Sludge (G1)
| This article is about the Generation 1 Dinobot brontosaurus. For the Wal*Mart-exclusive Dinobots series dimetrodon, see Sludge (Dinobots). |
- 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. 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.
- Preliminary names: Brontobot, Piledrive, Bronton
- Italian name: Bronto
- French-Canadian name: Terro
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
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. The Last Stand The Dinobots were later freed by Ratchet and helped him fight and defeat Megatron. Repeat Performance
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. Sludge 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. Dinobot Hunt!
While he was recovering from brain surgery, he dreamed of Joy Victory!, and when recovered, he and the other Dinobots hooked up with her for some more adventures In the National Interest. Later on, he ended up fighting Galvatron, being destroyed by an Underbase-powered Starscream before being revived with Nucleon by Grimlock, and fighting Unicron before being killed and then resurrected by the Last Autobot as the Autobots finally won...
Generation 2
Animated continuity
- Voice actor: Frank Welker (US), Kenyu Horiuchi (Japan)
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
During the Battle of Autobot City, Sludge and the Dinobots attacked Devastator. During the attack, Devastator struck Sludge so hard his optic sensors bulged out of his head. Later, the Dinobots escaped with Kup and Hot Rod, only to be shot down over Quintessa. The Dinobots later located the two Autobots 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. Later, Sludge was able to tail-whip the butt of a god. TFTM
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 Later, he was among the Primitives who were summoned by Primacron's assistant to fight Tornedron, along with the Predacons and the Terrorcons. When Headstrong insulted Grimlock, Sludge, who didn't like the Predacons, suggested that they stomp them. Other than that, he didn't really contribute to the adventure. Call of the Primitives
Dreamwave comics continuity
Devil's Due G.I.Joe vs Transformers comics
IDW Generation 1 comics
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.
Trivia
- Sludge turns into a brontosaurus (a sauropod dinosaur), a dinosaur that, due to skeletal misidentification at its discovery, does not actually exist.
- Sludge is the only one of the original Dinobots not to share his alt mode with another character.
- 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, plus came with a red-and-black Diaclone pilot figure.
- Swoop and Sludge's absence from the Generation 2 toy line has never been fully explained, though rumors of what might have been persist. Recently, packaging art of both in new colors was unearthed, indicating what he might have looked like in the line. This art surfaced alongside a screaming yellow and turquoise Grimlock, so it is possible that the three were at one time planned for a second wave of Dinobots.
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