Chop Shop (G1)
- Chop Shop is a Decepticon Insecticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Are you missing a few energon chips? Wasn't there a photon rectifier on that table a minute ago? Hey, has anyone seen my Action Master partner recently? And where the heck did our new transwarp cruiser go?!
If it's not nailed, screwed, bolted, and nano-fused to the ground, chances are good Chop Shop stole it while you were reading this. The other Decepticons and his fellow Insecticons are well aware of Chop Shop's skill as a master thief, but they have no idea just how deep the compulsion goes. Chop Shop is a closet kleptomaniac, compelled to steal—not just from the Autobots, but also from his allies and even from himself! The more difficult it is to steal something, the more Chop Shop feels compelled to rise to the challenge. No piece of equipment or valuable item in Decepticon HQ is safe when he's around. So far, he's been quick-witted enough to cover his own tracks, but how long his luck holds out, and what his comrades will do when they realize just who's been robbing them blind, is anyone's guess.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Chop Shop was part of the Decepticons' elite Mayhem Attack Squad. The Mayhems were sent from Cybertron to help the Wreckers defeat Megatron and Galvatron. However, the sheer power possessed by their targets overwhelmed not only the Mayhems and Wreckers, but a number of other Transformers pulled into the fight as well. Chop Shop was destroyed during this battle. Time Wars
Dreamwave comics continuity
8.2 million years ago, Chop Shop participated in Shockwave's assault on Iacon. The War Within #3 The War Within #4 He presumably retreated with the rest of the Decepticons when Starscream activated the planetary engines, devastating the city. The War Within #5
7.4 million years ago, Chop Shop joined Ratbat's Ultracons after the disappearance of Megatron splintered the Decepticons. Along with Ratbat, Venom, and Ransack, Chop Shop ambushed and captured Springer in the Tagan Heights. Escalation He suggested that Ratbat kill Springer's Wreckers before killing him, to increase his suffering, but Ratbat opted for the more expedient option. The fuel auditor was prevented from carrying that out, however, when a battle between Devastator and Defensor raged out of control, allowing Springer to escape. Devastation
Some time later, Chop Shop was involved in a battle against the now-unified Autobot forces, commanded by Ultra Magnus. When the Ultracons were reabsorbed into the Decepticons 6 million years ago, Chop Shop presumably went with them. The Age of Wrath #1
Later, after the launch of the Ark and the Nemesis, Chop Shop and a number of his fellow Insecticons were reduced to a vampiric existence, capturing Micromasters in the Wastelands and drinking their energon. He and his comrades attacked and devoured Falcon, but were prevented from capturing the Hot Rod Patrol and the Race Track Patrol by the arrivals of Groundshaker and Shockwave, respectively — although the latter did toss them Flanker to snack on. The Gray Race
As ordered by Shockwave, Chop Shop and his mates attacked Little Iacon, searching for the Hot Rod Patrol—Chop Shop accidentally snagged Road Hugger, but was ordered by Venom to throw him back. They eventually landed in the city and recruited the Race Track Patrol to aid them in their search. In the course of the search, Chop Shop stole Barrage's sonic rifle. Recipe for Hate Taking their charges (and a number of captive Micromasters) back to Decepticon HQ, Chop Shop was deactivated when the Hot Rod Patrol infiltrated the base and opened fire on him. Victims of the Revolution
Toys
Generation 1
- Chop Shop (Deluxe Insecticon, 1985)
- Accessories: Gun, trident
- Chop Shop is a redeco of Armored Insect Battalion Beetras Beet-Gugal and transforms into a predominately brown robotic stag beetle. His robot mode carries many of the insect bits over, with the beetle horns rising from each shoulder and insect legs upon both arms. Rather impressively, Chop Shop has a rarity among G1 toys: all six insect legs use ball joints in one way or another.
Notes
- Chop Shop, like all of the Deluxe Insecticons, was designed and originally produced by Takatoku Toys for inclusion in their Armored Insect Battalion Beetras toyline (機甲虫隊ビートラス). Decoed in black and grey, the mold first saw release under the name Beet-Gugal. Takatoku Toys went out of business a short while later in 1984, and their assets were purchased by fellow Japanese toymaker Bandai. At that time, Bandai was exclusively active on the Japanese market and so was a competitor of Takara, but not of Hasbro. Due to this, the company had no objection to licensing various Takatoku molds to Hasbro in 1985 for sale in the Western markets as part of their version of the The Transformers toyline. But since nowadays Bandai has claimed its share of the Western market and only licensed the molds back then, there is little likelihood that Chop Shop and company will ever be put up for reissue.
- Since Hasbro and Takara shared the Generation 1 cartoon as promotional material for their respective versions of the toyline, Chop Shop and the other Deluxe Insecticons were not included in its cast to avoid giving Japanese market-competitor Bandai free publicity. The group was also omitted from the US Marvel comics and barely appeared in the UK Marvel comics, making them the least "successful" of the Takatoku molds. This trend has continued in fiction since, the team's current highlight being their role in the Micromasters comics.
External links
- Beet-Gugal at Diaclone.net (Japanese)
