Clampdown (RID)

This article is about . For other uses of "Clampdown", see Clampdown (disambiguation)|The name or term "Clampdown" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Clampdown (disambiguation).}}
Clampdown is a Decepticon from the Robots in Disguise portion of the Aligned continuity family.
oh no. crabes!

The skittering scumbag Clampdown is always looking to make a deal to save his own shell. Despite his impressive claw strength, he's a massive coward, always ready to run (sideways) for the hills, or failing that, squeal on others to the authorities in the hopes of weaseling out of punishment. He's not a warrior in any sense of the word and tends to panic when things go wrong. Unfortunately, he's been pressganged into working with Steeljaw's pack after they saved his hide from the Autobots. To make things worse, he's now forced to work alongside Thunderhoof, a fellow Alchemor escapee and a victim of Clampdown's big mouth.

Yeah, this is gonna go over real well.

{{#if:Clampdown"Sideways"|
“ But this other bot.. he wants to tear me to pieces.. and I just wanna be left alone.. maybe you and me can make a deal or something. ”
{{#if:Clampdown|

—Clampdown{{#if:"Sideways"|, "Sideways"}}

}}

}}

Fiction

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2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon

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Voice actor: Jim Cummings (English), Setsuji Satō (Japanese){{#if: Francesco Orlando (Italian), Petri Hanttu (Finnish), Peppino Capotondi (French, season 1), Yvan Reekmans (French, season 3), Michael Pan (German), José Gilberto Vilchis (Latin-American Spanish), Zbigniew Suszyński (Polish), Kim Kwang-kuk (Korean), Fábio de Castro (Brazilian Portuguese season 1 and 2), Fred Mascarenhas (Brazilian Portuguese, season 3)|, Francesco Orlando (Italian), Petri Hanttu (Finnish), Peppino Capotondi (French, season 1), Yvan Reekmans (French, season 3), Michael Pan (German), José Gilberto Vilchis (Latin-American Spanish), Zbigniew Suszyński (Polish), Kim Kwang-kuk (Korean), Fábio de Castro (Brazilian Portuguese season 1 and 2), Fred Mascarenhas (Brazilian Portuguese, season 3)}}
"These claws ain't just for attractin' mates!"

On Cybertron, Clampdown reported Thunderhoof's criminal enterprises to the authorities, leading to his arrest. Clampdown later tried to blackmail a member of the High Council, which didn't go over as well. He was arrested and imprisoned on the Alchemor and eventually escaped after the ship crashed on Earth. He went into hiding in the storm drains under Crown City. One night, he accidentally encountered a pair of human street racers, but frightened them off by trashing one of their cars from the shadows.

Well Tamatoa hasn't always been this glam...

Bumblebee's team attempted to arrest him in his sewer hideout, but the panicked crab managed to escape by tearing apart a main pipe, washing the Autobots away. As he left the sewer, he was approached by Steeljaw, who had been watching him a while and invited him to his group. Returning to Steeljaw's hideout, Clampdown failed to impress fellow refugees Underbite and Fracture... and then Thunderhoof arrived. Uh-oh. Though Steeljaw tried to cut the hostilities short, Thunderhoof was having none of that and charged after the snitch. Clampdown fled with Thunderhoof in pursuit, Steeljaw chasing them both, and Underbite and Fracture following along (possibly out of morbid curiosity).

Both the Autobots and Decepticons found Clampdown hiding in a garbage dump, leading to a massive brawl. All of the Autobots were occupied by Steeljaw's gang, leaving Clampdown free to book it... and Thunderhoof free to chase. Clampdown was finally cornered in a water-drenched sinkhole, and in the struggle with Thunderhoof, they both slipped, bashing their heads together and knocking them both offline.

The sooner we find those Sailor Guardians, the sooner we can go to Dairy Queen.

The entire gang was put into stasis cuffs, but Steeljaw was able to free himself and the others. Returning to their hideout, the other Decepticons were still very dubious about accepting Clampdown into their number, but Steeljaw assured them he'd convinced Clampdown to stay and stay loyal... because otherwise, he "wouldn't rest until I'd made him eat his own claws". Sideways

Clampdown joined the rest of the gang in spying on the scrapyard, then watched as Steeljaw recruited Kickback into the gang to serve as bait. With the Autobots distracted, the Decepticons broke into the Autobot base, intending to free the other Decepticons from their stasis pods. Unfortunately, Steeljaw didn't count on their hostages Denny and Russell Clay slipping free, and ordered Thunderhoof and Clampdown to go after them. The dysfunctional pair chased the humans through the scrapyard, and were tricked into riding a half-completed roller coaster. Clampdown managed to steer both Decepticons to safety at the last moment, and managed to recapture Denny. Before the Decepticons could complete their goal, the Autobots managed to retake the base, and Clampdown received a humiliating tail-thrashing from Grimlock. When the Decepticons reconvened at their base, Clampdown hid from a furious Steeljaw. Lockout

Clampdown seen here auditioning for the surprised Mr. Krabs meme.

Since Steeljaw had paid lip service to a mysterious entity, the gang worked to scavenge materials and construct a "gateway". Clampdown was tortured by the being and made to telekinetically pinch his own arm, much to Thunderhoof's amusement. Along with the other Decepticons and their Autobot hostages, he travelled to the Crown City Colossus. Clampdown managed to prevent Grimlock from destroying the archway early, allowing Steeljaw to activate the gate and summon Megatronus. Battlegrounds, Part 1 While Megatronus dueled with Optimus Prime, the Decepticons decided to run for it, only to have their escape blocked by the other Autobots. In the ensuing melee, Clampdown was tackled and brought down by Slipstream and Jetstorm. After Megatronus was defeated, Clampdown was re-captured and placed inside a stasis pod. Battlegrounds, Part 2

A winning smile.

After Steeljaw broke into the scrapyard, he deactivated Clampdown's stasis pod, alongside several others, as part of a bid to bolster Glowstrike's forces. When Thunderhoof brought up Steeljaw's past failures at leadership, Steeljaw informed the Decepticons of his alliance with Glowstrike, and gave them coordinates to follow while he remained at the scrapyard. The escapees later reconvened at Steeljaw's coordinates, where, along with the other newcomers, Clampdown was inspected by Glowstrike, although she seemed notably unimpressed with him as an "elite warrior". Misdirection

Clampdown gathered with Steeljaw's other followers on the roof of the Island, where he listened to Thunderhoof question Steeljaw's authority, and dryly informed the old mob boss that they listened to Steeljaw because he was "the boss". Steeljaw then arrived to update his gathered brethren about his plans to overthrow Glowstike, until she and Saberhorn arrived to talk with Steeljaw alone. Portals

He's probably regretting putting Vicetopus DNA in the Nemetrix.

Later, Clampdown was fleeing from Ratchet when he unexpectedly encountered Bumblebee's entire team. After a brief reunion with their old friend, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Ratchet captured Clampdown with no resistance. Back at the scrapyard, Bumblebee ordered Drift and Sideswipe to take Clampdown out of Stasis for questioning. After being hammered with questions by Bumblebee's entire team, Clampdown's fear overtook him and he passed out, and he was soon re-imprisoned. Decepticon Island (Part 1) Clampdown's stasis pod was later taken back to Cybertron by Optimus Prime, Windblade and Ratchet. Decepticon Island (Part 2)

What is a human doing here in the Realm of The Mon-just...just pick an eye, babe...I can't...concentrate...on what I'm saying. Just pick one. Pick one!

When the High Council released Steeljaw from prison to keep Bumblebee and his team occupied while they made plans to summon Megatron, Freedom Fighters Clampdown was also released with the promise of a full pardon should the Pack succeed in terminating the Bee Team. They returned to Earth where they mounted an assault on Denny's scrapyard that forced the Autobots out of their home. Clampdown made a brief attempt to separate Steeljaw and Thunderhoof when the two had a disagreement, before coming to his senses and just letting them go at it. The pack lured the Bee Team to the dam, where during the ensuing fight Clampdown fell victim to one of Grimlock's cannonballs and had Strongarm throw him into a malfunctioning generator. He then led the retreat which resulted in the Decepticons falling off the dam into the river. Exiles Spying Strongarm and Sideswipe arguing, Clampdown used a Light Bender to render a nearby cargo container invisible so they accidentally fell into it and became trapped. He then had to drag them back to the Decepticons' subway hideout and put up with their continued bickering to boot. Sent to find Fixit, he and Quillfire had a section of subway dropped on them by the Mini-Con. They dug themselves out and managed to grab Fixit, however once the other Autobots freed themselves, the Decepticons were again forced to cut and run. Breathing Room

This is what you get when you “borrow” Mrs. Puff’s hair curlers.

The pack gained new orders from Soundwave and were soon digging for nuclear waste at a disposal site. When the Autobots inevitably found their operation, Clampdown was ordered to keep working while the other Decepticons fought, and successfully found some fuel rods. The Decepticons made their escape, however the Autobots caught up with them in a warehouse and following a second fight, the Decepticons were forced to flee without the rods. Prepare for Departure During an attempt to tunnel into the nuclear plant, Clampdown was arrested by Strongarm and immediately blabbed the entire plan. He ended up handcuffed to Strongarm as she attempted to continue the Autobot's mission, and as a result his attempts at fleeing Thunderhoof, furious at his revealing their plan, were sorely hampered. He was then unceremoniously locked in a vault as the Bee Team continued in their attempt to thwart Steeljaw's plan, and the Autobots later had to rescue him when the power plant was in danger of melting down. He and the other members of the Pack were stuck in makeshift cells in the Autobots' cave. Prisoner Principles

Clampdown and the rest of the captured Pack members were sealed away in stasis pods when the Autobots eventually returned to the scrapyard. Something He Ate

IDW Robots in Disguise comic

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Well I've been workin' in a coal mine, goin' down down...

Following the defeat of Megatronus, Clampdown was among the Decepticons who were freed by Steeljaw and set to work mining energon for their new empire. When Team Bee turned up, Clampdown joined Fracture in attempting to fight Drift, however the Vehicons they'd been fighting alongside turned on them as a result of Steeljaw's deceit. A well-placed bomb brought the mountain down on Clampdown and his fellows, who were soon restored to stasis pods. Robots in Disguise #6

Games

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Robots in Disguise mobile game

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The Starter Bumblebee is already unlocked when the game is turned on for the first time.
Version Unlock Cost (Energon) Unlock Cost (Ultra Sparks)
Starter 500 10
Legion 1500 30

Clampdown was among the many Decepticons available to repel an Insecticon invasion. Robots in Disguise

Toys

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Robots in Disguise (2015)

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Hello, I like money!
  • Clampdown (Legion Class, 2015-2016)
Part of the fifth wave of Robots in Disguise Legion Class toys, Clampdown transforms into a wood-paneled hatchback car. In robot mode, he can rest on his claws or on the small "tail" on his backside so he can actually stay upright on those dinky little crab-legs of his.
His Robots in Disguise mobile game scan-badge is on his robot-mode left claw, which can be a bit tricky to scan while still in-package.
This figure has been released twice: First in late 2015/early 2016 in the original Robots in Disguise packaging design, and then again in late 2016 in the Mini-Con Weaponizers subline imprint packaging refresh.


Luckily for you, Mr. Krabs' fear of robot overlords keeps the balance of technology in check.
  • EZ Collection Autobots VS Clampdown (EZ Collection 4-pack, 2016)
  • ID Number: TAV49
  • Release date: May 28, 2016
The TakaraTomy Adventure version of Clampdown is a redeco of the Legion Class Clampdown figure, replacing the original's black plastic with purple, plus his right claw is now mostly painted purple. While this does make him overall more show-accurate in robot mode, he is less so in car mode, as he has purple tires, a massive chunk of his rear passenger side is now purple, and he lacks the "wood panel" paint altogether. And his teeth are gray for some reason.
Clampdown was only available as part of a, "EZ Collection" four-pack with Optimus Prime, Ratchet, and Drift. Man, he is screwed. This set was released in the fifteenth wave of Adventure product.
Like the rest of the Adventure EZ Collection sets, some online retailers like Amazon Japan were still selling it two years later at greatly reduced prices, some up to 70% off.


Hero Mashers

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Ladies and gentlemen, the only picture of a correctly-assembled Hero Mashers Clampdown on the internet.
  • Clampdown (Action Figure, 2015)
  • Pieces: 10
Part of the fourth and final wave of Transformers Hero Mashers basic Action Figure toys —and the second wave of Robots in Disguise characters— Clampdown is a non-transforming action figure with ratchet-joints, about five inches tall. His right claw is hinged for snippy-snappy action. He has multiple peg-holes all over that can be used to mount any Hero Mashers accessory.
He is designed with a removable head (well, top of his head, at least), biceps, claw-arms, and legs, all of which use the same clip-peg/hole joint. This means his pieces can be swapped around in any order, as well as swapped with any other Hero Mashers figure... which includes figures from Marvel Comics, Star Wars, and Jurassic World, meaning you can make some pretty freaky combinations. Even freakier, his eye-stalks are removable, using the same peg-size as Hero Masher accessories, so you can pop them out and put them on any accessory mounting point.
Clampdown's normal construction differs from all the humanoids in the entire line, in that his arms use two removable parts each instead of just one, and his legs only have a single piece each instead of two. This has confused the hell out of the Hero Mashers product photography team, who not only put his biceps in the thigh position, but put all of his claws and legs on the wrong limbs.
The Robots in Disguise-branded Hero Mashers did not see release in the US at first, with the first wave eventually hitting discount chains like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. However, wave 2 did not follow, leaving its only release in European markets.


Kre-O

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"The spider legs? Lego Kraang and Cyrus Borg are using them! I just wanted to be popular!"
  • Bumblebee Disc Demolisher (2015)
  • Set number: B0949
  • Pieces: 186
  • Kreons: Bisk, Bumblebee, Clampdown
Part of the Robots in Disguise-branded Kre-O product, Kreon Clampdown is a normal Kreon with a Hound-style helmet and claw-hands... riding a big four-legged contraption. He comes in the "Bumblebee Disc Demolisher" set, which includes a large disc-firing vehicle, a stasis cell, and Kreons of Bumblebee and fellow crustacean-bot Bisk.
Despite his short stature in the cartoon, Kreon Clampdown's leg-assembly thing makes him the tallest of the Kreons in the line. Also, according to the instructions, his differently-colored claws are backwards from the show model orientation. Oops.
This set originally only appeared in Canadian and Asian-market stores. By late 2015 however, it had turned up in large numbers at TJ Maxx and Marshall's discount stores in the US.

Merchandise

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McDonald's

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Me Arms!
  • Clampdown (McDonald's Happpy Meal toy, 2015)
  • McNumber: 8
Part of the 2015 McDonald's Transformers/My Little Pony Happy Meal promotion, Clampdown is a non-transforming action figure. His left claw is actually a spring-loaded missile tied to his arm by a string, triggered by pressing the Decepticon symbol on his bicep. The claw itself also has a spring-loaded gimmick, clamping shut when the trigger panel between the claw-blades is struck.
Amusingly, this version of Clampdown is not too far from proper scale with the normal Robots in Disguise Warrior-class figures.
The bag he comes in and instruction sheet have a scan-badge that unlocks a random amount of Energon "currency" and a randomized bonus power-up item in the Robots in Disguise mobile game. This badge is the same for all of the Robots in Disguise Happy Meal bags and instructions.
Clampdown can also be scanned into the McDonald's McPlay app, which recognizes the toy's silhouette. Doing so unlocks Clampdown's version of the "Stasis Pod Battle" game.

Tiny Titans

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Squishington not included.
  • Clampdown (Tiny Titans, 2015)
  • Series: 4
  • Number: 3/12
Part of the fourth series of Tiny Titans, this version of Clampdown is a small soft-plastic figurine. While most of the Tiny Titans are "superdeformed" figures, Clampdown's unusual proportions mean this toy is pretty dang accurate. Unfortunately, he has a bit of a problem standing upright.
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.
This series did not hit normal brick-and-mortar retail in particularly large numbers.

Notes

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  • Clampdown shares a body-type with Clawtrap.
  • When asked about Clampdown's ultimate fate, Adam Beechen stated in a deleted blog post that he was brought back with the other imprisoned Decepticons to Cybertron after the events of "Freedom Fighters".
  • In the Japanese dub, Clampdown uses oira, a regional first-person pronoun, and his catchphrases are "gachigachi yazo" and "gachi de". Gachigachi (ガチガチ) is Japanese onomatopoeia for chattering teeth.

Foreign names

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  • Japanese: Clampdown (クランプダウン Kuranpudaun)
  • Mandarin: Dà Zhìcái (China, 大制裁, "Big Punishment")
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