Cog (G1)

This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.

This subject of this article goes by multiple names that apply to other articles as well. See Cog (disambiguation), Gasket (disambiguation).

Cog is an Autobot drone from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Clockwise from top: Cog, Gasket, and Grommet.
Not pictured: Widget, Doodad, and Thingamajigger.

Cog is the combined robotic form of Fortress Maximus's vehicular drones, Gasket and Grommet. Cog has no independent will of his (its?) own and is completely under Maximus's control. Functioning as both mechanic and warrior, he allows Fortress Maximus to be at other places while in city mode, as well as to interact with more normally-sized beings. (Why Maximus would need this when he already has Cerebros is unclear, but might have to do with Cerebros not possessing a vehicle mode.)

When Cog is feeling at his most sentient, he's quick to express skepticism in his leaders' actions, even directly to Optimus Prime. Someone's got to be the wet blanket, because sometimes the wet blanket's correct.

Fiction

Marvel The Transformers comics

Dammit, Max, stop doing your ventriloquist act and fight!

Dammit, Max, stop repainting your drones and fight!

Cog was among Fortress Maximus's troops that ambushed a prisoner-of-war death march led by Scorponok. He stood at Fortress Maximus's side as he held the troops, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, then split into his component vehicles Gasket and Grommet for the attack. Cog returned to robot mode by the time the Decepticons' battle line broke, and he counseled Fortress Maximus to finish off the fleeing Decepticons. Maximus refused, instead calling for a mutual retreat. Both Cog's vehicle modes were seen returning to the Manganese Mountains with the rescued prisoners.

Much later, after a disastrous military confrontation with the natives on planet Nebulos, Cog was one of the Autobots that gathered around Kup to talk smack about Fortress Maximus's pacifist-aggressive leadership style. Ring of Hate!

The Transformers cartoon

Gasket and Grommet acted as turrets for Fortress Maximus's third mode during the giant Autobot's barrage on Scorponok and the Decepticons. The Rebirth, Part 3

Beast Wars: Uprising

Cog, Gasket, and Grommet were identified as some of the names or aspects of Fortress Maximus in the Builders' era when Survive led a unit to eliminate the robot/base. Head Games

Legends comic

In 2038, Cog became a butler and attendant to Fortress of Master. In the past, Fortress had risked his health whenever he combined with his Battleship Maximus transtector to become the massive and powerful Fortress Maximus. Cog helped circumvent Fortress's problems by combining with the battleship too, serving as Fortress's life support system. Together, they formed "Weaponizer Fortress Maximus" and joined many Autobot Supreme Commanders in defending Cybertron from Unicron Neo. Big Powered Prologue, Part 1

War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon

Voice actor: Brian Robert Burns (English), Yūki Shin (Japanese), Yann Sundberg (French), Johann Fohl (German), Alan Bravo (Latin-American Spanish)

I'm here to finally show up in a cartoon and support Optimus Prime, and I'm all out of supporting Optimus Prime!

When Optimus Prime reported to the Autobots camped within the Ark that Ultra Magnus had surrendered to Megatron, Cog expressed anger and frustration. Ultra Magnus knew the location of their base and all their secrets, and his actions had put them all in danger. Cog continued these feelings later after Optimus Prime explained to everyone that Ultra Magnus had sent a message claiming Megatron was hunting for the Allspark, including coordinates to its location. Cog countered that not only was the Allspark a myth, but any action the Autobots could take to counter this plan could be a trap. Nevertheless, Cog joined the other Autobots in checking out the coordinates, and he and the others found themselves surrounded by hostile Decepticons, as he had predicted. Cog was shot through his midsection by Impactor and had to be dragged off the battlefield. Once back at the Ark, Red Alert started repairs. Siege episode 2

I make other people awesome!

After Cog returned to duty, Optimus Prime used the Alpha Trion Protocols to locate the Allspark within the Sea of Rust, and Cog warned Optimus that no Autobot who entered the region had ever returned. While Optimus Prime led a team into the Sea of Rust despite Cog's warnings, Cog joined Bumblebee and Arcee in a mission to grift the elusive Mercenary Soundblaster of his Energon reserves. Soundblaster found the trio out, however, and Cog transformed and weaponized Arcee to aid in their escape, Siege episode 5 which was successful.

Cog, Bumblebee, and Arcee returned to the Ark with enough Energon to power its launch, and Cog helped crew the Ark towards a Space Bridge. When the Decepticons sieged the Ark, Cog joined in its defense, and ultimately he and the rest of the Ark crew disappeared through the Space Bridge to a location unknown. Siege episode 6

Cog was rendered inactive after their escape, and was subsequently discovered along with his crewmates by the Mercenaries. Earthrise Episode 2

Cog was on the bridge of The Ark as it journeyed through the Dead Universe. Earthrise Episode 5

Cog came upon Optimus and Megatron, locked in battle, and arrived just in time to see Prime violently threaten Megatrons life, determined to put an end to their fight. As Optimus yelled at him to leave, the Fortune fired on The Ark, ripping open a hole in the ship, creating a vacuum that instantly pulled Cog out of the ship and into space. Despite being pulled from The Ark, Cog survived, finding his way aboard the Fools Fortune. Once aboard, he snuck up on the Mercenaries Exhaust and Bug Bite, killing them both and leaving their bodies to float out into space, before making his way to the ship's bridge. There, Cog found Deseeus, who was controlling the ship in an attempt to destroy both the Autobots and the Decepticons. Deseeus attempted to continue, seemingly unfazed by Cog pulling a gun on them, but the Autobot weaponiser shot off one of the Quintessons tenctacles. Before Cog could finish them off, a blast from the Nemesis sent him crashing back against a wall. Before he could stand, Deseeus stabbed him, and fled the bridge. Mortally wounded, Cog hauled himself into Doubledealers chair, trying to insure his message reached the other ships; that he had taken the Fortune, and to stop firing. Ultimaty, it was not enough, as the Fortune exploded, killing Cog and sending the other ships crashing down to Earth. Earthrise Episode 6

300pxI I'm no longer going to make people awesome...

Toys

The Transformers

"Sit on my face and tell me that you love me."

• Fortress Maximus (Headmaster Base, 1987)
  • Accessories: "Laser" rifle

Cog was only available as part of the Fortress Maximus set. He is formed by combining the two armored cars, Gasket and Grommet; the process involves little more than removing Gasket's arms and re-pegging them on his sides and then pegging the two vehicles together. The top of Gasket's vehicle mode is sculpted to securely fit Spike (pictured) or any other large Headmaster figure.

Cog, Gasket and Grommet were redecoed into Grand Maximus's Cog, Onomisu, and Koka, and Cybertron City's Gadep, Guardia, and Protect.

• More information on Cog at TFU.info

Encore

• Fortress Maximus (Headmaster Base, 2013)

The first re-release of Fortress Maximus in Encore comes with Cog once again. There are no significant differences between the re-release Cog and the original.

Generations

War for Cybertron: Siege

He's back, in Cog form!

• Cog (Deluxe Weaponizer, 2018)
  • ID Number: WFC-S8
  • Japanese ID Number: SG-05
  • Japanese release date: February 23, 2019
  • Accessories: 2 "RT-5 Circuit Welder" pistols

Part of the first wave of Siege Deluxe Class figures, Cog is a new mold which transforms from robot into armored vehicle and back. Cog also retains his ability to split into Gasket and Grommet, a trait proudly demonstrated by the packaging artwork. His official alternate mode is a combined half-track vehicle consisting of the two individual vehicles plugged together. However, the flat rectangular tab that holds them together doesn't have a particularly tight fit, and has a tendency to come undone during handling. He can also accommodate "Fire Blast" effect pieces from the Battle Masters assortment to simulate blaster fire, or taking blaster fire. His forearms also have minor hints of battle damage.

As a Weaponizer, he can also be disassembled into an arsenal of weapons, armor, and other upgrades compatible with various other Siege figures as part of the interchangeable/connectable-weapon C.O.M.B.A.T. System... or, really, any figures with 5 mm post attachment points. He splits into a "C-40 Neutron Synthesis Shield" (torso), "C-LR Thermal Booster" (hips and waist), two "C-HV Electro-Scramblers" (arms), and two "C-M3 HF Spectrum Disruptors" (legs), with a pair of "RT-5 Circuit Welders" (his handguns) left over. His instructions show two suggested combinations with Deluxe-level figures: the "Defensive Loadout" turns Cog into a shield, pair of platform shoes and an anti-aircraft backpack, while the "Offensive Loadout" uses nearly all his parts to make a huge artillery-laden backpack with marginally bigger cannons. Cog's transformation is also the most simple of the Siege "Weaponizer" molds, as it only requires the detachment of three parts.

The 5 mm pegs on his guns are trimmed on the side, and consequently don't fit securely into his hands or the 5 mm ports on other figures. Additionally, most of the pegholes featured on Cog's body are in fact hexagonal as opposed to circular, which combined with the trimmed circles leaves them unable to stay positioned properly.

This mold served as the model for the Comms Officer in the Netflix cartoon and retooled with a new head to make Siege Aragon.

Games

Transformers Trading Card Game

Having a new toy does wonders for an old obscure bot's exposure.

• Sergeant Cog, Artillery-Mechanic/Heavy Force Defensebreaker Cannon (2019)
  • Wave 3: War for Cybertron: Siege I
  • Rarity: SRT
  • Card Number: T42/T48
  • Stars: 10

Sergeant Cog, Artillery-Mechanic is one of forty-eight double-sided character cards available in Wave 3 of the Transformers Trading Card Game, War for Cybertron: Siege I. As a Weaponizer, Sergeant Cog, Artillery-Mechanic begins the game in Bot Mode. Instead of being sent to the KO Area once his Health drops to zero, the card is flipped to the Upgrade side, becoming the Heavy Force Defensebreaker Cannon, and equipped in the Weapons slot of another character on the player's side of the battlefield.

The artwork for Bot Mode is reused from the Siege Cog toy's packaging art.

Notes

You're not helping, England.

• Cog and his components were variously miscolored in almost every appearance in the Headmasters book. Such art errors were common in the miniseries. The one time any of his components was colored right was when Grommet was shown fighting alongside the Decepticons.
• Cog's appearance in the Headmasters comic is a possible art error: he's colored like Hardhead, and his advice to Fortress Maximus suits Hardhead's aggressive nature. So a possible explanation is that Hardhead was incorrectly drawn as Cog, and the colorist was actually using the correct color scheme from the scripted character. This is supported by the fact that Fortress Maximus is also colored correctly—but is drawn like Hardhead!
• In the UK printing, someone noticed the errors and decided that the colors and script were wrong, not the line-art. So the dialogue was changed to have Cog addressing Hardhead, not Fortress Maximus. Unfortunately, not only does this negate the possibility that what appears to be Cog is actually Hardhead himself, but it also attributes the followup line ("There's been enough destruction!") to Hardhead, which does not suit his personality at all.
• Cog's comic book appearance uses Cerebros's cartoon head design. In turn, Siege Cog homages Cerebros's distinct mouthplate as opposed to the traditional mouthplate on his original toy.
• Gasket and Grommet's "appearance" in "The Rebirth" is due to their toys having the gimmick of being able to be stored in Fortress Maximus's feet. This was likely the case in photos of the toy given to the animation studio, which led to the character model for Fortress Maximus's third mode including the cannons in the feet.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Cog (コグ Kogu), Gasket (ガスケット Gasuketto), Gromme (グロメ Gurome)