Sludge (G1)

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

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

Sludge is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family. He is sometimes known as Slog.

"Me now transform into scientifically-accurate dino!"

"Sludge dumb" is how Grimlock, the Dinobot commander himself, describes the plodding Autobot. The Dinobots have a perhaps undeserved reputation for being dimwitted, but Sludge is the genuine article. He makes the other four look like scholars in comparison.

As Sludge can't make much of an impression in the mental department, he likes to make his presence known physically. He'll stomp his hefty hide around just so you know he's there. None of the Dinobots really like Optimus Prime, but he and Slag share an especially intense dislike for him. Sludge believes that the strongest should lead, and in his mind, Grimlock is the strongest Autobot. But Sludge genuinely believes in the Autobot cause, so he tolerates Prime. Beyond that, Sludge is actually what you might call nice... Maybe not to Swoop's level, but nicer than the other guys.

He is sometimes known as Slog.

“	Sludge no like Predacons. Let's stomp!	”
—Sludge's solution to every problem, "Call of the Primitives"

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Frank Welker (English), Kenyū Horiuchi (Japanese), Ken Shiroyama (Japanese, "Dark Awakening"), Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese, "Webworld"), Keiichi Nanba (Japanese, "Grimlock's New Brain"), Toshio Ishii (Japanese, "Call of the Primitives"), Minoru Inaba (Japanese, The Movie), Li Danqing (Chinese), Georges Atlas (French), Edgar Wald (Latin American), Manfred Schmidt (German, Webworld), Bernd Simon (German, Grimlocks New Brain & Call of the Primitives), Thomas Albus (German, The Movie TV Dub), Willy Schäfer (German, Generation 2 Dub)

Those with face like this good. Except when they aren't.

Sludge was developed, along with his fellow Dinobots Slag and Grimlock, after the Autobots discovered dinosaur bones in their volcanic headquarters. Inspired by the power of the prehistoric beasts, Wheeljack and Ratchet built a trio of Dinobots to add firepower to the Autobot forces. The Dinobots proved too dangerous at first, and Optimus Prime ordered Wheeljack to abandon the Dinobot project. Wheeljack continued improving the trio of titans in secret, crafting memory components that made them smarter and easier to control. When the rest of the Autobots were captured by the Decepticons at the Great Falls hydroelectric power plant, Wheeljack dispatched the Dinobots to free their comrades and destroy the Decepticons. The Dinobots succeeded in forcing a Decepticon retreat and were welcomed as members of the Autobot team. S.O.S. Dinobots

Sludge's greatest weakness was his sheer stupidity. Megatron exploited the Dinobots' weaknesses to turn them against Optimus Prime, Sludge merely choosing to follow whichever leader was "strongest". When Optimus Prime risked his life to boldly save Grimlock, the Dinobots rejoined him. War of the Dinobots

"Hello, pretty trees. Me Sludge stomp you now."

Sludge and his fellow Dinobots were called upon to stop a colossal tidal wave, The Ultimate Doom, Part 2 and afterwards, he and Grimlock helped repair a city that was destroyed during the terror. Countdown to Extinction

The Dinobots were in the Ark to fight off the Constructicons who came for Teletraan I. Sludge didn't recognize the new Decepticons, but was still willing to pummel them. When the Constructicons merged into Devastator, Hound created a giant hologram that distracted the beast and gave the Dinobots an advantage, forcing Devastator into a crevice of lava. Heavy Metal War

During a game of football, Sludge was tackled by Hound. The other Autobots later went on a mission to stop Nergill and the Decepticons at Washington, D.C., and when in dire need of assistance, Wheeljack called in the Dinobots as reinforcements. When they arrived, Sludge was pleased to hear Grimlock's order to "transform and destroy", and his powerful feet created earthquakes. Later, Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots were deposited on Negill’s home base of Sub-Atlantica, with instructions to act prehistoric. The Dinobots subsequent destruction made Nergill decide to detonate the entire base rather than let the Autobots have it, and everyone was forced to flee the vanquished Sub-Atlantica. Atlantis, Arise!

"Oops. Pardon me. Coming this way. Excuse me!"

Once again, when the Autobots were overwhelmed and needed good brute force, the Dinobots were called in. This time at Quantum Laboratories where the super computer, TORQ III, began remote controlling machines to go on the offensive. Sludge helped out with the destruction of trucks, stomping them like ants. Sludge's long neck gave Optimus Prime a boost so that he could rescue Paul Gates who was held captive in his office. Day of the Machines

After Wheeljack's attempt to show off the Dinobots' finesse was a failure, (Sludge stepped on Slag's tail, unleashing his flame-breath, and it only got worse from there) they were sent to Dinobot Island, a place where the Dinobots would be at home. Sludge didn't mind, because he thought that more room was a good thing for a big guy like him. On the island, he rescued Spike from a lake and had a rock fly in his face (courtesy of Snarl), but with the other four Dinobots, he was cornered by Megatron and fell over a cliff, plunging into a tar pit. Dinobot Island, Part 1 Luckily, Sludge survived, and the Dinobots got out of the pit and outnumbered the Decepticons who had arrived, forcing them to retreat. Sludge then helped release the island's energy return the flow of time to normal. Dinobot Island, Part 2

Me Sludge celebrate Labour Day.

When Bumblebee saw Decepticons at a public airport and Optimus Prime's squad was unavailable, Wheeljack sent in the Dinobots. At the airport, Sludge rescued Bumblebee from the incoming Blitzwing, and helped overpower Megatron’s forces, but when he recklessly changed into robot modes with his comrades, Sludge was vanquished by the Decepticons' assault. Though the Autobot doctors did their best, Sludge was no longer interested in doing labour for Optimus Prime and quit with his fellow Dinobots. When the Autobots were incapacitated by the deterioration of cybertonium in their bodies, Spike and Carly pleaded with the Dinobots to help steal some of the critical component from the Decepticons.

Instead, the Dinobots used the Decepticon space bridge to go to Cybertron, Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 where Sludge and the others were captured by Shockwave and reprogrammed into thinking that they obeyed the Decepticons. Shockwave stuck them down in the Cybertonium pits to mine more of the element. Luckily, they was rescued by Spike and Carly, and sent back to Earth with a healthy supply of cybertonium for the weakened Autobots. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2

Dissertation of the Dinobot.

By the year 2005, The Auobots had been driven off Cybertron completely, but were formulating an assault from two of the planet’s moons. The Dinobots worked in the armament factories, until the Battle of Autobot City had them accompany Optimus Prime to earth. Sludge and the Dinobots were charged with destroying Devastator, but were overmatched. During the attack, Devastator struck Sludge so hard his optic sensors bulged out of his head. Fortunately, none of the Dinobots suffered any fatal damage as they were all present when Spike and Bumblebee contacted them from Moon Base 2 about Unicron’s attack.

When Galvatron and his troops attacked the city, the Dinobots escaped with Kup and Hot Rod, only to have their spaceship shot down over Quintessa. The Dinobots managed to save the two Autobots from an army of Sharkticons with the help of Wheelie, and Sludge and Slag dispatched a Quintesson prosecutor—by standing on top of a door under which he'd been caught. They all escaped Quintessa and flew to Junkion, reuniting with their fellow Autobots. Later, Sludge was part of the Dinobot attack on Unicron and was able to tail-whip the butt of a god. Unicron wasn’t quite a sport about this and the Dinobots just barely escaped being grabbed by the planet eater. The Transformers: The Movie

Sludge’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series “Transformers: The Animated Movie” and the storybook “Transformers the Movie."

Sludge and Snarl were later left to guard Cybertron when a seemingly resurrected Optimus Prime returned, saying that Hot Rod, Kup, Ultra Magnus, and Arcee had been killed by the Quintessons. When the aforementioned Autobots turned up on Cybertron alive, Arcee said that she was happy to see them, but Sludge was not happy, as he thought that meant he and Snarl were dead. Dark Awakening

When Grimlock detected Dinosaur transform static at the crime scene where Fort Knox once stood, all the Dinobots (and Sky Lynx) were interrogated about the theft of the building. They were quickly cleared by Perceptor, though. Sludge and the other Dinobots later accompanied the Autobots in the liberation of Carbombya from the Decepticons. Thief in the Night

Sludge helped the Autobots mine isidrite on an asteroid. When the Decepticons arrived, Sludge kicked aside a ”Dumb Sweep” that Sky Lynx tossed his way, and later knocked Galvatron over before he could blast Ultra Magnus. Sludge escaped with the other Autobots aboard Sky Lynx. Webworld

We'll assume they built those palm trees just for the Dinobots.

Sludge was on hand to watch the activation of the Autobots’ new power generator. After Grimlock had suffered an accident which dramatically increased his intelligence, Sludge, along with Slag and Snarl, found their offer to fish with them rebuked. Grimlock explained the more important things he had to do, but Sludge really didn’t understand what he was talking about. Later, the Dinobots came looking for Grimlock who was working on a new spaceship. Grimlock remarked that they were just in time to assist him, but Sludge complained about the Dinobot leader’s new demeanor and the disapproving Dinobots left to go hunting without Grimlock. The Dinobots were much happier when Grimlock was returned to his normal self and they all went back to fishing together. Grimlock's New Brain

Sludge was present during a battle with the Decepticons on the Moon, and was among the Primitives who were summoned by Primacron's assistant. Travelling on board Trypticon, when Headstrong insulted Grimlock, Sludge, who didn't like the Predacons, suggested that they stomp them. Soon a scuffle broke out, until Trypticon shook everyone back into place. The Primitives kept their tempers in check for the rest of their journey, locating the assistant and learning their mission to fight Tornedron. When Tornedron arrived on the Oracle's planet, Sludge and the Dinobots were defeated during an attempted ambush on the creature, as were most of the other Primitives. However, everyone was restored to normal thanks to the actions of Grimlock. Call of the Primitives

Japanese cartoon continuity

The Headmasters cartoon

When the Decepticons invaded Cybertron to conquer Vector Sigma, Sludge defended the planet alongside his fellow Dinobots. The Mystery of Planet Master

Wings Universe

Wings Universe is based on the Generation 1 cartoon, but deviates from it in cosmetic ways and continuity points.

Together with Hot Rod and Kup, the Dinobots were on board a shuttle fleeing from Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps, though they were more concerned about hearing one of Kup's war stories than being under attack. When they found temporary safety inside a nebula, Kup relented and told them about the time he was in the Elite Guard and fought on Beta-Nine. Eventually the Decepticons found them, but Sludge and the other Dinobots were so angry about the interruption that they made short work of the attackers. Wings of Honor

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

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

While the Autobots remained dormant inside Mount St. Hilary, the Ark detected Cybertronian life. Dispatching a probe, the Ark learned that Shockwave had come to Earth and was wandering the Savage Land. The Ark used data gathered from the Savage Land to convert five of the dormant Autobots into the Dinobots. They traveled to fight Shockwave, but all combatants became trapped in a tar pit. The Last Stand The Dinobots were later freed by Ratchet and helped him fight and defeat Megatron. Repeat Performance!

Sludge, like the other Dinobots, went a-wandering after this but reverted to his base instincts after his primary cybo-dendrons burnt out, probably because the insulation that protected them had been eroded by 4 million years submerged in a tar-pit. Sludge ended up in the waterways of Littlewood, California, where he was befriended by Joy Meadows. Unfortunately, the Decepticons attacked, took him away from his newfound love, and made him fight Grimlock. Dinobot Hunt!

"My mon Bats don't shiv." "Leader billy berserk. Leader peg Batman, you see."

While Sludge was recovering from brain surgery, he dreamed of Joy, Victory! and when he'd recovered, he saw her on TV and decided to search her out. It was lucky he did, because the Intelligence and Information Institute had marked her for death to protect their Robot-Master story. Sludge saved her life, and she hooked up with the Dinobots, though both she and they viewed Sludge's open crush as quite weird. However, even the power of unrequited love couldn't stop the Decepticons from defeating the Dinobots and forcing Joy to stop her investigation. In the National Interest. Later on, he ended up fighting a time-travelling Galvatron. Fallen Angel

Sludge was then destroyed by an Underbase-powered Starscream Dark Star before being revived with Nucleon by Grimlock on Hydrus Four. The Pri¢e of Life! After reviving the other deactivated Autobots aboard the Ark, the Dinobots returned to Cybertron to fight Unicron. On the Edge of Extinction! Subsequently, Sludge found himself facing a new enemy when the Demons rose from beneath Cybertron's surface. Still Life! When the planet threatened to tear itself apart, the Decepticons abandoned the Autobots to their fate, but Sludge and the other Dinobots had stashed some Decepticon battle cruisers aeons before, allowing them to pursue their enemies to the planet Klo. A Savage Circle In the ensuing ambush, Sludge was killed and then resurrected by the Last Autobot as the Autobots finally won... End of the Road!

Marvel UK future timelines

In 2008, Sludge and the Dinobots were one of several special units unleashed on the Decepticon attack force when Scourge and Cyclonus led the 'Cons on a siege of the Autobots' main base on Cybertron. Autobot High Command soon learned this assault was only a distraction, however, engineered by Unicron himself who was reconstructing himself on the planet of Junk. When Smokescreen returned from Junk with this news, Rodimus Prime gathered Scattershot, Grimlock, and the rest of the Dinobots with him to make an assault on Junk. Much to Rodimus's dismay, Sludge and the Dinobots didn't hold back at all when attacking the Junkions Unicron had mind-controlled into doing his bidding, and tore through them as if they were any other enemy. The Legacy of Unicron!

Earthforce

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

After Grimlock revived the Dinobots under mysterious circumstances, Shockwave and his Decepticons attempted to beat the information out of the Dinobots. Didn't work too well. Sludge engaged in some serious swordplay with Motormaster, pitting energo-sword against ionizer sword. The Decepticons were quickly driven off. Two Steps Back! Naturally, when Optimus Prime put Grimlock in charge of Autobot activity on Earth, Sludge and the Dinobots joined his new Earthforce. Break-Away!

Early on, the Dinobots tried to teach Grimlock the value of a good joke; he pelted them with the world's largest snowball. Snow Fun! Later, they tried to teach Slag the value of not killing everyone in sight and chewing on their circuitry; he got a little hot and bothered and left them a little... run down. The 4,000,000 Year Itch!

Later, Snarl began to suffer from the rusting disease called Corrodia Gravis, leaving Earthforce in the uncomfortable position of getting help from the only Transformer who could give Snarl a compatible systems boost: Starscream. Fortunately, they found the perfect opportunity for quid pro quo when they came upon the Decepticons' Louisiana headquarters and found Starscream under attack by Megatron, Shockwave and a group of assassins. Grimlock stuttered a bit on the order, but he sent Sludge and Swoop to keep Starscream alive. They fought off the Mayhems and kept Starscream around long enough for him to give Snarl the boost. The Lesser Evil!

Another Time & Place

Several months after the golden age of Cybertron was reintroduced, Sludge and most of his fellow Dinobots had succumbed to the transfiguring effects of Nucleon and lost their ability to transform. When Grimlock received information that the Hydrus Four facilities had reopened, and discovered a means of reversing Nucleonic changes, the Dinobots jumped at the idea. Despite Prime's half-hearted warnings, Sludge and his teammates followed Grimlock back to Hydrus Four in the hopes of becoming Transformers once again. They were followed by the "exiled" Decepticons, however, and a battle with a huge native creature delayed the Dinobots long enough for Bludgeon's crew to get ahead of them and take over the Nucleon facility. The Dinobots were laid low by a Holocaust Trigger, overloading their sensory circuits so that they were helpless before the Decepticons. Cruelly tortured, the Dinobots were still left alive so that they could witness the rebirth of Megatron, thanks to the Nucleon infusions Bludgeon was feeding him. Luckily, the Autobots had long since learned to become worried whenever the Dinobots were out of sight for too long, and had followed them to Hydrus Four. Roadhandler, Tote and several Micromasters managed to free the injured Dinobots, and an Autobot strike force brought down their Decepticon captors. The Nucleon reversion process was a success, and Sludge and his comrades were restored to fully operational Transformers. Another Time & Place

Marvel Generation 2 comic

Doesn't he know he's supposed to be a vegetarian?

Sludge and the Dinobots were fighting alongside Grimlock and a small group of Autobot firestormers when they uncovered the Cybertronian Empire and their terraforming measures. After calling in Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots, they became part of a major offensive against not only Jhiaxus and his ilk, but everything they represented. War Without End! Despite Prime serving as overall commander, however, Sludge and his buddies were still Dinobots first and foremost. So when Grimlock wanted to take first strike action against Prime's orders, there was no question who they'd follow. Sludge and the others were captured almost immediately, though, and only escaped thanks to the timely intervention of Optimus Prime and his more loyal group of soldiers. Devices and Desires!

Sludge continued to fight alongside the Autobots with his Dinobot comrades, on both Earth and Ethos. The Gathering Darkness Escalation! Later, after the Autobots forged an alliance with the first-generation Decepticons against the Cybertronians, the Dinobots got into the spirit of things — they teamed up with Headstrong and Weirdwolf in a metal-munching contest, to see who could chow down on the most Cybertronians.

Man, too bad Hun-Grrr and Skullcruncher weren't there to make it a real contest. Total War!

Classics

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

Cheap Shots At Fight's End

Milton Bradley mini-comic

Sludge was among a number of Autobots under Jetfire's command who crewed the ark. After it crashed into Earth, the ark detected Soundwave and repaired Sludge and three others into the Dinobots. The Dinobots soon tracked down Soundwave, but he proved too much for them to handle until Grimlock used his brain and brought the nearby cliff down, knocking them all offline. In the Transformers

Kid Stuff Talking Story Books

Sludge and the other Dinobots live in an underground jungle environment, hidden beneath the Antarctic ice cap. He can fly. Sludge was travelling to the Autobots’ headquarter when he and the Dinobots were attacked by Starscream and the Decepticon superjets. The Dinobots managed to fend off the Decepticons, and continued to Autobot headquarters. Back at the Dinobots’ base, another Sludge, immersed in his tar cocoon, awaited activation to join the Autobot ranks. When the Crusher, a Decepticon juggernaut, forced its way into the Dinobots’ headquarters, the vibrations it produced inadvertently freed the cocooned Dinobots, who charged at Megatron and Soundwave to fend them off. Jaws of Terror

Optimus had requested Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots’ assistance when he and Prowl investigated Decepticon activity on the island of Buru. Upon their arrival, the Dinobots quickly began overpowering the Insecticons on the island. Slaves of the Insecticons

Marvel Storybooks continuity

Sludge and the other Dinobots stood by while Swoop mercilessly butchered Devastator and killed the Constructicons one by one. The rest of the Dinobots then joined in ripping the Constructicons' carcasses into scrap metal for good measure. Battle for Earth

When Sideswipe learned that his "twin Autobot" had been captured by Devastator, he swore to rescue Sunstreaker himself. Grimlock advised him to take Sludge and Slag with him, as their muscle would come in handy against Devastator. The three Autobots made their way to Decepticon headquarters, avoiding best they could the many traps that lay before it. The trio then encountered a couple of Decepticon guards, but made short work of them. Once within Decepticon headquarters, they encountered Devastator. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to defeat the Decepticon gestalt, and were themselves taken prisoner. Some time later, Megatron took Sludge and the others out of their cell to show them that the Autobots had agreed to surrender; on the Decepticons' doorstep was left a statue of Devastator, with a note attached explaining that it was a peace offering. The statue turned out to be a ruse however, and Autobot reinforcements burst forth from within it. Sludge participated in the battle that ensued, which eventually ended in a victory for the Autobots. The Autobots' Secret Weapon

Marvel coloring books

Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots gathered around Grimlock as Hot Rod explained to them that he was being chased by a squad of Decepticons. Hot Rod then took off towards Autobot City to warn Ultra Magnus while the Dinobots headed to confront the Decepticons. In the battle that ensued, Sludge was taken by surprise by Starscream, who managed to land a hit on Swoop. The Autobots were eventually able to beat the Decepticons back, and were cheered on by the nearby humans as they headed back for Autobot city. Battle at Oil Valley

Sludge took part in a battle over energon cubes at Mount St. Hilary which ended when Starscream scarfed all the energon. The Lost Treasure of Cybertron

Big Looker storybooks

Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots accompanied Hot Rod, Kup and Arcee on a space-faring mission. Sludge helped load the ship’s cargo. The ship wound up malfunctioning, and they crash-landed on the planet Quintesson. There, they encountered Wheelie, who warned them about the planet’s evil inhabitants. They soon encountered a few Quintessons leading their Sharkticon soldiers to apprehend them. Sludge used his armoured tail to swat away three Sharkticons at once. After the Quintessons had been defeated, the Autobots left the planet in the ship that had once been piloted by Wheelie’s parents. The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson

The Transformers Adventure Game Books

The following summarizes one or more multipath adventures. Details vary depending on the paths taken in-story. See the book's page for information on alternate paths.

Dinobot War

Sludge, along with the rest of the Dinobots, was present during Earth's distant past, when you, Ravage and Laserbeak travelled through time. The Dinobots quickly learned about the Decepticons' plan to attack the Autobots still slumbering in stasis aboard the crashed Ark, and set out to oppose them. Whether or not they succeeded was up to you! Dinobot War

Find Your Fate Junior

The following summarizes one or more multipath adventures. Details vary depending on the paths taken in-story. See the book's page for information on alternate paths.

Dinobots Strike Back

Sludge, along with the rest of Dinobots, was feeling disagreeable and bored while on lookout duty in Hidden Valley. Sludge absent-mindedly splashed Slag, causing the later to pick a fight with Sludge, which in turn caused the Dinobots to be distracted from the vigil long enough for the Decepticon Bombshell to sneak nearby and fire a mortar at the group. Sludge and most of the Dinobots were knocked down by the blast, and injected with mind-controlling cerebro-shells. Now Bombshell's mind-slave, Sludge was ordered to go about and wreak havoc.

If the only Dinobot to have escaped the cerebro-shells, Swoop decided to go warn Optimus of what has transgressed, Sludge went freely about the country side, destroying farmlands and endangering human lives. In order to stop the Dinobots, Optimus was presented with two options. The first was to use Windcharger's magnetic abilities to try and dislodge the cerebro-shells. This was a risky plan, and with the Dinobots approaching Bandit's Bluff, [[Mirage suggested they could alternatively use his own holographic powers to subdue the Dinobots. Going with the original plan involving Windcharger has an equal chance of either removing the cerebro-shells harmlessly, or pulling the Dinobots apart and destroying them. In the event that Windcharger manages to successfully extract the cerebro-shells without killing the Dinobots, the Autobots discover that what has transpired is only the beginning of a Decepticon plot. Optimus sends a squad of Autobots to Dolphin's Bay, prompting Sludge to volunteer himself for the underwater mission that is to come. If Optimus decides to send Sludge along, he arrives first on-location by accidently taking a shortcut. Finding himself waiting for Bumblebee and Skids, he decides to take a nap, and becomes indistinguishable from a rock, half-submerged in the water. Events can unfold so that the Autobots decide to trick the Decepticons into thinking the Dinobots are still under their control in order to rescue Bumblebee, who has been captured while Sludge slumbered. In this case, Swoop flies to Dolphin's Bay and quickly finds his fellow Dinobot. The plan is a success, and during the course of the battle that ensues, Starscream's gun is melted after Thrust's laser bounces off Sludge's tough hide and hits it. The Decepticons defeated, the Autobots party in celebration. If events unfold differently, Sludge rescues Skids after the mini-sub the later is piloting goes haywire. Thanks to Sludge's help, the Autobots successfully mount a direct attack against the Decepticons operating out of Dolphin's Bay, and win the day. If events play out differently still, Sludge rescues Bumblebee and defeats the Decepticons by himself by creating massive waves in the Bay, using the great size of his dinosaur mode.

If Optimus decided to use Mirage's abilities to subdue the Dinobots, Sludge is the first to see Optimus's false-image made to fool the Dinobots into tumbling into the ocean. The Dinobots fall for the Autobots' ruse, and the cerebro-shells are then removed safely at the Autbots' base.

Optimus may also opt to go for a full-frontal assault to stop the Dinobots' rampage. If he does so, Sludge's cerebro-shell is the second to be dislodged in the midst of the ensuing battle. Though disgruntled, the Dinobots return to their usual selves once the mind-control devices are destroyed.

In the event that Swoop manages to overpower Bombshell early on and prevent the Dinobots from going on a rampage at all, Sludge may resumes his fight with Slag, leading Swoop to get bumped on the head and forget all of the events that had just transpired. Even if Swoop retains his memory, Sludge remains oblivious to being mind-controlled at all. Dinobots Strike Back

Autobot Alert!

Sludge was present at the Autobot city of Metroplex when an Autobot Alert sounded.

He and the other Autobots learned of two Decepticon plots simultaneously occurring. One of which was the theft of a coded message meant for Ultra Magnus’s eyes only. If Ultra Magnus decided to prioritize theft of the coded message, Sludge was part of the captive audience that listened to Kup divulge information about an ancient Autobot formula. Sludge took off towards the Autobots’ desert research centre along with a number of other Autobots. Once there, they learned from Springer that the Cybertite sphere containing the formula was discovered by humans during the 16th century. If the Decepticons had decoded Springer's message, they would be searching off the coast of California, where the ship containing the sphere had sunk. If they hadn’t decoded the message, the Decepticons would still be digging in the nearby crater.

If Ultra Magnus decided to assume that the Decepticons had already decrypted the message, he ordered his forces to split up to more efficiently address the situation. Sludge was part of the main group of Autobot forces led by Ultra Magnus towards the California coast. Arriving at the scene, Ultra Magnus’s troops were informed by Powerglide (who had flown ahead of the land-bound group) that he had discovered the location of the sunken ship containing the cybertite sphere. Simultaneously, Blurr caught up with the group to inform them that the Decepticons were quickly approaching. The Autobots then needed to decide whether they would raise the ship themselves, or try and ambush the Decepticons after they had done so.

Ultra Magnus came up with three separate possible plans, one of which required Sludge to use his powerful dinosaur mode to retrieve the sunken ship, and haul it out of the water. Hot Rod would then retrieve the sphere within. Though Sludge had difficulty following the orders barked to him by Ultra Magnus, he and Hot Rod eventually managed to retrieve the sphere. The Autobots’ celebration was cut short by the arrival of the Decepticons. Quickly hiding themselves, the Autobots ambushed their enemies, and successfully shot them all out of the sky. Autobot Alert!

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Sludge was originally part of Grimlock's Lightning Strike Coalition. They were a small squad that basically ran amok disrupting the Decepticons (which typically involved stealing energon and taking names). He didn't have much of a speaking role (like at all) and basically plodded along and smashed whatever Grimlock told him to. Fragmentation Later he and his fellow Dynobots (minus Grimlock who was busy executing other people for treason) aided Prowl's group with Trypticon, Revelation but when they went to meet up with Grimlock they found him missing. Confrontation On finding that their leader had been captured by The Fallen, the Dynobots joined forces with good ol' one eye to rescue him. Conflagration During some peace talks between the Autobots and Decepticons, the Dynobots tried and failed to shoot down two suspicious incoming transports. The Age of Wrath

Later, Sludge went to Earth along with the other Dynobots to go crush some bugs and eventually wound up under Megatron's control. Extermination They were used to blackmail Grimlock to serve the Decepticons once again; however, Meg's defeat allowed them to be freed by their mighty leader Brothers' Burden and taken to Cybertron (in a stolen Decepticon vessel no less) where they did what they did best, causing massive destruction against Shockwave's regime. Cold War However this was cut short as old one eye let loose the Guardian robots after them, leading to some 'rest time'. Passive Aggression They were last seen being briefed by Ultra Magnus as well as standing around being huge. The Route of All Evil

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity

When Teletran 3 malfunctioned and sent a random number of Transformers into different points in Earth's timeline, Sludge and his comrades ended up in the planet's distant past, where they were reformatted into dinosaurs and took on the "Dinobot" moniker. They were eventually brought back to present day Cybertron by a group of G.I. Joes and a Cobra Viper, where their powerful dinosaur modes easily overwhelmed Shockwave and his troops. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4

Transformers Legends anthology

Sludge agreed with Grimlock's plan to deal with a helpless Starscream by slagging the Decepticon and scattering the pieces. Redemption Center

The Beast Within

Four million years ago, Sludge combined with his fellow Dinobots to form The Beast, a savage abomination of a gestalt that knew no mercy. The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences

In the present day, Slag participated in a savage battle against the Decepticons. He did not fare too well in the early stages of the battle, being on the receiving end of a volley of Decepticon laser blasts. Then, Grimlock called upon him and the other Dinobots to combine once more into their gestalt form. The merge complete, the Dinobots then rampaged once more as The Beast. The Beast Within

IDW Generation 1 continuity

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Before the war, Sludge and the other Dynobots were a Primal Vanguard counter-terrorism unit. During a mission to the caverns of the Toraxxis Plains, they discovered cyber-morphic predators, subterranean creatures that attacked and nearly killed them, forcing them to hastily take on alt-modes based on the monsters themselves to escape alive. Already grieving over the death of their comrade Skar, the Dynobots snapped and deserted from the Vanguard when their superiors cold-heartedly locked them up to study their alt-modes. Underworld On the run from the law, Sludge and his pals began fighting in underground gladiator battles, and was one of many bots to come from distant regions of Cybertron to attend Megatron's speeches and demonstrations of power as the Decepticon faction begun to take shape. Megatron Origin #3 Sludge and the Dynobots were in the Ring of Trials in Ironfall when they witnessed Optimus Prime's rallying call for additional support against the Decepticon tyranny. Broadcast They responded to the call and joined the Autobots in the following battle for control of Cybertron, during which they took out a lot of tanks. Endgame

The Dynobots time as part of the Autobots was short, as they were now losing control of their unnatural alt-modes and becoming increasingly violent as a result. Fearing they might turn into monsters for good and endanger people around them, they stopped transforming and turned to a life of crime looking to earn the money needed to leave Cybertron. Derelicts During a heist on the Toraxxis mega-refinery, Swoop air-dropped Sludge onto the facility, using him as a wrecking ball to break through its permacrete walls. Wreckage The Dynobots' energon theft was interrupted by Scorponok's forces, having come to conquer the facility for the Decepticons, forcing them to trigger the alarm and escape. Faces of Darkness After the refinery was destroyed in the chaos, Sludge and the others agreed to turn themselves over to the Autobots in hopes that they could help. Prey

Sludge's trip to Autobot HQ was sidetracked when a riot broke out at Starsreach Spaceport, and the Dynobots arrived there just in time to be caught in Decepticon attack that caused Grimlock to lose control and transform into his berserking monster form. Massacre While Grimlock's display repelled the Decepticons, it only made Sludge and the other Dynobots lose any hope they had for redemption, and they left Cybertron on one of the spaceport's shuttles. Unleashed They had a change of heart upon learning that the ancient beast Trypticon had awakened, and returned home to help fight its minions, the very same cyber-morphic predators from earlier. Annihilation After Grimlock was able to take down Trypticon from the inside, the Dynobots rejoined Optimus Prime in hopes that Autobot scientists could cure them. Belly of the Beast

Over ten thousand years ago, the Dynobots followed Grimlock to revenge themselves against Shockwave, who had blown up a cache of energon they had stolen. When Shockwave traveled to Earth, the Dynobots pursued him and reformatted themselves to transform into robotic dinosaurs with a synthetic skin as a defense against energon overload. Sadly, it did not protect the Dynobots from Shockwave's energy blasts, which melted the artificial skin and caused the Dynobots to go into stasis lock due to excessive energon radiation. Due to a deadman's switch, the Dynobots' ship blasted a volcano that buried everyone in molten lava. Spotlight: Shockwave

Sludge must be getting tired of being used as a giant club.

Thousands of years later, the Dynobots were eventually excavated by Skywatch, Escalation #5 and though Grimlock was the first to be brought back online, he was freed from Skywatch's control through a virus implanted by a Machination spy (under orders from Scorponok). Scorponok wanted Grimlock to join him, but Grimlock refused, fought Scorponok and escaped, vowing to find and rescue Sludge and the other Dynobots. Scorponok, however, plans to take control of the Dynobots himself and use them to assassinate Grimlock. Spotlight: Grimlock

Skywatch activated Sludge, and in a test run, had him attack a bi-plane. When Grimlock showed up in Fallon, he and the other Dynobots were sent to intercept him. Maximum Dinobots #1 He smashed through buildings, rammed Grimlock and got chucked around by his neck before his reprogramming was toned down, allowing him to find out Grimlock had set up a dead man's switch without telling the team and then hear Grimlock's defense. Sludge's face went ":(" during this. Maximum Dinobots #2

Apatosaurus was not aerodynamic. We have proved this with extensive testing.

Along with the other Dinobots, Sludge walked away after Swoop read Grimlock the riot act. When Grimlock was attacked and almost destroyed by the Sunstreaker clones, however, the team reunited once again for battle. Although fighting valiantly, they might have been destroyed, if not for the intervention of the Monsterbots, who were earlier contacted by Grimlock. Maximum Dinobots #3

Aboard the Monsterbots' ship, Sludge and the others wonder why Grimlock would side with the outcasts. They gave Grimlock a stern look when he exited the cockpit. The Dynobots didn't see the point of fighting Scorponok, but Grimlock said that Scorponok made it their fight when he turned the Dynobots against him. Snarl disagreed, saying that it has always been Grimlock's fight, that he and the other Dynobots went along with him, and that it was now Grimlock's wounded pride at stake. After the Monsterbots blasted away the defenses, Grimlock exited the ship, saying that there was no way he could let this go, and that with or without the Dynobots, there would be a reckoning for Scorponok. The Dynobots decided that arguing is pointless and followed Grimlock. When Hunter O'Nion pulled the cords from Sunstreaker's head, shutting him down, the clones ceased to function. Sludge cried out in victory, but the moment is short-lived as Scorponok blasted Sludge into stasis. Maximum Dinobots #4

"And I have the power too!"

Grimlock stared down at Sludge's dead body, brooding about how it was his fault Sludge was dead... while a battle between Scorponok and Shockwave (for rights of revenge upon Grimlock) raged on around him. Eventually Snarl, Slag, and Swoop decide to get to the Monsterbots' ship while the getting was good, but Grimlock stayed behind with Sludge. Grimlock tried infusing some of his spark energy into Sludge to revive him, but it seemed to have no effect. Shockwave got the upper hand and let Scorponok escape, and in frustration, Grimlock attacked Shockwave. Grimlock and Shockwave were too busy fighting to notice the return of Slag, Snarl, and Swoop, who reasoned that, while helping Grimlock might not be much of a cause, it still beat being no better than the Monsterbots. They were noticed by Sludge, however, who seemed to have recovered due to Grimlock's treatment after all. The four of them dove into the fray proper, but Grimlock ordered them to go after Scorponok instead. When Hot Rod was about to get squished by Scorponok, the remaining Dynobots showed up in just the nick of time. At Hot Rod's urgings, Swoop severed the connections keeping Scorponok's head conscious. But before the Dynobots could kill the rest of Scorponok, Ultra Magnus showed up and told them that Scorponok would be revived and made to answer to a tribunal instead. He then said they should purge the entire Machination facility, gather up all related Machination technology, and get as far away from Earth as possible as soon as possible—a plan that the Dynobots, Hot Rod, and Hunter were all perfectly OK with. Ultra Magnus later told Grimlock that having Scorponok and Shockwave in custody could help offset Grimlock's own sentence, and that the other Dynobots' warrants had been canceled, and Grimlock was content with that and the fact that Sludge was alive again thanks to him. Sludge and the others meanwhile happily repaired the Skyfire. Maximum Dinobots #5

After traveling space for a few years, Sludge and the other "Dinobots" returned to a reborn Cybertron where they joined Ironhide for a mission to find the missing Aerialbots. Traveling into the untamed wilderness on Sky Lynx, they made short work of a ferocious turbofox before discovering signs of Transformer weaponry and deciding to set up camp for the night. That night, Sludge was attacked and decapitated by an unknown foe as he rested in dinosaur mode on the roof of their hastily constructed hut. Dinobot Hunt Since the dinosaur mode head wasn't his true head, he was fine, which he had to correct not only Ironhide but Swoop about. The attacker turning out to be one of the other Dinobots under the same mysterious influence that had claimed the Aerialbots. Sludge fell under the effect and became violent as well, first turning on his fellow Dinobots, then joining with them to chase down Ironhide until they were finally stopped by "The Superion". Night and the City With Dinobots, Aerialbots and Ironhide all gathered in one place, the influence that had made the Dinobots aggressive and created Superion ceased to affect them. Second Exodus

The Dinobots returned to Iacon with Superion, only to find it under attack by Megatron. Before the Dawn Sludge joined the battle against the Decepticons, getting swung around as a club by Turmoil Plan for Everything and using his tail to give Ironhide the boost he needed to punch Devastator in the face. The Autobots were victorious, but Starscream turned the neutral population against them and had both factions banished from the city. Heavy Is the Head Traveling back into the wilderness, the Dinobots briefly scuffled with the approaching Constructicons before the Decepticon group clarified that they were there in peace. Second Exodus

Transformers: All Spark

Revenge (All Spark) Great Aspirations Conclusion

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

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

The Transformers

Transformers Legends

When Grimlock went missing, Swoop and Sludge paid a visit to the planet Junk, but were unable to find him there. Wreckage They and the rest of the Lightning Strike Coalition tracked down Grimlock to the Sea of Rust, where they were captured by Shockwave who experimented on them and gave them dinosaur alternate modes. They repaid him by trashing his lab. Rescue the King

Following the disappearance of Grimlock and Swoop, Sludge and the other remaining Dinobots refused to obey Autobot orders and set out for the Decepticon base, attacking Optimus when he tried to stop them. Having dealt with Optimus, the Dinobots continued towards the Decepticon base until the Autobots managed to overwhelm and imprison them. Day of the Dinobots - Part 1 The trio were released during a night raid by Grimlock and Swoop. The five Dinobots marched on the Decepticon base, but were defeated by Shockwave, Ramjet and Ratbat. Day of the Dinobots - Part 2

The Dinobots supported Grimlock when their leader decided to take control of the Autobot army, and took part in an attack on the Decepticons, capturing Megatron and Shockwave. Me, Grimlock, King

When Optimus fell in battle during a massive Decepticon attack on Autobot City and Grimlock took command, Sludge and the other Dinobots joined him in crushing the Decepticon forces. S.O.S. Dinobots

Sludge was caught up somehow in a Quintesson plot to kidnap several Autobots during the Galactic Games. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1

Transformers Rising

In this game Sludge refered as Slog

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Slog participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! Transformers: Battle Tactics

Transformers: Frontiers

Transformers: Frontiers

Toys

Generation 1

Me Sludge crush Littlefoot's mama.

• Sludge (Dinobot, 1985/1986/1991/1992)
  • Japanese ID number: 27
  • Accessories: "Energo-Sword", "Electron Cannon", "Rocket Pod", 3 rockets

Sludge was released as part of the second series of Transformers in 1985, transforming into a robotic Brontosaurus. He has a trio of silver rockets, a rocket launcher, a black gun, and a red sword. Like most Diaclone-era molds, Sludge also has a conspicuous driver compartment located in his chest.

Sludge was re-released in the European "Classics" line in 1991. In Japan, he and the other Dinobots were offered as mail-away items during Operation Combination; Sludge cost 2300 yen (his original retail price) and two Robot Points.

In stark contrast to most Transformers toys of his era, Sludge is fairly well articulated in robot mode. He has a waist swivel, his legs move in and out at the hips as well as back and forth, and he has articulated knees. He also has articulated elbows and wrists, although they can only bend inward. Still, impressive for his time. He can totally facepalm.

• More information on Sludge at TFU.info

Generations

• Slog (Voyager Class, 2014)
  • 18 OF 30

18 of 30 in the Thrilling 30 collection, "Slog" is redecoed from Age of Extinction Voyager Class Slog in Generation 1 colors, and is exclusive to Amazon.

• More information on Generations Slog at TFU.info

Platinum Edition

• Dinobots Set (Platinum Edition 5-pack, 2015)

Merchandise

Decoy

• Cybertron Hero Collection 9 (multi-pack, 1986)

• Sludge (1987)
  • Decoy number: 14

The figurine was later brought over to Hasbro markets as part of the Decoy promotion, largely identical to the Japanese release except for the fact that the number on his back was replaced with a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Protectobots and Technobots.

• More information on Decoy Sludge at TFU.info

The Loyal Subjects

Me Sludge deformed, but scientifically accurate!

The Loyal Subjects Sludge is a Wave 3 figure with standard articulation. He has a cute widdle dino head on his back. For every 16 figures, there is one Sludge.

Like most of his wave, Sludge's bio card plagiarizes this wiki article's opening paragraphs.

Notes

Dumbest idiot.

WANT.

• Sludge was originally a Diaclone "Dinosaur Robo Brontosaurus". The only differences between this incarnation and the Transformers release is that the Diaclone version has a gold-chromed sword, as well as coming with a red-and-black Diaclone pilot figure.
• Sludge went through several preliminary names, including Brontobot, Piledrive, and Bronton.
• Sludge's alt mode was originally identified as a Brontosaurus (a sauropod dinosaur), more recent depictions (such as the IDW continuity) have updated this to the then-more correct name Apatosaurus. Recently, Brontosaurus has been rehabilitated as a proper genus of animal. Hooray, Sludge!
• Sludge is the only one of the original Dinobots not to share his alt mode with another character in another series.
• The overall design and transformation sequence of the original Sludge toy served as the basis for Thunder Geist, one of four recurring villainous henchmen on the Takara/Sunrise co-production Brave Exkaiser. In what might be called a vision of things to come, the four "Geisters" were once briefly fused into a single robot called "Mad Geister" (マッドガイスター Maddogaisutā). However, because each Geister controlled a portion of the combined body—and, aside from Ptera Geist, they had the accumulated brain power of a Froot Loop—this ended rather badly. In a more successful (if not also prescient) later development, the Geisters learned to merge in groups of two, with Thunder Geist forming the lower body of "Pteder" (プテダー Putedā).
• Swoop and Sludge's absence from the Generation 2 toyline has never been fully explained, though rumors of what might have been persist. In the late 2000s, packaging art of both in new colors was put up for auction on eBay — seemingly from the collection of a former Hasbro employee — indicating what he might have looked like in the line. This art surfaced alongside a screaming yellow-orange and turquoise Grimlock, so it is possible that the three were at one time planned for a second wave of Dinobots.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Sludge (スラージ Surāji)
• French: Slug, Terro (Canada)
• Hungarian: Iszap
• Italian: Bronto
• Mandarin: Ní-pā (Taiwan, 泥巴, "Mud"), Yūní (China, 淤泥, "Sluge")
• Portuguese: Chafurda (Brazil comic) Lama (Portugal)