Dirge (G1)

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

Dirge is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Death comes to he who— wait, no, death comes to ME. I've been saying that wrong this whole time."

Dirge is a master of using fear as a weapon. Mournful, morose, and silent, his behavior gives even close comrades like Ramjet the creeps. Dirge actively cultivates this atmosphere; his engines are even tuned to generate fear in all who hear them. Few realize, however, that this need to instill fear is part of an overwhelming need for control over his own situation. Should things spiral out of control, Dirge falls victim to paralyzing fear himself and his usefulness as a warrior vanishes.

True to his name, he tends to die. A lot.

“	Death comes to he who crosses me.	”
—A confused Dirge, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Bud Davis (English), Keiichi Nanba (Japanese), Kenyū Horiuchi (Japanese, "Dinobot Island, Part 2"), Masashi Ebara (Japanese, "Triple Takeover"), Yū Shimaka (Japanese, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"), Roberto Alexander (American Spanish), Gerd Wiedenhofen (German), Holger Schwiers (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2"), Thomas Rau (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5"), Ulf-Jürgen Wagner (German, Generation 2 "The Golden Lagoon", "Auto-Berserk"), Tonio von der Meden (German, Generation 2 "Triple Takeover", "Ghost in the Machine")

This one's just a warning. From now on, you won't get off so easily.

Dirge appeared without explanation on Earth under Megatron's command a year or two after the Ark-borne Transformers awoke. His first notable activity was joining in a raid on Dinobot Island, where he was eventually chewed on and thrown bodily by a time-lost Tyrannosaurus rex. Dinobot Island, Part 2

Dirge served as part of Megatron's personal guard when the Decepticons confronted the Constructicons about their dubious loyalties. The Master Builders He was also briefly involved in an aborted air strike to seize the Negavator, and was present for the next raid on the Negavator's holding pen. Once Red Alert rigged the Negavator to explode, however, Dirge led his fellow Seekers in retreat, against Megatron's direct orders. Guess he didn't feel like dying that day. Auto Berserk

When a new solar energy facility opened up in Central City, Starscream led Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust to steal its power. The facility proved to be a trap, however, set by Shawn Berger to elevate himself in the public eye by taking down the Decepticons with his private militia. Berger's operatives failed, but the Autobots soon arrived to engage the Decepticons as well. Tracks took to the air and zapped Dirge with his blackout beam. Luckily for Dirge, Ramjet managed to pull off a loopity-loop and ram the flying Autobot into the ground. Megatron then "requested" the pleasure of Shawn Berger's presence, not to punish him, but to play a subtler game. He attempted to convince the industrialist that the Decepticons were good, and the Autobots evil. He had Dirge escort Berger home so that the human could think about his proposal of alliance against the "Evil Autobots". Dirge was also one of the key players in Megatron's staged videos to tarnish the Autobots' reputation. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 Later, after the Autobots were successfully vilified in the public eye and exiled to deep space, the Seekers turned on the people of Central City, opening fire in the middle of the streets. Although Dirge and the Seekers fared well against an attack by the Air Force, the eventual return of the Autobots proved to be more than the Decepticons could handle. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2

Even when he's invulnerable, Dirge loses.

When the Decepticons uncovered a pool of electrum, a strange element that rendered them totally invincible to harm, they thoroughly enjoyed taunting the Autobots with their superiority. Dirge, unfortunately, drew the short straw and was left to guard the pool with Long Haul, right up until the Constructicon abandoned him to go fight the battle as well. Dirge was in the middle of...*ahem* exhorting Long Haul's virtues when Beachcomber and Seaspray jumped him from behind, giving the Autobots a chance to use the electrum pool as well. The supply was quickly exhausted with both armies using it, however, reducing the war back to stage one. The Golden Lagoon Dirge was also part of Megatron's team working with the Insecticons, producing energon cubes from the insects' feasting. They were eventually defeated by the Autobots and a grove of robotic space plants called Morphobots. Quest for Survival

"Can't you die on someone else?"

Later on, Dirge, Ramjet and Astrotrain came to Monacus to look after Megatron's interests in Sheol, and his less than reputable partner, Lord Gyconi. They were putting the squeeze on Gyconi when a program caught Dirge's optic, inviting one-and-all to see the Autobots in pit battle against Gyconi's animaliens. They decided to take in a show while on Monacus, but quickly realized what was going on when Smokescreen flooded the arena with smoke to stop the games and save his friends. Dirge and Ramjet set off after the Autobot in jet mode, and very nearly destroyed him before the bounty hunting Autobot named Devcon stepped in to blast them out of the air. There's nothing a Decepticon fears more than a fair fight, and the two Seekers skedaddled as soon as they were able to get back in the sky. They retreated back to Astrotrain with their share of Gyconi's energon, and eventually fled the planet, with Devcon chasing their smoke trail. The Gambler

On another occasion, Dirge accompanied Megatron to help their ally Deceptitran against the Tlalakan rebels. After the Decepticons captured Bumblebee (who was aiding the rebels), Dirge was eager to try out his mind probe on the little Autobot, but was interrupted by a rebel attack before he could really get into it. Sea Change

When the Triple Changers temporarily disposed of Megatron and Starscream, Decepticon leadership became a free-for-all. Instead of choosing sides like the Constructicons, Ramjet and the Seekers were mostly content just to watch the hilarity ensue, like Blitzwing's football antics and Astrotrain's army of idiot trains. He even actually avoided death for a change and was seen successfully escaping from a train tunnel flooded by Astrotrain's Astroforce. That must have made his day.Triple Takeover

"Weird! It's like it lost all will to live and just tried to crash into the ground."

Megatron said Dirge and the other two Coneheads were "supposed to be the most powerful jets in the galaxy." The Girl Who Loved Powerglide But if Megatron was serious, then they certainly didn't do much to live up to that reputation. They were loyal enough troopers, participating in all the usual Decepticon mischief, but not much more than that. Dirge was once ordered to transport an unknown invention stolen from Wheeljack's lab on Cybertron to their home base, and ended up crashing in a swamp and temporarily deactivating due to its weight, prompting the other coneheads to save him. Hoist Goes Hollywood In fact, the general incompetence of Dirge and the Seekers in the air was one of the reasons Megatron chose to try fighting the Autobots on the roads with the Stunticons. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1

Turns out Unicron didn't have a secret weak spot in his mouth. Thanks for trying, though!

Dirge and Ramjet were briefly seen using Megatron's Lightning Bug in defense of the Decepticons' undersea base. Cosmic Rust The two were later captured by Starscream and the renegade Combaticons, and pilfered for their energy absorbers. Starscream's Brigade Still, Dirge was repaired rather quickly, and was seen helping Megatron and the Insecticons in another joint scheme soon thereafter. He and Ramjet were commissioned to find the Insecticons when Shrapnel stole a vital part of the space bridge machinery. The Revenge of Bruticus During a Decepticon mission in the Middle East, Dirge inexplicably showed up with the Combaticons just long enough to get shot down by the Autobots. Aerial Assault

Dirge's first apparent death was during Unicron's attack on Cybertron in 2005. All three coneheads (or Seekers who looked like them) were seen flying into Unicron's mouth and exploding. The Transformers: The Movie However, Dirge soon turned up again in Carbombya, hiding with Ramjet amongst President Fakkadi's air force. Fakkadi denied their presence to the Autobots, but Outback psyched the two Decepticons out by walking around the airfield with what he claimed was a "Decepticon detector." When the coneheads tried to escape, Outback used a smoke grenade to make them crash, then tore the location of Chaar out of them with his steely gaze. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1

Maybe he shouldn't take his nitroglycerin collection everywhere with him.

The two hapless Decepticons somehow escaped Autobot captivity, though. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 They later participated in a full-scale assault on Cybertron and chose to strafe Ultra Magnus—who dispatched them both with well-timed punches that sent them careening into buildings. They exploded quite spectacularly (even Ramjet, who you'd think would be used to it). Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

Later, after some much needed repairs, Dirge and Thrust accompanied Galvatron's lieutenants in pursuing Rodimus Prime and the Autobots through space. Once they reached the Autobot funeral barge, however, the Seekers did not enter the vessel after the Autobots. A very wise decision, as it turned out. Dark Awakening Sometime afterwards, Dirge came to Carbombya with Galvatron in search of Octane and Trypticon. The Decepticons briefly seized control of the country and its oil supplies, but were driven off by the Autobots. Thief in the Night

Uncharacteristically AVOIDING death somehow.

And yet they later appeared again on Chaar, failing to defend Trypticon against the ghost of Starscream. In fact, Galvatron tried to execute the coneheads and the Battlechargers for their inability to stop the wraith. But they were saved when Starscream possessed Trypticon himself and launched into space, Dirge and the others on board. When they saw that Starscream was using Trypticon to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron, they sabotaged the dinosaur from within. Ghost in the Machine

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese), Roberto Alexander (Latin American)

Dirge and Thrust stood guard outside the Decepticon headquarters on Earth when Twincast was ordered to infiltrate it. The two Seekers got into a firefight with the Autobot and his Mini-Cassettes and were too distracted to notice Rewind sneaking past them and into the base. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears

Marvel Comics continuity

Generation 1

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

Dirge was on Cybertron serving under Straxus when contact was first made with the long-lost Earthbound Decepticons. The Smelting Pool! He was one of the Decepticons' greatest killers, with Macabre desperately wanting acknowledgement from him. After Shrapnel received some information about a major meeting of the Autobot resistance chiefs, Dirge led his fellow elite killers to the meeting, hoping to capture the infamous Emirate Xaaron and siphon some information from his old cranial cavity. Mere yards from their goal, however, the Decepticons were halted by a communique from Megatron, demanding they return to Polyhex at once and ready the Insecticons for an Earth-bound mission. Pissed about missing their chance, but not foolish enough to disobey Megatron, Dirge turned the troops around, little realizing how close they came to being ambushed by the Wreckers. Target: 2006

Dirge, his fellow "coneheads", and the Insecticons dutifully travelled to Earth via the space bridge. Megatron had instructed that Seekers be altered to resemble "Terran craft". Their mission was to defend a giant drill that would bore through Hoover Dam and siphon the Colorado River through the space bridge to the waterless Cybertron, where Decepticon turbines would generate "enough energy to power Cybertron for years". But just as the drill began its work, the Aerialbots intervened. Dirge found his fear-inducing ability was particularly effective against the acrophobic Silverbolt, but the other Decepticons fared poorly enough that a retreat was eventually called. Aerialbots over America!

Dirge and Kickback accompanied Soundwave when he took control of a NASA space transmission facility to send a message to Cybertron. Prowl, Jetfire and Trailbreaker attempted to stop them but were outmaneuvered by the Decepticons when Kickback shrank to insect size and avoided Jetfire's clumsy attack, giving Dirge the opportunity to beat the snot out of Trailbreaker, pick up Soundwave and escape. The Gift

He couldn't even kill Duke, but he wasted you?

When the Decepticons later allied with Cobra, Dirge was assigned to be an emissary among the humans. This would be unfortunate for the luckless Seeker. When Serpentor realized the Decepticons were going to destroy the Earth, he needed a token of conciliation to show the Autobots. So in the middle of a battle against Omega Supreme, Serpentor goaded Dirge into attacking the giant with everything he had. Serpentor then pressed a button in the cockpit of his own jet, "jamming" Dirge's "frequencies", which caused the Seeker's weapons to lock up and explode when he tried to fire.

The explosion tore Dirge apart, and he wouldn't be seen again for years. Ashes, Ashes...

The G.I. Joe and the Transformers series is the only US story that was ignored in the UK comic. Consequently, Dirge is not dead in the UK continuity.

Dirge was one of the Decepticons who took part in the operation to recover Megatron from the River Thames. Salvage!

Earthforce

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

With Soundwave in command, Dirge joined a massive Decepticon offensive against the Autobot Earthbase. Their goal was to kill some Autobots while also distracting them as Starscream looted a human oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico. Both goals proved fruitless, and the Decepticons were driven off. Divide and Conquer!

First depicted rather late in the series, it is unknown whether Dirge served Megatron or Shockwave before the coup merged the Decepticon factions.

Marvel The Movie comic

Dirge was one of the Decepticons seriously wounded at the Battle of Autobot City and subsequently thrown out of Astrotrain to be recreated as Cyclonus, Scourge, Cyclonus's Armada and the Sweeps. The Planet-Eater! As none of the new Decepticons bar Galvatron ever demonstrates any awareness of a past life, this could be considered another Dirge death.

Marvel UK future timelines

In 2008, Dirge was serving Soundwave while on Cybertron. He went into battle alongside Astrotrain and the other flyers, fighting the Quintesson Trident assault craft. Space Pirates!

Generation 2

Death by Furmanism.

Dirge reappeared among the Decepticon forces just long enough to sacrifice himself futilely against the Swarm, self-destructing alongside Nightbeat. Moments later, Megatron showed up with the rheanimum that could have saved him. A Rage in Heaven!

Classics

Classics continues from the Marvel US series, and does not include the UK stories or any subsequently published stories.

You only get so many do-overs, pal.

While the war seemingly ended with Bludgeon's defeat at Klo, Megatron was quietly gathering the remains of forgotten Earthbound casualties and rebuilding them. Dirge was among his resurrections, but the Seeker chose to follow the exiled Bludgeon instead. Thundercracker's Timelines bio This would prove an unfortunate choice, as Dirge soon ended up in the cerebro-shelled thrall of Bug Bite.

When Bug Bite decided to try and subvert Megatron himself, Dirge was on the team accompanying him to Earth. As Bug Bite and Megatron confronted each other, the Autobots ambushed them, freeing many of Bug Bite's troops with a cerebro-shell jammer. It's unclear whether Dirge's shell was disabled, but the point is somewhat moot; Grimlock shot him in the chest, leaving him lying on the floor with extinguished optics. Games of Deception

Dirge was eventually revived and compelled into serving Megatron again. He attacked a human city on Earth with his old wingmen, Ramjet and Thrust. At Fight's End

He was aboard the Talon when it was pulled into the Primax -408.24 Epsilon universe and shot down over prehistoric Earth. They swiftly discovered that the local energon radiation was going to be a problem, and Dirge suggested they adopt organic alternate modes. Megatron rejected the idea in favor of energon-absorbing armor. Shattered Time When the Decepticons detected three stasis pods, Dirge and Seawing were sent to shoot down the Autobots' sky-sled, allowing Megatron to reach the pods first. Dirge returned to Megatron's side, and was blasted by Ultra Magnus after the three new Decepticons failed to terminate the Autobots. Shattered Expectations

The Decepticons pursued the Autobots to a chasm, where they watched Megatron take on Ultra Magnus and be defeated. They climbed to the bottom of the chasm to retrieve their fallen leader and found a giant face hewn into the rock. It cheered Megatron up immensely once they dug him out of the rubble. Shattered Paths Dirge watched Megatron play with the ancient equipment in the cavern they'd found. Shattered Hope The Predacons including Dirge accompanied Megatron as he used the giant mech he'd built to try and claim the matrix the Maximals had found. Shattered Balance They battled the Maximals once more, until they were all sucked into a dimensional rift thanks to Ultra Mammoth. Shattered Destiny

Milton Bradley mini-comic

Dirge was among the Decepticons under Megatron's command who ambushed the ark and was knocked offline when it crashed into Earth. He and the others were repaired four million years later when a volcanic eruption caused the ark's systems to spring into life. In the Transformers

Find Your Fate Junior The Transformers books

This is a multipath adventure with no fixed outcome.

Dirge was the Decepticon defending the anti-gravity base, striking fear in the Autobots. In one outcome, he succeeded in destroying Optimus Prime, only to be destroyed himself by the Autobot leader's final shot. In the end, Prime's sacrifice spurred the Autobots to fight on to victory!

Dirge was the most overpowering Decepticon present, but he could be defeated by a surprise attack. Alternately, if both Ramjet and Thrust were defeated, Dirge would retreat. Desert Flight

Ladybird Books continuity

One mission and he almost dies. Luckily for him, he was only in one book.

Thanks to a new surveillance system, the Decepticons were alerted to the fact that the Autobots were searching an old battleground for cybernite. Dirge was among the jets led by Starscream who went to attack the scavengers, however the Autobots drove into a narrow part of the canyon, and unable to pull up in time, Dirge damaged his wing on the canyon wall. As they were unable to follow the Autobots, Starscream's team returned to base where Galvatron ordered Dirge to get repaired and have some flying lessons. Galvatron's Air Attack

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Dirge participated in Shockwave's offensive against Iacon shortly after Optronix took the Matrix. During the Dark Ages, he joined up with Starscream's Predacon faction and attempted to disrupt the peace treaty at Tyger Pax... only to have the combined forces of the Autobots, Decepticons, and Ultracons brought against him. Guess death comes to he who has no common sense. The Age of Wrath

After the Great Shutdown was over, Dirge became one of Shockwave's top agents and traveled to Earth to help collect the former crews of the Ark and Nemesis. Back on Cybertron, he helped defend Shockwave's empire when the Autobots finally rose up against him, but he was defeated along with the rest of the Decepticons. Somehow he escaped detention and joined up with Shockwave and his remaining flunkies in the Wastelands, hidden in an underground bunker while planning their next move. When Megatron arrived with his new Predacons, though, Dirge quickly assessed his priorities and agreed to serve under the old Decepticon commander for the duration. The Route of All Evil

Somewhat ironically, Dirge's survival was guaranteed by Dreamwave's own death as a publisher.

Dreamwave Armada comic

Even in a new continuity, he can't get a break.

Dirge was one of Unicron's Heralds, along with Scourge, Bludgeon, Thunderwing, and Galvatron. He was blown up when Jetfire detonated Decepticon Command Headquarters that they had taken over. Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity

Dirge was based on Cybertron, serving as one of Shockwave's bodyguards. Along with Ramjet and Cyclonus, he tried to stop a group of Autobots from stealing a load of energon cubes from the Decepticons, and almost managed to shoot Jazz. Shockwave later led Dirge and the others to capture Teletran 3, but they were stopped when Ultra Magnus set up a force field around the computer. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1 The field eventually went down, and the Decepticons attacked, capturing the Autobots. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3

When the Dinobots attacked, several of Shockwave's forces were killed. The remainder withdrew to Shockwave's command tower, where they were destroyed when Cobra Commander detonated explosives hidden on Starscream. So one way or another, Dirge died again. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4

IDW Generation 1 continuity

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

Dirge and several other Decepticons ambushed Orion Pax's team of Autobots near the borders of Kaon, stopping them from apprehending Soundwave. The Hunt for Soundwave He was then present at the Jump Joint during Orion's little chat with Megatron. Cause and Effect Megatron led him and several other Decepticons to Nyon, where they prevented Zeta Prime from killing Orion Pax. Choices Dirge was soon one of the Seekers providing air support in a joint Autobot-Decepticon attack on Zeta Prime's forces. Overthrown Following their victory, the Decepticons betrayed and captured the Autobots, and Dirge was assigned to guard one of the cells together with Thundercracker. He was blasted by Hot Rod when he showed up to free the captive Autobots. Rise

Dirge was present when Scorponok took control of the Decepticons, and got annoyed that Swindle and Frenzy were chattering away during his inaugural speech. Wreckage He participated in Scorponok's attack on the Toraxxis mega-refinery where he was injured by Slag. Faces of Darkness Alongside some other fliers he also attacked Starsreach Spaceport and helped shoot down civilian vessels participating in the Exodus. Massacre

Four million years later, Dirge and Deluge escorted defeated Autobots to exile on Cybertron via a space bridge. But when Optimus Prime sabotaged the bridge on his way through, the two Decepticons found themselves trapped on Cybertron with their "prisoners". All Hail Megatron #7 Dirge and Deluge were kicked around and left to fend for themselves on the hostile planet. The Seeker watched as the Insecticon swarm tore apart Deluge.

Me? Not dying for once? Lies.

After the rebirth of Cybertron, a Decepticon crowd gathered after the death of Senator Ratbat. Dirge refused to believe Starscream and the Autobots' claims that Ratbat committed suicide, and angrily stormed off. The Aerialbot Barrel Roll followed him, and offered his friendship. Before Dirge could answer, a mysterious explosion engulfed Barrel Roll. Dirge's life was spared, but his injuries had him brought into Fixit's care.

As a witness to the explosion, Dirge was interrogated by Wheeljack. Silverbolt, blaming Dirge for the death of Barrel Roll, took a shot at Dirge, missing thanks to Wheeljack's intervention. Dirge became infuriated at this example of "Autobot mercy", believing that the explosion and other events were caused by the Autobots themselves to gain justification to execute the Decepticons. Stick Together

Dirge then worked in the reclamation tunnels alongside other Decepticons. There, he found the dead body of Skydive and caught a glimpse of Bombshell, who affixed a cerebro-shell on Dirge to keep him quiet. He was soon found by Autobot authorities, and Prowl deduced the culprit from the cerebro-shell's presence. Using a device from Wheeljack, Prowl used the shell on Dirge to track down Bombshell and eventually killed the Insecticon, breaking his hold on Dirge. Arcee was sent to chase the fleeing Seeker, but let him go after he made a plea for his life. Devisive

After having witnessed Prowl killing both Bombshell and the Constructicons in cold blood, Dirge feared that he was next and went into hiding. He told his story to Swindle and Needlenose, who protected him and shared his information with new arrival Sky-Byte as well. However, their hiding place was discovered by the Autobots and Dirge and Swindle escaped, leaving Needlenose and Sky-Byte behind. A Better Tomorrow Swindle then had him tell Shockwave about Prowl's crimes. Dinobot Hunt When this was followed by a bombing that crippled Omega Supreme, Dirge worried that it was part of some plan Shockwave had cooked up after hearing his story, making him indirectly responsible. In order to avoid getting involved with any further plots, he and Swindle approached Starscream, giving him the dirt on Prowl in exchange for being safely hidden away from both Prowl and Shockwave. The End of the Beginning of the World

Dirge's attempts at staying out of the spotlight were futile, and he was plucked out of his safehouse by Arcee who took him to Maccadam's Old Oil House and asked him testify against Prowl to Autobot leader Bumblebee. He accepted, claiming he didn't become a Decepticon just to let Autobots get away with murder. The Verge Brought to Autobot High Command, Dirge convinced Bumblebee that they had to investigate Prowl's actions and subsequently followed the Autobots to the Black Room, where they found that Prowl had been under the control of Bombshell all along. Before the Dawn As the Decepticon army, led by a returning Megatron, began conquering Iacon, Dirge turned his back on them and joined forces with Metalhawk who was looking to save Starscream from Megatron's clutches. Plan for Everything They were aided by Bumblebee's Autobots, but Dirge was quick to point out that they were only out to kill Megatron rather than rescue a fellow Cybertronian. When they reached Megatron, he was blasted by his former leader while trying to stop him from forming Devastator. Heavy Is the Head He survived the attack and remained in Iacon to receive medical attention while the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons were exiled by Starscream. Second Exodus

Hearts of Steel

With his fellow Decepticons, Dirge fell under the thrall of an Elder God in 1888. As part of the Elder God's forces, Dirge, with the other Decepticons, defended Port Cenotaph from intruders. Infestation 2: The Transformers #1 He soon defended the town against an international fleet. Infestation 2: The Transformers #2

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

Voice actor: Alex Easley (English)

Dirge is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Decepticon duplicates in the Autobot campaign.

The Transformers

Transformers Legends

Dirge was amongst Megatron's troops ages ago, before the Cybertronian war found its way to Earth. The War Within

Dirge was involved in a battle between the Decepticons and the Dinobots when the later went berserk and set out to attack the Decepticon base. Day of the Dinobots - Part 1

During a Decepticon attack on a major human city, Thundercracker and Dirge used their sonic powers to make things difficult for the Autobot rescue team of Ratchet, Inferno and the Protectobots. To the Rescue

After the discovery of a lagoon filled with Electrum, Dirge was amongst the Decepticons who found themselves invulnerable to Autobot firepower after being coated with the substance. Although they managed to defeat Omega Supreme at first, they found themselves at a standstill with the Autobots who had also managed to gain access to the Electrum. In the end, Dirge and the rest of his comrades were forced to retreat from the Autobots when their Electrum coating wore off first. The Golden Lagoon

Dirge was among Galvatron's Decepticon troops who attacked a small group of Autobots, forcing them into hiding in the Autobot Mausoleum. Dark Awakening

Toys

Generation 1

Closet Conehead

• Dirge (Decepticon Jet, 1985/2001/2004)
  • Japanese ID number: 97
  • Accessories: Left & right fists, front landing gear, 2 concussion missiles

A retool of the Starscream mold, Dirge transforms into a modified F-15 fighter jet with a delta wing and front canard. The spring-loaded missile launchers were replaced with simplified non-firing... rifle barrels?

WYLD STALLYNS! deedleedleedleedleet

In robot mode his official instructions have the user pulling down his nose cone to complete his head transformation, like Starscream. However, Dirge's character model depicts him as having his head untransformed, leaving a distinctive "conehead" shape to his appearance. This trait is shared by Thrust and Ramjet, leading many owners to do the same thing to differentiate the three later Decepticon jets from the three earlier ones.

Dirge never had a full release in Japan, where he was only available as a mail-away in 1986 (for 1980 yen and 4 Robot Points), and at the 20th Century Toy Museum in 2001. He was also re-released in the US as part of the Toys "R" Us Commemorative Series.

This mold was also used to make Ramjet, Skywarp, Sunstorm, Thrust, and Thundercracker.

• More information on Dirge at TFU.info

Beast Wars

I'm the closest this mold got to looking like Thundercracker, but instead I'm two different Dirges.

• Dirge (Basic, 1998)
  • Japanese ID number: D-14
  • Accessories: "Dirge Gun" rifle & barrel

Dirge was repurposed from Dirge.

A redeco of the Machine Wars Skywarp/Thundercracker mold, Dirge transforms from a Dassault Rafale fighter jet to robot mode with a single-step, spring-loaded transformation. The two halves of his "Dirge Gun" rifle store in his lower legs in jet mode.

This mold was also used to make Robots in Disguise Skyfire, "Dawn of Future's Past" version of Waspinator and Robotmasters Wingstun.

• More information on Dirge at TFU.info

Timelines

Conehead uncloseted.

• Games of Deception (Multi-pack, 2007)
  • Accessories: Left & right missile launchers, 2 missiles

Dirge is part of the Classics-themed BotCon 2007 box set, along with Bugbite, Dreadwind, Thrust and Thundercracker. He is a redeco of the Classics Ramjet toy, transforming into a made up fighter based upon the F-15. He also comes with two spring-loaded missile launchers that can mount on his biceps, under his wings, or be used as hand-held weapons. Like his set-mate Thrust, Dirge comes with Classics Ramjet's bulkier missiles, reminiscent of his G1 toy's non-firing weapons.

As with most Classics toys, he features a heat-sensitive rubsign.

There were 1500 Timelines Dirge figures produced.

• More information on Timelines Dirge at TFU.info

Universe (2008)

Wait... if Dirge dies in the past, doesn't that create a time paradox?

• Autobot Ambush (Voyager Deluxe Comic 2-Pack, 2008)
  • Series: G1 Series
  • Accessories: Launcher, missile, Decepticon Planet X-style Cyber Key

A Target-exclusive redeco of Galaxy Force Starscream, Dirge transforms into a Cybertronic starfighter. In both modes, plugging a Cyber Key into his back end flips out a spring-loaded "energon blade" from each arm. His spring-loaded missile launcher can be used as either a hand-held weapon, or mounted under his jet-mode nosecone. His (conveniently color-coded) dark purple Cyber Key is unpainted, save for its silver movie-styled Decepticon symbol.

Some samples of Dirge suffer from a partially compromised key-activated gimmick, with the blade on the right arm not wanting to spring out even when the key is inserted. It can be fairly easily pried out with the included missile (or some other long object).

He is packed with Roadbuster (a redeco of Cybertron Cybertron Defense Hot Shot) and a comic book. In its first release in Canada, the set did not include a comic (in spite of the INCLUDES COMIC! marking on the package), and in the US, the set included the wrong comic. Instead of The Dark Ages issue "Escalation", which was meant for the "Standoff Beneath the Streets" Voyager-Deluxe two-pack of Springer and Ratbat, the right comic was to be a reprint of "Target: 2006" parts 5 and 6, which was similarly and erroneously included with the "Standoff Beneath the Streets" two-pack.

This mold was also used for the BotCon 2008-exclusive Shattered Glass Starscream.

• More information on Universe Dirge at TFU.info

Gentei! Gentei!

AHA! Undeniable proof that Takara does things better than Hasbro! (Sometimes.)

• Dirge (Deluxe, 2009)
  • Accessories: Left & right missile launchers, 2 Sonic missiles

Gentei! Gentei! Dirge is a Toy Hobby Market exclusive retool of Classics Ramjet. Unlike his BotCon 2007 Timelines version, he has newly tooled wings based upon the wings from his original toy, uses the smaller gun missiles from Starscream, and, unusually for Henkei! Henkei!, features an all-new, colorful Hasbro Classics-style deco for his new wings. Like all Henkei! Henkei! toys, he features vacuum metallized parts, specifically the barrels of his missile launchers, his engine nozzles and his cockpit interior.

Dirge was available for pre-order from November 13th through December 10th 2008, and shipped in late March of 2009.

Generations

Death by mold degradation.

• Dirge (Deluxe, 2010)
  • Accessories: Left & right missile launchers, 2 missiles

Generations Dirge is a redeco of Gentei! Gentei! Dirge.

Like Ghost Starscream and Generations Thrust, Dirge uses the older version of the Classics Seeker mold used from Classics Skywarp to Acid Storm, rather than the newer version used for the majority of the Henkei figures and Universe Starscream, right down to the 2006 copyright rather than 2008 featured on Gentei Dirge. Unlike the Gentei version, this figure only features wing deco on the top side; to compensate for the Decepticon faction symbols appearing only on the back in robot mode, a tiny symbol has been tampographed on the upper chest. The wing stripes are based on the G1 figure.

Initial batches of Dirge lacked the white center of the head crest in all three tampographed Decepticon faction symbols. This was fixed by a running change.

• More information on Generations Dirge at TFU.info

United

• Seekers: Elites (December 28, 2012)
  • Accessories: Left & right launchers, 2 missiles

United Dirge is a redeco of the Gentei! Gentei!/Generations Dirge retooling of the Classics Ramjet mold. This release marks the first time he is offered with Ramjet as well as Thrust.

This version of Dirge is more closely based on his cartoon appearance. Like his Gentei!/Generations releases, he comes with the thinner Starscream missiles. His missile launchers are solid dark grey. His wings are undecorated, save for tampographs of his Decepticon faction symbols on both sides of each wing. Dirge features metallic blue paint applications on much of his blue plastic.

Merchandise

Super Collection Figure

My head's not pointy enough! Someone fix this before I start busting YOUR nice, flat heads.

• Dirge (2002)

A retool of the Super Collection Figure Starscream mold, Dirge is a three-inch tall non-transforming figure. He was released as a chase figure in the sixth wave of the line.

This mold was further retooled into Ramjet and Thrust.

Heroes of Cybertron

• Dirge (2003)

Heroes of Cybertron Dirge is redeco of Super Collection Figure Dirge, cast in translucent red plastic and painted over to allow for a light-piping gimmick. His cone was also rounded off for safety reasons. The Hasbro release of Dirge was much easier to find than his Japanese counterpart, as he was a normal release in wave four, and packed on a blister card rather than in a blindpacked box.

Dirge came with the torso to the Fortress Maximus Build-A-Figure.

MyClone

• Dirge (MyClone, 2003)

Dirge was a chase figure in the third wave of MyClone figures. He's a cute, Super deformed figure who can be disassembled to switch his components with other MyClones. Dirge shares many, but not all, of his component molds with MyClone Ramjet and Thrust.

Transformers - Mini Bust

Worst case of petrification he's ever had.

• Dirge (Diamond Select, 2008)

Dirge was released by Diamond Select Toys in 2008 and exclusive to online retailer Big Bad Toy Store. He was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 250 pieces. The sculpt features Dirge's distinctive wings.

Notes

• Simon Furman originally planned for Dirge and the other "coneheads" to appear and defend the Nemesis in the conclusion to Beast Wars, but this plot point was dropped due to time and budget constraints. Furman was so disappointed at his missed chance to use Dirge (whom he appreciated because he has "...a cool doom-laden name") that he chose the character to be one of Unicron's Heralds in the Armada comic's "Worlds Collide" arc.
• Colorist Drew Eiden stated at the Collector's Club panel at BotCon 2007 that the day after final colors were applied to the Timelines comic where Dirge apparently falls dead, he found this article and noted to editor Pete Sinclair how ironic it was. Whether the comic was actually intended to continue Dirge's death-trend is unknown.
• According to his Gentei! Gentei! bio, his engines generate a super sonic wave that can destroy buildings.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Dirge (ダージ Dāji)
• French: Funébro (Canada)
• Italian: Sparviero ("Sparrowhawk")
• Portuguese: Funebre (Portugal comic), Dirgo (Brazil comic), Funeral (Brazil comic)
• Russian: Smert (Смерть, "Death"), Tupik (Тупик, "Deadlock")

External links

• Dirge's Universe profile at NTFA.net