" width="30%" | '''Version'''
! style="background: #00CCFF; color: black" scope="col" width="35%" | '''Unlock Cost (Energon)'''
! style="background: #BF00FF; color: white" scope="col" width="35%" | '''Unlock Cost (Ultra Sparks)'''
|-
|Starter
|500
|10
|-
|Titan Guardian
|1000
|20
|-
|Legion
|1500
|30
|-
|One-Step
|2000
|40
|-
|One-Step Gold
|2000
|40
|-
|Titan Hero
|3000
|60
|-
|Warrior
|4000
|80
|-
|Warrior Gold
|4000
|80
|-
|Warrior Asia
|4000
|80
|-
|Battlepack
|4000
|80
|-
|Hero
|6000
|120
|-
|Hero Stealthasaurus
|6000
|120
|-
|Stomp ‘N Chomp
|10000
|160
|}
</center>

When Crown City was overrun by Decepticons as a result of a stasis pod modified to clone an army, the Autobots were forced to battle them throughout the city and surrounding landscape. They eventually found that Steeljaw and another Decepticon had constructed a [[space bridge]] and defeated the pair. {{storylink|Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|Robots in Disguise}}

{{Note|The Grimlock Custom Kreon appears as a power-up item, serving as the player's support by attacking enemies. However the Kreons can suffer friendly fire from the player itself.}}

===''Protect Crown City''===
Grimlock, Strongarm, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee captured escaped Decepticons, and secured them back in their stasis pods. {{storylink|Protect Crown City}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{Charstubgames}}{{Storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}

==Toys==
===Robots in Disguise (2015)===
{{note|Virtually every toy in this list has a scannable [[insignia]] sticker on it. For [[Hasbro]] releases, it temporarily unlocks that toy as a playable character in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], and can only be scanned once per day. [[TakaraTomy]] releases simply check that off on their mobile app's collection list. It's honestly quicker and less redundant to say which toys '''don't''' have this feature.}}
====Legion Class====
{{anchor|Legion}}
[[File:RID2015LegendsGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm gonna burst outta your pocket in a minute!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Legends Class, 2015/2016)
:Part of the 2nd wave of Robots in Disguise [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Legion|Legion Class]] line, Grimlock transforms into a robot to ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' and back! He also features a sculpted battle mask on his head...while it's painted with his unmasked face's color. Legion Class Grimlock sports 3mm ports on his robot hands & arm joints. His ''T. rex'' shoulders also feature 5mm ports.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot/''T. rex'' mode, on his right arm/left leg. This badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

:In 2016, the figure saw re-release with the ''Combiner Force'' packaging. And due to the mobile game's latest update, unlocking Grimlock is useless now.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/LegGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Legion-Class Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|LegionClear}}
[[File:TF-Adventure-EZ-Collection-Clear-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock Clear Ver.''' (EZ Collection, 2015)
:A redeco of Legion Class Grimlock in clear plastic, Grimlock Clear Ver. was given away at Japanese stores like EDION toy department & Bic Camera, from July 2015 to customers who spent ¥3000 or more on Adventure product. Like most of the clear colored ''Adventure'' Legion Class exclusives, Grimlock has no paint operations save for his face and his ''T. rex'' head.

{{-}}{{anchor|TAV35}}
[[File:TAV-35-EZ-Collection-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Inconceivable!]]
*'''Autobot VS Decepticon Set''' (EZ Collection 4-pack, 2015)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAV35'''
:Available for this set, this version of Grimlock is a redeco of the original Legion Class toy, featuring additional paint details on any of his paintable plastic.

:Unlike the Hasbro release, the toy features no scan-badges on the toy, instead it was printed on one small card, along with the other 3 badges.

:Grimlock was released as a four-pack along with [[Steeljaw (RID)#TAV35|Steeljaw]], [[Underbite#TAV35|Underbite]], and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#TAV35|Optimus Prime]].

:Like the rest of the ''Adventure'' EZ Collection sets, some online retailers like Amazon Japan were still selling it 2 years later at greatly reduced prices (70% off).

{{-}}

====One-Step Changers====
{{anchor|OneStep}}
[[File:RID20151StepGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''Roll back the rock!'' ''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
[[File:TED-09-One-Step-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''Turn back the clock!'' ''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]
*'''Grimlock''' (One-Step Changer, 2015)
**''Japanese release date:'' '''2015-[[June 27|07-27]]'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TED-09'''
:Part of the second wave of ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#One-Step Changers|One-Step changers]], Grimlock transforms into a robot to ''T. rex'' and back in just one easy step! Grimlock also features a sculpted tongue in his ''T. rex'' mouth. Although he only transforms into a single step, His ''other'' step is to fold his pair of feet into two hands.

:This Grimlock can ride on his [[#Stomp_.26_Chomp|Stomp & Chomp counterpart]], but does not activate any of the larger figure's gimmicks.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex'' mode, on his left shoulder. The badge is merely impossible to be scanned while in robot mode, since his shoulder parts had covered it.

:The TakaraTomy release of One-Step Changer Grimlock (as part of the ''Easy Dynamic Series'' line) features extensive paint applications to resemble his cartoon counterpart. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his left ''T. rex'' arm. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's collection list.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/OSCGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on One-Step Changer Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|OneStepGold}}
[[File:RID2015-One-Step-Changer-Gold-Armor-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''Roll back the rock to the dawn of time'' ''And sing this song with me!'']]
*'''Gold Armor Grimlock''' (One-Step Changer, 2015)

:One-Step Changer Gold Armor Grimlock is A Generation-1 inspired redeco of the One-Step figure above.

:Like his original toy, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex'' mode, on his left shoulder. The badge is nearly impossible to be scanned while in robot mode, since his shoulder parts had covered it.

{{-}}{{anchor|RIDCollection}}
[[File:RID2015-One-Step-Changers-Collection-6-pack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Robots in Disguise Collection''' (6-pack, 2015)

:A 6-pack featuring the One-Step figures of [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#RIDCollection|Bumblebee]], [[Steeljaw (RID)#RIDCollection|Steeljaw]], Grimlock, [[Sideswipe (RID)#RIDCollection|Sideswipe]], [[Underbite#RIDCollection|Underbite]] (all of them unchanged from their individual releases), and a new One-Step [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#RIDCollection|Optimus Prime]] figure available only in this set. This set was exclusive to [[Target]] stores in the United States and to [[Toys"R"Us]] stores in Canada.

: Sideswipe, Steeljaw, Underbite, and Bumblebee's badges are all scannable in-package.
{{-}}

====Warrior Class====
{{anchor|Warrior}}
[[File:RID2015WarriorGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green and black, man! You got a problem with that? ''(Hasbro Version Pictured)'']]
*'''Grimlock''' (Warrior Class, 2014/2015/2016/2017)
**''Japanese Release Date'': 2015-[[March 21|03-21]]
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAV-02'''
:Part of the first wave of Warrior-Class figures, Grimlock transforms into a green and black ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. Unusual for a Warrior-Class, he comes packaged with no accessories. In dinosaur mode a switch atop his head moves his jaw up and down. Grimlock's right robot mode leg also features a sculpted [[Kibble#.22Faux-parts.22|fake tail]], to symmetrically match his left leg, where his ''T. rex'' mode tail had stored with. Please take note that Grimlock's hands can't grip some weapons due to his ''T. rex'' feet being on the way.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, right of his chest. The badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

:The figure suffers a [[design flaw]]: His pair of arms/legs is pretty much prone to have stress marks and/or suffer breakage, thanks to the loose grey plastic piece in the pseudo-ratchet joint. This can be fixed if the grey plastic piece is glued in place (although this will require removing metal pins).

:[[File:RID Warrior Grimlock Packaging Comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|left|Shelf life of a 1980s figure.]]
[[File:Takaratomy-tav-02-grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]

:Despite being succeeded by the "Gold Armor" redeco in wave 4, the original green and black deco of the figure made a comeback in subsequent waves, in two different packaging [[variant]]s as part of the "Mini-Con Weaponizers" and "Combiner Force" [[subline imprint]]s. It is unknown whether these re-releases use the modified pseudo-ratchet joint seen on the redeco. Take note that the re-releases' badges only unlocks Energon Currency instead of the character.

:The TakaraTomy release of Grimlock uses a slightly saturated green plastic, and features extra paint applications, mostly for his alt mode's toes, and his eyebrows. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, right of his chest. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's collection list.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Warrior-Class Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TAVVS}}
[[File:TAVVS02-Grimlock-VS-Gregevor-Boxart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock VS Greejeeber''' (VS set, 2015)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAVVS-02'''

:The TakaraTomy release of Warrior Class Grimlock is bundled with an unchanged [[Greejeeber]] toy.

{{-}}{{anchor|GoldArmor}}
[[File:RID2015-Warrior-Class-Gold-Armor-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Dumb stubbies! Yellow not same color as gold!]]
*'''Gold Armor Grimlock''' (Warrior Class, 2015)

:A redeco & new head retool of the Warrior Class Grimlock toy, Gold Armor Grimlock features a new coloration and a masked head, inspired by his [[Grimlock (G1)|''Generation 1'' counterpart]]. His pair of arms/leg joints were slightly modified to prevent breakage.

:His stock photography features yellow paint applications, rather than orange as seen in the final product.

:Like his original toy, his scannable Autobot insignia is on the right of his robot mode chest. As he's packaged in robot mode, this badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/GAGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Warrior-Class Gold Armor Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

====Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changers====
{{anchor|HyperchangeHeroes}}
[[File:RID20153StepGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Me Grimlock have feet for hands and hands on feet! ''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
[[File:Takaratomy-ted-02-grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]
*'''Grimlock''' (Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changer, 2015)
**''Japanese Release Date'': 2015-[[March 21|03-21]]
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TED-02'''

:Part of the first wave of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Three-Step Changers|''Robots in Disguise'' Three-Step Changers]], This roughly voyager-sized Grimlock transforms into a Robot and ''T. rex'' in just a few easy steps! His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, middle of his chest. However the badge ''cannot'' be scanned while he's in ''T. rex'' mode. Three-Step Grimlock does not features any 5mm compatible arms, but features the said ports on his front ''T. rex'' legs instead. Giving him weapons (or any Mini-Cons from the Mini-Con Weaponizers subline) to wield can be awkward.

:The TakaraTomy release features extra paint applications. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, middle of his chest. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy in the app's collection list. Unlike the American release, Big Grimlock is packaged in a windowed box, instead of an an open package.

:Although the transformation of this toy is listed as '''3 steps''', there are 2 optional steps: positioning the ''T. rex'' arms, and pulling the tail off before (then reinserting it after) transformation. However, it's possible to transform Grimlock with the tail installed anyway.

{{-}}{{anchor|ThreeStepStealthasaurus}}
[[File:RID2015-Three-Step-Stealthasaurus-Rex-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Bumblelock?]]
*'''Stealthasaurus Rex Grimlock''' (Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changer, 2016)

:This Grimlock is a redeco of the 3-Step Changer above, with yellow paint applications.

:The toy was solicited as '''Stealthasaurus Grimlock''' in the ''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game.

:For unknown reasons, the 3-Step Changer assortment was halted at United States release for the better part of a year, which resulted in Stealthasaurus Rex Grimlock not appearing at retail until nine months after he had been released in Australia. Afterwards, the assortment continued at a normal pace.

{{-}}{{anchor|HyperFlip}}
[[File:TF-RID2015-Combiner-Force-3-Step Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"I have fist-balls of steel!"]]
*'''Grimlock''' (3-Step Changer, 2017)

:Released under the "[[Combiner Force]]" subline, "Hyper-Swoop" Grimlock is an entirely a new mold. While possessing a different transformation scheme, Grimlock features a fairly show-accurate robot & ''T. rex'' mode. Due to it's transformation scheme, he ends up having two ''T. rex'' toes on his ''T. rex''/Robot mode legs.
{{-}}

====Kre-O====
[[File:KreO-Toy GrimlockCustomKreon.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Ah! It's Big Green!"]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Custom Kreon, 2015)
**''Set number'': '''B1235'''
**''Pieces'': '''23'''
**''Accessories'': Parts rack, extra clear body parts (torso, helmet, left & right legs, left & right arms), buildable ax, sword

:Part of the sixth wave of ''[[Kre-O]]'' Custom [[Kreon]]s, and the first ''Robots in Disguise''-themed wave, Grimlock uses the new 2015 Kreon construction with the hollow waist-peg and "raised" hands. He comes with a buildable parts rack on which to hang/store his extra pieces. Unlike the previous Custom Kreons, he no longer features a chromed helmet, and comes with an extra clear-plastic helmet, torso, legs, and his arms, plus a two-sided ax and a chromed sword.

:Despite what the instructions say, the body piece cannot be pegged down between the leg parts installed on the display stand. However this can be amended by adding a 2x1 brick piece.

:All of the 2015 ''Transformers [[Kre-O]]'' product was skipped by retailers in the US (at first), seeing release in Canada, Australia and various Asian markets. In late 2015, much of the line was finally released at discount in the US through TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores, including this set.

{{-}}{{anchor|CustomRID2017}}
*'''Armor Up Grimlock''' (Custom Kreon, 2017)
**''Set Number'': '''B5711'''
*'''Blizzard Strike Grimlock''' (2017)
**''Set Number'': ??
*'''Night Strike Grimlock''' (2017)
**''Set Number'': ??
***''Pieces'': 28
***''Accessories'': Left & right leg extensions, left & right arm extensions, chest armor, buildable pick axe-hammer

:Another series released without any prior announcement from Hasbro, this new Custom Kreon Grimlock set features extension parts for the arms and legs used for the Kreons included in the China exclusive ''Armor Hero Captor'' sets. On the other hand, the Kreon can be displayed without adding any armor parts.

:Grimlock was available is three different color versions: the standard-colors "Armor-Up", white-themed "Blizzard Strike", and black-themed "Night Strike" (the only redeco to feature a show-accurate helmet color). The building sets saw release through Dollar General alongside several other "exclusive" ''Kre-O'' sets, but ''only'' the normal "Armor Up" coloration has been found; it's possible "wave 2" of the assortment was never actually produced.

{{-}}

====Stomp & Chomp====
{{anchor|RID2015Stomp&Chomp}}
[[File:RID2015-Stomp-and-Chomp-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Yo Bee, you remember that I used to transform into a mechanical mess of a ''T. rex''?"]]
*'''Electronic Stomp & Chomp Grimlock''' (One Step Changers, 2015)
:Stomp & Chomp Grimlock is a redeco of [[Grimlock (AOE)#Stomp&Chomp|''Age of Extinction'' Stomp & Chomp Grimlock]], transforming from 22" tall ''T. rex'' to robot by triggering the handle from his back. He also lacks the sword and the Optimus Prime mini-figure. Undocumented in the instructions, Stomp and Chomp Grimlock's weapons can be popped out by placing any ''Age of Extinction'' One-Step Changers & Power Attacker figures. However, all of the ''Robots in Disguise (2015)'' One-Step Changers cannot accommodate with the gimmick.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his handlebar. Like the original mold, Stomp & Chomp Grimlock ended up being a [[shelfwarmer]].

{{-}}

====Mini-Con Battle Packs====
[[File:RID2015-Minicon-Battle-Pack-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Me Grimlock feel excellent, [[Megatron (BW)|yeeeess]].]]
*'''Decepticon Hunter Grimlock with Mini-Con Decepticon Back ''' (Mini-Con Battle Pack, 2016)
**''Accessories'': 5 armor pieces (combine to form a weapon)
:Part of the second [[wave]] of the Mini-Con Battle Pack, "Decepticon Hunter Grimlock" is a new sculpt, similar in size of a Scout Class figure (In Grimlock's case, the size of ''Cyberverse'' Commander figure), with its transformation engineering borrowed from the [[Grimlock (WFC)#Warrior Class|Warrior]] class figure. Battle Pack Grimlock also features transparent yellow pieces, which can be combined into a weapon resembling a ''Tyrannosaurus'' head and can also be attached to his body to form his armor. The ''Tyrannosaurus'' head weapon can also attach to his beast mode head, giving him a hilarious giant transparent ''Tyrannosaurus'' head over his actual ''Tyrannosaurus'' head. As an undocumented feature, the ''T. rex'' head can be used as a handheld (technically, arm-''mounted'' via a pair of tabs) weapon. His scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex''/Robot chest, accessible in Robot Mode and in-package.

:Fortunately, the elbows use ball joints, removing the nasty arm-breaking [[design flaw]] the Warrior figure had, and he also possesses a pseudo-ratcheting lower jaw for his ''Tyrannosaurus'' head. Apart from this, Battle Pack Grimlock is not without some issues: depending on how tight the shoulder ball joints are, the tabs that connect his shoulders and the upper body had a tendency to get undone easily with little handling force, but it can be partially amended by adding the armor pieces 3 & 4 onto the chest. Also, the 5mm hexagonal pegholes on his ''T. rex'' legs/robot arms (depending on which piece of course) also has a tendency to develop some stress marks due to not being properly molded. This can be fixed by [[Customizing|widening the hole with a 5mm drill bit]], though this results in a circular peghole instead.

:Grimlock was available with [[Back|Decepticon Back]], a Cyclone Mini-Con which is designed to be launched from the [[Deployer (WFC)|Deployer]] [[Crazybolt (RID)#Toys|Crazybolt]] and [[Overload (RID)#Toys|Overload]] toys.
{{-}}{{anchor|TAV42}}
[[File:TF-Adventure-Mini-Con-Battle-Pack-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Sunnn! Give him da powa of da Sun!"]]
*'''Volcano & Grimlock Volcano Armor''' (Mini-Con Battle Pack, 2016)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAV42'''
**''Accessories'': Volcano armor pieces, Volcano Mini-Con

:The ''Adventure'' release of the Mini-Con Battle Pack Grimlock is a redeco of the Hasbro mold, featuring some paint applications to more closely resemble his appearances in the cartoon, though the ''T. rex'' arms & hips/robot shoulders are not painted due to being molded with [[unpaintable plastic]].
{{anchor|TAV45}}
*'''Optimus Prime and Grimlock - Supreme Armor set''' (4-pack, 2016)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''TAV45'''
**''Accessories'': Optimus Prime's weapons (Battle Axe, 5 armor pieces (combine to form into a weapon)), Grimlock's weapons (5 armor pieces (combine to form a weapon)) [[Gravity]] Mini-Con, [[Volcano (Adventure)|Volcano]] Mini-Con

:Another release of the ''Adventure'' Mini-Con Battle Pack Grimlock, this toy features transparent blue battle axe and armor parts.

:Grimlock is bundled with Optimus Prime, and his Mini-Cons Gravity and Volcano, redecoed in different colors.
{{-}}

{{anchor|TeamCombiner}}

====Team Combiners====
[[File:TF-RID2015-Team-Combiner-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Gabu Gaburincho; Grimlock!"]]
*'''Ultra Bee''' (Team Combiner, 2017)

:Grimlock transforms from ''T. rex'' into robot, and combines with Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Strongarm to form Ultra Bee. Due to the set's nature as a 4-piece Combiner, Grimlock forms the lower section of the gestalt. Unfortunately, due to his transformation, his ''T. rex'' mode ends up having an unambiguous pair of robot legs sticking out of its butt in place of an actual tail. The set's instructions say that the included sword accessory can somehow attach to his ''T. rex'' mode to sort-of disguise/compensate for this, but exactly how isn't clearly illustrated and there are no clips that hold it securely in place.

:As with all Team Combiner torsos, Grimlock's lower torso mode has the distinction of having his hip swivels molded together, meaning the front-to-back movement is in tandem.

:Each toy uses the same universal combination joint as the other Team Combiners and the [[Crash Combiner]]s, which can lead to some... ''interesting'' combinations, given that most robots form very specific body parts when combined. Mixing Crash Combiners with Team Combiners leads to some ''especially'' weird results...except for combining with Crash Combiner torsos...which resulted in having a large pair of lower legs.
{{-}}

====Crash Combiners====
[[File:TF-RID2015-Crash-Combiner-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Dynasaur Combination!"]]
*'''Grimlock & Optimus Prime''' (Crash Combiners, 2018)
:A new, roughly Scout-sized Crash Combiner version of Grimlock is a roughly Scout-class sized figure that changes from a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' into a robot in a moderate eight steps, deviating from the other Crash Combiners' simplified transformations. He can also spread his legs for a more dramatic pose thanks to his combined form's transformation scheme. Unlike most of the Crash Combiner components, Grimlock features swiveling joints on his arms ''and'' 3mm compatible hands. He also has a little green arrow above the connector on the rear section (which is covered by his tail/gestalt kneecaps) indicating where to crash him to combine with other figures. A 5mm post hole on top of his ''T-rex'' back can accommodate a compatible accessory or Weaponizer Minicon, though he cannot use it in his individual robot mode's 3mm hands.

:Grimlock comes packaged with [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Primelock|Optimus Prime]] and is intended to combine with him to form [[Primelock]]'s lower torso. Connecting them to each other will activate Optimus Prime's automatic transformation, while Grimlock must be converted manually. And due to Grimlock's unique added transformation steps; Optimus Prime (and the other torso bots) ''cannot'' directly crash and combine with Grimlock unless his tail is moved out of the way. Grimlock can also combine with any other Crash Combiner figure to form a random Combiner.

:This two-pack was a very late addition to the ''Robots in Disguise'' line, with a Hasbro product code number in the same region as the wave 1 Prime Masters from ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]''.
{{-}}

===Adventure===
[[File:TAV30-Battle-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Do not say Yoshi.]]
*'''Battle Grimlock''' (Voyager, 2015)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAV30'''
**''Accessories'': Sword, Shield

:Part of the ''Adventure Series'' lineup, Battle Grimlock is a retool of ''Generations'' [[Grimlock (WFC)#Generations|Voyager Class Grimlock]], replacing his heads, shoulders, knee plates, and entire torso to better resemble his cartoon counterpart. He comes with a sword with a [[5mm post|5mm handle]] and a peg on either side of the hilt, as well as a shield which can mount via its single peg. Grimlock features 5mm ports for his hands, as well as on his forearms/lower dino legs and shoulders/dino hips. The hollow sides of his dinosaur arms feature [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]-compatible [[C joint|3mm ports]]. The LED gimmick on previous releases of the mold has been removed for this release.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his left ''T. rex'' leg/right robot mode arm. Scanning this in the Transformers Chronicle Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's collection list.

:This toy can be armored up with Mini-Con [[Divebomb (RID)#Robots in Disguise|Divebomb]], despite being a differing faction. Divebomb's armor may be connected to Battle Grimlock in either mode. Divebomb himself may be stored on Grimlock's robot shoulders or in his dinosaur undercarriage.

{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:RID2015-Platinum-Edition-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Namekian Goku, Namekian.]]
*'''Bumblebee & Grimlock''' (Platinum Edition 2-pack, 2016)
**''Accessories'': Energo Sword, shield

:Released as an exclusive for Entertainment Earth, this ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Grimlock is a redeco of [[#Adventure|''Transformers Adventure Series'' Battle Grimlock]] toy, making it a domestic release of the Japan-only retool of the toy. ''Platinum Edition'' Grimlock replaces his black paint into gunmetal, and features deco differences on some of his parts. The figure was also solicited as ''' ''Warrior'' Asia Grimlock''' in the ''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his left ''Tyrannosaurus'' leg/right robot mode arm. The badge is inaccessible while in package.

:Grimlock is bundled with a redecoed [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#PlatinumBeeGrimlock|Warrior Class Bumblebee]]. In the United States, this set was exclusively available via online retailer Entertainment Earth, although it was also stocked by several smaller US-based online retailers who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was released in Singapore, as a [[Walmart]] exclusive in Canada, and sold at Ripley stores in Chile.

:His [[stock photography|stock photos]] depict a mistransformed robot mode: His legs are not extended.

===Rescue Bots Academy===
[[File:RBA-RescanGrimlock-carded.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Grimlock''' ([[2019]])

:Originally previewed at Toy Fair 2019<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/events/fullsize.php?event_id=621&size=2&image=0 Seibertron.com - Toy Fair 2019: Transformers Rescue Bots Academy Photogallery]</ref>, ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (toyline)|Rescue Bots Academy]]'' Grimlock is an ''adorable'' little Rescan-sized dinosaur, in [[Grimlock (G1)|traditional Grimlock-ey colors]], who transforms into his motorcycle vehicle mode in two "Easy 2 Do" steps. Something he probably [[Impounded|wishes he could've done sooner]].

:Did we mention he's ''adorable''? He is.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Tiny Titans===
[[File:Transformers-Tiny-Titans-1-Grimlock.jpeg|upright=1.33|thumb|Me Grimlock is sick of your stupid comments!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Tiny Titans, 2015)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''2/12'''

:Part of the initial assortment of ''[[Tiny Titans]]'' [[blindpacking|blindpacks]], this version of Grimlock is a very small, soft-plastic figure of in [[beast mode]], spitting fire out of his mouth like he never did.

: He includes a collectible card that includes a scan-badge for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/TTGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Tiny Titans'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TinyTitans2}}
[[File:Transformers-Tiny-Titans-4-Grimlock.jpeg|upright=1.33|thumb|If your left hand tempts you, cut it off, please!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)
**''Series'': '''4'''
**''Number'': '''11/12'''

:Part of the fourth assortment of ''Tiny Titans'', this version of Grimlock is now molded in robot mode, brandishing a shield and tail-sword that he never used in the cartoon.

:As per usual, he includes a collectible card that includes a scan-badge for the ''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game, which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.
{{-}}

===McDonald's===
*'''Grimlock''' (McDonald's toy, 2015)
**''McNumber'': '''2'''
{{charstubtoys}}

===Kinder Surprise===
*'''Transformers: Robots in Disguise''' (2015)
:Only available inside a blindpacked chocolate egg as part of Kinder's ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' series, this buildable Grimlock mini-figure consists of a generic "cog" onto which his limbs and armor can be clipped to construct him. He is unique as his cog is mounted sideways instead of facing forward like the other figures from the line.
{{-}}

===Titan Heroes===
[[File:RID2015-Titan-Heroes-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Titan Heroes, 2016)
:A 12-inch, simplified non-transforming statue of ''Robots in Disguise'' Grimlock with five points of articulation.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is on his robot mode chest. Scanning this in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]] temporarily unlocks the Titan Hero Grimlock figure as a playable character if the player has not permanently unlocked it already. This badge is easily scannable while still in-package.
{{-}}

===Transformers Adventure Gum===
*'''Grimlock''' (2016)
:Part of the new ''Adventure'' Shokugan series, this Grimlock is a snap-fit kit molded in black, blue, and red plastic with detailing from stickers. The kit can convert into a ''T. rex'' when finished. Its transformation engineering is borrowed from the Legion and Warrior class figures. Grimlock requires to have his ''T. rex'' legs/robot arms and tail panels removed and swapped to "[[Partformer|transform]]" his robot mode.

{{-}}

===Surprise Drinks===
[[File:TF-RID2015-Surprise-Drinks-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2016)

:''Surprise Drinks'' Grimlock is a show-accurate 1.5-inch non-transforming figure (in his Dino mode) hidden inside the separate capsule taped together with the bottle. Since they're merely blindpacked, the figure can be found in any randomly-packed bottles, so... good luck.

{{-}}

===Dickie Toys===
[[File:TF-RID2015-Dickie-Toys-Robot-Warrior-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The closest you'll get to an homage of his "I'm a truck!" scene from the cartoon.]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Robot Warrior, 2017)

:Manufactured by Dickie Toys, this Grimlock is a customized hot rod (what?) which also transforms (if by transform, we mean lifting the car up) into a 2-wheeled ''T. rex'' (yeahbutwha?) in just one simple step. He can also activate lights & sounds by pressing the rear left button in his vehicle mode. The light-up gimmick is featured on his transparent nose and the underneath of the "feet" section. Batteries included.

{{-}}{{anchor|1/16ScaleRC}}
[[File:TF-RID2015-Dickie-Toys-RC-Rumble-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Also reminding us of Zod from the original Go-Bots line.]]
*'''RC Rumble Grimlock''' (1/16 Scale Remote Controlled, 2017)
**''Accessories'': Remote Control, 3 Batteries, battery box, USB cord
:The 1/16 scale version of Grimlock ''also'' transforms from the same customized car into a ''T. rex'' with the included remote control. He also comes with an additional USB cord, presumably meant for recharging.

{{-}}
====Die-cast Cars====
*'''Grimlock''' (Single Pack, 2017)
:Released as part of the Single Pack assortment, Grimlock is a non-transforming die-cast vehicle which is entirely based on his "Robot Warrior" hot rod toy.

{{-}}
*'''Grimlock''' (Power-up, 2017)
:The single-packed Bumblebee is redecoed with metallic-blue paint.

{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Neon, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a brighter hue of green.

{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Cybertron, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a gray scale redeco.

{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Energon, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a shiny metallic redeco!

{{-}}

*'''Robots in Disguise 5-pack''' (2017)
*'''Robots in Disguise 8-pack''' (2017)
*'''Robots in Disguise 11-pack''' (2017)

:A small, non-transforming yet show-accurate figurine of Grimlock is released in either of the sets above.

{{-}}

==Notes==
*Grimlock speaks normally in ''Robots in Disguise'', making him the first animated depiction of the character to do so on a regular basis. He still refers to himself in the third person a fair bit but when it happens it's more intentional than a display of any lower intelligence.
*He is also the first version of the character to not be the leader of the Dinobots. (The exception to both of these is of course the [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' version of Grimlock]], who was the only version of the character thus far to not be a Dinobot.)
*This version of Grimlock serves as a demonstration of the choice that is required to join a faction in the Transformers series. Although he is labeled as a Decepticon by Autobot authorities, he displays on two separate occasions that, inherently, he more aligns with Autobot beliefs as his hesitancy to deliberately harm innocent humans in his interactions with both [[Minitron]] and [[Scowl (RID)|Scowl]] prove.
===Two Grimlocks?===
[[File:RobotsInDisguise-stegosaurconceptart.jpg|thumb|right|300px|If this guy made it in, we probably would have had this same argument about [[Snarl (FOC)|Snarl]] instead.]]
For years, the "Aligned" continuity was meant to be one big ongoing timeline with a bit of squinting: the ''War for Cybertron'' Soundwave was the ''Prime'' Soundwave etc. Grimlock’s debut in ''Robots in Disguise'' was initially the focal point of discussion amongst fans, with a great deal of debate about whether or not this jovial take on the character was intended to be the same guy who appeared in the ''Fall of Cybertron'' video game and tie-in comics. Some of the discrepancy in Grimlock’s characterization and origin story in ''Robots in Disguise'' can be attributed to the fact that Grimlock was not originally slated to be a member of the cast, with his role originally filled by an unnamed Transformer who would have become a red ''Stegosaurus''. This character was scrapped in favour of Grimlock at Hasbro's request, intended to capitalize on the debut of his [[Grimlock (AOE)|live-action counterpart]] in ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]''.

Series writer [[Mairghread Scott]] clarified that the producers had subsequently discussed attempting to work ''Fall of Cybertron'' Grimlock’s origin story into ''Robots in Disguise'', but abandoned the idea after the writers decided that the "other" Grimlock's origin story would be at odds with the largely upbeat tone of the show. The writers ultimately decided to focus on staying in canon with the ''Prime'' television show, while ignoring other works of Aligned fiction such as the video games. Scott declined to discuss if this meant that were two Grimlocks in the continuity.<ref>[http://mscottwrites.tumblr.com/post/117608543176/answering-some-asks|"There was some discussion at one point of whether or not we could translate the character, but TFPBH Grimlock was too dark to gel properly with RID’s group of young recruits and the more uplifting tone we were going for. Whether that means the comics got cut out of canon or there is another Grimlock out there isn’t something I can answer just yet."]</ref> Series producer Adam Beechen later weighed in with the answer that “Grimlock might be a common name among dinos”, and stated that the writers consider Grimlock a separate character to the individual who appeared in ''Fall of Cybertron''.<ref>[https://twitter.com/sonnova/status/606586570980749312 Grimlock might be a common name among Dinos. But ours is one of a kind!]</ref> Barring a dramatic reorganization of continuity, we now consider these two Grimlocks as separate entities.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Grimlock''' (グリムロック ''Gurimurokku'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Gāng Sǔo''' (钢锁, "Steel Lock")
*''Russian:'' '''Smel'chak''' (Смельчак, "Daredevil")

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Dinobots]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:McDonald's exclusives]]
[[Category:Rescue Bots Academy Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]

Trypticon (G1)

2019-08-24T16:51:48Z

He-l-en1959: the description is added

{{factions|decepticon|klingon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Trypticon}}
:''Trypticon is a [[Decepticon]] [[Titan (group)|Titan]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:TrypticonGenerations1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|After G1, he was cast as the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord on ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers''.]]

Enormous in both size and power, '''Trypticon''' is an unstoppable engine of destruction. Utterly relentless, totally without mercy, steadfastly unwilling to stop his attack until all that is left of his target is their smoldering remains, he is programmed only to feel hate. That, however, is also Trypticon's downfall—for all he can ''do'' is hate. He loathes the [[Autobot]]s to the extent that he would destroy an entire city just to get at one, but he also hates his fellow Decepticons, and that, in turn, means he is not emotionally committed to their cause, as he sees just as little value in them and what they stand for as he does in anything else. Consequently, though he has accepted what he sees as his fated role as the ultimate Decepticon weapon, the war seems pointless and boring to him. It is a prison... and deep down, as much as he refuses to acknowledge it, the most powerful hatred Trypticon feels is hate for himself, for allowing him to be trapped in it.

Trypticon is often accompanied by smaller robots, including the autonomous [[Wipe-Out]] and the drones [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]] and [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]. They man and support Trypticon's massive artillery platform alternate mode, a form so dangerous and devastating that the Autobots usually have to resort to trickery to defeat him. The only Autobot who can go toe-to-toe with him is [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], and there is a great rivalry between the two cities—though their battles almost always end with Trypticon getting hurled into [[water]].

{{quote|Trypticon cannot be stopped! Nothing can stand in my way!|Trypticon|"[[The Ultimate Weapon]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Brad Garrett]] (English), [[Yū Shimaka|Yutaka Shimaka]] (Japanese)|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Chinese), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, "Thief in the Night", "The Ultimate Weapon"), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German, "Five Faces of Darkness", "Call of the Primitives"), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, ''Generation 2'')}}
[[File:Ff0d5 trypticon destroys ark.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Brokeback Mountain.]]
In the year 2005, the allied forces of the Decepticons and the [[Quintesson]]s sought to attack the Autobots on two fronts, besieging them on both [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and [[Earth]]. To counter the power of the Autobots' transforming Earth city, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], the Decepticons arranged for the construction of a transforming city-robot of their own: Trypticon. Surreptitiously created out of a human city by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], Trypticon sent his former human occupants running for their lives as their city shifted and changed into the giant saurian robot. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

[[File:FFOD5 Metroplex Trypticon.JPG|225px|thumb|Clash of the Badly-Animated Titans.]]
Trypticon's first mission was to attack [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]], but he met resistance in the form of a team of [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]]. Trypticon knocked [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] out of the sky and shrugged off the other Autobots' attacks from below (stepping on [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] in the process) before battling his way through a barrage of cannon fire and leveling Autobot Headquarters. With this task complete, Trypticon turned his attention to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] and Metroplex, and the giant Autobot could not have been at a worse disadvantage, being as he was without his [[Transformation cog|transforming cog]] and thus unable to transform to [[robot mode]]. Thankfully, the timely arrival of [[Blurr (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blurr]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] with the cog allowed Metroplex to transform and gain the upper hand in the battle. Trypticon was seized by the Autobot giant and hurled over the horizon, crashing into the Pacific Ocean. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

While the Autobots believed that Trypticon had been destroyed, the dinosaur Decepticon had, in fact, retreated to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] to recuperate. In 2006, in the midst of his recovery, Trypticon was approached by Decepticon wheeler-dealer [[Octane]], who talked him into relocating with him to the [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya]]. There, Octane made a deal with ruler [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]]: In exchange for the Carbombya's high-grade oil, he and Trypticon would guard the country's coasts.

[[File:Thiefinthenight trypticon steals kremlin.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Tom Clancy's latest novel: "Red Rex Rising."]] The deal soured when Fakkadi discovered how ridiculously energy-consumptive Trypticon was, and things came to a head when the dull-witted dino mistook a passing cruise ship for an invader and fired on it. Octane turned things around by arranging to have Trypticon use his prodigious size and strength to steal famous monuments for Fakkadi from around the world. Initially, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] were suspected of the thefts, but [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] linked the crime back to Trypticon, and the Decepticon was caught in the act stealing the [[Eiffel Tower]]. Trypticon was able to beat the Autobots back, and he then attempted to steal the [[Kremlin]] (in reality St.Vasily's cathedral), but was ambushed by the waiting Autobot forces and stopped from doing so. With help from Fakkadi, the Autobots tracked the Decepticons back to Carbombya, where Metroplex engaged Trypticon in battle once more and hurled him into the ocean again. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

Trypticon survived his dunking and was relocated to [[Chaar]], where he was the victim of the ghost of deceased Decepticon [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] when the spirit made a pact with [[Unicron]] to restore his body. In exchange for this boon, the dark god charged Starscream with fulfilling three tasks, beginning with the theft of Metroplex's eyes to replace Unicron's own. One of Metroplex's eyes was destroyed in the attempted theft, necessitating that Starscream and his pawn, [[Scourge (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]], steal one of Trypticon's instead. Next, Starscream possessed Trypticon's body itself and brought the giant Decepticon to Unicron so that his transforming cog could be transplanted into Unicron's head. The final task was to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron itself, so the planet could become his new body, but as Starscream used Trypticon's possessed body to complete the connections, [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and the [[Battlecharger]]s disabled the city-bot from within, rendering him unable to complete the task. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[File:Ultimateweapon metroplex hefts trypticon.jpg|215px|thumb|Shows that you can have sexy mudwrestling ''or'' giant robots, but not sexy, mudwrestling giant robots.]]
Later, after [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] stole Metroplex's transforming cog, Galvatron dispatched Trypticon to destroy the defenseless city. Confident of victory, Trypticon decided to have some fun, eating a naval destroyer and menacing the passengers of a train. However, [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] flew into Trypticon through his mouth, firing all the while, giving the giant dinosaur [[Furmanism|the worst case of indigestion he'd ever had]]. Trypticon was forced to retreat, and he transformed back into city mode so that human repairmen recruited by the Decepticons(?!) could fix his damaged innards. As it turned out, the "repairmen" were Autobot allies [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and his son [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]], who stole Trypticon's own transforming cog, intending to use it on Metroplex. This forced the Decepticons to use Metroplex's transforming cog on Trypticon, but neither cog worked particularly well in either of the two robots, and as they battled, they wound up partially transforming, shifting and stalling at various stages between their modes. At first, Trypticon had the advantage in the battle and threw Metroplex into a lake, but eventually, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] arrived to align the Decepticon cog properly within Metroplex, allowing the Autobot to transform fully. Metroplex regained the initiative, and yet again treated Trypticon to another dunking, hurling him even deeper into the lake, where he sank. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

[[File:Calloftheprimitives trypticon vs tornedron.jpg|left|upright=1.15|thumb|"Father... pleeease! Heelp meeee!"]]
Trypticon later participated in a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth's moon, during which he and all the other "[[Primitive]]" animal-based Transformers present were telepathically contacted by the being known as the [[Oracle (G1)|Oracle]]. Trypticon served as a transport that carried the Primitives to the dead world at the center of the universe from which the summons came, but was too large to enter the cavern in which the Oracle resided, and so he stood sentinel outside while the others ventured in. As the Oracle explained that he had summoned them to battle the energy-draining creature known as [[Tornedron]], Trypticon was the first to face off with the parasite, which took the form of a dragon and sucked his energy dry. Trypticon's lifeless husk toppled over on top of [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], leading all the other Primitives to believe him destroyed, but the Dinobot leader had, in fact, survived, and was finally the one to defeat Tornedron and restore Trypticon and all the others drained by him. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the American animated series covered above occur in Japanese continuity, with the primary difference between the two being that the events of season three (set in 2006 in America) are pushed back to 2010 in the Japanese dub. As far as Trypticon is concerned, however, there is one much larger, contradictory fact established by the additional stories told in various Japanese media: In this continuity, Trypticon was built in the 1980s, despite the cartoon showing his creation in "Five Faces of Darkness". It would take until 2016 for this contradiction to be explained away by the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' and ''[[Transformers Legends (comic)|Legends]]'' manga.}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga & story pages=====
[[File:FSRLTF6 Trypticon vs Metroplex hologram.jpg|thumb|upright=1|This week on ''Robote''—oh, sorry, wrong anime.]]
In the late 1980s, while the [[Autobot]]s were in the process of constructing Metroplex, the Decepticons were just as busy creating a counter in the form of Trypticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 14|story page #14}} [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] were able to sneak past the Autobots' security and spy on the construction of Metroplex, acquiring the information that [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] needed to discover whether or not Metroplex was strong enough to stand up to Trypticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

Trypticon was completed soon after and was unleashed by the Decepticons on an island utopia that they had conquered. The Autobots were quick to arrive, but Trypticon made short work of [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and would have killed him if not for the sudden appearance of Metroplex. An over-eager Trypticon dove head-first at his rival, only to phase right through him and fall off a cliff and into the ocean. As it turned out, it was a hologram created by [[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]] and magnified by [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

=====Scramble City: Mobilization=====
[[File:Trypticon scramblecity alternate design.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5|UP FROM THE DEPTHS, THIRTY STORIES HIGH! BREATHING FIRE, HIS HEAD IN THE SKY!]]
Upon the Autobots' eventual completion of Metroplex, the city-bot was dispatched on his first mission to aid Superion and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] in battle against their Decepticon foes. The villains were soon defeated, but as the Autobots stood victorious on a cliff overlooking the ocean, an explosion from beneath the waves caught their attention. As they watched, the sea parted to reveal Trypticon's towering form, as Megatron ordered him into battle with Metroplex. The two giant robots stared each other down, preparing to clash for the first time... {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''Unite Warriors''/''Transformers Legends'' comic=====
After emerging from the ocean, Trypticon attacked Metroplex at the command of [[Galvatron II]], a Decepticon who had traveled to the 1980s from the future of an alternate universe. Both Trypticon and Galvatron were destroyed by Metroplex's antimatter projector, but not before Trypticon tore out Metroplex's [[transformation cog]], which later left the giant Autobot unable unable to fully transform during the [[Battle of Autobot City]].<ref>These stories make a distinction between the Trypticon who appeared in ''Scramble City'' and the one that appeared in ''Transformers 2010'', explaining the differences in their character models and Japanese names, as well as finally explaining away the contradiction in the character's Japanese origins.</ref> {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue#The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter|The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter}} {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part Two}} {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

From the wreckage of Trypticon's remains, [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] were able to recover Full-Tilt, who served as a kind of "black box" that allowed Trypticon's life-functions to be preserved. Years later, in 2010, Full-Tilt interfaced with the human city that had been recreated by the Constructicons to become the new Trypticon, and the dinosaur Decepticon was brought to life once more. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010'' story pages=====
[[File:2010storypage metroplex v trypticon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
At one point, Starscream took Trypticon into battle against Metroplex and Ultra Magnus. The two cities' strength, courage, and firepower were evenly matched, and the earth shook with the force of their combat! {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)#Part 5|Giant Base Robot Rivals}}

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
[[File:Trypticon and company.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|left|Trypticon's audition for the lead role in ''Jurassic Park'' was foiled when Full-Tilt ran over the cameraman.]]
On a bright and sunny day in the year 2010, the [[Autobot]]s invited a group of [[human]] families to come take a tour of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. They were all very impressed and everything was going great... until Trypticon attacked. Preoccupied with keeping everyone inside him from dying, Metroplex was left to take all of Trypticon's attacks on the chin, including his Dual Plasma Cannons and Dino-Head Attack. With [[Scamper]] quickly taken out by [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]], it looked as though Metroplex would be felled by a blast from the [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt tank]].

Luckily, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] deployed [[Six-Gun]] just in time. Six-Gun took out Full-Tilt and then proceeded to turn the Brunt tank around on Trypticon, blasting the Decepticon with his own drone. The blast destroyed Trypticon's head controls, forcing [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] to call a retreat. With the day won, Metroplex returned to city mode. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #3}}

=====''The Great Transformer War''=====
[[File:Trypticon great war.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|Now with iPod docking ports as well.]]
After kidnapping the scientist Doctor [[Dalton]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] forced him to upgrade a number of his Decepticons, including Trypticon. With Dalton's upgrade, Trypticon became able to link up with [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] in base mode, enhancing their power. This new ability spelled trouble for the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] and [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], who barely managed to escape their encounter with the upgraded Trypticon and rescue Dalton. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

In 2011, as part of his massive assault to retake [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Galvatron unleashed Trypticon on Metroplex, the battle thoroughly occupying the [[Earth]] forces of the Autobots, keeping them from coming to Cybertron's defense. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Masato Hirano]] (Japanese)}}
[[File:Trypticon rope bridge.jpg|upright=1.5|left|thumb|D'OH!]]
Trypticon continued serving the [[Decepticon]]s into the year 2011, acting under the command of the leader of the Decepticons' Earth-based unit, [[Sixshot]]. However, when the Decepticons renewed hostilities against the Autobots, Trypticon's first foray into battle was not an impressive one, as he menaced Daniel Witwicky and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] amidst the mountains close to Autobot City. The two youths tricked the giant Decepticon into walking onto a rickety rope bridge, which subsequently buckled under his weight and dumped him into a ravine. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

In battle station mode, Trypticon was later rolled into action with Sixshot at the controls. He attacked an oil refinery in order to draw out Metroplex, who was then disabled by the Decepticons' newest weapon, the electromagnetic [[Madmachine]]. Seeking to learn the secret of the Madmachine, [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] later infiltrated Trypticon and discovered that the robot was being controlled from Chaar by [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]]. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Trypticon vs headmasters.jpg|right|upright=1.5|thumb|Nipple rocket! FIRE!]]
A little later, Trypticon was commandeered by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and Scourge to help them take down a mysterious blackmailer who was extorting energy from countries all around the world. Trypticon arrived in [[Tokyo]] in the midst of a battle between the blackmailer and [[Raiden]], and began attacking Raiden when the Autobot combiner opened fire on him. The Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] soon arrived to occupy Trypticon's attention, forcing Cyclonus and Scourge to bail out of the giant. Everyone wound up dogpiling on the blackmailer, but the joke was on Cyclonus and Scourge, as it turned out it was their own superior officer, Sixshot, carrying out a secret mission from Galvatron. The two Decepticons fled, leaving the badly damaged Trypticon behind. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

Trypticon was recovered and repaired in time to help Sixshot prevent the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s from aiding a team of Autobots imperiled on Mars. When Metroplex attempted to stop the six-changer's interference, Trypticon came stomping onto the scene, headbutted him, and pushed him back with a barrage of laser fire. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Later, Galvatron rendezvoused with Sixshot at Trypticon before attempting to thwart the Autobots' attempt to lend aid to the troubled planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

When Sixshot mobilized the Decepticons for a series of major attacks across the Earth, Trypticon accompanied him for his approach on Autobot City. When Metroplex chased after Sixshot, Trypticon charged into action and began grappling with Metroplex, freeing up Sixshot to duel, and ultimately kill, Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Not long after, Trypticon attacked Autobot City again when Spike was in the middle of explaining to the Autobots that he had deduced the Decepticons' current plan involving the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. Metroplex quickly engaged his perennial foe, but when Sixshot arrived, Metroplex focused his attentions on the six-changer, seeking revenge for the death of Ultra Magnus. Spike attempted to shout a warning to Metroplex as Trypticon jumped him from behind, but it came too late. Metroplex was at the saurian city's mercy until [[Suiken]] joined the fight and helped tear Trypticon away from him. Trypticon was then sent fleeing under a barrage of combined firepower from Metroplex and Suiken. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

=====''Transformers Legends'' comic (1)=====
In 2015, Trypticon went up against [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] and [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], literally walking all over the little Autobots. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 8|Bonus Edition Vol. 8}} Swerve tried to fight the giant beast using his [[Mini-Con]] partner [[Phaser (G1)|Phaser]]'s [[My First Blaster]] mode, but the helpful sound effects emitted by the blaster made it easy for Trypticon to dodge since he could tell where Swerve was aiming. {{storylink|2015's Swerve}} The battle was observed by the [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] of the [[Legends World|Legends Universe]], who somehow projected himself into the middle of events via his dreams, and helped them to win by becoming Tailgate's new [[Mini-Con]] partner, incapacitating Trypticon using a [[ribbon bomb]]. {{storylink|Transformers 2015 Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter|Tailgate/G1 Mini-Con Chapter}} Trypticon's final defeat came after Swerve discovered that he had a weak point on the sole of his foot. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}}{{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

Trypticon was left wrecked by the battle, but the [[Battlecharger]]s recovered Full-Tilt once again. When Trypticon was rebuilt this time, however, it was into a smaller form, into which Full-Tilt was fully integrated, instead of simply attaching to. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}}

=====''Zone'' manga & story pages =====
[[File:Starsaber vs trypticon zone.jpg|left|upright=1.75|thumb]]
The new smaller Trypticon was among the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] recruited by the Decepticons' newest [[Emperor of Destruction]], [[Violen Jiger]]. Outfitted with new armor and weaponry, including a club and shield, Trypticon was dubbed the "Saurian General" of the group, and sent forth to conquer planets in pursuit of Violen Jiger's goal of creating a [[Decepticon Zone]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} He and [[King Poseidon]] attempted to dominate the oceanic world of [[Wall]], where they bested [[Star Saber (Victory)|Victory Saber]], but were eventually defeated by the efforts of [[Overload (G1)|Overload]], [[Erector (G1)|Erector]], [[Missile Bull]], and [[Skywave]] commanding the [[Off Road Patrol|Off Road Patrol Team]], [[Jet Patrol Team]], and [[Race Car Patrol|Race Car Patrol Team]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 3}}

After a group of the generals stole the Autobots' [[Energon Z]] from planet [[Micro|Zone]], they handed it off to a second team consisting of Trypticon, Predaking, Devastator and King Poseidon. The capsule was stored within Trypticon's mouth, and he and his team proceeded to head for Earth to search for the second component required for the [[Zodiac]]. Trypticon tore through France before converging on Mount Fuji with the other generals, where they easily batted around the Micromasters that arrived to confront them. When the Powered Masters Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber arrived, the Micromasters kept Trypticon busy while Dai Atlas headed underground to search for the Zodiac. Dai Atlas soon emerged victorious, and everyone began grappling over the Zodiac, at which point Trypticon unleashed a beam of Energon Z from the capsule in his mouth. Timing things just right, Dai Atlas held up the Zodiac so that the Energon Z beam would hit it, unlocking its true power. Suffused with the power of the Zodiac, Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber transformed into powerful new "Zone Mode" battle stations and sent the Decepticons fleeing under a barrage of awesome firepower. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Transformers: Zone}}

Trypticon later returned for a rematch with the Powered Masters, engaging them in battle alongside [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]. The two heroes were not particularly impressed, and they strove to end the fight in less than eight seconds. True to their word, they beat the snot out of them; Sonic Bomber besting Trypticon with his "Meteor Drop" attack. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 6}} Though this would be the Generals' last recorded battle with the Powered Masters, Trypticon and the others later schooled [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] and the [[Metrosquad]] in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 7}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon=====
[[File:TrypticonZone1.jpg|thumb|Master of subtlety.]]
{{voiceactor|[[Daisuke Gōri]] (Japanese)}}
{{note|The ''Zone'' cartoon tells a slightly different, expanded version of Trypticon and the other Generals' first battle with Dai Atlas.}}
After several of the Demon Generals stole the Autobots' Energon Z from the planet [[Micro|Zone]], they handed it off to a second team consisting of Trypticon, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], and [[King Poseidon]]. The capsule was stored within Trypticon's mouth, and he and his team proceeded to head for Earth to search for the Zodiac. Trypticon began tearing through China, smashing the Great Wall and breathing fire on the counterattacking military force. A team of Autobot Micromasters soon arrived on the planet to battle the generals at [[Mount Fuji]], and though their attacks had no effect on Trypticon, they struggled on until the [[Powered Master]]s [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Sonic Bomber]] arrived to take up the fight. Sonic Bomber kept Trypticon busy while Dai Atlas headed underground to search for the Zodiac, and when he re-emerged with the ancient energy source in hand, the furious Trypticon unleashed a beam of Energon Z directly at him. Dai Atlas was knocked off his feet, and Trypticon prepared to deliver another blast, but Sonic Bomber leapt in front of the beam and took the blast to save his commander. With the two Autobots now lying right in front of him, Trypticon readied another Energon Z blast, but just as he unleashed it, Dai Atlas held the Zodiac aloft. When the Energon Z and Zodiac interacted, the Zodiac's true power was unleashed, transforming Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber into powerful "Zone Mode" battle stations. Using the mighty firepower of their new modes, the Powered Masters destroyed Trypticon and the other generals in one colossal blast. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
{{-}}

=====''Transformers Legends'' comic (2)=====
Following Trypticon's destruction at the hands of the Powered Masters, the [[Race Track Patrol]] recovered Full-Tilt's [[personality component]] from the wreckage. The component was re-engineered to transform into a diminutive robot form of its own. In this diminished state, Full-Tilt was contacted by the Decepticons in the Legends Universe, who had designs on restoring Trypticon to life once more. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}} They hired [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to steal data on [[Godbomber]]'s technology for use in Trypticon's new body. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 42|Bonus Edition Vol. 42}}

Trypticon was built in base mode at the bottom of [[Tokyo Bay]] before he was equipped with Metroplex's stolen transformation cog and raised to the surface. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}} Transforming into a monstrous new mobile base mode capable of flight, Trypticon devoured the local troops deployed against him and easily took down [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s Battleship Maximus and [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] warriors. Full-Tilt then interfaced with him and uploaded his backup data, fully restoring the dinosaur who began moving towards Metroplex's location in [[Akihabara]], gobbling up all humans, beasts and Transformers in his way and drawing power from them using Godbomber-derived [[Triplemaster]] technology. He was opposed by [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], and [[Ginrai (human)|God Ginrai]], and while he took them out with ease, they delayed him long enough for the Autobots to restore Metroplex and summon Swerve. Stunned by an attack to his weak spot, Trypticon was defeated by Metroplex and his base mode was repurposed as a nerd paradise where Akihabara's residents could stay while the wrecked city was rebuilt. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}}

When the new Akihabara was finished, Trypticon's city mode had been integrated into it. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] later used his Headmaster mode to take control of Trypticon and use him to frighten a bunch of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] into submission. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 44|Bonus Edition Vol. 44}} As one of the buildings purchased by [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]], Trypticon's city mode played host to the Targetmaster's battle with [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Shaoshao Li]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 52|Bonus Edition Vol. 52}} Not even Trypticon stood a chance against [[Thrust (Armada)|Armada Thrust]] when he took control of [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]'s gigantic transtector, and he was unceremoniously picked up by the tail and defeated. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 53|Bonus Edition Vol. 53}} Metroplex would later think about how his life in the Legends World had been peaceful until Trypticon appeared. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Metroplex)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} After Metroplex left the city, Trypticon took his place as Mayor Megatron's office building, suffering an attack from the [[Concurrence]] as a result. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 63|Bonus Edition Vol. 63}}

During his invasion of the Legends World, [[Tigerburn]] used his head mode to take over Trypticon, transforming him into a [[Laser Beast]], only to cause his own defeat before he had the chance to use the dinosaur. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 64|Bonus Edition Vol. 64}} Trypticon was damaged in [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and [[Katsu Don]]'s attempt to destroy the world, but repaired by [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] using the [[Zodiac]]'s power. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 66|Bonus Edition Vol. 66}} Megatron later deployed Trypticon to help defend the world from [[Majin Zarak]], but its size and power dwarfed even him and he was obliterated by its firepower, though Full-Tilt survived. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One}}

===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:KingoftheHill-interlopers.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|How many little cars does this guy carry around??]]
When [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] informed Decepticon Earth commander [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] of his decision to shut down the [[space bridge]] in order to conserve energy, Shockwave petitioned him for one last use of the bridge, that they might send the deadliest Decepticon on Cybertron to attack the Ark and take its energy resources for their own. Ratbat agreed, and dispatched Trypticon into the forests of [[Oregon]], where he was spotted by paleontology student [[Rachel Becker]] as he stomped his way toward the Ark. Preferring to face his enemies head-on rather than ambush them, Trypticon launched a [[sonic-scrambler mine]] at the Ark to draw a small investigative team of Autobots out, then promptly began bombarding them with firepower in his battle station mode. With more sonic-scrambler mines carpeting the cave entrance to the Ark in order to prevent any Autobot reinforcements coming to the aid of the team, the Autobots seemed doomed, until Trypticon's attention was drawn by his minion, [[Wipe-Out]]. [[File:MarvelUS27 DinobotsVsTrypticon.JPG|275px|thumb|Probably the least embarrassing explanation for a burning sensation in your gonads.]] Trypticon's flunky had captured Rachel Becker and brought her to Trypticon to be destroyed, and Trypticon transformed back into his saurian mode, intrigued at the prospect of eliminating an organic. Suddenly, Trypticon was attacked by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], who had been observing the conflict from afar and sought to protect the human. The other Dinobots soon came stampeding into battle, and Trypticon was able to hold his own against all five of them; indeed, he might have even won the battle, had the miserly Ratbat not contacted him to inform him that he had exceeded his allotted energy expenditure for the mission. The space bridge materialized next to Trypticon, and he broke off the fight, calmly obeying Ratbat's orders to return to Cybertron. The "defeat" of Trypticon promptly led to Grimlock being elected Autobot leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

''Much later, when the Autobot mad scientist [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]] threatened Cybertron with his [[zombie]] army, only a small band of Autobots, along with the Decepticon [[Flywheels]], stood against him. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] made the questionable decision to allow Flywheels to break off from the group to seek reinforcements, but the Autobots need not have worried: the [[Duocon]] returned with Trypticon, who smashed his way into Flame's underground base and delighted in stomping zombies underfoot.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}
{{-}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Trypticon participated in a tumultuous battle on a moon base. He and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] shot at [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] as they entered the conflict. {{storylink|Decipher the Decepticon}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:WarWithin2Devastation-Trypticon.jpg|left|200px|thumb|It is entirely possible he speaks with a British [[accent]].]]
Trypticon began life as an early Decepticon military project, the prototype iteration of which was put to use in the Decepticons' initial wave of attacks after the death of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] around eight million years ago. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}}

Trypticon himself was created when the prototype was upgraded during the period of time known as the "Dark Ages", between seven-and-a-half and six-and-a-half million years ago. Investigating reports that merely described a "mobile command base," [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] led a team of Autobots to the [[Praetorus Wharf]] in search of this mysterious new Decepticon weapon, and they wound up driving ''onto'' the camouflaged structure before they even knew it. Just as they realized their mistake, the base transformed into a towering saurian robot mode and introduced itself as Trypticon, delighted at the prospect of a full-fledged trial run of its destructive capabilities. {{storylink|Devastation}} Prowl's Autobots threw everything they had at Trypticon, but even with the aid of some reinforcements led by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], they proved unable even to slow down the titan. They would surely have been destroyed had Trypticon not been called away to the [[Neutral Territories]] to aid his leader, Shockwave, who had been attacked by the minions of the mysterious [[The Fallen|Fallen]]. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} Trypticon later joined an allied team of Decepticons and Autobots in battling the Fallen's minions in [[Protihex]], where he put his impressive firepower to use trying to blast open the door to the [[Well of All Sparks]]. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

Despite his effectiveness as a killing machine and his delight in the use of his powers in his formative years, Trypticon came to doubt the Decepticon cause and hate his role in it. He thinks that his abilities will eventually merit his taking leadership of the Decepticons, though he accepts this with the same resignation as the rest of his futile existence. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar5 trypticon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
As part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces, Trypticon defended the newly unified Decepticon army's base against a combined Autobot/[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] strike force. A massive barrage from [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and G.I. Joe's artillery almost felled the giant Decepticon.

Later, a vision of the future witnessed by a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-empowered [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] showed Trypticon fighting alongside [[Iron Klaw]] against [[Sgt. Savage]] and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

====''TransTech''====
Trypticon was part of the [[S.K.A.R.]]-Decepticon alliance against the Autobots and [[Screaming Eagles]]. A clash between him and Fortress Maximus nearly destroyed Earth's magnetosphere, but ultimately, the Autobots and Joes won the day. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01}}
{{-}}
===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Stormbringer issue 1|''Transformers: Stormbringer'' #1]]

[[File:Salvation TheLegendOfTrypticon.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2]]

An ancient, bestial [[Titan (group)|Titan]], Cybertronian legend held that Trypticon had been created by [[Mortilus]], god of death, using the [[Void Scepter]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}} Whatever the truth of his origins was, Trypticon was ancient, having lived on Cybertron since the days of the [[God War]] between the members of the [[Guiding Hand]], {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}} until the day he was defeated by fellow Titan [[Metroplex (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Metroplex]] and sealed away deep underground beneath the [[Toraxxis Plains]]. {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}} There he remained dormant until an explosion opened up the caverns and he was rediscovered by a team of [[Autobot]] scientists sent to investigate. Old carvings nearby depicted Trypticon doing battle with normal Transformers, {{storylink|Underworld (IDW)|Underworld}} causing [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] to theorize that the mythical [[Knights of Cybertron]] had been responsible for the sealing. {{storylink|Prey (issue)|Prey}} When [[Scorponok (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Scorponok]] learned of the monster's existence, he had the caverns bombed, destroying the seal and awakening Trypticon in the hopes that he would bring Cybertron's civilization to its knees. {{storylink|Unleashed}}

[[File:Monstrosity11 prime vs trypticon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2|Smile! You were filmed with a hidden camera!]]
Trypticon went on a mindless rampage across the planet, destroying everything in his path and prompting the Autobots to gather their strongest weapons in an attempt to defeat him. As he entered [[Harmonex]], the Autobots lured him close to the city's giant central structure and collapsed it on top of him. {{storylink|The Illusion of Control}} Unharmed, Trypticon emerged from the rubble and unleashed countless "[[cyber-morphic predator]]s", dragon-like minions created within his internal foundries, to attack the Autobots. Knowing that the monster hailed from ancient times, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] tried to use the power of the equally ancient [[Matrix of Leadership]] to defeat him, only for Trypticon to ignore the artifact and stomp on him. {{storylink|Annihilation}} After devouring [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]], Trypticon detected the presence of his old nemesis Metroplex in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and began heading in his direction. However, Grimlock and Megatron were still alive within him and located and destroyed his core, powered by a type of [[energon]] that caused increased strength and aggression, causing the monster to go offline. Megatron later returned to the fallen giant and placed the [[spark]] of the [[Quintesson]] [[Pentius]] within his extinguished core, reawakening Trypticon under his command. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (issue)|Belly of the Beast}}

[[File:Primacy3 MetroplexVSTrypticon.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|'''''A Tale Of Two Cities''''' {{-}} ''(Beating The Crud Out Of Each Other)'']]
The method of Trypticon's resurrection caused him to inherit the intelligence and memories of Pentius, making him more than a mindless beast, and also forged a connection between his spark and Megatron's. Megatron was suspicious of Pentius's influence on the giant's mind, so Trypticon let him look into his mind and read his very memories, memories that were a jumbled mix of his own and Pentius's. Convinced that enough of Trypticon's mind and desire for destruction remained, Megatron accepted him into the Decepticons and had him use his space-faring [[alternate mode]] to take the Decepticons off Cybertron. {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}} After a journey across space to gather their forces, the Decepticons returned to Cybertron and had Trypticon dropped from orbit onto Iacon (and, thus, his rival, Metroplex). {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}}

The two giants fought in a mighty battle in which Trypticon used his beastly claws and tail to his advantage, but in the end he was grappled onto the ground where Metroplex curb-stomped his head, breaking his jaws off. As he lay defeated, however, Trypticon revealed he was merely a distraction that allowed the other Decepticons to impale Metroplex with their other starship. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} Megatron later realized the will of Pentius and his desire to destroy Cybertron did indeed live on within Trypticon, prompting him to try to extract the Quintesson's spark from the fallen beast. Before he could do so he was confronted by Optimus Prime, who used the Matrix to purge the remains of Pentius's spark from the Decepticon leader's systems, and likely Trypticon's as well. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

[[File:Trypticon Old Ways.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0]]
Trypticon was later integrated into the Decepticon army proper by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}} Early in the war, he was part of a battle during which he waited in disguise for the Autobots to advance right into his arms. However, Optimus Prime suspected a trap, and ordered his troops to retreat instead. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Old Ways}}

Hundreds of years ago, Trypticon fought [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] alongside Megatron, Optimus Prime, and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}} He survived the battle and was part of a major Decepticon counter-offensive on what was left of Cybertron shortly thereafter, led by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[File:Salvation TrypticonStarshipMode.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Like most Transformers, Trypticon abandoned the devastated Cybertron and returned when the war was winding down, only be frozen in the ice of [[Praetorus Wharf]] when [[Vector Sigma]] "reset" the planet. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}} His inert form was discovered by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], who used the corrupted energon within him in twisted experiments involving newborn sparks. A group of Transformers transporting a shipment of sparks drove across Trypticon's body on their way to [[Alyon]], but failed to recognize the black metallic surface. {{storylink|The Transformers: Redemption|Redemption}}

Intending to use Trypticon's internal [[space bridge]] to conquer the galaxy, Bludgeon used the sparks to reactivate the Titan and took control of his mind using a replica of the mythical Void Scepter. He had Trypticon attack Iacon before transforming him into his starship mode for the conquest, but his plans were cut short when the Void Scepter was destroyed. Free from his control, a vengeful Trypticon blasted Bludgeon into scrap before returning to the depths of Cybertron where he was said to be created. Reflecting on how everyone had always treated him nothing but a force of destruction, he took Bludgeon's stolen sparks into himself and let them form [[protoform]]s from his body's [[Living metal|metal]], intending to become a force of creation instead. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}}

[[File:TheDeadComeHomePart2 TrypticonEmerges.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Following the [[Iron Ring]]'s invasion of Cybertron, the group was approached by [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] who discovered the growing [[protoform]]s and sent a message to [[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]] about them. When Blackrock arrived, [[Slag (G1)|Slug]] attacked his fellow [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]. [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] fled the battle to check on the protoforms only to be tailed by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] who was subsequently tackled by [[Sideswipe (IDW)|one of the protoforms]]. Arcee aiming her sword at the protoform was enough to rouse Trypticon into action, who broke through the ground and demanded a stop to the fighting. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] then proposed that Trypticon then become [[Earth]]'s embassy so that the protoforms could be placed under Optimus' protection rather as opposed to becoming tools of Starscream. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}}

After the embassy had been established within Trypticon, he mainly hung around the outskirts of Iacon in robot mode. When visiting [[Marissa Faireborn]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] complimented her on her new lodgings. {{storylink|Starscream: The Movie (comic)|Starscream: The Movie}}

[[File:UnstoppedAndUnstoppable TrypticonSlugChat.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|left|]]
Eventually, "[[Onyx Prime]]" returned to Cybertron, but when the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] was unmasked as none another than a time-travelling [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]], Iacon quickly collapsed into anarchy, culminating in [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]] fatally wounding [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]. Trypticon was unwilling to risk his protoforms by entering the battle against his taciturn sibling, and, over the protests of his crew, he promptly generated a spacebridge to Earth to protect the protoforms exactly as Shockwave had predicted. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}} Trypticon materialized on [[Mount Rushmore]], causing widespread panic as the United States government tried to establish a perimeter around his person; unaware of this minor crisis, he had a philosophical discussion with [[Slag (G1)|Slug]]. When [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] surrendered himself over to human custody, the authorities directed Trypticon to allow [[Rom]] to make usage of his space bridge. {{storylink|Unstopped and Unstoppable}} Trypticon opted not to take part in the discussion regarding Jazz's release and remained on the sidelines when the Dinobots clashed with the [[Colonist Soldiers]]. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}}

[[File:Trypticon blasted.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.6|Trypticon vs. Green Laser Beam proved a bit one-sided.]]
Shortly afterwards, the threat of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] made itself clear as the planet-eater arrived over Earth, and in order to defend the next generation of Cybertronians Trypticon realized that he would have to take up arms. After unloading his cargo of sparks and protoforms so that they would be kept safe on Earth, {{storylink|Ceremony}} the Titan joined [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] in Earth's orbit to bring the fight to Unicron, piloted by [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]]. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}}

This battle was intended as a distraction, to keep the planet-eater occupied long enough for Optimus, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]], [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], and [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] to slip past Unicron's defenses with the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]]. Despite bringing his full might to bear, Trypticon was the first to fall, rent in half by Unicron's eye laser. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

{{-}}

===''Alternity''===
Trypticon was one of several powerful opponents chosen by a higher-dimensional [[Megatron (G1)#Alternity|Megatron]] in a "[[#Transformers: Mystery of Convoy|game full of death and suffering]]", to go against [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Alternity|Optimus Prime]]'s [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|avatar]]. {{storylink|To Die Game!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Trypticon SEEK.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Once wild, Trypticon was tamed by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and fashioned into the mobile capital of the [[Decepticon Empire]] on Cybertron, his cavernous mouth serving as Megatron's throne room. [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] targeted him during their [[G.I.Rocket]] bombing run on the planet, but the bombs were stopped by a force field and Trypticon counterattacked by unleashing Decepticon troops from his mouth to take down their [[Defiant (G.I. Joe)|ship]]. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} [[Destro]] later used the [[M.A.S.S. Device]] to travel from Earth to Trypticon for an audience with Megatron. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}} Furious that the Autobots had formed an alliance with G.I. Joe, Megatron had Trypticon attack their home at [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], but before he could finish off the mode-locked city-bot he was interrupted by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. Trypticon bit the meddler's head off, only for said head to transform into [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] and hold his jaws open as Autobots and Joes made their way into the throne room. {{storylink|Everybody Hates Metroplex}} Trypticon later watched as a victorious Megatron defeated Optimus Prime and had Cybertron dig its "horns" into Earth. {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}}

With Earth destroyed, Megatron and his Cobra allies celebrated with a feast inside Trypticon. {{storylink|Earth: R.I.P.}} As Megatron turned his attention toward the [[sun]], transforming Cybertron into [[Primus]] so the planet could absorb the star's energy, he had Trypticon wander out on one of its horns. {{storylink|Escape from Primus}} Setting out to stop this, the joint forces of the Autobots and G.I. Joe attacked Trypticon, negating his force field using a sonic signal programmed with information gathered by [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Tunnel Rat]] and [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] during their time in the Decepticon base. Trypticon's insides were then punctured by Metroplex's fist, allowing the "Jotobots" entry into him, and he was ultimately taken down by a blast from [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]'s [[Peacemaker]]. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}
{{-}}

===''Knights of Unicron''===
The Trypticon Dinobase, located on Planet Chaar, was the eighth venue for the [[Knights of Unicron (band)|Knights of Unicron]] on their 2014 "Till All Are One" tour. {{storylink|Knights of Unicron (band)|Knights of Unicron}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
Trypticon is an ancient [[Titan (group)|Titan]] who travels between worlds crewed by [[Wipe-Out|Necro]] and hungrily gobbles living [[Titan Master]]s the way others would Energon cubes. {{storylink|Trypticon (G1)#TitansReturn|''Titans Return'' Trypticon online bio}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
During the Great War, Trypticon was infamous as a [[Titan (group)|cityformer]], ravager of worlds. When the [[Human Confederacy]] became fed up of Cybertronians, Trypticon was among the Decepticon forces who took part in the doomed [[Great Push]] of [[2033]]. During this, he was critically injured, and Full-Tilt volunteered to become a form of [[Powermaster]], replacing Trypticon's busted transformation cog. With the war over, Trypticon was repurposed as a spaceship, called the ''[[Dinosaur (ship)|Dinosaur]]'', and came to be crewed largely by Predacons (and the odd Maximal), who remained unaware of their ship's true origin, merely thinking it was just a ship. Trypticon became increasingly bitter over his lack of mobility, and came to hate the Proto-races.

By the 24th century C.E., the ''Dinosaur'' was the only Cybertronian warship allowed near the border of the [[Allowed Zone]]. During this patrol they went somewhere near Arkus, and the ship's paranoid security chief [[Killer Punch]] became convinced there was a stowaway on board, and had the ship torn apart looking for it. Nobody knew that [[Dead End (BWN)|Dead-End]] had smuggled [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]], a [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] aboard. {{storylink|Intersectionality}}

On Cybertron, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] mused that if he wanted to conquer Cybertron or invade other planets, few could have stood in his way other than Trypticon or the [[Titan (group)|Titans]], wanly noting that Trypticon never liked fair fights anyway. {{storylink|Head Games}}

Around the time the [[Grand Uprising]] began, the ''Dinosaur'' received a signal from [[Metascan Omega|LGC-8802]], a planet of interest to the Builders. It also received a signal from Cybertron, Lio Convoy's call-to-arms, which prompted the ship's political officer, Synapse, to murder Hydra to cover it up. Trypticon agreed with Synapse's decision, taking his side over Full-Tilt's objections.

Shortly after arriving at LGC-8802, the ship came under attack from an Intruder craft, which they fought off. Killer Punch became suspicious of Hydra's absence and went looking for him, but Trypticon shifted his insides about to prevent the Predacon finding his comrade's body. With some help from Magmatron, Killer Punch managed to get to the lab, only to find Synapse waiting for him. After explaining what had happened, Synapse had Trypticon murder the Predacon. Only Killer Punch had anticipated this, and broadcast the fact to Magmatron, who made his way to the bridge to recruit everyone else left. Trypticon responded by trying to kill everyone with the auto-guns. When that didn't work, Trypticon changed tack, trying to roast them with burn-off from the engine.

Elsewhere, the ship had been infiltrated by [[Medusa]], who vaporized Trypticon's main turbine, sending him into freefall. Magmatron tried using this fact to stop his trying to kill them, but Trypticon continued regardless. Magmatron's quick thinking convinced Trypticon he'd crushed him and Guiledart good, unaware they'd managed to slip through to Full-Tilt's quarters. Soon after, Magmatron told Dead-End to find Trypticon's brain and shut it down. As she got close to Trypticon's processor, he unleashed Brunt on her. As this happened, Magmatron tried fixing the engines, but was distracted by Synapse's arrival. By the time the political officer had been dealt with, Trypticon was too far gone, rendered unable to fly again as it entered the atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Dead-End used Trypticon's notorious temper to distract him, as she set her pet Sharkticon on Brunt, gaining access to his computer core, and began methodically removing the chips controlling Trypticon's mind and personality. As she did, Trypticon pleaded with her to stop, as he felt his mind going. She didn't, and Trypticon died.

His body remained a problem, but Guiledart was able to revive Full-Tilt, who did what he could to slow the fall. With some assistance from the Logicon hive-mind on the planet below, Trypticon's body was slowed enough to hit the ground without destroying it, before it transformed into Trypticon's dinosaur form to control its crash-landing. Once it stopped, Trypticon's corpse turned into a badly battered city, never to fly again.

In the cycles that followed, what was left of Trypticon was salvaged, and eventually turned into a city. {{storylink|Intersectionality}} Dinosaur City was a thriving colony a decade later when the [[Vok]] arrived to judge them. {{storylink|The Inexorable March}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Todaro]] (English)}}
[[File:Machinima-Titans-Return-OHR-Trypticon.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"RUN! IT'S [[Godzilla|GODZILLA]]!" "It looks like Godzilla, but due to international copyright laws, it's not." "STILL! WE SHOULD RUN LIKE IT IS GODZILLA!" "(Though it isn't.)"]]
[[File:TR-Ep10-All-Things-Must-Pass-Trypticon-dies.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Trypticon was an old Decepticon battle station, used during the Great War. He was eventually destroyed, and his remains were buried over time. {{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}} Starscream, left as an aimlessly-floating spark after his destruction, passed over the destroyed Decepticon Titan and was unwillingly pulled into his body. As Trypticon was revived, a light was emitted, catching the attention of [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and Metroplex. {{storylink|Aftermath and Rebirth}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Our Heroes Respond}}{{storylink|The Fight Begins}}{{storylink|Overlord and Emissary}}{{storylink|At the Last Second}}{{storylink|Desperate Actions}}{{storylink|Run for Our Lives}}{{storylink|In Good Hands}}{{storylink|Consumed}}{{storylink|All Things Must Pass}}}}

===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
[[File:PrimesDirective1-Trypticon.jpg|thumb|left|250px|]]

As [[World War III]] consumed [[Earth]], the Autobots chose to flee the planet aboard the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], unaware that the Decepticons had chosen to pursue them aboard Trypticon, a Decepticon Titan of their own. After years of following the Autobots through deep space, the Decepticons finally caught up with their foes just after the Autobots detected an energon deposit on the nearby world of [[Cygnus Seven]]. An orbital battle commenced, and only ended when the Decepticons abandoned Trypticon to board the Autobot Titan... just before Maximus wound up crashing onto the surface, sending him and all of his occupants into [[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}} Trypticon, evidently abandoned, went dormant for several centuries and wound up on a nearby moon in his city mode.

In the mid-23rd century, [[Kuri]]'s group of [[Klingon]] warriors from the nearby [[Klingon Empire]] would discover Trypticon's form after their [[Warbird (Star Trek)|Warbird]] had been shot down by the [[Federation]], who had recently colonized Cygnus Seven. Their investigation of the mysterious city, which they mistakenly believed to be a Federation base, prompted Trypticon to send out a Decepticon signal, which caught the attention of the recently awakened [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and alerted Megatron and the other Decepticons to rendezvous at Trypticon's current position. On discovering the organics, Megatron decided to make an alliance with the aliens to take down their mutual enemies. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part One}}

[[File:PrimesDirective2-EnterpriseShotDown.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

The Klingons allowed Trypticon to [[scanning|scan]] their damaged ship; thanks to this, the Titan gained the ability to transform into a Klingon warbird and gain the ability to cloak, allowing the Klingons to ambush the [[USS Enterprise|USS ''Enterprise'']] as it tracked the Decepticon signal to the moon. In his new shape, Trypticon promptly decloaked and crippled the human starship before he led the charge to the [[dilithium]] mining colony on Cygnus Seven itself. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}}

[[File:PrimesDirective3-RAAARRRH.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Trypticon kept to the skies in the ensuing confrontation, raining down fire on the [[Federation]] facilities, until Fortress Maximus—himself reformatted into a copy of the ''Enterprise''—entered the fray, prompting Trypticon to assume his robot mode and unleash his [[fire-breath]] on the heroes. Undaunted, the Autobot Titan transformed into his own robot mode, now "Fortress Tiberius" thanks to his mental merge with [[James Kirk|Captain Kirk]] and invited his ancient foe to take him on. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Three}}

As the Autobots, Decepticons, Federation, and Klingons fought around them, the two Titans slugged it out, and though Trypticon was able to get an early advantage over his opponent, he was unprepared when the Autobot, desiring revenge from their last confrontation, reconfigured his warp engines into a pair of shoulder-mounted cannons to blast him from afar. Though Trypticon quickly recovered, using his fiery breath to melt through Tiberius's armor, he was finally laid low when Kirk disentangled himself from his shared mental connection from Tiberius and knocked Trypticon out with a single punch.

[[File:PrimesDirective4-CygnusVIIBattle.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

When Megatron realized that he had been double-crossed by Starscream, who had absconded with a load of dilithium and fled to [[Kronos]] to conquer the Klingon homeworld for himself, the Decepticon leader sounded the retreat, with Trypticon resuming his starship mode to beam his allies aboard so as to pursue Starscream. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

Megatron's Decepticons caught up with the treacherous Air Commander shortly after the latter had invaded the Klingon capitol building and attempted to install himself as emperor; Megatron, however, was more concerned with taking the planet for himself, and ordered the Decepticons to raze the planet and rebuild it into the capital of a new [[Decepticon Empire]]. Before they could do so, however, Optimus Prime and his allies appeared, having augmented their forces with [[Crewbot|transforming battlesuits]] for the crew of the ''Enterprise''. Trypticon battled Kirk once more, and was able to defeat him after Soundwave deployed a paralyzing signal... but the Decepticons were unprepared for the Klingons, who were immune to the frequency and able to counterattack with a flotilla of warbirds. After ratifying a makeshift truce with the Federation, Trypticon and the other Decepticons were imprisoned on Kronos. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Five}}

==Commercial appearances==
When Trypticon came under attack by the Protectobots, the Decepticon city transformed into its battle station mode to fight back. The Protectobots responded by combining into Defensor, prompting Trypticon to transform once more, this time into its dinosaur mode. Trypticon then forced Defensor to fly off with a torrent of fiery breath. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Defensor and Trypticon|Defensor and Trypticon commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
[[File:MysteryofConvoy Trypticon.png|thumb|"Oh... it's MechaGodzilla. Of course! I should have known."]]
On a search for the truth behind the death of Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus endured a game of death and suffering that culminated in a final battle with Trypticon at the end of the [[Time Tunnel]]. Trypticon hurled fireballs at the City Commander, but Magnus's unrelenting barrage of attacks on his head ultimately caused Trypticon to fall. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
[[File:HeadmastersNES trypticon.jpg|left|thumb]]
When the Decepticons captured some of the Autobots' greatest warriors, Sixshot and Trypticon attacked the planet Earth. Trypticon was the first foe faced by Chromedome on his quest to rescue his allies, striking at the Autobot from an elevated platform. Although this set-up left Chromedome at a disadvantage, since he was waging the battle in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], he persevered and defeated Trypticon. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:CalloftheFuture trypticon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}

====Autobot story====
Right when the [[Autobot]]s had found the drill they were looking for in the [[Karzite mine]], Trypticon gave out a loud roar. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] recognized it, but he was in disbelief about what it meant. Sure enough, Trypticon fell from the sky, stating that the Autobots were too late. The Decepticon announced that he was going to crush all of the Autobots now that they had nowhere to run. Surprisingly, the Autobots managed to take down Trypticon, who cried out and announced his being hurt afterward. Threatening the Autobots that he would not forget his defeat and warning them that he would crush them some day, Trypticon fled back to the Decepticon base.

====Decepticon story====
After [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] was defeated for the second time, Trypticon arrived and offered to help, but quickly realized that he was of extremely limited usefulness in the search for the [[Zel Quartz]]. His massive size made him a liability in a search, so he sent [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]] in his stead. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Trypticon, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time", was part of a Decepticon team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Autobots in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Bumblebee, Rodimus, Grimlock, Jetfire, and Optimus Prime, Trypticon was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===''Transformers G1: Awakening''===
[[File:Trypticon g1awakening stats.jpg|upright=1.1|left|thumb]]
Trypticon was among the Decepticons who pursued and boarded the Autobot [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. When the ship crashed on [[Earth]], all inside were sent into stasis, but the Decepticons woke up four million years later and resumed their conquering ways. Trypticon was put to work guarding the [[space bridge]] they were building, and was ordered to destroy [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] when the traitor scouted the area. He completely failed to keep the Autobots from the bridge, and after Optimus Prime's team was captured on Cybertron, Trypticon was placed on guard duty. He was unable to prevent the Autobots from escaping, however. He later took part in Megatron's ill-fated assault on the Ark, and completely failed to stop the Autobots when they attacked the Decepticon fortress on Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
[[file:TFLegends-Trypticon.jpg|thumb|"B..but Trypticon will destroy the world!" "There is ''no'' world to destroy now."]]
Growing desperate, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] summoned Trypticon to the field of battle. The titan's firepower allowed Galvatron's forces to push further into Autobot territory, despite their opponents bringing out [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|The Colossus War}} After making a number of coastal attacks, Trypticon leveled [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] and set his sights on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. Unfortunately for him, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] supplied Metroplex with a new [[transformation cog]], and the giant Autobot sent Trypticon crashing to the bottom of the sea. {{storylink|Monstrosity}}

[[Unicron]] had his eyes on Trypticon as a potential new body for himself, however his agents were intercepted before they could reach the giant Decepticon. {{storylink|Unicron Returns}}

===''Transformers Operation Omega''===
In every battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, Decepticon forces were deployed from Trypticon's city mode to march towards the Autobots, who were in turn deployed from Metroplex on the opposite side of the battlefield. Whenever Trypticon sustained too much damage, the Decepticons lost the battle. {{storylink|Transformers Operation Omega}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Trypticon''' (Decepticon City, 1986/1987) [[File:Trypticon g1 toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Don't mention the training wheels on the tail—he embarrasses easily.]]
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-63'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 loading ramps, 2 blaster stands, single-barreled blaster, double-barreled blaster, 2 scanners, 2 connectors, large tower, small tower, 2 tank treads, laser cannon, Full-Tilt, Full-Tilt's electro-disruptor.

:Trypticon transforms from a large grey, teal and purple dinosaur into a city mode, and from there into a mobile battle station. Trypticon shares many similarities with his contemporary and counterpart, Metroplex; he is accompanied by an entourage of smaller robots—the transforming mini-car, Full-Tilt, who forms Trypticon's chest plate, and the tank, Brunt, who is formed from several of his city mode towers and other pieces—and in city mode, he can link up with the leaders of the 1986 Decepticon [[combiner]] teams, [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], when they are in their base forms. Unlike Metroplex's combiner connections, the two leaders don't plug directly into Trypticon, instead linking up to him through two smaller "connector" pieces. This interactivity was played up to a great extent in Japan, where he was released as part of the ''[[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]'' sub-line.

:In an undocumented feature, these connector pieces can plug into Trypticon's back in dinosaur mode, where their acute angles make them look like more ''Godzilla''-styled back plates; when in this configuration you can also plug Trypticon's small weapon accessories into the concavities of the connector pieces, giving him more of a "complete" transformation.

:Trypticon is further distinguished from Metroplex by the inclusion of several electronic gimmicks. Two C-size batteries power the electronics of Trypticon himself, allowing him to walk in dinosaur mode and causing his scanners and blasters to spin in city and battle station mode, respectively. Trypticon's main laser cannon (also part of Brunt) is powered by an AA battery and flashes orange.

:This mold was later [[retool]]ed, [[redeco]]ed, and sold with fewer accessories as ''[[Beast Wars II (toyline)|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Megastorm#Gigastorm|Gigastorm]].

:Like a fair number of larger Generation 1 toys, Trypticon was never released in the UK.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Trypticon/trypticon.htm More information on Trypticon at TFU.info]''

===Transform Jr===
[[File:Trypticon jr toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Mintasaurus]]
*'''Dinosaurer''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-63'''
**''Accessories:'' 4 ramps, laser cannon

:The ''[[Transform Jr]]'' version of Trypticon shrinks and simplifies the original toy, omitting the electronics, the battle station mode and... the color purple.
{{-}}

===Classics===
[[File:Class06-toy Trypticon.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Trypticon not want cuddles! Trypticon want smash Metroplex!]]
*'''Trypticon''' (Legends, 2006)

:The ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' version of Trypticon is a [[redeco]] of ''[[Legends Class (2005)|Legends of Cybertron]]'' [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], transforming into a three-headed robotic dragon. His extra shoulder-heads are painted up to evoke the original toy's over-the-shoulder towers/cannnons.

: He [http://www.toynewsi.com/news.php?catid=242&itemid=10656 needs cuddles].

:This mold was later used to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Grrr]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/ClassicsTrypticon/trypticon.htm More information on Trypticon at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Device Label===
[[File:Device Label Trypticon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Mouseasaurus.]]
*'''Dinosaurer''' (2009)

:Takara's ''[[Transformers Device Label|Device Label]]'' Trypticon transforms from a working USB laser mouse into a mechanoid raptor. He shares this mold with ''Device Label'' [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Device Label|Grimlock]].

:According to early [[BigBadToyStore]] solicitations, the mice were originally supposed to depict Generation 1 [[Overkill (G1)#Device Label|Overkill]] and ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Dinobot (BW)#Device Label|Dinobot]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Destron/DLTrypticon/trypticon.htm More information on ''Device Label'' Trypticon at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Kre-O===
[[File:KreO-Toy Trypticon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Trypticon''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2014)
**''Bag number'': '''40551 48'''
**''Accessories'': Stand brick, double barreled gun, 2 claws

: Part of the fifth assortment of [[blindpacking|blind-bagged]] [[Kreon]] [[Micro-Changer]]s, Trypticon can be rebuilt from robot mode into a dinosaur. The tampographs on his torso are based on his [[#Classics|''Classics'' Legends Class toy]] rather than his [[#Generation 1|original G1 figure]].

:He shares the tyrannosaur-head helmet with [[Farside]].
{{-}}

===Generations===
====Platinum Edition====
[[File:Platinum-edition-trypticon.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Trypticon''' (Platinum Edition, 2015)
**''Accessories'': 2 loading ramps, 2 blaster stands, single-barreled blaster, double-barreled blaster, 2 scanners, 2 connectors, large tower, small tower, 2 tank treads, laser cannon, Full-Tilt, Full-Tilt's electro-disruptor.

:''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Trypticon is a reissue of his original toy. Both Brunt and Full-Tilt are included along with all his electronics, including the motorized walking gimmick.

:This reissue features non-reflective eye stickers and shorter guide stripe stickers on the central ramp. There are several tooling changes, such as larger power switches, battery covers that are held shut by screws, molded detail replacing the large bearings on his legs, and bizarrely, added plastic on his feet that keeps the purple "U" pieces from being flush with the rest of the foot. He features dull grey plastic as opposed to silver, and the thigh's holes that connect the grey piece is now retooled to make the piece plug in properly. Brunt's cannon is now a friction joint instead of a ratchet joint.

:This figure was officially released as an [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] exclusive in the United States and Canada. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers [[BigBadToyStore]] and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines; usually found at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores, though it's currently unknown whether it was actually a Toys"R"Us exclusive there or not). In Australia, it was sold at Toys"R"Us stores, whereas in the United Kingdom, it was both sold at Toys"R"Us stores and officially available via the UK division of Amazon, making this the first official UK release of ''Generation 1'' Trypticon! In Germany, he was originally available via Bankroft, an online retailer that otherwise specializes in [[Nerf]] blasters and accessories, as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German [[fandom|fan]] sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to Actionfiguren24, a German online retailer that specializes in imported toys, who was able to lower its price for its existing stock of imported Insecticon sets as a result.

:Unusually for a ''Platinum Edition'' figure, Trypticon (aka "Dinosaurer") was even officially released in Japan, exclusively available as a lucky draw prize (limited to 300 pieces) via [[TakaraTomy Mall]], labeled as a ''[[USA Edition]]'', the first of those in nearly a decade.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Decepticon/PlatinumTrypticon/trypticon.htm More information on ''Platinum Edition'' Trypticon at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TitansReturn}}

====Titans Return====
[[File:TR Trypticon Robot.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|It's big. It's massive. It's almost as tall as Metroplex, and [[Fandom|we]] love it.]]
*'''Decepticon Necro & Decepticon Full-Tilt & Trypticon''' (Titan Class, 2017)
**''Accessories:'' [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]], Full-Tilt's gun, [[Wipe-Out#Generations|Necro]] Titan Master, Cannon/Full-Tilt holder

:Trypticon beat out [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] to become winner of a Facebook poll held by Hasbro in November 2015 to determine who would be the next Titan Class figure.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/transformers/photos/a.153259298077606.36631.146805978722938/926169094119952/?type=3&permPage=1 November 24 2016 photo]</ref><ref>[https://www.facebook.com/transformers/photos/a.153259298077606.36631.146805978722938/931380200265508/?type=3 There truly is nothing that can stand in the way of Trypticon. With your votes, he smashed his way to becoming the next ''Generations Titans Return'' Titan Class toy. Mark your calendars, and look for him to hit shelves late 2017.]</ref> Standing at 20 inches tall, ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Trypticon is the tallest Decepticon figure ever made, and features several new action features like a spring-loaded pop-out forehead-gun and the ability to "eat" Titan Master figures, who fall down his throat into his stomach, which can be opened to retrieve them. His city mode unfolds to around three feet wide, and the "battle station" mode of his classic toy is rebranded as a spaceship that can fit a Deluxe-class action figure in its forward bay. The front of the spaceship mode features sculpted faux eyes, intended to make it look like it is formed by Trypticon's head. In lieu of electronics, Trypticon comes with his old partner [[Full-Tilt (G1)#Titans Return|Full-Tilt]], who has been significantly upgraded to become a full-sized Deluxe figure in his own right, with his own Titan Master partner, [[Wipe-Out#Generations|Necro]], who is actually a new version of Trypticon's comic bud, [[Wipe-Out]]. Since his head is obviously too large to interact with Titan Masters as most Titans Return figures do, he features a slot near the back of his head where you can insert a head-mode Titan Master, causing the orange canopy on his head to open and the laser cannon to slide up.

:Early production runs of the figure had a serious design flaw in the hip ratchets: a combination of strong springs and weak plastic caused the mechanisms of the joints to destroy themselves very quickly if they were used. Cutting the springs in half or repeatedly compressing them to reduce their length appears to solve this problem on affected copies of the toy. Later production runs appear to have fixed the issue entirely. Similarly, early specimens of this figure had a chest door that would not latch closed properly and could not bear the weight of Full-Tilt; this too was fixed in later shipments. However, the tail is entirely a different matter: the gears inside can potentially make a "snap!" sound even if care is taken while posing, causing the tail to droop down.

:The large cannons on Trypticon's back can be extended; this is mentioned in the instructions, but not depicted in any of the stock photography. Originally, the paired towers on Trypticon's back were symmetrical in their design, mirroring each other. A later [[variant]] was released with a [[retool]]ed right tower, mimicking the asymmetrical tower designs on the original figure.

:On Monday 13th February 2017, the Monday before [[Toy Fair 2017]], a picture of the toy was released and swiftly withdrawn from the Transformers Instagram account.

:In fall 2018, huge quantities of Trypticons were found at outlet stores in the U.S. for a fraction of their original price. This may be a sign of poor initial sales, or a result of other retailers buying up what was supposed to be a year's worth of inventory from recently bankrupted U.S. branch of [[Toys"R"Us]].

:Like [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Generations|Fortress Maximus]], Trypticon doesn't come with his vehicular drone Brunt, though [[Brunt (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|a new Brunt]] was later announced a year later for the ''Siege'' toyline.

{{-}}

===Legends===
[[File:TF-Legends-Dinosaurer-with-Full-Tilt-promotion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|We couldn't find a stock photo of the box, so here's a promotional image! (Note: Metroplex and Air Raid not included).]]
*'''Dinosaurer (Trypticon)'''<ref>The packaging says "ダイナザウラー" (Dinosaurer) in Japanese, but the accompanying English subtitle is "Trypticon".</ref> (2017-[[August 26|08-26]])
**''ID number:'' '''LG43'''
**''Accessories'': [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]], Full-Tilt's gun, Headmaster, Cannon/Full-Tilt holder

:''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' Dinosaurer is a very minor redeco of the ''Titans Return'' figure above, only changing the color of the screws to black. This version of Trypticon appears to have fixed the hip issue from the beginning.

:As seen in the [[Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|43rd volume of the ''Legends'' Bonus Edition manga]] printed on his instructions, Trypticon can also convert into a "New Dinosaurer" mode by transforming his legs backwards and converting his tail into his "alternate" head.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Tfgum trypticon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Dinosaurer''' (1986)
**''Accessories:'' Large tower, small tower, 2 tank treads, laser cannon, Full-Tilt

:A snap-together model kit of Trypticon was available as part of the fifth wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' [[candy toy]] series. A much-shrunken version of the original Trypticon toy, the kit transforms into something of a cross between city and battle station modes, and still comes with all the pieces to make Brunt, as well as a non-transforming car mode Full-Tilt. Molded from black, red, and grey plastic, Trypticon has stickers for detail rather than paint operations, and came with a stick of gum.
{{-}}

===Transformers Caramel===
[[File:Trypticon keshigomu.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Dinosaurer''' (1986)
:A small soft-rubber ''keshigomu'' figurine of Trypticon, similar to the larger [[Decoy]]s, was released as part of Kabaya's line of ''[[Transformers Milk Caramel]]'' candy toys. Like all the figures from the 1986 range, he came [[blindpacking|blindpacked]], and was available in a variety of pearlescent colors including red, yellow, blue, and green. As the name of the series suggests, he came with a piece of caramel candy.

===Forms Robo===
*'''Dinosaurer''' (1987)
:Trypticon was also among the ten characters who were rendered as part of the ''[[Forms Robo]]'' line of over-sized ''keshigomu'' figures. He came individually packaged in a plastic baggie, and was available in red, yellow, green, or blue. Of the various ''Forms Robo'' figures, Trypticon is easily one of the hardest to find, rarely appearing on the secondary market.
{{-}}

===MyClone===
[[File:Trypticon myclone.jpg|thumb|All together now: Awwwwwwww!]]
*'''Dinosaurer''' (MyClone, 2003)
**''ID number:'' '''MTF018'''
**''Accessories:'' Display stand
:The Trypticon [[MyClone]] is the adorablest little killer dinosaur you ever did see. He was released in the third wave of the ''MyClone'' line of Transformers PVC figures, and comes with a hexagonal teal display stand, which can link up with the identical stands included with other MyClone figures. His modular design allows his parts to be mixed and matched with those of any other MyClone figure.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1TrypticonHeadCompare.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]" model on top, "[[Call of the Primitives]]" model on the bottom.]]
[[File:TFLegends-Trypticon-Godzilla-comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Son of a scrapheap, he just ''won't'' quit."]]
*A {{w|triptych}} is an artifact divided into three hinged folding segments. Though obscure, this is an appropriate name for Trypticon, because his tyrannosaur mode ''is'' a triptych, unfolding into three segments when it transforms into city or battle station modes. See, parents, this stuff is educational too!
*The cut-down version of Trypticon's original [[bio]] used for his toy packaging omits basically every subtlety of his personality, mentioning only his great destructive power and none of his unfiltered hatred, boredom, and self-loathing. Which is likely a large part of why you never saw that side of him in Generation 1 media!
*Trypticon's original [[Tech Spec]]s give him a very high rank of 9, but he is never portrayed as somebody so far up in the Decepticon power structure. But then again, not many would argue with a towering dinosaur robot that's bigger than Godzilla.
*Trypticon has two completely different [[character model]]s. The first was used for his appearances in "[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]" and the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]], while the second, more toy-accurate model was used for all his appearances in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|animated series]]. Virtually ''every piece'' of Trypticon's body is different between the two models, whether in shape, detail, or both; notable features of the earlier model include rounded legs and feet, and differently shaped shoulder-buildings. The early model ''is'' superior in one regard to the early one, however: it colors Trypticon's optics. They were left uncolored on the finished model, and he spent the entire cartoon looking as if he had no eyes.
**The early model is published in ''[[Transformers: The Ark]]'' and Marvel's ''[[The Transformers Universe]]'', and depicts Trypticon's translucent orange nose-panel as being open, as it was on the finished model. However, there was obviously a variant version of the early model with an alternate head design that had a ''closed'' nose panel, because that's how Trypticon looks in the actual Marvel comics and "Scramble City" animation.
*A [[:File:GanbareMetroplexAdvertisement01.jpg|wonderfully nonsensical advert]] for the Metroplex and Trypticon toys [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)#Part 1|published in ''TV Magazine'']] depicts him attacking Metroplex while the Autobot City holds the lifeless Optimus Prime in his hand.
*''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Grimlock (SG)|Grimlock]]'s color scheme is based on Trypticon. His character [[bio]] (and this was when Grimlock was an idiot) had Trypticon's Marvel Generation 1 motto: "Total victory requires total destruction."
*In a subtle nod to his Godzilla-like nature, Trypticon's [[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|''Transformers Legends'']] card art is an homage to the poster art for 2004's ''{{w|Godzilla: Final Wars}}'' (shown, bottom right)

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Dinosaurer''' ([[beast mode]], ダイナザウラー ''Dainazaurā''; "Scramble City", ダイノザウラー ''Dainozaurā''), '''Dinobase''' (city mode, ダイノベース ''Dainobēsu'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Triptikon'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Bàolóng Jīngāng''' (Taiwan, 暴龍金剛, "''Tyrannosaurus'' {{w|Vajra}}"), '''Tiějiǎ Lóng''' (China, 铁甲龙, "Iron-Armored Dinosaur")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Tripticão'''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon bases]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cities]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titans Return Decepticons]]
[[Category:Zone Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titans]]

Springer (G1)

2019-08-10T15:19:26Z

He-l-en1959: a new foreign name is added

{{factions|autobot|wreckers|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Springer}}
{{suite}}
:''Springer is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Springer-decipherthedecepticon.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|You're all clear kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!]]
'''Springer''' is the archetypal action hero: great in a fight, unselfconsciously brave, confident, and always ready with a dead-pan sarcastic quip to lighten the moment. Someone you can depend on to ride in, save the day and be smug about it.

Though his easy self-confidence is one of his most notable features, actually being responsible for others weighs heavily upon his otherwise jocular personality. Nonetheless, Springer ascended to lead the [[Wrecker]]s. He has twice been named as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s successor to take the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and lead the Autobots, though neither one actually came to pass.

Springer combines the thrusting power of his legs with his retro thrusters to move rapidly through the battlefield, leaping tall structures in a single bound. Although he is quite speedy, he is not faster than [[Superman|a speeding bullet]].

{{quote|I've got better things to do tonight than die.|Springer in the defense of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Neil Ross]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese)|[[Li Danqing]] (Chinese), [[Willi Röbke]] (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1–4" and "Nightmare Planet"), [[Peter Musäus]] (German), [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]] (German, "Webworld"), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, "Fight or Flee" and "Ghost in the Machine"), [[Frank Muth]] (German, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[Pierre Hatet]] (French, ''The Movie''), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Spanish), [[János Bácskai]] (Hungarian, Second Movie Dub)}}

[[File:Springerandarcee.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Springer was among the first Autobots to leap into the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005. He helped [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] transform the city into its heavily-armed, armored fortress configuration, and later used an oversized piece of artillery to bombard [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]].

[[File:Springer launcher devastator.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|"Springer go make boom-boom now."]]
When [[Unicron]] made his existence known to the Autobots by destroying two of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s moons, Springer was among those who left Earth aboard a shuttle to stop the Chaos-Bringer somehow. The ship Springer was aboard crashlanded on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], where a battle erupted between the Autobots and the native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], during which Springer dueled with the Junkion chieftain, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]].

[[File:Springer Choked.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb]]
After arriving at Cybertron, Springer and the other Autobots wound up inside Unicron himself, where they desperately fought off Unicron's internal defenses. Luckily, just as one of the defensive claws was about to crush him, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] opened the Matrix of Leadership, destroying Unicron and becoming Rodimus Prime. Springer and the rest escaped the monster by driving out through its eye and into space. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Springer’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series "[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]," the storybook "[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]" and the "Special Edition The Transformers: The Movie extra page" of "[[Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe]]."}}

[[File:Springerfivefacescopter.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The physics of this makes no sense.]]
A year later, Springer attended the first [[Galactic Olympics]] alongside his fellow Autobots. Unfortunately, the festivities were interrupted by an [[Skuxxoid|alien mercenary]] who turned the Olympic torch into a giant flash/smoke grenade, and then a battalion of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] attacked. Springer was able to douse the torch from the air, but by then, the attackers had already fled, having captured [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]. Springer immediately volunteered to track the escaped alien saboteur, and was joined by Arcee. They followed their quarry to his strange base ship, an asteroid-like spacecraft referred to as a "[[Rockeroid]]". The mercenary fled after misleading his pursuers into believing that the Decepticons were behind the attack, and Springer was fortunately able to pilot his ship (barely). {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

Springer flew the Rockeroid to the distant planet [[Chaar]], where he arrived just in time to save Rodimus Prime and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] from being beaten to scrap by a mob of Decepticons. Later, a badly-damaged Rodimus prepared to pass the Matrix on to Springer in anticipation of his imminent demise. Fortunately, the Autobot leader did not die, but rather experienced the Cybertronian equivalent of a near-death experience, wherein his [[Spark|"life force"]] left his body to embark on a very trippy (and poorly animated) journey into the Matrix itself. Immediately afterwards, Springer participated in a daring rescue mission to save Ultra Magnus and the others from the [[Quintesson]]s, only for the group's ship to get caught in the explosion of [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}

Before long, they all wound up on [[Goo 8739B]], where Springer was disassembled by the planet's mobile garbage disposal unit. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Fortunately, he was rebuilt and restored to life by the Junkions. As Rodimus contemplated the mysteries of the Quintessons, Springer advised the others to leave him alone, give him some room to think, and trust him not to do anything rash. When he found that Rodimus had scrambled his own circuitry to enter the Matrix, Springer expressed his disapproval to his commanding officer in a calm and respectful manner. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

{{quote|Are you CRAZY?! Why'd you short-circuit yourself?! Get up, you... you moron!|Springer}}

Springer and the others returned to Cybertron in time to defend against a major Decepticon offensive. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[File:DarkAwakening-Springer.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a blaster by your-''WHERE'S MY BLASTER?!'']]
Sometime later, Springer, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], Grimlock and [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] were on-hand when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] miraculously returned from the dead, telling tales of how Rodimus, Arcee and an Autobot shuttle crew gave their lives against the Quintessons so that he could escape, and return to Cybertron. Springer eagerly jumped on the bandwagon to follow Optimus and the entire Autobot fleet to hunt down the Quintessons and avenge Arcee and his friends. ''Especially'' Arcee. He was on board the flagship when Rodimus and the others, alive and well, intercepted the fleet and stopped the Quintesson trap from being sprung. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

When a strange unidentified ship entered Cybertronian air space, Rodimus Prime sent [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and Springer out to rescue the occupant before he crash-landed. Inside, they found the long-lost Autobot Triple Changer known as [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], who now lived on a peaceful planet called [[Paradron]] which had just been invaded by the Decepticons. As the Autobots returned to Paradron to overthrow the Decepticon oppressors, Springer teamed up with Rodimus and Sandstorm to free the captive Paradronians. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

[[File:NightmarePlanetSteed.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|For Narnia!]]
Springer and Ultra Magnus picked up an electromagnetic disturbance in a remote region of Cybertron, and drove out with Rodimus Prime to investigate. They were ambushed by a [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] assassination squad, but ''all'' the Transformers were ambushed again by the Quintessons' latest toy: a device which turned the nightmarish dreams of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] into physical reality. Springer and the Predacon commander [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] were kidnapped by a massive [[dragon]] and flown off to an isolated castle. Tossed into the dungeon, Springer and Razorclaw met a [[Fairy-tale princess|princess]] being held captive by the dragon. Going with the flow, Springer took up her quest to defeat the dragon and return the princess to her father. Knight Springer and his faithful steed Razorclaw, whom the princess had promised [[gold]] as reward, escaped the dungeon and took up the search for the "magic [[lance]]" necessary to kill the dragon. Riding into battle atop the Predacon's back, Springer plunged the lance into the dragon's chest and then followed the yellow brick road back to his friends. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

While on monitor duty on Cybertron, Springer and Blurr caught sight of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] on what appeared to be an attack vector. After the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] shot him down, the Autobots learned his "assault" was just the latest in a series of recent events involving [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's ghost]], who had stolen the eyes of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] for Unicron. Springer joined Ultra Magnus and the Protectobots on a spy mission to Unicron's head in order to investigate further, but they were violently repulsed by the Planet-Eater's internal defenses. Things got even more complicated once Scourge turned on his "partners" and reported to the Autobots that Unicron planned to use Trypticon's transforming cog to connect himself to Cybertron, and convert the entire planet into his new body. Luckily, Springer and the others were able to <s>casually chuck</s> plant energon explosives at the base of Unicron's head as he touched down, blasting him back out into space before he could connect with the planet. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

On a geological survey to uncover [[isidrite]] for their weaponry, Springer and the Autobots were attacked by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s forces, seeking the mineral for their own purposes. Luckily, Galvatron beat up most of his own troops for them, giving the Autobots a chance to depart. {{storylink|Webworld}}

[[File:VampireDepth.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Coooookiiiieeees.]]
When Perceptor finished construction of a new experimental power core for Cybertron, Springer used his helicopter mode to lower the core into place. Naturally, the Decepticons attempted to acquire the power core for themselves, but were led astray by their Quintesson "allies" who instead directed them towards the [[Hibernation Chamber]] of the [[Trans-Organic]]s. Springer and the other Autobots caught up with the 'Cons just in time to find them in pitched battle with the unleashed Trans-Organics, including the massive and monstrous power-sapping [[Dweller]]. The Dweller drained the energy from its victims on contact, then placed them inside incubation tubes on its back. [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and three [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] were among its first victims. Springer valiantly scaled the creature and tore open its rear casing to free his friend and renew his series for another season. No good deed goes unpunished, though, for the creature had transformed Wreck-Gar into a [[Energy vampire|vampiric]] extension of itself, an undead robot who drained energy from others to feed it back into the Dweller itself. Springer became a victim of the very robot he tried to save. Luckily, Perceptor was able to concoct a method of correcting their power imbalance, restoring Springer, Wreck-Gar and the other victims to normal. The Dweller was launched into space once it latched onto the power core, thanks to Perceptor's bizarre security measures which allowed him to jettison the entire unit with the pull of a lever. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[File:SpringerOnlyHuman.jpg|upright=0.9|thumb|Surprise, he's the green one!]]
Somewhere on Earth (it doesn't really matter where) a crime spree was raging, and the Autobots were called in to help. Springer lent his helicopter mode to rescue civilians trapped in burning buildings during a series of bombings. Springer, Arcee, Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime were called in by an anonymous tip that would be their "big break in the case". Springer laughed off the police chief when he suggested it might be a dangerous trap, but he stopped laughing when [[Victor Drath]] and "[[Cobra Commander|Old Snake]]" captured the Autobots inside of a minute. Not one to waste resources, Drath eliminated his enemies and developed powerful new weapons at the same time by converting the four Autobots' mental essence into synthetic organic forms. He ordered the organic material destroyed but, surprisingly, it seemed to form itself into four genuinely human bodies for the Autobots. Springer and the "Autobots" escaped Drath's thugs in the scrapyard where they were being disposed of, and sought cover in a nearby shed. In the sort of plot contrivance not revived until ''Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers'' years later, the Autobots found four matching jumpsuits inside, each perfectly replicating their individual color schemes. As a human, Springer faced some tough lessons, like shaving and dealing with sidewalk preachers.

[[File:Only-human-springer-helicoptermode.jpg|upright=1.1|left||thumb|Ultra-Titan-Masterpiece Springer - it's ''bigger'' than the real thing.]]
After finding Drath's men test-driving the Autobots' now-inanimate bodies in the city, Springer ingratiated himself with the gang due to his ability to "pilot" the Autobot like a pro. The gang was set to infiltrate Autobot City inside their robot drones and then detonate Metroplex from the inside-out. After learning the plan, Springer carjacked himself (rescuing the captured Ultra Magnus in the process) and then flew to intercept the other Autobots before they reached Autobot City. Desperate to keep the Autobots from innocently letting their "friends" inside, Springer opened fire on Autobot City himself in order to force the Autobots to raise their defenses before the explosive-laden vehicles got too close. He succeeded in getting himself shot out of the sky, but at least Metroplex was put on alert and the bombing of Autobot City was stopped. Perceptor whipped up a reversal-transference doodad, and Springer and the others were returned to their rightful bodies. {{storylink|Only Human}}

After Galvatron's goons sabotaged the master power generator on Cybertron with [[anti-electron]]s, the Autobots began experiencing system irregularities. In Springer's case, he was attempted to fly [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to the repair bay when he transformed in mid-air and crashed instead. The problem was eventually corrected, but surely Springer missed out on a good opportunity to tease Sky Lynx about tarnishing his "oh so perfect" flight record. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:CotP-BlasterEject.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Blaster, please, now isn't the time for this!]]
On a barren planetoid, Springer was fighting alongside Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] against the Decepticons. They were pinned down in the trenches, waiting for "[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Commander Modesty]]" to arrive and lend some air support. Once he arrived, though, Sky Lynx and the other "[[primitive]]s" on both sides were called into space by a signal only they could hear. Before either side could fully comprehend what had happened, a massive energy creature known as [[Tornedron]] arrived, draining them dry of their energy. Luckily, Grimlock and the primitives eventually managed to save the universe and undo the power loss suffered by Springer and the others. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

During a skirmish in [[Japan]], Springer was present when Rodimus temporarily reverted to Hot Rod. He and the other Autobots held off an attack by the Decepticons when Scourge briefly took control of them and the Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

When the Quintesson scientist was describing the consequences of leaving the [[Time Window|time window]] open, the scene showing temporal loops included a race, in which Springer was a participant.
{{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Legends'' comic (1)=====
In the [[Legends World|Legends Universe]], upon recognizing [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Tigatron]] recalled the scene where she fought [[Unicron]]'s inner defenses alongside Springer and Kup. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 10|Bonus Edition Vol. 10}}

In [[2004]], Springer founded the new Autobot unit known as the [[Wrecker]]s {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 7|Bonus Edition Vol. 7}} simply because he'd learned the name from [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] and thought it sounded cool. Their mission statement was "doing cool stuff", and when Optimus Prime disagreed and changed it to "cleaning up around [[Mount St. Hilary]]", Springer got so upset he transferred to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] instead. {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter}}

=====Wars manga=====
Springer fought against [[Shockwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]]'s army of evil Autobot clones on one of Cybertron's moons. When Hot Rod and [[Dark Hot Rod]] went out to destroy the Decepticons' cloning facility, he didn't have much faith in them. {{storylink|Rodimus Wars}}

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms''=====
Responding to an SOS from deep space, a team of Autobots including Springer helped rescue a human spacecraft from the jaws of a spaceship-eating Decepticon vessel. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}}

When the Autobots were attacked by the [[Megatron Corps]], Springer speculated that perhaps the Quintesson were behind this new threat. The Megatrons proved to be tough opponents, and Springer and the other Autobots encouraged Rodimus to get away to safety while they held the Megatrons back, but the Autobot leader refused. Soon, it was discovered that one of the Megatrons was Galvatron in disguise, who was remote-controlling the duplicate Megatrons himself. Rodimus dispatched Galvatron, and the Megatrons lost power, allowing Springer and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] to make short work of them. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #2}}

Springer was part of the Autobot team who traveled to the planet [[Feminia]] to defend its [[Prime Energy Tower]] against a Decepticon attack. Though things looked grim when [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] joined the fight, the Autobots wound up winning the day when the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s showed up and toppled the Decepticon into its fellow combiners [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

=====''The Great Transformer War''=====
After the resurrection of Optimus Prime, Springer battled [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the other Decepticons in deep space. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
Alongside [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Springer was sent from [[Athenia]] to Cybertron in order to defend against a major Decepticon assault. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} The Triple Changers then travelled to Earth, where they helped [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] sneak into [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] by keeping their Decepticon counterparts busy with a dogfight. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

=====''Legends'' comic (2)=====
After his separation from Arcee, Springer began to eat his feelings and, by the [[2030]]s, his Wrecker teammates began to show concern for his increased girth. Embarrassed, Springer vowed to turn his life around. When [[Whirl (G1)#Legends comic|Whirl]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)#Transformers Legends comic|Roadbuster]] told him of their homeplace of the [[Legends World]] and that he could get a new body there, Springer contacted [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] there, who created a portal for them to pass over. There, Springer got a new, sleek body from [[Rhinox (BW)#Legends comic|Rhinox]], and he immediately got a cadre of admirers. {{storylink|LG19 Sprung Prologue}} This drove [[Tigatron]] to jealously, and he stole Alpha Trion's [[10.2 ultra-drill|ultra-drill]] to bring in women from across the [[multiverse]] to adore the tiger. They all ultimately turned their attentions to Springer. Eventually, Springer came across the Legends Universe's [[Arcee (G1)#Transformers Legends comic|Arcee]], who he confused as [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|his Arcee]]. After being corrected, Springer asked her out, but was immediately turned down. In shame, Springer fled back to his home dimension. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 19|Bonus Edition Vol. 19}}

On Springer's return, the other Wreckers pushed him into confessing his love to his own Arcee, though how she responded is unknown. When the Wreckers learned that the Legends World was under attack by [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], they all agreed they had to help and traveled over there, {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter}} where Springer ended up held back by Windblade's [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] while [[Twin Twist]] battled her. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 65|Bonus Edition Vol. 65}} Once Windblade was defeated, Springer considered the case closed, though Twin Twist and [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] weren't so sure. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 66|Bonus Edition Vol. 66}}

====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
Springer aided in the Autobots' exodus of Cybertron when, in the year 2001, the Decepticons had managed to conquer the entire planet. He helped a wounded Wheeljack get aboard a spaceship as Optimus Prime covered their escape. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
At the dawn of the [[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]], Springer was granted full access to a "confiscated weapons" hold to better equip himself against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his clone army. After arming himself to the teeth, he followed [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] into battle against the invaders. {{storylink|Termination}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In a universe where [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and [[gbwiki:Gong|Gong]] had mixed [[GoBot]]s into the [[Unicron War]], Springer helped fight off [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]]'s ambush on Autobot City. He fired on [[gbwiki:Water Walk|Water Walk]] and teamed up with Arcee to help shift the fortress into its defensive configuration.

Then the universes twisted around each other, creating a timeline where the [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]]s were besieged by Decepticons—a timeline where Springer never existed—and then a new timeline where members of all four factions were running around. After the death of [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] and the advance of Unicron, Springer was forced to flee Earth with [[gbwiki:Major Mo|Major Mo]], Arcee, Nick, and A.J. when Galvatron and his new minions [[Fracture (Movie)|Fracture]] and [[Deadlift]] attacked.

Springer's ship was shot down over [[Quartex (planet)|Quartex]], where they encountered [[gbwiki:Magmar|Magmar]]'s evil [[Rock Lord]]s. When Kup and Hot Rod arrived from [[Antares 3|Antares III]], the re-united forces forged an alliance with [[gbwiki:Boulder|Boulder]]'s heroic Rock Lords and drove off the villains. The Autobots, Guardians, [[gbwiki:RoGuns|RoGun]]s, and Rock Lords made their way to Cybertron, where they battled Unicron. Unbeknownst to any, [[Vector Prime]] had fixed the crumbling reality from behind the scenes, and restored the Matrix to its normal state, allowing for Hot Rod to become Rodimus Prime and save the day. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

====''Deviations''====
In a world where Optimus survived the Battle of Autobot City, Springer was aboard Ultra Magnus's shuttle; on Optimus's orders, they planned to return to Cybertron and finish the Decepticons before they could regroup.

On the way back to Cybertron, the Autobot convoy was attacked by "Megascream" – the new leader of the Decepticons, a reformatted Starscream now in service of Unicron. Hot Rod impulsively decided to reverse the engines, and his maneuver warped the ship to the [[Tyrolian Quadrant]], above the planet Junkion. With the shuttle now critically damaged, Springer yelled at Hot Rod for his recklessness; although Hot Rod and Daniel ejected aboard an escape pod, the other members of the ship died when the shuttle exploded over Junkion. {{storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukexclusive|Springer}}
[[File:Triplechangerstarget2006.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|This trinity's going to war!]]
Springer was a member of the Wreckers commando squad, originally meant (with the other Triple Changers) to substitute for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] in [[Operation: Volcano]] to fend off the [[Decepticon]] reinforcements while the other Wreckers dealt with Cybertron's deadliest. [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] decided to the best way to convince [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] that Springer, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] were up to replace Magnus was by having them pretend to be Decepticons and beating the [[Slag (slang)|slag]] out of him. So that's more or less what they did. Except they had to gang up against him. While he was unarmed. And with an [[inhibitor claw]] on his back. Nonetheless they did impress the Wreckers leader, and quickly begun training in [[Debris]]. But even as Volcano began, there were still worries that the three newcomers might not be enough to replace Magnus. Ultimately, Volcano did not take place, instead being replaced by Impactor having half his head blown off by a [[Macabre|nobody Decepticon]]. After blowing Macabre away, Springer and the Wreckers watched Impactor's life pass away. Evidently particularly impressed by Springer, Impactor chose him as his replacement to lead his motley crew. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

[[File:Magnus springer under fire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|"Springer, I swear this is just pollen."]]
Despite Springer being placed in this position of authority, he continued to unquestioningly take orders from Ultra Magnus. Under his command, they tracked down what Magnus thought was a Decepticon spy disguised as Optimus Prime, and prepared to gun him down. Unbeknownst to them, the Autobot commander was the genuine article. The execution was interrupted by Outback, who distracted Springer and his Wreckers with a gas particle bomb in order to allow Prime to escape. Springer was unperturbed by this turn of events, and assured Ultra Magnus that his troops would catch up to the escapees in a few breems. Magnus requested instead that he be allowed to chase down the "spy" himself, borrowing a trio of [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]] units to do so. {{storylink|Under Fire!}} Doubt began to creep into Magnus's mind as he pursued his quarry, however. Springer and the other Wreckers joined in chasing the "spy" while [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] was called in to voice his opinion on the situation. Springer, Whirl, Broadside and Sandstorm were the ones who located the target first, but Xaaron arrived in time to recognize that Optimus truly was who he purported to be, and Optimus was welcomed back into the fold. {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} Afterwards Prime rallied the Autobot forces on Cybertron, leading Springer and the other Wreckers on raids to secure Decepticon-held ressources. The last of these raids launched without Optimus present however, as it served as a distraction, allowing him to face off against Megatron while Springer and the others kept the Decepticon rank-and-file occupied. {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

After the super-Decepticon [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] wound up trapped in the hardened lava-flow of [[Mount Verona]] on Earth, Springer sent three of his soldier, [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]], [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]], and [[Fizzle]], to keep tabs on him. But when their first report came in, they had shocking news: not only had Galvatron broken free from his prison, but the trio had lost track of him after he had made his way to the Ocean floor off the coast of Florida. Springer was at a loss on what to do next, considering that Galvatron had proved near-invincible in the past. {{storylink|Enemy Action!}}

[[File:Generic autobots marvel uk 166.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|Being nuked is no excuse for lack of proper hallway etiquette, Springer.]]
Springer felt unworthy of his role as leader, and suffered from worries that he couldn't handle it, worries made worse when he proved unprepared as [[Kalis]] was overrun by the undead. Upon facing Impactor's [[zombie]], Springer mentally crumbled, rendering him completely ineffective against the shambling horde. The Wreckers were captured by the zombies' master, the mad scientist [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], and the lot of them were put in a cell guarded by the undead Impactor. As they were all fitted with [[inhibitor band]]s, preventing them from transforming, Springer's leaping abilities presented the Wrecker's with only one means of escape; the tormented Triple Changer would have to overcome his self-doubt, and jump through a ceiling grate to reach the surface. Xaaron convinced Springer to once more believe in himself, but as he made the jump, Impactor grabbed a hold of Springer, and both burst into the ventilation ducting above. By imploring him to fight Flame's control, Springer succeeded in getting Impactor's mind to resurface, allowing him to carry on to meet up with Ultra Magnus's team. {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}} After informing Magnus's team of had been going on, Springer doubled back to put an end to the crazed scientist's schemes. As they walked, Springer learned that Magnus had also recently made a questionable decision as leader of his unit; letting his Decepticon captive, [[Flywheels]], go in order to secure reinforcements. Springer sympathized with his fellow commander, as they both were forced to make impossible decisions and live with the consequences.

[[File:Springer sparkabots magnus meltdown.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95]]
By the time Springer's group made it back to the Wreckers' cell, the prisoners had already freed themselves and made short work of another legion of zombies. Both groups merged, only to find their path blocked by a massive blast door. Taking [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] with him, Springer headed for the surface once more, this time to grab some heavy armament and blast through this newest obstacle. They didn't get far before coming upon [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]! But the massive Decepticon was on their side; Flywheels had come through with reinforcements after all. With the behemoth's help, the Autobots breached Flame's inner sanctum, though a little too late. The planetary engines were already destabilizing, and the only way to shut them down was to go into a control room already bathed in deadly radiation. Springer volunteered to lay down his life for the mission, but Xaaron insisted on doing it himself. Cutting through the remnants of Flame's zombie army, Springer made it back to the surface... and was soon joined by Xaaron after all! It turned out, the undead Impactor had once more sacrificed himself to save his homeworld. Springer and the Autobots stood in solemn silence, paying homage to their fallen comrade for his heroism. {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:Nightstickwreckinghavoc.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
That done, it was time for the main mission: Take the Wreckers to Earth to face [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Springer helped prepare for the journey while Ultra Magnus and the Sparkler Mini-bots found themselves getting roped into another mission on Cybertron. {{storylink|Deadly Games!}} Unfortunately, Springer's team found themselves sent by the [[space bridge]] to a human city, as Galvatron was meeting with two other time-displaced Decepticons, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. Though this threatened to compromise the mission immediately, the Wreckers nonetheless threw themselves at their foe. As Springer had predicted, the fight against Galvatron began causing major destruction and endangerment of human life, so he decided to lure Cyclonus and Scourge away, pretending he'd captured Galvatron's time-jump device. The rest of his team quickly followed, saving Springer from getting killed by the two Decepticon stooges, but allowing Galvatron to escape in the process. The mission a failure, Springer led the Wreckers back to Cybertron with the intent of returning for Galvatron later. {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}}

[[File:Uk203 cover detail.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"See Springer, that's the difference between you and I. Organization. Careful thinking. Forward
planning. And that is why I sleep in the arms of a beautiful woman and you spend your evenings alone in your bedsit. With ''cheap porn''."]]
On their homeworld, Springer managed to form a tenuous alliance with [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]'s [[Mayhem Attack Squad]]; a time storm resulting from the super-Decepticon's prolonged stay in the past had formed, threatening all of reality and convincing the Decepticons to aid in the Wreckers' mission to return him to his proper era. Unfortunately, by the time the Autobots' [[Advance Surveillance Unit]] located Galvatron once more, he had formed an alliance with "[[Straxus (G1)|Megatron]]." Even with the support of the Decepticons, the Wreckers were massacred, with Springer's order to retreat and fight a running battle doing nothing to stop the slaughter. He did manage to speak with Scourge during the battle though, convincing him to help in mending the [[time rift]] by fetching Cyclonus's body. Furthermore, Springer's heroism impressed Mayhem leader [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] so much he disobeyed his orders to kill the surviving Autobots; the two also saved each other's life during the battle. {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Survivors marvel uk 222.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
In the battle's aftermath, Springer and his remaining teammates were left stranded on Earth, with their compatriots on Cybertron telling them they were unable to send over a new ship. Growing frustrated and paranoid, the Wreckers began to believe that the other Autobots were embarrassed by their task force, and were purposely ignoring them. They were approached by Carnivac and Catilla, who felt equally abandoned by their own faction. With them was another Decepticon [[Pretender]], [[Snarler]], who still felt that allying with the Autobots constituted treason. Himself hesitant to join forces, Springer was relieved when Inferno reported on a procession of emergency vehicles passing by, and used this development to postpone the conversation. Springer, Inferno, and Broadside investigated while the Decepticons hung back.

The Autobots found [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], recently released from [[Limbo]], threatening to explode the [[Hudden Nuclear Power Plant]] in order to eradicate several monsters that had spawned from his dreams in the nether-dimension. Springer and the others managed to talk him down from triggering a nuclear meltdown, but hesitated in killing the monsters, fearing that their destruction would lead to Skids's death. The odds stacked against them, Springer called upon the Decepticons they had met earlier for aid. Snarler and Catilla arrived in time to turn the tide of battle and all of the monsters were killed. Better yet, it turned out that Skids could survive independently from the monsters after all! Fighting alongside Carnivac once more put to rest any doubts Springer had; he readily accepted the Decepticon's offer to band together. Their group branded themselves the "[[Survivors]]," with Springer becoming their leader. {{storylink|Survivors!}}

[[File:Springer broadside inferno skids survival run.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|That WAS a unicorn, I swear it!]]
Carnivac eventually chafed under his leadership, and whacked Springer one, while ranting that he had grown tired of rescuing humans all the time. Though Catilla tried to convince Springer to have patience with the Decepticon, Carnivac's outburst convinced Springer that they would never see eye-to-eye. Unfortunately for Carnivac, he left Springer's group right when a new Mayhem Attacked Squad arrived to kill him! {{storylink|Way of the Warrior}} When he learned of Carnivac's plight, Springer decided that their teammate had forfeited his membership to the Survivors already, and thus was on his own to deal with his attackers. Catilla was outraged by this verdict, and left to help out his fellow ex-Decepticon. Springer turned to his fellow Autobots, looking for approval for his decision, only to be met with glares and scowls. {{storylink|Survival Run}} He was convinced by the others to go to Carnivac's aid, but while Carnivac was saved, [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]] was killed. {{storylink|A Savage Place!}}
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Wolf in the Fold Springer.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Grrrrr. >:(]]
Springer wanted to wait for the Mayhem Attack Squad to make the first mistake before seeking vengeance for Catilla, but Carnivac couldn't wait. He set off on his own to enact his revenge. Without time to formulate a decent plan, Springer realized the Survivors would need raw numbers to defeat the Mayhems, and that meant dealing with [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Earthforce]]. Asking for help to save a Decepticon... Springer ruminated that Grimlock was likely to declare them all traitors on the spot. {{storylink|Wolf in the Fold!}} Still, they went to Earthforce, pledging the Survivors' allegiance in return for them helping rescue Carnivac. Upon storming the beach where the Mayhems were holed up however, Springer learned from Bludgeon that they were apparently too late; according to him, Carnivac was already dead! However, it turned out that Carnivac had only faked his death by allowing the destruction of his Pretender shell. He turned up just as Springer was about to execute Bludgeon in revenge, staying the Autobot's hand in order to deny Bludgeon a warrior's death. The remaining Mayhems were taken into Autobot custody, Snarler, Needlenose, and Spinister having already met their end at Carnivac's hands. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}}

[[File:Starscream survivors divide and conquer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Soon thereafter, the Earth-based Decepticons under [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] attempted to divide the Autobots' attention, staging a full-scale assault on [[Earthbase]] while Starscream secured a [[Oil tanker|tanker full of fuel]] in the meantime. While the main Earthforce defended their base, however, Springer led the Survivors in fighting back against Starscream's energy-stealing attempt. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}} When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] came under the mental thrall of one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s cerebro shells, Springer accompanied Grimlock and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] in their attempts to stop the rampaging combiner. Superion proved to be too powerful to stop with brute force, and so the Autobots coerced [[Irwin Spoon]] into infiltrating Superion's infra-structure, and removing the cerebro shell manually. Irwin succeeded in the nick of time, stopping Superion just before Springer and the others were forced to open fire on him to prevent a township from being crushed. {{storylink|Inside Story!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
{{note|The movie adaptation, originally published by Marvel US, is in italics}}
''At some point, earlier in their careers, Springer and Ultra Magnus managed to evade Megatron's forces by triggering a domino-effect within an asteroid field near the planet [[Beta 4|Beta Four]]. They caused the space rocks to collide into one another until the debris made it impossible for the Decepticons to track them.'' {{storylink|Judgment Day!}}

[[File:Springer arcee the planet eater.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2]]
''In [[2005]], Springer was stationed at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] when it came under a major offensive from Megatron and his Decepticons. He and Arcee transformed the outpost into its defensive configuration, but the enemy nevertheless managed to breach its walls. The Decepticons were eventually driven off, but at a steep price; in the battle's aftermath, Optimus lay mortally wounded. Afterwards, Springer witnessed Optimus pass on the Matrix of Leadership over to Ultra Magnus before expiring on his deathbed.'' {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

''The Autobots were only given a brief respite before more bad news reached them: a "monster planet," [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], was encroaching on Cybertron, and devouring its moons! The Autobots quickly prepared to head to Cybertron aboard two shuttles, only to be attacked by Decepticon forces led by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], the upgraded form of Megatron. In a last-ditch effort to lose the Decepticons, Ultra Magnus ordered an emergency separation of his group's shuttle. After Galvatron destroyed the jettisoned portion of the vessel (and declared the Matrix destroyed), Springer and his crewmates landed their craft on the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]] for repairs.'' {{storylink|Judgment Day!}}

[[File:Springer wreck gar the final battle.jpg|thumb|upright=1]]
''Though the young boy [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] insisted he wanted to help out, Springer dismissed him, advising the human to stay inside and "play with crayons or something." He showed a more supportive side, however, after Arcee provided Daniel with an [[exosuit]], allowing him to match the Autobots' resilience. But the Autobots barely got any work done before the Decepticons tracked them down once more. Ultra Magnus was drawn in quarters, and Galvatron took off with the Matrix in hand. Worse yet, the hostile [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] next moved in for an attack. Thankfully, Another group, comprising Kup, Hot Rod, and others, then arrived and made peace-talk with the Junkions. All those on Junk then readied for a confrontation against Unicron. This engagement saw the Autobots' ship crash through the titan's eye, and Springer's group found Bumblebee, Jazz, and Spike inside Unicron. Also within Unicron, Hot Rod retrieved the Matrix, which both upgraded him into Rodimus Prime and began a chain reaction, culminating in Unicron's destruction! With the threat now dealt with, the Autobots gathered around Rodimus Prime, who announced that this day would mark a new chapter in Cybertronian history, one that would hopefully contain much peace and happiness.'' {{storylink|The Final Battle!}}

[[File:Peace Rodimus Springer.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|Springimus Prime?]]
In [[2008]], Springer was briefly seen among a massive melee between the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}} Later that year, he was stationed in Autobot City on Earth as it came under siege from Quintesson invaders. All Autobots within the outpost were off-lined and strung up to its outer walls by the aggressors. They were eventually rescued after Hot Rod managed to activate [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and drove the Quintessons off. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

In one future, set in the year [[2510]], the war with the Decepticons finally came to a conclusion. Springer led his Wreckers into battle in Cybertron's northern hemisphere, wiping out the last of the remaining Decepticon warriors. When [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] officially declared the war over, he decided to nominate Springer to carry on the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] for him. Tragically, however, things wouldn't be that simple. A deep-cover Decepticon named [[Triton]] stirred up trouble at the meeting by declaring Ultra Magnus a better choice for the new Autobot leader. His antics led to a brawl between Springer's Wreckers and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], who favored Ultra Magnus. Although Triton was killed in the fight, it was too late: the war began again, this time with Autobot vs. Autobot. {{storylink|Peace}}

=====Another Time & Place=====
[[File:Another Time Place Fangry.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Grimlock and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] rushed off half-cocked searching for a cure for [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] on [[Hydrus Four]], and it was up to the Autobots to bail them out of trouble when they were caught by the Decepticons. Working with a small group (including [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]), Springer caught the Decepticon [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]] alone and pulled him into the sea. Before he could fight back, Springer used a thermal knife to amputate both of his arms, leaving the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] helpless against his Autobot attackers. Cold, Springer. Awesome, but cold.

The Autobots then sprung a surprise attack on the remaining Decepticons, ending in a total victory for Springer and his teammates. With [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s defeat, and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s revival aborted, the war finally came to an end. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Springerg2.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|Hey, Marvel US, it's me!]]
When the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]] ambushed the [[Autobot]]s on the planet [[Ethos]], Springer was in charge of a squad consisting of former [[Wrecker]]s buddies [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Inferno's buddy [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]. Although Springer warned his squad to stay close together, Smokescreen broke formation, resulting in his death and the injuring of Ironhide. Smokescreen's death caused Inferno to lose his temper, and he subsequently also died despite Springer's warnings. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

Springer later helped lay [[Sky Sniper]] mines on Earth, in preparation for a final stand against the coming of the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classics Ultramagnus Springer Grimlock comic.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Springer's the one who doesn't know how binoculars work. Well, one of them, anyway.]]
Springer mainly worked alone against the Decepticons until after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s defeat on [[Klo]]. Fearing the end of the conflict that was so important to him, he was eager to sign on with Grimlock's crew. {{storylink|Games of Deception|''Classics'' Springer's ''Timelines'' profile}}

Fifteen years after the Autobot/Decepticon war ended on Klo, Springer was head of security under Substitute Commander Ultra Magnus aboard the ''[[Graviton (Classics)|Graviton]]'' as it tracked [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]] to Earth. Springer was looking forward to seeing Grimlock again. Once on Earth, Springer and Ultra Magnus were spying on a meeting between the Decepticons that had followed Bludgeon and those that had thrown their lot in with Starscream. After observing Mirage get captured and Bug Bite using modified [[cerebro-shell]]s to control some of the assembled Decepticons, they withdrew. Later using modified cerebro-shell jammers, Springer was part of the Autobot force that disrupted Bug Bite's meeting with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. The disrupted meeting led to Decepticon firing on Decepticon and in the chaos that followed, Springer disabled the Decepticon computers, allowing the raiding party to withdraw with a rescued Mirage. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

[[File:AtFightsEnd-OverkillDragstripAcidStorm.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|And then there was a fight. We guess.]]
Later, [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]], [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]], and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] were waiting on a dusty planet when Springer's rogue team of Autobots attempted to hunt them down. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Wreckers loose ends.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Alright you lazy bums, it's time to make 'em sorry for leaving us outta the first eighty issues!]]
Springer interrupted [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]]'s [[solid light simulation|holographic training session]] (just before Kup would have been defeated by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]) to tell him that the [[Skyscorcher]]s were holed up in the [[Pax Cybertronia Decommissioning Depot]], where they feared they would detonate [[Warbird (weapon)|cobalt-60 warheads]]. Though disapproved by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Springer and the [[Wrecker]]s invaded the facility and captured the Deluxe [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s, saving countless lives. The Wreckers joined Kup in his quest to help the other planets affected by the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], and travelled to [[Earth]], hitching a ride aboard the [[Cosmic Carnival]]. Unfortunately they learned the entire planet had been devastated, and were summarily blown out of the sky by nuclear missiles, launched by Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}}

[[File:Springer ratbat loose ends.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2| Let me tell you, getting BOFFed is no laughing matter.]]
Using escape pods, they crash-landed on Earth. To send a message of their findings to Cybertron, Springer and the Wreckers targeted the [[Deep Space Network]]. While [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] drew off most of the pursuing zombie-cons, Kup, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and Springer made for the dish. When more pursuers appeared, Kup peeled off to deal with them, urging Springer and Whirl to get the message through. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} After [[Rack'n'Ruin (G1)|Rack'n'Ruin]] discovered and was attacked by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Circuit Smasher]], Springer and the other Wreckers quickly surrounded the super-human until a truce was reached. Circuit Smasher, a.k.a. Spike Witwicky took the Wreckers to [[Argus Base]] where they met with [[G.B. Blackrock]]. As they all discussed the fate of Earth and of Spike, they received a broadcast from Megatron holding Kup hostage—an obvious trap, but one that gave Springer an idea. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

Springer took fellow helicopters Sandstorm and Whirl to engage Megatron's forces—knowing it was likely a suicide mission—to give the other Wreckers and Spike's team a chance to storm the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. After Springer was brought down by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], Megatron told him that though killing had lost its appeal, he occasionally would do so to set an example to those who would oppose him. Before Megatron could follow through, Optimus Prime and his team arrived. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}}

Prime commanded Megatron to let Springer go, but the Decepticon leader coldly executed him, sending Prime into a furious attack. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}} Kup was very upset over Springer's death, and blamed his death on Optimus's inaction. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

Another version of Springer was killed in a parallel future, and his corpse was briefly seen by Hot Rod as he passed through on a journey from Primus. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Millions of years ago, before the Ark first left for the Earth, Springer loaded a particularly large shipment of Energon onto the Ark. It would later become lost when the Ark crashed into Mt. St. Hillary. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}

Springer was returning from a road trip with Daniel, Hound and Hot Rod, Bumblebee, Blurr, Wheelie, Kup and Sunstreaker when the group paused to eat at a rest stop. As the Autobots ingested Energon Cubes, Hot Rod asked Kup to tell a story. Kup told the others the story of the loss of the large shipment of Energon, and how it remained lost to the day. Enthralled by Kup's story, the rest of the group were all eager to go looking for this lost treasure. Then Sunstreaker and Springer noticed Laserbeak taking off from their location. The two Autobots realized that Laserbeak had been spying on them the whole time, and would soon inform Galvatron about the lost Energon shipment. Springer and Susntreaker attempted to shoot down Laserbeak to no avail. Springer and the others rushed back to Metroplex to inform Ultra Magnus on the situation. After a brief conference, Ultra Magnus led his troops to the Ark's crash site. Finding the Decepticons there already, the two factions began to fight. The stash of Energon was uncovered when Rumble used his earthquake-inducing abilities. Springer snatched the box up immediately, and attempted to keep it away from the Decepticons by tossing it to Brawn, who in turn tossed it to Grimlock. The box of energon was torn open and was completely gobbled up by Starscream, who proclaimed himself the most powerful Decepticon. With nothing left to fight over, Springer and the Autobots left Galvatron and Starscream to their squabble. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Hot Rod's Escape}}}}

===Sticker Adventures===
[[File:Springer botjp.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|In the Special Edition, Wreck-Gar shoots first.]]
Springer was one of four Autobots working on mapping the universe when their shuttle is hit by a meteor. Forced into an emergency landing on the [[Junkion (planet)|Junk Planet]], they were attacked by [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] until Hot Rod & Kup arrived to save their skidplates. {{storylink|Battle on the Junk Planet}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Galvatron Attacks}}}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Springer teamed up with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] during a tumultuous battle on a moonbase, in an attempt to slay [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Springer managed to sock Galvatron good, sending the tyrant hurling away. {{storylink|Decipher the Decepticon}}

When the Decepticons stole the Creation Matrix, Springer was called upon by Ultra Magnus to help retrieve it. Thanks to an army of [[decoy]]s, the Autobots were successful in retrieving their sacred relic. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Autobot Alert!====
Alongside Beachcomber and Blurr, Springer was assigned a secret mission; to uncover the location of a sphere of cybertite, containing an ancient Autobot formula. Partway through the mission, Decepticon storm troopers blasted their way into the Autobots’ research centre, stole a secret message Springer had coded for Kup's eyes only, and short-circuited him.

In one possible scenario, a squad of Autobots reached the Autobots’ desert research centre, and Sringer was fixed up by Ratchet. Fully operational once more, he explained that the cybertite sphere crashed down in a nearby crater centuries ago, but was found by humans during the 16th century who subsequently moved it. If the Decepticons had decoded Springer's message, they would be searching off the coast of California, where the ship containing the sphere had sunk. If they hadn't decoded the message, the Decepticons would still be digging in the nearby crater. Springer was for heading towards the crater first.

If Ultra Magnus decided to head for the California coast right away, he split up his forces to more efficiently handle the situation. Springer was part of the main Autobot forces that were led towards the coast by Ultra Magnus. Arriving at the scene, Ultra Magnus's troops were informed by Powerglide (who had flown ahead of the land-bound group) that he had discovered the location of the sunken ship containing the cybertite sphere. Simultaneously, Blurr caught up with the group to inform them that the Decepticons were quickly approaching. The Autobots then needed to decide whether they would raise the ship themselves, or try and ambush the Decepticons after they had done so.

If Ultra Magnus decided to have his Autobots hide while the Decepticons raised the ship, Springer found himself in a cave with Seaspray and Topspin. The three Autobots spied Devastator retrieving the sunken ship from the water, and decided that the three of them would snatch the sphere away from the Decepticons.

If Springer Seaspray and Topspin executed their plan before any of the other Autobots, Springer instructed the two seaworthy Autobots to head out a few miles, and then return to create a distraction while he retrieved the sphere. The plan went off without a hitch, and Springer used his powerful leg mechanisms to leap his way back to Metroplex. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}
{{-}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
In one possible scenario, the Autobots were informed by Kup and Hot Rod that the Decepticons had taken possession of an [[Invisibility Device]], created by the human [[Sarah Sanders]], and taken it into space to study it. Ultra Magnus put together a team of Autobots and took off in one of their shuttles to pursue them. Springer was the shuttle's pilot. Once in space, however, the Autobots had difficulty pinpointing the Decepticons’ location. The ship's crew had to decided where to look next for the Decepticons. Springer grimly considered that the Decepticons might be anywhere, as they had already figured out the workings of the Invisibility Device.

If the Autobots decided to investigate the dark side of the moon, they found themselves unable to see anything on the satellite's shadowy surface. Springer waited silently as Ultra Magnus, Jazz and Hot Rod discussed possible plans of action.

If Ultra Magnus decided to go through with Hot Rod's plan of shooting down to trick the Decepticons into revealing themselves, the Autobots succeeded only in making themselves an easy target for their enemies. The Decepticons blasted their shuttle to bits. Springer and his friends were reduced to space junk.

If Ultra Magnus listened to Jazz's plan, he ordered his Autobots to remain silent, and to shut off all of the shuttle's lights and mechanisms. Launching a probe as a decoy, the Autobots successfully tricked the Decepticons into revealing their position when they mistook the probe as their shuttle and opened fire upon it. Firing back, the Autobots began crippling the Decepticons’ ship, until a lucky shot rocked their own shuttle. Though the Decepticons attempted to escape while the Autobots were off-balance, Springer took careful aim and delivered the finishing blow, ending the Decepticons’ menace as the evil robots' ship exploded.

In an alternate scenario wherein the Autobots listened to Prowl's suggested and searched the Asteroid Belt beyond Mars, they soon found themselves struggling to get through the maze of floating rocks. Though they began receiving damage as they travelled deeper into the asteroid field, Springer wanted to continue exploring it, stating that if the Decepticons could do it, so could he. Hot Rod pointed out that they did not even know for sure if the Decepticons had headed into the belt in the first place.

If the Autobots pushed on their search in the Asteroid Belt, they soon found themselves on a collision course with two enormous asteroids. If despite his best efforts, Springer only managed to blast one of asteroids, the Autobots were forced to retreat back to Earth after their shuttle took substantial damage. If Springer managed to blast neither of the Asteroids, they were all crushed between the giant pieces of space debris.

If they managed to blast away both asteroids, they reached a vast, empty expanse of space within the asteroid belt. Springer and the others were not given much time to regain their bearings, as the Decepticons, now invisible, began firing upon their shuttle. The Autobots considered retreating, but Kup reminded them that Sarah Sanders had not perfected her device yet, and the Decepticons’ invisibility may yet wear off.

If the Autobots attempted to flee from the Decepticons’ attack, they found themselves at too much of a disadvantage to successfully make it out of the Asteroid Belt. They were blown into space junk before they could reach Earth.

If the Autobots held their ground, they were instructed by Ultra Magnus not to open fire upon the Decepticons until ordered to do so. Though things were tense as the Autobots were hit over and over again by their invisible opponents, soon the enemy ship came into view, just as Kup had predicted. The Autobots opened fire on the flimsier vessel, blowing it and the Decepticons within to smithereens.

If the Autobots did retreat out of the Asteroid Belt, they convinced one another that the Decepticons most likely perished within it. Then, a few days later, when the invisible Decepticons attacked Metroplex city, Springer and the rest of the Autobots were reduced to scrap metal, unable to fight the unseen enemy.

In a completely different possible scenario, Springer was sent out with Jazz, Prowl and Sunstreaker to accompany Kup and Hot Rod when the latter two reported having seen the mysterious ship land in the middle of the desert.

If the Autobots gave up searching for the ship, Ultra Magnus and the rest of the Autobots within Metroplex were caught by surprise by a fleet of identical ships swooping down upon them. The Autobots were all destroyed as Galvatron gloated of his victory.

If Hot Rod and Kup convinced the other Autobots to keep on looking, Hot Rod eventually found trail marks, indicating that a heavy object the size of their spacecraft had indeed landed and had been dragged away. Springer and the others followed the trail to a more rocky terrain, where tracking the ship would become more difficult. The trail seemingly lost, the Autobots then heard someone incoming, and took cover. From their hiding places, they saw the Decepticons Scavenger, a human captive within the grasp of his steam-shovel.

If the Autobots decided to rescue Sarah immediately, Scavenger dropped the woman, and cried for help while attempting to flee.

If the Autobots pursued Scavenger, they found him rejoining a whole squadron of Decepticons.

If the Autobots pursued Scavenger, they found him rejoining a whole squadron of Decepticons. Fighting the Decepticons immediately would cost them their lives. Otherwise, if the Autobots decided on a retreat when faced by the whole squadron of Decepticons, they managed to do so by blinding their enemies by their high beams and then splitting off into different direction. They later regrouped and found Sarah Sanders wandering in the desert.

If the Autobots asked Sarah to build them their own Invisibility Device, Sarah refused, stating she would not build weapons for war. Running away from the group Sarah was almost killed when Dirge passed overhead and dropped a missile on her position. After rescuing her from the Decepticon attack, Springer and the others brought Sarah to safety within Metroplex. Grateful for the rescue, Sarah showed the Autobots how to create an [[Invisibility Scrambler]] to counteract the Decepticons’ Invisibility Device. Anticipating the Decepticons’ attack, the Autobots successfully defeated the evil robots when they came.

If instead of asking Sarah to build them an Invisibility Device, Springer and the others attempted once more to retrieve her ship, the whole group snuck over to where the Decepticons were stationed. Once there, Hot Rod and Prowl argued over which plan of action would be the smartest to undertake next.

If the Autobots agreed with Hot Rod to try and take the Decepticons by surprise with a head-on attack, the Autobots manage to stun the Decepticons by dazzling them with their headlights. springer provided Hot Rod some cover fire while the young Autobot raced down and snatched the Invisibility Device from the Decepticons. The Autobots then successfully peeled back, congratulating one another on a job well done.

If the Autobots agreed with Prowl to take a moment to come up with a more detailed plan, Prowl instructed Hot Rod to taunt the Decepticons into following him. The plan worked, and the bulk of the Decepticons took off after the young Autobot. With only Scavenger, Shockwave and Galvatron left behind, Springer and the others easily defeated the Decepticons still guarding the spaceship, and forced Galvatron to retreat. In one possible scenario that followed, Springer helped destroy a hidden Decepticon base that Hot Rod found while the Decepticons gave him chase. In another, Springer watched on as Sarah left in her spaceship in order to destroy it, vowing it would never be used to bring destruction.

In an alternate scenario where the Autobots silently trailed Scavenger while the Decepticon held Sarah Sanders captive, Springer and the others followed him all the way to the Decepticons’ secret desert base. Inside, they spied upon Galvatron telling Sarah Sanders that the Decepticons would use Cerebro-Shells to control her mind, so that she would reveal to them to secret of invisibility. At this point, the Autobots decided to step in. A direct attack would only end in the Autobots’ defeat.

In order to rescue Sarah, the Autobots would need to employ trickery. Using Jazz's special abilities, the Autobots could do just that. In this scenario, the Autobots grabbed Sarah while the Decepticons were too dazzled by the illusions that Jazz projected. Sarah directed the Autobots towards where the Decepticons had stored her ship. Upon following her directions, Springer and the others came upon two doors, unable to tell behind which one they would find their means of escape.

If the Autobots happened upon Sarah's ship as they were, they would be destroyed by the droids guarding it. However, if the Autobots first opened the door which lead to a closet filled with Decepticon spare parts, they found a pile of spare Decepticon emblems. Donning them, Springer and the rest of his team were able to fool the Decepticon Droids guarding Sarah's ship. Escaping in the ship, despite the Decepticons best efforts to stop them, the Autobots returned to Metroplex. Sarah then gave the Autobots the secret to her Invisibility Device, ensuring the Autobots their victory in their war against the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}
{{-}}

===St. Michael ''The Transformers'' Sticker Book===
{{notemultipath}}
Springer served on an alien spacecraft with the Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] under the command of Ultra Magnus. While fighting Decepticons, their spaceship took heavy damage and crash-landed on the planet [[Barrenikon]]. There, he met [[you]], having just emerged from the Vortex, a portal through space and time contained within the planet. Together, you went on an adventure, fighting Decepticons, braving Barrenikon's barren desert or its putrid swamp, and trying to find a way to get the Autobots space-bound once more. {{storylink|The Transformers Sticker Book (St. Michael)|The Transformers Sticker Book}}
{{-}}

===3H comics===
Not long after the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], the Wrecker Springer attempted (fruitlessly) to cheer up [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who had become severely depressed following the death of her surrogate son and Headmaster companion [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. Afterward, he and Hot Rod, now called simply "Rodimus", both checked out and later underwent the [[Great Upgrade|Maximal Upgrade]]. {{storylink|Departure}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:TWW Escalation Springer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Spring-heeled jerk.]]
Shortly after [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] rose to become leader of the Autobots, the [[Forum of Enlightenment]] was destroyed by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in a spectacular explosion. Springer investigated its ruins afterwards from the air. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}}

After Optimus disappeared along with Megatron into prototype [[space bridge]], Springer broke off from the Autobot army and formed the Wreckers. Springer was leading the Wreckers into an investigation of the [[Tagan Heights]] Industrial Quadrant East, but they were discovered by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who unleashed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] upon them. Springer, alongside his fellow Wreckers, attacked the Ultracon Combiner but he ended up tangled in cabling. This gave Ratbat the chance to gloat at Springer. Once news of Devastator aligning with the [[Ultracon]]s reached [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], they moved in to aid the Wreckers, combining into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and battling Devastator. {{storylink|Escalation}}

Freed in the confusion, Springer leaped at Ratbat, screaming at the Ultracon leader for violating the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]]. Ratbat mocked Springer's newfound concern for treaties, pointing out how the Wreckers themselves only abided by them whenever it suited their needs. Changing tactics, Springer approached Defensor, trying to talk him down after Devastator seemed defeated. Unfortunately, Devastator wasn't quite down for the count, and when he began swatting at Springer, the Autobot suddenly found that Defensor was nowhere to be seen. But the individual Protectobots hadn't abandoned Springer after disengaging from their combined modes; they simply had decided to fight smarter. Plugging Devastator into the Tagan Heights' power grid, they managed to overload and defeat the brute. Though Springer was electrocuted as well, First Aid tended to his injuries, and assured him he would make a full recovery. {{storylink|Devastation}}

{{Unreleased WW comic}}
After Megatron took over Cybertron, Springer was enslaved and put to work in a labor camp. While working, fellow prisoner Ultra Magnus revealed to Springer that he planned to destroy Cybertron's core if no other means presented itself to keep it out of Megatron's hands. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.4}} It didn't come to this as Grimlock, recently returned from the dead, was able to distract Megatron long enough for Blaster to free Springer and the other enslaved Autobots. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.5}}

[[File:DW Countdown to Extinction Springer.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Millions of years later, after the [[Great Shutdown]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] had managed to "unite" Cybertron uner his totalitarian rule. Springer became part of an underground resistance, waging a guerilla war against Shockwave's government. Together with Hot Rod and Blurr, Springer spotted a Decepticon shuttle emerging from [[transwarp]] over the [[Wastelands]] of Cybertron. Unknown to the trio, the shuttle actually contained allies in the fight against Shockwave; the Dinobots! {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} These new arrivals sowed so much destruction in their wake that Shockwave was forced to activate the [[Guardian robot]]s to stop them. Upon learning this, Springer reported back to his resistance cell, recently joined by Optimus Prime, that the situation in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] had become worse, with martial law having been imposed. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} The rebels were thus forced to make their final stand against Shockwave immediately. Springer joined Ironhide and Hot Rod on the front lines during the advance, providing Optimus with the cover he needed to breach Shockwave's inner sanctum. Whilst fighting the Guardian robots outside of Shockwave's fortress, Springer saw the Matrix fire a beam of light towards an [[Unicron|unknown entity]]. {{storylink|countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

Afterwards, Springer was part of the Autobot council that reestablished a connection to their forces on Earth. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}

Later still, whilst Hot Rod and Kup were training, Springer took the opportunity to hang out with Arcee on Landing Platform A as they observed Prowl and his group of Autobots heading back to Earth. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} He attended Ultra Magnus's mission assignment meeting later at Autobase, with Arcee still at his side. This, and the fact that Springer was assigned his own team, served to remind Hot Rod just how much standing he had lost since Shockwave's reign had been overthrown. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{Unreleased DW G1 comic}}
After an amusing conversation took place between Kup and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], the two of them, along with Arcee, Snarl, and Slag, joined Springer, Grimlock, and Swoop on their shuttle's bridge. Together, they all saw an approaching Quintesson ship. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Issue 11|Generation 1 #11}}
{{-}}

===The Beast Within===
Springer sustained heavy damage during a savage battle against the Decepticons. Though he pleaded Grimlock to come to his aid, Megatron got to him first, and unceremoniously crushed Springer's head underfoot. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

Then his head became un-crushed somehow, and Springer became un-killed. Springer's wounded body lay safely inside Jetfire's passenger compartment as the latter managed to rescue the few remaining Autobot troops. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar3 Sandstorm Springer.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Get to the Choppah!]]
Springer accompanied [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] in searching for a missing team of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]]. However, their radars were jammed by [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], so their search was fruitless. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1 Springer introduction.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33]]
{{main|Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}
Created as '''Ostaros''', an experiment in making an artificial Cybertronian indistinguishable from the genuine article, by the scientist [[Tarantulas (BW)|Mesothulas]]; Mesothulas's partner [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] had a crisis of conscience as their collaborative efforts grew increasingly depraved, together with [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], killed Mesothulas and recruited Ostaros into the Autobots as "Springer", giving him to [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] to train.

Later joining the [[Wrecker]]s under Impactor, he would turn on his mentor after the latter slaughtered the helpless [[Squadron X]], handing him in to the [[Autobot High Command]], and would be made their leader by a team fearful of being held accountable for their own crimes. Later, he would take a leave of absence to rescue Kup from [[Tsiehshi]], although many Autobots would be killed in the process–the old Autobot driven insane by the [[Ore-8]] on the planet. He would later be overjoyed by Kup's apparent recovery, and would briefly fall under his leadership after the [[Surge (event)|Surge]].

Eventually, in an attempt by the Wreckers to recover the [[Aequitas]] trial data from the Decepticon-held [[Garrus-9]], he would be reunited with a barely-repentant Impactor before almost being killed by [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]. After a long time in recovery, he would awake mysteriously after Mesothulas–now calling himself [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]–captured Prowl. After the resulting mission, he effectively quit the Autobots, living on Earth with [[Verity Carlo]], but a final encounter with Tarantulas and Overlord led to him travelling back in time, attempting to end the War before it began by nudging history in a better direction, one Cybertronian at a time.
{{-}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Escape from Primus}} {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}}}

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
Springer was a participant in the Great War up until its very end in [[2035]]. After both [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] fell in battle, the [[Primal Council]] had Springer marshal their forces in anticipation for the Decepticons' next attack. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:SpringerWreckGarCommercial1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
*Springer's shuttle was shot down by the [[Revenge (G1)|Revenge]] over the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]], where he was forced to do battle with an aggressive [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and another [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]. Prime described Springer as "the toughest of the Autobot [[Triple Changer]]s". {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Springer and Wreck-Gar|Springer and Wreck-Gar commercial}}
*Springer grappled with [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] during a vicious battle between Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron. While some fought, others left Cybertron behind to expand the Transformers' war to the planet [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}
*Springer was part of a massive battle between Kreons. He managed to knock over [[Ripclaw]] with his sword, taunting that he would "catch him on the flip-side." He continued to make good work of his swordsmanship skills against the Decepticons until [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] joined the fight, forcing the Autobots to flee. Ripclaw got his revenge later, using his fire-breath to torch Springer's behind. {{storylink|Commercial#Kre-O|KRE-O Transformers Micro Changers and Combiners Construction Sets commercial}}

{{--}}

==Games==
===The Transformers (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Jon Umaki]]? (English)}}
When [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] threatened the universe using [[Zel Quartz]] in 2010, Springer was one of the Autobots warriors who travelled back in time to 2003 to prevent Zel Quartz from ever being cultivated for use by Cybertronians. Separated from the rest of his team in the crash, he rejoined the present and future Autobots in their campaign after the first false lead for the quartz on [[Zel Samine]]. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
As Wreckers, Springer and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] were sent to prevent [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]] from reviving [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. They failed, and were forced to help the two Decepticons defeat Thunderwing. {{storylink|Stormbringer (Legends)|Stormbringer}}

When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] were abducted by [[Skuxxoid]]s during the [[Galactic Olympics|Galactic Games]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and Springer gave chase. Instead of finding the Skuxxoids, they caught up with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], just as their leader was having a vision that the [[Quintesson]]s were behind the kidnapping. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1}} Arcee, Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and Springer were trapped in human bodies by [[Victor Drath]] and [[Cobra Commander|Old Snake]], but still managed to foil the pair's plan to destroy Autobot City. They were later successfully returned to their robot bodies. {{storylink|Only Human (Legends)|Only Human}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsSpringer.jpg|thumb|right|400px|I've got better things to do tonight than being easily defeated!]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Springer-(Gen).jpg|thumb|right|400px|And all the Triple Changer Springers were thrown away. Especially if you had ten of him.]]
Springer participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in two different bodies:
*''Springer'' — This Super Rare character could be recruited by collecting 275 units of Cybermetal, 85 units of Transmetal, 55 hunter cores, and 5 cores of this character.
*''Springer (Gen)'' — This Epic character was available as a reward to 100 leagues in the "Transform and Roll Out!" event.
{{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

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

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:SpringerEarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|I've got better things to do tonight then die and teleport into the sky!]]

*'''Class''': Triple Changer
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*Abilities: Being a triple changer, Springer has two abilities available to him:
**'''Defensive Perimeter''': Bombard all nearby targets with 8 missiles that deal 27 damage. Also puts up a defensive shield that attracts defensives!
**'''Aerial Support''': Rush to a friendly bot healing heath in a wide area when landing.
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:springer Springer at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

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

==Notes==
*Like all of the new characters created for ''The Transformers: The Movie'', Springer has an earlier, alternate [[character model]] that served as the basis for his toy, and which was used for his appearances in the Marvel comic. In terms of animation, Springer's early design appears in "[[Only Human]]", used for the duration of the episode.
*Springer's name comes from his ability to jump well. As you'd expect from someone who has a flying altmode, it's not an ability he uses much.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sprang''' or '''Sprung''' (スプラング ''Supurangu''), '''Springer''' (スプリンガー ''Supringā'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tán Huáng''' (China 弹簧 "Springs"), '''Bǎi Zhàng Tiào''' (China 百丈跳 "Thousand-feet jump")
*''French:'' '''Ricochet''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Szökkenő''' ("Springer")
*''Italian:'' '''Ghibli'''
*''Russian:'' '''Cпринтер''' ("Sprinter")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Стрибун''' ("Jumper")

[[Category:Beast Machines Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Defense specialists]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Security officers]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Universe Transformers]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Ruins

2018-11-14T16:29:08Z

He-l-en1959: some addition

{{Comicstory
|series=autocracy|issueno=5
|prev=Cause and Effect
|next=Purge
|caption=
|image=Autocracy 5.jpg
|title="Ruins"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 14]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=
|story by=[[Chris Metzen]] & [[Flint Dille]]
|art by=[[Livio Ramondelli]]
|letters by=[[Robbie Robbins]]
|editor=[[John Barber]] & [[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Before the war]]
}}
'''Faced with the truth about his government, Orion Pax must decide which side he is on.'''

__TOC__
==Synopsis==
[[File:Autocracy5 Acropolex.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] and his team travel to the [[Acropolex]] in [[Nyon]], an ancient building in which their target, [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]], is taking refuge. As they pursue him, [[Hound (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hound]] waxes poetic about how much better [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] must've been back when the Acropolex was more than just a ruin and the [[Knights of Cybertron]] were supposedly around. He also finds some [[Phase-charge|plasma mine]]s that Hot Rod has for some reason neglected to arm, but Orion doesn't care for these distractions and orders everyone to press on.

Next, the Autobots find a shrine in the shape of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Hound goes on about how it symbolizes hope and peace, while [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] doubts it exists and thinks it's just propaganda for the [[Prime (rank)|Primes]]. As Orion again loses patience and continues onward, [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] watches from the shadows, transmitting the Autobots' actions to [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] at [[Kolkular]]. Megatron is impressed by Hot Rod, and looks forward to seeing what Orion Pax will do when he learns the truth from him.

Finally reaching the heart of the Acropolex, Orion's team finds tanks of [[energon]] surrounded by collapsed Transformers. Hot Rod approaches them, explaining that the civilians have had their energon absorbed to further [[Zeta Prime]]'s plans, and they are not the only ones. Instead of killing the Autobots, Hot Rod baited them to this place so that they could witness Zeta's corruption with their own eyes and join the insurgent movement. Having seen videos of Orion Pax standing up to the [[Senate]], the insurgents believe that he is different from Zeta and truly believes in justice. [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] leans toward joining them while [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] doesn't like the idea of fighting their own government, but they leave it up to Orion. As Orion looks out over Nyon, he sees Zeta Prime's [[Guardian robot|Omega Destructor]]s setting the city ablaze, and states that they have no choice...

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] (1)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (2)
*[[Hound (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hound]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (6)
*[[Guardian robot|Omega Destructor]]s (12)
|c2=
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (8)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (10)
|c4=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] (7)
*[[Slinger]] (11)
}}

==Errors==
*Hot Rod is misspelled as "Hod Rod" on page 6, panel 3.

==Notes==
*While [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] has appeared several times in [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]], this marks the first appearance of its capitol Kolkular.
*Mention is made of Starscream's role as a recruiter for the Decepticons, as seen in "[[Spotlight: Blurr]]".

Razorclaw (G1)

2018-11-02T18:36:32Z

He-l-en1959: some addition

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|predacon|{{factions/icons|custom=Timelines_Predacon_Symbol.png|cSize=33px|cLink=Predacon (BW)|cPretty=Predacon}}}}
{{disambig3|Razorclaw}}
:''Razorclaw is a [[Decepticon]] [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Razorclawg1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Know that I am the first Razorclaw.]]
Know that when the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] are on the hunt, their leader '''Razorclaw''' is all business. Every drop of fuel in his system and every thought in his processor are dedicated to the task at hand, and he often lies in wait, completely motionless, for long stretches of time. Fools confuse this for laziness. Many of them have become his prey.

Like all the Predacons, Razorclaw revels in the hunt. And the only thing he appreciates more than an easy kill is one earned in battle with worthy prey. In these situations, Razorclaw prefers to face his foe with honor. It costs him little to give them a well-earned moment of dignity, as their ultimate fate will remain the same.

He and his fellow Predacons can combine to form [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]].

{{quote|Hrr, wait 'til the guards come. Then we'll dismantle them.|Razorclaw waiting for trouble to come to him|"[[Nightmare Planet]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Joe Leahy]] (English), [[Minoru Inaba]] (Japanese)|[[Yuan Guoqing]] (Chinese), [[Imo Heite]] (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5"), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, "Fight or Flee", "Call of the Primitives"), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, "Nightmare Planet")}}

[[File:FFoD5 Razorclaw point.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|You are a sacrifice article that I cut up rough now!]]
In the year [[2006]], the Predacons were dispatched to [[Jupiter]]'s moon, [[Io]], to stop a marooned Autobot team from reaching Earth with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]]. Arriving on the moon, Razorclaw ordered his fellow Predacons to attack before charging himself. Chasing after [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] in [[beast mode]], Razorclaw nearly fell into a ravine when the Autobot shot him in the face as he attempted the jump. Grabbing hold of the side with his foreleg, he dragged himself up and rejoined his teammates to merge into their combined form, Predaking. Unfortunately, the mighty [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] soundly defeated the giant, scattering him into the Predacon component members. Razorclaw ran off, to the protests of [[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]], when Sky Lynx fired upon him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

The Predacons were among the Decepticon forces on the planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]]. When a group of Autobots arrived, Razorclaw and Rampage attacked [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], until [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] grabbed him by the mane and tossed him away. When the Autobots attacked the Decepticons' [[death crystal]] cannon, the Predacons gained some measure of revenge on Sky Lynx, by blasting away the cliff he was standing on, briefly stunning him. They then united into Predaking and attacked the other Autobots. Their attack was only stopped by the collapse of a nearby mountain. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

[[File:Nightmare-planet-springer-razorclaw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Look, you have such a stylish bra!]]
Later, the Predacons were drawn into the [[Quintesson]]s' experiments using [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]'s dreams to destroy the Transformers. While battling a host of bizarre nightmare-spawned creatures, Razorclaw and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] were captured by a [[dragon]], which took them to a castle. There, a [[Fairy-tale princess|princess]] offered them [[gold]] if they freed her. While Springer declined the gold, Razorclaw's interest was piqued. Whether this means gold is valuable among the Decepticons, or if Razorclaw just likes shiny things, is unspecified.

[[File:NightmarePlanetSteed.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|FOR NARNIA!]]
In typical fashion, Razorclaw sat down and decided to try and break out when the guards came. However, Springer came up with a plan that allowed them to escape and went to fight the dragon. Razorclaw decided to let Springer fight the dragon himself, but the princess urged Razorclaw to help if only to save himself. Razorclaw served as Springer's mount as he charged the dragon, killing it. After shutting down the experiments, Razorclaw decided to finish off the Autobots, but Headstrong couldn't [[Transformation|transform]] into beast mode, and Razorclaw ordered the Predacons to retreat. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

When [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] was possessed by the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and attacked Galvatron, Razorclaw and his team were tasked to track him down and bring him back. They returned empty-handed, to Galvatron's anger. After Starscream possessed Trypticon, the Predacon were among the Decepticons that took pursuit. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

When Predaking detected a signal on the Quintesson's signal, he followed it to a jungle planet, where they battled the Autobots for it, facing defeat by Sky Lynx once more. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:FightorFlee RazorclawBrawl.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Looks like a full moon.]]
When the Decepticons invaded [[Paradron]], Razorclaw and [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] were on guard duty when [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped from the brig, and the normally relaxed Predacon commander eagerly charged out of the barracks at the thought of tearing apart an Autobot. He leapt ahead of Sandstorm on a narrow bridge and knocked him off the edge into a deep chasm. The lousy [[Triple Changer]] transformed to avoid splattering, though, and escaped his pursuers. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

[[File:Call-of-the-primitives-predacons2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Hi, again in the Zoo renovating!]]
Razorclaw was among the [[Primitive]]s who were summoned by [[Primacron]]'s [[Oracle (G1)|assistant]] to fight [[Tornedron]], greatly objecting to Sky Lynx's leadership of the group. While fleeing Tornedron, Headstrong declared that it would be better to die fighting. Razorclaw agreed, and ordered the Predacons to form Predaking. They got their energy sucked from them for their troubles. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

Razorclaw was among the many beings infected by the [[Hate Plague]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} During the plague-infected Decepticons attack on Galvatron, they combined into Predaking and attacked him and the Autobots that came to his rescue. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' manga=====
Razorclaw participated in an all-out assault on the planet [[Feminia]]. He merged with his Predacon cohorts into Predaking, but they were toppled by the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}
{{-}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
Razorclaw and the Predacons were part of Galvatron's strike force on Cybertron in [[2011]], seeking to wrest control of [[Vector Sigma]] from the Autobots. Along with the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], the Predacons outmaneuvered the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and [[Throttlebot]]s into the bottom of a canyon, and began firing down upon them. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Later, the Predacons traveled to Earth in order to stymie [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]'s attempt to locate the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Razorclaw's unit found the former Autobot leader in the Arctic, but were held off by [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]], his [[Autobot Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassettes]], and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Razorclaw and the Predacons were among the Decepticons Galvatron brought with him to the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], although they were absent during the Autobot attack that drove the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

When the Autobots created a new kind of metal on Cybertron called [[Cybertonuron]], Galvatron wanted to claim it for himself. He sent Razorclaw and the Predacons to Cybertron as an advance guard to pave the way for his forces. They mowed down Cybertron's standing guardians and began to wreak havoc on the planet. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Once the Autobots arrived from Earth, Razorclaw was confronted by [[Shouki]] and the [[Trainbot]]s. His attempts to intimidate the Light-Speed Commander failed utterly, and a fight broke out. Razorclaw was tossed aside by Shouki in his initial strike, and ended up knocking himself unconscious colliding with [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] when [[Getsuei]] and [[Suiken]] lept away from his feral charge. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

After Galvatron's apparent demise, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] started to cozy up to the new Emperor of Destruction, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] felt the need to prove themselves to the new leader, and so they approached Razorclaw about teaming up to steal the [[Sol 1]] satellite the humans and Autobots were working on. Razorclaw agreed, and assembled the Predacons as Predaking. Their attack was driven off by [[Raiden]] and the Headmasters. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Next, Razorclaw and the Predacons helped Scorponok stage a crisis to keep the Autobots distracted, by setting off a volcano in [[Peru]]. On-scene to keep the Autobots from rescuing innocent villagers, Razorclaw's group first clashed with the Trainbots before joining forces as Predaking and once again fighting Raiden and the Headmasters. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

As Scorponok began his plan to capture the [[plasma energy]] of Mars by blowing it up, Razorclaw and the Predacons stood guard on Mars as the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] began planting the necessary bombs. When the Trainbots stumbled across the plot, the Predacons started up a firefight to dispose of the meddling Autobots. With Daniel Witwicky and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] missing, the Trainbots tagged out with the Autobot Headmasters to go looking for them. Razorclaw gave the order and Predaking was formed. Unfortunately, even Predaking was no match for [[Transtector]] power, and he was felled by a quadruple jump kick by the Headmasters. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Regrouping on Chaar, Razorclaw and the Predacons bore witness to the unveiling on MegaZarak, Scorponok's new super weapon Transtector. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Razorclaw and the Predacons attended Scorponok's ceremony on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. They were scattered by the Autobot attack, but rallied around Galvatron's late arrival and drove off their heroic opponents. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

As Scorponok abandoned Earth in favor of conquering [[Master (planet)|Master]], Razorclaw was one of his many troops seen attacking the planet's fortifications. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} He also helped retrofit the [[Zarak Shield]] out of indestructible [[G-Metal]] so that it could stand up to the [[Master Sword]]. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon, manga, and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Razorclaw was among the selected, but only as a part of Predaking. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Transformers: Zone}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:NOOOOO.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|It's better to stand and fight than live with the knowledge that you — oh, forget it.]]
Razorclaw was one of the Decepticons the great [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] flew rings around during the Autobot/Decepticon war. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

''As [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s paranoia reached its peak, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] suggested that they enlist the help of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to flush out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], allowing Megatron to finally defeat him. However, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] called them from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and gave Razorclaw secret orders to turn on Megatron at a crucial moment. The Predacons successfully hunted down Optimus,'' {{storylink|Prey!}} ''and when Megatron arrived, as Shockwave ordered, they turned on him. Razorclaw and Rampage had been both tasked with distracting Megatron, and did so by feigning their final attack against Optimus. Both Predacons leaped over the Autobot and ran off into nearby woods, leaving Megatron too flabbergasted to notice Tantrum and Headstrong before they tackled him down. After learning of Shockwave and the Predacons' betrayal, Megatron summoned a [[space bridge]] to Cybertron to escape, but Prime flung them both through the bridge before it had fully materialized.'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}}

''Razorclaw and the Predacons stuck around on Earth for awhile after Megatron's apparent demise, helping Shockwave stave off another contender for Decepticon leadership: the mad time-traveler [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]].'' {{storylink|Fallen Angel}} ''Megatron survived, however, although he lost his memory of their attack when [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] attempted to take over his body. The Predacons were coincidentally sent back to Cybertron by Shockwave just as Optimus and Megatron were warped back to Earth, allowing the whole matter to be easily swept under the rug.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Razorclaw laser disk.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Suspecting Megatron was unstable, Shockwave [[Deep space receiving tower|contacted]] Razorclaw on Cybertron and enlisted the aid of the Predacons. Equipping them with Autobot [[insignia]] panels, he sent them to Earth via a space bridge in the Florida Everglades. There, Razorclaw led the Predacons against Megatron, who had been led to believe Optimus Prime still lived and assumed he sent the Predacons against him thanks to the Autobot insignia. Despite the prowess of the Predacons and fighting Megatron as Predaking, Megatron still defeated the Predacons. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

[[File:Swoop predacons grudge match.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
''When [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] complained that he was bored of life on Earth, Razorclaw took the Predacons on a sortie to destroy a [[O'Connor's Circus|human circus]] for kicks. Having seen [[Television|TV news coverage]] of the attack, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] tracked down Divebomb and started to beat up on him but was interrupted by the arrival of Razorclaw and the other Predacons. They took it in turns to knock Swoop around but were surprised in turn by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and the rest of the Dinobots. Razorclaw and Grimlock traded blows as the Dinobot leader provided a thoughtful analysis of the battle and although Razorclaw managed to transform and surprise Grimlock he was quickly defeated. After Swoop persuaded Grimlock to let the humiliated Predacons go, Razorclaw offered Divebomb the chance to kill Swoop from a distance, but the flier said this was one fight he was going to win in his own time.'' {{storylink|Grudge Match!}}

''Razorclaw was present with Shockwave's honor guard to defend their leader when [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] stormed the Decepticon base. Shockwave had ordered an attack on Galvatron when he saw the super-Decepticon from the future approaching, but his soldiers failed. Worse for Shockwave, Galvatron declared his intent to come in peace, but because of Shockwave's first strike, the Decepticons had made a powerful enemy that day. Razorclaw and the others were not happy with Shockwave after that...just as Galvatron planned.'' {{storylink|Enemy Action!}}

[[File:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|upright=0.6|thumb|left|Holy slag, dude!]]
Razorclaw returned later, leading the Predacons under the flag of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], leading raids for fuel. [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] had in their possession at the time the six Autobot [[Throttlebot]]s and, with [[Forrest Forsythe]] refusing to believe the Autobots and Decepticons were separate factions, issued an ultimatum that one more attack would lead to the Throttlebots' execution. After the inevitable Decepticon attack and the Autobots' execution, Razorclaw led his team in storming [[Intelligence and Information Institute|I.I.I.]]'s base to check if the Autobots had really been killed; in the process, Razorclaw not only shot dead a guy who was running away, he also quite happily informed I.I.I. that the Autobots were a separate faction after all. Which is just rubbing it in.

When it became clear the Autobots' brain modules had been removed before death, the Predacons chased the "fuel scent" of the brain modules across the area, attacking the Throttlebots (who were trapped in toy-car forms) and their human allies. The Predacons were outrun by the Autobots in their remote control toy bodies and were about as effective as [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] was at making it through the mall's china shop. {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}} Still, Ratbat managed to capture Buster Witwicky, and so had the Predacons return to the Decepticons' island base. When the Autobots launched an attack on said headquarters to rescue a recently captured Buster Witwicky, Shockwave converted the landmass into its rocket-ship mode and had it blast off into space. Razorclaw was standing at the ready, within the ship's control room, as this took place. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

In an all-out assault on the Autobots, Razorclaw faced off against stubby, short, podgy [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]. The Decepticons were forced back when [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], then squabbling over leadership of the Autobots, managed to put aside their differences long enough to rally the Autobots into a counterattack. Cosmos was still standing in the battle's aftermath. Holy crap. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

The Earthbound Decepticons relocated to the [[Arctic]], where they were met with another group led by [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]. Through subtle manipulations, Starscream had Scorponok learn that Ratbat was keeping from him information about the legendary [[Underbase]], stoking animosity between the two groups. When the Predacons stepped in to prevent Scorponok's soldiers from leaving their base without Ratbat's authorization, an all-out brawl erupted. This skirmish only came to an end when both sides realized they had been duped by Starscream, who had snuck off to claim the power of the Underbase for himself while all others were distracted. {{storylink|Cold War!}} The Decepticons were forced to join up with the Autobots in order to stop Starscream from going on a rampage across the globe. The Autobot/Decepticon alliance scattered their forces to cities they knew Starscream would attack, with Razorclaw getting sent to [[Tokyo]] as part of a group led by Scorponok. There, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] used the cosmic energies he had absorbed to blow him and the other Predacons to pieces. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:SpacePiratesSoundwaveLeader.JPG|upright=1.4|thumb|Operation: Group photo.]]
In [[2008]], Razorclaw was one of Commander [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s lieutenants on Cybertron when a [[Quintesson]] arrived at Decepticon headquarters, alerting them that most of the Autobot fleet was off-world attacking [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]]. Seeing an opportunity, Soundwave rallied his troops for a major offensive on [[Autobase]]. On the way, Razorclaw made an off-hand comment about how lucky they were the Quintesson gave them the intel, but Soundwave was quick to claim the lion's share of the credit for seizing the opportunity given them. Of course, a second later it became moot when a cadre of [[Allicon]] shock troops and [[Trident Attack Craft]] burst out from nowhere and assaulted the Decepticons, catching them in the trap the first Quintesson set for them. The Decepticons were forced to call upon the Autobots for help in thwarting the Quintessons' planned colonization of their homeworld. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Razorclaw rampage snow fun.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
Razorclaw and Rampage were patrolling the North [[Canada|Canadian]] snowfields for Shockwave and bumped into [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], who had just been had by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] as an [[April Fools' Day]] joke — they had set up a fake challenge from Shockwave and lured him out into the cold, only to find a "Shockwave snowman" and a sign. Razorclaw and Rampage thought this was very funny. What Grimlock did to them ended up being censored, but it probably wasn't hugs and kisses. {{storylink|Snow Fun!}}
{{-}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Razorclaw tales of earth 7.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|GRR.]]
Despite his misgivings, Razorclaw took part in the Autobot/Decepticon alliance against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]]. During the battle, he began to suspect the Decepticons' newest recruits were insufficiently committed to the Decepticon cause, particularly [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]]. A true Decepticon, Razorclaw swore to rip out Manta Ray's primary fuel pump and devour his tasty, tasty courage if the new kid didn't shape up. {{storylink|Total War!|Tales of Earth Part Seven}}

Razorclaw observed the Cybertronian nuclear detonation of the Earth city San Francisco with his allies, but never forgot the Rotor Forcer's wavering allegiance. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!|Tales of Earth Part Eight}}

The Predacon got his chance when the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] arrived, decimating the Cybertronian armada before turning on Earth. As the Swarm approached their makeshift fortification, Razorclaw ordered Manta Ray to activate the perimeter defenses. Manta Ray ignored him in favor of [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and Razorclaw lost his head. Preparing to attack the "traitor", the Predacon was himself ambushed by [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], and Razorclaw lost his head. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Megatrons zombie army loose ends 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Vacant, with a hint of sadness. Like a drunk who's lost a bet.]]
Following his demise at Starscream's hands during the Underbase fiasco, Razorclaw was reanimated and lobotomised by Megatron and pressed into service as part of his [[zombie]] army. Razorclaw was part of a unit alongside [[Octane]], [[Skalor]], [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]], [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]], and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] that hunted down and exterminated a convoy of escaping humans, including [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] and [[Jessie]]. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

In [[2012]], the zombie Razorclaw was ordered to chase down [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and the [[Wrecker]]s but his group was drawn away from the main group by diversionary tactics employed by [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} He and the other zombified Cybertronians were offlined permanently once [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Regeneration One|Circuit Smasher]] frizzle-fried the Ark's computer, [[Aunty|Auntie]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}} After Megatron's defeat, all of the deactivated zombies were piled into a large pit by the Autobots and obliterated from orbit. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Razorclaw and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] attacked the [[S.S. Exton 9]] space station, using their [[suspension-ray beam]] to paralyze the station personnel for use as slave labour. The containment ship eventually arrived, but as Razorclaw was preparing to load the humans aboard, he was confronted by the sight of [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] tearing through a wall. Gloating that Ironhide was an old and rusty Autobot, Razorclaw transformed to his beast mode and opened fire. His firepower was not enough to prevent the Autobot from simply walking up to him, and he was roundly defeated. {{storylink|Transformers in 3-D issue 2|Transformers in 3-D #2}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:DWSummerspecial MegatronRazorclaw.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|For the love of God, someone get some catnip!]]
Razorclaw and the Predacons were once Decepticon warlords who were banished from Cybertron to the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beest]]. During their time there, the Predacons' higher functions degraded until they were feral. After being repaired by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], Megatron located Razorclaw and the Predacons, and, after some initial difficulty, reprogrammed them to serve him, and also altered them to become the combiner Predaking. {{storylink|Welcome to the Jungle}} Razorclaw and his pride then journeyed to Cybertron, where they helped Megatron retake command of the Decepticons from Shockwave. They obliterated Shockwave's loyal [[Triple Changer]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], when he refused to accept the rule of Megatron. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} As Predaking, they then did the same thing on Earth, forcing Starscream to fall back in line. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Predacons art of war.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.95]]
Razorclaw tried to maul [[Nautilator]] when he was intruding on the Predacons' piece of the [[Gladiator Zone]], but was blasted off and ordered the Predacons to tear the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] apart. The fight soon led to a battle between Predaking and [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]], but the two giants were interrupted when [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] approached them to recruit them into his new Decepticon army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}} After the Predacons helped Serpent O.R. capture a group of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]], Razorclaw reported to his leader that their [[magno-lock]]s would be more than enough to hold the prisoners. He was later part of a meeting during which Serpent O.R. convinced even more soldiers to join his ranks, then attacked an Autobot peace ceremony as part of Predaking. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}

[[File:Motormaster razorclaw prime art of war.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
When Serpent O.R. was attacked by Optimus Prime, Razorclaw rushed to his aid alongside [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Grrr]], and [[Octane]]. Razorclaw wedged his sword deep into Prime's leg, but was met with heavy resistance as the Autobot kicked him and used his sword to take out Onslaught. Razorclaw and Motormaster eventually overpowered Prime, only to be bewildered when Serpent O.R. was enlightened by [[Matrix of Leadership]] and tried to take his own life. Unfortunately, [[Cobra Commander]] suddenly took control of this new "Serpentor Prime" and used his tentacles to attack Razorclaw and Motormaster, apparently killing them. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===''The Beast Within''===
During an all-out Decepticon offensive, Razorclaw joined his fellow Predacons in a battle against the Dinobots. Then, when the Dinobots combined into [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], Razorclaw joined his fellow Predacons into forming Predaking. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Stormbringer issue 3|Transformers: Stormbringer #3]]

Before the war began, the Predacons, including Razorclaw, were respondents to [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s open casting call for [[gladiatorial combat]]ants. Although Rampage was contemptuous of some of the amateurs, Razorclaw appeared to change his mind after seeing [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] helped train them at some point before the war, helping them to hone their skills and become effective warriors on the battlefield. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

During Megatron's initial big push, Razorclaw participated in the razing of Kaon. He loomed near when Megatron beat Sentinel Prime to death. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}} The Predacon team quickly climbed the ranks and soon became one of Megatron's top special-forces units. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

When Megatron was overthrown by [[Scorponok (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Scorponok]] early into the war, Razorclaw refused to follow him, having swore an oath to serve Megatron. He deserted and led the Predacons on a murderous tour across various planets, hunting native creatures for sport until they ended up on [[Canis Tor]], where to Razorclaw's annoyance the others exterminated ''all'' life, leaving them stranded and starving. [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] blamed Razorclaw for taking them there and attacked him, though they put their fight aside when [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] collapsed, figuring they could just eat ''him''. This proved unnecessary when [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] showed up and told them Megatron was back. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} Rejoining the Decepticons, the Predacons participated in Megatron's all-out attack on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} During the battle, Razorclaw caught disenfranchised new Decepticon recruit [[Slinger]] attacking [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and had the Predacons kill the traitor. Before they could do the same to [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]], the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] showed appeared on the scene and Razorclaw had his jaws ripped open by [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

[[File:SpotlightBlaster Predacons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|CHARGE it!]]
Razorclaw rose high in the Decepticon ranks, coming to serve as a kind of general, leading large numbers of troops against the Autobots. He also retained command of the Predacons, which became an elite—and feared—tactical unit. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}} At one point he and his Predacons went after the Autobots [[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] after killing the other members of their teams. Despite the odds, the two Autobots managed to defeat everyone except Razorclaw, which rather impressed him. Jazz was however unable to best the Predacon leader in a fistfight, and Razorclaw was just about to execute him when Autobot reinforcements arrived and blasted him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}}

After the Battle of [[Thunderhead Pass]], Razorclaw was involved in a Decepticon scheme to demoralize the Autobots and claim as much of their territory on the planet as possible. [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] used [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to subvert the will of [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], forcing the Autobot to make an assassination attempt on [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], "The Voice" of the Autobot cause. And so, just as the Autobot forces were gathering around their transmitters, waiting for the pre-scheduled broadcast that would never come, Razorclaw caught them off-guard with a massive full-frontal assault on the enemy trenches. Besides his Predacons, he led [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]], [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]], [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]], and even the mighty [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] himself into battle. Although details are slim, this offensive was apparently a major blow to the Autobot cause. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[File:Stormbringer4 Rampage Razorclaw.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Rampage, I am not wasting my money voting someone off of Big Brother".]]
After [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s reactivation and subsequent return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron dispatched the Predacons to ensure that his defeat was final this time, giving Razorclaw explicit instructions: if Cybertron must be destroyed, then so be it. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} Razorclaw started a countdown on an orbital bombardment powerful enough to destroy Cybertron, but had Rampage at the console with his finger on the button, ready to cancel it in the event that Thunderwing was defeated. He remarked that he was hesitant to destroy Cybertron unless it was absolutely necessary, but was willing to do it rather than defy Megatron. In respect for the desperate Autobot defense, he dispatched a team under [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] and Headstrong to assist their enemies in fighting Thunderwing, but ordered them to return at the five cycle mark, intending to destroy everybody on the surface. He canceled the countdown with one second remaining, after [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] defeated Thunderwing. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

At some point after this, the Predacons briefly experimented with [[combiner]] technology, though their attempts went nowhere and the effort was ultimately abandoned. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

When [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] took control of the Decepticons following Megatron's defeat, he feared Razorclaw would challenge his leadership as soon as he found out. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Uneasy Lies the Head}} Three years later, however, the two appeared to be working together somewhat amicably. At their encampment on a deserted asteroid, Razorclaw oversaw roughly 100 Decepticon refugees, fighting over scraps of armor and energon. {{storylink|All His Engines}}

[[File:SpotlightMegatron-mylegacy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6]]
A while later, Razorclaw attacked [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] when he invaded the Decepticon base. He pounced on the intruder, who fought back by stuffing one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s down his throat. This had the unexpected effect of putting Razorclaw under Hot Rod's control, which the Autobot used to his advantage by ordering the Predacon to attack Starscream. While he followed orders, Razorclaw's resistance against the mind control made him sluggish, and Starscream easily dispatched him. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}} When Megatron finally took back leadership of the Decepticons, Razorclaw and the others rallied around him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Megatron}}

Once the war ended, Razorclaw ended up in Autobot captivity on Cybertron, where he was reunited with the other Predacons. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} Razorclaw was among a Cybertronian crowd recruited by Starscream to pressure Prowl into revealing a secret discovery below ground. Underground, they witnessed a [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]] declare that Starscream was the conqueror destined to unite the whole Cybertronian race. He and the other Cybertronians celebrated afterwards with Starscream. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} When Megatron, thought lost, wandered into the chaotic post-war society, Razorclaw and the other Decepticons began rioting in celebration. {{storylink|City on Fire}}

Razorclaw wound up participating in [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s invasion of Earth by the revived Decepticon movement, but was incapacitated by the [[Earth Defense Command]]'s [[mind bomb]] during a battle in [[Shanghai]]. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}}

[[File:TheIronKlaw-Predacons.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4| Know that I am the best Razorclaw because I can shoot fire out of my chest.]]

The team remained on Earth, however, and soon fell into the employ of the villainous Count van Rani, better known as the "[[Iron Klaw]]". Von Rani used his technological acumen to forcibly brainwash the Decepticons into loyal soldiers. He also improved on their botched combiner technology, allowing them to form Predaking. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}} During this time, Razorclaw — along with his new master — was one of the many Earth-bound villains who [[Baron Karza]] contacted during his invasion of the planet, demanding they swear fealty to him. {{istorylink|Wrath of Karza issue 3|Wrath of Karza #3}} The Predacons' combination ability came in handy when Kup, [[Ayana Jones]], and [[Action Man|Ian Noble]] attacked Kreiger's castle to rescue their ally [[G.B. Blackrock]]; Kreiger deployed Predaking, and the combiner handily kept Kup and Action Man tied up. When [[Snake-Eyes]] smashed the machinery nessecary for keeping the Predacons under van Rani's control, Predaking separated back into his component parts - and a furious Razorclaw immediately tried to wreak vengeance on every human nearby. Kup manage to intercede before he could flatten Ian; as the two grappled, Kup shoved his gun under Razorclaw's head and fired it, fatally blowing Razorclaw's head to pieces. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====Dawn of Future's Past====
[[File:DawnofFuturesPast G1Predacons.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|All good toys succumb to those who wait! (Roughly three years.)]]
After the final, crushing defeat of the Decepticons at the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], Razorclaw rejected this outcome. He initiated the creation of the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], a new faction that would counter the victorious Autobots. A war broke out between the Autobots and the Predacons, and Razorclaw would have had his victory, if he were not doublecrossed and assassinated by the [[Tripredacus Council]]. {{storylink|#Timelines|BotCon 2009 Razorclaw profile card}}

Hundreds of [[Units of time|stellar cycle]]s later, years after the [[Great Reformatting]], Razorclaw returned, somehow alive, and in command of a new Predacon army! He vowed vengeance upon the Autobots' descendants, the [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}
{{-}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[File:Razorclaw Symbol.png|upright=0.6|thumb|Razorclaw, star of Predator: The animals strike back]]
On Cybertron, a group of five symbols appeared on the walls of a room containing a [[Transwarp|transwarp shunt]] device. The five symbols seemed to represent a lion, a bird, a bull, a rhinoceros, and a tiger. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 2|The Gathering #2}}
{{-}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:Kre-O JP comic 08 - Razorclaw.jpg|frame|right|Know that I am adorable.]]
Razorclaw and the Predacons were so cuddly and adorwable in [[beast mode]], the Autobots could not bring themselves to fight back. The Predacons went from adorable to abominal when they formed Predaking, though, and the Autobots had a renewed fighting spirit...at least until the Predacons split into beasts again. {{storylink|Behemoth Combination! But They're Cute? The Predacon Unit}} Following Megatron's loss of [[Metroplex (Kre-O)|Metrotitan]], Razorclaw comforted him by licking his hand. {{storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
The [[Tigerhawk]] of a short-lived [[splinter timeline]] of [[Primax 496.22 Alpha]] renamed himself [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] after the original leader of the Predacons to distance himself from his hated Maximal origins. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/07}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[Preditron]] remembered the indomitable guerilla Razorclaw as he mused on the legacy of the Decepticon movement. {{storylink|The Predacon Manifesto}}

[[Ser-Ket (BW)|Ser-Ket]] claimed to be part of a warrior lineage that stretched back to Razorclaw and others. {{storylink|Head Games}}

==Commercial appearances==
Razorclaw and the rest of the Predacons came to the aid of a trio of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] who found themselves unable to handle the Dinobots. The Predacons barreled over [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] before combining into [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and pushing the advantage. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Predacons|Predacons commercial}}
Razorclaw was part of a massive battle between Kreons. After fighting for a bit as individuals, he and his teammates combined into Predaking. They then chased the Autobots off alongside [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|Commercial#Kre-O|KRE-O Transformers Micro Changers and Combiners Construction Sets commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Razorclaw is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Following a mishap in which [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-gurr]] and his crew escaped, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] sent out Razorclaw and Divebomb to retrieve them. The pair successfully recaptured the escapees. {{storylink|Unleash the Beasts}}

After an uneasy alliance with the Autobots, Razorclaw and the other Predacons gave in to their base animal instincts, and decided to hunt down Autobots they considered weaklings. They were defeated by a group of Autobots led by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives (Legends)|Call of the Primitives}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Razorclaw-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|300px|Know that [http://news.tfw2005.com/2013/05/31/mastermind-creations-leo-dux-color-image-177606| awesomeness] has been recognized.]]
Razorclaw was one of the earliest Decepticons to arrive on Earth. He had a rivalry with the Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

Razorclaw formed an orderly queue to attack an Autobot base with a Combiner Outpost. After the Decepticons salvaged the remains of the Autobot's Combiner Lab and returned to base, Razorclaw proposed a Special Operations to destroy more of the Autobot's weapons. Megatron had to remind him their priority was to get Devastator back into action.
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Combiner Wars Campaign}}

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 3 stars
*'''Weapons:''' Know that his beast mode is his default mode, and he claws and deals critical slashes to buildings.
*'''Speed''': 3.2 - This makes Razorclaw the fastest Decepticon. Well, [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Almost...]]
*'''Ability: Sword Rush''' Rushes into combat smashing walls along the way, and then strikes the target with his silver [[Sonic sword]] dealing high damage!
**'''Cost''': 3 ability points +3 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:razorclaw| Razorclaw at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1toy-Razorclaw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|What an adowable widdle puddy tat!]]
*'''Razorclaw''' (Predacon, [[1986]])
**''Team ID number'': '''1'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-73'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Concussion weapon|Twin concussion blaster]], [[Sonic sword|Sonic Sword]]

:Razorclaw transforms into a brightly coloured, cuddly, cute robotic male lion. His [[beast mode]] legs and head have varying degrees of articulation (though the latter has more to do with his transformation). As was the norm for toys made during the period, especially combiner members, he has limited articulation in [[robot mode]]. Razorclaw is armed with his large Twin Concussion Blaster mounted on his back in beast mode and uses his Sonic Sword in robot mode.

:He serves as the torso for Predaking and his Sonic Sword as Predaking's primary offensive weapon. Additionally, his Twin Concussion Blaster can transform into a longer, single-barrel cannon that mounts on Predaking's left arm (ie: Divebomb).

:As with the rest of the Predacons, the initial release of Razorclaw had [[die-cast]] metal parts which were later replaced by plastic. In Japan, he was available individually or as part of a gift set with the rest of the Predacons.

:Razorclaw's sword was later reused for [[Grimlock_(G1)/toys#Age_of_Extinction|"Generation 1" Grimlock]] from the the ''Age of Extinction'' Grimlock Evolution 2-pack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Razorclaw/razorclaw.htm More information on Razorclaw at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Predaking}}
*'''Predaking''' (Multi-pack, 1986, [[2004]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-78'''

:In Japan, all five Predacons were also made available as a very large gift-set. This huge box was reissued in 2004, using the die-cast construction of the initial releases.

*'''Predaking''' (Gift set, [[2010]])
:Reissued along side the other Predacons for the 2010 Celebration line, Razorclaw features significant differences from the prior versions. His yellow plastic is replaced with gold plastic painted over with gold paint (with the exception of his head). His red, gray, and black plastic is also altered to a metal fleck equivalent color. All of his label stickers were redesigned, with the exception of his faction symbol, most notable of the changes is the lion mane stickers. He now features a cartoon accurate golden face and optics rather than red. Also included are optional labels for Razorclaw's eyes to make them red in both modes.

:This version of Razorclaw features die-cast metal parts.

{{-}}{{anchor|U08LOC}}
===Universe (2008)===
[[File:TF-Universe-2008-Razorclaw.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Reversed claws...? <big>[http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/King_Leonidas '''''WHY!!!!! DIDN'T!!!! YOU!!!! SAY!!! SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]</big>"]]
*'''Special Team Leaders''' (Multi-pack, [[2008]])
**''Series'': '''Classic Series'''

:''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Razorclaw is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends of Cybertron]] [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] toy, transforming into a robotic lion. He is available only in a Target/Zellers-[[exclusive]] five-pack with miniature versions of combiner-team leaders [[Hot Spot (G1)#Universe (2008)|Hot Zone]], [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Universe (2008)|Hun-Gurrr]], [[Scattershot (G1)#Universe (2008)|Scattorshot]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)#Legend|Silverbolt]].

:Razorclaw's arm-claws are mis-assembled, being upside-down in-package. Thankfully, they pop right off for an easy fix.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Lio Convoy#Classics|Leo Prime]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/TFURazorclaw/razorclaw.htm More information on Razorclaw at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[File:Timelinestoy-RazorclawWoH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|A new ''Beast Machines'' toy in 2009? What is this?]]
*'''Razorclaw''' (BotCon attendee figure, [[2009]])
:A [[retool]] and [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Voyager Class [[Overhaul (Cybertron)#Voyager|Leobreaker]] featuring a new head, based on the Razorclaw design seen at the end of "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]". Razorclaw transforms into a mechanical lion. Each forelimb/arm has a Cyber-Key-released spring-loaded claw, and his tail becomes a blade-whip for robot mode. He can also transform into "Savage Claw Mode", becoming a massive clawed arm that can attach to the Leader-class ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#CybSuper1|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#CybSuper1|Megatron]] toys, usable on either side of their torsos. Razorclaw came with a translucent [[Cyber Planet Key|Golden Disk Key]].

:Limited to 2000 sets, Razorclaw came bagged with [[Elita One (G1)#Timelines|Elita-1]].

:The original version of this mold was also used to make [[Nemesis Breaker#Toys|Nemesis Breaker]] and was separately retooled into ''Universe'' [[Lio Convoy#Universe (2008)|Leo Prime]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Predacon/BCRazorclaw/razorclaw.htm More information on ''Timelines'' Razorclaw at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Kre-O===
[[File:KreO-Toy Razorclaw.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Maybe I'm a Lion.]]
*'''Predaking''' (Micro-Changer Combiner, 2013)
**''Set number'': '''A2227'''
**''Pieces'': '''79'''

:''[[Kre-O]]'' Razorclaw comes as part of the Predaking [[Micro-Changer]] combiner set, and can be rebuilt from his [[robot mode]] into a lion. He features a cuddly cloth mane. He can also contribute his bricks to form Predaking with [[Tantrum (G1)#Kre-O|Headlock]], [[Headstrong (G1)#Kre-O|Torox]], and [[Divebomb (G1)#Kre-O|Divebomb]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Kre-ORazorclaw/razorclaw.htm More information on Razorclaw at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===Platinum Edition===
[[File:Platinum-Edition-Predaking.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Predaking''' (2013)
**'''10 OF 30'''

:''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Predaking is similar to the 2010 release by Takara, complete with die-cast metal parts. New to this release is a gold [[redeco]] of the [[Star Saber (Prima)#Beast Hunters|Star Saber]] of ''[[Beast Hunters (toyline)|Beast Hunters]]'' [[Optimus Prime (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Voyager Class Optimus Prime]]. In addition to several pre-applied stickers, five sheets of labels from the 2010 release are also included. Finally, he has a designated number as part of the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' line.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/PlatinumPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Platinum Edition'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:POTP-Titan-Razorclaw.jpg|thumb|350px|Know that I am blocky.]]
*'''Predaking''' (Titan Class, 2018)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''PP-31'''
{{charstubtoys}}

==Merchandise==
===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:Titanium Predaking.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|For as little as a dollar a month, you too can sponsor a small, predatory killer.]]
*'''Predaking''' (3" Robot Masters, [[2006]])
**''Accessories:'' Display stand, sword

:Know that the torso of this ''[[Titanium Series]]'' 3" die-cast figurine is technically Razorclaw.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/TitPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:Robotheroesricochetpredaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I CAN HAZ TORSO?]]
*'''Ricochet & Predaking''' (Robot Heroes, [[2009]])
:Know that the torso of this ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' figurine is also technically Razorclaw. And no less adorable than the original toy. Packaged with [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]], this versus set saw only limited release in some parts of Europe and Australia.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/RHPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:1986protopredacons.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Predaking's head brought to you by Huffy.]]
*Razorclaw's head was originally designed to transform into Predaking's. This was dropped for unknown reasons.

*Razorclaw's Cybertronian mode in IDW continuity is apparently a drill.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Razorclaw''' (レーザークロー ''Rēzākurō'', レーザークロウ ''Rēzākurō'')
*''French:'' '''Griffon''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Pengeél''' ("Razorblade")
*''Italian:'' '''Zannar''' ("Tusk")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ruèi Juǎ''' (Taiwan, 銳爪, "Sharp Claw"), '''Lì Zhǔa''' (China, 利爪, "Sharp Claw")
*''Russian:'' '''Rezakla''' (Резакла, "Slicer")

[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:BotCon exclusives]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Predacons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Power of the Primes]]
[[Category:Predacon leaders]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Regeneration One zombies]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Razorclaw (G1)

2018-11-02T18:32:44Z

He-l-en1959: some addition

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|predacon|{{factions/icons|custom=Timelines_Predacon_Symbol.png|cSize=33px|cLink=Predacon (BW)|cPretty=Predacon}}}}
{{disambig3|Razorclaw}}
:''Razorclaw is a [[Decepticon]] [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Razorclawg1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Know that I am the first Razorclaw.]]
Know that when the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] are on the hunt, their leader '''Razorclaw''' is all business. Every drop of fuel in his system and every thought in his processor are dedicated to the task at hand, and he often lies in wait, completely motionless, for long stretches of time. Fools confuse this for laziness. Many of them have become his prey.

Like all the Predacons, Razorclaw revels in the hunt. And the only thing he appreciates more than an easy kill is one earned in battle with worthy prey. In these situations, Razorclaw prefers to face his foe with honor. It costs him little to give them a well-earned moment of dignity, as their ultimate fate will remain the same.

He and his fellow Predacons can combine to form [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]].

{{quote|Hrr, wait 'til the guards come. Then we'll dismantle them.|Razorclaw waiting for trouble to come to him|"[[Nightmare Planet]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Joe Leahy]] (English), [[Minoru Inaba]] (Japanese)|[[Yuan Guoqing]] (Chinese), [[Imo Heite]] (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5"), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, "Fight or Flee", "Call of the Primitives"), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, "Nightmare Planet")}}

[[File:FFoD5 Razorclaw point.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|You are a sacrifice article that I cut up rough now!]]
In the year [[2006]], the Predacons were dispatched to [[Jupiter]]'s moon, [[Io]], to stop a marooned Autobot team from reaching Earth with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[transformation cog]]. Arriving on the moon, Razorclaw ordered his fellow Predacons to attack before charging himself. Chasing after [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] in [[beast mode]], Razorclaw nearly fell into a ravine when the Autobot shot him in the face as he attempted the jump. Grabbing hold of the side with his foreleg, he dragged himself up and rejoined his teammates to merge into their combined form, Predaking. Unfortunately, the mighty [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] soundly defeated the giant, scattering him into the Predacon component members. Razorclaw ran off, to the protests of [[Headstrong (G1)|Headstrong]], when Sky Lynx fired upon him. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

The Predacons were among the Decepticon forces on the planet [[Dread (planet)|Dread]]. When a group of Autobots arrived, Razorclaw and Rampage attacked [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]], until [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] grabbed him by the mane and tossed him away. When the Autobots attacked the Decepticons' [[death crystal]] cannon, the Predacons gained some measure of revenge on Sky Lynx, by blasting away the cliff he was standing on, briefly stunning him. They then united into Predaking and attacked the other Autobots. Their attack was only stopped by the collapse of a nearby mountain. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

[[File:Nightmare-planet-springer-razorclaw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Look, you have such a stylish bra!]]
Later, the Predacons were drawn into the [[Quintesson]]s' experiments using [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]'s dreams to destroy the Transformers. While battling a host of bizarre nightmare-spawned creatures, Razorclaw and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] were captured by a [[dragon]], which took them to a castle. There, a [[Fairy-tale princess|princess]] offered them [[gold]] if they freed her. While Springer declined the gold, Razorclaw's interest was piqued. Whether this means gold is valuable among the Decepticons, or if Razorclaw just likes shiny things, is unspecified.

[[File:NightmarePlanetSteed.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|FOR NARNIA!]]
In typical fashion, Razorclaw sat down and decided to try and break out when the guards came. However, Springer came up with a plan that allowed them to escape and went to fight the dragon. Razorclaw decided to let Springer fight the dragon himself, but the princess urged Razorclaw to help if only to save himself. Razorclaw served as Springer's mount as he charged the dragon, killing it. After shutting down the experiments, Razorclaw decided to finish off the Autobots, but Headstrong couldn't [[Transformation|transform]] into beast mode, and Razorclaw ordered the Predacons to retreat. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

When [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] was possessed by the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and attacked Galvatron, Razorclaw and his team were tasked to track him down and bring him back. They returned empty-handed, to Galvatron's anger. After Starscream possessed Trypticon, the Predacon were among the Decepticons that took pursuit. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

When Predaking detected a signal on the Quintesson's signal, he followed it to a jungle planet, where they battled the Autobots for it, facing defeat by Sky Lynx once more. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:FightorFlee RazorclawBrawl.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Looks like a full moon.]]
When the Decepticons invaded [[Paradron]], Razorclaw and [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] were on guard duty when [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] escaped from the brig, and the normally relaxed Predacon commander eagerly charged out of the barracks at the thought of tearing apart an Autobot. He leapt ahead of Sandstorm on a narrow bridge and knocked him off the edge into a deep chasm. The lousy [[Triple Changer]] transformed to avoid splattering, though, and escaped his pursuers. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

[[File:Call-of-the-primitives-predacons2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Razorclaw was among the [[Primitive]]s who were summoned by [[Primacron]]'s [[Oracle (G1)|assistant]] to fight [[Tornedron]], greatly objecting to Sky Lynx's leadership of the group. While fleeing Tornedron, Headstrong declared that it would be better to die fighting. Razorclaw agreed, and ordered the Predacons to form Predaking. They got their energy sucked from them for their troubles. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

Razorclaw was among the many beings infected by the [[Hate Plague]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} During the plague-infected Decepticons attack on Galvatron, they combined into Predaking and attacked him and the Autobots that came to his rescue. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' manga=====
Razorclaw participated in an all-out assault on the planet [[Feminia]]. He merged with his Predacon cohorts into Predaking, but they were toppled by the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}
{{-}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
Razorclaw and the Predacons were part of Galvatron's strike force on Cybertron in [[2011]], seeking to wrest control of [[Vector Sigma]] from the Autobots. Along with the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], the Predacons outmaneuvered the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and [[Throttlebot]]s into the bottom of a canyon, and began firing down upon them. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Later, the Predacons traveled to Earth in order to stymie [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]'s attempt to locate the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Razorclaw's unit found the former Autobot leader in the Arctic, but were held off by [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]], his [[Autobot Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassettes]], and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Razorclaw and the Predacons were among the Decepticons Galvatron brought with him to the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], although they were absent during the Autobot attack that drove the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

When the Autobots created a new kind of metal on Cybertron called [[Cybertonuron]], Galvatron wanted to claim it for himself. He sent Razorclaw and the Predacons to Cybertron as an advance guard to pave the way for his forces. They mowed down Cybertron's standing guardians and began to wreak havoc on the planet. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Once the Autobots arrived from Earth, Razorclaw was confronted by [[Shouki]] and the [[Trainbot]]s. His attempts to intimidate the Light-Speed Commander failed utterly, and a fight broke out. Razorclaw was tossed aside by Shouki in his initial strike, and ended up knocking himself unconscious colliding with [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] when [[Getsuei]] and [[Suiken]] lept away from his feral charge. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

After Galvatron's apparent demise, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] started to cozy up to the new Emperor of Destruction, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] felt the need to prove themselves to the new leader, and so they approached Razorclaw about teaming up to steal the [[Sol 1]] satellite the humans and Autobots were working on. Razorclaw agreed, and assembled the Predacons as Predaking. Their attack was driven off by [[Raiden]] and the Headmasters. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Next, Razorclaw and the Predacons helped Scorponok stage a crisis to keep the Autobots distracted, by setting off a volcano in [[Peru]]. On-scene to keep the Autobots from rescuing innocent villagers, Razorclaw's group first clashed with the Trainbots before joining forces as Predaking and once again fighting Raiden and the Headmasters. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

As Scorponok began his plan to capture the [[plasma energy]] of Mars by blowing it up, Razorclaw and the Predacons stood guard on Mars as the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] began planting the necessary bombs. When the Trainbots stumbled across the plot, the Predacons started up a firefight to dispose of the meddling Autobots. With Daniel Witwicky and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] missing, the Trainbots tagged out with the Autobot Headmasters to go looking for them. Razorclaw gave the order and Predaking was formed. Unfortunately, even Predaking was no match for [[Transtector]] power, and he was felled by a quadruple jump kick by the Headmasters. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Regrouping on Chaar, Razorclaw and the Predacons bore witness to the unveiling on MegaZarak, Scorponok's new super weapon Transtector. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Razorclaw and the Predacons attended Scorponok's ceremony on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. They were scattered by the Autobot attack, but rallied around Galvatron's late arrival and drove off their heroic opponents. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

As Scorponok abandoned Earth in favor of conquering [[Master (planet)|Master]], Razorclaw was one of his many troops seen attacking the planet's fortifications. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} He also helped retrofit the [[Zarak Shield]] out of indestructible [[G-Metal]] so that it could stand up to the [[Master Sword]]. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon, manga, and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Razorclaw was among the selected, but only as a part of Predaking. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}} {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Transformers: Zone}} {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:NOOOOO.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|It's better to stand and fight than live with the knowledge that you — oh, forget it.]]
Razorclaw was one of the Decepticons the great [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] flew rings around during the Autobot/Decepticon war. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

''As [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s paranoia reached its peak, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] suggested that they enlist the help of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] to flush out [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], allowing Megatron to finally defeat him. However, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] called them from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and gave Razorclaw secret orders to turn on Megatron at a crucial moment. The Predacons successfully hunted down Optimus,'' {{storylink|Prey!}} ''and when Megatron arrived, as Shockwave ordered, they turned on him. Razorclaw and Rampage had been both tasked with distracting Megatron, and did so by feigning their final attack against Optimus. Both Predacons leaped over the Autobot and ran off into nearby woods, leaving Megatron too flabbergasted to notice Tantrum and Headstrong before they tackled him down. After learning of Shockwave and the Predacons' betrayal, Megatron summoned a [[space bridge]] to Cybertron to escape, but Prime flung them both through the bridge before it had fully materialized.'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}}

''Razorclaw and the Predacons stuck around on Earth for awhile after Megatron's apparent demise, helping Shockwave stave off another contender for Decepticon leadership: the mad time-traveler [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]].'' {{storylink|Fallen Angel}} ''Megatron survived, however, although he lost his memory of their attack when [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] attempted to take over his body. The Predacons were coincidentally sent back to Cybertron by Shockwave just as Optimus and Megatron were warped back to Earth, allowing the whole matter to be easily swept under the rug.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Razorclaw laser disk.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
Suspecting Megatron was unstable, Shockwave [[Deep space receiving tower|contacted]] Razorclaw on Cybertron and enlisted the aid of the Predacons. Equipping them with Autobot [[insignia]] panels, he sent them to Earth via a space bridge in the Florida Everglades. There, Razorclaw led the Predacons against Megatron, who had been led to believe Optimus Prime still lived and assumed he sent the Predacons against him thanks to the Autobot insignia. Despite the prowess of the Predacons and fighting Megatron as Predaking, Megatron still defeated the Predacons. {{storylink|Gone but Not Forgotten!}}

[[File:Swoop predacons grudge match.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
''When [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] complained that he was bored of life on Earth, Razorclaw took the Predacons on a sortie to destroy a [[O'Connor's Circus|human circus]] for kicks. Having seen [[Television|TV news coverage]] of the attack, the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] tracked down Divebomb and started to beat up on him but was interrupted by the arrival of Razorclaw and the other Predacons. They took it in turns to knock Swoop around but were surprised in turn by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and the rest of the Dinobots. Razorclaw and Grimlock traded blows as the Dinobot leader provided a thoughtful analysis of the battle and although Razorclaw managed to transform and surprise Grimlock he was quickly defeated. After Swoop persuaded Grimlock to let the humiliated Predacons go, Razorclaw offered Divebomb the chance to kill Swoop from a distance, but the flier said this was one fight he was going to win in his own time.'' {{storylink|Grudge Match!}}

''Razorclaw was present with Shockwave's honor guard to defend their leader when [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] stormed the Decepticon base. Shockwave had ordered an attack on Galvatron when he saw the super-Decepticon from the future approaching, but his soldiers failed. Worse for Shockwave, Galvatron declared his intent to come in peace, but because of Shockwave's first strike, the Decepticons had made a powerful enemy that day. Razorclaw and the others were not happy with Shockwave after that...just as Galvatron planned.'' {{storylink|Enemy Action!}}

[[File:Razorclawshootsahuman.jpg|upright=0.6|thumb|left|Holy slag, dude!]]
Razorclaw returned later, leading the Predacons under the flag of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], leading raids for fuel. [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] had in their possession at the time the six Autobot [[Throttlebot]]s and, with [[Forrest Forsythe]] refusing to believe the Autobots and Decepticons were separate factions, issued an ultimatum that one more attack would lead to the Throttlebots' execution. After the inevitable Decepticon attack and the Autobots' execution, Razorclaw led his team in storming [[Intelligence and Information Institute|I.I.I.]]'s base to check if the Autobots had really been killed; in the process, Razorclaw not only shot dead a guy who was running away, he also quite happily informed I.I.I. that the Autobots were a separate faction after all. Which is just rubbing it in.

When it became clear the Autobots' brain modules had been removed before death, the Predacons chased the "fuel scent" of the brain modules across the area, attacking the Throttlebots (who were trapped in toy-car forms) and their human allies. The Predacons were outrun by the Autobots in their remote control toy bodies and were about as effective as [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]] was at making it through the mall's china shop. {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}} Still, Ratbat managed to capture Buster Witwicky, and so had the Predacons return to the Decepticons' island base. When the Autobots launched an attack on said headquarters to rescue a recently captured Buster Witwicky, Shockwave converted the landmass into its rocket-ship mode and had it blast off into space. Razorclaw was standing at the ready, within the ship's control room, as this took place. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

In an all-out assault on the Autobots, Razorclaw faced off against stubby, short, podgy [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]. The Decepticons were forced back when [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], then squabbling over leadership of the Autobots, managed to put aside their differences long enough to rally the Autobots into a counterattack. Cosmos was still standing in the battle's aftermath. Holy crap. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

The Earthbound Decepticons relocated to the [[Arctic]], where they were met with another group led by [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]. Through subtle manipulations, Starscream had Scorponok learn that Ratbat was keeping from him information about the legendary [[Underbase]], stoking animosity between the two groups. When the Predacons stepped in to prevent Scorponok's soldiers from leaving their base without Ratbat's authorization, an all-out brawl erupted. This skirmish only came to an end when both sides realized they had been duped by Starscream, who had snuck off to claim the power of the Underbase for himself while all others were distracted. {{storylink|Cold War!}} The Decepticons were forced to join up with the Autobots in order to stop Starscream from going on a rampage across the globe. The Autobot/Decepticon alliance scattered their forces to cities they knew Starscream would attack, with Razorclaw getting sent to [[Tokyo]] as part of a group led by Scorponok. There, [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] used the cosmic energies he had absorbed to blow him and the other Predacons to pieces. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:SpacePiratesSoundwaveLeader.JPG|upright=1.4|thumb|Operation: Group photo.]]
In [[2008]], Razorclaw was one of Commander [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s lieutenants on Cybertron when a [[Quintesson]] arrived at Decepticon headquarters, alerting them that most of the Autobot fleet was off-world attacking [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]]. Seeing an opportunity, Soundwave rallied his troops for a major offensive on [[Autobase]]. On the way, Razorclaw made an off-hand comment about how lucky they were the Quintesson gave them the intel, but Soundwave was quick to claim the lion's share of the credit for seizing the opportunity given them. Of course, a second later it became moot when a cadre of [[Allicon]] shock troops and [[Trident Attack Craft]] burst out from nowhere and assaulted the Decepticons, catching them in the trap the first Quintesson set for them. The Decepticons were forced to call upon the Autobots for help in thwarting the Quintessons' planned colonization of their homeworld. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Razorclaw rampage snow fun.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
Razorclaw and Rampage were patrolling the North [[Canada|Canadian]] snowfields for Shockwave and bumped into [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], who had just been had by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] as an [[April Fools' Day]] joke — they had set up a fake challenge from Shockwave and lured him out into the cold, only to find a "Shockwave snowman" and a sign. Razorclaw and Rampage thought this was very funny. What Grimlock did to them ended up being censored, but it probably wasn't hugs and kisses. {{storylink|Snow Fun!}}
{{-}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Razorclaw tales of earth 7.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|GRR.]]
Despite his misgivings, Razorclaw took part in the Autobot/Decepticon alliance against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]]. During the battle, he began to suspect the Decepticons' newest recruits were insufficiently committed to the Decepticon cause, particularly [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]]. A true Decepticon, Razorclaw swore to rip out Manta Ray's primary fuel pump and devour his tasty, tasty courage if the new kid didn't shape up. {{storylink|Total War!|Tales of Earth Part Seven}}

Razorclaw observed the Cybertronian nuclear detonation of the Earth city San Francisco with his allies, but never forgot the Rotor Forcer's wavering allegiance. {{storylink|Dark Shadows!|Tales of Earth Part Eight}}

The Predacon got his chance when the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] arrived, decimating the Cybertronian armada before turning on Earth. As the Swarm approached their makeshift fortification, Razorclaw ordered Manta Ray to activate the perimeter defenses. Manta Ray ignored him in favor of [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and Razorclaw lost his head. Preparing to attack the "traitor", the Predacon was himself ambushed by [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]], and Razorclaw lost his head. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Megatrons zombie army loose ends 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Vacant, with a hint of sadness. Like a drunk who's lost a bet.]]
Following his demise at Starscream's hands during the Underbase fiasco, Razorclaw was reanimated and lobotomised by Megatron and pressed into service as part of his [[zombie]] army. Razorclaw was part of a unit alongside [[Octane]], [[Skalor]], [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]], [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]], and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] that hunted down and exterminated a convoy of escaping humans, including [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] and [[Jessie]]. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

In [[2012]], the zombie Razorclaw was ordered to chase down [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and the [[Wrecker]]s but his group was drawn away from the main group by diversionary tactics employed by [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} He and the other zombified Cybertronians were offlined permanently once [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Regeneration One|Circuit Smasher]] frizzle-fried the Ark's computer, [[Aunty|Auntie]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}} After Megatron's defeat, all of the deactivated zombies were piled into a large pit by the Autobots and obliterated from orbit. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Razorclaw and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] attacked the [[S.S. Exton 9]] space station, using their [[suspension-ray beam]] to paralyze the station personnel for use as slave labour. The containment ship eventually arrived, but as Razorclaw was preparing to load the humans aboard, he was confronted by the sight of [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] tearing through a wall. Gloating that Ironhide was an old and rusty Autobot, Razorclaw transformed to his beast mode and opened fire. His firepower was not enough to prevent the Autobot from simply walking up to him, and he was roundly defeated. {{storylink|Transformers in 3-D issue 2|Transformers in 3-D #2}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:DWSummerspecial MegatronRazorclaw.jpg|upright=0.95|thumb|For the love of God, someone get some catnip!]]
Razorclaw and the Predacons were once Decepticon warlords who were banished from Cybertron to the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beest]]. During their time there, the Predacons' higher functions degraded until they were feral. After being repaired by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], Megatron located Razorclaw and the Predacons, and, after some initial difficulty, reprogrammed them to serve him, and also altered them to become the combiner Predaking. {{storylink|Welcome to the Jungle}} Razorclaw and his pride then journeyed to Cybertron, where they helped Megatron retake command of the Decepticons from Shockwave. They obliterated Shockwave's loyal [[Triple Changer]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], when he refused to accept the rule of Megatron. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} As Predaking, they then did the same thing on Earth, forcing Starscream to fall back in line. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Predacons art of war.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.95]]
Razorclaw tried to maul [[Nautilator]] when he was intruding on the Predacons' piece of the [[Gladiator Zone]], but was blasted off and ordered the Predacons to tear the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] apart. The fight soon led to a battle between Predaking and [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]], but the two giants were interrupted when [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] approached them to recruit them into his new Decepticon army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}} After the Predacons helped Serpent O.R. capture a group of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]], Razorclaw reported to his leader that their [[magno-lock]]s would be more than enough to hold the prisoners. He was later part of a meeting during which Serpent O.R. convinced even more soldiers to join his ranks, then attacked an Autobot peace ceremony as part of Predaking. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}

[[File:Motormaster razorclaw prime art of war.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
When Serpent O.R. was attacked by Optimus Prime, Razorclaw rushed to his aid alongside [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Grrr]], and [[Octane]]. Razorclaw wedged his sword deep into Prime's leg, but was met with heavy resistance as the Autobot kicked him and used his sword to take out Onslaught. Razorclaw and Motormaster eventually overpowered Prime, only to be bewildered when Serpent O.R. was enlightened by [[Matrix of Leadership]] and tried to take his own life. Unfortunately, [[Cobra Commander]] suddenly took control of this new "Serpentor Prime" and used his tentacles to attack Razorclaw and Motormaster, apparently killing them. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===''The Beast Within''===
During an all-out Decepticon offensive, Razorclaw joined his fellow Predacons in a battle against the Dinobots. Then, when the Dinobots combined into [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], Razorclaw joined his fellow Predacons into forming Predaking. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Stormbringer issue 3|Transformers: Stormbringer #3]]

Before the war began, the Predacons, including Razorclaw, were respondents to [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s open casting call for [[gladiatorial combat]]ants. Although Rampage was contemptuous of some of the amateurs, Razorclaw appeared to change his mind after seeing [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] helped train them at some point before the war, helping them to hone their skills and become effective warriors on the battlefield. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

During Megatron's initial big push, Razorclaw participated in the razing of Kaon. He loomed near when Megatron beat Sentinel Prime to death. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}} The Predacon team quickly climbed the ranks and soon became one of Megatron's top special-forces units. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

When Megatron was overthrown by [[Scorponok (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Scorponok]] early into the war, Razorclaw refused to follow him, having swore an oath to serve Megatron. He deserted and led the Predacons on a murderous tour across various planets, hunting native creatures for sport until they ended up on [[Canis Tor]], where to Razorclaw's annoyance the others exterminated ''all'' life, leaving them stranded and starving. [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] blamed Razorclaw for taking them there and attacked him, though they put their fight aside when [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] collapsed, figuring they could just eat ''him''. This proved unnecessary when [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] showed up and told them Megatron was back. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} Rejoining the Decepticons, the Predacons participated in Megatron's all-out attack on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} During the battle, Razorclaw caught disenfranchised new Decepticon recruit [[Slinger]] attacking [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and had the Predacons kill the traitor. Before they could do the same to [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]], the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] showed appeared on the scene and Razorclaw had his jaws ripped open by [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

[[File:SpotlightBlaster Predacons.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|CHARGE it!]]
Razorclaw rose high in the Decepticon ranks, coming to serve as a kind of general, leading large numbers of troops against the Autobots. He also retained command of the Predacons, which became an elite—and feared—tactical unit. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}} At one point he and his Predacons went after the Autobots [[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] after killing the other members of their teams. Despite the odds, the two Autobots managed to defeat everyone except Razorclaw, which rather impressed him. Jazz was however unable to best the Predacon leader in a fistfight, and Razorclaw was just about to execute him when Autobot reinforcements arrived and blasted him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}}

After the Battle of [[Thunderhead Pass]], Razorclaw was involved in a Decepticon scheme to demoralize the Autobots and claim as much of their territory on the planet as possible. [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] used [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to subvert the will of [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], forcing the Autobot to make an assassination attempt on [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], "The Voice" of the Autobot cause. And so, just as the Autobot forces were gathering around their transmitters, waiting for the pre-scheduled broadcast that would never come, Razorclaw caught them off-guard with a massive full-frontal assault on the enemy trenches. Besides his Predacons, he led [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]], [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]], [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]], and even the mighty [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] himself into battle. Although details are slim, this offensive was apparently a major blow to the Autobot cause. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[File:Stormbringer4 Rampage Razorclaw.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Rampage, I am not wasting my money voting someone off of Big Brother".]]
After [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s reactivation and subsequent return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron dispatched the Predacons to ensure that his defeat was final this time, giving Razorclaw explicit instructions: if Cybertron must be destroyed, then so be it. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} Razorclaw started a countdown on an orbital bombardment powerful enough to destroy Cybertron, but had Rampage at the console with his finger on the button, ready to cancel it in the event that Thunderwing was defeated. He remarked that he was hesitant to destroy Cybertron unless it was absolutely necessary, but was willing to do it rather than defy Megatron. In respect for the desperate Autobot defense, he dispatched a team under [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] and Headstrong to assist their enemies in fighting Thunderwing, but ordered them to return at the five cycle mark, intending to destroy everybody on the surface. He canceled the countdown with one second remaining, after [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] defeated Thunderwing. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

At some point after this, the Predacons briefly experimented with [[combiner]] technology, though their attempts went nowhere and the effort was ultimately abandoned. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

When [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] took control of the Decepticons following Megatron's defeat, he feared Razorclaw would challenge his leadership as soon as he found out. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|Uneasy Lies the Head}} Three years later, however, the two appeared to be working together somewhat amicably. At their encampment on a deserted asteroid, Razorclaw oversaw roughly 100 Decepticon refugees, fighting over scraps of armor and energon. {{storylink|All His Engines}}

[[File:SpotlightMegatron-mylegacy.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6]]
A while later, Razorclaw attacked [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] when he invaded the Decepticon base. He pounced on the intruder, who fought back by stuffing one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s down his throat. This had the unexpected effect of putting Razorclaw under Hot Rod's control, which the Autobot used to his advantage by ordering the Predacon to attack Starscream. While he followed orders, Razorclaw's resistance against the mind control made him sluggish, and Starscream easily dispatched him. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}} When Megatron finally took back leadership of the Decepticons, Razorclaw and the others rallied around him. {{storylink|Spotlight: Megatron}}

Once the war ended, Razorclaw ended up in Autobot captivity on Cybertron, where he was reunited with the other Predacons. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} Razorclaw was among a Cybertronian crowd recruited by Starscream to pressure Prowl into revealing a secret discovery below ground. Underground, they witnessed a [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]] declare that Starscream was the conqueror destined to unite the whole Cybertronian race. He and the other Cybertronians celebrated afterwards with Starscream. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} When Megatron, thought lost, wandered into the chaotic post-war society, Razorclaw and the other Decepticons began rioting in celebration. {{storylink|City on Fire}}

Razorclaw wound up participating in [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s invasion of Earth by the revived Decepticon movement, but was incapacitated by the [[Earth Defense Command]]'s [[mind bomb]] during a battle in [[Shanghai]]. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}}

[[File:TheIronKlaw-Predacons.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4| Know that I am the best Razorclaw because I can shoot fire out of my chest.]]

The team remained on Earth, however, and soon fell into the employ of the villainous Count van Rani, better known as the "[[Iron Klaw]]". Von Rani used his technological acumen to forcibly brainwash the Decepticons into loyal soldiers. He also improved on their botched combiner technology, allowing them to form Predaking. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}} During this time, Razorclaw — along with his new master — was one of the many Earth-bound villains who [[Baron Karza]] contacted during his invasion of the planet, demanding they swear fealty to him. {{istorylink|Wrath of Karza issue 3|Wrath of Karza #3}} The Predacons' combination ability came in handy when Kup, [[Ayana Jones]], and [[Action Man|Ian Noble]] attacked Kreiger's castle to rescue their ally [[G.B. Blackrock]]; Kreiger deployed Predaking, and the combiner handily kept Kup and Action Man tied up. When [[Snake-Eyes]] smashed the machinery nessecary for keeping the Predacons under van Rani's control, Predaking separated back into his component parts - and a furious Razorclaw immediately tried to wreak vengeance on every human nearby. Kup manage to intercede before he could flatten Ian; as the two grappled, Kup shoved his gun under Razorclaw's head and fired it, fatally blowing Razorclaw's head to pieces. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====Dawn of Future's Past====
[[File:DawnofFuturesPast G1Predacons.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|All good toys succumb to those who wait! (Roughly three years.)]]
After the final, crushing defeat of the Decepticons at the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], Razorclaw rejected this outcome. He initiated the creation of the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], a new faction that would counter the victorious Autobots. A war broke out between the Autobots and the Predacons, and Razorclaw would have had his victory, if he were not doublecrossed and assassinated by the [[Tripredacus Council]]. {{storylink|#Timelines|BotCon 2009 Razorclaw profile card}}

Hundreds of [[Units of time|stellar cycle]]s later, years after the [[Great Reformatting]], Razorclaw returned, somehow alive, and in command of a new Predacon army! He vowed vengeance upon the Autobots' descendants, the [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}
{{-}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[File:Razorclaw Symbol.png|upright=0.6|thumb|Razorclaw, star of Predator: The animals strike back]]
On Cybertron, a group of five symbols appeared on the walls of a room containing a [[Transwarp|transwarp shunt]] device. The five symbols seemed to represent a lion, a bird, a bull, a rhinoceros, and a tiger. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 2|The Gathering #2}}
{{-}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:Kre-O JP comic 08 - Razorclaw.jpg|frame|right|Know that I am adorable.]]
Razorclaw and the Predacons were so cuddly and adorwable in [[beast mode]], the Autobots could not bring themselves to fight back. The Predacons went from adorable to abominal when they formed Predaking, though, and the Autobots had a renewed fighting spirit...at least until the Predacons split into beasts again. {{storylink|Behemoth Combination! But They're Cute? The Predacon Unit}} Following Megatron's loss of [[Metroplex (Kre-O)|Metrotitan]], Razorclaw comforted him by licking his hand. {{storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
The [[Tigerhawk]] of a short-lived [[splinter timeline]] of [[Primax 496.22 Alpha]] renamed himself [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] after the original leader of the Predacons to distance himself from his hated Maximal origins. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/07}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
[[Preditron]] remembered the indomitable guerilla Razorclaw as he mused on the legacy of the Decepticon movement. {{storylink|The Predacon Manifesto}}

[[Ser-Ket (BW)|Ser-Ket]] claimed to be part of a warrior lineage that stretched back to Razorclaw and others. {{storylink|Head Games}}

==Commercial appearances==
Razorclaw and the rest of the Predacons came to the aid of a trio of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] who found themselves unable to handle the Dinobots. The Predacons barreled over [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] before combining into [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and pushing the advantage. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Predacons|Predacons commercial}}
Razorclaw was part of a massive battle between Kreons. After fighting for a bit as individuals, he and his teammates combined into Predaking. They then chased the Autobots off alongside [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|Commercial#Kre-O|KRE-O Transformers Micro Changers and Combiners Construction Sets commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{Note|Razorclaw is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Following a mishap in which [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-gurr]] and his crew escaped, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] sent out Razorclaw and Divebomb to retrieve them. The pair successfully recaptured the escapees. {{storylink|Unleash the Beasts}}

After an uneasy alliance with the Autobots, Razorclaw and the other Predacons gave in to their base animal instincts, and decided to hunt down Autobots they considered weaklings. They were defeated by a group of Autobots led by Bumblebee. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives (Legends)|Call of the Primitives}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Razorclaw-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|300px|Know that [http://news.tfw2005.com/2013/05/31/mastermind-creations-leo-dux-color-image-177606| awesomeness] has been recognized.]]
Razorclaw was one of the earliest Decepticons to arrive on Earth. He had a rivalry with the Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

Razorclaw formed an orderly queue to attack an Autobot base with a Combiner Outpost. After the Decepticons salvaged the remains of the Autobot's Combiner Lab and returned to base, Razorclaw proposed a Special Operations to destroy more of the Autobot's weapons. Megatron had to remind him their priority was to get Devastator back into action.
{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Combiner Wars Campaign}}

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 3 stars
*'''Weapons:''' Know that his beast mode is his default mode, and he claws and deals critical slashes to buildings.
*'''Speed''': 3.2 - This makes Razorclaw the fastest Decepticon. Well, [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Almost...]]
*'''Ability: Sword Rush''' Rushes into combat smashing walls along the way, and then strikes the target with his silver [[Sonic sword]] dealing high damage!
**'''Cost''': 3 ability points +3 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:razorclaw| Razorclaw at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1toy-Razorclaw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|What an adowable widdle puddy tat!]]
*'''Razorclaw''' (Predacon, [[1986]])
**''Team ID number'': '''1'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-73'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Concussion weapon|Twin concussion blaster]], [[Sonic sword|Sonic Sword]]

:Razorclaw transforms into a brightly coloured, cuddly, cute robotic male lion. His [[beast mode]] legs and head have varying degrees of articulation (though the latter has more to do with his transformation). As was the norm for toys made during the period, especially combiner members, he has limited articulation in [[robot mode]]. Razorclaw is armed with his large Twin Concussion Blaster mounted on his back in beast mode and uses his Sonic Sword in robot mode.

:He serves as the torso for Predaking and his Sonic Sword as Predaking's primary offensive weapon. Additionally, his Twin Concussion Blaster can transform into a longer, single-barrel cannon that mounts on Predaking's left arm (ie: Divebomb).

:As with the rest of the Predacons, the initial release of Razorclaw had [[die-cast]] metal parts which were later replaced by plastic. In Japan, he was available individually or as part of a gift set with the rest of the Predacons.

:Razorclaw's sword was later reused for [[Grimlock_(G1)/toys#Age_of_Extinction|"Generation 1" Grimlock]] from the the ''Age of Extinction'' Grimlock Evolution 2-pack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Razorclaw/razorclaw.htm More information on Razorclaw at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Predaking}}
*'''Predaking''' (Multi-pack, 1986, [[2004]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-78'''

:In Japan, all five Predacons were also made available as a very large gift-set. This huge box was reissued in 2004, using the die-cast construction of the initial releases.

*'''Predaking''' (Gift set, [[2010]])
:Reissued along side the other Predacons for the 2010 Celebration line, Razorclaw features significant differences from the prior versions. His yellow plastic is replaced with gold plastic painted over with gold paint (with the exception of his head). His red, gray, and black plastic is also altered to a metal fleck equivalent color. All of his label stickers were redesigned, with the exception of his faction symbol, most notable of the changes is the lion mane stickers. He now features a cartoon accurate golden face and optics rather than red. Also included are optional labels for Razorclaw's eyes to make them red in both modes.

:This version of Razorclaw features die-cast metal parts.

{{-}}{{anchor|U08LOC}}
===Universe (2008)===
[[File:TF-Universe-2008-Razorclaw.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Reversed claws...? <big>[http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/King_Leonidas '''''WHY!!!!! DIDN'T!!!! YOU!!!! SAY!!! SO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]</big>"]]
*'''Special Team Leaders''' (Multi-pack, [[2008]])
**''Series'': '''Classic Series'''

:''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Razorclaw is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends of Cybertron]] [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] toy, transforming into a robotic lion. He is available only in a Target/Zellers-[[exclusive]] five-pack with miniature versions of combiner-team leaders [[Hot Spot (G1)#Universe (2008)|Hot Zone]], [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Universe (2008)|Hun-Gurrr]], [[Scattershot (G1)#Universe (2008)|Scattorshot]], and [[Silverbolt (G1)#Legend|Silverbolt]].

:Razorclaw's arm-claws are mis-assembled, being upside-down in-package. Thankfully, they pop right off for an easy fix.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Lio Convoy#Classics|Leo Prime]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/TFURazorclaw/razorclaw.htm More information on Razorclaw at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[File:Timelinestoy-RazorclawWoH.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|A new ''Beast Machines'' toy in 2009? What is this?]]
*'''Razorclaw''' (BotCon attendee figure, [[2009]])
:A [[retool]] and [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Voyager Class [[Overhaul (Cybertron)#Voyager|Leobreaker]] featuring a new head, based on the Razorclaw design seen at the end of "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]". Razorclaw transforms into a mechanical lion. Each forelimb/arm has a Cyber-Key-released spring-loaded claw, and his tail becomes a blade-whip for robot mode. He can also transform into "Savage Claw Mode", becoming a massive clawed arm that can attach to the Leader-class ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#CybSuper1|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#CybSuper1|Megatron]] toys, usable on either side of their torsos. Razorclaw came with a translucent [[Cyber Planet Key|Golden Disk Key]].

:Limited to 2000 sets, Razorclaw came bagged with [[Elita One (G1)#Timelines|Elita-1]].

:The original version of this mold was also used to make [[Nemesis Breaker#Toys|Nemesis Breaker]] and was separately retooled into ''Universe'' [[Lio Convoy#Universe (2008)|Leo Prime]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Predacon/BCRazorclaw/razorclaw.htm More information on ''Timelines'' Razorclaw at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Kre-O===
[[File:KreO-Toy Razorclaw.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67|Maybe I'm a Lion.]]
*'''Predaking''' (Micro-Changer Combiner, 2013)
**''Set number'': '''A2227'''
**''Pieces'': '''79'''

:''[[Kre-O]]'' Razorclaw comes as part of the Predaking [[Micro-Changer]] combiner set, and can be rebuilt from his [[robot mode]] into a lion. He features a cuddly cloth mane. He can also contribute his bricks to form Predaking with [[Tantrum (G1)#Kre-O|Headlock]], [[Headstrong (G1)#Kre-O|Torox]], and [[Divebomb (G1)#Kre-O|Divebomb]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/Kre-ORazorclaw/razorclaw.htm More information on Razorclaw at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===Platinum Edition===
[[File:Platinum-Edition-Predaking.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Predaking''' (2013)
**'''10 OF 30'''

:''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Predaking is similar to the 2010 release by Takara, complete with die-cast metal parts. New to this release is a gold [[redeco]] of the [[Star Saber (Prima)#Beast Hunters|Star Saber]] of ''[[Beast Hunters (toyline)|Beast Hunters]]'' [[Optimus Prime (WFC)#Beast Hunters|Voyager Class Optimus Prime]]. In addition to several pre-applied stickers, five sheets of labels from the 2010 release are also included. Finally, he has a designated number as part of the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' line.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Decepticon/PlatinumPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Platinum Edition'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:POTP-Titan-Razorclaw.jpg|thumb|350px|Know that I am blocky.]]
*'''Predaking''' (Titan Class, 2018)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''PP-31'''
{{charstubtoys}}

==Merchandise==
===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:Titanium Predaking.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|For as little as a dollar a month, you too can sponsor a small, predatory killer.]]
*'''Predaking''' (3" Robot Masters, [[2006]])
**''Accessories:'' Display stand, sword

:Know that the torso of this ''[[Titanium Series]]'' 3" die-cast figurine is technically Razorclaw.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Decepticon/TitPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Robot Heroes''===
[[File:Robotheroesricochetpredaking.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I CAN HAZ TORSO?]]
*'''Ricochet & Predaking''' (Robot Heroes, [[2009]])
:Know that the torso of this ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' figurine is also technically Razorclaw. And no less adorable than the original toy. Packaged with [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]], this versus set saw only limited release in some parts of Europe and Australia.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/RHPredaking/predaking.htm More information on ''Robot Heroes'' Predaking at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:1986protopredacons.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Predaking's head brought to you by Huffy.]]
*Razorclaw's head was originally designed to transform into Predaking's. This was dropped for unknown reasons.

*Razorclaw's Cybertronian mode in IDW continuity is apparently a drill.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Razorclaw''' (レーザークロー ''Rēzākurō'', レーザークロウ ''Rēzākurō'')
*''French:'' '''Griffon''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Pengeél''' ("Razorblade")
*''Italian:'' '''Zannar''' ("Tusk")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ruèi Juǎ''' (Taiwan, 銳爪, "Sharp Claw"), '''Lì Zhǔa''' (China, 利爪, "Sharp Claw")
*''Russian:'' '''Rezakla''' (Резакла, "Slicer")

[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:BotCon exclusives]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Predacons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Power of the Primes]]
[[Category:Predacon leaders]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Regeneration One zombies]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Transformers: Bumblebee - Win If You Dare

2018-10-03T16:04:29Z

He-l-en1959: some addition

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''Transformers: Bumblebee - Win If You Dare''
|image=WinIfYouDare cvr.jpg
|prev=
|next= Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold
|caption=
|title="Win If You Dare"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 12]], [[2018]]
|coverdate=
|writer=[[James Asmus]]
|art=[[Marcelo Ferreira]], [[Áthilla Fabbio]]
|color=[[Valentina Pinto]]
|letters=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=
|cover=[[Marcello Ferreria]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]-ish
|pagecount=67
}}

'''Feeling overlooked, Bumblebee learns that strength isn't everything when he and an unusual new friend are caught up in a Combaticon plot.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] has never been the fastest or strongest Autobot, a fact that he's all too aware of as he races towards the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' after recovering from his latest run-in with the Decepticons. Despite Bumblebee's bravado, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] are concerned for the yellow Autobot, and Prime warns him to pick his battles more wisely in future as the other Autobots roll out, leaving him behind to finish his road tests.

That evening, Bumblebee drives through [[California]]'s [[Yosemite National Park]], quietly mulling over his inability to measure up to the other Autobots; if he was the ''best'' at something, the way the others were, would they still leave him behind? He's interrupted from his self-pity by the sound of engines; transforming to disguise himself, he discovers a pair of jeeps racing along the highway. When one of them clips his bumper, however, Bumblebee is nearly sent careening over a cliff... and then that same jeep attempts to run the competition off the road. Bumblebee gives chase, but his efforts are rendered moot when the mystery jeep attempts to finish off his competitor, who is only saved when Bumblebee transforms to [[robot mode]] and, much to its driver's surprise, drags the car back onto solid ground.

Towing the jeep home, Bumblebee makes fast friends with the [[human]] he's rescued; introducing himself as [[Mateo Cruz]], he explains the nature of his prosthetic limbs to a confused Bumblebee and shows him around his garage, offering to repair the damage Bumblebee sustained rescuing him. His mother, Cruz explains, works for the military's aerospace program and refurbishes old planes with her son for a hobby; showing the [[Autobot]] a pair of new prosthetic limbs that they built together, however, Cruz explains that her new job has kept her away from home...

... and, in a [[Sierra Station|military base]] not far away, director [[Angela Cruz]] reveals the results of her latest job to her superiors: the [[B-2 stealth bomber]], the world's first "invisible" large-scale aircraft. In a few days' time, the plane will be unveiled in a demonstration, but, until then, its existence must be concealed to keep it out of the wrong hands. The humans are unaware, however, that those "wrong hands" have been spying on them all along - the mystery jeep, revealed as the Decepticon [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]!

The next morning, Mateo reunites with a repaired Bumblebee, who's stayed the night in the family's garage, and the two head out into town to find the mysterious jeep driver, who's been terrorizing Mateo's friendly races outside of town. Their first port of call is the local garage, where Mateo's friend [[Nicole]] works. Despite Bumblebee's best attempts to play matchmaker, and Nicole inviting Mateo to the school dance, his self-consciousness winds up getting the better of him. The two head off to investigate what Nicole claims is the jeep's usual hangout, a [[Herman's Military Surplus and Museum|run-down military surplus and museum]] on the edge of town.

Bumblebee is apprehensive about directly confronting the driver, but Mateo isn't: he strides into the hangar and comes face-to-face with [[Herman|the proprietor]], who warns him to leave. Mateo stalls for time, however, and realizes that something is afoot when he spies snapshots of his mother's latest, top-secret project. Just as Bumblebee comes to realize that something's fishy, Mateo bolts towards him... and Swindle bursts through the hangar walls, smashing Mateo's prosthetic leg as he zooms away. Herman grumbles that the cops are probably on their way, but as he prepares to leave, he finds his way blocked by [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]], who warns him to keep his mouth shut.

Out in the desert, the chase is on as Bumblebee pursues their jeep, who leads them on a dangerous pursuit as he swerves across the train tracks, right in front of an oncoming train. Both Mateo and Bumblebee struggle for control, but Bumblebee wins out at the last second and swerves away. The pair bicker about whether or not they should have pursued their target, as Swindle transforms to taunt Bumblebee before driving away.

The pair regroup at Mateo's house, where Bumblebee tells his human friend what Swindle has been up to: since he was kicked out of the Decepticons, Swindle has been getting by, trading [[human]] military secrets for personal gain. Bumblebee speculates that Swindle will be trying to film footage of Ms. Cruz's test flight tomorrow... but, until then, why not stop by the school dance? Mateo is apprehensive; he's uncoordinated at the best of times, and now that he's missing a leg, he has even less confidence in himself than before. Bumblebee points out that Mateo has another option - the prototype leg he and his mother have worked on - and if he wants to join Bumblebee when he next tangles with Swindle, then they're going to the dance.

That same evening, Angela is on her way home when her car suffers a mysterious breakdown. Her calls for help on her satellite phone are received by Swindle, masquerading as a military jeep, who drives out to intercept her. The moment Angela accepts the Decepticon's phony explanation and climbs aboard, however, the doors slam shut...

At the school dance, Bumblebee drops off Mateo, who's still unsure about the plan, and the wireless transmitter Bumblebee's installed in his prosthetics. Bumblebee pulls into an alley to give him a quick pep talk — it's not about being ''perfect'', it's about doing your best, and showing who you really are — before sending him off.

Out in the desert, Angela attempts to escape from Swindle's interior, to no avail. Angela quickly catches onto the situation: her captor is a Decepticon, the ''reason'' why the US military commissioned the B-2 in the first place. As Swindle drives into Herman's museum, the other [[Combaticon]]s reveal themselves, and tell her that if she wants to see her son again, then she'll have to outfit his group with the same stealth upgrades!

Indeed, the Combaticons' plan to kidnap Mateo starts well: with so many military personnel being flown in for the impending test of the B-2, nobody notices chopper-mode Vortex hovering over the school... not even Mateo, who waves off Bumblebee's concerns. When Nicole appears, Mateo finds enough confidence to dance and quickly discovers that his limbs are being controlled by Bumblebee, using the two-way radio transmitter to help Mateo pull off a flawless dance routine. The warm moment is cut short when Bumblebee realizes the identity of the helicopter circling overhead, and, with his requests for backup jammed by Vortex's counter-frequency, he roars off, leaving Mateo... but doesn't expect Mateo to bolt outside and see him being chased by Vortex. When Nicole follows, and sees "Mateo's car" speed off, she mistakes it for a hijacking and the two pursue Bumblebee in her car.

Meanwhile, the Combaticons have imprisoned Angela in Herman's main hangar, and attempt to interrogate her regarding her stealth engineering techniques. The interrogation session is cut short when Brawl reveals that Vortex strayed from the mission, and is after Bumblebee instead of Mateo — and this distraction provides Angela with the perfect opportunity to escape, blinding Brawl long enough to make for the door.

Mateo discovers he's able to use his limbs as a makeshift communicator to Bumblebee, who's already racing to the military base in the hopes that the army will be able to stop the Decepticons. After all, Bumblebee rationalizes, he's ''not'' strong enough to take down the Combaticons on his own...
In the meantime, Angela has quickly gotten the better of her captors, having commandeered a plane, she takes off and nearly runs down [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]], as [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] orders his unit to recapture their hostage. Angela is able to make it within visual range of Sierra Station, but learns that the base personnel aren't in any shape to take the fight to the Decepticons, a problem made worse when Vortex shoots down her plane. Bumblebee witnesses the incident from the ground, and orders Mateo and Nicole to turn around, only for Swindle and the other Combaticons to show up. Bumblebee is only just able to prevent Brawl from blowing them to bits, but when an unharmed Angela parachutes into the base, the Decepticons realize that there's only one way they can win now - [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]!

As the Combaticons combine and begin laying waste to the base, Bumblebee is paralyzed by indecision, before Mateo encourages ''him,'' using the same advice Bumblebee gave him at the dance and galvanizing him into action. Bumblebee finally realizes that it's not about strength, speed, or being the best: it's about finding what ''you're'' best at, and doing what your opponent can't. And, for Bumblebee, that unique talent is ''teamwork''. Bumblebee swings into action and does what he does best, zooming around Bruticus's legs to rescue Angela and ferrying his human friends to safety as the military police open fire on the Decepticon and topple the [[combiner]].

Reduced to his components once more, Onslaught suggests that they simply steal the plane, much to Swindle's displeasure: he needed a ''big'' win to get back into [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s good books. Using Vortex's jamming frequency, however, Bumblebee sends Swindle a message of encouragement... a message, it turns out, designed to keep the Decepticons confused long enough for Angela and the teens to start up the B-2 bomber and fly over their position, pummeling them with an aerial bombardment. Bumblebee - riding on the plane's fuselage - finishes the job by dropping an EMP bomb on the disoriented Decepticons.

As dawn breaks, Optimus Prime and the other Autobots lead the captured Decepticons away, and Bumblebee takes a moment to reconnect with Prime, apologizing for going AWOL. Bumblebee shares what he's learned with Prime, who acknowledges that sometimes, it's hard to recognize all that someone is capable of - especially someone like Bumblebee.

The two teenagers share stories of their adventures with Angela as Mateo gears up for one last race with Bumblebee, and as Optimus proudly watches, our heroes ride off into the dawn!

==Quotes==
"Fighting is '''overrated'''." 
"Seriously?" 
"Well, most of my fights involve listening to '''Starscream'''. And that guy's voice is a nightmare." 
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Mateo'''

"Are '''you''' getting a weird vibe here? Or is it just that usually when I see vehicles like this — they turn into '''Decepticons''' who try to tear me '''apart?'''"
:—'''Bumblebee''' investigate's Herman's Military Surplus

"'''Imbeciles!''' Who left the '''door open?!'''" 
"'''Hey! You''' try to use little human locks with these hands!" 

:—'''Swindle''' and '''Onslaught'''

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (1)
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (4)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (5)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (6)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (7)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (8)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (9)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (10)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (11)

|c2=
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (12)
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (17)
*[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (18)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (19)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (20)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (22)

|c3=
* [[Mateo Cruz]] (13)
* [[Angela Cruz]] (14)
* [[Nicole]] (15)
* [[Herman]] (16)
* [[Devlin]] (21)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s first graphic novel, ''Win If You Dare'' is set in a new continuity, one that's loosely based on the [[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]. It can't actually ''be'' this continuity, though, because [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] is shown as one of the Autobots active on Earth — though, if we're honest, it's not like the cartoon was particularly dedicated to showing where new cast members came from! More importantly, the Transformers do not appear to be common knowledge amongst humanity, with only the government and select members of the [[United States military|United States Armed Forces]] aware of their existence (but see "Errors" for more on that).
* In real life, the {{w|Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit|B-2 Spirit}} was first developed in 1989, and introduced into the military in 1997; the level of technology on display suggests that this story takes place sometime in the mid-to-late 1990s.

===Transformers references===
* Naturally, the title is named after the lyrics from the [[Stan Bush]] song "[[Dare]]".
* As per the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], the Autobots are shown operating out of their crashed [[Ark (G1)|starship]], wedged in the side of what is presumably [[Mount St. Hilary]].
* The conceit of Bumblebee being insecure and wanting to prove his worth as an Autobot draws on his original [[Bob Budiansky]] character bio, that aspect of which went mostly unused in the cartoon.
* Mateo shares a first name and a very similar surname with [[Mateo Chavez]], a human who was connected to the aerospace industry in the pages of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' [[Primeless, Part 2|#12]]. His prosthetic limbs — which are rather absurdly science-fictional in design — bear a resemblance to those of Mike Power, the [[Atomic Man]], who put in an appearance in the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]].
* While disguised as an ordinary car, Bumblebee plays romantic music to try and force Mateo and Nicole together, akin to [[Bumblebee (Movie)|his live-action film counterpart]].
* In his [[alternate mode]], Bumblebee is shown communicating through a screen on his dashboard, using an image of his head — similar to how the Autobots of ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots|Rescue Bots]]'' and the 2001 ''[[Transformers:_Robots_in_Disguise_(2001_cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' series communicated with their human friends while disguised.
* Bumblebee notes that Swindle has been kicked out of the Decepticons, and now gets by through selling military secrets; Swindle did something similar in the cartoon episodes "[[Aerial Assault]]" and "[[B.O.T.]]", where he parleyed with human dictators and other unsavory sorts for his own personal gain.
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] are mentioned but do not appear.

===Real-world references===
* Mateo encourages his mom to "blind them with science", during her presentation, referencing the {{w|Thomas Dolby}} {{w|She Blinded Me with Science|song}} of the same name.
* Bumblebee is shown playing a [[Nintendo]] [[Game Boy]] while in Mateo's garage.
* Herman's Military Surplus and Museum might be a reference to minor character [[wikia:c:simpsons:Herman Hermann|Herman]] from ''{{w|The Simpsons}}'', a paranoid veteran who also ran a military surplus.

===Errors===
* The Transformers don't appear to be common knowledge in this story, with Mateo expressing shock at Bumblebee's existence, and Bumblebee himself desiring to stay hidden from humanity, though video feeds from inside the ''Ark'' show the Autobots performing goodwill deeds around the world, assisting humanity in full view. (Perhaps Mateo just doesn't read the news very often.)
* When fleeing after seeing the stealth bomber photos, Mateo is seen in Bumblebee's mirror, and his prosthetic arm is drawn on the left--normally correct, but since this is a ''reflection'' his arms should be reversed.

===Other trivia===
* The inner cover features a photo of Bumblebee's ''[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toy.
* The graphic novel comes with a four-page "The Process" featurette, detailing how a scene from the novel went from script to thumbnails to inks to colour.
* Originally solicited as being written by famed Batmanologist Chris Sims and his writing partner Chad Bowers (who previously worked together on the ''X-Men '92'' comic), early details for the book suggested an entirely different plot, involving Bumblebee's brother being injured and Bumblebee having to "prove his worth" to the Autobots. <ref> [http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/sims-bowers-bumblebee-gn/ Sims, Bowers, and Ferreira Team For "Transformers: Bumblebee – Win If You Dare"] </ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:IDW issues]]

Dirge (G1)

2018-05-05T16:49:19Z

He-l-en1959: added a new Russian name

{{faction|decepticon|decepticong2|unicron|predacon}}
{{disambig3|Dirge}}
{{suite}}
:''Dirge is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:G1Dirge MTMTE.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Death comes to he who— wait, no, death comes to ME. I've been saying that wrong this whole time."]]
'''Dirge''' is a master of using fear as a weapon. Mournful, morose, and silent, his behavior gives even close comrades like [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] the creeps. Dirge actively cultivates this atmosphere; his engines are even tuned to generate fear in all who hear them. Few realize, however, that this need to instill fear is part of an overwhelming need for control over his own situation. Should things spiral out of control, Dirge falls victim to paralyzing fear himself and his usefulness as a warrior vanishes.

However, those who know Dirge realize that his gloominess and cowardice are indicators that he was never cut out for conquest. Deep down, all he wants is old, quiet life back, and doesn't want any trouble for it. But he knows that's probably not an option for him, regardless of whoever wins.

Besides, he has every reason to be gloomy. True to his name, he tends to die. A lot.

{{bigquote|Death comes to he who crosses me.|A confused Dirge|"[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Bud Davis]] (English), [[Keiichi Nanba]] (Japanese)|[[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese, "Dinobot Island, Part 2"), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese, "Triple Takeover"), [[Yū Shimaka]] (Japanese, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"), [[Wang Xiaobing]] (Chinese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (American Spanish), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2"), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5"), [[Ulf-Jürgen Wagner]] (German, ''Generation 2'' "The Golden Lagoon", "Auto-Berserk"), [[Tonio von der Meden]] (German, ''Generation 2'' "Triple Takeover", "Ghost in the Machine")}}

[[File:DinobotIslandPt2-Dirge.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|This one's just a warning. From now on, you won't get off so easily.]]
Dirge appeared without explanation on [[Earth]] under [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s command a year or two after the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]-borne Transformers awoke. His first notable activity was joining in a raid on [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], where he was eventually chewed on and thrown bodily by a time-lost ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Dirge served as part of Megatron's personal guard when the Decepticons confronted the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] about their dubious loyalties. {{storylink|The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders}} He was also briefly involved in an aborted air strike to seize the [[Negavator]], and was present for the next raid on the Negavator's holding pen. Once [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] rigged the Negavator to explode, however, Dirge led his fellow [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] in retreat, against Megatron's direct orders. Guess he didn't feel like dying that day. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}}

When a new solar energy facility opened up in [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]], [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] led Dirge, [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] to steal its power. The facility proved to be a trap, however, set by [[Shawn Berger]] to elevate himself in the public eye by taking down the Decepticons with his private militia. Berger's operatives failed, but the Autobots soon arrived to engage the Decepticons as well. [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] took to the air and zapped Dirge with his blackout beam. Luckily for Dirge, Ramjet managed to pull off a loopity-loop and ram the flying Autobot into the ground. Megatron then "requested" the pleasure of Shawn Berger's presence, not to punish him, but to play a subtler game. He attempted to convince the industrialist that the Decepticons were good, and the Autobots evil. He had Dirge escort Berger home so that the human could think about his proposal of alliance against the "Evil Autobots". Dirge was also one of the key players in Megatron's staged videos to tarnish the Autobots' reputation. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Later, after the Autobots were successfully vilified in the public eye and exiled to deep space, the Seekers turned on the people of Central City, opening fire in the middle of the streets. Although Dirge and the Seekers fared well against an attack by the Air Force, the eventual return of the Autobots proved to be more than the Decepticons could handle. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

Dirge next participated in Megatron's scheme to block all radio transmissions on Earth with the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. He joined Ramjet in attacking several Autobots as they attempted to save motorists trapped on a frozen highway. They were defeated. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

[[File:GoldenLagoon Dirge gets ambushed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Even when he's invulnerable, Dirge loses.]]
When the Decepticons uncovered a pool of [[electrum]], a strange element that rendered them totally invincible to harm, they thoroughly enjoyed taunting the Autobots with their superiority. Dirge, unfortunately, drew the short straw and was left to guard the pool with [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]], right up until the Constructicon abandoned him to go fight the battle as well. Dirge was in the middle of...*ahem*exhorting Long Haul's virtues when [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] jumped him from behind, giving the Autobots a chance to use the electrum pool as well. The supply was quickly exhausted with both armies using it, however, reducing the war back to stage one. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}} Dirge was also part of Megatron's team working with the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], producing energon cubes from the insects' feasting. They were eventually defeated by the Autobots and a grove of robotic space plants called [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

[[File:Gambler Dirge on Ramjet action.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|"Can't you die on someone else?"]]
Later on, Dirge, Ramjet and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] came to [[Monacus]] to look after Megatron's interests in [[Sheol]], and his less than reputable partner, Lord [[Gyconi]]. They were putting the squeeze on Gyconi when a program caught Dirge's optic, inviting one-and-all to see the Autobots in pit battle against Gyconi's [[animalien]]s. They decided to take in a show while on Monacus, but quickly realized what was going on when [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] flooded the arena with smoke to stop the games and save his friends. Dirge and Ramjet set off after the Autobot in jet mode, and very nearly destroyed him before the bounty hunting Autobot named [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] stepped in to blast them out of the air. There's nothing a Decepticon fears more than a fair fight, and the two Seekers skedaddled as soon as they were able to get back in the sky. They retreated back to Astrotrain with their share of Gyconi's energon, and eventually fled the planet, with Devcon chasing their smoke trail. {{storylink|The Gambler}}

On another occasion, Dirge accompanied Megatron to help their ally [[Deceptitran]] against the [[Tlalakan]] rebels. After the Decepticons captured [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (who was aiding the rebels), Dirge was eager to try out his mind probe on the little Autobot, but was interrupted by a rebel attack before he could really get into it. {{storylink|Sea Change}}

When the [[Triple Changer]]s temporarily disposed of Megatron and Starscream, Decepticon leadership became a free-for-all. Instead of choosing sides like the Constructicons, Ramjet and the Seekers were mostly content just to watch the hilarity ensue, like [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'s football antics and Astrotrain's army of idiot trains. He even actually ''avoided'' death for a change and was seen successfully escaping from a train tunnel flooded by Astrotrain's [[Astroforce]]. That must have made his day.{{storylink|Triple Takeover}}

[[File:HoistGoesHollywood Dirge in swamp.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Weird! It's like it lost all will to live and just tried to crash into the ground."]]
Megatron said Dirge and the other two [[Conehead]]s were "supposed to be the most powerful jets in the galaxy." {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}} But if Megatron was serious, then they certainly didn't do much to live up to that reputation. They were loyal enough troopers, participating in all the usual Decepticon mischief, but not much more than that. Dirge was once ordered to transport an [[Wheeljack's unnamed invention|unknown invention]] stolen from [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s lab on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to their home base, and ended up crashing in a swamp and temporarily deactivating due to its weight, prompting the other coneheads to save him. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}} In fact, the general incompetence of Dirge and the Seekers in the air was one of the reasons Megatron chose to try fighting the Autobots on the roads with the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}}

[[File:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Turns out Unicron didn't have a secret weak spot in his mouth. Thanks for trying, though!]]
Dirge and Ramjet were briefly seen using Megatron's [[Lightning Bug]] in defense of the Decepticons' undersea base. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} The two were later captured by Starscream and the renegade [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], and pilfered for their energy absorbers. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Still, Dirge was repaired rather quickly, and was seen helping Megatron and the Insecticons in another joint scheme soon thereafter. He and Ramjet were commissioned to find the Insecticons when [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] stole a vital part of the [[space bridge]] machinery. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}} During a Decepticon mission in the Middle East, Dirge inexplicably showed up with the Combaticons just long enough to get shot down by the Autobots. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

Dirge's first apparent death was during [[Unicron]]'s attack on Cybertron in 2005. All three coneheads (or Seekers who looked like them) were seen flying into Unicron's mouth and exploding. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Dirge’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]].”}}

However, Dirge soon turned up again in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]], hiding with Ramjet amongst [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|President Fakkadi]]'s air force. Fakkadi denied their presence to the Autobots, but [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] psyched the two Decepticons out by walking around the airfield with what he claimed was a "[[Decepticon detector]]." When the coneheads tried to escape, Outback used a smoke grenade to make them crash, then tore the location of [[Chaar]] out of them with his steely gaze. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

[[File:Dirge toondeath.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Maybe he shouldn't take his nitroglycerin collection everywhere with him.]]
The two hapless Decepticons somehow escaped Autobot captivity, though. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} They later participated in a full-scale assault on Cybertron and chose to strafe [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]—who dispatched them both with well-timed punches that sent them careening into buildings. They exploded quite spectacularly (even Ramjet, who you'd think would be used to it). {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

Later, after some much needed repairs, Dirge and Thrust accompanied Galvatron's lieutenants in pursuing [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and the Autobots through space. Once they reached the Autobot funeral barge, however, the Seekers did not enter the vessel after the Autobots. A very wise decision, as it turned out. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}} Sometime afterwards, Dirge came to [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]] with Galvatron in search of [[Octane]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. The Decepticons briefly seized control of the country and its oil supplies, but were driven off by the Autobots. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[File:Dirge AlmostDeath.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Uncharacteristically AVOIDING death somehow.]]
And yet they later appeared again on Chaar, failing to defend [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] against the ghost of Starscream. In fact, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] tried to execute the coneheads and the [[Battlecharger]]s for their inability to stop the wraith. But they were saved when Starscream possessed Trypticon himself and launched into space, Dirge and the others on board. When they saw that Starscream was using Trypticon to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron, they sabotaged the dinosaur from within. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Legends'' comic=====
Following [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s first defeat at the hands of Metroplex, Dirge and Thrust recovered [[Full-Tilt (G1)|Full-Tilt]] from the wreckage. {{storylink|LG-43 Trypticon Project Chapter}} While participating in an attack on the Ark to steal the [[Transform Super Cog]], he was taken aback by [[Triggerhappy (G1)|Triggerhappy]]'s strategy of firing randomly in all directions. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
Dirge was amongst the Decepticons who attacked the ''[[Trigger]]'' as it neared completion. They took it over easily, thanks in part to the human collaborator, [[Trov]]. One human, [[Makoto (Star Gate)|Makoto]], had been overlooked by the Decepticons however, and managed to pin down Dirge and the rest of the group under Megatron's command in the ''Trigger''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s rail room with a powerful electromagnetic field. Dirge was almost sent hurdling to the farthest side of the galaxy by the ''Trigger'', but a blast from Megatron’s fusion cannon disabled the portal. Then the Autobots showed up, and the two factions began their battle aboard the space station. The Decepticons lost the fight and fled. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

Dirge was amongst the Decepticons Megatron brought to the ''Trigger'' to confront two Starscreams, one from the present, one from the future, who were in the middle of conspiring against the Decepticon leader. When Starscream combined himself with the ''Trigger'' to create a powerful new body for himself, Dirge had to contend with the volley of asteroids thrown towards both Autobots and Decepticons from Starscream’s star gate. He was then almost sucked into a portal to a black hole when Starscream neared defeat, but was instead sent plummeting down to Earth when Optimus and Megatron worked together to defeat Starscream. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Ken Yamaguchi]] (Japanese)|[[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American)}}

Dirge was among the Decepticons gathered by Galvatron for the invasion of Cybertron. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

Dirge and Thrust stood guard outside the Decepticon headquarters on Earth when [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] was ordered to infiltrate it. The two Seekers got into a firefight with the Autobot and [[Autobot Mini-Cassette|his Mini-Cassettes]] and were too distracted to notice [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] sneaking past them and into the base. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
In the year 2001, the Decepticons had managed to conquer Cybertron completely. Dirge was one of the many 'cons who attacked the Autobots as they were evacuating the planet. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In an unstable amalgam universe, Dirge was one of the many Decepticons who assaulted [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian City]] in the year 2005. He killed [[Guardian (GoBots)#Dive-Dive|Dive-Dive]] in the battle, but was himself shot down by [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] when the Guardian leader arrived. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

====''Deviations''====
In an alternate universe where Megatron died at Autobot City, Dirge was one of the many Decepticons who were forced to retreat aboard Astrotrain.
Back on Cybertron, Dirge was present to witness Starscream’s coronation. The ceremony was interrupted by Unicron, who chose to reformat Starscream into his new servant “Megascream.” As part of Starscream's bargain, Dirge was one of the warriors who received enhancements.

During Unicron’s final attack on Cybertron, Dirge accompanied Megascream when the Decepticon leader attacked Optimus, and merged with Megascream to form a massive combiner. Dirge was presumably killed when Hot Rod opened the Matrix shortly afterwards. {{storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Straxusholdscourt.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|You know, a guy who dies a lot probably shouldn't be hanging out with a guy who's got a bad habit of killing his own troops.]]
Dirge was on Cybertron serving under [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] when contact was first made with the long-lost Earthbound Decepticons. Along with the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] and the other [[conehead]]s, he pursued another sextet of Autobots who had just carried out some sort of raid on the [[smelting pool]], only to be forced to retreat by a torrent of liquid metal that had just been siphoned off of it. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

''He was one of the [[Ten Deadliest Killers|Decepticons' greatest killers]], with [[Macabre]] desperately wanting acknowledgement from him. After [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] received some information about a major meeting of the [[Autobot resistance chief]]s at the [[Imperial Amphitheatre]], Dirge led his fellow elite killers to the meeting, hoping to capture the infamous [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] and siphon some information from his old cranial cavity. Mere yards from their goal, however, the Decepticons were halted by a communique via [[communicube]] from [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], demanding they return to [[Polyhex]] at once and ready the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] for an Earth-bound mission. Pissed about missing their chance, but not foolish enough to disobey Megatron, Dirge turned the troops around, little realizing how close they came to being ambushed by the [[Wrecker]]s.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

[[File:Coneheads aerialbots over america.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Dirge miscolors his wings, hoping death won't recognize him.]]
Dirge, his fellow "coneheads", and the Insecticons dutifully travelled to Earth via the [[space bridge]]. Megatron had instructed that [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] be altered to resemble "Terran craft". Their mission was to defend a giant drill that would bore through [[Hoover Dam]] and siphon the Colorado River through the space bridge to the waterless Cybertron, where Decepticon turbines would generate "enough energy to power Cybertron for years". But just as the drill began its work, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] intervened. Dirge found his fear-inducing ability was particularly effective against the acrophobic [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], but the other Decepticons fared poorly enough that a retreat was eventually called. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

[[File:Dirge trailbreaker the gift.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|"Gimme your [[force field]] projector! I need it more than you do!"]]
''Dirge and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] accompanied [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] when he took control of a [[NASA]] space transmission facility to send a message to Cybertron. [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] attempted to stop them but were outmaneuvered by the Decepticons when Kickback shrank to insect size and avoided Jetfire's clumsy attack, giving Dirge the opportunity to beat the snot out of Trailbreaker, pick up Soundwave and escape.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] later reviewed footage of the Coneheads' attack on Hoover Dam as he contemplated how well the Autobots would cope without him.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

''Having usurped Megatron as Decepticon leader, [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] detected the sounds of conflict near the [[Wyoming base]] and believing it to be Megatron, he mustered his troops, including Dirge, to meet this threat to his command. However, when they discovered a [[Cybertron Seven|group of Autobots]] and [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] fighting [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] instead, Shockwave ordered Dirge and the others to attack the [[time travel]]er and, unwilling to kill his fellow Decepticons, Galvatron retreated.'' {{storylink|Fallen Angel}}

{{GIJoeTransformersfiction}}
[[File:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|He couldn't even kill [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]], but he wasted ''you?'']]
Megatron sent [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and Dirge to try and take [[Power Station Alpha]] for the Decepticons. {{storylink|Blood on the Tracks}} When the Decepticons later allied with [[Cobra]], Dirge was assigned to be an emissary among the humans. {{storylink|Power Struggle}} This would be unfortunate for the luckless Seeker. When [[Serpentor]] realized the Decepticons were going to destroy the Earth, he needed a token of conciliation to show the [[Autobot]]s. So in the middle of a battle against [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], Serpentor goaded Dirge into attacking the giant with everything he had. Serpentor then pressed a button in the cockpit of his own jet, "jamming" Dirge's "frequencies", which caused the Seeker's weapons to lock up and explode when he tried to fire. The explosion tore Dirge apart, and he wouldn't be seen again for years. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

{{note|The [[G.I. Joe and the Transformers (comic)|G.I. Joe and the Transformers]] series is the only US story that was ignored in the UK comic. Consequently, Dirge is not dead in the UK continuity.}}

''Dirge was one of the Decepticons who took part in the operation to recover [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron]] from the [[Thames|River Thames]].'' {{storylink|Salvage!}}

=====Transformers Annual 1985=====
{{note|Due to being published early in the franchise, these stories are out of continuity with the above.}}
Shortly after the Decepticons' arrival on Earth, Megatron built a replica of his [[Castle Decepticon|Cybertronian fortress]] in [[South America]]. There, he planned to mine for [[rare crystal]]s, as yet unknown to humans, that he could use to create new Decepticons. When this operation was discovered by the Autobots, Dirge used his fear-inducing powers to defend the fortress. But he hadn't counted on Prowl keeping his nerve and shooting down the Decepticon jet with his [[acid pellet]] rifle. The Decepticons were forced to flee, the mining operation a bust. {{storylink|Hunted!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Coneheads earthbase divide and conquer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
With [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] in command, Dirge joined a massive Decepticon offensive against the Autobot [[Earthbase]]. Their goal was to kill some Autobots while also distracting them as [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] looted a human [[oil tanker]] in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. Both goals proved fruitless, and the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

{{note|First depicted rather late in the series, it is unknown whether Dirge served Megatron or Shockwave before the coup merged the Decepticon factions.}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
{{note|The movie adaptation, originally published by Marvel US, is in italics}}
''Dirge was one of the Decepticons seriously wounded at the [[Battle of Autobot City]] and subsequently thrown out of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] to be recreated as [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], [[Cyclonus's Armada]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]].'' {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

In an alternate [[2008]], Dirge was serving Soundwave while on Cybertron. He went into battle alongside [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and the other flyers, after Soundwave had been fed information that the Autobots were mostly off-world, leaving their territories vulnerable. This turned out to be a [[Quintesson]] ruse, and the Decepticons were ambushed by the aliens. Dirge fought against the Quintessons' [[Trident Attack Craft|Trident]] assault crafts while Soundwave was forced to call upon the Autobots for help in thwarting the invasion. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Death by [[Furmanism]].]]
Dirge reappeared among the Decepticon forces just long enough to sacrifice himself futilely against the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]], self-destructing alongside [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]. Moments later, Megatron showed up with the [[rheanimum]] that could have saved him. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|You only get so many do-overs, pal.]]
While the war seemingly ended with [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s defeat at [[Klo]], Megatron was quietly gathering the remains of forgotten Earthbound casualties and rebuilding them. Dirge was among his resurrections, but the Seeker chose to follow the exiled Bludgeon instead. {{storylink|Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker's ''Timelines'' bio}} This would prove an unfortunate choice, as Dirge soon ended up in the [[cerebro-shell]]ed thrall of [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]].

When Bug Bite decided to try and subvert Megatron himself, Dirge was on the team accompanying him to Earth. As Bug Bite and Megatron confronted each other, the Autobots ambushed them, freeing many of Bug Bite's troops with a cerebro-shell jammer. It's unclear whether Dirge's shell was disabled, but the point is somewhat moot; [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] shot him in the chest, leaving him lying on the floor with extinguished optics. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

Dirge was eventually revived and compelled into serving Megatron again. He attacked a human city on Earth with his old wingmen, Ramjet and Thrust. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

[[File:TCC50 Dirge.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2]]
As he had dodged death so many times, Dirge began to garner a reputation among the Decepticons: that death itself was afraid of him. Megatron promoted Dirge to a higher rank to that he might scare the other Decepticons into subservience. Aboard the ''[[Talon (Classics)|Talon]]'' starship, the Decepticons began to reacquire territories that had previously been conquered by Bludgeon's splinter faction. During their travels, Dirge intercepted a distress call from Earth, and the ''Talon'' headed to investigate the S.O.S. after it had piqued Megatron's curiosity. En route, the Decepticons encountered the Autobot starship ''[[Graviton (Classics)|Graviton]]''. The Decepticons engaged their enemies just as space-time itself ripped itself asunder nearby. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 50|Dirge's profile in Club magazine #50}} The ''Talon'' was pulled into the [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon]] universe and shot down over prehistoric [[Earth]]. The Decepticons swiftly discovered that the local [[energon radiation]] was going to be a problem, and Dirge suggested they adopt organic [[alternate mode]]s. Megatron rejected the idea in favor of energon-absorbing armor. {{storylink|Shattered Time}} When the Decepticons detected three [[stasis pod]]s, Dirge and [[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]] were sent to shoot down the Autobots' [[sky-sled]], allowing Megatron to reach the pods first. Dirge returned to Megatron's side, and was blasted by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] after the three new Decepticons failed to terminate the Autobots. {{storylink|Shattered Expectations (BWSG)|Shattered Expectations}}

The Decepticons pursued the Autobots to a chasm, where they watched Megatron take on Ultra Magnus and be defeated. They climbed to the bottom of the chasm to retrieve their fallen leader and found a giant face hewn into the rock. It cheered Megatron up immensely once they dug him out of the rubble. {{storylink|Shattered Paths}} Dirge watched Megatron play with the ancient equipment in the cavern they'd found. {{storylink|Shattered Hope}} The Predacons including Dirge accompanied Megatron as he used the giant mech he'd built to try and claim the matrix the Maximals had found. {{storylink|Shattered Balance}} They battled the Maximals once more, until they were all sucked into a dimensional rift thanks to Ultra Mammoth. {{storylink|Shattered Destiny}}

===Milton Bradley mini-comic===
Dirge was among the Decepticons under [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s command who ambushed the [[Ark (G1)|ark]] and was knocked offline when it crashed into [[Earth]]. He and the others were repaired four million years later when a volcanic eruption caused the ark's systems to spring into life. {{storylink|In the Transformers}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
Under Galvatron's orders, Dirge attacked a water tower on Metroplex in an attempt to flood Autobot City. He was stopped by [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], who pelted him with missiles. {{storylink|Galvatron Attacks}}
{{-}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Dirge joined Galvatron in a mission to steal oil from [[Oil Valley]]. By pure happenstance, they arrived in the oil drilling area at the same time as Hot Rod and Daniel did. Dirge and the other Decepticons gave chase, only to encounter the Dinobots. Though Dirge managed to land a hit on Swoop, his firepower was mostly ineffective against the Dinobot warrior. The Decepticons were eventually chased off when more Autobot reinforcements arrived. {{storylink|Battle at Oil Valley}}

When the Decepticons learned that the Autobots had long ago lost a large shipment of Energon cubes at the Ark's original crash site, Galvatron ordered them to head to Mt. St. Hillary to uncover it. There, Dirge fought the Autobots over possession of it. The brawl ended when Starscream scarfed down all of the Energon, and proceeded to pick a fight with Galvatron. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===The Special Teams===
Dirge was summoned by Megatron to raid a power plant of its energy, after it had been evacuated of its human occupants due to the danger of landslides in the area. When Megatron demanded to know of Starscream’s whereabouts, Dirge reminded him that he hadn’t been spotted ever since venturing to Cybertron to fetch the Stunticons. {{storylink|The Special Teams}}
{{-}}

===''Big Looker'' storybooks===
Dirge was present when Megatron threatened his troops into coming up with a battle plan for him. After the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s kidnapped the architect [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], Dirge fought against the Autobots who arrived to save him. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}
{{-}}

===Island of Fear===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:Island of Fear Dirge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"You are the product of everything you fear. Violence. Darkness. Helplessness."]]
Dirge was on a mission to the island of [[Nali]] to tap into the [[Earth's core]] to power the Decepticons' weapons.He brought along his pet [[Denebian Stalker]] to guard his volcano lair while on this mission, and spread terror amongst the island's populace thanks to his fear-inducing engines. He (might have) encountered [[you]], [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] while on this mission. Dirge's fate depended on what choices you made! {{storylink|Island of Fear}}
{{-}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Attack of the Insecticons====
Dirge was present, yet mostly uninvolved, in a number of possible adventures revolving around the Sun-Pak, a device invented by the Autobots' human ally Sparkplug. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}
====Earthquake====
In one possible sequence of events, Dirge happened upon Beachcomber snooping around the Decepticons’ secret fortress. Easily overpowering the Autobot, Dirge disassembled him and then replayed the last few minutes of his memory tape to find out what he was up to. Discovering Beachcomber had allies snooping around the base as well, Dirge contacted Megatron, and the Decepticons were able to capture the Autobots quickly.

In another possible scenario, Dirge, Megatron, Thrust and Starscream captured Beachcomber and Buster sneaking about the Decepticons’ fortress. They then led their prisoners to Megatron’s lab to gloat. {{storylink|Earthquake (book)|Earthquake}}

====Desert Flight====
[[File:DesertFlightDirgeandThrustattackAutobots.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Who should kill Dirge? To have Windcharger kill Dirge, turn to page 23. To have Cosmos kill Dirge, turn to page 39.]]
Dirge was one of the most fearsome Decepticon warriors, feared by all Autobots.

Dirge was part of a Decepticon deployment stationed in a desert base. The Decepticons plotted to lure the Autobots in a trap through the use of an anti-gravity beam. Using the beam on a nearby human settlement, the Autobots would be duped into coming to the fleshliness’ rescue, only to be themselves trapped by the effects of the beam. Dirge lured the Autobots to the desired location by creating his signature loud explosions, courtesy of his concussion missiles.

If the Autobots fell into the Decepticons’ trap, Dirge, alongside Buzzsaw, Thrust, and Ramjet would swoop down upon their helpless prey for the kill. The Autobots destroyed, they would then turn off their gravity weapon, and force the townsfolk to drill oil to fuel the Decepticon army.

If the Autobots bypassed the anti-gravity field, Dirge was part of the squad that intercepted the Autobot convoy headed for the Decepticon base. Though Dirge was ready to take on Optimus Prime so long as he had Ramjet backing him up, as soon as Powerglide took out the later, Dirge sounded a retreat back to the Decepticon base.

In a possible iteration of the battle that ensued within the Decepticon base, Dirge attempted to cripple Optimus as the Autobot leader was sabotaging the anti-gravity gun.

In a completely different possible sequence of events, Dirge and Buzzsaw captured Cosmos when he attempted to investigate the Decepticons’ base on his own. The pair then brought their captive before Megatron.

In a completely different possible sequence of events, Thrust, Dirge, Buzzsaw and a small squadron of other Decepticons spotted a squadron of Autobots driving towards the Decepticon base. The Autobots, in a disadvantageous position as they had no weapons in their [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s, were easy pickings for Dirge and the others.

In one possible ensuing scenario, the Autobots were able to create cover for themselves with their exhaust fumes, allowing them the time to transform and fight back. Dirge tipped the battle once more in the Decepticons’ favour with the use of his fear-inducing engines.

In the ensuing battle, Dirge was shot out of the sky by either Cosmos or Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Desert Flight}}
{{-}}

====Autobot Alert!====
[[File:AutobotAlertTopspin&Seaspray.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
In one possible scenario, Dirge accompanied Galvatron on a campaign to retrieve an ancient sphere of cybertite that contained the secrets to an ancient Autobot power-booster. Learning that the sphere was located within a sunken ship off the California coast, Dirge and the others headed for its location.

If they found the Autobots in the middle of retrieving it, the Decepticons destroyed both the ship and the sphere, and proceeded to rain superior Decepticon firepower upon their foes.

If the Decepticons found the coast deserted, they retrieved the ship themselves, using the might of Devastator.

If [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] attempted to snatch the ship away from the Decepticons, Dirge and his comrades destroyed the ship and the sphere contained within to keep it out of Autobot hands. The Decepticons then proceeded to pin down the Autobots in their hiding spots, leaving the heroic robots at their mercy.

If [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] executed their plan to retrieve the sphere from Decepticon clutches, they successfully distracted the evil robots for long enough to whisk the cybertite sphere back to Metroplex. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}
{{-}}

====Project Brain Drain====
Dirge was involved in a Decepticon plot to use a [[Brain Drain device]] on the crowd goers of a rock concert to syphon their intelligence into Decepticon fuel.

In one possible scenario, Galvatron had to recall his troops from the concert at the last minute when Ultra Magnus and his troops began a timely assault on the Decepticons’ headquarters. Dirge participated in the battle that ensued, which ended in a loss for the Decepticons when Ultra Magnus triggered an avalanche, burying Galvatron and shattering the Brain Drain device.

In another possible scenario,Dirge and the rest of the Decepticons were surprised to find the Autobots hiding amidst the parked vehicles surrounding the concert just as they were about to put their plan into action. Having been tasked in setting the parking lot aflame to prevent the concert-goers from escape, Dirge and the other Decepticon jets continued with the plan, dumping down gasoline onto the Autobots.

If the Autobots moved towards the crowd to protect them once the parking lot was set ablaze, Dirge and the other Decepticon jets continued their assault, able to bypass the inferno that kept the land bound Decepticons away from their enemies. Whether the Decepticons triumphed or not that day depended on which choices the Autobots made from this point forward.

In a completely different scenario, when Dirge arrived at the concert to put Galvatron’s plan into action, he was immediately shot out of the sky by a small group of Autobots, and crashed down into a flaming heap of metal. {{storylink|Project Brain Drain}}
{{-}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
[[File:InvisibilityFactorHotRodKupSunstreakerLaughing.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
In one possible scenario, Dirge was one of the Decepticons that happened upon [[Sarah Sanders]]’s ship when it landed in the desert. While Scavenger held the woman captive, Frenzy and the other Decepticons dragged the ship itself to a hidden location.

In one scenario where the Autobots rescue Sarah, Galvatron decided that only he would possess the secrets of invisibility, and sent Dirge out to kill the woman. Dirge was unsuccessful due to Hot Rod and the other Autobots’ interference.

In another possible scenario, Dirge and the other Decepticons happened upon Sarah Sanders’s ship before any Autobots had come in contact with her. While Scavenger held the woman captive, Dirge and the other Decepticons dragged the ship itself to a hidden location. In whichever scenario that followed, the Autobots managed to steal the Invisibility Device from the Decepticons, either dazzling Dirge and the others with their headlights while Hot Rod took the device right out of their hands, or tricking him and most of the other Decepticons into leaving the spaceship behind while they pursued the young Autobot on a wild goose chase. The Decepticons did not succeed in catching Hot Rod no matter what scenario ensued. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}
{{-}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:GalvatronsAirAttack Dirge crashes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|One mission and he almost dies. Luckily for him, he was only in one book.]]
Thanks to a new surveillance system, the Decepticons were alerted to the fact that the Autobots were searching an old battleground for [[cybernite]]. Dirge was among the jets led by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] who went to attack the scavengers, however the Autobots drove into a narrow part of the canyon, and unable to pull up in time, Dirge damaged his wing on the canyon wall. As they were unable to follow the Autobots, Starscream's team returned to base where [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] ordered Dirge to get repaired and have some flying lessons. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}}
{{--}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Dirge participated in Shockwave's offensive against [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] shortly after Optronix took the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] and became [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} He was on the front lines when the Decepticons managed to breach the last of the Autobots' defenses and penetrated the [[Decagon]]. At this time, Optimus and Megatron beheld visions of the future, in which Dirge participated in an attack on a hydro-electric dam on Earth. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}}

During the Dark Ages, he joined up with Starscream's [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacon]] faction and attempted to disrupt the peace treaty at [[Tyger Pax]], only to have the combined forces of the Autobots, Decepticons, and [[Ultracon]]s brought against him. The battle was interrupted, however, by the return of Megatron. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}}

Megatron disappeared once more after briefly gaining control of Cybertron, and Dirge came to work under Shockwave. When [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] took over the Decepticons and posed as Shockwave to retain command over the other full-sized Transformers in the ranks, Dirge was among the troops duped by the diminutive 'bot into launching an all-out offensive, despite their resources being at an all-time low. {{storylink|Recipe for Hate}} During what was meant to be a suicide mission, the Decepticons nearly claimed victory against the Autobots... until both factions' Micromasters turned up to put an end to the conflict. After the miniature 'bots revealed that Skystalker had engineered the recent conflict to take over himself, the Decepticons retreated from the battlefield. {{storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

After the [[Great Shutdown]] was over, Dirge became one of Shockwave's top agents and traveled to Earth to help collect the former crews of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' and ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. {{storylink|New World Order}} Despite initial resistance, Optimus Prime surrendered his forces to Shockwave, and they were collected for detention by Dirge and the other troops. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Back on Cybertron, he helped defend Shockwave's empire when the Autobots finally rose up against him. Dirge and Thrust nearly managed to obliterate [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] during the insurrection, only for Optimus to come to the smaller Autobot's rescue. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} Dirge next tried to attack Mirage, only for Cliffjumper to jump him from behind. Dirge easily swatted Cliffjumper away, but turned his back to Mirage in the process... this allowed Mirage to use his invisibility powers to sucker-punch Dirge, knocking him out of the fight. Shockwave's planetary reign was ultimately brought to an end, and Dirge was escorted out of the battlefield in energy cuffs, alongside his fellow Decepticons. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Somehow, Dirge escaped detention and joined up with Shockwave and his remaining flunkies in the [[Wastelands]], hidden in an underground bunker while planning their next move. When Megatron arrived with his new [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], though, Dirge quickly assessed his priorities and agreed to serve under the old Decepticon commander for the duration. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}

{{note|Somewhat ironically, Dirge's survival was guaranteed by Dreamwave's own death as a publisher.}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' continuity===
====Ask Vector Prime====
In one of the many [[Primax 1003.30 Kappa]] variations, Dirge encountered the [[Gem of Mystery]] and was blasted into [[Transwarp#Marvel The Transformers comics|unspace]]. [[Unicron]] subsequently plucked him from the void to deal with a particularly tenacious [[Lukas]] reality, adding him to his roster of [[Herald of Unicron|Heralds]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/19}}

====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
[[File:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Even in a new continuity, he can't get a break.]]
Along with [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], and Galvatron, Dirge traveled to the [[Earth]] of [[Aurex 402.24 Gamma|a new reality]] to prepare the way for Unicron. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}} Together, they opened up a large amount of space bridge portals in close spatial proximity to one another in order to weaken the quantum event horizon that separated this universe from the one they had traveled from. Leaving Bludgeon to guard the portals, the rest of the group then journeyed to Earth to confront the Transformers there. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4}} While Galvatron dueled the local Megatron, Dirge, Thunderwing an Scourge scoured about the Decepticons' headquarters. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4}} They came upon [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]], and tortured him for information, but ultimately yielded nothing of interest out of him. They next crossed paths with [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]], who detonated the [[Decepticon Command Headquarters]] to escape his opponents. Thrust was killed in the explosion. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
Dirge was based on Cybertron, serving as one of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s bodyguards. Along with Ramjet and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], he tried to stop a group of Autobots from stealing a load of [[energon cube]]s from the Decepticons, and almost managed to shoot [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. Shockwave later led Dirge and the others to capture [[Teletran 3]], but they were stopped when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] set up a force field around the computer. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} The field eventually went down, and the Decepticons attacked, capturing the Autobots. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] attacked, several of Shockwave's forces were killed. The remainder withdrew to Shockwave's command tower, where they were destroyed when [[Cobra Commander]] detonated explosives hidden on [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. So one way or another, Dirge died again. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Dirge joined several other flying Decepticons in attacking [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]] during a particularly violent battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}
{{-}}

===3H comics===
During the [[Quintesson]] invasion of Cybertron a week after the [[Great Reformatting]], Overseer [[Rexian]] and his [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s came upon an untransformed portion of Cybertron with non-technorganic Cybertronians claiming to be Decepticons freed by the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. The Decepticons loudly argued over who was the big-shot [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and decided that whoever could take down the most Sharkticons could be Thundercracker, the loser getting to be Dirge. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

===''Lil Formers''===
When he was called useless and ineffective, the only response Dirge could muster up is asking if anyone had seen his chapstick. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Universe'' cartoon===
Dirge was one of the many Cybertronians caught up in a civil war that emerged due to greed, corruption, and malice emerging in their planet’s halls of power. He was one of the first Decepticons to travel to Earth, and looked on as the Autobots took on alternate forms to disguise themselves amongst its populace. {{storylink|Action Blast 1}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Rise Dirge and Thundercracker.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5]]
Dirge and several other Decepticons ambushed [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]]'s team of Autobots near the borders of [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]], stopping them from apprehending [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]]. {{storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} He was then present at the [[Jump Joint]] during Orion's little chat with [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}} Megatron led him and several other Decepticons to [[Nyon]], where they prevented [[Zeta Prime]] from killing Orion Pax. {{storylink|Choices}} Dirge was soon one of the Seekers providing air support in a joint Autobot-Decepticon attack on Zeta Prime's forces. {{Storylink|Overthrown}} Following their victory, the Decepticons betrayed and captured the Autobots, and Dirge was assigned to guard one of the cells together with [[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]]. He was blasted by [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] when he showed up to free the captive Autobots. {{storylink|Rise}}

[[File:AHM7 Dirge hops in.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Operation: Cannot Possibly Fail]]
Dirge was present when [[Scorponok (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Scorponok]] took control of the Decepticons, and got annoyed that [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] were chattering away during his inaugural speech. {{storylink|Wreckage (issue)|Wreckage}} He participated in Scorponok's attack on the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]] where he was injured by [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]. {{storylink|Faces of Darkness}} Alongside some other fliers he also attacked [[Starsreach Spaceport]] and helped shoot down civilian vessels participating in the [[Exodus (G1)|Exodus]]. {{storylink|Massacre}}

Four million years later, after the War had rendered Cybertron uninhabitable, Dirge was part of [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]]'s unit. In the 19th century, the group had conquered the [[Huni System]] before the group was approached by the [[Dire Wraith]] [[Vekktral]], who proposed an alliance. Initially disinterested, Vekktral managed to convince Starscream by showing him [[Stardrive]] prompting Dirge to pull his leader aside and voice his concerns. Unsurprisingly, Starscream didn't care much for what Dirge said and agreed to the alliance. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}} After the Wraiths had sown chaos among the ranks of the [[Solstar Order]], Dirge was part of the squad that broke into ''[[Orchid Crossing]]''. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}} When the [[Autobot]]s arrived, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] singled out Dirge and began beating him for information until [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] was partially assimilated by a Dire Wraith. With the hybrid proving unstoppable, Dirge and Ramjet decided to hightail it before Ultra Magnus suddenly condemned the station to a fiery demise. The Decepticons regrouped in the skies of [[Xetaxxis]] where Vekktral observed that the Wraith/Cybertronian had survived reentry. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}} On the surface, Dirge joined in the Seeker attack on the ruins of ''Orchid Crossing'', {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 3|Shining Armor #3}} before [[Livia]] and [[Rom]] overpowered him and knocked him into stasis, sending him tumbling into Starscream. After Starscream used his unconscious body as a shield, Dirge rebooted and rode Starscream's jet mode to make a getaway. Hovering in the skies, he, Ramjet and Starscream watched Stardrive suffer a mental breakdown before Bumblebee fixed it. As they discussed their next move, Dirge spotted a Vekktral possessed Ultra Magnus flanked by an army of Wraiths. When the Decepticons landed however, the Wraiths turned on their allies. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 4|Shining Armor #4}}

Roughly a century afterwards, Dirge and [[Deluge (G2)|Deluge]] escorted defeated Autobots to exile on Cybertron via a space bridge. But when Optimus Prime sabotaged the bridge on his way through, the two Decepticons found themselves trapped on Cybertron with their "prisoners". {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Dirge and Deluge were kicked around and left to fend for themselves on the hostile planet. The Seeker watched as the [[Insecticon swarm]] tore apart Deluge.

[[File:IDWRID StickTogether Dirge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Me? Not dying for once? Lies.]]
After the rebirth of Cybertron, a Decepticon crowd gathered after the death of Senator [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. Dirge refused to believe [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] and the Autobots' claims that Ratbat committed suicide, and angrily stormed off. The [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] [[Barrel Roll]] followed him, and offered his friendship. Before Dirge could answer, a mysterious explosion engulfed Barrel Roll. Dirge's life was spared, but his injuries had him brought into [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]]'s care.

As a witness to the explosion, Dirge was interrogated by [[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]]. [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], blaming Dirge for the death of Barrel Roll, took a shot at Dirge, missing thanks to Wheeljack's intervention. Dirge became infuriated at this example of "Autobot mercy", believing that the explosion and other events were caused by the Autobots themselves to gain justification to execute the Decepticons. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

[[File:Devisive Dirge vehicle.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|I'm not dead yet!]]
Dirge then worked in the [[reclamation tunnel]]s alongside other Decepticons. There, he found the dead body of [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]] and caught a glimpse of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who affixed a [[cerebro-shell]] on Dirge to keep him quiet. He was soon found by Autobot authorities, and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] deduced the culprit from the cerebro-shell's presence. Using a device from Wheeljack, Prowl used the shell on Dirge to track down Bombshell and eventually killed the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]], breaking his hold on Dirge. [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] was sent to chase the fleeing Seeker, but let him go after he made a plea for his life. {{storylink|Devisive}}

After having witnessed Prowl killing both Bombshell and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] in cold blood, Dirge feared that he was next and went into hiding. He told his story to [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], who protected him and shared his information with new arrival [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] as well. However, their hiding place was discovered by the Autobots and Dirge and Swindle escaped, leaving Needlenose and Sky-Byte behind. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} Swindle then had him tell [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] about Prowl's crimes. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt (IDW)|Dinobot Hunt}} When this was followed by a bombing that crippled [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], Dirge worried that it was part of some plan Shockwave had cooked up after hearing his story, making him indirectly responsible. In order to avoid getting involved with any further plots, he and Swindle approached Starscream, giving him the dirt on Prowl in exchange for being safely hidden away from ''both'' Prowl and Shockwave. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}}

Dirge's attempts at staying out of the spotlight were futile, and he was plucked out of his safehouse by Arcee who took him to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] and asked him testify against Prowl to Autobot leader [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]. He accepted, claiming he didn't become a Decepticon just to let Autobots get away with murder. {{storylink|The Verge}} Brought to [[Autobot High Command]], Dirge convinced Bumblebee that they had to investigate Prowl's actions and subsequently followed the Autobots to the [[Black Room]], where they found that Prowl had been under the control of Bombshell all along. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} As the Decepticon army, led by a returning Megatron, began conquering Iacon, Dirge turned his back on them and joined forces with [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] who was looking to save Starscream from Megatron's clutches. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} They were aided by Bumblebee's Autobots, but Dirge was quick to point out that they were only out to kill Megatron rather than rescue a fellow Cybertronian. When they reached Megatron, he was blasted by his former leader while trying to stop him from forming [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

Dirge survived the attack and remained in Iacon to receive medical attention while the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons were exiled by Starscream. {{storylink|Second Exodus}} As he lay damaged, he was approached by Starscream, who offered his fellow Seeker a place at his side now that he was the ruler of Cybertron. Dirge had no interest in helping him, however, as Starscream had left him to die during the battle, and chose to sock him in the face instead. Starscream threatened to kill him, but Dirge pointed out that would be difficult now that he was in charge and all eyes were on him. {{storylink|Three Monologues}} Six months later, Dirge attended Wheeljack's welcome-back party at Maccadam's. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}}

Dirge was interviewed for his opinion on Earth joining the [[Council of Worlds]]. While able to rationalize the humans killing Ramjet and Thrust after the Decepticon invasion, he was horrified by the humans using their corpses to make the [[Seeker clone]]s and haunted by the prospect of humans on Cybertron. {{storylink|Primeless, Part 1}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:ShockwaveDirgeInfestation2-2.jpeg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
With his fellow Decepticons, Dirge fell under the thrall of an [[Elder God]] in [[1888]]. As part of the Elder God's forces, Dirge, with the other Decepticons, defended [[Port Cenotaph]] from intruders. {{Storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} He soon defended the town against an international fleet. {{Storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

{{IDW HOS}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Fated Rival, Once Again...}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Revenge (All Spark)}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}}

===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
Dirge took part in a game of soccer against [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] and the Constructicons. It's unclear why he was playing on the [[Autobot]] side. {{storylink|Ultimate Defender}}

===''Ker-O'' online manga===
Dirge was among [[Bludgeon (Kre-O)|Bludgeon]]'s troops who discovered the legendary [[Red Bucket]], only to be interrupted by the arrival of [[Bluestreak_(G1)/toys#Kre-O|Bluestreak]] and [[Jazz_(G1)/toys#Kre-O|Jazz]]. On Bludgeon's order, Dirge tipped the bucket over on the Autobots, burying them in blocks, but this only led to the Decepticons' defeat when Jazz used the blocks to his advantage. {{storylink|Treasure Competition! Defeat with Block Power!}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
Dirge followed Megatron to Earth in his quest for the [[AllSpark]]. There, he encountered [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]]. The fight did not go in Dirge's favour, and Omega snatched Dirge out of the air as the Decepticons attempted to retreat. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}

===''Combiner Wars'' cartoon===
Dirge was among the Decepticon troops who bore witness to a pivotal duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron, one meant to end the war before the never-ending arms race between the two factions spiralled further out of control. {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Optimus Prime}}

==Commercial appearances==
*During a battle against Megatron, Optimus summoned [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], and [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] to his side. Megatron responded by calling down [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] and Dirge. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Thrust and Dirge|Autobot cars plus Thrust and Dirge commercial}}
*Dirge was led by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] into an attack against an Autobot launch station. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and his troops emerged from the facility to defend it. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Ultra Magnus|Ultra Magnus commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Alex Easley]] (English)}}
{{Note|Dirge is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Dirge was amongst Megatron's troops ages ago, before the Cybertronian war found its way to Earth. {{storylink|The War Within}} He was part of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]'s team which unsuccessfully attempted to intercept [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] as the pair returned to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] after an [[energon]] scavenging mission. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye (Legends)|More than Meets the Eye}}

Dirge was involved in a battle between the Decepticons and the Dinobots when the later went berserk and set out to attack the Decepticon base. {{storylink|Day of the Dinobots - Part 1}} During a Decepticon attack on a major human city, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and Dirge used their sonic powers to make things difficult for the Autobot rescue team of [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]. {{storylink|To the Rescue}}

After the discovery of a lagoon filled with [[Electrum]], Dirge was amongst the Decepticons who found themselves invulnerable to Autobot firepower after being coated with the substance. Although they managed to defeat Omega Supreme at first, they found themselves at a standstill with the Autobots who had also managed to gain access to the Electrum. In the end, Dirge and the rest of his comrades were forced to retreat from the Autobots when their Electrum coating wore off first. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (Legends)|The Golden Lagoon}} While transporting a stolen Autobot weapon, Dirge crashed into a swamp on a movie set and had to be rescued by the other Decepticons. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (Legends)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

Dirge was among [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s Decepticon troops who attacked a small group of Autobots, forcing them into hiding in the [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (Legends)|Dark Awakening}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsDirge.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Great, now it's easier for him to just die!]]
Dirge participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was an Uncommon character who could be recruited after collecting 45 units of Cybermetal and 20 units of Transmetal. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

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

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

==Notes==
*The original [[character model]]s of the coneheads all feature design elements simplified from Dirge's robot mode stickers–which were themselves originally recolored from [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s robot mode stickers.
*[[Simon Furman]] originally planned for Dirge and the other "coneheads" to appear and defend the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' in the [[Nemesis Part 2|conclusion]] to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', but this plot point was dropped due to time and budget constraints. Furman was so disappointed at his missed chance to use Dirge (whom he appreciated because he has "...a cool doom-laden name") that he chose the character to be one of [[Herald of Unicron|Unicron's Heralds]] in the ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' comic's "[[Worlds Collide]]" arc.
*Colorist [[Drew Eiden]] stated at the [[Transformers Collectors' Club|Collector's Club]] panel at [[BotCon 2007]] that the day after final colors were applied to the ''Timelines'' comic where Dirge apparently falls dead, he found this article and noted to editor [[Pete Sinclair]] how ironic it was. Whether the comic was actually ''intended'' to continue Dirge's death-trend is unknown.
*According to his ''Gentei! Gentei!'' bio, his engines generate a super sonic wave that can destroy buildings.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Dirge''' (ダージ ''Dāji'')
*''French:'' '''Funébro''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Sparviero''' ("Sparrowhawk")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Wǎngē''' (挽歌, "Dirge")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Funebre''' (Portugal comic), '''Dirgo''' (Brazil comic), '''Funeral''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Smert''' (Смерть, "Death"), '''Tupik''' (Тупик, "Deadlock"), '''Grobovshchik''' (Гробовщик, "Undertaker")

[[Category:Armada Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Seekers]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:War Within Predacons]]

Grimlock (RID 2015)

2018-03-18T14:59:08Z

He-l-en1959: some comments

{{faction|decepticon|autobot}}
{{disambig3.5|the ''Robots in Disguise'' Dinobot|the character from the video games|Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock}}
:''Grimlock is a [[Decepticon]]-turned-[[Autobot]] [[Dinobot (RID)|Dinobot]] from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] portion of the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[File:Grimlock-RID2015promorender.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Another [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|''Robots in Disguise'' Grimlock]] who is green and can speak in full sentences? Well, at least this time he turns into a dinosaur.]]

'''Grimlock''' is a wild card among the Autobots. Huge and powerful, he's also headstrong and reckless. He transforms into a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', a powerful form that's essentially a wrecking ball on two legs. It’s not the subtlest [[alternate mode]] around, but Grimlock isn't one for subtlety.

Grimlock's what you might call a 'bot of action; he has little patience for complicated strategies and prefers to think of plans on the fly. Of course, his usual "plan" starts and stops at "punch it". He’s not a particularly ''skilled'' fighter, eschewing guns and blasters in favor of his own fists, but when you’re a heavy-hitting [[Dinobot (RID)|Dinobot]], sheer force is often all you need to get the job done. Grimlock’s fights involve a lot of collateral damage, and the big guy's not the brightest 'bot around - he's a bit clumsy and has a tendency to both underestimate ''and'' overestimate his own strength. Even so, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] recognizes that the myriad advantages of having a robotic dinosaur on their side outweigh the downsides, and Grimlock is always excited at the prospect of smashing up some of his monstrous jailmates from his days aboard the ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]''.

Although his raw strength is enough to head most problems off at the pass, Grimlock’s impulsiveness and often childlike behavior has sometimes landed him in trouble, especially after he bites off more than he can chew. Fortunately, he's tough and tenacious enough to fight his way right back out again. There is little he fears, but since coming to [[Earth]] Grimlock has developed a new phobia— a mortal dread of kittens.

Sometimes he works with the [[Mini-Con]] [[Volcano (Adventure)|Volcano]]. He can also combine with either [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] to form [[Primelock]], or with the rest of the [[Bee Team (RID)|Bee Team]] to form [[Ultra Bee]], though he wishes he wasn't always stuck being the combiner's legs.

{{quote|I hear fighting! Who's fighting?! I wanna fight!|Grimlock's first words out of his stasis cell|''[[Pilot (Part 1)]]''}}

==Fiction==
===2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Khary Payton]] (English), [[Frank Welker]] (roar sound effect), [[Masaomi Yamahashi]] (Japanese)|[[Alexander Kovriznyh]] (Russian), [[Sergio Romanò]] (Italian), [[Marco Kröger]] (German), [[Yasser Azzat]] (Arabic), [[Aku Laitinen]] (Finnish)}}

[[File:PilotPart2 Grimlock dino mode.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Me Grimlock look good in green!]]
Grimlock was arrested for causing severe property damage {{storylink|True Colors}} and imprisoned in a [[stasis pod|stasis cell]] aboard the prison ship ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]''. After the ship crash-landed on Earth, his was one of the only stasis cells to remain largely intact after the impact, although the cell's actual "stasis" function was disabled. While Bumblebee, [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]], and [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]] tangled with the Decepticon criminal [[Underbite]], Grimlock managed to partially break free of his cell, and enthusiastically tried to join in the fight. Before he could do so, he was restrained by [[Fixit (RID)|Fixit]], who zapped him with a taser attachment. Eventually, Grimlock managed to goad Underbite into a rage to help "free" him. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 1)}} Grimlock pursued the Decepticon to a scrapyard, though Underbite proved too much for him to handle. Joining up with [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s team, Grimlock enthusiastically helped bring Underbite in, and after they succeeded, Bumblebee put Grimlock on probation. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 2)}}

[[File:TrustExercises boating.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Sailing for adventure on the big blue wet thing.]]

Grimlock was the only member of Bumblebee's team to successfully complete the trust exercises, and as a result Bumblebee took him to investigate an attack on the oil tanker ''[[Windward]]''. The pair tussled with [[Hammerstrike (RID)|Hammerstrike]], though Grimlock ended up stranded at the bottom of the sea. The duo subsequently tracked the Decepticon to a nearby oil refinery and managed to catch him in a barrel. {{storylink|Trust Exercises}} Grimlock was instrumental in capturing the Decepticon [[Bisk (RID)|Bisk]]. Later, he joined in the hunt for [[Chop Shop (RID)|Chop Shop]] and wound up on guard duty. He decided to interfere anyway, and wound up getting stung into submission by Chop Shop's various components. His conspicuous alternate mode meant that he couldn't join in on the next attempt to bring in Chop Shop, so he wound up keeping [[Russell Clay|Russell]] company at the scrapyard. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye (RID)|More than Meets the Eye}}

When the team split up to search the [[Crown City Museum of Natural History and Sciences|Crown City museum]] for a Decepticon, Grimlock briefly tangled with [[Terrashock]] in a planetarium, but came off second best. Bumblebee eventually came up with a way to hunt the Decepticon on his own terms, which Grimlock enjoyed immensely. {{storylink|W.W.O.D.?}} Trying to protect a generator from [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]], Grimlock ended up being left on guard by himself and was trounced by the Decepticon. Grimlock was knocked silly, suddenly believing he could fly, and had to be helped back to the scrapyard by Strongarm. {{storylink|As the Kospego Commands!}}

[[File:AsTheKospegoCommands Grimlock poised and ready.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Me Grimlock get ready to rumble!]]

Grimlock's attempts to disguise his beast mode as a truck were less than successful, resulting in him being left at the scrapyard when Bee and the others were hunting for [[Filch]] near Crown City. It later turned out they needed him after all, but only to hold up a bridge. {{storylink|Collect 'Em All}} A [[cyber-tick]] named [[Minitron]] took control of Grimlock, forcing him to fight his friends and then make off with Underbite's stasis pod. The other Autobots followed him to [[Crown River Dam]] where Minitron met with [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]]. Although Minitron tried to goad the Autobots into attacking one another, Grimlock managed to pin him down and subdue him. As a reward, Grimlock was formally inducted into the Autobot ranks. {{storylink|True Colors}}

While Bumblebee and Strongarm were away on a mission, Sideswipe and Grimlock got to be spectators for a feud between Fixit and Denny. {{storylink|Rumble in the Jungle}} After [[Ped (RID)|Ped]] raided the Bots' energon supply, the others left Grimlock to guard what was left, and went to hunt the Decepticon. Later as they attempted to trap Ped, Grimlock himself became trapped at the bottom of a pit Ped dug. {{storylink|Can You Dig It?}} After a run-in with [[Quillfire (RID)|Quillfire]] left Bumblebee with reduced maturity, Strongarm and Grimlock went to hunt the Decepticon in a carnival, only to be joined by their leader. Grimlock got used as a steed and experienced a carnival ride before Quillfire was captured. {{storylink|Adventures in Bumblebee-Sitting!}}

When [[Drift (RID)|Drift]] and [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]] came to Earth to collect the bounty on Bumblebee, Grimlock was captured by the Decepticon to use as a ransom along with the other Autobots. {{storylink|Hunting Season}} As Bumblebee's team pursued [[Malodor]] and three other [[Skunkticon]]s, Grimlock found himself repeatedly sprayed with their debilitating toxin, and was briefly taken hostage by the Decepticon quartet. He helped capture the Skunkticons, but was again sprayed with toxin in the process. {{storylink|Out of Focus}}

The Autobots encountered the Decepticon [[Clampdown (RID)|Clampdown]], whom Grimlock found extremely creepy. The Autobots were led to tangle with Steeljaw's gang. Grimlock once again battled Underbite, and managed to gain the upper hand by force-feeding the [[Chompazoid]] plastic. The Decepticons were subdued and briefly captured until Steeljaw slipped his cuffs and caused a distraction. While Grimlock and the other Autobots were preoccupied with a runaway garbage barge, the Decepticons escaped. {{storylink|Sideways (episode)|Sideways}}

[[file:RobotsHaveNightmares Grimlock dream.jpg|thumb|right|300px|For rescuing a stray cat from a truck, Grimlock was forced to marry the Cat Prince.]]

Grimlock joined Russel for a night of scary movies, and unsuccessfully tried to frighten the young human, who claimed not to be afraid of anything. Along with the rest of the Autobots, he later travelled to a local cave system in search of [[Nightstrike]]. The Decepticon got the drop on the team and incapacitated all of them with his fear-inducing scream, forcing Grimlock to have nightmares about kittens. Although the Autobots escaped and managed to capture Nightstrike, Grimlock was still jumpy in spite of his claims to the contrary, and quickly fled at the sight of a local stray cat. {{storylink|Even Robots Have Nightmares}}

Grimlock was later dispatched to the Crown City subway system to track down another Decepticon contact, although Strongarm was less than enthused about having to tow the Dinobot all the way there. By the time they had arrived, they discovered that the demented scientist [[Vertebreak (RID)|Vertebreak]], had stolen Sideswipe's body, and was all too eager to try it out on the Autobots. Strongarm fought Vertebreak, but Grimlock was held up by passing trains. The Autobots eventually manage to take in Vertebreak, but Grimlock was too slow to outrun the oncoming train, forcing the other wheeled Autobots to carry him and the Decepticon to safety. {{storylink|Some Body, Any Body}}

Russell explained to Grimlock about the notion of "paying it forward", which confused Grimlock. With the help of the newly arrived Drift and his Mini-Cons, Grimlock helped to recapture a tank that had been commandeered by an escaped Quillfire and Springload... and deliberately made sure not to catch either of the falling Decepticons. {{storylink|One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing}}

During a training exercise, Grimlock was injured by a falling piece of debris. Feeling that he was "the muscle" of the team and couldn't let his teammates down, Grimlock did his best to hide the injury from Bumblebee. This would eventually have repercussions when the team went underwater in pursuit of [[Octopunch (RID)|Octopunch]], who had broken into an abandoned Cybertronian spaceship. The Dinobot steadily grew weaker and less focused, unable to fight off the ship's various security measures. Eventually, Grimlock told Bumblebee the truth about the injury,and on returning to base he was patched up by Fixit. {{storylink|Deep Trouble (RID)|Deep Trouble}}

[[File:TFRIDTheChampGrimlockKick.jpg|thumb|left|300px|He crimefighting covers up a basic insecurity.]]

Grimlock's increasingly brazen shows of strength did not have the desired effect; one stunt wound up almost injuring Russell. When the other Autobots headed into Crown City in pursuit of [[Groundpounder (RID)|Groundpounder]] and [[Headlock]], Grimlock's dinosaur alternate mode meant that he couldn't tag along. When the [[GroundBridge]] malfunctioned, however, he got his chance. With a rollcage welded to his back, Grimlock posed as "Dino-Bash", a human-built robot piloted by Denny, and challenged Groundpounder in a demolition derby at the Crown City [[Rumbledome]]. Groundpounder was eager to tangle with a real Dinobot, and initially gained the upper hand. Grimlock- with Fixit's assistance- was able to nail Groundpounder with his signature cannonball move... but not without almost bringing down the entire arena. {{storylink|The Champ}}

After Fixit reverted to his sentry programming, Grimlock was menaced by the various security measures around the scrapyard. Things were compounded by the return of Chop Shop, although Grimlock helped to bring in the Decepticon thief once again. {{storylink|The Trouble with Fixit}} Grimlock joined the gang to investigate a Decepticon signal that belonged to [[Kickback (RID)|Kickback]]. After returning to base, they discovered that Steeljaw had broken in and taken Fixit and the humans hostage. In the ensuing fight, Grimlock easily trounced Clampdown with a few well-placed tail smacks. {{storylink|Lockout}}

[[File:SimilarlyDifferent Grimlock catches rubble.jpg|thumb|right|380px|"Om..."]]
Grimlock eventually grew bored with his routine duties, and yearned for the days when he could simply smash whatever he wanted to. While on patrol he encountered [[Scowl (RID)|Scowl]], another Dinobot. The duo happily destroyed an old demolition site, but Grimlock realized that he had to do the right thing and arrest Scowl. Scowl managed to win him over and Grimlock let him walk free, on the condition that he never harm a human. Unfortunately for Grimlock, Scowl was actually one of Thunderhoof's old goons, and the Autobots rolled out to bring him in. Grimlock had to fight against a vengeful Scowl at a train station, where he helped redirect an oncoming train, and later at a spa, where he finally managed to overcome the other Dinobot with the help of a stone sculpture. Grimlock was saddened by the outcome of the fight, and mused that Scowl had never intended to change his violent ways. {{storylink|Similarly Different}}

The Autobots discovered [[Windblade (RID)|Windblade]], a charismatic 'bot who had been sent to Earth by [[Primus]] eons ago. With their ranks temporarily bolstered, Grimlock helped the team go after [[Zizza]], discovering her hiding spot at a nearby airport and then distracting her mind-controlled human pilots. {{storylink|The Buzz on Windblade}} Grimlock began feeling homesick for Cybertron and the [[Acid Wastes]]. Bumblebee tried to cheer up the team by taking them to [[Edmondville]], where they discovered the Decepticon [[Shifter]] [[Pseudo]]. Although Pseudo temporarily masqueraded as Grimlock, the team were able to spot the imposter and recapture him. {{Storylink|Ghosts and Impostors}}

After Strongarm and Sideswipe were kidnapped by Decepticons, Grimlock joined the remaining Autobots and Windblade for a raid on their hideout. When the Decepticons absconded to the [[Crown City Colossus]] with their hostages, Grimlock took the direct route by travelling underwater, although he was barred from destroying the portal by Clampdown. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}} Now with [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] on the loose, Grimlock teamed up with his allies- including a reborn Optimus Prime - against Megatronus and the other Decepticons. Grimlock managed to distract Megatronus long enough for the other Autobots to bring down part of the statue on their foe. In the aftermath, Grimlock opted to stay on Earth with the rest of the team. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 2}}

Grimlock was alarmed when [[Micronus Prime|Micronus]] projected a vision on his flank. Following a GroundBridge explosion, Grimlock helped (badly) to clear up and along with Bumblebee and Strongarm, was defeated by [[Overload (RID)|Overload]] when the Decepticon arrived at the scrapyard. {{storylink|Overloaded, Part 1}} After tracking Overload to a parking lot, the team split up with Grimlock and Strongarm trying to track the Cyclone Mini-Cons. They soon realized they'd actually been tracking humans, however Grimlock came up with a plan that let them maintain their cover. They caught up with Bumblebee in time to help take Overload back to base. {{storylink|Overloaded, Part 2}}

[[File:Suspended Grimlock rolls out.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot. So my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the Cretaceous, green, terrible...]]
Despite Strongarm's coaching, Grimlock was unable to establish the same level of teamwork with her that she'd had with Sideswipe, leading to them bungling the capture of [[Saberhorn]]. They eventually managed to successfully work together at the steel mill, however Grimlock ended up throwing Saberhorn through a wall and inadvertently allowing the Decepticon to escape. {{storylink|Metal Meltdown}} Grimlock took part in the pursuit of [[Crazybolt (RID)|Crazybolt]] and [[Slicedice]], during which he was able to help save some motorists accidentally endangered by Strongarm. He later helped Bumblebee try to deal with a fire caused by the two Cons, but they ended up requiring Strongarm's help to rescue some humans. {{storylink|Suspended}}

[[File:Brainpower-datacylindergonewrong.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Grimlock reads YouTube comments.]]
Bumblebee, Strongarm, and Grimlock captured the Mini-Con [[Torpor]], though the mission was nearly botched when Grimlock stumbled in on the other two Autobots as they strategised, tipping their target off to their whereabouts. Feeling that the other Autobots didn't rate his intelligence, Grimlock got Fixit's help him in trying to pass the police academy entrance exam, so that he could prove he was at least smart enough to enter the same fancy school that Strongarm had gone to. However, a mishap resulted in Grimlock downloading the entire content of a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]] into his brain. Though it greatly increased his intelligence, it also meant the eventual degradation of his neural pathways and as he joined in the hunt for [[Simacore]], he soon found his new knowledge left him unable to effectively fight. Fixit was able to reverse the process, draining his intelligence away in time for him to defeat Simacore and rescue Bumblebee and Strongarm from a particle accelerator. {{storylink|Brainpower}}

When a wounded Steeljaw turned up at the scrapyard, Bumblebee, Strongarm and Grimlock followed the trail of energon he'd left to a disused drive in where they encountered [[Scorponok (WFC)|Scorponok]], Crazybolt, and Slicedice. Though Grimlock was beaten down at first, he and Bumblebee were able to defeat and capture them after the latter Autobot distracted the enemy with a magic trick he had learned from Russel, allowing Grimlock to get a second wind. {{storylink|Misdirection}}

[[File:Impounded-grimlocksdisguise.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Robots in Disguise Grimlock disguised as [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|Robots in Disguise Grimlock]].]]
Grimlock grew increasingly bored as the Autobots hunted down a cable in a shipping yard, one of the many components the Decepticons were gathering for their current machinations. He managed to find it, shortly before he was blasted by Springload, and then inadvertently by Bumblebee. The mission a bust, the entire team were left mentally drained after having failed to decipher the Decepticons' motives. Grimlock turned down staking out a [[Rear Axle]] concert, not sharing Bumblebee's enthusiasm for the band, when their next lead pointed to it being the Decepticons' next target. Instead, he practiced his sculpture (which simply involved smashing big rocks into smaller rocks). Bumblebee called for back-up when he encountered Bisk on the mission, and Grimlock joined Strongarm in trying to come to help, only for them to be held up by traffic. {{storylink|Bumblebee's Night Off}} When Grimlock almost blew the Autobots' cover by landing in the middle of a crowd while trying to apprehend [[Silverhound]], Bumblebee banned him from going on missions. Fixit came up with a crane disguise for Grimlock to use, and the pair headed out after Bumblebee and Strongarm left to track down Quillfire. Passing himself off as a "Dino Crane," designed to look as it did because "children love dinosaurs," Fixit and Grimlock caught up to their commander and were able to help him and Strongarm capture Quillfire. Bumblebee gave Grimlock's new disguise his approval, allowing him once more to go back into the field. {{storylink|Impounded}}

After an incident with the GroundBridge brought [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] to Earth, Strongarm and Grimlock were knocked out by the Decepticon. They recovered, only to be warped away from the junkyard alongside [[Laserbeak (WFC)|Laserbeak]] by a portal created by Soundwave. Working together, Grimlock and Strongarm were able to shut down Laserbeak, then rushed back to the rest of the team. They arrived just as Denny, Fixit, Russel, and Bumblebee managed to get Soundwave back into the [[shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]], and threw the Decepticon Mini-Con back into the other dimension after its master. {{storylink|Portals}} Following another mission, Grimlock joined the stealth team via the GroundBridge, and carried an injured Drift back to base. {{storylink|Graduation Exercises}}

After a chance encounter resulted in [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] joining the team, the Autobots got a lead to the location of the group of Decepticons; an escapee Mini-Con called [[Toolbox]]. They used a ruse to infiltrate the crashed ''[[Alchemor (RID)|Alchemor]]'' which the Decepticons were using as their "Decepticon Island," during which Grimlock pretended to be a Decepticon returning with Autobot prisoners. Though they made good grounds once inside the ship, one of the other slave Mini-Cons blurted out a greeting to Toolbox upon seeing him returned, betraying the Autobots' presence. Grimlock's team were surrounded by the bulk of the Alchemor's remaining Decepticons soon afterwards. {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 1)}} Thanks to Windblade providing them with an impromptu distraction, the rest of the Autobots were able to make a break for it and split up into smaller groups. Strongarm, Grimlock, and Sideswipe were sent to try and free the Mini-Cons being held captive by the Decepticons. They ended up in a communications room where they encountered Groundpounder and Thunderhoof. Still holding a grudge against Grimlock since their last encounter, Groundpounder beat down the Dinobot while Thunderhoof dealt with the other two Autobots. Sideswipe eventually managed to incapacitate the Decepticons by using nearby equipment to broadcast a high-frequency signal, holding onto consciousness for seconds longer than the Decepticons. After using the communications equipment to free the Mini-Cons, the trio escaped the ship before the [[cryo-gas]] bomb froze everyone aboard.

With the Decepticon threat now finally dealt with, several Autobots decided to head back to their homeworld. Grimlock was not among them, choosing instead to stay behind with Bumblebee on Earth to set up a permanent base of operations, should any more peril befall the planet. {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 2)}} When news of the Bee Team's exploits reached Cybertron, Grimlock became one of the many Autobots blacklisted by the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]] for being a supporter of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy (RID)|Enemy of My Enemy}}

Bumblebee took his team on a tour of interesting locations on Earth, culminating in them visiting the remains of [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]], only to find a strange bomb had been set up to detonate. Grimlock was partnered with Strongarm when the team split up, only to end up stepping on a mine. He was unable to move for fear of setting the mine off, until Bumblebee found him and revealed that the "mine" was just an old armor buffer. {{storylink|History Lessons}} When Bumblebee split up the team to search sites of Cybertronian significance, Grimlock was assigned look in western [[China]]. The team was accidentally bridged back to the scrapyard instead of [[Mount St. Hilary]] because Denny and Russell didn't know what they were doing. {{storylink|Strongarm's Big Score}}

[[File:TRID S2 E16 PL MSS.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Lobster Mobster strikes again.]]
After one too many accidents, Grimlock was disgruntled when Bumblebee only assigned him one mission in the search for Cybertronian relics. During his mission, he encountered Brother [[Gunter]], who set about teaching him patience via the medium of pretzel manufacture. [[Thermidor]] and [[Tricerashot]] turned up at the monastery, resulting in Grimlock calling in the rest of the team, however ultimately it was the patience he'd learned that allowed Grimlock to defeat the scavenger. {{storylink|Pretzel Logic}}

When Team Bee found a [[high energy pulse generator]] in [[Egypt]], Grimlock carried it back to the scrapyard using his crane mode, however the device was destroyed anyway when it threatened to fry their brains. Following an invasion of the scrapyard by the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, the team lost both their own Mini-Cons and their leader, after they were abducted by [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Mighty Big Trouble}} Joined by Optimus, the team split up to search for Starscream. Grimlock was first on the scene when Strongarm and Sideswipe ran into the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, but the ensuing hostilities ended when the Mini-Cons recognized Optimus, and the two groups teamed up. A short time later, they ran into the Scavengers, and then during the fight with them, the Mini-Cons were captured by Starscream. {{storylink|Mini-Con Madness (RID)|Mini-Con Madness}} [[File:TRID S2 E19 W SC 1.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Say hello to his little friend!]] Grimlock linked with Tricerashot, who'd avoided being captured, and took out the Scavengers. He and the rest of the team located Starscream's ship, and during the ensuing battle with the Decepticons, they were knocked out by Starscream. They eventually managed to defeat Starscream, despite him successfully merging with the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, by dragging him down into range of Fixit's signal so he could be de-merged. After farewelling Optimus and the Mini-Cons, Team Bee split up to search more Cybertronian sites. {{storylink|Worthy}}

Without any Decepticons to punch, Grimlock passed his time playing tic-tac-toe with his own tail. He joined Bumblebee and Drift as they traveled to [[Grand Valley]] to face a Decepticon. {{storylink|King of the Hill (Part 1)}} Grimlock found himself at a disadvantage as he was unable to outrun [[Heatseeker]]'s guided missiles, but he managed to serve as a distraction for Bumblebee and Drift to move in. The mission ended with the entire team somehow being merged into one robot, though they were unconscious at the time. {{storylink|King of the Hill (Part 2)}}

[[File:TRID S3 E3 D SC 1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|How To Train Your Dinobot.]]
Impressed by the abilities of Drift's pupils, Grimlock decided to become Drift's "poodle" too. As the team attempted to capture [[Crustacion]] in [[Antarctica]], Grimlock's attempts to put Drift's teachings into practice were surprisingly successful, and he was instrumental in capturing the 'Con. {{storylink|Defrosted}} Grimlock and the rest of the team joined up with the [[Rescue Bot]] [[Blurr (Prime)|Blurr]] was they attempted to recapture [[Ragebyte]]. {{storylink|Blurred}}

Grimlock, along with the rest of the team, found himself drawn to possess the [[Sphere of Doradus]] thanks to the strange energies it gave off. He was later able to overcome this desire thanks to his love of punching, and took part in the capture of Springload. {{storylink|Sphere of Influence}} Grimlock was part of a mission to [[West Rock]], and used his crane disguise to block the city's only exit to prevent [[Dragstrip (WFC)|Drag Strip]] and [[Wildbreak]] escaping. {{storylink|Bee Cool}}

During another attempt to capture Drag Strip, a methane explosion caused the team to again merge into a giant robot, though Grimlock was disappointed to find he was the legs. Afterwards, the team had to cope with having two Sideswipes as they continued to try to get back the relic Drag Strip had stolen. {{storylink|The Great Divide}} Grimlock and the rest of the team captured three Decepticon brothers as a result of Strongarm employing her detective skills. {{storylink|Get a Clue}}

[[File:RiD2015 Out of the Shadows Sidelock.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"The bottom. AGAIN."]]
Grimlock and Sideswipe were temporarily [[Sidelock|fused together]] during another of Fixit's combiner experiments. They and the rest of the team helped Drift recover his two Mini-Cons students after they were kidnapped by the Decepticon [[Shadow Raker]]. {{storylink|Out of the Shadows}} Another of Fixit's combiner experiments led to the Autobots temporarily switching bodies. Grimlock reveled in having Drift's vehicle mode, and gleefully took part in a road race in an attempt to stop the Stunticons, though he had difficulty working with Drift's Mini-Cons. {{storylink|Disordered Personalities}}

The team attempted to help Strongarm's friend [[Nightra]] after she turned up apparently being pursued by [[Blastwave]], only to discover that Nightra was the criminal being hunted while Blastwave an Autobot bounty hunter. When the deception was exposed aboard [[Blastwave's ship]], Grimlock put his all into hanging onto the rest of the team as they were nearly blown out of a cargo bay, before he managed to close the bay door. {{storylink|Guilty As Charged}} Grimlock developed an interest in art and started off by making a sculpture of Strongarm. {{storylink|The Golden Knight}}

[[File:RiD2015 - The Fastest Bot Alive - Super Grim.jpg|thumb|right|250px|WOAH-OHHHH!]]
After allowing Fixit to experiment on him, Grimlock developed uncontrollable super speed. Despite Bumblebee restricting him to base, Grimlock - inspired by Russell's reading a ''[[Captain Plasma Beam]]'' comic to him - believed he could be an effective superhero and joined in on a mission to recapture Simacore. This didn't go well, but he did eventually successfully defeat the Con, and he took pride in Simacore's having declared him to be the Orangucon's "greatest foe". {{storylink|The Fastest Bot Alive!}}

Grimlock, no longer with the aid of super-speed, took part in a mission to prevent the Stunticons from stealing the power source for a high-speed maglev train. {{storylink|Railroad Rage}} Grimlock and the rest of the team finally managed to combine into [[Ultra Bee]] during another mission against the Stunticons. {{storylink|Combine and Conquer}} A message from Windblade sent the team to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], where they again combined and managed to defeat the Stunticons once and for all. {{storylink|Moon Breaker}}

[[File:TRID E 63 Grimlock with rocks.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Me Grimlock love to smash rocks.]]
Russell and Grimlock began making video diaries to keep the absent Drift up-to-date. Their latest effort was interrupted by an attack which drove the Autobots from the scrapyard and forced them to seek refuge in the nearby cave system. Decepticon signals led them to the culprits — Steeljaw and his pack, and the ensuring battle endangered Crown River Dam. {{storylink|Exiles}} With the Autobots finding the cramped quarters of the caves inconvenient, Denny and Russell got Grimlock to enlarge it using his rock-smashing skills. {{Storylink|Breathing Room}} Left on monitor duty, Grimlock was distracted and missed the detection of some Decepticon signals. As a result he became hyper-sensitive about remaining professional and not having fun on the job, which almost resulted in the Decepticons getting away with some nuclear waste until Sideswipe snapped him out of it. {{storylink|Prepare for Departure}} Grimlock took part in a mission which resulted in the defeat and capture of (most of) Steeljaw's pack at the nuclear plant. {{storylink|Prisoner Principles}}

{{bigquote|Good call, Bulkhead. Smashing stuff really does relax me.|Grimlock|[[Sick as a Bot]]}}
[[File:SickAsABot Grimlock thinking.jpg|thumb|250px|right|All his plans are ''smashing!'']]
Grimlock took part in the defeat of Soundwave, preventing the Decepticon from irradiating the entire planet. He later dressed up as "the monster from Dimension Aaargh" for Sideswipe's performance of ''[[Showcase of Shivers]]''. {{storylink|Collateral Damage}} The Autobots returned to the scrapyard and Grimlock was tasked with securing the prisoners, only to let Underbite escape. He and the other Autobots were forced to chase the 'Con, who randomly teleported thanks to a chunk of space bridge he'd eaten. {{storylink|Something He Ate}} After Bumblebee, Strongarm and Sideswipe were infected with a nanovirus, Grimlock rushed off to try to capture the Decepticon. He only succeeded once the newly-arrived [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] helped him slow down and come up with a plan. {{storylink|Sick as a Bot}}

During a pursuit of Steeljaw, Grimlock and the others found themselves arrested by [[Dropforge]]. They were able to escape with Denny and Russell's help and both foiled Steeljaw's plan, and freed Dropforge from the mind control signal he was being controlled by. {{storylink|Five Fugitives}} Optimus arrived once more, sending Grimlock and the rest of the team to Cybertron where the Autobot council were using mind control on the population. On arrival, the Autobots were surrounded by security, {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy (RID)|Enemy of My Enemy}} however with the help of Dropforge and Steeljaw, they were able to gain entry to the [[High Council Tower]]. After they discovered the council were actually Decepticons, Grimlock decided the best way to eliminate the mind control was to smash everything. A battle ensued with the Autobots and Decepticons taking on their combined forms for a last ditch struggle for Cybertron, and the Bee Team eventually prevailed. In the aftermath, Grimlock and the others returned to Earth as newly appointed ambassadors and ended up chasing after Steeljaw again. {{storylink|Freedom Fighters}}

{{-}}

===''Robots In Disguise'' shorts===
After accidentally stomping on Fixit several times during the day, Grimlock somehow got the Mini-Con stuck to his foot.
{{Storylink|Fixit Jam}} Grimlock was lent a [[Decepticon Hunter]] so he could find his signature weapon, his own fist. {{Storylink|Perfect}}

===IDW ''Robots in Disguise'' comic===
[[File:IDWRID1 Grimlock dinopile.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Grimlock's reaction after seeing the Big Green dub of ''Dragon Ball Z''.]]
While checking on a stasis pod with Strongarm, Grimlock stomped on a forest fire that had broken out. He attempted to track [[Flamefeather (RID)|Flamefeather]] until Bumblebee arrived and pointed them in the direction of the [[Fun-A-Rama]] amusement park. There, they managed to track down the Decepticon and capture him (Grimlock covertly stomped him!) however when the morning crowds arrived, Grimlock was forced to pretend to be a dinosaur statue for sixteen hours to avoid blowing the Autobots' cover. {{storylink|Fire, When Ready!}} During a training exercise, Grimlock cheerfully smooshed Sideswipe by executing a "Dinopile". After taking part in a team takedown of [[Spinhead]], he repeated the maneuver on the Decepticon. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 1|Robots in Disguise #1}}

Grimlock and Sideswipe aided in the capture of [[Transit (RID)|Transit]] by directing the Decepticon into a traffic jam engineered by Fixit. During a visit by [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]]'s team, Grimlock took part in a plan to capture [[Clipshade]], though his contribution ended up with him landing on top of Sideswipe again. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 2|Robots in Disguise #2}}

After establishing the location of [[Overhead]], Grimlock and the rest of the team managed to take the Decepticon down, though not before Grimlock had suffered a few bumps and accidentally worn a hat. After Overhead supplied them with a distress beacon she claimed would bring the leader of the [[Cybercomrade Sect]], Bumblebee and Grimlock set a trap, only to encounter Clipshade, who it turned out was an Autobot double agent—Overhead was the real Sect leader. They soon returned to Strongarm to find their captive had escaped. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 3|Robots in Disguise #3}} After attempting to help coach Sideswipe on his acting, Grimlock took part in an attempt to capture Overhead. He ended up being physically tossed by the Buffaloid during the fight, but after she caused the space bridge she was working on to collapse into a black hole, Grimlock managed to save [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] from falling into it. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 4|Robots in Disguise #4}}

Following the defeat of Megatronus, Team Bee followed Decepticon signals to [[Fort Tucker]] and found themselves tangling with two [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s. Grimlock was injured shielding some unconscious humans from Vehicon missiles and had to be helped to safety by Drift. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 5|Robots in Disguise #5}} Returning to base, the team found empty stasis pods and the computer trashed, and were forced to resort to their own wits to work out where Steeljaw was. To the shock of the others, Grimlock reasoned that Steeljaw was probably in the [[Sierra Vistas]], leading them to successfully locate the cave in question, rescuing Fixit and Russell before engaging Steeljaw's crew. Grimlock battled his usual dance partner, Underbite, until the three Vehicons realized that Steeljaw was not part of Megatron's command. In the aftermath Team Bee was left with the majority of Steeljaw's team as prisoners. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise issue 6|Robots in Disguise #6}}

===2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' books===
[[Lobbing|Lob-ball]] star "Gridlock Grimlock" had an impromptu game using Fixit as the ball. When the team went to hunt [[Scuzzard]], Grimlock was left at base as a last line of defense, and clumsily managed to knock over Filch's stasis pod, freeing the Decepticon. He joined the team in hunting down both of the avians, taking down Scuzzard with Sideswipe's help. {{storylink|Bumblebee Versus Scuzzard}} When three of Russell's classmates invaded the scrapyard, Grimlock was forced to pretend to be a prop from a Japanese kaiju movie, which worked until he saw the cat tattoo one of the boys was sporting, and reacted with terror. Fixit detected Decepticon signals, which resulted in Grimlock and the rest of the team tangling with Underbite, Thunderhoof and [[Slink]]'s gang in a warehouse. {{storylink|Sideswipe Versus Thunderhoof}}

Grimlock was disappointed when a potential Decepticon incursion turned out to be a drill and he wouldn't get to punch anything. He got his chance when the Autobots apprehended [[Forager]], however on their next mission the Autobots were led on a wild goose chase. On their return to the scrapyard they were captured and put into stasis pods by the Ronin, where they remained until Drift was able to free them and help them turn the tables on the three Decepticons. {{storylink|Drift's Samurai Showdown}}

An attempt at a game of football went wrong when Grimlock punctured the ball with his teeth while calling "hole in one!" He and the rest of the team took on [[Skinkbomb]], only to find the Decepticon's explosives formidable, and the fight was lost when Bumblebee became distracted. Though the team thought Bumblebee might be suffering from brain rust, the next time they faced Skinkbomb, they all heard the illusionary Optimus Prime's voice and were all able to overcome the Decepticon regardless. {{storylink|The Trials of Optimus Prime}}

Grimlock, Strongarm, and Bumblebee attempted to arrest the Decepticon [[Brakepad]], only to fall foul of his lethargy-inducing powers. After they returned to the scrapyard empty-handed, Denny and Russell had to force them to go back out into the field and capture Brakepad. {{Storylink|Autobot World Tour}}

===''TransTech''===
[[File:PrimalPrimeandfriend-CMW.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right]]
Grimlock prowled about the streets of the Under City in Axiom Nexus, in a crowd of countless off-worlders. {{storylink|Cybertron's Most Wanted}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
Grimlock and the other members of Bumblebee's team responded when Optimus Prime called their names in a display of his [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Adventure|new toy]]'s speaking gimmick, then joined Optimus in dancing to "[[Try☆Transformers Adventure↑↑↑]]". {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)|TAV21 Optimus Prime Now on Sale!}}

Grimlock was shocked when [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and [[Tigatron]] suddenly appeared among the Autobots, claiming to be from [[Legends Universe|another universe]]. {{storylink|Go! Adventure}}

===Signature ''Robots in Disguise'' comic===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Signature Robots in Disguise issue 1|Look Before You Leap}}}}

==Games==
===''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game===
<center>
{|class="wikitable" border="5" style="width:65%"
|-
! scope="col" width="30%" | '''Version'''
! style="background: #00CCFF; color: black" scope="col" width="35%" | '''Unlock Cost (Energon)'''
! style="background: #BF00FF; color: white" scope="col" width="35%" | '''Unlock Cost (Ultra Sparks)'''
|-
|Starter
|500
|10
|-
|Titan Guardian
|1000
|20
|-
|Legion
|1500
|30
|-
|One-Step
|2000
|40
|-
|One-Step Gold
|2000
|40
|-
|Titan Hero
|3000
|60
|-
|Warrior
|4000
|80
|-
|Warrior Gold
|4000
|80
|-
|Warrior Asia
|4000
|80
|-
|Battlepack
|4000
|80
|-
|Hero
|6000
|120
|-
|Hero Stealthasaurus
|6000
|120
|-
|Stomp ‘N Chomp
|10000
|160
|}
</center>

When Crown City was overrun by Decepticons as a result of a stasis pod modified to clone an army, the Autobots were forced to battle them throughout the city and surrounding landscape. They eventually found that Steeljaw and another Decepticon had constructed a [[space bridge]] and defeated the pair. {{storylink|Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|Robots in Disguise}}

{{Note|The Grimlock Custom Kreon appears as a power-up item, serving as the player's support by attacking enemies. However the Kreons can suffer friendly fire from the player itself.}}

===''Protect Crown City''===
Grimlock, Strongarm, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee captured escaped Decepticons, and secured them back in their stasis pods. {{storylink|Protect Crown City}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{Charstubgames}}{{Storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}

==Toys==
===Robots in Disguise (2015)===
{{note|Virtually every toy in this list has a scannable [[insignia]] sticker on it. For [[Hasbro]] releases, it temporarily unlocks that toy as a playable character in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]], and can only be scanned once per day. [[TakaraTomy]] releases simply check that off on their mobile app's collection list. It's honestly quicker and less redundant to say which toys '''don't''' have this feature.}}
====Legion Class====
{{anchor|Legion}}
[[File:RID2015LegendsGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm gonna burst outta your pocket in a minute!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Legends Class, 2015/2016)
:Part of the 2nd wave of Robots in Disguise [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Legion|Legion Class]] line, Grimlock transforms into a robot to ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' and back! He also features a sculpted battle mask on his head...while it's painted with his unmasked face's color. Legion Class Grimlock sports 3mm ports on his robot hands & arm joints. His ''T. rex'' shoulders also feature 5mm ports.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot/''T. rex'' mode, on his right arm/left leg. This badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

:In 2016, the figure saw re-release with the ''Combiner Force'' packaging. And due to the mobile game's latest update, unlocking Grimlock is useless now.

{{-}}{{anchor|LegionClear}}
[[File:TF-Adventure-EZ-Collection-Clear-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock Clear Ver.''' (EZ Collection, 2015)
:A redeco of Legion Class Grimlock in clear plastic, Grimlock Clear Ver. was given away at Japanese stores like EDION toy department & Bic Camera, from July 2015 to customers who spent ¥3000 or more on Adventure product. Like most of the clear colored ''Adventure'' Legion Class exclusives, Grimlock has no paint operations save for his face and his T-rex head.

{{-}}{{anchor|TAV35}}
[[File:TAV-35-EZ-Collection-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Inconceivable!]]
*'''Autobot VS Decepticon Set''' (EZ Collection 4-pack, 2015)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAV35'''
:Available for this set, this version of Grimlock is a redeco of the original Legion Class toy, featuring additional paint details on any of his paintable plastic.

:Unlike the Hasbro release, the toy features no scan-badges on the toy, instead it was printed on one small card, along with the other 3 badges.

:Grimlock was released as a four-pack along with [[Steeljaw (RID)#TAV35|Steeljaw]], [[Underbite#TAV35|Underbite]], and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#TAV35|Optimus Prime]].

:Like the rest of the ''Adventure'' EZ Collection sets, some online retailers like Amazon Japan were still selling it 2 years later at greatly reduced prices (70% off).

{{-}}

====One-Step Changers====
{{anchor|OneStep}}
[[File:RID20151StepGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
[[File:TED-09-One-Step-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]
*'''Grimlock''' (One-Step Changer, 2015)
**''Japanese release date:'' '''2015-[[June 27|07-27]]'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TED-09'''
:Part of the second wave of ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#One-Step Changers|One-Step changers]], Grimlock transforms into a robot to ''T. rex'' and back in just one easy step! Grimlock also features a sculpted tongue in his ''T. rex'' mouth. Although he only transforms into a single step, His ''other'' step is to fold his pair of feet into two hands.

:This Grimlock can ride on his [[#Stomp_.26_Chomp|Stomp & Chomp counterpart]], but does not activate any of the larger figure's gimmicks.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex'' mode, on his left shoulder. The badge is merely impossible to be scanned while in robot mode, since his shoulder parts had covered it.

:The TakaraTomy release of One-Step Changer Grimlock (as part of the ''Easy Dynamic Series'' line) features extensive paint applications to resemble his cartoon counterpart. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his left ''T. rex'' arm. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's collection list.

{{-}}{{anchor|OneStepGold}}
[[File:RID2015-One-Step-Changer-Gold-Armor-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Gold Armor Grimlock''' (One-Step Changer, 2015)

:One-Step Changer Gold Armor Grimlock is A Generation-1 inspired redeco of the One-Step figure above.

:Like his original toy, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex'' mode, on his left shoulder. The badge is nearly impossible to be scanned while in robot mode, since his shoulder parts had covered it.

{{-}}{{anchor|RIDCollection}}
[[File:RID2015-One-Step-Changers-Collection-6-pack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Robots in Disguise Collection''' (6-pack, 2015)

:A 6-pack featuring the One-Step figures of [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#RIDCollection|Bumblebee]], [[Steeljaw (RID)#RIDCollection|Steeljaw]], Grimlock, [[Sideswipe (RID)#RIDCollection|Sideswipe]], [[Underbite#RIDCollection|Underbite]] (all of them unchanged from their individual releases), and a new One-Step [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#RIDCollection|Optimus Prime]] figure available only in this set. This set was exclusive to [[Target]] stores in the United States and to [[Toys"R"Us]] stores in Canada.

: Sideswipe, Steeljaw, Underbite, and Bumblebee's badges are all scannable in-package.
{{-}}

====Warrior Class====
{{anchor|Warrior}}
[[File:RID2015WarriorGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green and black, man! You got a problem with that? ''(Hasbro Version Pictured)'']]
*'''Grimlock''' (Warrior Class, 2014/2015/2016/2017)
**''Japanese Release Date'': 2015-[[March 21|03-21]]
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAV-02'''
:Part of the first wave of Warrior-Class figures, Grimlock transforms into a green and black ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. Unusual for a Warrior-Class, he comes packaged with no accessories. In dinosaur mode a switch atop his head moves his jaw up and down. Grimlock's right robot mode leg also features a sculpted [[Kibble#.22Faux-parts.22|fake tail]], to symmetrically match his left leg, where his ''T. rex'' mode tail had stored with. Please take note that Grimlock's hands can't grip some weapons due to his ''T. rex'' feet being on the way.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, right of his chest. The badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

:The figure suffers a [[design flaw]]: His pair of arms/legs is pretty much prone to have stress marks and/or suffer breakage, thanks to the loose grey plastic piece in the pseudo-ratchet joint. This can be fixed if the grey plastic piece is glued in place (although this will require removing metal pins).

:[[File:RID Warrior Grimlock Packaging Comparison.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|left|Shelf life of a 1980s figure.]]
[[File:Takaratomy-tav-02-grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]

:Despite being succeeded by the "Gold Armor" redeco in wave 4, the original green and black deco of the figure made a comeback in subsequent waves, in two different packaging [[variant]]s as part of the "Mini-Con Weaponizers" and "Combiner Force" [[subline imprint]]s. It is unknown whether these re-releases use the modified pseudo-ratchet joint seen on the redeco. Take note that the re-releases' badges only unlocks Energon Currency instead of the character.

:The TakaraTomy release of Grimlock uses a slightly saturated green plastic, and features extra paint applications, mostly for his alt mode's toes, and his eyebrows. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, right of his chest. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's collection list.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/Grimlock/grimlock.htm More information on Warrior-Class Grimlock at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.transformers-universe.com/i.php?ID=5675 More information on Warrior-Class Grimlock at Transformers-Universe.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TAVVS}}
[[File:TAVVS02-Grimlock-VS-Gregevor-Boxart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock VS Greejeeber''' (VS set, 2015)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAVVS-02'''

:The TakaraTomy release of Warrior Class Grimlock is bundled with an unchanged [[Greejeeber]] toy.

{{-}}{{anchor|GoldArmor}}
[[File:RID2015-Warrior-Class-Gold-Armor-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Dumb stubbies! Yellow not same color as gold!]]
*'''Gold Armor Grimlock''' (Warrior Class, 2015)

:A redeco & new head retool of the Warrior Class Grimlock toy, Gold Armor Grimlock features a new coloration and a masked head, inspired by his [[Grimlock (G1)|''Generation 1'' counterpart]]. His pair of arms/leg joints were slightly modified to prevent breakage.

:His stock photography features yellow paint applications, rather than orange as seen in the final product.

:Like his original toy, his scannable Autobot insignia is on the right of his robot mode chest. As he's packaged in robot mode, this badge is easily scannable while still in-package.

{{-}}

====Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changers====
{{anchor|HyperchangeHeroes}}
[[File:RID20153StepGrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Me Grimlock have feet for hands and hands on feet! ''(Hasbro version pictured)'']]
[[File:Takaratomy-ted-02-grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''(TakaraTomy Version Pictured)'']]
*'''Grimlock''' (Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changer, 2015)
**''Japanese Release Date'': 2015-[[March 21|03-21]]
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TED-02'''

:Part of the first wave of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Three-Step Changers|''Robots in Disguise'' Three-Step Changers]], This roughly voyager-sized Grimlock transforms into a Robot and ''T. rex'' in just a few easy steps! His scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, middle of his chest. However the badge ''cannot'' be scanned while he's in ''T. rex'' mode. Three-Step Grimlock does not features any 5mm compatible arms, but features the said ports on his front ''T. rex'' legs instead. Giving him weapons (or any Mini-Cons from the Mini-Con Weaponizers subline) to wield can be awkward.

:The TakaraTomy release features extra paint applications. Like his Hasbro counterpart, his scannable Autobot insignia is in his robot mode, middle of his chest. Scanning this in the ''Transformers Chronicle'' Mobile App unlocks the toy in the app's collection list. Unlike the American release, Big Grimlock is packaged in a windowed box, instead of an an open package.

:Although the transformation of this toy is listed as '''3 steps''', there are 2 optional steps: positioning the ''T. rex'' arms, and pulling the tail off before (then reinserting it after) transformation. However, it's possible to transform Grimlock with the tail installed anyway.

{{-}}{{anchor|ThreeStepStealthasaurus}}
[[File:RID2015-Three-Step-Stealthasaurus-Rex-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Bumblelock?]]
*'''Stealthasaurus Rex Grimlock''' (Hyper Change Heroes / 3-Step Changer, 2016)

:This Grimlock is a redeco of the 3-Step Changer above, with yellow paint applications.

:The toy was solicited as '''Stealthasaurus Grimlock''' in the ''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game.

:For unknown reasons, the 3-Step Changer assortment was halted at United States release for the better part of a year, which resulted in Stealthasaurus Rex Grimlock not appearing at retail until nine months after he had been released in Australia. Afterwards, the assortment continued at a normal pace.

{{-}}{{anchor|HyperFlip}}
[[File:TF-RID2015-Combiner-Force-3-Step Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"I have fist-balls of steel!"]]
*'''Grimlock''' (3-Step Changer, 2017)

:Released under the "[[Combiner Force]]" subline, "Hyper-Swoop" Grimlock is an entirely a new mold. While possessing a different transformation scheme, Grimlock features a fairly show-accurate robot & ''T. rex'' mode. Due to it's transformation scheme, he ends up having two ''T. rex'' toes on his ''T. rex''/Robot mode legs.
{{-}}

====Kre-O====
[[File:KreO-Toy GrimlockCustomKreon.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Ah! It's Big Green!"]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Custom Kreon, 2015)
**''Set number'': '''B1235'''
**''Pieces'': '''23'''
**''Accessories'': Parts rack, extra clear body parts (torso, helmet, left & right legs, left & right arms), buildable ax, sword

:Part of the sixth wave of ''[[Kre-O]]'' Custom [[Kreon]]s, and the first ''Robots in Disguise''-themed wave, Grimlock uses the new 2015 Kreon construction with the hollow waist-peg and "raised" hands. He comes with a buildable parts rack on which to hang/store his extra pieces. Unlike the previous Custom Kreons, he no longer features a chromed helmet, and comes with an extra clear-plastic helmet, torso, legs, and his arms, plus a two-sided ax and a chromed sword.

:Despite what the instructions say, the body piece cannot be pegged down between the leg parts installed on the display stand. However this can be amended by putting a 2x1 brick piece.

:All of the 2015 ''Transformers [[Kre-O]]'' product was skipped by retailers in the US (at first), seeing release in Canada, Australia and various Asian markets. In late 2015, much of the line was finally released at discount in the US through TJ Maxx and Marshalls stores, including this set.

{{-}}{{anchor|CustomRID2017}}
*'''Armor Up Grimlock''' (Custom Kreon, 2017)
**''Set Number'': '''B5711'''
*'''Blizzard Strike Grimlock''' (2017)
**''Set Number'': ??
*'''Night Strike Grimlock''' (2017)
**''Set Number'': ??
***''Pieces'': 28
***''Accessories'': Left & right leg extensions, left & right arm extensions, chest armor, buildable pick axe-hammer

:Another series released without any prior announcement from Hasbro, this new Custom Kreon Grimlock set features extension parts for the arms and legs used for the Kreons included in the China exclusive ''Armor Hero Captor'' sets. On the other hand, the Kreon can be displayed without adding any armor parts.

:Grimlock was available is three different versions: the standard-colors "Armor-Up", "Blizzard Strike", and "Night Strike" (the only redeco to feature a show-accurate helmet color). So far the building sets saw first release on Dollar General.

{{-}}

====Stomp & Chomp====
{{anchor|RID2015Stomp&Chomp}}
[[File:RID2015-Stomp-and-Chomp-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Yo Bee, you remember that I used to transform into a mechanical mess of a T-rex?"]]
*'''Electronic Stomp & Chomp Grimlock''' (One Step Changers, 2015)
:Stomp & Chomp Grimlock is a redeco of [[Grimlock (AOE)#Stomp&Chomp|''Age of Extinction'' Stomp & Chomp Grimlock]], transforming from 22" tall ''T. rex'' to robot by triggering the handle from his back. He also lacks the sword and the Optimus Prime mini-figure. Undocumented in the instructions, Stomp and Chomp Grimlock's weapons can be popped out by placing any ''Age of Extinction'' One-Step Changers & Power Attacker figures. However, all of the ''Robots in Disguise (2015)'' One-Step Changers cannot accommodate with the gimmick.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his handlebar. Like the original mold, Stomp & Chomp Grimlock ended up being a [[shelfwarmer]].

{{-}}

====Mini-Con Battle Packs====
[[File:RID2015-Minicon-Battle-Pack-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Me Grimlock feel excellent, [[Megatron (BW)|yeeeess]].]]
*'''Decepticon Hunter Grimlock with Mini-Con Decepticon Back ''' (Mini-Con Battle Pack, 2016)
**''Accessories'': 5 armor pieces (combine to form a weapon)
:Part of the second [[wave]] of the Mini-Con Battle Pack, "Decepticon Hunter Grimlock" is a new sculpt, similar in size of a Scout Class figure (In Grimlock's case, the size of ''Cyberverse'' Commander figure), with its transformation engineering borrowed from the [[Grimlock (WFC)#Warrior Class|Warrior]] class figure. Fortunately, the elbows use ball joints, removing the nasty arm-breaking [[design flaw]] the Warrior figure had. Battle Pack Grimlock also features transparent yellow pieces, which can be combined into a handheld (technically, arm-''mounted'' via a pair of tabs) weapon resembling a ''Tyrannosaurus'' head, and can also be attached to his body to form his armor. The ''Tyrannosaurus'' head weapon can also attach to his beast mode head, giving him a hilarious giant transparent ''Tyrannosaurus'' head over his actual ''Tyrannosaurus'' head.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his ''T. rex''/Robot chest, accessible in Robot Mode and in-package.

:Grimlock was available with [[Back|Decepticon Back]], a Cyclone Mini-Con which is designed to be launched from the [[Deployer (WFC)|Deployer]] [[Crazybolt (RID)#Toys|Crazybolt]] and [[Overload (RID)#Toys|Overload]] toys.
{{-}}{{anchor|TAV42}}
[[File:TF-Adventure-Mini-Con-Battle-Pack-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Sunnn! Give him da powa of da Sun!"]]
*'''Volcano & Grimlock Volcano Armor''' (Mini-Con Battle Pack, 2016)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAV42'''
**''Accessories'': Volcano armor pieces, Volcano Mini-Con

:The ''Adventure'' release of the Mini-Con Battle Pack Grimlock is a redeco of the Hasbro mold, featuring some paint applications to more closely resemble his appearances in the cartoon...although they missed his ''T. rex'' arms & hips/robot shoulders.
{{anchor|TAV45}}
*'''Optimus Prime and Grimlock - Supreme Armor set''' (4-pack, 2016)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''TAV45'''
**''Accessories'': Optimus Prime's weapons (Battle Axe, 5 armor pieces (combine to form into a weapon)), Grimlock's weapons (5 armor pieces (combine to form a weapon)) [[Gravity]] Mini-Con, [[Volcano (Adventure)|Volcano]] Mini-Con

:Another release of the ''Adventure'' Mini-Con Battle Pack Grimlock, this toy features transparent blue battle axe and armor parts.

:Grimlock is bundled with Optimus Prime, and his Mini-Cons Gravity and Volcano, redecoed in different colors.
{{-}}

{{anchor|TeamCombiner}}
====Team Combiners====
[[File:TF-RID2015-Team-Combiner-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Gabu Gaburincho; Grimlock!"]]
*'''Ultra Bee''' (Team Combiner, 2017)

:Grimlock transforms from ''T-rex'' into robot, and combines with Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Strongarm to form Ultra Bee. Due to the set's nature as a 4-piece Combiner, Grimlock forms the lower section of the gestalt. Unfortunately, due to his transformation, his ''T-rex'' mode ends up having an unambiguous pair of robot legs sticking out of its butt in place of an actual tail. The set's instructions say that the included sword accessory can somehow attach to his ''T-rex'' mode to sort-of disguise/compensate for this, but exactly how isn't clearly illustrated and there are no clips that hold it securely in place.

:Each toy uses the same universal combination joint as the other Team Combiners and the [[Crash Combiner]]s, which can lead to some... ''interesting'' combinations, given that most robots form very specific body parts when combined. Mixing Crash Combiners with Team Combiners leads to some ''especially'' weird results.
{{-}}

====Crash Combiners====
*'''Grimlock & Optimus Prime''' (Crash Combiners, 2018)
:A new, rougly Legion-sized Crash Combiner version of Grimlock available in a two-pack with a retool of [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Primelock|Optimus Prime]]. As a ''[[Combiner Force]]'' Crash Combiner, Grimlock can become the bottom half of any Crash Combiner gestalt, though his official combination is with Optimus Prime as [[Primelock]].

:This two-pack was a very late addition to the ''Robots in Disguise'' line, with a Hasbro product code number in the same region as the wave 1 Prime Masters from ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]''.

===Adventure===
[[File:TAV30-Battle-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Do not say Yoshi.]]
*'''Battle Grimlock''' (Voyager, 2015)
**''Japanese ID Number'': '''TAV30'''
**''Accessories'': Sword, Shield

:Part of the ''Adventure Series'' lineup, Battle Grimlock is a retool of ''Generations'' [[Grimlock (WFC)#Generations|Voyager Class Grimlock]], replacing his heads, shoulders, knee plates, and entire torso to better resemble his cartoon counterpart. He comes with a sword with a [[5mm post|5mm handle]] and a peg on either side of the hilt, as well as a shield which can mount via its single peg. Grimlock features 5mm ports for his hands, as well as on his forearms/lower dino legs and shoulders/dino hips. The hollow sides of his dinosaur arms feature [[Cyberverse]]-compatible [[C joint|3mm ports]]. The LED gimmick on previous releases of the mold has been removed for this release.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his left ''T. rex'' leg/right robot mode arm. Scanning this in the Transformers Chronicle Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's collection list.

:This toy can be armored up with Mini-Con [[Divebomb (RID)#Robots in Disguise|Divebomb]], despite being a differing faction. Divebomb's armor may be connected to Battle Grimlock in either mode. Divebomb himself may be stored on Grimlock's robot shoulders or in his dinosaur undercarriage.

{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:RID2015-Platinum-Edition-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Namekian Goku, Namekian.]]
*'''Bumblebee & Grimlock''' (Platinum Edition 2-pack, 2016)
**''Accessories'': Energo Sword, shield

:Released as an exclusive for Entertainment Earth, this ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Grimlock is a redeco of [[#Adventure|''Transformers Adventure Series'' Battle Grimlock]] toy, making it a domestic release of the Japan-only retool of the toy. ''Platinum Edition'' Grimlock replaces his black paint into gunmetal, and features deco differences on some of his parts. The figure was also solicited as ''' ''Warrior'' Asia Grimlock''' in the ''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is in his left ''Tyrannosaurus'' leg/right robot mode arm. The badge is inaccessible while in package.

:Grimlock is bundled with a redecoed [[Bumblebee (WFC)/toys#PlatinumBeeGrimlock|Warrior Class Bumblebee]]. In the United States, this set was exclusively available via online retailer Entertainment Earth, although it was also stocked by several smaller US-based online retailers who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was released in Singapore, as a [[Walmart]] exclusive in Canada, and sold at Ripley stores in Chile.

:His [[stock photography|stock photos]] depict a mistransformed robot mode: His legs are not extended.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Tiny Titans===
[[File:Transformers-Tiny-Titans-1-Grimlock.jpeg|upright=1.33|thumb|Me Grimlock is sick of your stupid comments!]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Tiny Titans, 2015)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''2/12'''

:Part of the initial assortment of [[Tiny Titans]], this version of Grimlock is a very small, soft-plastic figure of him shooting fire out of his mouth in [[beast mode]]. Sold in a [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] baggie, he comes with a collectible card with a scan-badge for the mobile game, which unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/TTGrimlock/grimlock.htm More information on ''Tiny Titans'' Grimlock at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[File:Transformers-Tiny-Titans-4-Grimlock.jpeg|upright=1.33|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Tiny Titans, 2016)
**''Series'': '''4'''
**''Number'': '''11/12'''

:Part of the fourth assortment of [[Tiny Titans]], this version of Grimlock is now molded in Robot Mode, with his shield and sword.
{{-}}

===McDonald's===
*'''Grimlock''' (McDonald's toy, 2015)
**''McNumber'': '''2'''
{{charstubtoys}}

===Kinder Surprise===
*'''Transformers: Robots in Disguise''' (2015)
:Only available inside a blindpacked chocolate egg as part of Kinder's ''Transformers: Robots in Disguise'' series, this buildable Grimlock mini-figure consists of a generic "cog" onto which his limbs and armor can be clipped to construct him. He is unique as his cog is mounted sideways instead of facing forward like the other figures from the line.
{{-}}

===Titan Heroes===
[[File:RID2015-Titan-Heroes-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock''' (Titan Heroes, 2016)
:A 12-inch, simplified non-transforming statue of ''Robots in Disguise'' Grimlock with five points of articulation.

:His scannable Autobot insignia is on his robot mode chest. Scanning this in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (mobile game)|''Robots in Disguise'' mobile game]] temporarily unlocks the Titan Hero Grimlock figure as a playable character if the player has not permanently unlocked it already. This badge is easily scannable while still in-package.
{{-}}

===Transformers Adventure Shokugan===
*'''Grimlock''' (2016)
:Part of the new ''Adventure'' Shokugan series, this Grimlock is a snap-fit kit molded in black, blue, and red plastic with detailing from stickers. The kit can convert into a ''T. rex'' when finished. Its transformation engineering is borrowed from the Legion and Warrior class figures.

{{-}}

===Surprise Drinks===
[[File:TF-RID2015-Surprise-Drinks-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Grimlock''' (2016)

:''Surprise Drinks'' Grimlock is a show-accurate 1.5-inch non-transforming figure (in his Dino mode) hidden inside the separate capsule taped together with the bottle. Since they're merely blindpacked, the figure can be found in any randomly-packed bottles, so... good luck.

{{-}}

===Dickie Toys===
*'''Grimlock''' (Robot Warrior, 2017)

:Manufactured by Dickie Toys, this Grimlock is a customized hot rod (what?) which also transforms (if by transform, we mean lifting the car up) into a 2-wheeled ''T.rex'' (yeahbutwha?) in just one simple step. He can also activate lights & sounds by pressing the rear left button in his vehicle mode. The light-up gimmick is featured on his transparent nose and the underneath of the "feet" section. Batteries included.

{{-}}{{anchor|1/16ScaleRC}}
*'''Grimlock''' (1/16 Scale Remote Controlled, 2017)
**''Accessories'': Remote Control, 3 Batteries, battery box, USB cord
:The 1/16 scale version of Grimlock ''also'' transforms from the same customized car into a ''T.rex'' with the included remote control. He also comes with an additional USB cord, presumably meant for recharging.

{{-}}
====Die-cast Cars====
*'''Grimlock''' (Single Pack, 2017)
:Released as part of the Single Pack assortment, Grimlock is a non-transforming die-cast vehicle which is entirely based on his "Robot Warrior" hot rod toy.

{{-}}
*'''Grimlock''' (Power-up, 2017)
:The single-packed Bumblebee is redecoed with metallic-blue paint.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Neon, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a brighter hue of green.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Cybertron, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a gray scale redeco.
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

*'''Grimlock''' (Energon, 2017)
:This Grimlock features a shiny metallic redeco!

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

*'''Robots in Disguise 5-pack''' (2017)
*'''Robots in Disguise 8-pack''' (2017)
*'''Robots in Disguise 11-pack''' (2017)

:A small, non-transforming yet show-accurate figurine of Grimlock is released in either of the sets above.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Grimlock speaks normally in ''Robots in Disguise'', making him the first animated depiction of the character to do so on a regular basis. He still refers to himself in the third person a fair bit but when it happens it's more intentional than a display of any lower intelligence.
*He is also the first version of the character to not be the leader of the Dinobots. (The exception to both of these is of course the [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' version of Grimlock]], who was the only version of the character thus far to not be a Dinobot.)
*This version of Grimlock serves as a demonstration of the choice that is required to join a faction in the Transformers series. Although he is labeled as a Decepticon by Autobot authorities, he displays on two separate occasions that, inherently, he more aligns with Autobot beliefs as his hesitancy to deliberately harm innocent humans in his interactions with both [[Minitron]] and [[Scowl (RID)|Scowl]] prove.
===Two Grimlocks?===
[[File:RobotsInDisguise-stegosaurconceptart.jpg|thumb|right|300px|If this guy made it in, we probably would have had this same argument about [[Snarl (FOC)|Snarl]] instead.]]
For years, the "Aligned" continuity was meant to be one big ongoing timeline with a bit of squinting: the ''War for Cybertron'' Soundwave was the ''Prime'' Soundwave etc. Grimlock’s debut in ''Robots in Disguise'' was initially the focal point of discussion amongst fans, with a great deal of debate about whether or not this jovial take on the character was intended to be the same guy who appeared in the ''Fall of Cybertron'' video game and tie-in comics. Some of the discrepancy in Grimlock’s characterization and origin story in ''Robots in Disguise'' can be attributed to the fact that Grimlock was not originally slated to be a member of the cast, with his role originally filled by an unnamed Transformer who would have become a red ''Stegosaurus''. This character was scrapped in favour of Grimlock at Hasbro's request, intended to capitalize on the debut of his [[Grimlock (AOE)|live-action counterpart]] in ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]''.

Series writer [[Mairghread Scott]] clarified that the producers had subsequently discussed attempting to work ''Fall of Cybertron'' Grimlock’s origin story into ''Robots in Disguise'', but abandoned the idea after the writers decided that the "other" Grimlock's origin story would be at odds with the largely upbeat tone of the show. The writers ultimately decided to focus on staying in canon with the ''Prime'' television show, while ignoring other works of Aligned fiction such as the video games. Scott declined to discuss if this meant that were two Grimlocks in the continuity.<ref>[http://mscottwrites.tumblr.com/post/117608543176/answering-some-asks|"There was some discussion at one point of whether or not we could translate the character, but TFPBH Grimlock was too dark to gel properly with RID’s group of young recruits and the more uplifting tone we were going for. Whether that means the comics got cut out of canon or there is another Grimlock out there isn’t something I can answer just yet."]</ref> Series producer Adam Beechen later weighed in with the answer that “Grimlock might be a common name among dinos”, and stated that the writers consider Grimlock a separate character to the individual who appeared in ''Fall of Cybertron''.<ref>[https://twitter.com/sonnova/status/606586570980749312 Grimlock might be a common name among Dinos. But ours is one of a kind!]</ref> Barring a dramatic reorganization of continuity, we now consider these two Grimlocks as separate entities.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Grimlock''' (グリムロック ''Gurimurokku'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Gāng Sǔo''' (钢锁, "Steel Lock")
*''Russian:'' '''Smel'chak''' (Смельчак, "Daredevil")

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Dinobots]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Autobots]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2015) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]

Dinobot Hunt (IDW)

2018-01-29T07:18:19Z

He-l-en1959: correction of the name

{{Disambig3.5|the IDW issue|the Marvel UK story|Dinobot Hunt!|Dinobot Hunt}}
{{Comicstory|
|series=rid|issueno=8
|prev=Interference Patterns
|next=Night and the City
|seriesissue2=''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]'' #1
|caption=
|image=RID8 cvrA.jpg
|title="Dinobot Hunt"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 8]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=August 2012
|story by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Andrew Griffith]]
|colors by=[[Josh Perez]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Shawn Lee]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}
'''Ironhide and the Dinobots search for the missing Aerialbots, but unexpected surprises lurk in the wilderness...'''

==Synopsis==
Just as the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] make their return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Autobot]]s detect a signal coming from deep within the unexplored wilderness that now covers most of their planet. Knowing that most of the Autobots are unsettled by him following his return from death and his talk of a vision of the future, [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] volunteers to investigate the signal, believing it may have been sent by the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], and recruits the Dinobots, equally as ostracized for their refusal to give up their Earth-borne dinosaur modes, to join him. The team are flown out over the wilderness by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], but before long, some form of interference begins to play havoc with his guidance system, and Ironhide orders him to safely return to the city while he and the Dinobots air-drop to the surface and continue on foot. Unfortunately, they drop straight into the lair of a mutated [[turbofox]], and although the Dinobots are able to destroy it with brutal swiftness, the discovery of [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]'s wing among the detritus indicates that the team are on the right track to discovering what became of their former comrades. Ironhide advocates finding a place to set up camp for the night, much to [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]'s consternation; [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], in turn, is amused to hear the two grizzled warriors trash-talking one another.

Back in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] and [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] have begun pushing for free elections, with [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] resisting out of private concern that Starscream will win. Surprisingly, however, [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] voices his support for the idea, and when Bumblebee questions him, Prowl encourages him to provide for the voters a counterpoint to Metalhawk and Starscream's romantic spin on the history of the war. [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] was no freedom fighter, no hero—Bumblebee was a hero, and Prowl believes that if they hold elections, Bumblebee will honestly win.

At the Decepticon pen in Iacon, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] approaches [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] to talk, though the cyclopean Decepticon has no interest in hearing him, claiming he is content not to interfere in current events. Refusing to believe him, Swindle brings out [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who relates everything that he has seen and heard Prowl do, explaining that he is on the run from the Autobots and wants Shockwave's help. When Shockwave asks what he wants him to ''do'', Swindle grins and dubs that the real question.

Back out in the wilderness, Ironhide and the Dinobots' explorations have turned up signs of a battle that indicate the combatants were not simply wild animals. Ironhide suspects with some concern that Megatron may yet live, hidden in the wilds, prompting Slag to mock him for his new, reserved attitude. By way of explanation, Ironhide details his premonition for the Dinobots, and surprisingly, this placates Slag, who understands the idea of putting your faith in something intangible: after all, he explains, he didn't join the Dinobots out of rationality. Discussion of Ironhide's vision continues as they cobble a shelter together to spend the night in, with [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] asking if the Autobots will win in the future. Ironhide reluctantly admits that in his vision, the Autobots have spread to all the corners of the galaxy: [[expansion]], the same goal [[Nova Prime]] saw for their race. And if that's the case, is that really a victory? Unsettled by the talk, Ironhide is unable to fall asleep as night sets in, and as such, when noises begin outside, he is first into action. The unseen enemy has made short work of half the Dinobots: [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]'s apparently-dead body is hurled at Ironhide from behind, and as he struggles to get his bearings, he stumbles across Sludge's decapitated [[beast mode]] head. Bellowing challenges into the darkness, Ironhide is unprepared for the next attack...

...as Slag and Swoop run him through from either side!

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] (1)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (2)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (3)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (4)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (5)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (6)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (7)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (8)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] (10)
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (12)
*''[[Zeta Prime]]'' (15)
*''[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'' (16)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]'' (17)
}}
|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (11)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (13)
*''[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'' (14)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] (18)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (19)
|h3=[[NAIL]]s|c3=
*[[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"You had a '''vision'''." 
"That's what I '''call''' it, but it's more'n that. It's somethin' I know in my '''Spark''' is true. Don't matter if '''you''' believe me." 
"Those things... they '''do''' have truth in them." 
"'''Huh.''' Guess I didn't expect '''you''' to believe in things like '''visions.'''" 
"You think I decided to become a '''Dinobot''' because of, what? '''A rational philosophy?'''"
:—'''Slag''' and '''Ironhide'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The Aerialbots left Iacon for the wilderness back in [[Stick Together|issue #3]].
*The Dinobots were last seen at the close of the ''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]'' mini-series, over three years before the publication of this issue. Prior to this, IDW continuity has consistently named the team the "Dynobots" in-story (a term borrowed from [[Dreamwave Productions]]' ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages]]'', used to refer to the team as they existed on Cybertron before they had dinosaur modes). With this issue, that's obviously been abandoned, and the team have changed their name to the traditional spelling, though it's never actually addressed in-story.
*Sludge calls Sky Lynx an "oversized [[Ardurian roc]]," another reference to the bird-like alien species visually depicted for the first time in [[Syndromica (1)|issue #6]].
*Prowl's flashback to the war shows images of Megatron battling Sentinel Prime from [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]], assassinating Zeta Prime and casting [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] into the [[Undergrid]] from [[Overthrown|''Autocracy'' #8]], and ripping the [[Matrix of Leadership]] out of Optimus Prime from [[All Hail Megatron issue 7|''All Hail Megatron'' #7]].
*Megatron has been missing since [[Chaos Part Four: Genesis|the final part of "Chaos"]], the penultimate issue of the previous ongoing series, having failed to reappear on Cybertron post-reformatting.
*Dirge has been on the run since [[Devisive|issue #4]], in which he was briefly mind-controlled by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], and witnessed Prowl executing the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. He had hooked up with Swindle for protection by [[A Better Tomorrow|issue #5]], and Swindle believes Dirge's intel will help incriminate Prowl in the murder of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], as seen in [[The World & Everything in It|issue #2]].
*Ironhide's vision of the future, Pax Cybertronia, was seen in [[Pax Cybertronia (issue)|issue #31]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]].
*Slag and Swoop's eyes are yellow when they attack Ironhide at the end of the issue. This isn't an error; the Dinobots' eyes have been subtly changing from red to orange to yellow throughout the issue, and they will remain yellow all next issue as well. This is not the first time we've seen a character's eyes turn yellow when they lost control of themselves—the same thing happened to [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] when he was mind-controlled by Bombshell in issue #4. Bear that in mind...

===Transformers references===
*This issue is, of course, named after the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK]] story, "[[Dinobot Hunt!]]"
*The layered, honeycomb-styled landscape Sky Lynx flies over on page 6 is reminiscent of Cybertron as it appeared in ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
*Swindle tells Shockwave that Dirge comes with "cone-shaped hat in hand" — a reference to the fan-coined term, [[conehead]].
*Sky Lynx mentions a place called Leghuz Bregiv. It is a reference to his Hungarian (Légi Hiúz), and Russian (Braviy) name.

===Real-world references===
*The opening scene, in which Ironhide addresses his "troops" while marching in front of a giant Autobot symbol, pays homage to the opening of the movie ''[[wikipedia:Patton (film)|Patton]]'', in which the title character does the same in front of a giant American flag.

===Errors===
*Dirge's optics are yellow in the second panel of page 17, before switching to red; this ''isn't'' tied into the yellow-eyed mind-control stuff in the rest of the issue! His "eyebrow" piece is also colored blue like his helmet for the second and third panels, but gray like his face in the rest.

===Other trivia===
*The return of the Dinobots in this series coincidences with that of their leader [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] across issues [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]] and [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]] of sister title ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' and in ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One]]'' [[Loose Ends, Part 2|#82]] for a micro-event called out on the August covers as "Dinobot Month!"

===Covers (4)===
*'''Cover A:''' Ironhide and the Dinobots in their dino modes, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Joana Lafuente]].
*'''Cover B:''' Ironhide and the Dinobots in their [[robot mode]]s jumping from Sky Lynx, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]].
*'''Cover RI:''' Slag, Sludge, Swoop, and Snarl by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]], the third quarter of a combined image formed with the RI cover to ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]], [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]], and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Interference Patterns|#7]].
*'''Hasbro Exclusive Cover:''' [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] advancing on a terrified Transformer, exclusively available with ''Generations'' Deluxe Class Vortex. Rebranded as ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]'' #1. Art by [[Ken Christiansen]] and [[Volta]].

<gallery>
File:RID8 cvrA.jpg|Me Ironhide!
File:RID8 cvrB.jpg|Never did want to live forever.
File:RID8 cvrRI.jpg|G1, baby!
File:CW Vortex cvr.jpg|Step into the Vortex!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''More than Meets the Eye'' [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One]]'' [[Loose Ends, Part 2|#82]]
*''[[Doctor|Doctor Who]]'' Annual
*''[[Godzilla]]: The Half-Century War''
*''[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|''More than Meets the Eye'' 2012 Annual]]
*''Rocketeer: Cargo of the Doom'' (back cover)

[[Category:Combiner Wars issues]]

Mirage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2017-11-26T17:16:40Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Transformers cartoon */ some comment

{{faction|autobot}}
{{suite}}

'''Mirage'''. Definitely not a traitor since 1984.

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese, "Traitor", "Enter the Nightbird", "The Golden Lagoon", "The Core", "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3")|[[Liu Qin]] (Chinese), [[Juan Carralero]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Guillermo Romano]] (Latin-American Spanish, "City Of Steel"}}

[[File:MTMTE2 Mirage talking to Spike.jpg|upright=1.34|thumb| Tellin' ya all it's a sabotage!]]
Mirage was part of the bridge crew of the [[Ark (G1)|Autobots' spaceship]] when it crash-landed on Earth four million years ago. A volcanic eruption in 1984 awakened the ship's computer [[Teletraan I]], which reactivated and reformatted the craft's slumbering occupants with terrestrial [[alternate mode]]s—in Mirage's case, a Formula-1 racer. His first mission came when the Autobots rolled out to stop the Decepticons attacking an oil rig. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} After the battle, he got to show off his invisibility power to [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]. Following another failed battle at [[Sherman Dam]], he suggested they simply leave Earth to the Decepticons and return to Cybertron, a suggestion soundly rejected by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

[[File:MTMtE Part3 Mirage HALOjump.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Ever get the feeling Pat Lee just looked at this image and thought "By jove! This must be what perspective is!"?]]
At the [[ruby crystal mines of Burma]], when Optimus was caught in an explosion, Mirage helped right him. He expressed hope that with the Decepticons perished in the explosion, they'd be able to return to Cybertron, but his optimism was quashed a few moments later when their foe emerged, functional and with more energy to fuel their [[Victory (G1)|new star cruiser]]. While guarding Ravage, Mirage gave Hound the idea to spring a trap on the Decepticons using a holographic rocket base. Unfortunately the Decepticons saw through the plan and raided the real rocket base, attaining the rest of the energy they needed. During the final Autobot operation to try and prevent the launch of the Decepticon cruiser, Mirage used his cloaking ability to sneak aboard. While the Decepticons were squabbling, he uncloaked and opened fire, blasting away at the ship's controls. He then bailed from the doomed cruiser, floating back to Earth's surface on a parasail as the Decepticons crashed into the ocean. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

After [[Chip Chase]] was kidnapped by the Decepticons who were after the antimatter formula the boy had memorised, Hound and Mirage utilised their respective powers to sneak into the antimatter laboratory. They were able to rescue Chip, but the Decepticons had managed to get the formula and use it to create Energon. Mirage subsequently helped defend Autobot Headquarters. {{storylink|Roll for It}} Mirage rolled out to protect Autobot Headerquarters while [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] worked to save Prime's life, after the Autobot leader was badly damaged in a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} He took part in the construction of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]... and then had to try to stop them when they ran wild. He, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] sealed the three Dinobots in a cave, but were mighty grateful when, after almost all of the Autobots were captured by the Decepticons, the Dinobots were released to come to the rescue. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[File:CountdowntoExtinction Mirage firing missile.jpg|upright=1.15|thumb|Attention! Never fart in the mud!]]
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was using [[hypno-chip]]ped humans to load Energon onto their shuttle for transport to Cybertron, Mirage used his invisibility to sneak on board and order the humans to start unloading the Energon again. He was blasted in the back a short time later by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} When the Autobots were caught in quicksand while pursuing the Decepticons, Mirage used his shoulder missile to shoot down [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} Mirage turned out with the other Autobots to watch Optimus and Megatron engage in single combat as per Cybertronian law. To their horror, Optimus lost, but they later discovered that Megatron had cheated, so the results were nullified. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[File:CityOfSteel Mirage carrying alligatorcon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|Think, Mirage, what would [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] do?]]
Mirage rolled out to attack Megatron's [[Solar Needle]] and rescue [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], but didn't play much role in the battle. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} He was on Ratchet's team, entering the sewers of [[New York City]] in an attempt to rescue Optimus. After tangling with an [[Alligaticon]], they found Prime... in pieces. The Alligaticon had been built from Optimus's parts, and Mirage, Ratchet and Hound had to capture it so Ratchet could rebuild their leader. Once Optimus had been put back together, they proceeded to the surface and battled Decepticons, [[battle taxi]]s and Prime's own severed arm. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}

[[File:Traitor Mirage cerebro shell implant.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The spotlight shone on Mirage again when [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] suspected him of disloyalty. The discovery of a Decepticon installation in a sector Mirage had recently scouted caused Cliffjumper to leap the incorrect conclusion that Mirage had concealed the information and was a traitor to the Autobots. During a battle with the Decepticons at the site, Mirage was injured, but managed to rip a Decepticon [[Insignia|seal]] off [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. Mirage risked the trust of his comrades by sneaking away to perform a plan of his own, framing the Decepticons for stealing [[Energon cube]]s from the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Spotted carrying the cubes by Cliffjumper, Mirage's guilt seemed all but confirmed, and before he could reveal his innocence, he was captured and brainwashed by one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s mind-controlling [[cerebro-shell]]s. Under Bombshell's control, Mirage led the Autobots into an ambush, but at the battle’s end, the assorted manipulations were revealed and Cliffjumper apologized to Mirage. {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}}

[[File:AutobotRun Jazz Mirage vehicle modes.jpg|thumb|left|240px]]
Mirage took part in a charity race organised by the Autobots. While they raced and performed stunts, the Autobots were affected by Megatron's latest invention, the [[Transfixatron]], which locked them in their [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s. They were herded by the Decepticons to a ghost town, where the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s had created a machine to destroy them. It was only through an intervention of Ratchet and Wheeljack's counter invention that they were saved. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[File:EntertheNightbird invisible Mirage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Engage active camouflage! Reveal yourselves only after [[Keith David|the Arbiter]] has joined battle with the enemy!]]
Mirage came with the other Autobots when they were hired by [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]] to protect [[Nightbird (G1)|his latest invention]] when it was being unveiled. When Decepticons attacked, Mirage became invisible and attacked Soundwave. Megatron offered to make Mirage disappear for good, but Optimus Prime saw to it that it wouldn't come true. After the Decepticons made off with Nightbird, Mirage and Ratchet insisted that [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] stay behind at Autobot base for repairs. As Brawn and [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] were being repaired, Optimus detected an intruder. Mirage went to investigate, only to be beaten up by a Decepticon-reprogrammed Nightbird. Mirage pursued her with the other Autobots. When they caught up with her, Mirage became invisible in order to return Optimus Prime's laser rifle undetected, giving him the advantage. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

When Mirage and the other Autobots found they mysteriously had two Optimus Primes, the duo were subjected to a series of inconclusive tests. Before any further testing could be done, they had to roll out to a crevasse filled with [[korlonium crystal]]s to investigate strange readings. During the battle with the Decepticons that followed, the real Prime's identity was soon revealed. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} Mirage was part of [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]'s team when they stumbled on the Decepticons' drilling operation. As [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] blasted him off a cliff, Mirage became invisible so the Decepticons would "never find [his] pieces". Of course, he survived and he and Sunstreaker used his grappling hook to take down Devastator. Back at Headquarters, a plan was hatched to plant [[dominator disk]]s on the Constructicons. Mirage took part, planting two of the disks at once, and Devastator was soon under Autobot control. Alas, it didn't last long — while they were trying to stop the Decepticons drilling to the [[Earth's core]], Megatron retook control of the combiner. {{storylink|The Core}}

Mirage was at Headquarters when [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] reported the discovery of [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]]. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Through a cunning plan on Megatron's part, the Autobots were found guilty of stealing energy and forced to leave Earth in a spaceship supplied by [[Shawn Berger]]. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They soon discovered that the spacecraft was locked on course to the [[Sun]]. Through the heroic efforts of Chip Chase and bungling of [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], as well as the use of [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s force fields, the Autobots returned to Earth, where the Decepticons had already revealed their true nature. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:DesertionDinobots1 Mirage steals fusion cannon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.34|Have you seen "Night at the Museum IV"? See it now! All rights reserved!]]
During an attempt by the Decepticons to steal the plans to the [[Ultra Plane]], Mirage used his invisibility to steal Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] right off the Decepticon leader's arm. A brief tug-of-war ensued over the weapon, which Mirage lost, but Megatron retreated in the end anyhow. Later, as the Dinobots were being repaired after another battle, Mirage reminisced about how great Cybertron was. When [[cybertonium]] depletion started affecting all of the Transformers, Mirage's invisibility power went on the fritz — instead of making him invisible, it merely altered his color scheme slightly. Unfortunately he didn't find this out until after he tried to sneak up on [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and was promptly blasted into a wall. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} The Autobots' condition worsened, until they were unable to move. They remained this way until the Dinobots, Spike and [[Carly]] managed to retrieve more Cybertonium from Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[File:GoldenLagoon Mirage reports to Autobots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Mirage rolled out for [[Haley Observatory]] when Megatron stole the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], but went missing somewhere along the way, and didn't arrive with the rest of the group. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was part of an Autobot team who faced [[electrum]]-plated Decepticons with little success. He had to retreat back to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s position for reinforcements. When even Omega fell before the Decepticons, Mirage returned to Headquarters to break the news, and Teletraan I soon worked out how the Decepticons had become invincible. Soon the Autobots had found the electrum pool and, coating themselves, were able to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}} After a number of Autobots were abducted by big game hunter [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]], Mirage was present at Headquarters when Cosmos finally located the missing Autobots. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}} He also helped coat the [[Statue of Liberty]] with [[corrostop]], Perceptor's latest invention. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

Mirage was among the team of five Autobots who disguised themselves as the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], with Mirage's alternate mode making him the perfect choice to masquerade as [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]]. Penetrating the Decepticon camp, the Autobots ran into trouble when the real Stunticons arrived, trying to prove their identities by forming [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. With a combination of [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s magnetic powers and Mirage’s illusion-creating ability, the Autobots were able to appear as Menasor too. Though the deception was soon revealed, they were still able to thwart the Decepticons’ plans. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

{{note|An unused scene from the storyboard for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' showed Mirage being blasted (possibly killed) by Megatron during the [[Battle of Autobot City]]. See [[#Notes|Notes]] for more details.}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
[[File:FSRLFstorypage distresscall.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Mirage engaged the Decepticons in battle with his comrades. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages===
When the Autobots arrived on Earth, Mirage picked up a distress call alerting the Autobots to a Decepticon attack on [[New York City]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 1|Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers}} When the [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project began, Mirage could be seen driving through the newly-constructed city, {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 7|Story page #7}} and flying into action alongside it and his fellow Autobots when the city transformed into its robot mode, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 9|Story page #9}} Later, while battling [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Mirage proved no match for the combiner and was sent flying through the air. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 12|Story page #12}}
{{--}}
===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga===
Mirage was among the Autobots stationed at [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] in [[Arizona]] when [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons attacked. Though the Autobots were ultimately victorious, the entire attack was actually just a distraction so that [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] could go perform ''evil'' somewhere in Japan. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Mirage later appeared at the Autobots' newly constructed Japanese base, welcoming the small [[human]] boy, [[Kenji]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===
[[File:Scramblepower autobots say no.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

When Megatron threatened the world with the nefarious [[Omega Whip]], Mirage was one of the Autobots who objected to the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] being sent into action, citing their lack of experience. The Autobots' human allies [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]] managed to destroy the Whip, upon which Mirage and the other Autobots rolled into action to stop the Decepticons escaping. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

[[File:StargateBattles mirage.jpg|thumb]]
===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
Mirage was amongst the Autobots who confronted Megatron and his Decepticons at the ''[[Trigger]]'' in Earth orbit. The battle concluded with the Trigger's destruction, which sent all the comabants sent plummeting down to Earth in flames. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

===''Robotmasters'' pack-in manga===
When the spatial warp known as the [[Blasty Zone]] teleported the [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Predacon "Beast Megatron"]] through time to 2004 Earth, Mirage stood by Optimus Prime's side as they confronted the villain. {{storylink|The New Battle Begins!}} More time-displaced warriors soon arrived through the Blasty Zone, and Mirage fell before the might of [[Gigant Bomb]] and [[Smokesniper]]. {{storylink|The Victory Warriors Enter!!}}

===''Robotmasters'' online manga===
[[File:RobotMasters mirage vs megs.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2]]
Mirage was discussing a series of earthquakes with his teammate [[R-Blade]] when another tremor struck [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], heralding the arrival of Beast Megatron. Unaware of the purple dinosaur's true identity, Mirage charged into action, but was sent flying by the Predacon's powerful jaws. Megatron transformed to reveal his true form, but Mirage and the Autobots then concentrated their fire, forcing him to retreat. {{storylink|Clash! The Two Leaders}}

Receiving word of the discovery of a [[Solitarium]] deposit on [[Chaar]], Mirage approached the new Autobot arrival [[Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket]] for his help in locating it. {{storylink|Defend the Solitarium!}} Later, while manning the monitors at Autobot City, Mirage spotted an injured Transformer who had collapsed outside the fortress. The mysterious newcomer identified himself as [[Reverse Convoy]], {{storylink|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} but turned out to in fact be the original Megatron in disguise. Megatron took Mirage, Optimus, and [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] prisoner at [[Sherman Dam]], but they were soon saved by [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] and [[Lio Convoy]]. {{storylink|The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn}}

Mirage participated in the three-day final battle with the Decepticons that concluded with the Autobots' victory, and the time-displaced Transformers being sent back to their homes. {{storylink|And Then}}

===''Black Body''===
Mirage was present within the Ark when the Autobots developed an energy-absorbing upgrade via a "[[black body]]" coating, only for it to be used against them by the Decepticons. Knowing that Starscream had gained access to the process, Mirage was surprised to see that it was the Predacon [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] who had been upgraded with a "black body." He correctly deduced that Starscream would not have let anyone else gain access to the upgrade if he hadn’t plotted a more self-serving scheme first. {{storylink|Black Body}}

===''Story of Binaltech''===
{{Note|This section takes place in [[BT World|a divergent timeline]]. Skip to the next section to continue reading about the original timeline..}}
[[File:Binaltech mirage boxart.jpg|thumb]]
A few years after the defeat of [[Unicron]] in 2005, the Autobots were forced off of Cybertron by the Decepticons. Consulting the files of the time-traveling [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], the Autobots learned of a mysterious [[Large switch|switch]] hidden away on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] which, when pulled, would instantaneously immobilize all Transformers throughout the universe. More homesick for his homeworld than any of his fellows, Mirage volunteered for the dangerous mission to infiltrate the planet and activate the switch. To this end, he transferred his spark into a new [[Binaltech]] body that had been designed to replicate the function of his [[power chip rectifier]], but which had instead resulted in greatly ''magnified'' powers. The new body's Electro Disruptor kept it ''permanently'' invisible, which allowed Mirage to make his way to Cybertron, past the Decepticons, and down into the planet's depths to the switch. After throwing the switch, though, Mirage was surprised to find that he was still mobile. It seemed the Binaltech warriors (both Autobot and Decepticon) were significantly different enough from regular Transformers to be unaffected by the immobilization wave. With the Autobots now vastly outnumbering the Decepticons still in operation, the tide of the war had irreparably shifted. {{storylink|Kill Switch}}

===''Unite Warriors''===
In [[2021]], Mirage, having gained a combiner body, was present on Cybertron when [[Megaempress]] and her [[4 Guards]] intervened in the battle between [[Sky Reign]] and [[Grand Galvatron]]. Subsequently, Mirage combined with Ironhide, Prowl, Sunstreaker, and a temporarily-resurrected Optimus Prime into [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]] to fight [[Megatronia]]. {{storylink|Megatronia Chapter}} Unicron then attacked Cybertron, and the Autobots separated to fight off his minions, the [[Commando (RID)|Combatrons]]. Mirage tried using his invisibility to sneak up on [[Rollbar (RID)|Greejeeber]], but the trained martial artist sensed his presence and neutralized him with a [[crystalocution]] kick. {{storylink|Baldigus Chapter, Part One}} Once the Combatrons turned on Unicron, Mirage and the others combined back into Optimus Maximus to help defeat the evil god. {{storylink|Baldigus Chapter, Part Two}}

Mirage and his combining teammates went to [[Hawaii]] for what was supposedly "special surfing training". There, Mirage stayed on the beach to... suntan, or something. {{storylink|Unite Warriors Offshot#Crossing the Pacific Ocean!?|Crossing the Pacific Ocean!?}}
{{-}}

==''Wings Universe''==
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:Termination mw mirage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
After the defeat of [[Unicron]] and the onset of Cybertron's new [[Golden Age]], Mirage returned to his homeworld in hopes of finding peace. {{storylink|#Timelines|BotCon 2013 Mirage profile card}} However, a new threat soon emerged: [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], a renegade Cybertronian who fashioned a clone army for himself that even included [[Mirage (G2)|a clone]] of Mirage himself. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 3}} Jhiaxus's ever-expanding army swept across the galaxy in a conflict known as the "[[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]]", and Mirage teamed up with [[Electro]] to provide upgrades to Cybertron's population in preparation for the conflict inevitably reaching the Transformers' homeworld. As part of this, Mirage upgraded his own speed by a factor of two and exposed himself to [[forestonite]], which considerably enhanced the range of his invisibility field. {{storylink|#Timelines|BotCon 2013 Mirage profile card}} Unfortunately, in acquiring said weaponry and upgrades, Mirage and Electro had to go outside the law, violating several arms regulations and consorting with black marketeers and other criminals, which led to them being arrested by [[Clamp Down]]. He agreed to let the pair go so they could join the impending fight against Jhiaxus's approaching forces, ''if'' they would testify that their crimes had been committed at the order of Autobot Earth commander [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]. Electro pushed back, but as alarms began blaring to signify that Jhiaxus's army had arrived, Mirage quickly agreed to Clamp Down's terms—but as it turned out, there was little they could do, as a colossal bombing run by the enemy forces levelled the city.

Jhiaxus's clone army, led by [[Megaplex]], seized control of Cybertron in only a few days. Scattered groups of Autobot survivors quickly organized; Mirage and Electro were called to a rendezvous with a squad led by [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] outside of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], where Mirage used his enhanced powers to keep a substantial number of reinforcements hidden from view. When Megaplex and his men were lured out by the seemingly small group of rebels, Mirage dropped the invisibility field, revealing to the clones that they were surrounded. A fierce battle erupted, but the tide began to turn against the Autobots when it turned out that their team-mate [[Sandstorm (MW)|Sandstorm]] was actually an undercover agent, who blasted Obsidian. {{storylink|Termination}} Still the heroes fought on, with Mirage and Override attempt to take on the Sandstorm clone, only to be soundly thrashed. As reinforcements from Earth began to arrive, Mirage regrouped with Electro, and the pair tried to ambush the [[Skywarp (MW)|Skywarp clone]], only for him to teleport away and send his drones after them. They were unexpectedly rescued by a squad of Decepticons, and joined with them in fighting off Jhiaxus's legions—a sight that convinced Jhiaxus to ''surrender'', as he was content that he had achieved his goal of uniting Cybertron as one. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

==Notes==
[[File:TFTM Storyboards - Mirage goes Boom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Mirage was exploding violently before [[Michael Bay]] made it cool.]]
*Like almost all characters from the 1984 product line, Mirage was phased out of the animated series following ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. A storyboarded scene cut from the movie suggests what happened to him: amidst the transformation of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], Mirage was to ambush the Insecticon [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and then be fired upon by Megatron. Whether or not this would have killed Mirage is not made clear, but given the film's casual body count, it seems highly probable.
*Mirage transforms into a [[Wikipedia:Ligier JS11|Ligier JS11]] [[Wikipedia:Formula One|Formula One]] racecar. Incidentally, the model had been succeeded years before the show's debut. Notable drivers of the JS11 inclide [[Wikipedia:Jacques Laffite|Jacques Laffite]] and [[Wikipedia:Jacky Ickx|Jacky Ickx]]. The original racecar was sponsored by [[Wikipedia:Gitanes|Gitanes]] tobacco, but due to laws concerning tobacco advertising on children's toys, the livery was slightly altered to "Citanes" (acceptable despite being only mildly different).

[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Transformers Comic issue 4.8

2017-11-26T17:00:55Z

He-l-en1959: /* Trivia */ some comment

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|''Transformers: Prime'']] #8
|prev=Transformers Comic issue 4.7
|next=Transformers Comic issue 4.9
|image=Tf mag 12 2012.jpg
|caption=I can wave a stick at a ''lot'' of action.
|publisher=[[Titan Books|Titan Comics]]
|date=[[April 25|25 April]] [[2012]]
|editor=[[Rona Simpson]]
|senior editor=[[Steve White]]
|designer=[[Dan Bura]]
|publishing manager=[[Darryl Tothill]]
|price=£2.65
}}
'''Wheeljack, but also Knock Out!'''

==The Mind Trap!==
*'''Script:''' [[Chris Cooper]]
*'''Art:''' [[Horacio Domingues]]
*'''Colours:''' [[Nestor Pereyra]]
*'''Lettering:''' [[Comicraft]]
*'''Continuity:''' ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]''
[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] is exploring a scrap-metal facility in [[Zhejiang Province]], [[China]], but as his communications with [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] break up, he becomes clued in to the fact he's walked into a trap. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] activates the [[neuron refractor]], zapping Optimus. In moments, the Autobot leader's consciousness is transplanted into a nearby [[human]]!

Back at base, Ratchet registers the fact that Optimus's signal has gone flatline. [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] are ready to go, but the closest Ratchet can put them to the site with the [[GroundBridge|Ground Bridge]] is ten kilometers to the south.

Back at the site, Knock Out gloats over his victory and instructs some nearby [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] to dump Optimus's former body into the crusher. Though unable to operate the human body he's now in, Optimus focuses his mind and contacts the body's real owner, [[Lin-Che]], who has been driven half-crazed and assumes the giant talking robot is a figment of his imagination. Optimus shares his knowledge with the man, who realizes it's all real. Lin-Che is soon up and running, heading for [[The Claw]], a piece of giant scrap-yard machinery.

As the Vehicons load Optimus's robot form onto the crusher conveyor belt, Bulkhead and Arcee finally arrive and start bashing Decepticons. Lin-Che, with Optimus's guidance, uses The Claw to finish off the jet Vehicons attacking him. As Lin-Che heads for the neuron refractor, he sees that Bulkhead and Arcee have been overcome by the Vehicons, and Optimus's body is about to move into the crusher. As Lin-Che operates the refractor, he and Optimus realize there's no way for the human to operate the machine and lie on the bench at the same time, so despite Optimus's protests, Lin-Che throws himself over the side of the machine and into the main beam.

Knock Out listens to the sounds the crusher makes as it snacks on Optimus, but then Optimus punches his way through the top of the machine and socks Knock Out. After the Decepticons have fled, Optimus and the Autobots return Lin-Che home, where he is reunited with his family.

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (5)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (6)

|c2=
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (3)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (8)

|c3=
*[[Lin-Che]] (4)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
*Lin-Che's children (9-10)

}}

===Quotes===
"What about the human mind that was already in here?" 
"Who cares?!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Knock Out'''

"All too easy. Who needs Megatron when you've got brains like mine running the show?"
:—'''Knock Out'''

"Knock Out, you have something on your chin." 
"Huh?" 
"My fist!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' reminds '''Knock Out''' who gets the best lines

===Notes===
====Errors====
*The Vehicons' jet modes all resemble [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]].

====Trivia====
*Among the knowledge shared with Lin-Che are memories of Orion Pax and [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].
*Though China has a [[Wikipedia:one-child policy|one-child policy]], Lin-Che has two children. This isn't actually an error, as he appears to live in a rural area and is thus exempt.
*Lin-Che's son is blond! It is a little suspicious, eh?
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] would probably not be happy if he knew Knock Out was trying to crush Optimus without first appropriating the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and any other knick knacks Prime might have on his person.

==Contents==
===Articles and features===
*Use Raf's codebreaker to crack the Cybertronian codes in this comic!
*[[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] Lowdown
*Episode Guide #8: [[Con Job]]
*Epic Transformers: Prime Quiz
*Art of Bulkhead and Ratchet by [[Augusto Barranco]] and [[Jose Lopez]]. Originally [[:File:IDWTFPrime2.jpg|the cover]] of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)|Transformers: Prime]]'' #2.
*The Mind Trap ...Maze!
*Starscream's Stumpers
*Competition: Win a [[Bot Shots (toyline)|Bot Shot]] and launcher!
*Mega-Mouth: [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] and Arcee answer letters and critique art.
*Ratchet's Joke Page: Ratchet and some terrible, terrible "doctor doctor" jokes.

===Free Gift!===
*[[FREE! Blaster!|Ballistic Blaster!]]

===Mega-Mouth===
"Hey, Megatron, what do you call a dinosaur mechanic?" 
"Dare I ask, foolish Autobot?" 
"Jurassic sparks!"
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Megatron'''

"Raximus Prime, eh? Pah, I could crush him with one pinky toe if I wanted. NEXT!!!"
:—'''Megatron'''

"He looks like a moron. As usual. Next time there better be more terror! I demand more terror!!!"
:—'''Megatron''' on a reader's drawing of Bulkhead.

===Ratchet's Joke Page===
'''Patient:''' Doctor, doctor, I feel terrible. 
'''Dr. Ratchet:''' What are the symptoms! 
'''Patient:''' It's a cartoon show with yellow people.

==Notes==
*Wheeljack Lowdown notes that Wheeljack's ship is the ''[[Jackhammer (Prime)|Star Hammer]]'', mentions the [[Battle of Darkmount Pass]], and notes he's an engineer-come-soldier.

===Errors===
*Wheeljack Lowdown notes that Wheeljack's "massive bulk makes him a formidable opponent", suggesting he's Bulkhead sized.
*Decepticon is misspelled "Depecepticon" in the answer to question 15 in the Epic Quiz.
*One of the potential answers for question 20 in the Epic Quiz is "[[Deus ex Machina|Dues ex Machina]]".

===Advertisements===
*Subscribe today and get two free ''Transformers'' Cyberverse figures!
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' comic
*Back issues
*[[Transformers Comic issue 4.9]]
*Hot Wheels comic.

[[Category:Prime Magazine issues]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers Comic issue 4.08}}

Transformers Comic issue 2.14

2017-10-25T16:05:02Z

He-l-en1959: /* Featured characters */ Bludgeon never appears in that comics

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|''Transformers'']] #14
|prev=Transformers Comic issue 2.13
|next=Transformers Comic issue 2.15
|image=Tf mag 14 2010.JPG
|caption=And now he knows how Joan of Arc felt.
|publisher=[[Titan Books|Titan Comics]]
|date=[[June 17|17 June]] [[2010]]
|editor=[[Steve White]]
|deputy editor=[[Den Patrick]]
|publishing manager=[[Darryl Tothill|Darryl Curtis]]
|price=£2.50
}}

'''Devastator LIVES! (briefly)'''

==Head in the Clouds==
*'''Script:''' [[Simon Furman]]
*'''Art:''' [[Jon Davis-Hunt]]
*'''Colours:''' [[Hi-Fi Design]]
*'''Lettering:''' [[Den Patrick]]
*'''Continuity:''' [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]] (sequel)

[[Stratosphere]] is on routine patrol over the mountains of [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]], when he spots a suspiciously dense cloud cover that wasn't there before. He descends to investigate but atmospheric disturbance begins to impact his communications... and then a huge hulking claw appears from the clouds! Stratosphere's right wing is smashed in the collision and he goes down, calling for helps. At NEST Ops [[Vancouver]], [[CFB Comox]], [[Fraser|Captain Fraser]] identifies the location that contact was lost to [[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]], [[Dune Runner (ROTF)|Dune Runner]], and [[Rollbar (ROTF)|Rollbar]], though she doesn't reckon Stratosphere could survive in such a place. But she agrees with Jolt: they have to go look anyway.

Dune Runner believes Stratosphere's a tough dude and could have found a way to survive, but Rollbar is concerned that on the ''ground'' he won't be as strong as he is in the air. That's bad news to Strat himself, who wakes up in the mountains with a broken wing, and even ''transforming'' hurts. But there's worse news: comm channels are being jammed, and he's realised what knocked him out... [[Devastator (ROTF)|'''Devastator!''']] But with no one else around, it's up to him...

Devastator is being rebuilt by [[Skywarp (Movie)|Skywarp]] and [[purple generic drones|Constructicon drones]], with a combined jammer and "cloud" spewing device in convenient range. Clearly, nothing good will happen if the gestalt is rebuilt. While ground assault is not Stratosphere's strong point, it's all he can do now and he charges into battle, gunning down drones; Skywarp proves trickier though, and uses his flight powers to get behind the Autobot and pin him down. However, Stratosphere knows "us flyboys" may be hot stuff in the air but not so much on the ground... and he ''flips'' over, knocking Skywarp down. It reminds him he needs help though, and he takes down the Decepticon's jamming dish so he can upload coordinates to NEST Server and call in an AV-8B strike to [[bring the rain]]. Skywarp is having none of this and takes to the air in jet form... at which point Stratosphere uses the Decepticon's own "cloud" cover spray on him, causing the blinded Decepticon to crash into a mountain! (Karma!)

The three Autobot reinforcements arrive, with Jolt noting they seem a bit late. The Autobots then leave the area as the AV-8B's arrive and bomb the Devastator construction site to bits. Jolt wonders if the gestalt could survive that, but Stratosphere doesn't want to find out: if any landing you can walk away from is good, he'd like to just walk away.

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]]
*[[Stratosphere]]
*[[Rollbar (ROTF)|Rollbar]]
*[[Dune Runner (ROTF)|Dune Runner]]
|c2=
*[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]]
*[[Skywarp (Movie)|Skywarp]]
*"[[Purple generic drones]]"
}}
{{issuestub}}

===Quotes===

"...I ''don't'' rate his chances." 
"Thank you, Captain Fraser, but we have to go look anyway." 
"Of course."
:—'''Fraser''' and '''Jolt'''

"I dunno. Up in the air, he's the real deal. But on the ground... ''it all shades a bit more pedestrian!''"
:—'''Rollbar''' on Stratosphere

"Ground assault may not be my forte, but with my wings clipped... it's all I ''got''!"
:—'''Stratosphere'''

"Could Devastator survive that?" 
"You want to find out?"
:—'''Dune Runner''' and '''Stratosphere'''

===Errors===
*Stratosphere says he's ''descending'' to look at the clouds, when the art clearly shows they're above him.
*How Stratosphere loses his wing isn't clear. He's coming at Devastator's claw at the side on one page, then on the next he appears to have come up from ''below''.
*AV-8B's (or "Harrier Jump Jets" as they're commonly called) are used by the [[United States Marine Corps]] but ''not'' by Canada; wouldn't it be quicker to call in Canada Air Command jets, since CFB Comox is so close and CF-18 Hornets are housed there? (And the speed with which the Harriers turned up sure makes it look like that's where they came from...)

===Notes===
*The plot has similarities to "[[Desert Island Risks!]]", which also had a Devastator being rebuilt.
*CFB Comox is a real Canadian base (though it doesn't really have a NEST logo on it), and on Vancouver Island too.
**And the [[N.E.S.T. Global Alliance]] logo, for that matter!
*While it's not stated here, Skywarp is shown to be one of [[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon's]] men in #16, making this one of Bludgeon's schemes.
**With Skywarp captured, Jolt and his rookie mates appearing, nobody mentioning "oh yeah Decepticons escaped", and last issue's story originally meant to be in ''this'' issue [http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/updates/] , it's possible that ''Head in the Clouds'' was originally intended for #13.

==Contents==
===Articles and Features===
*War Machine: Light and frothy feature on ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''.
*Megatron's Mind Maulers: "I've deliberately not made them difficult, as I know your primitive nervous systems can't deal with high-level logic problems."
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee's]] Guide: The Solar System. Various facts about Venus by Bumblebee, and a wordsearch.
*Out Of This World: puzzles related to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. A wordsearch includes names of various Cybertron city-states, including [[Gygax]], [[Ankmor Park|Ankmor]], and [[Axiom Nexus]]...
*Way Past Cool: game reviews.
*Competitions.
*Poster of the cover.

===Free gifts===
*"FREE! Disk Flicker!"

===Law and Disorder===

"I can't believe I crossed the Galaxy, to end up here, answering letters from infant meatsacks. It's depressing." 
:—'''Barricade'''

"Wait a minute, if you're being shot at by Bumblebee and Jazz [in the ROTF game], then that must mean you're playing as a Decepticon, Ali! Shame on you. As such, I have no sympathy."
:—'''Ironhide'''

"To answer your question about Bonecrusher [in ROTF] - we think it was [[Buffalo MPV Decepticon|another Decepticon who scanned the same alternate mode]]. At least we hope so, or the Decepticons are coming back from the dead in alarming numbers!"
:—'''Ironhide'''

"I see you humans are as obsessed with Unicron, as ever. Just another reason why you need to be exterminated in my book..."
:—'''Barricade'''

"As for Starscream's engines experiencing a severe malfunction - we can but hope." 
"Hmm, there would be something intensely satisfying about seeing that ambitious twerp plunging into asphalt, as his entire, crooked life flashed before his eyes. After all, he only thing worse than reading these letters is listening to Starscream and Megatron bickering."
:—'''Ironhide''' and '''Barricade'''

==Errors==
*Starscream's Stars has stopped running! :(

==Notes==
*Gygax, Ankmor, Axiom Nexus... are Titan reading this wiki...?
*Scooby Doo (or at least someone in a Scooby Doo costume) is photographed reading #2.10. Everyone loves Transformers!
*Fanart in the letters page is a mix of live-action, G1, and Animated characters.
*The title blurb, "Big Mouth Strikes Again" is better known as the title of a song by The Smiths.

[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Magazine issues]]

Transformers Comic issue 2.14

2017-10-25T16:02:26Z

He-l-en1959: /* Head in the Clouds */ a small clarification

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|''Transformers'']] #14
|prev=Transformers Comic issue 2.13
|next=Transformers Comic issue 2.15
|image=Tf mag 14 2010.JPG
|caption=And now he knows how Joan of Arc felt.
|publisher=[[Titan Books|Titan Comics]]
|date=[[June 17|17 June]] [[2010]]
|editor=[[Steve White]]
|deputy editor=[[Den Patrick]]
|publishing manager=[[Darryl Tothill|Darryl Curtis]]
|price=£2.50
}}

'''Devastator LIVES! (briefly)'''

==Head in the Clouds==
*'''Script:''' [[Simon Furman]]
*'''Art:''' [[Jon Davis-Hunt]]
*'''Colours:''' [[Hi-Fi Design]]
*'''Lettering:''' [[Den Patrick]]
*'''Continuity:''' [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]] (sequel)

[[Stratosphere]] is on routine patrol over the mountains of [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]], when he spots a suspiciously dense cloud cover that wasn't there before. He descends to investigate but atmospheric disturbance begins to impact his communications... and then a huge hulking claw appears from the clouds! Stratosphere's right wing is smashed in the collision and he goes down, calling for helps. At NEST Ops [[Vancouver]], [[CFB Comox]], [[Fraser|Captain Fraser]] identifies the location that contact was lost to [[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]], [[Dune Runner (ROTF)|Dune Runner]], and [[Rollbar (ROTF)|Rollbar]], though she doesn't reckon Stratosphere could survive in such a place. But she agrees with Jolt: they have to go look anyway.

Dune Runner believes Stratosphere's a tough dude and could have found a way to survive, but Rollbar is concerned that on the ''ground'' he won't be as strong as he is in the air. That's bad news to Strat himself, who wakes up in the mountains with a broken wing, and even ''transforming'' hurts. But there's worse news: comm channels are being jammed, and he's realised what knocked him out... [[Devastator (ROTF)|'''Devastator!''']] But with no one else around, it's up to him...

Devastator is being rebuilt by [[Skywarp (Movie)|Skywarp]] and [[purple generic drones|Constructicon drones]], with a combined jammer and "cloud" spewing device in convenient range. Clearly, nothing good will happen if the gestalt is rebuilt. While ground assault is not Stratosphere's strong point, it's all he can do now and he charges into battle, gunning down drones; Skywarp proves trickier though, and uses his flight powers to get behind the Autobot and pin him down. However, Stratosphere knows "us flyboys" may be hot stuff in the air but not so much on the ground... and he ''flips'' over, knocking Skywarp down. It reminds him he needs help though, and he takes down the Decepticon's jamming dish so he can upload coordinates to NEST Server and call in an AV-8B strike to [[bring the rain]]. Skywarp is having none of this and takes to the air in jet form... at which point Stratosphere uses the Decepticon's own "cloud" cover spray on him, causing the blinded Decepticon to crash into a mountain! (Karma!)

The three Autobot reinforcements arrive, with Jolt noting they seem a bit late. The Autobots then leave the area as the AV-8B's arrive and bomb the Devastator construction site to bits. Jolt wonders if the gestalt could survive that, but Stratosphere doesn't want to find out: if any landing you can walk away from is good, he'd like to just walk away.

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]]
*[[Stratosphere]]
*[[Rollbar (ROTF)|Rollbar]]
*[[Dune Runner (ROTF)|Dune Runner]]
|c2=
*[[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]]
*[[Skywarp (Movie)|Skywarp]]
*[[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon]]
*"[[Purple generic drones]]"
}}
{{issuestub}}

===Quotes===

"...I ''don't'' rate his chances." 
"Thank you, Captain Fraser, but we have to go look anyway." 
"Of course."
:—'''Fraser''' and '''Jolt'''

"I dunno. Up in the air, he's the real deal. But on the ground... ''it all shades a bit more pedestrian!''"
:—'''Rollbar''' on Stratosphere

"Ground assault may not be my forte, but with my wings clipped... it's all I ''got''!"
:—'''Stratosphere'''

"Could Devastator survive that?" 
"You want to find out?"
:—'''Dune Runner''' and '''Stratosphere'''

===Errors===
*Stratosphere says he's ''descending'' to look at the clouds, when the art clearly shows they're above him.
*How Stratosphere loses his wing isn't clear. He's coming at Devastator's claw at the side on one page, then on the next he appears to have come up from ''below''.
*AV-8B's (or "Harrier Jump Jets" as they're commonly called) are used by the [[United States Marine Corps]] but ''not'' by Canada; wouldn't it be quicker to call in Canada Air Command jets, since CFB Comox is so close and CF-18 Hornets are housed there? (And the speed with which the Harriers turned up sure makes it look like that's where they came from...)

===Notes===
*The plot has similarities to "[[Desert Island Risks!]]", which also had a Devastator being rebuilt.
*CFB Comox is a real Canadian base (though it doesn't really have a NEST logo on it), and on Vancouver Island too.
**And the [[N.E.S.T. Global Alliance]] logo, for that matter!
*While it's not stated here, Skywarp is shown to be one of [[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon's]] men in #16, making this one of Bludgeon's schemes.
**With Skywarp captured, Jolt and his rookie mates appearing, nobody mentioning "oh yeah Decepticons escaped", and last issue's story originally meant to be in ''this'' issue [http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/updates/] , it's possible that ''Head in the Clouds'' was originally intended for #13.

==Contents==
===Articles and Features===
*War Machine: Light and frothy feature on ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''.
*Megatron's Mind Maulers: "I've deliberately not made them difficult, as I know your primitive nervous systems can't deal with high-level logic problems."
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee's]] Guide: The Solar System. Various facts about Venus by Bumblebee, and a wordsearch.
*Out Of This World: puzzles related to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. A wordsearch includes names of various Cybertron city-states, including [[Gygax]], [[Ankmor Park|Ankmor]], and [[Axiom Nexus]]...
*Way Past Cool: game reviews.
*Competitions.
*Poster of the cover.

===Free gifts===
*"FREE! Disk Flicker!"

===Law and Disorder===

"I can't believe I crossed the Galaxy, to end up here, answering letters from infant meatsacks. It's depressing." 
:—'''Barricade'''

"Wait a minute, if you're being shot at by Bumblebee and Jazz [in the ROTF game], then that must mean you're playing as a Decepticon, Ali! Shame on you. As such, I have no sympathy."
:—'''Ironhide'''

"To answer your question about Bonecrusher [in ROTF] - we think it was [[Buffalo MPV Decepticon|another Decepticon who scanned the same alternate mode]]. At least we hope so, or the Decepticons are coming back from the dead in alarming numbers!"
:—'''Ironhide'''

"I see you humans are as obsessed with Unicron, as ever. Just another reason why you need to be exterminated in my book..."
:—'''Barricade'''

"As for Starscream's engines experiencing a severe malfunction - we can but hope." 
"Hmm, there would be something intensely satisfying about seeing that ambitious twerp plunging into asphalt, as his entire, crooked life flashed before his eyes. After all, he only thing worse than reading these letters is listening to Starscream and Megatron bickering."
:—'''Ironhide''' and '''Barricade'''

==Errors==
*Starscream's Stars has stopped running! :(

==Notes==
*Gygax, Ankmor, Axiom Nexus... are Titan reading this wiki...?
*Scooby Doo (or at least someone in a Scooby Doo costume) is photographed reading #2.10. Everyone loves Transformers!
*Fanart in the letters page is a mix of live-action, G1, and Animated characters.
*The title blurb, "Big Mouth Strikes Again" is better known as the title of a song by The Smiths.

[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Magazine issues]]

Transformers Comic issue 2.9

2017-10-15T16:10:03Z

He-l-en1959: /* Notes */ addition

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|''Transformers'']] #9
|prev=Transformers Comic issue 2.8
|next=Transformers Comic issue 2.10
|image=Tf mag 9 2010.JPG
|caption="This is ''my'' cover! Everyone else get off! ''MINE MINE MINE!''"
|publisher=[[Titan Books|Titan Comics]]
|date=28 January 2010
|editor=[[Steve White]]
|designer=[[Danny Preston]]
|deputy editor=[[Den Patrick]]
|publishing manager=[[Darryl Curtis]]
|price=£2.70
}}
'''Fool! To a master of Metal—oh my god, guys, JOLT HAS DIALOGUE!'''

==Culture Shock==

* '''Script:''' [[Simon Furman]]
* '''Art:''' [[Jon Davis-Hunt]]
* '''Colours:''' [[Hi-Fi Design]]
* '''Lettering:''' [[Den Patrick]]
* '''Continuity:''' [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]] (sequel)

In [[Los Angeles]], [[NEST]] and the Autobots are attempting to bring in the Decepticon [[Reverb (ROTF)|Reverb]]... except [[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]] just made his attack early (and through a dude's house no less)! [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] angrily radios in and tells him that instead of blocking off the enemy's escape route, he's just spooked him. Jolt, obliviously causing greater chaos than the ''Con'' as he tears around the streets, says he'll just drive the cycle towards NEST's roadblock. When it's pointed out the idea was to use traffic diversions to isolate the baddie from other traffic and avoid collateral damage, Jolt asks what collateral damage ''is''.

When NEST notices Reverb is changing his direction, [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] is tasked to intercept him at North Rodeo and Carmelita. Jolt calls in to say he's still on Reverb's tail (ignoring roads and traffic laws makes things so much quicker!), and merrily transforms to unleash his electro-whips... which miss the target, hit a power line instead, and blow out electrics and windows across the area. "''Oops.''" While he's left mortified, Bumblebee successfully takes down the Decepticon by ramming him.

At Andrew's Air Force Base, California, an irate [[Theodore Galloway]] informs [[William Lennox|Lennox]] that repairing all the damage and paying off civil suits will cost ten million. [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] apologises for involving Jolt, still a non-sanctioned new recruit, in the mission, but Galloway doesn't care... in fact, Prime helped him, as this mess gives him all the ammo he needs to convince the [[Pentagon]] to drop NEST! Jolt apologises to Prime for getting carried away; the leader understands, but tells Jolt he needs to restrain this exuberance, as Earth is not built for beings like them. Jolt promises he'll do better...

Two days later, in [[Las Vegas]], Jolt has jumped the gun ''again'' to engage [[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon]]. This goes very badly: his whip is destroyed, he's thrown through a casino wall, and Bludgeon begins to deliberately fire on the civilians inside to force Jolt to shield them. Enraged by this treatment of innocent life, Jolt takes the fight to Bludgeon and decries him for not caring who gets hurt... but the villain points out that the Autobot could have just ''waited'' for him to get what he'd come for, then engage him in the ''desert''. Is he impulsive... or does he just like an audience?

Jolt admits this is pretty insightful, but Bludgeon missed out one thing about him: his whole body is one big power cell, and he was holding ''back'' before. Now, he grabs Bludgeon's sword, eats up Vegas's electricity, and then sends it surging back into Bludgeon! The Decepticon is defeated... and the city suffers a blackout. "''Oops.''"

Later, a disappointed Optimus has Jolt confined to base until further notice: he can't afford more loose cannons. Knowing he screwed up and almost got people killed by not following protocol, Jolt accepts this... but then, at the base, NEST Watch-Seven calls in, requesting urgent assistance against an unknown Transformer...

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]]
|c2=
*[[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon]]
*[[Reverb (ROTF)|Reverb]]
|c3=
*[[William Lennox]]
*[[Theodore Galloway]]
}}
{{issuestub}}

===Quotes===
"''Collateral damage''? What's ''that''?"
:–'''Jolt''', while crashing through someone's stuff

"Frankly, Optimus Prime... I don't ''care''. In fact, you've done me a ''favour''. I've been looking for an excuse to shut you down... Ever since Captain Lennox threw me out of a ''plane''."
:–'''Galloway''' should not smile again, it's creepy

"You'll see, Prime... I'll be the ''soul'' of discretion." 
'''Caption:''' Las Vegas, Nevada. Two days later 
"C'mon! Bring it ''on''! Give it your best shot you darn dirty '''Con''!"
:–'''Jolt''' apparently has a short-term memory

"You know what I ''like'' about this planet?" 
"The self-service ''fuel pumps''?" 
"The sheer proliferation of ''organic life''. They're ''all over'' the place, swarming and massing in ''every'' nook and cranny. And you Autobots actually seem to ''care'' what happens to them. And we ''don't.''"
:–'''Bludgeon''' tries dirty tricks against '''Jolt'''

===Errors===

* Optimus confines Jolt to NEST's California base. You'd think it'd make more sense to send him to [[Diego Garcia]], where it'd be harder for him to bunk off!

* Speaking of, Andrews' is in ''Washington'', not California; it's ''Edwards'' Air Force Base that's in California, and has [[Transformers Comic issue 2.3|been used by NEST in the comic]]. (Andrews [[Transformers Comic issue 21|appeared in the first volume]])

===Notes===

* Jolt ''is doing stuff''. Now ''that's'' worth noting!
* Reverb goes unnamed, unspoken, and stays in vehicle mode during his scene.
* Post-movie, Bumblebee is back on active operations.
* What a hell does Bludgeon seek in Las-Vegas? The [[Matrix of Leadership]] had been found long ago…

==Contents==

===Articles and Features===

* Humans in Disguise!: A cut-out Optimus Prime mask.
* More Than Meets The Eye: puzzles.
* Competitions for books, toys, and games.
* Sideswipe's Armoury: article on the supercarries used by the [[United States Navy]] in the film. And yep, it notes that USS ''Theodore Roosevelt'' is filmed using two other boats!
* Law and Disorder: Letters, art and photos from readers, answered by [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]].
* Starscream's Stars: Comedy horrorscope.

===Free gifts===

* "[[FREE! Blaster!|Pump Action '''Jet Launcher!''']]" — foam missile gun (again)

===Build a Bot!===

The back cover of the comic (both sides) have space for ''you'' to draw your own Autobot and Decepticon, and then give them a little bio. Cut the back cover off (or download a form at their website) and send it to Titan. Why? Because the best Autobot and best Decepticon will get their own two-page strip in a later issue where they fight each other! "How cool is THAT???"

===Law and Disorder===

"As for defecting, I don't think I could bear Optimus' hair-braiding moralising and turgid, touchy-feely nobility. Everyone knows bad guys are more popular and he's the reason why."
:—'''Barricade'''

"You're just a blunt instrument!" 
"Ah, thanks, Barricade. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said about me." 
"I didn't mean it as a compliment... oh, never mind!
:—'''Barricade''' and '''Ironhide'''

'''Fan:''' "What was [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] thinking when he went up against [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]?" 
'''Barricade:''' "Probably, 'Urgh, there go my legs. Oh wait-'"

'''Fan:''' "Why doesn't Ironhide just blow off Barricade's head and run the letters column by himself?" 
'''Barricade:''' "That's a good question..."

====Starscream's stars====

"VIRGO (23 AUG - 22 SEPT): Many roads open before you, leaving you many choices. Looks like the satnav is on the fritz again."

"LIBRA (23 SEPT - 23 OCT): Sticks and stones may break your adamantium combat chassis, but names will never hurt you. Sadly, you didn't see those giant neon letters spelling DAVE falling off that building."

"AIRES (20 JAN - 18 FEB): Manners cost nothing, so why would you try selling them on [[eBay|Ebay]] [sic], you idiot?"

==Errors==

* To wear the Optimus mask, you have to cut up the front cover! Noooooo!

==Notes==

* First issue of a new format: the reprints are gone, the page count is down to 34, and the taller-than-pages cardboard cover from [[Transformers Comic issue 2.7|#7]] is back.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers Comic issue 2.09}}
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Magazine issues]]

Transformers Comic issue 2.10

2017-10-13T18:00:42Z

He-l-en1959: addition

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=[[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|''Transformers'']] #10
|prev=Transformers Comic issue 2.9
|next=Transformers Comic issue 2.11
|image=Tf mag 10 2010.JPG
|caption=Is this really new information?
|publisher=[[Titan Books|Titan Comics]]
|date=25 February 2010
|editor=[[Steve White]]
|designer=[[Danny Preston]]
|deputy editor=[[Den Patrick]]
|publishing manager=[[Darryl Curtis]]
|price=£2.50
}}

'''GIVE ME PRIME'S FACE.'''

==Bring Me the Head of Optimus Prime==

* '''Script:''' [[Robin Etherington]]
* '''Art:''' [[Jon Davis-Hunt]]
* '''Colours:''' [[Hi-Fi Design]]
* '''Lettering:''' [[Den Patrick]]
* '''Continuity:''' [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]] (sequel)

[[NEST]] intercepts a distress signal from Malmstrom [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] Base ([[Montana]]) at 07:47, reporting a "robot attack". [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] is air-dropped in, noting damage consistent with human weaponry but a slaughter reminiscent of Decepticons. Discovering that several transporters have been stolen, he tracks them to a ravine on the [[Canada|Canadian]] border...and is knocked out by a powerful bomb...

...only to wake up chained down, with a badly scarred loony in combat fatigues talking at him. The man knows who Optimus is (everyone with a [[television|TV]] knows that these days!), and, ominously, he mentions how he killed the time waiting for Prime by killing the local wildlife...

Back at Malmstrom, [[Robert Epps]] and [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] have arrived. With [[William Lennox|Lennox's]] team hunting down the remaining [[Seeker (ROTF)|Seekers]], they're all NEST can spare. A quick inventory check finds a non-nuclear electromagnetic bomb has been stolen from the base, which Epps believes is related to that huge blast noticed in the Rockies and the disappearance of Prime. Luckily, Bumblebee is capable of tracking his boss down!

Prime struggles and fails to escape his shackles, while his captor reveals himself to be [[Trophy White]], head of the well-armed [[Free Men]] militia. Prime is in their Montana compound, where White keeps his vast collection of trophies: stuffed and mounted heads of endangered species! The attack on Malmstrom and a false "robot attack" message was all to draw Optimus out, so White could go down in hunting history as the first man to bag an Autobot! Now it's time for Prime's head to join the collection...

Meanwhile, Bumblebee has tracked Optimus to the ravine. He's able to jump it (though he doesn't warn poor Epps first), and our dynamic duo find their way to the Free Men camp. Using high-power binoculars, Epps notices White about to [[decapitation|decapitate]] Optimus, so he arms up and authorises Bumblebee to go weapons free! The camp is blown wide open, with the Autobot destroying the Free Men's defences and vehicles while Epps coolly takes down their gunners. A panicked White orders his men to shoot back... only for Optimus to break loose and unsheathe his blade. The Autobot coldly repeats the hunter's own previous taunts about fear to him, leaving the man gibbering about how Optimus can't do this, as there are rules. That doesn't stop Optimus from...

...destroying White's trophies to end the man's "distasteful hobby". (Why, whatever did you ''think'' Optimus was doing?)

As the Free Men surrender, Epps notices the chains couldn't have ''ever'' held Optimus. In full earshot of White, Prime says he knew the militia had the NNEMB, and he needed to make sure it was detonated away from civilians. As for escaping? He wanted to wait for the funniest moment to do it!

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]
|c3=
*[[William Lennox]]
*[[Robert Epps]]
*[[Trophy White]]
*[[Free Men]]
}}
{{issuestub}}

===Quotes===
"Got so bored of killin' ''time'' I had to go kill me somethin' ''else''. And what do ya know, I found me a ''gray wolf''! Walked right into my sights. Ain't it funny how the ''endangered'' ones are always the ''dumbest''."
:–'''"Trophy" White'''

"You can probably work out where I got my ''nickname''."
:–'''"Trophy"''' shows off his, er, trophies.

"If you are trying to ''intimidate'' me, you are in for a ''long'' wait."
:–'''Optimus Prime'''

'''SHUNK''' 
"''Optimus''...what have you ''done''?" 
"Do not worry, Sgt. Epps. I was simply putting an end to this human's ''distasteful hobby''."
:–'''Epps''' is right to worry about '''Optimus Prime''' when it comes to possible head-shunking...

"And I could not escape at just ''any'' moment...only when it was ''funny''."
:–'''Optimus''' is just a joker at heart!

===Errors===

* The start of this issue doesn't really mesh with last ish, where it was a NEST remote unit calling for assistance.

===Notes===

* Starting this issue, the strip is reduced to eight pages.
* Not only are the Autobots public knowledge post-ROTF, Optimus Prime's name is said to be commonly known.
* This comic is the first one to suggest that someone might be concerned about all the dormant Seekers on Earth, with NEST going after them in the background.
* Epps and Bumblebee seem to be familiar with each other, as if they've worked together before.
* "Trophy" White claims this is the Montana compound for the Free Men, which could mean they have some in other states.
* Tyler White is going to cut Optimus' head off with a cutlass! He is so naive...
* Epps uses a machine gun on the Free Men! They are wearing body armour and it's not explicitly stated, but it's quite likely he's killed and Bumblebee killed (or at least hideously wounded) some people. It ''is'' explicitly stated that the Free Men killed people at Malmstrom.
* Prime's final line is taken straight from the movie ''[[wikipedia: Who Framed Roger Rabbit|Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''.
* This story is obviously a modernized and more realistic version of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Generation 1'' cartoon episode]] "[[Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target]]". Trophy acts a lot like [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]], minus the poshness, the mind-staggering wealth, the outlandish booby traps, and [[Dinsmoore|the elderly butler]].
* The story's name is a reference to [[wikipedia:Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia|''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'']], Sam Peckinpah's shockingly violent 1974 western. This is not the first time Transformers media has referenced [[S. Pakinper|Peckinpah]].

==Contents==

===Articles and Features===

* Pop Quiz, Hotshots: Three quizzes about ''Revenge of the Fallen'', with increasing difficulty ("Noob", "Nerd", "Ubernerd").
* Way Past Cool: Video game pimping, allegedly written by Bumblebee.
* Character Profile: [[Soundwave (ROTF)|Soundwave]], and a challenge to find five [[Ravage (ROTF)|Ravages]] hidden in it.
* Puzzles.
* Competition for Lego and Ben 10 toys.
* Law and Disorder: Letters, art and photos from readers, answered by [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] and [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]].
* Starscream's Stars: Comedy horrorscope.
* Poster of the cover

===Free gifts===

* "[[FREE! Blaster!|Dart Shooter/Wrist Mounted Missile Battery]]" — foam missile gun (again!!), with differing names on the cover and packet. There's a very prominent [[dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]] footprint logo on it, so presumably this is a recycled mould from something else.

===Law and Disorder===

"Defect? From the Decepticons? Do you know what the penalties are for that? They involve 're-education' with sharp, pointy spikes that issue six-million volt reminders of whose side you're on." 
"Well, can you tell [Sideways] to send someone to collect [[Wheelie (ROTF)|Wheelie]]? That tiny toaster-sized idiot is beginning to test my patience!"
:—'''Barricade''' and '''Ironhide'''

"Did you know that humans leak? They leak from about five different places! Disgusting."
:—'''Barricade'''

"See the new film? You're only five years old! I have friends and allies that died during the making of this film..." 
"I don't think humans find robots getting smashed up as upsetting as we do, Barricade..." 
"Humans really are savages!"
:—'''Barricade''' and '''Ironhide'''

"Unfortunately, I have every faith those idiots, Skids and Mudflap, will return to do whatever it is they do."
:—'''Barricade'''

"Blackout. Grindor. They all look the same to me."
:—'''Ironhide'''

====Starscream's stars====

"CANCER (22 JUN - 22 JUL): The stars are providing you with plenty of luck and everything is coming up roses. Sadly, you're allergic to roses. Expect anaphylactic shock any time now."

"AQUARIUS (20 JAN - 18 FEB): Your lucky karaoke song will be 'Milkshake' by Kelis. Unfortunately, it will only bring boys to the yard, not the control of the planet Earth you hoped for."

"PISCES (19 FEB - 20 MAR): Saturn is behind you this month. No, Saturn, not Satan. Put the crucifix and holy water down."

==Notes==

* The price is down to £2.50.
* Ironhide ''recognises'' that Prime is a decapitation freak in the letter page! Equally fan-pleasing, the quiz asks how many members are there for the [[Dynasty of Primes]] and gives the answer as "seven (although you could have said [[Thirteen|13]]!)".
* Titan supports one of the three meanings for NEST. Unfortunately, it's "Networked Elements: Supporters and Transformers".

[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen Magazine issues]]

A Better Tomorrow

2016-01-13T18:43:03Z

He-l-en1959: /* Synopsis */ some addition

{{Comicstory|
|series=rid|issueno=5
|prev=Devisive
|next=Syndromica (1)
|caption=
|image=RID5_cvrB.jpg
|title="A Better Tomorrow"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 30]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=May 2012
|story by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Casey Coller]]
|colors by=[[Josh Perez]]
|letters by=[[Shawn Lee]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}

'''The arrival of Sky-Byte causes events on Cybertron to reach a critical juncture, prompting Ironhide to take a surprising stand.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] watches as another [[NAIL]] shuttle arrives on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], its sole occupant proving to be an ex-Decepticon poet and old acquaintance of his named [[Sky-Byte (G2)|Sky-Byte]]. The obvious distaste Sky-Byte has for his former faction prompts [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] to step aside and leave the welcoming to [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]]; [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]], meanwhile, eschews taking part at all. [[‎Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], though, elects to watch Sky-Byte's welcome from afar, with [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] quietly whispering in his ear all the while. He instructs her to get back to looking for [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], but she cautions him to remember that she is not his assassin to order about.

Metalhawk takes Sky-Byte to meet with fellow NAILs [[Tappet]], [[Hipotank]], and [[Zetca]], who address his concerns about Decepticons being allowed to roam free by telling him about the [[inhibitor/deterrence chip]]s, though that only increases his worries about the Autobots' methods. The next day, Sky-Byte withdraws to the edge of the city to ruminate on what he has learned, and is found by Ironhide just as he is composing a poem over some [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] remains. Ironhide tells Sky-Byte about his lost memories and the new perspective his missing years have given him, and surprises the shark by proposing that he speak to some Decepticons in order to get the whole picture before making any choices about life on Cybertron. The pair return to the city, and while Sky-Byte heads off to follow Ironhide's suggestion, the old soldier continues to play advice-giver by meeting with Blurr and convincing him to fulfill his old pre-war dream of opening a bar by refurbishing [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]].

Back at Autobot command, Metalhawk kicks off another argument with Bumblebee over the I/D chips, holding up Starscream as evidence that the Decepticons can change. Bumblebee counters with the fact that even the NAILs hate the Decepticons, and that Sky-Byte tried to kill him once. Starscream sarcastically notes that there were too many those who wished to do this. Enraged, Bumblebee orders Prowl to remove both Metalhawk and Starscream, but the police-bot has disappeared during the conversation.

Sky-Byte, meanwhile, has met with [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who tells him of Prowl's recent Decepticon executions, and takes him to a bolt-hole where [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] is watching over Dirge, from whom they learned of the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]' deaths. Unfortunately for them, [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], having learned of Ironhide's suggestion to Sky-Byte, has tricked another NAIL to keep tabs on Sky-Byte's movements for him by telling him that he was responsible for nearly killing Zetca. Following the information he receives, Sideswipe leads [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] and Prowl into the Decepticons' hideaway, where a firefight ensues. Dirge and Swindle escape, but Sky-Byte and Needlenose are captured, and a riot ensues when they are brought above ground and a crowd of NAILs attempts to lynch them. Ironhide comes smashing his way into the crowd and puts the mob down, then, as he finds himself staring down the barrel of Prowl's gun, makes a speech that concludes with a plea to Bumblebee to have the I/D chips turned off as the first step towards equality for the future.

The next morning, Prowl confronts Ironhide and Sky-Byte in the repaired and re-opened Maccadam's, furious over Bumblebee's decision to follow Ironhide's advice and deactivate the chips. Stopped by Blurr before things get physical, Prowl grumpily sits down for a drink with the pair and demands to know why Ironhide is so sure everything is going to work out. Ironhide explains that in the moment when everything turned to white as Cybertron was reborn, he had a vision of the future, of himself and [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] telling stories to the next generation of Transformers on [[Gorlam Prime]]. That's how he knows the future is bright: because in it, all the other Autobots and Decepticons and all their old grudges... are dead.

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] (1)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (2)
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (5)
*[[‎Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (9)
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (14)
*[[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] (18)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (19)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (20)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (21)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (22)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (7)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (15)
*[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] (16)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (17)

|h3=[[NAIL]]s|c3=
*[[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] (6)
*[[Sky-Byte (G2)|Sky-Byte]] (8)
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (10)
*[[Zetca]] (11)
*[[Hipotank]] (12)
*[[Tappet]] (13)

}}

==Quotes==
"Starscream?" 
"My reputation precedes me." 
"You're known '''throughout''' the galaxy. A conniver, a liar, and a killer. In short a—'''Decepticon.'''" 
"I '''like''' this guy."
:—'''Sky-Byte''' and '''Starscream'''

"''Barren wasteland'' 
''consumes so many. Desire'' 
''leaves me alone.''"
:—'''Sky-Byte''' does this thing. To a degree.

==Notes==
===Continuity===
*Back during ''[[The Transformers: Heart of Darkness|Heart of Darkness]]'', [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] assembled an army of robots of all shapes and sizes, but by the time ''[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]'' rolled around, these varied mechanoids had vanished, replaced by endless legions of Sweeps. It's unclear if this was intentional at the time (the relationship between ''Heart of Darkness'' and ''Chaos'' is wobbly at best), but this story touches on the issue, explaining that all the robots were gradually transformed into identical Sweeps, presumably through the power of the [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]].
*Arcee refers to the mass torture of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] she started back in "[[Spotlight: Sideswipe]]".
*A passing mention is made of [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], who Ironhide notes has left Cybertron.
*Mention is made of [[Varas Centralus]] and some terrible events perpetrated there by the Constructicons that prompted Sky-Byte to leave the Decepticons.
*Ironhide's loss of memory came about as a product of his death at the [[...For All Mankind|beginning]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]] and subsequent resurrection in [[The Transformers: Ironhide|his own mini-series]].
*Blurr's desire to run a bar was first mentioned by [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]].
*Ironhide's vision of the future consists of the events of [[Pax Cybertronia (issue)|the final issue]] of the ongoing series, at the time merely designed to serve as a coda to the series.

===Transfomers references===
*Sky-Byte swears by [[Primus]], a rare oath in IDW continuity.
*Sky-Byte remarks that a Sweep reminds him of "someone he knew, long ago", a joke about how the Sweeps all look like [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and how [[Sky-Byte (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Sky-Byte]] knew [[Scourge (RID)|a different Scourge]].
*A couple of [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] appear among the NAILs on page 9.

===Errors===
* On page 3, Metalhawk says "Cybertonians" instead of "Cybertronians".
* Sky-Byte's poem, if it is supposed to be a ''haiku'' (and why shouldn't it? He's Sky-Byte!), consists of four, seven, and four syllables, instead of the correct five, seven, and five.
* On page 15, panel 3, Streetwise displays a good deal of damage when noting he "was shot. By fire." By the first panel of page 16, however, all of his damage is gone.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Bumblebee and Metalhawk argue while Starscream watches, by Andrew Griffith and Josh Perez.
* '''Cover B:''' Ironhide charges into action as Bumblebee, Metalhawk and Starscream look on, by Casey Coller and [[Joana Lafuente]].
* '''Cover RI:''' Ironhide and Bumblebee by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]], the second half of a combined image formed with the RI cover to ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]].

<gallery>
File:RID5_cvrA.jpg|'''''I''''' am the yellow guy in charge, not you!
File:RID5_cvrB.jpg|Ironhide smash!
File:RID5_cvrRI.jpg|[[Dull surprise|Dull anger!]]
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''More than Meets the Eye'' [[Interiors|#6]]
*IDW's ''[[Godzilla]]''
*''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' in color
*''[[Star Trek]]/[[Doctor|Doctor Who]]: Assimilation²''
*''[[The Transformers: Autocracy]]''
*IDW's ''Ghostbusters''
*[[John Byrne]]'s ''Trio''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Better Tomorrow, A}}

Ravage (G1)

2015-12-20T20:11:36Z

He-l-en1959: /* Beast Wars Metals comic */ a little addition

{{faction|decepticon|predacon}}
{{disambig3|Ravage}}{{suite}}
:''Ravage is a [[Decepticon]] [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]] and later [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Ravageboxart.jpg|upright=1.95|thumb|This is every comic book panel Ravage [[Character model#Model sheet poses used in fiction|has ever been in]]. Well, okay, sometimes they rotate him a bit.]]
No Decepticon has a stronger loyalty to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] than '''Ravage'''. One of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s most reliable [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|spies]], Ravage believes unwaveringly in the Decepticon cause, and Megatron embodies that cause. To better serve Megatron and the Decepticons, Ravage has become the most efficient and deadly war machine under his command. He hides himself in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with grim accuracy. His name is synonymous with stealth. His survivors are few.

Ravage's only weakness is bright light, which can temporarily blind him. Perhaps his absolute loyalty to Megatron can blind him as well.

Sometimes he's a talker, other times he just growls or hisses at anything that isn't Megatron or Soundwave.

At various times, Ravage has been referred to as '''Tripredacus Agent''', '''Tri-Predacus Agent''', or '''Black Panther Man''' (クロヒョウマン ''Kurohyō Man''). It's all very confusing.

{{quote|Decepticons forever!|Ravage|"[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Contentedfools.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Ravage, here in his first appearance, is the first Transformer to have dialogue in the first Transformers story.]]
''Ravage was a loyal bodyguard for the [[Overlord (rank)|Overlords]], the Autobots that once ruled all of Cybertron, for generations. He witnessed as their planet-wide rule crumbled into a loose collection of feuding city-states. Like ancient Rome, the last Overlord barely managed to hold together the autocracy through the gladiatorial games, which allowed the city-states to vent their frustrations over low fuel supplies on each other in scripted, controlled conflicts. A war broke out between [[Vos]] and [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], however, and Ravage and his partner [[Nightstalker]] attempted to escort the Overlord to safety. Joined by the gladiators [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], their journey was perilous. The Overlord was now an enfeebled mechanoid who required constant re-energization to survive, and constantly slowed them down. After Prime raced ahead to get help, Nightstalker self-destructed himself in a final loyal act to defend the Overlord, leaving the ruler alone with Megatron and Ravage. Though the Overlord was near death, Ravage refused to give the Overlord any of his energy, instead allying himself with Megatron, whom he believed would be the future ruler of Cybertron.'' {{storylink|State Games}}

[[File:Tellhimwhodefeatedyouthisday.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Holy crap, Ravage is HUGE!]]
As a member of Megatron's Decepticons, Ravage attempted to hijack the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] four million years ago, only to fail and fall into deactivation sleep until [[1984]]. The detonation of the volcano, [[Mount St. Hilary]], reactivated the Autobots and Decepticons, unleashing their war on Earth. The two factions soon found themselves battling on the site of a drive-in movie theatre, where Ravage was able to distract [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] from determining the location of [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], who had gone missing. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}} The Decepticons found themselves in need of energy, so Megatron ordered Ravage to investigate [[Harrison Nuclear Power Plant]]. Jumping into one of the plant worker's cassette recorders, he learned not only of the energy-harnessing technology of this new world, but that its primary inhabitants were not the vehicles they transformed into, but their weird organic operators! Ravage and the other Decepticons immediately attacked Harrison Nuclear and claimed it for themselves. Afterwards, Ravage concealed himself within the boom box of [["O"]], the friend of [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], and learned that Buster had allied himself with the Autobots. He quickly returned to Megatron to report this information, and the Decepticons launched another attack, this time on Buster's neighborhood. Ravage jumped [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], and the reluctant Autobot wrestled with the Decepticon until Ravage was knocked away by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]. The Decepticons retreated after kidnapping Buster's father, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]. {{storylink|Power Play!}} Ravage returned with his comrades to the Decepticons' [[Fortress Sinister|new base]], constructed out of materials salvaged from Harrison Nuclear, and coerced Sparkplug into converting Earth fuel into a substance they could use. Soon, their base was infiltrated by [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and the amazing [[Spider-Man]], and although the latter was as fast and agile as Ravage, the former put Ravage out of the fight with a punch. {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

[[File:RavageEnemyWithinColour.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|He's so cute when he's angry.]]
''Shortly into their stay on Earth, the ever-treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] attempted to build up support against Megatron by demanding action when Megatron cautioned patience, knowing his fellow Decepticons were getting restless for battle. Fearing that an outright execution of Starscream would turn popular opinion against him, Megatron asked Ravage to spy on the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] and find him an excuse to get rid of Starscream. Ravage was discovered, though, and critically injured by Starscream during their fight. Ravage managed to crawl home across the desert, however, and reported the betrayal to Megatron. Having dishonored himself by attacking his fellow Decepticon, Starscream was forced to engage in a trial by combat with the Autobot [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], who had fallen into a similar situation by unrelated circumstances. After defeating Brawn in combat and flying back to Decepticon headquarters to declare his victory, Starscream was shot down by the vengeful Ravage on Megatron's orders. Ravage reported the Autobots were responsible for the attack, and thus Megatron was able to galvanize the Decepticons for battle himself, effectively stealing Starscream's thunder and punishing the mutineer in the process.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}}

''As the Decepticons assaulted the Ark, Ravage fought against the magnetic Autobot [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], employing his own electromagnetic shield to protect himself from his opponent's powers. When Optimus Prime attempted to awaken the ship's computer [[Aunty|Auntie]] during the battle, however, she awoke in a scrambled state and turned against all the Transformers, using magnetic force to hold all the combatants against her hull... except for Ravage and Windcharger. Forced to work together for the benefit of both their armies, they managed to deactivate Auntie.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

[[File:LastStand-Ravage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Ravage, why must we fight, we are not enemies!"]]
Megatron ordered Ravage to sneak into the Ark and provide him with news of the Autobots' fuel situation. Fortunately for the Decepticons, the Autobots had failed to find a source of fuel, so the time came to strike. During the Decepticons' immediate attack on the Ark, Ravage singled out Mirage, intent on finishing the job he had begun earlier. Ravage ignored Mirage's pleas for a peaceful discussion and removed Mirage's arm with his teeth. Mirage's resolve against the Decepticons strengthened, he blasted Ravage, removing him fully from the rest of the battle. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} The chance arrival of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was all that allowed ultimate Decepticon victory, and Ravage, his deposed leader Megatron, and several others were nursed back to full operating status. {{storylink|The New Order}} Though Megatron rebelled against his usurper, he failed, and Shockwave paraded Megatron's beaten form in front of Ravage and the other Decepticons. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

Ravage accompanied several other Decepticons, under the command of [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]], in an assault on the Autobots after they had been duped by a bogus Optimus Prime under Shockwave's control. Ravage, the impostor Prime, and the other Decepticons made short work of the Autobots until the real Prime was restored. The Autobot commander turned the tide easily and Ravage and the other Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''While eavesdropping on the Autobots' arguments over whether or not to use the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to build an army of powerful superwarriors, Ravage's presence aboard the Ark was detected. The Decepticon spy made a run for it, but was caught in a web by Mirage and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. Ravage, however, is nearly impossible to kept locked up, and so he was able to quickly escape. Optimus Prime ordered Bumblebee to track him down, but Ravage's capture was part of a larger scheme, and he led Bumblebee right into a trap.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}

[[File:Laserbeakravageirobotmaster.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Ravage loves to play peek-a-boo.]]
While sitting in their [[alternate mode]]s inside a [[Portland]], [[Oregon]], electronics store, Soundwave, Ravage, and Laserbeak awaited news of Megatron's location during their former leader's disappearance. After his fuel-deprived body froze in nearby [[Wyoming base|mining pit]] in the [[Powder River Basin]], they left the store and brought fuel to Megatron. Here they successfully fought the American military and found a new ally, [[Donny Finkleberg]], who claimed to control the Transformers as the supervillain Robot-Master. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}}

''Ravage was given the task of being Finkleberg's "minder." He kept an eye on the fabricated supervillain even while "Robot-Master's" film crew captured a battle between Shockwave and Megatron for Decepticon leadership.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}} Retaking command, Megatron re-established his Decepticons in the basin, at the protests of Shockwave, while Ravage continued to watching over Finkleberg. However, during a sudden Autobot attack, Ravage was distracted and Finkleberg was able to escape. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

[[File:Showdown-RavageSkids.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Nothing can sway him except, of course, rubbing him just in the right spot on his tummy-tum."]]
Ravage relentlessly tracked the human's scent across the [[Pacific Northwest]] towards [[Wyoming]], despite Finkleberg's discarding of most of his smell by exchanging clothes. At this point, Ravage had apparently given up on returning Finkleberg to the Decepticons alive, and had begun shooting to kill. This change in protocol resulted in a melted campsite where Finkleberg had abandoned his clothes, but little else. Days later, Ravage tracked the human down in Wyoming, where he was protected by the Autobot named [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and the Autobot's human companion [[Charlene (cowgirl)|Charlene]]. Ravage chased the trio through a small downtown area where he subdued Skids. Skids (and Finkleberg, by extension) was rescued by an unlikely hero, [[Jake Dalrymple]], when Jake rammed his sports car into Ravage, toppling the Decepticon momentarily. After a protracted battle with Skids, Ravage was sent tumbling down a mine shaft and rendered inoperative on impact. {{storylink|Showdown!}}

At the Decepticons' [[Club Con|base in the Florida Keys]], Ravage tried to cheer up a down-in-the-dumps Megatron with some words of encouragement, but Megatron was too preoccupied to listen. {{storylink|Power Struggle}} Later, he informed Shockwave of [[Cobra]]'s arrival. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

''Three years later, Ravage was awakened by a series of earth tremors, set off by the time storm raging throughout the universe. Finding much had changed since his deactivation, Ravage stumbled into the underground bunker of none other than [[Straxus (G1)|"Megatron"]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. Initially siding with his old leader(s?), during a battle with the [[Wrecker]]s, Ravage was surprised to learn that the presence of Galvatron and Scourge in the present was the source of the time storm. Though he was blasted by [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (who had temporarily teamed up with the Wreckers), Ravage abandoned the battle and sought out the reclusive Shockwave. Shockwave was nearly catatonic over the irrationality of the time paradox that threatened to destroy them all, but Ravage managed to use logic to convince his former leader to come to his senses. At Ravage's suggestion, Shockwave gave up the body of [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], tossing it into the timestorm, which ended the threat to the present and future.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Megatrong1marveltwomegatrons.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|A common lament.]]
''In the aftermath, he hooked up with Megatron and they [[Decepticon heavy transport|returned]] to Cybertron to seek new fortunes. In the Decepticon capital city of [[Helex]], though, they found Autobots wandering around unmolested, and the area free of Decepticon supervision. After deposing the inadequate [[Triumverate]], Megatron established a new beachhead for his conquests, with Ravage by his side.'' {{storylink|The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire.}} ''Before long, though, Ravage's Megatron was destroyed by the original Megatron, who revealed that the Megatron from Time Wars was a reconstruction of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]].'' {{storylink|Two Megatrons!}}

[[File:Weirdwolfthevoid.jpg|100px|thumb|Close your mouth, Ravage.]]
Ravage eventually resurfaced on Earth, working with Starscream and Shockwave in an auxiliary Decepticon army, planning to overthrow then-leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. After recruiting more of Scorponok's disgruntled soldiers, including [[Triggerhappy]] and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} Ravage returned with his fellow insurgents to an [[Nemesis (G1)|underwater headquarters]] to plan their attack. As Scorponok began to forge a very unpopular alliance with the Autobots due to the threat of [[Unicron]]'s coming, Ravage and the other Decepticon insurgents attacked the Decepticon base in [[New Jersey (Earth)|New Jersey]]. {{storylink|Surrender!}} Scorponok survived, and as he emerged from the wreckage, he swatted Ravage aside easily. {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}

Their coup was interrupted when [[Primus]] summoned all the Transformers of Earth to Cybertron to do battle with Unicron. {{storylink|Out of Time!}} Ravage and the other teleported Transformers witnessed Primus, speaking through the body of [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]], tell the history of their supernatural war with the Dark God. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Ravage was last seen fleeing, along with several others, immediately after Unicron's approach. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
In [[2003]], Ravage was on a routine mission to infiltrate the Ark when he came across [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s huge new plans for a transforming fortress known as [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City: Earth]]. Upon hearing that [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] would be transporting a simulation tape of the City's blueprints to all the human leaders of Earth, Ravage skittered off to inform his [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] comrades so that they could intercept the information in transit. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}

Five years later, Ravage was seen on the field of battle with Soundwave, when the Decepticon commander desperately radioed the Autobots for assistance against their [[Quintesson]] attackers. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Ravage uk258.png|left|100px|thumb|Imagine a plate of spaghetti in front of him here.]]
Ravage was seen when an alternate-reality [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] probed [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s mind. Wheeljack remembered running into Ravage at [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]], following the [[Dinobot Hunt!|Dinobot hunt]], where Wheeljack was looking for the technology used to make [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] so he could repair the injured Autobots. Ravage and Wheeljack made a deal: In return for the technology, Wheeljack would use Ravage's [[neuro-control helmet]] to brainwash Jetfire into returning to the Decepticons. Despite not trusting Jetfire, Wheeljack backed out at the last minute. Good job too, as he later found out Ravage had destroyed the factory, meaning he'd almost betrayed his comrade for no end result. {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}}

Ravage remained on the side of Shockwave and Starscream during the [[Decepticon Civil War]], fighting against his longtime commanders, Megatron and Soundwave. During a fight with the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], Ravage was faced off against [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]. Not... exactly... equal. Poor kitty ended up taking the horns to the hind quarters before the Decepticons retreated. {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}}

Ravage was seen at the [[Enclave]], when the two Decepticon factions met to discuss peace and common goals. Someone brought him a saucer of milk. Awwwwwww. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}}

Sometime later, the Decepticon factions managed to combine under the joint leadership of Soundwave and Starscream. Ravage began operating out of Soundwave's chest compartment again, just like old times. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Shooting Star!}} {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}} {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}} {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}} {{storylink|Mind Games}} {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}} {{storylink|Plague of the Insecticons!}} {{storylink|Hunted!}} {{storylink|Victory!}}}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:CrossingOver4-LaserbeakRavage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Quick, Laserbeak, let's remind them that we talk in this universe.]]
Fifteen years after the battle on [[Klo]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] resurfaced on [[Earth]], and the loyal Ravage joined his former leader. Ravage participated in a battle in [[South America]] where a strange anomaly had been detected. Megatron had Soundwave send Ravage and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] after [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], and [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]]. All of them disappeared in a sinkhole, where they awoke to find a strange underground chamber. Ravage and Laserbeak attacked, though while Laserbeak was hit and sank into a strange pool, Ravage was able to escape the overwhelming odds.
{{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 4}}

Some time after this, while Ravage was patrolling their [[Ark (G1)|new base of operations]], he realized he was being scouted by [[Elita One]]. Though he was able to counter both her repartee and her [[Circuit-Su]], he was eventually blinded by the color-change properties of her skin and taken out of commission. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

[[File:Recordicons10-RavageRavage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|And the winner is--'''Ravage!''' But which one?]]
Ravage was among the Decepticons on Earth when the planet was dragged into a negative universe. Disgusted by the existence of his [[Ravage (SG)|negative universe counterpart]], Ravage hunted down his doppelganger with the intention of removing his opposite from existence. When the other Ravage asked for a timeout to update [[Yatter]], Ravage turned him down and was met with a savage attack in response. {{storylink|Recordicons#Recordicons #10|Recordicons #10}} Ravage became convinced that Megatron had arrived on the ''Shattered Glass'' Earth, but in the past where the Decepticon leader had [[Beast Wars Shattered Glass|fought beasts and been rebuilt into a massive kaiju]]. Laserbeak and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] assumed he'd gone nuts. {{storylink|Recordicons#Recordicons #24|Recordicons #24}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Ravage starscream shockwave war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left]]
Ravage was present on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Dark Matrix creature]] attacked the population and converted most of the Transformers into [[shadow-leech]]es. Thanks to his powers of stealth Ravage was able to escape this treatment but ultimately found himself cornered by a shadow leech comprising the remains of his former allies [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]], [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]], [[Howlback (G1)|Howlback]], [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]], [[Squawktalk (G1)|Squawktalk]], [[Beastbox (G1)|Beastbox]] and [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]]. Just in the nick of time he was rescued by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. {{storylink|King of Shadows}} Subsequently, the three of them renounced their Decepticon ways and left Cybertron to travel the galaxy as ambassadors of peace. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Yū Shimaka|Yutaka Shimaka]] (Japanese, "More Than Meets the Eye, Part 3")|[[Roberto Alexander]] (American Spanish, when speaking)}}

[[File:Ravageg1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Ravage reveals his slef [sic] to humans.]]
One of the original team of Decepticons that accompanied [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] on the attack of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] spacecraft, Ravage was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] as an audiocassette to better blend in for operations based on Earth. Ravage served loyally as a Decepticon spy. He was one of the first Transformers to have been encountered by a human, as [[Joe (MTMTE)|workers]] investigating a destroyed power station fell afoul of Ravage who pounced upon them and frightened them away. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

Shortly thereafter, Ravage accompanied [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] on an infiltration mission to gather data from Teletraan I. Though Soundwave was discovered, Ravage was captured in an energy net and held captive. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} The Decepticon spy figured into a disinformation plot hatched by the Autobots, who purposely leaked the presence of a rocket fuel depository in the outlying desert. In truth, there was no rocket base—Autobot [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] projected a holographic illusion in the hopes of luring the Decepticons into a trap. The Autobots allowed Ravage to escape and report back to Megatron, who easily saw through the ruse. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[File:DivideAndConquer Ravage pins Spike.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb| Look Ravage, I don't swing that way!]]
When [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] tried to escape after being forced to take part in the Decepticon [[space bridge]] experiments, Soundwave sent Ravage after them. Ravage prevented Bumblebee from coming to Spike's aid when the lad tripped. During a fight in a cave, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] stopped Soundwave from ejecting Ravage again. Ravage later got to guard Spike as the Decepticons prepared for another attempt to use the space bridge. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} Ravage briefly got the better of [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], until he was thrown off, and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] blasted him, resulting in Soundwave soundly zapping Prowl in retaliation. The Decepticons retreated after [[Chip Chase]] lent a hand to the Autobots. Ravage was soon employed again, to kidnap Chip right out of his home. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was badly injured and lay dying in Autobot Headquarters, Ravage took part in an all-out attack, being ejected to attack Spike. He had the boy pinned, until Bumblebee chased him off with especially bright headlights. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} After Autobots were found spying on a Decepticon operation in the [[Arctic]], Megatron sent Ravage to search for more intruders. He quickly found another group and pounced on [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]. Optimus blasted him, and then Bumblebee caved the ice in on him. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[File:SOSDinobots Ravage window.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|HI! CAN I INTEREST YOU IN DOUBLE-GLAZING?]]
When the Decepticons attacked the [[Great Falls]], Ravage crashed through a window to stop a couple of humans radioing for help. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} After Soundwave spotted Bumblebee, Spike and [[Luisa]] sneaking into an Incan temple through a secret passage, he sent Ravage in after them. The Decepticon caught up with his prey as they attempted to get [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] online, and struggled with Bumblebee at length. Bumblebee kept him busy long enough for Spike to get Skyfire working, and the larger Autobot sent Ravage packing. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain}}

Ravage took part in a special mission, helping [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] to distract the Autobots while Laserbeak kidnapped [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} During a battle after Cybertron was brought into Earth's orbit, Ravage boldly pounced on Optimus from behind. His victory was short-lived, as a falling tree limb caused him to come in contact with power lines, and he fled. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} The Decepticons utilised Ravage's tracking skills in [[Bali]], and he led them to an escape pod that the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s had been using as a dwelling. Once the Decepticons caught up with the trio and took them to an oil refinery, Ravage took part in another battle against the Autobots. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[File:RavagePet.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Prrrrrrrrrr]]
During Megatron's gladiatorial match with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], Ravage was let out to watch his master battle their nemesis. Soundwave also petted him. This would be cute if it wasn't creepy. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}} Ravage and Laserbeak were utilised to round up a pair of gold miners, during another Decepticon plan. Ravage dragged his captive back by the pants leg. He was unleashed again during the battle at the [[Solar Needle]], and briefly got the better of Bumblebee until the Autobot kicked him off. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} He attacked Bumblebee again in a city, only retreating after Spike use jumper cables to deliver a nasty shock. Unbeknownst to the Autobots, he had planted a [[micro-bug]] on Bumblebee, allowing the Decepticons to learn of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. Megatron was very pleased. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

When a small group of Autobots came to the aid of their fellows, who'd fallen victim to Megatron's [[Transfixatron]], Soundwave sent Ravage to stop them using an [[anti-transfixation grenade]]. The jaguar pounced on Chip Chase, but was too late to prevent the boy from hurling the device, and the Autobots were freed from their paralysis. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} When Soundwave sent Rumble and Ravage after Spike, Bumblebee and Wheeljack in [[Sub-Atlantica]], the pair instead discovered that [[Nergill]] intended to blow them all up. They made a token effort to stop him before fleeing. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Ravage took part in another ambush, during which things went sour when the Autobots used [[dominator disc]]s to take control of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[File:DinobotIsland1 Ravage listens.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|To me, my X-Men!]]
While Soundwave and Ravage were spying on the Autobots, they learned of the existence of [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], and Soundwave dispatched Laserbeak to investigate further. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Ravage and the other cassettes attack an Autobot bunker, aiming to steal the [[Negavator]]. Despite briefly taking control of the device, the Autobot forces overwhelmed them, and they were forced to retreat. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} During one of the Decepticons' many trips to South America, Ravage got to meet up with a real jaguar. Despite his resemblance, the non-robotic jaguar did not take kindly to Ravage's presence and engaged him in a "cat-fight". Ravage used his rocket boosters to scare away his living look-alike. {{storylink|Microbots}}

[[File:MMP2 Ravage with girl.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.34|Oh, no! My master told me never to allow my dinner to touch me!]]
During Megatron's attempt to convince the humans that the Decepticons were good and the Autobots were evil, Ravage was dispatched to track down [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] when the human searched for evidence that would exonerate the Autobots. Cornering the flesh creature in a studio control room, Ravage had a door closed on him, was electrocuted by a control panel, and had a shelf filled with video cassettes pushed onto him. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} To make Ravage feel better, Soundwave took Ravage along with the other cassettes to a teen dance party, where Ravage was a big hit with the ladies. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

During another mission, Ravage ejected from Soundwave, but before he could jump out of the back of [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]], [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] grabbed him by the tail. While he and Blaster struggled, Soundwave wandered off to report to Megatron. Eventually Ironhide noticed the fight going on inside him and transformed, ejecting both combatants. Some time later, Ravage spontaneously ejected from Soundwave and began sniffing around on the ground, the first sign of a [[Cybertonium]] depletion that would affect all of the Transformers. During a subsequent fight with the Autobots, Ravage pounced on Optimus Prime, only for a malfunction to cause him to revert to his cassette mode. Optimus was highly amused and dropped him in one of the many metal barrels lying around. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}}

[[File:DecepticonRaider Ravage tugs at Rumble.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"Hey, I'm not dead yet! Stop gnawing on me!"]]
Ravage led a group of Decepticons into the [[Dragon Mound]], and through a portal to 543 A.D. [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] immediately had them teamed up with Sir [[Wigend of Blackthorne]]. Ravage was sent after a spying [[Nimue]], but fell afoul of [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and was forced to retreat without his prize. The Decepticons set about trying to discover the means to generate energy, resulting in a series of events which led to Blackthorne's castle being stormed by Warpath, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] and Blackthorne's enemies. Ravage attacked Spike when the boy attempted to rescue Nimue, but was chased off by [[Solomon|an annoying bird]]. In the aftermath of the battle, Ravage attempted to pull Rumble out of the rubble. The Decepticons were taken prisoner and forced to return through the Dragon Mound back to present day, where they were reunited with Megatron. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}} During a mission in [[New York City]], Ravage and Rumble briefly pursued [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Raoul]]. They caught up with their quarry, but more Autobots arrived and, after struggling with [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], Ravage fled. {{storylink|Make Tracks}}

[[File:G1 cartoon Ravage wheel running.JPG|left|upright=1.3|thumb|There are so many things wrong with this.]]
Some time later, Ravage, along with Starscream, [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], and Soundwave, was transported to a [[Brobdingnag|planet with massive inhabitants]], along with a group of Autobots, in a space bridge accident. The first creature they encountered, [[Aron (G1)|Aron]], thought the Decepticons were toys. Ravage attempted to escape, but Aron's cat [[Nitro]] chased after Ravage like a mouse (how embarrassing). Aron put him with his pet hamster, [[Booper]], in his cage. Instead of immediately asserting his dominance by killing the beast, Ravage went and ran on the creature's exercise wheel. When captured by scientists, they attempted to dissect the Transformers, but Ravage was able to pick his locks and free the Decepticons, who hijacked the Autobots light beam to head back to Earth... and landed in a lake filled with alligators. That was a very bad day for Ravage. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} When the Decepticons needed to obtain the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], Soundwave sicked Ravage on [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}}

[[File:RavageRatbat.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The Bat The Cat The Pen-Oh, nevermind.]]
Ravage was still present with the Decepticons in 2005, During the [[Battle of Autobot City]], he was dispatched along with Rumble, Frenzy, and Ratbat to take out Blaster's communication tower and instead were pitted against his own cassette Autobots. After the battle, Ravage helped fight for Soundwave's bid for leadership of the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Ravage’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]” and the storybook “[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]."}}

Ravage was still with the Decepticons after they were exiled to [[Chaar]]. One of his more notable adventures was when he, along with several other "[[primitive]]" Transformers, were summoned to fight [[Tornedron]]. Although Ravage was defeated by the energy monster, he and all the other drained transformers were restored back to normal thanks to the efforts of [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}
{{-}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Day of the Machines}}}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga=====
While the other Decepticons fought many Autobots elsewhere, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and his Cassettrons took the time to ambush [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Kenji]] when they were on patrol in [[Japan]]. Ravage attacked first, only to be pushed aside by a rescuing [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]]. Seizing the opportunity, Bumblebee ran off to hide and the Cassettrons were sent to uncover him. During their search, they ran into [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]]. They attempted to retreat into Soundwave's chest, only to find it trashed from Bumblebee's sneak attack, allowing Cliffjumper to capture the Cassettrons. Kenji reported to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] of their success against the Decepticons. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
Ravage was one of the Decepticons who attacked New York City early in their conflict with the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 1|Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers}}

=====Scramble City: Mobilization=====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
The Decepticons constructed a new weapon to pursue their energy-plundering campaign on Earth, the [[Omega Whip]]. Though the Decepticons put the device to good use, it was destroyed when [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]], a captive of the Decepticons, managed to reprogram Starscream into blowing up the Omega Whip's controls. The girl then attempted to flee alongside her fellow captives [[Toru]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. To bar their path, Soundwave sent out Ravage. No sooner had Ravage transformed that he was blasted away by [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], part of a team of Autobots arriving on the scene as reinforcements. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
At some point in time after [[1985]], but before [[2005]], Ravage was captured by the [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] and kept as a prisoner. He was then kept stasis-locked in [[alternate mode|cassette mode]] inserted in his future/past self's tape deck, in order to provide his body with a "[[Spark|Life Essence Nucleus]]", as part of the [[Intelligence and Information Institute|III]]'s "[[X-9 Revival Plan]]". The Ravage of the present remained unaware of his time-tossed doppelganger. {{storylink|Ghosts of the Past}}

=====Controverse=====
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Controverse}}}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese)|[[Roberto Alexander]] (American Spanish)}}

Ravage and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] joined Soundwave in infiltrating the Autobots' base, but they were discovered by [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]. A brief battle between cassettes and communicators occurred, but it was only a taste of what was to come. Hours later in the Arctic, Soundwave and Blaster killed each other in mortal combat. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Ravage stood by with the rest of the cassettes as Soundwave was brought back on-line as Soundblaster. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} The Decepticon spies later infiltrated Cybertron's defenses and observed [[Vector Sigma]]'s work on the new super-metal, [[Cybertonuron]]. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}}

Following [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s takeover of the Decepticons, Ravage and the others were present with Soundblaster when Scorponok revealed his massive new [[Transtector]], [[Scorponok (G1)|MegaZarak]]. They also fought with Twincast who had snuck onto [[Chaar]] to spy on them. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}} Ravage and Laserbeak were seen spying on [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]], lamenting on how HE was bringing the good intel to Scorponok these days. After returning to Soundblaster, they all vowed to be better spies from then on. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} On the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], Ravage and the cassettes stood guard over Scorponok's cavern base. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

=====''The Headmasters'' manga=====
After Soundblaster crash-landed following his encounter with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]'s "Master Chrome Hurricane-Throw to the End of Hell" attack, Ravage and the other animal cassettes (minus [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]) stood stoically over his groggy form while [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] looked panicky. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8|The Headmasters #8}}

=====''15 Go! Go!''=====
[[File:TGGRavage.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|It's a mystery!]]
After a mystery assailant badly damaged [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], destroying vital data, the thinly-disguised (actually not-at-all-disguised) "Kurohyō Man" ("Black Panther Man") stationed on the artificial Earth satellite [[Nana]] ordered the mobile computers [[Teletraan 10 (G1)|Teletraan 10]] and [[Teletraan 15 (G1)|Teletraan 15]] to travel through time collecting data on Transformers of the past and future. {{Storylink|Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go! Volume 1|15 Go! Go! Volume 1}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Galvatron Volume}} {{storylink|Galvatron Volume 3}}}}

In this position, he recognized [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] when his ghost came to possess 15. {{Storylink|Starscream? Volume}} {{storylink|Starscream? Volume 2}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Mysterious Falling Star Volume}}}}

Although his plan was indeed to repair Teletraan I's databanks, Ravage had his own intentions for the information. He had traveled back from the future to the year 2005 in an attempt to use the "bio and tech specs" data stored inside the computer to manipulate the future and create a timeline free of "unnecessary conflict". When he was foiled by the unknown saboteur, he infiltrated the Autobots as Kurohyō Man and created the Information Control Center on Nana in order to control the recovery effort.

The bumbling Teletraan 15 (and eventually Teletraan 10 as well) resisted, escaping back in time using Ravage's Transwarp cruiser and becoming the very saboteur that caused her mission to begin. {{storylink|10 Volume}} Though annoyed that his scheme had been thwarted, Ravage expressed pride in the independence of his underlings and graciously ejected them into space—a survivable situation for the pair and their [[Kiss Player]] cassette friends. {{storylink|15 Volume: The Last Part}}
{{-}}

=====''Beast Wars Metals'' cartoon=====
{{main|#Beast Wars cartoon}}

=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[File:BinaltechRavageBoxart.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Save me from this mockery of chronology!]]
The Government-run [[Intelligence and Information Institute]] unearthed a mysterious capsule during an archaeological dig. After the dissolution of III and the obtaining of [[Transformer]] probing technology, former III staff found that the container, dubbed "[[Schrödinger's Box]]", was the flight recorder of the Predacon Ravage's stealth ship, containing [[Central Consciousness File X-9]], a copy of the feline's personality and memory engrams deposited into his vessel before his final blaze of glory. When the scientists found a way to communicate with this personality, it offered them its knowledge of future events in exchange for a new body. III agreed, and used a fake [[Binaltech]] project (internally termed the [[X-9 Revival Plan]] and filled under the pretense of "technological synthesis tests") to provide their part of the bargain. However, to truly bring the new Ravage to life, III stole the present-day Ravage—who had been captured by the [[Earth Defense Command]] and stasis-locked into his cassette mode—and implanted him into the new Ravage, thereby 'fusing' the old and new Ravages into one. This new Ravage, however, had no intention of fulfilling his end of the bargain and, after eliminating his benefactors and learning to his shock that history did not change in his faction's favor, decided to rectify his mistake. {{storylink|Ghosts of the Past}}

First on his agenda was his former commander, Megatron; stealing an Autobot shuttle, he located and repaired the [[Kronosphere]] and—during a decisive battle between Megatron's and Optimus Prime's forces that would have normally ended with the Autobots being forced off of Cybertron and into their moon bases—turned the weapon on his own faction, trapping Megatron and his crew in a space-time rift. This alteration in the timeline served two purposes: first, it would give the Autobots the chance to retake Cybertron, which would then lead to them having to face off against the oncoming [[Unicron]] alone, severely weakening them in the process. The second, and more important, purpose was to keep Megatron alive and in good mental health (relatively speaking), thus preventing him from becoming the insane [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], and allowing him to lead the Decepticons to victory over the battle-weary Autobots. Ravage also [[Transmuter (Binaltech)|Transmuted]] [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] into a new Binaltech body of his own, so he could lead the remaining Decepticons in Megatron's absence, {{Storylink|Changing Lanes}} and secretly derailed many of the Autobots' supply missions, further weakening them for their battle with the Chaos Bringer.

Unfortunately for him, the Autobot named [[Overdrive]] became aware of Ravage's meddling in history, thanks to his acute sensitivity of the timestream, {{storylink|Reality Check}} and—with the help of [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]—captured the wayward Decepticon and forced a confession out of him. Ravage, however, was not without a trump card, revealing that his alterations might prevent the deaths of many of the Autobots destined to die in the normal timeline {{storylink|Project Bodyshop}} (which, as a distinction between the two, was dubbed 'Prime Time' by Wheeljack, Ravage's altered timeline being called 'Ravage Time'), though in the grand scheme of things, only Optimus could not be considered expendable, as he contained the one thing that could bring down Unicron (the [[Autobot]] [[Matrix of Leadership]]). By the time of his capture, however, Unicron had already been sighted on a collision course with Cybertron and, despite the temptation of preventing future deaths among his ranks, Optimus decided Ravage's plans to be too dangerous to allow to come to fruition. To that end, he roped [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] into helping him fly to Unicron in a preemptive strike against the monstrous threat, while the other Autobots (left in the command of [[Skids (G1)|Skids]]), were to initiate "[[Operation: Distant Thunder]]", which involved sending a copy of Wheeljack's memories of what Ravage confessed to them, back in time to a point prior to the Decepticon panther's meddling, via the energies located on [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]]. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (prose)|Darkest Hour}} If "Operation: Distant Thunder" worked as planned, Ravage's plans would be foiled, and any tremors in the timeline he caused would be smoothed over by "Project Body Shop" (aka, the Binaltech project). However, just as Skids gave the signal to transmit the memory engrams, the Autobot base was rocked by an entire fleet of Decepticons. The Autobots just barely managed to hold off the fleet, ensuring that "Operation: Distant Thunder" was a success (though a [[Optimus Primal|protector]] ended up separating the Binaltech timeline from the original, as supposedly the Binaltech-bodied Transformers have a higher purpose in the grand scheme of things). {{storylink|Binal Time}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
Ravage was part of the second group of [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Recordicons]] created along with Buzzsaw, following the original Laserbeak. He was altered from a normal Cybertronic [[Cougaraider]] to a full [[Transformer]] capable of changing into a standard [[Datatrax wafer]]. {{storylink|The Transformers Menagerie#Part 1|The Transformers Menagerie Part 1: Cassette Technology}}

====''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''====
Ravage was among the Decepticons who found themselves in the middle of a [[Martian]] invasion after suffering a loss at the hands of the Autobots. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}

===Deadly Paradise===
Ravage was stationed on [[Carob Island]], where the Decepticons had set up a mining an construction operation. Using a rare ore from the island, the Decepticons were building duplicate Autobots loyal only to Megatron. Ravage acted as a go-between the Decepticons and Madame [[Cee]], a human who's expertise and tinkering in mechanics were crucial in building the clones. Upon one of his visits to Madame Cee's workshop, Ravage came upon Madame Cee talking to the Autobot Prowl. Ravage attempted to attack Prowl, but Prowl evaded him and locked Ravage in a room. {{storylink|Deadly Paradise}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
Under Megatron’s orders, Ravage snuck into the Autobots’ headquarters and stole all of their fuel. It wasn’t easy, but once the deed done, Ravage assured Megatron that the Autobots were as defenceless as Earth kittens. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons}}

===Marvel colouring books===
[[File:Decepticon patrol ravage.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Either Ravage is really big or that's a tiny elephant]]
Ravage is super-sneaky. He used the cover of an iceberg to board the Autobots' ship and tried to pounce on [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], only to discover he'd fallen foul of a hologram. Outnumbered by the alerted Autobots, he fled the ship. During a later battle, he and the other Decepticons became accidental victims of [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]'s earthquake. {{storylink|Search for Treasure Under the Sea}} Ravage was once successful in defeating [[Roller (G1)|Roller]]. [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] trapped him in a [[force field]] with [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and Rumble. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue!}}

Searching for a factory suitable for manufacturing troops, Ravage looked in a jungle fruitlessly. When they eventually found a factory, Ravage realized it was an Autobot trick, and pounced on [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] who was providing the hologram. Mirage retaliated by throwing electric balls at Ravage. {{storylink|Decepticon Patrol}} Ravage was among the Decepticons who attacked [[Hoover Dam]], but were driven off by the Autobots. {{storylink|The Deadly Fuel Shortage}}

Ravage's spying alerted the Decepticons to a space communicator possessed by the Autobots, which allowed the Decepticons to send a fake message so they could take over the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. {{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}} Like [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], Ravage loved to follow Megatron's orders. When the Autobots interrupted the Decepticons in the process of tearing up a forest, Ravage leaped at [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] only to completely miss and go plunging off a cliff. {{storylink|Forest Rescue Mission}}

When [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] found a junk yard with a car compactor, Ravage came up with a cunning plan to lure the Autobots into it by disguising it as an [[Autobot Rest Stop]]. They compacted [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], but then the rest of the Autobots turned up, and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] paralyzed Ravage with a cloud of dust. {{storylink|The Autobot Smasher!}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}} {{storylink|The Autobot Spy in the Sky}} {{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}

===Transformers Pop-Up Book===
Ravage was one of the Decepticons to participate in the battle at [[Castle Decepticon]]. He pounced out of Starscream's cockpit to attack Ultra Magnus. {{Storylink|Transformers Pop-Up Book}}

===''Big Looker'' storybooks===
Ravage was among the Decepticons who tried to steal an oil truck from near the Autobots' base. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

===Dinobot War===
[[File:Time sphere dinobot war.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Disco inferno!]]
Skulking around [[Disneyland]], Ravage hid himself inside a Walkman so that [[you]] would carry him inside [[Wizard's Cave|The Wizard's Cave]] attraction where workmen had uncovered a buried UFO. After you activated a [[time-sphere]], Ravage and Laserbeak were transported four million years back in time, where they planned to locate the crashed Ark and destroy the Autobots within. After a few battles with the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], the two cassettes located the site of the flying saucer, intending to take the [[time-travelling alien]]s' advanced technology. {{storylink|Dinobot War}}
{{note|As "Dinobot War" is a [[multipath adventure]], there are multiple outcomes for Ravage:}}
*One of the aliens transported him and Laserbeak to times and places unknown.
*You transported him and Laserbeak back to the present day and they slunk away, or were lost in the time-stream.
There are also several endings where Ravage kills you. Presumably he and Laserbeak then go on to carry out their plan and the Decepticons ultimately conquer the Earth.
{{-}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:AutobotsFightBack Ravage hunting.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
When the Decepticons were hit by a surge of power from a lightning collector built by the Autobots, they all began malfunctioning. Ravage spontaneously ejected from [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and attacked [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who batted him aside. Soundwave picked up the stricken "mechanical hound" as the Decepticons retreated. {{storylink|Autobots' Lightning Strike}}

On another occasion, the Decepticons spotted [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] spying on them and send Ravage after him. Ravage pursued the small Autobot, managing to fire off one of his missiles before Bumblebee used his sensitivity to bright light against him. After recovering from the eye-full of headlights, Ravage found Bumblebee had gone, but the cassette stumbled on a cave that would be perfect for testing the ion-drive for the space cruiser they were building. The news somewhat defused Megatron's temper at the escape of Bumblebee, and Ravage led the other Decepticons to his find. Ultimately, the Autobots got wind of the test and launched an attack, resulting in the ion-drive exploding and the tunnel collapsing on the Decepticons. {{storylink|Autobots Fight Back}}
{{-}}

===Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity===
:''Voice actor:'' ?
Ravage followed [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], and when the Autobot tried to abduct Doctor [[Heath Blaisedale]], Ravage decided to capture her for the Decepticons instead. After jumping onto Cliffjumper's hood in panther mode, he transformed to [[robot mode]](?!) and tried to grab the doctor, only for Cliffjumper to [[glass gas]] his right arm. The Autobot made off with Blaisedale, leaving Ravage in the dust, but the Decepticon notified Megatron who made alternate arrangements. When later the Decepticons wanted to attack the solar plant, Ravage successfully kidnapped Blaisedale as a diversion. He and the other Decepticon guards later fled when the Autobots came to rescue her. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)}}

===The Battle for Planet Earth===
Ravage spied on [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and a bunch of Autobots in the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and reported to Megatron. He was on Megatron's team as they tracked [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to [[South America]] and attempted to seize [[Mount Sheelah]]. Unfortunately the volcano blew up in their faces, trapping them with lava. {{storylink|Terror of Mount Sheelah}} Ravage was hanging out at the Decepticon fortress when [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] stole the Decepticons' [[global crystal]], but didn't detect the scout until it was too late. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (G1)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}}

When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] spotted a construction at [[Stanley Lake]], Ravage was the only Decepticon who knew his history well enough to recognize what a hydro electric station was, a method of generating power used on Cybertron "way way back in the mists of time." He accompanied Megatron to Stanley Lake on a fact-finding mission, and when the other Decpticons were washed away by a torrent thanks to the Autobots, Ravage alone escaped. He confronted [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], only to be dazzled by the Autobot's [[sound and light show]] until the other Autobots arrived, and he had to retreat. {{storylink|Menace at the Dam}} Sore at all the defeats, the Decepticons discussed how to defeat the Autobots, and Ravage came up with the idea of infiltrating the Autobot ranks with a spy. This plan paid off when Starscream did so and reported on an Autobot [[Deuterium Orbital Laser Tracing System|super weapon]] being stored at [[Mount Levram]]. Of course, while the Decepticons were smashing Mount Levram, the Autobots demolished the Decepticon fortress, having gotten wise to Starscream and fooled him themselves. {{storylink|Espionage!!!!!}}

===Battle Beneath the Ice===
[[File:BBTI-Ravagetransforms.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right]]
When human scientists discovered a mysterious city beneath the ice of the North Pole, they placed a call to Autobot City in order to get the Transformers' perspective on the discovery. The Decepticons also somehow learned of the city, and Ravage found a way to infiltrate it unnoticed. As he lurked, Ravage managed to record a conversation between one of the city-dwellers and the human Nyder, who were discussing stealing the warrior-factors from both the Autobots and Decepticons in order to encode it within themselves, thus turning their people into an army. He later came upon a group of humans as they were being given a tour of the city.

Making himself known, Ravage was threatened to leave at gunpoint by Hot Rod, who was accompanying the humans. Ravage assured him that if he had come as their enemy, he wouldn’t have let them see him. Ravage went on to explain that the Decepticons hadn’t shot down the humans’ plane, as the group had earlier been led to believe. One of the city-dwellers interrupted their conversation, and threatened to neutralize Ravage, pointing towards him a rod-like blaster. But Ravage was too quick for the city-dweller and pounced right for his throat. Before Ravage could reach him, Hot Rod discharged his photon lasers, and hit the city-dweller by accident. The city-dweller was revealed to be a robot, and Ravage played the conversation between Nyder and the [[Watcher]], the leader of the city-dwellers, he had previously recorded. Ravage and Hot Rod then forged a temporary alliance. Their group stumbled upon the city-dwellers analyzing a fight between Skydive and Vortex, programming themselves with the Autobots and Decepticons’ battle tactics. One of the young humans in the group, Jeff, asked Ravage to record the footage of the Gus Gopher Cartoon Show he had captured on his [[chronovid wristwatch]], and overwrite the city-dwellers’ computers with it. Ravage complied, noting that he liked this kind of sneaky plan.

Once the reprogramming was accomplished, and the city-dwellers began acting like cartoon characters, Ravage contacted the Combaticons above-ground and told them to cease fighting, and to follow the Aerialbots to the underground city. The city-dwellers defeated, the Decepticons honoured Ravage’s truce and left in Blast Off’s shuttle form peacefully. {{storylink|Battle Beneath the Ice}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}

====Attack of the Insecticons====
Ravage alternatively spied on Decepticons of doubtful loyalty towards Megatron or prowled about Decepticon headquarters, keeping a lookout for intruders. He accomplished the first task in one possible adventure, where Shrapnel planned to overthrow Megatron with the use of an energy device called the Sun-Pak, and the later in another possible adventure where the Autobots attempted to retrieve the same device after it had been stolen by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

====Desert Flight====
Ravage was part of a Decepticon deployment stationed in a desert base. The Decepticons plotted to lure the Autobots in a trap through the use of an anti-gravity beam. Using the beam on a nearby human settlement, the Autobots would be duped into coming to the fleshliness’ rescue, only to be themselves trapped by the effects of the beam.

In the event that the Autobots used a trojan ruse to infiltrate the Decepticon base, and the Decepticons’ forcefield was disabled, Frenzy and Ravage tackled Powerglide after the later had burst into the Decepticons’ base, guns ablaze, only for the two Decepticons to crash into one another when Powerglide ducked.{{storylink|Desert Flight}}

====Decepticon Poison====
Ravage possessed an fighter jet alternate mode. He was also armed with [[proton bomb]]s. He was one of the many Decepticons who attempted to poison a water reservoir in order to turn the nearby human population into mindless slaves. Whether they succeeded or not depended on which choices the Autobots made. {{storylink|Decepticon Poison}}

====Autobot Alert!====
Ravage was stationed at the Decepticons’ command centre, working as a guard to make sure the Decepticons’ latest plan to conquer the Earth went smoothly. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
In one possible scenario, Ravage accompanied Galvatron on a patrol in a desert at night. Upon spotting a spaceship that flickered in-and-out of sight, the patrol investigated. Finding the Autobots Kup and Hot Rod conversing with a woman at the ship’s landing site, Ravage and the others fired upon them, causing them to scramble away. Galvatron then ordered his troops to stay and scrutinize the spaceship instead of pursuing the Autobots.

If Hot Rod and Kup decided to attack immediately, the Autobots were easily defeated and destroyed by the Ravage and the other Decepticons.

If Hot Rod and Kup silently followed the Decepticons back to their hide-out in a nearby canyon, they managed to tricked Ravage and the others into thinking that they were being ambushed by a whole squadron of Autobots. Panicking, the Decepticons attempted to retaliate by firing in all directions. Amidst the confusion, Ravage began arguing with Thrust, both of them insisting that the Autobots were attacking from a different direction.

If Hot Rod snuck down and successfully snatched the Invisibility Device from Shockwave, the Decepticons gave chase to the young Autobot. They were unable to catch him before Kup fired down onto the canyon’s walls, causing it to collapse and burying the Decepticons under an avalanche of earth and rocks.

In an alternate scenario, Ravage and the other Decepticons decided to take off into space in Sarah Sander’s ship after acquiring the Invisibility Device. Whether the Decepticons succeeded in mastering the Invisibility Device and subsequently destroyed the Autobots, or were destroyed or defeated themselves depended on what choices the Autobots made from this point on.

In another possible scenario, Ravage and the other Decepticons happened upon Sarah Sanders’s ship before any Autobots had come in contact with her. While Scavenger held the woman captive, Ravage and the other Decepticons dragged the ship itself to a hidden location. In whichever scenario that followed, the Autobots managed to steal the Invisibility Device from the Decepticons, either dazzling Ravage and the others with their headlights while Hot Rod took the device right out of their hands, or tricking him and most of the other Decepticons into leaving the spaceship behind while they pursued the young Autobot on a wild goose chase. The Decepticons did not succeed in catching Hot Rod no matter what scenario ensued. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}

===Frito-Lay posters===
Ravage was amongst a squad of Decepticons who attempted to get to the power source within [[Boulder Dam]]. While Megatron dueled Optimus, Ravage joined Starscream, Buzzsaw and Soundwave in an attack formation. The Decepticons were ultimately unsuccessful in gathering the data they were after. {{storylink|Battle in the Desert Valley}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====Dawn of Future's Past====
{{note|The events of "Dawn of Future's Past" are also incorporated into the ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]''.}}
Ravage was mentioned as being recruited along with fellow [[Mini-Cassette]]s [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] by the Predacon [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]], but for some reason left them soon afterwards to become an operative for the [[Tripredacus Council]]. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Lee Tockar]] (English), [[Toshiyuki Morikawa]] (Japanese)|[[Daoiz Cabezudo]] (Portuguese), [[Federico Romano]] (American Spanish)}}

[[File:BWRavage introduction.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"I vill ask you only vuhnce more... vhere are moose and skvirrel?"]]
Ravage is one of the few Decepticon warriors who was granted amnesty at the end of the Great War and reformatted into a Predacon, complete with [[Accent|classy Russian accent]]. He was sent by the [[Tripredacus Council]] to capture [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], clean up any messes he might have made, and deal with the rest of the beast warriors. (Whether this translated to "kill them all" in the minds of the Tripredacus Council is unclear, but that was apparently Ravage's intent.) Ravage made the trip to prehistoric Earth in a specially modified stealth [[transwarp cruiser]]. He successfully contacted the [[Maximal]]s and allied with them to capture Megatron. Due to the stealth capabilities of his ship, and the fact that [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] was also an agent of the council, Ravage and the Maximals easily captured Megatron and imprisoned him. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}}

Megatron, however, had one more card to play. He knew that Ravage wasn't going to let any of the beast warriors live, and also knew he had the one thing that would turn Ravage to his side. Using a fragment from the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], Megatron showed Ravage something which shocked him—a message from [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the leader of the Decepticons. As a safeguard against potential defeat, Megatron had left instructions for the descendants of the Decepticons to use transwarp technology to return to prehistoric Earth. Although the message cut out before it was finished, Megatron's plan worked: Ravage, moved by the sight of his former master, released Megatron. After Megatron explained the rest of the message, Ravage joined the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] and turned on the Maximals. Megatron and Ravage attacked [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]], at which point he transformed into his old mini-cassette alt-mode, jumped into the tape player on his ship, and started playing wicked guitar solos. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

His latest treachery was short-lived. During the assault on the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] infiltrated his ship and used [[Fusion weaponry#Fusion grenade|fusion grenade]]s to cause an explosion that destroyed the vessel and Ravage himself. As the inferno headed toward the bridge, Ravage raised a fist and shouted, "Decepticons forever!" to whomever heard or cared. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

His head, seemingly all that remained of him, was knocked into the water below the ''Axalon'' by one of Tarantulas's [[Arachnoid|spider-drones]]. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}
{{-}}

====3H comics====
[[File:Ravageiguanusrazorclawpd2.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Ravage 3 Bodies Evolution!<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers.fanfic/msg/a5cd7fda89f12c7c?dmode=source&hl=en&pli=1</ref>]]

Even though the [[Maximal]]s had left Earth with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] were far from over! [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s "death" was actually a cover for his return in a more powerful form that had ingested the power of the [[Vok]]! He revived Ravage into a new [[Transmetal 2]] body to help boost his forces, which also included [[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] and [[Razorclaw (BW)|Razorclaw]], and prepared to begin the next stage of his evil plan. Meanwhile, the remnants of Ravage's previous body were recycled by the Vok to re-create [[Tigatron]]. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 1}} {{storylink|Primeval Dawn II}}

Soon, Ravage led an attack on [[Primal Prime]], the Vok's new champion, and managed to separate Prime from Tigatron, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], and [[Ramulus]]. Ravage boasted of his "dark cloak" which shrouded him from even Airazor's impressive sensor array, and unleashed a volley of missiles which knocked her out of the sky. Meanwhile, Tarantulas encountered Primal Prime far from the main battle, and after a heated battle, the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] itself was ripped from his chest by the undead [[Unicron's Spawn|spawn of Unicron]]. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 2}}

[[File:Ravagespittorpd3.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|Transforms from catlike thing to catlike thing.]]
Back at [[Tarantulas's lair]], with the Matrix in their possession, Ravage oversaw the construction of a [[transwarp]] portal that would transport them deep within the maw of their new master, [[Unicron]]! Their newly-born ally, [[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]], expressed frustration at their unwillingness to finish off the Maximals during the battle, and Ravage responded brutally. Ravage was immune to Spittor's deadly venom-covered surface, but Spittor was not likewise protected from Ravage's savage claws, so Spittor quickly quit complaining. Once the portal was completed, Tarantulas allowed them to attack the Maximals; Ravage and the others had served their purpose. Ravage led them to the Ark, but warned them to not disturb the [[Autobot]]s or [[Decepticon]]s on board. But little did they know that the Vok themselves had taken control of Primal Prime's body, and remade it in their powerful image... {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 3}}

{{note|[[3H Productions]] dissolved before this storyline could be completed. Based on the subsequent ''Wreckers'' and ''[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]'' storylines, it can be assumed that the Matrix of Leadership was restored to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s body at the end of this altercation, that the Maximals were triumphant, and that Tarantulas somehow fled to return to Unicron. Ravage's fate is unknown.}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
While Ravage is considered by many to be loyal only to himself, his primary loyalty is actually to Megatron and the dream of Decepticon conquest. He views himself as carrying on where Megatron left off, scheming and operating constantly to end Cybertron's peace and bring back a conquering empire. Any plot and rebellion, you'll find Ravage there.

Also, he has psycho blasters, guns that ''give you seizures''. Don't mess with Ravage. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 15}}

As [[Magmatron]] was surveying the timestream, he witnessed several key events of the Beast Wars. Among those was Ravage having a conversation with the captured [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

[[File:RavageTheGathering4.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|[[IDW Publishing|IDW]] decided having his actual robot mode was a little too "Transformers"-y.]]
Magmatron recovered Ravage's heavily-damaged torso, which still contained his spark. He then inserted the spark into a blank [[protoform]], which had already been affected by the Transmetal 2 Driver, and Ravage was reborn. {{Storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}} In his Transmetal 2 body, he and his fellow Predacons, under the command of Magmatron, sought out [[Razorbeast]]'s band of Maximals. Viewing from a safe distance, Ravage ordered his soldiers to engage. Additional Maximal forces arrived, however, and Ravage's forces were defeated. Ravage retreated into the wilderness. {{storylink|Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering}}

Subsequently, Ravage would utilize all the Predacons under his command in a desperate attack as a diversion while he crept into the Maximal base to steal the [[chronal phase armband|chronal phase facilitators]] left behind by Magmatron. He was confronted by Razorbeast, who guessed incorrectly that Ravage intended to use them to board the Autobot shuttle and return to Cybertron. Ravage corrected him by stating that he intended to free Megatron and eradicate the Maximal forces. His ambitions, however, were thwarted by [[Snarl (BW)|Snarl]] who caught him off guard and gave Razorbeast the opportunity to knock Ravage offline. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1|The Ascending #1}}

It is not certain if Ravage's intentions for Megatron were another ruse or if he was ''actually'' out of his kitty mind regarding the tactical feasibility of this endeavor.

[[File:Lio V Ravage.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Who's the big cat NOW?]]
However, what WAS a ruse was Ravage being offline — as soon as he had been tied up by Razorbeast, the Maximal commander had to leave to help on the battlefield—upon which Ravage stopped playing dead and broke loose rather easily, managing to obtain the chronal displacement bands that Razorbeast had put him right next to after pointing them out. (A tactical genius, that Razorbeast.) However, upon activating the bands, Ravage was pulled into Chronospace by the trapped Magmatron, who warned him of the apocalypse that was to come, and ordered him to form a truce with the Maximals to fight this menace. And after hearing the warning, Ravage heeded the sage advice, sneaking out of the base while [[Chronal phase|chronically displaced]] and re-emerging to the sight of several gun barrels from [[Lio Convoy (BWII)|Lio Convoy]], Razorbeast, and the Pack. However, just as he explained the situation, [[Rartorata]] emerged from nowhere and turned Razorbeast into a [[wikipedia:Princess Mononoke|Princess Mononoke]] homage. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2|The Ascending #2}}

After introducing himself to Lio Convoy, Ravage agreed with him on a truce until they dealt with the menace of [[Shokaract]]. Commandeering his Predacons, Ravage's forces defeated Rartorata and Ravage extracted a sample of [[Angolmois]] energy from the [[Blendtron]]. When he told Lio Convoy to abandon the Angolmois-infected Razorbeast, the Pack's leader warned him that if he made light of his friend's peril again, he'd personally de-spark him. Ravage boarded the Pack's ship and returned to Cybertron with them, on the way analyzing the Angolmois capsule, to come up with a vaccine. However, as he explained, none of them were qualified scientists for the task. After arriving on Cybertron, Shokaract blasted the Maximal ship out of the sky. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 3|The Ascending #3}}

[[File:BWTheAscending4 Grimlock Convoys Ravage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Ravage was the fifth Maximal legend who left before they became famous.]]
Ravage survived the crash, along with the Pack, and visited Magmatron again. Magmatron told Ravage to chronally-displace Shokaract so he could "enlighten him". He then showed unusual concern for Razorbeast's Maximals, asking how they were doing. Ravage then returned to the battle and hit [[Herald of Shokaract|Shokaract's Heralds]] with a grenade at an opportune moment. After Shokaract's suicide, Ravage found Magmatron returned and they all lived happily ever after.

Until [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] returned. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4|The Ascending #4}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[File:Metals2-22.jpg‎|thumb|right|300x|Ready to make kharakiri, my lord!]]
Ravage was on board the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crashed onto [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 5|Beast Wars Metals #5}}

Many millennia later, after his son, [[Jaguar]], went crazy and began killing everyone, even Predacons, Ravage disowned him. Ravage was later chosen by the [[Tripredacus Council]] to take an army to [[Earth|Energoa]] and defeat [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and end the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. But before Ravage could leave Cybertron, he and his troops were attacked by Jaguar.

Ravage ordered his men to kill his son, but Jaguar easily slaughtered them all. Jaguar then told the corpse of his father that he would finish his mission and eliminate all the Transformers on Energoa. {{Storylink|Beast Wars Metals issue 2|Beast Wars Metals #2}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:Soundwavewarwithin.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|MUKNY NOT CATT]]
Ravage, with a much more arboreal alt mode, was part of the second assassination team Megatron sent after the new [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] Optimus Prime, {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} alongside Soundwave and the future [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Ravage got savaged. First Prime blinded him with an energy burst from his own partner [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], then he tossed said Kickback into the feral Decepticon, squashing him against the wall. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} Later, he was an operative of Shockwave's faction during the [[Dark Ages]]. They made war against the [[Chaos Trinity]] to upset the plans of [[The Fallen]]. {{storylink|Conflagration}} Ravage was also present at [[Tyger Pax]] when the Decepticons and [[Ultracon]]s reluctantly planned to sign a peace treaty with the Autobots, right before Megatron returned in all his glory, with the thousand-strong [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]] at his back. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}}

Millions of years later, Ravage and the crew of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' awoke on Earth in 1984, and did battle with the crew of the ''Ark'' for some time. He and the rest of Megatron's army were eventually defeated and captured by the Autobots, but their return vessel to Cybertron, the ''[[Ark II]]'', was destroyed in mid-flight, leaving the Transformers apparently dead. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} Ravage and many others were recovered and reprogrammed by the human mercenary known as [[Lazarus (G1)|Lazarus]]. As a test of his control and their power, Lazarus sent his robots to destroy the [[Smitco Oil Refinery]], and Ravage was there to "pacify" any human resistance. Megatron soon broke free of Lazarus's control, however, and freed his fellow Decepticons in the process. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

''When Megatron vanished from the face of the Earth, Ravage reluctantly joined Soundwave and many other Decepticons in following Starscream as the new leader. Starscream made his first act to take over the human city of [[Las Vegas]], turning it into a kingdom under his command. In order to ensure cooperation, he worked with the human population, promising them fame and protection in exchange for their obedience. Soundwave and his cassettes worked directly with the LVPD, supplementing their efforts with surveillance and Cybertronian based weaponry. Ravage personally intervened during a block war, dismembering a gang member before he could kill patrol officer [[Ryan O'Brien]]. The Decepticons weren't above silencing their detractors, though, and that same officer was beaten to death by some of his fellow cops later that evening, for conspiring against the Decepticons.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}}

''Megatron returned from deep space sometime later, but the extent of his injuries at the hands of the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] left him unable to retake his command from Starscream. Instead, he voluntarily went into exile, but invited the other Decepticons to leave Starscream and join him. Ravage and Soundwave were among the Decepticons was eagerly accepted this invitation.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation}}

''After an enormous battle with the Keepers in Las Vegas, Megatron reclaimed leadership of the Decepticons from Starscream. To properly declare his return to power to the world, Megatron made a brazen assault directly on the White House in [[Washington, D.C.]] He had Ravage patrolling the alleyways, terrorizing civilians and running interference—the cat's efforts kept a large portion of the DCPD and National Guard occupied while Megatron had his "conference" with the [[President of the United States|President]]. Later, the President sought revenge on the Transformers during an ambush in the Nevada desert. He had American troops employ [[deconstructionite]]s, tiny microchip-sized projectiles reverse engineered from Cybertronian technology, with the power to drain energy away from Transformer systems. Ravage was caught in the initial barrage, and either his small size or limited processing power made him fall victim faster than others. Megatron had to carry Ravage to safety as the Decepticons retreated.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}}

[[File:Ravagewarandpeace.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|RARRRRR yourself.]]
Sometime thereafter, Shockwave arrived on Earth with a detachment of Unified Cybertronian soldiers, equipped to take both Autobots and Decepticons into custody as enemies of the peace. Shockwave quickly granted clemency to Soundwave, Ravage, and the other Decepticons willing to swear fealty to him, after he disposed of Megatron. {{storylink|New World Order}} After returning to Cybertron, Soundwave was considering his options when a small sound caught his attention. He dispatched Ravage to investigate, but the poor kitty tried to tackle [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and got a mouthful of [[null-ray]]. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Starscream had plans of his own, and managed to convince Soundwave and his cassettes that following him would be more profitable than throwing in with Shockwave. During the chaos of the Autobot insurrection that soon followed, they arranged [[Sky Lynx (G1)|transport]] and fled back to Earth to loot its energy resources. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
[[File:Ravage clones gi joe vol 2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb]]
Ravage was among the Transformers laying dormant aboard the ''Ark'' when it was discovered by [[Cobra]], who took the alien robots and reprogrammed them to serve in [[Cobra Commander]]'s plot to conquer the world. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}} Along with Soundwave and the other cassettes, Ravage was sent to attack the [[SPS Research Facility]], where he protected [[Zartan]] as the ninja stole a necessary module from the facility. He fought against [[Quick Kick]] and [[Mutt]], and would've killed them if he hadn't been recalled to [[Cobra Island]] when Zartan got out and deemed the mission a success. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} Shortly after the Decepticons returned, however, Cobra's control of them was broken by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]'s tampering, and Soundwave sent out Ravage to punish his former captors. The jaguar knocked out [[Firefly]] and dragged him back to Soundwave to be used as a slave. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} Ravage later attacked [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] only to be grabbed and crushed in the Autobot's fist. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

Two years later when [[Teletran 3]] had gone berserk, sending scores of Transformers and humans both forwards and backwards in time, Ravage was among the Decepticons who surrounded the tower where the disturbance had originated. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

In an alternate future in which the Decepticons had conquered Earth, packs of Ravages prowled the woods that a team of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] and Cobra members were traveling through. A few of them were destroyed by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], causing the remaining ones to flee. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Ravage was one of the Decepticons under [[Cobra]]'s command in [[1939]]. [[Storm Shadow|Stormshadow]] pitted him against [[Snake-Eyes]] during the two ninjas' duel among the [[Fera Islands]]. {{storylink|Transformed}} After a short but fierce battle, Snake-Eyes incapacitated Ravage with a hand grenade. {{storylink|Trial by Fire}} The injured jaguar re-emerged soon after Snake-Eyes had killed Stormshadow, but quickly lost his life to the ninja's katana. {{storylink|Trenches}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
Laserbeak and Ravage spied on Starscream after the Seeker's latest falling out with Megatron, and watched Starscream fall off a mountain. After reporting back to Soundwave, they spied some more and got footage of Starscream acting chummy with the Autobots. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Ravage participated in an all-out Decepticon offensive, squaring off against Steeljaw as the carnage raged around them. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Before the war, Ravage and his pals Laserbeak and Buzzsaw were [[Reproduction#IDW Generation 1 continuity|constructed cold]] in animal forms for an unspecified purpose. Beast-form Cybertronians were looked down upon in their [[Functionism|Functionist]] society, so Ravage and the others were left with thankless jobs like grudgingly running errands for the [[Senate]]. One day they ran into a lost and confused 'bot named Soundwave, who was suffering from his inability to control his unique mind-reading powers. Sensing that Soundwave had the smell of an alright guy, Ravage shared his own experience with controlling over-sensitive senses (namely his nose) and taught him that the secret was finding something to focus on. The thankful drifter joined them, and the four lived on the streets together until they were approached by [[Ratbat (G1)|Senator Ratbat]], who employed Soundwave and had his partners modified into cassettes that could hide within him. {{storylink|Soundwaves (issue)|Soundwaves}}

When Ratbat learned of the rise of gladiatorial champion [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]], Soundwave was sent to negotiate with him on the corrupt Senator's behalf. Soundwave detected two spies, [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]], watching their secret meeting and had Ravage, Laserbeak, and Buzzsaw capture and bring them to Megatron. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}} During this time, Soundwave learned that unlike the Functionists, Megatron saw Ravage and the birds as ''equals'' rather than animals and only wished to create a society without oppression. Moved by his resolve, Soundwave and his partners joined his revolutionary Decepticon movement. {{storylink|Soundwaves (issue)|Soundwaves}} Ravage was caught on tape during the earliest days of the Decepticons, sabotaging the industrial sector. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} As part of a plan devised by Soundwave, the Decepticons lured the Senate to [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]], where Ravage and the others aided [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] in assassinating them. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

After the war broke out, Soundwave ended up on the run from a team of Autobots and let out out Ravage to fight off [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. Ravage defeated the two pursuers, but was brought down by Hound in the process. [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] later asked Soundwave if they should go back for him, but the opportunity never came up. {{storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} Four million years ago, Ravage was helping Soundwave against the Autobots when [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] left him feeling a little...run down. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

At some point in time Ravage fought against the Dynobots alongside Runamuck and Soundwave. They were thoroughly trounced for their efforts. {{storylink|Spotlight: Grimlock}}

[[File:Ravagespotlightsoundwave.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Ravage, your puns bite! Get it?]]
Millions of years later, when [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] was ordered by Megatron to investigate the disappearance of [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]], Megatron in turn ordered Soundwave to secretly keep an eye on him. Soundwave took Ravage and Laserbeak with him, and eventually followed Bludgeon and his accomplices to Earth, where Ravage took on the form of a cassette tape in the year 1984. Soundwave observed as a cassette tape player, he sent Ravage and Laserbeak to follow the [[human]] [[Facsimile construct|facsimiles]] constructed by Bludgeon to do his enigmatic work. Ultimately, the trail brought the three to Bludgeon's volcanic lair under [[Mount St. Helens]]. When Soundwave realized that Bludgeon's group intended to reawaken [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], Soundwave, Ravage, and Laserbeak desperately attacked, but Ravage was impaled by Bludgeon's [[sword]]. He was later buried by a volcanic eruption, but dug out a year later by the human organization [[Skywatch]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Soundwave}}

Years later in 2007, he was chained up in the Skywatch headquarters along with Laserbeak and reprogrammed to seek out the other Transformers. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}} On his first mission out with Laserbeak, however, the pair's signal from Skywatch was blocked by Soundwave. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}}

Ravage sought out Soundwave in the bedroom of young [[Jimmy (G1)|Jimmy]], bursting through his household wall. Soundwave had been stuck in his small tape-player altmode for 25 years, so the assistance of Laserbeak was required to haul his small form away. Ravage regrouped with them both at the base of Mount St. Helens, but it was taking all of Soundwave's fast-dwindling energy to keep blocking Skywatch's mind control signals. Fortunately, they had an ally in Shockwave. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4|Maximum Dinobots #4}} Soundwave and Shockwave struck a deal which would lead to Soundwave being freed from his altmode prison, leaving Ravage and Laserbeak to be found by Skywatch as part of the plan. As soon as Soundwave could transform again, the two cassettes killed their captors and reunited with him. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

[[File:AHM2RavageAndy.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|I'll give you dog, pal!]]
A year later, Ravage helped defeat the Autobot regiment on Earth, making way for Decepticon conquest of the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} After a failed human counter-attack in [[New York City]], Ravage went after the pilot [[Andy Reid]] so as to prevent him reporting back to his commander. He had the military human and a civilian pinned, when a second human male threw an explosive at him. It detonated on his face, distracting him long enough for the humans to escape. This annoyed him only slightly less than the fact Andy kept calling him a dog. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}}

After the Decepticons' defeat, they abandoned Earth, leaving Ravage and others behind. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] headed a military regiment to hunt down surviving Transformers and found Ravage in an abandoned building. Ravage attacked Spike but got blasted for his efforts. At least he put Spike in the hospital, though. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|The Man of Steel}}

Ravage presumably spent the next couple of years in Skywatch custody, until the Decepticons finally returned to Earth and freed their captured comrades. He was seen among the troops who were eager to watch another duel between Megatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}} A short time later, Megatron used the [[space bridge]] technology built into his new body to summon the Decepticon army to Cybertron, where Ravage pounced on [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and had a scuffle with [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]]. The Decepticons were then mind-controlled by [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] into forming the "[[Deceptigod]]". {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}}

Following the defeat of Galvatron, Ravage and the other weakened Decepticons were outfitted with [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chips]] and imprisoned by the Autobots. They were, however, let out to serve as crowd control during a [[NAIL]] riot. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} Ravage was present when Ratbat protested against the treatment of the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} After the I/D chips were overridden by Shockwave and Soundwave, Ravage was present when Skywarp teleported back to the Decepticon prison and informed everyone that [[Horri-Bull (G1)|Horri-Bull]] had been executed. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} Shockwave would charge Ravage and the [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] trio with the task of stealing [[Turmoil]]'s ship from Autobot custody. {{storylink|Night and the City}}

As he returned to Shockwave to assure him nobody that nobody had seen him sneak Reflector into the ship, Ravage was distracted by a strange smell. He was about to leave to track down and kill [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] when that smell turned out to be that of [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who stabbed him in the neck before defeating and capturing the rest of Shockwave's allies. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}} They were taken to the [[Black Room]] where they were repaired and upgraded into new forms by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], who was under Decepticon control. {{storylink|The Verge}} Ravage then helped capture Bumblebee and [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] on behalf of a returning Megatron. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} He proceeded to participate in the battle over Cybertron, {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} but the Decepticons lost and were exiled into the wilderness. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}} As a [[Reproduction#IDW Generation 1 continuity|cold constructed]] Transformer, Ravage was a victim of [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]]'s [[universal killswitch]] and came close to dying, causing Soundwave much distress. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Learning that Shockwave had abandoned them during the battle, Soundwave apologized to Ravage for having him work with the deserter and gathered the Decepticons for an attack on his location. Or at least that's what he wanted to do, but the other 'cons refused because of their recent failures and the [[Triple Changer]]s even attacked him, causing Ravage and the others to protect him. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} Aided only by his loyal cassettes, Soundwave left to confront Shockwave at his [[Crystal City]] base. During the course of battle, Ravage leapt to Soundwave's rescue and took a lethal shot from Shockwave, only to be instantly revived and repaired by the [[Ore-14]] infused in the city. Realizing there was no point in fighting a battle that neither side could lose, the group retreated to try again in recruiting the help from their fellow Decepticons. {{storylink|Soundwaves (issue)|Soundwaves}}

After convincing the Decepticons, Soundwave led them in an attack on Shockwave's [[Necrotitan]] only to end up in conflict with Bumblebee's Autobots. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Ravage was defeated before witnessing the Titan unleash a deadly energy wave that caused casualties on both sides, {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} after which he was in favor of teaming up and destroying the giant. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} Instead Soundwave and Bumblebee took the fight to Shockwave himself, but the mad scientist summoned the Necrotitan to his side, injuring Ravage who had to be carried to safety. {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}}

The defeated Decepticons and Autobots retreated back to Iacon to protect it from the advancing Titan. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}} A recovered Ravage participated in the battle, but ran away when he smelled an energon leak that would cause a nearby building to explode. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} He joined in the celebrations after the Necrotitan was brought down by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], but the fun soon came to an end when he noticed the stars were disappearing--blocked out by an army of [[Ammonite]]s sent by Shockwave. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} Soundwave and the cassettes intended to help defeat Shockwave in his lair, but stayed behind to fight the Ammonites so as to not overload [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s teleportation powers. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} Shockwave was finally defeated thanks to Megatron, giving Ravage some hope that the Autobots would hail him as a hero, only for Soundwave to find out that their leader had betrayed them and ''become'' an Autobot. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

Soundwave dispatched Ravage to spy on Megatron and confirm if his change of heart was genuine, and if so was the case, assassinate him. His first move was to test Megatron by freeing a group of captive Decepticons and having them storm their leader's trial, but Megatron rejected the chance to escape. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} Ravage went on to sneak onto the ''[[Lost Light]]'' when Megatron became its co-captain, coming along on its journey and constantly spying on his former leader, including his psychiatric evaluation by [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} When the ''Lost Light'' disappeared completely, Ravage stowed away in the [[Rodpod]]. During a standoff in between the tense crew, caused by power failures and crew disappearances, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] spied Ravage. The cat-bot jumped at him only to be shot unconscious by Megatron, when the lights failed again. Ravage was, however, fully conscious and was [[Cybertronian language#Chirolinguistics|chirolinguistically]] ordered by Megatron to keep still and play dead. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}

When the crew of the Rodpod found the wreckage of another ''Lost Light'', Ravage was brought along to sniff out the crew and, after enduring some patronizing from [[Nautica]] who mistook him for a pet, located the remains of [[Minimus Ambus]]. Suspecting a future version of himself for the destruction, Megatron had himself locked in a cupboard with Ravage who, angry and disappointed, confronted him on his betrayal. Megatron admitted he'd switched sides because he'd grown to see himself as a monster, saddening Ravage who still saw him as the embodiment of the Decepticon cause, but their heart-to-heart was then interrupted by the discovery of more bodies. Realizing the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] was responsible, the two regrouped with the others, where Ravage sniffed out a still living [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} Once the alternate ''Lost Light'' was dealt with and their own version restored to reality, Ravage offered to return to the other Decepticons, but Megatron gave him a counter-offer to join his crew instead, asking if he truly wished to remain with the Decepticons after having seen the D.J.D.'s dirty work. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}} It seemed Ravage took up Megatron with his offer, as he was seen in Megatron's quarters with the former Decepticon leader as he quietly regarded his [[Rodimus Star]], {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} and soon covertly fetched one of Brainstorm's [[Time case|briefcase]]s for Megatron. {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}}

Ravage began interacting more with the crew, and visited ''[[Swerve's]]'' for a drink with [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]. He would go aboard the ''[[Vis Vitalis]]'' (presumably as part of [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]'s "pre-wake"), but fled in horror from the invisible creatures infesting the ship, screaming that they "won't stop looking at [him]." {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} {{storylink|The Not Knowing}} {{storylink|The Lopsided Triangle}}}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:Marktwainvsravage.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Tales of my lion-taming have been greatly exaggerated.]]
[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] sent Ravage to kill [[Tobias Muldoon]], who had deserted the Decepticons when he learned they were evil. Ravage tracked him to [[Stanford Merriweather]]'s house in [[San Francisco]] and crashed into the household, startling Muldoon, Merriweather, Merriweather's daughter [[Kitty Merriweather|Kitty]], and [[Mark Twain]]. The humans fled the house as Ravage broke through the wall.

He then pretty much got his ass kicked by Mark Twain, who took advantage of Ravage being momentarily trapped in rubble to flick a [[cigar]] at him, thus igniting a gas leak. The explosion flung Ravage into the bay, never to be seen again. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}
{{-}}

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

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comics===
[[File:Henkei ravage petted.jpg|thumb|"Who's my kitty? Who's my kitty?"]]
Ravage stole a sack of energon cubes for [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comics|Starscream]], deftly avoiding the pursuing [[Hound (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Hound]] and delivering the booty to his waiting master. Just before Starscream could put the energon to use, however, the pair were attacked by [[Cheetor (BW)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comics|Cheetor]], who stabbed Ravage in the side with one of his throwing stars and pinned both Decepticons beneath his feet. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 8}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun manga===
When [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Starscream]] attacked a power plant with the help of the brainwashed [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Skyfire]], Ravage stealthily observed and recorded the battle with the Autobots that followed. Ravage took his recording back to [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Megatron]], and then curled up in his leader's lap as he reviewed the footage. {{storylink|Wataru's Power}}
===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 10}}}}

===''Device Label''===
Ravage had been given the mission to root out and interfere with the Autobot activity taking place within the computer under Megatron and Soundwave's command. {{storylink|Ravage (G1)/toys#Device Label|Ravage's Device Label Bio}}

===''Recordicons''===
Ravage was at a bar that Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, and [[Lazorbeak]] were at. {{storylink|Recordicons|Recordicons 16}}

===Robot Heroes===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime}}}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
{{ongoing}}
Part of a troupe of Decepticons sent to Earth to demand the humans surrender to Megatron, Ravage met with the human representative, [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]], and quickly learned that [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] wasn't so keen on the idea of surrendering. The Decepticons seemed to have the upper hand in the ensuing battle and Ravage again invited Hawk to surrender, but the human only responded by cleaving the cat's head with his mysterious tomahawk. {{storylink|I Saw Three Ships}} Ravage was then captured by G.I. Joe and fell under the control of [[Doctor Venom]] when he turned Soundwave's body into a human-controlled mech suit. During a battle with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Venom unleashed Ravage from Soundwave's chest compartment to attack the Autobot. {{storylink|Expelled from the Garden}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Fated Rival, Once Again...}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Revenge (All Spark)}}

===''Cloud''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Eagerness}} {{storylink|Lightwave}}}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
Ravage was the manager of a toy store, where he was puzzled by customer [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]]'s attempts at using telepathy at him. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)#untitled|Legends #1}} He was later shocked when Rattrap showed up to buy toys in the form of a real Transformer. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 1|Bonus Edition Vol. 1}} During [[Christmas]], Ravage was standing outside his store, wielding guns and advertising the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|newest ''Transformers'' series]]. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)#Christmas|Christmas}}

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Ravage could interfere with Optimus Prime's progress. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''The Transformers'' (Commodore 64)===
{{charstubgame}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (Commodore 64)}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (N64)===
{{voiceactor|[[Martin Roach]] (English)}}
[[File:N64Ravage.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Stupid sexy Ravage.]]
Ravage betrayed the Predacon Megatron, then entered the ancient Autobot battle cruiser, the Ark. Using a prototype cloning device based on transreplication technology, he produced clones of the ancient Decepticons, with memories and personalities intact. One by one, he downloaded protoform cloning data of the legendary warriors: (Decepticon) Megatron, Skywarp, Starscream, Thundercracker, Reflector, Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw and Soundwave. With his clone army, Ravage returned to Predacon space with plans of conquest. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)}}

{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Ravage’s fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (PS)===
{{voiceactor|[[Martin Roach]] (English)}}
{{Storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (PS)}}
{{charstubgame}}

===3D Battle Card Game===
Ravage fights under the command of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] once more, this time with several allies from (potentially) different universes and/or timelines. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Ravage took part in a covert infiltration of the Autobot base led by Soundwave, allowing them to pass information back to the Decepticons and ensure a string of Decepticon victories. They were eventually uncovered by [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], and sent packing. {{storylink|Covert Operations}}

Ravage aided the Decepticon Powermasters in a battle against their hated rivals, the Autobot Powermasters. {{storylink|End of the Road (Legends)|End of the Road}}

Ravage was part of a group of Decepticons who teamed up with the Autobots [[Windblade (G1)|Wingblade]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to battle the Ammonites on a distant planet. Together, they were able to drive off several Ammonite attacks, but the two factions soon started fighting one another over differing opinions. Eventually, the Autobots defeated the Ammonites and sent the Decepticons packing. Though angered by this turn of events, Ravage and the other Decepticons found consolation that the Ammonites also tasted defeat at the Autobots' hands, and returned to their starship. {{storylink|Into the Abyss}}

Ravage was among a group of Decepticons who accidentally time travelled back to the sixth century and ended up having to battle some similarly displaced Autobots using medieval technology. They lost, and returned to the present as prisoners of the Autobots. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (Legends)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}}
{{-}}
===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}}}
{{-}}
===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{note|Ravage appears as a wearable accessory for [[Chef Pig]] in the game.}}
{{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}
{{charstubgame|Does he do anything, game-play wise? How about adding to the note how much it costs?}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
Ravage participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}

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

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

==Notes==
*A working name for Ravage was "Stalker".<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/botcon-2010-bob-budiansky-panel-coverage-170041/ Bob Budiansky Botcon Panel Coverage]</ref>
*As given in early ''[[The Transformers Universe|Universe]]''-style profiles published in ''[[The Transformers Comics Magazine]]'', Ravage's nickname is Cat'''.
*Alternate names, narration and in-universe descriptions by other characters over the years have inconsistently described the specific sub-genus of feline which Ravage represents as a jaguar, a panther, a puma, and sometimes even as a canine.
*Ravage's original [[package art]] is by far the most-copied depiction of any Transformer. It was, of course, adapted for his ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' profile, but was also used (twice) in 1984's "back-of-the-box" battle scene,<ref>http://www.botchthecrab.com/galleryImage.asp?gallery=7&image=33</ref> and was copied in licensed coloring books and storybooks; the pose also showed up repeatedly in the Marvel Comics. In "[[Time Wars|Time Wars Part 2]]" (Marvel UK #200), artist [[Robin Smith]] copied the art multiple times across several subsequent panels. And it was, of course, recolored for [[Howlback (G1)|Howlback]]'s card-art. Yikes.
*According to the [[The Transformers Adventure Game Books|''Transformers'' Adventure Game Book]] "[[Dinobot War]]", Ravage's cassette mode is labelled as the soundtrack to the musical ''[[Cats]]''.
*In the Japanese dub of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], all of [[Frank Welker]]'s various growling and snarling sounds for Ravage were maintained and not redubbed with a Japanese voice actor (though [[Yū Shimaka|Yutaka Shimaka]] ''did'' speak as Ravage during the character's one lone instance of dialogue in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3]]"). Frank Welker was not credited in the Japanese version, either. Jerks.
**Exactly the same thing happened in the Brazilian dub for the series, but to be fair, voice actors in Brazil were never credited for their work until the late nineties. Welker only received the same treatment.
*Ravage's ''Beast Wars'' [[robot mode]] is simply a modified Transmetal Cheetor with Tigatron's beast head.
*Ravage's transformation to cassette mode in "[[The Agenda (Part 2)]]" was accompanied by the Generation 1 transformation sound effect.
*Ravage's profile in the IDW [[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]] seems to suggest that, in the body he is first seen in the ''Beast Wars'', he possess three separate modes; robot, beast and cassette.
*Reportedly, Hasbro wanted to bring Ravage's "Jaguar X-9" figure over to the States as part of the Beast Wars 10th Anniversary line, but they couldn't find the mold. Bummer.
[[File:RiseOfCobraRobotPanther.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Note: not Baroness, not Ravage, '''and''' not actually from ''Pursuit of Cobra''. Nice going, slide. (Furthermore: panther sadly confirmed not able to use Ravage's G1 weapons.)]]
*The name "Ravage" became unavailable as a [[trademark]] during ''Beast Wars'', so Hasbro used the alternative "Shadow Panther" instead, and when even ''that'' turned out to be off-limits, used the somewhat clunky name "Tripredacus Agent". The name "Ravage" eventually became available again in time for ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'', but apparently Hasbro decided to play safe and added a prefix, thus releasing the ''Energon'' toy under the compound name "[[Battle Ravage]]" (and later, its redeco as "[[Command Ravage]]"). Hasbro also used "Battle Ravage" for the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' toy and ''also'' intended to use it for the [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]] of the original Generation 1 toy available with the [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''-affiliated "Commemorative Edition" reissue of [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]]... but then decided that the single name "Ravage" would work just as fine. Thus, the reissue is still named "Battle Ravage" on the packaging, but simply "Ravage" in the [[instructions]]. Following that, multiple subsequent toys have simply used the name "Ravage" again.
* At JoeCon 2011, [[Rik Alvarez]] and [[John Warden]] participated in a "Treasures from the Hasbro Archives" panel, which revealed that an unproduced ''Rise of Cobra'' "[[Baroness|Arctic Baroness]]" figure would have come with a robot panther modeled on Ravage. While Alvarez was ambiguous about the figure's identity, Warden consistently denied that it was actually going to '''be''' Ravage, though admitted the use of Ravage design cues was intentional. Neither the Baroness or the robot panther were tooled, with the panther in the photo being the only one in existence.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Jaguar''' (ジャガー ''Jagā''), '''Ravage''' (ラヴェッジ ''Ravejji'')
*''French:'' '''Saboteur''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Romboló''' ("Ravager")
*''Italian:'' '''Iena''' ("Hyena"), '''Ursus''' (''Beast Wars'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Phò-hùai''' (Taiwan, 破壞, "Ravage"), '''Robin''' (Taiwan ''Beast Wars'', 羅賓 ''Lúo Pīn''), '''Jīqì Gǒu''' (China, 机器狗, "Mechanical Dog")
*''Polish:'' '''Dewastator''' (''Beast Wars'', "Devastator")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Raiva''' (Portugal comics, "Rage"), '''Selvagem''' (Brazil comics, "Wild"), '''Destruição''' (Brazil ''Beast Wars'', "Destruction")
*''Russian:'' '''Grabitel'''' (Грабитель, "Robber")
*''Spanish:'' '''Destructor''' (Spain, "Destroyer"), '''Devastador''' (''Beast Wars'' Latin American dub, "Devastator")
*''Swedish:'' '''Utplånaren''' (''Generation 2'', "Obliterator")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Spustoshuvach''' (ICTV dub, Спустошувач, "Ravage")

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Decepticon/Ravage/ravage.htm Ravage at TFU.info]

[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Cloud Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Ladybird Books Decepticons]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Mini-Cassettes]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]

Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2015-12-17T21:39:58Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Transformers cartoon */ some addition

{{suite}}
[[File:TheImmobilziler ironhide.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
The rough-and-tumble old bot that came back from retirement.

{{quote|When ya got it, ''use'' it!|Ironhide on his skills|"[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 2]]"}}
{{--}}
==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Cullen]] (English), [[Show Hayami]] (Japanese), [[Hiroaki Hirata]] (Japanese, "Day of the Machines")|[[Lin Dongfu]] (Chinese), [[Francis Lax]] (French), [[Pierluigi Astore]] (Italian, second dub), [[André Luiz Chapéu]] (Brazil), [[Juan Cuadra]] (Latin American), [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]] (German, ''Transport to Oblivion'' & ''The Autobot Run''), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, ''The Girl Who Loved Powerglide''), [[Frank Muth]] (German, The Movie TV Dub & Generation 2 Season 1), [[Tonio von der Meden]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Masquerade'' & ''Transport to Oblivion''), [[Arnim André]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''War of the Dinobots''), [[Torsten Münchow]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Auto Berserk''), [[Claus Brockmeyer]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Triple Takeover'')}}
[[File:Mtmte1 ironhide mans laser.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Pull!!"]]

Ironhide was part of the bridge crew of the [[Ark (G1)|Autobots' spacecraft]] when it embarked on its fateful voyage to seek out new sources of energy beyond [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] four million years ago. When the ship was caught in a meteor shower, Ironhide was flung into a console and began leaking lubricants from a wound in his shoulder, but he quickly recovered and leaped to man the craft's laser gun, blasting a path through the asteroids. No sooner had the Autobots made it to safety, however, than their ship was attacked and boarded by Decepticons in mid-flight. Ironhide struck a dirty blow against [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], sneaking up behind the Decepticon communications officer while he was fighting a trio of other Autobots and downing him with a flying kick to his back. As the battle raged, the ship was caught in the gravity of the nearby prehistoric [[Earth]] and crashed, knocking all the Transformers aboard offline.

[[File:Mtmte2 ironhide diverting river.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Why find a river when you can just make one yourself?]]

In 1984, a volcanic eruption awakened the dormant Transformers, and Ironhide was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] with the [[alternate mode]] of a terrestrial Nissan van. In addition to his role in maintaining the security of the Autobot headquarters on Earth, Ironhide would embark on numerous missions to stop the Decepticons on their energy-raiding strikes around the planet, starting with a battle on an offshore oil rig during which he and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] duelled with metal pipes. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Soon after, when the Decepticons churned the currents of the river blocked by [[Sherman Dam]] to raise its energy output, Ironhide quelled the resultant tidal wave with the help of [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], using his built-in laser cannon in van mode to cut a new series of tributaries for the raging river to flow into. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

Later, when the Decepticons escaped being buried in the [[Ruby crystal mines of Burma|Burma ruby mines]], a furious Ironhide took to the air in pursuit. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] fruitlessly tried to call him back, and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] took off after Ol' Red to talk him out of any rash action. [[File:Mtmte3 ironhide flies.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Ironhide auditions for the part of Elphaba.]] Still, Ironhide did manage to score a rocket strike against [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], but that only earned him a similar strike in return, thanks to the Decepticon's teleporting ability. Ironhide crash-landed into a lake, where he suffered back-end damage to his linkages. The immobilized Ironhide was fished out of the lake by Bluestreak and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], and he recovered under the ministrations of Doc [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. He was hale and hearty enough to take part in the final strike on the [[Victory (G1)|Decepticon space cruiser]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

After the Decepticons resurfaced, Ironhide joined a team of Autobots to confront them at the solar power station. During the battle, he took a heavy hit shielding Optimus Prime from a blast from [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s gun mode, but pulled through the damage he took to his terminal just fine. He then took part in a rescue mission for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who was caught snooping around the new [[space bridge]]. When Soundwave started popping out cassettes left and right, Ironhide did the rare but logical thing and grabbed the Decepticon's arm to keep him from pushing his eject button. While those two were struggling, however, Megatron took aim to finish the job he started earlier at the power station. Prime returned the favor, though, knocking his bodyguard buddy out of the line of fire. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Olivion}} During the battle for the [[antimatter]] formula, Ironhide was caught in the blast of one of the explosive cubes but, as always, Ratchet managed to piece him back together. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[File:DivideandConquer Ironhide liquid nitrogen.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''The first person to make a caption joke about "the cold shoulder" is banned. -- The management'']]
While Optimus Prime was out scouting for the Decepticon space bridge, the Autobots received reports of a Decepticon attack at the power plant. Ironhide led a squad to rendezvous with Prime at the plant, but they arrived too late —- Optimus had already suffered serious damage while trying to battle four Decepticons and keep the humans safe at the same time. After Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] determined Prime needed a new [[cosmitron]] from Cybertron to survive, Ironhide led the team to recover the missing part. With [[Chip Chase]] in tow, he, Bluestreak, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], and Bumblebee hijacked the Decepticon space bridge and made their way to Cybertron. Ironhide even got to put the quick freeze on Starscream with his liquid nitrogen spray. Once they got to Cybertron, Ironhide again used liquid nitrogen to blast their way out of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s lair, only this time he... grabbed a spray nozzle off the wall? Apparently he didn't have enough freezy stuff for two blasts. Braving [[acid rain]], Ironhide's team recovered the cosmitron and returned to Earth in time to save Prime's life. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[File:Sosdinos sonadar sensors.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.95|"We got flashlights in a dark space; let's make a movie!"]]
Next, Ironhide joined the Autobots on a trip to the Arctic Circle, to prevent the Decepticons from draining the heat energy out of [[Earth's core]]. Ironhide and some buddies got separated from the others, and met up with the Decepticons first. They were taken off-guard by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and Skywarp, and would have been executed by Starscream without [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s holograms. The new Decepticon [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] was blasted while trying to stop their execution, and so Ironhide brought him back to Ratchet for repairs. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} When [[Ark (G1)#Autobot Headquarters|Autobot Headquarters]] started tremoring again, Ironhide suspecting it to be the work of [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] until his [[sonodar]] sensors located a hidden cavern inside the volcano itself. The dinosaur bones discovered in the cave inspired the creation of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], who saved Ironhide and the other Autobots when they were beaten by the Decepticons in a battle at the [[Great Falls]]. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

During an assault on the Incan temple, Ironhide was shot by the [[Crystal of Power]] energy weapon during his first charge up the temple steps. After the second charge, he made it to the top, tackled Megatron, and pounded him in the face. Megatron overpowered Ironhide and threw him off the temple, right into the waiting arms of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[File:WaroftheDinobots ironhide spraying metal.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]

As a dangerous meteorite hit Earth, Ironhide once again demonstrated his selflessness when he saved Chip and Spike from a rain of meteorite debris. Later, Ironhide helped in the construction of two new Dinobots, [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], spraying the molten metal from his water gun that the other Autobots then cut into the plating that would form the bodies of the new warriors. Once Snarl and Swoop were assembled and online, Ironhide acted as one of their opponents during the first test of their abilities, but his attempt to overpower Snarl by hanging on to his tail was not successful. Outsmarted by a dino-dodo...how embarrassing. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

[[File:Tud3 ironhide in volcano.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|These neighbors on top! It looks as if their W.C. leaks again!]]
When Rumble infiltrated Autobot Headquarters to cause some tremors, Ironhide showed off another of his many sensors by plugging a seismograph into the ground to pinpoint the junk-punk's location. Later, he joined the Autobots as they attempted to stop a massive space bridge from bringing Cybertron into Earth's orbit, but failed. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Ironhide comforted Optimus Prime after the battle, telling him he had done all he could do. When [[Mount St. Hilary|the Autobots' volcano]] erupted due to Cybertron's proximity to Earth, they had to evacuate their base, but once they had done so, Ironhide turned right around and drove back inside looking for the volcano's off-switch. He plugged the eruption by causing an avalanche in the core with his laser rifle. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Ironhide later surfed into battle against the Decepticons, but the resulting tidal wave allowed Megatron to escape before the fight even started. A small contingent of Autobots eventually tracked the Decepticon energon shuttle to a tropical coast, and engaged them in battle. The fully charged Decepticons soon began to overpower the Autobots, however, driving them back to the safety of some convenient trenches. Ironhide and Prowl both advocated regrouping and reinforcements to Prime, but luckily Skyfire soon arrived with a team of Autobots from Cybertron to even the odds. Cybertron was pushed out of Earth's orbit, and the planet was saved. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} Hunting down the Decepticons after the destruction, Ironhide and the Autobots were led into the Valley of No Return, and were caught in quicksand. Ironhide used his liquid nitrogen spray to freeze the sand solid, stopping the sinking and letting the Autobots climb out to safety. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[File:HeavyMetalWar ironhide well ahm prepared.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|]]
After hearing about giant robot insects running amok in Bali, Ironhide and the Autobots drove down to investigate. This led to a battle with the Decepticons and [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s at an oil refinery. Once Thundercracker set fire to some of the oil, Ironhide used his fire retardant spray to keep the whole place from going up in flames. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} Soon after, Ironhide's security signals alerted him to Megatron's imminent arrival at the Ark. Surprisingly, the Decepticon leader was there to talk, not to fight. He suggested a trial by combat between himself and Optimus Prime for control of the Earth, and Prime agreed. Unbeknownst to the Autobots, Megatron rigged the deck in his favor by hording the [[power chip rectifier]]s of his fellow Decepticons. Prime inevitably fell before the combined might of the entire Decepticon army. Ironhide was ready to strike back at the Decepticons anyway, regardless of their agreement, but Optimus decreed that personal honor and Cybertron law mandated that they respect the agreement. Smashin' Decepti-creeps is hardwired into his programming, though, and Ironhide again attempted to violate the law when he saw the Dinobots engaged in battle with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. No 'Bot was happier than Ironhide when Teletraan I uncovered Megatron's cheating ways, giving the Autobots a reason to ignore the agreement with him, and strike back. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[File:AutobotSpike ironhide watergun.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Look, I can shoot right down!]]

When [[Autobot X (G1)|Autobot X]] went berserk, Ironhide vowed to teach the pile of parts some manners. With the help of Prowl and Trailbreaker, Ironhide put the mismatched robot down by force using a hand-held, very literal, version of his "water gun", which shorted Autobot X's systems. Later, during battle at the Air Force rocket base, Spike was targeted by Megatron and injured by a [[fusion cannon]] blast. Ironhide pulled Spike from Bumblebee’s damaged form and put him inside Ratchet for transport to the hospital. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}}

As the Autobots rushed to answer a distress call, [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] was squawking about his squeaking. Ironhide stopped for a moment to remind Gears of his personal credo, "Action first, maintenance later." Later on, in Africa and out of options, Optimus volunteered himself to penetrate the force field around Megatron's solar needle. Ironhide volunteered to go in Primes s place, declaring himself to be more expendable than the Autobot leader. He later called Megatron a "monster" for changing Gears's personality from a cranky hypochondriac into a happy-go-lucky pushover. Apparently, Ironhide knows the value of a good grumbling. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

[[File:CityofSteel ironhide grapplinghook.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]

When the Decepticons hit New York, Ironhide was part of the team that found Optimus Prime’s missing arm and weapon on top of the rebuilt [[Empire State Building]]. Ironhide used a grappling hook inside his arm so he, Prime, and Ratchet could scale the outside of the building. Devastator swatted Ironhide and Ratchet into the building interior, and the duo used the opportunity to shoot out the floor under Megatron and Soundwave. When Optimus and Devastator fell and were plummeting to the ground, Ironhide saved Prime from hitting the pavement. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}} Ironhide was turned evil by the regeneration chamber after Megatron and Starscream sabotaged it but Ironhide was later turned back to good at the Rocket Base. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autbots}} Ironhide also aided the Autobots in the search for the missing [[electro-cell]]s. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[File:TheImmobilizer ironhide smashes immobilizer.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]

One day, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] planned a demonstration for his latest gadget, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]], with Hound's holographic copy of Laserbeak as the guinea pig. Unfortunately, Ironhide showed up late to the demo, saw Laserbeak, and immediately started blasting away at the "intruder". He very nearly buried Wheeljack alive in debris, and took a serious blow to his confidence as a result. Ironhide was assigned guard duty while the rest of the Autobots tested the Immobilizer a safe distance away from the Ark. Distracted by a visit from [[Carly]], Ironhide soon learned that the Decepticons had ambushed Optimus Prime and the Autobots while his guard was down. He tried to intervene but, despite his best efforts, the Decepticons stole the Immobilizer right out of Ironhide's grasp. Blaming himself, Ironhide resigned from active duty, a resignation Prime accepted with some trepidation. While still "retired" Ironhide swam down to [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]] to rescue the captured Carly, was immobilized, then re-mobilized, recovered the Immobilizer from Megatron, helped save the Autobots, then destroyed the device. His request to be put on active duty again was wholeheartedly received by his friends. Ironhide, together with [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]], proudly watched as Spike went on a date with Carly. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[File:AutobotRun ironhide altmode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Spike and Chip suggested the Autobots participate in a race for charity, and Ironhide voiced his approval of the idea. He and Trailbreaker got to compete to see which of them was bigger and slower. During the race, he and the other Autobots were subjected to Megatron's [[Transfixatron]] and were trapped in vehicle mode. Taken prisoner by Megatron, Ironhide was the first to be subjected to a crushing machine built by the Constructicons, but he was saved when Optimus Prime rammed it. After the Transfixatron effect was reversed, Ironhide and Trailbreaker pounded the device into pieces. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

Ironhide was part of the Autobot strike unit dispatched to [[Washington, D.C.]] when it came under attack by the Decepticons and [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns. He kept clear of the main battle on the Great Lawn, but later helped repair the damage done to the city. He and Ratchet reattached the statue of Lincoln to the memorial, after Megatron had removed it to use the throne. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

[[File:APrimeProblem ironhide opens fire.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]

When the Autobots were confronted by a horde of machines controlled by the renegade super-computer called [[TORQ III]], Ironhide apparently didn't think much of the threat —- he calmly walked up to a droid firing a highly pressurized spray at his chest and stuck his finger in the hose. The pent up pressure blew out the back of the machine, destroying it completely. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}}

Ironhide was on the scene for the unveiling of [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist|Doctor Fujiyama]]'s new ninja robot, when the Decepticons attacked. He was trying to shoot down Laserbeak when a stray blast dropped some girders on his backside. His injuries left him inactive during the search for Nightbird. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[File:TheCore ironhide liquid nitrogen.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]]

Ironhide's experience and wisdom often came in handy. After [[Optimus Prime clone|Optimus Prime]] mistakenly called him "Bumblebee", and a second Optimus Prime showed up on the Autobots' doorstep, it was Ironhide who thought twice about his orders to obliterate the new Prime on sight. When the Autobots' tests proved inconclusive, Ironhide also assumed full command of the team, overruling BOTH Primes until they could prove their veracity. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Faced with the threat of a Decepticon deep-drilling scheme and its nigh-unbeatable sentry, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], the Autobots orchestrated a plan to take control of the mighty gestalt by placing [[dominator disc]]s on each of his Constructicon components. Ironhide helped arrange a diversion at the Decepticons' temporary drilling base in order to draw the Constructicons out. He used a liquid nitrogen spray to freeze the waterfall the Constructicons were using as a natural coolant for their drill. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[File:Insecticonsyndrome ironhide monogram.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb| Looks like he was in for a real ''shock''!]]
Ironhide accompanied Prime and the other Autobots to the [[Nova Power Plant]], where they attempted to stop the Insecticons from lunching on the nova power. They failed. A high-voltage blast from the hyper-charged [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] nearly overloaded Ironhide's circuits. [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] sprayed the still-sparking Ironhide with insulating foam and loaded him into the back of Prime's trailer. He was brought back to Ratchet at Autobot Headquarters for repairs. Ironhide recovered enough to join the Autobots in the final battle with the augmented Insecticons at [[Iron Mountain]]. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

Ironhide was normally good-natured, but even he couldn't stand [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]'s taste in music. It almost made him lose his temper with the Dinobots during their "training". Lucky for him, Prime kept Ironhide from leaping headfirst into a fray he couldn't get himself out of. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} [[File:DinobotIsland ironhide glue gun.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4]] When a chronal disturbance opened up near the library, Ironhide joined the Autobots in investigating. They found a horde of woolly [[mammoth]]s and barbarians parading down Main Street. Ironhide corralled some of the barbarians with an adhesive spray, then helped send all the mammoths back into the time warp before it closed. He also joined the Autobots in driving the Decepticons off of [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], ending the source of the time warps. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Ironhide battled Devastator once again after the Constructicons tricked [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] into helping them build a [[Solar Power Tower]]. {{storylink|The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders}} Next, Ironhide worked with [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and Wheeljack on the [[Negavator]] project, designing a new super-weapon for use against the Decepticons. The project bunker soon came under attack by Soundwave and his entire Cassette army. Although they failed to grab the Negavator, Optimus decided the weapon needed to be moved. This gave the Decepticons another shot at the Negavator, though, and Ironhide was buried with Prime under an avalanche triggered by Rumble's pile drivers. They had to be dug out by Grapple and Hoist. When it became clear their security expert, Red Alert, was malfunctioning, the Autobots tried to confront him, but he ran away into the nearest city. Ironhide inadvertently assaulted a real fire chief's car while looking for his buddy. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}}

Being the old fogey that he is, Ironhide burned out one of his memory chips and suffered some mild amnesia. He relied on [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] to repair the broken chip and get the ol' noggin processing again. He soon joined the Autobots in [[South America]] to fight Megatron for the [[Heart of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|Microbots}}

[[File:MegatronsMasterPlan ironhide frees chip.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]

Ironhide could be a hothead at times. Duped by Megatron’s hoax, [[Shawn Berger]] brought his private army to arrest the Autobots. Ironhide was ready to trash tanks, but Optimus Prime stopped him and surrendered to the humans—a move with which Ironhide did not agree. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Later, when humans banned the Autobots from Earth for crimes they didn't commit, the Autobots ended up on a spaceship heading to parts unknown. Ironhide blamed Optimus Prime for their predicament and almost led a mutiny. Prime changed his mind shortly thereafter, so the question of whether Ironhide would have actually tried to overthrow Optimus was rendered academic. They returned to Earth to disrupt the illusion of Megatron's little scheme and, as Ironhide put it, "show 'em a little reality." Several hundred laser-charged rounds of reality later, the Decepticons staggered away in defeat, and the Autobots' reputations were restored. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:Dotd1 malfunctioning ironhide.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Ironhide learns not to shake the pressurized glue bottle before opening.]]
Evidently, Ironhide doesn't pay close attention to his passengers, since both Soundwave and Ravage once hid inside him. Maybe he was taking a nap. He only realized the subterfuge when Blaster and Ravage started fighting in his back end. Later, Ironhide gave Jazz a literal kick start when [[cybertonium]] depletion kept Jazz from transforming. The effects of the depletion affected Ironhide himself during the next fight as he tried to shoot liquid nitrogen at the Decepticons. When his hand wouldn't retract, Ironhide froze himself solid. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} The lack of cybertonium left the Autobots virtually lifeless, but Ironhide and his friends were eventually revived when Spike, Carly and the Dinobots brought back a full stock of cybertonium from Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[File:ChildsPlay ironhide batterup.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]

Ironhide got another dose of Blaster's music being piped through by Teletraan 1. The serenade was worse than the first, and the Autobots nearly missed a distress call because of it. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was among the Autobots temporarily rendered invulnerable by [[electrum]], and fought the Decepticons for control of the golden lagoon. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}} He also helped stop Megatron from taking over New York City with an army of robot car drones. {{storylink|Make Tracks}}

Ironhide went with Prime and a group of Autobots to the baseball stadium where the Decepticons were interrupting the game with their new space bridge. He got a grand slam with a stadium lighting pole against [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]. When Prime and several other Autobots were launched into space by the malfunctioning bridge, Ironhide took command of the Autobots until Optimus managed to find his way back. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}}

[[File:TheSearchforAlphaTrion Ironhide acidblasts.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|"An internal liquid chemical factory, and I'm shootin' TANG?!"]]
When the [[Morphobot]]s took root on Earth, Ironhide and the team attempted to free their comrade [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] from behind the plants' indestructible vines. Ironhide tried a variety of liquid sprays on the Morphobots—the plants briefly crusted over, but cracked free from the chemical resin a moment later. After the Autobots discovered the plants were repelled by Blaster's music, he and Ironhide worked together to clear a path to Cosmos. Once the plants pushed back from Blaster, Ironhide used liquid nitrogen to hold them frozen in place long enough to free their friend. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

Ironhide led [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] in protecting [[San Francisco]] when it was being attacked by a [[Asteroid bird alien|giant alien creature]]. Although severely outmatched, they held out long enough for [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] to arrive and lead the alien back out into space. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}
[[File:Search4a3 ironhide and chromia.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|"Ironhide, honey, I love you!" "Shut up, baby, I know it!"]]

When the Decepticons began squabbling amongst themselves for leadership, Ironhide was ready to jump right into the thick of things. Optimus restrained him, however; instead Prime pitted Megatron against the also-rans, leading to a disastrous fight that left all the Decepticons spent. Even Ironhide had to admit it was fun watching the Decepticons beat themselves up for a change. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}} After [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]] began swiping Autobots off the street, Ironhide was present when the big game hunter declared his terms to Optimus Prime over Teletraan I. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}}

Ironhide led [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] to Cybertron to follow and find Optimus Prime after he left, without telling anyone, to rescue [[Elita One]]. When his team arrived via the [[space bridge]], Starscream announced that he had killed Prime by melting him down in a vat of acid. Ironhide angrily ordered the Autobots to attack and avenge their fallen leader. During the battle, they met up with Elita One's [[Female Autobots|squad]], which gave Ironhide a chance to reunite with his old gal [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}} He was at Sparkplug's garage after Powerglide's adventure with [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]]. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[File:Ktvs2 ironhide vs slingshot.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|"No, Ah will not pull yer finger. Where d'ya kids get this stuff?"]]
When Megatron took his new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] group to Cybertron in the hopes of giving them life, Ironhide was among the Autobots who went after them in Omega Supreme. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} When they failed to stop Megatron, the Autobots instead decided to counter him, creating a team of Autobot Jets known as the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] through the power of [[Vector Sigma]]. Unfortunately, the Aerialbots were, well...''jerks''. [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] in particular rubbed Ironhide the wrong way, after the Aerialbots "saved" the Autobots by intervening during their first battle with the Stunticons. The Aerialbots eventually learned their lesson, and Ironhide made peace with Slingshot. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}} Then they were jerks again. Once again, Ironhide was at odds with the little twerps, as they sat in awe of the Decepticons for their ace flying abilities. The Aerialbots learned their lesson (again), and Ironhide made peace with the punks...again. It seemed to stick this time. {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}}

[[File:Huge Ironhide and Small Ratchet.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb|"Yeah, Chromia was bitching about me and the boy never spending time together, so now I gotta take him to work with me"]]
Ironhide was grumbling about the Stunticons during an appointment with Ratchet when those psychos turned up for real on Teletraan I's sensors. After the Autobots captured the Stunticons in the field, Prime had an idea to disguise themselves as the Stunticons using [[camouflage paint]] in order to infiltrate the Decepticons. Ironhide and several others stayed behind to keep an eye on the prisoners, but [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] soon shattered the bars and freed his fellow Stunticons, who then sent the Autobots packing as [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. Ironhide and the Autobots chased after Menasor to warn Prime that the jig was up, and they ended up arriving at the battle just in time to drive off the Decepticons. {{storylink|Masquerade}} Ironhide applied [[Corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], and later helped rescue Perceptor from [[Fox Creek Canyon]]. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

When Jazz and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream's [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], Ironhide traveled to the Amalgamated Water & Power Plant with the other Autobots to rescue them. Wisely, the Autobots completely avoided the war between the Decepticons and Combaticons taking place immediately to their left—they just grabbed their pals and split. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} [[File:TFTM Ironhide dies.jpg|upright=1.4|right|thumb|Megatron prepares to kitbash a toy-accurate Ironhide.]] After the Autobots received a curious SOS from [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]], Ironhide, [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and Bumblebee responded. They discovered a science project gone awry—a [[B.O.T. (G1)|homemade robot]] brought to life using the personality component of the Combaticon named [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]. The Autobots seriously underestimated their opponent, and Ironhide ended up sunk in the floor thanks to his own corrosive spray. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In the year 2005, Ironhide was stationed on [[Moonbase One]] as part of the Autobots' ongoing mission to retake Cybertron. Unfortunately for the action-oriented Ironhide, Optimus Prime felt the Autobots needed more time to gather forces and supplies before attempting to retake their home planet. He sent Ironhide on a shuttle along with a group of other Autobots headed for Earth, bringing energon to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. When the shuttle was attacked by a Decepticon strike force en route, Ironhide bravely fought back against the hijackers, but was not powerful enough to drive off the numerous foes. He was shot several times before going down, but was still determined to defeat the enemy by whatever means possible. Lacking the power to stand on his own, Ironhide crawled to Megatron's feet in a vain attempt to continue fighting, but was mercilessly executed by Megatron's fusion cannon at point blank range, for indulging in "heroic nonsense". {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Ironhide’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]” and the storybook “[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]."}}
Ironhide's grave was later mentioned aboard the interstellar [[Autobot Mausoleum]] amongst those of the other Autobots who died during the [[Battle of Autobot City|attack]] on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. Along with the mausoleum itself, Ironhide's remains were later plunged into a red sun as a side-effect of a [[Quintesson]] plot. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}
{{--}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
===''Cloud''===
[[File:Transformers Cloud GOT ep 5.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Ironhide was part of a team of Autobots who discovered the wounded "[[Optimus Prime (G1)#Cloud|Cloud Optimus]]", an alternate version of Optimus Prime from another dimension, who had been blasted into their world during a battle with his dimension's [[Megatron (G1)#Cloud|Megatron]] after his enemy had absorbed the power of the dimension-crossing robotic entity [[SARA]]. Ironhide didn't buy into the newcomer's story at first, cautioning his Optimus not to let his guard down and warning of the possibility that Cloud Optimus could be a Decepticon spy, but Optimus trusted his otherdimensional duplicate. The Autobots were then attacked by the Decepticons, but both factions were blown away in a huge explosion caused by "Cloud Megatron", who had arrived to finish what he had started. {{storylink|Leap}} {{storylink|TFC-A01}} The Autobots and Decepticons joined forces with Cloud Optimus to battle Cloud Megatron, but proved sorely outmatched by the power of SARA Megatron had at his fingertips. Fortunately, SARA herself reasserted control over her power, and teleported Cloud Optimus and Cloud Megatron away, leaving the Autobots and Decepticons dazed and confused. {{storylink|Rampage (Cloud)|Rampage}} {{storylink|TFC-A01}}
{{--}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[File:FSRLF ironhide casual.jpg|left|thumb|upright=.85]]
{{see|Ironhide (G1)#Beast Wars cartoon}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages===
Ironhide was part of a great battle eons ago on Cybertron, during which he fired on [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Story page # unknown}} At a presumably later date, he joined Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] in combating Devastator in the skies over Cybertron, zooming around on a jetpack. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 6|Story page #6}}
{{--}}
Ironhide was seated in the foremost position on the bridge of the Autobots' spacecraft when they left Cybertron, all nonchalant and cross-legged. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 1|Story page #1}} On Earth, after the Autobots had built [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]], Ironhide was sitting on the edge of one of the fortress's roadways, chatting with [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 7|Story page #7}} Later, when they were attacked by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], the Autobots responded by riding atop the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] for a bombing run on the Decepticons; Ironhide straddled [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] for the counter-offensive. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 13|Story page #13}} Ironhide was also in the middle of a huge battle between the Autobots and Decepticons in a human city. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 16|Story page #16}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga===
[[File:Fsrlf cliffy and ironhide.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]

While the Autobots were busy defending [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] from a Decepticon attack in [[Arizona]], they realized that [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] was not present and likely loose in Japan. Ironhide was dispatched to track down the villain, though the lone [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] found him first. Bumblebee defeated Soundwave with his mighty "Bumble Kick" just as Ironhide and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] arrived to back him up. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

===Scramble City: Mobilization===
[[File:ScrambleCity ironhide and jazz.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
In their efforts to defend Earth against the Decepticons, the Autobots began construction of a massive defense base named Metroplex, codenamed: [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]. When Decepticon spies uncovered the existence of the Scramble City project, however, several Decepticon squads were sent by Megatron to eliminate the potential threat to his reign. Under Optimus Prime's command, Ironhide joined [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] in setting out to intercept these Decepticons, allowing [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] to complete work on Scramble City. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===
Ironhide was one of dozens of Autobots who arrived with Scramble City to help [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] and the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] against Megatron's forces. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{--}}

===''Encore'' toy bio===
Ironhide acquired a new protective black coating to disguise himself from both Decepticons and members of the [[human]] criminal underworld, to better allow him to do his job as Optimus Prime's bodyguard. The other Autobots joked that he looks like a stereotypical "Men in Black" vehicle, but Ironhide insisted he got the idea from black pickups trucks he saw around town. The coating, a composite gel metal, made his trithyllium steel skin even more durable, allowing him to self-repair minor injuries right away, and his robot and mobile artillery forms became 25% more maneuverable than before. {{storylink|Ironhide (G1)/toys#black|'Protect Black Ironhide' toy bio}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
[[File:BattleofStarGate ironhide.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.3]]
Ironhide and a squad of Autobots travelled into space aboard [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] when Megatron assumed control of the ''[[Trigger]]'' teleportation platform the Autobots helped humanity construct. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

Ironhide and his comrades later returned to the ''Trigger'' when Starscream and his Ghost from Another Future Dimension (can't make this slag up...) commandeered it. The battle was epic in scope, as the Starscreams united with the ''Trigger'' to make it into a massive transforming exo-frame. He(they?) also assumed command of the [[C-X (G1)|C-X]] drones and turned them against the Autobots, and Ironhide was the first to feel the sting of their betrayal...and energy blasts. The Autobots' human ally, [[Makoto (FSRL)|Makoto]], used his knowledge of the ''Trigger'' to disrupt Starscream new form. The fiend then threw Makoto's lifepod into Earth's atmosphere, leaving him to burn up on re-entry. Ironhide and Bumblebee tried to reach the pod, but were too slow. Luckily, Optimus Prime arrived late to the battle and saved Makoto from burning up. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}
{{-}}
===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
Sometime between 1985 and 2004 during the early days of the Transformers' war on Earth, Ironhide was seen battling the Decepticons alongside Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Jazz. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 6|Bonus Edition Vol. 6}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
[[File:Hmep27 ironhide undead.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Ironhide- back from the dead? It could happen- [[Hub Network|only on the Hub!]]]]
Sometime before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Ironhide briefly engaged the Decepticons with his comrades. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} In 2011, heedless of the fact that all records indicated he was supposed to be dead, Ironhide was amongst the crowds of Autobots going about their daily business in [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

{{note|Ironhide's inclusion in this crowd scene was a straight-up goof; it might just have been that someone grabbed a random animation mode to fill the scene with, or they might have deliberately put Ironhide in the episode, unaware that he was supposed to be dead, since [[The Transformers: The Movie|the movie]] had not yet reached Japan. We'd call it a day and move on, except the next piece of fiction below also includes a very-much-alive Ironhide in a post-movie setting, as a deliberate choice by the writer. As such, it appears that Ironhide was—through intent of the authors or by accident—resurrected in Japanese continuity, through means that have not been explained yet.}}
{{--}}

===e-HOBBY comics===
[[File:MP1B ironhide dont be so pessimistic.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5|Didn't see you there! Alive, eh? Super! Moving on...]]
Decades later, Ironhide attended Optimus Prime's briefing on a series of attacks on human shipping vessels by biomechanical creatures believed to be connected to the Decepticons. When Prime expressed concern over the use of an [[Eldedroid]] controlled by the mind of the human, [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Dan]], in the mission to investigate the creatures, Ironhide told him he didn't need to be so pessimistic. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.|Convoy Black Ver.}}

Ironhide and Perceptor were sent out by Optimus to help out with a battle with an underwater “monster” that was not going too well for fellow Autobot Splashdown. While on-route, they encountered Starscream’s gargantuan ghostly form. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.|Starscream Ghost Ver.}}
{{--}}

==''Wings Universe''==
[[File:BattleLines ironhide pretty concernin.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2]]
{{Wingsnote}}

Ironhide was one of the Autobots picked to be part of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s new Autobot military. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 1}} He thought that they should be going after [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s instead of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], but Optimus said orders were orders. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} A week later, he was part of the Autobot forces at [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s city walls as the Decepticons broke through with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} The Autobots managed to see off Megatron's forces, but not without the loss of several of their number. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}
{{-}}

==''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''==
[[File:Mars Attacks The Transformers - Ironhide Disarmed.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Well, now he can't punch anyone else, can he? Oh wait, wrong hand.]]
Following a particularly brutal battle in which the Decepticons were soundly beaten and Ironhide managed to get [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in a headlock, Earth was suddenly invaded by [[Martian]]s. Ironhide at first laughed at the idea that the small and squishy creatures would be any threat, but then they blasted his left arm off. He sought cover with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], who made a wisecrack and earned a smack from the larger Autobot. A short time later, Ironhide and the other Autobots again found themselves facing the Decepticons, only for the Martians to enclose both factions in a force field. After forming an alliance, the Autobots and Decepticons broke out of the force field and began fighting the Martians. Ironhide and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] encountered giant ants, only for the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s to deal with it. They eventually triumphed over the Martians. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*It was speculated for several years by some fans that, in cartoon continuity, Ironhide may have been created from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]]'s friend [[Dion]], the same way and at the same time Prime and [[Elita One]] were rebuilt by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], though Hasbro later stated this was incorrect. For further elaboration, see [[Dion#Who is Dion?|Who is Dion?]].

[[Category:Cloud Autobots]]
[[Category:Elderly Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Piranacon (G1)

2015-11-04T18:46:51Z

He-l-en1959: /* Notes */ a name has been added

{{factions|decepticon|predacon}}
{{disambig3|Piranacon}}
:''Piranacon is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Piranacon.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Seafood SLEWis.]]
When it comes to [[combiner]]s, most suffer from the same problem: an inability to agree on ''anything'' while in their super-robot form, resulting in limited intelligence and limited effectiveness. Such is not the case with '''Piranacon'''. The [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]] who compose Piranacon can all agree on one thing, they ''love'' to hunt. In fact, they love it so much, that once they combine, they absolutely ''will not stop'' until they've either run out of energy or are destroyed. This has gotten to be such a problem that their commander, [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]], has been forced to activate an [[automatic timer]] upon combination, forcing Piranacon to disassemble after a period of time. Despite this one set-back, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] considers Piranacon an ideal warrior and wishes he had more Decepticons like him.

Piranacon is the combined form of:

*[[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]]
*[[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]
*[[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]]
*[[Skalor (G1)|Skalor]]
*[[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]]
*[[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Enemy action seacons.JPG|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Eh, he's not so big.]]
[[File:Piranaconcoldwar.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|Also available in Tropical Berry.]]
''[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] sent the Seacons to attack [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] when the future Decepticon neared the Decepticons' [[Club Con|island base]] and threatened his position as Decepticon leader. When the six warriors failed to put a dent in Galvatron, they combined into Piranacon and renewed their attack. Even in this massive form, after a long and brutal underwater battle, Galvatron defeated them. Blasted into their component parts, the Seacons were abandoned where they fell. {{storylink|Enemy Action!}}''

Soon after their island base was relocated to the Arctic, Piranacon's might was called upon again. A [[Semper Tyrannis|mysterious starship]] had entered their airspace, and this potentially hostile action had to be answered with a show of strength. Piranacon assembled and grappled the edge of the starship as it landed, but he was called off when [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] announced that these were no intruders, but a second group of Decepticons led by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] come to visit. Piranacon set the starship gently on the ground. {{storylink|Cold War!}}
{{-}}

====Transformers Comic-Magazin====
{{TransformersComicMagazin}}
When Megatron made peaceful gestures to humanity in [[New York City]], he gave a "statue" of [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]] as a gift to the city. Just what they always wanted. Unsurprisingly, this statue turned out to be Snaptrap in disguise. Once night fell, Snaptrap transformed into Piranacon (on his own apparently) and went on a rampage. He was eventually stopped by the mighty force of the [[Sparkabot]]s, [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] and [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|The Cosmic Adventure: Memories of Bumblebee}} {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|Transformers in Action: In Memory of Earth}}}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
During [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon's]] campaign against [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], the Seacons sided with the skeletal samurai Pretender. When Bludgeon was informed that [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Grrr]] had betrayed him in favor of Megatron, he and the Seacons confronted the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]] leader. Hun-Grrr was outraged at the accusation, and hostilities lead to both teams combining. Abominus put up a good fight, but in the end, Piranacon jammed his sword into his opponent's back. The Terrorcons collectively entered [[stasis lock]].

Fearing that Hun-Grrr was able to leak his battle plans to Megatron's forces, Bludgeon prepared for an immediate strike. Back at his command station, he issued orders to the Seacons. They made as if to obey, but secretly combined into Piranacon once more. Bludgeon turned, discovering the true traitors, and acknowledged that Megatron was his tactical superior. Piranacon blasted the Pretender to oblivion with his [[Mass-Compression Cannon]]. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

Following their arrival on prehistoric [[Earth]] in [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another reality]], [[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]] and [[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]] were killed {{storylink|Shattered Time}} and later replaced with [[Scylla]]. {{storylink|Shattered Expectations (BWSG)|Shattered Expectations}} The net result was that Piranacon was effectively dead, and their merged form became [[God Neptune (BWSG)|God Neptune]]. {{storylink|Shattered Hope}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
The Seacons formed Piranacon as a response to the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] assaulting Nautilator and wrestling in on their part of the [[Gladiator Zone]]. The Seacons' combined form proved inferior to [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], however, and Piranacon was defeated and nearly killed. He was saved due to the intervention of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], who recruited both combiners into his Decepticon army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}} Soon afterwards, Piranacon helped capture a group of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] who had arrived on Cybertron in search of Serpent O.R. During an assault on an Autobot peace ceremony, Piranacon helped Predaking and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] fight [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} After the three combiners disabled the giant Autobot, Piranacon started hunting down civilians until [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] steered [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] into crashing into his face. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
Who's that new Transformer with [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]? Why, it's [[Doubledealer]], the Powermaster Mercenary! And, uh, he's also talking to Piranacon! Well, we hope that's addressed at some point. {{storylink|Commercial#1988|Doubledealer commercial}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
Piranacon participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! Piranacon could only be recruited to a team if all of his components were members of said team. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
{{picsneeded|Better image for the original G1 release.}}
===Generation 1===
*'''Piranacon''' (Seacon giftset, 1988)

[[File:Piranacong1toy.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|It was 1988. Can you tell?]]
:The Piranacon giftset is unique among [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style combiner giftsets in that it does not include all the members. For some reason—possibly cost concerns—the set includes only [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]], [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]], [[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]], [[Skalor (G1)|Skalor]] and [[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]. [[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]] is not included.

: This mold-set was redecoed to make ''[[Beast Wars II (toyline)|Beast Wars II]]'' [[God Neptune (BWII)|God Neptune]], and with the addition of [[Lobclaw]] was released in Japan as [[King Poseidon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Decepticon/Piranacon/piranacon.htm More information on Piranacon at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Timelines===
*'''Piranacon''' (Seacon giftset, 2008)

[[File:Piranacontimelinestoy.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Red Lobster's Ultimate Feast]]
: A [[redeco]] of the Generation 1 mold above, ''Timelines'' Piranacon was available exclusively as an [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]-[[exclusive]] giftset containing all six Seacons in new color schemes. This set, unlike the original US giftset, includes Nautilator. The box looks like a modified version of King Poseidon's.

:The toy is packaged with a reproduction of the original ''Generation 1'' Piranacon instructions, which show Skalor as the right arm, Seawing as the left arm, and Nautilator as the right leg. However, the box art and on-package photos show Nautilator as the right arm and Skalor as the right leg, while the accessory layout gives the right fist to Seawing and the left fist to Nautilator.

:This toy was originally intended as an exclusive set of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''-series [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcons]], but was shelved due to a lack of retailer interest. The team were called the Piranhacons and their combined form was Piranhaking.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/TFCCPiranacon/piranacon.htm More information on ''Timelines'' Piranacon at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[File:TF 2010 Piranacon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33|right]]
*'''Decepticon Piranacon''' (Seacon giftset, 2010)

:The Piranacon giftset was released as an exclusive for several online toy merchants ([[BigBadToyStore]] in particular). Unlike the previous 1988 version gift set, the set now includes all the Seacons: [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]], [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]], [[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]], [[Skalor (G1)|Skalor]], [[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]], and [[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]].

: The set is packaged in a way reminiscent of the Hasbro Masterpiece style transparent display box. The toys are fully combined in Piranacon mode, holding [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]'s Targetmaster mode in his right hand and [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]]'s newly chromed "incendiary sword" in the left. The decals are already pre-applied unlike previous re-issues in the ''Commemorative'' and ''Encore'' lines. Aside from the inclusion of [[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]], the set also includes seven metallic finish biocards (the seventh being for Piranacon).

: Just like the previous use of the mold set, certain degradations of the mold are very obvious, especially in Nautilator's hip area, although the 5mm holes and pegs have been readjusted somewhat from the much degraded state they were in on the Timelines release. The pegs and holes on all figures still are not exact fits in all cases, however.

: Noted differences from the original set, aside from the chromed sword, include: some mold colors have been changed and Snaptrap's head has apparently been moved from a black plastic [[sprue]] to a green one. The head change is likely a holdover from the Timelines run, as it was not the case on [[Halfshell]]. Previous screwed on connectors have been changed to riveted points. The stickers also appear to have been remastered after a fashion, as new highlights and gradients have been added to almost all stickers, as well as just being remarkably crisp and vibrant in general.

:The set is packaged with Nautilator as the right leg and Skalor as the right arm, a combination also reflected in the new packaging art, box photo and instructions. However, the Piranacon collector card included with the set reuses the G1 box art, which depicts Skalor as the right leg and Nautilator as the right arm.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2010/Decepticon/BBTSPiranacon/piranacon.htm More information on 2010 Piranacon at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
[[File:Piranhaking-combined.jpg|right|upright=1.1|thumb|Khanna? Guidi? We'd like to know!]]
*Originally, as shown at [[OTFCC 2004]], Piranhaking was to have his own, original box-art. However, the box-art of the ''Timelines'' Piranacon is a recolored version of his original art instead of that newly commissioned piece. Piranhaking's unused art appears to have been drawn by [[Dan Khanna]].
*The Seacons' unique variation on standard "Scramble-city" style [[Combiner|combination]], whereby one member serves as a Targetmaster for Piranacon, means that whichever of the six Seacons takes on this role is actually excluded from the usual mental merging. It is for this very reason that, although any member other than Snap Trap can take turns, the team usually try to make sure that their resident screw-up Nautilator be the one most commonly relegated to the role of weapon. Nautilator's incompetence is so severe that his fellow Seacons strongly prefer to exclude him from the primary gestalt, having discovered that Piranacon's effectiveness is noticeably impaired whenever his mind is part of the mix.<ref>Nautilator and Piranacon profiles from Dreamwave's [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]] issue #5</ref>

==Foreign names==
*''Russian:'' '''Zhivodyor''' (Живодёр, ''Skinflint'')
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Fan Club exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Seacons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Decepticons]]

Constructicon (G1)

2015-10-31T18:51:19Z

He-l-en1959: /* Foreign names */ new name added

{{disambig3|Constructicon}}
{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ultracon}}
:''The Constructicons are a [[Decepticon]] [[subgroup]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

<div class="center">[[File:Lineup.jpg|none|750px|thumb|From left to right: Scavenger, Mixmaster, Long Haul, Bonecrusher, Hook and myself... uh, I mean Scrapper.]]</div>
The '''Constructicons''' are the Decepticons' foremost designers, engineers and builders. They are also particularly notable for their status as the very first combining subgroup of Transformers. The individual members of the team are:

*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]], (usually) the leader, a modest but masterful designer - front-end loader.
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]], a destructive berserker - bulldozer (and later front-end loader).
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]], the materials detector with some major self-esteem issues - power shovel.
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]], a manic and somewhat crazed chemist - cement mixer.
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]], a snobbishly perfectionist engineer - crane.
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]], a hard-working transporter who longs to be on the battlefield - dump truck (and later crane).

They are able to merge their bodies and minds together to form the gigantic [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]].

In several continuities, there are more Constructicons in addition to or in lieu of the primary six. The named ones include:

*[[Gravedigger (G1)|Gravedigger]], younger brother of Bonecrusher - dump truck.
*[[Hauler]], an Autobot ex-Constructicon - crane.
*[[Erector (G1)|Erector]], an Autobot ex-Constructicon - cab and crane trailer.
*[[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]], a stand-in for Mixmaster and Hook whose personality is a merger of the two - crane.
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]], a religious fanatic and stand-in for Scrapper drafted into the team by [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] - front-end loader.

In the [[Universe War]], a [[Micromaster]] [[Constructicon (Universe)|Constructicon]] team includes [[Buckethead]] and [[Quickmix (Universe)|Quickmix]]. Since Transformers involved in the Universe War come from all across the [[multiverse]], these may be two more [[Primax]] Constructicons as well. In [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|one continuity]], the Constructicons took a shine to [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], who used to cover the deceased Scrapper as part of Devastator. After [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] took control of the Constructicons, he replaced Prowl with [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]].

Members' color schemes are [[:File:G2Devastator toy.jpg|required]] to include green.<ref>[[Erector (G1)|Erector]]'s [[Transformers Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] [[bio]]</ref>

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Constructiconsbornmarvel.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"I'm green!" "I'm green!" "I'm green!" "I'm green!" "I'm green!" "I'm green!"]]
Seeking to bolster the size of his forces on Earth in 1985, Decepticon Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arranged for the construction of six new Decepticon bodies, which were then infused with life by the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], tapped from the head of the imprisoned [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Thus, the Constructicons were born, and were immediately put to work building a massive radio transmission dish that [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] used to beam a message to Cybertron. When the Autobots attempted to interfere, the Constructicons revealed their hidden power and merged into Devastator to fight them off, allowing the message to successfully go through. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

The Autobots, intrigued by Devastator's unique combining power, attempted to replicate it with the construction of Omega Supreme. However, Omega was composed of only three components, unlike the six Constructicons that made up Devastator. The Autobots, needing additional data on combiner technology, conducted a raid on the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon base]], luring out Devastator so that they could study him further. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} This led to the construction of the new combiner team, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], capable of forming [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], who Devastator battled during the Transformers' adventure alongside [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

''The Constructicons were later charged with hunting down [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} and again when the time-travelling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] co-opted their services to build a gigantic laser cannon. {{storylink|Target: 2006}}''

The team's special talents were not required again until they and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] stole large amounts of rocket fuel and raw materials, with which the Constructicons rebuilt the Decepticons' mobile island headquarters as a spaceship. {{storylink|Toy Soldiers!}} With the entire Earth-based Decepticon army aboard the ship, under the command of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], they attacked an Autobot congregation on the moon. While the battle raged, the Constructicons penetrated the Ark and recovered the deactivated bodies of several Decepticons defeated in an earlier clash with Omega Supreme. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''In an alternate 2008, Mixmaster was briefly indicated to have ascended to leadership of the Constructicons. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''At one point the team had lost the ability to combine, and attempted to rebuild Devastator as a singular, separate entity. The Autobots [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] arrived on the island to investigate, and Ironhide was able to bypass the security grid and plant explosives to destroy the site, and Devastator with it. {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}}''

''The main Constructicon team worked for [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] during the [[Decepticon Civil War]], and Mixmaster happily dealt [[Syk]] to everyone - happily until Soundwave happily blackmailed him over it...''

{{note|Bonecrusher is the only member of the Constructicons who did not appear in the [[Earthforce]] stories.}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====

The Constructicons resurfaced among the Decepticons after Megatron reclaimed the army from [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]. Bonecrusher appeared with the Cons who confronted [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] when he arrived on Earth. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

Scavenger and Hook stood with the assembled Decepticons as Megatron rallied them for war with the Cybertronian Empire. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

In preparation for the final battle with the Swarm, Scrapper, Bonecrusher, and Long Haul helped establish fortifications at the combined Autobot and Decepticon base. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:CrossingOverGrimlockConstructicons.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The Constructicons were among the troops that Megatron covertly rebuilt on Earth after [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s defeat and exile. Both Hook and Mixmaster were curiously absent from the team, with the enigmatic Hightower in their place. It's unclear why this was, but Hightower himself joked about stripping enough spare parts off of [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] to "build a new Hook." {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}
{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:Megatronffod.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|And so, one night, over pizza and beer, far below the city... continuity nightmares were born.]]
The Constructicons' origins are clouded. They were reportedly on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] millions of years ago, though the accounts gel poorly. When [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] took a near-death trip into the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he saw a vision of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s creation - by eight(!) apparent Constructicons. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} But according to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], at the time that Megatron was building up his Decepticon army, the Constructicons were ''not'' Decepticons at all (though they were seen bearing the Decepticon symbol). They were the peaceful creators of the beautiful [[Crystal City]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and Omega was both its guardian and their friend. However, Megatron secretly used the [[Robo-Smasher]] to reprogram the Constructicons into Decepticons, then he had them send Omega away on a fool's errand so they could demolish Crystal City.

[[File:Robo-Smasher and Omega Supreme.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Omega Supreme battling Devastator with the Robo-Smasher on his back.]]
The enraged Omega tracked the Constructicons down and reprogrammed them again, intending to return them to their previous state. But as the group returned to rebuild Crystal City, they attacked Omega while his back was turned. Megatron's programming was not to be undone, and he had also given them the ability to merge into Devastator. As they wrestled with Omega in their combined form, the Robo-Smasher latched onto Omega Supreme's head. Omega was able to fend off both his attackers, but his mental brush with the Robo-Smasher left him filled only with hate for the Constructicons, whom he pursued across the galaxy for millions of years. While this tale was only conveyed second-hand, some details would be corroborated in conversation between Omega and the Constructicons in the modern day. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

{{note|Immediately after the crew of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] reawakened on Earth, a [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]-lookalike named "Hauler" was briefly seen among them. He would be [[retcon]]ned into "[[Hauler|RoadHauler]]" nearly 20 years later by that toy's on-package [[bio]], which confirmed the Crystal City origin and made him a Constructicon who had escaped the Robo-Smasher and joined the Autobots.}}

In 1984, the Constructicons bolstered Megatron's forces on Earth (and Megatron referred to "the time we spent building them in these caverns," adding to the origin ambiguities). Scrapper designed a machine to transfer the other Decepticons' offensive powers to Megatron. While Megatron battled [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], holding the attention of the Autobots, the Constructicons invaded the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] to destroy [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. Unfortunately for them, the Ark was protected by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], but by merging into Devastator, they became more than a match for their prehistoric foes. The return of the other Autobots and the discovery of Megatron's deception spelled the end of the battle, however. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] distracted Devastator with a gigantic hologram, and Optimus Prime blasted the giant at just the right spot to force the Constructicons to disengage. They and the other Decepticons were then forced into a river of lava. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

The Constructicons all managed to survive their magma bath mostly unscathed, except possibly for Mixmaster, who developed a manic personality and a fondness for repeating his words, which he had not displayed before. Regardless, the team was soon back at work again, performing such varied tasks as assisting in Megatron's reconstruction of [[New York City]] (which also involved turning Optimus Prime's scrapped remains into a [[Alligatorcon (G1)|robotic alligator]]) {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}} and building [[Transfixatron|a device to paralyze Transformers in their vehicular modes]], as well as another to crush them. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

The Constructicons' history of mental manipulation continued when the Autobots planted [[dominator disc]]s on them, which the Autobots activated when the Constructicons merged into Devastator. He instantly began fighting against the Decepticons, and Autobots took him back to their base. However, Megatron was secretly aware of the whole plot, even spying on the Autobots ''through the Constructicons' own eyes.'' Meanwhile, the Constructicons contentedly helped fix the battle-damaged Autobots and then accompanied them on a raid against the Decepticons, who were trying to drill into the [[Earth's core]]. During the battle, Megatron used a "control switch" to deactivate the discs, and as Devastator turned back against the Autobots, Wheeljack boosted the discs' power. This drove Devastator mad, and he began attacking everyone indiscriminately. The only thing that brought him back to sanity was the threat of the Decepticons' drill, which was seconds away from destroying the planet. He dove into the drilled hole and wrenched the bit to a standstill, saving the world. {{storylink|The Core}}

Afterwards, the Constructicons returned to their Decepticon roles, but treachery remained a running theme. Upon learning of the Autobot [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]'s solar power tower design, Scrapper and the Constructicons pretended to have defected from the Decepticons in order to help him and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] construct it. But upon its completion, they turned it and the two Autobots over to Megatron. In a demonstration of Scrapper's motto, Grapple and Hoist were imprisoned in the very structure of their tower. {{storylink|The Master Builders (episode)|The Master Builders}}

Later, when the other Decepticons began to suffer from [[Cybertonium]] degeneration, the Constructicons, apparently working fine, took delivery of a shipment of the mineral via the [[space bridge]], and as Devastator, failed to stop [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Carly]] from getting by them and traveling to Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}}

When Omega Supreme learned that the Constructicons were active on Earth, he arrived on the planet and joined Optimus Prime's forces, biding his time until he could face his former friends again. That chance arose when the Constructicons were discovered mining an asteroid, and Omega was dispatched to investigate. Ignoring Optimus Prime's orders, Omega Supreme engaged the Constructicons, and in the battle, split the asteroid in two, revealing that it was an egg of sorts, incubating a monstrous alien creature, which promptly attacked [[San Francisco]] while Omega, ignoring the plight of the city, continued to battle the Constructicons. Optimus Prime then entered the fray, convincing Omega that saving the city was more important than revenge, and forcing the Constructicons to retreat. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

The building skills of the Constructicons remained in demand; other creations around this time included an army of drone Transformers created from common Earth cars; {{storylink|Make Tracks}} various constructs for [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], including a throne constructed from deactivated Autobots and a massive maze; {{storylink|Triple Takeover}} and a giant ruby-powered laser cannon. {{storylink|Masquerade}} It's unclear how unique their combining ability actually was (especially if Devastator had been around since the [[Golden Age]]), but their gestalt-monopoly on Earth was undone with the creation of the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] and their Autobot counterparts, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. These were soon followed by the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], the latter even defeating Devastator in battle as their merged form, [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Still, twenty years later in the Earth year 2005, Devastator was the Decepticons' primary weapon in the great [[Battle of Autobot City]], tearing through the defenses and walls of the city and battling the Dinobots once more. On the return trip to Cybertron, it was Bonecrusher who advocated the "survival of the fittest" policy that saw many wounded Decepticons ejected from the shuttle, among them Megatron, prompting Scrapper to vote for the Constructicons as the new leaders of the Decepticons, arguing that Devastator was the most powerful robot. Hook took great offense to the notion that [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] would make a better leader than them. In the end, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] became the new leader of the Decepticons, and the Constructicons, as a sign of no hard feelings, provided the music by playing horns at his coronation. Starscream, desperate to get on with the ceremony, eventually shot their horns, showing that he still had hard feelings. How they were able to play the horns, as a number of them don't have mouths, is unknown. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[File:FightorFlee Constructicon vehicle.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|The Constructicons got an [[Action Master]] vehicle before it was fashionable!]]
In the remainder of this year and throughout 2006, the Constructicons maintained a smaller, but still present, role in the Decepticon army, lending their talents to the Decepticon/[[Quintesson]] alliance by constructing [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] out of a populated human city in only one night. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4|FFOD, Part 4}} Later, they built a planetary engine on an asteroid and battled on the planet [[Eurythma]], {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}} aided in the overthrow of [[Paradron]] {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}} and took part in an attack on [[Japan]]. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}} Although brief, the Constructicons even played a part in the battle for the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] in 2007, seen firing on Autobots with the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

=====Origin inconsistency=====
As seen above, the cartoon presented several conflicting origins for the Constructicons. The series bible described the Constructicons as having "no explained origin",<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#057 Cartoon series bible page on the Constructicons]</ref> but this only seemed to promote variant portrayals.

A straight reading of the "facts" appears to go: the Constructicons started out Decepticons, built Megatron, left the Decepticons, built the Crystal City, were Robo-Smashed back into Decepticons, ran around the galaxy for umpteen million years, ended up on Earth, and were (re)built by Megatron. However, there are issues with that narrative:

*There was no hint in Omega's flashback that they had ever been Decepticons before; their treachery was entirely unexpected. On the other hand, they ''did'' have Decepticon symbols throughout. Another possibility is that the Constructicons had built Megatron without realizing how evil he would be, which allows their early insignia to be chalked up as the animation error they most likely are.
*Even if Megatron's claim of "building" them just means "rebuilding", their Crystal City flashback showed them anachronistically ''already'' in their Terran vehicle forms, so what would he have rebuilt them into? On the other hand, that's just one more reason to doubt the veracity of Omega's flashback.

Making the issue either simpler or more complicated, depending on your view, the [[Wikipedia:Unreliable narrator|unreliable narrator]] rationale could negate much of the Constructicons' supposed history, between the vengeance-driven Omega's tale and the tripping Rodimus' near-death mystical vision. But the real-world truth of the matter is that different writers and haphazard animators gave us a mix of possibilities with no clear [[canon]] answer.

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====eHobby RoadHauler bio=====

[[Hauler]] was originally one of the Constructicons during their days on Cybertron. He eventually defected from his comrades and joined the Autobots, taking on a new color scheme in the process.

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga=====
The Constructicons helped Megatron secure an island paradise as the staging ground for their new fortress, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and the Autobots arrived to kick them off the island, the Constructicons formed Devastator to fight back, but were swatted aside by Trypticon who wanted the kill for himself. After the Autobots tricked Trypticon into defeating himself, they forced the Constructicons to rebuild the forest they destroyed. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
{{charstubfiction}}

=====''Scramble City'' cartoon=====
[[File:Constructicons mode2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Can we break it, then rebuild it into a device of hideous destructive power? YES WE CAN.]]

The Constructicons were among the first Decepticons dispatched to destroy an Autobot factory building [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. In the form of Devastator, they were also among the first Decepticons defeated. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

{{--}}

=====''The Story of the Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' manga=====

In 2010, on the planet [[Feminia]], Devastator joined with all the other Decepticon Combiner warriors in an assault on the [[Prime Energy Tower]]. Their victory seemed assured until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s showed up and caused all the Combiners to trip into one another and disassemble. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
In 2011, the Constructicons were among those assembled by Galvatron for an all-out assault on Cybertron. After arriving individually through the space bridge, they joined the fight as Devastator. The once mighty Combiner would appear to have fallen on hard times, however, as he was defeated by Optimus Prime, who dispatched him with a single jump-kick. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

The Constructicons would have many more embarrassing skirmishes as Devastator, until their intellect would finally be exploited to oversee the production of [[crysmagnetal]] in [[Lemuria (Headmasters)|Lemuria]], a component needed to blow up the Earth. They would be thwarted and driven off into space alongside the other Decepticons. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Zone'' catalog storypage=====
[[File:DarkEmperorDeathsaurusZone01.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]

Along with other Combiners, Devastator joined the newly revived "[[Emperor of Destruction|Dark Emperor]]" [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] for an attack on the Autobots. This time, it was a full-on assault on planet [[Micro|Zone]] in an attempt to seize the Micro Zone's [[Energon Z]]. The [[Micromaster]]s repelled his attack and sent the Decepticons into retreat.{{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)#Catalogue story page 1|Zone Project Story}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon, comic, and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. The Constructicons were among those summoned, but only in the form of Devastator. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}}

While in some accounts of their fateful battle with [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] for the power of [[Energon Z]], the Constructicons survived the altercation,{{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}} other accounts were less generous, having Devastator killed in a flood of lava. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

=====''United EX'' storyline=====

Seeking to restore his older brother Bonecrusher to life, long-forgotten Constructicon [[Gravedigger (G1)|Gravedigger]] gained control of [[Power Core Combination]] technology and combined with several Constructicon drones to become Buildmaster. During one encounter with the Autobot Power Core Combiners, he defended a Decepticon base alongside [[Onslaught (G1)|Combatmaster]] and discovered a strange [[Predacon (BW)|relic]] from the future left buried in the past. {{storylink|Unearthed Future}}

=====eHobby post-''G-2'' storyline=====

The Constructicons were eventually revived, by the looks of things. Hook and Bonecrusher were stationed on an undersea research facility being commanded by Megatron (who himself was being commanded by [[Galvatron II]]). Things went sour when strange monsters attacked the facility, shortly before the Autobots and an [[Eldedroid]] arrived to clean up their mess. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
Nine million years before the Transformers came to Earth, the Cybertronian "race" known as the Constructicons decided to side with the Decepticons. {{storylink|Flames of Yesterday}}

Hook, leader of the Constructicons, had a seat at the council table of [[Decepticon Warlord]]s. The Warlords had an acrimonious relationship with each other at best, but agreed to meet for War Councils to discuss the Decepticon movement and, particularly, the rising threat of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Autobot Elite Guard]] to all of them. He and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], leader of the [[Photon]]s, carried a motion for the assembled Warlords to share their plans and information with each other, for the greater glory of the Decepticons.

Or, rather, for the greater glory of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]. By the next council meeting, Hook, Reflector and Megatron's representative [[Shockwave (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Shockwave]] were no longer present, having united under Megatron's banner after claiming the Warlords' secrets. {{storylink|A Team Effort}}

A group of Constructicons worked for [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] on the repairs of the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} Following Megatron's conquering of Deathsaurus's territory, Deathsaurus's [[Combiner]] technology was applied to Hook and his team to create Devastator, who joined in an attack on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} The Autobots were able to take down Devastator using a combination of live cables and shooting him in the knees. {{Storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

Millennia later, during the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Devastator breached a wall and faced [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] with a small group of Autobots. The Autobots used a barrage of rockets to separate the Constructicons, who began fighting back, taking out [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] as the Autobots retreated. {{storylink|A Flash Forward}}

During the third Cybertronian war, the Constructicons were ambushed at [[Elevation Recostalus]] by a group of Autobots including [[Hauler]] and [[Erector (G1)|Erector]], who disabled them before they could form Devastator. The group remained offline until 1984, when Megatron rebuilt them on Earth and appointed Scrapper as leader in Hook's place. {{storylink|Transformers I.Q.#issue 45|Transformers I.Q. last issue review}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
The Constructicons were among the Transformers aboard the ''Ark'' when it crashed on Earth at some point in the past. In the present, it was discovered by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]], who reprogrammed the Transformers for their own needs. Naturally, the Constructicons were used for construction on [[Cobra Island]], until [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] hacked Cobra's computers and freed everyone. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} After enacting some revenge at their former captors, the Constructicons were ordered to defend the [[SPS Satellite]] controls from the Autobot and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] troops attacking the island. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} However, not even Devastator's strength was enough to stop the attackers, and the combiner was defeated. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:DW devastator.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"Devastator use ocean as bathtub!"]]
Eight million years before the modern era, the Constructicons were tasked by Megatron to activate Cybertron's planetary engines. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} When Megatron disappeared into the depths of the planet fighting [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Starscream temporarily took command and had Scrapper prepare a process for the resurfacing of Cybertron, which would transform it into a mobile war-world. Scrapper cautioned against such an action, but Starscream ignored him, and prevented him from stopping it when the process was underway. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} After this, the Constructicons worked on the theory of [[mass intellect]], and succeeded in stabilizing the neural-meshing, creating Devastator. However, the process was not as efficient as the Constructicons believed, as the technical geniuses of the Constructicons did not translate into Devastator, causing him to suffer from a serious "dumbing down" problem. Despite the drawbacks, Megatron was impressed with Devastator's destructive potential. Besides, being intelligent ''and'' powerful was overrated in Megatron's opinion. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye #8}} When Megatron and Optimus Prime were thought to have died in an early test of the [[space bridge]] transport system, and the Autobots and Decepticons splintered into several smaller factions, the Constructicons broke the treaty that had downgraded the combining teams to non-combat status by siding with Ratbat's [[Ultracon]]s and battling [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. {{storylink|Escalation}}

It is apparent that the Constructicons were not aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] when it crashed on Earth four million years before the modern era, but they did eventually find their way to Earth and joined Megatron's forces there after they awoke in 1984. All the Transformers were rendered inactive in the explosion of the ''[[Ark II]]'' in 1999, but when they reactivated in 2001, Devastator was the main weapon in Megatron's attack on [[San Francisco]]. Rampaging through the city, he battled and defeated [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} but was defeated by Optimus Prime who blasted the titan point-blank in the face, sending him plunging into the ocean. {{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 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}}''

''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 came to be possessed by the [[Earth Defense Command]], and he was dissected and studied in their underground base. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation One #0}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:MegsOrigin2 Constructicons.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
The Constructicons started out as the builders of the [[Forge]], the arena for the illegal [[gladiatorial combat]] that [[Clench (G1)|Clench]] ran, and continued in that role when [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] took over. They did not move the parts for the arena between venues, but rather built them on site, using any materials available—and that included [[Empty|Empties]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}} After Megatron began his preparations for the [[Decepticon]] insurrection, the Constructicons turned their talents to modifying the gladiators into warriors. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Once the rebellion began in full, the Constructicons helped conquer [[Kaon]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

The Constructicons participated in an attack on [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]]'s [[Citadel]] during a temporary alliance between the Decepticons and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]]'s Autobots. {{storylink|Overthrown}} They were later stationed in the industrial slagwerks of [[Galaxxon]], where they watched a broadcast in which Orion Pax, now Optimus Prime, asked all Cybertronians to unite and fight against the new Decepticon rule. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

As the war began in earnest between the Autobots and Decepticons, the Constructicons remained loyal followers of Megatron. At one point they were stationed on [[Varas Centralus]] alongside [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and [[Sky-Byte (G2)|Sky-Byte]], where they committed some atrocity that was enough to cause Sky-Byte to abandon the Decepticon cause. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} Four million years ago, several Constructicons were part of a convoy bringing energon to the war effort, but the shipment was intercepted and captured by Optimus Prime and [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]]. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

Millions of years later, the Constructicons were granted the ability to combine into Devastator by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who had completed [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s combiner research. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} They joined Megatron on Earth, where they used their new combined form to defeat the local Autobot troops. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} The Decepticons subsequently attacked [[New York City]], where the Constructicons briefly pretended to "come in peace" before they started killing everybody. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} As Devastator, they made sure to destroy all the tunnels leading in and out of the city. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}} [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] subsequently convinced the Constructicons to join him in his rebellion against Megatron, and they attacked their former leader in the form of Devastator. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} The battle was interrupted by incoming human jets and the returning Autobots, and Devastator was faced with the mighty [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} The Constructicons were defeated when Omega blasted a hole in Devastator's torso. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

As the battered Decepticons fled Earth, the Constructicons seemed to have been left behind. Two years later, Scrapper joined a few other Decepticons trying to get off the planet {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}}, while Scavenger was targeted for capture by [[Skywatch]] and the Autobots. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}} He managed to stay hidden and think of a plan to get out of the country. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}} Unlike Scavenger, Hook and Mixmaster ended up captured by Skywatch, but were rescued by Scrapper's group who had allied themselves with some rogue Autobots. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}} The three reunited Constructicons then started building a starship for everyone to leave Earth with. [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] wanted to speed things up by collecting some more of the construction experts, but [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus Prime]] refused as his Autobots feared that they might form Devastator again. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight}} The Decepticons eventually betrayed the Autobots and tried to take the ship for themselves (with help from [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] instead of Devastator), but were defeated. Skywatch captured most of them, but several Constructicons got away. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}} Among them was Scrapper, but he was soon hunted down and executed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], who was intent on ending the threat of Devastator forever. {{storylink|Scrapper (issue)|Scrapper}}

As the Decepticon army returned to Earth in full force under Megatron's command, one of their first acts was to lay siege to Skywatch and recover all the imprisoned 'Cons on the premises, including Scrapper's deactivated body. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man|The Demolished Man}} Hook and Mixmaster were later seen among Megatron's assembled troops before he faced off against Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}} After Megatron and the Autobots traveled to Cybertron for war against [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s army, the Decepticons eventually followed via [[space bridge]]. The Constructicons traveled with Scrapper's deactivated form and, despite his current state, were still able to combine and form Devastator, albeit with a dead limb. Devastator was still a force to be reckoned with, and so [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] armed his hoverchair with a copious amount of explosives, tricking Devastator into stepping on it. After a titanic blast, Devastator prepared to take revenge on the little Autobot when [[D-Void]] pulled him and the other Decepticons present into the mass of its "[[Deceptigod]]" construct. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings}}

The monster was defeated by Megatron, but the Decepticons were left weakened from the experience, and the Autobots soon captured and contained them. Fitted with [[inhibitor/deterrence chip]]s to keep them under control, they were used to reinforce the Autobots during a [[NAIL]] riot. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} The Constructicons later helped look for survivors in a blast crater after a mysterious explosion happened there. {{storylink|Stick Together}} They were then put to work building things for the Autobots and working in the reclamation tunnels, but eventually turned on them to aid Bombshell, who was on the run. After beating up his pursuer, [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], the Constructicons fought with [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] until [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] showed up and threatened to detonate their I/D chips. They just taunted him since [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] had made sure their chips didn't work down in the tunnels, only for Prowl to use a secret passcode to reactivate them, seemingly blowing the Constructicons' heads off. {{storylink|Devisive}}

However, Prowl was in fact under the control of Bombshell, who had merely faked the Constructicons' death and hidden them away for the purpose of improving Devastator. He fixed the problem of Scrapper's death by modifying their combination into a modular 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. After Megatron returned to conquer Cybertron, he had the Constructicons combine with the mind-controlled Prowl, using him as the new head for Devastator. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Devastator was initially under Bombshell's direct control, but after the Insecticon's death, Prowl's mind was freed and happened to stray to thoughts of Spike Witwicky. Since the Constructicons shared his hatred of Witwicky for his murder of Scrapper, this caused Devastator's mind to unify under his own control, and he went on a rampage. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} Prowl was eventually able to separate from the Constructicons, only for Megatron to reveal his ultimate plan: turning ''himself'' into Devastator's head. Fortunately he was prevented from doing so, and in the aftermath the Constructicons were banished from Iacon alongside most other Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

[[File:DetonationBoulevard-Constructicons.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67]]

Outside the city, the Constructicons approached the exiled Autobots and, after a brawl with the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], explained that they wanted to be on Prowl's side, having seen into his mind during their time as Devastator and having been ''very'' impressed by what they saw. They were allowed to stay at the Autobot camp, where they had a rematch with Arcee before it was broken up by the Dinobots, who made peace with the Constructicons after realizing they had a lot in common (namely violence and chugging energon). {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

The team fell victim to the [[Necrotitan]]'s corrosive "death wave", but were cured from its effects when the Titan was brought down by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} After that they continued to follow their new idol Prowl around, praising him at every opportunity and cheering him on during a fight with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} When Cybertron was invaded by Shockwave's army of [[Ammonite]]s, the Constructicons talked Prowl into willingly forming Devastator and fighting [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]]. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} They were victorious and went on to witness Megatron defect to the Autobots. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

The Constructicons were subsequently fashioned by Prowl into his own private unit, the Autobot having realized how useful Devastator could be. He brought the team with him on a mission to Earth, where they saved the ''[[Ark-7]]'' from burrowing human missiles and formed Devastator to fight the Decepticons under Galvatron's command. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} After the battle they returned to the ''Ark-7'' alongside the Autobots, though Scavenger sneaked off to leak information to the Decepticons {{storylink|Earthfall Part 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}} on Prowl's orders, who wanted to lure the Decepticons to the [[Marshall Islands]]. Prowl then had the Constructicons coated in stealth paint, allowing them to show up out of nowhere at the battle's climax and form Devastator, who destroyed the [[Earth Defense Command]] base on the island. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}} When the Autobots began hunting for the [[Enigma of Combination]], Prowl was all too eager to mobilize the Constructicons so that they could hunt down Spike Witwicky. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Onyx Interface Part One}} Their search took them to [[Tokyo]], where they secured their asset but ran afoul of Galvatron. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|Onyx Interface Part Two}} Prowl and Spike entered into a temporary truce, and with the help of [[Sky Lynx]] the team stormed the [[Onyx]] facility by forming Devastator. Devastator revealed that the alliance was a lie, and that Prowl still still hated the human. Devastator ultimately went berserk and ruined the mission, allowing [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] to abscond with the Enigma. Defeated and angry with each other, Prowl ordered his team to retreat back to the ''Ark-7''. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati|Onyx Interface Conclusion}}

[[File:CombinerWars5-disappointed.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"You are GROUNDED GROUNDED GROUNDED GROUNDED."]]

After Prowl learned that Optimus Prime had helped Starscream form a permanent [[Council of Worlds|alliance]] with [[Caminus]], the team hijacked the ship's new spacebridge to travel to Cybertron {{storylink|The Possible Light}}, where they formed Devastator. Prowl threatened to destroy the space bridge to keep Cybertron and its warlike inhabitants isolated from the rest of the galaxy; he was ultimately challenged by Superion. Devastator managed to best the combiner, but was defeated after Starscream created Defensor from a group of bystanders. {{storylink|Mistakes and Mayhem}} Seeking a new edge, Starscream drafted Scoop into the team, knowing that Scoop's fanaticism would force Devastator to obey his orders. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} Ultimately, however, Devastator wound up losing control in a fight with [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]; the Constructicons and Scoop were defeated and quickly re-imprisoned. {{storylink|All That Remains}}
{{-}}

===Hall of Fame bios===
[[Erector (G1)|Erector]] was kicked out of the Constructicons for not being green. {{storylink|Transformers Hall of Fame}}

==Commercial appearances==
The Constructicons were contentedly allowing gullible humans to operate them on a construction site in the desert, until they abruptly decided to transform and merge into Devastator, sending the humans fleeing. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1|Constructicons commercial}}

Years later, the Constructicons barreled into a power plant facility and started smashing stuff. Unfortunately, when they merged into Devastator and smashed open the ground, they prompted the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] to come out of the earth's depths and attack. Grimlock grabbed Devastator in his jaws and tossed him aside. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 2|G2 Constructicons commercial}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
* '''Constructicons''' (1985/1986)
**[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]
**[[Hook (G1)|Hook]]
**[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
**[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]
**[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]
**[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]

: The Constructicons were originally from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s [[Pre-Transformer]]s ''[[Diaclone]]'' toyline, specifically the Construction Vehicle Robot subset. In the [[The Transformers (toyline)|''The Transformers'' toyline]], they were sold individually as carded figures at the $6 price point, and also as a six-figure [[giftset]]. Each carded figure came with one or two pieces of combiner kibble for Devastator, which could also attach to the figure's [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] to form an attack mode.

:The individual figures feature limited articulation, typical of smaller G1 figures; most can only swivel their arms at the shoulder, and cannot move their legs at all. Each came with a small [[laser pistol]] for the individual robot to use in addition to various Devastator pieces.

:In the United States, Canada and Japan, the Constructicon toys were originally available both individually on blister cards (with the additional Devastator parts split up between them) and as a boxed Devastator [[Giftset|gift set]] that contained all six Constructicons and their accessories. On the European continent, the individual Constructicons were initially released individually by Hasbro's subsidiary [[Milton Bradley]] (MB) in 1985. Rumors are that an MB-branded Devastator giftset was also released in continental Europe, but thus far no packaged sample has surfaced.<ref name="mbredtr">[http://www.tf-1.com/articles/eurous/mb_template.html "Milton Bradley and the red TF Tracks"] at TF-1.com.</ref><ref name="mbcollection">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/transformers/mb-transformers-collection/ "MB Transformers Collection"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref> In 1986, the Constructicons were re-released in Europe, albeit this time in "Hasbro"-branded packaging (but manufactured by [[Joustra]]). The main difference with all other releases thus far was that the Constructicons' main color was now ''yellow'' instead of green.<ref name="frenchcon">[http://tfsource.com/blog/french-connection/ "French Connection"] at the TF Source blog.</ref><ref name="europestrange">[http://tfsource.com/blog/europes-strangest-attractions/ "Europe's Strangest Attractions"] at the TF Scource blog.</ref><ref name="frenchconst">[http://www.fredsworkshop.com/vjap6.html "French TFs: G1 Yellow Constructicons"] at Fred's Workshop.</ref> These are ''not'' to be confused with the later, ''non''-combining yellow European Constructicons, nor with the yellow ''Generation 2'' Constructicons (see below).

: The original Constructicons have the dubious honor of being the most heavily [[Knockoff|bootlegged]] Transformers toys in existence. Individually carded and packaged sets have persisted at Walgreens and other [[market six]] stores for years, both in the original green and purple and in entirely new decos, often without the kibble required for their combined form. Occasionally they receive delightfully creative new names like "[[Scrapper (G1)|Building]]", "[[Long Haul (G1)|Feeding]]", "[[Scavenger (G1)|Picking]]", "[[Hook (G1)|Sanitation]]", "[[Mixmaster (G1)|Disguise]]", and "[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Ravage]]".
{{-}}

* '''Devastator''' (Action Master, 1990)

{{main|Devastator (G1)#ActionMaster}}

* '''Constructicons''' (1992)

:Another yellow set of European exclusive versions of the Constructicons, in colors very similar to the previous yellow European releases. The main differences were that these versions came with no Devastator parts, Hook and Scavenger were [[retool]]ed so they could neither connect to each other nor to Bonecrusher, and several of them featured gray plastic parts exclusive to these versions (although there were [[variant]]s for some of them that changed those gray parts back to yellow).<ref name="eurovar">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/595256-1992-european-yellow-constructicons-variant.html "1992 European Yellow Constructicons Variant"] at TFW2005.</ref> These toys were also not individually named, as they came on standardized cards used for all six team members.
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
* '''Constructicons''' (1993)

:[[Redeco]]s of all six Constructicons were released individually as part of the first assortments of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' products. The first—and seemingly more common—versions were yellow like the European version from 1986, but featured a lighter purple plastic, had all spring-loaded accessories (such as Devastator's forearms and fists) [[retool]]ed to remove the firing [[gimmick]], Mixmaster didn't include the single-tabbed missile, and all six Constructicons featured a ''Generation 2''-style Decepticon [[insignia|logo]] and the word "DECEPTICON" [[tampograph]]ed on them. Aside from that, the ''Generation 2'' Constructicons were functionally identical to their Generation 1 predecessors.

:A later and seemingly less common run changed the yellow plastics to rich orange. It has been rumored that this release was only available in [[KB Toys]] stores, but not verified.

:Neither color version was available as a gift set.

===Classics===
* '''Constructicon Devastator''' (2007)

{{main|Devastator (G1)#Classics}}

[[File:Devastatorclassics.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|And then there were five.]]
: Redecos of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Construction Team]] released as a [[Walmart]] exclusive gift set, with the individual components named Scrapper, Bonecrusher, Long Haul, Scavenger, and [[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]]. The combined form is named "Constructicon Devastator" for [[trademark]] reasons.
{{-}}

===Generations===
*'''Devastator''' (Gift Set, 2015)

:Combiner Wars Devastator is an all-new mold combiner formed from six Voyager sized Constructicons. All his components will be sold together in a massive box. He will hold the record of being the tallest combiner toy when released.

==Notes==
* About a billion freaking other toys have been [[redeco]]ed in the Constructicons' familiar green-and-purple livery. Pretty much every construction vehicle mold to come down the pike has at some point been given a Constructicon-themed color scheme, been turned into some alternate universe version of a Constructicon, or has been subject to regular clamoring by the [[fandom]] for a Constructicon-themed rerelease. "Constructicon colors" is up there with "[[black repaint]]" as popular choices for redecos go.
* The Constructicons are the only Decepticons to appear in all four seasons of the American G1 Cartoon.
* Unlike practically every other Combiner, the Constructicons do not have a firmly identified leader. Most of them can make some claim to leadership.
** Scrapper: Most commonly assumed to be the leader due to having the most lines in the cartoon and constantly speaking for the whole group, as well as giving most of the orders. His ''[[The Transformers Universe]]'' profile lists him as Megatron's favorite Constructicon, and Dreamwave's ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' explicitly names him as leader. He also has the highest rank of the bunch.
** Hook: Forms the head and much of the torso, a trait shared by the other combiner leaders. He got the second highest number of lines and certainly seemed to be the one issuing all the orders in the non-flashback parts of "The Secret Of Omega Supreme". Is clearly defined as the leader in [[Transformers: Wings Universe|''Wings Universe'']].
** Mixmaster: As noted above, he was briefly indicated to have ascended to leadership in 2008 {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}, and is seen giving the orders in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" as well.
** Scavenger: [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] gives the Constructicons' orders to him in their comic debut as if he were the leader. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}
** Bonecrusher: Led the Constructicons on their mission to recover the fallen Decepticons from the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}
** Long Haul: Sorry, Long Haul, you lose again...

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Buildron''' (ビルドロン ''Birudoron'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Szerkesztettek''' (Marvel Comics), '''Konsztruktorok''' (second ''The Movie'' dub)
*''Italian:'' '''Excavators'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Wā Dì Hǔ''' (挖地虎, "Earth-digging Tiger")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Constructors''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Конструктиконы''' (''Constructicons'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Classics subgroups]]
[[Category:Combiner teams]]
[[Category:Constructicons| (G1)]]
[[Category:Decepticon subgroups]]
[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 2 subgroups]]
[[Category:Ultracons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe subgroups]]

Conspiracy

2015-09-05T19:02:06Z

He-l-en1959: some text is added

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=17
|prev=Credulous
|next=Trust (Armada)
|title="Conspiracy"
|furigana=いんぼう
|japanese=策略
|romaji=Inbō
|translation=Scheme: Conspiracy
|image=Conspiracy-Scavenger.jpg
|caption=If you want something done right...
|production code=TF: A-17
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Isao Shizuya]]
|director=[[Satoru Kusuda]], [[Shigenori Awai]]
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[January 10]], [[2003]] (English) [[May 2|2 May]] [[2003]] (Japanese)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}

'''At another battle for a Mini-Con panel, Megatron schemes to have the Star Saber handed to him.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Conspiracy-Showoff.jpg|left|200px|thumb]]
The [[Decepticon]]s are enjoying their recent success. [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] casually provokes [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] into attacking, and then tauntingly holds the tank off with the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]]. Starscream walks away, laughing, while [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]], characteristically observing events from a distance, predicts that Starscream's arrogance will cause the faction's eventual failure.

In the [[Autobot]] base, things are looking down. [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] and [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] unintentionally lay the blame with [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]]. Later, when a repaired Hot Shot is watching the sunset, his moping is interrupted by the five kids making really, really stupid faces. This display of crazy expression cheers the Autobot up. As soon as he's regained his enthusiasm, Hot Shot is called to go on another mission.

[[File:Conspiracy-Hot Shot vs Sideways.jpg|200px|thumb]]
In thick foliage, the Autobots and Decepticons all split up to search for the [[Mini-Con]]. Demolishor and Starscream again prepare to clash, but [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] puts his underlings back in line. Once the other Decepticons leave, Megatron instructs [[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] to put "the plan" in motion.

While considering his own ambitions, Starscream comes under attack from laser fire, which is heard by everybody else. Starscream, not seeing his assailant, displays his power by slashing a tree, and then almost accidentally attacks the other Decepticons.

Hot Shot runs into [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]], who transforms and drives away. Hot Shot chases after the traitor and heads right into Scavenger, who taunts Hot Shot while dodging the Autobot's attacks with ease.

[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus]], [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]], [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]], [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]], Starscream, and Demolishor engage in an open firefight. Starscream comes under fire from Leader-1 once again and, unable to see the tiny Mini-Con, again almost accidentally slices Demolishor. Megatron, however, is able to leap out and block the slash. The Decepticons inquire as to why Starscream is attacking his comrades. The airborne Con tries to explain the accident, but nobody believes him, and eventually it's agreed that Megatron should hold the Star Saber.

[[File:Conspiracy-Welcome back.jpg|left|200px|thumb]]
[[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]], remote piloted by the kids, finds the Mini-Con panel. At the same time, Demolishor's Mini-Con also finds the panel. The Autobots and Decepticons engage each other once more, and Optimus forms his Super mode. Sideways and Hot Shot again race each other. By recalling what Scavenger said earlier, Hot Shot is able to defeat the motorbike. Back at the battle, Scavenger grabs onto the Mini-Con panel, and the Decepticons return to base.

At the Decepticon base, the Mini-Con resonates with the other yellow Mini-Con panel. Scavenger then announces that his time with the Decepticons is over, though Megatron is dissatisfied with his resignation. Before leaving, Scavenger mockingly notices that Megatron's wound heales ''too quickly''. He soon arrives at the Autobot base, and Optimus orders Red Alert to let the Decepticon inside. Shaking hands with Optimus, Scavenger reveals that his entire time with the Decepticons was as an Autobot spy.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (3)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]] (5)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (7)
*[[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (14)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (22)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (23)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (24)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (28)
*[[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]] (29)

|c3=
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (9)
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (10)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang (Armada)|Alexis]] (11)
*[[Carlos Lopez (Armada)|Carlos Lopez]] (12)
*[[Rad White]] (13)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] (2)
*[[Longarm (Armada)|Longarm]] (4)
*[[Liftor]] (6)
*[[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]] (8)
*[[Dualor (Armada)|Dualor]] (15)
*[[Buzzsaw (Armada)|Buzzsaw]] (16)
*[[Oval]] (17)
*[[Spiral]] (18)
*[[Rollbar (Armada)|Rollbar]] (19)
*[[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] (20)
*[[Backtrack (Armada)|Backtrack]] (21)
*[[Sonar (Armada)|Sonar]] (25)
*[[Jetstorm (Armada)|Jetstorm]] (26)
*[[Runway (Armada)|Runway]] (27)
*[[Leader-1 (Armada)|Leader-1]] (31)
*[[Blackout (Armada)|Blackout]] (32)
*[[Mirror]] (33)
}}

==Quotes==
[[File:Conspiracy-Pondering.jpg|200px|thumb]]
"What an arrogant cretin. I bet he's going to be the one that causes the downfall of the Decepticons..."
:—'''Scavenger''' does not hold a high opinion of Starscream.

"Would you get with the program, Starscream? You're really starting to bug my system." 
"Process this: You're finished!"
:—'''Demolishor''' is tired of hearing about '''Starscream''''s sword.

"You dented my armor, you creep! I don't have to hang around here and take this! Smash you later!"
:—'''Cyclonus''' after getting a smackdown from Optimus

[[File:Conspiracy faces.jpg|200px|thumb|Whoozh a good boy? WHOOZH A GOOD BOY?]]
"You saved me?" 
"Don't flatter yourself. It was the Star Saber that I saved. Now let's blast these Autobots!"
:—As unlikely as it seems, '''Starscream''' was just saved by '''Demolishor'''.

"I'm gonna hack you into the Matrix!"
:—'''Starscream''' to Red Alert

"I'm fine, that is, long as I know that you are all right. I did it for you." 
"Oh, Megatron, sir."
:—'''Megatron''' feigns concern for '''Demolishor'''.

"If you want me to, I will take the Star Saber. I only want what's best for the Decepticons. I promise I'll keep well hidden until my wounds heal."
:—A mock-subservient '''Megatron''' offers to take the Star Saber from Starscream for the good of the Decepticons. ''Right.''

[[File:Conspiracy-Remembering advice.jpg|200px|thumb|Use the Force, Luke!]]
"You must first know yourself. Only then will you have a chance at defeating your opponent."
:—'''Scavenger''' goes Obi-Wan on Hot Shot.

"Scavenger, where will you go?" 
"Does your wound still cause you pain?" 
"What?" 
"It's amazing how fast you've healed..."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Scavenger''', who's wise to the whole plan.

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Micron Legend''===

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Smokescreen initially shoots his cable at Starscream with Red Alert, it isn't glowing.
*During the scene where the Decepticons force Starscream to give Megatron the Star Saber, Sideways's head is his Autobot head with his Decepticon head's colors.
*At one point, all of Megatron's Decepticon symbols are missing.
* Optimus mistakenly refers to his Mini-Con as Jolt.

===Trivia===
*The kanji 策略 would be pronounced as "''sakuryaku''", while "''inbō''" is used for the kanji 陰謀.
* In this episode, Megatron receives the Star Saber from Starscream. As it happens, Megatron was the only other Decepticon at this time whose toy had hands capable of holding the sword.
*In the group shot of Mini-Cons in the Decepticon base are two previously unseen members of the [[Street Speed Mini-Con Team]] (as well as their teammate Spiral, who was last seen with the Autobots in "[[Gale]]") and two members of [[Destruction Mini-Con Team]]. Also in this shot is Rollbar, whom Scavenger picked up in [[Linkage Part 3|part 3 of the Linkage comic]].
*In a super-obvious foreshadowing moment, when Starscream threatens Demolishor and Demolishor looks to his teammates for backup, Sideways tells Demolishor "I'm not taking sides."
*Scavenger, upon seeing Leader-1 enacting Megatron's plan to take Starscream's Star Saber, says "That's strange. A Mini-Con acting on its own." Apparently he is unaware that this is possible, possibly due to him spending all his time in the Milky Way with the Decepticons.
*This episode marks the third time Optimus Prime uses his super mode, and only the second time he has powerlinked with Sparkplug. He has not done either since [[Comrade|episode 4]].

===Foreign localization===
'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Csapda a ködben'''" ("A Trap in the Mist")

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Intryga'''" ("Intrigue)"

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2003 — ''Transformers: Micron Legend'' — Volume 5 ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Season One: Part One ([[Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Volume One ([[New KSM]]) — English and German audio.

[[Category:Armada episodes]]

Chromedome (G1)

2015-09-04T20:02:08Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Great Transformer War */ added the subscription

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Chromedome}}
:''Chromedome is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Chromedome manga.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"You're such a coward, Wally!"]]
In most [[universal stream]]s, '''Chromedome''' is a comparatively quiet academic. Originally a number-cruncher at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[Institute for Higher Programming]] working on ways to improve the processing power of the [[Transformer]]s' computerized minds, Chromedome found himself forcibly dragged into the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] when a [[Decepticon]] attack destroyed the facility. Chromedome put his work to use programming Autobots so they could outsmart their Decepticon foes, but alas, only wound up fostering an intellectual arms race of sorts, in which both sides competed to repurpose the newest advances in programming into military advantages. Ground down over the years by this inevitability, Chromedome has come to accept that war with the Decepticon cannot be prevented—but only won.

In some universes, Chromedome is [[binary bonding|binary bonded]] to the egotistical [[Nebulan]] [[Stylor]], who is more concerned with the finer things in life than intellectual or military pursuits. As such, the two occasionally clash, with Chromedome trying to get Stylor to be a little less superficial, and Stylor trying to bring out Chromedome's more social side, but generally speaking, they get along quite well despite their differences.

As a quiet 'bot of the mind, Chromedome has a tendency to fade into the background, but there also exist universal streams in which he has foregone science and taken to the front lines of battle to become a much more prominent figure. The Chromedome of [[#Japanese cartoon continuity|these worlds]] is barely recognisable as the reserved scientist of those more well-known realities: instead, he is a hot-headed youth [[Burning justice|burning]] with an incredible passion for justice who even serves as [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s trusted, if impulsive and occasionally-irrational, second-in-command.

Sometimes he is also known as '''Tumbler'''.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
A long time ago, on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Chromedome was part of an Autobot strike unit led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. This unit operated out of a cave dug into the [[Manganese Mountains]], and often worked to foil the schemes of their primary nemesis, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. Their last major mission on Cybertron was to upset a slave march to the [[smelting pool]]s. After that, however, Fortress Maximus revealed to the Autobots that he had grown sick of warfare, and planned to escape the endless ring of hate by immigrating to a new world altogether: [[Nebulos]]. At first, Chromedome was shocked, but eventually he and many others chose to join Fortress Maximus on his quest for peace.

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Nebulan floors apparently are built as an upward slope.]]
Upon arrival on Nebulos, Chromedome chided Brainstorm for analyzing their new home with his digital readouts rather than just looking around. Indeed, Chromedome found that Nebulos was "a paradise". But when their attempts to forge an alliance with the native [[Nebulan]]s failed (due to sabotage for political reasons), Chromedome suggested that they "talk some sense" into their new neighbors. Their unit was met with military force and Fortress Maximus ordered Chromedome and the others into the woods.

Despite these setbacks, Fortress Maximus was determined to wage peace, not war. He brought an envoy of Autobots, including Chromedome, to the Nebulan capitol of [[Koraja]] to once again plead for peace. When the Nebulans still were not totally swayed after he and his Autobots disarmed, Maximus removed his own head from his shoulders, leaving his body deactivated and inoperable in the Nebulans' care. Chromedome and three other Autobots joined their leader in his gesture. It was this gesture which finally ushered in a cease fire with the Nebulans. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:BrokenGlass-Chromedomeoof.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|As the saying goes, "Look before you boing your car into the air."]]
Chromedome and the four others who had removed their heads were kept confined within Koraja while the Council of Peers, collateral for a peaceful Autobot settlement within the forest. Soon, however, Scorponok's Decepticons followed the Autobots to Nebulos and attacked Koraja. The peaceful Nebulan [[Galen]] refused to surrender the captive Autobots to the Decepticons, but the terms of the cease fire prohibited the Autobots' heads be returned to their bodies. Instead, a loophole was sought. At first Galen and a few like-minded Nebulans attempted to operate the Autobot bodies by remote control, but this was an awkward solution. The Nebulan scientist [[Arcana]] suggested something more elegant yet groundbreaking - the Nebulans should undergo the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]], surgically altering themselves to become the heads of the Autobots! [[Stylor]] volunteered to undergo the process to become Chromedome's head, and the procedure commenced.

The new Headmaster Autobots met the Decepticons in battle, and the Decepticons were amazed at how powerful and agile their foes had suddenly become. Chromedome was able to leap out of the way of Scorponok's deadly stinger attack ''in car mode'', to Scorponok's incredulity, though he did land up-side down. When the Decepticons realized how outclassed they were, they staged a panicked retreat, and the Autobots returned to the city streets victorious. Along with the others, Chromedome removed his head so that the Nebulans could see that the terms of the cease fire were not broken, and they were met as heroes. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Chromedome thinks Fort Max is being a little passive-aggressive about the whole [[Alternate mode|altmode]] thing.]]
Despite their newfound celebrity, the populace was still wary of Chromedome and the others, so the [[Council of Peers]] arranged an inspection. Chromedome's body stood by silently as the Council of Peers expressed concerns with the Autobots' Nebulan partners. They were interrupted by a distress call from Galen's political rival, Lord [[Mo Zarak|Zarak]], who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons. Fortress Maximus led Chromedome and the other Headmasters into battle, but the kidnapping was a ruse. Zarak and his political cronies had undergone the Headmaster process themselves, but with the Decepticons! Now evenly matched, the battle turned against the Autobots when they were forced to come to the aid of the Council of Peers, after which the Decepticons shot the Autobots in the back. Scorponok and the Decepticons claimed Chromedome, his partner, and the other Autobots as prisoners. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Here they remained until Lord Zarak, with the last remaining bits of his dwindling sanity, realized the destruction he'd wrought upon his own homeworld. He set the Autobot Headmasters free, hoping to follow the Autobots to another world so they could leave Nebulos in peace. On their way out of Koraja, Chromedome and the other Headmasters battled the new Decepticon [[Targetmaster]]s. Once they escaped the Targetmasters, they returned to the Autobot camp in the forest, where the Headmasters learned of a distress signal from other Autobots on [[Earth]] and prepared to depart Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:WorldsApart-Chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Every time Chromedome says this, Furman gets a dollar.]]
''Before they left, however, the Autobot Headmasters had another encounter with their Decepticon opposite numbers. After the Targetmasters were captured by the Decepticons for analysis and dissection, Chromedome and the Headmasters went out looking for them, only to run into the Decepticon Headmasters on the way. After Chromedome stared down [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]], the Autobots regrouped to follow Mindwipe, the last of their attackers, who was apparently fleeing for safety. After entering the Decepticons' Fortress of Despair, however, Chromedome and the others realized they had been led into a trap, and were confronted by the might Scorponok and the Decepticon Targetmasters. In order to help even the odds, the Autobot Targetmasters were freed, but the Autobots weren't out of the woods yet. Chromedome singlehandedly fought Scorponok, lecturing his massive nemesis about how despite the differences between him and his partner Stylor, their shared purpose made them stronger than might alone. Ultimately, Scorponok was forced to withdraw.'' {{storylink|Worlds Apart!}}

[[File:TrialbyFire-Chromedome.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|Eek, don't tell Rewind he's still doing this.]]

During the long journey to Earth, the Autobot Headmasters had Fortress Maximus heavily upgraded into a larger, more powerful body. Once their construction was completed, Chromedome introduced Fortress Maximus's full arsenal of abilities to the others, including his battle station mode and [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]. Upon arrival, Fortress Maximus, Chromedome and the other Headmasters took a shuttle down to Earth's surface, and located the caves in [[Mount St. Hilary]] where the distress call had first been broadcast. They also found the broadcaster himself, an Autobot named [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] whose [[brain module]] had been retrofitted into a tiny electronic toy car. [[Toy Soldiers!|Long story]]. Scorponok and the Decepticon Headmasters had also come to Earth after the distress call, however, and a battle broke out. The battle proved costly, as Galen died protecting an Earthling from Scorponok. He passed on his control helmet to this boy, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], leaving Fortress Maximus and the Autobots in his hands. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Fortress Maximus's group of Autobots inevitably met up with the group of Earthbound Autobots led by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. Unfortunately, Grimlock was difficult to deal with, and so their meetup somehow resulted in a battle for Autobot supremacy between Grimlock and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Chromedome disembarked along with the rest of the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' crew to watch the fight. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

When the [[Micromaster]] [[Air Strike Patrol]] raided [[MacDill Air Force Base]], returned Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] led nearly all of the Autobots' forces to its rescue, including Chromedome. But when Optimus began to suspect fowl play from a third party, he ordered the Autobots to retreat back to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] without him. At first they were hesitant to leave their leader behind, but Chromedome and the others eventually agreed. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}}

[[File:EyeoftheStorm-legquest.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.85|And so Prime sez back, "Maybe if you were [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] [[Yesterday's Heroes!|I would care]]."]]
Soon it was learned that the vengeful chaos god [[Unicron]], their forgotten enemy, had learned the location of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and was headed there to destroy the Transformers' creator [[Primus]]. Since the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] was the only thing that could destroy him, Optimus Prime sent teams to find it. However, the new Decepticon leader [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] returned with it instead, and Chromedome and the other Autobots on board fought the Matrix-possessed [[Pretender]]. The corporeal form of the Matrix's increasing evil influences grabbed Chromedome and tried to throw him at [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], but missed. Good for Blurr, but not so great for Chromedome. {{storylink|All Fall Down}} After Thunderwing was defeated (and unfortunately the Matrix as well), Chromedome was sent to [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] for repairs. He snarked to [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] that he'd had enough of the [[Matrix Quest]], and was ready for a "leg quest." Chromedome was still being repaired when Optimus Prime announced over the Ark's communications system that he was surrendering the Autobots to Scorponok's Decepticons in the desperate hope that it would encourage an alliance between them against Unicron. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}}

Ultimately, the Transformers were transported to Cybertron to face Unicron. Like any very smart individual, he was last seen transforming into his car mode and driving away as fast as he absolutely could. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Final Conflict}} {{storylink|Stylor's Story}}}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
Following the invasion of Cybertron by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Blitz Engine]]s, Chromedome was last seen in car mode driving towards them very fast, alongside [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Siren]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]. That perhaps wasn't so smart. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} He managed to make it out all right, though, as after the battle it was reported that he had successfully been reunited with his original head on Nebulos, and Stylor's Headmaster process had been reverse-engineered so that he could reintegrate with Nebulan society. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)|[[Franz Rudnick]] (German, ''The Rebirth, Part 1''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''The Rebirth, Part 2 & 3'')}}

[[File:Rebirth3 chromedome.jpg|thumb|225px|Chromedome eagerly awaits the cue to speak his one line in the entire series.]]
Chromedome was stationed on Cybertron in 2007 when the combined forces of the Decepticons attacked the planet with the intention of opening the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. Chromedome and his allies were able to steal back the key to the chamber, but not before a bolt of its energy was briefly released, hurling them and their shuttle across the galaxy. Eventually, the shuttle began to slow, as Chromedome noted its engines had finally burned out, but it still had enough momentum to lead it to crash on a nearby alien world. The Autobots survived the crash, but before long, they were captured by a cell of rebel natives, who mistook them for robotic agents of the planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]]. Imprisoned and facing execution by magnetic bombs, Chromedome kept his cool, calmly inquiring as to the name of the planet, and was given his answer by [[Duros]]: [[Nebulos]]. Before the rebels could destroy the Autobots, a squad of Decepticons arrived to steal back the Plasma Energy Chamber key, and although Chromedome helped repel them by hurling the magnetic bombs, the villains managed to abduct several of the Autobots. Chromedome, [[Brainstorm]], [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] tried to give chase, but found their way barred by the Hive's machines. Returning to the rebels' base, they learned the story behind the Hive and their machines, and decided to employ a theory devised by Brainstorm that would see the Nebulans bond with the Autobots as "Headmasters" to help defeat by the Decepticons and the Hive. The enthusiastic Chromedome was the first to volunteer for the process, and was bonded to rebel strategist Stylor. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

[[File:Rebirth2 chromedome and stylor.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.15|You know what they say about people who dress like their cars...]]
Chromedome and his fellow new-born Headmasters proceeded to smash their way through the Hive's machines and rescue their friends from the Decepticons; during the battle, Chromedome personally shot down [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. This defeat prompted the Hive and the Decepticons to join forces to become Headmasters and [[Targetmaster]]s themselves, and when they attacked once more, Chromedome and [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] found themselves no match for the [[Horrorcon]]s. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}

With the key back in their hands, the Decepticons departed Nebulos and returned to Cybertron, which [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] then moved into Earth orbit, planning to destroy both worlds by opening the Plasma Energy Chamber and using its energy to explode the [[Sun]]. Chromedome and the Autobots followed them, but when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] insisted that the Plasma Energy Chamber key ''not'' be destroyed (in accordance with the wishes of [[Vector Sigma]]), their Nebulan allies rebelled and ran off, leaving Chromedome and the other Headmasters stuck in vehicle form. Following their partners into the bowels of the Decepticon city-robot Scorponok, Chromedome and the Autobots were captured, but were thankfully saved by the arrival of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and his new creation, Fortress Maximus. Subsequently, the Plasma Energy Chamber was deactivated and the Decepticons were exiled to deep space, and with the [[Golden Age]] of Cybertron restored, Chromedome returned to Nebulos with the Headmasters and Targetmasters to help to eradicate every last trace of the Hive's evil from the planet. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{-}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:FlashForward3-Headmasters.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|My head, uh, lost some weight.]]
Following [[Hi-Q]]'s kidnapping, Chromedome turned out with Highbrow, Crosshairs and Brainstorm to brief [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]'s team. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Chromedome is a small robot who transforms into a head and controls a larger, lifeless [[Transtector]] body. The Headmasters toyline referred to the small robot as "Chrome", with "Chromedome" being the name of the combined small robot/Transtector form, but this distinction of nomenclature is made in fiction only very rarely, with the character usually being referred to as "Chromedome" regardless of what form he takes.}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Hideyuki Hori]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:Hmep8 chromedome and abel.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Oh, where is your silicon, baby?]]
Four million years ago, Chromedome and his friends [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]] and [[Abel]] were among a group of [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronians]] who departed Cybertron under the leadership of Fortress, seeking to escape the eternal war that had consumed the planet. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their craft to crash-land on the planet Master, an inhospitable world whose murderous environments and wildly changeable atmospheric conditions threatened the lives of the Cybertronians almost as soon as they stepped off their ship and were caught in a desert of sinking sands. The need for survival fostered several technological advances, and the Cybertronians fought against the odds to make a life for themselves on the planet. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} This relative peace was eventually disrupted, however, when a shadowy ninja able to transform into six different modes attacked an [[energon]] mining facility on the planet. Abel tried to drive him off, only for the ninja to brutally murder Abel and his militia group in front of Chromedome's eyes. As he cradled his friend's dead body, Chromedome felt hatred towards evil-doers for the first time in his life and vowed vengeance against the Decepticon. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:Headmasters tf stuck.jpg|thumb|225px|A ''Body''master technology?..]]
When the scientists of Master made their next quantum leap of technology with the creation of larger, lifeless Transformer bodies called [[Transtector]]s, Chromedome and many of his comrades underwent rigorous physical and mental training to master the art of [[transformation]], learning to transform into heads that connected to the Transtectors, placing them under their control. While Jack unfortunately washed out of the program, {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} Chromedome was one of ten warriors who became one of these elite "Headmasters" (even if he ''did'' have a little trouble getting his Transtector to transform the first time out). Unfortunately, half their number soon rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding against him with a traitor named [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], who soon forged an alliance with the Decepticon leader, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[File:Hmep2 chromedome.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Perspective by [[Pat Lee]].]]
In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Chromedome and his fellow Autobot Headmasters traveled to the planet to help their comrades defend their homeworld. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Making a dramatic entrance in the middle of the conflict, Chromedome grappled with [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] and helped [[Brainstorm]] thwart [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s hypnotism, before Fortress's Battleship Maximus forced the Decepticon off. The Autobot Headmasters then formally introduced themselves to Cybertron's Autobots, and Chromedome proposed that they accompany [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] to Earth to help him search for the missing [[Matrix of Leadership]], needed to stabilize the malfunctioning [[Vector Sigma]]. [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] argued against the notion, and he and Chromedome immediately started fighting, so Hot Rod sidelined them for the moment and headed to Earth with [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] instead. Blaster perished during the search, and the emotionally shaken Wheelie told Chromedome they were now counting on him and the Headmasters. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Chromedome's team quickly joined Hot Rod on Earth and held off the Decepticon Headmasters while Hot Rod recovered the Matrix. Together, the group returned to Cybertron, where Hot Rod used the Matrix to become [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] once more, but he was unable to stabilize Vector Sigma in time, forcing [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] to sacrifice his life to do so. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

When the Decepticons unveiled their newest invention, the [[Madmachine]], Chromedome's plan to attack [[Chaar]] directly was shot down. He and the Headmasters then acted like a bunch of insensitive pricks to the Autobot Cassettes, who were still mourning the loss of Blaster, but pulled their heads out of their butts when Blaster was resurrected as Twincast. They then helped the [[Throttlebot]]s defend Cybertron against the Madmachine, destroying the evil device. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} A little later, Chromedome and Hardhead hunted down a stowaway on Battleship Maximus, only for it to turn out to be [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]] and Wheelie. With the two youngsters at their side, Chromedome and the Headmasters then went on to help liberate the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] from Decepticon control. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} Daniel was also instrumental in destroying the Decepticons' metal-warping meteor [[Metamorphose]], and Chromedome and the Headmasters helped hold the Decepticon forces off so the boy could complete his task. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

[[File:Hmep7 chromedome crossheadon.jpg|thumb|225px|Chromehead or Harddome?]]
Investigating word of a Decepticon attack on the planet [[Praum]], Chromedome and the Autobot Headmasters found themselves caught in a trap sprung by their old enemy Scorponok. Trapped in a subterranean chamber with the planet's endless desert sands pouring in on top of them, the Headmasters recalled their early days on Master, and decided to try their head-swapping "[[Head Formation|Cross-Head On]]" technique to boost their power and free themselves. Chromedome ''meant'' to switch heads with Highbrow, but accidentally wound up on top of Hardhead's Transtector instead. Nevertheless, the idea worked, and the freed Headmasters took the fight to the Decepticons, with Chromedome pummelling Galvatron himself. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hmep8 chromedome ninjastar.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
After a sextet of mysterious blackmailers threatened six nations on Earth, the Headmasters staked out [[New York City]], where Chromedome took offense to his team-mates comparing the Statue of Liberty's looks to [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]'s. Hop-scotching around the globe trying and failing to keep up with the blackmailers, the Headmasters were at the end of their rope, and subsequently began fighting with the [[Trainbot]]s when they found out they taken Daniel and Wheelie shopping in Japan. Chromedome had the decency to feel like a jerk when Daniel got upset at the fight, and calmed down long enough to apologise. Looking at a ninja star Daniel had bought in Japan, Chromedome was suddenly reminded of the shadowy ninja's visit to Master years beforehand. Realizing that they were not dealing with six blackmailers, but with that selfsame six-changing ninja, Chromedome and the Headmasters made peace with the Trainbots and worked together to stop the mysterious mech and uncover his true identity: the Decepticon ninja commander, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]! Sixshot was able to escape justice, but the long-standing desire Chromedome had for revenge over Abel's murder had been reawakened in the Headmaster's heart. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[File:Hm10 chromedome telepathy.jpg|thumb|A little known fact is Chromedome's Autobot symbol on his chest is ALSO his weak point. How do you think he found out Scorponok's?]]
Chromedome and Hardhead were investigating the Decepticons' movements on Earth when the villains' assembled forces staged a massive attack on Cybertron in order to obtain the new alloy, [[cybertonuron]], that had been developed by Vector Sigma. The duo headed straight to Cybertron and regrouped with their allies, launching into battle with the Decepticon Headmasters. During the fight, however, their enemies mysteriously pulled out, {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} so the Headmasters split up to hunt them down. After locating the Decepticons, Chromedome used his Headmaster powers to telepathically summon his allies to his side so they could keep Weirdwolf and [[Skullcruncher]] busy while he chased Mindwipe through Cybertron's subterranean tunnels. Chromedome caught up to Mindwipe in Vector Sigma's chamber, where the Decepticon hypnotist revealed he was planting bombs that would destroy the planet. All attempts to remove the bombs failed, forcing Chromedome to return to the surface and sound the alarm. The Transformers all withdrew from Cybertron, which was then devastated when the bombs exploded. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:Hm11 chromedome arcee dance.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Oh, Calculon!]]
Despite this sad turn of events, punctuated by the departure of Rodimus Prime and the appointment of Fotress as leader in his place, the Autobots pressed on, and even held a party to announce the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and [[human]]ity, during which Chromedome danced with Arcee. It wasn't all good news, however: Chromedome and the Headmasters failed to prevent Sol 1 from falling into Decepticon hands, and were forced to destroy it rather than let their enemies keep it. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Chromedome's team was at least able to get one in the win column when they helped saved a South American village from a Decepticon-instigated volcanic eruption. Chromedome was given a necklace by village girl [[Alyssa]] as thanks. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} Later, Chromedome joined in the defence of [[San Francisco]] when the city was attacked by the Decepticons with [[Buridanka|a giant carnivorous plant]]. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

When Spike, Daniel, Wheelie and the Trainbots uncovered a Decepticon plot to destroy [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], Chromedome and the Headmasters headed straight to the red planet to aid them. After defeating [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and rescuing Daniel and Wheelie, however, the Headmasters were caught in a trap and used as bait to lure Battleship Maximus into position so it could be immobilized. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Chromedome's team fought on against the Decepticon Headmasters and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], but when Scorponok arrived with his new ultimate weapon—a gigantic Transtector of his own—the fight was lost. Although Chromedome and the Autobots were able to escape, Mars was destroyed by Scorponok's [[plasma energy]] bombs. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:Hmep16 chromedome wobbles.jpg|thumb|225px|Chromedome fails miserably at the Soulja Boy dance.]]
Furious after the destruction of Mars, Chromedome was determined to get revenge, despite Fortress's orders. He and Hardhead hid themselves in the Maximus's cargo hold in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], and when the ship went on patrol on the fringes of Decepticon territory, the pair ejected and headed for Chaar on their own. Much to their irritation, however, Autobot deep-cover agent [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] had been given information on their movements, and fed it to Scorponok, who deployed the Decepticon Headmasters and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] to intercept the pair and see them off. Subsequently, Chromedome joined in the Autobot attack on Scorponok's coronation on Earth's moon. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Later, Chromedome helped deliver energy to the stricken world of [[Sandra (G1)|Sandra]] by abandoning his Transtector and leaving it to serve as a decoy while he and Hardhead took a small shuttlecraft to the planet. When the Decepticons attacked the planet, Chromedome and Hardhead, still in their small robot forms, used their diminutive size to win the battle by sneaking bombs onto Scorponok's Transtector. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hmep18 chromedome vs sixshot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Wildcat Rescue Force!]]
Chromedome joined the Headmasters and Trainbots in serving as bodyguards for Spike when he met with Galvatron to discuss the unlikely possibility of the Autobots and Decepticons working on energy research together. When a report from Punch revealed that the "Galvatron" Spike was talking with was actually an impostor, Chromedome had the Trainbots stage a diversion so he could burst in on the negotiations and reveal the deception. The false Galvatron was revealed to be Sixshot in disguise, and a fierce battle erupted between Chromedome and the ninja that ran all down the shoreline. Seeing through Sixshot's tricks, Chromedome wounded him and forced him to retreat. It was discovered that the Decepticons had staged the phoney negotiations to cover for their departure on an interplanetary energy quest, and Chromedome joined the Autobots in pursuing them aboard Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}}

[[File:Hm19 chromedome makk energymoat.jpg|thumb|225px]]
On the Decepticons' trail through space, the Autobots discovered a ruined ship from [[Hive (planet)|Hive]] floating in space, victims of a Decepticon attack. Chromedome investigated the wreck and discovered [[Makku's father|a survivor]], but the alien did not live long, clinging to life just enough to give Chromedome [[Medal of Valour|a medallion]] to pass down to his son. As they drew closer to Hive, Battleship Maximus came under fire from the suspicious natives, and while Fortress insisted on showing non-resistance, Chromedome's fiery temper flared, and he headed down to the planet's surface on his own to try and speak with Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. On Hive, he met the soldier's son, [[Makku]], who helped him gain an audience with the queen and convince her that the Autobots were on their side. Of course, the Decepticons chose that moment to strike, and Chromedome was blasted into the energy moat around the queen's castle by Galvatron and Sixshot. Luckily, with Makku's help, Chromedome was able to absorb energy from the moat and leap back into the middle of the battle, joining with the other Headmasters in using the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon to force the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}}

Shadowing the Decepticons on their way to their next target, the worlds of [[Twin Star]], Chromedome suggested attacking the Decepticons in the void of space. Brainstorm chided him for not thinking his actions through, and the pair started arguing, until Brainstorm's brains helped win the fight on Twin Star. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} On their next stop, the planet [[Daros]], Chromedome's team used the Master Shot again to force the Decepticon off, but sadly not before the Decepticons killed a [[Beastformer]] named [[Tekna]]. In death, however, Tekna left them with a piece of microfilm supposedly containing coded information on Scorponok's weak spot. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}}

[[File:Hm22 chromedome repairs.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Head On! Neck Wrung!]]
While conducting exterior repairs on Battleship Maximus on the way to the planet [[Paradise]], Chromedome goofed pretty badly when he punched the ship's hull in frustration, jostling loose a few important components and sending them floating off into space. Although he was able to fix his mistake, the delay necessitated that Highbrow go on ahead to Paradise, where he was captured by the Decepticons. Once they made it to Paradise, the worried Chromedome led the Headmasters to Highbrow's rescue, and they performed the [[Head Formation]] to power up their team-mate. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Soon after, Chromedome helped battle the Decepticons on [[Pirate Planet]]. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

With the Decepticons' energy raids done, the Headmasters to Athenia. Sadly, Chromedome's team was unable to prevent [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s death at the hands of Sixshot on Earth, but they did arrive in time to deliver a ferocious Head Formation-powered beating to the six-changer. Chromedome's hatred of the ninja only grew. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Magnus's death only galvanized the Decepticons into more aggressive action, and the Autobots were spread thin fighting back. Chromedome and his team followed Galvatron to [[Alaska]], where they used information from Punch to pinpoint his weak spot—his head—and defeat him, entombing him in ice using the power of the Head Formation. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:IRiskMyLifeForEarth-Letgoofme.jpg|thumb|225px|So many inappropriate caption choices, so little space.]]
Galvatron's demise allowed Scorponok to take leadership of the Decepticons, and he initiated a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. When Spike realized what they were planning, Chromedome escorted him to Earth to present his findings, only for [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] to come under attack by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and Sixshot. Consumed with rage, Chromedome rushed to engage Sixshot, and the unprotected Spike was wounded by Trypticon. The Trainbots and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] forced the Decepticons off, but Chromedome was consumed with guilt and anger. He started blaming everyone else, including Fortress, claiming it never would have happened if he had allowed them to take out the Decepticons' Earth base, and in his frenzy, tried to leave for Earth to take care of it himself. Restrained by Hardhead, Chromedome was consigned to Athenia by Fortress, deemed incapable of leading due to his emotional statue. While the other Headmasters headed to Earth to engage the Decepticons on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Chromedome turned his attention to the coded information left to them by Tekna. With Daniel and Wheelie's help, Chromedome was finally able to decode the microfilm and identify Scorponok's weak spot, and raced to Earth to pass it on to Fortress. With Chromedome's information, Fortress was able to defeat Scorponok, and force him and the Decepticons off the Earth. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm27 chromedome hardhead cross head on.jpg|left|thumb|225px| Head Off!]]
With the Decepticons gone from Earth, the Autobots set about removing all traces of their evil from the planet. Chromedome and Hardhead were charged with removing the plasma bombs planted along the Ring of Fire, and things were going well until a volcanic tremor caused Chromedome to drop one of the bombs, setting off its timer. Switching heads with Hardhead to boost their strength and courage, the pair ran through the waves of magma and collapsing rock walls, successfully getting the bombs to the surface so Battleship Maximus could take them into space. The intention was to let the bombs detonate harmlessly in the void, but on the way to jettison them, the Maximus encountered a ship from Master containing a group of refugees, pursued by a team of Decepticons. A newly arrived team of elite Autobots—[[Pointblank (G1)|Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—set out to rescue the Master refugees, when the bombs detonated, causing a plasma explosion that fused the refugees and the Autobots and Decepticons together, creating the [[Targetmaster]]s. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Chromedome took an immediate and strong dislike to Pointblank, who considered the Headmasters weak and undisciplined.

[[File:Hm28 chromedome shoots jack.jpg|thumb|225px|So you see, we shouldn't be mad at Jack for leaving us. We should be mad at that [[Decepticon|fruity little club]] for [[Mindwipe (G1)|scrambling his brains]]!]]
Learning from the Master refugees that Scorponok's Decepticons had returned to Master and were causing chaos there, Chromedome returned to his adopted homeworld with the Autobots to help defend the natives. Soon after his arrival, he was reunited with his old friend Jack, who at first pretended like he did not know him: The sight of the successful Headmaster that Chromedome had become reminded him of how he had failed in the same pursuit. Chromedome wouldn't stand for his friend's guff, telling him that just because he was a Headmaster, it didn't mean he was better than Jack, whose incredible scientific mind had helped create Battleship Maximus and the [[Master Sword]]. Jack apologised and welcomed Chromedome properly, but after they parted ways, Sixshot struck, impersonating Chromedome and kidnapping Jack so that the Decepticons could torture information on the composition of the Master Sword out of him. Jack refused to give them any information, so instead, the villains planted a bomb in his body and Mindwipe hypnotised him to walk into Battleship Maximus. The horrified Chromedome was forced to shoot Jack to stop him, and the bomb detonated, taking his life. His hatred of Sixshot burning stronger than ever, Chromedome blasted off the ninja's arms, and was set to pursue him until Pointblank held him back. In the wake of the battle, Chromedome and Pointblank confronted each other, mutually concluding that they didn't ''like'' each other, but they respected one another, and would fight together in the future. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:Hm29 chromedome daniel rescue wheelie.jpg|left|thumb|225px|...And then Chromedome locked that closet door, never to be opened again.]]
Having failed to pry information on the Master Sword from Jack, the Decepticons kidnapped Wheelie in order to ransom him for the data they needed to construct a weapon to counter it. Although Chromedome and Daniel snuck into Scorponok's Transtector and rescued Wheelie, the fight broke out over the data disk, and the Decepticons were able to make off with it. Chromedome, Wheelie and Daniel were charged with cleaning Battleship Maximus for their breach of the rules. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} Using the stolen data, Scorponok created the [[Zarak Shield]], despite Chromedome and his allies' attempts to stop them. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 pointblank decks chromedome.jpg|thumb|225px|LET ME SHOW YOU THE DANCE OF MY PEOPLE!]]
While discussing what the Autobots' next step should be, Chromedome opposed the Targetmasters' plan of luring the Decepticons into space, believing that they might lose them, and advocating a hard strike now before they left Master. The Targetmaters dismissed his plan out of hand, prompting an angry Chromedome to go off on his own an set up a meeting with the young warriors of Master, led by [[Kirk]]. He soon brought the other Headmasters in to join the effort, and together, they formulated a plan that involved luring the Decepticons into the confines of a nearby cloudy mountain range. The plan went wrong, however, when Scorponok emerged from beneath the planet's surface right in the middle of a city, and many of the young warriors died in the disorganized response. Chromedome was forced to call the warriors off, and to make matters worse, Fortress's Master Sword was bested by the Zarak Shield. The victorious Decepticons departed Master, heading back to Earth, while Pointblank punched some sense into Chromedome, blaming him for the entire debacle. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

[[File:Hm32 chromedome sixshot daniel.jpg|left|thumb|225px|"Stop, don't hurt Uncle Sixshot! He's so stylized and cool!"]]
The Autobots quickly gave chase, catching up to the Decepticons in space, but the battle that resulted led to Sixshot and Daniel being stranded on the barren planet [[Daira]]. The Autobots were able to track them down after a while, but Chromedome was unconvinced by Daniel's claims that Sixshot was a noble warrior who had protected him. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Soon after, when Scorponok had to set down in the asteroid belt for repairs, the Autobots caught up another battle broke out. Sixshot decided to settle their rivalry once and for all, and challenged Chromedome to a climactic one-on-one duel on the asteroid [[Juno]]. Chromedome accepted the challenge, refusing to listen to the protestations of Fortress or Daniel, and even punching Brainstorm when he offered to fight as his second, taking it as a slight to his abilities. Ironically, it was Pointblank who supported Chromedome's decision, understanding his feelings because he had been brash and impassioned in his own youth. The pair's fated duel began, but before long, Daniel got in the middle of the fight and tried to stop his two friends from killing each other. A definite outcome was denied Chromedome, however, when bombs Scorponok had planted on the asteroid in an effort to destroy Sixshot began to detonate, forcing the combatants to break off their battle. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 chromedome hardhead hypnotised.jpg|thumb|225px]]
Thanks to the delay caused by Chromedome's duel, the Decepticons beat the Autobots back to Earth, and began causing chaos, erecting energy-discharging "[[Death Tower]]s" composed from [[crysmagnetal]] around the planet. Upon landing, Chromedome and the Autobots had to rush off to rescue the human victims of a plane crash caused by the Decepticons, which included Daniel's parents. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} After trying and failing to stop the erection of another Death Tower in [[Egypt]], Chromedome and the assembled Autobot army followed the Decepticons to the North Pole for a final mighty battle. During the fight, Chromedome and Hardhead were hit by Mindwipe's hypnotism, but were saved by Twincast and his cassettes. With the Death Towers creating a field of energy that was threatening to tear the Earth apart, Chromedome and the Headmasters joined in Head Formation, hoping to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus and give him the strength to destroy Scorponok and the crysmagnetal. Their own energies were not enough, but at Daniel's suggestion, they expanded their formation to include the assembled Autobot forces. Thus combined in "Final Formation", they provided Fortress with the energy he needed, and the Earth was saved.

Following their defeat at the North Pole, the Decepticons were finally expelled from Earth, and the Autobots prepared to follow them. Chromedome assured Daniel that although the Autobots were leaving, the peace they had brought to the Earth was here to stay. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{-}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[File:KPBraveMax.jpg|thumb|100px]]
Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Chromedome, Fortress and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented Transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}} {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Great Transformer War''====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Hey, why are you white? - It is the winter camouflage, dude!]]
In the closing days of 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged on Earth and across space, Chromedome and his fellow Autobot Headmasters were active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], battling their Decepticon counterparts. It seemed that their foes were able to escape them by leaping into a crevasse, but moments later, they came bursting out of the ground beneath the Autobots' feet. Chromedome and company, however, were able to use this to their advantage by sneaking away under cover of the dust cloud the villains' emergence had created. When the cloud cleared, the Decepticons realized they had been beating up each other, and were then promptly flattened as Chromedome and the Autobots ran them over in vehicle mode. The tide of battle turned suddenly with the arrival of the Decepticon ninja [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], who blasted Chromedome's team to cover the Decepticon Headmasters' escape. Informed by their leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] that the Decepticons were heading for Cybertron, Chromedome and the other Headmasters set out after them aboard Fortress's Battleship Maximus, with Chromedome particularly excited at the prospect of meeting [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}
{{-}}

====''The Headmasters'' manga====
[[File:Hmmanga chromedome snatches bomb.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Shortly after Optimus Prime gave up his life to stabilize Vector Sigma, Chromedome and the Headmasters attended the unveiling of a [[Optimus Prime memorial|bronze statue]] dedicated to Prime's memory on Athenia. Chromedome spoke for the Headmasters, proclaiming Prime the greatest warrior that ever lived. The ceremony was then interrupted by the arrival of the Decepticons in Athenian space, and the Headmasters rocketed off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them. This, it turned out, was part of the Decepticons' plans, as they intended to hurl a bomb into the Maximus when the Headmasters exited it, but Chromedome moved too fast for the Decepticons, disconnecting from his Transtector and snatching the bomb out of Mindwipe's hands. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

[[File:Hmmanga chromedome hardhead vines.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Chromedome and the Autobot Headmasters headed to planet Beast and split up into two teams to search. Chromedome and Hardhead had the misfortune to stumble into the clutches of [[Reproganmar|some energy-draining vines]], but were cut free by [[Kane]], the Beastformers' human ally. Kane led them to the Decepticon camp, where Brainstorm and Highbrow had been taken prisoner, and proceeded to create a distraction that allowed the two captive Autobots to break free. Kane was then pursued by the Decepticon Headmasters, but Chromedome's team followed them, and took the villains out. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

Investigating news of a Decepticon attack on an energy plant in Alaska, Chromedome and the Headmasters were caught by surprise by the Decepticon Headmasters, and prevented from combining with their Transtectors. At first they were forced to flee from the Decepticons' bestial Transtectors, but soon, they were able to execute a "Southern Cross Jump" that carried them over the Decepticons' heads and allowed them to reconnect with their bodies. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}} Later, Chromedome's team went to Earth with the Trainbots to look into reports of the Decepticons stealing energy under the sea, and foiled their plan by destroying their robot squid through teamwork. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 3|The Headmasters #3}} Unfortunately, they had less success when they tried to stop Sixshot from stealing a capsule of emergency food rations, as the Decepticon ninja disappeared in a flash of smoke. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 4|The Headmasters #4}}

[[File:Hmmanga charge arrow.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
On an unknown alien world, Chromedome and Daniel discovered the legendary weapon known as the "[[Charge Arrow]]", and Chromedome felt that with its power in his hands, he could become the greatest warrior in the universe. [[Apeface]] and [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] then attacked, and when Chromedome attempted to use the Charge Arrow on them, he discovered he was not worthy enough to control its fabled energies. Knocked unconscious by the Horrorcons' attack, Chromedome had a vision of his Transtector telling him that he was worthy, if only he believed it. Awakening to see the two Decepticons' advancing on Daniel, Chromedome sprang into action, and, fuelled by the need to save his friend, successfully fired the Charge Arrow, frying the Horrocons. When Daniel inquired if he regretted using up the one-shot weapon, Chromedome replied that a warrior is not defined by his weapon. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 5|The Headmasters #5}}

Chromedome and the Headmasters were handing out Christmas presents at a Japanese children's hospital when the Decepticon Headmasters attacked. Chromedome had the Trainbots get as many patients to safety as possible before he and the Headmasters unleashed their "Hell's Great Wheel" attack, sending their enemies whirling off into the sky. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 6|The Headmasters #6}} Not long after, on New Year's Day, Chromedome, Daniel and the Autobots' two newest Targetmasters, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]], responded to a raging fire in [[Shinjuku]]. They were suddenly attacked by the Decepticon Targetmasters, who had started the fire, and were unable to fight back because they were focused on saving lives. Once Fortress Maximus put out the fire by dumping water on it from above, however, Chromedome and his allies were freed up to turn all their firepower on the Decepticons, sending them packing. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

[[File:Hm manga8 master chrome hurricane.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
Soon after the Decepticons' defeat at the North Pole, but before the Autobots' departed the planet, Chromedome gathered with Wheelie, Spike, Daniel and [[Carly]] to say goodbye. The tearful farewell was interrupted by the arrival of [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]], who had been ordered to stay behind on the planet by Scorponok. Chromedome attempted to attack him, but Soundblaster deployed [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] to hold the Witwickys hostage and prevent Chromedome from making a move. It was Daniel who saved the day by leaping on Slugfest and covering his eyes, causing him to run into Overkill, and freeing up Chromedome to hurl Soundblaster over the horizon with his "Master Chrome Hurricane" technique. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8|The Headmasters #8}}
{{-}}

====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between the planet Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. Chromedome and his fellow Headmasters had further training under the tutelage of Pointblank and the Targetmasters, and grew into mature warriors, who went on to help train the next generation of [[Autobot Master Warrior]]s.

With the space bridge destroyed, travel between Athenia and Earth became severely limited, and so, when news of a [[Devil Z|new Decepticon threat]] rising on Earth reached the Autobots in space from [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] on Earth, it proved difficult to spare any troops. This need fostered another scientific leap: the scientists of Master developed the [[Master-Brace|Masterforce system]], which would allow human beings to bond with Transtectors and defend Earth while the Autobots continued to fight in space. Chromedome participated in the project, and arranged for six Transtectors and six sets of [[Master-Brace]]s to be sent to Earth on a transport ship. Unfortunately, the ship was intercepted by the Decepticons in transit, and half its cargo was stolen, leading to the birth of [[Headmaster Junior]]s on both the Autobot and Decepticon side. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' cartoon, the other is told through the ''Masterforce'' [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|manga]]. Chromedome plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[File:Mfep4 chromedomes message.jpg|thumb]]
{{voiceactor|[[Hideyuki Hori]] (Japanese)|[[Rik Thomas]] (English, Omni Productions dub)}}

After giving the Transtectors to the three human children, [[Shūta Gō|Shūta]], [[Cab]] and [[Minerva (Masterforce)|Minerva]], transforming them into the Autobots' new Headmaster Junior warriors, Metalhawk informed them of Chromedome's role in their new powers. Shūta had heard his [[Professor Gō|father]] speak of Chromedome before and expressed a desire to meet him, so Metalhawk played a recorded message that Chromedome had sent them. Evidently recorded in the middle of battle, the short but sweet missive had Chromedome inform them that fighting was only worsening out in space, and that he hoped they would all fight their hardest on Earth as well. The Headmasters Juniors all thought Chromedome was cool, and vowed not to let him down. {{storylink|Birth! Headmaster Jrs}}
{{-}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' manga====
Cajoled by Shūta, Cab and Minerva into allowing them to become Headmaster Juniors, Metalhawk explained to them the origins of the Transtectors and Master-Braces, and Chromedome's role in the process, before giving them to the kids. {{storylink|Headmaster Jrs Are Born}}

[[File:Mfmanga raiden chromedome scramble7.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.95]]

The Headmaster Juniors later got a chance to meet Chromedome in person when they and Ginrai were brought by the Trainbots to Athenia, so that Ginrai could be appointed [[Supreme Commander]] of all Autobots. After the ceremony, Fortress headed back to Master, and Chromedome was left in charge of Athenia, only for the Decepticons to attack during the night. Chromedome was quick into battle, but he and [[Raiden (Headmasters)|Raiden]] were cut down by a blast from the Decepticon combiner [[Scramble 7]] even quicker. Ginrai was able to end the threat, but the battle only proved that the Decepticons on Earth had joined forces with the Decepticons in space, and so the Autobots elected to do the same to better combat their enemies. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}} Soon after, when the space-based Decepticon commander [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] began heading for Earth, Chromedome, his fellow Headmasters, Raiden and [[Grand Maximus]] all gave chase. Chromedome was no match for the mighty Decepticon, however, and was beaten back, unable to stop his advance on the planet. As soon as BlackZarak reached Earth, however, Ginrai was able to trick both him and the Earth-based Decepticon leader [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] into injuring each other, and Chromedome and his allies cheered for Ginrai's success. {{storylink|God Ginrai's Amazing Super-God Combination!}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
[[File:HeadlessChromedomeandHardhead-ASO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
During a period when the Autobots on Nebulos were low on lubricant, [[Hot Rod]] dispatched [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and Chromedome to search for a legendary lost lake of oil. They searched a possible valley with their Headmaster partners, but [[Stylor]] reported back with no luck. Looking for [[Duros]]'s return, Chromedome transformed into his headless [[robot mode]] to get a better view across the plains. When Duros returned with a clear signal on his geo-sensors, the Headmasters traced the spot. Hardhead used sonic shell as a non-inflammatory means of drilling down to the reservoir. Duros and Stylor entered the tunnel and found a vast source of oil for the Autobots to claim. {{storylink|Autobots Strike Oil}}
{{-}}

===Toy pack-in material===
When Optimus became stranded on Cybertron's hemisphere of darkness with his memory damaged, Chromedome joined a small strike force of Autobots called H.O.P.E. ([[Help Optimus Prime Escape]]) to retrieve him. {{Storylink|Optimus Prime Is Back}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
Like the other Headmasters and Targetmasters, Chromedome was fine when a [[nano-virus]] struck the Autobots at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], incapacitating them. Because of their immunity, a team made up of him, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]], [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] were sent to Nebulos to recover an antidote crafted by the Nebulan scientist [[Zella]].

As the team arrived on Nebulos, an army of Decepticons led by [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] erupted from an inter-dimensional portal and attacked them, revealing that the nano-virus was part of a larger plot to draw out the Headmasters and Targetmasters and steal their Nebulan partners. By concentrating their fire on Straxus, Chromedome, Artfire and Kup defeated him and drove the Decepticons away, allowing Autobots to gather the antidote and cure their comrades. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:MTMTE9 early Chromedome.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|In addition to neuroscience, his other interests include funny cat GIFs and [[Sherlock Holmes|Sherlock]] slashfic.]]

Chromedome was [[Reproduction|constructed cold]] and originally went by the name '''Tumbler'''. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}} {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}}

Before the [[Great War (G1)|war]], during the days of the [[Clampdown (event)|Clampdown]], Tumbler was a mechaforensic scientist in the police force. The poor bugger was nicknamed "Unlucky" because he had to work with [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], the most anal, full-autopsy loving officer of all time. Despite Prowl's Prowlness, the two had an ambiguous, more-than-partners relationship (see Notes). Tumbler had a strong interest in [[mnemosurgery]], the science of hacking into Transformer minds and "reading" their memories, and was fascinated by the conspiracy theories of the [[Institute]], a supposed secret group used by the authorities to brainwash dissidents.

Tumbler and Prowl investigated the assassination of [[Sherma|Senator Sherma]], whose corpse had been marked with a Decepticon insignia, and backtracked his whereabouts to the posh [[Translucentica Heights]]. Unfortunately, the killer had struck again before they arrived, murdering a second senator! {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} Tumbler to attempted to chase down a suspect, who perished in a fiery crash. Investigating the second victim's home, the two police 'bots learned from the warden [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] that the senator, [[Momus]] was secretly a Decepticon. The group were suddenly set upon a second attacker, but were saved by the timely arrival of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]], a fellow law enforcement officer. Pax had learned from his senator friend, [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] that Sherma was also a secret Decepticon sympathizer, making it clear that the murders being committed ''against'' Decepticons, rather than ''by'' them.

Pax was able to identify that the killers had been using borrowed bodies, so Prowl and Tumbler set out to investigate the nearest [[Relinquishment Clinic]], passing a Decepticon protest along the way. Although innocuous at first glance, the pair eventually found a secret facility beneath the clinic Tumbler believed to be the Institute. Along with proof that the killers had indeed been using borrowed bodies, Tumbler also discovered a list of citizens organized by threat level. Meeting back up in [[Rodion]], Orion Pax was able to use the list and other evidence he'd gathered to realize the true plot in motion: the Senate had arranged for the pro-Decepticon senators' murders so that the swift solving of the crimes would boost Decepticon faith in the Senate, increasing the turn-out for the recently created [[Decepticon Registration Act]]. The Senate then planned to detonate a bomb at the late [[Nominus Prime]]'s memorial service, hidden inside a fake [[Matrix of Leadership]], and blame it on the Decepticons, giving them an excuse to use the Registration Act list, found by Tumbler, to round up and brainwash the dissidents. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

With a plan to stop the bomb plot in place, Tumbler borrowed a replica Matrix from police armorer [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], to be switched by Pax for the Matrix-bomb. At a concerned Prowl's insistence, Tumbler was left behind during the 'heist' to switch the Matrix, and was instead assigned to guard Shockwave with Pax's colleague [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] at a safehouse. Unfortunately, the safehouse was attacked by Senate thugs, and whilst Pax arrived back there in time, he was forced to allow the enforcers to take Shockwave in return for Roller's life. Tumbler quickly led Pax to the Institute facility he had found with Prowl, only to find it deserted. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:BeforeandAfter-TheWorseTheDeath.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Everyone calls me Chromedome, but my real name is MySpace -- wait, wait, no."]]

In the aftermath of the full-scale Decepticon rebellion, the new Prime, [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta]], moved the Institute to a new, remote location, "rebranding" it as the 'New Institute'. Knowing of Tumbler's interest in neuroscience through Prowl, Zeta recruited the forensics officer as an apprentice cerebroscientist under [[Trepan]]. Working at the New Institute, he acquired the nickname "Chromedome" in reference to his prodigious skills as a mnemosurgeon and lobotomist, which he would eventually adopt as his regular name. When [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] located and attacked the facility, Chromedome was in the middle of a procedure on the Decepticon [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but was interrupted by a blast through his midsection. Luckily, the medic [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] was on hand to save the mnemosurgeon's life. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}}

Over time, after the war had begun proper, Chromedome came to resent his mnenosurgical abilities and became cynical over their use. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} Many things he had to do during wartime were things that, in hindsight, he would regret. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} Eventually, Chromedome was on the verge of suicide due to the immense burden of his abilities and the terrible side-effects they had on his own mental health. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} It was then, at his lowest point, that he went to a repurposed Relinquishment Clinic to end it, but found [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] searching fruitlessly for [[Dominus Ambus]]. {{storylink|Before & After}} He formed a deep friendship with the diminutive archivist. Chromedome credited Rewind's optimism and caring nature as having saved his life, and the two were nearly inseparable since. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}} Indeed, [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] has been known to claim them as being "closer than [[Rack'n'Ruin]]" {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} and Rewind had named Chromedome as his [[Conjunx Endura]]. {{storylink|Before & After}}

[[File:Brainstorm Chromedome infodump.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55|A little known earlier detonation of the [[Metafictional bomb|meta bomb]].]]
Chromedome was stationed at [[Kimia Facility]] when [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s invaded. {{storylink|Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}} He survived and managed to escape before the facility's destruction, leaving in an escape pod together with Brainstorm and a number of other Autobots. They were soon rescued by, as he put it, [[Arcee (G1)|a psychopath in pink armor]], and made a joke at Swerve's expense. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}}

As Arcee told the survivors about [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] and [[D-Void]]'s master plan to bring the [[Dead Universe]] into the actual universe, Chromedome and Brainstorm felt a bit overwhelmed by the massive "info dump" and wondered if other species ever had to worry about saving the universe. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

[[File:Chromedome Prowl RemembranceDay.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|One prick deserves another...or five.]]

Weeks later, after D-Void's threat had ended and Cybertron had been reborn, Prowl summoned Chromedome and revealed to him that Overlord, recently defeated and captured by the [[Wrecker]]s, had not in fact had his spark removed and imprisoned, as the official story had claimed. Instead, he had been rebuilt, as part of an initiative by Prowl to uncover the secret to the immense power and endurance of Overlord and the other [[Phase Sixer]]s. With interrogation and the gift of a new body ineffective in making the Decepticon prisoner talk, Chromedome's former partner now sought for him to interface with Overlord and find the secret in his memories, a complex procedure that would be highly dangerous to the mnemosurgeon. When Chromedome refused, not wanting to break his promise to Rewind to stop interfacing, Prowl attempted to blackmail him with an unsavoury secret from the mnemosurgeon's past. Desperate to avoid Rewind learning this story, Chromedome attacked Prowl and forcibly interfaced with him, erasing from his old friend's memory both the blackmail threat and the knowledge that let him make it. He subsequently left the office, telling Prowl, oblivious to his attack, that he'd consider the proposal to work on Overlord. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}}

[[File:Chromedome Prowl Liars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|left|"And another thing! You ''deserved'' that memory wi- aaah... I mean, what memory wipe?"]]

After Optimus Prime's subsequent appearance and departure from Cybertron, Chromedome chose to join the [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]]'s crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', alongside Rewind. Prowl, angry with this decision, tried to persuade him to stay, noting that Chromedome was "gifted" and his talents were still required on Cybertron, with the plan regarding Overlord left unspoken due to Rewind's presence. Eventually, realizing he wouldn't get anywhere with the argument, Chromedome gave up left with Rewind, leaving Prowl to fume alone in his office.

Not long afterwards, Chromedome, Rewind, and [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] were headed to the ''Lost Light'', with Chromedome verbally jabbing at Rewind's impractical [[Alternate mode|alt mode]] along the way. Suddenly, a fight between [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] crossed their paths, as well as [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], who had just escaped being trapped underground for six million years. Chromedome helped Tailgate out of the ground, but the small Cybertronian fainted when he saw that his escape had accidentally injured Whirl. Chromedome and the rest decided to take both Whirl and Tailgate aboard ''Lost Light'' for repairs. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}

After the ''Lost Light'' suffered a premature [[quantum jump]] and ended up halfway across the galaxy, forty Autobots were sucked out of a hull breach and sent plummeting to the surface of a nearby planetoid. Once the ship had landed there, Chromedome, Rewind, and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] aided in the recovery of missing crew members, pulling the stowaway Cyclonus from a lake. Later, Chromedome and others came across [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], who had also crash-landed on the planet and was being pursued by some unknown [[Legislator|sword-carrying robots]]. After Chromedome removed the "fiddly" [[inhibitor claw]] attached to Skids, the long thought-dead Autobot sprung into action and defeated his one remaining pursuer, much to the amazement of the others. Later, Chromedome was present when Rodimus addressed the crew. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}}

[[File:Chromedome mnemosurgery ChaosOfWarmThings.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You know, sometime I'd just like games night NOT to end in me sticking my fingers in a corpse.]]
When a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] was thought to have been let loose aboard the ''Lost Light'', Rodimus asked Chromedome to use his abilities to help identify it. Despite Rewind's reservations, Chromedome complied, hacking into [[Shock (G1)|Shock]]'s mind to see the deceased Autobot's last memories. They did indeed tell of a violent attack by a Sparkeater, and Chromedome recoiled in pain and collapsed. After Chromedome recovered, he described the Sparkeater's appearance to the others. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} After the Sparkeater business had been resolved, Chromedome enjoyed a drink with Rewind and a tipsy Skids in [[Swerve's|Swerve's new bar]]. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Curious about Skids's ever-present handgun (and the mental block which seemingly kept Skids from remembering it), Chromedome swiped the gun at the bar and turned it over to Brainstorm for analysis. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

Days later, over another round of drinks, Chromedome demonstrated his talent of being able to identify someone by the sound of their transformation alone. He offered some sympathy to Tailgate over the latter's studying under Ultra Magnus and displayed disgust when Tailgate mentioned trying to invite Cyclonus over to the table. However, the casual atmosphere came to a violent end when a mentally-disturbed Fortress Maximus entered the bar and abruptly shot [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] at pointblank range. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Chromedome later checked in with Brainstorm to find out what was up with Skids' gun. Brainstorm managed to blow the thing up while examining it, but also named it a "binary gun" after recognizing it could only hold two cartridges. He also noted that its engineering seemed to indicate that the gun came from the Institute. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

[[File:Chromedome mnemosurgery MTMTEAnnual2012.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Existential angst!]]
Chromedome suffered a brief bout of false recall, where he re-experienced the memory of [[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]]'s death- one of the unpleasant side-effects of his mnemosurgeries. He attended Tailgate's Autobot initiation ceremony, and he, Rewind, and Brainstorm placed bets with [[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] as to how long it would take for Rodimus to say "[['Til all are one]]" in his speech. After representatives of the [[Galactic Council]] showed up, Chromedome was among the Autobots teleported to the surface of [[Theophany]] to explore the ruins of [[Crystal City]], which had been subject to some unknown siege and left desolate. They discovered an inert [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] under the city, and Rodimus ordered Chromedome to hack into the giant's [[brain module]] and read its memories, hoping to discover what happened to Crystal City. While preparing to do so, Chromedome and Skids had a brief chat about their similar outlooks on life and its larger meaning. With a disapproving Rewind looking on, Chromedome hacked into the Metrotitan's memory, and discovered it was still alive. Chromedome collapsed in pain, images torn from the Metrotitan's brain reverberating through his mind, as the giant woke with a start and fired an eye-blast that struck the Galactic Council's ship in orbit. Once recovered, Chromedome explained that the Metrotitan was attempting to will its [[spark]] to leave its body, having barely any power left and being totally paralyzed. Chromedome wanted to attempt to re-enter the Metrotitan's mind, as the glimpses he caught indicated that its memories contained much of the information that they were seeking. With the Galactic Council's troops bearing down on them and the ''Lost Light'' under attack, Rodimus chose to set the Metrotitan free instead of pillaging its mind. After some of its mass was shrunk by Brainstorm, the Metrotitan had enough power to teleport the Autobots back to their ship, and the ''Lost Light'' quantum-jumped to safety. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

Days later Skids, inspired by his discussion with Chromedome in Crystal City, wanted to let the mnemosurgeon unlock his missing memories. Chromedome admitted that he himself was curious about the mystery of Skids' past and agreed to do it. After hacking into Skids' mind, Chromedome discovered the memories of the year prior to Skids' joining the crew of the ''Lost Light'' had been replaced by an imperative to escape. Chromedome dug deeper and found the erased memories still locked inside Skids' head, but once he caught a glimpse of them, he quickly withdrew. Chromedome told Skids that the buried memories were so horrifying and traumatic that it was better for everyone, Skids himself included, that they never resurface. Skids reluctantly agreed, but asked Chromedome about a piece of music he kept hearing in his head. Chromedome admitted that he heard it in there too, identified it as "[[The Empyrean Suite]]", and prayed that Skids would never come to understand its significance. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

In order to restore the recovering [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s mind, Chromedome and others were assembled by Rewind to tell a story from the Clampdown era. Chromedome explained to the others that the story would help reestablish critical neural connections in Rung's brain. He started off the story, but he and Rewind got briefly distracted trying to figure out how many times Prowl had flipped a table over in their presence. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} By the end of the story, the ship's alarms were sounding, and Chromedome scrambled for battle stations with the others. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

[[File:BeforeandAfter-SilentTreatment.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Not "''like'' an old married couple," they literally ''are'' an old married couple.]]

As they headed to [[Temptoria]] in the ''[[Leading Light]]'', Chromedome and Rewind argued over the latter's insistence of joining them in battle, despite being technically exempt from combat. Though Chromedome enthusiastically took part in the battle on Temptoria against a small force of Decepticons, when he returned to the shuttle, he found that Rewind had been gravely injured in an explosion. Back on the ''Lost Light'', [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] talked Chromedome into performing a jumpstart on Rewind to save the smaller 'Bot's spark. While waiting to hear if the procedure had worked or not, Chromedome got to chatting with Tailgate about how he and Rewind had met, of Rewind’s lost “master”, (a progressive ‘Bot by the name of [[Dominus Ambus]]). Rewind had never stopped looking for the missing Ambus and even made Chromedome promise to continue the search if anything ever happened to him.

The jumpstart procedure failed, as Chromedome's own spark was "low yield". Sent to his quarters to recharge, an emotionally vulnerable Chromedome spoke to Brainstorm through his door. Brainstorm offered to show him something in the basement that would give the Autobots an advantage and prevent any more tragedies like Rewind's from ever happening again. Before Chromedome could answer, however, First Aid contacted him with the news that Whirl had a compatible spark to be used to save Rewind. A happy reunion ensued. {{storylink|Before & After}}

Despite this, Chromedome met with Brainstorm and Drift and learned the secret of Overlord's presence on the ''Lost Light''. Despite his previous refusal to Prowl, the fresh memory of Rewind's near-death was enough for Chromedome to agree to use his talents on the Decepticon, in the hope that "Autobot Phase Sixers" could prevent any such tragedies from happening again. Over the next several days, Chromedome visited Overlord in the [[slow cell]] multiple times, acclimating himself to the Decepticon's mental architecture. As a safeguard in the event of Overlord's escape, he subtly altered the Decepticon's memories so as to make him associate the phrase "'til all are one!" with defeat in combat, knowing that Rodimus would undoubtedly say this in a battle. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} In-between visits to Overlord, Chromedome took time to be interviewed for Rewind's documentary about life on the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

[[File:RemembranceDay-Chromedome.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|This is something Rung would also call "a super bad idea."]]

Feeling bold, Chromedome began visiting Overlord's cell without informing his co-conspirators in advance, and confronted Overlord directly in his memories. He compelled Overlord to lead him through his memories to the [[Foundry]], when [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]], [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]], and [[Rossum]] used [[ununtrium]] to reinforce his endoskeleton and transform him into one of the [[Warriors Elite]]. Although Chromedome found his answers, he was taken unawares by Overlord also having mnemosurgical training, allowing the Decepticon to loop them through a shared memory and take control of the mental environment. With Chromedome helpless, Overlord browsed through the Autobot's memories at will until he found the security codes to unlock the slow cell. With this, Overlord escaped, taunting a weakened Chromedome with the knowledge that the five seconds it would take him to cross the cell in pursuit would equal thirty minutes of killin' time for Overlord aboard the ship. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}}

Sure enough, Chromedome exited the slow cell into chaos, as the crew of the ''Lost Light'' battled vainly against the superwarrior. Luckily, a true-to-form Rodimus uttered his catch phrase, causing a sudden nervous attack in Overlord which gave Fortress Maximus an opening to overpower the Decepticon. Per Drift's back-up plan, Overlord was forced back into the slow cell, which was readied to eject into space. Tragically, one of Drift's [[sword]]s, stolen during the battle, blocked the cell door open, and heroically Rewind climbed inside the cell to remove the blade. Once he did, the door closed automatically, severing Chromedome's left arm and trapping Rewind inside with Overlord. Desperately speaking some final words to his partner (which Rewind could not hear through the door), Chromedome watched helplessly as the cell was jettisoned. Unwilling to leave Rewind to Overlord's tender mercies, Chromedome personally manned the weapons array of the ''Lost Light'' and blew the slow cell to pieces, apparently killing Rewind in the process. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}}

[[File:TheGloaming-iloveyou.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|I love you too, guys!]]
As Rewind and the other victims were laid to rest, Chromedome seemed to hold together remarkably. Only Brainstorm knew what was really going on in his friend's head, and confronted Chromedome in his suite after the funeral. Brainstorm tried to remind Domey of his other Conjunx Endura over the years -- [[Mach (Victory)|Mach]], [[Pivot]], [[Scattergun]] -- each of whom Chromedome forcibly removed from his own memories using mnemosurgery once they died, as he couldn't cope with the loss. Brainstorm pleaded with Chromedome not to do it again, and honor Rewind by remembering him. He passed on a final message from Rewind, a memory stick the little bot threw through the cell door as it was closing. These final words and expression of love from Rewind were enough to stop Chromedome from injecting and convince him to hold onto the memory of his lost love. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

[[File:RemainInLight2-ChromedomeAltMode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]

Shortly afterwards, Chromedome visited Ratchet in the medibay for reconstruction of his left arm. As he entered, a [[cybercrosis|panicked]] Tailgate barged past him. Before work on the arm was complete, the ''Lost Light'', pursuing the missing Ultra Magnus, arrived at a vast portal in space, and Chromedome watched from the observation deck. Beyond the portal was the long lost [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and the mnemosurgeon was recruited by Rodimus for the landing party. The group descended, though not before Chromedome promised Skids to search for answers regarding his amnesia, and on the moon's surface they found an active hot spot of gestating [[spark]]s. Before long, however, the party was set upon by [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]] and his cadre of [[Titan Hunters]], {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} forcing them to flee into a nearby [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] "graveyard". Their flight was futile, and the entire group was soon captured, whereupon their gracious host was revealed as [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]], who accused them of crimes against creation. On the way to their cell, Chromedome noticed an apparently immobile Ultra Magnus. The landing party quickly got to chatting with their new cellmate, who revealed himself to be [[Minimus Ambus]], spark brother of Rewind's lost friend [[Dominus Ambus]]. Even though they were all locked up at the behest of Tyrest, Chromedome didn't share Tailgate's impatience to escape their shared prison cell. He quickly chastised the [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot]] for calling him "Domey", the personal nickname that Rewind once used. The group stewed in their prison for some time until an observant Rung deduced something from Minimus's mannerisms—that their cellmate was none other than Ultra Magnus! {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}

Chromedome listened intently to Minimus's explanation with the others, learning the secret of the [[Magnus Armor]]. When Skids and Swerve were teleported into their holding cell and Skids was revealed by Minimus to be considered a criminal, Chromedome assumed it had something to do with the "binary gun" the theoretician had been carrying. When Tyrest's enforcer [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] introduced them to another new cellmate, Chromedome revealed to Skids that he had read his memories wrong. What he had thought was a buried imperative in Skids's mind to "escape", was actually a name- the name of their new cellmate, [[Getaway]]! {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

Getaway explained things to Chromedome and the others, formally identifying the binary gun as a [[nudge gun]]. With Getaway's help, Chromedome was able to connect the dots and understand the gaps in Skids's memory. Once everyone found out that Tyrest had gone mad and needed to be stopped, Getaway asked for donated parts from his cellmates to escape their prison. For his part, Chromedome gave Getaway the syringes from his fingers, allowing the escapist to take down the Legislator guarding them. The group armed-up and headed to Tyrest's control room for a confrontation. Unfortunately, the Chief Justice was prepared for them, activating a weapon that paralyzed the Autobots. Tyrest then turned on his [[universal killswitch]], a device intended to kill any Transformers that were [[Reproduction|constructed cold]]. Having been so, Chromedome began dying slowly and painfully. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} Ultimately, the killswitch was deactivated and Tyrest's plans foiled. In the aftermath, Chromedome visited a dying Tailgate, whose [[cybercrosis]] was in its final stages. Noting Cyclonus's bedside vigil, Chromedome respectfully departed to let the two say their goodbyes. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}}

After Orion Pax arrived aboard the ''Lost Light'', Chromedome attended the welcome party at Swerve's. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} He took part in the underwater battle on [[Hydrophena]], defending [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] against the [[Ammonite]] forces, {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} {{storylink|The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|The Dead Are Not Enough}} and was teleported along with the rest ''Lost Light'' to Cybertron after they managed to get the Titan's space bridge in working order. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} Crash-landing on the planet's surface, Chromedome disembarked with the rest of the crew and fought in the massive battle against their Ammonite attackers and the undead [[Necrotitan]]. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

In the aftermath of the Necrotitan's defeat, Ultra Magnus tried to convince Chromedome to read Metroplex's mind, a request the mnemosurgeon rebuffed. Feeling depressed, he went to ruminate atop a cliff on the outskirts of New Iacon, where Prowl found him. A bitter argument erupted between the two, with Prowl blaming Chromedome's earlier mnemosurgery on him for leaving his mind vulnerable to [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s control, and Chromedome faulting Prowl for smuggling Overlord aboard the ''Lost Light''. Rage overcame Chromedome when Prowl expressed pleasure that this had indirectly led to Rewind's death, and he attacked the police-bot, hurling him off a cliff and pummeling him until Ultra Magnus intervened. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} However, the altercation was cut short by 70 billion more of Shockwave's Ammonites, who Chromedome engaged on the ground alongside Whirl and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

In an attempt to expedite Megatron's trial, Optimus Prime attempted to have him let Chromedome extract his memories for use in court, which the former Decepticon leader vehemently refused to allow, citing his fear that the extraction might be used as a cover for [[Shadowplay]]. After watching the trial play out, Chromedome rejoined the ''Lost Light'' expedition, but eventually fell into a deep depression, shutting himself away in his habitation suite and listening to Rewind's final message over and over in the dark, much to the concern of his friends. Chromedome was startled into action, however, when the last words of his lover's message suddenly changed into an agonized scream. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Deeply perturbed, he sought out [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] for some answers, and while initially angered by the detective's skeptcism, the appearance of Rewind's apparent ghost galvanized Nightbeat into action. The two returned to Nightbeat's quarters to gather more detective equipment, where Chromedome voiced his belief that he was probably being punished for not continuing to search for Dominus Ambus, but their conjecture was interrupted by the discovery that the outside wall of Nightbeat's hab suite had just... disappeared. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}}

When it turned out that the ship was slowly and inexplicably vanishing, Chromedome evacuated on the [[Rodpod]]. He eventually disappeared along with all of the other original crew members. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}

As it turned out, the quantum engine failure of the original launch of the ''Lost Light'' had created second ''Lost Light''. This duplicate stayed on the right heading but had been attacked and destroyed by the [[Decepticon Justice Division|DJD]] 18 months prior. The Chromedome on this alternate ship refused to wipe his memories of Rewind even after being threatened by the DJD, so [[Vos (DJD)|the DJD member Vos]] snapped off his finger-needles and stabbed them into his head. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken}} The Necrobot thus added the quantum duplicate Chromedome's name to his list of deceased Transformers. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

Once the sole surviving member of the duplicate ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew (Rewind) reset the quantum engines, the main ''Lost Light'' and its original crew members began to return. Chromedome, once he returned, was immediately given a set of magna-clamps by Skids and told to go to the outside of the ship. Out there, he saw Rewind, sitting on the ledge. The two sit side-by-side for a while, and then embrace. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken}}
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}} {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}} {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}} {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}}}}

===Timelines===
[[File:Timeless-EjectChromedomeStylor.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Long ago on Cybertron, 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 this interest, developing the ability to extract information directly from a suspect's mind. However, as time passed, Chromedome found himself called upon not only to read minds, but rewrite them, altering a subject's memories and personality. Seeking to escape the burden of these duties, he buried his past and his talents. Eventually, though, he would come to meet Rewind, another Autobot with an interest in memories. Though it took some time, Chromedome eventually let the smaller Autobot into his life. {{storylink|#Timelines|''Timelines'' Chromedome bio card}}

Some time later, Chromedome and Rewind would become crew-members of the ''Lost Light'', and, along with [[Stylor]] and ex-Decepticon mercenary [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]], formed the Intelligence and Notable Surreptitious Information Recovery Team, a group tasked with uncovering any mysteries that might threaten the ship's quest to find the Knights of Cybertron. {{storylink|Intelligence and Notable Surreptitious Information Recovery Team|INSIRT Tech Spec}} INSIRT's duties took them to the [[Vestigial Cortical Complex]], a Decepticon memory storage facility that Rewind became very excited about. After they located the facility, an impatient Treadshot made a door by way of explosion, allowing Chromedome, Rewind and Stylor to file inside. {{storylink|Timeless}}

At some point Rewind died, and [[Brainstorm]] set Chromedome up on a date with [[Eject (G1)|Eject]]. {{storylink|Recordicons#Recordicons #27|Recordicons #27}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends'' comic===
In a dream, [[Brainstorm]] told [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] the story about how he and his comrades, including Chrome, left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to escape the war and settled on [[Master (planet)|Master]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 9|Bonus Edition Vol. 9}} Brainstorm was later telling Rattrap that he'd gotten a new body since his previous adventures, angering the nearby Chromedome who found it unfair that only ''he'' got an upgrade and accused him of ruining the [[Head Formation|Cross-Head On]]. [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] tried to calm him down by saying they needed all the power they could get since [[Scorponok (G1)|MegaZarak]] might get resurrected, but this didn't appease Chromedome who retorted that that just means they should ''all'' get upgrades. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)#Brainstorm Chapter|Brainstorm Chapter Part 1}} He was surprised when Brainstorm had lost his new body and watched him take it back from a thieving Rattrap, comparing the flip-down [[Tech Spec]] plate used to catch Rattrap to a mousetrap. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (comic)#Brainstorm Chapter|Brainstorm Chapter Part 2}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:Commercial chromedome removes head.jpg|left|thumb]]

*In the commercial for the ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' comic book, Chromedome is seen arriving on Nebulos with the other Autobots and surrendering to the native Nebulons, before removing his head (see [[#Notes|notes]]) and allowing one to fuse with it. In-keeping with Western fiction's tendency to overlook Chromedome, he then proceeds to vanish from the commercial, as the other three Autobot Headmasters get all the screen time.
*In the Autobot Headmasters commercial, Stylor boards Chromedome, and along with the other Headmasters, they speed out of their hangar onto a roadway, where the Decepticon Headmasters are running straight for them. Chromedome gets the spotlight as he transforms to [[robot mode]], and a fight breaks out, during which Chromedome grapples with Weirdwolf.
*A stone sculpture of Chromedome appeared in the Decepticon Headmasters commercial, where it was savaged by Weirdwolf as part of his training.
{{--}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
[[File:HeadmastersGame-ChromedomeSprites.png|frame]]
When the Decepticons kidnapped his fellow Autobots, Chromedome was left alone to rescue his teammates and stand against the forces of evil. He fought his way through many foes on three separate planets, rescuing [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], [[Brainstorm]], [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] before they all joined [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] in the finale battle against [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

{{Note|Chromedome is the only Autobot available for play from the beginning of the game. Other characters become available as the game progresses. His [[robot mode]] sprite not only uses the same pixel layout as the other playable characters except Fortress, but is identical in colour to Rodimus.}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
{{voiceactor|[[Russ Veillard]] (English)}}

====Autobot story====
{{Note|Chromedome was available as a playable character in the Autobot campaign during the second playthrough.}}

====Decepticon story====
As the Decepticons searched a recently unearthed dig site for the [[Gem of Mystery]], they were confronted by Chromedome. Chromedome was soon defeated by the Decepticons, but taunted them with the knowledge that they couldn't proceed further without the proper key.

Later, at [[ELTA]], Chromedome and [[Brainstorm]] joined forces to battle the Decepticons again, to no avail. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
When the Decepticons aimed to get hold of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]], Chromedome and his fellow Headmasters made off with it but soon crashed on Earth. They were aided by the [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]], who patched them up and helped them fight off [[Apeface]] and [[Skullcruncher]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Earth Defense Command}}
===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsChromedome.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Despite wielding a gun, I'll attack with my sword!]]
Chromedome participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1toy chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Chromedome''' w/ '''Stylor''' (1987)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-101'''
** ''Accessories:'' "Stylor" Headmaster driver, 2 laser guns

:Chromedome transforms into a brown, cream and red Cybertronic sports car. He is armed with two non-firing laser rifles which mount on his roof in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], although the rifles must be removed in order to open the figure's hinged cockpit, in which his Headmaster partner Stylor can sit.

:In [[robot mode]], like all Headmasters, Chromedome features a flip-down panel on his chest that covers a mini [[Tech Spec]] meter displaying ratings for Speed, Strength and Intelligence. The tumblers of this meter are activated when Stylor is transformed into head mode and inserted into Chromedome's neck socket. Chromedome's body can accommodate other Headmaster heads, and his meter will display different stats accordingly. As with [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], Chromedome is surprisingly tall in robot mode due to how he transforms, coming in roughly 5mm shorter than Hardhead and well over a full head taller than [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Brainstorm]].

:A [[redeco]] of Chromedome as [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] was proposed during Generation 1, but never produced.

::*''[http://tfu.info/1987/Autobot/Chromedome/chromedome.htm More information on Chromedome at TFU.info]

===Transform Jr===
[[File:Tfjr chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Not to be confused with Chromedome Sr.]]
*'''Chromedome''' (1987)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-101'''
**''Accessories:'' 2-piece "Chrome" Headmaster unit, laser gun

:The ''Transform Jr'' version of Chromedome simplifies the original toy. The transformation scheme remains the same, but Chromedome's cockpit no longer opens, so his Headmaster unit has nowhere to store. Additionally, the Headmaster unit does not really ''transform'' into a head; you simply remove its legs and set them aside. Chromedome's [[Tech Spec]] meter lacks the functionality of the larger toy, featuring only a permanent, non-moving readout, and he also has only one gun instead of two. But on the very cool plus side, his hood is now made of [[die-cast]] metal!

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/chromedomejr.php More information on Transform Jr Chromedome at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

*'''Cybertron Leader Set''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' 2-piece Headmaster unit, laser gun
:The ''Transform Jr'' version of Chromedome was also sold in a two-pack with a vinyl figurine of [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Rodimus Prime]]. The set also included a small, die-cast metal figure of Metroplex.
{{-}}

[[File:Transformjr hero set.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''3 Hero Set''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' 2-piece Headmaster unit, laser gun

:''Transform Jr'' Chromedome was also available in a "Hero Set" alongside the ''Jr'' versions of Optimus Prime and Fortress Maximus.
{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[File:Timelinestoy-Chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Stylor heard that hanging out with ''Prime'' Wheeljack redecoes is the new trend.]]
*'''Chromedome w/ Stylor''' (Deluxe, 2014)
**''TFSS2 number'': '''5'''
**''Accessories'': 2 [[sword]]s, "Stylor" partner

:Part of the 2014 [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]], Chromedome is a [[redeco]]/[[retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Robots in Disguise (2012)|Prime: Robots in Disguise]]'' Deluxe Class [[Wheeljack (Prime)#Prime|Wheeljack]], transforming into a modified [http://www.new-stratos.com/en/#/downloads 2011 Lancia New Stratos Concept]. He sports a new headsculpt designed by [[Nick Roche]], based on his design for Chromedome in the ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' comics. He also comes with his smaller partner [[Stylor#Timelines|Stylor]], who transforms into a crossbow-weapon.

[[File:TCCSS2-Chromedome.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]

:The first mockup depicted Chromedome with a gray head with a blue visor, while his car mode had a third, very large Autobot symbol on his hood. In response to fan input, first the third symbol was removed, and the final production version revealed that the head's colors had been altered to look more like the IDW comic appearance as well.

:This mold was also used to make [[Dead End (WFC)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider (Prime)|Wildrider]].

::*''[http://tfu.info/2014/Autobot/TFSSChromedome/chromedome.htm More information on ''Timelines'' Chromedome at TFU.info]''

{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Caramel===
[[File:Tfcaramel chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Chromedome''' (1987)

:A soft-rubber figurine of Chromedome was available as part of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Caramel]]'' line of "[[candy toy]]s" in yellow, red or blue. Like all the figures from the ''Headmasters'' assortment, the figure was permanently attached to a flat base that had a rubber stamp of Chromedome's face and name on its underside.
{{-}}

===Transformers Choco===
[[File:Tfchoco chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Chromedome''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, "Chrome" Headmaster figure, laser gun

:Released as part of the ''Headmasters'' assortment of Kabaya's ''[[Transformers Choco]]'' line of small snap-together model kits, this solid-color Chromedome figure is a simplified version of the larger Chromedome toy, featuring only one laser gun, and lacking the Headmaster gimmick. His head does disconnect, but it doesn't transform; instead, he came with a small, non-poseable Chrome Headmaster figure. As with all the ''Transformers Choco'' figures, he was packaged with small candies similar to M&Ms called "Chocolate Dots".
{{-}}

===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Transformersgum chromedome.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Chromedome''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' "Chrome" Headmaster unit, 2 laser guns

:Chromedome also had a presence in Kabaya's line of larger model kits, ''[[Transformers Gum]]''. ''Gum'' Chromedome is virtually identical to the original toy in all but height and color, standing at about four inches tall and cast in cream, black and red plastic. He retains all the features of the larger figure, including his transforming Headmaster unit, opening cockpit, and functioning Tech Spec meter. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-23.html More information on Transformer Gum Chromedome at a Japanese fansite]''
{{-}}

===TV Magazine coloring contest===
[[File:Chromedome trophy.jpg|thumb|"Puttin' the Chrome in Chromedome!"]]
*'''Chromedome trophy''' (1988)

:100 chromed silver Chromedome trophies, made out of Chromedome toys, were available as prizes in a coloring contest held by [[TV Magazine]] in their February 1988 issue. Entrants had to color in lineart of [[Pointblank (G1)|Pointblank]], but rather than operate on a simple first- and second-place system, the prizes were meted out using different criteria: entries displaying the "most skill" won a gold-chromed Optimus Prime trophy, while those entries showing off the "most imaginative" color schemes would win a Chromedome trophy.

::*''[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/778/37/ More information on the Chromedome trophy at TFPulp]
{{-}}

===Super Collection Figure===
[[File:Scf chromedome.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Chromedome''' (2001)
**''Accessories:'' Display stand

:A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Chromedome was available in the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of Takara's ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available in both standard full color figure and colorless clear plastic versions, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in two out of every ten cases, the colored version of Chromedome came packaged with the left arm of the wave's collectable Fortress Maximus "build-a-figure".

::*''[http://tfu.info/2001/Cybertron/Chromedome/chromedome.htm More information on Super Collection Figure Chromedome at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://tfu.info/2001/Cybertron/ClearChromedome/chromedome.htm More information on clear Super Collection Figure Chromedome at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:G1ChromedomeOriginalHead.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Cheer up, Emo-Head.]]
*In the television [[commercial]] for [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' limited series, the Autobot and Decepticon Headmasters are shown having different head designs than the ones their Nebulan partners would later turn into. These designs were seemingly never used in any other piece of ''Transformers'' media. The models for most of them, however, turned up in the excellent ''[[Transformers Generations]]'' guidebook.
*[[James Roberts]] has said that IDW Prowl and Chromedome had a "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>
*He is a particular favorite character of [[User:EthanBats|Ethan Siegal]] from [[David Willis]]' webcomics, [http://www.shortpacked.com|Shortpacked]] and [[http://www.dumbingofage.com|Dumbing of Age]]

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Chrome''' (クローム ''Kurōmu''), '''Chromedome''' (クロームドーム ''Kurōmudōmu'')
*''French:'' '''Chromedôme''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Krómpáncél''' ("Chromearmor")
*''Italian:'' '''Duobot'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Guōwén''' (郭文, "Chroman")
*''Russian:'' '''Chrom''' (Хром, "Chrome")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Ladybird Books Autobots]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]

Only Human

2014-09-15T17:44:22Z

He-l-en1959: /* Synopsis */ added a caption

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|ep=88
|series2=2010
|ep2=22
|prev2=The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)
|next2=Money is Everything
|image=TitleOnlyHuman.JPG
|caption=-of flesh and blood, I'm made!
|title="Only Human"
|production code=700-108
|airdate=[[November 13]], 1986
|written by=[[Susan K. Williams]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''When several Autobots interfere with his "business", a powerful crime lord has their minds placed into synthoid bodies, with the help of the strangely familiar "Old Snake".'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:CC-OldSnake01.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Doing a crossover... in style!]]

As buildings explode, [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] attempts to save as many people as he can. At the docks, crime lord [[Victor Drath]]'s men, led by [[Dutch (G1)|Dutch]], attempt to steal a canister of [[newtronium]]. [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] stop them; however, Dutch shoots the canister which explodes in Rodimus's hands, allowing the criminals to escape in their flying car.

Tired of the [[Autobot]]s interfering with his operations, Drath contacts the mysterious [[Old Snake]] who apparently ran some kind of terrorist organization in the past. Drath purchases Old Snake's assistance and technology, setting up a laboratory at his home. Lured to the laboratory, Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] are trapped and their minds transferred into newly created [[synthoid]] human bodies. While the human [[Autobot]]s are taken away to be disposed at the junk yard, Snake suggests that Drath can make use of the Autobots' former robot bodies.

[[Image:ArceeSpringerHuman.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Hey Arcee, biologically we can...you know." "What? Huh?" "Nevermind."]]

The four Autobots manage to escape from the crusher in the junk yard before they're pulverised. They find clothing in a nearby building and swiftly realize what has happened. They split up—Magnus and Arcee decide to attempt to contact [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] while Rodimus and Springer go after Drath. Once the pair reaches Drath's house, Rodimus attempts to draw the guards away, but is wounded. He is given refuge by Drath's girlfriend [[Michelle]]. Springer spots Drath's men taking the Autobots' robot bodies for a test drive, taking the opportunity to rob a jewellery store. He is offers to help operate his old body, claiming that he has experience with heavy machinery, and gains the thugs' confidence.

Meanwhile Arcee and Ultra Magnus are having no luck contacting the police chief they'd worked with after the earlier bombings. They notice a nearby warehouse is owned by Drath and break in, discovering it's full of weapons. Unfortunately Arcee trips a silent alarm, and they're interrupted by thugs driving their old bodies. Magnus threatens them with a grenade, giving Arcee time to escape on a stolen motorcycle, but he is captured by Dutch a short time later.

[[Image:OnlyHuman Rodimus Michelle breakfast.jpg|left|200px|thumb|- Coffee in bed, sir? - Yeah, caffein is ''very'' bad, honey!]]

Rodimus shares breakfast with Michelle, who confides that she knows who he is, but will help him get into Drath's house. Arcee makes it to Autobot City, but the human security guards don't believe her story and instead place her in detention. Rodimus and Michelle enter Drath's home... only for Drath's men to spring the trap which Michelle has lured him into. Drath tells Rodimus that Snake has come up with a new plan — load the Autobots' robot bodies with explosives and use them to blow up Autobot City. Springer discovers the plan as well, when he drives his robot body to pick up the explosives. He and Ultra Magnus liberate both his old body, though it is damaged in the escape. The three remaining Autobot forms are dispatched for Autobot City.

[[Image:OnlyHuman Thugs in Rodimus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]

Rodimus manages to get free of the goons and take down Drath himself. Drath gloats that Autobot City is still doomed. Indeed, Drath's thugs are nearing the city in the three purloined Autobot forms. Springer and Ultra Magnus fly Springer's robot form to catch up with the other three Autobots en route to Metroplex. Knowing that the Autobots in the city won't realize three Trojan horses are coming until it's too late, Ultra Magnus tells Springer to attack the city himself. Their firing on [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] alerts the inhabitants, and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] has time to activate the city’s defenses and waylay the oncoming Autobots.

Later, after the Autobots have put together the pieces, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] rigs the equipment at Drath's former hideout and transfers Rodimus Prime and the other's minds back to their rightful place. When asked about their adventure, Rodimus gives extra consideration to Michelle as she's led away along with Drath's other men. Meanwhile, safely away, Old Snake muses to himself how they just don't make terrorists like they used to. He also tries to yell out the rallying cry of his former organization but breaks down into coughing, so it's absolutely impossible to tell what group he used to run.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters|c1=
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (2)
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (3)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (4)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (10)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (11)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (12)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (13)

|c3=
*[[Dutch (G1)|Dutch]] (1)
*[[Turan|Chief Turan]] (6)
*[[Victor Drath]] (7)
*[[Michelle]] (8)
*[[Old Snake]] (9)
*Rodimus Prime (5)
*Ultra Magnus (4)
*Springer (2)
*Arcee (3)
}}

==Quotes==
"Yer 'trash' got up an' took a hike before I could squash 'em!"
:—'''Junkyard goon'''

'''Victor Drath:''' Does that technology still exist, Snake? Is it for sale? 
'''"Old Snake":''' This is the world, Mr. Drath. ''Everything'' is for sale. 
:—Often from toy companies!

"The Path to True Humanity! Only $4.95, tax deductible!" 
''[Springer shoves him aside]'' 
"Sorry, pal, I'm a ''robot'' at heart. ...Terrific. I already need a shave."
:—'''Street proselytizer''' and humanized '''Springer'''

'''Springer''': Need a hand? I, uh...operate heavy equipment. 
'''Goon #1''': Uh...yeah. 
'''Goon #2''': But dere's only room for ''two'' in here! 
''[#1 boots #2 out the hatch]'' 
'''Goon #1''': Yeah! Yer right!
:—Springer gets a lift from his own body.

"Don't think for a moment that I haven't the nerve to use this—I ''have!''"
:—Even humanized, '''Ultra Magnus''' is a badass.

"What's this?" 
"It's called breakfast, dummy." 
"Mph. Smells better than it tastes."
:—Humanized '''Rodimus''' discovers coffee, courtesy of '''Michelle'''

"Snake pointed out to me a problem with eliminating only the four of you...namely, an entire city of Autobots who might be tempted to vengeance. I believe in solutions, not problems. You can watch the destruction of Metroplex before you die."
:—'''Victor Drath''' rubs Rodimus's nose in it.

"Well, did you enjoy your sojourn, Rodimus?" 
"Maybe a little ''too'' much, Perceptor."
:—'''Perceptor''' innocently asks a very loaded question of '''Rodimus''', as the camera pointedly zooms in on Michelle.

"Poor Mr. Drath. Not quite smart enough, were you? They simply don't make terrorists like they ''used'' to! COOOOOBRA-ha-*hackcoughcoughcough*"
:—"'''Old Snake'''" gets away scot-free.

==Notes==
[[Image:OnlyHumanlineup.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ultra Magnus didn't want to admit he wanted the pink overalls.]]
[[Image:Only Human Rodimus (synthoid) breaks door.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rodimus the Terminator.]]
[[Image:Michelle.JPG|right|200px|thumb|I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way.]]

In general, this episode is ''really'' rushed, storywise. Scenes are raced through at a pretty breakneck pace, and on the whole, there's a tremendous sense of the episode having to hold back from actually ''doing'' anything with the potential-laden concept of the Autobots becoming human. Many of the ideas in the episode only seem half-developed, and what few subtleties do manage to break through the constant hurtle towards the final scene are often blunted by the complete lack of even just a reflective second or two to let them sink in. The episode really cries out to be a two-parter, which is a real shame, since the annotations for the episode included amongst the original documentation featured on [[Metrodome]]'s DVDs suggest that the production staff were ''really'' excited and enthusiastic about it.

* While not an error, since the reason for it is clear enough, it is a fun coincidence that once human, our four heroes find overalls to wear that perfectly match their former bodies' color schemes. It was also convenient for the new synthoid bodies to form complete with tee shirts and pants. This is a children’s show, you know.

* The humanized Autobots' synthoid bodies are much stronger than humans are. For example, during their escape from the junkyard, synthoid Rodimus is able to break through padlocked metal doors, an impossible feat for a human. In another example, humanized Ultra Magnus and Arcee push a container which is taller and heavier than they are and jump on it to penetrate into Drath's warehouse.

* Michelle’s motivation is a little murky. She seems genuinely upset when the Autobots are supposedly killed by Drath, and later she saves Rodimus from his pursuers—yet later, she happily turns him over to Drath. Was she actually attracted to Rodimus and changed her mind, or was she just luring him into a trap all along? If she was working for Drath from the get-go, why didn’t she just let his men capture him when they asked for him earlier? It couldn’t have been because she wanted to snuggle with Rodimus that night, could it? This is a children’s show, you know.

* Also, the Autobots adapt to being human REALLY easily. Other than Springer needing a shave, there’s very little attention paid to the new problems with suddenly being biological. Shouldn’t the Autobots have problems understanding such concepts as going to the bathroom or breathing? Then again, that stuff veers into uncomfortable territory. This is a children’s show after all.

* In hindsight, just what was Victor Drath’s plan with the Autobots? He obviously has no trouble capturing the Autobots on his own, but purchased the synthoid equipment and went through all the trouble to set it up anyway to transfer the Autobots' minds into human bodies which he would simply dispose of. He also is going to take their former robot bodies and also simply dispose of them. It’s Ol’ Snake that gives him the idea actually to use the robot bodies. Why couldn’t he just capture the Autobots and simply dispose of them intact? Then again, maybe that’s overthinking it. This is a...well, you know.

===Animation or technical glitches===
* Outdated animation models end up being used frequently in this episode. Most notable is Arcee's, especially since her shoulder-thingies change orientation and her head changes shape several times. (The sub-par animation makes her look even worse.)

* During the rescue at the start, Springer, in helicopter mode, somehow catches a falling human on his nose, despite the fact the human would have to pass through his spinning rotors. A few shots later, his arms separate from his helicopter body without the transformation sound effect.

* As he runs up to the waterfront, Rodimus' spoiler is all-yellow when it should be orange in the middle. This error occurs throughout the episode.

* When he warns Rodimus about the Newtronium, the inside of Magnus' mouth is blue.

* There are several instances when the backgrounds switch from day to night to day again.

* Old Snake wasn't "pacing," as his subordinate said. When Drath finds him, he appears to be sitting on a curb.

* Old Snake's yellow fingers are inconsistently detailed; sometimes having a scaly texture and sometimes simply being smooth.

* The commercial bumpers have a couple extra seconds' worth of music.

* As the humanized Autobots plan their first move, Magnus's voice comes out of Rodimus's mouth.

* Despite being human, there are occasions when the Autobots' voices are still synthesized to sound robotic.

* "And risk our both getting caught?" - Rodimus' mouth isn't moving.

* When Old Snake first has the Autobots transform, Rodimus is missing his trailer (so he looks like Hot Rod).

* When human Springer offers to pilot his robot form, the guy saying there's only room for two is on the right, then the shot changes and he's on the left.

* When human Springer climbs into his robot form, his crotch clips over a control rod.

* As the vehicle modes of Springer and Rodimus pull up to Drath's warehouse, Rodimus is missing his trailer (so he looks like Hot Rod). It reappears and disappears again during the scene.

* When Springer grabs the map of Autobot City, his glove is brown, but the next shot shows it (correctly) in white.

* As Springer and Magnus escape, Springer's body converts from car to helicopter without the transforming sound, or even any visible transformation sequence.

* After Rodimus hits Drath, the display shows Magnus' cab with blue on top instead of all-white.

* When Blaster sees the first three Autobots approaching Autobot City, Springer is shown instead of Arcee.

* Blaster's voice is way over synthesized.

* Arcee mouths part of Blaster's dialogue in her cell.

* Blaster has one big switch instead of three individual ones in a few shots.

* Perceptor is shown cheering for the returning Autobots. His chest is red instead of white, and his Autobot logo is framed in black instead of white (throughout the episode).

* As Blaster observes Springer opening fire on Autobot City, the laser beams are coming right out of the screen.

* Springer crashes on a concrete road, then is shown on a dirt path leading to Autobot City.

* Perceptor vanishes from the scene as the Autobots leave Drath's house, replaced by Magnus and Springer.

* As the Autobots leave Drath's house, a doorway (with outer space behind it) is seen ''behind'' them. They were in an enclosed room.

* One scene has Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime next to each other transforming into robot mode. They both leave their trailers sitting behind them. With Rodimus, this is unusual for the cartoon but toy accurate. However, this was a missed opportunity for an appearance by Ultra Magnus's inner robot since he transformed wearing his trailer armor anyway.

===Continuity errors===
* Where is the Matrix during all this body-switching anyway?
* How do Rodimus' robot eyes look similar enough to his human eyes that Michelle was able to recognize him?
* What are all these humans suddenly doing in Autobot City? There were never any humans around before.
* Not an error per se, but it seems perhaps too convenient that the Autobot bodies have controls to allow a human pilot to control them fully, even being able to trigger the transformation and control the robot form.
* The humans also climb into and out of Rodimus' hood, not his cockpit.

===Continuity notes===
[[Image:OldSnakeYellowFingers1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Or maybe Old Snake was eating Cheet-os and the animators miscolored his fingers.]]

*[[Synthoid]]s originally appeared in the ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' episodes "The Synthoid Conspiracy" and "There's No Place Like Springfield".
*Throughout the episode, Old Snake's fingers, visible through his torn-up gloves, are colored yellow and occasionally detailed with scales. This fits in with the timeline of the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' animated series, as in ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'', Cobra Commander was mutated into a yellow-scaled snake-man and then an actual cobra. He was eventually restored to his yellow-scaled snake-man form in the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' episode "Operation: Dragonfire, Day 2", though that episode aired three years ''after'' this one. Regardless, hey, the continuity works out!
* This episode, along with "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]" and "[[Madman's Paradise]]", is one of the few episodes to not feature Decepticons. In fact, this episode marks the only time in the G1 cartoon where all of the antagonists are human (or [[Cobra Commander|humanoid]]). Of course, they still get the Decepticon logo during the scene transitions.
* This episode might answer a question [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] asked at the end of the Season 2 episode "[[Autobot Spike]]" about what would happen if an Autobot's mind were placed in a human's body.

===Trivia===

* Rodimus totally gets some in this episode. Wow.
* As Springer walks through the city, immediately after he runs into the proselytizer, he walks past four static male figures on the street. The pair in the foreground seem to be, um, getting to know each other.
* This episode uses a number of common cartoon sound effects for helicopter rotors and laser beams that had not been heard on ''Transformers'' before... but which were very common on its contemporary competitor, ''[[GoBots (franchise)#Cartoon|Challenge of the GoBots]]''.
* This episode was lampooned at [[BotCon 2005]]'s [[MSTF]] presentation, as part of a "theme show" where all of the ''Transformers'' episodes featured had (sometimes really tenuous) ties to ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]''. Because this was the first year of [[Fun Publications]]' take on BotCon, and they run the Joe convention, you see.
*The "NYPD" markings on the police car suggest that the newtronium theft takes place in a futuristic [[New York City|New York]]; badly drawn versions of the World Trade Center towers can be glimpsed in the opening shot - absolutely ''dwarfed'' by the crazy future buildings behind them.
*For some reason, human Arcee doesn't look like Princess Leia. Even her hair is different.
*Human Arcee rides a motorcycle in this episode. She turns ''into'' one in [[Arcee (Energon)|several]] [[Arcee (Movie)|other]] [[Arcee (SG)|continuity]] [[Arcee (WFC)|families]].

===Foreign localization===
[[Image:OnlyHumanJap1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Someone put a hat on that football.]]

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' '''Nur ein Mensch''' (''Only Human'')
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' 人間トランスフォーマー (''Ningen Transformer'', "Human Transformers")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[May 7]], [[1987]]
::*[[Ryōichi Tanaka]], voice of Cobra Commander in the Japanese dub of ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', reprises the role for Old Snake.
::*In the Japanese dub of ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', the [[Cobra]] battlecry is "Co-Co-Cobraaa!" rather than just plain ole "Cobraaa!" As such, Old Snake's battlecry in the closing scene is appropriately localized (though he still bursts into a coughing fit).
::*'''Cut:''' The scene where the informant tells Victor Drath that Old Snake is down the street pacing back and forth, then gets punched in the face as payment, was cut for time.
::*This episode was very heavily promoted in the pages of ''[[TV Magazine]]'', featuring two pieces of unique promotional art by [[Ban Magami]] across two separate issues (a rarity for episode promos). Oddly, neither promo seemed to accurately describe the contents of the episode. The May 1987 issue boasted a "special news" emblem, indicating its importance over other episodes promoted that issue. The blurb described the episode, then tantalized children with the reveal that Cobra Commander, "the archenemy of [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Grant]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]", would be leading his [[Cobra]] army in a fight against the Autobots. The June 1987 issue continued this misinformation campaign, even going so far as to feature a full-page promo of the episode with artwork depicting "Old Snake" ominously leading a number of Cobra [[Rattler]]s and F.A.N.G.s. The campaign was either deliberately misinformative, or Magami was working from outdated story summaries (a similar screw-up appeared in his promo artwork for "[[Starscream's Ghost]]").

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1992 — ''Transformers'' — Only Human ([[Tempo Video|Tempo Kids Club]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/only_human.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicles]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2014-09-15T17:30:33Z

He-l-en1959: /* Regeneration One */ added the caption

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] and occasional [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:FortMax1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[smelting pool]]s. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[File:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Mo Zarak|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[File:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|125px|thumb]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}
{{-}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}
[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}
[[File:Fortress maximus loose ends.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67|No, no, no! I never marry you! ]]
After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least 2 years. At some point [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] wanted to live his life and intruders were able to get aboard the crashed ship and re-awaken [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} Despite Megatron's resurrection, and his army of [[Zombie|lobotmized soldiers]], Spike was not willing to bond with Fortress Maximus again, despite his brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]]'s pleas. It took the death of Buster and his wife [[Jesse (G1)|Jesse]] to finally spur Spike into action and recombine with Maximus. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} Circa [[1994]], Fort Max battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

[[File:Fort max the war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|...''Hulk''head]]
However, this was not the end of Max's story (although he may have been better off if it had been). His old foe [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], had been reawakened by an old ghost program left by [[Mo Zarak|Lord Zarak]], which was set to deactivate Scorponok's original head if anyone ever tried to [[Project Lazarus|decrypt his database]]. Scorponok took control of the Nebulan's minds and had them build him a new body, using knowledge he had to perfect the previously incomplete process. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

After Scorponok was disposed of Fortress Maximus was the only Autobot Headmaster who hadn't been reactivated and reeducated by Scorponok to serve in his army, and the newly freed Nebulans, with the help of the Autobots, began constructing a new body for him. However, unknown to anyone, a portion of Dark Matrix energy finds Maximus's head being kept in stasis, and enters, making Maximus its new host. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} Unaware of the hitchhiker in Max's head, the Nebulans proceeded to reattach Max's head to his finished body. However, upon reconnection, Max began screaming in pain, not unlike the other Headmasters had during the Nebulan's first failed attempts, causing alarm among everyone watching. Maximus suddenly fell silent, the only sign of life in him a faint glimmer of darkness in his eye. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

[[File:Spike fort max optimus the war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Having fallen completely under the control of the Matrix, Maximus broke out of the laboratory he was being held in, and took a space bridge to Earth, where he proceeded to gun down, then beat, Optimus Prime before taking his old partner Spike, and taking his leave back through the space bridge, but not before declaring that through Spike: "One will become all" {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} and took Spike to [[Zero Space]] for an audience with the Dark Matrix entity. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}

He was then dispatched by the Matrix Entity to deal with any remaining Autobots. Maximus arrived on Nebulos in time to watch [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] dispatch [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]]. As Maximus prepared to kill Magnus, he was ambushed by the [[Wrecker]]s and [[Linda Chang]]'s forces. Together, the Autobots and humans were forced to kill Fortress Maximus, releasing him from the Dark Matrix's control, and giving him the peace he had always longed for throughout the war. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Mo Zarak|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb]]
The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|- Why are you so pale? - It is the winter camouflage, dude!]]
In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Drang nach Master!]]
Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|thumb|225px]]
While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[File:Hm6 fortmax funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]
When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|thumb|225px]]
When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]
Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|thumb|225px]]
Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:Hm17 maximus vs scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px|That's how the scorpions breed!]]
While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|thumb|225px]]
When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:Hm26 weak spot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|From USSR with "love"!]]
Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]
With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank (G1)|Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|thumb|225px|Insert 80's computer joke here.]]
Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|thumb|225px]]
As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[File:KPBraveMax.jpg|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]
Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}
{{-}}

====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}
{{-}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[File:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]
When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax manga.jpg|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream]]s, he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[combiner|gestalt]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

[[File:FortMax Jetfire SpotlightCyclonus.jpg|thumb|Guilt!]]
When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Torture!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Gore!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], and [[Ambulon (G1)|Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Not long afterwards, he attended a medal ceremony held by [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] to honor the heroes of a recent hull breach emergency. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}
[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rage!]]
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted 'Hot Rod' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit Rung, much to Maximus' anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:IDWMtMtE15-FortMaxOverlordThwok.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Vengeance!]]
Weeks later, a recovered Rung paid him a visit in the brig and accepted an unabashedly-sincere apology from Maximus. When Overlord broke free from the [[slow cell]] hidden in the ''Lost Light'''s basement, Fortress Maximus was released from confinement to combat the rampaging Phase-Sixer after he was temporarily incapacitated by Chromedome's use of Trepan's Trigger. He pummeled Overlord mercilessly and forced him back into the slow cell, which was then jettisoned from the ''Lost Light'' into space and destroyed by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} Later, when Rodimus led a band of Autobots to the lost satellite [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], he left Fort Max in command of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} After the infiltration of the ship by [[Legislator]]s, Fort Max used his oft-mentioned leg guns to fend off the attackers {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}, but was soon subdued. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} As a [[Reproduction#IDW Generation 1 continuity|forged]] Autobot, Maximus was not affected when [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] activated the [[universal killswitch]], but could only watch as it nearly killed Blaster and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Once the Legislators were defeated, Rodimus commended Fortress Maximus for his defense of the ship and offered him [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s previous title of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. As this position that would have him leave the ''Lost Light'', Maximus feared he might have another breakdown if left unchecked and asked for advice from Rung, who reassured him of his mental health and convinced him to accept. Maximus subsequently departed the ''Lost Light'', remaining on Luna 1 alongside [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and the [[Circle of Light]] to guard a captive Tyrest. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

:Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy produced in the original G1 line, and for over 25 years was the largest Transformers toy produced at all. In robot mode, he stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than his rival [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. The original retail price was nearly $100USD. His size record would eventually be broken by the 24" tall ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]].

:The toy has two alternate mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode and a "battle station" mode as described in the US instructions. The Japanese instructions rebrand the latter as a "starship" mode and it is the default mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

:In all modes, Fortress Maximus has a wide array of (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. A prison cell is concealed in the left leg, as well a dual cannon/helipad. The right leg has a stepped storage compartment. His torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small figures up to be fired down the central ramp by another switch activated launcher. The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode. The back of either arm carries a long ramp with a sliding launcher.

:Fortress Maximus' head is formed by Cerebros and Spike, although Spike is optional. The Gasket and Grommet vehicles can combine together to form [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]. Furthermore, Gasket and Grommet can each be ridden by any large Headmaster [[Nebulan]] figure.

:The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress (Cerebros), a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]] or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy, although the lack of alternate mode integration of such a large accessory (unlike the also very large handguns) points to the latter.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (sans spider legs) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

:This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]
{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

:''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories:'' Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword, Cerebros's sword.
:The first re-release of Fortress Maximus is in the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This release features paint apps for Fortress Maximus' eyes, although the original eye stickers are also included. Due to an unknown QC issue, initial product was opened, manually checked, and retaped. Other changes include packaging addition of the Encore logo, and omission of Hasbro on copyright stamp.
{{-}}

===GT===
*'''GT-R Maximus''' ([[September 28|9-28]]-[[2013]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GT-04'''
**''Accessories:'' Master Jack Sword, [[Hiiro]] race queen figure

:''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT]]'' GT-R Maximus is a heavy retool of the ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] toy, transforming into a 1:32 replica of the D'station Advan GT-R race car used by the [http://www.matchy.co.jp/ KONDO Racing] team in the [[wikipedia:Super GT|Super GT]] racing championship series. He features die-cast metal parts, an opening hood, trunk and doors, as well as an interior, complete with his feet and thighs being sculpted to form the back seats. His armaments include flip-out non-firing blasters on his arms and the "Master Jack Sword", a sword based on the [[Master Sword]] but with hinges that allow it to double as a car jack. Like all ''GT'' toys, Maximus also comes with a [[GT Sister]], a poseable human figure themed after a [[wikipedia:race queen|race queen]], namely a lady named Hiiro.

:GT-R Maximus was originally slated to be released as GT-03, but was pushed back to GT-04 with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Megatron]] becoming GT-03. This may have had to do with the fact his original promotional art featured the same head as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Prime]] rather than the newly tooled head the figure comes with.

:This mold was also used, with different heads and accessories, to make the other ''Transformers GT'' toys: GT-R Prime, GT-R Megatron and [[Star Saber (Victory)#GT|GT-R Saber]].
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Tfgum fortmax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{-}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{-}}

===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[File:Fortmax scf hoc.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden (Headmasters)|Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/HoCFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

:The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
*"Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.
*Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)
*Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.
[[File:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Once you rip it off, it can never stay on again.]]
*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown, though it may be related to the [http://www.allspark.com/images/Transformers_Generations/2011/Vol2/07.jpg tan with red accents hard copy Takara possessed].
*The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].
*When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.
*Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Fú Tè Jù Rén''' (China, 福特巨人, "Fort Giant" ), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsuēi'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Fortress_Maximus Fortress Maximus's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:GT characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2014-09-15T17:27:19Z

He-l-en1959: /* Regeneration One */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] and occasional [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:FortMax1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[smelting pool]]s. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[File:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Mo Zarak|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[File:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|125px|thumb]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}
{{-}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}
[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noteRG1}}
[[File:Fortress maximus loose ends.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least 2 years. At some point [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] wanted to live his life and intruders were able to get aboard the crashed ship and re-awaken [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} Despite Megatron's resurrection, and his army of [[Zombie|lobotmized soldiers]], Spike was not willing to bond with Fortress Maximus again, despite his brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]]'s pleas. It took the death of Buster and his wife [[Jesse (G1)|Jesse]] to finally spur Spike into action and recombine with Maximus. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}} Circa [[1994]], Fort Max battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

[[File:Fort max the war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|...''Hulk''head]]
However, this was not the end of Max's story (although he may have been better off if it had been). His old foe [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], had been reawakened by an old ghost program left by [[Mo Zarak|Lord Zarak]], which was set to deactivate Scorponok's original head if anyone ever tried to [[Project Lazarus|decrypt his database]]. Scorponok took control of the Nebulan's minds and had them build him a new body, using knowledge he had to perfect the previously incomplete process. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

After Scorponok was disposed of Fortress Maximus was the only Autobot Headmaster who hadn't been reactivated and reeducated by Scorponok to serve in his army, and the newly freed Nebulans, with the help of the Autobots, began constructing a new body for him. However, unknown to anyone, a portion of Dark Matrix energy finds Maximus's head being kept in stasis, and enters, making Maximus its new host. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} Unaware of the hitchhiker in Max's head, the Nebulans proceeded to reattach Max's head to his finished body. However, upon reconnection, Max began screaming in pain, not unlike the other Headmasters had during the Nebulan's first failed attempts, causing alarm among everyone watching. Maximus suddenly fell silent, the only sign of life in him a faint glimmer of darkness in his eye. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

[[File:Spike fort max optimus the war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Having fallen completely under the control of the Matrix, Maximus broke out of the laboratory he was being held in, and took a space bridge to Earth, where he proceeded to gun down, then beat, Optimus Prime before taking his old partner Spike, and taking his leave back through the space bridge, but not before declaring that through Spike: "One will become all" {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} and took Spike to [[Zero Space]] for an audience with the Dark Matrix entity. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}

He was then dispatched by the Matrix Entity to deal with any remaining Autobots. Maximus arrived on Nebulos in time to watch [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] dispatch [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]]. As Maximus prepared to kill Magnus, he was ambushed by the [[Wrecker]]s and [[Linda Chang]]'s forces. Together, the Autobots and humans were forced to kill Fortress Maximus, releasing him from the Dark Matrix's control, and giving him the peace he had always longed for throughout the war. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)}}

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Mo Zarak|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb]]
The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|- Why are you so pale? - It is the winter camouflage, dude!]]
In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Drang nach Master!]]
Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|thumb|225px]]
While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[File:Hm6 fortmax funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]
When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|thumb|225px]]
When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]
Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|thumb|225px]]
Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:Hm17 maximus vs scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px|That's how the scorpions breed!]]
While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|thumb|225px]]
When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:Hm26 weak spot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|From USSR with "love"!]]
Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]
With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank (G1)|Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|thumb|225px|Insert 80's computer joke here.]]
Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|thumb|225px]]
As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[File:KPBraveMax.jpg|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]
Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}
{{-}}

====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}
{{-}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[File:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]
When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax manga.jpg|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream]]s, he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[combiner|gestalt]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

[[File:FortMax Jetfire SpotlightCyclonus.jpg|thumb|Guilt!]]
When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Torture!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Gore!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], and [[Ambulon (G1)|Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} Not long afterwards, he attended a medal ceremony held by [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] to honor the heroes of a recent hull breach emergency. {{storylink|The Reluctant Specialist}}
[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Rage!]]
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted 'Hot Rod' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit Rung, much to Maximus' anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:IDWMtMtE15-FortMaxOverlordThwok.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Vengeance!]]
Weeks later, a recovered Rung paid him a visit in the brig and accepted an unabashedly-sincere apology from Maximus. When Overlord broke free from the [[slow cell]] hidden in the ''Lost Light'''s basement, Fortress Maximus was released from confinement to combat the rampaging Phase-Sixer after he was temporarily incapacitated by Chromedome's use of Trepan's Trigger. He pummeled Overlord mercilessly and forced him back into the slow cell, which was then jettisoned from the ''Lost Light'' into space and destroyed by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]]. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}} Later, when Rodimus led a band of Autobots to the lost satellite [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], he left Fort Max in command of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} After the infiltration of the ship by [[Legislator]]s, Fort Max used his oft-mentioned leg guns to fend off the attackers {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}}, but was soon subdued. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} As a [[Reproduction#IDW Generation 1 continuity|forged]] Autobot, Maximus was not affected when [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] activated the [[universal killswitch]], but could only watch as it nearly killed Blaster and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

Once the Legislators were defeated, Rodimus commended Fortress Maximus for his defense of the ship and offered him [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s previous title of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. As this position that would have him leave the ''Lost Light'', Maximus feared he might have another breakdown if left unchecked and asked for advice from Rung, who reassured him of his mental health and convinced him to accept. Maximus subsequently departed the ''Lost Light'', remaining on Luna 1 alongside [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and the [[Circle of Light]] to guard a captive Tyrest. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

:Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy produced in the original G1 line, and for over 25 years was the largest Transformers toy produced at all. In robot mode, he stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than his rival [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. The original retail price was nearly $100USD. His size record would eventually be broken by the 24" tall ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]].

:The toy has two alternate mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode and a "battle station" mode as described in the US instructions. The Japanese instructions rebrand the latter as a "starship" mode and it is the default mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

:In all modes, Fortress Maximus has a wide array of (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. A prison cell is concealed in the left leg, as well a dual cannon/helipad. The right leg has a stepped storage compartment. His torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small figures up to be fired down the central ramp by another switch activated launcher. The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode. The back of either arm carries a long ramp with a sliding launcher.

:Fortress Maximus' head is formed by Cerebros and Spike, although Spike is optional. The Gasket and Grommet vehicles can combine together to form [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]. Furthermore, Gasket and Grommet can each be ridden by any large Headmaster [[Nebulan]] figure.

:The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress (Cerebros), a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]] or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy, although the lack of alternate mode integration of such a large accessory (unlike the also very large handguns) points to the latter.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (sans spider legs) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

:This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]
{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

:''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories:'' Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword, Cerebros's sword.
:The first re-release of Fortress Maximus is in the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This release features paint apps for Fortress Maximus' eyes, although the original eye stickers are also included. Due to an unknown QC issue, initial product was opened, manually checked, and retaped. Other changes include packaging addition of the Encore logo, and omission of Hasbro on copyright stamp.
{{-}}

===GT===
*'''GT-R Maximus''' ([[September 28|9-28]]-[[2013]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GT-04'''
**''Accessories:'' Master Jack Sword, [[Hiiro]] race queen figure

:''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT]]'' GT-R Maximus is a heavy retool of the ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] toy, transforming into a 1:32 replica of the D'station Advan GT-R race car used by the [http://www.matchy.co.jp/ KONDO Racing] team in the [[wikipedia:Super GT|Super GT]] racing championship series. He features die-cast metal parts, an opening hood, trunk and doors, as well as an interior, complete with his feet and thighs being sculpted to form the back seats. His armaments include flip-out non-firing blasters on his arms and the "Master Jack Sword", a sword based on the [[Master Sword]] but with hinges that allow it to double as a car jack. Like all ''GT'' toys, Maximus also comes with a [[GT Sister]], a poseable human figure themed after a [[wikipedia:race queen|race queen]], namely a lady named Hiiro.

:GT-R Maximus was originally slated to be released as GT-03, but was pushed back to GT-04 with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Megatron]] becoming GT-03. This may have had to do with the fact his original promotional art featured the same head as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Prime]] rather than the newly tooled head the figure comes with.

:This mold was also used, with different heads and accessories, to make the other ''Transformers GT'' toys: GT-R Prime, GT-R Megatron and [[Star Saber (Victory)#GT|GT-R Saber]].
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Tfgum fortmax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{-}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{-}}

===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[File:Fortmax scf hoc.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden (Headmasters)|Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/HoCFortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]''

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

:The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
*"Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.
*Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)
*Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.
[[File:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Once you rip it off, it can never stay on again.]]
*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown, though it may be related to the [http://www.allspark.com/images/Transformers_Generations/2011/Vol2/07.jpg tan with red accents hard copy Takara possessed].
*The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].
*When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.
*Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Fú Tè Jù Rén''' (China, 福特巨人, "Fort Giant" ), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsuēi'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Fortress_Maximus Fortress Maximus's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:GT characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]

Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)

2014-09-15T17:21:05Z

He-l-en1959: /* Earthforce */ little addition

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3.5|the Aerialbot|the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]]|Skydive (Predator)|Skydive|other characters}}
{{picsneeded}}
:''Skydive is an [[Autobot]] [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Skydive profile.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Bookish flying ace extraordinaire.]]
'''Skydive''', it has been said, would rather read about an aerial battle than take part in one. He's the Aerialbots' resident bookworm and is fascinated by the history and science behind aerial warfare. Within the limits of his design, he's capable of duplicating the flight patterns of anything he sees. His knowledge of aerial warfare and tactics is unmatched. Skydive is probably the most skilled Autobot flier in existence. All of that, and you're more likely to find him secluded in a cozy library than actually in the sky. He's simply too modest and bookish to realize how smart and skilled he really is. Thankfully the rest of the Autobots definitely do.

Skydive combines with his fellow [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

==Fiction==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Laurie Faso]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese), [[Kōji Totani]] (Japanese, ''2010'')|[[Héctor Vieyra]] (Latin American), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''Ghost in the Machine''), [[Christian Weygand]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Ghost in the Machine'')}}

[[File:Skydive slingshot.jpg|left|thumb|Skydive tries to explain to Slingshot why his wrist-mounted sundial doesn't work in the shade.]]
At one point during the eternal war with the Autobots on Earth, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] grew fed up with how his opponents ruled the roads and created a group of Decepticon cars known as the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. In order to give his new warriors life, he brought them to Cybertron and tracked down the ancient supercomputer, [[Vector Sigma]], to input cybernetic personalities into the Stunticons. Thanks to a series of traps and drones in their way, the Autobots failed to prevent Megatron from succeeding and returning to Earth. Seeking to even the playing field, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] conceived of the idea of retrofitting several broken-down Cybertronian ships into Earthly jets, and bringing them to life as a team of Autobot flyers. With the help of his technical savvy soldiers, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], Wheeljack, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and Prime's own creator, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Optimus's plan was enacted and the Aerialbots were born. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[File:Skydivewardawn.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Pose by [[Pat Lee|Funana.]]]]
Because Optimus Prime specified to Vector Sigma that the Aerialbots be given personalities that required them to learn and grow, and make their own decisions, however, Skydive and his friends were not instantly bound to the Autobot cause. Their sense of pride in their flying ability caused many of them to look down on the other Autobots. Despite their personalities being like night and day, Skydive and Slingshot were frequent flying partners and often on the same side of any argument. Skydive's eye for aerial maneuvering left him just as impressed as the more emotional Slingshot when it came to the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]' flight skills, and this innocent zest for knowledge led him and his partners into a Decepticon trap. Turning the [[Kronosphere]] on the hapless Autobots, Megatron sent the Aerialbots back in time nine million years. Their journey led them to the earliest days of the war, and they personally saw Megatron maliciously gun down unarmed Cybertronians in his quest for power. Skydive and the other Aerialbots returned to the present with an unshakeable commitment to seeing the Decepticon threat ended. {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}}

Skydive and [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] were once carved up into pieces and somehow put back together by a street kid who also just happened to be a deposed royal prince of a Middle Eastern nation who was also a mechanical genius. Convenient. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

[[File:Primesb&skydiveairassault.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Better an arch than [[Triple Takeover|a throne]].]]
After the death of Megatron and the retaking of Cybertron, Skydive and the Aerialbots became part of the Autobot Fleet. When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and Spike were kidnapped to [[Quintessa]], the rescue party alerted the Aerialbots to swoop by for covering fire and pick-up. [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] and Skydive made the strafing run that took out the Quintessons' defensive [[proton cannon]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}

When the Quintessons destroyed their own planet to get at the Autobots, the resulting blast wave destroyed the Aerialbots' ship, sending Skydive and the rest hurtling through space. Although they clearly survived, Skydive, Fireflight and Slingshot were not seen after the explosion. They eventually impacted on [[Goo 8739B]], and were rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}

Skydive was present when Optimus Prime briefly returned from the dead, and gathered the Autobot Fleet for an attack on the Quintessons. He was also on the flagship with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] when they spotted Hot Rod and the others coming to warn the Fleet about the Quintesson trap. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

{{Note|In the episode "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]", several jets in the Autobot Fleet resembling the Aerialbots' alt modes were destroyed by the Quintessons. Repeatedly. Since the Aerialbots unquestionably survived the attack, it would seem their character models were merely used to build up the size of the fleet, and the casualty figures.}}

[[File:Skydiveaerialassault.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Truly, I swear, I didn't take your trousers!]]Before long, history repeated itself (literally) as Skydive and the Aerialbots had another time travel adventure involving Alpha Trion, only this time it involved the ancient Autobot himself traveling into the present from the past, back from when he was merely A3. The Quintessons were experimenting with [[Time Window]] technology when Perceptor and a group of Autobots came across their work. Summoned for reinforcements, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] arrived with Superion and the other Autobots to drive the Quintessons off the asteroid. As the time window was left open, a robot named A3 materialized on the asteroid. It wasn't until after the Quintessons convinced the Autobots that the window needed to be closed for the sake of the universe, and A3 returned to his own time, that Skydive and the Aerialbots realized they had once again been in the presence of "the father of the Autobots". {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

Once, Air Raid led the Decepticon duo of [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] into an asteroid field where Skydive and his fellow Aerialbots were waiting to spring an ambush. The Aerialbots messed the Decepticons up pretty badly, especially after they transformed into Superion. Eventually, Skydive and the others chased the Decepticons through a strange warp in space. This proceeded to have no consequences for [[Sandstorm (G1)|anyone]] [[Paradron|whatsoever]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

Skydive and the Aerialbots were spending a relaxing day watching home movies on [[Teletraan II]] when things suddenly got serious, as the Autobots' computer off-handedly informed them [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was never destroyed in his last battle with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Sure enough, Silverbolt and Skydive were later present at the former site of Fort Knox, investigating Trypticon's handiwork on behalf of the [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|King of Kings]] of [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. When they tracked Trypticon to his new staging grounds, Skydive and the Aerialbots launched from [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], but the Decepticon presence in Carbombya was more than they had anticipated. The Aerialbots made a hasty retreat when confronted with overwhelming firepower, but soon returned with reinforcements and drove the Decepticons from Carbombya. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

During a battle in space, Skydive and the Aerialbots may or may not have been present. Superion, at least, was surely there on the planet [[Eurythma]]... sometimes. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}} Skydive was ''definitely'' stationed at Autobot City, though, when [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] stole Metroplex's eyes. The massive Autobot was nearly driven mad with pain when the Decepticons set off a bomb in his brain, and Skydive, Silverbolt and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] had to keep him contained so that his thrashing didn't destroy anything irreplaceable. Like Portland. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (episode)|Ghost in the Machine}}

After [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] took some hostile fire over the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]], Rodimus Prime dispatched Skydive and the Aerialbots to investigate. They were caught in a crossfire between the brain-addled Junkions and the Quintessons, who were responsible for messing with the Junkions' air waves, and their minds. Even after becoming Superion, the Aerialbots took heavy fire and had to be brought back to [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] on Cybertron for repairs. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} Later, Skydive and the Aerialbots were working with Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus in Europe to fend off the latest wave of Decepticon attacks. When Trypticon arrived, they played the bi-planes to his King Kong. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

Skydive made a brief appearance when the Autobots brought their new generator on-line after the creation of the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}} During the Decepticon invasion of Japan, the Aerialbots fought against [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] when he tried to derail a bullet train full of passengers. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}} Sometime thereafter, Skydive and the Aerialbots were recruited by Rodimus Prime to rescue the body of Optimus Prime from [[Gregory Swofford|Swofford]] and [[Mark Morgan|Morgan]]. Unfortunately, this only meant they were among the first Autobots exposed to the [[Hate Plague]]. Despite the madness induced by the red dust, the Aerialbots were apparently still willing to form Superion. Superion ran amok, causing serious property damage, infecting [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], and taking several other Autobots out of action. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

When the Decepticons invaded Cybertron searching for the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], the Aerialbots tried to stop them. Unfortunately, they didn't reckon with [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. Despite his skill as an aerial ace, Skydive was matched move for move by Sixshot in his starfighter mode, and was blasted out of the sky. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} The [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] then took his [[power pack]] to use as fuel for the giant rocket engine they were constructing for [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga====
When the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s confronted Menasor at a baseball stadium, Skydive and the Aerialbots arrived as back-up. They formed Superion to engage Menasor and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. After [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] was injured, Superion targeted the Decepticon combiners' legs, shaking them loose and giving the smaller Protectobots a chance to link up with the Decepticon gestalts and override control of their bodies. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}} After the Autobots discovered a utopia island paradise, it was besieged by Megatron and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who wanted to build an impregnable fortress. [[Kenji]] radioed for help, and Optimus Prime sent Skydive and the Aerialbots to the rescue. As Superion they fought off [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] using their smarts to outthink the evil warriors. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

====''Scramble City'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese)}}
Skydive and the Aerialbots were dispatched from the [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] to aid Optimus Prime in battle with the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Their aerial firepower frankly overwhelmed the marauding Decepticons, and sent them home with their transistors between their struts. On his second attempt, Megatron sent the Stunticons, who were considerably more successful in engaging the Autobots. Damaged in jet modes, Skydive the Aerialbots chose instead to merge and form Superion. As Superion, they possessed scramble combining abilities, but so did the Stunticons when they formed Menasor. The Aerialbots were in the midst of reconfiguring their limb formation when Fireflight, being...well, a daydreaming idiot, mixed up whether he was supposed to be the right leg or the left. His indecision gave Menasor time to shoot him down, and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] assumed the place of Superion's right leg instead, corrupting his programming. Skydive and the others were trapped as Superion, literally fighting themselves, until Fireflight retook his place as Superion's limb. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
In [[2010]], Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] of [[Eran]] to utilize his skills and improve the Decepticons' combiner technology. Skydive and the Aerialbots joined the Protectobots in assaulting Trypticon, in hopes of rescuing the hostage scientist. Skydive and his team formed Superion for a first strike, but the Decepticon combiners countered with their deployment modes, launching the Stunticon and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] troops with enough force to tear Superion apart. The Protectobots stood guard over [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] as he performed battlefield triage on the Aerialbots in his repair bay mode, bringing them back on-line. Silverbolt then transformed into launcher mode and unleashed Skydive and the other Aerialbots in their own scramble attack, blinding Menasor and Bruticus long enough for the Autobots to escape safely with Dalton. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Masaharu Satō]] (Japanese)}}
Skydive and the Aerialbots were stationed at Autobot City on Earth in 2011. When Galvatron attacked Cybertron via the old [[space bridge]] network, the Aerialbots were summoned to Cybertron as reinforcements. They soon arrived with the [[Trainbot]]s and quickly joined the battle. Skydive and his team formed Superion and battled [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] and Devastator. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Later, the combined Aerialbots fought alongside [[Raiden (Headmasters)|Raiden]] and Defensor against the Decepticon combiners, and were nearly crushed when Bruticus collapsed a building on their position. They were bailed out by the arrival of the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. When Hot Rod began his search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on Earth, Skydive and the Aerialbots returned to the humans' planet to assist him. They confronted the Stunticons in the desert, pitting Superion against Menasor yet again. The battle was so fierce it eventually carried them to the Arctic where Hot Rod was searching. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Skydive and his flying comrades joined the [[Triple Changer]]s in distracting the Decepticons long enough for [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] to sneak inside Trypticon and gather data on the [[Madmachine]]. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} Sometime later, Skydive and the Aerialbots were on a research vessel that passed near a [[Metamorphose|strange meteorite]]. The meteorite had been altered by Galvatron to produce magnetic warping waves whenever it detected metal, and so it send the Aerialbots and their ship twisting through space. Although the Decepticons tried to intervene, the Autobots eventually recovered Skydive and his injured colleagues. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

Following a lengthy repair cycle, Skydive and the Aerialbots were ready for action when Galvatron and the Decepticons laid siege to Cybertron one last time. Transporting to Cybertron from Earth, they raced into battle (on foot, for some reason). Skydive and the team got the drop on the Stunticons when they merged into Superion, smashing and scattering the 'Cons before they could form Menasor. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} As the fighting continued, the Aerialbots battled Abominus as Superion and later separated to trade blaster fire with the Stunticons. The warring only came to an end once [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s bombs blew up [[Vector Sigma]] and annihilated the planet.{{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

When [[buridanka|a giant carnivorous plant]] attacked San Francisco, Ultra Magnus dispatched Skydive and the Aerialbots to combat it. Although they made frequent bombing runs on the organism, the Aerialbots were unable to stop it. Only the arrival of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] and his powerful giant [[Transtector]] brought an end to the creature's rampage. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} Skydive and the Aerialbots were part of a strike team that flew to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to disrupt Scorponok's gathering of Decepticons. They immediately formed Superion upon entering the battle. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

When one of Scorponok's Death Towers emerged in Washington D.C., Skydive and the Aerialbots were dispatched to investigate it. As part of Superion, Skydive participated in the Autobots final battle with Scorponok's Decepticons at the North Pole. He lent his energies to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]] to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Aerialbots second generation.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|"Autobot planes will always be superior as long as there are wonderful bots like us in the cockpit. And German parts."]]
''Thanks to his previous connection to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] began experiencing dreams and visions of new Transformers, beginning with an etching of Superion he made without even being consciously aware of it.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''By sharing his visions with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Buster was able to clarify the images and understand the future of the evolution of the Cybertronian race—amalgam model robots like the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]' [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], capable of a more-streamlined merging into a more powerful form. It was these visions which allowed Optimus Prime and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to conceive of and construct the Aerialbots.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[File:Skydive aerialbots over america.jpg|thumb|"I'll dance on your grave!"]]
Working on a plan to reverse engineer the gestalt technology the Decepticons used to create Devastator, Optimus Prime and the Autobots staged a daring raid on the Decepticon base of operations, giving [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] enough time to digitally record the Constructicons' electrical transformation pattern for study. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} Working off that blueprint, Wheeljack successfully created Skydive and the Aerialbots. During the new warriors' testing phase, however, the Autobots were alerted to a Decepticon operation at Hoover Dam. Only the Aerialbots were fast enough to reach the location in time, and so Prime was forced to send them into battle before their programming was completed.

Arriving to find a giant energy siphoning device being channeled through the [[space bridge]], [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] deferred to Skydive's strategic knowledge on how to deal with the target. Skydive's preliminary attack run failed to even damage the device, however, and before he could make a second pass the Decepticon jet [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] took the offensive, temporarily grounding Skydive with the disruptive power of his engines.

The Aerialbots eventually turned the tide on the Decepticons and drove them off, giving them time to focus on the energy siphon which was the core of the problem. At Silverbolt's command, they merged into Superion and began dismantling the drill device. A problem arose, however, when [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]] controlled pawn [[Ricky Vasquez]] pointed [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (in his gun mode) at the giant Autobot. Because the majority of the Aerialbots were not programmed specifically to protect human life, Superion only saw a potential threat that needed to be eliminated. As the human fought against the Decepticons' control, Silverbolt too fought inside Superion's gestalt mind to protect the human. In the end, Silverbolt was forced to disengage Superion to keep him from destroying the human. Luckily, Ricky was more successful and managed to break the cerebro-shell's hold long enough to point Megatron at the drill and destroy it, ending the threat. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

[[File:Aerialbots minds wiped marvel 22.jpg|thumb|left|"Wait, we're standing here to be LOBOTOMIZED?? I thought we were standing for a group picture!"]]
After the near disaster at Hoover Dam, Optimus Prime had the Aerialbots shut down and their programming completely erased. Returned to a blank slate, he then input fully-programmed personalities for them with the Matrix before their next mission. It, uh... didn't help. In battle with [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] as Superion, the Aerialbots were attacked by [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Circuit Breaker]], deactivated, and captured by [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]]. It was only a lucky break that they were eventually freed. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

As [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] took over the Autobots, Skydive and the other Aerialbots took an extended leave of absence from the war, since the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] commander focused Autobot resources on repairing their fallen comrades and prepping the Ark to become spaceworthy again.

[[File:Aerialbots buster marvel 50.jpg|thumb|Skydive's there to make sure Air Raid doesn't take Buster's wallet as he ODs.]]
Sometime later, it was Skydive, [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]], and [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] who were the first to respond to a distress call from Buster Witwicky, the Autobots' old human ally who had been prisoner to the Decepticons for nearly a year. This led the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces into battle with [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], who had acquired the nigh-infinite power of the [[Underbase]] for himself. The Aerialbots were his first victims, wiped out in a single blast of cosmic power in the skies over New York City. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

Along with the other deactivated Autobots aboard the Ark, Skydive and the Aerialbots were eventually revived by the [[Nucleon]] super-energy Grimlock and the Dinobots recovered from [[Hydrus Four]].
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
Fresh off the RE-assembly line, Skydive screwed up an Autobot mission by broadcasting the location of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and his hijacked Decepticon ozone rocket over an uncoded frequency. Luckily, Prowl managed to remove the poison gas canisters before the Decepticons got there, and the two 'Con factions ended up fighting over nothing of value. {{storylink|Life in the Slow Lane}}

[[File:Skydive mystery.jpg|thumb|left|"Has anyone seen my right leg?"]]
A few nights later, Skydive was coming to relieve [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] from a late-night guard shift when he found signs of a skirmish. Wheeljack was gone, and some animal tracks he took for signs of [[Fantasy Predacon|Predacon]] activity were all over the place! Tracing them to the main base, Skydive found it had been forced open, and a shadowy figure was creeping through the halls. He leapt into action!...right on top of poor Wheeljack. It turned out Ol' Wheels had tripped over his lamp and heating unit at the guard post, run into a [[polar bear]], and scampered away out of sheer fright, forcing the door when he couldn't find his key.

This incident was mercifully left off the official duty logs. {{storylink|Mystery!}}

[[File:Aerialbots the house that wheeljack built.jpg|thumb|Hail Luftwaffe! Hail Hi...Skydive!]]
Skydive was present with the entire Earthforce team outside Autobot Earthbase when Wheeljack unveiled his brand-new unbreachable defensive system. This was unfortunate, as Wheeljack had forgotten that, once activated, the system could only be turned off from the inside. Prowl elected to run the gauntlet and reach the shutdown console inside, and the Aerialbots provided air support for him. Skydive and his buddies gunned down the [[Acid Bat]]s at the entryway, giving Prowl his chance to get through. {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}

{{note|Unlike the rest of Earthforce, the return of the Aerialbots (besides Silverbolt) was never explained on panel. Presumably, Wheeljack rebuilt them in the Bodyshop much like he did for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]].}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
In [[2008]], Skydive was on monitor duty at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] when he detected a "disappearing blip" on the radar screens. He alerted [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], but before they could ID the contact, the contact ID'ed itself: [[Quintesson]] [[Trident Attack Craft]] on bombing runs! Skydive was knocked out by the oncoming blast, but Blaster dragged him to a safe place. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

====="Another Time & Place"=====
When [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the Decepticons took control of the Nucleon supply at Hydrus Four, Skydive joined Air Raid and Silverbolt in bombing the medical center to announce the Autobots' imminent arrival. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:Skydive all or nothing.jpg|thumb|left|--I just pawned him to pay off my gambling debts!]]
After the Autobots split into smaller combat units throughout the universe, Skydive was sent to Earth with a group of Autobots under [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]]'s command to deal with the re-emergence of Megatron. The Decepticon's new abilities and [[Cobra]] allies proved a considerable challenge, though. After half their number were killed and their transport destroyed, Skydive volunteered for a strategic play to get inside the enemy-controlled Ark. Shutting off his systems on a time-delay to appear as lifeless machinery to the sensors Megatron had set up in the ship, he was smuggled aboard the Ark by some disguised [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] soldiers. {{storylink|Final Transformations}} Once inside, he received some surprise help from [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], who had returned just in time to reconnect with his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] partner, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. With Fortress Maximus sacrificing his life to distract Megatron and destroy the Ark, Skydive got to safety with [[Sidney Biggles-Jones|Dr. Sidney Biggles-Jones]], the human scientist Megatron had taken prisoner. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Once Megatron resurfaced with Starscream and reassumed command of the Decepticon army from [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], Skydive sent a transmission to Optimus Prime and soon left Earth duty to reunite with his fellow Aerialbots in the stars. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} He was later involved in the ill-fated defense of the planet [[Ethos]], {{storylink|Escalation!}} and the battle for Earth against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian armada]]. {{storylink|Total War!}}

{{--}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Aerialbots_destiny.jpg|thumb|At last, the Autobots' answer to the deadly [[Triangle formation]], the Pentagon Formation!]]
After Silverbolt was reformatted into a new [[Nucleon]]-free body, he was reunited with Skydive and the rest of the Aerialbots, flying scouting missions for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s [[Cybertronian Civil Defense]]. They were recalled to base before they were able to stumble upon [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s Neo-Decepticons, which may have been fortunate as Soundwave had [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] waiting for them. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}} Soon after that Skydive and the Aerialbots flew alongside [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] as he located Ultra Magnus, missing since his first bout with [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], and updated him regarding the arrival of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s ''[[Warworld]]'' and its invading army of [[Blitz Engine]]s above Cybertron. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} Skydive and the Aerialbots then joined Blades, [[Doubleheader]], [[Skyhammer (G1)|Skyhammer]], [[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] in attacking the ''Warworld'' directly, providing a distraction so that the [[Wrecker]]s could sneak aboard. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
Skydive and his fellow Aerialbots became one of the first Autobot "[[Special Teams]]" several million years ago, adopting the process used to create [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in order to become Superion. The unchecked destructive power of these super-robots was eventually recognized by the Autobot and Decepticon factions, however. By the time of the Dark Ages, the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]] had been ratified, strictly forbidding Special Teams from operating together on any given faction, in order to prevent these titans from tearing the planet apart. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[File:DWPrimeDirective6 Autobots wanttheirheads.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Being the Aerialbots' resident tactician, Skydive knows they can use Optimus's puffy proportions as cover.]]
Millions of years later, Skydive and the Aerialbots were active on [[Earth]] with Optimus Prime and the crew of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. They did not arrive on that ship, however, and the actual manner of their arrival was never explained. The war on the human homeworld raged from the 1980s until 1998 when the Decepticons were finally defeated, and in the following year, the ''[[Ark II]]'' was constructed to take the Transformers home. However, the ship was sabotaged by the rogue engineer-turned arms dealer Adam Rook, known as [[Lazarus (G1)|Lazarus]], and General [[Robert Hallo]], who planned on reprogramming the Transformers into the service of the United States military. The Aerialbots were some of the few Transformers who were not recovered by Lazarus for his reprogramming venture, now aimed at hiring out the Transformers to the highest bidder. Instead, they were reactivated as Superion in 2002 by Optimus Prime, using the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Silverbolt and the Aerialbots in their Superion form, battled the Decepticons in the Northwest Territories of [[Canada]] {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} and again in [[San Francisco]]. During the latter conflict, Superion was broken down into his individual components while battling [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} When Megatron failed to convince Optimus Prime to join his cause, Skydive and his team were freed and eventually reunified in order to intercept a nuclear missile (launched by General Hallo) headed for the California coastline. Superion, and by extension the Aerialbots, were destroyed in stopping the missile. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

Their remains were collected secretly by [[Earth Defense Command]] and held in Area 51. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
Early in the war, the Aerialbots responded to Optimus' rallying call for additional support against the Decepticons and fought against the Seekers in the battle that followed. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

Thousands of years later, Skydive was among the Autobots poised to fight against [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s army on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Led by [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], he and the other Autobot fliers attacked [[Kimia Facility]] and fought with the many [[Sweep]]s defending it. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}}

After the war ended, Skydive and his fellow Aerialbots worked crowd control on the Decepticons after Ratbat was murdered. He later followed Silverbolt's lead along with the rest of the Aerialbots in deserting Bumblebee's fledgling government. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
Silverbolt, Skydive and Fireflight were sent to intercept [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s convoy, which was delivering part of a super weapon to Decepticon HQ. Their attack resulted in the Decepticons destroying their own weapon to keep it out of Autobot hands. {{storylink|Eagle Eyes}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Skydive Toy.JPG|upright=1.66|thumb|I dive from grey skies only]]
* '''Skydive''' (Aerialbot, 1986)
**''Team ID number'': '''A2'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-51'''
**''Accessories'': "[[Nega-gun]]"

: Skydive transforms into an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-16 Falcon fighter jet]]. As a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style combiner, he can form the arm or leg to any super robot of compatible construction, though his nominal placement is as the right leg to [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

:All five Aerialbots were made available as mail-away offers in Japan during ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''. Skydive (like all the other limb-jets) cost 1000 yen and two [[Robot Point|robot points]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Skydive/skydive.htm More information on Skydive at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.transformers-universe.com/include.php?path=content/ToyDB_Info.php&Toy_ID=805&Sprache=0 More information on Skydive at Transformers-Universe.com]''

*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-55'''

: All five Aerialbots were made available in a gift set, released in most markets. The toys are identical to their individually-packaged versions.
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
* '''Skydive''' (Aerialbot, 1994)
**''Team ID number:'' '''A1'''
**''Accessories'': "Mega Gun"

: Skydive was [[redeco]]ed for his ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' release, gaining a fetching gray and blue scheme.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/Skydive/skydive.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Skydive at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
[[File:Universe-AR-Skydive.JPG|upright=1.66|thumb|Airdive?]]
*'''Aerial Rivals''' (multi-pack, 2008)

: A redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Jetfire (Armada)#LOC|Jetfire]]'s ''Legends of Cybertron'' figure, Skydive transforms into a cargo plane with a color scheme based upon his ''Generation 2'' incarnation. In his plane form, the tail section can be swiveled up to form an attack mode.

:He was only available in a [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] five-pack with Legends Class [[Blades (G1)#LOC|Blades]], [[Air Raid (G1)#Classic Series|Air Raid]], [[Ramjet (G1)#Classic Series|Ramjet]], and [[Thrust (G1)#Classic Series|Thrust]]. The [[packaging]] back and the [[instructions]] swap Air Raid and Skydive's names, but since the deco used for "Air Raid" is very clearly based on ''Generation 2'' Skydive, this can be assumed to be an error.

: This sculpt was also used for ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Fireflight (G1)#Classics|Fireflight]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUAirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Legends Skydive (mislabeled) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

====G1 Series====
[[File:Universe2008 Skydive.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Shield/double-cannon, Autobot-type [[energon star]]

:Available only as a component of ''Universe'' Superion, this version of Skydive is a lavender and grey redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Sky Shadow (Energon)|Sky Shadow]]/[[Terradive (Energon)|Terradive]] mold, transforming into an A-10 "Thunderbolt" plane. He can also form a leg or arm to any ''Energon''-series "[[Powerlinx]] [[Combiner]]" super robot, though his nominal placement is as the right leg to Superion. He comes with a shield/double cannon that can become a footplate or "hand" for his combined mode, plus a blue "super energon" Autobot-style energon star that fits over his [[spark crystal]].

:He shares his mold with fellow Superion pack-mate [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]].

:Skydive was released, along with the others in this box set, in ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' (2008) packaging in Australia and Singapore. This set was released as a Target-[[exclusive]] set in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Superion (ROTF)|Superion]] packaging for North America. Thus, this toy doubles as [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Skydive (Movie)|Skydive]].

:This mold was also used to make [[Fun Publications]] [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]-[[exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/Skydive/skydive.htm More information on Skydive at TFU.info]''

===Generations===
[[File:Skydive Generations.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|As featured on ''Pimp My Altmode''.]]
*'''Skydive''' (Deluxe, 2015)

:To be released under the ''Combiner Wars'' imprint of the [[Transformers: Generations|''Generations'']] toyline, Skydive will transform from a modified F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet to a robot that updates his original body. He will be able to combine with his fellow Deluxe-class Aerialbots [[Slingshot (G1)|Alpha Bravo]], [[Fireflight (G1)|Firefly]] and [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]], along with the Voyager-class [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Skydive''' (スカイダイブ ''Sukaidaibu'')
*''French:'' '''Parachuto''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Log'''
*''Russian:'' '''Pikirovshhik''' (Пикировщик, "Diver")

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Skydive Skydive's ''Universe'' profile at NFTA.net]

[[Category:Aerialbots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Ladybird Books Autobots]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Overmatch

2014-09-09T18:44:17Z

He-l-en1959: /* Synopsis */ some addition

{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=14
|prev=Swoop (episode)
|next=Gale
|title="Overmatch"
|furigana=つわもの
|japanese=強敵
|romaji=Tsuwamono
|translation=Formidable Enemy: Exceptional Person
|image=Overmatch_Starscreamswordslice.jpg
|caption=Richard Dawson! Charles Nelson Reilly! They're here to play The Overmatch Game '76!
|production code=TF: A-14
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Ryō Motohira]]
|director=[[Takashi Sano]]
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[December 13]], [[2002]] (English) [[April 11|11 April]] [[2003]] (Japanese)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}

'''The Autobots have a solid victory thanks to the Star Saber, but then a mysterious and powerful mercenary gives the Decepticons a new edge.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Overmatch Scavengermysterious.jpg|left|150px|thumb|And here's the star of The Overmatch Game '76...]]
In a mountainous area, under moonlight, the [[Decepticon]]s search for another [[Mini-Con]]. As [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] climbs a mountainside to the active panel, [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] leaps in front of him and summons the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] while Smokescreen goes after the Mini-Con. Hot Shot slices through Starscream's arm, making the Decepticon fall from the mountain. Starscream unsheathes his sword, but the Star Saber easy slices through it, and a resulting stray shard knocks [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] out of [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]]'s way.

[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] orders [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] forward, but [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus]] then lands directly onto the Decepticon leader, leaving Demolishor to fight Hot Shot on his own. When Hot Shot removes Demolishor's cannons, Megatron once more orders a retreat.

[[File:Overmatch Smokescreen Liftor.jpg|200px|thumb|Here's Mini-Con #923. You gettin' all this down?]]
Smokescreen arrives at the base of the mountain and introduces the activated Mini-Con: [[Liftor]]. Optimus warns Hot Shot not to be overconfident, then almost notices a cloaked figure who was watching the entire battle.

At the [[Autobot]] base, [[Rad White|Rad]] complains that the fridge is full of tools, and [[Carlos Lopez (Armada)|Carlos]] explains that [[Alexis Thi Dang (Armada)|Alexis]] is out shopping for more food. This still does not explain why there are tools where the food should be.

[[File:Overmatch sliceDemolishor.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Dumb Demolishor is SO dumb..." ''"How dumb is he?"'']]
In a grocery store, Alexis buys some laundry detergent with bleach, and some de-greaser, even if there is a suspected risk of causing her fashionable Mini-Con to short-circuit. When she gets back to the Autobot base, [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] reminds the kids that the Mini-Cons shouldn't go out in public, and then silences Carlos's complaints of boredom. He then gives the kids an upgraded Laserbeak.

In the Decepticon base, the Decepticons are healing their wounds while Megatron berates his own troops. But then the mysterious cloaked figure from earlier arrives, and Megatron introduces him as [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]]. Scavenger belittles all the Decepticons, aggravating Starscream into an assault that Scavenger is able to deny outright, leading Starscream to hold another grudge.

On [[Earth]], Scavenger locates a ''yellow'' [[Mini-Con storage panel]], but instead of grabbing it, he leaves it as a catalyst for a series of manipulated events. Soon enough, the Autobots and the Decepticons face each other in combat. Hot Shot is eager to use the Star Saber to make the first move. Cyclonus opens fire at Hot Shot, who leaps and slices off the Decepticon's helicopter tail. Starscream then challenges Hot Shot in open combat.

Just then, Scavenger's laughter is heard, drawing everybody's attention. Optimus admits that it was Scavenger who taught Prime how to fight. Starscream tells Scavenger to butt out, and Scavenger tells Megatron to butt out.

Starscream and Hot Shot begin their duel. Their first attacks bounce off each other. On the second approach, Starscream is able to put a nasty gash into Hot Shot's face. On the third dive at each other, Hot Shot again slices Starscream's sword off. Starscream yells that the duel isn't over yet, but Scavenger prevents him to go on fighting, telling that Starscream will beсome a great warrior only when he learns to control himself.

[[File:Overmatch Scavenger-HotShotbeatdown.jpg|200px|thumb|"Scavenger and Hot Shot had a mighty battle - it was so mighty that it shook the BLANK."]]
Then Scavenger pronounces that Hot Shot's victory was only because of the Star Saber. When Hot Shot challenges Scavenger, the mercenary uncloaks himself and accepts the challenge. Scavenger pushes Hot Shot back, and a stab from Hot Shot wedges the Star Saber within Scavenger's arm. Scavenger is unfazed and slaps Hot Shot away, then delivers a brutal punch to Hot Shot's gut, winning the fight.

Megatron tries to claim the Star Saber, but Optimus intervenes. Cyclonus, however, has found the Mini-Con, and with the prize in hand, the Decepticons retreat. On the Moon, Megatron tries to unlock the Mini-Con, and Scavenger explains about the legend of the [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom]] shield.

As Megatron reflects upon this new revelation, his laughter echoes through the halls of the Decepticon base...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (5)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]] (7)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (9)
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (15)
*[[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]] (16)

|c2=
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (1)
*[[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (3)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (4)
*[[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (8)

|c3=
*[[Rad White|Rad]] (11)
*[[Carlos Lopez (Armada)|Carlos]] (12)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang (Armada)|Alexis]] (13)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]] (6)
*[[Liftor]] (10)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]](14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hah-ha! I found one! Something's glowing up in the rocks above you, Starscream. I'll bet you dollars to brainchips it's a Mini-Con!"
:—'''Cyclonus'''

"You want to go again?" 
"Uh, no, uh, thanks. I've had enough punishment for one day."
:—'''Hot Shot''' and '''Demolishor''', after the former slices off the latter's shoulder cannons

[[File:Overmatch Sureshockdisguise.jpg|150px|thumb|Gene Rayburn's wardrobe courtesy of the Palm Beach Signature Collection by John White.]]
"Mommy! I just saw a robot in the store!" 
"That's nice, dear."
:—A little boy and his mother, upon seeing Sureshock.

"What is the meaning of this? I have never seen such a pathetic combat!"
:—Poor '''Megatron''' suffers from [[Engrish]] dialogue.

"I wasn't sure until just now whether I would respond to your request. I made up my mind after witnessing that battle and seeing how pathetically you performed. You need all the help you can get. Still, I'm impressed that you would have a base here. It's perfect for a warp facility. Nice work, Megatron. Sometimes your intelligence surprises me." 
"Spare me the cynicism. Calling you was a last resort, believe me. We must have that Star Saber. Can we count on your assistance, my friend? I'll be certain to make it worth your while."
:—'''Scavenger''' sasses '''Megatron'''

"Megatron, I've heard the rumors about these three assistants of yours. Some claim they are among the most fearsome of the Decepticons. So much for believing everything you hear."
:—'''Scavenger''' dissing the Decepticons

[[File:Overmatch Cyclonusslicebutt.jpg|150px|thumb|Detailed!]]
"My butt! What have you done to my poor butt?!"
:—'''Cyclonus''' laments the loss of his helicopter tail

"Enough stalling! Your trip down memory lane has nothing to do with me or this battle!" 
"You're right, Starscream. On with the battle. I'm looking forward to witnessing your little performance." 
"Oh, this will be more than just a performance. And when I'm finished with him, I'm gonna do a little surgery on ''your'' mouth."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Scavenger'''

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Micron Legend''===
*Rather than worry about de-greaser for cleaning the Autobots and detergent causing the Mini-Cons to short circuit as she does in ''Armada'', Alexis wonders if Transformers even take baths at all in ''Micron Legend''.
*Alexis talks about spy-cams in ''Armada'', while in ''Micron Legend'', she hopes that Carlos will calm down and get back to minding the base.
*In ''Micron Legend'', Scavenger actually decides ''not'' to join the Decepticons during his first meeting with them, considering himself out of their league. His subsequent discussion of the base and their warp facility is actually deprecation in the Japanese version, as he highlights what a handy, cowardly method of retreat he thinks it is. This is the reason for the impartial "watch from the sidelines" role he plays in the rest of the episode, which makes little sense in ''Armada'', where he ''does'' join up with Megatron's crew. On the other hand, though, he's never shown to actively change his mind in ''Micron Legend'', so him going back to base with the other Decepticons doesn't flow as well in that version.
*Rather than just generally insult Starscream's abilities as in ''Armada'', in ''Micron Legend'', Scavenger takes a shot at his sword, dubbing it a "shiny knockoff" of the Star Saber, and Starscream's response is centred on refuting that fact.
*When Hot Shot jams the Star Saber into Scavenger's arm, he congratulates himself on the move in ''Micron Legend'', while in ''Armada'', he realizes his folly, now that the weapon is pinned.

===Animation and technical errors===
* When Carlos tells Rad about Alexis's grocery trip, Rad calls Sureshock "Grindor". He again calls Sureshock "Grindor" when she returns, and Alexis refers to her as male.
* After Hot Shot is defeated and the Decepticons retreat, Red Alert is heard asking Hot Shot if he is all right...but Red Alert is nowhere on the battlefield (It's presumed he's still at the base, like before), and Smokescreen is the one seen coming to Hot Shot's aid.
* When Smokescreen comes to Hot Shot's aid, he is missing his antenna/horn.

===Transformers references===
* Scavenger refers to Megatron's reputation as the "Lord of Destruction", a reference to the Japanese Decepticon ranking title for leaders.

===Trivia===
*The kanji 強敵 would be pronounced as "''kyouteki''", while "''tsuwamono''" is used for the kanji 強者.
*This is one of the few episodes of ''Armada'' that keeps every character consistently on-model with very few to no animation errors. Similarly, as you can see above, the English dub of the episode is ''almost'' entirely devoid of any errors, with any major plot changes appearing to be either deliberately-made alterations, rather than the usual cack-handed script stumbles the series makes, or inconsequential modifications.

===Foreign localization===
'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Zsoldos'''" ("Mercenary")

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Konfrontacja'''" ("Confrontation")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2003 — ''Transformers: Micron Legend'' — Volume 4 ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Best Of The Decepticons ([[Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Season One: Part One ([[Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Volume One ([[New KSM]]) — English and German audio.

;Video Now
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 ''Transformers: Armada'' ([[Tiger Electronics]])

[[Category:Armada episodes]]

Sideswipe (G1)

2014-09-09T18:18:47Z

He-l-en1959: /* Japanese cartoon continuity */ added the note

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Sideswipe}}
:''Sideswipe is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. His name is also sometimes parsed '''Side Swipe'''.''
[[File:NYSideswipeCardart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I've never done anything important, but people love me anyway! Sweet!]]
'''Sideswipe''' is not nearly as much of a sociopath as his [[Relatives|brother]] [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], but he is every bit as skillful. He's more into battle for the sport of it. A bit of a jock, Sideswipe most craves a glorious fight to the finish as a test of his mettle.

There is a reckless edge to Sideswipe's tactics. He makes rash decisions that may endanger him, all in the name of possible victory. Cheating is also not out of the question. When everything is on the line, for Sideswipe, nothing is out of the question. Over time, his reckless attitude has not changed. However, his cause has; once in it solely for the glory, now he's driven by the desire to defend freedom and the innocent.

His [[Action Master partner]] is [[Vanguard]].

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:G1SideswipeMarvelFist.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|My shoulders are black because this is where my toy's wheels go!]]
Sideswipe, along with his brother Sunstreaker, was part of the original crew of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s Ark. When the Decepticons attacked the ship, it crashed on Earth, and Sideswipe, along with the rest of the combatants, lay dormant for 4 million years. When the volcano that housed the Ark erupted, the Ark's internal mechanisms revived all Transformers, making no distinction between [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]]. Sideswipe was alive again. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

When the Autobots went to retrieve their fallen comrade [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] from [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]'s garage, they were attacked by Decepticons. Against his brother's better judgment, Sideswipe employed his [[Transformer fuel|fuel]]-gobbling rocket pack to take the fight right to the Decepticon jets. The 'Cons were driven off, but without a source of fuel to recharge on, several Autobots, including Sideswipe, were left virtually empty after the battle and were sidelined. {{storylink|Power Play!}} ''One time he was man-handled by an erratic [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]].'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''Though he could not go on missions, Sideswipe was still able to defend the Ark from invasion when the Decepticons came right to his doorstep. He was confronted by that junk-punk [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]'s earthquake-making ability and turned the tables on him, overpowering Rumble with his pile-driver punches.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}} ''At some point, he helped protect a dam from some Decepticons, which Ratchet later relayed to the Dinobots.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Sideswipe's inactivity continued even longer after [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] took over the Ark and deactivated all the Autobots in the ship. After [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] regained control of the Ark for the Autobots, he was able to revive Sideswipe to full functionality in short order, and their new deal for fuel with [[G.B. Blackrock]] kept them energized. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}} He was ''possibly'' part of the group of Autobots who battled [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

[[File:PrimeTime-Sideswipe.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|So you've read my profile.]]

However, though Shockwave was evicted from the Ark, he still had Optimus Prime's head held captive in his [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One|Blackrock Aerospace Plant headquarters]]. When the Autobots overheard that Optimus Prime's head had outlived its usefulness and would be disposed of, Sideswipe was part of the large group of Autobots who departed the Ark to rendezvous with the drop-off point. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} Sure enough, the Decepticon drone [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] approached with the head, though Sideswipe initially proposed blowing it out of the sky. Prowl's caution at first seemed prudent, as Jetfire dropped Prime's head into the swamp in front of them, but their minds changed after they waded into the swamp, retrieved the head, and placed it on Prime's body. The head was in fact a Decepticon decoy that took control of Prime's body and attacked them. On top of that, a strike team led by [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] quickly joined them, and Sideswipe soon found himself at the mercy of [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who began tearing out his back with his jaws. Fortunately for the Autobots, Prime's real head was returned, and Sideswipe was one of first to rise from the onslaught to witness their costly victory. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''During the Dinobot Hunt, Sideswipe traveled to [[Doonstown]] with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] on a mission to capture the feral [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. It...didn't go so well.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} Sideswipe was next seen in [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s repair bay along with several others. Ratchet remarked to Optimus Prime that some of them might never be battle-capable again. Optimus Prime told him to do his best for Sideswipe and the others, and then promptly left to oversee the creation of their replacements. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

Years later, Sideswipe was seen again leaving the Ark with the rest of its crew to watch the battle between [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and Grimlock on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}} He also joined the Autobots in answering a distress signal sent by [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] near the Decepticons' [[Club Con|arctic base]], resulting in an ambush. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[File:WarWithoutEnd-Sideswipe.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Black is the new "I have more words in this single panel than I did in the past 80 issues."]]
The war seemingly over, Sideswipe joined the [[Firestormer]]s, a group of Autobots who aimed to hunt down the last few pockets of Decepticon resistance. He, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Blades (G1)|Blades]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] attacked Decepticon [[Nexus Seven|Outpost B-67]], where they met [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|great numbers]] but minimal resistance. He expected the liberated citizens of Nexus Seven to be more grateful, but Hound pointed out that their rescuees looked more frightened than pleased, and blamed their group's bloodthirstiness.

But the Firestormers' quest led them to the staggering discovery that these scattered Decepticon outposts were actually just the tip of the iceberg. There were just seventeen conquered and recolonized planets in that sector of space, suggesting that there was something bigger on the horizon than the remnants of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s old team. After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was called to hear this news from Sideswipe and the other Firestormers, they were suddenly attacked and captured by a ship in orbit. Sideswipe and the others were put in prison cells aboard the starship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]'', which was under the command of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], the [[Liege Centuro]] of a forgotten race of Transformers. This revelation momentarily shook Optimus Prime's resolve, but after being brought back to his senses by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], the two Autobots freed Sideswipe and the others from their cells. They fought their way through the starship to an escape vessel and escaped without injury, though they were burdened with this new knowledge. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Sideswipe was present when the Autobots met Jhiaxus' Decepticons in battle on a planet within the [[K'tord Nebula]]. At first, tempers merely flared, but soon both sides lost themselves in a violent, bloody rage. Before they were completely lost to their baser instincts, the source of their behavior was discovered to be tar-like emotional parasites. The parasites were removed, and both factions decided to leave peacefully. {{storylink|Primal Fear!}}

Grimlock, disobeying Optimus Prime's orders, led a covert team onto the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] ship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]'' to defeat [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his army of "evolved Decepticons". Sideswipe was wary of their plan to steal a ship and slip on board, but Grimlock assured him that the plan was foolproof. Grimlock changed his tune when they soon learned that they were led into a trap, resulting in [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s death and the Autobots' capture. Sideswipe and the others were rounded up onto a shuttle to be inspected by the [[Liege Maximo]], but managed to escape their fate with assistance from Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Later, while Optimus Prime and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] were discussing an alliance against Jhiaxus's Cybertronians, Sideswipe interrupted to tell them that they had received a distress signal from the planet [[Ethos]]. Sure enough, upon arrival, the Autobots found an advanced civilization in ruins. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

Finally, Jhiaxus took the full force of his Empire to [[Earth]], where the Autobot/Decepticon alliance had camped. Sideswipe joined them in shooting their attackers out of the sky as they approached. {{storylink|Total War!}}

====''Generation 2'' (UK)====
Years later, Sideswipe was part of [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s Special Commando Unit, summoned to Earth along with Optimus Prime by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] when [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] began open war on the humans. Prime decided to go after Bludgeon himself, and he assigned Jazz, Sideswipe and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]] to take down one Decepticon strike team at a time because the Decepticon forces were spread very thin. While still in vehicle mode, Sideswipe shot [[Flamefeather]] in the crotch, then transformed and hoped aloud that Prime would be okay in the face of Bludgeon's mysterious powers. {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

When the [[Skyscorcher]]s left in the middle of battle, Jazz concluded they had another target to go after—which he and Sideswipe simultaneously realized to be Optimus Prime! The Skyscorchers had ''actually'' left to go after Bludgeon's enemy Megatron, whom Sideswipe and his comrades helped shoot at when they arrived in the middle of a fight between the one-time Decepticon leader, Prime, and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Following Megatron's retreat, Sideswipe helped secure prisoners and weapons for withdrawal to the Autobase hidden on Earth's moon. {{storylink|War Zone}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}
[[File:Invasion-Radcontrolroom.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe joined Optimus Prime's crew on Earth after Megatron resurfaced. They braved the Ark's defenses in order to break inside and recover their lost comrade, Ratchet. Sideswipe unsealed him from the [[CR chamber]] Megatron had left the medic in, and together the twins carried him away to safety. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

Subsequently, Sideswipe was stationed with several other Autobots in [[Canada]] within the ''[[Ark II]]''. He was present one day when [[Rad]] reported from the [[Ironworks]] base in [[Oregon]] about a foiled attack by [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]] and his Decepticons. Soon thereafter, due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Sideswipe, with the aid of his rocket pack, assisted his peers in evacuating a devastated city block. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
Sideswipe was part of an armed assault team that accompanied [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and Optimus Prime to Earth to confront Megatron and his [[zombie]] army of lobotomised Transformers. On their return to Cybertron aboard the ''[[Valiant (G1)|Valiant]]'', the ship was threatened by the planet's defence systems under the control of Scorponok's troops. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Four}} After the missiles were aborted at the last minute, Sideswipe and the others prepared for immediate deployment upon landing, though [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s efforts had already foiled [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s [[Gene Key]] shenanigans. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}}

Later, Sideswipe and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] guarded [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] as he met with [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] at [[Eugenesis Plaza]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Bell]] (English), [[Kōki Kataoka]] (Japanese), [[Yū Shimaka]] (Japanese, "More Than Meets the Eye, Part 3", "War of the Dinobots", "Make Tracks", "The Ultimate Doom, Part 1"), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese, "Divide and Conquer", "The Immobilizer", "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese, "Masquerade"), [[Tōru Furusawa]] (Japanese, "Attack of the Autobots", "Day of the Machines")|[[Juan Carralero]] (Latin American), [[Peter Musäus]] (German), [[Claus Brockmeyer]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2"), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "S.O.S. Dinobots"), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Dinobot Island, Part 1")}}

[[File:Sideswipejetpack.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Oh, you want my [[Jet pack|rocket pack]]? The one that I've never had until just now?"]]
Sideswipe was part of the initial crew of Autobots aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot ship]] when it crash-landed on [[Earth]] four million years ago. He awoke along with his fellow Transformers in 1984, with both he and his brother being reformatted into Lamborghini sports cars. He volunteered for an unsuccessful mission to foil a Decepticon attack on an oil rig. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} After [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] were discovered snooping around headquarters, he was one of the Autobots who attempted to shoot Ravage before he could escape. He also took part in the rescue mission to [[Sherman Dam]] when the Decepticons attacked it.

He and Sunstreaker came to [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s aid when the Autobot was attacked by [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], and he had to console Sunstreaker after his brother's paint job was damaged. Sideswipe was part of the Autobot team which went to the [[ruby crystal mines of Burma]] to foil yet another Decepticon attack, and he watched in horror as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in an explosion. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} He took part in the last-ditch effort to stop the Decepticons blasting off in [[Victory (G1)|their space cruiser]]. The Decepticons managed to blast off anyway, and Sideswipe loaned Optimus Prime the use of his [[Jet pack|rocket pack]] so that the Autobot leader could go after them. Though Prime failed, [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] disabled the cruiser, causing it to plunge into the sea, and the Autobots celebrated. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[File:DivideandConquer Sideswipe's jetjudo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Wheeeeee!]]
Sideswipe was among the Autobots who were trapped in a cave after [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] used [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] to lead them there. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} When [[antimatter]]-fueled [[Decepticon]]s attacked the Autobots' headquarters on one occasion, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker took to the air to battle with the incoming Seeker jets in a rambunctious, if ultimately ineffective, display of "[[jet judo]]". {{storylink|Roll for It}} He also defended Autobot Headquarters against the Decepticons while Optimus Prime was out of action. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

When investigating tremors that were shaking the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'s scanner found some interesting objects inside a rock wall. Sideswipe, using his piston-like arms, helped [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] remove the rock wall and found a cave full of dinosaur bones, the discovery of which would lead to the development of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Unfortunately, at their unveiling, the Dinobots ran wild, and the Autobots had to subdue them. During a subsequent battle at the [[Great Falls]], Sideswipe and the other Autobots were taken prisoner by the Decepticons, and they were only saved from destruction by the reactivated Dinobots. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[File:G1 FireontheMountain Sideswipe piledriving.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|I can dig it!]]
Sideswipe helped [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] by recovering their frozen comrade [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] and came with the rest of the group to [[Peru]], where he assisted in shooting a rockslide into rubble. After Wheeljack capped the energy stream from a local temple with one of his new inventions, Sideswipe flashed his lights on with the other Autobots to celebrate. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain}} Sideswipe was chosen by Wheeljack to test two new Dinobots. Though he smashed [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] out of the air, [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] was able to get in a counterattack and shoot Sideswipe down. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

When Soundwave's cassettes infiltrated Autobot Headquarters, Sideswipe went to take a shot at [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], only to be attacked by Ravage. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} The presence of Cybertron in Earth's orbit caused the [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] in which Headquarters was located to become active, forcing Sideswipe and the rest of the Autobots to evacuate. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} After Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, the Autobots tracked the Decepticons to [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s secret laboratory, where they fought to prevent the [[Exponential Generator]] from destroying Earth. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[File:Plagueofinsecticons Sideswipe drilling.jpg|thumb|upright=1.34|Hallelujah! I've struck chocolate!]]
Heading to [[Bali]] to investigate reports of giant robotic insects, the Autobots found their way blocked by some sort of parade. Sideswipe led the other Autobots down a "short cut" which turned out to be a dead end. He totally meant to do that. He put his pistons and drills to work, and in no time at all, he and Sunstreaker were charging recklessly into battle against the Decepticons. Megatron picked him up and ''threw'' him at the rest of the Autobots. As they pursued the Decepticons across the island, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] used his override waves on Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, forcing them to try and ram their fellows. Trailbreaker disrupted the control signal, and the brothers were able to take part in the battle against the Decepticons and [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s at the oil refinery. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

Sideswipe turned out to cheer on Optimus Prime during the Autobot leader's one-on-one fight against Megatron. To the shock of all of the Autobots, Prime lost, and they were legally obligated to vacate the planet. Once they returned to base, they discovered that Megatron had cheated, and they were legally allowed to blast the Decepticons into a crevasse filled with lava. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[File:CityOfSteel Sideswipe being shot at.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|I may not be as vain as Sunstreaker, but if you mess up my finish, I'll beat the @$#% out of you!]]
When the Autobots' human friend [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] was badly injured in a Decepticon attack and his mind was transferred into [[Autobot X (G1)|Autobot X]], the stress affected his psyche and he ran rampant. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker attempted unsuccessfully to subdue him and were knocked aside. Though Spike was restrained by Optimus, he later fell in with the Decepticons, and a group of Autobots including Sideswipe went to try and talk some sense into him. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Bumblebee faced [[battle taxi]]s and [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] in [[New York City]] during a Decepticon plan to recreate Cybertron on Earth. As the Seekers attacked Optimus, who was scaling the Decepticon tower, Sideswipe launched himself into the air, grabbed [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], and managed to wrestle the Decepticon air commander into crashing into the Hudson. {{storylink|City of Steel}} Sideswipe was later one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]], turning him evil. He got better. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots}}

When Optimus Prime took the Autobots to test Wheeljack's latest invention, the Immobilizer, Sideswipe came with them. Decepticons attacked soon after, with Sideswipe leaping at Starscream in midflight and forcing the Decepticon to fire on his own comrades. When the Decepticons retreated, Sideswipe returned to Autobot headquarters with his comrades while Wheeljack recovered from his immobilization. Once Wheeljack was back to normal, Sideswipe was part of Optimus Prime's team to recover the Immobilizer. Rumble began immobilizing various Autobots, and Sideswipe decided that he was going to defeat Rumble shortly before being immobilized himself. When Spike's friend [[Carly]] was able to reroute the Immobilizer, Sideswipe and the other Autobots were freed. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[File:DOTM Sideswipe disarmed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Oh man! It's time to hold my fire!]]
Sideswipe took part in a charity Autobot race which was hijacked by the Decepticons when they used a Transfixatron on the racers. The Autobots were taken to a ghost town to be destroyed, but were rescued by a small group who had escaped the ray's effects. Sideswipe joined the others in lining up to be fixed by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} He rolled out to [[Quantum Laboratories]] to investigate a Decepticon incursion and found himself battling [[TORQ III]]-controlled machinery, at one point getting his gun shot out of his hand and being caught in a machine's robot arms. Having overcome that, Sideswipe took part in the attack on the oil refinery which the Decepticons had set up to steal the world's oil supplies. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}}

Sideswipe helped install detection panels for [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], but he did not come with the other Autobots to help [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist|Doctor Fujiyama]], nor did he chase after [[Nightbird (G1)|Fujiyama's robot]] when it was reprogrammed by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} Sideswipe was present when the Autobots were confronted by the fact that they had two Optimus Primes, but didn't offer any suggestions or solutions. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He took part in a mission to place [[dominator disc]]s on the Constructicons. Though he didn't place any discs himself, he ended up battling Devastator until [[Chip Chase]] could activate the discs and bring the giant under control. He also took part in an attempt to destroy the drill which the Decepticons were using to reach Earth's core, and he was one of the first Autobots to be zapped by Devastator after Megatron counteracted the dominator discs. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[File:DinobotIsland Sideswipe digging friends out.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.34|Have we run out of digging jokes already?]]
During yet another Dinobot rampage at Headquarters, Sideswipe was ready to fight them to the end, but Optimus persuaded Grimlock to get things under control, and the Dinobots were sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for more training. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Sideswipe took part in repair efforts, but was part of the team of Autobots who responded to strange time warp readings near the city library. After using his pistons to dig out Bumblebee and Spike, Sideswipe and the other Autobots found themselves tangling with barbarians on woolly [[mammoth]]s. They took some rounding up, but soon the anachronisms were sent back through the time warp to their own time. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

As a result of another of Megatron's plots, the Autobots were framed and forced to leave Earth in a rocket provided by [[Shawn Berger]]. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Trickery on Megatron's part further put the ship on a collision course with the [[Sun]]. Utilising the abilities of Trailbreaker and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], and with the unwitting help of [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], the Autobots were able to make it back to Earth, where the Decepticons had already shown their true colors, and free the humans. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

Disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion, Sideswipe was as helpless as the other Autobots until Spike, Carly and the Dinobots managed to procure some more from Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Sideswipe was part of the team that transformed to respond to a distress call when the Decepticons stole the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], but didn't actually roll out, so it's a mystery where he actually went. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He also coated himself with [[Electrum]], along with most of the other Autobots, in order to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[File:MakeTracks Sideswipe grabs Ravage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Well, I see Ravage is a boy cat.]]
When [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Raoul]] were discovered spying on a Decepticon operation, Sideswipe came to their aid, grabbing Ravage mid-leap and slamming the cassette to the ground. He also took part in the battle against Decepticon [[drone]]s in downtown New York and attacked the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After the disappearance of a group of Autobots through the [[space bridge]], Sideswipe watched Chip Chase unsuccessfully attempt to track them down using [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}}

{{note|Sideswipe appears in "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme]]", but only in a rather blatant animation error, standing next to Megatron while the Decepticon leader communicates with [[Hook (G1)|Hook]]. Eeesh!}}

Sideswipe was one of [[Kremzeek]]'s casualties when the energy critter invaded Autobot Headquarters. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}} He and Sunstreaker took part in the [[Europa 2000]] in order to protect [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s car from possible Decepticon abduction. Sideswipe forced Sunstreaker to take a detour in [[Italy]], and a short time later, they were ambushed by [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s, who boxed them in so [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] could shoot them. Both brothers were knocked out of the race. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

Like [[:File:CosmicRust-BigGroup.jpg|every other Autobot]], Sideswipe turned out to rescue [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] from the Decepticons and was subsequently infected by [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} After being cured, he and the others attempted to stop Megatron and the Insecticon army. When the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s attempted to send Earth into the Sun, Sideswipe joined in the search for the Insecticons, who had stolen the space bridge control panel. They were eventually located, allowing a combined Autobot/Decepticon force, including Sideswipe, to travel to Cybertron and defeat the Combaticons. Sideswipe was able to reverse the damage done by the Combaticons and return Earth to its proper orbit. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[File:Sideswipe FakeBreakdown.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|So [[Transformers Collectors' Club|they]] made a Sideswipe toy retooled into [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] after seeing this.]]
{{quote|We're wastin' good ammo on these creeps! I'd like to just squash a few of 'em!|Sideswipe|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

When the Stunticons stole a collection of components and were captured by the Autobots, Optimus Prime hatched a scheme to disguise some of the Autobots as the Stunticons in order to learn Megatron's latest plan. Sideswipe was sprayed with [[camouflage paint]] to make him look like [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], though he sincerely hoped the paint would come off. He and the other four Autobots drove to the Stunticons' destination to discover that Megatron was building yet another cannon. Menasor arrived at the construction site, having escaped Autobot containment, and Optimus and the others were forced to improvise their own version of the combiner. Luckily, the rest of their comrades arrived before things could get too out of hand. {{storylink|Masquerade}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' manga=====
[[File:Srlf manga1 wheeljack trailbreaker sideswipe prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|In the previous panel, Optimus made a one-liner and took off his sunglasses.]]
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] sent [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] to raid [[Tokyo]] for energy, Sideswipe accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and a unit of Autobot vehicles to defend the city. Sideswipe didn't perform very well, immediately getting slugged in the face by Menasor's humongous fist. Luckily, his pummelling made the perfect distraction for Optimus Prime, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], who drove up a ramp and slammed Menasor and the Seekers directly in their faces, sending them into retreat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

Later, during an attack on [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] in [[Arizona]], Sideswipe yet again failed to perform very well in battle. Attempting to confront the Decepticons in the sky on his [[Jet pack|rocket pack]], he wound up instead getting bombed by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and damaged badly in the resulting explosion. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Maintaining his image as a punching bag, Sideswipe was once again trounced in battle, this time at Yokohama against Starscream, Blitzwing and the Super Megatron Gun (Megatron in gun-mode but not shrunken down). Unable to stand up to the might of the Decepticon attack, Sideswipe was blasted many, ''many'' times before [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] arrived to save the day. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}
{{-}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
[[File:Scramblepower autobots say no.jpg|left|thumb|275px|"Oh yeah? Well... Well... YOU GUYS use Comic Sans! So THERE!"]]
When the Decepticons threatened the world with their new [[Omega Whip]], Sideswipe was among the Autobots seen reacting with some degree of panic to the news that [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and their human allies, [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]] and [[Toru]], had been captured while investigating the crisis. Soon after, he was also among those who objected to sending the wet-behind-the-ears [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] out to deal with the marauding Stunticons, though his protests went unheeded. While the Aerialbots and Stunticons went at it, Sideswipe was part of the team assembled by Prime that headed to the Decepticons' headquarters to rescue their captive allies. A huge brawl erupted, concluding with an Autobot victory when [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and a full Autobot battalion arrived to back up Sideswipe and company. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[File:Binaltech sideswipe cardart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
In the year [[2004]], Sideswipe was one of several Autobots stationed at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] on Earth who were infected by [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] when the deadly plague was unleashed upon them by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. With a large portion of their army, including Optimus Prime himself, currently across the galaxy battling for control of Cybertron, the Autobots seemed doomed until their human allies, the [[Earth Defense Command]], introduced the [[Binaltech Project]], uniting many Earth automotive companies to build new super-powered bodies for the wounded warriors. Sideswipe's new body, a Dodge Viper, was the second Binaltech frame constructed, equipped with a [[TORQ III|TORQ 3000]] processor and powered by [[electro-cell]]s. He retains his piledrivers and his flight capabilities, the latter now enabled by way of anti-gravity panels in his legs and a booster on his back. {{storylink|Story of Binaltech, Chapter 1}} Assembled under the command of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] alongside [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], Sideswipe joined the fight to force the Decepticons off of Earth. {{storylink|Binaltech Is...}}

{{note|While Sideswipe would make no further named appearances in the ''[[Story of Binaltech]]'', the tale went on to involve some complicated time-travel and history-alteration. As a consequence, it is not entirely clear how many of the events of the storyline, including those related above, actually happened in the mainstream timeline when all was said and done.}}
{{-}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:JHeadmasters01VariousGuys.jpg|thumb]]
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Sideswipe engaged the Decepticons with his comrades. Later, on Earth, Sideswipe was present for a suspiciously similar battle with the Decepticons that resulted in the death of Optimus Prime. In 2011, [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] recalled the Cybertronian skirmish that Sideswipe took part in—or another one very much like it. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{note|Sideswipe appears in two Cybertronian flashback battles within the episode, alongside the same team of Autobots, suggesting that they represent the same fight. He also appears in a flashback battle on Earth, which depicts Optimus Prime's death in a scene that doesn't match up to his actual death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. This was a continuity patch-job by the ''Headmasters'' production staff, as the movie hadn't been released in Japan yet, hence the oddness.}}

[[File:Hmep1 sideswipe snipe.jpg|thumb||left|215px|Hands up, baby, hands up!]]
In [[2011]], when the Decepticons found a way to reactivate their old [[space bridge]] on Cybertron, the Autobots found themselves under siege from within. Sideswipe was at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]] at the time, and he was present when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]'s message about the Decepticon assault reached the Autobots stationed there.

A short time later, Sideswipe was on Earth with Ultra Magnus, and he was one of the soldiers gathered to use the Autobot space bridge to reinforce their allies on Cybertron. On their way to the space bridge, however, Sideswipe and the others were attacked by a squadron of Decepticons under the command of the villains' new Earth commander, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. The [[Trainbot]]s soon arrived to join the battle, freeing up Sideswipe's team to carry on their way to Autobot City, but the Decepticons flew ahead and were able to ambush the convoy, sending Sideswipe and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] careening. The two sides then began fighting again until [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] appeared out of the sky, driving the Decepticons off. Sideswipe then flew to the entrance of Autobot City with Ultra Magnus and Prowl and presumably traveled to Cybertron via the space bridge, though he was not actually seen fighting there. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{note|Um, oops. Sideswipe being on two planets at once was likely an animation error. Maybe he was sent to Earth to gather up the troops?}}

=====e-HOBBY storyline=====
Maturity tempered Sideswipe's rule-bending, thrill-seeking ways, and his heroic deeds steadily earned him a reputation as a respected warrior. His changed attitude was perhaps most reflected in the aid he gave Optimus Prime and the [[Battlestars]] in a battle on the planet [[Karn]]: although his help was of great significance in the fight, he acted entirely covertly, his involvement unknown until afterwards. Following the end of the Battlestars' conflict with [[Dark Nova]], Sideswipe experimented with [[#G2toy|reinforcing his weapons systems]], and then adopted a new [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] body with increased speed, but eventually returned to his original form so he could continue to live down the legacy of his hot-headed younger years. {{storylink|#Collector's Edition|e-HOBBY New Years Sideswipe bio}}

Some time after Optimus Prime forced Megatron and the Decepticons into exile, Sideswipe was dispatched to the bottom of the sea with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Splashdown]], [[Diver (Masterforce)|Diver]] and an [[Eldedroid]] to investigate possible Decepticon involvement in a rash of attacks by "sea monsters". Finding a Decepticon base beneath the waves, the Eldedroid tore through the Constructicons standing watch and ventured deeper into the structure while Sideswipe and the others interrogated the incapacitated guards to learn more about the genetically engineered monsters the Decepticons had created. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{wingsnote}}
During the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Sideswipe was part of a team which took down [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] after the Decepticon breached [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. They had to retreat when the Constructicons fought back. {{storylink|A Flash Forward}}

He was called to fight against the Decepticon Syndicate at the site of the [[Large Hadron Collider]]. Sideswipe and many other Autobots were exposed to forestonite, mutating them. In Sideswipe's case, this resulted in a new color {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}} and the ability to change his appearance. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 4}}

He was part of [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]'s team investigating a theft from [[Quantum Laboratories]]. Their mission took them to [[Nebulos]] where they discovered that the scientist [[Hi-Q]] had been abducted. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 3}} The search for Hi-Q took them to [[Qre]] where they were attacked on arrival by training guns. Sideswipe thought them easy to deal with, at least until he was shot in the back by one. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 4}}

After the rest of the team were captured by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], Sideswipe disguised himself as a [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] and snooped around. He found tubes containing clones, including [[Sideswipe (G2)|a clone of himself]]. When [[Soundwave (G2)|Soundwave]] and [[Ironhide (G2)|Ironhide]] came to investigate the movement, Sideswipe posed as his own clone and sufficiently fooled Jhiaxus long enough to free Pyro and the rest of the team. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 5}} They went on to rescue Hi-Q, destroy the base and return to Earth. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 6}}

===The Battle for Planet Earth===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
Sideswipe was one of the group of Autobots who explored for energy in [[South America]], and engaged in a battle with the Decepticons on [[Mount Sheelah]] shortly before the volcano erupted. {{storylink|Terror of Mount Sheelah}} After a hard day's work repairing the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], he and the other Autobots were relaxing and watching [[television]] when they learned the Deceptions had started kidnapping humans. Sideswipe favored mounting an attack, but it was pointed out that that would endanger the humans. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (G1)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}}

Following the Decepticons to [[Stanley Lake]] dam, Sideswipe used his flare gun to lure them out in front of the dam. After a brief fight, the Autobots retreated and flooded the valley with water, washing the Decepticons away. {{Storylink|Menace at the Dam}} After [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] defected to the Autobots as a trick, Sideswipe showed him a box supposedly containing the [[Deuterium Orbital Laser Tracing System]]. Starscream, in reality spying for the Decepticons, sent Megatron's forces on a wild goose chase, and Sideswipe and the other Autobots took the opportunity to destroy the Decepticon base. {{storylink|Espionage!!!!!}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{Note|As the following stories are [[multipath adventure]]s, details will vary depending on the path taken. See individual pages for information on alternate paths.}}
====Dinobots Strike Back====
In the path where Mirage used a hologram of Optimus Prime to lure the four [[cerebro-shell]]-controlled [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] over the edge of [[Bandit's Bluff]] and into the ocean, Sideswipe was one of the Autobots crewing [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray's]] destroyer mode. He helped haul the unconscious quartet aboard for safe transport back to the Ark.

If Optimus Prime chose to immediately attack the Dinobots without a real plan, Sideswipe responded to Prime's order to, "Bring them down fast and hard," by blasting [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who just wouldn't go down. He yelled to Sunstreaker for help, which he provided with a series of high-energy electron pulses, their combined attack ultimately knocking the Dinobot commander over and dislodging his cerebro-shell. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}
====Attack of the Insecticons====
Sideswipe was present, yet mostly uninvolved, in a number of possible adventures revolving around the Sun-Pak, a device invented by Sparkplug that would end the Autobots' energy woes. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}
{{-}}

===The Official ''Transformers: Generation 2'' Annual===
In the early days of the war, Sideswipe served with the civil defense forces in [[Vos]]. He was nearly killed when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s army cut a swath through the city-state, and vowed revenge against the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual|Sideswipe's ''The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual'' profile}}

{{note|This suggests that something similar to "[[State Games]]" occurred in the past of this Annual's [[micro-continuity]], although little elaborated upon.}}

On Earth, Sideswipe participated in an Autobot sting operation against the Decepticons. They tricked the Decepticons into boarding a rigged shuttle on [[Table Mountain]] in [[Africa]] and launched them up into the stratosphere. {{storylink|Day of the Decepticons}}
{{-}}

===3H comics===
Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] returned to the [[technorganic]] [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] after a prolonged journey and were welcomed by the [[Maximal]]s. [[Unicron]] abducted these newly-returned Transformers, in addition to many others from different times and universes, to start a final confrontation against [[Primus]]. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were rebuilt into new forms, corrupted by Unicron's influence, and set against one another in the [[Cauldron]]. Before either brother could land a killing blow, however, the fight was broken up by [[Optimus Primal]]. Sideswipe then fought his way out of Unicron alongside many other Transformers rescued by Primal and returned to Cybertron. {{storylink|Abduction}} {{storylink|OTFCC Live-Action Drama}} {{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}} {{storylink|Homecoming (Universe)|Homecoming}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
Before the war, Sideswipe was a trader who liked to con his customers. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|The Ultimate Guide}} He was one of the few Autobots to continue operating under that title during the [[Dark Ages]] of Cybertron. Sideswipe was one of the elite warriors serving under [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and as such was chosen for the mission that sent him against the newly constructed Decepticon battle station, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Of course the mission was a failure, but that isn't likely to have discouraged Sideswipe. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[File:DWPrimeDirective2 SunstreakerSideswipe.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb|"This is what [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] was whining about? Loser."]]
Sideswipe was part of Operation Liberation in 1998, a joint human-Autobot effort to defeat the Earth-bounded Decepticons. At the end it was a success, and the captured Decepticons along with the Autobots and a human crew departed Earth en route to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]''. The ship, however, was sabotaged and exploded upon liftoff.

A few years later, Megatron and other Transformers, including Autobots, were seen causing havoc. It was discovered that [[Lazarus (G1)|Lazarus]], a scientist who participated in the ''Ark II'' project, was responsible for the sabotage of the ship and the resurrection of several Transformers under his control via technological tampering. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}}

[[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]] of the [[United States military|US military]] contacted [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] to ask him if he could do something to help them reactivate Optimus Prime, whom they had recovered locked in a state of stasis. Spike managed to reactivate Optimus with a portion of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] that Optimus had given him prior the ill-fated journey of the ''Ark II''. Optimus subsequently went to the Arctic and used the Matrix to reactivate several Transformers, including Sideswipe. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

[[File:DWPrimeDirective5 SideswipeSunstreaker Devastator.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|We're trying to look dynamic, but all these [[Pat Lee|puffy proportions]] are putting a stop to that.]]
Sideswipe accepted the new task at hand and fought alongside his brother when the Autobots faced the Decepticons at Lazarus' ruined base (punching Starscream in the face for attacking Wheeljack) before Hallo betrayed the Autobots by attempting to destroy both factions with a nuclear weapon. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} The Autobots survived when Megatron's technovirus absorbed the blast, and Sideswipe helped his comrades recover the captive Autobots imprisoned inside the base. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}}

As Jazz's unit worked on Megatron's virus, Sideswipe followed Optimus Prime to [[San Francisco]] for the last battle against Megatron and his Decepticons. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] was taken down, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker heroically (though foolishly) charged at [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and they were smashed between the giant Constructicon's palms for their trouble. After Optimus Prime brought Devastator down with a blast to the head, Sideswipe was restrained by the surviving Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} However, through [[human]] intervention, Optimus Prime freed his Autobots and the battle was rejoined. Sideswipe tag-teamed with his brother to pummel [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], though the Decepticons eventually escaped when Superion sacrificed his life to save the city from General Hallo's unauthorized nuclear missile launch. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''Months later, after Optimus Prime, Megatron, and an assortment of other Transformers and humans vanished in a flash of light from Tokyo, Japan, the world went on high alert. When the U.S. military detected [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in the Nevada canyons, Sideswipe accompanied a flight of jets in confronting the Decepticon. Their battle led down a tight box canyon, and Sideswipe had some difficulty chasing Starscream while also coordinating with his military wingmen, as he tried to limit the human casualties. Eventually, Sideswipe was led straight into Devastator, who had been hiding in the canyon on Starscream's order. The combined surprise firepower of Starscream's arsenal and a near-pointblank blast from Devastator's solar energy rifle left Sideswipe in several charred pieces. {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}}''

''Sideswipe was eventually repaired by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and returned to duty just in time to fight in Nevada once more. This time, the Autobots and Decepticons had joined forces against an ambush arranged by the President of the United States, who hoped to rid his country of the Transformers. Sideswipe waded through General [[Michelle Grajkowski]]'s troops, heavily routing her Delta Team, but the [[deconstructionite]] weapons being used by the U.S. Armed Forces were too much of a surprise for the Cybertronians—they were clearly on the losing end of the battle as many of their number fell before the severity of the weaponized nanites became evident. Sideswipe and Prowl helped load the injured Autobots into Prime's trailer as they made their getaway. {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}}''

[[File:G1 Sideswipe Sunstreaker DWissue7.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Hi, I'm a jock.]]
When agents from the united Cybertron arrived on Earth, Optimus Prime split his forces in order to ensure Earth would not be left undefended. As Prime and many other Autobots travelled back to Cybertron with Shockwave, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and their crew, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker remained on Earth with several other Autobots under Jazz's command. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Sideswipe was deactivated in battle with [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] when Starscream and his followers returned to Earth, and was left to rust at the bottom of a lake. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] later dredged him and the others up, only to be taken into custody by [[Earth Defense Command]]. Jazz, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker were reactivated to help [[Marissa Faireborn]] and [[EDC Night Force Unit|her team]] in investigating an outbreak of [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] in small-town America. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}} After routing and capturing the Decepticons, Sideswipe and the other Autobots joined up with the returning team from Cybertron under Prowl's command, and began construction of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' continuity===
Along with several other Transformers, the dormant Sideswipe was found on the crashed ''Ark'' by [[Cobra]], a human terrorist organization who soon reprogrammed the alien robots to serve them. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were rebuilt into Cobra [[Stinger (Cobra)|Stingers]] and sent to assault the [[SPS Research Facility]] alongside [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|minions]]. The two brothers didn't succeed in their mission, though, as they were rammed aside by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] while charging at the building and were eventually ordered to retreat. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} Wheeljack later freed Sideswipe and the others from Cobra's control, and he helped Sunstreaker and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] fight back against the similarly freed Decepticons and their former captors. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

Two years later, [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] took control of the Decepticon forces on Cybertron and captured Optimus Prime. Sideswipe joined a team of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] who were planning on charging in and rescuing their leader as soon as the opportunity came up. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} After reinforcements arrived in the form of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], the Autobots made their move and attacked Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army, ultimately defeating it. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

Sideswipe returned to Earth a few months later, where he worked to keep Cybertronian technology from being misused by humans. During one mission to [[Cuba]], he helped stop [[Destro]] from selling [[S.N.A.K.E.]]s to one Mr. [[Calandero]], but failed to capture the arms dealer and returned to the Autobots' base, the ''[[Arc II]]''. When the ship was attacked by the [[Pretender Monster]]s, Sideswipe was the first to fall. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}} The crew later received medical attention at the [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|Pit]], where they'd eventually recover from their injures. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[File:MegsOrigin3 Sunstreak Sideswipe glory.jpg|left|upright=1.95|thumb|Sideswipe's feeling small standing under [[Nova Prime]]'s crotch. [[Sunstreaker (G1)#Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Sunstreaker, on the other hand, seems strangely excited]].]]
[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was Sideswipe's P-3 Training Officer and strike partner, and constantly looked down on him as the rookie. Nothing Sideswipe did was seen as good enough, and he was left under Sunstreaker's shadow, something that left a deep mark on him. He's forever been resentful and wanting to be seen by others as a skilled, notable warrior. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Before the war, the two of them were employed as [[Senate]] law enforcers, and at one point arrested [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}} They simultaneously attended illegal underground arena [[Gladiatorial combat|deathmatches]] and witnessed [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s 54th victory. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}} When Sunstreaker wanted to join Megatron's underground fighting team, Sideswipe went along to try and talk him out of it. Whether they stuck around and were caught up in the Autobot security raid is unknown. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

Later, as war engulfed [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Sideswipe was one of the many Autobots trained by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}} Early in the war, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were present during the battle for [[Sherma Bridge]], where they witnessed the first duel between [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

In more recent times, Sideswipe was part of an Autobot squad lead by Sunstreaker, and helped liberate an unnamed planet from the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}}

[[File:SpotlightGalvatron Sideswipe rocketfist.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|This hand of mine glows with an awesome power!]]
Much to his dismay, Sideswipe was later stationed at [[Thunderhead Pass]] on Cybertron to guard [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s remains. Sideswipe wanted action, something he wasn't going to get standing guard over comatose Decepticons. His desire to "bust some heads" became even stronger after Sunstreaker was apparently kidnapped during his duties on [[Earth]], and Sideswipe began actively disregarding his squadron leader, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], to routinely contact High Command and demand a transfer; unknown to everyone else, this wasn't down to brothers-in-arms loyalty, this was down to him wanting to save Sunstreaker so his former strike partner would have to recognise his skills. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

His need for action was alleviated, however, when [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|a mysterious and powerful Transformer]] attacked Cybertron. Sideswipe blew off part of the being's head, but he recovered almost immediately and knocked Sideswipe and the rest of the Autobots offline, then stole Thunderwing away. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

Soon after, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] apparently caved in to Sideswipe's pleading and put [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] in charge of Thunderhead Pass, transferring Hound's entire team, including Sideswipe, to Earth once Megatron began breaking [[Infiltration protocol]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} However, once word of the break-in at [[Garrus-9]] reached his audio sensors, Prime directed his team and Hound's to head there instead of Earth. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[File:SpotlightSideswipe Sideswipe.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|He can punch ''and'' angst at the same time!]]
Sideswipe took the reassignment pretty harshly, and had pushed Hound well to the edge of his tolerance. He got a minor diversion from worrying about Sunstreaker when another mysterious and powerful Transformer, [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] attacked their ship.

Surprisingly, he wanted to find out who Cyclonus was, but Hound felt that time was a factor and hit Cyclonus with a full volley. It was enough to slow him down, but not enough to stop him. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]' arrival forced a retreat, and the two Autobot ships followed. When they caught up to Cyclonus, Sideswipe goaded him into battle, and made no apologies for it. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

When his unit finally reached Earth, he personally took on both [[Grindcore (G1)|Grindcore]] ''and'' [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] so the others could reach the Space Bridge. This earned him recognition and an apology from Hound, and the battle against superior foes gave Sideswipe the chance to prove to ''himself'' that he was better than Sunstreaker thought. This exorcised, he realised he didn't actually care if Sunstreaker was alive or dead, and turned away from his obsession without looking back. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

One year later, the Decepticons ambushed the Autobots in a crippling assault, during which Skywarp ripped off Sideswipe's arm. The Autobots were subsequently tossed through a [[space bridge]] to the lifeless shell of Cybertron, where they would be finished off by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Along with the others, Sideswipe stood around brooding about the situation, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} occasionally staring at the similarly one-armed [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} When the crew of the ''[[Trion]]'' ended up on Cybertron, Sideswipe listened to [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] explain what had happened. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

[[File:Sideswipe AHM09 wedeservetodie.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|And he can angst and angst ''more'' at the same time too!]]
Later, Sideswipe tried to talk to Sunstreaker and tell him to stop picking on [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], who was blamed for leading the Autobots into the Decepticons' trap. Sunstreaker responded by telling his brother all about the horrible things the [[Machination]] had done to him, leaving Sideswipe speechless. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Later, after Sunstreaker revealed himself to be the true traitor and sacrificed himself, Sideswipe had enough and declared that all the Autobots deserved to die for carrying on such a senseless war. His speech was interrupted by the return of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Sideswipe later defended the Autobot base against a massive swarm attack, but the Autobots were overrun and only saved by the arrival of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], who took them all back to Earth. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}

As the Autobots confronted the Decepticons in [[New York City]], Sideswipe beat up [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] with a street light and was jumped by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who gleefully told the Autobot how he had dissected [[Hunter O'Nion]], Sunstreaker's [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster partner]], and used his knowledge to toy with Sunstreaker's mind. Following the defeat of the Decepticons, Sideswipe found Hunter, strung up and mutilated in Bombshell's lab. Horrified at the sight, he decided to end the human's tortured existence by shutting off the machines keeping him alive. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

Three years later, Sideswipe was still serving with the Autobots on Earth under Optimus Prime's command. He was present when Prime abdicated leadership of the Autobots and surrendered to [[Skywatch]]. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} When [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] left the Autobots to form a splinter faction, Sideswipe chose to remain in the desert caverns with the majority of Autobots under [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]'s new leadership. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} He was seen standing at strict attention when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] arrived to address the Earth troops, although he was confused by Magnus's over-use of Earth idioms and "lingo". {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}}

Under Bumblebee, Sideswipe was part of the Transformer hunters clandestinely employed by [[Gordon Horiuchi]] of Skywatch. He was present when Bumblebee announced the Autobots' intention to break free from Horiuchi's unyielding directives. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

Months later, the Autobots on Earth were joined by several long-lost comrades from space, including Sunstreaker, who had survived his earlier sacrifice. From them, they learned that Cybertron was restored to a habitable planet, but to reclaim their home they had to challenge Galvatron, who had recently occupied it. The majority of the Autobots, including Sideswipe, boarded Omega Supreme and left Earth the next day. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}} He was among the Autobots who tried to listen in on Optimus Prime's questioning of a captive Megatron. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

After arriving on Cybertron, the Autobots fought against Galvatron's [[Sweep]] army. During the battle, Sideswipe bore witness to an escaped and upgraded Megatron completely massacring the Sweeps, then was himself attacked by [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] when Megatron summoned the Decepticons to his side. He and the others fought the Decepticons until [[D-Void]] took control of them via Galvatron. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings}} Sideswipe watched part of the battle between Megatron and the [[Deceptigod|monstrous Sweep-Decepticon combiner]] before making himself scarce. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis}} Once the combiner was broken apart, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] negotiated a Decepticon surrender with Sideswipe in exchange for his own safety. {{storylink|Shockpoint}}

In the wake of Galvatron and D-Void's defeat, Cybertron was "reset" into a primordial state and the Decepticons were put behind bars. Sporting a new paintjob, a bandolier and a [[sword]], Sideswipe kept the peace alongside [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] when unaffiliated Transformers began returning to the planet. He greeted Optimus Prime when he returned three weeks after the battle, then was caught up in a riot as the "[[NAIL]]s" protested against the Autobots being in charge. When he reported to [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] that the Autobots were outnumbered, he was ordered to let the Decepticons out and have them lend a hand. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} Of course the Decepticons didn't know how to hold back, and so Sideswipe and Prowl later ended up having to admonish [[Needlenose]] and [[Horri-Bull (G1)|Horri-Bull]] for beating up [[Tappet]]. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

When [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] approached the Autobot headquarters, Sideswipe spotted him and joked about killing him. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} Sideswipe later provided crowd control again while Prowl had the deceased body of Ratbat removed from the Decepticon encampment. {{storylink|Stick Together}} While standing guard at crime scene of [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]]'s murder, he was instructed by Prowl to deactivate the waste chutes and replied with sarcasm, though Wheeljack quickly did it for him. {{storylink|Devisive}}

When [[Sky-Byte (G2)|Sky-Byte]] arrived on Cybertron, Sideswipe kept an eye on him and discovered him collaborating with the Decepticons. He, Prowl, and Streetwise raided their hiding area and caught [[Needlenose]] and Sky-Byte, only to be overwhelmed by a mob of NAILs who were looking to lynch Sky-Byte. They were stopped by Ironhide, who wanted a better future for both Autobot and Decepticon. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} Sideswipe stood guard as others investigated and discussed the disappearance of [[Turmoil]]'s starship. {{storylink|Night and the City}} With the discovery of a large underground cave near Iacon, Prowl took Sideswipe with him to keep anyone else from entering while he and Wheeljack went in to investigate. He got confused when a large crowd of Decepticons and NAILs appeared and peacefully asked to be let in, and ultimately ended up following them into the cave and witnessing a [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] declare that Starscream was the one who would unite all Cybertronians. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}}

As part of Prowl's security team, Sideswipe was supposed to participate in a raid on the Decepticon pen, but it exploded before they could enter. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}} Shortly thereafter, Megatron arrived in the city, appearing for the first time since Cybertron's rebirth. On Bumblebee's orders, Sideswipe gleefully prepared to gun down the Decepticon leader, but was interrupted by Needlenose and the other Decepticons who demanded that they let him live. {{storylink|City on Fire}} He later escorted Bumblebee to Prowl's quarters to investigate claims that Prowl was working with the Decepticons, which turned out to be very true when they were captured by Decepticons on the way there. After Megatron was done telling them about his villainous plan, he had [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] kill Sideswipe by impaling him, pinning him to a wall. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} However, the attack missed any of his vitals, which Sideswipe recognized as a sign that Arcee wasn't really on the Decepticons' side. He waited until Arcee made her move and turned on the 'cons, at which point he joined in and started blasting people left and right. He went on to help chase after Megatron in an attempt to save Starscream, albeit mostly because it was a chance to shoot more Decepticons. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}}

Sideswipe was briefly beaten down by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] during the ensuing battle for Cybertron, but it ended with a victory for the Autobots. Or rather, it ended with a victory for ''Starscream'', who became leader of the NAILs and had both Autobots and Decepticons exiled into the wilderness. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}} As the Autobots set up camp, Sideswipe was approached by Arcee while guarding the medical trailer where Bumblebee was being repaired. While Arcee was expecting him to let her in since they'd fought well together, Sideswipe turned her away, making it clear he was just as unnerved by her as the others. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

When the ''Lost Light'' resurfaced during the rampage of the [[Necrotitan]], Sideswipe warmly reunited with Sunstreaker after their long period apart. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} He stood with the other defenders of Cybertron against the oncoming horde of [[Ammonite]]s. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Sideswipe participated in the pursuit of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and partially transformed from artillery boxcar mode to robot mode in order to shoot down [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. He stated, "The name is Sideswipe." {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{note|For unclear reasons, in the original comic book issue, the Autobot who shoots down Scourge identifies himself as [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], not Sideswipe. Sideswipe only appears in the trade paperback collection.}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[File:HenkeiVol6-lambor.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|left|You are stupid! You are stupid! And don't forget; you are ''stupid''!]]
Sideswipe was chasing a mysterious plane that had stolen supplies of [[energon]], using his [[Jet pack|rocket pack]] to catch up with it. But the next thing he knew, the plane was gone! The befuddled Sideswipe ran into [[Bluestreak (G1)|Silverstreak]], who was chasing a truck also charged with energon theft. Just then, the truck arrived before them, revealing itself to be the plane as well. It was the [[Triple Changer]] [[Octane (G1)|Octane]]! Though Octane tried to attack the two Autobots, Sideswipe blasted the Decepticon and knocked him to the ground. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 6|Henkei! Henkei! #6}}
{{-}}

==Commercial appearances==
Sideswipe appeared in the following [[commercial]]s:
*The very first Transformers animation, advertising the Marvel comic book. He drives out of a base alongside Jazz and Prowl; the three arrive at a power plant and counter-attack the Decepticons.
*Again alongside Jazz and Prowl, he transforms and takes off, on what appears to be Cybertron, in a commercial for Soundwave.
*He can be glimpsed trying to stop Astrotrain from escaping, in a 1985 commercial for the Decepticon Triple Changers.
*He is briefly visible driving alongside Jazz in a CGI ''Generation 2'' commercial for the Decepticon jets and Autobot cars.

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Sidswipe could come to Optimus Prime's aid, helping him move around the Decepticons' maze-like base. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
[[File:Gluawakening sideswipe.jpg|thumb|left|150px]]
Sideswipe was among the Autobots who left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and spent four million years in stasis after it was shot down over Earth by the Decepticons. As one of the more badly damaged Autobots, Sideswipe was stored in [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] until the Autobots could gather enough energon to revive him. He was eventually revived in time to take part in the final assault on the Decepticons' Cybertron fortress to free the many enslaved Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Sideswipe was among the Autobots who thwarted Starscream's plan to destroy Earth, saving the planet by firing the [[Exponential Generator]] into orbit. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (Legends)|Countdown to Extinction}} Sideswipe was the first of the Autobots to coat themselves in [[Electrum]] after finding a Golden Lagoon. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (Legends)|The Golden Lagoon}} He was in charge of a [[Sun-Farming facility]] which [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s group decided to attack. Alerted, Sideswipe had the other Autobots hang back so that they could ambush the enemy, however the gambit ultimately failed. Sideswipe and his men were forced to abandon the facility, leaving it in Decepticon hands. {{storylink|Revelation (Legends)|Revalation}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1sideswipe.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|He had the look before it was [[Spy Changer|trendy]].]]
*'''Sideswipe''' ([[Autobot Car]], [[1984]]/[[1985]], [[1991]], [[2001]]/[[2002]]/[[2003]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''04''', '''TFC-07'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

:Originally a ''[[Diaclone]]'' "New [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Lamborghini Countach|Countach LP500S]]", Sideswipe transforms into a Walter Wolf Countach LP500S, a customized Countach LP400 that led to the creation of the production LP500S. In robot mode he is armed with a white rifle and a missile launcher that can clip onto either of his shoulders. The launcher can fire one of three included white missiles, in theory, as the springs were weakened for the US release [[for safety reasons]]. The original 1984 US release did not have the [[rubsign]] found on later releases.

:When Hasbro released the original Generation 1 toys in continental [[Europe]] through its then recently acquired subsidiary [[Milton Bradley]] in 1985, several toys, such as the Autobot Cars, were actually pre-existing stock originally intended for [[Joustra]]'s version of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' line that was acquired by Hasbro as part of an agreement with Joustra and put into MB-branded ''Transformers'' packaging. For some reason, the Sunstreaker toy (sporting its yellow Hasbro ''Transformers'' colors due to being produced during the ''Diaclone''/''Transformers'' transitional period) was released in packaging intended for his brother Sideswipe, an entirely different sculpt. The packaging even included Sideswipe's instructions and sticker sheet, neither of which were of much use for the toy. It's currently unknown whether the actual Sideswipe toy was ever sold in MB "Sideswipe" packaging at all, although considering the origin of the MB-branded Autobot Cars, it's very unlikely for this to be the case.<ref name="mbsunswipe">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-6/ "MB Transformers: Part 6"] at 20th Century Toy Collector.</ref>

:This sculpt was also used to make [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Clamp Down]], [[Deep Cover]] and [[Tigertrack]].

::''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Generation 1 Sideswipe at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|ActionMaster}}
[[File:ActionmasterSideswipe toy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I have a hat!]]
*'''Sideswipe w/ Vanguard''' ([[Action Master]], 1991)
**''Accessories:'' "Photon laser" rifle

:A non-transforming action figure that combines elements form both his original toy and his [[Character model|animation model]], [[Action Master]] Sideswipe is compatible with any other Action Master weapon or vehicle. His [[Action Master partner|partner]]-unit [[Vanguard]] forms a backpack and battle helmet, and complements Sideswipe's color scheme quite well.

:Action Master Sideswipe was only available in [[Generation 1 (European toyline)|European]] (and certain Australian) markets.

::''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Action Master Sideswipe with Vanguard at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

*'''Sideswipe''' ([[Classics (Europe)|Classics Heroes]], Europe/Australia 1991)
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

:The original ''Generation 1'' Sideswipe toy was re-released in Europe and Australia in 1991 as part of the ''Classics'' line, with no apparent changes other than the new packaging.

===''Generation 2''===
{{anchor|G2toy}}
[[File:G2-toy Sideswipe.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He got dressed in the dark and accidentally put his colors on backwards.]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Autobot Heroic, [[1993]])
**''Accessories:'' Gun, missile launcher, 1 missile

:Part of the first assortment of Autobot cars, Sideswipe's original toy had his colors re-arranged to a black car mode with red and white robot parts, plus new [[neon]] green "racing" decals were added to the mix. His original rocket launcher was removed, and replaced with a large spring-loaded launcher that could be hand-held or mounted on his [[retool]]ed car-mode roof.

:His new spring-loaded missile launcher was taken from [http://www.yojoe.com/action/91/snowserpent2.shtml Snow Serpent] from the ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' toyline.

::''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Generation 2 Sideswipe at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|Go-Bot}}
[[File:G2-toy SideswipeGoBots.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Then he shrank and faded in the wash.]]
*'''Sideswipe''' ([[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]], [[1995]])
**''Accessories:'' Gun

:A redeco of [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] [[Firecracker]], Sideswipe transforms into a blue [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Lamborghini Diablo|Lamborghini Diablo]] with through-axle construction for super-fast rolling on smooth surfaces in car mode. He is compatible with many "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox"-brand racetrack sets.

:This mold was also used to make Go-Bot Optimus Prime and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[R.E.V.]].

:This toy was later [[repurposing|repurposed]] to be a [[Sideswipe (G2)|"next-generation" clone of Sideswipe]].

::''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Generation 2 Go-Bot Sideswipe on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Collector's Edition''===
*'''Lambor''' (World Character Convention 12 exclusive, Japan 2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''04'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

:In 2001, the ''Generation 1'' Sideswipe toy was re-released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] under his Japanese name "Lambor", as a set bundled with his [[mold]]-mate [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] ("Alert" in Japan), [[exclusive]] to World Character Convention 12. His license plate decal was changed from the infringing "COUNTACH" to "CAR MACHINE".

*'''Lambor''' (e-HOBBY exclusive, Japan 2002)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''04'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

:Lambor (Sideswipe) and Alert (Red Alert) were once again re-released together in January 2002 as an [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive "New Year Special" set, with several factory-applied decals replaced with [[paint operation]]s, the "CAR MACHINE" plate-decal now blank, plus an additional recolored alternate sticker sheet for each one and bio cards with new art by [[Hidetsugu Yoshioka]].

===''Transformers Collection''===
*'''Lambor''' (Japan 2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''07'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

:The version of ''Generation 1'' Sideswipe previously released as an e-HOBBY exclusive, minus the extra decal sheet, was ''again'' re-released as part of the [[The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]] "book-box" series.

===''Universe'' (2003)===
[[File:TFU03-toy SideswipeOTFCC.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I should've had a [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] retool!]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Deluxe, 2003)
**''Accessories:'' Left & right launchers/thrusters, 2 flame missiles

:One of several [[exclusive]]s to [[OTFCC 2003]], ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Side Swipe is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Prowl (RID)#Toys|Prowl]] mold, once again transforming into a Lamborghini Diablo. A pair of add-on thrusters become arm-mounted launchers for robot mode; each one being a pressure-launch missile launcher.

:The part that connects the toy's windshield to the main body uses a red [[sticker]] rather than paint, as that part is made out of [[unpaintable plastic]]. The police lights from the original mold were removed, leaving this area bare.

:This mold was also used to make ''Universe'' [[Inferno (BW)#Universe (2003)|Inferno]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)#Universe (2003)|''Universe'' Sunstreaker]].

{{note|While the toy's name was spelled "Sideswipe" (one word) on its own packaging, the cross-sell on the packaging for the OTFCC 2003 [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]]/[[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] two-pack spelled it "Side Swipe" (two words) instead. See [[#Notes|Notes]] for more.}}

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/OTFCCSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Universe Sideswipe on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Smallest Transforming Transformers''===
[[File:STFLambor.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Yet another release Sunstreaker just wasn't cool enough for.]]
*'''Lambor''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''GTF-02'''

:''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' Lambor is a very small-scale, extensively simplified replica of the original Sideswipe toy. He has very little articulation, he has no weapons, and his vehicle mode wheels cannot roll.

:This mold was [[retool]]ed to make ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' [[Red Alert (G1)|Alert]].

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Cybertron/SmallestSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Smallest Transforming Lambor at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Alternators''/''Binaltech''===
[[File:AlternatorsSide Swipe toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Just think, he was almost Tracks.]]
*'''Side Swipe''' (2003, [[2004]])
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''2'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Dodge Viper Engine/gun

:The second ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' toy released, Side Swipe's [[alternate mode]] is a [[licensed vehicle alternate modes|licensed]] 1:24 scale [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Dodge Viper .28Chrysler.29|Dodge Viper]] (identified as an SRT-10 model by the Japanese ''Binaltech'' version) featuring opening doors, a detailed interior, a hood that opens to reveal an engine bay holding a replica Viper V-10 engine. The vehicle mode also features movable steering and [[rubber tires]] with [[vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metalized]] wheels. His removable engine becomes a blaster.

:The main difference between Hasbro's ''Alternators'' Side Swipe and Takara's ''Binaltech'' "Lambor" releases is that the ''Binaltech'' version has die-cast metal parts for most of the car's outer body shell, with the exception of the rear end (the "backpack" [[kibble]] in robot mode), and the entire red exterior of the car is fully painted, unlike the ''Alternators'' version's flat red plastic. Furthermore, the ''Alternators'' version sports additional "blackwash" [[paint operation]]s on his chest the ''Binaltech'' version lacks.

:The Dodge Viper sculpt was originally designed to be a new body for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] after the first attempt to secure the Corvette license had fallen through. Eventually, though, Chevrolet had a change of mind and granted Hasbro and Takara the license for the Corvette design after all. As a result, the Viper mold was slightly redesigned, was given a new head sculpt and released as Sideswipe (or "Side Swipe") instead. This explains why, unlike most of the early Alternators toys, Side Swipe's robot mode bears little resemblance to his G1 self. The most noticeable redesign from the "Tracks" design was the vehicle mode's doors being moved from the "backpack" kibble (where they would have resembled the G1 Tracks toy's wings) to the sides of the arms, thus being the most obvious visual cue taken from the G1 Sideswipe toy. The doors are, however, still splayed out to the sides in the ''Alternators'' version's [[package art]] and can be moved to match Tracks's wing configuration, which implies that the redesign may have been done before the switch from Tracks to Sideswipe was made.

:This sculpt was [[retool]]ed to make [[Dead End (G1)#Alternators/Binaltech|Dead End]], who was then [[redeco]]ed into [[Sunstreaker (G1)#Alternators|Sunstreaker]] (although the retool was originally done with Sunstreaker in mind).

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/AltSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Alternators Side Swipe on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Commemorative Series''===
[[File:Sideswipebox.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
*'''Side Swipe''' (Toys"R"Us exclusive, Australia/Canada 2004, KB Toys exclusive, 2005)
**''Series:'' '''VIII'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

:The version of Generation 1 Sideswipe previously released as part of Takara's "Transformers Collection" series, albeit with its spring-loaded launcher de-sprung [[for safety reasons]], was reissued by [[Hasbro]] under the modified name "Side Swipe" as part of their [[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]] VIII, one of the last American reissues. However, because [[Toys"R"Us]], who had carried the Commemorative Series as an [[exclusive]] line up until that point, had abruptly decided to discontinue the line, he was never available at Toys"R"Us stores in the USA (despite the occasional unproven [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|rumor]] to the contrary). He ''was'', however, available at Toys"R"Us stores in Australia and Canada in 2004, and was finally made available in the USA as a [[KB Toys]] exclusive in 2005, at heavy discount.
{{-}}

===''Universe'' (2008)===
[[File:Universe2008 SideSwipe toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Better red than...]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Series'': '''Classic Series'''
**''Accessories:'' "Flare Launcher", engine supercharger intakes

:Part of the third wave of [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] Deluxe Class toys, Sideswipe is a retool/[[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Sunstreaker (G1)#Universe (2008)|Sunstreaker]], transforming into a modified [[wikipedia:Lamborghini Gallardo|Lamborghini Gallardo]]. Though the car is mostly based upon the Gallardo, to avoid legal problems, it also features modified headlights and elements taken from other cars—most of them are taken from other Lamborghini models, such as a rear end that is basically a cross between a [[wikipedia:Lamborghini Murciélago|Murciélago]] and a [[wikipedia:Lamborghini Diablo|Diablo]]; however, the split side windows and the ridges on the door vents are based on a [[wikipedia:McLaren F1|McLaren F1]]. He also comes with the same roof-mounted engine supercharger accessory as Sunstreaker. Hasbro's early plans for Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had the two as straight redecos of each other, only differing in their head sculpts besides their colors—namely, Sunstreaker would have just been Sideswipe in yellow with a different head. It was [[TakaraTomy]] designer [[Hisashi Yuki]] who suggested an alternate transformation by turning the upper body by 180 degrees (and swapping the hands to accommodate the different upper body orientation), thus providing more individual robot mode looks for the two characters that resemble their respective ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' designs more.<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009|''Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref>

[[File:SunstreakerSideswipeSDCC2007.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|''Universe'' [[Tigertrack]]. Fortunately, this didn't happen.]]
:Hasbro also originally intended the [[alternate mode]]'s supercharger to split into two halves which would then become the handgun and a spring-loaded shoulder launcher for the robot mode. On the final toy, the Flare Launcher (a redeco of Sunstreaker's Electron Pulse Blaster) can be combined with the removable supercharger engine accessory by wrapping the intakes around the gun and mounted in either of the holes on his shoulders to simulate Sideswipe's ''Generation 1'' missile launcher. Of course, this leaves him without a hand-held weapon. The engine can also be mounted on Sideswipe's back as his [[Jet pack|rocket pack]]. Most of this is not shown in the [[instructions]], which only instruct the owner of the toy to put the gun in his hand and attach the supercharger to his back.

:Even worse, Sideswipe's instruction line art is recycled from Sunstreaker's instructions and therefore incorrectly gives him Sunstreaker's transformation and head, despite the [[stock photography|stock photo]] depicted on top of the instructions showing him with the hood as the chest and the correct Sideswipe head.<ref>[http://hasbro.com/common/instruct/83685.pdf Official Universe Sideswipe instructions PDF file on Hasbro.com]</ref> Unfortunately, the stock photo Hasbro provided to online retailers retains this incorrect transformation, and [[:File:UniSideswipeStockPhoto.jpg|throws in some additional mistakes as well]]. Oy.

:The Sunstreaker/Sideswipe sculpt was also retooled into ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Punch (G1)#Timelines 2|Punch]], [[Breakdown (G1)#Timelines|''Generation 2'' Breakdown]], and [[Breakdown (G1)#G1TimelinesBreakdown|''Generation 1'' Breakdown]], as well as ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Henkei! Henkei!|Alert]] and ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Generations|Red Alert]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on ''Universe'' (2008) Sideswipe on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!''===
[[File:Henkei Lambor toy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Whoever does Takara's photography seriously needs to be outsourced to Hasbro.]]
*'''Lambor''' (Deluxe, [[2008]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-09'''
**''Accessories:'' "Flare Launcher"

:The Japanese version of ''Universe'' Sideswipe has [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metallized]] silver on his flare launcher and his spoiler, but does not come with the supercharger engine/[[Jet pack|rocket pack]] accessory that Henkei Sunstreaker and ''Universe'' Sunstreaker/Sideswipe included. This was a willful decision meant to differentiate further between him and Sunstreaker. That's right: Takara ''deliberately omitted an optional piece of accessory'' to make the toy more "G1-accurate".<ref name="generations2009"/>

:He also has correct, personalized [[instructions]] that aren't just Sunstreaker's. Like Sunstreaker, the Japanese version's roof paint is a much closer match to the red colored plastic. The Japanese version also features a glossier black paint and the white has yellow tint compared the white plastic used for Hasbro version. His [[license plate]] says "LAMBOR" rather than "SWIPE".
{{-}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:BotCon2010-customclassSideswipe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Folks are gonna be pisssyyyyyy.]]
*'''Sideswipe''' ([[BotCon 2010]] customization class Deluxe)
**''Accessories'': Gun/tailpipe, engine supercharger intakes

:A ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''-style redeco of ''Universe'' Sideswipe, ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' Sideswipe is pre-molded in new colors, which is unprecedented for the BotCon customization class exclusive (and apparently came as a surprise to [[Fun Publications]]). During the class, the mold is assembled, painted and stickered by those enrolled in it. Between the two classes, there were 52 participants.

:In regards to the plastic mold changes, white remains white, but like the original ''Generation 2'' figure, the red and black colors are swapped. Clear green replaces the clear plastic used for the window and thighs.

:This figure uses the ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Generations|Red Alert]] version of the mold, which includes two screw holes in the canopy (rather than one like ''Henkei! Henkei!'' Alert or none like all other versions of this mold). The samples [[Shawn D. Tessmann|Shawn Tessmann]] had on display used the original version of the mold, and lacked the screw holes. Despite the mold change, the lightbar was not included. These holes replace the slots used to mount the rocket pack in robot mode. The rocket pack can still be mounted on the gun in robot mode and in car mode though. As an unintended result of having empty screw holes over the rocket pack sockets, Sideswipe can now mount his gun inside either screw hole on the roof of his car mode.

:The unassembled figure was also given out to those who volunteered at BotCon 2010.
{{-}}

===''Masterpiece''===
[[File:Masterpiece-MP12Lambor.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Lamborghini-approved awesomeness!]]
*'''Lambor''' ([[October 27|10-27]]-[[2012]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-12'''
**''Accessories:'' Missile launcher, flare gun, two pile drivers (A), two pile drivers (B, Amazon.co.jp only)
: ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' Lambor transforms into a licensed Lamborghini Countach LP500S. As with other figures in the ''Masterpiece'' line, he is intended to be an accurate representation of his [[Character model|cartoon model]], and even features a Lamborghini-supervised paint scheme, such as glossy red [[Paint operation|paint]] covering the ''entirety'' of his vehicle mode panels and robot shoulders, as well as various bits of black detailing to make it accurate to the real-life vehicle. Standing at around 6 1/4 inches (or 15 1/2 centimeters) from head to toe in robot mode, he is also in [[scale]] with MP-10 [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10|Optimus Prime]], and can fit inside [[Combat Deck (G1)#mp10|Prime's trailer]] in vehicle mode. In contrast to larger entries in this line, Lambor lacks [[die-cast]] parts, and his tires are cast in hard, non-rubberized plastic.

[[File:MP-13 Lambor full color.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|The Amazon version's additional <s>cake slicers</s> <s>screwdrivers</s> pile drivers.]]
: For accessories, he comes with his hand-held flare gun, and his non-firing missile launcher, which is jointed at the peg to allow it to pivot up and down, and can mount on either shoulder in robot mode. Both his launcher and gun can be combined and mounted on a self-covering peg-hole on his vehicle roof/robot back. He also comes with a pair of pile drivers, which can snap onto the ends of his forearms when either hand is flipped in, and are based on the blunt arm pistons he uses in "[[S.O.S. Dinobots]]".

:If purchased in Japan through [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.com]], one additionally gets a different [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metalized]] pair of pile drivers, which are based on the jackhammer-like pistons he uses in "[[Dinobot Island, Part 2]]". If purchased in other Asian markets outside of Japan, a collector's coin is included instead. Both the coin and its wheel-shaped package identify him as Sideswipe instead of Lambor. In Malaysia, Lambor included both the additional Amazon.co.jp pile drivers and the coin.

:This mold was redecoed and retooled to make MP-14 [[Red Alert (G1)#Masterpiece|Alert]]. Lambor's version of the mold, with Alert's face, was then redecoed into MP-12T [[Tigertrack#Masterpiece|Tigertrack]].
{{-}}
{{anchor|G2Masterpiece}}
[[File:Masterpiece-MP12G-G2Lambor.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Lamborghini-approved awesomeness: Hardcore Edition!]]
*'''Lambor G-2 Ver.''' ([[February 22|2-22]]-[[2014]])
**''Japanese ID number'': '''MP-12G'''
**''Accessories'': MA68S Machine Gun, GZS-3 Grenade Launcher, Broad Sword, 2 "Spike Armor" wheels

:Like the original ''Generation 2'' Sideswipe toy, ''Masterpiece'' Lambor G-2 Ver. features mostly a straight-up swap of his red and black plastic and paint colors, resulting in a black body with red trim. His windows have been changed from translucent black to translucent red, his helmet's painted red, and he features a new, [[Derek Yaniger|Yaniger-licious]] snarling face with separately-painted [[Teeth|pearly whites]]. He comes with a [[sticker]] sheet that duplicates the original G2 toy's deco, as well as two comic-accurate ''Generaton 2'' Autobot symbol stickers of varying sizes. While the majority of the red car parts on the original Masterpiece figure are now black, portions of the robot mode that were previously red remain red. These areas include the back of his legs as well as portions of his torso.

:Instead of his original weapons, Lambor comes with new accessories based on the weapons he wielded in the Marvel G2 comic. These include a handheld machine gun and grenade launcher, a pair of articulated, non-rolling spiked wheels that can mount on his shoulders, and a sword, all of which can combine and mount onto his roof. Sadly, he does ''not'' come with a bandolier to properly carry that sword on his back, which means the sword just kind-of loosely stows there according to the [[instructions]].

:If purchased in Asian markets outside of Japan, a recolor of MP-12 Lambor's collector's coin is included. Among other minor differences, the coin is now colored silver, and its wheel-shaped package now features a ''Generation 2'' Autobot symbol at the back in place of a ''Generation 1''-type symbol.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===''Transformers Gum''===
*'''Lambor''' (1985)
**''Accessories:'' rocket launcher
:Essentially a downsized version of the original Sideswipe toy, the ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' Lambor kit is sculpted from black, red and grey plastic, features stickers rather than paint applications for details, and came with a stick of gum.
{{-}}

===Decoy===
[[File:Decoy Sideswipe.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Decoy Sideswipe.]]
*'''Sideswipe #18'''
:Sideswipe was one of the many character represented by a small plastic [[decoy]] available carded with other transformers.
::''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Decoy Sideswipe at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:TitaniumRM Side Swipe.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Sideswipe turns small a lot.]]
*'''Side Swipe''' (Robot Master, [[2006]])
**''Accessories:'' Engine blaster

:''[[Titanium Series]]'' Side Swipe is based upon Sideswipe's ''Alternators'' toy. Constructed partially of die cast metal, Side Swipe has limited articulation located in his shoulders and neck. He comes with a removable engine blaster and an Autobot symbol display stand.

:This mold was going to be redecoed to be ''Titanium'' Sunstreaker, but that release was canceled.

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/TitSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Titanium Side Swipe at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Attacktix''===
[[File:Sideswipe-atx.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Booster, <s>2007</s>)

:''[[Attacktix]]'' Sideswipe was to be a missile-firing "blaster" style playing piece, presumably part of a third wave of "Booster" packs. He was revealed at the [[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]] "Celebration IV" convention alongside many other ''Attacktix'' pieces that would ultimately never see release.

{{canceledattacktix}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Sideswipe's ''[[The Transformers Universe]]'' bio text describes features of Sunstreaker's toy, leading many to believe Sideswipe's original toy was supposed to be created from Sunstreaker's mold and vice-versa, with the colors swapped between the molds. The [[Diaclone]] Sunstreaker toy was available in red<ref>[http://diaclone.net/orid/dia036/index.html "Countach-LP500S/Super Tuning" at Diaclone.net (Japanese site)]</ref> and police<ref>[http://diaclone.net/orid/dia038/index.html "Countach-LP500S/Super Tuning Policecar Type" at Diaclone.net (Japanese site)]</ref> versions, but not yellow (hence the red shoulder stickers on an otherwise yellow car). The mold used for Sideswipe, on the other hand, was released in ''Diaclone'' in police, yellow and red decos.<ref>[http://diaclone.net/orid/dia050/index.html " New Countach-LP500S" at Diaclone.net (Japanese site)]</ref>
*Sideswipe's Japanese name, "Lambor" is derived from the name of his vehicle mode, a Lamborghini. It may also be a word play on the Japanese word "Ranbō", which means "reckless, violent, rough". Wouldn't be the [[Autorooper|last]] [[Nine Great Demon Generals|time]] Takara's done such [[Romanization|word puns]].
*According to a [[story page]] in the October 1985 issue of ''[[TV Magazine]]'', Sideswipe and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] are brothers, with Sideswipe being slightly older than Red Alert. This connection may have been invented because, aside from Sideswipe and Red Alert sharing the same mold, Sunstreaker was not sold in the Japanese market outside of a special "versus" set with [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. However, the familial dynamic between Sideswipe and Sunstreaker was '''not''' changed in the Japanese dub of the original ''Transformers'' cartoon, leading some Japanese fans to consider the three Lamborghini characters as triplets.
[[File:UnmadeG2SideswipeMockup.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*Sideswipe has the dubious distinction of being the only one of the European Autobot Classic Heroes range not to feature in Marvel UK's [[Earthforce]] stories, not even making a late appearance like fellow 1991 addition Tracks.
*In recent years, a mock-up of a '''second''' ''Generation 2'' redeco of the original Sideswipe toy has surfaced. Acquired and [http://www.tf-1.com/articles/other/g2swipe_template.html photographed] by ''Transformers'' rarities-hunter Maziar "Maz" Shahsafdari, the find joins the ranks of the similarly unmade ''Generation 2'' [[Sandstorm (G2)|"desert Ramjet"]] and [http://www.tf-1.com/articles/other/g2mirage_template.html pink and green Mirage] mock-ups. However, given that the Mirage mock-up does not feature deco present on its [[:File:G2MirageVaultArt.jpg|concept art]], it is possible this second Sideswipe was meant to be "wilder" than the in-hand specimen appears.
*During the 1990s, another company held the "Sideswipe" [[trademark]] in the "toys" field, even though Hasbro still released two toys using that name as part of the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]] line (it's unclear if this resulted in any legal repercussions for Hasbro). When Hasbro finally managed to reclaim the name for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|''Robots in Disguise'' line]], the name was now parsed as "[[Side Swipe (RID)|Side Swipe]]", in two words, for whatever reason. The next two toys to spell "Sideswipe" as one word again were the [[OTFCC 2003]] [[exclusive]]<ref name="otfccsideswipe">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/exclusives/sideswipe/485/ OTFCC 2003 Sideswipe], named "Sideswipe" on his own packaging.</ref> and the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Super-Con]].<ref name="armadasideswipe1">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/toys/Armada/Autobots/Side+Swipe/side1.jpg.html ''Armada'' Side Swipe in original packaging], named "Sideswipe".</ref> However, the OTFCC figure was referred to as "Side Swipe" when featured as a [[cross-sell]] on the packaging for the OTFCC 2003 [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]]/[[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] two-pack,<ref name="otfccvipersisters">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/exclusives/shadow-striker/483/1/10/ Cross-sell on the OTFCC 2003 Shadow Striker/Roulette two-pack's packaging], identifying Sideswipe as "Side Swipe".</ref> whereas the "[[The Unicron Battles|Unicron Battles]]-style packaging redesign for the ''Armada'' figure saw the name changed to "Side Swipe" on the name insert as well.<ref name="armadasideswipe2">[http://www.shmax.com/product_details/835/sideswipe_with_nightbeat ''Armada'' Side Swipe in "Unicron Battles" packaging], named "Side Swipe".</ref> Hasbro ''finally'' decided to re-file the name "Sideswipe" (as one word) as a trademark in 2008, presumably because a [[Sideswipe (Movie)|character]] in the upcoming movie ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and the accompanying [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|toy line]] was going to sport that name, and Hasbro were using that as an opportunity to re-introduce the spelling of the name as one word. As a result, the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxe Class toy was the first toy to "properly" sport the name "Sideswipe" as one word. Oddly enough, in 2012, Hasbro re-filed "Side Swipe", along with several other old trademarks.<ref name="swipe2012">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-movie-toys-products-30/latest-hasbro-transformers-trademarks-tow-line-armorhide-rollbar-side-swipe-175521/ Hasbro re-files old trademarks]</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Lambor''' (ランボル ''Ranboru'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Swipe''' (斯韋伯 ''Si Wai Baak'', literally "This Soft-leather Elder")
*''French:'' '''Frérot''' (Canada, "Bro")
*''Hebrew:'' '''Métsóded''' (מצודד, "Sidler")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Csatár''' ("Striker")
*''Italian:'' '''Freccia''' ("Arrow")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tsè Sǎu''' (Taiwan, 側掃, "Side Swipe"), '''Heng Pao''' (China, 横炮, "Horizontal Cannon")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Esgalhador''' (Portugal comic), '''Surrupio''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Apperkot''' (Апперкот, "Uppercut")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Krutobiy''' (Крутобій, "Toughpuncher")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm Sideswipe at TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Sideswipe Sideswipe's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:BotCon exclusives]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Customization class toys]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Go-Bots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Ladybird Books Autobots]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2013-02-04T15:07:37Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Headmasters cartoon */ a new sign to a picture was added

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[smelting pool]]s. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[File:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[File:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One====
{{noteRG1}}
After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least 2 years. At some point [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] wanted to live his life and intruders were able to get aboard the crashed ship and re-awaken [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Circa 1994, Fort Max battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike's body was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px|- Why are you so pale? - It is the winter camouflage, dude!]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Drang nach Master!]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[File:Hm6 fortmax funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:Hm17 maximus vs scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px|That's how the scorpions breed!]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:Hm26 weak spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Insert 80's computer joke here.]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[File:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[File:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[File:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream]]s, he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[combiner|gestalt]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}
[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|left|200px|thumb|]]
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit Rung, much to Maximus' anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it was highly doubtful any other Transformer even close to this size would ever be made again, until his planned release in the Encore line was announced. ''(see below)''

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories:'' Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword, Cerebros's sword.
: The first re-release of Fortress Maximus in Encore.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Tfgum fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}

===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[File:Fortmax scf hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[File:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsuēi'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

==External links==
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Fortress_Maximus Fortress Maximus's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2013-02-01T16:55:30Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Headmasters cartoon */ a new sign to a picture was added

{{suite}}
[[Image:Soundwave_and_company.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Can't touch this.]]

If you only remember two things from the ''Transformers'' cartoon, odds are one of them is Optimus Prime, and the other is '''that tape guy with the cool voice'''.

==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese)|[[Albert Augier]] (French), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian, second movie dub), [[Alejandro Abdalah]] (Latin American), [[Miroslav Bijelić]] (Serbian), [[Michael Rüth]] (German, Season 1 & 2), [[Ulf Jürgen Söhmisch]] (German, ''Roll For It'' & Generation 2 Dub of ''Fight or Flee''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, Most of Season 3), [[Gerhard Acktun]] (German, ''Webworld''), [[Thomas Rauscher]] (German, The Movie TV Dub & Generation 2 Season 1), [[Christoph Jablonka]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''War of the Dinobots'', ''Atlantis, Arise!'' & ''Auto Berserk''), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Kremzeek!''), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Starscreams Brigade'')}}

[[Image:Cybertronsoundwave.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Before the tape recorder, he was a lamppost. It's hard to take him seriously sometimes.]]

Nine million years ago, during the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Soundwave was one of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s first [[Decepticon]]s and was seen flying through the planet's skies alongside his leader and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|War Dawn}} When the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] with the [[Autobot]]s erupted not long after, Soundwave served as Megatron's intelligence officer and most loyal subordinate, and as keeper of the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]]s, diminutive robots designed for espionage. While Soundwave was a nigh-constant battlefield presence, he would himself often play no major role in combat, more regularly being present merely to deploy his cassette minions, and, off the field of battle, to replay for his fellow Decepticons the information they would gather for him.

After five million years of war, Cybertron found itself in the throes of an energy crisis, and Soundwave was charged with spying on the Autobots to learn how they were dealing with it. Using his unconventional [[alternate mode]] as a space-age "lamp-post" to position himself on the street outside [[Great Dome|Iacon]], Soundwave was able to deploy [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to snoop even closer. Laserbeak discovered that the Autobots were preparing to depart Cybertron to search for new sources of energy on other planets, and Soundwave quickly took this news back to Megatron, prompting the Decepticons to pursue the Autobots' [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]] when it left the planet. After navigating a treacherous meteor shower, the Decepticons intercepted and boarded the Autobots' ship, and battle erupted between the two factions, during which Soundwave displayed his prowess by holding his own against [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] ''and'' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. However, the fighting was soon cut short when the Autobot spacecraft was caught in the gravity of the nearby prehistoric planet [[Earth]] and crash-landed. The ship impacted with the side of a [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] in a collision so violent that all the Transformers onboard, Soundwave included, were knocked off line.

[[Image:Mtmte1_prepare_the_energon_cubes.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Soundwave auditions for a guest spot on Baywatch as Mitch's hot sister.]]

Four million years later, in the Earth year 1984, a volcanic eruption jarred the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] back on-line, and it reactivated and repaired the Transformers indiscriminately, reformatting Soundwave with the Earthly alternate mode of a portable cassette player. Before the Autobots were restored, the Decepticons pulled out of the ruined hulk of the ship, and Megatron immediately charged Soundwave with drawing up plans for a new [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]] to return the Decepticons to Cybertron. Soundwave then deployed [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] to help [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] ransack a power plant to gather materials for construction, sent [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] to scare off humans who came to investigate, and dispatched Laserbeak to search the planet for sources of energy. Laserbeak soon returned to report his discovery of an offshore oil platform, which the Decepticons promptly attacked, gathering oil and storing it in the [[energon cube]]s Soundwave generated from his chest. The Autobots soon arrived to stop the Decepticons, but Megatron collapsed the rig, forcing the Autobots to save the human workers and allowing the Decepticons to escape. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

[[Image:Mtmte2_soundwave_and_teletraan.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Ugh Megatron, there's no one here...they just left the TV on. Hello? Anyone?]]

Seeking to exploit the data that Teletraan I had gathered on Earth in its short time on the planet, Soundwave positioned himself close to the Autobots' base, where he transformed into his cassette player mode and allowed himself to be found by the Autobots' new human friend, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]. Unaware of the true nature of the unassuming tape player he had found, Spike brought Soundwave into the Autobot ship and then left him unattended, allowing the Decepticon communicator to release Ravage. The feline felon interfaced with Teletraan I and located the computer's data on energy sources, which Soundwave then recorded. Soundwave was soon caught in the act by Spike, but managed to escape to report to Megatron. Using the information Soundwave obtained, Megatron decided to attack [[Sherman Dam]], where Soundwave instructed Rumble to use his earthquake-generating powers to create a tidal wave that maximized the plant's energy output. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

The Decepticons' raids continued apace, until only one more theft was necessary. As Megatron put his plan to attack an Air Force base together, Starscream attempted another of his infamous coups by trying to shoot him in the back, but Soundwave proved his loyalty to Megatron by warning his leader of the attack. The subsequent raid on the [[Cape Carlson|Air Force base]] went smoothly, and the Decepticons were at last poised to return to Cybertron when the Autobots made one last-ditch attack on their launch site. Soundwave and his tapes went into action, but Megatron soon called the battle off and ordered the Decepticons to board the completed space cruiser. Soundwave served as the ship's helmsman as it blasted off from Earth, but the flight proved a short one, as Soundwave discovered that the Autobot spy [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] has used his invisibility powers to stow away. Before the Decepticons could react, Mirage had sabotaged the ship and sent it plummeting back towards Earth. With Soundwave unable to stop its descent, the ship crashed into the ocean, and the Autobots believed the Decepticons destroyed. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:RollForIt SoundwavescansChip.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Soundwave performs telepathy for children's birthday parties]]

In truth, however, Soundwave and the other Decepticons had survived the crash, and after months of working in secret, reconstructed their spaceship into an [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|undersea headquarters]]. The villains revealed their continued existence to the world when Soundwave again used his inconspicuous tape player form to infiltrate a solar power plant and proceeded to take control of it, allowing the Decepticons to harvest its energy that they planned to send back to Cybertron over their new intergalactic "[[space bridge]]" transport system. Soundwave repelled an Autobot counterattack by wielding Megatron in pistol mode, but ultimately, the plan backfired when Megatron himself was caught in the space bridge's pull and believed destroyed, leaving Starscream to take control of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} Soundwave chafed under Starscream's inept leadership, and their first sortie with the air commander in charge ended in a comical defeat that saw Soundwave bowled over by Prowl as he ran away. Thankfully, Megatron soon returned, with a scheme to steal [[Alcazar|Doctor Alcazar]]'s [[antimatter]] formula, and Soundwave happily latched back onto his master. After Alcazar deleted the formula from his own computer, Soundwave used his mind-reading talents to acquire the formula from the brain of [[Chip Chase]]. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

[[Image:FireontheMountain SoundwaveMegsgun.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Soundwave was actually Starscream's understudy.]]

Soundwave participated in a Decepticon attack on Autobot Headquarters when Optimus Prime was mistakenly believed to be fatally wounded. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} Soon after, during a scheme to drain heat energy from the Earth's core, the Decepticons unearthed the frozen body of Starscream's old friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] in the North Pole. Soundwave helped reactivate him by delivering a million-volt shock to his systems, but Skyfire ultimately sided with the Autobots to stop the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Later, Soundwave and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] were sent on a data-gathering mission, acquiring information about the [[Great Falls]] to facilitate a Decepticon attack on the hydro-electric plant there. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[Image:Fireonthemountain_soundwave_vs_brawn_round1.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Soundwave's conscience is his guide, and he's not taking no crap offa nobody.]]

On a mission to the Peruvian Andes, Soundwave successfully proved that the legend of the Incan [[Crystal of Power]] was true when he deduced that the pyramid containing the fabled gemstone rested on a shaft leading to the Earth's core. On a mission to gather steel for a weapon frame to channel the crystal's power, Soundwave and Reflector were ambushed by [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] in mid-air, and Soundwave found himself driven face-first into a mountain by the small Autobot in the first of several clashes that they would engage in over the years. Soundwave tried to fight back with his own rifle, and even tried blasting Brawn with Megatron in pistol mode, but the little Autobot took everything he had to give and escaped in one piece. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Later, Soundwave's mind-reading abilities came into use again when he scanned the brains of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]], [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] and [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], in order to determine their weaknesses. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

[[Image:Tud2_audio_disruptor_waves.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Come to me, jungle friends.]]

When Megatron schemed to use the space bridge to transport Cybertron into Earth's orbit, he required human slaves to gather the energy that would result from the massive natural catastrophes such an action would cause. Soundwave and his cassettes were dispatched to capture [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who served as a guinea pig for the mind-controlling [[hypno-chip]]s created by the Decepticons' new ally, [[Doctor Arkeville]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} The plan to transport Cybertron was subsequently accomplished despite Autobot interference, and Soundwave ensured that energy collection could begin quickly by forcing the Autobots to flee with a barrage of painful audio disruptor waves. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Soundwave later transported a cache of energon cubes to the orbiting Cybertron, and was still there when a group of Autobots arrived, searching for the hypno-chip master control. In another encounter with Brawn, Soundwave was taken down by a single blast from his undersized rival, and then alerted the Decepticon forces on the planet to the Autobots' escape. It did little good, as the heroes were able to evade capture, find the hypno-chip control, free the slaves and blast Cybertron out of orbit.{{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Megatron was briefly thought destroyed by the explosion that pushed Cybertron out of orbit, by the Decepticon leader soon returned to Earth, where Soundwave immediately informed him of Starscream's latest play for leadership. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} Soundwave later accompanied Megatron and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] to [[Bali]], where they met the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}} Later still, when Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel, Soundwave and the other Decepticons contributed their [[power chip rectifier]]s to a machine built by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] that would transfer all their powers into Megatron, so that he could win the fight with ease. While Megatron never used Soundwave's powers in the duel,<ref>In the finished episode, that is. A scene deleted from "Heavy Metal War" saw Megatron use Soundwave's mind-reading abilities to deduce Prime's next attack move.</ref> he still claimed victory, but when his breach of the rules was revealed, he, Soundwave and all the Decepticons were sent tumbling into a river of lava by the fighting-mad Autobots.{{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:Cityofsteel_console_destroyed.jpg|right|thumb|220px|God, I hate Vista so much!]]

As 1985 rolled in, Soundwave participated in a Decepticon attack on an Air Force base, {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} and helped in the construction of the [[Solar Needle]] in the jungles of [[South America]]. {{storylink|Changing Gears}} When Megatron sought to conquer [[New York City]], Soundwave, Rumble and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] battled a group of Autobots in [[Central Park]], and Soundwave was later put in charge of the weapons systems of the so-called "[[New Cybertron]]" that New York was being turned into. That control was soon lost, unfortunately, when a stray blast from an irate Megatron destroyed Soundwave's console. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

Soundwave and his cassettes were next sent on a distraction mission, keeping the Autobots occupied while Megatron and Starscream snuck inside their base and sabotaged their [[recharging chamber]]s with a [[Personality destabilizer device]], narrowly avoiding another pounding from Brawn in the process. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} After helping to steal [[electro-cell]]s {{storylink|Traitor}} and the Autobots' new [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]] invention, {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Soundwave was appointed to guard the captive Autobots after Megatron succeeded in trapping them in vehicle mode with the [[Transfixatron]]. The communications officer put his skills to work disabling the Autobots' communicators, but neglected to disable [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s hologram projector, which the Autobot was able to use to summon the small number of his comrades who had not been affected by the Transfixatron. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and Ratchet developed a grenade to undo the device's effects, and together, Spike and [[Chip Chase]] outran Soundwave and Ravage to detonate it and restore the Autobots. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[Image:Dayofthemachines_espionage.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Let's see. Guitar, sound system and suspiciously plain brown box.]]

When Laserbeak and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] stumbled upon the subaquatic city of [[Sub-Atlantica]], Soundwave immediately summoned Megatron to view their findings. Megatron and the Decepticons set out for the city at once, and forged an alliance with its leader, the boastful telepathic [[Nergill|King Nergill]], in order to conquer [[Washington, D.C.]] Starscream, however, did not trust the fish-man, and had Soundwave put his own telepathic powers to use to decrypt the scrambled messages Nergill repeatedly gave to his underlings. Soundwave discovered that Nergill was planning to betray the Decepticons, leading to the breakdown of their alliance. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

Soundwave and Megatron used their [[size changing|diminutive]] alternate modes to infiltrate [[Quantum Laboratories]] as part of a plan to take over the computer [[TORQ III]]. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} Later, Soundwave helped steal the human-made robot ninja [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] (finally getting one over on Brawn in the process by collapsing a balcony out from under him), and aided [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] in reprogramming the femme-bot to serve the Decepticons.{{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Insecticonsyndrome_soundwave_cerebroshelled.jpg|right|thumb|220px|He bears the mark!]]

When the Decepticons discovered strange energy emanations coming from a crevice, Soundwave dispatched the [[Autoscout]] to investigate, discovering the crevice was filled with [[Korlonium crystal]]s. Megatron schemed to create a [[Optimus Prime clone|clone of Optimus Prime]] as part of a plan to harness the crystals' power, and while the plan failed, the clone was at least impressive enough to completely fool Soundwave, and he was in on it! {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} Subsequently, Soundwave took part in the Decepticons' plan to drill to the Earth's core, {{storylink|The Core}} and was then made a mind-controlled pawn of the Insecticons, who used him to download data from the human military defense computer at [[Iron Mountain]]. Megatron and Optimus Prime were forced to team up to stop the Insecticons and destroy the [[cerebro-shell]] controlling Soundwave, erasing the data he had gathered in the process. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

While spying on Autobot Headquarters, Soundwave learned of the existence of the mysterious prehistoric [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], and sent Laserbeak to follow the Dinobots as they travelled there. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Soundwave proceeded to join the Decepticons in raiding the island's energy sources, before the Autobots, Dinobots and the island's native [[dinosaur]]s saw them off. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Using his alternate mode to infiltrate a military testing site, Soundwave and his cassettes made a hard-fought but ultimately failed attempt to steal the Autobots' new [[Negavator]] weapon. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} Later, when human archaeologists uncovered the wreckage of the Decepticons' old space cruiser in South America, Soundwave alerted Megatron to the news report about their findings, then accompanied him to the wreckage, where they removed the ship's power source, the [[Heart of Cybertron]]. Celebrating the new power that the Heart bestowed upon Megatron, Soundwave joined his fellow Decepticons in over-energizing on energon, leaving him too inebriated to do much of anything.{{storylink|Microbots}}

[[Image:Masterplan2_disco_dolly.jpg|left|thumb|220px|All the ladies love Soundwave!]]

When Megatron framed the Autobots for energy theft and had them exiled from Earth, Soundwave took part in the Decepticons' pretense of being heroes. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Soundwave was quite popular among the humans: a young child was heard cheering for him by name, and when he and his cassettes attended a disco, he acquired many female admirers. After Megatron revealed his deception, however, Soundwave was made the slave-master of the work camp that [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] was turned into. Thankfully, the Autobots soon returned to Earth to clear their names and rout the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dotd1_sneakiest_soundwave.jpg‎|right|thumb|220px|He's ''good''.]]

In one of his most impressible displays of sneakitude, Soundwave was able to position himself, in tape player mode, ''inside'' Ironhide's vehicle mode, ''right next'' to [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]], and spy on the test run of the [[Ultra Plane]], with neither Autobot noticing until he deployed Ravage. While Blaster wrestled with Ravage, Soundwave escaped to report to Megatron, after which he and Starscream joined their leader in attacking the lab containing the blueprints for the plane. The Autobots saw them off, but during their flight away, the Decepticons' systems began to malfunction as a result of [[cybertonium]] degradation. Soundwave's cassettes began ejecting without his command, and his flight powers gave out, sending him crashing to the ground. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Once repaired with fresh cybertonium from Cybertron, Soundwave joined the Decepticons on a mission to [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]]. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}}

Soundwave was among the Decepticons who were granted invincible [[electrum]] coating by the "Golden Lagoon". With their new power, the Decepticons captured [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], but when Starscream attempted to have the two Autobots fight each other for the villains' amusement, Soundwave immediately ran off and tattled on him to Megatron. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:Child's_Play_Nitro_Soundwave.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Soundwave forever regretted wearing the novelty cat pheromone spray.]]

Following the Decepticons' alliance with the [[Geddis brothers]], {{storylink|Make Tracks}} Soundwave joined in the Decepticon attempt to create a space bridge in a baseball stadium, where he wickedly delighted in playing catch with one of the players (literally!). The Autobots soon arrived, and another brawl between Soundwave and Brawn erupted, ending when the small Autobot threw Soundwave into the space bridge. When a stray blast then activated the bridge, Soundwave and a small group of Autobots and Decepticons were inadvertently hurled to a world of alien giants. After being menaced by the huge cat [[Nitro]] and trapped in a toybox by Nitro's owner [[Aron (G1)|Aron]], Soundwave was taken with the other Transformers to the planet's authorities for study and dissection. Ravage succeeded in freeing them, and the Decepticons all escaped back to Earth through a mock space bridge Perceptor created out of a telescope. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Upon his return, Soundwave was caught up in the menace of the [[Morphobot]]s, {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} analyzed the energy of an alien asteroid, {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}} and helped operate the Decepticons' new [[energy magnet]]. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[Image:Autobop_soundwave_vs_blaster.jpg|right|220px|thumb|That's not sound, it's Darkseid popping up in the wrong multiverse.]]

After joining Megatron on a mission to the planet of the [[Tlalakan]]s, {{storylink|Sea Change}} Soundwave embarked on one of his most notable misadventures when, under the command of Starscream, he set about brainwashing humans with ultrasonic vibrations inside the Decepticon-built nightclub [[Dancitron]] in New York City. This led to his first major confrontation with his Autobot communications officer counterpart, Blaster, with whom he engaged in a sonic duel. Soundwave had the upper hand in the violent jam session, until Blaster used the club's sound system to magnify his own sonic attacks and win the fight. {{storylink|Auto-Bop}}

When the Decepticons captured [[Hybrid Technologies]] heiress [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]], Soundwave tried to use the [[psycho-probe]] to read her mind, but her innate ability to jinx machines made it a challenge, and eventually led to Soundwave and Rumble being electrocuted. When [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] subsequently caused the Decepticons' new sub-orbital base to crash, it fell to Soundwave to inform Megatron that the base didn't have any forcefields. Whoops! {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:Ktvs2 see you next fall.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Doesn't have the heart to tell Megatron it's just chocolate wrapped in gold foil.]]

On a mission to recover some incriminating footage taken by a movie studio of their activities, Soundwave showed up Starscream by pointing out that while the air commander had recovered the film reel, he had not destroyed the negative. Soundwave then helped Megatron track the negative down, but they were tricked into thinking it was destroyed by [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}} Soon after, Soundwave accompanied Megatron to Cybertron to give life to his new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], helping him locate the [[Key to Vector Sigma|key]] to [[Vector Sigma]] and unlocking the door to the mega-computer's chamber. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} Upon their return to Earth with the now-living Stuncticons, Soundwave aided Megatron in analyzing the key to discover what other powers it possessed. By happenstance, its power to de-energize matter and turn it into metal was only discovered when Soundwave tripped and dropped it. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:TransEuropeExpress Galata Valley.jpg|right|thumb|220px|"Soundwave, why always rings? I demand a parallelogram or two!"]]

Soundwave soon returned to Cybertron to take part in Megatron's plan to trap the newest addition to the Autobot ranks, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s, in the distant past, {{storylink|War Dawn}} then went back to Earth and used his scanning powers to help Megatron locate the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]]. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}} Soundwave later had Laserbeak monitor the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] infection spreading through the Autobot ranks, {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}, and had the cassette remove Starscream from Decepticon Headquarters after Megatron finally banished the perennial traitor from the Decepticon ranks. When Starscream returned with his own army, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], Soundwave was almost able to shoot the traitor in the back until [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] caused his shot to go wild. Soundwave tried to summon the Stunticons to help, and while they initially rebuffed him, they eventually arrived to tip the scales in Megatron's favor. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

Suspecting the Autobots had tampered with Megatron's new ruby laser cannon, Soundwave advised his leader to abandon the weapon, but Megatron was caught up in a battle-frenzy and ignored him. Predictably, the weapon promptly exploded. {{storylink|Masquerade}} For his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Soundwave invented a device to control the flow of Earth's tides. Before the Decepticons could use it, however, it was necessary to blast the moon out of orbit to remove its controlling influence, so they developed an [[orbit disruptor cannon]] to do the job. Unfortunately, the cannon would only be operated by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], and all the Combaticons save Swindle had been destroyed, so Soundwave installed a bomb in Swindle's head to give him the incentive to gather up their parts and rebuild them. Bruticus was restored, and Soundwave participated in the Decepticon attack upon Autobot Headquarters that served as a test run for the disruptor cannon, but the complex plot was foiled when three college students used [[B.O.T. (robot)|makeshift robot]] to destroy the cannon. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Tftm_dont_leave_me_soundwave.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Do you think I'd leave you dying, when there's room on my horse for two?]]

Over the course of the following twenty years, the Decepticons withdrew from Earth and focused all their efforts on conquering Cybertron entirely. By the year 2005, they had accomplished this goal, and the Autobots were consigned to their new "[[Autobot City]]" on Earth, and to bases on two of Cybertron's moon. Thanks to Laserbeak and Soundwave, Megatron learned of an upcoming Autobot strike against Cybertron, and resolved to cripple their war effort by destroying Autobot City. During [[Battle of Autobot City|the subsequent battle]], Soundwave was instructed to jam a distress call to Optimus Prime from Blaster, so he sent Ravage, Rumble, Frenzy and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to dismantle the communications array being used to broadcast it. Blaster's own team of cassettes fended Soundwave's off, and the call made it through, summoning Optimus Prime and a support team to aid the stricken city. A fateful final battle between Prime and Megatron ensued, which ended with Prime's dead and Megatron mortally wounded. As the other Decepticons beat a hasty retreat, Soundwave demonstrated his loyalty to his leader by recovering his damaged body and carrying him aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but when it became necessary to jettison excess weight so that the Decepticons could safely make it back to Cybertron, Soundwave made no move to stop Starscream from setting Megatron adrift in space. In fact, with Megatron gone, Soundwave himself made a bid for leadership, declaring himself a superior choice to the Constructicons and deploying his cassettes to fight for his honor. Starscream ultimately emerged victorious in the fight for leadership, but during his coronation ceremony, Megatron returned, having been recreated by the giant transforming god-planet [[Unicron]] into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]. Galvatron promptly killed Starscream, and Soundwave started cheering for his returned leader.

[[Image:Ffod1_cons_on_chaar.jpg|right|thumb|220px|"I used to have [[Cyclonus (G1)|that guy's]] job ya know". "Suuure, gramps, suuuuure".]]

Galvatron's leadership did not get off to a great start, however: Unicron soon attacked Cybertron, and while he was destroyed by the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]], Galvatron was lost to the depths of space, and the leaderless Decepticons, in a state of disarray after Unicron's attack, were easily routed and forced off Cybertron by the Autobots and their new leader, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}} Low on energy, Soundwave and the other Decepticons were forced to relocate to the burned-out planet [[Chaar]], where they eked out a miserable existence on the brink of death. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} When Rodimus Prime and Grimlock came to Chaar to investigate a mysterious attack on the [[Galactic Olympics]], Soundwave and the Decepticons attacked them, {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} and were then later approached by the true instigators of the Olympics attack, the alien [[Quintesson]]s, with the prospect of an alliance. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Under the Quintessons' instructions, Soundwave and the other Decepticons launched an attack on the Autobots on the planet [[Goo 8739B]], during which Galvatron returned, having been found by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} With Galvatron back in charge, Soundwave was amongst the Decepticons who were sent to Earth to try and stop [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s [[Transformation cog|transforming cog]] from being delivered. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[Image:Cminor soundwave white noise.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Disco! Disco!]]

In 2006, Soundwave went with Galvatron, Cyclonus, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep]]s to search for [[isidrite]] in an asteroid belt. Soundwave dispatched Ratbat to search for the mineral, only for the cassette to discover that the Autobots were already mining it. {{storylink|Webworld}} Soon after, Soundwave accompanied Galvatron to the planet [[Eurythma]] to investigate a mysterious sonic weapon. They discovered that sound and music were the way of life on the planet, and Soundwave was entranced by the planet's perfect melodies, specifically the destructive [[harmony]] weapon, which was shared by three Eurythmans. One by one, Soundwave coerced from them each piece of the harmony, recording and combing them with the intention of turning the musical maelstrom upon Autobot City. He was defeated, however, when the Eurythmans countered the harmony with [[anti-sound]], and Blaster erased his recordings. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

Soundwave was among those transfixed by a hypnotic Quintesson signal {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}, then later aided in the Decepticon conquest of the peaceful planet [[Paradron]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}} Later still, during a battle on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]], Soundwave was shocked when his ejection system activated on its own, releasing Ravage, Ratbat, [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]], who departed with all the other "[[Primitive]]" Transformers present to follow a mysterious [[Oracle (G1)|voice]]. Mere moments later, the threat these Primitives had been summoned to fight, [[Tornedron]], arrived on the moon and drained the energy from all the Transformers present, Soundwave included. Thankfully, the Primitives succeeded in defeating Tornedron and restoring everyone's energy. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

For his final appearance, Soundwave was seen playing back the latest piece of information gathered by Ratbat: two human scientists had discovered the body of Optimus Prime, which Galvatron resolved to destroy once and for all. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

==Madman ''The Transformers'' comic==
[[Image:Madman comic Soundwave ejects tapes.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He's a good guy. Animals like him.]]
In 2001, Soundwave and his squad of cassettes were deployed to the construction site of [[Autobot City]] while the balance of the Autobot forces were engaged in an evacuation of Cybertron. He managed to record a secret conversation between Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] where the Autobot leaders discussed hiding the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] in a bunker at the build site, against the chance Prime would be captured or destroyed while off-world. Soundwave returned to the not-so-secret bunker and deployed his minions to dig up the Matrix. Just as the artifact had been secured and Soundwave was about to call for retrieval, the young Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] took the Matrix and defeated Soundwave's team. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of American cartoon continuity, as detailed above, occur in the Japanese timeline, except the events of 2006 are pushed back to 2010. The Japanese continuity proceeds to insert many new storylines and events in, around, before and after the events of the Generation 1 cartoon, as covered below.}}

===e-HOBBY comics===
Early during Megatron's attempted conquest of Cybertron, Soundwave was among his troops of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s and [[Silver Soldier]]s, raiding Autobot energy warehouses. Their attack was cut short by the unexpected arrival of a [[Guardian robot]], who quickly trounced everybody. {{storylink|64 Cybertron Urban Defense Robot GADEP}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic===
[[Image:Soundwave srlf manga.jpg|left|180px|thumb|It's like if Power Rangers had really cheap zords.]]

In the late 1980s, while Megatron and the Decepticons engaged the Autobots in battle in Arizona, Soundwave and his cassettes were dispatched to do something unspecified (but likely ''evil'') in [[Tokyo]]. Optimus Prime dispatched a unit of Autobots led by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and [[Kenji]] to track them down. He was ultimately defeated when Bumblebee got the drop on him with a patented "Bumble-Kick" and shattered his chest. This made it impossible for his cassette forces to return to him, leaving them to be captured as well. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}} When he next appeared, Soundwave hadn't quite got over his injuries, and was seen with bandages stuck to his chest-window. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3}}

===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages===
When Soundwave learned that the Autobots were keeping themselves in shape by having a friendly race, he set up a trap within a narrow canyon, walling the Autobots in and opening fire on them. Luckily, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] arrived on the scene and delivered a powerful punch to Soundwave's chest, shattering his tape door once again. Soundwave immediately fled. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Anime Theater 2: Sic' Em, Hound!}}

Blaster battled Soundwave in what seemed to be the foothills of the Alps, while Perceptor kept the Decepticon communicator's cassettes busy. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story page #5}}
{{-}}

===''Scramble City''===
[[Image:Soundwave_scramblecity.jpg|right|thumb|220px|"Soundwave...you do know there are laws against exposing yourself, right?"]]
Before the 1980s were over, the Decepticons detected some unusual magnetic field fluctuations, and Megatron ordered Soundwave to send Ratbat, Laserbeak and Ravage to investigate. The cassettes discovered a hidden cavern where the Autobots were constructing a mighty battle fortress named "[[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]]", and Soundwave promptly took this information to Megatron. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}
{{-}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power!===

[[Image:Fullthrottle_tape_fight.jpg|left|thumb]]
Soundwave was present when the Decepticons terrorized the Earth with their new "[[Omega Whip]]" cannon and captured the Autobots' human allies [[Toru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]]. When the two humans tried to escape, Soundwave released Ravage to stop them, but Blaster then appeared to dispatch the cassette. Blaster and Soundwave proceeded to grapple as more Autobots arrived and the battle grew bigger and bigger, and when Metroplex arrived, he actually collided with Soundwave and knocked the Decepticon for a loop. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}
===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===

[[Image:Soundwave stargate battles.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Fear his [[Mickey Mouse]] ears.]]

In the 1990s, continued Autobot/human interaction led to a formal alliance being forged between the heroic robots and the American government and the construction of an interstellar teleport system called the [[Trigger]]. Naturally, the Trigger space station was a prime target for the Decepticons, and Soundwave was instrumental in taking over the device, as he hacked into its systems and placed it under Decepticon control. Unfortunately for the Decepticons, the sole surviving member of the Trigger's crew, [[Makoto (Star Gate)|Makoto]], activated the system and blasted them into space before they could take control of it, and the Autobots soon arrived to send the Decepticons packing.{{storylink|First Contact}}

[[Image:Stargatebattles_soundwave_and_megs.jpg|left|thumb|275px|"You ever feel the magic has gone out of our relationship?" "Shut up, Soundwave".]]

Three months later, while the Trigger was still undergoing repairs after the damage the previous battle had caused, Soundwave patched through a transmission from Laserbeak, who was spying on a test run of the new human-built [[C-X]] battle droid. When the droid ran amok during the test and tried to kill Optimus Prime, the amused Megatron thought Soundwave was responsible for hacking the robot's systems, but Soundwave denied it. {{storylink|Divided Views}} In truth, the drone had been possessed by the time-displaced ghost of Starscream from the future, and he was not yet through making mischief in the past. Starscream's ghost teamed up with his present day counterpart, and together, the two Starscreams took control of the repaired Trigger and possessed it, transforming it into a giant, twisted robot form. Soundwave was among the massive armada of Decepticons and Autobots who battled the giant Starscream-thing, which was ultimately defeated when Prime and Megatron combined their power to destroy the traitor's new body. Soundwave and all the other Transformers were caught in the backwash of the explosion and sent tumbling towards Earth in uncontrolled re-entry, not to be heard from again for many months. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}
{{-}}

===''Music Label''===

In 2007, Soundwave created a series of diminutive clones of himself, disguised as portable MP3 players, and disseminated them among the populace of Earth as part of a plan to brainwash the youth of the world with hypnotic music.

{{note|While the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|2007 Takara timeline]] placed the events of the ''[[Transformers Music Label]]'' storyline in the Generation 1 cartoon continuity, this is not without confusion. According to the ''Music Label'' story, Soundwave was foiled in this plan by Optimus Prime, who added a pair of speakers to his trailer that broadcast a frequency to stop the Decepticon's brainwashing. As Prime was ''dead'' at this point in the timeline, this can't have been how things went down in this version of events. However, given the way the timeline is unhelpfully laid out, it's not impossible that this adventure may take place not in the mainstream timeline, but in the branched-off parallel dimension of the ''Binaltech'' storyline, where Optimus did not die.}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Issei Masamune]] (Japanese), [[Guillermo Romano]] (Latin American)

[[Image:MysteryPlanetMaster BlasterVsSoundwave.jpg|right|220px|thumb|"Stop! I'm unarmed!"]]
The Decepticons went off the radar for the year that followed Optimus Prime's resurrection, but in 2011, they returned in full force. When Vector Sigma began to destabilize as a consequence of Optimus Prime releasing the energy of the Matrix, Galvatron led the Decepticons' newest troops, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], in an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to secure the computer and restore a Decepticon power balance to the planet. To prevent Autobot reinforcements from Earth reaching Cybertron, Soundwave and a legion of other Decepticons under the command of the faction's new Earth commander, [[Sixshot]], kept the Autobots on the planet busy in a large battle. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} In an attempt to learn the Autobots' plan of action, Soundwave and his cassettes infiltrated Autobot City, and although they were discovered by Blaster and his own cassettes, they were able to escape with the knowledge that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, and that the Autobots were preparing to search for it. Blaster and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] subsequently embarked on a search mission to the [[Arctic]], where Soundwave and his cassettes attacked them. Blaster covered Hot Rod's escape, and he and Soundwave engaged in a one-on-one battle, with shattered chests and severed limbs aplenty. It momentarily appeared that Soundwave had won the battle when Blaster collapsed, but seconds later, the fatal damage Blaster had inflicted upon him made itself apparent, as Soundwave's body exploded. His cassettes scooped up as much of his remains as they could and beat a retreat, but Soundwave was triumphant in death, as Blaster too died seconds later. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

[[Image:ReturnImmortal Emperor Soundblaster.jpg|left|220px|thumb|He's gone black. Will he go back?]]

Soundwave's remains were brought back to Chaar by his cassettes, where the Decepticon Headmaster leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] was able to use the super-science of planet [[Master (planet)|Master]] to restore him to life. Reborn in a new black body, Soundwave was rechristened '''Soundblaster''', and following a reunion with his delighted cassettes, immediately went straight back to working for the Decepticon cause. Soundblaster was, in fact, instrumental to the Decepticons' newest plan, as he used his broadcasting powers to send signals from a sonic control device implanted in his chest to direct the actions of the villains' newest weapon, the [[Madmachine]], in another attack on Cybertron. As coincidence would have it, Autobot Headmaster leader [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] had also used the science of Master to restore Blaster to life as "Twincast", and the two rivals clashed for the first time in their new lives when the Autobot destroyed Soundblaster's sonic control and foiled the Decepticons' plot. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Soundblaster was among the Decepticons who invaded and enslaved the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]]. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} Later, he dispatched Ratbat to spy on the Autobots and learn more about a mysterious blackmailer holding six countries to ransom, reporting his findings to Cyclonus and Scourge. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}} Later still, Soundblaster and his cassette force were able to infiltrate Cybertron's lowest levels and spy on Vector Sigma, discovering that the mega-computer had developed a powerful new alloy named [[cybertonuron]]. Acting on Soundblaster's information, Galvatron staged a massive attack on Cybertron, {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} but Scorponok plotted treachery, planting a bomb in Vector Sigma's chamber in order to destroy the alloy, rather than let Galvatron gain its power. When Galvatron discovered this, Soundblaster attempted to stop him from going to Vector Sigma's chamber, but Galvatron ignored him, and paid for his hubris when the bomb detonated in his face, destroying the cybertonuron and reducing Cybertron to a burnt out husk. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[Image:Hm11 reporting to scorponok.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Will the undead please stand up?]]

With Galvatron having disappeared in the destruction of Cybertron, Soundblaster met with the other senior Decepticons to discuss what should be done next. During their meeting, the shadowed figure of Galvatron appeared in the room, but Soundblaster quickly analyzed the newcomer's voice pattern, and realized it was not Galvatron, but Scorponok engaging in a bout of gallows humor. Shedding his disguise, Scorponok claimed that Galvatron was still alive, and that while he could not reveal where he was, he had commanded Scorponok to lead in his absence. None of the Decepticons were entirely convinced (in truth, it was a bold-faced lie), but Soundblaster, in need of a leader to follow, chose to accept it as truth, and followed Scorponok's command to send Ratbat to spy on the Autobot/human launch of the [[Sol 1]] satellite. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Soon after, when Scorponok began scheming to keep the Autobots occupied on Earth with various threads, Soundblaster and his cassettes kept an eye on the Autobots' movements and were able to inform their leader that his plans were working. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}{{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[Image:Hm14 soundblaster triggers bombs.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Hey diddle diddle, what's there in the middle?]]

Following Scorponok's instructions, Soundwave directed the planting of [[plasma energy]] bombs beneath the surface of [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], in order to destroy the planet and harvest even more of the energy. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} At Scorponok's command, Soundblaster then recalled all available Decepticons to Chaar, where they all witnessed their leader's dramatic unveiling of his gigantic new Transtector. With this powerful new body, Scorponok kept the Autobots occupied while Soundblaster himself pressed the fateful button that detonated the plasma bombs and destroyed Mars. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Soundblaster and his cassettes did not take kindly to the arrival of Scorponok's new intelligence officer, [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]], who irked Soundblaster with his remarkable ability to dig up information that Soundblaster couldn't. Of course, Soundblaster had no idea that Counterpunch was able to do this because he was really the Autobot spy, Punch, and so he and his cassettes set out to prove themselves by going to Earth to see what Autobots secrets they could unearth. Unable to find any information, Soundblaster was moping around the Decepticon Earth base when a story suddenly dropped itself right into his lap: a glowing UFO descended from the sky and abducted Sixshot right before his eyes! Soundblaster attempted to report his findings to Scorponok during a battle with the Autobots on Earth's moon, but there and then, the UFO reappeared, and its owner was revealed to be Galvatron, who had survived his appeared destruction and retook leadership of the Decepticons. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

[[Image:Hm23_soundblaster_draws.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Sound doesn't travel in space, moron.]]

Soundblaster and the Decepticon Headmasters were manning the scanners at the Decepticon base on Chaar when the [[Horrorcon]]s arrived to join up with Galvatron's forces. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Soon after, Soundblaster joined the Decepticons on a series of interplanetary energy raids, helping to scan the spaceways and communications channels to keep his leader appraised of Autobot and alien activity as they went from planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]] {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} to [[Twin Star]] {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} to [[Daros]]. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The Decepticons' quest eventually brought them to [[Pirate Planet]], where they were stymied in their pursuit of the planet's fabled energy by their inability to enter the pyramid that held it. Soundblaster observed [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] departing for the field of debris near the planet, and, suspecting they knew something he didn't, followed them. Soundblaster proceeded to ambush the two heroes and demand they share their information, but Daniel was able to get the drop on the Decepticon with his video game light gun, which Highbrow had amped up into a real weapon. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

When the Decepticons returned to Earth, Sixshot proceeded to lead a series of major attacks upon the Autobot forces. Soundblaster reported to Galvatron on the departure of Fortress Maximus from Athenia, and suggested sending Scorponok to keep him busy. Galvatron was wary, knowing Scorponok had his own agenda, but Soundblaster vowed to follow him and keep an eye on him, and Galvatron agreed. However, Soundblaster was surprisingly lax in his duty, as Scorponok didn't bother engaging Fortress, and Soundblaster didn't report this at all! {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}}

[[Image:Hm30_soundblaster_in_hiding.jpg||left|thumb|220px|Grand Cybertron Hide N'Seek Champion, 7 million years running.]]

Following Galvatron's death at the hands of the Headmasters and Scorponok's subsequent re-assumption of Decepticon leadership, Soundblaster was among the Decepticons who travelled with his new leader to the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}} When the Autobots followed them there, Soundblaster boldly infiltrated their spaceship, the ''Maximus'', and spied on them with Ratbat. When he was discovered, however, he leapt overboard and flew back to the surface of Master, inadvertently leading the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s to the Decepticons' hidden subterranean base. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Soundblaster was able to repay them in kind after a later battle, though, when he stealthily followed the retreating Targetmasters and discovered that the Autobots had started working with the young warriors of Master. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

After Scorponok successfully completed construction of his new [[Zarak Shield]] weapon, the Decepticons headed back to Earth, but as they were passing through the asteroid belt, Soundblaster noticed a malfunction in their propulsion system that required them to set down for repairs. While they were resting there, Soundblaster detected the approach of an object, which turned out to be Sixshot, who had become separated from the Decepticons on an earlier leg of their journey. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

Finally, once the Decepticons returned to Earth, Scorponok began raising "[[Death Tower]]s" of [[crysmagnetal]] at strategic points around the Earth, intending to use them to tear the planet apart. While on patrol in the Alps, Soundblaster observed the passage of the Autobots' battleship, and radioed the Decepticons in Egypt to let them know of their enemies' approach. Subsequently, with all the Death Towers in place, Soundblaster participated in the climactic battle between the Autobot and Decepticons armies at the South Pole, which ended when Fortress Maximus destroyed Scorponok's Transtector and saved the planet. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===''The Headmasters'' comic===
[[Image:Hm manga8 master chrome hurricane.jpg|right|thumb|220px]]
After their defeat at the North Pole, the Decepticons were preparing to retreat from Earth entirely when Scorponok instructed Soundblaster to remain on the planet in secret to act as a spy for the Decepticons. Soundblaster proved that he wasn't up to the challenge by making his presence and intentions known almost instantly when he kicked [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] square in the face and took the [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Witwicky]] family hostage. [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] was left powerless to do anything but surrender, as [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] brutalized [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and threatened [[Carly]]. Daniel finally snapped and beat the living crap out of the two Cassette dinosaurs, leaving Soundblaster open to Chromedome's poorly named "Master-Chrome Hurricane Throw to the End of Hell!" Chromedome chucked Soundblaster over the horizon, and when he recovered from his fall, he found Sixshot staring down at him. Demanding to know what Sixshot wanted, Soundblaster was informed that the six-changer was no longer affiliated with the Decepticons, and wanted to travel from planet to planet, learning new transformations. One day, Sixshot told him, he wanted to learn how to transform into a human! Soundblaster was left absolutely dumbfounded by this, unable to even compute such a concept, and wagering it would be a few million years before he could. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8}}
{{--}}
===''Super-God Masterforce'' comic===

Years later, the image of Soundwave was among the holograms of older Decepticons projected by [[King Poseidon]] to deceive and confuse the Autobots under [[Ginrai]]'s command. {{storylink|Burn, Super Soul! The New Commander Super Ginrai!}}

==''Wings Universe''==
When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] captured [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s base, Soundwave was by his side. After defeating Deathsaurus in single combat, Megatron ordered Soundwave to check the computers for information on [[Combiner]] technology, and sent [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] with him. A week later, Soundwave was part of the Decepticon forces who entered [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] after [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] breached the city walls. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}} He was still by Megatron's side when Devastator fell, and took part in the subsequent retreat. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

==Notes==
[[Image:SoundwaveButtonUD3.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"When I think about you, I touch myself."]]

* The G1 cartoon almost always depicted him as having to press all his own controls to eject minions or perform other functions even though these are actually part of him. This has led to many a shot of Soundwave pressing his own crotch. What will the children think?
* According to the original script<ref>http://boltax.blogspot.com/2011/02/ron-friedman-auctions-scripts-part-3-of.html</ref> for [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]], "Sound Wave" transformed into "a LIGHT STANDARD - identical to the one that exists a short distance away, the perfect camouflage". So... yes, he really ''did'' turn into a lamppost on Cybertron.
* Soundwave's distinctive voice proved to be one of Generation 1's most memorable aspects. The [[Wikipedia:Vocoder|highly processed voice]] (processed by [[Scott Brownlee]]) began with [[Frank Welker]] basically doing his "Dr. Claw" voice from ''[[Wikipedia:Inspector Gadget|Inspector Gadget]]''. Whether due to variations in the performance or the processing, the final result varied quite a bit across Soundwave's three seasons on the show. Occasionally, as in the episodes "[[Roll for It]]" and "[[Webworld]]", the processing was left out and Welker's actual voice can be heard. This Dr. Claw version of Soundwave's voice made a return when Welker reprised the [[Soundwave (ROTF)|role]] for ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' as the processing was, again, left out.
* Similarly, he often emphasizes words at random, such as his well-known "RavAAAAAGE", or "LAAZABEEK". This may be a side effect of the voice doctoring in the cartoon.
*In the Mandarin dub from China, Soundwave had a glorious, operatic voice.
[[Image:Soundwave fly.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Hey, wait for me!"]]
* The typically emotionally-barren Soundwave actually ''laughs'' on two separate occasions in the Generation 1 cartoon ("[[Quest for Survival]]" and "[[Auto-Bop]]"), while he is heard screaming only once ("[[Roll for It]]").
* Soundwave has flown in his [[alternate mode|alt mode]] one time, in the episode "[[Masquerade]]." In [[Atlus]]'s ''[[The Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' game, Soundwave can transform to tape deck mode and kind of bounces around to move in that form. No, really.
* In the Japanese dub of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''Generation 1'' cartoon]], as well as the supporting [[manga]], all of Soundwave's cassette forces which could talk referred to him as "Anikii" (兄貴い) or "Big Brother." This is a fairly common way to refer to others you admire and such in Japanese. It's also a term that gang members use toward older, more experienced members who aren't actual gang bosses. Take it as you will. Whatever it says about his relationship with them, it does give new meaning to the phrase "[[Wikipedia:Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)|Big Brother is watching over you]]".

{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Music Label]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]

Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

2013-02-01T16:48:10Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Transformers cartoon */ a sign was added to the picture

{{suite}}
[[Image:BumblebeelovesNY.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
He's [[Kid-appeal character|kid-friendly]] with a capital B!

{{TOCclear}}
==''The Transformers'' cartoon==
{{voiceactor|[[Dan Gilvezan]] (English), [[Yoku Shioya]] (Japanese)|[[Eiji Yanagisawa]] (Japanese, "The Rebirth") [[Sandro Sardone]] (Italian, first dub), [[Francis Lax]] (French), [[Paulo Pinheiro]] (Brazil), [[Germano Basile]] (Italian, second dub), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German), [[Ulf-Jürgen Wagner]] (German, Generation 2 Season 1), [[Christian Weygand]] (German, Generation 2 Season 2)}}

[[Image:Bumblebee-CyberToon.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Bumblebee's Cybertronian form could give [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] a run for his money.]]
Four million years ago on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Bumblebee was part of the Autobot army, stationed out of the city-state of Iacon. The war effort was marked by dwindling energy resources on both sides, and the Autobots routinely sent out patrols to search for untapped sources of energy. On one such mission, Bumblebee and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] managed to scrounge up some [[conductor|energy conductors]], but not even enough to last a quartrex. Bumblebee's sunny disposition kept Wheeljack from getting too maudlin about their long-term survival, and the duo began rolling back to Iacon. They were interrupted by a group of Seekers and got into a firefight that turned literal when one Decepticon fired a ring of flame around their position. Wheeljack managed to blow a path through the opposition, but Bumblebee caught some stray fire in his rear axle and had to pull inside Wheeljack before he spun completely out of control. Still, they managed to reach the underground tunnels in time, which deterred their pursuers from following any further.

Despite Bumblebee and Wheeljack's success in procuring more energy for the Autobots, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] determined that it was time to take the Autobots' search to other planets. Bumblebee was among the Autobots who boarded the [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]] for this mission, but it was attacked in mid-flight by the Decepticons and crash-landed on prehistoric [[Earth]]. All the Transformers aboard were knocked offline by the crash and lay dormant until 1984, when the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]], was jarred back to life as the volcano into which the ship had crashed erupted. Bumblebee was rebuilt to transform into a Volkswagen Beetle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} After befriending the humans [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and his father [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] following a Decepticon attack on an oil rig, Bumblebee was part of the team of Autobots sent to stop [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons from overpowering [[Sherman Dam]]. Bumblebee helped Ironhide carve out a new riverbed for the raging waters, saving a nearby neighborhood from being flooded. Such acts were some of the earliest that helped endear the Autobots to the humans.

[[Image:MTMTE3 Bumblebee labcoat.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The first attempts at "Robots in Disguise" were halfhearted, at best.]]
On their next mission, which was to the [[ruby crystal mines of Burma]], Bumblebee and Sparkplug volunteered to sneak inside and plant Wheeljack's explosive device. On their way out after setting the explosive, they were stumbled upon by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and so were still inside when the explosive went off. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} The pair fortunately survived the explosion and were retrieved from the rubble by the other Autobots. Bumblebee would later take part in a ploy to try and trick the Decepticons with a fake rocket base, dressing up in an oversized lab coat to pose as a human scientist. This was less than successful, and he and the other Autobots were forced to try and stop the Decepticons from taking off in their [[Victory (G1)|space cruiser]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:TransporttoOblivion Bumblebee rescues Spike.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
During the Decepticon development of their [[space bridge]] program, Bumblebee and Spike were spying on the enemy for Optimus Prime. They accidentally tumbled into the ravine where Megatron was launching his test flights for the bridge, and they were almost forced to act as test pilots before the window of operation closed. The two heroes briefly escaped but were recaptured, and Megatron altered a bank of Bumblebee's memory circuits to lure the Autobots into a trap. Bumblebee was injured during the Decepticon ambush, giving Ratchet a chance to examine his circuits and discover the altered portion of his memory. Bumblebee recovered in time to alert the Autobots to the true location of the space bridge and rescue Spike before he was sent on a one-way trip to Cybertron. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

Having bonded after their adventure with the space bridge, Bumblebee and Spike were virtually inseparable for the next 20-odd years. Bumblebee escorted Spike and his boy-genius friend [[Chip Chase]] to the laboratory where Chip was assisting [[Alcazar|Doctor Alcazar]] in developing his antimatter formula. On their way back, they were attacked by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], alerting them to the fact that the Decepticons were after the antimatter formula on which Chip had been working. After Chip was captured by the Decepticons, Bumblebee and Spike mounted a rescue with the help of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

After Optimus Prime was dramatically injured by an explosion, Bumblebee volunteered with [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] to take the Decepticon space bridge to Cybertron to retrieve a new [[cosmitron]]. Though they gained entrance to [[Wheeljack's workshop]] with Chip's help and retrieved the required component, the group was debilitated by the [[Rainmaker]]s' acid rain. After a pep talk from Chip, they were able to return to Earth through the space bridge, and Bumblebee rushed the cosmitron back to headquarters. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:FireInTheSky Bumblebee in cave.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
A freak snowfall saw the Autobots enjoying a snowball fight, and Bumblebee managed to take out a whole group when a snowball he threw ended up growing to a huge size. Investigations of what was causing the freak weather took the Autobots to the Arctic Circle, where Spike and Sparkplug were captured by a new Decepticon, [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]]. Bumblebee was part of the team who rescued the pair, and he caused a cave-in to prevent [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] from following them during their escape. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

When the newly built [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] ran amok in headquarters, Bumblebee tried unsuccessfully to prevent [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] from wrecking [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. Subsequently, an attack on the [[Great Falls]] went unreported until Hound detected it, and Bumblebee was left back at base while the rest of the Autobots went to investigate. Luckily, he disobeyed Prime's orders and was able to pick up Spike after Megatron managed to defeat Optimus's group. Back at HQ, Wheeljack decided to reactivate the Dinobots, despite Bumblebee's protests. As it happened, the plan worked, and by the time Bumblebee, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and Spike arrived at the falls, the Decepticons had already been defeated. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[Image:FireOnTheMountain Bumblebee fights Ravage.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Biting the arm that feeds him.]]
Bumblebee was part of the team of Autobots who flew to [[Peru]] in the reactivated Skyfire to investigate Decepticon activity, helping Spike to rescue a native girl named [[Luisa]] during a pitched battle. The trio were able to locate Skyfire, who'd been captured by the Decepticons, and Bumblebee wrestled with Ravage while Spike struggled to reactivate the fallen warrior. After the expected defeat of the Decepticons, Luisa suggested they could introduce Bumblebee to her brother's convertible. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

Bumblebee was present at Autobot Headquarters when Sparkplug was kidnapped by Laserbeak, but was unable to stop the Decepticon. He later tried to comfort Spike and took part in a diversionary attack on the Decepticon base while a team broke Sparkplug out. They were all taken by surprise when Sparkplug subsequently let the Decepticons into HQ and went with them when they retreated, unaware he was under the influence of [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s [[hypno-chip]]. The Autobots attempted unsuccessfully to prevent Megatron's latest plan, and Cybertron was brought into close proximity to Earth. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} During the retreat through harsh conditions, Bumblebee was hampered by a flat tire, which Spike soon changed. The pair were caught in an earthquake before they could get underway, and with Spike snatched by Laserbeak, Bumblebee tumbled into an opening chasm. He was later fished out by [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], after Spike had been rescued and alerted the other Autobots to 'Bee's predicament.

[[Image:Ultimate Doom 3 Bumblebee Tarzan.JPG|thumb|right|200px|If George Lucas produced the ''Transformers'' movie instead of Spielberg, we would've had this scene.]]
Back at HQ, Bumblebee volunteered to be part of an expedition to Cybertron to try to save Sparkplug. There they learned about the hypno-chips, but were discovered by Sparkplug, who raised the alarm. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} The group escaped to Wheeljack's shop. There Wheeljack created a counter-device for the hypno-chips, subsequently allowing them to rescue Sparkplug and take him back to Earth. During the inevitable battle, Bumblebee employed a Tarzan technique to avoid [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]'s pile drivers. He was disappointed when the wave created by Megatron's exploding spaceship dissipated before he could try out his boogie board. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

[[Image:PlagueOfInsecticons Bumblebee and Spike hide.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Do they really think that nobody sees them?]]
During the aftermath of the chaos Cybertron had wreaked, Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots were caught up in foiling [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s plan to destroy Earth using an [[Exponential Generator|exponential generator]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} Bumblebee, Windcharger and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] traveled on Skyfire to [[Bali]] to investigate reports of giant, mechanical insects and found themselves tangling with the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Once the rest of the Autobots caught up, the Insecticons and Decepticons retreated to a nearby oil refinery, pursued by the Autobot forces. When [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] unleashed his ability to control lightning, Spike suggested Bumblebee transform to vehicle mode, as his rubber tires would insulate him from the lightning bolts. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

During one Decepticon plot, Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to a one-on-one contest, and all of the Autobots were on hand to cheer him on. Though Optimus lost, it turned out that Megatron had cheated, so the Autobots were free to blast the Decepticons into an open crevasse full of lava. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

Bumblebee and Spike were on hand to watch the activation of Sparkplug's experiment, [[Autobot X]], and its total failure. When the pair were subsequently injured during a Decepticon attack on a rocket base, Spike's life-threatening injuries resulted in another experiment: transferring his mind into Autobot X. The process damaged Spike's psyche, and the boy fled headquarters. Bumblebee forwent further repairs on himself to go looking for Spike, and he found him... being conned by Megatron into joining the Decepticons. The diminutive Autobot sped back to find Optimus Prime, and the Autobots were able to talk Spike around. His mind was subsequently returned to his regular body. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}}

[[Image:ChangingGears Gears Bee acrobatics.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Acrobots, Unite!]]
While the Autobots were gathering for another mission, Bumblebee teased [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] about the latter's grumpy demeanor. Despite this, when Gears was captured by the Decepticons, Bumblebee was as concerned as anyone for the Autobot's safety. Certain subtle clues led the Autobots to a Decepticon installation in [[Africa]], where they attempted to stop Megatron from destabilizing the sun. Bumblebee saved Gears's life during the battle by ramming Starscream from behind, and he ended up struggling with Ravage. When everything was wrapped up, Bumblebee and the others were keen to keep Gears's less abrasive personality, but Gears's wishes prevailed. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

[[Image:BumblebeelovesNY.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Investigating reports that the Decepticons had made the [[Empire State Building]] disappear, Bumblebee was part of the contingent of Autobots who went to the city. He carried Spike on his shoulders as he, Mirage, Hound and Ratchet ventured into New York's scenic sewer system and were pursued by an [[alligatorcon]]. As it turned out, the creature was build from Optimus Prime's parts, as the Decepticons had captured and disassembled him. After fighting [[battle taxi]]s, Bumblebee and Spike broke into the Decepticon control center and tricked Megatron into destroying the control device for Optimus Prime's arm, which had been attached to the top of a tower as a gun emplacement. Later, Bumblebee was seen sporting an "I &hearts; NY" license plate. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

A new Decepticon plan involved turning the Autobots evil by installing a [[personality destabilizer device]] in the Autobot [[recharging chamber]]. Luckily for Bumblebee, he was out messing around with [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]], Spike and Sparkplug, and so was spared the treatment. When he returned to base, Bluestreak tried to force him into the recharging chamber, but Jazz intervened in time. While Sparkplug worked on a solution, Bumblebee tried to reason with the evilified Optimus Prime, only to be batted aside. Fortunately, Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s worked, and Bumblebee himself was able to bring Optimus back from the dark side, earning himself a hug. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

[[Image:Arcade Hahaha.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Spike and Bumblebee volunteered to go into town to get a new [[polarizer]] for Wheeljack's latest experiment, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. While stopping off in a [[Robots Video Arcade|video arcade]], they encountered [[Carly]], who expressed her interest in the Autobot. Continuing on, they were attacked by Ravage, who planted a [[micro-bug]] on Bumblebee, allowing the Decepticons to spy on Wheeljack's demonstration and eventually steal the Immobilizer. Carly was also kidnapped by the Decepticons when she attempted to check out their base, and Spike and Bumblebee helped Ironhide mount a rescue mission. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

When Megatron's [[Transfixatron]] was used to lock the Autobots in their vehicle modes during a charity event, Bumblebee was the only one there not to be affected. He returned to base with Spike and Chip to raise the alarm, and once Ratchet and Wheeljack had come up with a device to counter the Transfixatron's effects, took part in the rescue mission. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[Image:AtlantisArise Bumblebee spygear.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Bumblebee and his pretty little [[Laserbeak (G1)|Bumblebeak]]]]
Bumblebee took his life in his hands by joining the other Autobots in playing football against the Dinobots. Their match was interrupted by an alert which led them to find the Decepticons helping to raise the underwater city of [[Sub-Atlantica]]. The city moved to the coast off Washington, D.C. so the Sub-Atlanticans and Decepticons could invade America's capital. Bumblebee and Spike entered Sub-Atlantica to free Wheeljack, who'd been captured, and returned to Washington to help fight off the enemy forces. The trio tried to stop [[Nergill]] from destroying Sub-Atlantica, but failed and were only snatched away from certain destruction at the last moment by Optimus. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

Much like the other Autobots, Bumblebee was surprised when soon after one battle, a second Optimus Prime turned up at headquarters. He asked Teletraan I to scan both Optimuses, but the computer was unable to work out which was the real thing. Both Optimuses subsequently led the Autobot forces into battle against the Decepticons, but it was Bumblebee's query about Spike, disregarded by the fake, which finally proved which was which. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

Checking out strange reports of chewed redwoods, Bumblebee, Hound, Beachcomber and Spike found the source of the problem: the Insecticons. Having avoided certain death in the form of a rolling log, the Autobots overheard the Insecticons discussing their plans with the Decepticons, and they radioed HQ. They joined the other Autobots at the [[Nova Power Plant]] a short time later, but were unable to prevent the Insecticons from devouring the power core. After discovering that the Insecticons were going to explode due to the energy they'd eaten, the Autobots traveled to [[Iron Mountain]], which the Decepticons were attacking, to try and prevent the disaster. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[Image:DinobotIsland1 jetpack Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Superbee… or rather Bumbleman]]
Teamed up with Powerglide, Bumblebee used a jet pack to keep up with his flighty comrade. The pair investigated some strange energy readings and discovered [[Dinobot Island (G1)|an island full of dinosaurs]]. After a close call with some hostile saurians, they retreated back to Headquarters to report on what they'd found and were in time to watch a demonstration of the Dinobots' skills go horribly wrong. Spike and Bumblebee visited a local library to check out some [[Ere Cenozoique Periode Tertiaire|dino-related books]], but were attacked by barbarians on [[mammoth]]s, who knocked a building over on them. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Fortunately, they were both OK, and the rest of the Autobots dug them out before dealing with the mammoths. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Strolling into the laboratory one day, Bumblebee was surprised to find Brawn badmouthing [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], and he defended the scientist. The altercation was interrupted by a mission to [[South America]], where the Autobots failed to stop Megatron retrieving the [[Heart of Cybertron]] and powering himself up to ridiculous levels. Perceptor came up with a cunning plan: He, Brawn and Bumblebee were miniaturized and inserted into Megatron, then managed to retrieve the Heart of Cybertron from inside him. {{storylink|Microbots}}

[[Image:MMP2 scorched Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Bumblebee, you're supposed to wash after you wipe!]]
After having helped foil an attack on a solar energy plant, Bumblebee took part in the [[Autobot Day]] parade, but things soon turned sour when Megatron's latest plan framed the Autobots. The humans turned against them, and the Autobots were soon all shot into space. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They almost crashed into the Sun, but made it back to Earth safely and kicked the Decepticons back to their undersea base. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

On their way to pick up Sparkplug from the airport, Bumblebee, Spike and Carly stopped off at the [[Fun A Rama Park]], where Bumblebee couldn't see the point of the teacups ride until Carly disabled his [[equilibrium chip|equilibrium circuit]]. While at the airport, they spotted [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and the Dinobots were duly called in. Unfortunately, just as it seemed they'd won, Megatron triggered a huge explosion. Bumblebee shielded the humans, but the Dinobots were badly damaged.

Following repairs, the Dinobots stormed off, and the Autobots were subsequently left in the lurch when [[Cybertonium]] depletion disabled them. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Spike, Carly and the Dinobots were able to bring more Cybertonium back from Cybertron in time to repair all of the Autobots, including Bumblebee. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

Bumblebee was among the Autobots who went to [[Haley Observatory]] but arrived too late to prevent the Decepticons from stealing the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was also among the Autobots who coated themselves in [[electrum]] to battle the Decepticons, {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}} and he battled drones in New York during a Decepticon plan to convert stolen cars into troops. {{storylink|Make Tracks}}

[[Image:ChildsPlay Bumblebee thumbsup.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Cookies and Cream is my favorite!]]
A space bridge malfunction hurled Bumblebee, along with Optimus, Inferno, Perceptor, [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and a group of Decepticons, across the galaxy to a planet where the local life forms were huge in comparison with the Transformers. After befriending a [[Aron (G1)|young boy]] and having a series of misadventures, the Autobots were ready to return home. However, the Decepticons took Bumblebee as a hostage, forcing Perceptor to use up the energon sending them home. Luckily, Perceptor's alternate plan to modify a toy rocket for space flight also worked. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} On the way back to Earth, the Autobots were intercepted by the bounty hunter [[Bosch]], and all of the Autobots bar Smokescreen were liberated of their free will and sold as slaves. Smokescreen was fortunately able to free them before they came to harm. {{storylink|The Gambler}}

Returning from a mission in [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] to [[Floron III]] to find [[robotic insecticide]] for use against the Insecticon army, Bumblebee and Spike discovered that they had unexpected fellow passengers in the form of [[Morphobot]]s. Cosmos was overcome by the creatures and crashed on Earth, but not before ejecting his friends, who returned to Autobot HQ to get help. There, Bumblebee discovered that several of the Morphobots had attached themselves to his back, providing Perceptor with a sample to study. After being decontaminated, Bumblebee joined the expedition back to the crash site to retrieve Cosmos. A battle with the Decepticons destroyed the insecticide, and it looked like their mission had been rendered a failure until the Morphobots solved the Insecticon problem by eating the whole clone army. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

One of Megatron's wilder schemes involved inflicting a small energyvore named [[Kremzeek]] on the Autobots. Luckily for Bumblebee, he was one of the few Autobots to be protected by Sparkplug's insulating compound. After a chase in [[Japan]] which resulted in Kremzeek growing to giant size, the Autobots found a way to inflict him back on Megatron. Human scientist [[Sōji Yoshikawa|Doctor Yoshikawa]] came up with a way, much to Bumblebee's discomfort, to disperse the critter's energy. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

[[Image:SeaChange Bumblebee wipeout.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Bumblebee is a real Circusbot!]]
After indulging in a spot of water skiing and stargazing with [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]], Bumblebee and his comrade accompanied Perceptor and Cosmos to the far-off world of the [[Tlalakan]]s to investigate a distress signal. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a ''Decepticon'' distress signal, and Bumblebee was captured while trying to escape from Megatron's forces, who had also turned up to answer it. With the help of the shape-shifting Tlalakans, the other Autobots mounted a rescue, and Bumblebee was pressed into service defending the natives' city while they overthrew their Decepticon overlords. {{storylink|Sea Change}}

Bumblebee was once again abducted, this time by [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]] while out on the town with [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]. Placed in specially constructed devices of torture along with other captured Autobots, Bumblebee was forced to transform back and forth continuously to avoid swinging axes. He was able to use his radio long enough to contact Optimus, but this was what Chumley wanted, as the big game hunter aimed to lure the Autobot leader to his compound and indulge in some sport. Optimus, of course, won and freed Bumblebee and his fellow captives. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}}

Despite being around in Autobot HQ when Ironhide gave the order to roll out for Cybertron, Bumblebee didn't go with him, possibly because he didn't have a girlfriend back on his home world. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}} He was one of the Autobots who entered the [[Europa 2000]] after rumours that the Decepticons were after [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s super car. Augie's impolite driving habits at one point drove Bumblebee to yank the human from his car for a stern scolding.

[[Image:BumblebeePearl.JPG|thumb|right|200px|He's got the touch, he's got the...well you know the rest...]]
As it turned out, Megatron was after the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]], an ancient Cybertronian weather control power core in a containing shell. Bumblebee snatched the pearl from him, breaking it open and creating a huge vortex when he found the Autobots were outnumbered. To destroy it, he was forced to throw himself into the tornado, riding it until he was able to get a clear shot and blast the power core. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

After Perceptor used [[corrostop]] to cure a [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|cosmic rust]] brought to Earth by Megatron, the Autobots were able to defend the [[Statue of Liberty]] successfully from the Decepticons, a fact Bumblebee was particularly pleased with. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} After a bizarre attack on Autobot HQ which led to the Decepticons turning tail as soon as they'd arrived, Bumblebee wondered what the heck was going on. As it turned out, Starscream had built the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to try to usurp Megatron's leadership, and Bumblebee and the other Autobots used the battle between the two factions to rescue Jazz and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

The [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] began stealing components for Megatron's latest super weapon, and the Autobots set out to stop them. Bumblebee, Spike and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] spectated as Optimus took down [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] himself. They put a counter-plan into effect, wherein the Stunticons would be held captive, while five Autobots would pose as them. However, Spike and Bumblebee discovered that the Decepticon group had escaped. After picking up their trampled comrades, they went to provide reinforcements for Optimus's group and arrived just in the nick of time. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

Sent with Ironhide and Gears to investigate an SOS from [[Benjamin Franklin Pierce High School]], Bumblebee met [[Martin and Roland|Martin, Roland]] and [[Elise Presser|Elise]] and chased around the [[B.O.T. (robot)|robot]] they'd built from [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]'s brain until [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] snatched it from under their noses. With [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] repaired, the Decepticons took their latest superweapon to Autobot headquarters. The obligatory battle ended with Elise using B.O.T. to destroy the cannon, leading Bumblebee to apologize for the loss of their robot. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Spike ospit.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Spike is about to corrupt Bumblebee's audio receptors forever...]]
By 2005, the Decepticons had retaken Cybertron. Spike and Bumblebee were stationed on [[Moonbase Two]] on one of the planet's moons when the huge, planet-devouring [[Unicron]] appeared and made short work of the first moon. The pair rigged the second moon to explode and began to make their escape... but the explosion barely scratched Unicron, and their ship was sucked into his maw. Luckily, Unicron takes some time to digest things, and the two (as well as Jazz and Cliffjumper) were spared an acid-bath in Unicron's guts by the timely arrival of Spike's son, [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. As Unicron began to explode, they were led to safety by new leader [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

For a short time after, peace reigned, and Bumblebee was stationed on Earth at [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], apparently under Blaster's command. He and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] watched the broadcast of Rodimus opening the [[Galactic Olympics]], {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} and he was later seen running for battle stations as Blaster sounded an alert. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Bumblebee was part of a squad of Autobots who failed to defend Autobot headquarters against the giant Decepticon [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

{{note|An animation error meant Bumblebee could also be seen on Cybertron, defending the planet against the Decepticons.}}

As chronal forces ripped across the galaxy, causing havoc, Bumblebee became trapped in a time loop while racing with Jazz and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

He was present in Autobot City when [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream's ghost]] came to attempt to steal the giant's eyes for Unicron. When the Decepticons' invasion set the city on red alert, Bumblebee and Spike teamed up to search the complex for the attackers, just like old times. Running across Scourge in Metroplex's brain, they managed a drive-by ramming that knocked the tracker off balance, but ended up crashing and locking themselves inside Metroplex's voice control room. Guess they were really out of practice with their teamwork. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

He was stationed on Cybertron when the energy creature [[Tornedron]] attacked the planet. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[Image:Goldbugtroop1.jpg|left|thumb|135px|See? He still looks sorta friendly.]]

When the body of Optimus Prime was retrieved by [[Gregory Swofford]] and [[Jessica Morgan]], Rodimus Prime led a team that included Bumblebee to investigate. However, Bumblebee and his teammates were attacked by a [[Hate Plague]]-infested [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and heavily damaged. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} After Optimus Prime was rebuilt by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]], so too was Bumblebee into a more powerful but similar form. Bumblebee remarked that he now looked like a "gold bug". Optimus Prime decided this would be his new name.

[[Image:Goldbugtroop2.jpg|right|thumb|Eeeyeeaaggh!]]

Goldbug journeyed with Optimus Prime and the other survivors to [[Chaar]] in search of a heat-resistant alloy that could insulate Prime from the Hate Plague. However, infected Decepticon forces attacked and contaminated Goldbug as well. Goldbug and all other contaminated beings were restored when Optimus Prime retrieved the Matrix and unleashed the remainder of its energy. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}
[[Image:Cybersmallverysmall.JPG|right|thumb| I'm so awesome that I can stand next to my ACTUAL robot form]]
While discussing the marked absence of the Decepticons over the last few months, Goldbug, [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] were alerted to an incoming incursion by their enemies. The [[Throttlebot]]s attempted to defend the city alongside the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], but failed to prevent the Decepticons from getting away with the key to the [[plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} Goldbug was among the cheering crowds after the Plasma Energy Chamber ushered in a new Golden Age of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|In an animation error, Bumblebee was ''also'' among the cheering crowds. Oops.}}

==Japanese cartoon continuity==
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese animated continuity as described above, except that the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. Additionally, this continuity moves the events of 2006 forward to 2010, and inserts several additional events into the newly-created intervening years.}}

===Fight! Super Robot Lifeform comic===
[[Image:Bumblebee_and_kenji.jpg|left|thumb|135px]]

In the late 1980s, the Autobots' and Decepticons' conflict expanded to include regular skirmishes in Japan. When the Decepticons staged a major attack on [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]], the absence of [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and his cassette minions made Optimus Prime suspicious, and he dispatched a unit including Bumblebee to search for them in Japan. While searching with [[Kenji]], the Autobots' newest human ally, Bumblebee was stopped by the police, who believed Kenji was driving while underage. After Bumblebee transformed for the officers, everyone had a good laugh at the misconception. After resuming their patrol, the human and Autobot were attacked by Ravage. Kenji told Bumblebee to transform, but 'Bee gently informed his passenger that Kenji wouldn't survive the process if he did. Luckily, Powerglide swooped in just in time to whisk Kenji to safety, but he also left Bumblebee behind to face Soundwave and his cassettes alone. Bumblebee had no fear, though—he unleashed the awesome and terrifying [[Bumble Kick]], destroying Soundwave's chest compartment. After the cassettes fruitlessly (and hilariously) bounced off Soundwave's chest while trying to hide from the arriving Autobot reinforcements, Bumblebee was congratulated for his victory. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2}}

Bumblebee was also present when Optimus Prime gave Kenji a tour of the Autobots' Japanese base. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4}}

When Powerglide was trying to stop the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] from murdering a [[murdered puppy|dog]] that had been experimented upon by the Decepticons, Bumblebee and the Minibots arrived to back him up. By harnessing the amazing cyber-powers of the super-advanced puppy, the Minibots gained Scramble Combination Power and power-drilled straight through [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. The puppy died, but, man—what a rush! {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 8}}
{{-}}
===Scramble City===
[[Image:Scramblecity_spike_and_bee.jpg|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Yoku Shioya]]

Bumblebee took part in the secret Scramble City project to construct Metroplex. His building efforts appeared to consist of lugging equipment around and suggesting to Spike that they should slack off. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

===Full Throttle Scramble Power===
When the Decepticons threatened the world with the power of their [[Omega Whip]], Bumblebee and the entire Autobot army joined [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] in attacking their base to stop them. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

===''The Battle of the Star Gate''===
[[Image:Bumblebee stargatebattles peace.jpg|left|125px|thumb|Anything for the ladies!]]

In the 1990s, Bumblebee was part of a delegation of Autobots who attended a press conference to announce the creation of the [[Warp gate|interstellar teleportation system]] known as the [[Trigger]] to the world. As Optimus Prime delivered his speech to the assembled masses, Bumblebee encouraged Jazz to lighten up and posed for his legions of swooning fangirls in the audience. A few days later, when the Decepticons attacked the Trigger in an attempt to take control of it, Bumblebee was among the Autobots who helped repel their assault. {{storylink|First Contact}}

[[Image:Angry sgb bumblebee.jpg|right|135px|thumb|I Am Furious (Yellow)]]

Three months later, Bumblebee joined Optimus Prime, Wheeljack and Bluestreak at a military testing site, where Prime was to help the human scientist [[Adle|Professor Adle]] test-drive his new invention, the drone [[C-X]]. The site, however, was besieged by protesters who objected to the presence of the Autobots and their war on Earth, and Bumblebee was particularly annoyed by the hateful slogans they shouted. Bumblebee had little to contribute once the test of C-X began, and when the robot ran amok during the trial, he was injured by its rampage. Prime was able to subdue the violent drone, but this display only added fuel to the protesters' fire, and Bumblebee was ready to snap until Bluestreak reined him in. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

Some time later, when the Decepticons staged another attack on the Trigger, Bumblebee again tried to defend the installation. During the attack, Starscream fused himself with the Trigger, transforming it into a massive, misshapen robot form for himself, and it took the combination of Optimus Prime and Megatron's power to destroy it. The backwash of the explosion was so great, however, that Bumblebee and the other Autobots and Decepticons were all caught in it and sent plummeting to Earth in free fall, burning up as they went. The Transformers were all badly injured and not seen on Earth for months. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}
{{-}}

===''Alternity''===
In the year 2005, thanks to the efforts of the time- and space-bending entity known as the [[Optimus Primal|Protector]], a parallel universe was created that branched off from this one, creating a separate timeline in which Bumblebee never became Goldbug. Instead, this alternate world saw Bumblebee undergo a much more amazing transformation.

{{note|Skip to "[[#Kiss Players|Kiss Players]]" below to continue reading about the original timeline.}}

Through the incredible technological advancements the Autobots made under the Protector's direction, the Autobots evolved into the incredible cross-dimensional race of hyper-beings known as the [[Alternity]]. After 900,000 years of hard work, Bumblebee underwent this evolution with great pride, although some of his fellow Autobots felt that the majestic powers this transformation conveyed were too much for such a little guy. Ever the cheerful prankster, Bumblebee became regarded by the species of numerous lower dimensions as the most easily-befriend-able member of the Alternity.

[[Image:Worldisflat_alternity_bumblebee.jpg|left|thumb]]

When Megatron gained similar powers to the Alternity and began attacking numerous different parallel universes, the Autobots soon realized that his raids were centered on the year 2009. Investigating the same time period in various universes for clues to what the Decepticon might be up to, Bumblebee and [[Arcee (Energon)|Elita Seven]] came to the conclusion that some new type of dimensional flux was going to occur, and that Megatron sought the technology for his own ends. While the pair were searching in [[universal stream]] [[Primax 905.0 Beta]], the flux suddenly hit, producing a bizarre effect: printed works of art all across the world began to warp and distort. Bumblebee and Elita quickly tracked down the effect to a mysterious tablet in the Otsuka Museum of Art, which was in the process of being stolen by [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]. Bumblebee easily overpowered the trio, snatching the tablet from them and using his powers to transform them into two-dimensional beings that immediately crumpled. From somewhere across reality, Megatron witnessed this display and attacked with his tesseractal swords, destroying the building and the tablet and wounding Bumblebee. By the time Bumblebee came to, Reflector had vanished, but Bumblebee had deduced the truth of what had happened: the tablet had been invented by beings from the two-dimensional universe known as [[Flatworld]], and had transformed two-dimensional artworks into gateways through which the "Flatworlders" would have been able to pass. With the knowledge that ever lower dimensions were making technological leaps similar to those of the Alternity, Bumblebee resolved to be ready for the next invasion...but not before Elita made sure they had repaired all the damage done to the world they were in first. {{storylink|The World Is Flat!}}
{{-}}

===''Kiss Players''===
[[Image:KPPrimeGoldbug.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Sometimes, toy-accuracy is a strange, strange thing.]]
In the year 2011, after the resurrection of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee's transformation into Goldbug, the two Autobots traveled to the planet [[Quintessa]] and rescued the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]] and their partner [[Sparkbot|Sparkbots]] from the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] pit, also freeing their [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|spaceship]] from the Quintessons' trap. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)#Tokyo Toy Festival live performance|Kiss Players live performance}}

===''The Headmasters'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michitaka Kobayashi]] (Japanese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American)

Later in 2011, Goldbug and the Throttlebots were on Cybertron when [[Vector Sigma]] began to destabilize as a consequence of Optimus Prime releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague the previous year. The Decepticons soon invaded the planet in an attempt to take control of the computer, and Goldbug and the Throttlebots joined [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] in holding the line against them. Unfortunately, they were knocked unconscious by the hypnotic power of the new Decepticon [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], but they had managed to delay the Decepticons long enough for the Autobot Headmasters to arrive and take up the fight. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

[[Image:Hmep4_throttlebots.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Later, when the Decepticon Headmasters unleashed the [[Madmachine]] upon Cybertron, Goldbug and the Throttlebots helped the Autobot Headmasters battle the villains. Hit by a blast of the evil device's electromagnetic beams, the Throttlebots were left in convlusions, opening them up to an attack by the Decepticons. [[Wide Load]] and [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]] were again affected by Mindwipe's hypnotism and were instructed to fight each other, but Goldbug was able to get between them and snap them out of it. Goldbug proceeded to get his team organized, and he and Rollbar took on Mindwipe, clinging on to him and preventing him from flying away as they beat him up. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Goldbug and the Throttlebots went up against the Decepticon Headmasters yet again in a later battle on Earth, but pretended to lose so that they would be left free to investigate the Decepticons' newest weapon: a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping]] meteror currently on collision course with [[Athenia]]. Disregarding [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]'s instructions to keep their distance, the Throttlebots believed they would be heroes if they could stop the meteror, but no sooner had they got within range of the space-rock than its gravity boosters began twisting and warping their ship and their bodies. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

The Throttlebots disappeared after this encounter, suggesting they might have been destroyed, but they eventually resurfaced months later as the Decepticons were carrying out their final plan to destroy the Earth. Goldbug and the Throttlebots teamed up with [[Fastlane]] and [[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]] to investigate the emergence of a "[[Death Tower]]" in Santiago, Chile, only to find [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] there waiting for them. Naturally, the small 'bots were no match for the powerful combiner, but they fought bravely, clinging onto his limbs before being hurled aside. Luckily, the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s arrived in time to bail them out and take Predaking down. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}}

===Hero Set===
By the year 2025, Goldbug had returned to being Bumblebee. Together with his comrades Grimlock and Jazz, he battled Starscream in the far reaches of space. <ref>Packaging blurb for the Japanese-exclusive "Hero Set" release of the [[Classic Pretender]] versions of Bumblebee, Jazz, Grimlock and Starscream, confirmed to be part of cartoon continuity by Takara's [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|2007 timeline]].</ref>

===E-Hobby storyline===
Bumblebee joined [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and several other Autobots at Autobot Headquarters for a briefing by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] regarding several missing [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombian]] freight transports. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}

==''Wings Universe''==
Goldbug arrived with reinforcements from Autobot City to help [[Pyro (G1)|Spark]]’s team fight [[Clench (G1)|Clench]]'s [[Decepticon Syndicate]] which had taken over the [[Large Hadron Collider]] in [[Switzerland]]. After being exposed to the [[forestonite]] gas, he became a gold version of his original Bumblebee body, though now with the added ability to float and generate electrical stings from his fists. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}
{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Alternity Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Autobots]]
[[Category:Mini Vehicles]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Throttlebots]]

Air Raid (G1)

2013-02-01T16:42:11Z

He-l-en1959: /* Generation 2 */ added a new sign

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Air Raid}}
{{picsneeded|various anime}}

:''Air Raid is an [[Autobot]] [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] and later [[Cyberjet]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:G1AirRaid TFU.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Danger? HA! I laugh at danger! LAUGH, I TELL YOU!!!]]
Some might call '''Air Raid''' reckless, the way he dives out of nowhere, charging enemy units head on. Air Raid would laugh at that. A rash and fearless young warrior who loves surprises (especially those that leave his foes too stunned to fight back), he has only one real goal in life: to have fun. Needless to say his attitude puts him in a lot of danger, but you can be sure he's enjoying himself the whole time.

Air Raid combines with his fellow [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Rob Paulsen]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese), [[Héctor Vieyra]] (Latin American), [[Wolfgang Mascher]] (German, ''Forever Is a Long Time Coming''), [[Imo Heite]] (German, ''Starscream's Ghost''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''Thief in the Night''), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, ''Fight or Flee'' and ''The Big Broadcast of 2006''), [[Fritz von Hardenberg]] (German, ''The Ultimate Weapon''), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, Generation 2 Dub)

At one point during the eternal war with the Autobots on Earth, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] grew fed up with how his opponents ruled the roads and created a group of Decepticon cars known as the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. In order to give his new warriors life and intellect, he brought them to Cybertron and tracked down the ancient supercomputer, [[Vector Sigma]], to input cybernetic personalities into the Stunticons. Thanks to a series of traps and drones in their way, the Autobots failed to prevent Megatron from succeeding and returning to Earth. Seeking to even the playing field, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] conceived of the idea of retrofitting several broken-down Cybertronian ships into Earthly jets, and bringing them to life as a team of Autobot flyers. With the help of his tech-savvy soldiers, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], Wheeljack, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and Prime's own creator, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Optimus' plan was enacted and the Aerialbots were born. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Like most of the Aerialbots, Air Raid was slow to learn the Autobots' ways. Overly impressed with the flying skills of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and his wingmen, the Aerialbots were easily lured onto a [[Kronosphere]] platform, and cast more than nine million years into the past. They had the opportunity to view Megatron's evil firsthand, as the early Decepticons deactivated their new friends [[Elita One|Ariel]], [[Dion]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]]. Air Raid and the others soon returned to the future with a newfound resolve to oppose the Decepticons' tyranny. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

Air Raid led the Aerialbots in a flight around the Statue of Liberty, which the Autobots were gracefully coating with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s new invention, [[Corrostop]], to prevent corrosion. Unfortunately, the Decepticons were just as interested in Perceptor's work, and the Stunticons arrived to kidnap him. Air Raid and the others chased the Stunticons aboard [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] all the way back to the Decepticons' undersea base, but were driven off by the [[Lightning Bug]]. This impressive heat ray zapped Air Raid's missile in mid-flight, then tagged his tail for good measure. He was forced to sit there and smolder while giving his report to Optimus Prime before being allowed to pick up some replacement parts. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Airraidairassault.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Happybot!]]Air Raid was with the Aerialbots when they answered a distress call about a canyon cave-in, but the team soon discovered the call was a trap laid by the Combaticons. After taking out Slingshot the Combaticons claimed the upper hand, until the arrival of Autobot reinforcements changed their minds and the tide of battle. As the Combaticons retreated, Silverbolt held Air Raid back from pursuing the Combaticons in order to get his help in digging out Slingshot. After his recovery, Slingshot volunteered to be a decoy as part of Skydive’s plan to investigate a plane smuggling ring. Air Raid sarcastically told his fellow jets to enjoy their 'vacation' as he departed.

Returning later to assist Slingshot and Skydive, Air Raid and Silverbolt took on Vortex, Ramjet, Blast Off and a fleet of drone jets while under fire from the Combaticons and Megatron’s [[Giant Purple Griffin|purple griffin fortress]]. After the Combaticons formed Bruticus, Air Raid tried to distract the giant Decepticon from smacking Silverbolt, and got smacked himself instead. With the arrival of Fireflight, the Aerialbots combined into Superion and wrestled with Bruticus, then separated again. With a well-placed shot, they set an oil field ablaze and the resulting blast sent the defeated Decepticons and Bruticus flying into the sky.

[[Image:AirraidandaliassaultG1.jpg|thumb|225px|right|What!!! A fly in my energon soup?!]]

After regrouping in [[Jumal|Prince Jumal]]’s palace, Air Raid threatened some good old fashioned Autobot justice against captured Decepticon minion [[Ali (Sunbow)|Ali]], but Silverbolt said the Aerialbots should let Prince Jumal deal with his fellow human. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

After the death of Megatron and the retaking of Cybertron, Air Raid and the Aerialbots became part of the Autobot Fleet. When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and Spike were kidnapped to [[Quintessa]], the rescue party alerted the Aerialbots to swoop by for covering fire and pick-up. Air Raid and Skydive made the strafing run that took out the Quintessons' defensive proton cannon. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} When the Quintessons destroyed their own planet to get at the Autobots, the resulting blast wave destroyed the Aerialbots' ship, sending Air Raid and the rest hurtling through space. They eventually impacted on [[Goo 8739B]], and were rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}

{{Note|In the episode [[Dark Awakening]], several jets in the Autobot Fleet resembling the Aerialbots' alt modes were destroyed by the Quintessons. Repeatedly. Since the Aerialbots unquestionably survived the attack, it would seem their character models were merely used to build up the size of the fleet, and the casualty figures.}}

When Perceptor's science team were attacked in space, Air Raid and the Aerialbots accompanied [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] in rescuing them. As Superion, they confronted a horde of Quintessons and drove them off. After Silverbolt disengaged their super mode, Air Raid still wanted to chase after the Quintessons, but Silverbolt reined him in. Air Raid chastised him for having no sense of adventure, to which Silverbolt retorted that was exactly why he was in charge. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

One lovely afternoon in space, Air Raid was playing cat-and-mouse with [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Once he had finished his fun, Air Raid led the Decepticon duo into an asteroid field where his fellow Aerialbots were waiting to spring an ambush. The Aerialbots messed the Decepticons up pretty badly, especially after they transformed into Superion. Eventually, they chased the Decepticons through a strange warp in space. This proceeded to have no consequences for [[Sandstorm (G1)|anyone]] [[Paradron|whatsoever]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

[[Image:Airraidfightorflee.jpg|thumb|200px|left|I'll kill you, asteroid!]]Air Raid and the Aerialbots were spending a relaxing day watching home movies on [[Teletraan II]] when things suddenly got serious, as the Autobots' computer off-handedly informed them [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was never destroyed in his last battle with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. When they tracked Trypticon to his new staging grounds, Air Raid and the Aerialbots launched from [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], but the Decepticon presence in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]] was more than they had anticipated. Still, Air Raid paid tribute to his leader Silverbolt by reciting his famous battle-cry, "Good-bye, cruel world!" He dipped his singed tailfins in the ocean and managed to make a hasty retreat with Broadside and his fellow Aerialbots. The Aerialbots soon returned with reinforcements and drove the Decepticons from Carbombya. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

During a battle in space, Air Raid and the Aerialbots may or may not have been present. Superion, at least, was surely there on the planet [[Eurythma]]...sometimes. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

After [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] took some hostile fire over the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]], Rodimus Prime dispatched Air Raid and the Aerialbots to investigate. They were caught in a crossfire between the brain-addled Junkions and the Quintessons, who were responsible for messing with the Junkions' air waves, and their minds. Even after becoming Superion, the Aerialbots took heavy fire and had to be brought back to [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] on Cybertron for repairs. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

On one occasion, Air Raid was buzzing too close to [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] during a battle on Earth, and the dinosaur city unleashed his full plasma breath. Air Raid's tail-fins were scorched and he had to set down in a small lake, but his sacrifice gave Silverbolt a chance to fly down Trypticon's throat now that his flame was temporarily used up. The Aerialbot leader was then able to cause serious internal damage to the giant Decepticon before flying back out again. And Air Raid ''totally'' planned it that way. No, really. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

During the Decepticon invasion of Japan, the Aerialbots fought against [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] when he tried to derail a bullet train full of passengers. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}} Sometime thereafter, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were recruited by Rodimus Prime to rescue the body of Optimus Prime from [[Gregory Swofford|Swofford]] and [[Mark Morgan|Morgan]]. Unfortunately, this only meant they were among the first Autobots exposed to the [[Hate Plague]]. Despite the madness induced by the red dust, the Aerialbots were apparently still willing to form Superion. Superion ran amok, causing serious property damage, infecting [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], and taking several other Autobots out of action. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

When the Decepticons invaded Cybertron searching for the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], the Aerialbots tried to stop them. Unfortunately, they didn't reckon with [[Sixshot]]. Flying heedlessly into battle, Air Raid was shot down first by the [[Six Changer]]'s siege tank mode. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} The [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] then took his [[power pack]] to use as fuel for the giant rocket engine they were constructing for [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
When the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] confronted Menasor at a baseball stadium, Air Raid and the Aerialbots arrived as back-up. They formed Superion to engage Menasor and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. After [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] was injured, Superion targeted the Decepticon combiners' legs, shaking them loose and giving the smaller Protectobots a chance to link up with the Decepticon gestalts and override control of their bodies. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}} After the Autobots discovered a utopia island paradise, it was besieged by Megatron and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who wanted to build an impregnable fortress. [[Kenji]] radioed for help, and Optimus Prime sent Air Raid and the Aerialbots to the rescue. As Superion they fought off [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], using their smarts to outthink the evil warriors. As [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] cast a massive hologram of Metroplex, Air Raid detached from Superion to buzz around Trypticon's head, tricking him into charging at the not-quite-there Autobot. Instead of grappling with his foe, Tryppy tripped over a cliff into the waters below. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

====''Scramble City'' cartoon====
Air Raid and the Aerialbots were dispatched from the [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] to aid Optimus Prime in battle with the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Their aerial firepower frankly overwhelmed the marauding Decepticons, and sent them home with their transistors between their struts. On his second attempt, Megatron sent the Stunticons, who were considerably more successful in engaging the Autobots. Damaged in jet modes, Air Raid the Aerialbots chose instead to merge and form Superion. As Superion, they possessed scramble combining abilities, but so did the Stunticons when they formed Menasor. The Aerialbots were in the midst of reconfiguring their limb formation when Fireflight, being... well, a daydreaming idiot, mixed up whether he was supposed to be the right leg or the left. His indecision gave Menasor time to shoot him down, and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] assumed the place of Superion's right leg instead, corrupting his programming. Air Raid and the others were trapped as Superion, literally fighting themselves, until Fireflight retook his place as Superion's limb. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''The Great Transformer War''====
In 2010, Galvatron kidnapped [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] of [[Eran]] to utilize his skills and improve the Decepticons' combiner technology. Air Raid and the Aerialbots joined the Protectobots in assaulting Trypticon, in hopes of rescuing the hostage scientist. Air Raid and his team formed Superion for a first strike, but the Decepticon combiners countered with their deployment modes, launching the Stunticon and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] troops with enough force to tear Superion apart. The Protectobots stood guard over [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] as he performed battlefield triage on the Aerialbots in his repair bay mode, bringing them back on-line. Silverbolt then transformed into launcher mode and unleashed Air Raid and the other Aerialbots in their own scramble attack, blinding Menasor and Bruticus long enough for the Autobots to escape safely with Dalton. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
Air Raid and the Aerialbots were stationed at Autobot City on Earth in 2011. When Galvatron attacked Cybertron via the old [[space bridge]] network, the Aerialbots were summoned to Cybertron as reinforcements. They soon arrived with the [[Trainbot]]s and quickly joined the battle. Air Raid and his team formed Superion and battled [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] and Devastator. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Later, the combined Aerialbots fought alongside [[Raiden]] and Defensor against the Decepticon combiners, and were nearly crushed when Bruticus collapsed a building on their position. They were bailed out by the arrival of the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. When [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] began his search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on Earth, Air Raid and the Aerialbots returned to the humans' planet to assist him. They confronted the Stunticons in the desert, pitting Superion against Menasor yet again. The battle was so fierce it eventually carried them to the Arctic where Hot Rod was searching. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Air Raid and his flying comrades joined the [[Triple Changer]]s in distracting the Decepticons long enough for [[Blaster (G1)|Twincast]] to sneak inside Trypticon and gather data on the [[Madmachine]]. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}Sometime later, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were on a research vessel that passed near a [[Metamorphose|strange meteorite]]. The meteorite had been altered by Galvatron to produce magnetic warping waves whenever it detected metal, and so it sent the Aerialbots and their ship twisting through space. Although the Decepticons tried to intervene, the Autobots eventually recovered Air Raid and his injured colleagues. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

Following a lengthy repair cycle, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were ready for action when Galvatron and the Decepticons laid siege to Cybertron one last time. Transporting to Cybertron from Earth, they raced into battle (on foot, for some reason). Air Raid and the team got the drop on the Stunticons when they merged into Superion, smashing and scattering the 'Cons before they could form Menasor. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} As the fighting continued, the Aerialbots battled Abominus as Superion and later separated to trade blaster fire with the Stunticons. The warring only came to an end once [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s bombs blew up [[Vector Sigma]] and annihilated the planet.{{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

When [[buridanka|a giant carnivorous plant]] attacked San Francisco, Ultra Magnus dispatched Air Raid and the Aerialbots to combat it. Although they made frequent bombing runs on the organism, the Aerialbots were unable to stop it. Only the arrival of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] and his powerful giant [[Transtector]] brought an end to the creature's rampage. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} Air Raid and the Aerialbots were part of a strike team that flew to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to disrupt Scorponok's gathering of Decepticons. They immediately formed Superion upon entering the battle. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

When one of Scorponok's Death Towers emerged in Washington D.C., Air Raid and the Aerialbots were dispatched to investigate it. As part of Superion, Air Raid participated in the Autobots final battle with Scorponok's Decepticons at the North Pole. He lent his energies to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]] to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
''Thanks to his previous connection to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] began experiencing dreams and visions of new Transformers, beginning with an etching of Superion he made without even being consciously aware of it.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''By sharing his visions with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Buster was able to clarify the images and understand the future of the evolution of the Cybertronian race—amalgam model robots like the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]' [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], capable of a more-streamlined merging into a more powerful form. It was these visions which allowed Optimus Prime and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to conceive of and construct the Aerialbots.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[Image:Air raid aerialbots over america.jpg|left|200px|thumb]]
Working on a plan to reverse engineer the gestalt technology the Decepticons used to create Devastator, Optimus Prime and the Autobots staged a daring raid on the Decepticon base of operations, giving [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] enough time to digitally record the Constructicons' electrical transformation pattern for study. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} Working off that blueprint, Wheeljack successfully created Air Raid and the Aerialbots. During the new warriors' testing phase, however, the Autobots were alerted to a Decepticon operation at Hoover Dam. Only the Aerialbots were fast enough to reach the location in time, and so Prime was forced to send them into battle before their programming was completed.

Air Raid proved to be the most effective of the new Aerialbots in battle. After his fellow jets took a few hits in battle with the Cybertronian [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], Air Raid singlehandedly shook their formation and tore up [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]'s nosecone with his torque rifle, giving the other Aerialbots time to regroup.

The Aerialbots eventually turned the tide on the Decepticons and drove them off, giving them time to focus on the energy siphon which was the core of the problem. At Silverbolt's command, they merged into Superion and began dismantling the drill device. A problem arose, however, when [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]] controlled pawn [[Ricky Vasquez]] pointed [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (in his gun mode) at the giant Autobot. Because the majority of the Aerialbots were not programmed specifically to protect human life, Superion only saw a potential threat that needed to be eliminated. As the human fought against the Decepticons' control, Silverbolt too fought inside Superion's gestalt mind to protect the human. In the end, Silverbolt was forced to disengage Superion to keep him from destroying the human. Luckily, Ricky was more successful and managed to break the cerebro-shell's hold long enough to point Megatron at the drill and destroy it, ending the threat. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

After the near disaster at Hoover Dam, Optimus Prime had the Aerialbots shut down and their programming completely erased. Returned to a blank slate, he then inputted fully-programmed personalities for them with the Matrix before their next mission. It, uh...didn't help. In battle with [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] as Superion, the Aerialbots were attacked by [[Circuit Breaker]], deactivated, and captured by [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]]. It was only a lucky break that they were eventually freed. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

As [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] took over the Autobots, Air Raid and the other Aerialbots took an extended leave of absence from the war, since the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] commander focused Autobot resources on repairing their fallen comrades and prepping the Ark to become spaceworthy again.

[[Image:Aerialbots buster marvel 50.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
Sometime later, it was Air Raid, [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], and [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] who were the first to respond to a distress call from Buster Witwicky, the Autobots' old human ally who had been prisoner to the Decepticons for nearly a year. This led the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces into battle with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had acquired the nigh-infinite power of the [[Underbase]] for himself. The Aerialbots were his first victims, wiped out in a single blast of cosmic power in the skies over New York City. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

Along with the other deactivated Autobots aboard the Ark, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were eventually revived by the [[Nucleon]] super-energy Grimlock and the Dinobots recovered from [[Hydrus Four]].

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}

[[Image:Air raid mystery.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Problem?]]
''One dark and stormy night, Air Raid heard a commotion in the halls of Earthforce's makeshift shuttle base, and turned on the lights to fight [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] struggling with each other in the dark. The story was, Skydive had come by to relieve Wheeljack from guard duty, only to find the post abandoned and signs of a serious struggle in place of his comrade. There was a smoldering patch of ground, a hastily discarded blaster, and animal tracks all over. Thinking quickly, Skydive concluded that [[Fantasy Predacon|one]] of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] had entered the base and ambushed Wheeljack where he sat. He rushed back to the shuttle and found the door had been forced. Seeing a shadowy figure carrying a heavy burden in the dark, Skydive figured it for the Predacon carrying Wheeljack's remains and LEAPT into action!''

''As it turned out, Wheeljack had just overheated the makeshift heating unit he had brought out to keep warm. Getting tangled in the smoking heater, Wheeljack knocked over his own table and broke the lamp. The noise brought an angry [[polar bear]] over, and a frantic Wheeljack tore out of there carrying the still smoldering heater, forcing the door to the shuttle when he reached it. Then some NUT jumped him from out of nowhere!''

''Air Raid suggested everyone go to bed and forget the incident ever happened. The motion carried.'' {{storylink|Mystery!}}

''Air Raid was present with the entire Earthforce team outside Autobot Earthbase when Wheeljack unveiled his brand-new unbreachable defensive system. This was unfortunate, as Wheeljack had forgotten that, once activated, the system could only be turned off from the inside. [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] elected to run the gauntlet and reach the shutdown console inside, and the Aerialbots provided air support for him. Air Raid and his buddies gunned down the [[Acid Bat]]s at the entryway, giving Prowl his chance to get through.'' {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}

{{note|Unlike the rest of Earthforce, the return of the Aerialbots (besides Silverbolt) was never explained on panel. Presumably, Wheeljack rebuilt them in the Bodyshop much like he did for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]].}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''In 2008, Air Raid and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] rushed to defend [[Autobot City]] from [[Quintesson]] invaders. Their crew was quickly overwhelmed, however, and so were the duo when they ran to get some more help.'' {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

=====''Another Time & Place''=====
Air Raid joined Silverbolt and Skydive in an assault on Hydrus Four, blasting open a medical center occupied by the Decepticons in order to rescue the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and prevent the resurrection of Megatron. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Air raid escalation.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Oh, yes! Somebody kicked his ass…]]
After the defeat of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his Decepticons on [[Klo]], the Autobots split into smaller combat units throughout the universe. Once Optimus Prime and Grimlock learned of the threat posed by the second generation [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian army]], though, the Autobot forces reconsolidated under their command. Air Raid and the other Aerialbots were first seen after the Autobots had retreated to an asteroid sanctuary for retraining. They were, um, outsmarted by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}} Later, he was rescued by the Decepticon [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in the skies over [[Ethos]] while battling [[Ethos raiding party|Cybertronians]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}} Still, he managed to do a little better against the Cybertronians the second time around, popping jets out of the sky so that the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] could, ah... greet them on the ground below. {{storylink|Total War!}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
At some point in Cybertronian history, roughly around the time of the [[Dark Ages]], Air Raid and his Aerialbot comrades became a combiner subgroup, able to merge to form Superion. Because Superion and his fellow super-robots began causing too much sheer devastation during the war, however, the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]]s were signed by the various factions, prohibiting the use of super-robots. Combiner sub-group members could either join different factions separately (like [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]) or remain together as a neutral, unaligned group (like the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]). What Air Raid and the Aerialbots chose to do is unknown. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[Image:PrimeDirective6 AirRaid punches Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Who's the best F-15?? ME!]]

At some point in the late 20th century, Air Raid and the Aerialbots joined the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' in defeating the Decepticons on Earth, only to be deactivated when the ''[[Ark II]]'' exploded in mid-air on its journey back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} In reality the ship was sabotaged by the rogue engineer-turned arms dealer Adam Rook, known as [[Lazarus]], and General [[Robert Hallo]], who planned on reprogramming the Transformers into the service of the United States military. The Aerialbots were some of the few Transformers who were not recovered by Lazarus for his reprogramming venture, now aimed at hiring out the Transformers to the highest bidder. Instead, they lay immobile in the Arctic waters until reactivated as Superion in 2002 by Optimus Prime, using the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Air Raid and the Aerialbots in their Superion form, battled the Decepticons in the Northwest Territories of [[Canada]] {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} and again in [[San Francisco]]. However, during the initial skirmish, Superion was broken down into his individual components by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], and the Autobots watched in horror as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] hoisted Air Raid in his hand in triumph. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} When Megatron failed to convince Optimus Prime to join his cause, the Autobots were freed and proceeded to clobber the Decepticons, with Air Raid punched [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. However, the insane General Hallo betrayed the Autobots by launching a nuclear missile at San Francisco in the hopes of wiping out all the Transformers. Before Optimus Prime could stop them, the Aerialbots formed Superion and intercepted the missile, ramming it head-on. Superion, and by extension the Aerialbots, were destroyed in stopping the missile. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

The remains of Air Raid and the other Aerialbots were gathered up and studied by [[Earth Defense Command]]. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 issue #0}}
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Early in the war, the Aerialbots responded to Optimus' rallying call for additional support against the Decepticons and fought against the Seekers in the battle that followed. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

Thousands of years later, Air Raid was among the Autobots poised to fight against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Led by [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], he and the other Autobot fliers attacked [[Kimia Facility]] and fought with the many [[Sweep]]s defending it. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}}

After the war ended years later, Air Raid and his fellow Aerialbots worked crowd control on the Decepticons after [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] was murdered. He later followed Silverbolt's lead along with the rest of the Aerialbots in deserting Bumblebee's fledgling government. {{storylink|Stick Together}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Airraid toy.jpg|thumb|right|300px|]]
* '''Air Raid''' (Aerialbot, 1986/1991)
**''Team ID number'': '''A5'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-54'''
**''Accessories'': "[[Torque rifle]]"

: Air Raid transforms from a black [[wikipedia:F-15 Eagle|F-15 Eagle]]. He can combine with his fellow Aerialbots to form Superion, and as a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style limb toy, he can also combine with any Scramble City team leader, though his nominal position is as Superion's left leg.

: In Japan, the Aerialbots were all made available again as mail-away items during ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''. The smaller toys cost 1000 yen (120 more than their original retail price!) and 2 [[Robot Point|robot points]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Air Raid at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Superion}}
*'''Superion''' (Gift set, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-55'''

: All five Aerialbots were also available in many markets as a gift set. The toys were unchanged from their individual releases.

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
* '''Air Raid''' (Aerialbot, 1994)
**''Team ID number'': '''A2'''
**''Accessories'': "Torque Rifle"

: The first ''Generation 2'' Air Raid was a [[redeco]] of the original. His plane mode was primarily blue and featured stickers with a pattern reminiscent of the costume of a [[human]] [[Spider-Man|superhero]]. His robot mode was mostly white and silver .

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Generation 2 Air Raid at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Cyberjet}}
[[Image:AirRaidCybJet-AeroRaid-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
* '''Air Raid''' (Cyberjet, 1995)
**''Accessories'': 2 air-to-air heat-seeking missiles

: Air Raid's second ''Generation 2'' appearance was a redeco of the [[Cyberjet]] [[Skyjack]], transforming into an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-117A Nighthawk]]. He features a pressure-launch missile launcher that becomes his right arm in robot mode. His non-loaded missiles can be stored in clips on the undersides of his wings.

: This toy was sold in Japan without changes (though it did come with an extra decal sheet) as [[Aero Raid]]. This mold was also used to make the 2004 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[#Universe (2003)|version of Air Raid]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)#Toys|Robot Masters]]'' [[Delta Seeker]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Cyberjet Air Raid at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
[[Image:TFU03-toy AirRaidCyberjet.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
* '''Air Raid & Wind Sheer''' (Deluxe, 2004)
**''Accessories'': Missile

: For the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, the Cyberjet Air Raid was redecoed again and released in a two-pack with the [[Decepticon]] [[Wind Sheer (Universe)|Wind Sheer]] at the Deluxe price point. The lack of [[bio]]s for ''Universe'' characters leaves open the possibility that this is not the original Air Raid. Then again, there's nothing that says it ''isn't'', either.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Universe 2003 Air Raid at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Universe-AR-AirRaid.JPG|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Aerial Rivals''' (multi-pack, 2008)
**''Series'': '''Classic Series'''

: A redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Soundwave (Cybertron)#Legends|Soundwave]]'s ''Legends of Cybertron'' figure, Air Raid's color scheme is based upon his ''Generation 2'' Cyberjet incarnation and was only available in a [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] set with [[Blades (G1)#LOC|Blades]], [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Classic Series|Skydive]], [[Ramjet (G1)#Classic Series|Ramjet]], and [[Thrust (G1)#Classic Series|Thrust]].

: The packaging back mistakenly swaps Air Raid and Skydive's names.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUSkydive/skydive.htm More information on Legends Air Raid (mislabeled) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Uni08Superion}}
[[Image:Universe2008 AirRaid.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 2008)
**''Series'': '''G1 Series'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 dual-barrel cannons, connector piece, Autobot-type [[energon star]]

:Available only as a component of Superion, this version of Air Raid is a dark grey and black [[redeco]] of [[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|''Energon'']] [[Windrazor (Energon)|Windrazor]]/[[Treadshot (Energon)|Treadshot]], transforming into a small, futuristic fighter resembling an F-22 Raptor. He can also form a leg or arm to any ''Energon''-series "[[Powerlinx]] [[Combiner]]" super robot, though his nominal placement is as the left leg to Superion. He comes with two double-barreled guns and a connector piece, which can form hand-held weapons as well as become a footplate or "hand" for his combined mode, plus a blue "super energon" Autobot-style energon star that fits over his [[spark crystal]].

:Air Raid was released, along with the others in this box set, in ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' (2008) packaging in Australia and Singapore, but was only released as Target-[[exclusive]] set in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Superion (ROTF)|Superion]] packaging in North America. Thus, this toy doubles as [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Air Raid (Movie)|Air Raid]].

:This mold was also used to make [[Fun Publications]] [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]-[[exclusive]] [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]], ''Universe'' [[Airazor (Universe)|Airazor]] and ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Airazor (ROTF)|Airazor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Air Raid at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
*The ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Air Raid/[[Wind Sheer (Universe)|Wind Sheer]] two-pack was initially listed under the name "Skyjack" in [[Walmart]] computers.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Air Rider''' (エアライダー ''Ea Raidā'')
*''French:'' '''Bombardo''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Tornado'''
*''Russian:'' '''Naletchik''' (Налётчик, "Raider")

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Air_Raid Air Raid's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Aerialbots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Cyberjets]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]

Air Raid (G1)

2013-01-31T17:33:49Z

He-l-en1959: /* Generation 2 */ added a new sign

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Air Raid}}
{{picsneeded|various anime}}

:''Air Raid is an [[Autobot]] [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] and later [[Cyberjet]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:G1AirRaid TFU.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Danger? HA! I laugh at danger! LAUGH, I TELL YOU!!!]]
Some might call '''Air Raid''' reckless, the way he dives out of nowhere, charging enemy units head on. Air Raid would laugh at that. A rash and fearless young warrior who loves surprises (especially those that leave his foes too stunned to fight back), he has only one real goal in life: to have fun. Needless to say his attitude puts him in a lot of danger, but you can be sure he's enjoying himself the whole time.

Air Raid combines with his fellow [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Rob Paulsen]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese), [[Héctor Vieyra]] (Latin American), [[Wolfgang Mascher]] (German, ''Forever Is a Long Time Coming''), [[Imo Heite]] (German, ''Starscream's Ghost''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''Thief in the Night''), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, ''Fight or Flee'' and ''The Big Broadcast of 2006''), [[Fritz von Hardenberg]] (German, ''The Ultimate Weapon''), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, Generation 2 Dub)

At one point during the eternal war with the Autobots on Earth, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] grew fed up with how his opponents ruled the roads and created a group of Decepticon cars known as the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. In order to give his new warriors life and intellect, he brought them to Cybertron and tracked down the ancient supercomputer, [[Vector Sigma]], to input cybernetic personalities into the Stunticons. Thanks to a series of traps and drones in their way, the Autobots failed to prevent Megatron from succeeding and returning to Earth. Seeking to even the playing field, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] conceived of the idea of retrofitting several broken-down Cybertronian ships into Earthly jets, and bringing them to life as a team of Autobot flyers. With the help of his tech-savvy soldiers, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], Wheeljack, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and Prime's own creator, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Optimus' plan was enacted and the Aerialbots were born. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Like most of the Aerialbots, Air Raid was slow to learn the Autobots' ways. Overly impressed with the flying skills of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and his wingmen, the Aerialbots were easily lured onto a [[Kronosphere]] platform, and cast more than nine million years into the past. They had the opportunity to view Megatron's evil firsthand, as the early Decepticons deactivated their new friends [[Elita One|Ariel]], [[Dion]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]]. Air Raid and the others soon returned to the future with a newfound resolve to oppose the Decepticons' tyranny. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

Air Raid led the Aerialbots in a flight around the Statue of Liberty, which the Autobots were gracefully coating with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s new invention, [[Corrostop]], to prevent corrosion. Unfortunately, the Decepticons were just as interested in Perceptor's work, and the Stunticons arrived to kidnap him. Air Raid and the others chased the Stunticons aboard [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] all the way back to the Decepticons' undersea base, but were driven off by the [[Lightning Bug]]. This impressive heat ray zapped Air Raid's missile in mid-flight, then tagged his tail for good measure. He was forced to sit there and smolder while giving his report to Optimus Prime before being allowed to pick up some replacement parts. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Airraidairassault.jpg|thumb|225px|left|Happybot!]]Air Raid was with the Aerialbots when they answered a distress call about a canyon cave-in, but the team soon discovered the call was a trap laid by the Combaticons. After taking out Slingshot the Combaticons claimed the upper hand, until the arrival of Autobot reinforcements changed their minds and the tide of battle. As the Combaticons retreated, Silverbolt held Air Raid back from pursuing the Combaticons in order to get his help in digging out Slingshot. After his recovery, Slingshot volunteered to be a decoy as part of Skydive’s plan to investigate a plane smuggling ring. Air Raid sarcastically told his fellow jets to enjoy their 'vacation' as he departed.

Returning later to assist Slingshot and Skydive, Air Raid and Silverbolt took on Vortex, Ramjet, Blast Off and a fleet of drone jets while under fire from the Combaticons and Megatron’s [[Giant Purple Griffin|purple griffin fortress]]. After the Combaticons formed Bruticus, Air Raid tried to distract the giant Decepticon from smacking Silverbolt, and got smacked himself instead. With the arrival of Fireflight, the Aerialbots combined into Superion and wrestled with Bruticus, then separated again. With a well-placed shot, they set an oil field ablaze and the resulting blast sent the defeated Decepticons and Bruticus flying into the sky.

[[Image:AirraidandaliassaultG1.jpg|thumb|225px|right|What!!! A fly in my energon soup?!]]

After regrouping in [[Jumal|Prince Jumal]]’s palace, Air Raid threatened some good old fashioned Autobot justice against captured Decepticon minion [[Ali (Sunbow)|Ali]], but Silverbolt said the Aerialbots should let Prince Jumal deal with his fellow human. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

After the death of Megatron and the retaking of Cybertron, Air Raid and the Aerialbots became part of the Autobot Fleet. When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and Spike were kidnapped to [[Quintessa]], the rescue party alerted the Aerialbots to swoop by for covering fire and pick-up. Air Raid and Skydive made the strafing run that took out the Quintessons' defensive proton cannon. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} When the Quintessons destroyed their own planet to get at the Autobots, the resulting blast wave destroyed the Aerialbots' ship, sending Air Raid and the rest hurtling through space. They eventually impacted on [[Goo 8739B]], and were rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}

{{Note|In the episode [[Dark Awakening]], several jets in the Autobot Fleet resembling the Aerialbots' alt modes were destroyed by the Quintessons. Repeatedly. Since the Aerialbots unquestionably survived the attack, it would seem their character models were merely used to build up the size of the fleet, and the casualty figures.}}

When Perceptor's science team were attacked in space, Air Raid and the Aerialbots accompanied [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] in rescuing them. As Superion, they confronted a horde of Quintessons and drove them off. After Silverbolt disengaged their super mode, Air Raid still wanted to chase after the Quintessons, but Silverbolt reined him in. Air Raid chastised him for having no sense of adventure, to which Silverbolt retorted that was exactly why he was in charge. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

One lovely afternoon in space, Air Raid was playing cat-and-mouse with [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Once he had finished his fun, Air Raid led the Decepticon duo into an asteroid field where his fellow Aerialbots were waiting to spring an ambush. The Aerialbots messed the Decepticons up pretty badly, especially after they transformed into Superion. Eventually, they chased the Decepticons through a strange warp in space. This proceeded to have no consequences for [[Sandstorm (G1)|anyone]] [[Paradron|whatsoever]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

[[Image:Airraidfightorflee.jpg|thumb|200px|left|I'll kill you, asteroid!]]Air Raid and the Aerialbots were spending a relaxing day watching home movies on [[Teletraan II]] when things suddenly got serious, as the Autobots' computer off-handedly informed them [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was never destroyed in his last battle with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. When they tracked Trypticon to his new staging grounds, Air Raid and the Aerialbots launched from [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], but the Decepticon presence in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]] was more than they had anticipated. Still, Air Raid paid tribute to his leader Silverbolt by reciting his famous battle-cry, "Good-bye, cruel world!" He dipped his singed tailfins in the ocean and managed to make a hasty retreat with Broadside and his fellow Aerialbots. The Aerialbots soon returned with reinforcements and drove the Decepticons from Carbombya. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

During a battle in space, Air Raid and the Aerialbots may or may not have been present. Superion, at least, was surely there on the planet [[Eurythma]]...sometimes. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}}

After [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] took some hostile fire over the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]], Rodimus Prime dispatched Air Raid and the Aerialbots to investigate. They were caught in a crossfire between the brain-addled Junkions and the Quintessons, who were responsible for messing with the Junkions' air waves, and their minds. Even after becoming Superion, the Aerialbots took heavy fire and had to be brought back to [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] on Cybertron for repairs. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

On one occasion, Air Raid was buzzing too close to [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] during a battle on Earth, and the dinosaur city unleashed his full plasma breath. Air Raid's tail-fins were scorched and he had to set down in a small lake, but his sacrifice gave Silverbolt a chance to fly down Trypticon's throat now that his flame was temporarily used up. The Aerialbot leader was then able to cause serious internal damage to the giant Decepticon before flying back out again. And Air Raid ''totally'' planned it that way. No, really. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

During the Decepticon invasion of Japan, the Aerialbots fought against [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] when he tried to derail a bullet train full of passengers. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}} Sometime thereafter, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were recruited by Rodimus Prime to rescue the body of Optimus Prime from [[Gregory Swofford|Swofford]] and [[Mark Morgan|Morgan]]. Unfortunately, this only meant they were among the first Autobots exposed to the [[Hate Plague]]. Despite the madness induced by the red dust, the Aerialbots were apparently still willing to form Superion. Superion ran amok, causing serious property damage, infecting [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], and taking several other Autobots out of action. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

When the Decepticons invaded Cybertron searching for the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], the Aerialbots tried to stop them. Unfortunately, they didn't reckon with [[Sixshot]]. Flying heedlessly into battle, Air Raid was shot down first by the [[Six Changer]]'s siege tank mode. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} The [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] then took his [[power pack]] to use as fuel for the giant rocket engine they were constructing for [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
When the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] confronted Menasor at a baseball stadium, Air Raid and the Aerialbots arrived as back-up. They formed Superion to engage Menasor and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. After [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] was injured, Superion targeted the Decepticon combiners' legs, shaking them loose and giving the smaller Protectobots a chance to link up with the Decepticon gestalts and override control of their bodies. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}} After the Autobots discovered a utopia island paradise, it was besieged by Megatron and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who wanted to build an impregnable fortress. [[Kenji]] radioed for help, and Optimus Prime sent Air Raid and the Aerialbots to the rescue. As Superion they fought off [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], using their smarts to outthink the evil warriors. As [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] cast a massive hologram of Metroplex, Air Raid detached from Superion to buzz around Trypticon's head, tricking him into charging at the not-quite-there Autobot. Instead of grappling with his foe, Tryppy tripped over a cliff into the waters below. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

====''Scramble City'' cartoon====
Air Raid and the Aerialbots were dispatched from the [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] to aid Optimus Prime in battle with the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Their aerial firepower frankly overwhelmed the marauding Decepticons, and sent them home with their transistors between their struts. On his second attempt, Megatron sent the Stunticons, who were considerably more successful in engaging the Autobots. Damaged in jet modes, Air Raid the Aerialbots chose instead to merge and form Superion. As Superion, they possessed scramble combining abilities, but so did the Stunticons when they formed Menasor. The Aerialbots were in the midst of reconfiguring their limb formation when Fireflight, being... well, a daydreaming idiot, mixed up whether he was supposed to be the right leg or the left. His indecision gave Menasor time to shoot him down, and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] assumed the place of Superion's right leg instead, corrupting his programming. Air Raid and the others were trapped as Superion, literally fighting themselves, until Fireflight retook his place as Superion's limb. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''The Great Transformer War''====
In 2010, Galvatron kidnapped [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] of [[Eran]] to utilize his skills and improve the Decepticons' combiner technology. Air Raid and the Aerialbots joined the Protectobots in assaulting Trypticon, in hopes of rescuing the hostage scientist. Air Raid and his team formed Superion for a first strike, but the Decepticon combiners countered with their deployment modes, launching the Stunticon and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] troops with enough force to tear Superion apart. The Protectobots stood guard over [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] as he performed battlefield triage on the Aerialbots in his repair bay mode, bringing them back on-line. Silverbolt then transformed into launcher mode and unleashed Air Raid and the other Aerialbots in their own scramble attack, blinding Menasor and Bruticus long enough for the Autobots to escape safely with Dalton. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
Air Raid and the Aerialbots were stationed at Autobot City on Earth in 2011. When Galvatron attacked Cybertron via the old [[space bridge]] network, the Aerialbots were summoned to Cybertron as reinforcements. They soon arrived with the [[Trainbot]]s and quickly joined the battle. Air Raid and his team formed Superion and battled [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] and Devastator. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Later, the combined Aerialbots fought alongside [[Raiden]] and Defensor against the Decepticon combiners, and were nearly crushed when Bruticus collapsed a building on their position. They were bailed out by the arrival of the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. When [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] began his search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on Earth, Air Raid and the Aerialbots returned to the humans' planet to assist him. They confronted the Stunticons in the desert, pitting Superion against Menasor yet again. The battle was so fierce it eventually carried them to the Arctic where Hot Rod was searching. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Air Raid and his flying comrades joined the [[Triple Changer]]s in distracting the Decepticons long enough for [[Blaster (G1)|Twincast]] to sneak inside Trypticon and gather data on the [[Madmachine]]. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}Sometime later, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were on a research vessel that passed near a [[Metamorphose|strange meteorite]]. The meteorite had been altered by Galvatron to produce magnetic warping waves whenever it detected metal, and so it sent the Aerialbots and their ship twisting through space. Although the Decepticons tried to intervene, the Autobots eventually recovered Air Raid and his injured colleagues. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

Following a lengthy repair cycle, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were ready for action when Galvatron and the Decepticons laid siege to Cybertron one last time. Transporting to Cybertron from Earth, they raced into battle (on foot, for some reason). Air Raid and the team got the drop on the Stunticons when they merged into Superion, smashing and scattering the 'Cons before they could form Menasor. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} As the fighting continued, the Aerialbots battled Abominus as Superion and later separated to trade blaster fire with the Stunticons. The warring only came to an end once [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s bombs blew up [[Vector Sigma]] and annihilated the planet.{{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

When [[buridanka|a giant carnivorous plant]] attacked San Francisco, Ultra Magnus dispatched Air Raid and the Aerialbots to combat it. Although they made frequent bombing runs on the organism, the Aerialbots were unable to stop it. Only the arrival of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] and his powerful giant [[Transtector]] brought an end to the creature's rampage. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} Air Raid and the Aerialbots were part of a strike team that flew to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to disrupt Scorponok's gathering of Decepticons. They immediately formed Superion upon entering the battle. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

When one of Scorponok's Death Towers emerged in Washington D.C., Air Raid and the Aerialbots were dispatched to investigate it. As part of Superion, Air Raid participated in the Autobots final battle with Scorponok's Decepticons at the North Pole. He lent his energies to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]] to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
''Thanks to his previous connection to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] began experiencing dreams and visions of new Transformers, beginning with an etching of Superion he made without even being consciously aware of it.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''By sharing his visions with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Buster was able to clarify the images and understand the future of the evolution of the Cybertronian race—amalgam model robots like the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]' [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], capable of a more-streamlined merging into a more powerful form. It was these visions which allowed Optimus Prime and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to conceive of and construct the Aerialbots.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[Image:Air raid aerialbots over america.jpg|left|200px|thumb]]
Working on a plan to reverse engineer the gestalt technology the Decepticons used to create Devastator, Optimus Prime and the Autobots staged a daring raid on the Decepticon base of operations, giving [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] enough time to digitally record the Constructicons' electrical transformation pattern for study. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} Working off that blueprint, Wheeljack successfully created Air Raid and the Aerialbots. During the new warriors' testing phase, however, the Autobots were alerted to a Decepticon operation at Hoover Dam. Only the Aerialbots were fast enough to reach the location in time, and so Prime was forced to send them into battle before their programming was completed.

Air Raid proved to be the most effective of the new Aerialbots in battle. After his fellow jets took a few hits in battle with the Cybertronian [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], Air Raid singlehandedly shook their formation and tore up [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]'s nosecone with his torque rifle, giving the other Aerialbots time to regroup.

The Aerialbots eventually turned the tide on the Decepticons and drove them off, giving them time to focus on the energy siphon which was the core of the problem. At Silverbolt's command, they merged into Superion and began dismantling the drill device. A problem arose, however, when [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]] controlled pawn [[Ricky Vasquez]] pointed [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (in his gun mode) at the giant Autobot. Because the majority of the Aerialbots were not programmed specifically to protect human life, Superion only saw a potential threat that needed to be eliminated. As the human fought against the Decepticons' control, Silverbolt too fought inside Superion's gestalt mind to protect the human. In the end, Silverbolt was forced to disengage Superion to keep him from destroying the human. Luckily, Ricky was more successful and managed to break the cerebro-shell's hold long enough to point Megatron at the drill and destroy it, ending the threat. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

After the near disaster at Hoover Dam, Optimus Prime had the Aerialbots shut down and their programming completely erased. Returned to a blank slate, he then inputted fully-programmed personalities for them with the Matrix before their next mission. It, uh...didn't help. In battle with [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] as Superion, the Aerialbots were attacked by [[Circuit Breaker]], deactivated, and captured by [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]]. It was only a lucky break that they were eventually freed. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

As [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] took over the Autobots, Air Raid and the other Aerialbots took an extended leave of absence from the war, since the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] commander focused Autobot resources on repairing their fallen comrades and prepping the Ark to become spaceworthy again.

[[Image:Aerialbots buster marvel 50.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
Sometime later, it was Air Raid, [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], and [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] who were the first to respond to a distress call from Buster Witwicky, the Autobots' old human ally who had been prisoner to the Decepticons for nearly a year. This led the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces into battle with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had acquired the nigh-infinite power of the [[Underbase]] for himself. The Aerialbots were his first victims, wiped out in a single blast of cosmic power in the skies over New York City. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

Along with the other deactivated Autobots aboard the Ark, Air Raid and the Aerialbots were eventually revived by the [[Nucleon]] super-energy Grimlock and the Dinobots recovered from [[Hydrus Four]].

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}

[[Image:Air raid mystery.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Problem?]]
''One dark and stormy night, Air Raid heard a commotion in the halls of Earthforce's makeshift shuttle base, and turned on the lights to fight [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] struggling with each other in the dark. The story was, Skydive had come by to relieve Wheeljack from guard duty, only to find the post abandoned and signs of a serious struggle in place of his comrade. There was a smoldering patch of ground, a hastily discarded blaster, and animal tracks all over. Thinking quickly, Skydive concluded that [[Fantasy Predacon|one]] of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] had entered the base and ambushed Wheeljack where he sat. He rushed back to the shuttle and found the door had been forced. Seeing a shadowy figure carrying a heavy burden in the dark, Skydive figured it for the Predacon carrying Wheeljack's remains and LEAPT into action!''

''As it turned out, Wheeljack had just overheated the makeshift heating unit he had brought out to keep warm. Getting tangled in the smoking heater, Wheeljack knocked over his own table and broke the lamp. The noise brought an angry [[polar bear]] over, and a frantic Wheeljack tore out of there carrying the still smoldering heater, forcing the door to the shuttle when he reached it. Then some NUT jumped him from out of nowhere!''

''Air Raid suggested everyone go to bed and forget the incident ever happened. The motion carried.'' {{storylink|Mystery!}}

''Air Raid was present with the entire Earthforce team outside Autobot Earthbase when Wheeljack unveiled his brand-new unbreachable defensive system. This was unfortunate, as Wheeljack had forgotten that, once activated, the system could only be turned off from the inside. [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] elected to run the gauntlet and reach the shutdown console inside, and the Aerialbots provided air support for him. Air Raid and his buddies gunned down the [[Acid Bat]]s at the entryway, giving Prowl his chance to get through.'' {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}

{{note|Unlike the rest of Earthforce, the return of the Aerialbots (besides Silverbolt) was never explained on panel. Presumably, Wheeljack rebuilt them in the Bodyshop much like he did for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]].}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''In 2008, Air Raid and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] rushed to defend [[Autobot City]] from [[Quintesson]] invaders. Their crew was quickly overwhelmed, however, and so were the duo when they ran to get some more help.'' {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

=====''Another Time & Place''=====
Air Raid joined Silverbolt and Skydive in an assault on Hydrus Four, blasting open a medical center occupied by the Decepticons in order to rescue the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and prevent the resurrection of Megatron. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Air raid escalation.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
After the defeat of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and his Decepticons on [[Klo]], the Autobots split into smaller combat units throughout the universe. Once Optimus Prime and Grimlock learned of the threat posed by the second generation [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian army]], though, the Autobot forces reconsolidated under their command. Air Raid and the other Aerialbots were first seen after the Autobots had retreated to an asteroid sanctuary for retraining. They were, um, outsmarted by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}} Later, he was rescued by the Decepticon [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in the skies over [[Ethos]] while battling [[Ethos raiding party|Cybertronians]]. {{storylink|Escalation!}} Still, he managed to do a little better against the Cybertronians the second time around, popping jets out of the sky so that the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] could, ah... greet them on the ground below. {{storylink|Total War!}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
At some point in Cybertronian history, roughly around the time of the [[Dark Ages]], Air Raid and his Aerialbot comrades became a combiner subgroup, able to merge to form Superion. Because Superion and his fellow super-robots began causing too much sheer devastation during the war, however, the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]]s were signed by the various factions, prohibiting the use of super-robots. Combiner sub-group members could either join different factions separately (like [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]) or remain together as a neutral, unaligned group (like the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]). What Air Raid and the Aerialbots chose to do is unknown. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[Image:PrimeDirective6 AirRaid punches Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Who's the best F-15?? ME!]]

At some point in the late 20th century, Air Raid and the Aerialbots joined the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' in defeating the Decepticons on Earth, only to be deactivated when the ''[[Ark II]]'' exploded in mid-air on its journey back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} In reality the ship was sabotaged by the rogue engineer-turned arms dealer Adam Rook, known as [[Lazarus]], and General [[Robert Hallo]], who planned on reprogramming the Transformers into the service of the United States military. The Aerialbots were some of the few Transformers who were not recovered by Lazarus for his reprogramming venture, now aimed at hiring out the Transformers to the highest bidder. Instead, they lay immobile in the Arctic waters until reactivated as Superion in 2002 by Optimus Prime, using the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Air Raid and the Aerialbots in their Superion form, battled the Decepticons in the Northwest Territories of [[Canada]] {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} and again in [[San Francisco]]. However, during the initial skirmish, Superion was broken down into his individual components by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], and the Autobots watched in horror as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] hoisted Air Raid in his hand in triumph. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} When Megatron failed to convince Optimus Prime to join his cause, the Autobots were freed and proceeded to clobber the Decepticons, with Air Raid punched [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. However, the insane General Hallo betrayed the Autobots by launching a nuclear missile at San Francisco in the hopes of wiping out all the Transformers. Before Optimus Prime could stop them, the Aerialbots formed Superion and intercepted the missile, ramming it head-on. Superion, and by extension the Aerialbots, were destroyed in stopping the missile. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

The remains of Air Raid and the other Aerialbots were gathered up and studied by [[Earth Defense Command]]. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 issue #0}}
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Early in the war, the Aerialbots responded to Optimus' rallying call for additional support against the Decepticons and fought against the Seekers in the battle that followed. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

Thousands of years later, Air Raid was among the Autobots poised to fight against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Led by [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], he and the other Autobot fliers attacked [[Kimia Facility]] and fought with the many [[Sweep]]s defending it. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}}

After the war ended years later, Air Raid and his fellow Aerialbots worked crowd control on the Decepticons after [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] was murdered. He later followed Silverbolt's lead along with the rest of the Aerialbots in deserting Bumblebee's fledgling government. {{storylink|Stick Together}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Airraid toy.jpg|thumb|right|300px|]]
* '''Air Raid''' (Aerialbot, 1986/1991)
**''Team ID number'': '''A5'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-54'''
**''Accessories'': "[[Torque rifle]]"

: Air Raid transforms from a black [[wikipedia:F-15 Eagle|F-15 Eagle]]. He can combine with his fellow Aerialbots to form Superion, and as a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style limb toy, he can also combine with any Scramble City team leader, though his nominal position is as Superion's left leg.

: In Japan, the Aerialbots were all made available again as mail-away items during ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''. The smaller toys cost 1000 yen (120 more than their original retail price!) and 2 [[Robot Point|robot points]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Air Raid at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Superion}}
*'''Superion''' (Gift set, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-55'''

: All five Aerialbots were also available in many markets as a gift set. The toys were unchanged from their individual releases.

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
* '''Air Raid''' (Aerialbot, 1994)
**''Team ID number'': '''A2'''
**''Accessories'': "Torque Rifle"

: The first ''Generation 2'' Air Raid was a [[redeco]] of the original. His plane mode was primarily blue and featured stickers with a pattern reminiscent of the costume of a [[human]] [[Spider-Man|superhero]]. His robot mode was mostly white and silver .

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Generation 2 Air Raid at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Cyberjet}}
[[Image:AirRaidCybJet-AeroRaid-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wow! I'm Darth Raid!]]
* '''Air Raid''' (Cyberjet, 1995)
**''Accessories'': 2 air-to-air heat-seeking missiles

: Air Raid's second ''Generation 2'' appearance was a redeco of the [[Cyberjet]] [[Skyjack]], transforming into an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-117A Nighthawk]]. He features a pressure-launch missile launcher that becomes his right arm in robot mode. His non-loaded missiles can be stored in clips on the undersides of his wings.

: This toy was sold in Japan without changes (though it did come with an extra decal sheet) as [[Aero Raid]]. This mold was also used to make the 2004 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[#Universe (2003)|version of Air Raid]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)#Toys|Robot Masters]]'' [[Delta Seeker]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Cyberjet Air Raid at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
[[Image:TFU03-toy AirRaidCyberjet.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
* '''Air Raid & Wind Sheer''' (Deluxe, 2004)
**''Accessories'': Missile

: For the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, the Cyberjet Air Raid was redecoed again and released in a two-pack with the [[Decepticon]] [[Wind Sheer (Universe)|Wind Sheer]] at the Deluxe price point. The lack of [[bio]]s for ''Universe'' characters leaves open the possibility that this is not the original Air Raid. Then again, there's nothing that says it ''isn't'', either.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Universe 2003 Air Raid at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Universe-AR-AirRaid.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Skyraid? No, not ''[[Seeker (body-type)#Skyraider|that]]'' Skyraid.]]
*'''Aerial Rivals''' (multi-pack, 2008)
**''Series'': '''Classic Series'''

: A redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Soundwave (Cybertron)#Legends|Soundwave]]'s ''Legends of Cybertron'' figure, Air Raid's color scheme is based upon his ''Generation 2'' Cyberjet incarnation and was only available in a [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] set with [[Blades (G1)#LOC|Blades]], [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Classic Series|Skydive]], [[Ramjet (G1)#Classic Series|Ramjet]], and [[Thrust (G1)#Classic Series|Thrust]].

: The packaging back mistakenly swaps Air Raid and Skydive's names.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUSkydive/skydive.htm More information on Legends Air Raid (mislabeled) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Uni08Superion}}
[[Image:Universe2008 AirRaid.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I inexplicably resemble [[:Image:Energon Starscream toy.jpg|''Energon'' Starscream!]]]]
*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 2008)
**''Series'': '''G1 Series'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 dual-barrel cannons, connector piece, Autobot-type [[energon star]]

:Available only as a component of Superion, this version of Air Raid is a dark grey and black [[redeco]] of [[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|''Energon'']] [[Windrazor (Energon)|Windrazor]]/[[Treadshot (Energon)|Treadshot]], transforming into a small, futuristic fighter resembling an F-22 Raptor. He can also form a leg or arm to any ''Energon''-series "[[Powerlinx]] [[Combiner]]" super robot, though his nominal placement is as the left leg to Superion. He comes with two double-barreled guns and a connector piece, which can form hand-held weapons as well as become a footplate or "hand" for his combined mode, plus a blue "super energon" Autobot-style energon star that fits over his [[spark crystal]].

:Air Raid was released, along with the others in this box set, in ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' (2008) packaging in Australia and Singapore, but was only released as Target-[[exclusive]] set in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Superion (ROTF)|Superion]] packaging in North America. Thus, this toy doubles as [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Air Raid (Movie)|Air Raid]].

:This mold was also used to make [[Fun Publications]] [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]-[[exclusive]] [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]], ''Universe'' [[Airazor (Universe)|Airazor]] and ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Airazor (ROTF)|Airazor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/AirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Air Raid at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
*The ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Air Raid/[[Wind Sheer (Universe)|Wind Sheer]] two-pack was initially listed under the name "Skyjack" in [[Walmart]] computers.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Air Rider''' (エアライダー ''Ea Raidā'')
*''French:'' '''Bombardo''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Tornado'''
*''Russian:'' '''Naletchik''' (Налётчик, "Raider")

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Air_Raid Air Raid's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Aerialbots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Cyberjets]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]

Menasor (G1)

2013-01-31T16:51:48Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Transformers cartoon */ a sign was added to the picture

{{disambig3|Menasor}}
{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Menasor is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Menasor studioox.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Dennis the Menasor]]
'''Menasor''' was meant to be the ultimate Decepticon weapon, and perhaps he would have been if not for the fatal flaw in his design. His mind was designed to merge together the psyches of the five [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] who compose his form. Unfortunately the great depth of resentment the four limb components feel towards [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], plus the extreme differences in attitude that makes them less a team and more a destruction derby, and of course the tiny detail that they're all psychotic, has created a primal psychological rift and left Menasor an unpredictable mass of conflicting, chaotic impulses.

Extremely powerful, highly mentally unstable, and prone to violent tantrums where he lashes out at anything in range, Menasor is not a weapon to point and fire, but a raging monster to turn loose on the battlefield and then get as far out of range as possible.

Menasor is the combined form of all five Stunticons:

*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (leader)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]]
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]]
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]]
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]

{{bigquote|Menasor crush! Destroy!|Menasor on himself|"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Roger C. Carmel]] → [[Regis Cordic]] (English), [[Kōji Totani]] (Japanese), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian, second dub), [[Edgar Wald]] (Latin American), [[Willi Röbke]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1''), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, ''The Ultimate Weapon''), [[Christoph Jablonka]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''The Ultimate Weapon'')
[[Image:KtVS2 Introducing Menasor.jpg|thumb|left|250px| - Don't offend the little ones, Prime!]]
Menasor was formed for the first time to counter the new [[Autobot]] team, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], only to face their combined form of [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. Menasor's sheer aggression drove the Autobot combiner back until he was trapped, only to have victory slip out of his grasp when a newly repaired [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] helped Superion defeat the Decepticon. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

To reclaim the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]] from the Autobots, the Stunticons merged into Menasor. His heavy-handed efforts did more harm than good, however, as the Pearl was knocked free from [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]]'s grasp and was swept up into a cyclone created by its own weather-manipulating powers. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] abandoned the field of battle, leaving Menasor to menace the Autobots until the Pearl's storms wiped out all life on Earth. Menasor kept Bumblebee, [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] on the ropes until the <s>raging jackass</s> champion driver [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]] hopped a cliff in his specially-designed car, launching it full speed ''straight into Menasor's face.'' Even Menasor couldn't shrug off an impact like that, and went down like a sack of tironium bricks. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

[[Image:CosmicRust Menasor holds aloft bug.jpg|thumb|right|200px|By the power of bumblebees!]]
Menasor was summoned by Megatron to use his [[Lightning Bug]] heat ray to incinerate the [[Statue of Liberty]]. He was opposed by a bombing raid from the Aerialbots, who quickly transformed into Superion and grappled with Menasor until they got a chance to destroy the Lightning Bug. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Masquerade Menasors.JPG|left|240px|thumb|"If you are me, then who am I? This is all way too confusing for me."]]
The Stunticons were once captured by the Autobots while performing a series of errands for Megatron. Looking to find out what Megatron was up to, the Autobots disguised themselves as Stunticons to infiltrate the Decepticons. Breakdown managed to shake them free from their cells in the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and uniting as Menasor got them the rest of the way out. As Menasor flew to intercept the imposters, he did his simple best to explain the situation to Megatron. It was unclear whether Megatron or Menasor was MORE confused when the other Stunticons merged into Menasor as well (thanks to [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s magnetics and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s illusions). But being confused made Menasor mad, and Menasor hit things when mad! He finally struck the "Stuntibots" hard enough to reveal the deception. When a cavalry of Autobots arrived, however, Menasor decided he had had enough, and fled. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

When the treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] rampaged with his [[Combaticon (G1)|new army]], Megatron requested the assistance of the Stunticons, only to be rebuffed by Drag Strip. Later, [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] defeated [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and Starscream's victory seemed imminent when the Stunticons finally turned up. At first, the rowdy bunch of cars did not care if Megatron was destroyed, but they realized Starscream would not simply stop at eliminating his former leader. Quickly, they formed Menasor, who dispatched Bruticus with one mighty punch. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[Image:FiveFaces1 Menasor wields sword.jpg|thumb|right|230px]]
In 2005, the Stunticons had retreated with the rest of the Decepticons to the planet of [[Chaar]]. Menasor apparently had been watching a bunch of samurai movies and attacked an energon-deprived Devastator for scraps of energon. Menasor easily won this fight, but was chided strongly by the returning [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

Somewhere within 2005 or 2006, the Stunticons were able to confront a weakened [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], who was missing [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]. Sadly, when they combined into Menasor, he was shot in the back by both [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], disabling him. The epic confrontation between Menasor and Defensor would never come to pass. That's okay, everyone was really worried about [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] anyway. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
Under orders from [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], Menasor joined the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] in an energy raid on [[Tokyo]]. Though challenged by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and a unit of Autobots, Menasor made short work of them by punching all he could in the face with his giant fist. His evil was bested, however, when Prime drove up a ramp and punched ''him'' in the face. The blow was powerful enough to force him to retreat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

Menasor later attacked a baseball stadium where [[Kenji]] was on a date, intending to turn it into a new Decepticon base. Kenji quickly summoned [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] to battle the Decepticon, but Menasor was immediately aided by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. After a short skirmish, Decepticon victory seemed in the bag until Menasor got his legs knocked off. [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] then latched onto the stumps and blasted Menasor away, dumping him in the Pacific Ocean, far away from Japan. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

====''Scramble City'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Kōji Totani]] (Japanese)

Due to Starscream's failure to stop the Aerialbots, the Stunticons were quickly sent in, and soon in the battle formed Menasor. Menasor quickly fought Superion and demonstrated a new power stolen from the Autobots: the ability to exchange any of his limbs into different combinations (despite what animation errors would like you to think). In the battle, Menasor corrupted Superion's formation by shooting one of ''his own'' limbs onto his opponent, rendering Superion vulnerable. However, he was soon stopped, and Superion regained his balance. Eventually, the Combaticons came in to help Menasor (though not willingly), forming Bruticus. The two tag-teamed against Superion, but were both stopped when [[Metroplex (G1)| Scramble City itself]] was brought into battle to end the conflict. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' comics====
The Stunticons joined the entire Decepticon army in a raid on [[Feminia]] to capture the [[Prime Energy Tower]]. Menasor was formed along with [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] to oppose the Autobot battalion guarding the tower. The Autobots own big soldiers were outnumbered by their Decepticon counterparts, but the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] were there to save the day. With a rope! {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' ? (Japanese)

The Stunticons participated in Galvatron's siege on Cybertron. They formed Menasor to fight their Autobot counterparts, but were steamrolled by the might and firepower of the Battleship Maximus. Transporting back to Earth, they attempted to interfere with Hot Rod's quest for the Matrix. Menasor ended up battling Superion all the way from the desert to the Arctic Circle. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

In [[San Francisco]], Menasor assisted Bruticus in using [[buridanka|a carnivorous plant]] to distract the Autobots from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s plans on [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. He fought against the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]' combined form, [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

Much later, the Stunticons assembled in the desert as their Ninja Commander [[Sixshot]] began issuing orders. They assembled as Menasor, and took part in the escalating Decepticon war effort as five separate Autobot outposts were attacked simultaneously at Sixshot's command. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

In [[Lemuria (G1)|Lemuria]], Menasor oversaw the processing of [[crysmagnetal]] for Scorponok's fiendish towers. Along with the entire Decepticon army, he battled the Autobots at the North Pole. Menasor would've killed [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] if [[Sixshot]] hadn't intervened on the boy's behalf. He escaped into space along with the rest of the Decepticons as the battle climaxed. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Zone''====
Over fifteen years later, after several more Decepticon leaders had come and gone, the faction came under the rulership of the supernatural entity [[Violen Jiger]]. This mysterious creature's first action was to recruit a team of [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] from Decepticon history; Menasor was (unfathomably) enlisted as his "Intelligence General" and outfitted with new armor and weaponry to make him even more powerful than before. The generals were charged with acquiring the two objects needed for Violen Jiger's ultimate goal: the Autobot super-fuel [[Energon Z]], and the enigmatic, life-giving energy source, the [[Zodiac]].

{{note|By the time of ''Zone'', Japanese cartoon continuity had already branched off in two similar but distinct directions a few years beforehand. One branch was depicted in the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''Zone'' animated series, while the other was told through their respective [[manga]] and [[Story page|story pages]] as published in ''[[TV Magazine]]''. As such, there are two discrete versions of the ''Zone'' story that both spin out of the cartoon timeline, detailed individually below.}}

=====''Zone'' comic and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}}

The Generals then united to attack planet Feminia once again, this time destroying it utterly. Violen Jiger next charged his Generals with collecting [[Energon Z]] and the all-powerful [[Zodiac]], which he intended to use to fuel his conquest. [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], Menasor, Bruticus and [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] attacked planet Zone, defeating the Micromaster teams and stealing their Energon Z core. The Micromasters pursued them into space, only to be stopped by [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] and his energy web. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}}

The Generals later schooled [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] and the [[Metrosquad]] in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 7}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Masato Hirano]] (Japanese)

[[Image:MenasorZone1.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Hmm, I wonder if he's evil.]]
When [[Violen Jiger]] seized command of the Decepticons, his first act was to recruit nine Demon-Generals from Decepticon history. Menasor was selected to be one of those Generals and was given the odd rank of Intelligence General as well as new power and weaponry to make him an even greater threat than before. Menasor was sent to the Planet [[Feminia]] to wreak havoc along with [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] and [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]. Together, the three Decepticon Demon-Generals destroyed the entire planet and nearly killed [[Star Saber (Victory)|Victory Saber]] in the process. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Menasor second generation.jpg|thumb|left]]
Menasor and the Stunticons were created by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] on Earth, using a special device that allowed him to tap into and divert the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] force while [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was using it to bring life to the Aerialbots. ''The Stunticons were based on a series of dream images sent by the Matrix to [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] and Optimus Prime, and monitored by the Decepticons. In these images, Menasor battled alongside [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] against the Autobot combiners, [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] at the [[Pullen Power Plant]].'' {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} ''Menasor's personality problems handicapped him in battle, however, and Superion was able to trick him into shooting down his own partner. Outnumbered, Menasor attempted to flee, but was tossed into a pit by Superion's stress fracture cannon.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[Image:Menasor superion heavy traffic.jpg|thumb|right]]
Back in reality, Menasor was first formed to do battle with Superion over the Autobot named [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and his human passenger, [[Donny Finkleberg]]. The two gladiators shattered a freeway overpass (or was it an entrance ramp...?) before engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Unfortunately for the Autobots, the ever-unhelpful robot hunter named [[Circuit Breaker]] entered the fray for [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] and zapped Superion, temporarily overloading his circuitry and allowing Menasor to administer the coup-de-grace, courtesy of his [[cyclone rifle]]. Skids and Finkleberg disappeared in the melee, though, forcing the Stunticons to disconnect and begin searching for them anew. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

[[Image:Menasor superion perchance to dream.jpg|thumb|left]]
''Later, Menasor attacked a [[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]] fuel plant, once again drawing the attention of the Aerialbots. [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] and his team were forced to combine into Superion in order to battle the united Stunticons. Unfortunately for Silverbolt, this meant his teammates learned about his fear of heights due to the mental bleedover. Ashamed, he caused Superion to fight back extremely savagely against Menasor, almost injuring innocent civilians in the process.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}}
{{-}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
[[Image:Menasor legacy of unicron.jpg|thumb|right]]
In 2008, the renegade Decepticons [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] teamed up with the freelance peacekeeping agent named [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] to assassinate Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Cut off from the battle by a set of blast doors, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] summoned Menasor to help him break through and deal with the traitors. The super-robot eventually succeeded, but it was too late. Shockwave was dead, and the Decepticons were forced to accept Scourge and Cyclonus as their new leaders. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
[[Image:DreamwaveCover6.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Shoot him before his pelvic thrust is fully realized!]]
Menasor was one of several combiner robots based on the original prototype, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. He existed as the combined form of Motormaster's Stunticons, but was effectively forced into retirement by the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]], which outlawed the use of super-robots among the factions. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

At some point in Cybertron's recent history, the Stunticons were deemed psychotic and too dangerous to function in society, and as a result were placed into perpetual stasis lock inside of a [[Detention Banks|prison facility]]. Later, in an attempt to create a diversion while he set his final plans in motion, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arranged for the release of the Stunticons. They formed into Menasor and ran amok for awhile, until [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived and began insulting them individually. Unable to reconcile with this, the five Stunticons began to bicker with each other over whose fault it was that they were failing, temporarily stopping Menasor and allowing Ultra Magnus to ram the combiner in the chest, forcing him to separate into his component parts and disabling the Stunticons. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:ArtofWar4_Menasor.jpg|thumb|right|150px|]]
When a group of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and [[Cobra]] members ran into the Stunticons in 1930's [[Chicago]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] warned them about the existence of Menasor. Thankfully, Motormaster wasn't around to form the giant. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

After the Stunticons were recruited into [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s army, Menasor attacked an Autobot peace ceremony, teaming up with [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]] to defeat [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} He then tracked down Optimus Prime, stomped on a [[Optimus Prime's rescuees|civilian]] Optimus had just saved, and delivered [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] to pass a message on to the Autobot leader. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}
{{-}}

===''Alternity''===
One of a higher-dimensional [[Megatron (G1)#Alternity|Megatron]]'s many pawns in a "[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy|game full of death and suffering]]", Menasor was empowered to be pitted against an [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|avatar]] of a higher-dimensional [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Alternity|Optimus Prime]], alongside endless hordes of other Decepticons. {{storylink|To Die Game!}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}

The Stunticons were among those left behind in the Decepticon evacuation of Earth. After re-uniting the group, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] used stolen combiner technology to give them the ability to form Menasor. Swindle revealed his grand plan (commandeer the spacecraft that the Decepticons and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod's]] group had been constructing after killing as many of the Autobots as possible) to Hot Rod and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus's]] Autobots, after which Menasor came together for the first time. As the behemoth loomed menacingly before the assembled Autobots, Swindle instructed his creation to "Kill Magnus first." {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}}

The combination wasn't seamless, and the Stunticons were left with individualized consciousnesses instead of a gestalt Menasor mind. Unfortunately for Ultra Magnus, they didn't disagree about killing him...only HOW to kill him. The arrival of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] gave Menasor momentary pause, but ''only'' for a moment. Still, it was long enough for [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to recognize how uncoordinated Menasor's mind(s) was, and instruct the Autobots on exploiting that weakness. By selectively targeting the individual Stunticon components, the Autobots forced them to think of their own safety instead of Menasor's, making the giant easy prey. He was overwhelmed by their firepower, and broken down into separate Decepticons before capture. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

===''Wings Universe''===
After Cybertron entered its new Golden Age, the war between the Autobots and Decepticons still raged in space and on Earth. Menasor was permanently destroyed in battle with his nemesis, [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. Only Breakdown, acting as one of the giant's legs at the time, managed to survive the colossal damage Menasor suffered. He swore revenge against the last surviving [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]], [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]], dedicating himself to finishing the destruction his team had started. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] searched for the truth behind [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s death, he battled Menasor in a game of death and suffering. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}

===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons captured some of the Autobots' greatest warriors, Menasor and [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] stood guard over [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and [[Brainstorm]] on the Jail planet. They were defeated and their prisoners were rescued by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and the other freed Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
* '''Menasor''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-55'''

[[Image:G1menasor toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Not [[Masquerade|Optimus Prime and the Autobots in cosplay]].]]
: Menasor is formed by transforming Motormaster into his torso mode, attaching a [[Roller car|chest plate/scout car]], waist armor and mask on him, then connecting the other Stunticons into the appropriate limb slots in Motormaster's arms and legs. Fists and feet are then attached to the limbs. He is armed with Motormaster's sword and cyclone rifle. The Stunticons were available both individually or in a complete box set available in numerous markets. He also appears far more solid than the other combiners.

: Menasor is the smallest of the [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-type combiners in the Generation 1 toyline.

: A Japanese "VS-A" set with [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] was planned but unreleased.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Menasor/menasor.htm More information on Menasor at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2 Menasor and G2 Defensor.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Generation 2 Defensor and Menasor|Yowza.]]]]
: [[Redeco]]s of all five Stunticons were planned for release in 1994, but were canceled, with only a handful of test shots and production samples made. A small run of [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdowns]] was released as the 1994 BotCon exclusive.

: While no plans for a giftset are known, Menasor would have been constructed using these toys.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
[[Image:Universe2003MenasorTestshot.jpg|thumb|300px|Man. He looks like a rolling bruise.]]
* '''Menasor''' (Ultra, unreleased)

: A redeco of [[Thunder Clash]] (or, more accurately, the ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Optimus Prime [[Retool|retooling]]) as Menasor was planned as a store exclusive for the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe toyline]]'', but was ultimately canceled. It was initially supposed to be Motormaster, but trademark issues forced a name change.

::*''[http://www.iaconone.com/datatrax/datatrax_002.php Unproduced Universe Menasor package art at Iacon One Datatrax]''

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Classics===
*'''Menasor''' (Legends, 2006)

[[Image:ClassicsLOCMenasor.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Not [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]].]]
:This black and purple [[redeco]] of ''[[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]] transforms into a Cybertronic truck cab. It was intended to be Motormaster, but the name [[trademark]] could not be obtained. The toy was given the name "Menasor", and the super robot's function of "Super Warrior," effectively making him Menasor, not Motormaster.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Zone]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/ClassicsMenasor/menasor.htm More information on ''Classics'' Menasor at TFU.info.]''

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium-toy Menasor.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Not [[Dark Hot Rod]].]]
*'''Menasor''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, display stand

: A [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] [[exclusive]] first sold at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2007, Menasor is a redeco of the ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Rodimus Prime]], transforming into a Cybertronic Winnebago-ish thing.

:According to this Menasor's bio, he is a single entity built from the bodies of the individual Stunticons and controlled by their psychotic, permanently unified minds. Whether this same backstory applies to the Classics or Universe toys is unknown.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/SDCCMenasor/menasor.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Menasor on TFU.info.]''
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Forms Robo===
*'''Menasor''' (1987)

:Menasor was also part of the small ''[[Forms Robo]]'' collection of larger rubber figures, with this version of the character standing at around twice the height of a regular Decoy. Like the other figures in this series, Menasor was packaged in an individual baggie and was available in red, blue, green and yellow.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:MenasorEarly.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Menasor got dressed in a rush this morning.]]
* An alternate animation character sheet from the original cartoon exists for Menasor. It features all of the limbs in different orientations (the arms upside-down, the legs reversed) from the final model ''and'' the chest sports an Autobot symbol (!), suggesting, perhaps, that the Stunticon and Aerialbot toy factions may have originally been the other way around. This model was used for the toy [[commercial]] which appeared to introduce the Stunticons and Aerialbots, though with the faction symbol corrected.

* The animators frequently misinterpreted Menasor's character model. Instead of having the four small Stunticons as his actual limbs (with, for example, his fist directly attached to Drag Strip's form), he was drawn as though the four cars attached on top of generic blocky limbs that extended from Motormaster, which would pretty much negate the whole point of the combining schtick.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Menasor''' (メナゾール ''Menazōru'')
*''Italian:'' '''Pentacar''' (toyline and season 3), '''Ultrax''' (cartoon)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Ameaçador''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Megasaur''' (Мегазавр ''Megazavr'')
*''French (Canada):'' '''Menaseur''' (limb cards and cartoon), '''Confusio''' (Motormaster's box)

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Menasor Menasor's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Stunticons]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Zone Decepticons]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2013-01-31T16:45:54Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Great Transformer War comic */ added a new sign

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[smelting pool]]s. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[File:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[File:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[File:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[File:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[File:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[File:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[File:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[File:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[File:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[File:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One====
{{noteRG1}}
After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least 2 years. At some point [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] wanted to live his life and intruders were able to get aboard the crashed ship and re-awaken [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Circa 1994, Fort Max battled Megatron and died, which crippled Spike's voluntary nervous system in the process. Spike's body was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[File:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[File:Rebirth3 fortmax battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[File:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px|- Why are you so pale? - It is the winter camouflage, dude!]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[File:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[File:Hm1 battleship maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[File:Hm2 kup and fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[File:Hm5 fortmax headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[File:Hm6 fortmax funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[File:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[File:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[File:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[File:Hm17 maximus vs scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px|That's how the scorpions breed!]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[File:Hm23 fortmax sword slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[File:Hm25 fortress cradles magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[File:Hm26 weak spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[File:Hm28 fortress examines targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[File:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Insert 80's computer joke here.]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[File:Hm31 fortmax defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[File:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[File:Hm35 final battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[File:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[File:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[File:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[File:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[File:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream]]s, he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[combiner|gestalt]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[File:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}
[[File:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|left|200px|thumb|]]
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit Rung, much to Maximus' anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it was highly doubtful any other Transformer even close to this size would ever be made again, until his planned release in the Encore line was announced. ''(see below)''

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[File:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories:'' Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword, Cerebros's sword.
: The first re-release of Fortress Maximus in Encore.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[File:Tfgum fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[File:Pdtype fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}

===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[File:Fortmax scf hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[File:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsuēi'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

==External links==
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Fortress_Maximus Fortress Maximus's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)

2013-01-16T18:25:09Z

He-l-en1959: /* Generation 1 */ added a new sign

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Skydive}}
{{picsneeded}}
:''Skydive is an [[Autobot]] [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Skydive profile.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Bookish flying ace extraordinaire.]]
'''Skydive''', it has been said, would rather read about an aerial battle than take part in one. He's the Aerialbots' resident bookworm and is fascinated by the history and science behind aerial warfare. Within the limits of his design, he's capable of duplicating the flight patterns of anything he sees. His knowledge of aerial warfare and tactics is unmatched. Skydive is probably the most skilled Autobot flier in existence. All of that, and you're more likely to find him secluded in a cozy library than actually in the sky. He's simply too modest and bookish to realize how smart and skilled he really is. Thankfully the rest of the Autobots definitely do.

Skydive combines with his fellow [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] to form [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

==Fiction==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Laurie Faso]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese), [[Héctor Vieyra]] (Latin American), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''Ghost in the Machine''), [[Christian Weygand]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Ghost in the Machine'')

[[Image:Skydive slingshot.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Skydive tries to explain to Slingshot why his wrist-mounted sundial doesn't work in the shade.]]

At one point during the eternal war with the Autobots on Earth, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] grew fed up with how his opponents ruled the roads and created a group of Decepticon cars known as the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. In order to give his new warriors life, he brought them to Cybertron and tracked down the ancient supercomputer, [[Vector Sigma]], to input cybernetic personalities into the Stunticons. Thanks to a series of traps and drones in their way, the Autobots failed to prevent Megatron from succeeding and returning to Earth. Seeking to even the playing field, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] conceived of the idea of retrofitting several broken-down Cybertronian ships into Earthly jets, and bringing them to life as a team of Autobot flyers. With the help of his technical savvy soldiers, [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], Wheeljack, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and Prime's own creator, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Optimus's plan was enacted and the Aerialbots were born. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:Skydivewardawn.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Pose by [[Pat Lee|Funana.]]]]

Because Optimus Prime specified to Vector Sigma that the Aerialbots be given personalities that required them to learn and grow, and make their own decisions, however, Skydive and his friends were not instantly bound to the Autobot cause. Their sense of pride in their flying ability caused many of them to look down on the other Autobots. Despite their personalities being like night and day, Skydive and Slingshot were frequent flying partners and often on the same side of any argument. Skydive's eye for aerial maneuvering left him just as impressed as the more emotional Slingshot when it came to the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]' flight skills, and this innocent zest for knowledge led him and his partners into a Decepticon trap. Turning the [[Kronosphere]] on the hapless Autobots, Megatron sent the Aerialbots back in time nine million years. Their journey led them to the earliest days of the war, and they personally saw Megatron maliciously gun down unarmed Cybertronians in his quest for power. Skydive and the other Aerialbots returned to the present with an unshakeable commitment to seeing the Decepticon threat ended. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

Skydive and [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] were once carved up into pieces and somehow put back together by a street kid who also just happened to be a deposed royal prince of a Middle Eastern nation who was also a mechanical genius. Convenient. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

[[Image:Primesb&skydiveairassault.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Better an arch than [[Triple Takeover|a throne]].]]

After the death of Megatron and the retaking of Cybertron, Skydive and the Aerialbots became part of the Autobot Fleet. When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and Spike were kidnapped to [[Quintessa]], the rescue party alerted the Aerialbots to swoop by for covering fire and pick-up. [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] and Skydive made the strafing run that took out the Quintessons' defensive [[proton cannon]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}

When the Quintessons destroyed their own planet to get at the Autobots, the resulting blast wave destroyed the Aerialbots' ship, sending Skydive and the rest hurtling through space. Although they clearly survived, Skydive, Fireflight and Slingshot were not seen after the explosion. They eventually impacted on [[Goo 8739B]], and were rescued by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}

Skydive was present when Optimus Prime briefly returned from the dead, and gathered the Autobot Fleet for an attack on the Quintessons. He was also on the flagship with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] when they spotted Hot Rod and the others coming to warn the Fleet about the Quintesson trap. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

{{Note|In the episode "[[Dark Awakening]]", several jets in the Autobot Fleet resembling the Aerialbots' alt modes were destroyed by the Quintessons. Repeatedly. Since the Aerialbots unquestionably survived the attack, it would seem their character models were merely used to build up the size of the fleet, and the casualty figures.}}

[[Image:Skydiveaerialassault.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Truly, I swear, I didn't take your trousers!]]Before long, history repeated itself (literally) as Skydive and the Aerialbots had another time travel adventure involving Alpha Trion, only this time it involved the ancient Autobot himself traveling into the present from the past, back from when he was merely A3. The Quintessons were experimenting with [[Time Window]] technology when Perceptor and a group of Autobots came across their work. Summoned for reinforcements, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] arrived with Superion and the other Autobots to drive the Quintessons off the asteroid. As the time window was left open, a robot named A3 materialized on the asteroid. It wasn't until after the Quintessons convinced the Autobots that the window needed to be closed for the sake of the universe, and A3 returned to his own time, that Skydive and the Aerialbots realized they had once again been in the presence of "the father of the Autobots". {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

Once, Air Raid led the Decepticon duo of [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] into an asteroid field where Skydive and his fellow Aerialbots were waiting to spring an ambush. The Aerialbots messed the Decepticons up pretty badly, especially after they transformed into Superion. Eventually, Skydive and the others chased the Decepticons through a strange warp in space. This proceeded to have no consequences for [[Sandstorm (G1)|anyone]] [[Paradron|whatsoever]]. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

Skydive and the Aerialbots were spending a relaxing day watching home movies on [[Teletraan II]] when things suddenly got serious, as the Autobots' computer off-handedly informed them [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] was never destroyed in his last battle with [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. Sure enough, Silverbolt and Skydive were later present at the former site of Fort Knox, investigating Trypticon's handiwork on behalf of the [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|King of Kings]] of [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. When they tracked Trypticon to his new staging grounds, Skydive and the Aerialbots launched from [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], but the Decepticon presence in Carbombya was more than they had anticipated. The Aerialbots made a hasty retreat when confronted with overwhelming firepower, but soon returned with reinforcements and drove the Decepticons from Carbombya. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

During a battle in space, Skydive and the Aerialbots may or may not have been present. Superion, at least, was surely there on the planet [[Eurythma]]... sometimes. {{storylink|Carnage in C-Minor}} Skydive was ''definitely'' stationed at Autobot City, though, when [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] stole Metroplex's eyes. The massive Autobot was nearly driven mad with pain when the Decepticons set off a bomb in his brain, and Skydive, Silverbolt and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] had to keep him contained so that his thrashing didn't destroy anything irreplaceable. Like Portland. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

After [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] took some hostile fire over the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]], Rodimus Prime dispatched Skydive and the Aerialbots to investigate. They were caught in a crossfire between the brain-addled Junkions and the Quintessons, who were responsible for messing with the Junkions' air waves, and their minds. Even after becoming Superion, the Aerialbots took heavy fire and had to be brought back to [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] on Cybertron for repairs. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} Later, Skydive and the Aerialbots were working with Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus in Europe to fend off the latest wave of Decepticon attacks. When Trypticon arrived, they played the bi-planes to his King Kong. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

Skydive made a brief appearance when the Autobots brought their new generator on-line after the creation of the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}} During the Decepticon invasion of Japan, the Aerialbots fought against [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] when he tried to derail a bullet train full of passengers. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}} Sometime thereafter, Skydive and the Aerialbots were recruited by Rodimus Prime to rescue the body of Optimus Prime from [[Gregory Swofford|Swofford]] and [[Mark Morgan|Morgan]]. Unfortunately, this only meant they were among the first Autobots exposed to the [[Hate Plague]]. Despite the madness induced by the red dust, the Aerialbots were apparently still willing to form Superion. Superion ran amok, causing serious property damage, infecting [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], and taking several other Autobots out of action. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

When the Decepticons invaded Cybertron searching for the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], the Aerialbots tried to stop them. Unfortunately, they didn't reckon with [[Sixshot]]. Despite his skill as an aerial ace, Skydive was matched move for move by Sixshot in his starfighter mode, and was blasted out of the sky. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} The [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] then took his [[power pack]] to use as fuel for the giant rocket engine they were constructing for [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
When the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s confronted Menasor at a baseball stadium, Skydive and the Aerialbots arrived as back-up. They formed Superion to engage Menasor and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. After [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] was injured, Superion targeted the Decepticon combiners' legs, shaking them loose and giving the smaller Protectobots a chance to link up with the Decepticon gestalts and override control of their bodies. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}} After the Autobots discovered a utopia island paradise, it was besieged by Megatron and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], who wanted to build an impregnable fortress. [[Kenji]] radioed for help, and Optimus Prime sent Skydive and the Aerialbots to the rescue. As Superion they fought off [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] using their smarts to outthink the evil warriors. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

====''Scramble City'' cartoon====
Skydive and the Aerialbots were dispatched from the [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] to aid Optimus Prime in battle with the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Their aerial firepower frankly overwhelmed the marauding Decepticons, and sent them home with their transistors between their struts. On his second attempt, Megatron sent the Stunticons, who were considerably more successful in engaging the Autobots. Damaged in jet modes, Skydive the Aerialbots chose instead to merge and form Superion. As Superion, they possessed scramble combining abilities, but so did the Stunticons when they formed Menasor. The Aerialbots were in the midst of reconfiguring their limb formation when Fireflight, being...well, a daydreaming idiot, mixed up whether he was supposed to be the right leg or the left. His indecision gave Menasor time to shoot him down, and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] assumed the place of Superion's right leg instead, corrupting his programming. Skydive and the others were trapped as Superion, literally fighting themselves, until Fireflight retook his place as Superion's limb. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
In 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] of [[Eran]] to utilize his skills and improve the Decepticons' combiner technology. Skydive and the Aerialbots joined the Protectobots in assaulting Trypticon, in hopes of rescuing the hostage scientist. Skydive and his team formed Superion for a first strike, but the Decepticon combiners countered with their deployment modes, launching the Stunticon and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] troops with enough force to tear Superion apart. The Protectobots stood guard over [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] as he performed battlefield triage on the Aerialbots in his repair bay mode, bringing them back on-line. Silverbolt then transformed into launcher mode and unleashed Skydive and the other Aerialbots in their own scramble attack, blinding Menasor and Bruticus long enough for the Autobots to escape safely with Dalton. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
Skydive and the Aerialbots were stationed at Autobot City on Earth in 2011. When Galvatron attacked Cybertron via the old [[space bridge]] network, the Aerialbots were summoned to Cybertron as reinforcements. They soon arrived with the [[Trainbot]]s and quickly joined the battle. Skydive and his team formed Superion and battled [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] and Devastator. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Later, the combined Aerialbots fought alongside [[Raiden]] and Defensor against the Decepticon combiners, and were nearly crushed when Bruticus collapsed a building on their position. They were bailed out by the arrival of the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]]. When Hot Rod began his search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on Earth, Skydive and the Aerialbots returned to the humans' planet to assist him. They confronted the Stunticons in the desert, pitting Superion against Menasor yet again. The battle was so fierce it eventually carried them to the Arctic where Hot Rod was searching. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Skydive and his flying comrades joined the [[Triple Changer]]s in distracting the Decepticons long enough for [[Blaster (G1)|Twincast]] to sneak inside Trypticon and gather data on the [[Madmachine]]. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} Sometime later, Skydive and the Aerialbots were on a research vessel that passed near a [[Metamorphose|strange meteorite]]. The meteorite had been altered by Galvatron to produce magnetic warping waves whenever it detected metal, and so it send the Aerialbots and their ship twisting through space. Although the Decepticons tried to intervene, the Autobots eventually recovered Skydive and his injured colleagues. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

Following a lengthy repair cycle, Skydive and the Aerialbots were ready for action when Galvatron and the Decepticons laid siege to Cybertron one last time. Transporting to Cybertron from Earth, they raced into battle (on foot, for some reason). Skydive and the team got the drop on the Stunticons when they merged into Superion, smashing and scattering the 'Cons before they could form Menasor. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} As the fighting continued, the Aerialbots battled Abominus as Superion and later separated to trade blaster fire with the Stunticons. The warring only came to an end once [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s bombs blew up [[Vector Sigma]] and annihilated the planet.{{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

When [[buridanka|a giant carnivorous plant]] attacked San Francisco, Ultra Magnus dispatched Skydive and the Aerialbots to combat it. Although they made frequent bombing runs on the organism, the Aerialbots were unable to stop it. Only the arrival of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] and his powerful giant [[Transtector]] brought an end to the creature's rampage. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} Skydive and the Aerialbots were part of a strike team that flew to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to disrupt Scorponok's gathering of Decepticons. They immediately formed Superion upon entering the battle. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}}

When one of Scorponok's Death Towers emerged in Washington D.C., Skydive and the Aerialbots were dispatched to investigate it. As part of Superion, Skydive participated in the Autobots final battle with Scorponok's Decepticons at the North Pole. He lent his energies to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]] to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
''Thanks to his previous connection to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] began experiencing dreams and visions of new Transformers, beginning with an etching of Superion he made without even being consciously aware of it.'' {{storylink|Devastation Derby!}} ''By sharing his visions with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], Buster was able to clarify the images and understand the future of the evolution of the Cybertronian race—amalgam model robots like the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]' [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], capable of a more-streamlined merging into a more powerful form. It was these visions which allowed Optimus Prime and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to conceive of and construct the Aerialbots.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[Image:Skydive aerialbots over america.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"I'll dance on your grave!"]]
Working on a plan to reverse engineer the gestalt technology the Decepticons used to create Devastator, Optimus Prime and the Autobots staged a daring raid on the Decepticon base of operations, giving [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] enough time to digitally record the Constructicons' electrical transformation pattern for study. {{storylink|Command Performances!}} Working off that blueprint, Wheeljack successfully created Skydive and the Aerialbots. During the new warriors' testing phase, however, the Autobots were alerted to a Decepticon operation at Hoover Dam. Only the Aerialbots were fast enough to reach the location in time, and so Prime was forced to send them into battle before their programming was completed.

Arriving to find a giant energy siphoning device being channeled through the [[space bridge]], [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] deferred to Skydive's strategic knowledge on how to deal with the target. Skydive's preliminary attack run failed to even damage the device, however, and before he could make a second pass the Decepticon jet [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] took the offensive, temporarily grounding Skydive with the disruptive power of his engines.

The Aerialbots eventually turned the tide on the Decepticons and drove them off, giving them time to focus on the energy siphon which was the core of the problem. At Silverbolt's command, they merged into Superion and began dismantling the drill device. A problem arose, however, when [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]] controlled pawn [[Ricky Vasquez]] pointed [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (in his gun mode) at the giant Autobot. Because the majority of the Aerialbots were not programmed specifically to protect human life, Superion only saw a potential threat that needed to be eliminated. As the human fought against the Decepticons' control, Silverbolt too fought inside Superion's gestalt mind to protect the human. In the end, Silverbolt was forced to disengage Superion to keep him from destroying the human. Luckily, Ricky was more successful and managed to break the cerebro-shell's hold long enough to point Megatron at the drill and destroy it, ending the threat. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}}

After the near disaster at Hoover Dam, Optimus Prime had the Aerialbots shut down and their programming completely erased. Returned to a blank slate, he then input fully-programmed personalities for them with the Matrix before their next mission. It, uh... didn't help. In battle with [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] as Superion, the Aerialbots were attacked by [[Circuit Breaker]], deactivated, and captured by [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]]. It was only a lucky break that they were eventually freed. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

As [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] took over the Autobots, Skydive and the other Aerialbots took an extended leave of absence from the war, since the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] commander focused Autobot resources on repairing their fallen comrades and prepping the Ark to become spaceworthy again.

Sometime later, it was Skydive, [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]], and [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] who were the first to respond to a distress call from Buster Witwicky, the Autobots' old human ally who had been prisoner to the Decepticons for nearly a year. This led the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces into battle with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had acquired the nigh-infinite power of the [[Underbase]] for himself. The Aerialbots were his first victims, wiped out in a single blast of cosmic power in the skies over New York City. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

Along with the other deactivated Autobots aboard the Ark, Skydive and the Aerialbots were eventually revived by the [[Nucleon]] super-energy Grimlock and the Dinobots recovered from [[Hydrus Four]].

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''Fresh off the RE-assembly line, Skydive screwed up an Autobot mission by broadcasting the location of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and his hijacked Decepticon ozone rocket over an uncoded frequency. Luckily, Prowl managed to remove the poison gas canisters before the Decepticons got there, and the two 'Con factions ended up fighting over nothing of value.'' {{storylink|Life in the Slow Lane}}

[[Image:Skydive mystery.jpg|thumb|200px|right|"Has anyone seen my right leg?"]]
''A few nights later, Skydive was coming to relieve [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] from a late-night guard shift when he found signs of a skirmish. Wheeljack was gone, and some animal tracks he took for signs of [[Fantasy Predacon|Predacon]] activity were all over the place! Tracing them to the main base, Skydive found it had been forced open, and a shadowy figure was creeping through the halls. He leapt into action!...right on top of poor Wheeljack. It turned out Ol' Wheels had tripped over his lamp and heating unit at the guard post, run into a [[polar bear]], and scampered away out of sheer fright, forcing the door when he couldn't find his key.''

''This incident was mercifully left off the official duty logs.'' {{storylink|Mystery!}}

''Skydive was present with the entire Earthforce team outside Autobot Earthbase when Wheeljack unveiled his brand-new unbreachable defensive system. This was unfortunate, as Wheeljack had forgotten that, once activated, the system could only be turned off from the inside. Prowl elected to run the gauntlet and reach the shutdown console inside, and the Aerialbots provided air support for him. Skydive and his buddies gunned down the [[Acid Bat]]s at the entryway, giving Prowl his chance to get through.'' {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}

{{note|Unlike the rest of Earthforce, the return of the Aerialbots (besides Silverbolt) was never explained on panel. Presumably, Wheeljack rebuilt them in the Bodyshop much like he did for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]].}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''In 2008, Skydive was on monitor duty at [[Autobot City]] when he detected a "disappearing blip" on the radar screens. He alerted [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], but before they could ID the contact, the contact ID'ed itself: [[Quintesson]] [[Trident Attack Craft]] on bombing runs! Skydive was knocked out by the oncoming blast, but Blaster dragged him to a safe place.'' {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

=====Another Time & Place=====
When [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the Decepticons took control of the Nucleon supply at Hydrus Four, Skydive joined Air Raid and Silverbolt in bombing the medical center to announce the Autobots' imminent arrival. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Skydive all or nothing.jpg|thumb|200px|left|]]
After the Autobots split into smaller combat units throughout the universe, Skydive was sent to Earth with a group of Autobots under [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]]'s command to deal with the re-emergence of Megatron. The Decepticon's new abilities and [[Cobra]] allies proved a considerable challenge, though. After half their number were killed and their transport destroyed, Skydive volunteered for a strategic play to get inside the enemy-controlled Ark. Shutting off his systems on a time-delay to appear as lifeless machinery to the sensors Megatron had set up in the ship, he was smuggled aboard the Ark by some disguised [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] soldiers. {{storylink|Final Transformations}} Once inside, he received some surprise help from [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], who had returned just in time to reconnect with his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] partner, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. With Fortress Maximus sacrificing his life to distract Megatron and destroy the Ark, Skydive got to safety with [[Sidney Biggles-Jones|Dr. Sidney Biggles-Jones]], the human scientist Megatron had taken prisoner. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Once Megatron resurfaced with Starscream and reassumed command of the Decepticon army from [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], Skydive sent a transmission to Optimus Prime and soon left Earth duty to reunite with his fellow Aerialbots in the stars. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}} He was later involved in the ill-fated defense of the planet [[Ethos]], {{storylink|Escalation!}} and the battle for Earth against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian armada]]. {{storylink|Total War!}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
Skydive and his fellow Aerialbots became one of the first Autobot "[[Special Teams]]" several million years ago, adopting the process used to create [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in order to become Superion. The unchecked destructive power of these super-robots was eventually recognized by the Autobot and Decepticon factions, however. By the time of the Dark Ages, the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]] had been ratified, strictly forbidding Special Teams from operating together on any given faction, in order to prevent these titans from tearing the planet apart. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[Image:DWPrimeDirective6_Autobots_wanttheirheads.jpg|thumb|250px|]]

Millions of years later, Skydive and the Aerialbots were active on [[Earth]] with Optimus Prime and the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. They did not arrive on that ship, however, and the actual manner of their arrival was never explained. The war on the human homeworld raged from the 1980s until 1998 when the Decepticons were finally defeated, and in the following year, the ''[[Ark II]]'' was constructed to take the Transformers home. However, the ship was sabotaged by the rogue engineer-turned arms dealer Adam Rook, known as [[Lazarus]], and General [[Robert Hallo]], who planned on reprogramming the Transformers into the service of the United States military. The Aerialbots were some of the few Transformers who were not recovered by Lazarus for his reprogramming venture, now aimed at hiring out the Transformers to the highest bidder. Instead, they were reactivated as Superion in 2002 by Optimus Prime, using the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

Silverbolt and the Aerialbots in their Superion form, battled the Decepticons in the Northwest Territories of [[Canada]] {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} and again in [[San Francisco]]. During the latter conflict, Superion was broken down into his individual components while battling [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} When Megatron failed to convince Optimus Prime to join his cause, Skydive and his team were freed and eventually reunified in order to intercept a nuclear missile (launched by General Hallo) headed for the California coastline. Superion, and by extension the Aerialbots, were destroyed in stopping the missile. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

Their remains were collected secretly by [[Earth Defense Command]] and held in Area 51. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}
{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===

Early in the war, the Aerialbots responded to Optimus' rallying call for additional support against the Decepticons and fought against the Seekers in the battle that followed. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

Thousands of years later, Skydive was among the Autobots poised to fight against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Led by [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], he and the other Autobot fliers attacked [[Kimia Facility]] and fought with the many [[Sweep]]s defending it. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}}

After the war ended, Skydive and his fellow Aerialbots worked crowd control on the Decepticons after Ratbat was murdered. He later followed Silverbolt's lead along with the rest of the Aerialbots in deserting Bumblebee's fledgling government. {{storylink| Stick Together}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
* '''Skydive''' (Aerialbot, 1986)
**''Team ID number'': '''A2'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-51'''
**''Accessories'': "[[Nega-gun]]"

: Skydive transforms into an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|F-16 Falcon fighter jet]]. As a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style combiner, he can form the arm or leg to any super robot of compatible construction, though his nominal placement is as the right leg to [[Superion (G1)|Superion]].

:All five Aerialbots were made available as mail-away offers in Japan during ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''. Skydive (like all the other limb-jets) cost 1000 yen and two [[Robot Point|robot points]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Skydive/skydive.htm More information on Skydive at TFU.info]''

*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-55'''

: All five Aerialbots were made available in a gift set, released in most markets. The toys are identical to their individually-packaged versions.
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
* '''Skydive''' (Aerialbot, 1994)
**''Team ID number:'' '''A1'''
**''Accessories'': "Mega Gun"

: Skydive was [[Redeco|redecoed]] for his ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' release, gaining a fetching gray and blue scheme.
{{-}}

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/Skydive/skydive.htm More information on Generation 2 Skydive at TFU.info]''

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
[[Image:Universe-AR-Skydive.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Airdive?]]
*'''Aerial Rivals''' (multi-pack, 2008)

: A redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Jetfire (Armada)#LOC|Jetfire]]'s ''Legends of Cybertron'' figure, Skydive transforms into a cargo plane with a color scheme based upon his ''Generation 2'' incarnation. In his plane form, the tail section can be swiveled up to form an attack mode. He was only available in a [[Target]]-[[exclusive]] set with [[Blades (G1)#LOC|Blades]], [[Air Raid (G1)#Classic Series|Air Raid]], [[Ramjet (G1)#Classic Series|Ramjet]], and [[Thrust (G1)#Classic Series|Thrust]].

: The packaging back mistakenly swaps Air Raid and Skydive's names.

: This mold was also used for ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[Fireflight (G1)#Classics|Fireflight]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUAirRaid/airraid.htm More information on Legends Skydive (mislabeled) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

====G1 Series====
[[Image:Universe2008 Skydive.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Superion''' (Multi-pack, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Shield/double-cannon, Autobot-type [[energon star]]

:Available only as a component of ''Universe'' Superion, this version of Skydive is a lavender and grey redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Sky Shadow (Energon)|Sky Shadow]]/[[Terradive (Energon)|Terradive]] mold, transforming into an A-10 "Thunderbolt" plane. He can also form a leg or arm to any ''Energon''-series "[[Powerlinx]] [[Combiner]]" super robot, though his nominal placement is as the right leg to Superion. He comes with a shield/double cannon that can become a footplate or "hand" for his combined mode, plus a blue "super energon" Autobot-style energon star that fits over his [[spark crystal]].

:He shares his mold with fellow Superion pack-mate [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]].

:Skydive was released, along with the others in this box set, in ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' (2008) packaging in Australia and Singapore, but it is unknown if this version will be released anywhere else. This set was released as a Target-[[exclusive]] set in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Superion (ROTF)|Superion]] packaging for North America. Thus, this toy doubles as [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Skydive (Movie)|Skydive]].

:This mold was also used to make [[Fun Publications]] [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]-[[exclusive]] ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/Skydive/skydive.htm More information on Skydive at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Skydive''' (スカイダイブ ''Sukaidaibu'')
*''French:'' '''Parachuto''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Log'''
*''Russian:'' '''Pikirovshhik''' (Пикировщик, "Diver")

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Skydive Skydive's ''Universe'' profile at NFTA.net]

[[Category:Aerialbots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Menasor (G1)

2013-01-16T18:16:00Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Transformers cartoon */ a sign was added to the picture

{{disambig3|Menasor}}
{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Menasor is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Menasor studioox.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Dennis the Menasor]]
'''Menasor''' was meant to be the ultimate Decepticon weapon, and perhaps he would have been if not for the fatal flaw in his design. His mind was designed to merge together the psyches of the five [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] who compose his form. Unfortunately the great depth of resentment the four limb components feel towards [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], plus the extreme differences in attitude that makes them less a team and more a destruction derby, and of course the tiny detail that they're all psychotic, has created a primal psychological rift and left Menasor an unpredictable mass of conflicting, chaotic impulses.

Extremely powerful, highly mentally unstable, and prone to violent tantrums where he lashes out at anything in range, Menasor is not a weapon to point and fire, but a raging monster to turn loose on the battlefield and then get as far out of range as possible.

Menasor is the combined form of all five Stunticons:

*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (leader)
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]]
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]]
*[[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]]
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]

{{bigquote|Menasor crush! Destroy!|Menasor on himself|"[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Roger C. Carmel]] → [[Regis Cordic]] (English), [[Kōji Totani]] (Japanese), [[Toni Orlandi]] (Italian, second dub), [[Edgar Wald]] (Latin American), [[Willi Röbke]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1''), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, ''The Ultimate Weapon''), [[Christoph Jablonka]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''The Ultimate Weapon'')
[[Image:KtVS2 Introducing Menasor.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Menasor was formed for the first time to counter the new [[Autobot]] team, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], only to face their combined form of [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. Menasor's sheer aggression drove the Autobot combiner back until he was trapped, only to have victory slip out of his grasp when a newly repaired [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] helped Superion defeat the Decepticon. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

To reclaim the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]] from the Autobots, the Stunticons merged into Menasor. His heavy-handed efforts did more harm than good, however, as the Pearl was knocked free from [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]]'s grasp and was swept up into a cyclone created by its own weather-manipulating powers. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] abandoned the field of battle, leaving Menasor to menace the Autobots until the Pearl's storms wiped out all life on Earth. Menasor kept Bumblebee, [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] on the ropes until the <s>raging jackass</s> champion driver [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]] hopped a cliff in his specially-designed car, launching it full speed ''straight into Menasor's face.'' Even Menasor couldn't shrug off an impact like that, and went down like a sack of tironium bricks. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

[[Image:CosmicRust Menasor holds aloft bug.jpg|thumb|right|200px|By the power of bumblebees!]]
Menasor was summoned by Megatron to use his [[Lightning Bug]] heat ray to incinerate the [[Statue of Liberty]]. He was opposed by a bombing raid from the Aerialbots, who quickly transformed into Superion and grappled with Menasor until they got a chance to destroy the Lightning Bug. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Masquerade Menasors.JPG|left|240px|thumb|"If you are me, then who am I? This is all way too confusing for me."]]
The Stunticons were once captured by the Autobots while performing a series of errands for Megatron. Looking to find out what Megatron was up to, the Autobots disguised themselves as Stunticons to infiltrate the Decepticons. Breakdown managed to shake them free from their cells in the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and uniting as Menasor got them the rest of the way out. As Menasor flew to intercept the imposters, he did his simple best to explain the situation to Megatron. It was unclear whether Megatron or Menasor was MORE confused when the other Stunticons merged into Menasor as well (thanks to [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s magnetics and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]'s illusions). But being confused made Menasor mad, and Menasor hit things when mad! He finally struck the "Stuntibots" hard enough to reveal the deception. When a cavalry of Autobots arrived, however, Menasor decided he had had enough, and fled. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

When the treacherous [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] rampaged with his [[Combaticon (G1)|new army]], Megatron requested the assistance of the Stunticons, only to be rebuffed by Drag Strip. Later, [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] defeated [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and Starscream's victory seemed imminent when the Stunticons finally turned up. At first, the rowdy bunch of cars did not care if Megatron was destroyed, but they realized Starscream would not simply stop at eliminating his former leader. Quickly, they formed Menasor, who dispatched Bruticus with one mighty punch. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[Image:FiveFaces1 Menasor wields sword.jpg|thumb|right|230px|"What a bloody jeek had stolen a battery from my light sword?"]]
In 2005, the Stunticons had retreated with the rest of the Decepticons to the planet of [[Chaar]]. Menasor apparently had been watching a bunch of samurai movies and attacked an energon-deprived Devastator for scraps of energon. Menasor easily won this fight, but was chided strongly by the returning [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

Somewhere within 2005 or 2006, the Stunticons were able to confront a weakened [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], who was missing [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]. Sadly, when they combined into Menasor, he was shot in the back by both [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], disabling him. The epic confrontation between Menasor and Defensor would never come to pass. That's okay, everyone was really worried about [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] anyway. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
Under orders from [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], Menasor joined the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] in an energy raid on [[Tokyo]]. Though challenged by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and a unit of Autobots, Menasor made short work of them by punching all he could in the face with his giant fist. His evil was bested, however, when Prime drove up a ramp and punched ''him'' in the face. The blow was powerful enough to force him to retreat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

Menasor later attacked a baseball stadium where [[Kenji]] was on a date, intending to turn it into a new Decepticon base. Kenji quickly summoned [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] to battle the Decepticon, but Menasor was immediately aided by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. After a short skirmish, Decepticon victory seemed in the bag until Menasor got his legs knocked off. [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] then latched onto the stumps and blasted Menasor away, dumping him in the Pacific Ocean, far away from Japan. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

====''Scramble City'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Kōji Totani]] (Japanese)

Due to Starscream's failure to stop the Aerialbots, the Stunticons were quickly sent in, and soon in the battle formed Menasor. Menasor quickly fought Superion and demonstrated a new power stolen from the Autobots: the ability to exchange any of his limbs into different combinations (despite what animation errors would like you to think). In the battle, Menasor corrupted Superion's formation by shooting one of ''his own'' limbs onto his opponent, rendering Superion vulnerable. However, he was soon stopped, and Superion regained his balance. Eventually, the Combaticons came in to help Menasor (though not willingly), forming Bruticus. The two tag-teamed against Superion, but were both stopped when [[Metroplex (G1)| Scramble City itself]] was brought into battle to end the conflict. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers'' comics====
The Stunticons joined the entire Decepticon army in a raid on [[Feminia]] to capture the [[Prime Energy Tower]]. Menasor was formed along with [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] to oppose the Autobot battalion guarding the tower. The Autobots own big soldiers were outnumbered by their Decepticon counterparts, but the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]] were there to save the day. With a rope! {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' ? (Japanese)

The Stunticons participated in Galvatron's siege on Cybertron. They formed Menasor to fight their Autobot counterparts, but were steamrolled by the might and firepower of the Battleship Maximus. Transporting back to Earth, they attempted to interfere with Hot Rod's quest for the Matrix. Menasor ended up battling Superion all the way from the desert to the Arctic Circle. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

In [[San Francisco]], Menasor assisted Bruticus in using [[buridanka|a carnivorous plant]] to distract the Autobots from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s plans on [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. He fought against the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]' combined form, [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

Much later, the Stunticons assembled in the desert as their Ninja Commander [[Sixshot]] began issuing orders. They assembled as Menasor, and took part in the escalating Decepticon war effort as five separate Autobot outposts were attacked simultaneously at Sixshot's command. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

In [[Lemuria (G1)|Lemuria]], Menasor oversaw the processing of [[crysmagnetal]] for Scorponok's fiendish towers. Along with the entire Decepticon army, he battled the Autobots at the North Pole. Menasor would've killed [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] if [[Sixshot]] hadn't intervened on the boy's behalf. He escaped into space along with the rest of the Decepticons as the battle climaxed. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Zone''====
Over fifteen years later, after several more Decepticon leaders had come and gone, the faction came under the rulership of the supernatural entity [[Violen Jiger]]. This mysterious creature's first action was to recruit a team of [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] from Decepticon history; Menasor was (unfathomably) enlisted as his "Intelligence General" and outfitted with new armor and weaponry to make him even more powerful than before. The generals were charged with acquiring the two objects needed for Violen Jiger's ultimate goal: the Autobot super-fuel [[Energon Z]], and the enigmatic, life-giving energy source, the [[Zodiac]].

{{note|By the time of ''Zone'', Japanese cartoon continuity had already branched off in two similar but distinct directions a few years beforehand. One branch was depicted in the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''Zone'' animated series, while the other was told through their respective [[manga]] and [[Story page|story pages]] as published in ''[[TV Magazine]]''. As such, there are two discrete versions of the ''Zone'' story that both spin out of the cartoon timeline, detailed individually below.}}

=====''Zone'' comic and story pages=====
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}}

The Generals then united to attack planet Feminia once again, this time destroying it utterly. Violen Jiger next charged his Generals with collecting [[Energon Z]] and the all-powerful [[Zodiac]], which he intended to use to fuel his conquest. [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], Menasor, Bruticus and [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] attacked planet Zone, defeating the Micromaster teams and stealing their Energon Z core. The Micromasters pursued them into space, only to be stopped by [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] and his energy web. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}}

The Generals later schooled [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] and the [[Metrosquad]] in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 7}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Masato Hirano]] (Japanese)

[[Image:MenasorZone1.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Hmm, I wonder if he's evil.]]
When [[Violen Jiger]] seized command of the Decepticons, his first act was to recruit nine Demon-Generals from Decepticon history. Menasor was selected to be one of those Generals and was given the odd rank of Intelligence General as well as new power and weaponry to make him an even greater threat than before. Menasor was sent to the Planet [[Feminia]] to wreak havoc along with [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] and [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]. Together, the three Decepticon Demon-Generals destroyed the entire planet and nearly killed [[Star Saber (Victory)|Victory Saber]] in the process. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Menasor second generation.jpg|thumb|left]]
Menasor and the Stunticons were created by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] on Earth, using a special device that allowed him to tap into and divert the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] force while [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was using it to bring life to the Aerialbots. ''The Stunticons were based on a series of dream images sent by the Matrix to [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] and Optimus Prime, and monitored by the Decepticons. In these images, Menasor battled alongside [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] against the Autobot combiners, [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] at the [[Pullen Power Plant]].'' {{storylink|The Special Teams Have Arrived}} ''Menasor's personality problems handicapped him in battle, however, and Superion was able to trick him into shooting down his own partner. Outnumbered, Menasor attempted to flee, but was tossed into a pit by Superion's stress fracture cannon.'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[Image:Menasor superion heavy traffic.jpg|thumb|right]]
Back in reality, Menasor was first formed to do battle with Superion over the Autobot named [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and his human passenger, [[Donny Finkleberg]]. The two gladiators shattered a freeway overpass (or was it an entrance ramp...?) before engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Unfortunately for the Autobots, the ever-unhelpful robot hunter named [[Circuit Breaker]] entered the fray for [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] and zapped Superion, temporarily overloading his circuitry and allowing Menasor to administer the coup-de-grace, courtesy of his [[cyclone rifle]]. Skids and Finkleberg disappeared in the melee, though, forcing the Stunticons to disconnect and begin searching for them anew. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}}

[[Image:Menasor superion perchance to dream.jpg|thumb|left]]
''Later, Menasor attacked a [[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]] fuel plant, once again drawing the attention of the Aerialbots. [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] and his team were forced to combine into Superion in order to battle the united Stunticons. Unfortunately for Silverbolt, this meant his teammates learned about his fear of heights due to the mental bleedover. Ashamed, he caused Superion to fight back extremely savagely against Menasor, almost injuring innocent civilians in the process.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}}
{{-}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
[[Image:Menasor legacy of unicron.jpg|thumb|right]]
In 2008, the renegade Decepticons [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] teamed up with the freelance peacekeeping agent named [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] to assassinate Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Cut off from the battle by a set of blast doors, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] summoned Menasor to help him break through and deal with the traitors. The super-robot eventually succeeded, but it was too late. Shockwave was dead, and the Decepticons were forced to accept Scourge and Cyclonus as their new leaders. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
[[Image:DreamwaveCover6.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Shoot him before his pelvic thrust is fully realized!]]
Menasor was one of several combiner robots based on the original prototype, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. He existed as the combined form of Motormaster's Stunticons, but was effectively forced into retirement by the [[Crisis Intervention Accord]], which outlawed the use of super-robots among the factions. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

At some point in Cybertron's recent history, the Stunticons were deemed psychotic and too dangerous to function in society, and as a result were placed into perpetual stasis lock inside of a [[Detention Banks|prison facility]]. Later, in an attempt to create a diversion while he set his final plans in motion, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arranged for the release of the Stunticons. They formed into Menasor and ran amok for awhile, until [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived and began insulting them individually. Unable to reconcile with this, the five Stunticons began to bicker with each other over whose fault it was that they were failing, temporarily stopping Menasor and allowing Ultra Magnus to ram the combiner in the chest, forcing him to separate into his component parts and disabling the Stunticons. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:ArtofWar4_Menasor.jpg|thumb|right|150px|]]
When a group of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and [[Cobra]] members ran into the Stunticons in 1930's [[Chicago]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] warned them about the existence of Menasor. Thankfully, Motormaster wasn't around to form the giant. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

After the Stunticons were recruited into [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s army, Menasor attacked an Autobot peace ceremony, teaming up with [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] and [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]] to defeat [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} He then tracked down Optimus Prime, stomped on a [[Optimus Prime's rescuees|civilian]] Optimus had just saved, and delivered [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] to pass a message on to the Autobot leader. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}
{{-}}

===''Alternity''===
One of a higher-dimensional [[Megatron (G1)#Alternity|Megatron]]'s many pawns in a "[[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy|game full of death and suffering]]", Menasor was empowered to be pitted against an [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|avatar]] of a higher-dimensional [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Alternity|Optimus Prime]], alongside endless hordes of other Decepticons. {{storylink|To Die Game!}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}

The Stunticons were among those left behind in the Decepticon evacuation of Earth. After re-uniting the group, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] used stolen combiner technology to give them the ability to form Menasor. Swindle revealed his grand plan (commandeer the spacecraft that the Decepticons and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod's]] group had been constructing after killing as many of the Autobots as possible) to Hot Rod and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus's]] Autobots, after which Menasor came together for the first time. As the behemoth loomed menacingly before the assembled Autobots, Swindle instructed his creation to "Kill Magnus first." {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|Enemies of the System}}

The combination wasn't seamless, and the Stunticons were left with individualized consciousnesses instead of a gestalt Menasor mind. Unfortunately for Ultra Magnus, they didn't disagree about killing him...only HOW to kill him. The arrival of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] gave Menasor momentary pause, but ''only'' for a moment. Still, it was long enough for [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to recognize how uncoordinated Menasor's mind(s) was, and instruct the Autobots on exploiting that weakness. By selectively targeting the individual Stunticon components, the Autobots forced them to think of their own safety instead of Menasor's, making the giant easy prey. He was overwhelmed by their firepower, and broken down into separate Decepticons before capture. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

===''Wings Universe''===
After Cybertron entered its new Golden Age, the war between the Autobots and Decepticons still raged in space and on Earth. Menasor was permanently destroyed in battle with his nemesis, [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. Only Breakdown, acting as one of the giant's legs at the time, managed to survive the colossal damage Menasor suffered. He swore revenge against the last surviving [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]], [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]], dedicating himself to finishing the destruction his team had started. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] searched for the truth behind [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s death, he battled Menasor in a game of death and suffering. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}

===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons captured some of the Autobots' greatest warriors, Menasor and [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] stood guard over [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and [[Brainstorm]] on the Jail planet. They were defeated and their prisoners were rescued by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and the other freed Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
* '''Menasor''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-55'''

[[Image:G1menasor toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Not [[Masquerade|Optimus Prime and the Autobots in cosplay]].]]
: Menasor is formed by transforming Motormaster into his torso mode, attaching a [[Roller car|chest plate/scout car]], waist armor and mask on him, then connecting the other Stunticons into the appropriate limb slots in Motormaster's arms and legs. Fists and feet are then attached to the limbs. He is armed with Motormaster's sword and cyclone rifle. The Stunticons were available both individually or in a complete box set available in numerous markets. He also appears far more solid than the other combiners.

: Menasor is the smallest of the [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-type combiners in the Generation 1 toyline.

: A Japanese "VS-A" set with [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] was planned but unreleased.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Menasor/menasor.htm More information on Menasor at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2 Menasor and G2 Defensor.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Generation 2 Defensor and Menasor|Yowza.]]]]
: [[Redeco]]s of all five Stunticons were planned for release in 1994, but were canceled, with only a handful of test shots and production samples made. A small run of [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdowns]] was released as the 1994 BotCon exclusive.

: While no plans for a giftset are known, Menasor would have been constructed using these toys.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
[[Image:Universe2003MenasorTestshot.jpg|thumb|300px|Man. He looks like a rolling bruise.]]
* '''Menasor''' (Ultra, unreleased)

: A redeco of [[Thunder Clash]] (or, more accurately, the ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Optimus Prime [[Retool|retooling]]) as Menasor was planned as a store exclusive for the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe toyline]]'', but was ultimately canceled. It was initially supposed to be Motormaster, but trademark issues forced a name change.

::*''[http://www.iaconone.com/datatrax/datatrax_002.php Unproduced Universe Menasor package art at Iacon One Datatrax]''

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===Classics===
*'''Menasor''' (Legends, 2006)

[[Image:ClassicsLOCMenasor.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Not [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]].]]
:This black and purple [[redeco]] of ''[[Legends Class|Legends of Cybertron]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys|Optimus Prime]] transforms into a Cybertronic truck cab. It was intended to be Motormaster, but the name [[trademark]] could not be obtained. The toy was given the name "Menasor", and the super robot's function of "Super Warrior," effectively making him Menasor, not Motormaster.

:This mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Zone]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/ClassicsMenasor/menasor.htm More information on ''Classics'' Menasor at TFU.info.]''

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium-toy Menasor.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Not [[Dark Hot Rod]].]]
*'''Menasor''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, display stand

: A [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] [[exclusive]] first sold at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2007, Menasor is a redeco of the ''[[Titanium Series]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Rodimus Prime]], transforming into a Cybertronic Winnebago-ish thing.

:According to this Menasor's bio, he is a single entity built from the bodies of the individual Stunticons and controlled by their psychotic, permanently unified minds. Whether this same backstory applies to the Classics or Universe toys is unknown.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Decepticon/SDCCMenasor/menasor.htm More information on ''Titanium'' Menasor on TFU.info.]''
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Forms Robo===
*'''Menasor''' (1987)

:Menasor was also part of the small ''[[Forms Robo]]'' collection of larger rubber figures, with this version of the character standing at around twice the height of a regular Decoy. Like the other figures in this series, Menasor was packaged in an individual baggie and was available in red, blue, green and yellow.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:MenasorEarly.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Menasor got dressed in a rush this morning.]]
* An alternate animation character sheet from the original cartoon exists for Menasor. It features all of the limbs in different orientations (the arms upside-down, the legs reversed) from the final model ''and'' the chest sports an Autobot symbol (!), suggesting, perhaps, that the Stunticon and Aerialbot toy factions may have originally been the other way around. This model was used for the toy [[commercial]] which appeared to introduce the Stunticons and Aerialbots, though with the faction symbol corrected.

* The animators frequently misinterpreted Menasor's character model. Instead of having the four small Stunticons as his actual limbs (with, for example, his fist directly attached to Drag Strip's form), he was drawn as though the four cars attached on top of generic blocky limbs that extended from Motormaster, which would pretty much negate the whole point of the combining schtick.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Menasor''' (メナゾール ''Menazōru'')
*''Italian:'' '''Pentacar''' (toyline and season 3), '''Ultrax''' (cartoon)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Ameaçador''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Megasaur''' (Мегазавр ''Megazavr'')
*''French (Canada):'' '''Menaseur''' (limb cards and cartoon), '''Confusio''' (Motormaster's box)

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Menasor Menasor's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Stunticons]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Zone Decepticons]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2013-01-16T15:35:58Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Headmasters cartoon */ a new sign to a picture was added

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[Smelting pool|smelting pools]]. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[Image:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[Image:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[Image:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[Image:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[Image:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[Image:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[Image:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[Image:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One====
{{noteRG1}}
After the crash of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Canada]], Fortress Maximus kept out unwanted visitors for at least 2 years. At some point [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] wanted to live his life and intruders were able to get aboard the crashed ship and re-awaken [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Circa 1994, Fort Max battled Megatron and died, which killed Spike in the process. Spike's body was recovered by [[G.B. Blackrock]], who rebuilt his body using tech from [[Circuit Breaker|a former employee]] and returned him to life as "Circuit Smasher". {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[Image:Rebirth3_fortmax_battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[Image:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[Image:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[Image:Hm1_battleship_maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[Image:Hm2_kup_and_fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[Image:Hm5_fortmax_headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[Image:Hm6_fortmax_funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[Image:Hm10_fortress_appointed_commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[Image:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[Image:Hm17_maximus_vs_scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px|That's how the scorpions breed!]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[Image:Hm23_fortmax_sword_slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[Image:Hm25_fortress_cradles_magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[Image:Hm26_weak_spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[Image:Hm28_fortress_examines_targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[Image:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Insert 80's computer joke here.]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[Image:Hm31_fortmax_defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[Image:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[Image:Hm35_final_battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[Image:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[Image:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax_manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
[[Image:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream|universal streams]], he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[Combiner|combiners]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[Image:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)| First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}
[[Image:FortressMaximus Interiors dutyofcare.jpg|left|200px|thumb|]]
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)| Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit Rung, much to Maximus' anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it was highly doubtful any other Transformer even close to this size would ever be made again, until his planned release in the Encore line was announced. ''(see below)''

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''#23'''
**''Accessories:'' Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword, Cerebros's sword.
: The first re-release of Fortress Maximus in Encore.

{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Fortress Minimus]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}

===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:Fortmax_scf_hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[Image:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsuēi'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

==External links==
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Fortress_Maximus Fortress Maximus's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Bruticus (G1)

2013-01-16T15:31:22Z

He-l-en1959: /* The Headmasters cartoon */ a new sign to a picture was added

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2}}
{{disambig3|Bruticus}}
:''Bruticus is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Bruticusg1guido.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''They all combine and kick Superion's behind'' ''As the big, bad, battlin' Bruticus!'']]
'''Bruticus''' is the combined form of the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] team. A terrifying sight on the battlefield, Bruticus is among the strongest of all Transformers. He can pulverize a suspension bridge with a single 14,000 psi punch. He can lift up to 500,000 pounds. His armor is impervious to most artillery and radiation.

He's also dumb as a sack of hammers. But as far as Decepticon combiners go, [[Devastator (G1)|that's]] [[Menasor (G1)|not]] [[Abominus (G1)|a]] [[Predaking (G1)|problem]]. In fact, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] wishes that he had an army of Bruticuses, and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is thankful that he doesn't.

Bruticus is composed of:

*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (leader)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]
*[[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]
*[[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Roger C. Carmel]] (English), [[Yū Shimaka|Yutaka Shimaka]] (Japanese), [[Edgar Wald]] (Spanish), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, "Fight or Flee", "The Burden Hardest to Bear"), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, ''Generation 2'' "Starscream's Brigade", "The Revenge of Bruticus"), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, ''Generation 2'', "Fight or Flee")

[[Image:Bruticus cartoon.jpg|left|135px|thumb|"Bruticus crush... Bruticus destroy human who draw Bruticus wrong!"]]
Bruticus became active for the first time during a battle between [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s rogue Decepticon brigade and Megatron's forces. Anticipating [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s expected moves, he waited for his former leader to order the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to merge into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Starscream then unleashed his surprise—he similarly ordered the Combaticons to form the mighty Bruticus. Though extremely low in intelligence, even by the standards of combined robots, he was also extremely powerful, easily defeating Devastator and sending the remaining Decepticons loyal to Megatron into retreat. Unfortunately, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] arrived and formed [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], who launched an attack from behind, quickly subduing Bruticus. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[Image:Revenge of bruticus 2 threratenShockwave.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Bruticus want be drawn proper!"]]
Starscream and the Combaticons were banished from [[Earth]] on an asteroid, and the group quickly had a falling-out. After Starscream left, the Combaticons attacked [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], easily defeating [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his drones. Thirsting for revenge, the Combaticons reprogrammed the [[space bridge]] to pull Earth closer to the Sun, in the hopes of destroying it and every Transformer there. The Autobots and Decepticons temporarily joined forces to retake Cybertron and prevent Earth's destruction, and with Starscream's help, they deactivated the Combaticons once they formed Bruticus through a failsafe device built into the treacherous giant's back. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron agreed that Bruticus must be destroyed, but the Decepticon leader fooled the Autobots by using Shockwave's holographic simulator to make it appear as though Bruticus was destroyed, when in reality the combiner was reprogrammed to be loyal only to Megatron. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[Image:Revenge of bruticus 16 brains.jpg|left|135px|thumb|"See! Bruticus head not empty!"]]
Soon afterwards, during Megatron's latest scheme on Earth involving the theft of fighter aircraft using Middle-Eastern criminals, the Combaticons were called into service to defend Megatron's [[Giant Purple Griffin]], a large... thing that apparently pumped oil. Or something. Struggling against the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], the Combaticons formed Bruticus, yet were still knocked over when the Autobot planes twisted a tow cable around his legs. The Decepticon combiner was finally defeated when the Aerialbots ignited the nearby oil wells, causing a massive explosion that sent Megatron, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and Bruticus flying away. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}}

Later, Bruticus was walking down the street, minding his own business (i.e. attacking a human city) when BAM! Bruticus was destroyed in battle with [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (man, this guy can't seem to catch a break). Only Swindle survived, and he sold the remains of his comrades to various mercenaries and [[El Presidente|third-world dictator-types]], only to be forced to locate and rebuild the Combaticons by Megatron. The reformed Bruticus was then defeated when Megatron's [[orbit disruptor cannon]] was overloaded by the human-built [[B.O.T. (robot)|B.O.T.]], once again sending the Decepticon flying into the sky. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Bruticus punch planebot.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Bruticus punch planebot so hard, make artist draw all over cel!"]]
For some reason, in the year 2006 the Combaticons were idly hanging around as Bruticus during the Decepticon occupation of [[Paradron]]. He served as something of a comic foil for [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], acting as straight-man while Galvatron delivered witticisms that were completely lost on the giant warrior. Also... that old line about "losing your head if you weren't attached to it"? Apparently, you can lose a foot even if it was attached, because [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] was seen manning a molecular cannon while Bruticus was in the control room with Galvatron. If you don't watch those feet, they just run right off on their own. {{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

During a Decepticon invasion of Japan, Bruticus was battling Defensor near a dojo. He enraged his opponent by negligently putting the humans in danger with their combat and, once [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] arrived to back up Defensor, Bruticus split into the individual Combaticons and fled. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

Invading [[Gregory Swofford|Swofford]] and [[Mark Morgan|Morgan]]'s lab, Bruticus was the first Decepticon infected by the [[Hate Plague]]. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
{{-}}

=====''Wings Universe''=====
{{wingsnote}}
Combination technology was something the [[Decepticon Warlord]] [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] had long tinkered with, since the days of his fortress in [[Gygax]]. Although his early experiments were discontinued thanks to the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Autobot Elite Guard]], he remained interested in the idea, and eventually found the perfect means to implement it. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 36|Bruticus's ''Wings Universe'' profile}}

When the Combaticons were swayed to joining forces with Deathsaurus they received various upgrades. They demonstrated the most potent of these upgrades when they were surrounded by their former comrades in the Elite Guard and combined into Bruticus. The combiner then proceeded to crush their former commanding officer Sentinel Major with one mighty hand. This prompted the other Elite Guardsmen to attack in search of vengeance. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 5}}

Tragically for the Guard, Bruticus proved to be virtually unstoppable and easily wiped out several of the Elite Guard teams before [[Metalhawk]]'s Strike Team arrived. Despite the heroic efforts of [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] and [[Over-Run (G1)|Over-Run]], Bruticus quickly slew them before [[Dion]] managed to blind the mighty combiner and force him to separate. This forced the Combaticons to retreat, but not before killng Metalhawk as well. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 6}}

The Combaticons underwent repairs at Deathsaurus's base, but shocked to learn that the repairs included a remote activation for their combination into Bruticus. The combiner, confused and still blinded from his battle, lashed out at the Constructicons repairing him, and they were forced to use the override they'd fitted to stop the giant in his tracks. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} During the battle to defend the base against the Elite Guard, the Combaticons again attempted to form Bruticus, only to be promptly blasted. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}}

====Scramble City====
[[Image:SCcelMenSupBrut.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Et tu, Bruticus?]]
In 1986, the Autobots and their human allies worked diligently on their "Scramble City" project, a giant mobile fortress. Several Decepticons under the command of Starscream were dispatched to attack the secret construction site, but were defeated by the Aerialbots. Due to Starscream's failure to stop the Aerialbots, the Stunticons were quickly sent in, and soon in the battle formed Menasor. Menasor managed to corrupt Superion's formation by shooting one of ''his own'' limbs onto his opponent, rendering Superion vulnerable. However, he was soon stopped, and Superion regained his balance. Eventually, the Combaticons came in to help Menasor (though not willingly), forming Bruticus. The two tag-teamed against Superion, but were both stopped when [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City itself]] was brought into battle to end the conflict. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}
{{-}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michitaka Kobayashi]] (Japanese), [[Ryōichi Tanaka]] (Japanese, "Head On!! Fortress Maximus")

[[Image:HeadOn RaidenVsBruticus.JPG|left|200px|thumb|"You are not a Jedi, Darth Bruticus!"]]
Bruticus joined up with several other Decepticon combiners during a Decepticon assault on Cybertron, {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} but they were all driven away by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} When the Combaticons were sent out to stop [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] from finding the [[Matrix of Leadership]], they clashed with the Protectobots again. Both teams combined, but Defensor eventually blasted the mountain behind Bruticus, who was buried in the ensuing rockfall. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} While defending [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] against intruders, the Combaticons formed Bruticus to fight back against the incoming [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

Bruticus scuffled with Defensor yet again during a new attack on Cybertron, {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} but was defeated by a flying punch to the neck. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}} Next up, Bruticus was set with ambushing any Autobots who came to stop [[buridanka|a giant carnivorous plant]] planted by the Decepticons in [[San Francisco]]. When the [[Trainbot|Trainbots]] arrived, Bruticus and [[Raiden]] did battle with energy swords. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

Bruticus was formed by the Combaticons as part of Sixshot's major strike on Earth. He attacked an Autobot outpost as four other outposts were being assaulted simultaneously by the other Decepticons. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

On the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], Bruticus later helped a group of Decepticons lead Fortress Maximus away from their base. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}} Later, back on Earth, he stood by and laughed as [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] sank the luxury liner ''[[Queen World]]'' off the coast of Lisbon, Portugal. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} Finally, Bruticus participated in the large-scale battle with the Autobots at the North Pole, and was seen holding down [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] so [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] could kick him. When [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s energy-absorbing satellite started tearing the Earth apart, Bruticus retreated into the atmosphere to watch the results alongside the rest of the Decepticon forces. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Zone''====
Over fifteen years later, after several more Decepticon leaders had come and gone, the faction came under the rulership of the supernatural entity [[Violen Jiger]]. This mysterious creature's first action was to recruit a team of [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] from Decepticon history; Bruticus was enlisted as his "Flame General" and outfitted with new armor and weaponry to make him even more powerful than before. The generals were charged with acquiring the two objects needed for Violen Jiger's ultimate goal: the Autobot super-fuel [[Energon Z]], and the enigmatic, life-giving energy source, the [[Zodiac]].

{{note|By the time of ''Zone'', Japanese cartoon continuity had already branched off in two similar but distinct directions a few years beforehand. One branch was depicted in the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' and ''Zone'' animated series, while the other was told through their respective [[manga]] and [[Story page|story pages]] as published in ''[[TV Magazine]]''. As such, there are two discrete versions of the ''Zone'' story that both spin out of the cartoon timeline, detailed individually below.}}

=====''Zone'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Yukimasa Kishino]] (Japanese)

Bruticus was selected by [[Violen Jiger]] as one of his Nine Great Demon Generals, given the rank of Flame General and rebuilt with more powerful armor and weaponry. However, he did jack squat with it; while he joined [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] on a raid for [[Energon Z]] on planet [[Micro|Zone]], he did not engage in battle at any time, though he was seen leaving with his comrades when the battle was over. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}

=====''Zone'' comic and story pages=====
[[Image:BruticusZone1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Bruticus finally drawn right... with fire."]]
Seeking to create a [[Decepticon Zone]] to counter the [[Micro|Autobot Zone]], [[Emperor of Destruction|Decepticon Emperor]] [[Violen Jiger]] gathered together the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]], upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 1}}

Flame General Bruticus was the first to encounter the [[Autobot]]s when he attacked the planet [[Feminia]]. He was defeated by the combined might of the [[Rescue Patrol Team]], [[Super Car Patrol Team]], [[Battle Patrol|Battle Patrol Team]], [[Galaxy Rocket]] and [[Moonradar (Zone)|Moonradar]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 2}}

The Generals then united to attack planet Feminia once again, this time destroying it utterly. Violen Jiger next charged his Generals with collecting [[Energon Z]] and the all-powerful [[Zodiac]], which he intended to use to fuel his conquest. [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Bruticus and [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] attacked planet Zone, defeating the Micromaster teams and stealing their Energon Z core. The Micromasters pursued them into space, only to be stopped by [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] and his energy web. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Zone}}

The Generals later schooled [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] and the [[Metrosquad]] in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Zone Part 7}}
{{-}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
''In a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision, [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] saw the future, where Autobot and Decepticon [[Special Teams]] battled over Earth's resources. One such team was the Combaticons, who merged into the massive warrior, Bruticus. Unfortunately for the Autobots, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] managed to tap into this induced dream, allowing the Decepticons to see the same possibilities the Autobots did. {{storylink|Second Generation!}}''

{{note|The implication, especially in the UK comics, is that Bruticus and the Combaticons were built on Earth by the Decepticons. They were presumably brought on-line with the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s using the same Matrix-tap device [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] used to activate the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. None of this was shown on-panel, however, and some contradictions do exist.}}

[[Image:Bruticus-ukcard.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Where Bruticus helmet go?"]]
Megatron and the Combaticons invaded [[Energy Futures Industries]] with the intent of stealing the powerful [[hydrothermocline]]. Confronted by Optimus Prime and the Protectobots, Megatron attempted to prove the superiority of his forces by ordering them to combine into... Bruticus! His gloating was cut short, however, when the Protectobots demonstrated the equally impressive ability to combine into... [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]! Fortunately for all sides, the fleshling [[Ethan Zachary]] arrived with a solution that didn't involve Bruticus and Defensor going at it until the entire complex (and the hydrothermocline) was annihilated. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

The Combaticons formed Bruticus in a northern [[California]] railyard to battle the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]], who subsequently formed [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. The two soon battled to a standstill, as Bruticus's sonic stun gun proved no match for Defensor's force field, but the Decepticon eventually managed to topple his foe by smacking him around with an ''entire train''. Bruticus then noticed [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], who claimed to have left the [[Autobot]]s, and seemingly killed [[Sammy Wainwright|a child]] to prove it. Bruticus was so impressed that he didn't notice Blaster toppling a power line on him, blasting him into his component parts. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}

{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Bruticus was created in [[1939]] as part of a plot by [[Destro]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] to overthrow their [[Cobra Commander|respective]] [[Megatron (G1)|leaders]]. A fusion of human and Cybertronian technology, Bruticus had no mind of his own, and was made only to follow his creators' orders. {{storylink|Wolves}} Later, when the combined forces of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and the Autobots were moving against [[Cobra]], Destro betrayed Starscream and activated Bruticus, ordering him to destroy everyone. Screaming that he hated everything and that he only wanted to "sleep again", Bruticus went on a wild rampage and caused an avalanche. As the giant swept aside any Autobot resistance, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] deduced that Bruticus was an artificial creation and wasn't really "alive" like the other Transformers. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] saw only one way to stop him—destroying the [[Matrix of Leadership]] that was connected to the lifeforce of all Transformers. On Prime's orders, [[Snake-Eyes]] let Bruticus smash the Matrix, causing a flash of light that destroyed the raging giant. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
[[Image:BlackSunshine Bruticusdamaged.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Bruticus suntan lotion no work!"]]
Mighty Bruticus created from members of [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. But then [[Optimus Prime (G1)|truckbot]] and [[Megatron (G1)|bossbot]] go away, thought killed, though not by Bruticus. Robots make [[Crisis Intervention Accord|deal]] which make Combaticons not work together. Bruticus not like deal, but components agree, forcing Bruticus to go to sleep... {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}} {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[Starscream (G1)|Starbot]] later take components to [[Earth|fleshie world]]. Bruticus defeat puny Autobots, make Starbot compliment, Bruticus happy. But bi-polar Starbot call Bruticus stupid, make Bruticus sad. Components attack [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]], and form Bruticus, but Autobots blow up base. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Starbot yell at Bruticus, but not Bruticus fault. Soon, Bruticus components damaged in battle by [[Sunstorm (G1)|Burning bot]], Starbot order components to form mighty Bruticus! Bruticus try to smash Burning bot, but Burning bot too fast. ARGH! Bruticus head blown up by [[Mini Vehicle|Little Bot]] [[Orion|spaceship]]! Bruticus go to sleep... {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

[[Image:RouteofAllEvil Bruticus.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Give purse to BRUTICUS!"]]
Later, components training by fighting [[Sky Lynx (G1)|egobot]] when [[Predaking (G1)|strangebot]] interrupt. Components recognize danger, and form Mighty Bruticus! Strangebot attack Bruticus! Bruticus ANGRY! Bruticus try to stop strangebot guns, but strangebot use foot-gun to hurt Bruticus!

Coward Starbot fly away like coward. Strangebot, open wings like birdbot and chase, but Bruticus stop birdbot. Bruticus want birdbot to DIE! No! Stupid gun, broken! Birdbot hurt Bruticus again, and Bruticus go to sleep... {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{-}}
===''Alternity''===
Bruticus, amongst others, was empowered by a higher-dimensional [[Megatron (G1)#Alternity|Megatron]] in order to be pitted against a higher-dimensional [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Alternity|Optimus Prime]]'s [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|avatar]] in a cross-dimensional "game full of death and suffering". {{storylink|To Die Game!}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] searched for the truth behind [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s death, he battled Bruticus in a game of death and suffering. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}

===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons captured some of the Autobots' greatest warriors, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and Bruticus stood guard over [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] on Cybertron. They were defeated and their prisoners were rescued by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and the other freed Autobots. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Bruticus toy.jpg|right|130px|thumb|"Rargh... many transform Bruticus wrong... and blame Bruticus design..."]]
*'''Bruticus''' (Multi-pack, 1986, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-69'''

: Bruticus is formed from all five Combaticon toys. The four smaller Combaticons attach via sockets in Onslaught's shoulders and the bottom of his feet. Fists and feet pads attach onto the four limbs, and Bruticus is completed with a large chest plate and a helmet covering Onslaught's head. He wields Onslaught's [[sonic stun-gun]] in battle. The gun can also be stored on his backpack using two rectangular pegs which hold the gun in place via its targeting sight. As with all [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style [[combiner]] teams, his limbs can be rearranged into any slot of one's choosing.

: In most markets, only the individual Combaticons were released, and the [[giftset]] was only available in Japan and Italy.

: The individual Combaticons were re-released in various European markets as part of the "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line in 1991, and a Bruticus giftset was reissued by [[TakaraTomy]] in Japan in 2009.

: This mold was redecoed and later retooled to make ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (toyline)|Operation Combination]]'' [[Battle Gaia]], and ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]''/''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ruination (RID)|Ruination]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Bruticus/bruticus.htm More information on Bruticus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2bruticus.jpg|right|130px|thumb|"Bruticus feel... pretty?"]]
*'''Onslaught''' (1994)
*'''Blast Off''' (1994)
*'''Brawl''' (1994)
*'''Swindle''' (1994)
*'''Vortex''' (1994)

: During ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' in 1994, only the individual Combaticons were released. ''Generation 2'' Bruticus is a [[redeco]] of the original Bruticus toy, or more accurately, a redeco of the entire Combaticon team. Functionally, he is nearly identical to the original toy, other than being slightly enhanced by a missile launcher (the same launcher that came with Jazz and Sideswipe) and a post-hole in Onslaught's backpack which allows the launcher to be stored there.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Decepticon/Bruticus/bruticus.htm More information on ''Generation 2'' Bruticus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{Anchor|WFC}}
[[Image:G2toy-BruticusAmazon.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"You all laughed when I wore these colors before. WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!?"]]
*'''Bruticus''' (Box set, 2012)
**''Accessories'': Sonic Cannon

: This version of Bruticus comes as a gift set, [[exclusive]] to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] and [[BigBadToyStore]]. Packaged in a ''Generation 2''-styled box complete with hand-painted character art, it contains [[redeco]]es of all five ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' [[Combaticon (WFC)|Combaticons]] in their Generation 1 doppelgangers' ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' colors, complete with with ''Generation 2'' Decepticon insignia.

: Preorders for the set began on [[July 6]] of 2012 via Amazon (BigBadToyStore would not put up theirs until much later), and the final product was shipped out in early/mid-November. This may be considered a tie-in to Amazon's preorder bonus for the game: a "''Generation 2''"-themed skin for Bruticus.

: This set was also available at normal retail in Australia.

{{--}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Universe-ROTF-toy_BruticusMaximus.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Why Bruticus no have hands?"]]
*'''Bruticus Maximus''' (2008)
**''Series:'' '''G1 Series'''
: ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Bruticus, now named Bruticus Maximus (presumably for [[trademark]] reasons), is a redeco of the [[Destruction Team]]/[[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] combiner from ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''. While [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] retain their previous modes of tank and helicopter respectively, [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] is now the combiner's second tank, and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] a sand-colored helicopter.

[[Image:Tf universe 25th bruticus a.jpg|left|150px|thumb]]
:Like [[Superion (G1)#Universe (2008)|Superion]], Bruticus Maximus, despite being initially intended as a ''Universe'' [[Target]] [[exclusive]], was only released in ''Universe'' packaging on some non-American markets such as Australia and Singapore. Instead, Target stores (and Zellers stores in Canada) received an unchanged version of the toy in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' packaging, still named [[Bruticus Maximus (ROTF)|Bruticus Maximus]], with all the individual components retaining their names as well.
{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Bruticus''' (2009)
:In 2009, the Generation 1 set was reissued under the ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' line, using the [[retool]]ed molds from the ''Car Robots'' and ''Robots in Disguise'' lines.

{{picsneeded|Packaged toy perhaps?}}
{{-}}

===United===
*'''Bruticus Maximus''' (2012)

:Released exclusively in Takara's Asian markets, this redeco of the ''Energon'' Bruticus Maximus set has colours similar to the previous ''Universe'' (2008)/''Revenge of the Fallen'' release, but with a much greater emphasis on G1-accuracy. Additionally, the hand/feet/weapons previously cast in translucent coloured plastic are now opaque grey.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:EuroClassicsBruticus.jpg|thumb|200px|First person to insert a "Don't shoot the caption" gag gets summarily banned.]]
* Much like the individual Combaticons who form him, Bruticus's animation model has a design difference from the toy. In his case, the chest plate is drawn to look like it is formed from [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]'s wings, while the rest of the shuttle forms Bruticus's arm.
* The packaging of the 1991 [[Generation 1 (European toyline)|European]] [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] release of the original Onslaught toy depicted Bruticus and the Combaticons in (mostly) new color schemes, despite the fact that the actual toys looked identical to their original releases. While it may never be known for certain, it has been theorized that these colors were the cause of an error with the hue settings of the [[stock photography|stock photos]], rather than a legitimate attempt to [[redeco]] the Combaticons.
* Several attributes of [[Action Master Elite]] [[Turbo Master]], including his face and chest plate, suggest that he was originally intended to be Bruticus. However, according to [[Transformers Generations]], at one point a non-transforming version of Action Master Bruticus was planned, which would have looked significantly different from [[Turbo Master]].
* For every version of the original Bruticus mold, the packaging art depicts the Brawl figure on backwards.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Bruticus''' (ブルーティカス ''Burūtikasu'')
*''Italian:'' '''Multiforce''' (toy)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Brutus''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Grubikus''' (Грубикус)

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Bruticus Bruticus's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combaticons]]
[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Zone Decepticons]]

The Killing Jar (episode)

2012-12-25T18:52:37Z

He-l-en1959: added new language in the titles

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|ep=71
|series2=2010
|ep2=10
|prev2=Forever Is a Long Time Coming
|next2=Chaos (episode)
|title="The Killing Jar"
|image=Captured KillingJar.jpg
|caption=When I hear that whistle blowin' , I hang my head and cry.
|airdate=[[September 15]], 1986
|written by=[[Michael Charles Hill]] [[Joey Kurihara Piedra]]
|production code=700-91
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Ultra Magnus, Cyclonus, Marissa Faireborn, and Wreck-Gar are captured by a Quintesson scientist for experiments, but are sucked into a more dangerous problem—a black hole.'''

:''Japanese title:'' 4人の捕虜 (''Yonnin no Horyo'', "Four Captives")
:''German title:'' "'''Der Sog des schwarzen Loches'''" ("The Maelstrom of the Black Hole")
:''Latin American title:'' El Agujero Negro ("The Black Hole")
:''Russian title:'' '''Душегубка''' (''Dooshegoobka'', "The Killing Jar")
==Synopsis==
[[Image:Killing Jar Fakegalvatron.jpg|left|200px|thumb|[[jaAm]]?]]

As [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] stargazes, he's being spied on by a [[Quintesson]] scientist and his [[Allicon]] guard. Disguising their ship as [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], the pair lure Magnus on board where he's attacked by a fake [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]. The scientist correctly predicts Magnus's actions as the [[Autobot]] attempts to restrain his leader without harming him. With Magnus safely imprisoned, the scientist sets course for [[Chaar]]. Once there, the ship is again disguised, this time as [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] lured on board. Again, the scientist predicts that Cyclonus will behave in a similar manner to Magnus when confronted with a hostile illusion of his leader. On [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]], [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] is enjoying [[Lippo the Clown]]'s TV show when the clown himself turns up in a spacecraft and lures Wreck-Gar on board. Naturally it is soon revealed to be the Quintesson ship. The scientist predicts that placing a [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] in a clean, uncluttered room will cause him to go catatonic. Instead Wreck-Gar proceeds to tear up the walls to make the chamber more like "home sweet home".

Disguised as a shuttle, the Quintesson ship docks with an [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] space station, and [[Marissa Faireborn]] is lured on board by an illusion of her father. Once the ship leaves the space station, Marissa is shocked when her father's face changes into the Quintesson "death" face. She strikes the illusion to the ground and it disappears — the Quintesson scientist observes that violence is always the human way. Finally the bars on Marissa's cell appear and all four captives are able to communicate.

[[Image:Killing Jar Allicon storm.jpg|right|200px|thumb]]

The scientist visits the cell area, instructing his guard to activate a [[submission field]], pinning Marissa to the floor. As the pair move in, Wreck-Gar fires his fist, deactivating the field and allowing Marissa to attack the Quintesson and attempt to free Ultra Magnus. Before she can free him, the room begins crackling with electrical energy — the ship has flown into an [[electron storm]].

As the captives are assaulted by the energy, the Quintesson and his guard head for the control room and attempt to steer the ship through the storm. After a wrong move, the guard manages to guide the ship out of the storm. In the cell area, Magnus grabs hold of the electron bars, short-circuiting the bars on all four cells and freeing everyone. When the scientist and guard return to the cell area, they're jumped by Marissa and Wreck-Gar while Magnus and Cyclonus fight over what they're going to do with the ship. Marissa gets the better of the Quintesson and begins to plot a course back to Earth, but discovers that the ship has fallen into the gravity field of a [[black hole]].

[[Image:Killing Jar Black hole viewer.jpg|left|200px|thumb|In, through, ... AND BEYOND!]]

She interrupts the fighting to let everyone know they've got bigger problems, but while the Allicon guard activates a distress signal, the Quintesson slips away to the rear of the ship where the escape pods are located. The others follow him, only to find that most of the pods have been rendered useless by the electron storm and only one remains operational. Magnus yanks the scientist from the escape pod, but the launch sequence has already started. Though Cyclonus intends to use it himself, Wreck-Gar tackles him so that Magnus can help Marissa into the pod. While they're fighting, the pod launches with no one aboard and Magnus is pulled out as the whole room begins to depressurise.

To Magnus's surprise, Cyclonus saves him with a tractor beam. The scientist explodes angrily at them for allowing the escape pod to launch unmanned but during the ensuing discussion, they begin to receive a transmission and spy a ship coming up behind them. Although they believe rescue is imminent, it turns out merely to be a derelict ship, which is dragged into the black hole ahead of them. Finally the Quintesson ship's engines overload, and the ship follows the derelict into the black hole...

[[Image:Newcolors KillingJar.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Get on it, e-Hobby.]]

...only to emerge into a [[negative universe]] where the color spectrum is drastically altered. While the Quintesson works on a plan to return them to their own universe, the others set about repairing the overloaded engines. Once repairs are complete, the Quintesson slingshots the ship through the white hole, re-emerging from the black hole into the middle of a battle. Magnus radios for help from Sky Lynx, who docks with the ship. The group goes their separate ways, Ultra Magnus, Wreck-Gar and Marissa returning to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in Sky Lynx.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (1)
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (8)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (12)

|c2=
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (5)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (13)

|c3=
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] (10)

|c4=
*[[Quintesson]] Scientist (2)
*[[Quintesson]] Guard (3)
*Fake [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (3)
*Fake [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (4)
*Fake [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (6)
*Fake [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (7)
*Fake [[Lippo the Clown]] (9)
*Fake [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] (11)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ultra Magnus is a soldier first and foremost." 
"This Decepticon and the Autobot are two of a kind. One is good and one is evil, but to me that is no difference at all." 
"As an Autobot, this Junkion should have reacted as I predicted. Remarkable." 
"Humans are disgusting creatures, but worthy of study, if only to find a better way of destroying them." 
"Violence is always the humans' way of solving problems." 
:—Various observations made by the '''Quintesson scientist''' after capturing his test subjects.

"Galvatron! Why would you attack me, your most loyal soldier?"
:—'''Cyclonus''' asks an almost rhetorical question.

"We wouldn't be in this situation at all…" 
"…If you had not captured us." 
"Cyclonus, I can finish my own thoughts. I don't need you to do it for me." 
"Maybe the thought was not yours to begin with, Ultra Magnus."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Cyclonus'''

"Cyclonus, you saved me? But why?" 
"Warriors such as you and I should meet their end in battle."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Cyclonus'''

"Sky Lynx! Disengage and take a reverse heading!" 
"Ultra Magnus, where are you?" 
"Behind you! What do you think reverse means?!"
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Sky Lynx'''

==Notes==
* Although he is not named, Marissa's father has the same voice actor and sounds the same as [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'s [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]], all indicating that Marissa is Flint's daughter. Additionally, the file name presented on the back of Flint's G.I. Joe toy packaging is "Dashiell R. Faireborn." This connection was later confirmed by ''Transformers'' writer and story editor [[Flint Dille]].

*The Japanese version of the episode would appear to have missed the ''G.I. Joe'' reference. In the Japanese dub of the ''G.I. Joe'' cartoon, Flint was voiced by ''Transformers'' regular [[Hōchū Ōtsuka]]. However, in this episode, Marissa's father is voiced by another ''Transformers'' regular, [[Takurō Kitagawa]]. The reference would eventually be embraced by future Japanese ''Transformers'' authors, such as [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Yūki Ōshima]].

===Animation or technical glitches===
[[Image:Fakebroadside KillingJar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|The Quints have bad intel on Broadside—and so has Cyclonus.]]
* All of the shots of Unicron's head have it entirely in gold other than his mouth, when his face should be gray as well. It was correct the last time we saw it in "The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1."

* The first shot of Unicron's head shows it with black eye holes (in "The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1" it had broken green eyes). A few shots later, it has intact purple eyes.

* When we first see Ultra Magnus on the Quintesson's screen, his left foot flashes from blue to white several times.

* Several times in the episode, the area on top of Ultra Magnus' back is colored grey instead of red.

*In most shots, the [[Knockoff|fake]] Rodimus is missing his yellow wings and his Autobot insignia is in the wrong place, appearing in fact more like his slightly different original character design that is seen in Hot Rod's [[Commercial#1986|commercial]] and [[The Transformers: The Movie promo]]. Also, he's got Hot Rod's color scheme.

* When Cyclonus first transforms to robot mode, he's missing the transformation sound effect.

* The illusion that the Quintessons used to trick Cyclonus is of the [[Triple Changer]] [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], which is really weird, since Broadside is an Autobot. He even speaks in Broadside's correct voice.

* The second time the fake Galvatron rushes Cyclonus, his Decepticon symbol is red rather than purple.

* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] fires his hand like a rocket to free Marissa, but he is incorrectly shown with both hands for two scenes before we see him picking up the lost hand and re-attaching it.

* Marissa is shown hitting the button on Magnus' door while standing straight, but later it's located way above where she could reach it.

* As the ship is buffeted by the electron storm, letters and numbers are visible in the clouds at the bottom of the screen.

* As Magnus and Cyclonus stand off, Magnus' face is colored entirely blue for a moment, and Cyclonus' wings start to flash in and out of the screen.

* During the first shot of the Quintesson preparing to use the escape pod, the escape pod is missing from the launch tube.

* Before entering the black hole, Ultra Magnus is shown to be shorter than Cyclonus. After coming back (during his transmission to Sky Lynx), he's clearly taller than Cyclonus.

* After entering the black hole, one shot shows the Quintesson ship in the usual (non-negative) colors.

* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] is seen mouthing the second half of the Quintesson scientist's line, "You all realize if the ship enters the white hole at the incorrect trajectory, we will all be crushed or torn to pieces," although the Quintesson's voice speaks the entire time.

* After they arrive in the negative universe and Magnus throws the scientist at the Allicon, the Allicon's right forearm goes missing. It reappears after this scene so that Marissa can remove it and use it to repair the engines, but appears and disappears again over the course of the rest of the episode.

* When [[Kid Rhino]] went back to the original film elements of this episode, a couple of shots of the Quintesson talking do not feature mouth movements, including when he announces they're going to test Ultra Magnus's reactions. These shots were originally corrected for broadcast, and the [[Shout! Factory]] DVD includes the corrected shots spliced in from the broadcast master.

===Continuity errors===
* Cyclonus requires an escape pod to escape from the Quintesson ship, even though he turns into a spaceship. If there is a relevant difference between the pod's capabilities and his alt-mode's, it is never mentioned.
* The Quintesson says he knows the Transformers' programming because he helped build them. However, how does he know Cyclonus's programming, since Cyclonus was built by Unicron?

===Transformers references===
* The Quintesson scientist refers to his guard's transformed mode as his [[alternate mode]], the first use of that term in official fiction.

===Real-world references===
* A [[wikipedia:Killing_jar|killing jar]] is an [[wikipedia:Entomology|entomological]] tool for killing insect specimens, usually with gas.
* As usual, most of Wreck-Gar's lines are drawn from television, film and radio:
** When lured into the Quintesson ship, Wreck-Gar says, "No candid camera insta-clicks me!" This refers to the TV series ''[[wikipedia: Candid Camera| Candid Camera]]'', one of the earliest (if not THE earliest) prank/practical joke shows on television.
** When Marissa remarks she's in a zoo or a jail, Wreck-Gar responds with "Book me, Danno, I have the right to remain silent!" "Book 'em, Danno," is a catch phrase of Jack Lord's character from the '70s action-detective series ''[[wikipedia: Hawaii Five-O| Hawaii Five-O]]''.
** As the ship gets struck by the electron storm, Wreck-Gar remarks, "What a revoltin' development!" This catchphrase originated on the 1940s radio show, ''[[Wikipedia:The Life of Riley|The Life of Riley]]''; in geek circles, it's probably better known as one of the trademark lines of the [[Thing]], the powerful member of the superhero team the [[Fantastic Four]].
** Shortly afterward, Wreck-Gar exclaims, "We've gotta get out of this place!", a likely reference to the song of the same name by [[wikipedia: The Animals| The Animals]].
** As Wreck-Gar takes the guard's arm, he mentions "Hugh is in good hands," referring to the slogan for [[wikipedia: Allstate|Allstate Insurance]].
** When Magnus dismisses the potential rescue ship as not being a "Decepticon junk", Wreck-Gar says, "Junk? Wreck-Gar phoned home!" This plays on the famous "E.T. phone home." quote from ''[[Wikipedia: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial| E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial]]''.
** When the Quintesson ship is about to go back through the white hole, Wreck-Gar says that they can "go back, Jack, and do it again," quoting the [[wikipedia: Steely Dan| Steely Dan]] song "Do It Again".

===Trivia===
* While one would expect that the characters' colors while in the white hole would be the "negative" values of their originals, this is not the case. They appear to be pretty much random sets of colors.
* The background music which plays during the "working together" montage in the final act is the first piece of new music composed for season three (besides the opening theme), and would appear to have been created specifically for the scene in question, as it is only briefly used once more in "[[Fight or Flee]]" and "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]".
* At one point, it appears that the Allicon's mouth is located at the bottom of his faceplate instead of the top.
* Ultra Magnus smashes the cockpit of the escape pod to get the Quintesson out. How does he expect Marissa to use it when she doesn't have a space suit?
* Cybertron seems unusually spiky in the epilogue.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 8: Evil Experiments ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 1 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — Box-Set (3DVDs) ([[Flex Media]]) — German audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://imdb.com/title/tt0733024/ IMDb's page for this episode]
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_killing_jar.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Killing Jar}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1

2012-12-25T18:49:20Z

He-l-en1959: /* Synopsis */ added a sign to picture

{{episode
|series=G1toon
|prev=The Transformers: The Movie
|ep=66
|series2=2010
|ep2=1
|prev2=The Transformers: The Movie
|next2=Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2
|image=FHE-FFoD.jpg
|caption=Boy, I sure did love that part in "Five Faces of Darkness" where [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Powermaster Prime]], [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]], [[Cloudburst]] and [[Rev]] fought a giant floating Quintesson head.
|title="Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"
|production code=#700-86
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|airdate=[[September 1]], 1986
|written by=[[Flint Dille]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''In the wake of Unicron's defeat, the battered Decepticons struggle to survive, and the Autobots enjoy a period of peace and celebration. But peace never lasts...'''

:''Japanese title:'' 新たなる戦い (''Arata Naru Tatakai'', "The New War")
:''German title:'' "'''Die fünf Gesichter der Finsternis, Teil 1'''" ("The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1")
:''Russian title:'' "'''Pyatj likov tjmy (Chastj 1)'''" (''Пять ликов тьмы (Часть 1)'', "Five Faces of Darkness (Part 1)")
{{TOCclear}}
==Synopsis==
''The closing scenes of [[The Transformers: The Movie]] show us the destruction of Unicron and the Autobots escape, along with their victory celebration on Cybertron.''

It is the year 2005. Autobots have reclaimed [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] while the Decepticons, now squabbling with each other for [[energon]], retreated to the planet [[Chaar]]. Astrotrain returns to the planet with a pitiful number of energon cubes, resulting in a tussle as the Decepticons fight for their share. Cyclonus realizes that to return the Decepticons to fighting form, they need drastic measures.

[[Image:Blurr watching jazz.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Blurr would have that not-Jazz eat his vapor trails... instead he gets a date with rhyming boy.]]

Somewhere else, the first [[Galactic Olympics]] are being held. Blurr is griping about being stuck in a mission with [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] when he wants to join the events. But [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] wants them to go to [[Autobot City]] on Earth, to deliver the new [[transformation cog]] for Metroplex, as his old one was damaged during the [[Battle of Autobot City|battle]] the [[The Transformers: The Movie|year before]].

Meanwhile, the Galactic Olympics are being sabotaged. A [[Skuxxoid]] detonates the Olympic flame, raining smoke down on the area and allowing a group of Sharkticons to land. The Autobots fight back, but in the confusion, Spike, Kup and Ultra Magnus are kidnapped. Rodimus Prime immediately suspects Decepticon shenanigans and orders the planet quarantined, but they are unable to prevent the Skuxxoid's spaceship from taking off. [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] set off to find a spacecraft of their own so they can pursue it.

[[Image:FFOD1 Cyclonus in Unicron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Cyclonus is looking for free porn.]]

Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps sneak into [[Unicron]]’s head, still orbiting Cybertron. They're able to access Unicron's memory banks and watch footage of Rodimus's battle with Galvatron, culminating in the Decepticon leader being flung into space. Cyclonus then does some fast calculations and works out that Galvatron would eventually have reached the planet [[Thrull]]. There they see their leader soaking in the hot lava pools.

On Earth, Blaster and Outback go to the [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Federated Republic of Carbombya]] to investigate [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] reports of Decepticons in that country. Despite the country's ruler, Abdul Fakkadi, claiming that they would never harbour such criminals, the Autobots land. Outback, equipped with a “[[Decepticon detector]]”, then flushes out Dirge and Ramjet. The two Autobots get the coordinates of Chaar from them... which they report to Rodimus Prime who wants to go there to investigate.

[[Image:FFOD1 Springer Arcee threaten Skuxxoid.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh, boy, kill'em! Kill'em all!]]

Arcee and Springer, meanwhile, have pursued the Skuxxoid to an asteroid, which he ducks behind. The Autobots follow, only for their ship to be seized by a huge claw. They evacuate the ship, only to find that the "asteroid" is actually a [[Rockeroid|disguised spacecraft]]. Springer hijacks it from the Skuxxoid, who escapes in his smaller ship and then calls his benefactor to confirm that the Autobots indeed suspect the Decepticons to be behind the disruption. The [[Quintesson|tentacled, egg-shaped benefactor]] listens to the report and then tunes out as he sees their prisoners, Spike, Kup and Ultra Magnus, being led by a [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]].

[[Image:FFOD1 Cyclonus Astrotrain energon.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]

Cyclonus, Scourge and the [[Sweep|Sweeps]] return to Chaar, where the rest of the Decepticons are convinced that the solution to their problems is to have a strong leader again. They cheer when they hear that Galvatron lives, and are desperate enough that they give their remaining scraps of energon for reviving him. Rodimus Prime and Grimlock are spying nearby. Rodimus almost pities them, while Grimlock finds it funny (giving a rather possessed-sounding chuckle). Rodimus realizes that the Decepticons are too down on their luck to be the ones responsible for the kidnappings. Their cover suddenly gets blown and the Decepticons attack.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (1)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (2)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (3)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (4)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (5)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (6)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (7)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (11)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (12)
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (13)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (14)
* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (15)
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (24)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (25)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (26)
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (29)
* [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] (30)
* [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (34)

|c2=
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (16)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (17)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (17)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (17)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (17)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (17)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (17)
* [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (18)
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (19)
* [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (20)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (21)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (22)
* [[Sweep|Sweeps]] (23)
* [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (28)
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (32)
* [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (33)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (35)
* [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (36)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (37)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (38)
* [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (39)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (40)
* [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (41)
* [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (42)
* [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (43)
* [[Octane]] (44)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] / [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (45)
* [[Tantrum]] (46)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (47)
* [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (48)

|c3=
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (9)
* [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (10)
* [[Carly]] (28)
* [[Abdul Fakkadi (G1)|Abdul Fakkadi]] (31)

|c4=
* [[Unicron]]'s head (8)
* [[Skuxxoid]] (27)
* [[Quintesson]]s (34)
}}

==Quotes==
"Let's do it!" 
"Didn’t you want to say something about concord and tranquility in the galaxy?" 
"Aww, give me a break. ''Start the games!''"
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' and '''Ultra Magnus''' open the Galactic Olympics

"Ah, Rodimus is missing a few chips." 
"Nah, I was the same way until I got blown apart a few times."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Kup'''

[[Image:Grimlock happy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Perceptor and Rodimus watch as Grimlock does a jaunty jig on the enemies' heads.]]
'''Cyclonus''': There’s nothing to fear; Unicron is dead. 
''[They hear a groan]'' 
'''Cyclonus''': Must be the wind. 
'''Scourge''': There ''is'' no wind in space. 
'''Cyclonus''': Quiet!
:—Cyclonus and Scourge learn that [[Unicron|daddy]]'s still home.

"Our charts don’t show any planets in that sector—no, wait. Here it is. I thought it was a smudge on the screen. 
"Yeah, that fits the description of Chaar."
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' and '''Outback'''

"I say we pulverowderize the Autobots! I say we powderulverize 'em!"
:—'''Rumble'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inspirational rally.

"If we surrender our energon, we're doomed." 
"If we don't, we're doomed, too." 
"Face it. We're doomed."
:-'''Dead End''' and '''Breakdown''' realize they're screwed.

"These guys are hurtin'. I never thought I’d feel sorry for the Decepticons." 
"Me Grimlock, not feel sorry. Me Grimlock laugh!" ''[snickers]''
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' pities the Decepticons, while '''Grimlock''' mocks them with a disturbing chuckle.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical glitches===
"Five Faces of Darkness" is one (five) of the most notoriously error-plagued episodes in the entire series. Brace yourself...
* Quite a few Transformer voices appear to be processed with a very heavy bass end in this episode, including Rodimus, Arcee, Outback, and Springer.
* Chaar's moon and sun are bizarre. If the opening animation is to be believed, the moon takes about 20 seconds to orbit the planet, yet when we see it again later, it's just sitting there. The moon also appears to set with the red dusk sky ''behind'' it. The red dusk sky is a red dusk sky despite the sun having passed overhead in the opposite direction. The red dusk sky is also visible along the horizon in all directions. Maybe Chaar sits in a nebula?
* Long Haul is missing when the Constructicons combine.
* After he knocks Astrotrain away from the energon cube, Devastator's mouth does some lip-flapping, but there's no dialog to go with it.
* Menasor's "hi-yah!" sword grunts aren't in his voice. He sounds more like an unprocessed Astrotrain or Bonecrusher. When he finally speaks a non-grunt line, he suddenly goes to his own voice, right after a generic-voice grunt.
* Devastator goes from his usual eyeband, to two large separate eyes as he grabs the energon cube, to two small separate eyes as Menasor whacks him apart.
* Menasor's first sword strike clearly knocks Devastator into his components (well, ''some'' components, anyway; none of them look like actual pieces of Devastator.) Devastator then re-forms with no transformation noise.
* When Menasor smashes Devastator apart the second time, only Bonecrusher, Scavenger, Hook and Long Haul are shown. Bonecrusher shouldn't be there (he didn't "have the energy to hang on"), and Scrapper and Mixmaster are totally unaccounted for.
* As a shot hits the energon cube next to him, Kickback grunts with the same generic voice that Menasor had earlier.
* Kickback is drawn with the more toy-centric version of his insect mode, wherein his robot face is clearly visible on the bottom of his insect head; he even visibly emotes and looks around with it. Most episodes portray him with his robot face concealed in his insect mode.
* The vehicle-mode Sweeps first show up in their incorrect "early" models, with their robot-mode heads sticking out of the top. This model would appear again and again and again through the series.
* As Cyclonus and company approach, Astrotrain finally completes his transformation to robot mode, but with no transformation noise.
* The first Sweep to transform and land is also missing his transformation sound.
* As Jazz races towards the finish line, the Autobot symbol on his hood is colored in reverse (it's white with red inlays).
* Jazz is shown winning the first race in the Galactic Olympics, but a few seconds later an announcer declares that "the winner is [[Munka Spanka]]." It's possible a generic character was intended for use in the scene and Jazz was mistakenly picked at random; however, given Jazz's prominent survival of the movie, it seems more likely that an editing mistake failed to portray the passage of time (and other races) after Jazz's win. Fans also have speculated that this was an intentional name change, prompted by the fact that [[Scatman Crothers]], Jazz's voice actor, had recently passed away, though why this would be necessary for a non-speaking part is unclear. It could also be that the announcer was announcing the winner of another competition not shown on screen.
* The Quintesson monitor shows Magnus and company against a blue sky, when they'd been standing against an orange wall a second earlier.
* Improbable viewpoints:
** How did the Quintessons get that footage of the Autobots, anyway?
** Okay, ''maybe'' Unicron can monitor and record events within his own body. But does he really have a camera ''outside'' himself to show things like Galvatron flying out of him and off into the distance?
* In addition to lighting up, the button that the Quintesson pushes changes shape when pushed.
* One of the scrambling Olympians walks right through a column during the torch attack.
* Arcee and Springer's "cooking my sensors" lines carry an echo that shouldn't be there, as if they were in a soundproof room.
* When Rodimus starts shooting, he gets the second half of Optimus Prime's laser rifle sound effect. A second later, he gets the whole sound effect. Later, his rifle has the generic laser sound.
* How are the Sharkticons so consistently in shadow when ''everyone'' else is not?
* Rodimus is missing the "age lines" on his face as he threatens to trash the Decepticons, which basically makes him Hot Rod.
* The center piece of Rodimus's spoiler is yellow instead of orange as he watches Springer and Arcee leave the stadium.
* Cybertron's appearance has changed a LOT since the movie. The first shot shows it looking like one of its own moons, with almost no detailing. The second shows it with much more detailing, but still very different than its previous appearance.
* Cyclonus is far too large as he stands on Unicron's face, taller than Unicron's eyes. He should be a speck at that distance.
* One of Scourge's helmet rims is white instead of blue as he says the "no wind in space" line.
* Unicron's snoozing groan is recycled as Scourge spots Galvatron's hand on Thrull. Is Scourge supposed to be hearing Galvatron snore from across millions of miles of space?
* The first time we see Blaster, his left eye has a line through it.
* The helmet rim around Outback's eyes is consistently colored blue instead of light gray. This could be an alternate model sheet, given its consistency. Later episodes would show him with his eyes the same color as the rest of his face.
* Rodimus's "smudge on the screen" is a sharp, glowing, blinking dot. He's also shown wiping it, but is too far away from it in the subsequent shot to have been able to reach it.
* As Perceptor tells Rodimus to take Grimlock with him to Chaar, his Autobot symbol is all-gray (it's usually red with a slim gray outline).
* The Skuxxoid's ship is white when it leaves the Olympics planetoid, but light orange as Arcee and Springer pursue it through space.
* In an odd moment of [[Humanization|humanizing]], Springer and Arcee clench their eyes shut when their ship is grabbed by the claw.
* Springer and Arcee's ship is clearly shown facing to the left of the claw before the commercial break, but afterward it's facing to the right.
* A repeat of the establishing shot of Chaar includes its moon (which, by the by, is a recycled Cybertron moon design.) This time, instead of warping around the planet, the moon is hanging in the sky, stationary.
* Two different pans across the assembled Decepticons show quite a few robots that don't correspond to any actual character. The characters are distant enough that the animators probably figured we wouldn't notice.
* Dirge is with the Decepticons on Chaar as they debate leadership. How'd he get back there from Earth? In the same shot, Soundwave's shoulder button is blue instead of white.
* Cyclonus has consistently had three Sweeps up to this point, but as they return to Chaar there's suddenly half a dozen of them.
* Drag Strip has a gray optic visor during the "I'll think of something" line. It should be red.
* The subsequent shots of cheering Decepticons are infamously screwed up. The first one features:
** Tantrum well before the Predacons have actually been introduced to the series. To be fair, the Predacons' later introduction is so ambiguous that it might not be a genuine screwup to have one of them present.
** An off-model non-conehead Seeker in Ramjet's colors
** Octane also makes his inauspicious debut here, without any sort of explanation or introduction, though it doesn't actually contradict anything to have him there.
* The second cheering shot has Soundwave with a malformed, half-colored visor.
* When Motormaster throws down his energon, Hook and Long Haul are standing nearby. When he falls over in the subsequent shot, they've both been replaced by generics in the same pose. Also, after the Energon is thrown, Motormaster's mouth moves without us hearing any dialog.
[[Image:Decepticons w galvatron.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Yeah! We're going to save that guy on the left from the deadly lava pools of Thrull!]]
* The third cheering shot ("Giiiiive till it hurrrrts!") features two more made-up Seeker models, a random blue guy, and ''Galvatron himself'' cheering for his own imminent rescue.
* As the Decepticons rally to attack Rodimus and Grimlock, two Motormasters run past the camera.
* When Cyclonus fires on the rock outcrop, some guy in Fireflight's colors is behind him. The subsequent shot of charging Decepticons includes several made-up guys.
* The line of charging Decepticons at the end includes a Seeker in Silverbolt's colors.
* The final shot has Soundwave colored mostly in purple instead of blue. Also, his chest door disappears for a moment.

===Continuity errors===
* Most of the character screwups on Chaar are probably just cheap/lazy/screwed up animation; in fact, all the off-model and made-up designs could really be excused as generic Decepticons we've never met before, if one is so inclined (and one is prepared to accept that for some reason, we never see them again, either.) However, Kickback and Shrapnel have a whole sequence dedicated to them landing, trying to munch an energon cube, and then fleeing, which is far too long and explicit not to be a scripted appearance. Both characters were supposedly reformatted into Sweeps during ''Transformers: The Movie''.
* Why does Astrotrain wait until he's landed to gobble some of the energon he's struggling to reach?
* So why didn't Menasor grab and eat the energon cube he just fought so hard for?
* Perceptor's description of the transforming cog is rather confusing. He introduces it as ''Autobot City's'' transformation cog, but then says "it controls ''Metroplex'''s ability to transform". This begins an ongoing trend of the cartoon dialog treating the two as if they were one and the same, despite the animation showing them as two distinct (though [[:Image:G1 Autobot City.JPG|sometimes related]]) entities.
* "How we gonna find the Decepticons? It's like looking for a needle in a haystack!" It would be, Blaster, except that they conveniently left their Decepticon insignias in place for you to see.
* How do Arcee and Springer hear the Skuxxoid's voice? He's inside a ''space ship'', and they're on the outside. Does the ship have its own external atmosphere?
* Voice consistency for the show's more obscure characters took a nosedive after the movie, starting with this episode:
** Ramjet has nearly the right voice, but it lacks the clipped mannerism that characterized his speech throughout the second season. Instead of sounding like an enforcer, he sounds... cheerful. In fairness, he occasionally lost that mannerism during Season 2.
** Onslaught's lines, beginning with "I admire your passion, my friend...", are provided by [[Terry McGovern]] in this episode, as opposed to his regular actor, [[S. Marc Jordan]]. Jordan would later be replaced again by [[Steve Bulen]] for Onslaught's final line of the series in "[[The Rebirth, Part 3]]".
** Terry McGovern tries on a brand new voice for Wildrider's two lines. He'll also develop a hick accent that he didn't have before in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]".
* We never do find out why Cyclonus is carrying around a big black box. It's not present in the next episode.

===Continuity notes===
* This episode picks up an unspecified amount of time after ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (which had played in theaters during the summer preceding this episode's debut), and draws directly on many of its events. References include the [[Battle of Autobot City]], Unicron's head orbiting Cybertron, the loss of Optimus Prime, the rise of Galvatron, and more.
* The episode even opens with some of the closing scenes from the movie. The scenes were re-soundtracked with the cartoon's standard background music for television airing. A second movie excerpt, also resoundtracked, is used to show the end of Rodimus's battle with Galvatron.
* First appearances: Outback, Octane, Tantrum (who probably shouldn't be here yet) and Abdul Fakkadi.
* Dirge's "Death comes to he who crosses me," line is a slight paraphrase of a line cut from the original [[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers The Movie]] script, "[http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/tf/tidbits/tftm_script.txt Death comes to anyone who crosses me.]" It was to be delivered aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)| Astrotrain]] as the Decepticons squabbled over leadership. Another iteration comes in the later episode "[[Starscream's Ghost]]" ("I know, I know - 'Death comes to anyone who hides behind my marker!'"), though Dirge is not mentioned by name.

===Real-world references===
* The [[Galactic Olympics]] are, obviously, based on the modern Olympic Games, including the opening parade of "nations" and the Olympic torch presiding over the events.
* Middle East tensions in the 1980s resulted in the poorly made (depending on [[Casey Kasem|whom you ask]]) spoof called [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]].
* In one scene, Blurr asks why Metroplex's new [[transformation cog]] wasn't shipped via [[Galactic Express]], an allusion to the fact that [[John Moschitta]] had previously appeared in a series of Federal Express commercials.
* ''Star Wars'' sound effects:
** Kickback and Shrapnel fly in with ''Millennium Falcon'' engine whine, and take off with the ship's engine burst noise.
** Ramjet and Dirge get the TIE Fighter engine sound as they lose control amid Outback's explosive. Some ''Millennium Falcon'' engine whine can be heard as well.

===Trivia===
[[Image:FFoD01CastSparkplug.jpg|right|100px|thumb|]]
* In an interview with Flint Dille, he said that the Quintesson origin story came from "[[The Secret of Cybertron]]," an aborted script for the movie by him and his fellow writer, [[Jay Bacal]].<ref>[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/flint-dille/flint_dille_2.html Flint Dille interview on the Cybertron Chronicle]</ref>
*[[Sparkplug Witwicky]] is mentioned in the [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]] cast list for this episode—and the relevant [[dialogue script]] reveals that he was indeed supposed to make an appearance! He would have been with [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] aboard the [[Earth Defense Command|E.D.C.]] shuttle sent to investigate reports of Decepticon activity in [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. His one line—"How're we gonna find the Decepticons? It's like a needle in a haystack."—was reassigned to Blaster in the final cut of the episode.
* When originally aired, this and the other four parts of the story all had a unique set of opening credits. Unfortunately, the DVD release of the mini-series only includes this opening on parts 3 and 5.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1990 — ''The Transformers'' — Five Faces of Darkness ([[Family Home Entertainment]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1990 — ''The Transformers'' — Five Faces of Darkness (Family Home Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition ([[Maverick Entertainment|Sony Wonder]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2002 — ''Transformers'' — Five Faces of Darkness: Parts 1-5 (Sony Wonder) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 1: Vol. 1 (Rhino Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 4: Series 3.1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482022/ IMDb's page for this episode]
* [http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/five_faces_of_darkness_part_1.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]