Landquake (Timelines)
| This article is about the Timelines-series Decepticon. For the Energon-series Autobot, see Landquake (Energon). |
- Landquake is a Decepticon from a Timelines addition (sort of) to the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.
Landquake has always been an unusual Decepticon at best. While he possesses a Con-like pragmatic craftiness, interest in battle, and instinctive distrust of anyone other than himself and his friends, he finds the constant in-fighting and bloodthirsty selfishness of the faction wearying. He also possesses a mastery of energon that some say goes past the capabilities of the Omnicons and Terrorcons, to almost supernatural levels of power. He can shape it in any number of ways, ranging from forging weapons and shielding (even against explosions) to powering his own systems, all with a touch of his hands, or sometimes with telekinetic force alone.
He had joined the Decepticons mainly because he had become bored with his job as an energon refinement specialist in Kalis, after he caught wind of Megatron's raids of Mini-Con villages. He had hoped it would give him the military discipline he craved, and his short attention span—combined with his daydreams for glory and adventure—made him susceptible to the lure of Megatron's campaign. However, he soon found that Megatron was actually only interested in his own solipsistic plans, and Landquake once again became bored and disillusioned.
Then a chance meeting with the Autobot Skyfall finally showed him that his restlessness, unusual powers, and strange yearnings might mean he had a great purpose after all. He now finds himself with a new direction in life—to find out more about this ancient combiner he apparently is a part of, seek out the rest of his gestalt brethren, and claim his destiny.
"Guy, that is the least encouraging pep talk I've ever been given."Landquake's Decepticon motivational methods and Skyfall's Autobot sensibilities don't mix well., "Transcendent: Part 4"
Fiction
Cybertron comic
During the Mini-Con civil war, Landquake was enlisted by the Decepticon-aligned Mini-Cons to build a cannon designed to destroy the Autobot-aligned headquarters of the Mini-Con Council of Sages from afar. The Council of Sages drafted a handful of Autobots to their cause, among them Skyfall, who recognized Landquake immediately. Skyfall, who was desperate to discover his forgotten past, had been shown ancient markings on the walls of Cybertron's energon pools that resembled the forms of him and Landquake! Landquake sensed a kinship as well, and they forged a loose partnership. Revelations Part 4
Revelations Part 5 Revelations Part 6
Classics
Crossing Over, Part 1 Crossing Over, Part 2 Crossing Over: Part 3 Crossing Over: Part 4 Crossing Over: Part 5 Crossing Over: Part 6
TransTech
Landquake, Skyfall, and Breakaway emerged from the Caretaker's space bridge in a strange and unfamiliar place (with Cliffjumper now nowhere to be found). Landquake told Skyfall that he would guess they were on Cybertron, except that he had never before seen such a city there. One of the city's inhabitants, Silverbolt, greeted them with an explanation that they were in Axiom Nexus, and that they needed to go with him to "Processing". Landquake disliked the idea of being "processed" greatly, but the statues surrounding them bearing armed weapons convinced him to go along regardless.
As they were led along, Silverbolt explained further about Axiom Nexus and how the three travelers had arrived there. Landquake asked if the city had a Caretaker they could consult with, but Silverbolt was unfamiliar with the term. He told them that, once they were processed, their assigned guide Alpha Trion could possibly help instead.
After they had finished with Processing, Landquake complained that he was even less comfortable with the identification bolts they all had been forced to wear. Alpha Trion arrived in time to overhear the comment, and told them they would get used to the bolts. Landquake and the others followed Trion as their new guide explained Axiom Nexus and the TransTechs further, and led them off to go the "outworlder" sections of the city. Transcendent: Part 1
As they stepped onto a lift to the lower parts of the city, Landquake and Skyfall were alarmed to find that Breakaway had gone missing at some point. Landquake threatened Trion with his guns when Trion tried to restrain them from taking off to look for him, but relented when Trion explained that Breakaway had been taken by the TransTech, and he would help them with their rescue.
Trion explained as he led the two along that the TransTech were dangerous oppressors who were hijacking outworlders, and Trion and his followers were freedom fighters from peaceful dimensions. As Trion went on ahead, Landquake noted to Skyfall that he didn't trust Trion, and Trion's story had too many holes for the Decepticon's liking, although he didn't trust the TransTech either.
...then, when they finally caught up to Trion, he showed them his lovely collection of corpses. Transcendent: Part 2
As Skyfall reacted in horror to the corpses, he and Landquake were introduced to Topspin, and Topspin and Trion explained that the Transformers' sparks had actually been transferred "safely" out of their bodies and into either containment or other bodies. Landquake pressed for more details, skeptical that sparks could really be transferred between bodies. When Topspin demonstrated his abilities, Landquake was fascinated by the lethal possibilities. However, he was less-than-impressed by Topspin's expressions of fanatic loyalty to Trion, and glossed over it by asking more details about the transfer process instead. Transcendent: Part 3
Later on, Landquake and Skyfall discussed their situation while walking around Axiom Nexus. They both thought Trion was crazy, especially since Landquake knew Trion's claim they were hijacked was untrue, since he was sure that Topspin was the one the Caretaker had sent them to find. He proposed they pretend to go along with Trion's plans for their own reasons, to rescue Breakaway and prove Trion's beliefs wrong, so they could shatter Topspin's loyalty and steal him away. Skyfall seemed to find the plan quintessentially Decepticon.
They then discussed the underlying purpose of their quest, about their apparently being part of a combiner. Landquake was disturbed by the implication from the Caretaker that finding their purpose might somehow end their individual lives, yet he felt that it would be worth it regardless, if it meant fulfilling the cosmic duty he had been searching for all along. Skyfall found the thought of dying a bit... less than reassuring himself, and suggested they head back to Trion's headquarters. There they bided their time until word came that Breakaway had been found in Shockwave's laboratory, near a dimensional gate to Trion's home universe, and Trion made plans for everyone to attack. Transcendent: Part 4
They were successful in their initial entry to the Transwarp Complex, and Trion had Landquake, Skyfall, and Immorticon follow him to where Breakaway was being held. As they pressed forward, Skyfall was disturbed by the violence of Trion's attack, and Landquake lectured him that he should have known it would happen. Nevertheless, he still gave Skyfall a comforting gesture as they kept moving.
Once they reached the laboratory proper, Landquake and Skyfall moved to help Breakaway while the others battled Megatron and Shockwave. Landquake sensed that Breakaway would survive the injuries Shockwave had inflicted on him, but needed to be taken to safety to heal properly. Transcendent: Part 5 He carried Breakaway along as they all made their escape from the laboratory to the dimensional transit room, and he and Breakaway were then ushered through the gate by Nightscream... Transcendent: Part 6
Shattered Glass
Reunification: Part 1 Reunification: Part 2 Reunification: Part 3 Reunification: Part 4 Reunification: Part 5 Reunification: Part 6
Toys
Timelines
- Landquake (Basic, 2006)
- Accessories: Dual cannon/radar (combiner foot/hand), Decepticon-style energon star
- A redeco of the Energon Blight/Kickback mold, Landquake transforms into an anti-aircraft tank similar to a Gepard. He has a clear-red energon star that can attach to most Energon-series toy molds. He is also capable of forming a limb to any combination of Energon-style combiners, but he is specifically intended to combine with Skyfall, Breakaway, Topspin, and Heatwave to form Nexus Prime.
- Landquake was an exclusive to the Fun Publications Transformers Collectors' Club, given as an "incentive" freebie to members who had purchased a club membership before April '06 (but since April '05). He is also available for normal sale through Fun Publications' web store.
- This mold was also used to make Universe (2008) Bruticus Maximus team members Blast Off and Brawl and their Revenge of the Fallen counterparts, Blast Off and Brawl.
Notes
- Landquake was originally intended to have a retooled robot head. However, the Chinese factories that manufactured the new parts for the BotCon 2005's "Descent into Evil" set had insisted on using a grade of steel for the molds that was prohibitively expensive; so while they went ahead with the convention toys' new molds to get them done for the show, for a toy that would largely be given away free, it was deemed unworkable. Thus far, only Heatwave has a retooled part—the combiner head.
- Although Landquake does not appear in any Timelines-designated stories, his instruction sheet was printed with the Timelines logo.
