Rumble (G1)
| This article is about . For other uses of "Rumble", see Rumble (disambiguation)|The name or term "Rumble" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Rumble (disambiguation).}} |
- Rumble is a Decepticon Mini-Cassette from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Rumble is your basic street punk: Small, but always acting tough as a cover. He's not exactly the most subtle of Soundwave's spies, but what he lacks in discretion, he makes up for by being the brawler of the group. He talks tough because he is tough. Quick-tempered and of a generally mean disposition, he follows Megatron eagerly, as the Decepticon leader lets him indulge in destruction. Rumble has a tendency to toss out a taunting rhyme at his enemies and is, according to Brawn, a "jerk" (or at other times, a "sawed-off nerd").
As the Decepticon demolitions expert, Rumble loves nothing more than to break things apart. His arms can transform into powerful piledrivers that, when pounded against the ground, can cause earthquakes, usually with fissures. He can be easily overpowered in a one-on-one match, though the real challenge is actually getting to him first. Even if you do, you usually need to get through his brother Frenzy either before or after you get Rumble.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Millions of years ago on Cybertron, Rumble was among Megatron's elite warriors in the Decepticon ranks. He was present when the Decepticons attempted to overpower the crew of the Ark, and ended up plunging down to the planet Earth below with all the other Transformers on-board. They remained dormant and inactive until 1984, when the volcano their ship was nestled under erupted, bringing the Ark's sensors back online, and the Cybertronians with it. The Transformers Megatron and the Decepticons immediately began plans to loot the planet's rich sources of energy. Rumble's ability to generate low-frequency groundwaves was instrumental in shaking loose equipment from the Harrison Nuclear Power Plant, giving the Decepticons the raw materials necessary for the construction of their Fortress Sinister. Power Play! After securing a human fuel specialist, it was Rumble who provided Sparkplug Witwicky with a sample of Cybertronian fuel for analysis, simply by popping off his hand and pumping fuel from his wrist socket. Eww. As the Autobots confronted the Decepticons at their newly fortified base, Rumble came out to greet them. He used his earthquakes to knock Huffer and Cliffjumper off-balance, but Brawn just barreled his way through the tremors and decked the junk-punk with one punch. After dealing with the Autobot pugilist, Frenzy scooped up his brother and brought him back into the base for repairs, but they were assaulted by Gears and his arachnid partner. Prisoner of War!
Rumble was actually in favor of Decepticon democracy at one point, grumbling that Starscream "deserved a vote" during one of the Air Commander's infamous arguments with Megatron. He was, however, smart enough not to grumble too loudly. The Enemy Within! Starscream later got his way, and the Decepticons staged an attack on the Ark. Rumble tried to pit himself against the Autobot warrior named Sideswipe, but found himself severely outmatched by the Autobot's piledriver punch. Raiders of the Last Ark
Heavily damaged due to earlier battles, Rumble sat out the next Decepticon offensive against the Ark, and was not reactivated until after Decepticon leadership had shifted from Megatron to the returning Shockwave. Thanks to their new commander, the Decepticons had secured the Ark and all of the Autobots were believed incapacitated. Despite all these victories, Rumble failed miserably at guarding the Ark, letting one Buster Witwicky sneak by him and abscond with the Creation Matrix. It turned out Rumble's optical circuitry was too low-rez to pick up on humans in his peripheral. The New Order Shockwave actually had to run Rumble's memories through a computer-enhanced refinement process before he could even see the culprit. Needless to say, Shockwave was NOT happy when he found out. Brainstorm! Waiting for his punishment, Rumble actually began developing moisture and condensation on his face-plate in anticipation. Fortunately for Rumble, his only punishment was to guard their human slaves at the Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One. Unfortunately for Rumble, he was no better at watching multiple humans than he was at watching one—the humans revolted when Jetfire turned on Shockwave, and Rumble was unable to stop them from escaping the plant. Prime Time!
Shockwave's defeat left the Decepticons leaderless for a time, and Rumble served various masters until Megatron and Shockwave reached an accord, agreeing to work together as co-leaders of the Decepticons. Rumble didn't last long into this new regime, however. Almost as soon as the Decepticons officially relocated to a coal mine in Wyoming, Megatron led Rumble and several of his fellow soldiers in an attack on the Ark. Having been alerted by Shockwave to an all-out Autobot assault on the mine, Megatron concluded that the Ark and its secrets would be relatively unguarded, and ripe for the picking. Well, Megatron was wrong... on an epic scale. Rumble and the Decepticons were treated to the first battle field test of the Autobots' new defense base: OMEGA SUPREME. Rumble was blown to pieces by Omega Supreme's plasma cannon, along with Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Buzzsaw, and Frenzy. Only Megatron and Laserbeak managed to limp away from the battle at all. Command Performances!
When Starscream awoke from his life support machine on the Ark, he saw that Frenzy and Thundercracker were close to regaining consciousness, but that Rumble, Skywarp, and Buzzsaw were far from rehabilitated. Target: 2006
Rumble remained a prisoner of the Autobots for years, his disassembled component parts resting in the Ark's detention facility until the Constructicons raided the spaceship during a battle on the moon. Totaled! Although he was presumably reconstructed along with his fellow Decepticons, Rumble was still virtually never seen again.
Earthforce
Rumble, along with his fellow cassette Ravage, chose to serve under Shockwave and Starscream when the Decepticon factions split on Earth, fighting on the opposite side of Soundwave. He was present at the Enclave, joining in the massive melee initiated by the Autobots, The Bad Guy's Ball! and was later seen on Starscream's observation duty monitors. Bugged! After the two factions reunited, Rumble nestled back into his old space inside Soundwave's chest. No hard feelings, right big guy? Divide and Conquer!
Marvel Generation 2 comic
Surprisingly, Rumble and Frenzy were both acting as medics, reviving and rebuilding Darkwing. Rumble was later present for Megatron's throttling of Optimus Prime and the capture of the Creation Matrix from his chest. When the other Autobots arrived, Rumble used his piledrivers to toss Hot Rod for a loop. The Gathering Darkness Later, after the Decepticons joined forces with the Autobots, Rumble accompanied his leader to the planet Ethos, and was seen mopping up the Cybertronian resistance after the Cons saved the Autobots' tailpipes. Escalation!
When Jhiaxus unleashed his full battalion against his ancestors, Rumble was manning the Warworld's bridge alongside Soundwave and Frenzy. Both of his fellow bridge officers apparently jettisoned to safety before Starscream took full command of the Warworld, and so Rumble may have done so as well. A Rage in Heaven!
Universe bio
Rumble became even more anti-social after the death of his brother, Frenzy, in the Swarm war, and was eventually abducted by Unicron to join his Minions of Unicron in the battle against the Children of Primus.
Recordicons
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Rumble and Frenzy were startled to be approached by the mysterious Batbot who was seeking Ratbat. Rumble pointed out that Ratbat was dead, killed by Scorponok who himself was also dead. Recordicons #11
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Frank Welker (English), Ken Shiroyama (Japanese), Katsumi Suzuki (Japanese, "Attack of the Autobots" and "Day of the Machines" only), Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese, The Transformers: The Movie only) (see note below regarding Japanese cartoon){{#if: Roberto Alexander (Latin American), Ulrich Bernsdorff (German, Season 1), Bernd Simon (German, Season 2), Gerd Wiedenhofen (German, The Movie TV Dub & Generation 2 Dub of More than Meets the Eye, Part 1), Willy Schäfer (German, Generation 2 Dub of Auto-Berserk & Atlantis, Arise!), Tonio von der Meden (German, Generation 2 Dub of Roll For It)|, Roberto Alexander (Latin American), Ulrich Bernsdorff (German, Season 1), Bernd Simon (German, Season 2), Gerd Wiedenhofen (German, The Movie TV Dub & Generation 2 Dub of More than Meets the Eye, Part 1), Willy Schäfer (German, Generation 2 Dub of Auto-Berserk & Atlantis, Arise!), Tonio von der Meden (German, Generation 2 Dub of Roll For It)}}
Four million years ago, Rumble was a member of the original Decepticon raiding party that boarded the Autobots' spacecraft, which then crashed into prehistoric Earth, knocking all the Transformers aboard offline. When they were reawakened in 1984 by a volcanic eruption, Rumble was reformatted by Teletraan I into an audio cassette that fit snugly into Soundwave's chest compartment. As soon as the Decepticons had withdrawn from the crashed hulk of the Autobots' ship, Soundwave deployed Rumble to help Starscream gather materials for construction of a temporary headquarters. Casually brushing off Starscream's constant complaints about Megatron's leadership abilities, Rumble put his piledrivers to work reducing a power plant to scrap to provide the needed building materials.
With their temporary base in place and plans for a new space cruiser ready, the Decepticons began gathering energy from Earth's many available sources. They began with an attack on an offshore oil rig, during which Rumble menaced human worker Sparkplug Witwicky, and shoved the man's son, Spike, into the ocean when he tried to attack the small Decepticon.More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 Soon after, exploiting information stolen from Teletraan I, the Decepticons had Rumble cause a tidal wave that would push the power output of the hydroelectric plant at Sherman Dam to its maximum capacity. Rumble was caught in the act by the Autobot Hound, but in spite of his diminutive size, Rumble came out on top in the underwater battle, burying Hound under a pile of rocks. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2 Rumble and Hound had a rematch during the battle to prevent the Decepticons escaping Earth in their finished cruiser, but this time, Rumble didn't fare so well. The battle was soon called off so the Decepticons could board their ship, but Autobot spy Mirage also snuck aboard and sabotaged the craft in mid-flight. As it plummeted back to Earth, Rumble began freaking out, fearing the impact would destroy them. Luckily for the little guy, he was wrong. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3
When next seen, Rumble was guarding the Decepticons' space bridge with Laserbeak as they awaited the return of Megatron from Cybertron. Once Megatron had emerged from the bridge, Rumble joined him in attacked the laboratory of Doctor Alcazar and stood guard outside, warning the Autobots to keep their distance as Megatron worked to create antimatter with the lab's facilities. Although Hound and Mirage were able to sneak by Rumble using their hologram and invisibility powers, the Autobots were unable to stop Megatron completing his experiment, and Rumble took part in his leader's subsequent attack on Autobot Headquarters. Megatron's plan was foiled when the Autobots used a remote control device to take over Skywarp's body, causing him to fire the antimatter-powered Megatron at Rumble. Roll for It
Rumble was helping Starscream and Reflector load energon cubes for transport through the space bridge when a team of Autobots arrived with the intention of using the bridge themselves. Rumble tried to open a crevasse beneath Bumblebee, but the Decepticons were then ordered by Megatron to let the Autobots use the bridge. While they were absent, Megatron staged an attack on Autobot Headquarters, during which Rumble rumbled with Prowl and Sunstreaker. Divide and Conquer Rumble was later instrumental in the Decepticons' plan to tap the heat energy of the Earth's core, as he smashed through the polar ice to help locate the crystal shaft they needed. In the process, he also uncovered the frozen body of Skyfire. Fire in the Sky
When the Decepticons attacked the Great Falls hydroelectric power plant, Rumble helped Megatron dispatch the counter-attacking Autobots with an unusual tactic: using the planet's equipment, Megatron channeled the seismic energy of tremors created by Rumble to boost the power of his fusion cannon, and blasted all the Autobots into the river. When the Autobots' newest members, the Dinobots, arrived to save their comrades, Rumble pitted his piledrivers against Sludge, who came out on top by creating a quake so powerful it broke Rumble's piledrivers off! S.O.S. Dinobots Then, after helping Megatron steal steel in Peru, Fire on the Mountain Rumble lent a hand making energon cubes from the energy of a mysterious meteorite. War of the Dinobots
Brashly striding through the open front door of Autobot Headquarters, Rumble set about causing tremors throughout the Autobots' base to distract the heroic robots while Laserbeak kidnapped Sparkplug Witwicky right out from under their noses. The Ultimate Doom, Part 1 Rumble then served as something of a "lab assistant" to the Decepticons' new human ally, Doctor Arkeville, as he turned Sparkplug and many other captured humans into mind-controlled slaves with his hypno-chips. Rumble took a perverse enjoyment in watching the human slaves suffer, yanking one through an electric field The Ultimate Doom, Part 2 and tripping one unfortunate up while he was trying to do his allotted job. Rumble monitored the tidal waves created by Cybertron's gravity for Megatron, then joined in the final battle on a tropical island, where he tried once again to open a crevasse beneath Bumblebee, but got knocked into it himself. The Ultimate Doom, Part 3 After Cybertron was moved back out Earth's orbit, the Decepticons set about repairing the damage the planet's gravity had caused to their undersea headquarters. When Skywarp started bossing around Rumble and his brother Frenzy, the two tiny terrors double-teamed Skywarp and brought him to the ground, and would have kept on fighting if Megatron had to not arrived to knock them into line. The battle-ready Rumble then accompanied Megatron to Doctor Arkeville's laboratory, where they were forced to team up with the Autobots to save the planet from his overloading Exponential Generator. Countdown to Extinction
Rumble was next spotted gathering energon cubes at a shipyard in Bali, A Plague of Insecticons after which he joined the other Decepticons in contributing his power chip rectifier to a machine that would transfer all their special abilities to Megatron. With these additional powers, Megatron challenged Optimus Prime to one-on-one combat, using Rumble's quake-generating abilities to open a chasm into which Prime tumbled. When the Decepticons' duplicity was revealed, they were all sent falling into a river of lava, Rumble included. Heavy Metal War
Rumble was standing by as Megatron schemed to take control of "Autobot Spike," Autobot Spike then participated in the Decepticons invasion of New York City, where he joined Soundwave and Frenzy in attacking a team of Autobots in Central Park. City of Steel Rumble and the other cassettes later staged another attack on Autobot Headquarters, in order to distract the Autobots while Megatron and Starscream snuck inside to sabotage their recharging chambers. Rumble tussled with Optimus Prime and Ratchet, sending the two Autobots falling into one of his crevasses, only to have them come bounding out and clobber him when he peered over the edge to observe their fate. Attack of the Autobots
Rumble helped defend the installation the Decepticons were used to experiment with electro-cells, Traitor after which he was put in charge of controlling the stolen Autobot invention, the Immobilizer, The Immobilizer and was briefly glimpsed in battle in the ghost town the Decepticons were used as a staging base. The Autobot Run
When the Decepticons allied themselves with the inhabitants of the underwater city of Sub-Atlantica, Soundwave observed the Autobot infiltrators Bumblebee, Spike and Wheeljack pursuing the Sub-Atlantican king Nergill into the city's depths. Unable to follow due to his size, Soundwave sent Rumble and Ravage after them, but once they had tracked them down, Rumble was shocked to discover that the insane Nergill was planning to blow up Sub-Atlantica and everyone on it. Rumble tried to stop Nergill by activating his piledrivers and collapsing the chamber, but the mad fish-king dug his way out of the rubble and destroyed his city. Atlantis, Arise!
Rumble helped in the Decepticon plan to take over a fleet of oil tankers by firing circuit linker cards at the ships that put them under the control of the super computer TORQ III. When a team of Autobots arrived to investigate, they were captured, and Rumble and Ravage served as their jailers until Spike engineered their escape by pinning the two cassettes to the wall with an electromagnet. Day of the Machines Rumble later put his piledrivers into action to help steal the human-built robot Nightbird Enter the Nightbird and helped the Decepticons defend a crevice of korlonium crystals from Autobot incursion. A Prime Problem
Together with Soundwave and his other cassettes, Rumble attacked the testing site for the Autobots' new weapon, the Negavator. While Frenzy kept Optimus Prime busy, Rumble was able to get inside the cockpit of the Negavator itself, but before he could turn its power on Prime, Inferno blasted the machine and shorted out the controls. Their mission foiled, the Decepticons fled, but as a parting gesture, Rumble launched a missile that demolished the control bunker and injured Red Alert. The Decepticons made another play for the Negavator only a short time later, this time trying to bury the Autobots under an avalanche caused by Rumble, but enjoyed a similar lack of success. Auto Berserk
While searching the jungles of South America for the ruins of their old starship, Rumble started bickering with Starscream, and was highly amused when the air commander was caught in the coils of a giant snake. When their quest ended in success, Rumble indulged in a bout of celebratory over-energizing with his fellow Decepticons that evening. Microbots
When the Decepticons fooled the population of Earth into believing the Autobots were villains and they were the true heroes, Rumble kept up appearances by attending a disco with Soundwave and the other cassettes, and genuinely quite enjoying himself. With the Autobots exiled to space, the Decepticons' ruse came to an end, and Rumble was made a slave-master in the work camp that the conquered Central City was turned into a slave camp. When Chip Chase tried to escape, Spike covered his flight by shoving a cart of energon cubes into Rumble, who was in turn sent crashing into a generator and was electrocuted. Although Chip was soon recaptured, it was not long before the Autobots returned to Earth to clear their names and send the Decepticons packing. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
Rumble was among the Decepticons who began malfunctioning due to the deterioration of his cybertonium, causing him to uncontrollably deploy his piledrivers and start pummelling Megatron's leg. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 Once repaired, Rumble participated in a Decepticon mission to Great Britain, where he, Starscream, Ravage and Ramjet all found themselves cast back in time to the Middle Ages by the mysterious, magical Dragon Mound. Falling in with local ne'er-do-well Wigend du Blackthorne, the energy-deprived Decepticons took part in a local jousting tournament as Wigend's representatives, in order to win ownership of the land owned by his rival, Aetheling the Red, as the first step towards conquering the planet. Armed with a lance and shield and riding atop Ramjet, Rumble jousted with Sir Aetheling himself, but was defeated, prompting Starscream to discard chivalry and kidnap Aetheling's daughter Nimue.
To repel the inevitable rescue attempt, Starscream had the Decepticons gather the ingredients necessary to make gunpowder; Rumble got the unenviable job of gathering the "potassium nitrate" he required. Eventually, the Decepticons were defeated by Hoist and Warpath, who had followed them back through time, and the wizard Beorht, and were returned to their rightful era. A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court
Rumble was among the Decepticons who temporarily gained the power of an electrum coating, The Golden Lagoon worked in the New Jersey Pine Barrens to create an army of robot car warrior Make Tracks and was caught up in the menace of the Morphobots. Quest for Survival
Accompanying Megatron to the world of the Tlalakans to quash a rebellion among the inhabitants, Rumble wound up falling into their Well of Transformation, which caused his body to warp and change. Not understanding what was happening to him, Rumble begged the native girl Alana to help him, and she informed him that he needed to think of a tree in order to survive. Rumble complied... and promptly turned into one! Stuck in this immobile form on the shores of the well, Rumble was left out of the following battle until an explosion knocked him back into its waters and he returned to normal. Sea Change
Rumble was dispatched to Cybertron with Starscream and Ramjet to locate the headquarters of the Female Autobots, and used his piledrivers to collapse the base on Starscream's orders. The Search for Alpha Trion A little later, Rumble helped Soundwave prepare the psycho-probe to scan the mind of Astoria Carlton-Ritz, but the heiress's ability to jinx machines around her just meant that the unfortunate duo wound up being electrocuted by the device. The Girl Who Loved Powerglide Then, when the Decepticons invaded a movie lot to recover footage that a crew had taken of Dirge carrying a secret cargo, Rumble mistook some animatronic dinosaurs for the Dinobots and blasted them to bits. Hoist Goes Hollywood
Seeking to challenge the Autobots' rule of the roads, Megatron charged Rumble with stealing an assortment of cars and trucks that he could rebuild as Decepticons. His small size worked in his favour, and Rumble invaded a Formula 1 race track, hijacked some bank robbers' getaway car and terrorized a trucker named Possum Brown to get the vehicles Megatron required. Impressed by the rebuilt cards "stunt-driving", Rumble inspired Megatron to name his new creations the Stunticons. Rumble subsequently accompanied Megatron to Cybertron to bestow life to the Stunticons using the mega-computer Vector Sigma, although Rumble found the unassuming spherical form of the computer a bit underwhelming. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 The Decepticons then returned to Earth, and Rumble helped set up equipment to analyze the Key to Vector Sigma's power. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2
Rumble travelled to Galata Valley with Megatron and Soundwave to help search for the Pearl of Bahoudin, Trans-Europe Express following which he went on a significantly greater journey, voyaging to the planet Antilla with Megatron, Starscream and Astrotrain. The deserted planet creeped Rumble out, and he was happy when they left, with a new "Lightning Bug" heat ray weapon into the bargain. They also came away with the dreaded Cosmic Rust plague, and Rumble accompanied Megatron as he used the Lightning Bug to spread the disease through Autobot Headquarters. Cosmic Rust For his final recorded adventures in the 20th century, Rumble battled Starscream's Combaticons, Starscream's Brigade and helped operate Megatron's new fortress, activating its flight systems and turning its weapons on Superion. Aerial Assault
Over the course of the next twenty years, the Decepticons succeeded in conquering all of Cybertron and forcing the Autobots to relocate to bases on two of the planet's moons, and to their new home of Autobot City on Earth. In 2005, when the Decepticons staged a major assault against Autobot City, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage and Ratbat were deployed by Soundwave to disable a communications tower that Blaster was using to broadcast a message to Optimus Prime at Moonbase One. After doing so, Rumble proceeded to smash his way into the tower with his piledrivers, and he and his fellow cassettes then piled on Perceptor. Blaster then unleashed his own cassettes on them, and Rumble wound up grappling with Steeljaw. Unfortunately for the Decepticons, Rumble and his fellow cassettes had not acted quickly enough, and Blaster's distress call had indeed reached Optimus Prime, who soon arrived on Earth and defeated Megatron in battle. With the fall of their leader, the Decepticons retreated aboard Astrotrain, with Rumble carrying Megatron's fusion cannon while Soundwave carried Megatron himself. Once the Decepticons were on their way, it became necessary to jettison excess weight so that Astrotrain could make it to Cybertron, and Megatron was one of those ejected, prompting an argument over who should replace him as leader. When Hook called Soundwave "an uncharismatic bore", Soundwave ejected his cassettes to fight for his honor, and Rumble took particular umbrage at the insult. The Constructicons formed Devastator to teach them a lesson, but Rumble and Frenzy caused him to separate by shaking Astrotrain with their piledrivers. In the end, Starscream won out, and Rumble was present for his coronation...and subsequent disintegration by a powerful new Decepticon who appeared during the ceremony. Impressed by this show of force, Rumble asked what his name was so that the Decepticons could all cheer for him, and the newcomer announced he was Galvatron. The Transformers: The Movie
Galvatron's leadership did not start well, as the Decepticons were all subsequently forced off of Cybertron by the Autobots following the defeat of the planet-eating Unicron. Badly damaged and low on energy, they retreated to the burnt-out planet of Chaar, but even this great fall didn't dampen Rumble's spirits, as he was heard loudly advocating both "pulverowderizing" and "powderulverizing" the Autobots. Onslaught credited Rumble's enthusiasm, but pointed out they could hardly carry out his plan when they barely had enough energy to just stay alive. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 When Autobot leader Rodimus Prime was found spying on the Decepticons with Grimlock, and Rumble joined the other Decepticons in mauling them before they were resuced by their Autobot comrades. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2
Rumble was last seen a short while later, consuming the much-needed energon brought to Chaar by the Quintessons and voting in favor of accepting the aliens' offer of an alliance. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3
Japanese cartoon continuity
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic
In the late 1980s, working with Soundwave and his fellow Cassettes, Rumble attacked Bumblebee and the Autobot's human friend Kenji during their patrol of Tokyo. Powerglide swooped in to take Kenji to safety, and Bumblebee easily eluded the inept Rumble long enough to execute a Bumble Kick! against Soundwave. With his chest-port damaged, Soundwave was unable to hide Rumble and the other Cassettes when Ironhide and Cliffjumper arrived to back up Bumblebee. They ended up just bouncing off Soundwave's chest in cassette mode. Cliffjumper grabbed them and began tearing out their magnetic tape which, if you think about it, seems kinda horrific. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2
Rumble eventually recovered. In another scheme, the Decepticons tried to frame the Autobots for attacking Earth by giving the Stunticons fake sigils and sending them on a mayhem spree. Dressed in snazzy robes to hide their identities, Rumble and Frenzy then began fanning the flames by preaching openly against the Autobots in human cities. Their cover was blown, however, when Inferno and Hot Spot washed the fake insignia off the Decepticons. Rumble and Frenzy were zapped by Eject and Rewind, revealing their identities as well. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7
Full Throttle Scramble Power!
When Metroplex arrived to bust up the Decepticons' plan to terrorize the world with their Omega Whip cannon, Rumble (or Frenzy) was among the robots shown being scattered by the shockwaves created by the landing of the titantic Autobot. Full Throttle Scramble Power!
The Battle of the Star Gate
In the late 1990s, Starscream forged a clandestine alliance with the Prime Minister of Japan, promising that the country would be safe from attack by the Decepticons if they were allowed to freely and harmlessly collect energy within its borders, in secret from the rest of the world. Naturally, however, Starscream had no intention of actually honoring this agreement, and sent Rumble and Frenzy to the bottom of the sub-oceanic Japan Trench, where they used their piledrivers to stimulate the tectonic plates of the trench and cause small earthquakes throughout Japan. As Starscream predicted, the quakes supplied massive amounts of energy for the Decepticons to gather, but were perceived as natural occurrences by the populace. Megatron was not impressed by the scheme, however, suspecting the Autobots would soon realize the truth... and he was, of course, completely right. When Optimus Prime and a team of Autobots arrived to investigate and caught the Decepticons in the act, Megatron had Rumble and Frenzy kick things into overdrive, causing a catastrophic quake that devastated Tokyo and covered the Decepticons' escape. The quake was so powerful that it actually threatened to sink the entire island of Japan, but before that could come to pass, Hound confronted Rumble and Frenzy and overpowered them by confusing them with his holograms. Activation
The Headmasters cartoon
- Voice actor: Hirohiko Kakegawa (Japanese), Roberto Alexander (Latin American)
In the year 2011, when Soundwave was destroyed in battle with Blaster, Rumble and all the other cassettes gathered on Chaar to watch as the Decepticon Headmaster leader Scorponok used the super-technology of the planet Master to resurrect their master as Soundblaster. The cassette team then helped to defend Soundblaster when he was focused on using a sonic control to remotely direct the actions of the Decepticons' new Madmachine, but Blaster—now reborn as Twincast—was able to get past them and stop his rival. The Great Cassette Operation
Alongside Ravage, Ratbat and Buzzsaw, Rumble was able to sneak into the lower levels of the Autobot-controlled Cybertron, and enter Vector Sigma's chamber, where he observed that the computer was in the process of a developing a new alloy named cybertonuron. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1
Some time later, either Rumble or Frenzy was dispatched by Soundblaster to deal with Blaster's cassettes when the Autobot communicator came to Chaar to spy on the unveiling of Scorponok's transtector. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears
The arrival of Scorponok's new information officer, Counterpunch, put Soundblaster in a bad mood, as he had the ability to dredge up Autobot info that even Soundblaster and his expert team of spies could not. They had no idea, of course, that this was because Counterpunch was actually the undercover Autobot double agent Punch, but nonetheless, Rumble and the other tapes consoled their boss and promised to try harder. Return of the Immortal Emperor
While on the planets of Twin Star, Soundblaster deployed Rumble and Frenzy to search for the energy supposedly hidden somewhere on the planet. Battle for Defense of the False Planet Some time later, Rumble and the rest of Soundblaster's cassettes were seen standing guard outside the subterranean cavern on Master in which Scorponok was constructing his Zarak Shield. Operation: Destroy the Decepticons
The Headmasters comic
When the Decepticons were finally forced off Earth, Soundblaster and his cassettes stayed behind on the planet to gather information. After a run in with Chromedome, Soundblaster was hurled over the horizon by the Autobot Headmaster's "Master Chrome Hurricane-Throw to the End of Hell" attack. Rumble and Frenzy attempted to wake their boss up as Sixshot approached, warning him that he was going to get in trouble. The Headmasters #8
The Battle for Planet Earth
- Voice actor: Peter Marinker (English){{#if: |, {{{2}}}}}
Rumble was part of a team of Decepticons who tracked the Autobots to South America and battled atop Mount Sheelah until an eruption trapped the Decepticons in lava. Terror of Mount Sheelah After the Decepticons kidnapped a bunch of humans for use as slave labor, Rumble was happily shouting orders at them when Bumblebee scouted the base. Bumblebee to the Rescue He was also part of the Decepticon forces who went to invade Stanley Lake dam, and even threw the senior engineer in the lake. He and the other Decepticons were defeated by the Autobots using the dam itself. Menace at the Dam Rumble was also among the top-ranked Decepticons consulted by Megatron in an attempt to work out a way to defeat the Autobots, leading to an affair that ended with the destruction of the Decepticon base. Espionage!!!!!
Dreamwave Generation 1 comics
Rumble, under his commanding officer Soundwave, was one of the earliest recruits Megatron made for his Decepticon faction millions of years ago. Rumble and his brother Frenzy remained loyal to the primary Decepticon faction under Shockwave's command during the Dark Ages, and remained part of the Decepticon hierarchy after Megatron returned from Quintessa with his new Aerospace Extermination Squadron. The punk brothers were seen naming off Autobot casualties for the fun of it after the Age of Internment began. The Age of Wrath Pt.3
Four million years ago, Rumble was part of the crew of the Nemesis which crashed to Earth alongside the Autobots and the Ark. He was revived in 1984 along with the other Transformers for roughly a decade of renewed warfare, before the Autobots ultimately defeated the Decepticons and rendered them inoperative. Their triumphant return to Cybertron aboard the Ark II was sabotaged, however, and the Transformers were all believed destroyed in the resulting explosion. Instead, many of them were recovered by the mercenary named Lazarus, who made efforts to reprogram the Cybertronians into weapons for his disposal. Megatron managed to override Lazarus's control, though, and freed his fellow Decepticons. Prime Directive
Rumble stayed out of Decepticon politics during the Keepers' interaction with the Transformers on Earth. He chose to work with Starscream in Las Vegas after Megatron's disappearance, and even remained in Vegas after Megatron returned and splintered the Decepticon army, but otherwise did little of note. Annihilation
When Shockwave arrived from Cybertron, he managed to defeat Megatron and assume control of the Decepticons in the name of the greater Unified Cybertronian government. Rumble and Frenzy were placed in charge of guarding the deactivated Megatron on the flight back to Cybertron, but were tossed aside by Starscream so that he could jettison Megatron into space. New World Order Later, Shockwave commissioned them to create a distraction that would keep Ultra Magnus from fully realizing his plans, by unleashing the crazed Stunticons from a detention facility. Once again, Starscream intervened on their mission, retrieving five additional prisoners, the Combaticons, for his own purposes. Cold War
As Shockwave's government began to collapse around him, Starscream convinced his fellow comrades from Earth to follow him back to that planet and raid it for energon. Revelation However, his initial "battle plan" against the Autobots led to more than half his forces being captured, including Rumble and Frenzy. After the Autobots were forced into a deal with Starscream due to the threat of Sunstorm, Rumble and the other Decepticon captives were released, but charged to only 50% power. Black Sunshine At this point, Soundwave took steps to reunite the Decepticons with their true leader, Megatron, and shortly thereafter Megatron and the Predacons arrived on Earth and overthrew Starscream's command. The Route of All Evil
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
Rumble was one of the many Transformers recovered from the crashed Ark by Cobra. He was repaired and retrofitted by Doctor Mindbender, who proudly displayed him, Soundwave, and his fellow Mini-Cassettes to Destro. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2 Rumble was released by Soundwave, along with Laserbeak, Frenzy, Ratbat, and Ravage, during an attack on the SPS Center. Rumble evaded the first wave of G.I. Joe defenders and used his piledrivers to damage the target building. Scaling the building, he menaced Flash and Sci-Fi until Bumblebee punched his lights out and then threw a missile at him. He was then captured by G.I. Joe. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3
Apparently having escaped somehow, Rumble was later seen back on Cobra Island when Wheeljack undid Cobra's reprogramming of the Transformers. He happily chased some of his former captors, Destro and Zartan, across the island until the Baroness stepped on him with a S.N.A.K.E. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4
Transformers/G.I. Joe
Rumble was among the Decepticons who were accidentally awakened by Cobra in the late 1930s. Together, the Decepticons and Cobra conquered the Fera Islands, but came under attack from the Autobots and G.I. Joe. Rumble was among the soldiers sent to defend the Terrordrome, using his small stature to disguise himself as a human trooper. After making his way close to the enemy, he used his piledrivers to crack open the ground and bury the Autobot tanks. Trial by Fire While Rumble was busy taunting Optimus Prime for being friends with "meat", Scarlett jumped above him using Bumblebee and destroyed him by tossing a hand grenade in his face. Wolves
Transformers Legends anthology
Rumble was hanging out with Megatron when Soundwave stopped by with the news that Starscream was apparently getting cozy with the Autobots. Megatron sent Rumble to gather up the Decepticons in the base for an attack to retrieve their wayward comrade, however the attack party was later repelled by the Autobots. Redemption Center
IDW comics continuity
Rumble and Frenzy started out as "industrial equipment" at Mining Outpost C-12, until the Senate shut down the site in favor of automating the work involved. Once a furious Megatron kicked off a riot, Rumble and Frenzy joined in the fighting and were soon taken prisoner, destined for Penal Facility H-3. They managed to break free aboard their prison transport, however, and took control of it with Megatron's help. The renegade miners then fled to Kaon, where they got lost in the underground fighting tournaments that ran rampant throughout that city-state. Megatron Origin #1
As time passed, Megatron rose high in the ranks of the gladiators, and he brought up Rumble and Frenzy with him. Megatron Origin #2 And when Megatron's passions turned from arena combat to outright insurrection, so did theirs. When Megatron crafted his plan for infiltrating and destroying the Senate, Rumble and his brother underwent alterations so that they could hide inside Soundwave's chest compartment, although neither of them were particularly enthusiastic about it. Megatron Origin #3 Thanks to this subterfuge, the Senate was annihilated and the Security Services of Kaon split open from the inside. Rumble bore witness as Megatron personally beat down and humiliated the Autobot leader, Sentinel Prime. Megatron Origin #4
While on the run from a group of Autobots, Soundwave released Rumble to deal with Prowl and Ironhide, which he did by collapsing the Neurospan Bridge with his piledrivers, burying the two pursuers in rubble. The Hunt for Soundwave
Four million years ago, Rumble assisted Soundwave in defending an energon convoy from the Autobots. While fighting Optimus Prime, Soundwave ejected Rumble for Operation: Go For the Eyes!!!, but Ironhide intervened and knocked the junk-punk for a loop. The Iron Age
In modern times, Rumble was active on Earth where he helped defeat the local Autobot forces and exile them to Cybertron. All Hail Megatron #7 After this, he was involved in the Decepticon full-frontal offensive on the planet, and the conquest of New York City. After the siege was over, however, the lack of organized resistance left Rumble with little to do. He and Reflector took to the streets, blowing up stray abandoned vehicles that happened to remind him of certain people. All Hail Megatron #3
While on a patrol in New York City, he ran afoul of Cmdr. Spike Witwicky and three other survivors. Rumble went after Spike and nearly succeeded in knocking him off his motorcycle, but one of the survivors, Charles, seeking revenge for his son's death at the hands of Rumble, fired off a shot from a rocket launcher that hit Rumble point blank in the face, downing him instantly. Sensing something wrong, Soundwave found Rumble, picked up his damaged body, and went into a rage in which he lost control of his communications-blocking effect. All Hail Megatron #9 He was apparently repaired and sided with Starscream during his coup. All Hail Megatron #10 When the Autobots returned from their exile, Rumble fought against them alongside Shrapnel and Kickback. All Hail Megatron #11 However, Megatron was defeated, and the Decepticons were forced to flee the planet aboard Astrotrain. Along with Soundwave and the other cassettes, Rumble spent the trip looking after the severely injured Megatron. Uneasy Lies the Head
Two years later, Starscream's newfound leadership had only led to the Decepticons hiding on some distant, desolate asteroid, where energy was rare and violence was common. Rumble was seen fighting with Kickback over an unknown argument. All His Engines He later assisted Soundwave and Shockwave as they restored Megatron and used his old body to make Rumble-scaled replicas of his gun mode. Revenge of the Decepticons Part 2: Altered Carbon Also, he was now blue while Frenzy was red. Four months later, Rumble returned to Earth and attacked a Skywatch base alongside Soundwave and Frenzy, freeing several Decepticons held in Skywatch custody. Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man
Once the war finally ended, Rumble (or Frenzy) was amongst the Decepticons in Autobot captivity on Cybertron. The Autonomy Lesson
Games
Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' Minicar troops from the Decepticons, Rumble could hinder Optimus's progress, causing Prime to go in a section of the labyrinth-like Decepticon base he had not intended to venture in. Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game
The Transformers (Commodore 64)
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Transformers G1: Awakening
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Toys
Generation 1
- Ravage / Rumble (Cassette 2-pack, 1984/1985/1986)
- Accessories: Left & right "Thruster Guns"
- Rumble was part of the first wave of Transformers toys released in 1984. Originally a Micro Change Microcassette Robo Micross, he transforms into a microcassette that fits into the tape deck compartment of the original Soundwave and Blaster toys. In Hasbro markets, Rumble was only available in a two-pack with Ravage.
- The 1984 release of the toy has a foil Decepticon symbol decal on Rumble's robot-mode tummy. The 1985 release drops this decal in favor of a rubsign under the cassette-mode's tape-window. The 1986 release switches out his metal feet for plastic feet.
- Soundwave (Decepticon, 1985/1986)
- Japanese ID number: 17
- Accessories: Left & right "Thruster Guns"
- In Japan, Rumble was originally only available packaged with the much-more-accessory-laden-than-the-Hasbro-version Soundwave. All versions of this toy have a rubsign.
- Rumble (Cassettetron, 1987)
- Japanese ID number: D-102
- Accessories: Left & right "Thruster Guns", cassette case
- Rumble was finally released on his own in Japan during The Headmasters, in an individual box. Contrary to popular belief, the Cassettes released this way did not include extra tape cases.
- Great Cassette Operation Vol.3 (2009)
- Encore number: 19
- Accessories: Left & right "Thruster Guns"
- Rumble was reissued for the first time in over 20 years, along with Frenzy, Overkill and Laserbeak, as part of Takara's Encore line. This toy at the very least features several restored parts (including the head and weapons) if not an entirely new mold based off of the original version. This theory is supported by the copyright Tomy 2009 on the inside of the leg rather than the Hasbro or Takara copyrights, and the different look of the headsculpt. This version of Rumble does not feature any of the cassette mode stickers or those originally on his legs. Most of the cassette details are now painted instead (but not those that end up on his arms in robot mode). The lower leg details are painted as well (but not the upper legs - that detail remains absent). His faction symbols remain stickers.
Generation 2
- "Rumble" (Go-Bot,
1995)- Accessories: Rifle
- Part of the canceled fourth wave of Generation 2 Go-Bots, Rumble would have been a race car with a pizza-oriented sponsor ("Vinny's Pizza", possibly a reference to then-Hasbro employee Vincent D'Alleva) and an engine-oriented sponsor ("Jerry's Motors", possibly a reference to Hasbro employee Jerry Jivoin). He would have transformed into a modified Chevrolet Camaro with exposed engine block. He has through-axle construction to allow for super-fast rolling in car mode. Like his fellow "new"-mold teammates, his rifle stores under his car mode.
- Although he was never officially named in any known documents, his name is written on the front bumper. A very small handful of finished samples have made their way to the secondary market, where they demand some big bucks.
- This mold was redecoed into Robots in Disguise Side Swipe and Universe Silverstreak.
- Amusingly, he would have been both red and blue.
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Alternators
- Decepticon Rumble (Alternator, 2006)
- Alternator ID number: 24 (misprint, should be 25)
- Accessories: Left & right blasters
- For Alternators, "Decepticon Rumble" transforms into a 1:24-scale licensed 2006 Honda Civic Si, with opening doors, hood, etc. Additionally, instead of traditional hands, Rumble features spring-loaded piledrivers that release from his arms. Accessories include two back-mounted weapons, one of which doubles as his engine in car mode and the other which fits into his trunk.
- Originally intended for normal retail release in the US, he and wave-mate Ravage got relegated to being Wal-Mart exclusives, released in late March of 2007. It's been previously stated here that Alternators Rumble was released in Europe. This is not the case. He and Ravage are notable for being the first Decepticon Alternators to be entirely new molds, rather than an Autobot mold reworked to be someone else. They are also notable for being the final Alternators toys to be sold at retail.
- Rumble's seats are mis-assembled, keeping them from reclining completely in car mode. To fix this, unscrew each seat from the bottom of the car, swap them, and then rescrew.
Universe
- Rumble (Basic, 2006)
- Accessories: Blade, Cybertron-style Decepticon Cyber Key
- Available only in the customization class at BotCon 2006 (along with Inferno), Rumble is a redeco of Cybertron Scrapmetal (using the Cobybot alternate head), transforming into a four-legged "spider tank" with top-mounted cannon. Inserting a Cyber Planet Key into the back end of the cannon swings a removable clear-plastic sawblade-sword from the main chamber of the cannon. In robot mode, the fists can be covered with the tank-mode spikes, or a "pile driver".
- Both Rumble and Inferno were only available as unpainted, unassembled parts still connected to their sprues. The individuals taking the class had to assemble and paint the toy. The following Testors paint colors were used: Burnished Gold, British Gulf Armor, British Crimson, Magical Blue, Armored Steel, Flat Black, Camouflauge Gray, and Medium Gray.
Attacktix
- Rumble
- The Attacktix Rumble playing piece was never released due to the cancellation of the Attacktix line. A prototype was seen (along with other unreleased Transformers and Star Wars Attacktix playing pieces at the Celebration IV Star Wars convention. Rumble was to be a Trooper-type piece worth 20 points, and would've utilized melee attacks using his piledrivers.
- Unhelpfully for the FIRRIB argument, Attacktix Rumble was blue.
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Music Label
- Frenzy & Rumble Playing Earphones (2007)
- Released as part of TakaraTomy's Music Label toyline, Rumble and Frenzy share a fairly simplistic transformation from robots to white, circular, working earphones. Although sold separately, they were designed to go well with the Music Label Soundwave MP3 player.
Transformers (2010)
- Demolition Rumble (Scout, 2011)
- Accessories: Two guns
- Rendered, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, in the blue color scheme of Rumble's Generation 1 cartoon appearances (and the original Frenzy toy, the 1986 release gold weapon variant, specifically), Transformers: Reveal the Shield "Demolition Rumble" transforms into a dual-cannon anti-aircraft vehicle. In robot mode, his arms can transform into spring-loaded versions of the character's familiar pile-driver weapons, and his two C joint guns can be attached to bars on either his arms or back. As part of the Reveal the Shield subline imprint, Rumble features a heat-sensitive rubsign on his main turret.
- "Demolition Rumble" was intended to be released as part of the fifth Scout Class wave of the 2010 Transformers toy line together with Downshift and Bodyblock, but fell victim to the line's discontinuation by all major US retailers in favor of the then-upcoming Dark of the Moon line. Unlike the previous wave, which was released in other markets and eventually showed up at US discount stores, the Rumble/Downshift/Bodyblock wave remains unreleased.
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United
- Rumble & Frenzy (multi-pack, 2011)
- Japanese ID number: UN-20
- Accessories: Two guns
- United Rumble is a redeco of Transformers Rumble in his red and black colors, since United is a Japanese toyline, and Rumble was always red there. He was only available in a two-pack with Frenzy, who uses the same mold.
- United Rumble was released before his Hasbro counterpart was even announced.
Merchandise
Robot Heroes
- Arcee vs. Decepticon Rumble
- Robot Heroes Rumble is a soft-plastic figurine sculpted in a super deformed style and with his piledrivers deployed. He has swivel joints in his shoulders and neck, and came in a two-pack with Arcee.
Transformers - Wall Plaque
- Soundwave (Diamond Select, 2006)
- Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2006, Soundwave was sculpted by Art Asylum and limited to 1,000 pieces. He is seen emerging from the space bridge with Rumble, Laserbeak, and Ravage in tow.
Transformers - Mini Bust
- Rumble (Diamond Select, 2009)
- Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Rumble was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 1000 pieces. He is painted in a
accurateblue scheme matching his colors in the Generation 1 cartoon. Ratbat is seen blazing over his shoulder and decoed in a deeper purple then he is usually depicted in. Rumble is sculpted using his piledrivers and his base has the aftereffects of an earthquake on the left side. A representation of his tape mode is also present on the front of his base.
Notes
- On the Generation 1 TV series, Rumble was represented with the colors of Frenzy's toy—that is, dark and medium blue, rather than black and red (and vice-versa). This led to some confusion (and later, controversy) amongst fans. (See FIRRIB.)
- The Rumble/Frenzy head design was used as the basis for the head of Freezon, the Decepticon Tyco Electric Racing Set car.
- In later years, toys sporting the name "Rumble" required an additional "Decepticon" prefix for trademark reasons, hence making the official name "Decepticon Rumble".
- Rumble's Alternators figure was revealed at the UK's Toy Fair. Rather than the figure itself, it was surprisingly an image of concept art for a design that was ultimately never used. Ironically neither version came out in the country where he was first revealed.
Foreign names
- Cantonese: Lui-Heung (雷響)
- Japanese: Rumble (ランブル Ranburu)
- Hungarian: Görgető ("Trundler")
- Italian: Tremor
- Mandarin: Rambo (Taiwan, 蘭波, Lán Pō), Hong Long Long (China, 轟隆隆，rumbling sound onomatopoeia)
- Portuguese: Trovão (Portugal comics, "Thunder"), Estrondo (Brazil comics, "Bang")
- Russian: Gromila (Громила "Thug")
- Ukrainian: Gurkotilo (Гуркотило, "Rumbler")
External links
- Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Unreleased toys
- Pages with broken file links
- Unreleased Attacktix
- Alternators Decepticons
- Attacktix
- Customization class toys
- Generation 1 Decepticons
- Generation 2 Decepticons
- Mini-Cassettes
- Music Label
- Robot Heroes
- The Headmasters Decepticons
- United Decepticons
- Universe Decepticons
- Universe (2008)