Predacon (G1)

The name or term "Predacon" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Predacon (disambiguation).

The Predacons are a Decepticon subgroup, and later the progenitors of the future Predacons, from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Know that there are only five Predacons, and that they all share an awesome color scheme!

The Predacons are a subgroup of Decepticons who transform into powerful, savage animals.

The subgroup is composed of:

• The ever-patient Razorclaw (leader)
• The cheerful Divebomb
• The stubborn Headstrong
• The easily-distracted Rampage
• The wrathful Tantrum

They combine to form the deadly Predaking.

Japanese name: Animatron

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

Generation 1 cartoon

The Predacons debuted under the command of the Quintessons, having been deployed to try to retrieve Metroplex's Transformation Cog from Blurr, Wheelie, and Sky Lynx on the moon of Io. Oddly, despite being constantly touted as the most fearsome and vicious warriors in the galaxy (a commercial for their toys described them being among the few Decepticons able to go toe-to-toe with the Dinobots), the Predacons were beaten off fairly easily by this small band of Autobots, with even the terrifying Predaking unable to do anything to so much as harm their human ally Marissa Faireborn. This would prove to be the start of a trend: more than most gestalts, Predaking would rarely be the given the chance to do anything useful before being driven off in a hail of gunfire soon after combining. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

Inexplicably, the Predacons' allegiance to the Quintessons were never referred to again, and they were later shown serving Galvatron. The Predacons appeared in many of Galvatron's schemes in the ensuing year, ranging from oppressing the people of Paradron, Fight or Flee to mining death crystals, Chaos and even meeting the creator of Unicron. Call of the Primitives They were also among those who were infected by the Hate Plague, and, having formed Predaking, were moments from destroying the still-healthy Galvatron when they were quickly shooed away by some passing Autobots. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1 Whether or not they were granted amnesty is unknown, but they did become the progenitors of the next generation during the Great Upgrade.

2010 story page

The Predacons were built through cooperation between the Decepticons and the Quintessons.

Marvel Comics continuity

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

Summoned to Earth by Megatron to help him hunt down and destroy an isolated and vulnerable Optimus Prime, the Predacons travelled across the Space Bridge and (after showing off their skills by doing some target shooting on Motormaster) were quickly approved of by their new employer. Before leaving on their mission, however, they were approached by Shockwave, who convinced them to turn on Megatron and destroy him instead. Their attempt at treachery would result in both Megatron and Optimus being transported to Cybertron and believed dead by their respective teams for some time. Prey!

Shockwave, who was seeking to rid himself of an addled and insane Megatron (driven mad by the recent death of Optimus Prime), contacted the Predacons and hired them to ambush and kill the Decepticon leader. (It was explained to the Predacons, who were understandably concerned about having to deal with Megatron yet again, that their target had recently lost his memory, and thus would not recall meeting them before, or their subsequent betrayal of him.) The Predacons eagerly agreed to the mission, seeing it as a possible challenge for their skills, and disguised themselves as Autobots in order to convince Megatron that Optimus Prime was not only still alive, but had been the one who sent them.

Unlike most of their contemporaries, the Predacons appeared to be an elite group of hunters, who seemed to exist as mercenaries outside of the usual Decepticon hierarchy - they had no qualms about trying to murder their supposed leader, so long as it seemed challenging and the money was right. Their legendary skill was so well-known that even Shockwave remembered them as the greatest hunters on Cybertron, despite having been buried in a swamp for several millennia!

Deciding to stay on Earth, the Predacons quickly grew bored with the lack of any real sport there. Their previous encounters with Optimus and Megatron had been so exciting that they had expected to find the planet a little more challenging. While rampaging randomly across the country, they soon encountered the Dinobots, and found them to be worthy opponents. Both teams were closely matched in terms of power, and were strongly devoted to "looking after their own". Furthermore, it was revealed that Divebomb and Swoop were actually old enemies from their days back on Cybertron. As the battle ended, the Predacons looked forward to causing their new rivals no end of trouble in the future. Grudge Match!

New Decepticon leader Ratbat dispatched the Predacons to raid a chemical storage facility outside of Huntsville, Alabama for rocket fuel. Having succeeded, they joined Ratbat for an assault on I.I.I.'s Oregon headquarters, in order to examine the corpses of the Throttlebots, whom Triple-I had recently executed. After making short work of the RAAT forces guarding the base, they located the crushed Autobot bodies, only to find that their brain modules had been removed. Ratbat and the Predacons tracked the brains (which had been transplanted into toy cars) to Witwicky Auto Repair, which they destroyed, and then to a local mall, where they were outmanoeuvered and defeated by the "toy soldiers" and their human allies, Buster Witwicky and Walter Barnett. Toy Soldiers!

Under Ratbat's command, the Predacons participated in the full-scale attack against the Autobots on the moon, Totaled! as well as two major battles in the Arctic, facing both Scorponok's Decepticons and later the Autobots who had been lured there in a trap. Shortly after, the Predacons were part of the combined Autobot-Decepticon team to stop the Underbase-fueled Starscream from destroying Tokyo, but were easily destroyed by him. Dark Star

Dreamwave comics continuity

Eons ago, the Predacons were Decepticon warlords who had been banished from Cybertron to the planet Beest. While on the planet, the Predacons' higher functions degraded, causing them to become feral. Megatron tracked down the exiled Predacons on Beest and, with the aid of three members of the Aerospace Elimination Squadron, subdued and rebuilt them, allowing them to combine into the fearsome Predaking.

Later, Megatron returned to Earth, and entered the Nemesis to punish Starscream for shooting him in the void of space. War and Peace

The Predacons were sent to fight Starscream's elite squad, the Combaticons, while the latter were training on the island of Guadalcanal. Predaking's firepower forced the Combaticons to combine into Bruticus, and the warriors significantly damaged each other. However, while Bruticus was strong and determined, Predaking had superior intelligence compared to the slow-witted Combaticon combiner, and he savagely defeated Bruticus, putting him in stasis lock. The Route of All Evil

Dawn of Future's Past

METAL! \m/

After the end of the Great War the remaining Predacons formed the new Predacon faction. Divebomb is known to have recruited several ex-Decepticons for the faction. As usual, they swore revenge of the Maximals. Dawn of Future's Past

According to Pete Sinclair, the scene takes place 50-100 years after Beast Machines. He also stated that the original Rampage, Tantrum, and Headstrong died at the end of the Great War, and the guys standing behind Razorclaw are their descendants.

IDW comics continuity

The Predacons are a Tactical Assault Unit loyal to Megatron. Shockwave prepared himself for a possible Predacon attack while enacting the Regenesis project, and was caught off-guard when he was instead attacked by the Dynobots. Spotlight: Shockwave

After Thunderwing's reactivation and subsequent return to Cybertron, the Predacons were dispatched to ensure that his defeat was final this time, with Megatron giving Razorclaw explicit instructions: if Cybertron must die, then so be it. Razorclaw started a countdown on an orbital bombardment powerful enough to destroy Cybertron, but stood at the console with his finger on the button, ready to cancel it in the event that Thunderwing was defeated. He remarked that he was hesitant to destroy Cybertron unless it was absolutely necessary, but was willing to do it if it was. During the Autobots' battle with Thunderwing, Razorclaw sent two assault teams under Divebomb and Headstrong to assist the Autobots, but ordered them to retreat when Thunderwing revealed his "ultra-mode". Razorclaw cancelled the countdown with one second remaining after Optimus Prime defeated Thunderwing. Stormbringer issue 4

Toys

Generation 1

It's called "Animal Planet" 'cause WE took it over!

• Predacons (1986)
  • Divebomb
  • Headstrong
  • Rampage
  • Razorclaw
  • Tantrum

The Predacons were sold boxed in 1986 and 1987. They are by far the largest combining team, as all five members are the same comparatively large size. They share a unified color scheme of red, orange, yellow, gray and black. Each transforms from a robot armed with a sword and handgun to a chunky mechanical animal; the five toys combine together to form Predaking. Some of Predaking's add-on kibble is used by his individual components as weaponry.

Titaniums

• Predaking (3" Robot Masters, 2006)

Universe (2008)

• Special Team Leaders
  • Razorclaw

A redeco of Legends-class Leobreaker.