Grimlock (G1)
| The name or term "Grimlock" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Grimlock (disambiguation). |
- Me Grimlock am Autobot Dinobot in Generation 1 and Maximal in Beast Wars portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
Some Autobots wonder why Grimlock is even on their side. His disposition is much more suited to the Decepticons. After all, he values power and strength over wisdom and compassion, and furthermore, he doesn't really get along with most Autobots. When faced with a problem, his usual responses are to slice it with his energo-sword, tear it to pieces with his bare hands, or outright eat it. He is more willing to accept casualties than most of the Autobot leadership, and doesn't seem particularly concerned about the fleshies either. These things, coupled with his dislike of Optimus Prime, have led to a defection or two on Grimlock's part. He'd have no problem offing the Autobot leader if he thought he could get away with it, though.
What the Autobots don't realize is that the only thing he hates more than weakness is those who abuse their strength, meaning when push comes to shove, Grimlock will always fall in on the right side of the fence. And despite their disagreements, Grimlock holds a respect for Prime's strength and leadership. Grimlock is the leader of the Dinobots, a small but powerful strike squad. Grimlock himself is extremely strong and durable, and is one of the few Transformers who can not only stand toe-to-toe with Optimus Prime and Megatron, but actually give them a run for their money. Despite his strength and prowess, Grimlock continually struggles with his pronouns.
| “ | Me, Grimlock BADASS! | ” |
—Grimlock on himself, The War Within | ||
- Preliminary names: Tyrannobot / Trapjaw / Jawbreaker / Tyrex
- Chinese name: Gāng Sǔo (鋼鎖, "Steel Lock")
- French-Canadian name (G1): La Menace ("The Threat")
- French-Canadian name (BW): Menace ("Threat")
- Hungarian name (The Movie): Mogorva ("Grimlock") in one of the dubs
- Italian name: Tiran
- Portuguese name (Brazil comics): Trancoso / Grunhido ("Grunt")
- Spanish name (BW): Ferozaurio
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon
- Voice Actor: Gregg Berger (English), Takurō Kitagawa (Japanese), Edgar Fruitier (French Canadian)
| “ | You don't frighten me, you mechanical throwbacks! | ” |
—Megatron | ||
| “ | Good, Megatron! We love stupid enemies. | ” |
—Grimlock, "Atlantis, Arise!" | ||
When mysterious tremors shook the Autobot base, Wheeljack's investigation revealed strange objects behind a rock wall. After removing the wall, the Autobots found a cave full of dinosaur bones. The Autobots decided the idea of dinosaurs was interesting and researched the prehistoric beasts. Wheeljack and Ratchet asked Optimus Prime if they could build robot dinosaurs, and Prime agreed this was a good idea, only God knows why. Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge were built and unveiled to the Autobots, but the Dinobots were dimwitted and violent, and they attacked their makers, Frankenstein's monster style. Grimlock blasted Teletraan I with his fire-breath, damaging it. Optimus Prime decreed that the Dinobots "must be destroyed." However, Wheeljack convinced him instead to lock them away, and the trio were herded back into the cave and buried alive.
Later, the Decepticons took over a hydroelectric plant, and when the Autobots arrived to stop them, the Autobots were defeated and captured. Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Bumblebee, left behind at Autobot base to finish repairing Teletraan I, decided to go against Optimus' orders and release the Dinobots, but not before upgrading their brains to be smarter and more obedient. After the Dinobots were reactivated, Wheeljack asked them to save their friends. Grimlock said he would obey... this time. They successfully attacked the Decepticons and freed the imprisoned Autobots. Optimus forgave Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Bumblebee for disobeying his orders and welcomed the victorious Dinobots back to the Autobots. S.O.S. Dinobots
After a meteor surging with unknown energies struck the Earth, Optimus ordered the three Dinobots to guard it. He was so pleased with the Dinobots he asked Ratchet and Wheeljack to build two more. Meanwhile, Megatron was frustrated at the Dinobots' success and sent Soundwave to probe them for potential weaknesses. Reading the Dinobots' minds, he discovered that Grimlock was arrogant and believed he would make a better leader than the weak Optimus Prime. Megatron decided to use this to his advantage and approached them himself. He played to Grimlock's jealousy and agreed with him that the strongest should be leader. The Dinobots declared Optimus Prime their enemy.
Realizing the meteorite was due to explode, Optimus left to warn the Dinobots, but they attacked him. Instead of destroying him completely, however, Grimlock carried him to the Decepticons, who had stolen the meteorite during the battle. Megatron was angry that Optimus Prime was not destroyed, and Starscream suggested that despite Grimlock's arrogance, inside he was still compassionate (or as compassionate as Grimlock could get). Grimlock didn't take this well and blasted Starscream right in the chest. They were interrupted by the two new Dinobots, Snarl and Swoop, whom Megatron ordered the original three Dinobots to attack. At the climax of the battle, the meteorite exploded, but Optimus Prime pushed Grimlock out of the way, saving him. Grimlock realized the error of his ways, and the Dinobots forced the Decepticons into retreat. Grimlock then apologized for his jealousy. War of the Dinobots
The Ultimate Doom, Part 2
Countdown to Extinction
Heavy Metal War
The Decepticons joined forces with Sub-Atlantica and staged a full-scale attack on Washington, D.C.. The Autobots were overwhelmed, forcing Wheeljack to call for the Dinobots' assistance. Grimlock expressed his frustration at being called whenever the Autobots were in over their heads. With their help, the Autobots were able to overturn the Decepticons' advance and plunge the now-burning city of Sub-Atlantica back into the sea. Atlantis, Arise! This pattern of the Autobots' dependence on the Dinobots repeated when the artificial intelligence TORQ III, put under Decepticon control, turned all machines against Mankind. With every piece of help he and his troops gave, Grimlock was never slow to add a scathing remark about the inabilities of the Autobots. Day of the Machines That said, he was not unwilling to admit the failings of his own troops, either. He willingly took them to the time-displaced "Dinobot Island", where they trained in the wilderness Dinobot Island, Part 1 and helped stop a Decepticon raid on the prehistoric paradise, with Grimlock inspiring the native dinosaurs to help them fight the Decepticons. Dinobot Island, Part 2
Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
The final straw for Grimlock came when he and the Dinobots were injured in a Decepticon trap at an airfield. Enraged, Grimlock refused to take orders from Optimus Prime any more and led the Dinobots away from the Ark. When the Autobots began to suffer from Cybertonium deficiency, Spike Witwicky and his girlfriend Carly attempted to persuade the Dinobots—who continued to function perfectly, as they had been built on Earth without Cybertonium—to steal some of the mineral from a Decepticon shipment coming in from Cybertron. Although Grimlock was willing to let the Autobots die and decided to crush the humans, he recognized the Cybertron connection to the Cybertonium. Instead of securing the element, Grimlock opted to lead the Dinobots to Cybertron itself, where they were captured by Shockwave. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 He altered the Dinobots' memory circuits and put them to work in the Cybertonium mines, where they remained until Spike and Carly repaired them. Grimlock and Spike faked having an argument, compelling the guards to lower the energy fences to remove the troublesome humans—only to be obliterated by the Dinobots. Grimlock led the group back to Earth, where the Dinobots agreed to follow Prime's orders again—until such time as Grimlock didn't feel like it. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
In the year 2005, Grimlock and the other Dinobots were stationed on the Autobots' Moonbase 1, seemingly overseeing weapons production. When word arrived from Earth that Autobot City was suffering a massive Decepticon attack, they traveled to Earth with Optimus Prime and were dispatched by the Autobot leader to take on Devastator. Though they attacked fearlessly, the giant combiner robot was too much for them, shrugging off their attacks and overwhelming them in short order.
After fleeing Galvatron's attack on Autobot City, the Dinobots, along with Kup and Hot Rod, crashed on Quintessa, and were separated from the two Autobots. During their search, the Dinobots met Wheelie. Grimlock initially didn't like the rhyming little robot, but soon grew quite fond of him, letting him ride on his back. Eventually, the Dinobots managed to locate where Kup and Hot Rod were being held by the planet's rulers, the Quintessons. The Dinobots entered the Quintessons' execution room with all the grace they could muster, and Grimlock immediately declared his desire to munch metal. After the Dinobots saved Hot Rod and Kup from the Sharkticons, a Quintesson judge ordered the Sharkticons to execute the Dinobots. Grimlock stomped his foot on the ground and ordered the Sharkticons to execute the Quintessons. They complied with the Dinobot's order. Heading for the planet of Junk, Grimlock watched the Autobots and the Junkions celebrate their new friendship. The party was ended when a Junkion kissed Grimlock, causing him to reassert his status as "king". Later, Grimlock made one of his life's greatest accomplishments by literally kicking the butt of a deity, only to realize shortly afterwards that he needs a new strategy. The Transformers: The Movie
By the Earth year 2005, it seemed apparent that Grimlock had undergone some degree of a personality change, becoming more childish and petulant, rather than brutish and stubborn. Throughout 2006, he regularly participated in missions with his fellow Autobots rather than the other Dinobots, battling on the planets of Chaar, Goo, Dread and Eurythma.
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5
Chaos
Dark Awakening
Grimlock helped to sniff out the "dinosaur transform static" that implicated Trypticon in the theft of world monuments Thief in the Night and later, and Daniel Witwicky were transported to the other-dimensional realm of Menonia, where Grimlock was duped into fighting on the side of the tyrannical Quintesson Mara-Al-Utha Madman's Paradise.
Later in the year, when Decepticon leader Galvatron had Cybertron infused with function-inverting anti-electrons, a dose of the particles gave Grimlock super-intelligence. During a mission to Unicron's disembodied head, where the Autobots were outmatched by the new Decepticon Terrorcons, Grimlock used components of Unicron's head to construct the Technobots to battle them. Even combined as Computron, the Technobots felt they could not match the Terrorcons, until Grimlock transferred his super-intelligence into Computron, reverting to his old self and allowing the Technobots to claim victory. Grimlock's New Brain
Grimlock's greatest victory came when he and a large number of other Transformers with animal transformations were summoned to a world at the center of the galaxy by the ex-assistant of the ancient genius, Primacron, creator of Unicron. The assistant had assembled these "Primitive" Transformers in the hope that their simple instincts could defeat Primacron's newest creation, Tornedron, but one by one they fell to him, with Grimlock apparently crushed under Trypticon. Grimlock survived, however, and followed Tornedron back to Primacron's lab. When Tornedron turned on his master, like his predecessor had, Primacron's complicated plans and equations could not find a way to stop him. Grimlock, on the other hand, randomly flicked a switch which reversed Tornedron's energy polarity, undoing the damage he had done and dissipating the creature. Dancing around over his successful saving of the universe, Grimlock decimated Primacron's lab, which he decided was the smartest thing he'd ever done. Call of the Primitives
Grimlock piloted the shuttle bringing Optimus Prime to an important meeting[1] and took a wrong turn, making Prime very late. Prime subsequently took him to have his brain circuits upgraded. Season 5/ The Transformers: The Movie
Japanese cartoon continuity
Binaltech
After the Dinobots were defeated and deactivated on Earth by a strange alien virus, Grimlock was rebuilt using Binaltech technology to save his life. He hates his new Ford Mustang form. No teeth to munch metal, ya see.
The Great Transformer War manga
Shortly after creating the Technobots, Grimlock joined Rodimus Prime, Spike and others as they observed a battle between Computron and Abominus. Thanks to upgrades by Doctor Dalton, Computron was fairing well in battle. However, during his internment by Galvatron, Dalton was forced to upgrade the Terrorcons, as well.
The Terrorcons took control of Computron with a "Cohesive Control Liquid", much to Grimlock's horror. Dalton explained that the only way to save Computron was for a human to burn off the control liquid. Daniel wanted to go, but Spike forbid him and went himself. As Daniel pouted, Grimlock poked fun at him for still being a puny kid. Eventually, the Technobots were saved and the Decepticons retreated. The Great Transformer War issue 2
The Headmasters cartoon
In the year 2011, the Decepticons invaded Cybertron in full force. Grimlock was deployed by Wreck-Gar to fend off the invaders. He was seen fighting alongside his fellow Dinobots as well as the Throttlebots against the invading Decepticons. However, they didn't fare too well against the Decepticon Headmasters, as they were all quickly put to sleep by Mindwipe's hypnosis attack. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Millions of years ago on Cybertron, Grimlock and four other warriors who would later become the Dinobots snuck into a Decepticon spaceport and stole a number of ships and hid them in the Rad Zone, suspecting that one day they might become fed up with Optimus Prime's leadership and strike out on their own. A Savage Circle
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 their battle reached a stalemate when all combatants became trapped in a tar pit and buried under a collapsing cliffside. Repeat Performance!
Information on this battle were stored on the Ark's memory banks and were discovered four million years later by Ratchet The Last Stand, and Ratchet, at the moment the last Autobot on Earth that remained functional, tempted Megatron with details of Shockwave's alleged defeat as currency for a deal with him. Promising Megatron that he would find the Dinobots and use them to defeat Shockwave on Megatron's behalf, Warrior School! Ratchet traveled to the Savage Land and retrieved the bodies of the Dinobots. Ratchet faked this defeat using video of Slag's memories and when Megatron doublecrossed him, he ambushed Megatron with the Dinobots. However, Grimlock and the others were no match for Megatron, and they were knocked aside. Ratchet managed a victory regardless, and he and the Dinobots returned to the Ark. Repeat Performance!
On the way back to the Ark, Grimlock had his first encounter with a human, which didn't end well. Ratchet sought to explain why humans feared them with a story about the Autobots' battle with the Decepticons at Sherman Dam. At story's end, they reached the Ark, but it was guarded mercilessly by Guardian! After Guardian disposed of Swoop, Decepticon Dam-Busters! the Dinobots attacked Guardian together, but they were defeated and were forced to regroup. Grimlock was furious when Ratchet said Swoop's injuries were not top priority, as he had an Ark full of Autobots in need of care. While Ratchet was tending to Prowl, Wheeljack, and Jazz, Grimlock led the remaining Dinobots on a second attack against Guardian. This time they were successful, though they didn't realize that Guardian was hardwired with a bomb that threatened them all. The Wrath of Guardian! Thankfully, Wheeljack was able to control Optimus Prime's headless body by remote and seize Grimlock's arm before he could deliver the blow that would destroy them all. Ultimately, their lives were saved by Swoop, who carried Guardian up into the sky as the bomb detonated. With Swoop believed dead, Grimlock took his Dinobots elsewhere. The Wrath of Grimlock!
After Swoop returned in a berserker rage, it became apparent that the Dinobots had reverted to their base instincts due to their primary cybo-dendrons having burnt out from millions of years stuck in tar, so the Autobots plotted to round them up. Grimlock and Sludge were the final targets, and as the two tore through a snowy part of Canada, Optimus Prime vowed to stop them even if it cost him his life. Bumblebee discovered that the source of the rage was coming from a Decepticon-crafted signal, but when the signal was destroyed, the Dinobots entered a deep hibernation stat from which there may not have been any return. Dinobot Hunt! While Grimlock sat comatose, he dreamed of slaying Megatron, though he subsequently died at the hands of Starscream. Victory! After being repaired by Ratchet, Grimlock dreamt of defeating Megatron Victory! Grimlock and the other Dinobots were eventually reawakened, and they attended the unveiling of the Autobots' last line of defense, Omega Supreme. Jointly, Optimus Prime detailed a plan to attack the Decepticon base and immediately retreat after stealing data from Devastator. Grimlock was displeased at this, and refused to fight a war in which he was unable to fight. He seceded his Dinobots from the Autobots, and they struck out on their own. Command Performances! Grimlock and the other Dinobots met up with Sludge's human friend, Joy Meadows. In the National Interest
While wandering the countryside, Grimlock and the other Dinobots chanced across the time-traveling Galvatron as he was beating up on a small group of Autobots who had recently arrived from Cybertron. Fallen Angel The all-powerful Galvatron bested Grimlock in hand-to-hand combat, and Grimlock was about to receive a deadly blow from his own sword when he was rescued by Blaster. The combatants were scattered when Shockwave's Decepticons fired upon Galvatron and allowed the time-traveller to leave. Resurrection!
Paleontology student Rachel Becker found Grimlock's footprints in the Cascade Mountain Range, so she, her professor, and his assistant pitched tents to observe the area overnight. The Dinobots were indeed hiding nearby, and when Swoop brought Grimlock news of Optimus Prime's death, Grimlock prepared to take leadership of the Autobots for himself. The Dinobot Commander interrupted a committee of high-ranking Autobots attempting to nominate a replacement, and he rudely nominated himself. Unsurprisingly, the Autobots were not impressed, and Grimlock was turned away. Grimlock got a chance to prove himself when Trypticon attacked the Ark. At first his plan was to hide in the forest, let Trypticon "soften up" the Autobots, remove the Decepticon, and impose leadership over the weakened faction, but Grimlock's doubts increased as the Autobots were pummeled. Additionally, he was surprised when Rachel Becker approached Grimlock with no fear, since he was certain that all humans were cowards. When Rachel's life was threatened by Trypticon, Grimlock attacked Trypticon himself, which signaled the other Dinobots to follow his lead. In the aftermath of his victory against the Decepticon intruder, the high-ranking Autobots decided that Grimlock had displayed all the desired traits of a great Autobot leader—wisdom, compassion, courage, charisma, and military skill. King of the Hill!
Unfortunately for the Autobots, Grimlock set about immediately picking out a crown for himself and affecting an unintelligent way of speaking. His first point of order was to steal back the assorted equipment and tools that the Mechanic had stolen from them shortly before his assumption of command. To his dismay, Goldbug and Blaster refused to harm humans if necessary to complete the mission. Mechanical Difficulties! The two Autobots deserted. Crater Critters Now that the Predacons were on Earth, they began terrorizing Swoop, who had a dark history with the Predacon Divebomb. Swoop was afraid to admit that he has lost his name to Divebomb millions of years ago after losing a fight with the Predacon, but Grimlock admitted that he had known ever since he had taken command of the Autobots and had access to Optimus Prime's files... and didn't care! He and the other Dinobots stood up for Swoop and kicked the Predacons' sorry behinds. Grudge Match! When Blaster and Goldbug didn't return, Grimlock labeled them traitors and ordered the Protectobots to bring them in. Grimlock had in the meantime completed repairs on the Ark itself, and with Wheeljack's new Geothermal Generator, they were no longer dependent on humans for fuel. Used Autobots Expecting Blaster and Goldbug's forced return, Grimlock had a Variable Voltage Harness constructed to serve as their punishment. He ordered the Ark to launch into Earth orbit. Child's Play Immediately the Ark overtook the Decepticon Blast Off, who was being taken for a ride by Blaster and the Spacehiker children. Fearing Grimlock's growing megalomania, Wheeljack had called his old friend Sky Lynx for help. Before Grimlock could capture Blast Off, the children threw Blaster from the airlock into space. Grimlock used the children as bait, threatening to end their lives if Blaster did not show up. Blaster returned himself to the Ark to the welcome arms of the other Autobots, who had grown tired of Grimlock's tyranny. Despite Sky Lynx's intervention outside the Ark, he was surrounded by the Dinobots, and Blaster was forced to give himself up to protect the safety of the children. Spacehikers!
Blaster was placed in the Variable Voltage Harness for his treason. Some time thereafter, Grimlock's Autobots stationed on the Ark met up with Autobots from Nebulos stationed on the Steelhaven. Grimlock was furious that the Steelhaven's Autobots were led by a human, Spike Witwicky, and he challenged Spike's binary bond partner, Fruitloop Multipuck, to a duel for ultimate Autobot supremacy. Forktongue Maxiface was in no condition to fight, as he had suffered terrible damage recently at the hands of Shockwave, so Grimlock offered Blaster to fight in his stead. Both ships' crews unloaded onto Earth's moon to watch the fight, but Blaster and Grimlock's grudge match quickly rumbled past the horizon line. After exchanging blows, Grimlock and Blaster noticed explosions back at the ships' landing site, and agreed to a short truce to investigate. Indeed, Ratbat's Decepticons had ambushed the Autobots in their absence, but with the introduction of Blaster and Grimlock to what had been up to that point a massacre, the tide quickly turned. Grimlock's sword pierced the forcefield of the Decepticons' flying island base, and the Decepticons retreated. In the wake, Fortress Maximus admitted that he had sent Goldbug and the Steelhaven's skeleton crew to Nebulos to rebuild Optimus Prime, their true leader. Totaled!
Optimus Prime returned from Nebulos as a Power Master and took back the reins of command, though both Grimlock and Fortress Maximus kept high-profile positions in the ranks. The trio watched a commercial for Club Con, a tropical resort suspiciously helmed by Decepticons. Grimlock wanted to bust some heads, but Optimus thought a more subtle approach was needed. Club Con! Meanwhile, Earth was coming apart at the seams due to a timestorm caused by the displacement of Galvatron, Scourge, and Cyclonus from Earth's future. Optimus, Grimlock, and Fortress Maximus held court, and decided an attack on the future Decepticon's undergrund base was due. During the battle, shockingly, Optimus and others were displaced to limbo by Rodimus Prime and other Autobots from the future. Believing these future Autobots were imposters, responsible for the apparent deaths of Optimus Prime and the other displaced Autobots, Fortress Maximus and Grimlock led a vengeful charge. By the time the truth was learned, the stakes had shifted, and the future and present Autobots, including Grimlock, teamed up to face the combined might of Galvatron and a clone of Megatron. Time Wars
Answering a distress call in the Arctic, Grimlock and the Autobots found Buster Witwicky... and a Decepticon ambush! After a number of casualties, a brittle truce was forged when it was discovered that this was all a setup by Starscream to divert attention away from his grab at the Underbase. Both factions found Starscream about the meet the Underbase in space, but Starscream was able to absorb enough Underbase energy to throw his ship into theirs. Starscream departed for Earth, to conquer the cities of New York, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires, and Optimus had thoughtfully kept the Ark nearby to help ship everyone back to Earth. Grimlock and Scorponok led a team sent ahead to Tokyo to await Starscream. After the Underbase-powered Decepticon destroyed the Dinobots, Grimlock was quick to fire upon Starscream and scored one of the few consequential hits on the fearsome traitor. Grimlock hunted him down and bit at Starscream's leg, but Starscream was able to grab the Dinobot commander and place him between himself and "friendly" fire from the Decepticon Pretenders. Dark Star! Grimlock perished, and was next seen undergoing futile repairs onboard the Ark. Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?
Grimlock was brought back on-line by Ratchet using Pretender technology stolen from Megatron. All the Familiar Faces! While Grimlock, along with Jazz and Bumblebee, handily defeated Megatron's minions, he was unable to save Ratchet when Megatron's base exploded. Skin Deep Afterward, Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee briefly joined the Autobot resistance movement on Cybertron before attempting to return to Earth via trans-time dimensional portal. However, Thunderwing, seeking to crush the resistance's momentum, sent the latest incarnation of the Mayhem Attack Squad to destroy the three Autobot Pretenders. Infiltrating Autobase, the three Decepticons sabotaged the portal, teleporting all six Transformers (and the Micromaster Rescue Patrol) deep into the heart of Cybertron, where the Autobots discovered the resting place of their god, Primus. Yesterday's Heroes!
Grimlock at first thought it was all a Decepticon trick and was skeptical that the Transformers even had a god. When the Keeper appeared, Grimlock demanded the ancient Transformer "prove it" by telling them the story of the Transformers' origin. The Keeper's story (complete with holographic slide-show) was suitably convincing, but unfortunately gave the Mayhem Attack Squad time to sneak up on the Autobots, and another battle ensued. The outnumbered Decepticons were no match for Grimlock and company, but Octopunch's last-ditch shot ricocheted off the Dinobot's back, waking Primus. A few seconds too late, the Autobots in Autobase repaired the portal, sending the lost Transformers to Earth. Grimlock immediately demanded they find the Earth-based Autobots to warn them of Unicron. Primal Scream
After rejoining Optimus Prime's forces, Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee formed a team in the search for the lost Creation Matrix. Traveling to VsQs, where Optimus Prime's funeral barge had crashed, the three began to search an abandoned science station for any clue as to the Matrix's whereabouts. While Bumblebee searched the computer logs, Grimlock went looking for the science team—only to discover they had all been killed. Before the Autobots could formulate a plan, Thunderwing attacked. Grimlock's first reaction was to attack, but not even all three of them could defeat the Decepticon leader. Instead, they were "saved" by the Matrix Spawn, which became Thunderwing's new target. The three Autobots searched the wrecked station independently and recovered the Matrix. Low on energon, the three attempted to return to their shuttle, but the moon's heavy gravity slowed them down, allowing Thunderwing to overtake them, defeat the three weakened Autobots and claim the Matrix for his own. Dark Creation
After Thunderwing's defeat, the Autobots sent a shuttle to VsQs to rescue Grimlock and the others, who were low on energon and on the verge of stasis lock. Grimlock was none too grateful for his rescue, instead berating himself for failing to destroy Thunderwing and guilty that he was alive while the other Dinobots were still deactivated. However, without Ratchet or the Matrix, the Autobots knew of no way to bring back their fallen. Grimlock sought Optimus' permission to travel to Hydrus Four and investigate the rumors of the substance Nucleon. When Optimus refused, Grimlock stole a shuttle and the bodies of the Dinobots and went anyway, which everyone really should have seen coming. Eye of the Storm!
Once on Hydrus Four, Grimlock sought out the medi-center on the island of Farooth, where the well of Nucleon was kept. Along the way, he encountered the substance's three guardians, zombie-like mechanoids who attempted to bar visitors from tapping the Nucleon. Two engaged him in combat, but Grimlock dispatched them easily. Unlike destroying Decepticons, he could take no pleasure in his victories, which seemed pointless. He began to question his motives: Was he really trying to save the Dinobots, or just prove himself a better leader than Prime? By the time he reached the island of Farooth, Grimlock simply wanted the grim business done with.
At the well, Grimlock encountered the final guardian. The Hydrusian didn't want to fight, but instead warned him that Nucleon always came with unexpected side effects. To quell the doubts that had plagued him since his arrival, Grimlock decided to test the Nucleon on himself, plunging a hand into the well. Feeling a surge of power and no immediate side effects, Grimlock decided it had to be safe and went to work reviving the other Dinobots, ignoring the Hydrusian's parting words, "Time will tell." The Price of Life!
With the Dinobots revived, Grimlock loaded up as much Nucleon as he could and returned to the Ark. ...All This and Civil War 2 The Dinobots found it empty, as Primus had teleported the Earth-bound Transformers back to Cybertron. Electing not to waste time looking for the others, Grimlock ordered Swoop to set course for Cybertron while Sludge and Slag pumped the Nucleon into the Ark's life-support pods. The Dinobots were unaware that the life-support pods also held Megatron, as Grimlock had departed before Ratchet's rescue. The Void!
Grimlock was the first Transformer to begin feeling the Nucleon's effects. Before he even left Hydrus Four, he began suffering erratic joint locks. He tried to hide the symptoms as long as he could, but after Unicron's defeat, they began to worsen, until his entire body seized up during a battle. Hi-Q came to his rescue, recognizing that the Nucleon was still transforming Grimlock's body. Hi-Q accelerated the process, as the Nucleon granted Grimlock a new, more powerful body, but at the cost of his ability to transform. Still Life!
Optimus
Prime died from injuries sustained in the war, and named Grimlock his
chosen successor (although Grimlock still had to put up with Dumb Prowl
as his self-appointed advisor and conscience). While Prowl began naive
negotiations with the Decepticons for continued peace, Grimlock had his
Dinobots arrange precautionary measures against any treachery. Exodus! Sure enough, the new Decepticon leader Bludgeon
sabotaged the Autobot ships on Cybertron and took off to loot and
plunder with his army. Thanks to Grimlock, though, the Autobots not
only had a set of ships held in reserve, but the Dinobots had also
placed tracking devices on the Decepticon shuttles, leading the Autobot
pursuit force right to the planet Klo. A Savage Circle
Unfortunately, Grimlock's knack for forward-thinking ran a little
short here, and he led his Dinobots into a trap as soon as the troops
arrived on Klo. It seemed the Decepticons had discovered Grimlock's
tracking device and anticipated their arrival. One massacre later and
the only Autobots left alive were Grimlock, Prowl, Slag, Kup and
Blaster. Despite their misfortunes, they managed to overcome the
Decepticon hunting party sent after them, and carried the battle back
to Bludgeon and his men. Luckily, a miracle arrived in the form of a
resurrected Optimus Prime and his new friend, the awesomely powerful Last Autobot,
who began spontaneously reviving all the Autobots who fell in battle
with the Decepticons. Facing an ever growing number of fully recharged
Autobots, Bludgeon fled with his remaining Decepticons, and Grimlock
and the Autobots stood victorious. End of the Road!
Marvel UK future timelines
Following their adventures on Quintessa and the war with Unicron The Transformers: The Movie, Grimlock and the Dinobots were stationed on Cybertron during the Autobot war effort to consolidate control over the planet. In 2008, the Decepticons staged a brazen and unprovoked attack on the Autobot location, prompting an incredible battle. Grimlock led the charge of his Dinobots, and literally began to "munch metal". When Smokescreen returned to Cybertron from the planet Junk with information, however, Grimlock exited the battle to attend a war room meeting with Rodimus Prime, Kup and Ultra Magnus. They learned from Smokescreen that Unicron had survived their last encounter, and his head had been drawn to Junk, where he then took over the minds of the Junkions and began forcing them to rebuild his lost body out of their planet. Realizing that the Decepticons were just pawns being used by Unicron to distract them, the Autobots realized the true battle awaited them on Junk. Rodimus Prime questioned whether he could pull enough troops away from the battle at hand to be of any use on Junk, but Grimlock reminded Roddy who he was talking to, and assured that his Dinobots would be more than enough firepower. Rodimus agreed, and brought Grimlock, Scattershot, Smokescreen and the rest of the Dinobots with him to confront Unicron. While Scattershot and Smokescreen distracted Unicron in the shuttle, Grimlock brought the Dinobots down to the planet and stopped the mind-warped Junkions from making any further repairs on Unicron's body. The Legacy of Unicron!
Later, Grimlock was part of Rodimus Prime's crew who came to Earth to free Autobot City from Quintesson occupation. Space Pirates!
Earthforce
In one alternate timeline, Grimlock found a way to revive his fellow Dinobots after their destruction in the Underbase Saga. This method may or may not have involved Nucleon, as it did in the main timeline, and Grimlock apparently did not or could not bring back the means for restoring all the Autobots in the Ark's life pods. With the Dinobots back together they came on strong, battling a new splinter group of Decepticons that had sprung up on Earth under Shockwave's command. Grimlock personally brought down both Shockwave and the Battlechargers himself. Despite their victory, Optimus Prime harangued Grimlock and his team for their brutal tactics, flying in the face of the "Autobot Code". Two Steps Back! This led to a shouting match between the two Autobots where Grimlock threatened to take his Dinobots and quit the Autobot army altogether. The situation deteriorated further into a physical brawl, but ultimately Prime and Grimlock knocked some sense into each other. With Unicron inching ever closer to Cybertron, Optimus Prime decided that the Autobots aboard the Ark were needed elsewhere, yet Earth still needed defenders. Therefore he promoted Grimlock to Autobot Commander: Earth. Grimlock was given his Dinobots, his fellow (former) Classic Pretenders, and the five Autobots recently reawakened by Galvatron as troops. In return for their autonomy, all Optimus Prime asked for was to show some restraint.
He was probably kidding. Or concussed. Whatever. Break-Away!
From
the beginning, Grimlock made it clear to his troops that they would not be fighting the war Prime's way. To get things done right, they'd have to toss the Autobot Code out the window. To demonstrate what he meant by this, Grimlock picked up a copy of the Autobot Code and tossed it out the window. Grimlock isn't big on metaphors. Once Upon a Time... Shortly after Earthforce started up, Grimlock received a transmission from Shockwave, challenging him to a duel leader-to-leader. Grimlock vigorously accepted, and traveled 300 miles away to the coordinates Shockwave transmitted, deep in the Canadian wilderness during a snowstorm. Only problem was...he couldn't find Shockwave. Grimlock wandered around in the snow and ice for awhile until he found him, or rather, he found a snowman shaped like Shockwave with a sign out front saying "April Fools! — Slag, Snarl, Sludge, Swoop". Two Predacons patrolling the area had the misfortune of coming across Grimlock right at that moment. What happened next was censored by the Comic Code Authority, Mothers Against Violence, and viewers like you. He later headed back to the base with the biggest snowball he could carry. (Wonder what he was going to do with it?) Snow Fun!
Later, Grimlock made a deal with the Survivors, lending them aid to rescue their Decepticon comrade Carnivac in exchange for them joining Earthforce under his command. Where Wolf?
After Wheeljack finished the construction of Autobot Earthbase, Grimlock gave him a hearty slap on the back as congratulations on a job well done. After they learned Wheeljack had effectively locked them out of the base with the defense grid fully active and hunting for targets, Grimlock hung Wheeljack upside-down by his ankle and smothered his face in the snow. (Centuries later, the good guys are apparently still this dumb.) The House that Wheeljack Built! As if that weren't enough, Soundwave staged a full-scale Decepticon assault before the grid could be repaired, putting Earthforce on the defensive. Grimlock took his Dinobots out to kick butt, and threw his energo-sword right through Octane's wing. They soon drove off the Decepticons. Divide and Conquer!
It was just one annoyance after another for Grimlock when Optimus Prime came to inspect the newly finished Earthbase. First, he and the Dinobots had to hide the fact that Slag was an unbridled killing machine unfit to wear the Autobot symbol. That wacky Slag—always killin' folk. The 4,000,000 Year Itch! Then Dumb Prime wanted to use Wheeljack's Bodyshop to revive one of the most obnoxious Autobots on Grimlock's hit list—the vanity-obsessed Tracks. Grimlock tried to sabotage the revival process several times, but eventually Tracks was brought on-line anyway, while Grimlock got forcibly and painfully dragged through the auto-restoration machine. To make things worse, Prime assigned Tracks to Earthforce, meaning Grimlock had to put up with him permanently. Makin' Tracks!
When Snarl was diagnosed with the fatal disease Corrodia Gravis, Grimlock and Earthforce had to seek out Starscream, the only Transformer capable of giving his Dinobot comrade a compatible systems boost. Assassins To make things even more complicated, they found the Decepticons at war with each other at their Louisiana headquarters, with Megatron, Shockwave and their Mayhem assassins trying to take out Starscream and Soundwave. Forced to choose sides, Grimlock sent Sludge and Swoop to protect Starscream from the assassins while he and the others dealt with the two former Decepticon leaders. After Slag charbroiled Megatron and Grimlock plunged his energo-sword through Shockwave's chest, they gave up the fight and took off. Starscream then agreed to the systems boost in exchange for Grimlock's promise to help if Megatron tried to assassinate him again. The Lesser Evil!
After Superion went crazy due to a cerebro-shell, Grimlock and the Autobots were forced to give an interview and a guided tour of their base to the reporter Irwin Spoon in exchange for his help removing the shell from their friend. Inside Story! Grimlock was less than thrilled. He probably was relieved when the nosy human got kidnapped and brainwashed by Bombshell and the Stunticons—at least Grimlock got to skip his interview! End of the Road!
Another Time and Place
In the months that followed the war on Klo, as more and more
Autobots began to succumb to the Nucleon's effects and lose their
ability to transform, Grimlock's guilt over his actions grew. When he
heard the medical facilities on Hydrus-Four had reopened and discovered
a means of reversing Nucleon's effect, he jumped at the chance. Taking
his fellow Dinobots back there, Grimlock and his comrades ran smack
into a Decepticon trap. Bludgeon and his crew had followed the Dinobots
to Hydrus-Four and cut in ahead of them, taking control of the
med-facility and installing a Holocaust Trigger
device, which totally overwhelmed the Dinobots' equilibrium as they
entered, knocking them out. Grimlock awoke hours later to find
Bludgeon's sickly-skullhead grinning at him, as the Master of
Metallikato planned to use the Nucleon to revitalize his warriors and
bring the Great Megatron himself back to life. Luckily, Optimus Prime
and Prowl arrived with a rescue party in time to stop the macabre
resurrection ceremony from being completed. Bludgeon was destroyed, and
Prime and Grimlock personally ripped apart the half-reanimated
Megatron. Normally, it never ends, but this time it truly did. Another Time and Place
Generation 2
After the coming of the Last Autobot, much of the Autobot army scattered. Grimlock took command of a small commando team, leading strikes against Decepticon outposts across the galaxy. After encountering seventeen conquered worlds, cyberformed into "little Cybertrons", Grimlock realized the problem was greater than he had originally imagined and contacted Optimus Prime. After comparing notes in an abandoned base, the Autobots were captured by Jhiaxus. While Optimus began to despair after learning Jhiaxus' origins, Grimlock refused to give up, bolstering the Autobot leader's spirits as they led an escape from Jhiaxus' flagship. War Without End!
Despite his loyalty to Autobot ways, Grimlock still chafed under Optimus' leadership. Disobeying his orders (which somehow still surprised Optimus), Grimlock led a raiding party against Jhiaxus, seeking to destroy the Twilight. Unfortunately, the Dinobot failed to anticipate Jhiaxus' increased security measures, and the mission cost Red Alert and Mirage their lives. Their deaths forced Grimlock to question his methods and his attitude toward Optimus Prime. He admitted that he envied Prime for the loyalty he inspired in the Autobots, and that this, not the leadership of the Autobots, was what he'd truly desired. Thus, no one was more surprised than Grimlock when Optimus Prime placed the Dinobot in command while he traveled back to Cybertron. Devices and Desires!
Grimlock's command status proved invaluable when Optimus met Megatron on Earth alone, intending to form an alliance against Jhiaxus. Megatron beat Optimus half to death, and Prime only lived because Grimlock disobeyed orders and led an Autobot brigade to Earth. The Gathering Darkness When Megatron finally agreed to the alliance, Grimlock showed a great dislike for having to work with him, as well as the insults Megatron threw his way. Escalation!
Eventually, the Empire attacked Autobase on Earth, with Grimlock gunning down scores of its troops. The alliance between Autobots and Decepticons gave Grimlock a chance to work alongside two new Rotor Force members, Leadfoot and Manta Ray, both of whom were impressed with Grimlock's style. Total War With the Empire came the Swarm, and with both Optimus and Megatron out of contact, it fell to Grimlock and the Predacon Razorclaw to organise the Transformers in a desperate defensive action. They utilized a combination of shield generators, sky snipers, thermal mines...basically anything they could throw at the Swarm. His plans allowed the Autobots to hold out just long enough — barring a few casualties, like his comrade Slag — for Megatron to arrive with the Rheanimum that ensured their survival. During this operation, Manta Ray deliberately ignored Razorclaw's orders in favor of Grimlock's and, when the Predacon attempted to execute him for treason, Leadfoot cut Razorclaw in two, securing them as new recruits for the Autobots. In the end, Optimus Prime united with the Swarm and cleansed it of its dark impulses. The Swarm was dispersed, and Grimlock celebrated a victory with his united forces. A Rage in Heaven!
In the convention-exclusive story "Alignment", which ties up plot threads from Generation 2, Grimlock sacrifices himself in the final battle against the Liege Maximo. (Despite being written by Simon Furman, this story was not approved by Hasbro and was produced for an unofficial convention, so is non-canon by rule.)
Fun Publications Classics comics
He liked to call Ultra Magnus "Little Prime". Games of Deception
BWWWHHHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Transformers PD-Type
Star Saber recruited Grimlock as backup for a duel with Deathsaurus. Grimlock became bored watching the two of them fight in the sky, but when Star Saber finally succeeded in knocking Deathsaurus to the ground, Grimlock gnawed on his head while Star Saber looked on, pleased at the outcome of his clever plan. Me Strongest! Me Grimlock!
3H Reaching the Omega Point comics
Grimlock was among the legendary Transformers summoned from J'nwan by Sandstorm to help battle Shokaract.
Dreamwave comics continuity
| “ | Me not like Optimus Prime or Autobots that much... but me like you and yours even less! | ” |
—Grimlock's voice recording on a bomb he left for the Seekers | ||
Years ago, before the war, Grimlock was part of a cage-fighting arena. He and Starscream fought beside and against each other on numerous occasions. Starscream believed Grimlock was a natural born killer, but Grimlock really just carried a lot of rage and needed an outlet.
When the war began, Grimlock sided with the Decepticons. Then, after a while, he switched sides and went to the Autobots. Nobody is quite sure why or what happened. The War Within Preview He eventually became leader of a squad including Ironhide, Kup, and Wheeljack.
By the time Sentinel Prime was killed and a new leader had to be chosen, the Autobots were losing the war, and Grimlock was growing impatient with the Council of Ancients' strategy. Grimlock called a secret meeting with Prowl, Jazz, and his running crew: If the new Prime wasn't up to doing what had to be done, then they'd do it for him—and take the Prime out in the process. The War Within issue 1
Optimus Prime, having defeated a team of Decepticons by himself, still didn't settle Grimlock's nerves. Prime's decision to evacuate Cybertron did it; Grimlock had enough. He left and went to brood by himself. The War Within issue 2 Starscream and his Seekers dropped by while Grimlock was alone. Starscream baited Grimlock, telling him he was a Decepticon inside and was just in denial. He gave him a choice: Go to Sector Zero-Six and help the Seekers take out the Autobot command post, or warn the post about their arrival. Grimlock, out of spite, instead evacuated the Autobots from the base and left the Decepticons a present: A bomb. The War Within Preview
While he was on his way back to Iacon to help with the defense, Prowl ordered him away, instead telling him to go find Optimus Prime. Grimlock decided that it was a good opportunity to give the new Prime a piece of his mind. The War Within issue 3 While he and the team went deep into Cybertron's core to find Prime, they found out about Megatron's plan to win the war and turn Cybertron into a mobile battle station with which to conquer the universe. Grimlock split up his team: He would go find Optimus Prime, and the rest of the team would shut down the transformation system for Cybertron. To his surprise, Prime abruptly was standing next to him. Prime ordered Grimlock to help him find Megatron. Grimlock shoved his energo-sword into Prime's hands and gave clear instructions: If Megatron is the problem, then fix it. The War Within issue 5 When the crisis was over, Grimlock no longer questioned Optimus Prime. He knew that Prime had figured things out, and though he hadn't executed Megatron, he wasn't going to spend his time in the war running away. The War Within issue 6
During the Dark Ages, Optimus Prime and Megatron were seemingly destroyed in a space bridge explosion, which created a crack in space through which the ancient being known as the Fallen emerged. With the loss of Optimus Prime, Grimlock broke off from the Autobots now led by Prowl and formed the Lightning Strike Coalition. Grimlock was targeted, along with Jetfire, Blitzwing and Hot Spot, by the Fallen, who wished to use their apparently unique Sparks to help in his revival of Primus, which would allow Unicron to locate him. Fragmentation
The Fallen sent Bludgeon, Mindwipe and Bugly, who arranged for Grimlock to receive a communication between Jetfire and Shockwave. Devastation (Dreamwave issue) Believing Jetfire was intending to defect, Grimlock headed for the meeting. However, when the Chaos Trinity arrived and captured Jetfire, Grimlock jumped out of the shadows and attacked. The Fallen had to watch his followers take a sound beating. After dispatching the mystics, Grimlock attempted to execute Jetfire. The Autobot scientist was saved only because the Fallen himself soon arrived. Revelation (Dreamwave issue)
Grimlock being Grimlock, he launched himself at the Fallen, but was completely overwhelmed. Confrontation He woke up later strapped to a table and had to listen to Jetfire trying to convince him to help them both escape. Grimlock broke free with ease and was part of the multi-faction army that attempted to halt the Fallen's plans. Conflagration
Later, Grimlock served both as leader of the Dynobots and the
right-hand bot to Ultra Magnus, who had taken control in Optimus'
absence and had managed to secure a truce with Shockwave. Grimlock was
less than happy about this, partly because he didn't trust the
Decepticons, and partly because he had no idea what to with himself in
peacetime. He never got to find out, as the truce was betrayed by
Starscream's forces, and Grimlock was apparently killed when he dove in
front of a shot meant for Magnus. The Age of Wrath issue 1
Millennia later, the Ark and the Nemesis left Cybertron in search of new resources to fuel the war, but never returned. Grimlock and the Dynobots followed a group of Decepticons to a primitive world that would later be known to them as Earth, all of them looking for the lost Ark. The Dynobots assumed alternate forms similar to Earth's indigenous giant reptiles, dinosaurs, and fought off an attempted ambush by the small crew of Decepticons they had been tracking. Extermination Millions of years later in 1984, the other Autobots and Decepticons on Earth awakened and the Great War began anew. The Autobots and humans eventually defeated the Decepticons and all the Transformers were to be sent back to Cybertron on the Ark II. However, the ship was destroyed during launch due to sabotage by General Robert Hallo and Adam Rook, in the hopes of recovering the Transformers and reprogramming them to be war machines. Prime Directive issue 1
At some point, Megatron captured the other four Dinobots, a fact which he used as leverage to get Grimlock to turn traitor and join the Decepticons after they were reactivated by Lazarus. Prime Directive issue 3 Grimlock's only real contribution to the Decepticons was crushing unoccupied cars in San Francisco Prime Directive issue 5 and being beaten up, and beaten down by Trailbreaker. After the Decepticons abandoned him, Optimus Prime offered to take Grimlock back, but he refused, stating circumstances had changed too much. Prime Directive issue 6
Grimlock's apparent allegiance to the Decepticons didn't last very long, though, as Shockwave soon showed up with his Triple Changers. Grimlock's true loyalty became obvious when he stopped Blitzwing from blowing off Optimus's head by grabbing his tank turret and bending it into a pretzel with one hand. After that, Shockwave sent Megatron off to Cybertron, prompting Grimlock to rejoin the Autobots in the Ark. New World Order When Optimus' group surrendered to Ultra Magnus, some of the Autobots remained on Earth, Grimlock among them. He travelled to the frozen north, and freed the other Dinobots from Megatron's holding tank. Brothers' Burden
Stealing a Decepticon shuttle, the Dinobots then headed for Cybertron, intending to free Optimus Prime and his group. After a rough landing, they acquired some transportation from Octane and hurried to Iacon. Cold War There, Grimlock did his part by leading a massive Dinobot assault on Shockwave's complex, before breaking off to take care of the Decepticon leader himself. Blitzwing again got in his way, however, and Grimlock was forced to battle both, a battle that was going his way until Ultra Magnus shot him in the face. Passive Aggression Perceptor repaired the Dinobot command, and Grimlock did his part for the rebellion by giving Hot Rod some back-up. For a third and final time, he fought Blitzwing, this time taking out the Decepticon with ease, grabbing him by the tank turret and throwing him into a Guardian. Leaving the main conflict, Grimlock followed Shockwave, Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus into the citidel, and ended up saving the two Autobots, stating that he'd hate to lose the chance to pay back the "stuffy traitor". Optimus Prime thanked Primus, but Grimlock said Prime should be thanking him. Revelation (comic issue)
While the main group of Earth Autobots returned, the Dinobots remained on Cybertron to give Ultra Magnus some needed muscle. They were assigned to help Kup fortify the new Autobot bases on Cybertron's moons. The Route of All Evil
Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs the Transformers comics
| “ | It just isn't a proper party without Grimlock around. That guy is nuts | ” |
—Hot Rod | ||
Grimlock and his team were transported to Earth's prehistoric past by a malfunctioning Teletran 3. A joint Cobra/G.I. Joe team traveled through a time portal to bring them back. Unfortunately, Shockwave's Decepticons blocked their return. Just as Shockwave's victory appeared complete, Roadblock and Lady Jaye successfully opened up the final time portal, and the humans returned, with some heavy artillery in the form of the five Autobots, now reformatted in huge, powerful dinosaur bodies. Grimlock took the lead by knocking Shockwave through a wall, and beating the tar out of the 'Cons, alongside his new Dinobots, their new abilities more than a match for the Decepticon forces. When the Decepticons retreated, Grimlock transformed and requested an audience with Optimus Prime. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4
Grimlock was part of the small team sent to help with the Joes' decommissioning of their Cybertronian mechs. Grimlock was more than a little vocal about his distaste for the post, and lack of interest in the humans. He was, however, willing to help the Joes fight Cobra, when the latter attacked en masse...even if he complained about helping the weak fleshlings. When Cobra Commander was cornered in an underground facility, Grimlock did his part by terrifying him into talking. They were interrupted when Serpent O.R. appeared, and attempted to take control of both Grimlock, and Roadblock's robot. Grimlock resisted, but Roadblock's robot turned around and punched him in the face. Grimlock responded by ripping its arm off.
Dreamwave Transformers/G.I. Joe comics
The Beast Within
In a devastating battle with the Decepticons, Grimlock made the decision to combine with the other Dinobots to form the "Beast". The Beast Within
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Grimlock is the leader of the Dynobots, a group of close knit hunters and guardsmen who, in no small part due to Grimlock's influence, prefer to work outside the Autobot rulebook.
At the start of Megatron's rise to power, the Dynobots turned out to an open casting call for Megatron's underground gladiatorial games, and got a good deal more respect from the Predacons than the other attendees. It turned out to be a recruitment drive for the Decepticon army. What they thought of that is unknown, as Autobot security forces raided the party soon after. Megatron Origin
He later met Slag again in a brig; Grimlock had angered a field commander but Slag had shot a vice-admiral in the back to con him into a frontal assault, so Slag won. Grimlock thought this Slag guy sounded like a good bloke, and the two of them discussed the formation of their own rule-breaking strike team. . Maximum Dinobots issue 2
After Shockwave destroyed a cache of energon the Dynobots had been hoarding, causing them severe energon burns and equally severe humiliation, they swore revenge. So, against orders from Optimus Prime, they followed Shockwave when he left Cybertron to stabilize "ultra-energon" deposits he had sent to other worlds as a precaution against the depletion of Cybertron's own energon reserves.
When Shockwave reached his first destination—Earth, at the end of the last Ice Age—the Dynobots destroyed his ship, but Slag revealed that the high energon levels of the planet would put them in stasis lock, since they hadn't come prepared like Shockwave. Slag then came up with the idea that they should scan the local life forms and create alt-modes based on those animals, but with synthetic flesh coatings to protect against the high levels of energon radiation. Grimlock was completely against the idea, but since Slag couldn't come up with something better, he relented. However, he refused to take on the form of the weak mammalians that dominated the planet, demanding "something with some... bite." Scanning fossil deposits, Slag found the remains of some extinct reptilian animals and brought up a holographic representation of one to see if Grimlock approved. What popped up was a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which Grimlock seemed to fall in love with the moment he saw it. The choice made, Grimlock took the Tyrannosaur as his altmode and had Slag find more dinosaurs as templates for the rest of the Dynobots.
On transporting down to the planet's surface to confront Shockwave, they gained an initial advantage, as Shockwave's logic was unable to comprehend the effort and risks they had taken for their revenge. However, when Shockwave recognized this weakness, he shut down his logic processors and executed a "rage" program to enable him to operate on pure instinct. He shrugged off the Dynobots' attacks and beat them severely, ending the assault by burning off their organic coatings. Unable to accept another defeat, Grimlock transformed to robot mode and fought against his imminent stasis lock to no avail.
However, before leaving the Dynobots' ship, he had enabled a "dead man's switch" designed to take Shockwave with them if they were defeated. When he entered stasis lock, this failsafe activated, firing on a nearby dormant volcano and causing an eruption which buried Shockwave and the Dynobots under ash and lava. Thousands of years later, their entombed bodies were discovered by a human archaeological team. Spotlight: Shockwave
In 2007, Skywatch took over jurisdiction of the dig site and excavated Shockwave and the Dynobots. Escalation issue 5
When the Reapers attacked the Decepticons, Skywatch decided to awaken the most advanced of their "Eureka Six", which turned out to be Grimlock. Devastation issue 5
Grimlock's reactivation was sabotaged by an agent of the Machination and when he awoke, they had no control over him. He escaped the facility, confused and angry. His escape was engineered by the head of the Machination, Scorponok, who wanted Grimlock to join him in the Machination plot to dominate the Earth by running interference and delaying Megatron's plans long enough for the Machination to put their plans into action.
Daylight come and me Grimlock wanna go home.
Grimlock considered for a second, but refused the offer for two reasons: he could turn Scorponok in to Ultra Magnus for redemption, and as revenge for Scorponok once robbing an installation the Dynobots were guarding. The two fought and Scorponok quickly gained the upper hand, mostly due to his Headmaster upgrade. Grimlock was able to activate his transporter chip, which beamed him back to his ship, the Skyfire, which was buried deep in ice somewhere. Grimlock hoped he could use the ship to find the other Dynobots. Spotlight: Grimlock
Finding himself trapped, both on a useless ship and in a less than inconspicuous form, Grimlock was forced to try and contact some of his less reputable acquaintances in an attempt to get the Skyfire into some sort of working order. Meanwhile, the Machination had tracked him down and had sent their Tsunami Unit to apprehend him. Grimlock's early warning system detected them, and he circled round as they began to attack, brusting from the ice and transforming. The battle very quickly turned in his favor with four of the clones falling in the opening moments. The surviving Headmasters were rather shaken, but managed to fulfill their mission: attach a device which would orbital bounce him to Nevada, near Skywatch's base. Grimlock materialized in the middle of a busy street. As a car crashed into his toe, he realized things had just gone from bad to worse. Maximum Dinobots issue 1
He knew Scorponok was trying to deliberately set him up as a rampaging monster, but didn't
expect his fellow Dynobots to be sent to take him down! He was able to
fight them all off but unable to break their reprogramming by appealing
to their team ethos... and when they did regain sentience and
memory, it was because Scorponok let them so they could get pissed off
at the knowledge Grimlock set up a "dead man's switch" without informing them. Grimlock's defence was that such a sneaky, amoral and rule-breaking act was what the Dynobots were all about, which surprisingly worked. While saying this, he grudgingly and with much moaning saved a human from burning to death. Maximum Dinobots issue 2
IDW Beast Wars continuity
| “ | Shadows lengthen. The twilight of the Cybertronian race gathers. The end is nigh. | ” |
| “ | Reminds me of the good ol' days. | ” |
—Grimlock | ||
Grimlock was less than thrilled about being forced to go through the Maximal downsizing. To add insult to injury, the resulting peace meant he had no outlet for his warlike tendencies. As such, he frequently volunteered for any dangerous, potentially risky or outright suicidal missions, and when forced on to a science or exploration vessel, he preferred to spend the entire trip in stasis, rather then dealing with the prolonged activity. He has a personalized reformatting chip that deliberately seeks out only the strongest, deadliest beast modes (alive or extinct) on a planet. Transformers Comic issue 14
Grimlock was among the Axalon's protoforms when the ship crashed on Earth. When Razorbeast and Optimus Minor were attempting to "rescue" Megatron from Magmatron, the Predacons detected a spark signature that was apparently off the scale, big and mad. Grimlock showed up and acted as the perfect distraction, making very short work of the Predacons. (Apparently, he was in a very bad mood after waking up and took it out on the Preds.) Magmatron offered Grimlock the chance to withdraw, and when the incredulous Grimlock refused, the Predacon general attacked. Magmatron narrowly arose as the victor by use of his triple beast modes. Grimlock was knocked out, but later helped to construct the Maximals' new base. The Gathering issue 4
Later, when Prowl remarked they had work to do on Earth, with Ravage's Predacon militia still a threat, Wolfang reminded him that they had Grimlock on their side. The Ascending issue 1. The bot in question was patrolling the jungle around the base at the time and bumped into the three-mech team of Manterror, Retrax and Snapper. He only noticed Manterror and Retrax however, as Snapper was being crushed under his right foot at the time. While Retrax rolled for his life, Manterror had to face Grimlock on his own, and lost his wings for his trouble. This little group turned out to be a distraction, however, intended to lure the Maximals' big gun away while Ravage led an all-out strike on the base.
The former Dinobot wasn't about to be left out in the cold, however, and he returned to base ready for "the main course," which consisted of crushing Spittor under his foot and tearing apart Iguanus and half a dozen other Predacons. Still, even with him and Torca working overtime, things might have gone poorly without Lio Convoy's arrival. The Ascending issue 2
When Lio Convoy and Ravage led a joint force to stop Shokaract, Grimlock accompanied them. The former Autobot and former Decepticon had a moment of antagonism when the fight started. But once the battle got underway, Grimlock fell in with the Convoys. As Shokaract declared the end of the Cybertronian race, Grimlock seemed to reminisce, even as he transformed to his beast mode and led a charge. He was one of the survivors, although presumably, he would be a victim of Megatron. The Ascending issue 4
Universe
Toys
- Main article: Grimlock (G1) toys
Merchandise
- Main article: Grimlock (G1) merchandise
Trivia
- There is a Grimlock toy placed in the showcase in the dinosaur section of the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom.
- Grimlock is generally regarded as Simon Furman's signature character.
- According to Marvel UK #107's letters page, Grimlock considers the 23rd of August 1986 his birthday. It's the date he took over the Transformers letters page. He also thinks he could take out Soundwave in a fight.
- Grimlock's function is Lieutenant Commander instead of Dinobot Commander on his Pretender Classic and Alternator toys. Lieutenant Commander is Sky Lynx's rank. Deal with it, egobot.
- Grimlock once had the words Big Grim scrawled on his right shoulder. Dark Shadows!
- Grimlock's beast mode in The Gathering does not actually match any dromaeosaur on record, seeming to combine elements of both the dromaeosaur body type with that of a carnosaur or tyrannosaurid. A fuzor, perhaps? The Titan comic profile in issue 14 seems to have tried to rectify this by calling him a Megaraptor. Which is fine...except Megaraptor was recently revealed as a misidentified carnosaur. Let's face it, a wizard did it.
- In The Ascending Issue 3, Grimlock is shown fighting in his robot mode. His tail weapon appears to take the form of a blaster. In Issue 4, he is the only Transformer, Maximal or Predacon, the same height as the two Convoys.
- Grimlock has his very own fanboy, Noise, who someday wants to grow up and be just like him—a godless killing machine.
- Grimlock's speech impediment is caused by varying conditions, depending on continuity. To explain the difference in UK/US writing styles, Marvel explained it as a ruse. In the cartoon it was a result of primitive thought processes. In Dreamwave MTMTE, it is confirmed as the result of a virus, while IDW considers it caused by a damaged vocal processor. Devil's Due didn't bother explaining, they just got him in the "Me Grimlock's" during part three.
- In every instance in which Grimlock is drawn by Pat Lee, Grimlock's eyes/visor protrude past his faceplate, rather than sitting behind it like normal. This becomes especially pronounced (and comical) towards the end of Dreamwave's Prime Directive.
Footnotes
- ↑ The meeting was with Tommy Kennedy and its importance was debatable, but Prime was upset at being late.
- ↑ Grimlock possesses a brilliant mind but considers intellectuals weak. He chooses to talk dumb rather than be thought of as weak. Marvel UK #200 "Secrets of the Transformers" booklet.
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