Ravage (G1)

This article is about the Generation 1 Decepticon. For the Energon Terrorcon, see Battle Ravage (Energon).

Ravage was a Decepticon then a Predacon, and then a Decepticon again in the Generation 1 and Beast Era and then Generation 1 continuity families. It's all very confusing.

This is every comic book panel Ravage has ever been in. Well, okay, sometimes they rotate him a bit.

No Decepticon has a stronger loyalty to Megatron than Ravage. One of Soundwave's most reliable spies, Ravage believes unwaveringly in the Decepticon cause, and Megatron embodies that cause. To serve Megatron, Ravage has become the most efficient and deadly war machine under his command. He hides himself in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with grim accuracy. His name is synonymous with stealth. His survivors are few.

Ravage's only weakness is bright light, which can temporarily blind him. Perhaps his absolute loyalty to Megatron can blind him as well.

Sometimes he's a talker, other times he just growls or hisses at anything that isn't Megatron or Soundwave.

Decepticons forever!Ravage, The Agenda, Part 2

Japanese name: Jaguar

Italian name: Jena

Swedish name: Hunden

Hungarian name: Dühöngő

Spanish name: Destructor

Fiction

According to the UK book Dinobot War, Ravage's cassette tape mode is disguised as the soundtrack to Cats.

Marvel Comics continuity

(Note: Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.)

The smirking Ravage was a chatty catty in the Marvel comics.

Ravage was loyal bodyguard for the Overlords, the Autobots that once ruled all of Cybertron, for Generations. He witnessed as their planet-wide rule crumbled into a loose collection of feuding city-states.

During the Vos-Tarn war, Ravage, his partner Nightstalker, Megatron and Optimus Prime.

While escorting the last Overlord, an enfeebled mechanoid who required constant re-energization to survive, out of the city of Tarn during the Vos-Tarn war, they were pinned down. Though the Overlord was near death, Ravage refused to give the Overlord any of his energy, instead allying himself with Megatron, whom he believed would be the future ruler of Cybertron.

As for Nightstalker, he blew himself up in order to take out the forces that pinned them down, proving just how gullibly loyal Autobots could be. Ironic how Ravage would make that same sacrifice for his leader millions of years later.

Animated continuity

Voice Actor: Frank Welker (US) Yutaka Shimaka (Japanese speech)

Ravage reveals his slef (sic) to humans. [1]

One of the original team of Decepticons that accompanied Megatron on the attack of the Ark spacecraft, Ravage was reformatted by Teletraan-1 as an audiocassette to better blend in for operations based on Earth. Ravage served loyally as a Decepticon spy. He was one of the first Transformers to have been encountered by a human, as workers investigating a destroyed power station fell afoul of Ravage who pounced upon them and frightened them away. MTMTE1

Shortly thereafter, Ravage accompanied Soundwave on an infiltration mission to gather data from Teletraan 1. Though Soundwave was discovered, Ravage was captured in an energy net and held captive. MTMTE2 The Decepticon spy figured into a disinformation plot hatched by the Autobots, who purposely leaked the presence of a rocket fuel depository in the outlying desert. In truth, there was no rocket base -- Autobot Hound projected a holographic illusion in the hopes of luring the Decepticons into a trap. The Autobots allowed Ravage to escape and report back to Megatron, who easily saw through the ruse. MTMTE3

During Megatron's gladiatorial match with Optimus Prime, Ravage was let out to watch his master battle their nemesis. Soundwave also petted him. This would be cute if it wasn't creepy. Heavy Metal War

Some time later, Ravage, along with Starscream, Thrust, and Soundwave, were transported to a planet with massive inhabitants, along with a group of Autobots, in a space bridge accident. The first creature they encountered, Aron, thought the Decepticons were toys. Ravage attempted to escape, but Aron's cat Nitro chased after Ravage like a mouse (how embarrassing). Aron put him with his pet hamster, Blooper, in his cage. Instead of immediately asserting his dominance by killing the beast, Ravage went and ran on the creature's exercise wheel. When captured by scientists, they attempted to disect the Transformers, but Ravage was able to pick his locks and free the Decepticons, who hijacked the Autobots light beam to head back to Earth...and land a lake filled with alligators. That was a very bad day for Ravage. Child's Play

Binaltech

At some point in time after 1985, but before 2005, Ravage was captured by the EDC and kept as a prisoner. He was then kept Status Locked in Cassete-mode inserted his future/past self's Tapedeck, in order to provide his body with a "Life Essence Nucleus", as part of the I.I.I's "X-9 Revival Plan". The present's Ravage remains unaware of his time-tossed doppleganger.

Dreamwave Comics Continuity

Ravage, with a much more arboreal alt mode, was part of the second assassination team Megatron sent after the new Autobot Supreme Commander Optimus Prime. Ravage got savaged. Millions of years later, Ravage was a member of a team of Transformers controlled by Lazarus and sent to destroy an oil refinery. Ravage, always loyal to Soundwave, seemed to switch to Shockwave's side when they traveled to Cybertron. Unfortunately for him, he tried to tackle Starscream and got a mouthful of energy blast.

IDW comics continuity

Ravage can talk. Seriously. He was last seen chained in a Skywatch facility alongside Laserbeak. And he hasn't seen Megatron or Soundwave in twenty years. He's not in a good mood.

IDW Hearts of Steel continuity

Back vile beast, back *Ravage smashes chair*...um, anyone got some catnip?

Starscream sent Ravage to kill Tobias Muldoon, who had deserted the Decepticons when he learned they were evil. Ravage tracked him to Stanford Merriweather's house in San Francisco, and crashed into the household, startling Muldoon, Merriweather, Merriweather's daughter Kitty, and Mark Twain.

He then pretty much got his ass kicked by Mark Twain, who took advantage of Ravage being momentarily trapped in rubble to flick a cigar at him, thus igniting a gas leak. The explosion flung Ravage into the bay, never to be seen again.

Ravage is a "clockwork puma", and does not transform in the course of the story. Hearts of Steel, Part 3

Beast Wars

Toy Bio

• Shadow Panther

He looks like a Maximal, but he is really a Predacon. His thirst for the hunt can only be satiated by attacking many Maximals. Keep an eye on the darkness, for that is where Shadow Panther lives.

• Metals Jaguar

The process of becoming a Predacon has cost Ravage some of his early Decepticon memories. His ability to become invisible is called Reflect Shade. His orders are to rid the planet Energois of Transformers.

• Tripredacus Agent

This lone assassin may look like a Maximal, but his irradiated spark is that of a Predacon. He was saved (and presumably rebuilt into a Transmetal 2) by the Vok. He can hide his energy signature, thanks to his unusual spark. In his history as a Predacon, he has adopted many names to better suit his covert line of work. His weapon is a low-radiation proton bomb launcher. As he loves the dark, the light is his weakness.

Timelines: Dawn of Future's Past

Although he only shows up on a computer screen in the comic(thus not making an actual appearance), he is mentioned as being recruited along with fellow Mini-Cassettes Laserbeak and Buzzsaw by the Predacon Divebomb, but for some reason left them soon afterwards to become an operative for the Tripredacus Council.

Beast Wars

Voice Actor: Lee Tockar (US), Toshiyuki Morikawa (Japan)

"I vill ask you only vuhnce more... vhere are moose and skvirrel?"

Ravage is one of the few Decepticon warriors who was granted amnesty at the end of the Great War and reformatted into a Predacon. He was sent by the Tripredacus Council to capture Megatron, clean up any messes he might have made, and deal with the rest of the beast warriors. (Whether this translated to "kill them all" in the minds of the Tripedacus Council is unclear, but that was apparently Ravage's intent.) Ravage made the trip to prehistoric Earth in a specially modified stealth Transwarp Cruiser. He successfully contacted the Maximals and allied with them to capture Megatron. Due to the stealth capabilities of his ship, and the fact that Tarantulas was also an agent of the council, Ravage and the Maximals easily captured Megatron and imprisoned him. The Agenda, Part 1

Megatron, however, had one more card to play. He knew that Ravage wasn't going to let any of the Beast warriors live, and also knew he had the one thing that would turn Ravage to his side. Using a fragment from the Golden Disk, Megatron showed Ravage something which shocked him—a message from Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons. As a safeguard against potential defeat, Megatron left instructions for the descendants of the Decepticons to use transwarp technology to return to prehistoric Earth. Although the message cuts out before it is finished, Megatron's plan worked: Ravage, moved by the sight of his old commander, released Megatron. After Megatron explained the rest of the message, Ravage joined the Predacons and turned on the Maximals. The Agenda, Part 2

His latest treachery was short lived. During the assault on the Axalon, Rattrap infiltrated his ship and caused an explosion that destroyed the vessel and Ravage himself. As the fire headed toward him, he raised a fist, and shouted "Decepticons forever!" to whoever heard or cared. The Agenda, Part 3 His head, seemingly all that remained of him, was knocked into the water below the Axalon by one of Tarantulas' spider-drones. Optimal Situation

Beast Wars Metals manga

(Note: although it picks up after the first season, the Beast Wars Metals manga is not in-continuity with the television series.)

In the Beast Wars Metals manga, Metals Jaguar was portrayed as G1 Jaguar's homicidal son, with Jaguar taking the design of the Happy Meal Panther toy.

IDW Beast Wars comics

File:Ravage Teansmetal2.jpg

On the left, Ravage's "robot mode" as seen in The Gathering. On the right, his actual robot mode as seen in Primeval Dawn. On the far right where we can't see him, Ravage beating the crap out of the designers, telling them to make up their fraging minds

Magmatron recovered Ravage's heavily-damaged torso, which still contained his spark. He then inserted the spark into a blank protoform, and Ravage was reborn. In his Transmetal 2 body, he and his fellow Predacons, under the command of Magmatron, sought out Razorbeast's band of Maximals. Viewing from a safe distance, Ravage ordered his soldiers to engage. Additional Maximal forces arrived, however, and Ravage's forces were defeated. Ravage retreated into the wilderness. The Gathering

(Despite being a continuity that borrows heavily from other G1 continuities, where it is suggested that Ravage is completely loyal to Megatron, before attempting to revive Ravage, Magmatron suggests that Ravage's most important loyalty is to Ravage himself. This could simply be Magmatron's opinion, however, and is not necessarily indicative of Ravage's true loyalties.

Ravage never uses his robot mode in this story. Instead, he stands up on his hind legs in beast mode.)

Primeval Dawn comics

An undead Vok-infested Tarantulas revived Ravage into another body to help boost his forces. The remnants of Ravage's previous body were recycled by the Vok to re-create Tigatron. Primeval Dawn

Binaltech

The Government-run Intelligence and Information Institute (or Triple-I) unearthed a mysterious black box during an archaeological dig. After years of probing, the container, dubbed "Schrödinger's Box" by the group's scientists, was revealed to be the flight recorder of the Predacon Ravage's stealth ship, containing a copy of the feline's personality and memory engrams, deposited into his vessel before his final blaze of glory The Agenda, Part 2. When the scientists found a way to communicate with this personality, it offered them its knowledge of future events in exchange for a new body. Triple-I agreed, and used a fake Binaltech project (filled under the pretense of "technological synthesis tests"), to provide their part of the bargain. However, to truly bring the new Ravage to life, Triple-I stole the present-day Ravage - who had been captured by the Earth Defense Command and stasis-locked into his cassette mode - and implanted him into the new Ravage, thereby 'fusing' the old and new Ravages into one.

This new Ravage, however, had no intention of fulfilling his end of the bargain and, after eliminating his benefactors and learning to his shock that history did not change in his faction's favor, decided to rectify his mistake. First on his agenda was his former commander, Megatron; stealing an Autobot shuttle, he located and repaired the Kronosphere and - during a decisive battle between Megatron's and Optimus Prime's forces that would have normally ended with the Autobots being forced off of Cybertron and into their moon bases - turned the weapon on his own faction, trapping Megatron and his crew in a space-time rift. This alteration in the timeline served two purposes: first, it would give the Autobots the chance to retake Cybertron, which would then lead to them having to face off against the oncoming Unicron alone, severely weakening them in the process. The second, and more important, purpose was to keep Megatron alive and in good mental health (relatively speaking), thus preventing him from becoming the insane Galvatron, and allowing him to lead the Decepticons to victory over the battle-weary Autobots. Ravage also Transmuted Shockwave into a new Binaltech body of his own, so he could lead the remaining Decepticons in Megatron's absence, and secretly derailed many of the Autobots' supply missions, further weakening them for their battle with the Chaos Bringer.

Unfortunately for him, the Autobot named Overdrive became aware of Ravage's meddling in history, thanks to his acute sensitivity of the timestream, and - with the help of Wheeljack - captured the wayward Decepticon and forced a confession out of him. Ravage, however, was not without a trump card, revealing that his alterations may prevent the deaths of many of the Autobots destined to die in the normal timeline (which, as a distinction between the two, was dubbed 'Prime Time' by Wheeljack, Ravage's altered timeline being called 'Ravage Time'), though in the grand scheme of things, only Optimus could not be considered expendable, as he contained the one thing that could bring down Unicron (the Autobot Matrix of Leadership). By the time of his capture, however, Unicron had already been sighted on a collision course with Cybertron and, despite the temptation of preventing future deaths among his ranks, Optimus decided Ravage's plans to be too dangerous to allow to come to fruition. To that end, he ropes Ultra Magnus into helping him fly to Unicron in a preemptive strike against the monstrous threat, while the other Autobots (left in the command of Skids), were to initiate "Operation: Distant Thunder", which involved sending a copy of Wheeljack's memories of what Ravage confessed to them, back in time to a point prior to the Decepticon panther's meddling, via the energies located on Dinobot Island. If "Operation: Distant Thunder" worked as planned, Ravage's plans would be foiled, and any tremors in the timeline he caused would be smoothed over by "Project Body Shop" (aka, the Binaltech project). However, just as Skids gives the signal to transmit the memory engrams, the Autobot base is rocked by an entire fleet of Decepticons. The Autobots just barely manage to hold off the fleet, ensuring that "Operation: Distant Thunder" proves to be a success (though a black Optimus Prime ends up separating the Binaltech timeline from the original, as supposedly the Binaltech-bodied Transformers have a higher purpose in the grand scheme of things). Whatever happened to Ravage is not known.

Kids Stuff Read-Along book

Ravage immediately recognized what a hydro electric station was, a method of generating power used on Cybertron "way way back in the mists of time," when Transformers were not much more advanced in science than humans are now.

This suggests that Ravage is among the oldest of the Decepticons (even Megatron only feigned familiarity with this form of technology), or that he's a serious student of ancient energy generation techniques.

Toys

Generation 1

• Ravage / Rumble (Cassette, 1984/1998/1986/1987)

Japanese ID number: 19, D-59, D-104

File:G1Ravage toy.jpg

Behold... the world's skinniest jaguar.

The first Ravage toy transforms from a robotic jaguar (or whatever) into a microcassette. In cassette mode, he can fit into the tape compartments fo the Soundwave and Blaster toys. For his Hasbro release, he was sold on a card along with Rumble in 1984-1986, and as an individual with an extra clear-plastic tape-case by Takara from 1985-1987.

This mold was later used to make Glit and Howlback.

• Soundblaster (Transformers Collection, 2005)

Japanese ID number: 18

File:G1Jaguar(reissue).jpg

A light breeze is enough to defeat him.

The Transformers Collection reissue of Soundblaster (the rebuilt form of Soundwave from the Japanese Headmasters series) came with bonus "Cassettrons" Jaguar (Ravage) and Buzzsaw. Both came with their own extra tape-cases, and small stickers depicting the 'weak points' of Fortess Maximus.

• Soundwave (Decepticon, 2007)

Hasbro's reissue of Soundwave is a redeco of the Transformers Collection Soundblaster, coming with the double-tape door and both Ravage and Laserbeak as pack-ins.

Beast Wars

• Shadow Panther (Deluxe, 1996)

Japanese ID number: D-7

File:ShadowPanther toy.jpg

Fuzzy kitty!

This toy is a redeco of the original Cheetor toy in black, silver, and yellow, transforming into a generic big feline. His tail/flanks separate to form a non-firing blaster, while his underbelly forms a water-shooting "gut gun" that can be used in either mode.

Much later, this toy was offered through Hasbro's online collector service under the name "Tripredacus Agent", with an online bio indicating he was the same character as Ravage (then called "Tripredacus Agent" due to trademark isuues).

This mold was also used to make Tigatron, and was planned to be used for the cancelled Universe toy Nightprowler.

• Jaguar (Deluxe 1999)

Japanese ID number: X-9

File:JaguarX9 toy.jpg

Metal kitty!

Beast Wars Metals Jaguar is a heavy retooling of Transmetal Cheetor, just as Ravage's robot mode CG model in the show is an altered Transmetal Cheetor. He transforms into a robotic big cat, with flip-out thrusters for a third "flight" mode (not, as in the episode, into a cassette tape that plays wicked 1980's style electric guitar, for obvious reasons). His forearms each have a spring-loaded flip out pistol stub, which can be extended with add-on barrels that clip to his rear legs in beast mode. his tail also can detach to forma whip-weapon, but he doesn't hold it very well.

• Tripredacus Agent (Deluxe, 2001)

File:TripredacusAgent toy.jpg

Mutant kitty!

This Wal-Mart exclusive is a redeco of --wait, can you guess?-- Transmetal 2 Cheetor, in black, silver, and gold, transforming into a monstrous techno-organic (but not technorganic) big cat. He has a spring-loaded missile launcher on his cat-mode back that can be removed and used as a hand-held weapon, plus his tail detaches to forma hand-held flail. His left forearm has a flip-up blaster-shield (of dubious usefulness), while flipping up a panel on his right-rear leg reveals his spark crystal.

Smallest Transforming Transformers

• Soundwave (2003)

Japanese ID number: GTF 05

So tiny... So CUTE!

The Smallest Transforming Transformers version of Soundwave comes with a teeeeeny version of Ravage, which does actually transform into a microcassette that fits in the tape-case door. Smallest Ravage may very well be the actual smallest functioning Transformers toy made.

Alternators

• Battle Ravage (2004)

Alternator ID number: 11

Japanese ID number: BT-11

He brakes for Meow Mix and nothing else.

A retooling of Alternators Tracks, "Battle" Ravage transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed replica of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible, with opening doors, hood, trunk, plus a "realistic" driver/passenger compartment. Each robot-mode forearm contains slide-out (non-firing) double blasters.

This mold was also used to make Alternators Swerve.

• Ravage (Alternator, 2007)

Alternator ID number: 26

File:Alternatorsravagejaguar.jpg

Pimp My Kitty.

The second version of Alternators Ravage transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed Jaguar XK (appropriately enough), with all the normal bells and whistles inherent in the line (opening doors, seats, etc). This is a toy of many "firsts". Not only is it the first Alternators character with two distinctly-different toys, it's one of the first two Decepticon Alternators with an original mold (alongside Rumble). And, it's the first Alternators character to have a non-humanoid "robot" mode, as its non-car form is now a quadrupedal big cat.

After shipments appeared in various European markets, Ravage and Rumble's releases in the US were questionable for a while. However, it appears they were shuffled to be Wal-Mart exclusives, set in an endcap display alongside the Classics Constructicon exclusive gift-set in March/April of 2007... in some stores. In others, they were crammed in the normal aisle with everything else. Assuming it even showed up at all.

On this note, Ravage has a Great Britain license plate, regardless of which country the toy was purchased in.

Titanium Series

• Soundblaster (6" Titaniums, 2007)

Merchandise

• Ravage Decoy

Decoy ID number: 49

Coming packaged at random on carded Transformers toys during 1986, this is a soft-rubber version of Ravage in his jaguar mode. He --like all Decepticon Decoys-- was available in both purple and red, with the red version being considerably rarer. These are not erasers!

Wavage!

• Robot Heroes Ravage

Released in 2007 as a Robot Heroes vs. pack with Optimus Prime. Ravage is adowable!

Trivia

• Ravage's original packaging art is by far the most-copied depiction of any Transformer. It was, of course, adapted for his Transformers Universe profile [2], but was also used (twice) in 1985's "back-of-the-box" battle scene [3], was copied in licensed coloring books and storybooks, and the pose also showed up repeatedly in the Marvel Comics. In "Time Wars, Part 2" (Marvel UK #200), artist Robin Smith copied the art multiple times across several subsequent panels. And it was, of course, recolored for Howlback's card-art. Yikes.

External links

• Ravage Transformers Universe profile
• Ravage at TFU.info
• "Ravage 3 Bodies Evolution," a fanfic by TigerMegatron

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.