Swindle (Armada)

This subject of this article goes by multiple names that apply to other articles as well. See Swindle (disambiguation), Spark Grid.

Swindle is a Decepticon-allied Mini-Con from the Armada portion of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

Even the Mini-Cons have abandoned me.

Swindle is a sneak who is mainly concerned for himself. He's a smooth talker with a gift of gab and bluff who can wheedle people into seeing his way...at least, long enough to get what he wants. He actually gets along very well with his Decepticon "partner" Starscream, but how much of that is a ploy to catch the Decepticon unawares has yet to be seen. Swindle lacks the strength of character to be a good guy, but suffers too many pangs of conscience to be a bad guy, try as he might. Swindle is also the cousin of Zapmaster, whatever that actually means.

“	Deals are made to be broken.	”
—Swindle's bio quote.

Fiction

Toy pack-in comics

Swindle accompanied Starscream when he and the Destruction Mini-Con Team were sent to destroy a satellite dish that could have helped detect Megatron. While they succeeded at destroying the dish, Starscream, with Swindle Powerlinxed to him, was plowed off to sea by Scavenger. Armada Volume 2

Dreamwave Armada comic

Swindle was a resident of Mini-Con village C52. He was part of the mass effort erecting an Energon Dome to protect their village before the Decepticons attacked. When Cyclonus burrowed under their defenses and brought down the dome, Swindle was captured and sent to a Decepticon chop shop for mecha-sectioning and re-wiring. Armada #1 It was Swindle's bad luck the next day when Starscream chose him for the attack on Cyber City. While the Mini-Cons left at the base staged a mass breakout, Swindle was left with the Decepticons for a million long, long years... Armada #2

When the Mini-Con reactivation signal brought the Decepticons to Earth, Swindle was brought with them, and he powerlinxed to Megatron during a battle with the Autobots. Armada #5 Some time later, he pretended to have escaped from Starscream in order to gain the trust of humans Carlos and Rad. They promised to bring him to the Autobots for protection, and they successfully evaded a Decepticon attack, but Swindle betrayed them to the Decepticons. Megatron intended to merge humans with Cybertronian technology and create a power source, much as he had the Mini-Cons. Rad was outraged, as they had escaped, but after a million years of slavery, Swindle believed his freedom was the Decepticons' to give. When Megatron subsequently refused to free him as promised, Swindle liberated a group of captured Autobots, who drove the Decepticons off. Swindle briefly believed he had won the freedom he had tried to buy, but Starscream activated a retrieval device, yanking him back into custody. Armada Free Comic Book Day

Swindle later escaped the Decepticons again, when he and all other Earthbound Mini-Cons were summoned to a starship which took them to the Moon. Armada #8 Upon arrival at a fortress, they found that they had been brought there by Dualor. Armada #9 It's not too clear, but Swindle appeared to be among the Mini-Cons who didn't mind this at all. Armada #10 Regardless of what he thought, the fortress was destroyed by the Decepticons, and Swindle had to return to Earth in an escape pod. Armada #11

After getting recaptured by the Decepticons at some point, Swindle was allowed to rejoin his fellow Mini-Cons for the joint battle against Unicron. He took part in the ceremony at the Loop which badly damaged the Chaos Bringer. The End

Cartoon continuity

Armada cartoon

Swindle was discovered in a forest as the Autobots and Decepticons fought over possession of his storage panel. It was ultimately Starscream who claimed Swindle as his partner, causing the Mini-Con to imprint on the evil Decepticon. Starscream used Swindle's power to prove the strength of his Powerlinx-activated Null Laser Cannons. Delirious with power, Starscream continued to use Swindle's enhancement whenever he got the chance, even against holographic battle drones back on the moon. Jungle Swindle's partner loved him so much, he even gave him a nickname..."Grid". Surely its a Cybertronian term of endearment of some kind. Carnival

During a Mini-Con search in the cramped confines of a city subway system, Swindle and the other Decepticon Mini-Cons were dispatched to comb the catacombs more quickly than their bulk counterparts could manage. Underground Swindle also aided Starscream on a volcano mission, firing their null beam cannons on the Autobot position. Prehistory

When Starscream powerlinxed with the Star Saber, he used it to capture a large number of Mini-Cons for the Decepticons. Swindle was seen standing among Starscream's prized catches. Conspiracy

The Mini-Con Downshift surprisingly self-activated on Earth, and the Decepticons were forced to chase him down. Swindle used his race car mode to speed after the similarly moded Downshift, but they ended up racing straight into the Autobots. Red Alert managed to grab Swindle, but his loyal partner Starscream helped free the Mini-Con from Red Alert's grasp. Reinforcement In the next battle, Swindle and Starscream powerlinxed again to unleash their supercharged null beam cannons. Decisive Battle

When Starscream briefly joined the Autobots after a falling out with Megatron, Swindle came with him. After failing to destroy Megatron when he had the opportunity, Starscream was furious and lashed out violently at the rock croppings around the Autobot base. Swindle and the Air Defense Team tried to calm him down, but Starscream's wounded pride would not let his anger cool. Mars

Swindle later used his inherent Mini-Con powers to upgrade both himself and Starscream after the latter had been severely damaged by Nemesis Prime. He appeared amidst a collection of Mini-Cons who struck down Nemesis Prime with a bolt of energy before transferring some of their power to their partners. Starscream was reborn thanks to Swindle, in a new body resembling Thundercracker. Puppet

Their partnership ended in tragedy on Cybertron. In his final stand, Starscream powerlinxed with Swindle and shot a futile blast at Unicron. Just before being torn apart by Unicron's energy bolts, Starscream broke the link with Swindle, sending him to safety. Swindle lamented his partner's death, while Optimus Prime assured him that Starscream's long battle was finally over. Cramp

Cloud

Starscream summoned Swindle to Powerlinx with him in order to defeat his dishonorable counterpart, Cloud Starscream. Hammer

Panini Armada comic

Despite being augmented by Swindle, Starscream was shot out of the sky by Optimus Prime during a battle on Cybertron. To punish him for his failure, Megatron ripped Swindle off of him and threatened to use the Mini-Con for himself. First Encounter!

Many years later, Swindle was brought with the Decepticons to Earth, and was placed in their Silver Ridge base when he wasn't in use. One day the Autobot-allied Mini-Cons came to save him and the other Mini-Cons held in the base, but they didn't want to be rescued, and tried to capture their rescuers for the Decepticons instead. Swindle and Crumplezone ended up being zapped by Jolt, and the Autobot Mini-Cons got away. Into the Lions' Den! He was later seen standing around with Leader-1 and Blackout on the Decepticons' new base on the moon. Dawn of Destruction!

Kre-O online manga

If you found him in the comic, you've earned a bowl of cereal.

Spark Grid was seen flying away off Starscream's back when Galvatron destroyed the Starscream statue in one mighty blast. Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!

Legends World

The "Powerlinx" Swindle of the Legends World lived under the clever disguise of a toy, much like the rest of his brethren, and ended up being gifted to Starscream by an unwitting, toy-collecting Megatron. When Swindle overheard from Windblade that Megatron's obsession was threatening to destroy the universe, he revealed himself to be a living being and imbued Starscream with the power of the Mini-Cons, granting him a super mode strong enough to take on Megatron. LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prologue 2

Toys

Armada

• Starscream with Swindle (Max-Con Class, 2002)

• Takara/Sonokong ID Number: MD-02
• Takara release date: December 26, 2002
• Known designers: Aaron Archer (Hasbro), Shogo Hasui (Takara), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Armada Swindle was available only with the larger Decepticon Starscream, transforming into an Indy-style race car. As a Mini-Con, he has a "Powerlinx" socket on his vehicle-mode underside (which ends up on his robot-mode back) which allows him to attach to any toy with a "Powerlinx" style 5 mm post; some toys have special Powerlinx posts that activate/unlock gimmicks when a Mini-Con is attached.

He is designed to fit between Starscream's Null Laser Cannons to activate their flip-out action. He can also be clipped on the underside of Starscream's jet-mode cockpit, and deployed by pressing down on Starscream's canopy.

The Takara Legends of the Microns version of "Grid" and the Sonokong Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron version of "Grid" both have merely the tiniest of tone changes to its color, being a smidge more vibrant.

This mold was redecoed to become Zapmaster and shares engineering with the mold used by Mirage and Top Gear.

• More information on Swindle at TFU.info

(Hasbro Zapmaster shown for now)

• Starscream Super Mode with Spark Grid (Max-Con, 2003)

• ID number: MD-09
• Release date: September ??, 2003

In the Takara Legends of the Microns line, just as the Hasbro Thundercracker deco (with slight alterations) was released as Starscream's powered-up form, so too was the Hasbro Zapmaster deco (with slight alterations) released as Swindle's powered-up form, as seen in the Armada cartoon. "Spark Grid" uses more vivid blue plastics, but is otherwise identical to Zapmaster.

You can, of course, use your Armada Zapmaster toy as "Powerlinx Swindle" if you want. Nobody can stop you.

• More information on Spark Grid (actually Zapmaster) at TFU.info

Built to Rule!

The Redmobile

• Starscream with Swindle (Brick set, 2003)

For the Hasbro Built to Rule! building block system, Starscream came with a small, building-block-based version of Swindle. This version can be rebuilt from robot mode into something kind of vaguely resembling a race car. Sort of.

• More information on Built to Rule! Swindle at TFU.info

Merchandise

Mega Super Collection Figure

Micro-Mini-Con

• Starscream (MSCF, 2003)

In Japan, a tiny PVC micro-figurine of Swindle based on his animation model was released with the Mega Super Collection Figure version of Armada Starscream.

Like the other Mini-Con PVC micro-figurines in the series, the soft-plastic pegs that keep his arms in place were painted over, and as such are susceptible to snapping off if you try to move the arms, his only points of articulation. Extra-special caution should be taken with these parts.

Notes

• The feature where Armada Starscream deploys Swindle from his nosecone is directly inspired by the God Phoenix aircraft from the anime Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, which similarly can deploy an F1 racecar.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Grid (グリッド Guriddo), Spark Grid ("Powerlinx", スパークグリッド Supāku Guriddo)
• Korean: Grid (그리드 Geurideu)
• Polish: Kanciarz ("Swindler")
• Ukrainian: Heshevtnyk (Гешевтник, "Businessman", from the German word Geschäft)