Dirge (G1)

The name or term "Dirge" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Dirge (disambiguation).

Dirge is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Death comes to he who-- wait, no, death comes to ME. I've been saying that wrong this whole time."

Dirge is a master of using fear as a weapon. Mournful, morose, and silent, his behavior gives even close comrades like Ramjet the creeps. Dirge actively cultivates this atmosphere; his engines are even tuned to generate fear in all who hear them. Few realize, however, that this need to instill fear is part of an overwhelming need for control over his own situation. Should things spiral out of control, Dirge falls victim to paralyzing fear himself and his usefulness as a warrior vanishes.

True to his name, he tends to die a lot.

“	Death comes to he who crosses me.	”
—a confused Dirge, Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1

Portuguese name (Brazil comic): Dirgo / Funeral

Portuguese name (Portugal comic): Funebre

French-Canadian name: Funébro

Italian name: Sparviero

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

Generation 1 cartoon

Voice actor: Bud Davis (English), Keiichi Nanba (Japanese)

This one's just a warning. From now on, you won't get off so easily.

Dirge appeared without explanation on Earth under Megatron's command a year or two after the Ark-borne Transformers awoke. His first notable activity was joining in a raid on Dinobot Island, where he was eventually chewed on and thrown bodily by a time-lost Tyrannosaurus rex. Dinobot Island, Part 2

Dirge served as part of Megatron's personal guard when the Decepticons confronted the Constructicons about their dubious loyalties. The Master Builders He was also briefly involved in an aborted air strike to seize the Negavator, and was present for the next raid on the Negavator's holding pen. Once Red Alert rigged the Negavator to explode, however, Dirge led his fellow Seekers in retreat, against Megatron's direct orders. Guess he didn't feel like dying that day. Auto Berserk

When a new solar energy facility opened up in Central City, Starscream led Dirge,Ramjet and Thrust to steal its power. The facility proved to be a trap, however, set by Shawn Berger to elevate himself in the public eye by taking down the Decepticons with his private militia. Berger's operatives failed, but the Autobots soon arrived to engage the Decepticons as well. Tracks took to the air and zapped Dirge with his blackout beam. Luckily for Dirge, Ramjet managed to pull off a loopity-loop and ram the flying Autobot into the ground. Megatron then "requested" the pleasure of Shawn Berger's presence, not to punish him, but to play a subtler game. He attempted to convince the industrialist that the Decepticons were good, and the Autobots evil. He had Dirge escort Berger home so that the human could think about his proposal of alliance against the "Evil Autobots". Dirge was also one of the key players in Megatron's staged videos to tarnish the Autobots' reputation. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 Later, after the Autobots were successfully villified in the public eye and exiled to deep space, the Seekers turned on the people of Central City, opening fire in the middle of the streets. Although Dirge and the Seekers fared well against an attack by the Air Force, the eventual return of the Autobots proved to be more than the Decepticons could handle. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2

When the Decepticons uncovered a pool of electrum, a strange element that rendered them totally invincible to harm, they thoroughly enjoyed taunting the Autobots with their superiority. Dirge, unfortunately, drew the short straw and was left to guard the pool with Long Haul, right up until the Constructicon abandoned him to go fight the battle as well. Dirge was in the middle of...*ahem* exhorted Long Haul's virtues when Beachcomber and Seaspray jumped him from behind, giving the Autobots a chance to use the electrum pool as well. The supply was quickly exhausted with both armies using it, however, reducing the war back to stage one. The Golden Lagoon Dirge was also part of Megatron's team working with the Insecticons, producing energon cubes from the insects' feasting. They were eventually defeated by the Autobots and a grove of robotic space plants called Morphobots. Quest for Survival

Later on, Dirge, Ramjet and Astrotrain came to Monacus to look after Megatron's interests in Sheol, and his less than reputable partner, Lord Gyconi. They were putting the squeeze on Gyconi when a program caught Dirge's optic, inviting one-and-all to see the Autobots in pit battle against Gyconi's animaliens. They decided to take in a show while on Monacus, but quickly realized what was going on when Smokescreen flooded the arena with smoke to stop the games and save his friends. Dirge and Ramjet set off after the Autobot in jet mode, and very nearly destroyed him before the bounty hunting Autobot named Devcon stepped in to blast them out of the air. There's nothing a Decepticon fears more than a fair fight, and the two Seekers skidadled as soon as they were able to get back in the sky. They retreated back to Astrotrain with their share of Gyconi's energon, and eventually fled the planet, with Devcon chasing their smoke trail. The Gambler

On another occasion, Dirge accompanied Megatron to help their ally Deceptitran against the Tlalakan rebels. After the Decepticons captured Bumblebee (who was aiding the rebels), Dirge was eager to try out his mind probe on the little Autobot, but was interrupted by a rebel attack before he could really get into it. Sea Change

When the Triple Changers temporarily disposed of Megatron and Starscream, Decepticon leadership became a free-for-all. Instead of chosing sides like the Constructicons, Ramjet and the Seekers were mostly content just to watch the hilarity ensue, like Blitzwing's football antics and Astrotrain's army of idiot trains. He even actually avoided death for a change and was seen successfully escaping from a train tunnel flooded by Astrotrain's Astroforce. That must have made his day.Triple Takeover

Megatron said Dirge and the other two Coneheads were "supposed to be the most powerful jets in the galaxy." The Girl Who Loved Powerglide But if Megatron was serious, then they certainly didn't do much to live up to that reputation. They were loyal enough troopers, participating in all the usual Decepticon mischief, but not much more than that. Dirge was once ordered to transport an unknown invention stolen from Wheeljack's lab on Cybertron to their home base, and ended up crashing in a swamp and temporarily deactivating due to its weight, prompting the other coneheads to save him. Hoist Goes Hollywood In fact, the general incompetence of Dirge and the Seekers in the air was one of the reasons Megatron chose to try fighting the Autobots on the roads with the Stunticons. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1

Dirge and Ramjet were briefly seen using Megatron's Lightning Bug in defense of the Decepticons' undersea base. Cosmic Rust The two were later captured by Starscream and the renegade Combaticons, and pilfered for their energy absorbers. Starscream's Brigade Still, Dirge was repaired rather quickly, and was seen helping Megatron and the Insecticons in another joint scheme soon thereafter. He and Ramjet were commissioned to find the Insecticons when Shrapnel stole a vital part of the Space Bridge machinery. The Revenge of Bruticus During a Decepticon mission in the Middle East, Dirge inexplicably showed up with the Combaticons just long enough to get shot down by the Autobots. Aerial Assault

Turns out Unicron didn't have a secret weak spot in his mouth. Thanks for trying, though!

Dirge's first apparent death was during Unicron's attack on Cybertron in 2005. All three coneheads (or Seekers who looked like them) were seen flying into Unicron's mouth and explosion. The Transformers: The Movie However, Dirge soon turned up again in Carbombya, hiding with Ramjet amongst President Fakkadi's air force. Fakkadi denied their presence to the Autobots, but Outback psyched the two Decepticons out by walking around the airfield with what he claimed was a "Decepticon detector." When the coneheads tried to escape, Outback used a smoke grenade to make them crash, then tore the location of Chaar out of them with his steely gaze. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1

Maybe he shouldn't take his nitroglycerin collection everywhere with him.

The two hapless Decepticons somehow escaped Autobot captivity, though. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 They later participated in a full-scale assault on Cybertron and chose to strafe Ultra Magnus—who dispatched them both with well-timed punches that sent them careening into buildings. They exploded quite utterly (even Ramjet, who you'd think would be used to it). Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

Dark Awakening Thief in the Night

Uncharacteristically AVOIDING death somehow.

And yet they later appeared again on Chaar, failing to defend Trypticon against the ghost of Starscream. In fact, Galvatron tried to execute the coneheads and the Battlechargers for their inability to stop the wraith. But they were saved when Starscream possessed Trypticon himself and launched into space, Dirge and the others onboard. When they saw that Starscream was using Trypticon to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron, they sabotaged the dinosaur from within. Ghost in the Machine

The Headmasters cartoon

Dirge and Thrust stood guard outside the Decepticon headquarters on Earth when Twincast was ordered to infiltrate it. The two Seekers got into a firefight with the Autobot and his Mini-Cassettes and were too distracted to notice Rewind sneaking past them and into the base. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears

Marvel Comics continuity

Generation 1

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

Dirge was on Cybertron serving under Straxus when contact was first made with the long-lost Earthbound Decepticons. The Smelting Pool! He was one of the Decepticons' greatest killers, with Macabre desperately wanting acknowledgement from him. After Shrapnel received some information about a major meeting of the Autobot resistance chiefs, Dirge led his fellow elite killers to the meeting, hoping to capture the infamous Emirate Xaaron and siphon some information from his old cranial cavity. Mere yards from their goal, however, the Decepticons were halted by a communique from Megatron, demanding they return to Polyhex at once and ready the Insecticons for an Earth-bound mission. Pissed about missing their chance, but not foolish enough to disobey Megatron, Dirge turned the troops around, little realizing how close they came to being ambushed by the Wreckers. Target: 2006

He couldn't even kill Duke, but he wasted you?

Dirge, his fellow "coneheads", and the Insecticons dutifully travelled to Earth via the space bridge. Megatron had instructed that Seekers be altered to resemble "Terran craft". Their mission was to defend a giant drill that would bore through Hoover Dam and siphon the Colorado River through the space bridge to the waterless Cybertron, where Decepticon turbines would generate "enough energy to power Cybertron for years." But just as the drill began its work, the Aerialbots intervened. Dirge found his fear-inducing ability was particularly effective against the acrophobic Silverbolt, but the other Decepticons fared poorly enough that a retreat was eventually called. Aerialbots over America!

When the Decepticons later allied with Cobra, Dirge was assigned to be an emissary among the humans. This would be unfortunate for the luckless Seeker. When Serpentor realized the Decepticons were going to destroy the Earth, he needed a token of conciliation to show the Autobots. So in the middle of a battle against Omega Supreme, Serpentor goaded Dirge into attacking the giant with everything he had. Serpentor then pressed a button in the cockpit of his own jet, "jamming" Dirge's "frequencies," which caused the Seeker's weapons to lock up and explode when he tried to fire.

The explosion tore Dirge apart, and he wouldn't be seen again for years. Ashes, Ashes...

The G.I. Joe and the Transformers series is the only US story that was ignored in the UK comic. Consequently Dirge was not dead in the UK continuity.

Dirge was one of the Decepticons who took part in the operation to recover Megatron from the River Thames. Salvage!

Earthforce

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

With Soundwave in command, Dirge joined a massive Decepticon offensive against the Autobot Earthbase. Their goal was to kill some Autobots while also distracting them as Starscream looted a human oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico. Both goals proved fruitless, and the Decepticons were driven off. Divide and Conquer!

First depicted rather late in the series, it is unknown whether Dirge served Megatron or Shockwave before the coup merged the Decepticon factions.

Marvel Transformers: The Movie

Dirge was one of the Decepticons seriously wounded at the Battle of Autobot City and subsequently thrown out of Astrotrain to be recreated as Cyclonus, Scourge, Cyclonus's Armada and the Sweeps. The Planet Eater! As none of the new Decepticons bar Galvatron ever demonstrates any awareness of a past life, this could be considered another Dirge death.

Marvel UK future timelines

In 2008, Dirge was serving Soundwave while on Cybertron. He went into battle alongside Astrotrain and the other flyers, fighting the Quintesson Trident assault craft. Space Pirates!

Generation 2

Death by Furmanism.

Dirge reappeared among the Decepticon forces just long enough to sacrifice himself futilely against the Swarm, self-destructing alongside Nightbeat. Moments later, Megatron showed up with the rheanimum that could have saved him. A Rage in Heaven!

Classics

This series follows from Marvel Generation 1 but disregards the UK and Generation 2 comics.

You only get so many do-overs, pal.

While the war seemingly ended with Bludgeon's defeat at Klo, Megatron was quietly gathering the remains of forgotten Earthbound casualties and rebuilding them. Dirge was among his resurrections, but the Seeker chose to follow the exiled Bludgeon instead. This would prove an unfortunate choice, as Dirge soon ended up in the Cerebro-shelled thrall of Bug Bite.

When Bug Bite decided to try and subvert Megatron himself, Dirge was on the team accompanying him to Earth. As Bug Bite and Megatron confronted each other, the Autobots ambushed them, freeing many of Bug Bite's troops with a cerebro-shell jammer. It's unclear whether Dirge's shell was disabled, but the point is somewhat moot; Grimlock shot him in the chest, leaving him lying on the floor with extinguished optics. Games of Deception

Find Your Fate Junior

This is a multipath adventure with no fixed outcome.

Dirge was the Decepticon defending the anti-gravity base, striking fear in the Autobots. In one outcome, he succeeded in destroying Optimus Prime, only to be destroyed himself by the Autobot leader's final shot. In the end, Prime's sacrifice spurred the Autobots to fight on to victory!

Dirge was the most overpowering Decepticon present, but he could be defeated by a surprise attack. Alternately, if both Ramjet and Thrust were defeated, Dirge would retreat. Desert Flight

Dreamwave Generation One comics

Dirge participated in Shockwave's offensive against Iacon shortly after Optronix took the Matrix. During the Dark Ages, he joined up with Starscream's Predacon faction and attempted to disrupt the peace treaty at Tyger Pax... only to have the combined forces of the Autobots, Decepticons, and Ultracons brought against him. Guess death comes to he who has no common sense.

After the Great Shutdown was over, Dirge became one of Shockwave's top agents and traveled to Earth to help collect the former crews of the Ark and Nemesis. Back on Cybertron, he helped defend Shockwave's empire when the Autobots finally rose up against him, but he was defeated along with the rest of the Decepticons. Somehow he escaped detention and joined up with Shockwave and his remaining flunkies in the wastelands, hidden in an underground bunker while planning their next move. When Megatron arrived with his new Predacons, though, Dirge quickly assessed his priorities and agreed to serve under the old Decepticon commander for the duration. The Route of All Evil

Dreamwave Armada comics

Even in a new continuity, he can't get a break.

Dirge was one of Unicron's heralds, along with Scourge, Bludgeon, Thunderwing, and Galvatron. He was blown up when Jetfire detonated the Decepticon headquarters that they had taken over. Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4

IDW comics

Dirge was first seen escorting defeated Autobots to Cybertron... and then died. That must be a new record. All Hail Megatron issue 7

Toys

Generation 1

Closet Conehead

• Dirge( Decepticon Jet, 1985/2001/2004)
  • Japanese ID number: 97
  • Accessories: Left & right fists, front landing gear, 2 "concussion missiles"

A retool of the Starscream mold, Dirge transforms into a modified F-15 fighter jet with different wings. The spring-loaded missile launchers were replaced with simplified non-firing... rifle barrels?

WYLD STALLYNS! deedleedleedleedleet

Dirge never had a full release in Japan, where he was only available as a mail-away in 1986 (for 1980 yen and 4 robot points), and at the 20th Century Toy Museum in 2001. He was also re-released in the US as part of the Toys "R" Us Commemorative Series.

This mold was also used to make Ramjet, Skywarp, Sunstorm, Thrust, and Thundercracker.

• Dirge information at TFU.info

Timelines

Conehead uncloseted.

• Games of Deception (Multi-pack, 2007)
  • Accessories: Left & right missile launchers, 2 missiles

Dirge is part of the Classics-themed BotCon 2007 box set, along with Bugbite, Dreadwind, Thrust and Thundercracker. He is a redeco of the Classics Ramjet toy, transforming into a made up fighter based upon the F-15. He also comes with two spring-loaded missile launchers that can mount on his biceps, under his wings, or be used as hand-held weapons.

As with most Classics toys, he features a heat-sensitive rubsign.

There were 1500 Timelines Dirge figures produced.

Universe (2008)

G1 Series

Wait... if Dirge dies in the past, doesn't that create a time paradox?

• Autobot Ambush (Voyager Deluxe Comic 2-Pack, 2008)
  • Accessories: Launcher, missile, Cyber Key

A Target-exclusive redeco of Galaxy Force Starscream, Dirge transforms into a Cybertronic starfighter. In both modes, plugging a Cyber Planet Key into his back end flips out a spring-loaded blade from each arm. His spring-loaded missile launcher can be used as either a hand-held weapon, or mounted under his jet-mode nosecone.

He is packed with Roadbuster (a redeco of the Deluxe-class Cybertron Cybertron Defense Hot Shot) and a reprint of "Target: 2006" parts 5 & 6 (although the Canadian version had no comic included). Initial releases of the set have the wrong comic, using the The War Within: The Dark Ages issue "Escalation" meant for the Springer/Ratbat two-pack instead.

His dark purple Cyber Planet Key features a movie-style Decepticon sigil.

This mold was also used for the BotCon 2008-exclusive Shattered Glass Starscream.

Gentei! Gentei!

AHA! Undeniable proof that Takara does things better than Hasbro!

• Dirge (Deluxe, 2009)
  • Accessories: Left & right missile launchers, 2 missiles

Gentei! Gentei! Dirge is a Toy Hobby Market exclusive retool of Classics Ramjet. Unlike his BotCon 2007 Timelines version, he has newly tooled wings based upon the wings from his original toy, uses the smaller null-ray missiles from Starscream, and, unusually for Henkei, features an all-new, colorful Hasbro Classics-style deco for his new wings. Like all Henkei toys, he features vacuum metallized parts, specifically the barrels of his missile launchers, his engine nozzles and his cockpit interior.

Merchandise

• Dirge (SCF/Heroes of Cybertron)

• Dirge (Myclone)

Transformers - Mini Bust

Worst case of petrification he's ever had.

• Dirge (Diamond Select, 2008)

Dirge was released by Diamond Select Toys in 2008 and exclusive to online retailer Big Bad Toy Store. He was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 250 pieces. The sculpt features Dirge's distinctive wings.

Notes

• Simon Furman originally planned for Dirge and the other "coneheads" to appear and defend the Nemesis in the conclusion to Beast Wars, but this plot point was dropped due to time and budget constraints. Furman was so disappointed at his missed chance to use Dirge (whom he appreciated because he has a "...a cool doom-laden name") that he chose the character to be one of Unicron's heralds in the Armada comic's "Worlds Collide" arc.
• Colorist Drew Eiden stated at the Collector's Club panel at BotCon 2007 that the day after final colors were applied to the Timelines comic where Dirge apparently falls dead, he found this article and noted to editor Pete Sinclair how ironic it was. Whether the comic was actually intended to continue Dirge's death-trend is unknown.

External links

• Dirge's Universe profile at NTFA.net