Predator (subgroup)

This article is about the Decepticon sub-group from the tail-end of G1. For the alien bounty hunter, see Predator (alien).

The Predators are a Decepticon subgroup from the Generation 1 continuity family.

The Predators are a Decepticon team, most of whom transform into jets. Their ranks include:

• Skyquake, the Air Commandant, huge jet-thing.
• Stalker, the ICBM launcher tank.
• Falcon, the leader-Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk.
• Skydive, the Northrop YF-23 Black Widow II.
• Snare, the Grumman X-29.
• Talon, the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle.

Fiction

IDW comics continuity

Plot details for Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1 follow. Spoilers have expired, you may remove this tag

The Predators, under the command of Skyquake, are a force almost entirely devoted to aerial dominance. While Skyquake's intimate circle consists of the more 'well-known' Predators, there are many other members of the unit, all of whom have adopted the form of jets.

At the height of the cross-galactic Decepticon uprising, Skyquake and his Predators were charged with securing Garrus-9 as an important element of Megatron's long term plan. Overlord had other ideas. Most of the lower ranking Predators who saw Overlord arrive were scared senseless - likely due to his infamous reputation - and their fears were proven true when Overlord casually gunned down their commander following a disagreement. Overlord's sudden arrival allowed the Predators to tip the odds of the ongoing battle even further in their favour, resulting in utter victory for the Decepticons on Garrus-9.

It's possible that, while not strictly part of the official unit, that the Decepticons who were liberated from Garrus-9 also joined the Predators.

Three years later, the Predators remained on the planet under Overlord's command, engaging in mindless slaughter. Some of the Predators, such as Snare, were growing sick of it... but none dared stand up to the sociopath. Last Stand of the Wreckers #1

Toys

Generation 1

• Predators
  • Falcon
  • Skydive
  • Skyquake
  • Stalker
  • Snare
  • Talon

The Predators were released in the final year of Generation 1, only in "European" markets (which does include Canada). They were the "headliner" Decepticons, with their leader Skyquake apparently being the leader of all the Decepticons at the time.

Though the Predators shared the missile-launching shtick of their Autobot counterparts the Turbomasters (though the Predator launchers are entirely uniform across all the toys), they also had the Megavisor gimmick to unify the team further, allowing the smaller jets to physically link with the larger.

Due to a combination of factors the Predator launchers are quite delicate. It's best never to load one of the launchers while it is in the hand of a Predator -- the post is most likely to just snap right off.

In some European markets, the Predators were referred to as Scope Masters.

Trivia

• The four small Predator jets were released — without changes — in Takara's Operation Combination line as the "Jet Corps". Also, it is likely that Skyquake is the "model" for the ever-unseen Operation Combination head badguy Scrash.