Prowl (G1)
| The name or term "Prowl" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Prowl (disambiguation). |
- Prowl is an Autobot and Maximal from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Prowl is the Autobot military strategist. As such, Autobot Commander Optimus Prime keeps Prowl near at hand for his indispensable expertise. Prowl is quiet, competent, loyal, and possessed of almost endless patience.
Prowl's dedication to logic and reason make him an excellent strategist, but not much of a socialite. He really doesn't tend to get along well with his fellow Autobots, many of whom find his strict adherence to military protocol stifling, and his uptight personality sure doesn't help matters. He does not react well to the unexpected, to the point that it can literally scramble his cerebral circuits. The Dinobot commander Grimlock, who is disorder made manifest, especially honks Prowl off, and Grimlock feels pretty much the same way in return, only with more swear words. He's very fond of his acid pellets, though.
| “ | Listening to you, Blue Streak, taxes even the endless patience of Prowl. I have little to say, but my logic center dictates the most advantageous course of action in any situation. | ” |
—Prowl begins his long history of prickery, "The Transformers" | ||
- French-Canadian name: Cervo
- French-Canadian name (Action Master): Rôdeur ("Prowler")
- Chinese name (Taiwan): Pái-húai (徘徊, "Prowl")
- Chinese name (China): Jing Che (警車, "Police Car")
- Hungarian name: Portyázó ("Prowler")
- Italian name: Pantera ("Panther")
- Portuguese name (Portugal comic): Batedor
- Portuguese name (Brazil comic): Espreitador
- Russian name: Сыщик ("Detective")
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Before Optimus became leader, Prowl was part of the self-styled Magnificent Six, a team of Autobot warriors who would be tortured and humiliated by the sadistic Megadeath. The Magnificent Six!
Prowl was one of the select Autobots chosen by Optimus Prime to travel aboard the Ark, and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of Mount St. Hilary with the rest of the crew. Once the volcano exploded, Optimus chose Prowl to lead the first away mission into civilization. The Transformers Like most of the Autobots, though, he soon ran out of energy without any option of refueling on Earth, and suffered even greater injuries when the Ark and the deactivated Autobots aboard were taken over by Shockwave and the Decepticons. He was eventually revived when Ratchet and the Dinobots reclaimed control of the Ark from Shockwave's drone, the Guardian. The Wrath of Guardian!
With Optimus Prime's head still in Decepticon possession, Prowl took command of the Autobots until their true leader could be restored. At Jazz's suggestion, he forged an alliance with human fuel magnate G.B. Blackrock, arranging an exchange of free gasoline for the Autobots for their help in protecting Blackrock's facilities from the Decepticons. DIS-Integrated Circuits! The Autobots were eventually successful in recovering Prime's head, and restoring him to functionality, but Prowl suffered some injuries battling the Decepticons and a false Prime in the process. Prime Time!
Shortly thereafter, Prowl was the ringleader of a group of Autobots strongly requesting that Prime use his Creation Matrix to create Ultimate Autobot super-warriors to wipe out the Decepticons for them. The lethal efficiency of Prowl's stance was just as strongly opposed by another faction who saw such action as a perversion of their sacred lifeforce, and the potential for laying waste to Earth. Prime's long absence and relative weakness after his recent ordeals left Prowl and the others less deferential than normal to his will, but after he singlehandedly fought through the Decepticons to rescue Bumblebee, Prowl and the other Ultimate Autobot proponents backed down and accepted Prime's final word on the subject. Crisis of Command! When the Dinobots were driven feral by their primitive circuitry, Prowl nearly sacrificed himself crashing a shuttlecraft straight into the feuding Grimlock and Sludge. Dinobot Hunt!
Prowl was displaced to Limbo along with Optimus Prime and Ratchet when Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge time-traveled from the future. Target: 2006 Joined later by Shockwave, Thundercracker and Frenzy, they found themselves in the middle of a war between the peaceful, cat-like Cloran and evil, monkey-like invaders led by Zenag. Distant Thunder! When Galvatron's group returned to their own time, Prowl was released from Limbo.
Prowl was next in action during the Battlechargers' rampage, and attempted to bring them in despite the endangerment of human life. Perchance to Dream Deactivated by means unknown, Ratchet did manage to briefly revive him in order to exploit Prowl's police car mode against a human thief named the Mechanic who had infiltrated the Ark. Funeral for a Friend! Prowl was fully revived in time for Grimlock and Blaster's grudge match on the moon, and fought alongside the combined crews of the Ark and Steelhaven against the Decepticon party-crashers. Totaled! Unfortunately, it wasn't too long afterwards that Prowl was once again knocked off-line, this time battling the Underbase-charged Starscream in New York. Dark Star
He would remain in stasis for some time, until Grimlock acquired a large supply of super-energy known as Nucleon, and pumped it into all of the Ark's stasis chambers. Prowl found himself revived just in time to engage the Chaos-Bringer known as Unicron for the sake of all Cybertron, and then bury his longterm friend and leader, Optimus Prime, who sacrificed himself to destroy Unicron. On the Edge of Extinction! At Prime's last request, Prowl reluctantly supported Grimlock as new leader of the Autobots. While Grimlock pursued his own interests, though, Prowl found himself working almost alone trying to maintain the tenuous peace between the Autobots and Decepticons. He ended up overplaying his hand, and gave Decepticon leader Bludgeon a chance to betray the Autobots, leaving them trapped on the dying world of Cybertron, without transport, while the Decepticons fled to conquer new civilizations. Luckily for Prowl, Grimlock had anticipated the Decepticons' treachery (by Primus, how'd he manage that?!?) and had secured alternate starships. The Autobots chased their foes to the planet of Klo and, thanks to the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the arrival of the Last Autobot, managed to drive off Bludgeon's forces, sending them into at least temporary exile. End of the Road!
In an alternate 2009, Prowl was one of only seven Autobots left alive after Galvatron and his Decepticons took over America. With Cybertron destroyed by Unicron and the various Primes dead, things looked bleak. Prowl and Jazz led a last-ditch assault on the Decepticon fortress and, miraculously, managed to send a signal to the rest of the world that America was still alive and fighting. When some mysterious travelers shang-haied Galvatron from the field of battle, Prowl joined Jazz and Inferno (the last of their kind) in fighting alongside their human allies with renewed vigor. Perhaps the war could yet be won! Rhythms of Darkness!
Earthforce
Deactivated following his battle with the Underbase-enhanced Starscream, Prowl lay recuperating within a lifepod in the Ark for months, until the Galvatron of a parallel future intervened. Using a series of dream bug devices, Galvatron manipulated the baser instincts of several Autobots, attempting to revive them as pawns he could use for his own purposes. Instead they revived intent on opposing him. Prowl joined Wheeljack, Sunstreaker, Ironhide and Silverbolt in overpowering and capturing the renegade Decepticon. Wheeljack cobbled together a device that turned Galvatron's own technology against him, and Prowl slapped it on the villain's head, leaving him trapped in his own nightmares. Perchance to Dream
As the days passed, Prowl attempted to readjust to the war, despite how it had changed around him. Along with Wheeljack, he lamented about the proliferation of newer types of Transformers, claiming these newcomers gave him a headache just thinking about them. Luckily, their patrol turned up several familiar enemies, including the Constructicons and Stunticons working under Megatron's command. Megatron had formulated a scheme to destroy Earth's atmosphere with a deadly rocket, and reap the excess energy that would no longer be filtered out before reaching the planet's surface. Starting Over! While Wheeljack engaged the Decepticons, Prowl leaped aboard the flying rocket, knocking it off course so that its deadly poison never reached the proper altitude. Desert Island Risks! He crashed down in the backwoods of Louisiana, and befriended some locals who helped fix him up over the next few days. Prowl also neutralized the rocket's poison, and got a good chuckle out of watching the two Decepticon factions arrive days later and begin fighting over a useless cargo. Life in the Slow Lane
A new team of Autobots called Earthforce had been formed, partly to help recover Prowl and the atmospheric rocket, and he quickly joined the organization once reunited with his fellow Autobots. Working under Grimlock's overall command, Prowl acted as second lieutenant, providing a voice of reason and strategy for the Dinobot Commander. On one occasion, Prowl sabotaged Megatron's attempt to alter the timeline using a Flashback doorway. The two opponents traveled back in time to the battle with Starscream, where Megatron possessed the body of Snaptrap, and attempted to lead the Seacons to safety in order to receive their services in the present. Prowl possessed his own past form and ensured the Seacons' destruction before returning to the present. Flashback! He also talked Grimlock into accepting the Survivors into Earthforce, and joined them in assaulting the island base of the Mayhem Attack Squad. Where Wolf?
When the Autobot Earthbase was finished, Prowl gathered with all the other Autobots outside to witness Wheeljack's handiwork. Ever cautious and critical, Prowl commented on the noticeable lack of defenses. Wheeljack then turned on the defense grid and tossed a rock towards the base, triggering a series of underground weapon systems that annihilated the projectile. Prowl still wasn't convinced, and began asking how the defenses might be knocked off-line once activated. Wheeljack assured him the defenses were so completely fool proof that NO ONE could shut them off once they had been activated unless they were sitting at the control console inside the base. Prowl then gave Wheeljack his "Everybody's dumb but me" look, and did a headcount of the entire Earthforce who had come outside for the demonstration... meaning no one was inside who could shut off the deadly defense grid. In order to get back inside their base, Prowl volunteered to brave the perils and reach the console himself. With Jazz, Bumblebee and the Aerialbots spotting him, Prowl navigated his way through lasers, heat-seeking drones, acid bats, and electrified tentacles before finally shutting off the system. The House that Wheeljack Built!
Later on, Snarl began suffering from a case of Corrodia Gravis, and the Autobots were forced to go to Starscream in order to get a compatible systems boost to save the Dinobot's life. Not destined to be an easy mission in the best of cases, Prowl, Ironhide and the remaining Dinobots walked in on an assassination in progress and the former Decepticon leaders attempted to remove the current ones from their former thrones. As was often the case, it fell on Prowl to re-explain to Grimlock why it wasn't a good thing that Starscream's life was in danger. External Forces! After Megatron, Shockwave and their assassins were chased off, Prowl and Grimlock made a deal with Starscream to gain his help, in exchange for agreeing to step in if Megatron ever tried to overthrow their current Decepticon regime again. The Lesser Evil
When Bombshell injected Superion with a cerebro-shell and caused him to go wild, Earthforce was in dire straits trying to find a means of stopping the warrior juggernaut. Prowl found a human reporter on the scene named Irwin Spoon, and made a deal with him for an exclusive interview in exchange for Irwin's help removing the shell from the inside. Inside Story! Irwin was successful and got his interview. Prowl hoped the good publicity would help the Autobots establish better relations with humanity, despite Grimlock's grumbling. It seemed the Decepticons had the same notion, and so Starscream and Soundwave sent the Stunticons to kidnap Irwin from Earthbase before he could publish his story, taking him right out from under Prowl's olfactory receptor. Front Line! Prowl tried to chase down Motormaster and recover the human, but was bashed off the side of the highway, and had to be recovered by Wheeljack. End of the Road!
Along with the surviving Magnificent Six and Silverbolt, Prowl once more faced Megadeath in 1990 and, encouraged by Silverbolt to overcome the past, helped beat Megadeath half to death.
Another Time and Place
Several months after the incident on Klo, Prowl caught wind of Grimlock running off on his own again, this time back to Hydrus Four. Prowl alerted Optimus Prime to the situation, but was surprised when his leader harshly rebuked him for bringing it to his attention. When Prime made it clear he didn't want anything to do with Prowl's report, the Autobot strategist stormed off to consider the problem himself. After some solitary computation, Prowl decided that the threat of Decepticons following Grimlock to Hydrus Four and acquiring Nucleon was too perilous to ignore. He was rushing out of his chambers, ready to throw together a squad of Autobots regardless of what Optimus Prime thought, when he ran smack into Optimus himself. Prime apologized to Prowl for "hiding his head in the sand"—he had wanted the war to be over so badly, for his fellow Autobots' sake and not his, that he was willing to ignore an obvious threat. The two old friends shook hands and proceeded to gather their strike team.
On Hydrus Four, Prowl joined a small group of commandos including Springer, Blaster, Nightbeat and Ironhide to scout the enemy position. They dispatched Fangry with little effort, and sent in Roadhandler and some Micromasters to free Grimlock and the Dinobots quietly before the main offensive began. Nothing ever goes quietly with the Dinobots, though, and so once the shooting started inside, the Aerialbots were sent in to bomb the facility and let the Decepticons know they were in for it. Prowl and his fellow Autobots assaulted the base and, in little time at all, Bludgeon and his crew were dismantled and the day was won yet again. Another Time and Place
Generation 2
When Optimus Prime and Grimlock discovered the threat of the Cybertronian Empire, they called in Autobots scattered across the galaxy, including Prowl. As one of Prime's most loyal supporters, Prowl did not participate in Grimlock's ill-advised strike on the Liege Centuro and his fleet. Devices and Desires! Still, Prowl would not completely ignore Grimlock's opinions: when Optimus Prime decreed that he be left alone to entreat Megatron for peace, Grimlock convinced Prowl that Prime made a bad call, and they arrived with a rescue battalion just in time to keep Megatron from destroying his old nemesis. The Gathering Darkness Prowl continued serving the Autobot cause, and was present when they attempted to stop the genocide of the planet Ethos by the Cybertronian Empire. Escalation!
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Michael Bell (English), Toshio Ishii (Japanese)
Prowl was part of the crew of the Ark, the Autobot starship that left Cybertron looking for alternate sources of energy. Whilte enroute he monitored the Viewtrex and detected the Decepticons pursuing them. The Decepticons boarded and the ensuing conflict caused the Ark to crashland on Earth. Four million years later, the Transformers were reawakened by the eruption of the volcano the Ark had crashed in and reformatted by Teletraan I. Despite being situated in the United States, Prowl was reformatted as a Japanese police car. No one seemed to notice. When the Autobots first fought the Decepticons on Earth, aboard an oceanic oil refinery, Prowl teamed with Jazz in shooting up the Decepticons' supply of energon cubes. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1
The two Autobots worked together again when Soundwave invaded the Ark for information. The crafty Decepticon got away, but Prowl and Jazz managed to capture his pet, Ravage, in a solid energy net. Prowl joined the Autobots for their subsequent battles at Sherman Dam and the ruby crystal mines of Burma. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2 During the final fight at the Decepticon space cruiser, Prowl ran over Starscream's null ray before he could "activate" it. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3
Prowl and the Autobots next battled the Decepticons at a solar power station. Prowl and Ratchet attempted to stop Starscream and Skywarp from escaping with the energon cubes, but Starscream started launching concussive blasts, knocking aside their lasers and driving them back. Later that day, Prowl zapped Megatron during a cave fight, but was then clubbed from behind by Skywarp. That's snow fair. Transport to Oblivion
During an attack against the Decepticons, Prowl's battle computer was knocked offline by a particularly fierce blow. Crippled, Prowl extended his antenna to seek out an online computer that he could patch into. He found Chip Chase's desktop terminal, and the young human ally momentarily took control of Prowl, animating the Autobot warrior with his computer. Chip and Prowl handily defeated the Decepticons, and the Autobot remarked that Chip was a human after his own central processor. Roll for It After Optimus Prime suffered some brief but severe injuries, Prowl was present with the other Autobots in defending the Ark, as the Decepticons attempted to press their advantage.Divide and Conquer
Prowl was also among the Autobots who took an unpleasant number of hits trying to calm down the rampaging Dinobots. S.O.S. Dinobots He held no grudges, though, and participated in the construction of two new Dinobots a few months later, using laser bursts to cut up raw materials for the design. Still, he showed a bit more caution than his fellow Autobots during the "play fighting" tests of Snarl and Swoop. While Ironhide, Bluestreak and Sideswipe went in for close quarters combat with the Dinos (and subsequently got bashed around quite a bit), Prowl stuck to long-range laser fire, and managed to avoid getting his head handed to him. War of the Dinobots
After Sparkplug Witwicky was kidnapped, Prowl was shown acting as a strategist for once, constructing battle-plans using Hound's holographic maps for reference. He coordinated a two-pronged rescue mission on the Decepticon's sunken space cruiser, from above and below. While he and the main Autobot force dropped in on the Decepticons from above and drew their fire, Cliffjumper, Brawn and Windcharger used their special abilities to tunnel right underneath the base, breaking in and freeing Sparkplug before the Decepticons got wind of it. The Ultimate Doom, Part 1 He remained active with the Autobot forces as they dealt with Cybertron's newfound proximity to Earth. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2 Prowl later surfed into battle against the Decepticons, but the resulting tidal wave allowed Megatron to escape before the fight even started. A small contingent of Autobots eventually tracked the Decepticon energon shuttle to a tropical coast, and engaged them in battle. The fully charged Decepticons soon began to overpower the Autobots, however, driving them back to the safety of some convenient trenches. Prowl attempted to suggest a strategic regrouping, but Prime wouldn't hear of it. Luckily, Skyfire arrived with reinforcements from Cybertron to even the odds. As Megatron retreated, the Autobots were left to deal with a tidal wave large enough to wipe out all life on Earth. Prowl calculated they would need an explosion equivalent to 10 billion astro-liters of energy to knock Cybertron out of Earth's orbit and reverse the tidal wave. At Spike's suggestion, the Autobots took aim at Megatron's fleeing starship, igniting the energon cubes inside to expel Cybertron from orbit and save the Earth. The Ultimate Doom, Part 3 After the devastation, Prowl was seen helping repair human civilization, and hunting down the loose ends left by the Decepticons' schemes. Countdown to Extinction Prowl also bore witness to the gladiatorial combat between Megatron and Optimus Prime. Heavy Metal War
After Sparkplug Witwicky created a metallic Frankenstein called Autobot X, to the abject surprise of no one it suddenly ran amok. Prowl, Ironhide and Trailbreaker stood up to the crazed creation, and Prowl used his acid pellets to incapacitate Autobot X. Later that day, Spike Witwicky was injured during a battle with the Decepticons at a rocket base. Prowl provided a "police escort" for Ratchet to get Spike to a hospital as quickly as possible. Autobot Spike As the Decepticons staged a daring raid at the Ark's front door, Prowl drove out to meet them in combat. He had to dodge and transform in mid-air to avoid Thundercracker's missiles, and ended up being divebombed by Laserbeak anyhow. Prowl got back at the tinfoil turkey by strapping a wire-guided bola onto his rifle, and lassoing the Decepticon bird as he swooped by for another pass. Despite the laser blasts hurled his way, Prowl held tight to his catch until Laserbeak severed the rope and fled. Attack of the Autobots
Prowl overheard Cliffjumper's infamous accusations about Mirage's loyalty, but neglected to participate in the retrieval of the missing electro-cells. Traitor He also played a minor role in recovering the Immobilizer The Immobilizer, and joined his fellow Autobots in a race for charity, which Spike and Chip had arranged for them. The Autobot Run Prowl was part of the Autobot strike unit dispatched to Washington, D.C. when it came under attack by the Decepticons and Sub-Atlanticans. He, Hound and Brawn engaged the Decepticons near the Washington Monument, until King Nergill zapped them with his paralyzing ray. Prowl remained inactive until the Dinobots joined the party, and Grimlock destroyed the ray, freeing the incapacitated Autobots. Atlantis, Arise!
Next, the Autobots responded to an SOS when the super-computer called TORQ III ran amok. Unfortunately, they discovered TORQ was capable of controlling other simple machines in the area, and so Prowl and the others found themselves facing a horde of angry droids. Prowl was nearly swallowed whole by a mechanical scoop, until he fired an acid pellet down its gullet and corroded its inner workings. Day of the Machines Prowl was among the Autobots who failed to prevent the Decepticons from stealing the female ninja robot called Nightbird. While discussing the Decepticons' possible plans for Nightbird with Spike, Prowl was unaware the ninja herself was right above them on the Ark's elevator. Enter the Nightbird
Prowl charged the Decepticon flank when the Transformers were fighting over korlonium crystals. A Prime Problem Prowl and Sunstreaker were part of a group of Autobots patrolling a riverbed...until they discovered the riverbed wasn't there anymore. Tracing the diverted water, they came across the Constructicons and a Decepticon scheme to drill down to Earth's core. Megatron sicced Devastator on Prowl's team, forcing them to retreat for reinforcements. Back at the Ark, the Autobots cooked up a plot to use dominator discs and gain control over the Constructicons whenever they formed Devastator. As part of a commando raiding party, Prowl and the others lured the Constructicons out into the open. Under the cover of night, Prowl slipped a disk on Scrapper, and soon all the Constructicons had disks planted on them. Although the Autobots temporarily gained control of Devastator, Megatron soon negated their control and retrieved his giant warrior. The Core
Prowl was present in the Ark during yet another display of the Dinobots' talent for chaos. Dinobot Island, Part 1 After the Dinobots moved to a mysterious prehistoric island, time portals began opening all over North America. Prowl led Red Alert, Inferno and Jazz to deal with a portal from the wild west. Prowl defeated the cattle rustlers by melting their guns with his acid pellets. Dinobot Island, Part 2 Like all the Autobots, Prowl was temporarily banished into space by the citizens of Central City, thanks to Megatron's carefully orchestrated smear campaign. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 He eventually returned with the others for an all-out assault on the Decepticons and re-established the Autobots' good name. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2 Prowl was also subject to cybertonium depletion, although he was ultimately revived when Spike and Carly brought a fresh supply back from Cybertron. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
When Megatron used the Voltronic Galaxer to scramble Earth's communications, the humans were left in a state of confusion. Prowl took a team of Autobots on the road to help motorists who missed the message about an incoming blizzard. Unfortunately, Thundercracker and Ramjet got involved and nearly turned the rescue mission into a catastrophe. Prowl and the Autobots were buried in snow for a time until they could dig themselves and the humans out. Blaster Blues He was among the Autobots temporarily rendered invulnerable by electrum, and fought the Decepticons for control of the golden lagoon. The Golden Lagoon He also helped stop Megatron from taking over New York City with an army of robot car drones. Make Tracks Prowl was on hand as Perceptor analyzed the robotic plantlife Bumblebee and Cosmos brought back to Earth. They determined the plants were Morphobots, and extremely hazardous to all robot lifeforms. Quest for Survival
When the Triple Changers overthrew Megatron and began vying for Decepticon command themselves, Blitzwing took over a football stadium and began launching "long bombs" into the city beyond. Optimus Prime sent Prowl to investigate, alongside Bluestreak, Skids and Tracks, but they were stymied by Blitzwing's "zone defense". At his command, the Constructicons had created an elaborate and confusing maze of passages outside the stadium, leaving the Autobots racing around blindly inside its tight corridors. Using his flight and tank modes for maneuverability and power, Blitzwing easily overwhelmed the Autobot invaders. Prowl and Skids plowed into each other on a blind junction, and were then mowed over by the Decepticon's massive treads. The crazed Scrapper had them rebuilt into a throne for him inside the zone, until Smokescreen and Hoist rescued their comrades. Triple Takeover Although he did absolutely nothing to save the missing Autobots or stop Lord Chumley's antics, Prowl was allowed a heroic drive into the sunset along with Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots. Prime Target
After the government concocted a new super-fuel, they decided to offer it to the Autobots for testing. Fearing a Decepticon attack, Prowl arranged a series of security measures to protect the cargo, and keep the Decepticons from learning about the fuel. Unfortunately, those measures failed, and Megatron attacked the tanker convoy with his Seekers. Despite the breach, the Autobots' superior driving abilities enabled them to outmaneuver the Decepticons. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1
Prowl stood gawking mutely when Prime explained his plan to infiltrate the Decepticons disguised as Motormaster and the Stunticons. It's possible he didn't think the plan was strategically sound. Masquerade Prowl was also seen applying Corrostop to the Statue of Liberty, and later helped rescue Perceptor from Fox Creek Canyon. Cosmic Rust
When Jazz and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream's Combaticons, Prowl traveled to the Amalgamated Water & Power Plant with the other Autobots to rescue them. Wisely, the Autobots completely avoided the war between the Decepticons and Combaticons taking place immediately to their left -- they just grabbed their pals and split. Starscream's Brigade Prowl, Tracks, and Sideswipe went with Optimus Prime to clear the Insecticons out of a human settlement. They were aided in evacuating the neighborhood by the Protectobots, leaving the Autobots clear to fire at will at the Insecticon clones. This relatively routine mission turned sour, however, when Spike and Perceptor reported that Earth's orbit had been altered, sending it towards the sun. Learning the effect originated from Cybertron, Prowl and the others attempted to hijack the space bridge, but Shrapnel stole the bridge's control panel before they could board the transporter. The Autobots searched the area for signs of the control panel with sensor beams from their chests, but all Prowl managed to turn up was an old wrecked television. The panel was later recovered and repaired, and Prowl joined both Autobots and Decepticons alike in traveling to Cybertron to stop the Combaticons' plot. The Revenge of Bruticus Prowl also helped defend the Ark when it was later attacked by Bruticus and the Decepticons. B.O.T.
Prowl met his manufacturer in the year 2005, alongside fellow Autobots Ironhide, Brawn and Ratchet. The four Autobots were manning a shuttle run to Earth, to collect and bring fresh energon and supplies to Moonbase One from Autobot City on Earth, in preparation for a planned assault to retake Cybertron. They were hijacked in mid-flight by Megatron and the Decepticons, who sought to sneak past Autobot City's early warning systems. Prowl very nearly shot Starscream's head off during the raid, but was felled by a single blast from Scavenger. That blast penetrated his armor, burned his innards horribly, and left him belching fiery smoke as he fell to the floor, dead. The Transformers: The Movie
Prowl's body was evidently recovered for interment, as his grave was housed in the interstellar Autobot Mausoleum. Along with the mausoleum itself, Prowl's remains were later plunged into a red sun as a side-effect of a Quintesson plot. Dark Awakening
Japanese cartoon continuity
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic
When the Stunticons and Combaticons tried to besmirch the Autobots' good names by wearing their insignia while committing acts of evil, Prowl was among the Autobots who mobilized to stop them. Prowl carried Eject and Rewind into the battle in car mode, opening his doors to let the two cassette-bots loose on Rumble and Frenzy. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7
Full Throttle Scramble Power! comic
Prowl was among the Autobots seen reacting with panic to the news that Hound and their human allies Toru and Jenny had been captured by the Decepticons while investigating their deadly new Omega Whip cannon. He joined Optimus Prime and a team of Autobots in going to their rescue, and the battle was won when Metroplex arrived to join the fight with the rest of the Autobot army. Full Throttle Scramble Power!
Story of Binaltech
In 2003, a plague of Cosmic Rust unleashed upon the Autobots by the Decepticons necessitated that the infected warriors upgrade to new "Binaltech" bodies created through co-operation with the Earth Defense Command. Story of Binaltech, Chapter 1 Prowl was lucky enough to avoid infection, and so refrained from upgrade. Regardless, the combined might of the new Binaltech Autobots was enough to force the Decepticons off of Earth, and into hiding in the far reaches of the solar system. Arise! Evil Binaltechs
Granted a vision of the future by the time-tossed Decepticon Ravage, Wheeljack saw Prowl's looming death in the year 2005, and resolved to save his life. Prowl was equipped with the Genetronic Translink System, which would allow him to relocate his spark to subspace, and from there, control multiple Binaltech bodies; therefore, the vision Wheeljack saw of his friend's dead body could still come to pass, while his spark would live on. Before the first of his secondary bodies were completed, however, Prowl was sent on a mission to investigate some potential Decepticon activity in the vicinity of Saturn, and came under heavy attack from the villains. He contacted Wheeljack on Earth, who was in the process of transferring memory data into Prowl's secondary Binaltech body, and Wheeljack prepared the GT System for a risky manoeuvre—the transplantation of Prowl's spark from his body, through subspace, into the Binaltech unit in Wheeljack's workshop. The transfer was initiated, but unfortunately, the unstable link collapsed mid-way through the process, and Prowl's spark was lost to the depths of subspace. Believing that the world still required the skills of Prowl, Prowl's longtime friend Chip Chase transferred his life essence into the Binaltech body, merging with the memory data already installed in it to become "Prowl II". Prowl & Chase
A few years later, Prowl's spark found its way through the infinite vastness of subspace and materialized in a different universe: the original timeline from which the Binaltech world had branched off. Prowl's spark was found by the Autobots of that world, but unfortunately, it was soon discovered that even in another universe, he was not beyond the reach of his home dimension's Decepticons. Doctor Arkeville and Swindle used a neuro-net frame combined with a subspace node to locate his spark across the multiverse, and drain energy from it to power a giant monster they had made from synthetic electrum. Unfinished Business, Part 2 Prowl's spark began to destabilize as a consequence, and so the Bluestreak from the original timeline voyaged across the dimensions to the Binaltech world to alert Prowl's fellow Autobots to his dire situation. Unfinished Business, Part 1 With Bluestreak's aid, the Autobots tracked down the Decepticon operation and destroyed the monster, severing its connection to Prowl's spark. Though stable now, Prowl's spark was still too weak to make an interdimensional journey unguarded, requiring a body for protection. Chip Chase separated his consciousness from the "Prowl II" body so that it could be taken back to Bluestreak's timeline to finally serve as the body of the Autobot for whom it was always intended. Unfinished Business, Part 2
The Headmasters cartoon
Prowl was stationed at Autobot City on Earth in 2011 when he and many other troops were summoned to Cybertron to help repel a Decepticon invasion. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Later, Prowl attended a briefing at Metroplex, where Ultra Magnus assigned several Autobot units to run interference with the Decepticons for Hot Rod, as the young Autobot searched for the missing Matrix of Leadership. Prowl accompanied Ultra Magnus's unit, but did not appear again. Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime
Kid Stuff Talking Story Books
- Voice actor: Unknown
| “ | OUR MISSILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | ” |
Prowl is Optimus Prime's over-acting right-hand man. When Continents Collide
Dreamwave comics continuity
Prowl was an Autobot from Praxus. After the death of Sentinel Prime, Grimlock called him, Jazz, and others to the ruins of Praxus, where he declared that if the new Prime was insufficient, they would take control of the Autobot military. Prowl was present at the ceremony when Optronix became Optimus Prime, and was restrained by Grimlock when Prime was attacked. The War Within issue 1 Prowl became Optimus Prime's immediate subordinate and advisor. When Optimus ordered a planetary evacuation, Prowl told Prime that there were many voices raised in opposition against it. When Prime asked if Prowl's own voice was raised in opposition, Prowl looked away but did not reply. The planetary turbines were activated by Megatron, and Prime left to investigate. The War Within issue 2 As Shockwave led an assault on Iacon, Prowl and Jazz led the defense, and Prowl sent out an order to all Autobots outside Iacon to regroup and dig in elsewhere, The War Within issue 3 while those with him made a final stand. The War Within issue 5 After Iacon was devastated by the mecha-forming process, Prime aborted the evacuation. The War Within issue 6
After Prime and Megatron disappeared in a space bridge test, the Autobots fractured, leading to the Lightning Strike Coalition and Wreckers leaving the main Autobot army. Prowl took over leadership of the Autobots. Fragmentation He worked with Shockwave, who had assumed command of the Decepticons, to prevent the Fallen's plans from coming to fruition. He and Shockwave agreed to let the Well of All Sparks remain sealed "'Til all are one," as Shockwave put it. Prowl thought the line was catchy. Conflagration Eventually, however, Ultra Magnus took command of the Autobots, and reunited the three factions. The Age of Wrath issue 1
While those left on Cybertron endured the Great Shutdown, a group of Autobots under Optimus Prime's command left on board the Ark in search of new energy sources. Unfortunately, Megatron led an attack on the Autobot flagship from the Nemesis, and both ships crash-landed on a planet called Earth. Millions of years later in the Earth year of 1984, the Autobots and Decepticons awoke and resumed the Great War. The Decepticons were eventually defeated by the Autobots and their human allies, and the Transformers were set to return home on the Ark II, but it was sabotaged by General Robert Hallo and rogue government engineer-turned-arms dealer Adam Rook.
In the year 2002, Prowl was one of many Transformers under the control of Rook. He, along with several Autobots and Decepticons, attacked the Smitco Oil Refinery Arctic facility during Rook's sales demonstration to several terrorist organizations. Unfortunately, the invasive program that controlled Prowl killed a helpless human refinery worker escaping from the destruction. Prime Directive issue 2 After Megatron reactivated himself and freed the other Decepticons from Rook's slavery, he used Prowl and the Autobots as power sources for his metallic cyberforming virus. Prime Directive issue 4
Sometime after the destruction of the cyberforming virus and the defeat of the Decepticons in San Francisco, the Autobots were lured to the Alaskan coast by a distress beacon from an Autobot escape pod, and walked right into a Decepticon ambush. The fighting stopped when a mysterious Decepticon appeared from the pod and declared that hostilities must cease, as Cybertron had been unified under one ruler, but before he could finish this sentence, Shockwave appeared and blasted him. Stating that he was the leader of Cybertron, he ordered all combatants to lay down their arms and surrender themselves to his forces. Megatron, refusing to believed this attacked, giving the Autobots the distraction they needed to recover their wounded and retreat. Once safely away, Optimus Prime ordered Prowl to escort Ratchet and the wounded back to base, but unexpectedly, his strategist refused, citing the need for to gather intelligence on the new situation and to keep Prime and his essential leadership out of potential harms way. Unfortunately for Prowl, Ultra Magnus found Mirage first, convincing the homesick Autobot to help his Cybertronian forces round up Prowl's team so they can all go home. New World Order
After Magnus convinced Optimus Prime and some of his Autobots in Oregon to turn themselves over, Prowl reported on the situation and Magnus' claims that they need the Autobots back home to repair the damage done to Cybertron, but stopped short of advocating blind trust in Magnus or Shockwave. Instead, he suggested they keep an open mind, believing Magnus was still an Autobot at his core. Brothers' Burden Unbeknownst to them, Shockwave had ordered the deactivation of Optimus Prime and his Autobots, an order that outraged the "former" Autobots under his command. While Sandstorm took Prime through the old slave trails to see Hot Rod's rebel team, those under Prowl were taken by Broadside to meet with the Autobots rebels Smokescreen was aligned with. Unfortunately, just as they arrived, Shockwave unleashed the Omega Sentinels on the Dinobots in Iacon, brushing aside rushing aside the trappings of peaceful coexistence and instituting marital law. Passive Aggression However, with Optimus Prime returned, the various sub-factions of Autobot rebels were unified under his inspirational command and launched an all-out attack on Iacon. Prowl was in Kup's team, and watched as the light from the Autobot Matrix of Leadership was unleashed from Shockwave's tower. Countdown to Extinction
Ultimately, the Autobots won the day and retook Cybertron from Shockwave and his Decepticons, and Prowl was placed in command of security of the planet. He and Ironhide watched as Autobot recruits were trounced again by training drones at the Autobase. Prowl knew these recruits were trying their best, but with the situation more volatile than ever, the Autobots needed more troops and had no choice but to accept whomever enlisted. However, he understood Ironhide's concerns that if these new Autobots didn't get themselves into gear, then they might as well not have an army at all. While checking in on Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, Prowl was alerted by the Protectobots that something may have trashed one of Shockwave's labs before blasting off. Black Sunshine Though the obviously more trustworthy Autobots were now in control, the population was still reluctant to support them. Prowl attempted to address their concerns in a public forum at New Iacon's central hall, expecting a structured, supportive crowd, but was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions from concerned citizens, much to Ironhide's amusement. Fortunately, Ultra Magnus managed to salvage the embarrassing situation by stepping in to answer the questions posed to Prowl. Later, at New Iacon's Alpha Preserve, Ironhide, Prowl and Kup knocked back Kremzeek-brand refreshment, reflecting on the changes in politics on Cybertron, and pondering if old relics like themselves were need here anymore. Skyfire
To take his mind off post-war politics, Prowl attempted to dig into the mystery of the energy signature detected at the Decepticon laboratory the Protectobots had investigated. He tried to understand why Shockwave was harvesting clones of both Autobots and Decepticons, why energy similar to Vector Sigma was detected there, and where Shockwave had uploaded the compressed contents of the supercomputer to. Just when the exhausted Prowl was on the cusp of realizing that this all led back to the missing clone, Ultra Magnus contacted him, reporting that he had notified the other Autobots for the meeting the next cycle, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, preparations for the Autobots to return to Earth would begin shortly. The Omega Effect The next cycle, as Prowl made his way to the meeting, Perceptor reported that the upload from Vector Sigma was intended to be downloaded into Shockwave's secret lab, but the network there was overloaded, and so it was downloaded into one of the clones in his lab, which would be far too much for any mortal Transformer. Prowl theorised for the being to remain relatively sane, it must have simplified the information it received, and that Shockwave became interested in Earth only after he began to decode data from Vector Sigma. Still, neither Prowl nor Perceptor had any idea what this all meant. Entering the meeting, Prowl reported that they had a problem and it was heading for Earth. Original Sin Prowl reports his and Perceptor's findings on the clone, and fearing the great danger posed to Earth, announces a return to Earth, to the agreement of Bluestreak, Hound and Trailbreaker, but to the anger of Gears, Mirage and Huffer. Prowl understood the reluctance to leave Cybertron so soon after returning for the first time in millions of years, but said that Cybertron was not currently in danger, but they had an obligation to their second home, Earth, and to their human friends. He asked for volunteers over Huffer's protests, but Ironhide commented that for all their complaints, the detractors knew Prowl was right. Atonement True to his word, Mirage, Huffer and Gears joined the Autobots going to Earth, though with obvious difficulty. Prowl comforted Huffer, expressing his appreciation in his fellow Autobot for joining him and bringing his invaluable skills on this mission. But at the last, Prowl too agreed that he would miss Cybertron. Lost and Found
Arriving on Earth, Prowl's team began building a new Autobot facility, far away from settlements so as to not endanger humanity should the Decepticons attack. Prowl welcomed Jazz's team to the future site of Autobot City.The Route of All Evil
Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers comics
Among many of his fellow Autobots (and several Decepticons), Prowl was found dormant on the crashed Ark by the human terrorist organization Cobra and reprogrammed to serve them. He and Bluestreak were rebuilt to transform into Cobra Firebat jets in the process. When the Transformers were eventually freed from the humans' control, Prowl joined a team of Autobots that hunted down Cobra Commander, but failed to capture him as they were distracted by his S.N.A.K.E. guards. After taking out most of the mechs, the team witnessed Trailbreaker get decapitated by Storm Shadow, and descended upon the ninja in a fit of rage. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5 Prowl and Bluestreak were later seen fighting two Seekers in the sky when the SPS Satellite went out of control and sent energy beams raining down on Cobra Island. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6
A few years later, having returned to Cybertron, Prowl was part of a team of Autobots waiting for a chance to charge in and free Optimus Prime from Serpent O.R.'s clutches. The Art of War #4 With the Decepticon army defeated, Prowl was sent back to Earth as part of a team that worked to prevent Cybertronian technology from falling into the wrong hands. After a failed attempt to capture Destro while he was illegally selling S.N.A.K.E.s in Cuba, Prowl returned to the team's headquarters at the Arc II and discussed Optimus Prime's recent mission to Tibet with Firewall. The base then came under attack by the Pretender Monsters, and Prowl fought them alongside Eject. Black Horizon, Part 1 He was heavily injured during the battle, but soon received medical attention at the Pit and was set for a full recovery. Black Horizon, Part 2
Dreamwave Transformers/G.I. Joe comics
Prowl, along with several other Autobots, lay dormant on the Fera Islands for a long time until 1939, when G.I. Joe stumbled upon them whilst battling Cobra. Soon after awakening and being reformatted into a new form, Prowl told Optimus Prime not to trust the humans, as they had just opened fire on Iron Hide [sic] without provocation. In contrast, the other Autobots were happy to offer G.I. Joe help, though Prowl insisted that they needed more information before throwing themselves headlong into the humans' war. Transformed After the Autobots teamed up with the Joes anyway, Prowl mocked Duke for thinking a rope would be enough to pull Grimlock up from a crumbling cliff. Wolves
As the Autobots and Joes got closer to the Cobra Terrordrome, Optimus Prime started to regret interfering with the humans and their war, and contemplated withdrawing. Prowl agreed, pointing out that G.I. Joe could very well be the bad guys in the scenario, but Hound told him to shut up. Trenches Optimus Prime soon changed his mind, and Prowl participated in the attack on the Terrordrome. Along with all the other Transformers, he was killed when the life-giving Matrix of Leadership was destroyed. The Iron Fist
Transformers Legends anthology
When Optimus Prime accidentally killed a fellow Autobot, Prowl—who never liked the dead guy anyway—covered it up so the rest of the team wouldn't lose faith in their leader. He swore that if the accidental killing was ever discovered, he would take the blame. Parts
IDW comics continuity
Prowl has served the Autobots for a long time, dating back to the days of Sentinel Prime, if not earlier. Megatron's rise as the most popular and violent pit fighter in videos of Kaon's illegal gladiatorial combat attacted Prowl's attention, and he formed a Autobot Security Services team to crack down on them, though to the chagrin of his fellow officers, he tended to blather on about his theories about how somebody was making a fortune distributing on these inexpensive to produce videos. Megatron Origin issue 2
After the murder of Bumper and Fastback, Sentinel and Prowl led a security forces deployment that arrested much of Megatron's pit fighters and those that they were attempting to recruit. Prowl personally attached the inhibitor claw to Megatron once he was overwealmed by security forces. While processing the prisoners, he delivered the galling news that due to senate orders, the one known as Soundwave was to be freed without charge. Megatron Origin issue 3 Unfortunately, it was all part of Megatron's mad plans. He allowed himself and his men to be captured so Starscream could feign turning coat murder the senate members who questioned him. During the ensuing jail break that devastated the Security Team HQ and following street battle, Prowl lost his usual cool composure in the face of such onslaught and looked to Sentinel Prime for directions. When Prime left to face Megatron personally and was brutally defeated, it was Prowl who took control and ordered the evacuation of security forces from Kaon. Megatron Origin issue 4
The Decepticon movement soon began to spread across Cybertron, and Prowl served under Sentinel Prime, Zeta Prime, and finally Optimus Prime as the Autobots struggled to find a Prime to lead them in resisting Megatron. Four million years ago, Prowl was working directly under Optimus Prime as the Autobots fought to prevent the Decepticons from bringing fresh energon supplies to the war effort. While Optims went after the energon convoy himself, Prowl held the line with Hound and the others to prevent the Decepticons from getting a hold of the latest city they had targeted. In the aftermath, Prowl congratulated Prime for capturing the convoy without having to fire a shot. The Iron Age
After the Garrus-9 detention facility had been established, Prowl was among the law enforcement Autobots who to endured the trials of Autobot criminals who inflicted unspeakable horrors on civilians and other non-combatants. Prowl and other luminaries such as Chief Justice Tyrest, Xaaron and Nightbeat agreed that the trials would remain a secret until the final verdict was cast, then it would be full disclosure, regardless of the damage to morale and the Autobots' political standing. Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5
Millions of years later, Prowl was the leader of a detachment of Autobots that operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency led by Starscream and blindly following the Autobot rules of counterinsurgency. He almost threw Ratchet in the brig for breaking cover to rescue three humans from the Decepticons, and subsequently refused to contact Optimus Prime until further evidence of enemy activities was uncovered. He did not willingly believe Ratchet when the medic told him that the Decepticons had stepped up their presence by constructing a second base. However, Ironhide ended up sending a pulsewave transmission to Optimus Prime behind Prowl's back. Infiltration issue 3 Prowl was forced to face reality when Megatron arrived on Earth to confront Starscream, and he finally agreed to call in Optimus Prime. Thing was, Prime had already arrived. Infiltration issue 6
When Springer ordered several Autobots on a lethal mission to rescue the damaged and deranged Kup from an alien world, Prowl evidently helped conceal Springer's efforts from Optimus. However, he still felt it was a misguided effort, asking Springer if Kup would want other Autobots killed rescuing him. Spotlight: Kup
After Sunstreaker was kidnapped by a mysterious group of humans, Escalation issue 1 Prowl was still obsessed with the rules of the counterinsurgency war and thus did not understand why Optimus Prime requested reinforcements to Earth. Prowl was furious when Ironhide dared to go around him and volunteer himself to track down clues on Sunstreaker's disappearance, and subsequently forced him to stay behind while the Autobots not on his grievance list left for Brasnya to confront the Decepticons. Escalation issue 3 When everything kicked off in the former Soviet nation, Prowl led Jazz and Wheeljack (and later Hot Rod and Hardhead) into battle, attempting to capture Georgi Koska, a Decepticon facsimile. Escalation issue 4 He clashed with Hot Rod over the capture of Korska as both of them were of equal rank, but when Optimus Prime was temporarily offline and believed dead, Prowl assumed full command and came up with a strategy for fighting Megatron (shoot him, then run away). Escalation issue 6
Under orders from Optimus, Prowl oversaw the moving of Ark-19 to a more secure location. He turned to Prime rather than order the launch on his own discretion. (Prime had to order him to use his own discretion.) Devastation issue 1 When Sixshot blew them out of the sky, Optimus took command of the situation until the Ark-19 was destroyed. Devastation issue 2
Once on the Ark-32, Prowl found that, due to injuries from the battle with Sixshot Devastation issue 4 and separate missions, he and Hardhead were the only active Autobots. He was mildly annoyed that Optimus Prime and Nightbeat were otherwise preoccupied during this crisis. He was then shocked when Optimus abruptly ordered their unit to withdraw from Earth to handle a situation at the Garrus-9 secure facility. Devastation issue 5
Optimus Prime and Prowl met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout and how a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Prime left Maximus in charge and said that he and Prowl had unfinished business aboard the Ark-32. When Thunderwing was reported guarding a cave on Corata-Vaz, Optimus Prime recognized this had something to do with his infraspace encounter in Brasnya. He ordered Prowl to summon the Wreckers to find out what Thunderwing was guarding. Spotlight: Cyclonus He judged the subsequent battle between the Wreckers and Thunderwing as suicidal, and felt that they were wasting their time given everything seemed to be coming at them at once. Spotlight: Hardhead
Prowl became increasingly frustrated with the tendency of the Autobots in general and Optimus specifically to lionise and listen to charismatic warriors and mavericks. Realising nobody would listen to the more logical tactical advice that he or Perceptor gave, he had Kup sent to the Kimia Facility to be rebuilt... with some personality sub-routines added in, which would ensure that the iconic elder could be controlled and made to act as a proxy for him. Prowl didn't want attention or glory, he only wanted to do his job, and he had absolutely no ethical qualms about ensuring that "when [Kup] speaks, you won't even see my lips move"...
He really didn't like Springer either, and was annoyed that the Decepticons seem to be a more unified body than the Autobots. All Hail Megatron issue 15
After the Expansion incident, Optimus Prime reassigned more Autobots to Earth. The Decepticons had been laying low for months, and everyone was starting to get restless. While Prowl recommended a "wait and see" approach to Optimus Prime, Ironhide's calls for action soon drowned out Prowl's reasoning. When Mirage handed them solid intelligence about a possible opportunity to wipe out Starscream and a small group of Decepticons, the Autobots acted on it. It turned out to be an ambush, and the Autobots were soundly defeated by the Decepticons with the aid of Devastator. Informed that the Decepticons were launching simultaneous attacks across the galaxy on Autobot installations and also that there was a traitor among them, the Autobots' morale was dealt a heavy blow. Through use of a space bridge portal, Megatron planned to send the Autobots to Cybertron to have them devoured by the Swarm. Optimus Prime managed to sabotage the portal and strand the Autobots on Cybertron before the Decepticons could follow, albeit nearly at the cost of his life. All Hail Megatron issue 7
In this unprecedented situation, Jazz's authority superseded Prowl's, and he took overall command of the battered and demoralized Autobots. All Hail Megatron issue 1 Jazz also proved necessary to shore up Prowl's own authority, which was severely disregarded by his men. Jazz's reputation helped keep them in line, particularly the recalcitrant Ironhide, who had taken to striking superior officers, including Prowl himself. After the situation with Ironhide was defused, Prowl got Jazz to admit the energon searches he'd been sending troops out on were just to keep the men busy. Prowl worried that Prime would soon die, and about the details of their commander's condition that they had kept from the troops at large. All Hail Megatron issue 4
In particular, what Jazz and Prowl were withholding was the fact that the Matrix of Leadership was not within Prime anymore, but had been absconded with by Megatron. All Hail Megatron issue 5
Kup arrived on Cybertron shortly thereafter with his own team, and things took a turn for the worse, with the Swarm encroaching on their position. All Hail Megatron issue 6 Sunstreaker was revealed to be the traitor, having made a bargain with Starscream to kill Megatron. He sacrificed his life to buy the other Autobots time to put some distance between them and the Swarm.All Hail Megatron issue 8
Thankfully, Ratchet finally managed to repair and revive Optimus Prime, and Autobot morale went on the upswing despite their situation. All Hail Megatron issue 9 Under Prime's direction, they immediately began building a defense against the oncoming Swarm horde in a new temporary base. Once everything was nearly in place, Prowl calculated the odds of them succeeding and wound up with quite a dire forecast. Jazz urged him to keep it to himself, which Prowl quickly agreed to do. When the Swarm surged against them, the Autobots fought as hard as they could, but were eventually on the verge of being overwhelmed. Fortunately, Omega Supreme arrived to tilt the odds squarely in the Autobots' favor. Prowl asked Omega how he had survived the galaxy-wide Decepticon attack, speculating that they had probably sent an army against him. Omega simply replied, "I am Omega Supreme". All Hail Megatron issue 10
The Autobots eventually boarded Omega's rocket mode and headed for Earth. There, they engaged the Decepticon forces in a fierce battle which ended with Megatron's defeat and Starscream ordering a withdrawal from the planet. All Hail Megatron issue 12
Over the next three years, the Autobots remained on Earth at the insistence of Optimus Prime. Optimus believed they could not leave in good conscience while human society was still in disarray from their war and rogue Decepticons still wandered the planet. The humans were not interested in having protectors, however, and soon learned to take care of themselves. Skywatch reverse-engineered Cybertronian technology to hunt and capture Autobots AND Decepticons left on the planet.
As part of Optimus Prime's belief that the Autobots must help humanity rebuild in whatever way possible, Prowl was assigned to assist the local police whilst in disguise as one of their squad cars. Over the next eight months, Prowl saw humanity at its lowest eb. Desperate, angry people who would never forgive the Transformers for bringing their war to humanity's homeworld. He watched as some of his driver's fellow police officers set fire to the building that the Decepticon Thrust was trapped in, a cold execution of what Prowl considered an enemy combatant. He protested to Optimus Prime that humanity was dangerous, they were now killing Transformers, and that there was no strategic purpose for the Autobots to be on this planet or for he to continue this masquerade of being a police car. Prime asked his officer to trust him in his belief to the value of this activity, and that all the Autobots were on a personal journey.
And so Prowl continued to patrol the streets, and while he did so, he calculated. The humans numbered in their swarming billions versus less than ten thousand Cybertronians. Humanity lived brief, petty, frantic lives of comparatively little consequence, their world and its infrastructure inefficient, ramshackle and incompetent. Prowl concluded that not a single human life was worth that of a Cybertronian. However, when he and his police officer drive was overseeing the removable of volatile Cybertronian wreckage from a building, some workers accidently triggered an abandoned weapon to fire, destroying a damaged building. Without thinking, Prowl transformed and pushed a young girl out of the way, saving her life, but in the process, was trapped under the rubble that would have crushed her. His driver expressed disbelief that the Autobot had been in disguise as his car for the past eight months, and that he had broken cover to save one girl. Prowl confessed that for eight months he had been watching, planning, but unable to do anything. There were so many times he could have assisted if he were able to break cover. He had run the numbers, made calculations on Earth and on humanity, his math was flawless, but they weren't right. And when push came to shove, he couldn't rely on what he thought might happen, he had to act on instinct and do the right thing. The policeman, impressed, remarked that Prowl spoke like a true beat cop, and stated that while he was obligated to call this incident in, it wasn't an emergency and suggested that Prowl had an hour to extricate himself before Skywatch arrived. Spotlight: Prowl
The Autobots moved west, where Prowl was joined in his undercover police work with new arrival Streetwise. They were present at a power installation in New Mexico, which was being ransacked by the ravenous Stunticon Breakdown. Skywatch deployed its robot-hunting crash-suits and brought down the Decepticon before leveling lethal particle cannons at him. Despite himself, Prowl broke cover to prevent the execution of a helpless Transformer. This left his backside open to the second Skywatch team on site, who used mode lock inhibitors to capture him as well as the "bait", Breakdown.
Prowl's capture was reported back to Autobase by Streetwise, and Hot Rod assembled a strike team to infiltrate Skywatch and rescue him. These Autobots were outfitted with Wheeljack's new counter-inhibitors to prevent the mode lock from working. Unfortunately, this sudden change in tactical efficiency only caused Skywatch to panic, drawing out their lethal ordnance to protect themselves. Prowl was rescued...but Ironhide died in the assault. Grieving for his friend, Optimus Prime then stepped down as Autobot leader and turned himself over to Skywatch. ...For All Mankind
With Optimus gone, Hot Rod advocated abandoning his plan and this planet, and Prowl was one of the first to sign up for Hot Rod's splinter group. They failed to convince Omega Supreme to fly them off-world, but then encountered a group of Decepticons led by Swindle. After a brief scuffle, Hot Rod and Swindle entered into negotiations for a truce. Prowl was uncomfortable with the idea of collaboration, despite his earlier effort on Breakdown's behalf. Ultimately, however, he went along with it. New Arrivals, Old Encounters
The united Autobots and Decepticons attempted to construct a space cruiser in order to leave the planet. Their efforts reached a hurdle with the arrival of Ultra Magnus, duly appointed enforcer of the Tyrest Accord. Prowl had summoned Ultra Magnus to Earth as part of standard operating procedure after Ironhide's death, before Prime abdicated his leadership and the faction had split. Things became difficult as Magnus attempted to confiscate Hot Rod's "unlicensed interstellar vehicle". Prowl attempted to weigh in with legalese of his own, citing the line of procedural succession and emergency powers, but it became moot when Magnus discovered their collaboration. Seasons in Flight
Eventually, things changed, and the Autobots were able to work with Skywatch to defend Earth. Prowl himself changed. Now, instead of having to be ordered to do so by Optimus Prime, Prowl assists the police of his own free will. He now understood that math and calculations, no matter how accurate, were useless in the face of evolving threats and a brave new world. No longer believing that a single human life was not worth that of one Cybertronian, Prowl would risk his life for any human. Spotlight: Prowl
Sometime after things settled down on Earth, the Autobots formed a plan to recapture the Garrus-9 detention facility, which had fallen during Megatron's push three years earlier. Prowl's primary objective on this mission was for the Wreckers to retrieve the data stored on Aequitas, as he feared that if the Decepticons managed to get their hands on politically-damaging information about Autobot war criminals, it would be disastrous to the Autobot cause. When selections for the new Wreckers squad were being made, Prowl learned that Ironfist (a weapons researcher at Kimia Facility who had an obsessive fascination with the Wreckers) had recently suffered a lab accident involving cerebro-centric bullets and only had months to live. Applying pressure on psy-ops specialist Rung (who had judged the researcher unfit for Wreckers duty), Prowl arranged for Ironfist to be placed in Springer's squad on the condition that he would be the one to sacrifice his life to unlock Aequitas. Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4 After the surviving Wreckers defeated Overlord and liberated G-9, Prowl was given a data slug containing the Aequitas' data, the legacy of Ironfist, who had finally succumbed to his lab accident injury. Prowl explained to Ultra Magnus how he regretted using Ironfist in this manner, and he would prefer if the information about trials were never made public, despite what he had agreed to millions of years ago, for fear of what it would do to Autobot morale. As Ultra Magnus left, Prowl started to apply pressure on the data slug... Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5
IDW Hearts of Steel continuity
With Optimus Prime in stasis lock, Prowl and Ratchet appeared to be the co-leaders of the Autobots in the 19th century. Hearts of Steel issue 1 Despite Bumblebee's pleading, he was reluctant to interfere with the humans, but nevertheless participated in the pursuit of the Astrotrain as it headed to New York. Hearts of Steel issue 4
His "Ice Age Wars" altmode is uncertain, but it is spiky, and possibly aquatic. His 19th century altmode is a small black-and-white locomotive with a glowing red smokestack.
IDW Beast Wars comics
Prowl was a member of the Maximal counterpart to the Tripredacus Council, the Maximal Imperium, alongside former Autobot teammates Ironhide and Silverbolt. The trio sent Ikard to request a report from Big Convoy, but he refused, citing his need to investigate the Angolmois-fueled murders. The Ascending #2
Timelines
Prowl (in his Machine Wars body) is a member of the Axiom Nexus Security Administration. He, Prowl and Prowl were part of the group investigating the discovery of Comet's body. Withered Hope
Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic
3D Battle-Card Game
Prowl was one of Optimus Primal's many allies in a fight against Megatron's own army, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. Energon Wars Expansion Set
Commercial appearances
Prowl has appeared in several television commercials:
- He features in the very first Transformers animation, a commercial for Issue #1 of Marvel's The Transformers comic book. He is seen hanging around with Jazz and Sideswipe on Cybertron, where all three transformed to robot mode and flew away into the air. Later on Earth, the same three bots drive out to (from?) a power plant to defend it from Decepticon attack.
- Much later, he appears in the Action Masters commercial; he's with a band of Autobots who agree to join Optimus Prime as he gives up transformation powers to become "more alive".
- In an ad for Starscream and Prowl, Action Master-form Prowl battles Starscream aboard his Turbo Cycle on Cybertron.
Toys
Merchandise
- Main article: Merchandise
Trivia
- Prowl's Diaclone predecessor also came with additional, optional stickers that would identify him as being part of the police forces from existing Japanese cities, namely Tokyo, Sapporo, Sendai, Osaka and Fukuoka.
- The original Transformers instruction booklet shows a visible Japanese label sheet, complete with the cherry blossom emblem found on Japanese police cars, which did not make it to final product.
- The Autobot faction symbol seems to be loosely based on Prowl's head.
- Machine Wars Prowl's card-art is actually an altered version of the art for the Generation 2 Laser Rod Jolt.
- Transmetal 2 Prowl may possibly be the same spark as the Generation 1 character reincarnated...though the IDW series makes this REALLY complicated. Urgh.
- A very Prowlish computer model was used for one of the generic Transformers in Beast Machines. It is seen in a Vehicon factory as a corpse. A similar thing happens with Soundwave, too. Revelations Part I: Discovery
- At OTFCC 2004, Hasbro stated that there was no Prowl Alternators toy in the works, but some other emergency vehicle (which got a chorus of boos).
- The Acura RSX Alternators mold was originally supposed to be Red Alert, with a different head sculpt. Eventually, however, it was decided to release the toy as Prowl instead, even though the Subaru Impreza model had more resemblance to Prowl and the Acura RSX model had more resemblance to Red Alert. Control drawings of the figure with the originally intended Red Alert head sculpt can be found in the Japanese Transformers Collection 2007 book, among other places.
- Instead of having a normal gunshot death, Prowl is shown having orange smoke coming from his mouth as he dies. Hardcore.
