Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Devastator sure did a lot of stuff in the Generation 1 cartoon continuity!
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Arthur Burghardt (English), Seizō Katō (Japanese), Yū Shimaka (Japanese, The Movie) , Zhu Zhunzun (Chinese), Guillermo Romano (Latin-American Spanish, "City Of Steel"), Mário Monjardim (Portuguese), Older Cazarré (Portuguese, "City of Steel"), Orlando Drummond (Portuguese, "The Core"), Ronaldo Magalhães (Portuguese, "The Master Builders"), Orlando Prado (Portuguese, "The Secret of Omega Supreme"), Dario de Castro (Portuguese, "Triple Takeover"), Mauro Castro (Portuguese, DVD dub), Paulo Flores (Portuguese, "The Movie" TV dub), Newton Apollo (Portuguese, "The Movie" VHS dub), Mário Vilela (Portuguese, "The Movie" Fox Kids dub), Bernd Simon (German, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"), Holger Schwiers (German, "The Burden Hardest to Bear"), Werner Abrolat (German, "The Movie" TV dub), Gerd Rigauer (German, Generation 2 dub of "The Core" & "The Master Builders"), Klaus Kessler (German, Generation 2 dub of "Triple Takeover"), Willy Schäfer (German, Generation 2 dub of "Starscreams Brigade"), Albert Augier (European French, "Heavy Metal War"), Jacques Ferrière (European French, "City of Steel" & "The Secret of Omega Supreme"), Henry Djanik (European French, "The Autobot Run" & "Triple Takeover"), Georges Atlas (European French, "The Core" & "The Master Builders")
The ability to merge into Devastator was given to the Constructicons by Megatron around nine million years ago, not long after he brainwashed them into his loyal servants using the Robosmasher. Their former friend Omega Supreme learned of this new ability first-hand when the Constructicons combined in order to hold Omega fast, so that the Robosmasher could be turned loose on his mind. Omega overpowered Devastator, however, and tore himself free of the Robosmasher, left not subservient to Megatron, but with a burning desire for vengeance against the Constructicons. The Secret of Omega Supreme
Millions of years later, in 1984, having joined Megatron on Earth, the Constructicons were charged with tunnelling under Autobot Headquarters in order to destroy Teletraan I. Confronted by the Dinobots and forced back outside the volcano base, the Constructicons realized they were no match for their new opponents, and combined into Devastator to fight back—the first of several battles between the giant and the Dinobots that wound rage through the Transformers' time on Earth. The Dinobots fared poorly in their first meeting with Devastator, but before they fell, their fellow Autobots returned to lend them a hand. Hound distracted Devastator with a hologram of a giant Autobot, allowing Optimus Prime to blast him dead center, causing him to disengage into the separate Constructicons. Heavy Metal War
Devastator was next called into action when the Decepticons were attempting to conquer and recreate New York City, his height and power being required to stop a group of Autobots scaling the Empire State Building, which had been seized by the Decepticons. With Optimus Prime playing Fay Wray to his King Kong, Devastator climbed to the top of the building, fighting off attacks by remote controlled drone helicopters courtesy of Wheeljack along the way. Once Devastator reached the peak, however, Optimus was able to gain remote control of his own dismembered gun-wielding arm, which had been mounted on top of the building as an artillery unit, and blasted Devastator off the building. Plummeting back to street-level, the combiner split apart on impact. City of Steel
After Megatron's Transfixatron scheme failed, Devastator was unleashed upon the Autobots, and began to mop the floor with them using finger lasers, optical tractor beams, and really heavy fists. The tide turned when Wheeljack and Cliffjumper used the Transfixatron against Devastator, successfully cancelling out the Constructicons' combined form. The Autobot Run
When Megatron attempted to tap the Earth's core to give the Decepticons a limitless supply of geothermal energy, Devastator defended the project from Autobot attack. To get around the giant combiner, Chip Chase and Wheeljack created dominator disks which forced the Constructicons, and thus Devastator, into serving the Autobots. Unfortunately, Megatron had anticipated this plan and built a device to override the dominator disks. When he turned Devastator against the Autobots, Wheeljack turned up the power on the dominator discs, which only served to fry Devastator's logic circuits and sent him berserk, damaging the controls for Megatron's drill just as it was about to pierce the Earth's core. Working together, both factions restored Devastator to Megatron's control and sent him into the ground to take out the drill before it could destroy the Earth. Devastator was surprised by Megatron's cowardly absence after he returned surface, but merely believed Megatron left to plan their next attack. The Core
Allying with Autobots Grapple and Hoist to construct a Solar Power Tower of Grapple's design that they could then steal for the Decepticons, the Constructicons formed Devastator to install the sun-harnessing sphere component on top of the tower. After the villains took control of the tower, the other Autobots arrived to stop their plan and were confronted by Devastator once again, but managed to fell him by tricking him into collapsing the tower right on top of himself. The Master Builders
Devastator got his first rematch with the Dinobots when the prehistoric anti-heroes attacked the Constructicons as they were unloading a supply of Cybertonium from the space bridge. Scavenger was caught off-guard by the Dinobots before he could join his teammates in forming Devastator, and the one-armed giant was unable to prevent the Dinobots from transporting themselves to Cybertron. Devastator had pulled himself together by the time Spike and Carly arrived, hot on the Dinobots' trail, but Carly's superior driving skills allowed her to navigate around his stomping feet and make it into the bridge as well. Not one of Devastator's better days. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1
Another rematch of a different kind was soon to come when the Constructicons crossed paths with Omega Supreme, but the Autobot titan's rage allowed him to quickly overcome Devastator, burying him beneath an avalanche. The Secret of Omega Supreme
After the Triple Changers temporarily disposed of Megatron and Starscream, the Constructicons threw in with Blitzwing as the new Decepticon leader, building a maze around his base of operations. Unsurprisingly, Blitzwing refused to uphold his part of the bargain and make the Constructicons his leadership partners, so the enraged team formed Devastator to improve their bargaining posture. Megatron soon returned and put Blitzwing and Astrotrain in their place, but Devastator did not fall in line so easily, and continued his attack against them all, forcing all the in-fighting Decepticons to team up to eventually take him down. Triple Takeover Betrayals remained the order of the day when Devastator next saw combat, called up by Megatron to deal with another plot by Starscream and his new troops, the Combaticons. Starscream had foreseen Devastator's involvement, however, and had given his Combaticons the power to combine into Bruticus, who soundly defeated the Constructicons' combined form. Starscream's Brigade
Devastator played a key role in the battle of Autobot City in the year 2005, smashing the artillery that lined the city and, after an all-night siege, successfully breaching its walls with his prodigious strength. Before he could progress inside the city itself, though, his old foes the Dinobots arrived to halt his progress, dropping on him from an incoming shuttle. Devastator kicked Grimlock out of the air, slammed Sludge and hurled him aside, but was brought low by Slag, who pushed him through a wall. Even from this position, though, Devastator managed to take out Swoop immediately after, as he dodged an attack from the flying Dinobot and caused some rubble to collapse on him. The battle was brought to an end when Megatron was defeated and the Decepticons retreated from Earth aboard Astrotrain, arguing amongst themselves who would lead them now. Scrapper argued for the Constructicons, since they formed Devastator, "the most powerful robot", and the team proceeded to merge to prove their point, but were shaken apart mid-transformation by Rumble and Frenzy. The Transformers: The Movie
Following the battle with Unicron, the defeated Decepticons were exiled to the burnt-out world of Chaar, where they scraped by on diminishing amounst of energon. When Astrotrain returned from an energy run, the Constructicons fought over the few scraps of energon he brought back, but banded together to form Devastator to make sure Astrotrain couldn't take any for himself (though Bonecrusher lacked the energy to hold on to his teammates). Just as Devastator was about to tuck into his hard-won energon cube, Menasor hacked him apart with his sword and drove the Constructicons off. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
In 2006, the Constructicons formed Devastator when fighting the Autobots on an asteroid Galvatron was trying to turn into a mobile weapon, but he was flattened when a cunning Broadside transformed to aircraft carrier mode in mid-air and landed directly on top of him. The battle carried to the planet Eurythma, where Devastator was formed again, but he was quickly blasted apart into his component robots by a precise shot from Perceptor. Carnage in C-Minor Devastator got a little revenge on Broadside later in the year when he teamed up with Predaking to confront him in the seas of Japan, though the huge waves the Autobot kicked up when he fell under their laser fire forced the team to separate and withdraw. The Burden Hardest to Bear
Japanese cartoon continuity
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story pages
Devastator once faced his old nemesis Omega Supreme during the midst of another, larger battle on Cybertron. Story page # unknown At a presumably later date, Devastator clashed with Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, Ironhide and Trailbreaker in... space, or something? Well, Cybertron was in the background, so it was probably space. The battle was so great that Prime even needed to call in the extra firepower of his Combat Deck, which flew through space (or whatever) to join the fight. It was kind of a weird day. Story page #6
Later, Devastator and Menasor were making trouble for the Autobots, but were dealt with by the Autobots' newest combiner warrior, Defensor. The Protectobot gestalt took Devastator out by launching his right arm—Streetwise—at him, who transformed to robot mode mid-flight and shattered the Decepticon giant's chestplate with his mighty right hand. Devastator seemed suitably horrified. Story page #12 Not nearly as horrified, though, as anyone who gazed upon his and the other Decepticon combiners' deformed bodies when they later gathered for another major battle. Story page #16
Scramble City
- Voice actor: Seizō Katō (Japanese)
Discovering the location of the secret factory in which the Autobots were constructing their mobile fortress Scramble City, Megatron dispatched the Constructicons to destroy it. Confronted by a team of Autobots led by Optimus Prime, they formed Devastator, who quickly took the upper hand in the battle by hurling giant boulders and opening fire with his cannon. Observing Devastator's attack from within Scramble City, Ultra Magnus ordered the Aerialbots into the fray, and a speedy hail of laser fire from above courtesy of the airborne Autobots soon cut Devastator down to size and had the Constructicons retreated. Scramble City: Mobilization
The Headmasters cartoon
- Voice actor: Seizō Katō (Japanese), Alejandro Abdalah (Latin American Spanish)
In 2011, Devastator was among the Decepticons who attacked Cybertron in an attempt to seize the planet by taking control of Vector Sigma. While Abominus had Superion engaged, Devastator tried to shoot the Autobot combiner in the back, but evil plan was foiled by Optimus Prime, who struck Devastator with a flying jump kick and knocked his blast off-course so that it hit Abominus instead. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky As the battle progressed, Devastator joined forces with Bruticus, Menasor and Abominus to drive back the Autobot combiner robots, but where then felled themselves by the power of Battleship Maximus. The Mystery of Planet Master
Later, during another major battle on Cybertron, this time over cybertonuron, Devastator was presented with another chance to shoot Superion in the back as he battled Abominus, but yet again shot Abominus instead as the pair broke their grapple at the last moment. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2 This affair concluded with the destruction of Cybertron, so it was on Earth that Devastator next fought, battling Defensor as part of a Decepticon effort to hijack an Autobot energy shipment to the planet Sandra. SOS from Planet Sandra
Devastator disappeared from view following this; in truth, he and many other Decepticons had secretly withdrawn to the hidden, sub-oceanic continent of Lemuria, where Devastator oversaw the processing of crysmagnetal for Scorponok's Death Towers. Once the towers were deployed around the world, Devastator joined the entire Decepticon army in battling the Autobots at the North Pole, and fled into space alongside them upon their defeat. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)
Zone cartoon
- Voice actor: Hirohiko Kakegawa (Japanese)
At some point after the year 2025, Devastator joined several other powerful Decepticons in an assault on planet Zone, led by the reborn Dark Emperor Deathsaurus. Attempting to steal their Energon Z, the Decepticons proved no match for the Micromasters and were driven away. Zone Project Story
Devastator was among the Nine Great Demon Generals recruited by the Decepticons' newest Emperor of Destruction, Violengiguar. Outfited with new armor and weaponry—incluing a large arm-mounted drill—Devastator was christened the "Engineering General" of the group, and sent forth to conquer planets in pursuit of Violengiguar's goal of creating a Decepticon Zone. Zone Part 1 At some point, Generals schooled Metrotitan and the Metrosquad in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. Zone Part 7
Dispatched to Earth with Trypticon, Predaking, and King Poseidon by Violengiguar to acquire the Zodiac, Devastator destroyed the World Trade Center while searching the planet for the mysterious energy source. By the time Devastator arrived in Japan, Trypticon and Predaking were already embroiled in battle with Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber; he burst up out of the ground while Dai Atlas was grappling with Predaking and attempted to run him through with his drill, but was stopped by a barrage of missiles from the acting Autobot leader. Predaking ordered him away to seek the Zodiac, and Devastator obeyed, drilling down into the Earth, but Dai Atlas pursued, following Devastator into the subterranean cavern in which the Zodiac rested. Devastator snatched the enigmatic orb and fled, handing it off to King Poseidon before turning back to resume his battle with Dai Atlas, whom the Seacon combiner had restrained with a chain. Before Devastator could drill a hole through him, though, Dai Atlas shifted to drill tank mode and dragged the Decepticon into a vein of molten magma, which swept him away. Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!
TV Magazine comic continuity
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic
In the late 1980s, in search of a location that could serve as a base for their new battle station Trypticon, Megatron brought the Constructicons to a utopian island to begin deforestation and construction. When Superion arrived to stop the Decepticons, the Constructicons merged into Devastator and announced that he and Trypticon would take on the Autobot combiner (overkill much?). Trypticon did not approve of sharing his prey, however, and he picked up Devastator and threw him into a nearby rockface, shattering him back into his individual components. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6
The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers
In the year 2010, Devastator participated in a Decepticon attack on the planet Feminia, battling alongside Bruticus and Menasor against their Autobot counterparts Superion, Defensor and Omega Supreme. The fight was fairly evenly matched until Galvatron called up his ace-in-the-hole, Predaking, whose power was unmatched by any of the Autobots... except for the Omnibots, who essentially tied Predaking's shoelaces together until he fell over, straight into Devastator and his chums, sending them all toppling to the ground and knocking them to bits.The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5
Super-God Masterforce comic
The image of Devastator was among a group of holograms of older Decepticons projected by King Poseidon to deceive and confuse the Autobots under Ginrai's command. Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!
Zone comic
Devastator was among the Nine Great Demon Generals recruited by the Decepticons' newest Emperor of Destruction, Violengiguar. Outfited with new armor and weaponry—incluing a large arm-mounted drill—Devastator was christened the "Engineering General" of the group, and sent forth to conquer planets in pursuit of Violengiguar's goal of creating a Decepticon Zone. Zone Part 1 At some point, Generals schooled Metrotitan and the Metrosquad in the ways of evil, making them more than formidable foes for the Powered Masters. Zone Part 7
One element required for Violengiguar's plan was the mysterious life-giving Zodiac, hidden somewhere on Earth. Devastator accompanied King Poseidon, Trypticon and Predaking to the planet, cutting a swathe of destruction through the cities of Earth as they converged on Mount Fuji, where the Zodiac was believed to rest. Arriving at the mountain, the four generals were confronted by a small army of Autobot Micromasters, which prompted nothing but laughter from the villains... until a rock clonked Devastator on the head, hurled by the newly arrived Autobot Powered Masters Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber. As battle erupted, Devastator broke away, using his drill to burrow into the Earth in hopes of locating the subterranean hiding place of the Zodiac, but Dai Atlas pursued him into the planet's depths. There, Dai Atlas used his "awareness of the flow of nature" to summon up a torrent of magma that took Devastator out of the fight. Transformers: Zone
Rodimus vs. Cyclonus
During the battle for Autobot City, Devastator managed to grab a hold of Tracks, only for the Autobot to pepper his face with laser blasts. Tracks managed to escape him, relatively unharmed. Rodimus vs. Cyclonus
Wings Universe
After being Robo-Smashed into loyal Decepticons, the Constructicons were upgraded by Soundwave, at Megatron's orders, using the combiner technology stolen from the conquered warlord Deathsaurus. The newborn Devastator joined the Decepticons in an attack on Iacon one week later. Battle Lines, Part 5 The Autobots attempted to stop him by shooting down a live energy conduit which stuck his right arm, but it barely phased the Decepticon. When they followed that up by shooting him in the knees, however, Devastator toppled over backwards. Battle Lines, Part 6
Nine million years later, during the Battle of Autobot City in 2005, after breaching the city walls, Devastator was confronted by Ultra Magnus and a small group of Autobots. He invited them to surrender, but they responded by blasting him into his component parts. A Flash Forward
Cloud
When Cloud World's Megatron interrupted Megatron's battle with Optimus Prime, he was annoyed and unleashed Devastator on the intruder, only for the combiner to be blasted back into his components by the raging, SARA-powered Megatron's tank mode. Rampage
Ask Vector Prime
In one universe, Sideways and Gong interfered in the Unicron War, turning the usual song-and-dance into a battle to the death between the Decepticons and the Guardians. The Constructicons formed Devastator to bulldoze through the walls of Guardian City, but after a night's worth of fighting the Decepticons were unable to gain a foothold. When Leader-1 arrived with reinforcements, Devastator battled Courageous and easily knocked the Guardian superweapon to bits. Echoes and Fragments
Notes
- Devastator had two different character models in the original Transformers cartoon; at the least, he had two different head designs, one with a visor and one without. Sometimes his head would change designs within a single episode—the "visorless" look is how he appeared for the majority of "Heavy Metal War", but he appears with his visor on in a few shots. While both head designs would continue to be used (almost at random) in subsequent episodes, the visored design was used for his dramatic scene in The Transformers: The Movie, and thus seems to have "won out"; it appears on most modern Devastator merchandise.
- In addition to his alternating head designs, Devastator also goes through two separate color models in the cartoon. For his first couple of appearances, he uses a model that colors the, erm, protrusion on the front of his pelvis green with purple sides, and the area of his torso underneath his chestplate purple. Starting with "The Master Builders", a new color model is introduced that makes the pelvis-part solid purple, and changes the torso to green, but which also consistently mis-colors the "jet port" on the top of the centre of his chest plate and the small window next to his head green instead of purple, and Long Haul's dump bed on his back purple instead of green. This new color model, with errors, would be used for all future appearances by Devastator that were animated by Toei Animation (including the movie); unsurprisingly, AKOM never got the memo.
- Devastator was given two different scales between the season 1 and 2 scale charts of the original cartoon. In season 1, the top of the head of the leader-sized 'bots (Megatron, Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime, etc.) come up to Devastator's knees, while in season 2, he was scaled down a considerable amount, with the top of their heads coming up to his hips instead. By the time The Headmasters cartoon came around, Devastator was scaled-up to his original size again.
- As it was most commonly flanged and synthesized in the Generation 1 cartoon, Devastator's voice has some delay effects added to it, adding some offset repeats of itself, presumably intended to convey the idea that he's made up of several individuals.
