Slug (FOC)
| The name or term "Slug" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Slug (disambiguation). |
- Slug is an Autobot Dinobot from the Aligned continuity family.
While Slug is the most technically minded Dinobot, he has some anger issues. Temper control is not remarkable to anyone familiar with the team, but Slug takes it in a different direction; being extremely passive aggressive rather than suffering from explosive rage. He constantly looks for opportunities to get sarcastic digs in at those around him and he's not particularly bothered who they are. Friends, enemies, or just people with tremendously bad timing; all suffer snarky and sometimes cruel jabs in response to anything they say or do. This makes Slug one of the hardest Dinobots for outsiders to relate to.
Unfortunately, this bad attitude is backed up by a phenomenal stubbornness. Slug takes the straightest path in life and no amount of coaxing, reason, logic, debate or threats will convince him otherwise. He would literally rather slam his head against a solid wall than find a way round it.
About the only thing that keeps Slug in line is Grimlock. Slug has an enormous respect for his leader, and while he may not do it with any good graces, he will always follow Grimlock's lead. That said, Grimlock is as much a target for jibes and ridicule as anyone else. Whether this is wise given Grimlock's self-control issues is irrelevant, as Slug never lets an opportunity to mock his leader pass him by.
This overall belligerence may be why more than any of the others, Slug is one with his dinosaur form. It has gotten to the point where he has begun to despise his robot mode as a weak necessity. For him, Shockwave's experiments did not so much change him as allow his body to truly reflect the person inside: big, angry and with a head thicker than the hull of a ship.
Fiction
IDW Aligned comics
Slug and the rest of the Lightning Strike Coalition were Autobots under the command of Optimus Prime, although they visibly chafed under his cautious and conservative approach to warfare. Although ordered to return to base, when leader Grimlock discovered that Swoop was in Decepticon custody, Grimlock ignored Optimus Prime's orders and broke rank to hijack a dropship. Good Intentions The group managed to track Swoop's signal to the Sea of Rust, where they prepared to attack Shockwave's tower. Secrets They stormed the base head-on, encountering minimal resistance... until they ran afoul of the multitude of Insecticons swarming Shockwave's installation. They nonetheless managed to muscle their way to Swoop, and released him from a harness he was being held in. At this juncture, Slug asked Grimlock if he wanted to simply spirit Swoop away and report their findings to Prime, or to continue their assault and hope to raze the entire Decepticon operation. Grimlock, realizing they had stumbled unto something big, ordered a retreat, only for Shockwave to appear in person, backed up by innumerable more Insecticons. These enemy reinforcements overwhelmed the Lightning Strike Coalition. Siege Mentality Though Grimlock managed to struggle free and engage Shockwave as his teammates were carted away by the Insecticons, the Coalition's leader proved no match for the Decepticon scientist. Once the whole team had been defeated, Shockwave began in earnest his experiments on Slug and the others. Last Stand
As the Dinobots managed to find more and more survivors on their dying world, Grimlock was took up the role of their king, and was left with the burden of hearing out their many petitions and grievances. Slug interrupted one of these sessions to inform Grimlock that the bodies of the Forged from the attack on New Kalis were ready for him to look over. Beast Hunters #1 Some time later, the Dinobots moved to the settlement of Last Spark. Slug became worried when Grimlock and Swoop didn't return from one of their patrols on schedule, but before he could go looking for them, Last Spark came under attack from a group of organic dinosaurs. Slug locked horns with his counterpart, but found that his doppelgänger was stronger than it first appeared. In order to more effectively battle the beasts, the Dinobots swapped opponents, only for the creatures to self-destruct mid-battle. Grimlock later explained that he and Swoop had accidentally released the Dinosaurs while exploring one of Shockwave's abandoned labs, and that the creatures had been created from the same templates that Shockwave had used for their beast modes. Beast Hunters #4
While on an Energon gathering mission, Slug and Sludge felt a planet-wide quake rock Cybertron. After barely avoiding being crushed by the tremor, Slug suddenly found himself re-energized in its aftermath. Both Dinobots then realized that the cavern they were in had been completely restructured by the mysterious event. Unfortunately, this meant the path they had previously taken no longer existed. Slug attempted to muscle his way through the wall that had just sprung up behind them, only to find it immovable. Sludge convinced Slug to instead try and make their way to New Spark through a different path, and ask for help there. As they made their way through the subterranean maze, Sludge heard someone calling for help. Slug volunteered to investigate, only to find that the pleas were coming from a Forged, trapped under some rubble. Against his better judgement, Slug helped the Decepticon free himself under the pretense that he was arresting him. Beast Hunters #5 Slug brought Blackout back to Sludge, and told his fellow Dinobot to patch up their "prisoner" to ensure he didn't die before he could face trial. Slug wound up using his fire-breath to cauterize Blackout's leg, then began carrying the injured 'bot as the group resumed its trek. As they attempted to cross a slick and narrow bridge though, Slug slipped and nearly dropped Blackout into the chasm bellow. While retrieving him, Slug injured his leg. With two members of the group now unable to walk, Slug instructed Sludge to go on ahead while the infirm would wait for him to return with help. Sludge complied. Beast Hunters #6 As free-flowing energon found its way to Slug, the Dinobot was able to re-energize himself. Blackout's injuries were too severe, however, and the Decepticon expired. Slug resumed heading for the surface, where he found Grimlock among a crowd of other survivors. Before they could all get caught up, an army of Forged came charging towards them, guns ablaze. The Dinobots charged back, only for the battle to be interrupted by a Predacon bursting forth from the underground. The beast was sent fleeing when Sludge finally joined the battle, bringing reinforcements along with him: Arcee, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead! Beast Hunters #7
The Autobots headed for Kaon together, battling their way through the Forged army. But once the Decepticons had been dealt with, the Predacon resurfaced. The Autobots split into groups to head to Kaon, with Slug, Bulkhead, and Firestar leading one group of survivors. Swoop drew off the Predacon when it attacked, allowing Slug and the other to reach Kaon. There, Grimlock announced that Dinobots wouldn't be able to help with Kaon, as they would be building a new city for the survivors: New Spark. Beast Hunters #8
Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe
Slug serves under Grimlock as part of the Dinobots. He has yet to understand the strength of his human allies. The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe
Games
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)
- Voice actor: Travis Willingham (English)
Slug and the rest of the Lightning Strike Coalition deserted their post defending the Ark when they detected strange energy readings in the Sea of Rust. The energy readings were caused by Shockwave's space bridge experiments at the energon lake, and when they arrived, they came under attack by Insecticons and were overwhelmed. Shockwave took the time to experiment on them, giving them primitive dinosaur forms. Slug broke free and trashed the lab he was in, melting a hole in the floor which he departed through. He roamed the caves until smashed through a door, crushing Kickback (while giving a belated "Excuse me") and finding Grimlock. Luckily for Grimlock and Swoop, he was able to lead them to where Snarl was being held by Sharpshot. Once Snarl was freed, they sought shelter in an observation post and found Shockwave's logs concerning his experiments on them and the space bridge. Against Grimlock's wishes, Slug contacted Optimus, who ordered them all back to base. Grimlock refused, instead heading out to destroy the space bridge tower himself, and the other Dinobots later watched from afar as the tower exploded. Fall of Cybertron
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
Console
Transformers: Battle Tactics
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Slug (FOC) participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character who could be recruited by collecting 160 units of Cybermetal and 95 units of Transmetal. Transformers: Battle Tactics
Toys
Hero Mashers
- Dinobot Slug (Battle Upgrade, 2014)
- Pieces: 13
- Part of the second wave of Battle Upgrade Hero Mashers toys, Slug is a non-transforming Triceratops robot. His limbs and body parts can be removed and swapped out with any other Hero Mashers figure. He includes several additional blaster weapons that can be clipped into various ports all over his body. He also includes Snarl's tail.
Adventure
- Slug (Deluxe, 3-21-2015)
- ID number: TAV10
- Adventure Slug is a redeco of Animated Snarl, transforming into a robotic Triceratops with a color scheme based on his Age of Extinction namesake. He doesn't come with Snarl's club weapon, however.
- Slug features a scannable Autobot insignia is on his left arm/foot. Scanning this with the Transformers Chronicle Mobile App unlocks the toy to the app's checklist. In-package, there is no way to scan the badge while Slug is facing on the right in his beast mode.
Notes
- This is the second new name assigned to a counterpart of Generation 1 Slag; the first was Snarl (as in Animated Snarl and Robot Heroes Snarl, both of whom borrowed the name from Generation 1 Snarl).
- In addition to referring to a round of ammunition or a swift smack across the face, the word "slug" is used by blacksmiths to describe the hot, leftover piece of metal that is punched out when they need to make a hole in something. All of this is rather apt when considering Generation 1 Slag's personality.
- Slug has an Infiltrator body type. As such, Slug's beast mode head is available as a Predator-type component for Infiltrator-class characters in Fall of Cybertron multiplayer.
- Ironically, while Generation 1 Slag was always seen as the surliest Dinobot with the least amount of respect for Optimus Prime, Slug is the first Dinobot to declare the group should contact Optimus Prime for assistance during the assault on Shockwave's Space Bridge, even going as far as to do so without his leader's acknowledgement.
Foreign Names
- Japanese: Slug (スラッグ Suraggu)
- Russian: Shlak (video games, Шлак, "Slag"), Slag (comics, Слэг)
