Kup (G1)
| The name or term "Kup" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Kup (disambiguation). |
This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.
- Kup is an Autobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Kup is a tough old coot. He's almost as old as rust, in fact, and he was plinking Decepticons and Ick-Yaks with acid bursts from his trusty musket laser long before most of you turbo-revvin' young punks were born. In his day, lasers didn't need to use light; they did whatever they were told to do. And liked it.
He's probably had a thousand adventures, Kup has, and he'll be glad to relate a story of any one of them at any time to a willing audience. The Dinobots love Kup's war stories, lapping them up like cheap energon, and don't seem to mind when he inadvertently leaves a piece out or changes the story between retellings. Old memory chips'll do that to you. Other Autobots can be less patient, and Kup finds this disrespectful and irritating. If there's one thing Kup dislikes, it's when young punks don't respect their elders. If they'd only listen, they might learn something. Hot Rod is one of the worst offenders in this way, but he's a good lad-bot, and Kup will straighten him out sooner or later, even if it takes a tank of Sharkticons.
Occasionally, Kup's vast experience gets in his way. When a situation doesn't remind him of anything, he has trouble figuring out what to do. This doesn't happen very often though.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Marvel Comics continuity
Toy pack-in material
Kup attended an emergency meeting led by Ultra Magnus after the Creation Matrix was stolen. Soon, First Aid announced his project to confuse the Decepticons using decoys. While the decoys attacked Decepticon headquarters, Kup, Ultra Magnus, Hot Rod, and Blurr snuck inside their base to steal back the Matrix. Start Your Own Decoy Collection
Ladybird Books continuity
As a young Autobot, Kup participated in many battles against the Decepticons on Earth. One particularly great battle ended up with many casualties on both sides—casualties whose bodies were simply left in the valley where they died. Many years later, when the Autobots were running out of cybernite for their repair jobs, Kup recalled this event and suggested that they loot the old bodies for the precious metal. Ultra Magnus approved, and let Kup lead Wheeljack, Grapple, Hoist and Spike to the valley. On the way, Kup mistook the aurora borealis for a Decepticon attack.
Upon arrival at the valley, Kup spent some time reminiscing about the past, until Grapple told him that they had a mission to complete. However, before the group could find anything of use, they came under attack by a number of Decepticon jets and were forced to retreat. Returning to base, they wondered how the Decepticons had found them so easily, and it was eventually revealed that the Decepticons had constructed a space station from which to spy at the Autobots' activities. While the Autobots were incapable of attacking targets in space, Kup remembered the Battle of the Green Asteroid, during which the Autobots had lured the enemy closer by using false signals. He also recalled Spike telling him that auroras scramble radio signals, and had Wheeljack and Huffer construct an artificial aurora machine to mess up the Decepticons' communications. Galvatron's Air Attack
"Yo."
Eventually, Kup found himself stationed at Nebulos, where the Decepticons were collecting energy via a "tetrahedron" at the planet's north pole. Alongside Blurr and Sureshot, he was part of Brainstorm's "Operation Heatwave", which consisted of using high-temperature lasers to melt the ice below Scorponok and the energy-collecting facility. Decepticons at the Pole Some time later, the Autobots started running out of lubricants, leading to Kup's joints creaking something fierce, so naturally he was overjoyed when the Autobots found a legendary Nebulan oil lake. However, as soon as they started pumping the oil back to base, the Decepticons destroyed their oil pipe, so Kup, his Targetmaster partner Recoil and Highbrow were forced to do a quick repair job. A second Decepticon attack soon followed, so the three fled into the Nebulan desert... only for Kup to get stuck to a rock when the area turned out to be magnetic. Crosshairs soon saved him by neutralizing the magnetic field with an impact from his grenade launcher. Autobots Strike Oil
Highbrow later got kidnapped by the Decepticons and held ransom in exchange for Optimus Prime himself. When Prime decided to perform a rescue operation, Kup offered to come with him, but the Autobot leader had a different plan. Autobot Hostage After a few peaceful weeks with the Decepticons nowhere to be found, Prime got suspicious and ordered Kup to organize long-range patrols to find out what they were up to. The patrols scoured the entire planet except for the Nebulos Triangle, as Kup explained that nobody had ever entered that area and returned. Decepticons Underground
Big Looker Storybook continuity
Kup and Hot Rod traveled to the coliseum to check out a robot car the humans had built that could respond to voice commands. They heard about it on their car radios! But when they arrived at the coliseum, Kup spotted Decepticons flying about. As some entered the back door, Kup shooed Hot Rod away, telling him to warn the others. If Hot Rod stayed, he would just get into trouble! Sneaking around inside, he eventually made his way up to the control room, where Galvatron and the other Decepticons were rigging the lighting. They were planning on stealing the robot car! Kup decided to leave and tell the others, but he was spotted by Starscream. The evil Decepticons tied up Kup so that he wouldn't interfere.
As a parade of cars entered the coliseum and the crowds cheered, Kup worried about the safety of the humans. If only he could warn them. Kup got his chance when Galvatron ran towards the controls, telling Frenzy to pull the switch. Kup tripped Galvatron, and Galvatron came tumbling through the glass and onto the coliseum floor! For a short while, there was a stalemate; the Decepticons had Kup captive, but the Autobots had Galvatron! Thankfully, Hot Rod snuck up behind Kup and freed him. Yelling "Geronimo!" they jumped from the control room onto the coliseum floor, taking the Decepticons by surprise. Galvatron and the others escaped, but Kup and Hot Rod agreed that they'd be ready for him when he returned. Car Show Blow Up
Later, Kup, led Hot Rod, Arcee, and the Dinobots on a special mission to take supplies from Earth to a space station on Cybertron's second moon. Despite Kup's warnings, the Dinobots loaded too many supplies onto the ship, and in the middle of their journey, the ship began to have problems. Kup tried everything, but the ship was going down! It crashed on a planet, but everyone landed safely. Unfortunately, Kup recognized the place. It was the planet Quintesson! They were interrupted by a tribal scream and a flurry of firestones. However, the boy who made his presence known was not aiming at them, but at the Quintessons behind them. The boy's name was Wheelie, and he had been abandoned on the planet when his ship crashed their earlier.
Wheelie led them through the jungle, battling Quintessons along the way, until they reached Wheelie's crashed ship. Hot Rod was able to fix it, and everyone left the planet Quintesson, Wheelie included! The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson
The Transformers in 3-D
Kup is so old, he fought the Destructons the first time, and helped defeat them.
Eons later, he was part of Ultra Magnus's team searching for Metascan Alpha, a quest that took them to a desolate moon. While Kup was checking out some marks on the ground that he recognised, the team was attacked by Cyclonus and the Terrorcons. Magnus insisted they ignore the Decepticons and continue with their quest, which took them down to the planet below.
Kup quickly identified the Destructons attacking the city they had found. Psychokhan recognised him too, threatening to dispatch the Autobot with his Psychospear. The Destructons proved too powerful for the Autobots to handle, and they began a retreat back to Sky Lynx. Kup knew that they'd never make it, so he stayed behind to hold the four Destructons off while the others escaped.
He probably died. The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3
Dreamwave Generation 1 comics
Millions of years ago on Cybertron, shortly after the assassination of Sentinel Prime, Kup was part of an Autobot unit under Grimlock's command which battled for possession of Altihex. Kup and the other Autobots were forced to abandon the City-State as it collapsed, leaving it to the Decepticons. The War Within #1
After a new Prime was coronated, a young archivist named Optimus Prime, the Decepticons led a full siege on the Autobot headquarters of Iacon. As per Grimlock's orders, Kup met with him, Ironhide, and Wheeljack just outside Iacon on the Tri-Torus Loop, where Kup was shocked to hear Grimlock announce his plan to leave Iacon to the Decepticons. Instead, Grimlock led them deep within the planet, where the new Prime was battling Megatron for his life, even though Grimlock had huge doubts over whether Optimus Prime was worth saving. The War Within #4 Kup confronted Grimlock about his apathy, and asked him if he had ever respected anyone. When Kup got too personal, Grimlock shoved him into a wall. While looking for Prime, however, the Autobots stumbled onto Megatron's real plan. They found a system of planetary engines that Megatron had ordered the Constructicons to restore. While Grimlock went on ahead, determined to find Optimus Prime, Kup and the others stayed behind to sabotage the Constructicons' work. The War within #5 The Decepticons detected their presence, and so Kup and the others fought a very one-sided battle against them. All hope seemed lost until Grimlock returned... with a very impressive Optimus Prime, who ordered Kup and Ironhide to help him cover Wheeljack's sabotage of the engines.
The engines were destroyed, but Kup and the others were distraught to see the smoking crater where Iacon used to be. Optimus Prime, who was quickly stepping into the role, refused to leave Cybertron, and instead implored Kup and the others to follow him underground, where they would continue to wage their war against the Decepticons. The War Within #6
Later, when Optimus Prime and Megatron disappeared in a prototype space bridge accident, the Autobot faction splintered, and Kup joined Grimlock's Lightning Strike Coalition. While on the Moon Alpha Spaceport, Kup waxed on about the alleged cosmic destiny of the Transformers and how it contrasted with the stagnation of their race. Grimlock was annoyed with this introspection and urged him to get back to work. The Lightning Strike Coalition was able to thwart Starscream's Predacons from keeping their stolen Energon and made a quick retreat with the goods. Fragmentation
3.9 million years ago, due to a catastrophically low level of Energon, every Transformer on Earth ground to a halt in the Great Shutdown. Kup was in the middle of a fight with Thrust when this occurred, and the two were frozen in a grappling pose for millions of years. Three thousand years ago, Shockwave awoke from this state and began rehabilitating the rest of the population. He eschewed the Decepticon/Autobot factions and promised a new unified Cybertron. Revelation
However, Kup and a handful of others believed Shockwave had evil motives for this and formed an underground resistance movement deep within the Wastelands. Things came to a head with the return of Optimus Prime to Cybertron, who had been on Earth for four million years. After disciplining Hot Rod for being an impetuous young punk, Kup explained their situation to Optimus Prime and introduced him to the rest of their members. More of Optimus Prime's comrades from Earth were brought into the resistance, including Kup's old friend Ironhide, and the two shared a heartfelt reunion. Passive Aggression
Kup and the others planned an all-out strike against Shockwave's stronghold in Iacon. While Kup, Arcee, and Prowl were trapped behind a rampaging Omega Sentinel, the three witnessed a strange beam emit from the top of Shockwave's stronghold and fire into space. Countdown to Extinction Shockwave was defeated, but Optimus Prime was severely damaged, and Kup and the others were forced to persist without his leadership while he recovered. Generation 1 #0 As Kup looked on, Prowl tried to reassure the Autobots with a speech from Iacon's Central Hall, but Prowl wasn't terribly good at speeches and so Ultra Magnus filled in. Though Prowl and the other Earthbound Autobots had finally returned home, things just weren't the same. Kup suggested Prowl and the others stop fighting the changes and just accept that they'd happened. This prompted Prowl to consider a return to Earth. Skyfire
Kup and Hot Rod sparred within a computer-simulated portrayal of Earth. Hot Rod managed to win over his older and wiser opponent, but only in the most reckless way possible, a fact which Kup was unable to impart on the youngster. Lost and Found Ultra Magnus decided to split the Autobots into teams to better defend Cybertron, and Kup was assigned to Moon Base One along with the Dinobots. Kup did not find this thrilling. The Route of All Evil
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
Kup was part of a team of Autobots led by Hot Rod who were eager for revenge against the new Decepticon leader, Serpent O.R., but couldn't attack him since he was holding several Autobots and G.I. Joes hostage. The Art of War #4 As soon as the hostages were freed, Kup's group teamed up with the rest of G.I. Joe and defeated the Decepticon army. The Art of War #5
IDW Generation 1 comics
Kup was extremely old. In years past, he'd trained dozens of Autobots, including Prowl, Springer, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Hot Rod, and even Optimus Prime. Spotlight: Kup During the early years of the war after the assassination of Sentinel Prime, Kup was either leading or part of a squad sent to rescue Zeta Prime when they crossed paths with the famous former racer, Blurr. Kup was skeptical of Blurr's usefulness, but some words from a young Optimus were able to convince Blurr to alert Zeta Prime of the Decepticons' assassination attempt. Spotlight: Blurr Eventually, Zeta was revealed to be kind of a ruthless dictator, so Kup and his comrades turned on him and helped the rebellious Optimus (aka Orion Pax) and the Decepticons overthrow him. Kup assisted by teaching the other combatants about the weak spots on Zeta's giant Omega Destructors. Overthrown
Once Zeta was dead, the Decepticons betrayed the Autobots and Kup was imprisoned, but he and some other captives escaped before too long. The Autobots sought out Orion Pax in Nyon, where they were shocked to learn that he had acquired the Matrix of Leadership and risen to become Optimus Prime. Rise Alongside many other Autobots, Kup rallied behind the new Prime, returned to Iacon and chased off the Decepticons. Endgame
After Optimus Prime became the proper leader of an organized Autobot army, Kup served as a key aide and introduced him to his troops. Old Ways Years later, Kup was present at a victory celebration after the Autobots dealt a major blow to the Decepticon war effort. He encouraged Optimus Prime to say something to the troops, but Optimus was still uncomfortable with the role of public speaking. The Iron Age
Shortly after Thunderwing's first apocalyptic assault, the besieged Autobots prepared for the big push against their positions by the Decepticons. Kup was in a trench alongside Broadside, Huffer, and the injured Getaway, waiting for Blaster's morale-boosting broadcast to the Autobot forces, a transmission that never came. Spotlight: Blaster
Kup was part of a battle on Caldoon 4 when suddenly he and dozens of others were under attack by Overlord, one of Megatron's most formidable generals. After dispatching several of Kup's buddies and tossing Kup himself away, Overlord left them to attend a meeting that Megatron had called within the Decepticon battle camp. But Overlord wasn't gone for long. He returned to Kup's men and began what he'd started. Just before Kup was about to be finished, Overlord lifted his limp and battered body to his face and uttered, "Tell Megatron I've chosen Option 2." And, strangely, the Decepticon left the planet, sparing Kup's life. Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2
Kup was later part of the 113th Battalion where the phase sixer Black Shadow fought against the 113th Battalion, singlehandedly defeating Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus and killing 3,003 others. Rules of Disengagement
At some point after Cybertron was abandoned, Kup and Outback crash-landed on a mysterious planet covered with radioactive crystals. Over time, Kup was slowly driven insane from the radiation. He talked to the dead corpse of Outback as though he were still alive (and used his disembodied arm as a club) and believed that zombies were attacking him when he shut down for the night. In reality, these zombies were fellow Autobots sent to rescue him, and Kup killed several of them before Springer managed to get a specialist in to extract the aging Autobot. Unfortunately, due to the damage Kup sustained from the radiation, his incompatibility with modern Transformers tech due to his age and stubborn unwillingness to upgrade, and a near-meltdown of his spark, he was placed on life support upon arriving aboard Ark-17, and it was unknown if he would ever recover, physically or mentally. Spotlight: Kup
Springer eventually reported to Optimus Prime that Kup's physical injuries had been repaired, but the state of his mind was still in question. Spotlight: Optimus Prime
Kup finally returned to service when Perceptor and the scientists at the Kimia Facility built a new body for Kup—one that was better and stronger and based on the Pretender technology acquired from Jetfire. He was mostly healed of his madness and given a cy-gar with a synthesized version of the crystals' radiation to keep him sane. He also had some programming routines installed via Prowl to help lead the Autobots into winning the war: now he could be made to give the advice Prowl gave, which the strategist knew would be listened to if it came out of the mouth of such a charismatic figure. Everything in Its Right Place
Perceptor insisted on following Kup on his first few missions, hoping to spot any technical problems. Unfortunately, while Kup and the Wreckers were attempting to free Autobot prisoners from a docked Decepticon warship, Perceptor was caught in the crossfire. Kup found aid in a mysterious unaffiliated robot who had similar purposes. Kup quickly deduced that this Drift used to be a Decepticon named Deadlock. When Drift helped Kup blow the ship up and save Perceptor's life, Kup decided Drift was deserving of a second chance. Kup disbanded the Wreckers, formed a new unit, and asked Drift to join. Spotlight: Drift
Kup's unit, a hand-picked crew composed of heavy hitters, such as two former Wreckers and Drift, were operating from the battlecruiser Trion when a major Decepticon offensive caused Autobot communications to black out. Though initially confused by Perceptor's sudden decision to become a warrior instead of a scientist, Kup became proud of him after he single-handedly saved the entire team from Monstructor. Lost & Found In pursuit of the Decepticons' ship, Kup's team were baited into an ambush above Cybertron, where the ship was shot down and forced to crash-land on the assumed uninhabitable world. Banding together to survive, they eventually encountered Optimus Prime's unit, only to find him incapacitated, the Matrix having been seized by Megatron. Although Kup was at first dismissive of Jazz, who had stepped into a command position in the void left by Prime, he quickly learned to appreciate Jazz's steady, capable hand. All Hail Megatron #5
As Jazz and Kup stood on a balcony, Kup spoke of how the Autobots were betrayed by an outsider, someone who knew their codes. Autobot computer systems were shut down across the galaxy, and as shields and defenses were remotely shut down, countless Autobots died. It was a massacre. Kup decided to merge his unit with Jazz's, making Jazz his second-in-command. He also donated all his group's energon towards fixing Prime. Without Prime, they had no chance to rally their troops together as a cohesive unit. But a more immediate concern made itself known—the Insecticon swarm. Kup ordered everything packed up and ready to move. All Hail Megatron #6 And so they did. Jazz told Kup how the Autobots were defeated on Earth, how Prime was destroyed and the Matrix stolen, and spoke of a traitor among their ranks. Kup continued to be worried about a decline in morale. All Hail Megatron #7
And he was right to be worried. Ironhide assaulted Mirage, who he believed to be the traitor. Kup took Ironhide aside and berated him for his conduct. Before their chat could be resolved, the Swarm found them. Kup gathered up the Autobots and began to take them to a previously-agreed-on location across a lone bridge, where Perceptor would fire a shot that would detonate the bridge, separating them from the Swarm. Unfortunately, Perceptor was injured in the evacuation, and Kup had no plan B. Sunstreaker, who revealed he was the traitor, redeemed himself by blowing up the bridge and presumably himself. All Hail Megatron #8
Kup pushed Ratchet to finish the repairs on Prime, but Ratchet explained that it wouldn't be easy. Prime could die in the process. Despite all odds, Prime survived the operation and was able to boost the Autobots' morale, much to Kup's satisfaction. All Hail Megatron #9 But before long, the Swarm was upon them, having found a second bridge. Kup and the other Autobots, even with Optimus Prime beside them, faced insurmountable odds. Only the surprise arrival of Omega Supreme turned the tide. Optimus Prime ordered Kup and the others on board Omega Supreme, with designs to leave Cybertron and return to Earth. All Hail Megatron #10
"Who you callin' old-timer, punk?"
Upon arrival at Earth, Kup joined the others in a massive attack on the Decepticons. He lent Sideswipe a hand against Bombshell, then was snatched off the ground by Skywarp. Not caring for the Decepticon's cracks about his sanity and his age, Kup shot Skywarp in the gut, forcing the Seeker to drop him into the water. He resurfaced near a US military group currently under attack from Dropshot. Kup was able to get the drop (ha!) on the Decepticon and defeat him. In the aftermath of the Autobots' victory, Kup and Colonel Witwicky shared a moment of rest atop Dropshot's remains. When the human asked Kup about his cigar, Kup responded "What's a cigar?" All Hail Megatron #12
Following the war on Earth, Kup returned to space with Springer and Perceptor to renew associations with the Wreckers. Kup stepped down as commanding officer at this point, allowing his protege Springer to retake his leadership position. After re-inducting the Jumpstarters and a quartet of new recruits, their first chronicled mission was to make contact with Garrus-9. Hitching transport with Ultra Magnus, their mission began with an encounter in the void of space with Impactor, the Wreckers' founder and former prisoner at Garrus-9. Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 As the Wreckers planned for their assault on Garrus-9, Kup regaled them with stories about what a stone cold freak Overlord was. Very comforting. Last Stand of the Wreckers #2
After their crash-landing on Garrus-9, Kup and Springer's team was separated from Perceptor's unit, leaving their forces divided. With the sum total of the Decepticon prisoners bearing down on them, Springer ordered Kup and Guzzle to seek out some heavy-duty reinforcements: Grimlock. Last Stand of the Wreckers #3 When they arrived at his cell, however, they discovered the Dynobot commander was already gone. Impactor's Predator contact, Snare, met up with Kup and Guzzle at this point, and led them to where Springer and Impactor were being tortured by Overlord's protege, Stalker. They rescued the Wreckers' leaders, only to come face-to-face with Overlord himself. Last Stand of the Wreckers #4
Overlord bashed Kup in the head with the torn-in-two pieces of Guzzle and knocked him out, but the old codger survived the battle and helped tend to the wounds of Springer. Last Stand of the Wreckers #5 Sadly, despite the best efforts of medics, the Wrecker leader was left in a coma. After transferring Springer to Debris where Roadbuster could take care of him, Kup asked his old psychiatrist friend Rung for advice on how to wake him up. Zero Point
Kup returned to Earth, where he was part of the team called in to investigate Galvatron's crash landing in Las Vegas. Not only was Galvatron's crew there, but a ship full of zombies too. During the skirmish, Kup lost his cy-gar and started having delusions, but it allowed him to see through Bayonet's disguise as Britt, leader of the zombies. Britt punched through Kup's torso and started to contaminate the other Cybertronians. Transformers: Infestation #1 Kup was able to blast free and break her will on the others, but eventually he succumbed to the infection. Britt read Kup's mind and decided rather than fight the well-armed team on Earth, to invade Cybertron of the past and opened a portal to lead her zombie army there. She also made an impenetrable shield to keep the others out with more information from Kup's mind. The Autobots were out of options until Prowl was able to hack into Kup's mind using the programming routines installed during the Pretender process. At a suggestion from Galvatron, Kup was instructed to change the coordinates of the portal to the very beginning of the Dead Universe, giving the zombies an eternity of nothing to feed on. Unfortunately, Kup was sent there as well, and his fate is now unknown. Transformers: Infestation #2
Wings Universe
Before the Great War, Kup was part of the crew of the Autobot Guard transport ship, the Eight Track, under the command of Thunder Clash. After Kup transmitted the results of their scan of the Outer Rim, he patched through a transmission from Autobot High Command. A cargo hauler, the Van De Graaff, crashed on Beta-Nine, possibly due to an early Decepticon uprising. Kup and the others were charged by Autobot Guard Commander Magnum with retrieving a very important piece of cargo that was on board the Van De Graaff and return it to Cybertron. Unfortunately, the Eight Track was shot out of the sky, crash-landing on the swampy surface of Beta-Nine.
Thunder Clash, Kup, Flak, and Landshark set out from the wreckage to find the Van De Graaff and its precious cargo. Along the way, an attack from a squad of prototypical Decepticon Skyraider warriors separated Kup from the rest of his crew. He soon found himself surrounded by their leader, Banzai-Tron, and two other Skyraiders. One of them, Hellbat, hypnotized him into submission, but he was inadvertently rescued when a sea monster ate the Decepticon. Kup escaped, and the other two Decepticons pursued.
Kup was the first to reach the Van De Graaff, where he found its dead crew, the cargo, and some creepy dead aliens. Soon, the Decepticons were upon him, and when Thunder Clash arrived to give him backup, Kup had a plan. He set his blaster to overload, placed it in one of the dead crewmen's canister-looking body parts, and handed it over to Banzai-Tron. When it exploded, Thunder Clash was able to put the Decepticons under arrest.
Thunder Clash, Kup, and the others returned to Cybertron as unheralded heroes. Commander Magnum told them that their battle was the first of the new civil war against the Decepticons, and assigned them to a new elite military unit, the Elite Guard! However, Kup never did learn what was in that cargo... Wings of Honor
After returning home victorious, Kup starred in recruitment videos for the Elite Guard. BotCon 2009: Join the Elite Guard!
A few years later, Kup's team teamed up with Metalhawk's team to battle a horde of Virulent Clones. He asked the team's youngest recruit, Dion, if fighting bugs was what he expected on his first mission. Dion was about to answer in the affirmative when he got a facefull of bug goo. Nevertheless, Kup and the rest of the Elite Guardsmen were victorious.
Kup leaned back to join the others in relaxing for a bit, until a call bleeped over Thunder Clash's comm, causing him to flail in surprise. Landshark told Kup that he really need to learn to finally relax, until Thunder Clash told everyone to quiet down, as the call was Magnum informing them that Metalhawk's squad had to ferry Thunder Clash's squad to Space Port Bravo straightaway. Dion and Kup helped load everyone's gear onto the Hawk's Claw, then they all disembarked.
Once at the spaceport, the two squads bid their goodbyes. Kup told Dion that he'd make sure to share any stories he came across with the "lad". When Dion reacted to the nickname by pointing out Kup wasn't that much older, Kup replied that it was just the first time he'd gotten to meet a younger Elite Guard member than himself. His squad then walked off into the spaceport, with Kup waving goodbye to Dion until the last moment. The Coming Storm: Part 2
Some time later, the Beast With Wings approached Elite Guard HQ after Bruticus's rampage and couldn't raise anyone on the ground. Kup found a newsfeed reporting on the attack that said pretty much everyone was dead. The Coming Storm: Part 6 As Magnum's team walked through the Autobot High Council Citadel, Kup ventured the opinion that they would be better utilized out in the field. The entire team was surprised to find that the High Council was appointing Optimus Prime as the leader of a new Autobot military. Battle Lines, Part 1 Magnum took his team, including Kup, to the Elite Guard Auxiliary Weapons Locker to pick up more weapons and troops. Battle Lines, Part 2 They proceeded to look for Deathsaurus's base so they could attack it, but were ambushed by Starscream and the bulk of Deathsaurus's troops. As they fought the Combaticons, Kup commented that it reminded him of the time they fought the Omacronians of Persei Eight. He was first belted and then shot by Brawl, and therefore unable to react when moments later the Combaticons formed Bruticus and were promptly blasted by a newcomer. Battle Lines, Part 3 Battle Lines, Part 4 The newcomer turned out to be Ironfist along with Big Bang, Rumbler and Sprocket, and Kup watched them join in the battle. After the Combaticons were captured, he helped secure them. Battle Lines, Part 4
A week after the battle, he was part of the Autobot forces at Iacon's city walls as the Decepticons broke through with Devastator. Battle Lines, Part 5 He was reminded of an adventure on Derelictus Five, and he and Thunderclash reenacted their solution to that problem by hitting Devastator with a high-energy power cable. It was unsuccessful, but inspired Dion to try something else that worked. The battle was eventually won, but not without casualties on the Autobots' side. As the war continued, Cybertron's energy levels dipped dangerously low. While some Autobots left the planet in search of energy, and most of the others opted to go into stasis hibernation pods until the planet was reenergized, Kup opted to remain online, despite Alpha Trion's warning that operating during periods of low energy would accelerate the aging process. Battle Lines, Part 6
Millions of years later, a battle against Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Sweeps reminded Kup of his battle on Beta Nine, and he told the story to Hot Rod and the Dinobots. But soon, the Autobots were found within their hiding spot inside a nebula, and they were forced to fight the Decepticons one-on-one inside their own ship. Kup repeated the overloading weapon trick to defeat Scourge. After the Dinobots finished off the Sweeps, and Cyclonus made a lone escape, Kup and the others declared victory. Wings of Honor
Games
The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth
Along with his fellow Autobots, Kup protected Earth from the menace of the Decepticons. He was ostensibly under the command of Rodimus Prime. The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth
The Transformers (PS2)
In 2010, the Decepticon military commander Shockwave acquired a source of infinite power called Zel Quartz. It drove him to madness, and he destroyed Cybertron while threatening to lay waste to the rest of the galaxy. Rodimus Prime and the Autobots desperately coordinated with the Quintessons to use a timeslip device and travel back in time, preventing Shockwave from ever getting his hand on Zel Quartz. Unfortunately, Galvatron and the remaining Decepticons learned of the mission, and intercepted the Autobots on the way through the timeslip.
Crashing in 2003 on Zel Samine, where the quartz originated, Kup awoke with Arcee and Rodimus Prime. Separated from the rest of their team, they sent out an SOS and were met by Optimus Prime and the present day Autobots. After explaining the situation, Kup and his allies joined up with Optimus to search for the Zel Quartz before the Decepticons could find it.
Wheeljack searched the planet for any records or power signatures that might be Zel Quartz. After three false leads, they finally located Zel Quartz at the Enormous Laser Transmission Array. After fighting through numerous Decepticon lieutenants, and facing the might of Megatron and Galvatron united, Kup and the Autobots secured the Zel Quartz and ultimately disposed of it so that it could do no further harm. With the rock no longer a threat, the Autobots of 2010 vanished and returned to their home timeline. The Transformers
Commercial appearances
- Kup made his commercial debut alongside Hot Rod and Blurr, joining Optimus Prime in a desert as he faces off against Starscream, Skywarp, Cyclonus and Scourge. As he charges into battle, Kup comments that this reminds him of the battle on Beta 4 (not to be confused with the battle on Beta 9.)[1]
- He appeared alongside Hot Rod in one of the movie plot-based commercials, this one for the Sharkticons. The two Autobots are shown driving up to the edge of a greenish pool, from which a pile of Sharkticons emerges and attacks. Kup and Hot Rod fist-fight their way through, with help from Wheelie.
- Kup appeared briefly in the commercial for Sixshot, charging into battle alongside Rodimus Prime, firing at the enemy, and getting knocked aside by Sixshot's "rocket car" mode.
- Kup appeared in the commercial for the Monsterbots. As Rodimus Prime and Blurr drive up, Kup reports that there has been a lab accident, and the new Autobots are monsters!
Toys
Generation 1
- Kup (Autobot, 1986)
- Japanese ID number: C-82
- Accessories: "Musket laser"
- Kup transforms into a Cybertronic pickup truck (though how he is able to carry goods safely with no tailgate is a mystery). The entire front of the vehicle (including the windshield) is made out of die-cast metal. In robot mode, Kup has full shoulder rotation, though the way his elbows are set up means he cannot make full use of their joints. He (somewhat) makes up for it with swivel wrists. His legs feature no articulation whatsoever. Maybe Hot Rod left a piece out. He is armed with a blue laser rifle. Early releases of Kup had metal rear wheels, while later releases replaced them with black plastic.
- Kup (Targetmaster, 1987)
- Japanese ID number: C-113
- Accessories: Musket Laser/Recoil Targetmaster partner
- Kup (this time using all-plastic parts rather than die-cast) was slightly retooled with larger fist-holes and a mounting point on his vehicle mode back-end in order to make him into a Targetmaster. He came with his Nebulan partner Recoil rather than his original blaster.
Transformers Collection
- Future Cybertron (Transformers Collection, 2005)
- Japanese ID number: TF-20
- Accessories: Musket Laser, Musket Laser/Recoil Targetmaster partner (you read that right)
- Targetmaster Kup was reissued in Japan, and like the Collection reissue of Hot Rod, he came with his original metal parts restored, as well as both his partner Recoil and his original gun, which was slightly retooled to fit the larger weapon-mounting points. The set also came with a redecoed Wheelie.
- This iteration of the mold was used to make Orion Pax.
Timelines
- Wings of Honor (BotCon 2009 box set)
- Accessories: Clamp attachment, hammer attachment, Earth Cyber Key
- This version of Kup is a convention-exclusive retool of Cybertron Red Alert and transforms into a Dodge Magnum emergency vehicle. Plugging a Cyber Key into the back of his car mode causes two rear side-panels to pop out and reveal two spring-forward non-firing blasters. This gimmick is retained in robot mode, where they become over-shoulder blasters. He features an unusual transformation sequence where both the front and rear halves of the vehicle mode come together to form his legs. His hood halves open to reveal storage space for extra tools (a hammer-head and an opening claw) that can be attached onto his left arm blaster.
- Kup comes in a box set with fellow Autobots Flak, Thunder Clash, and Landshark, and rival Decepticon Scourge.
- The original version of this mold was also used to make Cybertron Cannonball, and the live-action movie-verse Crankcase.
Generations
- Sergeant Kup (Deluxe, 2011)
- Accessories: "laser musket" rifle/exhaust pipe
- Part of wave 6 of Generations, Sergeant Kup sticks to the character's roots, transforming into an old-school (or, alternatively, "retro"-styled) Earth pickup truck. He comes with his signature laser musket weapon, which looks like an actual musket this go-round. Like his contemporaries, Kup is covered in 3mm rungs that are compatible with C joint clip-on weapons. There are two rungs on his backpack, plus two rungs each on his forearm kibble, and two on his lower back (these two are shown in the United version's instructions). The musket can either plug into the underside of the truck, forming a second exhaust pipe, or clip onto the roof of the truck via a C joint. Interestingly, due to his transformation, Kup's truck mode features a working tailgate.
- He was later retooled/redecoed into Swerve, whose head was depicted in Kup's instructions before the retool was officially announced.
United
- Autobot Kup (Deluxe, 2011)
- Japanese ID number: UN-17
- Accessories: "Musket gun"/tailpipe
- United Autobot Kup is a redeco of Generations Autobot Kup in metallic paint. Other changes include silver paint on his stomach, painted rims, and a smaller Autobot symbol with a silver border. Surprisingly, Kup is presented with his cy-gar attached to his mouth at the back of his package.
- Autobot SET (3-pack, 2011)
- Accessories: Rifle/tailpipe
- Dubbed "Autobot Kup Damage Version", this redeco of the 2010 Kup mold (see above) is cast in brighter teals, with silver "scrape" paint marks (as well as other additional paint applications), giving him a more weathered look (despite his more saturated color palette). Official photography depicted this Kup as bright blue, but that was a case of photography having trouble with his shade of teal.
- This version was only available in an e-HOBBY exclusive 3-pack with a clear-blue Hot Rod and Scrapheap. Preorders for the set were opened on December 13 of 2010 and closed on January 11 of 2011, and shipped in April.
- This figure was available with a Hot Rod pin and Macrocosmic Seekers booklet directly from e-Hobby, he was also released in Asian countries outside of Japan without said pin and booklet.
Notes
- Check out the original Kup toy's chest-sticker... it's got a pair of 5 1/4-inch floppy disk drives on it. Apparently, he can store up to two extra Transformers' brains.
- Like the rest of the central The Transformers: The Movie cast, Kup had a preliminary character model by Floro Dery that was revised by Japanese artists before final animation. And just like the rest of the central movie cast, that early model was used as a basis for his toy design, and for his early Marvel Comics appearances. While other characters' early models often appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon as a result of production errors, Kup's was deliberately employed in the episode "Chaos", where it was used in flashback scenes to represent a younger version of the character. The final model features a slimmer torso, streamlined leg shapes, and signs of aging.
- In the US Marvel stories, José Delbo used the older model, while Andrew Wildman and Geoff Senior used the final model. Derek Yaniger and Manny Galan switched back to the older model for Kup's Generation 2 appearances.
- In 2010, a set of Kup's original color models from The Transformers: The Movie went up for sale on Heritage Auctions, sold from Ron Friedman's collection of Sunbow Productions materials. He looked extremely teal.
- In the Japanese Asterisk Story online manga, a little lost kitty is rescued from certain death (well, being stuck in a tree) by Ai Kuruma and Red Alert. That kitty is named Chear (Kup's Japanese name).
- The vehicle mode of Cybertron series Brakedown, another old coot, resembles Kup's Cybertronian vehicle mode from the War Within comic series. This similarity was brought to the fore by Brakedown GTS, a "powered-up" redeco of the character with the colors changed to resemble Kup's. In fact, the color guide for the redeco, revealed on Hasbro's website, showed that "Kup" was a working name for Brakedown GTS.
- He claims on his MySpace page (see External links) that he's a Pisces.[2] It is best to remember, however, that at the time he wrote this, he was utterly insane.
- In All Hail Megatron, Kup was going to be the mysterious Autobot traitor, but this idea was thrown out before Shane McCarthy started writing.[3]
- Most of Kup's Tech Spec stats drop when he becomes a Targetmaster, including, perhaps most oddly, his firepower.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Chear (チャー Chā),[4] Kup (カップ Kappu)
- French: Kaisso (Canada)
- Hungarian: Kup, (Űr)Zsaru (The Movie, "(Space) Cop")
- Italian: Kup (The Movie), Blitz (cartoon), Char (The Headmasters)
- Russian: Vorchun (cartoon, Ворчун, "Grumbler")
References
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5MO0AwlO2g&t=8m57s
- ↑ Kup's Myspace page was created by Nick Roche to promote his IDW "Spotlight: Kup" story.
- ↑ http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=6022
- ↑ "Chear" is used twice in English on the Kup/Wheelie "Future Cybertrons" reissue, so is presumably the Romanization TakaraTomy currently favors.
