Editing Dinobot (G1)

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{{disambig3|Dinobot}}
:''The Dinobots are an [[Autobot]] [[subgroup]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:UKDinobotsPoster.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|Call them the boy-band of the Autobots and prepare for a world of pain. From left to right: Slag, Grimlock, Swoop, Sludge and Snarl.]]
The '''Dinobots''' are a rowdy, arrogant, lowbrow, disobedient band of warriors that some Autobots would rather scrap than deal with. They're also one of the most devastatingly powerful and close-knit combat units in the Autobot army, being incredibly powerful in [[robot mode]] and taking [[alternate mode]]s based on [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]], the most powerful creatures to ever roam the [[Earth]]. 

Most of them dislike [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], so whether or not they follow the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]'s orders depends on what those orders are. This attitude extends to the rest of the Autobot army, with most being viewed as too weak or cowardly to take the steps needed to get the nastier jobs done. Only [[Ironhide (G1)|a]] [[Manta Ray (G2)|handful]] of individuals are viewed by the Dinobots as true allies and even they don't really understand them. This attitude has very much pushed the Dinobots to the fringes of Autobot society, which has resulted in an extremely powerful sense of camaraderie and friendship among the team. Few Autobots are closer. As so many battered, bruised and beaten Decepticons can attest, if you confront one Dinobot, you confront them all. 

The group's members are:
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] ''(Tyrannosaurus)''—the leader
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] ''(Triceratops)''—the bad boy
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] ''(Brontosaurus)''—a plodding bruiser
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] ''(Stegosaurus)''—a grumpy soldier
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] ''(Pteranodon)''—a good-natured bombardier

The exact roster of the team has changed over time. The Dinobots may start out with six members, before losing one; or, a worthy 'bot might be admitted to the team at a later point. Other Dinobots have included:
*[[Paddles (G1)|Paddles]] ''(Elasmosaurus)''—a martyr with an awkward alt-mode
*[[Kakuryu (G1)|Grimmaster]] ''(Styracosaurus)''—the one-bot combiner [[Grimstone (PCC)|Grimstone]] lookalike with his own crew of [[drone]]s
*[[Skar (IDW)|Skar]] ''(Ankylosaurus)''—the team's medic
*[[Strafe (IDW)|Strafe]] (two-headed monster)—an outsider who joined the team after gaining a mutant beast form
*[[Slash (POTP)|Slash]] ''(Velociraptor)''—the clever girl

In [[Jaws of Terror|one particular continuity]], there are hundreds of the buggers.

Back on Cybertron, they often had vehicle modes like most other Transformers, and were sometimes referred to as the '''Dynobots'''.

Unlike many other [[subgroup]]s, the Dinobots usually don't combine. However, in universes where they are granted the ability—such as by using the [[Enigma of Combination]]—they can merge to form [[Volcanicus (POTP)|Volcanicus]]. If they ever had the natural ability to combine, it is lost to history... but under [[The Beast Within|extraordinary circumstances]], the [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] within them may walk the Earth once more.

{{quote|We watch each other's back, we stick together through thick and thin, and no one '''ever''' tells us what to '''do!'''|Grimlock sums his group up|[[Maximum Dinobots issue 2|''Maximum Dinobots'' #2]]}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:GrimSlagSludge.jpg|thumb|The Three Dinobots, immediately after accidentally killing the Invisible Swordsman.]]

Inspired by the dinosaur fossils found by [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] in the volcanic caves near the ''Ark'', [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] designed and built new robots in their image, dubbing them the Dinobots. Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge were built first. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}} After some initial troubles, their performance pleased [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] enough that he had two more built, adding Snarl and Swoop to the ranks. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}} 

[[File:DinobotsG1.jpg|left|thumb|From left to right: Terrible Dactyl, Stego, Bronto Thunder, Tricero and Ghengis Rex]]

The Dinobots' role was simply to pulverize anyone or anything that was too strong for the Autobots to handle on their own. In the process, they frequently mouthed off, rebelled and started brawls inside of Autobot Headquarters (and the occasional [[Trypticon (G1)|dinosaur-shaped city]]).

During one incident, the Dinobots' destructive clumsiness caused damage to Autobot HQ and almost led to [[Teletraan I]] getting caught in the crossfire. The Autobots decided they needed a bigger place to roam freely, so they relocated them to [[Dinobot Island (G1)| a newly-discovered island filled with living dinosaurs]]. The Dinobots' newfound paradise was quickly invaded by the Decepticons, and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity| Megatron]] caused a stampede of dinosaurs to trap the Dinobots in a tar pit.
{{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}}

At one point, the Dinobots became sick of only being used as the hammer of the Autobot army, so they deserted, saying that they would fight when ''they'' wanted to. However, the Dinobots were called in when the Autobots and the Decepticons began suffering from [[Cybertonium]] depletion. During the battle with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], they were accidentally sent to Cybertron, where they briefly reduced [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to the role of chew toy. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} However, Shockwave altered the Dinobots' memory circuits and forced them to work in the [[Cybertonium Pit]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Carly]] managed to rescue them, and the Dinobots decided to follow Optimus Prime's orders... until such time that they decided not to do so. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[File:TFTM Dinobots Robot Mode.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|One of many, many moments in TFTM where Snarl is <i>just</i> out of shot.]]
During the [[Battle of Autobot City]], the Dinobots were dispatched to defeat [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Despite their incredible strength, Devastator manhandled them. During [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s subsequent attack, [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] literally had to drag them aboard the shuttle, which was shot down over [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]]. The Dinobots managed to avoid being captured and met [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], who helped them find Kup and Hot Rod. Later, the Dinobots literally kicked the butt of [[Unicron|a god]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

A newly-revived Optimus Prime informed the Autobots of the apparent deaths of Rodimus, [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], Kup, Spike and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]], leading Grimlock and several others to avenge them with an all-out attack on a supposed [[Quintesson]] base. Sludge and Snarl were left behind on Cybertron, and were shocked by the arrival of Rodimus' group, very much alive. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}} When Grimlock smelled [[dinosaur transform static]] at the site of the stolen [[Fort Knox]], the Dinobots (and a disgruntled [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]) were put under suspicion and interrogated, but were quickly proven innocent when Trypticon emerged as the true culprit. With the rest of the Autobots, they boarded [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] to battle the Decepticons at [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]]. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

{{groupstub}}

[[File:Call-of-the-primitives-dinobots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]] {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}} {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}} 
{{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
{{groupstub}}

=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
While the [[Binaltech (technology)|Binaltech]] conflict took place in [[2004]] and on [[Earth]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s [[Decepticon]]s pushed their conquest of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. To neutralize the powerful Dinobots, the Decepticons utilized the alien [[Unleasher]]s on them. With their telepathy, the Unleashers attacked the Dinobots' minds, reducing them to nothing more than the impulses inherent to their beast modes. In this state, the Dinobots indiscriminately attacked their Autobot teammates, forcing their comrades to take all five offline. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] was able to isolate the psychic subroutine afflicting the Dinobots, but its removal proved difficult, so a temporary solution for Grimlock to inhabit a vehicular body was decided upon. {{storylink|Beast in the Machine}} The Dinobots were eventually cured in [[2005]] with the help of [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]]'s own telepathic abilities in exchange for Decepticon prisoners. {{storylink|Outlier (comic)|Outlier}}

======BT World======
In the [[BT World]] timeline that split off from the [[G1 World]], the whereabouts of Soundwave were unknown, so the Dinobots were still incapacitated in [[2008]], to Grimlock's frustration. But thanks to the constantly evolving Binaltech technology, they were able to replicate Soundwave's abilities with the [[Psychedevice]]. However, Grimlock's vehicular body was slowly becoming incapable of preventing his own Unleasher-induced madness, which in turn was preventing the other Dinobots from awakening. Grimlock arrived on Earth with Carly to use the Psychedevice, but they were met by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], who was hoping to use the Psychedevice for herself. Her inherent beast DNA being affected by Grimlock's aberrant mental waves, Blackarachnia fought with her fellow ex-beast. Forced to use the Psychedevice, Carly evolved into a higher being and cured both parties of their madness.

Healed, the Dinobots met their leader at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] and got a sound beating from him for insulting his unfamiliar body. {{storylink|Outlier (comic)|Outlier}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
The Decepticons invaded Cybertron in full force in [[2011]], prompting the Dinobots to fight alongside the other Autobots against the invading Decepticons. However, they didn't fare too well against the previously unknown Decepticon [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], as they were all quickly put to sleep by [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s hypnosis attack. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} They eventually awoke and continued the fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

=====''United EX''=====
In [[2025]], the Dinobots were joined by former [[Decepticon]] [[Kakuryu (G1)|Kakuryu]], who sought to fight on the side of good and to repay [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] for once saving him. Over the next ten years, he trained at [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] before being enlisted in the [[Master Class]] as "Grimmaster"—this entitled him to an [[Energon Matrix]] and a set of [[Power Core Combination|Power Core]] drones he could combine with. {{Storylink|The Dragon Pays His Dues}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
In [[2021]], Grimlock was among the many Autobots were forced to become Headmasters and went to the [[Legends World]]. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} He eventually regained a regular-sized body by [[2039]]. Also by then, the Dinobots received a new member, the cute "little sister" [[Slash (POTP)|Slash]]. She joined Grimlock and Grimmaster in witnessing the commencement of the second iteration of the [[Cybertron Alliance]]. {{Storylink|Transformers Legends Final Chapter "Epiloge"|Epiloge}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic''=====
[[File:Battle of Neo Scramble City.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|If you're thinking this looks one-sided, you're right. The Dinobots cleaned house.]]
When a time gate was detected on Dinobot Island in [[2050]], [[Carly]] alerted the Dinobots to its presence. In response, they, [[Slash (POTP)|Slash]] and [[Kakuryu (G1)|Grimmaster]] included, were called to meet about it by Grimlock. They saw the [[Quintesson]]s emerge from the temporal portal, and the aliens quickly decided to sic their [[Allicon]]s on the Dinobots so that the dinosaurs could be flipped as merchandise. The Dinobots obviously didn't agree with this scheme and easily fended off the Allicons, prompting the lead [[Quintesson Judge]] to use the [[Recreator]] to summon [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. Predaking took easy care of the Dinobots till [[Primus#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Primus]] from the past encouraged Grimlock to tap into [[Earth]]'s [[Angolmois Energy]]. This, combined with Grimmaster's [[Energon Matrix]], allowed the five core Dinobots to combine into [[Volcanicus (POTP)|Volcanicus]]. Despite Predaking trying to use Slash as a hostage, the Dinobot combiner was able to defeat his opponent and send the component [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] fleeing, as well as the Quintessons. Right after, they were contacted by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]], who alerted the Dinobots to the [[Selector]] revolt at [[Neo Scramble City]] and Carly being injured in the process. After leaving Slash to babysit the island, the 
Volcanicus components set out to help their old friend. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}}The Dinobots sided with the humans against the Selectors, fighting both Autobots and Decepticons until they were the last ones standing as Volcanicus.{{storylink|Volcanicus comic 2}} The Dinobot combiner was ambushed by the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], who worked for the Quintessons.{{storylink|Abominus comic 1}}
They were eventually summoned to the previous universe by Primus to help with the huge conflict taking place there over [[Star Power]] and Angolmois Energy. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}}

{{Groupstub|{{storylink|God Neptune comic 2}}{{storylink|Abominus comic 2}}{{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale Part 1|Finale 1}}{{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale Part 2|Finale 2}}}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:WhatsInAName-Swoopjet.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
''In the early days of the [[Great War (G1)|war]], [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Divebomb]] chafed under the leadership of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] as part of the [[Elite Flying Corps]].'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}} ''He was humiliated by [[Divebomb (G1)|a Decepticon]] who took his name, and worse, he was rescued by the commanding officer he hated.'' {{storylink|What's in a Name?}} 

He joined up with four other Autobots to form a rogue group of warriors who each felt that Optimus Prime was an inferior leader, so they secretly made plans in the event that they wanted to leave Cybertron. To that end, they snuck into a Decepticon spaceport, stole three of their battlecruisers, and parked them in the [[Rad Zone]]. {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} Despite disliking Prime's leadership, they all somehow wound up as part of his crew aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] to clear a path for Cybertron through the asteroid belt it was passing through. Weakened by the mission and ambushed by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s Decepticons, Prime crashed the Ark and all aboard into the nearest planet.

[[File:Arkshuttle3.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Shortly after the crash, the Ark's computer detected [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] landing on the planet in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] land-out-of-time that would one day become known as the [[Savage Land]]. The Ark used the last of its capabilities to revive these five warriors and rebuild them to transform into the Savage Land's dominant life form: dinosaurs. {{storylink|The Last Stand|The Last Stand}} They were then dispatched aboard a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to deal with the Decepticon and in the battle they trapped were in a tar pit and remained dormant until [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] revived them in the 1980s. They returned with him to confront Megatron, but the Decepticon leader made short work of the Dinobots, leaving Ratchet to defeat him alone. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}} 

''As well as new dinosaurian forms, they had new names, and Swoop was the only one who cared to remember their old handles back on Cybertron.'' {[storylink|Fact File|And now... the Dinobots!}}

[[File:RepeatPerformance-didncha.jpg|thumb|left]]
''On their way back to the Ark, the Dinobots encountered [[human]]s for the first time and Ratchet told them a story about the battle on [[Sherman Dam]].'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} ''When they arrived they were confronted by the battle droid [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], reprogrammed by Shockwave to defend the spacecraft against any intruders. After beating the snot out of Swoop, the mechanoid ran into the depths of the Ark and the other Dinobots set after it.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}} ''Realising that Guardian was armed with a thermonuclear bomb, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] managed to prevent Grimlock from destroying Guardian by remotely activating the headless body of Optimus Prime and knocking Grimlock's gun away. As per Shockwave's programming, Guardian came hunting for the Autobots and engaged them in battle while the bomb counted down to detonation. Ratchet repaired Swoop just in time to fly Guardian far from the Ark, but he cut it far too fine and was seemingly destroyed in the explosion. Upset at the loss of their comrade the other Dinobots left, heading north.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}} 

[[File:Swoop trailbreaker icarus theory.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
''A human scientist called [[Peter Anthony Morris|Peter Morris]] recovered Swoop's remains from [[Lake Dena]] and used his [[neural relay link]] to control the Dinobot. When this was discovered by a [[Roxxon Oil security guard|security guard]], Morris used Swoop to kill him, then decided to finish off the rest of "[[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]]'s robots". With the element of surprise (and missiles) on his side, the human-controlled Swoop wrought havoc amongst the Autobot lines but his hated former commander Optimus Prime managed to snap him out of it and once free of the neural relay link, Swoop returned to Morris's lab to seek vengeance against the human. When the Autobots followed, Swoop once again began attacking them mindlessly and they were forced to subdue him with Morris's help. Examining the Dinobot, Ratchet diagnosed that his primary [[cybo-dendron]]s had burnt out due to having spent four million years in a tar pit. Realising that the other Dinobots were most likely undergoing the same condition, Optimus Prime announced that the Autobots would have to round them up.'' {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}}

[[File:Grimlock sludge dinobot hunt.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
''Splitting into teams to search for each Dinobot, the Autobots spread out across the country. [[Mirage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Mirage]], [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] managed to track down and deactivate [[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]] (with a little help from the [[United States military]]) in the [[Black Rock Desert]], [[Nevada]], but were spied on by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] who reported the situation back to [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]. In [[Littlewood]], [[California]], [[Sludge (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Sludge]] had been discovered by a human news team led by [[Joy Meadows]] while [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], and [[Cliffjumper (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Cliffjumper]] searched fruitlessly for him, but all four Autobots were ambushed and captured by Soundwave, [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] and [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]. [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]], and [[Ironhide (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ironhide]] had better luck capturing [[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]] in [[Old River Valley]], [[Idaho]], detecting the spy Laserbeak and using him to block Slag's flamethrower breath. Meanwhile, Soundwave had located Grimlock in [[Doonstown]] and set Sludge on him, turning the town into a war zone and leading to [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] being taken out of the fight. Further Autobot casualties were only prevented by the arrival of Optimus Prime with reinforcements from the Ark and all four Dinobots were left in a vegetative state.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} 

''Ratchet returned the Dinobots to the Ark and repaired their cybo-dendrons but they remained in their respective comas, each dreaming of fighting against their own personal demons.'' {{storylink|Victory!}} ''When they did wake up, they were confined to the Ark because their alt-modes were too conspicuous but then Sludge saw Joy Meadows on a [[television]] broadcast and the Dinobots decided to up sticks and look for her anyway. They found her in the middle of a [[Intelligence and Information Institute|Triple-I]] ambush and rescued her, agreeing to provide an interview regarding the truth about the Transformers' presence on Earth. Swoop left to pick up Joy's camera crew but was tagged with a homing beacon by Triple-I, which led the Decepticons straight to them. After a brief but fierce battle in which the Dinobots were aided by the mechanoid [[Centurion (Marvel)|Centurion]] controlled by Professor Morris, Soundwave located Joy's incriminating footage and destroyed it. With no cause left to fight, the Decepticons left the Dinobots and Centurion to sulk.'' {{storylink|In the National Interest}}

[[File:Dinobots Bad News.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Pretty much says it all.]]
''A short time later, Centurion discovered the re-arrival in the past of the [[time travel]]ling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] but the future Decepticon leader was too powerful for him and tore the mechanoid limb from limb. This angered Grimlock and the Dinobots who attacked Galvatron in turn, but even with the assistance of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s [[Cybertron Seven|resistance cell]], Professor Morris's neural relay link and Shockwave's Decepticons it was a close-fought thing and only Galvatron's reluctance to fire on his own troops brought it to an end. Leaving the Cybertronian Autobots with directions to the Ark, the Dinobots gathered up Centurion's remains and carried on their way.'' {{storylink|Fallen Angel}}

[[File:Grimlockkingofthehill.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
The Dinobots continued hiding out in the [[Cascade Range|Cascades]], stealing fuel from humans and sending Swoop out to spy on the Autobots at the Ark. Learning that Optimus Prime was dead, Grimlock decided to return and seize command for himself. Bursting into the Ark, he denounced Prime's style of leadership as weak and insisted only the strongest should lead but was soundly rebuffed by the assembled Autobots. Meanwhile, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], the Decepticons' fuel auditor on Cybertron, had sent [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] through the [[space bridge]] to annihilate the Earthbound Autobots once and for all. Outside the Ark, the Dinobots stood back and watched the slaughter for a while until Trypticon threatened [[Rachel Becker]], a palaeontology student who had taken an interest in the local Transformer activity, which drove Grimlock to defend her. Following their leader's example, the other Dinobots charged, battling Trypticon until his fuel quota for the trip was expended and Ratbat recalled him to Cybertron. For showing courage and compassion in during the battle, the grateful Autobots then elected Grimlock as their new leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

After selecting the perfect crown to wear as leader, Grimlock sent Blaster and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] out to retrieve the [[Mechanic]] but when they failed to apprehend him, they promptly deserted. {{storylink|Mechanical Difficulties!}} ''Calling a meeting of all available Autobots, Grimlock was snarkily reminded by Wheeljack that they were all out hunting for the deserters or working on seemingly pointless tasks, such as repairing Centurion. Just then, [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] called in to say that he'd detected a Transformer's life sign coming from the sewers beneath [[London]]. Travelling there with Centurion to apprehend the deserters Grimlock found himself face-to-face with none other than Megatron (or at least a [[Straxus (G1)|clone]] of him that believed itself to be the real thing) and engaged him in battle alongside members of the human military team [[Action Force (team)|Action Force]]. Ultimately it was only thanks to Centurion's sacrifice that Megatron was defeated.'' {{storylink|Ancient Relics!}}

[[File:Dinobots razorclaw grudge match.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The Predacon group shot is ''over there''.]]
''Later at the Ark, Swoop recognised his old rival Divebomb on a television news report and set out to find him, seeking vengeance. The two tussled but Divebomb was quickly backed up by his fellow [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] who then took it in turns to beat the snot out of Swoop. Grimlock and the rest the Dinobots followed not far behind and turned the tables on the Predacons before Swoop intervened and allowed the Decepticons to go free, saying that he couldn't allow Grimlock to fight his battles for him.'' {{storylink|Grudge Match!}}

[[File:Variablevoltageharness.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
At the Ark, Wheeljack had finished putting the finishing touches to his [[Geothermal Generator]] but Grimlock was more interested in Slag's report of a [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]] ambush on the [[Throttlebot]]s, sending the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] to retrieve Blaster and Goldbug. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} Grimlock also had Wheeljack working on two other projects—preparing a [[variable voltage harness]] with which to punish the deserters and making the Ark space-worthy once more. When the Protectobots were delayed in returning Blaster thanks to a [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] attack, Grimlock ordered the launch of the Ark, catching up to Blaster along with a group of [[Spacehikers|human children]] aboard a [[mode lock]]ed [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}} When Grimlock captured the shuttle he found that Blaster had escaped, so the Dinobots put the children on trial and forced them to "walk the plank" as a ploy to draw him out. Even though Blaster had the support of the Ark's Autobots and Wheeljack's buddy [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] rescued the children from deep space, the Dinobots had them surrounded and Blaster was forced to surrender to Grimlock. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

[[File:Dinobots fight commentary.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Grimlock threw Blaster into the variable voltage harness and seemingly forgot about him until the Ark ran into the crew of the ''[[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]]'' and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Forktongue Maxiface]] made contact. Enraged that a [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|puny human]] led his band of Autobots and worse, that they were sheltering the deserter Goldbug, Grimlock challenged Fullstrength Motleypuss to settle the matter through the archaic [[Code of Combat]]. A duel was arranged on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] with Blaster standing in as Fruitloop Multipuck's champion and the Dinobots cheered on their leader as the two combatants fought. Their enthusiasm was short-lived, however, as [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] chose that moment to lead Ratbat's Decepticons in a full-scale assault on the assembled Autobots, causing massive casualties among their number and damaging the Ark. Grimlock and Blaster put aside their differences and united to lead a counterattack, driving the Decepticons away but leaving the Autobots stranded on the moon as the ''Steelhaven'' had returned to [[Nebulos]], hoping to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''Following his resurrection, Prime led the Autobots and Dinobots to Earth aboard a [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] to deal with Galvatron once and for all, as the [[time rift]] the future Decepticon had inadvertently created was threatening the very fabric of space and time itself. Storming outside to defend [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] from [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]'s Decepticons, Prime, Snarl and a group of other Autobots were [[mass substitution|transported]] away to [[Limbo]] to make way for [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and his troops from the future. Misunderstanding the situation, Swoop, Slag and Sludge attacked them but were convinced to stand down when Goldbug was injured, prompting the future's [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] to call a truce and Optimus Prime to use the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to speak to his troops. United with the future and present Autobots and Decepticons, the Dinobots confronted Galvatron, now allied with (the clone of) Megatron. After a vicious battle, Megatron fled and Galvatron was sucked into the time rift.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[File:Tokyounderbase.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
The Dinobots were next called upon to fight the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] in [[Tokyo]]. Slag, Sludge, Swoop and Snarl were quickly taken out and while Grimlock managed to knock the treacherous Decepticon out of the sky for the Predacons to attack him, they were no match for the super-powered Seeker and only the Decepticon [[Pretender]]s could stand against him. When Grimlock rushed to join the battle, Starscream suspended the Pretenders' fire, then threw him into its path, blowing him apart. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[File:Grimlock bumblebee the primal scream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Some time later Grimlock was brought back online on Cybertron by Ratchet, using Pretender technology stolen from Megatron. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} While Grimlock, along with the restored [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] and Jazz easily defeated Megatron's underlings, they failed to save Ratchet when [[Megatron's base]] exploded. {{storylink|Skin Deep}} Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee briefly joined the Autobot resistance movement on Cybertron before attempting to return to Earth via [[trans-time dimensional portal]]. They were thwarted when ''the latest incarnation of'' the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] infiltrated [[Autobase]] and sabotaged the portal, teleporting all six Transformers (and the [[Micromaster]] [[Rescue Patrol (G1)|Rescue Patrol]]) deep into the heart of Cybertron, where the Autobots discovered the resting place of their god, [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} During a battle within the centre of the planet one of [[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]]'s shots ricocheted off Grimlock's back, striking Primus in the face and waking him, a few seconds before they were all teleported to Earth. {{storylink|The Primal Scream}} Rejoining Optimus Prime's forces, Grimlock warned him about the impending [[Unicron]] and went on to form a team with Jazz and Bumblebee to search for the lost Creation Matrix. They discovered it on the moon [[VsQs]], where Optimus Prime's funeral barge had crashed, but were defeated by [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] who claimed the Matrix for his own. {{storylink|Dark Creation}}

[[File:Grimlockpriceoflife.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Frustrated by his defeat at Thunderwing's hands and humiliated at having to be rescued by the Autobots, Grimlock sought out a way to revive the rest of the Dinobots and discovered that the answer apparently lay on the planet of [[Hydrus Four]] in the [[Styrakon System]], where scientists had discovered a new source of energy called [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]]. He went to Optimus Prime to request permission to investigate this potential life-saving fuel but was turned down flat by the preoccupied Autobot leader. Grimlock tore up a room in the Ark to vent his anger and was caught in the act by [[Waverider]] who went to report this to Optimus Prime, but was told to wait as Prime had an important announcement to make. Meanwhile, Grimlock was caught taking the Dinobots' bodies from the life-support medlab in subchamber B on level 4 of the Ark. Sympathising with Grimlock's position, he let his guard down for a second and was floored by the Dinobot leader, who proceeded to steal an [[All-Terrain Turbo-Transport]] and blast clear of the Ark just as Prime was announcing his intention to surrender to the Decepticons. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}}

On Hydrus Four, Grimlock enlisted a [[Hydrusian guide|local mechanoid]] as his guide and learned that Nucleon had driven the [[Nucleon guardian|first three patients]] insane, leaving them to jealously guard the medi-center that was its source against all that approached. Easily making his way past the first two guardians (though they scared away his guide) Grimlock found himself face-to-face with the third, a diminutive robot who told Grimlock that contrary to appearances, the guardians were there to protect unaffected robots from Nucleon's terrible side effects. Testing the Nucleon for himself and feeling great, Grimlock dismissed the warning that "time will tell" and began to revive the other Dinobots. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}} However, even as they were making preparations to leave Hydrus Four and Snarl was thanking him for the Nucleon boost, Grimlock's leg began to seize up and he thought back to the mechanoid's warning. {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}}

[[File:Dinobots wheeljack edge of extinction.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Returning to the Ark, the Dinobots found not just the ship but the entire planet was devoid of Transformer life, apart from a strange signal in two parts. With Slag and Sludge pumping Nucleon into the Ark's life-support medibay and Swoop able to pilot the Ark by himself, Grimlock ordered that they set course for Cybertron even as his hand began to lock up. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Upon arrival, they found that the battle with Unicron was in full swing, so Grimlock chose to smash the Chaos Bringer in the face. With the Ark. When [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] berated him for this reckless action, Grimlock kicked him out of the Ark and then jumped out after him with the Dinobots, eager to join the fight. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

[[File:StillLife-Swoop.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.9]]
With Unicron defeated by the power of the restored [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], a dying Optimus Prime named Grimlock to be his successor as Autobot leader. A distraught Prowl passed on the news, making Grimlock swear to the Autobot code to protect all life, but the practical Grimlock was more concerned with finding and locating the rest of the deactivated Autobots still aboard the recently stolen Ark. Heading out with the rest of the Dinobots to look for it, Grimlock's seizures suddenly became more serious as his entire body locked in place and he was unable to move—just as they were approached by a frantic [[Hi-Q]] being chased by a horde of [[Demon]]s. The other Dinobots formed a circle around their leader but found the Demons were tough opponents and that they were being beaten back. Hi-Q, however, saw that the Nucleon was engineering a metamorphosis within Grimlock and used his [[Powermaster]] skills to accelerate the process, allowing the Dinobot leader to be reborn in a new, all-powerful [[Action Master]] form. This newfound power caused most of the Demons to flee but Grimlock had caught one and was about to kill it when he was reminded of his oath to protect all life by Hi-Q. Letting the Demon go, he returned to his Dinobots and revealed the price he had paid for his Nucleon upgrade—Grimlock was no longer able to transform. {{storylink|Still Life!}}

[[File:Grimlockendoftheroad.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
At a meeting of the newly formed and somewhat shaky Autobot-Decepticon alliance, Blaster revealed that the effects of the cataclysmic battle were much worse that they thought and that the planet was shaking itself apart. While Grimlock pursued a path of questionable diplomacy towards the Decepticons, Prowl naïvely shared their evacuation plans with [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]. When Bludgeon inevitably betrayed Prowl's trust by sabotaging the Autobot ships and escaping the dying planet to loot and plunder anew, Grimlock had the Dinobots retrieve their stolen battlecruisers from the Rad Zone. {{storylink|Exodus!}} Thanks to tracking devices on the Decepticon ships, Grimlock was able to lead the Autobot pursuit force right to the Decepticons on the planet [[Klo]]. {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} Unfortunately, it seemed the Decepticons had discovered the tracking devices and anticipated their arrival, preparing a textbook ambush. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}} One massacre later and the only Dinobots left alive were Grimlock and Slag, along with the Autobots Prowl, Kup and Blaster. Thankfully, a miracle arrived in the form of a resurrected Optimus Prime and the awesomely powerful [[Last Autobot]], who began reviving all the Autobots who fell in battle with the Decepticons. Bludgeon fled with his remaining troops, and Grimlock and the Dinobots stood victorious. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}
{{-}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Breakaway-Dinobots.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
In an alternate timeline, Grimlock found a way to revive his fellow Dinobots after their destruction in the [[Underbase Saga]]. They returned to Earth to battle a new splinter group of Decepticons under [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]'s command. Despite the Dinobots emerging victorious, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] berated Grimlock and his team for their brutal tactics, flying in the face of the "[[Autobot Code]]". {{storylink|Two Steps Back!}} This led to a confrontation between Grimlock and Prime that ultimately deteriorated into a physical brawl, but they were too evenly matched and ended up laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Prime relented and allowed Grimlock and the Dinobots the autonomy to defend the Earth as they saw fit, providing they show some restraint. Along with [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] and five Autobots recently revived by [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]], they formed the Earthforce. {{storylink|Break-Away!}}

[[File:Earthforce.jpg|thumb|Charrrge!]]
They landed their [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] in [[Canada]], where the Earthforce prepared to battle the Decepticons. To emphasise to his troops that they would not be fighting the war Prime's way, Grimlock literally threw a copy of the Autobot Code out of the window. {{storylink|Once upon a Time...}} Not long afterwards, Grimlock received a transmission from Shockwave, challenging him to a duel. Grimlock accepted, unaware that it was an [[April Fools' Day]] prank by the other Dinobots, and trekked out miles into the wilderness only to find himself face-to-face with a Shockwave-shaped snowman. He took out at least some of his frustrations on two passing [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], then ran back towards the other Dinobots carrying an enormous snowball. {{storylink|Snow Fun!}} 

[[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]] went on a mission with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] to investigate the suspect [[Sleepfast]] nightlights, only to discover that they were a scheme of the diabolical [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]. They defeated the hypnotic Decepticon by using his own technology against him, though Snarl wasn't so impressed by Wheeljack's punning. {{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}} Later, Grimlock made a deal with the [[Survivors]], lending them aid to rescue their Decepticon comrade [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] in exchange for them joining Earthforce under his command. {{storylink|Where Wolf?}} Acting on an anonymous tip-off, Grimlock and the Earthforce travelled to [[Memphis Airport]] to defeat the duelling [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and Shockwave. {{storylink|Internal Affairs!}}

[[File:Earthforce house that wheeljack built.jpg|left|upright=1.66|thumb]]
After Wheeljack had finished constructing the [[Earthbase]], with its hugely impressive security systems, the Dinobots found themselves locked out. While [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] and the recently revived [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] battled their way inside, Grimlock helped by, er, holding Wheeljack upside down by one leg. {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}} Soon afterwards, [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] staged a full-scale Decepticon assault before the grid could be repaired, putting Earthforce on the defensive. The Dinobots finally got to go out and kick some butt, with Grimlock taking on [[Octane]], [[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]] roasting [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] and [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]] bombing [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]. They soon drove off the Decepticons. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}}

[[File:MarvelUK-280-4MYItch-ObservationusPrime.jpg|thumb]]
By sheer bad luck, Slag's [[emotional damper]]s happened to fail while Optimus Prime was conducting an inspection of the Earthbase leading to a series of comic episodes as Grimlock attempted to distract the Autobot commander from his fellow Dinobots' efforts to bring the rampaging monster under control. {{storylink|The 4,000,000 Year Itch!}} Then it was Grimlock's turn to get murderous as Prime had the insufferable [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] repaired in Wheeljack's Body Shop and assigned him to the ranks of the Earthforce. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}} He was also less than impressed when the [[Mayhem Attack Squad]] escaped from the Earthbase's cells under [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]'s watch. {{storylink|Shut Up!}}

[[File:Earthforce external forces.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.67]]
When Wheeljack diagnosed Snarl with the fatal disease [[Corrodia Gravis]], the Dinobots had to seek out [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], the only Transformer capable of giving him a compatible systems boost. {{storylink|Assassins}} To make matters worse, when they found him he was under attack from the Mayhems and they quickly found themselves under attack from Megatron and Shockwave. {{storylink|External Forces!}} Forced to choose sides, Sludge and Swoop went to protect Starscream from the Pretender assassins while Grimlock and Slag dealt with the two former Decepticon leaders. After Slag charbroiled Megatron and Grimlock plunged his energo-sword through Shockwave's chest, they gave up the fight and took off. Starscream then agreed to the systems boost in exchange for Grimlock's promise to help if Megatron tried to assassinate him again. {{storylink|The Lesser Evil!}}

After [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] went crazy due to a [[cerebro-shell]], Grimlock and the Autobots were forced to give an interview and a guided tour of their base to the reporter [[Irwin Spoon]] in exchange for his help removing the shell from their friend. {{storylink|Inside Story!}} Grimlock was less than thrilled. He probably was relieved when the nosy human got kidnapped and brainwashed by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]—at least Grimlock got to skip his interview! {{storylink|Front Line! (issue)|Front Line!}}

[[File:DestinyoftheDinobots-hadgone.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85]]

In [[1992]] Snarl once again fell victim to Corrodia Gravis and the Dinobots took him back to the [[Savage Land]] to retrieve the [[Crystalline containment vessel|control crystal]] from their old shuttle in an attempt to save his life. They found that a human named [[Embrey|Professor Embrey]] had used the crystal to save some of the area's [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] from a disease that was killing them. Unwilling to trade Snarl's life for the dinosaurs', the Dinobots instead transferred his mind into a ''Stegosaurus'' until they could find an another way to save him. {{storylink|Destiny of the Dinobots!}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Dinobots legacy of unicron 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|Saurian Stomp!]]
In [[2008]] the Dinobots were stationed on Cybertron when the Decepticons staged a brazen and unprovoked attack on the Autobot location, prompting an incredible battle. The Dinobots led the counterattack and started to tear through the enemy. Realising that the battle was a distraction engineered by [[Unicron]] to keep the Autobots away from the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] withdrew the Dinobots from the battle and they set off to confront him. [[File:Dinobots legacy of unicron 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Me Grimlock LOVE committing war crimes!]] Unfortunately Unicron had mentally enslaved the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] to rebuild his body out of their planet, so to prevent this, Grimlock brought the Dinobots down to the planet and attacked the Junkions, slaughtering them wholesale. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

Later, Grimlock was part of Rodimus Prime's crew who came to Earth to free Autobot City from Quintesson occupation. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}
{{-}}

====="Another Time & Place"=====

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====

====Fleetway ''Generation 2'' comic====

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}

{{groupstub}}


====''Transformers '84''====
[[File:Dynobots traumatize secrets and lies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|left]]
A commando demolition squad, the Dynobots were sent to back up Perceptor when he explored the ruins of a [[Project Dreadnought]] turbine. When they tripped the silent alarm however, they were ambushed by [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]]. Though they managed to down the aerial scientist, they were caught unaware by Shockwave who disabled them with a single mighty blast. After the cyclops had retrived Skyfire's [[brain module]], the ruined bodies of the Dynobots were recovered by the Autobots. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 1|Secrets & Lies #1}}

The Dynobots' bodies were  recovered by the Autobots and taken aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' where [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] stored their [[spark]]s in magnetic field stasis and their memory engrams in the [[mind bank]]. When the ship later crashed on prehistoric Earth, [[Aunty|AUNTIE]] detected Shockwave's arrival on the planet and repaired the Dynobots with new [[alternate mode]]s based on [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaurs]] to deal with the Decepticon. Thirsty for revenge, the redubbed Dinobots confronted the scientist at a volcano only for him to outmanoeuvre them. After four had fallen, a desperate Grimlock injected a capsule of raw energon into himself, supercharging his system and allowing him to punch Shockwave into a mountain, bringing it crumbling down atop the Decepticon. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 2|Secrets & Lies #2}}

Disoriented from the fuel, Grimlock stumbled back to the ''Ark'', until he burnt off enough to remember his team. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}} After stopping AUNTIE from setting off Megatron's [[antimatter]], Grimlock returned to the battle site and willingly deactivated, burying himself alongside his fellows. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 4|Secrets & Lies #4}}

===Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity===
The Dinobots, led by Snarl, arrived at Doctor [[Heath Blaisedale]]'s solar plant in time to take part in a fight to defend the plant against the Decepticons. Unfortunately in their enthusiasm, as well as fighting off the Decepticons, they completely trashed the solar reactor which it had taken ten years for the doctor to construct. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)}}

===3H comics===
While telling the new [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobot]] team of their mission, the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] referred to the Dinobots of old as being fearsome and deadly but unbalanced between savagery and thought. {{storylink|Departure}}

===''The Beast Within''===
The Dinobots [[Combiner|combine]] into the [[Beast (G1)|Beast]] to fight the Decepticons, but the Beast is so savage and kill-crazy that the Autobots have to kill it. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:ScrollDinobots.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|A Dinobot by any other name would still kick your ass]]
It was established that Grimlock once commanded a splinter faction of Autobots known as the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], which included the Dynobots. It was also established that following this, these five robots used the Cybertronian designation "D'''y'''nobots". {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}}

The Dynobots traveled to Earth separately from the rest of the Autobots. Grimlock emerged on his own, and the Ark Autobots found him battling the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. The fate of the other Dinobots was unknown, but somehow Megatron had captured them and kept them in stasis in a secret base. After being freed, they traveled to Cybertron and helped liberate it from Shockwave's control. {{storylink|War and Peace}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Dinobots GIJoevsTFsII4.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
The Dinobots were originally five present-day Autobots who were sent back in time by [[Teletran 3]] and reformatted into dinosaurs. When [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] traveled back in time, they recovered the Dinobots, who proceeded to beat Shockwave's Decepticons three ways from Sunday. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4}}

Grimlock was later sent to Earth to oversee the decommissioning of Cybertronian technology {{storylink|The Art of War issue 1|The Art of War #1}}, where his team found that human scientists had used the deactivated Megatron's technology to create the evil [[Serpentor|Serpent Organic Robot]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}} Grimlock and the others followed this new threat back to Cybertron, only to be captured and imprisoned by the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} He was eventually freed by his G.I. Joe allies {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}, and helped defeat Serpent O.R. Meanwhile, Snarl was seen among the Autobot troops fighting against Serpent O.R.'s army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}
===''Legends'' anthology===
The story "[[Paddles (story)|Paddles]]" features a [[Paddles (G1)|sixth Dinobot of the same name]]. This is also the only appearance of the character. {{storylink|Paddles (story)|Paddles}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{quote|Crash and Burn!|Dinobot unit motto|[[Maximum Dinobots issue 1|''Maximum Dinobots'' #1]]}}

[[File:Monstrosity6-Dynobots.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.85|Skar got sent to a space hospital.]]
Grimlock and Slag were soldiers even before the war, and met each other when they were both thrown in a brig for pissing off their commanding officers (''shooting'' them in Slag's case). Bonding over their mutual desire to get things done and ignore the rules, they decided to form their own strike team: the Dynobots. In a personal quirk, however, Slag didn't want them to be seen as a ''proper'' team. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 2|Maximum Dinobots #2}} Their newly formed team of misfits became members of the [[Primal Vanguard]] under [[Nominus Prime]] and (somehow) model soldiers, acting as a Covert Strike Force with a spotless and admirable service record until one mission went wrong. While searching for terrorists beneath the [[Toraxxis Plains]], the group ran into strange [[cyber-morphic predator]]s, leading to an encounter that killed their medic [[Skar (IDW)|Skar]] and left the others unstable and with dangerous monstrous altmodes [[Scanning|scanned]] from the beasts. Upon their return supervisors wanted to study them to learn about Skar's method of "dynamic alt-mode adaption", but the team feeling broken and betrayed broke free and went on the run. {{storylink|Underworld (IDW)|Underworld}}

Following their disappearance from the public eye, the Dynobots began competing in underground gladiator fights at the [[Forge]] in [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]]. When [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] put out a call for combatants, the Dynobots were amongst those who were shown grudging respect by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] as opposed to the remainder of the "amateurs" in the crowd. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

[[File:Dinobots Autocracy Endgame.jpg|left|upright=1.6|thumb]]
While fighting in the [[Ring of Trials]], the Dynobots witnessed a call from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] to rally against the Decepticon tyranny on Cybertron. {{storylink|Broadcast}} For reasons known only to themselves, they responded to the call and aided Prime's new Autobot army in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] by crushing some Decepticon [[Brawl (G1)|tanks]]. {{storylink|Endgame}} While they began wearing the Autobot insignia after the battle, the Dynobots couldn't stay with Prime's forces. By this time their beastly altmodes were influencing their minds by turning them increasingly aggressive, causing them to stop transforming out of fear that they might eventually snap and ''become'' the vicious monsters they had scanned. Unwilling to endanger the people of Cybertron with their presence, the team turned to a life of crime in an attempt to gather enough money to make it offworld. {{storylink|Derelicts}}

The Dynobots' biggest heist was an attempt to steal several tankers worth of energon from the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery]]. {{storylink|Wreckage (issue)|Wreckage}} Unfortunately, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Decepticons had the same idea, leading to a battle between the two groups of robbers. Annoyed by Grimlock's bossy attitude, Slag briefly left the Dynobots during the heist but came back to his pals in time to help them fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Faces of Darkness}} Grimlock triggered the refinery's alarm to summon the Autobots then tried to disappear in the chaos, but was chased down and attacked by Scorponok. He defeated the Decepticon by resorting to using his altmode, only to be arrested by Optimus Prime in the aftermath, causing him to turn desperate and threaten to blow up the refinery. While he didn't go through with it, Scorponok ''did''. {{storylink|Rage (IDW)|Rage}} The destruction of Toraxxis scattered the Dynobots, leaving Grimlock alone. {{storylink|Fallout (issue)|Fallout}} He rejected any help offered by the Autobots, but the other Dynobots found him and convinced him to give Optimus Prime a chance. {{storylink|Prey (issue)|Prey}} 

[[File:Monstrosity12 DynobotsRally.jpg|right|upright=0.9|thumb]]
They came with [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] to [[Starsreach Spaceport]], where an unfortunately timed Decepticon attack caused Grimlock to lose control again. {{storylink|Massacre}} He was able to calm down, but the incident was the last straw for the Dynobots, who had had lost all hope for themselves and left Cybertron. {{storylink|Unleashed}} However, they soon changed their minds and returned in time to help the Autobots fight [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], an ancient monster and creator of the cyber-morphic predators. {{storylink|Annihilation}} After the Dynobots fought off Trypticon's minions and Grimlock aided Megatron in taking the beast down from within, they returned to the Autobots in hopes that their scientists could finally cure their cursed altmodes. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (issue)|Belly of the Beast}}

Indeed, Autobot science was able to purify the corrupted energon running through the Dynobots' veins and restore their original vehicle modes, efficiently curing them of their aggression. {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy 1}} They went on to help defend Iacon from a Decepticon assault, saving [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] from the Predacons in the process. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

As the war raged on, the Dynobots became figures of fear to the Decepticon army, regularly making brutal raids on outposts and leaving no survivors.  {{storylink|The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots #1|Maximum Dinobots #1}}  Experienced soldiers would tell new recruits Dynobot stories to ''"scare the bejesus out of 'em."'' {{storylink|The Waiting Game}}{{storylink|Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots}} The war moved offworld after Cybertron was rendered uninhabitable, and the Dynobots continued to fight under Optimus—though the Dynobots began to openly chafe under Prime's leadership, believing that the Autobot leader only kept the unruly warriors around to take on the "dirty" missions that the other Autobots couldn't perform. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}} {{storylink|Post}} Though the naturally rebellious Grimlock would at one point even defect to the Decepticons, he would find his way back to the Autobots, earning himself a place on [[the List]] of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]]. {{storylink|The Ties That Bind (issue)|The Ties That Bind}}  The Dynobots took part in a particularly bloody campaign on [[Varas Centralus]], where their actions were as horrific as any Decepticon's.  {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}} 

[[File:Shockwaveg1idw.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Good times.]]
Approximately ten thousand years ago, the Dynobots followed [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] to prehistoric Earth on a revenge-fueled crusade, ''after'' Optimus had told them to get over it already. The planet's energon fields forced them to take on the forms of the local animal life, and thus protected, they attacked Shockwave on the surface. Sadly, it did not protect the Dynobots from Shockwave's energy blasts, which melted the artificial skin and caused the Dynobots to go into [[stasis lock]] due to excessive [[energon radiation]]. Due to a deadman's switch, the Dynobots' ship, the ''[[Skyfire (ship)|Skyfire]]'', blasted a volcano that buried everyone in molten lava. They were unearthed in 2006 by a human archaeological dig {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}} which was taken over by [[Skywatch|government agents]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation #5}}

Though Grimlock was the first to be brought back online, he was freed from Skywatch's control through a virus implanted by a [[Machination]] spy (under orders from Scorponok). Scorponok wanted Grimlock to join him, but Grimlock refused, fought Scorponok, and escaped, vowing to find and rescue the other Dynobots. Scorponok, however, planned to take control of the Dynobots himself and use them to assassinate Grimlock. {{storylink|Spotlight: Grimlock}}

Reactivated by Skywatch, the Dynobots were put through their paces, seemingly to great success (secretly because the Machination had "helped" set up Skywatch's neural nets). When Grimlock appeared in Fallon, the town was cordoned off and the "Thunder Lizards" were sent to engage him. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 1|Maximum Dinobots #1}} The resulting clash caused ''massive'' damage to Fallon, helped along by Scorponok causing the neural nets to fluctuate so he could increase the conflict between the Dynobots. 

Eventually they were allowed to have their sentience so they could find out Grimlock had set up the deadman's switch, which left them buried on Earth, ''without telling them''. While feeling some guilt for what he did, Grimlock defended his actions by saying "er, hello, we're vicious amoral rule-breakers, of course I did it". Which ''worked''. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 2|Maximum Dinobots #2}}

[[File:Dynobots divided MaximumDinos.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|Bad times.]]
Rightfully so, the Dynobots were pissed with their leader, and walked away after Swoop read Grimlock the riot act. When Grimlock was attacked and almost destroyed by the [[Sunstreaker clone]]s, however, the team reunited once again for battle. Although fighting valiantly, they might have been destroyed, if not for the intervention of the [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s, whom were earlier contacted by Grimlock.
{{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 3|Maximum Dinobots #3}}

Aboard the Monsterbots' ship, the Dynobots wondered why Grimlock would side with the outcasts. They gave Grimlock a stern look when he exited the cockpit. The Dynobots didn't see the point of fighting Scorponok, but Grimlock said that Scorponok made it their fight when he turned the Dynobots against him. Snarl disagreed, saying that it has always been Grimlock's fight, that he and the other Dynobots went along with him, and that it was now Grimlock's wounded pride at stake. After the Monsterbots blasted away the defenses, Grimlock exited the ship, saying that there was no way he could let this go, and that with or without the Dynobots, there would be a reckoning for Scorponok. The Dynobots decided that arguing is pointless and followed Grimlock. When [[Hunter O'Nion]] pulled the cords from [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]]'s head, shutting him down, the clones ceased to function. Sludge cried out in victory, but the moment is short-lived as Scorponok blasted Sludge into stasis. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4|Maximum Dinobots #4}}

[[File:MaximumDinobots Don'tMessWithTheDynos.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left|Hey, he's sayin' what we're all thinkin'!]]
Grimlock stared down at Sludge's dead body, brooding about how it was his fault Sludge was dead... while a battle between Scorponok and Shockwave (for rights of revenge upon Grimlock) raged on around him. Eventually Snarl, Slag, and Swoop decide to get to the Monsterbots' ship while the getting was good, but Grimlock stayed behind with Sludge. Grimlock tried infusing some of his [[spark]] energy into Sludge to revive him, but it seemed to have no effect. Shockwave got the upper hand and let Scorponok escape, and in frustration, Grimlock attacked Shockwave. Grimlock and Shockwave were too busy fighting to notice the return of Slag, Snarl, and Swoop, who reasoned that, while helping Grimlock might not be much of a cause, it still beat being no better than the Monsterbots. They were noticed by Sludge, however, who seemed to have recovered due to Grimlock's treatment after all. The four of them dove into the fray proper, but Grimlock ordered them to go after Scorponok instead. When [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] was about to get squished by Scorponok, the remaining Dynobots showed up in just the nick of time. At Hot Rod's urgings, Swoop severed the connections keeping Scorponok's head conscious. But before the Dynobots could kill the rest of Scorponok, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] showed up and told them that Scorponok would be revived and made to answer to a tribunal instead. He then said they should purge the entire Machination facility, gather up all related Machination technology, and get as far away from Earth as possible as soon as possible—a plan that the Dynobots, Hot Rod, and Hunter were all perfectly OK with. Ultra Magnus later told Grimlock that having Scorponok and Shockwave in custody could help offset Grimlock's own sentence, and that the other Dynobots' warrants had been canceled, and Grimlock was content with that and the fact that Sludge was alive again thanks to him. On Earth, the other Dynobots meanwhile happily repaired the Skyfire. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

[[File:DinobotHunt DinosWithIronhide.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|Ironhide only gets to hang with them because he's a ''figurative'' dinosaur.]]
Slag, Sludge, Snarl and Swoop spent the next few years wandering through space, at some point changing their team name to the Dinobots and appointing Slag their new leader. When the war finally ended, they returned home to Cybertron and were recruited by [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] for a mission to search the wilderness for the missing [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. They found traces of fighting, but before they could do much investigating the Dinobots were overcome by a strange influence and violently turned on each other and Ironhide. {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt (IDW)|Dinobot Hunt}} The source of the influence was Megatron, who was using them as test subjects for a mysterious energy that could turn Transformers into [[combiner]]s, but the Dinobots' egos proved too strong to be easily subdued and merged. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} They eventually stopped fighting amongst themselves and instead teamed up on Ironhide, but he was saved from them by the intervention of [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], another result of Megatron's tests. {{storylink|Night and the City}}

After recovering from Megatron's influence, the Dinobots followed Ironhide and Superion back to Iacon {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} where they joined the other Autobots in defending the city from a Decepticon uprising. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} When the battle was over, [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] convinced the city's [[NAIL|neutral population]] that both the Autobots and Decepticons were bad news, and the Dinobots found themselves exiled into the wilderness alongside the rest of their faction. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}} There, they tussled with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] until they revealed themselves to be friendly, after which the two teams put their differences over some energon. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

When a mysterious light appeared in the wilderness, the Dinobots' first instinct was to go smash it, but it turned out to herald the appearance of the difficult-to-smash [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]]. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} After Slug was put in his place by [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], the Dinobots fell in line helped try to contain the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} A brief battle ensued when the exiled Decepticons arrived at the scene, but was interrupted when the Titan emitted a deadly energy wave that injured and corroded many combatants. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} Autobots and Decepticons alike stopped fighting while their leaders tried to work out what was going on. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} The Dinobots took Slug, victim of the energy wave, to safety, then attempted to slow the Necrotitan down as it marched on Iacon. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}} They continued to fight the Titan as it reached the city, {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} and watched as it was brought down by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}}

The Dinobots celebrated the Necrotitan's defeat by going drinking at [[Swerve's]]. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} The peace was brief, as an army of [[Ammonite]]s then invaded Cybertron, forcing them back into action. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} They fought to drive the invaders out of Iacon until the battle was won, at which point they witnessed Megatron reveal he was joining the Autobots. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

[[File:Redemption FiveDinobotsAgain.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|left|"Got a name that begins with "S"?  You're in!"]]
Six months later, the Dinobots assisted in the investigation of recent Decepticon murders by guarding murder sites. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight or Flee}} Suspecting the [[Firecon]]s to be the culprits, Optimus Prime, Starscream and [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] had a team including the Dinobots take the trio down, which they did with gusto. {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} After the Firecons were proven innocent, Optimus Prime accused the Dinobots themselves of the murders, claiming Slug's war crimes had caused him to snap. Slug thought the revelation that Autobots had also been killed proved his innocence, but Prime didn't relent. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}} Slug wouldn't take this treatment and began plotting to kill Prime, convincing the other Dinobots to help, when the team was suddenly attacked by the actual killer. As it turned out, Prime had only shouted about their crimes in order to lure out the culprit, the vigilante [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], but had also arranged a trap door to open beneath them when the bomb struck, saving their lives. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

The other Dinobots had to haul Slug away when he got drunk and tried to start a fight with evangelists [[Sterling]] and [[Aileron]], {{storylink|The Transformers: Redemption|Redemption}} {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} but the whole team later started a new fight at [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] and Slug got arrested. In jail, he was asked by [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] to protect him, [[Swift (G1)|Swift]] and [[Strafe (IDW)|Strafe]] during an off-the-record delivery to [[Alyon]]. The other Dinobots were shocked that he'd agreed to work for a corrupt cop, but he revealed that he planned to take the pay and let Barricade be killed by [[Badgeless]]. He changed his mind after learning that the cargo was [[spark]]s, ordering the Dinobots to kill the Badgeless at the cost of becoming cop killers and outlaws. They continued protecting the cargo from Badgeless and undead [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] until they reached Alyon and encountered [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], who killed Barricade, destroyed the sparks and corrupted Strafe into a monstrous form. After the group defeated Bludgeon and discovered that a natural [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]] had lit up in Alyon, the Dinobots welcomed Strafe into their ranks and set out into the wilderness to find and kill Bludgeon. {{storylink|The Transformers: Redemption|Redemption}}

Months into their search, the Dinobots were tracked down by Sandstorm, sent by Starscream to kill them for murdering those Badgeless and "kidnapping" Strafe. Slug was killed, self-destructing to give the other Dinobots a chance to escape. When Trypticon then returned, they knew Bludgeon was behind it and Sludge, Snarl, and Strafe fought their way inside the beast while Swoop went to check on the hot spot, where he found that Bludgeon had taken all the sparks. He encountered Sandstorm and forged an alliance, and while Sludge and Snarl were less happy about working with Slug's killer and attacked him, they temporarily put that aside and only pretended to fight him in order to fool Bludgeon into thinking they were distracted. Once Bludgeon was defeated, Trypticon was freed from his control and flew off with the Dinobots and Sandstorm, who decided to guard the sparks as they matured. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}}

The Dinobots remained in the wilderness henceforth, becoming friends with Trypticon and acting as guardians for the [[protoform]]s. Following the [[Iron Ring]]'s invasion, the group was approached by [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] who convinced them to allow him to inform Optimus Prime of the new generation. Prime's group soon arrived, Slug among them who attacked his friends in retribution for their perceived crimes against him. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}} Once the [[Void Scepter]] whose influence Slug was under was shattered, the group came to a quick peace and turned Trypticon into Earth's embassy on Cybertron to put the protoforms under Optimus's protection. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}}

[[File:Slug argues.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|right|"Er wait, no, we don't want you, Slide."]]
When [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] returned to Cybertron and sowed chaos among the populace, [[Marissa Faireborn]] tried to call the Dinobots in as backup, {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|The Ground}} only for Trypticon to spacebridge himself to Earth, bringing the unwilling Dinobots with him. {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing}} The Dinobots would go on to clash with the disillusioned young Autobot [[Slide]] and her [[Colonist Soldiers]], with Slug killing Gimlet before the arrival of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] over Earth forced both sides to agree to a truce to take on the true threat. {{storylink|Time Will Rust}} Joining forces with the recently arrived Prowl and the crew of the ''[[Peaceful Revolution]]'' the Autobots rendezvoused with the other Cybertronian refugees at [[Victoria Falls]]; this was short-lived, however, as the arrival of Unicron's [[Maximal]] warriors forced the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] to teleport into Earth orbit along with Trypticon and what remained of the Cybertronian war machine, buying time for Optimus Prime and a small cadre of warriors to kill Unicron from within with the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]]. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}}

In the ensuing battle, the Dinobots were forced to fight alongside a resentful Slide, urging the latter into action; when Bludgeon and his [[Worldsweeper]] breached Earth's atmosphere, the Dinobots attacked the ship as it ploughed through [[Washington, D.C.]], fighting alongside the [[Torchbearer]]s, and while [[Victorion]] took on Bludgeon's warrior [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], it was the Dinobots who fought their way through the ship itself to confront their nemesis one last time. In the ensuing battle, both Snarl and Sludge were felled by Bludgeon's hordes of mutated Maximals, and Slug sacrificed himself to kill Bludgeon as the crashing ship impacted the [[White House]], annihilating the both of them. In the aftermath, only Swoop and Strafe, the last surviving Dinobots, remained, beginning a new life on Earth with the other Cybertronians. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
[[Vector Prime]] was fond of the Dinobots. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime}}
{{groupstub|{{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons===
[[File:POTP-Ep5-Athenaeum-Sanctorum-Dinobots-without-cover.jpg|thumb|upright=1.9]]
In the aftermath of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the Dinobots took up residence in the [[Primal Swamp]] and enjoyed the peacetime. When the threat of the world ending caused fighting to resume across Cybertron, the Dinobots blamed [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and attacked him and his compatriots when they appeared in the swamp. Each of the Dinobots held their own against their opponents, but were eventually subdued by [[Victorion]]. Refusing to surrender, the Dinobots formed [[Volcanicus (POTP)|Volcanicus]] and resumed their assault. {{storylink|The Swamp}} Getting into a fight with Predaking, Volcanicus was knocked into a pool of energon. Unable to free himself, he split back into his smaller components. Now somewhat convinced that Megatron truly wasn't behind recent events, Grimlock offered his aid in their quest. {{storylink|Primal (POTP)|Primal}} Unable to agree with his decision, the other Dinobots departed, with Sludge taking on a leadership role. Unfortunately, they were found by [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Cron]], who attacked and soundly defeated them. Rodimus grabbed Sludge and started torturing him until Snarl confessed Megatron was headed for the [[Athenaeum Sanctorum]]. Momentarily possessed by [[Unicron]], Rodimus killed Sludge and departed with Overlord, with the others mourning the loss of their own.

Elsewhere, in the [[Cataclysm Tundra]], Grimlock followed Megatron's group into the Sanctorum and learned of the [[Requiem Blaster (Megatronus)|Requiem Blaster]]'s history, though they were interrupted by Overlord and Rodimus's arrival. {{storylink|Athenaeum Sanctorum (episode)|Athenaeum Sanctorum}} Grimlock helped in the battle, {{storylink|Countdown (POTP)|Countdown}} and though Overlord was defeated, [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] appeared and swiped the Requiem Blaster, followed by Rodimus. {{storylink|Consequences}} Grimlock agreed to follow the others to the [[Well of All Sparks|Well of Sparks]] to stop Megatronus, but was temporarily weakened by the activation of his doomsday device. The other Dinobots, still standing around Sludge's body, also exhibited signs of being drained. In spite of this, Grimlock pressed on and helped battle Megatronus, stopping only when his body was subsumed in flames and unable to move. {{storylink|Collision Course}} He ultimately escaped the flames and helped shut down the machine, {{storylink|Megatronus Unleashed}} as well as turn Rodimus back to Hot Rod. After Megatron sacrificed himself to save them all, Grimlock returned to the Primal Swamp and joined the other Dinobots in grieving for their fallen comrade. {{storylink|Saga's End}}

===2021 ''Beast Wars'' comic===
During the Great War, the Dinobots were a faction of Autobots who disappeared in an untimely manner. Their legacy continued into the era of the Maximals as a source of great inspiration for future heroes with even [[Dinobot (BW)|a Predacon]] naming himself after them. {{storylink|Savage Landing Part 6}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1Sludge toy.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Sludge]]
*'''Dinobots''' ([[1985]])
**[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Grimlock]]
**[[Slag (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Slag]]
**[[Sludge (G1)#The Transformers|Sludge]]
**[[Snarl (G1)#The Transformers|Snarl]]
**[[Swoop (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Swoop]]
{{toydesigner|[[Kōjin Ōno]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:The five Dinobots were sold individually in boxed packages from 1985 to [[1986]]. They featured a uniform color scheme of red for their die-cast metal parts, black plastic for legs and forearms, smoky translucent for [[Pre-Transformer|remnant cockpits]], and golden metalized plastic highlights depicting machine details. Most had fairly good articulation for G1 toys; only Slag had the conjoined foot-base common to many of the automobile-based Transformers in G1. 

:In [[1991]], Grimlock, Sludge and Snarl were re-released as part of the [[Europe]]an ''[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]'' line.

{{-}}
[[File:G1-toy GrimlockPretender.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|Pretender Grimlock]]
*'''Pretender Classics''' ([[1989]])
**[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Pretender|Grimlock]]

:A much smaller and simpler version of Grimlock, with a [[Pretender]] shell, was part of the [[Classic Pretender]]s line.

*'''Legends'''
**[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]]

:The same smaller version of Grimlock was also available without his Pretender shell, either as K-Mart [[exclusive]] in the United States or packaged with similar versions of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Jazz]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] in Japan.
{{-}}

[[File:G1-toy SnarlAM.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55|Action Master Snarl]]
*'''Action Masters''' ([[1990]])
**[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Grimlock]]
**[[Snarl (G1)#AM|Snarl]]

:Both Grimlock and Snarl were given new toy forms as part of the [[Action Master]]s line.
{{-}}

===''Generation 2''===
[[File:G2SlagGreen toy.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|''Generation 2'' Slag]]
*'''Dinobots''' ([[1993]])
**'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Grimlock]]'''
**'''[[Slag (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Slag]]'''
**'''[[Snarl (G1)#Generation 2|Snarl]]'''

:Three of the original five Dinobot molds were reissued in new colors.
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars''===
[[File:BWtoy-Grimlock.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|''Beast Wars'' Grimlock]]
*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Beast Wars|Grimlock]]''' (Deluxe, [[1997]])

:A [[redeco]] of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].
{{-}}

===''Alternators''===
[[File:AlternatorsGrimlock toy.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|''Alternators'' Grimlock]]
*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Alternators|Grimlock]]''' ([[2005]])

:He turns into a 1/24th scale Ford Mustang.
{{-}}

===''Classics''===
[[File:Class06-toy Swoop.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''Classics'' Swoop]]
*'''[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Classics|Swoop]]''' (Mini-Con Dinobots Team, [[2006]])

:A new mold for the original character, alongside two new-character teammates [[Knockdown (Classics)#Toys|Knockdown]] and [[Terrorsaur (Classics)#Toys|Terrorsaur]].

*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Classics|Grimlock]]''' (Deluxe, 2006)

:A new mold based on his original design, with an updated dinosaur mode.
{{-}}

===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:TitaniumWarWithin Grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''War Within'' Grimlock]]
*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Grimlock]]''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, [[2008]])

:Based upon his appearance from ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'', this version of Grimlock transforms into a Cybertronic heavy tank.
{{-}}

===''Masterpiece''===
[[File:Masterpiecetoy-GrimlockKing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|King Grimlock]]
*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Grimlock]]''' ([[2009]])

:A new mold featuring [[die-cast]] metal, LED lights and a wealth of gimmicks and accessories, ''Masterpiece'' Grimlock is based upon the character's appearance in the Generation 1 cartoon. A redeco of this mold based upon his appearance as "King Grimlock" in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]] (with appropriate accessories) would follow as a [[TakaraTomy Mall|Toy Hobby Market]] exclusive and would be redecoed in [[2010]] for a [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusive release.
{{-}}

===''Device Label''===
[[File:Device Label Grimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Device Grimlock]]
*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Device Label|Device Grimlock]]''' (2009)

:Grimlock transforms from a working USB laser mouse into a mechanoid raptor.
{{-}}

===''United EX''===
[[File:UnitedEXtoy grimmaster.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''United EX'' Grimmaster Prime Mode]]
*'''[[Kakuryu (G1)#United EX 2|Grimmaster Prime Mode]]''' ([[2012]])

: A redeco of ''[[Power Core Combiners]]'' [[Grimstone (PCC)#Toys|Grimstone]]. 

: He comes with four prehistoric creature drone-limbs:

:*'''Cross-Ryu Drone''' (''Ankylosaurus'') 
:*'''Caesar-Ryu Drone''' (''Pachycephalosaurus'') 
:*'''Illumina III Drone''' (''Parasaurolophus'') 
:*'''Saber-Ryu Drone''' (''Dimetrodon'') 
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' (2014)===
[[File:DOTM-toy Triceradon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Dinobot Slug]]
*'''[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|Strafe]]''' (Evolution 2-Pack, [[2014]])

:Available only at Toys"R"Us stores in the US and Canada and packed with ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (franchise)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Strafe (AOE)|Strafe]], this release represents Generation 1 Swoop, though the packaging mistakenly<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0uG8JszvCs&t=23m5s Botcon 2014 Interview] - Hasbro's Mark Weber, Transformers Manager of Global Brand Development</ref> uses the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]] [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]]'s art, leading to much confusion.

*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|Grimlock]]''' (Evolution 2-Pack, 2014)

:A similar 2-Pack of ''Age of Extinction'' [[Grimlock (AOE)|Grimlock]] and "1984 Grimlock" (a Generation 1-inspired redeco of ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]]) was also available from Toys"R"Us.

*'''[[Slag (G1)/toys#Age of Extinction|Dinobot Slug]]''' (Evolution 2-Pack, 2014)

:Another Toys"R"Us exclusive that saw the Deluxe [[Slug (AOE)|Dinobot Slug]] toy packed with a seemingly unchanged ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' Mini-Con [[Triceradon (DOTM)|Triceradon]], described as "Classic" Slug.
{{-}}

[[File:TF2014toy-SDCCSnarl.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''Generation One'' Snarl]]
*'''Dinobots Generation One 4-pack''' (Voyager, 2014)
**'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Grimlock]]'''
**'''[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Strafe]]'''
**'''[[Snarl (G1)#Transformers (2014)|Snarl]]'''
**'''[[Slag (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Slug]]'''

:First made available at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] [[2014]], the "Dinobots Generation One 4-pack" was a [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] exclusive. These Dinobots feature heavy use of vacuum metalization, transparent plastic and paint applications to recreate the look of their Generation 1 toys and their box unfolds into a diorama of the crashed [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in [[Mount St. Hilary]].
{{-}}

[[File:TF2014toy-LegionStrafe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Strafe]]
*'''Legion''' (2014)
**'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#LegionClass|Grimlock]]'''
**'''[[Swoop (G1)/toys#LegionClass|Strafe]]'''

:As part of the Generation 1-inspired 2014 Legion Class assortment, Grimlock and Strafe are redecoes of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#BH|Prime: Beast Hunters]]'' ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' [[Rippersnapper (Prime)|Rippersnapper]] and [[Windrazor (Prime)|Windrazor]] respectively and retain their molds' ability to combine with [[Abominus (Prime)#Beast Hunters|Abominus]] (or a combiner of his redecoes).
{{-}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
[[File:Platinum-Edition-G1-Dinobots-Slog.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''Platinum Edition'' Slog (Sludge)]]
*'''Dinobots Set''' (Platinum Edition 5-pack, [[2015]])

:The 5 Dinobots: [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Grimlock]], [[Slag (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Slug]], [[Swoop (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Strafe]], [[Sludge (G1)#Platinum Edition|Slog]], and [[Snarl (G1)#Platinum Edition|Snarl]], are reuses of the ''Age of Extinction'' molds and feature Generation 1-inspired redecoes and new-head retools.
{{-}}

===''Power of the Primes''===
[[File:PotP Grimlock.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.77|''Power of the Primes'' Grimlock]]
*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Grimlock]]''' (Voyager, [[2017]])
*'''[[Slag (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Slug]]''' (Deluxe, 2017)
*'''[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Swoop]]''' (Deluxe, 2017)
*'''[[Snarl (G1)#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Snarl]]''' (Deluxe, [[2018]])
*'''[[Sludge (G1)#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Sludge]]''' (Deluxe, 2018)
*'''[[Slash (POTP)|Dinobot Slash]]''' (Legends, 2017)
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] and [[Aaron Gray]] (Hasbro)|[[Robby Musso]] (concept artist)}}

:All five classic Dinobots and new member [[Slash (POTP)|Slash]] feature in the ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' [[subline imprint]] of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]''. All six Dinobots share the common feature of being partially composed of translucent plastic with gold paint on the inside to give them a 'layered' look reminiscent of the translucent parts in their original toys. The original five can also combine to form [[Volcanicus (POTP)|Volcanicus]], who is awesome. The Deluxe Class figures' Prime Armor were redecoed for the [[Terrorcon (G1)#Generations|Terrorcons]].
{{-}}

===''Selects''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Selects-JP-Volcanicus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''Generations Selects'' Volcanicus]]
*'''[[Volcanicus (POTP)#Selects|Volcanicus]]''' (Multi-pack, [[2021]])
:For the ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' line, TakaraTomy gave each of the five classic Dinobots anime-accurate redecoes.
{{-}}

===''Studio Series''===
[[File:SS-toy Grimlock 86.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Studio Series'' Grimlock]]
*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Grimlock]]''' (Leader, 2021)
*'''[[Slag (G1)/toys#Studio Series|Dinobot Slug]]''' (Leader, 2021)
*'''[[Sludge (G1)#Studio Series|Dinobot Sludge]]''' (Leader, [[2022]])
*'''[[Snarl (G1)#Studio Series|Dinobot Snarl]]''' (Leader, [[2023]])
{{toydesigner|[[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)|[[Felipe Hamame]] (instruction designer)}}

:New, large, G1 cartoon-accurate figures of the Dinobots are being released in the ''[[Studio Series]]'' line. Three of the currently unveiled figures have [[Fire Blast effect]]-compatible ports inside their dinosaur mouths to replicate their [[fire-breath]]. Both Grimlock and Slug are packaged with smaller, non-transforming figures, while Sludge and Snarl, released after the former two, come alone. 
{{-}}

===''Legacy''===
[[File:TF-Legacy-Core-Class-Slug.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66| ''Legacy: Evolution'' Slug]]
*'''[[Slag (G1)/toys#Legacy| Dinobot Slug]]''' (Core Class, 2023)
*'''[[Sludge (G1)#Legacy|Dinobot Sludge]]''' (Core Class, 2023)
*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Legacy|Grimlock]]''' (Core Class, 2023)
*'''[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Legacy|Dinobot Swoop]]''' (Core Class, 2023)
*'''[[Skar (IDW)#Legacy|Dinobot Scarr]]''' (Core Class, 2023)
*'''[[Snarl (G1)#Legacy|Dinobot Snarl]]''' (Core Class, 2023)<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-ZopluVbd/ Design notes on ''Legacy'' Scarr and Swoop] from [[Hasbro]] designer [[Evan Brooks]] on Instagram</ref>
{{toydesigner|[[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Shogo Hasui]] and [[Shuhei Umezu]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CjNwidkuAN4/ Design notes on ''Legacy'' Sludge and Slug] from Hasbro designer Evan Brooks on Instagram</ref>

:Six combining Core Class Dinobots were released in ''[[Transformers: Legacy#Evolution|Legacy: Evolution]]'', forming [[Volcanicus (POTP)#Legacy|Volcanicus]], the first core class combiner.

::*''Design notes on the ''Legacy'' Dinobots from Evan Brooks on Instagram:''
:::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CjNwidkuAN4/ Part I - Sludge and Slug]''
:::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoLLERvuq_I/ Part II - Grimlock]''
:::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-ZopluVbd/ Part III - Scarr and Swoop]''
{{comingsoontoy|Swoop, Scarr, Snarl}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*The Dinobots are the first Transformers whose creation is shown in the cartoon. It seems simple enough: The Autobots simply construct their bodies, flick the switch, and they're animated. Wheeljack later upgrades their brains, after which they display sentience. However, the later episode "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]" heavily implies that there's no way to bring a Transformer to life without the use of the supercomputer [[Vector Sigma]]. Still other episodes would show the creation of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] without the use of Vector Sigma. For more on this issue, see [[Reproduction]].
*Early on in the cartoon, the Dinobots are played as very dangerous (though dim) wildcards, whose great power makes them a huge advantage to the Autobots when they can be persuaded to cooperate. However, beginning with ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and in the following third season, the Dinobots are portrayed almost exclusively as comic relief: goofy childlike morons whose (arguably even greater) stupidity made them a detriment to be babysat, rather than an advantage to be courted.
*The commercials (and package art) for the Dinobots show their swords, Slag's horns, and Swoop's lower beak and missiles as being chromed like the Diaclone versions. However, the actual release versions have these parts as bare red. This is due to the swords and horns being changed to soft plastic for safety reasons (it was either that or retool them blunt like Blitzwing's sword), as the chrome plating does not bond to soft plastic. Swoop's jaw and missiles probably didn't need this, but that's [[gang-molding]] for you.
[[File:MadGeister.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Now we know who Grimstone stole his hat from!]]
*Four of the original five Dinobot designs served as the templates for the "Geisters", recurring villainous henchmen on the Takara/Sunrise co-production ''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave Exkaiser]]''; Slag became [[:File:HornGeist.jpg|Horn Geist]], Sludge became [[:File:ThunderGeist.jpg|Thunder Geist]], Snarl became [[:File:ArmorGeist.jpg|Armor Geist]], and Swoop became [[:File:PteraGeist.jpg|Ptera Geist]]. In what might be called [[Beast (G1)|a vision of things to come]], the four were once briefly fused into a single robot called "Mad Geister" (マッドガイスター ''Maddogaisutā''). However, because each Geister controlled a portion of the combined body—and, aside from Ptera Geist, they had the accumulated brain power of a Froot Loop—this ended rather badly for them. In a more successful (and [[Mega-Dinobot|also prescient]]) later development, the Geisters learned to merge in groups of two, with Ptera Geist and Thunder Geist forming the centaur-esque "[[:File:PtederAndHormor.jpg|Pteder]]" (プテダー ''Putedā'') and Horn Geist and Armor Geist forming "Hormor" (ホーマー ''Hōmā'').
*The 2005 [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]] and [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]] two-pack was originally intended to portray the Generation 1 characters, but ended up as part of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' toyline instead, representing new characters by this wiki's classification. 
*The S-names are to show how they're their own group, while Grimlock breaks the pattern to show he's the boss.<ref name="BC10">[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc10/bc10bb.html griffin's 2010 BotCon report]</ref>
*And the most obvious point; this collection of ''dinosaur'' robots has a ''pterosaur'' in their number, thus making the name kind of inaccurate. Those two animals are entirely different branches of Ornithodira; calling a ''Pteranodon'' a dinosaur is like calling a cougar a {{w|Nimravidae|nimravid}} because both are felids. Granted, "Avemetatarsaliabots" is nowhere ''near'' as fluid to say as "Dinobots"...but still, worth noting.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Dinobot''' (ダイノボット ''Dainobotto'')
*''Hungarian:'' '''Dinobotok''', '''Vasállatok''' (first ''The Movie'' dub, "Iron-animals"), '''Dínók''' (second ''The Movie'' dub, "Dinos")
*''Italian'': '''Dinorobot'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Kǒnglóng Jīngāng''' (恐龙金刚, "Dinosaur Vajra"), '''Jīqì Kǒnglóng''' (机器恐龙, "Machine Dinosaur")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Dinobóticos''' (Portugal comic), '''Robodinos''' (Brazil comic)

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Combiner teams]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Dinobots| ]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Generation 2 subgroups]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) subgroups]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:United EX]]
[[Category:Wings Universe subgroups]]