Constructicons
Encyclopedia
Transformers: Generation 1
The Constructicons (known as Buildrons in JapanJapan
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...
), so named for their group job of design, engineering and construction for the 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...
forces, are particularly notable for their status as the very first combining sub-group of Transformers, able to merge their bodies and minds together to form the gigantic Devastator
Devastator (Transformers)
Devastator is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. For legal-political reasons, Hasbro now adds a modifier to the character's name on newer toy packages, such as Constructicon Devastator....
. The individual members of the team include:
- Scrapper (Construction Engineer)
He transforms into a wheeled front end loaderLoader (equipment)A loader is a heavy equipment machine often used in construction, primarily used to load material into or onto another type of machinery .-Heavy equipment front loaders:A loader A loader is a heavy equipment machine often used in construction, primarily used to load material (such as asphalt,...
.
He forms the right leg of Devastator
He is the leader of the Constructicons even though he does not form Devastator's torso.
He is a master designer who conceives the myriad structures the Constructicons assemble.
Although he is genuinely modest about his work, he is prone to bragging amongst his fellow Constructicons.
As indicated by a cut line from the original script of the Constructicons' debut animated episode,
Scrapper was originally to be named Gravedigger.
Voiced by Michael Bell. - Hook (Surgical Engineer)
He transforms into a crane truckCrane (machine)A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
.
He forms the head and shoulders of Devastator.
He is the team's perfectionist second-in-command,
who considers himself far too elite to deal with most of the "ruffians" that call themselves Decepticons.
He is excellent at performing tasks which require extreme precision (including surgical operations), but the time he takes to perfect his work and his arrogance are his weaknesses.
Voiced by Neil RossNeil RossTheodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
. - BonecrusherBonecrusher (Transformers)Bonecrusher is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Bonecrusher is a member of the Constructicons. He is a brawler by nature and specialises in demolitions work...
(Demolitions)
He transforms into a bulldozerBulldozerA bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
.
He forms the left arm of Devastator.
He is a brawler by nature and specializes in demolitions work.
Under this vicious personality is an underlying motive; he is a perfectionist at heart and wishes to destroy all he deems imperfect, including the Autobots. He would enjoy the extra potential for destruction as Devastator if it did not mean sharing the same mind space as his fellow Constructicons. A different Bonecrusher was in the 2007 live action version of Transformers.
Voiced by Neil RossNeil RossTheodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
. - ScavengerScavenger (Transformers)Scavenger is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. Scavenger is usually depicted as a villain who turns into a construction vehicle.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
(Mining and Salvage)
He transforms into an excavatorExcavatorExcavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, stick, bucket and cab on a rotating platform . The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. A cable-operated excavator uses winches and steel ropes to accomplish the movements. They are a natural progression from the...
.
He forms the right arm of Devastator.
He is an unashamedly pathetic Decepticon.
Desperate to prove his worth to his team-mates, he uses his one true gift - his shovel's ability to detect various magnetic, ionic, electrical or gas readings - to locate items of value, although invariably, all he can usually find is junk.
Originally to be named Scrounge, this became a derogatory nickname for him from the other Constructicons and Decepticons.
Voiced by Don MessickDon MessickDonald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
. - Long Haul (Transport)
He transforms into a dump truckDump truckA dump truck is a truck used for transporting loose material for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of...
.
He forms the lower torso of Devastator.
He is not fond of his role as transport, ferrying construction materials to and from on a Constructicon building site, and although he accepts its importance, he would much rather be a full-time warrior.
In a children's coloring book,
Long Haul is once mistakenly referred to by Scrapper's early name, Gravedigger.
Voiced by Gregg BergerGregg BergerGreggory "Gregg" Berger is an American voice actor, who is known for his longtime role as Odie the dog from the Garfield franchise...
. - Mixmaster (Materials Fabrication)
He transforms into a cement mixerCement mixerA cement mixer is a shot drink. It often consists of:*1 part Bailey's Irish Cream *1 part Lime juice...
truck.
He forms the left leg of Devastator.
He might have a few chips loose in his logic center, judging by the cackling with which he undertakes his role of materials fabrication.
Although manic and erratic by nature, he is a genius of a chemist, able to mix chemicals in the drum of his concrete mixerConcrete mixerA concrete mixer is a device that homogeneously combines cement, aggregate such as sand or gravel, and water to form concrete. A typical concrete mixer uses a revolving drum to mix the components...
alternate mode.
He has also been known to insert solid objects—such as cars—into his mixing drum in order to turn out new building materials.
Voiced by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
.
The team's combined form of Devastator
Devastator (Transformers)
Devastator is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. For legal-political reasons, Hasbro now adds a modifier to the character's name on newer toy packages, such as Constructicon Devastator....
is brutality in its purest form—his sole purpose is to destroy anything and everything that gets in his way. It is ironic that the suitably intelligent Constructicons should sacrifice their thinking ability in their combined form, but simple-mindedness is a common limitation of the assorted other first-generation combining Transformers, because Devastator's thoughts and actions are limited to what his six components can agree upon at any given time. Consequently, Devastator seems like a being of instinct, lashing out at everything around him before contemplating the consequences, but he is also slow and lumbering and very easy to trip up. It should also be noted that Devastator is composed of 6 individual robots, compared to most other combiner teams who had 5 components (the exceptions being Monstructor
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...
and Piranacon
Seacons
This article is about the Transformers characters the Seacons. For the shopping mall, see Seacon Square. For the 1961 Worldcon in Seattle, Washington, Seacon, see 19th World Science Fiction Convention...
). The only contradiction to Devastator's lack of a display of intelligence is in The Core, when his components' minds were temporarily controlled by the Autobots. He was able to detach the portion of himself made by Hook and complete a complex surgical procedure on 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...
(which put even Ratchet
Ratchet (Transformers)
Ratchet is the name of several characters in the Transformers universes. According to the original creator of the Transformers names, Bob Budiansky, Ratchet was named after the character of Nurse Ratched from the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The name Ratchet is almost always portrayed as...
's skills to shame). When the surgery was complete, Hook returned to Devastator's combined form as if the whole operation was performed by the Autobot-controlled Devastator.
Marvel Comics
The origins of the Constructions in Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Transformers series was not nearly so complicated. Seeking to bolster the size of his forces on Earth in 1985, Decepticon Commander 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...
arranged for the construction of six new Decepticon bodies, which were then infused with life by the power of the Creation Matrix, tapped from the head of the imprisoned 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...
. Thus, the Constructicons were born, and were immediately put to work building a massive radio transmission dish that Soundwave used to beam a message to Cybertron. When the Autobots attempted to interfere, the Constructicons revealed their hidden power and merged into Devastator to fight them off, allowing the message to successfully go through.
The Autobots, intrigued by Devastator's unique combining power, attempting to replicate it with the construction of Omega Supreme. But as Omega was composed of only three (non-sentient) components, unlike the six Constructicons that made up Devastator, the Autobots conducted a raid on the Decepticon base, luring out Devastator so that they could gather data on him. This allowed them to accomplish the construction of the new combiner team, the Aerialbots
Aerialbots
The Aerialbots are a group of Autobots that transform into aircraft and combine to form the giant robot Superion. They were introduced into the Transformers toyline in 1985 and sold as a Superion gift set, and then sold separately in 1986 in most department stores...
, capable of forming Superion, whom Devastator battled during the Transformers' adventure alongside G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe is a line of action figures produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier , Action Sailor , Action Pilot , Action Marine and later on, the Action Nurse...
.
Although the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's exclusive Transformers comic series shone the spotlight on the Constructicons when they were charged with hunting down Buster Witwicky, and again when the time-travelling 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...
co-opted their services to build a gigantic laser cannon, the team's special talents were not required in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
title again until they and the Predacons stole large amounts of rocket fuel and raw materials, with which the Constructicons rebuilt the Decepticons' mobile island headquarters as a spaceship. With the entire Earth-based Decepticon army aboard the ship, under the command of Ratbat
Ratbat
Ratbat is the name of several fictional characters who appeared in various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:As is the case with many Transformers characters, the various continuities in which Ratbat has appeared have portrayed him widely differently in terms of size, personality,...
, they attacked an Autobot congregation on the moon, and while the battle raged, the Constructicons penetrated the Ark and recovered the deactivated bodies of several Decepticons defeated in an earlier clash with Omega Supreme.
Although the Constructicons did not appear again in the US Transformers title, they were not among the Transformers deactivated by the Underbase-empowered Starscream, and briefly appeared as part of the Autobot-Decepticon Alliance, both in group shots and as part of their last stand against 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...
' forces. In the alternate future universe of 2008 featured in the UK Transformers comic, Mixmaster was briefly indicated to have ascended to leadership of the Constructicons. (This had, in fact, already been implied in the present day UK story "Second Generation", in which Mixmaster is seen viewing the transmissions from Buster Witwicky's mind alongside Shockwave 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:...
.)
Animated series
According to the Autobot, Omega SupremeOmega Supreme
Omega Supreme is the name of a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. He is always an Autobot and is often depicted as a gigantic transformer with vast strength and/or overwhelming firepower.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, millions of years ago, the Constructicons were the creators of the beautiful Crystal City on the Transformers' homeworld 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...
, which he was assigned the task of guarding. As a friend of the Constructicons, he was hurt the most when they were attacked by Megatron, who, seeking to bolster the forces of his then-small army, subjected the Constructicons to the Robo-Smasher, a device which reprogrammed their minds and turned them into Decepticons. In their first act as Megatron's troops, the Constructicons lured Omega away from Crystal City and demolished it, enraging Omega, who pursued the Constructicons across the planet. Eventually, he succeeded in capturing them and apparently restored their programming to its original state, but as the group returned to rebuild Crystal City, Omega learned that Megatron's reprogramming could never be undone—the Constructicons were still Decepticons, and more than that, Megatron had given them a new power: the ability to combine their bodies and minds into the giant known as Devastator. In the ensuing struggle with Devastator, the Robo-Smasher attacked Omega's mind. He was able to stop it before the reprogramming was complete, only to wind up losing his emotions. Filled with only hatred for the Constructicons, Omega relentlessly pursued them, until they finally fled Cybertron in a spacecraft, which Omega chased across the galaxy.
In 1984, the Constructicons joined with Megatron's forces on Earth, and their first mission was an impressive one - Scrapper designed a machine to transfer the other Decepticons' powers to Megatron, and while he battled 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...
, holding the attention of the Autobots, the Constructicons invaded the Ark
Ark (Transformers)
The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the Transformers Universe. It has appeared as a central fixture of the Transformers storyline ever since its creation, as the Autobots main method of transport to Earth and as a base once they arrive....
to destroy Teletraan I
Teletraan I
Teletraan I is the name of several fictional characters in several Transformers universes. Teletraan I is usually the Autobots' computer on board their spaceship called the Ark.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. Unfortunately for them, the Ark was protected 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...
, but by merging into Devastator, they became more than a match for their prehistoric foes. The return of the other Autobots and the discovery of Megatron's deception spelled the end of the battle, however, as Hound
Hound (Transformers)
Hound is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes referred to as Autobot Hound for trademark purposes.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
distracted Devastator with a gigantic hologram, and Optimus Prime blasted the giant at just the right spot to force the Constructicons to disengage. They and the other Decepticons were then forced into a river of lava.
The Constructicons survived the river of lava along with the other Decepticons and continued to assist in Megatron’s plans of conquest. In the year 2005, Devastator was the Decepticons' primary weapon in the Battle of Autobot City with the absence of Menasor and Bruticus, tearing through the defenses and walls of the city and battling the Dinobots once more. On the return trip to Cybertron, it was Bonecrusher who advocated the "survival of the fittest" policy that saw many wounded Decepticons ejected from the shuttle, among them Megatron, prompting Scrapper to nominate the Constructicons for the new leaders of the Decepticons. Hook took great offense to the notion that the unpopular 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:...
would make a better leader than they would, leading to a mass brawl to decide who would be Decepticon leader. Later, on Cybertron, the Constructicons were blowing trumpets during Starscream's coronation but were cut off due to Starscream's impatience.
In the remainder of 2005 and throughout 2006, the Constructions maintained a smaller, but still present, role in the Decepticon army, lending their talents to the Decepticon/Quintesson
Quintessons
Quintessons are fictional aliens from the Transformers universe. Within the TV series, they are the creators of the Transformers, although in most other fictional universes featuring the Transformers, they have no such status...
alliance by constructing 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...
out of a populated human city in only one night. Later, they built a planetary engine on an asteroid and battled on the planet Eurythma, aided in the overthrow of Paradron and took part in an attack on Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Although brief, the Constructicons even played a part in the battle for the Plasma Energy Chamber in 2007.
The Constructicons' voices were performed by Michael Bell (Scrapper), Neil Ross
Neil Ross
Theodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
(Hook, Bonecrusher), Gregg Berger
Gregg Berger
Greggory "Gregg" Berger is an American voice actor, who is known for his longtime role as Odie the dog from the Garfield franchise...
(Long Haul), Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
(Mixmaster), Don Messick
Don Messick
Donald Earl "Don" Messick was an American voice actor best known for his work for Hanna-Barbera. Perhaps his most well-known voice creations include Scooby-Doo, Papa Smurf, and Dr. Benton Quest....
(Scavenger) and Arthur Burghardt
Arthur Burghardt
Arthur Burghardt is an American actor known for portraying Dr. Jack Scott on the soap opera One Life to Live.His first movie appearance was as the Great Ahmed Kahn in Network . A prolific voice actor during the 1980s, his most celebrated roles were Destro in the animated series G.I. Joe and...
(Devastator). The individual Constructicons are six of only ten characters to have appeared in all four seasons of the Transformers animated series (the others being 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...
, 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:...
, 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 :...
/Goldbug, and Spike Witwicky), and they would continue to make brief, token appearances throughout the Japanese-exclusive Transformers: Headmasters series. Later, in the single episode of 1990's Japanese Transformers: Zone series, Devastator was among the nine Decepticon Generals assembled by the villainous Violenjiger. The veteran Decepticon was almost immediately defeated in this series, entombed beneath the earth by a river of magma unleashed by Dai Atlas. It's unclear if Devastator was killed or only incapacitated, due to fact that the Constructicons already survived magma's effects in "Heavy Metal War."
One of the most frequent animation errors concerning Devastator is that at some points he has a visor covering his eyes: at others the eyes themselves are visible. This was due to his full-figure profile on the animation model sheet being drawn with eyes, while the close-up head profile showed the visor. Another inconsistency involves the color of Mixmaster's mixing drum, usually seen in purple on Devastator. This is due to toy models (as seen in the 1985 Transformers product catalog) showing the drum as green on vehicular-mode Mixmaster, but in a soft gray (unique only to this unreleased version of Mixmaster) on a combined Devastator.
Conflicting origins & Load Hauler
The original Transformers animated series is infamous for its seeming slip-ups regarding the Constructicons, presenting contradictory stories that give different origins for the group. In their debut episode, the season one finale, "Heavy Metal War", Megatron professes that the Constructicons were built on Earth. Yet, in the season two episode, "The Secret of Omega Supreme," the secret history of the eponymous character and the Constructicons comes out, which reveals their past on Cybertron together, where the Constructicons were formerly not evil, though they still showed the Decepticon insignia, but were turned to evil by Megatron. Scrapper also makes a comment in "The Master Builders" that he admired the buildings of the Autobot Grapple on Cybertron, indicating a past there.Interestingly, the official bible to the series originally describes the Constructicons as having "no explained origin." Presumably, this encouraged David Wise, the writer of "The Secret of Omega Supreme", to give the characters an explained origin, unaware that it conflicted with the one-line reference to their being built on Earth from "Heavy Metal War". Nevertheless, it is not impossible to reconcile these two stories, if one simply assumes that when Megatron said the Constructicons were "built," he was referring to their new Earth bodies after their arrival from Cybertron (ironically, "The Secret of Omega Supreme" neglected to give the Constructicons redesigned Cybertronian modes, making it appear as if they always turned into Earthly construction vehicles).
The third seeming contradiction emerges in the third season, with the episode "Five Faces of Darkness, Part Four", in which Rodimus Prime witnesses Megatron's creation in a flashback, and the animation shows the Constructicons surrounding him, however later fiction reveals that there were many Constructicons on Cybertron, and the ones who made Megatron need not have been the ones who formed Devastator.
Other Constructicons
The presence of a larger than usual number of Constructicons in the "Five Faces of Darkness" scene was referenced somewhat by the release of Load Hauler, a Constructicon-colored repaint of the Autobot, Grapple, released exclusively by online retailer E-Hobby in 2003. His biography presents him to have once been a member of the Constructicons, before they were Decepticons, who joined up with the Autobots after Megatron co-opted his team-mates with the Robo-Smasher, and accompanied Optimus Prime's crew aboard the Ark. This in itself is a reference to the anomalous character of Hauler, an Autobot clearly based on the Grapple toy who features in the first animated series episode, but never appears again. Orange in his animated appearance, Load Hauler's bio explains this color discrepancy by presenting Load Hauler as a "highly capricious self-expressionist," who frequently changes his coloration.In a biography printed for the 2011 nominations for the Transformers hall of fame it was revealed that the Autobot Erector was also a former Constructicon, but was kicked out of the team in favor of Hook.
Action Master Devastator & the New Constructicons
In 1990, the final year of the Transformers toyline in the US, an Action Master figure of Devastator was released, with a transforming partner named Scorpulator. Two years later, in 1992, the Constructicons' toys were re-released (exclusive to Europe), now in a yellow, purple and grey color scheme, with no individual names for the individual toys and lacking the additional pieces that allowed their original releases to combine into Devastator. A story published in issue 264 of the UK's Transformers comic is often cited as an attempt to explain both releases, but since the "new" Constructicons would not be released for another two years, the only toy the story could actually be based upon would be the Action Master version of Devastator. In the story, it was revealed that the Constructicons had lost the ability to combine and were attempting to rebuild Devastator as a singular, separate entity. The Autobots 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 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 :...
arrived on the island to investigate, and Ironhide was able to bypass the security grid and plant explosives to destroy the site, and Devastator with it.
Fun Publications
Based on the Transformers ClassicsTransformers Classics
Transformers Classics is a line of Transformers toys based on and resembling the first generation characters introduced in the 1980s. The toy line was created to fill the gap in Transformers product releases between the end of the Transformers: Cybertron series and the start of 2007 live-action...
toy line, the Timelines 2007 story is set 15 years after the end of the Marvel Comics story (ignoring all events of the Marvel UK and 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...
comics). Megatron survived the crash of the Ark
Ark (Transformers)
The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the Transformers Universe. It has appeared as a central fixture of the Transformers storyline ever since its creation, as the Autobots main method of transport to Earth and as a base once they arrive....
on Earth, reformatted himself into a new form and now leads 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:...
, 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:...
, 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:...
, 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 the Constructicons. 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...
has also returned to Earth commanding 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 :...
, Cliffjumper
Cliffjumper
Cliffjumper is the name of several characters from the Transformers line of toys. His name is usually associated with an Autobot whose toys are often red repaints of Bumblebee toys.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
, 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...
, 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:...
, Mirage
Mirage (Transformers)
Mirage is any of several distinct fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Mirage is one of the single most re-used names in the Transformers series, and is almost entirely synonymous with characters possessing Formula One racing car alternate modes.-Transformers Generation 1:Some...
and Rodimus
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...
(formerly Hot Rod).
When the Cybertronians Skyfall
Skyfall (Transformers)
Skyfall is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. In some cases the name Skyfall is used as a substitute for Skyjack.-Transformers Generation 1:...
and Landquake
Landquake
Landquake is the name to two different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Energon:In the animated series, Landmine was evolved by Primus into a new form. In Japan, this was an upgrade which was reflected in the show, where he was called Landmine Supermode. ...
arrive on Earth unexpectedly Megatron attempts to destroy them, but Optimus Prime and his Autobots are able to drive Megatron away.
Dreamwave Productions
In Dreamwave ProductionsDreamwave 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...
's 21st Century re-imagining of the Generation One universe, it was revealed gradually that the Constructicons were responsible for pioneering the Combining process
Transformers technology
The Transformers have several technology beyond the ability to transform between two or three forms, the Transformers series have introduced additional forms of technology.-Combiner Technology:...
through a series of experiments on themselves, thus creating Devastator. The plans to Devastator's combining process were eventually stolen by the Autobots and refined, resulting in Superion
Aerialbots
The Aerialbots are a group of Autobots that transform into aircraft and combine to form the giant robot Superion. They were introduced into the Transformers toyline in 1985 and sold as a Superion gift set, and then sold separately in 1986 in most department stores...
as a counter. This in turn led to more Special Teams being built by both sides.
In the initial 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, the Constructicons were responsible for activating Cybertron's planetary engines, under the command of Megatron eight million years ago. When Megatron disappeared into the depths of the planet fighting Optimus Prime, Starscream temporarily took command and had Scrapper prepare a process for the resurfacing of Cybertron, which would transform it into a mobile war-world. Scrapper cautioned against such an action, but Starscream ignored him, and prevented him from stopping it when the process was underway. 1.5 million years later, when Megatron and Optimus Prime were thought to have died in an early test of the 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:...
transport system, and the Autobots and Decepticons splintered into several smaller factions, the Constructicons broke the treaty that had downgraded the combining teams to non-combat status by siding with Ratbat
Ratbat
Ratbat is the name of several fictional characters who appeared in various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:As is the case with many Transformers characters, the various continuities in which Ratbat has appeared have portrayed him widely differently in terms of size, personality,...
's Ultracons
Ultracons
right|thumb|Ratbat and his Ultracons Ransack and Venom.The Ultracons are a fictional subfaction of Decepticon Transformers commanded by Ratbat in the Dreamwave comics.-History:...
and battling Defensor
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...
. The various War Within series showed that the Constructicons' alternate modes were the Cybertronian variants of their Earth designs.
It is apparent that the Constructicons were not aboard the Ark when it crashed on Earth four million years ago, but they did eventually find their way to Earth and joined Megatron's forces there after they awoke in 1984. All the Transformers were rendered inactive in the explosion of the Ark II in 1999, but when they reactivated in 2001, Devastator was the main weapon in Megatron's attack on San Francisco. Rampaging through the city, he battled and defeated 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...
, but was defeated by Optimus Prime through a point-blank blast to the face, which toppled the giant. His remains were recovered by the Earth Defense Command, and dissected and studied in their underground base. The ultimate fate of Devastator was not revealed, however, as a result of Dreamwave's closure.
iBooks Trilogy
The Constructicons also featured prominently in the iBooks trilogy set in the Dreamwave universe. Siding with Starscream after Megatron's disappearance, Devastator acted as Starscream's muscle, destroying Sideswipe at one point, and helping his new leader to take over Las VegasLas 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 Megatron returned, Devastator helped Starscream to force him into submission, but subsequent battles against the Keepers, a powerful race of aliens responsible for Megatron's disappearance, left the Constructicons unable to separate from their combined form. Eventually Devastator was taken out for good when Megatron's reprogrammed Omega Sentinel
Omega Supreme
Omega Supreme is the name of a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. He is always an Autobot and is often depicted as a gigantic transformer with vast strength and/or overwhelming firepower.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, turned good by exposure to the Matrix, sacrificed both itself and Devastator to close the Keepers' warp gate. Later, Devastator's body was found floating in space by the humans—setting up the events seen in Dreamwave's Generation One ongoing series.
Devil's Due Publishing
The Constructicons would also put in an appearance in the pages of 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...
's G.I. Joe vs the Transformers crossover. They were seen as part of the force of Transformers under the control of the terrorist organization Cobra and were used for labor on the Cobra Island base. However, when they broke free they began to manufacture energon cubes for Megatron. When the Autobots and G.I. Joe attacked the Constructicons merged to form Devastator and killed Hound
Hound (Transformers)
Hound is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes referred to as Autobot Hound for trademark purposes.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
. He was then mobbed and taken down by 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...
, 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 various members of G.I. Joe. Unlike many of the other Transformers, the Constructicons were not reformatted into Cobra vehicles.
IDW Publishing
After Dreamwave's bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, 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...
was awarded the Transformers comic book license. In their rebooted Generation One universe, the Constructicons would first be seen in The Transformers: Megatron Origin
The Transformers: Megatron Origin
The Transformers: Megatron Origin is a comic book limited series by IDW Publishing exploring the origin of Megatron in its rebooted G1 universe...
prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
miniseries. Set long before the Transformers arrived on earth, they possess Cybertronian modes very similar to the designs used in the War Within series. The Constructicons are tasked with building the gladiatorial stadiums in which Megatron and others battle. According to The Transformers: Spotlight issue featuring 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...
, the only Transformers gestalt is currently Monstructor
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...
, meaning the Constructicons cannot combine into Devastator at this point.