Rumble (G1)

This article is about the evil Generation 1 Decepticon. For his good mirror-universe counterpart, see Rumble (Shattered Glass).

Rumble is a Decepticon Mini-Cassette from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Ready to shake, break, rattle and QUAKE!

Rumble is your basic street punk. Small, but always acting tough as a cover. Not exactly the most subtle of Soundwave's spies, but what he lacks in discretion, he makes up for by being the brawler of the group. He talks tough because he is tough. Quick-tempered and of a generally mean disposition, he follows Megatron eagerly, as the Decepticon leader lets him indulge in destruction. Rumble has a tendency to toss out a taunting rhyme at his enemies and is, according to Brawn, a "jerk" (or at other times, a "sawed-off nerd").

As the Decepticon demolitions expert, Rumble loves nothing more than to break things apart. His arms can transform into powerful piledrivers that, when pounded against the ground, can cause earthquakes, usually with fissures. He can be easily overpowered in a one-on-one match, though the real challenge is actually getting to him first. Even if you do, you usually need to get through his brother Frenzy either before or after you get Rumble.

“	If on Decepticon turf you happen to tumble, look out, robot, 'cause here comes Rumble!	”
—Rumble, thinking he's funny, "S.O.S. Dinobots"

Portuguese name (Brazil comics): Estrondo

Hungarian name: Görgető (Trundler)

Italian name: Tremor

Portuguese name (Portugal comics): Trovão

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Generation 1

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

That's my name, don't wear it out.

Millions of years ago on Cybertron, Rumble was among Megatron's elite warriors in the Decepticon ranks. He was present when the Decepticons attempted to overpower the crew of the Ark, and ended up plunging down to the planet Earth below with all the other Transformers on-board. They remained dormant and inactive until 1984, when the volcano their ship was nestled under erupted, bringing the Ark's sensors back online, and the Cybertronians with it. The Transformers Megatron and the Decepticons immediately began plans to loot the planet's rich sources of energy. Rumble's ability to generate low-frequency groundwaves was instrumental in shaking loose equipment from the Harrison Nuclear Power Plant, giving the Decepticons the raw materials necessary for the construction of their Fortress Sinister. Power Play! After securing a human fuel specialist, it was Rumble who provided Sparkplug Witwicky with a sample of Cybertronian fuel for analysis, simply by popping off his hand and pumping fuel from his wrist socket. Eww. As the Autobots confronted the Decepticons at their newly fortified base, Rumble came out to greet them. He used his earthquakes to knock Huffer and Cliffjumper off-balance, but Brawn just barreled his way through the tremors and decked the junk-punk with one punch. After dealing with the Autobot pugilist, Frenzy scooped up his brother and brought him back into the base for repairs, but they were assaulted by Gears and his arachnid partner. Prisoner of War!

Rumble was actually in favor of Decepticon democracy at one point, grumbling that Starscream "deserved a vote" during one of the Air Commander's infamous arguments with Megatron. He was, however, smart enough not to grumble too loudly. The Enemy Within! Starscream later got his way, and the Decepticons staged an attack on the Ark. Rumble tried to pit himself against the Autobot warrior named Sideswipe, but found himself severely outmatched by the Autobot's piledriver punch. Raiders of the Last Ark

If only I hadn't forgotten to take my Insulin this morning...

Heavily damaged due to earlier battles, Rumble sat out the next Decepticon offensive against the Ark, and was not reactivated until after Decepticon leadership had shifted from Megatron to the returning Shockwave. Thanks to their new commander, the Decepticons had secured the Ark and all of the Autobots were believed incapacitated. Despite all these victories, Rumble failed miserably at guarding the Ark, letting one Buster Witwicky sneak by him and abscond with the Creation Matrix. It turned out Rumble's optical circuitry was too low-rez to pick up on humans in his peripheral. The New Order Shockwave actually had to run Rumble's memories through a computer-enhanced refinement process before he could even see the culprit. Needless to say, Shockwave was NOT happy when he found out. Brainstorm! Waiting for his punishment, Rumble actually began developing moisture and condensation on his face-plate in anticipation. Fortunately for Rumble, his only punishment was to guard their human slaves at the Blackrock Aerospace Plant. Unfortunately for Rumble, he was no better at watching multiple humans than he was at watching one—the humans revolted when Jetfire turned on Shockwave, and Rumble was unable to stop them from escaping the plant. Prime Time!

Ow.

Shockwave's defeat left the Decepticons leaderless for a time, and Rumble served various masters until Megatron and Shockwave reached an accord, agreeing to work together as co-leaders of the Decepticons. Rumble didn't last long into this new regime, however. Almost as soon as the Decepticons officially relocated to a coal mine in Wyoming, Megatron led Rumble and several of his fellow soldiers in an attack on the Ark. Having been alerted by Shockwave to an all-out Autobot assault on the mine, Megatron concluded that the Ark and its secrets would be relatively unguarded, and ripe for the picking. Well, Megatron was wrong... on an epic scale. Rumble and the Decepticons were treated to the first battle field test of the Autobots' new defense base: OMEGA SUPREME. Rumble was blown to pieces by Omega Supreme's plasma cannon, along with Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Buzzsaw, and Frenzy. Only Megatron and Laserbeak managed to limp away from the battle at all. Command Performances!

When Starscream awoke from his life support machine on the Ark, he saw that Frenzy and Thundercracker were close to regaining consciousness, but that Rumble, Skywarp, and Buzzsaw were far from rehabilitated. Target: 2006

Rumble remained a prisoner of the Autobots for years, his disassembled component parts resting in the Ark's detention facility until the Constructicons raided the spaceship during a battle on the moon. Totaled! Although he was presumably reconstructed along with his fellow Decepticons, Rumble was still virtually never seen again.

Earthforce

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

Rumble, along with his fellow cassette Ravage, apparently chose to serve under Shockwave and Starscream when the Decepticon factions split on Earth, fighting on the opposite side of Soundwave. He was present at the Enclave, joining in the massive melee initiated by the Autobots The Bad Guy's Ball!, and was later seen on Starscream's observation duty monitors. Bugged! After the two factions reunited, Rumble nestled back into his old space inside Soundwave's chest. No hard feelings, right big guy? Divide and Conquer!

Because Earthforce was printed in black-and-white, it's possible some of his above appearances were actually Frenzy. However, only one FIBRIR bodytype was ever seen at a time, Rumble was identified by name in one issue, and Frenzy was never named, so for simplicity's sake we are assuming only Rumble was present in Earthforce.

Generation 2

Rumble also goes by that handle on Team Fortress 2.

Rumble was present for Megatron's throttling of Optimus Prime and the capture of the Creation Matrix from his chest. When the other Autobots arrived, Rumble used his piledrivers to toss Hot Rod for a loop. The Gathering Darkness Later, after the Decepticons joined forces with the Autobots, Rumble accompanied his leader to the planet Ethos, and was seen mopping up the Cybertronian resistance after the Cons saved the Autobots' tailpipes. Escalation!

When Jhiaxus unleashed his full battalion against his ancestors, Rumble was manning the Warworld's bridge alongside Soundwave and Frenzy. Both of his fellow bridge officers apparently jettisoned to safety before Starscream took full command of the Warworld, and so Rumble may have done so as well. A Rage in Heaven!

Universe bio

Rumble became even more anti-social after the death of his brother, Frenzy, in the Swarm war, and was eventually abducted by Unicron to join his Minions of Unicron in the battle against the Children of Primus.

This bio is not entirely official. It comes from the BotCon 2006 customization class, but it was apparently never vetted by Hasbro (much like Nightracer's).

Cartoon continuity

Generation 1 cartoon

Voice actor: Frank Welker (English), Keiichi Nanba (Japanese—See note below.)

I thought it was supposed to be red or blue, Why AM I PURPLE?!?!

Rumble was one of the original Decepticon raiding party that crashed into Earth four million years ago aboard the Ark. Reawakened in 1984, he was reformatted into an audio cassette that fit snugly into Soundwave's chest compartment. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 Despite his small size, Rumble would often go head-to-head with full-sized Autobots, even having a (short-lived, at least) rivalry with the Autobot Hound, though this ended sort of badly for him. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2 More than Meets the Eye, Part 3

Roll for It Divide and Conquer Fire in the Sky

A common Decepticon tactic was to get Rumble to use his earth-shaking abilities to agitate hydroelectric power sources, as the Decepticons did at the Great Falls. S.O.S. Dinobots

Fire on the Mountain War of the Dinobots The Ultimate Doom, Part 1 The Ultimate Doom, Part 2 The Ultimate Doom, Part 3 Countdown to Extinction A Plague of Insecticons

The Decepticons only love me for my piledrivers...and I love using 'em, so it's win-win!

Though lacking raw might, Rumble seemed to be on equal footing with most other Decepticons. No doubt this was due to his seismic power, which was used quite often (including once by Megatron when he had borrowed Rumble's power chip rectifier). Heavy Metal War Autobot Spike City of Steel Attack of the Autobots Traitor The Immobilizer The Autobot Run Atlantis, Arise! Day of the Machines Enter the Nightbird A Prime Problem Auto Berserk Microbots Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2 Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1

Once he went back in time to the middle ages and jousted atop Ramjet. Then he got covered in bird poo as part of Starscream's plan to make a primitive battery. A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court

The Golden Lagoon Make Tracks Quest for Survival

Then there was that time he got turned into a tree. Sea Change

The Search for Alpha Trion The Girl Who Loved Powerglide Hoist Goes Hollywood

File:Rumble Plague of insecticons.jpg

"It's not sawed-off, it's kitbashed."

Assisted by his diminutive stature, Rumble was also responsible for stealing some of the cars that would later become the Stunticons and for inspiring Megatron to name the group. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1

The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2 Trans-Europe Express Cosmic Rust Starscream's Brigade Aerial Assault

Alright, open wide...

During the Battle of Autobot City, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, and Ratbat attacked a communications tower that Blaster was using to broadcast a message to Optimus Prime at Moonbase One. He and his fellow cassettes piled on Perceptor before Blaster unleashed his own cassettes on them. When Megatron fell battling Prime, Rumble helped during the Decepticon retreat by carrying Megatron's fusion cannon while Soundwave carried Megatron. On the return ride, it became necessary to jettison excess weight to make it to Cybertron, and Megatron was one of the ejected. After that, the Decepticons discussed who would be the new leader of the Decepticons. The Constructicons argued that they should rule, as they formed Devastator, the most powerful robot. Things got ugly when Soundwave called the Constructicons inferior, and Hook called Soundwave "an uncharismatic bore". Rumble did not take kindly to that idea, and the Constructicons formed Devastator. Rumble and Frenzy caused him to separate by shaking Astrotrain with their piledrivers. In the end, Starscream won out, and Rumble was present for his coronation...and subsequent disintegrating by Galvatron. Uncertain what the powerful newcomer was called, Rumble asked what his name was, and Galvatron responded. The Transformers: The Movie

Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3

In the Japanese dub, the lesser-seen red Decepticon cassette, Frenzy, was indicated to be Rumble to reflect his toy colors more accurately.

Japanese cartoon continuity

The events of American cartoon continuity, as detailed above, occur in the Japanese timeline, except the events of 2006 are pushed back to 2010. The Japanese continuity proceeds to insert many new storylines and events in, around, before and after the events of the Generation 1 cartoon, as covered below.

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga

Working with Soundwave and his fellow Cassettes, Rumble attacked Bumblebee and the Autobot's human friend Kenji during their patrol of Tokyo. Powerglide swooped in to take Kenji to safety, and Bumblebee easily eluded the inept Rumble long enough to execute a Bumble Kick! against Soundwave. With his chest-port damaged, Soundwave was unable to hide Rumble and the other Cassettes when Ironhide and Cliffjumper arrived to back up Bumblebee. They ended up just bouncing off Soundwave's chest in cassette mode. Cliffjumper grabbed them and began tearing out their magnetic tape which, if you think about it, seems kinda horrific. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2

Rumble eventually recovered. In another scheme, the Decepticons tried to frame the Autobots for attacking Earth by giving the Stunticons fake sigils and sending them on a mayhem spree. Dressed in snazzy robes to hide their identities, Rumble and Frenzy then began fanning the flames by preaching openly against the Autobots in human cities. Their cover was blown, however, when Inferno and Hot Spot washed the fake insignia off the Decepticons. Rumble and Frenzy were zapped by Eject and Rewind, revealing their identities as well. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 7

The Headmasters manga

After Soundblaster crash-landed following his encounter with Chromedome's "Master Chrome Hurricane-Throw to the End of Hell" attack, Rumble and Frenzy attempted to wake their buddy up as Sixshot approached. The Headmasters issue 8

Dreamwave comics continuity

Events from the Keepers Trilogy novels are in italics.

Rumble, under his commanding officer Soundwave, was one of the earliest recruits Megatron made for his Decepticon faction millions of years ago. Rumble and his brother Frenzy remained loyal to the primary Decepticon faction under Shockwave's command during the Dark Ages, and remained part of the Decepticon hierarchy after Megatron returned from Quintessa with his new Aerospace Extermination Squadron. The punk brothers were seen naming off Autobot casualties for the fun of it after the Age of Internment began. The War Within: The Age of Wrath

Four million years ago, Rumble was part of the crew of the Nemesis which crashed to Earth alongside the Autobots and the Ark. He was revived in 1984 along with the other Transformers for roughly a decade of renewed warfare, before the Autobots ultimately defeated the Decepticons and rendered them inoperative. Their triumphant return to Cybertron aboard the Ark II was sabotaged, however, and the Transformers were all believed destroyed in the resulting explosion. Instead, many of them were recovered by the mercenary named Lazarus, who made efforts to reprogram the Cybertronians into weapons for his disposal. Rumble was one of several Transformers unleashed by Lazarus as a test run in 2002. Megatron managed to override Lazarus's control, though, and freed his fellow Decepticons. Prime Directive

Rumble stayed out of Decepticon politics during the Keepers' interaction with the Transformers on Earth. He chose to work with Starscream in Las Vegas after Megatron's disappearance, and even remained in Vegas after Megatron returned and splintered the Decepticon army, but otherwise did little of note. Annihilation

When Shockwave arrived from Cybertron, he managed to defeat Megatron and assume control of the Decepticons in the name of the greater Unified Cybertronian government. Rumble and Frenzy were placed in charge of guarding the deactivated Megatron on the flight back to Cybertron, but were tossed aside by Starscream so that he could jettison Megatron into space. New World Order Later, Shockwave commissioned them to create a distraction that would keep Ultra Magnus from fully realizing his plans, by unleashing the crazed Stunticons from a detention facility. Once again, Starscream intervened on their mission, retrieving five additional prisoners, the Combaticons, for his own purposes. Cold War

As Shockwave's government began to collapse around him, Starscream convinced his fellow comrades from Earth to follow him back to that planet and raid it for energon. Revelation However, his initial "battle plan" against the Autobots led to more than half his forces being captured, including Rumble and Frenzy. After the Autobots were forced into a deal with Starscream due to the threat of Sunstorm, Rumble and the other Decepticon captives were released, but charged to only 50% power. Black Sunshine At this point, Soundwave took steps to reunite the Decepticons with their true leader, Megatron, and shortly thereafter Megatron and the Predacons arrived on Earth and overthrew Starscream's command. The Route of All Evil

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

File:Gijoevstfrumblechases.jpg

Rumble was one of the many Transformers recovered from the crashed Ark by Cobra. He was repaired and retrofitted by Doctor Mindbender, who proudly displayed him, Soundwave, and his fellow Mini-Cassettes to Destro. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2 Rumble was released by Soundwave, along with Laserbeak, Frenzy, Ratbat, and Ravage, during an attack on the SPS Center. Rumble evaded the first wave of G.I. Joe defenders and used his piledrivers to damage the target building. Scaling the building, he menaced Flash and Sci-Fi until Bumblebee punched his lights out. His body was taken into custody by G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3

IDW comics continuity

Rumble and Frenzy started out as "industrial equipment" at Mining Outpost C-12, until the Senate shut down the site in favor of automating the work involved. Once a furious Megatron kicked off a riot, Rumble and Frenzy joined in the fighting and were soon taken prisoner, destined for "The Rig" penal facility. They managed to break free aboard their prison transport, however, and took control of it with Megatron's help. The renegade miners then fled to Kaon, where they got lost in the underground fighting tournaments that ran rampant throughout that city-state.

As time passed, Megatron rose high in the ranks of the gladiators, and he brought up Rumble and Frenzy with him. And when Megatron's passions turned from arena combat to outright insurrection, so did theirs. When Megatron crafted his plan for infiltrating and destroying the Senate, Rumble and his brother underwent alterations so that they could hide inside Soundwave's chest compartment. Thanks to this subterfuge, the Senate was annihilated and the Security Services of Kaon split open from the inside. Rumble bore witness as Megatron personally beat down and humiliated the Autobot leader, Sentinel Prime. Megatron Origin

Rumble was involved in the Decepticon full-frontal offensive on the planet Earth, and the conquest of New York City. After the siege was over, however, the lack of organized resistance left Rumble with little to do. He and Reflector took to the streets, blowing up stray abandoned vehicles that happened to remind him of certain people. All Hail Megatron issue 3

While on a patrol in New York City, he ran afoul of Cmdr. Spike Witwicky and three other survivors. Rumble went after Spike and nearly succeeded in knocking him off his motorcycle, but one of the survivors, Charles, seeking revenge for his son's death at the hands of Rumble, fired off a shot from a rocket launcher that hit Rumble point blank in the face, downing him instantly. Sensing something wrong, Soundwave found Rumble, picked up his damaged body, and went into a rage in which he lost control of his communications blocking effect. All Hail Megatron issue 9 He was apparently repaired and sided with Starscream during his coup. All Hail Megatron issue 10

Toys

Generation 1

• Rumble (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987)
  • Japanese ID number: 17, D-102
  • Accessories: 2 "Thruster Guns" (left & right)

Rumble was part of the first wave of Transformers toys released in 1984. Using the same mold as a Microchange Microcassette Robo Micross, he was packaged by Hasbro with Ravage in 1984-1986, by Takara with Soundwave from 1985-1986, and by himself in 1987. This mold was also used for Frenzy and Enemy.

Generation 2

• "Rumble"

Part of the canceled 4th wave of Go-Bots, Rumble would have been a race car with a pizza-oriented sponsor ("Vinny's Pizza") and an engine-oriented sponsor ("Jerry's Motors"). Although he was never officially named in any known documents, his name is on the front bumper.

This mold was redecoed into Robots in Disguise Side Swipe and Universe Silverstreak.

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious. Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Alternators

• Rumble (Alternator, 2006)
  • Alternator ID number: 24 (misprint, should be 25)

File:AltRumble.jpg

Nothing says "rebellious" like a Honda Civic!

For Alternators, Rumble transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed 2006 Honda Civic Si, with opening doors, hood, etc. Additionally, instead of traditional hands, Rumble features spring-loaded piledrivers that release from his arms. Accessories include two back-mounted weapons, one of which doubles as his engine in car mode and the other which fits into his trunk.

Originally intended for normal retail release in the US, he and wave-mate Ravage got relegated to being Wal-Mart exclusives, released in late March of 2007. He and Ravage are notable for being the first Decepticon Alternators to be entirely new molds, rather than an Autobot mold reworked to be someone else. They are also notable for being the final Alternators toys to be sold at retail.

Rumble's seats are mis-assembled, keeping them from reclining completely in car mode. To fix this, unscrew each seat from the bottom of the car, swap them, and then rescrew.

Universe

Wins award for "Most Expensive to Duplicate at Home."

• Rumble (Basic, 2006)

This redeco of Scrapmetal was only available in the customization class at BotCon 2006, along with Inferno. Parts were provided, but the individuals taking the class had to assemble and paint the toy. The gang-molded alternate Cobybot head is used for this toy.

The following Testors paint colors were used: Burnished Gold, British Gulf Armor, British Crimson, Magical Blue, Armored Steel, Flat Black, Camouflag Gray, and Medium Gray.

Attacktix

• Rumble

The Attacktix Rumble playing piece was never released due to the cancellation of the Attacktix line. A prototype was seen (along with other unreleased Transformers and Star Wars Attacktix playing pieces at the Celebration IV Star Wars convention.

Unhelpfully for the FIRRIB argument, Attacktix Rumble was blue.

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious. Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Music Label

Ready to shake, break, rattle and cause hearing problems by the time you're 40!

• Frenzy & Rumble Playing Earphones (2007)

Released as part of TakaraTomy's Music Label toyline, Rumble and Frenzy share a fairly simplistic transformation from robots to white, circular, working earphones. Although sold separately, they were designed to go well with the Music Label Soundwave MP3 player.

Merchandise

Robot Heroes

• Arcee vs. Rumble

Red again? I think there's a pattern evolving here...

Robot Heroes Rumble is a soft-plastic figurine sculpted in a super deformed style and with his piledrivers deployed. He has swivel joints in his shoulders and neck, and came in a two-pack with Arcee.

Transformers - Mini Bust

So happy to be Blue.

• Rumble (Diamond Select, 2009)

Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Rumble was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 1000 pieces. He is painted in a accurate blue scheme matching his colors in the Generation 1 cartoon. Ratbat is seen blazing over his shoulder and decoed in a deeper purple then he is usually depicted in. Rumble is sculpted using his piledrivers and his base has the aftereffects of an earthquake on the left side. A representation of his tape mode is also present on the front of his base.

Trivia

• On the Generation 1 TV series, Rumble was represented with the colors of Frenzy's toy—that is, dark and medium blue, rather than black and red (and vice-versa). This led to some confusion (and later, controversy) amongst fans. (See FIRRIB.)
• In later years, toys sporting the name "Rumble" required an additional "Decepticon" prefix for trademark reasons, hence making the official name "Decepticon Rumble".

• Rumble's Alternators figure was revealed at the UK's Toy Fair. Rather than the figure itself, it was surprisingly an image of concept art for a design that was ultimately never used.

External links

• Rumble at TFU.info
• Rumble's Universe profile at NTFA.net