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.
| “ | I've had worse than this. I've been spiked by Squadron X, dipped in the smeltin' pool, framed for treason, shot into the sun—and I was the only 'bot still trapped inside the Nightmare Engine when everyone else woke up. I've seen off every rinky-dink, two-bit, catchpenny Decepticon rust-poker, and I got the dents in my knuckles to prove it. End of the day? I'm ready for anything you can throw at me. | ” |
—Kup to Nightbeat, "Burning Bright" | ||
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
"You already put me in a home!"
"Then we'll put you in the crooked home we saw on Sixty Minutes!"
"I'll be good."
Kup was a seasoned veteran who found himself constantly having to look after the other young whippersnappers that made up the bulk of the Autobot forces in his role as Cybertron's chief of security. Originally stationed on Earth, he and the other Autobots were drawn into the battle against Unicron, eventually defeating the giant Transformer. More adventures followed, including a trip back to planet Dread to confront an old nemesis, being turned into a zombie, witnessing the return of Optimus Prime, helping Rodimus Prime handle the burdens of command, and the menace of the Hate Plague.
In one continuity, he was part of a team of Autobots who ended up on Nebulos, an adventure during which he became a Targetmaster and took part in the restoration of Cybertron. In another reality, he hung out with Blurr and Arcee a lot, and following the destruction of Cybertron, he left with Rodimus to go on a quest to find a new home planet.
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Kup and a platoon of Autobots were feeling pretty good about their mission on Deneb IV when suddenly the entire platoon was nearly washed away by a surprise Decepticon attack of acid rain. The Desert Island of Space!
Several hundred years ago, Kup became afflicted with combat fatigue, a loss of nerves and will brought on by too many millions of years of non-stop fighting. Considering himself a liability to the Autobot cause, Kup went into "retirement", wandering space alone in his starship, waiting for the end eventually to take him. He was shaken out of his misery when he crossed paths with a pair of Tyroxian fighters attempting to destroy a lone spacecraft. Spurred into action, Kup disabled the pursuers and brought the hunted pilot on-board, and was surprised to finding he was a fellow Autobot named Hot Rod. Hot Rod was thrilled to have found aid and eagerly tried to recruit Kup into helping him return to Tyroxia and save his comrade Blurr, but Kup wasn't interested in getting involved any further, and he only agreed to take Hot Rod back to Cybertron. The young punk reprogrammed the ship's navigation computers, though, and landed on Tyroxia to rescue Blurr by himself. Kup was finally shaken out of his funk when he realized that Hot Rod represented everything he used to be, and he single-handedly saved Hot Rod and Blurr from their Tyroxian tormentors. His fighting spirit restored, Kup returned to Cybertron with the two Autobots and joined Fortress Maximus's troops alongside his new allies. Kup's Story!
When Fortress Maximus became disheartened by the never-ending cycle of violence on Cybertron, he made plans to escape the war and set up a new life on the planet Nebulos. Though Kup's actions had become a violent mirror of their so-called enemies, he and many of his top warriors chose to follow their leader to this new world aboard the starship Steelhaven. Tragically, a series of incidents and misunderstandings brought the Autobots and Nebulans to the brink of war within days of their arrival. Kup, forgetting why he had traveled there to begin with, was very happy to return fire, and was only stopped by Fortress Maximus himself. They retreated, and in a desperate attempt to show their true intentions, Fortress Maximus, Kup and several others disarmed themselves in front of the Nebulan gates. Furthermore, Fortress Maximus and four of his lieutenants beheaded themselves and agreed to leave their lifeless heads and bodies, as well as their various weapons, in Nebulan custody so that serious peace talks could be conducted. Ring of Hate!
"I said FRENCH FRIES!"
"What the-- Do we sell freench frrrriiieees...?"
Kup helped build an Autobot camp in a forest clearing during Fortress Maximus's absence. Soon, their camp was visited by Nebulan representatives from the Council of Peers interested in learning more about their interplanetary visitors, and Kup was glad to oblige. But one of the representatives, Lord Zarak, used the meeting as an opportunity to contact the Autobots' enemies, the Decepticons. Broken Glass!
Matters quickly deteriorated after the arrival of the Decepticons, and two factions of Nebulans joined with both Autobots and Decepticons through bio-mechanical engineering to become Headmasters. Events turned against the Autobots as Lord Zarak, who had binary-bonded to Decepticon leader Scorponok, was able to sway public opinion in favor of the Decepticons, labeling the Autobots as renegades and taking their Headmasters prisoner. Some Nebulans remained loyal to Fortress Maximus's partner, Galen, and traveled to the Autobot camp to forge an alliance. Making use of a new form of bio-mechanical engineering, Kup and the other weaponless Autobots were teamed with Nebulan Targetmasters to replace their lost guns. Kup personally was teamed with Recoil. As the conflict continued, though, both camps of Nebulans began to realize the devastation they were causing to their homeworld, and they decided to leave Nebulos and travel to Earth in search of other Transformers. Brothers in Armor!!
When Galen died on Earth and his role as Fortress Maximus's Headmaster partner was assumed by Spike Witwicky, Spike led Kup and the other Targetmasters on a mission to the Decepticon's island headquarters to rescue his brother, Buster Witwicky. Kup voiced bad feelings about the rescue mission, especially about Spike's suitability to lead the mission. However, when Spike continued fighting despite repeated setbacks, Kup admitted that although Spike brought too much sentiment into the battle, he backed his emotionalism with guts. The Desert Island of Space! Soon, Fortress Maximus's Autobots met up with the Earth-bound Autobots led by Grimlock, and somehow the two Autobot camps wound up witnessing a battle between Grimlock and Blaster for Autobot leadership. Kup, along with the Autobots from both camps, began to watch this battle on Earth's moon when Ratbat's Decepticons unleashed a surprise attack. Totaled!
After Optimus Prime's return, Kup took over as Prime's head of security aboard the Ark. When Prime took most of the Autobots to Earth to defend MacDill Air Force Base from the Micromaster Air Strike Patrol, Kup and the other Autobots who remained on board the Ark were defeated by Blackjack. Kup was the first to reawaken, however he startled Blackjack as he was arming a series of explosive charges, and the explosives were regrettably armed. All the Familiar Faces! The countdown could not be stopped, but Kup refused to jettison themselves from the Ark, leaving their fallen comrades in the med bay to die. But an answer presented itself when Ratchet contacted them from Cybertron, as he had been kidnapped by Megatron. Ratchet orchestrated a trans-dimensional gate to send the explosives to Megatron's headquarters on Cybertron, which saved Kup and everyone else on board, but seemed to have killed both Ratchet and Megatron. Skin Deep
Kup attended the 1989 Transformers' Christmas party, where he joined Omega Supreme and Grimlock behind the sofa in scowling at Dreadwind and Darkwing. The Transformers #250 cover
Optimus Prime was hit hard by Ratchet's death, which alarmed Hot Rod and caused Kup to worry about the future of their cause. Subsequently, when Prime walked out on the Autobots, Kup was incredibly alarmed, but not as much as when he learned Hot Rod had a "plan" to win Prime back. Hot Rod let loose a Mark V Guardian droid on the ship, which he secretly controlled, but it turned on its master and Kup and the others were brutally attacked. To Hot Rod's credit, this did jolt Prime to his senses, though Kup was probably too damaged to "thank" him. Yesterday's Heroes!
While Kup spent some down time with Hot Rod and a few others, the Ark was attacked by Thunderwing and his acolytes! Kup helped repel the intruders, who were seeking revenge on Nightbeat and Siren. Assault on the Ark!
The Matrix Quest resulted in the Decepticon Thunderwing being possessed by the Creation Matrix and running amok in the Ark's docking bay. Kup and two other Autobots tried to sneak up on Thunderwing as he accosted Optimus Prime, but Thunderwing had grown too omniscient by then, and Kup was noticed and forced to retreat. After Thunderwing and the Matrix were jettisoned off the Ark, Kup was helped up off the ground by another Autobot. All Fall Down
"I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missour-uh!"
During one of Kup's sweeps of the Ark, he caught Grimlock trying to swipe the bodies of his fallen Dinobots from their life support pods. Grimlock cold-cocked him and escaped with the bodies in a stolen shuttle. Eye of the Storm Kup recovered to find a monster forged from the bodies of Ratchet and Megatron, which Optimus Prime refused to kill. It fell on Kup to tell Optimus his decisions were causing him to lose the support of the Autobots, and Prime's recently announced decision to surrender to Scorponok didn't help things either. Kup reasoned that even if there was some part of Ratchet still inside the creature, Ratchet himself would not want to go on living in this fashion. Prime refused to kill the creature, but when Kup told him that the creature's unchecked destruction could end up destroying the Ark and everyone on board, Prime reluctantly had a change of heart. However, when it came down to it, Prime couldn't pull the trigger, and despite the objections of Kup and the others, he ordered them separated, even though it would mean Megatron would live. The Pri¢e of Life!
"Won't you come home Franz Braugere? Won't you come hoooome?"
"Ach tu liebert! Das es nicht ein booby!"
As planned, Prime surrendered his troops to Scorponok on the terms that they would consider an alliance against Unicron. Kup didn't take this very well, and when he was laughed at while surrendering his weapon, he lashed out at Apeface before being stopped by Prime. Kup told him he once knew an Optimus Prime who would have found another way, a Prime that would never ever surrender. Misfire was happy to interrupt this argument so that he could escort Kup to his cell. But Prime quickly grew restless in his own cell and, having disposed of his guard, he tracked down Kup and Hot Rod and asked them for his help. Though Hot Rod leaped at the chance, Kup was not so easily won back. Prime pleaded with him at length, explaining that as a warrior race that had battled for millions of years, that surrender would actually take the most courage of all! Realizing Prime was right, Kup agreed to help him and Hot Rod storm Lord Zarak's chambers. As Hot Rod grabbed Zarak, Kup sideswiped Scorponok's guard, Bludgeon, in vehicle mode, but transformed too close to Scorponok's body, so Zarak ordered it to grip its claw around his head. Kup told Hot Rod not to spare Zarak for his sake, but Prime stopped them both, insisting that each faction had to trust each other if they were to survive against Unicron. Zarak was persuaded, but before a handshake would have sealed the deal, the Decepticons' underground base collapsed in on itself as a rogue group of Decepticons led by Shockwave and Starscream attacked above. Surrender!
As the dust settled, Kup asked Prime if their truce meant they should be helping gather the Decepticons' wounded. Prime told him and Highbrow to instead focus on briefing the other Autobots as they emerged fromt he wreckage and containing the growing battle so that it would not spill out into New York City. ...All This and Civil War 2 Things naturally escalated out of hand, and so Kup had the bright idea to enlist the Decepticon hypnotist Mindwipe at gunpoint, and had him "convince" his fellow Decepticons to lay down their arms for the greater good. This was working swimmingly until suddenly Kup and every other Transformer on Earth was suddenly raptured away to Cybertron. Out of Time! Kup was startled to see their creator, Primus, speaking to them through the body of Emirate Xaaron. Primus told Kup and the others of their eternal battle with Unicron, and of his imminent arrival. In response to this, Unicron cultists rose up from amongst the Cybertronians to destroy Primus' chosen leader, Optimus Prime, and Kup was more than happy to beat the cultists back into submission. They succeeded, but while Primus had begun lecturing his Transformers again, Kup's attention was elsewhere. He interrupted, wondering how exactly no one had noticed Unicron himself sneak up on the planet, clawed hand looming over their heads. The Void!
Kup and Getaway helped get Optimus Prime to safety, as their leader had succumbed to mysterious pain. Though Unicron ravaged the planet and destroyed countless Transformers, ultimately Optimus Prime sacrificed himself to destroy him, and Kup was among the lucky few who were still standing as Unicron's ashes fell to the planet's surface. On the Edge of Extinction! Kup and a handful of others found what was left of Optimus Prime's body, and he watched Prowl cradle their leader as he died. Still Life!
Under the dubious leadership of Grimlock, the Autobots left their dying world and followed the Decepticons to Klo, but the Decepticons were waiting for them. In the massacre that followed, Kup was among the final five Autobots who had eluded death. But he and the others did not avoid capture for long, as a team of Decepticons found them hiding in the swamps. Amazingly, they were able to overpower these Decepticons and return to the main battlegrounds, where Optimus Prime had returned to them in a new body, thanks to the Neo-Knights and the Last Autobot! With the Last Autobots' godlike resurrection powers, Kup and the other Autobots were able to overwhelm the Decepticons, who retreated like whipped dogs. The war was over, and Optimus Prime told them it was time to go home! End of the Road!
In an alternate future of 2009, the Autobots were overwhelmed by the forces of evil. Unicron consumed Cybertron utterly, and Earth came under heavy fire from Galvatron and his Decepticon legions. Kup and Blurr were personally executed by Cyclonus and Scourge. Rhythms of Darkness!
Marvel UK future timelines
"Yesterday, lad, just yesterday!"Hot Rod and Kup discuss their upcoming time travel, "Target: 2006 part 6"
In 2003, Kup was given the job of decoying the Decepticons over the plans for Autobot City. Ultra Magnus needed to get the plans to Earth's various governments unimpeded, while also taking steps to ensure the Decepticons would not get in the way of the Autobot efforts to build the city. So, he made an open and showy display of tasking Kup with being the courier that would bring the information to the humans. Sure enough, the Decepticon spy Ravage overheard those plans and sent the Stunticons out to intercept the old Autobot. Despite Hot Rod's good-intentioned efforts to stop them, the Stunticons made off with the fake plans, secure in their knowledge that they now knew the secrets of Autobot City. Ark Duty Kup was also present at the grand opening of the city a year later. Aspects of Evil!
After the attack on Autobot City in 2006, Kup, Hot Rod and Blurr received a psychic prodding from Unicron, alerting them to Galvatron's travel through the timestream back to 1986. Using Galvatron's own time-jump mechanisms, the Autobot trio followed him back into the past, mass-displacing Shockwave, Thundercracker and Frenzy in the process. Apparently reaching an instinctive conclusion that Galvatron could never be returned to the future by force, Kup and his comrades conspired with the Ultra Magnus of 1986 to trick the Decepticon into returning of his own volition.
As Ultra Magnus kept Galvatron busy, the future trio made arrangements to discourage him from staying. When he returned to his base, Galvatron found his henchmen knocked unconscious and his super-weapon rigged to explode. Once it did, he was confronted with a taunting Starscream claiming credit, and he was egged into blowing the treacherous Decepticon into smithereens. Believing Starscream's death at this juncture altered history, making his actions in 1986 part of an alternate timeline that wouldn't affect his own future, Galvatron reluctantly gave up his plans, picked up his goons, and returned to the future. Kup and his comrades, having successfully framed Starscream and driven Galvatron away, returned to 2006 themselves soon after. Target: 2006
After Unicron was defeated in 2006 and Hot Rod rose to become Rodimus Prime, Galvatron went missing. Unable to accept the Decepticon leader was truly dead without seeing the body, Rodimus Prime went searching for him with Kup and Blurr. Unfortunately, his lax attention to Cybertron gave the new Decepticon commander, Shockwave, time to consolidate the army under his control and begin the war anew. Rodimus was forced to return to Cybertron empty-handed, and he only made matters worse when he rashly took out a 10,000-shanix reward for any bounty hunter who could find Galvatron for him. This led to a freelance peacekeeping agent named Death's Head traveling back in time to 1987, where he had learned Galvatron had escaped after the battle with Unicron. Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive! Realizing that a trigger-happy mercenary messing with the timestream was just as dangerous as Galvatron could ever be, Rodimus arranged a time-jump to clean up his mess, taking Kup, Blurr and Wreck-Gar back to 1987 along with him. Burning Sky!
In the past, the future Autobots once again found the 20th-century Ultra Magnus fighting with Galvatron, as the Decepticon leader attempted to extract vast amounts of energy from a volcano. Mere seconds after locating Galvatron and engaging him in combat, however, Kup and Blurr were knocked off-line when Galvatron hurled Ultra Magnus's beaten body at them. Hunters After regrouping, the Autobots concocted a plan to steal Galvatron's time-jump trigger device and rewire it to propel them all back to their proper place and time. While Kup and the others distracted Galvatron, Wreck-Gar and Rodimus Prime attempted to make the proper modifications. In the end, however, only the Autobots were launched back to the future; Galvatron had modified the device so that the temporal backlash did not affect him, and he stayed in the past. Fire on High!
In 2008, Kup was on hand to witness a full-scale Decepticon assault at Autobase on Cybertron. He fought alongside Rodimus Prime and the other Autobots and, when Rodimus traveled to the planet of Junk to deal with Unicron (the cause behind the Decepticon offensive), Kup stepped up to lead the remaining Autobot forces alongside Ultra Magnus until Soundwave sounded a retreat and the Decepticons fled. The Legacy of Unicron! Later that year, Autobot City was attacked by Quintessons, and the deactivated Autobots were hung out on the outer walls as a warning for any would-be rescuers. Kup came to Earth with Rodimus Prime and crew to deal with the usurpers, and he led an advance team of Blurr, Smokescreen and Wide Load in searching the complex. They were caught in a heated battle with the Quintessons' shock troopers, but managed to hold their own long enough for Roddy to reach the control center and activate Metroplex himself. Resistance faltered rather quickly after that. Space Pirates!
As time passed, the long-term effects of Galvatron's presence in the past became overwhelming. A full-on time storm began brewing at both ends of the timeline, 1989 and 2009. In order to set the universe back on the right course, Rodimus Prime and Kup chose to travel back in time with Blurr, Arcee, Ultra Magnus and Red Alert to retrieve Galvatron. No, really, for sure this time. Problem was, this time their mass-displacement upon arrival took out 1989's Optimus Prime and several fellow Autobots, leading to more than a little consternation among their 20th-century counterparts. Fortress Maximus, guided by his neophyte Headmaster partner, Spike Witwicky, jumped to the conclusion that Optimus was dead and led his Autobots into battle with Rodimus and his group. Kup didn't fare too well at trying to fight Grimlock hand-to-hand, but soon cooler heads prevailed, and the Autobots joined forces not only with each other, but with a pair of detachments from the 1989 and 2009 Decepticon camps as well.
"I spent forty years as a night watchman at a cranberry silo."
As the various groups tracked down Galvatron, they were shocked to find that not only had he joined forces with Megatron, but that the two of them had laid waste to the Cybertronian teams of the Autobot Wreckers and the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad. Kup joined Arcee and Ultra Magnus in trying to gun down Megatron, but was batted aside by the Decepticon's fusion cannon and lay unconscious, out of the battle for the rest of the conflict. Still, Galvatron was ultimately destroyed in battle with Optimus Prime and consumed wholly by the timestorm, restoring the timestream to a stable place. Kup and the other 2009 Autobots gathered together and prepared to return home to their lives. Time Wars
It didn't quite work out that way.
Back in 2009, the Autobots were horrified to find that Galvatron waited for them on Cybertron. It seemed the restoration of the timeline prevented Galvatron from having ever traveled back in time, and thus he had been present at the Decepticons' side for the last few years, which considerably altered the war effort in their favor. In the new 21st century, Galvatron and the Decepticons virtually controlled Cybertron, and only a few token bands of Autobot resistance remained on their home planet. Kup and the returnees adjusted as best they could, but the odds were hopelessly against them. The resistance on Cybertron ended when Galvatron and his men ransacked a resistance station, killing Blurr and the other Autobots present. Galvatron mutilated the corpses to drive Rodimus Prime into a killing frenzy, hoping to corrupt the Matrix itself through its host. Indeed, Kup and Arcee began experiencing fire in the depths of their souls before they managed to talk down Rodimus. The Autobots of Cybertron were then forced to flee the world entirely. Aspects of Evil!
On their voyage back to Earth and Autobot City, the Autobot shuttlecraft had just entered hyperspace when Pincher and Doubleheader alerted Kup to a problem: sabotage. Someone had killed a guard and torn up the engine room, damaging the guidance systems so that the ship would be flying blind when they came out of warp into who-knows-what. Sure enough, the ship materialized too close to Earth, and another bit of sabotage prevented the emergency retros from stopped their descent. It was going to be a heavy hit. What's worse, Kup's efforts to isolate the Decepticon life-signs of their saboteur turned up a nasty truth: No additional life signs were present on the shuttle. The saboteur was an Autobot! The Void! After failing to locate Rodimus Prime during the time the sabotage was being committed, Kup had a sinking feeling and set up a ruse to test Prime. When Arcee left to try and enter the sealed retro room through the air vents, Kup told Rodimus she was actually going to sneak through the coolant tanks. Fortunately for their landing, Arcee succeeded just in time. Unfortunately for...well, everything else, Kup was right: Rodimus Prime was the saboteur, possessed by the pure malevolence of Unicron, which had taken up residence inside the Matrix sometime ago. Apparently Galvatron's efforts to corrupt Rodimus back on Cybertron had jarred loose enough evil for Unicron to take hold on Rodimus Prime's consciousness. Edge of Impact
Battling the power of the Matrix influenced by the Devil himself, the Autobots were sorely outmatched against Rodimus. Despite Arcee's urgings, Kup desperately searched for another option besides lethal force. Shadow of Evil In the short term, Kup seemed to be correct: Rodimus managed to fight back Unicron's evil, caging it inside the Matrix long enough for Kup to remove the object from Rodimus's chest, temporarily severing their link. White Fire In the long term, however, the threat was far from over. Rodimus would again be consumed by evil in 2010, this time metamorphosing into Unicron reborn for a time, before caging the evil again. Kup and Arcee were present at this second rise of Unicron, but their ultimate fate is unknown. It is telling, however, that Rodimus Prime appears to be beaten, ill, and totally alone by the time of 2356. Aspects of Evil!
Generation 2
After the Autobot army splintered throughout the universe, Kup was working alongside Optimus Prime and Hot Rod. In mid-battle, Kup had to verbally nudge Prime out of his apocalyptic visions. Grimlock summoned Prime and his forces for help and Kup was present as Grimlock explained his discovery of several "little Cybertrons". The Autobots soon learned of Liege Centuro and his Cybertronians when Jhiaxus attacked them and took them prisoner. Kup and other Autobots were rescued by Prime and Grimlock from confinement on the Twilight. War Without End!
"Those corn muffins were lousy!"
"PAINT MY CHICKEN COOP!"
Kup kicked a lot of skidplate during the battle between the Autobots and Cybertronians in the K'tord Nebula. It was soon learned that bots on both sides were infected by some kind of parasitic entity that fed off of rage. Kup was so under its influence that Optimus Prime had to hold him back from attacking one of the enemy after he and Jhiaxus had agreed to a truce. Primal Fear!
Kup appeared as one of many dismembered corpses in one of Optimus Prime's apocalyptic visions. As Optimus reached toward Kup, an inky black substance shot out of Kup's mouth, enveloped Prime and started to devour him. The real Kup then physically shook Optimus out of this vision, remarking that Transformers don't sleep. The crusty old Autobot reported that Grimlock had, against Prime's orders, left with a raiding party in tow. What Kup didn't say is that he wished Grimlock had asked him to come along. He got his chance to fight later when he went with Prime to rescue Grimlock from his bungled surprise attack on the Cybertronians. Devices and Desires!
Kup supervised war games between the Autobots as they waited for Optimus Prime to finish his quasi-mystical journey into the depths of Cybertron. The Power and the Glory Later, Kup fought with Autobots and Decepticons to repel the Cybertronian attack on the planet Ethos. Escalation! Thereafter, he was among the party that went to investigate the attack J'asik, serving as head of security. Swarm
Like all the other Autobots, Kup was at Autobase when the Cybertronian army launched a massive attack to get rid of the other Transformers once and for all. Helping defeat the first few waves Total War! and mop up after the attacks, Kup reported the sorry state of their fortifications to Grimlock when the Swarm attacked their position. A Rage in Heaven!
Regeneration One
Kup and Ultra Magnus informed Optimus Prime of the "Neo-Decepticon" activity and Kup suggested mobilizing the Wreckers, but was denied by Prime, with disastrous results. Counterpoint Later, Kup trained to take down at-large Decepticons using a holographic training session in Debris' Strategy-Tank. Against orders, he commissioned the Wreckers to take down the Deluxe Insecticons, who planned to detonate cobalt-60 Warbirds at the Pax Cybertronia Decommissioning Depot in Kalis.
Summoned to Nova Point to account for this to Optimus Prime, Kup and Hot Rod argued about over Prime's new outlook, with Kup angrily concluding that Prime's decision to mentor Hot Rod was a case of him looking for someone to take over leadership so that he could forget about the war entirely. Deciding that a more proactive attitude was needed to deal with the threats that still exist, Kup returned to Debris without even seeing Prime and gathered up the other Wreckers. Announcing his intent to visit Earth, Nebulos and the other worlds touched by the war to try and actually make a difference, the whole team elected to join him. Kup and the Wreckers hitched a lift with the Cosmic Carnival to Earth, but discovered that the entire planet had been devastated. They were blown out of the sky by nuclear missiles, launched by Megatron. Loose Ends #1
Using escape pods, they crash-landed on Earth. To send a message of their findings to Cybertron, Kup and the Wreckers targeted the Deep Space Network but Kup peeled off from the others to deal with Megatron's zombie-like army. He took down Tentakil, but was felled by Skywarp, and brought before Megatron, who showed the fate of Ratchet—his still-living head adorning Megatron's battle sled. Loose Ends #2 Megatron infected Kup with Scraplets and broadcasted for the Wreckers to rescue him and be ambushed. Loose Ends #3 Springer took Whirl and Sandstorm to rescue Kup while the others fought off the Ark's defenses. The flying trio were unsuccessful and were all grounded by the Ex-Decepticons. When Megatron became preoccupied with Optimus Prime's arrival, Starscream revealed that Kup must kill Ratchet (to stop Megatron). Loose Ends #4
Through much struggle, Kup dragged himself over to Ratchet. He was tended to by First Aid who gave him a treatment for the Scraplets. Kup regained some strength and demanded First Aid's gun, which he then used to end Ratchet's pitiful existence, disabling Megatron as well, allowing Optimus Prime to crush his spark. Loose Ends #5
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
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
"Well most of it, I did wear a dress for a period in the '40s. Ohh, they had designers then!"
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
Find Your Fate Junior
Autobot Alert!
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
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 crowned, a young archivist who became known as 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.
"They said their insurance won't cover you."
"Ooooh, that's an onion in the ointment."
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 continuity
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 continuity
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 Orion Pax were able to convince Blurr to alert Zeta Prime of the Decepticons' assassination attempt. Spotlight: Blurr As Orion Pax rose in the ranks of the Autobot army, Kup served as a key aide and introduced him to his troops. Old Ways
Eventually, Zeta was revealed to be kind of a ruthless dictator, so Kup and his comrades turned on him and helped the honorable 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
When Prime became aware of the curious case of the Dynobots, he wanted to hear their story from the perspective of a fellow soldier and had Kup tell him what he knew about the team. After telling him of the Dynobots' past in the Primal Vanguard, Kup advised Prime to capture them before they used their military expertise for something bad. Underworld Acting on this advice, Prime sent Kup himself to find the team and have them give themselves up, but he was unable to convince Grimlock of Prime's good intentions. Fortunately, the other Dynobots were less stubborn and agreed to come with Kup, causing Grimlock to relent. Prey On the way home, Kup got new orders to help put down a riot at Starsreach Spaceport, forcing him to bring the Dynobots along. He warned the volatile team against trying to help, but by the time they arrived Optimus Prime had already calmed the rioters down anyway. Massacre Unfortunately a Decepticon attack caused Grimlock to lose control and go on a rampage, causing the Dynobots to reconsider and choose to leave Cybertron. Kup tried to convince them that Autobot science could help, but had no success. Unleashed He was later present during the battle against Trypticon and witnessed Grimlock bring the beast down from inside. Belly of the Beast
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 #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 500,000 years ago, Kup was present during the climactic battle over Metroplex that ended with the Titan leaving the planet. Hello Cruel World
"If you ever travel back in time, don't step on anything! Because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can't imagine!"
At some point after Cybertron was abandoned, Kup and Outback crash-landed on Tsiehshi, which was covered with radioactive Ore-8 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
"HA! Welcome to my world!"
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 reinforcement: 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 to the dark dimension along with them. Transformers: Infestation #2
Kup spent eons completely alone in the Dead Universe as its history played out. Hello Cruel World He was eventually discovered and captured by the ancient tyrant Nova Prime and modified into a space bridge, No Exit with Nova intending to use his connection to the living universe--a feature shared by all those claimed by the Dead Universe--as a gateway back home. Kup fought back, causing all attempts to fail and leading Nova to believe the decrepit old Autobot's body just couldn't handle the process on its own. When Optimus Prime (now Orion Pax again), Rodimus and Cyclonus arrived in the Dead Universe, Nova captured them to use the energy of their sparks to strengthen the space bridge. The Dead Are Not Enough Instead, Orion Pax and the others fought back and were able to free Kup from his bonds, and the tough old-timer was quick to get back on his feet Burning Bright and help fight off Nova Prime's Sweeps while Orion faced off with the ancient Prime and took back his title. Finis Temporis While they were able to defeat Nova, the portal through which Optimus's team had entered the Dead Universe was gone, leaving them trapped in the collapsing universe. Kup volunteered to send the others back through his internal portal, though his sacrifice was fortunately avoided as Optimus located another portal. The Becoming
Passing through this alternate gateway, caused by Brainstorm's connection to the Dead Universe, Kup and the others appeared out of Brainstorm's chest on Cybertron just in time to join the battle against Shockwave. Black Planet However, having been rendered undead by their exposure to the Dead Universe, Kup, Cyclonus and Nightbeat could no longer survive in the real universe and collapsed. Brainstorm had them taken to his laboratory on the Lost Light, where he was able to cure them of their condition. ...And the Damage Done
Six months after the battle with Shockwave, Kup followed Optimus Prime back to Earth to investigate a lead left by Alpha Trion. They tracked down the last Transformer on the planet, Thundercracker, only to be ambushed by an alliance between Galvatron's Decepticons and Earth Defense Command. Hello Cruel World
Games
The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth
"Okay, we'll do something about that right away. Let's start by doubling your medication."
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)
- Voice actor: Mark Laity (English)
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
Transformers Legends
Following Megatron's rebirth as Galvatron, Sergeant Kup was part of the Autobot forces led by Rodimus who scored a decisive victory over the Decepticons. All Hail Galvatron He and Rodimus were put on trial by the Quintessons. They faced death by Sharkticon until Grimlock organized a well-timed coup. Mockery of Justice The pair subsequently had to run off to defend Cybertron from Unicron. 'Til All Are One
During a series of conflicts to defend and retain territory from the Decepticons, Kup and Ultra Magnus maintained the final defence against Galvatron and his Decepticons. Despite their valiant efforts, and Rodimus's plan to take on Trypticon alongside Metroplex, the Autobots were defeated. The Colossus War Ultra Magnus, Kup and Spike were kidnapped by Skuxxoids during the Galactic Games. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 1 Though the trio were sentenced to death by the Quints, the other Autobots turned up in time to save them. Five Faces of Darkness: Part 2
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
"Shut up."
"I've had my moment."
- 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, and was separately retooled into BotCon 2013 Hoist and Autobot Electrons.
United
"Daaaaaaavid Letterman!"
"Hi David, I'm Kup."
- 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.
"What did he say? Put on our tuxedos?"
- 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
"I figured because the Democrats were in power again."
- 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.
External links
- Featured articles
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Character stubs missing fiction
- BotCon exclusives
- Dead Universe
- E-Hobby
- Elderly Transformers
- Elite Guard
- Generation 1 Autobots
- Generations
- Ladybird Books Autobots
- Pretenders
- Regeneration One Autobots
- Security officers
- Targetmasters
- The Headmasters Autobots
- Timelines characters
- United Autobots
- Wreckers
- Zombies
