Rung (G1)
This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.
| This article is about the Generation 1 Autobot. For the Kre-O Autobot, see Rung (Kre-O). |
- Rung is an Autobot from the IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
The Autobots have this, you know, psy-ops specialist. He's red, right? Orangey-red? And tiny? Basically defenseless? Does anyone remember his name? It's something like... Ring? Rong? Rang? Dang. It's on the tip of my tongue. He files these reports, you know, for Autopedia? He's written entries for each Autobot, from Red Alert to Impactor to Red Alert again. As part of his duties, he performs the mental assessments of potential Wreckers-to-be. He's very important. He's got... these huge eyebrows. You gotta know who this is describing, right? Collects and builds model spacecraft? Seriously. What's his name?
Oh, right! Rung! Thanks.
Or maybe Wrung. Who knows, really.
Fiction
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Rung may be a quiet, unassuming guy in the background but he's managed to meet almost every post-war surviving Autobot you care to name! Rewind has called him a historical constant. An Intimate Beheading He thinks his backgrounder status is because he's always kept his original design, leaving everyone to get used to him; that and those gits like his professional rival Froid damaging his reputation as a psychiatrist. Signal to Noise
Sporting the "impressive" serial code of 100000000, Rung's precise age is unknown, but he was established in his field as early as the launch of the Ark-1, with his eponymous "Rungian analysis" being in common parlance. How to Say Goodbye and Mean It
Upon the subsequent rise of the Functionist Council, Rung presented them a unique problem: no-one, not even Rung himself, knew the purpose of his altmode. This threatened to undermine their entire philosophy and the Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy itself, so the psychiatrist was subjected to repeated and rigorous tests and in the meantime, to "reassure" other Cybertronians, he was forced to wear a false wheel on his back. Eventually, even the Functionists found themselves stumped as to what Rung's purpose could be and so the problem was neatly sidestepped by creating a new entry in the Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy specifically for Rung's altmode: they classified him as an "ornament". Little Victories
 Plot details for Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet follow. |
Rung was subsequently employed by the Senate as a patho-psychologist, equal in rank to Froid. Births, Deaths, and Interventions In 4th Cycle 499, Rung was returning to his wellbeing clinic when a time-traveling Brainstorm attacked him with electric knuckledusters, knocking the psychiatrist unconscious. Stet
In 51st Cycle 500, Rung travelled to Croteus 12 after a secret Senate session amended the law to require two signatures on requests for personality adjustments. His arrival interrupted the use of the procedure on the exiled revolutionary Megatron, which had been approved by Froid. However, before Rung could assess whether he would countersign the operation, an underground energy surge prompted a complete evacuation of the facility. Births, Deaths, and Interventions
Once Zeta Prime rose to power, Rung served as a psychotherapist under the new Autobot regime. He provided literature and adjustment assistance to bots undergoing body augmentation or retrofitting, including the New Senate operative Orion Pax. Omega's Conundrum After Zeta's death and the outbreak of full-scale war, Rung was present during a battle that saw Metroplex and Trypticon clash. Primacy #4
As the war continued, Red Alert became one of Rung's patients. He'd stay one of Rung's patients for six centuries, his paranoia so bad it took ninety-seven sessions before he let Rung see his face, two hundred eighty-eight sessions before he told Rung his real name, and three hundred thirty-two sessions before he stopped recording their conversations. How Ratchet Got His Hands Back
Rung did a psychological evaluation of Impactor before his trial for unlawful executions. He ended up being physically assaulted and threatened with extreme violence if he tried 'putting ideas' in Impactor's head, but managed to calm the situation down. In the end, Rung was left questioning whether Autobot High Command shared the blame for Impactor's crimes for turning a blind eye to the robot's growing psychopathy. Impactor's Autopedia entry
Over time, Froid and other rivals inflicted irreparable damage on Rung's reputation. Long after their deaths, Rung would write papers but never distribute them.Signal to Noise
Rung later performed a pre-mission psych-screening on new Wreckers Rotorstorm, Ironfist, Pyro, and Guzzle to estimate if they were suited to be put on the Garrus-9 case. Rung was unimpressed by Rotorstorm's unrelenting bragging and joking, and found himself cutting through the charade when he mentioned Simanzi. Taking note of his dual personality, Rung declared him cleared for mission. Rotorstorm's Autopedia entry With Pyro, he diagnosed the robot as an extreme sufferer of Primus apotheosis and noted with sadness that the robot was suppressing his own engaging personality for a copy of another's. He cleared Pyro with reservations, noting that apotheosis sufferers were known for sacrificing themselves. Pyro's Autopedia entry With Guzzle, he cleared the 'bot as having personality flaws but no real psychological flaws, though he was unnerved by his disturbing habit of playing with his gun's safety. Guzzle's Autopedia entry
When screening Ironfist, he was impressed by his enthusiasm and knowledge, but not so much by his actual combat experience and mentality. Rung advised against Ironfist's participation, but retracted his negative conclusion when he received 'unsolicited advice' from an undisclosed party. Ironfist's Autopedia entry
Rung treated the shell-shocked Autobot Flattop. He discovered Flattop was a survivor of the Babu Yar atrocity, but that was not his immediate problem. What pushed him over the edge this time was an encounter with the Shimmer. Rung tried to give rational explanations for the appearance of Shimmer, but Flattop died right there in his office. Bullets
Kup, one of Rung's oldest friends, asked him to examine Springer after a zero point affliction had left him in a coma. Believing that certain emotional triggers could cause Springer's subconscious to force his spark across the zero point, Rung asked Roadbuster to read Wreckers: Declassified datalogs to him in hopes that the memories would have some effect. Zero Point
Rung was among the survivors of Cyclonus's attack on Kimia Facility. He and the others drifted in a cramped escape pod for some time until they were rescued by Arcee. Chaos Part Three: Kings Chaos Part Four: Genesis
After Cybertron was reborn in the wake of D-Void's defeat, Rung joined Rodimus's crew on the Lost Light in search for the Knights of Cybertron. Before he could get on the ship, his arm was detached by a wildly flying Cyclonus. How to Say Goodbye and Mean It After getting his arm repaired in Ratchet's care, Rung was choked by an irrational and unresponsive Whirl. The psychiatrist managed to get him to release his grip when he reminded Whirl that he would go back to prison, forever, if he didn't stay in line. When Skids joined the crew, Rung informed him of their quest. Hangers On Rung later had a close call with a Sparkeater, but was saved by Skids. Rodimus used the two to lure the Sparkeater so he could defeat it. The Chaos of Warm Things
As a result of his almost never using it, the nature of Rung's alternate mode became the subject of a 100 shanix wager between Swerve and Tailgate. A early blow in this "war" came when Swerve repeatedly threw a hand grenade at the back of Rung's head, hoping to trigger an involuntary mode change. Little Victories
Red Alert, previously thought cured, returned to therapy shortly after the launch of the Lost Light. Rung was concerned that all the progress they had made on Red Alert's rampant paranoia over the years was coming undone. Red Alert informed Rung that he was hearing noises coming from a crack in the floor of the Sparkeater's chamber. He gave him a recording of the noise which Rung vaguely recognized as a voice, albeit tremendously slowed-down. When they sped the sound up, the words "kill...me" could be identified. How Ratchet Got His Hands Back
Rung held a session with the newly-returned Fortress Maximus, whose mental state had been called into question after he had suffered torture and humiliation at the hands of Overlord for three years. Rung urged him to open up and explore his trauma, to no avail. Maximus later snapped and went on a rampage across the Lost Light, gunning down Autobots that reminded him of Overlord. Rung was in the middle of a session with Whirl when Max broke in and took them both hostage. Rung was bound to his chair and Whirl was overpowered and pinned to the ground. Rung tried to reason with Maximus, while simultaneously recording and broadcasting what was happening in his office through the microphone in his thumb. When Maximus noticed it, he tore Rung's thumb off.
As the situation dragged on, Rung continued to try and break through to Maximus. Max kept dodging the issue, pinning the reason for his actions on Prowl's delay in sending help to Garrus-9, instead of acknowledging that Overlord was at the root of his psychosis. Maximus then confronted Whirl, who told Maximus about his life. Rung expressed wonder at this, as there were details that Whirl told Maximus that he's never told Rung. Whirl replied that Rung had never threatened any of his friends, to Rung's visible surprise. When a holo-image of Overlord torturing him was projected into the room by Rewind, Maximus froze up and crumbled to his knees. Rung tenderly comforted him and the hostage situation appeared to be at an end. Unfortunately, a shot from Swerve meant to disable Fortress Maximus instead hit Rung in the head. A memorial service was later held for Rung, which Rodimus presided over. Interiors
Surprisingly, Rung's spark and brain module survived and the medical staff believed he might pull through: something Ratchet said was akin to a miracle. Later, after a visit by Skids and a horrified Swerve, Red Alert came to see the comatose psychiatrist. Believing that Rung's near-death was a result of the recording he had played to Rung, the paranoid security officer said he couldn't tell anyone else the truth he'd discovered — the voice was Overlord's, the sadistic Decepticon "strung up and sedated" in the bowels of the Lost Light. Expecting to be killed himself, he left a data slug of his findings in Rung's hand and said goodbye. Unfortunately, a Diagnostic Drone had recorded Red Alert's confession, and summoned a mysterious figure who removed the slug... Rules of Disengagement After the Lost Light's encounter with a Metrotitan, Swerve explained his religious interpretation of events to the comatose Rung. You, Me, and Other Revelations
After Rung's head was rebuilt, it took hours of patient work from First Aid to get Rung to be able to distinguish between people and objects. Then it took Swerve talking for 147 hours straight to get Rung to move again (placing a finger over Swerve's mouth). With Rung still locked into the fog of his own thoughtsSignal to Noise, Rewind decided that they could help repair the psychiatrist's brain by telling him a story: hearing stories required the brain to use its cognitive functions. He assembled a group of Autobots who'd all been part of interlinked events and tried to use the story to kick-start Rung's brain. And then he tried again. Patternism Not knowing when to try a different tack, he then tried a third time with a group of 'Bots who had been involved in a chain of events during the Clampdown and prompted them to talk about it. Post Hoc Rewind checked Rung again during the story later and still found no mental signs in him Patternism and he still showed no signs when the story was finished. Seeing that Rewind was on the wrong track, Skids tried a simpler idea, drawing from the sheer number of connections the psychiatrist had made during his lifespan without leaving an impact on many. He deliberately got his name wrong several times in front of him, and an irritated Rung immediately said his name was "Rung. Forever." An Intimate Beheading
After being fully repaired and helping Brainstorm develop holomatter avatars that could reflect an Autobot's inner psyche, he went down to Hedonia for shore leave with Swerve, Skids, Tailgate, Rewind and Cyclonus, Whirl, and Ultra Magnus, who just tagged along. The group spent the evening between a bar Cybertronian Homesick Blues and a gift shop, where the sight of a memory stick caused the psychiatrist to remember his last conversation with Red Alert. Signal to Noise After a violent outburst from Cyclonus saw the group leave the bar, Rung helped bring an unconscious Ultra Magnus back to the shuttle. Cybertronian Homesick Blues Back aboard the Lost Light, Rung shared Red Alert's concerns with Rodimus, but the ship's captain claimed to have greater priorities than immediately investigating. Signal to Noise
As part of the ongoing bet, Tailgate attempted to have Rung transform as part of an "alt-mode party", although the psychiatrist wound up simply bemused. When the Vis Vitalis contacted the Lost Light, Rung was excited at the prospect of meeting its captain, the superlative Thunderclash. However, the famous Autobot wound up held at gunpoint by his First Officer Paddox, who had been revealed as an Ammonite spy. Rung was instrumental in saving the day, allowing Swerve to wield his "ornamental" alt-mode as a blunt instrument with which to bludgeon the aggressor. Rung was also interviewed by Rewind, as part of the documentary the archivist was producing. Little Victories
Rung visited Fortress Maximus in the ship's brig, where he forgave the ex-warden for the events surrounding the psychiatrist's near-death. Their moment was interrupted, however, by an alarm signaling Overlord's escape into the ship. In the battle that followed, Rung mostly watched helplessly from the sidelines. Under Cold Blue Stars
After Overlord's defeat, Rodimus was left despondent and angry, and made angrier when Rung, correctly, realised his problem was that others had stopped Overlord and not him. At the funerals, Rung's stern, silent glance got Rodimus to admit that others, including the poor, dead Rewind, had saved the day. The Gloaming Speaking truth to power got Rung drafted for a mission to the legendary Luna 1, in pursuit of the missing Ultra Magnus: Rodimus needed someone who was willing to say things he didn't want to hear. After reaching the moon's surface, the group encountered a newly-ignited hot spot, but they were quickly chased away by a gang of mercenaries The Fecund Moon in the employ of Chief Justice Tyrest.
The group was charged with "crimes against creation", and shoved into a cell with a guy called Minimus Ambus. Rung swiftly picked up that Ambus had the same mannerisms, nervous tics, and speech patterns as Ultra Magnus. Keeping his suspicions to himself at first, Rung tested his theory by wearing his Autobot badge at an angle and deliberately making a mess. Before long, Ambus relented and confirmed his identity, House of Ambus explaining that "Ultra Magnus" was an identity passed down through the ages. Confused by the charges against the Lost Light crew, Ambus left to confront Tyrest, whilst Skids, Swerve and Getaway were dumped into the cell. The Divided Self
Getaway revealed that he and the amnesiac Skids had been dispatched by Prowl to alter the unstable Tyrest's memories, and used his escapology skills to break the entire group out. Rung and the others confronted Tyrest, his deranged plan to kill all cold-constructed Transformers and reach Cyberutopia revealed. Immobilizing the Lost Lighters, the Chief Justice activated his universal killswitch, Arm the Lonely but was defeated by Tailgate and Minimus Ambus. Whilst Rodimus and Perceptor used the Matrix of Leadership to disable the killswitch, Rung comforted First Aid, who had been goaded into killing Tyrest's accomplice Pharma. When a final order from Tyrest brought his Legislator robots back to accost Rung and the others, Tailgate saved the day by amending the law at the Chief Justice's computer console. This Calamitous Life
In the aftermath of the battle, Rung met with Fortress Maximus in Swerve's, and the ex-warden revealed that he had been offered the role of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord by Rodimus and Ultra Magnus. The Sound of Breaking Glass
Rung was at Swerve's when Brainstorm activated an electro-sensitive poison, knocking everybody who'd been drinking from the spiked engex vats unconscious. As a teetotaler, Rung merely wound up buried under a pile of his collapsed crewmates. The Custom-Made Now When Brainstorm, apparently revealed as a Decepticon, travelled back in time, Rung was recruited to the team pursuing the engineer into the past. Materializing in Alyon in 1st Cycle 502, the group encountered a team of insurgents and Outliers, led by Orion Pax, trying to protect a hot spot from Senate forces. Whilst the two teams rested, Rung was startled to discover that Roller was taking circuit speeders to keep up with his Outlier teammates, and warned of their health risks. After helping save the hot spot's newborn sparks, the Lost Light team followed Brainstorm further into the past, All Our Parlous Yesterdays to 4th Cycle 501, during the Clampdown.
Plot details for Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet follow. |
Rung was assigned to survey Maccadam's New Oil House, where he passed the time building a model of the Lost Light. Unbeknownst to him, he was observed by both Brainstorm, who realized that he had been pursued into the past, Stet and Quark and Nightbeat, who bickered over whether the psychiatrist was a Senate spy, or just a billy-no-mates. Post Hoc After Brainstorm time-jumped again, Rung's crewmates regrouped at Maccadam's to be sent even further into the past, to 4th Cycle 499. When the group split up, Rung was in the contingent that stayed at the bar, and was dispatched to fetch a curly straw for Tailgate. In doing so, however, he spilled a Senate cadet's drink. Stet After refusing to clean up the spill, the poor 'bot was tossed across the bar, right onto Impactor and Megatron's table. Chaos Theory Part 1 A barfight quickly ensued, away from which Rodimus dragged the unconscious Rung. Stet
Toys
Fictional toys
- Rung
- Accessories: Data Journal, "ARK-1" Model, Tech Specs Decoder
- In some time-lost continuity, Swerve tried to figure out a Rung toy. Its features included moveable eyebrows to alter the robot's expression, and a "Listening Mode."Little Victories
Notes
- A psychoanalyst named Rung was referenced in the unofficial Transformers novel Eugenesis, written by James Roberts.
- The name "Rung" is a reference to Carl Jung, founder of analytical psychology.[1] The mention of "Rungian analysis" in "How to Say Goodbye and Mean It" is a further play on this.
- Incidentally, the above reference to "Rungian analysis" came from Tailgate on his way to the original Ark. This means Rung was an established psychotherapist as far back as six million years ago, in the times of Nova Prime, making him one of the few identified survivors of that era. His age was also hinted on in "Zero Point" which established him as one of the oldest friends of Kup, whose entire shtick is being really old.
- Rung's longest suffering patient was Bluestreak.
- Alex Milne modeled Rung's appearance on actors Brent Spiner and David Hyde-Pierce.[2]
- More than a few hints have been dropped indicating that Rung is, well, more than meets the eye:
- Red Alert cites his "impressive" serial number of 1,000,000 in Liars Part 1
- He has an utterly unique alternate mode (a plot point in the Brainstorm-created alternate timeline, where a protestor "dressed" as Rung cries out "All hail the useless one!" in apparent reference to his alternate form.)
- The Sparkeater apparently seeks him out as having the brightest Spark on the ship in Liars Part 3
- Rewind describes him as a "historical constant", somehow always present during significant events while remaining outside them, in Shadowplay Part 3
- He somehow manages to stay (mostly) out of harm's way throughout millions of years of war and remain in like-new condition, as commented on by Ratchet in Liars Part 2
- He rather miraculously survives having his head destroyed.
- Despite all this, he remains curiously forgotten, unknown and overlooked by others.
- He is mentioned as having been "lost" - not killed or destroyed, but "lost" - in the explosion that created a quantum duplicate of the Lost Light - a curious choice of words leading to rampant fan speculation.
- Could it all be building up to something? Nahhhh, no chance of that!
- In his many Roberts-penned appearances, Rung tends to avoid being identified by his name while he's around others and conscious. In his comic appearances, his name is mispronounced or he's only described, only able to be named by others when they're not in his vicinity or when he's unconscious. In prose stories, others can name him directly while he's around. Rung's dismay at being unidentified and his general inability to be noticed likely tie in to the promo image for MTMTE #1, where Rung was identified as wanting "to be remembered."
- Rung's Holomatter avatar is named Mary Sue, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the literary term of the same name and a wink at fans who consider Rung to be Roberts' own alter-ego.
