Dirge (G1)
| The name or term "Dirge" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Dirge (disambiguation). |
- Dirge is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Dirge is a master of using fear as a weapon. Mournful, morose, and silent, his behavior gives even close comrades like Ramjet the creeps. Dirge actively cultivates this atmosphere; his engines are even tuned to generate fear in all who hear them. Few realize, however, that this need to instill fear is part of an overwhelming need for control over his own situation. Should things spiral out of control, Dirge falls victim to paralyzing fear himself and his usefulness as a warrior vanishes.
True to his name, he tends to die a lot.
- French-Canadian name: Funébro
- Italian name: Sparviero
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Dirge was on Cybertron serving under Straxus when contact was first made with the long-lost Earthbound Decepticons. The Smelting Pool! After Straxus's death, Dirge and his fellow "coneheads" were the second team of Decepticons to travel to Earth via the space bridge. Aerialbots over America! Megatron had instructed that their jet modes be altered to resemble "Terran craft" which had previously been seen in a Blackrock aerospace plant under Shockwave's control. Brainstorm!
Their mission was to defend a giant drill that would bore through Hoover Dam and siphon the Colorado River through the space bridge to the waterless Cybertron, where Decepticon turbines would generate "enough energy to power Cybertron for years." But just as the drill began its work, the Aerialbots intervened. Dirge found his fear-inducing ability was particularly effective against the acrophobic Silverbolt, but the other Decepticons fared poorly enough that a retreat was eventually called.
When the Decepticons later allied with Cobra, Dirge was assigned to be an emissary among the humans. Ashes, Ashes... This would be unfortunate for the luckless Seeker. When Serpentor realized the Decepticons were going to destroy the Earth, he needed a token of conciliation to show the Autobots. So in the middle of a battle against Omega Supreme, Serpentor goaded Dirge into attacking the giant with everything he had. Serpentor then pressed a button in the cockpit of his own jet, "jamming" Dirge's "frequencies," which caused the Seeker's weapons to lock up and explode when he tried to fire.
The explosion tore Dirge apart, and he wouldn't be seen again for years.
Generation 2
Dirge reappeared among the Decepticon forces just long enough to sacrifice himself futilely against the Swarm, self-destructing alongside Nightbeat. Moments later, Megatron showed up with the rheanimum that could have saved him.
Timelines Classics
While the war seemingly ended with Bludgeon's defeat at Klo, Megatron was quietly gathering the remains of forgotten Earthbound casualties and rebuilding them. Dirge was among his resurrections, but the Seeker chose to follow the exiled Bludgeon instead.[1] This would prove an unfortunate choice, as Dirge soon ended up in the cerebro-shelled thrall of Bug Bite.
When Bug Bite decided to try and subvert Megatron himself, Dirge was on the team accompanying him to Earth. Games of Deception As Bug Bite and Megatron confronted each other, the Autobots ambushed them, freeing many of Bug Bite's troops with a cerebro-shell jammer. It's unclear whether Dirge's shell was disabled, but the point is somewhat moot; Grimlock shot him in the chest, leaving him lying on the floor with extinguished optics.
Animated continuity
- Voice actor: Bud Davis (US), Keiichi Nanba (Japan)
Dirge appeared without explanation on Earth under Megatron's command a year or two after the Ark-borne Transformers awoke. His first notable activity was joining in a raid on Dinobot Island, where he was eventually chewed on and thrown bodily by one of the time-lost dinosaurs. Dinobot Island, Part 2
Megatron said Dirge and the other two coneheads were "supposed to be the most powerful jets in the galaxy." The Girl Who Loved Powerglide But if Megatron was serious, then they certainly didn't do much to live up to that reputation. They were loyal enough troopers, participating in all the usual Decepticon mischief, but not much more than that. Dirge was once ordered to transport Megatron's latest ultimate weapon to their home base, and ended up crashing in a swamp and temporarily deactivating due to its weight, prompting the other coneheads to save him. Hoist Goes Hollywood
Dirge's first apparent death was during Unicron's attack on Cybertron in 2005. All three coneheads (or Seekers who looked like them) were seen flying into Unicron's mouth and exploding. The Transformers: The Movie (1986) However, Dirge soon turned up again in Carbombya, hiding with Ramjet amongst President Fakkadi's air force. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 Fakkadi denied their presence to the Autobots, but Outback psyched the two Decepticons out by walking around the airfield with what he claimed was a "Decepticon detector." When the coneheads tried to escape, Outback used a smoke grenade to make them crash, then tore the location of Chaar out of them with his steely gaze.
The two hapless Decepticons somehow escaped Autobot captivity, though, because they later participated in a full-scale assault on Cybertron. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5 They chose to strafe Ultra Magnus, who dispatched them both with well-timed punches that sent them careening into buildings. They exploded quite utterly (even Ramjet, who you'd think would be used to it).
And yet they later appeared again on Chaar, failing to defend Trypticon against the ghost of Starscream. Ghost in the Machine In fact, Galvatron tried to execute the coneheads and the Battlechargers for their inability to stop the wraith. But they were saved when Starscream possessed Trypticon himself and launched into space, Dirge and the others onboard. When they saw that Starscream was using Trypticon to connect Unicron's head to Cybertron, they sabotaged the dinosaur from within. It's unknown whether that got them back in Galvatron's good graces; this was their last appearance.
Find Your Fate Junior
Desert Flight This is a multipath adventure with no one fixed outcome.
Dirge is the Decepticon defending the anti-gravity base, striking fear in the Autobots. In one outcome, he succeeds in destroying Optimus Prime, only to be destroyed himself by the Autobot leader's final shot. In the end, Prime' sacrifice spurs the Autobots to fight on to victory! Some days, you just can't win.
Dirge is the most overpowering Decepticon in this story, but he can be defeated by a surprise attack. Alternately, if both Ramjet and Thrust are defeated, Dirge will retreat.
Dreamwave comics continuity
Dirge participated in Shockwave's offensive against Iacon shortly after Optronix took the Matrix. During the Dark Ages, he joined up with Starscream's Predacon faction, and attempted to disrupt the peace treaty at Tyger Pax...only to have the combined forces of the Autobots, Decepticons, and Ultracons brought against him. Guess death comes to he who has no common sense.
After the Great Shutdown was over, Dirge became one of Shockwave's top agents, and traveled to Earth to help collect the former crews of the Ark and Nemesis. Back on Cybertron, he helped defend Shockwave's empire when the Autobots finally rose up against him, but was defeated along with the rest of the Decepticons. Somehow he escaped detention, and joined up with Shockwave and his remaining flunkies in the wastelands, hidden in an underground bunker while planning their next move. When Megatron arrived with his new Predacons, though, Dirge quickly assessed his priorities and agreed to serve under the old Decepticon commander for the duration. The Route of All Evil
Had Dreamwave comics continued, he probably would have ended up dying here too.
Dreamwave Armada comics
An alternate version of Dirge appeared briefly as one of Unicron's heralds, along with Scourge, Bludgeon, Thunderwing, and Galvatron. He was blown up when Jetfire detonated the Decepticon headquarters that they had taken over.
Toys
Generation 1
- Dirge( Decepticon Jet, 1985/2001/2004)
- Japanese ID number: 97
- Accessories: Left & right fists, front landing gear, 2 "concussion missiles"
- A retool of the Starscream mold, Dirge transforms into a modified F-15 fighter jet with different wings. The spring-loaded missile launchers were replaced with simplified non-firing... rifle barrels?
- Dirge never had a full release in Japan, where he was only available as a mail-away in 1986 (for 1980 yen and 4 robot points), and at the 20th Century Toy Museum in 2001. He was also re-released in the US as part of the Toys "R" Us Commemorative Series.
- This mold was also used to make Ramjet, Skywarp, Sunstorm, Thrust, and Thundercracker.
Timelines
- Games of Deception (Multi-pack, 2007)
- Accessories: Left & right missile launchers, 2 missiles
- Dirge is part of the Classics-themed BotCon 2007 box set, along with Bugbite, Dreadwind, Thrust and Thundercracker. He is a redeco of the Classics Ramjet toy, transforming into a made up fighter based upon the F-15. He also comes with two spring-loaded missile launchers that can mount on his biceps, under his wings, or be used as hand-held weapons.
- As with most Classics toys, he features a heat-sensitive rubsign.
- There were 1500 Classics Dirge figures produced.
Merchandise
- Dirge (SCF/Heroes of Cybertron)
- Dirge (Myclone)
Trivia
- Simon Furman originally planned for Dirge and the other "coneheads" to appear and defend the Nemesis in the conclusion to Beast Wars, but this plot point was dropped due to time and budget constraints. Furman was so disappointed at his missed chance to use Dirge (whom he appreciated because he has a "...a cool doom-laden name"), that he chose the character to be one of Unicron's heralds in the Armada comic's "Worlds Collide" arc.
- The day after final colors were applied to the Timelines comic where Dirge apparently falls dead, colorist Drew Eiden found this article and noted to editor Pete Sinclair how ironic it was. Whether the comic was actually intended to continue Dirge's death-trend is unknown. (This was revealed by Eiden during the Collector's Club panel at BotCon 2007.)
Footnotes
- ↑ Classics Thundercracker's bio card
