Ground Hog

Ground Hog is a Decepticon Micromaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

He can't see his shadow.

Ground Hog is, unusually for a Decepticon, a team player. He spends as much time as possible in the shop, fixing up his teammates in the Race Track Patrol, and finding new ways for them to dominate the battlefield. And by "dominate", he means "loud, fast, and chaotic".

Oh, and he steals parts from Autobots. While they're using them.

Fiction

Zone story pages

Following Metrotitan's defeat at the hands of Road Fire, the Race Track Patrol were introduced as rivals of the Autobot Micromasters. They were described as being former Autobot Micromasters who defected to the side of the Decepticons, fueling the rivalry. They never actually took part in any battle. Zone Part 9

Dreamwave comics continuity

Ground Hog was a loud, but otherwise relatively friendly Micromaster. He and Greaser apparently knew each other in the early days, and shared a larcenous past knocking over guzzlers and stealing their energon. Ground Hog joined up with Barricade after the Meltdown Riots and became a member of the Decepticon Race Track Patrol. After a fellow Micromaster named Crunch was inadvertently killed on a mission, though, the Race Track Patrol started to question their position in the Decepticon hierarchy. Ground Hog followed Barricade and the patrol when they quit the Decepticon army and made off for Little Iacon. Destined for Nothing After a dust-up in the Wastelands, they made their way to The Burn Outs. Ground Hog tried selling some of his own special blend of energon, but nobody seemed to be buying. They met up with the Hot Rod Patrol, their counterpart who had just cut loose the Autobots as well. Ground Hog started chatting with his old pal Greaser, asking if he was ready to start rolling Autobots again for fuel, but Greaser just didn't seem into it anymore. The Gray Race

When Venom and his buddies invaded Little Iacon for Shockwave, the Race Track Patrol stayed loyal to the Decepticon cause in the hopes of coming out on top. The power games kept coming, though, when Skystalker overthrew Shockwave and sent the rest of the bulk-sized Decepticons into a suicidal battle with Ultra Magnus and the Autobots. Recipe for Hate The whole situation turned out to be a royal mess, and Ground Hog and the Decepticon Micromasters ended up joining forces with Countdown and the Autobot Micros in order to bring an end to the guzzlers' battle, at least for the moment. Victims of the Revolution

Toys

Generation 1

No relation to Bill Murray.

• Race Track Patrol (Micromaster Patrol, 1990)
  • Japanese ID number: D-341

Ground Hog transforms into a tricked-out Dodge Shelby Charger funny car. He was only available in a four-pack with his teammates Motorhead, Barricade and Roller Force.

• More information on Ground Hog at TFU.info

Zone

• Race Car Patrol Team (Microtransformer Team, 1990)

Notes

• In Japan, the "Race Car Patrol Team" were the only Micro Transformer set to be marketed as Decepticons. They were released as part of the Zone line to serve as minions of Metrotitan... though this seemingly didn't even net them an appearance in the Zone story pages.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Ground Hog (グランドホッグ Gurando Hoggu)
• French: Marmotte (Canada)
• Italian: Fury