Razorclaw (G1)
| The name or term "Razorclaw" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Razorclaw (disambiguation). |
- Razorclaw is a Decepticon Predacon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Know that when the Predacons are on the hunt, their leader Razorclaw is all business. Every drop of fuel in his system and every thought in his processor are dedicated to the task at hand, and he often lies in wait, completely motionless, for long stretches of time. Fools confuse this for laziness. Many of them have become his prey.
Like all the Predacons, Razorclaw revels in the hunt. And the only thing he appreciates more than an easy kill is one earned in battle with worthy prey. In these situations, Razorclaw prefers to face his foe with honor. It costs him little to give them a well-earned moment of dignity, as their ultimate fate will remain the same.
He and his fellow Predacons can combine to form Predaking.
- French-Canadian name: Griffon
- Italian name: Zannar
- Hungarian name: Pengeél ("Razorblade")
Fiction
Cartoon continuity
- Voice actor: Joe Leahy (English), Tomomichi Nishimura (Japanese)
In the year 2006, the Predacons were dispatched to Jupiter's moon, Io, to stop a marooned Autobot team from reaching Earth with Metroplex's transformation cog. Arriving on the moon, Razorclaw ordered his fellow Predacons to attack before charging himself. Chasing after Blurr in beast mode, Razorclaw nearly fell into a ravine when the Autobot shot him in the face as he attempted the jump. Grabbing hold of the side with his foreleg, he dragged himself up and rejoined his teamates to merge into their combined form, Predaking. Unfortunately, the mighty Sky Lynx soundly defeated the giant, scattering him into the Predacon component members. Razorclaw ran off, to the protests of Headstrong, when Sky Lynx fired upon him. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5
Later, the Predacons were drawn into the Quintessons' experiments using Daniel Witwicky's dreams to destroy the Transformers. Razorclaw and Springer were captured by a dragon, which took them to a castle. There, a princess offered them gold if they freed her. While Springer declined the gold, Razorclaw's interest was piqued. Whether this means gold is valuable among the Decepticons, or if Razorclaw just likes shiny things, is unspecified. In typical fashion, Razorclaw sat down and decided to try and break out when the guards came. However, Springer came up with a plan that allowed them to escape and went to fight the dragon. Razorclaw decided to let Springer fight the dragon himself, but the princess urged Razorclaw to help if only to save himself. Razorclaw served as Springer's mount as he charged the dragon, killing it. After shutting down the experiments, Razorclaw decided to finish off the Autobots, but Headstrong couldn't transform into beast mode, and Razorclaw ordered the Predacons to retreat. Nightmare Planet
When the Decepticons invaded Paradron, Razorclaw and Brawl were on guard duty when Sandstorm escaped from the brig, and the normally relaxed Predacon commander eagerly charged out of the barracks at the thought of tearing apart an Autobot. He leapt ahead of Sandstorm on a narrow bridge and knocked him off the edge into a deep chasm. The lousy Triple Changer transformed to avoid splattering, though, and escaped his pursuers. Fight or Flee
Razorclaw was among the Primitives who were summoned by Primacron's assistant to fight Tornedron, greatly objecting to Sky Lynx's leadership of the group. While fleeing Tornedron, Headstrong declared that it would be better to die fighting. Razorclaw agreed, and ordered the Predacons to form Predaking. They got their energy sucked from them for their troubles. Call of the Primitives
The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1
The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
As Megatron's paranoia reached its peak, Soundwave suggested that they enlist the help of the Predacons to flush out Optimus Prime, allowing Megatron to finally defeat him. However, Shockwave called them from Cybertron, and gave Razorclaw secret orders to turn on Megatron at a crucial moment. The Predacons successfully hunted down Optimus, and when Megatron arrived, as Shockwave ordered, they turned on him. After learning of Shockwave and the Predacons' betrayal, Megatron summoned a space bridge to Cybertron to escape, but Prime flung them both through the bridge before it had fully materialized. Prey! The Harder They Die!
Fortunately for Razorclaw and the other Predacons, Megatron lost his memory of this incident when Straxus attempted to take over his body. Resurrection!
Suspecting Megatron was unstable, Shockwave contacted Razorclaw on Cybertron and enlisted the aid of a mercenary-like band of Decepticons, the Predacons. Equipping them with Autobot insignia panels, he sent them to Earth via a Space Bridge in the Florida Everglades. There, Razorclaw led the Predacons against Megatron, who had been led to believe Optimus Prime still lived and assumed he sent the Predacons against him thanks to the Autobot insignia. Despite the prowess of the Predacons and fighting Megatron as Predaking, Megatron still defeated the Predacons. Gone but Not Forgotten!
Razorclaw returned later, leading the Predacons under the flag of Ratbat, leading raids for fuel. RAAT had in their possession at the time the six Autobot Throttlebots and, with Forrest Forsythe refusing to believe the Autobots and Decepticons were separate factions, issued an ultimatum that one more attack would lead to the Throttlebots' execution. After the inevitable Decepticon attack and the Autobots' execution, Razorclaw led his team in storming I.I.I.'s base to check the Autobots had really been killed; in the process, Razorclaw not only shot dead a guy who was running away, he also quite happily informed I.I.I. that the Autobots were a separate faction after all. Which is just rubbing it in.
When it became clear the Autobots' brain modules had been removed before death, the Predacons chased the "fuel scent" of the brain modules across the area, attacking the Throttlebots (who were trapped in toy-car forms) and their human allies. The Predacons were outrun by the Autobots in their remote control toy bodies and were about as effective as Tantrum was at making it through the mall's china shop. Toy Soldiers!
Know that the battle with Scorponok was worse, as Razorclaw ended up unable to stop Tantrum from getting ripped in half. Know that Razorclaw then served under Scorponok in Tokyo where he fared even worse against Starscream as the Underbase left him in pieces. Cold War! Dark Star
Marvel UK future timelines
In 2008, Razorclaw was one of Commander Soundwave's lieutenants on Cybertron when a Quintesson arrived at Decepticon headquarters, alerting them that most of the Autobot fleet was off-world attacking Quintessa. Seeing an opportunity, Soundwave rallied his troops for a major offensive on Autobase. On the way, Razorclaw made an off-hand comment about how lucky they were the Quintesson gave them the intel, but Soundwave was quick to claim the lion's share of the credit for seizing the opportunity given them. Of course, a second later it became moot when a cadre of Allicon shock troops and Trident assault craft burst out from nowhere and assaulted the Decepticons, catching them in the trap the first Quintesson set for them. Space Pirates!
Earthforce
Razorclaw and Rampage were patrolling the Alaskan snowfields for Shockwave and bumped into Grimlock, who had just been had by the Dinobots as an April Fools joke -- they had set up a fake challenge by Shockwave and lured him out into the cold, only to find a "Shockwave snowman" and a sign. Razorclaw and Rampage thought this was very funny. What Grimlock did to them ended up being censored, but it probably wasn't hugs and kisses. Snow Fun!
Generation 2
Despite his misgivings, Razorclaw took part in the Autobot/Decepticon alliance against the Cybertronian Empire. During the battle, he began to suspect the Decepticons' newest recruits were insufficiently committed to the Decepticon cause, particularly Manta Ray. A true Decepticon, Razorclaw swore to rip out Manta Ray's primary fuel pump and devour his tasty, tasty courage if the new kid didn't shape up. Total War!
The Predacon got his chance when the Swarm arrived, decimating the Cybertronian armada before turning on Earth. As the Swarm approached their makeshift fortification, Razorclaw ordered Manta Ray to activate the perimeter defenses. Manta Ray ignored him in favor of Grimlock, and Razorclaw lost his head. Preparing to attack the "traitor", the Predacon was himself ambushed by Leadfoot, and Razorclaw lost his head. A Rage in Heaven!
Dreamwave comics continuity
Razorclaw and the Predacons were once Decepticon warlords who were banished from Cybertron to the planet Beest. During their time there, the Predacons' higher functions degraded until they were feral. After being repaired by the Junkions, Megatron located Razorclaw and the Predacons, and, after some initial difficulty, reprogrammed them to serve him, and also altered them to become the combiner Predaking. Welcome to the Jungle
Devil's Due G.I.Joe Vs. Transformers continuity
IDW comics continuity
Before the war began, the Predacons, including Razorclaw, were respondents to Megatron's open casting call for gladiatorial combatants. Although Rampage was contemptuous of some of the amateurs, Razorclaw appeared to change his mind after seeing Grimlock. Megatron Origin issue 3
Razorclaw rose high in the Decepticon ranks, coming to serve as a kind of general, leading large numbers of troops against the Autobots. He also retained command of the Predacons, which became an elite—and feared—tactical unit. Spotlight: Shockwave After the Battle of Thunderhead Pass, Razorclaw was involved in a Decepticon scheme to demoralize the Autobots and claim as much of their territory on the planet as possible. Soundwave used Bombshell to subvert the will of Beachcomber, forcing the Autobot to make an assassination attempt on Blaster, "The Voice" of the Autobot cause. And so, just as the Autobot forces were gathering around their transmitters, waiting for the pre-scheduled broadcast that would never come, Razorclaw caught them off-guard with a massive full-frontal assault on the enemy trenches. Besides his Predacons, he led Darkwing, Dreadwind, Needlenose, Spinister, and even the mighty Trypticon himself into battle. Although details are slim, this offensive was apparently a major blow to the Autobot cause. Spotlight: Blaster
After Thunderwing's reactivation and subsequent return to Cybertron, Megatron dispatched the Predacons to ensure that his defeat was final this time, giving Razorclaw explicit instructions: if Cybertron must be destroyed, then so be it. Stormbringer issue 3 Razorclaw started a countdown on an orbital bombardment powerful enough to destroy Cybertron, but had Rampage at the console with his finger on the button, ready to cancel it in the event that Thunderwing was defeated. He remarked that he was hesitant to destroy Cybertron unless it was absolutely necessary, but was willing to do it rather than defy Megatron. In respect for the desperate Autobot defense, he dispatched a team under Divebomb and Headstrong to assist their enemies in fighting Thunderwing, but ordered them to return at the five cycle mark, intending to destroy everybody on the surface. He canceled the countdown with one second remaining, after Optimus Prime defeated Thunderwing. Stormbringer issue 4
Beast Wars
Timelines
After the final, crushing defeat of the Decepticons at the end of the Great War, Razorclaw rejected this outcome. He initiated the creation of the Predacons, a new faction that would counter the victorious Autobots. A war broke out between the Autobots and the Predacons, and Razorclaw would have had his victory, if he were not doublecrossed and assassinated by the Tripredacus Council. Timelines Razorclaw's bio card
Hundreds of stellar cycles later, years after the Great Reformatting, Razorclaw returned, somehow alive, and in command of a new Predacon army! He vowed vengeance upon the Autobots' descendants, the Maximals. Dawn of Future's Past
Beast Wars: The Gathering
On Cybertron, a group of five symbols appeared on the walls of a room containing a transwarp shunt device. The five symbols seemed to represent a lion, a bird, a bull, a rhinoceros, and a tiger. The Gathering issue 2
Toys
Generation 1
- Razorclaw (1986)
- Team ID number: 1
- Japanese ID number: D-73
- Accessories: "Twin Concussion Blaster", Sonic Sword
- Razorclaw transforms into a brightly coloured, cuddly, cute robotic male lion. His beast mode legs and head have varying degrees of articulation (though the latter has more to do with his transformation). As was the norm for toys made during the period, especially combiner members, he has limited articulation in robot mode. Razorclaw is armed with his large Twin Concussion Blaster mounted on his back in beast mode and uses his Sonic Sword in robot mode.
- He serves as the torso for Predaking, and as such, his Sonic Sword as Predaking's primary offensive weapon. Additionally, his Twin Concussion Blaster can transform into a longer, single-barrel cannon that mounts on Predaking's left arm (ie: Divebomb).
- As with the rest of the Predacons, the initial release of Razorclaw had die-cast metal parts which were later replaced by plastic. In Japan, he was available individually or as part of a gift set with the rest of the Predacons.
- Predaking (Multi-pack, 1986, 2004)
- Japanese ID number: D-78
- In Japan, all five Predacons were also made available as a very large gift-set. This huge box was reissued in 2004, using the die-cast contruction of the initial releases.
Universe (2008)
Classic Series
- Special Team Leaders (Multi-pack, 2008)
- Razorclaw is a redeco of the Cybertron Legends of Cybertron Leobreaker toy, transforming into a robotic lion. He is available only in a Target/Zellers-exclusive five-pack with miniature versions of combiner-team leaders Hot Zone, Hun-Gurrr, Scattorshot, and Silverbolt.
- Razorclaw's arm-claws are mis-assembled, being upside-down in-package. Thankfully, they pop right off for an easy fix.
BotCon 2009
- Razorclaw (BotCon attendee figure, 2009)
- A retool and redeco of Cybertron Leobreaker, featuring a new head. Razorclaw transforms into a mechanical lion. Each forelimb/arm has a Cyber-Key-released spring-loaded claw, and his tail becomes a blade-whip for robot mode. He can also transform into "Savage Claw Mode", becoming a massive clawed arm that can attach to the Leader-class Cybertron Optimus Prime and Megatron toys, usable on either side of their torsos. Razorclaw came with a translucent Golden Disk Key.
- Limited to 2000 sets, Razorclaw came bagged with Elita-1.
- The original version of this mold was also used to make Nemesis Breaker and retooled into Universe Leo Prime.
Merchandise
Titanium Series
- Predaking (3" Robot Masters, 2006)
- Accessories: Display stand, sword
- Know that the torso of this Titanium Series 3" die-cast figurine is technically Razorclaw.
Robot Heroes
- Ricochet & Predaking (Robot Heroes, 2009)
- Know that the torso of this Robot Heroes figurine is also technically Razorclaw. And no less adorable than the original toy. Packaged with Ricochet, this versus set saw only limited release in some parts of Europe.
