Grotusque
- Grotusque is an Autobot Monsterbot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Grotusque laughs at life and everything in it. Why shouldn't he when nothing out there could ever be as frightening as his own reflection in the mirror? Still, Grotusque gamely laughs off even his own hideous appearance and alternate mode with a joke about Primus having had a little too much high-grade energon that day.
He's jovial, upbeat, and irreverent by nature despite his frightening exterior. To the frequent amusement (and sometimes annoyance) of his comrades, Grotusque can be counted on to fill the air with laughter and lighthearted jokes in even the darkest or least appropriate of situations. To their dismay he's simply incapable of taking anything totally seriously. Yet they have little other reason to complain; Grotusque's courage is legendary and he's a top-notch fighter. He's also quite brilliant at his function as strategist, with a sharp and analytical mind that's perfect for planning masterful campaigns (and witty quips). Fighting is fun, in Grotusque's opinion, or he simply wouldn't do it, and, in the end, death is as much a joke as life, so smile and laugh a little, and enjoy yourself while you're here.
- Japanese name: Grotess<br />
- Italian name: Tigerbot
Fiction
Toy commercial
Grotusque and the Monsterbots were created accidentally during an attempt to create new Autobots. Kup raced to warn Rodimus Prime and Blurr of the accident, as the wild Monsterbots trashed the lab where they were born. Thankfully the Decepticons attacked just then and the Monsterbots burst out of the building through the wall to fight them. In the ensuing battle, Grotusque traded fire with Scourge. Rodimus expressed relief that, though they were monsters, at least they were Autobot monsters.
Marvel Comics continuity
Grotusque and the Monsterbots joined Fortress Maximus in abandoning Cybertron, hoping to find a new life for themselves on the planet of Nebulos. Grotusque's flight abilities proved handy as the Autobots awkwardly made their way down to the surface from their orbiting ship; he arrived with a fellow Autobot hitching a ride by hanging on to his tail, noting as he did that the organic planet before them looked quite strange. Ring of Hate!
Note: Dialog in this scene misidentifies Grotusque as Repugnus.
Conflicts with the locals made the Autobots' lives on Nebulos difficult, and those conflicts were only exacerbated by the Decepticons' arrival and subsequent binary bonding with a deceitful group of local Nebulans, including the pairing of Decepticon leader Scorponok with high-ranking official Lord Zarak. Zarak turned the Nebulan people against the Autobots, portraying the Decepticons as public heroes even as they raided Nebulos's resources to serve the lust for power of both Zarak and Scorponok. When the Decepticons attempted to take control of the Mercury Gardens of Melanossus, the Monsterbots and several comrades attempted to stop them. They failed -- not only did the Decepticon Headmasters kill every Autobot but the escaping Monsterbots, they also successfully proclaimed their heroism to the media for driving off the Autobot "attackers". Brothers in Armor!
The Autobots eventually quit Nebulos and traveled to Earth, where Grotusque continued to serve as one of Fortress Maximus's top advisors. He was part of a select greeting party involved in the first meeting with the Ark's crew. Totalled!
Dreamwave Comics continuity
<div style="width: 90%; margin: 0 auto .2em auto; background-color:#efefef; border: 2px solid #eeeeee; padding: 2px; text-align: left;">Note: In one of the extras in the Dark Ages trade paperback, Grotusque is listed as a member of Starscream's evil Predacon faction. This seems at odds with what we know of his personality, plus he never actually appeared in the comic at Starscream's side. It's possible this is a mistake, and it was meant to be his more unstable Monsterbot colleague, Repugnus.
The Headmasters cartoon
Grotusque and his Monsterbot comrades were called in by Rodimus Prime to help liberate the enslaved natives on planet Beest. Their mission was a success, and the Monsterbots subsequently stayed on Beest in order to protect it from future Decepticon attacks. Rebellion on Planet Beest There was apparently a change of plans some time later, as the Monsterbots were ordered to help the Autobots with a battle against the Decepticons on the planet Paradise. During the fight, Grotusque used his flaming breath to help topple Abominus and destroy the Decepticons' energon cubes. Head Formation of Friendship
3H Wreckers comics
Less than 3 deca-cycles after the reformatting of Cybertron into a technorganic wonderland, Grotusque and his fellow Monsterbots (apparently all having undergone the Maximal upgrade downsizing) are seen exiting a bar on the CSSB-16 Spaceport soused out of their minds on some high quality energon. Wreckers: Finale Part I If they had been a bit less drunk or exited just a bit later, they likely would have run smack into Devcon and the Dinobots... as is, they just missed another chance to actually DO something in a TF story. sigh.
IDW Comics
Grostusque is part of the mercenary Monsterbots team, who do violent work not for fun but for money (and also fun). The Monsterbots were called in to assist Grimlock, who was having Machination problems. Grotusque helped by eating Headmasters, god damn. Maximum Dinobots issue 3
Toys
Generation 1
- Grotusque (Monsterbot, 1987)
- Japanese ID number: C-99
- Accessories: "Vaporator" double-barreled blaster, left and right wings
- Grotusque transforms into a robotic winged sabertooth tiger. Pressing a button on the back of his beast-mode neck makes "cold" sparks shoot from his mouth, which opens and closes. His "Vaporator" weapon can also mount on his beast-mode back.
- Note that if the toy is transformed into beast mode properly--as depicted in the instructions--the curvature of its back is so acute that the monster must either be standing on the tips of its claws with its head pointed down at the ground, or facing forwards while rearing up on its hindlegs in a manner that makes it look less like a terrifying cat-monster and more like a pudgy gerbil trying to drink from a cage water bottle. Leaving the beast hindquarters partially unconnected to forequarters allows Grotusque a more "normal" posture.
