Transformers: Generation 1

Vortex is the most out-and-out sadistic of the Combaticons

Combaticons

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

, and functions as their interrogator. A favorite tactic of his is to trap Autobots in the huge wind funnels he creates in helicopter mode until they tell him what he wants to know. He combines with fellow Combaticons to form Bruticus and forms left arm of this giant super-robot. He uses a semi-automatic glue gun.

Marvel Comics

Vortex debuted in issue #24, Afterdeath. In this issue, Megatron and the Combaticons are battling 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 Protectobots

Protectobots

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

 near a computer lab. A human named Ethan Zachary convinces the robots to settle their dispute in a video game. They agreed on the condition that whichever side lost, their leader was destroyed in the real world. The object of the game was to destroy the leader of the group. The Combaticons and Protectobots were sent to different levels of the game. In each scenario, the Combaticons would lose and the Protectobots would win. This allowed them to merge into Defensor and destroy the virtual Megatron. However, Megatron uses a cheat code (which was discovered by Vortex) to reenter the game. Optimus defeats Megatron again, but this time he allows innocent lives to perish. Feeling guilty, Optimus forfeits the game and orders himself destroyed.

Vortex appeared in issue #41 "Totaled!" He was among the Decepticon forces that attacked the Autobots on the moon.

Vortex appeared in issue #47 "The Underbase Saga Part 1 - Club Con!" He is seen joking with Drag Strip in the Decepticon base.

Vortex remained a simple foot soldier the remainder of the comics, with no major plot or character development. He was eventually killed 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...

' forces in the Transformers: Generation 2

Transformers: Generation 2

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

 comic.

Animated series

Vortex debuted in the second season episode, Starscream's Brigade. In the episode, 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...

 is banished again from the Decepticon HQ after his just another conflict with Megatron. In that time it comes to Starscream's attempt on Megatron's life. The attempt fails, but Megatron is finally made frantic with rage and deports Starscream to the island of Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...

. Here the exiled 'Con discovers old World War II

World War II

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

 vehicles and decides to use the wreckage to build his own army. He raids a Decepticon detention center on Cybertron and steals the personality components of several renegade Decepticons. Vortex is оne of them; the others' names are Onslaught

Onslaught (Transformers)

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

, Brawl

Brawl (Transformers)

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

, Swindle

Swindle (Transformers)

Swindle is the name given to several different fictional characters in the Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Swindle originally appeared as a member of a group of five Decepticons known as the Combaticons who were able to combine together to form a larger robot known as Bruticus...

 and Blast Off

Blast Off

Blast Off is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game that was released by Namco in 1989 only in Japan. It is the sequel to Bosconian, which was released 8 years earlier.-Description:...

. Vortex is placed in an old WWII fighter plane and the body is reformatted into a helicopter

Helicopter

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

. Also Starscream endowes his creatures (named the Combaticons

Combaticons

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

) with the ability to link up and form an enormous super-robot Bruticus which is much more mighty than 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....

 himself.

At the head of his improvised army, Starscream attackes Megatron and even forces him to recognise himself as the new Decepticon leader. Only with the aid of the Stunticons Megatron succeedes in managing the insolent ex-Air-force Commander and his fighters.
After Bruticus is defeated by Menasor

Menasor

Menasor is the name to several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. The original version was the combined version of the Stunticons. Since then, other characters have taken the name Menasor.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Megatron banishes Starscream and the Combaticons from Earth and sends them to a distant asteroid. Starscream quarrels with the Combaticons and abandons them on the asteroid. After he flies off into space, the Combaticons arrive to Cybertron. Here they attempt to exact revenge on Megatron by using the space bridge to alter Earth's orbit, sending it towards the Sun. The plot fails. Starscream reveals the weak points of Bruticus to Megatron in exchange for his forgiveness. Megatron captures and reprograms the Combaticons to obey him.

Vortex was later involved in a Decepticon plot to capture the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

 oil fields. The Aerialbots arrive on the scene and the Decepticons use their new jet drones to attack them. Vortex is assigned three of these jets. However, these drones proved to be no match for the Aerialbots and are destroyed. The Combaticons then engaged them as Bruticus, but lost to Superion.

Later in the third season episode, The Ultimate Weapon the Autobots attempt to steal 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...

's transformation cog. They send Spike Witwicky and Daniel Witwicky into Trypticon disguised as mechanics. Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus

Ultra Magnus

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

 try to sneak past Vortex, who was guarding. A suspicious Vortex picks up Rodimus and shakes him, causing Daniel to fall out and into a ravine. Ultra Magnus, however, manages to save him.

Vortex made various other appearances as a member of the Combaticons, throughout the remainder of the series, as well as in the Japanese series Transformers: The Headmasters

Transformers: The Headmasters

is a Japanese anime television series.-Development:Inititally, Takara, the Japanese producers of the Transformers toyline, imported the American Transformers cartoon series from 1985 to 1986...

Dreamwave Productions

Dreamwave Productions

Dreamwave Productions

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

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

Onslaught, Brawl, Blast Off and Vortex originally appeared as part of Shockwave

Shockwave (Transformers)

Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...

's attack on Iacon in the first War Within series. At the same time Swindle was with Starscream, Motormaster, Runabout and Runamuck after Starscream head sent Megatron and Optimus Prime down further into the depths of Cybertron.

Later, when Optimus Prime

Optimus Prime

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

 led a rebellion against Shockwave's domination of Cybertron in 2003, Starscream

Starscream (Transformers)

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

 took the opportunity to form a power base, taking the protoform Combaticons to Earth and outfitting them with new alternate modes taken from an abandoned military base, then leading them in an attack on the Ark

Ark (Transformers)

The Ark is an Autobot spacecraft in the Transformers Universe. It has appeared as a central fixture of the Transformers storyline ever since its creation, as the Autobots main method of transport to Earth and as a base once they arrive....

 in order to acquire parts to make the Decepticon space cruiser, the Nemesis, spaceworthy. Confronted in battle by Brawn

Brawn (Transformers)

Brawn is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. All are tough Autobots who turn into offroad vehicles.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Bruticus was caught in an explosion as Ratchet

Ratchet (Transformers)

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

 self-destructed the Ark, but he survived the conflagration, only to be knocked out by artillery fire from an incoming Autobot shuttle. After a battle with the evil clone, Sunstorm

Sunstorm (Transformers)

Sunstorm is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. Sunstorm is always a Decepticon allied jet who is yellow or orange in color.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Brawn opted to work out some of his stress on Bruticus's unconscious body, punching the gestalt about the head until his comrades yelled at him to stop. Bruticus would return, battling Sky Lynx

Sky Lynx

Sky Lynx is the name of several different characters in the fictional Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Sky Lynx consists of two separate components: a space shuttle that can transform into a bird-like creature , and a ground transport vehicle,...

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

IDW Publishing

Banzai-Tron, Gutcruncher, Axer and the Combaticons help Arcee attempt to recapture Monstructor.

Fun Publications

Nine million years in the past on Cybertron, Vortex is assigned to the Autobot Elite Guard Combaticon unit, designed to seek out and stop the leadership of the Decepticon forces.

The Elite Guard Alpha Team and Strike Team did battle against a horde of ferrovorous bugs in one of Cybertron's city-states. Magnum then ordered the Strike Team to escort the Alpha Team to Space Port Bravo for their next mission. The Strike Team then reported to Magnum and Sentinel Major, who introduced them to the new Elite Guard Special-Ops Team, also called the Combaticons.

While on patrol Onslaught told Metalhawk the story of how his Elite Guard team captured 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...

. Metalhawk then told Onslaught about how his team captured Blue Bacchus. The teams of Elite Guardsmen then came across a Decepticon who was separated from his group. Brawl was able to get the location of a Decepticon base from the captive before he went offline. The Guard teams around the base and were able to kill Shadowcaster, the base's leader. Metalhawk's team reported to Magnum, but the Combaticons stayed to investigate, Onslaught thinking their victory was too easy. They were captured by Decepticons.

Metalhawk and his Strike Team were searching for Decepticons when they ran into a crazy "empty" who ranted about the coming of the "brute". They received a distress signal from Sentinel Major ordering all Elite Guard units to return base. When Metalhawk's team arrived at the base Ricochet told them of a Decepticon attack. Among the attackers are the Combaticions, but when Sentinel Major orders them to surrender, they combine into Bruticus and crush Sentinel Major.

When most of the members of the Autobot Elite Guard confronted Bruticus they were nearly wiped out, with Bruticus killing most of the Guard. Dion was able to blind Bruticus, forcing it to separate into the Combaticons, but the Combaticons finished off most of the remaining Guard, including Metalhawk, who was killed by Onslaught. This left only Dion alive, buried in the rubble, and Thunderclash's team, which was off planet at the time.

Toys

• Generation 1 Combaticon Vortex (1986)

The Vortex figure was recolored and redistributed in the Robots In Disguise toy line and was renamed Ro-Tor

Ro-Tor

Ro-Tor is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Robots in Disguise:Ro-Tor is the name of a Decepticon who turns into a helicopter. The team's reconnaissance specialist.-Animated series:...

.

• Generation 1 Kabaya Gum Vortex & Brawl (1986)

Part of the original gum toy series by Kabaya

Kabaya

is a Japanese confectionery company. Its products include Roxy Hazelnuts....

 and bundled with Brawl. Two additional packs (Onslaught and Blast Off & Vortex) are needed to complete Bruticus. Each package comes with a stick of chewing gum and an easy-to-assemble kit. The completed robot looks and transforms almost the same as the larger, original Takara version, but is molded in olive green instead of gray.

• Generation 2 Vortex

The Vortex figure was recolored and redistributed in the Generation 2 toy line.ref>

• Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game Vortex (2007)

Produced by Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast

Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...

, wave 2 of their Transformers 3D Battle-Card Game included a Vortex card, who was a redeco of Blackout from wave 1.

• Universe Generation 1 Series Scout Vortex (2009)

A redeco of Energon Blackout and Storm Cloud. When the first pictures of this toy make it to the internet in August of 2008 it was incorrectly identified as Whirl.

Transformers: Energon

Vortex was the Japanese name for Energon Stormcloud, who transformed into an attack helicopter.

Transformers

Early leaked scripts of the 2007 Transformers film had a Decepticon helicopter named Vortex. This would have been the most logical name for a helicopter Decepticon since Vortex was the Generation 1 Decepticon helicopter. At some point the name was changed to Blackout.

Little is known about the toy versions of Vortex yet. The packaging of the Revenge of the Fallen version simply lists him as a Decepticon interrogator.

Toys

• Revenge of the Fallen Scout Vortex (2009)

A repackage of the toy previously released as Universe Vortex in other countries, this toy was released as a Target store exclusive in the U.S. as part of the Revenge of the Fallen toy line. This toy was in turn a redeco of the mold used for Energon Blackout

Blackout (Transformers)

Blackout is the name of several different fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Blackout was one of a team of two Micromaster Combiners. They came with a Gepard air defense vehicle that could transform to a base...

 and Stormcloud and Timelines Topspin

Topspin (Transformers)

Topspin is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers universes. Due to legal issues, later incarnations of the character are called Autobot Topspin.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

.

• Dark of the Moon Deluxe Vortex (not yet released)

A Japan exclusive gray redeco of the Deluxe Tomahawk figure from the 2010 toy line.

Video games

Vortex is set to appear among the rest of the Combaticons in the 2012 video game Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is a third-person shooter video game developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision. The game follows the events of Transformers: War for Cybertron as the Autobots struggle to defeat their Decepticon foes in battle for their home planet of Cybertron...

.