Tantrum (G1)
- Tantrum is a Decepticon Predacon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Tantrum is loads of fun. He's all violence and no patience. Give him a can of Kremzeek™ energy drink with the tab pulled off, and he'll quickly devolve through frustration to crazed screaming to smashing the recalcitrant can to a splattered soup of oily drink and metal shavings. Such outbursts are common, and they usually end with a pile of smoking rubble, and Tantrum in the middle, with a happy, smiling face, the calmest and coolest of Decepticons, for a very short while, until next time the fit takes him.
The Decepticon command, in their infinite wisdom, have augmented the swordfighting, electrostatic-discharging, and fuel-carrying abilities of this walking Internet with a catalytic carbine rifle. This can be good for a lot of laughs when it converts the metal in a target to enjoyably dangerous isotopes for Blot to snack on and Mixmaster to play with.
Tantrum and his fellow Predacons can combine to form Predaking.
| “ | If I live to be a billion, I'll never understand why they call destruction "mindless." Destruction's all I think about! | ” |
- French-Canadian name: Coléro
- Italian name: Torox
- Russian name: Bouyivol (??????, "Buffalo")
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
As Megatron's paranoia reached its peak, Soundwave suggested that they enlist the help of the Predacons to flush out Optimus Prime, allowing Megatron to finally defeat him. However, Shockwave called them from Cybertron, and gave the Predacon leader Razorclaw secret orders to turn on Megatron at a crucial moment. The Predacons successfully hunted down Optimus, and when Megatron arrived, as Shockwave ordered, they turned on him. Prey! After learning of Shockwave and the Predacons' betrayal, Megatron summoned a space bridge to Cybertron to escape, but Prime flung them both through the bridge before it had fully materialized. The Harder They Die!
Fortunately for Tantrum and the other Predacons, Megatron lost his memory of this incident when Straxus attempted to take over his body. Resurrection! Contacting Razorclaw on Cybertron, Shockwave hired the Predacons to kill Megatron again, this time disguised as Autobots. Although Tantrum and the others managed to damage the Decepticon leader, he was too strong for them so Razorclaw gave the order to unite into Predaking. Even in this combined form, Megatron humiliated them. Gone but Not Forgotten!
Later, after Divebomb complained about being bored on Earth, the Predacons destroyed a human circus for kicks, where Divebomb was attacked by the Dinobot Swoop. Tantrum and company took it in turns to beat up on Swoop until his Dinobot comrades showed up to rescue him, whereupon Tantrum began battling Slag. Ultimately the fight ended in a no score draw when Swoop persuaded Grimlock to call off his attack. Grudge Match!
The Predacons fell under the command of Ratbat and with Grimlock's Autobots off Earth, they were pressed into service raiding liquid oxygen from a chemical storage facility near Huntsville, Alabama. In response, the human organisation Triple-I apparently executed the captive Throttlebots. Ratbat and the Predacons raided Triple-I's Oregon headquarters to investigate the execution but when it was discovered that the Autobots' brain modules had been removed, Ratbat sent Tantrum and the other hunters to track their scent. First they tracked the Throttlebots to Sparkplug Witwicky's garage, but when the mechanic refused to co-operate they tore the building down around him. They caught up with the Throttlebots (their brain modules ensconced inside toy cars) at a shopping mall and attempted to destroy the pint-sized Autobots, with Tantrum tearing through a bookshop in his pursuit. However, this was less than successful and all the Throttlebots escaped. Toy Soldiers!
Relocated to the Arctic, Tantrum was among the Decepticons who rushed to defend themselves from an apparently hostile ship before it was revealed that the ship also contained Decepticons. When negotiations between Ratbat and Scorponok turned nasty, Tantrum and the Predacons prevented the Headmaster from leaving, triggering an all-out battle between the two Decepticon forces. For his part, Tantrum was torn in half by Scorponok. Cold War!
Apparently repaired by the time the Autobots showed up and attacked, Tantrum then found himself forming part of Grimlock and Scorponok's team to counter the Underbase-powered Starscream in Tokyo, but was easily dispatched by the super-powerful Seeker. Dark Star
Earthforce
Tantrum was probably a member of Shockwave's faction on Earth, like his fellow Predacons, although this isn't entirely clear. When the Enclave broke out into total carnage due to an Autobot trick, Tantrum was right in the thick of it, probably enjoying every moment of chaos. The Bad Guy's Ball! He later joined Soundwave and the Decepticons in attacking the Autobot Earthbase. Divide and Conquer!
Generation 2
Somehow resurrected after his demise at Starscream's hands, Tantrum fell under Bludgeon's command and was transported aboard the Warworld to attack Earth in an attempt to draw out Optimus Prime. When Bludgeon was deposed by Megatron, the plan remained pretty much the same and Tantrum had enormous fun slaughtering humans and causing massive property damage.
Unfortunately for Tantrum the plan worked all too well, and Prime announced his presence by running full-tilt into him in truck mode, smashing the Predacon into scattered chunks. Some people can't take a joke. The Gathering Darkness
Cartoon continuity
- Voice actors: Philip L. Clarke (English), Yū Shimaka (Japanese), Héctor Vieyra (Latin American)
Tantrum and the Predacons were created during an alliance between the Decepticons and Quintessons. They were sent to Io to stop Blurr and Wheelie from recovering Metroplex's transformation cog, leaving the Autobot city helpless against the coming attack of Trypticon. Tantrum charged Wheelie like the bull he resembles, but the nimble Autobot leapt out of the way and Tantrum crashed into Rampage instead. The battle was kicked up a notch when the Predacons combined into Predaking and had their first fight with Sky Lynx. Tantrum was sure they'd obliterate him, but after they got knocked into separate components again, Razorclaw began to retreat and Tantrum was forced to flee as well. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5
On the planet Dread, the Predacons were overseeing construction of a massive cannon which would allow Galvatron to destroy Cybertron with a huge blast of death crystals. An Autobot strike team landed on the planet while the Preds were patrolling, and the Decepticons engaged the scouts, Kup and Blurr. While Razorclaw and Rampage kept Kup busy, Tantrum and Headstrong rammed Blurr into quickmud, and watched him sink. He would've been obliterated, but Sky Lynx came looking for his Auto-buddies and pulled the motormouth free. The cocky Tantrum was sure they'd obliterate Sky Lynx, but his delusions of adequacy were quickly shattered as the Predacons were forced into a retreat. Chaos
During an attack on Rodimus Prime on Cybertron, Tantrum and the Predacons became the unwilling subjects of a Quintesson reality-altering effect, where a dream machine was turning Daniel Witwicky's nightmares into tangible threats and screwing up the environment. After Razorclaw and Springer were hauled off by a flying dragon, Rodimus Prime suggested a cease fire so that the Autobots and Predacons could work together and find their friends. Tantrum made a counter-offer, and suggested he wouldn't obliterate the Autobots right that moment if they stayed out of his way. He did manage to blow up a giant plant with the electro-blasts from his horns, so maybe Tantrum didn't need help after all. Nightmare Planet
The Headmasters cartoon
- Voice actor: Masaharu Satō (Japanese)
Tantrum and the Predacons were part of Galvatron's strike force on Cybertron in 2011, seeking to wrest control of Vector Sigma from the Autobots. While invading Cybertron, Tantrum happened across an unguarded Daniel. Never one to pass up an opportunity to maul a small child, Tantrum immediately attacked. Unfortunately for him, Wheelie burst onto the scene, tackled him and beat him senseless. Wheelie. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Later, the Predacons traveled to Earth in order to stymie Hot Rod's attempt to locate the Matrix of Leadership. Tantrum's unit found the former Autobot leader in the Arctic, but were held off by Blaster, his Mini-Cassettes, and Superion. The Mystery of Planet Master Tantrum and the Predacons were among the Decepticons Galvatron brought with him to the planet Beast, although they were absent during the Autobot attack that drove the Decepticons off. Rebellion on Planet Beast
When the Autobots created a new kind of metal on Cybertron called Cybertonuron, Galvatron wanted to claim it for himself. He sent Tantrum and the Predacons to Cybertron as an advance guard to pave the way for his forces. They mowed down Cybertron's standing guardians and began to wreak havoc on the planet. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 Once the Autobots arrived from Earth, the Predacons were confronted by Shōki and the Trainbots. Their attempts to intimidate the Light-Speed Commander failed utterly, and a fight broke out. Tantrum ended up knocking himself unconscious colliding with Razorclaw when Getsuei and Suiken lept away from his ferocious charge. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 Tantrum and the Predacons assembled as Predaking to help Scourge and Cyclonus steal the Solar 1 satellite, but they were driven off by Raiden and the Headmasters. The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok Next, Tantrum and the Predacons helped Scorponok stage a crisis to keep the Autobots distracted, by setting off a volcano in Peru. On-scene to keep the Autobots from rescuing innocent villagers, Tantrum's group first clashed with the Trainbots before joining forces as Predaking and once again fighting Raiden and the Headmasters. The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts
As Scorponok began his plan to capture the plasma energy of Mars by blowing it up, Tantrum and the Predacons stood guard on Mars as the Terrorcons began planting the necessary bombs. When the Trainbots stumbled across the plot, the Predacons started up a firefight to dispose of the meddling Autobots. With Daniel Witwicky and Wheelie missing, the Trainbots tagged out with the Autobot Headmasters to go looking for them. Razorclaw gave the order and Predaking was formed. Unfortunately, even Predaking was no match for Transtector power, and he was felled by a quadruple jump kick by the Headmasters. Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger Regrouping on Chaar, Tantrum and the Predacons bore witness to the unveiling on MegaZarak, Scorponok's new super weapon Transtector. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears
Tantrum and the Predacons attended Scorponok's ceremony on the moon. They were scattered by the Autobot attack, but rallied around Galvatron's late arrival and drove off their heroic opponents. Return of the Immortal Emperor
As Scorponok abandoned Earth in favor of conquering Master, Tantrum was one of his many troops seen attacking the planet's fortifications. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2) He also helped retrofit the Zarak Shield out of indestructible G-Metal so that it could stand up to the Master Sword. The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide
Zone OVA, manga and story pages
Seeking to create a Decepticon Zone to counter the Autobot Zone, Decepticon Emperor Violen Jiger gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. Tantrum was among the selected, but only as a part of Predaking. Zone Part 1 Transformers: Zone Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!
Dreamwave comics continuity
Tantrum and the Predacons were only ever identified as long lost "warlords" who had apparently been exiled from Cybertron in the distant past. It was not made clear if they were particularly warlike Decepticons, or had been warriors who actually predated Megatron's rise to power. Whatever the case, they had ended up on the planet Beest and, by modern times, had descended into feral beast modes, operating purely on animal instinct. Welcome to the Jungle
Megatron, who was similarly in exile at the time, challenged their leader Razorclaw and defeated him in battle. He then reprogrammed the Predacons to be loyal only to him, and gave them the combiner form of Predaking. Tantrum and the others then helped Megatron resume control over the Decepticons, ousting Shockwave and Starscream from command of their respective splinter armies. Lost and Found The Route of All Evil
Devil's Due G.I.Joe Vs. Transformers continuity
Tantrum and his Predacon comrades attacked Nautilator when he dared to intrude on the Predacons' piece of the Gladiator Zone, but Nautilator fetched his own friends and formed Piranacon, prompting the Predacons to combine as well. Predaking eventually defeated Piranacon, but before he could delivered the killing blow, he was frozen in place by Serpent O.R., who convinced Tantrum and the others to join his new Decepticon army. The Art of War issue 2
When a group of Autobots and G.I. Joes came hunting after Serpent O.R., Predaking stomped on Bumblebee with his Tantrum leg. During a Decepticon gathering later on, Divebomb got into a fight with Hun-Grrr and tried to gaud Tantrum into attacking the Terrorcon by claiming Hun-Grrr called him "slow on the upload". Oddly enough, Headstrong was the one to take offense to this. As Predaking, the Predacons then participated in an attack on an Autobot peace ceremony. The Art of War issue 3 Tantrum was later seen among the Decepticon forces preparing to defend their base from a major Autobot/G.I. Joe assault. The Art of War issue 4
IDW comics continuity
Tantrum fought for Megatron in the illegal gladiatorial deathmatches held in the Forge. He and the future Predacons also became some of the first Decepticons, turning the fighting towards the public and launching an insurrection in Kaon against the Senate, under Megatron's command. Megatron Origin
After the first defeat of Thunderwing in a cataclysm during the war that followed, Tantrum and the other Predacons led the attack against the beleaguered Autobot positions soon after the Autobot morale-booster Blaster was taken out by his assassin. Spotlight: Blaster
In modern times, he served with the rest of the Predacons aboard the Thanatos, and joined Headstrong in leading a ground envoy onto Cybertron's surface to help the Wreckers battle the resurrected Thunderwing. Their aid helped turn the tide, so Razorclaw didn't have to use the ship's starblitz torpedoes to obliterate the entire planet. That makes the Predacons heroes! (Say that again, though, and Tantrum will make sure you get obliterated.) Stormbringer issue 4
Several years later, Tantrum, Headstrong, Rampage and Divebomb were among the many Decepticons stranded on Earth with no source of energon. In order to survive, they became hired guns for China, protecting the nation's borders in exchange for precious energy. Led by Rampage, the Predacons intervened when a battle between the Autobots (allied with Skywatch) and the Combaticons (allied with North Korea) got too close for comfort. International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"
While Tantrum and his teammates were initially willing to leave without a fight, they mistook a blast from Onslaught as an Autobot act of aggression, and responded in kind. The battle was a short one, though, as the Predacons soon learned that the Russians were sending a nuke to take them all out of the picture. They wasted no time in leaving the area, and later abandoned their alliance with China after Thundercracker blew up the nation's energon factories. International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"
Beast Wars
Timelines
After the end of the Great War, the Predacons (or those of them surviving) founded the new Predacon faction. Years later, now in a reformatted technorganic body, Tantrum was once again plotting with his old team mates. Dawn of Future's Past
IDW Beast Wars comic
A group of five symbols appeared on the walls of a room containing a transwarp shunt device on Cybertron. The five symbols seemed to represent a lion, a bird, a bull, a rhinoceros, and a tiger. The Gathering issue 2
Toys
Generation 1
- Tantrum (1986)
- Team ID number: 5
- Japanese ID number: D-76
- Accessories: Electro-sword, "catalytic carbine", Predaking foot/back cannon
- Tantrum transforms into a robotic bull. He can form either leg of Predaking, but his nominal placement is as the right leg. His double-barrelled cannon can attach to his back in beast mode and doubles as Predaking's foot. As with the rest of the Predacons, the initial release of Tantrum had die-cast metal parts which were later replaced by plastic.
- Predaking (multi-pack, 1986, 2004)
- Japanese ID number: D-78
- While they were only sold seperately in the west, in Japan, all five Predacons were also made available as a very large gift-set. This set was reissued in 2004, using the die-cast construction of the initial releases.
- Predaking (Gift set, 2010)
- Reissued along side the other Predacons for the 2010 Celebration line, Tantrum features significant differences from the prior versions. His red, gray, and black plastic is altered to a metal fleck equivalent color. Nearly all of his label stickers were redesigned, and he now features cartoon accurate golden optics instead of red. Also include are optional label sheet for Tantrum's optics to make them red in both modes.
- This version of Tantrum features diecast metal parts.
Merchandise
Titanium Series
- Predaking (3" Robot Masters, 2006)
- Accessories: Display stand, sword
- Technically Predaking's right leg is Tantrum. Saw off this leg and you have "Action Master Combiner-mode World's Smallest Titanium Series Tantrum". (No refunds).
Robot Heroes
- Ricochet & Predaking (Robot Heroes, 2009)
- The right leg of this PVC is also technically Tantrum. Packaged with Ricochet, this versus set saw only limited release in some parts of Europe and Australia.
Notes
- Tantrum's alt-mode, a bull, is not a predator in nature, as all bovines feed upon grass.
