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.
"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 Spanish), 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), Garcia Neto (Brazilian Portuguese, second voice)
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
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!
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
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
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 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
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
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story pages
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
Rodimus vs. Cyclonus
After blasting off of Quintessa aboard one of its ships, Sludge and the other Dinobots huddled around Kup near the vessel's control panel. He stood about, muted, as the spacecraft came under assault from Cyclonus. Thanks to Kup and Hot Rod, they managed to escape their attacker, and Sludge later disembarked to meet up with Arcee and Wreck-Gar on the planet Junk. Rodimus vs. Cyclonus
Wings Universe
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
Ask Vector Prime
In one particularly strange iteration of the Unicron War, Sludge was among the Dinoobots when they evacuated Guardian City aboard a Command Centre after Galvatron and his Renegade Decepticon alliance attacked. Kup entertained the Dinobots with a few tall tales as they headed to Cybertron, but Galvatron attacked their ship, stranding them on Antares III.
The four Dinobots tried to search for the missing Kup and Hot Rod, but not even Swoop could locate their whereabouts. Instead, they encountered the RoGuns. After a misunderstanding, they formed an alliance and barged into the court of the Master Renegade just in time to save Kup and Hot Rod from execution. After stealing the Master Renegade's ship and dubbing it "Grungy", the group headed to Quartex. Kup met up with Boulder, and together they alliance rescued Major Mo's group of Autobots and Guardians from Magmar's evil Rock Lords. Sludge took part in the party that commemorated their alliance.
The Autobots, Guardians, Rock Lords, and RoGuns returned to Cybertron aboard the Grungy and a Rock Lord vessel, where they battled Unicron. Before they were finished their fight, Vector Prime managed to disentangle the two universes, setting history back on its proper course. Echoes and Fragments
Deviations
In a timeline where Optimus Prime killed Megatron during their Autobot City duel, Sludge was on Optimus Prime's shuttle when the Autobots set off to reclaim Cybertron from the leaderless Decepticons. They were attacked en route by "Megascream": a reformatted Starscream now in the thrall of Unicron. They managed to escape after Megascream and his troops retreated, touching down on Quintessa to repair the damage.
On the watery surface of the planet, the Autobots encountered a group of Sharkticons. Kup's universal greeting ended poorly, so Optimus dispatched the Dinobots to take care of the threat. Optimus, Kup, and the Dinobots stormed into a Quintesson courtroom, where they rescued Kranix and learned more about the threat of Unicron. When repairs on the ship had completed, the group rescued Hot Rod, who was marooned on Junkion, and returned to Cybertron, where Optimus announced his intent to confront Unicron head-on.
When Hot Rod saved the day by opening the Matrix, Sludge was present to witness Optimus's declaration that the Cybertronian Wars had indeed ended. Deviations
Marvel Comics continuity
Marvel The Transformers comics
Early during the war on Cybertron, the warriors who would later become the Dinobots began to suspect that one day they might become fed up with Optimus Prime's leadership and strike out on their own. In preparation, they snuck into a Decepticon spaceport, stole a number of ships, and hid them in the Rad Zone. A Savage Circle
Sludge wound up being one of the Autobots selected to accompany Optimus Prime in the Ark on a mission to clear a path for Cybertron through an asteroid belt, only for the ship to crash on Earth. 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. Information on this battle was stored on the Ark's memory banks and were discovered four million years later by Ratchet The Last Stand, and Ratchet, at the moment the last Autobot on Earth that remained functional, tempted Megatron with details of Shockwave's alleged defeat as currency for a deal with him. Promising Megatron that he would find the Dinobots and use them to defeat Shockwave on Megatron's behalf, Warrior School! Ratchet traveled to the Savage Land and retrieved the bodies of the Dinobots. Upon being reactivated, the Dinobots helped Ratchet fight and defeat Megatron. Repeat Performance!
On the way back to the Ark, Sludge had his first encounter with a human, which ended with the organic fleeing in terror. Ratchet sought to explain why humans feared them with a story about the Autobots' battle with the Decepticons at Sherman Dam. At story's end, they reached the Ark, only to find the reprogrammed Guardian blocking their path. Decepticon Dam-Busters! Seeing the Guardian pounding Swoop unconscious sent the rest of the Dinobots into a rage, but their might was no match for that of the Omega Class battle droid's. Ratchet intervened, sending the Guardian fleeing into the Ark by blasting into its cerebral access port. While Ratchet went to work repairing the rest of the Autobots, Sludge and the Dinobots began tracking down the Guardian as it stumbled through the Ark. Together, they managed to bring it down to its knees just as Ratchet discovered that the Guardian had been booby-trapped with a thermo-nuclear bomb. The Wrath of Guardian! Wheeljack managed to prevent the Dinobots from reducing the Ark to a smoldering crater by remote-controlling Optimus Prime's body, interrupting their execution of Guardian. This unfortunately allowed the droid to strike back, and it fled after knocking all of its opponents aside. The Dinobots reconvened in the medical bay, where Grimlock made sure Ratchet attended to Swoop in short order. Just as repairs on their comrade neared completion, Guardian burst into the room, and the Dinobots engaged the droid once again. However, Guardian was not planning to beat the Autobots through brute force this time around; instead, the droid had activated the bomb within its body, and was counting down to detonation. Sludge and the others were spared from utter destruction by Swoop, who flew Guardian up into the sky before the bomb went off. Believing their comrade to have perished, the Dinobots went off on their own afterwards. The Wrath of Grimlock!
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. The Autobots learned that Sludge was due to regress as such after tangling with Swoop, The Icarus Theory and organized to seek him out. Sludge had 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. The Autobots found themselves struggling to contain the two Dinobots' clash, only for it to come to a sudden end when Bumblebee destroyed a sonic lance, which had been used by the Decepticons to aggravate the Dinobots into their uncontrollable frenzy. Following the weapon's destruction, Sludge fell into a comatose state. Dinobot Hunt!
While Sludge was recovering from brain surgery, he dreamed of Joy. Victory! Sludge and the other Dinobots eventually recovered fully from their ordeal, although they were still none too happy to see Ratchet upon awakening. Second Generation! When Prime organized a battle unit to assault the Decepticon base, not to demolish their enemy but to record some vital data, the Dinobots balked at the idea. Going into battle without intending to win was an anathema to them. Grimlock, Sludge and the other Dinobots chose to abandon the Autobot cause instead of putting up with Optimus Prime's "cowardly" ways any longer. Command Performances!
After leaving, Sludge spotted Joy again on TV and decided to search her out. On a whim, the rest of the Dinobots agreed to accompany him on this endeavor. It was lucky they did, because both the Intelligence and Information Institute and the Decepticons had marked her for death to protect their stakes in the "Robot-Master" story. Happening upon Meadows as she was being swarmed by Triple-I agents, the Dinobots rescued her and spirited her away. Afterwards, Sludge found himself doing little more than dreamily staring at her... Both Meadows and the other Dinobots viewed Sludge's open crush as quite weird. While Sludge was lost in his own thoughts, the rest of the team agreed to be interviewed by Meadows so they could set the record straight over Transformers being autonomous life forms, and not the tools of a so-called "terrorist." However, even the power of unrequited love couldn't stop the Decepticons from interfering. After tracking them down, Megatron and his forces defeated the Dinobots and forced Joy to stop her investigation. Though they grumbled afterwards, the Dinobots also gave up on telling their side of the story to the public. In the National Interest When Optimus Prime and Prowl confronted the Dinobots about their latest adventure, Sludge and the others refused to divulge anything and walked off in a huff. Target: 2006 When the future Decepticon named Galvatron returned to the 1980s, his first act was to destroy Centurion, a mechanoid who had befriended the Dinobots. Seeking revenge, they came after Galvatron in a pitched battle alongside several Autobots. Using his massive beast mode, Sludge stomped down on Galvatron, only for his attacks to yield little result. The time-traveler only retreated when the Decepticons joined the fray, as Galvatron was unwilling to destroy his own future-troops. Fallen Angel
The Dinobots were still on their own, stealing fuel from the humans, when they learned of Optimus Prime's death. After Grimlock attempted to claim leadership of the Autobots for himself and failed, Sludge and the Dinobots happened upon Trypticon attacking the Ark. Sludge was content to sit back and mock the Autobots' efforts at first, but when Grimlock leaped into the fray, he insisted their leader "share" his fight. Trypticon was driven back through a space bridge by their attack, and Grimlock's leadership convinced the Autobots that Grimlock should be leader after all. King of the Hill!
While browsing tv channels, Sludge came upon a live broadcast showing the Predacons attacking a circus. Ecstatic at the chance to get into a scrap, he first showed Swoop his find before planning to head off and tell Grimlock about it too. Upon seeing the footage though, Swoop revealed that among the Predacons was a face he recognized from long ago: Divebomb, the Decepticon who had stolen his original name after defeating him. Swoop insisted on heading out alone to confront his rival. What's in a Name? Sludge gathered the rest of the Dinobots, and they caught up to Swoop as he was getting ganged up on by the Predacons. Though Rampage got the upper hand on Sludge in the scuffle that followed, Sludge was simply too dumb to admit he had gotten himself into a precarious position, and managed to wear down his opponent by soldiering through his beating. The Dinobots emerged victorious, but Swoop convinced the rest of his teammates to let the Predacons go, so that their grudges could be resolve in a proper fashion later. Grudge Match!
Under Grimlock's leadership, the Ark became spaceborne once more, though some Autobots began rebelling against their brutal commander. Chief among these insurgents was Blaster, who was tracked down to the Earth's orbit. Though the Autobots managed to capture four young human allied to their rogue agent, Blaster himself remained elusive. In order to draw him out, Grimlock cast the children out into the void of space (with spacesuits), only for his trap to be foiled by the interference of another Autobot, Sky Lynx. Refusing to give up, Grimlock called upon Sludge and the rest of the Dinobots to help him hunt down Sky Lynx and his new passengers through a nearby asteroid belt. Sky Lynx proved too agile for them to catch up to, but Blaster was lured out nonetheless, as the ongoing chase threatened to exhaust the humans' limited oxygen supply. Spacehikers! With the rebel troublemaker taken captive, Grimlock returned to his capricious rule, with Sludge and the other Dinobots attending to his every need. His time of lazily lounging about was interrupted when the Ark's crew came in contact with another team of Autobots, this one operating under Fortress Maximus. Unwilling to share leadership duties, Grimlock challenged the new arrival to a duel. Blaster wound up taking up the fight in Maximus's stead, with nearly all of the other Autobots acting as audience to their match. The Dinobots cheered for Grimlock, though the fight came to an abrupt end when the Decepticons launched a surprise attack. Grimlock and Blaster momentarily put aside their differences to chase away the attackers, and in the battle's aftermath, Goldbug had left with several others to reconstruct Optimus Prime on Nebulos. Totaled!
Upon Prime's return he confronted Grimlock, Sludge and the other Dinobots, who were none too happy about having to cede control of the Autobots back to him. However, Prime proved to be his usual persuasive self and managed to sweet-talk them into following his orders again. These events were witnessed by the time travelling Dicet Alpha-zero. The Quest!
The super-Decepticon known as Galvatron had become more and more of a threat to the Transformers, not only due to his raw power but also because of the time-warping effect his prolonged presence in the past was having. Optimus Prime and Grimlock were in the midst of rallying their troops for a major offensive against Galvatron, before the time storm consumed them all, when several Autobots teleported back in time from 2009. The resulting mass-displacement effect, however, made it appear as if Prime and several other Autobots were disintegrated on the spot. Enraged, Fortress Maximus led Sludge and several other Autobots into battle against the murderous "impostors". Sludge tried to sneak up on the future Ultra Magnus during the scuffle, only to have Slag slammed into him as he charged forward. Time Wars
When an Underbase-powered Starscream announced that he would "destroy the cities of New York, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires," Sludge was among the allied Autobot/Decepticon teams sent ahead to Japan to try and stop him. There, Starscream destroyed him with a blast of cosmic energy before he got a chance to get some shots in himself. Dark Star
Sludge's remains were recovered, but Ratchet was tormented by his inability to repair all of the Autobots under his care. The medic started to have nightmares about Sludge and various other deactivated Autobots reviving as zombies to kill him for his failures. Ratchet's nightmares came true for a short while, when the Decepticon Sports Car Patrol managed to infiltrate the Ark and took control of the damaged Autobots' bodies to torment him. When this failed to make Ratchet snap completely, the Decepticons' plan was abandoned and Sludge was shut down once more. Back from the Dead
Eventually, Sludge was revived with Nucleon by Grimlock on Hydrus Four, The Pri¢e of Life! where all the Dinobots proceeded to stock up on the miracle-substance, planning on using it to revive the rest of their fallen comrades aboard the Ark. ...All This and Civil War 2 They found both the ship and Earth itself devoid of Transformers activity however, as Primus had teleported all Earth-bound Transformers back to Cybertron in anticipation for Unicron's arrival. Grimlock quickly guessed as to what had transpired during the Dinobots' absence, and had Swoop pilot the ship towards their homeworld while Sludge and Slag were tasked with dispensing the Nucleon. Though Sludge asked Grimlock if he wanted to check up on those they would revive first, Grimlock told him to not waste time, and to simply distribute the Nucleon indiscriminately. Had Grimlock heeded Sludge's suggestion, the Dinobots might have avoided reviving Megatron, then stored within a stasis pod. The Void! Their comrades revived, the Dinobots approached Cybertron with the battle against Unicron already underway. Grimlock rammed the Ark into the Chaos-Bringer's face, sending the Ark plummeting towards the planet's surface, and forcing all aboard to leap out before it crashed. On the Edge of Extinction!
Unicron's defeat also resulted in Optimus Prime's death, and his dying words placed Grimlock back in command. His first decision once assigned his rank was to take the Dinobots and seek out the Ark, several inoperative Autobots still housed within it. En-route however, Grimlock suddenly seized up, rendering him completely immobile. Inconveniently enough, this perplexing problem was followed by Hi-Q's arrival, and the Nebulan was on the run from demons from below Cybertron's surface! The Dinobots found themselves hopelessly outmatched by the monstrous horde, Sludge getting himself in quite the precarious position, surrounded on all sides by the creatures. Thankfully, Grimlock's frozen state was the beginning stage of his transformation into an Action Master, and his new powerful form was able to fend off the demons, saving the lives of Sludge and the others. Still Life!
When the planet threatened to tear itself apart, the Decepticons abandoned the Autobots to their fate, but Sludge and the other Dinobots retrieved the Decepticon battle cruisers they had stashed in the Rad Zone aeons before, allowing them to pursue their enemies to the planet Klo. A Savage Circle But the Decepticons anticipated the Autobots' arrival, and lured them into a trap as soon as they made planetfall. Sludge was killed in the ensuing ambush, only to be later resurrected by the Last Autobot as the Autobots claimed victory in the war... End of the Road!
Marvel UK future timelines
When Optimus received word that Autobot City was being besieged by Megatron and his Decepticons in the year 2005, he enlisted the aid of the Dinobots to repel the enemy forces. Sludge and his teammates battled Devastator as he tried to breach the outpost's defenses, though even their might failed to fell the combiner. The Autobots nonetheless managed to repel the Decepticons, though at a steep cost; Optimus was fatally wounded in combat. The Planet-Eater!
The Autobots were only given a brief respite before more bad news reached them: a "monster planet," Unicron, was approaching Cybertron, and devouring the planet's moons! The Autobots quickly prepared to head to Cybertron aboard two shuttles, only to be attacked by Decepticon forces led by Galvatron, the upgraded form of Megatron. Sludge's group managed to lose their pursuers, and the Dinobots watched as Hot Rod trained with an Auto-combatant once they believed themselves out of harm's way. But the Decepticons found them once more, shot up their ship, and forced them in proximity of planet Quintesson. A planetary defense system then brought the shuttle into a crash-landing. Sludge, Slag, and Swoop were separated from the rest of the crew. By the time they found them again, Kup, Hot Rod, and Grimlock were being escorted by a gang of Sharkticons, and so the Dinobots opted to stay out of sight and follow them. En route, they met the young Autobot Wheelie, who joined their rescue effort. When Grimlock and the others began fighting back against their captors, Sludge's group joined in the scuffle, successfully beating back the hordes of Sharkticons. After their show of force, the Autobots convinced the Sharkticons to turn on their cruel Quintesson masters. They then went off to find a means to get off-world. Judgment Day!
Sludge's group tracked down several of their friends to the planet of Junk, at the time being accosted by the world's hostile natives. By speaking the Universal greeting and making a peace-offering of Energon sticks, Hot Rod and Kup were successful in befriending the Junkions. With these new allies, the Autobots headed back on course towards Cybertron, finding Unicron already ravaging the planet. Unicron was defeated when Hot Rod managed to open the Autobots' Matrix of Leadership (which upgraded him into Rodimus Prime in the process) and the Autobots once more gained a foothold on Cybertron in the aftermath. The Final Battle!
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
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 beaten down, but snuck off when Optimus appeared on the battlefield to berate Grimlock over his recklessness, which inadvertently had put some nearby humans at risk. Two Steps Back! This led to a shouting match between Grimlock and Optimus, where the former threatened to take his Dinobots and leave the Autobot army. The situation deteriorated further, with Sludge and the others hanging back as Optimus and Grimlock eventually knocked some sense into one another. Grimlock was promoted to the Earth's Autobot commander while Optimus headed into space with his own group. Naturally, Sludge and the Dinobots joined Grimlock's new Earthforce. Break-Away! Although Grimlock had promised Optimus Prime that he would show restraint on Earth, Sludge was present at the first meeting of the Earthforce where their leader literally threw the rule book out of the window. Once upon a Time...
Early on, the Dinobots tried to teach Grimlock the value of a good joke; feeling their leader was taking his new gig too seriously, they sent him out on a wild robo-goose chase for Shockwave, only to end up at an ice sculpture of the Decepticon set behind an "April Fools!" sign. Grimlock didn't take this too well, and was later seen headed towards Sludge and the Dinobots with the world's biggest snowball. Snow Fun!
Sludge was present with the entire Earthforce team outside Autobot Earthbase when Wheeljack unveiled his brand-new unbreachable defensive system. This was unfortunate, as Wheeljack had forgotten that, once activated, the system could only be turned off from the inside, forcing Prowl to run the gauntlet and reach the shutdown console within. The House that Wheeljack Built!
Every four million years (give or take), Slag's lack of emotional dampers played up for a while, turning him from moderately savage to mindlessly savage. It was a secret the Dinobots had kept since they first formed, but unfortunately, this attack occurred when Optimus Prime came back to Earth to inspect the new base. While Grimlock kept Prime occupied, Sludge and the other Dinobots had the unenviable task of keeping the berserker in check so Prime wouldn't find out. Slag escaped Sludge's hold by punching him in the jaw, then made a run for it. The Dinobots managed to catch back up to Slag and wrangle him long enough for him to burn himself out, and their secret was safe for another four million years. 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. External Forces! 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!
In 1992 Snarl once again fell victim to Corrodia Gravis so Sludge and the Dinobots returned him to the Savage Land to retrieve the control crystal from their old shuttle in an attempt to save his life. Finding that a human named Professor Embrey had used the crystal to save some of the area's dinosaurs from a disease that was killing them, they were unwilling to trade Snarl's life for the dinosaurs'. Instead, the Dinobots transferred his mind into a Stegosaurus until they could find another way to save him. Destiny of the Dinobots!
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
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 to discuss the matter, they were captured by Jhiaxus, leader of this new enemy force. The seeming insignificance of their previous conflicts weighed heavily on Optimus, but once Grimlock convinced him of the need to fight on, the Autobots burst free from their cell. Sludge and the others 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! Grimlock mellowed a bit after that exchange, and so Sludge and the Dinobots were relegated to training exercises with the other newly arriving Autobots from other regions of space until a new plan of attack against the Cybertronian Empire could be made. The Power and the Glory
When Grimlock learned that Optimus had left to confront Megatron alone on Earth, hoping to negotiate a treaty and join forces against Jhiaxus's army, the Dinobot immediately recognized the foolishness in this decision. He gathered up Sludge among others to come to their commander's rescue, their arrival interrupting Megatron before he could deliver a killing blow. The Gathering Darkness Sludge continued to fight alongside the Autobots with his Dinobot comrades on planet Ethos. 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
When Grimlock, Snarl, and Swoop joined that huge jerk Ultra Magnus, that was just asking too much. Sludge and Slag ditched the team, and went off on their own to track down Decepticons. The pair wound up busting into a sting headed by Nightbeat, thinking it was a Decepticon mercenary recruiting operation. The only thing that saved the detective from the two then intoxicated Dinobots was the timely arrival of some real Decepticons. Afterwards Sludge and Slag joined Nightbeat's entourage, becoming the muscle to his wandering detective organization. Slag's profile in Club magazine #22 At Fight's End
This venture didn't have the greatest of starts though, as the group's ship wound up crash-landing in the only repair bay on the planet Azure, stranding them. When three big organics picked a barroom fight with their new leader, Sludge got to earn his keep by putting an end to it. Violently. It turned out these thugs were only there to deliver a message from Nightbeat's newest employer: the sentient starship Amory. Nightbeat's crew was tasked with tracking down Phyrion, the Amory's binary-bonded pilot. Sludge and Slag participated in the search by browbeating citizens of Purgatory for answers. A lead led them to an abandoned warehouse, where a new Mayhem Attack Squad was waiting for the team, their quarry in-hand as a hostage. Sludge got to wrestle with Stranglehold, and soon got him in a headlock, forcing the Pretender to cry "uncle!" Phyrion was retrieved from enemy hands, and the Decepticons were forced to flee. Nightbeat's gang fulfilled their contract... only to realize they were still without a means to get off-planet once the Amory left without them. Scrap. Cheap Shots Some time later, Prowl, Silverbolt, and Ironhide tracked down Sludge and Slag on Azure, and approached them to "persuade" Grimlock to rejoin the Autobot forces on Cybertron. The meeting between Grimlock and the trio wound up being cut short by a distress call from Earth, and they left together in order to respond to it. Before his departure, Grimlock left behind a secret message for Sludge and Slag, instructing them to gather up all the Autobots on Azure and bring them to Earth. Grimlock's profile Club in magazine #50
Regeneration One
In 2007, Sludge and the Dinobots reached a breaking point in their relationship with Grimlock. His reckless use of Nucleon on himself, them, and the other Autobots had caused too many consequences. Even their fellow Dinobot Slag was reduced to a mindlessly feral state in the Nursery. Learning the wrong lesson from the dressing-down, Grimlock swore to reverse the Nucleon effect on his comrades...again, regardless of the consequences. Natural Selection, Part One
Five years later, Grimlock had formed an alliance of convenience with the evil Scorponok, who was using a Gene Key device to rewrite all Autobots on Cybertron into essentially Decepticons. Sludge and the Dinobots were being hunted down by Scorponok's legions as further leverage to use against Grimlock. Reckoning that their fearless leader had finally gone too far, the Dinobots set off alarms at the Nursery as a challenge to Grimlock. When he arrived, the Dinobots attempted to give their traitorous former leader a quick death. A detachment of Scorponok's minions interrupted their squabble, and after Grimlock defeated the newcomers, Sludge and the others decided to give him one more chance. Natural Selection, Part Four
After retaking the Civil Defense Hub, the Dinobots raced to the Sonic Canyons to prevent Scorponok from activating a pan-global Gene Key to affect the entire planet at once. Sludge and the Dinobots damaged the bridge supports holding up the Key's position, but they were unable to stop Grimlock from sacrificing himself by grappling with Scorponok all the way down into the bottomless chasm below. Natural Selection, Part Five
Once Slag was restored by the Nebulan process, Sludge and the other Dinobots came to the new Autobot leader, Hot Rod. They all had a feeling that Grimlock wasn't really dead, and wanted to join Hot Rod on his expedition into Cybertron's core. Destiny, Part One Their search led them deep into Cybertron's under-structure, following a "map" imprinted on Hot Rod's mind by the Covenant of Primus. Destiny, Part Two In the Primus chamber, the group was confronted by Primordial Cybertronians, who only retreated after the arrival of Grimlock, aglow and inhabited by the power of Primus. Destiny, Part Three Sludge and the other Dinobots entered a form of mind-lock while Primus and Hot Rod conversed. After Primus dispatched Hot Rod on a quest through Zero Space, the Dinobots awoke to find a very confused Grimlock. Destiny, Part Four As they made their way back towards the surface, the Dinobots realized the primitives were passively following them as well. Emerging from the ground in the middle of a Decepticon invasion, the Dinobots took up arms against the 'Cons and their Blitz Engines, and led the primitives into battle as much needed reinforcements for the Autobot cause. Destiny, Part Five
After the invasion, however, the Autobots were unsettled by the presence of the Dinobots' new "friends". Even the newly risen Rodimus Prime, who first began the quest to reconnect with these ancestors, didn't want to know them. The War to End All Wars, Part 1 Sludge and the other Dinobots were unsettled by the ghetto constructed on the surface by the Autobots to house the primitives, and were suspicious of how passive the primitives had quickly become. When Jhiaxus's highly advanced Primum Fugae arrived on Cybertron, they quickly judged the primitives to be an evolutionary insult and began exterminating them. Sludge and the others stepped up to defend the creatures, but the Primum Fugae proved incredibly powerful. Sludge in particular wascritically damaged by one of the new Cybertronians, who impaled him on a set of blades, leaving him helpless like a fish on a line. The Primum Fugae only retreated after a larger Autobot force arrived. The War to End All Wars, Part 2
Because of their collective injuries, the Dinobots remained behind on Cybertron when Rodimus Prime led a counter-attack against Jhiaxus's Hub worlds. Sludge apparently recovered, and was seen with the other Dinobots on Cybertron, The War to End All Wars, Part 4 but he wasn't seen again after the rise of the shadow-demons. It's unknown if Sludge fell to the Anti-Matrix's spawn before the return of the other Autobots from the Hub. The War to End All Wars, Part 5
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
When Optimus learned from Cosmos that the Decepticons were razing a human village to build a fuel plant in its place, he had the Dinobots hide within the other Autobots' vehicle modes to sneak up on the enemy. Once they were in close enough proximity to Shockwave and his minions, the Dinobots were released and the battle against the evil robots commenced. Sludge struck the first blow in combat, tackling Scavenger into a pit to "make him go crunch!" Kickback and Ravage then nearly managed to sneak up on Sludge and Slag, but Grapple and Gears intercepted the two Decepticons before they could harm the Dinobots. The Decepticons were beaten up, shoved into a pit, and covered with quick-drying cement to trap them. The Autobot Spy in the Sky
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
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
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
After Optimus Prime and Megatron disappeared into a prototype space-bridge and were presumed dead, Sludge became part of Grimlock's Lightning Strike Coalition, a sub-faction that arose as the Autobots splintered into smaller groups. Together, they would run amok disrupting the Decepticons' activities. On one of their missions, they managed to swipe a plenty of energon from Starscream's Predacons. Fragmentation Later he and his fellow Dynobots (minus Grimlock who was busy tracking down Jetfire for treason) aided Prowl's group deal with Trypticon, though the fight went unfinished when Trypticon simply left to respond to other orders. Revelation When Sludge's group 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. The Fallen was ultimately done in by the power of Primus himself, and the Dynobots were reunited with their leader. Conflagration
Afterwards, Ultra Magnus managed to unite the Autobots once more, and under his leadership gained a significant hold over Cybertron's resources and territories. This eventually forced the Ultracons and Shockwave's Decepticons to sign a peace treaty with the Autobots. Sludge and the other Dynobots were posted as perimeter guards during the peace talks, in anticipation for any attacks that might come their way. Sure enough, Starscream and his Predacons struck by sending in a pair of shuttles filled with neutronium plasma to crash into Tyger Pax, where the treaty was being signed. Sludge and his teammates were unable to halt the shuttles, ending any hope of an easy truce. The dramatic return of Megatron with his cloned Aerospace Extermination Squadron ended any ideas of truce at all. 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, Megatron'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 totalitarian regime by rampaging about. Cold War Though the Dinobots made much headway towards Shockwave's Tower, their progress was halted by the newly reawakened Omega Sentinels. One of these titans blasted the Dinobots, leading to some 'rest time' for Sludge and the others. Passive Aggression Later, once Shockwave's government had been overthrown, Sludge was among the Autobots assembled by Ultra Magnus to help fortify Cybertron's planetary defenses. The Dinobots were to help Kup bolster the new Autobot bases on Cybertron's moons. The Route of All Evil
En-route to Cybertron's moon, Kup had an amusing conversation with Sludge while Arcee, Slag, and Snarl looked on. Generation 1 #11
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
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
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 Through cleansing of their energon and restoration of their original altmodes, the Dynobots were indeed cured of their rage in time to participate in the defense of Iacon against a major Decepticon attack. Primacy #4
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
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
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
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
Eager to find something to punch, the Dinobots were among the Autobots who went to investigate a mysterious light on the horizon, only to bear witness to the Necrotitan bursting out of the ground. Dark Dawn Since the giant showed no signs of aggression, the Autobots surrounded it and stayed on their guard until the exiled Decepticons showed up and attacked them. Black Metal The two groups battled until the Necrotitan suddenly unleashed an energy wave that caused extensive damage on both sides, prompting them to set aside their differences. Winners & Losers
Transformers: All Spark
Ask Vector Prime
In Primax 096.0 Beta, Grimlock, Sludge, and Swoop appeared at the last minute to save the day for the Autobots at the Battle for Sherman Dam. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06
Commercial appearances
- Sludge, Slag and Grimlock battled against Soundwave, Ravage and Laserbeak in the middle of a thunderstorm. Dinobots commercial
- Sludge and the Dinobots were beating up Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp when the Predacons intervened. The new arrivals barreled over Sludge before combining into Predaking and attack the Dinobots from the skies. Predacons commercial
Games
The Transformers (PS2)
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
Transformers: Battle Tactics
Slog 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, 95 units of Transmetal, and 20 event cores. Transformers: Battle Tactics
Transformers: Frontiers
Toys
Generation 1
- 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.
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.
- Dinobots Set (Platinum Edition 5-pack, 2015)
- Part of the Platinum Edition Dinobots Set, Slog is another slight G1-inspired redeco/new-head retool of Age of Extinction Voyager Class Slog. While the deco is pretty much the same as the Thrilling 30 figure above, this Slog doesn't features chromed side thighs.
- Slog was bundled with Grimlock, Slug, Snarl, and Strafe.
- The set was initially released as a Toys R Us exclusive set in Canada in October 2015 and in Singapore in November 2015. The 5-pack never receive any release for the brick & mortar retail in the US, but was instead available online.
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.
The Loyal Subjects
- 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
- 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,[1] and Bronton.[2]
- Sludge's alt mode was originally identified as a Brontosaurus[3] (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)
References
- ↑ Jim Sorenson revealed that the original The Transformers cartoon series bible features a descriptions of him typed with the name "Piledrive", then crossed out by hand and relabeled "Sludge". He was also listed parenthetically as "Brontobot".
- ↑ "Bronton" is from the Sunbow Productions cast list page for "Countdown to Extinction", and was evidently coined by writer Donald F. Glut.[1]
- ↑ But not that often, really. Dinobot toy packaging and instructions identified them only as "dinosaurs." It didn't seem to come up in the comics or his bios either. Specific mentions of him being a Brontosaurus include the cartoon production bible and the episode S.O.S. Dinobots.
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Character stubs missing video games
- Combiners
- Decoys
- Demolitions specialists
- Generation 1 Autobots
- Generation 1 Dinobots
- Generation 2 Autobots
- The Headmasters Autobots
- IDW Generation 1 Autobots
- Mail order items
- Platinum Edition
- Regeneration One Autobots
- Wings Universe Autobots
