Hound (G1)

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

Hound is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Rejected as kid appeal character. Why? Not yellow enough.

Hound wishes he were human. The dark, barren metalscapes of Cybertron no longer interest him. Now that Hound has been shipwrecked on Earth, he considers this planet his home. He sees humankind as beautiful and wishes he could interact with their ecosphere the same way they do, to feel what they feel and to see what they see.

He treasures his job as an Autobot scout, making good use of his ability to project holograms for added disguise. He uses this opportunity to explore the breathtaking caverns and mountainous expanses that Earth provides. He's a meek, benevolent soul, even compared to his fellow Autobots. He gets along with the more blood-thirsty of their ranks but not the most blood-thirsty of their ranks.

Nicknames: Sarge, Nose, Sniffer

French-Canadian name: Dépisteur ("The Tracker")

Hungarian name: Vadászeb ("Hound / Hunter")

Italian name: Canguro ("Kangaroo")

Portuguese name (Portugal comics): Caçador

Portuguese name (Brazil comics): Rastreador ("Tracker")

Chinese name (Taiwan): Lìeh-chǐuan (獵犬, "Hound")

Chinese name (China): Tan Zhang (探長，"Chief Detective")

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Generation 1

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

Hi, I'm friendly!

Hound was a part of the crew on board the Ark when it crashed into Earth four million years ago while clearing an asteroid field in the path of Cybertron. Upon reviving in 1984, Hound marveled at this world's strange and diverse lifeforms, and couldn't wait to explore its surface—not for business, but for pleasure. However, Optimus Prime cautioned him, reminding Hound that their primary purpose was to spare Earth's inhabitants from the onslaught of the Decepticons. Hound was chosen as part of the first field expedition into the world under Prowl's command, and his new surroundings overwhelmed him. His sensors alerted them to a drive-in movie theatre, a serene scene that quickly turned into a battle when the Decepticons arrived. Hound was able to divert Ravage, though Hound worried more about Bumblebee's whereabouts, as the small scout had gone missing. The Transformers

"Ravage, who defeated you this day?!"
"Uh, the guy that Jazz keeps getting colored as, I think?"

Fortunately, Bumblebee was later able to radio his location to Hound, who informed the other Autobots. Better still, he had located a human who could convert Earth fuel into a substance they could use! Hound and the others traveled to the home (and auto repair shop) of Sparkplug Witwicky, where they were, of course, attacked again by the Decepticons! Sideswipe apologized for leaping in front of Hound to get closer to their enemies, but Hound was fine with it so long as Decepticons were destroyed one way or the other. Unfortunately, the Decepticons left the battle with their prize, Sparkplug Witwicky, in the hopes that the human could convert fuel for them instead! Power Play!

The battle left Hound and Sideswipe low on fuel, so Optimus Prime offered to carry the two home inside his trailer. After Hound had been attended to, he and the other Autobots met with the amazing Spider-Man, who offered to help them rescue Sparkplug from the Decepticons' cliffside headquarters. Hound drove Spider-Man past the Earth military blockade himself with Spider-Man posing as his driver, but Hound stayed behind to help draw the Decepticons' fire while Spider-Man and Gears slipped into the headquarters. Prisoner of War!

Following this, he was present when the Autobots countered the Decepticons when the latter attacked the Sherman Dam, hoping to steal its energy. At Prime's order, Hound submerged into the water to locate the source of the dam's problems and found Rumble. After a fight between the two, Hound was blasted out of the water by Rumble's piledrivers. The sight of this distracted Optimus Prime during his fight with Megatron atop the dam, and Megatron was able to use this distraction to knock Prime from the dam. Decepticon Dam-Busters!

When Hound was next seen, he was hanging from the ceiling of the Ark with the other Autobots, the work of the evil Decepticon Shockwave, who had returned and taken leadership of the Decepticons for himself. Buster Witwicky was shocked to discover this terrible development, and the human returned to tell Ratchet, the sole Autobot survivor. The New Order Ratchet was eventually able to restore the Ark to the Autobots after outwitting Megatron, and Hound and the others were repaired. However, Optimus Prime's head was still in the hands of the Decepticons. DIS-Integrated Circuits!

Hound's next mission involved stopping Soundwave from sending a message to the Decepticons back on Cybertron, but matters were complicated when they faced the newly-created Constructicons. Their merging into the mighty Devastator did not help things, either, but thanks to help from Bomber Bill, a human trucker, the communications array was destroyed before the entire message could be sent. The Next Best Thing to Being There!

Google Maps later rendered Hound obsolete.

The conversations of Shockwave's Decepticons, stationed at Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One, were being listened in on by Hound and the other Autobots, and so they overheard Shockwave's plans to dump Prime's head into a nearby swamp now that he was no longer useful to them. Brainstorm! Hound led a long Autobot convoy to the swamp, and they were able to form a human-chain to rescue the head from sinking to the bottom of it, but when the head was placed on Optimus Prime's body, it attacked them. This was not the real head of Optimus Prime, but an imposter head controlled by Shockwave! A group of Decepticons led by Soundwave joined the imposter Optimus Prime in destroying them, but during the course of battle the real head was restored and the Decepticons defeated. Hound was one of the few Autobots left standing. Prime Time!

Noticing a pattern?

Now that Prime and the Creation Matrix had been returned to them, Hound was one of the Autobots who opposed using the Matrix to create super-warriors. Soon after, he assisted Mirage in capturing Ravage, though Ravage's capture was part of the Decepticon's plan. Once Ravage learned what he wanted to know, he escaped. Crisis of Command!

Hound was next seen being reconstructed, along with a handful of other Autobots. Rock and Roll-Out!

When Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge made their time-jump to 1986, Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Prowl were lost in Limbo. Suspecting Decepticon involvement, Hound and Jazz were sent to spy on their foes. Cyclonus discovered the spying Autobots and attacked, taking out Jazz and beating Hound within an inch of his life while expositing about his past self. Only the arrival of Ultra Magnus saved Hound.

Well, someone had the scale guide, at least.

After getting a lift back to the Ark from Magnus, Hound tried several times to get Ultra Magnus to assist the Autobots against Galvatron; he also defended their strategy of allying with Megatron. Hound was part of the raiding party which captured Scourgetook a critical view of Jetfire's tactics, especially as the Autobots were beaten again and again. Target: 2006

He should really stick to fighting Ravage.

In the wake of Galvatron's trip from the future, Optimus Prime faked his death to teach the Autobots how to survive without him. Hound was one of the Autobots who attended his funeral, moments before Optimus Prime reappeared. Resurrection!

When Blaster and Grimlock fought on Earth's moon for leadership of the Autobots, Hound was among the dozens who disembarked from the Ark to be spectators. Totaled!

Some time after, he and the other Autobots answered a distress call from Buster Witwicky, but when they arrived to rescue him, they were attacked by both Earth-based Decepticon armies. Hound was pounced upon by Weirdwolf.

The battle was discovered to be a ruse by Starscream to cover his efforts to claim the powers of the Underbase. Hound was subsequently part of a team sent to confront Starscream in New York City. Unfortunately, Hound and several of his peers ended up slaughtered by Starscream on the Brooklyn Bridge. Dark Star

Generation 2

"This is my O Face!!"

Hound joined Grimlock's unit in leaving Cybertron to find new conflicts and fought against the technoforming fleets of the Cybertronian Empire. He was disgusted by the bloodlust shown by Blades, who berated Hound for being a liability. War Without End! Following this, he was the only Autobot not infected by the psychic parasites of the K'tord Nebula, due to a blow to the head that knocked him off-line. After Prime and Jhiaxus managed to temporarily cease fighting long enough to deal with the parasites, Hound scanned the Transformers for any remnants in their systems. Primal Fear!

As one of the more level-headed Autobots, Hound did not participate in Grimlock's ill-advised strike on the Liege Centuro and his fleet. Devices and Desires! Still, he knew good sense when he heard it, even from Grimlock, and when Prime thought it was a good idea for him to go meet the Decepticons alone, Hound arrived with Grimlock and a rescue battalion just in time to keep Megatron from destroying his old nemesis. The Gathering Darkness Later, Hound also got involved in protecting the planet Ethos from genocide. Escalation!

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Ken Sansom (English), Kenyū Horiuchi (Japanese), Vladimiro Conti (Italian, second dub)

Those seats looks surprisingly comfortable for a jeep.

Hound was one of the original Autobots aboard the Ark when it crash-landed on Earth four million years ago. When awakened in 1984, he was reformatted to have a terrestrial alt-mode, that of a Mitsubishi military jeep.

As the Autobots got their bearings on this strange, new planet, Optimus Prime dispatched Hound on a recon mission to find the Decepticons. The impetuous Cliffjumper tagged along uninvited, itching to start a fight, and took a pot-shot at Megatron once Hound sniffed out the Decepticon base. Cliffjumper missed, and the Decepticons gave chase. Laserbeak pursued the two Autobot eavesdroppers, and Hound took the brunt of the assault, getting blasted by Laserbeak's cannons. Hound spun out of control on the winding mountain roads and crashed into a ravine.

Cliffjumper returned with help: the Autobot medic, Ratchet. Hound was too injured even to transform, so the crane truck Hauler had to lift him out of the gulch so he could be dragged back to the Ark for repairs. Despite the mishap, Hound bore no ill will against Cliffjumper. The scout had heard enough about Megatron's plans to plunder the Earth's resources that Optimus immediately launched a mission to stop the Decepticons. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1

... Do we even need a caption here?

Later, when the Autobots counter-attacked the Decepticon siege of Sherman Dam, Hound got into an underwater fight with Rumble. The pint-sized Decepticon managed to trap Hound under a pile of boulders so that he couldn't move. Then Spike Witwicky jumped in and removed the boulders, thus freeing Hound to resurface and rejoin his teammates. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2

After they came back from the Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma, Hound and Mirage came up with a plan to fool the Decepticons: They would create a hologram of a rocket fuel base. The Decepticons would go there to use the resources to create energon cubes, at which point the trap could be sprung. Optimus Prime agreed, and the then-imprisoned Ravage was allowed to escape with the false information. However, Megatron outsmarted the Autobots, went to the real rocket fuel base and used its resources. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3

After Chip Chase was kidnapped by the Decepticons, who were after the antimatter formula, Hound and Mirage used their respective powers to sneak into the antimatter laboratory in order to mount a rescue. While Hound distracted Megatron with an army of holographic duplicates, Bumblebee and Spike swooped in to save the prisoner, and the Autobots beat a hasty retreat through a fourth-floor window. Megatron had already obtained the formula, and he attacked Autobot Headquarters. When Starscream unleashed the power of the antimatter gun in his direction, Hound ended up buried up to his waist in rubble. Roll for It

He again defended the base when Optimus Prime was incapacitated and required a new Cosmotron. Though the fight didn't got well for the Autobots, they held off the Decepticons long enough for Optimus to be repaired. Divide and Conquer After enjoying a snowball fight in mid-summer, the Autobot traced the source of the strange temperature drops to the Arctic. Hound was one of the Autobots who went there to investigate and immediately encountered a new Decepticon, Skyfire. When Spike and Sparkplug became trapped on the ice, Hound was unable to rescue them and watched helplessly as they were carried off by Skyfire. As the Autobots followed, Hound, Gears, Ratchet and Ironhide were separated from the others and subsequently captured by the Decepticons. Skyfire was ordered to eliminate the foursome as a test of loyalty, but refused and was blasted by Starscream. Hound employed his holograms to allow the four Autobots to avoid a similar fate. Once they'd repaired Skyfire, the jet happily defected, but ended up buried in ice following the defeat of Megatron's plan. The Autobots held a memorial for him. Fire in the Sky

After the Autobots discovered fossilized dinosaur bones inside a cavern in the Autobot volcano, Hound was accompanied Spike on a trip to the museum, a new Earth experience that excited him. He scanned three dinosaur skeletons with his hologram gun, and the resulting holographic simulation inspired Wheeljack and Ratchet to build the Dinobots. However, Grimlock severely damaged Teletraan I when the exceptionally dim-witted Dinobots went on a rampage, forcing Hound and Spike to scout for Decepticon activity while the Autobot base computer was being repaired. Hound didn't mind the extra work, as it allowed him to do sightseeing of the surrounding Earth landscape. He managed to detect Decepticon activity at the Great Falls hydroelectric power facility and relayed the information to Optimus Prime. Arriving at the falls, he was extremely impressed with the view. When no Decepticons were in immediate view, Bluestreak jokingly wondered about the occupancy of glitch mice in Hound's database, to the amusement of no one. Hound was among the Autobots subsequently captured by the Decepticons, but was freed when Wheeljack and the Dinobots arrived to save the day. S.O.S. Dinobots

Carpooling taken to the next level.

Hound was on the Autobot squad, along with the Dinobots, which was on-hand when a meteor crashed to Earth in a ghost town. War of the Dinobots After Sparkplug was abducted by Laserbeak, Hound took part in a diversionary attack on the Decepticon base while a small team went in and rescued Sparkplug. Later, he and the rest of the Autobots attempted to stop Megatron from activating a giant space bridge. They failed, and Cybertron was drawn into Earth's orbit. The Ultimate Doom, Part 1 During the retreat back to Headquarters, Hound and Bluestreak had to save Spike from Laserbeak. Hound used his sensors to locate Bumblebee, who'd fallen into a crevasse, so that Windcharger could haul the diminutive Autobot out. As he was out of gas, Bumblebee had to ride back to Headquarters in Hound. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2

Hound took part in the cleanup efforts after Cybertron was ejected from Earth's orbit. After the Decepticons were spotted on the move, the Autobots gave chase. After a brief stop in a quicksand trap, they caught up with the Decepticons outside Doctor Arkeville's secret laboratory and prevented the explosion of the Exponential Generator. Countdown to Extinction Hound turned out to cheer on Optimus Prime during the Autobot leader's one-on-one fight against Megatron. To the shock of all of the Autobots, Prime lost, and they were legally obligated to vacate the planet. Once they returned to base, they discovered that Megatron had cheated, and the results of the fight were void. Faced with the Decepticon's huge new warrior, Devastator, Hound projected an even bigger Autobot, distracting the combiner long enough for Optimus defeat him. The Autobots subsequently blasted the Decepticons into a crevasse filled with lava. Heavy Metal War

After Spike's mind was transferred into a robot body, the process affected the boy and Megatron turned him against the Autobots. Hound rolled out to bring Spike back to Autobot Headquarters and stood by his bedside as his mind was transferred back. Autobot Spike Hound was later on another mission to a gold mine. The mission didn't go well, resulting in the Autobots being battered by energised boulders, and Gears being kidnapped. When Megatron activated his Solar Needle, the Autobots were obliged to travel to Africa to shut down the operation and rescue Gears. They did briefly consider leaving him with his temporary affable personality, but were overruled by Gears himself. Changing Gears

Illusion, Michael. A trick is something a whore does for money...or candy.

The Autobots visited New York City when the Decepticons began replacing buildings with Cybertronian architecture. Optimus Prime was captured by the Decepticons, and Hound, along with Spike, Bumblebee, Ratchet and Mirage, entered the sewer system in an attempt to rescue their leader. After tangling with an Alligatorcon, Hound became confused by the fact that his sensors detected Prime behind them. His sensors were correct—the Constructicons had built the Alligatorcon out of Prime's parts. Hound, Mirage and Ratchet ended up wrangling it so Optimus could be rebuilt. During the battle for New York, Hound found himself battling Frenzy in a subway with Bluestreak, then consoling Wheeljack after the scientist's remote-controlled helicopters failed to stop Devastator. City of Steel

OM NOM NOM

When Megatron used a personality destabilizer device on the Autobot recharging chamber, Hound was one of the Autobots turned to evil. He and Ratchet went after Doctor Harding, who had plans for a new solar satellite. When she escaped them at the lab by jumping out of a window, Hound pursued her into an alleyway, where she jumped into one of the dumpsters. As he picked up the dumpster she was in, Jazz arrived and distracted him long enough for Sparkplug to use an attitude exchanger to restore Hound's good nature. The Autobots set about finding the rest of their number, and Hound struck on the idea of firing the exchangers from their guns, enabling them to restore the rest of the Autobots. Attack of the Autobots

During a test of Wheeljack's latest invention, the Immobilizer, Hound projected a hologram of Laserbeak, only for Ironhide to mistake it for the real thing. The Autobots dove for cover as he fired, and the only casualty was the Immobilizer itself. The Immobilizer Hound took part in an Autobot charity event, during which the Decepticons took the opportunity to test out their new Transfixatron. Stuck in vehicle mode, the Autobots were taken to a ghost town, but Hound was able to use his holographic gun to send a message back to base. Though his gun was blasted by Soundwave, the message had been received, and the Autobots back at base came to the rescue with an anti-transfixation grenade. The Autobot Run

Another potentially humorous image ruined by some pedant calculating that the football has to be about ten feet long.

Hound bravely participated in a game of football against the Dinobots, resulting in him coming off second best when he ran into Slag while heading for a touchdown. Investigating strange energy readings, he and the other Autobots encountered the Sub-Atlanticans and Decepticons beneath the sea. The Autobots raced for Washington, which their combined enemies intended to conquer. Hound warned the other Autobots to be careful that they didn't damage any of the historical structures there as they fought, but all of the Autobots were overcome by Nergill's magnetic dysfunction ray. It wasn't until the Dinobots arrived and the weapon was destroyed that the Autobots were freed from its power. The Autobots assaulted Sub-Atlantica, and the city was destroyed by Nergill's own hand. Atlantis, Arise!

While the bulk of the Autobot forces went to investigate the reprogramming of TORQ III at Quantum Laboratories, Hound, Spike and Skyfire were left on their own to check out why the world's fleet of oil tankers were converging on a spot near the Decepticon base. They found the Decepticons had built an oil platform, and they used one of the tankers to sneak aboard, only to be almost immediately captured. Spike's deft use of an electromagnet broke the trio out, and Hound was able to destroy the shield generator protecting the platform. The main Autobot force stormed the base, and Prime helped the trio get clear before it was destroyed. Day of the Machines

After Nightbird, a human-invented robot, was reprogrammed by the Decepticons and stole the World Energy Chip from Autobot Headquarters, the Autobots gave chase. Hound used his infrared sensors to track her down, but it was only after a prolonged fight that they got the chip back and Nightbird was disabled. Enter the Nightbird On one strange occasion when the Autobots found that they had two Optimus Primes, Hound accompanied the Autobot forces to a crevasse from which strange energy readings were emanating, and ended up fighting Starscream briefly. A Prime Problem

To beat this guy, you need speed. You don't have it. You've got arthritis in your neck and calcium deposits on most o' yer joints, so sparring is out. So what we're gonna be calling on is good old blunt force trauma—heavy duty power punches that're gonna rattle his ancestors. Yeah!!! Let's start buildin' some Hurtin' Bombs.

Hound, Beachcomber and Bumblebee investigated reports of chewed up trees and quickly realised that the Insecticons were behind it. After tracking down their quarry, the three Autobots, along with Spike and Ranger Jeff were chased off a cliff by a fallen tree trunk. They were able to take shelter on a small ledge, and Hound used a hologram to fool the Insecticons into thinking the Autobots had been destroyed. After radioing base to warn them that the Insecticons and their Decepticon allies intended to attack the Nova Power Plant, the trio headed to the target themselves, but were too late to prevent the Insecticons from devouring the Nova Power Core. Hound and Jazz ended up pulling Wheeljack out of the wreckage of a pylon. The Autobots tried to head off a subsequent attack on Iron Mountain, but the power-saturated Insecticons blasted them. Hound ended up under Inferno who was under a ton of rock. He then ended up at ground zero as the Insecticons were about to explode, but swift work by the Autobots prevented too much of a disaster. The Insecticon Syndrome

Hound was witness to another of the Dinobots' rampages at headquarters, after which they were sent to the newly-discovered Dinobot Island to work on their technique. Dinobot Island, Part 1 Responding to strange energy readings in the city, Hound used his sensors to locate Bumblebee and Spike under some rubble, before taking part in the effort to round up a bunch of barbarians on mammoths who'd wandered through a time warp. He and Sunstreaker kept the warp open long enough for the barbarians to be returned through it. Dinobot Island, Part 2

The Autobots were taking part in an Autobot Day parade to celebrate their accomplishments, when a tape was shown which incriminated them all for the crime of energy theft. Hound and the others were put on trial, swiftly found guilty, and ordered to leave the planet. With little other choice but to obey the law, they boarded a spacecraft supplied by Shawn Berger. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 When Cliffjumper proved unable to alter the ship's flight path, Hound pinpointed their destination — the Sun! Unable to precent the ship's destruction, they used one of Trailbreaker's forcefields to link to Cosmos, and were able to return to Earth. There, Megatron's frame up had already been exposed, and the Autobots brought the full might of their forces down on the enemy. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2

Hound attended a demonstration of the Ultra Plane, only for the experimental drone craft to be destroyed by the Decepticons. He took part in the defense of the lab behind the Ultra Plane, using one of his holograms to trick Starscream and Soundwave into believing that Megatron had retreated. A short while later, he and the rest of the Autobots were afflicted by Cybertonium depletion, and were unable to function. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 Luckily Spike, Carly and the Dinobots were able to retrieve some more from Cybertron. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2 Hound rolled out to prevent the theft of the Voltronic Galaxer and again later to help the humans, when Megatron used the device to block radio waves planet-wide. Blaster Blues

He was part of a second wave of Autobots who went up against electrum-coated Decepticons. They didn't have much better luck than the first wave. Once they found the pool of electrum that the Decepticons had been utilising, the Autobots were able to even the odds. The Golden Lagoon Hound rolled out to rescue Perceptor from a Decepticon trap, and was presumably subsequently struck down by the same Cosmic Rust that afflicted the other Autobots. Cosmic Rust After the Autobots captured the Stunticons, who were out on a mission for Megatron, Hound probed their memory banks but only came up with a map to a crater. A number of the Autobots including Optimus disguised themselves as the Decepticon team, but after they'd gone to uncover Megatron's plan, the real Stunticons broke out of their cells. Hound came to see what all the noise was, and was blasted by Menasor as the combiner departed. The damaged Autobots recovered in time to provide much-needed reinforcement to Prime's team. Masquerade

In the year 2005, Hound was stationed at Autobot City on Earth. Shortly before the Decepticon attack, Hound was part of Kup's detail, placing a roadblock on the trail to Lookout Mountain. During the battle, he managed to get to the shuttle landing pad as Optimus Prime began his counter attack on the Decepticon forces. The Transformers: The Movie

While Sunstreaker is clearly shown to be arriving on Optimus Prime's shuttle despite having earlier appeared at Kup's roadblock (creating a continuity error), it is less clear with Hound as he is merely shown outside of Prime's landed shuttle. However, the way he is drawn heavily implies that he disembarked from the shuttle.

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story pages

One day, Hound decided to participate in a friendly race amongst the Autobots, though his Jeep mode wasn't expected to bring him a victory against the numerous race and sports cars he was up against. Little did anyone know, Soundwave was aware of the race and set a trap within a narrow canyon. Once inside, all the racecars became trapped and were unable to escape due to their poor traction over the rough terrain. Soundwave began firing upon them and his victory seemed assured. However, Hound's rough, tough and all-around manly Jeep mode proved the real victor, as it allowed the Autobot to traverse the rugged landscape, transform and punch Soundwave so hard it shattered his chest.

Eat it, you sissy racecars. Anime Theater 2: Sic 'em, Hound!

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic

When Megatron attacked Autobot headquarters in Arizona with nearly the entire Decepticon army, Hound responded with the rest of the Autobots in defense. They eventually won the day, though the attack was little more than a diversion while Soundwave performed evil in Japan. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2

As leader of the 4-Wheel-Drive Brigade, Hound responded to a Decepticon threat within a crater in Kyushu. The threat turned out to be the Insecticons, who trapped the Brigade within a smoking pit thanks to some well-placed landmines. Hound "combined" (er, formed a human pyramid) with the other members of the Brigade, creating the "4-Wheel-Drive Robo Combination Scrumbuster" attack, which busted the Insecticons' scrum and sent them into retreat. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3

Later, Hound accompanied Kenji, Perceptor and Seaspray on a mission to an island utopia so they could reconvene with another Autobot unit. Upon arriving, however, they found Blaster and his troops being held captive by the Constructicons! Turns out that Megatron had chosen the island utopia as the perfect place to complete the creation of Trypticon. With the giant transforming city standing before them, Perceptor and Hound concocted a clever scheme to defeat the villain. While Superion protected the local wildlife, Hound projected a hologram of Metroplex through Perceptor's lenses, enlarging it. Trypticon mistook the phoney Metroplex for the real deal and rushed it, passing through the hologram and falling into the sea. Hound and the other Autobots then put the captive Constructicons to work, restoring the island utopia to its former beauty. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6

Story of Binaltech

Hound was one of many Autobots who suffered from the Cosmic Rust virus when Swindle unleashed it upon them. Working together with the humans, the Autobots created the Binaltech Project as a means of transferring the injured Autobots' sparks into super-powered new bodies created from human technology. Along with Smokescreen, Bluestreak, Sideswipe and Tracks, Hound was part of the first wave of Binaltech warriors, who assembled on Earth under the command of Ultra Magnus. Story of Binaltech, Chapter 1

The Headmasters cartoon

Hey, it's that green guy!

Voice actor: Michitaka Kobayashi (Japanese)

In the year 2011, Hound was stationed at the Autobot base on Athenia. When Optimus Prime wondered how the Decepticons had managed to invade Cybertron so easily, Hound theorized that releasing the energy of the Matrix might have destabilized Vector Sigma. He was right. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky

Dreamwave comics continuity

During the Great War, Hound was an Autobot warrior under the command of Optimus Prime. When Prime disappeared, and the Autobots fractioned into several smaller armies, Hound remained with the primary Autobot faction under Prowl's leadership. The War Within: The Dark Ages

Some time later (and four million years ago), Hound was part of the crew of the Ark spaceship, and crashlanded on the planet Earth after a conflict with the Decepticons. The Autobots and Decepticons on board remained in stasis lock, buried at the base of Mount St. Hilary in Oregon, until the volcano exploded in 1984, freeing them. Hound and the other Autobots under Prime's command waged war against the Decepticons on Earth, until finally capturing them all. Roughly a decade after they arrived, the Autobots planned to return to Cybertron with their prisoners aboard the Ark II. Tragically, however, sabotage led to the spaceship exploding on its maiden voyage, and all aboard were believed dead.

Not so. In fact, a human mercenary named Lazarus had recovered a great number of the Transformers that had been on-board, including Hound. He went to work on these deactivated robots, installing programming directives that would turn the Cybertronians into mindless drones for his own purposes. In 2002, Hound was repurposed as Lazarus' transport jeep when he entertained the "freedom fighter" Bishop, and stood guard against anybody following them. Prime Directive issue 1 Lazarus was prepared to unleash his robot soldiers on the world, only to fail at the starting gate when Megatron reasserted control over his own programming and resumed the war. Prime Directive issue 2 Hound, along with the other Autobots Lazarus had salvaged, were used to power Megatron's metallic virus. Sideswipe reported barely functional state. Prime Directive issue 4

Not long thereafter, Hound and the Autobots were confronted with an envoy from Cybertron, which had apparently ended the war sometime ago, creating a Unified Cybertronian government. Allegedly in order to prevent the warlike Transformers of Earth from igniting old passions, Hound and many of his fellow Autobots were captured by Ultra Magnus, Shockwave, and their operatives. Brought back to Cybertron aboard Sky Lynx, Hound and the Autobots were removed from their prison cells by the Triple Changer named Broadside, and brought into contact with a resistance cell led by Smokescreen. It seemed Shockwave actually had a hidden agenda (of course), and many Autobots had begun taking up arms again to fight back against his regime. Hound joined in the insurrection at Iacon, and the resistance ultimately pushed Shockwave out of command, retaking Cybertron for the Autobots. War and Peace

As Ultra Magnus began re-establishing Autobot control over the planet, Prowl decided the Ark's crew would be best served by returning to Earth and establishing a permanent base of operations there. Being the Earth-lover that he is, Hound was all for the idea. He was last seen at the site of the future Autobot City, using his holograms to help Grapple visualize his plans for the city. The Route of All Evil

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Hound was present during the chaotic battle on Cobra Island between the Autobots, Decepticons, G.I. Joe and Cobra. He was blasted in half by Devastator, sending Bumblebee and Wheeljack into a fit of rage. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5

As Hound only appears in a single panel, it's unclear where he came from and if he was among the Transformers recently freed from Cobra's control. He does not appear to have a Cobra vehicle mode, however.

Transformers/G.I. Joe

Hound lay dormant and buried on the Fera Islands for a long time, until he and his comrades were awakened in 1939 thanks to the battle between G.I. Joe and Cobra. After he was reformatted into a military jeep and had the situation explained to him by Duke, Hound was eager to help the Joes with their mission. Transformed As the battle began in earnest, he proved ignorant as to the existence of paratroopers. Trial by Fire

During a run-in with Rumble, Hound sat around in vehicle mode and got dented by the Decepticon's earthquakes, but was otherwise unharmed. Wolves As the Autobots advanced towards the Terrordrome, Hound's scanners detected Cobra soldiers forcing slaves to act as human shields, so he suggested that they clear out a nearby trench to hide the slaves in. Trenches When a few of the slaves fell in the ocean, Hound and Wheeljack helped G.I. Joe pull them up. Unfortunately, both Autobots were killed in battle shortly afterwards. The Iron Fist

Transformers Legends anthology

While Hound was out driving with Bumblebee and Spike, the trio happened on a badly-injured Starscream, whom Hound's sensors told him had fallen down the side of a nearby mountain. Hound initially feared it was a trap, but Bumblebee persuaded him to carry the Decepticon back to the Ark. Redemption Center

IDW comics continuity

It's rainin' Hounds!

Before the war on Cybertron, Hound was a veteran member of the Autobots, having served under Sentinel Prime with the Security Services force in Kaon. Megatron Origin issue 2 During the mass prison break of Megatron's gladiators and Kaon's most dangerous criminals, Hound and the Autobot security forces struggled to hold the line against the rioting malcontents. After Sentinel Prime returned to the battlefield in his Apex armor, Hound served as optic lead for Sentinel's heads-up scanners in targeting Megatron. However, Megatron destroyed Sentinel Prime's display helmet by throwing Hound's heavily damaged form at the Autobot commander. Megatron Origin issue 4

Hound survived, and continued to serve with the Autobot war effort as the situation escalated. He was working with Optimus Prime, Prowl, Groove, Blurr and Windcharger in defending one of Cybertron's cities as Megatron's forces began expanding his empire. The Iron Age

Guido Guidi draws Cybertronian Hound and makes me cry.

Much, much later, Hound was the current leader of a combat unit consisting of Sideswipe, Leadfoot, Warpath, Road Rocket and Skram, manning a permanent guard post around Bludgeon's hidden base in Thunderhead Pass. Hound was a by-the-book guy who followed his mission parameters. Sideswipe was an authority-challenging, loud-talking belligerent who constantly insulted this dull posting and demanded they head for Earth to search for his missing brother Sunstreaker. Working with him makes Hound cry.

To add insult to injury a mysterious and powerful being barged into the base, killed Leadfoot, seriously damaged everyone else, and then stole the inactive form of the planet-murdering Thunderwing himself. Spotlight: Galvatron In the middle of briefing Optimus Prime on this event, Hound was interrupted by Sideswipe going on about Sunstreaker again. To Hound's surprise, Optimus agreed and called the team to Earth, Devastation issue 1 only for him to then order them to Garrus-9 instead when the "Monstructor Six" were broken out of the prison there. Devastation issue 6

As they headed off in Ark-12, Hound had to listen to, yep, Sideswipe moaning they weren't looking for Sunstreaker. His angry retort to Sideswipe to take it up with Prime was interrupted by an attack from Cyclonus; Hound followed protocol in fighting him off and prepared to carry on instead of investigating the incident (necessity before need), only for the dead Cyclonus to get up again and keep shooting. Ultra Magnus received Hound's distress call from and drove off the threat, but poor Hound got berated by Sideswipe into diverting from their mission to investigate. That divergence led them to Corata-Vaz where Sideswipe goaded Cyclonus into attacking instead of surrendering and then insulted Hound when criticised over this, Cyclonus deadened Hound's arm, and then Thunderwing was awakened to swat the Autobots all aside. Spotlight: Cyclonus

Prowl regarded the battle with Hound's unit and the Wreckers versus Thunderwing as suicidal. Spotlight: Hardhead Observing that the battle was not going well, Jetfire decided to try and take control of Thunderwing using Bludgeon's Axis Cradle, telling Springer to take their forces into the Nega-Core chamber as quickly as possible should he be successful. Spotlight: Doubledealer

Hound's unit were pulled out of Corata-Vaz and, along with Fortress Maximus, dispatched to Earth to mess up the enemy's Space Bridge set-up there. Hound sent his men through the Bridge portals to nab all the Nega-Cores, except for Skram who was sent to get Arcee, and Sideswipe who volunteered to keep the enemy forces off their backs. Hound didn't understand Sideswipe's reasons but admitted he'd been wrong about the mech, and announced it was an honour to have served with him. Spotlight: Sideswipe

Some time later, Hound joined Optimus Prime's Autobots on Earth, only to be defeated when they were all lured into a Decepticon trap. The Decepticons subsequently dumped them all on Cybertron in hopes that the Insecticon swarm would finish them off. All Hail Megatron issue 7 Hound and the others were stuck on the ruined planet while the Decepticons rampaged across Earth. All Hail Megatron issue 1 During one battle with the swarm, he let Cliffjumper ride him in vehicle mode, although he had traction problems on the planet's metallic surface. All Hail Megatron issue 8 Hound later watched in silence as the leaderless Autobots broke into one argument after another. All Hail Megatron issue 9

Following the Autobots' return to Earth, Hound located Spike Witwicky, who had helped them defeat the Decepticons by sniping Megatron, and brought him to Optimus Prime. All Hail Megatron issue 12 He was later part of an Autobot squad sent to retrieve Bumblebee after he went missing in the ruins of New York. Hidden

Three years later, Hound was still stationed on Earth with Optimus Prime. He was present when Hot Rod demanded to go on a rescue mission for Prowl, and again after the mission went bad and Prime abdicated his leadership role. ...For All Mankind He watched as Hot Rod led a group of Autobots in seceding from the main army New Arrivals, Old Encounters and as Ultra Magnus arrived to perform his internal affairs report on Ironhide's murder. A Rude Awakening

Hound was among those who cheered when Bumblebee was nominated as the new leader of the Autobots. He went with Ratchet and Bumblebee to investigate Gordon Horiuchi's proposed alliance between the Autobots and his loyalists in Skywatch. Hound's scans didn't turn up anything improper, though, and so the Autobots became Skywatch's newest robot hunters. They captured Frenzy, and Axer, and several others in the hopes of building up enough goodwill for Skywatch's governing body to recognize that they weren't a threat. Their hopes were dashed, however, when Horiuchi demanded they capture one of their own deserters, Blurr. He also demonstrated a hidden failsafe measure in the badges Skywatch had provided them, letting him remotely mode-lock any Autobot who disobeyed orders. The Hanging Sword

Not having any other choice, Hound and the others reluctantly captured Blurr, but refused to turn him over in the end. Bumblebee's badge was damaged in combat, and so the Autobots worked out a ruse so that he could roam free and find a means of freeing them from Skywatch. The Impossible Knot Hound and the others continued to play along with Horiuchi while Bumblebee ran his solo mission. The Gift Horse Eventually, Bumblebee successfully disabled the badges and, to accomodate his new role as leader, he had Hound and Wheeljack upgrade his body with additional strength and armor. Wings of Wax

The events of Spotlight: Mirage possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.

Second death, but it still doesn't count.

On Earth, Hound's friend Mirage was seriously injured, and as he recuperated, he was haunted repeatedly by dreams of being a Decepticon. In this dream, Hound was among the last of the Autobots holding out in a losing battle with the Decepticons. He was working on a way to convert the cross-dimensional Zodiac energy for consumption in lieu of energon when Mirage tricked the Autobots into letting him enter their hideout. During the subsequent scuffle, Hound killed Soundwave, but the Autobots were forced to surrender when Mirage held Jetfire hostage, yet promised to spare their lives. Unfortunately for Hound, Mirage was ordered by Megatron to execute the Autobots. Hound was killed by Mirage as defiance to Optimus Prime's pleas for him to see reason. But it was just a dream (or some alternate dimension mumbo-jumbo), so it didn't matter. Right? Spotlight: Mirage

Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic

Henkei! Henkei! #8

Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga

To the Sea of Stars

Toys

Generation 1

Short but sweet.

• Hound (Autobot, 1984/1985/2004)
  • Japanese ID number: 02, TFC-14
  • Accessories: "Hologram Gun", machine gun, missile launcher, 3 missiles, spare tire, gas can

Hound was released as part of the initial Autobot assortment in 1984, transforming into a Mitsubishi J59 Jeep. Mounted on the back of the vehicle mode is a large, vacuum metallized silver machine gun turret which doesn't really go anywhere in robot mode. Other vehicle accessories include a spare tire and a fuel canister which also don't really go anywhere in robot mode.

In robot mode, Hound is armed with a large, silver "holographic rifle" and a shoulder-mounted, spring-loaded, firing rocket launcher with three silver projectiles. The US version of this launcher had severely weakened springs for safety reasons.

He was reissued in 2004 by Takara in their Transformers Collection "bookbox" reissue series.

This mold was used to make the e-Hobby exclusive Detritus.

• More information on Generation 1 Hound at TFU.info

Generation 2

Sgt. Hound. Starring Steve Martin. (Hound is the white payloader.)

• Sgt. Hound (Auto Roller, 1995)
  • Accessories: 4 missiles

A redeco of the Auto Roller Roadblock was planned for release in 1995 as "Sgt. Hound", but was one of several redecos and molds that were canceled with the end of the Generation 2 line. He would have transformed into a payloader. As an Auto Roller, a switch on his vehicle-mode back end connects a gearing mechanism attached to his rear axle, which makes him autotransform from vehicle to robot mode when pushed forward, and back when pulled in reverse. His right arm ends in a spring-loaded missile launcher, while his left features a spring-gear-activated spinning circular saw. All four of his missiles can be stowed on his rear wheel wells. No known samples of the toy have surfaced.

This mold was also used to make Autocrasher from Beast Wars II.

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious. Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Alternators

"At long last, I HAVE ELBOWS!!!"

• Autobot Hound (2004)
  • Alternator ID number: 3
  • Japanese ID number: BT-04
  • Accessories: Pistol

For the Alternators line, Hound's vehicle mode was updated to a Jeep Wrangler, with opening doors, hood (with mock engine bay) and tailgate, and a detailed interior. Hound also features a working suspension system, similar to 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, but lacks steering. In robot mode, he greatly resembles both the original toy in detail and the Generation 1 cartoon model in proportions and personality. In this form, Hound is armed with a holographic projector gun stored inside his spare tire.

The Japanese Binaltech release of the toy is largely identical to the Hasbro version, except for the use of painted die-cast metal for numerous vehicle-mode panels.

The mold was retooled into Alternators Rollbar and Swindle.

• More info on Alternators Hound at TFU.info

Universe (2008)

Classic Series

But not any more...

• Autobot Hound (Legends, 2008)

Part of the second wave of Universe Legends-class figures (but the first wave to feature new-mold items, not simply Cybertron-series redecoes), the first Universe Hound toy is sculpted to closely resemble his Generation 1 design, particularly in the way his vehicle mode resembles a somewhat outdated, old-fashioned army Jeep. For legal reasons, the vehicle mode has been slightly tweaked, such as sporting squared headlights and horizontal vents in the front grille, as compared to the characteristic round headlights/vertical grille vents design of a real-life Jeep. Due to his small size and price point, he has no weapon in either mode.

This mold was also used to make 2010 Transformers Tracker Hound.

• More information on Universe Legends Hound at TFU.info

Generation 1 Series

File:Universe2008 G1Hound.jpg

Wait, never mind! I found them!

• Autobot Hound (Deluxe, 2008)
  • Accessories: Missile launcher

Part of the fourth wave of Universe Deluxe-class toys, this version of Hound is more of an evolution of the character rather than the reproduction the Legends class toy represents. His vehicle mode resembles a Jeep Hurricane concept car, once again with a modified front section that avoids the trademark Jeep look with round headlights and vertical grille vents. Unlike his Legends class toy, Deluxe class Hound features his familiar (non-firing) rocket launcher in both vehicle and robot modes.

Hound comes with a figure of Ravage in an all-new sculpt, who can fit (in tape form) on the back of Hound's vehicle mode. Other Mini-Cassette Transformers can fit there too, though not as well as the new Ravage.

This mold was also used to make Timelines Turbomaster.

• More information on Universe Deluxe Hound at TFU.info

Henkei! Henkei!

A friend to all the animals.

• Hound (Deluxe, 2008)
  • Japanese ID number: C-13
  • Accessories: Missile launcher

The Japanese version of Universe (2008) Hound, Henkei! Henkei! Hound is primary cast in a darker shade of green plastic for a better match to his original toy and appearances in fiction. Where Universe Hound had white plastic, Henkei Hound replaces it with grey, and overall has more elaborate paint applications, such as the toy-homaging yellow stripe around the edges of his his hood and silver paint on his hubcaps. As with all Henkei! Henkei! toys, Hound has vacuum-metallized plastic, specifically his grill guard, albeit in an unusually dark color that almost defeats the purpose.

Transformers (2010)

File:TF2010-toy Tracker Hound.jpg

Probably likes to hang out with Disco Inferno.

• Tracker Hound (Legends, 2010)

Tracker Hound is a redeco of Universe Legends-class Autobot Hound in black with gold striping.

Merchandise

Robot Heroes

Not included: Awkwardly-positioned Spike.

• Autobot Hound vs Blitzwing (2008)

Released in the first wave of Universe-branded Robot Heroes, Hound is posed, like many Robot Heroes, in a squat crouching pose. However, he has a few noteworthy aspects: he's one of the few Generation 1 characters to be sculpted with a handheld weapon. More surprising than that, Hound is currently the most articulated Generation 1 Robot Hero, having swivel joints at his head, shoulders and waist.

Speed Stars

Stealth Force

• Autobot Hound (2010)

Notes

• The Hound toy was originally a Diaclone "J59 Jeep", coming with a blue-and-white pilot figure and several IP-infringing decals.
• Ken Sansom's voice for Hound sounds not unlike famous actor Jimmy Stewart.

• Due to the animation models of the characters being based on box art as much as the actual toy, Hound's holographic rifle was misinterpreted as a small pistol thanks to the foreshortening used. The Alternators toy uses the "pistol", which led people more familiar with the original figure's gigantic rifle to quip that his new weapon was "far too small".

• Like those of many Generation 1 characters, Hound's animation model has appeared as an unnamed cameo in the Armada cartoon. He is visible both reacting to the Mini-Con beacon alongside Braver and Road King in "First Encounter" (seen at right), and in a flashback in "Prehistory".

• The Alternators version of Hound was originally planned as a Jeep Rubicon, sporting a slightly different transformation that would have somewhat reduced the back kibble. Presumably, the change from the Rubicon to the Wrangler was due to Jeep wanting their more common model featured.

• The Japanese book Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 1 contains concept art (by Don Figueroa) for an earlier version of Universe Hound, resembling a Humvee instead of the Jeep form of the final figure.

External links

• Hound's Universe profile at NTFA.net
• Hound at TFU.info