Combaticons
Encyclopedia
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...

 military vehicles in the assorted fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....

s of the Transformers.

Transformers: Generation 1

The Combaticons are so named for their military vehicle alternate modes, and their proficiency in combat, working together as a smooth unit.

They are viewed as the counterparts to the Autobots' Protectobots
Protectobots
The Protectobots are a fictional emergency, search and rescue team of five Autobots in the Transformers toyline. They transform into civilian service and emergency vehicles and combine to form the combiner Defensor...

, a team composed of rescue vehicles. In addition to their individual abilities the team can combine their bodies and minds together to create the giant warrior, Bruticus.
  • Bruticus (later called Bruticus Maximus)

The team's combined form of Bruticus is a successful merging of the minds of the Combaticons. He is perhaps the most successful combiner, in that he is not slow and awkward like some other combiners, and will follow commands instantly and without question, with terrifying efficiency and awesome strength. Megatron is pleased with his prowess, and wishes that he had an army of Bruticuses. The only problem is that without someone to tell him what to do, Bruticus will do nothing. While this is the depiction that Bruticus's tech spec offered, his animated appearances showed him as frequently able to act independently, and rarely listen to anyone - even their creator Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...

.
Voiced by Roger C. Carmel
Roger C. Carmel
Roger Charles Carmel was an American actor.Of his hundreds of roles, he is best remembered for playing the flamboyant and hapless criminal Harry Mudd on the original Star Trek. Other memorable roles include the accountant Doug Wesley on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Colonel Gumm on Batman...

.
  • Onslaught
    Onslaught (Transformers)
    Onslaught is the name of two fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Both are leaders of the Combaticons who turn into missile launching vehicles.-Transformers: Generation 1:...


He transforms into an anti-aircraft truck.
He is the leader and as such he forms the head and torso of Bruticus.
He prefers to formulate strategies and tactics to defeat his opponents rather than sheer brute force.
However, when his plans fail, he can become a devastating force in battle, as his fury that his carefully laid out plans have been thwarted can inspire him to acts to violence.
Voiced by S. Marc Jordan.
  • Blast Off
    Blast Off (Transformers)
    -Transformers: Generation 1:Although Blast Off appears to be a cruel and ruthless opponent to the Autobots and a snob to his fellow Combaticons, he is in reality somewhat lonely, as his missions in space shuttle mode leave him feeling isolated. Combines with fellow Combaticons to form...


He transforms into a Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

.
He forms the right arm of Bruticus.
Although he appears to be a cruel and ruthless opponent to the Autobots and a snob to his fellow Combaticons, but along with Swindle, he is intelligent as well he is in reality somewhat lonely, as his missions in space shuttle mode leave him feeling isolated.
Additionally, in the animated series, his wings form the chest plate of Bruticus', although the toy does not function in this manner.
The 2009 Universe update of this character changes his alternate mode into a tank.
Voiced by Milt Jamin.
  • Vortex
    Vortex (Transformers)
    -Transformers: Generation 1:Vortex is the most out-and-out sadistic of the Combaticons, and functions as their interrogator. A favorite tactic of his is to trap Autobots in the huge wind funnels he creates in helicopter mode until they tell him what he wants to know. He combines with fellow...


He transforms into a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
He forms the left arm of Bruticus.
As the most out-and-out sadistic hothead of the Combaticons, he functions as their interrogator.
His favorite tactic is to trap Autobots in the huge wind funnels he creates in helicopter mode until they tell him what he wants to know.
He is known as Vorter in Japan.
Voiced by Johnny Haymer
Johnny Haymer
Johnny Haymer was an American actor who played Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale, a recurring character in the television series M*A*S*H. Another high-profile role was that of the painfully unfunny stand-up comedian in the Woody Allen film Annie Hall...

.
  • Brawl
    Brawl (Transformers)
    Brawl is the name given to several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes called "Decepticon Brawl" in the toy line for trademark purposes.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

     
    (later called "Decepticon Brawl")

He transforms into a Leopard Tank
Leopard tank
The Leopard is a main battle tank designed and produced in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought to make conventional heavy armour of limited value, the Leopard focussed on firepower in the form of the German-built version of the...

.
He forms the left leg of Bruticus.
While he is something of a loudmouth and the least intelligent, he is only telling the truth about his abilities.
He has an extremely short temper, provoking bursts of uncontrollable fury that leave him as little more than a berserker in battle.
Voiced by Tony St. James.
  • Swindle
    Swindle (Transformers)
    Swindle is the name given to several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Swindle originally appeared as a member of a group of five Decepticons known as the Combaticons who were able to combine together to form a larger robot known as Bruticus...


He transforms into a FMC XR311
FMC XR311
The XR311 was a prototype military vehicle of US origin, given the nickname G.I. Hotrod.-Development:Development of the XR311 commenced as a private venture in 1969 with the first of two prototypes being completed in 1970. As a result of the trials of these 2 prototypes the US Army purchased 10...

. The 2009 Universe update of this character changes his alternate mode into a helicopter.
He forms the right leg of Bruticus.
He is the most intelligent of the Combaticons.
He may look like he is the most friendly and of the group - in reality he would sell his companions in a heartbeat if it meant he made some cash on the side.
He is blessed with a smooth tongue that means he can sell anything to anyone - even oil to an Arab sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...

.
Voiced by Johnny Haymer
Johnny Haymer
Johnny Haymer was an American actor who played Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale, a recurring character in the television series M*A*S*H. Another high-profile role was that of the painfully unfunny stand-up comedian in the Woody Allen film Annie Hall...

.

Marvel Comics

The Combaticons had no explicitly stated origin in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

' Transformers series, but it can be safely assumed that they were given life by the energies of the Creation Matrix, tapped by the Decepticons via one of Bombshell
Insecticon
Insecticons is the name given to a sub-group of fictional characters in the Transformers Universes, referred to as Insectrons in the Japanese version. The name was also used for several fictional characters in the Transformers Universes...

's cerebro-shells implanted within Optimus Prime when the Protectobots were being created by the Autobots. The team's first mission saw Vortex being dispatched to scout the scientific facility responsible for creating the energy-generating device known as the Hydrothermacline, which Megatron and the team then attacked under cover of night, only to be met with opposition in the form of Optimus Prime and the Protectobots. Although both teams assumed their combined modes, facility staff member Ethan Zachary talked them into a different method of combat to prevent collateral damage - a virtual duel in the video-game realm of "Multi-World." The Combaticons were summarily defeated by the Protectobots and the game's digital inhabitants, but the contest ended in failure when Megatron cheated, forcing Optimus Prime to take an action that he would not in the real world, sacrificing the life of some of the game sprites. Believing himself to have cheated his own principles, Prime declared himself the loser of the game, and was destroyed. Unsatisfied with the victory, Megatron became increasingly paranoid, and severely damaged Brawl by crushing his head before surrendering to insanity and apparently destroying himself.

Some time later, the Combaticons tracked down the Throttlebot
Throttlebot
-Transformers: Generation 1:The Throttlebots, a sub-group of the Autobots, consist of six toys that could transform between a car and a robot. As a special gimmick, they feature a pullback motor.right|thumb|Throttlebot Chase toy...

s, a group of Autobots who were newly arrived from Cyberton, and had taken up with Goldbug
Bumblebee (Transformers)
Bumblebee is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. In most incarnations, Bumblebee is a small, yellow Autobot with the altmode of a compact car.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...

 and Blaster
Blaster (Transformers)
Blaster is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara Tomy and Hasbro. Due to trademark reasons, he is sometimes called Autobot Blaster...

, two Autobots who had rebelled against the tyranny of their current commander, Grimlock
Grimlock
Grimlock is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a tough leader who turns into a mechanical dinosaur...

. This resulted in another clash with the Protectobots, who had been dispatched to track Goldbug and Blaster down, with both forces meeting in a used car lot. The lot's owner tried to talk the two groups into an auction over the Throttlebots, rather than a fight, but Onslaught (unsurprisingly) refused to keep his part of the deal and battle broke out, with the Protectobots claiming victory thanks to some help from Blaster.

The Combaticons soon returned, however, attacking the Protectobots in a train yard as they were escorting the captured Blaster back to the Autobots' base. Finally, Bruticus and Defensor engaged in battle, and Bruticus won, until Blaster duped him into believing that he was on his side, and collapsed a set of power lines on him, forcing the Combaticons to disengage. To pay back a group of human children for their help in the battle, Blaster allowed them to affix a mode-lock of Blast Off, trapping him in space shuttle mode, who they then used to take a trip into space. They soon came under fire from the Autobots' spacecraft, the Ark
Ark (Transformers)
The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the Transformers Universe. It has appeared as a central fixture of the Transformers storyline ever since its creation, as the Autobots main method of transport to Earth and as a base once they arrive....

, and were pulled aboard, but when the misunderstanding was resolved, Blast Off himself was imprisoned. Blaster and Grimlock then engaged in a duel on the moon, during which Onslaught led a massive Decepticon attack against the Autobots, while the Constructicons liberated the captive Decepticons, including Blast Off, from aboard the Ark.

Despite the new appearances of their toy counterparts, the Combaticons continued to appear in their original color schemes throughout the new Generation 2 comic book by Marvel, which featured Onslaught sharing the pain of a destroyed Cybertronian due to a genetic link. The comic then offered the Combaticons their last hurrah, as they were attacked and destroyed by the forces of Jhiaxus
Jhiaxus
Jhiaxus is a fictional character in the Transformers universes. He is an evil Decepticon jet.-Transformers: Generation 2:Unlike most of the notable characters in the Transformers comics, Jhiaxus is not based on a toy...

 (as well as the traitorous Starscream) while defending the Decepticons' Warworld.

Animated series

Millions of years ago, during the early days of the third Great War on Cybertron
Cybertron
Cybertron is a fictional planet, the homeworld of the Transformers in the various fictional incarnations of the metaseries and toyline by Hasbro. In the Japanese series, the planet is referred to as "Cybertron" pronounced as セイバートロン Seibātoron...

, a group of "Renegade Decepticons" attempted to overthrow Megatron and assume leadership of the Decepticons for themselves. Their coup met with failure, and as punishment for their treason, Megatron ordered Shockwave
Shockwave (Transformers)
Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...

 to extract the quintet's personality components and destroy their bodies. For millions of years, the Renegade Decepticons' personality components were held in the Decepticon Detention Center, Room 217, until 1985, when they were liberated by Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...

.

Starscream, having gone one step too far in his constant quest to depose Megatron and become Decepticon leader, had been exiled from the faction and dumped on the island of Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...

, where he chanced to unearth some abandoned World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 vehicles left over from the battle there. Reminded of Blitzwing
Blitzwing
Blitzwing is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. He is always depicted as a Decepticon with two alternate forms, that of a jet and that of a tank...

 by a tank he came across, Starscream hit upon the idea of creating troops of his own, travelling to Cybertron and acquiring the Renegade Decepticons' personality components, which he installed into the refurbished vehicles, reconfiguring them into modern-day forms. Some of the 5 he had to change much: e.g. Blast Off the space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

 and Vortex the helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...

 were made out of crashed World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 fixed-wing aircraft, and Onslaught the missile truck out of a WWII-era half-track
Half-track
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling...

. Starscream deliberately neglected to equip the new bodies with energy absorbers, preventing the newly-christened "Combaticons" from refuelling, forcing them to obey his commands so that they could acquire them. After two strikes, capturing several Autobots and Decepticons, and in the process, making Megatron think that the Autobots were responsible, the Combaticons took their captives' energy absorbers and re-energised themselves, before coming under attack from Megatron's forces. As the Constructicons
Constructicons
right|thumb|Scavenger, Bonecrusher, Longhaul, Scrapper & Mixmaster - five of the original six Constructicons The Constructicons are a group of fictional characters from the various Transformers continuities...

 formed Devastator, Starscream revealed the new power he had given the Combaticons for just that eventuality, as they combined into Bruticus and bested Devastator, only to be blindsided by Menasor and defeated. Many fans believe that their rivalry with the Stunticons is far more intense than with the Protectobots, due to Stunticon interference causing their first defeat.

Captured by Megatron, Starscream and the Combaticons were exiled to an asteroid floating in deep space, but Onslaught soon conceived a plan for revenge and had Blast Off tow the asteroid to Cybertron. Enraged by his predicament and infuriated by the Combaticons' failure to perform, Starscream attempted to return to Earth under his own power, while the Combaticons successfully arrived on Cybertron and quickly and efficiently defeated Shockwave's sentinel army, seizing Shockwave who had been stunned while in his laser cannon mode, and actually wielding him as a huge hand-held weapon before blasting Shockwave into space and taking control of the planet. Wiring his missile guidance systems into the space bridge, Onslaught manipulated Earth's orbit and sent it towards the sun. It took the unlikely team up of Megatron, Optimus Prime and Starscream to stop the Combaticons, distracting them with a hologram projector long enough to reverse the Earth's fate, then allowing Prime to strike at Bruticus's built-in weak spot (Starscream put it there in case Bruticus rebelled), identified by Starscream. The trio voted to destroy Bruticus, with Megatron delivering the fatal blast, but in reality had used the hologram projector to create an illusion to fool Optimus Prime, planning to reprogram the Combaticons to serve him.

The Combaticons appear in the episode "Aerial Assault" (episode 58), which was seemingly aired out of order before the origin of the Combaticons.

The reprogrammed Combaticons were soon deployed on a mission to the Middle East, working with the local black market to smuggle jet parts to Megatron, which he used to build a drone jet army. Later, in battle with the Protectobot
Protectobot
The Protectobots are a fictional emergency, search and rescue team of five Autobots in the Transformers toyline. They transform into civilian service and emergency vehicles and combine to form the combiner Defensor...

s, Bruticus was heavily damaged, and rather than repair his comrades, Swindle opted to sell their parts to assorted "clients." The enraged Megatron ordered him to reacquire the parts so that Bruticus could wield their new gravity-manipulating weapon, but when Swindle could not find Brawl's personality component, a bomb was installed in his body to give him extra incentive. Brawl's component, meanwhile, had inadvertently wound up incorporated into a high school science project robot nicknamed "B.O.T.", which caused it to run amok, drawing in Swindle and a team of Autobots; Swindle was eventually able to remove the component, but B.O.T.'s creators then used him to destroy Bruticus's new weapon.

The Combaticons were not part of the Battle of Autobot City, but were on Cybertron when the world-eater, Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...

, attacked it in 2005, and, heavily damaged, were forced to relocate to the planet of Chaar with the other Decepticons when the Autobots reclaimed their home world. They participated in the Decepticon/Quintesson
Quintesson
Quintessons are fictional aliens from the Transformers universe. Within the TV series, they are the creators of the Transformers, although in most other fictional universes featuring the Transformers, they have no such status...

 alliance's attacks on Goo and Cybertron, and later attempted to eliminate the Decepticon traitor, Octane, and destroyed an Autobot shuttle in hopes of scuttling a peace conference, as well as aiding in the invasion of Paradron and an attack on Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. In 2007, the Combaticons were part of the invasion force that struck Cybertron, and went to work constructing a massive rock engine on the planet's surface, which, fuelled by the power packs of the defeated Autobots, moved Cybertron into the Sol system, where Galvatron
Galvatron
Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...

's plan to use the Plasma Energy Chamber was foiled by Spike Witwicky and Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus is the name of several fictional characters from several of the various Transformers universes. Fortress Maximus appeared in the season 4 finale of the US Transformers animated series voiced by Stephen Keener. He was one of the stars of the Japanese Transformers: Headmasters...

.

The Combaticons' voices were supplied by S. Marc Jordan (Onslaught), Milt Jamin (Blast Off), Johnny Haymer
Johnny Haymer
Johnny Haymer was an American actor who played Staff Sergeant Zelmo Zale, a recurring character in the television series M*A*S*H. Another high-profile role was that of the painfully unfunny stand-up comedian in the Woody Allen film Annie Hall...

 (Swindle, Vortex), Tony St. James (Brawl) and Roger C. Carmel
Roger C. Carmel
Roger Charles Carmel was an American actor.Of his hundreds of roles, he is best remembered for playing the flamboyant and hapless criminal Harry Mudd on the original Star Trek. Other memorable roles include the accountant Doug Wesley on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Colonel Gumm on Batman...

 (Bruticus). The characters continued to make brief appearances in the Japanese-exclusive Transformers: The Headmasters
Transformers: The Headmasters
is a Japanese anime television series.-Development:Inititally, Takara, the Japanese producers of the Transformers toyline, imported the American Transformers cartoon series from 1985 to 1986...

series, usually merged as Bruticus and battling other combiners, and Bruticus was one of the nine "Decepticon Generals" assembled by the insectoid Violenjiger in the single episode of 1990's Japanese Transformers: Zone
Transformers: Zone
is a one-shot OVA exclusive to Japan in the fictional Transformers universe.-Development:Originally intended to be a full TV series, Transformers: Zone was forced to become direct-length direct-to-video due to less than expected toy sales. The series was canceled after just one episode at 25 minutes...

series. Bruticus was perhaps the only one of the generals who survived the series, arguably making him one of the oldest surviving Decepticons from G1.

Dreamwave Productions

Dreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions
Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers comic book series...

' 21st Century re-imagining of the Generation 1 universe took its inspiration for the Combaticons from the original animated series, casting them as Decepticon prisoners who were reduced to protoform stasis because they were too dangerous to be released.

Onslaught, Brawl, Blast Off and Vortex originally appeared as part of Shockwave
Shockwave (Transformers)
Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...

's attack on Iacon in the first War Within series. At the same time Swindle was with Starscream, Motormaster, Runabout
Runabout (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:The first Runabout formed one half of the Battlecharger duo with Runamuck. Runabout is not the brains of the Battlechargers, but he is much calmer and certainly more articulate than Runamuck, and his presence helps keep the latter's cross-wired mind on task...

 and Runamuck
Runamuck (Transformers)
Runamuck is the name of three fictional characters in the various Transformers series. All three are violent Decepticons who turn into cars. In the original Transformers animated series Runabout was voiced by Roger Behr.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...

 when Starscream examined Laserbeak
Laserbeak
Laserbeak is the name given to several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. He is almost always a mechanical bird, and is partnered with Soundwave.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

's data to see Megatron's data on the state of Cybertron.

Later, when Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...

 led a rebellion against Shockwave's domination of Cybertron in 2003, Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...

 took the opportunity to form a power base, taking the protoform Combaticons to Earth and outfitting them with new alternate modes taken from an abandoned military base, then leading them in an attack on the Ark
Ark (Transformers)
The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the Transformers Universe. It has appeared as a central fixture of the Transformers storyline ever since its creation, as the Autobots main method of transport to Earth and as a base once they arrive....

 in order to acquire parts to make the Decepticon space cruiser, the Nemesis, spaceworthy. Confronted in battle by Brawn
Brawn (Transformers)
Brawn is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. All are tough Autobots who turn into offroad vehicles.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Bruticus was caught in an explosion as Ratchet
Ratchet (Transformers)
Ratchet is the name of several characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ratchet was named after the character of Nurse Ratched from the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The name Ratchet is almost always portrayed as...

 self-destructed the Ark, but he survived the conflagration, only to be knocked out by artillery fire from an incoming Autobot shuttle. After a battle with the evil clone, Sunstorm
Sunstorm (Transformers)
Sunstorm is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. Sunstorm is always a Decepticon allied jet who is yellow or orange in color.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Brawn opted to work out some of his stress on Bruticus's unconscious body, punching the gestalt about the head until his comrades yelled at him to stop. Bruticus would return, battling Sky Lynx
Sky Lynx
Sky Lynx is the name of several different characters in the fictional Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Sky Lynx consists of two separate components: a space shuttle that can transform into a bird-like creature , and a ground transport vehicle,...

 for Starscream's amusement - until the Predacons appeared in their combined form of Predaking. The two gestalts battled as Starscream fled and Bruticus lost. The ultimate fate of the Combaticons in the Dreamwave universe was not revealed, due to the company's closure.

Transformers/G.I. Joe

Bruticus would also appear in the Dreamwave G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover, but with a radically different origin. Here he was not formed from the five Combaticons or even a Transformer at all: he was a robot created by Destro and Starscream using a hybrid of Cobra and Decepticon technologies. Destro
Destro
Laird James McCullen Destro XXIV, usually referred to simply as Destro, is a fictional villain from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys from Hasbro. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston in the 2009 live-action film, G.I...

 and Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...

 planned to wait out the inevitable battle between the Autobots/G.I. Joe and Decepticons/Cobra, then use Bruticus to force whatever remained into submission to them. The assault proved successful, killing Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander
Cobra Commander is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe franchise. He appears in the toyline, animated series , comic books, video games, and movie as the usual principal antagonist. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra, and archnemesis of the Joes...

. However, the plan was thwarted when Snake Eyes opened the Matrix, deactivating all Transformers - including Bruticus, who was partly created from their technology.

Devil's Due Publishing

The Combaticons would also make a brief appearance in the third crossover between G.I. Joe and the Transformers. They were seen trying to hold back the combined Autobot/G.I. Joe rescue force trying to recover Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...

, while Onslaught was seen as one of the Decepticons that tried to stop Optimus Prime from attacking Serpentor
Serpentor
Serpentor is a fictional character from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, a line of military-themed toys created by Hasbro. The character was introduced in 1986 as a toy with an air chariot and included in the animated series that same year.-Toys:...

, but was incapacitated by Prime wielding Razorclaw's sword.

IDW Publishing

Swindle made a solo appearance in the Spotlight issue on Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers storylines.-Transformers: Generation 1:The greatest Transformer of them all. A commander could want no finer a soldier than Ultra Magnus...

, as a free lance arms dealer apprehended by Magnus. He does not appear to be part of the Combaticons team. The other members appeared in the issue on Arcee
Arcee
Arcee is the name of a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. She is a female Autobot, usually pink in color. Being the most famous of the Female Transformers, she has two primary forms...

, being used as the vanguard of the Decepticon attack on Garrus-9. They easily wiped out all opposition before them, but encountered more of a problem with Arcee herself, who took out Brawl and Blast Off. Despite this, they were successful in abducting the Monstructor components
Monster Pretenders
The Monster Pretenders are a group of fictional Decepticons in the Transformers franchise. The team is the last of the traditional combiners from the Generation 1 series and is one of the few non-Micromaster combiner teams to have six members .-Transformers: Generation...

 for Banzai-Tron.

Toys

  • Generation 1 Bruticus (1985)
Originally released in Japan as a Diaclone
Diaclone
Diaclone was a toyline by Takara Toys launched in 1980. It consisted of transforming vehicles and robots piloted by miniature, magnet-shoed figures spun off from the prior Microman toy line that were in turn called an Inch-Man....

toy.
  • Generation 2 Bruticus
With the release of the Transformers: Generation 2
Transformers: Generation 2
Transformers: Generation 2 is the name used to refer to a Transformers toy line, television series and comic book series which ran from 1993-1995...

toyline in the 1990s, the Combaticon toys were re-released with new, brightly-colored paint jobs, and Onslaught himself came with an additional missile launching accessory.
  • Revenge of the Fallen Bruticus Maximus (2009)
In 2009, a set of five Combaticons was released as part of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...

toy line. This marks the return of the five original Combaticons to the toy line since their last appearance in Generation 2. This version of the Combaticons is a redeco of the Energon Combaticon toys done as a direct homage to the Generation 1 toy colors. There are some changed in the line-up: Brawl is now called "Decepticon Brawl" for trademark purposes, Swindle is now a helicopter, Blast Off is now a tank, and the combined form is called "Bruticus Maximus" for trademark reasons.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

The Combaticons were repainted and remolded as the Decepticon Commandos for Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Transformers: Robots in Disguise, known in Japan as , is a Japanese anime television series and serves as a self-contained universe separate from any of the other existing Transformers universes...

. In the Japanese Car Robots version, they are called the Combatrons.

Transformers: Energon

In the parallel universe of 2004's
Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Energon
Transformers: Energon, known in Japan as , is the 2004–2005 Transformers toyline, animated series and comic book series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara and a direct sequel to Transformers: Armada...

a combining team of five robots similar to the Combaticons exists, who form the giant robot known as
Bruticus Maximus (simply Bruticus in Japan).

The team consists of:
  • Barricade (Onslaught in Japan), the leader of the team who forms the central body of Bruticus Maximus.
  • Blight (Swindle)
  • Kickback (Brawl)
  • Blackout (Blast Off)
  • Stormcloud (Vortex)


Each limb can form either an arm or a leg for Bruticus Maximus. None of the figures received any biographical information.

Animated series

The animated series does not refer to any of the components by name - in it, only the central body is intelligent, and the limbs are drones. The five robots transform only from vehicle mode into combined mode, never into their individual robot forms (apart from one out-of-continuity episode).

Bruticus Maximus was one of four combining Transformers sealed away in stasis beneath the surface of Cybertron to guard a hidden reservoir of Super Energon. Megatron, guided by Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...

, set out to search for it, and destroyed one of the immobile robots in his rage (strangely enough, a second Superion Maximus
Aerialbots
The Aerialbots are a group of Autobots that transform into aircraft and combine to form the giant robot Superion. They were introduced into the Transformers toyline in 1985 and sold as a Superion gift set, and then sold separately in 1986 in most department stores...

), only for the reservoir to then reveal itself. As the guardians awakened, Megatron immersed himself in the Super Energon to upgrade himself into Galvatron
Galvatron
Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...

, and Bruticus Maximus and Constructicon Maximus
Constructicons
right|thumb|Scavenger, Bonecrusher, Longhaul, Scrapper & Mixmaster - five of the original six Constructicons The Constructicons are a group of fictional characters from the various Transformers continuities...

 immediately swore fealty to Galvatron as the one who had awoken them. However, their "brother," Superion Maximus
Aerialbots
The Aerialbots are a group of Autobots that transform into aircraft and combine to form the giant robot Superion. They were introduced into the Transformers toyline in 1985 and sold as a Superion gift set, and then sold separately in 1986 in most department stores...

, refused, recognising Galvatron's evil and siding with the Autobots.

Bruticus Maximus added plenty of firepower to the Decepticons' side, and he and Constructicon Maximus had several clashes with the "traitorous" Superion Maximus, until the time for their final battle came, set against the backdrop of the struggle to stop the Unicron-possessed Galvatron out in space. Constructicon Maximus was deactivated by Superion Maximus, who then had his limbs destroyed by Bruticus Maximus, but transferred Constructicon Maximus's limbs to himself and used them to defeat Bruticus, along with a little help from the ghost of the "brother" Megatron had destroyed.

Bruticus Maximus was voiced by Trevor Devall
Trevor Devall
Trevor Devall is one of the various voice actors who works for Ocean Group, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.Trevor has performed various anime roles, most notably Mu La Flaga of Gundam SEED. Other anime roles include Mukotsu of InuYashas Shichinin-tai, as well as the multiple faces of...

 in the U.S. and by Makoto Yasumura in Japan.

Dreamwave Productions

Although Dreamwave Productions' Transformers: Energon series was canceled before it was able to introduce Bruticus Maximus, art of him and the team members was seen done for the unreleased issues of Transformers Energon: More Than Meets The Eye.

Transformers: Power Core Combiners

In the 2010 Transformers: Power Core Combiners
Transformers: Power Core Combiners
right|250pxTransformers: Power Core Combiners is a 2010 toy line by Hasbro that combines elements of Combiners, Targetmasters and Mini-Cons...

 toy line, the Decepticon Bombshock leads a Combaticon army that consists of four military vehicle drones. These drones can transform Bombshock into a larger robot by forming his limbs.

Toys

  • Power Core Combiners Bombshock with Combaticons (2010)
A new mold, which closely resembles the original Combaticon leader Onslaught
Onslaught (Transformers)
Onslaught is the name of two fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Both are leaders of the Combaticons who turn into missile launching vehicles.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

. Comes with four drone vehicles: a half-track
Half-track
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cross-country capabilities of a tank and the handling...

, an armored car, a missile carrier and a tank - all of which combine with Bombshock to form a larger robot.
The Bombshock mold is also used for the Autobot Steelshot with Beacon.


Books

Appears in the novel Transformers: Exodus. Onslaught
Onslaught (Transformers)
Onslaught is the name of two fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Both are leaders of the Combaticons who turn into missile launching vehicles.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

is one of them. He forms part of Bruticus Maximus.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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