Dread (DOTM)

This article is about Decepticon subgroup from Dark of the Moon. For planet, see Dread (planet).

The Dreads are a Decepticon subgroup from the Dark of the Moon portion of the live-action film series continuity family.

The Dreads are a unit of particularly fearsome Decepticons. Their specialty is infiltration and the assassination of high profile Autobot targets. They’re also such unpleasant monsters that even the other Decepticons tend to dislike them.

The team's known members include:

• Crankcase
• Crowbar
• Hatchet

Fiction

Dark of the Moon film

With the retrieval and reactivation of Sentinel Prime from the wreck of the Ark from Earth's moon, Megatron's plan for the Space Bridge was set into motion. Needing Sentinel for his control pillar to activate the ones the Decepticons had taken from the Ark decades ago, the Dreads were sent to secure the former Autobot leader. Chasing the Autobots down a highway, the Dreads attacked, but despite their best efforts, Hatchet was soon destroyed and the survivors were eventually confronted by Ironhide, backed up by Sideswipe. Unlikely to match the Autobot weapons specialist's heavy firepower, the Crankcase and Crowbar dropped their ranged weapons, but as soon as the Autobots followed suit, the Dreads deployed spears and attacked, injuring Ironhide. Unfortunately, Sideswipe managed to deflect the spear thrown at him and tossed his gun to Ironhide, who used it to destroy Crowbar before turning on Crankcase. For his troubles, Crankcase was impaled in the face with Crowbar's spear, thrown onto an abandoned car and destroyed after Ironhide kicked the resulting wreckage into a nearby auto shop. Dark of the Moon

Notes

• In early production, the Dreads were announced to be a pair of modified Chevrolet Suburbans. Photos of only two prop vehicles were even taken on-set. In the final movie, all three Dreads use identical Chevrolet Suburbans as their alternate modes, with individual robot modes between the three of them. For the toy line, Hasbro decided to give them individual alternate modes as well, which is why only Crankcase turns into a Suburban.
• Early working names were "Dirtbag" for Hatchet and "Hooligan" for Crowbar.