Dinobot (G1)

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

The Dinobots are an Autobot subgroup in Generation 1 continuity family. In some continuities, before they arrive on Earth, they are known as the Dynobots.

Call them the boy-band of the Autobots and prepare for a world of pain - from left to right: Sludge, Grimlock, Swoop, Slag and Snarl

The Dinobots are a rowdy, arrogant, low-brow, 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. Whether or not they follow Optimus Prime's orders depends on what those orders are. If its destroy stuff, they're down with that. If it's help people, it kinda depends on what the weather is like.

The group's members are:

• Grimlock (the leader)
• Slag (the bad boy)
• Sludge (the dim one)
• Snarl (the quiet one)
• Swoop (the sensitive one)

and in one story:

• Paddles (the "Pete Best" one)

In at least one micro-continuity, the Dinobots can combine to form a monstrous super-robot called the Beast. Grimlock explicitly states that this is not the case in the Marvel UK continuity, though he has been known to stretch the truth.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

The Dinobots in the comic were not created on Earth, but were a distinct and pre-existing unit of five Autobot soldiers that were aboard the Ark when it crashed to Earth. The comic Dinobots, while not exactly Perceptor-grade, were significantly more intelligent than their cartoon counterparts. (Their commander, Grimlock, served as overall Autobot Commander on more than one occasion.)However, the not as strong as their cartoon counterparts either. Shortly after the crash the Ark's computer detected Shockwave landing on the planet in the 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 lifeform: dinosaurs. They were then dispatched to deal with the Decepticon, where they sank to the bottom of a tar pit and remained dormant until Ratchet revived them in the 1980s.

Animated continuity

From left to right: Terrible Dactyl, Stego, Bronto Thunder, Tricero and Ghengis Rex OR: "We need Dinozord Power, now!"

Built on Earth by Wheeljack and Ratchet, the Dinobots are a subgroup of Autobots with great physical power, but very limited intelligence. They were modeled after the Dinosaur fossils that Ironhide found in the volcanic caves near the Ark. Initially only three were built (Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge) in the episode "S.O.S. Dinobots", but two others (Snarl and Swoop) were added in the episode "War of the Dinobots".

It is unclear how to interpret this origin in concert with the idea, established later in the cartoon series, that new Transformers are granted life by the super computer Vector Sigma. Although slow-witted, the Dinobots give every indication of being fully "alive", sapient beings. Some fans suggest that Optimus Prime used the Matrix to give them life, but this is not supported by canon, particularly since in this continuity he carries the Matrix of Leadership, which was never shown to have the life-granting powers of the Creation Matrix until it was retconned by Beast Era fiction. Retroactively, it can be guessed that the Matrix may have been involved, but when the G1 cartoon is viewed in isolation, there is something amiss.

The Three Dinobots, immediately after accidentally killing the invisible swordsman.

The Dinobots role was to simply pulverise 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 dinosaur shaped cities.

At one point, the Dinobots, sick of only being used as the hammer of the Autobot army, deserted, saying that they would fight when they wanted to. However, the Dinobots were called in the Autobots and the Decepticons began suffering from Cybertonium depletion. During the battle with the Constructicons, they were accidentally sent to Cybertron, where they briefly reduced Shockwave to the role of chew toy. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 However, Shockwave altered the Dinobots memory circuits, and forced them to work in the Cybertonium Pit. 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. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2

During the Battle of Autobot City, the Dinobots were dispatched to defeat Devastator. Despite their incredible strength, Devastator manhandled them. During Galvatron's subsequent attack, Kup and Hot Rod literally had to drag them aboard the shuttle, which was shot down over Quintessa. The Dinobots managed to avoid being captured and met Wheelie, who helped them find Kup and Hot Rod. Later, the Dinobots literally whupped the butt of a god. TFTM

The Beast Within continuity

The Dinobots combine into the Beast to fight the Decepticons, but the Beast is so savage and kill-crazy that the Autobots have to kill it. The Beast Within

This story is regarded in fandom as being one of the nadirs of Transformers fiction, and as completely messing up the chance to show a Dinobot combiner.

Dreamwave Comics continuity

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, that included the pre-Dinobots. It was also established that following this, these five robots used the Cybertronic designation "Dynobots."

The Dynobots travelled to earth separate from the rest of the Autobots. Grimlock emerged on his own, and the Ark Autobots found him battling the 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 freeing them they travelled to Cybertron and helped liberate it from Shockwave's control.

Legends anthology

The story "Paddles" features a sixth Dinobot of the same name. This is also the only appearance of the character.

IDW Comics continuity

Before the Great War, Grimlock and the Dynobots were amongst the gladiatorial teams that competed in the Forge. When Megatron put out a call for combatants, the Dynobots were amongst those who were shown grudging respect by the Predacons as opposed to the remainder of the "amateurs" in the crowd.

In a similar fashion to the Marvel and Dreamwave continuity, the Dynobots followed Shockwave to Earth on a revenge-fueled crusade. After engaging the Decepticon on Prehistoric Earth in their new dinosaurian beast-modes, The battle ended with the six robots buried in molten lava. They were later unearthed by a human archaelogical dig Spotlight: Shockwave which was taken over by government agents Escalation, Issue 5

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