Kup
Encyclopedia
Kup is the name of several fictional character
s in the Transformers
universe. All are older Autobots who are members of the Elite Guard. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time. Sometimes referred to as Sergeant Kup.
who can transform into a light bluish-green futuristic pickup truck
and wields a musket laser
. He has a wealth of experience and is well liked by the Dinobots
for his old war stories, of which he seems to have an endless supply.
The universal greeting used by Kup and Hot Rod appears in the game Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.
Kup was named the 6th oddest thing that G1 Transformers transform into by Topless Robot.
The present day Kup made his first chronological appearance in the UK story "Kup's Story" in issue #132. Believing himself to be old and a liability to his comrades, Kup had willingly set himself adrift in a spaceship. His solitude was interrupted when he chanced on a ship being attacked by alien pirates. Helping out he encountered Hot Rod, who begged him to help rescue Blurr. Kup refused as he thought he would just get the young Autobot killed. However, when Hot Rod brashly attempted to rescue Blurr on his own Kup, wracked by guilt, intervened and saved the two rookies. His confidence restored, Kup joined them in returning to Cybertron.
Kup made his first Marvel US appearance in the Transformers: Headmasters limited series as one of the Autobot crew led by Fortress Maximus
. He became a Targetmaster in the fourth and final issue of the series.
He then went on to appear in the regular Transformers comic series. With the elimination of so many of Prime's lieutenants (such as Prowl
, Jazz
and Grimlock
), Kup was promoted to Security Chief, providing the voice of experience when Prime's self-doubt threatened to overwhelm him. It was Kup who put up the most resistance when Prime surrendered to Scorponok
(in the hopes of forging an alliance to combat Unicron) and who also resisted when Prime freed them during Shockwave's attack.
Kup would appear again in issue #74, "The Void!" On Cybertron the combined forces of the Autobots and Decepticons were called home by the power Primus to battle Unicron. He aided in battle when a group on Unicron-possessed cultists attempted to kill Optimus Prime.
He was later one of the few to survive Bludgeon
's ambush in issue #80.
After Prime's resurrection, he went on to appear again in the Generation 2 comics.
Kup's first appearance came in the Marvel UK
Transformers Target: 2006 arc. He was unwittingly sent by Unicron
alongside Hot Rod and Blurr
, thwarting the future Decepticon Galvatron
in his plan to destroy Unicron in 1986 with aid from the present day Ultra Magnus
. He would appear in many of the movie-future themed stories, time-traveling again with Blurr and Hot Rod (now Rodimus Prime
) to recapture Galvatron and stop Death's Head
, leading the Autobots on Cybertron against the Unicron-controlled Decepticons in Prime's absence and battling the Quintesson
s on Earth. Things would come to a head when Galvatron's continued presence in the past (along with Scourge
and the now-deceased Cyclonus
) opened a time rift that threatened to destroy Earth and Cybertron. Kup was part of the group led back by Rodimus Prime to deal with the threat, but even they could not stand against Galvatron and his ally - a clone of Megatron (believed by all to be the real thing). Only Optimus Prime's defeat of Galvatron and Shockwave
depositing Cyclonus' body into the rift saved everything. In a bitter twist, Kup and the other future Autobots returned to find their own time-stream changed to a different, darker future, where Galvatron was alive and ruling most of Cybertron.
Kup appeared among the Autobots under the command of Rodimus Prime in the alternate future story "Aspects of Evil 2" from Marvel UK Transformers #224. In this story Rodimus Prime remembered how Galvatron, Crankcase, Ruckus and Windsweeper killed Blurr and then attacked Rodimus Prime, Kup, Arcee and the Battle Patrol. Enraged, Rodimus nearly destroyed Galvatron, but to keep the Matrix from being contaminated by hatred he relented.
Kup appeared in Marvel UK Transformers #251 "The Void!" where he was among the Autobot crew of a ship commanded by Rodimus Prime which was retreating from Cybertron.
and the third season of the original animated television series. He also serves as something of a mentor to the more rebellious and youthful fellow Autobot Hot Rod. Kup is also said to be among the oldest of the Transformers, a title held in the prior seasons by Ironhide
.
Kup first appears in the movie putting up a roadblock which Hot Rod ignores and demolishes. Kup later rescues Hot Rod and Daniel Witwicky from Decepticon
Blitzwing
.
Later, Hot Rod and Kup crash into an ocean on the planet Quintessa. He is captured by a giant mechanical squid which is then attacked and defeated by Hot Rod. On Quintessa, he uses the universal greeting when confronted by hostile alien
transforming robots. Although the ploy fails in this case, it leaves a lasting impression on Hot Rod, who uses it later on the planet of Junk. The pair are taken prisoner and meet Kranix who tells them about Unicron and who is soon after taken out and dropped into a pool full of Sharkticon
s. A fate which later befalls Kup and Hot Rod, who escape by creating a whirlpool, thus avoiding Kranix's fate.
Throughout the movie, Kup has an anecdote
for every situation, although at the sight of Unicron
attacking Cybertron
, he claims to have "never seen anything like this before." Alongside Springer
and Arcee
, he combats Unicron
's internal defenses until Hot Rod releases the power of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, destroying the Chaos Bringer. Upon seeing that Hot Rod had become Rodimus Prime, Kup states "I knew you had potential lad" as the new leader of the Autobots led him and the others in the escape from Unicron just as he explodes.
Kup would revisit Quintessa months later when he, Ultra Magnus
, and Spike Witwicky are kidnapped by the Quintessons. Kup and the others would escape with the help of Rodimus Prime
's strike force, shortly before the planet was destroyed by the Quintessons.
While investigating a shuttle crash, Kup determined that the craft had been torn apart by death crystals from the monster known as Chaos. Kup had encountered Chaos many years before, on the creature's homeworld, planet Dredd. On that previous visit, Kup had been captured and enslaved; he barely escaped, but left the other slaves behind in order to save himself. Kup lead a team of Autobots to planet Dredd to investigate, only to find that the Decepticons were building a new superweapon utilizing the crystals. During the course of the mission, Kup confronted Chaos once again, and this time he freed the slaves. With Chaos defeated and the slaves freed, the Decepticons fled the planet, and a dark part of Kup's past was redeemed.
Kup continued to play a key role throughout season 3, serving as security director. He watched over Rodimus Prime as a sort of father figure, noting that the new Autobot leader had a lot of the same growing pains as his predecessor, Optimus Prime. When Rodimus was feeling overpressured by the demands of leadership, Kup described it as giri - "the burden hardest to bear", and something Optimus had to learn to cope with and respect.
Kup was among the Autobots injured by Superion
during the hate plague outbreak. After Optimus Prime was revived, Kup was among the team of Autobots that joined the expedition to Chaar to recover the metal developed by Drs. Morgan and Swofford, previously stolen by Galvatron
, which was impervious to the plague. Kup bought time for Optimus and Sky Lynx
to escape with the metal, before becoming infected with the plague himself. Kup, along with everyone else who was infected, was subsequently cured by the power of the Matrix.
In season 4, Kup he becomes a Targetmaster
with a Nebulon named Recoil.
In the Japanese exclusive Headmasters series, the events of The Rebirth are ignored and Kup never became a Targetmaster, instead leaving Cybertron with Rodimus Prime and Blurr to find a new homeworld for the Autobots.
, Grimlock
, Kup and Wheelie
, along with their human allies Spike Witwicky and Daniel Witwicky send Computron into battle against Galvatron
's new warrior combiner Abominus. The Terrorcons spit "corrosive control liquid" against Computron, taking control of him and turning him into a Decepticon. Spike luckily uses his new Exosuit to free Computron with "defense spray." Defeated, Galvatron retreats.
Kup appears in the Generations 2011 issue #2 "The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos" where he is part of a team lead by Stepper to obtain a cure for nano-virus which is effecting some Autobots. When the Autobots arrive on Nebulos they are attacked by a group of Decepticons lead by Straxus. The Autobot are able to obtain the cure and bring it back to Earth, where Ricochet's team is commended by Optimus Prime.
Kup was among the Autobots featured in the 1986 book Galvatron's Air Attack and in the 1988 book and audio adventure Autobot Hostage by Ladybird books.
Kup appeared in the 1988 Ladybird Books
story Autobots Strike Oil by John Grant
.
video game Transformers: The Battle to Save the Earth
.he is also mentioned in the DS version of transformers war for cybertron in the first level when the player walks near a display board he appears as a dialog box saying the occasional cybertronian greeting :"ba weep granna weep ninny bong" and is also mentioned when ironhide says "yeah but that can be Kup's problem".
and Wheeljack
under the command of Grimlock
. This grouping is seen in a battle against the Decepticons at an orbital state on Cybertron. Kup sees his ally Overhaul
gutted by enemy fire. Their small band fights to hold the Decepticons back; they fail, see many neutral citizens murdered and are forced to retreat.
Kup stands up against Grimlock's leadership when he feels it is needed. When Optimus Prime and Megatron disappear in a prototype Space Bridge
accident, Kup follows, along with his re-established unit; the Lightning Strike Coalition. This is an offshoot of the Autobot faction.
In the present, along with Arcee
, Blaster
, Hot Rod and Wheelie
, Kup is part of a resistance group during Shockwave's control of Cybertron.
as part of the combined Autobot/G.I. Joe force trying to rescue Optimus Prime.
appearance in his own Spotlight issue as the only survivor of a crash on a deadly crystalline planet. Driven mad by the radiation, he ended up battling demons every night - in reality they were an Autobot rescue team sent to rescue him, with Kup's mind perceiving them as a threat. Springer
refused to give up, calling in Trailbreaker
. Trailbreaker used his forcefield to protect himself from the radiation and to allow Kup to recognise him. At that point Kup's Spark core failed, and Trailbreaker used his forcefield to contain the resulting explosion, before teleporting Kup and himself back to the Ark-17
. Kup was later shown being rebuilt, but it was unclear if his mind would recover. Prior to the accident, he is said to have trained some of the best Autobots, including Springer, Sunstreaker
, Sideswipe, Hot Rod and Optimus Prime himself.
It is later revealed that Kup is fully functional again due to a type of Pretender shell (which resembles his original body), constructed and programmed by Perceptor and Prowl, with a metallic cigar-like object keeping his crystal addiction at bay. This allows him to lead the Wreckers once again during the All Hail Megatron story arc and the upcoming mini-series Last Stand of the Wreckers.
Optimus Prime leads Bumblebee, Drift, Kup, Prowl, Ratchet and Wheeljack in Las Vegas
when a Cybertronian ship crashes containing Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and an infestation of zombies from another universe. Galvatron attempts to take command of the Autobots, and after fighting them explains his mission to stop an undead infestation. Wheeljack sets up an energy shield around the city to keep the infestation contained, but it will only last for 24 hours. Kup recognizes a Decepticon named Bayonet in Galvatron's command as not being right, and she is revealed to be the extradimensional vampire Britt.
to recover the secret cargo of the Autobot ship Van de Graaff, which has been downed by unknown forces, before the Decepticons could gain the cargo for themselves. Crashing on the planet Beta-Nine the Autobots encounter a Decepticon Skyraider force led by Banzai-Tron. During the battle Kup fools the Decepticons by hiding a blaster set for overload in a canister, pretending it was the secret cargo. The Autobots ware recovered and brought the cargo back to Magnum. They are awarded with the honor of becoming the first members of the Autobot Elite Guard
.
In The Coming Storm: Part 1 Kup is ordered by Landshark to move some boxes with the Autobot Elite Guard logo on them.
The Elite Guard Alpha Team and Strike Team did battle against a horde of ferrovorous bugs in one of Cybertron's city-states. Magnum then ordered the Strike Team to escort the Alpha Team to Space Port Bravo for their next mission. The Strike Team then reported to Magnum and Sentinel Major, who introduced them to the new Elite Guard Special-Ops Team, also called the Combaticons.
Thunderclash's Elite Guard squad reported to Magnum after the Combaticons killed most of the Guard. They attempted to show the Council that the Elite Guard was still functional, but arrived just as Optimus Prime was appointed the new commander of the Autobots.
Kup is among the Autobots present when Megatron attacks Iacon with his new weapon, Devastator.
, Rodimus Minor
, Sentinel Minor
and Elita One in his boot camp. Unbeknowest to him, he was training three Autobots that would soon become Primes (excluding Elita, who became Blackarachnia).
. He is among the Autobots left on Cybertron after Rodimus left on the Ark with troops who were only loyal to himself. During the story he commands Remote Patrol Six who is taking radiation readings when they discover a signal coming from zone Y-AT. Kup sends Downshift to investigate.
In Reunification Kup leads Warpath, Camshaft and Hound in an attempt to assassinate Optimus Prime. Optimus uses Ricochet as a shield to block a blast from Warpath, grabbing Warpath and throwing him into Hound. Optimus then crushes Kup's head with one hand as he shoots Camshaft.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s in the Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
universe. All are older Autobots who are members of the Elite Guard. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time. Sometimes referred to as Sergeant Kup.
Transformers: Generation 1
Introduced in 1986, Kup is an AutobotAutobot
Autobot, a faction of sentient robots from the planet Cybertron, are usually the main protagonists in the fictional universe of the Transformers, a collection of various toys, graphic novels, paperback books, cartoons and movies first introduced in 1984. In all but one Transformer story, the...
who can transform into a light bluish-green futuristic pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
and wields a musket laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
. He has a wealth of experience and is well liked by the Dinobots
Dinobots
Dinobots is the name of several teams of characters in the fictional Transformers Universe. The groups are made up of several robots, each of whose transformed mode is that of a dinosaur or similar prehistoric animal. They are called Dinotrons in the Japanese version; and ' in the Japanese dub of...
for his old war stories, of which he seems to have an endless supply.
The universal greeting used by Kup and Hot Rod appears in the game Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.
Reception
He was picked as the 6th worst Transformer of all time by X-Entertainment.http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/547.htmlKup was named the 6th oddest thing that G1 Transformers transform into by Topless Robot.
Marvel Comics
Note: UK exclusive appearances are in italics.The present day Kup made his first chronological appearance in the UK story "Kup's Story" in issue #132. Believing himself to be old and a liability to his comrades, Kup had willingly set himself adrift in a spaceship. His solitude was interrupted when he chanced on a ship being attacked by alien pirates. Helping out he encountered Hot Rod, who begged him to help rescue Blurr. Kup refused as he thought he would just get the young Autobot killed. However, when Hot Rod brashly attempted to rescue Blurr on his own Kup, wracked by guilt, intervened and saved the two rookies. His confidence restored, Kup joined them in returning to Cybertron.
Kup made his first Marvel US appearance in the Transformers: Headmasters limited series as one of the Autobot crew led by 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...
. He became a Targetmaster in the fourth and final issue of the series.
He then went on to appear in the regular Transformers comic series. With the elimination of so many of Prime's lieutenants (such as Prowl
Prowl (Transformers)
Prowl is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers series. "Prowl" is one of the most re-used American names in the assorted Transformers series, and its use has become almost synonymous with Autobots who possess a police car alternate mode...
, Jazz
Jazz (Transformers)
Jazz is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a music loving robot and talks with a slang accent. He is also a good friend of Optimus Prime's...
and 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...
), Kup was promoted to Security Chief, providing the voice of experience when Prime's self-doubt threatened to overwhelm him. It was Kup who put up the most resistance when Prime surrendered to Scorponok
Scorponok
Scorponok is the name shared by several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons that turn into Scorpoins.- Transformers: Generation 1:...
(in the hopes of forging an alliance to combat Unicron) and who also resisted when Prime freed them during Shockwave's attack.
Kup would appear again in issue #74, "The Void!" On Cybertron the combined forces of the Autobots and Decepticons were called home by the power Primus to battle Unicron. He aided in battle when a group on Unicron-possessed cultists attempted to kill Optimus Prime.
He was later one of the few to survive Bludgeon
Bludgeon (Transformers)
Bludgeon is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. For trademark reasons, he is now marketed by Hasbro as Decepticon Bludgeon. They are all Decepticon warriors who turn into tanks.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
's ambush in issue #80.
After Prime's resurrection, he went on to appear again in the Generation 2 comics.
Kup's first appearance came in the Marvel UK
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 Target: 2006 arc. He was unwittingly sent 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...
alongside Hot Rod and Blurr
Blurr
Blurr is the name given to five different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He frequently appears as a blue Autobot who transforms into a swift car...
, thwarting the future Decepticon 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...
in his plan to destroy Unicron in 1986 with aid from the present day 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...
. He would appear in many of the movie-future themed stories, time-traveling again with Blurr and Hot Rod (now Rodimus Prime
Rodimus
Rodimus is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. Rodimus is a young Autobot and succesor to Optimus Prime. He was formerly known as Hot Rod, but was reformatted as Rodimus Prime by the Matrix of Leadership and became the leader of the Autobots...
) to recapture Galvatron and stop Death's Head
Death's Head
Death's Head is a fictional comic book character, a robotic bounty hunter appearing in the books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Simon Furman and artist Geoff Senior for the company's Marvel UK imprint...
, leading the Autobots on Cybertron against the Unicron-controlled Decepticons in Prime's absence and battling the 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...
s on Earth. Things would come to a head when Galvatron's continued presence in the past (along with Scourge
Scourge (Transformers)
Scourge is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. He first appeared as one of the central villains in the 1986 film The Transformers, voiced by Stan Jones. He also regularly appeared in the animated Transformers series and Transformers comic books. Since then other...
and the now-deceased Cyclonus
Cyclonus
Cyclonus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:The tech spec from the box art of the Cyclonus toy describes him as a compassionless Decepticon air warrior and saboteur...
) opened a time rift that threatened to destroy Earth and Cybertron. Kup was part of the group led back by Rodimus Prime to deal with the threat, but even they could not stand against Galvatron and his ally - a clone of Megatron (believed by all to be the real thing). Only Optimus Prime's defeat of Galvatron and 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...
depositing Cyclonus' body into the rift saved everything. In a bitter twist, Kup and the other future Autobots returned to find their own time-stream changed to a different, darker future, where Galvatron was alive and ruling most of Cybertron.
Kup appeared among the Autobots under the command of Rodimus Prime in the alternate future story "Aspects of Evil 2" from Marvel UK Transformers #224. In this story Rodimus Prime remembered how Galvatron, Crankcase, Ruckus and Windsweeper killed Blurr and then attacked Rodimus Prime, Kup, Arcee and the Battle Patrol. Enraged, Rodimus nearly destroyed Galvatron, but to keep the Matrix from being contaminated by hatred he relented.
Kup appeared in Marvel UK Transformers #251 "The Void!" where he was among the Autobot crew of a ship commanded by Rodimus Prime which was retreating from Cybertron.
Animated series
Kup was introduced and featured in The Transformers: The MovieThe Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated feature film based on the animated series of the same name. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and in the UK on December 5, 1986....
and the third season of the original animated television series. He also serves as something of a mentor to the more rebellious and youthful fellow Autobot Hot Rod. Kup is also said to be among the oldest of the Transformers, a title held in the prior seasons by Ironhide
Ironhide
Ironhide is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ironhide was named after the television series Ironside.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
.
Kup first appears in the movie putting up a roadblock which Hot Rod ignores and demolishes. Kup later rescues Hot Rod and Daniel Witwicky from 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...
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...
.
Later, Hot Rod and Kup crash into an ocean on the planet Quintessa. He is captured by a giant mechanical squid which is then attacked and defeated by Hot Rod. On Quintessa, he uses the universal greeting when confronted by hostile alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
transforming robots. Although the ploy fails in this case, it leaves a lasting impression on Hot Rod, who uses it later on the planet of Junk. The pair are taken prisoner and meet Kranix who tells them about Unicron and who is soon after taken out and dropped into a pool full of Sharkticon
Sharkticon
-Transformers: Generation One:The ravenous Sharkticons, the most famous and deadly of the Quintessons' slaves, are rotund robots capable of transforming into ferocious, amphibious creatures...
s. A fate which later befalls Kup and Hot Rod, who escape by creating a whirlpool, thus avoiding Kranix's fate.
Throughout the movie, Kup has an anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
for every situation, although at the sight of 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...
attacking 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...
, he claims to have "never seen anything like this before." Alongside Springer
Springer (Transformers)
Springer is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. For trademark reasons, many toys of the character are named Autobot Springer.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and 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...
, he combats 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...
's internal defenses until Hot Rod releases the power of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, destroying the Chaos Bringer. Upon seeing that Hot Rod had become Rodimus Prime, Kup states "I knew you had potential lad" as the new leader of the Autobots led him and the others in the escape from Unicron just as he explodes.
Kup would revisit Quintessa months later when he, 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...
, and Spike Witwicky are kidnapped by the Quintessons. Kup and the others would escape with the help of Rodimus Prime
Rodimus
Rodimus is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. Rodimus is a young Autobot and succesor to Optimus Prime. He was formerly known as Hot Rod, but was reformatted as Rodimus Prime by the Matrix of Leadership and became the leader of the Autobots...
's strike force, shortly before the planet was destroyed by the Quintessons.
While investigating a shuttle crash, Kup determined that the craft had been torn apart by death crystals from the monster known as Chaos. Kup had encountered Chaos many years before, on the creature's homeworld, planet Dredd. On that previous visit, Kup had been captured and enslaved; he barely escaped, but left the other slaves behind in order to save himself. Kup lead a team of Autobots to planet Dredd to investigate, only to find that the Decepticons were building a new superweapon utilizing the crystals. During the course of the mission, Kup confronted Chaos once again, and this time he freed the slaves. With Chaos defeated and the slaves freed, the Decepticons fled the planet, and a dark part of Kup's past was redeemed.
Kup continued to play a key role throughout season 3, serving as security director. He watched over Rodimus Prime as a sort of father figure, noting that the new Autobot leader had a lot of the same growing pains as his predecessor, Optimus Prime. When Rodimus was feeling overpressured by the demands of leadership, Kup described it as giri - "the burden hardest to bear", and something Optimus had to learn to cope with and respect.
Kup was among the Autobots injured by Superion
Superion
-Transformers: Generation 1:Superion is the first Autobot special team to be created, and is the Autobots' first combiner, formed from five smaller robots who are able to transform into fighter-jets and planes.Members:* Silverbolt - Team leader.* Air Raid...
during the hate plague outbreak. After Optimus Prime was revived, Kup was among the team of Autobots that joined the expedition to Chaar to recover the metal developed by Drs. Morgan and Swofford, previously stolen by 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...
, which was impervious to the plague. Kup bought time for Optimus and 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,...
to escape with the metal, before becoming infected with the plague himself. Kup, along with everyone else who was infected, was subsequently cured by the power of the Matrix.
In season 4, Kup he becomes a Targetmaster
Targetmaster
Targetmaster is a subline of the Transformers toyline that include Nebulan sidekicks who can transform into the Transformers' weapons.-1987 Targetmasters:...
with a Nebulon named Recoil.
In the Japanese exclusive Headmasters series, the events of The Rebirth are ignored and Kup never became a Targetmaster, instead leaving Cybertron with Rodimus Prime and Blurr to find a new homeworld for the Autobots.
Manga
In the Japanese manga "Big War" #2, the Autobots Rodimus PrimeRodimus
Rodimus is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. Rodimus is a young Autobot and succesor to Optimus Prime. He was formerly known as Hot Rod, but was reformatted as Rodimus Prime by the Matrix of Leadership and became the leader of the Autobots...
, 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...
, Kup and Wheelie
Wheelie (Transformers)
Wheelie is the name of two different fictional characters in the Transformers series.-Generation 1:The first Wheelie is a young Autobot who turns into a car. He has a distinctive style of speech, in which he rhymes his sentences while speaking in a high pitched voice, making him sound like a child....
, along with their human allies Spike Witwicky and Daniel Witwicky send Computron into battle against 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 new warrior combiner Abominus. The Terrorcons spit "corrosive control liquid" against Computron, taking control of him and turning him into a Decepticon. Spike luckily uses his new Exosuit to free Computron with "defense spray." Defeated, Galvatron retreats.
Kup appears in the Generations 2011 issue #2 "The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos" where he is part of a team lead by Stepper to obtain a cure for nano-virus which is effecting some Autobots. When the Autobots arrive on Nebulos they are attacked by a group of Decepticons lead by Straxus. The Autobot are able to obtain the cure and bring it back to Earth, where Ricochet's team is commended by Optimus Prime.
Books
Kup appeared in the 1986 story and coloring book The Lost Treasure of Cybertron by Marvel Books.Kup was among the Autobots featured in the 1986 book Galvatron's Air Attack and in the 1988 book and audio adventure Autobot Hostage by Ladybird books.
Kup appeared in the 1988 Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.-History:...
story Autobots Strike Oil by John Grant
John Grant (children's author)
John Grant is a Scottish author and illustrator, possibly best known as the author of the Littlenose series of children's stories, which he read on the BBC's Jackanory in 55 programmes from 1968 to 1986....
.
Video games
Kup is one of eight playable characters in the 1986 Commodore 64Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
video game Transformers: The Battle to Save the Earth
Transformers: The Battle to Save the Earth
The Transformers The Computer Game Vol. 1: The Battle to Save the Earth is an action role-playing game released by Activision in 1986, based on the popular Transformers animated series. The game was released for the Commodore 64 in Datasette and floppy disk formats...
.he is also mentioned in the DS version of transformers war for cybertron in the first level when the player walks near a display board he appears as a dialog box saying the occasional cybertronian greeting :"ba weep granna weep ninny bong" and is also mentioned when ironhide says "yeah but that can be Kup's problem".
Dreamwave Productions
During the Cybertronian War's earlier years, a younger Kup served alongside IronhideIronhide
Ironhide is the name of several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ironhide was named after the television series Ironside.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
and Wheeljack
Wheeljack
Wheeljack is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Wheeljack is the mechanical engineer and scientist of the Autobots in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara and Hasbro. His...
under the command of 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 grouping is seen in a battle against the Decepticons at an orbital state on Cybertron. Kup sees his ally Overhaul
Overhaul (Transformers)
- Transformers: Generation 1 :In the Generation 1 Dreamwave Productions War Within series, Overhaul is part of a battle grouping alongside Kup, Grimlock, Ironhide and Wheeljack...
gutted by enemy fire. Their small band fights to hold the Decepticons back; they fail, see many neutral citizens murdered and are forced to retreat.
Kup stands up against Grimlock's leadership when he feels it is needed. When Optimus Prime and Megatron disappear in a prototype Space Bridge
Space Bridge
In Marvel Comics' Transformers comic and cartoon, the Space Bridge is a device used by the Decepticons to travel between different planets, usually between Cybertron and Earth.-Generation One:...
accident, Kup follows, along with his re-established unit; the Lightning Strike Coalition. This is an offshoot of the Autobot faction.
In the present, along with 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...
, 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...
, Hot Rod and Wheelie
Wheelie (Transformers)
Wheelie is the name of two different fictional characters in the Transformers series.-Generation 1:The first Wheelie is a young Autobot who turns into a car. He has a distinctive style of speech, in which he rhymes his sentences while speaking in a high pitched voice, making him sound like a child....
, Kup is part of a resistance group during Shockwave's control of Cybertron.
Devil's Due Publishing
Kup reappeared in the third G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers crossover series from Devil's Due PublishingDevil's Due Publishing
Devil's Due Publishing is an independent comic book publishers in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned properties that populate its monthly comic book series and graphic novels.Though...
as part of the combined Autobot/G.I. Joe force trying to rescue Optimus Prime.
IDW Publishing
Kup made his first IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
appearance in his own Spotlight issue as the only survivor of a crash on a deadly crystalline planet. Driven mad by the radiation, he ended up battling demons every night - in reality they were an Autobot rescue team sent to rescue him, with Kup's mind perceiving them as a threat. Springer
Springer (Transformers)
Springer is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. For trademark reasons, many toys of the character are named Autobot Springer.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
refused to give up, calling in Trailbreaker
Trailbreaker
Trailbreaker is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers toy line and animated television series. Due to trademark issues, newer toys of the character are named Trailcutter.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. Trailbreaker used his forcefield to protect himself from the radiation and to allow Kup to recognise him. At that point Kup's Spark core failed, and Trailbreaker used his forcefield to contain the resulting explosion, before teleporting Kup and himself back to the Ark-17
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....
. Kup was later shown being rebuilt, but it was unclear if his mind would recover. Prior to the accident, he is said to have trained some of the best Autobots, including Springer, Sunstreaker
Sunstreaker
Sunstreaker is the name of two fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. The first is one of the main Autobot cars from the original Transformers series...
, Sideswipe, Hot Rod and Optimus Prime himself.
It is later revealed that Kup is fully functional again due to a type of Pretender shell (which resembles his original body), constructed and programmed by Perceptor and Prowl, with a metallic cigar-like object keeping his crystal addiction at bay. This allows him to lead the Wreckers once again during the All Hail Megatron story arc and the upcoming mini-series Last Stand of the Wreckers.
Optimus Prime leads Bumblebee, Drift, Kup, Prowl, Ratchet and Wheeljack in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
when a Cybertronian ship crashes containing Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and an infestation of zombies from another universe. Galvatron attempts to take command of the Autobots, and after fighting them explains his mission to stop an undead infestation. Wheeljack sets up an energy shield around the city to keep the infestation contained, but it will only last for 24 hours. Kup recognizes a Decepticon named Bayonet in Galvatron's command as not being right, and she is revealed to be the extradimensional vampire Britt.
Fun Publications
He is a member of the crew of the Autobot ship Eight Track under the command of Thunderclash. In the early day of the last great Cybertronian war the Eight Track is ordered by Autobot commander MagnumMagnum (Transformers)
Magnum is a fictional character in the Transformers series.-Fun Publications:Magnum is one of the characters featured in the Transformers: Timelines story "Wings of Honor" by Fun Publications...
to recover the secret cargo of the Autobot ship Van de Graaff, which has been downed by unknown forces, before the Decepticons could gain the cargo for themselves. Crashing on the planet Beta-Nine the Autobots encounter a Decepticon Skyraider force led by Banzai-Tron. During the battle Kup fools the Decepticons by hiding a blaster set for overload in a canister, pretending it was the secret cargo. The Autobots ware recovered and brought the cargo back to Magnum. They are awarded with the honor of becoming the first members of the Autobot Elite Guard
Elite Guard (Transformers)
The Elite Guard are a fictonal group of Transformers who appear in Transformers fiction. They first appeared in the Transformers Animated television series.-Transformers Animated:...
.
In The Coming Storm: Part 1 Kup is ordered by Landshark to move some boxes with the Autobot Elite Guard logo on them.
The Elite Guard Alpha Team and Strike Team did battle against a horde of ferrovorous bugs in one of Cybertron's city-states. Magnum then ordered the Strike Team to escort the Alpha Team to Space Port Bravo for their next mission. The Strike Team then reported to Magnum and Sentinel Major, who introduced them to the new Elite Guard Special-Ops Team, also called the Combaticons.
Thunderclash's Elite Guard squad reported to Magnum after the Combaticons killed most of the Guard. They attempted to show the Council that the Elite Guard was still functional, but arrived just as Optimus Prime was appointed the new commander of the Autobots.
Kup is among the Autobots present when Megatron attacks Iacon with his new weapon, Devastator.
Mosaic
Kup appeared in the Transformers: Mosaic story "The Sting of Scorponok" by Josh “Richter” van Reyk.Toys
- Generation 1
- Originally designed for the movie.
- Generation 1 Targetmaster Kup (1987)
- A remold of the original toy with TargetmasterTargetmasterTargetmaster is a subline of the Transformers toyline that include Nebulan sidekicks who can transform into the Transformers' weapons.-1987 Targetmasters:...
partner Recoil and new holes to mount him in vehicle mode.
- Generation 1 reissue Targetmaster Kup with Wheelie Takara COLLECTION book-reissue (2005)
- Reissue of the 1987 mold with the inclusion of WheelieWheelie (Transformers)Wheelie is the name of two different fictional characters in the Transformers series.-Generation 1:The first Wheelie is a young Autobot who turns into a car. He has a distinctive style of speech, in which he rhymes his sentences while speaking in a high pitched voice, making him sound like a child....
. In this Takara COLLECTION book-reissue, Wheelie has a grey painted face with blue eyes. The vintageVintageVintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
Wheelie figure had an all-orange face. Kup is called "CHEAR" in the box and documentation of this set. This toy also received an eHobby repaint into Orion Pax with Targetmaster Barrelroller and Wheelie repainted as DionDion (Transformers)Dion is a fictional character from the Transformers series. He is a dock worker from the planet Cybertron and good friend to Orion Pax, who would later become the legendary Autobot leader Optimus Prime.- Animated series :...
.
- Timelines Deluxe Kup (2009)
- A redeco of the Cybertron Deluxe Red Alert available only at BotCon 2009. His head is molded to look like a younger version of his Generation 1 incarnation. The figure is molded in teal with orange stripes and Autobot Elite Guard emblems.
- Generations Sergeant Kup (2011)
- A new mold. Turns into a pickup truck.
- United Kup (Takara Tomy) (2011)
- The Japanese version of Generations Deluxe Sergeant Kup by Takara TomyTakara Tomyis a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
.
- United Autobot Set Deluxe Kup (2011)
- An eHobby Japan exclusive blue redeco of Generations Deluxe Kup with silver scratch marks all over the body parts. Part of the Autobot 3-pack with Rodimus and Scrapheap (a Wreck-GarWreck-GarWreck-Gar is the name of two characters from the Transformers universes. Both are unpredictable good-aligned characters who provide comic relief in their series.-Transformers: Generation 1:Wreck-gar is the idiosyncratic leader of the Junkions....
figure with a different head).
Transformers Animated
Kup trained OptimusOptimus 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...
, Rodimus Minor
Rodimus
Rodimus is the name of a fictional character from the various Transformers universes. Rodimus is a young Autobot and succesor to Optimus Prime. He was formerly known as Hot Rod, but was reformatted as Rodimus Prime by the Matrix of Leadership and became the leader of the Autobots...
, Sentinel Minor
Sentinel Prime
Sentinel Prime is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. First mention of Sentinel Prime was in issue #65 of the US Marvel Comics Transformers series, where he was mentioned to hold the Autobot Matrix of Leadership before Optimus Prime. Sentinel Prime has since...
and Elita One in his boot camp. Unbeknowest to him, he was training three Autobots that would soon become Primes (excluding Elita, who became Blackarachnia).
Transformers: Timelines
In Shattered Glass, Kup is an evil mirror universe duplicate of the Generation 1 character. He is a member of the Autobot Elite Guard and leads Autobot Remote Patrol Six. He is one of Optimus Prime's evil Autobots, but later sided with Rodimus Prime. He seems to be an Autobot of few words.Fun Publications
Kup appears as a member of the Autobots in the story Do Over by Fun PublicationsFun Publications
Fun Publications is a publishing company that runs the Transformers Collectors Club and G.I. Joe Collectors Club under licensefrom Hasbro. Besides releasing comics, Fun Publications releases exclusive toys and runs conventions for their clubs....
. He is among the Autobots left on Cybertron after Rodimus left on the Ark with troops who were only loyal to himself. During the story he commands Remote Patrol Six who is taking radiation readings when they discover a signal coming from zone Y-AT. Kup sends Downshift to investigate.
In Reunification Kup leads Warpath, Camshaft and Hound in an attempt to assassinate Optimus Prime. Optimus uses Ricochet as a shield to block a blast from Warpath, grabbing Warpath and throwing him into Hound. Optimus then crushes Kup's head with one hand as he shoots Camshaft.