Bludgeon (Transformers)
Encyclopedia
Bludgeon is the name of several fictional character
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 universes
Transformers universes
is an entertainment franchise. It began with the Hasbro Transformers toy line, centered on two factions of warring alien robots which are called the Autobots and the Decepticons...

. For trademark reasons, he is now marketed by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...

 as 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...

 Bludgeon
. They are all Decepticon warriors who turn into tanks.

Transformers: Generation 1

Bludgeon's toy, produced in 1988, was part of Pretenders
Pretenders (Transformers)
Pretenders is a subline within the Transformers toy line, introduced in 1988. The concept behind the toy was that the Transformers were capable of disguising their robotic forms through the use of synthetic organic outer shells.-Cloudburst:...

 subline — a small Transformer that fits inside a larger shell. Bludgeon's outer shell resembles a human skeleton
Human skeleton
The human skeleton consists of both fused and individual bones supported and supplemented by ligaments, tendons, muscles and cartilage. It serves as a scaffold which supports organs, anchors muscles, and protects organs such as the brain, lungs and heart....

 dressed in traditional 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...

ese samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

 armor. The inner robot transforms into a green and red tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...

 with a purple barrel. The barrel could be used as a hand weapon while the turret could be used as a shield for the outer shell. Also Octopunch 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...

 are like Bludgeon. Bludgeon's biography listed him as a ferocious warrior who is skilled at the ancient Cybertronian martial art known as metallikato.

Bludgeon was voted the 3rd top Transformer who was bad ass in the comics by Topless Robots.

Marvel Comics

Bludgeon had a prominent role in the Marvel
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
The Transformers (Marvel comic)
The Transformers was an 80-issue American comic book series published by Marvel Comics telling the story of the Transformers. Originally scheduled as a four issue mini-series, it spawned a mythology that would inform other versions of the saga...

comic. He was initially part of a new incarnation of the Mayhem Attack Squad in the UK comics, and would later appear in smaller group with Stranglehold and Octopunch, tasked by Decepticon commander Thunderwing
Thunderwing
Thunderwing is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. Introduced in 1989, he was a major villain in the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Although Thunderwing was created after the US Transformers television series ended, the character of Black Shadow did appear in...

 to kill the Autobot Classic Pretenders (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...

, Bumblebee
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 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...

). He battled the Autobots at the center of 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...

, being partially responsible for waking Primus
Primus (Transformers)
Primus is the "benevolent" godlike entity in the fictional Transformers comic universe who fought against the Chaos-Bringer Unicron. The Lord of the Light, Primus is the being who created the Transformers to help him defeat Unicron.-Primus and Unicron:...

 and attracting 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 attention. After Thunderwing's death, Bludgeon joined up with the Earthbound Decepticons, and quickly became bodyguard to their leader 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:...

.

Bludgeon 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 of Unicron-possessed cultists attempted to kill Optimus Prime.

Following the battle with Unicron (and Scorponok's death), he found himself in a position of influence and worked his way into becoming a key member of the Autobot-Decepticon alliance. From here, he managed to become Decepticon leader and inspired them to turn away from the alliance and back towards conquest. He left the Autobots to die and invaded the peaceful world of Klo
Klo
-Other:* Klo, a fictional planet in the Transformers comic books* KLO, a news/talk radio station broadcasting out of Ogden, Utah...

, causing a bloodbath, and when the Autobots tried to stop him, he ambushed and exterminated them. If not for the intervention of 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...

 and the Last Autobot, he'd have won the war in that single battle; instead, he had the Decepticons retreat to regroup.

He originally (and concurrently) appeared in the UK Earthforce stories, but their canonical placement is unknown and assumed by some fans to take place after U.S. #80. Here, he led a new version of the Mayhems in the assassination of renegade Decepticons Catilla
Catilla
Catilla is a genus of fungus in the family Cyphellaceae....

 and Carnivac for their joining the Autobot Survivors group. He personally killed Catilla and for that, Carnivac had a terrible revenge — getting Bludgeon captured by Autobots instead of killed, a humiliation to his warrior image so bad it was worse, to Bludgeon, than death. Recovering fast, he engaged in psychological warfare against his cell warden Inferno
Inferno (Transformers)
Inferno is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. Despite having different alternate modes, the character name has been most associated with the form of a fire engine.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, staying completely silent and still to increasingly unnerve him to the point where he got sloppy; at that point, Bludgeon telekinetically had his sword escape from an ammo store and viciously wound Inferno, allowing the Mayhems to escape. They would later return, trying to kill 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...

 and Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

 for the bounty placed on their heads by Megatron 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...

.

In the 1991 UK Annual, Bludgeon appeared in the text story "Another Time and Place", a story intended to end the series on a more final note. He and his followers retrieved the mangled body of Megatron after the crash of the Ark and attempted to revive it with a new strain of Nucleon
Nucleon (Transformers)
Nucleon is a power source in the fictional Transformers universe. It was introduced during the beginning of the Action Masters toyline in 1990. The Action Masters were composed of small-scale 3¾" Transformers, a mixture of pre-exisitng characters, who were designed to closely resemble their...

. His plan was thwarted by Optimus Prime 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...

, and Bludgeon was seemingly destroyed by a rewired construction droid. The story was seemingly ignored when 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...

began years later, as things were restored to the status quo established before the text story, such as Megatron's fate, and when Megatron does return in the Generation 2 comics, Bludgeon does not welcome him but instead decries him as a fool who should have stayed dead.

At the start of the Generation 2 series, the war was considered over and Bludgeon's Decepticons were thought gone. Instead, Bludgeon had used this long absence to regroup and rearm, creating a large planet-like spacecraft known as the Warworld, which functioned as a vessel for pirating resources throughout the galaxy. He then made a bid to lure Optimus Prime to Earth to steal the Autobot Creation Matrix
Autobot Matrix of Leadership
The Matrix of Leadership or Creation Matrix in the fictional Transformers universes is the Autobot talisman of legend, passed down from leader to leader. It consisted of an oval-shaped container, holding a glowing crystal. To open the Matrix is to release an unpredictable wave of power from the...

 so life could be granted to a new generation of Decepticon warriors. The plan involved a full-scale attack on Earth, killing millions, but unfortunately for Bludgeon, instead of Optimus he attracted Megatron, who wanted command of the Decepticons for himself once more. The two fought a brief duel and Bludgeon was killed, the skull head of his Pretender shell kept as a trophy aboard the Warworld. Megatron would go on to use Bludgeon's plan and warship, and would later consider aloud that he may have been too hasty to kill such a capable Decepticon.

In the short-lived UK Generation 2 comic, Bludgeon personally led an attack on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and did manage to attract Optimus Prime's attention but was defeated when the two fought.

Condor Verlag

In a story called "By their Blasters you shall know them ...!" from Transformers Comic-Magazin issue #12 by German comic publisher Condor Verlag 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...

 instructs Backstreet, Bumblebee
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 Ruckus
Ruckus (Transformers)
-Transformers - Generation 1:He did not appear in an episode of any Transformers cartoon. His only appearance in fiction was in the Marvel comic but more so than his fellow Triggercons; Ruckus being the most interesting of the three...

 on how to identify Autobots from Decepticons in battle using the Ark's computer. Bludgeon is one of those he displays to the Autobots.

Dreamwave Productions

Bludgeon appeared in the first volume of 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...

' Transformers: The War Within
Transformers: The War Within
This article is about the comic book series. For other uses, see The War Within .Transformers: The War Within is a series of comic book mini-series written by Simon Furman and published by Dreamwave Productions featuring Generation One characters with brand new pre-Earth designs.The series focuses...

series. Bludgeon was recruited as a Decepticon under the leadership of Megatron in his war against the Autobots on the planet Cybertron. When 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...

 led the Decepticon attack on the Autobot capitol of Iacon, Bludgeon was part of the strike force along with Astrotrain
Astrotrain
Astrotrain is the name of three fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons who can assume the form of a space shuttle.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, 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...

, Brawl
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...

, Chopshop
Insecticons
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...

, Dirge
Dirge (Transformers)
Dirge is the name of several different fictional characters from the Transformers series. He was first introduced in 1985 as a villain in the Transformers series, appearing in the comic book by Marvel Comics and voiced by Bud Davis in the animated television series. Since then the name Dirge was...

, Frenzy
Frenzy (Transformers)
Frenzy is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Octane, Onslaught
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...

, Ramjet
Ramjet (Transformers)
Ramjet is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All have been Decepticon aligned characters who turn into jets, usually white.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Tantrum, Venom
Insecticons
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...

 and Vortex
Combaticons
The Combaticons are a group of Decepticon military vehicles in the assorted fictional universes of the Transformers.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...

.

When Megatron and Autobot leader Optimus Prime disappeared in an accident with a 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:...

, the Autobot and Decepticon forces splintered into smaller factions. Bludgeon became leader of the Chaos Trinity, which was composed of him, Bugly
Bugly
Bugly is a fictional character from the various Transformers series. He is a Decepticon Pretender.-Transformers: Generation 1:Bugly is Decepticon Pretender, released as a toy in 1988...

 and Mindwipe
Mindwipe (Transformers)
Mindwipe is the name of two fictional characters in the Transformers toy line and fictional series by Hasbro. Both are Decepticons.-Transformers: Generation 1:Mindwipe is a Decepticon Headmaster who transforms into a bat....

. The Chaos Trinity was devoted to expanding its members knowledge of the mystic arts. The Chaos Trinity acted as master manipulators, tricking others into doing their work for them. For instance, when Shockwave's faction developed Trypticon
Trypticon
Trypticon is a fictional character in the Transformers toyline.-Transformers: Generation 1:Trypticon is the Decepticons' principal command base. He has three modes: a city, a mobile battle station, and a Tyrannosaurus rex. In each mode, he has a variety of weapons...

, the Chaos Trinity tipped off the Autobots under 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...

 where it was being tested.

The Chaos Trinity came into the service of the Fallen
Fallen (Transformers)
The Fallen is a fictional character in the Transformers universes. According to Hasbro, he was formerly known as Megatronus Prime, and is a multiversal singularity, meaning that while he exists across the multiverse, he has no alternate-universe counterpart.-Character history:Although the Fallen's...

, an ancient Transformer who betrayed Primus and was now an agent of Unicron. The Fallen promised to expand their mystic powers in return for their loyalty, after threatening to kill them if they didn't join him.

Attacking a meeting between Jetfire
Jetfire
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. He is nearly always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

 and Shockwave, hypnotizing the former and incapacitating the latter, they were then beaten by 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...

, who arrived because he believed that Jetfire was betraying them. However, this was all part of a bigger set-up by the Fallen, who easily defeated the Dinobot leader. Then, after battling 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 and kidnapping Hot Spot, the Trinity took him to the Fallen for an arcane ritual, but they were attacked by Shockwave's Decepticons. Bludgeon fled, but was blasted by a teleporting Skywarp
Skywarp
Skywarp is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers toy line. He is usually depicted as a black or purple Decepticon jet with teleportation powers.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

. He did not appear again in the G1 comics. It is interesting to note that Bludgeon was not so willing to take orders, questioning the Fallen on several occasions.

Transformers: Armada

Bludgeon would not only appear in the War Within comic, but also in its sister title, Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Armada
Transformers: Armada, known in Japan as , is a Transformers animated series, comic series and toy line which ran from 2002–2003. It was originally scheduled for 2001, however was delayed until early-2002...

. In this separate reality, the incarnation of Bludgeon (now in his traditional Pretender shell) was one of the Heralds of Unicron, from a different dimension
Dimension
In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a space or object is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus a line has a dimension of one because only one coordinate is needed to specify a point on it...

, sent to cause destruction prior to Unicron's arrival alongside his fellow heralds, Dirge
Dirge (Transformers)
Dirge is the name of several different fictional characters from the Transformers series. He was first introduced in 1985 as a villain in the Transformers series, appearing in the comic book by Marvel Comics and voiced by Bud Davis in the animated television series. Since then the name Dirge was...

, Thunderwing
Thunderwing
Thunderwing is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. Introduced in 1989, he was a major villain in the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Although Thunderwing was created after the US Transformers television series ended, the character of Black Shadow did appear in...

, 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 their leader, 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...

 (all characters from the G1 universe, though their names are not mentioned and are not the versions from the Generation One Dreamwave comics).

While Galvatron confronted Armada Megatron at the Autobot base, the rest of the Heralds took over the Decepticon base on Cybertron. Scourge, Dirge and Thunderwing, activating all the Space Bridge Portals, left Bludgeon to guard their arrival portal in the Decepticon base and departed for Earth. A team of Autobots led by Jetfire
Jetfire
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. He is nearly always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

 would then arrive to investigate, with Bludgeon stalking them from the shadows, killing and wounding several. Eventually locating him with searchlights, Jetfire destroyed his shell, although the inner robot escaped. Attacking Jetfire again in tank mode, Bludgeon and the other Decepticons were destroyed when Jetfire detonated a store of explosives.

IDW Publishing

Bludgeon's first chronological appearance in the new IDW Publishing
IDW 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...

 continuity was in The Transformers: Spotlight issue on 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...

, where he was assigned to investigate the missing 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...

's lab. Bludgeon became increasingly obsessed with the Regenesis program, a project Shockwave had initiated to seed worlds with new caches of more powerful Energon. At some point, Bludgeon recovered the dormant hulk of Thunderwing
Thunderwing
Thunderwing is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. Introduced in 1989, he was a major villain in the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Although Thunderwing was created after the US Transformers television series ended, the character of Black Shadow did appear in...

 (who had nearly devastated Cybertron years before), and began to realize he could use the Energon that Shockwave had seeded to revive him — unaware he was being spied upon by Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

. After heading to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 and using human facsimiles to harvest the Ultra Energon, Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

 confronted him. When Bludgeon revealed the truth, Soundwave
Soundwave (Transformers)
Soundwave is the name of several characters in the various series Transformers series. His most famous disguise is that of a microcassette recorder and has an iconic voice done by a vocoder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

 attempted to stop him — but was blasted into stasis lock (in his cassette player mode) with a weapon from Shockwave's lab and left to die as Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is south of Seattle, Washington and northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a...

 erupted.

Bludgeon's plan came full circle in The Transformers: Stormbringer
The Transformers: Stormbringer
The Transformers: Stormbringer is a comic book mini-series, published by IDW Publishing.The series debuted in July, 2006 and is set during the same time frame as The Transformers: Infiltration...

, as he and his followers kidnapped Jetfire
Jetfire
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. He is nearly always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

 and the Technobots
Technobots
The Technobots are a subgroup of five Autobots that transform into futuristic vehicles in the Transformers universe. Their counterparts are the Terrorcons.-Transformers: Generation 1:The five Technobots combine into Computron....

, hoping to dissect them and use their parts to replicate the same grafting process that created Thunderwing
Thunderwing
Thunderwing is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. Introduced in 1989, he was a major villain in the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Although Thunderwing was created after the US Transformers television series ended, the character of Black Shadow did appear in...

, giving them their own Pretender Shells
Pretenders (Transformers)
Pretenders is a subline within the Transformers toy line, introduced in 1988. The concept behind the toy was that the Transformers were capable of disguising their robotic forms through the use of synthetic organic outer shells.-Cloudburst:...

. Hacking into the monster's mind Bludgeon implanted a subconscious suggestion for Thunderwing
Thunderwing
Thunderwing is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers series. Introduced in 1989, he was a major villain in the Marvel Comics Transformers series. Although Thunderwing was created after the US Transformers television series ended, the character of Black Shadow did appear in...

 to seek out and destroy entire planets, believing their sacrifice would enable 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...

 to be reborn, before unleashing the monster on Nebulos. However, their plans were stopped by the Wreckers
Wreckers (Transformers)
The Wreckers are a sub-team of Autobots in the fictional Transformers universe, functioning essentially as a commando unit. They are not derived from the Transformers toyline but rather are the creation of Marvel UK writer Simon Furman, who introduces the Wreckers in the story arc Target:2006...

, who took out his cult. In desperation, Bludgeon underwent the grafting process only to find out, far too late, that the shell hadn't been neuro-aligned; the psychic backlash destroyed his mind, and he apparently killed Iguanus
Iguanus
Iguanus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers series.-Transformers: Generation 1:Iguanus is a loathsome Decepticon who is in love with his Pretender shell so much he rarely takes it off.-Reception:...

, or at least mortally injured him before his mind shut down.

While Bludgeon's fate was not detailed in the Spotlight issue on 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 acted as a sequel of sorts to Stormbringer, his fate was eventually revealed 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...

, which revealed his spark
Spark (Transformers)
Spark can refer to several objects in the fictional Transformers universe. A spark is usually the "soul" of a Transformer. It is also the name of several Transformers characters. An AllSpark is a term for two different objects within the Transformers media franchise. In the Beast Machines...

 had been separated from his body and held in limbo in the Autobot penal facility on Garrus-9. At some point he was tampered with by 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...

, and was used as his instrument to kill Jetfire
Jetfire
Jetfire is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. He is nearly always depicted as an Autobot with jet or space shuttle alternate mode.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

. However, the various demands on Jhiaxus' plan meant he was unable to kill the scientist before being cut off by 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...

. A once again immobile Bludgeon was last seen being disarmed by the Autobots. His fate remains unknown (Spotlight Sideswipe
The Transformers: Revelation
The Transformers: Revelation is a comic book miniseries, published by IDW Publishing, based on the Generation One Transformers and following on from The Transformers: Devastation...

).

Bludgeon, as well as his whole group, have completely different robot forms to their toys and bear resemblance to the toys' Pretender Shells. His face and helmet bear some similarity to the original Pretender shell, although Bludgeon appears to be missing the lower half of his face and his circuits are exposed. His Pretender shell bears a heavy resemblance to the toy but has been redesigned as if Bludgeon was a Mega-Pretender capable of transforming into a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...

, with tank tracks and shoulder turrets clearly visible.

Devil's Due Publishing

Bludgeon would also appear in the fourth G.I. Joe vs the Transformers crossover from Devil's Due Publishing
Devil'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...

. Little is known about this incarnation of Bludgeon, save that, in his pre-Pretender form, he attempted to kill 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...

 shortly after he had received the Matrix
Autobot Matrix of Leadership
The Matrix of Leadership or Creation Matrix in the fictional Transformers universes is the Autobot talisman of legend, passed down from leader to leader. It consisted of an oval-shaped container, holding a glowing crystal. To open the Matrix is to release an unpredictable wave of power from the...

. Later, Bludgeon and the future Monster Pretenders
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...

 came to Earth to exploit it, but were shot down by the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. To save themselves, Bludgeon made a deal with the snake cult Cobra-La
Cobra-La
Cobra-La is a fictional civilization created by Hasbro for the military-themed toyline and TV series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. Introduced to the public in G.I. Joe: The Movie and the 1987 series of action figures, Cobra-La was created as a reference to James Hilton's Lost Horizon, and the...

, gaining his traditional Pretender shell
Pretenders (Transformers)
Pretenders is a subline within the Transformers toy line, introduced in 1988. The concept behind the toy was that the Transformers were capable of disguising their robotic forms through the use of synthetic organic outer shells.-Cloudburst:...

 in the process. Bludgeon first stopped Joe Colton's Adventure team and captured Colton himself, killing one of his companions in the process. Later, when a Matrix-afflicted Hawk
Hawk (G.I. Joe)
Hawk is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of military-themed toys. He appears in the animated series, comic books, toyline, and movie.-Profile:...

 led Optimus Prime to Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...

 to uncover Cobra-La's location, Bludgeon squared off against the Autobot leader, nearly killing him due to his Armour secreting metal-eating acid (an ability noted in Bludgeon's original toy tech spec). Prime was saved by Hawk, and the two fled with Flint
Flint (G.I. Joe)
Flint is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero series. He was originally created as a character for the Sunbow cartoon series in 1984, and later introduced into the comic book and produced as an action figure in 1985.-Profile:...

 into the mountains — only to be chased down by Bludgeon and a group of Cobra-La troopers. Bludgeon again engaged Prime, but lost focus when Prime ripped open his shell to reveal the inner robot. Plummeting off a ravine, Prime attempted to saved him, but Bludgeon realized that if Prime saved him, it would be a betrayal of his philosophy of death and destruction. Using his metal-eating slime to cause Prime to lose his grip, Bludgeon plummeted to his doom laughing.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

In the Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toy line)
Transformers: Robots in Disguise is an anime series which has an associated toy line released in 2001 by Hasbro. The anime and toy line were originally released in Japan in 2000 by Takara as ....

toy line, the name Bludgeon was used on a yellow repaint of Generation 2 Combat Hero Megatron. Though he may well be a separate character (as he did not appear in any comics or television series and Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...

 did not release any story for him other than he is part of a Destructicon sub-group), he is painted yellow and silver (the primary colors of Bludgeon's Pretender shell) and even has red eye paint across his nose to create the illusion of a "visor" like Bludgeon's original robot mode, leading many to believe he is meant to be a homage to the G1 character.

This incarnation of Bludgeon is unofficially considered part of the Transformers: Universe
Transformers: Universe
Transformers: Universe is a line of toys that consists of re-painted and re-released toys from various Transformers lines of toys. For the comic book series see Transformers Universe .- Toy line :...

line. He was planned to be made part of the fiction for the Universe, like most non-show repaints from the toy line, by the Transformers: Collectors Club, but they only produced concept art for a biography page before they went under.

Toys

  • Robots in Disguise Bludgeon (2002)
A yellow redeco of Generation 2 Combat Hero Megatron.
The figure was remolded into Reverse Convoy for the Transformers: Robot Masters
Transformers: Robot Masters
Transformers: Robot Masters is a Transformers toy-line created by the Japanese toy company Takara to run as an accompaniment to "Transformers Superlink" and "Transformers Galaxy Force" , but is largely set, or derived from, the original Transformers continuity...

line.


Transformers: Cybertron

Bludgeon received an extremely unusual reference in the Cyber Key info (found on Hasbro's website) for the Transformers: Cybertron
Transformers: Cybertron
Transformers: Cybertron, known in Japan originally as , is the 2005-2007 Transformers toy line and animated series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara...

character Backstop. The info indicated that Bludgeon and Banzai-Tron had been the ones to teach Backstop the art of being a martial warrior.

Transformers: Timelines

A mirror-universe version of Bludgeon appeared in the Transformers: Timelines fiction as one of the heroic Decepticons. Unlike Generation 1 Bludgeon, who is modeled after Earth-style Eastern martial artists, this Bludgeon is modeled himself after Earth-style western gunslingers.

Fun Publications

Bludgeon appears in the fiction Dungeons & Dinobots, a text based story from Fun Publications
Fun 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 and Carnivac defended the Arch-Ayr fuel dump from an Autobot attack. He used his quick-draw skills against the evil Optimus Prime.

Toys

Although no toy is made for this version of Bludgeon, he seems to be based on Robots in Disguise Destructicon Bludgeon.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Bludgeon is the name of a 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...

 who appeared in the toy line for 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...

. He first appears in the form of a LAV-C2 armored personnel carrier. After being defeated in battle by the Autobot
Autobot
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...

 Whirl, Bludgeon goes into hiding in the jungles of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

 and reformats himself into a Type 90 tank. In his current form, his robot mode sports a Samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...

-themed armor and is armed with a Nodachi
Nodachi
A nodachi is a large two-handed Japanese sword. Some have suggested that the meaning of "nodachi" is roughly the same as ōdachi meaning "large/great sword". A confusion between the terms has nearly synonymized "nodachi" with the very large "ōdachi"...

 and a Wakizashi
Wakizashi
The is one of the traditional Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan.-Description:...

. Desperate to prove himself against any Autobot, he wreaks havoc in the jungle to lure Ironhide into his trap.

Toys

  • Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Decepticon Bludgeon (2009)
This toy is a redeco of Wreckage from the 2007 movie toy line. A Deluxe sized Decepticon with spring-loaded swords. With a real United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 LAV-C2 armored personnel carrier being 639 centimeters long and this toy measuring 12.5 centimeters long, it would have a scale of 1/51 and he would stand about 23 feet tall in robot mode (roughly equivalent to the height of Autobot
Autobot
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...

 Ratchet from the movie). He is packaged together with the Autobot Whirl (a blue redeco of Evac) in the Toys "R" Us exclusive two-pack "Master of Metallikato" gift set.

  • Revenge of the Fallen Voyager Decepticon Bludgeon (2009)
An all-new mold of Bludgeon, which transforms from a Type 90 tank to a robot with Samurai-like armor. Both modes are an homage to Bludgeon's G1 Pretender incarnation.
Also available in a gray/green redeco as Decepticon Banzaitron in the 2010 Transformers toy line.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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