Swindle (Movie)
| The name or term "Swindle" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Swindle (disambiguation). |
- Swindle is a Decepticon in the live action Transformers film continuity family and ALSO a bunch of mass-produced drones on both sides.
Swindle is one of many Decepticons ordered to Earth by Megatron to cause havoc for the Autobot forces there. He's well suited to the task. Swindle is not a great fighter and, more, he's dumb as a post, but he takes great glee in blowing things (any "things") to pieces and that's worth something right? Generally he leaps and hops around the battlefield like a madman, blasting explosives out of his chest cannon and laughing uncontrollably. Havoc is a given when he's around. He's also an enthusiastic but unfortunately ineffectual interrogator.
Sometimes there are lots of him.
On both sides.
Fiction
 Spoiler warning: Plot details follow. of the next episode/issue in the series or 30 days after release, whichever is sooner |
IDW Prequel Comic
Swindle (or a Swindle, one could argue the aparent intelligence displayed as evidence for either really) was in charge of torturing the location of the AllSpark out of Bumblebee's team after their capture at Tyger Pax. Even though he killed one of the team, he failed do extract any information from them, but succeeded at pissing off Megatron, who dismissed all of his underlings... then promised the relieved Swindle a slow and torturous death.
Luckily for Swindle, Megatron took off into space and was lost before he was able to follow through on his threats.
- (Note: Swindle inexplicably has modern-Earth car kibble on him when he is seen on pre-Earth-contact Cybertron centuries before the automobile was invented... while Bumblebee and the other Autobots do not. Hm.)
Games
Battle For the Allspark online game
Swindle units have excellent speed, fair attack power, but very weak defense. They are differentiated primarily by their heads; Autobot versions have a faceplate with separate eyes, while the Decepticon versions have a lens-head.
Transformers The Game (console)
Swindles are very common foes sent against both sides, though the largest concentration of them is in Tranquility. The Decepticon ones are particularly fond of lying in wait in their car modes and springing sneak attacks on any passerby Autobot. They are stronger than the Scrapper units, but not by a lot, and are generally easily disposed of.
Aside from the head model differences, Decepticon Swindles are a deep wine color, while Autobots are green.
Toys
Transformers (2007)
- Swindle (Deluxe, 2007)
- Swindle transforms into a Chevrolet Cobalt. He's the Decepticon version, with the lens-head. Thanks to his Automorph gimmick, his head flips out on its own from his chest during transformation. His torso also features a spring-loaded cannon that extends. This cannon gimmick can also be used in car mode, where it looks like a super-turbo-nitro exhaust pipe.
Trivia
- A squad of toy-like bright red Swindles appear in a cutscene of the console game... but as Autobots. Hm.
- Promotional renders for the console game also reveal a blue Swindle, though they never appear in this color in the ame proper.
